Akathist Hymn : an order for reading alone

Akathist Hymns

The Order for reading Akathists when one is alone

Begin with the “Seven Bow Beginning”

O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. (deep bow/prostration)

O God, cleanse me, the sinner, and have mercy on me. (deep bow/prostration)

You have created me, O Lord ; have mercy on me. (deep bow/prostration)

I have sinned immeasurably ; O Lord, forgive me. (deep bow/prostration)

My most holy Lady Theotokos, save me, te sinner. (deep bow/prostration)

O Angel, my holy Guardian, protect me from all evil. (deep bow/prostration)

O Holy Apostle (or Martyr, or Holy Father/Mother n.) pray to God for me. (deep bow/prostration)

Then the Usual Beginning

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord, Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

Amen.

Glory be to You, our God, glory be to You.

 Or :  Glory be to You, O Christ our God, our hope, glory be to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and fulfilling all things ; Treasury of good things, and Provider of Life : come, and abide in us, and purify us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.

 * [We do not read “Heavenly King” in paschaltide.  We say “Christ is risen...”. (three times).   
 From Ascension to Pentecost, we read the tropar of Ascension .]

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (three times) (three metanias)

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

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, be propitious to our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit, and heal our infirmities, for Your Name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

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

Amen.

Our Father, who are in the heavens, hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come, Your 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 bring us not to the test, but rescue us from the evil one.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord, Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (twelve times)

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

O come, let us worship God our King ; come, let us worship, and fall down before Christ, our King, and our God ; come, let us worship, and fall down before Christ Himself, our King, and our God. (with three metanias)

PSALM 50

Have mercy on me, O God, in accordance with Your great mercy, and in accordance with the multitude of Your compassions, blot out my transgression of the law. Wash me thoroughly from my lawlessness, and from my sin cleanse me ; for I know my lawlessness, and my sin is before my face continually. Against You alone have I sinned, and evil have I done before Your Face ; so that You may be shown to be righteous in Your words, and to be victorious when You are judged ; for behold, I was conceived in lawlessness, and in sins did my mother crave to conceive me ; for behold, You have loved truth ; the unseen and hidden things of Your wisdom have You shown me. You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed ; You will wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. You will make me hear exultation and gladness : my humbled bones shall exult. Turn Your Face away from my sins, and blot out all my lawless acts. Build a pure heart in me, O God, and renew an upright spirit in my inward parts. Cast me not away from Your Face, and take not Your Holy Spirit away from me. Render to me the exultation of Your salvation, and with Your guiding Spirit set me fast. I shall teach the lawless Your ways, and the impious shall turn about to You. Rescue me from blood, O God, O God of my salvation. My tongue shall exult in Your righteousness. O Lord, You will open my lips, and my mouth shall announce Your praise ; for if You had wished for a sacrifice, I would have given it. With whole-burnt-offerings You will not be well-pleased. The sacrifice to God is a shattered spirit : a shattered and humbled heart, God will not reckon as nothing. Do good, O Lord, to Sion in Your good-pleasure, and let the walls of Jerousalem be built. Then You will be well-pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness : an offering and whole-burnt-offerings ; then they shall offer young bulls upon Your altar.

THE SYMBOL OF FAITH

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 ; through whom all things were made ; who, because of us Men, and our salvation, came down from Heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit, and the Virgin Mary, and became Man ; and He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried ; and He rose on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father ; and He 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 proceeds from the Father : who with the Father, and the Son together, is worshipped, and glorified ; who spoke by the prophets ;

in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church ; I confess one baptism for the remission of sins ; I wait for the resurrection of the dead ; and the life of the age to come.

Amen.

The Reading of the akathist

The akathist is read and sung straight through to the end (but not the prayer).

Then :

It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, ever blessed, and most pure, and the Mother of our God.

More honourable than the cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim : without corruption you gave birth to God the Word. True Theotokos, we magnify you.

Prayer following the akathist hymn

The prayer which follows the akathist hymn is now read.

Then, the Trisagion Prayers :

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (three times) (three metanias)

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

Amen.

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, be propitious to our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit, and heal our infirmities, for Your Name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

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

Amen.

Our Father, who are in the heavens, hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come, Your 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 bring us not to the test, but rescue us from the evil one.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord, Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (thrice)

The conclusion of the service

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

Amen.

More honourable than the cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim : without corruption you gave birth to God the Word. True Theotokos, we magnify you.

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

Amen.

 (But “Christ is risen” in Paschaltide)

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God : through the prayers of Your most pure Mother, of our venerable, and God-bearing fathers, and of all the saints, have mercy on us, and save us.

Amen.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us.

Amen.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.