Book of Needs of the Holy Orthodox Church

by Russkaia pravoslavnaia tserkov

For thou by thy will hast from, nothingness brought all things into being, and, by thy power, thou sustainest creation, and, by thy foreknowledge, directest the world. Thou from four elements hast formed creation, and hast crowned the circle of the year with four seasons. All the spiritual powers tremble before thee, the sun praiseth thee, the moon glorifieth thee, the stars make intercession with thee, the light hearkeneth unto thee, the depths shudder at thy presence, the springs of water serve thee. Thou hast stretched out the heavens as a curtain, thou hast founded the earth upon the waters, thou hast bounded the sea with sand, thou hast diffused the air for breathing. The angelic powers minister unto thee, the choirs of archangels worship thee, the many-eyed cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim, standing and flying around, cover themselves with fear of thine unapproachable glory. For thou, being the uninscribable, unbeginning and unspeakable God, didst come down upon earth, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; for thou, O Master, through the tenderness of thy mercy, didst not endure to behold the race of men tormented by the devil, but thou didst come and save us. We confess thy grace, we proclaim thy mercy, we conceal not thy beneficence. Thou hast set at liberty the generations of our nature, thou didst hallow the virginal womb by thy birth. All creation praiseth thee who didst manifest thyself; for thou, O our God, wast seen upon earth, and didst dwell together with men. Thou didst hallow the streams of Jordan, sending down from heaven thy Holy Ghost, and didst crush the heads of the dragons that lurked therein.

And the priest then saith this thrice, and blesseth the water with his hand at each verse.

Do thou thyself, O man-loving King, be present now also through the descent of thy Holy Ghost, and sanctify this water.

And give it the grace of redemption, the blessing of Jordan. Make it a fountain of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, a loosing of sins, a healing of sicknesses, a destruction of demons, unapproachable by hostile powers, fulfilled with angelic strength, that all they that draw and partake thereof may have it for the cleansing of souls and bodies, for the healing of sufferings, for the sanctification of houses, and for every befitting need. For thou art our God, who through water and the spirit hast renewed our nature fallen through sin: thou art our God, who through water didst overwhelm sin in the time of Noe: thou art our God, who through the sea by Moses didst deliver the Hebrew race from the servitude of Pharao: thou art our God, who didst divide the rock in the wilderness, and it gushed waters and poured streams, and satisfied thy thirsty people: thou art our God, who through water and fire by Elias didst convert Israel from the error of Baal.

And do thou thyself now, O Master, sanctify this water by thy Holy Ghost.

Thrice.

And grant unto all them that touch it, and partake thereof, and are sprinkled therewith, sanctification, healing, cleansing, and blessing.

Save, O Lord, thy Servant, our Most Pious, Autocratic Great Lord, THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVITCH of all Russia, thrice.

And his Consort, the Most Pious Lady, THE EMPRESS MARIA THEODOROVNA.

And His Heir, the Right-believing Lord, the Cesarevitch and Grand Duke, NICOLAUS ALEXANDROVITCH, and all the Reigning House.