A Good Prayer

At the Mattins of last Saturday's service, the hymnographer gave us to tell the Lord: “Give rest, O Lord, to the souls of Thy departed servants. To those hidden by the deep or cut down in battle, swallowed by earthquake, murdered, or consumed by fire, grant in Thy mercy a place with the faithful and the righteous” (Canticle One). From this prayer, that lists some of our throes today, I will take, for me as well as for you, two things that benefit us every day. The first is that it directs us, wherever we are or whatever our state is, to bring before God the throes of the whole world. Whether I am in Europe or America... the throes of Syria and Turkey... are my own. The prayer that brings God’s compassion to the world will not be complete if we are immersed, in it, in our own time and place. The second thing is that it reminds us that our call in the world is to keep in mind that we are members of a Church that was given to intercede for people on earth, especially those who have died unjustly, that they may have a share with the righteous. This is a good prayer that God reveals Himself to every human being as eternal peace, today and tomorrow.