Who Am I Now?

Who Am I Now?
The Vows and Vision of Baptism
Deeply momentous in one’s life — even echoing into eternity — is the Mystery of Baptism. The Holy Spirit descends to do His transfiguring work. Vows are made and a vision is given to the newly-illuminated warrior of Christ.
To help us recall the glory to which we are called, here are excerpts from the Baptism and

Chrismation services:
From the EXORCISM

• "Look upon Thy servant; prove him/her and search him/her, and root out of him/her every operation of the Devil. Rebuke the unclean spirits and expel them, and purify the works of Thy hands; and exerting Thy strong might, speedily crush down Satan under his/her feet; give him/her victory over the same, over his foul spirits; that having obtained mercy from Thee, he/she may be worthy to partake of Thy heavenly Mysteries; and may ascribe unto Thee glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages”.
• "Open the eyes of his/her understanding that the light of Thy Gospel may shine brightly in him/her. Yoke unto his/her life a radiant Angel, who shall deliver him/her from every snare of the adversary, from encounter with evil, from the demon of the noonday, and from evil visions”.
• "Expel from him/her every evil and impure spirit which hideth and maketh its lair in his/her heart.”
• "Make him/her a reason-endowed sheep in the holy flock of Thy Christ, an honorable member of Thy Church, a child of the light, and an heir of Thy Kingdom; that having lived in accordance with thy commandments, and preserved inviolate the Seal, and kept his/her garment undefiled, he/she may receive the blessedness of the Saints in Thy Kingdom”.
• "Dost thou renounce Satan, and all his angels, and all his works, and all his service, and all his pride?”
• "Hast thou renounced Satan?”
• "Dost thou unite thyself unto Christ?”
• "Hast thou united thyself unto Christ?”
• "I bow down before the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: the Trinity, One in Essence and undivided”.

From the PRAYERS

• "O Master, Lord our God, call Thy servant (name) to Thy holy Illumination, and grant unto him/her that great grace of Thy holy Baptism. Put off from him/her the old man, and renew him/her unto life everlasting, and fill him/her with the power of Thy Holy Spirit, in the unity of Thy Christ, that he/she may be no more a child of the body, but a child of Thy kingdom”.
• "That he/she may prove himself/herself to be a child of the Light, and an heir of eternal good things...That he/she may be a member and partaker of the death and resurrection of Christ our God...That he/she may preserve his/her baptismal garment and the earnest of the Spirit pure and undefiled unto the dread Day of Christ our God, let us pray to the Lord”.
• "Because of the tender compassion of Thy mercy, O Master, Thou couldst not endure to behold mankind oppressed by the Devil; but Thou didst come, and didst save us. We confess Thy grace. We proclaim Thy mercy. We conceal not thy gracious acts. Thou hast delivered the generations of our mortal nature. By Thy birth Thou didst sanctify the Virgin’s womb”.
• "Let all adverse powers be crushed beneath the sign of the image of Thy Cross”.
• "For Thou hast said, O Lord: Wash ye, be ye clean; and put away evil things from your souls. Thou hast bestowed upon us from on high a new birth through water and the spirit”.
• "Grant that he/she who is baptized therein may be transformed; that he/she may put away from him/her the old man, which is corrupt through the lusts of the flesh, and that he/she may be clothed upon with the new man, and renewed after the image of Him who created him/her; that being buried, after the pattern of Thy death, in baptism, he/she may, in like manner, be a partaker of Thy Resurrection and having preserved the gift of Thy Holy Spirit, and increased the measure of grace committed unto him/her, he/she may receive the prize of his/her high calling, and be numbered with the first-born whose names are written in heaven”.
• "Blessed is God, Who illumineth and sanctifieth every one who cometh into the world: now and ever, and to ages of ages”.

From the ANOINTING with OIL

• The servant of God (name) is anointed with the oil of gladness; in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...unto the healing of soul and body...unto hearing of faith...Thy hands have made me and have fashioned me...that he/she may walk in the way of Thy commandments, O Lord”.

From the BAPTIZING

• “The servant of God (name) is baptized in the Name of the Father...and of the Son...and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”.
• "The servant of God (name) is clothed with the garment of righteousness, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”.
• "Vouchsafe unto me a robe of light, O Thou who clothest Thyself with light as with a garment: Christ our God, plenteous in mercy”.

From the CHRISMATING

• “Do Thou, the same Master, compassionate King of all, grant also unto him/her the seal of the gift of Thy holy, and almighty, and adorable Spirit, and participation in the holy Body and the Precious Blood of Thy Christ. Keep him/her in Thy sanctification; confirm him/her in the Orthodox faith, deliver him/her from the Evil One, and from the schemes of the same. Preserve his/her soul in purity and uprightness, through the saving fear of Thee, that he/she may please Thee in every deed and word, and may be a child and heir of Thy heavenly kingdom”.
• "O Thou who, through holy baptism, hast given unto Thy servant remission of sins, and hast bestowed upon him/her a life of regeneration: Do Thou, the same Lord and Master, ever graciously illumine his/her heart with the light of Thy countenance. Maintain the shield of his/her faith unassailed by the enemy. Preserve pure and unpolluted the garment of incorruption, wherewith Thou hast endowed him/her, upholding inviolate in him/her by Thy grace, the seal of the Spirit, and showing mercy unto him/her and unto us, through the multitude of Thy mercies”.
• "Keep him/her ever a warrior invincible in every attack of those who assail him/her and us; and make us all victors, even unto the end, through Thy crown incorruptible”.
• "Thou art justified. Thou art illumined. Thou art sanctified. Thou art washed...Thou art baptized. Thou art illumined. Thou hast received anointment with Holy Chrism. Thou art sanctified. Thou art washed: in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”.

From the PROCESSION and DISMISSAL

• "As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia!”
• "Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, and visitation for the newly-illumined servant of God (name), and his/her sponsor (name), and his/her parents; and all here present; and for the pardon and remission of their sins”.
• "O Thou Who didst receive Baptism in the Jordan for our salvation, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-immaculate Mother, and of all the Saints, have mercy upon us and save us, forasmuch as He is good and loveth mankind. Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us and save us. Amen”.