Paraklesis to the Holy Great-martyr Bidzina and the Holy Martyrs Shalva and Elizbar, Eristavis of Ksani
Priest: Blessed is our God…
And if a layman, he says: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who art everywhere present and fillest all things with Thy grace, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, deliver us and release us from our sins; O Master, pardon our iniquities; O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Priest: For Thine is the kingdom…
Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O come, let us worship God our King. O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and God. O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God.
O Lord, attend to my prayer: hearken to my supplication in thy truth; hear me in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has brought my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in a dark place, as those that have been long dead. Therefore my spirit was grieved in me; my heart was troubled within me. I remembered the days of old; and I meditated on all thy doings: yea, I meditated on the works of thine hands. I spread forth my hands to thee; my soul thirsts for thee, as a dry land. Pause. Hear me speedily, O Lord; my spirit has failed; turn not away thy face from me, else I shall be like to them that go down to the pit. Cause me to hear thy mercy in the morning; for I have hoped in thee; make known to me, O Lord, the way wherein I should walk; for I have lifted up my soul to thee. Deliver me from mine enemies, O Lord; for I have fled to thee for refuge. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God; thy good Spirit shall guide me in the straight way. Thou shalt quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake; in thy righteousness thou shalt bring my soul out of affliction. And in thy mercy thou wilt destroy mine enemies, and wilt destroy all those that afflict my soul; for I am thy servant.
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, 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 the nations compassed me about, and in the name of the Lord I withstood them. 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.
O ye strugglers of the Lord, blessed is the earth that was enriched by your blood, and holy the tomb that received your bodies; for in the arena ye made the enemy powerless and boldly preached Christ God: entreat Him, as He is good, to have mercy on our souls.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We will never cease, O Theotokos, we the unworthy, from speaking of thy mighty acts; for hadst thou not stood before us to intercede, who would have kept us free until now? We will not depart from thee, O Lady, for thou ever savest thy servants from all misfortunes.
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.
Irmos: The multitude of chariots with their horsemen was cast into the depth of the Red Sea by the strength of His arm; the Israelites were saved by Christ and sang anew the song of victory.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
Ye shine with the light of the all-holy Trinity, as invincible martyrs and helpers of the Church of Christ: save them that sing to you with zeal.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
As rational lambs and rams, slain of your own will and mercilessly cut to pieces, ye were offered, O martyrs, to Christ God, and made radiant, O all-praised ones, the Church of the Iberians.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
By the valour of your struggles and by confessing Christ God, O blessed ones, ye showed all men the invincible courage of your martyrdom, whereby the deceiver was wounded.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The choir of the prophets foreshadowed thee as a divine mountain and an impassable gate; therefore we entreat thee: open unto us the divine doors of repentance, O Virgin.
Irmos: O Thou who didst found the earth upon the waters and didst give it abundant fruitfulness, establish Thy Church, O Christ, upon the unshaken rock of Thy commandments, O Thou who alone art good and lovest mankind.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
ვნებას მისრულთა სანატრელთა მოწამეთა, დაცვისათვის სჯულისა თქუენისა საწერტელნი უფლისანი მიიღეთ და უარყავით შჯული მაჰმადისა. აწ მგალობელნი თქუენნი მტერისა საფრხისაგან დაგვიცევით მარადის მეოხებითა თქუენითა.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
When they pierced thy belly and cut thee through the middle and slew thee mercilessly with the sword like a sheep, then together with thy companions thou didst find, O wondrous Bidzina, that which ye longed to reach, where there is no sorrow but joy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The wounds of your bodies and the sense of pain gained you as an inheritance that radiant eternal delight, O martyrs, wherein ye rejoice and grant to all who entreat you with faith healing of souls and health of bodies.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou who standest at the right hand of Christ as a Queen clothed in golden raiment, ask for us the Kingdom of heaven by thine intercession, O all-holy Virgin.
Deliver thy servants from dangers, O most holy Virgin Theotokos, for after God we all flee unto thee, as to an unbreakable wall and protection.
Look upon us, O all-praised Theotokos, and heal the grievous wounds of our bodies and the sicknesses of our souls.
Priest: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great mercy, we pray Thee, O Lover of mankind, hearken and have mercy.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Priest: Again we pray for our God-protected people and its sovereignty (for its Christ-loving authorities and armed forces).
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Priest: Again we pray for the Most Holy and Most Blessed Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi, the great lord, our father (name), and for the most reverend (the local bishop is commemorated), and for all our brethren in Christ.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Priest: Again let us pray to the Lord our God that He may have mercy on the servant or handmaid (here name those for whom you are praying). Multiply, O Lord, the days and years of their life, and deliver them, O Lord, from every affliction, wrath and distress, and from every wound of soul and body, and forgive them every transgression, voluntary and involuntary.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Priest: Again we pray for all Orthodox Christians.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Priest: For Thou art a merciful God who lovest mankind, and unto Thee we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
The steadfast and all-radiant company of the three martyrs, confessing the thrice-radiant Godhead, cried out at the judgment seat of the shah: Our blood and our soul, with our body, we offer to Thee, O Master, as a spotless sacrifice; number us also with Thy firstborn in heaven, as the merciful God.
Irmos: Habakkuk heard of Thy glorious coming, O Christ, and marvelled, and with fear he cried: Thou hast come forth for the salvation of Thy people, to save Thine anointed.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
განჰკვირდეს მძლავრნი სიმხნესა თქუენსა, და გულის წყრომითა აღიძრეს ფრიად, და უწყალოდ დაგჭრეს და დაგაწყლულეს, ბრძენნო, უარისყოფისათვის მაჰმადის სჯულისა.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
Neither torment nor the cutting off of limbs could separate you from Christ, O martyrs; but ye gained a soul unbending in endurance and overcame the boasting of the tyrants,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Ye put off this mortal flesh and put on from above the radiant garment of immortality; now look upon them that trust in you, O valiant ones, and deliver us from every affliction.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Help me, O holy Theotokos, who am ever drowned in the pleasures of the flesh and groan every day as I lie upon the bed of despondency.
Irmos: O Thou who clothest Thyself with light as with a garment, to Thee I flee and to Thee I cry: Enlighten my darkened soul, for Thou alone art plenteous in mercy.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
Ye struggled radiantly, O invincible shield-bearers, and were numbered with the good and valiant hosts of the martyrs of Christ: by your intercession shelter us, the faithful.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
Ye appeared on earth as unsetting luminaries in the radiance of your labours, O far-famed and illustrious ones, and by the lightning of your courage ye dispelled the darkness of deception.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Like stars ye shine in your fatherland, O ye of many struggles, and ye shelter it from all the devices and wiles of this tyrant enemy.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
He whom the mind cannot grasp clothed Himself in flesh, O thou full of grace, and took thee for His own dwelling and saved mankind.
Irmos: The waves have compassed me about, and the belly of the whale hath become my tomb, and I cry to Thee: Deliver me, O Lover of mankind, and save me, O most merciful Lord.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
Come, let us all sing with the blessed Georgian tongue to Bidzina who was cut to pieces, to the godly Shalva and to the all-glorious Elizbar, helpers inseparable and invincible.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
Thy blood and the blood of the eristavis slain with thee crieth to God, O wondrous Bidzina: be intercessors before the King for them that remember you, who praise you, O blessed ones.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Quench the furnace of afflictions and sorrows, still the billows of temptations, and drive away every array of evil spirits from them that sing to you, O valiant soldiers of Christ.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
A sword pierced thy heart when thou didst behold thy Son upon the Cross, O spotless Virgin, and His divine side wounded by the spear, and thou didst lament bitterly.
Deliver from temptations them that ever hope in thy holiness, O venerable and wonderworking father Gregory, for after God we all flee to thee as to an unbreachable wall and intercession.
Look upon us, O all-praised Theotokos, and heal the grievous wounds of our bodies and the sicknesses of our souls.
Priest: Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord…
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Help us, save us, have mercy on us and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Calling to remembrance our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-Virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and all our life unto Christ our God.
Choir: To Thee, O Lord.
Priest: For Thou art the King of peace and the Saviour of our souls, and unto Thee we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Choir: Amen.
Wounded with longing for the King, he did not shrink from the torment of his flesh, being cut limb from limb like James; therefore come, ye assemblies of the faithful, let us weave praise for Bidzina, who is worthy of praise, that he may intercede with Christ for us all.
Rejoice, O martyrs, who received a second baptism in your blood, and cleansed your souls, and became fragrant, O comely flowers and radiance of the faithful, Elizbar and Shalva, intercessors and guardians of our souls.
Priest: Let us attend. Wisdom. Prokeimenon, Tone 4
God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.
Verse: The saints shall boast in glory and shall rejoice upon their beds.
Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: For holy art Thou, O our God, who restest in the saints, and unto Thee we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.
Verse: Praise God in His saints; praise Him in the firmament of His power.
Priest: And that He may make us worthy to hear the holy Gospel, let us pray to the Lord our God.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Priest: Wisdom! Aright! Let us hear the holy Gospel. Peace be unto all.
Choir: And to thy spirit.
Priest: The reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.
Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.
Priest: Let us attend.
The Lord said to His disciples, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Through the intercessions of the holy martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, O Merciful One, blot out the multitude of our transgressions.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Merciful One, blot out the multitude of our transgressions.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression, and have mercy on me, O God.
Sticheron: O martyrs crowned with victory, Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, entreat Christ God to keep us unharmed from the many snares of enemies invisible and visible, to grant peace to the world and to His people, to establish the holy Church and to save our souls.
Priest: O God, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance; visit Thy world with mercy and compassion; exalt the horn of Orthodox Christians and send down upon us Thy rich mercies, through the intercessions of our all-holy Lady Theotokos and ever-Virgin Mary; by the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, by the power of the Cross of the vine; through the protection of the honourable bodiless Powers of heaven; of the honourable and glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John; of the holy prophet Elijah the Tishbite and righteous Enoch; of the holy, glorious and all-praised foremost apostles Peter and Paul; of the holy apostle Thomas and the apostles who enlightened Georgia, Andrew the First-called, Simon the Canaanite and Matthias; of our holy mother, the virgin Nino, equal to the apostles; of the holy King Mirian and Queen Nana, equal to the apostles; of our fathers among the saints, the great ecumenical teachers and hierarchs Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom; of our father among the saints Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the wonderworker; of the holy, glorious and victorious martyrs: the holy great-martyr George the Trophy-bearer and the holy great virgin-martyr Barbara; of the holy glorious martyrs David and Constantine, princes of Argveti; of our holy and venerable father John of Zedazeni and his twelve disciples; of the holy priest-martyr Neophytus of Urbnisi; of the holy, glorious and victorious martyr Shalva of Akhaltsikhe; of the holy martyrs, the six thousand monks of Gareja; of the holy hundred thousand martyrs slain in Tbilisi by the Khwarezmians for the veneration of the icons; of the God-wise and blessed fathers Hilarion the Georgian, Serapion of Zarzma and Gregory of Khandzta; of our venerable and God-bearing fathers Gabriel, John, Euthymius and George of the Holy Mountain; of the holy victorious kings and queens Archil, Demetrius, Luarsab, Shushanik and Ketevan; of our holy, pious and great kings Vakhtang Gorgasali, Ashot the Kuropalates, David the Builder and Solomon; of the holy and right-believing Queen Tamar; of holy Ilia the Righteous; of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna; of the holy great-martyr Bidzina and the holy glorious martyrs Shalva and Elizbar, eristavis of Ksani, and of all Thy saints, we entreat Thee, O most merciful God: hearken to the supplication of us sinners, and have mercy on us.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (12 times)
Priest: Through the mercies and compassions and love for mankind of Thine Only-begotten Son, with whom Thou art blessed, together with Thine all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Irmos: The most exalted God of our fathers quenched the blazing furnace for the youths, and they cried aloud: O God, blessed art Thou.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
Let us all now praise the three glorious martyrs, as those who are strengthened by them, and let us sing to the thrice-radiant Godhead: “O God, blessed art Thou.”
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
Ye set your mind courageously in array against the enemies, ye loosed all their deception, and, receiving victory from on high, ye cried with one mind: “O God, blessed art Thou.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O three all-praised and invincible martyrs, ye quenched the flame of deception, and, bedewed in godly wise with the dew of heaven, ye sang: “O God, blessed art Thou.”
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Through thee, O radiant cloud, there dawned upon us the unwaning Sun, Christ our God, who enlighteneth them that are in the darkness of ignorance, O Theotokos.
Irmos: To Thee, the only Creator of all, the youths cried aloud a spiritual hymn: All ye works, sing to the Lord and exalt Him unto the ages.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
ძმებრივითა გონებითა ერთად შეკრებულთა შეჰმუსრეთ კრებული იგი უშჯულოთაი და მადლობისა ხმითა უგალობეთ ზეცათა მეუფესა: „აღგამა-ღლებთ შენ, ღმერთო, უკუნისამდე“.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
By your wondrous and all-wise words, O valiant ones, ye overthrew the insolence of the tyrant and cried out: “We exalt Thee, O God, unto the ages.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Cruelly stretched out, cut limb from limb and covered with wounds on every side, thou didst lift up thine eyes to the Saviour, O valiant Bidzina, and didst cry out: “We exalt Thee, O God, unto the ages.”
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
God, who took flesh of thee for our sake, showed thee, the holy and all-spotless one, to be the divine intercessor for all our race, O Virgin; therefore we the faithful sing to thee with a loud voice.
Irmos: Rejoice, O Isaiah! The Virgin hath conceived and borne a Son without beginning, Emmanuel, both God and man; the Orient is His name; Him let us magnify, and her that bore Him let us call blessed.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
ვითარცა განაქიქეთ თქუენ ბილწი განზრახვაი შაჰ-აბაზისა და აღსპობისაგან იხსენით მხარეი კახეთისა, ეგრეთვე აწ დაიფარეთ სატანისა მახეთაგან და სჯულისაგან უცხოისა ქუეყანაი ივერიისა, ხოლო მკვიდრნი მისნი ყოვლისაგან ძვირისხილვისა.
Holy and glorious martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, pray to God for us.
The peoples who believe firmly in the true faith, praying before your holy icon, O valiant martyrs, and magnifying your struggle, praise God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Ye who by your blood delivered our land, now drive away from us the insatiable thirst for wealth and the love of money, and assuage the wrath stirred up against us.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The prophet saw thee of old as a radiant lampstand, O all-spotless one, bearing Christ, the spiritual candle, by whom we were enlightened who lay in the darkness of the passions; therefore we call thee blessed, O Theotokos, ever-Virgin.
It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and all-spotless, and the Mother of our God. More honourable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
The priest censes.
O your good struggle, O martyrs! O your love of victory, O valiant ones! For ye are invincible fighters and advocates, fervent intercessors for them that entreat you and swift helpers of them that sing with faith.
Now pour out upon us the grace of your prayer, O glorious ones, and help us to withstand the wiles of the devil and to abhor all falsehood, envy and enmity, evil conduct and a shameful life, and in their place to cherish the love of righteousness and standing by one another.
ოხაი ჩუენი შესწირეთ მხსნელისა მიმართ და გვითხოვეთ, რაითა განაბნიოს მტერნი ჩუენნი ურიცხვი და დაამხოს უკეთურებითა და ზაკუვით მოსრულნი ბოროტნი თანამზრახველნი მათნი, აღსპობისა ჩუენისა მსურველნი, და კუალად შეგვკრიბოს განბნეული ქართველთა ერი.
O victorious martyrs, entreat Christ God to look upon His people, who have no defence before Him, and to keep them from every affliction and from the snares of the devil, and to save our souls, for He is merciful.
O most blessed Mary, more honourable than the Cherubim and more glorious than the Seraphim, through the prayers of the three glorious and all-praised martyrs make us worthy to glorify God in the Kingdom unto the ages:
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, deliver us and release us from our sins; O Master, pardon our iniquities; O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, 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.
Priest: For Thine is the kingdom…
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for, at a loss for any defence, we sinners offer to Thee, our good Master, this supplication: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Lord, have mercy on us, for we have put our trust in Thee; be not exceeding wroth with us, nor remember our iniquities; but look upon us now, as Thou art compassionate, and deliver us from Thy just wrath; for Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; we are all the work of Thy hands, and Thy name is called upon us; and have mercy on us.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Open unto us the doors of compassion, O blessed Theotokos, that hoping in thee we may not perish, but through thee be delivered from our adversaries, for thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
Priest: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great mercy, we pray Thee, O Lover of mankind, hearken and have mercy.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Priest: Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, long life, salvation, enlightenment, forgiveness, prosperity and quiet for the servant (or handmaid) of God, that the Lord our God may preserve this our royal city and this holy monastery (or church) and all the cities and villages of Iberia from famine, pestilence, earthquake, flood, fire, the sword, the invasion of foreigners, civil war and deadly plague; that God, in His goodness and love for mankind, may be merciful to us so that we may stand well, and may turn away from us the wrath that daily cometh upon us, and deliver us from His righteous judgement that is laid upon us, and have mercy on us.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (40 times)
Priest: Hear us, O God our Saviour, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of them that are far off upon the sea; and be gracious, be merciful unto our sins, and have mercy on us; for Thou art a merciful God who lovest mankind, and unto Thee we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
O radiant warriors, invincible in battles, who in afflictions stretch out a hand that never putteth to shame, all-praised martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, swift helpers of those who entreat you and rampart and shelter of all the Georgians!
O great-martyr Bidzina, hewn limb from limb and smitten by the sword, and ye who suffered with him, Shalva and Elizbar, eristavis of Ksani! Remember us before God, and by your intercession deliver our people beset by trials and afflictions, that instead of mercy we may not receive the punishment of our presumption; for we have forgotten the good deeds of our forebears and the spirit of the ancient nobility, the concord of brothers, the obedience of the fathers, and the spirit of valour hath turned away from us. Instead we have become like alien nations and raging peoples, lovers of this passing age, apostates from Christ, from whom we have learned their works, and we serve the lusts of our hearts in imitation of them, as those who have no hope in Christ and have forgotten eternal life. Renew in us again, as it was in you, the warmth of faith, brotherly love for neighbour and divine zeal for the fatherland enriched with your blood, and raise up for us without hindrance from the root of David the anointed of God, who by firm faith shall wall about all the borders of Georgia and shall exalt and restore our height and strength from the land of forgetfulness, that we may be one flock and the Lord may be our Shepherd. Strengthen the Most Holy and Most Blessed Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazeti, our father Ilia, the most reverend metropolitans, archbishops and bishops and all the priestly and monastic orders, the commanders and the governors of cities, the Christ-loving armed forces, and our benefactors, and all Orthodox Christians. Magnify those who bear your names and those who entreat you. Entreat, O all-radiant martyrs, the sweetest Jesus whom ye loved, to forgive us our apostasies, the destruction and defilement of churches, the murders of the servants of God, strife among ourselves, betrayal, envy and enmities, the killing of infants in the womb and the multitude of our other sins.
O martyrs armed with the Cross of Christ, Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar! Behold, we the Kartlosians entreat you: intercede before God, that He may grant glory to the churches, honour to the clergy, good shepherding of the people to rulers, courage to soldiers, sinlessness to the laity, chastity to women and good upbringing to children; and that He may restore to us love of righteousness, courage of spirit, many children, mercy to widows and orphans and standing by one another; and that He may grant us love of a holy life, hatred of unseemly deeds and contrition of heart, crowning with the saints and the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, that we too with you may glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Priest: Wisdom!
O most holy Theotokos, save us.
Choir: More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the true Theotokos, we magnify thee.
Priest: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Choir: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Bless.
The priest gives the dismissal.
Choir: Amen.
A layman: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, 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 the holy great-martyr Bidzina and the holy and glorious martyrs Shalva and Elizbar, and of all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
While the icon is kissed we sing thus, Tone 4:
Hoping wholly in you, we flee to your holy icon, O most valiant martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar! Since ye shed your blood for love of Christ, ye have boldness before Him: ask for us that we may be kept unharmed from all temptations of soul and body and be counted worthy of the Kingdom of heaven, and with you glorify the all-holy Trinity unto the ages.
O Lady, all-radiant Mary, through the prayers of the three glorious and invincible martyrs and mighty warriors, Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, direct the days of our life to the glory of thy Son and our God. Amen.
Author and compiler: Tinatin Mchedlishvili
