Translation - Editing: Fr. Theodosios Martzouhos

In our time, the term "Euchologia" is known as an anthology and recording of specific prayers, from the "sea" of analogues, which exist in manuscripts for the Mysteries of the Church and the events of the life of Christians. Prayer, which in the past (until the discovery of printing and the consolidation of a specific printed form) was self-evident creativity, after the discovery of printing, now acquires the "rigidity" of repetition! Even errors that crept into the original editions have been repeated for centuries. Much more, gradually, from a misinterpretation of the concept of tradition, all this acquires the consolidation of a naive "divine inspiration" and thus any change is considered unthinkable. Unfortunately, the freedom of the past in formal and functional formulas has not at all helped, in the modern age, to agility in matters of this kind. The conditions have certainly changed today. Now Christians are in danger, due to formalism and repetition, of magically and automatically "seeing" any relationship they have with God; and in the consciousness of contemporaries such books are the... "Solomonism" of the Church! Let's not be scandalized! Just think, how Christians "see" the water of Baptism, with what they "load" the bridegroom and the bride at the wedding, as well as how many... "pious" prejudices tyrannize them! The need for changes and translation, in the Little Eucalypse at hand, arose from the realization that our Christians are waterproof from what is done and what is said! We must finally listen, essentially as well as technically, to the holy Apostle Paul who blows the trumpet: "If the trumpet signifies an unknown command, no one will prepare for war" (I Cor. 14, 8). Of course, the sacraments and the wishes should not be...existed by Christians, but should be...acted! They pray, they must pray, together with the priest, seeking God's mercy. But such a thing is now impossible for the vast majority of believers and unfortunately our Christians are limited to the tragic request - exhortation: "Read me, Father, one wish"! We therefore publish, in colloquial language, a eulogistic collection of the prayers of the Mysteries and the Wishes in circumstances, in order to help Christians as well as priests, in overcoming the initial prayer obstacle which is the incomprehensible language. With references to an explanatory epimeter listed at the end, matters related to the sacrament or wish are explained and interpreted accordingly. We hope and wish that the words of St. John of Climacus will apply: "Do not be sophistical in your prayer, for children, for many simple and isolated words, they healed their Father in heaven." That is to say: "Do not make a show of piety by praying with beautiful words, because many times the words of little children, simple and without beautiful wording, have greatly pleased their Father, who is in Heaven." Let's all hope for everyone.