And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night;
Exodus 13:21
Good morning, Prayer Team!
For travelers by land, sea, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the captives, and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Again, our Church offers a wide variety of things and people to remember on this one petition. You could focus on a different part of this petition at every liturgy and that would provide variety in praying the service. “And air” was added to the liturgy in the past century, evidence that the liturgy does change ever so slightly as there is need. And as I mentioned last week, this is a good petition where you can have a “slide show” going through your mind. Often when I am praying this petition, I am thinking of specific people who I know are traveling, and specific people in our community who are sick.
The liturgy, however, is an act of all the people of a community, on behalf of all the people in the world. So there is a global prayer offered for the millions and millions of people on earth, the overwhelming majority of which, obviously, we do not know by name, who are sick or suffering. There are many people in poor parts of the world who do not have access to medical care, and this petition is a good time to pray for them, and for those who have the means to bring medical relief to them. There are people in the world who are suffering in many different ways—poor, homeless, orphans, etc. and this is a good time to bring them to mind and to prayer. At any given time, there are people who are being held unjustly in captivity. And then there are those who are justifiably being held in prisons and jails who should also not escape our prayers for their repentance and salvation. Unfortunately there are many areas in the world where Christians are not safe to practice their Christianity. They are held “captive” by oppressive governments who are bent on stamping our Christianity. We pray for them here as well.
It is interesting to note that we are not praying for safety, freedom, liberation, or vindication for any of the groups mentioned in this petition. We are not praying for material gain or recovery. We are praying for the most important thing—salvation. Perhaps someone who is suffering will never get better, or the person in poverty will never get rich. But salvation is very much in God’s plan for every human soul, and so the prayer for everyone covered by this petition is simple—salvation.
The prayer today will again be quoted from one of the prayers of St. Basil’s Liturgy:
Lord, free those who are held captive by unclean spirits; sail with those who sail; travel with those who travel; defend the widows; protect the orphans; liberate the captives; heal the sick. Remember, Lord, those who are in mines, in exile, in harsh labor, and those in every kind of affliction, necessity, or distress; those who entreat your loving kindness; those who love us and those who hate us; those who have asked us to pray for them, unworthy though we may be. Amen.
Have a great day!
+Fr. Stavros
