For all Akathists published on our site, click here. This Akathist was translated by Maxim, who kindly asks all Orthodox Christians to keep him in their prayers for his repentance. Original source at the bottom. Explore more prayer: Akathists to Christ and the Holy Trinity, Akathists for Spiritual Struggles, Death and Remembering the Reposed
Note: This text is used both for men and for women. Just switch the masculine pronouns for feminine one when praying for a deceased woman.
Kontakion 1
Chosen Defender and High Priest, Who laid down Your soul for the salvation of the sinful world, You Who have granted us the power to be children of God and to live in Your eternal Kingdom, grant forgiveness and everlasting joy to the one who has fallen asleep, for whom we cry out to You in prayer: Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, make Your servant … [name] worthy of the sweetness of paradise.
Ikos 1
Holy angel sent by God, come and pray for your servant whom you have accompanied on all the paths of life, whom you have guarded and guided; lift up your voice with us to the All-Merciful Saviour: Jesus, tear up the record of the sins of Your servant … [name];
Jesus, heal the wounds of his soul;
Jesus, let there be no bad memories of him on earth;
Jesus, for this reason, have mercy on those whom he has grieved and oppressed;
Jesus, cover his imperfection with the radiant garment of Your redemption;
Jesus, gladden him with Your mercy;
Jesus, the Unspeakable, the Great and Wonderful One, reveal Yourself to him;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, make Your servant … [name] worthy of the sweetness of paradise.
Kontakion 2
Like a disconsolate dove, the soul hovers above the earthly realm, beholding from the heights of divine understanding the sins and temptations of the path gone by, grieving bitterly for the day of no return that has passed in vain, but have mercy on Thy servant, O Lord, that he may enter into Thy rest, singing: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
If You suffered for all the world, if You shed tears and sweat of blood for the living and the dead, who then will prevent us from praying for the departed? Following You, Who descended even into hell, we pray for the salvation of Your servant:
Jesus, Giver of Life, enlighten him with Your light;
Jesus, may he be one with You and with the Father;
Jesus, Who callest all into Thy life, do not forget to enlighten him with Thy light;
Jesus, generous Bestower of eternal rewards, show him enlightened in Thy presence;
Jesus, restore to his soul the grace-filled powers of the purity first created;
Jesus, may good deeds multiply in his name;
Jesus, warm those left orphaned with Your mysterious joy;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, make Your servant … [name] worthy of the sweetness of paradise.
Kontakion 3
Bound by the chains of the flesh, Thy servant fell into sin, yet his soul yearned for Thy holiness and eternal truth; now, then, whilst his bodily frailty lies in the dust of the earth, may his soul soar higher than the sun towards You, the All-Holy One, and sing the hymn of salvation: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
The first of Your apostles, standing by the fire on that cold night, denied You; yet You, who know the weakness of human nature, saved him. Forgive Your servant … [name] for his many falls from Your will:
Jesus, grant that he may dwell where there is no straying;
Jesus, deliver him from the burden of a guilty conscience;
Jesus, let the memory of his sins perish for ever;
Jesus, do not remember the temptations of his youth;
Jesus, cleanse him of his secret transgressions;
Jesus, mark him with the gentle light of salvation;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, make Your servant … [name] worthy of the sweetness of paradise.
Kontakion 4
The storms of life have passed, earthly sufferings have come to an end; the enemy of mankind is powerless in his wickedness, and mighty is the love that delivers us from eternal darkness and saves us, for which we boldly raise to You the hymn: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
You, our Deliverer, are boundlessly merciful towards us. What more can we add to the labour of Your saving love? But just as Simon of Cyrene helped You, the Almighty, to carry the Cross, so now it pleases Your goodness to bring about the salvation of our loved ones through our intercession:
Jesus, You have commanded us to bear one another’s burdens;
Jesus, You have established the covenant of love between the dead and the living;
Jesus, accept the labours of those who wish to serve for the salvation of Your servant… [name];
Jesus, hear the sigh of his heart raised upon our lips;
Jesus, accept our tears as his repentance;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, make Your servant… [name] worthy of the sweetness of paradise.
Kontakion 5
O God, may the last breath before death be accepted as the prayer of the wise thief. He passed away on the cross of life; grant him, as You did to that thief, to inherit Your promises: ‘Truly, I say to you: today you will be with Me in Paradise!’, where the hosts of repentant sinners sing with joy: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
Crucified for us, tormented for us, stretch out Your hand from the Cross; with the drops of Your blood wash away his sins; with Your good-natured nakedness warm his stripped and orphaned soul:
Jesus, You knew him and loved him before his birth;
Jesus, You beheld him from the height of Your Cross;
Jesus, You stretched out Your wounded arms to him;
Jesus, on blood-stained Golgotha You groaned for the forgiveness of his sins;
Jesus, You died with gentleness amidst terrible torments;
Jesus, You who endured being laid in the tomb, sanctify his rest in the tomb;
Jesus, the Risen One, lift up to the Father his soul, hardened by the world yet saved by You;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, grant Your servant… [name] the sweetness of paradise…
Kontakion 6
He sleeps the sleep of eternity, yet his soul does not slumber, but awaits You, O Lord, thirsting for You, the eternal Bridegroom. May Your words be fulfilled for the departed: ‘Whoever eats My Body and drinks My Blood has eternal life’. Grant him to partake of the mystical manna and to sing before Your throne: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Death has separated him from all his loved ones; his soul has departed; his friends mourn; only You, the One, remain near. The bonds of the body have been broken, and You have revealed Yourself in the unspeakable majesty of Your Divinity, awaiting a response;
Jesus, Love beyond all understanding, have mercy on Your servant… [name];
Jesus, having strayed from You, he suffered greatly;
Jesus, forgive the unbelief of his soul;
Jesus, his shattered hopes gave rise to a longing for You;
Jesus, remember the moments when his soul leapt with joy at Your presence;
Jesus, grant him unearthly joy and peace;
Jesus, the One who is faithful and unchanging, receive him;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, grant Your servant… [name] the sweetness of paradise.
Kontakion 7
We believe that our parting will not be long. We bury him like a seed in the earth, and his growth will be in another land. May the tares of his sins perish in the grave, and may his good deeds shine forth where the seeds of goodness bear imperishable fruit, where the souls of the saints sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
When he is forgotten, when his image is erased from hearts and time, together with his grave, when time wipes away the fervour of prayer for him, do not forsake him then, but grant comfort to his soul:
Jesus, love never grows cold;
Jesus, Your goodwill is inexhaustible;
Jesus, may his sins be washed away in the ceaseless prayers of the Church through the offering of the bloodless Sacrifice;
Jesus, through the intercession of all the saints, grant him the grace to pray for the living;
Jesus, in our days of trial, accept his intercession on our behalf;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, make Your servant… [name] worthy of the sweetness of paradise.
Kontakion 8
Let us pray with tears when the memory of him is painfully vivid; let us commemorate his name day and night, performing acts of charity, feeding the hungry, and saying from the depths of our souls: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
Saint John the Theologian, the beholder of mysteries, saw at the throne of the Lamb of God a multitude of people in white robes: these are those who have come from deep sorrow. Day and night they joyfully serve God, and God dwells within them, and labour shall not touch them:
Jesus, write down Your servant … [name] together with them;
Jesus, he suffered greatly and was tormented;
Jesus, You know all his bitter hours and moments of sorrow;
Jesus, he endured hardships and tribulations on earth; grant him joy in heaven;
Jesus, refresh him from the springs of living water;
Jesus, wipe away every tear from his eyes;
Jesus, grant him a dwelling place where the sun does not scorch, but where the sun of Your righteousness shines;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, make Your servant … [name] worthy of the sweetness of paradise.
Kontakion 9
The earthly journey is over. What a grace-filled passage into the world of the Spirit, what sights of the beauty of the heavenly world, new and unknown to the earthly world! The soul returns to its homeland, where the radiant sun of God’s righteousness shines upon those who sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
If Your radiance and Your trace cast light upon the faces of mortals, then what are You Yourself like? If the fruits of Your hands are so marvellous, and the earth, which merely reflects Your imprint, is filled with such unspeakable grandeur, then what is Your unseen image like? Reveal Your glory to Your departed servant … [name]:
Jesus, sharpen his mind to understand Your Divinity;
Jesus, open his ears to comprehend heavenly things;
Jesus, may his joy be exceedingly abundant;
Jesus, strengthen within him the hope of meeting You in the eternal abodes;
Jesus, grant us to feel the grace-filled power of prayer for the departed;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, make Your servant … [name] worthy of the sweetness of paradise.
Kontakion 10
Our Father, receive the departed into Your Kingdom, where there is no sin or wickedness, where Your holy will is unshakeable, where, amidst the multitudes of most pure souls and blameless angels, Your grace-filled name is sanctified and praise spreads its sweet fragrance: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
On that day the angels will set up Your throne, O Judge, and You will shine forth in the glory of Your Father, giving every man his reward. O, look then with mercy upon Your humble servant … [name], saying to him: ‘Come to My right hand’:
Jesus, You are the Son of God, Who has the power to forgive sins;
Jesus, forgive him the sins he has forgotten and concealed out of shame;
Jesus, forgive him the transgressions born of weakness and ignorance;
Jesus, deliver him from the dark depths of hell’s despair;
Jesus, may he inherit Your promises of life-giving grace;
Jesus, may he too be with the blessed of Your Father;
Jesus, grant him endless joy forever;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, make Your servant … [name] worthy of the sweetness of paradise.
Kontakion 11
All-Good Lord, may the luminous gates of heaven be opened to him, so that the assembly of the righteous and the saints may welcome him with joy, the multitude of his loved ones and those who loved him; may Your light-bearing angels rejoice in him, so that he may see there also Your ever-blessed Mother, where the triumphant cry resounds: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
Your breath revives the flowers and all of nature; it awakens the multitude of the smallest creatures; Your gaze is brighter than the spring sky. Your love, O Jesus, is warmer than the sun’s rays. You have raised the mortal body of man from the dust of the earth to the dawn of imperishable eternal life; enlighten Your servant … [name] with the light of Your mercy:
Jesus, at Your right hand are goodwill and life;
Jesus, in Your gaze are love and light;
Jesus, deliver the one who has fallen asleep from eternal spiritual death;
Jesus, he has fallen asleep in hope, just as the River Nile does before the cold winter;
Jesus, awaken him when the grasses of the earth are clothed in the flowers of eternity;
Jesus, may nothing earthly cast a shadow over his final sleep;
Jesus, You are the unchanging bliss and the purpose of our lives;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, grant Your servant … [name] the sweetness of paradise.
Kontakion 12
Christ, Thou art the eternal Kingdom; Thou art the land of the meek; Thou art the dwelling-place of many; Thou art the new drink; You – the garment and crown of the pious; You – the bed of rest for the saints; You – most sweet Jesus! To You be praise: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
In the form of the unearthly beauties of the orchards full of peace and of the luminous abodes shining like the sun’s rays, and in the unspeakable wonder of the heavenly hymns, You have revealed to us the bliss of those who love You:
Jesus, may Your servant enter into Your joy;
Jesus, clothe him in the radiance of the Father’s glory;
Jesus, enlighten him with the rays of the Holy Spirit;
Jesus, may he be exalted from glory to glory;
Jesus, grant that he may see You face to face;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, make Thy servant … [name] worthy of the sweetness of paradise.
Kontakion 13
O immortal Bridegroom, who comest with the angels in the midst of the night of sin and unbelief to judge the whole world, open the doors of Thy glorious chamber to Thy servant … [name], that he may sing forever with the countless hosts of the saints: Alleluia!
(This kontakion is sung three times, then we sing Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1 again.)
Ikos 1
Holy angel sent by God, come and pray for your servant whom you have accompanied on all the paths of life, whom you have guarded and guided; lift up your voice with us to the All-Merciful Saviour: Jesus, tear up the record of the sins of Your servant … [name];
Jesus, heal the wounds of his soul;
Jesus, let there be no bad memories of him on earth;
Jesus, for this reason, have mercy on those whom he has grieved and oppressed;
Jesus, cover his imperfection with the radiant garment of Your redemption;
Jesus, gladden him with Your mercy;
Jesus, the Unspeakable, the Great and Wonderful One, reveal Yourself to him;
Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, make Your servant … [name] worthy of the sweetness of paradise.
Kontakion 1
Chosen Defender and High Priest, Who laid down Your soul for the salvation of the sinful world, You Who have granted us the power to be children of God and to live in Your eternal Kingdom, grant forgiveness and everlasting joy to the one who has fallen asleep, for whom we cry out to You in prayer: Jesus, All-Merciful Judge, make Your servant … [name] worthy of the sweetness of paradise.
PRAYER
O Lord God, how terrifying and inescapable is Your impartial Judgement! Our spirit is tossed about in a sea of dreadful turmoil; our heart trembles and melts like wax at the mere utterance of Your unshakeable word concerning the Last Judgement; our tongue falls silent in anticipation of the sound of the Archangel’s trumpet, which will raise the dead and summon the living to Your dreadful Judgement; from the east and from the west, from the south and from the north. O, truly that day will be dreadful when You, O God, shall come upon the earth in glory with the angels and the saints. Those in the heights and in the depths of the earth – all shall then stand in fear and trembling; You will summon heaven and earth to judgement to judge the whole world in righteousness! Terrifying will be that day when the thrones of judgement are set up, the books are opened, and our deeds—both those in the open and those in secret, our words and thoughts—are revealed before You, the angels and mankind; for nothing is hidden from You, O Lord, that will not be revealed then, nor is there any secret that will not come to light. Who, O Righteous Judge, will then be able to stand unshaken before You and before the whole world, both above and below? If the righteous are barely saved, how then will the wicked and sinful fare? Who will defend us, if not Your mercy, O Lord? Where shall we flee from Your righteous judgement?
O, have mercy, have mercy then upon us and upon him who has passed from this life to You, Your ever-memorable servant … [name], and do not condemn him to eternal labour because of his sins. Deign, therefore, O Most Merciful Lord, to accept upon Your altar above the heavens our offering for him, our prayer and almsgiving as sweet-smelling incense, together with the prayers and the bloodless sacrifice of the shepherds of Thy holy Church, so that Thy departed servant … [name] may not be put to shame before Thee, before the angels and before the whole world. Hear us, our God, and do not forsake us to the end; look upon those who have bowed their knees before You, O Lord. Hear those who ask for Your mercy and the heavenly Kingdom for Your departed servant … [name]. We pray to You, Most Merciful Jesus, that when You come with Your angels and the saints to judge the world, have mercy, have mercy then, Saviour, on Your creation, for it is the image of Your ineffable glory. With a contrite heart we beseech and pray to You, our Saviour and Redeemer, do not judge Your servant … [name] to eternal torment by Your righteous judgement, even though he is worthy of every condemnation and torment; do not cast him out from the flock of Your chosen ones, but through Your unspeakable mercy, through Your great patience and love for us, Your sinful and unworthy servants, in the name of Your most precious sacrifice on the Cross, make him worthy, O Lord, of Your Kingdom which You have prepared for those who love You. And may he enter the place of rest, praising Your all-holy Name, glorifying Your love for mankind and Your mercies. For You are the God of mercy and compassion, and to You we give glory, together with Your Father without beginning, and Your Most Holy, Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
SOURCE: From this book: https://www.librariasophia.ro/carti-de-rugaciuni-acatiste-paraclise/iubirea-de-dincolo-de-mormant-rugaciuni-pentru-cei-adormiti-15709.html
