AKATHIST HYMN
TO OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS JOHN CHRYSOSTOM,
ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE
Kontakion I
O John, chosen leader of the Church of Christ and teacher of golden eloquence, having adorned thyself from thy youth with the virtues, thou didst labor well, and having endured persecution for the name of Christ, thou didst reach the end of thy life in exile. For which cause thou hast received twofold glorification in the heavens, O thou who wisely established the rites of the Church. Wherefore, with compunction we honor thee, crying aloud: Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch! (Thrice)
Ikos I
Angelic in image, in the flesh thou didst live like one of the incorporeal ones, O John; undertaking many labors for the salvation of thy brethren, thou didst glorify the heavenly Father with good works. Wherefore, we say to thee:
Rejoice, adornment of the Orthodox Church;
Rejoice, blessed child of eminent parents!
Rejoice, thou who from childhood wast filled by thy mother with love for the word of God;
Rejoice, thou who from thy youth didst make thy mind subject to the yoke of Christ!
Rejoice, thou who didst diligently serve God;
Rejoice, teacher of the whole world!
Rejoice, instructor in prayer for Christians of all times;
Rejoice, thou who didst restore the monastic life in the Imperial City!
Rejoice, thou who enlightened the Goths and the Scythians;
Rejoice, lover of righteousness strengthened by God!
Rejoice, thou who hast entered into the joy of thy Lord;
Rejoice, ardent intercessor for us!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion II
Seeing the pure life of thy parents Secundus and Anthusa, Christ was pleased to glorify thee, O John, and gave thee to them for a consolation, that the faithful, mindful of thy virtues, may exalt supremely the righteous couple who brought thee forth, and, emulating them, may chant unto God: Alleluia!
Ikos II
Having made thy mind wise in learning, and having been raised from infancy in heartfelt piety, O John, thou wast a joy and comfort to thy mother when she was left bereft of husband and daughter. Wherefore, we offer thee such praises as these:
Rejoice, star of morality for the young;
Rejoice, joy to thy guardian angel!
Rejoice, for thou didst never cause him grief;
Rejoice, thou who didst love thy friends!
Rejoice, thou who didst excel in learning and didst thereby astonish the wise of this world;
Rejoice, for, while yet a student, thou didst admonish Anthimius, the blasphemer of God, and put him to shame!
Rejoice, thou who didst behold the bitter tears of those who thronged the courts;
Rejoice, thou who didst avoid those who committed iniquities!
Rejoice, thou who didst seek the path of saving innocence;
Rejoice, thou who didst retire to the wilderness after thy mother's repose!
Rejoice, thou who there didst fervently pray to God for thy departed parents;
Rejoice, for they, joining chorus with our heavenly Mistress and the saints today, are glorified and praised by mortals!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion III
Like thy namesake, the Forerunner, in the wilderness thou didst acquire the strength to labor for Christ in word and deed, O John; for there, having mortified thy carnal passions by fasting, thou didst furnish thy spirit with wings through prayer, and like a warrior thou didst array thyself in the full armor of God to do battle against the prince of the aerial powers, chanting with hope to our mighty God: Alleluia!
Ikos III
Wearing a hair-shirt and leathern belt about thy loins, O emulator of the baptizer of Christ, thou didst eat herbs in the wilderness, O John; from whence, full of power, thou didst issue forth as a man. Wherefore, we cry out to thee:
Rejoice, thou who wast like unto the Prophet Elijah in abstinence;
Rejoice, emulator of the poverty of Christ!
Rejoice, thou who fortified the weakness of thy body with chastity;
Rejoice, thou who dispelled despondency with the contemplation of God!
Rejoice, thou who kept thy heart undefiled by recalling the omniscience of God;
Rejoice, thou who puttest the wiles of the demons to shame by thy vigils of prayer!
Rejoice, thou who thyself overcamest temptations and later taught others to do so;
Rejoice, wise strengthener of those who struggle in spiritual activity!
Rejoice, thou who restrained thy friend Theodore from falling into sin;
Rejoice, thou who made thy friend, the Bishop Basil, firm in his ministry!
Rejoice, thou who showest thyself to be a calm haven for those driven from the world;
Rejoice, defender of the monastic life!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion IV
Thou didst weather a new storm of temptations, O John, when thou didst dwell alone in a cave; and, having departed from the desert for Antioch because of illness, thou wast ordained deacon by the holy Meletius and didst commit thyself zealously to care for the poor. Seeing this, the faithful joyously chanted to God: Alleluia!
Ikos IV
Hearing words of praise from the faithful concerning thee, the holy Flavian called down the grace of the priesthood upon thee as one worthy, O John. Wherefore, the people of Antioch rejoiced and, justly honoring thy labors, they magnified thee thus:
Rejoice, thou who declined all care for thyself;
Rejoice, protection of the poor!
Rejoice, loving haven for the orphaned;
Rejoice, assuager of sorrows!
Rejoice, thou who grieved over the people's ignorance;
Rejoice, thou who with melodious voice didst bless the virginal life!
Rejoice, thou who enlightened many of the Jews;
Rejoice, thou who with Orthodox doctrine didst catechize those who sought salvation!
Rejoice, thou who didst not disgrace this teaching by thy manner of life;
Rejoice, beacon of piety!
Rejoice, thou who sharest the ways of the apostles;
Rejoice, for the lot of the pastoral care of souls was rightly given to thee!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion V
Cherishing the divinely shed Blood of the eternal redemptive death when thou didst receive the priestly rank, with vigilance thou didst perform well the work of an evangelist, reproving, forbidding, entreating with all long-suffering, teaching, and chanting unto God: Alleluia!
Ikos V
Seeing the disorders in the city and grieving over them, thou didst permit thyself no rest, O John. Catechizing the unbelieving with the Gospel, sanctifying the faithful with the sacraments of the Church and teaching them the mysteries of the Faith, as is meet thou didst acquire the name "Golden Mouth," hearing from all such things as these:
Rejoice, good shepherd;
Rejoice, thou who didst beget many children for the Church of Christ through holy baptism!
Rejoice, thou who gavest them the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit through anointing with chrism;
Rejoice, thou who didst stand with compunction before the most holy table!
Rejoice, thou who didst nurture thy children with the food of incorruption;
Rejoice, thou who didst cleanse men's hearts with repentance!
Rejoice, thou who didst unite spouses together in the Lord;
Rejoice, thou who didst heal by anointing with oil!
Rejoice, true interpreter of the word of God;
Rejoice, mighty denouncer of the heresies!
Rejoice, deep well of true theology;
Rejoice, for thou didst win the hearts of thy flock, which was full of love for thee!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion VI
Thou didst show thyself to be above all a preacher of repentance, O John, when the people of Antioch, having cast down the statue of the emperor, deservedly incurred his wrath. Assuring them of the lovingkindness of God, by thy discourse thou didst induce everyone to amend their lives, that they might chant unto God with a pure heart: Alleluia!
Ikos VI
Antioch shone with joy when, having wept over its iniquities, it received the emperor's forgiveness. Yet it was soon cast into the darkness of sorrow, being forced to part with thee; for thou wast called to become archbishop of the Imperial City, O John. Wherefore, we cry to thee:
Rejoice, thou who, like Isaiah, wast afflicted with pain by the tribulations of thy native city;
Rejoice, thou who, like Jeremiah, didst lament the evil ways of the people!
Rejoice, thou who, like Ezekiel, didst call the iniquitous to change their ways;
Rejoice, lightning-flash who brought pridefulness low!
Rejoice, thunder-clap who struck with terror those who lived iniquitously;
Rejoice, denouncer of avarice!
Rejoice, thou who showed the perniciousness of vainglory;
Rejoice, thou who put to shame the vile polytheism of the Greeks!
Rejoice, thou who calmed troubled hearts;
Rejoice, assistant of Bishop Flavian, the righteous elder!
Rejoice, thou who with the desert-dwellers moved the emperor's stewards to mercy;
Rejoice, peer of Jonah who saved Nineveh!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion VII
Desiring to adorn fittingly the Church of Constantinople as a bride of Christ, O John, thou didst endue everything with splendor. With all-night vigils thou didst lure the faithful away from the assemblies of the Arians and didst wisely establish the rite of the divine liturgy, pouring forth prayers like sweet-smelling myrrh; and edified thereby, we chant to God concerning thee: Alleluia!
Ikos VII
A new sign of the mercy of God hath been manifest in thee, O holy hierarch; for through thy supplications the faithful of all times, conversing with God, are made wise unto salvation. Accept, therefore, from us such praises as these:
Rejoice, thou who, like David, hast enriched the Church of God with the words of thy prayers;
Rejoice, thou who, like James the Brother of God, didst establish the rite of the divine liturgy!
Rejoice, thou who didst emulate the great Basil therein;
Rejoice, receptacle of the Holy Spirit!
Rejoice, for through thee did the Holy Spirit write words of salvation;
Rejoice, for, rising from sleep, we give thanks to the Father with thy prayers!
Rejoice, for, going to sleep, we ask of the Holy Spirit remission of offenses with thy words;
Rejoice, for we entreat the Son of God through thy mouth, that we may receive communion of the divine Mysteries without condemnation!
Rejoice, O servant of God who inviteth the down-trodden to the banquet of Christ;
Rejoice, preacher of Him Who was crucified on the Cross for the life and salvation of the world!
Rejoice, for in thy words were the mysteries of the Faith arrayed, as with raiment of gold;
Rejoice, composer of hymns and wondrous orator!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion VIII
As a sojourner in this earthly vale, thou didst show thyself to be a model of humility, abstinence and purity, O John, by thy life in the Imperial City; for thou didst restore and erect monasteries in that place, and didst provide blameless virgins with rules for the monastic life. And perfumed thereby like incense of sweet savor, the great hymn hath been borne up unto God: Alleluia!
Ikos VIII
Laboring for Christ with all thy soul, thou didst not wish to please men, O John; forbidding the practice of setting forth banquets for the prominent, thou didst increase in number the meals served to the poor, and founding hostels and free hospitals for the infirm, thou didst move them to chant to thee:
Rejoice, emulator of Nicholas, the holy hierarch of Myra in Lycia;
Rejoice, thou who hast won the heights through humility!
Rejoice, thou who hast acquired riches through poverty;
Rejoice, thou who in those virtues wast a model for monks!
Rejoice, feeder of the hungry;
Rejoice, thou who like Abraham didst show hospitality to strangers!
Rejoice, shelter of homeless orphans;
Rejoice, thou who didst care for the helpless elderly!
Rejoice, thou who didst distribute thine own funds to the poor;
Rejoice, for thou didst show thyself as a comforting angel for everyone in tribulation!
Rejoice, thou who didst turn the hands of the rich to works of charity;
Rejoice, for the Mother of God rejoiced at the depth of thy lovingkindness!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion IX
Desiring to save every nation, O John, thou didst send from Constantinople preachers of the Gospel to the Scythians, the ancestors of the Slavs; and in thy city thou didst erect a church dedicated to the Apostle Paul for the Goths, that, having repudiated the heresy of Arius, they too might chant unto God with Orthodox lips: Alleluia!
Ikos IX
Having sent Orthodox preachers to the unbelievers, O John, thou thyself didst visit the Churches in Asia; and reproving the negligent and praising the diligent, thou didst set them in order with pastoral care. Wherefore, we glorify thee:
Rejoice, beacon of Orthodoxy;
Rejoice, good shepherd who didst take care over the lost sheep!
Rejoice, for today thy name is glorified in the land of the Scythians;
Rejoice, for there churches of God are raised up in thy name!
Rejoice, thou who didst share the ministry of the apostles;
Rejoice, thou who didst tend the flock of God according to the words of the Apostle Peter!
Rejoice, thou who didst visit it, not under compulsion, but willingly and mindful of God;
Rejoice, steadfast uprooter of bribery!
Rejoice, impartial observer of the canons of the Church;
Rejoice, thou who didst justly drive out slothful servants!
Rejoice, for those laboring for the good were praised and strengthened by thee;
Rejoice, skillful helmsman of the Church!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion X
Thou didst not cease to minister to the salvation of thy flock, O John, when thou didst return from Asia to the Imperial City. And when thou didst fearlessly begin to denounce the immoral life of the empress and the nobles, thou didst accept many tribulations; for those who were reproved by thee, unable to close thy righteous mouth, laid secret plans to destroy thee who cryest out to God in purity: Alleluia!
Ikos X
Thou wast shown to be a bulwark for monks who are persecuted unjustly, O John; for which cause the great malice harbored by thine enemies was laid bare. For the deceitful Theophilus and the empress impiously slandered thee at the council and had thee deposed, putting out of mind the works thou hadst wrought for the good of the realm. But we recall them with gratitude, saying:
Rejoice, thou who didst show wondrous love for thine earthly homeland;
Rejoice, thou who didst deliver the Imperial City from the invasion of barbarians!
Rejoice, thou who didst subdue Ganas, the dread leader of the Goths;
Rejoice, thou who didst preserve the alms given to the Church by emperors of old!
Rejoice, thou who didst not permit the mighty Eutropius to violate the Church's sanctuary;
Rejoice, thou who in the same sanctuary didst afterwards save Eutropius himself when he fled arrest!
Rejoice, thou who didst meekly endure the injustice of the council for harboring the monks of Nitria;
Rejoice, for the words of the Scriptures, "Love is long-suffering", were justified in thee!
Rejoice, thou who didst forbid thy friends to take up arms in thy defense;
Rejoice, thou who didst not raise the sword against thine enemies!
Rejoice, thou who submitted to the authorities and therefore didst place thyself in the hands of the soldiers at night;
Rejoice, thou who wast banished from thy native land for righteousness' sake!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion XI
The lamentation of thy flock was quickly turned into joyous hymnody, O valiant athlete; for when thou wast being led away into exile, claps of thunder suddenly smote the air, lightning flashed forth, the winds shrieked and the earth quaked. And seeing these things and trembling, the empress repented and had thee brought back with honor, humbly crying out to God: Alleluia!
Ikos XI
The hatred of the empress for thee, the radiant beacon of Orthodoxy, was soon redoubled when thou didst reprove her for setting up a statue of herself near the church; wherefore, deposed a second time, thou wast exiled to Cucusus, a remote and tiny village, O John. Wherefore, accept from us such praises as these:
Rejoice, thou who didst shoulder the yoke of God from thy youth, in accordance with the words of Jeremiah;
Rejoice, thou who didst apply the spiritual plough to work the land, as Christ hath said!
Rejoice, thou who didst not turn back before the end;
Rejoice, thou who didst thunder forth against the immoral empress!
Rejoice, thou who wast hated by her, as the Baptist was hated by Herodias;
Rejoice, thou who wast saved from murderers by an invisible angel!
Rejoice, thou who wast preserved in thy residence by the love of thy flock;
Rejoice, thou who wast taken into custody by the henchmen of thine unjust judges!
Rejoice, thou who didst go into exile with humility and without complaint;
Rejoice, thou whose loss was lamented by the faithful!
Rejoice, thou who wast wounded and afflicted for the sake of the crucified Lord;
Rejoice, for the martyrs and the forerunner joined chorus in the heavens because of thy patience!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion XII
The grace of God preserved thee in exile, O John; for there, like the holy Paul in chains, thou didst proclaim the Gospel to the Phœnicians and the Persians, and didst comfort the faithful with letters. And thus thou didst shepherd the Church even unto the day whereon thy golden mouth uttered its final words: "Glory to God for all things!", and thy soul was borne aloft by holy angels, who cried out as is meet: Alleluia!
Ikos XII
Chanting with joy, the faithful bore thy holy relics into the Imperial City, O John, from whence thy glory hath gone forth unto the uttermost ends of the earth and hath gone out to the whole world, teaching all to sing to thee thus:
Rejoice, O sojourner who hast entered the heavenly homeland;
Rejoice, thou who wast provisioned for thy journey with the prayers of all the Churches!
Rejoice, thou who finished thy race in Comana, on the way to far-off Pityus;
Rejoice, for the hieromartyr Basiliscus foretold thine end to thee!
Rejoice, thou who didst hear from him: "Brother, tomorrow we shall be together!";
Rejoice, thou who didst fortify thyself for the ascent into paradise by partaking of the Holy Mysteries!
Rejoice, for thy soul peacefully departed thine exhausted body;
Rejoice, for corruption did not touch thy bones!
Rejoice, for in these churches is the unbloody sacrifice offered up today;
Rejoice, dweller in the heights of heaven who art illumined with the never-fading light!
Rejoice, for, appearing with Saints Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian, with them thou hast taught all to praise thee;
Rejoice, glory of the Church Universal!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion XIII
O great and holy hierarch John Chrysostom: look down from the heights of heaven upon us who are downcast, and, accepting this praise which is offered to thee with our love, entreat the Lord God, that He pour out upon us His grace which healeth the afflicted, that He strengthen the Orthodox, and leadback to the bosom of the Church those who have fallen away from it, fulfilling that which is lacking by His own compassion; and that He vouchsafe that all, with thee and all the saints, may chant to Him forever: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
This Kontakion is said thrice, whereupon Ikos I and Kontakion I are repeated.
Ikos I
Angelic in image, in the flesh thou didst live like one of the incorporeal ones, O John; undertaking many labors for the salvation of thy brethren, thou didst glorify the heavenly Father with good works. Wherefore, we say to thee:
Rejoice, adornment of the Orthodox Church;
Rejoice, blessed child of eminent parents!
Rejoice, thou who from childhood wast filled by thy mother with love for the word of God;
Rejoice, thou who from thy youth didst make thy mind subject to the yoke of Christ!
Rejoice, thou who didst diligently serve God;
Rejoice, teacher of the whole world!
Rejoice, instructor in prayer for Christians of all times;
Rejoice, thou who didst restore the monastic life in the Imperial City!
Rejoice, thou who enlightened the Goths and the Scythians;
Rejoice, lover of righteousness strengthened by God!
Rejoice, thou who hast entered into the joy of thy Lord;
Rejoice, ardent intercessor for us!
Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
Kontakion I
O John, chosen leader of the Church of Christ and teacher of golden eloquence, having adorned thyself from thy youth with the virtues, thou didst labor well, and having endured persecution for the name of Christ, thou didst reach the end of thy life in exile. For which cause thou hast received twofold glorification in the heavens, O thou who wisely established the rites of the Church. Wherefore, with compunction we honor thee, crying aloud: Rejoice, O John Chrysostom, thou great and holy hierarch!
PRAYER TO OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS
JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE
O great and holy hierarch John Chrysostom, thou didst receive many and divers gifts from the Lord, and like a good and faithful servant thou hast increased well the talants given thee; wherefore, thou wast truly a teacher of the whole world, for people of every ageand every calling were taught by thee. Thou art a model of obedience for children, a beacon of chastity for the youth, an instructor in industrious labor for men, a teacher of guilelessness for the old, a rule of abstinence for monks, a guide inspired by God for those who pray, an enlightener of the mind for those seeking wisdom, an inexhaustible well-spring of the words of life for right eloquent orators, a star of lovingkindness for the charitable, an image of wise rule for those who govern, an inspiration to boldness for lovers of justice, an instructor in patience for those persecuted for righteousness' sake: thou wast made all things to all men, that thou mightest by all means save some. For all of them thou didst acquire the love which is the bond of perfection, and thereby, as with divine power, thou didst join together all spiritual gifts in thy one person; and the same love, which reconcileth those things which are separated, thou didst preach to all the faithful in thine interpretation of the words of the apostles. But we sinners, each possessed of his own gift, do not possess oneness of spirit in the bond of peace, for we are become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another. For this cause, the gifts distributed amongst us are not unto peace and salvation, but unto enmity and our condemnation. Wherefore, though buffeted by disunity, we fall down before thee, O holy hierarch of God, and in contrition of heart we ask: through thy supplications drive from our hearts all the pride and jealousy which divide us, that the body of the Church may consist of many members, that, as thou hast said in thy prayer, we may love one another and with oneness of mind may confess the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity consubstantial and indivisible, now and ever, and unto the ages ofages. Amen.