From Antipin’s Potrebnik. Chapter 3.
For one who desires to enter the monastic life: If there is an abbot (or abbess) or like-minded brethren present, first it is proper—even briefly—to remind the candidate, drawing from Holy Scripture (as was set forth in the preface), about the monastic life: that it is exceedingly conducive to salvation, that it is sorrowless and undisturbed in comparison with life in the world. Yet at the same time, one must be ready to endure various afflictions from the devil or from evil people.
Every person—even if there is no superior—before making his vow is obliged to examine thoroughly how good and peaceful the monastic life is, as well as all the difficulties that may arise, because after the vow has been made it is no longer permissible to change one’s mind. Only if, after all this examination, the intention remains unshaken should he proceed.
The seven-bow beginning:
God, be merciful to me, a sinner. (Bow)
O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)
I have sinned immeasurably. Lord, forgive, and have mercy on me, a sinner. (Bow)
It is truly meet to bless thee, O God-bearer, ever-blessed and most unblemished, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and truly more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gave birth to God the Word; who art the God-bearer, thee do we magnify. (Prostration)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)
Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. (Bow)
Lord have mercy. (Thrice). Lord, bless. (Bow)
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, throught the prayers of thy Most-Pure Mother, by the power of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross, and of my holy guardian Angel, and through the prayers of all the saints, have mercy on me, and save me a sinner, for thou art Good, and the Lover of mankind. (Prostration without the sign of the cross).
Then the superior himself, after the usual beginning, performs the following prayers:
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow)
O Heavenly King, Comforter, True Spirit, which art everywhere and fillest all, Treasury of blessings and giver of life: come and dwell in us; and cleanse us from every defilement, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice with bows)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake.
Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.
Our Father, which 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 needful bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow)
Amen. Lord have mercy. (12 times) Glory. Now and ever.
Come, let us worship the King, our God. (Bow)
Come, let us worship Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)
Come, let us worship and fall down before the very Lord Jesus Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)
Psalm 50. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight: that thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation: and uphold me with a free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: thou hast no pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
Then he makes his vow with a petition to the Lord, protecting himself with the sign of the cross, and says the following:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, thy sinful servant (name). Receive me who have now come to thee in repentance. Thou thyself, O Master who lovest mankind, knowest the desire and longing of my soul toward thee. Henceforth, before thee, O Lord, I vow to live as a monk, to preserve virginity in chastity all the days of my life, to renounce the world and all things that are in the world and my own will. I promise to live in obedience to spiritual guides and to have love toward all the brethren in Christ, and to bear the cross of patience unto my last breath. O Christ, thou Good Shepherd, receive me into thy fold, number me with thy sheep, and thyself feed me in thy pasture. Teach me to do thy will, help me to fulfil this vow and ever to do thy will. Preserve me from all the snares of the enemy all the days of my life, and make me worthy of thy heavenly Kingdom: for blessed art thou unto the ages. Amen.
Thereafter the Symbol of Faith (“I believe in one God…”) is recited in full, and the entire vow and the Creed are repeated three times:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all the visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, who from the Father is begotten before all ages. Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, but not created, of one essence with the Father; by him all things came to be. For us men and for our salvation he came down from the heavens, and was made flesh of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, becoming man. Who was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried. And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father. And is coming again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom has no end. And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, True and Life-giving, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son art worshipped and glorified, who spake the prophets. And in one holy, conciliar, and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism unto remission of sins. I await the resurrection for the dead. And of the life of the age to come. Amen.
Then, with the usual beginning, a moleben is served to Sweetest Jesus, together with the Akathist to the Most Holy God-bearer and to the Guardian Angel. The service begins after Psalm 142, and after the “Alleluia,” if there is a superior or brethren present, they say this petition: “O Lord, look upon Thy servant (name) who hath come unto Thee; preserve him and have mercy on him” (with bows), followed by “Lord, have mercy” (12 times), the first three with full prostrations. If the vow is made alone, the petition is: “O Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servant who prayeth unto Thee.”
Such petitions are made at the sedalen, at the kondak, and twice at the end of the moleben, before the forty “Lord, have mercy.”
At the end of the kondak after the sixth ode:
Prokeimen, Tone 3: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear?
Verse: The Lord is the defender of my life; whom then shall I fear?
Apostle, reading 296: Child Timothy, thou hast closely followed my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my longsuffering, my love, my patience, the persecutions and sufferings that befell me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra—what persecutions I endured! Yet from them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for thee, continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing from whom thou hast learned them, and that from childhood thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Alleluia, Tone 8: The poor man cried, and the Lord heard him.
Gospel according to Matthew, reading 39: The Lord said: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
Thereafter the 7th ode of the moleben and the rest until the end.
Before the prayer to Jesus: The petition indicated above is said, then “Lord, have mercy” forty times with bows, and the Prayer to Jesus: “Most merciful and all-merciful God, my Lord Jesus Christ.” (the whole prayer to the end), with a great prostration, and the usual dismissal.
After this, according to desire and ability, with the usual bows: “It is truly meet” to the God-bearer, troparia to the Guardian Angel, to the Archangels, and to other saints as desired.
Then the one who has made the vow makes two full prostrations, saying:
Glory to thy precious Cross, O Lord and kisses the Cross, followed by one more prostration.
Then again the petition indicated above
Lord, have mercy forty times with three prostrations, and the prayer:
O thou who at every time and every hour, in heaven and on earth, art worshipped and glorified, O gracious God; O Lord, do thou thyself receive our prayers at this hour, and in thy goodness make straight our life unto thy commandments. Sanctify our souls and purify our bodies; set straight our reason, and cleanse our thoughts. Make chaste and sober our minds, and deliver us from every sorrow, evil, pain, and the passions of the soul; and surround us with thy holy angels, so that guarded and guided by their host, we may attain unto the unity of faith, and unto the understanding of thine unapproachable glory. For thou art blessed unto the ages. Amen
At this point: O invincible and divine power of the precious and life-creating Cross… (three times), and “O all-hymned Mother who hast borne the holiest of all the holies…” (the whole tropar with three bows), then “Glory… Glory… Both now…” with a bow, and the final dismissal.
At the time of making this vow, if it be possible, one should immediately choose a spiritual guide: if the person is male, it is more fitting to choose a male guide (a spiritual father); if female, a female guide (a spiritual mother). One must be in complete obedience to this guide as to a spiritual father or mother, come to him/her as often as possible, reveal everything about oneself without concealing anything, and diligently carry out all his/her counsels.
Let him always remember his vow and thereby strengthen his life in abstinence and spiritual struggles. Let him take examples for his life from the ancient saints (something of this is pointed out in the preface): “ever preparing himself with his lamp burning to go forth to meet his Bridegroom Christ, after the likeness of the wise virgins” (Matt. 25, reading 104), that with them he may be counted worthy to enter the heavenly bridal-chamber. Amen.
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matt. 13:43, reading 50).
