Canon and Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos for Those Going Out to Battle Against Enemies

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…, Both now…

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…, Both now…

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.

O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; they have polluted thy holy temple; they have made Jerusalem a storehouse of fruits. They have given the dead bodies of thy servants to be food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of thy holy ones for the wild beasts of the earth. They have shed their blood as water, round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them. We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us. How long, O Lord? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire? Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms which have not called upon thy name. For they have devoured Jacob, and laid his place waste. Remember not our old transgressions; let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us; for we are greatly impoverished. Help us, O God our Saviour; for the glory of thy name, O Lord, deliver us; and be merciful to our sins, for thy name's sake. Lest haply they should say among the heathen, Where is their God? and let the avenging of thy servants' blood that has been shed be known among the heathen before our eyes. Let the groaning of the prisoners come in before thee; according to the greatness of thine arm preserve the sons of the slain ones. Repay to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, with which they have reproached thee, O Lord. For we are thy people and the sheep of thy pasture; we will give thee thanks for ever; we will declare thy praise throughout all generations.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God; alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God; alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.

God is the Lord and hath appeared unto us; blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Verse 1: O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever. Verse 2: All nations compassed me about, and in the name of the Lord I drove them back. Verse 3: I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. Verse 4: The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner; this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance; grant by the Cross victory over the barbarians to our God-protected people, and keep Thy people beneath its shelter, that we may say: O Lord, glory to Thee. (Thrice)

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.

Israel passed through the sea unharmed as over broad dry land, and beheld the pursuer Pharaoh drowned in the depths, and sang to Thee, O God, a song of victory.

The Lord whom thou didst bear, O pure one, is strength and mighty in battle; with thy strong hand fight against all our enemies and those that war against us.

Thou who of old didst drown Pharaoh in the sea and cast his chariots into the deep, arise now to help us, O Christ, through the prayers of Thy Mother.

Thou art the skilful Physician of the wounded, O Good One, and Thou burnest to heal them; now also in wrath show mercy to us, O Son of God, through the prayers of Thy Mother.

Of old Thou didst destroy and scatter Sennacherib with his horsemen; so now fight against these who have risen up against us, strike them down and scatter them, through the prayers of the Lady.

Fight for us against our bitter foes, for we trust in thee and send thee against them to do battle; for thou art the Captain of all us Christians.

None is holy as Thou, O Lord our God, who hast exalted this day the horn of Christians; establish us in oneness of mind upon the rock of faith.

They come with many weapons and countless horsemen, but we, thy people, call upon thy name and now cry to thee: Save us, O holy Lady.

Thou who givest victory to the strong and health to the weak, lift up Thy faithful warriors over the barbarians and cast down their might, through the prayers of Thy Mother.

The barbarian warriors, men of strange race, have gathered together and burn like fire, eager for our death and for victory in battle; O Lady, help thy servants.

The enemies have gathered against us and threaten us with blood; the vain talkers plot and take counsel, and lift up their faces, as the psalm saith, against thy servants, O Mother of God.

By stretching out his hands Moses traced the figure of the Cross, O Virgin, and overcame godless Amalek; so also with thy hand cast down our invisible enemies.

“Christ my God, the Lord, is my strength,” the Church saith with a loud voice, and by the will of God she rejoiceth in faith with divine joy.

Pour out thy grace, O Virgin, and bring to nothing all the adversaries, our enemies who now war against us; fight against those that fight thee, O Helper of the helpless.

Fill the faces of thine enemies with shame and every dishonour, and drive them back empty in disgrace, as that psalm saith, O Lady.

Now we understand thy power, O Lady: whatsoever thou willest for thy people and for this city, that thou doest, that our enemies and those that war against us may not rejoice over us.

Whatsoever thou willest thou doest, as she who bore Him that can do all things in an instant; and if thou willest to help, we shall swiftly be delivered.

By thy wondrous and mighty help crush the heads of the evil foes, and by the power of thy terror make them tremble, O Virgin.

With Thy divine light, O Glorious One, enlighten the souls of those who rise early to Thee with joy, that they may know Thee as God, the only Deliverer from their sins.

The warriors of mighty kings and the hosts of barbarian princes have wickedly conspired against thy flock, like lions and fierce, roaring beasts, O Virgin.

Surrounded by them now, O Lady, we are given over to mourning, tears and lamentation; but do thou, O Virgin, make haste, have mercy on us, and cast down once more our godless enemies.

Thou didst bear the Son of God, O Lady, around whom stand the heavenly powers of angels; send them down to battle to help us, O all-praised Virgin.

Deliver not us, thine inheritance, into the hands of enemies, lest they say: Where is the Mother of God in whom they hope? But shelter thy flock, that none may war against it.

Let the kings of all the earth know the invincibility of thy power, O Virgin; and the heathen nations, which know not thy dominion, shake them and make them tremble.

The sea of this life, stirred up by the billows of sin, terribly overwhelmeth me; and I flee to Thee, the haven, and thus I cry to Thee: Deliver me from drowning, O most merciful One.

Make the arms of thy faithful and chosen people as a bow of bronze, and clothe them with might and strength, O Immaculate one, and send down upon them from heaven thy mighty power.

We who believe, O Virgin, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Spirit, and worship Him who was born of thee: deliver us not to our enemies, but crush them utterly, O Virgin.

We bow our knees to the ground and lift our hands to heaven, and cry to thee with sighing: We have sinned, O Lady, before God; appease Him towards us, and let us not be tormented by barbarians and heathen.

How shall we endure it, O worthy one, when the enemy saith: I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my soul shall be satisfied, I will slay with my sword? Therefore help us swiftly.

Thy holy temple and the holy places, thy precious icons and the icons of all the saints, and the orders of the churches, the enemies have taken captive; therefore help us swiftly, O Virgin.

Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered.

As smoke vanisheth, let them vanish.

Brethren, God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, lest any man should boast.

At that time there came some to Jesus that told Him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. He spake also this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

The angel of the Saviour made the furnace cool for the holy youths, and the command of God burned the Chaldeans and taught the tyrant to sing; and they said: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers.

We have not stretched out our hands to a strange god, O Master; though we have sinned against Thee, yet we have not departed from Thee, and we know no other God but Thee; therefore be gracious to us through the prayers of the Mother of God.

Behold, they have compassed us about like dogs, and fat bulls have beset us and seek to tear us apart; drive these beastlike men far away with thy rod, O Virgin Lady, from us thy servants.

O Saviour of the world, all-praised Lady, who didst bear Christ the King, preserve this city in which thou reignest, and deliver us from bitter captivity and from the onslaught of enemies.

From all the nations gathered to war against us deliver us, O Immaculate one, and from the dreadful slaughter of wicked enemies, from the tumult of their counsels and from betrayal deliver thy city, O Virgin.

Thou art a wall unshaken and indestructible and a tower that cannot be moved, and we cry to thee: Deliver us from the onslaught of the barbarians, for we flee to thee with joy, O Immaculate one, and through thee we are saved.

Thou didst pour dew from the furnace upon the three youths, and with water didst burn up the sacrifice of Elijah, for Thou, O Christ, didst swiftly fulfil Thy will; we bless Thee and exalt Thee unto the ages.

Like beasts and bloodthirsty wolves, the ravagers of thy servants have surrounded the flocks to destroy thy rational sheep; help us, O Virgin, holy Mother of God.

Countless nations, mighty in war and lovers of strife, peoples that break their oaths, have stirred up against us an unceasing war; help us swiftly, O Virgin, holy Mother of God.

Wall us about with the powers of heaven, with invisible hosts, and bring the snares of the enemies to nothing, and again help us swiftly, O Virgin, holy Mother of God.

As once Hadad rose up against Solomon, so the children of Hagar, the Ishmaelites, like that son of old, have risen up in war against thy people; help swiftly, O Virgin, holy Mother of God.

Like ravening beasts the armed warriors, trusting in their own strength, glare at thy servants; but we who hope in thee cry to thee: Help us swiftly, O Virgin, holy Mother of God.

Break the strength of their bows, turn back the barbarians that come against us, and shatter their swords and their wars, O Lady Virgin, holy Mother of God.

It is impossible for men to see God, on whom the ranks of angels dare not gaze; but through thee, O Virgin, the Word made flesh appeared to men; blessing Him with the bodiless powers, we magnify thee this day with songs.

Be strength and firmness, protector and fortifier to thy people, O all-immaculate one, and a two-edged sword to those apostate ranks; and by thy power, O Lady, cut down their host in wrath, destroy it and turn it back.

Thou art a strong wall for Christians and a tower that cannot be shaken; by thy power, O Immaculate one, bring to nothing the forces of the godless and the terrors of the barbarian princes who come against us.

As Gideon overthrew the Midianites with the help of an angel, so now send us an angel, and shatter the ranks of the barbarians, and destroy the enemies who war against us, thy servants.

The order of nature is overcome, O Lady, and what God willeth He fulfilleth in an instant — He whom thou alone didst bear beyond nature. Shatter swiftly and destroy those who war against the city, for thou canst do all things.

In thy holy temple hear the supplication of thy servants, O Virgin, and pour out the wrath of God upon the nations that know thee not, and upon the kings that call not now upon thy precious name in faith.

O holy Lady, who didst carry Christ in thine arms, spread over us thy mercy as a cloud of light, and keep unharmed this thy city, which asketh relief of thee and hath need of thy help.

O Master, Lord our God, who is like unto Thee? Or who is like unto Thee among the gods, O Lord our God? Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art mighty in mercy and good in might, and our Protector when we entreat Thee. Keep not silence, neither be still, O God, until Thou render to the proud according to their deeds. For Thine enemies have grown strong, and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head; they have taken crafty counsel against Thy people and devised evil against Thy saints, and have said: Come, and let us destroy them, that the name of Israel be remembered no more. And after this the heathen came into Thine inheritance; they defiled Thy holy temple and made Thy precious Jerusalem as a lodge for keeping fruit; they gave the dead bodies of Thy servants to be meat for the birds of the air, and the flesh of Thy saints to the beasts of the earth; they shed their blood round about Jerusalem, and there is none to bury them. How long, O Lord, shall Thy wrath burn like fire? How long wilt Thou turn Thy face from me? How long shall sinners boast? How long shall the rod of the heathen be lifted up over Thine inheritance? Woe is us, for we are brought low and made few, all of us, by the heathen. Woe for the affliction and sorrow that have come upon us from our enemies, for they have grown exceedingly strong against us, and the wounds they have dealt us lie heavy upon us. And Thou, O Lord, who art great and mighty, how long wilt Thou not have mercy on Jerusalem? Therefore we weep like Jeremiah over our ruin, for we have withered like the leaves of a tree because of our iniquities, and are counted with the dead who have gone down into hell. But we hope before Thee like Zechariah, for Thou art the God of mercy: Thou bringest to nought the counsel of the mighty and receivest the prayer of the lowly. For we have become a reproach to those near and far, who have departed from the way of righteousness and from the divine commandment, are disobedient in lawlessness, and know not the words of wisdom and of Thy providence. And the protection of God over us seemeth to them a thing to scorn. It is fitting for them to hear the sacred words which say: We who sin are chastened by the Lord. It is fitting for them to know the sacred words and to understand this. For not they alone are dead, but also those who dwell with the dead; and they are neither worthy of healing nor in need of it; but we who are found in sickness receive healing through the care of physicians, as the whole world doth for its wounds. And those who understand not why these wounds have come upon us, they too shall one day understand; for they considered, yet did not perceive. Therefore they reproach us and call us lawless, for the hope we have in Thee, our true God, they call lawlessness. For we preach Thee — the Father without beginning of the Only-begotten, and the Son, one in essence and one in nature with the Father, and the all-good Spirit — as one in essence, and we worship Thee as one power in Godhead and Kingship; therefore they are ever at war with us and call us lawless, and they understand not that these wounds come upon us for our sins, but think that they come because we are lawless. So think the foolish, and they blaspheme Thy Godhead and revile Thy providence for the life of the whole world. But deliver us, O Lord, be gracious to us, O God who lovest mankind, and have mercy on us, for Thou art a forgiving and merciful King. Rebuke us not in Thine anger, lest we perish, neither chasten us in Thy wrath, lest we become as those who were not before creation. But be with us as a mighty warrior, for none is mighty but Thee, who savest great and small. Strengthen us, O Lord our God, for we trust in Thee and hope in Thy holy name; and confirm now, O Lord, Thy word which Thou didst give us: Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. And exalt the horn of Christians; and let them be put to shame and perish, and let their might be broken and no strength be found in them any more, that all may know that Thy name is the Lord and Thou alone art Most High over all the earth. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, and to Thee, our true God and Saviour, is due worship, together with the Father without beginning and the all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Master, Lord our God, to Thee we fall down and Thee we entreat, we Thy sinful and unworthy servants: look upon the supplication of us Thy sinful and unprofitable servants, and have mercy on us, O Master; for our iniquities and sins are gone over our heads, and we are laid bare to the reproach and mockery of the heathen; the godless Hagarenes round about us scoff at us and revile us, for among them we are brought low even unto death by our sin, iniquity and defilement. Who would not weep for us for such sins of ours? Who would not lament our captivity? For all this hath come upon us for our sins, our defilement and our iniquity. Therefore we, the precious sons of Zion, are counted as earthen pitchers, the work of the potter; therefore the gold is become dim and the fine silver is changed to black; therefore we, the Nazarites of Zion, who shone like snow, are now become blacker than coal; and we who were whiter than milk are now changed beyond all blackness; and we who were brought up on soft fleece now embrace filth, for our iniquities have grown greater than those of the Sodomites. Therefore we, the children of the day and of the light, are become children of the night and of darkness; therefore we, the children of the Kingdom, are become slaves of lawless enemies and unbelieving heathen. For we have sinned before Thee and done iniquity, we have wrought falsehood and transgressed the commandment of the Lord our God. But deliver us not up utterly, for Thy holy name’s sake, O Lord; neither make void Thy covenant, nor take away Thy mercy from us, for the sake of Thy great mercy, our Father who art in heaven, by the mercy of Thine only-begotten Son and by the mercy of Thy Holy Spirit. Remember not our sins and iniquities, but let Thy tender mercies speedily prevent us, O Lord, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God our Saviour, for the glory of Thy name; O Lord, deliver us and forgive us our sins for Thy name’s sake. Accept the confession of us Thy sinful and unprofitable servants, for the sake of the precious and holy blood of Thy Son and our Lord Jesus Christ, which He shed for the life of the world, and of His holy apostles and martyrs, who struggled for Thy name and shed their blood, and of the holy prophets, fathers and patriarchs, who struggled well for Thy name; by their intercession disregard not our supplication, O Lord, and deliver us not up utterly, for we are without hope because of our many sins, but we hope in Thy mercy, which Thou didst promise to our race in Thy love for mankind. We fall down before Thy goodness and entreat it: cast us not away from Thy face, and turn not away from us because of our unworthiness, but have mercy on us according to Thy great mercy, and in the multitude of Thy compassions forgive our sins and our iniquities. Yea, O Master Almighty, hear the voice of the supplication of us sinners and be a helper to Thy people: strengthen the warriors in the time of battle, wall them about and shelter them, as Thou gavest strength to Joshua the son of Nun and to Thy prophet David against the enemies that rose up against them. So now also, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, strengthen and help this Thy people, upon whom Thy holy name is called; for beside Thee we know no other, and we call upon Thy name to help us. Thou art He who doeth every good thing for all, and from Thee we ask for help. Look down from heaven, O Lord, and behold the house of Thy holiness and of Thy glory: where is Thy zeal and Thy strength? Where is the multitude of Thy benefits and the riches of Thy mercy? For Thou alone art our God, and Thy holy name is called upon us. Look, O Lord, upon these Thy servants, and upon Thy holy Church, and upon all Thy saints from the ages; for our enemies have trodden down Thy sanctuary, and we are become as those who were not before; we are all become unclean, and all our righteousness before Thee is as filthy rags; as unclean things we have fallen like the leaves of the trees, and there is none that calleth upon Thy name and confesseth Thee and becometh our helper; for Thou hast hid Thy face from us and delivered us, for our sins, iniquities and defilements, to our proud enemies and to the unbelieving heathen. And now, O Lord our God, be not wroth with us very sore. For if Thou rend the heavens, all the mountains shall tremble before Thee, and shall be burned with fire, and our adversaries shall wither, and Thy name shall be dreadful among the heathen; and our eyes shall see no other God but Thee. And now, O Master, look down from heaven, and behold, and save us for Thy holy name’s sake; deliver us from our godless enemies, set us free from their snares, counsels and traps, and take not from us the power and help of Thy might. For we cannot stand against our enemies; but Thou art mighty, our Saviour, and our Deliverer from our apostate and unbelieving enemies. Strengthen this Thy people, wall about our warriors with Thy might, and strengthen them in the time of battle, that they may overcome, crush and cast down the godless barbarians and the unbelieving Hagarenes, our enemies, by Thy name, lest the heathen say: Where is their God? Through the intercessions of our all-blessed Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and of all Thy saints.