“For this city, every city, country, and those who live in them by faith, let us pray to the Lord.” Sixth Discourse on Liturgytranslated

We continue to analyze the text of the Divine Liturgy. Last time we talked about the petition for the peaceful litany, which includes a prayer for the bishop, the presbytery, the deaconry, every priestly order and all the people. In response to this petition, the choir sings: “Lord, have mercy,” after which the deacon exclaims: “For this city, every city, country and those who live in them by faith, let us pray to the Lord” [1]. In other words, let us pray to the Lord for this city, as well as for every city, for the country and for the believers who live there.

One saint of the 2nd century, whose name remains unknown, expressed himself beautifully about Christians in a letter to a certain Diognetus: “Christians are alien to all the things of this world, but at the same time they pray with love for everything that is around them - about the city and the country where they live.” By their prayer, Christians attract God's blessing to the place where they are.

The Church prays “for this city, every city” where the Divine Liturgy is celebrated. By “city” we mean everything that together forms it: place, buildings, inhabitants with their way of life. Such a petition reveals the character of the Church and the moral principle that it instills in us believers: not to be indifferent...