When it is said
It is the prayer the priest reads near the end of a moleben, a short Russian service of prayer, “for the increase of love and the uprooting of hatred and all malice”. Like most molebens, it is served when people ask for it.
It can also be said at home, for a family, a parish or a friendship where love has grown cold.
Where it comes from
No author known
Where it comes from
The moleben it closes opens with Psalm 133, on how good it is for brothers to live together in unity. Its readings are Paul on love in 1 Corinthians 13, or a passage of John’s first letter, and Jesus’s new commandment in John’s Gospel. The service book names no writer and gives no date.
Even our enemies
Early in the same service comes a litany, a list of requests prayed aloud. It asks God to make us love “not only our friends and brothers, but our enemies too”, to do good to those who hate us and to pray for them. It also asks that we never judge a brother, but love him as ourselves.
The apostle of love
The service’s last words ask the prayers of the Mother of God and of St John the Theologian, the apostle and evangelist. The preface of the Russian book of moleben services suggests joining this service to one for St John, “the apostle of love”, on his feast days. Christian love, it says, has grown thin in our time.
The Russian book of moleben services, on Azbyka.ru; The Russian book of moleben services, its preface, on Azbyka.ru
The Scripture in it
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.
In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.
In Church Slavonic
Господи Иисусе Христе Боже наш, давый ученикам Твоим заповедь новую любити друг друга, приими молитву сию во оставление грехов всех нас, правоверных рабов Твоих,
и иссякшую в нас к Тебе и к братиям любовь Духом Твоим Святым обнови и крепко сию водрузи в сердца наши,
да тою заповеди Твои исполняюще, не своей пользы на земле искати, но о Твоей славе и о созидании и спасении ближних ревновати будем,
да тако в любви и мире со всеми в веке сем поживше, сподобимся, вкупе с угодившими Тебе, в горних обителях славити Тя и Безначального Твоего Отца и Святаго Духа в бесконечные веки веков.
From the Russian book of moleben services, in Church Slavonic, on Azbyka.ru, a Russian Orthodox website.