Festal Service to the Wonderworking Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Unexpected Joy”
We sing “Blessed is the man”, the first antiphon.
At “Lord, I have cried”
the stichera on 8, Tone 5:
O Lord Almighty, Thou hast shown a glorious wonder to all Thy faithful, for not only upon Thy sweetest Mother, Mary the Theotokos, but also upon her most pure icon painted on a board hast Thou bestowed this wondrous power and grace of working miracles, that we who boast in her and set all our hope on her may never be put to shame, and may praise Thy might.
Come, ye faithful, and let us stand about the precious icon of the all-holy Mother, the Bestower of unexpected joy; let us kiss it with love and sing: Rejoice, all-holy Virgin; rejoice, Mother of God Most High; rejoice, Deliverer and Protectress of the sinners who flee to thee; be now the intercessor of those who honour thee.
We fall down before thee, O Theotokos, beholding thy holy icon with love, and we cry to thee: Have mercy on us, O good Mother, as thou hadst mercy on that sinful man who ever prayed before thine icon, saying the words of the archangel: “Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee!”
As of old thou didst not abhor the sinner who prayed many times before thy precious icon, but didst grant him the unexpected joy of repentance, having made thy Son and God merciful toward him, so now grant us contrition of heart and the knowledge of our own sins.
O most glorious wonder! When that man was hastening to commit iniquity, he prayed as was his custom before thine icon, and was struck with terror, seeing thine image and that of thy Child moving as though alive, while on the hands and feet of the divine Child wounds opened, as upon the Cross of His Passion.
When the lawless man saw the stream of blood flowing from the wounds of thy Son who is without beginning, he cried out to thee in fear, as to His Mother: “O Lady, who hath done this?” And lo, thou didst say to him in a sorrowful voice: “All you sinners, like the Jews, crucify my Son anew.”
When the sinner cried out, “Have mercy on me, O merciful Mother!”, thou didst answer: “Thou callest me a merciful Mother, yet thou dost ever fill me with sorrow”; and the wretched man fell down before thee and cried: “No, O Lady, let not my sin overcome thine ineffable grace and mercy, for thou art the hope of all sinners; entreat for me thy Son and my God.”
Then thou didst raise a prayer, O most blessed Mother: “My Son and my God, for love of me have mercy on this sinner and forgive all his evil deeds.” And lo, thy sweetest voice and intercession before God stirred repentance in that sinner, and unexpected joy was granted him from thine icon, which delivered him from perdition.
Glory…
O good Mother, when the dwellers of the Kingdom heard of the deliverance of the lost sinner by thy prayer, they magnified the compassionate Lady of heaven and earth; and we too, having heard of this wonder, will not cease to entreat thee: may thy Son and God, Jesus Christ, grant us also now the remission of sins through thine intercession.
Both now…
O glorious appearing of thine icon, which shineth with wonders and appeareth as a calm haven to those who sail amid the billows of the sea of this world, and through thee guardeth sinners who repent before God! The faithful have named it the Bestower of Unexpected Joy.
The reading from Genesis, chapter 28 (10–17)
And Jacob went forth from the well of the oath, and departed into Charrhan. And came to a certain place and slept there, for the sun had gone down; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it at his head, and lay down to sleep in that place, and dreamed, and behold a ladder fixed on the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended on it. And the Lord stood upon it, and said, I am the God of thy father Abraam, and the God of Isaac; fear not, the land on which thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the sand of the earth; and it shall spread abroad to the sea, and the south, and the north, and to the east; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed. And behold I am with thee to preserve thee continually in all the way wherein thou shalt go; and I will bring thee back to this land; for I will not desert thee, until I have done all that I have said to thee. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said, The Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How fearful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
The reading from Exodus, chapter 3 (1–5)
And Moses was feeding the flock of Jothor his father-in-law, the priest of Madiam; and he brought the sheep nigh to the wilderness, and came to the mount of Choreb. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him in flaming fire out of the bush, and he sees that the bush burns with fire,—but the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will go near and see this great sight, why the bush is not consumed. And when the Lord saw that he drew nigh to see, the Lord called him out of the bush, saying, Moses, Moses; and he said, What is it? And he said, Draw not nigh hither: loose thy sandals from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
The reading from Exodus, chapter 13 (18–22)
And God led the people round by the way to the wilderness, to the Red Sea: and in the fifth generation the children of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had solemnly adjured the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones hence with you. And the children of Israel departed from Socchoth, and encamped in Othom by the wilderness. And God led them, in the day by a pillar of cloud, to show them the way, and in the night by a pillar of fire. And the pillar of cloud failed not by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, before all the people.
O Virgin Theotokos, mighty Helper, now every believer boasteth and rejoiceth in thee, for he hath thee as an intercessor who never putteth to shame, an indestructible wall, an unshakeable foundation and an unsleeping guardian; wherefore cease not, O Lady, by thine entreaties ever to deliver the sinful man; and all who trust in thee thou deliverest from enemies visible and invisible.
Grant hope to thy servants who are in temptations, and exalt the horn of the faithful, O Lady; by thine entreaties deliver this our people and all the cities and villages of Georgia, strengthen in their ministry all the orders of priests and monastics, be the protectress of all the faithful who praise thee, and deliver us from drowning in sins.
Thine all-holy icon, O Virgin Theotokos, is the bestower of unexpected joy; drawing near to it and worshipping thee with fear and faith, O immaculate one, we kiss thine image, and draw forth the grace of healings, and are set free from infirmities of soul and body.
Truly thy love for Christians surpasseth the mind of man, O Theotokos, for thou didst not weary of interceding for a lawless man, showing a wonder through thine icon and stirring repentance in his heart; so now help us also, the unworthy, and deliver us from the deceit of the devil and from the guile of men.
Beholding thee as the unwavering intercessor for sinners, O Mother of God Most High, and the softener of hardened souls, now with tears alone we sing thy praise and entreat thee: Since thou hast mercy ineffable, set us free from all afflictions and sins.
As by thine intercession thou didst deliver those who trust in thee, O Mother of God, and didst dispel all their sorrows, and didst deliver them from the guile of evil men, so now also guide our life aright, and rescue us from all unrighteousness and evil.
As thou didst intercede with many prayers for the man who ever sinned yet loved thine icon, so now we too, beset by temptations, sing to thee with love and offer thee this hymn: Rejoice, thou who by thy holy icon consolest us all; rejoice, boast and stronghold of all; rejoice, saviour of our souls.
Glory… Both now…
Bestowing unexpected joy upon thy faithful, thou hast given to us also now this thy wonderworking icon, a helper in afflictions, a consolation in sorrows, a healer in sicknesses and a deliverer from passions; and it bestoweth great mercy upon all the faithful.
Today we sing the glorification of thine all-praised icon, O all-holy one, and we celebrate thine intercession; for thou, the Mother of Life, entreatest thy Son, Christ the King, for us who have set our firm hope on thee, O true Guide of our life.
Verse: I will make mention of thy name in every generation and generation.
O our Lady Theotokos, who receivest the prayers of all Christians, and turnest not away even from the supplication of a desperate sinner, but didst intercede for him with thy Son, and didst grant unexpected joy by loosing the bonds of sin: by thine intercession may we also now receive the mercy of God.
Verse: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear.
Behold, thine icon, O Mother of God, hath appeared to us for the cleansing of sinners, for it stretcheth out a helping hand to all who flee to thee with faith and hope and cry out with one heart and one mouth: Shelter us, O Lady, from all afflictions and temptations.
Glory…
O ineffable goodness, O Lady! For by thine entreaties thou swiftly turnest away the wrath that justly cometh upon us, and through this thy holy icon thou ever healest all sicknesses of soul and body.
Both now…
Rejoice, thou who hast made the joy of all the world to spring forth, O immaculate Mother of God, for thou offerest to God thy fervent prayer for us, and deliverest us from all afflictions and sorrows, and fulfillest our good petitions.
— “Lord, now lettest Thou”.
— After “Our Father”:
Today we the faithful keep festival and rejoice in spirit, magnifying the fervent intercessor of the Christian race, and fleeing to her holy icon we cry out: O all-merciful Lady Theotokos, grant unexpected joy to us who have fallen into sins and sorrows; entreat thy Son to deliver us from every evil and to save our souls. (Thrice).
— The blessing of the loaves.
“God is the Lord”
The troparion of the feast twice; Glory… Both now… and the troparion (the same)
After the first kathisma, the sessional hymn, Tone 1:
The wonders of thine all-radiant icon spread unexpected joy upon all the faithful, and grant to those who trust in it an unsleeping guardian and deliverer from troubles; wherefore we sing to thee, O all-holy one: Ever shelter us with thy protection.
Glory… Both now…
O Helper of all who call upon thy holy name, who turnest sinners to the right path, O all-holy Theotokos, be an intercessor for us sinners.
After the second kathisma, the sessional hymn, Tone 3:
Cast not away us, thy lowly servants, who bring unworthy supplications before thine all-holy icon, that, having fled the pathless wastes of error, we may be led by thee to the eternal dwelling.
Glory… Both now…
Today the faithful rejoice and weave many hymns, honouring with love this thy holy icon, which by the dawn of the knowledge of God enlighteneth those who piously sing its praise.
Before the Magnification, the sessional hymn, Tone 8:
Who shall recount thy mighty deeds, O Theotokos? For by the wonder of thine icon thou hast filled all the Orthodox with amazement, having softened the heart of an evil man; and we, enlightened by the radiance of thy mercy, sing to thee as the intercessor of our life.
Glory… Both now…
O all-holy Bride, enlighten and sanctify my thought and my soul, I entreat thee, and drive away the mist of my folly and the darkness of my sins, that I may sing thy praise worthily, O incorrupt one.
The Magnification
We magnify thee, O all-holy Virgin, Maiden chosen of God, and we honour thy holy icon, through which thou pourest forth healing upon all who flee to thee with faith. (Thrice).
The Anabathmoi, the first antiphon of Tone 4;
The prokeimenon and the Gospel (see 8 September)
After Psalm 50, the sticheron after the Gospel.
The bestowal of wondrous mercy upon a lawless man was proclaimed to us by Saint Demetrius of Rostov, who, gathering the great and glorious works of God, set down in writing the deliverance of that man through thee, for the edification and hope of all the faithful, that those who are in sins, sorrows and afflictions may fall on their knees before this thine icon, O Theotokos, and entreat thy help before God.
Irmos: The wonder-working rod of Moses of old, striking in the form of the Cross and dividing the Red Sea, drowned Pharaoh the charioteer and saved Israel, who fled across on foot singing a song to the Lord, for He hath been gloriously glorified.
As a sign of thy guidance thou didst appear to him who walked in the way of sin, and didst deliver him from perdition; now accept from us also, O Lady, this lowly supplication, and grant me deliverance from my sins.
The divine grace that floweth from thine icon, O Mother of God, consumeth the camp of the iconoclasts, and spreadeth the sweet light of victories upon us the faithful and strengtheneth us.
Heal, O Theotokos, from sickness of body and from sin of soul those who trust in thee and fall down before thine icon, for thou alone, O Lady, art glorified in all the earth.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Behold, the most beautiful copies of thine icon, multiplied throughout all Christendom, have been set up with great honour in the churches — as a help and consolation in sorrows, a healing of sicknesses and a deliverance from passions.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Held fast in afflictions and trials, make me worthy of thy visitation and care, O Theotokos, for thou, who didst bear the good God, art good and merciful.
Irmos: O Lord, who didst fix the vault of heaven and art the Builder of the Church, establish us in Thy love, Thou summit of all joy and strength of the faithful, who alone lovest mankind.
Establish my heart in hope in thee, and remove all insolence and pride from my darkened mind, that I may cry out: O immaculate one, there is none holy as the Lord, and none righteous beyond our God.
Thou art the surety for the deliverance of sinners before God, and thou raisest the fallen, and deliverest those who trust in thee from all sorrows and sins; now raise me up, wretched as I am, and remove me, a poor man, from the corruption of sin.
Beholding this thine icon with the eyes of the body, we lift up mind and heart to heaven and entreat thee: Look upon us in mercy, O Theotokos, and deliver us from famine, fire, sword and afflictions.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
By the power of thy prayer before thy Son and God, as thou didst fill that sinful man with gladness, so now deliver us also from the snares of sin and quench the flame of our passions.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
By cruel pains and evil passions am I tried; help me, O Virgin, Physician of our souls and bodies, for the assemblies of the faithful know thee as the treasury of all good things and the destroyer of sicknesses.
That lawless man was struck with terror at the fearful vision when he fell down before thine icon in prayer, and by thy grace from then on he changed his life to be pleasing to God; help us also, that, beholding these divine works, we may withdraw from earthly vanity and, lifting mind and heart to heaven, may send up praise to the all-holy Trinity.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Today the radiant feast is come, O Lady, of thy holy icon that bestoweth unexpected joy upon all; all the Orthodox rejoice, for all behold thy motherly mercy in heaven and on earth, and they entreat thee for deliverance from all sins, temptations and evils.
Irmos: Thou art my God, O Christ, Thou art my strength, Thou art my Lord and the boast of my life, who didst not leave the bosom of the Father in heaven and didst appear to my lowliness; therefore with the prophet Habakkuk let us say: Glory to Thy power, O Lover of mankind.
O blessed among women, Mary the Theotokos, as of old thou didst show wondrous protection to that sinful man and didst put the devil to shame, so now forget us not, O good Lady, and deliver all who flee to thine icon from every temptation that cometh upon them.
When the angels, the guardians of Christians, saw how by prayer thou didst help that man who was bent on perishing, and didst guide him on the path of the commandments of Christ, they rejoiced and called thee blessed, as more honourable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim.
As of old many were adorned by the grace of thine icon, so shall our people shine brighter than the light of the sun by thy grace, for these wondrous copies of it become as fountains of immortality for the sick and infirm, and bestowers of great mercies upon all.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Understanding the holiness and majesty of this thine icon, we entreat thee: Look now, O sweet Mother of Christ the King, upon the people chosen by thee, and be pleased to make us grow and multiply, and to fill us with the spirit of wisdom, of mutual love and of divine understanding.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou art my strength and my power, O Theotokos, for in the day of my sorrow I shall find rest through thee, and through thee I shall be raised from this world to the heavenly inheritance, and shall rejoice with the King and God, my Deliverer.
Irmos: Why hast Thou cast me away from Thy face, O Light that never setteth, and why hath the impenetrable darkness covered me? But look upon me and direct my ways to the light of Thy commandments, I pray Thee.
Behold, O holy one, thy people, thy flock, who have risen early from the night and stand about thy renowned icon, the “Bestower of Unexpected Joy”, asking for the forgiveness of sins and communion in divine glory.
With spiritual songs we venerate thy divine icon and ask for forgiveness and the salvation of our souls; and do thou, O Lady, Bride unwedded, as our Physician, grant us all these things.
Now that thy wonderworking icon hath appeared to us, O Lady, as a deliverer from sin and lawlessness, we too rejoice and entreat thee: Grant us the grace to discern good from evil.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Cast us not away from thy face, O Mother of the Unwaning Light, for we have thee as a fervent intercessor, a great refuge, a firm protectress, a fellow-champion and overseer.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
As a river of sweetness, a fullness of the stream, a manna from heaven, an abundance and a grace ever springing forth have we who dwell in this monastery gained thee, O Maiden, and we sing of thy childbearing.
Irmos: I will pour out my prayer unto the Lord, and to Him will I declare my sorrows; for my soul is filled with evils, and my life hath drawn nigh unto hades; and like Jonah I cry: Bring me up, O my God.
Help speedily, O holy and ineffable Mother of the Son of God, and until the end of the age preserve Iberia and the people of Iberia, whom thou hast chosen, and deliver them from bondage to demons and from the service of idols.
The abyss of unworthy transgressions hath encompassed me, and my soul is drowning; but give me, O Lady, thy mighty arm, and as thou didst that sinful man, so keep me also unharmed, who flee to thine icon.
Thou drivest away the assaults of temptations and dost dissolve the onslaughts of the passions, O all-holy Theotokos our Mother, Hope of the despairing and unexpected Joy of sinners, that we may sing to thee: “Glory to thy help, O Mother of God.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Leave me not to sink in the abyss of iniquity, O Lady, but lead me up out of the mire of the passions, that my life may be removed from corruption, and I may offer thee a song of thanksgiving.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Bearing this defiled temple of the body, I boldly flee to the all-pure temple of the eternal Word, to offer my lowly supplications before thy holy icon; but do thou, as merciful, cleanse me by thy compassion.
We have no other help, we have no other hope but thee, O Theotokos. Help us, O Lady, for in thee we hope and in thee we boast; we are thy servants: let us not be put to shame.
Another kontakion, Tone 8:
Labouring for Christians according to the dispensation of thy Son, at thy falling asleep thou wast taken up into heaven in thy most pure body, yet thou didst not depart from the earth, nor dost thou forsake sinners, but through thy wonderworking icon thou deliverest from perdition and bestowest unexpected joy.
Ikos, Tone 8:
Entrust me not to human protection, O most holy Theotokos, but accept the supplication of thy servant: for sorrows surround me, and I cannot endure the arrows of the demons; I have no shelter to flee to, wretched and ever overcome as I am, and no consolation but thee, O Lady of the world, the only hope and protection of the faithful: disregard not my prayer, but look upon it in mercy and fulfil it for good.
Irmos: The Hebrew youths walked boldly upon the fire in the furnace and, bedewed, cried aloud, saying: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, unto the ages.
Thine all-holy icon, the “Unexpected Joy”, is a healing for the faithful, and we too venerate it with reverence, O immaculate one, and are set free from infirmities.
We have sinned before God and have become partakers of lawlessness; but, O our Lady Theotokos, as our good Mother and protectress, quench the fire of divine wrath.
With divine songs, O Virgin Theotokos, we venerate thy divine icon and ask for forgiveness and the salvation of our souls, as from the surety of our salvation.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The divine grace that cometh forth from thine icon, O Mother of God, consumeth the camp of the iconoclasts, and spreadeth the sweet light of victories upon us the faithful and strengtheneth us.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sick I lie upon a bed of pains, and there is no healing for my flesh and bones, O Virgin who didst bear the Physician of sicknesses: raise me up from corruption.
Irmos: He who spoke with Moses on the mountain through the bush showed forth an image of the birth without harm from the Virgin; Him let us all bless and supremely exalt unto the ages.
The choir of angels singeth thy praise, O all-holy Virgin, and the race of men exalteth thee; and we now have unwavering faith in thee and entreat thee: Keep our people, that our countless enemies may not rejoice.
We cry to thee, O Lady: O sweet Mother of Christ the King, be the protectress of our land, the joy of all Christians and the pledge of eternal salvation.
Monks and laymen alike sing thy praise, O immaculate one, and bless thee as the good Lady, who makest a river of wonders to spring forth by the grace of this thy wonderworking icon.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As thine icon spreadeth unfailing graces over all the earth, O immaculate one, we kiss it with longing, reverence and love, and entreat thee: O Lady, grant peace and tranquillity to all the Orthodox.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
There is no measure of breadth, depth or height whither the mighty help of thy right hand hath not reached, O Mother of God; trusting in it, the youths bless, the priests praise and the peoples exalt thy Son unto the ages.
Irmos: Heaven was amazed at this, and the ends of the earth marvelled, that God appeared bodily to men, and thy womb became more spacious than the heavens; therefore, O Theotokos, the ranks of angels and of men magnify thee, as is meet.
The all-holy Theotokos, who hath regarded our lowliness and shown us an abyss of mercy by the appearing of her wondrous icon, now beautifully adorneth the Church of Christ as a bride, and calleth all to keep the feast in spirit.
Thine all-holy icon driveth away the demons, for, unable to look upon its power, they flee and are drowned; but we venerate and kiss it with love, and magnify thee, the Theotokos, without ceasing.
Come, all, let us worship and fall down before the holy icon of the Mother of Christ, through which we the faithful have seen many signs and wonders, and all who honour it receive from it countless grace, blessing and great mercy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Neither the tongue of men nor that of angels can worthily sing thy praise, for thou art more honourable than all creation and more glorious than all things on earth; but, O Lady, accept from us this supplication, and save us always, for we set our hope on thee.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Now, O all-holy and immaculate Virgin, still the assaults of the wicked and bring their counsels to nought, and establish peace and love among the Orthodox peoples, that we who have set our hope on thee may never be put to shame.
The Dayspring from on high hath visited us and, as an all-radiant dawn, hath given us His all-holy Mother; and thou becomest the intercessor of sinners, O Theotokos, and grantest unexpected joy to all in their sorrows.
O most glorious wonder! Willing to deliver that man from his lawless life, thou didst show him a fearful vision from thy precious icon, O blessed one, that he might repent and, raised by thy mercy from the depth of sin, might ever thank and glorify the Lord.
O thy providence for us, O Lady! For in mercy thou hast given us thy blessed icon as an unsleeping guardian; now turn all our sorrow into joy, and deliver us from the assaults of all enemies and ill-wishers.
Singing of thine ineffable motherly mercy toward a sinful man, we the faithful praise thee as the firm intercessor of sinners, and entreat thee: In temptations and in the furnace of afflictions sprinkle us also, O Mother of God, with the dew of thy grace.
Fulfil in thy mercy, O incorrupt one, the words thou didst speak concerning those who fell to thy lot, and entreat thy Son and our Creator to deliver us from all enemies and enviers and to give peace to our life.
Now pour out thy mercies once more upon our race, O Lady, and be a Mother to us, that our enemies may be put to shame and all may know that we, the Georgian race, are thy portion.
O all-holy and merciful one, Helper of Christians, ask mercy for us from thy Son and God, that we may not perish without mercy and without repentance, but may ever give thee thanks with joy beneath thy protection and ever glorify our Saviour God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O blessed Mother and Virgin, we fall down with love before thine icon, before which that lawless man fervently made his prayer; and thou didst swiftly work that marvellous wonder and entreat thy Son for him, and He swiftly heard thy supplication and forgave the sins of the man moved to repentance; wherefore we too entreat thee, as our great intercessor, that Christ, as the Lover of mankind, may forgive us our sins.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Great Doxology, and the Dismissal.
At the Liturgy: see 8 (21) September.
Compiled by the psalm-reader Tinatin Mchedlishvili.
For the salvation of my kin: the psalm-reader Tamar; Mikheil, Ketevan; Shalva; Natalia; Aleksi; Nutsa-Nino; Zaliko; Giorgi; Davit; Irina; Marina; Davit.
For health: Tinatin, Zurab; Nona; Davit; Archil; Marina; Irodi; Natia; Nana; Maia; Mzia; Lia — with their families
