Chapter III · PRAYERS FOR A PARTURIENT WOMAN AFTER FORTY DAYS.
G. V. (George Vincent) Shann translation
On the fortieth day the child is again brought to the temple to be churched, that is, to make a beginning of attending church. It is brought by the mother, who hath already been cleansed and washed, accompanied by the intended sponsor at the baptism.
And the priest maketh,
Blessed be our God.... Trisagion. O most holy Trinity ... and Our Father.... For thine is the kingdom....
Then the troparion of the day, or of the commemorated saint.
Glory. Both now.
Through the prayers, O Lord, of all the Saints, and of the God-bearing one, grant us thy peace, and have mercy upon us, as the alone compassionate one.
And she, holding the child, boweth her head, and the priest maketh the sign of the cross over him, and, touching his head, saith the prayer.
Let us pray to the Lord.
O Lord God Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who by thy word hast made every rational and irrational creature, and hast led all things into being from non-existence; to thee we pray, and on thee we call, Cleanse this thine handmaid, name, whom thou hast saved by thy will, and who cometh into thy holy church, from every sin and from every defilement, that she may be counted worthy to partake uncondemnedly of thy holy mysteries.
Be it known that if the babe be not among the living, the prayer is read thus far.
Then, with a loud voice,
For thou art a good and man-loving God....
But if it be alive, read also this to the end.
Bless also the child which hath been born of her; increase it, sanctify it, give it understanding, and a prudent and virtuous mind; for thou hast brought it into being, and hast shewn unto it perceptible light; that at the time which thou hast appointed it may be counted worthy of spiritual light, and may be numbered together with thy holy flock, through thine only-begotten Son, with whom thou art blessed, together with thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Peace to all.
Bow your heads to the Lord.
Prayer for the mother of the child.
O Lord our God, who didst come for the salvation of the human race; come also unto thine handmaid, name, and, through thine honourable presbytery, count her worthy of an entrance into the temple of thy glory: wash her from bodily defilement and from spiritual stain in the completion of the forty days, and make her worthy of the communion of thy precious body and blood.
For hallowed and glorified is thy most honourable and majestic name, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer ii., for the child, which, signing it, the priest prayeth.
Let us pray to the Lord.
O Lord our God, who on the fortieth day wast brought as a child into the temple of the law by Mary, thine unmarried and holy Mother, and wast carried in the arms of righteous Symeon; do thou thyself, O omnipotent Master, bless this presented babe, that it may appear before thee, the Creator of all things; and do thou increase it in every work that is good and acceptable unto thee, removing far from it every opposing might by the sign of the likeness of thy cross; for thou art he that guardeth babes, O Lord; that, being counted worthy of holy baptism, it may attain unto the part of the elect of thy kingdom, being protected with us by the grace of the holy, and consubstantial, and undivided Trinity. For to thee is due all glory, thanksgiving, and worship, with thine unbeginning Father, and thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Peace to all.
Bow your heads to the Lord.
O God, Father Almighty, who by the loud-voiced prophet Esaias, hast fore-announced unto us the incarnation from a Virgin of thine only-begotten Son and our God, who, in the latter days, by thy good pleasure and by the co-operation of the Holy Ghost, hath willed, through immeasurable loving-kindness, to become a child of her for the salvation of us men; and, according to the custom of thy holy law, after the fulfilment of the days of purification, submitted to be brought into the sanctuary, being himself a true lawgiver, and willed to be carried in the arms of righteous Symeon; of which mystery we have a prototype declared in the aforementioned prophet by the taking of coals with tongs from the altar, and of which we faithful also have an imitation in grace; do thou now, who art he that guardeth babes, thyself, O Lord, bless this child, together with its parents and sponsors, and count it worthy, at the fitting time, to be born again of water and of the spirit: number it with thy holy flock of rational sheep, who are called by the name of thy Christ. For thou art he who livest on high, and who regardest the lowly, and to thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
(And if the babe be baptized, the priest performeth the act of reception into the church; but if not, he doeth this after the baptism. And, after the prayer, he here maketh the dismissal.) Then, taking the child, the priest traceth the cross with it before the gates of the temple, saying,
The servant of God, name, or the handmaid of God, name, is received into the church, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Then he bringeth it into the temple, saying,
He entereth into thy house, he worshippeth towards thy holy temple.
And he bringeth it into the midst of the temple, saying,
The servant of God, name, is received into the church....
Then he saith,
In the midst of the church he singeth praise unto thee.
Then he bringeth it before the doors of the altar, saying,
The servant of God, name, is received into the church....
And he bringeth it into the holy altar, if it be of the male sex; but, if of the female, only as far as the royal gates, saying,
Now dismiss thy servant, O Master....
And after these things he layeth it before the doors of the altar, and there the sponsor, bowing thrice, taketh it up, and departeth. And the priest, as is customary, maketh the dismissal.
