The Sacrament of Holy Baptism

The Exorcisms

(The Priest unties the belt of the candidate, removes their shoes, and makes them stand facing East.)

Priest: The Lord rebukes thee, O Devil, He who came into the world and dwelt among men that He might shatter thy tyranny and deliver mankind; who upon the Cross triumphed over the adverse powers, when the sun was darkened and the earth was shaken, and the graves were opened and the bodies of the saints arose; who by death destroyed death and overthrew him who had the power of death, that is, thee, O Devil. I adjure thee by God, who showed forth the Tree of Life and appointed the Cherubim and the flaming sword that turns every way to guard it: be rebuked and depart! For I adjure thee by Him who walked upon the surface of the sea as on dry land, and rebuked the tempest of the winds; whose glance dries up the depths and whose threat melts the mountains. For it is He who now commands thee through us: Fear, depart, and begone from this creature, and return not, nor hide thyself in him (her), neither meet him (her) nor influence him (her), either by night or by day, either in the morning or at noon; but depart to thine own Tartarus until the great day of judgment.

Priest: Therefore, O most wicked, abominable, and unclean spirit, I adjure thee by the power of Jesus Christ, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, and who said to the deaf and dumb spirit: "Come out of the man, and enter no more into him." Depart! Acknowledge the vanity of thy power, which has not even authority over swine. Remember Him who commanded thee at thy request to enter into the herd of swine. Fear God, at whose command the earth was established upon the waters; who created the heavens and stretched out the mountains like a curtain, and the valleys like a garment; who set the sand for a bound to the sea, and a safe path in the deep water; who touches the mountains and they smoke; who clothes Himself with light as with a garment; who covers His upper chambers with waters; who has laid the foundations of the earth so that it should never be moved; who lifts up the water of the sea and pours it out upon the face of the earth. Depart and begone from him (her) who is preparing for Holy Illumination!

Priest: Fear, depart, and begone from this His creature, and return not, nor hide thyself in him (her), neither meet him (her) nor influence him (her), either by night or by day, either in the morning or at noon; but depart to thine own Tartarus until the great day of judgment. For I adjure thee by the holy, consubstantial, and life-creating Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the only true God, to depart and begone from this servant of God (Name).

(He breathes three times on the mouth, forehead, and chest of the candidate, saying:)

Priest: Drive out from him (her) every evil and unclean spirit, which hides and makes its lair in his (her) heart: the spirit of error, the spirit of guile, the spirit of idolatry and of every covetousness; the spirit of lying and of all uncleanness which works according to the prompting of the Devil. And make him (her) a reasonable sheep of the holy flock of Your Christ, an honorable member of Your Church, a child of light and an heir of Your Kingdom; so that, having lived according to Your commandments and preserved the seal unbroken and kept his (her) garment undefiled, he (her) may attain the blessedness of the saints in Your Kingdom.

Renunciation and Acceptance

(The Priest turns the candidate and sponsors to face the West.)

Priest: Do you renounce Satan, and all his works, and all his angels, and all his service, and all his pride?

Candidate/Sponsor: I do renounce him. (3x)

Priest: Have you renounced Satan?

Candidate/Sponsor: I have renounced him.

Priest: Then spit upon him!

(The Priest turns them back to face the East.)

Priest: Do you unite yourself to Christ?

Candidate/Sponsor: I do unite myself to Him. (3x)

Priest: Have you united yourself to Christ?

Candidate/Sponsor: I have united myself to Him.

Priest: Do you believe in Him?

Candidate/Sponsor: I believe in Him as King and God.

(The Nicene Creed is recited in full.)

The Holy Baptism

Priest: Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...

(The Blessing of the Water:)

Priest (Silent): Great are You, O Lord, and marvelous are Your works, and no word is sufficient to hymn Your wonders. For by Your will You have brought all things out of nothing into being; by Your power You uphold creation, and by Your providence You order the world. When You had fashioned creation from four elements, You did crown the circle of the year with four seasons. All the noetic powers tremble before You. The sun hymns You; the moon glorifies You; the stars entreat You; the light obeys You; the deeps shudder before You; the water-springs serve You. You did stretch out the heavens like a curtain; You did establish the earth upon the waters; You did wall in the sea with sand; You did pour out the air for breathing. The angelic powers serve You; the choirs of archangels worship You; the many-eyed Cherubim and six-winged Seraphim, standing round about and flying, veil themselves with fear before Your unapproachable glory.

Priest: For You, being God uncircumscribed, without beginning and inexpressible, did come upon earth, taking the form of a servant and being made in the likeness of men. For You could not endure, O Master, through the tenderness of Your mercy, to behold the race of men tyrannized by the Devil, but You did come and save us. We confess Your grace; we proclaim Your mercy; we hide not Your benefits. You did deliver the generation of our nature; You did hallow the virginal womb by Your birth. All creation hymns You who have appeared. For You, our God, were seen upon earth and dwelt among men. You did hallow the streams of Jordan, sending down from heaven Your Holy Spirit, and did shatter the heads of the dragons that lurked there.

Priest (Exclamation): Therefore, O King who love mankind, be present now also through the visitation of Your Holy Spirit, and sanctify this water! (3x)

Priest: And grant to it the grace of redemption, the blessing of Jordan. Make it a fountain of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, a remission of sins, a remedy for diseases, a destruction of demons, unapproachable by adverse powers, filled with angelic might. Let all who flee to it for shelter, and partake of it and are anointed by it, find it to be for the purification of their souls and bodies, for the healing of suffering, for the sanctification of their houses, and for every appropriate benefit. For You are our God, who by water and the Spirit have renewed our nature grown old through sin.

Priest: Let all adverse powers be crushed beneath the signing of the image of Your Cross! (3x)

(The Blessing of the Oil of Gladness:)

Priest: Blessed is God, who enlightens every man that comes into the world...

(He anoints the candidate with the Oil of Gladness on the forehead, chest, back, ears, hands, and feet.)

(The Baptismal Immersion:)

Priest: The servant of God (Name) is baptized in the name of the Father. Amen. And of the Son. Amen. And of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(At each name, the candidate is immersed in the water.)

Holy Chrismation

(The Priest prays for the new-baptized:)

Priest: Blessed are You, O Lord God Almighty, Source of all good things, Sun of Righteousness, who have shed upon those who were in darkness the light of salvation through the appearance of Your only-begotten Son and our God; and who have given to us, unworthy though we be, the blessed purification in the holy water, and the divine sanctification in the life-creating anointing. You who even now have been well-pleased to regenerate Your servant who has just been illumined by water and the Spirit, and have granted to him (her) the remission of voluntary and involuntary sins: do You Yourself, Master, compassionate King of all, grant to him (her) also the seal of the gift of Your holy, almighty, and adorable Spirit, and the communion of the holy Body and precious Blood of Your Christ.

Priest: The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

People: Seal. Amen.

(He anoints the forehead, eyes, nostrils, lips, ears, chest, hands, and feet, saying at each: "The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.")

(The Procession: The Priest, sponsors, and new-baptized process around the font.)

People: As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia! (3x)

The Ablution and Tonsure

(The Priest washes the places anointed with Chrism, saying:)

Priest: You are justified. You are illumined. You are sanctified. You are washed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God.

Priest: You have been baptized; you have been illumined; you have been chrismated; you have been sanctified; you have been washed: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(The Tonsure: The Priest cuts four locks of the candidate's hair in the form of a cross.)

Priest: The servant of God (Name) is tonsured in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Priest: May He who was baptized in the Jordan by John for our salvation, and was upborne in the arms of the righteous Simeon, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure Mother, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and loves mankind.

People: Amen.