Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos
Sung in every spiritual sorrow and situation
Creation of Theostirikt the monk
Troparion to the Mother of God, tone 4
Let us now approach the Mother of God diligently, sinners and humility, and let us fall down in repentance, calling from the depths of our souls: Lady, help us; Your slaves are vain, You are the only hope of the imams. (Twice)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Let us never, O Mother of God, be silent about Your power and unworthiness: If You had not stood before us to pray, who would have saved us from such troubles, who would have kept us free until now? We will not retreat, O Lady, from You: for Your servants always save You from all evil ones.
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 and done evil before You alone; for you may be justified in Your words, and may be victorious where You judge. 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 merriment 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 turn me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit away 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 wanted 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.
Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, tone 8
Song 1
Irmos: Having passed through the water like dry land, and having escaped the Egyptian evil, the Israelite cried out: Let us drink to the Deliverer and our God.
Chorus: Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Contained by many misfortunes, I resort to You, seeking salvation: Oh, Mother of the Word and the Virgin, save me from heavy and cruel ones.
Chorus: Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Passions confuse me, and many despondencies fill my soul; die, O Young Lady, with the silence of the Son and Thy God, O All-Immaculate One.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Who gave birth to You and God, I pray, Virgin, to be delivered from the cruel ones: for now, running to You, I extend both my soul and my thoughts.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Sick in body and soul, visits from the Divine and provision from You, the only God of God, as the Good Mother of the Good.
Song 3
Irmos: The Supreme Creator of the heavenly circle, Lord, and the Creator of the Church, You confirm me in Your love, the desires of the land, the faithful affirmation, the only one who loves mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
I entrust the representation and protection of my life to Thee, the Virgin Mother of God: You feed me to Your refuge, You are guilty of good things; true statement, One All-Singing One.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
I pray, Virgin, to destroy the storm of my spiritual confusion and sorrow: for you, O Blessed One of God, gave birth to the ruler of the silence of Christ, the only Most Pure One.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Having given birth to the good of the guilty, the benefactor has given birth to wealth to all, for all you can, for she has given birth to the mighty one in the fortress of Christ, the blessed one.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Help me with fierce ailments and painful passions, O Virgin, for I know You’s inexhaustible treasure, Immaculate, inexhaustible.
Save Thy servants from troubles, Mother of God, for we all, according to God, resort to Thee, as for the unbreakable wall and intercession.
Look with kindness, all-sung Mother of God, on my fierce embitterment of the body, and heal my soul and illness.
Troparion, tone 2
Warm prayer and an invincible wall, source of mercy, refuge of the world, we diligently cry out to Thee: Mother of God, Lady, advance and deliver us from troubles, the only one who will soon appear.
Song 4
Irmos: I have heard, O Lord, the sight of Your sacrament, I have understood Your works and glorified Your Divinity.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Confusion of my passions, the helmsman who gave birth to the Lord, and calmed the storm of my sins, O Bride of God.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
I call upon the abyss of Thy mercy to give birth to the Blessed One and the Savior of all who sing Thee.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Enjoying, O Most Pure One, Your gifts, we sing songs of thanksgiving, Our Lady leading You.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
On the bed of my illness and infirmity, I am cast down, as the Lover of Grace, help, O Theotokos, the only Ever-Virgin.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
We give hope and affirmation and salvation to the immovable wall of You, the All-Singing One, from every inconvenience we get rid of.
Song 5
Irmos: Enlighten us with Your commandments, O Lord, and with Your high arm grant us Your peace, O Lover of Mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Fill my heart, O Pure One, with joy, Your incorruptible joy that gives birth to the guilty.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Deliver us from troubles, pure Mother of God, giving birth to eternal deliverance and peace that prevails over all minds.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Resolve the darkness of my sins, Bride of God, with the enlightenment of Your Lordship, Who gave birth to the Divine and Eternal Light.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Heal, O Pure One, the infirmity of my soul, make Thy visits worthy, and grant me health with Thy prayers.
Song 6
Irmos: I will pour out a prayer to the Lord, and to Him I will proclaim my sorrows, for my soul is filled with evil, and my life is drawing near to hell, and I pray like Jonah: from aphids, O God, lift me up.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
As He saved death and aphids, He Himself gave away death, corruption and death my former nature, Virgin, pray to the Lord and Thy Son, to deliver me from the enemies of crime.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
I am your representative and steadfast guardian, O Virgin, and I solve rumors of adversity and drive away taxes from demons; and I always pray to deliver me from the corruption of my passions.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Like a wall of refuge for money, and all-perfect salvation for souls, and space in sorrow, O Maiden, and through Thy enlightenment we always rejoice: O Lady, save us even now from passions and troubles.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
On my bed now I lie infirm, and there is no healing for my flesh: but, having given birth to the God and Savior of the world and the Savior of ailments, I pray to You, O Good One: raise me from aphids and ailments.
Kontakion, tone 6
The representation of Christians is not shameful, the intercession to the Creator is immutable, do not despise the sinful prayers of the voice, but advance, like the Good One, to the help of us who faithfully call upon You; Hasten to prayer, and strive to supplicate, ever presenting, O Theotokos, those who honor Thee.
Another kontakion, same voice
There are no imams of other help, no imams of other hope, except for You, Most Pure Virgin. Help us, we rely on You, and we boast in You, for we are Your servants, let us not be ashamed.
Stichera, same voice
Do not entrust me to human intercession, Most Holy Lady, but accept the prayer of Your servant: for sorrow will overcome me, I cannot endure demonic shooting, there is no protection for the imam, below where I will take refuge, the accursed one, always victorious We are, and I have no consolation, unless You, the Lady of the world, hope and intercession of the faithful, do not despise my prayer, make it useful.
Song 7
Irmos: Children came from Judea, in Babylon, sometimes, by the faith of the Trinity, the fire of the furnace was quenched, singing: O God of the fathers, blessed art thou.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Our salvation, as you desired, O Lord, to arrange, you entered into the womb of the Virgin, and you showed the world a representative: our father, God, blessed are you.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The Commander of mercy, Whom you gave birth to, O pure Mother, begging to be delivered from sins and spiritual defilements by faith, calling: Father of our God, blessed are you.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Treasure of Salvation and the Source of Incorruption, Who gave birth to You, and the Pillar of Confirmation, and the Door of Repentance, You showed to those calling: Father of our God, blessed are You.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Bodily weaknesses and mental ailments, O Mother of God, through the love of those who come to Thy blood, O Virgin, the grace to heal, Who gave us birth to the Savior of Christ.
Song 8
Irmos: Praise and extol the Heavenly King, Whom all the angels sing, praise and extol forever.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Do not despise those who demand help from You, O Virgin, who sing and extol You forever.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
You heal the infirmity of my soul and bodily illnesses, O Virgin, that I may glorify You, O Pure One, forever.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
You pour out a wealth of healing to those who faithfully sing to Thee, O Virgin, and to those who extol Your ineffable Nativity.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
You drive away adversity and the onset of passions, O Virgin: therefore we sing of You forever and ever.
Song 9
Irmos: Truly the Mother of God we confess Thee, saved by Thee, O Pure Virgin, with the bodiless faces magnifying Thee.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
I do not turn away my tears, Even as I take away every tear from every face, O Virgin who gave birth to Christ.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Fill my heart with joy, O Virgin, even as she accepts fulfillment of joy and consumes sinful sadness.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Be a refuge and representation for those who come running to You, O Virgin, and an unbreakable wall, refuge and cover and joy.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Illuminate the dawnings of Your light, O Virgin, driving away the darkness of ignorance, faithfully confessing Theotokos to You.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
In the place of the bitterness of the infirmity of the humbled one, O Virgin, heal, transforming from ill health to health.
Stichera, tone 2
Let us honor the highest heaven and the purest lordship of the sun, who delivered us from the oath, the Lady of the world.
Because of my many sins my body is weak, and my soul is also weak; I come running to You, O Most Gracious One, the hope of the unreliable, You help me.
Mistress and Mother of the Deliverer, accept the prayer of Your unworthy servants, that you may intercede with Him who was born of You; Oh, Lady of the world, be the Intercessor!
Let us diligently sing a song to You now, the all-sung Mother of God, joyfully: with the Forerunner and all the saints, pray to the Mother of God to spare us.
All the angels of the army, the Forerunner of the Lord, the apostles of the Twelve, all the saints with the Mother of God, say a prayer so that we may be saved.
Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Most Holy Theotokos, save me.
Best regards to my queen, my hope to the Mother of God, friend of the orphans and the strange, the sorrowing joy, the offended to the patroness! See my misfortune, see my sorrow, help me as I am weak, feed me as I am strange. I have weighed my offense, resolve it, as if I were wrong: for I have no other help except You, no other representative, no good comforter, only You, O God of God, for save me and cover me in eki centuries. Amen.
To whom shall I cry, Lady? To whom will I turn in my grief, if not to You, Queen of Heaven? Who will accept my cry and my sighing, if not You, Most Immaculate, the hope of Christians and the refuge for us sinners? Who else will protect you in adversity? Hear now my groaning, and incline Your ear to me, the Lady of the Mother of my God, and do not despise me, who requires Your help, and do not reject me, a sinner. Give understanding and teach me, O Queen of Heaven; do not depart from me, Thy servant, O Lady, for my murmuring, but be my Mother and intercessor. I entrust myself to Your merciful protection: lead me, a sinner, to a quiet and serene life, so that I may weep for my sins. To whom shall I turn when I am guilty, if not to You, the hope and refuge of sinners, with the hope of Your ineffable mercy and Your bounty? Oh, Lady Queen of Heaven! You are my hope and refuge, protection and intercession and help. Best regards to my queen and speedy intercessor! Cover my sins with Your intercession, protect me from enemies visible and invisible; soften the hearts of evil people who rebel against me. Oh, Mother of the Lord my Creator! You are the root of virginity and the unfading color of purity. Oh, Mother of God! You grant me help to those who are weak with carnal passions and those who are sick at heart, for only Yours and with You is Your Son and our God imam’s intercession; and by Your wonderful intercession may I get rid of all misfortune and misfortune, O Most Immaculate and Glorious Mother of God Mary. Moreover, with trust I say and cry: Rejoice, O Blessed One, Rejoice, O O Joyful One; Rejoice, Most Blessed One, the Lord is with You.
Song 1
Irmos: Having passed through the water like dry land,/ and having escaped the Egyptian evil,/ the Israelite cried out:/ Let us sing to the Deliverer and our God.
Chorus: Most Holy Theotokos, save me.
As if through the dry land you have passed through the abyss of this world, O Pure and Most Holy Virgin, Mother of My Lord and Giver of Life. I, drowned by the waves of my passions and like a stone on my neck, having the sin of infanticide, I pray to Your Divine goodness: look upon my soul, plunged into the darkness of despair, and beg for forgiveness of my sins ny heavy ones.
The hope of your parents who were Christians, O Virgin, as they shed bitter tears over their childlessness, relentlessly praying to God that He would give them a blessed child. And I, having spent my days waiting and indulging in sweets, have never been happy about the gift of motherhood.
Glory: Having received from God the assurance of the gift of the Chosen Daughter of God, Saints Joachim and Anna to the temple, I went and gave thanks. I, in the darkening of my mind about my child, in my conceived womb, thinking about cowardice, condemnation and malice.
And now: Having redeemed Christ His people, saving them from the power of the devil. But I, having destroyed the unborn child, gave myself over to the devil without permission. But intercede and beg Your Son, O Most Pure One, to seek me also, like a sheep that has gone astray.
Song 5
Irmos: Enlighten us with Your commandments, O Lord,/ and with Your high arm/ Give us Your peace,/ Lover of mankind.
Deliver Thy Son from death, the angel commanded that Joseph received in a dream: rise up, take the Child and His Mother, and flee to Egypt. But I am burdened with the sleep of sin, I have destroyed the unborn child, my mind is darkened.
When a fierce thief is on the way of captivity to You and Joseph, the light shines on the face of Your Son, O Mother of God. Moreover, you were moved by the villains and let them go without harm. But my child was considered to be a pardoner and a murderer.
Glory: The light of the Resurrection has even reached hell, from where Your Son brought out the righteous. And I beg Him to illuminate my soul, in the darkness of despair and passions, so that I may be cleansed by repentance.
And now: led by the Star of Christmas, the wolf from Persia came to Christ; Thus, I, who relentlessly follow the radiance of Your mercy, strive through repentance to achieve saving forgiveness.
Song 3
Irmos: Of the heavenly circle, the Supreme Creator of the Lord,/ and the Creator Church,/ Thou hast confirmed in Thy love,/ the desires of the land, the true affirmation,/ of the One Lover of Mankind.
If it were not for Thy mercy, O Mother of God, the countless ones revealed to the human race, my soul would have become sad and plunged into the abyss of despair. But, trusting in Your intercession, the Imam will gain hope for salvation.
The foreigners of a certain monastery annoyed Your Son with wickedness, and He pronounced His righteous judgment, even though I would destroy; Also, stop your Mother’s mouth, so that the voice of petition does not come out. But the Most Pure One boldly withdrew the hand of Christ from His mouth, and the Lord relinquished His judgment to mercy. Remembering these things, I also trust in You, Most Blessed Mother.
Glory: For the Inexhaustible Chalice of Mercy appears on the icon and You give Your Son for salvation to us, O Merciful Mother. For this reason, I, tormented by angry melancholy and despondency, fall to the hem of Your robe, begging for the hope of salvation for me.
And now: By the Nativity of Thy Son, O Most Holy One, the human race has been renewed, just as it has received the new Adam. And beg me to renew myself with repentance, not daring to look upon His Lordship.
Song 9
Irmos: Truly the Mother of God/ We confess Thee,/ salvation through Thee, O Pure Virgin,/ with the bodiless faces magnifying Thee.
Not only the most worthy and most glorious of all mothers, but also the most honorable angel and cherub, the most exalted one. Be there for me, who have gone astray, merciful Mother, instruct, enlighten, have mercy and save me.
You, Pure Virgin, pray to the Lord for the forgiveness of His enemies, even Saul the persecutor, having repented, the supreme apostle Paul became. Oh, the wondrous power of repentance! Oh, great boldness before the Son and God of the Most Pure Mother, to whom the gates of Heaven are opened to damned sinners.
Glory: With the prudent thief, I cry to Thy Son: remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom. But You, Pure Virgin, rejoice and rejoice, for Your Son has risen from the dead and has given us the Resurrection and eternal life.
And now: When the time of Your departure had come, Your Son and God descended from Heaven, receiving Your soul in His hands, doing great honor to the Highest Angels. I will not cease to pray to You, Most Pure One, that you may remember me in the Kingdom of Your Son, especially the innocent child killed by her mothers.
Song 7
Irmos: The youths of the Jews in the cave/ asked the flame boldly/ and turned the fire into the dew, crying out:/ Blessed are you, O Lord God, forever.
In the captivity of Babylon, the youths boldly extinguished the flame of the furnace; So, with the dew of Your mercy, O Mother of God, irrigate the parched vale of my soul, may rivers of tears flow through it of repentance.
When the youth Jesus and the man stretched out your heart, O Most Holy Mother, you saw a quick separation and were aggravated by sorrow. But I dared a mother to be baptized, for she neither gave birth to her child, nor grew up, nor was she pardoned, but was expelled from the womb by evil; But if I would mourn him, I would not like the place where he rested.
Glory: I am worthy of the flame of unquenchable fire, along with fornicators and murderers, who will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But to Your mercy, Mother of God, I entrust the child who was lost, begging him to take him to his resting place.
And now: Thy weapon has passed through the sorrow of the heart, O Virgin, for thou hast known that Thy Son makes a Sacrifice for the people. But I, having destroyed my child, had no more sorrows, and that I am a murderer, I did not think.
Song 4
Irmos: I have heard, O Lord,/ seen Your mystery,/ understood Your works,/ and glorified Your Divinity.
As you have strong trust in God, the wonderful news of seedless conception, which surpasses the understanding of man, you humbly accepted, O Blessed One. Instruct me also how to live by faith and trust in the mercy of Your Son, Who was incarnated as a hedgehog to save sinners from eternal death.
You did not doubt, O Mother of God, about the Divine providence, when Joseph knew that I had a child in the womb and thought of letting You go, but rather with prayer you strengthened your soul. Teach me to pray with hope, O Good One, for the mortal sin of infanticide due to feeble-mindedness and hard-heartedness.
Glory: You gave birth to Christ, the Savior and the Lord in a poor den, the Most Pure One, you humbly wrapped you in swaddling clothes and laid you in a manger. How will I look at Him, the accursed one, as if I followed the vanity of this world, in cowardice and anger I destroyed my child?
And now: Looking at the Beloved Son, nailed to the Cross and betrayed to the martyr, you wept, Mother of God, Highlander. Now, sitting in the glory of Heaven at His right hand, do not forsake the sinners who continually cry out for Your intercession.
Song 8
Irmos: The Heavenly King,/ Whom the angels sing,/ Praise and extol to all ages.
When the wine of Galilee ran out at the brotherhood in Cana, Thy request, O Most Pure Virgin, performed a miracle; Jesus, according to Thy word, turned water into wine. Moreover, I humbly pray to You to speak a word to Your Son about my murdered child.
You are the Mother of God, as you bore Christ the Lord Himself, you marvelously gave birth and you made you grow. But the mother of her children is not worthy to be baptized, yet I entrust them to Your honest protection.
Glory: Do not weep for Me, Mother, seeing in the tomb, Your Son comforted You, when You fell from the Cross, You washed Him with your tears. But it is good for me to hear Christ’s words, only because of my deeds is the voice of condemnation of the righteous. Moreover, I pray to You: intercede and save me.
And now: All the generations of mankind honor Thee, O Most Holy One, and glorify Thy Son, Who hangs on the Cross, to Thy motherly care all the nations of the earth have given over. Don’t stop praying to Him, our Christ and Lord, for the salvation of sinners who destroyed your own children in the womb.
