The Circumcision of our Lord inspired our Holy Church to institute a beautiful and deeply symbolic custom for the newborn children of Christians: at eight days, the Priest reads the following prayer in such a way the first "Seal" of Grace is given to the infant:
The Priest then making the sigh of the Cross, seals the child’s forehead, mouth and breast saying the following prayer:
Let us pray unto the Lord.
O Lord our God, to thee we pray and we beseech thee, let the light of thy countenance be signed on thy servant (…..) and may he/she be signed with the Cross of thine only-begotten Son in his heart and understanding, that he may flee from the vanity of the world, and every evil design of the enemy, so that he may follow according to thy commandments. And grant, O Lord, that thy holy Name may remain unrejected by him/her that at an appropriate time he/she may be joined to thy holy Church and be perfected through the dread Mysteries: so that having lived according to Your commandments, and having preserved the seal unbroken, he/she may receive the blessedness of the elect in thy kingdom. Through the grace and compassion and love for mankind of thine Only-begotten Son, with whom Thou art blessed, together with Thy most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and for ever: world without end.
Amen.
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