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ORDER
FOR THE ORDINATION OF A PRESBYTER After
the completion if the Cherubikon, the one who is to be ordained Presbyter stands
on the solea, two Deacons take the candidate on either side [to the middle of the church, with one hand on his
neck and with the other holding his hands; and they bow him as low as possible.
One Deacon says Give the order. They bring him forward and bow him down again; and another Deacon says:
Give the order.] They
bring him near the Holy Doors and bow him low before the Bishop, who is seated
on his small throne in front of the Altar. The Archdeacon says:
Give the order, Holy Master. Then they let him go and two Presbyters, the first and second in rank,
come from the Sanctuary and take the one who is to be ordained Presbyter, who is
standing on the Solea, and bring him into the Sanctuary, circling the Altar as
they sing the following Troparia[, which are repeated by the Singers]: Tone 7. Holy Martyrs,
who fought the good fight and were crowned, intercede with the Lord to have
mercy on our souls. Glory
to you, Christ God, boast of Apostles, joy of Martyrs, whose preaching was the
consubstantial Trinity. Tone 5. Isaias
dance: the Virgin was with child and gave birth to a Son, Emmanuel, who is both
God and man. Orient is his name, whom we magnify as we call the Virgin blessed. Note that when they sing the
troparion Holy
Martyrs the Bishop takes his seat in front of the Holy Table
on a small throne, and when, as they circle the Holy Table, they come in front
of the Bishop they make a metania, and the one to be ordained kisses the
Bishop’s knee above the Omophorion [Epigonation]. Then the Bishop stands up and the one to be ordained approaches the
Bishop and is signed three times on the head. Then the ordinand leans his
forehead [on
his hands, which he has laid crossed and palms downward]
on the Holy Table and kneels on
both knees. When the Deacon has exclaimed Let us attend,
the Bishop, with his right hand placed on the head of the ordinand, declaims: Divine grace,
which always heals what is infirm and completes what is lacking, ordains N., the most devout Deacon, as Presbyter. Let us therefore pray for
him, that the grace of the All-Holy Spirit may come upon him. And at once Lord, have mercy is chanted three
times by those in the Sanctuary [by
those on the right and three times by those on the right]and [in
the same way] by those outside. The Bishop again signs his head three times, and when
the Deacon has said Let us pray to the Lord, the
Bishop, with his hand on the head of the ordinand prays as follows in a low
voice: O
God, without beginning and without end, you are older than all creation, and
have honoured with the title of ‘Presbyter’ those who have been found worthy
of this rank to minister the word of your truth. Master of all things, be well
pleased for this man, who, because of his unblemished way of life and unswerving
faith, you have been well pleased to be appointed through me, to receive this
great grace of the Holy Spirit. Show your servant to be perfect, by being
well-pleasing to you in all things, and living in a manner worthy of this great
honour of the Priesthood that has been given him by your providential power.
Because yours is the might, and yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the
glory of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the
ages of ages. Amen. After
this Prayer the First Priest says in a quiet voice, such that those present can
hear and respond, the following Diaconal Litany: In peace, let us
pray to the Lord. For the peace
from on high and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord. For the peace of
the whole world, for the welfare of the holy Churches of God, and for the union
of all, let us pray to the Lord. For our
Archbishop N., for his
Priesthood, for help, continuance, peace, health, salvation and for the work of
his hands, let us pray to the Lord. For the servant
of God N., who is now
appointed Presbyter, and for his salvation, let us pray to the Lord. That our God who
loves humankind will grant that his Priesthood may be without spot or blemish,
let us pray to the Lord. For our
Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Family, her Government, and all in
authority, let us pray to the Lord. For this city,
for every city, town and village, and for the faithful who dwell in them, let us
pray to the Lord. For our
deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger and constraint, let us pray to
the Lord. Help us, save
us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by your grace. Commemorating
our all-holy, pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of God and
Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us entrust ourselves and one another
and our whole life to Christ our God. While
this is being said the Bishop, keeping his hand on the head of the candidate,
prays as follows in a low voice: Lord God, great in power
and unsearchable in understanding, wonderful in counsel above all the children
of humankind, fill with the gift of your Holy Spirit this man, whom you have
been well-pleased to let enter the rank of Presbyter, that he may become worthy
to stand without blemish before your Altar, to proclaim the Gospel of your
Kingdom, to minister the word of your truth, to offer gifts and spiritual
sacrifices, to renew your People through the washing of rebirth, so that, when
he meets the second coming of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, your
only-begotten Son, he may in your great goodness receive the reward of his good
stewardship of his own order. For blessed and glorified is your all-honoured and
majestic name, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and
to the ages of ages. Amen. And after the Amen
he stands him up and
brings the back of the Orarion of
the newly ordained to the front over his right shoulder, saying: Axios! [Then
he vests him with the Belt, having told him to bless it first, saying again, Axios!]
Then he vests him in the
Phelonion in the same way, again proclaiming, Axios! And those in the Sanctuary, and the Singers chant
the same. The newly-ordained kisses the Bishop and the Presbyters and then goes
and takes his stand with the Presbyters, reading the Scroll. The Deacon stands in his usual place and says, Let us complete
our prayer to the Lord. When the Holy Gifts have been perfected and the Bishop is about to say, So that those who partake, the newly ordained comes forward and the Bishop gives him the Holy
Bread [on the Sponge],
saying to him, Take
this gage, and guard it until the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are
going to be asked for it back by him. The newly ordained takes and goes to the place where he was standing
before, placing his hands on the Holy Table and saying to himself, Lord, have mercy,
and, Have mercy on me, O God [Psalm 50]. When the Bishop is about to say, The Holy Things
for the holy, the newly
ordained gives back the Holy Bread and is the first to receive Communion from
the Bishop before all the rest. He also says the Prayer behind the Ambo. [It is customary for the newly ordained to be asked
by the Bishop to distribute the Antidoron] |
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All texts and
translations on this page are copyright to This page was last updated on 18 April 2008 |