Paraklesis for Every Sickness
Stand before the holy icons and with a contrite heart and humbled mind offer up prayers with the customary prostrations:
“O God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (prostration).
“O God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me” (prostration).
“O God, Creator of all things made, have mercy on me” (prostration).
“O God, forgive me for my countless sins” (prostration).
“O all-holy Lady Theotokos, save me, a sinner” (prostration).
“O holy Angel, guardian of my soul and body, shelter me from every evil” (prostration).
“O holy (apostle, martyr or venerable father whose name thou bearest), pray to God for me” (prostration).
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 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. Amen.
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.
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.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made;
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, and became man;
And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried;
And arose again on the third day according to the Scriptures;
And ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father;
And shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spake by the prophets.
In one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead,
And the life of the age to come. Amen.
Irmos: The impassable sea, divided by the rod, Israel crossed as dry land, for the figure of the Cross was foreshown; let us sing gloriously to the Saviour.
Refrain: O merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants who entreat Thee.
In the time of our sorrow, O Christ God our Saviour, we ask Thy mercy: be a lightener of the sickness of Thy servant, as Thou didst say to the centurion: “Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.”
With supplication and prayer we cry to Thee, O Son of God: have mercy on us and raise up the sick one who lieth on his bed, as Thou didst say to the paralytic: “Take up thy bed; thy sins are forgiven thee.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We bow down before Thine icon, O Lord, we draw near with faith, and, as the woman with an issue of blood whom Thou didst heal by the touch of Thy garment, grant healing from the sicknesses of the body to the infirm one also, we entreat Thee.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O all-holy Lady Theotokos, swift helper of all that flee to thee, turn not thy face away from us, but entreat thy Son and our God to grant health to the sick one, that he may glorify thy name with us.
Thou who didst establish the heavens by Thy word and found the earth in wisdom, O Lord, establish our hearts in fear of Thee and in Thy love, O only Lover of mankind.
Wholly subdued by grievous earthly sickness, O Christ our God, he crieth with us: Be the healer of this body, as Thou wast of Hezekiah when he shed tears before Thee.
Look, O Good One, upon our humility and remember not our countless transgressions; but as by a word Thou didst put to death the leprosy of the leper, so also take away the sickness of this sick one through the faith he hath in Thee, that we may glorify Thy name.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Lord, give not over to destruction from the face of the earth the temple baptized by Thee, but make the sick one's lying upon his bed to vanish, that he may pray in Thy house, lest the unbelievers be able to say: Where is their God?
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Before thine icon, O all-holy Theotokos, we pray with uplifted hands: hear the prayer of thy servants, deliver the one who hath grown weak and make him stand above his sickness; for, as one in sorrow, his lips speak, and he hath drawn near to thee with a vow.
O Lord Jesus, Saviour, God of mercy and love for mankind, who alone takest away the sins of the world, who alone hast power to forgive sins, O our endurance, Physician of our souls and bodies, Driver-away of every affliction and Healer of every defilement, be merciful, as to Peter's wife's mother lying upon her bed, and look upon the sick one stretched out on the bed of sin and held fast by grievous pains, O merciful One.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 2. Be the protector, O Lord our God, of one who fleeth to Thee with tears, nailed to his bed, and count me, a poor man, worthy that the countless sins of my youth be not called to account, and grant me healing from this sickness, through the prayers of Thine all-holy Mother.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Pour out upon me Thy mercy, for Thou art my Deliverer. Raise me up from my bed of infirmity, gird me with strength to overcome my adversaries, for my strength hath forsaken me. O all-holy Mother, Theotokos, help me and heal me who am infirm, for thou art the kinswoman of Christians.
Show us a love of strength, O Lord, who didst send Thine only-begotten Son into the world and give Him up to death; therefore with praise I cry to Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Lord.
The pains of death have compassed me about; call me back to life, O Lord, broken as I am by grievous sicknesses; grant relief to the sorrowful, that we may all glorify Thy divine wonders.
We who repent entreat Thee, O Creator, for the remission of our sins, for Thou willest not the death of a sinner. Now enlighten and quicken this sick one and establish him in Thy service, that he may confess with us the grace of Thy works.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As Thou didst accept the confession of David, didst cleanse Manasseh through his tears, didst receive the repentance of the Ninevites and wast their swift helper, so also hear our prayer and grant health forthwith to the sick one, we entreat Thee.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Bring down Thy mercy upon us, O Lady, consoler of all; with uplifted hands entreat our God, O Theotokos, that He may grant healing to this sick one through thy hands, together with the Forerunner.
Thou who art invisible wast seen upon earth and didst live among men of Thine own will, O Saviour; to Thee we flee and to Thee we cry, O Lover of mankind.
As God brought back to life the dead daughter of Jairus, so also, O Christ God, deliver this sick one from the gates of death and raise him up, for Thou art the way and the fountain that giveth life to all.
As Thou didst bring the widow's son back to life, O Saviour, and change the streams of tears into joy, so also deliver this Thy servant from destroying sicknesses, and turn our mourning and the torment of the sick one into joy for us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As by Thy touch alone Thou didst heal Peter's wife's mother, held fast by fever, so set Thy servant on his feet and raise him up, like Jonah, that he may serve Thee.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
All we who are sorrowful, humbled, sinful and forsaken by our strength rise early unto thee, O all-holy Theotokos: entreat thy Son to grant healing of soul and body to this sick one.
The depths of sin that corrupt the soul have compassed me about; but do Thou, O Lover of mankind, stretch out Thy right hand, deliver me as Thou didst Jonah, and bring me up from drowning as Thou didst Peter.
O treasury of good things and abyss of mercy, Lord Jesus Christ our God, give ear to the supplication of Thy servants, and as Thou didst raise up Tabitha through Peter, so now set the sick one above his sickness, O Thou who hearest the prayers of the churches.
O Physician of souls and bodies, who didst take away the sins of the world, O Christ our God, who didst heal Aeneas through Peter, so now also, through the prayers of the holy apostles, heal the sick one.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Turn into joy the mourning of those who grieve for the infirm, that, filled with Thy mercy, they may enter Thy house with the gifts of their vow and magnify Thee, the one God in Trinity.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Come, brethren, let us bow down in supplication before the all-holy Mother, the Theotokos, that she may heal this infirm one from the sicknesses of soul and body and, together with the unmercenaries, anoint him invisibly with life-giving oil, for hers is the power to heal from infirmities.
O compassionate Lord, heal my soul, distressed by many sins and countless evil deeds; cleanse it by Thy divine love for mankind, as once Thou didst raise up the paralytic.
Ikos: As Thou holdest the ends of the world in Thy hand together with the unoriginate Father and the all-good Holy Spirit, O King of all, who camest as the Physician of our sicknesses and the Cleanser of our passions, who didst give light to the blind and by the divine word didst raise up the fallen, bid the sick one rise from his bed and make firm his feet, that we too with him may confess and sing to Thee: O compassionate Lord, heal me.
The three youths on the plain of Deira served not the golden image; thus they spoke and sang to Thee: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers.
O all-precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, trampler of death and resurrection of the dead, now heal and bring to life the sick one, as thou didst the dead maiden in the time of Helen.
As by a word Thou didst heal the long and heavy, grievous sickness of Job, tormented by worms and sores, now we who pray in church for the sick one entreat Thee: grant healing through the unseen prayer of Thy saints.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou alone knowest all the last things and the beginning of our days: if only for a little time, O Merciful One, grant the sick one length of days, turn death into life and grant relief to them that sorrow.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Be a companion and helper, O Theotokos, to them that entreat thee; thou knowest the times and the seasons: entreat thy Son and our God to forgive the sick one all his sins and to grant him healing.
The three youths in the furnace of Babylon walked boldly upon the fire, and, bedewed, they thus cried out: Let all the works of the Lord bless the Lord; we serve the living God.
O merciful Lord Jesus Christ, swiftly heal the sickness of Thy servant, and show all, O King, that one forgiven by Thee need not stand before the judgment of death, for Thou hast said: I desire not the death of a sinner.
O merciful Lord, show forth now Thy glorious wonders and trample down the evil powers; put iniquities to death, heal our wounds, be the Physician of our sicknesses, and deliver us from every defilement, from the works of the demons and from them that speak evil.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As Thou didst rebuke the winds and the sea and turn the fear of Thy disciples into joy, so rebuke the grievous sicknesses that afflict Thy servant, that we may all rejoice together and magnify Thee unto the ages.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Theotokos and Virgin, deliver us from sorrows, from manifold afflictions, from sorcery and poisoners, from crafty illusions, from the devices of evil men and from sudden death, we entreat thee.
On Mount Sinai Moses saw thy figure, O Virgin, in the bush that contained the fire of the Godhead without being burnt; Daniel saw thee as an unhewn mountain; Isaiah proclaimed thee as a rod that blossomed from the root of David.
From Thee is the fountain of life, O Giver of mercy, Lord Jesus Christ: turn not Thy face away from us; lighten the sickness of him who is afflicted with sorrows, and raise him up as Thou didst Abgar of Edessa, that we may magnify Thee with the unoriginate Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Fleeing to Thee with faith and with the song of the Gospel, we seek Thy promises, O Lord Christ: “Ask, and it shall be given you.” Now standing before Thee we entreat Thee: call from his bed and set upright him who hath grown weak from all grievous sicknesses, that he may give glory to Thee with us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Bedridden with sickness and defiled by unseen wounds, he crieth to Thee, O Christ God, together with us: Not unto us, not unto us, O God, for we are all great sinners, but through the prayers of Thy Mother and of the Forerunner grant healing to this sick one, that we may all magnify Thee.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O all-holy Theotokos, with all the holy angels and archangels, prophets and patriarchs, apostles, venerable and God-bearing fathers, entreat Christ our God to grant health to the sick one, that we may all magnify thee.
O most merciful God, who orderest all things for the salvation of the race of men, look upon this Thy servant (name), who calleth upon the name of Thy Son; heal him from every infirmity of body and soul, forgive him all his transgressions and falls into sin, drive away from him all persecutors and plundering enemies, raise him up from the bed of sin, and in health of soul and body settle him in Thy holy courts, that with good works he may glorify the name of Thy Son together with all; for to Thee is due glory, with Thy Son who is without beginning and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
And at the end: 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.
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 Thy most pure Mother, of our venerable and God-bearing fathers and of all Thy saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
The prayers are concluded with the customary closing prostrations:
“O God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me” (prostration).
“O God, Creator of all things made, have mercy on me” (prostration).
“O God, forgive me for my countless sins” (prostration).
“We worship Thy Cross, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we hymn and glorify” (prostration)
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.
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 Thy most pure Mother, of our venerable and God-bearing fathers and of all Thy saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
This paraklesis is translated from an old Russian prayer book; translation by Zh. Berozashvili
