Be with Us in All Circumstances

The Prayer of the Ambon in the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil provides a good summary ending to the service. It has provided a brief summary of what we have done in the Divine Liturgy. It has asked God to remember us—those who spread the Gospel, anyone in leadership, those who protect us and all the people who have worshipped. And now the prayer concludes by asking God to be with us in all circumstances.

Grant that we may meditate upon Your righteousness at all times and in every season. The “every season” means every circumstance. There was a season of my life when I was in grade school, then high school, then college, then seminary. The season now includes being married, being a parent, being a priest, a homeowner, and many other things. I recently saw a 90-year-old priest taking part in the Divine Liturgy. He can no longer walk up and down stairs so he stands at the side of the altar and offers some of the petition. He is no longer in the season that he was once in of running around and leading a parish. But he can still offer something, he can still meditate on the righteousness of God. We all can, in every circumstance.

Guide us and our actions so that we may do what is pleasing to You. We can please God in all seasons of our lives. We can even praise Him from a hospital bed when we are about to exit this life. However, at all times, even in our last moments, there will also be temptations to distract us from God. This is why we need His guidance over our actions.

May You find us worthy to stand at Your right hand when You return to judge the living and the dead. This is one of the most important lines of the Divine Liturgy, because this is the ultimate goal, and in the end the only thing that matters. If petitions for temperate weather, or for safety or health, or joy, if none of these prayers are answered, this is the only prayer that we need answered ultimately because this is the prayer that sets us up for eternal life. We have prayed for many things in the Divine Liturgy. This is the end of the path. We have prayed for help along the path, but even if that path has been hard, as long as it ends up at the right hand of God, this is the only thing that we ultimately need.

Deliver our brothers and sisters who are in captivity, visit those who are sick, protect those who are in danger at sea.  At the time these prayers were written by St. Basil, society was a lot different than it is today. There are still some countries in the world where people are in captivity, and more and more, human trafficking has become a widespread problem, though most of us are still fairly unfamiliar with this. We also don’t think about people being in danger at sea, as most of us travel far places by plane, not by sea. When you think about it, though, metaphorically, we still have these concerns in society. There are lots of people held captive by poverty, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, etc. Of course there are people will kinds of sicknesses, just as there were centuries ago. As for being in danger at sea—there are lots of people who are getting slammed by “waves” of their life circumstances, waves of anxiety, who are adrift like a boat with a broken mast, or who are taking on water like a ship that is sinking. Sometimes, as we listen to phrases of prayer that sound “archaic”, we should contextualize the words into a modern context. While we may not have the exact same kind of struggles, the struggle of all ages are similar.

Give rest to the souls of all those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the eternal life. It’s beautiful that our church has continuous regard for those who have fallen asleep. When we sing “Memory eternal” at a funeral or memorial service, we mean it. We are constantly acknowledging and praying for those who have fallen asleep.

Hear the petitions of all those who beseech You for Your help. As Saint Basil has done so well throughout this Divine Liturgy, there are summary phrases that catch everything we haven’t mentioned specifically, just as asking God to hear the petitions of everyone in every circumstance and to give us help as we go along the path in life, to the promised life in the Kingdom of God. Indeed, we pray that God will walk with us in all circumstances, in all times and in all places.