The Priest’s Prayer for Himself

O compassionate and merciful God who tries the heart and the reins, and who alone knows the secret thoughts of men, for no deeds are hidden before You, but all things are naked and manifest before Your eyes; You who know all things concerning me, regard me not with loathing, neither turn Your face from me; but consider not my iniquities at this present hour, O You who does disregard man’s sins unto his repentance. And wash away the vileness of my body, and the pollution of my soul. And sanctify me wholly by Your all-perfect, invisible might, and by Your spiritual right hand, lest, while I proclaim liberty unto others, and administer this rite with perfect faith in Your unutterable love towards mankind, I myself may become the base slave of sin. Yes, O Master, who alone are good and full of love towards mankind, let not Your humble servant be led astray; but send down upon me power from on high, and strengthen me in the administration of Your impending Mystery, which is both great and most heavenly. And create the image of Your Christ in him/her, who now desires to be born again through my unworthy ministry. And build him/her upon the foundation of Your Apostles and Prophets, that he/she may not be overthrown; but implant him/her firmly as a plant of truth, in Your Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, that he/she be not plucked out. That, as he/she increases in godliness, through him/her may be glorified Your all-holy Name, of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

This prayer denounces and corrects any understanding of the rite as magic. Magic is the irrational belief that we as humans can manipulate and control the physical world through special actions and words. The Orthodox Church rejects all forms of magic. Any understanding of the Church’s rites in these terms must be rejected as false. There is nothing about water or the priest’s words that can save or heal. It is Christ alone who saves. He is the physician of our souls. Mark 2:17. Likewise the validity of the sacrament does not depend on the man who performs it. To reduce sacraments to the principle of validity is to make a caricature of Christ’s teaching. It is Christ, and Christ alone who validates the sacrament. Christ gave the Church valid sacraments so that we may show ourselves to be children of the light and children of the day (1 Thes. 5:5), witnesses to His Kingdom. Baptism is the beginning of this process. And we together with the priest and the newly baptized are called to this witness.