Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 2.djvu/266

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THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.

Then the Priest shall take the hand of the deacon, and lay it upon the chalice, and shall say:

The grace of the Holy Ghost be with thee, and us, and with all who shall partake of this, in the kingdom of heaven, for ever and ever. Amen.

Deacon. With thee, with us, and with all who shall partake thereof, in the kingdom of heaven.

Then the deacon shall proclaim aloud: Praise the living God. After which followeth the anthem of the Bema, to be chanted by the deacons at the entrance of the Bema; a different anthem being appointed for the different festivals.
Then the deacon who read the Epistle shall approach unto the Priest, and shall say: Let us pray. Peace be with us. And the deacon shall throw the napkin over his shoulders and arms, and the Priest shall place the paten in his hands above the napkin, and shall say:

The grace of God be with thee, and with us, and with all who shall partake of this, for ever. Amen.

Then the deacon who had given the salutation of peace to the people, shall draw near unto the priest, and say: Let us pray. Peace be with us. After which the Priest shall put the chalice into his hands, and shall say:

The grace of the Holy Ghost be with thee, and us, and with all those who shall partake of this, in the kingdom of heaven for ever and ever. Amen.

Deacon. [With a loud voice.] Give Thy blessing, O Lord.39

Then the Priest shall sign over the people with the sign of the cross, and shall say in an audible voice:

The gift of the grace of Him Who quickeneth us, our Lord Jesus Christ, be perfected in us all through mercy.

R. For ever and ever. Amen.

Deacon. My brethren, receive the body of the Son, saith the Church, and in faith drink of the cup in the kingdom.

When the Priest gives the body to a Priest, he shall say: The body of our Lord to the chaste Priest for the forgiveness of sins. If to a deacon, he shall say: The body of our Lord to the minister of God for the forgiveness of sins. If to a layman: The body of our Lord to the pure believer for the forgiveness of sins.
When the deacon gives to drink of the cup, he shall say: The precious blood to the chaste priest, [or, to the minister of God; or, to the pure believer,] for the forgiveness of sins; a spiritual feast unto life everlasting.