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Prayer-Book (Euchologion)
St Sarapion of Thmuis, tr. Wordsworth, 1899
Chapter 24
24. Prayer concerning the Church.1
O Lord God of the Ages, O God of reasonable spirits, O God of clean souls and of all who invoke thee in simplicity (γνησίως) and cleanness, thou who in heaven art manifested and brought to the knowledge of clean spirits, who on earth art hymned and dwellest in the catholic Church, who art ministered to by holy angels and clean souls, who also madest out of the heavens a living chorus to (the) glory and praise of the truth, grant that this Church may be a living and clean Church, grant it to have divine powers and clean angels as ministers, that in cleanness it may be able to hymn thee. We beseech thee on behalf of all persons (ἀνθρώπων) of this Church; be reconciled to all, give indulgence to all, give remission of sins to all. Grant them no longer to sin in anything, but become a wall to them and bring to nought every temptation. Have mercy on men, and women, and children: and show thyself in all; and let the knowledge of thyself be written in their hearts, through thy only-begotten Jesus Christ, through whom to thee (is) the glory and the strength in holy Spirit both now and to all the ages of the ages. Amen.
Notes
- This prayer, in which the importance of cleanness is seven times emphasized, seems to be naturally connected with some form of ablution, followed by the kiss of peace. See Int. § 5, pp. 35-6, 37-8.