Akathist to Venerable Shio of Mgvime
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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.
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, with three small prostrations)
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)
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 (Prostration). O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and God (Prostration). O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God (Prostration).
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.
Thou, the chosen disciple, having left earthly cares, didst follow after the salvation of the soul with the wondrous help of thy God-bearing teacher John of Zedazeni and of the Holy Spirit, O enlightener of Iberia; thou didst ask the Most High for a blessing on thy struggle, and now by thy prayer deliver from every affliction us who cry to thee: Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
Lover of God from thy youth, venerable father Shio, with thy teacher John of Zedazeni, who had laboured in the desert of Cappadocia, thou camest to venerate the Life-giving Tunic of the Lord, and by his blessing thou didst go out from the mountain of Zedazeni into the desert near Mtskheta and go down into a cave for solitude. Therefore, O all-praised one, we sing to thee:
Rejoice, father of monks; rejoice, thou who didst ascend to spiritual heights; rejoice, crusher of the power of evil; rejoice, thou who didst receive from God the power of healing soul and body; Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
Through the prayer of thy teacher John of Zedazeni the grace of healing men possessed by demons was given thee, and from him thou didst hear that voice: “Blessed art thou, my faithful child Shio, for thou hast put thy hand to the plough and hast not looked back, but hast guided thy furrow well. Therefore thou too shalt be delivered without toil from all the warfare of the enemy, for with all hope thou hast loved Christ and with firm faith hast fulfilled His holy commandments.” The venerable John, seeing thy firm resolve to undertake a great struggle, clothed thee in the angelic habit, and thy face shone like the face of an angel; therefore we too cry to God with praises: Alleluia.
Born of right-believing and wealthy parents and brought up in the fear of God, thou didst establish the word of God within thee, and, armed with knowledge of the canon law, thou didst make us wise too by thy saying: “If anyone doth not ever meditate on the law of God, he is far from the kingdom and a captive of the devil.” Thou who ever deliverest us from that snare of the evil one, receive our prayer:
Rejoice, thou who from thy youth didst enrich thy soul with the wisdom of the Gospel writings; rejoice, thou who wast made supple by the oil of the word of God; rejoice, thou who didst go out in secret from thy parents to thy venerable teacher John; rejoice, thou who wast praised by thy teacher; rejoice, thou who before all the disciples wast blessed by the venerable John with his word: “Behold, God hath chosen this youth and filled him with the Holy Spirit, and he shall be the father of many souls”; rejoice, thou who wast blessed by thy teacher thus: “Child, blessed art thou, for thou shalt be great before God”; Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
By providence from on high in Cappadocia, after twenty years of the venerable John’s struggle, the Lord was pleased that thou too shouldst be among his God-chosen disciples, and with them thou didst set out to strengthen the faith planted in Kartli by holy Nino; therefore we cry to the Lord with joy: Alleluia.
Blessed in Kartli by the patriarch Eulogius, thou didst follow the ascetic struggle with the disciples of the venerable John on the mountain of Zedazeni, where to the glory of God thou didst multiply still more the monastic struggle. Therefore we too call thee blessed:
Rejoice, good keeper of the monastic rule; rejoice, thou who didst take upon thee the angelic struggle; rejoice, thou who wast exalted by the power of victory; rejoice, for the power that dwelt in thee amazed thy teacher; rejoice, destroyer of the snare of Satan as of a spider’s web; rejoice, thou who by thy prayer deliverest those held by sicknesses of many kinds; rejoice, for through thee thy teacher showed that first wonder to those walking on the road to Zedazeni; Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
A strange and glorious thing appeared on the road to the mountain of Zedazeni, when it was impossible to cross the river Aragvi. Then the venerable John charged thee, father Shio, to ask help of God that they might cross well to the other bank of the river. And thou, father Shio, in obedience to thy teacher, didst stand facing east and pray with three great prostrations, and, making the sign of the Cross, didst command the river: “Our father John commandeth thee: stand still, O water, that we may cross to the other bank.” And the waters obeyed thee; therefore we glorify God: Alleluia.
The grace of wonderworking given thee from on high, surpassing human power and word, amazed the powers of heaven. And men in amazement praised the Lord, who gave His servant such grace of doing good for the strengthening of the faith unto joy. Therefore we too cry to thee:
Rejoice, thou who by thy wonders strengthenest men in the faith; rejoice, thou who after two years on the mountain of Zedazeni didst go forth with a blessing to preach the word of God; rejoice, thou whom the prayerful blessing of John accompanied; rejoice, thou who didst go out west of Mtskheta for ascetic struggle; rejoice, thou who camest to a waterless, wild, rocky and comfortless place; rejoice, thou who didst enter a cave full of beasts and venomous serpents and scorpions; rejoice, thou who, finding near this place a small cave for thy dwelling, didst lift up thy hands and entreat God: “O Jesus Christ, my God, make this place a rest for Thy servant, and let Thy grace be the helper of my lowliness, and the prayers of my father John a shelter and help to me”; Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
Thou didst choose a narrow cave in which thou couldst scarcely fit thy body, and, trusting wholly in God, thou didst not take food to strengthen thy powers. Therefore thou wast granted by the Lord the blessing of a sixty-day fast; and the enemy of the human race did not cease to bring upon thee most dreadful trials and assaults, though all his cunning came to nothing; and thou didst sing to the Lord who strengthened thee: Alleluia.
When thou hadst repelled the assaults of the evil one and grew still stronger in the cave by fasting and prayer, then hosts of demons, moved by envy, surrounded thy cave with shrieks to draw thee away from prayer. But thou didst not heed them, and when thou hadst finished thy prayer, thou didst go out fearlessly and cry to them: “O wretched ones, know ye not that where the power of Christ is, there nothing is possible for you? Behold, so many days have passed, and with all ye do ye have not been able even to come near me, for Christ my God is my strength and I fear you not at all. But from now on depart, and go away from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” And the demons, departing, said to thee with threats: “Shio, proud old man, behold, our prince cometh hither, for he hath now gone to make war on thy teacher John and slay him, and tomorrow he will kill thee too.” But thou, after they had gone, didst fearlessly stand to pray that same night outside thy cave; and therefore we too offer thee praise in humility:
Rejoice, thou who wast illumined by God with heavenly light; rejoice, for thou didst hear the voice of God: “O Shio, faithful servant of My Son”; rejoice, for thou wast made worthy to see the most holy Theotokos before thee; rejoice, for thou didst see with her that first desert-dweller, John the Baptist; rejoice, for thou didst see the citizens of heaven armed with the sign of the Cross; rejoice, for thou didst hear singing from them; rejoice, for before this divine vision thou didst fall down on thy face; rejoice, for the most holy Theotokos commanded thee to rise; rejoice, for thou wast made worthy to receive heavenly food from her; Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
When thou didst receive grace from the most holy Theotokos in the form of heavenly food, she promised thee that she would give thee this divine food again, which would destroy every wile of the evil one and fill this desert with many disciples of thine. By this vision, O blessed father, thou didst understand with joy the protection of God and of the Theotokos over thee, and, filled with the ineffable sweetness of divine grace by receiving the heavenly food, thou didst cry to the Lord with thanksgiving: Alleluia.
O blessed father, thou didst unceasingly offer thanksgiving to Jesus Christ, born for the salvation of all men, who delivered us from bondage to the evil one; and we offer praise to thee:
Rejoice, thou who wast strengthened by the power of patience; rejoice, thou who by the prayer of the most holy Theotokos wast made worthy of eternal good; rejoice, thou who didst water this place with thy tears; rejoice, for every day thou didst receive food from a dove; rejoice, for by thy prayer a spring flowed forth from the rocks; Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
Strengthened in thy struggle, venerable father Shio, every day thou didst send up praise to God: “O Lord of glory and God, Comforter of all, blessed be Thy name unto the ages.” And we, imitating thee, humbly praise God: Alleluia.
Unceasingly thou didst sing the prayer of the psalmist: “The Lord is my light and my Saviour; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?.. Though an army should set itself in array against me, my heart shall not be afraid; though war should rise up against me, in Him will I hope.” God was pleased that thou shouldst be made manifest, O luminary of the faith, as the enlightener of the land of Iberia; and we who hope in thee for the salvation of our souls cry to thee:
Rejoice, thou who by thy prayer didst bring that hunter, the commander Evagrius, to thy place; rejoice, for thou didst make him worthy to see in the cave the dove that brought thee food; rejoice, for thou didst reveal thy struggle to Evagrius; rejoice, thou who didst give thy staff to Evagrius for help; rejoice, thou who didst send Evagrius away with consolation: “Go, child, and take this, and when thou comest to the Mtkvari, put it into the water, and by the help of our Lord Jesus Christ the river will give thee a way, and thou shalt cross on dry ground; and when thou comest to thy house, set all thy goods in order and return again to me”; rejoice, for thou didst foretell to Evagrius that he would be a chosen vessel of God; Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
Venerable father Shio, when thou hadst taught Evagrius how one must fight against evil spirits, thou didst clothe him in the monastic habit and show him a cave far from thee, that there he might pursue his struggle. After this thy name spread through the surrounding villages, and many came and settled near Evagrius. But thou didst not cease from prayer and fasting, never going out of the cave, and only on the Lord’s day didst thou instruct thy disciples. How grieved thou wast when thou didst see thy disciple weeping, whose vessel full of river water had broken. But by the vision of an angel, who by striking with his staff at the foot of a rock showed thee a place of flowing water, thou wast gladdened, and at once didst comfort the grieving brother and tell him the vision of the angel. Therefore we too cry to God, wondrous in His saints: Alleluia.
Comforted by the vision of the angel, thou didst say to thy brother: “Grieve not, brother, for in return for thy tears and for thy hope, behold, God hath brought forth water in that place, that drink may be drawn thence for the brethren without toil.” After these words a spring flowed forth abundantly, and that desert became like Eden; therefore we too magnify thy name with praise:
Rejoice, for thou didst multiply the number of thy brethren; rejoice, for by God’s providence thou didst go up the mountain to the east; rejoice, thou who didst teach thy disciples to lift up their hands to heaven; rejoice, thou who didst bid them pray before God with tears that He might mark the place for building a church; rejoice, thou who didst lay a burning coal on the palm of thy hand and put incense upon it; rejoice, thou who with this fragrance didst bless thy brethren; rejoice, for ye sang to God: “Lord, have mercy”; rejoice, thou who by prayer didst direct the smoke towards heaven; rejoice, thou who didst show the brethren the place for building the church; rejoice, thou who didst direct the pillar of incense from east to west; rejoice, thou who didst see the smoke of the incense like a rope stretched firm over the ravine; Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
Venerable father Shio, when thou didst stand upon the mountain, thou didst show thy brethren the place for building the church of the Exaltation of the Cross. And when thou didst come down from the mountain, thou didst put incense with fire into a censer, and, striking three times with a spade, thou didst say: “Glory to Thee, O God, glorified in three Persons and one essence. In this place complete a church of Thy glory.” And over the cave where the pillar of smoke stood, the church of holy John the Baptist was afterwards raised. And thou, going a little further, didst again strike the ground three times with that spade, saying thus: “O most holy Theotokos Mary, who didst bear the Word of God in the flesh, here establish a house to thy glory.” And on this same place was built the church of the Dormition of the most holy Theotokos. And when Evagrius saw this wonder, he cried with a loud voice: “Holy father, be it the will of God and thine, for thy mouth speaketh by the Spirit of God, and God doeth all thy will.” Therefore in heaven and on earth they sing to God: Alleluia.
Parsman, king of the Georgians, purposed to bring Evagrius back to the world, and for this he came to see that monastery; but at Evagrius’ refusal he was greatly grieved. But when he saw the face of the venerable Shio, clothed with grace, he fell down in amazement at his feet and asked his prayer. So we too fall down before thee, venerable father, and call thee blessed:
Rejoice, for thy angelic goodness amazed the king; rejoice, for thou didst shine with grace and holiness; rejoice, for thou didst bring the king before thee to a lowliness of veneration; rejoice, for in thy humility thou didst refuse the honour the king brought thee; rejoice, for thou didst not forget the fear and wrath of God upon the world; rejoice, for thou didst bless the king, who with tears asked thy prayer; rejoice, for by thy prayer thou didst drive away from the king all his enemies, visible and invisible; rejoice, strengthener of that king in faith and love for God; rejoice, thou who didst set a crown upon the king’s head; Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
When one of the nobles who were with the king, whose eye had been wounded by an arrow and wholly put out, fell at thy feet full of faith in healing, venerable father, and was at once healed, all were amazed at this wonder and glorified God. And to the king, concerning the alms given to the monastery, thou didst answer humbly: “Lord king, the hearts of kings are in the hand of God, and do what seemeth good to thee.” And when by the king’s offerings the building of the churches was completed, they were consecrated on the feast of the Martyrdom by the catholicos Macarius; and at that time, when the catholicos purposed to ordain thee priest, thou, clothed in humility and meekness, didst withdraw thyself far away. And we, knowing this, glorify God with a contrite heart: Alleluia.
The venerable father Shio by his prayer wholly drove away the wild beasts that brought much trouble upon the monastery, and by his word: “From now on your Creator and ours hath commanded that all these deserts be filled with rational men; now depart, my beloved ones, and seek a place where ye may rest”, — they obeyed and fled far away, all but one wolf, which the venerable father himself willed to keep, to be the herdsman of the asses. And that wolf obeyed thy command and every day fulfilled its obedience, until at the death of one ass the elder Conon, in his grief, fiercely blamed the innocent wolf. And the wolf, grieved at this, led Conon and other brethren and showed them Conon’s ass, which had fallen from a rock. And the venerable father Shio with a word of gratitude released the wolf from its service and laid the herding upon those brethren. All marvelled and glorified God, who gave such grace to His servant that even wild beasts fulfilled and obeyed his word; and let us too sing with praise to His true servant:
Rejoice, for by thy struggle and the grace of the Lord thou didst attain to that measure of holiness when all creatures, beasts and birds, obeyed thy word as they obeyed Adam in paradise; rejoice, thou who wast made worthy of a visit to thy monastery from thy teacher John; rejoice, for thou didst receive the blessing of the venerable John for thy seclusion, with the prayer and blessing of the catholicos; rejoice, thou who in obedience to thy abbot wast like the apostle Paul; rejoice, thou who keepest watch over our souls; rejoice, thou who didst receive such a blessing from the catholicos: “Father, walk in this good and narrow way that leadeth to eternal life, on which few walk, and make that cave a ladder leading thee up to the kingdom of heaven, and the darkness within it a guide to the unwaning light, and this passing affliction a herald of eternal rest and unfading joy, of which all shall be made worthy who fulfil their life in a way pleasing to God”; rejoice, thou who before thy seclusion didst instruct thy brethren with tears; rejoice, thou who didst teach thy brethren to be saved from the wiles of Satan by humility, obedience and meekness; rejoice, thou who didst urge them to trample on anger; rejoice, thou who didst teach them to draw near with love to God, who is love; rejoice, thou who didst teach fasting as that which driveth out earthly defilement; rejoice, thou who didst urge them to drive away blasphemous thoughts by an incorrupt and firm guarding of the mind; rejoice, thou who by these teachings destroyest the snares of Satan; rejoice, thou who in the name of the Lord didst promise them eternal heavenly joy; Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
Venerable father Shio, thou didst teach thy brethren ever to remember death and the dread judgment, and in this way didst impress on them that some, walking the narrow way, attain to eternal rest, while others, who live in pleasure and sloth, are cut off from the kingdom of heaven. Making ready for seclusion, at the entreaty of the brethren thou didst appoint thy first disciple Evagrius as ruler of the monastery. And by thy word and life thou didst call all to depart from earthly vanity; and we, like those brethren, sing with thanksgiving to God, who gave the Georgians such a teacher: Alleluia.
When thou didst give the staff to Evagrius, venerable father Shio, strengthened by many exhortations on how he must guard his brethren from all evil, thou didst bestow on him teachings “all-fair and sweet, by which the whole assembly might ever be instructed”. At the time of parting thou didst kiss all the brethren and urge them to flee all evil and sin, and didst recall the words of the apostle Peter: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”, and thou didst add this also: “Of every idle word ye shall give account in the day of judgment”, for this word the Master and Lord Himself spoke; and we, humbly instructed by this word, cry to thee with praise:
Rejoice, for thou didst instruct the assembly of the brethren; rejoice, great saint of God, who on earth didst behold the heavenly light and wast made worthy to receive the grace of wonderworking; rejoice, zealous keeper of the apostolic teachings; rejoice, for thou didst order a monastery of brethren in caves according to the teaching of the venerable and God-bearing fathers; rejoice, for thou didst shine like the sun in the dwelling of wild beasts and settle in it men like the angels; rejoice, for thou didst keep thyself in seclusion in the cave, and none thereafter was made worthy to see thy blessed face; rejoice, for, dwelling in the cave, thou didst crucify all the passions in the flesh; rejoice, for a good spirit grew up in thee like green corn; rejoice, for thou didst give thyself to the earth for corruption, yet in mind wast never parted from heaven; rejoice, thou who didst ever await heavenly grace like rain that watereth the earth; Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
Lying face down in the cave, thou didst wet the earth with tears and say: “I am a sojourner with Thee, O Lord; let me not fail before my departure.” And rising up thou didst lift thine eyes to the Lord and cry: “Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” Every day thou didst take the water and bread let down from above by one elder, and with prayer didst offer thanksgiving to God. Therefore thou wast made worthy by the power of God to put the passions in thy flesh wholly to death, and didst cry the song of the seraphim to the Creator: Alleluia.
When a man sick with dropsy was brought from Persia, he fell down before the cave of the venerable father Shio. And the venerable Shio in his humility besought his Lord for his healing, believing that God Himself would heal him by the hand of an angel. Then Evagrius, taking three hairs from the cowl of the venerable father, carried them to the sick man, that healing might be given him through them. But, O wonder! That sick man was found wholly well, and he proclaimed before all how he had been healed by the venerable father Shio, and how a fair youth had given him three hairs of an old man and bidden him swallow them, and he was healed at once. And the venerable Evagrius did not find those three hairs in his hand and marvelled, and all glorified God. And the man who was healed brought incense and oil to the brotherhood of the monastery every year. After this the blind son of a certain Persian was healed by the prayer of the venerable father Shio, and he too brought many offerings to the brotherhood. And at one time robbers stripped the Persian, and, blinded by the venerable Shio without knowing him, the robbers came on asses to the monastery and confessed everything: how they had been blinded by the breath of a certain old man. And the venerable father Evagrius besought the venerable Shio for their healing, and by the laying on of the staff of the venerable father they too were healed. Amazed at these wonders, we too fall down before thee with compunction and offer praise, venerable father Shio:
Rejoice, for in the cave by great struggle thou didst attain perfection; rejoice, for by fasting, prayer, vigil and many labours in the cave thou didst waste thy flesh; rejoice, healer of the blinded and repentant robbers; rejoice, for thy name spread through foreign lands by thy wonderworking; rejoice, thou who after thy repose wast borne up to heaven by angels; rejoice, thou who after holy communion didst lift up thy hands to heaven, saying: “O Master! Into Thy hands I commend my spirit”; rejoice, for thou didst leave us thy cave to keep in it thy relics, clothed in the power of healing; rejoice, for thy tomb became the adornment of the monastery; rejoice, for thy holy relics drive away every device of Satan; rejoice, for thou healest the possessed; Rejoice, venerable father Shio, great wonderworker.
O venerable father Shio, accept from us unworthy ones this small supplication and pray fervently for us before the Lord God. Thou who healest the demon-possessed, turnest back the erring, helpest those in trials, art the protector of desert-dwellers and instructor of monks, we too ask thy intercession. O venerable father, deliver us from trials and snares, from famine and distress, from fire and sword, from strife among brothers, from every evil and every assault. Entreat God to grant us health of soul and body, a life in meekness and humility and eternal good in heaven, that the Lord may make us too worthy of His heavenly kingdom, where thou now restest and all the saints glorify with praises the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and we send up praise to Him: Alleluia. (This kontakion thrice.)
Then Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1.
O great saint of God and wonderworker, most blessed father Shio! Fellow-dweller with the angels, imitator of the apostles, who didst struggle like the martyrs, who by the monastic life didst take the tyrant captive, guide of desert-dwellers, helper by wondrous power of those who entreat thee, and invisible banisher of the powers of darkness and evil.
O most blessed father Shio, by thy prayer deliver us from every evil and from the snares of Satan, from the aerial guardians and the toll-houses, from the fire of Gehenna. Physician of those held by evil spirits, deliver us from enemies visible and invisible and from every affliction and snare. Entreat the Lord whom thou didst love to drive every evil away from us by the invincible power of His angels.
O most holy star of divine glory, intercede for us before the all-holy Trinity, before whom thou now standest, that It may deliver us from strife among brothers and grant us a peaceful and sober life, fruitfulness of the earth, temperate weather, illumination by divine light and a dwelling with the righteous, for to It belong glory, thanksgiving and worship from age to age. 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 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 God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
From the book “The Life, Akathist and Paraklesis of Venerable Shio of Mgvime” (Eparchy of Rustavi, 2004).
Printed with the blessing of His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.
Approved for publication by the Chair of Theology of the Tbilisi Theological Academy.
The akathist was composed by the nun Nino (Bregvadze).
Editor of the akathist and paraklesis: Edisher Chelidze, Doctor of Philology, head of the Chair of Theology of the Tbilisi Theological Academy.
