A Service of Prayer for Children
The Priest beginneth: Blessed is our God, always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir. O heavenly King,..
Reader. O Holy God, Holy Mighty, Glory. now, and ever,
... O all-holy Trinity, Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) Glory,.
now, and ever, Our Father, For thine is the kingdom,.. O
come, let us worship (See page 512.)
Psalm xxxiv.
I will alway give thanks unto the Lord; his praise shall ever be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O praise the Lord with me, and let us magnify his Name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me; yea, he delivered me. out of all my fear. They had an eye unto him, and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed. Lo, the poor crieth, and the Lord heareth him; yea, and saveth him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste, and see, how gracious the Lord is: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye that are his saints; for they that fear him lack nothing. The lions do lack, and suffer hunger; but they who seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good. Come, ye children, and hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that lusteth to live, and would fain see good days? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips, that they speak no guile. Eschew evil, and do good; seek peace, and ensue it. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers. The countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil, to root out the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart, and will save such as be of an humble spirit. Great are the troubles of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of all. He keepeth all his bones, so that not one of them is broken. But misfortune shall slay the ungodly; and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The Lord delivereth the souls of his servants; and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Alleluia. (Thrice.)
And the usual Litany: In peace let us pray tc the Lord, and the rest (see page 514), to the end of the petition: For those who travel by sea or by land,... after which the following petitions are added:
That he will send down upon these children the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and will open their minds and their lips, and enlighten their hearts, unto the receiving of precepts of good instruction, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir. Lord, have mercy.
That he will implant in their hearts his godly fear, which is the beginning of wisdom, and will thereby expel from their hearts the turbulence of youth, and enlighten their minds, that they may turn aside from evil and do that which is good:
That he will open their minds to receive, and to understand, and to remember all instruction which is good and profitable for the soul:
That he will grant them the wisdom which abideth with his throne, and will implant it in their hearts, so that he may teach them that which is well-pleasing in his sight:
That he will prosper them in wisdom and in stature, to the glory of God:
That they may have a wise and virtuous life, and prosperity in the Orthodox faith, and may be a joy and consolation to their parents, and pillars of the Orthodox-Catholic Church:
That they and we may be delivered from all tribulation, wrath, peril and necessity: ty
Succour us, save us, have mercy upon us and keep us, O God, by thy grace. Choir. Lord, have mercy
Calling to remembrance our most holy, all-undefiled, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Birth-giver of God and ever-virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us commend ourselves, and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.
Choir. To thee, O Lord.
Exclamation.
For unto thee are due all glory, honour and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir Amen.
Then the following Hymns (Tropari) are read. Tone VI.:
As thou didst come into the midst of thy Disciples, O Saviour, bestowing upon them peace, so also come thou unto us, and save us.
Of thine unlettered Disciples thy Holy Spirit made teachers, O Christ-God; and by the commingling of tongues He annulled idolatry in that He is almighty.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. (Tone
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Blessed art thou, O Christ our God, who hast revealed fishers most wise, sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, and thereby catching the universe as in a net. O Christ our God, who lovest mankind, glory to thee.
Now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Protection of Christians that maketh not ashamed, O Mediatrix never-failing with the Creator: Despise not the sinners' voice of supplication; but in that thou art good, come speedily to the aid of us who faithfully call upon thee; make haste to our petition and further our prayer, O Birth-giver of God, who ever protectest them that do thee honour.
Deacon. Let us attend.
Priest. Peace be with you all.
Reader. And with thy spirit.
Deacon. Wisdom! Let us attend.
Reader. The Gradual (Prokimen), in the Fourth Tone: Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained praise.
Verse: My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
Then the Reader readeth the Epistle.
(Ephesians i. 16-iQ; in. 16-21.) Brethren: I cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. And that ye may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Then the Deacon saith:
Wisdom, O believers! Let us listen to the Holy Gospel.
Priest. Peace be with you all.
Choir. And with thy spirit.
Priest. The Lesson from the holy Gospel of Luke.
Deacon. Let us attend.
Choir. Glory to thee, O Lord; glory to thee.
(Mark x. 13-16.) At that time they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall
not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Choir. Glory to thee, O Lord; glory to thee.
Then the Deacon reciteth the Augmented Litany as far as: Furthermore we pray for all their Christ-loving Army and Navy. (See page 90.)
Then: Furthermore we pray unto the Lord our God, that he will look graciously upon these children, and will send down into their hearts, their minds, and their lips the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, and of piety, and of his fear; and that he will illumine them with the light of his knowledge, and will bestow upon them strength and steadfastness, that they may quickly apprehend and speedily become wonted to the instruction in his Divine Law, and to all good and profitable learning: furthermore, that he will prosper them in wisdom and understanding, and in all good works to the glory of his holy Name, and will give them health, and make them long-lived, unto the building up and the glory of his Church, let us all say: O Lord, hearken and mercifully have mercy.
Choir. Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times.)
Then the Priest exclaimeth: Hear us, O God our Saviour,... (See page 517.)
Choir. Amen.
Deacon. Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir. Lord, have mercy.
And the Priest, with all heed and emotion, readeth, aloud, the following Prayer:
O Lord our God and Creator, who hast honoured us men with thine own image; who hast taught thine elect, so that most wise are they who give heed to thy teaching; who revealest wisdom unto babes; who hast imparted thy teaching unto Solomon and unto all who have sought thy wisdom: Open thou the hearts, the minds, and the lips of these thy servants, that they may receive the power of thy law, and successfully apprehend the useful precepts which shall be taught them, to the glory of thine all-holy Name, to the profit and building up of thy holy Church, and that they may understand thy good and perfect will. Deliver them from every hostile oppression; preserve them in Orthodoxy and the faith, and in all uprightness and purity all the days of their life, that they may advance in wisdom, and in the fulfilling of thy commandments: that, being thus prepared, they may glorify thine all-holy Name, and become heirs of thy kingdom. For thou art God mighty in mercy, and gracious in strength; and unto thee is due glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Deacon. Wisdom!
Choir. More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, thou who without defilement barest God the Word, true Birth-giver of God, we magnify thee.
Priest. Glory to thee, O Christ-God, our hope; glory to thee.
Choir. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) Bless.
And the customary Benediction.
May Christ, our true God, through the prayers of his all-holy Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostles; of the holy, righteous Ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna; and of all the Saints, have mercy upon us, and save us, forasmuch as he is good, and loveth mankind. Then the Priest, blessing the Children with the cross, saith:
The blessing of the Lord, with his grace, and bounties, and love toward mankind, be upon you always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Then the Children kiss the holy cross, and the Priest sprinkleih them with holy water.