Prayers for Catechumens and those preparing for Illumination
Accept a supplication from your servants and have mercy on us according to the abundance of your mercy, and send your mercies upon us and upon all your people, who await the rich mercy from you. Extolled: For you are a merciful and loving-towards-humanity God, and to you we return the glory to the Father...
Prayers for the catechumens and those being illuminated. The Deacon. Responses. Let the catechumens pray to the Lord. The faithful, let us pray for the catechumens, that the Lord may have mercy on them, instruct them in the word of truth, reveal to them the gospel of righteousness, and unite them to his own holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Responses: Save, have mercy, uphold, and protect them, O God, by your grace. Catechumens, bow your heads to the Lord. The Priest prays: God, our God, the Creator... Responses: Save, have mercy, raise up, and protect. Catechumens, bow your heads to the Lord. That they too may glorify with us. 'All you who are catechumens, come forward; all you who are catechumens, come forward.' These diaconal instructions are said from the seventh week until the mid-week; but from the fourth mid-week, these following are said: 'All you who are catechumens, come forward; all you who are catechumens, come forward; all you who are approaching illumination.'
Let those approaching illumination pray. The faithful, let us pray for our brothers who are being prepared for the holy illumination and for their salvation by the Lord: that the Lord God our God may support them and strengthen them; enlighten them with the light of knowledge and truth; grant them to be worthy in the proper time of the bath of regeneration, the forgiveness of sins, and the garment of incorruption; regenerate them through water and spirit; grant them the perfection of faith; and count them among his holy and elect flock. Responses: Save, have mercy, raise up, and protect them, O God, by your grace. You who are approaching illumination, bow your heads to the Lord. This prayer is said from the fourth mid-week: 'Appear, O Lord, your face, etc.' [See page 54]. Extolled: For you are our light, and to you is the glory. The people: Amen. 'All you who are approaching illumination, come forward; all you who are approaching illumination, come forward; all you who are catechumens, come forward; let no one of the catechumens remain.' Let us pray continually that we all may be in the peace of the Lord.
Liturgy of the Faithful. X. Prayers for the faithful. The Priest. Prayer of the faithful after the unfolded veil. God, the great and praiseworthy, etc. [See page 54]. Responses: Uphold, save, have mercy, raise up, and protect. Extolled: For all glory and honor belong to you. Again and again. The Priest prays: Holy Lord, supremely good, we are being disgraced... [See page 55]. Responses: Uphold, save, have mercy, raise up, and protect. According to the gift of...
Greek
ἱκεσίαν πρόσδεξαι παρὰ τῶν δούλων σου καὶ ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ ἐλέους σου καὶ τοὺς οἰκτιρμούς σου κατάπεμψον ἐφ' ἡμᾶς καὶ πάντα τὸν λαόν σου, τὸν ἀπεκδεχόμενον τὸ παρὰ σοῦ πλούσιον ἔλεος. Ἐκφώνως· Ὅτι ἐλεήμων καὶ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς ὑπάρχεις καὶ σοὶ τὴν δόξαν ἀναπέμπομεν τῷ Πατρί … Θ' Εὐχαὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν κατηχουμένων καὶ τῶν φωτιζομένων Κ. Ὁ διάκονος. Θ, Ι, Κ, Λ κλπ. Εὔξασθαι οἱ κατηχούμενοι τῷ Κυρίῳ. Οἱ πιστοὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν κατηχουμένων δεηθῶμεν, ἵνα ὁ Κύριος αὐτοὺς ἐλεήσῃ, κατηχήσῃ αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀποκαλύψῃ αὐτοῖς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἑνώσῃ αὐτοὺς τῇ ἁγίᾳ αὑτοῦ καθολικῇ καὶ ἀποστολικῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ. Ι, Κ, Μ, α Σῶσον, ἐλέησον, ἀντιλαβοῦ καὶ διαφύλαξον αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς τῇ σῇ χάριτι. Οἱ κατηχούμενοι τὰς κεφαλὰς ὑμῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ κλίνατε. Θ Ὁ ἱερεὺς εὔχεται· Ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ κτίστης ... (σελ. 53). Σῶσον, ἐλέησον, ἀνάστησον καὶ διαφύλαξον. Οἱ κατηχούμενοι τὰς κεφαλὰς ὑμῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ κλίνατε. Ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ σὺν ἡμῖν δοξάζωσι. Ὅσοι κατηχούμενοι προέλθετε, οἱ κατηχούμενοι προέλθετε· Ταῦτα τὰ διακονικὰ λέγονται ἀπὸ τῆς αʹ ἑβδομάδος ἕως τῆς μεσονηστίμου· ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς δʹ τῆς μεσονηστίμου λέγονται ταῦτα τὰ ὑποτεταγμένα· Ὅσοι κατηχούμενοι προέλθετε, οἱ κατηχούμενοι προέλθετε· ὅσοι πρὸς τὸ φώτισμα προέλθετε. Εὔξασθαι οἱ πρὸς τὸ φώτισμα. Οἱ πιστοὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν πρὸς τὸ ἅγιον φώτισμα εὐτρεπιζομένων ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν· ὅπως Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν στηρίξῃ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐνδυναμώσῃ· φωτίσῃ αὐτοὺς φωτισμῷ γνώσεως καὶ ἀληθείας· καταξιώσῃ αὐτοὺς ἐν καιρῷ εὐθέτῳ τοῦ λουτροῦ τῆς παλιγγενεσίας, τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ τοῦ ἐνδύματος τῆς ἀφθαρσίας· ἀναγεννήσῃ αὐτοὺς δι' ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος· χαρίσῃ αὐτοῖς τὴν τελειότητα τῆς πίστεως· συγκαταριθμήσῃ αὐτοὺς τῇ ἁγίᾳ αὑτοῦ καὶ ἐκλεκτῇ ποίμνῃ. Σῶσον, ἐλέησον, ἀνάστησον καὶ διαφύλαξον αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς τῇ σῇ χάριτι. Οἱ πρὸς τὸ φώτισμα τὰς κεφαλὰς ὑμῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ κλίνατε. Αὕτη ἡ εὐχὴ λέγεται ἀπὸ τῆς δʹ τῆς μεσονηστίμου· Ἐπίφανον, δέσποτα, τὸ πρόσωπόν σου κλπ. (βλ. σελ. 54)· Ἐκφώνως· Ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ φωτισμὸς ἡμῶν καὶ σοὶ τὴν δόξαν· Ὁ λαός· Ἀμήν. Ὅσοι πρὸς τὸ φώτισμα προέλθετε, οἱ πρὸς τὸ φώτισμα προέλθετε· Ὅσοι κατηχούμενοι προέλθετε· μή τις τῶν κατηχουμένων. Ὅσοι πιστοὶ ἔτι καὶ ἔτι ἐν εἰρήνῃ τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν. Λειτουργία τῶν πιστῶν Ιʹ. Εὐχαὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν πιστῶν Θ Εὐχὴ πιστῶν αʹ μετὰ τὸ ἁπλῶσαι τὸ εἰλητόν. Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ μέγας καὶ αἰνετὸς κλπ. (σελ. 54). Ἀντιλαβοῦ, σῶσον, ἐλέησον, ἀνάστησον καὶ διαφύλαξον. Ἐκφώνως· Ὅτι πρέπει σοι πᾶσα δόξα, τιμή. Ἔτι καὶ ἔτι. Ὁ ἱερεὺς εὔχεται· ∆έσποτα ἅγιε, ὑπεράγαθε, δυσωποῦμέν σε ... (σελ. 55). Ἀντιλαβοῦ, σῶσον, ἐλέησον, ἀνάστησον καὶ διαφύλαξον. Κατὰ τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ
About this text
A detailed ancient Christian liturgy offering insight into early church rituals and prayers for catechumens.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 41–43 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.