Every Orthodox Christian is familiar with the prayer to the Mother of God, which begins with the words “It is worthy to eat.” It is with the reading of this prayer that the morning and evening reading, the prayer rule, ends.
When we pray, we communicate with God. Some people do it better, and they hear the response and feel Divine grace. Someone has not yet reached this stage of faith and spiritual purity. But everyone needs to try, work, and the Lord will definitely hear.
When we talk with God, we often ask him for something, sometimes we thank him. The same applies to prayers addressed to the Mother of God - our main intercessor and protector of all people. But the prayer “It is worthy to eat” does not apply to either petitions or thanksgiving. She is doxological. In it we glorify the One who gave birth to God, describe her incomparable qualities and thereby confess our great love for the Mother of God.
Date of celebration: June 24
On the prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos “It is worthy to eat”
The prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos “It is worthy to eat” is an integral part of church services. It is especially often included in the list of prayers during major epidemics. In addition, believers often use this kind of prayer when they need to be cured of physical and mental illnesses. Prayer also helps to find happiness in the family.
The history of prayer
The history of this prayer is very interesting. This prayer appeal is associated with an elder who lived in the tenth century near the Athos Kareya monastery. He lived in the same cell with the novice. One day the novice had to be left alone, as the elder went to the all-night vigil in the temple. During the prayer rule, an unfamiliar monk entered the cell and joined the prayer chants.
All prayers sounded in agreement until the time came to turn to the Most Holy Theotokos. Kneeling down in front of the icon “It is Worthy to Eat” or “Merciful,” the novice began to sing the traditional prayer text, but the monk interrupted him and said that he needed to sing differently.
The beginning of the prayer in his performance sounded like this:
“It is worthy to eat, as truly, to bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate, and the Mother of our God.”
Only then did he continue with the words of a traditional prayer. It is noteworthy that during the prayer chant, the face of the Mother of God shone. Having finished praying, the monk ordered the novice to pray only in this way. Not relying on his own memory, the young man decided to ask the monk to write down the words of the new miraculous prayer he heard. But, unfortunately, there was no paper and pen in the cell. Then the monk simply wrote the words of the prayer with his finger on the stone, the surface of which suddenly became soft like wax. After this, the mysterious monk disappeared from his cell, as if he had disappeared into space. The novice only had time to ask what the stranger’s name was, in response to which he heard: “Gabriel.”
The elder, returning from service, was very surprised by the story of his novice. And, of course, he was very struck by the words of the new prayer. Of course, the elder immediately realized that the monk who appeared in the cell was none other than the Archangel Gabriel.
The news that the Archangel Gabriel was descending from heaven to earth quickly spread throughout Athos. Very soon this news reached Constantinople itself. It was there that a stone slab with a prayer inscribed on it was sent to prove the authenticity of the event.
Holy Mount Athos
Holy Mount Athos is an amazing monastic place located in Greece. By order of the Mother of God, not a single woman has ever set foot here. The history of Holy Mount Athos is connected with many historical events. The fate of the Christian shrine was determined by the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to this place in the 1st century. The visit took place several years after the ascension of Jesus Christ. Since then, this place has been considered the lot of the Mother of God and everything here is subordinated to her memory.
Tradition says that she came to Athos by accident. Her ship, which was heading to Cyprus, was carried by a storm to Mount Athos. Local residents recognized her as the Most Holy Theotokos and addressed her with deep respect.
According to the testimony of John the Theologian, who traveled with her, the Mother of God said:
“Let this place be chosen by me. My Son and My God gave it to me by His will. May the grace of God always be in this place and on all those living here who live with sincere faith in their souls and follow the commandments of God. I will always be an Intercessor for this place and will always intercede warmly for it before God.”
Men who want to visit the Athos Monastery must have special permission from the church authorities to do so. Modest clothing is an important requirement. Arriving men are allowed to spend the night in any monastic community of their choice.
There are 20 monasteries on Mount Athos, but it is prohibited to build new ones. But there are many monastic settlements on the peninsula. Every year on the second day of Easter, a multi-hour procession of the cross takes place on Holy Mount Athos with the miraculous icon “The Merciful One”.
Ikos 3
Having simplicity of soul and an immaculate heart, the humble novice was granted angelic conversation and the sight of the official of the heavenly powers, but we, darkened by wickedness and malice, looking with trepidation at Thy holy icon, Lady, we pray diligently to Thee, turn us from our evils and teach us in humility and meekness of spirit to say to you:
Rejoice, thou who sanctified Mount Athos with Thy grace-filled presence; Rejoice, you who have filled its hills and wilds with the glory of Your miracles.
Rejoice, thou who hast made the desert dwellers of Athos worthy of the angelic appearance; Rejoice, you who multiplied the monastic monasteries in it for the salvation of human souls.
Rejoice, and to all who remain in fasting and prayer, having promised Your intercession; Rejoice, you who save the repentant from the troubles of the sea of life.
Rejoice, the grace of Your Son and God bringing down to the places dedicated to You; Rejoice, mental paradise who showed the temples of God.
Rejoice, thou who providest a calm refuge for those seeking salvation; Rejoice, you who supply us with everything we need for piety.
Rejoice, thou who live in a manner pleasing to God, the Giver of temporal and eternal blessings; Rejoice, Intercessor for us of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Rejoice, Christian Helper and merciful Representative for sinners.
Icon of the Mother of God Merciful, forgiving mortal sins
It is believed that the first “Merciful” Icon, the significance of which is enormous for all Orthodox Christians, was painted by Saint Luke. It is this image that is still in the Kykkos monastery on the island of Cyprus.
Before getting to this place, the miraculous icon wandered for a long time. At first she was in Egypt in the temple of one of the Christian communities. In 980, the icon was transported to Constantinople, where it remained until the beginning of the 11th century, and then was brought to Cyprus, where it is kept to this day.
This happened after a very interesting story. So, one day the ruler of Cyprus, Manuel Vutomit, got lost in the forest and beat the monk Isaiah who met him there. For such a sin, Manuel suffered punishment in the form of a serious illness. Meanwhile, Elder Isaiah had a vision that the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, painted by Saint Luke, would be kept in a temple in Cyprus. After this, the elder, who served the cause of God all his life, began to build a temple and ordered the repentant Manuel to go to Constantinople for forgiveness of his sins and bring the miraculous icon from there. When the Cypriot ruler arrived in Constantinople, he learned that the emperor’s daughter was seriously ill. Manuel promised that the weakening of the disease would occur only after the emperor gave him the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. And this really happened after the icon arrived at the temple, which by that time had been built by Elder Isaiah.
The prayer of the Most Holy Theotokos, with which the origin of the prayer “It is worthy to eat” is connected, continues to be found on Mount Athos today. The icon depicts the Mother of God and her son - little Jesus Christ, who clings to her. In the hands of the Son of God is prayer.
It is noteworthy that the Face of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Child are covered with a veil. Nobody dares to open it slightly. To remind you that this action is punishable, the monks attached an iron brush to the frame of the icon. This is due to the case when one of the pagans approached a Christian shrine and intended to hit the holy image. But he did not have time to do this, as his hand withered.
The very name of the miraculous icon “Merciful” is due to the fact that believers believe that everyone who turns to the Most Holy Theotokos will receive protection and the necessary help.
Traveling around the world
The icon, which is kept in the temple on Mount Athos, left this holy place only four times. And miracles have always been associated with her, which confirms her great power. Over time, copies of the icon spread to churches all over the world. In Rus', lists of the miraculous icon began to appear in the 16th century.
So, in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in 1999, the icon “Compassionate” appeared, painted by icon painters of the Holy Mountains. This is a copy of the original image consecrated on Mount Athos. Another list can be found in St. Petersburg, in a five-domed church built in honor of the Virgin Mary. The Svyatogorsk masters also painted an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos for the Iverskaya Chapel in Moscow.
The rite of panagia
This prayer is an integral element of the rite of panagia. The word panagia, which from Greek means All-Holy, was used by Christians in ancient times to call the Mother of God. In the rite performed, which can be held in the church on any day, the words are used in relation to the Mother of God prosphora, because it is she who symbolizes the Queen of Heaven.
This solemn rite consists of bringing prosphora in a special vessel called panagiaro to the monastery meal from the church in which the liturgy was celebrated. The prosphora is broken up and distributed to the brethren at the end of the meal. The rite of panangia is the glorification of the Most Holy Theotokos as the Intercessor of the human race.
She, the Holy Mother of God, who gave birth to God's Son - Jesus Christ, always hears us and is ready to pray for us before God. It is believed that the Bread of Life after the liturgy nourishes our souls. Moreover, in the 16th and 17th centuries there was a tradition of eating the Bread of the Mother of God even on those days when the liturgy was not held. Believers wore particles of the Mother of God bread they received on their chests in special folding bags on which the image of the Mother of God was painted.
Meaning
It is believed that the Queen of Heaven sends people help in the fight against their own sins and destructive aspirations. Many people know about the miraculous power of the icon. But the basis of any religion is faith. Therefore, before asking for something near the icon, you need to figure out what the icon means and what prayers you can make to it, why the archangel used the words “It is worthy to eat” in prayer.
The miraculous icon has enormous power. She will help to cope with all sins, but for this it is necessary to admit guilt. And this is very difficult. Not everyone understands that all people are equal. The Mother of God helps to save ourselves from seven human sins. If you notice a manifestation of at least one of them in yourself, this is a reason to turn to the Mother of God. Each of them leads to the destruction of the soul. Even despondency is considered a sin because it is born of unbelief. And lack of faith is the most serious of all sins. “It is worthy to eat” helps to cope with it.
Text of the prayer “It is worthy to eat”
The prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary is considered miraculous. First of all, its power is aimed at physical and mental healing. In addition, prayer is effective in any undertaking. A sincere believer before starting any business, turning to the Mother of God with this prayer, can count on success.
The prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos “It is worthy to eat” has more than once saved people from global disasters and epidemics. Often people resort to this prayer to find family happiness and peace of mind. If a person has sincerely repented of his sins, even the most terrible ones, then he can pray for God to forgive his sins by turning this prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos.
Numerous real facts indicate that when people pray at the “Merciful” icon of the Mother of God, they can receive a variety of benefits. For example, such a prayer is often asked to send rain during a drought. Prayer gives a person strength and helps fight the most serious illnesses; infertile couples can ask the Mother of God with such a prayer request for the birth of a child.
Original text in Greek
Listen to the online prayer to the Mother of God in the original:
Download in MP3:
Dostoino-est-na-grecheskom.mp3 [1.65 Mb] (downloads: 43)
Transcription of the prayer with emphasis:
Where is the plate with the holy scripture located and stored?
According to legend, a stone slab with the prayer “It is worthy to eat” inscribed on it was first presented to the council of elders of the Kireysky monastery. Then the artifact in the form of proof was sent to the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople. But, unfortunately, the stone slab has not survived to this day and it is unlikely that traces of it will be found.
Text of the prayer with translation into Russian
In Russian, this prayer sounds like this:
“It is worthy and true for every believer to glorify and praise You, Most Holy Theotokos, You are eternally happy and Most Holy, Who gave birth to our God. And we glorify You with prayer, the real Holy Mother of God, the Most Righteous and Honest of the Cherubim and the most glorious of the Seraphim, who is destined to give birth to the Son of God without breaking virginity.”
Text of the prayer in Church Slavonic
Listen to the audio prayer “It is worthy to eat”:
Download in MP3:
Dostoino-est.mp3 [4.59 Mb] (downloads: 35)
The prayer in Old Church Slavonic goes like this:
It is important to read such a prayer with correctly placed accents. And we also need to remember that prayer will only help sincerely believing people.
Author of the article:
Natalya Nadezhdina
Yokos G.
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Rejoice, blessed mountain of yours with your blessed presence: rejoice, Christmas and 3rd December 3S and filled with glory your miracles.
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Rejoice, and to everyone in fasting and 3 prayers for your intercession: Rejoice, t worry about the lives of those who save the penitents.
Rejoice, bgdt from yours 2 and 3 bGa descending to the place dedicated to you: Rejoice, heavenly paradise showing b9ii temples.
Rejoice, the heavenly haven that provides us with everything we need for our piety.
Rejoice, to the living God of God, giver of temporary and eternal blessings: Rejoice, intercessor of our kingdom.
Rejoice, blessed helper and merciful representative of sinners.
