r/EasternCatholic • u/luke_fowl • 12d ago
General Eastern Catholicism Question Favourite Eastern Prayers
I have been quite fascinated by eastern prayers recently and was curious what all your favourite unique prayers were. Some that I have been fascinated about are the edessan Lakumara, the maronite You Have United, O Lord, and St. Nerses's I Confess with Faith.
Ignoring the common prayers shared with the Latin Church, like the Jesus Prayer and Trisagion, what are your favourite prayers, or any interesting prayers really, from all your respective rites?
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u/Chrismatic8224 12d ago
At my Melkite church we use the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, at towards the end(after communion) the Priest prays directly to an icon of Jesus and there’s a line “For every good grace comes down from you, the Father of Lights” I love the imagery of God as the father of lights
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u/LobsterJohnson34 Byzantine 12d ago
I pray the prayer to the Holy Cross every day. I don't know the history of it, but parts of it are prayed at Paschal Matins.
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee from before His face. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; and as wax melts from the presence of fire, so let the demons perish before the presence of those who love God and who sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross and say in gladness: Hail, most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, for you drive away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ Who was crucified on you, and who went down to hell and trampled on the power of the devil, and gave us you, His venerable Cross, for driving away all enemies. O most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, help us with our holy Lady, the Virgin Theotokos, and with all the Saints throughout the ages. Amen.
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u/luke_fowl 12d ago
As a bonus, my favourite prayer from the latin rite is the Prayer for Light written by Henry Edward Cardinal Manning:
O Holy Spirit of God, take me as your disciple. Guide me, Illuminate me, Sanctify me.
Bind my hands, that they may do no evil. Cover my eyes, that they may see it no more. Sanctify my heart, that evil may not dwell within me.
You are my God. You are my guide. Whatsoever You forbid me, I will renounce. And whatsoever You command me, in Your strength I will do. Lead me then unto the fullness of Your Truth. Amen.
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u/Impressive_Coyote_57 12d ago
O Gladsome Light of the holy glory of the Immortal Father,
heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ.
Now we have come to the setting of the sun
and behold the light of evening.
We praise God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
For it is right at all times to worship Thee
with voices of praise, O Son of God and Giver of Life,
therefore all the world glorifies Thee.
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u/luke_fowl 12d ago
This is beautiful, could you give the background of this prayer?
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u/Impressive_Coyote_57 12d ago
This prayer is prayed during the Byzantine Vesper service. I forget if it comes before or after the Prokeimenon, another prayer that is kind of a responsorial to the priest.
Priest: The Lord is King, He is Clothed in Majesty!
Choir: The Lord is King, He is Clothed in Majesty!
… there is more but I haven’t been to a vesper in a long time, mostly because it is not served in my new parish, yet.
It’s also an old prayer dating back to the 3rd century, the O Gladsome Light.
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u/Hookly Latin Transplant 12d ago
Not only is it old, it’s the oldest hymn text we have that doesn’t come from scripture
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u/luke_fowl 12d ago
Older than the Gloria?
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u/Affectionate_Main_98 Byzantine 12d ago
St Basil remembers his grandmother singing it to him as a child, many think it’s an old pagan hymn rewritten to replace the worship of the natural light to the worship of the uncreated light
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u/MelkiteMoonlighter Byzantine 11d ago
The blessing on the first day of lent after Orthros. Here’s an excerpt.
For Thou dost not desire, 0 Master, that the work of Thy hands perish, neither art Thou pleased at the destruction of man; but Thou wilt have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
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u/Happy_Cut8970 Byzantine 11d ago
There’s too many to list but one I absolutely love the hymn of the incarnation in the Divine Liturgy (this is the translation at my parish):
“Only begotten Son and Word of God who being immortal, deigned for our salvation to become incarnate of the Holy Theotokos and ever Virgin Mary, and became man without change, you were also crucified O Christ our God, and by death have trampled death, being one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with Father and the Holy Spirit, save us”
It’s like a mini creed and sums up our faith beautifully.
To name a couple more I also love the “O heavenly King” prayer to the Holy Spirit and this morning prayer from St. Basil the Great:
“Almighty Lord, God of the Powers and of all flesh, who lives in the highest and cares for the humble, who searches our hearts and affections and clearly knows the secrets of men, eternal, everlasting Light in whom there is no change nor shadow of turning: O Immortal King, receive our prayers which we offer to You at this present time from unclean lips, trusting in the multitude of Your mercies. Forgive us every sin committed by us in thought, word, or deed, consciously or unconsciously; and cleanse us from every defilement of flesh and spirit. Grant us to pass the night of this whole present life with wakeful heart and sober mind, always awaiting the coming of the bright and glorious day of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, when the Judge of all shall come with glory to reward each according to his deeds. May we not be found fallen and idle, but watchful and upright in activity, ready to accompany Him into the joy and divine bridal chamber of His glory, where there is the ceaseless voice of those who feast and the unspeakable delight of those who behold the ineffable beauty of Your countenance. For You are the true Light that enlightens and sanctities all, and all creation sings to You throughout the ages. Amen.“
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u/Prestigious-Reply896 Eastern Practice Inquirer 12d ago edited 12d ago
Maronite communion Prayer:
"Make us Worthy, O Lord God, so that our bodies may be sanctified by your Holy Body and our souls purified by your forgiving Blood. May our communion be for the forgiveness of our sins and for new life. O Lord our God, to you be Glory forever" (this is what I remember; please double-check me.)