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Offices of the Holy Eastern Church
tr. Littledale, 1863
6. Ordination of a Deacon
The Sacrament of Orders (15)
After the Bishop has uttered the Exclamation:
And the mercies of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ shall be with you all, (17) two Deacons going out of the holy Bema, take him who is to be ordained Deacon and who is standing in the Solium,(18) and lead him to the holy Bema, going thrice round the holy Table, singing: “Holy Martyrs, valiantly contending”.(19) Then the candidate, advancing to the Bishop, is signed by him thrice on the head. After this the Bishop directs him to be ungirded, and the maniple to be taken from him. Then the candidate rests his heads on the holy Table, and bend his right knee. And when the Archdeacon has said: Let us attend, the Bishop, laying his right hand on the head of the candidate, says aloud:
The Divine Grace, which always healeth that which is sick, and filleth up that which lacketh, advances (N.) the most pious Subdeacon to be Deacon. Let us therefore pray for him, that the grace of All-Holy Spirit may come upon him.
Then Lord have mercy is thrice sung by those in the Bema, and those outside it. And the Bishop signs his head thrice. And when the Deacon has said: Let us beseech the Lord, the Bishop holding his right hand laid on the candidate’s head, prays thus secretly:
O Lord our God, Who by Thy foreknowledge sendest the gift of Thy Holy Spirit in those appointed by Thine unsearchable might, that they may be ministers and attendant on Thy spotless mysteries, keep, O Lord, this man, whom Thou hast vouchsafed to advance by me to the office of the Diaconate, in all holiness, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. Give him the grace which Thou didst give into Stephen Thy Protomartyr, whom Thou didst call first to the work of Thy Diaconate, and make him fit, according to Thy good pleasure, to guide well the degree bestowed on him by Thy goodness (for they who use this ministry well, procure to themselves a good degree), and make Thy servant perfect. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen,
After the Amen, the Archdeacon says in a low voice, loud enough for the Deacons present to hear and respond, the Great Collect (with the additional suffrages):
For our Archbishop (N.), for his priesthood, help, patience, peace, health, and salvation.
For the servant of God (N.) now advanced to be Deacon, and for his salvation.
That our loving God may bestow on him a spotless and blameless Diaconate.
When this has been said, the Bishop, keeping his hand on the candidate’s head, prays thus secretly:
O God our Saviour, Who by Thine incorruptible voice didst appoint to Thine Apostles the institution of the Diaconate, and madest Thy Protomartyr Stephen of this rank, and didst proclaim him the first to fulfil the work of a Deacon, as it is written in Thy holy Gospel. “Whosoever of you will be first, let him be your servant” [deacon], O Lord of all, fill this Thy servant, whom Thou hast chosen to enter on the ministry of the Diaconate, with all faith, and love, and power, and sanctification, by the visitation of Thy Holy and quickening Spirit (for it is not by the imposition of my hands, but by the watchfulness of Thy rich mercies that grace is given to Thy chosen ones), that he, being free from all sin, may stand before Thee blamelessly in Thy terrible Judgment-Day, and obtain the unfailing reward of Thy promise. For Thou art our God, and to Thee we ascribe glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
And after the Amen, he puts the Stole on the newly-ordained, over the left shoulder, (20) saying: Worthy, and Worthy is repeated thrice according to custom by those in the Bema, and thrice by the singers. Then the Bishop gives him the holy fan, (21) saying as before: Worthy, and all the Deacons give him the kiss.
And he, taking the fan, stands corner-wise at the Holy Table at the right side, and fans above the Blessed Sacrament. And the other Deacon stands outside the Bema in the accustomed place, and says:
Making mention of all the Saints, again and again in peace, let us beseech the Lord &c.
At the time of Communion, the new -ordained partakes of the Divine Mysteries before the other Deacons, and repeats the Diaconal portions in their place, to wit, Erect receiving.
So it is done, when the complete Liturgy is celebrated. But if it be the rite of the Presanctified, note, that after the Presanctified have been placed on the Holy Table, before the Deacon says: Let us complete our prayer, the Candidate for ordination is brought forward, and the rite of ordination takes place as we have described.