Prayers for special occasions
Elder Nikolai Guryanov, before eating the food, as usual, read a long prayer over it. Nearby was a company of unhumble young people. They noticed this and decided to play a little joke on the priest. They sit down and one of them says: “Father, do you all pray like that before eating in the forgotten wilderness of your village?” To which the priest, without hesitation, replied: “No, dear man, not all.” Pigs, dogs, and horses eat just like that.
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On the twelve holidays and Easter, prayers before meals are replaced by reading (singing) the holiday troparion. Troparia can be found in a prayer book or calendar.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Or you can read this prayer
The eyes of all trust in You, O Lord, and You give them food in due season, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every living creature’s good will (lines from Ps. 144).1
Read immediately after one of the prayers above
Lord, Jesus Christ, our God, bless our food and drink with the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints, for He is blessed forever and ever. Amen. (And cross food and drink)
We thank You, Christ our God, for You have filled us with Your earthly blessings; Do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as You came in the midst of Your disciples, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us.
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If a priest is present at the funeral meal, then first the usual funeral litia is performed, after which the Our Father is sung... and the blessing of the meal follows.
If there is no priest among those present, then after three usual bows:
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (Thrice with bows.)
Glory, and now.2 Amen. Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord, have mercy (Thrice).
Glory, even now. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
And the funeral troparia: From the spirits of the righteous who have passed away, the soul of Your servant (Your servant), O Savior, give rest, keeping you in the blessed life that belongs to You, O Lover of Mankind.
In Thy chamber, Lord, where all Thy saints rest, give rest also to the soul of Thy servant (Thy handmaid), for Thou art the only Lover of mankind.
Glory: You are God, Who descended into hell and loosed the chains of the bound. Give rest to yourself and the soul of Your servant (Your servant).
And now: One Pure and Immaculate Virgin, who gave birth to God without a seed, pray that his (her) soul may be saved.
Then this prayer is said three times with 15 bows: Remember, Lord, the soul of Your departed servant (Your deceased servant) name (bow). Elika in this life, as man has sinned, You, as the Lover of Mankind, have mercy (bow), and deliver eternal torment (bow), and be a partaker of the Heavenly Kingdom perform (bow) (bow), and do good (bow) to our souls.
After this, the Lord’s Father is sung or read as a pre-dinner prayer, followed by an invocation of God’s blessing on the meal according to the rite for the laity.
At the beginning of the funeral meal, before other foods, everyone is offered kutia. And before the last sweet dish, which is traditionally served with jelly with milk (on fast days with almond or poppy seed), the so-called pivomedie is brought - a sweet non-alcoholic drink. In conclusion, everyone stands up and, if the meal is served on the day of burial or commemoration: on the 9th, 20th, 40th days after death and on the first anniversary, they sing the stichera in the 6th voice:
Seeingly, I am mute,/ and lying there lifeless,/ weep for me, brothers and friends,/ relatives and friends:/ yesterday was the day of my conversations with you,/ and suddenly you will find me the terrible hour of death;/ but come, all ye who love me,/ and kiss me with the last kiss,/ for there is no one like you,/ or I will converse with others;/ for I am going to the Judge,/ where there is no partiality:/ the slave and the ruler stand together,/ the king and the warrior, the rich and the poor/ in equal dignity:/ each from his deeds/ will either become famous or will be ashamed./ But I ask and pray to everyone,/ continually pray for me to Christ God,/ that I may not be brought down (brought down) by my sin to a place of torment,/ but may He punish me where the Light animal.
If the commemoration is performed on occasions other than those listed, the stichera, tone 8, is sung:
I cry and weep,/ always think about death,/ and I see our beauty lying in the tombs/ created in the image of God,/ ugly, inglorious,/ without form./ Oh, a miracle! What is this sacrament about us? / How do we give in to corruption, / how do we embrace death? / Truly by the command of God, / as it is written, / Who gives to the departed (passed away) repose.
Then the priest: In the blessed dormition of the servant of God (servant of God), the name of the one who passed away is eternal memory.
In the absence of the priest, the eldest of the laity: To the servant of God (servant of God) who has passed away, eternal memory.
All: Eternal memory (three times).
They drink the funeral cup and eat the last dish. The meal ends with the usual thanksgiving.
Lord Jesus Christ our God, through the great sorrow of the Cross and Your suffering, filled everyone with immeasurable joy through the three-day resurrection! We thank You, for You have now granted us, who have completed the fast, to achieve these holy days and the joy of Your bright resurrection to be partakers. We thank You, for through Your mercy and ineffable condescension towards our weaknesses, You comfort us and with a festive meal to strengthen and delight our weak flesh.
Moreover, we pray to You, bless this Easter bread, thickened milk, eggs and other Easter foods, especially these, from them, in obedience to the Charter of the Church, in the past Your servants abstained during the days of fasting, so that those who partake of them with thanksgiving may receive good health, strengthen their bodily strength, have joy and joy, and may they have an abundance of all things they have. and in good deeds, and from the fullness of a grateful heart, glorify You, the Risen One, who feeds and comforts us, together with You and Your Beginning Father and the Holy Spirit forever centuries. Amen.
This prayer can be read by the priest or the eldest of those present at the first festive meal instead of the usual blessing formula.
Lord Jesus Christ our God, through the great sorrow of the Cross and Thy suffering, filled with immeasurable joy through the three-day resurrection! We thank You, for You have granted us and You, who have completed the fast, to achieve these holy days and to be partakers of the joy of Your bright resurrection.
We pray to You: bless and sanctify these breads, which Your servants, in their poverty, prepared instead of Easter food and brought before Your Holy Face. May they be a source of sweetness and consolation to those who eat them, and may the meagerness of the meal not darken the festive joy of Your people.
By the light of the resurrection may all sorrows and sorrows be dispelled, and may all the rich and the poor, the abounding, and those in poverty glorify Thee, the Risen One, and in sorrows give us joy, the Giver, together with By You and Your Beginning Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
(read at the first holiday meal instead of the usual blessing formula)
Lord Jesus Christ our God, who was willing for our salvation to appear on earth in the flesh and be indescribably born of the Blessed and Most Pure Virgin Mary!
We thank You, for You have granted us, through the feat of fasting, pre-purified, to achieve the great holiday of Your Nativity and in spiritual joy to sing to You with the angels, with the shepherds glorify, worship with the Magi. We thank You, for through Your great mercy and immeasurable condescension towards our weaknesses, You now comfort us not only with abundant spiritual food, but also with a festive meal.
Moreover, we pray to You, who opens Your generous hand, fills all living things with Your blessings, gives everyone food appropriate to the times and the rules of the church, bless the holiday foods, prepared for Your faithful people, especially this, from them, obeying the Charter of Your Church, in the past days of fasting Your servants abstained, so that they may be for those who partake of them with thanksgiving for health, strengthening of bodily strength, joy and happiness.
May all of us, who have every contentment, be abundant in good deeds, and from the fullness of a grateful heart glorify Thee, who nourishes and comforts us, and also the Beginningless One Your Father and the Most Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
(read at the first holiday meal instead of the usual blessing formula)
Oh, Our Most Holy Lady, Virgin Theotokos, and after Your departure from the earth did not leave Orthodox people, but always visited us with Your mercies, aggravating our joys, quenching our sorrows!
We thank You, for even now You have granted us the joy of achieving the feast of Your honorable Assumption, to be comforted by the triumph of the Church, to enjoy spiritual food - praises, sung to Your glory.
We believe, Lady, that for the sake of Your intercession we have been given bodily consolation—a festive meal. Pray, O Most Pure One, to Your Son and our God, the Giver of all blessings, that He may bless the festive foods, especially this one, from them, obeying the Charter of the Holy Church, Orthodox people abstained during the past days of fasting, so that those who eat them with thanksgiving will have good health, strengthen their bodily strength, joy and joy, and all of us, all contentment bodily possessions, we will abound in good deeds, and from the fullness of a grateful heart we will glorify Your Divine Son, Christ our God, who nourishes and is not because of our sins, who has mercy on us, together with His Beginning Father and the Holy Spirit, and to You, our Gracious Mother, Representative, Helper and Comforter, together with the holy Apostles, cry out in prayer and gratitude: Most Holy Mother of God, help us always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
(If the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary happens on Wednesday or Friday, this prayer is read before the meal the next day).
(read at the first holiday meal instead of the usual blessing formula)
Lord Jesus Christ our God! We thank You, for You have granted us, in the field of fasting of the holy apostles who have passed on, to achieve the feast of the glorious High Leaders Peter and Paul.
We pray to You, who opens Your generous hand, fills all living things with Your blessings, gives everyone food in accordance with the times and rules of the church, bless the holiday foods, faithful people Thy prepared, especially this, from below, obeying the Charter of Thy Church, in the past days of fasting Thy servants abstained, so that those who partake of them will be with thanksgiving in health, to strengthen bodily strength, to joy and joy.
Yes, we all have every contentment, we will abound in good deeds, and from the fullness of a grateful heart we will glorify You, who nourishes and comforts us, and also Your Beginningless One. Father and Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
(If the Feast of the Supreme Apostles happens on Wednesday or Friday, this prayer is read before the meal the next day).
1 Book of Hours. Meal prayers.
2 The abbreviation “Glory” should be read as “Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Abbreviation “and now”: “and now and ever, and unto ages of ages.” Amen."
3 Fast food - products of animal origin that are not allowed during fasting: meat and dairy products, eggs.