Blessing of the Font
From The Anglican Service Book of 1991
This traditional Blessing of the Font is appropriate for use at the Easter Vigil. Through the use of rich symbolism, it calls to mind the mighty saving acts which God accomplishes through the waters of Baptism, calling us to die with Christ and to be raised to new life in him.
An appropriate psalm or anthem may be sung as the ministers process to the font.
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And with thy spirit.
Celebrant Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon the devout prayers of thy servants now seeking regeneration and desiring the fountain of thy water-brooks: and of thy goodness grant that they who thirst after thy faith may in this mystery of thy Holy Baptism obtain sanctification both of body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And with thy spirit.
Celebrant Let us pray.
O merciful God, grant that like as Christ died and rose again, so all that are baptized may die to sin and rise to newness of life. Amen.
Grant that all sinful affections may die in them, and that all things belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in them. Amen.
Grant that they may have power and strength to have victory, and to triumph against the devil, the world, and the flesh. Amen.
Grant that whosoever is here dedicated to thee by our office and ministry, may also be endued with heavenly virtues, and everlastingly rewarded, through thy mercy, O blessed Lord God, who dost live, and govern all things: world without end. Amen.
The Lord be with you.
People And with thy spirit.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them up unto the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.
People It is meet and right so to do.
The Celebrant continues
It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should give thanks unto thee, O Lord, Holy, Father Almighty, Everlasting God. For that thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins, did shed out of his most precious side both water and blood; and gave commandment to his disciples, that they should go teach all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
O God, whose Spirit moved over the face of the waters, when the earth was without form and void at its creation: that even then the nature of water might conceive the virtue of purging all defilement:
O God, who didst cover the earth with water, and wash away its wickedness, and didst show forth in the saving of eight souls by the same water, a figure of our regeneration: that by the mystery of this one element of water thou mightest make an end of sin, and give birth unto righteousness:
Behold with thy good pleasure the family of thy Church, and make the grace of thy regeneration to abound therein, for thou dost with the rivers of thy plenteous mercy make glad the city of thy redeemed: and openest unto us fountains of Baptism through the whole world for the healing of nations; that, at the word of thy majesty, the same may receive the grace of thine only Son, through the Holy Ghost.
Here the priest makes the sign of the cross, dividing the water.
May he by the secret operation of his power make this water fruitful unto the regeneration of man: that having received sanctification, and being born again without spot of defilement, the same may be found a new creature, that springeth from this womb of living water: that young and old, both men and women, who henceforth shall be baptized herein, may all become the children of grace and heirs of thy heavenly promises.
Speak the word, O Lord, and drive away speedily unclean spirits and all things that may hurt us: banish from us by thy Name all the snares and assaults of the devil. And may our ghostly enemy have no power at all to encompass us: to deceive our hearts by his subtility: to waylay us in secret, and spread abroad the leaven of malice.
Be this an holy and undefiled creation, and such that the son of wickedness may not approach it, nor the stain of iniquity come near to defile it. Be it a fountain that doth regenerate, a stream that doth purify: may all they that by this means shall be dedicated before thee by the operation of the Holy Ghost, receive the grace of redemption and remission of their offenses. Wherefore I do hallow thee, O creature of water, by God that liveth, by God the faithful, by God, the Holy: by God, who in the beginning by his Word divided the land from thee: and whose Spirit moved upon thy face.
Here the priest divides the water with his hand and scatters it towards the four corners of the earth.
Who did ordain that thou shouldst issue out of Eden, and be parted from thence into four heads, flowing therefrom into all the earth. Likewise in the desert of Marah he did turn thy bitterness into sweetness, and made thee to come forth out of the rock for his people.
In the Name of his only Son our Savior Jesus Christ do I hallow thee, O creature water: for he did change thee into wine as a wondrous sign of his Omnipotence, when he was bidden to the wedding at Cana.
Who walked upon thee with his feet to come to his disciples: and was baptized in thee in Jordan by John his minister.
Who moreover did mingle thee with Blood from his side at his Passion: and commanded his disciples that such as believed should be in thee baptized.
Almighty God, mercifully assist our prayers, who here observe what thou hast commanded: and of thy great goodness breathe thy Breath upon us.
Here the priest breathes on the water three times in the form of a cross.
Hallow by the Word of thy mouth and of thy power the weakness of this water: that like as by nature it doeth service unto the purifying of the body, so by thy grace it may effectually cleanse our souls.
Here the priest lowers the Paschal Candle into the water three times while singing the following. Then, breathing on the water, he proceeds.
May the power of the Holy Ghost be poured out on this Font which we have filled.
And make the whole substance of this water effectual unto the washing of regeneration.
The candle is taken out of the water.
May every stain of our iniquity here be cleansed: may our nature be restored to its perfect fashioning, and be conformed again to thine own image of righteousness; may it be redeemed from the old sins of its conversation: that every person, being born again by the Sacrament he hath here received, may be restored verily unto the innocence of thy children.
Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Who shall come to judge the quick and the dead, and the world by fire. Amen.
The priest then pours the Oil of Catechumens into the Font in the form of a cross.
May this Oil of salvation make this Font holy and fruitful, in such wise that those who find herein their new birth may come to life everlasting. Amen.
In the form of a cross, he pours in the Chrism.
May this mingling of the Chrism of Jesus Christ our Lord, and of the Holy Ghost the Paraclete, be wrought in the Name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
In the form of a cross, he pours in both together, saying
May this commingling of the Chrism of salvation and of the Oil of unction and of the Water of Baptism likewise be wrought in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Then he mingles the Oil and Water, and scatters it over the Font with his hand.
Regard, we beseech thee, the supplications of thy congregation: sanctify this Water to the mystical washing away of sin; [and grant that these thy Servants, now to be baptized therein, may receive the fullness of thy grace, and ever remain in the number of thy faithful children:] through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, now and evermore. Amen.
The service then continues with Baptism or the Renewal of Baptismal vows.
