Priest, the prayer.
O good and man-loving, benign and most merciful Lord, great in mercy and plenteous in goodness, O Father of compassions and God of every consolation, who hast empowered us, through thy holy apostles, to heal the weaknesses of the people by prayer with oil; do thou thyself appoint this oil for the healing of them that are anointed therewith, for the alleviation of every sickness and every wound, for deliverance from evils of them that expect salvation that is from thee. Yea, O Master, Lord our God, we beseech thee, thou almighty one, to save us all, and, thou that alone art the physician of souls and bodies, to sanctify us all; thou that healest every sickness, do thou heal thy servant, name; raise him from the bed of suffering through the mercy of thy grace; visit him through thy mercy and compassions; remove from him every ailment and weakness, that, being raised by thy mighty hand, he may serve thee with all thanksgiving, as also that we, now participating in thine unspeakable love to man, may sing and glorify thee, who doest great and wonderful, glorious and transcendent things.
For it is thine to have mercy, and to save us, O our God....
And after the prayer the fourth priest straightway taketh a fourth twig, and, dipping it in the holy oil, anointeth the sick person, saying the prayer,
Holy Father, physician of souls.... Vide page [101].
Deacon. Let us attend.
The fifth priest. Peace to all.
Prokimenon, tone v.
Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us and shalt protect us, from this generation, and for ever.