A Morning Prayer by the Elders of Optina
Starting the day by committing it to God can transform our perspective and the way we face the many aspects of daily living. The following prayer was developed by the Elders of Optina, a monastery in Russia that has been a center of spiritual growth and renewal for centuries.
O Lord, grant that I may meet all that this coming day brings to me with spiritual tranquility. Grant that I may fully surrender myself to your holy will.
At every hour of this day, direct and support me in all things. Whatsoever news may reach me in the course of the day, teach me to accept it with a calm soul and the firm conviction that all is subject to your holy will.
Direct my thoughts and feelings in all my words and actions. In all unexpected occurrences, do not let me forget that all is sent down from you.
Grant that I may deal straightforwardly and wisely with every member of my family, neither embarrassing nor saddening anyone.
O Lord, grant me the strength to endure the fatigue of the coming day and all the events that take place. Direct my will and teach me to pray, to believe, to hope, to be patient, to forgive, and to love.
Amen.
In the 19th century, the Optina monastery was the most important spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was particularly renowned for the spirituality of its elders, or startsy. These men were instrumental in the spiritual renewal of the Orthodox Church through their spiritual wisdom, holiness, and spiritual gifts. Notable authors such as Fyodor Dostoevsky, Nikolai Gogol, Ivan Turgenev, and Leo Tolstoy visited the monastery. It is said that Starets Ambrose was used as a prototype for Father Zosima in Dostoevsky’s classic novel, The Brothers Karamazov. Although the startsy were forcibly deported and the monastery closed down after the Russian Revolution, in 1987 it was one of the first monasteries returned to the Orthodox Church. In the 1990s the most notable elders were glorified as saints.