Rare Prayer to the Great Marytr and Healer Panteleimon

Rare Prayer to the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon (Prayer of Jeremiah the Hermit)

Commemorated  July 27/August 9.

(As a court physician he had a high position, but he chose poverty over luxury and cured people free of charge. All his life he devoted himself to helping the suffering, the sick and the poor. He brought back to life a boy who had died from a snake bite. St. Panteleimon has always been venerated in Russia as a heavenly healer of various ailments, especially cancer).

Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon! Pray God for us (names) and do not let illnesses stay in us any longer, by which we are in pain in body and soul! Heal the sores and scabs which have been inflicted upon us by our passions. We ache with laziness and lethargy, heal us. We ache with craving and addiction to earthly things, heal us. We are in pain, O Saint Panteleimon! We ache with forgetfulness: of the work of salvation, of our sins and weaknesses, of our duties - heal us. We ache with rancor, anger, and hatred - heal us, O St. Panteleimon. We ache with addiction, pride, haughtiness, and conceit, in all our poverty and wantonness, heal us. We are in pain with many and various fits of carnality: gluttony, drunkenness, excessive eating,  for lust - heal us. Sick with sleepiness, with too many words, with idle talk, with sluggishness - heal us, O Saint Panteleimon! Our eyes ache with sinful views, our ears ache with listening to idle talk, slander, accusations - heal us. Our hands are sore because of our unwillingness to offer prayers and to give alms - heal us. 

Our feet hurt by the unwillingness to go to the temple of the Lord in haste and by the striving to walk in the hillocks and to visit the houses of the world - heal us. Our tongue and our mouths ache; they ache with idle talk, with evil language, with turning away from prayers and praises, or with saying them carelessly, distractedly, without attention, without understanding. From head to foot we ache: Our minds ache with incomprehension, unreasonableness, and insanity; our wills ache in us, turning away from holy tasks and striving to do harmful and profane things; our memories ache in us, forgetting our trespasses and holding in them the sins and insults of our neighbors without loss; Our imagination aches, unable and unwilling to vividly imagine our death, the eternal torment of sinners, the benefits of the kingdom of heaven, the wrath of God, the suffering of Christ on the cross, His crucifixion - heal us, O holy Panteleimon! Everything in us hurts. Our soul with all its powers and faculties does not exist. Our whole body, with all its members, also fails. Heal us, O Saint Panteleimon, Healer of the poor and affectionate Physician, servant of the Most Holy Mother of God, and do not leave us in our woes and in our infirmities: I glorify the Blessed Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, who sends you to serve the sick, and I thank you holy Saint Panteleimon, for ever and ever. Amen.

Another prayer, also to him.

O great benefactor of Christ, passionate and merciful Physician Panteleimon! Have mercy on me, O sinful servant of God (name); hear my groaning and cry; have mercy on me Heavenly, Supreme Physician of our souls and bodies, Christ our God, grant that I may be healed of this cruel affliction that oppresses me. Accept the unworthy prayer of the most sinful person above all.Visit me with a gracious visitation. Do not despise my sinful sores; anoint them with the oil of thy mercy, and heal me; that being healthy in body and soul, I may spend the rest of my days, with the help of the grace of God, in repentance and pleasing God, and may be permitted to see the blessed end of my life. You who are a saint of God, pray to Christ God that He may grant me a good end to my life. beseech Christ God, that through your intercession may my body be made whole and my soul be saved. Amen.

April 16 - Lazarus Saturday

 

PRAYER TO THE RIGHTEOUS SAINT LAZARUS

O righteous and excellent friend of Christ, holy Lazarus, a boast to Bethany and a wonder to the whole world! Blessed is thy house, which our Lord Jesus Christ in the days of his flesh visited with love, seeing the faith and goodness of thy soul and of thy godly sisters Martha and Mary, for thou hast loved him with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind; and thou hast loved him to the end.

Wonderful are your mysteries, which were revealed to you by your Divine Friend and our Lord, because before His Cross and Resurrection He deigned to show His Glory on you to the whole world, and to make you the forerunner of his triune Resurrection from the dead. For this reason, He, as the Lord of life and death, let thee be put to sleep in death, and be buried, and let thee descend even to the depths of hell, where thou hast seen those who were dead of old in innumerable numbers, held in chains of hell, and hast seen the fearful fears thou hast faced.

And thou, when thine body was already delivered up to mortal death, in the four days thou didst hear the divine voice of thy friend at thy grave: "Lazarus, get thee out!" And at that voice thou didst awake suddenly from the tomb; and so thou didst make Bethany joyful, thou didst quench the tears of Martha and Mary; and thou didst scare the Pharisees and the scribes, who were hardened in their hearts. Assuage, O holy friend of Christ, our tears which are shed for our sins; give life to our souls and bodies, and raise us up out of the tomb of despair and bitter despondency; deliver us all from eternal death, as our Lord raised you up from the death of death.

And beseech merciful God, that He may grant us to be partakers of eternal life, in which also thou, through thy saintly labors on the island of Crete, art now enjoying thyself in the abodes of paradise, praising the Most Holy Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Mary, who has fallen deeply and then reached great heights, pray for us who live in the world, who have not overcome the flesh and who receive the "fiery darts of the evil one" time and time again (Eph. 6:16)

 

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in honor of Her Protection (Oct. 1/14)

O all-holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord of the hosts on high, Thou Queen of heaven and earth and almighty Defender of our country, accept from us Thine unworthy servants this song of praise and thanksgiving and bring our prayer up to the the throne of Thy God and Son, that He be merciful towards our unrighteousness, and extend His grace to those who honour Thy name and venerate with faith and love Thy wonder-working ikon. For we are not worthy to be forgiven by Him hadst Thou, O Lady, not made Him merciful towards us, for all things from Him are possible to Thee. Therefore we run to Thee as Thou art our swift and undoubted Protector. Hear us who pray to Thee: overshadow us with Thine almighty veil and ask from Thy God and Son zeal and vigilance for our shepherds, wisdom and strength for the souls of those who govern our cities, righteousness and impartiality for our judges, understanding and humility for our leaders, love and concord for the married, obedience for our children, patience for those who have been offended, the fear of God for those that offend, stoutheartedness for the afflicted, restraint for those that rejoice: and for all of us the spirit of understanding and-godliness, the spirit of mercy and meekness, the spirit of chastity and truth. Yea, O all-holy Lady, be merciful towards Thy feeble people: gather together the dispersed, guide on the right way those that have gone astray, uphold old age, make the young pure, bring up the children and look down upon all of us with the care of Thy merciful protection. Raise us from the depth of sin and enlighten the eyes of our hearts to see salvation. Be merciful to us both here and yonder, during our wandering in the land of this earth and at the Last Judgement of Thy Son: and make our fathers and brothers who have departed this life live the eternal life with the angels and all the saints. For Thou, O Lady, art the glory of those in heaven and the trust of those on earth. After God, Thou art the hope and Defender of all who flee to Thee with faith. We then pray to Thee and to Thee as our almighty Helper, do we commend ourselves and one another, now and for ever and unto the ages of ages.

Amen.

The story of an Athos monk who recovered....

The story of an Athos monk who recovered from the coronavirus

Recently, the world is gripped by a lot of unrest stemming from the coronavirus pandemic and associated vaccinations, from military preparations and much more. These topics are hotly debated on the Orthodox Internet. But at all times, a person on his life path is faced with the same problems. And especially when he dies and the soul is separated from the body.

A priest I know talked to an Athos monk who had been in an induced coma on a ventilator for two weeks. Recently, literally 2 days ago, he was disconnected from the apparatus and transferred from intensive care. And then he told my friend about what happened to him during his illness, when he was on mechanical ventilation. His appearance, as the priest said, has changed a lot. He was already a different person, it is clear that he experienced and felt a lot. The first thing he said: “Every man is dust, one cannot think of anything about himself, a man is nothing before God. And you have to understand that you are nothing ”. Second: “You can't blame anyone. Nobody at all. And it's even bad to talk about someone. Everyone knows this, but very few people can do it. "

But for some reason he got this experience during a serious illness. During his illness, he was conscious all the time. And all the time he saw demons around him, who mocked him, and the monk could not oppose anything to them. All the time, evil spirits listed his sins, even confessed ones, but still they remembered them. Then they simply began to slander, ascribe to him actions that he did not and could not do. And he was not able to object to something, there was a feeling that he was tied up and could not move anything, neither an arm nor a leg, could not even open his mouth. It was in such a state of complete humiliation that he spent all this time.

"But, could you pray?" asked my friend

"No. Even "Lord, have mercy!"" I couldn't say. Never once could I say: "Lord, have mercy."

And this is consistent with the teaching of the holy fathers, who say that a person must, before death, before the separation of soul and body, acquire the unceasing Jesus prayer, heartfelt. Then the soul, leaving the body, will pray. This skill is fixed for her, it is a natural state for her, and she will pray, even if she is separated from the body. As St. John Cassian said: “And only whose mind, having detached itself from the bonds of all passions, will be deeply pacified, and whose heart with all striving clings to God as the supreme good, can perfectly fulfill the apostolic commandment: pray ceaselessly” (“On Prayer”). If a person before death did not have time to acquire this heartfelt prayer, then he will endure what this monk endured. He had an initial stage, demons were not allowed to do anything with him, only slander him, mock him.

Conclusion: we must have time to acquire this very heartfelt prayer before death. And sorrows are sent to us, obviously, so that we begin to pray. If a person is doing well, he cannot pray. He usually prays formally. And when everything is bad for him or almost everything, then there is no other way then to turn with all his soul to God, and he begins to cry to Him and this cry should be our main work until death.

Deacon Pyotr Pakhomov, publicist

Prayer for the sick and those who cannot sleep

Pious devotion to the Seven Holy Sleepers of Ephesus (Aug. 17/4) is more common in the private home. They are placed in homes when one suffers from sleeplessness. In the Book of Needs you can find the "Prayer for the Sick and Those who cannot sleep, known as that of the Holy Seven Youths."

"Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
O God, Great, Praised, Incomprehensible and Unsearchable; Who made man with Your hands, taking him from the earth with Your finger, and Who honored him with Your Image, O Jesus Christ, Most-disired name, together with Your Father Who is without beginning and Your Most-holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit: Reveal Yourself to your Servant, N..., and visit him (or her) in soul and body, being implored by our Most-glorious Sovereign Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary; by the holy, bodiless Powers of heaven; by the honorable glorious Phrophet, Forerunner and Baptist John; by the holy glorious and all-praised Apostles; with our fathers among the Saints and ecumenical Teachers, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom, Athanasius and Cyril, Nicholas of Myra, Spyridon the Wondeworker, and all the holy Hierarchs; by the holy Apostle, First-martyr and Archdeacon Stephen; by the holy and glorious Greatmartyrs, the Victory-bearer George, Demetrius the Myrrhgusher, Theodore Stratelates, and all the holy Martyrs; by our venerable and Godbearing Fathers, Anthony, Euthymius, Sabbas the Sanctified, Theodosius (Founder of the Common Life) Onuphrius, Arsenius, Athansius the Athonoite, and all the Vernable Ones; by the holy Healers and Unmercenaries, Cosmas and Damian, Cyrus and John, Pateleimon and Hermalaeus, Sampson and Diomedes, Thaleleaus and Tryphon, and all the rest;
[By our Fathers among the Saints, Cyril and Methodius, Evangelizers of the Slaves; of the holy Great Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles; of our Fathers among the Saints, the Wonderworkers of All Russia, Peter, Alexis, Jonah, Philip, and Hermogenes; of our Fathers among the Saints, Tikhon, Wonderworker of Zadonsk and all Russia, and Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernigov;]
[By our venerable and Godbearing Fathers, Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves in Kiev, Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, and Job of Pochaev;]
By our Father among the Saints Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow, Enlightener of the Aleuts and Apostle to the Americas; of our venerable and Godbearing Father Herman of Alaska, wonderworker of All America; of the holy Newmartyrs of Alaska, Priestmonk Juvenaly and Peter the Aleut;
By the holy, N. (Saint of the Day), and by all Your Saints;
Grant to him (or her) a peaceful sleep, the sleep of bodily health and salvation, life and strength of soul and body. For You manifestd the same in the days of Emperor Decius and the Apostate, when You sustained in the cave for 372 years, like infants being warmed in their own mother's womb, Your holy and glorious Seven Youths. They became confessors and witnesses of Your deliverance, for they did not endure corruption, and this was revealed for praise and glorification of Your love for mankind; as a revelation and confession of our regeneration and the resurrection of all.
As the same King and Lover of Mankind, send forth now the infusion of Your Holy Spirit and visit Your servant, N., granting to him (or her) health, strength and power, by Your Grace. For from You is all good action and all perfect gifts, for You are the Physician of our souls and bodies, and to You we ascribe glory, thanksgiving and worship, together with Your Father, Who is without beginning, and Your Most-holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."
(from the Book of Needs)

Prayer to St. Mary Magdalene

Christians ask for the intercession of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene in the struggle against sinful passions. It is addressed to those whose loved ones are in sickness and difficult life circumstances. Her prayers are needed by people who have lost support in life. The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene also pray for the conversion of unbelievers, for protection from temptations, sorcery.

Prayer to St. Mary Magdalene

Saint Mary Magdalene, thou wast called forth by God and wast blessed to do good deeds for the ministry of Jesus Christ. We pray for thy continual aid to His followers today. Thou who wast a witness of the Crucifixion, let us not crucify anew the Savior but fall before Him in repentance and with gratitude. Thou who wast present at the sepulchre, let us hear the Christ Who calls out our names for deliverance from malice and death. Teach us to serve the Holy Church according to our means and talents, and embolden us to confess Jesus Christ unto all the rulers and the lost of this world. From our heart we say unto thee, “Christ is Risen,” and we implore thine intercession for His great mercy and compassion upon us. Amen

Greatmartyr and healer Panteleimon, grant the grace of healing!

 

Our Lady of Kazan

Prayer to Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan

With heartfelt devotion, with deep repentance, and with mercy for one another, we pray to you, O Virgin of Kazan – our intercessor and a Protectress of Christians over centuries of war and crime. Save us from our own sins and from the sins of others, so that we may flourish because of you and become a grateful people of God. Yet, if we must suffer – since our fallen condition is filled with suffering – then strengthen us in spiritual battle and make us worthy witnesses of the True Faith. We know that you watch over us, and that you will lead us to victory if only we heed your calling and the Commandments of God. Illuminate us, O Mother of God of Kazan, so that we may rejoice under all circumstances and praise you for your wondrous vigilance and unceasing mediation.

About the icon:

Our Lady of Kazan, also called Mother-of-God of Kazan, was a holy icon of the highest stature within the Russian Orthodox Church, representing the Virgin Mary as the protector and patroness of the city of Kazan, and a palladium of all of Russia and Rus', known as the Holy Protectress of Russia.

According to legend, the icon was originally acquired from Constantinople, lost in 1438, and miraculously recovered in pristine state over 140 years later in 1579. Two major cathedrals, the Kazan Cathedral, Moscow, and the Kazan Cathedral, St. Petersburg, are consecrated to Our Lady of Kazan, and they display copies of the icon, as do numerous churches throughout the land. The original icon in Kazan was stolen, and likely destroyed, in 1904.

Mother of God "Enlightener of Minds"

For those struggling with their studies, we pray to the Mother of God "Enlightener of Minds" commemorated August 15 / August 28

Prayer:
O Holy Virgin, you are the Bride of God the Father and the Mother of his divine Son Jesus Christ, you are the Queen of Angels and the salvation of men, the reprover of sinners and the punisher of apostates. Have mercy on us, too, who have sinned grievously and not fulfilled the Commandments of God, who have broken the vows of Baptism and of monasticism and others, which we promised to fulfill.
When the Holy Spirit departed from King Saul, then fear and despondency came upon him, and a darkness of despair and joylessness tormented him. Now because of our sins, we too have all been deprived of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Our minds have become cluttered with the vanity of our thoughts, and the forgetfulness of God has darkened our minds. Joy has gone away, and now all kinds of sorrow, grief, sickness, hatred, malice, enmity, vindictiveness, schadenfreude, and other sins have overtaken us. And we have no joy or mercy, so we call to You, Mother of our God Jesus Christ, to beg Your Son to forgive us all our trespasses. And send us the Spirit of Consolation, as He sent Him to the Apostles, so that we may be comforted and enlightened by Him and sing to You a song of thanksgiving: Rejoice, Most Holy Mother of God, who has added our minds to salvation. Amen

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit Who coverest the universe and givest life to the world, Thou dost depart from wicked persons. I therefore beseech Thee with humility, not to offend Thee by the impurity of my soul; come and live in me and purify me from all filth of sin: Vouchsafe that with Thine aid I may pass the remainder of my life in righteousness and in repentance, in order to glorify Thee together with the Father and the Son in the ages of ages. Amen.

Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Inexhaustible Cup" May 18/May 5

 

Miraculous icon that has the grace to help from the ailment of drunkenness, smoking and drug addiction.

Prayer:

O all-merciful sovereign Lady, we come to your protection. Do not despise our petitions, but kindly hear us—wives, children, husbands, parents, and all those who suffer from heavy affliction of addictions of all sorts—and restore those who, because of it, fall away from our holy Mother the Church and its salvation. O merciful Theotokos, touch their heart and speedily restore them from their fallen state, and lead them to salutary repentance. Implore your Son, Christ our God, to forgive us our trespasses and not to turn away His mercies from His people, but that He would strengthen us in sobriety and chastity. Accept, O all-holy Theotokos, the petitions of mothers shedding tears about their children, wives sobbing for their husbands, children, orphans, beggars, and all those who were forsaken, and all of us who venerate your Icon, and let your prayers carry our petitions to the throne of the Almighty. Cover us and keep us from all snares of the enemy and the traps of the evil one, and at the dreadful hour of our death, help us to pass the ordeal without stumbling. By your prayers, save us from eternal condemnation so that God’s mercy may cover us for the ages to come. Amen.

Prayer to St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

 

O great and wonderful saint of Christ, O holy hierarch Father Ignaty! Mercifully accept our prayers brought to thee with love and thanksgiving! Hear us orphaned and helpless ones, who bow down before thee with faith and love and request thy warm intercession for us before the Throne of the God of Glory. We know, that the prayer of a righteous man availeth much, to win the Master’s favor. Thou didst have an ardent love for the Lord from thy youth and having desired to serve Him alone, thou didst consider all the beautiful things of this world as nothing. Denying thyself and having taken up thy cross, thou didst follow Christ. Thou didst voluntarily take upon thyself the narrow and most-sorrowful path of monastic life, and on this path thou didst acquire great virtues. With thy writings thou hast filled the hearts of men with deep reverence and submissiveness before the Almighty Creator, and fallen sinners with thy wise counsels in consciousness of thy nothingness and sinfulness, and taught them to flee unto God in repentance and humility, while reassuring them with hope in His mercy. Thou didst never turn away those who came to thee, but thou wast a kind and loving father and pastor to all. And now, do not abandon us, who earnestly pray to thee and entreat thy help and intercession. Obtain for us, from our Lord Who loveth mankind, spiritual and physical health, establish our faith, strengthen our power, utterly exhausted in the temptations and grievances of this age; warm with the fire of prayer our hearts which have been cooled, help us, who are being cleansed by repentance, to receive a Christian end to this life and to enter the most well-adorned bridal chamber of the Savior with all of the elect, and there, together with thee, to bow down to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Cross (Let God Arise) by St. Gregory of Palamas

 

Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee from His face. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; and as wax melts from the presence of fire, so let the demons perish from the presence of those who love God and who sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross and say with gladness: Hail, most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, for Thou drivest away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ Who was crucified on thee, went down to hell and trampled on the power of the devil, and gave us thee, His honorable Cross, for driving away all enemies. O most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, help me with our holy Lady, the Virgin Theotokos, and with all the Saints throughout the ages. Amen.

St. Alexis, Man of God, commemorated March 30/March 17

Prayer:
O great servant of Christ, holy man of God, Alexis, who art standing with thy soul in Heaven before the throne of God, and who art working such a diversity of miracles from on high by the Grace given thee on earth: mercifully regard the people who stand before thy holy icon, praying with tender compunction and asking thee for thy help and protection. Stretch out thy venerable hand in prayer to the Lord, and ask for us the forgiveness of our sins voluntary and involuntary, healing for the sick and suffering, protection for those in danger, comfort for the sorrowful, speedy help for those in distress, and for all who honor and venerate thee, a peaceful and Christian end to their life, and a good defense before the dread judgement seat of Christ. O Saint of God, do not disappoint our hope which we place in thee after God and the Mother of God, but be to us a helper and protector for salvation that by the prayers and holy intercession we may obtain Grace and mercy from the Lord, and glorify the love for mankind of the Father, and the of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, God worshipped and glorified in Trinity, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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Life:
The Monk Alexis was born at Rome into the family of the pious and poverty-loving Eufimian and Aglaida. The spouses were for a long time childless and constantly prayed the Lord for granting them a child. And the Lord consoled the couple with the birth of their son Alexis. At six years of age the lad began to read and successfully studied the mundane sciences, but it was with particular diligence that he read Holy Scripture. Having grown into a young man, he began to imitate his parents: he fasted strictly, distributed alms and beneathe fine clothing he secretly wore an hair-shirt. Early on there burned within him the desire to leave the world and serve the One God. But his parents had prepared for Alexis to marry, and when he attained mature age, they found him a bride.
After the betrothal, having been left alone of an evening with his betrothed, Alexis took a ring from his finger, gave it to her and said: "Keep this, and may the Lord be with us, by His grace providing us new life". And going himself secretly from his home, he got on a ship sailing for Mesopotamia.
Having come to the city of Edessa, – where the Image of the Lord "Not-made-by-Hand" was preserved, Alexis sold everything that he had, distributed the money to the poor and began to live nearby the church of the Most Holy Mother of God under a portico and survived on alms. The monk ate only bread and water, and the alms that he received he distributed to the aged and infirm. Each Sunday he communed the Holy Mysteries.
The parents sought everywhere for the missing Alexis, but without success. The servants, sent by Eufimian upon the search, arrived also in Edessa, but they did not recognise in the beggar sitting at the portico, – their master. His body was withered by strict fasting, his comeliness vanished, his stature diminished. The saint recognised them and gave thanks to the Lord that he received alms from his servants.
The unconsolable mother of Saint Alexis confined herself in her room, incessantly praying for her son. And his wife grieved together with her in-laws.
The monk dwelt in Edessa for seventeen years. One time it was revealed about him to the sexton of the church, at which the monk asceticised: the Mother of God through Her holy icon commanded: "Lead into My church that man of God, worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven; his prayer doth ascend to God, like unto fragrant incense, and the Holy Spirit doth rest upon him". The sexton began to search for such a man, but for a long while was not able to find him. Then with prayer he turned to the MostHoly Mother of God, beseeching Her to clear up his confusion. And again there was a voice from the icon proclaiming, that the man of God was that beggar, who sat in the church portico. The sexton found Saint Alexis and took him into the church. Many recognised and began to praise him. The saint, shunning fame, went secretly on a ship, journeying to Cilicia. But the Fore-Knowledge of God destined otherwise: a storm took the ship far off to the West and it arrived at the coast of Italy. The saint journeyed to Rome. Unrecognised, he humbly besought of his father permission to settle in some corner of his courtyard. Eufimian settled Alexis in a specially constructed lodging near the entrance of the house and gave orders to feed him from his table.
Living at his parental home, the saint continued to fast and he spent day and night at prayer. He humbly endured the insults and jeering from the servants of his father. The room of Alexis was situated opposite the windows of his betrothed, and the ascetic suffered grievously, hearing her weeping. Only immeasurable love for God helped the saint endure this torment. Saint Alexis dwelt at the house of his parents for seventeen years and was informed by the Lord about the day of his death. Then the saint, taking parchment, wrote about his life, asking the forgiveness of his parents and betrothed.
On the day of the death of saint Alexis, the Roman Pope Innocentius (402-417) was serving Liturgy in the presence of the emperor Honorius (395-423). During the time of services there was heard from the altar a miraculous Voice: "Come unto Me, all ye who labour and art heavy-burdened, and I wilt grant you respite" (Mt 11: 28). All those present fell to the ground in trembling. The Voice continued: "Find the man of God, departing unto life eternal, and have him pray for the city". They began to search through all of Rome, but they did not find the saint. From Thursday into Friday the Pope, making the all-night vigil, besought the Lord to point out the saint of God. After Liturgy again was heard the Voice in the temple: "Seek the man of God in the house of Eufimian". All hastened thither, but the saint was already dead. His face shown like the face of an Angel, and in his hand was clasped the parchment, which he did not let go of, nor were they able to take it. They placed the body of the saint on a cot, covered with costly coverings. The Pope and the emperor bent their knees and turned to the saint, as to one yet alive, asking to open up his hand. And the saint fulfilled their prayer. When the letter was read, the father and mother and betrothed of the righteous one tearfully venerated his holy remains.
The body of the saint, from which began to be worked healings, was put amidst the square. The emperor and the Pope themselves carried the body of the saint into the church, where it was situated for a whole week, and then was placed in a marble crypt. From the holy relics there began to flow fragrant myrh, bestowing healing unto the sick.
The venerable remains of Saint Alexis, man of God, were buried in the church of Saint Boniface. In the year 1216 the relics were opened.
The Life of the holy monk Alexis, man of God, was one always loved in Rus'.

Icon: St. Alexis. The fresco of the cathedral of the monastery of St. Neophyte of Cyprus. Cyprus. XVI century

Instead of the pagan expression "May he rest in peace,"...

Instead of the pagan expression "May he rest in peace," Pray succinctly: "God rest the soul of thy servant newly departed (name), and forgive him all his sins voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven."

For women: "Give rest, O Lord, the soul of thy handmaid newly departed (the name) and forgive all her sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant her the Kingdom of Heaven." Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuyevsk

How do you spend your day God's way?

 

How do you spend your day God's way?

In the morning, when we are still resting, there are already standing near our bed, an angel on the right side and a demon on the left.
They are waiting whom we are going to serve this day.
And you must begin the day in the following way:
Waking up, immediately shield ourselves with the sign of the cross and jump out of bed, so that the laziness stays under the covers, and we find ourselves in a holy corner.
Then make three earthly bows and address the Lord with these words:
"Lord, I thank You for the night that has passed, bless me for the day ahead, bless me and bless this day, and help me to spend it in prayer, in good deeds, and keep me safe from all enemies visible and invisible."
And immediately we start reciting the Jesus Prayer.
After washing and dressing, we stand in the holy corner, gather our thoughts, concentrate so that nothing distracts us, and begin the morning prayers.
When we have finished, we will read a chapter from the Gospel.
And then we think about the good deed we can do to our neighbor today...
It is time to go to work.
Here, too, we should pray: before going out the door, say these words of St. John Chrysostom:
"I deny you, Satan, your pride and service to you, and I unite myself to you, Christ, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
Cross yourself with the sign of the cross, and when you leave the house, discreetly cross the road.
On the way to work, and for any business, we should recite the Jesus prayer and "Rejoice, Virgin Mary,..."
If we are engaged in housekeeping, before cooking food, we sprinkle all products with holy water, and light the stove with a candle, which we light from a lamp.
Then the food will not be to our detriment but for our benefit, for the strengthening of not only the bodily but also the spiritual strength, especially if we will cook by continually reciting the Jesus prayer.

Archimandrite Amvrosiy Yurasov

Prayer for lighting the lampada

 

Ignite, Lord, the extinguished lamp of my soul with the light of virtue and enlighten me, Your creation, Creator and Benefactor! You are the non-material light of the world. Accept this material offering: light and fire, and give me inner light to the mind and fire to the heart. Amen.

Prayers to Angels for everyday of the week

Prayers to Angels for every day of the week

On Thursday

Prayer to Archangel Selaphiel

Holy Archangel of God Selaphiel, you give a prayer to the one who prays, teach me to pray a prayer that is humble, contrite, focused and tender. Oh, great Archangel of God Selaphiel, you pray to God for believing people, pray for His goodness for me, a sinner, may the Lord deliver me from all troubles and sorrows, and diseases, and from sudden death, and from eternal torment, and that the Lord of Heaven will grant me His Kingdom with all Saints forever. Amen.

Prayers to Angels for every day of the week

Prayers to Angels for every day of the week

On Thursday
Prayer to Archangel Uriel

Holy Archangel of God Uriel, You are illuminated by the Divine light and abundantly filled with the fire of fiery and ardent love, throw a spark of this fiery fire into my cold heart, and illuminate my dark soul with your light.

Oh, great Archangel of God Uriel, you are the radiance of the Divine fire and the enlightener of those darkened by sins: enlighten my mind, my heart, my will with the power of the Holy Spirit, and guide me on the path of repentance, and pray to the Lord God, that He may deliver me from hell and from all enemies visible and invisible, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.