Prayers at the
Making of a Catechumen
The Priest divests
him (her) that comes to be illuminated of robes and
shoes and faces him (her) eastward, barefoot
and clad in a single garment, hands down. Then,
breathing thrice on his (her) face and signing him
(her) thrice on the forehead and breast, the Priest
says:
In the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Blessed is our God
always, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
Amen.
Laying his hand
upon his (her) head, the Priest says:
Priest:
Let us pray to the
Lord.
Choir:
Lord have mercy.
Priest:
In Your Name, 0 Lord
God of Truth, and in the Name of Your Only-Begotten
Son, and of Your Holy Spirit, I lay my hand upon
this Your servant (Name), who has bee"
accounted worthy to flee unto Your Holy Name and to
be sheltered under the shadow of Your wings. Remove
far from him (her) that ancient error, and fill him
(her) I with faith and hope and love that is in You,
that he (she) may know that You alone are the True
God, and Your Only‑Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ, and Your Holy Spirit. Grant him (her) to
walk in Your commandments, and to observe those
things that are acceptable before You; for if a man
does such he shall find life in them. Inscribe him
(her) in Your Book of Life, and unite him (her) to
the flock of Your inheritance. Let Your Holy Name be
glorified in him (her) and that of Your well‑beloved
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and of Your
Life‑creating Spirit. Let Your eyes look over him
(her) in mercy, and Your ears be ever attentive unto
the voice of his (her) prayer. Let him (her) ever
rejoice in the works of his (her) hands, and in all
his (her) generation, that he (she) may give thanks
to You, worshipping and glorifying Your great and
Most High Name, and may ever praise You all the days
of his (her) life. For all the Powers of Heaven
praise You, and Yours is the Glory, of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, both now and
ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
First Exorcism
Priest: Let us
pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord
have mercy.
Priest: The
Lord rebukes you, 0 devil, He that came into the
world and made His dwelling among men, that He might
cast down your tyranny, and deliver men; He that
upon the Tree triumphed over the opposing powers,
when the sun was darkened, and the earth was shaken,
and the tombs were opened, and the bodies of the
Saints arose; He that by death destroyed Death, and
overcame him that held the might of death, that is,
even you, 0 devil. I abjure you by the Living God,
Who has shown forth the Tree of Life, and posted the
Cherubim, and the flaming sword that turns about to
guard this: be rebuked, and depart, for I forbid
you, through Him that walks on the waves of the sea
as upon the dry land, Who forbade the storm of the
winds, Whose glance dries up the deep, and Whose
threatenings melt the mountains; for it is He
Himself that now forbids you through us. Be afraid,
and depart, and absent yourself from this creature,
and come not back, neither hide yourself in him
(her), nor encounter him (her), nor influence him
(her) either by night or by day, nor in the morning
or at noon; but get you hence to your own Tartarus,
until the appointed day of Judgment. Fear God , Who
sits on the throne of the Cherubim, and looks upon
the depths, before Whom tremble Angels, Archangels,
Thrones, Principalities, Authorities, Powers, the
many‑eyed Cherubim, and the six‑winged Seraphim;
Whom Heaven and earth fear, the sea, and all that
live therein. Come forth, and depart from the sealed
and newly‑enlisted soldier of Christ our God; for I
abjure you by Him that rides upon the wings of the
winds, Who makes His Angels spirits and His
Ministers a flame of fire. Come forth, and from this
creature which He fashioned depart with all your
power and might; for glorified is the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, both
now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Second Exorcism
Priest: Let us
pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord
have mercy.
God, the Holy, the
Terrible, and the Glorious, Who concerning all His
works and strength is incomprehensible and
unsearchable, Who Himself has ordained for you 0
devil, the retribution of eternal torment, through
us, His unworthy servants, commands you, and all
your cooperating might to go forth from him (her)
that is newly sealed in the Name of our Lord God and
Savior Christ. Therefore, you all evil, unclean,
abominable, loathsome and alien spirit, I adjure you
by the power of Jesus Christ, Who has all authority
in Heaven and on earth, Who says to the deaf and
dumb demon, "Get out of the man, and enter no more
into him." Depart' Know the vainness of your might,
which had not power even over the swine! Remember
Him Who bade you, at your request, to enter into the
herd of swine. Fear God, at Whose command the earth
was established upon the waters; Who has founded the
Heavens, and fixed the mountains with a line, and
the valleys with a measure; Who has placed the sand
for a boundary to the sea, and made safe paths
through the waters; Who touched the mountains and
they smoked; Who clothed Himself with Light as with
a garment; Who has stretched out the Heavens as with
a curtain; Who covers His upper rooms with waters;
Who has founded the earth on her firm foundations,
so that it shall not be moved forever; Who calls up
the waters of the seas, and sprinkles it on the face
of the earth. Come out! Depart from him (her) who is
now being made ready for Holy Illumination; I abjure
you by the saving Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by His Precious Blood and All‑Pure Body, and by His
terrible Coming Again for He shall come and not
tarry, to judge all the earth, and shall punish you
and your cooperating might in the Gehenna of fire,
consigning you to the outer darkness where
the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched; for
of Christ is the Might, with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, both now and
ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Third Exorcism
Priest: Let us
pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord
have mercy.
Priest: 0 Lord
of Sabaoth, the God of Israel, Who heals every
sickness and every wound, Look down upon this Your
servant (Name); search out and try him (her),
driving away from him (her) every operation of the
devil. Rebuke the unclean spirits and expel them,
cleansing the work of Your hands; and, using Your
trenchant energy, beat down Satan under his (her)
feet, giving him (her) victory over him, and over
his unclean spirits; so that, obtaining the mercy
that comes from You, he (she) may be accounted
worthy of Your Immortal and Heavenly Mysteries, and
may send up all glory to You, to Father, and to Son,
and to Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and to the
ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer
You, the Existing
Sovereign Master and Lord, Who made man after Your
own image and likeness and gave to him power of
eternal life; and when he had fallen through sin did
not disdain him, but did provide for him through
the Incarnation of Your Christ, the salvation of
the world. Redeeming this Your creature from the
yoke of the Enemy, receive him (her) into Your
heavenly Kingdom. Open the eyes of his (her)
understanding, so that the Illumination of Your
Gospel may dawn upon him (her). Yoke unto his (her)
life a shining Angel to deliver him (her) from every
plot directed against him (her) by the Adversary,
from encounter with evil, from the noon‑day demon,
and from evil dreams.
And the Priest
breathes on his (her) forehead, on his ‑(her) mouth,
and on his (her) breast, saying:
Drive out from him
(her) every evil and unclean spirit, hiding and
lurking in his (her) heart. (This he does and
says thrice.) The spirit of error, the spirit of
evil, the spirit of idolatry and of all covetousness
that works according to the teaching of the devil.
Make him (her) a reason‑endowed sheep of the holy
Flock of Your Christ, and honorable member of Your
Church, a hallowed vessel, a child of Light, and
heir of Your Kingdom. So that, having ordered his
(her) life according to Your commandments, and
having guarded the Seal and kept it unbroken, and
having preserved his (her) garment undefiled, he
(she) may attain unto the blessedness of the Saints
of Your Kingdom.
Through the Grace and
Compassion and Manbefriending Love of Your
Only-Begotten Son, with Whom You are blessed,
together with Your All-Holy, Good, and Life-creating
Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
Amen.
Then the Priest
turns him (her) that is to be baptized to face
westward, unclothed, barefoot hands upraised. If the
person is a child, the Sponsor holding him (her)
faces West. the Priest then says thrice:
Do you renounce
Satan, and all his works, and all his worship, and
all his angels, and all his pomp?
Each time the
Catechumen (or the Sponsor if the person to be
baptized is a child or a foreigner) answers and
says:
I do renounce him.
Again the Priest
asks him (her) that is to be baptized:
(3 times)
Have you renounced
Satan?
And the Catechumen
or the Sponsor answers (3 times):
I have renounced him.
After the third
time, the Priest says:
Then blow and spit
upon him.
And this being
done, the Priest turns the Catechumen to the East
with lowered hands, and repeats the following three
times:
Do you join Christ?
The question is
answered three times:
I do join Him.
Again the Priest
asks three times:
Have you joined
Christ?
Catechumen (or
Sponsor):
I have joined Him.
Again the Priest
asks:
And do you
believe in Him?
Catechumen (or
Sponsor):
I believe in Him as
King and as God.
After the
completion of the Creed, the Priest asks thrice:
Have you joined
Christ?
Catechumen (or
Sponsor):
I have joined Him.
Then the Priest
says:
Then bow before Him
and worship Him.
Catechumen (or
Sponsor) bows down, saying:
I bow down before the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; Trinity
One in Essence and Undivided.
Priest:
Blessed is God Who desires that all people should be
saved, and come to the knowledge of the Truth; both
now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Let us pray to the
Lord.
Choir: Lord
have mercy.
Priest:
Sovereign Master, Lord our God, call this Your
servant! (Name) to Your Holy Illumination,
and account him (her) worthy of this great Grace and
Your Holy Baptism. Put off from him (her the old
man, and renew him unto everlasting life; fill him
(her) with the power of Your Holy Spirit, unto union
with Your Christ; that he (she) may no longer be a
child of the body, but a child of Your Kingdom;
through the good pleasure and Grace of Your!
Only‑Begotten Son, with Whom You are blessed,
together with Your All‑Holy, Good, and Life‑creating
Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
Amen.
Apolysis
Glory to You, 0
Christ our God and our Hope, glory to You. Christ
our True God...
Through the prayers of our holy Fathers ...
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