Akathist to the Holy Great-Martyr and Victory-bearer George
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. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)
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.
As deliverer of captives and defender of the poor, physician of the sick and champion of kings, O victorious great-martyr of Christ George, entreat Christ God to have mercy on our souls.
Cultivated by God, thou didst appear, George, as a most honourable cultivator of piety, gathering for thyself sheaves of virtues; for having sown in tears thou reapest in joy; having shed thy blood thou didst gain Christ by thy struggle, and now by thine intercession thou deliverest our souls from death.
To the champion and victorious George let us offer praise, as to our intercessor and swift helper. And do thou, holy George, who hast boldness before the Lord, free us from all passions, that we may sing to thee: Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
The Creator of the angels and Maker of all being sent thee into the Church as an invincible champion of the faith and His crowned warrior, and taught us, enlightened by thy struggle, this hymn:
Rejoice, thou who didst love Jesus Christ with all thy heart, mind and soul; rejoice, thou who for His name’s sake didst lay down even thy life with love; rejoice, true confessor; rejoice, struggler made radiant by the grace of the Lord; rejoice, fellow-dweller with the angels; rejoice, companion of the prophets; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
The torment of the idolaters did not make thee stumble, O lover of God, but as a good soldier of Christ thou didst give thy wealth to the poor, didst stand of thine own will before the judgement seat of the lawless, and didst sing to thy God, Christ the Leader: Alleluia.
Having come to know God, worshipped as befitteth God in three Persons, thou didst confess Him with firm mind in the assembly of the lawless and thereby didst expose the blind worship of creatures by the foolish king; and we have learned with zeal this hymn:
Rejoice, revealer of the Orthodox faith before the godless; rejoice, exposer and overthrower of the delusions of idolatry; rejoice, faithful guardian of the all-holy Trinity; rejoice, preacher of the true God; rejoice, divinely beautiful teacher; rejoice, treasury of wisdom; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
The power of God, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world, visited thee as thou wast beaten in the prison; for by thy humility thou didst gain wisdom and didst hate all the corruption of this age; thou didst serve Christ alone and wast revealed as His soldier; therefore thou wast made worthy to sing for ever with the angels: Alleluia.
Thou wast moved by divine grace to the glory of the name of Christ, O all-wise George, for thou hadst a heart and mind enlightened by the Holy Spirit; as an unwavering guardian of the faith thou didst shed thy blood and fearlessly expose the exalted pride of the lawless. Therefore we magnify thee and sing to thee:
Rejoice, sword raised to cut off ungodliness; rejoice, pillar of faith; rejoice, unshakeable wall of the Church of Christ; rejoice, thou who strikest fear and trembling into the unbelieving; rejoice, shield given for the defence of piety; rejoice, chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
The foolish king hastened thy death, O passion-bearer George, and like a hungry wolf thirsted for thy blood. Therefore he commanded that thou be tortured on the wheel and given over to dread torments; but thou, enduring all things from the Lord, didst cry firmly to God with hope: Alleluia.
When Diocletian and the idolaters heard the words of wisdom, they were filled with great anger, and were the more enraged when thou didst say to them: O evil king, why dost thou torment me in vain? “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” It is hard for thee to contend against His power. Therefore we cry to thee, O joyful George:
Rejoice, thou who didst shed thy blood on the wheel for the true faith; rejoice, thou who by thy blood didst magnify the faith; rejoice, zealot of the apostles; rejoice, imitator of the passion of Christ; rejoice, unshakeable guardian of the true faith; rejoice, thou who enduredst many torments, firmer than adamant; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
Thou wast likened to a star led by God, O George, when thou wast wondrously healed by an angel. Rising unharmed from the wheel, thou didst teach the unbelieving faith in the consubstantial Trinity and, with thee, to sing to It: Alleluia.
When the lawless people saw the miraculous power of God fulfilled in thee, they received the teaching of Christ with humility and cried with a loud voice: “Truly great is the God of the Christians!” Therefore we sing to thee, O glorious George, praising thee thus:
Rejoice, thou who by thy martyr’s confession didst turn the idolaters; rejoice, preacher to men of love for God and fatherland; rejoice, thou who dwellest with the heavenly hosts; rejoice, glory of soldiers; rejoice, beauty of the radiant choir of martyrs; rejoice, thou who with thy light-bearing word didst scatter the darkness of unbelief; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
O preacher of truth enlightened by the Holy Spirit, who enduredst many torments, thou, like Jonah in the belly of the whale, wast cast into a pit of lime, that thou mightest glorify the name of God, wondrous in His saints; and abiding in the pit as in a temple, thou didst sing to God with understanding: Alleluia.
Jesus Christ, the Vanquisher of hell and death, risen from the dead on the third day, delivered thee from eternal corruption, O martyr George. When they saw thee too, after three days in the pit, singing to God with uplifted hands, they feared and trembled greatly; and we with joy offer thee the praise of victory:
Rejoice, thou who by thy humility didst cast the exalted pride of the devil into the bottomless pit; rejoice, thou who wast wondrously delivered by God from many trials; rejoice, thou who didst trample on the fury of the tormentors; rejoice, thou who without anger didst care for evildoers, as Paul for the Hebrews; rejoice, chosen vessel; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
The godless tormentor strove by every wile to enslave thy heart to idols by sorcery, O chosen of God; but thou didst say with David: “O my God, my salvation and my glory!” and didst sing to Him firmly: Alleluia.
Devising a new vengeance, Diocletian, the servant of the devil, to please the idols commanded that thou be put to death by poison; but thou, filled with faith and hope, didst drink the poison and remain unharmed, O thou crowned by God; therefore we sing to thee:
Rejoice, for hope in the living God did not put thee to shame; rejoice, for thou didst count thy tormentors as nothing; rejoice, driver-out of demons; rejoice, destroyer of the sorcery of magicians; rejoice, for through thee God is seen among the saints; rejoice, for by thy struggle the name of Christ is glorified in truth; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
Strange and dread was the counsel of the sorcerer Athanasius, who prompted the merciless king to command thee to raise a dead man to confirm the truth of the law of Christ; but thou, holy George, without doubting didst sing to Him who “is not the God of the dead, but of the living”: Alleluia.
The all-blessed and good Jesus whom thou lovedst, hearing thy fervent prayer of faith, O George, for the glory of His name and the confirming of the faithful, swiftly commanded the raising of the dead man according to thy word. Seeing this, the lawless and foolish trembled greatly and came to know God; therefore we cry to thee:
Rejoice, for the Lord hath wrought a wondrous power upon thee; rejoice, for through thee the Lord raised a dead man from the tomb; rejoice, wonder of the earth; rejoice, glory of the race of Christians; rejoice, thou who gavest the light of faith to magicians blinded by idolatry; rejoice, thou who showest the way to the kingdom to those tormented for Christ; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
The choirs of angels praise God who granted thee such courage, for even in prison thou didst not cease from prayer and vigil; therefore, as a great initiate of God, thou wast made worthy, holy George, to see the Lord and to adorn thy head with an unfading crown; and with thee we have learned to cry: Alleluia.
Not even orators of many words can tell of thy struggle and sufferings, holy George, which thou didst willingly take upon thyself for Christ and His Church; but we, amazed, praise thee and cry thus:
Rejoice, for by thy martyr’s death the old Adam was crucified in thee; rejoice, thou who for thy suffering didst receive the crown of righteousness; rejoice, pattern of the godly; rejoice, truly poor in spirit; rejoice, for thou didst please Christ; rejoice, thou who enduredst many torments; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
Desiring, holy George, the salvation of souls sunk in the darkness of idols, thou didst enter the heathen temple, and imitating God, like holy Elijah, didst drive out the demons thence, crush the idols and put the priests to shame, and as their victor thou didst sing to God with the angels: Alleluia.
The hard-hearted tormentor did not understand God, who worked wonders through thee. He did not forsake his folly, but became deaf as an adder and commanded that thy head be cut off as of a great evildoer; but thou didst come to thine end with joy, though thou didst grieve for the perdition of his soul; therefore we magnify thee with hope, holy George, and cry thus:
Rejoice, lamp kindled by faith, hope and love; rejoice, thou who at the end of thy life didst show great miracles; rejoice, thou who in this world wast adorned with the armour of God; rejoice, thou who art praised in heaven with glory and beauty; rejoice, peerless soldier of Christ; rejoice, man of God; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
Thou didst offer a hymn to the all-holy Trinity more than others, holy George, not only in word and mind but by thy great patience and martyrdom; by laying down thy life for thy neighbour thou becamest like Christ, the spotless Lamb; therefore with thanksgiving we sing to God: Alleluia.
We know thee, radiant George, as a receiver of the true light, who enlightenest the hearts of the faithful, turnest their minds to God and teachest us to cry to thee with joy:
Rejoice, for thou partakest of the light of the Sun that setteth not; rejoice, defender of the poor; rejoice, deliverer of captives; rejoice, physician of the sick and invincible champion of kings; rejoice, helper of the Orthodox army; rejoice, fervent intercessor for the salvation of sinners; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
O our grace-filled champion, great-martyr George, with joy we keep thy memory and flee with zeal to thy wonderworking icon; by thine almighty help in God we are fenced about as by an invincible wall; therefore we praise thee and cry with hope to God: Alleluia.
We sing of thy wondrous end, O passion-bearer George, by which thou wast greatly glorified as a God-crowned soldier of Christ. Be our helper in every work and hear our fervent entreaty:
Rejoice, for through thee the Church of the faithful is enlightened; rejoice, for thy name is glorified with fear among the nations; rejoice, glory of true confessors; rejoice, boast of martyrs; rejoice, healing of our ailments; rejoice, intercessor for our souls; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
O all-blessed holy great-martyr George, accept this hymn of praise, and by thine intercession with God deliver us from every evil, that we may cry with thee: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. (Thrice)
The Creator of the angels and Maker of all being sent thee into the Church as an invincible champion of the faith and His crowned warrior, and taught us, enlightened by thy struggle, this hymn:
Rejoice, thou who didst love Jesus Christ with all thy heart, mind and soul; rejoice, thou who for His name’s sake didst lay down even thy life with love; rejoice, true confessor; rejoice, struggler made radiant by the grace of the Lord; rejoice, fellow-dweller with the angels; rejoice, companion of the prophets; rejoice, invincible champion of the Georgian people and protector of our Church; Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
To the champion and victorious George let us offer praise, as to our intercessor and swift helper. And do thou, holy George, who hast boldness before the Lord, free us from all passions, that we may sing to thee: Rejoice, O victorious great-martyr George!
O all-glorious God-crowned martyr George, united with the angels, honoured with the apostles, fulfilment of the martyrs, glory of the fathers, beauty of virgins, swift helper of all who entreat thee, fulfiller of petitions and giver of mercy; O all-radiant martyr of Christ George, with the radiance of the brightness of thy holiness enlighten and shelter our God-protected people and its sovereign, the holy Church of Georgia, the Most Holy and Most Blessed Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, the great lord, our father Ilia, the most reverend metropolitans, archbishops, bishops, and all the priestly and monastic orders, and all Orthodox Christians.
Entreat, holy martyr of Christ, the sweetest Jesus whom thou lovest, to grant us His grace and countless mercy; O all-praised and honoured holy martyr George, by thy God-glorified wonders and signs free the captives, heal the weak, deliver those in trials, save those who sail upon the sea, turn sinners and bring them to Christ God, who receiveth all, and glorify and exalt in soul and body all who glorify thy holy name, that we may all be made worthy of the glory of the kingdom and the magnificent radiance of God, may sing with the angels, glorify with the saints, and, crowned with thee, bless the Father who crowned thee, the Son who strengthened thee and the Holy Spirit who spoke in thee, to whom befitteth all glory, honour and worship, 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. Psalm 90.
He that dwells in the help of the Highest, shall sojourn under the shelter of the God of heaven. He shall say to the Lord, Thou art my helper and my refuge: my God; I will hope in him. For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunters, from every troublesome matter. He shall overshadow thee with his shoulders, and thou shalt trust under his wings: his truth shall cover thee with a shield. Thou shalt not be afraid of terror by night; nor of the arrow flying by day; nor of the evil thing that walks in darkness; nor of calamity, and the evil spirit at noon-day. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou observe and see the reward of sinners. For thou, O Lord, art my hope: thou, my soul, hast made the Most High thy refuge. No evils shall come upon thee, and no scourge shall draw nigh to thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge concerning thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up on their hands, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread on the asp and basilisk: and thou shalt trample on the lion and dragon. For he has hoped in me, and I will deliver him: I will protect him, because he has known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will hearken to him: I am with him in affliction; and I will deliver him, and glorify him. I will satisfy him with length of days, and shew him my salvation.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, of our venerable and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
