Prayers for the Healing of Alcoholics

1st Prayer, to St. Boniface the Merciful

O All-Holy Boniface, merciful servant of the Merciful Master! Hear those who flee to thee, afflicted by the destructive addiction to wine-drinking, and as in thy earthly life thou never refused help to those who asked thee, so now deliver these unfortunate ones [names].

Once, O divinely-wise father, hail struck thy vineyard, yet thou, giving thanks to God, commanded that the few remaining clusters be placed in the winepress and the poor be summoned. Then, taking the new wine, thou didst pour it drop by drop into all the vessels that were in the diocese, and God, who fulfills the prayer of the merciful, wrought a most glorious miracle: the wine in the press increased, and the poor filled their vessels.

O hierarch of God! As by thy prayer the wine was multiplied for the needs of the Church and for the benefit of the poor and destitute, so now, O blessed one, diminish it where it brings harm, and deliver those who surrender to the shameful passion of wine-drinking [names] from their attachment to it. Heal them from this grievous affliction, free them from demonic temptation, strengthen the weak, grant them, who are feeble, fortitude and strength to endure this trial successfully. Restore them to a healthy and sober life, direct them to the path of labor, instill in them the desire for sobriety and spiritual vigilance.

Help them, O servant of God, Boniface, when the thirst for wine burns their throat; destroy their destructive desire, refresh their lips with heavenly coolness, enlighten their eyes, set their feet upon the rock of faith and hope, that, having forsaken their passionate attachment, which leads to estrangement from the Heavenly Kingdom, they may be established in piety, be granted an unashamed and peaceful end, and in the eternal light of the endless Kingdom of Glory, worthily glorify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, with His Beginningless Father and the Most Holy, All-Good, and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

 

2nd Prayer, to Venerable Moses the Black

O great power of repentance! O immeasurable depth of God's mercy! Thou, venerable Moses, wast once a robber, but then thou wast horrified at thy sins, grieved over them, and in repentance camest to the monastery, where in great lamentation over thine iniquities and in arduous struggles thou didst spend thy days until thy repose and wast found worthy of Christ’s grace of forgiveness and the gift of working wonders.

O venerable one, thou didst ascend from grievous sins to wondrous virtues; help also the servants [names] who pray to thee, who are being led to destruction because they surrender themselves to immoderate and harmful consumption of wine, which is ruinous to soul and body. Turn thy merciful gaze upon them, neither reject nor despise them, but hear them who flee unto thee.

Pray, O Saint Moses, unto Christ the Master, that He may not reject them, the Merciful One, and that the devil may not rejoice over their destruction, but that the Lord may have mercy on these weak and unfortunate ones [names], who have been overcome by the destructive passion of drunkenness. For we are all God's creation and have been redeemed by the Most Pure Blood of His Son.

Hear then, O venerable Moses, their prayer, drive away the devil from them, grant them strength to overcome their passion, help them, stretch forth thy hand, lead them onto the path of righteousness, free them from the bondage of passions, and deliver them from wine-drinking, that they, renewed in sobriety and with an enlightened mind, may love temperance and piety and forever glorify the All-Good God, who ever saves His creation. Amen.

 

Russian source: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Feofan_Adamenko/trebnik-na-russkom-jazyke/57