Prayer for the Preparation of a Child for Baptism
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.
Priest: Blessed is our God, always, now and ever and forever.
Response: Amen.
Glory to you, our God, glory to you.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and filling all things, Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life, come and dwell within us, cleanse us of all stain, and save our souls, O gracious One.
Throughout Pascha, the following is said in place of “Glory to you” and “Heavenly King.”
Priest: Christ is risen from the dead! By death he trampled Death; and to those in the tombs he granted life.
Response: Christ is risen from the dead! By death he trampled Death; and to those in the tombs he granted life. (Twice)
Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse us of our sins; Master, forgive our transgressions; Holy One, come to us and heal our infirmities for your name's sake.
Lord, have mercy. (Three times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Priest: For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever.
Response: Amen.
Then the troparion of the day, or of the patron of the church, is sung.
The priest makes the sign of the cross over the forehead, mouth, and chest of the child, and says this prayer:
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Lord our God, we pray and beseech you, may the light of your face be impressed upon your servant (name), and may the Cross of your only Son be impressed also in his (her) heart and in his (her) thoughts, that he (she) may flee the vanity of the world, and every evil scheme of the enemy, and that he (she) may follow your commands. O Lord, grant that your holy name may remain upon him (her) and never be renounced. Grant that in due time he (she) may be joined to your holy Church, and may reach perfection through the awesome mysteries of your Christ. May he (she) live according to your commandments, and, keeping the seal intact, he (she) may attain the blessedness of the elect in your Kingdom. Through the grace and loving-kindness of 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.
Holding the child, the priest makes the sign of the Cross with him (her) before the doors of the church or before an icon of the Theotokos in the narthex, and says:
Priest: Rejoice, Theotokos, Virgin full of grace; for from you has shone forth the Sun of Justice, Christ our God, enlightening those who are in darkness. Rejoice also, you just elder; you received in your arms the liberator of our souls, who grants us resurrection.
Dismissal
Priest: May Christ, our true God, [if it is Sunday, add: risen from the dead,] have mercy on us and save us through the prayers of his most pure Mother; and through the prayers of all the saints; for Christ is good and loves us all.
Response: Amen.