The words “Lord: have mercy” is the briefest prayer in the Church. The most condensed the most concise one. It says everything. The prayer “Kyrie Eleyson” does miracles.

The book entitled “Apostolic Injunction”, which includes all the oral teachings, traditions and resolutions of the Apostles on Church matters, stresses the fact, that the prayer “Lord: have mercy” has to be uttered by all the little children together. It is well understood that children play a major role in the life of the Church! We are neither Protestants nor Roman Catholics! Are not children members of the Body of Christ, members of the Church? When I was little, during the years 1930-40, mothers used to place in front of the solea (elevatedarea at the eastern-most end of the nave running the length of the iconostasis) all the boys on the right side and all the girls on the left; all of which were characterized by order and stillness. The rest of the people would follow; of course, the women would sit separately from the men.

Thus, the commandment of the Apostolic Injunction as far as the prayer “Lord, have mercy” is concerned, which should also be repeated by children, clearly shows the true spirit of the Orthodox Divine Worship of our Church. It is a spirit of childhood simplicity and purity that additionally shows us how much the atmosphere of worship of the Church Temple, as well as that of Divine Worship, is at a loss in the absence of children.

The Divine Liturgy is not just a simple ceremony, a reception or a concert inside a protestant hall, but a Celebration, a Mystery, a Sacrifice, a Miracle, in which we should all be partakers, all the members, as the mystical Body of Christ.

All the children who are present during the Divine Liturgy along with the people ought to – according to the Apostolic Injunction – say “Lord: have mercy” for “the kingdom of heaven dwells in them”.

In the Celebrant Priest’s petitions, the people, through the children, respond “Lord, have mercy”. We ask for mercy, so that God would show compassion through children. Why? Because we adults cannot tolerate God’s justice, since we are sinful, that is why, through innocent children, we are begging Christ the Savior for mercy and philanthropy. I do not know which western pseudo wave of devoutness after 1948 (approximately) took all our little children away from the Church. And we are now faced with the consequences.

We come back to the Great Litany during which, not to mention during the entire Divine Liturgy, the priest invites the faithful to pray for their numerous and diverse needs. The faithful however ask only for mercy.

- In peace, let us pray to the Lord (the priest)
- Lord: have mercy (the people)
- For the peace from above …, let us pray to the Lord.
- Lord: have mercy.
- For the peace of the whole world …
- Lord: have mercy.
- For this holy house …
- Lord: have mercy.
- For travelers by sea, by land and by air, the sick, the suffering, the captives, for those who travel by air, for those who are vexed with unclean spirits …
- Lord, have mercy.

We make thousands of petitions. The answer is “mercy!” “Mercy!”, “Mercy!” for when we ask for God’s mercy we ask for His Kingdom, which our Lord Jesus Christ promised to give us. Those who ask for His Kingdom are in no need of anything else. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God… and all these things, shall be added to you”.1 All your needs will be met. Therefore, through our actions, and our life, in deed, we should first ask for the Kingdom of God.

God’s mercy is the force of the Divine Kingdom. By having divine mercy we have everything we need for our salvation. The Divine Liturgy leads us towards the Kingdom of God. It is the one and the same “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.

God listens and responds to the prayer “Lord: have mercy” depending on the purity and simplicity of our inner self. Even if you cry out “Lord: have mercy” one thousand times but, you continue to do harm and also remain unrepentant in committing sin, the prayer will never be worth anything.

The prayer «Lord: have mercy» does wonders, when we are pure. Besides, we encounter it many times in the Gospel:

• “Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David”, cried the two blind men, who were “sitting by the road”, and whose eyes “immediately received sight…”

• “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.. .”the ten lepers “which stood afar off… lifted up their voices” and “as they went, they were cleansed”.

• “Lord, have mercy on my son; for he is lunatic and sore vexed” the unfortunate father was beseeching God for his son, and the Lord worked a miracle.2

• In the sea of Tiberias, when “a great tempest arose”, the Disciples were scared with the height of the waves and terrified awoke the Lord, saying: “Lord, save us: we perish”. And the Lord “arose, and rebuked the winds” and the wildness of the sea, and the miracle occurred!

• What was the woman of Canaan crying out after the Lord? What was she beseeching? “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil…” And after the Lord tested her faith in order to set an example to the future generations until this day, He worked a miracle and said: “O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.”

The prayer “Lord: have mercy”, marks the beginning of the theology of the Noetic Prayer of the Heart (The Jesus Prayer).

There was once a soul who told me what had occurred during nightly prayer. She was saying the Jesus Prayer with the prayer rope. “Lord, have mercy on me…”My Jesus, mercy…” She was praying for one, two hours, three, and four… many. Bent sunk into the “area” of her heart.

At one point, in the stillness of the night, and in a condition that cannot be defined by the soul, in front of her, in front of the praying, ecstatic soul, appeared the devil himself! The devil fell on his knees and told her:

-Please…(Imagine the devil pleading!!! The devil which is the fear and terror of us Christians as we are cowards and of little faith… imagine the devil kneeling and pleading!) Please, he told her, do not say that Name, please, don’t! If you do not say that Name (of Christ, that is) the entire world will be yours!
It told her: “If you don’t revere the Name of the Lord, the whole world will be yours. I shall give you all the glory, authority and power you want.” And since it concerned a young individual, he added: “Many lovers will be under your feet, only if you stop saying the Name!”

The prayer «Kyrie, Eleyson» (Lord, have mercy) during the Divine Liturgy indicates three things:

First: that the sacrament is realized not only by the Celebrant Priest but also by the compulsory presence of the people, particularly of the nave, innocent children.

Second: by uttering those two words “Kyrie, Eleyson”, we confess that the more we are in need of goods (heavenly and earthly ones); the more they are given to us by God “free of charge”.
And third: that, in order for us to be saved, we are in need of divine mercy. Without God’s mercy there is no salvation.

The great gap that exists between God and man, who in turn transgresses, is bridged exclusively by divine mercy. Neither our works nor our so-called virtues and fasting, all-night vigils, prayers and prayer ropes as well as our good deeds will save us! They are necessary however they do not save us! There is nothing more that “obliges” the Triune God to save us, for the Son and Word of God to come down from Heaven in order to become man, for Jesus Christ, who is both God and man, to suffer to be crucified, to die, so that He is risen in glory, than His all-holy mercy!

Hence, during the Divine Liturgy the incessant and constant “epiclesis” or invocation that is addressed by the young and old, the briefest petition, the most drastic prayer and the warmest supplication is the prayer “Lord have mercy”. These words express our true and proper stance towards God and towards the entire mystery of our salvation.

During the year 1979 in the Holy Church Temple of Saint Konstantine which is situated in Piraeus, there was a Divine Liturgy commemorating Saint Nectarios. Only one priest with the deacon of the Church Temple was performing the liturgy. In the end they said the dismissal prayer “Through the prayers…” distributed the “Antidoron” and then all the people left. By the time the priest said the dismissal prayers, folded his garments etc, it took him and the deacon a while. Finally they left the Church Temple. A devout Christian, who was known to them, was waiting outside the door in agony.

- What are you doing here, what are you waiting for? The priest asked.

- I am waiting for the Bishop, who was celebrating with you so I can receive his blessing. I want it fervently. Where is he? For he was all glowing! He was sparkling!

The priest was rooted to the spot! But fortunately, at that moment he replied in a versatile way:

- Oh, it’s been a long time since he left from the Sanctuary’s side door! And the woman was constantly making the sign of the cross as she was leaving and saying: “Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! What a Bishop, indeed!”

Let us ask for God’s mercy regardless of moments and time, for ourselves, the ones who are close to us as well as our children, for our relatives and friends, for all the Orthodox Christians. Since only God’s mercy will save us, the others as well as our Country.
«Lord: have mercy. Lord: have mercy. Lord: have mercy».
And don’t forget to ask God to have mercy for me too.

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From : “Experiences during the Divine Liturgy” by Protopresbyter Stephanos K Anagnostpolos

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