When it is said
It is a prayer for home, not for a church service. Russian prayer books print it among the prayers for the departed.
A widow may say it on any day, with her husband’s name where the prayer asks for it.
The same books give a widower’s prayer for his wife beside it. That prayer recalls God’s words at the creation: it is not good for the man to be alone.
Where it comes from
No author known
Where it comes from
No author is named, and its date is not known. Russian prayer books carry it with no name.
Azbyka.ru prayer book, the Prayer of a Widow (in Church Slavonic); Pravoslavie.ru prayer book, prayers for the departed (in Church Slavonic)
Who was Theophilus?
The prayer names Theophilus, a Byzantine emperor who died in AD 842. He fought against the veneration of icons, while his wife, St Theodora, honoured them in secret. After his death she called a council that restored the icons. The Church still keeps that day as the Triumph of Orthodoxy, on the first Sunday of Lent.
Orthodox Church in America, Righteous Theodora, wife of Emperor Theophilus
Forgiven at his wife’s prayers
For centuries Orthodox Christians told how God forgave Theophilus after his death, at the prayers of the Church and of Theodora. The story was tied to the Triumph of Orthodoxy. Old Russian books of names for praying for the dead ended with a few stories, and this was one of the most common. The historian Dmitry Afinogenov notes that to a modern reader it sounds like legend.
Dmitry Afinogenov, The Tale of the Forgiveness of Emperor Theophilus (in Russian)
What the words mean
Two widows from the Gospels
The prayer recalls two widows Jesus met. One put two small coins into the temple treasury, and Jesus said she had given more than all the rest. The other was burying her only son at the gate of Nain. Jesus had compassion on her and raised him. The widow asks Christ to accept her prayer as He accepted the two coins, and to quiet her sorrow as He did at Nain.
Mark 12:42-43; Luke 7:12-15
The Scripture in it
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius. Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more than all the others into the treasury.”
As He approached the town gate, He saw a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Do not weep.” Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. “Young man,” He said, “I tell you, get up!” And the dead man sat up and began to speak! Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.
Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Your righteousness is everlasting and Your law is true.
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.
In Church Slavonic
Христе Иисусе, Господи и Вседержителю! Ты плачущих утешение, сирых и вдовиц заступление. Ты рекл еси: призови Мя в день скорби твоея, и изму тя.
Во дни скорби своея прибегаю к Тебе аз и молюся Ти: не отврати лица Твоего от мене и услыши моление мое, приносимое Тебе со слезами. Ты, Господи Владыко всяческих, благоволил еси сочетати мя с единым из рабов Твоих, во еже быти нам едино тело и един дух; Ты дал еси мне сего раба, яко сожителя и защитника. Твоей же благой и премудрой воле изволися отъяти от мене сего раба Твоего и оставити мя едину.
Преклоняюся пред сею Твоею волею и к Тебе прибегаю во дни скорби моея: утоли печаль мою о разлучении с рабом Твоим, другом моим. Аще отъял еси его от мене, не отыми от мене Своея милости. Яко же некогда приял еси вдовицы две лепты, тако приими и сие моление мое.
Помяни, Господи, душу усопшаго раба Твоего (имя), прости ему все согрешения его, вольная и невольная, аще словом, аще делом, аще ведением и неведением, не погуби его со беззаконьми его и не предаждь вечной муке, но по велицей милости Твоей и по множеству щедрот Твоих ослаби и прости вся согрешения его и вчини его со святыми Твоими, идеже несть болезнь, ни печаль, ни воздыхание, но жизнь безконечная.
Молю и прошу Тя, Господи, даруй ми во вся дни жизни моея не преставати молитися о усопшем рабе Твоем, и даже до исхода моего просити у Тебе, Судии всего мира, оставления всех согрешений его и вселения его в Небесныя обители, яже еси уготовал любящим Тя.
Яко аще бо и согреши, но не отступи от Тебе, и несумненно Отца и Сына и Святаго Духа православно даже до последняго своего издыхания исповеда; тем же веру его, яже в Тя, вместо дел ему вмени: яко несть человек, иже жив будет и не согрешит, Ты един кроме греха, и правда Твоя – правда во веки.
Верую, Господи, и исповедую, яко Ты услышиши моление мое и не отвратиши лица Твоего от мене. Видя вдовицу, зельне плачущу, умилосердився, сына ея, на погребение несома, воскресил еси: тако умилосердився, утиши и скорбь мою. Яко же отверзл еси рабу Твоему Феофилу, отшедшему к Тебе, двери милосердия Твоего и простил еси ему прегрешения его по молитвам Святыя Церкве Твоея, внемля молитвам и милостыням супруги его: сице и аз молю Тя, приими мое моление о рабе Твоем и введи его в жизнь вечную.
Яко Ты еси упование наше. Ты еси Бог, еже миловати и спасати, и Тебе славу возсылаем со Отцем и Святым Духом. Аминь.