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Offices of the Holy Eastern Church
tr. Littledale, 1863
4. Prayer at the Making of a Catechumen
The Priest looses the zone of him who is to be illuminated, and strips him, and takes off his shoes, and places him looking towards the East, with one garment on, the belt loose, bare-headed and barefooted, holding his hands downwards. And the Priest breathes three times into his face, and signs his forehead, and his breast, thrice, and places his hand upon the head, saying: (2)
In Thy Name, O God of Truth, and of Thy Only-Begotten Son, and of Thy Holy Spirit. I lay my hand upon Thy servant (N.) who hath been permitted to fly to Thy Holy Name and to be protected under the shadow of Thy wings. Put away from him that old error, and fill him with faith, and hope, and love of Thee, that he may know that Thou only art Very God with Thine Only-Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and Thy Holy Spirit. Grant unto him to walk in all Thy commandments, and to keep those things that are pleasing into Thee, for if a man do them he shall live in them. Write him in Thy Book of Life, and unite him to the flock of Thine inheritance. Let Thy Holy Name, and that of Thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and of Thy quickening Spirit be glorified upon him. Let Thine eyes regard him always in mercy, and Thine ears be attentive to hear the voice of his supplication. Make him glad in the works of his hands, and in all his generation, that he may confess into Thee, worshipping and glorifying Thy great and highest Name, and that he may praise Thee all the days of his life. For all the powers of heaven praise Thee, and Thine is the glory, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
First Exorcism.
Let us beseech the Lord.
The Lord rebuketh thee, O Devil, the Lord who came into the world, and tabernacled amongst men that He might destroy thy tyranny and rescue mankind from it. Who triumphed over the opposing powers upon the Tree, when the sun was darkened, and the earth shaken, and the tombs were opened, and the bodies of the Saints arose. Who by death destroyed Death, and overcame him who had the power of death, that is thee, the Devil. I adjure thee by God who shewed us the Tree of Life, and appointed the Cherubim and the turning fiery sword to guard it. Be rebuked and depart, for I adjure thee by Him who walked upon the surface of the sea as upon dry land, and who rebuked the tempest of the winds; whose glance drieth up the deeps and whose wrath maketh the mountains melt. He now through us commands thee. Fear, go forth, and withdraw from this form, and return not, nor conceal thyself within him, nor come together with him, nor trouble him, by day or by night, in the morning or at noon-day, but depart into thine own place of punishment, until the great Day of Judgment prepared for thee. Fear the God who sitteth upon the Cherubim and beholdeth the deeps, before Whom tremble the Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Principalities, Dominations, Virtues, Powers, the many -eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim, before Whom tremble the heaven and the earth, and the sea and all that therein is. Go forth and withdraw from the signed and newly-enlisted soldier of Christ our God, for I adjure thee by Him Who walketh upon the wings of the winds, Who maketh His Angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire. Go forth and depart from this form with all thy power and thy angels. For the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is glorified, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Second Exorcism.
Let us beseech the Lord.
God, Holy, terrible, and glorious, Who is incomprehensible in His works and His might, and past searching out; He Who hath appointed for thee, O Devil, the penalty of eternal punishment, commands thee and all the might which aids thee, by us His unprofitable servants, to depart from him who is just signed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our true God. I adjure thee, therefore, wicked, unclean, cursed, polluted, and alien spirit, by the might of JE- SUS Christ, Who hath all power in heaven and earth, and Who spake to the deaf and dumb devil, Depart from the man and enter into him no more. Begone, know the vainness of thy power, which had not influence even over swine. Remember Him, Who, at Thy request, bade thee enter into the herd of swine. Fear God, by Whose command the earth was founded upon the seas, Who made the heavens, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance, and placed the sand for a bound of the sea, and maketh a sure path in the great waters, Who touched the mountains and they smoke, Who decketh Himself with light as it were with a garment, and stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, Who layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters, and laid the foundations of the earth that it never should move at any time; Who calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the Earth. Depart, and withdraw from him who hath wisely turned to holy illumination. I adjure thee by the saving Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by His Precious Body and Blood, and by His terrible coming, for He will come, and not tarry, judging all the earth, and He will punish thee and thy assisting might in the hell of fire, consigning thee to outer darkness, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. For the power belongeth to Christ our God, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Third Exorcism.
Let us beseech the Lord,
O LORD of Sabaoth, the God of Israel, who healest all manner of sickness and infirmity, look upon Thy servant, search out, try, and drive from him all possession of the devil. Rebuke the unclean spirits, and expel them, and cleanse the works of Thy hands, and using Thy swift might, beat down Satan shortly under his feet; and give Thy servant victory against him and his unclean spirits, that, obtaining Thy mercy, he may attain Thy eternal and heavenly mysteries, and we ascribe glory to Thee, FA- THER, Son, and Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Let us beseech the Lord.
O Lord and Master, The I AM, Who madest man after Thy image and likeness, and gavest him the power of eternal life, and didst not pass him by when he fell trough sin, but didst provide for the salvation of the world by the Incarnation of Thy Christ, do Thou, Who hast ransomed this Thy creature from the bondage of the enemy, receive him into Thy heavenly kingdom. Open the eyes of his understanding, that the light of Thy Gospel may shine in him. Join to his life a Shining Angel, to deliver him from every snare of the adversary, from the opposition of the wicked one, from the demon of the noon-day, and from evil delusions.
And the Priest breathes upon his mouth, forehead, and breast, saying:
Drive from him every evil and unclean spirit hidden and lurking in his heart —
And he says the following words thrice:
The spirit of error, spirit of wickedness, spirit of idolatry, and of all covetousness; spirit of lying, and all uncleanness which worketh after the teaching of the devil. And make him a true sheep of the fold of Thy Christ, an honourable member of Thy Church, a hallowed vessel, a child of the light, and an inheritor of Thy kingdom, that, having his conversation after Thy commandments, and keeping the seal unbroken and guarding his vesture unstained, he may attain the blessedness of the Saints in Thy kingdom.
Aloud:
Through the grace, and mercy, and loving kindness of Thine Only-Begotten Son, with whom, together with the All-Holy, good, and quickening Spirit, Thou art blessed, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
And the Candidate for baptism having been disrobed and unshod, the Priest turns him to the West with the hands raised, and says thrice:
Dost thou renounce Satan, and all his works? and all his angels? and all his service? and all his pomp?
And the Catechumen (or his sponsor, if the candidate be a barbarian or a child) answers to each and says:
I renounce.
And when he has said this thrice, the Priest again asks the candidate:
Hast thou renounced Satan?
And the Catechumen (or the sponsor) answers:
I have renounced him.
And when he has said this thrice, the Priest says:
Breathe upon him, and spit upon him.
And when he has so done, the Priest turns him to the East, with the hands down, and says to him thrice:
Dost thou join Christ?
And the Catechumen (or the sponsor) answers, saying:
I join Him. (Thrice.)
And the Priest again says to him:
Hast thou joined Christ?
And he answers: I have joined Him.
And he says again: Dost thou believe in Him?
And he answers: I believe in Him, as my King and God.
And he repeats the Nicene Creed. And when he ends the holy Creed, the Priest again asks him: Hast thou joined Christ? &c., the Catechumen (or the sponsor) answering each time as above. The question having been thrice put to him, and he having said the holy Creed thrice, the Priest asks him for the third time:
Hast thou joined Christ?
And he answers: I have joined Him.
Then the Priest says: Adore him.
And he adores, saying: I adore the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the Consubstantial and Undivided Trinity.
Then the Priest says:
Blessed be God, Who willeth that all men should be saved and should come to the knowledge of the truth, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Then he says this prayer:
Let us beseech the Lord.
O Lord and Master, our God, call Thy servant (N.) to Thy holy illumination, and let him attain this great grace of Thy holy Baptism, strip off the old man in him, and renew him unto eternal life and fill him with the might of Thy Holy Spirit, in the Unity of Thy Christ, that he may be no more a child of the body, but a child of Thy kingdom. Through the good-will and grace of Thine Only-Begotten Son, to whom &c. Amen.