.

Then the Bishop giveth him the end of his pall (omofór) (if a Priest officiate, he giveth him the end of his priestly stole (epitrakhil)) in his right hand, saying: Enter thou into the Orthodox Church; and cast away all the errors and false doctrines wherein thou hast dwelt: and honour the Lord God, the Father Almighty, and his Only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, one true and living God, the holy Trinity, one in Essence and indivisible.

And having thus spoken, he leadeth the convert into the Church, holding the end of the pall (or of the priestly stole), and placeth him in front of the tribune, where, upon a table, is laid the book of the Holy Gospels: and when he hath taken his place, the convert immediately looseth the end of the pall from his hand. And as they enter the Church, the Reader shall read:

PSALM LXVII.

God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and show us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us; that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; yea, let all the people praise thee. O let the nations rejoice and be glad; for thou shalt judge the folk righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Let the people praise thee, O God; yea, let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth bring forth her increase; and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the world shall fear him.

And when the Psalm is finished, the Bishop commandeth the convert to kneel down before the Holy Gospels.

And when he hath done this, the Bishop reciteth the following Verses:

Send thy Holy Spirit, and they shall be created; and renew the face of the earth.

Turn again, O Lord, how long? And be entreated for thy servant. The crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough ways plain. O Lord my God, save thy servant, who putteth his trust in thee. Be thou unto him, O Lord, a pillar of strength against the face of the enemy.

Let the enemy in nowise prevail against him, and let not the son of iniquity go about to offend him.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let the voice of my cry come unto

thee.

Then immediately the Deacon shall say:

Let us pray to the Lord.

Choir. Lord, have mercy.

And the Bishop, with all devoutness, shall recite the following Prayer: O Lord God Almighty, who alone art holy, and restest in the Saints; who, because of thy great and incalculable love toward mankind, dost alway offer unto them that have sinned divers manners of repentance, and dost show unto them that have wandered from the truth the right path

unto knowledge of thee, the only true God, who art glorified and adored in the Trinity, that not one of them should perish, but that all may be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth: We thank thee, we glorify thee, and we magnify thee, for that thou hast now shed down into the heart of this, thy reason-endowed creature, N., the light which is unto the knowledge of thy truth; and hast graciously enabled him (her) to have recourse unto thy Holy Apostolic Orthodox-Catholic Church. Illumine his (her) heart, O Lord, we humbly beseech thee, with the perfect light of the grace of thy Holy Spirit unto the enlightening of his (her) mind in the truth of thy Holy Gospel. Grant that he (she) may unfeignedly, irrevocably and without hypocrisy unite himself (herself) unto thy Holy Catholic Church, and truly accept and confess the Orthodox-Catholic faith. Number him (her) with thy chosen flock, and unite him (her) to the body of thy Holy Church. Make him (her) a vessel of honour, and the temple of thy Holy Spirit; that, being ever nourished and guided by the Same, he (she) may keep thy saving commandments; and that doing thy gracious, acceptable and perfect will, he (she) may be counted worthy to receive thy heavenly good things, together with all those who are well-pleasing in thy sight. For thou art the God of mercy and compassion and love toward mankind, and willest that all men should be saved; and unto thee do we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

And after the Prayer, the Bishop commandeth him to stand, saying: Rise, and stand aright: stand with fear.

And he, rising, saith:

This true faith of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Church, which I now voluntarily confess and unfeignedly hold, I will firmly maintain and confess whole and in its fulness and integrity, until my last breath, God being my helper; and will teach it and proclaim it, so far as in me lieth; and will strive to fulfil its obligations cheerfully and with joy, preserving my heart in purity and virtue. And in confirmation of this, my true and sincere profession of faith, I now kiss the word of Christ my Saviour. Amen.

Then the Bishop giveth him the Holy Gospels and the cross to kiss. And after he hath kissed them, he saith:

Blessed is God, who willeth that all men should be saved, and should come unto the knowledge of the truth: Blessed is he forevermore. Choir. Amen.

Then he saith to the convert:

Bow thy knees before the Lord God, whom thou hast confessed, and receive remission of thy sins.

And the convert kneeleth down and boweth his head, having his eyes cast down. Then the Bishop (or he who hath received this power from him), pronounceth the absolution thus:

(The form of absolving such a convert from Excommunication, and from his sins, and of joining him unto the Holy Catholic Church.)

Our Lord and God Jesus Christ committed unto his Apostles the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and bestowed upon them the full power through his grace, both to bind and to loose a man from his sins upon earth: May the same, through his unspeakable mercy, pardon and absolve thee. And I, by his almighty power, given unto me, an unworthy Bishop (or Priest), through his holy Apostles and their successors, do pardon and absolve thee, my child (N.), from all thy sins: and do unite thee unto the assembly of the faithful, and unto the body of Christ's Church and do communicate thee with the Divine Sacraments of the Church: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Then the Bishop saith to him:

Rise, brother (sister), and as a faithful servant of Jesus Christ pray thou unto him with us, that he will vouchsafe unto thee, through anointment with the holy Chrism, to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit.

And rising, the convert standeth with all emotion.

THE OFFICE OF ANOINTMENT WITH THE HOLY CHRISM INTO THE ORTHODOX FAITH OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CONVERTED AND HAVE UNITED THEMSELVES WITH THE HOLY ORTHODOX-CATHOLIC CHURCH OF THE EAST

When the foregoing Office hath been completed, one of the Priests, or a Proto-Deacon (if the Bishop himself celebrate these Offices), taking the vessel with the holy Chrism, and a sponge, and a wand, and in a small vessel, warm water for wetting the sponge, that the places anointed with the holy Chrism may be wiped off, setteth them on the table which hath been prepared, upon which, also, the book of the Holy Gospels shall be laid, and the Life-giving Cross; and on which, also, shall be placed two lighted tapers, in candlesticks.

And when these things have been made ready, the Bishop (or the Priest) maketh three reverences toward the east, as do all those who are present.

Bless, Master.

The Deacon saith:

Priest. Blessed is the kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Choir. Amen.

Then shall be sung, in Tone VI.

O heavenly King, the Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who art in all places and fillest all things; Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come, and take up thine abode in us, and cleanse us from every stain; and save our souls, O Good One.

And when the singing is finished, the Deacon straightway saith the LITANY OF HOLY CHRISMATION.

In peace let us pray to the Lord.

Choir. Lord, have mercy..

For the peace that is from above, and for the salvation of our souls: R

For the peace of the whole world; for the welfare of God's holy Churches, and for the union of them all: R

For our Holy Synod (or Patriarch); for our Bishop (or Archbishop, or Metropolitan), N.; for the honourable Presbytery, the Diaconate in Christ; for all the clergy and the laity: R

Here follow petitions for the Ruler of the Land and for all the Authorities (Emperor, or King, and Reigning House, or President, according to the elements and nationalities of which the Parish is constituted).

Furthermore we pray, that through anointment with the all-holy, beneficent and all-perfect Chrism, divine power may be vouchsafed unto the servant of God, N., who is now united unto the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Church; unto the overcoming and the treading down of all adverse wiles of the Devil, and of the assaults which come through the flesh and the world. R

That he (she) may be a valiant and victorious soldier of Christ our God, through the power, and effectual operation, and grace, and indwelling of the Holy Spirit: R

That he (she) may remain steadfast, and strong, and immovable in the Orthodox Faith, and in love and hope, through anointment with the most holy Chrism, all the days of his (her) life: R

That grace may be granted unto him (her), through anointment with the holy Chrism, to the end that with boldness, without fear, and unashamed, he (she) may confess the Name of Christ our God before all men, and ever be ready, for his sake, lovingly to suffer and to die: R

That he (she) may increase in all virtues, and prosper in the commandments of Christ our God, through anointment with the all-holy Chrism: R

That with holy fear he (she) may preserve his (her) soul in purity and truth, through anointment with the all-holy Chrism: R

That he (she) may ripen unto the perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, by the power, and effectual operation, and grace, and indwelling of the Holy Spirit: R

That he (she) and we, with him (her), may be delivered from all tribulation, wrath, peril and necessity and may attain unto the unity of the faith, and unto the knowledge of the Son of God: R

let us pray to the Lord. Choir. Lord, have mercy.

Calling to remembrance our most holy, undefiled, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Birth-giver of God and ever-virgin Mary, with all

the Saints, let us commend ourselves, and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.

Choir. To thee, O Lord.

Exclamation.

Priest. For unto thee are due all glory, honour and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

Deacon. Let us pray to the Lord.

Choir. Lord, have mercy.

Then the Priest reciteth this Prayer, aloud, with all attention:

Blessed art thou, O Lord God Almighty, Source of all good things, Sun of Righteousness, who sheddest forth upon them that were in darkness the light of salvation, through the manifestation of thine Only-begotten Son and our God; and who hast given unto us, unworthy though we be, blessed purification through hallowed water, and divine sanctification through life-giving Chrismation; who now, also, art graciously pleased to regenerate this thy servant, N., that hath newly received Illumination by water and the Holy Spirit, and grantest unto him (her) remission of sins, whether voluntary or involuntary: Do thou, the same Master, compassionate King of kings, grant also unto him (her) the seal of the gift of thy holy, almighty and adorable Spirit, and participation in the holy Body and precious Blood of thy Christ. Keep him (her) in thy sanctification; confirm him (her) in the Orthodox faith; deliver him (her) from the Evil One, and from all machinations of the same. And preserve his (her) soul in purity and uprightness, through the saving fear of thee; that he (she) may please thee in every deed and word, and may be a child and heir of thy heavenly kingdom.

For thou art our God, the God whose property it is to show mercy and to save; and unto thee do we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Choir. Amen.

And after this Prayer, the Priest straightway anointeth the Convert with the holy Chrism, making the sign of the cross upon his brow and eyes, and nostrils and lips, and on both ears, and breast, and hands and feet, saying : The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

And when this hath been done, he saith the following Prayer:

O Lord our God, who hast graciously vouchsafed to show this thy servant, N., perfect, through the true faith which is in thee, and through the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, in thy holy and most heavenly anointing: Do thou, O Lord of all, maintain in him (her) the true faith; further him (her) in righteousness and verity; and adorn him (her) with all thy gifts.