It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption, the real Mother of God.
It is worthy to eat - it should, it must. As truly - truly, in justice (as - as). Bless - to praise. Ever-blessed - always blessed (ever-blessed - always). Most immaculate - the most immaculate, completely sinless. The most honorable Cherub - worthy of greater honor than the Cherubs. The most glorious Seraphim without comparison - deserving incomparably greater glorification than the Seraphim. Without decay - without violating purity. Existing - real.
Cherubim (in Hebrew this word means “outpouring of wisdom”) and Seraphim (“flaming ones”) are the highest Angels closest to God.
+ The second half of the prayer - “The most honorable Cherub...” (it is still used independently in worship) - was composed in the 8th century by Saint Cosmas, Bishop of Maium... According to legend, this song was composed by him on Good Friday, a particularly mournful day for the Mother of God. After this, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to the monk and with a joyful face said: “Your songs are pleasant to Me, but this one is more pleasant than all the others; Those who sing spiritual songs are pleasing to Me, but I am never so close to them as when they sing this new song of yours.” The words of the Most Honest Cherub go back to the laudatory words of the Mother of God of Ephraim the Syrian: “The most honorable of the Cherubim, incomparable before all the heavenly armies...”
In the 10th century, this song chosen by the Mother of God received an even more miraculous beginning.
In one of the monasteries of Holy Mount Athos, a novice prayed in his cell. There was a knock on the door, an unfamiliar, beautiful-looking monk entered and joined in the chant. When the Athonite novice was about to begin the glorification of the Mother of God “Most Honest Cherub...”, the guest stopped him and sang another, unknown beginning: “It is worthy to eat as truly blessed as Thee, the Mother of God, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God,” and to these hitherto unknown words he added the ending: “Most Honest Cherub.”
The Athonite monk was touched by the wondrous words and the sounds of the angelic voice, and began to ask the stranger monk to write him the beginning of the cherished song. But in the cell there was neither parchment (on which they wrote before the invention of paper) nor ink. Then the guest asked to bring a stone slab and with the end of his finger he wrote the words he sang on the slab. Handing the slab to the astonished monk, he said: “From now on, always sing like this, both you and all Orthodox Christians,” and became invisible. Then the monk realized that an Angel of God had visited him.
Since then, this amazing prayer has remained in the Church, in which the angelic song was added to the inspired human creation: since 980, according to the conciliar definition of the Church, the chant began to be sung in a new, complete edition.
Note. From Easter to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the chorus and irmos of the 9th song of the Easter canon are read:
The angel cried out with grace: Pure Virgin, rejoice! And again the river: Rejoice! Your Son is risen three days from the grave, and raised up the dead; people, have fun!
Shine, shine, new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is upon you. Rejoice now and be glad, O Zion; You, Pure One, show off, O Mother of God, about the rising of Your Nativity.
This remark also applies to future bedtime prayers.
Glory, and now: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us, Amen.