Categories: uncategorized
Date: 05 November 2005 10:23:24
Tomorrow, God willing, I'll be enrolled as a catechumen during the Divine Liturgy.
Informally, I suppose I have been an enquiring catechumen for rather a long time. Due to the various things going on with our parish I did not have a chance to formally enrol, but am thankful I will be tomorrow. There will be a number of prayers, and, importantly for me, the prayers of my parish will be with me each week up until my chrismation (God willing, in early/mid December), with the Litany of the Catechumens said each week after the Gospel reading:
Deacon: Pray to the Lord, you catechumens.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Let us the faithful, pray for the catechumens, that the Lord may have mercy on them.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: That He may teach them the word of truth.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: That He may reveal to them the gospel of righteousness.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: That He may unite them to His holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Help them, save them, have mercy on them, and protect them, O God, by Your grace.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Bow your heads to the Lord, you catechumens.
People: To You, O Lord.
Priest: O Lord, our God, Who dwells on high and regards the humble of heart; Who has sent forth as the salvation of the human race Your Only-begotten Son and God, our Lord Jesus Christ: look down upon Your servants the catechumens, who have bowed their necks before You; make them worthy in due time of the laver of regeneration, the forgiveness of sins and the robe of incorruption. Unite them to Your holy, catholic and apostolic Church, and number them with Your chosen flock, that with us they may glorify Your all-honoured and majestic name: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of ages.
People: Amen.