Akathist to Our Venerable Father George the Hagiorite
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, both now and ever, and unto the 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.
We sing with praises the strength of the Orthodox given from heaven, the shepherd and teacher of the Georgian people, and make thee our intercessor with the merciful God, that He may look upon us and guard Iberia and the people of Iberia until the end of the age, that we may not incline to lawlessness but zealously praise thy deeds, worthy of praise: Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
As the Lord sent prophets from time to time to the kings of Israel, as a wall of the law and a help to the faithful, so the mercy of God looked upon our race and revealed thee as a new Chrysostom, to enlighten and spur men on to virtues and struggles; therefore we flee beneath thy protection and give thanks to God who granted thee such spiritual grace, and call thee blessed as a radiant luminary of the Church of Georgia:
Rejoice, chosen vessel, dwelling of the Holy Spirit; rejoice, monument of faith and preacher of truth; rejoice, servant of the Trinity and adornment of the priesthood; rejoice, imitator of the good Shepherd, the sweetest Jesus, and labourer in His vineyard; rejoice, thou who didst wisely utter the mysteries of the Spirit, and God-moved harp of the words of David; rejoice, strength and strengthener of the sceptre of kings; rejoice, most holy star of the wilderness and manifest sun, luminary of Georgia; rejoice, heavenly champion of the Georgian people; rejoice, golden-streamed one who waterest thy fatherland; rejoice, foundation and support of the Church of Iberia; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
Before thy conception an angel of the Lord appeared to thy mother Mary and announced: “Rejoice, for thou shalt bear a child, long asked of God; call him George, and as a good sacrifice offer him to Him to whom thou hast vowed him”; and the pious woman with fear and joy told this vision to Jacob her husband, and advancing in virtues they offered the Lord a worthy hymn: Alleluia.
Being born, a child promised by God, thou wast instructed from infancy in spiritual learning, and at seven years of age thou wast offered to God in Samtskhe, in the monastery called Tadzrisi; and thou wast beautiful in appearance like an angel, full of wisdom, and didst gain the gifts of understanding by fervent prayer. So now also pour out upon us the grace of thine all-pure prayer, that we may not fall into the snare of the enemy and may say according to our strength:
Rejoice, wondrous child, chosen and blessed beforehand by the Lord; rejoice, thou who like Samuel wast dedicated to God before thy conception; rejoice, sweet fruit sprung from a precious root; rejoice, thou who wast guarded from infancy by the grace of God; rejoice, thou who from youth wast delivered from all shows and frivolities; rejoice, fair young plant planted by the streams of the God-inspired books; rejoice, thou who wast watered with the nectar of the Spirit; rejoice, thou who didst grow up in the training of the divine Scriptures; rejoice, lover of virtue and seeker of the kingdom, enlightened here by its radiance; rejoice, thou who didst hate the pleasures of this passing world; rejoice, thou who didst withdraw from the tumults of the world and wast wounded by the goodness on high; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
Seeing thy zeal, the enemy of human life and warrior against the saints raged, for from thy youth thou didst grow up to crush his power, and trembling he fiercely assailed thee; but the angels sent to thee by God to help went before thee and sheltered thee all the days of thy life; and now thou standest ever with them before God and art able to help all who flee to thine intercession and praise His mercy: Alleluia.
In boyhood thou didst see an evil spirit in the form of a boy wishing to drown thee in the waters, but thy guardian angel did not let thee go into the river; and when by the envy of the devil fire seized the monastery while thou didst sleep unaware, an angel clothed in white came and led thee out unharmed. So now also be our intercessor ever with the Lord, that by His invincible power He may drive every evil from us by His angels and deliver us from every affliction and temptation, that, kept unharmed, we may rejoice in spirit and call thee blessed with longing:
Rejoice, faithful servant of the Saviour of all, who didst follow in His steps; rejoice, thou who wast purified by prayer and worn down by fasting; rejoice, thou who wast made wise to understand the power of the holy Scriptures; rejoice, thou who wast armed with courage of mind and guilelessness of heart; rejoice, thou who wast filled with the sweetness of divine grace; rejoice, thou who by struggle didst quench the fiery darts of the evil one; rejoice, thou who like John the Merciful hadst mercy on the poor and the needy; rejoice, great-souled one, enlightened by the light of the knowledge of God; rejoice, thou who by the power of Christ didst many times gain victory over demons; rejoice, thou who by unceasing prayer didst expose the glory of the deceiver and his snares; rejoice, thou who didst give an example to the faint-hearted and impatient; rejoice, thou who wast adorned and radiantly clothed by true divine wisdom; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
Seeing thee perfected in wisdom and understanding, thy father’s brothers brought thee to Khakhuli, the great lavra, and entrusted thee to the venerable John Tvaeli, who received thee as a beloved child given by God and directed thee by training to the monastic life; and thou, becoming a zealot and struggler for the faith, didst labour day by day for the glory of God and praise His might: Alleluia.
When the son of Feris Jojik and his wife, the daughter of King Bagrat, entrusted all spiritual affairs to George the Scribe, then thy kinsman took thee with him as a helper in his service; and when those good spouses saw thy zeal for the service of God, they rejoiced greatly and marvelled much at thy mighty prayer and struggle. So now also enlighten my soul with the radiance of thy grace and fill my heart with divine love, that I may walk in wisdom on the path of truth and praise thee unceasingly:
Rejoice, valiant one, beautiful in form and namesake of husbandry; rejoice, fruitful shoot of asceticism; rejoice, preacher of the teaching of the apostles and fathers; rejoice, guide and lamp of truth; rejoice, lover of divine wisdom; rejoice, beautiful voice of theology; rejoice, thunder of divine teaching; rejoice, judge of judgement and righteousness; rejoice, servant of God, faithful to fatherland and king; rejoice, sleepless guardian and champion of the land of Iberia; rejoice, God-moved harp of the Church of Georgia; rejoice, boast and enlightener of our people; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
When the son of Feris Jojik was beheaded at the emperor’s command and his wife was sent with her household to Constantinople, thou too wast taken to that royal city and given to God-fearing monks and orators to be trained in wisdom; for thou wast a lover of learning and very patient, and didst surpass the Greeks; therefore they called thy zeal blessed and praised Christ who made thee wise: Alleluia.
When the daughter of King Bagrat came to her fatherland, thou didst go to Khakhuli and follow the monastic struggle; but thou didst resolve to flee from all in a beggar’s rags, to venerate the holy places, O blessed one; and meeting a man tormented by demons, thou didst rebuke the evil spirits in the name of Christ and free him from trembling and gnashing of teeth. So be our companion too and deliver us from the snares of the devil and the wiles of men, that we who praise and sing to thee may find rest and unfading delight:
Rejoice, thou who by a virtuous life wast likened to the bodiless ones; rejoice, thou who wast adorned and radiantly clothed by true divine wisdom; rejoice, thou who by ineffable holiness gavest an example to priests; rejoice, thou who didst attain to what is beyond words and with thy theologian’s mouth didst speak above the orators; rejoice, thou who softenest hardened hearts and weakenest the tongues of heretics; rejoice, thou who didst receive from the Lord authority over unclean spirits; rejoice, thou who bringest back to their senses those whose minds were led astray by sorcery; rejoice, thou who like the great apostle Peter didst destroy the sorcery of magicians by the sign of the holy cross; rejoice, thou who didst expose their craft by victory; rejoice, thou who for the glory of the name of Christ didst overthrow the altar of the demons; rejoice, thou who shelterest from the snares of Satan and the invasion of foreigners; rejoice, thou who by thy prayer deliverest those held by many kinds of sickness; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
Seeking a spiritual teacher, thou didst reach Antioch, and going up to the Wondrous Mountain thou didst find in a cave a holy elder withdrawn from the world, George the Recluse, and becamest the disciple of that great luminary of the Georgian people; and the blessed elder, seeing thee invincible in spirit and courageous in body, clothed thee in the angelic schema and sent thee to Jerusalem; and thou, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, didst go up to the holy city, and with the rich grace of the holy land didst return to the Wondrous Mountain with the blessing of thy teacher, who laid upon thee the translation of the divine books from Greek into Georgian and sent thee to the Holy Mountain, to the Iveron monastery; then thou didst hasten to fulfil in deed thy teacher’s command, and didst offer the Lord a doxology of praise: Alleluia.
Behold the help of the Most High to those who do His will; for as thou wentest on the way that leadeth to Athos, thou couldst not cross that great river for the violence of its waves; but George, valiant among the martyrs, was given as guardian and helper to his fellow-struggler, when, mounted on a white horse, he carried thee over in peace and himself became invisible; and coming to the lavra of the Georgians, thou didst first venerate the all-holy icon of the Portaitissa and kiss the tomb of holy Euthymius, for imitating him in love of the wilderness and in great struggle thou didst attain a great measure; and we, hearing of thy wondrous and lofty asceticism, open our mouths to praise and sing:
Rejoice, loud-voiced trumpet and timbrel of the word of God; rejoice, spiritual harp of Christ and tongue speaking well; rejoice, thou who like the prophet and seer of God Moses wast clothed in light and radiant of face; rejoice, thou who art beautiful in the goodness and radiance of thy struggle; rejoice, thou who didst survey that holy mountain with divine thought; rejoice, disciple of the treasure of the valiant Athonites, who didst follow in their steps; rejoice, renowned translator and philosopher of all the books of the Old and New Law, worthily hymned with the chief apostles; rejoice, rule and blessed seal of the monastic life; rejoice, thou firmer than adamant, unconquered by manifold temptations; rejoice, thou who by hiding thy virtues and wonders didst destroy the rulers of darkness; rejoice, thou who art the joy of angels and glorified among men; rejoice, advocate of all Georgians, firm wall and quiet haven; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
Labouring seven years in the divine Iveron monastery, thou didst write well the struggles of the fathers who built the monastery and didst raise a monument of faith for thy kinsmen; but thou couldst not resist the will of thy teacher, and being ordained priest against thy will, by his oversight and prayer thou didst follow in the steps of the holy father Euthymius and begin to translate from the Greek with the help of the Holy Spirit; and the king and the people held thy labours very precious and beloved, and praised and sang to God: Alleluia.
Seeing that thou didst walk blamelessly on the path of Christ’s commandments and live like an angel, the brethren of the monastery raised thee to the high ladder of leadership and set thee on the throne of the holy father Euthymius; and thou didst shepherd the flock entrusted to thee with a meek and humble spirit and govern well the Iveron monastery, which is now closed to the Georgians; and do thou not cease to intercede before God, that His boundless mercy may be pleased to look upon us, that our kinsmen may in due time serve in that inheritance of our fathers and, boasting in thee, praise thee as faithful disciples their beloved teacher:
Rejoice, holy priest who sanctifiest others, who teachest sin-loving men the sweetness of self-restraint; rejoice, writer of the life of the great Euthymius as a pattern and image of virtue for generations to come; rejoice, thou who from this holy mountain and the lavra of the Iberians pourest streams of life over the face of the earth and of our race; rejoice, thou who by wondrous wisdom didst beautifully expound theological matters hard to grasp and the power of the depths of the books; rejoice, careful enumerator of all the hymns and canons of the Church; rejoice, thou who in trials receivest the grace of help from above; rejoice, thou who didst instruct monks by God-inspired teachings and divine commandments; rejoice, thou who teachest piety to hearts shaken by the waves of the world; rejoice, thou who shelterest inexperienced brethren from passionate desires and exposest impurity; rejoice, thou who art sweet and humble to the obedient and bringest the unrepentant to their senses; rejoice, thou who leadest men to the service of the fatherland and to spirituality; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
In those days there was war between the lands of Georgia and Greece, and the Iveron monastery found thee as a treasure of God and received thee with joy; but thou didst understand, O blessed one, that the translation of the God-inspired books was not advancing, and didst resign the leadership; yet at the entreaty of Queen Mary thou didst reach Jerusalem and give a great offering to George-Prochorus of Shavsheti for the renewal of the Monastery of the Cross, and didst distribute to churches and the poor. And though we are unworthy because of our sins, help, that the Georgians may again dwell in the renowned Monastery of the Cross and sing unceasingly to Christ, King and God, crucified for the salvation of all men: Alleluia.
O this lofty and amazing work, hieromonk George! For coming to the Black Mountain for the translation of the holy books from the Greek, thou didst take upon thee struggle and toil and fill thy land with writings of piety, with which thou didst adorn the Church of Georgia and radiantly beautify her with her children by divine teaching. Now calm our hearts, shaken and defiled by the waves of the world, and fill them with divine watchfulness, that we too may be good searchers of thy labours and, encouraged by thee, call thee blessed:
Rejoice, unerring writer of spiritual words and rules of the law; rejoice, deliverer of thy kinsmen in foreign lands from storms of many kinds; rejoice, thou who didst bring to nought the wiles of enemies; rejoice, thou who didst cleanse the holy Scripture from poverty of language and from craft; rejoice, thou who with psalms flawlessly translated sweetenest minds like honey; rejoice, thou who establishest in the Orthodoxy handed down by the holy fathers; rejoice, thou who washest away the stain of superstition; rejoice, thou who didst complete what Euthymius translated but could not finish for lack of time, and didst carry on his struggle; rejoice, thou who didst set right again, more perfectly and purely, manuscripts corrupted by the malice of the times and by the foolish; rejoice, thou who didst amaze those who beheld and witnessed thy struggle; rejoice, thou who didst make many good shepherds shine forth; rejoice, thou who didst spread divine teachings among the foolish and unlearned; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
When the monks of Symeon sharpened their tongues in anger and wrath against the Georgians and regarded them as heretics, thou didst make known to the Patriarch of Antioch the purity of the Church of Iberia and utterly expose the slander of the Georgian-hating Greeks. So now also bring to nought the dread devices of those who labour for the utter corruption and destruction of the Georgians, and guard the Church from heretics, that Georgia may shine with peace and glory, and we, faithful to the fatherland and trusty servants, may ever glorify Jesus, our King and Deliverer: Alleluia.
Again the Greeks were stirred up, and plotting with guile and craft against the Georgians, they told Theodosius, Patriarch of Antioch, with cunning: “None of the twelve apostles came to the land of Kartli, and it is fitting that they be shepherded under thine authority”; then thou didst bring the “Journeys of the Apostle Andrew” and from it didst convince the council of fathers: “We were converted by Andrew the First-called, and as it befitteth Peter to submit to him who called him and to his brother, so now it is just that ye too submit to the Church of the Georgians”; and thus by God’s help thou didst bring the words of the Greeks to nought. Entreat Him to multiply for us venerable fathers and wise guides, adorned in deed and word, that they may serve the holy Church of the Georgians fittingly and call thee blessed, made courageous by thy struggle:
Rejoice, divine initiate, who by the light of thy struggles didst gain the grace of foresight; rejoice, thou who didst receive as a gift the grace of loosening the mind and giving understanding to children; rejoice, thou perfect in wisdom, interpreter of hearts and thoughts; rejoice, thou who makest the foolish wise by the teaching of life; rejoice, thou who with thy books waterest our churches as with a life-giving river; rejoice, thou who with the spear of truth castest down demon-like slanderers; rejoice, thou who with a tongue of fire burnest up lies of many contrivings and keepest thy brethren unharmed; rejoice, thou who didst destroy the craft of the Greeks and stop the mouths of the evil-minded; rejoice, thou who didst confirm the independence of the Church of Iberia; rejoice, thou who makest all the enemies of the Kartlosians tremble and humblest them; rejoice, thou who didst stay the fierce spiritual famine; rejoice, thou who wast ever clothed in hair shirt and didst not ascend the throne of catholicos of the Church of Kartli; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
The God-loving king of the Georgians gained thee as a wall of the law and an image of holiness for the power of thy words and the radiance of thy life, and many times by letters and entreaties he besought thee to come to his kingdom, that all might be blessed by thee and enlightened by the sight of thee; and thou, seeing the faith and love of King Bagrat towards thee, didst with great toil reach Kartli to turn its dwellers from delusion, and like Elijah fearlessly reproving the king, thou didst call all to the knowledge and glory of God: Alleluia.
A renewal of grace was given through thee to that glorious apostolic people enlightened by Nino of Cappadocia; for thy prayer, word and teaching, filled with the richest grace of God, became helmsman and guide for kings and princes, clergy and people, and delivered them from drowning in sins. So now also make our princes and rulers wise and fence them about with peace through the intercession of the Theotokos, that we may walk in the paths of righteousness and truth and call thee blessed as a great father and son of the fatherland:
Rejoice, thou who by a struggle profitable to the soul didst exalt every Georgian virtue; rejoice, thou who fillest with spiritual joy Christians terrified by the lawless; rejoice, thou who didst make grow again the buried seed of the apostle Andrew and Simon the Canaanite; rejoice, thou who didst impartially rebuke kings for many disorders and instruct them in royal justice; rejoice, good labourer who didst wholly cleanse thy land of tares and heal the many wounds of thy people; rejoice, thou who didst overthrow and scatter those who in sheep’s clothing are inwardly wolves serving as priests; rejoice, sweet in word and desirable in converse, enlightener of the Church of Georgia; rejoice, thou who honourest priests and monks who keep themselves in purity and puttest the lovers of money to shame; rejoice, advocate of pious rulers and armies and vanquisher of the assembly of the godless; rejoice, thou who puttest to shame tyrannous man-hating princes and judges and hast mercy on those unjustly condemned by them; rejoice, thou who chastisest with wrath the mighty and valiant who boast of their wealth and their own arm and are proud of the multitude of their people; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
When the merciful God brought famine upon all the East for the multitude of iniquities, thou by the meekness of thy mind and the purity of thy heart didst become like Christ thy King, for thou didst feed many orphans and poor with double food and bring them as a precious gift to the holy Church, that it might flourish and bear abundant fruit to the glory of God and the profit of the fatherland. So now also open to us the treasuries of the books and direct our lips to praise thee and to glorify God: Alleluia.
Knowing the time of thy departure, thy spirit was moved to go to the Holy Mountain; and returning to Constantinople, the royal city, thou didst set that multitude of orphans before the emperor and, after God, commit them into his hands; then thou didst bless thy disciples and on the feast of the chief apostles didst give up thy holy soul to Christ whom thou didst long for; then thou wast lifted up before Him with the choirs of the bodiless, and didst leave to our Church thy teaching and precious memory, keeping which we swiftly hasten to thy holy icons, from which the divine river of healings floweth, and we proclaim thy praises:
Rejoice, spiritual shepherd, who gatherest the scattered sheep and leadest them to the true God; rejoice, thou who teachest repentance to sinners defiled in soul and body; rejoice, deliverer of many souls from grievous captivity and from bondage to tyrants; rejoice, strengthener of the aged and healer of the sick; rejoice, feeder of the hungry and clother of the naked; rejoice, guardian of orphans and instructor of children; rejoice, deliverer of youths and maidens from every defilement and vice; rejoice, thou who trainest children in obedience to their parents; rejoice, thou who didst zealously defend before the emperor the unerring faith of the Georgians; rejoice, thou who for our instruction and understanding didst lay a curse and anathema on the betrayers of the Georgians; rejoice, thou who by prayer bringest down rain and drivest demons from men; rejoice, thou who art reckoned by all the Georgian race as a father of Orthodoxy and art ever remembered by lovers of learning; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
When thou didst repose and depart to thy fathers in an honourable old age, thy disciples laid thy much-suffering body in a coffin with the shedding of tears and set it upon a cart; and as they went to the Holy Mountain with psalms and hymns, the King glorified thy departure from the body with signs and wonders; for on the way a thorn pierced the foot of thy youngest disciple, Panteleimon, and when he bent down, at once the dreadful cart passed over his back; but the grace of thy holy body so wondrously lightened that heavy wheel that the youth at once rose up and glorified God, wondrous in His saints: Alleluia.
When Constantine the autocrat heard of thy repose, he grieved greatly and granted two charters to thine orphans, that none should dare to drive them from the monastery and that they should resist if anyone wished to harm the holy lavra; and these two charters and candles they laid upon thy holy breast and buried thee with honour in the shrine of George the Builder; and thy disciple, the venerable George the Lesser, hastened to write thy “Life”, and telling zealously of thy courage, he moved our lips to sing to thee:
Rejoice, sweet comfort of the dwellers of Iberia, giver of saving joy; rejoice, thou who pourest grace-filled joy into the hearts of those who love God; rejoice, thou who by courage and valour of spirit givest an example to the faint-hearted and impatient; rejoice, thou who leadest up to the knowledge of God souls sunk in the depth of ignorance; rejoice, thou who by thy God-given wisdom didst set the Georgians, called barbarians by the Hellenes, on a level with them; rejoice, thou who wast caught up to heavenly visions and beheld the beauty of paradise; rejoice, thou who hast drawn near to the divine radiance and art united with the glorious choir of the fathers who gave their lives for faith and land; rejoice, thou who by thine intercession openest the doors of divine mercy; rejoice, thou who askest of the Lord the sweetness of piety for the Georgian people; rejoice, thou who even after death drivest away demons and healest passions of soul and body; rejoice, fulfiller of good petitions, who utterly uprootest the evil roots of desires; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
O thou renowned among the fathers for the height of thy teachings and miracles and wondrous among ascetics, all-blessed George the Hagiorite! Look upon us who venerate thy precious icon with faith and kiss it with longing, and entreat God to shelter us from bondage to soul-destroying delusion, to grant us unshaken faith, purity of life and the fear of God, that like thee we may serve fatherland and people in worth and righteousness, and having reached a Christian end, may sing with thee to God: Alleluia.
This kontakion thrice, then:
As the Lord sent prophets from time to time to the kings of Israel, as a wall of the law and a help to the faithful, so the mercy of God looked upon our race and revealed thee as a new Chrysostom, to enlighten and spur men on to virtues and struggles; therefore we flee beneath thy protection and give thanks to God who granted thee such spiritual grace, and call thee blessed as a radiant luminary of the Church of Georgia:
Rejoice, chosen vessel, dwelling of the Holy Spirit; rejoice, monument of faith and preacher of truth; rejoice, servant of the Trinity and adornment of the priesthood; rejoice, imitator of the good Shepherd, the sweetest Jesus, and labourer in His vineyard; rejoice, thou who didst wisely utter the mysteries of the Spirit, and God-moved harp of the words of David; rejoice, strength and strengthener of the sceptre of kings; rejoice, most holy star of the wilderness and manifest sun, luminary of Georgia; rejoice, heavenly champion of the Georgian people; rejoice, golden-streamed one who waterest thy fatherland; rejoice, foundation and support of the Church of Iberia; Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
We sing with praises the strength of the Orthodox given from heaven, the shepherd and teacher of the Georgian people, and make thee our intercessor with the merciful God, that He may look upon us and guard Iberia and the people of Iberia until the end of the age, that we may not incline to lawlessness but zealously praise thy deeds, worthy of praise: Rejoice, radiant image of piety, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
O radiant star of the wilderness and great abbot of the divine Iveron monastery; fellow-counsellor and companion of the angels and enlightener of the Georgians, strength of kings, glory of princes, might of the weak, comforter of orphans, worker of many miracles and unashamed intercessor before God for all the helpless, the despairing and the Orthodox who pray fervently to thee, our venerable father George the Hagiorite!
O true shepherd of the flocks of Christ and great guide of teachers, luminary of the Church of Iberia and God-inspired beauty of monks, impartial reprover of rulers and instructor with the rod of teaching, all-wondrous father, venerable George the Hagiorite! Thou who art reckoned by all the Georgian race as a champion of the Orthodox, by thy fatherly intercession reconcile us to the good God, that He may renew again His love for us and our faith in Him, and settle our race in the glorious Iveron monastery, that they may ever venerate and serve the icon called Portaitissa – the Theotokos of the Iberian Gate; for not a single Georgian is found in the monastery which John the Iberian and John who was Tornike built with great struggle as a dwelling for the Georgians. Entreat the sweet Jesus whom thou lovest to look with mercy upon the portion of His Mother, our people, which beareth the Lord’s cross on earth, and to anoint and crown a Christ-loving king on the throne of all Georgia, to govern well and care for the Georgian people, to restore the unity of our fatherland and exalt the dignity and strength of our land and race, that our countless enemies may not say: Where is their God, in whom they hope? Strengthen the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazeti, the great lord, our father Ilia, the most reverend metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, the honourable priests, the deacons in Christ and all the monastic orders, the members of the Orthodox Church and all right-believing Christians.
O thou glorious among the saints and radiant in piety among the fathers, venerable George of Athos, cease not to entreat the merciful God that He may grant glory to the churches, zeal and watchfulness over souls to our pastors; to rulers wisdom, strength and good shepherding of the people; to judges impartial justice; to soldiers courage; to superiors understanding and humility; to the laity sinlessness and to women chastity; to spouses love and concord; to children obedience; to the oppressed patience; to oppressors the fear of God; to the sorrowful long-suffering; to the joyful restraint and the spirit of understanding and godliness; and that He may forgive us vain and false belief, pride, guile, treachery, envy, hatred, love of money, ingratitude, murmuring, murders, thefts, fornications and disorders, and grant us a life of good conduct, adornment with works of mercy, enlightenment through holy prayer, cleansing through confession, radiance through communion, an honourable departure, the inheritance of the kingdom, singing with the angels, reigning with the saints, and with thee glory and thanksgiving; for to Him befitteth all glory, honour and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
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 our venerable and blessed father George the Hagiorite and of all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Author and compiler: Tinatin Mchedlishvili
