Those Who Distort the Words of Church Prayers Will Be Condemned
September 25
(How During a Terrible Earthquake a Youth Was Caught Up Into the Air)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
September 25
(How During a Terrible Earthquake a Youth Was Caught Up Into the Air)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
When reading Church prayers, many of you either add to them what is not appropriate, or mispronounce the words contained within them, distorting their meaning. This, brethren, is not good. How dangerous and pernicious is such carelessness in the use of prayers received by the Holy Church, mostly from holy men? Listen to the following account.
In the 5th century AD, during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Younger and Patriarch Proclus, a plague occurred in Greece, accompanied by earthquakes. To avert the wrath of God, the emperor and the patriarch decreed a nationwide service of supplication. During this service, a young boy was lifted into the air by an invisible force and, upon descending unharmed, declared that he had heard Angels singing: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal." The faithful then sang this Angelic hymn, and the calamity ceased. This hymn has since become part of the Church's Divine Services. Despite the evidently Divine origin of this hymn, the followers of the heretical teaching of Eutyches added the words "crucified for us" to the phrase "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal," thus distorting its meaning. The prayer is directed to the Holy Trinity, and this addition altered its significance. It appears as though all three Persons of the Holy Trinity suffered crucifixion, rather than just the Son of God. For this distortion, the heretics were condemned by the shepherds of the Orthodox Church at that time, and this condemnation, along with the anathema, as per the 81st Canon of the Sixth Ecumenical Synod, extended to all who accepted such an addition.
Hearing this, brethren, when you pray, strive to pronounce the words of the prayers correctly; be attentive to what you utter in your prayers and do not add anything of your own. For this reason, attend church more frequently and listen carefully to the reading of prayers in church, and endeavor to keep what you have heard firmly in your memory.
Furthermore, those who are literate should teach the illiterate. Having read a prayer for yourself from the book, read it for others as well, so that others, who may be illiterate, can learn to honor God with understanding.
In addition, having learned to pronounce the prayers correctly yourselves, pay attention to your young children when they are able to read prayers. If they distort the words during their reading, stop them and correct them; if they rush, stop them again and encourage them to read clearly and distinctly.
Finally, when you do not understand something in the prayers, consult a priest for clarification, and he will explain it to you. Above all, ask God to enlighten your mind and soften your heart with His grace to embrace His holy truth. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
