Chapter VI · THE ORDER OF HOLY BAPTISM.

The priest entereth, and vesteth himself with the white sacerdotal garment, and the maniples, and all the tapers are lighted, and he taketh the censer, and goeth to the font and censeth round, and giveth up the censer, and boweth himself.

Then saith the deacon,

Bless, master.

And the priest, with a loud voice,

Blessed be the kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

And the deacon straightway saith the ectenia.

In peace let us pray to the Lord.

For the peace that is from above....

For the peace of the whole world....

For this holy temple....

For the Most Holy Governing Synod....

For our Most Pious....

That this water may be hallowed by the might, and operation, and descent of the Holy Ghost, let us pray to the Lord.

That there may be sent down into it the grace of redemption, the blessing of Jordan, let us pray to the Lord.

That there may come down into this water the cleansing operation of the supersubstantial Trinity, let us pray to the Lord.

That we may be illuminated with the illumination of understanding and piety through the descent of the Holy Ghost, let us pray to the Lord.

That it may be manifested the averting of every counsel of visible and invisible enemies, let us pray to the Lord.

That he that is baptized therein may be worthy of the incorruptible kingdom, let us pray to the Lord.

For him that now cometh to holy illumination, and for his salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

That he may be manifested a son of light, and an inheritor of eternal good things, let us pray to the Lord.

That he may be planted with, and become a partaker of the death and resurrection of Christ our God, let us pray to the Lord.

That he may preserve the garment of baptism, and the earnest of the Spirit undefiled and unblameable in the terrible day of Christ our God, let us pray to the Lord.

That this water may be to him the bath of regeneration, unto the forgiveness of sins, and the putting on of incorruption, let us pray to the Lord.

That the Lord God may hearken unto the voice of our prayer, let us pray to the Lord.

That he may deliver him and us from all affliction, passion, and want, let us pray to the Lord.

Help us, save us, have mercy....

Commemorating our most holy, most pure....

And while the deacon is saying these, the priest saith this prayer to himself secretly.

O loving-kind and merciful God, who triest the hearts and reins, and who alone knowest the secrets of men, for nothing is unmanifest before thee, but all things are naked and exposed in thine eyesight; do thou thyself, who perceivest that which concerneth me, loathe me not, neither turn away thy face from me; but overlook mine offences in this hour, O thou that overlookest the sins of men that they may repent. And wash me from the defilement of my body and from the stain of my soul, and sanctify me wholly by thine all-effectual invisible might, and by thy spiritual right hand, lest, preaching liberty to others, and offering this in the perfect faith of thine unspeakable love to man, I myself may be condemned as a servant of sin. Nay, O Master, who alone art good and man-loving, let me not be turned back humbled; but send unto me power from on high, and strengthen me for the ministration of this thy present great and most heavenly mystery; and form the image of thy Christ in him who is about to be born again through my humility; and build him upon the foundation of thine apostles and prophets; and cast him not down, but plant him as a plant of truth in thy holy, catholic, and apostolic church; and pluck him not up, that, by his advancing in piety, by the same may be glorified thy most holy name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.

It behoveth to know that he maketh no exclamation, but saith even the Amen to himself.

Then he saith this prayer with a loud voice,

Great art thou, O Lord, and wonderful are thy works, and no word shall be sufficient for the praise of thy wonders.

Thrice.

For thou by thy will hast from nothingness brought all things into being, and by thy power thou sustainest creation, and by thy foreknowledge, directest the world. Thou from four elements hast formed creation, and hast crowned the circle of the year with four seasons. All the spiritual powers tremble before thee, the sun praiseth thee, the moon glorifieth thee, the stars make intercession with thee, the light hearkeneth unto thee, the depths shudder at thy presence, the springs of water serve thee. Thou hast stretched out the heaven as a curtain, thou hast founded the earth upon the waters, thou hast bounded the sea with sand, thou hast diffused the air for breathing. The angelic powers minister unto thee, the choirs of archangels worship thee, the many-eyed cherubim and the six-winged seraphim, standing and flying around, cover themselves with fear of thine unapproachable glory. For thou, being the uninscribable, unbeginning, and unspeakable God, didst come down upon earth, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; for thou, O Master, through the tenderness of thy mercy, didst not endure to behold the race of men tormented by the devil, but thou didst come and save us. We confess thy grace, we proclaim thy mercy, we conceal not thy beneficence. Thou hast set at liberty the generations of our nature, thou didst hallow the virginal womb by thy birth. All creation praiseth thee who didst manifest thyself; for thou, O our God, wast seen upon earth, and didst dwell together with men. Thou didst hallow the streams of Jordan, sending down from heaven thy Holy Ghost, and didst crush the heads of the dragons that lurked therein.

Do thou thyself therefore, O man-loving King, be present now also through the descent of thy Holy Ghost, and sanctify this water.

Thrice.

And give it the grace of redemption, the blessing of Jordan. Make it a fountain of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, a loosing of sins, a healing of sicknesses, a destruction of demons, unapproachable by hostile powers, fulfilled with angelic strength, and let them that take counsel together against thy creature flee therefrom; for I have called upon thy name, O Lord, which is wonderful, and glorious, and terrible to adversaries.

And he signeth the water thrice, dipping his fingers therein, and, breathing upon it, saith,

Let all the hostile powers be crushed beneath the sign of the image of thy cross.

Thrice.

We pray thee, O Lord, let every airy and invisible spectre withdraw itself from us, and let not a demon of darkness conceal himself in this water, neither let an evil spirit, bringing obscurity of purpose and rebellious thoughts, descend thereinto with him that is to be baptized. But thou, O Master of all, declare this water water of redemption, water of sanctification, a cleansing of flesh and spirit, a loosing of bonds, a forgiveness of iniquities, an illumination of soul, a bath of regeneration, a renewal of the spirit, a gift of sonship, a garment of incorruption, a fountain of life. For thou hast said, O Lord, Wash you, and be ye clean, put away evil from your souls. Thou hast bestowed upon us regeneration from on high by water and the spirit. Manifest thyself, O Lord, in this water, and grant that he that is to be baptized may be transformed therein to the putting away of the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and to the putting on of the new, which is renewed according to the image of him that created him, that, being planted in the likeness of thy death through baptism, he may become a sharer of resurrection; and, preserving the gift of thy Holy Ghost, and increasing the deposit of grace, he may attain unto the prize of his high calling, and be counted among the number of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven, to thee our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might, together with thine unbeginning Father, and 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.

And he breatheth thrice upon the cruet of oil, and signeth this thrice, while it is held by the deacon, who saith,

Let us pray to the Lord.

And the priest saith the prayer.

Master, Lord, O God of our fathers, who didst send to them that were in the ark of Noe a dove bearing a twig of olive in its mouth as a sign of reconciliation and salvation from the flood, and by the same didst fore-image the mystery of grace, and who hast provided the fruit of the olive for the completion of thy holy mysteries, and thereby hast filled them that were under the law with the Holy Ghost, and perfected them that are under grace; do thou thyself bless this oil by the might, and operation, and descent of thy Holy Ghost, that it may become an anointing of incorruption, a shield of righteousness, a renewal of soul and body, an averting of every diabolical operation, to the removal of all evils from them that are anointed with it in faith, or that are partakers of it to thy glory, and to that of thine only-begotten Son, and of thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

Deacon. Let us attend.

And the priest, singing Alleluia thrice with the people, maketh three crosses with the oil upon the water.

Then he exclaimeth,

Blessed be God, who enlighteneth and sanctifieth every man that cometh into the world, now and ever, and to ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

And he that is to be baptized is brought forward; and the priest taketh of the oil with two fingers, and maketh the sign of the cross on his forehead, and breast, and between his shoulders, saying,

The servant of God, name, is anointed with the oil of gladness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.

And he signeth his breast and between the shoulders. On the breast saying,

For the healing of soul and body.

And on the ears, For the hearing of faith.

On the hands, Thy hands have made me, and fashioned me.

On the feet, That he may walk in the path of thy commandments.

And when he hath anointed the whole body, the priest baptizeth him, holding him erect and looking towards the east, saying,

The servant of God, name, is baptized in the name of the Father. Amen. And of the Son. Amen. And of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.

At each invocation he immerseth him, and raiseth him again. And after the baptism the priest washeth his hands, singing with the people psalm xxxi.

Blessed are they whose transgressions....

And this whole psalm is said thrice; and, vesting him with the robe, he saith,

The servant of God, name, is invested with the robe of righteousness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

And the troparion is sung in tone viii.

Give unto me a shining robe, thou that art invested with light as with a garment, O most merciful Christ our God.

And after investing him, the priest prayeth, saying this prayer.

Blessed art thou, O Lord God Almighty, fountain of good things, sun of righteousness, who shinest to them that are in darkness the light of salvation, through the manifestation of thine only-begotten Son, and our God, and grantest unto us, unworthy ones, blessed cleansing in holy water, and divine sanctification in life-effecting anointing; and who art now well-pleased for thy servant, the newly-illuminated, to be born again through water and the spirit, and who grantest unto him remission of voluntary and involuntary sins; do thou thyself, O Master, thou loving-kind supreme King, bestow upon him also the seal of thine omnipotent and adorable Holy Ghost, and the communion of the holy body and the precious blood of thy Christ; keep him in thy sanctification, confirm him in the orthodox faith; deliver him from the evil one and all his devices; and preserve his soul, through thy saving fear, in purity and righteousness, that, in every work and word, being acceptable unto thee, he may become a son and heir of thine heavenly kingdom.

With a loud voice. For thou art our God, the God of mercy and salvation, 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, after the prayer, he anointeth the baptized with the holy myrrh, making the sign of the cross, On the forehead, and eyes, and nostrils, and lips, And both ears, and breast, And hands, and feet, and saying,

The seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Then the priest maketh, together with the sponsor and the child, a circumambulation. And we sing,

As many as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. Alleluia, thrice.

Then the prokimenon, tone iii.

The Lord is mine illumination, and my saviour, whom shall I fear?

Verse. The Lord is the defence of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?

The epistle to the Romans, section xci.

Brethren, as many of us as were baptized.... ending, through Jesus Christ our Lord.[9]

Priest. Peace to thee.

Deacon. Wisdom, let us attend.

Reader. Alleluia.

After this the deacon. Wisdom, standing, let us hear the holy gospel.

Priest. The reading of the holy gospel from Matthew.

Deacon. Let us attend.

The priest readeth, section cxvi. At that time, the eleven disciples.... ending, the end of the world. Amen.[10]

Then the ectenia.

Have mercy upon us, O God....

Furthermore let us pray for our Most Pious Autocratic Great Lord, THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVITCH of all Russia.

Furthermore let us pray for His Consort, the Most Pious Lady, THE EMPRESS MARIA THEODOROVNA.

Furthermore let us pray for His Heir, the Right-believing Lord, the Cesarevitch and Grand Duke, NICOLAUS ALEXANDROVITCH.

Furthermore let us pray for the Most Holy Governing Synod.

Furthermore let us pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, and forgiveness of sins for the servant of God, name, the sponsor.

Furthermore let us pray for the newly-illuminated servant of God, name.

That he may be preserved in the faith of a pure confession, in all piety, and in the fulfilment of the commandments of Christ throughout all the days of his life.

For a merciful and man-loving God thou art....

Choir. Amen.

Priest. Glory to thee, O Christ God, our hope, glory to thee.

Glory. Both now.

Lord, have mercy, thrice. Bless.

And the priest maketh the dismissal.

Note. And on the eighth day they bring him again to the church for the ablution. And the priest looseth his garment and girdle, saying these prayers.

Let us pray to the Lord.

Choir. Lord, have mercy.

Thou that by holy baptism hast granted forgiveness of sins unto thy servant, and bestowed upon him a life of regeneration; do thou thyself, O Master Lord, be pleased that the light of thy countenance may evermore shine in his heart, Keep the escutcheon of his faith undefamed by enemies: preserve for him the garment of incorruption, which he hath put on, undefiled and unstained: preserve unbroken in him the spiritual seal by thy grace; and be gracious unto him and unto us, according to the plenitude of thy compassions.

For blessed and glorified is thy most honourable and majestic name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer ii.

Let us pray to the Lord.

Choir. Lord, have mercy.

Master, Lord our God, who, through the font, bestowest heavenly illumination upon them that are baptized, who hast regenerated thy servant, the newly-illuminated, by water and the spirit, and bestowed upon him forgiveness of his voluntary and involuntary sins; do thou lay upon him thy mighty hand, and keep him in the power of thy goodness; preserve his pledge inviolate, and count him worthy of eternal life, and of thine approval.

For thou art our sanctification, 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.

Choir. Amen.

Peace to all.

Choir. And to thy spirit.

Deacon. Bow your heads to the Lord.

Choir. To thee, O Lord.

He that hath put on thee, O Christ our God, with us boweth his head to thee; and do thou keep him that he may abide a combatant unovercome against them that bear vain enmity against him and us, and by thy crown of incorruption at the last declare us all to be victorious ones. For it is thine to have mercy and to save, and to thee we ascribe glory, with thine unbeginning Father, and with thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

And he looseneth the child’s girdle and garment, and, joining the ends of these, soaketh them with clean water, and sprinkleth the child, saying,

Thou art justified. Thou art illuminated. Thou art sanctified. Thou art washed, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God.

And he taketh a new sponge dipped in water, and wipeth his face, as also his head, and breast, and the rest, saying,

Thou art baptized. Thou art illuminated. Thou art anointed with myrrh. Thou art sanctified. Thou art washed. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer at the tonsure of the hair.

Deacon. Let us pray to the Lord.

Choir. Lord have mercy.

Master, Lord our God, who didst honour man with thine image, providing him with a rational soul and comely body, that the body might serve the rational soul; for thou didst place the head in superiority, and therein emplant the greater number of the senses, which impede not one another, and didst cover the head with hair that it might not be injured by the changes of weather, and didst fit all the members serviceably thereunto, that by all it might render thanks unto thee, the excellent artist; do thou thyself, O Master, who, by thy chosen vessel, Paul, the apostle, hast bidden us to do all things to thy glory, bless thy servant, name, who is come to make the first offering by the cutting of the hair of his head; and with him also his sponsors; and grant unto them all that they may exercise themselves in thy law, and do those things that are acceptable unto thee.

For a merciful and man-loving God thou art, 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.

Choir. Amen.

Peace to all.

Choir. And to thy spirit.

Deacon. Bow your heads to the Lord.

Choir. To thee, O Lord.

And the priest saith this prayer.

O Lord our God, who, through the completion of the bath, hast, by thy goodness, sanctified them that believe in thee; do thou bless the present child, and may thy blessing come down upon his head. And as by Samuel the prophet thou didst bless David the King, so also bless the head of thy servant, name, by the hand of me, a sinner, visiting him with thy Holy Ghost, that he may increase unto maturity, and in the grey hairs of old age may ascribe glory unto thee, and may see the good things of Jerusalem all the days of his life.

For to thee is due all glory, honour, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

And he sheareth him in the form of a cross, saying,

The servant of God, name, is shorn, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Choir. Amen.

Then the ectenia, in which after THE EMPEROR, the sponsor is commemorated together with the newly-illuminated.

Have mercy upon us, O God, according to thy great mercy....

Furthermore let us pray for mercy, life, peace, health, and for the salvation of the servant of God, name, the sponsor, and, name, the newly-illuminated.

Priest. For a merciful....

And the customary dismissal is made.