What is an akathist and when is it read: initial prayers and rules

Among the many genres and types of Christian prayers, akathists occupy a special place in the culture of the Orthodox Church - special songs of praise in honor of the Savior, the Mother of God or saints. The roots of the hymn of praise go back a long way. The original praise was written in honor of the Council of the Virgin Mary, around the 6th century, and the next akathist sang the Annunciation. The difference between the akathist and other hymns is that the first one, in the text of praise, glorifies the events of the New Testament. A unique fact is that the genre of akathist has survived to contemporaries almost unchanged.

The concept and meaning of the akathist in Orthodoxy

An akathist is a church hymn to the Lord, the Mother of God, and the saints, sung while standing. The tradition of singing songs of praise originated in ancient Greece during the Byzantine period. The first song prayer known to this day is the Great Akathist to the Most Holy Mother of God.

It was written after the siege of Constantinople in 626. An eyewitness to the siege, Sinkell, claimed that the Holy Virgin showed her power by intervening in the battle at sea. The barbarians on the boats crashed near the Blachernae Church of the Theotokos.

After divine deliverance from the barbarian raid, the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire considered the Mother of God to be the Patroness of his capital. The prayer service was performed in the Blachernae Church, where the miraculous icon of the Holy Virgin, her belt and robe were kept. Subsequently, the ritual spread to the entire Orthodox Church.

Subsequent chants were composed by analogy with the original model, which made the hymn a special genre, a form of church poetry. A poetic text has a special structure. It includes 25 songs arranged in the Greek alphabet.

There is a main kontakion, which has a specific ending or chorus, and 12 kontakia interspersed with ikos. At the end of each ikos, “Rejoice!” is said, and the kontakia ends with “Hallelujah!” The 13th Kontakion is repeated three times, then the first Irmos is sung.

The authors of the texts were theologians, holy fathers, and Orthodox poets. In the Russian Orthodox Church, hymns are written not only for the Mother of God, Jesus Christ, but also for each glorified saint, as well as for some holidays. The first Russian solemn prayer was dedicated to Sergius of Radonezh.

The peculiarity of performing the hymn is that it can be performed at home, without a priest or choir.

Lord's Prayer

ABOUT́

Our dear, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as it is in Heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Come, let us worship the King our God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. (Bow)

Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. (Bow)

When to read the akathist correctly at home

The Charter of the Orthodox Church obliges the sung of the akathist on Saturday of the fifth week of Great Lent (other solemn hymns are prohibited during Great Lent). Sometimes solemn prayers are sung at matins or a prayer service in honor of some holiday. In other cases, singing a solemn hymn in honor of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, or some saint is the work of a believer; there are no other rules.

Reading the akathist is a spiritual strain that not every believer can withstand. To strengthen your strength, you should ask for a blessing from your confessor.

The prayer is read in a special order.

Before beginning the hymn, the following prayers should be read:

"In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen."
(Prayer of the Publican from the Gospel of Luke). “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” (Bow).
(Pre-initial). “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.”
"To the Holy Spirit."
"Trisagion" It is pronounced 3 times, with the sign of the cross and a bow from the waist.
"Holy Trinity". (“Lord, have mercy” is read 3 times).
"Our Father".
"Virgin Mother of God, rejoice."
“Lord, have mercy” (12 times).
“Come, let us worship our God the King (Bow). Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. (Bow). Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God” (Bow).
Psalm 50.
"Symbol of faith".

The initial prayers change from Easter to Ascension; instead of addressing the Holy Spirit, they read: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tombs.” (Repeat 3 times). From Ascension to Trinity the text is not read.

After the introduction, the reading of the anthem begins. The prayer ends with an appeal to the Most Holy Theotokos:

“It is worthy to eat, for truly to bless You, Theotokos, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of Our God. The most honorable Cherub and the Most Glorious without comparison Seraphim, who without corruption gave birth to God the Word, the real Mother of God, we magnify You.”

Then follows:

“Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".
“Lord, have mercy” (3 times).
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy and save me, a sinner, as I am Good and Human darling. Amen".

Options if the appeal was to a saint, the Cross of the Lord or an angel:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers, the saint (the name of the saint to whom the akathist was read), have mercy and save me, a sinner, as Good and Lover of Mankind. Amen".
“By the power of the Honest and Life-giving Cross, have mercy and save me, a sinner, as I am Good and Lover of Mankind. Amen".
“Honest Heavenly Powers of the Bodiless, have mercy and save me, a sinner, as you are Good and Lover of Humanity. Amen".

The prayer service ends with the sign of the cross and a bow from the waist.

Prayer to the Holy Trinity

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. (Thrice)

.
Since
lava, and now:

Instead of " S"

“lava, and now:” reads “
With
glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.”
A
min."
Instead of “ With
glory:” it reads “
With
glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Instead of “ And
now:” it reads “
And
now and ever and unto ages of ages.”
A
min."

Schedule by days of the week

In home worship, it is customary to adhere to the church rule: during the week, remember the same events and saints as in church.

Monday

On the first day of the week, the Heavenly protectors (personal and all-Christian) are commemorated. The Akathist is sung either to the Guardian Angel or to the Archangel Michael.

Tuesday

The next day, they remember John the Baptist, the predictor of the coming of the Savior, who called on the Jews to repent of their sins. In the solemn hymn, the prophet is praised as the forerunner of Christ in earthly life and hell, introducing the rite of baptism by water, baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River.

Wednesday

In the middle of the week, an akathist is sung in honor of Jesus (the Sweetest Jesus) or the Mother of God. The hymns are dedicated to the life of Christ and the memory of the Blessed Virgin.

Thursday

On this day, they solemnly commemorate the closest disciples of Jesus Christ, Peter and Paul, as well as their successors in the spread of Christianity: Nicholas the Wonderworker and the holy apostles.

Friday

Friday is the day when Christ was crucified on the cross. They read an akathist dedicated to the suffering of Jesus on the cross and the miraculous Cross of the Lord.

Saturday

On Saturday they sing the hymn to the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church or the Mother of God. The meaning of the akathist is the remembrance of all the departed.

Sunday

On Sunday they sing a hymn in remembrance of the Resurrection of Christ.

Psalm 50

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your compassions, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; For I know my iniquity, and I will bear away my sin before me. I have sinned against You alone and have done evil before You, so that You may be justified in Your words and triumph over Your judgment. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. Behold, you have loved the truth; You have shown me Your unknown and secret wisdom. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. There is joy and gladness in my ears; the bones of the humble will rejoice. Turn away Your face from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create a pure heart in me, 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 from me. Give me the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked your way, and wickedness 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 desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then take pleasure in the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offering; then they will place your calf on the altar.

List of Orthodox akathists

The Orthodox prayer book contains a list of all the akathists of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Mother of God

Akathists of the Mother of God are read in honor of her icons:

"Unexpected joy." Thanks for the miraculous healing.
"Inexhaustible Chalice" They ask to be cured/cured from the vice of drunkenness and drug addiction.
"The Queen of All." They ask for help with cancer, problems with naughty children.
"Tenderness." Prayer of thanksgiving.
"Healer" They pray in front of the icon for deliverance from serious illnesses.
"Quick to Hear." The holy image is located on Mount Athos. Miraculous power was manifested when dealing with painful conditions.
"Joy to all who mourn." Prayer of thanksgiving.
"Upbringing". Parents who want to find a common language with their children receive effective help.
"Mammal". Pregnant women turn to the icon asking for a safe birth and healthy babies.
"Burning bush". The Mother of God will help you escape from a fire and avoid illegal persecution.
"Kazanskaya". At home, they offer her prayers to save the marriage and cure her blindness.
"Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos." At home they pray at the icon to strengthen their faith.
"Quiet my sorrows." The Akathist is read in front of the holy image when one is overcome by everyday adversity.
"Softening Evil Hearts." They pray to the icon when children quarrel with their parents.

An appeal to the Mother of God pacifies the believer’s soul and gives hope for healing or a solution to a problem.

Angels and Saints

Angels and saints to whom you can serve a prayer service with the reading of the akathist at home:

Spyridon of Trimifuntsky;
John the Baptist;
archangel Michael;
noble princes Peter and Fevronia of Murom;
St. George the Victorious;
Panteleimon the Healer;
John the Warrior;
Tikhon of Voronezh Zadonsky;
Alexander Svirsky;
Nicholas the Wonderworker;
Matrona of Moscow;
Luke of Simferopol;
Vasily Ostrogsky;
Elizaveta Alapaevskaya;
John of Kronstadt;
Seraphim of Sarov;
Ksenia Petersburgskaya;
Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church;
Harlampy of Magnesia;
John Chrysostom;
martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia;
Innocent of Moscow;
Sergius of Radonezh;
Hieromartyr Cyprian and Martyr Justina;
Alexy Moskovsky;
Alexander Nevskiy;
Catherine of Alexandria;
Varvara Iliopolskaya;
Boniface of Tarsus.

The Akathist is sung on any day of the week, at morning or evening prayer.

Remembrance of the Dead

Grief and sadness come to the house of the deceased.
Death in Orthodoxy is a great sacrament, the end of earthly life. The soul, leaving the body, sets off on a new journey. She goes through 3 states - from the mother’s womb to earthly life and afterlife. Repentance before death and the funeral service for the deceased will help the soul to be cleansed of sins. After death, the deceased also need charity for their souls. Praying for the deceased will help not only his soul. They will bring calm and peace to the hearts of loved ones and relatives. There is a special prayer - an akathist for the one who died (or the same one). Reading it will help the soul of the deceased find peace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BeqWKP0wFo

Prayers for one who died are prayers for only one person. The clergy recommend reading the Psalter - it is the word of God. While an akathist is folk art. Relatives and loved ones in home commemorations rely on their feelings during prayer. An akathist for the one who died is heartfelt words that will help console the living and reconcile them with the death of a loved one.

Deceased relatives and friends need help from the living. The clergy assure that with sincere and constant appeals to the Heavenly Father, one can beg a soul even from hell.

No one knows where the soul will be found after death until the Last Judgment. Therefore, the spiritual help of loved ones and relatives will always be relevant. At the liturgy in the church, all baptized deceased are remembered (to do this, you must submit a note with the name of the deceased). You can order a sorokoust - then he will be commemorated at the service for all 40 days. It is optimal to order a memorial service in the church on days 3, 9, 40.

Good deeds are the same intercession for the deceased. Almsgiving, helping the sick or the poor is a charity that will contribute to the atonement of sins and the acquisition of grace. Righteous John of Kronstadt warned that if there is no love for one's neighbor, then alms will be in vain. Only with kindness and a sincere heart, with regret for poverty or illness, is it worth doing deeds of mercy. Alms are a benefit primarily for the one who gives them.

The amount of donations or the number of funeral services ordered is not important. The only thing that matters is the feeling with which a person asks for the deceased.

An akathist for the one who died is also an intercession. When should I read it? Immediately after death, 40 days in a row and 40 days before the anniversary. Prayers make the afterlife easier. The good memory of the deceased must be accompanied by deeds. Clean up the grave, plant flowers, put up a cross. Such simple actions are not always performed by relatives.

Literature

Davydov I.P.
Orthodox akathist to Russian saints (religious analysis). Blagoveshchensk, 2004.
Kozlov M., diac.
From the history of the akathist. Part. 1. Byzantine and Russian pre-Synodal akathists // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, No. 3, 1992. pp. 43-49.
Kozlov M., diac.
From the history of the akathist. Part. 2. Russian akathist in the synodal period of Church history // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, No. 4, 1992. pp. 37-43.
Kozlov M., prot.
[www.st-tatiana.ru/text/34470.html Akathist in the history of Orthodox hymnography] // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, No. 6, 2000.
Ludogovsky F., priest.
[www.bogoslov.ru/text/372613.html About the reasons for the popularity of akathists] // Bogoslov.Ru. 01/16/2009.
Lyudogovsky F. B.
Orthodox akathist in intercultural communication (late 20th - early 21st centuries) // Globalization - ethnicization: ethnocultural and ethnolinguistic processes. Book 1. M., 2006.
Lyudogovsky F.B.
Structure and poetics of Church Slavonic akathists / Rep. editor G.K. Venediktov. - M.: Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2015. - 352 p. — ISBN 978-5-7576-0343-8.
Lyudogovsky F. B.
Church Slavic akathist as a modern hymnographic genre: structure, addressing, functioning // “Slavic Studies”, No. 2, 2004.
Lyudogovsky F., priest, Plyakin M., priest.
The genre of akathist in the 21st century //
Popov A.V.
Orthodox Russian akathists. - M.: Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate, 2013. - P. 586-636.
Lyudogovsky F. B., Plyakin M. E.
Akathists to angels: a trial fragment of the catalog of Church Slavonic akathists // Linguistic source studies and history of the Russian language <2012-2013>. M.: Drevlekhranilishche, 2013. - P. 260-280.
Petrovsky A.V.
[www.biblioteka3.ru/biblioteka/pravoslavnaja-bogoslovskaja-jenciklopedija/tom-1/akafist.html Akathist] // Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia. - St. Petersburg: Petrograd Publishing House. Supplement to the spiritual magazine “Wanderer”, 1900. - T. 1.
Popov A.V.
Orthodox Russian akathists, published with the blessing of the Holy Synod. The history of their origin and censorship, features of content and construction. Church and literary research... Kazan, 1903; 2nd ed.: M., 2013.
Turilov A. A., Kazachkov Yu. A., Nikiforova A. Yu., Statis G., Kolyada E. I., Etingof O. E., Kozlov M. E., Strizhev A. N.
[www.pravenc. ru/text/63814.html Akathist] // Orthodox Encyclopedia. Volume I. - M.: Church-scientific, 2000. - P. 371-381. — 752 p. — 40,000 copies. — ISBN 5-89572-006-4
Churkin A. A.
[www.academia.edu/16404070/%D0%A0%D1%83%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%B0%D0%BA %D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82_%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1 %8B_XIX_%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B0_XX_%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%BA%D0%B0 %D0%BA_%D0%B6%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%80_%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0 %B9_%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D1%8B._%D0%94%D0 %BE%D0%BA%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4_The_Russian_Akathist_in_the_middle_of_19th_beginning_20th_century_as_a_mass_literature_genre._Report Russian akathist of the mid-19th - early 20th century, as a genre of mass literature].

Links

Akathist in Wiktionary

Akathist on Wikisource

[akafist.narod.ru Website "Akafist"]
[Svyataya-Rus-Moskva-3-Rim.narod.ru/ Site with the most complete collection of audio recordings of Orthodox akathists]
Akathist // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
[akathistos.ru Website “Akathist Studies and Akathistography”]
[akafist.ru Collection of akathists]
[community.livejournal.com/akathistos LJ community “Akathists”]
[kainh.homestead.com/files/ymnos.htm Ο ΑΚΑΘΙΣΤΟΣ ΥΜΝΟΣ]
[www.pravmir.ru/article_1869.html Saturday Akathist: There is simply nothing to compare with the beauty of this service...
; Church Slavonic text of the Akathist] on the Orthodoxy and World website.
[www.academia.edu/16404070/%D0%A0%D1%83%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B0% D1%84%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82_%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8B_XIX_%D0% BD%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B0_XX_%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BA_% D0%B6%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%80_%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0% BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D1%8B._%D0%94%D0%BE%D0% BA%.

Execution order

The main rule when performing this prayer is to strictly adhere to the order in which the ikos and kontakia occur. You cannot start reading from any place, since this would contradict the order of presentation. Since the structure of this prayer is very rigid and unchanging, and there is a canon according to which these works of church poetic art are composed to this day, it is necessary to strictly follow it.

It is also believed that before reading the akathist it is necessary to say a special pre-reading prayer. If a person has pure thoughts and opens his heart to God’s grace, he can only read the akathist himself directly - this is not prohibited by the church. But if you want everything to be according to the rules, then you should not neglect the pre-reading prayer and the prayer that is read after the song of praise itself.

Features of independent reading

As we have already mentioned, it is not at all necessary to go to church every time a person feels the need to read an akathist, because he can do this even at home. The peculiarity of this type of hymn of praise is that it must be read while standing (after all, “akathist” is translated from Greek as “non-saddle singing”).

In addition, the reader should look at the icon to which he offers his prayers, or which depicts the saint to whom praise is intended.

It is also worth noting that although the akathist is characterized primarily as a chant, you do not have to sing it - just read it as a prayer.

Thus, in order to independently perform the akathist, all that is required is faith in God and the saints, and adherence to the correct order of reading ikos and kontakia. If you do this with a pure heart, the saints will listen to your prayers and help you find the right path.

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.

Spiritual almsgiving

Relatives and friends of the deceased do not always have the opportunity to donate to the temple, give alms, or order a memorial service. There is such a thing as spiritual almsgiving. It does not require financial investments. At the same time, it can bring tangible benefits to the soul of both the living and the deceased. What is its essence?

This is spiritual help to another person. It can consist of kind words of support and encouragement in difficult times. Or the free distribution of books with spiritual content.

If someone you know is in grief or sadness, even the smallest words of comfort can be beneficial. Thus, spiritual support for the grieving person is also a sacrifice for the sake of the soul of the deceased.

Deeds of mercy and prayers with love are a tremendous force that will help atone for the sins of the deceased and return God's grace to him.