KONTAKION
I
O champion Leader and Lord, Thou joy
and gladness of Thy
servants! Wherever Thou art, all
grief is set at nought; wherever
Thou art not, all joy is in vain.
Look down upon me, a sinner
who am perishing in this misfortune,
and with the revelation of
Thy salvation visit me who cry out:
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy,
grant that I
may rejoice in Thy mercy!
IKOS I
O Creator of the angels and Lord of
hosts, for the sake of the
salvation of fallen man Thou didst
not disdain the Virgin's
womb; and afterwards, O Word of God,
didst endure spitting,
mockery and a disgraceful death, in
that Thou art good and the
Lover of mankind. Mindful of this, I
dare to approach Thee and
to pray with tears:
O Lord, my Lord, my merciful Savior,
save me who am
perishing;
O Lord, my Lord, Who camest not to
save the righteous, but
sinners, deliver me from this
temptation!
O Lord, my Lord, Who acceptest our
infirmities and bearest
our afflictions, send down Thy peace
upon my troubled
soul;
O Lord, my Lord, Who by Thy death
hast abolished death,
set at nought the wiles of the devil
which are against me!
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy, grant that I may rejoice in Thy
mercy!
KONTAKION
II
Seeing the many manifestations of
Thy love for mankind shown
forth upon sinners before me, I also
dare to lift up mine eyes to
Thee Who dwellest in heaven. Have
mercy upon me, O Lord,
for I am weak. Deliver me from this
bitter grief and account me
worthy of chanting to Thee with joy
and gladness: Alleluia!
IKOS II
Thou didst create me a rational
creature, O my Creator, but
wretch that I am, I have allowed
myself to become like unto
irrational beasts and have likened
myself to them, and have
angered Thy goodness, O Savior.
Wherefore, Thou hast justly
afflicted me with this sorrow. This
I acknowledge, and repenting
I flee to Thee, praying thus:
O Lord, my Lord, Who preserved me in
my youth, protect
me from the enemies which assail me;
O Lord, my Lord, strengthening of my
body in old age,
strengthen me who am ailing in soul
and body!
O Lord, my Lord, consolation of my
soul, console me who
am troubled;
O Lord, my Lord, my Guide, direct me
to the path of
salvation!
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy, grant that I may rejoice in Thy
mercy!
KONTAKION
III
O Lord Who art mighty in battle,
come to the aid of mine
afflicted soul, and be Thou my
helper against enemies visible
and invisible, for my father and my
mother have forsaken me,
and my friends and neighbors have
stood far away from me. But
be Thou, O Father of orphans and
Judge of widows, the helper
of me who am helpless but who chant
to Thee: Alleluia!
IKOS III
O Thou Who hast heaven for Thy
throne and earth for Thy
footstool, O Dread One Who takest
away the spirit of princes,
reject me not who am dust and ashes,
yet who dares say to Thee
Who art everywhere present and
knowest all things:
O Lord, my Lord, lift up Thy might
and come to save me
from the hands of the mighty who
oppress me;
O Lord, my Lord, Whom all fear and
before Whom all
tremble, take pity on me, for the
darkness of death hath
covered me because of my sins!
O Lord, my Lord, Who clothest
Thyself with light as with a
garment, enlighten me who am
benighted by the griefs of
life;
O Lord, my Lord, Who stretchest out
the heavens as a tent,
extend to me the shelter of Thy
help!
O Lord, my Lord, grant Thy peace to
my lowly soul;
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy, grant that I may rejoice in Thy
mercy!
KONTAKION
IV
Drowning in the tempest of this most
turbulent life, I stretch out
my hand to Thee, O Word of God. As
Thou didst save drowning
Peter, so also stretch forth to me
Thy mighty hand, and deliver
me from this misfortune, that with
joy and thankful heart I may
cry to Thee: Alleluia!
IKOS IV
O Lord, I have heard Thy most sweet
voice, for Thou didst say
Call upon me in the day of thy
tribulation, and I will rescue thee,
and thou shalt glorify Me. And from
the depths of my despair, I
dare to approach Thee with boldness,
saying:
O Lord, my Lord, I have sinned
against heaven and before
Thee; accept me as Thou didst accept
the prodigal son;
O Lord, my Lord, Who didst justify
the publican rather than
the pharisee, enter not into
judgment with Thy servant,
for there is none living who is
justified before Thee!
O Lord, my Lord, Instructor of
wisdom, instruct me Thy
servant;
O Lord, my Lord, Bestower of
understanding, grant me
understanding, that I may be able to
escape the cunning
wiles and wicked treachery of them
that hate me!
O Lord, my Lord, Who lookest down
upon the humble,
behold also my tribulation and my
difficulty, and reveal
Thy mercy to me;
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy, grant that I may rejoice in Thy mercy!
KONTAKION
V
Through the divinely flowing blood
of Thy beloved Son Jesus
Christ have we been reconciled to
Thee, O heavenly Father; yet,
lo! I have returned again to sin,
like a dog to its vomit, for which
cause Thou art justly chastising me
with this grievous
misfortune. But hearken unto me, O
Lord my God, on this day
of my grief; show forth Thy mercy
and salvation upon me, and
grant me ever to cry out to Thee
amid chastisement: Alleluia!
IKOS V
The prophet David, seeing the
prophet Nathan denouncing him
for what he had done, came to his
senses and confessed his sin,
and said: I have sinned before the
Lord, and the Lord hearkened
unto me, and took away mine
offenses. But wretch that I am, I
have sinned more than he, and have
in no-wise acquired the fruit
of repentance. Wherefore, these evil
things have come upon me.
But be merciful unto me who pray
thus:
O Lord, my Lord, strengthen me with
power from on high,
that I may not fall under the weight
of this tribulation;
O Lord, my Lord, Who mercifully
regarded the tears of
Hezekiah, look with the eye of Thy
kindness also upon
the shedding of my tears before
Thee!
O Lord, my Lord, Who hearkened unto
the sighs of
Mannasseh, hearken unto the sighing
of my heart;
O Lord, my Lord, Who dwellest in the
highest and lookest
down upon the lowly, look upon me a
sinner!
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy, grant that I may rejoice in Thy
mercy!
KONTAKION
VI
Thy Forerunner, the preacher of
repentance, O Word of God,
crieth repeatedly to my conscience,
that I repent of my evil
deeds. But, wretch that I am, I have
paid him no heed.
Wherefore, Thy righteous wrath hath
overtaken me, for
misfortunes and sorrows have
befallen me, a sinner. But before
Thou visitest me, O Lord God my
Savior, grant me time, that I
may lament my evil deeds and cry out
to Thee: Alleluia!
IKOS VI
O my Savior, amid my sorrow Thy
comforting words have
shone forth, which Thou didst utter,
saying: Forgive, and it shall
be forgiven you. And straightway
escaping the snares of despair,
with trust in Thy love for mankind I
have fled to Thee, praying:
O Lord, my Lord, my consolation,
comfort me who am
grieved;
O Lord, my Lord, my helper, help me
against them that rise
up against me!
O Lord, my Lord, mine aid, help me
for my soul hath grown
weak because of this sorrow;
O Lord, my Lord, pre-eternal memory,
grant that I may ever
have Thy benefactions in mind and
may never despair of
Thy mercy!
O Lord, my Lord, my strength,
strengthen me that without
temerity I may ask help of Thee;
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy, grant that I may rejoice in Thy
mercy!
KONTAKION
VII
The infamous King Nebuchadnezzar,
desiring to destroy the
three children, once commanded that
they be cast into the fiery
furnace. But Thou, O heavenly
Father, didst send Thine Angel,
that He might cool the burning
flame. And do Thou now also, O
Lord, send consolation to Thy
servant, and save me for the sake
of Thy mercy. For even though I have
sinned, yet have I not
departed from Thee, and I worship
Thee, the one true God,
chanting: Alleluia!
IKOS VII
Wondrously wast Thou glorified
before Pharaoh and all his host,
O God of Israel, for Thou didst not
disdain the misery of Thy
people, but hearkened to their cry.
Wherefore, hearken also to
my supplication and save me who cry
to Thee thus:
O Lord, my Lord, Who delivered Thy
people out of the
hands of their enemies, rescue me
also from the hands of
them that hate me;
O Lord, my Lord, Who led Thy chosen
ones out of the land
of Egypt, lead my soul out of this
sorrow!
O Lord, my Lord, Who bringest
warfare to nought, bring to
nought the assaults of them that
devise evils against me;
O Lord, my Lord, Who drowned
Pharaoh's chosen riders in
the Red Sea, drown the multitude of
my misdeeds in the
sea of Thy lovingkindness!
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy, grant that I may rejoice in Thy
mercy!
KONTAKION
VIII
I have made myself a stranger to Thy
mercy, O heavenly Father;
by mine evil deeds I have estranged
myself from Thee and have
enslaved myself to this vain world.
Wherefore, I am aflame with
grievous sorrow, I am drowning in
the profound depths of
despair. But as Thou art merciful
and the Lover of mankind,
accept me, who am perishing, and
from this tribulation save me
who cry out to Thee: Alleluia!
IKOS
VIII
Wholly polluted with the impurity of
sin, plunged in the depths
of evil, I lift up mine eyes unto
Thee Who dwellest in heaven.
Hearken unto my cry of lamentation:
O Lord, my Lord, Who hast illumined
the day with the light
of the sun, illumine my soul which
hath been benighted
with the darkness of the vanities of
this world;
O Lord, my Lord, All-good Comforter,
fill my sinful soul
with divine consolation!
O Lord, my Lord, by Whose word the
heavens have been
established, confirm me in the
confession of Thy holy
name;
O Lord, my Lord, Who art upborne
upon the cherubim and
art hymned by the seraphim, accept
from me, a sinner,
this entreaty which I offer unto
Thee!
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy, grant that I may rejoice in Thy
mercy!
KONTAKION
IX
O source of all mercy and Bestower
of understanding, O Allgood
Comforter, teach me to say worthy
things in Thy presence,
and with Thy divine consolation fill
Thou my soul, which hath
been darkened by the passions, and
my mind, which is troubled
by the grief of this world, that
with gladness I may chant unto
Thee: Alleluia!
IKOS IX
The most eloquent of orators cannot
recount the extent of Thy
goodness and Thy love for mankind, O
Son of God; for Thou
didst humble Thyself even to take on
the guise of a servant.
Wherefore, do not reject even me who
have committed sins
without number, yet who stand before
Thee with fear and pray
thus:
O Lord, my Lord, good Shepherd Who
layest down Thy life
for Thy sheep, deliver me, Thy lost
sheep, from the jaws
of the soul-destroying wolf which
raveneth to devour
me;
O Lord, my Lord, Who for our sake
wast mocked, slain and
nailed to the Cross, keep me from
the mockery of mine,
enemies, visible and invisible, for
the sake of Thy
sufferings!
O Lord, my Lord, Thou sinless One
Who wast numbered
among transgressors, rescue me from
the hands of them
that hate me;
O Lord, my Lord, by Whose stripes
all are healed, heal my
heart which hath been afflicted with
bitterness!
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy, grant that I may rejoice in Thy
mercy!
KONTAKION
X
Wishing to save Israel Thy chosen
from the oppression of
Egypt, Thou didst call Moses Thy
servant from the burning
bush, and didst say to him: I have
seen the affliction of my
people in Egypt, and have hearkened
to their cry. Wherefore
look now upon mine affliction, O
Lord, and heal the pangs of
my heart, that I may cry to Thee in
thanksgiving: Alleluia!
IKOS X
O heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit
of truth, show forth Thy
lovingkindness upon me, Thy servant,
and visit my soul which is
plunged in grief and strengthen me
who pray to Thee:
O Lord, my Lord, Who taughtest Thine
apostles to speak in
different tongues, teach me the fear
of Thee;
O Lord, my Lord, Who filled the
martyrs with boldness
when they stood before the
tribunals, grant me boldly to
stand against sin, the world and the
devil!
O Lord, my Lord, holy Sanctifier of
Thy faithful, hallow my
soul, that it may be worthy to be
called Thy habitation;
O Lord, my Lord, Light and Bestower
of light, illumine me
who am benighted in the darkness of
sorrow!
O Lord, my Lord, Treasury of good
things, do not deprive
me of the gifts of Thy goodness!
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy, grant that I may rejoice in Thy
mercy!
KONTAKION
XI
O All-good Master, do not disdain
one who offereth most
compunctionate hymnody unto Thee,
and prayeth to Thee with
contrite heart. Rather, turn Thy
face away from my sins, but do
not avert Thy countenance from Thy
servant, for I am afflicted.
Quickly hearken unto me who chant
unto Thee: Alleluia!
IKOS XI
O Christ God, true Light, illumine
with the light of Thy grace
my soul which hath been benighted by
the passions, that with
reverence I may pray to Thee,
saying:
O Lord, my Lord, do not destroy me,
wretch that I am, who
am bereft of correction of life, yet
dare to stand before
Thee;
O Lord, my Lord, Fervor which createst
life, warm me who
am withering away amid this sorrow!
O Lord, my Lord, Splendor of the
glory of the Father, shine
the light of Thine aid upon me;
O Lord, my Lord, Who makest Thine
angels spirits and Thy
minsters a flame of fire, send Thine
angel to keep me
from all evil!
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy, grant that I may rejoice in Thy
mercy!
KONTAKION
XII
For the sake of Thy love for the
human race, O heavenly Father,
Thou didst send Thine only begotten
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who appeared on earth and dwelt
among men; and afterwards,
though He is sinless, He was
numbered among transgressors and
by His blood renewed our nature
which had become corrupted
by sin, and He taught the whole
world to chant: Alleluia!
IKOS XII
Hymning Thine ineffable love for mankind,
O Christ God, in
that for our salvation Thou didst
will to endure the Cross and
death, I confess also Thy just
judgment, for in truth and justice
Thou hast brought this sorrow upon
me for the sake of my sins.
But, O Thou Who camest not to call
the righteous, but sinners to
repentance, hearken unto me, who
have sinned more than the
most sinful of men, for I pray to
Thee thus:
O Lord, my Lord, Lamb of God Who
takest away the sins of
the world, take from me the heavy
burden of my sins;
O Lord, my Lord, Who like a lamb led
to the slaughter
opened not Thy mouth, teach me to
endure the evils
which befall me without murmuring!
O Lord, my Lord, Who rent asunder
the handwriting of
Adam, rend asunder the handwriting
of my countless
sins;
O Lord, my Lord, Who accepted the
repentance of the thief,
accept also the repentance of me a
sinner!
O Lord, my Lord, Who raised up the
dead, resurrect my soul
which hath been mortified by sins;
O Lord, my Lord, upraising of the
fallen, raise me up who
have also fallen!
O Lord, my Lord, grant that I may
rejoice in Thy mercy!
KONTAKION
XIII
O most loving and all-good Lord my
God, Helper of the
oppressed and hope of the hopeless:
look Thou with the eye of
Thy compassion upon mine affliction
and sorrow, and for the
sake of Thy mercy, save me who chant
to Thee: Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
O most loving and all-good Lord my
God, Helper of the
oppressed and hope of the hopeless:
look Thou with the eye of
Thy compassion upon mine affliction
and sorrow, and for the
sake of Thy mercy, save me who chant
to Thee: Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
O most loving and all-good Lord my
God, Helper of the
oppressed and hope of the hopeless:
look Thou with the eye of
Thy compassion upon mine affliction
and sorrow, and for the
sake of Thy mercy, save me who chant
to Thee: Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
IKOS I
O Creator of the angels and Lord of
hosts, for the sake of the
salvation of fallen man Thou didst
not disdain the Virgin's
womb; and afterwards, O Word of God,
didst endure spitting,
mockery and a disgraceful death, in
that Thou art good and the
Lover of mankind. Mindful of this, I
dare to approach Thee and
to pray with tears:
O Lord, my Lord, my merciful Savior,
save me who am
perishing;
O Lord, my Lord, Who camest not to
save the righteous, but
sinners, deliver me from this
temptation!
O Lord, my Lord, Who acceptest our
infirmities and bearest
our afflictions, send down Thy peace
upon my troubled
soul;
O Lord, my Lord, Who by Thy death
hast abolished death,
set at nought the wiles of the devil
which are against me!
O Lord, my
Lord, my joy, grant that I may rejoice in Thy
mercy!
KONTAKION
I
O champion Leader and Lord, Thou joy
and gladness of Thy
servants! Wherever Thou art, all
grief is set at nought; wherever
Thou art not, all joy is in vain.
Look down upon me, a sinner
who am perishing in this misfortune,
and with the revelation of
Thy salvation visit me who cry out:
O Lord, my Lord, my joy,
grant that I may rejoice in Thy mercy!
PRAYERS
I
Save me, O Lord, for I am perishing!
Behold, my ship is
endangered by the battering of the
waves of life and is nigh unto
sinking! But as Thou art full of
loving kindness and sympathetic
to our weakness, do Thou with Thine
almighty authority rebuke
the turbulence of tribulations which
threaten to inundate me and
drag me down into the depths of
evil. And let there be calm, for
even the winds and the sea are
obedient to Thee. Amen.
II
Save me, O my Savior, according to
Thy mercy, not according
to my deeds. It is Thy wish that I
be saved. Thou knowest how
to accomplish my salvation.
Wherefore, save me as Thou
desirest, as Thou canst, as Thou
knowest. Save me by the
judgements which Thou knowest. I
trust in Thee, my Lord, and
entrust myself to Thy holy will.
Deal with me as Thou wishest:
if Thou desirest to have me in
light, be Thou blessed; if Thou
desirest to have me in darkness, be
Thou likewise blessed. If
Thou openest unto me the portals of
Thy lovingkindness, be
Thou blessed, O Lord, Who hast
opened unto me in accordance
with Thy righteousness. If Thou
destroyest me not with mine
iniquities, glory to Thy righteous
judgment. Deal with me as
Thou wishest. Amen.
