Leofric Missal: Order of Baptism (Anglo-Saxon) (10th century)

The Making of a Catechumen

¶ [After the exorcisms over one possessed,] another prayer.

O Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, by the laying on of this scripture and the taste of water, drive out the devil from this man: from his head, from his hair, from his crown, from his brain, from his forehead, from his eyes, from his ears, from his nostrils, from his mouth, from his tongue, from beneath his tongue, from his throat, from his neck, from his whole body, from all his members, from the joints of his members within and without, from his bones, from his veins, from his sinews, from his blood, from his senses, from his thoughts, from all his conversation; and may the power of Christ work in thee, in him who suffered for thee, that thou mayest deserve eternal life. Through.

¶ A prayer over the elect, for making a catechumen.

Almighty and everlasting God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, vouchsafe to look upon this thy servant (or these thy servants), whom thou hast vouchsafed to call to the first lessons of the faith. Drive out from him all blindness of heart; break all the snares of Satan with which he was bound. Open to him, O Lord, the door of thy loving-kindness, that, imbued with the sign of thy wisdom, he may be free from the foulness of all evil desires, and, rejoicing in the sweet savour of thy commandments, may serve thee in thy Church and go forward from day to day, that, having received thy medicine, he may be made fit to come to the grace of thy baptism. Through the same.

¶ Another.

Graciously hear our prayers, we beseech thee, O Lord, and by the power of the Lord's cross, with whose mark we sign him, keep this thine elect; that, holding fast the first lessons of the glory of thy greatness, he may by keeping thy commandments deserve to come to the glory of new birth. Through.

¶ Another.

O God, who art so the maker of mankind that thou art also its restorer, be merciful to thine adopted peoples, and enrol in the new covenant the offspring of a new stock; that the children of promise may rejoice to have received by grace what they could not attain by nature. Through.

The Blessing and Giving of Salt

¶ The blessing of salt to be given to the catechumen.

I exorcise thee, creature of salt, in the name of God the Father almighty, and in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. I exorcise thee by the living God and by the true God, who created thee for the protection of mankind and commanded thee to be consecrated by his servants for the people coming to belief; that in the name of the Holy Trinity thou mayest be made a saving sacrament to put the enemy to flight. Therefore we pray thee, O Lord our God, that thou wouldest sanctify ✠ this creature of salt in sanctifying it, and bless ✠ it in blessing it, that it may become to all who receive it a perfect medicine abiding in their inward parts. In the name ✠ of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. Amen.

¶ When this prayer is finished, let the priest take of the same salt and put it in the mouth of the infant, saying:

Receive the salt of wisdom, for a propitiation unto eternal life.

¶ A prayer after the giving of salt.

O God of our fathers, God the maker of all things, the Truth, we humbly beseech thee that thou wouldest vouchsafe mercifully to look upon this thy servant, and, as he tastes this first food of salt, suffer him no longer to hunger, but to be filled with heavenly food; that he may be always, O Lord, fervent in spirit, rejoicing in hope, ever serving thy name. Lead him to the font of the new birth, that with thy faithful he may deserve to obtain the rewards of thy promises. Through.

The Blessing of the Font

¶ The blessing of the font.

Almighty and everlasting God, be present at the mysteries of thy great loving-kindness, be present at thy sacraments; and send forth the Spirit of adoption to create the new peoples whom the font of baptism brings forth for thee; that what is to be done by our humble ministry may be fulfilled by the working of thy power. Through.

¶ Another.

Be present, O Lord, at this washing, the working of thy power, that by putting away sins and bestowing thy sacraments it may be fulfilled in the effect of thy new birth. Through our Lord.

¶ Another.

O God, who by invisible power dost wonderfully work the effect of thy sacraments; and though we are unworthy to perform such great mysteries, yet thou dost not forsake the gifts of thy grace, but inclinest the ears of thy loving-kindness even to our prayers:

O God, whose Spirit in the very beginning of the world moved upon the waters, that even then the nature of water might conceive the power of sanctifying:

O God, who washing away by water the crimes of a guilty world didst by the outpouring of the flood signify the figure of new birth, that by the ministry of one and the same element there might be an end of vices and a beginning of virtues: look upon the face of thy Church and multiply in her thy new births; who by the stream of thy flowing grace makest glad thy city, and openest the font of baptism to all the nations of the world for their renewal; that by the command of thy majesty it may receive the grace of thine only Son from the Holy Spirit, who by the secret mixing of his light makes fruitful this water prepared for the new birth of men; that, a sanctification being conceived, a heavenly offspring may come forth from the spotless womb of the divine font, born again a new creature; and that grace, as a mother, may bring forth into one infancy all whom sex divides in body or age in time. Far hence, therefore, at thy command, O Lord, let every unclean spirit depart; far away let all the wickedness of devilish deceit withdraw. Let no admixture of a hostile power have place here; let it not fly about lying in wait, let it not creep in by hiding, let it not corrupt by infecting. May this holy and innocent creature be free from every assault of the adversary and cleansed by the departure of all wickedness. May it be a living fountain, a water that regenerates, a wave that purifies; that all who are to be washed in this saving bath may, by the working of the Holy Spirit in them, obtain the grace of perfect cleansing.

Wherefore I bless ✠ thee, creature of water, by the living ✠ God, by the holy ✠ God, who in the beginning by his word separated thee from the dry land, whose Spirit moved upon thee; who made thee flow out of paradise and commanded thee to water the whole earth in four rivers; who in the desert made thee, being bitter, fit to drink by putting sweetness into thee, and brought thee out of the rock for a thirsting people. I bless ✠ thee through Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who in Cana of Galilee by a wonderful sign of his power turned thee into wine; who walked upon thee with his feet, and was baptized in thee by John in the Jordan; who brought thee forth from his side together with his blood; and commanded his disciples that believers should be baptized in thee, saying: Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father ✠, and of the Son ✠, and of the Holy ✠ Spirit.

Do thou, almighty God, be mercifully present with us as we keep these commandments; do thou graciously breathe upon them; do thou bless with thy mouth these simple waters, that besides the natural cleansing which they can give to the washing of bodies, they may also be effectual for the purifying of minds.

¶ Here thou shalt put the candle in the font.

May the power of thy Spirit descend into this fullness of the font,

¶ and breathe three times upon the water,

and make the whole substance of this water fruitful with the effect of new birth. Here may the stains of all sins be blotted out; here may nature, made in thine image and restored to the honour of its first beginning, be cleansed from all the squalor of the old state; that every man entering this sacrament of new birth may be born again into a new infancy of true innocence. Through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, who shall come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. Amen.

¶ After this thou shalt take the chrism with its vessel and pour it in the form of a cross over the water, saying:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, may this font be sanctified and made fruitful.

¶ And thou sprinklest it upon those standing by. Whoever wishes may take of this water and sprinkle it wherever there is need.

The Renunciation and the Signing

¶ And then first thou shalt ask the name of the person, saying thus:

Question. What art thou called?

Answer. N.

Question. Dost thou renounce Satan?

Answer. I renounce.

Question. And all his works?

Answer. I renounce.

Question. And all his pomps?

Answer. I renounce.

¶ And then breathe in his face, and say:

Receive the Holy Spirit.

¶ Then make a cross with the thumb on his forehead and on his breast, saying thus:

Receive the sign of the cross, as well on the forehead as on the heart; take the faith of the heavenly commandments of God.

¶ Then thou sayest these prayers:

Let us pray. We pray thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, have mercy on thy servant, whom thou hast vouchsafed to call to the first lessons of the faith. Drive out from him all blindness of heart; break all the snares of Satan with which he was bound. Open to him, O Lord, the door of thy truth, that, imbued with the sign of thy wisdom, he may be free from the foulness of all evil desires, and, rejoicing in the sweet savour of thy commandments, may serve thee in thy Church and go forward from day to day, that he may be made fit for thy promised grace; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

¶ Another.

O Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose antiquity is without beginning and whose eternity is without end; God, creator of all things, and thyself unbegotten; God invisible and all-seeing; God incomprehensible and all-comprehending: I call upon thy holy name over the work of thy hands, that this creature, whom thou hast vouchsafed to let aspire to the hope of immortality in the sight of thy divine majesty, may by the power of the heavenly sacraments be stripped of all the deadly snares of the enemy. For thou didst vouchsafe to make man in thine image, and didst breathe into his face the breath of life,

¶ breathe,

and man became a living soul. So also, we beseech thee, O Lord, establish this thy servant N. in the life-giving Spirit, that he may know thee the living God, the true God, and thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, and the Holy Spirit. Keep also unto the end the saving sign which thou hast now vouchsafed to bestow on him, that, whole and pure, he may be brought to the washing of the water of new birth, the forgiveness of all sins being given him. Through.

¶ Then thou shalt put salt in the mouth of the infants, saying thus:

Receive the salt of wisdom, for a propitiation unto eternal life. Peace be with thee. Amen.

Let us pray. O hope of all the ends of the earth and of them that are afar off upon the sea, who hast prepared thy holy mountains in thy strength and art girded with power, with which thou dost vouchsafe to defend those who hope in thee: mercifully hear our prayer, and by the power of the Lord's cross, with whose mark he has been signed, keep this thy catechumen; that, holding fast the first lessons of the knowledge of thee, he may by keeping thy commandments deserve to come to the glory of new birth, to keep through thee whatever by thy gift he has received. Through.

Nor is it hidden from thee, Satan, that punishments hang over thee, that torments hang over thee, the day of judgement, the day of everlasting punishment, the day which shall come like a burning oven, in which everlasting destruction is prepared for thee and thy angels. Therefore, damned and to be damned for thy wickedness, give honour to the living God, give honour to Jesus Christ his Son, give honour to the Holy Spirit the Comforter; in whose power I command thee, whatever unclean spirit thou art, to go out and depart from this servant of God, whom today God and our Lord Jesus Christ has vouchsafed to call to his holy grace and blessing, that he may become his temple through the water of new birth, for the forgiveness of all sins. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. Amen.

The Effeta and the Anointing

¶ Then thou shalt touch his nostrils and ears with spittle, and say:

Effeta, that is, Be opened, unto an odour of sweetness. But thou, devil, flee; for the judgement of God draws near.

¶ Afterwards thou shalt touch his breast with exorcised oil, and say:

Go out, unclean spirit.

¶ Then between the shoulders:

Give place to the Holy Spirit.

The Profession of Faith and the Baptism

¶ And the priest asks the name, saying thus:

Question. What art thou called?

Answer. N.

Question. Dost thou believe in God the Father almighty?

Answer. I believe.

Question. Dost thou believe also in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord?

Answer. I believe.

Question. Dost thou believe also in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the flesh?

Answer. I believe.

¶ And the priest shall receive them from their parents, and the males are baptized first, then the females, with a threefold immersion, calling once upon the Holy Trinity, saying thus:

Question. Wilt thou be baptized?

Answer. I will.

¶ Then he says:

And I baptize thee, N., in the name of the Father,

¶ and he dips him once,

and of the Son,

¶ and he dips him again,

and of the Holy Spirit.

¶ and he dips him a third time.

The Chrism, the White Garment and Communion

¶ When they have come up from the font, the priest makes the sign of the cross with chrism with his thumb on the crown of his head, saying this prayer:

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath regenerated thee of water and the Holy Spirit, and who hath given thee forgiveness of all thy sins, himself anoint thee, N.,

¶ and the priest shall anoint his head with chrism, saying,

himself anoint thee with the chrism of salvation in Christ Jesus unto eternal life. Answer. Amen.

¶ Then, the chrism-cloth having been placed on the head of the baptized, the priest says:

Receive a white garment, pure and spotless, which thou mayest bring before the judgement-seat of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Answer. Amen.

¶ Then let him be given communion by the priest, who says thus:

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast regenerated thy servant of water and the Holy Spirit, and hast given him forgiveness of all his sins: grant him continual health, to know the truth of thy unity. Through.