O lover of mankind, who shewest by thy words anointing is for kings, and
this performest by highpriests; save thou the sufferer by thy seal, for
thou art loving-kind.
Let no communicating act of bitter demons touch his senses who is sign’d
with the divine anointing, Saviour; but with the safeguard of thy glory
him surround.
_Glory._
Stretch from on high thy hand, O lover of mankind, and sanctify thine
oil, and grant this to thy servant, Saviour, for healing and deliverance
from all sicknesses.
_Both now._
Mother of the Creator, thou, in thy sacred temple, hast appear’d a
fruitful olive tree, whereby the world appeareth fill’d with mercy.
Therefore save the sufferer by the touching of thy prayers.
_Condakion, tone ii._
_Like_, Seeking the things above....
Thou that art the fountain of mercy, O thou that art most good, do thou
deliver from every calamity them that with fervent faith fall down before
thine unspeakable mercy; and, O thou that art loving-kind, taking away
their ailings, do thou grant unto them thy divine grace from on high.
_Ode vii. Irmos._
The abrahamic children in the furnace....
Thou, Saviour, that alone art God, who in thy mercy and compassions,
healest the spiritual passions and bodily wounds of all; physician be
thou for this sufferer with disease, and make him whole thyself.
Since with anointing oil the heads of all anointed are, so give to this
one joy of gladness, Christ, granting the mercy of thy redemption unto
him that seeketh this, for thy rich mercy’s sake, O Lord.
_Glory._
Thy seal, O Saviour, against demons is a sword, and prayers of priests
a fire that burneth passions of the soul. Therefore in faith we praise
thee, we, who have healing gain’d.
_Both now._
O thou, the Mother of God, who didst conceive within thy womb, in wise
befitting God, him that doth all things hold within his hand, and flesh
didst give to him unspeakably; we pray thee, Be thou gracious to this
suffering one.
_Ode viii. Irmos._
With hands extended, Daniel....
O Saviour, have mercy upon all, according to thy mercy mighty and divine;
for, for this cause, we all are gather’d here to image forth in mystic
wise the condescension of thy mercies, and to bring the unction with the
oil in faith unto thy servant, whom visit thou likewise.
With thy mercy’s streams, O Christ, and by thy priests’ anointing wash
away, as Lord the loving-kind, the pains and wounds, and overwhelmings of
affliction of him tormented with the stress of sufferings, that he, being
sav’d, may praise thee with thanksgiving.
_Glory._
The sign of condescension from on high and of tranquility being drawn on
us, O Master, through thy godlike mercy; do thou thy mercy not withdraw,
nor him reject who ever crieth faithfully, O bless the Lord, all ye his
works.
_Both now._
Glorious as a crown, O pure one, nature hath gain’d thy sacred
giving-birth, which crusheth hosts of foes, and mightily doth vanquish
them. Therefore, with festal brightness crowned through thy grace, we
thee extol, O most extolled Queen.
_Ode ix. Irmos._
Unquarried rock....
Look down from heaven, O compassionate one, and shew thy mercy unto all;
and thine assistance and thy strength bestow on him who now approacheth
thee through the divine anointing by thy priests, O lover of mankind.
O Saviour, thou most good, we have, rejoicing, seen the oil divine,
which, through thy godlike condescension for them that are recipients,
thou thyself accepted hast, and typically hast given to them that have
participated in the font divine.
_Glory._
O Saviour, be compassionate and have mercy: deliver out of dangers and
afflictions—deliver from the arrows of the evil one the souls and bodies
of thy servants, and heal them, as the Lord, the merciful, by thy divine
anointing.
_Both now._
Accept thy servants’ songs and prayers, O Virgin, and, by thy
supplications, from sufferings and from ills deliver us, even us who to
thy sacred shelter us betake, O thou most pure.
It is very meet....
_Exapostilarion._
_Like_, He hath visited us....
In mercy, O thou good one, with thine eyes regard our prayer, ours, who
to-day are gather’d in thy holy temple to anoint with oil divine thy
suffering servant.
_Then stichera, tone iv._
_Like_, Thou hast given a sign....
Thou hast given thy grace through thine apostles, O good physician, lover
of mankind, to heal the wounds and sicknesses of all men through thy
holy oil. Therefore, as being loving-kind, him that now faithfully to
thy mercy hieth sanctify, have mercy upon him, and cleanse him from all
sickness, and count him worthy of thy corruptless sweetness, Lord.
O lover of mankind incomprehensible, who, with thine unseen hand, as
being loving-kind, sealest our senses with thine oil divine; look down
from heaven, and give to him that faithfully betaketh him to thee, and
asketh pardon of iniquities, healing of soul and body, that he may
glorify thee lovingly, and magnify thy might.
Through the anointing with thine oil, and through the touching of thy
priests, O lover of mankind, hallow thy servant from on high, free him
from sicknesses, cleanse him from soul’s defilement, wash him, O Saviour,
and deliver him from scandals manifold; tranquilize his grief, remove his
hindrances, and banish his afflictions, as being merciful and loving-kind.
_Glory. Both now. Theotokion._
O most pure royal palace much extoll’d, I pray thee, cleanse my mind
defil’d by every kind of sin; and make it a meet dwelling-place for the
most holy Trinity, that I thy worthless servant, being sav’d, may magnify
thy might and mercy measureless.
_Then_, Trisagion. O most holy Trinity.... _After_ Our Father.... For
thine is the kingdom....
_Then troparion, tone iv._
Thou that alone art quick to help, O Christ, make manifest from on high
a speedy visitation to thine ailing servant: deliver him from sicknesses
and bitter pains, and raise him up, that, without ceasing, he may praise
and glorify thee, through the God-bearing one’s entreaties, O thou sole
lover of mankind.
_And after these the deacon, or the first of the
priests, saith this ectenia._
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
For the peace that is from above....
For the peace of the whole world....
For this holy temple, and for them that with faith....
That this oil may be blessed by the might, and operation, and descent of
the Holy Ghost, let us pray to the Lord.
For the servant of God, _name_, and for his visitation by God, and for
the coming upon him of the grace of the Holy Ghost, let us pray to the
Lord.
For his deliverance and ours from every affliction, passion, and want.
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God....
Commemorating our most holy, most pure....
_Then the first of the priests saith the prayer of oil over the cruet._
_Note. Be it known that in the great church they pour wine instead of
water into the cruet of prayer-unction._
Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
O Lord, who, through thy mercy and compassions, healest the infirmities
of our souls and bodies; do thou thyself, O Master, sanctify this oil,
that it may be to them that are anointed therewith for healing, and for
the removal of every passion, of defilement of flesh and spirit, and
of every ill, and that thereby may be glorified thy holy name, of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages
of ages. Amen.
_And the other priests likewise read this prayer, but quietly to
themselves._
_And while the prayer is being said by the priests, they sing these
troparia._
_Tone iv._
Thou that alone art quick to help, O Christ, make manifest from on high
a speedy visitation to thine ailing servant: deliver him from sicknesses
and bitter pains, and raise him up, that, without ceasing, he may praise
and glorify thee, through the God-bearing one’s entreaties, O thou sole
lover of mankind.
With blinded spiritual eyes to thee, O Christ, I come, as he that from
his birth was blind; and penitentially to thee I cry, Be merciful to us,
thou that alone the good physician art.
_Tone iii._
My soul, that, Lord, by every kind of sin and unbecoming deeds is
paralys’d, O by thy godlike intervention do thou raise, as thou of old
a paralytic didst upraise, that I, being sav’d, may cry to thee, Give
healing unto me, O Christ compassionate.
_Tone ii._
O just one, as the Lord’s disciple, thou the gospel didst receive; as
martyr, dost possess that which unwritten is; a daring, as God’s brother,
hast; as hierarch, hast to pray: do thou beseech Christ God to save our
souls.
_Tone iv._
The Father’s sole-begotten, who is God the Word, in latter days hath come
to us, O James divine, declaring thee first pastor and instructor of them
that of Jerusalem were; a faithful steward too of ghostly mysteries.
Therefore, apostle, we all reverence thee.
_Tone iii._
To them of Myra, saint, thou didst appear a hierurgist; for Christ’s
evangel, thou, O venerated one, fulfilling, didst for thy people yield
thy soul, and save the innocent from death. For this cause art thou
sanctified as a great mystic of the grace of God.
_The same tone._
O pain-enduring one, that overcame the heathen, in dangers hath the world
thee found a champion great. Therefore, as thou didst humble Lyev’s
pride, and in the strife make Nestor brave, so, saint Demetrius, pray
Christ God to give great mercy unto us.
_The same tone._
Thou holy pain-enduring one, physician too, O Pantelimon, mediate with
God the merciful, that he may grant our souls remission of iniquities.
_Tone viii._
Ye saints that were unmercenary and wonders wrought, make visitation in
our weaknesses. Freely ye have receiv’d: O freely give to us.
_Tone ii._
Who can narrate thy mightiness, O virgin one? for thou dost wonders gush,
and pourest cures, and prayest for our souls, O thou divine and friend of
Christ.
Warm advocate and assailless wall, the spring of mercy and the world’s
defence, to thee unceasingly we cry, God-bearing Queen, prevent thou us,
and us from dangers free, thou that alone art quick to intercede.
_Deacon._ Let us attend.
_The first priest._ Peace to all.
_Choir._ And to thy spirit.
_Deacon._ Wisdom, let us attend.
_Reader, the prokimenon, tone i._
Let thy mercy, O Lord, come upon us like as we have put our trust in thee.
_Verse._
Rejoice, O ye righteous, in the Lord, for praise becometh the upright.
_The epistle._
The lection of the catholic message of James.
_And be it known that the epistle is read by the deacon, section lvii,_