The Paraklesis of the Most Holy Theotokos

[aquinas138]

In the Byzantine Rite, August 1-14 is the Dormition Fast, one of the three Lesser Lents. On each day of this two weeks, besides Saturday evening and the evening of August 5 (because of the Holy Transfiguration), a special service of supplication to the Mother of God is appointed. The central element of the service is the Canon of Supplication to the Theotokos; after that lengthy hymn and the magnification "It is truly proper," a series of hymns called megalynaria are chanted. While these are being chanted, the clergy incense the entire Church and the people. These megalynaria vary a bit across traditions; the following is the version chanted in the Byzantine Catholic Church:

It is truly proper to glorify you, * O Theotokos, * the ever-blessed, immaculate and the Mother of our God. * More honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim; * who, a virgin, gave birth to God the Word, * you, truly the Theotokos, we magnify.

O Gracious Lady, * you pray for all who with faith take refuge * in your powerful protection, * for we sinners, ever in affliction and misery, have no other recourse to God; * we are burdened with many sins, Mother of God on high. * Therefore, we prostrate ourselves before you: * save your servants from all calamities.

O joy of all who are troubled, * patroness of the persecuted and sustainer of the hungry, * consoler of wanderers, * harbor of the storm-tossed, visitor of all the sick, * Protectress * and patroness of the weak, staff of the aged, * O Mother of God on high, you are most pure, * hasten, we pray, that your servants may be saved.

Rejoice, Virgin most pure, * honored scepter of Christ the King! * Rejoice, from you the mystical Vine sprouted! * Rejoice, gate of heaven and unburnt bush! * Rejoice light of the world! Rejoice, joy of all! * Rejoice, salvation of the faithful! * Rejoice, Protectress and refuge of all Christians! Rejoice, O Lady!

Rejoice, glory of the whole world! * Rejoice, temple of the Lord! Rejoice, overshadowed mountain! * Rejoice, refuge of all! * Rejoice, golden candelabra! * Rejoice, precious glory of true believers! * Rejoice, Mary, Mother of Christ our God! * Rejoice, paradise! Rejoice, divine altar! * Rejoice, entryway! Rejoice, all-golden hand! Rejoice, hope of all!

Let us sing the praise * of the Virgin more lofty than heaven * and more pure than the shining stars. * Let us praise, O faithful, the Queen of all creation * who has delivered us from our ancestral curse.

My whole body ails, * and my soul is sick because of my evil deeds * and the multitude of my sins. * To you I come for shelter, O Mary, full of grace. * O hope of the hopeless, help me and save me.

O Lady * and Mother of the Savior, * receive now the humble prayers * of your poor, unworthy servants. * Intercede, we beg you, * before your Son, our Savior, * and be our Mediatrix, Queen of the universe.

O Mother of God, * worthy of all praise, we sing this hymn to you * and exalt you with joyful voice. * Pray the Forerunner and all the saints together * that your Son, our Redeemer, may have mercy on us.

All you ranks * and orders of the angels, * and you, holy Forerunner, * with the twelve apostles of Christ, and you, holy martyrs, * with the Theotokos, * pray eagerly to the Savior that he may save our souls.

[Kaesekopf]

Very neat!  Thanks for posting this! 

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[LausTibiChriste]

The Eastern Rites (specifically of the Byzantine flavour) are so cool.