When it is said
A Russian collection of prayers gives it to say at the loss of anything you own. It is short enough to say on the spot, and again whenever the loss comes back to mind.
Where it comes from
Author by tradition
The monk who lost his money
Aretas was a monk of the Caves Monastery who came from the city of Polotsk. He kept a great hoard of money hidden in his room and never gave a single coin to a beggar. One night thieves stole all of it. Aretas nearly died of grief, and as he hunted for the money he turned on innocent people and wronged many of them.
St Dmitri of Rostov, Life of St Aretas of the Caves (Russian), azbyka.ru
Lying as if dead
The other monks begged him to stop and to cast his cares on the Lord (Psalm 55:22), but he would not listen. He fell gravely ill and went on grumbling against God. Then, lying as if dead, he saw angels. They told him that if he had thanked God for what was stolen, it would have counted as alms, as it did for Job.
St Dmitri of Rostov, Life of St Aretas of the Caves (Russian), azbyka.ru
All is Yours
At that, Aretas cried out for mercy and forgiveness and said that everything was God’s and he no longer grieved over what was lost. The angels counted the stolen silver to him as alms. From then on he praised God every day with Job’s words, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away” (Job 1:21). The story comes from an eyewitness, Bishop Simon.
St Dmitri of Rostov, Life of St Aretas of the Caves (Russian), azbyka.ru
The Scripture in it
… saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.
In Russian
Господи, помилуй! Господи, прости!
Все Твое, не жалею о сем!
Господь дал. Господь взял, да будет благословенно имя Господне.
From “Rare prayers of the great Russian saints”, in the Russian prayer book on azbyka.ru.