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Holy Catechism
Nikolaos Voulgaris, tr. Daniel, 1893
Of the Requests
That the whole day may be perfect.
According to the exhortations in all piety and reverence of the blessed Paul (1 Tim. ii. 1), first of all the Church ceases not making Supplications, Prayers, Intercessions, Thanksgivings for all men; “for this is good and acceptable before God our Saviour.” She made supplications at once from the beginning, since she began to give utterance to the Sacred and Holy Liturgy, through the Great Collect, which we spoke of. Prayers we have found in abundance said secretly by the Priest, Hymns, and ceaseless Thanksgivings. Now she begins the Intercessions which are what are commonly called the Requests, from the words Let us beg, with which they begin and end; as we called the Collects Supplications, from the words, Let us supplicate. “And this the Initiated know is done each day, evening and morning,” is the comment of the divine Chrysostom on Paul’s apostolic exhortation; since these Requests or Intercessions are said, we found, not only in the Liturgy, but also at Vespers and at Lauds. And as the Priest says frequently to the people, Let us beg of the Lord, that is, let us seek from our Lord and God; so the people answer, Give us whatever we seek from Thee. Grant it, O Lord.
Now we seek that the whole day may be in peace and without sin; that the guardian angel may be the peaceful guide of our soul and body; we ask indulgence and pardon for sins; good things, all that are expedient and helpful to our soul; peace for the whole world and quietness; that the period of life which remains to us we may pass peaceably in thankfulness and repentance; that the close of our life may be Christian, painless, without toil or sorrow, unshamed, in honour; and we ask a good defence or dismissal at that awful judgment-seat where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matt. viii. 12. As for the Angel of peace, whom the priest refers to here with the rest, Cabasilas, ch. 34, comments thus: “We pray for the guardian angel, not that he may then be given us; for each one of the faithful has an angel given him from the beginning; but that he may be active, and do his part, and keep watch, and guide towards the right path.” And the great Chrysostom, in the third homily on Ep. to Colossians: “We pray and speak, asking for the angel of peace, and everywhere we ask for peace; for there is nothing like this.” And therefore directly the Church proceeds to ask