Each of us, most likely, attended a service in an Orthodox church and was captivated by the euphony of church hymns rising to the very dome of the church.
Roman Sladkopevets, whose memorial day the Orthodox celebrate on October 14, is rightfully considered the creator and patron of the church choir. When reading a prayer to Saint Roman the Sweet Singer, we must remember his spiritual contribution to the development of chants, because it was he who wrote many spiritual songs for worship.
Life of Roman the Sweet Singer
Memorial Day: October 14
The future Reverend was originally from Syria, where he received his spiritual education, since from an early age he felt within himself a desire to serve the Lord God. Later he moved to Constantinople, where he began to serve as a cleric in the Christian Church of Hagia Sophia (5th century). Roman especially liked holiday services, and although he had neither hearing nor a voice, he very actively helped in their conduct. The Patriarch loved him very much for the zeal and efforts of the young man, but other clergy, seeing his favor towards the young man, began to oppress and ridicule Roman. One day he was pushed out during a church service in front of the parishioners and had to sing. Of course, he disgraced himself and ran away from the temple.
He spent the whole night in suffering and fervent prayers before the face of the Mother of God, not knowing that centuries later people would ask him for creative inspiration, offering a prayer to Roman the Sweet Singer for singing.
The Holy Virgin Mary appeared to the zealous young man, holding out a paper scroll and commanding him to eat it. After this, Roman became the owner of a wonderful voice, ear for music and poetic talent. At the next service, he amazed everyone with the chant of his first kontakion, as his voice was beautiful and his words wonderful.
Reverence
Shortly before his death, God's servant took monastic vows. After his death he was canonized. Often the talented minister is depicted together with the Virgin Mary, surrounded by believers singing in the temple.
There is also a separate icon of him.
- On it is a handsome young man in the vestments of a deacon. This is a surplice and an orarion (ribbon thrown over the shoulder).
- In his right hand he holds a censer, or it is raised to make the sign of the cross.
- In the left hand there may be an unrolled scroll, on which the text of the most famous kontakion composed by the minister is indicated. Or it may be a rolled scroll; sometimes - an image of a church building (the temple in which the saint served).
- There is a very interesting icon in which the Most Pure Virgin stands over the sleeping Roman the Sweet Singer. She holds a scroll in her hands, after swallowing which the saint received his blessed gift.
- Also very often, the great church author is depicted on the icon of the Intercession.
In Russia, there are several churches consecrated in the name of Roman the Sweet Singer - in St. Petersburg, Nizhnekamsk, etc. There is such a temple in Kyiv.
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This saint is especially revered by those who are involved in church singing or simply the art of music. It also helps in other situations:
- when developing the talent of a performer, poet;
- when protecting against envy;
- when gaining confidence and in other difficult situations.
People bearing the name Roman can ask for his intercession every day. You can pray near the icon if there is no temple nearby in the name of this saint.
How do prayers to Saint Roman the Sweet Singer help?
The venerable saint wrote many ecclesiastical works:
- church hymns;
- strong prayers;
- kontakion and akathists.
Today, each of us can offer a prayer to the Venerable Roman the Sweet Singer in order to better understand the Holy Scriptures.
In the Kiev Church there is a piece of the relics of the Venerable One, and it is there that many believers come to offer a prayer to Roman the Sweet Singer for the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge.
O great and wonderful Roman, truly a sweet singer. We appeal to you, partaker of heavenly glory and adornment of angelic faces - cleanse our hearts, so that we worthily serve our one and only Lord. You know the difficulties of the earthly path and already know the jubilant holy joy of heaven. You know that many of us long to serve with all our soul, strength and thought, but our passion-stricken souls drag us to the bottom of a dark abyss.
Don't leave us in the dark. Knowing what we may lose, help us worthily glorify the Lord, His Most Pure Mother and all the saints. Help us to cleanse ourselves of passions, guide our lips, pray to the sweetest Lord, that He will give us the right understanding of the singing ministry. May we worthily stand on the one holy heavenly choir and give glory to our Lord forever and ever.
Prayers to the saint help develop talents and abilities; the saint also protects men named Roman. They ask the Reverend for protection from enemies and envious people, as well as in difficult moments of life.
Finding a Gift
That night a great miracle happened to him. The Virgin Mary herself descended from heaven and gave him a scroll, ordering him to swallow it. The icon of Roman the Sweet Singer reflects this moment. He received a gift - a sonorous, beautiful voice, as well as the gift of composing church hymns. To do this, it is not enough to have literary talent - you must understand all church dogmas very well. At the same hour, the singer composed the kontakion of the Nativity, which is still sung by all believers on the festive night.
The next day he sang it in the temple, everyone was amazed. The chant was very beautiful and well written. And the execution is divine. Therefore, the young man received the nickname “Sweet Singer”. Former enemies who oppressed Roman repented of treating him badly. The meek young man forgave them.
- Roman the Sweet Singer wrote more than a thousand troparions, kontakions and akathists.
- His performance was the decoration of any service; the modest deacon made a huge contribution to the development of the beauty of Orthodox worship.
- What are akathist, kontakion and troparion;
- You can learn about the lives of the forty martyrs of Sebaste here;
- Nectarius of Aegina - prayer, icon, life - .
Text of prayer to Roman the Sweet Singer
Reverend Father Roman! Look upon us mercifully and lead those who are devoted to the earth to the heights of heaven. You are a mountain in heaven, we are on earth below, removed from you, not only by place, but by our sins and iniquities, but we run to you and cry: teach us to walk in your way, teach us and guide us. Your entire holy life has been a mirror of every virtue. Do not stop, servant of God, crying to the Lord for us. By your intercession, ask from our All-Merciful God the peace of His Church, under the sign of the militant cross, agreement in faith and unity of wisdom, destruction of vanity and schism, confirmation in good deeds, healing for the sick, consolation for the sad, intercession for the offended, help for the needy. Do not disgrace us, who come to you with faith. All Orthodox Christians, having performed your miracles and beneficent mercies, confess you to be their patron and intercessor. Reveal your ancient mercies, and to whom you helped the Father, do not reject us, their children, who are marching towards you in their footsteps. Standing before your most honorable icon, as I live for you, we fall down and pray: accept our prayers and offer them up on the altar of God’s mercy, so that we may receive your grace and timely help in our needs. Strengthen our cowardice and confirm us in faith, so that we undoubtedly hope to receive all the good things from the mercy of the Master through your prayers. Oh, great servant of God! Help all of us who flow to you with faith through your intercession to the Lord, and guide us all in peace and repentance, end our lives and move with hope into the blessed bosom of Abraham, where you now rest joyfully in your labors and struggles, glorifying God with all the saints , in the Trinity glorified, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen
Prayer to the Lord for ardent service
Lord, now I cry to You!
Give me strength, health and holy thirst to serve You worthily, like Your angels. Give strength to me and my brothers and sisters in the choir service to understand the essence, depth and glory of serving You. May our voices glorify You and your holy faith, and not our vanity. May people, through our singing, find the joy of deep prayer to You. May Your Holy Name be eternally blessed on our lips. Give us the strength to worthily glorify Your holy friends, Your saints and heirs of Your eternity. Do not deprive us of the benefits of Your labors for the sake of our humble ones in Your holy Name. May Your Name be blessed and glorified forever, Amen!
To the Venerable Roman the Sweet Singer (troparia and kontakion)
Troparion, tone 8
In you, father, it is known that you were saved in the image: / for you accepted the cross, you followed Christ / and, acting, you taught to despise the flesh, for it passes away, / to be diligent about the souls of things more immortal. // In the same way, O Reverend Romana, your spirit will rejoice with the Angels.
Troparion, tone 3
From my youth I was zealous for the life of the angels, / having acquired faith, humility and patience, / like the Venerable Romana the Sweet Singer, / you were the abode of the Holy Spirit, / the chosen one of God appeared to the Mother here, / and from Ney you have mercifully received the gift of glorifying God. / For this reason, pray for us, your unworthy disciples, // so that we may sing with you sweetly the glory for our sake to the Incarnate Eternal God.
Troparion, tone 3
Through the feat of fasting, prayer and vigil,/ by the depth of faith and humility/ you fell from your youth of the old man,/ becoming like the angelic life,/ like the venerable Roman the Sweet Singer,/ the venerable You were the one who saw the appearance of the Mother of God, / who commanded the wondrous scroll to be eaten, / and thus taught the gift of song-writing, / you sang, like the Angels of Heaven, / the glory of the Son of God Incarnate from Ney. / Praying for us to the Lord, / to grant to all who sing Christ the Giver of Life / concordant singing , // peace and great mercy.
Prayer to Archangel Michael
Great Archangel of God Michael!
As imitators of heavenly faces, we singers cry out to you - grant us the honor to serve our God worthily. Guide and protect us. Help us to become singers of the great heavenly choir, of which you are the holy leader.
We dream of a heavenly choir. And to whom, if not to the supreme leader of the heavenly angelic faces, should we offer our prayers. We want to serve our Lord. And the glorious Archangel wants the same. Our goals and desires coincide. But we live in darkness, pushing our weak souls through dense thickets of temptations and misfortunes.
And that’s why we so need heaven’s help. And that’s why we pray to YOU, bright heavenly army! Don't leave us. Let us forget about heaven from time to time due to our own weakness, so long as YOU do not forget about us, the weak. Show us your divine love. Give us the joy of glorifying our God together. We have already tasted this sweetness on earth. Help us to recognize the true joy of heavenly praise. We really want to come to YOU in the heavenly choir.
Works of the Saint
The following works belong to the saint:
- kontakia;
- icos;
- akathists
- hymns
- prayers
Nowadays, Orthodox holidays are not complete without the creations of Roman the Sweet Singer. About 1000 kontakia are attributed to him, but only 85 of them have reached us.
The most famous akathist was the one he composed - the akathist to the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is performed every year during Lent. It is also special in that it is the standard on the basis of which all other akathists have already been composed. All works were composed in Greek.
One of the main differences between the kontakia of Roman the Sweet Singer is that there is a single plot in which the participation of a certain number of characters is calculated. They conduct dialogues with the author and among themselves, showing their own feelings and emotions. Moreover, the first ikosas reveal the topic, and the conclusion can be concentrated in the last or several last ikosas.
Regent's Prayer for Fiery Service
O most good Lord, holy Creator of heaven and earth.
Grant me, unworthy, to become Your true servant and manifest Your holy will on me. May I lead my brothers and sisters who sing to You in truth and righteousness to Your worthy praise. May my service glorify Your holy service and may our singing work strengthen and give Your chosen people a thirst for prayer to You. O most kind Lord, grant to my brothers and sisters in the singing ministry a tender heart that is pleasing to You. Soften their hearts, grant them understanding of my regency labors, so that they will not fall into temptation and be offended by me, a sinner. Give me angelic wisdom, a fiery and laborious heart, inexhaustible strength and a holy thirst for serving You, so that we may be strengthened for singing feats in Your holy Name. To you be glory, honor and worship forever and ever, amen.
