office ordination_priest.docx

After the Cherubic Hymn hath been finished, he who is to be ordained Priest is led by an Archdeacon, or another Deacon, in the same manner, and after the same exclamations of Command and Command, as at the ordination of a Deacon, through the Holy Door, to the Holy Attar, before the Bishop, at the right hand side thereof The Bishop

, secretly, the f ollowing Prayer:

Then those who are outside the Altar sing the same, once. And he who is to receive the Laying on of Hands

him with his hand, in the form of a cross ; and he is led thrice round the A lt ar, as is described in the Office for making a Deacon, while all within the Sanctuary sing the following Hymns:

the Litany of Peace.

Then he who is to be ordained

O holy Martyrs, /

Let us attend .

who fought the good fight and have received your

Then the Proto-Deacon saith in a low voice:

Entreat ye the Lord //

Choir : Amen.

that our souls may be saved.

Then the Priest, in a low voice,

the four corners of the Holy Table,

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

a prostration before the Holy Table, and the n

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

hand and knee (

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

) of the Bishop.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Glory to thee, O Christ our God, /

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

the Apostles' boast, /

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

the Martyrs' joy, //

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

whose preaching was the consubstantial Trinity.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

And again, he

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

the four corners of the Holy Table,

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

a prostration before the Holy Table, and then

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

hand and knee (

Choir : To thee, O Lord.

) of the Bishop.

Bishop : For blessed and magnified is thine all-holy and majestic Name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Rejoice, O Isaiah! /

Choir : Amen.

A Virgin is with child, /

Then they raise up the Candidate, and bring the Priests stole; and taking the Deacon ’ s orarion from him that hath received the Laying-on of Hands, the Bishop

and shall bear a Son, Emmanuel, /

Then they sing as usual, and the Priest who hath received the Laying-on of

both God and man: /

and Orient is his

whom magni fying we call the Virgin blessed.

After the final circuit, the candidate

a prostration before the Bishop, and then

both knees, and

his palms cross- wise upon the Holy Altar, and the Bishop

the end of his stole upon the head of him who is to receive the Laying-on of Hands, and

him, thrice, upon the head. And when the principal Priest hath said :

The Bishop, laying his hand upon his head,

, aloud, in the hearing of al l those who stand in the Church :

The grace divine, which always

that which is infirm, and

that which is wanting,

through the laying-on of hands, N. , the most devout Deacon, to be a Priest. Wherefore, let us pray for him, that the grace of the all-holy Spirit may come upon him.

Let us pray to the Lord.

And the Priests within the Sanc tuary sing: Lord, have mercy, thrice on the right side, and again thrice on the left side.

And the Singers without, in the right and left Choirs, sing : Kyrie el e ison (thrice, slowly), while the Bishop

O God, who hast no beginning and no ending; who art older than every created thing ; who

with the name of Presbyter those whom thou

worthy to serve the word of thy truth in the divine ministry of this degree: Do thou, the same Lord of all men, deign to preserve in p ureness of life and in unswerv ing faith this man also, upon whom, through me, thou hast graciously been pleased to lay h ands. Be

pleased to grant unto him the great grace of thy Holy Spirit, and make him wholly thy servant, in all things acceptable u nto thee, and worthily exercis ing the great

of the priesthood which thou hast conferred upon him by thy prescient power.

Exclamation: For thine is the majesty, and thine are the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

And the Proto-Deacon saith, in a low voice:

Let us pray to the Lord.

In peace let us pray to the Lord.

For the peace from above, and the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.

For the peace of the whole world, the good estate of the holy churches of God, and the union of all, let us pray to the Lord.

For our Bishop, N. of N., his priesthood, assistance , maintenance, peace, health and salvation; and for the works of his hands , let us pray to the Lord.

For the servant of God, N. , who now hath received the Laying-on of Hands to the

Priesthood, and for his salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

That the God who loveth mankind will vouchsafe unto him a pure and blameless min istry, let us pray to the Lord.

For this land, its authorities and armed forces, let us pray to the Lord.

For the God-preserved Russian Land and its Orthodox people both in the homeland and in the diaspora, and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

That He may deliver His people from enemies both visible and invisible, and confirm in us oneness of mind, brotherly love and piety, let us pray to the Lord.

For this city (or this town, or this holy monastery), for every city and country, and the faithful that dwell therein, let us pray to the Lord.

Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.

Calling to remembrance our most holy, most pure, most blessed, glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and all our life unto Christ our God.

While this is being done, the Bishop, blessing, thrice, him who is receiving Ordination,

his hand on the Candidate's head, and prayeth, secretly:

O God great in might and inscrutable in wisdom, marvelous in counsel above the sons of men: Do thou, the same Lord, fill with the gift of thy Holy Spirit this man whom it hath pleased thee to advance to the degree of Priest; that he may be w orthy to stand in

before thine Altar; to proclaim the Gospel of thy

kingdom; to minister the word of thy truth; to offer unto thee spiritual gifts and sacrifices; to renew thy people through the laver of regeneration. That when he shall go to meet thee, at the Second Coming of our great God and Savior, Jesus

Christ, thine Only-begotten Son, he may receive the reward of a good steward in the degree committed unto him, through the plenitude of thy goodness.

Exclamation:

him with the priestly stole, after he hath blessed it; and he that

it, and the hand of the Bishop. And the Bishop

it about his neck, saying, loudly:

And they within the Sanctuary sing the same :

And the Singers without, in both Choirs, sing also :

Axios ! Thrice

The Bishop then, in like manner,

him with the zone, and he

it, and the hand of the Bishop, and

himself . And the Bishop saith:

And they within the Sanctuary and they without do the same.

they do also with the phelonion : and with the Service-Book, which is given

to him as his guide in the holy ministry; for he saith not from memory the Prayers, but

forth, after he hath kissed the Bishop ’ s omophorion and his hand, and

the Archimandrites, and all his fellow-clergy, on the shoulder; and

taketh his place among the Priests.

And immediately after the consecration of the Eucharist , if a Priest hath been ordained at this s ame Liturgy, the Bishop now

him to draw near, and taking the Holy Brea d and breaking the portion XC from the top thereof where the cross is, he giveth it to him, saying :

Receive thou this pledge, and preserve it whole and unharmed until thy last breath, because thou shalt be held to an accounting therefor in the second and terrible Coming of our great Lord, God, and

, Jesus Christ.

And taking it, the Priest

the Bishop's hand, and withdrawing he standeth behind the Holy Altar; and placing his hand on the Holy Altar, he prayeth, saying:

Psalm 50: Have mercy on me, O God ….

And when: Holy things are for the holy: is to be said, he who hath received Ordination restoreth the Bread, an d the Bishop

it on the holy

; and the newly ordained Priest is communicated before the other Priests.