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Daily Prayers for Orthodox Christians
The Akathist Kanon to the Theotokos
On most evenings at Small Compline, we read the following after the
Creed.
Apolitikion, Tone Plagal 4
Having
secretly received the command, the Archangel hastened to Joseph’s abode
and spoke to the holy Virgin. He who bowed the heavens and came down is
contained wholly and unchanged in you. When I behold Him in your womb
taking the likeness of a servant, I stand and cry out to you: Rejoice O
Bride unwedded.
Kontakion, Tone Plagal 4
To
you, the champion Commander, I your city inscribe victorious anthems of
thanksgiving, for deliverance from sufferings, O Theotokos. Inasmuch as
you have power unassailable, from all manner of dangers set me free, that
I cry out to you: Rejoice O bride unwedded!
First Stanza
I
An
angel and the chief among them, was sent from heaven to cry: “Rejoice!” to
the Mother of God. And beholding You O Lord, taking bodily form, he stood
marveling, and with his bodiless voice cried aloud to her saying:
Rejoice, O you through whom joy shall shine forth; rejoice, O you
through whom the curse shall be blotted out.
Rejoice, O restoration of the fallen Adam; rejoice, O redemption
of the tears of Eve.
Rejoice, O height, hard to climb, for human minds; rejoice, O
depth, hard to explore, even for the eyes of angels.
Rejoice, O you that are the throne of a King; rejoice, O you that
sustains the Sustainer of all.
Rejoice, O star that caused the Sun to appear; rejoice, O womb of
the divine incarnating.
Rejoice, O you through whom the Creator is renewed; rejoice, O you
through whom the Creator becomes a babe.
Rejoice, O bride unwedded.
Boldly
and without fear the holy maiden spoke to Gabriel, knowing her own
chastity: “To my soul your strange message is hard to believe; how do you
speak of a virgin and stainless conception? crying aloud: Alleluia.
II
Craving
to know unknown knowledge, the pure maiden cried to him who ministered to
her: “From a virgin body how is it possible for a Son to be born? Tell
me.” Then he spoke to her in fear, crying aloud thus:
Rejoice, O initiate of the ineffable counsel; rejoice, O surety of
those who beseech you in silence.
Rejoice, O beginner of the miracles of Christ; rejoice, O
completer of His ordinances.
Rejoice, O heavenly ladder by which God came down; rejoice, O
bridge leading from earth to heaven.
Rejoice, O great marvel and wonder of angels; rejoice, O great
cause of wailing in demons.
Rejoice, O you who ineffably gave birth to the Light; rejoice, O
you who withheld the divine secret from all.
Rejoice, O you who oversoars the knowledge of the wise; rejoice, O
you who gives light to the understanding of the faithful.
Rejoice, O bride unwedded.
Divine
power for her conceiving then overshadowed her who knew not wedlock, and
showed her fruitful womb as a fertile field to all those who desire to
reap their salvation, as they sing: Alleluia.
III
Enshrining
God in her womb, the virgin hastened to Elizabeth, whose unborn babe at
once recognized the salutation of the Mother of God, and rejoiced and as
it were leapt and sung and cried to her:
Rejoice, O branch of unfading growth; rejoice, O wealth of
unmingled fruit.
Rejoice, O you who labors for Him, whose labor is love; rejoice, O
you who tends Him who tends our life.
Rejoice, O corn land growing fertility of mercies; rejoice, O
table sustaining abundance of oblations.
Rejoice, O you who receives the green fields of joy; rejoice, O
you who prepares a haven for souls.
Rejoice, O acceptable incense of intercession; rejoice, O oblation
for all the world.
Rejoice, O favor of God to mortals; rejoice, O access of mortals
to God.
Rejoice, O bride unwedded.
Floods
of doubtful thoughts troubled the wise Joseph within, when he saw you, O
blameless and unwedded maiden, and he feared for you; but when he learned
of your conception through the Holy Spirit, he cried: Alleluia.
Second Stanza
I
Gloriously
the angels hymned the incarnate presence of Christ, and the shepherds
heard; and hastening as to a Shepherd, they beheld Him as a Lamb without
spot, reposing on Mary’s breast, and her they hymned and they said:
Rejoice, O Mother of the Lamb and of Shepherd; rejoice, O fold for
the sheep of His pasture.
Rejoice, O bulwark from invisible foes; rejoice, O opener of the
gates of paradise.
Rejoice, for the things of heaven rejoice with the earth; rejoice,
for the things of earth join chorus with the heavens.
Rejoice, O never-silent voice of the apostles; rejoice, O
never-conquered courage of the champions.
Rejoice, O firm support of faith; rejoice, O shining token of
grace.
Rejoice, O you through whom Hades was laid bare; rejoice, O you
through whom we are clothed with glory.
Rejoice, O bride unwedded.
High
in the heavens the Magi beheld the Godward-pointing star, and they
followed its rays and kept it as a beacon before them; through it they
sought a mighty King, and as they approached the Unapproachable they
rejoiced and cried out to Him: Alleluia.
II
In
the virgin’s hand the sons of the Chaldees saw Him Who with His hand
had made man; and knowing Him as Master, though He had taken the form
of a servant, they hastened with gifts to do homage, and cried to her
who is blessed:
Rejoice, O Mother of the Star that never sets; rejoice, O dawn of
the mystic Day.
Rejoice, O you who quenches the furnace of error; rejoice, O you
who enlightens those who know the Trinity.
Rejoice, O you who casts out the inhuman tyrant of old; rejoice, O
you who shows forth the Lord, the merciful Christ.
Rejoice, O you who redeems from the creeds of barbarism; rejoice,
O you who releases from the morass of evil deeds.
Rejoice, O you who made the worship of fire to cease; rejoice, O
you who made the flame of suffering to be allayed.
Rejoice, O guide of the wisdom of the faithful; rejoice, O joy of
all generations.
Rejoice, O bride unwedded.
King’s
messengers, the wise men became, when they returned to Babylon; they
fulfilled Your prophecy and to all preached You as the Christ, and they
left Herod as a trifler who knew not how to cry: Alleluia.
III
Lighting
in Egypt the lamp of truth, you, O Savior, did cast out of the darkness of
falsehood, and their idols endured not your strength but fell; and those
among them who were saved cried to the Mother of God:
Rejoice, O uplifting of men; rejoice, O downfall of demons.
Rejoice, O you who tramples upon the wanderings of error; rejoice,
O you who refutes the lies of idols.
Rejoice, O sea which drowned Pharaoh and his schemes; rejoice, O
rock which refreshed those thirsty for life.
Rejoice, O fiery pillar, leading those in darkness; rejoice, O
shelter of the world, broader than a cloud.
Rejoice, O sustenance in succession to manna; rejoice, O messenger
of holy joy.
Rejoice, O land of promise; rejoice, O you from which flows honey
and milk.
Rejoice, O bride unwedded.
Marveling
at your ineffable wisdom when you were presented to him as a new-born
Babe, Simeon, who was nearing his time of departure from this age of
error, recognized You as perfect God and he cried: Alleluia.
Third Stanza
I
New
was the creation which the Creator showed to us His creatures, when He
appeared born from the womb of a virgin; and she was guarded, as she
was, in perfect purity; so that when we see this marvel, we may praise
her and sing:
Rejoice, O flower of incorruption; rejoice, O
crown of chastity.
Rejoice, O you who flashes forth the Type of
the resurrection; rejoice, O you who shows clearly the life of the
angels.
Rejoice, O plant of goodly fruit by which the
faithful are nourished; rejoice, O tree of leafy branches by which
many are sheltered.
Rejoice, O you who bears the Guide of
wanderers; rejoice, O you who engenders the Redeemer of captives.
Rejoice, O pleader before the righteous Judge;
rejoice, O forgiveness for many transgressors.
Rejoice, O robe of boldness for the naked;
rejoice, O tenderness vanquishing all desire
Rejoice, O bride unwedded.
Our
minds are transported to heaven when we behold this strange birth
giving, so let us now be estranged from the world; it was for this
that the most-high God appeared on earth as mortal man, and that He
might raise on high those who sing to Him: Alleluia.
II
Present
in all our completeness with those below, was the uncircumscribed
Word, yet in no way absent from those above; for this was a divine
descent and not a mere change of place; and His birth was from a
virgin, and in her inspiration she heard words like these:
Rejoice, O space for the uncontained God; rejoice, O door of
solemn mystery.
Rejoice, O doubtful rumor of the faithless; rejoice, O undoubting
boast of the faithful.
Rejoice, O all-holy chariot of Him Who rides upon the Cherubim;
rejoice, O all-glorious chair of Him Who sits upon the Seraphim.
Rejoice, O you who makes things that differ to agree; rejoice, O
you who yokes together virginity and motherhood.
Rejoice, O you by whom transgression is annulled; rejoice, O you
by whom paradise is opened.
Rejoice, O key of the Kingdom of Christ; rejoice, O hope of
eternal blessedness.
Rejoice, O bride unwedded.
Quickly
understanding your great deed of Incarnation, the hosts of angels were
amazed; for they saw the inaccessible God accessible to all as a Man,
dwelling among us and hearing from all: Alleluia.
III
Rhetoric’s
many followers were mute as fish when they saw you, O Mother of God;
for they dared not ask: How can you bear a Child, and yet remain a
virgin? But we marvel at this mystery, and with faith cry:
Rejoice, O vessel of the wisdom of God; rejoice, O treasury of His
foreknowledge.
Rejoice, O you who shows philosophers fools; rejoice, O you that
proves logicians illogical.
Rejoice, for the subtle disputants are confounded; rejoice, for
the writers of myths are withered.
Rejoice, O you who did break the webs of the Athenians; rejoice, O
you who did fill the nets of the fishermen.
Rejoice, O you who draws us from the depths of ignorance; rejoice,
O you who enlightens many with knowledge.
Rejoice, O raft for those who desire to be saved; rejoice, O haven
for those who swim on the waves of the world.
Rejoice, O bride unwedded.
Salvation
it was that the Architect of all desired to bring to the world, and
for this, by His own will, He came; and though as God He is Shepherd,
for us he appeared to us as a Man, and called the same by the same,
still as God He hears: Alleluia.
Fourth Stanza
I
To
virgins and to all who flee to you, O virgin Mother of God, you are as
a city wall; for the Maker of heaven and earth prepared you, O pure
maiden, and dwelt in your womb, and taught all to call upon you:
Rejoice, O pillar of virginity; rejoice, O gate of salvation.
Rejoice, O beginning of rational restoration; rejoice, O leader of
divine righteousness.
Rejoice, for you did regenerate our fallen race; rejoice, for you
did remind those who were mindless.
Rejoice, O you who did bring to nought the corruption of hearts;
rejoice, O you who did give birth to the Sower of chastity.
Rejoice, O bridal chamber of a virgin marriage; rejoice, O you who
joins the faithful to the Lord.
Rejoice, O fair nursing-mother of virgins; rejoice, O bridal
escort of holy souls.
Rejoice, O bride unwedded.
Unworthy
is every hymn that would encompass the multitude of Your many mercies;
for if we should offer to You, O holy King, hymns of praise numberless
as the sands, we should still have done nothing to compare to what You
have given to us who sing to You: Alleluia.
II
Verily
we behold the holy virgin as a shining beacon light appearing to those
in darkness: for she kindles the supernal Light and leads all to
divine knowledge; she illumines our minds with radiance and is honored
by these our chants:
Rejoice, O ray of the living Sun; rejoice, O flash of fadeless
luster.
Rejoice, O lightning, shining upon our souls;
rejoice, O you, who as thunder, strikes down the enemy.
Rejoice, for you did cause the many-starred
Light to dawn; rejoice, for you did cause the ever-flowing River
to gush forth.
Rejoice, O you who did from life trace the
image of the font; rejoice, O you who did take away the stain of
sin.
Rejoice, O laver purifying conscience;
rejoice, O wine bowl for the mingling of joy.
Rejoice, O sweet-scented fragrance of Christ;
rejoice, O life of mystic festival.
Rejoice, O bride unwedded.
When
He, Who forgives the ancient debts of all men, would grant grace, of
His own will He came to dwell among those who had departed from His
favor; and when He had rent asunder the handwriting against them, He
hears from all: Alleluia.
III
Yet
while we sing to Him Whom you did bear, we all praise you, O Mother of
God, as a living temple; for the Lord, Who holds all things in His
hand, dwelt in your womb, and He hallowed and glorified you, and
taught all to cry to you:
Rejoice, O tabernacle of God and of the Word; rejoice, O holiest
of holy saints.
Rejoice, O ark made golden by the Spirit;
rejoice, O inexhaustible treasury of life.
Rejoice, O precious diadem of godly kings;
rejoice, O venerable boast of faithful priests.
Rejoice, O immovable tower of the Church;
rejoice, O impregnable bulwark of the Kingdom.
Rejoice, O you through whom trophies are set
up; rejoice, O you through whom our enemies are cast down.
Rejoice, O healing of my flesh; rejoice, O
salvation of my soul.
Rejoice, O bride unwedded.
Zealously we praise you, O Mother, who did bear Him Who was the most-holy Word of all the saints; and when you receive this our offering, deliver us all from every ill, and redeem from future woe those who cry to you: Alleluia.
And again the Kontakion, Tone Plagal 4
To you, the champion Commander, I your city inscribe victorious anthems of thanksgiving, for deliverance from sufferings, Theotokos. Inasmuch as you have power unassailable, from all manner of dangers set me free, that I cry out to you: Rejoice O bride unwedded!
End of the Akathist.
Then, return to Small Compline, “It is truly proper ...,” (click here)
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