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Churching a Baby Liturgical Service from the Euchologion

This Churching a Baby Liturgical Service from the Euchologion text is from Byzantine Melkite Euchologion published by the Eparchy of Newton (Our Lady of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) in Roslindale, MA), United States.

On the fortieth day, the mother and the child come to the Church and stand in the Narthex. The priest wearing his epitrachelion, meets the mother and child at the Church door and says:

Priest: Blessed is our God at all times, now and always and forever and ever.

Reader: Amen.

Holy God, Holy Might One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us! (Three times)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

All Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive us our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, look upon us and heal our infirmities for your name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (Three times)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. 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 glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

Reader: Amen.

Then the troparion of the child's saint is sung, if there one, or the troparion of the saint of the day.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Through the prayers of all your saints and the Mother of God, grant us, O Lord, your peace and have mercy on us, for You alone are merciful.

As the mother, holding her child, bows her head, the priest makes the sign of the cross + over the child and touching the child's head says.

Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.

Reader: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: O Lord God Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by your word You created all creatures both rational and irrational: bless + this child; enable him (her) to reach maturity; sanctify him (her); give him (her) understanding wisdom and intelligence. Since You have brought him (her) into existence and have shown him (her) the natural light of day,]+ grant that at the time appointed by You, he (she) may be accounted worthy of the supernatural light of heaven and be included within your holy flock.

If the child was baptized, end this prayer after "natural light of day" with the doxology: For you are good, O our God, and You love mankind and we give glory to You, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Through your only-begotten Son, with whom You are blessed, together with your all-holy, good and live-giving Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

Reader: Amen

The Priest, with his hand on the head of the mother, says this prayer:

Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.

Reader: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: O Lord our God, who came for the salvation of the human race, come also to your handmaid (Name), and through the prayers of your reverend priests, make her worthy to seek shelter in your holy Catholic Church, to enter the temple of your glory, and to receive the precious body and blood of your Christ.

That with us she may glorify your holy name, of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

Reader: Amen.

The priest blesses the child and says this prayer:

Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.

Reader: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: O Lord our God, on the fortieth day You were presented as an infant in the temple according to the Law by Mary, your holy and ever-virgin Mother, and You were carried in the arms of Simeon the Just: therefore, Lord Almighty, Creator of All, bless this child who is presented to You. Make him (her) grow in every good deed which pleases You, and through the sign of your cross, dispel from him (her) every adverse power, for You are the guardian of children, O Lord.* [Make him (her) worthy of holy baptism and of the grace of the elect of your kingdom,] and guard him (her) with us, through the grace of the holy, consubstantial and undivided Trinity.

If the child was baptized the priest says: Make him (her) through his (her) holy baptism worthy of the grace of the elect of your kingdom....

For all glory, thanksgiving and worship belong to You and also to your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

Reader: Amen.

Priest: Peace be to all.

Reader: And to your spirit.

Priest: Bow your heads to the Lord.

Reader: To You, O Lord!

Priest: O God, Father Almighty, through the mouth of Isaiah, the most eloquent of the prophets, You foretold for us the incarnation of your only-begotten Son and our God from a Virgin, who by your benevolence, and the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, in the last days, has become a child from her for the salvation of us men; and being Himself a true law-giver, He permitted Himself to be brought into the holy temple after the days of purification were fulfilled according to the prescriptions of your holy law and assented to be carried in the arms of Simeon the Just. We recognize the prototype of this mystery in the aforementioned prophet, pointed to us by the tongs of embers, which we, being faithful, also imitate be grace. Now, O Lord, being a Protector of the children, bless this child with his (her) parents and godparents.]* Grant that, at the time appointed by You, he (she) may be born again of water and the Spirit and number him (her) among the holy flock of your reasonable sheep who pray in the name of your Christ.

*If the child has been baptized, end the prayer at "godparents."

For you are the One who dwells on high and watch over the lowly, and to You we give glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

Reader: Amen.

The priest takes the child in his arms, makes the sign of the cross with it before the Church doors saying:

The servant (handmaid) of God (Name) is churched in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Then he enters the Church saying:

I will enter your house and I will worship at your holy temple.

In the middle of the Church he repeats:

The servant (handmaid) of God (Name) is churched in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

He advances again towards the holy table and says:

In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

Having reached the Holy Doors, he says for a third time:

The servant (handmaid) of God (Name) is churched in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

An he enters the sanctuary with the child be it a girl or bay. Leaving through the South door, he recites the Canticle of Simeon:

Now You dismiss your servant, O Lord, according to your word, in peace; because my eyes have seen your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples: A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and a glory for your people Israel.

The priest at the Holy Doors returns the child to its mother.

The Dismissal

Priest: Glory to You, O Christ God, our hope, Glory to You! May Christ our true God have mercy on us and save us through the prayers of his all-pure Mother, of his holy and glorious Apostles worthy of all praise, and of all the saints, for He is good and loves mankind.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us, and save us.

Reader: Amen.

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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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