Akathist to Our Lord Jesus, the Sweetest
O Champion Leader and Lord, Vanquisher of hell, I, Thy creature and servant, delivered from eternal death, offer Thee praise; but as Thou hast ineffable mercy, deliver me from every trial, as I cry: Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
O Creator of angels and Lord of hosts, open my ignorant mind and tongue to the praise of Thine all-holy name, as of old Thou didst open the ears of the deaf and dumb man, who cried aloud thus:
Jesus, most wonderful, astonishment of angels; Jesus, most mighty, deliverance of our first parents; Jesus, most sweet, glory of patriarchs; Jesus, most glorious, strength of kings; Jesus, most beloved, fulfilment of prophets; Jesus, most wondrous, strength of martyrs; Jesus, most meek, joy of monastics; Jesus, most merciful, sweetness of priests; Jesus, most compassionate, patience of those who fast; Jesus, most sweet, gladness of the venerable; Jesus, most honourable, purity of virgins; Jesus, before the ages, salvation of sinners; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
Seeing the widow weeping bitterly, O Lord, as Thou wast then moved to pity and didst raise her son as he was carried out to burial, so have pity on me also, O Lover of mankind, and raise my soul, dead through sin, as I cry: Alleluia.
Seeking to know the unknowable, Philip asked: Lord, show us the Father; and Thou didst say to him: Have I been so long with thee, and dost thou not know that the Father is in Me and I in the Father? So, O Unsearchable One, I cry to Thee with fear:
Jesus, God before the ages; Jesus, almighty King; Jesus, most long-suffering Master; Jesus, most merciful Saviour; Jesus, my most gracious Protector; Jesus, cleanse my sins; Jesus, blot out my iniquities; Jesus, forgive my unrighteousness; Jesus, my hope, forsake me not; Jesus, my helper, reject me not; Jesus, my Creator, forget me not; Jesus, my Shepherd, destroy me not; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
Thou didst clothe with power from on high Thine apostles who tarried in Jerusalem, O Jesus; clothe me also, naked of every good work, with the fervour of Thy Holy Spirit, and grant me to sing to Thee with love: Alleluia.
Rich in mercy, Thou didst call publicans and sinners and unbelievers, O Jesus; despise me not now, who am like them, but accept this hymn as precious myrrh:
Jesus, invincible power; Jesus, endless mercy; Jesus, radiant beauty; Jesus, ineffable love; Jesus, Son of the living God; Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner; Jesus, hear me, who was conceived in iniquities; Jesus, cleanse me, who was born in sins; Jesus, teach me, the unprofitable; Jesus, enlighten me, the darkened; Jesus, purify me, the defiled; Jesus, raise me up, the prodigal; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
Having within him a storm of doubting thoughts, Peter was sinking; but seeing Thee, O Jesus, walking in the flesh upon the waters, he knew Thee to be truly God, and taking the hand of salvation he cried: Alleluia.
The blind man, hearing Thee, O Lord, passing by on the way, cried out: Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me; and Thou didst call him and open his eyes. Enlighten by Thy mercy the eyes of my understanding; open them for me also, who call and cry to Thee:
Jesus, Creator of those on high; Jesus, Redeemer of those below; Jesus, Vanquisher of the nether world; Jesus, Adorner of every creature; Jesus, Comforter of my soul; Jesus, Enlightener of my mind; Jesus, Gladness of my heart; Jesus, Health of my body; Jesus, my Saviour, save me; Jesus, my Light, enlighten me; Jesus, deliver me from every torment; Jesus, save me, the unworthy; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
As Thou didst redeem us from the ancient curse of the Law by Thy divinely outpoured blood, O Jesus, so deliver us from the snares of the passions of the flesh and of evil, and from the cares of prodigal desire, as we cry to Thee: Alleluia.
The Hebrew children saw the Maker of men in human form, and knowing Him to be the King, they hastened with branches to please Him, crying Hosanna; and we offer Thee a hymn, saying:
Jesus, true God; Jesus, Son of God; Jesus, all-glorious King; Jesus, spotless Lamb; Jesus, most wondrous Shepherd; Jesus, Protector of my youth; Jesus, Nourisher of my infancy; Jesus, Boast in my old age; Jesus, Hope at the hour of my death; Jesus, my Life after my departure; Jesus, my Comfort at Thy judgement; Jesus, my Desire, let me not be put to shame in that hour; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
Thou didst fulfil the words and sayings of the God-bearing heralds, O Jesus, when Thou didst appear on earth and, the Uncontainable, wast contained among men; Thou didst bear my sicknesses, and thereafter, healed by Thy wounds, we have learned to sing: Alleluia.
The light of Thy truth hath shone upon the earth and driven away the deceit of the devil; for his idols, O our Saviour, unable to bear Thy power, have fallen; and we who have received life cry to Thee:
Jesus, Truth dispelling falsehood; Jesus, Light above every light; Jesus, King surpassing all strength; Jesus, God, doer of mercy; Jesus, Bread of life, fill me who hunger; Jesus, Fount of understanding, give me to drink who thirst; Jesus, Garment of gladness, clothe me who am naked; Jesus, joyful Shelter, cover me, the unworthy; Jesus, Giver to those who ask, grant me mourning for my sins; Jesus, Finder of the lost, seek out my soul; Jesus, Opener of the door to those who knock, open my heart to repentance; Jesus, Redeemer of sinners, cleanse my iniquities; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
Willing to reveal the mystery hidden from the ages, Thou wast led as a sheep to the slaughter, O Jesus, and as a lamb dumb before its shearer; and as God Thou didst rise from the dead and ascend with glory into heaven, and Thou raisest us up with Thee, as we cry: Alleluia.
A wondrous thing was shown to us, when Thou didst appear to us, incarnate of a Virgin without seed, didst rise from the tomb without breaking the seals of the tomb, and didst enter in the flesh to the apostles when the doors were shut; therefore in amazement we sing to Thee:
Jesus, uncontainable Word; Jesus, inscrutable Word; Jesus, incomprehensible Power; Jesus, inconceivable Wisdom; Jesus, uncircumscribed Godhead; Jesus, ineffable Dominion; Jesus, invincible Kingdom; Jesus, endless Sovereignty; Jesus, most high Strength; Jesus, eternal Authority; Jesus, my Creator, receive me; Jesus, my Saviour, save me; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
Beholding the strange incarnation of God, let us become strangers to the vain world and turn our minds to things divine; for God came down to earth for this, to raise to heaven us who cry to Him: Alleluia.
Wholly wast Thou on earth, yet not absent from the glory of heaven, when of Thine own will Thou didst suffer for us, and by Thy death didst slay death, and by Thy resurrection didst grant life to those who cry:
Jesus, Sweetness of the heart; Jesus, Strength of the body; Jesus, Light of the soul; Jesus, Swiftness of the mind; Jesus, Joy of the conscience; Jesus, renowned Hope; Jesus, Remembrance before the ages; Jesus, lofty Praise; Jesus, my most exalted Glory; Jesus, my Desire, reject me not; Jesus, my Shepherd, seek me out; Jesus, my Saviour, save me; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
The whole angelic nature ceaselessly glorifieth Thy holy name, O Jesus, in heaven, crying: Holy, holy, holy; and we sinners on earth cry to Thee with unceasing lips of clay: Alleluia.
We see many-voiced orators voiceless as fish before Thee, O Jesus our Saviour, for they know not how to tell how Thou, God, didst become man without change; but we, marvelling at this mystery, cry out in faith:
Jesus, God before the ages; Jesus, King of kings; Jesus, Lord of lords; Jesus, Judge of the living and the dead; Jesus, Hope of the hopeless; Jesus, Comforter of the mourning; Jesus, Glory of the poor; Jesus, condemn me not according to my deeds; Jesus, cleanse me by Thy mercy; Jesus, drive from me evil despondency; Jesus, enlighten the thoughts of my heart; Jesus, grant me the remembrance of death; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
Willing to save the world, O Dawn of the East, Thou didst come to the dark West of our nature and didst humble Thyself even unto death; therefore Thy name is exalted above every name, and from all the tribes of heaven and earth we hear: Alleluia.
O eternal King, Comforter, true Christ, cleanse us from every stain as Thou didst cleanse the ten lepers, and heal us as Thou didst heal the covetous soul of Zacchaeus the publican, that we may sing to Thee, crying with compunction:
Jesus, incorruptible Treasure; Jesus, inexhaustible Riches; Jesus, strong Food; Jesus, unfailing Drink; Jesus, Clothing of the poor; Jesus, Helper of widows; Jesus, Protector of orphans; Jesus, Help of those who labour; Jesus, Guide of pilgrims; Jesus, Pilot of seafarers; Jesus, Stillness of the storm-tossed; Jesus, raise me up who am fallen; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
I, the unworthy, offer Thee a most contrite hymn and cry to Thee like the Canaanite woman: Jesus, have mercy on me; for not a daughter but my flesh is grievously possessed by passions and burning with anger: grant healing to me who cry to Thee: Alleluia.
Paul, who once persecuted Thee, the Lamp that sheddeth light on those in the darkness of ignorance, came to understand the power of the divine voice, and Thou didst make known to him spiritual zeal; so enlighten the darkened eyes of my soul also, as I cry:
Jesus, my King, almighty; Jesus, my Lord, immortal; Jesus, my Creator, all-glorious; Jesus, my Teacher, all-good; Jesus, my Shepherd, most kind; Jesus, my Master, most merciful; Jesus, my Saviour, most gracious; Jesus, enlighten my senses darkened by the passions; Jesus, heal my body wounded by sins; Jesus, cleanse my mind from vain and evil thoughts; Jesus, guard my heart from evil desires; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
Grant me grace, O Jesus, who loosest every debt, and receive me in my repentance as Thou didst receive Peter who denied Thee; and call me also, who am in despair, to repentance, as of old Thou didst call Paul who persecuted Thee; and hear me as I cry to Thee: Alleluia.
Singing of Thine incarnation, we all praise Thee, and with Thomas we believe that Thou art Lord and God, who sittest with the Father and art to come to judge the living and the dead. Then make me also worthy to stand at Thy right hand, as I cry:
Jesus, King before the ages, have mercy on me; Jesus, fragrant flower, make me fragrant; Jesus, beloved warmth, warm me; Jesus, eternal dwelling, shelter me; Jesus, radiant garment, adorn me; Jesus, precious gem, make me shine; Jesus, Sun of righteousness, enlighten me; Jesus, Light of Light, make me radiant; Jesus, deliver me from sicknesses of body and soul; Jesus, rescue me from the hand of the adversary; Jesus, free me from the unquenchable fire and the other eternal torments; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
O all-sweet and most merciful Jesus, accept now this small supplication of ours, as Thou didst accept the widow’s two mites, and preserve Thine inheritance from enemies visible and invisible, from the invasion of foreigners, from every plague and famine, from every sorrow and deadly wound; and deliver from the torment to come all who cry to Thee: Alleluia.
This kontakion thrice, then Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1.
O Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, who for Thine ineffable love for mankind didst in the last times take flesh of the Ever-Virgin Mary: we Thy servants glorify Thy saving dispensation towards us, O Master. We sing to Thee, for through Thee the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the earth. We venerate Thine all-holy Mother, who bore Thee in the flesh and served so dread a mystery. We praise the choir of Thine angels, the praisers and servants of Thy glory; we call blessed Thy Forerunner John, who baptized Thee, O Lord; we venerate also Thy prophets who proclaimed Thee; we glorify Thy holy apostles; we praise Thy martyrs, magnify Thy priests, venerate Thy venerable ones and sing to all Thy righteous. This great multitude of the divine choir we Thy servants offer to Thee in prayer, O most merciful God; and therefore we ask forgiveness of our sins; grant it to us through the intercessions of all Thy saints, and above all for the sake of Thine ineffable mercies, for blessed art Thou unto the ages. Amen.
O Master, God the Father almighty, Lord, only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit, one Godhead, one Power, have mercy on me, a sinner, and by the judgements Thou knowest save me, Thine unworthy servant; for blessed art Thou from the ages unto the ages. Amen.
