The Orthodox Pages

THE EUCHOLOGION

  ORDER BEFORE

 HOLY BAPTISM

Prayers at the making of a catechumen

 

Homepage

 

Back to Euchologion section

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Priest divests the candidate that is to be illuminated of robes and shoes. Then breathing thrice on his/her face and signing him/her thrice on the forehead and breast says:

 

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Laying his hand upon the candidate’s head, the Priest says:

Let us pray unto the Lord.

CHOIR: Lord have mercy or Kyrie eleison.

PRIEST

In Thy Name, O Lord, God of truth, and in Thine Only-begotten Son and in Thy Holy Spirit, I lay my hand upon this Thy servant (Name) who has been accounted worthy to seek refuge in Thy Holy Name and safe-keeping under the shelter of Thy wings. Cast from him/her that old deception, and fill him/her with Thy faith, hope and love, that he/she may know that Thou alone art God, the true God, and Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ and Thy Holy Spirit. Grant him/her to walk in Thy commandments and to observe all things that are pleasing unto Thee; for if thus doeth a man shall he find life in them. Inscribe him/her in Thy book of life and unite him/her to the flock of Thine inheritance; that Thy Holy Name may be glorified in him/her and that of Thy Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and Thy Life-giving Spirit. Let thine eyes forever watch over him/her in mercy, and let Thine ears be attentive unto the voice of his/her prayer. Let him/her rejoice in the works of his/her hands and in all his/her generation, that he/she may confess Thee, worshipping and glorifying Thy great and Most High Name, and for ever praise Thee all the days of his/her life.

For all the powers of heaven hymn Thee, and Thine is the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world without end.

CHOIR: Amen.

Let us pray unto the Lord.

CHOIR: Kyrie eleison.

FIRST EXORCISM

PRIEST

The Lord reproaches thee, o devil, He that came into the world and made His dwelling amongst men, that He might cast down thy tyranny and deliver mankind; He who upon the Cross triumphed over the opposing powers, and the sun was darkened, and the earth did shake, and the tombs were opened and the bodies of the saints arose; who by death didst overcome death and overthrew him who had dominion over death, that is to say, thee the devil. I adjure thee by the living God, He who hath shown forth the tree of life, and ordered the Cherubim and the flaming sword, which turns every way to guard it. Be rebuked and depart for I adjure thee by Him who walked upon the waves of the sea as though upon dry land, who commanded the storm of the winds, whose glance dries up the deep and whose threatening melts mountains. For it is He that now commands thee through us; be afraid, come out and depart from this creature, and return not, neither hide thyself in him/her, nor encounter him/her, nor operate in him/her, or influence him/her, either by night or by day, nor in the morning or at noon: but get thee hence to thine own hell, until the appointed day of judgement. Fear God who sitteth upon the Cherubim and looketh upon the depths, before whom tremble Angels, Archangels Thrones, Principalities, Authorities, Powers, the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim; before whom shaketh heaven and earth, the sea and all that live therein. Come out and depart from the sealed and newly enlisted soldier of Christ our God, for I adjure thee by Him that walketh upon the wings of the winds, who maketh His Angels spirits and His Ministers a flame of fire. Come out and depart from this creature together with all thy power and demonic angels.

For glorified is the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world without end.

CHOIR: Amen.

PRIEST: Let us pray unto the Lord.

CHOIR: Kyrie eleison.

SECOND EXORCISM

PRIEST

God, the Holy, the fearful and glorious, He who is incomprehensible and unsearchable in all His works and strength: He who hath foreordained for thee, o devil, the retribution of eternal suffering, He commands thee and all thy collaborating might, through us, His unworthy servants, to go forth from him/her that is newly sealed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our True God. Therefore thou most evil, unclean, impure, loathsome and alien spirit, I adjure thee by the power of Jesus Christ, who hath all authority in heaven and on earth, who said unto the deaf and dumb demon, “Come out of the man and enter no more into him.” Depart; realize the ineffectualness of thy power, which had not jurisdiction even over the swine. Remember Him who bade thee, at thy request, to enter into the herd of swine. Fear God, at whose command the earth was established upon the waters; who created the heavens, and fixed the mountains with a line, and the valleys with a measure; who placed the sands as a boundary to the sea, and made safe paths through the violent waters; who touched the hills and they smoked, who covers Himself with light as with a garment, who stretched out the heavens like a curtain; who covers His chambers with waters, who hath established the earth on her sure foundation, that it shall not be moved for ever; who calleth up the water of the sea, and sprinkleth it on the face of the earth. Come out, and depart from him/her who is now being made ready for Holy Illumination. I adjure thee by the saving Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by His Precious Body and Blood, and by His dreadful Coming Again. For He shall come and shall not delay, to judge all the earth, and He shall punish thee and thy collaborating might in the everlasting hell fire, casting thee to the outer darkness where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.

For of Christ our God is the might, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world without end.

CHOIR: Amen.

PRIEST: Let us pray unto the Lord.

CHOIR: Kyrie eleison.

 

PRIEST

O Lord of Sabaoth, the God of Israel, Thou who healest all manner of sickness and  disease, look down upon this Thy servant, seek out, examine, and drive out from him/her every operation of the devil. Rebuke the unclean spirits and cast them out, and cleanse the work of Thine hands, and using Thine overpowering energy, hastily crush Satan under his/her feet, giving him/her victory over him and his unclean spirits; that obtaining mercy from Thee, he/she may be accounted worthy of Thine immortal and heavenly Mysteries, and ascribe glory to Thee, the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world without end.

CHOIR: Amen.

PRIEST: Let us pray unto the Lord.

CHOIR: Kyrie eleison.

 

PRIEST

Thou that art, O Lord and Master, who didst create man in Thine image and likeness, and didst give to him power of eternal life; and when he had fallen through sin Thou didst not overlook him, but provided, through the incarnation of Thy Christ, the salvation of the world. Do Thou also accept this Thy creature, whom Thou hast redeemed from the yoke of the enemy, into Thy heavenly kingdom. Open the eyes of his/her understanding that the light of Thy Gospel may dawn upon him/her. Yoke unto his/her life an Angel of light to deliver him/her from every plot of the adversary, from encounter with evil, from the midday demon, and from evil delusions.
And the Priest breathes on him/her thrice, making the sign of the Cross on his/her forehead, mouth and breast saying:

Drive out from him/her every evil and unclean spirit hiding and nestled in his/her heart (3). The spirit of delusion, the spirit of evil, the spirit of idolatry and all covetousness, the spirit of falsehood and all impurity, that operates according to the devil. And make him/her a reason-endowed sheep of the holy flock of Thy Christ, a honourable member of Thy Church, a hallowed vessel, son/daughter of light and heir of Thy kingdom. So that, having conducted his/her life according to Thy commandments, and having safe-guarded the seal unbroken, and having preserved his/her garment undefiled, he/she may attain the blessedness of the saints in Thy kingdom.

Through the grace and compassions and love for mankind of Thine Only-begotten Son, with whom Thou art blessed, together with Thine most holy, good and life-giving Spirit; now and for ever: world without end.

CHOIR: Amen.

Then the Priest turns him/her that is to be baptized to face westward, unclothed, barefoot and hands upraised. The Priest then says thrice:

Do you renounce Satan, and all his works, and all his worship, and all his pomp?

Each time the Catechumen or the Sponsor answers and says:

I do renounce him.

And having answered thrice, the Priest again asks the candidate:

Have you renounced him?

And the candidate answers:

 I have renounced him.

And after the third time, the Priest says:

Then blow and spit upon him.

And having done this, the Priest turns the candidate to the east with lowered hands and says the following thrice:

Do you join Christ?

The Catechumen answers:

I do join Him.

Again the Priest asks:

Have you joined Christ?

The Catechumen answers:

I have joined Him.

And the Priest asks:

And do you believe in Him?

The Catechumen answers:

I believe in Him as King and as God.

 

The Catechumen then recites the Creed (Symbol of Faith).

I believe in One God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds. Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, and was made man. And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, He suffered and was buried, and the third day He rose again according to the scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And He shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead: whose kingdom shall have no end.

And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the Prophets.

And in one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the Resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

 

And having said the Creed, the Priest again asks thrice:

Have you joined Christ?

The Catechumen answers:

I have joined Him.

Then the Priest says:

Then bow before Him and worship Him.

The Catechumen bows down saying:

I worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: Trinity consubstantial and undivided.

 

PRIEST

Blessed is God, who desireth that all people should be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth; now and for ever: world without end.

CHOIR: Amen.

PRIEST: Let us pray unto the Lord.

CHOIR: Kyrie eleison.

 

PRIEST

O Lord and Master, our God, call this Thy servant (Name) to Thy Holy Illumination, and account him/her worthy of the great grace of Thy Holy Baptism. Put off from him/her the old man, and renew him/her unto life everlasting; fill him/her with the power of Thy Holy Spirit, unto union with Thy Christ; that he/she may no longer be a child of the body, but a child of Thy kingdom.

Through the favour and grace of Thine Only-begotten Son, with whom Thou art blessed, together with Thine all-holy, and good, and life-giving Spirit; now and for ever: world without end.

CHOIR: Amen.