The petitions for a journey by air

The deacon says these petitions when the Church blesses people about to fly. They ask for angels to guard them, a calm flight and a safe return.

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

Plain English

Lord, long ago You made Your prophet a traveller through the heavens,and You carried Your apostles on cloudsfrom the ends of the earth to the holy city.Look now on the prayer of Your servant (name),who earnestly bows down before You,and bless their journey through the air.Make it quiet, peaceful and calm.We pray You, all-good One: hear and have mercy.

Master, command Your angelsto guard Your servant (name), who is about to travel through the air.May Your angels shelter them with their wingsand crush the prince of the air beneath their feet.We pray You, all-merciful Saviour: hear and have mercy.

Saviour, bless the good purpose of Your servant (name)and accept their prayer.Give them a swift passage through the air, free from harm,and in Your mercy grant them a safe return home.All-compassionate Lord, hear and have mercy.

Lord, You made the air holy by Your glorious Ascension,and You showed Elijah, who rode the chariot of fire,to be the first to travel to heaven.Through his prayers, give Your servant (name) a calm journey through the air,good health, and deliverance from every sorrow and every deadly wound.We pray You, all-merciful Lord: hear and have mercy.

Drive far from Your servant (name) every terror the demons bring,so that, carried always on the wings of longing for God,and setting their sure hope on You,the Creator and Provider of all creation,they may cross the air in peace and joy, as on a light cloud,and come home at the right time, to the glory of Your most holy name.We pray You, almighty Master: hear and graciously have mercy.

Lord, long ago You made Your prophet a traveller through the heavens,and You carried Your apostles on cloudsfrom the ends of the earth to the holy city.Look now on my prayer,as I earnestly bow down before You,and bless my journey through the air.Make it quiet, peaceful and calm.I pray You, all-good One: hear and have mercy.

Master, command Your angelsto guard me, Your servant, as I am about to travel through the air.May Your angels shelter me with their wingsand crush the prince of the air beneath my feet.I pray You, all-merciful Saviour: hear and have mercy.

Saviour, bless my good purposeand accept my prayer.Give me a swift passage through the air, free from harm,and in Your mercy grant me a safe return home.All-compassionate Lord, hear and have mercy.

Lord, You made the air holy by Your glorious Ascension,and You showed Elijah, who rode the chariot of fire,to be the first to travel to heaven.Through his prayers, give me, Your servant, a calm journey through the air,good health, and deliverance from every sorrow and every deadly wound.I pray You, all-merciful Lord: hear and have mercy.

Drive far from me, Your servant, every terror the demons bring,so that, carried always on the wings of longing for God,and setting my sure hope on You,the Creator and Provider of all creation,I may cross the air in peace and joy, as on a light cloud,and come home at the right time, to the glory of Your most holy name.I pray You, almighty Master: hear and graciously have mercy.

Traditional wording, 1999

O Lord Who in days of old didst show Thy Prophet to be a traveler across the heavens,and didst bring also Thine Apostles on clouds from the ends of the earth to the Holy City:Do Thou now look down also on the prayer of Thy servant(s) who is (are) diligently falling down unto Thee,and bless his (her, their) journey by air, and make it also to be quiet, peaceful and undisturbed,we pray Thee, O All-gracious One, hearken and have mercy.

Command Thine Angels, O Master, to protect this, Thy servant (these, Thy servants) who is (are) about to journey by air,that they will overshadow him (her, them) with their wings and will crush under their feet the prince of the air,we pray Thee, O All-merciful Savior, hearken and have mercy.

Bless the good intent of Thy servant(s), O Savior, and accept his (her, their) prayer,arranging for him (her, them) a speedy journey by air, without harm,and mercifully granting him (her, them) a favorable return to his (her, their) own home(s),O All-compassionate Lord, hearken and have mercy.

O Lord Who didst sanctify the air by Thy most-glorious Ascension,and Who didst show the fiery chariot of Elijah to be the first traveler across the heavens:By the prayers of this (these), Thy servant(s), N., do Thou grant him (her, them) an untroubled journey by air,and good health and deliverance from every affliction and deathbearing wound,we pray Thee, O All-merciful Lord, hearken and have mercy.

Do Thou cast out far away from Thy servant(s) all fear of demons,that, ever borne on the wings of divine desire and setting unfeigned hope on Thee, the Creator and Guardian of all of creation,they may cross the pathway of the air peacefully and joyfully, as on a light cloud,and may return again at a favorable time to his (her, their) own home(s), to the glory of Thy most-holy Name,we pray Thee, O Almighty Master, hearken and mercifully have mercy.

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 IV, 1999.

In the fourth petition the Slavonic asks for a calm passage “through his prayers”, the prayers of Elijah, as the plain wording does. St Tikhon’s English reads it as the prayers of the travellers.

When it is said

The deacon or the priest says them aloud, and the choir answers “Lord, have mercy” three times after each one.

Anyone may pray them before a flight, for themselves or for someone who is flying.

Where it comes from

No author known

Where do they come from?

The petitions belong to the Church’s blessing for people about to fly, a short service in the Russian Book of Needs. The deacon adds them to the litany after the Gospel, after the petitions for the bishop and for the country. No author or date is given.

The Great Book of Needs, Volume IV (St Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 1999), pages 312-314; Воинский требник (the Military Book of Needs), Azbyka

Elijah and the apostles

Two of the petitions remember people God carried through the sky. Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind when a chariot of fire appeared (2 Kings 2:11), and the fourth petition asks for his prayers. The first recalls the apostles, whom the same service says Christ brought on clouds to the burial of His Mother.

The Great Book of Needs, Volume IV (St Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 1999), pages 308 and 313; Воинский требник (the Military Book of Needs), Azbyka

What the words mean

The prince of the air

The second petition asks the angels to crush “the prince of the air” beneath the travellers’ feet. St Paul calls the devil the ruler of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). He also told the Christians in Rome that God would soon crush Satan under their feet (Romans 16:20).

The Scripture in it

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 Echoed Elijah taken up to heaven, with the chariot of fire.

After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.

Acts 1:9 Echoed The Ascension, by which the petition says Christ made the air holy.

… in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

Ephesians 2:2 Echoed Paul’s name for the devil, the ruler of the power of the air.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Romans 16:20 Echoed God will crush Satan under the feet of His people.

Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.

In Church Slavonic

Небоше́ственника проро́ка Твоего́, Го́споди, дре́вле показа́вый и апо́столы Твоя́ о́блаки от коне́ц земли́ и во святы́й град пренесы́й, при́зри и ны́не на моли́тву рабо́в Твои́х, к Тебе́ приле́жно припа́дающих и благослови́ возду́шное путеше́ствие их, ти́ху же и ми́рну и безмяте́жну сему́ бы́ти сотвори́, мо́лим Ти ся, всеблаги́й, услы́ши и поми́луй.

А́нгелом Твои́м повели́, Влады́ко, сохрани́ти сия́, рабы́ Твоя́ по возду́ху ше́ствовати хотя́щия, я́ко да крило́ма свои́ма осеня́т я, возду́шнаго же кня́зя под но́зе их сокруша́т, мо́лимся всеми́лостивый Спа́се, услы́ши и поми́луй.

Благо́е наме́рение, Спа́се, рабо́в Твои́х благослови́ и моли́тву их приими́, ско́рое и безбе́дное по возду́ху превожде́ние им устроя́я и благополу́чное во Своя́ си возвраще́ние ми́лостиво да́руя, всеще́дрый Го́споди, услы́ши и поми́луй.

Пресла́вным вознесе́нием Твои́м возду́х освяти́вый Го́споди, и Илию́ огнеколесни́чника пе́рваго небоше́ственника показа́вый, того́ моли́твами рабо́м Твои́м сим (и́мярек) безмяте́жное возду́шное ше́ствие, здра́вие же и от вся́кия ско́рби и смертоно́сныя ра́ны избавле́ние да́руй, мо́лим Ти ся всеми́лостивый Го́споди, услы́ши и поми́луй.

Вся страхова́ния бесо́вская дале́че от рабо́в Твои́х отжени́, я́ко да на крыле́х жела́ния Боже́ственнаго при́сно носи́ми, на Тя же Творца́ и Промысли́теля всея́ тва́ри упова́ние несумне́нное возлага́юще, ми́рно, и ра́достно, я́ко на о́блаце ле́гце, пу́ть возду́шный пре́йдут, ко сла́ве и́мене Твоего́ Пресвята́го и во вре́мя благопотре́бно во своя́ си возвратя́тся, мо́лим Ти ся всемоги́й Влады́ко, услы́ши и ми́лостивно поми́луй.

From the five petitions for travellers by air in the Military Book of Needs (Воинский требник), on Azbyka.ru, a Russian Orthodox website.

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