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THE EUCHOLOGION

PRAYER AT THE SIGNING

OF A CHILD WHEN IT RECEIVES A NAME

 ON THE EIGHTH DAY FROM BIRTH

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On the eighth day after birth, the child is brought by the nurse, the grandmother, the father or the intended Sponsor at Baptism, before the doors of the Temple. The Priest wearing an epitrakhelion says:

Blessed is our God always, now and for ever: world without end. Amen.

O Holy God, Holy and Strong, Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us. (3)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, world without end. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy upon us; O Lord, cleanse us from our sins; O Master, pardon our transgressions; O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy Name’s sake.

Kyrie eleison or Lord have mercy. [3]

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world without end. Amen.

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world without end. Amen.

Then the Apolytikion of the day and the Saint to whom the Church is dedicated.

Then:

Through the intercessions of all thy saints O Lord, and the Mother of God, grant us thy peace and have mercy upon us, for thou alone art compassionate. 

The Priest then making the sigh of the Cross, seals the child’s forehead, mouth and breast saying the following prayer:

Let us pray unto the Lord.

O Lord our God, to thee we pray and we beseech thee, let the light of thy countenance be signed on thy servant (…..) and may he/she be signed with the Cross of thine only-begotten Son in his heart and understanding, that he may flee from the vanity of the world, and every evil design of the enemy, so that he may follow according to thy commandments. And grant, O Lord, that thy holy Name may remain unrejected by him/her that at an appropriate time he/she may be joined to thy holy Church and be perfected through the dread Mysteries: so that having lived according to Your commandments, and having preserved the seal unbroken, he/she may receive the blessedness of the elect in thy kingdom. Through the grace and compassions and love for mankind of thine Only-begotten Son, with whom Thou art blessed, together with Thy most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and for ever: world without end.

Amen.

The priest then takes the child in his arms, and standing before the gates of the church or before the icon of the Most-holy Mother of God, makes with the child the sign of the Cross, saying:

Hail, O Mother of God, Virgin full of grace: for from thee has shone forth the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, giving light to those in darkness. Be glad also, thou righteous Elder, for thou hast received in thine arms the Deliverer of our souls, who bestows upon us resurrection.

Glory be to Thee, O Christ our God and our hope, glory be to Thee.

May He who deigned to be held in the arms of the righteous Symeon, for our salvation, Christ our true God, by the prayers of His most holy Mother; of the holy and all-glorious Apostles; of (Name of the saint whose name was given); and of all the saints, have mercy upon us, and save us, for He is good and loving-kind.

By the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us and save us. Amen.