THE CARIBBEAN APOSTOLIC
RITE OF THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD
The Order Of Service
(*Where indicated, Please Stand)
MEETING THE BODY
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The Priest, standing at the foot of the coffin, sprinkles the body with holy water after which are said or sung:
Psalm 130
Out of the deep have I called unto Thee, Oh Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Oh let Thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint. If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, Oh Lord, who may abide it? For there is mercy with Thee; * therefore shalt Thou be feared. I look for the Lord; my soul doth wait for Him; in His word is my trust.
My soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch; I say, before the morning watch.
Oh Israel, trust in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption.
Celebrant - Grant eternal rest unto him/her, Oh Our Lord.
People - And let light perpetually shine upon him/her.
Celebrant - O Lord, hear my prayer.
Couple - And let my cry come unto Thee.
Celebrant - The Lord be with you.
Couple - And also with you.
Celebrant - Let us pray.
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For a single ring ceremony:
BLESS, O Lord, this ring, which we bless in Thy name, that she who shall wear it, keeping true faith unto her husband, may abide in Thy peace and according to Thy will, and ever live in mutual love. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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For a double ring ceremony:
BLESS, O Lord, these rings, which we bless in Thy name, that they who wear them may ever keep true faith with each other, and so, abiding in Thy peace and in obedience to Thy will, may live together in love unchanging. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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The bridegroom then takes the ring to be given to the bride, saying:
With this ring I thee wed: with my body I thee honor and all my worldly goods I share.
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The bridegroom places the ring on the thumb of the bride’s left hand, saying
In the Name of the Father,
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The ring is moved to the index finger.
and of the Son,
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The ring is moved to the middle finger.
and of the Holy Spirit.
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The ring is placed on the bride’s ring finger.
Amen.
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For a double ring ceremony, the bride now takes the ring to be given to the bridegroom and repeats the same.
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The Marriage Celebrant then adds:
Celebrant - Confirm that, O God, which you have wrought in us.
Couple - For Your temple’s sake at Jerusalem. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Celebrant - Let us Pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy 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.
Celebrant - Save Your servants.
Couple - Who put their trust in Thee, my God.
Celebrant - Send them help, O Lord, from the sanctuary.
Couple - And strengthen them out of Zion.
Celebrant - Be unto them, O Lord, a tower of strength.
Couple - From the face of the enemy.
Celebrant - O Lord, hear my prayer.
Couple - And let my cry come unto You.
Celebrant - The Lord be with you.
Couple - And also with you.
Celebrant - Let us pray. Look, Oh Lord, we beseech You, upon these Your servants; and graciously assist this Your institution, whereby You hast ordained the propagation of mankind, that they who are joined together by Your authority may, by Your assistance, be preserved. Through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
*Nuptial Blessing*
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The Marriage Celebrant, turning toward the newly-married persons, may read the following:
Psalm 128
Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, * and walk in His ways.
For thou shalt eat the labours of thine hands: * O well is thee, and happy shalt thou be.
Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine * upon the walls of thine house;
Thy children like the olive branches * round about thy table.
Lo, thus shall the man be blessed * that feareth the Lord.
The Lord from out of Zion shall so bless thee, * that thou shalt see Jerusalem in prosperity all thy life long;
Yea, that thou shalt see thy children’s children, * and peace upon Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
BLESS, O Lord, and look from heaven upon this union; and as You did send Your holy Angel Raphael to bring peace to Tobias and Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, so vouchsafe, O Lord, to send Your blessing upon these two persons, that they may abide in Your benediction, continue in Your will, and live in Your love. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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Then, raising his hands and extending them over their heads, the Marriage Celebrant shall say:
THE Lord God Almighty bless you, and fulfill His benediction upon you, and may you see your children’s children even unto the third and fourth generation, and attain unto the old age which you desire. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Ps. 67. God be merciful unto them, and bless them, and show them the light of Thy countenance, and be merciful unto them.
Ps. 128. Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, and walk in His ways.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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The Marriage Celebrant shall introduce the Epistle, taken from Ephesians 5:20-33:
A reading from the Epistle of blessed Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians:
GIVE thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church; And He is the Saviour of the body. Therefore, as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot nor wrinkle nor any blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his
wife loveth himself. For no one ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord loveth the Church. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery; But I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself, and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Psalm 128. Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine upon the walls of thy house. Thy children like the olive branches round about thy table. Alleluia.
Psalm 20. The Lord send you help from the sanctuar,: and strengthen you out of Zion. Alleluia.
Psalm 134. The Lord that made heaven and earth: give thee blessing out of Zion! Alleluia.
Psalm 128. Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine upon the walls of thy house. Thy children like the olive branches round about thy table. Alleluia.
Psalm 20. The Lord send you help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Sion. Alleluia.
Psalm 134. The Lord that made heaven and earth: give thee blessing out of Zion! Alleluia.
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If the Divine Liturgy is to be celebrated, it shall begin here. Otherwise, the Celebrant will pronounce the couple as Husband and Wife:
THE EUCHARIST
(the most senior Clergy present leads the people)
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The Celebration of Holy Eucharist will now begin. All Clergy fully vested in their respective places. The Eucharist will be served at the hands of the Clergy, blessed by the Chief Celebrating Presbyter. The Deacon then, with a soft voice, leads the congregation in Eucharistic hymn as the altar is being set:
Reader:
A reading from the 1st Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 11:17-34
“Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.”
First, the broken Bread:
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The Prelate, with the Bread lifted, in a loud voice shall pray:
“We thank you, our Father, for the life and the knowledge that you made known to us through your Son Jesus (+), whose Body this bread now is. Glory be to You for the age. Just as this broken bread was scattered on top of the hills and as it was gathered together and became one, in the same way let your assembly be gathered together from the remotest parts of the land into your kingdom. For yours is the glory and the power through Christ Jesus for the age.”
Now, the cup:
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The Prelate, with the Chalice lifted, in a loud voice shall pray:
“We thank you, our Father, for the holy vine of your Son David which you made known to us through your Son Jesus (+), whose Blood this wine mixed with water now is. Glory be to you for the age.
(the serving of the Eucharist)
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The Celebrant shall then say:
“We thank You, holy Father, for Your holy name JEHOVAH, which you made to live in our hearts, and for the knowledge and trust and immortality which You made known to us through Jesus Your Son. Glory be to You for the age. Almighty Master, it was You who created all for the sake of Your name. You gave both food and drink to people for enjoyment, so that they might give thanks to you. But to us you have freely given spiritual food and drink and eternal life through your Son. Before all things, we are thankful to you that you are powerful. Glory be to You for the age. O Lord, remember your assembly, remember to rescue it from every evil and to make it complete in your love, and to gather it from the four winds into your kingdom which you prepared for it, which has been made holy. For yours is the power and the glory for the age. Let generosity come, and let this universe pass away. Hosanna to David's Son! If someone is holy, let him come. If someone is not, he should change his mind. Amen."
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The Celebrant, holding the Holy Communion high above his head says:
Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
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With the Celebrant, the people respond:
Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof, but speak the word only and my soul shall be healed.
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The Celebrant administers Holy Communion, saying:
The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given and shed for thee, preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life. Amen.
After serving the Holy Communion to the people, the Reading of the prayer by the Celebrant:
POUR forth on us, O Lord, the spirit of Thy love; that those whom Thou hast filled with the Passover Sacrament, may, by Thy goodness, live in perfect concord. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the selfsame Holy Spirit, God, to ages of ages. Amen.
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Allowance for Prophetic Utterances and the Blessing of the Tithes
BENDICTION
By the power vested in me in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, according to the sanction of the (Name of Church), and (Name of City and State/Government), I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You May Kiss the Bride!
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Making the sign of the Cross over the people, the Celebrant says:
May the Lord bless (+) you and keep you, may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto; may the Lord lift up His countenance upon you an give you peace. Amen.