The Order of Reception into the Church through Chrismation of a Layman which Cometh from Schism

a Confession and Catechism

Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, O Treasury of every good and Bestower of life: come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (thrice)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, be gracious unto our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy name’s sake.

Lord have mercy. (thrice)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Our Father, Which art in the heavens, 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Lord have mercy. (12x)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O come let us worship and fall down before our King and God.

O come let us worship and fall down before Christ our King and God.

O come let us worship and fall down before Him, Christ the King and our God.

Psalm 50

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightiest be justified in Thy words, and prevail when Thou art judged. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities and in sins did my mother bear me. For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me and I shall be made whiter than snow. Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice. Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from my presence and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me. I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness. O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips and my mouth shall declare Thy praise. For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou shalt not be pleased. A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Sion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded. Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt offerings. Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for at a loss for any defense, this prayer do we sinners offer unto Thee as Master: have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Lord, have mercy on us; for we have hoped in Thee, be not angry with us greatly, neither remember our iniquities; but look upon us now as Thou art compassionate, and deliver us from our enemies, for Thou art our God, and we, Thy people; all are the works of Thy hands, and we call upon Thy name.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The door of compassion open unto us, O blessed Theotokos, for, hoping in thee, let us not perish; through thee may we be delivered from adversities, for thou art the salvation of the Christian race.

· In peace let us pray to the Lord.

· For the peace from above, and the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.

· For the peace of the whole world, the good estate of the holy Churches of God and the union of all let us pray to the Lord.

· For this holy house, and for those that with faith, reverence and the fear of God enter herein, let us pray to the Lord.

· For our Archbishop (name), for the venerable presbytery, the diaconate in Christ for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.

· For him who hath now come to be united to the Holy Church of Christ, and for his salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

· For his and our deliverance from all tribulation, wrath, danger and necessity, let us pray to the Lord.

· Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.

· Calling to remembrance our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and all our life to Christ our God.

· For unto Thee is due all glory, honor and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

The candidate then confesseth his sins, is catechized by the spiritual father and guided by him in the things of the Orthodox Faith.

The spiritual father then readeth the forgiveness prayer thus:

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord have mercy.

O God of hosts, Healer of every illness, be gracious unto Thy servant (name), crush Satan under his feet, renew him through Thy Holy Spirit, unite him to Thy Holy Church, and redeem him from every wile of the adversary; present him at Thy holy altar and vouchsafe him the heavenly and life-creating Mysteries.

For Thou art the God of the penitent, and to Thee do we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

And if he is not yet ready to join the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians, to reject the calendar innovation, the heresy of Ecumenism and any communion with it; or if he is weighed down with grave sins which must needs be corrected before he joineth the Church, at this point the priest saith the Dismissal. It is suggested that the candidate fast for one to three days, according to his strength, before he uniteth himself to the Church.

But if he be ready for this, the priest doth not say the Dismissal but instead addeth the Confession of Faith.

b Confession of Faith and Chrismation

The candidate readeth the following Confession of Faith before the icon of Christ:

I reject and I condemn the heresy of Ecumenism and the use of the new calendar in divine worship, and every heresy in general which the Orthodox Church doth reject and condemn.

I confess and I accept all the divine dogmas and sacred traditions of the Holy Orthodox Church of Christ, and in general whatever it confesseth and accepteth, that the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians, to which I am now uniting myself, is the continuation of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and henceforth I will follow the fasts and feasts according to the Patristic Orthodox Calendar.

The candidate then boweth his head, and the spiritual father placing his hand upon the candidate’s head, saith the following prayer:

O God our Saviour, Who willest that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth, hearken unto Thy servant (name) who of late hath awoken from delusion and desireth to come to the knowledge of Thy Truth; for Thou hast said; “And other sheep have I, that are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd.” Nurture him on the glory of the true knowledge which is in Thee according to the word of Thy holy and glorious apostles; vouchsafe himthe seal of divine chrism, the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ; and show him to be Thy perfect servant, that he also may be united to Thy flock, to the glory and praise of Thy greatness.

For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

And the spiritual father then maketh the sign of the Cross with chrism upon his forehead once, saying:

The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This action is the verifying seal of the candidate’s Confession of Faith. The spiritual father then wipeth the residue of the chrism from his forehead with cotton and admonisheth the candidate not to wash his forehead for three days, whereupon he is to wipe his forehead with cotton soaked in a little alcohol and bring the cotton to the church to be burned.

And thereafter the spiritual father again prayeth:

O Lord our God, Who hast deemed Thy servant (name) worthy to be rendered perfect through the Orthodox Faith in Thee and the seal of holy chrism; do Thou, O Master of all, preserve in him the true Faith in Thee, causing him to grow in righteousness, and adorning him with all Thy graces. And as Thou art a tender and merciful God, overlook his transgressions, voluntary and involuntary; and strengthen him to preserve his Orthodox Faith and Confession of Faith.

For blessed and glorified is Thine all-honored and majestic name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Dismissal

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

May Christ our true God; through the intercessions of His all-immaculate and all-blameless holy Mother; the holy, glorious, and all-famed apostles, (the saint of the day) and all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and loveth mankind.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us. Amen.