The Ethiopic Liturgy: the Ordo Communis and the Anaphora of the Apostles (Mercer translation)

The Ethiopic Liturgy: the Ordo Communis and the Anaphora of the Apostles (Mercer translation)

Medieval translation of an ancient rite

Mercer’s English translation of the liturgy as the Ethiopian Church uses it today (the Keddāsē): the preparation of the priests and the vessels, the lessons and the Mass of the Catechumens, and then the Mass of the Faithful with the Anaphora of the Apostles, the most often used of the Ethiopic eucharistic prayers, to the dismissal. The rubrics are printed with the prayers.

The Order of the Keddāsē

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 at this time, according to the order of our fathers the Egyptians

The Preparation of the Ministers

1 ¶ First of all the priest, when he entereth the church, shall say the prayer of penitence; and next he shall say a psalm of David; and then he shall say this prayer Lord our God, thou alone art holy, and thou hast bestowed holiness on all of us by thine invisible power. Yea, O Lord our God, and we beseech thee to send thy Holy Spirit upon this thy church and upon this tābōt, and upon all their holy vessels whereon thy precious majesty 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 for ever any remembrance of transgressions and pollution; and make this church and this tābōt vessels chosen and cleansed and pure, refined seven times from all uncleanness and defilement and pollution of transgression, like silver refined, purged and tried from the earth, and when they are void of purity and of sanctity 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.

2 ¶ And then making the sign of the cross ¶ And then before the withdrawing of the veil he shall bow before the veil Lord our God, who knowest the thought of man and triest the heart and reins, forasmuch as, although 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 sin away from upon me and purify the uncleanness of my soul and my body. And now we pray thee, O Lord, and we beseech thee, that thou wouldst blot out my error and the trespass of thy people; 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 dew of thy pity 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 sin and error; and remember not the trespass of thy people, which they have wrought unwittingly and wittingly; 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, loving Son and lover of man and to the Holy Ghost, the life-giver, be glory world without end. Amen.

3 ¶ And he shall say this prayer of Basil over the curtain which is removed Lord, our God and our creator, who hast made all things through thy Word, and hast brought us to 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 in purity; grant us the wisdom which dwelleth in thy treasures, create in us a clean heart, and forgive us our sins and hallow our souls and make us meet to draw nigh to thy sanctuary, that we may offer to 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 mightest set us with the angels of thy people, make us worthy of thy holy gospel and of love, and in the greatness of thy loving-kindness hear us, that we may do thy will in this hour, offering to thee an oblation, sweet-smelling and good, and fruit, good and spiritual, that we may be well-pleasing unto thee in thy loving-kindness and mercy. Accept this spotless oblation, and send upon us, upon this mystery, the Holy Spirit; let it be to the glory of thine only Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, world without end. Amen.

The Preparation of the Instruments

1 Prayer over the vessels of the Church Lord our God, good and merciful and holy, who dwellest in this holy place, who of thy goodness didst command Moses thy servant to take thy blood and sprinkle it on all the vessels of the tabernacle; now also we pray thee and beseech thee, O good one and lover of man, that thou wouldest sanctify these vessels by the Holy Spirit and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord; let all the vessels be made pure for thy service, and let this same holy ordinance be in truth these life-giving mysteries, the precious body and blood of our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; for holy and full of glory is thy holy name, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, both now and ever and world without end." Amen.

Prayer over the māchfadāt

2 Lord, our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom belong treasuries which are full of loving-kindness and mercy, O giver of good things to all who trust in him, who did spread out the heavens by his wisdom and gave a diverse law to the firmaments and the clouds and the sky, the line whereof hath not changed"; now also, our God, thou lover of man, send down thine hand and the power of thy godhead upon these cloths which shall be wrapped about and which shall cover thine holy body. Thou who didst send thy power upon those cloths which were wrapped about thy holy body which was in the sepulchre, let these also be made in the likeness of those which 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

1 ¶ And next he shall go in and worship before the tābōt; and then the prayer of John 2 Lord our God, who sittest above the angels and the archangels, the lords and the dominions, the cherubim and the seraphim, who wast before all creatures; who art exalted above all glory; who liftest up the dead and lowly from the earth, and exaltest them to heaven; thou who hast manifested to us a new way for our salvation, whose mercies are numberless; O good one and lover of man, who by thy will hast taught us poor ones, thy people, to know the mystery of thy holiness and thine awful word; praised also be the glory which thou hast ordained for us. Lord, our God, O good one and lover of man, suffer us to come into thy holy of holies and read thy mysteries as befitteth thy godhead, with a right faith in thee; do thou make to shine upon us thy glory, which removeth from us both the polluting thought and the deed of sin; and send upon us 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 heart and keep our lips from speaking evil; give us peace and teach us righteousness; for thou art the holy garment and the medicine of our sickness in thy wisdom; and make us to become meet for this thine holy mystery, and put away from us all evil thoughts and lusts which fight against our soul, that we may offer to thee a good heavenly oblation without spot or uncleanness. Through thy great loving-kindness and mercy and favour may we accomplish this heavenly mystery which is above all mysteries. To thee with thy good heavenly Father and the Spirit, the giver of life, we will raise majesty and honour, world without end. Amen.

3 ¶ If there is a pope present, he shall go to him with the vestment to be blessed and vested; but if there is no pope, he shall bless and vest himself

The Prothesis

1 ¶ And while he dresseth the tābōt he shall say this prayer Lord our God, who knowest the hearts of each and every holy one, who dwellest among the holy, who art without sin and alone able to forgive sin; whereas thou knowest, O Lord, that I am not worthy and 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 holy mercy forgive me my sin, for I am a sinner; grant me to find grace and mercy in this hour and send to us thy power from on high, that I may be worthy, and may accomplish thine holy service both according to thy will and thy good pleasure, and that this incense also may be a sweet-smelling savour. And do thou also, our Lord, be with us; for thou art the absolver of our sins 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, now and ever and world without end. Amen.

2 ¶ Prayer, after he hath prepared the altar, of the Father Lord who hast taught us this great mystery of salvation, thou who hast called thy lowly servants, although we be unworthy, to be ministers unto thine holy altar; do thou, O our master, make us meet by the might of the Holy Ghost, thou our master, to accomplish this service, to the end that without falling into judgment in the presence of thy great glory, we might present to thee a sacrifice of praise, glory, and great comeliness in thy sanctuary. O Lord, giver of redemption and sender of grace, who workest all in all, grant us, Lord, grant us, 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 Spirit; in Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee, and with the Holy Ghost the life-giver, who is co-equal with thee, be glory, honour, and power both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

3 ¶ While entering, the assistant presbyter or the presbyter shall say this at the time of the oblation to those who earnestly desire to receive the mystery 4 O my brother, thou who art thus minded, who art in thy sin, and who prayest for compassion that thou mayest receive the host, go not forth from the church when the sacrifice is offered, and when they offer on thy behalf do not leave the priest to go out, and when they offer on thy behalf do not depart with those who go out who are not baptized, but remain in the church and listen to the words of the priest, and hear the petition for the remission of thy sins and the sins of all men. And he will destroy thine iniquity. If thou desirest, O man, to receive the host why dost thou go forth from the church? He who remains and asks compassion for himself shall be saved. Now how wilt thou be refined if thou wanderest from land to land in thy heart, when there is no sign that thou art of those sealed by the heavenly bride of Christ. Wouldst thou alone go forth from the church and shut its door upon thee, that thou mayest not attain to eternity? For a stranger shall not approach within its door. If the bride eat it for her bridegroom, then he shall not taste it, for she shall not give to him. He conquers who sees his bride, who sacrifices his body at the time of the marriage feast, which is continually eaten. The Son of God did a new work which is for eternity.

5 He, the creator of the world, who was not created, even he, afterwards administered his holy body and precious blood, exhorting that at the marriage feast, before reclining, they all eat of it and that they may live on it for ever and ever. O food, which is our Lord Jesus Christ, who is at the marriage feast, blessed art thou our God, who hast given us his holy body and precious blood for remission of sin, and [hast granted] that we may live in him for ever, to whom be praise and thanksgiving with his Father and the Holy Ghost both now and ever and world without end. Amen. 6 ¶ And the priest shall say this. He shall rise up with reverence before all the worshippers, and with the deacon he shall unite and come to the tābōt, and take the vestment in his hand and turn his face towards the east, and he shall bow thrice and shall say Our Father who art in heaven. And then he shall turn towards the people and see whether there is a deacon to minister, before he puts on the complete vestments; for if there is no deacon to minister and to help him, the priest cannot unrobe himself after robing. And when the presbyter will robe himself, he shall see whether it is too long or too short; for after robing it is not allowed to put off again. And he shall put on the Akmām and he shall tie it up with the girdle. And he shall collect his thoughts and not let them ramble about in the things of the world, nor go out even of the door of the sanctuary, to the end that he do that which is his duty, and be vigilant in his work, O Lord, more than the angels of the Lord of all creation

7 ¶ And he shall say this prayer after the withdrawal How awful is this day and how marvellous this house, wherein the Holy Ghost will come down from the high heaven and overshadow this oblation and hallow it. In quietness, in fear, and in trembling stand ye up, and pray that his peace be with me and with all of you. Amen. ¶ Then he shall go around with the eucharistic host Remember those who bring near to thee this oblation, and let it be brought for the sake of those whom he, who is in heaven, has purchased, and especially for thy work which is found with thee in this hour. Accept it for thyself, like as thou didst accept the offering of righteous Abel and the oblation of our father Abraham, and also the widow's mite*; in like manner receive the salutations of the many and of the few, of the hidden and of the manifest, and fill their homes with all thy goodness, wherever thy holy name is recorded on earth. Remember them, O Lord, in thy heavenly kingdom, and leave me not here for ever and ever. Amen.

8 Now, hail, holy Church, the decoration of whose wall and ceiling is of stone of topaz. Now, hail, holy Church, possessor of the cross, the cross of 'Aberhā,* among the stars, ornaments of heaven, most like the sun, cross of Aberhā. And now venerable father in unison Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus in linen clothing and spices, who rose from the dead in a marvellous manner. ¶ After the priest is vested thus, the people shall say in unison Hallelujah ¶ If there be anyone of the faithful who 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 of the Keddâsê, and hath not received the host, let him be excommunicated from the Church; for he hath violated the law of the Lord and disdained to stand before the heavenly king, the king of flesh and spirit. This the apostles have taught us in their canon

Prayer over the masōb

9 Our God, Lord, our God, who said unto Moses, his servant and prophet, in mount Sinai, make me a choice vessel and set it in the tabernacle; now also, Lord our God Almighty, stretch forth thine holy right hand upon the masōb, and fill it with power and virtue, and the grace of the Holy Ghost and thy glory, that they may make therein the body of thine only holy 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. Amen. ¶ The people shall say Thou art the masōb ("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 ¶ And then he shall take the host in his pure hands while it is moist, and he shall dry one alone; he shall rub the bread with his hand; while he says its blessing, he shall put it in the masōb; he shall pour the oblation while he says

10 I entreat thy favour to me, turn not away from thine handiwork; be not angry; assist me and do not reject me, my God and my Saviour. ¶ And again signing on his mouth with the sign of the cross, he shall say Christ, our very God, sign with thy right hand and bless with thine hand and hallow with thy power and give virtue with thy spirit to this bread, for the remission of the sins of thy people. ¶ And then the assistant shall receive it into the māchfad, saying Like as Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped thee in linen clothing and thou wast well pleased in them, in like manner be well pleased in us. ¶ And then the priest shall take it and say this prayer The hallowing is accepted, the thanksgiving and magnifying for the remission of sins from the Lord, the Father. Amen. Power and blessing and sanctification and holy be, in this day, the holy apostolic Church. Amen.

11 ¶ And then the priest shall turn once toward the tābōt, the taper in front of him, and shall say Lord our God, who didst accept the offering of the righteous Abel in the wild, and of Noah within the ark, and of Abraham on the mountain top and of Elijah on the top of Carmel, and of David in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, and the widow's mite in the sanctuary, accept likewise the oblation and offering of our father 'Gāle, which he has brought unto thine holy name, and let it be for the remission of his sins; and recompense him with a goodly recompense in this world and in that which is to come, both now and ever and world without end. Amen. ¶ And the deacon shall say three times while he takes the chalice The Lord seeth me. ¶ And then the priest shall set the host in the paten, and the deacon shall pour the blood into the chalice

12 ¶ The priest shall say this prayer, after he hath set the host on the paten Lord our God, good and life-giving, who didst spread forth thine holy hands upon the tree of the cross; place thine holy hand upon this paten which is filled with good things, whereon they that love thy name have prepared the sustenance of a thousand years. And now, O Lord 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 this altar in this holy apostolic church; for thine is the glory, with thy Father and the Holy Ghost, both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

Prayer over the chalice

13 Lord our God, Jesus Christ ἀληθινός, in truth our God who was made man, whose godhead was not severed from his manhood, who of his own good pleasure did pour out his blood for the sake of his creatures; now, O Lord our God, place thine holy hand upon the cup, hallow it and cleanse it that it may become thy precious blood, for life and for remission of sin unto everyone that shall drink thereof believingly. Glory be to thine heavenly Father and to the Spirit, the life-giver, both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

Prayer over the cross-spoon

14 Lord our God, who didst make thy servant Walda George meet to behold the seraph, when with the tongs in his hand he put therewith a coal on his mouth; now, Lord our God Almighty, place thine holy hand upon the cross-spoon, for the administering of the body and holy blood of thine only Son our Lord 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 and our Saviour Jesus Christ and the Spirit both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

A second prayer over the chalice

15 Christ, our very God, our Lord, who wentest to the marriage feast when they called thee in Cana of Galilee, and didst bless them and didst make the water wine, also in like manner do thou unto this wine which is set before thee; bless it and hallow it and cleanse it; let it become the joy and 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 and exultation, both 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. Amen. ¶ And then he shall say Purity and sweetness and blessing be to those who drink of thy blood precious ἀληθινόν in truth. Amen. ¶ Then the priest shall sign with his hand the form of the sign of the cross over the bread; the priest shall say

16 Blessed be the Lord, the Father Almighty. ¶ The people shall say Amen. ¶ The priest shall say And blessed be the only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made man of the holy Virgin Mary for our salvation. ¶ The people shall say Amen. ¶ Over the chalice in like manner, over both Glory and honour are due unto the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, co-equal both now and ever and world without end. Amen. ¶ The priest shall say Pray, my fathers and brothers, over this oblation. ¶ The assistant priest shall say May the Lord, who heareth all who pray to him, accept thy oblation and thy offering. May the Lord, who heareth all who pray to him, accept thy oblation and thy gift, as [he accepted those of] Melchizedek and Aaron and Zacharias, the Christian priesthood preferably, all of whom said, Our Father who art in heaven.

17 ¶ He shall turn to his assistant, touching his hand when he speaketh the word, saying Remember me, O my father presbyter. ¶ He also shall answer him The Lord keep thy priesthood and accept thy Oblation. ¶ Then the priest shall stand upright with his face to the east, stretching forth his hands while he shall say with a loud voice One is the holy Father, one is the holy Son, one is the Holy Ghost. ¶ The people shall say Truly the Father is holy, truly the Son is holy, truly the Holy Ghost is [holy]. ¶ The priest shall say O praise the Lord, all ye nations. ¶ The people shall say Praise him all ye peoples. ¶ The priest shall say For his merciful kindness is established upon us. ¶ The people shall say And the righteousness of the Lord endureth for ever. ¶ The priest shall say

18 Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, both now and ever and world without end. Amen. Hallelujah.

The Enarxis

1 ¶ The deacon shall say Stand up for prayer. ¶ The people shall say Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Peace be unto you all. ¶ The people shall say With thy spirit.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

2 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 both covered us and succoured us, he hath kept us, he hath brought us nigh and received us unto himself, and hath undertaken our defence and brought us unto this hour. Let us therefore pray that the Almighty Lord, our God, keep us in this holy day all the days of our life and in all peace. ¶ The deacon shall say Pray. ¶ The priest shall say Lord, Lord, God Almighty, the Father of our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, we render thee thanks for everything, for that thou hast covered us and succoured us, hast kept us and brought us nigh, and hast received us unto thyself and undertaken our defence, and hast strengthened us and brought us unto this hour.

3 ¶ The deacon shall say 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 deacon shall say ¶ The priest shall say 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, and in all peace along with thy fear. All envy and all trial, and all the working of Satan and the counsel of evil men, and the influence of the adversary secret and open, he shall bless himself once, remove O Lord, [be] far from me and far from all thy people, he shall bless the people, and from this holy place of thine he shall bless the altar once; all good things that are expedient and excellent command them for us, for thou art he who 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 loving-kindness of the lover of man, 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 life-giver, are fitting glory and honour and might, now and ever and world without end. Amen.

4 ¶ The deacon shall say Stand up for prayer. ¶ The people shall say The Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Peace be unto you all. ¶ The people shall say With thy spirit. ¶ The assistant priest shall say the prayer of oblation And again, let us beseech the Almighty Lord God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, on behalf of those who bring an offering to the one holy catholic Church, an oblation, firstfruits, tithes, a thankoffering, a memorial, whether much or little, in secret or openly, and [on behalf] of those who wish to give and have not wherewith to give, that he accept their ready mind, that he who is in heaven vouchsafe the spirit of every deed of blessing, to whom be power even the Lord our God. ¶ The deacon shall say Pray for those who bring an offering. ¶ The people shall say

5 Accept the offering of the brethren, accept the offering of the sisters, and accept the offering of the brethren, accept our offering and our oblation. ¶ The priest shall say Lord our God, who art Almighty, we pray and beseech thee for those who 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 all of them; let the recompense of blessing be a portion, to thy one Son, world without end. Amen. ¶ The deacon shall say Stand up for prayer. ¶ The people shall say Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Peace be to all. ¶ The people shall say And with thy spirit.

Prayer of the Anaphora

6 O my master, Jesus Christ, co-eternal pure Word of the Father and Word of the Holy Ghost, thou art the bread of life who came down from heaven, and didst foretell that thou wouldst be the Lamb without spot for the life of the world; we pray and beseech of thy 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 tābōt of thine; bless he shall bless once, this bread, and hallow he shall bless once, this 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, let it be thy precious blood for us all, and let it be the healing and salvation of our soul and our body and our spirit. For thou art the king of us all, our God, and to thee we send up praise and worship, and to thy good heavenly Father and to the Holy Ghost the life-giver who is co-equal with thee, both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

7 ¶ The deacon shall say, when he shall have turned his face towards the east, the command of our fathers the apostles Let none keep in his heart rancour or revenge or hatred towards his neighbour. ¶ The deacon shall say Worship the Lord in fear. ¶ The people shall say Before thee, O Lord, we worship and thee we glorify. ¶ The priest shall say The wrapping of the bread in linen, and our placing it upon the blessed paten, is like to the sepulchre and thy resting in it three days and three nights; so make our hands like the hands of Joseph and Nicodemus, who wrapped the body in linen clothes and placed it there, with the repose and the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, both now and ever and world without end. Amen. ¶ And the priest shall cover the bread with a covering, and shall turn around at the tābōt, and the deacon shall bow to the presbyter and they both shall bow together ¶ And the presbyter who assisteth shall say this: the Absolution of the Son

8 O Lord, Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son, the Word of the Lord the Father, who hast broken off from us every bond of our sins through thy lifegiving and sufferings, and who didst breathe upon the face of thine holy disciples and pure ministers, saying to them, Receive the Holy Ghost; whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained; thou hast vouchsafed to thy pure ministers, who do the priest's office at all times in this holy church, that they should remit sin on earth, should bind and loose every bond of iniquity. And now again, we pray and beseech and entreat of thy goodness, O lover of man, in behalf of thy servants, my fathers and my brothers and my sisters, and of me thy sinful and feeble one, and of those who 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, O Lord, wittingly or unwittingly, or in deceit or in faint-heartedness, whether in deed or in word or in cowardice, for thou knowest the feebleness of man.

9 O good one and lover of man, and lord of all creation, bless us and purify us, and grant us the forgiveness of our sins, and free us and set us loose, and loose all thy people, here he shall mention our lately departed, and fill us with the fear of thy name and stablish us to do thy holy will, O good one; for thou art our God and our Saviour, and to thee is fitting the glory and the praise with the good heavenly Father and with the Holy Ghost, the life-giver, who is co-equal with thee both now and ever and world without end; benediction three times; may thy servants who have ministered on this day, the presbyter and the deacon and the priests, he shall bless the ministers, and all the people, he shall bless the people and my own neediness also, I thy poor servant, he shall bless himself, be absolved and delivered out of the mouth of the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, and out of the mouth of our holy catholic and apostolic Church, and out of the mouth of the fifteen prophets, and out of the mouth of the twelve apostles, and out of the mouth of the twenty-two disciples, and out of the mouth of the divine evangelist Mark, the apostle and martyr, and out of the mouth of the fathers, archpopes St. Severus and St. Dioscorus and St. John Chrysostom, and St. Cyril and St. Gregory and St. Basil, and St.

10 Epiphanius and out of the mouth of the three hundred and eighteen orthodox who assembled in Nicea, and the one hundred and fifty in Constantinople, and the two hundred in Ephesus, and out of the mouth of the honoured father, the archpope abba Matthew, and our blessed pope abba Peter, 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, spiritual parent of God, the new loom. For blessed 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. 11 ¶ The priest shall say Let us therefore arise with our knowledge in our place, and let us recompense Christians who resist those whom they see in their midst, who do not unite and do not affiliate, who lift up their hearts and examine the kingdom and see that which is not true, and who are diverted in secret wisdom. ¶ The deacon or presbyter shall say For peaceable holiness we beseech, that the Lord make us peaceable by his own loving-kindness. ¶ The people shall say at each pause Amen. Κύριε ἐλέησον. Lord have mercy upon us. For our faith we beseech, that the Lord would grant us that we 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.

12 For the holy prophets we beesech, that the Lord number us with them. For the apostolic family we beseech, that the Lord grant us to be well-pleasing, even as they were well-pleasing, and apportion unto us a lot with them. ¶ The deacon shall say For the holy martyrs we beseech, that the Lord grant unto us the same conversation. For our archpope abba Matthew, and the blessed pope abba Peter, we beseech, that the Lord grant them unto us for a long time, that with understanding heart they rightly speak the word of faith in purity of heart without spot, for that they are the guardians of the Church. For the presbyters we beseech, that the Lord never take from them the spirit of priesthood and the zeal and the fear of him unto the end, and that he vouchsafe them 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.

13 For the widows and 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 subdeacons and the anagnosts and the singers we beseech, that the Lord grant them to perfect the zeal of their faith. For the virgins we beseech, that the Lord grant them the crown of virginity, and that they be unto the Lord sons and daughters, and that he accept their labour. For the ascetics we beseech, that the Lord grant them to receive their reward through abstinence. For the laity and faithful men we beseech, that the Lord grant them that they preserve the fulness of faith. For the weak among Christians we beseech, that the Lord grant their share in the washing away of sin, and seal them with the seal of sanctification. For our king Menilek we beseech, that the Lord vouchsafe him much peace in his days.

14 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 each to desire that which is good and expedient. For those who travel by sea and in the desert we beseech, that the Lord guide them with a merciful right hand. For the hungry and thirsty we beseech, that the Lord give them their daily food. For the sad and sorrowful we beseech, that the Lord give them perfect consolation. For prisoners we beseech, that the Lord loose them from their bonds. For the captives we beseech, that the Lord restore them to their country. For the excommunicate we beseech, that the Lord grant them patience and wholesome discipline, and vouchsafe that their labour be perfected. For those of the Christian congregation who are fallen asleep we beseech, that the Lord give them a place of rest.

15 For the sick and suffering we beseech, that the Lord heal them speedily and send upon them loving-kindness and mercy. For those of our fathers and our brothers 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 the water of life unto due measure and limit. For the fruit of the earth we beseech, that the Lord give fruit for sowing and for harvest. And all of us who ask and beseech in prayer, may he clothe with the spirit of peace and vouchsafe us to lighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may draw near and ask the Lord that he hear and accept our prayer.

16 Let us rise up in the Holy Ghost, that we may have knowledge and grow in his name, in his grace and glory, and be built up upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles. Let us draw nigh, and ask the Lord that he hear our prayer and accept. ¶ And then the people shall stand up

The Little Entrance and the Censing

The Censing

1 ¶ And the priest shall take grains of incense in his right hand and the censer in his right hand, and if there be a pope there he shall bring unto him the incense and the censer toˢˢ bless them, and if there be no pope present he shall bless them himself, making mention of the current year of grace, of the beginning of night and day ¶ And the priest shall say God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost accept this our prayer and this incense and this lamp and this oblation three times the same; our Lady Mary, mother of God, offer up our prayer that our sins may be forgiven. ¶ And then he shall cast the incense saying Blessed be the Lord, the Almighty Father. Amen. ¶ The assistant shall say And blessed be the only Son Jesus Christ, who was made of Mary, the holy Virgin, for our salvation.

2 ¶ The people shall say Amen. ¶ The priest shall say And blessed be the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, who strengtheneth us all. ¶ The people shall say Amen. Glory and honour be to the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, co-equal both now and ever and world without end. Amen. ¶ And then he shall say this 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 incense. Yet again we offer unto thee this incense. Lauds of the angels singing in the highest, hallelujah to the Father; hallelujah to the Son; hallelujah to the Holy Ghost. Worship we the Father; worship we the Son; worship we the Holy Spirit, three in one and one in three. Accept of me my prayer, that the incense in thy presence, gift of the Father, present of the Son, communion of the Holy Ghost, even now may ascend to thee; and praise to our Lady Mary, mother of God, lover of the prophets and true apostles and martyrs and fathers of old, be with me and with all of you, O eternal God, the first and the last, who hath neither beginning nor end, who is great in his counsel and mighty in his work and righteous in his purpose and strong in his might, who 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 dwelling place.

3 ¶ And then he shall compass the tābōt three times saying We pray thee 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 Pray for the peace of the Church, one holy, apostolic, orthodox in the Lord. ¶ The people shall say ¶ The priest shall say Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Remember, O Lord, the honoured father, our arch-pope abba Matthew, and the blessed pope abba Peter, remember all of them, the orthodox bishops, presbyters and deacons. And if he, the archpope, be entered into rest he shall say, Rest, my Lord, the soul of our father, the archpope abba Matthew, and make him to dwell in thy kingdom of heaven with thy righteous servants; 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. Arise, Lord, my God, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let all those who 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.

4 ¶ The deacon shall say Stand up for prayer. ¶ The people shall say Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Thou art the golden censer. ¶ And on every great day, and on the first day of the week, on the feast of Mary and on the feast of the Son We worship thee, Christ, with thy good heavenly Father and thine Holy Spirit, the life-giver, for thou didst come and save us. ¶ Three times ¶ The people shall say The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, three in one. ¶ The priest shall say Peace be unto thee, holy Church, dwelling place of the godhead. ¶ The priest shall say Pray for us, Virgin Mary, parent of God. ¶ The priest shall say Thou art the golden censer who didst bear the live coal of fire. Blessed is he who receiveth out of the sanctuary him who forgiveth sin and blotteth out error, who is God's Word who 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 Ghost, the life-giver, for thou didst come and save us.

5 ¶ And then they shall go out to the door of the sanctuary and shall cense three times, and again he shall cense the bishop three times, he shall pass over and stand thus before the tābōt and say first Remember, O Lord, our father abba, and again the same, preserve him to us for many years and days of peace, a third time he shall say, let him trample our enemy under his feet, and let him intercede for us to the Lord, that he may cleanse us from our sins. ¶ And then the priest shall cense in like manner and say I pray thee, O my father presbyter, remember me in thy prayer, this is my holiness, accept it. ¶ After this he shall lay his hands upon the deacons and say the blessing of Paul, then he shall stretch his hand over the people The Lord bless.

6 ¶ The deacon shall say Stand up for prayer. ¶ The people shall say The Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Peace be unto you all. ¶ The people shall say With thy spirit.

The Lections

The Epistle of St. Paul

1 ¶ The assistant shall say Lord of knowledge and declarer of wisdom, who hast revealed to us what was hidden in the depth of darkness, giver of a word of gladness to those who proclaim the greatness of thy power; thou it was, who of thy great goodness didst call Paul, who was a persecutor, and didst make him a chosen vessel, and wast well pleased with him that he should become an apostle, and a preacher of the gospel of thy kingdom and a herald, O Christ our God. Thou art a lover of man, O good one; 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 to thee, O prince of life, so make us also to be like unto him in deed and in faith, and to praise thine holy name and to 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.

2 ¶ The priest shall say this, going round to the several doors Glory to the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, both now and ever and world without end. Amen. ¶ The priest shall say, going forth again and entering at the right before the tābōt to the north Holy, holy, holy Lord of Sabaoth, the heavens and the earth are wholly full of the holiness of thy glory. ¶ And then he shall say Lord our God, who of old didst make the wall of Jericho to fall down by the hand of Joshua thy servant; in like manner now make the wall of sin of these thy servants and thine handmaids to fall down by the hand of me, thy servant Walda George, for ever and ever. ¶ And while he is entering Hallelujah to the Father; hallelujah to the Son; hallelujah to the Holy Ghost.

3 Come, fill thyself with it. ¶ And he shall say Hail, O Mary, full of grace three times. ¶ The priest shall say The Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women. ¶ The priest shall say And blessed is the fruit of thy womb. ¶ The priest shall say Pray and intercede with thy beloved Son. ¶ The priest shall say That he forgive us our sins. ¶ And then turning back towards the tābōt once, he shall offer incense upon the altar saying, after turning around 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; Jesus Christ our Lord and our king; through whom to thee with him and the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion, both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

4 ¶ The priest shall say going forth Everyone who loveth not our Lord Jesus Christ and believeth not in his birth of Mary the holy Virgin, in the two-fold tābōt of the Holy Ghost, pure and clean and set apart for the Lord until his coming again, as saith Paul, let him be anathema. The Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians. Blessing be with the beloved Walda George for ever and ever, for even as thou art merciful unto him the Lord will be merciful unto thee; for he himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which he was betrayed took bread, blessed and brake, and said to them, Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you; thus do for your happiness; and likewise the chalice after supper, and said to them, This is the chalice of the new covenant which is in my blood; this do as oft as ye drink of it in remembrance of me; for verily by this chalice ye do show forth the death of our Lord till he come... Whosoever eats of this food and drinks of this cup of our Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of Christ. But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup; for he who eateth and drinketh, eateth and drinketh condemnation unto himself, if he discern not his body and is not pure in his soul.

5 ¶ The priest shall say while entering The Blessing of the Father and the Son and the gift of the Holy Ghost, who came down upon the apostles in the upper room of holy Sion, in like manner come down and be multiplied upon me and upon all of you. Amen. ¶ The people shall say Holy apostle Paul, goodly messenger, healer of the sick, thou who hast received the crown; pray and intercede for us; cause our souls to be saved in the multitude of his loving-kindness and his mercy, for his holy name's sake.

The Catholic Epistle

6 ¶ The deacon shall say Stand up for prayer. ¶ The people shall say Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Peace be unto you all. ¶ The people shall say With thy spirit. ¶ The priest shall say O eternal God, the first and the last, who hath neither beginning nor end, he who is great in his counsel and mighty in his work and wise in his purpose, who is in all things; we pray thee, O Lord and beseech thee, 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 wittingly or unwittingly; and make us, O Lord, to offer unto thee a pure oblation, a reasonable offering and spiritual incense; let it enter into the holy temple of thy holiness; through thine only Son our Lord and 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.

7 ¶ The subdeacon going out shall say The word from the Epistle of Peter, disciple and apostle of our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ. His prayer and his blessing be with us. Amen. ¶ And having read he shall say this Purity and tribute, light and exaltation, be to the Epistle of the Holy Ghost which came forth from the mouth of Peter, the rock of truth; his blessing be with us for ever and ever. Amen. ¶ And then he shall read this portion Ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual holy house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual holy sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ; for it is written, Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious; and he who believeth on him shall not be put to shame. ¶ And when he goes in the priest shall say 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 eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but of the world; and the world and the lusts pass away, for all is passing; but he who doeth the good pleasure of God abideth for ever.

8 ¶ The deacon shall say Holy consubstantial Trinity, preserve our congregation for thine holy elect disciples' sake; comfort us in thy loving-kindness for thine holy name's sake.

The Acts of the Apostles

9 ¶ The deacon shall say Stand up for prayer. ¶ The people shall say Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Peace be unto you. ¶ The people shall say With thy spirit. ¶ The priest shall say Our Lord and our God, thou it was who didst reveal to thine holy apostles the mystery of the glorious gospel of the 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 wouldst make us meet for an inheritance and a portion with them, that we may walk in their ways and follow in their footsteps, and vouch-safe us at all times to imitate them, and to continue in their love and to have fellowship with them in their labour and godliness; and do thou keep thine holy Church which thou hast founded by their means, he shall bless himself, and bless the sheep of thy flock, he shall bless, thy people and increase this vine, he shall bless the oblation, which thou hast planted with thy holy right hand, he shall bless the priesthood, through our Lord Jesus Christ, our God, through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Ghost be glory and dominion, both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

10 ¶ The priest shall say A pure fountain which is from the pure fountain of the law, which is the history of the acts of the pure Apostles. Their prayer and their blessing be with us world without end. Amen. And they called upon the Lord, beseeching Paul, all of them, that they might eat food, and he said to them, On the tenth and the fourth day since ye ate, on the day that ye ask me for food, anoint and make ready your souls, for that which is lacking in them will be a loss to yourselves; and having thus said he took the bread of the Lord, and giving thanks, he blessed and break before them, and took and ate, and they all rejoiced, and two hundred and seventy-seven souls were anointed and were satisfied. ¶ And after reading he shall say Full and great and exalted is the word of the Lord, and it hath increased in the holy Church, and many are the people who believe in our Lord, to whom be glory world without end. Amen.

11 ¶ The priest shall say Holy, Holy, Holy art thou, God the Father Almighty; Holy, Holy, Holy art thou, only Son, who art the living Word of the Father; Holy, Holy, Holy art thou, Holy Ghost, who knowest all things.

The Incense and the Trisagion

12 ¶ And then the priest shall cast the incense saying 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 Lord our God, who didst accept the sacrifice of Abraham, and in the stead of Isaac didst prepare and send down to him a ram for his ransom; even so, O 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 loving-kindness 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.

13 ¶ And then he shall compass the tābōt three times saying We pray thee, O Lord, and beseech thee that thou remember, as before. ¶ The priest shall say Hail, O thou of whom we ask salvation, O holy, praiseful, ever-virgin parent of God, mother of Christ; offer up our prayer on high to thy beloved Son, Jesus, that he forgive our sins. Hail, O thou who bearest for us the very light of righteousness, Christ our God; O Virgin pure, plead for us unto our Lord, that he shew 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 to Christ thy Son, that he vouchsafe us remission of our sins. Hail, O pure Virgin, very queen; hail, O pride of our kind; hail, O thou who bearest for us Emmanuel; we pray thee that thou remember us, O very mediatress, before our Lord Jesus Christ, that he forgive us our sins.

14 ¶ As a substitute he shall say three times in a low tone He who raised himself at his resurrection is Christ; he hath raised the dead from death, and triumphed in death over those who were in the grave, and hath given them a life of eternal rest. ¶ And then the priest shall go forth outside the veil, and shall chant alternately saying 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 of Jesus Christ. O come let us worship him and keep his commandments, that he forgive us our sins. To Michael was given mercy, and glad tidings to Gabriel, and a heavenly gift to Mary Virgin. 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.

15 The fragrant ointment is Mary; for he who 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 well pleased, and he decked her for a tabernacle for the habitation of his well beloved Son. To Moses was given the law, 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 seraphim worship him and the cherubim 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. ¶ The priest shall say in the tone of arārāy

16 Holy Lord, 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. 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 the 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. ¶ The priest shall say Hail, O Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women,

17 and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Pray and intercede for us with thy beloved Son, that he forgive our sins. ¶ And then he shall bless the chanting priests each in his turn ¶ The priest shall say Glory and honour.

The Gospel

18 ¶ The deacon shall say Stand up for prayer. ¶ The people shall say Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Peace be unto you all. ¶ The people shall say With thy spirit. 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 Pray on account of the holy Gospel. ¶ The priest shall say Remember again, Lord, those who 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 those who have fallen asleep before us; heal speedily those who 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 the highest heaven, world without end.

19 ¶ Before the Gospel, signifying what he is going to proclaim on the several days ¶ And the priest shall cast the incense once as before, blessing three times our sweet-smelling incense, after that he shall say this following Lord bless us all, and sanctify us with all spiritual blessing, and make our entry into his holy Church to be joined with 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 he shall turn his face towards the Gospel and shall say this Lord, our God and our Saviour, lover of mankind, thou who didst send them to propagate thy holiness and to announce thy purity in all ends of the world, that they may proclaim the gospel of thy kingdom, and heal all sickness and misery among thy people, and tell to them the hidden secret which is from of old; now, O Lord, our God and our king, send upon us thy light and thy righteousness, and illuminate the eyes of our hearts and our understanding, and make us meet to hear with fortitude the word of thy holy gospel; not only that we may hear, but that we may also do; that thou mayest hear us, that we may bear good fruit, for one thirty-fold and sixty-fold and an hundred, for the sins of us thy people, who pray for the kingdom of heaven.

20 ¶ And then the priest shall compass the tābōt once with the taper before him and the gospel behind him, and he shall say the Gospel; while making the sign of the cross he shall say Blessed be the Lord, the Father Almighty. ¶ The assistant shall say Give thanks unto the Father. ¶ The priest shall say And blessed be the only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. ¶ The assistant shall say Give thanks to the Son. ¶ The priest shall say And blessed be the Holy Ghost the Paraclete. ¶ The priest shall say Give thanks unto the Holy Ghost. ¶ The deacon shall say Hallelujah. Stand up and hearken to the holy gospel, the message of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ¶ The priest shall say The Lord be with you all. ¶ The people shall say With thy spirit. ¶ The priest shall say The holy gospel which Matthew preached, the word of the Son of God.

21 ¶ The people shall say Glory be to thee, Christ, my Lord and my God, at all times. ¶ The people shall say Rejoice in God who hath helped us, and shout with joy unto the God of Jacob. Take the psalm, bring hither the tabret; the merry harp with the lute. In Lent instead of "Sing we merrily"; in the gospel thou hast shown us the way and in the prophets thou hast comforted us. O thou who hast brought us nigh unto thyself, glory be to thee. And the people shall kiss the gospel by their several ranks, when he shall read the gospel. ¶ The assistant priest shall hold the gospel before the cross, and shall say this in a low voice O far from anger, and abundant in mercy, and righteous indeed, receive our prayer and our humility and our penitence, and our confession towards thy tābōt 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. Bless us that we may bear fruit, for one thirty-fold and sixty-fold and an hundred-fold.

22 Remember, Lord, the sick of thy people; visit them in thy loving-kindness and heal them. Remember, Lord, our fathers and our brethren who are gone to sojourn abroad; bring them back to their dwelling place in safety and peace. 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 beast. Remember, Lord, the safety of thine own Church and of all orthodox cities and countries. Remember, Lord, our king Menilek, lover of the Lord our God, and keep him in peace and in health. Remember, Lord, our fathers and our brethren and our sisters, who have fallen asleep and are gone to their rest in the orthodox faith; give them rest. Remember, Lord, those who have presented to 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.

23 Remember, Lord, all captives and bring them again in peace to their cities. Remember, Lord, thy poor servants who are awaiting trial. 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; grant them to know the certainty of thy 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 a tābōt for thine Holy Ghost; through the grace and loving-kindness of thine only Son, lover of man, our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, through whom to thee with him and with the holy life-giver, who is co-equal with these, both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

24 ¶ The assistant priest shall say Praise be to thee. ¶ The priest who reads the gospel shall say Εὐλογίος (sic!) Χριστός. ¶ While finding the place which he shall read he shall say Bless, O Lord, the reading of the Gospel of N., the disciple and apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; through whom to thee be glory continually, world without end. Amen. ¶ And then the priest shall read the gospel and after the reading of the gospel distinguishing the several gospels Matthew's: heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away, said the Lord to his disciples. Mark's: he who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 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. John's: he who believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.

25 ¶ The priest shall say at each Gospel in tone as follows Matthew's: we believe in the very Father, and we believe in the very Son, and we believe in the very Holy Ghost. Mark's: they, the cherubim and seraphim, offer up glory to him saying, Holy, Holy, Holy art thou, Lord, the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Luke's: who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Thou it is who 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 those who 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. John's: In the beginning was the Word; the Word was the Word of God; the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory as of the only-begotten of his Father; the living Word of the Father and the life-giving Word, the Word of God, rose again and his flesh was not corrupted.

26 ¶ The deacon shall say Go forth, ye catechumens. ¶ The priest shall say this prayer, which is St. Basil's, in a low voice before the tābōt 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 has prepared it for our salvation, be not to us thy servants and all thy people for condemnation, but that it may 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.

The Mass of the Faithful

1 ¶ The deacon shall say Stand up for prayer. ¶ The people shall say The Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Peace be unto you all. ¶ The people shall say With thy spirit. ¶ And the priest shall say Again let us beseech the almighty Lord, the Father of the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ; we ask and we entreat of thy goodness, O lover of man, remember, O Lord, the peace of the Church, holy, one, apostolic, which reacheth from one end of the world to the other. ¶ The deacon shall say Pray for the peace of the one, holy, apostolic Church, orthodox in the Lord. ¶ The priest shall say 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 therein. Vouchsafe peace to our king Menilek, to his palace and to his armies, and to his princes and to his nobles, and (to) the multitude of our neighbours abroad and at home; adorn them with all peace. O king of peace, give us thy 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 thy holy name and call upon it, that our soul may live through the Holy Ghost, and that the death of sin may not have dominion over us thy servants and all thy people.

2 ¶ The deacon shall say Stand up for prayer. ¶ The people shall say Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Peace be unto you all. ¶ The people shall say With thy spirit. And again let us beseech the almighty Lord, the Father of the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, for our blessed pope, abba Matthew, that he truly preserve him to us for many years and for peaceful days, that he may 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 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 Peter, and all orthodox bishops, presbyters and deacons. ¶ The priest shall say 3 Lord our God who art almighty, we pray and beseech thee for the blessed pope, abba Peter, that thou truly preserve him to us for many years and for peaceful days, that he may fulfil 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 the behalf of all thy people, do thou accept; open to him the treasure-house 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 in righteousness and in peace, unto thine holy Church, in praise and 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.

4 ¶ The deacon shall say Stand up for prayer. ¶ The people shall say Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Peace be unto you all. ¶ The people shall say With thy spirit. ¶ The priest shall say 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, O Lord, our congregation; bless thou them once he shall bless with the figure of the sign of the cross towards the people. ¶ The deacon shall say Pray for the holy Church and our congregation therein, our congregation bless, preserve in peace. ¶ The priest shall say And make them to be to thee without intermission and without hindrance, doing thine holy and blessed will; an house of prayer, an house of purity, and an house of blessing vouchsafe, O Lord, unto us thy servants, and to those who shall come after us unto eternal days vouchsafe it.

5 And the priest shall proceed, the assistant censing the altar, saying, Arise, O Lord my God, and let thine enemies be scattered and let all those who 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, who do thy will for ever and ever; through the grace and loving-kindness of the lover of man, thine only Son our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, through whom to thee be glory and blessing and befitting greatness with him and with the Holy Ghost, the life-giver, both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

The Creed

¶ The deacon shall say Speak we all in the wisdom of the Lord. Answer ye the prayer of faith.

The Lavabo

1 ¶ And then the assistant presbyter shall take away the covering of the paten with his hand. And then he shall wash his hands saying If there is 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 sin which is prepared for Satan and for his angels. Whoso hath revenge in his heart and whoso hath an alien mind and unchaste:— ¶ and after washing his hand while he sprinkles water with the moisture of his hand towards the people he shall say thus Cleanse thou my hands from external pollution, for I am pure from the blood of you all, and from your sacrilege against the body and the blood of Christ; and 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.

2 ¶ After he has washed he shall say this O my Lord and my God, maker of order and giver of peace and love, drive away from me every thought of evil, revenge, and hatred, and all evil concupiscence of the body; apportion me with thy holy servants, join me with those who are pleasing to thee in their life, in the time of love and peace; for thou who didst come down from heaven, wilt give peace to all those of thy people who listen and comprehend; that they may praise thee, for to thee be praise for ever and ever. Amen. ¶ The deacon shall say If there be any who contemns this word of the presbyter, or who is rude, or who says or presumes to say that my God, Christ, is moved against him with evil instead of blessing, or malediction and anger instead of deliverance from Gehenna, then let him depart from the Lord.

The Kiss of Peace

1 ¶ The deacon shall say Stand up for prayer. ¶ The people shall say Lord have mercy upon us. ¶ The priest shall say Peace be unto you all. ¶ The people shall say With thy spirit. ¶ The priest shall say Lord, great, eternal, who hast found man incorrupt, who didst abolish death, that came at first into the world through the envy of Satan, by the advent of thy living only begotten 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 O Lord, in thy good will fill all our hearts, and purify all of us from all filthiness and from all lasciviousness, and from all revenge and envy, and from all wrongdoing and from the remembrance and from the association of ill which clothes us with death.

2 Make us all meet that we may salute one another with an holy kiss. ¶ The deacon shall say Pray for perfect peace and love. Salute one another with an holy kiss. ¶ Then they shall salute one another ¶ The people shall say Christ our God, make us meet that we may salute one another with an holy kiss. ¶ The priest shall say And to partake without condemnation of thine holy, immortal, heavenly gift; through 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 prayer of faith of the 318 Orthodox We believe in one God, the Lord, the Father Almighty, the eternal 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.

3 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 Anaphora of the Apostles

The Thanksgiving

¶ The priest shall say The Lord be with you all. ¶ The people shall say With thy spirit. ¶ The priest shall say Give ye thanks unto our God. ¶ The people shall say It is right, it is meet. ¶ The priest shall say Lift up your hearts. ¶ The people shall say We have them unto the Lord our God. ¶ And then he shall bless once towards the people and once towards the height THE ANAPHORA OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES, WHOSE PRAYERS AND PRAISE ARE WITH US FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN. We give thee thanks, O Lord, in thy beloved Son, our 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

1 ¶ The deacon shall say For the sake of our blessed and holy archpope, abba Peter, and the blessed pope, abba Matthew, while they yet give thee thanks in their prayer and in their supplication; Stephen, the protomartyr, Zacharias, the priest, and John the Baptist; for the sake of all the saints and martyrs who have gained their rest in the faith; Matthew and Mark, Luke and John, the four evangelists; Mary the parent of God, hear us. (For the sake of) Peter and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, Thaddeus and Nathaniel, and James the Apostle the son of Alpheus and Matthias, the twelve apostles; and James the apostle, the brother of our Lord, the bishop of Jerusalem; Paul, Timothy, Silas, and Barnabas, Titus, Philemon and Clement, the seventy-two disciples, the five hundred companions, the three hundred and eighteen Orthodox; may the prayers of them all come unto us and with them do thou visit us.

2 And remember thou the whole catholic apostolic Church in peace, which was made by the precious blood of Christ. Remember thou all archpopes, popes, bishops, presbyters and deacons who direct the way of the Word in truth. ¶ The assistant shall go around, the priest shall say O Holy Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, bless them, the priest shall say, thy people, Christians beloved and earthly, while he turns to speak the assistant shall say, bless thou and send upon us the grace of the Holy Ghost, and make the doors of thine holy Church to open unto us in thy mercy and in faithfulness; and perfect unto us in the faith of holiness unto the last breath. O my Lord Jesus Christ, visit the sick of thy people, and heal them, and guard our fathers and our brothers who have gone forth and are travelling abroad, and bring them back to their dwelling in peace and in health.

3 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 establish to us thy peace. Turn the heart of mighty kings to deal kindly with us always. Give favour to the elders of thy holy Church all the time to all, to each by their several names in the presence of powerful kings; our God lift them up. And rest the souls of our fathers and our brothers and our sisters, who have fallen asleep and gained their rest in the true faith. And bless those who occupy themselves with the incense and oblation, and the coins and the oil and the chrism, and the veils and the books of the lessons of the sanctuary, and the vessels of the sanctuary, that Christ our God bring them to the heavenly Jerusalem.

4 And all those who are assembled with us to entreat for mercy; Christ, our God, be propitious unto them, and all those who give alms before thine awful and terrible throne, and receive them. And lift up every straitened soul, and those who are bound in chains, and those who are in exile and captivity and those who are held, that we may remember them in the time of our prayer, and we beseech thee remember them in thy heavenly Kingdom; and drive away from me sin; remember me thy work. O Lord, save thy people and bless thine heritage, govern them and lift them up for ever. ¶ The priest shall say Have mercy on them, O Lord, and be propitious to our archpopes, bishops, presbyters, and deacons, and all thy Christian people. ¶ The priest shall say For us and for them all, rest their souls and be propitious unto them, thou who sentest thy Son from heaven into the bosom of the Virgin. He was carried in the womb, was made flesh, and his birth was revealed of the Holy Ghost.

5 ¶ The deacon shall say Ye who sit, stand up. ¶ The priest shall say Unto thee before whom stand a thousand thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand, the holy angels and thine honourable creatures that have six wings, the seraphim and the cherubim. ¶ The deacon shall say Look to the east. ¶ The priest shall say With two of their wings they cover their face, with two of their wings they cover their feet, and with two of their wings they fly from end to end of the world. ¶ The deacon shall say Let us give heed. ¶ The priest shall say Continually, therefore, as they all hallow thee and praise, with all those who 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.

6 ¶ The priest shall say The heavens and the earth are full of the holiness of thy glory, O our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, thine only Son. He came and was born of the Virgin that he might fulfil thy will and make a people for thee. ¶ The people shall say Remember us, O Lord, in thy kingdom; remember us, O Lord, O master, in thy kingdom; remember us, O Lord, in thy kingdom, as thou rememberedst the thief on the right when thou wast on the tree of the holy cross. ¶ The assistant priest shall turn around, shall cast the incense, and shall bring near the censer and shall cense ¶ The priest shall say He stretched out his hands to the passion, suffering to save the sufferers who trust in him; who was delivered of his own will to the passion, that he might abolish death and burst the bond of Satan and trample on Sheol and lead forth our saints, establishing a covenant which shall make known his resurrection.

The Institution

1 ¶ The deacon shall say Lift up your hands, ye presbyters. In the same night in which they betrayed him he took bread in his holy hands which were without spot and blessed. ¶ The priest shall say He took bread. ¶ The people shall say We believe that this is in truth; we believe. ¶ The priest shall say He looked up to heaven toward thee, toward his Father; he gave thanks. ¶ The priest shall say He blessed and brake, and then he shall break the bread into five parts, but not separating, and he gave to his disciples and he said to them, Take, eat, this bread is my body, while he shall break it with the spear, which is broken for you for the forgiveness of sins. The people shall say, Amen, Amen, Amen, we believe and confess, we praise thee, our Lord and our God, that this is true we believe. And likewise also the cup, giving thanks, he blessed it and hallowed it, benediction over the cup, and he gave it to his disciples, and he said to them, Take, drink, this cup is my blood, pointing, which is shed for you and for many, shaking the cup while he points at the cross

2 ¶ The people shall say Amen, Amen, Amen, we believe and we confess. ¶ The priest shall say And as often as ye do this, make ye memorial of me. ¶ The people shall say We show thy death, O Lord, and thine holy resurrection; we believe thine ascension; and thy coming again; we praise thee and confess thee; we supplicate thee and confess thee, our Lord and our God.

The Invocation

1 ¶ The priest shall say Now also, Lord, remembering thy death and thy resurrection, we confess thee and offer unto thee this, pointing, bread 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, O Lord, and beseech thee, that thou wouldst send thy Holy Ghost and power upon this bread and upon this cup. May he make it for the body and blood of our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ for ever and ever. ¶ Then he shall bless the bread once, and the rest once ¶ The people shall say Amen; O Lord have mercy upon us, O Lord have mercy upon us, and be propitious unto us. ¶ The deacon shall say With all our hearts we beseech the Lord our God, that he vouchsafe unto us the good communion of the Holy Ghost.

2 ¶ The people shall say As it was, is, and shall be unto generations of generations world without end. ¶ The priest shall say Truly the body and blood even to his hands and feet. ¶ The priest shall say Give it altogether unto all those who 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 thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Ghost. ¶ The people shall say Amen. ¶ The people shall say Grant us to be united in thine Holy Ghost, and heal us by this presphōrā, that we may live in thee for ever world without end. Blessed be the name of the Lord and blessed be he who cometh in the name of the Lord, and let the name of his glory be blessed. So be it; so be it; blessed; so be it.

3 ¶ The deacon shall say Send the grace of the Holy Ghost upon us. ¶ The priest shall say in like manner ¶ The priest shall say the prayer of the Fraction I adore thee, O Lord my God, Almighty, eternal, who sittest above the cherubim and seraphim, and who givest rest unto the world, who hast shown to us the hidden mystery on the tree of the cross; for who is a God merciful and holy like thee; who art powerful and givest to thy apostles who minister to thee a sweet savour, thou, O our Lord and our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, the Almighty Lord our God. ¶ The deacon shall say Pray ye. ¶ The priest shall say Lord our God, Almighty, we pray and beseech thee, who art powerful and art not far from us, forasmuch as thou didst give authority to the apostles who minister unto thee in sincerity of heart, and to those who offer unto thee a sweet savour, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

4 ¶ The priest shall say. And they shall say, the assistant presbyter, the presbyter, and the deacon and all the people in turn three times ¶ The priest shall say The hosts of the angels of the Saviour of the world, io, io, io, stand before the Saviour of the world and encompass the Saviour of the world, io, io, io, even the body and the blood of the Saviour of the world. And let us come before the face of the Saviour of the world, io, io, io, in the faith of him the apostles followed his steps.