Kontakion 1
O champion Wonderworker and exceeding pleaser of
Christ, who pourest out for the whole world the most precious myrrh of mercy
and an inexhaustible sea of miracles, I praise thee with love, O Hierarch
Nicholas; and as thou hast boldness towards the Lord, deliver me from all
misfortunes that I may cry to thee:
Rejoice, O
Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Ikos 1
The Creator revealed thee to be an angel in form
though earthly by nature; for, foreseeing the fruitful
goodness of thy soul, O most blessed Nicholas, He taught all to cry to thee thus:
Rejoice, thou who wast purified from thy mother's
womb!
Rejoice, thou who wast hallowed even to the end!
Rejoice, thou who didst amaze thy parents by thy
birth!
Rejoice, thou who didst show power of soul
straightway after birth!
Rejoice, garden of the promised land!
Rejoice, flower of divine planting!
Rejoice, virtuous vine of the vineyard of Christ!
Rejoice, wonderworking tree of the paradise of
Jesus!
Rejoice, lily blossoming in paradise!
Rejoice, myrrh of the fragrance of Christ!
Rejoice, for through thee weeping is banished!
Rejoice, for through thee rejoicing is brought into
being!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 2
Seeing the effusion of thy myrrh, O divinely wise
one, we are enlightened in soul and body, understanding thee to be a wonderful
life-giving source of myrrh, O Nicholas; for with miracles poured out like
waters by the grace of God, thou waterest them that faithfully cry to God:
Alleluia!
Ikos 2
Giving the reason knowledge of the Holy Trinity
beyond reason, with the holy fathers in Nicea thou wast a champion of the
confession of the Orthodox Faith; for thou didst confess the Son equal to the
Father, everlasting and enthroned together with Him, and thou didst expose the
foolish Arius. Therefore the faithful have learned to sing to thee:
Rejoice, great pillar of piety!
Rejoice, city of refuge for the faithful!
Rejoice, firm stronghold of Orthodoxy!
Rejoice, venerable vessel and praise of the Holy
Trinity!
Rejoice, thou who didst preach the Son equal in
honour to the Father!
Rejoice, thou who didst expel the demonic Arius
from the Council of the saints!
Rejoice, O father, glorious beauty of the fathers!
Rejoice, most wise goodness of all the divinely
wise!
Rejoice, thou who utterest words of fire!
Rejoice, thou who guidest so well thy flock!
Rejoice, for through thee faith is affirmed!
Rejoice, for through thee heresy is overthrown!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 3
Through power given thee from on high thou didst
wipe every tear from the face of those who cruelly
suffer, O father Nicholas the bearer of God; for thou wast shown to be a feeder
of the hungry, an exceeding good pilot of those on the high seas, a healer of
the ailing and thou hast proved to be a helper to all that cry to God:
Alleluia!
Ikos 3
Truly, father Nicholas, a song should be sung to
thee from heaven, and not from earth; for how can
any man proclaim the greatness of thy holiness? But conquered by thy love, we
cry to thee thus:
Rejoice, example for lambs and shepherds!
Rejoice, holy purification of morals!
Rejoice, container of great virtues!
Rejoice, pure and honourable abode of holiness!
Rejoice, all-shining lamp, beloved by all!
Rejoice, golden-rayed and blameless light!
Rejoice, worthy converser with angels!
Rejoice, good guide of men!
Rejoice, pious rule of faith!
Rejoice, model of spiritual meekness!
Rejoice, for through thee we are delivered from
bodily passions!
Rejoice, for through thee we are filled with
spiritual delights!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 4
A storm of bewilderment confuses our minds: How can
we worthily hymn thy wonders, O blessed Nicholas? For no man can count them, even
though he had many tongues and willed to tell of them; but we make bold to sing
to God Who is wonderfully glorified in thee:
Alleluia!
Ikos 4
People far and near heard of the greatness of thy
miracles, O divinely-wise Nicholas, for through the
air with the light wings of grace thou art accustomed to forestalling those in misfortunes,
swiftly delivering all who cry to thee thus:
Rejoice, deliverance from sorrow!
Rejoice, giving of grace!
Rejoice, dispeller of unexpected evils!
Rejoice, planter of good desires!
Rejoice, swift comforter of those in misfortune!
Rejoice, dread punisher of wrongdoers!
Rejoice, abyss of miracles poured out by God!
Rejoice, tablets of the law of Christ written by
God!
Rejoice, strong uplifting of the fallen!
Rejoice, affirmation of them that stand aright!
Rejoice, for through thee all deception is laid
bare!
Rejoice, for through thee all truth is realised!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 5
Thou didst appear as a divinely-moving star,
guiding those who sail upon the cruel sea who once
were threatened with immediate death, if thou hadst not come to the help of those
who called on thee, O Wonderworker saint Nicholas; for, having forbidden the flying
demons who shamelessly wanted to sink the ship, thou didst drive them away and teach
the faithful whom God saves through thee to cry:
Alleluia!
Ikos 5
The maidens, prepared for a dishonourable marriage
because of their poverty, saw thy great
compassion to the poor, O most blessed father Nicholas, when by night thou secretly
gavest their aged father three bags of gold, thereby saving him and his
daughters from falling into sin. Wherefore, thou hearest this from all:
Rejoice, treasury of greatest mercy!
Rejoice, container of providence for people!
Rejoice, food and consolation of those that flee to
thee!
Rejoice, inexhaustible bread of the hungry!
Rejoice, God-given wealth of those living in
poverty on earth!
Rejoice, swift uplifting of the poor!
Rejoice, speedy hearing of the needy!
Rejoice, pleasant care of the sorrowful!
Rejoice, blameless provider for the three maidens!
Rejoice, fervent guardian of purity!
Rejoice, hope of the hopeless!
Rejoice, delight of all the world!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 6
The whole world proclaims thee, O most blessed
Nicholas, to be a swift intercessor in misfortunes;
for, oftentimes going before those that travel by land and sea, thou helpest them
in a single moment, at the same time keeping from evils all that cry to God:
Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Thou didst shine as a living light, bringing
deliverance to the commanders who received sentence to
an unjust death, who called on thee, O good shepherd Nicholas, when thou didst
at once appear in a dream to the Emperor, terrifying him and ordering him to
set them free unharmed. Therefore, together with them we too gratefully cry to
thee:
Rejoice, thou who helpest them that fervently call
on thee!
Rejoice, thou who deliverest from unjust death!
Rejoice, thou who preservest from false slander!
Rejoice, thou who destroyest the counsels of the
unrighteous!
Rejoice, thou who tearest lies to shreds like
cobwebs!
Rejoice, thou who gloriously exaltest truth!
Rejoice, freeing of the innocent from their
shackles!
Rejoice, quickening of the dead!
Rejoice, revealer of righteousness!
Rejoice, exposer of unrighteousness!
Rejoice, for through thee the innocent were saved
from the sword!
Rejoice, for through thee they took pleasure in the
light!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 7
Wishing to drive out the blasphemous stench of
heresy, thou didst appear as a truly
fragrant, mystical myrrh, O Nicholas; by
shepherding the people of Myra, thou hast filled the whole world with thy
gracious myrrh. And so, drive away from us the stench of
abominable sin that we may acceptably cry to God.
Alleluia!
Ikos 7
We understand thee to be a new Noah, a guide of the
ark of salvation, O holy father Nicholas, who drivest away the storm of all evils
by thy direction, and bringest Divine calm to those that cry thus:
Rejoice, calm haven of the storm-tossed!
Rejoice, sure preservation of those that are
drowning!
Rejoice, good pilot of those that sail upon the
deeps!
Rejoice, thou who rulest the raging of the sea!
Rejoice, guiding of those in whirlwinds!
Rejoice, warming of those in frosts!
Rejoice, radiance that drivest away the gloom of
sorrow!
Rejoice, beacon that lightest all the ends of the
earth!
Rejoice, thou who deliverest people from the abyss
of sin!
Rejoice, thou who castest satan into the abyss of
hell!
Rejoice, for through thee we boldly call on the
abyss of Divine mercy!
Rejoice, for, delivered through thee from the flood
of wrath, we find peace with God!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 8
Thy sacred church is shown to be a strange wonder
to those that run to thee,
O blessed Nicholas; for, by offering in it even a
small supplication, we receive healing from great illnesses, if only, after
God, we place our hope in thee, faithfully crying aloud:
Alleluia!
Ikos 8
Thou art truly a helper to all, O bearer of God
Nicholas, and thou hast gathered together all that
flee to thee, for thou art a deliverer, a nourisher and a swift healer to all
on earth, moving all to cry out in praise to thee thus:
Rejoice, source of all manner of healing!
Rejoice, helper of those that suffer cruelly!
Rejoice, dawn shining for prodigals in the night of
sin!
Rejoice, heaven-sent dew for those in the heat of
labours!
Rejoice, thou who givest prosperity to those that
need it!
Rejoice, thou who preparest an abundance for those
that ask!
Rejoice, thou who often forestallest supplications!
Rejoice, thou who renewest the strength of the aged
and grey-haired!
Rejoice, exposer of many who have strayed from the
true path!
Rejoice, faithful servant of Divine mysteries!
Rejoice, for through thee we trample down envy!
Rejoice, for through thee we come to lead a moral
life!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 9
Assuage all our pains, O Nicholas our great
intercessor, dispensing gracious healings, delighting our
souls and gladdening the hearts of all that fervently run to thee for help and cry
to God:
Alleluia!
Ikos 9
We see how the orators of the ungodly with their
vain wisdom were put to shame by thee, O
divinely-wise father Nicholas; for thou didst confute Arius the blasphemer who
divided the Godhead, and Sabellius who confused the Persons of the Holy
Trinity, but thou hast strengthened us in Orthodoxy. Therefore we cry to thee
thus:
Rejoice, shield that defendest piety!
Rejoice, sword that cuttest down impiety!
Rejoice, teacher of the Divine commandments!
Rejoice, destroyer of impious teachings!
Rejoice, ladder raised up by God, by which we climb
to heaven!
Rejoice, God-given protection, by which many are
protected!
Rejoice, thou who makest wise the unwise by thy
words!
Rejoice, thou who movest the slothful by thine
examples!
Rejoice, inextinguishable brightness of the
commandments of God!
Rejoice, brightest ray of the statutes of the Lord!
Rejoice, for through thy teaching the heads of
heretics are broken!
Rejoice, for through thee the faithful are counted
worthy of glory!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 10
Wishing to save thy soul, thou didst truly subject
thy flesh to the spirit, O our father Nicholas;
for first by silence and struggling with thoughts, thou didst add contemplation
to action, and by contemplation thou didst acquire perfect knowledge, with
which thou didst boldly converse with God and Angels, ever crying:
Alleluia!
Ikos 10
Thou art a rampart, O most-blessed one, to those
that praise thy miracles and to all that flee to
thine intercession; wherefore, free us too who are poor in virtue, from
poverty, temptation, sickness and diverse needs, as we cry to thee with love
thus:
Rejoice, thou who deliverest from eternal
wretchedness!
Rejoice, thou who bestowest incorruptible riches!
Rejoice, imperishable food for those that hunger
after righteousness!
Rejoice, inexhaustible drink for those that thirst
for life!
Rejoice, thou who preservest from revolt and war!
Rejoice, thou who freest us from bonds and
captivity!
Rejoice, most glorious intercessor in misfortunes!
Rejoice, greatest defender in misfortunes!
Rejoice, thou who hast snatched many from
destruction!
Rejoice, thou who hast kept countless numbers
unharmed!
Rejoice, for through thee sinners escape a
frightful death!
Rejoice, for through thee those that repent obtain
Eternal Life!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 11
Thou didst bring a song to the Most Holy Trinity,
surpassing others in thought, word, and deed, O
most-blessed Nicholas; for with much searching thou didst explain the precepts of
the true Faith, guiding us to sing with faith, hope and love to the One God in
Trinity:
Alleluia!
Ikos 11
We see thee as a radiant and inextinguishable ray
of light for those in the darkness of this life, O
Divinely-chosen father Nicholas; for thou dost converse with the immaterial angelic
lights on the uncreated light of the Trinity and thou enlightenest the souls of
the faithful who cry to thee thus:
Rejoice, radiance of the Threefold sun of light!
Rejoice, daystar of the unsetting Sun!
Rejoice, lamp kindled by the Divine Flame!
Rejoice, for thou hast quenched the demonic flame
of impiety!
Rejoice, bright preaching of the true faith!
Rejoice, shining radiance of the light of the
Gospel!
Rejoice, lightning that consumest heresies!
Rejoice, thunder that terrifiest tempters!
Rejoice, teacher of true knowledge!
Rejoice, revealer of the mystery of perception!
Rejoice, for through thee the worship of creation
has been trampled down!
Rejoice, for through thee we have learned to
worship the Creator in the Trinity!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 12
Knowing the grace that has been given thee by God,
joyfully we celebrate thy memory as is due, O
most glorious father Nicholas, and with all our souls we run to thy miraculous intercession;
unable to count thy most glorious deeds, which are like unto the sand of the sea
and the multitude of the stars, at a loss to understand, we cry to God:
Alleluia!
Ikos 12
Singing of thy miracles, we praise thee, O
all-praised Nicholas; for in thee God Who is glorified in
the Trinity is wondrously glorified. But even if we were to offer thee a multitude of
psalms and hymns composed from the soul, O holy Wonderworker, we would do
nothing to equal the gift of thy miracles, and amazed by them we cry to thee thus:
Rejoice, servant of the King of kings and the Lord
of lords!
Rejoice, dweller together with His heavenly servants!
Rejoice, aid of faithful kings!
Rejoice, exaltation of the race of Christians!
Rejoice, namesake of victory!
Rejoice, eminent victor!
Rejoice, mirror of all the virtues!
Rejoice, strong buttress of all who run to thee!
Rejoice, after God and the Birthgiver of God, all
our hope!
Rejoice, health of our bodies and salvation of our
souls!
Rejoice, for through thee we are freed from eternal
death!
Rejoice, for through thee we are counted worthy of
life unending!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 13
O most holy and most wonderful father Nicholas,
consolation of all that sorrow,
accept our present offering, and entreat the Lord
that we may be delivered from Gehenna through thy intercession that is pleasing
to God, that with thee we may sing:
Alleluia!
This Kontakion is read three times. And again Ikos
1 and Kontakion 1:
Ikos 1
The Creator revealed thee to be an angel in form
though earthly by nature; for, foreseeing the fruitful
goodness of thy soul, O most blessed Nicholas, He taught all to cry to thee thus:
Rejoice, thou who wast purified from thy mother's
womb!
Rejoice, thou who wast hallowed even to the end!
Rejoice, thou who didst amaze thy parents by thy
birth!
Rejoice, thou who didst show power of soul
straightway after birth!
Rejoice, garden of the promised land!
Rejoice, flower of divine planting!
Rejoice, virtuous vine of the vineyard of Christ!
Rejoice, wonderworking tree of the paradise of
Jesus!
Rejoice, lily blossoming in paradise!
Rejoice, myrrh of the fragrance of Christ!
Rejoice, for through thee weeping is banished!
Rejoice, for through thee rejoicing is brought into
being!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
Kontakion 1
O champion Wonderworker and exceeding pleaser of
Christ, who pourest out for the whole world the most precious myrrh of mercy
and an inexhaustible sea of miracles, I praise thee with love, O Hierarch
Nicholas; and as thou hast boldness towards the Lord, deliver me from all
misfortunes that I may cry to thee:
Rejoice, O
Nicholas, great Wonderworker!
3 comments:
Oh, wow, what a wonderful liturgy, Sian. I shall keep it for next year. Does it xhange each year?
I downloaded onto my Kindle "The Faith of St Nick: An Advent Devotional" by Ann Nichols, giving me readings for every day of Advent, along with my other Advent books.
Mary, the Akathist text is unchanging and can be used any time of the year, rather like a litany to a saint.
I have a great fondness for St Nicholas :-)
We had candy canes, chocolate coins and tiny hand-carved olive wood nativity scenes left in slippers for this year's St Nicholas morning :-)
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