Testament of Our Lord

tr. Cooper and Maclean, 1902

41. Book I, Chapter 41

Let the appointment¹ be thus. As she prayeth at the entrance of the altar,² and looketh down, let the bishop say quietly, so that the priests may hear, thus:

Prayer of the Institution of Widows who Sit in Front

O God, the Holy One, the Most High, who seest the [things]³ that are humble,⁴ who hast chosen the weak⁵ and the mighty;⁵ the Honoured One who hast created also those [things] which are despised; give, O Lord, the spirit of power to⁶ this Thine handmaid, and strengthen her with Thy truth, so that doing Thy commandment and serving⁷ in the house of Thy sanctuary, she may be an honoured vessel⁸ unto Thee, and may glorify⁹ [Thee] in the day when Thou wilt glorify⁹ Thy poor, O Lord. And grant to her power cheerfully to accomplish Thy teachings which Thou hast determined for a rule for Thine handmaid. Grant to her, O Lord, the spirit of meekness and of power and of patience and of kindness, so that, bearing with ineffable joy Thy burden, she may endure labours. Yea, O Lord God, who knowest our weakness, perfect Thine handmaid for the praise¹⁰ of Thine house; strengthen her for edification and a good example,¹¹ sanctify [her], make [her] wise; comfort [her] O God; for blessed and glorious¹² is Thy kingdom, O God the Father. And to Thee [be] praise, and to Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Ghost [who is] good and adorable and the Maker of life,¹³ and of equal essence with Thee,¹⁴ now and before all the worlds and for the ages and for ever and ever.

The people: Amen.

Notes

Same word as before, pp. 90, 97, 105.
See above, I. 19 (p. 63) and Note, p. 149. B. has: east (one letter different; cf. conjecture on p. 149 f.).
Or: women (fem. pronoun).
Or: meek.
Masculine. Cf. 1 Cor. i. 27.
Lit.: on.
Or: working.
Rom. ix. 21; 2 Tim. ii. 21.
Or: praise.
Or: glory.
Lit.: type.
Or: praised.
ζωοποιός translated (p. 40).
ὁμοούσιος translated.