Ceremony when a Hierarch Creates a Father Confessor
HIERARCH
Blessed is our God always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
DEACON or: READER
Amen.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Your name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. 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.
HIERARCH
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to ages of ages.
( Amen. )
DEACON
Let us pray to the Lord.
( Lord, have mercy. )
HIERARCH
Lord Jesus Christ our God, You granted to Peter and the rest of the eleven Disciples an apostolic and spiritual ministry, and You commanded them to both loose and bind the transgressions of people. Now I pray over Your servant (name), whom I have authorized, and who is duly ordained, that You make him a worthy provider of this apostolic and spiritual ministry of Yours, through my lowliness, to loose and bind the transgressions of the unworthy. For You are the giver of blessings, and we offer up glory to You and the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Then the Gospel reading:
DEACON
Wisdom. Arise. Let us hear the holy Gospel.
HIERARCH
Peace be with all.
( And with your spirit. )
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to John.
DEACON
Let us be attentive.
( Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You. )
HIERARCH
Jn. 20:19 – 23
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were gathered, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” [RSV]
( Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You. )
HIERARCH
My humble self, by the grace of the all-holy and consecrating Spirit, ordains you, the most devout (name), to the order of Father Confessor, to perform the ministry of spiritual fatherhood, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
DISMISSAL
HIERARCH
Glory to You, O Christ our God. Glory to You.
May He who rose from the dead, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and all-immaculate holy Mother, the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, the protection of the honorable, bodiless powers of heaven, the supplications of the honorable, glorious prophet and forerunner John the Baptist, of the holy, glorious, and praiseworthy apostles, of the holy, glorious, and triumphant martyrs, of our righteous and God-bearing fathers, (local patron saint); of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
( Amen. )