Prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in Distress and Sorrow Most Venerable Queen, my Most Holy Hope, refuge of orphans, protectress of travellers, and helper of those in misfortune, and shelter of the wronged. See my distress, see my torment. I am surrounded on every side by temptation, and there is no one to defend me; do Thou Thyself help me, for I am powerless. Feed me as a stranger, guide me as one gone astray, heal and save me as one without hope. I have no other help, no other protection, no other consolation but Thee, O Mother of all the sorrowful and burdened. Therefore look upon me, a sinner and one weighed down, shelter me with Thy most holy veil, that I may be delivered from the evils that surround me, and I shall forever glorify Thy most glorious name. Amen! Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in Distress Make me, distressed in soul and body, worthy of Thy divine visitation and care, O only Mother of God, for as one good and gracious thou hast become the parental goodness of thy Son Christ our God. Fierce sorrows and sinful passions tear at my soul, like hungry wolves in my distress and torment. I come to Thy hand; free me from the burden that presses upon me like a stone, and grant me blessed healing. Amen. Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos for those who suffer from the passion of drugs O Most Holy Mother of God, Inexhaustible Fountain of mercy and goodness! To Thee, who as no other has experienced the greatest sorrow since mankind began — for they crucified Thy innocent Son, the godless ones — we come, and kissing Thy holy feet, we cry with tears: We have sinned, we have sinned, and have fallen into the abyss of hell, and if Thou dost not stretch out Thy hand of help to us, we shall never again see the light. We, Most Holy Mother, thought that beauty could be attained without God, and tasting the poison of hell we became slaves bound in heavy chains. For that little false, illusory happiness we handed over our soul not to one devil, but to a legion. For when we only think of renouncing the drug, a whole legion surrounds us and does not allow us to be freed of those chains. But knowing that Thou art the Heavenly Queen and that they flee from Thee as from fire, we entreat Thee most tenderly: forgive, O Most Holy One, forgive countless times, and turn not Thy face from us who are consumed by this evil passion, but show Thy boundless mercy even upon us, all-sinful as we are. Flash forth the lightning of Thy power and love, burn away in our souls every root of this evil passion, awaken in us the breath of eternal life, and open the inward eyes of our hearts, that we may bow before Thee forever and before Thy Son, Who hath so gloriously exalted Thee in holiness and mercy. Shelter us with Thy grace, Most Holy Mother, that these evil demons may not devour us in their rage that we no longer wish to serve them. And give us strength never again to abandon this path of repentance, but until our last breath to give thanks to Thee, All-Queen, for delivering us from the hell of this world and of the world to come. But, Mother, All-Mother, many of our loved ones have departed this world through this poison and have gone into the eternal torments of hell. Since Thy power is boundless, with fear, but also with hope, we beseech Thee: descend even to the lowest depths of the darkness of hell, and with Thy tears and ours wash and whiten the souls of our children, brothers and sisters, and bring them nearer to the light of God, that they too might one day be saved, and by Thy all-mercy and all-goodness stand at God's right hand, and at Thine. O Most Holy One, cast not away these words spoken to Thee in sorrow because of our sinfulness, but as the Tender Mother of the Merciful God, have mercy on us too and help us, as Thou knowest best for us. Lead us on the path of truth and righteousness, bring us into the Church, that in it we may unceasingly, together with all the Saints, glorify Thee and Thy mercy, and glorify also Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.