The Ethiopic Liturgy, including the Anaphora of the Apostles (Brightman translation)

The Ethiopic Liturgy, including the Anaphora of the Apostles (Brightman translation)

Medieval translation of an ancient rite

The order of the Keddase, the liturgy of the Ethiopian (Abyssinian) Church, from the preparation of the priest to the dismissal, with the Anaphora of the Apostles; it is the Egyptian rite as the Ethiopians have it, put into Ge’ez probably in the Middle Ages from Arabic and Coptic models. Brightman translated it from a British Museum manuscript of 1670 to 1675 and checked it against four later manuscripts.

The Preparation of the Ministers

1 This is the order which Basil of Antioch compiled In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost one God The order of the Keddāsē which is to be said by the presbyter and the deacon and the people together with everything that is proper each in the time thereof according to the order of our fathers the Egyptians Now first of all the presbyter when he entereth the church shall say the prayer of Penitence: and next he shall say the 25th psalm of David unto thee, o Lord, will I lift up my soul, the 61st hear my crying, o God, the 102nd hear my prayer, o Lord, the 103rd praise the Lord, o my soul, the 130th out of the deep and the 131st Lord, I am not highminded

And afterwards he shall say this following

2 Lord our God, thou alone art holy and thou hast bestowed holiness on all of us by thine invisible power. Yea, Lord, we pray thee and beseech thee to send thine Holy Spirit upon the church and upon this ark and upon all their holy vessels whereon thy precious mystery is ordered. And now bless them and hallow them and cleanse them from all uncleanness and defilement through the remission of the second birth so that there be not left on them any remembrance at all of transgressions and pollution, and make this church and this ark vessels chosen and cleansed and pure, refined seven times from all uncleanness and defilement and pollution of transgressors, like silver refined purged and tried from the earth, and when they are purified make them such that on them may be wrought the mystery of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost both now and ever and world without end. Amen

Prayer before the withdrawing of the veil

3 And he shall bow before the veil Lord our God, who knoweth the thought of man and trieth the heart and reins: forasmuch as, albeit I am not worthy, thou hast called me to minister in this holy place, disdain me not nor turn away thy face from me, but take away my sin and purify the uncleanness of my soul and my body. And now I pray thee blot out my error and the trespass of thy people and lead us not into temptation. Yea, Lord, thrust me not away and make me not ashamed of my hope but send down upon me the grace of the Holy Ghost and make me meet to stand in thy sanctuary that I may offer unto thee a pure oblation with an humble heart for the remission of my error and my sin: and remember not the trespass of thy people which they have wrought wittingly or unwittingly: vouchsafe rest unto our fathers and brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep: keep and defend thy people. To thee and to thine only good and merciful Son and to the Holy Ghost the lifegiver be glory world without end. Amen

And he shall say the prayer of Basil

4 Lord our God and our creator who hath made all things through his word and hast brought us in unto this mystery by thy wisdom, who didst form man and madest him to be ruler over all creatures that he might judge in righteousness and purity: grant us the wisdom which dwelleth in thy treasuries, create in us a clean heart and forgive us our sins and hallow our soul and make us meet to draw nigh unto thy sanctuary that we may offer unto thee an oblation and spiritual sacrifice for the remission of the sin of thy people. O our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who hast raised us from the earth and lifted us up out of the dust, that thou mayest set us with thine angels and with the princes of thy people, make us worthy of thine holy gospel and of thy love, and in the greatness of thy lovingkindness hear us that we may do thy will in this hour, offering to thee a good oblation and spiritual fruit that may be wellpleasing unto thee in thy lovingkindness and mercy. Accept this spotless oblation, send upon us and upon this mystery thine Holy Spirit: let it be to the glory of thine only Son our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ world without end.

The Preparation of the Instruments

Prayer over all the vessels of the church Lord good and merciful and holy, who dwelleth in the holy place, who of thine own goodness didst command Moses thy servant to take the blood and sprinkle it on all the vessels of the tabernacle: now also we pray thee and beseech thee, o good and lover of man, that thou wouldest sanctify these vessels by thine Holy Spirit and the sprinkling of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ: let these vessels be made pure for thy service and let this same holy ordinance be in truth these lifegiving mysteries, the precious body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ: for holy and full of glory is thine holy name, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, both now and ever and world without end Prayer over the māchfadāt Lord our God and our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belong treasuries which are full of lovingkindness and mercy, o giver of good things to all that trust in him, who did spread out the heaven by his wisdom and gave a diverse law to the firmaments and the clouds and the skies, the line whereof hath not changed: now also, o our God, thou lover of man, send down thine hand and the power of thy godhead upon these cloths which shall cover thine holy body. Thou who didst send power on the cloths which were wrapped around thine holy body in the sepulchre, let these also be made in the likeness of those that are in the heavens: for thine is the glory and the power and the might with thy Father and the Holy Ghost both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The Vesting

And next he shall go in and worship before the tābōt and then he shall say the prayer of John

1 Lord our God who sitteth above the angels and the archangels, the lords and the dominions, the cherubin and the seraphin, who was before all creatures, who is exalted above all glory, who lifteth up the lowly from the earth and exalteth them to heaven: thou who hast manifested unto us a new way for our salvation, whose mercies are numberless, o good, lover of man, by thy will thou hast taught us poor ones, thy people, to know the mystery of thine holiness and thine awful word: praised also be thy glory which thou hast ordained for us. Lord our God, good and lover of man, suffer us to come into thine holy place and read the mysteries of thy words as befitteth thy godhead with a right faith: do thou make the light of thy glory to shine upon us, which removeth from us the polluting thought and the deed of sin, and send upon us the grace of the Holy Ghost, the consuming fire, which the fiery ones cannot approach unto, which consumeth the evil thought and burneth up sins: vouchsafe knowledge to the eyes of our hearts and keep our lips from speaking evil, give us peace and teach us righteousness: for thou art the holy garment, the medicine of our sickness, the artificer of our kind. And make us to become meet for this thine holy mystery and put away from us all evil thoughts and lusts which fight against the soul that we may offer unto thee a good heavenly oblation without spot or uncleanness. Through thy great lovingkindness and mercy and favour may we accomplish this heavenly mystery which is above all mysteries. To thee with thy good heavenly Father and with thine Holy Spirit the giver of life will we raise glory and majesty and honour world without end

2 The celebrating priest shall rise up with reverence and shall bow first of all before the tābōt once and once to the presbyters and to the deacons once. And he shall come to the tabōt and take the vestment into his hands and say Our Father which art in heaven: then he shall bow thrice. If there is a pope present he shall go to him with the vestment to be blessed and vested: but if there is none, he shall bless and vest himself a.

The Prothesis

And while he dresseth the tābōt he shall say this prayer following

1 Lord which knoweth the hearts of each and all, which dwelleth in the holy place, which is without sin and alone able to forgive sin: whereas thou knowest, o Lord, that I am not pure for this thine holy service and that I have not the countenance wherewith to draw nigh and to open my mouth before thine holy glory: yet according to the multitude of thy mercy forgive me my sin, for I am a sinner: grant me to find grace and mercy in this hour and send me thy power from on high that I may be made worthy and may accomplish thine holy service according to thy will and thy goodpleasure, and that this incense also may be a sweetsmelling savour. And do thou also, o our Lord, be with us and bless us: for thou art the absolver of our sin and the light of our souls and our life and our strength and our hope and our refuge and to thee we send up unto the highest thanksgiving and honour and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, at all times both now and ever and world without end.

2 Prayer after he hath prepared the altar, of the Father O God who hast taught us this great mystery for our salvation, thou who hast called us thy lowly servants, although we be unworthy, to be ministers unto thine holy altar: do thou, o our master, make us meet in the power of the Holy Ghost to accomplish this mystery to the end that without falling into judgement in the presence of thy great glory we may present unto thee a sacrifice of praise and glory and great comeliness in thy sanctuary. O Lord giver of redemption and sender of grace, who workest all in all, grant us, Lord, that our gift be accepted in thy sight. Yea, Lord our God, we pray thee and beseech thee that thou wilt not forsake thy people by reason of their sin and especially not by reason of my foolishness: for holy is thine holy place according to the gift of the Holy Ghost: in Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost the lifegiver who is coequal with thee are fitting honour and glory and power both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

3 Prayer after the withdrawal of the veil How awful is this day and how marvellous this hour wherein the Holy Ghost will come down and overshadow this oblation and hallow it. In quietness and in fear and trembling stand ye up and pray that the peace of God be with me and with all of you. And when the priest is vested all the people shall say in the first mode Halleluia. If there be any one of the faithful that hath entered the church at the time of the keddāse and hath not heard the holy scriptures and hath not waited until they finish the prayer and the keddāse and hath not received the host, let him be excommunicate from the church: for he hath violated the law of God and disdained to stand before the heavenly king, the king of flesh and spirit. This the apostles have taught us in their canon.

4 Prayer over the masōb: the priest shall say Lord our God, that said unto Moses his servant and prophet Make me choice vessels and set them in my tabernacle upon mount Sinai: now also, our God almighty, stretch forth thine holy right hand upon this pot, fill it with power and virtue and purity and the grace of the Holy Ghost and thy glory that they may make therein the holy body of thine only Son in this holy apostolic church: for thine is the glory with thine only Son and the Holy Ghost both now and ever and world without end

The people shall say

5 Thou art the pot of pure gold wherein is hidden the manna, the bread which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto all the world

The priest making the sign over the bread shall say

6 Eulogios Kyrios Iēsous Christos Son of the living God, hagiasma tōn pneumatōn: hagios in truth. Amen

and then he shall take the host with his pure hand while wet and shall rub it over and under saying

7 Christ our very God, sign with thy right hand and bless with thine hand and hallow with thy power and give virtue to this bread: let it be for the remission of the sins of thy people. Amen

and then the assistant shall receive it into the māchfad saying

8 Like as Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped thee in linen clothing and spices and thou wast wellpleased in them, in like manner be wellpleased in us

and then the priest shall take it and say this

9 The hallowing and the thanksgiving and the exaltation, accepted be it of God the Father, for the remission of sin. Power and blessing and light, hallowing and the holy be in this holy apostolic church. Amen. And then the priest shall compass the tābōt with the taper in front of him and the deacon shall compass it thrice holding the chalice

The priest shall say

10 Lord our God, who didst accept the offering of Abel in the wild and of Noah within the ark and of Abraham on the mountaintop and of Elijah on the top of Carmel and of David in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite and the widow's mite in the sanctuary: accept likewise the oblation and offering of thy servant John which he has brought unto thine holy name and let it be the redemption of his sins: recompense him with a goodly recompense in this world and in that which is to come both now and ever and world without end

and the deacon shall say

11 The Lord seeth me unto the end thereof. And then the priest shall set the host in the paten and the deacon shall pour the blood into the chalice The priest shall say this prayer following after he hath set the host on the paten Lord our God good and lifegiving, who didst spread forth thine holy hands on the tree of the cross: place thine holy hand on this paten which is filled with good things, whereon they that love thy name have prepared the sustenance of a thousand years. Now, our God, bless with thine hand and hallow and cleanse this paten which is filled with live coal, even thine own holy body which we have presented on thine holy altar in this holy apostolic church: for thine is the glory with thy good heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost the lifegiver both now and ever and world without end.

Prayer over the chalice

12 Lord our God Jesus Christ alēthinos true, our God that was made man, whose godhead was not severed from his manhood, who of his own goodpleasure did pour out his blood for the sake of his creatures: now, our God, place thine holy hand on this cup, hallow it and cleanse it that this may become thy precious blood for life and for remission of sin unto every one that shall drink thereof believingly. Glory be to thine heavenly Father and to the Holy Ghost the lifegiver both now and ever and world without end

A second prayer, of the nuptials, over the chalice

13 Christ our very God, who wentest to the marriagefeast when they called thee in Cana of Galilee and didst bless them and didst make the water wine: do thou in like sort unto this wine which is set before thee: bless it and hallow it and cleanse it: let it become the joy and the life of our soul and our body At all times may the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost be with us Fill it with the wine of rejoicing for good, for life and for salvation and for the remission of sin, for understanding and for healing and for counsel of the Holy Ghost both now and ever and world without end Purity and sweetness and blessing be to them that drink of thy blood precious alēthinos true.

Prayer over the cross-spoon

14 Lord our God, who didst make thy servant Isaiah meet to behold the seraph when with the tongs in his hand he took therewith a live coal from off the altar and laid it on his mouth: now, Lord Father almighty, place thine holy hand upon the cross-spoon for the administering of the holy body and blood of thine only Son our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: bless now and hallow and cleanse this cross-spoon and give it power and glory as thou gavest to the tongs of the seraph: for thine is the glory and the dominion with thine only Son our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

And then the priest shall sign with his hand in the form of the sign of the cross over the bread and shall say

15 Blessed be the Lord almighty

The people shall say

16 Amen

The priest shall say

17 And blessed be the only Son our Lord Jesus Christ

The people shall say

18 Amen

The priest shall say

19 And blessed be the Holy Ghost the Paraclete

The people shall say

20 Amen

and he shall say over the chalice also in like manner — Again he shall say over both

21 Glory and honour are due unto the holy Trinity the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost coequal Trinity both now and ever and world without end. And the priest shall turn to the assistant joining hands with him when he speaketh the word Remember me, my father presbyter He also shall answer him saying The Lord keep thy priesthood and accept thine oblation.

And then the priest shall stand upright and with his face to the east stretching forth his hand and shall say with a loud voice

22 One is the holy Father, one is the holy Son, one is the Holy Ghost

The people shall say

23 The Holy Ghost

The priest shall say

24 O praise the Lord all ye heathen

The people shall say

25 Praise him all ye nations

The priest shall say

26 For his merciful kindness is ever more and more towards us

The people shall say

27 And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever

The priest shall say

28 Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Both now and ever and world without end. Amen. Halleluia and the people also shall say in like manner.

The Enarxis

The deacon shall say

1 Stand up for prayer

The people shall say

2 Lord have mercy upon us

The priest shall say

3 Peace be unto you all

The people shall say

4 With thy spirit

The priest shall say the prayer of Thanksgiving

5 We give thanks unto the doer of good unto us, the merciful God the Father of our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: for he hath covered us and succoured us, he hath kept us and brought us nigh and received us unto himself and undertaken our defence and strengthened us and brought us unto this hour. Let us therefore pray him that the almighty Lord our God keep us in this holy day all the days of our life in all peace Pray ye Lord Lord God almighty, the Father of our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, we render thee thanks upon every thing, for every thing and in every thing, for that thou hast covered us and succoured us, hast kept us and brought us nigh and received us unto thyself and undertaken our defence and strengthened us and brought us unto this hour

The deacon shall say

6 Entreat ye and beseech that the Lord have mercy upon us and compassionate us and receive prayer and supplication from his saints in our behalf according to what is expedient at all times. May he make us meet to partake of the communion of the blessed mystery and remit unto us our sins

The priest shall say

7 For this cause we pray and entreat of thy goodness, o lover of man, grant us to fulfil this holy day all the days of our life in peace along with thy fear. All envy and all trial and all the working of Satan and the counsel of evil men and the insolence of adversaries secret and open remove far from me benediction and from all thy people and from this holy place of thine benediction towards the altar: all good things that are expedient and excellent command thou for us, for thou art he that hath given us power to tread upon Scorpions and serpents and upon all the power of the enemy. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us and rescue us from all evil: in the grace and lovingkindness and love towards mankind of thine only Son our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ through whom to thee with him and the Holy Ghost the lifegiver who is coequal with thee are fitting glory and honour and might now and ever and world without end.

The deacon shall say

8 Stand up for prayer

The assistant priest shall say

9 Peace be unto you all And again let us beseech the almighty Lord the Father of the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ on behalf of those who bring an offering within the one holy catholic church, an oblation, firstfruits, tithes, a thankoffering, a memorial, whether much or little, in secret or openly, and of those who wish to give and have not wherewith to give, that he accept their ready mind, that he vouchsafe the heavenly kingdom, who hath power unto every deed of blessing, even the Lord our God

The deacon shall say

10 Pray for them that bring an offering

The people shall say

11 Accept the offering of the brethren, accept the offering of the sisters, and ours also accept, our offering and our oblation

The deacon shall say

12 The commandment of our fathers the apostles: Let none keep in his heart rancour or revenge or envy or hatred towards his neighbour Worship the Lord in fear

The people shall say

13 Before thee, Lord, we worship and thee we glorify

The priest shall say

14 Lord our God who art almighty, we pray and beseech thee for them that bring an offering within the one holy catholic church, an oblation, firstfruits, tithes, a thankoffering, a memorial, in secret or openly, whether much or little, and for those who wish to give and have not wherewith to give. Thine acceptance of their ready mind grant thou unto every one: let the recompense of blessing be a portion world without end. Amen.

The priest shall say the prayer of the Mystery

15 O my master Jesus Christ, coeternal pure Word of the Father and Word of the Holy Ghost the lifegiver: thou art the bread of life which camest down from heaven and didst foretell that thou wouldest be the Lamb without spot for the life of the world: and now also we pray and beseech of thine excellent goodness, o lover of man, make thy face to shine upon this bread pointing, and upon this cup pointing, which we have set upon this spiritual ark of thine: bless he shall bless once the bread, and hallow he shall bless the cup, and cleanse them both he shall bless once because of both, and change this bread pointing: let it become thy pure body, and what is mingled with this cup pointing thy precious blood and let it be offered for us all and be the healing and salvation of our soul and our body and our spirit. Thou art the king of us all, Christ our God, and to thee we send up praise and worship and to thy good Father and to the Holy Ghost the lifegiver who is coequal with thee both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

16 And then he shall cover the bread and the chalice with a covering and shall bow to the tābōt and the deacon shall bow to the presbyter and they shall bow both together. And the presbyter shall say in a low voice this prayer which is S. Basil's Lord our God, who by reason of thine unspeakable love towards mankind didst send thine only Son into the world to bring back unto thee the lost sheep: we beseech thee, o our master, turn us not back as we draw nigh to this awful sacrifice without defilement and trusting not in our own righteousness but on thy mercy wherewith thou hast loved our race: we pray and beseech of thy goodness, o lover of man, that this mystery when thou hast prepared it for our salvation be not to us thy servants and all thy people for condemnation, but that it be profitable for the blotting out of our transgression and the forgiveness of our negligence. Glory and honour be to thine holy name both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

And the presbyter that assisteth shall say the Absolution of the Son

17 Lord Lord Jesus Christ the only Son, the Word of the Lord the Father, who hast broken off from us the bond of our sins through thy lifegiving and saving sufferings, who didst breathe upon the face of thine holy disciples and pure ministers saying to them receive the Holy Ghost: whatsoever men's sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosesoever sins ye retain they are retained: thou therefore now, o Lord, hast vouchsafed unto thy pure ministers that do the priest's office at all times in thine holy church that they should remit sin on earth, should bind and loose every bond of iniquity. Now again we pray and entreat of thy goodness, o lover of man, in the behalf of these thy servants my fathers and my brothers and my sisters and of me thy sinful and feeble servant and of them that bow their heads before thine holy altar: make plain for us the way of thy mercy, break and sever every bond of our sins, whether we have trespassed against thee wittingly or unwittingly or in deceit, whether in deed or in word or through faintheartedness, for thou knowest the feebleness of man. O good lover of man and lord of all creation, grant us the forgiveness of our sins, bless us and purify us and free us and set us loose and loose all thy people and here he shall mention those lately departed, and fill us with the fear of thy name and stablish us to do thine holy will, o good: for thou art our God and our Saviour and to thee is fitting the glory and the praise with thy good heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost the lifegiver who is coequal with thee both now and ever and world without end

18 May thy servants who have ministered on this day, the presbyter benediction towards the presbyter, and the deacon benediction towards the deacons, and the priests benediction, and all the people and mine own neediness also, I thy poor servant benediction towards himself be absolved out of the mouth of the holy Trinity the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost and out of the mouth of the one holy catholic and apostolic church, and out of the mouth of the xv prophets and out of the mouth of the xij apostles and out of the mouth of the lxxij disciples and out of the mouth of the divine and evangelist Mark the apostle and martyr and out of the mouth of the archpopes S. Severus and S. Dioscorus and S. John Chrysostom and S. Cyril and S. Gregory and S. Basil, out of the mouth of the cccxvij orthodox that assembled in Nicaea and the cl in Constantinople and the cc in Ephesus and out of the mouth of the honoured father the archpope abba John and our blessed pope abba Sinōdā and out of the mouth of me also thy sinful and feeble servant. May they be absolved out of the mouth of our lady Mary parent of God, the new loom. For awful and full of glory is thy name, o holy Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The deacon shall say

19 For peaceable holiness we beseech, that the Lord make us peaceable by his own lovingkindness

The people shall say at each pause

20 Amen. Kīrālāyēsōn. Lord have mercy upon us For our faith we beseech, that the Lord would grant us to be wellpleasing, to keep the faith in purity For our congregation we beseech, that the Lord would keep us unto the end in the fellowship of the Holy Ghost For the patience of souls we beseech, that the Lord vouchsafe us the perfection of patience in all our tribulation For the holy prophets we beseech, that the Lord number us with them For the holy apostles we beseech, that the Lord grant us to be wellpleasing even as they were wellpleasing and apportion unto us a lot with them For the holy martyrs we beseech, that the Lord grant us to perfect the same conversation For our archpope abba Matthew and our blessed pope abba Sinōdā we beseech, that the Lord grant them unto us long time, that with understanding they rightly speak the word of faith in purity without spot for that they are the guardians of the church

21 For the presbyters we beseech, that the Lord never take from them the spirit of priesthood, the zeal and fear of him unto the end and that he vouchsafe them (the fruit of) their labour For the deacons we beseech, that the Lord grant them to run a perfect course and to draw nigh unto their work in holiness and that he remember their love For the subdeacons and the anagnosts and the singers we beseech, that the Lord grant them to perfect the zeal of their faith For the widows and the celibates we beseech, that the Lord hear their prayer and vouchsafe them abundantly in their hearts the grace of the Holy Ghost and accept their labour For the virgins we beseech, that the Lord grant them the crown of virginity and that they be unto the Lord children and daughters and that he accept their labour For the ascetics we beseech, that the Lord grant them to receive their reward through abstinence

22 For the laity and faithful men we beseech, that the Lord grant them a share in the washing away of sin and seal them with the seal of sanctification For our king John we beseech, that the Lord vouchsafe him much peace in his days For the judges and those who are in authority we beseech, that the Lord give them wisdom and the fear of him For all the world we beseech, that the Lord prevent the thought thereof and put into the mind of all and each to desire that which is good and expedient For them that travel by sea or in the desert we beseech, that the Lord guide them with a merciful right hand For the excommunicate we beseech, that the Lord grant them patience and wholesome discipline and vouchsafe that their labour be perfected For the sad and sorrowful we beseech, that the Lord give them perfect consolation For the hungry and thirsty we beseech, that the Lord give them their daily food

23 For prisoners we beseech, that the Lord loose them from their bonds For captives we beseech, that the Lord restore them to their country in peace For those of the christian congregation who are fallen asleep we beseech, that the Lord vouchsafe them a place of rest For the sick and suffering we beseech, that the Lord heal them speedily and send upon them lovingkindness and mercy For those of our fathers and our brothers and our sisters who have trespassed we beseech, that the Lord cherish not anger against them but grant them rest and relief from his wrath For the rains we beseech, that the Lord send rain on the place that needeth it For the waters of the rivers we beseech, that the Lord fill them with water of life unto due measure and limit For the fruit of the earth we beseech, that the Lord give to the earth her fruit for sowing and for harvest

24 And all of us who ask and beseech in prayer may he clothe with the spirit of peace and vouchsafe us to draw nigh and ask the Lord that he hear and accept Let us therefore rise up in the Holy Ghost that we may have knowledge and grow in his grace and glory in his name and be built up upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles Let us draw nigh and ask the Lord that he hear and accept our prayer For our thanksgiving we beseech, that the Lord write our petition in the book of life and the eternal God remember us in the restingplace of saints in his own light For those of our brethren and sisters who lag behind we beseech, that the Lord grant them to have a fervent desire and turn away from them the bondage of this world and give them a good conscience and love and good hope

25 For the sake of the body and blood of the Son of God so be it, so be it. And then the people shall stand up.

The Mass of the Catechumens: The Censing

1 And the priest shall take grains of incense in his right hand and the censer in the left, and if there be a pope present he shall bring unto him the incense and the censer to bless them, and if there be no pope present he shall bless them himself, making mention of the current year of grace and of the beginning of night and day

And the priest shall say this

2 I pray and beseech thee, o Lord our God, as thou wast well-pleased with the offering of Abel thy beloved and the oblation of Enoch and of Noah and the incense of Aaron and Samuel and Zacharias: in like manner accept from us this incense as a sweetsmelling savour for the remission of our sins and forgive all thy people their trespass: for thou art merciful and to thee glory is fitting with thine only Son and the Holy Ghost both now and ever and world without end. Amen

and then he shall cast the incense saying

3 Blessed be the Lord the almighty Father

The people shall say

4 Amen

The assistant shall say

5 And blessed be the only Son our Lord Jesus Christ who was made man of Mary the holy virgin for our salvation

The priest shall say

6 And blessed be the Holy Ghost the Paraclete who strengtheneth us all Glory and honour be to the Holy Trinity the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost both now and ever and world without end. Amen I will offer unto thee incense with rams: all thy garments smell of myrrh aloes and cassia: let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense Yet again we offer unto thee this incense for the remission of my sins and the trespass of thy people For blessed and full of glory is thine holy name, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, both now and ever and world without end. Amen Lauds of the angels singing in the highest Halleluia to the Father: halleluia to the Son: halleluia to the Holy Ghost Worship we the Father: worship we the Son: worship we the Holy Ghost three in one and one in three

Prayer of the Incense

7 O eternal God, the first and the last, which hath neither beginning nor end, which is great in his counsel and mighty in his work and righteous in his purpose and strong in his might, which is and is to be in all things: be with us in this hour and stand in the midst of us all and purify our hearts and sanctify our souls and our flesh and wash us from all our sins which we have done wittingly or unwittingly: grant us to offer before thee a reasonable oblation and an oblation of blessing, the which thou wilt make to enter in within the inner chamber of the veil, the holy of holies thy dwellingplace

and here he shall compass the tābōt three times saying

8 We pray thee, o Lord, and beseech thee that thou remember the one holy apostolic church which reacheth from one end of the world to the other

The deacon shall say

9 Pray for the peace of the church, one holy apostolic orthodox in the Lord

The priest shall say

10 Remember, o Lord, the honoured father our archpope abba Matthew and our blessed pope abba Sīnōdā and all orthodox bishops presbyters and deacons. And if he (the archpope) be entered into rest he shall say Rest, o Lord, the soul of our father the archpope abba N and make him to dwell in the kingdom of heaven with the righteous: seat for us on his throne in his stead a good shepherd and let us not be like a flock having no shepherd and let not the ravenous wolf make ravin of us nor alien folk that are contrary to us reproach us

The deacon shall say

11 Pray for our archpope abba Matthew and for our blessed pope abba Sīnōdā and for all orthodox bishops presbyters and deacons

The priest shall say

12 Remember, Lord, our congregation, bless them and make them to be neither separated nor estranged: make them an house of prayer, an house of purity and an house of blessing: vouchsafe it, Lord, unto us thy servants and to them that shall come after us, unto eternal days vouchsafe it

The deacon shall say

13 Pray for our congregation which is the keeping of us all

The priest shall say

14 Arise, Lord my God, and let thine enemies be scattered and let all them that hate thine holy and blessed name flee before thee, but let thy people who do thy will be blessed with blessings thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand: through thine only Son through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The deacon shall say

15 Stand up

The people shall say

16 Lord have mercy upon us

The priest shall say

17 Peace be unto you all

The people shall say

18 With thy spirit The priest shall say on every great day and on the first day of the week Worship we

the people shall say

19 the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost three in one

The priest shall say

20 Peace be unto thee

the people shall say

21 holy church, dwellingplace of the godhead

The priest shall say

22 Pray for us

the people shall say

23 virgin Mary parent of God

The priest shall say — Thou art — the people shall say

24 The golden censer which didst bear the live coal of fire. Blessed is he that receiveth out of the sanctuary him that forgiveth sin and blotteth out error, who is God's Word that was made man of thee, who offered himself to his Father for incense and an acceptable offering We worship thee, Christ, with thy good heavenly Father and thine Holy Spirit the lifegiver, for thou didst come and save us.

The Lections

1. Epistle of S. Paul — The assistant shall say

1 Lord of knowledge, declarer of wisdom who hast revealed to us what was hidden in the depth of darkness, giver of a word of gladness to them that proclaim the greatness of thy power: thou it was that after thy great goodness didst call Paul who was before a persecutor and didst make him a chosen vessel and wast wellpleased with him that he should become an apostle and a preacher of the gospel of thy kingdom, a summoner thereunto, o Christ our God. Thou art a lover of man, o good: vouchsafe us a mind without distraction and a pure understanding that departeth not from thee, that we may both perceive and know how great is thine holy teaching which is now read to us out of him: and as he was like unto thee, o prince of life, so make us also meet to be like unto him in deed and in faith and to praise thine holy name and glory in thy precious cross at all times: for thine is the kingdom, the might, the majesty and the sovereignty, the honour and the glory world without end. Amen.

The deacon shall say going forth

2 Every one that loveth not our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ and believeth not in his birth of Mary the holy virgin, in the twofold ark of the Holy Ghost, until his coming again, as saith Paul, let him be anathema

or second. — and then he shall read the Epistle of Paul

3 {This know also that in the last days....... to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Tim. iii 1-7}.

And then the priest while censing shall say to the presbyter

4 Accept me, o my father presbyter

And he too shall answer him saying

5 The Lord accept thine oblation and smell the savour of thine incense as he did accept the oblation of Melchizedek and the incense of Aaron and Zacharias.

And after this he shall lay his hand upon the deacons and say the blessing of Paul: and then over the people he shall say

6 The Lord bless And this, going round to the several doors Glory and honour to the holy Trinity the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost both now and ever and world without end. Amen

and then he shall say

7 O Lord our God, who of old didst make the wall of Jericho to fall down by the hand of Joshua thy servant: in like sort now make the wall of the sin of these thy servants and thine handmaids to fall down by the hand of me thy servant

and then turning back he shall offer incense upon the altar saying

8 O accepter of penitence and remitter of sin, Jesus Christ, remit my sin and the sin of all thy people: accept the penitence of these thy servants and thine handmaids and make the light of thy grace to shine upon them for thine holy name's sake by which we are called: through whom to thee with him and the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The deacon entering after the reading of Paul shall say

9 The blessing of the Father and the bounty of the Son and the gift of the Holy Ghost who came down upon the apostles in the upper room of holy Sion, in like sort come down and be multiplied upon us. Amen

The people shall say

10 Holy apostle Paul, goodly messenger, healer of the sick, thou hast received the crown: pray and intercede for us: cause our souls to be saved in the multitude of his lovingkindness and his mercy for his holy name's sake.

2. The Catholic Epistle — The deacon shall say

11 Stand up for prayer

The people shall say

12 Lord have mercy upon us

The priest shall say

13 Peace be unto you all

The people shall say

14 With thy spirit

The priest shall say

15 O eternal God, the first and the last, which hath neither beginning nor end, he that is great in his counsel and mighty in his work and wise in his purpose, who is in all things: we pray thee, Lord, and beseech thee that thou be with us in this hour: make thy face to shine upon us and abide with us in the midst of us: purify our hearts and sanctify our souls and remit our sin which we have done with our will or without our will: make us, Lord, to offer unto thee a pure oblation, a reasonable offering and spiritual incense: let it enter into the holy temple of thine holiness: through thine only Son our Lord through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end. Amen. The subdeacon going out shall say

16 The word from the Epistle of {James} disciple and apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ. His prayer and his blessing be with us. Amen {Go to now, ye rich men......... unto the coming of the Lord S. James v 1-7}

and after reading when he goeth in he shall say

17 O my brethren, love not the world neither the things that are in the world: for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world: and the world passeth away and the lust thereof, for all is passing, but he that doeth the goodpleasure of God abideth for ever

The people shall say

18 Holy consubstantial Trinity, preserve our congregation for thine holy elect disciples' sake: comfort us in thy loving-kindness for thine holy name's sake.

3. The Acts of the Apostles — The deacon shall say

19 Stand up for prayer

The people shall say

20 Lord have mercy upon us

The priest shall say

21 Peace be unto you all

The people shall say

22 With thy spirit

The priest shall say

23 Our Lord and our God, thou it was that didst reveal to thine holy apostles the mystery of the glorious gospel of thy Messiah and didst give them the great and immeasurable gift that is of thy grace and didst send them to proclaim in all the ends of the world the inscrutable riches of thy grace through thy mercy: we pray thee also and beseech thee, our Lord and our God, that thou wouldest make us meet for an inheritance and a portion with them that we may walk in their ways and follow in their footsteps: and vouchsafe us at all times to imitate them and to continue in their love and to have fellowship with them in their labour in godliness: and do thou keep thine holy church benediction which thou hast founded by their means and bless benediction the sheep of thy flock and increase this vine benediction which thou hast planted with thy right hand: through Jesus Christ our Lord through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The assistant presbyter shall say

24 A pure fountain which is from the pure fountains of the law, to wit the history of the Acts of the pure Apostles. The blessing of their prayer be with us. Amen {Now as soon as it was day...... grew and multiplied Acts xii 18-24} and after reading he shall say Full and great and exalted is the word of the Lord and it hath increased in his holy church and many are they that believe in our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be glory world without end. Amen

The people shall say

25 Holy holy holy art thou, God the Father almighty Holy holy holy art thou, only Son which art the living Word of the Father Holy holy holy art thou, Holy Ghost which knowest all things.

The Incense and the Trisagion — And then the priest shall cast the incense saying

26 Glory and honour be to the holy Trinity the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost both now and ever and world without end. Amen

and then the priest shall say this prayer following, standing before the altar

27 Lord our God who didst accept the sacrifice of our father Abraham and in the stead of Isaac didst prepare and send down to him a ram for his ransom: even so, o our Lord, accept from us our oblation and this savour of our incense and send unto us from on high in recompense thereof the riches of thy lovingkindness and thy mercy that we may become pure from all illsavour of our sins and make us meet to minister before thy glorious purity, o lover of man, in righteousness and in purity all the days of our life in joy and in rejoicing

and then he shall say

28 We pray thee, o Lord, and beseech thee that thou remember as before (pp. 210 sq.)

The priest shall say

29 Hail, o thou of whom we ask salvation, o holy praiseful evervirgin parent of God, mother of Christ: offer up our prayer on high to thy beloved Son that he forgive us our sins Hail, o thou who barest for us the very light of righteousness, even Christ our God: o virgin pure, plead for us unto our Lord that he show mercy unto our souls and forgive us our sins Hail, o virgin pure, Mary holy parent of God, very pleader for the race of mankind, plead for us before Christ thy Son, that he vouchsafe us remission of our sins Hail, o virgin pure, very queen: hail, o pride of our kind: hail, o thou that barest for us Emmanuel: we pray thee that thou remember us, o very mediatress, before our Lord Jesus that he forgive us our sins.

And then the priests shall go forth outside of the veil and shall chant saying

30 This is the time of blessing, this is the time of choice incense, the time of the praise of our Saviour, lover of man, Christ. The incense is Mary: the incense is he who was in her womb which is fragrant: the incense is he whom she bare: he came and saved us, the fragrant ointment Jesus Christ. O come let us worship him and keep his commandments that he forgive us our sins To Michael was given mercy, and gladtidings to Gabriel and a heavenly gift to Mary virgin. To David was given understanding, and wisdom to Solomon and an horn of oil to Samuel, for he was the anointer of kings. To our father Peter were given the keys, and virginity to John and apostleship to our father Paul, for he was the light of the church The fragrant ointment is Mary: for he that was in her womb, who is more fragrant than all incense, came and was made flesh of her. In Mary virgin pure the Father was wellpleased and he decked her for a tabernacle for the habitation of his well-beloved Son

31 To Moses was given the law, and the priesthood to Aaron: to Zacharias the priest was given the choice incense. They made the tabernacle of the testimony according to the word of the Lord and Aaron the priest in the midst thereof made the choice incense to go up The seraphin worship him and the cherubin glorify him: they cry saying Holy holy holy is the Lord among the thousands and praised among the tens of thousands Thou art the incense, o our Saviour, for thou didst come and save us Have mercy upon us, o Lord. In the tone of arārāy Holy God, Holy mighty, Holy living immortal who was born of Mary the holy virgin, have mercy upon us, o Lord Holy God, Holy mighty, Holy living immortal who was baptized in Jordan and was hung on the tree of the cross, have mercy upon us, o Lord

32 Holy God, Holy mighty, Holy living immortal who rose from the dead the third day, ascended with glory into heaven and sat down at the right hand of his Father, shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead, have mercy upon us, o Lord Glory be to the Father, glory be to the Son, glory be to the Holy Ghost both now and ever and world without end Amen and amen: so be it, so be it].

And after finishing this they shall say

33 O holy Trinity, pity us: o holy Trinity, spare us: o holy Trinity, have mercy upon us.

The priest shall say

34 Hail, o Mary, full of grace

the people shall say

35 The Lord is with thee

The priest shall say

36 Blessed art thou among women

the people shall say

37 And blessed is the fruit of thy womb

The priest shall say

38 Pray and intercede for us with thy beloved Son

the people shall say

39 that he forgive us our sins. And then he shall bless the chanting priests each in his turn.

The priest shall say

40 Glory and honour to the holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, now and ever and world without end.

4. The Gospel — The deacon shall say

41 Stand up for prayer

The people shall say

42 Lord have mercy upon us

The priest shall say

43 Peace be unto you all

The people shall say

44 With thy spirit

The priest shall say

45 Lord Lord Jesus Christ our God, who saidst to thine holy disciples and thy pure apostles many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things which ye see and have not seen them and have desired to hear the things which ye hear and have not heard them: and blessed are your eyes that have seen and your ears that have heard: like them do thou make us also meet to hear and to do the word of thine holy gospel through the prayer of the saints

The deacon shall say

46 Pray on account of the holy Gospel

The priest shall say

47 Remember again, Lord, them that have bidden us to remember them in the time of our prayer and our supplication wherewith we make request of thee, o Lord our God. Give rest to them that have fallen asleep before us: heal speedily them that are sick: for thou art the life of us all and the hope of us all and the deliverer of us all and the raiser up of us all and to thee we send thanksgiving unto highest heaven world without end. The deacon shall speak before the Gospel signifying what he is going to proclaim on the several days. The priest shall cast the incense once as before and after that he shall say this following And the Lord most high bless us all and sanctify us with all spiritual blessing and make our entry into his holy church to be joined with (the entry of) his holy angels who chant unto him with fear and with trembling and glorify him at all times and all hours world without end

And then the priest shall compass the tābōt once with the taper before him and the Gospel behind him and making the sign of the cross with the censer towards the Gospel he shall say

48 Blessed be the Lord the Father almighty

The assistant shall say

49 Give thanks unto the Father

The priest shall say

50 And blessed be the only Son our Lord Jesus Christ

The assistant shall say

51 Give thanks unto the Son

The priest shall say

52 And blessed be the Holy Ghost the Paraclete

The assistant shall say

53 Give thanks unto the Holy Ghost.

The deacon shall say

54 Stand up and hearken to the holy Gospel, the message of our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ

The priest shall say

55 The holy Gospel which {Luke} preached, the word of the Son of God

The people shall say

56 Glory be to thee, Christ my Lord and my God, at all times {O magnify the Lord our God and fall down before his footstool: for he is holy Ps. xcix :}

The assistant priest shall say in a low voice

57 O far from anger and abundant in mercy and righteous indeed, receive our prayer and our supplication and our humility and our penitence and our confession toward thine ark and thine holy altar heavenly stainless and spotless: make us meet to hear the word of thine holy gospel and to keep thy commandments and thy testimony, and bless us that we may bear fruit, for one thirtyfold and sixtyfold and an hundredfold 58 Remember, Lord, the sick of thy people: visit them in thy lovingkindness and heal them. Remember, Lord, our fathers and our brethren who are gone to sojourn abroad: bring them back to their dwellingplace in safety and peace. Remember, Lord, the downcoming of the rains and the waters of the rivers: bless them. Remember, Lord, the seed and the fruit of the fields: make them abundant. Remember, Lord, the sweetness of the airs and the fruits of the earth: bless them. Remember, Lord, the safety of man and of beast. Remember, Lord, the safety of thine own holy church and of all orthodox cities and countries. Remember, Lord, our king John lover of God and keep him in peace and health. Remember, Lord, our fathers and our brethren who have fallen asleep and are gone to their rest in the orthodox faith: give them rest. Remember, Lord, them that have presented unto thee this incense and oblation and those also for whom they offered and those who brought it from them: grant them all the recompense in heaven and comfort them after all tribulation. Remember, Lord, all captives and bring them again in peace to their cities. Remember, Lord, thy poor servants who are in torment. Remember, Lord, the afflicted and distressed. Remember, Lord, the catechumens of thy people and teach them and stablish them in the right faith: banish from their heart all remains of idolatry: stablish in their heart thy law and the fear of thee, thy commandment and thy righteousness and thine ordinance:

59 grant them to know the certainty of the word wherein they have been instructed and when they have been instructed make them all meet for the new birth and for the remission of their sin and prepare them to be an ark for thine Holy Spirit: through the grace and lovingkindness of thine only Son, lover of man, our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost the lifegiver who is coequal with thee in godhead a glory and honour and majesty are fitting both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The priest that reads the Gospel shall say

60 Bless, Lord, through the Gospel of {Luke} the disciple and apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God: to him be glory continually world without end. Amen

and then the priest shall read the Gospel

61 {The same day there came..... again to these things S. Luke xiii 31-xiv 6} When the Gospel is read the priest shall say at the end of each Gospel distinguishing the several Gospels Luke's it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than for one tittle of the law and the prophets to fail, said the Lord to his disciples

The people shall say at each Gospel in tone as follows

62 Luke's who is like unto thee, o Lord, among the gods? Thou it is that doest wonders: thou didst show thy power unto thy people and didst save thy people with thine arm: thou wentest into hades and broughtest up thence them that were in captivity and didst desire us again to be set free, for thou didst come and save us. For this cause we glorify thee saying Blessed art thou, our Lord Jesus Christ, for thou didst come and save us.

The deacon shall say

63 Go forth, ye catechumens.

The Mass of the Faithful: The Prayers

The deacon

1 Stand up for prayer

The people shall say

2 Lord have mercy upon us

The priest shall say

3 Peace be to you all

The people shall say

4 With thy spirit

The priest shall say

5 Again let us beseech the almighty Lord the Father of the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ. We ask and entreat of thy goodness, o lover of man: remember, Lord, the peace of the church holy one apostolic which reacheth from one end of the world to the other

The deacon shall say

6 Pray for the peace of the one holy apostolic church orthodox in the Lord

The priest shall say

7 All the people and all the flocks bless thou: the peace that is from heaven send thou into the hearts of us all and the peace of our life vouchsafe us therein. Vouchsafe peace to our king John, to his palace and to his armies and to his princes and to his nobles and to the multitude of our neighbours at home and abroad: adorn them with all peace. O king of peace, give us peace for thou hast given us all things: possess us, o Lord, and requite us, for beside thee we know none other: we make mention of thine holy name and call upon it that our soul may live through the Holy Ghost and that the death of sin have not dominion over us thy servants and all thy people

The people shall say

8 Kīrālāyēsōn.

The deacon shall say

9 Stand up for prayer

The people shall say

10 Lord have mercy upon us

The priest shall say

11 Peace be unto you all

The people shall say

12 With thy spirit

The priest shall say

13 And again let us beseech the almighty Lord the Father of the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ for the blessed pope abba Matthew that he truly preserve him to us for many years and in peaceful days to fulfil the office of the priesthood which thou hast committed unto him. The Lord our God who is rich in grace vouchsafe it

The deacon shall say

14 Pray for our archpope abba Matthew lord archbishop of the great city of Alexandria and for the head of the city of our fathers the blessed pope abba Sīnōdā and all orthodox bishops presbyters and deacons

The priest shall say

15 Lord our God who art almighty, we pray and beseech thee for our blessed pope abba Sinoda that thou truly preserve him for many years in peaceful days fulfilling the office of the priesthood which thou hast committed unto him, with all orthodox bishops presbyters and deacons and with all the entire congregation of the one holy catholic church: and the prayer also which he shall make on our behalf and on behalf of all thy people do thou accept: open to him the treasurehouse of thy blessing. Furthermore vouchsafe him abundantly the grace of the Holy Ghost: pour upon him from heaven thy blessing that he may bless thy people: and all his enemies visible and invisible do thou subdue and bruise under his feet shortly: but himself do thou still preserve unto us, unto thine holy church, in thy priesthood: through thine only Son through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The deacon shall say

16 Stand up for prayer

The people shall say

17 Lord have mercy upon us

The priest shall say

18 Peace be unto you all

The people shall say

19 With thy spirit

The priest shall say

20 And again let us beseech the almighty Lord the Father of the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ: we pray and implore of thy goodness, o lover of man: remember, Lord, our congregation: bless thou them blessing with the figure of the sign of the cross

The deacon shall say

21 Pray for this holy church and our congregation therein

The priest shall say

22 and make them to be to thee without hindrance and without intermission doing thine holy and blessed will: an house of prayer, an house of purity and an house of blessing vouchsafe, Lord, unto us thy servants, and to them that shall come after us unto eternal days vouchsafe it. And the priest shall cense the altar saying arise, Lord my God, and let thine enemies be scattered and let all them that hate thine holy and blessed name flee before thee: while speaking he shall sign with the censer over the people and bow three times but let thy people be blessed with blessings a thousand thousand and ten thousand times ten thousand: through the grace and loving-kindness of the lover of man thine only Son our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The Creed

The deacon shall say

1 Speak we all in the wisdom of the Lord Answer ye the prayer of faith

The people shall say

2 We believe in one God the Lord the Father almighty, maker of the heavens and the earth, the visible and the invisible. And we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ the only Son of the Father, who was with him before the world was created, light of light, God of very God, begotten not made, equal with the Father in his godhead: by whom all things were made but without him was not anything made, neither in heaven nor in earth: who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and of Mary, of the holy virgin: he was made man and was crucified for us in the days of Pontius Pilate, he suffered and died and was buried and rose again from the dead the third day, as it is written in the holy scriptures: he ascended with glory into the heavens and sat down on the right hand of his Father: he shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead and of his kingdom there shall be no end. And we believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, the giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father: we worship and glorify him with the Father and the Son: who spake by the prophets. And we believe in one holy church catholic apostolic and we believe in one baptism for the remission of sin and we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life to come world without end. Amen.

The Lavatory

And then he shall take away the covering of the paten with his hand. And then the priest shall wash. And after washing he shall say the following while he sprinkles water with the moisture of his hand turning his face to the west If there be any who is pure let him receive of the host and whoso is not pure let him not receive, that he be not consumed in the fire of the godhead, whoso hath revenge in his heart and whoso hath an alien mind by reason of unchastity. I am pure from the blood of you all and from your sacrilege against the body and blood of Christ: I have nought to do with your reception thereof: I am pure of your error, and your sin will return upon your own head if ye receive not in purity.

The Kiss of Peace

The deacon shall say

1 Stand up for prayer

The people shall say

2 Lord have mercy upon us

The priest shall say

3 Peace be unto you all

The people shall say

4 With thy spirit

The priest shall say the prayer of the Kiss, of Basil

5 Lord great eternal, which formedst man incorrupt, thou didst abolish death, that came at first into the world through envy of Satan, by the advent of thy living Son our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ and didst fill all the earth with thy peace which is from heaven, wherein the armies of heaven glorify thee saying Glory to God in heaven and on earth peace, his goodwill towards man

The people shall say in like manner: the priest shall say

6 O Lord, in thy goodwill fill our hearts and purify us from all filthiness and from all lasciviousness and from all revenge and envy and from all wrongdoing and from the remembrance of ill which clothes with death. Make us all meet to salute one another with an holy kiss

The deacon shall say

7 Pray for perfect peace and love Salute one another with an holy kiss

The people shall say

8 Christ our God, make us meet to salute one another with an holy kiss

The priest shall say

9 and to partake without condemnation of thine holy immortal heavenly gift: through Jesus Christ our Lord through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The Anaphora: The Thanksgiving

The priest shall say

1 The Lord be with you all

The people shall say

2 With thy Spirit

The priest shall say

3 Give ye thanks unto our God

The people shall say

4 It is right, it is meet

The priest shall say

5 Lift up your hearts

The people shall say

6 We lift them up unto the Lord our God The Keddāsē of the Apostles

The priest shall say

7 We give thee thanks, o Lord, in thy beloved Son the Lord Jesus, whom in the last days thou didst send unto us, thy Son the saviour and redeemer, the angel of thy counsel, who is the Word from thee and through whom thou madest all things by thy will.

The Intercession

The deacon shall say

1 For the sake of our blessed and holy archpope abba Matthew and the blessed pope abba Sīnōdā while they yet give thee thanks in their prayer and in their supplication: Stephen the protomartyr, Zacharias the priest and John the baptist, and for the sake of all the saints and martyrs who have gained their rest in the faith: Matthew and Mark, Luke and John, the iv evangelists: Mary the parent of God: hear us. For the sake of Peter and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, Thaddaeus and Nathanael and James the son of Alphaeus and Matthias, the xij apostles: and James the apostle, the brother of our Lord, the bishop of Jerusalem: Paul Timothy Silas and Barnabas, Titus Philemon Clement, the lxxij disciples, the d companions, the cccxviij orthodox: the prayers of them all come unto us And remember thou the catholic apostolic church in peace, which was made by the precious blood of Christ

2 Remember thou all archpopes popes bishops presbyters and deacons and all christian people.

The assistant presbyter shall say the prayer of benediction

3 O holy Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, bless thou benediction thy people, christians beloved, with blessings heavenly and earthly, and send upon us the grace of the Holy Ghost and make the doors of thine holy church open unto us in mercy and in faithfulness. Perfect unto us the faith of the Trinity unto our last breath O my master Jesus Christ, visit the sick of thy people: heal them And guide our fathers and our brethren who have gone forth and are travelling abroad: bring them back to their dwellingplace in peace and in health Benediction Bless the airs of heaven and the rains and the fruits of the earth of this year according to thy grace, and make joy and gladness perpetual on the face of the earth and stablish for us thy peace Turn the heart of mighty kings to deal kindly with us alway. Give favour to the elders of the church that are gathered in thine holy church, to all, to each by their several names, in the presence of powerful kings: lift them up

4 Rest the souls of our fathers and our brothers and our sisters that have fallen asleep and gained their rest in the faith of Christ: rest them And bless benediction them that occupy themselves with the incense and the oblation and the wine and the oil and the chrism and the veils and the books of the lessons and the vessels of the sanctuary, that Christ our God bring them to the heavenly Jerusalem And all them that are assembled with us to entreat for mercy: Christ our God be propitious unto them: and all them that give alms before thine awful throne, receive them Lift up every straitened soul, them that are bound in chains and them that are in exile and captivity and them that are held in bitter bondage: our God, deliver them in the greatness of thy mercy And all them that have entrusted it to us to remember them: Christ our God, remember them in thine heavenly kingdom. O Lord, save thy people and bless thine heritage: benediction govern them and lift them up for ever and ever and keep them in the right faith, in glory and honour all the days of their life, and endue them with love that is exalted above all understanding and above all wisdom

5 By the intercession and by the supplication which the lady of us all, thy parent the holy and immaculate Mary, maketh on our behalf, and by the iv great luminaries, a holy Michael and Gabriel, Raphael and Suriel, and by the iv incorporeal creatures, the xx and iv priests of heaven, and our fathers of exalted memory, Abraham Isaac and Jacob, and S. John the baptist, and the cxliv thousand holy babes, and our fathers the elders, the apostles, and S. Mark the evangelist, the lxxij disciples, the vij holy children, and S. Stephen the head of deacons and first martyr, and S. George and S. Theodore and S. Mercury and S. Basilides and S. Claudius and S. Mennas and S. Manādelēwōs and S. Philotheus and S. Cyriac and all martyrs, and holy abba Nōb virgin and martyr, singular valiant and courting the battle, and my lord the great and righteous father abba Antony and our holy fathers the iij Macarii and our father abba Besōi and our father abba John Kamā and our father abba Pachomius and our father abba Barsūmās and our father abba Sīnōdā and our father abba Besnedā and the righteous abba Būlā, and our holy Roman fathers Maximus and Demetrius, and the strong and holy abba Moses, the xl and ix martyrs and all them that wear the cross, righteous and good, and the angel of this blessed day: their blessing and the grace of their help be with us world without end

6 O peaceful king of peace Jesus Christ, thy peace give us and confirm unto us thy peace and forgive us our sins and make us worthy that we may go out and come in in peace.

The Thanksgiving Continued

The priest shall say

1 And for these and for them all, rest their soul and be propitious unto them, thou who sentest thy Son from heaven into the bosom of the virgin

The deacon shall say

2 Ye that sit, stand up

The priest shall say

3 He was carried in the womb, was made flesh and his birth was revealed of the Holy Ghost. Unto thee, before whom stand thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand and the holy angels and archangels and thine honourable creatures that have six wings, the seraphin and cherubin

The deacon shall say

4 Look to the east

The priest shall say

5 With two of their wings they cover their face, with two of their wings they cover their feet, and with two wings they fly from end to ends of the world

The deacon shall say

6 Give we heed

The priest shall say

7 Continually therefore as they all hallow thee and praise, with all them that hallow thee and praise thee, receive our hallowing also which we utter unto thee: Holy holy holy Lord of Sabaoth: the heavens and the earth are wholly full of the holiness of thy glory

The deacon shall say

8 Answer ye

The people shall say

9 Holy holy holy Lord of Sabaoth the heavens and the earth are wholly full of the holiness of thy glory And here the priest shall sign first over himself and again over the people and then also over the ministers Truly the heavens and earth are full of the holiness of thy glory in our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ thine holy Son. He came and was born of the virgin, that he might fulfil thy will and make a people for thee. Here the censing. He stretched out his hands to the passion, suffering to save the sufferers that trust in thee: who was delivered of his own will to the passion that he might abolish death and burst the bond of Satan and trample on hades, lead forth the saints, establish a covenant and make known his resurrection. In the same night in which they betrayed him he took bread here he shall take it: the people shall say

10 We believe that this is true: we believe

the priest shall say

11 in his hands holy and blessed that were without spot: he looked up to heaven toward thee his Father benediction, he gave thanks benediction, he blessed benediction, and brake and gave it to his disciples he shall break it and said unto them take, eat: pointing this bread he shall bow himself is my body pointing which is broken for you for forgiveness of sin

The people shall say

12 Amen amen amen: we believe and confess: we praise thee, our Lord and our God. This is true: we believe

The priest shall say

13 And likewise he shall bless also the cup, giving thanks benediction, he blessed it benediction, and hallowed it and gave it to his disciples and said unto them Take, drink pointing this cup: my blood pointing it is he shall shake it, which is shed for you for the remission of sin

The people shall say

14 Amen amen amen

The priest shall say

15 And as often as ye do this make ye memorial of me

The people shall say

16 We show thy death, Lord, and thine holy resurrection: we believe thine ascension: we praise thee and confess thee: we supplicate thee and confess thee, o Lord our God.

The Invocation

The priest shall say

1 Now also, Lord, remembering his death and his resurrection, we confess thee and offer unto thee this bread pointing and this cup, giving thanks unto thee: and thereby thou hast made us meet to stand before thee and do thee priestly service. We pray thee, Lord, and beseech thee that thou wouldest send the Holy Ghost and power upon this bread pointing, and over this cup pointing

The people shall say

2 Amen: Lord have mercy upon us, Lord have mercy upon us, Lord be propitious unto us

The priest shall say

3 May he make it he shall bless the bread and the cup three times each the body and blood of our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ for ever and ever

The deacon shall say

4 With all the heart we beseech the Lord our God that he vouchsafe unto us the good communion of the Holy Ghost

The people shall say

5 As it was, is and shall be unto generations of generations world without end He signs the body with the blood Give it together unto all them that take of it, that it be unto them for sanctification and for fulfilling with the Holy Ghost and for confirming true faith that they may hallow and praise thee and thy beloved Son Jesus Christ world without end. Grant us to be united in thine Holy Spirit and heal us by this presphōrā that we may live in thee for ever world without end

The people shall say

6 Amen: grant us

The priest shall say

7 Blessed be the name of the Lord and blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord and let the name of his glory be blessed. So be it: so be it Send the grace of the Holy Ghost upon us The people shall say in like manner.

The Lord’s Prayer

The deacon shall say

1 Stand up for prayer

The people shall say

2 Lord have mercy upon us

The priest shall say

3 Peace be to you all

The people shall say

4 With thy spirit

The priest shall say the prayer of the Fraction

5 And again we beseech the almighty Lord the Father of the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ to grant us to take with blessing of this holy mystery, to grant us confirmation and not to condemn any of us but to make meet all that partake of the reception of the holy mystery of the body and blood of Christ the almighty Lord our God

The deacon shall say

6 Pray ye

The people shall say

7 Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven: give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us and rescue us from all evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever

The priest shall say

8 Lord almighty, grant us effectual reception of this holy mystery and condemn none of us but bless every one in Christ: through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end. Amen

The people shall say

9 The hosts of the angels of the Saviour of the world stand before the Saviour of the world and encompass the Saviour of the world, even the body and blood of the Saviour of the world. And let us come before the face of the Saviour of the world. In the faith of him give we thanks to Christ.

The Inclination

The deacon shall say

1 Standing bow down your head the while

The priest shall say

2 Lord eternal which knowest what is hidden and what is manifest, before thee thy people have bowed down their head and unto thee have subdued the hardness of heart and flesh: behold from heaven thy dwellingplace: bless them, men and women: incline thine ear to them and hearken unto their prayer: stablish them with the strength of thy right hand, protect and succour them from evil affliction: be a guardian both to our body and to our soul and increase to them, both men and women, thy faith and the fear of thy name through thine only Son world without end.

The deacon shall say

3 Worship the Lord with fear

The people shall say

4 Before thee, Lord, we worship and thee we glorify

The priest shall say the prayer of Penitence

5 Lord almighty, it is thou that healest our soul and our body and our spirit, because thou saidst by the word of thine only Son our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ which thou spakest unto our father Peter thou art a rock and upon this rock I will build mine holy church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it: and unto thee I will give the keys of the kingdom: what thou hast bound on earth shall be bound in heaven and what thou hast loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven: let all thy servants and thine handmaids according to their several names be loosed and absolved, whether they have wrought wittingly or unwittingly: keep them, Lord, and defend them, thy servants and thine handmaids, my fathers and my brethren, and moreover loose my humility, me thy sinful and guilty servant: and let them be loosed and set free out of the mouth of the Holy Ghost and out of the mouth of me also thy sinful and guilty servant. O merciful and lover of man, Lord our God, that takest away the sin of the world, receive the penitence of these thy servants and thine handmaids and make to arise upon them the light of everlasting life, and forgive them, Lord, their sins: for thou art good and a lover of man. O Lord our God longsuffering and plenteous in mercy and righteous, forgive me and all thy servants and thine handmaids and deliver them from all transgression and curse: if we have transgressed against thee, Lord, whether in our word or in our deed or in our thought, pardon and forgive, be propitious and remit, for thou art good and a lover of man. O Lord, forgive me and all thy people: loose them and then the priest shall turn towards the people and sign three times and shall make mention of them that are with him

6 Remember, Lord, all archpopes popes bishops presbyters and deacons and subdeacons, anagnosts and singers, men and women, adults and children and all christian people: confirm them in the faith of Christ and then he shall make mention of the dead Remember, Lord, our king John and loose him from the chain of the sin that he hath committed wittingly and unwittingly: subdue his adversaries and his enemies under his feet shortly Remember Lord and loose all them that are asleep and resting in the right faith and lay their souls in the bosom of Abraham Isaac and Jacob And us also deliver from every transgression and curse and from all apostasy and from all error and from all anathema and from all perjury and from mingling with heresy and pollution. Give us, Lord, wisdom and strength of understanding and prudence and knowledge that we may depart and flee for evermore from every a work of Satan the tempter: give us, Lord, to do thy will and thy goodpleasure at all times, and write our names in the book of life in the kingdom of heaven with all saints and martyrs: through Jesus Christ our Lord through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The Manual Acts

The deacon shall say

1 Give we heed

The priest shall say

2 Holiness to the holies The assistant shall say One is the holy Father, one is the holy Son, one is the holy Spirit

And the priest shall take the asbadikon — The priest shall say

3 The Lord be with you all

The people shall say

4 With thy spirit

The priest shall say

5 Lord, have mercy upon us, Christ with a loud voice three times, in a low tone three times, five each, and the people also shall say likewise. And the priest shall take the body in his hand and shall dip the tip of his finger in the blood and shall make the sign once on the large portion and again inside and the third time on the small portion

The deacon shall say

6 Prayer Ye that are in penitence bow down your head

The priest shall say — Prayer

7 Upon them that are in penitence, thy people, have mercy upon them after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercy blot out their transgression: guard them and keep them: redeem in peace their souls. Cutting short their former conversation join them with thine holy church: through the grace and might of thine only Son our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The Consignation and the Communion

The deacon shall say

1 Stand up for prayer

The people shall say

2 Lord have mercy upon us

The priest shall say

3 Peace be to you all

The people shall say

4 With thy spirit

The priest that consecrated shall say

5 This is the body holy true of our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ which is given for life and for salvation and for remission of sin unto them that partake of it in faith. Amen

The people shall say

6 Amen

The priest shall say

7 This is the blood precious true of our Lord and our God Jesus Christ which is given for life and for salvation and for remission of sin unto them that receive of it in faith. Amen. For this is the body and blood of Emmanuel our very God. Amen. I believe, I believe, I believe and confess unto the last breath that this is the body and blood of our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ which he took of the lady of us all the holy and pure virgin Mary and made it one with his godhead without mixture or confusion, without division or alteration: and he verily confessed with a good testimony in the days of Pontius Pilate and he gave it up for our sake on the tree of his cross of his own sole will for the life of us all. Amen. I believe, I believe, I believe and confess that his godhead was not divided from his manhood, not for an hour nor for the twinkling of an eye, but he gave it up for our sake for life and for salvation and for remission of sin unto them that partake of it in faith. Amen. I believe, I believe, I believe that this is true. Amen. This is he to whom are fitting all honour and glory and adoration, to the holy Trinity the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost coequal at all times both now and ever and world without end.

The priest's prayer

8 O Lord Lord, it in no wise beseemeth thee to come under the roof of my polluted house, for I have provoked thee and stirred thee to anger and have done evil in thy sight and have polluted my soul and my body and I have no good deed at all. But for the sake of thy being made and thy becoming man for my salvation, for the sake of thy precious cross and thy lifegiving death and resurrection on the third day, I pray thee and beseech thee that thou wouldest purge me from all guilt and curse and sin: and when I have received thine holy mystery let it not be unto me for judgement nor for condemnation, but have mercy upon me and be propitious unto me in the abundance of thy mercy and grant me remission for my sin and life for my soul: through the petition of our lady Mary and of John Baptist and for the sake of all the saints and martyrs world without end

Prayer: the priest that hath consecrated shall say

9 Behold thy Son, the oblation that is wellpleasing unto thee, and through this pardon me, because for my sake thy Son died. Behold the pure blood that was poured out for my sake upon Golgotha, and let it cry aloud in my stead: receive my petition for the sake of it. By reason of my sin thy beloved received the spear and the nails: he suffered that he might be wellpleasing unto thee. After that I was saved, Satan returned and pierced me through with his darts. Grant me thy mercy, for he that summoneth to judgement is mighty and with the burden of sin he hath slain me. Avenge me of the crafty one that is insatiable for my life. Thou, Lord, king and saviour, bind up my wound. I will believe aright until the going forth of my last breath that this is the body and blood of Emmanuel our very God, which he took of the lady of us all holy Mary

And then he shall sign therewith upon the body and blood, to wit with the sign of the cross of the body saying

10 Blessed [be the Lord God for ever. Amen] and he shall lay it on the blood, to wit the sign of the cross of the body.

While he receiveth the host he shall say

11 O my Lord Jesus Christ, let not this thy mystery bring guilt upon me: rather let it be for the purifying of my soul and body

The deacon shall say after the priest and the deacon have received

12 Pray ye for us and for all christians that bid us make mention of them in the eucharist, and in the love of Christ praise ye and sing And then they shall sing Precious is the praise of the psalm (unto the end thereof)

The priest shall say as he goeth out

13 Those whom thou hast called, Lord, and whom thou hast sanctified make partakers in thy calling and keep them in thy strength and confirm them in thy love and keep them from evil in thine eternal kingdom in Christ: through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end.

Then he shall administer saying, in every anaphora of the apostles

14 The bread of life which came down from heaven, the body of Christ

and he that receiveth shall say

15 Amen

A prayer which the faithful shall pray each as often as he receiveth the eucharist in his mouth: and he shall say

16 Holy holy holy Trinity unspeakable, grant me that I receive unto life the body and blood without condemnation. Grant me that I bring forth fruit that shall be wellpleasing unto thee, to the end that I may appear in thy glory and live unto thee doing thy will, with confession calling upon thee, Father, and calling upon thy kingdom: hallowed, Lord, be thy name with us: for mighty art thou, praised and glorious, and thine is the glory world without end

and after this prayer he that hath received shall eat — And while he receiveth the blood he shall say this

17 Fill my mouth with thy praise, my heart with joy and my soul with gladness who have received the divine mystery that was with it in communion. The Holy Ghost came down upon it when the Lord's priest did consecrate in the great mystery

The deacon shall say while he administereth (the chalice)

18 This is the cup of life that came down from heaven: this is the blood of Christ

The people that receive shall say

19 Amen and amen

And while they receive the water they shall say this

20 Glory be to the Lord who hath given us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, world without end. Amen and amen: so be it, so be it.

The deacon shall say after the people have received

21 Lord eternal, light of life, thou hast given, Lord, unto thy servants strength and protection, during the days and nights past keeping all in peace: bless them on the day that now is and on those that shall be hereafter: through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now "and ever and world without end. Amen.

The Thanksgiving and the Inclination

The deacon shall say

1 Let us give thanks unto the Lord, after taking of his holy thing That what we have received may be to us medicine for the soul's life, let us ask and entreat, while we praise the Lord our God We have received of his holy body: this is the blood of Christ: and let us give thanks unto him that maketh us meet to communicate in the precious and holy mystery.

The priest shall say

2 [I will magnify thee, o God my king, and I will praise thy name for ever and ever

The people shall say

3 Our Father which art in heaven, lead us not into temptation

The priest shall say

4 Every day will I give thanks unto thee and praise thy name for ever and ever

The people shall say — Our father which art in heaven, lead us not into temptation — The priest shall say

5 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy name for ever and ever

The people shall say

6 Our Father which art in heaven, lead us not, Lord, into temptation

The priest shall say

7 Pilot of the soul (and the rest) And again we beseech thee, Lord almighty, Father of the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ: we give thee thanks for that thou hast granted us to take of thine holy mystery. Let it not be unto guilt nor unto judgement but unto renewing of soul and body and spirit: through thine only Son through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The Inclination

8 Imposition of the hand Lord eternal, light of life unquenchable, look upon thy servants and thine handmaids and sow in their heart the fear of thy name and give them in blessing to bear fruit unto that which in thine own name hath been given unto them, even thy body and thy blood. And let thine hand be upon them that have bowed down their heads before thee, thy people, men and women, adults and children, virgins and monks, widows and orphans. And us also here protect and succour and strengthen with the a strength of thine archangels: from every evil work turn us away, in every good work join us in Christ: through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The Dismissal

The deacon shall say

1 Bow down your heads before the Lord the Father that he may bless you

and then the priest shall bless saying

2 The Lord bless and make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee and give thee peace and then the priest shall say while he blesseth three times with the sign of the cross Govern them and lift them up and keep them for ever and keep thine holy church for ever which thou hast purchased and ransomed with the precious blood of thine only Son our Lord Jesus Christ, which thou hast made to be a congregation, for kings and for princes, for a pure generation and for an holy people

The deacon shall say

3 Depart in peace

The priest shall say

4 The Lord be with you all

The people shall say

5 With thy spirit. Amen The Lord give us, his servants, the blessing of peace. Remission be unto us who have received thy body and thy blood. Suffer us through the Spirit to tread upon all the power of the enemy. The blessing of thine holy hand which is full of mercy, even that we all hope for. From every evil work turn us away, in every good work join us. Blessed be he that hath given us his holy body and his precious blood. We have taken of grace and we have found life by the power of the cross of Jesus Christ. Unto thee, Lord, do we give thanks, after taking of the grace that is from the Holy Ghost. The keddāsē of the Apostles is finished Their blessing be with their beloved our king John and our queen Sabla Wangēl for ever and ever Amen