Prayer for the Mother Before ReceIving Holy Communion
In Church After the Birth of a Child
The following texts, translated from the Roman Malyj Trebnyk (1952), are based on the work of the Inter-Eparchial Liturgical Commission of the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, and being made available for study by cantors enrolled in the courses of the Metropolican Cantor Institute. These texts are unofficial and provisional, and you should obtain episcopal permission before using them for any purpose other than private self-study.
If the mother comes to church to receive Holy Communion at the Divine Liturgy, then the priest meets the mother in the narthex before the Liturgy. The mother, holding the child, bows her head. The priest makes the sign of the cross over the child, and touching its head, says the following prayer:
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Lord God Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you created all nature, both spiritual and physical, by your word, and you brought all things from nothingness into being. We pray and ask you, to save, to bless, to strengthen and to protect your chosen servant (name of mother), who has now come to your holy church, that she may partake of your holy mysteries.
Bless the child born of her, grant him (her) growth, sanctify him (her), grant him (her) understanding, discretion and good judgment. As you have brought him (her) into existence, and have shown him (her) the light of day, grant also that in due time he (she) may be worthy of spiritual enlightenment and to be numbered with your holy flock; through your only-begotten Son, with whom you are blessed, together with your all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and forever.Response: Amen.
If the child has died, then in place of the above prayer the priest makes the sign of the cross over the mother and prays:
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Lord God Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you created all nature, both spiritual and physical, by your word, and you brought all things from nothingness into being. We pray and ask you, to save, to bless, to strengthen and to protect your chosen servant (name), who has now come to your holy church, that she may partake of your holy mysteries. For you are a good and loving God, and we give glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever.
Response: Amen.
Then the priest says the dismissal, and the mother may enter the church:
Priest: May Christ our true God have mercy on us and save us, through the prayers of his most pure Mother and of all the saints, for Christ is good and loves us all.
Response: Amen.
If her child is present, the rite of churching may be celebrated immediately.