Magyar Egyház, 1966 (45. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1966-04-01 / 4. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 7 MAGYAR CHURCH A HUNGARIAN COMMUNION SERVICE IN 1619 Confessio — Public Confession. Eternal, almighty Father, Lord God, God of all mercy, I make a confession before Thee as before my merciful Father, my creater and my Redeemer. I stand before Thee sinful with my failing nature, with my evil talk, with my evil regard, with my evil perception and with my evil acts during my whole life. I would deserve Thy Majesty’s anger and eternal damnation, for these, but I beseech Thee sacred Father of Heaven, for the sake of Thy Son, for Lord’ Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent to this world in behalf of the sinners, forgive me my innumerable sins, both those that are hidden and those that are evident, and give me the gift of the Holy Spirit that consecrates, so that through his adjusting of me I may be able to truly recognize Thee, to fear Thee, to honor Thee and that I may be able to love Thee with all my heart, that I may also be able to love my brethren and my fellow men as myself just as Thou hast instructed me to do. Loving, sacred Father of Heaven, do thusly unto me for the sake of Thy holy Son, for the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. This having been done, the servant of the church speaks forth in this or in a similar manner: Inasmuch as God the Holy does not reject a heart that is penitent and humble, without doubt, this our confession, coming as it is from our penitent hearts, is regarded by His sacred Majesty as a precious offering from us. Nevertheless, in order to become stronger Christians through reassertions, I am going to put a few questions to you, to each of which you shall answer truthfully and conscientiously. 1. Do you believe, that if God eternal wanted to pass a fair sentence upon you, you would deserve God’s anger with you and eternal damnation? Answer: I believe it. 2. Do you believe, that Jesus Christ conciliated God the Father in your behalf, and through His merit you have become mercy’s sons and daughters? Answer: I believe it. 3. Do you believe, that having passed away from this life, the time will come, when God will resurrect your bodies from death and after judgment He will transport you body and soul into the happiness of eternal, life? Answer: I believe it. Absolution of Sins: May the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost, the Holy Trinity, strengthen you in this true faith af salvation. /, an undeserving servant of the one God, authorized by our Lorrd Jesus Christ, am now announcing the forgiving of your sins. Communion of the Congregation Communion of the Minister Prayer of Thanksgiving Eternal Almighty, Lord God, glorious father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, in unison with Thy holy Son and the Holy Ghost, art the Creator and Keeper of all beings, we give Thee thanks. We thank Thee, that out of Thy goodness inexpressible, Thou hast looked upon us, who are mean and miserable people as we had been living in sin’s and damnation’s captivity ever since the fall of our first parents. We thank Thee, that just as Thou hast promised to all the holy fathers since Adam, in the fullness of time, Thou didst send Thy only Son to this world in the likeness of a sinful body, so that He would become an appeasing sacrifice in our behalf and that through Him we would be granted forgiveness of our sins and everlasting life. We thank Thee, that as an assurance of this, Thou hast given us of Thy Holy Spirit, by means of having the Gospel and the Sacraments administered to us. We Thank Thee, that Thou hast been sheltering Thy Christian Church from the rage of the evil and of the unmerciful, and that Thou hast given it eternal life as promised; to the testimony of this, in this our church, Thou hast just nourished our soul with the body and the blood of Thy Holy Son. We beseech Thee Lord God, arouse our hearts with Thy holy Spirit, that having understood all this, we may keep on giving everlasting thanks for this to Thee, Sacred Majesty, to Thee who livest and rulest with Thy Holy Son and Thy Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. Dimissio seu missa. The communion having occurred with a ceremony as as fine as this, we dismiss the people in this manner: Go Christians with the blessings of God. May you be blessed in your homes, out of your homes, in your goings, in your comings; may the Lord keep you in his grace throughout your lives, and after this life, may He let you rejoice with the holy angels and all hallowed saints. (From the Agenda of Peter Alvinczi, used in Kassa, 1619. Translated from the original Hungarian text by Barna Szabó, secretary of the Hungarian Reformed Church, Passaic, New Jersey.) World Council General Secretary Comments On Mixed Marriage Instruction (EPS, Geneva) — Dr. W. A. Visser ’t Hooft, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, issued the following statement on March 30 on the recent Roman Catholic instruction on mixed marriages, matrimonii sacr amentum: “Although the Instruction represents a slight step forward, it does not come up to the expectations raised by the promulgation of the Declaration on Religious Liberty and the Decree on Ecumenism, and especially by the discussion on Mixed Marriages at the Vatican Council. The Instruction removes only the tiniest fraction of the
