O most merciful Master, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, through the prayers of our all-holy Lady, the God-bearing ever-virgin Mary; through the might of the honourable and life-effecting cross; through the intercession of the honourable heavenly bodiless hosts; of the honourable glorious prophet, forerunner, and baptist, John; of the holy glorious and all-praised apostles; of the holy glorious and excellently victorious martyrs; of our venerable and god-bearing fathers; of our fathers in the saints, the great ecumenical doctors and divines, Basil the great, Gregory the theologian, and John Chrysostom; of our father in the saints, archbishop Nicolas, wonderworker of Myrlicia; of our fathers in the saints, Peter, Alexis, Jonas, and Philip, wonderworkers of all Russia; of the holy and righteous god-progenitors, Joakim and Anna, _and of the holy, name, whose is the temple_, and of all thy Saints, make our prayer acceptable unto thee; grant unto us forgiveness of our iniquities; cover us with the shelter of thy wings; remove far from us every enemy and adversary; give peace to our life; O Lord, have mercy upon us, and upon thy world, and save our souls, as being good and the lover of mankind. _Choir._ Amen. _And the dismissal._ [Illustration] [Illustration] _Chapter XXI._ THE ORDER OF THE GREAT SANCTIFICATION ON THE HOLY THEOPHANY. _After the priest hath said the prayer behind the ambo, we all go to the baptismal font, the taper-bearers going in front, and after them the deacons and priests with the gospel and with incense, while the brethren sing the present troparia._ _Tone viii._ The voice of the Lord crieth upon the waters, saying, O come ye, and all receive the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of the fear of God, even Christ, who is made manifest. _Thrice._ To-day the nature of the waters is sanctified, and the Jordan is divided, and turneth back the flowing of its waters, beholding the baptism of the Master. _Twice._ As a man thou didst come to the river, O Christ the King, desiring to receive the baptism of a servant, O thou good one, at the hand of the Forerunner, because of our sins, O lover of mankind. _Twice._ _Glory. Both now. The same tone._ To the voice crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, thou didst come, O Lord, taking the form of a servant, asking for baptism, thou who knowest not sin. The waters beheld thee, and were afraid. The Forerunner became trembling, and cried, saying, How shall the lamp of light be lighted? how shall the servant lay hands upon the Master? Sanctify thou me and the waters, O Saviour, thou that takest away the sins of the world.