_Verse._ Blessed is he whom thou hast chosen and received, O Lord.
_Verse._ His soul shall dwell in good things.
_The gospel from John, section xxi._
The Lord spake unto the Jews that came unto him, I am the bread of
life.... _ending_, at the last day.[50]
_And straightway the last kiss is given, while the singers sing these
stichera. Tone viii._
_Like_, O most glorious wonder!
Who would not weep, my child, because of thy lamented taking from this
life; for thou, a babe unwax’d in growth, from the maternal arms, like
to a bird, hast quickly flown, and unto all things’ Maker hast betaken
thee. O child! who would not weep, beholding faded thy clear face, which
erewhile beauteous as a lily was? Who would not sigh, my child, and would
not cry with wailing because of thy much comeliness, and for the charm of
thine estate? for as a ship that leaves no track thou quickly from the
eyes art gone. Come, ye, my friends, kinsfolk, and neighbours, and, along
with me, let us him kiss whom send we to the grave.
Death is the freeing of the babes; for unparticipants of ills of life
they are declar’d, and unto rest attain, and they in Abraham’s bosom
with heavenly joys are glad, and now along with holy babes in choirs
divine rejoice, and festal high in faith they keep; for from corruption,
through the love of sin, they, being pure, translated are.
_Glory. Tone vi._
On Adam pain befell of old in Eden through the tasting of the tree, when
bane the serpent spued; for thereby death hath come on the omnigenous man
who ate. But the Lord came, subdued the serpent, and repose bestow’d on
us. Then let us cry to him, O Saviour, spare, and rest with thine elect
him whom thou hast receiv’d.
_Both now. Theotokion._
Thou that alleviation art for those in grief, deliverance of the weak,
God-bearing Virgin, save the city and the folk, thou that for those at
enmity art peace, for tempest-tost a calm, the faithful’s sole defence.
_Then_, Trisagion. O most holy Trinity.... Our Father.... For thine is
the Kingdom....
_Then the troparion_, With the spirits of the righteous.... _Page 138._
_And he commemorateth according to custom, saying the previously written
ectenia, and the prayer. Page 139._
_Then the deacon._ Wisdom.
_Choir._ The more honourable than the Cherubim.... _Glory. Both now._
Lord, have mercy, _thrice_. Bless.
_And the priest maketh this dismissal._
Thou that didst arise from the dead, and hast dominion over quick and
dead, Christ our true God, through the prayers of thy most pure Mother,
and of all thy Saints, place the soul of the babe, _name_, removed from
us, in holy tabernacles, and number it with the just, as being good and
the lover of mankind.
_Choir._ Amen.
_And after the dismissal the priest saith,_
Thy remembrance is everlasting, O thou deservedly blessed and ever
remembered babe, _name_.
_And the choir singeth thrice_, Everlasting remembrance.
_After this the priest saith this prayer,
the deacon having said_, Let us pray to the Lord,
_and the singers_, Lord, have mercy.
O Lord, who guardest babes in the life that now is, and in the world
to come preparest for them the amplitude of Abraham’s bosom, and, for
their purity, bright angelic places where the souls of the righteous are
established; do thou thyself, O Lord Christ, accept in peace the soul of
thy servant, the babe, _name_. For thou hast said, Suffer the children to
come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. For to thee is due
all glory, honour, and worship, with the Father, and with the Holy Ghost,
now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
_And, taking up the body, they go to the grave, preceded by the priests
and deacons and all the clergy, singing_, Holy God....
_And, the remains having been laid in the grave, the presiding priest,
taking a shovel, scattereth earth in the grave, saying,_
The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof, the world and all they
that dwell therein.
_And they depart giving thanks unto God._
_End of the burial of a babe._
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
_Chapter XX._