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THE AKATHIST OF THANKSGIVING
“Glory to God for All Things!” |
KONTAKION 1
Incorruptible King of all ages, holding in Thy hand every path of human life through the power of Thy saving Providence. We thank Thee for all the
good things Thou doest, those we know and those we don't know, for earthly life and for the heavenly joy of Thy Kingdom to come. Hold us in Thy mercy now and ever we who sing: Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
Ikos I
Into the world I was born as a weak, helpless child, but Thy Angel spread wings of light over me, guarding my crib. Ever since then Thy love lights all my paths, wonderfully guiding me towards the light of eternity. Gloriously, the generous gifts of Thy Providence have been manifest from the very first day. I am thankful to Thee and with all who have come to know Thee, call out:
Glory to Thee, Who called me to life,
Glory to Thee, Who hast shown me the beauty of the universe,
Glory to Thee, Who hast opened before me the sky and the earth as an eternal book of wisdom,
Glory to the eternity of Thee, in the midst of the world of time,
Glory to Thee, for Thy hidden and evident goodness,
Glory to Thee, for every sigh of my sadness,
Glory to Thee, for every step of my life, for every moment of joy,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 2
Lord, how good it is to be Thy guest; the delicately scented wind, the mountains stretching to the sky, the waters reflecting like infinite mirrors, the golden rays of sun, the airiness of clouds. All nature
secretly whispers, full of tenderness, and even the birds and beasts bear the mark of Thy Love. Blessed is mother earth with her transient beauty, longing for the homeland which is eternal and where an imperishable beauty rings out: Alleluia.
Ikos II
Thou hast brought me into this life as into an enchanting paradise. The sky is a deep blue vessel of azure out of which rings the sound of birds; there is the rustling sound of
the forest and the sweet sounding music of the waters; the fragrant and sweet fruit and honey which we eat. It is good to be with Thee on earth, joyous to be Thy guest:
Glory to Thee, for the festival of life,
Glory to Thee, for the fragrant lilies of the valley and the roses,
Glory to Thee, for the delectable variety of berries and fruits,
Glory to Thee, for the morning dew, shining like diamonds,
Glory to Thee, for the smile of awakening enlightenment,
Glory to Thee, for all that is heavenly, foreshadowing eternal life,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 3
Every flower is fragrant through the power of the Holy Spirit, in a delicate flow of aroma and tenderness of color; the beauty of the Great contained in what is small. Praise and honor to God Who gives life, Who
spreads forth the meadows like a flowering carpet, Who crowns the fields with golden ears of wheat and azure basilisks, and the soul with the joy of contemplation. Let us rejoice and sing to Him: Alleluia.
Ikos III
How beautiful Thou art in the triumphant festival of spring, when all creatures come to life again and in a thousand ways joyfully call out to Thee: Thou art the source of life; Thou art the victor over death. To the song of the
nightingale, the valleys and forests stand in snow white bridal array by the light of the season. All the earth is Thy bride, waiting for the immortal bridegroom. If Thou clothe even the grass in such a splendid way, how will Thou transfigure us in the future age of resurrection, how will our bodies be made light and our souls be made luminous:
Glory to Thee, Who brought out of the earth's darkness diversity of color, taste, and fragrance,
Glory to Thee, for the warmth and caress of all nature,
Glory to Thee, for surrounding us with thousands of Thy creatures,
Glory to Thee, for the depth of Thy wisdom reflected in the whole world,
Glory to Thee, I kiss reverently the footprint of Thy invisible tread,
Glory to Thee, Who kindled before us the bright light of eternal life,
Glory to Thee, for the hope of immortal, ideal, incorruptible beauty,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 4
How you bring sweetness to those who think of Thee, how life-giving is
Thy Word, it is softer than oil, it is sweeter than honey to talk with
Thee. Praying to Thee brings Life into us and gives us wings. What
trembling then fills the heart. What dignity and greatness and wisdom
there are in nature and all of life. Where Thou art not there is
emptiness. Where Thou art there is richness of soul, a torrent of life:
Alleluia!
Ikos IV
When sunset descends over the earth
and the peace of eternal sleep and the stillness of the fading day come
to reign, I see Thy abode in the guise of glistening palaces and clouds
hovering in the evening light. Fiery red, gold and azure speak
prophetically of the unutterable beauty of Thy world and cry out
triumphantly: "Let us go to the Father!"
Glory to Thee, in the stillness of the evening,
Glory to Thee, Who hast bestowed great peace to the world,
Glory to Thee, for the last rays of sunlight,
Glory to Thee, for rest and the gift of sleep,
Glory to Thee, for Thy presence in darkness, when the world is so remote,
Glory to Thee, for prayer from the depth of a heart touched by Thee,
Glory to Thee, for the promise of awakening to the joy of the eternal, unending day,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 5
The storms of life are not frightening to one in whose heart shines the
light of Thy Fire. All around the weather is bad; there is darkness,
horror, and the howling wind. But in the soul of such a one there is
peace and light. Christ is there! And the heart sings: Alleluia!
Ikos V
I see Thy heavens glittering with
stars. O how rich Thou art, how much light Thou hast! Eternity looks at
me through the rays of distant worlds; I am so small and
inconsequential, but the Lord is with me, His loving hand is everywhere
protecting me:
Glory to Thee, for Thy constant care of me,
Glory to Thee, for providential encounters with people,
Glory to Thee, for the love of relatives, the devotion of friends,
Glory to Thee, for the gentleness of animals who serve me,
Glory to Thee, for the luminous moments of my life,
Glory to Thee, for the bright joys of my heart,
Glory to Thee, for the happiness of living, of moving and contemplating,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 6
How great and near Thou art in the power of thunderstorms, how visible
is Thy mighty hand in the blinding curves of lightning, amazing in Thy
greatness. The voice of the Lord is over the fields and in the sound of
the forests; the voice of the Lord is in the birth of the thunder and
rain; the voice of the Lord is over many waters. Praise be to Thee in
the thundering of volcanoes spitting fire. Thou dost shake the earth
about like a garment. Thou dost lift up the waves of the sea into the
sky. Praise be to Thee Who humble human pride, drawing out the
repentant cry: Alleluia!
Ikos VI
When the palaces of earth are
suddenly lit up by lightning bursting forth, how paltry seem our
ordinary lights afterward. In just such a way Thou suddenly lightest up
my soul during the times of deepest joy in my life. And after the
brilliance of Thy light, like lightning, how colorless, dark and unreal
these moments seem. And my soul rushes in pursuit of Thee:
Glory to Thee, beyond the limit of the highest human dream!
Glory to Thee, for our tireless thirst for Thee,
Glory to Thee, Who hast inspired in us dissatisfaction with earthly things,
Glory to Thee, Who hast enveloped us in the delicate rays of Thy light,
Glory to Thee, Who hast broken the power of the spirits of darkness, and Who hast doomed to annihilation every kind of evil,
Glory to Thee, for Thy revelations, and for the happiness of feeling Thy presence and living with Thee,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 7
One hears Thy call in a wonderful composition of sounds. Thou dost open
for us the environment of our future paradise in melodious singing and
harmonious tones, in the height of musical color, in the brilliance of
artistic creativity. All that is truly beautiful carries the soul to
Thee in a mighty call, and forces it to sing rapturously: Alleluia!
Ikos VII
Through the descent of the Holy
Spirit Thou dost enlighten the thought of artists, poets and scientific
geniuses. Through the power of the inmost mind, they are prophetically
able to perceive Thy laws, opening for us the abyss of Thy creative
wisdom. Their works involuntarily speak of Thee; of how great Thou art
in Thy creations, of how great Thou art in man:
Glory to Thee, Who hast manifested the unfathomable force of the laws of the universe,
Glory to Thee, all of nature is full of the laws of Thy being,
Glory to Thee, for all that has been revealed to us through Thy goodness,
Glory to Thee, for all Thou hast kept hidden in Thy wisdom,
Glory to Thee, for the genius of the human mind,
Glory to Thee, for the life-giving strength of work,
Glory to Thee, for the fiery tongues of inspiration,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 8
How near Thou art in the days of illness; Thou Thyself visit the sick.
Thou Thyself bend down to the bed of the sufferer and the heart speaks
to Thee. In times of hardship and suffering, Thou dost illumine the
soul with peace; Thou dost send unexpected help. Thou art consoling,
searching and saving love, and to Thee we sing the song: Alleluia!
Ikos VIII
When as a child I consciously
called to Thee for the first time, Thou didst answer my prayer and my
soul knew a wonderful peace. Then I understood that Thou art goodness;
blessed are those who seek Thee. I began to call to Thee again and
again, and call to Thee even now:
Glory to Thee, Who grantest my wishes when they are good,
Glory to Thee, Who watcheth over me day and night,
Glory to Thee, curing hardships and losses with the healing course of time,
Glory to Thee, for Whom there is no such thing as a hopeless loss; Thou givest eternal life to all,
Glory to Thee, Who hast made immortal all that is good and lofty, Who
hast promised our desired reunion with those who have died,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 9
Why does all nature smile mysteriously on feast days? Why is the heart
filled at these times with a wonderful lightness that is incomparable
to anything on earth; how is it that the very air at the altar and in
the Church become light bearing? This is the breath of Thy grace, the
glow of the light of Tabor; the sky and the earth are singing at these
times in praise: Alleluia!
Ikos IX
When Thou hast inspired me to serve
those around me and illumined my heart with humility, one of Thy
innumerable rays falls on my heart making it light bearing, as iron in
fire; and I saw Thy mysterious, imperceptible Face:
Glory to Thee, Who hast transfigured our life with the good things that we do,
Glory to Thee, Who hast imprinted an unutterable sweetness on every precept of Thine,
Glory to Thee, Who clearly abidest where there is kindness and generosity of heart,
Glory to Thee, Who sendest failures and sorrows to us so that we might be sensitive to the sufferings of others,
Glory to Thee, Who hast placed a great reward on the value of goodness in itself,
Glory to Thee, Who acceptest our moments of soaring,
Glory to Thee, Who hast raised love higher than anything on earth or in heaven,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 10
That which is broken cannot be restored, but Thou canst set aright
those whose conscience has become decayed; Thou restorest the soul to
its former beauty in those who have lost it beyond all hope. With Thee
there is nothing that cannot be put aright. Thou art all love. Thou art
the Creator and the Restorer. To Thee we sing praise: Alleluia!
Ikos X
My God, Thou Who knowest the fall of
the proud angel, save me through the power of Thy grace, do not let me
fall away from Thee, do not allow me to doubt Thee. Sharpen my hearing
so that every minute of my life I can hear Thy mysterious voice, and
call to Thee Who are everywhere present:
Glory to Thee, for providential coincidences,
Glory to Thee, for the gift of premonitions,
Glory to Thee, for the guidance of a secret inner voice,
Glory to Thee, for revelations in dreams and when awake,
Glory to Thee, Who dost destroy our useless plans,
Glory to Thee, Who dost sober us from the heat of passions with suffering,
Glory to Thee, Who humblest pride of heart to save us,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 11
Through the icy link of the ages, I feel the warmth of Thy Divine
breath; I hear the flow of blood. Thou art already near; time has
partly vanished. I see Thy Cross; it is for my sake. My spirit is in
ashes before the Cross, where there is a triumph of love and salvation,
and unceasing praise unto all ages: Alleluia!
Ikos XI
Blessed is he who will have supper
in Thy Kingdom, but Thou hast already admitted me to this bliss. How
many times hast Thou extended to me with Thy Divine Hand, Thy body and
blood; and I, such a sinner, have taken this sacred gift and felt Thy
love - unutterable and beyond all being:
Glory to Thee, for the unfathomable, life-giving power of grace,
Glory to Thee, Who hast raised up Thy Church as a refuge of peace for an exhausted world,
Glory to Thee, Who breathe new life into us with the life-giving water of Baptism,
Glory to Thee, Who restore the purity of immaculate lilies to those who repent,
Glory to Thee, inexhaustible abyss of forgiveness,
Glory to Thee, for the cup of life, for the bread of eternal joy,
Glory to Thee, Who led us to heaven,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 12
Many times I have seen the reflection of Thy glory on the faces of the
dead. What unearthly beauty and joy shone from them; how ethereal and
immaterial were their features. This is the triumph of happiness and
peace received gracefully, as they silently call upon Thee. At the hour
of my death also illumine my soul as I call: Alleluia!
Ikos XII
How can I give praise to Thee? I
have not heard the songs of the cherubim. That is the gift of the
highest of souls. But I know how nature gives praise to Thee: in winter
I have beheld the moonlight stillness when the whole earth quietly
prays to Thee, clothed in white and sparkling with diamonds of snow; I
have seen how the rising sun rejoices in Thee and the choirs of birds
resound in praise; I have heard the forest speak mysteriously of Thee,
the waters murmur and the choirs of stars preach of Thee with their
harmonious movement in infinite space. But what is my praise? Nature
responds to Thy laws, but I do not! Yet while I am alive I see Thy
love; I want to thank Thee, to pray to Thee, and call out:
Glory to Thee, Who hast shown us light,
Glory to Thee, Who hast loved us with love immeasurable, deep, Divine,
Glory to Thee, Who hast surrounded us with light, and with hosts of angels and saints,
Glory to Thee, all Holy Father, Who hast willed us Thy Kingdom,
Glory to Thee, all Holy Son, the Way, the Truth, and the Life,
Glory to Thee, all Holy Spirit and life-giving sun of the future age,
Glory to Thee for everything, O Divine Trinity, all bountiful,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 13
O all bountiful and life-giving Trinity, accept this gratitude for all
of Thy mercies and make us worthy of your Divine gifts so that having
multiplied the talents given us, we may enter into the eternal joy of
our Lord with victorious praise: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Ikos I
Into the world I was born as a weak,
helpless child, but Thy Angel spread wings of light over me, guarding
my crib. Ever since then Thy love lights all my paths, wonderfully
guiding me towards the light of eternity. Gloriously, the generous
gifts of Thy Providence have been manifest from the very first day. I
am thankful to Thee and with all who have come to know Thee, call out:
Glory to Thee, Who called me to life,
Glory to Thee, Who hast shown me the beauty of the universe,
Glory to Thee, Who hast opened before me the sky and the earth as an eternal book of wisdom,
Glory to the eternity of Thee, in the midst of the world of time,
Glory to Thee, for Thy hidden and evident goodness,
Glory to Thee, for every sigh of my sadness,
Glory to Thee, for every step of my life, for every moment of joy,
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
KONTAKION 1
Incorruptible King of all ages, holding in Thy hand every path of human life
through the power of Thy saving Providence. We thank Thee for all the
good things Thou doest, those we know and those we don't know, for
earthly life and for the heavenly joy of Thy Kingdom to come. Hold us in
Thy mercy now and ever we who sing:
Glory to Thee, O God, unto the ages of ages.
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