Holy Hierarch Demetrius of Rostov
A certain God-bearing elder, standing at prayer, came into ecstasy and heard the voice of our Lord Jesus Christ speaking to His most holy Mother and saying to her: “Tell Me, Mother, how great a pain didst thou endure for My sake in the earthly life?”
The most holy one answered:
“My Son and my God! For Thy sake I endured five great pains on earth: the first, when I heard from Simeon the prophet that Thou wouldst be slain;
the second, when I sought Thee in Jerusalem and for three days did not see Thee;
the third, when I heard that Thou hadst been seized by the Jews;
the fourth, when I saw Thee crucified among thieves;
the fifth, when I saw Thee laid in the tomb.”
And the Lord answered her:
“My Mother, whoever shall remember each of thy pains day by day, together with My prayer, which is ‘Our Father…’, and with the Archangel’s salutation, which is ‘Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos…’ — for the remembrance of the first pain I will grant him to see his sins and to repent of them;
for the remembrance of the second pain I will forgive him all his sins;
for the remembrance of the third pain I will restore the virtues to those turned aside by sin; for the remembrance of the fourth pain I will grant him at the hour of death to partake of My divine Body and Blood; for the remembrance of the fifth pain I Myself will draw near to him at the hour of his departure from this world, and Myself receive his soul into the eternal kingdom.” Amen.
After this vision of the God-bearing father, the holy hierarch Demetrius of Rostov composed the following prayer:
Glory to Thee, O Christ my God, who hast not destroyed me, a sinner, in my iniquities, but endurest my transgressions until now.
(Prostration)
Make us worthy, O Lord, to keep this day without sin, granting me to anger Thee, my Creator, neither in word, nor in deed, nor in thought, but that my every deed, thought and judgement may be to the glory of Thine all-holy name.
(Prostration)
O Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner, every day of my life; at the hour of my departure from this world and after my end, forsake me not.
(Prostration)
Say this prayer kneeling:
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, receive into Thy bosom me who am dead in soul and mind; receive me, the sinner, the prodigal, defiled in soul and body; warm my heart, frozen by enmity, and turn not Thy face from me; let me not hear, O Master, “I know thee not”, but hear the voice of my prayer. Save me, for Thou hast great mercy and willest not the destruction of the sinner. I will not let Thee go, my Creator, nor depart from Thee, until Thou hear my voice and forgive my transgressions, through the intercession and prayers of Thy most holy Mother, through the mediation of the holy bodiless powers of heaven, of my holy and glorious guardian angel, of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John, of the Apostles who spake of God, of the holy and victorious martyrs, of our venerable and God-bearing fathers and of all Thy saints: have mercy on me and save me, a sinner. Amen!
O Heavenly King… Holy God… Our Father… For Thine is the kingdom…
O Virgin Theotokos…
After this:
O merciful Mother, Virgin Mary, I, thy sinful and defiled servant (handmaid), remember thy pain when thou didst hear from Simeon the prophet that they would mercilessly slay thy Son and our God Jesus Christ; I offer thee this prayer and the Archangel’s salutation: accept them in honour and remembrance of thy pain, and entreat thy Son and our God Jesus Christ that He grant me the knowledge of my sins and repentance for them. Amen.
(Prostration)
Our Father… For Thine is…
O Virgin Theotokos, rejoice…
O all-blessed and all-immaculate Mother and Virgin, accept from me, thy sinful and defiled servant (handmaid), this prayer and the Archangel’s salutation, in honour and remembrance of the pain thou didst endure when thou didst lose thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the temple at Jerusalem and for three days didst not see Him. Entreat Him and ask of Him for me the forgiveness and remission of all my sins, O all-glorified one. Amen.
(Prostration)
Our Father… For Thine is…
O Virgin Theotokos, rejoice…
O Lady of the world, all-blessed Bride, Mother of God, accept from me, thy sinful and defiled servant (handmaid), this prayer and the Archangel’s salutation, in honour and remembrance of thy pain when thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, was bound and seized: entreat Him to restore to me my virtues, turned aside by sin; and thee, O most holy one, I will magnify unto the ages. Amen.
(Prostration)
Our Father… For Thine is…
O Virgin Theotokos, rejoice…
O Fountain of compassion, Virgin, Mother of God, accept from me, thy sinful and defiled servant, this prayer and the Archangel’s salutation, in honour and remembrance of thy pain when thou didst see thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified among thieves: entreat Him, O Theotokos, to show me His mercy at the hour of my death and to make me a partaker of His divine Body and Blood; and thee, my intercessor, I will magnify unto the ages. Amen.
(Prostration)
Our Father… For Thine is…
O Virgin Theotokos…
O my hope, most holy Virgin, Mother of God, accept from me, thy sinful and defiled servant (handmaid), this prayer and the Archangel’s salutation, in honour and remembrance of thy pain when thou didst see thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, laid in the tomb: entreat Him, O Theotokos, to come to me at the hour of my death and to receive my soul into the eternal kingdom. Amen!
(Prostration)
O most merciful Virgin, Lady Theotokos, who lovest thy servants, spotless dove, Lady who holdest heaven and earth, who receivest all who flee to thee in prayer, consoler of the sorrowful: accept from me, thy sinful and defiled servant (handmaid), this fivefold prayer, in which I remember also thine earthly and heavenly joys:
(Earthly joys.) Rejoice, thou who without seed didst conceive our Lord Jesus Christ; rejoice, for thou didst bear Him in thy womb without pain. Rejoice, thou who didst give birth to Him wondrously. Rejoice, thou who didst receive gifts and worship from the Magi. Rejoice, for thou didst find thy Son and thy Lord among the teachers. Rejoice, for He who was born of thee raiseth many from the dead. Rejoice, for thou didst see thy Creator ascending into heaven, and thou thyself wast lifted up to Him in soul and body.
Rejoice, thou who for thy purity art holier than the angels and all the saints. Rejoice, for thou shinest near the Holy Trinity. Rejoice, our peacemaker. Rejoice, thou who rulest over all the heavenly powers. Rejoice, thou who hast the greatest boldness before thy Son and God. Rejoice, Mother of all who flee to thee. Rejoice, for thy joy shall not cease unto the ages. Amen.
And stand by me, the unworthy, according to thy true promise, at the hour of my departure from this world, and lead me to the heavenly Jerusalem, where thou reignest in radiance with thy Son and our God, to whom is due all glory, honour and worship, together with His Father and His Holy Spirit, now and unto endless ages. Amen!
From defiled lips, from an abominable heart, from an unclean tongue, from a polluted soul, accept, O most holy Lady, this praise, O my joy; accept it as the widow’s two mites, and grant me grace to offer thee a gift worthy of thy glory. O Ruler of all, most holy Virgin, Lady of the kingdom of heaven, since thou willest and art able, teach me how to address thee, the Mother of the Lord, the only protection and consolation of sinners. Rejoice, O Lady, for I, fallen into sins, call upon thee with joy, O all-praised Mother of Christ our God. Amen!
I gaze upon thy holy icon as upon thyself, O Theotokos; with firm faith I fall down before thee in soul and heart, and I ever venerate thee with the Child Jesus, whom thou holdest in thine arms; I magnify thee in godly beauty and entreat thee with tears: shelter me with thy protection from enemies visible and invisible, thou who hast made the race of Adam worthy of the kingdom of heaven. Amen!
After this:
It is truly meet…
Glory and thanksgiving to the Lord for all that He hath bestowed on us!
