Canon for the Sick

Ode 1

The Red Sea was of old divided by the rod of Moses, and Israel crossed it as a dry wilderness, clearly finding paths therein. Therefore, we sing praise unto our wondrous God, for He has been glorified.

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

In the day of sorrow that hath come upon us, we fall down before Thee, O Christ Savior, and ask for Thy mercy. Relieve the illness of Thy servants (name), and say unto us also, as to the centurion: ‘Go, behold, thy servant is made whole!’

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

With sighing we offer prayers and supplications unto Thee: ‘O Son of God, have mercy on us!’ Raise by Thy word them who lie upon the bed of sickness, as Thou didst raise the paralytic, saying: ‘Take up thy bed; thy sins are forgiven thee!’

Venerating the image of Thy countenance, O Christ, we kiss it with faith, and ask for health for Thy sick servants (name), imitating the woman with an issue of blood who touched the hem of Thy garment and received healing from her infirmity.

O All-Pure Lady Theotokos, the Helper known unto all, despise us not who fall down before Thee; as she who is good, pray Thou to Thy Son and our God to grant health to Thy sick servants (name), that they may also glorify Thee with us.

Ode 3

Thou Who hast brought all things out of non-existence, created by Thy Word, and perfected by Thy Spirit! O Almighty Master, establish me in Thy love.

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

Cast down to the ground by grievous sickness, they cry unto Thee, O Christ, with us; grant them health of body, as Thou didst to Hezekiah who prayed unto Thee with weeping.

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

Look down, O Lord, upon our humility, and remember not our iniquities, but for the sake of the faith of Thy sick servants (name), heal their illness by a word, as Thou didst the leper, that Thy name may be glorified, O Christ God.

Suffer not Thy Church, which Thou hast consecrated, O Christ, and wherein we pray unto Thee, to be reproached, but raise up invisibly them who lie upon the bed of sickness (name), lest the unbelievers say: ‘Where is their God?’

Stretching forth our hands to Thy most pure image, O Theotokos, we cry aloud: ‘Hear the prayer of Thy servants, and save them who lie in sickness (name), that, rising from their illness, they may pay Thee the vows which their lips uttered in sorrow.’

Lord, have mercy. (three times)

Sessional Hymn, Tone 8

As Thou didst raise up Peter’s mother-in-law, and didst save the paralytic carried on his bed, so also now, O Merciful One, Who didst bear the sicknesses of our race, visit Thy sick servants (name) on the bed of illness. Thee alone we know as the long-suffering and compassionate, the merciful Physician of souls and bodies, Christ our God, Who sendest sickness and healest it again, granting forgiveness to those who repent of their sins, Who alone art compassionate and merciful.

I, a sinner, weep as I lie upon my bed: grant me forgiveness, O Christ God, and raise me up from this sickness, and by the prayers of the Theotokos, grant me deliverance from those sins which I have committed from my youth.

Have mercy and save me, raise me up from the bed of sickness, for my strength hath failed within me, and I am entirely filled with despair. O All-Pure Mother of God, heal them who are grievously sick (name), for Thou art the Helper of Christians.

Ode 4

Thou hast shown Thy strong love toward us, O Lord, for Thou didst deliver Thine Only-begotten Son unto death for our sake. Therefore, in thanksgiving we cry unto Thee: ‘Glory to Thy power, O Lord!’

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

Restore to life, O Christ, them who are already despaired of in their grievous illness and are drawing nigh unto death, and grant comfort to those who weep, that we all may glorify Thy holy wonders.

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

Before Thee, O Creator, we repent of our sins, for Thou desirest not the death of a sinner. Quicken and grant health to Thy sick servants (name), that rising up, they may serve Thee, confessing Thy goodness together with us.

Having accepted the tears of Manasseh, the repentance of the Ninevites, and the confession of David, Thou didst quickly save them; accept also our prayers now, and grant health to Thy sick servants (name), for whom we pray unto Thee.

Grant us Thy mercy, O Lady, who ever hope in Thee; entreat health for Thy sick servants (name), stretching forth Thy healing hands, O Theotokos, together with the Forerunner, unto the Lord God.

Ode 5

Upon earth Thou, the Invisible One, didst appear, and of Thine own will didst dwell among mortals, O Incomprehensible One; therefore, rising early unto Thee, we praise Thee, O Lover of mankind.

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

The daughter of Jairus, who was already dead, Thou didst restore to life as God; and now, O Christ God, raise up from the gates of death Thy sick servants (name), for Thou art the Way and the Life of all.

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

O Savior, Who didst restore to life the widow’s son, and didst turn her weeping into joy! Save Thy servants (name) who are perishing from illness, that our sorrow and anguish may also be turned into joy.

Thou Who didst heal the burning fever of Peter’s mother-in-law by Thy touch! Raise up also now Thy sick servants (name), that, rising up, they may serve Thee as did she.

Sorrowful, humble, and sinful, having no boldness before Thee, we cry out, O All-Pure Mother of God: entreat Thy Son, Christ, to grant bodily health to Thy sick servants (name).

Ode 6

The deepest abyss of sins hath encompassed me, and my spirit faileth; but do Thou, O Master, stretching forth Thy lofty arm, save me, O Pilot, as Thou didst Peter.

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

Possessing an abyss of compassion and mercy, O Christ God, hear the supplications of Thy servants! For as Thou didst raise Tabitha by the prayer of Peter, do Thou also now raise up them who lie in sickness (name), hearing Thy Church which prayeth unto Thee.

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

O Physician of our souls and bodies, O Christ, Who didst bear the infirmities of the whole world, and didst heal Aeneas by the hands of Peter; do Thou also now heal Thy sick servants (name) through the prayers of Thy holy apostles.

Turn, O Christ, the weeping of those who sorrow for the sick servants (name) into joy, that having received Thy mercy, they may enter into Thy house with vows, glorifying Thee, the One God in Trinity.

Come, O friends, let us fall down and pray to the Mother of God for Thy sick servants (name). For she hath the power to heal the sick, invisibly anointing them with spiritual oil together with the unmercenaries.

Lord, have mercy. (three times)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 3

My soul, O Lord, grievously paralyzed by all kinds of sins and unseemly deeds, raise up by Thy divine care, as of old Thou didst raise the paralytic, that being saved I may cry unto Thee: ‘O Compassionate Christ, grant me healing!’

Ikos

Thou Who in the hollow of Thy hand holdest the ends of the earth, O Jesus, God, Who together with the Father art without beginning, and with the Holy Spirit rulest over all, Thou didst appear in the flesh, healing infirmities and casting out passions; Thou didst grant the blind to see the light, and by Thy divine word didst raise the paralytic, straightway commanding him to walk and to carry upon his shoulders the bed which had borne him. Therefore, we all together with him sing and cry: ‘O Compassionate Christ, grant me healing!’

Ode 7

The three youths did not worship the golden image, the Persian idol, but sang in the midst of the furnace: ‘O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!’

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

O Most Holy Cross of Christ, sacred Tree of Life! Through thee death was destroyed and the dead arose. Do thou also now heal and restore to life Thy sick servants (name), as the dead maiden was raised in the presence of Queen Helena.

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

The long and grievous illness of Job, when he prayed on the dunghill amidst worms, Thou didst heal with a single word, O Lord. And now in church we pray to Thee for Thy sick servants (name): as He Who is good, heal them invisibly through the prayers of Thy saints.

We all know that we must die, for so it is well-pleasing unto Thee, our God; yet for a little while, O Merciful One, we ask for health for Thy sick servants (name): turn them from death to life, and grant comfort to those who grieve!

Succor and help our orphaned state, O Theotokos, for Thou knowest the time and hour when to entreat Thy Son and our God to grant Thy sick servants (name) health and forgiveness of all sins.

Ode 8

For their service to the Living God, the youths in Babylon endured threats and heeded not the musical instruments; but standing in the midst of the flames, they sang a fitting hymn to God, saying: ‘All ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord!’

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

Show mercy in sickness to Thy servants (name), O Master, and quickly heal them, O Merciful Christ God; and deliver them not yet unto the judgment of death, that they may offer repentance unto Thee. For Thou Thyself hast said: ‘I desire not the death of a sinner.’

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

O Merciful Lord, let Thy most glorious wonders reach us also now: cast out demons, destroy diseases, heal wounds, cure sicknesses, and deliver us from sorcery, witchcraft, and every plague!

Thou Who didst rebuke the winds of the sea, O Christ, and didst turn the fear of Thy disciples into joy, do Thou also now rebuke the grievous diseases which oppress Thy servants (name), that we all may rejoice, praising Thee forever.

Deliver us, O Theotokos, from the sorrows that encompass us, from various diseases, from poisons and sorcery, from demonic illusions, from the plots of evil people, and from sudden death, we pray Thee.

Ode 9

On Mount Sinai Moses saw Thee in the bush, who didst conceive in Thy womb the Fire of the Divinity without being burned; Daniel saw Thee as a mountain uncut; and Isaiah cried out that Thou art the Rod that grew from the root of Jesse.

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

O Source of life, Giver of mercy, O Christ, turn not Thy face away from us. Relieve the sickness of them who are worn out by illness, and raise them up, as Thou didst Abgar through the service of Thaddaeus, that they may ever glorify Thee with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Refrain: O Merciful Lord, hear the prayer of Thy servants, who pray unto Thee.

Believing the word of the Gospel, we seek that which was promised by Thee, O Christ: for Thou didst say, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you.’ Therefore, we also now stand praying unto Thee: raise up in health from the bed of sickness Thy servants (name) who are cast down by grievous illness, that they may magnify Thee together with us.

Tormented by illness and invisible internal wounds, Thy servants (name) cry with us unto Thee, O Christ: Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us—for we are all filled with sins—but through the prayers of Thy Mother and the Forerunner, grant healing to Thy sick servants (name), that we all may magnify Thee.

O All-Pure Mother of God! With all the saints we invoke Thee: with the Angels and Archangels, with the prophets and patriarchs, with the Apostles, the venerable and the righteous, pray to Christ our God to grant health to Thy sick servants (name), that we all may magnify Thee.

Prayer

O Mighty God, Who by Thy mercy orderest all things for the salvation of the human race, visit Thy servants (name) who invoke the name of Thy Christ; forgive them their sins, and heal them from every bodily and spiritual infirmity. Drive away from Thy servants all sinful temptations, every assault, and all wiles of the enemy; raise them up from the bed of sickness, and restore them to Thy Holy Church, healthy in soul and body, glorifying the name of Thy Christ with good deeds before all people. For unto Thee we send up glory, with Thine Only-begotten Son, and Thy Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.