Akathist to Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos in Honour of Her Holy Icon Called “I Am with You, and None Can Harm You”
To the Queen of the world chosen out of all generations, the Virgin Theotokos, we offer gifts of praise, for now too, as of old, thou raisest up the fallen, strengthenest the weak, healest the sick, freest from enemies visible and invisible, bringest the doubting to understanding, comfortest the sorrowful, teachest faith in the grace-given power of thy holy icons, and makest us worthy to sing to thee in thanksgiving with compunction of heart and lips: Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
The angels in heaven sing of thy majesty and perfection, O Mother and Virgin, for thou gavest birth for us to the all-merciful God and Saviour; and we on earth, imitating them, venture with sinful lips to cry to thee in praise thus:
Rejoice, unfailing wonder of those in heaven; rejoice, all-joyful object of veneration for those on earth; rejoice, thou who drivest away anger and spiritual darkness; rejoice, thou who fillest with peace and love those who flee to thee; rejoice, for thou entreatest thy Son to have mercy on us sinners; Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
Beholding with spiritual eyes the dread time of warring against God that was to come, the holy and righteous John, called of Kronstadt, blessed the painting of thy holy icon, O Mother of God, that it might be a helper and a stretched-out hand to all in affliction who fall down before it and with hope of salvation cry to thy Son and our God: Alleluia.
This icon enlighteneth the understanding of men, that it is not by our own strength that we drive away enemies but by the might of God and the intercession of the Theotokos, who maketh wonders flow from her icons, that we may sing to our almighty intercessor:
Rejoice, swift strengthener of those near to falling and grown helpless; rejoice, sure guardian from demons and evil men; rejoice, thou who art present in the time of trial and doubt; rejoice, thou who leadest the erring to the true path; rejoice, uprooter of heresies and schisms; rejoice, thou who swiftly dispellest the darkness of warring against God; Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
The power of the wicked rose up in persecution against Christians and defiled their holy things; but when Father Seraphim, called of Vyritsa, received thy holy icon, O Mother of God, he kept it safe, that the monks and all the faithful, hastening to the shelter of the Queen of heaven and strengthened by the help of God, might sing with trembling and love to God the Saviour: Alleluia.
Possessing great wonders beyond number, the all-holy Virgin through her holy icon bestowed help on all who fled to her with faith and love and called thus:
Rejoice, Queen of heaven and earth; rejoice, Mother of God Most High; rejoice, thou who makest wonders spring forth in abundance; rejoice, thou who exposest the wickedness of warring against God; rejoice, thou who art quick to hear those who pray in faith; rejoice, thou who calmest storm-tossed souls; Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
The storm of warring against God swept over and profaned the holy things; the Lord gave our people into the hands of enemies, that, cleansed by afflictions and washed by tears, they might come to understanding and repent, and repenting cry to God the Deliverer: Alleluia.
Hearing of the afflictions of men, Father Seraphim took upon himself in his cell the struggle of the Elder of Sarov, and before the icon of the Theotokos he called fervently day and night thus:
Rejoice, for thou preparest sinners for repentance; rejoice, for thou castest not away repentant sinners; rejoice, thou who movest thy Son and our God to mercy; rejoice, for thou rescuest us from enemies visible and invisible; rejoice, for thou deliverest us from an evil death; Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
Beholding the God-given grace that springeth forth from the holy icon of the Theotokos, the people gather to the village of Vyritsa and are filled with healing of soul and body, calling with joy to the Son of the all-holy, all-spotless and most blessed one: Alleluia.
Seeing the abundant grace-given power of healings and help received from thy Son and our God, O good Mother, thou dost pour it out bountifully upon all who come to thee and cry thus:
Rejoice, raising of a dead child; rejoice, healing of incurable diseases; rejoice, health of our bodies; rejoice, salvation of our souls; rejoice, thou who freest from the bonds of sin; rejoice, thou who leadest up to the world on high; Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
Proclaiming his departure from this world of many afflictions and storms, the elder foretold a new abode for the holy icon of the Theotokos, where, through the love of the all-merciful God glorified in Trinity, they would cry: Alleluia.
Thou didst make joy shine upon the sorrowing abbot who had received the ruined monastery of St George and could not restore it by his own strength, granting him great mercy: in a most wondrous way thou didst reveal thy holy icon, that with trembling and love they might sing to it thus:
Rejoice, thou who never deprivest us of thy motherly help; rejoice, thou who coverest those who love thee with divine love; rejoice, thou who swiftly stillest the storms of the sea of the world; rejoice, thou who proclaimest to those who come to thee: I am with you; rejoice, thou who comfortest: and none can harm you; rejoice, thou who forsakest not those in affliction and grief; Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
The people desiring salvation beheld the icon as the Queen of heaven herself, come with the holy apostles John and James to the monastery of St George on the feast of the Akathist of the all-holy Theotokos, and with compunction cried to the Lord: Alleluia.
Thou hast shown us a new mercy, O Virgin Theotokos, through thy wonderworking icon, for thou makest miracles flow from it and art a helper to all who flee to it with faith and call to thee with gladness thus:
Rejoice, thou who entreatest thy Son and our God for us; rejoice, thou who greatly lovest repentant sinners; rejoice, stern chastiser of the enemies of God; rejoice, thou who suddenly bringest the sons of disobedience to understanding; rejoice, thou who drivest the hosts of demons from our people; rejoice, protectress of thy God-loving children; Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
We have seen a strange wonder in thy care for the monastery of St George, for thou didst delight those who lived and laboured in it and those who came there to pray, didst strengthen them in the struggles of the monastic life, didst deliver them from afflictions and straits, and didst teach all to sing through thee to Christ God the Saviour: Alleluia.
Thou didst bring all to understanding by the stern chastisement of a novice who wished to flee the monastery in secret; but when he repented, thou didst grant him mercy, that all might learn in time of trial to fall down before thy holy icon and cry to thee with compunction thus:
Rejoice, thou who cuttest off the carrying out of foolish deeds; rejoice, helper of those who desire to work out their salvation; rejoice, thou who strengthenest in the struggles of the monastic life; rejoice, swift raising up of the fallen; rejoice, intercessor for our salvation; rejoice, our guardian, who stretchest out thy hand to us in the virtues; Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
All creation praiseth Thee, O Lord, and rejoiceth in Thee, its Creator, Redeemer, King and Judge to come, for Thou hast granted us Thy Mother as an unashamed intercessor and advocate for all who cry to Thee, the true God: Alleluia.
Orators of many voices can only marvel when they hear the voice of God and of the Theotokos: “I am with you, and none can harm you.” But we, trusting in the holy and perfect will of God, venerate thee, O all-holy one, with such a cry:
Rejoice, good Mother of the good King; rejoice, thou who labourest to gather the sheep of Christ; rejoice, guardian of strangers and orphans; rejoice, protectress of all the oppressed; rejoice, honey-flowing sweetness of those who pray; rejoice, giver of gifts and of eternal good things; Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
Desiring the salvation of the world, thou didst make known to all cities and villages the ineffable wonder of the finding of thy holy icon, O Queen, that those who see thee coming to them with festivity and glory might cry with joy to God the Trinity: Alleluia.
Thou art a wall and indescribable purity, ineffable mercy and invincible victory, O God-chosen maiden; look upon us who ever pray in humility before thine icon and sing to thee, O full of grace, thus:
Rejoice, unfailing fountain of mercy; rejoice, thou who quenchest the spiritual thirst of all; rejoice, merciful intercessor for us sinners; rejoice, thou who unceasingly entreatest Christ God for us; rejoice, hope and advocate of our salvation; rejoice, our merciful intercessor before God; Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
We offer thee a hymn of thanksgiving, O Virgin Theotokos, we thy sinful and unprofitable servants, for thou art the intercessor of all who trust in thee and cry to God: Alleluia.
We behold thee as a light-bearing lamp, O all-holy Mother and Virgin, for thou enlightenest us with the light of thy Son and hast granted us thy victorious icon, that we may not stumble in the night of the last times, but, fenced about by thee, may serve the Lord in His light, we who hope in thee thus:
Rejoice, healer of the wounds of sin; rejoice, thou who goest before us to the kingdom of God; rejoice, thou who bearest in thine arms Him who beareth all; rejoice, golden gate of the kingdom of heaven; rejoice, thou who enlightenest us with the light of thy Son; rejoice, thou who delightest us with the sight of thine icon; Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
Desiring to give grace to thy people, O Queen, thou didst grant us thine icon and with it the promise: “I am with you, and none can harm you,” which no enemy of ours, visible or invisible, is ever able to overcome; that we who have such a divine providence over us may cry to the all-merciful God: Alleluia.
Singing of thy wonders, O almighty Queen, we know thee as a fervent intercessor full of love, so that all who hasten to thee are not put to shame, but, ever guarded by thee, call to thee thus:
Rejoice, comfort of those in affliction; rejoice, wall of those who hope in the Lord God; rejoice, thou before whom our enemies tremble; rejoice, for those who have thine icon exult; rejoice, thou who magnifiest those who magnify thee; rejoice, great intercessor of our people and of all Christians; Rejoice, our heavenly Mother, who by thy words “I am with you, and none can harm you” grantest grace-filled strength to our souls.
O all-holy, all-spotless, most blessed Virgin Theotokos Mary, all-merciful Mother of God and men, look upon our sorrowing souls and have mercy, O all-spotless one; offer thy most powerful prayer to the righteous Judge to have mercy on us sinners. Look upon us, O all-hymned Theotokos, make the light shine upon darkened hearts and make thy flock radiant, O all-spotless one, that, saved through thee, we may sing to God with joy: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
(This verse is read thrice, and again Kontakion 1 and Ikos 1.)
O all-good intercessor of the Christian race, Mother of Christ our God, the Almighty, by thy right hand! Spread over us His mercies and compassions, that we may not fear nor tremble before enemies visible and invisible, for thou hast said to those who trust in thee: “I am with you, and none can harm you.”
Guard the true holy Orthodox Church and our monastery from schisms and heresies; grant our people the beginning of repentance and turn them to the God-given path of the spotless faith, that it may be filled with the fragrance of prayer and blossom like the lily of the field; that we may live in godliness and purity, ever guarded by thee from the temptations of Antichrist, from invasion of foreigners, from civil war, earthquake, fire, famine and deadly plague, from vain death, captivity and enmity within households; strengthen the life of monastics and save us, O all-spotless one, for we trust in thee according to thy words: “I am with you, and none can harm you.”
Entreat for us, O all-holy Lady Theotokos, the Lord our God, our benefactor and deliverer, that He may not deprive us of His protection and of a share in His kingdom, He who Himself said to His faithful: “I am with you, and none can harm you.” For His is the kingdom, the power and the glory, the honour and worship, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
