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In the tradition of the Orthodox Church, since ancient times, certain events or saints are remembered during divine services on different days of the week. Over time, the liturgical tradition of the Church spread to home (cell) prayers. Thus, Monday’s service contains prayers to the Heavenly Powers, Tuesday’s service contains prayers to John the Baptist. On Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, the Holy Church remembers the Gospel events of the betrayal of the Savior, His Death on the Cross and Resurrection, respectively, and the liturgical tests are dedicated to the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos. Saturday is traditionally the day of remembrance of the dead and special prayer to all the saints from the ages who have pleased God. Particular attention should be paid to Thursday - the day when the memory of the holy apostles and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is celebrated.
Meaning
The name of the hymns means “unsaddled,” that is, sung or read strictly while standing.
History of origin
It is believed that the first chant of this kind was the so-called Great, addressed to the Mother of God. It was created, according to most church historians, in the 6th century, and the author of the hymn, most likely, was St. Roman Sladkopevets. The presence in its content of many songs dedicated to the Annunciation and the Nativity of Christ suggests that this work was originally intended to be sung during these church celebrations. However, something different happened:
7
Augusta
626
When the capital of Byzantium was besieged by tribes of Avars, Slavs, and their allies, an icon of the Most Pure One was carried along the city walls in a religious procession, singing, as they say, this very chant.
The inexplicable happened: the enemy fleet was swept away by the storm, after which the opponents fled in shame. Thus, this hymn to the Mother of God, which for a long time was the only one, appeared in liturgical use.
Only several centuries later the word began to mean not just one hymn, but a whole genre of church works written on the model of the first, Great.
Among them:
- dedicated to Christ, now also known with the name “Akathist to the Sweetest Jesus”; the oldest known manuscript of the work dates back to the 13th century.
- seven patristic hymns. Isidore of Constantinople (XIV century), dedicated to holidays and saints;
- 2 chants belong to Patr. Philotheus Kokkin, they also date back to the 14th century: in honor of all saints and the Resurrection of Christ.
Interesting fact
It is believed that the last of the hymns of this kind, which appeared before the fall of Constantinople (1453), is dedicated to St. John. Its author is considered to be the namesake brother of St. Apostle. Mark of Ephesus, John Eugenicus.
Order of reading Akathists
Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times, with the sign of the cross and bows from the waist).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse our sins. Master, forgive our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord, have mercy (three times).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done as it is in Heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors, and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Lord, have mercy (12 times).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Come, let us worship our God the King (bow).
Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ our King God (bow).
Come, let us bow and fall before Christ Himself, the King and our God (bow).
Psalm 50.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquity and bear away my sin before me. I have sinned against You alone, and I have created evil before You, so that You may be justified in Your words and overcome, never judge You. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. Behold, Thou hast loved the truth, Thou hast revealed to me Thy unknown and secret wisdom. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Give joy and gladness to my hearing; humble bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins, and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation, and strengthen me with the Master’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; my tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had wanted sacrifices, you would have given burnt offerings, but you would not have been pleased. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart, God will not despise. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then you will be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, the wave offering and the burnt offering, then they will lay the bullock on Your altar.
Symbol of faith
I believe in One God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in the One Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, Who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became human. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.
In Russia
From the middle of the 15th century. among the Greeks this genre begins to fade away. But in the Russian Church, on the contrary, he gained popularity. Moreover, the akathist is distributed among monastics. The monks sing hymns daily. This is how their collections appear for the first time, where a schedule of hymns is given for the days of the week.
However, until the 16th century. in Rus' only chants translated from Greek are known. But around 1522, the Belarusian spiritual writer, publisher, Francis Skaryna created original akathists to Christ and St. John the Baptist, written on the model of the chants “Cyr of Isidore” of Constantinople. Since the 17th century hymns appear dedicated to Russian saints, most often St. Sergius of Radonezh. It is believed that the first of them was written by the spiritual writer, Prince S.I. Shakhovsky.
The church genre experienced a special flourishing in the 18th-19th centuries, when akathists were written by clergy and laity. By 1901, there were 157 published hymns alone, with almost 300 texts not approved for church use. Many anthems appeared during the persecutions of the Soviet era. Now, with the closure of most churches, they have become part of the cell prayer rule of many Orthodox Christians.
About special dedications of the seven days of the week: when and to whom to pray
– Father, please enlighten me, do the days of the week have special dedications?
– The liturgical life of the Orthodox Church is cyclical. There are three liturgical circles: annual, weekly and daily. The annual contains movable and fixed holidays, repeating from year to year; the septenary consists of the days of the week, which are dedicated to the most important events of the earthly life of the Savior and the most revered saints; The daily cycle consists of nine services. They are repeated every day.
Thus, each of the seven days of the week in the Orthodox Church has its own dedication. Some of them, such as Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, were especially revered back in the days of the Ancient Church, and their meaning has not changed over the centuries. So, Monday is dedicated to the Heavenly Powers, Tuesday to John the Baptist, Wednesday is the day of Judas’ betrayal of the Savior, therefore the Cross of Christ is especially revered, Thursday is dedicated to the holy apostles and St. Nicholas, Friday is the day of the Savior’s Sacrifice on the Cross, on Saturday all saints are especially revered, the first among them Mother of God, and also all the departed are remembered. Sunday - Little Easter - the day of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, thanks to which eternal life was granted to all humanity.
– What does it mean: Monday is dedicated to Angels?
– On Monday, the Church especially honors the holy Angels. This veneration is expressed in the prayerful invocation of the ethereal Heavenly Forces. During the Monday service, prayers are heard in which believers ask for help from their Guardian Angels, as well as from other Angels, so that they accompany human life and help save the Christian soul. In the Orthodox Church there is a teaching according to which every Christian has a Guardian Angel, which is given to a person during the Sacrament of Baptism. And all human life is closely connected with the invisible angelic world. Some pious Christians, intensifying their feat, take on the burden of fasting on this day. The same practice exists in some monasteries. Monks imitate the Angels, devoting their lives to serving God and praising His Heavenly Glory, which is why they especially celebrate the day of honoring the ethereal Heavenly Powers.
– How do you understand: Tuesday is dedicated to John the Baptist? How to dedicate this day to him?
– On Tuesday, the Church glorifies all the Old Testament righteous men and prophets who, through their faithfulness to God, made possible the coming of the Savior of the world. Saint John the Baptist is the personification of loyalty to God, righteousness and asceticism. According to the Savior, the Forerunner is “Greater among those born of women.” To dedicate a day to a saint means, first of all, if you are not familiar with his life, then take an interest in the main milestones of the life and deeds of the saint. The basis of the feat of John the Baptist is asceticism and service to God. Studying the life of the Forerunner, every Christian will see a shining example to follow. Therefore, dedicating a day to the saint, analyze your life and identify those virtues that unite us. If there are none, you have a large field for spiritual work before you.
– Wednesday is dedicated to the Cross. How is this day different from others?
– On Wednesday, the Church’s remembrance of the Old Testament ends and the glorification of New Testament events begins. Wednesday and Friday are days of remembrance of the suffering and death of the Savior on the cross. On Wednesday, Judas betrayed the Savior. From this day the suffering of the Savior actually began. In this regard, the Cross is especially revered as an instrument of our salvation. On this day you need to fast throughout the year.
– Thursday is dedicated to the apostles and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. How to behave on this day?
– On Thursday, the Church remembers the holy apostles, through whose labors Christianity was established on earth. On this same day we honor the successor of the apostles, one of the most revered saints of the Orthodox Church - St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra, miracle worker. Today, in virtually every Orthodox home there is an icon of this great Pleasant of God. And therefore, reverence for the Saint should be expressed not simply in remembrance, but in living and real prayer.
– On Friday, should we especially remember the Crucifixion of Christ? Are there special prayers held in churches on this day?
– Friday is the day of remembering the passion and death of the Savior on the Cross. Fast day. The Church prayerfully sympathizes and glorifies the redemptive feat of Christ.
– Saturday is dedicated to all saints. How to mark it?
– On Saturday we honor all the saints. The first among them is the Mother of God. In the tradition of the Russian Church, every Christian is given a name in honor of some saint. Thus, on Saturday, honoring all the saints, we resort to the prayerful representation of our saint, as well as other saints close to our hearts, but for whom there is no special day during the week.
On this day, Christians especially pray for the repose of the departed, remembering their relatives, loved ones and everyone who has died from time immemorial. Remembrance can be expressed both in cell prayer and through participation in a memorial service, traditionally performed in churches on this day.
– Sunday is dedicated to the Lord. How to spend this day correctly?
– Sunday is Little Easter. It is dedicated to the Lord and has been revered by Christians since apostolic times. On this day, every believer must visit the temple to participate in the Divine Liturgy. Since the resurrection of Christ is hope for all people, the veneration of this day is special. It is best to spend the day after the service doing good deeds: visiting the sick, helping the needy, visiting the elderly. Also on Sunday you should devote several hours to reading the Holy Scriptures and praying. It would be correct to analyze the events of the past week (what good and bad happened during this period) and try to build a specific plan of action in spiritual life for the next seven days. Thus, the core of spiritual life, which is formed through a person’s participation in worship and moral improvement, will help a person, even in difficult life circumstances, not to stray from the path leading to the Truth.
Anthem structure
All akathists are written according to the model of the Great, consisting of 24 kontakia and ikos. That's how many letters there are in the Greek alphabet. With each of them, in order, each chant began. In translated texts, this rule, of course, is not observed, although the number of chants remains the same.
St. Roman Sladkopevets
The names of the parts of the akathist are Greek. Kontakion was originally a scroll or stick on which it was wound for convenience. Therefore, many assume that the kontakia during early Byzantium were significantly larger than the current ones. "Ikos" is translated as "house".
Each pair of kontakion and ikos is united by a common theme. But the first reveals its content briefly, and the second - more extensively. Ikos always consists of 12 “hairetisms” (“haire” - “rejoice”), dedicated to a saint or holiday.
The hymn ends with another special kontakion, containing a special prayer to Christ, the Mother of God or the saint of God, after which first 1 ikos is repeated, then 1 kontakion. In conclusion, a prayer is read.
On what occasions is the Akathist read?
Church ministers recommend resorting to the help of Akathist in situations:
- When moving to a new home.
- In case of insufficient funds.
- To get rid of sins.
- To protect children, relatives and friends.
Reading prayers is due to different motives.
During chanting it is possible to address saints or the Virgin Mary. It depends on the request with which you came to the higher heavenly powers.
The Mother of God in Orthodoxy is the most important saint. If you believe in her divine powers and persistently ask every day for your prayer to be fulfilled, then she will definitely hear it.
People most often ask the Virgin Mary for recovery. This is a strong saint, under her protection any miracle is possible. Seriously or terminally ill people who believe in the Mother of God have been cured more than once.
People suffering from drug and alcohol addiction come to Our Lady. The Virgin Mary helps them only on the condition that these people want it.
Cathedral in the name of Alexander Nevsky
What is special about the temple in Novosibirsk? Who is the author of the architectural ensemble and why do people from different parts of the world come to the church?
Heavenly patrons often relieve a person from depression. In this situation, they are a consolation for the spiritually ill, support in difficult times.
The saints are asked for improvements in material and physical terms.
In what situations are they read?
Most of these chants are not used during worship; they are usually read privately. More often this is a part of holidays. They help you better feel the content of the event you are experiencing and express your joy in words of prayer.
But, although the refrain of the chant is almost always the exclamation “rejoice,” there are hymns used on special days not associated with joy:
- The akathist to the Passion of Christ is pronounced at special Lenten services - Passions;
- Many people include an akathist for the departed in their prayer rule on the days of their memory;
- Hymns to the saints are sung not only on days of celebration, but also with the aim of asking Christ’s chosen one for healing of illness, help, and spiritual support.
What is Akathist?
An akathist in Ancient Greece was a book about singing, during the reading of which it was forbidden to sit. The person present at the chant was obliged to stand to honor God.
In the modern understanding, this book is a collection of church songs dedicated to the Lord, the Mother of God or some saint. Chants based on the collection are held in churches and monasteries with the aim of praising the heavenly patrons.
The Akathist can be read not only by a clergyman, but also by an ordinary person.
Christians ask the saints for advice or help in some difficult matter, seeking consolation in grief.
On what days of the week and to whom are the texts of the chants read?
The structure of church services involves intense prayer to one or another saint, as well as to the Angels, the Mother of God, and Christ, on every day of the week. In addition, on Saturdays the dead are remembered in commemoration of the Descent into hell of Christ, which took place after His death on the cross. Two days are dedicated to remembering the events of the betrayal of Judas (Wednesday) and the Crucifixion (Friday). Accordingly, at home akathists are usually read in the following order:
- Sunday is “Little Easter,” so it begins with an akathist for the Resurrection, sometimes for Communion, if the believer is about to begin the sacrament;
- on Mondays - arch. Michael, Guardian Angel; this day is honored by monastics, for Angels, according to the word of St. fathers, “light to the monks”;
- On Tuesday St. John the Baptist;
- on Wednesday akathists are read to the Sweetest Jesus and the Mother of God;
- Thursday is the day of special commemoration of St. Nicholas of Myra, as well as the apostles; especially St. Peter and Paul;
- Friday – remembrance of the Crucifixion of the Lord; therefore, on this day there are hymns to the Cross, the Passion of Christ;
- on Saturdays, akathists to All Saints are traditionally read, about the repose of the departed; Some collections also include an akathist to the Mother of God for this day.
Why do they read it?
People read the Akathist for completely different reasons.
Orthodox believe in the spiritual power of prayer because it will bring them positive results. The simplest reason for reading the Akathist is considered to be a person’s grief, loss, or mental anguish. Then he seeks consolation in prayer, hoping for help from the saints or the Mother of God.
People who have recently come to faith independently analyze what is written in Akathist. This is useful because it allows a person to think about and understand all the subtleties of the songs. This is how people find harmony with themselves, are imbued with the joy or sorrow of this or that prayer. (see History of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God)
Christians believe that after reading the songs, their doubts will be dispelled, and this helps them make the right decision in any difficult matter.
There are Orthodox Christians who read prayers several times every day. This action of theirs is associated with various reasons: they ask God for healing from an illness, some earthly blessings, or they heed the protection of their loved ones.
