The Burial of a Child
The Priest. Blessed is our God always, now. and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir. Amen.
Then Psalm xci.: Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Alleluia, in Tone V (See page 370, the Burial of Laymen.)
Verse (Stikh): Blessed is he whom thou hast chosen and taken, O Lord.
Choir. Alleluia, in Tone VIII.
Verse: And his remembrance is from generation to generation.
Choir. Alleluia.
O Holy God, Holy Mighty, Glory... now, and, ever, O all-
holy Trinity,.. Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) Glory now, and ever, Our Father,.. For thine is the kingdom,. (See page 368,
Burial of Laymen.)
O Thou who, with wisdom profound, mercifully orderest all things, and givest that which is expedient unto all men, thou Only Creator: Give rest, O Lord, to the soul of thy servant who hath fallen asleep; For he (she) hath set his (her) hope on thee, our Maker, the Author of our being and our God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
For he (she) hath set his (her) hope on thee, our Maker, the Author of our being, and our God.
Now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Thee have we as a Wall and a Defence, and a Mediatrix well-pleasing unto God whom thou hast borne, O Virgin Birth-giver of God, the salvation of the faithful.
Then Psalm li., Have mercy upon me, O God,.. (See page 380.)
And after that beginneth the Canon for the Dead, over the departed child.
Canticle I., Tone VIII. Theme-Song (Irmos). When Israel had passed through the water as it had been dry land, and had escaped from the malice of the Egyptians, they cried: Let us sing praises unto our deliverer and our God. Refrain. Give rest to the child, O Lord.
Hymns. O Word of God, who didst humble thyself even unto the flesh, and wast graciously pleased to become a babe, yet without change:
Ordain thou that this child whom thou hast accepted may be received into Abraham's bosom, we beseech thee.
Thou wast beheld a little child, thou who existest before all the ages, and forasmuch as thou art good, unto children hast promised thy kingdom: Number therein this child here present.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou hast taken unto thyself, O Christ the Saviour, this spotless child, ere he (she) had been tempted of earthly pleasures, bestowing upon him (her) thine eternal good things; forasmuch as thou lovest mankind.
Now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Hymn to the Birth-giver of God. O thou who, in wise inexpressible, didst bear the Wisdom and Word of the Father, heal thou the cruel wound of my soul, and soothe the pang of my heart.
Canticle III.
Theme-Song (Irmos). O Lord Supreme and Creator of the vault of heaven, and Founder of the Church, establish thou me in thy love, O thou who alone lovest mankind; the Summit of desire, the Confirmation of the faithful.
Refrain. Give rest to the child, O Lord.
O Word all-perfect, who as perfect child didst manifest thyself, thou hast translated unto thyself this child of stature unfulfilled. Give him (her) rest with all the just who are well-pleasing unto thee, O thou who alone lovest mankind.
This uncorrupted child, whom thou hast translated through thy command divine, torn hence ere he (she) had tasted the sweets of earth, show thou forth a partaker of super-mundane good things, we beseech thee, O Beneficent One.
Glory..
A partaker of heavenly mansions, and of radiant rest, and of the holy Choir of the Saints, make thou, O Lord, this child most pure, whom it hath seemed good to thee, O Saviour, to call unto thyself.
Now, and ever,...
Hymn to the Birth-giver of God. Bereft of all things I flee to thy sole shelter, O Lady Most Pure: Succour thou me. For I have heaped up a treasure of iniquity, and am all filled with poverty of virtues. Then the Theme-Song: O Lord Supreme and Creator... Then the Priest reciteth the following Litany:
Again, yet again, in peace let us pray to the Lord.
Choir. Lord, have mercy.
Furthermore we pray for the repose of this blessed child, N. And that, according to his word, He will graciously vouchsafe unto him (her) his heavenly kingdom.
Choir. Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.)
That the Lord our God will appoint his (her) soul where all the Just repose.
Choir. Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.)
The mercies of God, the kingdom of heaven, and rest with the Saints, for him (her) and for ourselves, let us beseech of Christ, our King Immortal and our God.
Choir. Grant it, O Lord.
Priest. Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir. Lord, have mercy. _
O Lord Jesus Christ our God, who hast promised to bestow the kingdom of heaven upon them that have been born of water and of the Spirit, and in spotlessness of life have been translated unto thee, and hast said, Suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven: We humbly entreat thee that thou wilt give unto thy servant, the spotless child, N., now departed from us, the inheritance of thy kingdom, according to thine unfailing promise. And grant that we may continue in innocency of living, and make a Christian ending of our life, and attain to an abode in the heavenly mansions, with all thy Saints.
For thou art the Resurrection, and the Life, and the Repose of all thy servants, and of thy servant, this child, N., now taken from us, O Christ our God; and unto thee do we ascribe glory, together with thy Father who is from everlasting, and thine all-holy, and good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir. Amen.
Hymn. Of a truth, all things are vanity, and life is but a shadow and a dream. For in vain doth every one who is born of earth disquiet himself, as saith the Scriptures. When we have acquired the world, then do лл*е take up our abode in the grave, where kings and beggars lie down together Wherefore, O Christ our God, give rest to thy servant departed this life; forasmuch as thou lovest mankind.
Canticle IV
Theme-Song (Irmos). I have heard the mystery of thy dispensation, O Lord, and have considered thy works, and have glorified thy divinity.
Refrain. Give rest to the child, O Lord.
Hymns. Let us not mourn the child, but rather weep heavily for ourselves who sin always; that we may be delivered from Gehenna.
Thou hast deprived the child of earthly joys, O Master. Grant unto him (her) thy heavenly good things; forasmuch as thou art he who judgeth righteously.
Glory
A citizen of Paradise, O truly blessed child, shall he make thee who hath summoned thee from earth, and numbereth thee with the company of the Saints.
Now, and ever,...
Hymn to the Birth-giver of God. All we who are illumined know thee, O Birth-giver of God most pure. For thou hast borne the Sun of Righteousness, O Ever-Virgin One.
Canticle V
Theme-Song (Irmos). Wherefore hast thou cast me away from thy countenance, O Light which knowest no setting? And why hath hostile darkness encompassed me, the wretched one? But turn thou me again, and guide thou my paths in the light of thy commandments, I beseech thee.
Refrain. Give rest to the child, O Lord.
Hymns. By thy righteous judgment hast thou mowed down, ere like a green shoot it had put forth buds, the child whom thou has called to thyself, O Lord. But in that thou hast led the same unto the mount of blessings everlasting, implant thou him (her) firmly there, O Word.
The sword of death hath come and cut thee off like a tender branch ere thou hadst tasted earthly joys, O Blessed One. But lo! Christ doth open unto thee the heavenly gates, numbering thee with the elect. For he is full of loving-kindness.
Glory
Grieve ye not for me, for he hath ordained nothing worthy of grief. But weep ye rather always for yourselves who have sinned sore, O kin and friends, the dead child crieth: that when ye shall be proved ye receive not chastisement.
Now, and ever,
Hymn to the Birth-giver of God. Of myself do I despair, when I look upon the multitude of my deeds. But when I take thought of thee, who beyond understanding didst bear the Lord, O Mother of God, I am refreshed with hope. For thee alone do we possess as our Mediatrix-
Canticle VI.
Theme-Song (Irmos). I will pour out my petition unto the Lord, and unto him will I proclaim my grief. For evil hath filled my soul, and my life hath drawn nigh unto the pit; and like Jonah will I pray: Lead me forth from corruption, O God.
Refrain. Give rest to the child, O Lord.
Hymns. As a child thou wast laid in a manger, and didst yield thyself to the embrace of an aged man who had begotten babes in his loins. And ere this child had attained unto his (her) full stature, thou has translated him (her) into life. For which cause we glorify thee with thanksgiving.
Thou didst cry unto the Apostles, O Word: Suffer the little children to come unto me, for unto such as are like unto them in spirit is my kingdom given. Grant, therefore, thy light unto the child who hath been translated unto thee.
Glory
Thou hast despoiled thy child of earthly good things, that thou mightest
manifest him (her) a partaker of thy heavenly good things, inasmuch as he (she) hath not offended against thy commands divine. Let us glorify the depth immeasurable of thy providence, O Blessed One.
Now, and ever,
Hymn to the Birth-giver of God. Thee have we as a vast wall of refuge, O Maiden, and an all-perfect salvation for our souls, and an abiding-place in sorrow; and in thy light will we rejoice evermore. O Lady, save us now from our griefs and woes.
Then the Theme-Song: I will pour out my petition.
Then the Priest reciteth the Litany: Again, yet again: with the Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ our God, and the Exclamation. (See page 425.)
Then is sung the Collect-Hymn (Konddk), in Tone VIII.
With the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul of thy servant, where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting.
The Ikos.
Thou only art immortal, who hast created and fashioned man. For out of the earth were we mortals made, and unto the earth shall we return again, as thou didst command when thou madest me, saying unto me: For earth thou art, and unto the earth shalt thou return. Whither, also, all we mortals wend our way, making of our funeral dirge the song: Alleluia.
Also the following Ikosi:
Naught is more pitiable than a mother, naught more wretched than a father; for their affections are sore distressed when they send their children forth before them to the grave. Great, also, is the pang of their hearts because of their children, and yet the more when these are sweet of speech, as they call to mind their sayings with the song: Alleluia.
Oft do they beat their breasts before the grave and say: O my son, and sweetest child, hearest thou not what thy mother crieth unto thee? Behold, also, the womb that bare thee. Why speakest thou not with us, as thou wert wont to speak, but thus boldest thy peace, and sayest not with us: Alleluia.
O God, O God, who has called me hence, be thou the consolation of my household now; for a great affliction hath befallen them. For all hold their gaze fixed steadfastly on me, having me as their only-begotten one. But do thou, who wast born of a Virgin Mother, refresh the bowels of my mother, and water with dew the heart of my father, even with this: Alleluia.
Then the Collect-Hymn, in Tone VIII.
Wi+h the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul of thy servant, where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting.
Canticle VII.
Theme-Song (Irmos). The Hebrew Children in the furnace trod boldly on the flames, and the fire was transformed into dew as they cried: Blessed art thou, O Lord God, forevermore.
Refrain. Give rest to the child, O Lord.
Hymns. Inscribe thy child in the Book of the Redeemed, in that thou lovest mankind, O Bountiful One; that, rejoicing, he may cry aloud to the majesty of thy glory: Blessed art thou.
With the radiant light of thy countenance illumine thou, O Word, thy child who, in the faith, hath been translated unto thee in unripe age, and singeth unto thee: O Lord God, blessed art thou.
Glory
A cause of woe doth thy going hence now seem to those who love thee; but of a surety to thee a cause of joy and gladness. For thou, O child, hast inherited life unto all the ages.
Now, and ever,
Hymn to the Birth-giver of God. Behold, O Virgin, the affliction which the multitude of my evil deeds hath brought upon me; and ere I go hence, give me refreshing with thy maternal prayers, that God may show mercy upon me.
Canticle VIII.
Theme-Song (Irmos). With seven-fold heat did the Chaldaeean tyrant in his rage cause the furnace to be heated for the Godly Ones; but when he beheld them saved by a better power, he cried aloud unto their Maker and Redeemer: Ye Children, bless; ye Priests sing praises; ye People exalt him unto all the ages.
Refrain. Give rest to the child, O Lord.
Hymns. In Abraham's bosom, in the mansions of rest, where abideth ever the joy of those who make glad; in the places of refreshing where is the water of life, may Christ establish thee, in that he himself became a little child for the sake of us who continually do cry unto him: Ye Priests, sing praises; ye People, exalt him forevermore.
Thy going hence is, of a truth, the all-sufficent and ever-memorable cause of our grief and of our tears. For ere thou hadst tasted the pleasant things of this present life, thou hast left the earth, and thy parents' bosom. But Abraham's bosom shall receive thee; for thou art but a little child, and hast no part in any stain.
Glory
Why mourn ye me, the child translated hence? he crieth invisibly, as dead he lieth. There is no cause for grief. For unto children who have committed no deeds worthy of tears is appointed the joy of all the Righteous. For unto Christ they sweetly sing: Ye Priests, sing praises; ye People exalt him forevermore.
Now, and ever,..
Hymn to the Birth-giver of God. Arise to my succour, O Birth-giver of God. Receive my supplications, and deliver me from condemnation dread, from rigorous searching-out, from outer darkness, and fire, and from gnashing of teeth; from the spiteful abuse of demons, and from every distress, O Hope of the hopeless, O Life of the despairing.
Canticle IX.
Theme-Song (Irmos). Heaven was affrighted, and the ends of the earth were amazed: For God revealed himself unto men in the flesh, and thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. For which cause the chieftains of men and of Angels do glorify thee, O Birth-giver of God.
Refrain. Give rest to the child, O Lord.
Hymns. O Christ, who didst become a little child, yet without change of essence; and of thine own good will didst unite thyself unto the Cross; and with pity didst look upon the maternal sorrows of her who gave thee birth: Assuage thou the sadness and sore grief of the faithful parents of the dead child: that unto thy majesty we may sing praises.
O King of all men, in that thou hast sent from on high, and taken this blessed child, like a pure little bird, to its heavenly nest, thou hast saved this soul from snares of many kinds, O Lord, and hast united it with the spirits of the righteous who enjoy the delights of thy kingdom.
Glory..
Thou hast bestowed a heavenly abode, O Word of God, upon children who have wrought no evil: for thus hath it seemed good in thy sight, O Blessed One. With the same number thou also thy creature, the child who is now come unto thee. Assuage thou the grief of his (her) parents; forasmuch as thou art pitiful, and lovest mankind.
Now, and ever,.
Hymn to the Birth-giver of God. With the eye of the heart gazing ever steadfastly unto thee, who makest supplication maternal to him who was born of thee, I implore thee, O all-blameless One: Quench thou the passions of my soul; move me betimes to penitence, O Virgin, and illumine me with thy light.
Then the Litany: Again, yet again: with the Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ our God,... and the Exclamation. (See page 425.)
Exapostildrion. Now am I at rest, and have found great release; for I have been translated from corruption, and have passed over into life. Glory to thee, O Lord.
(And the Choir repeateth the same after each of the following Verses.) Verse (Stikh): Man is as the grass: his days are as the flower of the field.
Verse: For his spirit goeth forth from him, and he ceaseth to be.
Verse: But the truth of the Lord endureth forever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Now have I chosen the Maiden Mother of God; for Christ, the Redeemer of all men was born of her. Glory to thee, O Lord. And straightway the Priest shall exclaim:
For holy art thou, O Lord our God, and restest in the Saints; and unto thee do we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir. Amen.
O Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us. (Thrice.)
Deacon. Let us attend.
Priest. Peace be with you all.
Reader. And with thy spirit.
Deacon. Wisdom!
Reader. The Gradual (Prokimen), in the Sixth Tone. Blessed is the way in which thou shalt walk to-day, O soul; for a place of rest is prepared for thee.
And the Choir repeateth this.
Verse: Return thou unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee.
Deacon. Wisdom!
Reader. The Lesson from the Epistle of the holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.
Deacon. Let us attend.
(.r Cor. xv. 39-46.) Brethren: All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power: it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. A.nd so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Priest. Peace be with thee.
Reader. And with thy spirit.
Deacon. Wisdom! Reader. Alleluia. (Thrice.)
Verse: Blessed is he whom thou hast chosen and taken, O Lord.
Verse: Among the blessed shall his soul take up its abode.
Priest. Wisdom, O believers! Let us listen to the Holy Gospel. Peace be with you all.
Choir. And with thy spirit.
Deacon. The Lesson from the holy Gospel of John.
Choir. Glory to thee, O Lord; glory to thee.
Priest. Let us attend.
(John vi. 35-40.) The Lord said unto the Jews which came unto him: I am the bread of life: he that cometh unto me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye also have seen me and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me: and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will, which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Priest. Peace be unto thee, who hast announced the good tidings.
Choir. Glory to thee, O Lord; glory to thee.
And straightway the last kiss is given, while the Choir singeth the following Stanzas (Sttkhiri):
Tone VIII. Who would not weep, my child, thy lamentable translation from this life! For a babe immature from thy mother's arms, like a birdling small, now hast thou flown swiftly hence, and hast fled unto the Creator of all men. Who would not wail, O child, beholding thy rosy face so early faded, which before was beautiful as the crimson lily of the field? who would not wail, my child, and cry aloud with weeping, because of thy great comeliness, and the beauty of thy pure life? For like some ship that leaveth no wake behind, with equal swiftness hast thou vanished from my sight. Come ye, my friends, my kinsfolk, and my neighbours, and with me kiss ye him (her) whom we are committing to the tomb.
Death is a release for babes; for they are not accounted sharers in life's evil, and have attained unto rest and heavenly gladness; and in Abraham's bosom they rejoice, and now with choirs divine of holy children they make glad, and faithfully exult: because from sin's corruption pure have they escaped.
Glory..
Tone VI. Painful to Adam of old in Eden was the tasting of the tree, vrhen the serpent belched forth his poison. For thereby did Death universal enter in, which devoureth man. But then the Master came, subdued the dragon, and gave us rest. For which cause let us cry aloud unto him: Spare, O Saviour, and give rest among the Saints to him (her) whom thou hast taken.
Now, and ever,
Hymn to the Birth-giver of God. Thou who art the Consolation of
mourners; thou Deliverance of the weak, O Virgin Birth-giver of God: save thou the city and its people, O thou Peace of those who battle, thou Calm of the tempest-tossed, and sole Defender of the faithful.
O Holy God, Holy Mighty,... Glory.. now, and ever, O all-
holy Trinity,.. Lord, have mercy (Thrice.) Glory.. now, and ever,... Our Father,.. For thine is the kingdom,.. (See page 368, Burial of Laymen).
Then the Hymn.
With the souls of the righteous dead give rest, O Saviour, to the soul of thy servant, preserving it unto the blessedness which is with thee, O thou who lovest mankind.
Then the Litany: Again, yet again,... (See page 425.)
Priest. Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir. Lord, have mercy.
Then the Priest, bowing his head, readeth, secretly, this Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ our God, (See page 426.)
Aloud. For thou art the Resurrection,... (See page 426.)
Choir. Amen.
Deacon. Wisdom!
Choir More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, thou who without defilement barest God the Word, true Birth-giver of God, we magnify thee.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) Bless.
And the Priest bestoweth the Benediction.
Do thou who rose again from the dead, and hast dominion over both the quick and the dead, Christ our very God, through the prayers of thy most holy Mother, and of all thy Saints; establish in thy holy tabernacles the soul of the child, N., who hath now been translated from us; and number him (her) among the Righteous: Forasmuch as thou art good and lovest mankind.
Choir. Amen.
And after the Benediction the Priest saith:
Eternal be thy memory, O N., worthily-blessed and ever-memorable child!
And the Choir singeth: Memory eternal! (Thrice.)
Thereupon the Priest saith the following Prayer:
Deacon. Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir. Lord, have mercy.
Priest. O Lord, who guardest little children in this present life, and hast prepared for them in the life which is to come a spacious place, even Abraham's bosom, and angelic abodes brightly radiant which befit
their purity, wherein the souls of the righteous dwell: Do thou, the same Lord Christ, receive the soul of thy servant, the child, N., with peace. For thou hast said: Suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. For unto thee are due all glory, honour and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
And taking up the body, they go forth to the grave, preceded by the Priest, the Deacon, and the Choir, all singing:
O Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us. (Thrice.)
And -when the body hath been laid in the grave, the Senior Priest, taking the shovel, scattereth earth into the grave, saying:
The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: the round world, and they that dwell therein.
And so they depart, giving thanks unto God.