[The Divine Liturgy, Wherein is the Bidding Prayer for the Catechumens.]

VI. Ye catechumens, pray, and let all the faithful pray for them in their mind, saying: Lord, have mercy upon them. And let the deacon bid prayers for them, saving: Let us all pray unto God for the catechumens, that He that is good, He that is the lover of mankind, will mercifully hear their prayers and their supplications, and so accept their petitions as to assist them and give them those desires of their hearts which are for their advantage, and reveal to them the Gospel of His Christ; give them illumination and understanding, instruct them in the knowledge of God, teach them His commands and His ordinances, implant in them His pure and saving fear, open the ears of their hearts, that they may exercise themselves in His law day and night; strengthen them in piety, unite them to and number them with His holy flock; vouchsafe them the laver of regeneration, and the garment of incorruption, which is the true life; and deliver them from all ungodliness, and give no place to the adversary against them; “and cleanse them from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and dwell in them, and walk in them, by His Christ; bless their goings out and their comings in, and order their affairs for their good.”  54  2 Cor. vii. 1, vi. 6; Ps. cxxi. 8. Let us still earnestly put up our supplications for them, that they may obtain the forgiveness of their transgressions by their admission, and so may be thought worthy of the holy mysteries, and of constant communion with the saints. Rise up, ye catechumens, beg for yourselves the peace of God through His Christ, a peaceable day, and free from sin, and the like for the whole time of your life, and your Christian ends of it; a compassionate and merciful God; and the forgiveness of your transgressions. Dedicate yourselves to the only unbegotten God, through His Christ. Bow down your heads, and receive the blessing. But at the naming of every one by the deacon, as we said before, let the people say, Lord, have mercy upon him; and let the children say it first. And as they have bowed down their heads, let the bishop who is newly ordained bless them with this blessing: O God Almighty, unbegotten and inaccessible, who only art the true God, the God and Father of Thy Christ, Thy only begotten Son; the God  55  One V. ms. has προβολεύς, “the sender forth,” or “producer,” instead of “God.” of the Comforter, and Lord of the whole world; who by Christ didst appoint Thy disciples to be teachers for the teaching of piety; do Thou now also look down upon Thy servants, who are receiving instruction in the Gospel of Thy Christ, and “give them a new heart, and renew a right spirit in their inward parts,”  56  Ps. li. 10. that they may both know and do Thy will with full purpose of heart, and with a willing soul. Vouchsafe them an holy admission, and unite them to Thy holy Church, and make them partakers of Thy divine mysteries, through Christ, who is our hope, and who died for them; by whom glory and worship be given to Thee in the Holy Spirit for ever. Amen. And after this, let the deacon say: Go out, ye catechumens, in peace. And after they are gone out, let him say: Ye energumens, afflicted with unclean spirits, pray, and let us all earnestly pray for them, that God, the lover of mankind, will by Christ rebuke the unclean and wicked spirits, and deliver His supplicants from the dominion of the adversary. May He that rebuked the legion of demons, and the devil, the prince of wickedness,  57  Mark v. 9; Zech. iii. 2. even now rebuke these apostates from piety, and deliver His own workmanship from his power, and cleanse those creatures which He has made with great wisdom. Let us still pray earnestly for them. Save them, O God, and raise them up by Thy power. Bow down your heads, ye energumens, and receive the blessings. And let the bishop add this prayer, and say:—

[7] Καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἐξελθεῖν αὐτοὺς λεγέτω: Εὔξασθε, οἱ ἐνεργούμενοι ὑπὸ πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων. Ἐκτενῶς πάντες ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν δεηθῶμεν, ὅπως ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς διὰ Χριστοῦ ἐπιτιμήσῃ τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις καὶ πονηροῖς πνεύμασιν καὶ ῥύσηται τοὺς αὐτοῦ ἱκέτας ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ ἀλλοτρίου καταδυναστείας: ὁ ἐπιτιμήσας τῷ λεγεῶνι τῶν δαιμόνων καὶ τῷ ἀρχεκάκῳ διαβόλῳ, αὐτὸς ἐπιτιμήσῃ καὶ νῦν τοῖς ἀποστάταις τῆς εὐσεβείας καὶ ῥύσηται τὰ ἑαυτοῦ πλάσματα ἀπὸ τῆς ἐνεργείας αὐτῶν καὶ καθαρίσῃ αὐτά, ἃ μετὰ πολλῆς σοφίας ἐποίησεν. Ἔτι ἐκτενῶς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν δεηθῶμεν: Σῶσον καὶ ἀνάστησον αὐτούς, ὁ Θεός, ἐν τῇ δυνάμει σου. Κλίνατε, οἱ ἐνεργούμενοι, καὶ εὐλογεῖσθε. Ὁ δὲ ἐπίσκοπος ἐπευχέσθω λέγων: Ὁ τὸν ἰσχυρὸν δήσας καὶ πάντα τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ διαρπάσας, ὁ δοὺς ἡμῖν ἐξουσίαν πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, ὁ τὸν ἀνθρωποκτόνον ὄφιν δεσμώτην παραδοὺς ἡμῖν ὡς στρουθίον παιδίοις, ὃν φρίττει πάντα καὶ τρέμει ἀπὸ προσώπου δυνάμεώς σου, ὁ ῥήξας αὐτὸν ὡς ἀστραπὴν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εἰς γῆν, οὐ τοπικῷ ῥήγματι, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τιμῆς εἰς ἀτιμίαν δι' ἑκούσιον αὐτοῦ κακόνοιαν: Οὗ τὸ βλέμμα ξηραίνει ἄβυσσον καὶ ἡ ἀπειλὴ τήκει ὄρη καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ὃν αἰνεῖ τὰ νήπια καὶ εὐλογεῖ τὰ θηλάζοντα, ὃν ὑμνοῦσιν καὶ προσκυνοῦσιν ἄγγελοι: Ὁ ἐπιβλέπων ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ ποιῶν αὐτὴν τρέμειν, ὁ ἁπτόμενος τῶν ὀρέων καὶ καπνίζονται, ὁ ἀπειλῶν θαλάσσῃ καὶ ξηραίνων αὐτὴν καὶ πάντας τοὺς ποταμοὺς ἐξερημῶν, οὗ νεφέλαι κονιορτὸς τῶν ποδῶν, ὁ περιπατῶν ἐπὶ θαλάσσης ὡς ἐπ' ἐδάφους: Μονογενῆ Θεέ, μεγάλου Πατρὸς Υἱέ, ἐπιτίμησον τοῖς πονηροῖς πνεύμασιν καὶ ῥῦσαι τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ἀλλοτρίου πνεύματος ἐνεργείας, ὅτι σοὶ δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ σέβας καὶ διὰ σοῦ τῷ σῷ Πατρὶ ἐν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας: ἀμήν. Ὁ διάκονος λεγέτω: Προέλθετε, οἱ ἐνεργούμενοι.