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Book of Needs. A Pocket Service Book of The Holy Orthodox Church
Book of Needs. A Pocket Service Book of The Holy Orthodox Church
Baptism / Marriage
Confession / Funeral
II
Book of Needs
August 2010
Saint John Orthodox Cathedral
Eagle River, Alaska
VI
Holy Baptism
ENROLLMENT OF CATECHUMENS
The priest breathes three times in the face of the
catechumen, making the sign of the Cross three
times on his forehead, saying:
PRIEST: In the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Then he lays his hand on the catechumens head
and continues:
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST: In Your name, O Lord God of
truth, and in the name of Your only-
begotten Son and of Your Holy Spirit, I lay
my hand upon Your servant, N., who has
been found worthy to flee unto Your holy
name, and to take refuge under the shelter
of Your wings. Remove far from him his
former delusion and fill him with the faith,
hope, and love which are in You; that he
may know that You are the only true God,
with Your only-begotten Son, our Lord
Jesus Christ, and Your Holy Spirit. Enable
him to walk in all Your commandments, and
1
BAPTISM
2
BAPTISM
A Prayer
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST: O Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel,
Who heal every sickness and every
infirmity: Look upon Your servant; prove
him and search him, and root out of him
every operation of the devil. Rebuke the
unclean spirits and expel them, and purify
the works of Your hands; and exerting Your
decisive might, speedily crush down Satan
under his feet, giving him victory over him
and over his foul spirits; that having
obtained mercy from You, he may be made
worthy to partake of Your heavenly
mysteries; and may ascribe unto you glory:
to the Father and to the Son and to the
Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of
ages. Amen.
Another Prayer
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST: O Lord the Master, Who truly
exist, Who have created man in Your own
likeness, and have bestowed on him the
power of life eternal; Who also despise not
those who have fallen away through sin,
but have provided salvation for the world
through the incarnation of Your Christ:
Deliver also this Your creature from the
bondage of the enemy, and receive him into
Your heavenly kingdom. Open the eyes of
his understanding, that the light of Your
Gospel may shine brightly in him. Yoke
unto his life a radiant angel, who shall
deliver him from every snare of the
adversary, from encounter with evil, from
the demon of the noonday, and from evil
visions.
The priest then breathes on the mouth, forehead,
and chest of the one being exorcised, saying:
Expel from him every evil and impure spirit
that hides and makes its lair in his heart:
(3x)
4
BAPTISM
5
BAPTISM
7
BAPTISM
8
BAPTISM
9
BAPTISM
A Prayer
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST: O Master, Lord our God, call Your
servant, N., to Your holy illumination, and
grant unto him that great grace of Your holy
baptism. Put off from him the old man, and
renew him unto life everlasting; and fill him
with the power of Your Holy Spirit, in the
unity of Your Christ; that he may be no
10
BAPTISM
11
BAPTISM
The Litany
DEACON: In peace let us pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: For the peace from above, and for
the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the
Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: For the peace of the whole world,
for the good estate of the holy churches of
God, and for the union of all men, let us
pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: For this holy house, and for those
who enter with faith, reverence, and fear of
God, let us pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: For our father, (metropolitan,
archbishop, or bishop) N., the honorable
presbytery, the diaconate in Christ, and for
all the clergy and the people, let us pray to
the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
12
BAPTISM
13
BAPTISM
15
BAPTISM
19
BAPTISM
22
BAPTISM
23
BAPTISM
24
BAPTISM
26
BAPTISM
29
BAPTISM
The Procession7
The priest leads the newly-baptized and their
sponsors in a procession three times around the
font, while the following hymn is sung three
times:
READER/PEOPLE: As many as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Alleluia.
The Epistle Reading8 - Romans 6:3-11
DEACON: Let us attend.
READER/PEOPLE: The Lord is my light and my
salvation. Whom then shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life.
Of whom then shall I be afraid?
DEACON: Wisdom!
34
BAPTISM
The Tonsuring10
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST: O Master, Lord our God, Who have
honored man with Your own image, and
have fashioned him from a soul endowed
with reason and a beautiful body to serve
the soul, You set the head on high and
wonderfully endowed it with the highest
senses, and have covered it with hair, that it
might be protected from the changes of
weather; You have fitly joined together all
his members, that with his whole being he
may give thanks to You, the supreme
Creator. You also, through Your chosen
vessel, the apostle Paul, have given us a
commandment that we should do all things
to Your glory: Bless now, Your servant N.,
Concluding Litany11
The Dismissal
PRIEST: Glory to You, O Christ, our God
and our hope, glory to You.
PEOPLE: Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and
unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (3x)
Father, bless.
38
BAPTISM
39
BAPTISM
13 Literally, Tartarus.
41
BAPTISM
42
BAPTISM
43
Chrismation of Converts14
Into the Orthodox Faith
PRIEST: Blessed is our God always, now
and ever, and unto ages of ages.
PEOPLE: Amen.
48
CHRISMATION OF CONVERTS
51
CHRISMATION OF CONVERTS
52
CHRISMATION OF CONVERTS
PEOPLE: Amen.
The Chrismation
PRIEST: O God our Savior, Who desire that
all men be saved and come to the
knowledge of truth: Accept Your servant,
N., [who has recovered from deception and]
who is longing to come to the knowledge of
the truth. For You have said, O Lord: And
I have other sheep that are not of this fold;
I must bring them also, and they will hear
My voice. So there shall be one flock, one
Shepherd. Therefore, shepherd him in
Your glory unto knowledge of truth,
according to the proclamation of Your holy
and glorious apostles; and grant him the
seal of the divine Chrism and the
implanting of the Holy Spirit and the
reception of Your precious Body and Blood.
And show him to be Your perfect servant,
that he may be numbered in Your flock and
unto the glory and praise of Your
greatness.
For Yours is 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.
53
CHRISMATION OF CONVERTS
PEOPLE: Amen.
The priest anoints with holy Chrism the
converts forehead, ears, chin, hands, and chest,
saying:
PRIEST: The seal of the gift of the Holy
Spirit.
PEOPLE: Seal.
Then the priest says the following prayer:
PRIEST: O Lord our God, Who have been
willing to show Your servant, N., to be Your
perfect servant, through the Orthodox faith
in You and the seal of Your holy Chrism; O
Master of all, preserve the true Faith in
him; increase him in righteousness,
adorning him with Your every grace.
For blessed and glorified is Your all-
honorable and majestic name: of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
PEOPLE: Amen.
54
CHRISMATION OF CONVERTS
55
CHRISMATION OF CONVERTS
Concluding Litany17
DEACON: Have mercy on us, O God,
according to Your great mercy, hear us we
pray, and have mercy.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy. (3x)
DEACON: Again we pray for mercy, life,
peace, health, salvation, and visitation,
and for pardon and forgiveness of sins for
the servants of God, NN., who await from
You great and rich mercy.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy. (3x)
PRIEST: For You are a merciful God and
love mankind, and unto You we ascribe
glory: to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto
ages of ages.
PEOPLE: Amen.
The Dismissal
PRIEST: Glory to You, O Christ, our God
and our hope, glory to You.
57
Holy Matrimony18
THE BETROTHAL SERVICE19
A small table (analogion) is set in front of the
church and on it is placed the Gospel, the Cross,
the rings,20 the crowns,21 a cup of wine, and two
candles. When it is time to begin, the bridal
couple, with their attendants, enter the church,
The Litany
DEACON: In peace let us pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: For the peace from above, and for
the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the
Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: For the peace of the whole world,
for the good estate of the holy churches of
God, and for the union of all men, let us
pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: For this holy house, and for those
who enter with faith, reverence, and fear of
God, let us pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: For our father, (metropolitan,
archbishop, or bishop) N., the honorable
presbytery, the diaconate in Christ, and for
all the clergy and the people, let us pray to
the Lord.
60
MARRIAGE
61
MARRIAGE
62
MARRIAGE
63
MARRIAGE
65
MARRIAGE
66
MARRIAGE
68
MARRIAGE
69
MARRIAGE
THE CROWNING
The priest censes the table (analogion), the
bridal couple, and all the people present, as the
following hymn is sung:25
Psalm 128 (LXX 127) with Refrain
PRIEST: Blessed is everyone who fears the
Lord, who walks in His ways.
PEOPLE: Glory to You, our God. Glory to
You.
PRIEST: When you eat of the labor of your
hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be
well with you.
PEOPLE: Glory to You, our God. Glory to
You.
PRIEST: Your wife shall be like a fruitful
vine in the very heart of your house, your
children like olive plants all around your
table.
The Litany
DEACON: In peace let us pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: For the peace from above, and for
the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the
Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: For our father, (metropolitan,
archbishop, or bishop) N., the honorable
presbytery, the diaconate in Christ, and for
all the clergy and the people, let us pray to
the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: For the servants of God, N. and
N., who are now being united to each other
in the community of marriage, and for
their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: That He will bless this marriage,
as He blessed that in Cana of Galilee, let
us pray to the Lord.
PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON: That He will grant them chastity
and the fruit of the womb, as is expedient
for them, let us pray to the Lord.
72
MARRIAGE
75
MARRIAGE
78
MARRIAGE
The Crowning
The priest takes up the grooms crown, and three
times touches the grooms forehead (as he says
his name), then the forehead of the bride (as he
says her name), and then makes the sign of the
Cross over the groom with the crown, saying
each time:
PRIEST: The servant of God, N., is crowned
for the handmaid of God, N., in the name of
81
MARRIAGE
82
MARRIAGE
85
MARRIAGE
Homily
(optional)
The priest may give a brief exhortation may
exhortation to the couple at this point.
86
MARRIAGE
88
MARRIAGE
PEOPLE: Amen.
89
MARRIAGE
The Dismissal
DEACON: Wisdom.
PEOPLE: More honorable than the
cherubim, and more glorious beyond
compare than the seraphim, who without
corruption gave birth to God the Word, and
are truly Theotokos, we magnify you.
92
MARRIAGE
PEOPLE: Amen.
* * * * * * * * * *
95
MARRIAGE
96
SECOND MARRIAGE
THE ORDER OF
SECOND MARRIAGE38
A small table (analogion) is set in front of the
church, arranged the same as a first marriage.
When it is time to begin, the bridal couple, with
their attendants, enter the church, the groom
standing on the right and the bride on the left.
The priest, vested in rasson, stole, and
phelonion, stands before them and makes the
sign of the Cross three times over their heads.39
The Betrothal
DEACON: Bless, father.
PRIEST: Blessed is our God always, now
and ever, and unto ages of ages.
PEOPLE: Amen.
PRIEST: O heavenly King, O Comforter,
the Spirit of truth, Who are in all places
and fill all things, the Treasury of good
things and Giver of life: Come, and abide
99
SECOND MARRIAGE
101
SECOND MARRIAGE
102
SECOND MARRIAGE
The Confession
Coming to the priest the penitent may say:
PENITENT: I have sinned, O Lord, forgive me.
O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
The penitent then stands (or kneels) in the
proper place and says aloud:
PENITENT: Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
I confess to You all the hidden and open
sins of my heart and mind, which I have
committed to this present day. Therefore I
ask of You, the merciful and righteous
109
CONFESSION
110
CONFESSION
112
CONFESSION
114
CONFESSION
115
CONFESSION
117
TRISAGION PRAYERS FOR THE DEPARTED
119
TRISAGION PRAYERS FOR THE DEPARTED
PEOPLE: Amen.
The Dismissal50
PRIEST: Glory to You, O Christ, our God
and our hope, glory to You.
PEOPLE: Glory to the Father and to the
Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever,
and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (3x) Father, bless.
PRIEST: May Christ, our true God, the
immortal King, Who has dominion over the
living and the dead, and Who rose from the
dead, through the intercessions of His all-
pure and all-blameless, holy Mother, of the
holy, glorious, and all-laudable apostles, of
our venerable and God-bearing fathers, of
our venerable forefathers Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, of the holy and righteous friend
of Christ, Lazarus of four-days, and of all
the saints, establish the soul of His
servant, N., departed this life, in the
125
TRISAGION PRAYERS FOR THE DEPARTED
Memory Eternal
PRIEST: May your memory be eternal, O
our ever-memorable brother (sister), who are
worthy of blessedness.51
The priest may cense while all sing:
PEOPLE: Memory eternal.52 (3x)
[Immediately after Memory Eternal, the priest
may say and the people may respond likewise:
May his (her) soul dwell with the blessed.]
PRIEST: Through the prayers of our holy
fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have
mercy on us and save us.
PEOPLE: Amen.
128
FUNERAL
131
FUNERAL
132
FUNERAL
133
FUNERAL
134
FUNERAL
PEOPLE: Alleluia.
PRIEST: I have gone astray like a lost
sheep; seek Your servant, for I have not
forgotten Your commandments.
PEOPLE: Alleluia.
135
FUNERAL
138
FUNERAL
140
FUNERAL
Troparia Tone 5
Give rest with the just, O our Savior, to
Your servant, and make him to dwell in
Your courts, as it is written. Overlooking,
since You are good, his sins both voluntary
and involuntary, and all things done in
knowledge or in ignorance, O You Who
love mankind.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit:
All things, done in knowledge or in
ignorance, O You Who love mankind.
Now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
O Christ our God, Who from the Virgin
dawned forth upon the world, through her
making us children of the light, have
mercy on us.
Psalm 51 (LXX 50)
(Usually omitted.)
(In the full order of the Funeral Service, Psalm
51 (LXX 50) appears here, before the Canon.
However, it is more commonly read during the
Last Kiss as people pay their last respects. See
page 173.)
141
FUNERAL
143
FUNERAL
Ode 4
Irmos: Christ is my power, my God and
Lord. The holy church sings a hymn
worthy of God. Lifting her voice in purity of
heart, she celebrates the feast in the Lord.
Refrain: Give rest, O Lord, to the soul of
Your servant who has fallen asleep.
Revealing an example of greater wisdom,
and the goodness of Your precious gifts, O
Master, You numbered the choirs of the
martyrs with the angels.
Judge those who have crossed over to You,
O Christ, to be worthy to receive Your
inexpressible glory, where pure exultation
145
FUNERAL
Ode 5
Irmos: With Your divine light I beg You,
O Good One, illumine the souls of those
who with longing keep vigil for You, so they
may know You are truly God, O Word of
God, and be recalled from the gloom of
their sins.
Refrain: Give rest, O Lord, to the soul of
Your servant who has fallen asleep.
146
FUNERAL
147
FUNERAL
Ode 6
Irmos: As I behold the sea of life surging
high with the tempest of temptations, I set
my course toward Your tranquil haven and
cry aloud to You: Lead my life forth from
corruption, O most-merciful One.
Refrain: Give rest, O Lord, to the soul of
Your servant who has fallen asleep.
By being nailed to the Cross, O Good One,
You drew to Yourself the choirs of martyrs.
They have imitated Your passion.
Therefore we pray to You: Give rest to him
who now has crossed over to You.
When in Your inexpressible glory, You
come awesomely to judge all the world, be
pleased, O Redeemer, to have Your faithful
servant whom You received from the earth
meet You joyfully in the clouds.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit:
You are the fountain of life, O Master. In
Your divine manhood You set free those
who had been imprisoned. Place Your
servant who has departed in faith to be
with You in the luxuriance of paradise.
148
FUNERAL
149
FUNERAL
Ode 7 Tone 6
Irmos: For the holy youths, an angel
made the furnace wet with dew. But Gods
command consumed the Chaldeans,
convincing the tyrant to cry: Blessed are
You, O God of our fathers!
Refrain: Give rest, O Lord, to the soul of
Your servant who has fallen asleep.
Being redeemed from the first
transgression by Your blood, and being
sprinkled with that same blood, O Lord,
the martyrs clearly reflect Your sacrifice.
Blessed are You, O God of our fathers!
You, O Word, the source of life, have slain
arrogant death. Receive him who in faith
has fallen asleep, O Christ. He even now
praises you with these words: Blessed are
You, O God of our fathers!
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit:
O sovereign God, You have given life to me,
a man, by Your divine breath. Judge the
departed worthy of Your kingdom, O
Master, so he may sing to You, O Savior:
Blessed are You, O God of our fathers!
150
FUNERAL
Ode 9
Irmos: It is not possible that men should
see God, on Whom the orders of the angels
dare not gaze. But through you, O all-pure
one, the Word Incarnate was made visible
to mortal men, and magnifying Him
together with the heavenly hosts, we call
you blessed.
Refrain: Give rest, O Lord, to the soul of
Your servant who has fallen asleep.
152
FUNERAL
154
FUNERAL
155
FUNERAL
Exapostilarion
Now Am I at Rest
READER/PEOPLE: Now am I at rest. Now have
I found peace. Now have I been taken from
corruption. Now have I passed over into life.
Glory to You, O Lord.
The Idiomela
by Saint John of Damascus
The people sit.
Tone 1: What earthly sweetness remains
unmixed with grief? All things are but
feeble shadows, all things are deceptive
dreams: yet one moment only, and death
shall supplant them all. But in the light of
Your countenance, O Christ, and in the
sweetness of Your beauty, give rest to him
whom You have chosen, since You are the
Lover of mankind.
Tone 2: Woe is me! What manner of
ordeal the soul endures when it is parted
from the body! Woe is me! How many then
are its tears, and there is none to show
compassion! Turning its eyes to the angels,
it supplicates in vain; stretching out its
hands to man, it finds none to help.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, meditat-
156
FUNERAL
160
FUNERAL
163
FUNERAL
165
FUNERAL
168
FUNERAL
The Dismissal
The priest gives the dismissal standing on the
solea.
PRIEST: Glory to You, O Christ, our God
and our hope, glory to You.
PEOPLE: Glory to the Father and to the
Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever,
and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (3x)
Father, bless.
* * * * * * * * * *
176
FUNERAL
179
FUNERAL
180
FUNERAL
181
THE SERVICE AT THE GRAVESITE
182
GRAVESITE
The Interment
The mortal remains are buried with
thanksgiving and with joy and with the song:68
Tone 8: Open wide, O earth, and receive
what was formed from you by the hand of
God. Receive that which returns to you, its
mother, for the Creator has taken that
which was of His image. Receive this body,
O earth, for it is your own
The priest may pour the ashes from the censer
(or again, earth and oil) on the casket, as he
says:
PRIEST: The earth is the Lords, and the
fullness thereof, the world, and all those
who dwell therein.
184
GRAVESITE
The Dismissal
PRIEST: Glory to You, O Christ, our God
and our hope, glory to You.
PEOPLE: Glory to the Father and to the
Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever,
and unto ages of ages. Amen.
186
GRAVESITE
189
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
191
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
192
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
193
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
194
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
196
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
198
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
Anointing (Optional)
The priest may now anoint the sick man on his
forehead, chin, cheeks, and hands with Holy Oil saying:
PRIEST: O Holy Father, Physician of our
souls and bodies, have mercy, forgive and
save Thy servant N.
The Prayers before Communion
The priest takes up the chalice in his left hand,
and the spoon and red communion cloth in his
right hand, and says the following pre-
communion prayers:
I believe, O Lord, and I confess that You
are truly the Christ, the Son of the living
God, Who came into the world to save
sinners, of whom I am first. And I believe
that this is truly Your own immaculate
Body, and that this is truly Your own
precious Blood. Therefore, I pray, have
mercy on me and pardon my
transgressions, both voluntary and
involuntary, of word and of deed, of
knowledge and of ignorance; and make me
worthy to partake without condemnation of
Your immaculate Mysteries, unto
forgiveness of my sins and unto life
everlasting. Amen.
199
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
200
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
201
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
202
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
203
PRAYERS AT CHILDBIRTH
205
PRAYERS AT CHILDBIRTH
207
PRAYERS AT CHILDBIRTH
209
PRAYERS AT CHILDBIRTH
210
VARIOUS PRAYERS OF BLESSING
211
VARIOUS PRAYERS OF BLESSING
214
VARIOUS PRAYERS OF BLESSING
215
VARIOUS PRAYERS OF BLESSING
217
VARIOUS PRAYERS OF BLESSING
221
VARIOUS PRAYERS OF BLESSING
222