Ordination Rites—Excerpts Ordination of a Deacon
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Ordinations of a Deacon, Priest, and Bishop Ordination Rites—Excerpts Ordination of a Deacon [Excerpts from the prayers for the ordination of a deacon are provided below. To facilitate reading aloud, the part of “Narrator” has been provided, as well as numbers before the prayers of the Bishop so that part may be shared. If you wish to assign parts, you will need the following: 4 Narrators, 4 Bishops, 2 Sponsors, a Deacon, “Choir” and “People.”] 1 Narrator: During the Great Doxology, the 2nd Sponsor: COMMAND! Bishop’s Assistant will lead the candidate to the The sponsors help the candidate make a third Altar. The candidate will take prostration as the first sponsor the pitcher, bowl, and towel. intones in a loud voice: Following the Great Doxology, 1st Sponsor: COMMAND! Holy but before the Troparion before Master, bless him who is before the Divine Liturgy, the thee. candidate is led by the Bishop’s Assistant to the center of the 2 Narrator: The Bishop blesses solea in front of the Bishop. He the candidate and goes to sit in washes the Bishop’s hands. the chair. The sponsors lead the candidate through the Holy After drying his hands with the Doors, as the choir begins the towel, the Bishop will drape the following three (3) Troparia: towel over the candidate’s head and shoulders. The candidate, Choir: with the pitcher and bowl in Ye holy Martyrs, who fought hand, will then go to stand the good fight and hath before the icon of Christ. The received thy crowns: entreat Troparion before the Divine ye the Lord, that he will have Liturgy begins and the first Deacon begins the mercy on our souls. Dialogue with the Bishop in the usual manner Glory to thee, O Christ our God: the Apostles’ boast, the Martyrs’ joy, whose preaching was 2 Narrator: After the Bishop says, “And the the consubstantial Trinity. Mercies our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Isaiah, dance thy joy, for a virgin was with be with you all,” the two sponsors and the child and hath borne a Son, Emmanuel, both Bishop’s Assistant go out the north door. A God and Man and Orient is His name. Whom chair is placed at the northwest corner of the magnifying, we call the Virgin blessed. Holy Table. The Bishop Assistant takes the pitcher and bowl from the candidate. The 3 Narrator: While the choir is singing the above sponsors lead the candidate to the center of the Troparia, the sponsors lead the candidate solea. The sponsors help the candidate make a around the Holy Table three (3) times. Each prostration as the first sponsor intones in a loud time, the candidate kisses each of the four (4) voice: corners of the Holy Table followed by the hand and epigonation of the Bishop who is seated at st 1 Sponsor: COMMAND! the northwest corner of the Holy Table. After the The sponsors help the candidate make a second third time, the Bishop stands up and the chair is prostration as the second sponsor intones in a moved away from the Holy Table. The candidate loud voice: kneels in front of the altar, places his right hand 1 Ordination of a Priest over his left hand on the edge of the Holy Table, manifest the first Martyr, Stephen, to be of the and places his forehead on top of his hands. The same; and didst proclaim him the first who Parish Priest asks all the people in the church to should exercise the office of a Deacon, as it is kneel and the Deacon intones in a loud voice: written in thy Holy Gospel, “Whosoever desireth to be first among you, let him be your servant”: Deacon: Let us Attend! 4 Bishop: Do thou, O Master of all, fill also this 1 Bishop: The Grace Divine, which always thy servant, who thou hast graciously permitted healeth, that which is infirm, and completeth that to enter upon the ministry of a Deacon, with all which is wanting, elevateth, through the laying- faith, and love, and power, and holiness, through on of hands, (NAME), the most devout the inspiration of thy Holy and Life-Giving Subdeacon to be a Deacon. Wherefore, let us Spirit; for not through the laying-on of my pray for him, that the Grace of the All-Holy hands, but through the visitation of thy rich Spirit may come upon him. bounties, is grace bestowed upon thy worthy 1 Bishop: Kyrie eleison (Thrice, very slowly) ones; that he, being devoid of all sin, may stand blameless before thee in the awesome Day of thy 4 Narrator: While the Bishop is slowly singing Judgment, and receive the unfailing reward of Kyrie eleison three times, the Deacon very thy promise. For thou art our God, and unto thee quickly and quietly says the following Ektenia in are due all glory, honor, and worship, to the the Altar. He must finish by the time that the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now Bishop finishes singing Kyrie eleison three and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen. times. 4 Narrator: The new Deacon rises, kisses the 1 Bishop: O Lord our God, who by thy Bishop’s right hand, turns and stands facing the foreknowledge dost send down the fullness of people next to the Bishop in the Holy Doors. The the Holy Spirit upon those who are ordained, by Bishop takes each piece of the new Deacon’s Thine inscrutable power, to be thy servitors and vestments, blesses it and shouts to the people: to administer thy spotless mysteries: Do thou, the same Master, preserve also this man, whom thou 3 Bishop: HE IS WORTHY! hast been pleased to ordain, through me, by the People: HE IS WORTHY! laying-on of hands, to the service of the Diaconate, in all soberness of life, holding the 3 Bishop: MUSTAHEK! mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. People: MUSTAHEK! 2 Bishop: Vouchsafe unto him the grace which 3 Bishop: AXIOS! thou didst grant unto Stephen, thy first Martyr, People: AXIOS! whom, also, thou didst call to be the first in the People: AXIOS! (Thrice, singing) work of thy ministry; and make him worthy to administer after thy pleasure the degree which it 4 Narrator: While the people are singing both seemeth good to thee to confer upon him. AXIOS three times, the Bishop, with the help of For they who minister well prepare for the Bishop’s Assistant, puts the pieces of the themselves a good degree. And manifest him as vestment on the new Deacon. The above is wholly thy servant. For Thine is the Kingdom repeated for each piece of the vestment. Once the and the power and the glory, of the Father and of new Deacon is fully vested, he kisses the the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, Bishop’s right hand. The Bishop hands the new and unto ages of ages, Amen. Deacon a Service Book. The new Deacon stands on the solea and intones The Ektenia before the 3 Bishop: O God our Savior, who by Thine Lord’s Prayer. The new Deacon serves the incorruptible voice didst appoint unto Thine remainder of the service as the first Deacon. Apostles the law of the Diaconate, and didst 2 Ordination of a Priest Ordination of a Priest [Excerpts from the prayers for the ordination of a deacon are provided below. To facilitate reading aloud, the part of “Narrator” has been provided, as well as numbers before the prayers of the Bishop so that part may be shared. If you wish to assign parts, you will need the following: 7 Narrators, 4 Bishops, 2 Sponsors, a Deacon, “Choir” and “People.”] 1 Narrator: On the day of the God and Man and Orient is ordination, the candidate shall His name. Whom vest the sticharion and cuffs of magnifying, we call the his Priestly vestments and the Virgin blessed. stole of his Deacon’s vestment. The candidate shall serve as the 3 Narrator: While the choir is first Deacon during the Divine singing the above Troparia, Liturgy up until the time of the the sponsors lead the ordination. candidate around the Holy Table three (3) times. Each Immediately following the Great time, the candidate kisses each Entrance, the two sponsors lead of the four (4) corners of the the candidate out the north Holy Table followed by the door. A chair is placed at the hand and epigonation of the northwest corner of the Holy Bishop who is seated at the Table. The sponsors lead the northwest corner of the Holy candidate to the center of the Table. After the third time, the solea. Bishop stands up and the Laying on of hands chair is moved away from the 1st Sponsor: COMMAND! Holy Table. The candidate The sponsors help the candidate make a second kneels in front of the altar, places his right hand prostration as the second sponsor intones in a over his left hand on the edge of the Holy Table, loud voice: and places his forehead on top of his hands. The 2nd Sponsor: COMMAND! Parish Priest asks all the people in the church to The sponsors help the candidate make a third kneel and the Deacon intones in a loud voice: prostration as the first sponsor intones in a loud voice: Deacon: Let us Attend! 1st Sponsor: COMMAND! Holy Master, bless him who is before thee. 1 Bishop: The Grace Divine, which always healeth, that which is infirm, and completeth that 2 Narrator: The Bishop blesses the candidate which is wanting, elevateth, through the laying- and goes to sit in the chair.