Supplicatory Paraklesis to our Venerable Mother Sabiana, Abbess of the Convent of Tadzrisi in Samtskhe
Priest: Blessed is our God…
And if a layman, he says: O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thine all-holy Mother and of all the saints, 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, 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.
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.
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 Sabiana.
Glory… The troparion (the same). Both now…
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? Or who would have kept us free until now? We will not depart from thee, O blessed Lady, for thou savest our souls from all temptations.
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: At Thy beck, O God, Thou didst raise the flowing natures as a wall and lead the people of Israel through their midst on dry land; and they sang the song of victory.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
Having nourished the lamp of virginity with the oil of struggles and labours, O Sabiana, thou didst enter the eternal bridal chamber with the wise virgins, and thou singest to the Lord the song of victory.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
The Church of the Georgians celebrateth thy memory, O venerable mother Sabiana, and biddeth all the faithful to call blessed thy love of struggle and to praise God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We have gained thee as a divine wall, a strength and a good advocate, O all-valiant mother, and we will not cease to entreat thee to keep us from all evils.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The curse of Eve, the first mother, was loosed when she who knew not wedlock bore Him who is above natures; and the people of the faithful rightly glorify her, as is meet.
Irmos: O God our Saviour, Creator of all, who by Thy word didst establish the high heavens with all their power, by Thy divine Spirit establish us in unity upon the rock of faith.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
Taking up a divine zeal, thou didst leave this passing age for the sake of unfading blessedness, and, following the angelic struggle, thou wast tonsured a nun in Samtskhe, in the convent of Tadzrisi.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
Imitating in the flesh the life of the bodiless angels, thou didst fulfil thy service to the heavenly Lord all night long with uplifted hands, with prayer, supplication, bending of the knees and the shedding of tears.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Running the course of struggle, O blessed one, thou didst gain the gifts of understanding by obedience and fervent prayer, O blessed one, and by divine grace wast made wise to understand the power of the holy Scriptures.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O our Deliverer, through the entreaties of Thy Mother grant peace to the world and give victory over enemies through the Cross to our God-loving people, and count the faithful worthy of forgiveness.
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, 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 and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazeti, the great lord, our father Ilia, 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).
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Priest: 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.
Having a true faith and a merciful heart, thou didst show forth deeds wondrous in every way; for by thy divine and wise words thou didst teach the untaught and strengthen the taught, didst bring up those sunk in the billows of the passions, and, like a skilled helmsman, didst bring safely through the sea of this world them that were sinking: now enlighten us also, O venerable one, who trust in thee and praise thee.
Irmos: O Christ God, who didst not leave the bosom of the Father in heaven and didst come down to earth, I have heard the report of Thee, and with praise I glorify Thy power.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
When thou didst ascend the high ladder of the abbacy, thy prayer, full of the grace of God, thy word and thy teaching became the helmsman and guide of nuns and of peoples.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
When God granted thee great wisdom and strength, thou didst obey His will, O thou worthy to be called blessed, and didst govern well thy flocks, entrusted to thee by Him.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As thou didst imitate the courage of the saints, O venerable one, so didst thou imitate the love they had for one another, and didst stretch out hands of mercy to widows, orphans and the poor.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O true Mother of God, entreat thy Son the Creator to guide us to a calm haven and save us from drowning in our sins.
Irmos: The Spirit of salvation, O Lord, which the first prophets conceived in their hearts and brought forth upon the earth, made known to us Thy coming to earth for the life of the faithful; and now, being enlightened, we magnify Thee in song.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
When the Lord saw the purity of thy soul, He granted thee abundantly, as a reward, the grace of opening the mind and of understanding children: now help us also, O holy one, and grant us the dew of thy grace.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
When Christ showed thee forth as an abyss of teaching, the nobles entrusted their children to thee, and thou didst bring them up in the fear of God and teach them how they must fight against the evil spirits.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Being wise and lovable, O venerable one, thou didst bring up in piety Thecla and her brother, the venerable George the Athonite: ask now together of God that He grant us also health of body and a spirit of wisdom.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Heaven and earth were enlightened through thee, O unwedded Mother of Jesus, for thou didst make the unquenchable Light to shine upon us, the God of all, who delivered them that were shut up in darkness and made us dwellers of the heavenly Kingdom.
Irmos: Drowned in the waves of the temptations of this world, sunk with the ship of sin and cast to the beast that destroys souls, I cry to Thee: As Jonah, deliver me from corruption and death, O Christ.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
Thou didst shine as a lamp upon a high lampstand, and, enlightening our land with the light of the Trinity, thou didst make the zeal of the nuns flourish, O God-wise one, and didst stir up many to imitate thy virtues.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
Thou wast shown to be a fragrant ointment through divine grace and didst make thy people fragrant with thy teaching: cease not now to labour for us before God, that He may grant us an understanding and wise heart to distinguish good and evil.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Giving wings to thy mind by striving for the gifts of God, thou didst show to all the height of humility and the way of deliverance and life that leadeth to God: now cleanse us also from sins and arm us with divine watchfulness.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thy mystery, O Virgin, was foreshown of old by the ark of the law, which received the divine writings, by the golden jar, the dwelling of the manna, and by the rod.
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: 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 ages of ages. Amen.
Choir: Amen.
Thou didst struggle in virtue as a victorious handmaid of Christ, and didst lead them that were entrusted to thee on the way of His commandments, O venerable mother Sabiana, and wast shown a rule for nuns and a luminary of the Georgian people.
Priest: Let us attend. Wisdom. Prokeimenon, Tone 4
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
Verse: Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His.
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 Luke.
Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.
Priest: Let us attend.
The Lord said to His disciples, Blessed be ye poor in spirit: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven.
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 our venerable mother Sabiana, 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.
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.
გერი: სათნოებამან შენმან და სიქველემან, ღმერთშემოსილო დედაო, მრავალნი აღძრნეს სიმხნედ და ბაძვად ახოვნებისა შენისა და სიწმიდისა, აწ გვითხოვე ქრისტეის მიერ შეურყეველად დამტკიცებაი ეკლესიათაი, და დაცვაი ერისა ჩუენისაი, სიმტკიცეი მორწმუნეთა და ამაღლებაი რქისა მათისაი მწვალებელთა ზედა, მშვიდობაი სოფელსა და მოსავთა შენთა წყალობაი.
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; through the protection of the honourable bodiless Powers of heaven; of the honourable and glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John; of the holy great 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, Bartholomew, Thaddaeus and Matthias; 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 great-martyr George the Trophy-bearer and the holy great virgin-martyrs Barbara and Marina; of our venerable mother Nino, the virgin equal to the apostles, enlightener of the Georgians, and of the holy patriarch Eustathius of Antioch, who blessed the churches of Kartli; of the holy King Mirian and Queen Nana, equal to the apostles; of our holy patriarchs Peter, Samuel, Sarmian, Mamai, Arsenius, Melchizedek, John-Chrysostom, Nicholas, Evdemoz, Joseph, Kirion and Ambrose; of our venerable father John of Zedazeni and his twelve disciples, the second enlighteners of the Church of Georgia and her ever-protectors, and of the holy priest-martyr Neophytus of Urbnisi; of our God-wise and blessed fathers Hilarion the Georgian, Serapion of Zarzma, Gregory of Khandzta and Saba of Ishkhani; of our venerable Athonite fathers John and Gabriel the Georgians, John who was once Tornike, and Euthymius and George of the Holy Mountain; of our holy, glorious and victorious martyrs Razhden, Eustathius of Mtskheta, Abo of Tbilisi, Michael-Gobron, Theodore the priest, Christopher of Guria, Nicholas Dvali, Kozman, David and Constantine, princes of Argveti, and Prince Constantine; of the holy great-martyr Bidzina and the holy glorious martyrs Shalva and Elizbar, eristavis of Ksani; of the holy martyr Shalva of Akhaltsikhe and the holy hundred thousand martyrs slain in Tbilisi by the Khwarezmians; of the holy martyrs, the six thousand monks of Gareja, and the many holy fathers and mothers martyred in Adjara by the Turks; of the holy priest-martyr Anthimus the Iberian and the holy victorious kings and queens Mirdat, Ashot, Archil, Demetrius, Luarsab, Shushanik and Ketevan; of our holy, pious and great kings Vakhtang Gorgasali, David the Builder, Demetrius-Damian, Tamar, Solomon I and Solomon II; of holy Ilia the Righteous, Euthymius the Man of God and Euthymius the Confessor; of our holy confessor fathers John and George-John of Betania and our venerable father Archimandrite Gabriel, confessor and fool for Christ; of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna (and of the saint to whom the church is dedicated and the saint of the day), and of our venerable and God-bearing mother Sabiana, 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 youths in the furnace in Babylon were bedewed from on high; they cried to God and said: Blessed art Thou, O Lord of our fathers, O God, unto the ages.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
Having thy convent as a paradise opened in place of Eden, the nuns, filled from the torrent of thy delights, gave thanks to thee and blessed the Lord, the God of the fathers.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
Becoming an unerring light to souls covered with the darkness of sin, thou didst drive away from them the mist of lust by the light of thy teachings, and wast shown as a rule for nuns.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Enlightened by the radiance of spiritual graces, O venerable one, like a pillar of fire thou didst divide the seas of temptations: now drive away from us also all sicknesses and the assaults of the evil one.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Rejoice, daughter of Adam; rejoice, Bride of God; rejoice, Mother of the Saviour, who didst contain thy Creator: intercede for us always.
Irmos: The bush on Sinai that burned yet was not consumed revealed God to Moses, slow of speech and heavy of tongue; and divine zeal delivered the youths from the furnace, and they cried out in song: All ye works, bless today God and the Lord; hymn and exalt Him unto the ages.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
When thou hadst well completed the years of thy life, thou didst commend thy spirit to Christ, and He made thee to dwell in His Kingdom; and thy holy body they buried with honour in the martyrs' convent of women, and the Georgians kept the tomb of thy relics as a fountain of graces.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
Death is the cause of forgetting, but the venerable George the Lesser recorded thy struggle in the “Life” of George the Athonite and stirred us to praise thee and glorify God: entreat Him now to shelter us from the warfare of the devil, from the temptations of the flesh and from the tumults of the world.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst leave thy precious memory to thy people; our Church hath magnified thy struggle and biddeth all her children to praise thee with hymns and to sing to God: cease not now to entreat Him to direct us on the saving way of repentance.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
სჯულისა კიდობანმან მოგასწავა შენ, ღმრთისმშობელო, არათუ ფიცარნი გაქუნდეს შენი, არამედ ქრისტე ღმერთი სჯულისმდებელი, რომელი იგი უსჯულომან ერმან ჯუარს აცუა ხსნად ჩუენდა, რომელნი ვიტყვით: ღმერთსა და უფალსა უგალობდით და ამაღლებდით მას უკუნისამდე.
Irmos: O thou who knewest not wedlock, keeper of incorruption, thou didst clothe the Creator Word with our nature. Come, O immaculate Virgin Theotokos, and with Him who was born of thee teach the faithful, that we may be counted worthy to glorify thee.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
Thou art not only a dweller of heaven, but one who prayeth for our people, their swift helper and protectress; therefore we move thee to intercede with God, that He may shelter us from the snares of the evil one and from every temptation.
Venerable mother Sabiana, pray to God for us
By the power of Christ thou wast shown an invincible helper of His faithful, and by divine help thou healest sicknesses and pains: now look down upon us also from on high, O blessed one, and deliver us from infirmities of soul and body.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Tadzrisi proclaimeth thy labours and heraldeth aloud thy fervent prayers; and our heart longeth to go to that holy monastery, for it maketh true grace spring up and raiseth us to glorify the all-holy Trinity.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The old law foreshadoweth thee, O holy Virgin, and the new confesseth thee as Theotokos, O unwedded one; and we the faithful say with faith: O Mother of the Word, cease not to entreat God for them that trust in thee.
It is truly meet that we should magnify thee, O Theotokos, who art ever-blessed and all-immaculate 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 only Theotokos, we magnify in song.
The priest censes.
The reader or a layman reads:
Gather, O ye monastics, together with the clergy and the peoples, that with spiritual praise we may adorn our blessed mother Sabiana, the good governor and ascetic of the convent of Samtskhe, and praise Christ who strengthened her, who granted such a mother and swift helper to our people, the lot of His Mother.
O the multitude of thy graces, O mother, who didst gloriously adorn the Church of the Iberians with the radiance of thy life: intercede now for us before God, that He may not requite us justly for our evil deeds and may deliver us from the fierce afflictions and sorrows that beset us.
Who now shall recount thy wondrous struggle, O venerable mother Sabiana? For thou wast a true mother to all that fled to thee, and didst greatly entreat the Theotokos for thy people and their prospering: now commend us again to her goodness, that she may grant us to see our own sins and, as prodigal sons, bring us back to the bosom of our Father, that we may all do righteousness and praise God with the Thrice-holy:
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.
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, hearken and have mercy.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Priest: Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, length of days, salvation, enlightenment, forgiveness, prosperity and tranquillity for the servants (or handmaids) of God and all the children of our Church, that the Lord our God may keep this our royal city and this holy 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 may be merciful to us for our good estate in His goodness and love for mankind, and turn away the wrath that daily cometh upon us, and deliver us from His just rebuke that lieth upon us, and have mercy on us.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (12 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 all-glorious mother Sabiana, radiant in struggle, great abbess of the convent of Tadzrisi and dweller of the Kingdom of Heaven, pillar and strength of the Church, enlightener and protectress of our people; helper and rule of nuns, refuge and strength of them that fall down before thee with faith!
O boast of monastics and ascetics, God-wise mother Sabiana! Thou who didst forsake every fleshly will and please the King of heaven, commend us now to His goodness, that He may make us flourish and multiply and fill us with the spirit of wisdom, mutual love and divine understanding, that we may not betray our boast, Orthodoxy, and that He may keep us from the snare of the enemy, from strife among brothers and from the tyranny of the demons. By the almighty grace of thy prayer shelter and strengthen in his ministry 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, the honourable priests, the deacons in Christ and all the monastic orders, the members of the Orthodox Church and all Orthodox Christians.
O all-blessed mother Sabiana, renowned among women for the height of thy teaching and wondrous in struggle! For us who hold thy name as a firm weapon and honour thy radiant memory, intercede now before Jesus our Lord and Saviour, that He may grant us a long life in good welfare, enlightenment in Orthodoxy, rest through good works, radiance in the kingdom of heaven, singing with the angels, reigning with the saints, and glory and thanksgiving with thee; for to Him befitteth all glory, honour and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto 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 Thine all-holy Mother, of our venerable mother Sabiana and of all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
While the icon is kissed we sing thus:
Thou shinest with light from on high, O wondrous mother, and by divine power thou grantest the fulfilment of their petitions to them that honour and entreat thee, O all-blessed Sabiana: help us also now before God, that our souls may be delivered from slavery to the devil and from the captivity of passion, and that in the hour of judgment He may deliver us from those bitter torments of eternity.
O all-holy Theotokos, look upon them that fall down with faith and kiss with longing the icon of our venerable mother Sabiana, that her grace and thy mercy may go with us all the days of our life.
Author and compiler: Tinatin Mchedlishvili
