Ἅγιος ὁ Θεός, Ἅγιος ἰσχυρός, Ἅγιος ἀθάνατος, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶςKatholikon

Library › Testament of Our Lord

Testament of Our Lord

tr. Cooper and Maclean, 1902

30. Book I, Chapter 30

Then let the appointment1 of the presbyter be thus. All the priestly company conducting him, the bishop laying his hand on his head, the presbyters touching him and holding him, let the bishop begin, and say thus:

Prayer of Ordination2 of a Presbyter

O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Ineffable One, the Light,3 who hast neither beginning nor ending,4 the Lord, who hast ordered5 all things, and set bounds to [them6], and by reason hast defined the order of all things by Thee created; Hear us, and look upon this Thy servant, and make him partaker of, and grant unto him, the Spirit7 of grace and of reason and of strength, the Spirit7 of the presbyterate8 who doth not grow old,8 and is indissoluble, homogeneous,9 loving the faithful, rebuking, that he may help and govern Thy people by labour, by fear, by a pure heart, by holiness, by excellency, by wisdom, and by the working of the Holy Spirit, through Thy care, O Lord. In like manner as when Thou didst look upon Thy People, the Chosen, Thou didst command Moses10 to ask for the elders,11 and filling [them] with Thy Spirit didst bestow Him on Thy minister,12 so now, O Lord, bestow on [this man] abundantly13 Thy Spirit, whom Thou didst give to those who by Thyself were made disciples, and to all those who through them truly believed in Thee.14 And make him worthy, being filled with Thy wisdom and Thy hidden mysteries, to feed15 Thy people in holiness of heart: pure, and true; praising, blessing, lauding, giving thanks, offering a doxology alway, day and night, to Thy holy and glorious Name; labouring with cheerfulness and patience to be a vessel of Thy Holy Spirit; having and bearing alway the cross of Thy Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom [be] praise and might to Thee with the Holy Ghost for ever and ever.

Let the people say: Amen.

Let both the priests and people give him the Peace, with an holy kiss.16

Notes

  1. The Greek word underlying this would be κατάστασις. So often. See Note on I. 20, p. 153.
  2. χειροτονία transliterated.
  3. Or: the Shining One.
  4. Heb. vii. 3; Rev. xxi. 6, xxii. 13.
  5. I.e. set in order.
  6. Lit.: placed [them] in a boundary.
  7. Masculine, and therefore the Holy Spirit (“Spirit” is otherwise feminine in Syriac).
  8. Paronomasia. See Note, p. 188.
  9. ὁμογενής translated.
  10. Num. xi. 17–29.
  11. Or: presbyters.
  12. Moses. See Note, p. 187.
  13. Lit.: without lack.
  14. St. John xvii. 20. For the confusion of Persons, see p. 20.
  15. Lit.: to shepherd.
  16. Rom. xvi. 16, etc.

· Contents ·