Prayers at the Making of a Catechumen
and The Order of Holy Baptism
A Baptismal candidate need not learn too much of the "mechanics" of the ceremony. The priest and/or the sponsor will give you the basic outline, and during the ceremony they will guide you step by step. What is good to study are the prayers, so you can see what the Church is hoping for you and asking for you - this is the spiritual "mold" which you will to grow into as you live your Orthodox Life.
As in an earthly marriage ceremony, all you really need to know is when to say "I do." But also as in an earthly marriage, it is good if you have an idea of what you are getting into - and in these prayers, you catch a glimpse of the "Mystery" which is shadowed in the catechism classes/studies.
In some cases the Prayers at the Making of a Catechumen and the Order of Holy Baptism are done at the same time. The Prayers at the Making of a Catechumen are binding - once you are made a catechumen it is for life. You are then either a good catechumen or a bad catechumen. A catechumen, if he dies before Baptism, is considered "in the Church" and given an Orthodox burial in the Church. If your priest has had a catechumen go bad, then he may be shy about doing the catechumen prayers before the baptism. This is because it is worse for your soul if you turn from the plow once having laid your hand to the plow.
PRAYERS AT THE MAKING OF A CATECHUMEN
From the Book of Needs
Triple Breathing and Triple Signing
The priest
· Looses the girdle of him that comes to be illuminated
· Divests him of his robes and his shoes
· Places him looking towards the East, clad in one garment only, without girdle or head-dress, and barefooted, and with his hands down
· And breathes thrice in his face
· And signs him thrice upon the forehead and the breast
· And lays his hand upon his head, saying:
Let us pray to the Lord.
Prayer for Those who Wish to be Illumined
IN thy name, O Lord, God of truth, and in the name of thine only-begotten Son, and of thy Holy Ghost, I lay mine hand upon thy servant, ___________, who hath been counted worthy to betake himself to thy holy name, and to be protected under the shadow of thy wings. Remove far from him that old error, and fill him with faith that is in thee, and with hope and charity, that he may understand that thou alone art the true God, and thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and thy Holy Ghost. Grant him to walk in all thy commandments, and to observe those things which are acceptable unto thee; for, if a man do these, he shall find life in them. Inscribe him in thy book of life, and unite him to the flock of thine inheritance. May thy holy name be glorified in him, and that of thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and that of thy life-creating-Spirit. Let thine eyes ever regard him in mercy, and thine ears be ever attentive unto the voice of his prayer. Let him rejoice in the works of his hands, and in all his generation, that he may give thanks unto thee, worshipping and glorifying thy great and most high name, and may ever praise thee all the days of his life,
Exclamation
For all the powers of heaven praise thee, and thine is the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Exorcisms
First Exorcism
Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
THE Lord forbiddeth thee, O devil, he that came into the world and made his dwelling among men, that he might cast down thy tyranny, and deliver men; he that upon the tree triumphed over the opposing powers, when the sun was darkened, and the earth was shaken, and the tombs were opened, and the bodies of the saints arose; he that by death destroyed death, and overcame him that held the might of death, that is, even thee, O devil. I forbid thee by God, who showeth forth the tree of life, and rangeth the cherubim, and the flaming sword that turneth about to guard this. Be thou forbidden! for I forbid thee by him that walketh upon the waves of the sea as upon dry land, who forbiddeth the storm of winds, whose glance drieth up the depths, and whose threatenings melt the mountains; for it is he himself that now forbiddeth thee through us. Be thou afraid, and depart, and absent thyself from this creature, and come thou not back, neither hide thyself in him, nor encounter him, nor influence him, either in the night, or in the day, or in the morning, or at noon; but get thee away to thine own tartarus, until the appointed great day of judgment. Fear God, who sitteth upon the cherubim, and looketh upon the depths, before whom tremble angels, archangels, thrones, dominations, principalities, virtues, powers, the many-eyed cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim; whom heaven and earth fear, the sea, and all that in them is. Get thee away and depart from the sealed newly-elected soldier of Christ our God; for I forbid thee by him that rideth upon the wings of the winds, that maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire; get thee away and depart from this creature with all thy might and angels.
Exclamation
For glorified is the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Second Exorcism
Let us pray to the Lord.
GOD, the holy, the terrible, and the glorious, who concerning all his works and strength is incomprehensible and unsearchable, who himself hath ordained for thee, O devil, the retribution of eternal torment, through us, his unworthy servants, biddeth thee, and all thy co-operating might to depart from him that is newly sealed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our true God. I forbid thee therefore, O most evil, and impure, and foul, and abominable, and alien spirit, by the might of Jesus Christ, who hath all power in heaven and upon earth, who spake unto the deaf and dumb demon, Get thee out of the man, and enter no more into him. Depart, know the vainness of thy might, which had not power even over swine. Remember him who bade thee, at thy request, enter into the herd of swine. Fear God, at whose command the earth was stablished upon the waters; who hath founded the heaven, and fixed the mountains with a line, and the valleys with a measure; who hath placed the sand as a bound for the sea, and made a safe path in the raging water; who toucheth the mountains and they smoke; who investeth himself with light as with a garment; who hath stretched out the heaven as a curtain; who covereth his upper-chambers with waters; who hath founded the earth on firm foundations, so that it shall not be moved for ever; who calleth up the water of the sea, and poureth it upon the face of the earth. Get thee hence and depart from him who is being prepared for holy illumination. I forbid thee by the saving passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by his precious body and blood, and by his terrible advent; for he shall come, and shall not tarry, to judge all the earth, and shall punish thee and thy cooperating might in the gehenna of fire, consigning thee to outer darkness, where the worm dieth riot and the fire is not quenched. For of Christ our God is the might, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Third Exorcism
Let us pray to the Lord.
O LORD of Sabaoth, the God of Israel, who healest every sickness and every wound; look upon thy servant, search out and try him, and drive away from him every operation of the devil. Forbid the unclean spirits, and expel them, and cleanse the work of thy hand, and, using thy swift efficacy, beat down satan shortly under his feet; and give him victory over him, and over his unclean spirits; that, obtaining mercy from thee, he may be counted worthy of thine immortal and heavenly mysteries, and may ascribe glory unto thee, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Fourth Prayer
Let us pray to the Lord.
THOU that art, Master, Lord, who madest man after thine image and likeness, and gavest him the power of eternal life, and when he had fallen through sin didst not disdain him, but didst provide, through the incarnation of thy Christ, for the salvation of the world; do thou thyself also, delivering this thy creature from the yoke of the enemy, receive him into thy heavenly kingdom: open his mental eyes, that the light of thy gospel may dawn upon him: join to his life a shining angel, who may deliver him from every adverse snare, from evil encounters, from the noon-day demon, and from wicked illusions.
The priest breaths on the catechumen’s mouth, then forehead, then breast, saying,
Drive from him every evil and unclean spirit, hiding and lurking in his heart. (3x)
With a loud voice: The spirit of error, the spirit of evil, the spirit of idolatry and of all covetousness, the spirit of lying and of all uncleanness, that worketh according to the instruction of the devil. And make him a rational sheep of the holy flock of thy Christ, an honourable member of thy church, a son and inheritor of thy kingdom; that, living according to thy commandments, and keeping the seal unbroken, and preserving the garment undefiled, he may attain unto the blessedness of the saints in thy kingdom.
Through the grace, and compassions, and love to man of thine only-begotten Son, with whom thou art blessed, together with thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Renunciations
The priest turns him toward the West, with his hands uplifted
Priest: Dost thou renounce satan, and all his works, and all his angels, and all his service, and all his pomp ?
Catechumen answers: I renounce.
Priest: Dost thou renounce satan, and all his works, and all his angels, and all his service, and all his pomp?
Catechumen: I renounce.
Priest: Dost thou renounce satan, and all his works, and all his angels, and all his service, and all his pomp?
Catechumen: I renounce.
The Priest Interrogates: Hast thou renounced satan ?
Catechumen: I have renounced.
Priest: Hast thou renounced satan ?
Catechumen: I have renounced.
Priest: Hast thou renounced satan ?
And he answereth, I have renounced.
Priest: Blow upon him, and spit upon him.
Interrogations
The Acceptance of Christ and Profession of Faith
The priest turns him looking toward the East, with his hands down; and the priest says to him:
Dost thou join Christ?
Catechumen answers: I join.
Priest: Dost thou join Christ ?
Catechumen: I join.
Priest: Dost thou join Christ ?
Catechumen: I join.
Priest: Hast thou joined Christ ?
Catechumen: I have joined.
Priest, Dost thou believe in him?
Catechumen: I believe in him, as King and God.
I BELIEVE in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, who was begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, and was made man; And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures; And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; And shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end. And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is together worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead; And the life in the ages to come. Amen.
Priest: Hast thou joined Christ?
Catechumen answers: I have joined.
Priest: Dost thou believe in him ?
Catechumen: I believe in him as King and God.
I BELIEVE in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, who was begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, and was made man; And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures; And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; And shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end. And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is together worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead; And the life in the ages to come. Amen.
Priest: Hast thou joined Christ ?
Catechumen: I have joined.
Priest: Dost thou believe in him?
Catechumen: I believe in him, as King and God.
I BELIEVE in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, who was begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, and was made man; And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures; And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; And shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end. And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is together worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead; And the life in the ages to come. Amen.
Priest interrogates: Hast thou joined Christ ?
Catechumen answers: I have joined.
Priest: Hast thou joined Christ ?
Catechumen: I have joined.
Priest: Hast thou joined Christ ?
Catechumen: I have joined.
Call to Holy Baptism & Prayer for the Professed Catechumens
Priest: Bow thyself also unto him.
Catechumen (bowing): I bow myself to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, to the consubstantial, and undivided Trinity,
Priest: Blessed be God, who desireth that all men should be saved, and come to a knowledge of the truth, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
Let us pray to the Lord.
MASTER, Lord our God, call thy servant, ______________, to thy holy illumination, and count him worthy of this great grace of thy holy baptism: put off from him the old man, and renew him unto everlasting life, and fill him with the power of thy Holy Ghost, in the unity of thy Christ, that he may be no longer a child of the body, but a child of thy kingdom; through the goodwill and grace of thine only-begotten Son, with whom thou art blessed, together with thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
The above is taken from Hapgood's Book of Needs.
The Order of Holy Baptism can be found here:
It starts on page 277, about mid-way through the book. This online copy is chewed up by the computer.
A different format may work for you [it did not work for me]. Try:
Another translation is here, but it is not Hapgood's translation:
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