I have a question about a specific prayer

[Nowhere_Man]

In the following prayer, who does “Holy Fathers” refer to?

Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Also, as a private devotion I have started praying the Horologion, but I’ve been using an online version from an Eastern Orthodox website and I was wondering if it differs from one used by Eastern Catholics.

Thank you very much for your help.

 

[smad0142]

I would say that the context obviously implies that this is saintly intercession, and the only Fathers that are collectively holy that I know of would be the Fathers of the Church.

 

[josephdaniel29]

In the following prayer, who does “Holy Fathers” refer to?

Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Also, as a private devotion I have started praying the Horologion, but I’ve been using an online version from an Eastern Orthodox website and I was wondering if it differs from one used by Eastern Catholics.

Thank you very much for your help.

Our Fathers in the faith that have gone before us.

 

[Nowhere_Man]

Okay. Thank you all for your help. That’s what I figured.

 

[Vico]

In the following prayer, who does “Holy Fathers” refer to?

Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Also, as a private devotion I have started praying the Horologion, but I’ve been using an online version from an Eastern Orthodox website and I was wondering if it differs from one used by Eastern Catholics.

Thank you very much for your help.

Here is a 12 month set of PDF files with the Menion for Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church, and other feasts, with music.

metropolitancantorinstitute.org/Publications.html#Menaion

Take, for example, from the Bridegroom Matins:

metropolitancantorinstitute.org/sheetmusic/general/BridegroomMatins.pdf

“Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.”

And here is an elaboration of some of the Fathers from the Matins:

Save your people, O God, and bless your inheritance. Watch over your world in mercy and compassion. Exalt the strength of true Christians and send down upon us your abundant mercies. Through the prayers of our all-pure Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary; through the power of the precious and life-creating Cross; through the protection of the honorable, heavenly, and angelic powers; through the prayers of the honorable and glorious prophet, forerunner, and baptist John; of the holy, glorious, and illustrious apostles; of our holy fathers, the great hierarchs and universal teachers: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom; of our holy father Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia; of the holy equals to the apostles and teachers of the Slavs, Cyril and Methodius; of the holy equal to the apostles, the faithful great prince Vladimir; of the holy martyr Josaphat, bishop of Polotsk; of the blessed martyr Theodore, bishop of Mukacevo; of our blessed fathers and confessors Paul, bishop of Presov; and Basil, bishop of Medila; of the holy, glorious, and victorious martyrs; of our venerable and God-bearing fathers, Anthony and Theodosius of the Monastery of the Caves, and of our other venerable and God-bearing fathers; of the holy and just ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna; and of all the saints; we beseech you, all-merciful Lord, hear the prayers of us sinners and have mercy on us.

 

[searn77]

Are you sure that “our holy fathers” refers to the Church fathers? This is what I thought at first but then I heard that it refers to our priests. That is why when the Bishop is present at whatever service it is, we don’t say the prayer “Through the prayers of our holy fathers…” I could be wrong but this is what I have been told.

 

[Formosus]

I always thought “Through the prayers of our holy fathers” was referring to all the saint. I guess it could have multiple meanings though.

 

[rowlands]

Are you sure that “our holy fathers” refers to the Church fathers? This is what I thought at first but then I heard that it refers to our priests. That is why when the Bishop is present at whatever service it is, we don’t say the prayer “Through the prayers of our holy fathers…” I could be wrong but this is what I have been told.

This is quite correct. It normally follows immediately after the dismissal (“Christ our True God, through the prayers of His all pure mother, of … and of all the saints, will have mercy upon us and save us, for he is good and loves mankind”).

It is primarily or originally a monastic tradition and refers in particular to the most holy of the monks, those who have become ‘living saints’, even though it may not be obvious which of the community they may be; those whose prayers are poweful and pleasing to God. Particularly the monks of the great schema and the hermits ‘dependent’ upon the monastery. In some traditions, when the bishop is present, ‘through the prayers of our holy master’ replaces ‘through the prayers of our holy fathers’.

In modern usage, where no priest is present, the prayer is commonly used in place of the ecphoneses and other concluding doxologies normally recited by the priest. As such it shows the dependence of the individual or congregation on their properly appointed pastors and clergy - their priest, their bishop, and the governing hierarchy of the local church of which they are part. They worship as part of the greater Church and, even without a priest (for whatever reason) the prayer of others strengthen and support them.