Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos in Honour of Her Wonderworking Iveron Icon Called Portaitissa
in honour of her wonderworking Iveron icon,
called Portaitissa.
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.
Priest: For Thine is the kingdom…
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.
Ever falling down before thy protection and help, we venerate thine incorrupt icon, O immaculate one, and entreat thee with compunction: cast us not away who offer unworthy hymns, but hear our humble supplication and shelter us from the many snares of enemies visible and invisible, that we may find rest and unfading joy, we who magnify thee with praises: Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
Multitudes of angels in heaven and the monks of the Iveron monastery unceasingly hymn thy radiant icon called Portaitissa; and we kiss its face made like thee in beauty and glorified by thy protection, and we entreat thee, O immaculate one: fulfil in thy mercy the words thou didst speak concerning this thy portion, and by thine intercession deliver our people, beset by troubles and afflictions, that we may receive blessing and grace from thee and offer thee this praise of thanksgiving:
Rejoice, thou who didst send the apostle Andrew to this land, thy portion; rejoice, thou who didst till our people through his labour and struggle; rejoice, thou who didst bless Iberia with thine icon not made by hands; rejoice, thou who by thy coming didst cleanse Athos and uproot its idols; rejoice, thou who didst choose this mountain as thy portion and set it apart as a dwelling for monks; rejoice, thou who didst promise help to the first desert-dwellers of Athos and defendest them from temptations; rejoice, thou who didst make this desert inaccessible to women; rejoice, thou who didst call the maiden Nino of Cappadocia, made wise by the Holy Spirit, to the apostolic path; rejoice, thou who through her didst cast down the altars in Mtskheta by the cross of vine that thou gavest; rejoice, thou who didst enlighten with the light of Christ hearts darkened by the gloom of idolatry; rejoice, thou who didst establish the apostolic Church in our land; rejoice, thou who didst send the thirteen fathers from Syria to Iberia to spread the faith of Christ, and through them didst found monasteries; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
In the reign of Theophilus the iconoclast, a senseless soldier, seeing thy holy icon in the house of a widow of Nicaea, boldly approached it, O immaculate one, and struck thy God-beloved face with a spear; but at once blood flowed, and when it spattered the tormentor’s breast he repented of his error and gave thanks and glory to God: Alleluia.
“Behold, the Mother of the Lord, alive in spirit and in flesh!” cried the barbarian, and he said to that widow, a woman of Kartli: “Honourable mother, hide this icon, lest they defile it and do some harm to thee as well.” Then the woman commended her only son to thee and sent him to Greece, and with kisses and a flood of tears she set thine icon on the sea; and seeing it wondrously standing upright on the waters and moving westward, she cried out with longing:
Rejoice, O Mother, who seekest the lost and forgivest in kindness; rejoice, gate of the saved, who receivest the penitent; rejoice, thou who confoundest unbelievers by thy signs; rejoice, thou who crushest the boldness of those who glorify evil; rejoice, thou who forgivest sins in kindness and turnest men from the evil way; rejoice, thou who exposest the haters of truth and puttest to shame the partners of falsehood; rejoice, only Mother who knewest not a husband, who blessest honourable spouses; rejoice, comforter of widows and orphans and requiter of those who wrong them; rejoice, invisible protectress of innocence and purity; rejoice, thou who dissolvest enmity between brethren; rejoice, guardian in voyages at sea and from tumults on land; rejoice, thou who shelterest from the enemy’s attack those who trust in thee; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
When the son of the pious widow set out for Greece, by God’s providence he reached thy portion, the Holy Mountain, and received the blessing of monasticism in the Georgian dwelling where later John the Iberian and Tornike the Athonite built the Iveron monastery; and thou, who didst heal the youth Euthymius of a deadly illness and grant him understanding to speak tongues and translate books, art able to help us also, for thou greatly pitiest and lovest our race; therefore we boast in thee, O Theotokos, and we all sing to thy Son and our God: Alleluia.
After many years thine icon appeared, wondrously floating on the sea opposite the Holy Mountain, and the lightnings of its fiery rays flashed in the night; and when the fathers saw a pillar of light from the sea to heaven, they hastened in boats to behold it, but the fiery icon drew away, and they were not found worthy to approach this wondrous holy thing; so now also leave me not without comfort, and grant me the wisdom to tell good from evil, that, fleeing the pathless ways of error, I may be made worthy to offer this hymn:
Rejoice, icon brighter than the sun and higher to the sight than the ether; rejoice, thou who by the voyage of thy holy image didst truly sanctify that sea; rejoice, thou who for many years didst cleave the waves and complete thy course; rejoice, God-glorified likeness, wondrously revealed in a pillar of fire; rejoice, thou who wast raised to heaven as a pillar of light in token of thy guidance; rejoice, bush burning with fire yet remaining unconsumed and sending forth a radiant glory; rejoice, thou who strengthenest those who behold in faith and pointest them to the eternal dwelling; rejoice, thou who enlightenest Orthodox Christendom with the dawn of the knowledge of God; rejoice, thou who bringest to nothing the designs of those who glorify evil and of heretics; rejoice, thou who swiftly drivest away grievous calamities; rejoice, thou who strengthenest the strugglers in deserts and in clefts of the rock; rejoice, good Keeper of the Gate, who deliverest from the gates of death and openest the gates of life; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
When the strugglers saw the icon of the Mother of God in the pillar of fire, they began to keep vigil and, filled with sorrow, fasted and prayed with tears, that the Mountain of Athos might be counted worthy to receive this icon; but thou didst make known to the Greeks in Passion Week: “Gabriel the Georgian shall bring out My icon, and that elder alone is worthy to touch it”; and when the fathers heard these tidings, they trembled in amazement and praised the power of Christ: Alleluia.
Then in a vision thou didst reveal to Gabriel: “Tell the abbot and brethren of Iveron that, wishing to grant them My holy icon as a help and shelter for your race, I have chosen thee among many fathers to receive My precious icon, which moveth on the sea without sinking”; and when the holy struggler heard this, he understood that thine icon was given them as a pledge of mercy, and, as befitteth the Mother of God, he offered thee this praise of thanksgiving:
Rejoice, thou who didst grant thine icon a new dwelling; rejoice, thou who bestowest divine graces generously; rejoice, thou who blessest the monastic life; rejoice, thou who hast mercy on those in the struggle; rejoice, thou who teachest every will of God; rejoice, thou who shelterest the cenobitic monasteries with divine protection; rejoice, thou who by the appearing of thy wondrous icon didst promise mercies to our race; rejoice, thou who castest down the insolence of those who fight against God; rejoice, thou who tamest the unbridled and the gluttonous; rejoice, thou who wondrously feedest those pressed by hunger; rejoice, thou who guardest from fire and loosest sorrows; rejoice, thou who exaltest the humble and castest down the proud; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
Swiftly the Greeks came to the Iveron monastery and, asking for Gabriel, learned that he was a hesychast monk living in the clefts of the rock, who by purity of heart had gained the vision of God and in his life imitated the angels; and when they brought him to the seashore on the Tuesday of Pascha, the venerable Gabriel, falling down in hope before thy firm help, walked on the water without sinking, like Peter on the sea of Galilee; and there was joy in all the monasteries, and together they glorified God, the worker of wonders: Alleluia.
Entering the sea, the venerable Gabriel cried to thee with tears: “O blessed among women, come and shelter thy portion unharmed from its enemies”; and the sea that bore thine icon wondrously gave it up unharmed; then the blessed one pressed it to his breast in veneration, and where he brought out the priceless treasure and set it down, thou didst at once make a wonder-working spring gush forth, from which thou pourest out healings still; and those who saw it kissed thine incorrupt icon with a litany and joyful singing:
Rejoice, Queen of heaven and earth, who spreadest divine holiness and love; rejoice, thou who makest wise the minds of the faithful by the glory of signs and wonders; rejoice, thou who by the radiance of thy mercy turnest into joy the sorrow of those who venerate icons; rejoice, thou who sheddest upon the faithful the sweet light of victory and makest them firm; rejoice, thou who didst exalt our fathers of blessed memory, sojourners in a strange land, above the Greeks who dwelt there; rejoice, thou who deliverest from the tumults and wars of the world; rejoice, thou who strengthenest the weak and feedest the hungry; rejoice, thou who rescuest from every wile of the devil; rejoice, thou who askest of the Lord the sweetness of piety for the Georgian people; rejoice, thou who freest from prisons and chains those who commend themselves to thee; rejoice, thou who awakenest our deeply sleeping conscience; rejoice, thou who makest our sorrowful life dawn with light; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
Then the Iberians built a small chapel there and with a moleben and hymns venerated the icon, which had walked as though alive; and after three days they reverently took up that treasure, more precious than all precious stones, and with great honour placed it in the sanctuary of the church; but it withdrew and became invisible, and after much searching they found it above the gate of the Iveron monastery; and when the fathers heard of this awesome power of the icon, they fell down in faith before thy protection and with a voice of thanksgiving praised God: Alleluia.
O the glory of thy wonders, O Theotokos! For again thou didst appear to Gabriel and say: “Charge the shepherds of the Iveron monastery that I desire not your protection, but I Myself am the Guardian and Protectress of the Georgian race; and as long as this icon of Mine is in this monastery, My grace and mercy and that of My Son shall not fail you.” Then those who heard this offered thee words of praise as a joyful gift, and they sang to thee and called thee blessed, the hope of our people:
Rejoice, helper of those who venerate holy things, who fillest them with hope; rejoice, thou who liftest up the people of Kartli with surpassing joy; rejoice, thou who pourest out unfailing graces in every direction from the monastery of the Iberians; rejoice, cleanser of defiled and much-sinning souls; rejoice, thou who plantest the love of Christ among men; rejoice, thou who quenchest the deception of false belief; rejoice, thou who tramplest down the pride of tyrants and the mockery of the devil; rejoice, thou who humblest the envious and the slanderers; rejoice, thou who overthrowest sorcerers and soothsayers; rejoice, thou who shelterest inexperienced and young children from passionate desires; rejoice, thou who guardest spotless virgins from corrupters; rejoice, thou who with the divine fire that goeth forth from thine icon didst burn up the host of the iconoclasts; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
When the fathers went up to the cell of the elder Gabriel and told him of the icon’s disappearance, the blessed one said to John, abbot of Iveron, and to his son Euthymius: “It is not the will of the all-holy one that her icon should rest in a hidden place, but she hath sent her icon that all may pray and in faith receive from her the gifts of her compassion.” Then those who heard this kissed with love the holy icon of the immaculate Mother and offered to her only-begotten Son the sacrifice of praise: Alleluia.
O the ineffable goodness of holy Mary! For this manifest wonder was shown out of her motherly love for the people allotted to her, when she did not grant her radiant icon, brought over the sea by angels, to any other monastery, but was pleased to make her dwelling at Iveron and thereby blessed that newly built monastery of monks; and we who hear the “Life” of John and Euthymius weep for the loss of this monastery of our people, and adorn with hymns the wondrous icon of the foremost intercessor of the Georgians:
Rejoice, thou who art higher than all the kings and princes of the earth; rejoice, intercessor of the Iberians with thy Son; rejoice, joy of those who dwell in the desert of the Holy Mountain; rejoice, thou who sendest down graces and mercies through thine icon; rejoice, strong wall of those who fall down before thee in faith; rejoice, blessedness and boast of Christians; rejoice, hope of those who trust in thee; rejoice, protectress of reverent priests; rejoice, thou who adornest virtuous spouses; rejoice, thou who givest children to the childless; rejoice, comforter of sorrowing mothers; rejoice, thou who fillest our souls and minds with fragrance; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
The strugglers were amazed at the greatness of thy wonders, and building a small church near the gate they placed thy holy icon there, O immaculate Mary, called it the Keeper of the Gate and established the feast of the icon; and the kings of Georgia and the princes with their peoples honoured it with many adornments and filled the monastery with countless offerings; but now not a single Georgian is found in the monastery built by the labours of our fathers. Restore justice, and settle the Georgian race once more in Iveron, that it may ever serve thy glorious icon and with our sweet-sounding tongue glorify the Trinity, undivided and unconfused: Alleluia.
When thine icon came wondrously from Nicaea to Athos and was given as a radiant adornment to the Iveron monastery, from that time thou didst work marvellous wonders: thou didst heal the sick, drive out demons and guard those who entreat thee; and many times thou didst multiply the oil, wheat and wine in the monastery, wherefore thine icon was called “the Merciful”; and now through many copies of the icon thou workest wonders again, and deliverest from all the assaults of the enemy and from sicknesses those who venerate icons and sing with longing:
Rejoice, Mary, daughter of David and Bride of the King of heaven; rejoice, thou who alone gavest birth to the Saviour of our souls; rejoice, spotless dwelling of the all-holy Light; rejoice, fountain of life-giving grace; rejoice, divine mediatress of our race; rejoice, sleepless guardian and champion of the Georgian land; rejoice, unshaken tower of the holy Church; rejoice, protectress and Keeper of the Gate of the divine Iveron monastery; rejoice, good Mother and protectress of the people given thee as thy portion; rejoice, Abbess of the Holy Mountain and helper of the brotherhood of monks; rejoice, true Sovereign of our land; rejoice, hope of the general resurrection and surety of eternal life; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
Though the Iveron monastery on Athos holdeth thy wondrous icon, thou dost not leave the Georgian race without comfort, but through the most glorious copies of the icon sendest down the dew of thy grace and makest holy and sanctifying myrrh flow for the souls of the faithful; and we fall down in faith before their protection and ask of thee forgiveness of sins and a share in the divine glory, that the Bridegroom may not shut the door of the bridal chamber against us, but open it to us with the wise virgins, as we sing with longing and sweetness: Alleluia.
Knowing the multitude of thine intercessions and mercies, O Virgin Portaitissa, we hasten with love to thine icons to offer our humble supplications: that by thy sweet prayers thou mayest reconcile us to thy Son, our Lord God Jesus, that He may look upon His people, who have no defence before Him, keep our land unshaken, which is shaken by the assaults of enemies, and grant us as governors and rulers shepherds and labourers wise and good, who will care with dignity and holiness for the peoples entrusted to them and increase in every good thing of soul and body us who sing to thee:
Rejoice, shining star, who showest the way to those who seek salvation; rejoice, thou who pourest grace upon our homeland; rejoice, thou who by the wondrous swaying of the lamp foretellest troubles and trials; rejoice, thou who bringest men to the service of the fatherland and to good order; rejoice, thou who loosest the curse and bestowest blessing; rejoice, thou who puttest to shame those who deny the struggle of their fathers and forefathers; rejoice, thou who teachest women spiritual strength and chastity; rejoice, invisible nurse of infants left without mothers; rejoice, thou who blessest faithful rulers and armies; rejoice, thou who drivest away tyrannical, man-hating princes and judges, and hast mercy on those unjustly persecuted and insulted by them; rejoice, thou who art angered at those who justify the wicked and condemn the righteous; rejoice, thou who of thine own will didst clothe the Portaitissa, as of old, in a Georgian robe woven with gold; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
When the Patriarch of all Georgia wished a copy of the Keeper of the Gate to be painted, the brotherhood of Iveron blessed Father Pachomius to multiply the gifts of grace; and he sanctified the panel with the water in which the Portaitissa had been washed and painted her image, which thou, O immaculate one, didst give as a treasure to the city that glorifieth thee and to the people allotted to thee, that we who venerate the mantle of Elijah, the Lord’s Robe woven by thee, and the living Pillar raised above it, may be made worthy to fall down before this blessed treasure also, and to give thanks and praise to the Son of God, ineffably born of thee: Alleluia.
Behold, in our land a most radiant light hath shone forth, the most beautiful face of the Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate: on the feast of John the Theologian she came from Athos to Tbilisi, and the Patriarch with the hierarchs and priests and all the multitude of the people met her with great honour and placed her in glorious Sioni; since then our Church each year keepeth the day of her appearing, and she by her protection guardeth this royal city and our God-protected people and granteth to all who flee to her abundant gifts from the fountain of unfailing grace; therefore we, the peoples of Georgia, hasten to Sioni to kiss this holy thing fervently and to cry out with longing:
Rejoice, thou who by thy grace shelterest Iberia above all; rejoice, thou who shepherdest thy flock well through God-wise strugglers; rejoice, thou who delightest us all with the sight of thy radiant image; rejoice, thou who deliverest from the snares of Satan and from the invasion of foreigners; rejoice, thou who strengthenest and shelterest Orthodox armies; rejoice, thou who openest the eyes of the soul blinded by sins; rejoice, thou who movest to love those hardened of heart; rejoice, thou who instructest our minds with divine fear; rejoice, thou who drivest away the darkness of senselessness; rejoice, thou who strippest away the thickness of despair; rejoice, thou who bringest to life our barren and lukewarm faith; rejoice, thou who bringest to nothing the evil designs of the senseless men who have risen against us; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
When the Patriarch heard that the Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate of Sioni, generously maketh true grace and mercy spring forth and maketh the gifts of thy help shine upon all who venerate her more brightly than the sun, he ordered the icon to be adorned with a robe woven with gold and to be carried round all the cities and villages to spread grace, that those made worthy to behold it face to face and to kiss it might through thy sweetness receive healing of soul and body, and, enriched by thy graces, give to God the praise of praises: Alleluia.
Fear and trembling fell upon a God-loving woman when in a vision she saw thy holy icon, the Keeper of the Gate, turning round on the mountain of Makhata and smoking with fire and mist; and thou, O Theotokos Mary, didst cry out from the icon how we had given ourselves over to the slackness of sleep, when thy portion had fallen through sin and wickedness and the dignity and glory of the people were humbled; and thou didst foretell the grievous trial about to come upon our race; but, desiring our salvation, thou didst call us all, that our repentance might undo that trial of destruction, as with the Ninevites, and that we might pray with one accord for the salvation of Georgia; therefore thou art ever worthy to be offered this hymn:
Rejoice, thou who preparest a new dwelling for thine icon; rejoice, thou who didst point to the building of an Iveron monastery on the mountain of Makhata; rejoice, intercessor and protectress of this monastery; rejoice, thou who replacest strife and enmity among those of one faith with love and peace; rejoice, thou who art angered at those who corrupt the Lord’s people by guile; rejoice, thou who smitest those who war against our blessed tongue and have risen to uproot it; rejoice, thou who tramplest down every evil custom and vice; rejoice, thou who makest all tremble and bringest them low for their enmity towards the Iberians; rejoice, thou who puttest to shame the haters of their brethren and the covetous; rejoice, thou who exposest apostates from the faith and followers of strange laws; rejoice, thou who bringest the wrath of the Lord upon those who thirst to blot us out of our land; rejoice, thou who art given as a wall to our people and shelterest it unharmed from the war of that evil Antichrist; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
Wishing to grant grace, thou hast shown us thine icons again; drawing near to them, we venerate thy likeness honoured by the angels and entreat thee: O Mother of God, Keeper of the Gate of Iberia, of Samtavro and of Bodbe, of Jikheti and of Teklati, of Sioni, O Virgin Portaitissa glorified in every land, cover with the shelter of thy grace all the cities and villages of Iberia, and deliver from mutual enmity the peoples of one faith, who set all their hope on thee and praise Christ: Alleluia.
With divine hymns, O Virgin Theotokos, we venerate thy divine icon and entreat thee: as thou wast the helper and protectress of the Iveron monastery and didst drown in the sea the emir’s soldiers with their ships, so now scatter our countless enemies, who have cast lots over our homeland, and until the end of the age keep Iberia and the people of Iberia, that we may all strive with one accord for the glory of God and praise thee, O holy Portaitissa, according to our strength:
Rejoice, likeness of sweet Mary, for thine icon from the holy Iveron monastery shineth over all the earth with the radiance of wonders; rejoice, for it is said that the apostle Luke painted thee while thou wast still in the world, and all Athos hath treasured thee as a radiant lamp of hope; rejoice, ladder set up to heaven, for the image of thine all-holy and incorrupt face draweth us from earth to heaven; rejoice, for through holy copies of the icon thou workest wonders and generously helpest the sorrowful and the afflicted; rejoice, river of mercy and treasury of goodness, for thou hast openly granted us a wonder beyond understanding; rejoice, glory and boast of those who venerate icons, for by the power of the Most High the Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate of Sioni, was depicted on glass without paints, beyond matter; rejoice, thou who puttest to shame the iconoclasts, who keep incorrupt and glorious icons and holy things hidden away and despise them; rejoice, unfailing surety of our salvation, for the fathers foretold of thee that at the end of the ages thou wilt leave the Iveron monastery; rejoice, adornment and glory of the holy Church, for by leaving Athos thou wilt foreshow the Second Coming of Christ; rejoice, strength and might of our people, for by choosing Iberia as thy last portion thou radiantly glorifiest those who dwell in it; rejoice, invincible Champion of Georgia, for thou wilt come in glory to our land, to keep until the end those who dwell in thy portion; rejoice, our sweet and good comfort, for through thee our chosen people shall rise from the dead, and its dignity and glory shall be exalted again; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
O all-incorrupt Queen, Mary Theotokos! As thou art the unmercenary physician and the fountain of endless good things, so thine icon, the Keeper of the Gate of Iberia, hath the power and grace of healing from thy Son; and we, seeing the grace that springeth from its holy copies, exult with joy and entreat thee: O blessed among women, shelter us from all wrath and from the assault of the enemy who hath risen against us, and keep us uncondemned in the hour of judgement, that we may rejoice with the peoples of heaven and glorify the all-holy Trinity: Alleluia.
This kontakion thrice, then
Multitudes of angels in heaven and the monks of the Iveron monastery unceasingly hymn thy radiant icon, O Mother of Light; and we kiss its face made like thee in beauty and glorified by thy protection, and we entreat thee, O immaculate one: fulfil in thy mercy the words thou didst speak concerning this thy portion, and by thine intercession deliver our people, beset by troubles and afflictions, that we may receive blessing and grace from thee and offer thee this praise of thanksgiving: Rejoice, thou who didst send the apostle Andrew to this land, thy portion; rejoice, thou who didst till our people through his labour and struggle; rejoice, thou who didst bless Iberia with thine icon not made by hands; rejoice, thou who by thy coming didst cleanse Athos and uproot its idols; rejoice, thou who didst choose this mountain as thy portion and set it apart as a dwelling for monks; rejoice, thou who didst promise help to the first desert-dwellers of Athos and defendest them from temptations; rejoice, thou who didst make this desert inaccessible to women; rejoice, thou who didst call the maiden Nino of Cappadocia, made wise by the Holy Spirit, to the apostolic path; rejoice, thou who through her didst cast down the altars in Mtskheta by the cross of vine that thou gavest; rejoice, thou who didst enlighten with the light of Christ hearts darkened by the gloom of idolatry; rejoice, thou who didst establish the apostolic Church in our land; rejoice, thou who didst send the thirteen fathers from Syria to Iberia to spread the faith of Christ, and through them didst found monasteries; Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
Ever falling down before thy protection and help, we venerate thine incorrupt icon, O immaculate one, and entreat thee with compunction: cast us not away who offer unworthy hymns, but hear our humble supplication and shelter us from the many snares of enemies visible and invisible, that we may find rest and unfading joy, we who magnify thee with praises: Rejoice, O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true Guide of the enlightenment of Iberia!
O all-holy Theotokos, Keeper of the Gate, true guide of our life, protectress and champion of the Georgian people! Look down from heaven in mercy and remember this land, given thee as thy portion by the Lord thy Son, and this chosen people, for thou didst promise to guard and shelter us in the time of affliction.
O all-blessed Mother and Virgin, Mary Theotokos! Bless us who ever fall down before thy motherly grace and help, sanctify us with the radiance of thy wonderworking icon, and be ever our fellow-combatant, as thou didst promise, against the adversary who rageth against us; for the enemies of truth have conspired with guile against the right-believing, and strive with power and lying signs to corrupt even the Lord’s people and make them a people of darkness. And we, trembling, seek a way to be delivered from countless trials, and we entreat thee: O Virgin Portaitissa, by thy great power keep us from the wiles and deceptions of the crafty devil, who desireth our destruction, that we may not receive the seal of Antichrist nor worship him; but let a Christ-loving king be anointed and crowned on the throne of all Georgia, to rule well and care for the people chosen by thee as for his own, and to exalt and restore the dignity and strength of our land. Strengthen our great lord, the Most Holy and Most Blessed Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, our father Ilia, and the most reverend metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, and all the priestly and monastic orders. Enlighten the Christ-loving authorities and its army; keep all the peoples of the land allotted to thee by thine honourable intercession. Entreat thy Son and our Lord God Jesus to forgive us the desolation of churches, the defiling of holy things, the smashing of icons and crosses, the killing of servants of God, treachery, envy, slander, the killing of our infants in the womb and the rest of our multitude of sins.
O holy and immaculate Virgin Theotokos! Raise us from the depths of sin and deliver us from famine, pestilence, earthquake, fire and the sword, from the invasion of foreigners and civil war, from sudden death, from the assault of enemies, from destructive winds, from every deadly plague and from every evil; grant, O Lady, peace and health to thy servants, the Orthodox Christians, and enlighten our minds and the eyes of our hearts, that we may be saved, and that we thy sinful servants may be made worthy of the kingdom of thy Son, Christ our God; for blessed and glorified is His kingdom, with His Father who is without beginning and His all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
It is truly meet that we should magnify thee, O Theotokos, who art ever-blessed and all-immaculate and the Mother of our God. Thee, more honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the only Theotokos, we magnify in song.
Glory… Both now…
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother and of all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Author and compiler: Tinatin Mchedlishvili
