Saturday Evening CONSECRATION OF THE CHURCH

CONSECRATION OF THE CHURCH SUNDAY
Ramsho
INTRODUCTION

DOXOLOGY
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as we begin and until we conclude.
May mercy and compassion be poured forth upon us
in this world and the next.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.
Amen.
OPENING PRAYER
O Christ our Lord,
may we enter your holy dwelling pure and chaste,
clothed with the resplendent attire of your laws
and spiritually adorned with your commandments.
Then, with the children of the light,
we shall praise you for your grace
and give thanks to you,
your Father, and your living and Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
Amen.
GREETING
Peace be with the Church and her children.
PRAISE OF THE ANGELS
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth and good will to all.

Praise the Lord all you nations,
glorify him all you peoples.
For steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
and peace on earth and good will to all.

FIRST PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Lord,
may your cross be the guardian of your holy Church,
your right hand its guide and companion,
your help its protection,
and your salvation its powerful fortress.
With your children, may the holy Church sing you a hymn
of praise
and give thanks to you,
your Father, and your Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
Amen.
PSALM OF THE DAY

Antiphon:
O Lord, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!

Psalm 8
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
you have fashioned praise because of your foes,
to silence the hostile and the vengeful.

When I behold the heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place.

What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him:

You made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.

You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet:

All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,

The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

Antiphon:
O Lord, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!

SECOND PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Lord, you are the Light who dispersed the clouds of sin in this world of darkness
and enlightened human intelligence with your sublime teachings.
The people who are in the darkness of death have seen a
great light;
through you, may the living and the dead obtain salvation.
For this reason we give you thanks, O Lord,
and glorify you Father and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
Amen.

EVENING PSALMS
Psalm 141:1-4
O Lord, to you I call; hasten to me;
harken to my voice when I call upon you.

Let my prayer come like incense before you;
the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice.

O Lord, set a watch before my mouth,
a guard at the door of my lips.

Let not my heart incline to the evil
of engaging in deeds of wickedness.

With men who are evildoers;
and let me not partake of their dainties.

Psalm 142
With a loud voice I cry out to the Lord;
with a loud voice I beseech the Lord.

My complaint I pour out before him;
before him I lay bare my distress.

When my spirit is faint within me,
you know my path.

In the way along which I walk
they have hid a trap for me.

I look to the right to see,
but there is no one who pays me heed.

I have lost all means of escape;
there is no one who cares for my life.

I cry out to you, O Lord:
I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land
of the living.”

Attend to my cry,
for I am brought low indeed.

Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.

Lead me forth from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.

The just shall gather around me
when you have been good to me.

Psalm 119:105-112
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.

I resolve and swear
to keep your just ordinances.

I am very much afflicted;
O Lord, give me life according to your word.

Accept, O Lord, the free homage of my mouth,
and teach me your decrees.

Though constantly I take my life in my hands,
yet I forget not your law.

The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but from your precepts I have not strayed.

Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.

I intend in my heart to fulfill you statutes
always to the letter.

Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!

For steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.

[HYMN]

The Hymn, “The Resurrection of Christ” (page 165) may
be sung following the Evening Psalms.
HOOSOYO
PROEMION
Praise, glory and honor to the wise Architect,
who in his loving kindness built his holy Church as a
powerful fortress.
Out of love he has prepared for ransomed humanity a tower
of salvation.

By his cross he protects those who are saved from all evil.
To the Good One is due glory and honor this evening,
and all the days of our lives,
now and for ever.
Amen.
SEDRO
Blessed are you, O Christ,
you have built the holy Church, the spiritual Jerusalem,
and have gathered within her the scattered ones of Israel.
You have promised to be with her until the end of the world.
You have confirmed her in sanctity
and made her foundations firm in the faith,
binding her stones with love.
The gates of hell will not prevail against her.
In times past the prophets announced her establishment;
the apostles proclaimed her salvation;
and for her, the martyrs suffered death.
Today, we celebrate the consecration of the Church,
singing out in inspired hymns:
Rise up, and be adorned with light, O holy Church,
because the wise Architect has placed your foundations
on his rock and has reinforced your gates by his right hand.
Rise up and be adorned with light,
because the Savior of the world has gathered all your
children within your walls;
the mighty One has chosen you for his dwelling place.
Rise up and be adorned with light,
because the holy Lord has poured his holiness upon you
and has chosen saints from among your children.
Rise up and be adorned with light,
because the powerful Lord has exalted you
and made you victorious over your enemies.
Lord, we now ask you,
with the rising fragrance of this incense (our prayers)
to remember, in your loving kindness, the Church you have built.
In your love, save the inheritance you have received,
guard your flock from all evil,
and give rest in your kingdom to those who have departed.
Bring us one day into your heavenly glory,
that we may praise and glorify you for ever.
Amen.

QOLO
Today Noah, whose ark was a symbol of the Church, sings praises to the vessel of salvation;
Today Jacob,  who saw the Church as a ladder which the just
ascended, rejoices;
Today Aaron is full of joy, for he has stood by the tent where dwelt the God of Israel;
Today the son of Jesse leaps for joy in seeing the daughter of kings adorned in glorious apparel;
Today Isaiah proclaims: “Arise and be adorned in light, daughter of the nations, why remain in darkness?”
Today the Son of David rejoices, since he sees the Church resting in his bosom;
Today, like the angels, the priests surround the holy altar and the Lord gives his people his body and blood, food and drink for the forgiveness of sins.
ETRO
Christ,
sweet aroma and anointing of delight,
accept the fragrance of this incense (this prayer) which
we offer you as a pledge of our gratitude
and grant your Church tranquility and peace.
May her priests and shepherds,
entrusted with the service of your altars,
guide the Church according to your Spirit.
Fill us with the sweet fragrance of heavenly gifts
and we shall praise you, Christ Jesus, our High Priest,
and give praise and glory to your Father and your living
and Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
Amen.

READINGS
MAZMOORO
Priests and deacons surround the altar and the Holy Spirit
hovers above it.

Our Lord established the Church on the rock of faith,
set its foundations on Simon and through the call
of Paul, has made it firm.

SYNAXARION
The liturgical year of the Maronite Church opens with commemorations in honor of the Church of Christ. The two Sundays of the Church, the Sunday of the Consecration of the Church and the Sunday of the Dedication of the Church, although not directly connected with the Season of Announcement, the first of the liturgical seasons in which the life of Christ is reflected, form a fitting introduction to it. For these two Sundays teach us that the entire salvific mission of Christ today takes place through his Church.
The Old and New Testament both use the term “corban” to indicate something consecrated to the Lord. Quite often an object was anointed with oil and then considered holy or set apart for the Lord. In the Old Testament, priests, kings, the meeting tent and its furniture, and the Ark of the Covenant were all anointed and thus consecrated to the Lord. In the New Testament, Jesus himself is called the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One. In the Church today, we still anoint catechumens, those being chrismated, the sick, priests and bishops, church buildings, and sacred vessels in order to set apart these people, places and objects as sacred, consecrated to the Lord.
In the Old Testament, the sacred object was the Ark of the Covenant. It was a symbol of the covenant between God and his people, as it originally contained the stone tablets of the ten commandments of God’s law. By means of the covenant, Israel was set apart as the chosen people, and Yahweh was to be their God. The Ark was the symbol of God’s personal and saving presence among his people. It was upon the Ark that the blood of atonement was sprinkled and it was before it that divine communications were received. As a sign of God’s leadership and protection for his chosen people, the Ark was carried before the army in battle.
In his prophecies, Isaiah refers to the servant of Yahweh as a “covenant of the people, a light for the nations.” This covenant of the people will establish justice on the earth, open the eyes of the blind, and free prisoners (Isaiah 42:4, 6-7).
Jesus, the Anointed One, is the New Ark. His sacred person is the place where the divine and the human meet. He is the bearer of the good news. It is through the sacrifice of his body on the cross that sins are atoned for and his resurrection establishes an everlasting covenant between God and his people.
Through the outpouring of the Spirit of Christ, the Church has come into being and continues the mission of Christ in the world. It is now the Church which proclaims to mankind God’s saving love for the world.
The Sunday of the Consecration of the Church invites individual Christians to renew their personal consecration to the Lord and his Church, an to strive to realize God’s kingdom on earth.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
A Reading from the Book of Exodus
Exodus 40:1-16
Then the Lord said to Moses, “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the Dwelling of the meeting tent. Put the ark of the commandments in it, and screen off the ark with the veil. Bring in the table and set it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up the lamps on it. Put the golden altar of incense in front of the ark of the commandments, and hang the curtain at the entrance of the Dwelling. Put the altar of holocausts in front of the entrance of the Dwelling of the meeting tent.
Place the laver between the meeting tent and the altar, and put water in it. Set up the court round about, and put the curtain at the entrance of the court.
“Take the anointing oil and anoint the Dwelling an everything in it, consecrating it and all its furnishings, so that it will be sacred. Anoint the altar of holocausts and all its appurtenances, consecrating it, so that it will be most sacred.
Likewise, anoint the laver with its base, and thus consecrate it.
“Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the meeting tent, and there wash them with water. Clothe Aaron with the sacred vestments and anoint him, thus consecrating him as my priest. Bring forward his sons also, and clothe them with the tunics. As you have anointed their father, anoint them also as my priests.
Thus, by being anointed, shall they receive a perpetual priesthood throughout all future generations.”
Moses did exactly as the Lord had commanded him.

A Reading from the Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:9-18
The aged Tobit opened his mouth and blessed God:
O Jerusalem, holy city,
he scourged you for the works of
your hands,
but again pity the children of
the righteous.
Praise the Lord for his goodness,
and bless the King of the ages,
so that his tent may be rebuilt in you
with joy.
May he gladden within you all who
were captives;
all who were ravaged may he cherish
within you
for all generations to come.
A bright light will shine to all parts of
the earth,
drawn to you by the name of the
Lord God,
Bearing in their hands, their gifts
for the King of heaven.
Every generation shall give joyful praise
in you,
and shall call you the chosen one,
through all ages forever.
Accursed are all who speak a harsh
word against you;
accursed are all who destroy you
and pull down your walls,
And all who overthrow your towers
and set fire to your homes;
but forever blessed are all those who
built you up.
Go, then, rejoice over the children of
the righteous,
who shall all be gathered together
and shall bless the Lord of the ages.
Happy are those who love you,
and happy those who rejoice in your
prosperity.
Happy are all the men who shall grieve
over you,
over all your chastisements,

For they shall rejoice in you
as they behold all your joy forever.
My spirit blesses the Lord, the great
King;
Jerusalem shall be rebuilt as his
home forever.
Happy for me if a remnant of my offspring
survive
to see your glory and to praise the
King of heaven!
The gates of Jerusalem shall be built
with sapphire and emerald,
and all your walls with precious
stones.
The tower of Jerusalem shall be built
with gold,
and their battlements with pure
gold.
The streets of Jerusalem shall be paved
with rubies and stones of Ophir;
The gates of Jerusalem shall sing hymns
of gladness,
and all her houses shall cry out,
“Alleluia!”
“Blessed be God who has raised you
up!
may he be blessed for all ages!”
For in you they shall praise his holy
name forever.
SUPPLICATION
O Son, by your resurrection you saved your Church from error;
hear our supplication and have mercy on us.
You reconciled heaven and earth, grant peace to your Church
and keep her children in the light of the cross.
O Church, blessed in the One who has chosen you as his spouse, and placed within you the holy altar for the forgiveness of
sins. He broke his body that you might consume it, and
poured out his blood that you might drink it.
Rejoice, O holy Church, sing and give glory on the day of the
commemoration of your consecration. Glorify and give
thanks to the Spouse who in his crucifixion married you
and delighted heaven and earth in the bridal feast.

O Church, you are blessed on the memorial of your consecration.
This day is greatest among all days and this feast is most
beautiful among other feasts. The Church rejoices and her
children sing the praise of the Spouse who came to sanctify
her.
Glory to the Father, through his revelation to the prophets, they foretold of the Church; adoration to the Son, the martyrs
crowned him the head of the Church; thanksgiving to the
Holy Spirit, who came to abide in the Church; to the One
and all-powerful Trinity,
be glory for ever.
Let us remember the prophets, apostles and martyrs, all those
who have labored and suffered in the vineyard of the Lord:
Saint James, Saint Maron and his companions, and Saint
Ephrem, harp of the Holy Spirit.
O God, through their prayers, strengthen the weak, comfort
the sick, grant pardon to the deceased and forgive the faults
of us poor sinners.
Exalt, O Lord, the memory of your Mother and your saints;
through their prayers grant pardon to us and to our
deceased.
Through the prayers of your Mother, the prophets
apostles and martyrs, watch over the living, and in your
mercy, forgive those who have died.
HOOTOMO
Let us confess, adore and praise the holy and glorious Trinity; Father, Son, ✛ and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
TRISAGION
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Holy are you, O God;
Holy are you, O Strong One;
Holy are you, O Immortal One;
have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, forgive us and have mercy on us.
Lord, hear us and have mercy on us.
Lord, accept our worship and our prayers.
Lord, come to our assistance and have mercy on us.

LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who are in heaven;
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil,
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen.
O Lord, the night and the day are yours;
you uphold the light and the sun.
Through your power you direct the sequence of the seasons.
O Lord,
you have brought the day to its close and called forth the night; be for us that great Day that never ends.
In the evening let your light shine in our hearts,
and in the darkness of the night
enlighten us with the knowledge of your truth.
And so, through all the days of our lives,
we shall praise you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
To you be glory and may your mercy rest upon us,
now and for ever.
Amen.
EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
Let us thank God for all the graces he has bestowed on us
this day which has passed in calm and peace.
Let us recall our failings against the commandments of God
and the Church in thought, word, deed and omission
We ask for God’s pardon as we pray:
“Forgive us, Jesus!”
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
Glory be to you, O Lord.

God,
Father in heaven,
by your living and holy name,
keep us from evil and lead us not into temptation;
for we call upon you, O Lord, our God, our constant hope,
glory to you for ever.
O Lord, our Lord,
may our humble worship be pleasing to you;
may our prayers come before you and our actions give
you honor.
Let you mercy, kindness, help, graces and divine love
be poured abundantly upon us poor sinners,
both in heaven and on the earth
which you have created in your goodness.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.
Amen.
DISMISSAL
Peace be with you.
And also with you.
O God,
through the prayers of your Mother and the saints who have
believed in you;
through the prayers of the prophets, apostles, martyrs and confessors; through the prayers of the just, the priests, the holy fathers, pastors and teachers of the truth faith;
and through the prayers of N., Pope of Rome, N., our Patriarch, and N., our Bishop,
forgive your people and have mercy on your flock.
May God bless, forgive, sanctify, purify, and keep each of the faithful united with us in this spiritual office.
May mercy and compassion be upon us and all the faithful who
dwell here.
May peaceful rest be granted to those who have died in the faith.
May the faithful who live here experience the protection of
Christ’s victorious cross.
May we and all his servants, who adore him with bowed heads,
receive the mercy of the holy and glorious Trinity
Father, Son, ✛ Holy Spirit, to whom be glory now and for ever.
Amen.

May God forgive your sins,
pardon your failings,
and deliver you from the power of the enemy.
May he grant you the remission of your offenses.
Go in peace, and pray to Christ for me.