Akathist to the Mother of God before the Iveron Icon

Kontakion 1

To you, the chosen Commander, our Lady the Mother of God, we your servants offer hymns of praise, for through the coming of your honored image we have gained a strong shield, an unassailable wall, and a sleepless guardian. Since your power is invincible, shelter and defend us, O Lady, from all enemies, visible and invisible, and deliver us from every harm of soul and body, that we may cry to you:

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Ikos 1

An angel who stands before God was sent to speak to the Mother of God when the lot of apostolic ministry in the land of Iberia fell to her: “Do not leave Jerusalem; the portion allotted to you will be enlightened in the last days, and you shall labor in the land that God wills for you.”

Rejoice, through whom the Gospel will be proclaimed; rejoice, through whom the deception of idols will be abolished.

Rejoice, through whom the power of the prince of darkness will be destroyed; rejoice, through whom the Kingdom of Christ will be established.

Rejoice, calling those fallen into the darkness of idolatry to the light of the Gospel; rejoice, leading them from slavery to the devil into the freedom of the glory of God’s children.

Rejoice, ready servant of your Son and God; rejoice, healing Eve’s disobedience through your obedience.

Rejoice, height of the virtues; rejoice, depth of humility.

Rejoice, through whom unbelievers come to know the Creator; rejoice, through whom the faithful become children of the Father.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 2

Seeing God’s wondrous and new providence for her, the Holy Virgin, as the Lord’s servant, ever ready to do his will, cried out: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

Making the incomprehensible meaning of the angel’s words clear to you, O Most Pure One, the Lord directed your journey to Mount Athos, where you proclaimed the Gospel, and thus your allotted portion was revealed. We therefore cry out with joy:

Rejoice, sanctifying Athos by your coming; rejoice, overthrowing the idols there.

Rejoice, planting the true faith there; rejoice, driving unbelief away.

Rejoice, choosing this mountain as your portion; rejoice, promising grace to this place.

Rejoice, giver of earthly blessings to the faithful who dwell there; rejoice, pledge of their eternal salvation.

Rejoice, fervent intercessor for those living in your portion; rejoice, terror of all their enemies.

Rejoice, promising your Son’s mercy to this place until the end of the age; rejoice, foretelling that his grace would remain here without departing.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 3

Through the intercession of the Mother of God, the power of the Most High overshadowed the Holy Mountain, its valleys and ravines, and made it a spacious field for all who wish to reap salvation in the monastic life, singing thus: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Caring for your portion, the people of the Iberian land, you established a monastery for their nation where you yourself had come ashore at Athos, as a peaceful harbor for those seeking salvation. You wished to give it your icon as a shield and defense, that all might cry:

Rejoice, sending a preacher of the Gospel to the land of Iberia; rejoice, turning that country from the deception of idols to the light of Christ.

Rejoice, branch of the unfading Shoot, giving a wondrous vine to Nina; rejoice, bringing forth from it clusters of miracles and true faith.

Rejoice, planting a spiritual garden on Athos; rejoice, pouring from it a stream of spiritual enlightenment upon the land of Iberia.

Rejoice, golden-speaking lips of Euthymius; rejoice, invincible strength of Tornicius.

Rejoice, strength of all the devout; rejoice, defense of monks.

Rejoice, peaceful harbor for those seeking salvation; rejoice, preparing eternal rest for them.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 4

Bearing within her a storm of doubtful thoughts, the devout widow in Nicaea was troubled when she saw an iconoclast soldier pierce the holy and venerated icon of the Mother of God with a spear, and blood immediately flow from it. Seized with fear lest the holy icon be profaned, she cast it into the sea with prayer and tears. Seeing it travel upright upon the water toward the west, she cried with gladness: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

The monks of the Holy Mountain saw a flame appear in the sea, like a pillar of fire whose top reached heaven and shone like the sun. By night they hastened to the shore and, seeing the holy icon of the Mother of God carried over the sea by power from above, cried to her who is full of grace:

Rejoice, Burning Bush foreseen by the lawgiver; rejoice, pillar of fire guiding those in darkness.

Rejoice, ladder reaching heaven, by which God descended; rejoice, bridge leading those on earth to heaven.

Rejoice, dawn of the mystical day; rejoice, Star revealing the Sun.

Rejoice, giving birth to the ineffable Light; rejoice, revealing to no one how this came to pass.

Rejoice, clothed with the sun and shining with grace and glory upon the whole world; rejoice, lightning enlightening souls and illuminating the minds of the faithful.

Rejoice, radiance shining in darkness; rejoice, pouring forth enlightenment of abundant light.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 5

Wishing to give your icon, borne along by God, to the monastery of Iveron, you said, O Mother of God, to the venerable Gabriel: “Go with the company of monks to the seashore, enter the deep, and receive my icon.” Borne up by faith and love, he walked upon the water as on dry land and received it into his arms. Having gained a treasure unattainable by others as a possession for the monks of his Iberian nation, he sang with joy: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

The monks of Iveron repeatedly saw the icon of the Mother of God carried by an unseen power from the church to the wall above the monastery gates. In wonder they stood and cried to her:

Rejoice, willing to give us your holy icon; rejoice, promising that it would be our shelter.

Rejoice, showing your love for our monastery; rejoice, revealing your gracious care for it.

Rejoice, our help in a foreign land; rejoice, comfort in our wandering.

Rejoice, God’s favor toward us; rejoice, our confidence before God.

Rejoice, deliverance from our tears; rejoice, defender of us who are orphaned.

Rejoice, our protection; rejoice, our only joy.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 6

Making Gabriel the herald of your will, you said to him, O Lady: “I have not come to be guarded by you, but to be your guardian, not only in the present age but also in the age to come. Behold, I give you a sign: as long as you see my icon in the monastery, the grace and mercy of my Son will not fail you, that all may cry to him: Alleluia.”

Ikos 6

Great joy shone upon those who heard your promises, O Mother of God. With gladness the monks built a church for you at the monastery gates, O heavenly Gatekeeper, and cried:

Rejoice, our guardian in this present age; rejoice, our intercessor in the age to come.

Rejoice, teaching us the fear of God; rejoice, guiding us on the path of virtue.

Rejoice, our confidence and hope; rejoice, our trust and shelter.

Rejoice, inclining your Son’s compassion toward us; rejoice, proclaiming that his grace will remain abundantly with us.

Rejoice, giving your holy icon as a pledge of mercy; rejoice, granting it the gift of working miracles.

Rejoice, repelling every assault of evil from the monastery; rejoice, opening the entrance to everything good.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 7

When the impious Amiras wished to destroy the monastery of Iveron and scatter the flock of monks gathered there, he soon learned how strongly the Mother of God defended the monastery: he saw his ships sunk in the depths of the sea and his warriors dead. Coming in humility, he gave silver and gold to the monastery, asking for prayers. The monks, seeing this, cried to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

The Mother of God revealed new and countless miracles, supplying the monastery’s lack of wine, flour, and oil, healing the possessed, enabling the lame to walk and the blind to see, and curing every illness, that those who see these miracles may sing to you:

Rejoice, chosen Commander, defeating enemies; rejoice, swift help of those who call upon you.

Rejoice, not despising our prayer; rejoice, never departing from your promise.

Rejoice, changing the monastery’s sorrow into joy; rejoice, supplying what the monastery lacks.

Rejoice, sight of the blind; rejoice, power of the lame to walk.

Rejoice, healer of all the infirm; rejoice, comforter of all who sorrow.

Rejoice, never ceasing to care for us and save us; rejoice, delivering us from so many troubles.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 8

Hearing how wondrously the icon of the Mother of God sheltered the monastery of Iveron, Patriarch Nikon desired that the Russian land also share in her grace. Therefore, establishing a monastery in honor of the glorious image, he earnestly requested a copy of the wonderworking image of the Mother of God, that those defended by her protection might cry to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

Dwelling wholly on high without abandoning those below, you graciously willed, O Mother of God, that just as the blessing of Mount Athos had once been granted to the venerable Anthony for the establishment of the Monastery of the Caves, so the new monastery in the Russian land should receive the grace with which you blessed Athos, through a likeness of your honored image. Therefore we cry to you:

Rejoice, shelter of the Russian land, broader than a cloud; rejoice, defense and confirmation of the Orthodox faith there.

Rejoice, unshakable pillar of the Orthodox Church; rejoice, refutation of heresies and schisms.

Rejoice, illuminating the whole land with the bright rays of wonderworking icons; rejoice, pouring forth gifts of healing and mercy through them.

Rejoice, terror of enemies; rejoice, gladness of hierarchs.

Rejoice, praise of priests; rejoice, guide of monks.

Rejoice, salvation of all our people; rejoice, strength of the faithful.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 9

Taking every care for the painting of the honored image of the merciful Gatekeeper, the company of ascetics of Iveron offers hymns of supplication, washes with water from the wondrous icon the board on which the honored image is to be painted, and sanctifies the venerable Iamblichus. Having labored in fasting, prayer, and vigil with all the brethren, he painted the honored image of the Mother of God with pigments sanctified by holy water and relics, continually praying and crying to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

We see eloquent speakers become like speechless fish before you, O Mother of God: they cannot comprehend how to praise worthily all the miracles you have shown our people through your holy icon. Even on its journey to the Russian land it worked miracles, as you commanded the devout Manuel to pay a ransom to the unbelievers who hindered the holy icon’s passage to Russia, and later repaid him twice over. In wonder we cry to you with faith:

Rejoice, inexhaustible fountain of miracles; rejoice, giver of every mercy.

Rejoice, ever-fervent intercessor for us before God; rejoice, treasury of his providence for us.

Rejoice, refuge of those in trouble; rejoice, consolation of the sorrowful.

Rejoice, healing of the sick; rejoice, strength of the infirm.

Rejoice, protection of widows; rejoice, merciful Mother of orphans.

Rejoice, turning the wandering to the path of truth; rejoice, calling sinners to repentance.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 10

Desiring to save many people from troubles and sorrows, you pour forth from your icon an unfailing fountain of mercy upon our people, O Mother of God. In the royal city of Moscow you appear as the gracious Gatekeeper to all who venerate you, granting swift help; in the new monastery of Iveron you send forth streams of grace from your icon; and in other cities, monasteries, and villages you fulfill the beneficial petitions of those who honor you. Glorifying God, who has given us such grace, we cry to him: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

You are a wall for the monastic order, O Mother of God, and for all who flee to you, for the Creator of heaven and earth, dwelling in your virgin womb, taught all who strive for purity and chastity to cry to you:

Rejoice, chosen vessel of virginity; rejoice, purest image of chastity.

Rejoice, bridal chamber of a union without seed; rejoice, unwedded Bride.

Rejoice, giving birth to the Sower of purity; rejoice, uniting the faithful to the Lord.

Rejoice, swift helper in the storm of temptations; rejoice, repelling the enemy’s assaults.

Rejoice, driving away the darkness of passions that harm the soul; rejoice, purifying our thoughts.

Rejoice, teaching us to disdain earthly pleasures; rejoice, directing minds and hearts to heaven.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 11

Every hymn falls short as it strives to encompass the abundance of your many mercies. Even if we offer you songs as numerous as the grains of sand, O our Lady the Mother of God, we render nothing worthy of what you give us, who cry out in your honor: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

We behold the holy icon of the Mother of God as a lamp receiving light, revealed to those in the darkness of troubles. Receiving the immaterial fire of grace, it illuminates everyone with rays of miracles, teaching us to cry to the Blessed One:

Rejoice, swift help in every need; rejoice, quick hearing in sorrow.

Rejoice, delivering us from fire, sword, and foreign invasion; rejoice, freeing us from famine and sudden death.

Rejoice, preserving us from pestilence and deadly destruction; rejoice, sudden help for those in distress on their journeys, on land and on water.

Rejoice, healing of wounds of soul and body; rejoice, receiving into your hands those whom physicians have abandoned.

Rejoice, merciful comforter of all who sorrow and are burdened; rejoice, rejecting none who are despised and cast out.

Rejoice, rescuing the most despairing from the pit of destruction; rejoice, not forsaking even me, bereft of good deeds, with your shelter and intercession.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 12

Wishing to grant grace, the One who releases all people from their ancient debts came himself to those who had departed from his grace. Tearing up the record of debt, he granted us mighty intercession filled with God’s grace, that through her prayers we might all cry: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Singing of the miracles you reveal to us in this life, we praise you, O Mother of God, as an inexhaustible fountain of mercy. Falling down before your wonderworking icon, we humbly pray: be our shelter and defense both on the day of our death and when we must stand in judgment before your Son’s dread throne, that we may cry to you:

Rejoice, seated in glory beside your Son’s throne and remembering us there; rejoice, reigning eternally with your Son and God and interceding for us.

Rejoice, granting an unashamed end of life to those who trust in you; rejoice, arranging a painless and peaceful death.

Rejoice, deliverance from bitter toll houses; rejoice, freedom from the power of the prince of the air.

Rejoice, through whose prayers our sins are remembered no more; rejoice, our hope after the Lord of a blessed life.

Rejoice, arranging for those who trust in you to stand at your Son’s right hand; rejoice, making them worthy to hear his blessed voice promising the inheritance of the heavenly Kingdom.

Rejoice, gracious Mother, bringing all who honor you to dwell with you; rejoice, firm hope of eternal salvation for all Christians.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 13

O all-praised Mother, Most Holy Lady, Virgin Mother of God! Look upon us who humbly offer these small prayers with tears before your most pure image and have placed all our trust and hope in you. Deliver us from every trouble and affliction in this life, and free us from torment in the life to come, that, saved through you, we may continually cry: Alleluia.

Read this kontakion three times. Then repeat the first ikos and the first kontakion.

Ikos 1

An angel who stands before God was sent to speak to the Mother of God when the lot of apostolic ministry in the land of Iberia fell to her: “Do not leave Jerusalem; the portion allotted to you will be enlightened in the last days, and you shall labor in the land that God wills for you.”

Rejoice, through whom the Gospel will be proclaimed; rejoice, through whom the deception of idols will be abolished.

Rejoice, through whom the power of the prince of darkness will be destroyed; rejoice, through whom the Kingdom of Christ will be established.

Rejoice, calling those fallen into the darkness of idolatry to the light of the Gospel; rejoice, leading them from slavery to the devil into the freedom of the glory of God’s children.

Rejoice, ready servant of your Son and God; rejoice, healing Eve’s disobedience through your obedience.

Rejoice, height of the virtues; rejoice, depth of humility.

Rejoice, through whom unbelievers come to know the Creator; rejoice, through whom the faithful become children of the Father.

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Kontakion 1

To you, the chosen Commander, our Lady the Mother of God, we your servants offer hymns of praise, for through the coming of your honored image we have gained a strong shield, an unassailable wall, and a sleepless guardian. Since your power is invincible, shelter and defend us, O Lady, from all enemies, visible and invisible, and deliver us from every harm of soul and body, that we may cry to you:

Rejoice, gracious Gatekeeper, opening the doors of paradise to the faithful.

Prayer

O Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord, Queen of heaven and earth! Hear the grievous sighing of our souls; look from your holy height upon us who venerate your most pure image with faith and love. Behold, sunk in sins and tossed by sorrows, we gaze upon your image as though you were living here among us, and offer our humble prayers.

For we have no other help, no other intercession, and no comfort except you, O Mother of all who sorrow and are burdened! Help us in our weakness, soothe our sorrow, guide us who wander onto the right path, heal and save the hopeless. Grant that we may spend the remaining time of our life in peace and quietness, give us a Christian end, and at your Son’s dread Judgment appear as our merciful intercessor, that we may always sing, magnify, and glorify you as the gracious defender of the Christian race, together with all who have pleased God. Amen.