Supplicatory Paraklesis to our Venerable Father David of Gareja
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
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, 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)
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 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. (Troparion), Tone 4.
The fountains of tears mingled with the sweat of ascetic struggle offer now as a gift of supplication to the King, and ask for its flourishing; for thou didst sow in tears and reap with joy the fruits of the desert. O David, radiance of the world and intercessor for our souls!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The fountains of tears mingled with the sweat of ascetic struggle offer now as a gift of supplication to the King, and ask for its flourishing; for thou didst sow in tears and reap with joy the fruits of the desert. O David, radiance of the world and intercessor for our souls!
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 delivered us from so many dangers? And 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.
Ode 1.
To our Deliverer, who led His people through the sea unwavering and drowned Pharaoh with his horsemen in the deep, to Him alone let us sing, for He is glorified.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
Let us sing, O ye peoples, to Christ, who hath sent us the holy father David to strengthen us who are gathered in godly wise in this desert, for He is glorified.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
By the guidance of the Holy Spirit, O venerable one, thou didst come to this desert and didst fulfil the life of the angels, O venerable one, and thou singest to Christ, for He is glorified.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Beasts and serpents thou didst drive out of the desert, O venerable one, by thy holy prayer, and in their stead didst gather holy men to glorify God, for He is glorified.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Ode 3.
Let us sing to Mary the Virgin, the incorrupt temple of the glory of God, for she bore God for us in the flesh and after giving birth remained a virgin; for He is glorified.
By the power of Thy Cross, O Christ, strengthen me for Thy glory, that I may ever hymn Thy Godhead, O Merciful One.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
In reward for thy labours God gave thee the gifts of miracles, whereat all that heard were amazed and marvelled.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
The God of wonders, who fed Elijah by a raven, likewise fed thee, O venerable one, by deer.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O fearful sight, when by heavenly fire that harmful serpent was slain among the fawns, O venerable one!
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Let us praise the spotless Virgin Mary, who contained God, and let us entreat her to deliver us from the passions by her intercession.
Deliver thy servants from temptations, O all-holy Theotokos and Virgin, for after God we all flee unto thee as an unbreachable wall and intercession.
Look down with favour upon us, O all-praised Theotokos, and heal the grievous wounds of our bodies and the sicknesses of our souls.
O thou who art exalted above men and drawn near to the King, thy desert, made rich in children through thy grace, today inscribeth a supplication to thee, O all-praised David; but as one having God-given might, shelter us from all the snares of the enemy, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, O man of God.
Ode 4.
I have heard the report of the power of Thy Cross, O Christ, how paradise was opened by it, and I cry: Glory to Thy power, O Lord.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
Moved by divine longing, the blessed Dodo came to see thy holiness, O David, and, beholding thee, gave thanks to God.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
The eristavi of Rustavi, while hunting, drew his sword in fury to slay thee, and his right hand withered.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Then, fallen to the ground, he besought thee with tears and asked forgiveness; and thou, O venerable one, didst heal him by prayer and the touch of thy hand.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Ode 5.
With Gabriel we cry to thee, O Theotokos and Virgin Mary: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace; God, the Lord of hosts, is with thee.
Rising early we cry to Thee, O Lord: save us, for Thou art good; for Thou art our God, and we know none other beside Thee.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
With tears Bubakar cried out: As thou didst restore my hand to me, so also heal my son, lame of hand and foot.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
Go, the saint said to him, and believe that thou shalt see him wholly unharmed, healed by the power of Christ.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
He believed and went his way, and his son came to meet him with joy, walking, even as thou hadst foretold, O venerable one.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O holy Virgin, entreat thy Son, Christ God, with compunction, that He may save our souls.
Ode 6.
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 venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
The billow of afflictions and of the temptations of the desert hath compassed me about; now by thine entreaty, O David, make God merciful toward me.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
When thou camest to the holy city, it was made known to the patriarch Elias that David had carried away with faith all the grace of Jerusalem.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The swift runners, overtaking thee as they were commanded, took from thee two portions, and this third they left thee as a gift for the desert.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O all-holy Virgin, who didst conceive the Word of God in the flesh and remainest a virgin for ever, save them that confess thee as Theotokos.
Deliver thy servants from temptations, O all-holy Theotokos and Virgin, for after God we all flee unto thee as an unbreachable wall and intercession.
Look down with favour upon us, O all-praised Theotokos, and heal the grievous wounds of our bodies and the sicknesses of our souls.
Kontakion. The Gospel according to Matthew.
From Mesopotamia didst thou rise, O all-radiant star, and didst come to the desert of Gareja; and from thenceforth, through thy coming, as in a paradise, from holy plantings rational plants spring up; for them cease not to intercede, O blessed David.
The Lord said, If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him. Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Through the intercessions of our venerable father David of Gareja, 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 holy Theotokos, O Merciful One, blot out the multitude of our transgressions. Tone 5.
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.
Like John the Baptist thou didst make the desert thy dwelling, O father, and didst live in poverty, for thou hadst no food of the flesh at all, O blessed one, temporal and passing, whereby the substance of the flesh is kept, but wast nourished by the Holy Spirit; wherefore thou didst raise up countless souls to imitate thee and didst gather them to glorify God and to give thanks for thy valour, O David, glory of Gareja: entreat Christ God to grant forgiveness of sins to us who with longing celebrate thy memory.
Ode 7.
O Thou who didst deliver from the furnace the youths who sang, blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
Thou camest to Gareja from Jerusalem and singest: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
When thy disciples saw thee, they lifted up their voice with joy: Blessed art Thou, O our God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst greet them all as was meet, and together they cried: Blessed art Thou, O our God.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Theotokos and Virgin, save them that sing: Blessed art Thou.
Ode 8.
The Son begotten of the Father before the ages, and in the last times made flesh of the Virgin, bless, ye priests; ye people, supremely exalt Him unto the ages.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
Thou didst walk about, O venerable one, when thou sawest thy brother afflicted by the bitter water; and thou didst pray to God and say: Ye priests, bless.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
As Moses once by the divine signs of the Cross, thou didst sweeten the bitter water by prayer and gavest it to that brother, and didst say: Ye priests, bless.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The hour of thy passing to the Kingdom drew near, and thou didst partake of the holy Body and Blood of Christ and say: Ye priests, bless.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Virgin worthy of hymns, who didst bear for us the Word of God and remained a virgin beyond word and mind: Ye priests, bless; ye people, the Lord.
Ode 9.
Thou didst bear, O Virgin, Him whom natures cannot comprehend, timelessly and ineffably; wherefore, O spotless one, all the faithful magnify thee.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
Thou didst partake of the immortal Mysteries and didst utter this alone: My Creator, Christ God, receive my spirit.
Holy venerable father David of Gareja, pray to God for us.
The brother bereft of the sight of his eyes, when he touched thy holy body, received the sight of the light and magnified thee.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
With the hymn of shrouding and burial, with lamentation and tears they cried: Sweet father, forget not us thy disciples before God.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Theotokos and Virgin, thou alone art the hope of them that trust in thee, the fulfiller of all this our hymn.
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.
Let Christ our King be the leader of our hymn on this day of the all-praised David, who was worthily made illustrious by Him through bearing the name of David, the chief of singers.
Come and adorn, O venerable father, this our father and thy namesake, and cry out with fair voice: Wondrous is He among the saints, and His praise is in the congregation of the church of the saints.
Come, thy holy lavra calleth thee swiftly, a treasury of holiness, a place of dwelling, a place of sojourn, that thus with zeal the minds of those gathered here may be stirred to praise thee at the feast.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Today David gathereth this divine assembly and himself standeth invisibly with us keeping the feast; invisibly he prepareth a spiritual table and receiveth all men as guests with love for mankind.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
With faith we run to thee and with tears we entreat thee, O all-glorious father David: with the Theotokos cease not to intercede for the salvation of them that magnify thee.
The evil spirits flee in fear, and the angels sing rejoicing, and with them we cry out and say: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
O holy angels, hosts of heaven, and Forerunner of the Lord, ye twelve apostles, hierarchs, martyrs and blessed fathers, holy women martyrs and blessed mothers, and all ye saints: with the Theotokos cease not to intercede for the salvation of them that magnify you.
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.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for, at a loss for any defence, this supplication do we sinners offer unto Thee as Master: 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 door of compassion, O blessed Theotokos, that hoping in thee we may not perish, but be delivered from our adversaries; for thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)
A prayer of supplication to the venerable father David of Gareja:
O all-blessed and all-radiant one, divine course to the heights, divine enlightenment, winged like the Cherubim with spiritual sight, standing on high before God with angelic purity, O worthy one, bold before that bodiless and unapproachable glory, intercessor and advocate for us, thy helpless and forsaken sinful servants and ministers!
O all-radiant one, divinely hymned, venerable and holy father David, sent and appointed to us by the providence of grace from on high as a helper and deliverer from the bonds of darkness of satan's power! As there was given thee a manifold gift of grace and of working wonders, of deliverance from sins, of forgiveness and remission of transgressions, of healing of sicknesses, and of driving off and casting out the temptations of the devil, so also by thy fatherly mercy commend us to the good God, that by thy prayers, petition and supplication our God-protected people and all Georgia may be exalted and made strong; by thine entreaty shelter, and by the petition of thy prayers remember, the Most Holy and Most Blessed Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, our great lord and father Ilia; the most reverend metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, and all the priestly and monastic orders, the commanders and the governors of cities, and the Christ-loving armed forces, and our benefactors, and all Orthodox Christians: shelter them by thy many ascetic labours. Intercede, O venerable father, that at the petition of thy prayers the Lord God may arm us with His invincible power against all our enemies, visible and invisible.
O all-sweet and merciful father, who by the mercy of the good God who loveth mankind, like the apostles, by the breath of the Spirit that made thee wise, wast the enlightener and teacher of all the regions and peoples of us Georgians in the pious worship of the true God, the expeller of the evil that had long made its nest and the destroyer of the snares of the deceiver! By thy mercy and thy petition to God lead us up out of the depths of our sins, that we may be delivered from famine, pestilence and earthquake, fire, the sword, the invasion of foreigners and civil war, and from sudden death; and turn away all the enemies that fall upon us, the pestilent winds, all the deadly plagues and every evil.
Labour, O sweet father David, labour and open for us the bosom of God, which repayeth, healeth, delivereth and forgiveth all our transgressions and sins; exalt our right faith over all the face of the earth, and multiply the people and flocks of these thy monasteries and places, won by tears, labours and struggle; that through the intercession of thy prayers, being delivered from all enemies visible and invisible and freed from eternal condemnation, we may magnify thy holy name with everlasting thanksgiving, hoping with longing and offering worship to the Father without beginning, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Deliverer and Saviour of the whole world, Lord Jesus Christ, who wast shown forth as Deliverer and Saviour for us Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who for our deliverance didst endure the Cross and death and hast granted life to all! Now also be merciful to our poor souls and bodies, and accept, O sweetest and good King, the mediation and intercession of father David raised for us sinners; for we have no other intercessor so bold before Thee on behalf of us sinners, save such as are well-pleasing to Thee. Show forth Thy power and might, and grant to Thy servants who are in afflictions and temptations release, deliverance from sins, and freedom from all temptations.
O Lady, look upon the supplication of thy servants and deliver us from all temptations and sicknesses.
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 Thine all-holy Mother, of our venerable and God-bearing fathers, of our venerable father David of Gareja and of all Thy saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
