Prayer of St. John of Kronstadt*
Audio:
00:18
Lord, look mercifully on Your servant (name), seduced by the flattery of the womb and carnal merriment. Grant him to know the sweetness of abstinence in fasting and the fruits of the Spirit flowing from it. Amen.
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Ritual against husband's drunkenness
This conspiracy against the husband’s drunkenness is read every day when the husband is sleeping. The time of day doesn't matter. The plot should be read in a whisper:
The sky is clear, listen, the sky is light (or dark, depending on the time of day), look what I want to do over the servant of God (name). My sun rises in the yard and there is neither man nor beast. The red moon descends into my house, and there is no door, no floor or ceiling. Clear stars enter the bowl, and there the water is purer than white snow. The sun, slave (name) from the lapel of wine. Month, slave (name) from wine, calm down. Stars, slave (name) from wine pacify. With a clear field, a lighter share, I conjure the blue sea. Key. Lock. Language.
Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ for the granting of sobriety
Audio:
02:49
Sweetest Jesus! Drunkenness got the better of me! My soul was exhausted, it was all exhausted from my unfortunate weakness! I can’t get along with myself—that’s my inconsolable sorrow and misfortune. Fear and fear attack me - I wouldn’t die from drunkenness without repentance! I am afraid that the enemy - the devil - will completely destroy me and bring me to hell. I know that I cannot cope with myself on my own. “I am poor and needy, but the Lord cares for me. You are my help and my deliverer, my God! Do not delay” (Ps. 39:18). Lord Jesus Christ! You Yourself said: “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), but “ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). You, Lord Jesus Christ, healed the paralytic, cleansed the lepers, had mercy on the harlot, and said to the thief: “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Touch, O Merciful One, my weakened and prodigal heart with Your omnipotent grace, pour into it strength and courage of spirit to fight the passion of drunkenness, drive away the tempter devil and send me Your Guardian Angel, and “in the midst of destinies” save me, a sinner and sad, Lord! You Yourself said: “I do not want the death of the sinner, but that the sinner should turn from his way and live” (Ezek. 33:11) and therefore “came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). You Yourself, with Your Divine lips, said: “Him that comes to Me I will never cast out” (John 6:37). And so I came to You, my hope and refuge! I cry at Your Most Pure feet, Who was crucified for me. “Do not hide Your face from me, do not reject me and do not forsake me, O God, my Savior!” (Ps. 26:9), grant me strength and strength of will, so that I may drive out the passion that nests within me and may I live in sobriety, piety and firm faith in You, the One True God of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
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How to pray against alcohol addiction?
Drunkenness is a destructive passion, leading over time to complete degradation of the individual. Alcohol destroys the limbic system, responsible for memory, and a person’s mental abilities become impoverished. Drinking, which turns into a daily need, is comparable to the dose of a drug addict - if it is present, the person will experience euphoria, if not, shaking hands, a loudly beating heart, shortness of breath and other “delights” of physical withdrawal. It is very difficult to get a drunkard out of a vicious circle, so how can prayer help with this?
Icon of the Mother of God “Inexhaustible Chalice”
Church books contain numerous stories of healings from drunkenness through people’s prayers to the icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice.” However, one should not believe that the Lord, through a petition to His Most Holy Mother, will perform a miracle as if by waving a magic wand and the addiction will disappear by itself. Behind every miracle lies intense prayer work, and not only prayer!
St. Martyr Boniface
Audio:
02:12
Oh, long-suffering and all-praised martyr Boniface! We now resort to your intercession. Do not reject our prayers, but graciously hear us. Heal our brothers and sisters (names), who are overcome by the serious illness of drunkenness, and for the sake of their mother, the Church of Christ, and the eternal salvation that is falling away. Oh, holy martyr of Christ, touch their hearts with this grace given from God, quickly raise them from the falls of sin and bring them to saving abstinence. Pray to the Lord God, for whose sake you also suffered, that having forgiven us our sins, may He not turn away His mercy from His people, but may He strengthen us in sobriety and chastity, may He help His right hand For those who are sober, to keep their saving vow to the end, and in the days and in watch for Him at night and give a good answer about Him at the Last Judgment. Accept, O saint of God, the prayers of mothers who shed tears for their children; honest wives, weeping for husbands; children of the orphaned and wretched, abandoned by drunkards; all of us who fall to your icon, may this cry come through your prayers to the Throne of the Most High. Cover and keep us from the evil deception and all the snares of the enemy. In the terrible hour of our exodus, help us to pass through the airy ordeals without stumbling, with your prayers deliver us from eternal condemnation, and may the mercy of God cover us, forever and ever. Amen.
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History of the miraculous image
Icon of the Mother of God "Inexhaustible Chalice"
The appearance of the image occurred in 1878. There lived a retired soldier in Tula, whose drunkenness brought him to poverty and illness. His legs were practically paralyzed. An elder schema-monk appeared to this bitter drunkard in a dream and ordered him to go to the city of Serpukhov, where the icon of the “Inexhaustible Chalice” was kept in the local Vladychny Monastery. Before the image, a prayer service should be served and then the passion will move away from the cripple. The wondrous old man appeared to the retired soldier several more times, until the veteran heeded his instructions and set off on his journey.
Since his legs did not serve the soldier, the poor fellow had to crawl on all fours, but unexpected relief came along the way. He suddenly felt that he could walk on crutches, which the kind people he met on the pilgrimage had built for him. At first the soldier used two sticks, then made do with one. Having achieved his cherished goal, he expressed his desire to pray in front of the “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon.
The monastery was confused because no one could remember the image with that name. Finally, the icon was found on the way to the sacristy, and while they were looking, the crippled soldier was surprised to discover an image depicting the same old man who had appeared to him in a dream. It turned out to be the Monk Varlaam, the first organizer and rector of the monastery.
As for the “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon, on it, the Mother of God is depicted waist-deep with her arms outstretched to the sides and raised in a prayerful gesture. In front of her stands a cup - a chalice, with the infant Christ in it. His gestures repeat the movement of the hands of the Most Holy Theotokos, with the only difference that the fingers of the Eternal Child are folded in a blessing sign.
The image is very symbolic: in the chalice, this liturgical vessel, bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. It was this secret of the Eucharist that the icon painter revealed in the image of the “Inexhaustible Chalice”. For the Lord himself said:
“Take, eat: this is My Body... Drink from it, all of you; For this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28).
After the soldier held a prayer service in front of the image of the Virgin Mary, he was able to return home on his own two feet, and his passion for vodka left him forever.
30
May
1997
The “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon was included in the Orthodox Church calendar, which became official recognition of the all-Russian veneration of this image of the Mother of God. The day of remembrance was set for May 18 .
Where is the shrine located
The prototype was lost in 1929. Two lists considered miraculous are located in the city of Serpukhov. The first is in the Vysotsky Conception Monastery, the second is in the Vvedensky Vladychny Convent.
This is interesting: Icon “Inexhaustible Chalice” in Serpukhov: where it is and how to pray
As we see, according to the will of the Lord, many miracles happened to people through prayers to the Mother of God in front of her “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon, even if these people did not have strong faith. This once again proves how strong the love and ineffable mercy of the Mother of God is for fallen humanity. The Most Holy Theotokos is always among us, hears us and is ready to help. Faith the size of a mustard seed is enough for God's grace to bloom in our hearts.
Galina Bocharova
Saint Boniface the Merciful
Audio:
00:27
Oh, all-holy Boniface, merciful servant of the Merciful Master! Hear those who come running to you, obsessed with the addiction to drinking wine, and, just as in your earthly life you never refused to help those who asked you, so now deliver these unfortunates (names). Amen.
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The role of sacred words and their impact on humans
Alcoholism is always strongly associated with the serpent. This happened for a reason. Even in the Holy Scriptures the snake is mentioned as a symbol of vice and sin. This creature encouraged humanity to take the wrong path. Alcoholism is a great sin. It destroys families and destroys lives.
It is not the addicts themselves who suffer more, but their families. Alcoholics are not critical and therefore it is not important for them whether they have an addiction. It doesn’t cause them as much heartache as their loved ones.
The greatest suffering is experienced by women who remain with such husbands. It is difficult for them to come up with a punishment stronger than watching their spouse constantly drink and slide into the abyss of addiction. The children in the family take a bad example from their alcoholic father. For them, despite his addiction, he is an undeniable authority, so in the future they will copy his behavior, even if unconsciously.
A dependent person stops thinking like other people. His whole mind is occupied with only one thought - how to find a new dose of alcohol. The habit clouds a person’s mind so much that he ceases to be aware of himself and the world around him. All that interests him from now on is just the bottle. Treatment with medications in such cases can be of little help. If a person does not want to accept therapy, the only option that remains for family and friends is prayer. Only sacred words can convert a person to faith and help him recover from his illness. The main thing on this path is to provide him with support and encouragement. This way a person will feel more confident.
The main advantages of reading prayers over other methods, which often turn out to be completely ineffective:
- no one can demand payment for prayer - this is an impulse of the human soul, which is free;
- prayers are not something extremely clever and complex: words can come from a person’s heart, for saints the level of literacy is not important, for them the main thing is sincerity and repentance;
- prayers act quickly enough if the alcoholic sincerely believes in them;
- An addicted person’s worldview changes, he begins to appreciate every moment he lives.
If a man sincerely believes in prayer, then most likely he will soon give up alcohol on his own
Venerable Moses Murin
Audio:
01:36
Oh, the present, you reached the rash of the rainful vodants from the gross sinners, helping you with the slave of Bozhim (names), which are drawn into the prostitute because they will indulge in a non -meal, creepy for the soul and the use of the use of guilty. Bow your merciful gaze on them, do not turn away or despise them, but listen to them as they come running to you. Pray, holy Moses, to the Lord Christ, that He, the Merciful, may not reject them, and may the devil not rejoice at their destruction, but may the Lord have mercy on these powerless and unfortunate ones, who are possessed by the destructive passion of drink. nity, because we are all God’s creatures and redeemed by the Most Pure Blood of His Son . Hear, O Reverend Moses, their prayer, drive away the devil from them, give them the strength to overcome passion, help them, stretch out your hand, lead them to the path of good, free them from the slavery of passions and deliver them from drinking wine so that they, renewed, in With sobriety and a bright mind, they loved abstinence and piety, and eternally glorified the All-Good God, who always saves His creatures. Amen.
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What to do if your husband, son or other loved one becomes a drunkard
Here is what Archpriest Evgeniy Peikov says about this:
“A common mistake is that most people are looking for a quick and painless solution to their problem through some one-time actions that would help an addicted person change, even without his desire. “What prayer service should I serve and what prayer should I read, who should I light a candle for and what monastery should I go to so that he (she) stops drinking?” Everything seems to be correct. And prayers with akathists are performed and candles are lit on them, and whoever drank, as a rule, continues to drink, despite the fact that all the “recommendations” are being followed properly.”
According to the priest, the reasons for this can be divided into two categories. The first stems from a misunderstanding of spiritual life in general. A prayerful request for a loved one is not pleasing to the Lord if it is not combined with sincere humility, repentance for one’s own sins and forgiveness of offenses. On the advice of the priest, every time you light a candle in church, remember the words from the Gospel:
“If you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matt.5:23,24).
And the candle is our bloodless sacrifice to God.....Most women who suffer beatings from their men, their bestial behavior and have spent a lot of money on healers and private charlatans who bring them out of drinking in a short course of sessions, do not come to confession and communion because they think it's unnecessary. They don’t understand how this can help a drunk at all. But there can be no correct spiritual life without communion. After all, Jesus himself said:
“...truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.” (John 6:53)
The second category is indulging the whims of a drunkard or, conversely, putting excessive pressure on him. In the first case, the wife (mother, mother-in-law) herself offers to get drunk, following the principle “it’s better to let him get drunk at home, and not somewhere unknown.” It is impossible to drink “culturally,” that is, little by little, so if the path of sobriety is chosen, then it must be followed to the end.
In another case, the relatives of the drinker are prone to malicious reproaches and accusations, which in no way contributes to the peaceful resolution of the conflict, but only gives rise to another sin in the souls of both - anger. Here, rather, a peaceful and gentle exhortation, spoken as if by chance, about the need for prayers and Holy Communion, will bring more benefit.
And looking at a wife (mother) who regularly attends church and, perhaps, in the evenings with her family tells something from the lives of the saints, a desire may stir in the heart of a dependent person and turn to God himself. If this happens, you must carefully fan the spark of good intention into a fiery desire to overcome your illness.
Truly difficult work awaits a woman, because she needs to separate a person from his illness in her mind. To hate sin and love the sinner, to learn to be calm about his antics, understanding that the reason is not in himself, but in the vodka that dominates his consciousness and enslaves his body and spirit.
It is very difficult to try to understand his feelings and thoughts, because those who do not experience the torment of addiction are inclined to cut off the behavior of a loved one with the approximate phrase: “Eat less, then it won’t be bad.” Even worse is another: “Yes, I don’t know what it’s like for you and I don’t want to know.” But this spiritual path is so difficult because the spouses must do it together.
Archpriest Evgeniy Peikov says that it is important not to succumb to the provocations of an alcoholic: do not give money for drinks, do not buy false work certificates about temporary disability, do not cater to binge drinking. Don't take on the burden of responsibility for his actions, otherwise he will never realize that he is sick and needs help.
“For the sake of true, saving love, one must learn to restrain manifestations of false, destructive “love.”
Cases of the Mother of God helping people to get rid of this passion
The “Inexhaustible Chalice” is one of the images of the Mother of God, before which it is customary to pray for deliverance from drunkenness and drug addiction. Here are a few stories testifying to the intercession of the Mother of God and real miracles.
First miracle
This happened in 1999 to a Moscow resident Oleg. He started drinking while still studying at a technical school, and by the age of 25 he was already drinking heavily. With “absinus”, psychosis and other things. When the painful frenzy passed, the young man was fully aware of his swinish behavior, both at work and at home, and felt the greatest shame for it.
He tried to hold on, but it was not enough for more than a month. Then he turned to the doctors, sewed in a “torpedo”, then “esperal”, but this did not help. According to Oleg himself, he constantly heard “like an enemy of the human race” whispering to him to take a sip from the bottle. The rest can drink on holidays and in pleasant company, and do not become alcoholics - with such thoughts Oleg again fell into the abyss of his destructive passion.
But then one day my wife bought and brought into the house an icon of the “Inexhaustible Chalice” and began reading an akathist in front of it. Oleg himself began to read a little and drink water from this shrine, but there was no faith in his soul. This is how his life went: from ups to sobriety to falls into the darkness of continuous drunkenness. One night, lying in bed, he strongly prayed to the Mother of God, so that the Mother of God would heal his illness and save him from his addiction.
He still doubted in his heart, but despite this, the merciful Mother of God heeded his call. Somehow it happened that Oleg fell away from the circle of drinking companions, and at the same time the temptation decreased. So gradually Oleg completely renounced the bottle, and his life returned to normal.
“Dear brothers and sisters! - he says in the letter. “I am writing this because I see in the story of my sinful life and healing from drunkenness the true help of the Queen of Heaven.”
Second miracle
Another Muscovite Denis is addicted to heroin. I sat on the needle tightly and consumed it in large quantities. When I realized the scale of my personal tragedy, it was already too late - I couldn’t refuse on my own, and specialized centers didn’t help either.
Once, while preparing a dose, the man was shocked: the drug drawn into the syringe simply melted in his hand. He told his mother about this, and the devout woman admitted that she went to the Vysotsky Monastery and prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary in front of the “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon. She also read an akathist for forty days and tearfully prayed to the Heavenly Queen for a miracle. And it was not slow to appear.
Rescue of a drinking son
This conspiracy against drunkenness should be carried out by the mother of the drinking son. This ritual helps a lot and begins to bear fruit the very next day after it is performed. A complete abstinence from alcohol takes from 2 to 4 weeks.
You need water on which the spell is cast, and then this water is added to all drinks or food.
For the ritual you need: a fresh scarf; a vessel filled with water; 2 church candles.
At midnight, candles are lit and water is placed between them. The container is covered with a scarf and we pronounce the words of the drunkenness conspiracy:
“The fire of the candle burns (name)’s craving for alcoholic beverages. Smoke eats away the remnants of desire, wax strengthens the will. I want to help with all my heart, to give some of my strength. Amen".
These words must be repeated 3 times. When reading for the third time, you need to perform certain actions:
- The candles are blown out, at dawn the scarf is folded and taken to the crossroads.
- They go home, but they can’t talk or turn around.
- We give the water for which the prayer was said to the person.
There is also a side effect that is associated with the desire to drink more alcohol in the early days.
