Menaion of the Orthodox Church

Rite for the Blessing of Candles on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord

After the Hours, before the beginning of the Holy Liturgy, the Priest, going forth before the Royal Doors, standing in the place where the candles have been placed for blessing, beginneth:

Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-creating and indivisible Trinity, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

People: Amen. O heavenly King…

Reader: Trisagion through Our Father…

Priest: For Thine is the kingdom…

Then, the people chant the Troparion and Kontakion of the feast:

In Tone I: Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, full of grace, for from thee hath shone forth Christ our God, the Sun of righteousness, Who doth illumine those in darkness. Be glad, thou also, O righteous elder, who receivest in thine arms the Deliverer of our souls, Who granteth us resurrection.

Glory…, Now and ever…

In the same tone: O Thou Who didst hallow the Virgin’s womb by Thy birth and didst bless the hands of Symeon, as was meet: by anticipation Thou hast now saved even us, O Christ God. But in the midst of battle grant peace to Thy community, and strengthen the hierarchs whom Thou hast loved, O Thou Who alone lovest mankind.

Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy!

And the Priest readeth this Prayer:

O holy Master, omnipotent Father, preëternal God, Who hast created all things out of nothingness and by Thy command, through the work of the bees, hast brought this fashioning of candles to completion, and hast fulfilled the entreaty of the righteous Symeon on this present day: We humbly beseech Thee, that at the invocation of Thy most holy name, through the supplication of the blessed and Ever-virgin Mary, whose feast is now reverently celebrated, and through the prayers of all Thy saints, Thou mayest bless and sanctify these candles, whether prepared on land or on the waters, for the needs of the people, unto the health of their souls and bodies. And hearkening from Thy holy heaven and from the throne of Thy majesty unto the cries of these Thy people, who desire to bear these candles with honor and, chanting, to glorify Thee, be Thou merciful. For all who cry aloud to Thee hast Thou redeemed by the precious blood of Thy Son, with Whom Thou art blessed, with Thine all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

People: Amen.

Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy!

And the Priest readeth this Prayer:

O omnipotent and preëternal God, Who on this day didst set Thine only-begotten Son in the arms of the holy Symeon, in Thy holy temple: We call upon Thy loving-kindness, that these candles which we, Thy servants, receive unto the majesty of Thy name, and desire to bear, Thou be well-pleased to bless and sanctify, and to burn with the light of Thy heavenly blessing, that we who offer them unto Thee, the Lord our God, may be vouchsafed worthily to stand in the holy temple of Thy glory, alight with the holy fire of Thy love most sweet. For Thou art our God, and unto Thee do we send up gloryto the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spiritnow and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

People: Amen.

Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy!

And the Priest readeth this Prayer:

O Lord Jesus Christ, true Light enlightening every man who cometh into the world: Pour forth Thy blessing upon these candles, and sanctify them with the light of Thy grace; and be Thou pleased, O Merciful One, that, as these candles, set alight with visible light, drive away the gloom of night, so may it be with out hearts, which burn with invisible light. Illumined with the radiance of the Holy Spirit, may they escape the blindness of all sins, that with a purified spiritual eye, we may see those things which are well-pleasing unto Thee and conducive to our salvation; that when we have overcome the dark tribulations of this world, we may be counted worthy to attain unto never-ending light. For Thou art our Savior, and we send up glory unto thee, and Thine unoriginate Father, and Thine all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

People: Amen.

Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy!

And the Priest readeth this Prayer:

O omnipotent and preëternal God, Who didst command Thy servant Moses to prepare a most pure mixture of oil in the lamps which burned before Thy face: Mercifully pour forth the grace of Thy blessing upon these candles, that as they emit radiance upon the people, so by Thy gift the effulgence of the Holy Spirit may come to dwell within our minds, through Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom is due all glory, honor and worship, with Thee, the unoriginate Father, and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages.

People: Amen.

Priest: Peace be unto all.

People: And to thy spirit.

Deacon: Bow your heads unto the Lord!

People: To Thee, O Lord!

And the Priest readeth this Prayer:

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who on this very day didst manifest Thyself among men in the essence of our flesh, presented by Thy parents in the temple; and Whom the reverent elder Symeon, illumined by the light of Thy Spirit, recognized, received and blessed: O Merciful One, grant that, enlightened and taught by the grace of the same Holy Spirit, we may truly recognize and faithfully love Thee, to Whom is due all glory, honor and worship, with the unoriginate Father and the Holy Spirit, forever.

People: Amen.

The Priest then censeth the candles thrice and sprinkleth them with holy water, saying:

These candles are blessed and sanctified through the sprinkling of this sacred water: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The festal dismissal is then intoned.

Then the Priest distributeth the candles, and the people sing or read: “Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace…”, in full, after which the following sticheron is chanted, in Tone VII:

Adorn thy chamber, O Sion, and receive Christ the King! Greet Mary, the portal of heaven, for she hath been shown to be the throne of the cherubim. She beareth the King of glory. The Virgin is the cloud of light, bearing in the flesh the Son Who hath existed from before the morning star. Him did Symeon, receiving Him in his arms, proclaim to the people as the Master of life and death, the Savior of the world.

And after this sticheron is completed, the Holy Liturgy is begun.

Translated from the Church Slavonic by the reader Isaac E. Lambertsen
from The Euchologion, Jordanville, NY: St. Job of Pochaev Press, 1961, pp. 277-283.