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Offices of the Holy Eastern Church
tr. Littledale, 1863
5. The Office of Holy Baptism
The Priest enters the Church and changes all his sacerdotal vestments and his maniple for white ones, and all the tapers being lighted, taking a censer, he goes into the Baptistery, and incenses it in a circle, and giving back the censer (to the Deacon) he adores. (3)
Then the Deacon says: Sir, give a blessing.
The Priest (aloud): Blessed be the kingdom of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
The Deacon:
In peace let us beseech the Lord.
Then follows the Great Collect, with the additional suffrages.
That this water may be hallowed by the might, and operation, and visitation of the Holy Ghost.
That there may be sent down upon it the grace of redemption, the blessing of the Jordan.
That the purifying might of the superessential Trinity may visit these waters.
That we may be illuminated with the light of knowledge, and holiness, through the visitation of the Holy Ghost.
That this water may become a means of averting every snare of visible and invisible enemies.
That he who is to be baptized in it may be worthy of the kingdom of incorruption.
For him who now cometh to holy illumination and for his salvation.
That he may become a child of the light and an inheritor of eternal blessings.
That he may be planted together and be a partaker of the death and resurrection of Christ our God.
That he may keep the robe of his Baptism and the earnest of the Spirit stainless and unblamable in the terrible day of Christ our God.
That this water may be to him the laver of regeneration for the remission of sins and the putting on of incorruption.
That the Lord God may hear the voice of our prayer.
That both he and we may be delivered from all tribulation, anger, danger, and necessity.
Save, help, &c.
When the Deacon has said this, the Priest says the following prayer secretly:
Gracious and merciful God, Who triest the hearts and reins, and alone knowest the secrets of men, for there is nothing hidden before Thee, but all things are naked and laid bare before Thine eyes. Thou Who knowest what is in me, despise me not nor turn away Thy face from me, but overlook my transgressions in this hour, Who overlookest the transgressions of men that they may repent, and wash away the filth of my body and the spot of my soul, and sanctify me wholly, with Thine unseen might, and with the right hand of Thy Spirit: lest I, who preach freedom to others, and offer it with steady faith in Thine unspeakable goodness, should myself be reprobate as a servant of sin. O Lord, only good and merciful, let me not be turned away humbled and ashamed, but send to me power from on high, and strengthen me for the ministration of this Thy present great and heavenly sacrament, and form Thy Christ in him who is about to be born again through me, pitiable as I am, and build him up upon the foundation of Thy Apostles and Prophets, and pull him not down, but plant him as a plant of truth in Thy Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and pluck him not out; that, as he advances in holiness, through him Thy Holy Name, that of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, may be glorified, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Note, that the Priest says nothing aloud, but says even the Amen to himself. Then he says this prayer with a loud voice:
Great art Thou, O Lord, and wonderful are Thy works, and no speech is enough for the praise of Thy mighty acts (thrice). For by Thy will Thou bringest all things to existence out of nothing, and holdest creation together with Thy power, and rulest the world with Thy Providence. For Thou who didst make creation from four elements, crownest the circle of the year with four seasons. All the spiritual Powers fear Thee. The sun praises Thee, the moon glorifies Thee, the stars adore Thee, the light hearkeneth to Thee, the depths dread Thee, the springs of waters serve Thee. Thou hast stretched out the heaven like a curtain, Thou hast founded the earth upon the waters, and hast placed the sand for a bound of the sea, and hast poured out the air for breathing. The Angelic Powers minister unto Thee, the choirs of Archangels adore Thee, the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim standing and flying round, veil themselves in awe of Thine unapproachable glory. For Thou Who art God, Uncircumscribed, Unbeginning, and Inexplicable, didst come upon the earth, taking the form of a servant, being in the likeness of man, for, O Master, through the bowels of Thy mercy, Thou couldst not endure to behold mankind oppressed by the devil, but Thou camest and savedst us. We confess Thy grace, we proclaim Thy mercy, we hide not Thy benefits. Thou didst free the generation of our nature, Thou didst hallow the virgin womb by Thy birth, all creation hymned Thee when Thou didst appear. For Thou, our God, wast seen upon earth, and didst converse with men.
Thou too didst hallow the streams of Jordan, sending down upon them from heaven Thy Allholy SPIRIT, and Thou didst break in pieces the heads of the dragons which lurked there. Be present now also, O merciful King, through the visitation of Thy Holy Spirit, and sanctify this water (thrice). And give it the grace of redemption, the blessing of the Jordan. Make it a fount of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, a ransom of sins, a healer of disease, a destruction to evil spirits, unapproachable by hostile powers, fulfilled with angelic strength. Let all those who plot against Thy creature flee from it, for I have called, O Lord, on Thy Name, the Name which is wonderful and glorious, and terrible to Thy foes. (4)
And he makes the sign of the Cross, breathing thrice on the water and prays, saying:
Let all the hostile powers be crushed under the sign of the form of Thy Cross (thrice). Let all the invisible idols of the air depart from us, and let not the demon of darkness hide within this water, nor, we beseech Thee, O Lord, let the evil spirit descend into it together with him who is to be baptized, bringing with him darkness of reason and confusion of understanding. But do Thou, O Lord of all, make this water water of redemption, water of sanctification, purifier of flesh and spirit, looser of bonds, looser of transgressions, illumination of the soul, laver of regeneration, renewal of the spirit, grace of adoption, putting on of incorruption, fountain of life. For Thou, O Lord, hast said: Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from your souls. For Thou hast given us the newbirth from on high, through water and the Spirit. Be present, O Lord, with this water, and grant that he to be baptized in it may be changed as to put off the old man, corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and to put on the new man, renewed after the image of his Maker, that being planted in the likeness of Thy death through Baptism, he may be also a partaker of Thy resurrection, and that, preserving the gift of Thy Holy Spirit, and increasing the grace committed to his charge, he may receive the prize of his high calling, and be numbered with the first-born whose names are written in heaven, in Thee our God and Lord Jesus Christ. For Thee befits the glory, might, honour and worship, with Thine Unbeginning FA- THER, and Thine All-Holy, good and quickening Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Peace to all. Bow down your heads before the Lord.
And he breathes thrice upon the oil-vessel, and signs it, to wit the oil, three times, as it is borne by the Deacon, and when the latter says: Let us beseech the Lord, the Priest says the following prayer secretly: (5)
O Master, Lord God of our fathers, who didst send a dove to those in Noah’s ark, holding an olive-branch in its beak, as a mark of reconciliation and of salvation from the flood, and who didst through them foreshow the mystery of grace, and didst appoint the fruit of the olive for the fulfilment of Thy holy Mysteries; Who didst through it fill those under the Law with the Holy Spirit, and dost perfect those who are under grace; do Thou likewise bless this oil with the might, and operation and visitation of Thy Holy Spirit, that it may be the anointing of incorruption, the weapon of righteousness, the renewal of soul and body, the averter of all the operations of the devil, for the removal of all evil from them who anoint with it in faith and from those who partake of it, to Thy glory and that of Thine Only-Begotten Son, and Thine All-Holy, good and quickening Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
The Choir: Amen.
The Deacon: Let us attend.
The Priest, singing the Alleluia thrice with the people makes three Crosses with the oil in the water. (6) Then he says aloud:
Blessed be God, Who lighteneth and sanctifieth every man that cometh into the world, now and ever, and to ages of ages.
The Choir: Amen.
Then the candidate is brought forward and the Priest takes some of the oil, and makes the sign of the Cross upon his forehead, breast, and back, saying:
The servant of God (N.) is anointed with the oil of gladness, in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
And signing him on the breast and the back, at the breast he says:
For the healing of soul and body.
At the ears:
For the hearing of faith.
At the feet:
To walk in Thy paths.
At the hands:
Thy hands have made me and fashioned me. (7)
And when all his body has been anointed, the Priest baptizes him, holding him erect and looking to the East, and says: (8)
The servant of God (N.) is baptized in the Name of the Father, Amen, and of the Son, Amen, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen. (9)
At each address he dips him and raises him again. And after the Baptism the Priest washes his hands, chanting with the people:
Blessed is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and whose sins are covered, and the rest of Psalm XXXII, thrice.
And putting the chrisom-robe on the newly baptized, he says:
The servant of God (N.) hath put on the robe of righteousness in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. (10)
And he chants the Troparion. Fourth plagal tone:
Give me a shining robe,
Thou who deckest Thyself with light as with a garment,
O merciful Christ, our God.
And after the vesting, the Priest prays, saying the following prayer:
Let us beseech the Lord.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord God Almighty, Fountain of goodness, Sun of righteousness, Who hast shined as a light of salvation on them that sat in darkness, through the manifestation of Thy Son our God, and hast given to us sinners the blessed purification of holy Baptism, and the divine hallowing in the quickening chrism. And as Thou hast now vouchsafed a new birth to Thy servant of late illuminated through water and the Spirit, and hast granted him remission of his voluntary and involuntary sins, so now, O Lord, Almighty and Merciful King, grant him also the seal of Thy holy, omnipotent, and adorable Spirit, and the reception 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 in Thy saving fear, in holiness and righteousness, that, pleasing Thee in every deed and word, he may become a son and heir of Thy heavenly kingdom.
Aloud:
For Thou art our God, the God of mercy and salvation, and we ascribe glory to Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
And after the prayer, he anoints the baptized with the holy chrism, (11) making the sign of the Cross on his forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, breast, hands and feet, (12) saying:
The seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Then the Priest, with the Sponsor and the Child, makes a circle, and we chant:
As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia. (Thrice.)
Then the Prokeimenon: The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Stichos: The Lord is the defence of my life.
Lection of the Apostle: Romans. VI. 3—12.
Gospel: S. Matthew. XXVIII. 16—end.