Patrick Comerford
I have spent the last three or four days staying at the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk, where I was speaking at the Ecumenical Pilgrimage to Walsingham yesterday on ‘A Priest along the Way of a Pilgrim’.
This ecumenical pilgrimage was organised with the support of the Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius and the Society of Saint John Chrysostom and yesterday’s programme included interesting experiences of Lenten liturgical observances during in Lent.
In the morning, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the Shrine Church was served by Father Stephen Platt of Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Oxford, and of the Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius, assisted by Father Ian Graham, Parish Priest of the Greek Orthodox Community of the Holy Trinity in Oxford.
Then, at the end of the day, Father Stephen and Father Ian led us in the Akathist Hymn, an experience unique to the Orthodox Church. Introducing the Akathist Hymn in the Shrine Church, Father Stephen explained how the Akathist Hymn and Small Compline are two services which are sung on the first five Fridays during Great Lent. The Small Compline, and the canon, is sung on each of the five Fridays. This is also true of the prayers beginning with Holy God and continuing to the end of the service with the exception that the Holy Gospel is read only on the First Friday.
The canon is sung on each of the first four Fridays. At the same time, one of the four stases is also chanted by the priest on each successive Friday.
The late Metropolitan Kallistos has written about the Akathistos Hymn as one of the greatest marvels of Greek religious poetry, with a richness of imagery that is the despair of any translator, the Akathistos Hymn has 24 main stanzas, alternatively long and short: each long stanza bears the title ‘Ikos’ and ends with the refrain ‘Hail, Bride without bridegroom’, while each short stanza is termed ‘kontakion’ and ends with the refrain ‘Alleluia’.
The title ‘Akathistos’ means literally ‘not sitting’, because while the hymn is sung all remain standing. The greater part of the hymn is made up of praises addressed to the Holy Virgin, each beginning with the salutation of the Archangel Gabriel, ‘Hail’ or ‘Rejoice’ (Luke 1: 28). Theh hymn recalls the main events connected with the Incarnation, starting with the Annunciation (first ikos) and ending with the Flight into Egypt (sixth ikos) and the Presentation in the Temple (seventh kontakion).
The Akathistos Hymn was originally composed at an epoch when the Annunciation was still celebrated together with Christmas and had not yet become a separate festival. The Annunciation probably first began to be celebrated on 25 March during the reign of the Emperor Justinian (527-565), and the Akathistos Hymn was appointed to be sung on 25 March. Later, after the fall of Constantinople (1453), the hymn was transferred from the fixed to the movable calendar, and instead of being sung on 25 March it was appointed for Saturday in the fifth week. The custom of singing a portion of thehHymn at Compline on the first four Fridays of Lent is more recent still among Greeks.
TMost of the texts at Friday Vespers before the Vigil of the Akathistos are taken directly from the office for 25 March. The Annunciation almost always falls within the period of the Great Fast, and that is why this special office of praise to the Mother of God has found a place in the Lenten Triodion.
A Kontakion greatly loved by Orthodox people is sung at the beginning of the Akathistos Hymn, ‘To thee, our leader in battle and defender …’. It celebrates the deliverance of the city of Constantinople from its enemies through the aid of the Mother of God. The Kontakion was written most probablyn by Patriarch Sergios to celebrate the escape of the Byzantine capital from the attack of the Persians and Avars in 626; it may also have been sung at the thanksgiving celebrations after Constantinople was saved from the Arabs in the mid-670s and in 717–718, and from the Russians in 860. The Kontakion expresses the Orthodox faithful sense of continuing dependence on the protecting intercession of the Holy Virgin at all moments of crisis and peril.
The Akathist Hymn is one of the most well-loved services of devotion in the Orthodox Church. Many scholars agreethat the Akathist was composed by Saint Romanos the Melodist, who reposed in the year 556. It has also been suggested that the Kontakion ‘To thee, our leader in battle and defender …’ was written in 532, to celebrate the safe escape of the city from the Nika riots. On such a hypothesis the Kontakion could be contemporary with the rest of the Akathistos Hymn, and might even be the work of Romanos.
The majority of the hymn is made up of praises directed to the Mother of God, always beginning with the salutation of the Archangel Gabriel: ‘Rejoice.’ In each of them, one after the other, all the events related to the incarnation are contemplated. The Archangel Gabriel (in Ikos 1) marvels at the Divine self-emptying and the renewal of creation which will occur when Christ comes to dwell in the Virgin’s womb.
The unborn John the Baptist (Ikos 3) prophetically rejoices. The shepherds (Ikos 4) recognise Christ as a blameless Lamb, and rejoice that in the Virgin ‘things on earth rejoice with the heavens.’ The Magi (Kontakion 5), following the light of the star, praise her for revealing the light of the world.
As the hymn progresses, various individuals and groups encounter Christ and his mother. Each has his own need; each his own desire or expectation, and each finds his or her own particular spiritual need satisfied and fulfilled in Our Lord and in the Mother of God. So too, each generation of Orthodox, and each particular person who has prayed the Akathist, has found in this hymn an inspired means of expressing gratitude and praise to the Mother of God for what she has accomplished for their salvation.
The authorship of the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God is the subject of much discussion, though many reputable scholars attribute it to Saint Romanos the Melodist. The poem defies every translator and it is virtually impossibleto translate all the rhetorical devices that are such a striking feature of the Greek original. The original has an alphabetical acrostic for the first word of each Kontakion and Ikos and the lines begining ‘Hail!’ are marked by many internal rhymes.
The Greek ‘Chaire!’ is translated by Metroplitan Kallistos as ‘Rejoice’ as the most natural meaning of the Greek. Even though etymologically it means ‘Rejoice!’, it is a standard greeting, like the Latin ‘Ave!’, which is what the Roman soldiers presumably said to the Lord as they mocked him. In the New Testament it often translates the Hebrew ‘Shalom!’
Liturgically the hymn forms part of Matins on the Saturday of the Akathist, and in the monasteries of the the Holy Mountain it is read each night at Compline. In Greek use, it is chanted solemnly in four sections at Compline on the first four Fridays of Lent, the whole being chanted at Compline on the fifth, the eve of Akathist Saturday.
The Akathist hymn to the Theotokos is the original of all Akathists. It is a type of Kontakion. In a regular Kontakion, There is one (or more) Proëmion or opening hymn (now called confusingly ‘the Kontakion’ of the hymn) followed by several Ikos hymns. All the hymns have the same or nearly the same refrain. The acrostics vary, and therefore, so do the number of Ikos hymns. In the Akathist, the acrostic is the Greek alphabet, so there are 24 hymns. All akathists follow this number, even if they do not produce an Alphabetical acrostic. These 24 hymns vary between long hymns, called Ikos hymns, that have the same refrain as the Proëmion, and shorter hymns with the refrain ‘Alleluia’, (also, confusingly, called ‘Kontakia’).
On the Fifth Saturday of Great Lent, the Saturday of the Akathist, the Orthodox commemorate the ‘Laudation of the Virgin” icon of the Theotokos.
Akathist to the Theotokos:
Troparion
Taking knowledge of the secret command, the bodiless Archangel went with haste to Joseph’s dwelling and said to her that knew not wedlock: ‘He who in his self-abasement bowed the heavens and came down is housed wholly and unchanged in thee. I see him take the form of a servant in thy womb and in wonder cry to thee: Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom.
Kontakion 1
To thee, our leader in battle and defender, O Mother of God, we thy servants, delivered from calamity, offer hymns of victory and thankgiving. Since those are invincible in power, set us free from every peril that we may cry out to thee: Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom. Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom.
Ikos 1
A prince of the angels was sent from heaven, to say to the Mother of God, Rejoice! And seeing Thee, O Lord, take bodily form at the sound of his bodiless voice, filled with amazement he stood still and cried aloud to her:
Rejoice, for through thee joy shall shine forth:
Rejoice, for through thee the curse shall cease.
Rejoice, recalling of fallen Adam:
Rejoice, deliverance from the tears of Eve.
Rejoice, height hard to climb for the thoughts of men:
Rejoice, depth hard to scan even for the eyes of angels.
Rejoice, for thou art the throne of the King:
Rejoice, for thou holdest Him who upholds all.
Rejoice, star causing the sun to shine:
Rejoice, womb of the divine Incarnation.
Rejoice, for through thee creation is made new:
Rejoice, for through thee the Creator becomes a newborn child.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Kontakion 2
The Holy Maiden, seeing herself in all her purity, said boldly unto Gabriel: ‘Strange seem thy words and hard for my soul to accept. From a conception without seed how dost thou speak of childbirth crying: Alleluia! Alleluia.
Ikos 2
Seeking to know what passes knowledge, the Virgin said to the ministering Angel: ‘From a maiden womb how can a Son be born? Tell me.’ And to her in fear he answered, crying:
Rejoice, initiate of God’s secret counsel:
Rejoice, faith in that which must be guarded by silence.
Rejoice, beginning of Christ’s wonders:
Rejoice, crown and fulfillment of His teachings.
Rejoice, heavenly ladder by which God came down:
Rejoice, bridge leading men from earth to heaven.
Rejoice, marvel greatly renowned among the angels:
Rejoice, wound bitterly lamented by the demons.
Rejoice, for ineffably thou shalt bear the Light:
Rejoice, for thou hast revealed the mystery to none.
Rejoice, wisdom surpassing the knowledge of the wise:
Rejoice, dawn that illumines the minds of the faithful.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Kontakion 3
Then the power of the Most High overshadowed her that knew no wedlock, so that she might conceive: and He made her fruitful womb as a fertile field for all who long to reap the harvest of salvation, singing: Alleluia! Alleluia.
Ikos 3
Bearing God within her womb, the Virgin hastened to Elizabeth; whose unborn child, knowing at once the salutation of the Theotokos, rejoiced, and, leaping up as if in song, cried out to her:
Rejoice, vine whence springs a never-withering branch:
Rejoice, orchard of pure fruit.
Rejoice, for thou tendest the Husband-man who loves mankind:
Rejoice, for thou hast borne the Gardener who cultivates our life.
Rejoice, earth yielding a rich harvest of compassion:
Rejoice, table laden with mercy in abundance.
Rejoice, for through thee the fields of Eden flower again:
Rejoice, for thou makest ready a haven for our souls.
Rejoice, acceptable incense of intercession:
Rejoice, propitiation for the whole world.
Rejoice, loving-kindness of God unto mortal man:
Rejoice, freedom of approach for mortals unto God.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Kontakion 4
Tossed inwardly by a storm of doubts, prudent Joseph was troubled: knowing thee to be unwedded, O blameless Virgin, he feared a stolen union. But when he learnt that thy conceiving was from the Holy Spirit, he said: Alleluia! Alleluia.
Ikos 4
The shepherds heard the angels glorify Christ’s coming in the flesh.
Quickly they ran to the Shepherd, and beheld Him as a lamb without spot, that had been pastured in the womb of Mary; and they sang praises to her, saying:
Rejoice, Mother of the Lamb and Shepherd:
Rejoice, fold of spiritual sheep.
Rejoice, protection against unseen enemies:
Rejoice, key to the door of Paradise.
Rejoice, for heaven exults with earth:
Rejoice, for things on earth rejoice with the heavens.
Rejoice, never-silent voice of the apostles:
Rejoice, unconquered courage of the victorious martyrs.
Rejoice, firm foundation of the faith:
Rejoice, shining revelation of grace.
Rejoice, for through thee hell is stripped bare:
Rejoice, for through thee we are clothed in glory.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Kontakion 5
Seeing the star pointing to God, the Magi followed its radiance. Keeping it before them as a beacon, with its help they sought the mighty King; and attaining the Unattainable, they rejoiced and cried to Him: Alleluia! Alleluia.
Ikos 5
The children of the Chaldaens saw the Virgin holding in her hands Him who with His hands fashioned mankind. Though He had taken the form of a servant, yet they knew Him as their Master. In haste they knelt before Him with their gifts and cried out to the Blessed Virgin:
Rejoice, Mother of the Star that never sets:
Rejoice, bright dawn of the mystical day.
Rejoice, for thou hast quenched the furnace of deception:
Rejoice, for thou dost illumine all who love the mystery of the Trinity.
Rejoice, for thou hast cast down from his dominion the tyrant that hates man:
Rejoice, for thou hast made known the Lord Christ who loves mankind.
Rejoice, deliverance from the worship of pagan idols:
Rejoice, liberation from the filth of sin.
Rejoice, for thou hast quenched the worship of fire:
Rejoice, for thou hast released us from the flames of passion.
Rejoice, guide of the faithful to chastity:
Rejoice, joy of all generations.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Kontakion 6
Becoming God’s messengers, the Magi returned to Babylon. Having fulfilled the prophecy concerning Thee, and preaching Thee to all as Christ, they left Herod to his raving, for he knew not how to sing: Alleluia! Alleluia.
Ikos 6
Shining upon Egypt with the light of truth, Thou hast dispelled the darkness of falsehood; for the idols of that land fell down, unable to endure Thy power, O Saviour, and all who were delivered from them cried unto the Theotokos:
Rejoice, restoration of men:
Rejoice, downfall of demons.
Rejoice, for thou hast trampled on the delusion of error:
Rejoice, for thou hast exposed the snares of the idols.
Rejoice, sea that has drowned the invisible Pharoah:
Rejoice, rock that gives drink to all who thirst for life.
Rejoice, pillar of fire, guiding those in darkness:
Rejoice, protection of the world, wider than the cloud in the wilderness.
Rejoice, food that takes the place of manna:
Rejoice, minister of holy joy.
Rejoice, promised land:
Rejoice, source of milk and honey.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Kontakion 7
As Simeon drew near to the time of his departure from this world of error, he received Thee as an infant in his arms, but he knew Thee to be perfect God; and struck with wonder at Thine ineffable wisdom, he cried: Alleluia! Alleluia.
Ikos 7
A new creation has the Creator revealed, manifesting Himself unto us His creatures. From a Virgin’s womb He came, preserving it inviolate as it was before: that, beholding the miracle, we might sing her praises, crying:
Rejoice, flower of incorruption:
Rejoice, crown of chastity.
Rejoice, bright foreshadowing of the resurrection glory:
Rejoice, mirror of the angels’ life.
Rejoice, tree of glorious fruit on which the faithful feed:
Rejoice, wood of shady leaves where many shelter.
Rejoice, for thou hast conceived a Guide for the wanderers:
Rejoice, for thou hast borne a Deliverer for the captives.
Rejoice, intercessor with the Righteous Judge:
Rejoice, forgiveness for many who have stumbled.
Rejoice, robe for the naked and bereft of hope:
Rejoice, love surpassing desire.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Kontakion 8
Seeing this strange birth, let us become strangers to the world, fixing our minds in heaven. To this end has the most high God appeared on earth as a lowly man, because He wishes to draw heaven-ward all who cry aloud to Him: Alleluia! Alleluia.
Ikos 8
The boundless Word was wholly present here below, yet in no wise absent from the realm on high: God descended to earth yet underwent no change of place. He was born of a Virgin, over-shadowed by divine power, and unto her we sing:
Rejoice, enclosure of the God whom nothing can enclose:
Rejoice, gate of the hallowed mystery.
Rejoice, tidings doubted by unbelievers:
Rejoice, undoubted glory of the faithful.
Rejoice, most holy chariot of Him who rides upon the cherubim:
Rejoice, best of all dwellings for Him who is above the seraphim.
Rejoice, for thou bringest opposites to harmony:
Rejoice, for thou hast joined in one childbirth and virginity.
Rejoice, for through thee our sin is remitted:
Rejoice, for through thee Paradise is opened.
Rejoice, key of Christ’s Kingdom:
Rejoice, hope of eternal blessings.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Kontakion 9
All the ranks of angels marveled at the great work of Thine incarnation. For they saw God, whom none can approach, as a man approachable by all, dwelling in our midst, and hearing from our lips: Alleluia! Alleluia.
Ikos 9
Eloquent orators we see dumb as the fishes in thy presence, O Theotokos, for they are at a loss to say how thou remainest virgin and yet hast power to bear a child. But we, marvelling at the mystery, cry aloud in faith:
Rejoice, vessel of God’s wisdom:
Rejoice, treasury of His providence.
Rejoice, for thou revealest lack of wisdom in the lovers of wisdom:
Rejoice, for thou provest devoid of reason those skilled in reason’s art.
Rejoice, for the cunning disputants are shown to be fools:
Rejoice, for the myth-makers have withered into silence.
Rejoice, for thou hast torn asunder the tangled webs of the Athenians:
Rejoice, for thou hast filled the nets of the fishermen.
Rejoice, for thou dost draw men from the depths of ignorance:
Rejoice, for thou dost illumine multitudes with knowledge.
Rejoice, ship of all who would be saved:
Rejoice, haven for the seafarers of life.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Kontakion 10
Wishing to save the world, the Fashioner of all things came to it of His own free choice. As God, He is our Shepherd, yet has He appeared for our sake as a man like us; and calling like by means of like, as God, He hears our cry: Alleluia! Alleluia.
Ikos 10
For virgins and all who flee to thee thou art a wall, O Virgin Theotokos undefiled: for the Creator of heaven and earth has made thee ready and adorned thee, dwelling in thy womb, and teaching all to sing to her:
Rejoice, pillar of virginity:
Rejoice, gate of salvation.
Rejoice, beginning of the new and spiritual creation:
Rejoice, provider of God’s mercy.
Rejoice, for thou hast given birth to those conceived in shame:
Rejoice, for thou hast given good counsel to those robbed of understanding.
Rejoice, for thou bringest to naught the corrupter of man’s mind:
Rejoice, for thou bringest to birth the Sower of purity.
Rejoice, bridal chamber of a marriage without seed:
Rejoice, for thou joinest in union the faithful to their Lord.
Rejoice, fair nursing-mother of virgins:
Rejoice, bridal escort of holy souls.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Kontakion 11
No hymn can recount the multitude of Thy many mercies. For though we offer unto Thee, O holy King, songs numberless as the sand upon the seashore, yet we do nothing worthy of the blessings Thou hast given us, who cry unto Thee: Alleluia! Alleluia.
Ikos 11
We see the Holy Virgin as a lamp to those in darkness. Kindling the immaterial Fire, she guides all men to divine knowledge; she illumines our mind with radiance, and we sing these praises in her honour:
Rejoice, beam of the spiritual Sun:
Rejoice, ray of the Moon that never wanes.
Rejoice, lightning flash that shines upon our souls:
Rejoice, thunder that brings terror to our enemies.
Rejoice, dawn that makest the manifold Splendor to arise:
Rejoice, spring that makest the River with many streams to flow.
Rejoice, for thou dost prefigure the baptismal font:
Rejoice, for thou takest away the filth of sin.
Rejoice, water washing clean the conscience:
Rejoice, cup wherein is mixed the wine of mighty joy.
Rejoice, scent of Christ’s fragrance:
Rejoice, life of mystical feasting.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Kontakion 12
Wishing to release from ancient debts, the Redeemer of all men came of His own will to those who were exiled from His grace; He has torn up the record of our sins, and from all He hears the cry: Alleluia! Alleluia.
Ikos 12
We all sing in honour of thy Son, O Theotokos, and praise thee as a living temple. For the Lord who holds all things in His hand made His dwelling in thy womb; He hallowed and He glorified thee, teaching all to cry to thee:
Rejoice, tabernacle of God the Word:
Rejoice, greater Holy of Holies.
Rejoice, ark made golden by the Spirit:
Rejoice, never-empty treasure-house of life.
Rejoice, precious crown of orthodox kings:
Rejoice, honored boast of godly priests.
Rejoice, unshaken fortress of the Church:
Rejoice, unconquered rampart of the Kingdom.
Rejoice, for through thee the standards of victory are raised on high:
Rejoice, for through thee our enemies are cast down.
Rejoice, healing of my body:
Rejoice, salvation of my soul.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Kontakion 13
O Mother worthy of all praise, who hast borne the Word, the Holiest of all Holies accepting this our offering, deliver from every ill and from the punishment to come, all those who cry aloud to thee: Alleluia! Alleluia. Alleluia! Alleluia
Kontakion 13 is read three times, and then Ikos One is read again:
Ikos 1
A prince of the angels was sent from heaven, to say to the Theotokos, Rejoice! And seeing Thee, O Lord, take bodily form at the sound of his bodiless voice, filled with amazement he stood still and cried aloud to her:
Rejoice, for through thee joy shall shine forth:
Rejoice, for through thee the curse shall cease.
Rejoice, recalling of fallen Adam:
Rejoice, deliverance from the tears of Eve.
Rejoice, height hard to climb for the thoughts of men:
Rejoice, depth hard to scan even for the eyes of angels.
Rejoice, for thou art the throne of the King:
Rejoice, for thou holdest Him who upholds all.
Rejoice, star causing the sun to shine:
Rejoice, womb of the divine Incarnation.
Rejoice, for through thee creation is made new:
Rejoice, for through thee the Creator becomes a newborn child.
Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
And then again the First Kontakion:
O Victorious Leader of triumphant hosts, we, thy servants, delivered from evil, sing our grateful thanks to thee, O Theotokos. As thou dost possess invincible might set us free from every calamity so that we may sing: Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!
Priest: Glory to thee, O Christ our God, and our hope, glory to thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord have mercy. Father give the blessing in the name of the Lord.
Priest: May Christ our true God, at the prayers of his most pure and holy, Mother, by the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, and the protection of the honoured, spiritual powers of heaven, at the intercession of the honoured and glorious prophet, forerunner and Baptist, John, of the holy, glorious and righteous forebears of God, Joachim and Anna and of all the saints, have mercy upon us and save us, for he is good and he loves mankind. Amen.
Priest: Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
We were all then invited to venerate the icon of the Mother of God and receive the priest’s blessing.
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