Stowe Missal: Order of Baptism (Irish) (c. 800)

The Order of Baptism: Exorcism and the Blessing of Water and Salt

¶ The Order of Baptism.

O Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, drive out the devil and heathenism 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 jaws, from his neck, from his breast, from his heart, from his whole body within and without, from his hands, from his feet, from all his members and the joints of his members, and from his thoughts, words and works and all his ways, here and hereafter; through thee, Jesus Christ, who reignest.

O God, who for the salvation of mankind hast established the greatest of thy sacraments in the substance of water: favourably attend to our calling upon thee, and pour the power of thy blessing upon this element, prepared by manifold purification; that this creature, serving thy mysteries, may receive the effect of thy divine grace to cast out devils and drive away diseases; that whatever in the houses of the faithful this water shall sprinkle may be free from uncleanness and delivered from harm. Let no pestilent spirit, no corrupting air, abide there; let all the snares of the hidden enemy depart; and if there be anything that threatens the safety or the quiet of those who dwell there, let it flee at the sprinkling of this water; that the health sought by the calling upon thy Name may be defended from every assault; through our Lord.

¶ The consecration of the salt begins.

O God, who [didst ordain] this salt as a healthful medicine for the salvation of man: grant that the soul of this person may be turned and rescued from the error of the heathen, and may confess the Triune God, and drive away the devil by renunciation and by the sign of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, who reigneth with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.

I exorcize 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 exorcize thee by the living God, 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. Therefore we pray thee, O Lord our God, that this creature of salt, in the name of the Trinity, may become a saving sacrament to put the enemy to flight. Do thou, O Lord, sanctify it in sanctifying, bless it in blessing, that it may be to all who receive it a perfect medicine, abiding in their inmost parts; in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.

The Renunciation, the Creed and the First Anointing

¶ Of the renunciation.

Dost thou renounce Satan? He answers, I renounce. And all his works? He answers, I renounce. And all his pomps? He answers, I renounce.

¶ The confession begins.

Dost thou believe in God the Father almighty? He answers, I believe. And dost thou believe in Jesus Christ? He answers, I believe. And dost thou believe in the Holy Spirit? He answers, I believe.

¶ Thou shalt breathe upon him and touch him; then thou shalt touch his breast and back with oil and chrism, saying, I anoint thee with sanctified oil, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

¶ [The renunciation is asked a second time, as above.]

Prayers over the Catechumen and the Effeta

We pray thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, [who hast] deigned to drive out from him all blindness of heart: break all the snares of Satan with which he was bound; open to him the gate of thy truth; that, sealed with the sign of thy wisdom, he may be free from the stench of all evil desires, and, rejoicing in the sweet savour of thy commandments, may serve thee in the Church and advance 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, for ever and ever.

O holy Lord, Father almighty, eternal God, who helpest in dangers and temperest thy chastisements: we humbly entreat thee for thy healing, that by thy holy visitation thou wouldst raise up thy servant N. from this sickness and temptation. As with Job, set a limit, lest the enemy begin to triumph over this soul without the redemption of baptism.

Put off, O Lord, the coming of death and lengthen the span of life; raise up him whom thou mayest bring to the sacrament of baptism, and bring no loss upon thine own redemption. Take from the devil the occasion of triumph, and keep him to share in the triumphs of Christ, that, made whole, he may be born again in thy Church by the grace of baptism; who wilt do all that we ask; through our Lord.

And let it not be hidden from thee, Satan, that punishments threaten thee, that hell threatens thee, the day of judgement, the day of everlasting torment, the day which shall come like a burning oven, in which everlasting destruction is prepared for thee and all thy angels. Therefore, damned and to be damned for thy wickedness, give honour to the living God, give honour to Jesus Christ, give honour to the Holy Spirit the Paraclete, in whose power I command thee, whatever unclean spirit thou art, to go out and depart from these servants of God and give them back to their God, whom our Lord God Jesus Christ has deigned to call to his grace and blessing, that they may become his temple through the water of regeneration for the remission of all sins; in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.

¶ [An Old Irish note in the margin:] Here salt is put into his mouth.

Effeta, that is, Be opened. Effeta: it is become an offering for a sweet savour, in the name of God the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

O Lord, holy Father, almighty, eternal God, who art and who wast and who art to come, and who abidest to the end, whose beginning is unknown and whose end cannot be grasped: we humbly call upon thee, O Lord, for this thy servant N., whom thou hast delivered from the error of the heathen and from a most shameful way of life. Vouchsafe to hear him, who bows his neck before thee; may he come to the font of baptism, that, renewed by water and the Holy Spirit, he may put off the old man and put on the new, which is created after thee; may he receive a garment incorrupt and unspotted, and be worthy to serve thee our Lord; in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.

¶ [The prayer "O God, who for the salvation of mankind" is said again, with a prayer that God's holy angel may guard all who dwell in this dwelling.]

The Blessing of the Font

¶ Thus far the catechumen. He begins to be anointed with oil and chrism on the breast and between the shoulder blades, before he is baptized. Then the litany is sung around the font; then the blessing of the font; then two psalms, "My soul is athirst for God" [Ps. 42] and "The voice of the Lord is upon the waters" [Ps. 29].

I exorcize thee, creature of water, by the living God, by the holy God, who in the beginning separated thee by his word from the dry land, over whom the Spirit was borne, who made thee flow out of paradise and commanded thee to water the whole earth in four rivers, who brought thee forth from the rock to give drink to the people he had freed from Egypt when they were weary with thirst, who made thee sweet by a tree when thou wast most bitter.

I exorcize thee also by Jesus Christ his Son, who in Cana of Galilee by a wonderful sign of his power changed 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 blood, and commanded his disciples, saying, Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore I command thee, every unclean spirit, every phantasm, every lie, to be rooted out and put to flight from this creature of water, that for him who is to go down into it, it may be a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. Be therefore holy water, blessed water, for the regeneration of sons to God the Father almighty; in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall come in the Holy Spirit to judge the world by fire.

[A second exorcism of the water follows in the same terms: "that it may be a fountain springing up into everlasting life, that he who is baptized may become a temple of the living God for the remission of sins".]

Almighty, everlasting God, be present at the mysteries of thy great goodness, 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 effect of thy power.

O God, who by invisible power dost work wonderfully the effect of thy sacraments: though we are unworthy to perform such great mysteries, yet do not withhold the gifts of thy grace, but incline the ears of thy goodness to our prayers.

O God, whose Spirit in the first beginnings of the world was borne upon the waters, that even then the nature of water might receive 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 a figure of regeneration, that by the mystery of one and the same element there might be both an end of vices and a beginning of virtues: look upon the face of thy Church and multiply in her thy generations, who makest glad thy city with the stream of thy abundant grace, and openest the font of baptism throughout the whole world for the renewal of the nations; that by the command of thy majesty it may receive the grace of thine only-begotten Son from the Holy Spirit. May he make fruitful this water prepared for the regeneration of men by the secret admixture of his light, that, sanctification being conceived, a heavenly offspring may come forth from the spotless womb of the divine font, reborn a new creature; and that grace as their mother may bring forth into one infancy all whom sex distinguishes 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 stand off. Let this holy and innocent creature be free from every assault of the adversary and cleansed by the departure of all wickedness. Let it be a living fountain, regenerating water, a purifying stream, that all who are to be washed in this saving laver, by the working of the Holy Spirit in them, may 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 separated thee by his word from the dry land and commanded thee to water all the earth in four rivers, who in the desert made thee drinkable when thou wast bitter, and brought thee forth from the rock for the thirsting people. I bless thee also by Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who in Cana of Galilee changed thee into wine, who walked upon thee, was baptized in thee by John in the Jordan, brought thee forth from his side together with blood, and commanded his disciples to baptize believers in thee, saying, Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Be present, almighty God, in thy mercy to us who keep these commands; graciously breathe upon them; do thou bless with thy mouth these simple waters, that besides the natural cleansing which they can give to bodies, they may be effective also for purifying minds. Let the power of thy Spirit descend into the fullness of this font, and make the whole substance of this water fruitful with the power of regeneration. Here let the stains of all sins be blotted out; here let nature, created in thine image and restored to the honour of its origin, be cleansed from all the filth of the old life; that every man who enters this sacrament of regeneration may be born again in true innocence to a new infancy; through our Lord Jesus Christ.

¶ When the blessing is finished, the priest pours chrism into the font in the form of a cross, and whoever wishes fills a vessel with the blessed water for the consecration of houses, and the people present are sprinkled with the blessed water.

The Profession of Faith and the Baptism

¶ He is asked by the deacon whether he believes in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Dost thou believe in God the Father almighty? Let him answer, I believe. Dost thou believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was born and suffered? Let him answer, I believe. Dost thou believe also in the Holy Spirit, the catholic Church, the remission of sins, the resurrection of the flesh? Let him answer, I believe.

¶ He goes down into the font, and is dipped three times, or sprinkled.

The Chrism, the White Garment and the Washing of Feet

¶ After he has been baptized he is anointed with chrism on the brain, on the forehead, and the deacon puts the white garment over his head, on the forehead, and the presbyter says:

God the almighty Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has regenerated thee of water and the Holy Spirit and has given thee the remission of all sins, himself anoint thee with the chrism of salvation in Christ.

¶ [An Old Irish note in the margin:] Here the anointing is done.

I anoint thee with the oil and chrism of salvation and sanctification, in the name of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.

Work, creature of oil, work in the name of God the Father almighty and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, that no unclean spirit may lurk here, neither in the members nor in the marrow nor in the joints of the members; but may the power of Christ, the Son of the living and most high God, and of the Holy Spirit, work in thee, for ever and ever. Amen.

¶ And the deacon puts the white garment over his head, on the forehead, and while he is being clothed with the white garment the presbyter says:

Receive the white garment, holy and unspotted, which thou mayest bring before the judgement seat of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let him answer, I receive it, and will bring it.

¶ And the presbyter says, while the child's hand is opened:

Receive the sign of the cross of Christ in thy right hand, and may it keep thee unto eternal life. Let him answer, Amen.

¶ Then his feet are washed, a linen cloth being taken, [with these anthems:] Alleluia. Thy word is a lantern unto my feet, O Lord. Alleluia. Hold thou me up, O Lord, and I shall be safe. Alleluia. Visit us, O Lord, with thy salvation. Alleluia. Thou hast charged that we shall diligently keep thy commandments. [Alleluia.] Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; despise not the works of thine own hands. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, on the day before he suffered, took a fair linen cloth, holy and spotless, and girded his loins, and put water into a basin and washed the feet of his disciples. Do thou also follow this example of our Lord Jesus Christ toward thy guests and pilgrims.

The Communion of the Newly Baptized

The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ be to thee unto eternal life. Amen.

Refreshed with spiritual food, the heavenly meat, and restored by the Body and Blood of the Lord, let us give due praise and thanks to the Lord our God Jesus Christ, praying his unwearied mercy that we may have this sacrament of the divine gift for the increase of faith and the advancement of eternal salvation.

Let us pray, dearest brethren, for our brother N., who has received the grace of the Lord, that he may bring the baptism which he has received, spotless and whole, before the judgement seat of our Lord Jesus Christ; who [liveth and reigneth].

We give thanks to thee, O God, through whom we have celebrated the holy mysteries, and we ask of thee the gifts of holiness; through our Lord.

Alleluia. Remember us, O Lord, according to the favour that thou bearest unto thy people; O visit us with thy salvation. Alleluia. O Lord, save now; O Lord, send now prosperity. Alleluia. Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, [and grant us thy salvation]. Save us, Jesus, who art able to save; who gave the soul, may he give also salvation; through our Lord.