When it is said
It is a prayer for days of sadness and despondency, and it can be said at any hour.
It prays for everyone who grieves, so you can say it for others who are low as well as for yourself.
Where it comes from
Author by tradition
Who was St Dimitri of Rostov?
Dimitri was born near Kyiv in 1651 and became a priest-monk in 1675. From 1684 he spent some 20 years on the Lives of the Saints, a collection with saints’ lives for every day of the year. In 1702 he became bishop of Rostov, with the rank of Metropolitan. He died in 1709 owning little but his books and manuscripts. The Russian Church named him a saint in 1757.
The Orthodox Church in America, the life of St Demetrius of Rostov; The Orthodox Church in America, the uncovering of his relics
Where the prayer is found
A Russian prayer book puts it first in its list of prayers in despondency, as a prayer “from the works of St Dimitri of Rostov”. The list does not say which of his works. Psalm 102 and a prayer before the icon “Joy of All Who Sorrow” stand in the same list.
The Scripture in it
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
“For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.”
Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.
In Russian
Боже, Отче Господа нашего Иисуса Христа, Отец щедрот и Бог всякаго утешения, утешающий нас во всякой скорби нашей!
Утеши каждаго скорбящаго, опечаленнаго, отчаявающагося, обуреваемаго духом уныния.
Ведь каждый человек создан руками Твоими, умудрен премудростию, возвеличен десницей Твоею, прославлен благостию Твоею…
Но вот посещены мы ныне Отеческим Твоим наказанием, кратковременными скорбями!
– Ты сострадательно наказываешь тех, кого любишь, и милуешь щедро и призираешь на их слезы!
Итак, наказав, помилуй и утоли печаль нашу;
преложи скорбь на веселие и радостию раствори печаль нашу;
удиви на нас милость Твою, дивный в советах Владыко, Непостижимый в судьбах Господи, и благословенный в делах Твоих во веки, аминь.
From the prayer book on Azbyka.ru, “Prayers in despondency”.