Orthodox prayers before a flight

The Russian Church blesses planes and the people about to fly in them. You can pray the same prayers yourself, for a calm flight and a safe return.

Picture: Giuseppe Angeli, Elijah Taken Up in a Chariot of Fire, about 1740

3 prayers and 2 to the saints

Before you fly

Prayer for a safe flight

Lord Jesus Christ our God,You command the elementsand hold all things in the hollow of Your hand.The depths tremble before You,and the stars stand in Your presence.All creation serves You;all things listen to You and obey You.You can do all things,and so You have mercy on all, most gracious Lord.

So now, Master, hear the fervent prayers of Your servant (name).Bless their way and their journey through the air.Rebuke the storms and the contrary winds,and keep the plane whole and unharmed.Give them a safe passage through the air, free of storms,and once their good purpose is fulfilled,be pleased to let them return with joy, in good health and in peace.

For You are the Saviour and the Deliverer,the Giver of all good things in heaven and on earth,and we give You glory,with Your Father, Who has no beginning,and Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit,now and always, and for ever and ever.Amen.

So now, Master, hear me, Your servant, as I pray to You fervently.Bless my way and my journey through the air.Rebuke the storms and the contrary winds,and keep the plane whole and unharmed.Give me a safe passage through the air, free of storms,and once my good purpose is fulfilled,be pleased to let me return with joy, in good health and in peace.

Traditional wording, 1999

O Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, Who commandest the elements and holdest all things in the hollow of Thy hand,before Whom the abysses tremble and to Whom the stars present themselves:All created things serve Thee, all listen unto Thee, all obey Thee.Thou art able to do all things, O Most-gracious Lord; therefore, Thou canst show mercy.

Accepting now, therefore, the fervent supplication of this, Thy servant (these, Thy servants), O Master,do Thou bless his (her, their) path and journey by air,forbidding also storms and contrary winds, preserving the airship whole and unharmed.Do Thou grant unto him (her, them) a saving and stormless passage through the air and the fulfillment of his (her, their) good intent,and be well-pleased that he (she, they) may return joyfully in good health.

For Thou art the Savior, the Redeemer and the Giver of all good things, both heavenly and earthly,and unto Thee do we send up glory, together with Thy Father Who is without beginning,and Thy Most-holy, Good and Lifegiving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The Russian prayer book gives this prayer to travellers before they set out by air. It asks Christ, Whom the winds obey, for a calm passage and a joyful return.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Church Slavonic of the Russian prayer book, with St Tikhon’s 1999 translation beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: St Tikhon’s Monastery, The Great Book of Needs, Volume IV, 1999.

St Tikhon’s English translates the Book of Needs, where the prayer opens “O Master”. Where it says “Thou canst show mercy”, the Slavonic says that You have mercy on all, and the plain wording follows the Slavonic.

Where it comes from, and the Church Slavonic

For the plane and everyone on it

Blessing of a plane

Lord God, You are borne on the cherubim.You took Elijah up to heaven in a chariot of fire.By Your angels You carried Habakkuk and Philip the deacon through the air,and You gathered the apostles when Your Mother fell asleep.

Make this plane holy Yourself,and bless those who travel in it,keeping them from every evil.

For You alone are almighty,and to You we give glory,to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,now and always, and for ever and ever.Amen.

Traditional wording, 1999

O Lord God, Who art borne on the Cherubim; Who didst take up Elijah in a fiery chariot to Heaven;Who, by Thine Angels, didst carry Habakkuk and Philip the Deacon through the air;and Who, at the Dormition of Thy Mother, didst gather the Apostles:

Do Thou Thyself sanctify this boat of the air, and bless them that shall travel in it, preserving them from every evil.

For Thou only art almighty, and unto Thee do we send up glory:to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

A priest reads it when he blesses a plane, but a passenger can pray its few lines on board. It asks God to bless everyone who travels in the plane and keep them from every evil.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Church Slavonic, with St Tikhon’s 1999 translation beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: St Tikhon’s Monastery, The Great Book of Needs, Volume III, 1999.

Where it comes from, and the Church Slavonic

If you are afraid of flying

Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Where can I go from Your Spirit?Where can I flee from Your presence?If I go up to the heavens, You are there;if I make my bed in the place of the dead, You are there.

If I take the wings of the dawnand settle at the far side of the sea,even there Your hand will lead me,and Your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me,and the light around me will turn to night,”even the darkness is not dark to You.The night shines like the day,for darkness and light are alike to You.

Traditional wording, 1611

Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.

The Church reads this psalm before it blesses a plane or its travellers. It says that no height and no darkness is beyond God, and that His right hand will hold you fast.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Hebrew, with the King James Version beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The King James translators, The King James Version, 1611.

The Hebrew word that the old wording gives as “hell” is Sheol, the place of the dead.

Where it comes from, and the original

To the guardian angel · To your guardian angel

Prayer to your guardian angel

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian,protector of my soul and body,forgive me every sin of this day.Deliver me from all the cunning of the enemy who fights me,so that I may not anger my God by any sin.

Pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant,so that you may show me worthyof the goodness and mercy of the All-holy Trinity,of the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ,and of all the saints. Amen.

Traditional wording, 1982

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian,the protector of my soul and body:forgive me for all the sins I have committed this day.Deliver me from all the evil of my militant enemy,that I may not anger my God by any sin.

Pray for me, your sinful and unworthy servant,that you may show me worthyof the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity,the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christand all the Saints. Amen.

The Church’s blessing for people about to fly asks God to command His angels to guard them. This short prayer from the prayers before sleep speaks to your own guardian angel.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Church Slavonic of the Russian prayer book. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: St Tikhon’s Seminary Press, Orthodox Daily Prayers, 1982.

Where it comes from, and the Church Slavonic

To a saint · To the prophet Elijah

Kontakion of St Elijah

Prophet and seer of the mighty works of God,Elijah of great renown,by your word you held back the rain clouds.Pray for usto the only Lover of mankind.

Traditional wording

O prophet, foreseer of the mighty works of our God,Elias of great renown,who by thy voice didst restrain the cloud of rain:on our behalf entreat thou HimWho alone is the Lover of mankind.

The same blessing asks for the prayers of the prophet Elijah, whom it calls the first traveller to heaven. This hymn from his feast asks for his prayers too.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Greek. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: the Russian Orthodox parish in Cardiff, Canons to the Holy and Glorious Prophet Elias.

The Greek says “the mighty works of God”, not “of our God”.

Where it comes from, and the Greek

Scripture for this

As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.

2 Kings 2:11 A chariot of fire appeared and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. The Church’s prayers for flying remember him.

⁹After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. ¹⁰They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, Who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:9-11 Christ was taken up into a cloud. The Church’s blessing for people about to fly says His Ascension made the air holy.

²³As they sailed, He fell asleep, and a windstorm came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. ²⁴The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm.

Luke 8:23-24 A storm swept down on the lake, and Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves until all was calm.

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you, giving the command, ‘Destroy him!’

Deuteronomy 33:27 In his blessing of Israel, Moses says that the everlasting arms of the eternal God are underneath them.

Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.

A psalm for this

He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
Psalm 18:10

The Church sings this verse before the Gospel at the blessing for people about to fly.

Psalm 18 Read the whole psalm, with St Athanasius’s advice on when to pray it.

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