Paraklesis to the Venerable Mary of Egypt
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, now and ever and unto 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. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto 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, now and ever and unto 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.
In thee, O mother, that which is according to the image was preserved unimpaired: for thou didst take up the Cross and follow Christ, and by thy deeds didst teach us to disregard the flesh, for it passeth away, but to care for the soul, a thing immortal; wherefore thy spirit rejoiceth with the angels, O blessed Mary.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The same troparion.
Both now and ever, and unto 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.
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.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Upon me who with longing keep the feast of thy light-clad and divine memory send down light, O thou who standest before Christ, the unapproachable Light, as my deliverer from all the temptations of the world, O venerable one.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
He who went down into Egypt, uncircumscribed in the flesh, the pre-eternal God, hath shown thee forth from Egypt as an all-radiant star, the Lord who knoweth all things before they come to be.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Not knowing the divine commandments, O honoured one, thou didst defile the divine image of God; but by divine knowledge thou didst cleanse it again, O all-praised one, being deified by thy divine activity, O venerable one.
Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O the great goodness of Thine, my God! O Thine ineffable condescension! For her who aforetime lived as a harlot, at the entreaty of Thy Mother, Thou didst make pure and spotless, likened to the life of the angels.
Be my strength, O Creator of heaven and of earth upon the waters; establish me, O Christ, upon the rock of the Church, for none is holy as Thou, O Lover of mankind.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Thee who hadst drawn near to the gates of perdition by unseemly deeds, He who of old shattered the gates of hell by His own divine power openeth the gates of repentance, O all-honoured one, He who is Himself the Door of life.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Having long been an instrument of sin, borne with in long-suffering, by the veneration of the weapon of the divine Cross thou wast shown to be a weapon against all the demons and the vanquisher of all their wiles, O compassionate one.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
He who first poured out His own blood as a ransom for all hath sanctified thee by the washing of thy tears and delivered thee from the leprosy of evil infirmities and wicked deeds, He who is the Giver of being to all things.
Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The Word made thee higher than all, O Virgin, for the Word of the Father dwelt in thee in godly beauty, He who granteth to all that have sinned deliverance from their sins by that divine word.
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.
Every fleshly delight thou didst bridle with the pain of fasting, and didst valiantly show forth the wisdom of thy soul; for thou didst long to behold the figure of the Cross, and thyself, O ever-memorable one, thou didst crucify to the world; wherefore, zealous for a spotless life, thou didst raise thyself up, O all-blessed and all-praised Mary: entreat Christ God to grant remission of sins to them that with longing honour thy holy memory.
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 venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
As the Creator of the nature of men, as the fountain of mercy and the wealth of goodness, have mercy, O Lover of mankind, on her who hath fled to Thee, and snatch her from the destroying beast.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Eager to behold the Cross, thou wast enlightened by the light of the Cross, O Mary; and, taking up the Cross at a divine beckoning, thou wast crucified to the world, O wondrous venerable one.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou who wast once amid evil occasions and many wicked delights hast now shone forth as the sun and been shown a guide to all that have sinned, O venerable and all-praised mother.
Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Thou didst ascend above the mind of the heavenly ones, for thou didst bear, O spotless one, the Ruler of the heavens, the King of all, beyond the laws of nature — God the Lawgiver, the Maker and Creator of all.
Why hast Thou cast me away from Thy face, O Light that never fadeth, and the unenlightened darkness of gloom hath covered me? But look upon me and direct my going to the light of Thy commandments, I pray.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Moses of old, who beheld the back of God in mystery and received the writing of the all-glorious and awesome mystery, was glorified; but now Mary, falling fervently before the all-incorrupt icon of the jar that held the manna, was clothed with the life of the angels.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
I who, according to the psalm, loved to behold the beauty of Thy house and the place of the dwelling of Thy glory, defiled Thy temple, O Christ; but by the entreaties of Thy temple that knew not man make me a temple of the all-creating Spirit.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The members of the flesh, that once ensnared many eyes, thou didst by the withholding of delights make a devouring of the demons, O blessed one, when thou wast truly caught by the divine grace of the precious Cross; and thou becamest sweet food for Christ.
Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The instructed choir of the prophets spoke of God's mystery wrought in thee, O all-holy one, and foretold thee in divers figures; but now Mary hath fled for refuge to thine icon, O all-incorrupt jar that held the manna, the surety of sinners before God.
Forgive me, O Good One, my countless sins, for which I call upon Thee; deliver me from evils; to Thee I cry: Hear me, O God my Saviour.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
The hosts of the angels rejoice, O Mary, beholding in thee a life equal to their own, and they send up glory to the Lord.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
The boldness of the demons, darkened, is sore amazed at thine endurance, for thou, an all-glorious woman, naked and alone, didst overcome them, O blessed one.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst shine forth as the sun, O all-praised Mary, and didst enlighten the desert with many wonders; wherefore make me also radiant with the divine light.
Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The angels were illumined by the light of thy giving birth; peace was poured out upon the earth, and goodwill among men was proclaimed, O 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.
Once filled with fornications of every kind, she is today through repentance received as a holy bride of Christ; imitating the life of the angels, she destroyeth the demons by the weapon of the Cross; wherefore she hath appeared as the bride of the King, the glorious Mary.
Prokeimenon, a psalm of David: God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel. Verse: In the churches bless ye God, the Lord from the fountains of Israel.
At that time one of the Pharisees desired Jesus that He would eat with him. And He went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden Him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if He were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth Him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And He said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And He turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest Me no water for My feet: but she hath washed My feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest Me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss My feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed My feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And He said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with Him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And He said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
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 venerable mother Mary of Egypt, O Merciful One, blot out the multitude of our transgressions.
Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Through the intercessions of the all-holy 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.
We have thee as an image of repentance, O all-blessed mother Mary: entreat Christ God that He grant to us all the good gift, and that with longing and faith we may ever magnify thee in song.
The God-serving youths in Babylon served not the golden image, and therefore they were cast into the furnace; and, bedewed therein, they thus cried out and said: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
The greatest among the fathers, the wise Zosimas, having come into the desert and been counted worthy to behold the venerable mother, cried: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
What is this strange work of all kindness, O father, that thou art come to see me, a woman? — so the venerable one said to the elder, and she cried: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having put to death the stirrings of thy passions, O blessed one, thou hast now reached the haven of dispassion, crying: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers.
Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Thou didst conceive ineffably and remain a virgin, O spotless one, and didst bear the Saviour of the world, Christ our God; wherefore all we the faithful magnify thee in song.
The Chaldean tyrant in his fury heated the furnace sevenfold for the youths, but, seeing them saved by a higher power, unharmed and untouched by the fire, he cried out to the Creator and Deliverer: Bless Him, ye youths; sing His praises, ye priests; ye people, supremely exalt Him unto the ages.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
From the depth of her heart she sought Thee out, who knowest us before all being; and, leaving this temporal life, she fled to Thee, O Saviour, crying unceasingly to Thy love for mankind: Ye youths, bless Him; ye priests, praise Him; ye people, supremely exalt Him unto the ages.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
O that honourable change, and thy passing over to the better, O honourable one! O divine love and hatred of the pleasures of the flesh! O thy fervent and divine faith, all-praised Mary, whom we praise with faith, and we supremely exalt Christ unto the ages.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou hast found the reward in recompense for thy pains and labours, O honourable Mary, whereby thou didst overthrow the enemy, the slayer of men; and now, crying out with the angels in unceasing song, thou dost hymn and supremely exalt Christ unto the ages.
Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
He who is before all ages, who clothed Himself in the property of our nature and made it incorrupt, hath wholly renewed me in thy womb for goodness' sake, O spotless one; wherefore we magnify thee in song unto the ages as the cause of our life.
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.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Thou didst easily endure the labours of the desert, O mother, strengthened by the mighty power of Christ; for thou didst quench with the stream of thy tears the foul thoughts that assailed thee, O holy one, beauty of them that fast and boast of the venerable, O honoured one.
O venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us.
The only-begotten Light, Christ, born of the spotless Virgin, enlighteneth thee with all-radiant brightness and maketh thee terrible to the enemies, O all-honoured one, and showeth thee plainly to all as a comely ascetic, O strength of the venerable.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having forsaken all earthly wisdom and been shown forth as an honourable dwelling of the Spirit, freed from the evil deeds of the world, entreat Christ the King, who maketh us free, for them that with faith celebrate thy divine memory.
Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Beyond nature the laws of natures were silenced, O Virgin, for thou didst bear a new Child on earth, O Theotokos, the Lawgiver and Lord, the Ancient of Days, the Ruler of the heavens, the Creator of all; wherefore with faith and longing we call thee blessed, O spotless one.
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.
Thou didst bow down with joy at the holy places and receive their grace as provision for life, and didst go forward on the good course and cross the river Jordan, O venerable mother; thou didst settle in the deserts of the Forerunner and put to death by struggle the wildness of the passions, for thou didst wear away the flesh with harsh fasting, O all-praised Mary, handmaid of the Lord.
By thy life in the desert thou didst utterly efface the images of thy passions and inscribe in thy soul the God-radiant image of the virtues, O holy one; and thou didst advance so far that thou didst walk upon the waters without sinking and wast lifted from the earth in prayer, O God-wise one; and now, standing with boldness before God, ask mercy for our souls, O venerable mother.
The snares of the soul and the passions of the flesh thou didst slay with the sword of fasting, and the array of thoughts against the mind thou didst quench by the silence of ascetic struggle; with the river of thy tears thou didst water the deserts and hast made the all-beautiful spiritual fruit of repentance spring up for us; wherefore we celebrate thy holy memory, O all-blessed mother: ask great mercy for us from heaven.
O the wondrous power of Thy Cross, O Christ! For she who was once a harlot hath now struggled with the struggle of fasting and counted the weakness of the flesh as nothing, and courageously withstood the demons, and received the crown of victory; and now she entreateth God for our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto 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. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for, being without any defence, this supplication do we sinners offer to Thee, the good Master: 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 in Thee have we put our trust; be not very wroth with us, neither remember our iniquities, but look upon us in mercy, for Thou art compassionate, and deliver us justly from Thy 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: have mercy on us.
Both now and ever, and unto 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.
O all-venerable mother Mary, singer like the angels, honoured like the Baptist, crown among the venerable, leader of monastics, honour of women, protectress of Christians, helper of them that trust in thee, and hope and refuge of all who entreat thy holiness! O all-blessed mother Mary, all-radiant star, pour out upon us like rays the grace of thy holy prayer and enlighten our right-believing people; make radiant the Most Holy and Most Blessed Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, our great lord and father Ilia, and the most reverend metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, and all the priestly and monastic orders. Strengthen the servants of God and all Orthodox Christians. Entreat, O mother, the God whom thou hast loved, that He may have mercy on us all in His great mercy. O all-honoured venerable Mary, with the sunlike radiance of thy holy prayer shelter them that bow down before thy God-adorned holiness, and deliver us from famine and pestilence, from barrenness of the earth, from hail and every harmful air and from all sorrow; but entreat the all-holy Trinity to grant us peace and health, the pleasing of God by a good way of life, enlightenment by Orthodoxy, illumination by works of mercy, a dwelling in the Kingdom of Heaven, reigning with the righteous, crowning with the venerable, and eternal glory and joy; for to the Father is due glory, to the Son thanksgiving and to the Holy Spirit worship, from everlasting, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
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 thee in song.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto 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 and of all Thy saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Compiled by Alexander Aghladze
