Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos for Her Icon “Assuage My Sorrows”
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who art everywhere present and fillest all things with Thy grace, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, deliver us and release us from our sins; O Master, pardon our iniquities; O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O come, let us worship God our King. O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and God. O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of thy compassions blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of mine iniquity; and my sin is continually before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done evil before thee: that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. For, behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother conceive me. For, behold, thou lovest truth: thou hast manifested to me the secret and hidden things of thy wisdom. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be purified: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Thou shalt cause me to hear gladness and joy: the afflicted bones shall rejoice. Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in my inward parts. Cast me not away from thy presence; and remove not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation: establish me with thy directing Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and ungodly men shall turn to thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation: and my tongue shall joyfully declare thy righteousness. O Lord, thou shalt open my lips; and my mouth shall declare thy praise. For if thou desiredst sacrifice, I would have given it: thou wilt not take pleasure in whole-burnt-offerings. Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit: a broken and humbled heart God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, to Sion in thy good pleasure; and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then shalt thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, offering, and whole-burnt-sacrifices: then shall they offer calves upon thine altar.
Assuage the sicknesses of my much-sinning soul, O thou who hast wiped away every sorrow from the face of the earth, who drivest away the sicknesses of men and dispellest the grief of sinners; for thou art the strength and hope of all the heavy laden, O all-holy Mother and Virgin.
An invincible and wondrous deliverance hath been granted us – thy precious icon, O Queen Theotokos, most blessed one; for, delivered from evil circumstances and gazing upon it, we thy servants sing to thee in thanksgiving, O Mother of God: as thou hast invincible might, deliver us from all afflictions, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
The multitudes of angels and all the heavenly hosts magnify thee, the Queen, the Theotokos of all; for thou hast filled our souls with joy by the merciful appearing of thine icon, O God-chosen Queen and Virgin. And we who venerate it make stronger our entreaty with compunction to thee, our compassionate intercessor, and falling down with fear we cry thus:
Rejoice, thou who art blessed by the Father without beginning; rejoice, habitation of the Son who is before the ages; rejoice, dwelling of the Holy Spirit; rejoice, for the many-eyed Cherubim magnify thee; rejoice, for the six-winged Seraphim offer thee praise; rejoice, for all the hosts of heaven exalt thee; rejoice, for the peoples of the earth confess thee as the Mother of God; rejoice, for through thee all the world is filled with gladness; rejoice, for through thee many sicknesses are healed; rejoice, for by thy prayer our sorrow is dispelled; rejoice, for by thine intercession all our petitions are fulfilled; rejoice, for we venerate thee and thy Son through this thy precious icon; Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
All the powers of heaven see thee, O God-chosen maiden, standing before the throne of the King of heaven and entreating thy Son and God for all Christians, O Queen of heaven; and we sinners on this earth too, gazing upon thy holy icon and falling down before it, all venerate thee with joy, crying: Alleluia.
Grant us, O our all-merciful intercessor, Queen of heaven, understanding how to hymn thy name with these unclean lips according to our strength; but as to our good intercessor, who sendest down upon us almighty help, we sing to thee with compunction:
Rejoice, thou who offerest prayers for our comfort before thy Son and God; rejoice, thou who by thy prayer wipest eternal tears from our eyes; rejoice, thou who by thy motherly prayer inclinest thy Son and God to us in mercy; rejoice, thou who by thy prayer stillest the wrath of God that hath justly come upon us; rejoice, thou who by thine intercession obtainest forgiveness of our sins; rejoice, thou who by thy help mortifiest our passions; rejoice, thou who by thy mediation breakest this our present sorrow; rejoice, our helper in all afflictions and trials; rejoice, thou who ever magnifiest those who magnify thee; rejoice, thou who by thy joy quenchest our sorrow; rejoice, thou who obtainest for us unceasing gladness; rejoice, thou who openest to us the gates of paradise; Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
The power of the Most High overshadowed thee, the swift and fervent intercessor for those who rightly flee to thee and venerate thy precious icon; thou alone, the incorrupt and all-holy Theotokos, hast received the gift of fulfilling all things according to our good entreaties, and thou alone art able to help us if thou wilt. Wherefore all the multitude glorifieth thy Son and our God, crying: Alleluia.
Possessing an inexhaustible treasury of mercy, thou stretchest out thy hand to help all the ends of the earth, and grantest healing to the sick, relief to the tormented, sight to the blind, and fulfillest for all their entreaties as is fitting; and we sing to thee in thanksgiving thus:
Rejoice, only Mother, who sendest down compassion upon us; rejoice, thou who obtainest for us a treasury of mercy of great price; rejoice, thou who obtainest for all countless bounty; rejoice, thou who grantest an all-wise word to those who entreat thee; rejoice, thou who bindest up the wounds of our sins; rejoice, thou who enlightenest the minds of youths; rejoice, thou who delightest the righteous with the citizenship of paradise; rejoice, thou who strengthenest the hopeless with hope of eternal good things; rejoice, thou who swiftly raisest up all the fallen for good; rejoice, helper of all who entreat thy help; Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
Thou ever helpest us who are seized by many troubling afflictions, O Queen of heaven, all of us who flee to thee and venerate thy holy icon, of whose first-painted likeness thou didst say: “With this icon are my grace and my power.” And we truly believe that thou hearest the entreaty of those who call upon thy name and entreat thy Son: Alleluia.
The Lord fulfilleth for thee every entreaty, O thou who hearest us and intercedest for us, chosen palace of the Holy Spirit. And we on earth, gazing upon thine icon and standing before it as before the radiant sun, call boldly to thee, the Mother of God:
Rejoice, thou who makest the noetic Sun shine upon us; rejoice, thou who enlightenest us with the Light that setteth not; rejoice, thou who givest life to us who are dead through sin; rejoice, thou who openest the womb of barren women; rejoice, thou who swiftly drivest away the enemies who come upon us unexpectedly; rejoice, thou who ever delightest us with longed-for good things; rejoice, our swift comforter in afflictions and sorrows; rejoice, thou who deliverest from sudden death those who call upon thy name in faith; rejoice, giver of eternal salvation to those who hope in thee; rejoice, thou who leadest up to thyself in heaven those who have faith and love; rejoice, our unshakeable intercessor; rejoice, our guardian in all circumstances; Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
Thy precious icon, a divine star, hath appeared to us through thee, O Queen of the world, and we who behold it and fervently entreat thee as the Mother of God cry: Thou art an invincible shield and an impregnable wall for those who sing to thee: Alleluia.
The powers of heaven saw Him who made man with His own hand borne in thine arms, and knew Him as King; and we sinners on this earth, gazing upon thee, upon the image of His all-holy Mother, who in mercy stretchest out thy hands for us, call to thee with compunction:
Rejoice, thou who bearest in thine arms the divine fire without being burned, and by it burnest up our sins; rejoice, thou who holdest in thy hand the unapproachable Light, and by it makest our souls radiant; rejoice, thou who crushest our enemies visible and invisible; rejoice, thou who showest us love and mercy; rejoice, thou who with thy hand offerest our petitions to God; rejoice, thou who openest to us the gates of the kingdom of heaven; rejoice, thou who shelterest us with thy help; rejoice, thou who by thine intercession obtainest remission of our sins; rejoice, thou who by thy prayer assuagest our sorrows; rejoice, for by thine intercession we delight in every good thing; rejoice, for through thee all our petitions are fulfilled for good; Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
The God-clad apostles, preaching after the Ascension of the Lord, at the time of the consecration of thy church recognised thine icon, visible from all around, painted by an invisible hand, O Queen, as they sang to God who was born of thee: Alleluia.
The God-chosen maiden shone forth most wisely from the true Sun of righteousness, and by the sending forth of the rays of the true knowledge of God all were enlightened who truly know thee as the Mother of God, calling thus:
Rejoice, thou who through thy glory in heaven magnifiest all; rejoice, amendment of the beginning of man’s salvation; rejoice, ark of our salvation, who deliverest us from the deadly flood; rejoice, thou who givest us the citizenship of paradise; rejoice, our mediator before God the Saviour of the world; rejoice, swift intercessor of those in affliction; rejoice, healing of all the sicknesses of men, of soul and body; rejoice, making straight of the tongue of the dumb and the stammering; rejoice, thou who obtainest good things for all who entreat thee; rejoice, thou who makest the grace of teaching spring forth for all; rejoice, thou who thereby delightest all men; rejoice, fulfilment of all good desires; Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
When the all-seeing Lord, showing forth the abyss of His long-suffering, love for mankind and bounty, chose thee as His Mother, O inexhaustible fountain of mercy, thou dost cover by thine almighty intercession everyone justly condemned by the judgement of God, and he too singeth with a loud voice to thy Son and our God: Alleluia.
Wondrous have Thy works appeared, O Lord, through Thy most holy Mother, and wondrously hast Thou granted us her icon too, which enlighteneth Thy people more than the rays of the sun; for those who gaze upon the very Mother of God, with fervent faith and with love from the depth of the soul, cry thus:
Rejoice, thou who like a cloud spreadest thine icon over the earth; rejoice, thou who showest us compassionate intercession beyond our hope; rejoice, thou who through thine icon makest fountains of miracles flow on every side; rejoice, thou who by the appearing of thine icon enlightenest all men; rejoice, thou who through it showest new signs of grace in the Church; rejoice, for we who gaze upon thine icon venerate thee as the true Mother of God; rejoice, thou who by thine icon drivest away the darkness of sin as by a pillar of fire; rejoice, thou who through it assuagest our sorrows; rejoice, thou who by its appearing makest the Church radiant; rejoice, thou who rendest the sackcloth of our sorrow; rejoice, thou who clothest us with eternal joy; Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
To thy holy icon, which appeared in the church strangely and most gloriously, the angels sing, the apostles give glory and the ranks of hierarchs bow down; and we sinners, falling down before it, await thy great and rich mercies, singing with gladness: Alleluia.
When the Lord, who ruleth over all things high and low, saw thee, His Mother, ever standing before Him and offering thy prayers with compunction for us sinners, He promised thee the fulfilment of every entreaty; and we sinners, hoping in thy motherly prayers, offer thee thanksgiving thus:
Rejoice, thou who reignest for ever together with thy Son and God; rejoice, thou who at every hour makest offering to Him for us; rejoice, thou who in mercy shelterest all who flee to thee; rejoice, joy of all, who assuagest our sorrow; rejoice, maker of men’s reconciliation with God; rejoice, thou who unitest Godhead and manhood; rejoice, thou who settest right the salvation of men; rejoice, thou who deliverest from the curse of the sin of our first parents; rejoice, thou who glorifiest our mortal nature with immortality; rejoice, thou who softenest the hardness of our hearts; rejoice, thou who leadest the hopeless to God; rejoice, thou who breakest the snares of death prepared for us; Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
All the natures of the angels offer thee a hymn of praise, O Mother of God and intercessor of all who flee to thee and entreat thy help; for by thy mighty and unshakeable intercession thou gladdenest the righteous, intercedest for sinners, deliverest from afflictions, dispellest sorrows and entreatest for all who cry in faith: Alleluia.
Orators of many words are powerless, like voiceless fishes, to praise the glorious feast of thine icon, O Queen; we offer it praise from our unclean lips, and beholding the countless benefactions of thine icon revealed to us, with joy of heart and soul we cry to thee:
Rejoice, thou who in time of famine feedest us with the bread of life; rejoice, thou who with immortality deliverest us from the death that slayeth; rejoice, thou who savest us from the sins that ensnare us; rejoice, thou who with thy mighty right hand deliverest us from the drowning flood; rejoice, thou who snatchest us from fire by sprinkling the dew of thy prayers; rejoice, thou who guardest from afflictions by the power of thine intercession; rejoice, thou who by thy might shelterest from the sword; rejoice, thou who deliverest us from the invasions of foreigners; rejoice, thou who fencest us with true peace from civil war; rejoice, thou who raisest up from deadly wounds all who flee to thee; rejoice, thou who by thy prayer freest us from the judgement of God that hath justly come upon us; rejoice, thou who by thy precious mediation cleansest us of all wounds; Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
When God, the Lover of mankind, willed to save the world, the race of men, from the deception of the devil, He granted thee, His Mother, to help those on earth, saying: Sons of men, this My Mother shall be your haven and shelter, the comforter of mourners, the joy of the sorrowful, the intercessor of the oppressed, and the one who raiseth all out of the abysses of sin, who cry: Alleluia.
“O King of heaven,” – thus the Queen of heaven ever crieth – “accept every man who glorifieth Thee and calleth upon Thy name; for wherever there is remembrance of Thy holy name and glory of my name also, turn not Thy face from them, but send down great mercy upon them, accept all their entreaties and deliver them from afflictions.”
And we sinners, in hope of thy motherly prayers, call to thee thus: Rejoice, for thou art our fervent entreater before God; rejoice, for thy motherly prayer availeth much; rejoice, thou who movest the King to mercy; rejoice, hope of the hopeless, who assuagest their sorrow; rejoice, thou who by thy grace makest our unworthiness radiant; rejoice, thou who by thy purity cleansest our impurity; rejoice, thou who by thy fragrance settest our prayers aright; rejoice, thou who changest this our corruptible transience into incorruption; rejoice, healer of our infirmities; rejoice, thou who raisest us from all our sicknesses of soul and body; rejoice, thou who swiftly drivest away the passions, sorrows and griefs that come upon us; rejoice, thou who by thine almighty prayer grantest all that is profitable to our souls; Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
Accept this all-compunctionate hymn, O Queen of heaven, and hear our prayers offered to thee, O Virgin Theotokos; to thee we all flee in sorrow and grief, and we pour out our tears before thee in the time of affliction and entreat thee: Assuage our sorrow and accept this sacrifice from thy servants, who cry: Alleluia.
Thou hast appeared as a light-bearer, truly a light to those on earth, and hast enlightened the souls of those who honour the appearing of thine icon, and hast made wise with the knowledge of the Godhead those who call to thee:
Rejoice, thou who enlightenest us, light of the unquenchable immaterial fire; rejoice, thou who makest us radiant, dawn of the divine ray that setteth not; rejoice, Sun of righteousness sent down to us; rejoice, fountain that makest the life of paradise flow for us; rejoice, thou who enlightenest godly souls, Mother of the true Light; rejoice, comforter of embittered souls, Mother of the God of all; rejoice, saving helper of those who entreat thee and glorify thy name; rejoice, thou who grantest a blameless end to those who hope in thee; rejoice, unfailing helper of all generations who honour thee and confess thee as the Mother of the Lord and the Theotokos; rejoice, thou who by the blessings of thy holy icon drivest from us the illusions of evil spirits; rejoice, our swift comforter in sorrows and griefs that come upon us unexpectedly; rejoice, thou who grantest repentance to all the world; Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
Ask thou for us divine grace from the King of heaven, thy Son and God, and stretch out to us the hand of help, and assuage our sorrow by thy prayers; shelter us with the covering of thy wings, drive from us all enemies and those who hate us, calm our life, that we may not perish by a bitter death, but receive us into the eternal dwelling, O our protectress, that we may cry to thee with joy: Alleluia.
Singing to thee, the almighty helper, we offer thee praises and entreaties; we believe and confess that thou entreatest to obtain for us all good things, temporal and eternal, as we sing to thee:
Rejoice, saviour of all the world by thy prayer; rejoice, intercessor of all generations by thy mediation; rejoice, thou who grantest the Orthodox victory over barbarians; rejoice, thou who conquerest with Christians in the time of invasion by foreigners; rejoice, thou who guardest with faith those who trust in God; rejoice, thou who wipest from the face of the earth like ashes those who disregard thy holy icon; rejoice, swift helper of all afflicted by griefs who call for thy help and venerate thine icon; rejoice, thou who leadest us sinners to salvation and to eternal good things; rejoice, thou who entreatest thy Son and our God to grant us the eternal kingdom; rejoice, thou who grantest endless life to the righteous; rejoice, thou who providest for all, as is fitting, all that is needful and profitable; Rejoice, our joy; deliver us from all evil and assuage our sorrows.
O all-hymned Mother, Queen of heaven, Virgin Theotokos, who gavest birth to the Word, holier than all the saints, accept this our present offering and deliver us from every calamity and sorrow, shelter us from eternal judgement and torment to come, and make thy servants worthy of the eternal citizenship of paradise, as we cry: Alleluia.
This kontakion is read thrice, and again Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1.
It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and all-spotless, and the Mother of our God. More honourable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, of the holy great-martyr Queen Ketevan, luminary of Georgia, and of all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
