Knighting Ceremony of Nigel the Byzantine

At 8 pm the night before the Knighting is to take place, the Guardians should convey the Candidate to the Cathedral for the Invocation of the Vigil.

The Vigil will commence with the Celebrant standing at the Altar, with everyone seated in the pews. When the Candidate is ready, he will be brought into the Cathedral by his Guardians, and all three shall kneel before the altar. The Celebrant shall begin:

Let us pray:

Almighty and eternal God! With lively faith and reverently worshiping Thy divine Majesty, we prostrate ourselves before Thee and invoke with filial trust Thy supreme bounty and mercy. We pray for Thy blessing upon Thy servant here, that Thou might illumine the darkness of his intellect with a ray of Thy heavenly light and inflame his heart with the fire of Thy divine love, that he may contemplate the great virtues and merits of the saints in whose honor he takes his accolade.

Moreover, we beseech Thee to grant graciously, through the merits and intercession of these powerful Holy Guides, the petition which through them we humbly place before Thee, that he may be blessed, and have strength for the Vigil that is to come, devoutly saying, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Vouchsafe graciously to hear it, if it redounds to Thy greater glory and to the salvation of the world. Amen.

O Most Holy Queen, as the Archangel Gabriel beheld thee, a living scroll of Christ which the Spirit had sealed, he cried out to thee: "Hail, vessel of joy, in whom the curse of Eve is lifted!" Thou art the Mother of Our Lord, and the re-creation of Nature. Faithful servant of God and invincible martyr, Saint George; favored by God with the gift of faith, and inflamed with an ardent love of His Son, thou didst fight valiantly against the dragon of pride, falsehood, and deceit. Blessed Archangel, Saint Michael, who doth guard us against the wickedness and snares of the Evil One, thou art the Messenger of Our Lord and His General, and thy name is the battle cry of the Heavenly Host. We fervently implore you as the Holy Guides of your servant here, for the sake Our Lord, to help your servant by your intercession to overcome the temptations that surround him, and to bear bravely the trials that he will face, so that he may enter into his new station with a pure heart and a humble countenance.

Our Lord and our God! We offer up to Thee our petition in union with the bitter passion and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, together with the merits of His blessed Mother, Mary, and of all the saints, particularly with those of the Holy Guides in whose honor he takes the Mantle of Knighthood.

Look down upon us, merciful Lord! Grant us Thy grace and Thy love, and graciously hear our prayer.

In nómine Patris, et Fílli, et Spirítus Sancti,

Amen.

Hear now the words of Saint Louis IX, from a letter to his son:

My dearest son, my first instruction is that you should love your God with all your heart and all your strength. Without this there is no salvation. Keep yourself, my son, from everything that you know displeases God, that is to say, from every mortal sin. You should permit yourself to be tormented by every kind of martyrdom before you would allow yourself to commit a mortal sin.

If God has permitted you to have some trial, bear it willingly and with gratitude, considering that it has happened for your good and that perhaps you well deserved it. If God bestows upon you any kind of prosperity, thank Him humbly and see that you become no worse for it, either though vain pride or anything else, because you ought not to oppose God or offend Him in the matter of His gifts.

Be kindhearted to the poor, the unfortunate and the afflicted. Give them as much help and consolation as you can. Thank God for all the benefits He has bestowed upon you, that you may be worthy to receive greater. Always side with the poor rather than with the rich, until you are certain of the truth.

Hear now the words of the Apostle Paul, from his first Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels, and have not Love, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge: and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not Love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not Love, it profiteth me nothing.

Love suffereth long, and is kind: Love envieth not: Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth: Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Love never faileth: but whether there be prophesies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesie in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part, shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly: but then face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth Faith, Hope, Love, these three, but the greatest of these is Love.

Hear now the wisdom of Saint Augustine:

God bestows more consideration on the purity of the intention with which our actions are performed than on the actions themselves.

I will suggest a means whereby you can praise God all day long, if you wish. Whatever you do, do it well, and you have praised God.

This is the business of our life: by labor and prayer to advance in the grace of God, till we come to that height of perfection in which, with clean hearts, we may behold God.

God does not command impossibilities, but by commanding admonishes you do what you can and to pray for what you cannot, and aids you that you may be able.

Conquer yourself and the world lies at your feet.

Hear now the words of the Psalmist. This is the First Psalm:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scorneful.

But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in his Law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season, his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth, shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaffe, which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the Congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Hear now the prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi, in the Canticle of the Sun:

Most High Almighty Good Lord, Yours are praise, glory, honor and all blessings; To You alone! Most High, do they belong, and no man is worthy of speaking Your Name!

Be praised, Lord, with all Your creatures, and above all our Brother Sun, who gives us the day by which You light our way, and who is beautiful, radiant and with his great splendor is a symbol to us of You, O Most High!

And be praised, Lord, for our Sister Moon and the Stars. You created them in the heavens bright, precious and beautiful!

And be praised, Lord, for our Brother the Wind and for the air and the clouds and for fair weather and for all other through which You sustain Your creatures.

And be praised, Lord, for our Sister Water, so useful, and humble, and chaste!

And be praised, my Lord, for our Brother Fire, through whom You light up the night and who is handsome, joyful, robust, and strong!

And be praised, my Lord, for our Sister, Mother Earth, who supports and carries us and produces the diverse fruits and colorful flowers and trees!

Praise and bless the Lord and give thanks to Him and serve Him with great humility!

Be praised, my Lord, for our Sister, bodily Death from whom no living man can escape!

Woe only to those who die in mortal sin; but blessed are those who have done Your most holy will; for the second death can cause them no harm!

Hear now the words of Our Lord, from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter five, verses 3 through 12:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shal say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: For so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you.

Let us pray:

Pater noster,
Qui es in coelis,
Sanctificetur nomen tuum;
Adveniat regnum tuum.
Fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo et in terra.

Panem nostrum supersubstantialem da nobis hodiè.
Et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
Sicut et nos debitoribus nostris.
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem;
Sed libera nos à malo.

Amen.

We praise Thee, O Lord, most holy Father, King of heaven and earth; because Thou hast comforted us and brought Thy servant here to Thy holy Knighthood.

For Thou art the God of our salvation, even that Salvation which arose from the Holy Sepulchre.

The Lord is our strength and our song, and Thou hast become our salvation, and in his Knighthood shall Thy servant become Thy Right Hand;

Let the heaven and earth praise Thee, the seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah. That they may dwell there and possess it. Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it, and those who love Thy Name shall dwell in it.

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.

In nómine Patris, et Fílli, et Spirítus Sancti,

Amen.

The Vigil is commenced, go in peace.

After the close of the Vigil Invocation, the Candidate will take up his position at the Altar, kneeling over his armor and weapons. Until 10 pm, people may visit him to discuss Knighthood with him, after which he and his two attendants will retire until morning.

At 8:00 the next morning, he and his party will set up a pavilion in the Park, after which more visitations may commence.