Akathist of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

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Akathist written by Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite from this book:

Prayers to our Lord Jesus Christ, in the form of ikoi, piercing and beautiful, in Greek alphabetical order, beginning with Theology (the Holy Trinity) and ending with the Second Coming of Christ, comprising, in order, praises, thanksgivings, confessions, and requests.

Kontakion 1

All-powerful and All-merciful God, as one who stands before Your divine throne, I, Your servant, have dared to bring these ikoi to You, Master, so please accept me as a merciful one, who cries out to You: Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!

Ikos 1

Without beginning from the Father without beginning and before all ages, the hypostatic Word and true God from true God, clear my mind and heart to praise Your saving and awesome Name, and make me worthy to glorify You with divine propriety and say:

Jesus, the super-essential Being, I glorify You, Who are above all creation and destruction, surpassing them.

Jesus, the incomprehensible Hypostasis, I glorify You, Who are above all affirmation and negation.

Jesus, One in essence with the Father and the Spirit, I thank You for giving me the unfathomable wealth of knowledge of Your Divinity.

Jesus, Perfection beyond perfection, I thank You for all Your blessings to me, both on the right and on the left.

Jesus, Godhead beyond definition, I confess to You that I have sinned as a man, but You, as God, have mercy on me.

Jesus, infinite Greatness, I confess to You that I, who am infinitely the smallest, have saddened and continue to sadden Your Holy Spirit.

Jesus, Goodness beyond goodness, I have done nothing good before You, but grant me, for Your goodness, to make a start.

Jesus, Power beyond compare, make me, the powerless one, strong, so that my enemy may fear me because of Your power within me.

Jesus, Wisdom beyond comprehension, make me wise so that I may easily refute the cunning sophistry of the skilled sophist of evil.

Jesus, Justice before all ages, direct my steps in the midst of virtue, and not in excesses and deficiencies.

Jesus, God without a name, teach me to do good and Your pleasing and perfect will.

Jesus, Word with an infinity of names, make known to me what and how I should ask of You in my requests.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!

Kontakion 2

Wanting to create beings out of nothingness, O Word, you first gave substance to the angels; and immediately they stood before You, serving You with thousands upon thousands upon thousands upon thousands of pure and most subtle minds, to praise You together with Your Father and Your Spirit, to cry out unceasingly, Holy, Holy, Holy! And to sing: Alleluia!

Ikos 2

Wanting, Word of God, to make known to all the richness of Your goodness, You brought into being a second sensible world, consisting of heaven and earth and those in between, very great in quantity and very diverse in species; for which reason I make these things resound to You:

Jesus, Maker of Angels, I glorify You, Who are ceaselessly glorified by their nine choirs.

Jesus, Lord of immaterial minds, I glorify You, Who are ceaselessly theologized by intelligent beings.

Jesus, Creator of those above the world and of the world, I thank You for making two worlds for me.

Jesus, Beautifier of all creatures, I thank You for showing me their sight through reason.

Jesus, the Protector and Sustainer of those created and beautified by You, I confess to You that through my transgression I alone find myself unworthy of Your protection.

Jesus, Who stretched out the heavens with a sign, I confess to You that, bent over by my many sins, I cannot see the face of heaven.

Jesus, Who made the two luminaries, enlighten the three parts of my soul.

Jesus, Who adorned the sky with stars, adorn me also with Your graces.

Jesus, Who painted the earth with flowers, make me also able to blossom with all kinds of virtues.

Jesus, Who adorned the foliage of the trees with all kinds of fruits, enrich me also with the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, Who put feeling and life into living creatures, give me the strength to die to the world and live only in You.

Jesus, Who brought the four elements into being, surround me with the four general virtues.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!

Kontakion 3

Wanting to show, Word, a wisdom greater than the first, You created man from thoughts and sensible things as a great world through his powers in the small one and as an epilogue to Your word which is the world (the universe), and You placed him in paradise as a worshipper of Your Power, but he, breaking Your commandment and then feeling bad, learned to sing to You: Alleluia!

Ikos 3

You revealed Yourself, Word, to the patriarchs, and finally, on Mount Sinai, You gave Moses the written Law; after which You sent prophets who prophesied Your coming to earth; for this reason, thinking about this with my mind, I cry out to You with longing:

Jesus, God of gods, I glorify You, the coeternal reflection of the Father’s glory.

Jesus, Lord of lords, we glorify You, the identical image of the hypostasis of Your Father.

Jesus, King of kings, I thank You that even though I am an abomination, You have called me into Your heavenly Kingdom.

Jesus, Holy of Holies, what shall I give You in return for all that You have given me?

Jesus, Almighty, sweet hope of the forefathers, I confess to You that because of my many sins I have no sure hope of salvation.

Jesus, Almighty, chosen promise of the patriarchs, I confess to You that through my transgressions I have fallen from the goodness promised by You.

Jesus, the Source of life, the glorious fulfillment of the Law, make me complete and perfect in all things.

Jesus, most honored, the desired fulfillment of the prophets, show me to be a partaker of love, which is the fulfillment of the Law.

Jesus, my most sweet Creator, remake me, who am crushed by sins.

Jesus, Soul of my soul, make me able to keep all Your commandments.

Jesus, my heavenly Father, make me worthy of Your adoption.

Jesus, Beauty of my Prototype, remodel me in Your image.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!

Kontakion 4

Deifying, O Word, the nature of men who had fallen from eternal life, you took pity on them and sent the archangel Gabriel to announce to the ever-virgin Mary that you had taken flesh from her without seed and beyond thought, with the goodwill of the Father and the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, fulfilling the counsel before all ages, and hearing from all thus: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Reaching the end of Your time in the womb, You were born without corruption from Your Mother who knows no man and you were born in the city of Bethlehem, perfect God and perfect man, a single composite hypostasis known in two natures, two perfect energies and two wills; for which reason, contemplating such a mystery, I cry out in amazement:

Jesus, Son of a Father without a mother according to divinity, I glorify You, Who from the beginning are above cause and utterance.

Jesus, Son of a Mother without a father according to humanity, I glorify You, Who for us became man in the end.

Jesus, wonderful Counselor, Apostle sent by the Father, I thank You for Your Economy in the flesh for us.

Jesus, unchanging Emmanuel, Angel of the great counsel, I thank You for Your supreme love for us.

Jesus, Lamb of God without malice, I confess to You always that I have sinned against You more than all men.

Jesus, Good Shepherd, I confess to You that I am the lost sheep.

Jesus, most merciful Comforter, work in me the grace of Your Spirit.

Jesus, new Adam, strip me of the old man and clothe me in the new.

Jesus, You who came down to earth, make me worthy to have citizenship in heaven and not on earth.

Jesus, You who became man by nature, show me also to be a partaker of Your deification.

Jesus, Sunrise of sunrises, drive away from me forgetfulness, ignorance, and sloth.

Jesus, the inexpressible Joy of the whole world, deliver me from all worldly sorrow.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.

Kontakion 5

Submitting yourself to the divine law, You who once gave the Law, You were circumcised as a child and received the Name Jesus, under which there is no other under heaven by which men must be saved, and before which every knee of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth bows, and every tongue confesses, crying out: Alleluia!

Ikos 5

When the old man Simeon saw You brought as a Child into the temple of the Lord, he embraced You with his hands and cried out, “Now let me depart,” proclaiming You to all as the Master of life and death; for this reason, marveling at such humility, I sing these words:

Jesus, sweet Work and Name to me, I glorify You, Who are believed to be without doubt from among those who are.

Jesus, dense Thought of my mind, I glorify You, Who are in no way known who or how You are.

Jesus, the whole Theme of the prayer of the mind, I thank You for making the human race worthy of such angelic work.

Jesus, the circular and unerring Movement of the mind, I thank You for deigning to free the mind from the delusion of the devil.

Jesus, the Height and Depth, Length and Breadth of knowledge, I confess to You that through my passionate attachment to material things, my mind lies in ignorance.

Jesus, Memory that shines light and is insatiable, I confess to You that passionate memories always bring me darkness.

Jesus, Joy of the heart, give me the joy of my salvation.

Jesus, Healing of the body, make it healthy and useful for the service of my neighbor.

Jesus, my breath, come into my search.

Jesus, sweet delight of my tongue, give me remembrance of death, of Your condemnation and judgment.

Jesus, my Savior, Who bears the name of salvation, save me for the sake of Your only saving Name.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.

Kontakion 6

Having no need of cleansing like the God that You Are, my Jesus, you were baptized by the hand of the Forerunner in the Jordan River, arranging for my cleansing through your Economy, and you were confessed as the beloved Son of the Father, and the Holy Spirit descended upon You in the form of a dove, teaching all to cry out to You: Alleluia!

Ikos 6

You won a brilliant victory over the devil when you were led into the wilderness, my Jesus; for after fasting for forty days, you placed nothing before the love of God, neither pleasures, nor human glory, nor flowing riches, and you were seen being served by angels, for which reason I cry out:

Jesus, beloved Son of the beloved Father by nature, I glorify You, through Whom we have access to the Father, the Source of Light.

Jesus, beloved Word of the beloved Spirit, because you have the same nature as Him, I glorify You, through Whom we have come to know the Most Holy and Life-giving Spirit.

Jesus, the Father’s Goodwill or His Will from the beginning, I thank You for Your overwhelming goodwill towards me.

Jesus, in Whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead, I thank You for the riches of Your grace poured out upon us.

Jesus, Revelation of the mystery of the Trinity, I confess to You that my heart has turned to this heavenly revelation of Yours.

Jesus, Recapitulation of all that is material and immaterial, I confess to You that I alone am a stranger by my own choice to this common union with You.

Jesus, Strong in war, wage war against those who wage war against me with their minds and who tempt me through my body.

Jesus, the only conqueror of temptations, give me patience in temptations.

Jesus, who fought the heads of dragons, crushing Satan under Your feet.

Jesus, who was baptized in the waters of the Jordan, give me tears to wash away my sins.

Jesus, most gracious, deliver me from the love of pleasure, the love of glory, and the love of money.

Jesus, long-suffering, deliver me from self-love, the mother of all passions.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!

Kontakion 7

Wanting to preach the divine Good News of the Kingdom to the world, my Christ, you began with repentance; for You came to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance, in which You strengthen me to live my life, that I may cry out to You: Alleluia!

Ikos 7

You showed all human nature shining on Tabor, my Jesus, brighter than the sun and glorifying it with the uncreated glory of God. For this reason, I too, cleansing myself in You, regaining my original beauty, sing to You with unspeakable joy and faith:

Jesus, ecstatic and surpassingly beautiful Beauty, I glorify You, Who have Your power in Your will.

Jesus, the mad and all-loving Love, I glorify You, Who can give sustenance to infinite worlds.

Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, I thank You for guiding me to the truth of Your divine and deifying words.

Jesus, the ultimate object of contemplation of bliss, I thank You for making our unworthy nature worthy of Your glory.

Jesus, Light above all light, I confess to You that I walk in the darkness of sin, I who am dark.

Jesus, my ultimate desire, I confess to You that I have never been properly wounded by Your love.

Jesus, life-giving and most sweet warmth, warm me, the lost one.

Jesus, the star-like and most brilliant garment, adorn me, the naked one.

Jesus, my Beginning, Middle, and End, cleanse my heart, that I may see You.

Jesus, You who are all and above all, my God, show me Your face and I will be saved.

Jesus, One above all understanding, show me unity through the return and union of the mind.

Jesus, Mystery of unknowable silence, make me above all that is felt and thought.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.

Kontakion 8

Your deeds on earth are strange to the minds of mortals and angels, my Jesus, not with supplication like others, but with power as a perfect God, healing all kinds of diseases and raising the dead, especially Lazarus, who had been dead for four days; who, coming back to life, sang to You with a voice of praise: Alleluia!

Ikos 8

You are wholly above on the throne, inseparable with the Father and the Spirit, my Christ, and wholly below on earth, You were seen sitting on the back of a donkey, receiving there the roar of Ghelghel (Ezekiel 10:13) and the praise of the angels, and here the cry of Hosanna and the praise of the children, together with whom He receives this praise of mine:

Jesus, the inexhaustible Treasure of all good things, I glorify You, Who are and were before and will be forever.

Jesus, the unspent wealth of the gifts of grace, I praise You, Who works everywhere in various ways and yet in the same way.

Jesus, the Doctor of souls and bodies, I thank You that You have often healed me in both.

Jesus, Teacher who knows all things, I thank You for teaching me to walk in Your blessings.

Jesus, Who opens to those who knock, I confess to You that I have never opened my hardened heart to You.

Jesus, Who cleansed the ten lepers, I confess to You that I am a leper and need cleansing from my hidden sins.

Jesus, Who made the adulteress wiser than a virgin, cover me from the war of fornication.

Jesus, Who delivered Magdalene from her seven demons, take from me the seven deadly sins.

Jesus, Guide of the lost, guide my five senses toward their rightful movement.

Jesus, You who have wiped away the transgressions of the world, wipe away my sinful inclinations.

Jesus, Liberator of men, deliver me from the difficult-to-guard falls of the tongue.

Jesus, Who makes Yourself all things to all men, fulfill all my requests for salvation.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!

Kontakion 9

All the angels were amazed at the great work of Your descent, Christ, how the Master of all knelt as a humble servant and washed the feet of His disciples, and even those of His betrayer. For this reason, in heaven and on earth, Your Name was exalted above every name, and from every tongue you hear: Alleluia!

Ikos 9

Saviour of the mortal race, my Jesus, You taught Your disciples, initiating them into the mysteries, for at the Supper You changed the bread into Your own Body and the wine into Your own Blood, and You commanded them to do this in remembrance of You. From which, partaking unceasingly as of imperishable things, I am sanctified and deified, and I cry out to You:

Jesus, eternal High Priest, I glorify You, Who are not an object that needs to be thought of as One who is above thought.

Jesus, Melchizedek without genealogy, I glorify You, Who do not fall under those who think of You as One who is beyond thought.

Jesus, sweet Drink of beginners, I thank You that You have often cleansed my blood with Your Blood.

Jesus, strong Food of the perfect, I thank You that You have often mixed my body with Your Body.

Jesus, Who art Himself the Sacrificer and the Sacrifice, I confess to You that I unworthily dare to partake of Your awesome Mysteries.

Jesus, Who art whole in the whole Sacrament and whole in every part of it, I confess to You that I do not approach Your holy Table with the proper preparation.

Jesus, Bread of Life, satisfy me, the hungry one, without ceasing.

Jesus, Drink of Joy, quench me, the thirsty one, without ceasing.

Jesus, the Fat Calf, feed me as Your prodigal son and grant me forgiveness for my sins.

Jesus, the Heavenly Manna, sweeten me as You did Your discontented people and lead me to the promised land.

Jesus, Who humbled Yourself to the very end, humble me, who am proud in my deeds, words, and thoughts.

Jesus, Who did all things as an example for us, give me the strength to follow in Your footsteps.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!

Kontakion 10

Wanting to save the world, my Savior, you willingly endured the terrifying Passion and Cross, the dishonorable death and burial of your body, remaining untouched by your Divinity; for this reason, delivering me from darkness, I sing to you with longing: Alleluia!

Ikos 10

You rose from the dead on the third day, my Jesus, breaking the seals of the tomb and entering through the doors locked by Your disciples as the Almighty, assuring them of Your glorious Resurrection, by which I am made alive, and I say from my heart:

Jesus, Mediator between God and men, I glorify You, Who are infinitely above any thought revealed by a sign.

Jesus, Who gave Yourself as a ransom for all, I glorify You, Who are infinitely above any spoken word.

Jesus, Who received suffering in the flesh, I thank You that through Your Suffering You delivered me from passion, by Sweet Passion and from passionate affection.

Jesus, Who remained impassionate like a God, I thank You that You raised my nature to the worthiness of passionlessness.

Jesus, Who endured the cross, I confess to You that I am unworthy of the double cross of deed and sight.

Jesus, Who through Your Blood redeemed sinners, I confess to You that I am still in bondage to the enemy and to sin.

Jesus, Who received the repentant thief on the same day, receive me also, who repent to You.

Jesus, Who was nailed to the wood with nails, nail my limbs with Your fear.

Jesus, Who died for our love, give me the strength to be ready to die for the love of You and my brothers.

Jesus, Who by Your burial robbed hell, bury my evil, wicked, and blasphemous thoughts with good thoughts.

Jesus, Resurrection of the fallen, raise me up, who slip at every moment.

Jesus, Life of the dead, make me alive, who am dead.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!

Kontakion 11

Being lifted up in the cloud, my Heavenly Jesus, you ascended with your body into glory and sat at the right hand of the Father above all dominion, beginning, and power; to whom, returning again, you are worshipped by all angels and all creation, and you hear as God the song: Alleluia!

Ikos 11

Being the Light of the world, Jesus, Giver of light, You sent another light to Your disciples, already initiated into the mysteries, on the day of Pentecost, the Comforter, Who proceeds from the Unbegotten Light, only from the Father, and is of one essence with You; Who also enlightened them and showed them tongues of fire, through which I too am enlightened by the One Triune Light, and with fervent desire I sing:

Jesus, the only Head of the Church, I glorify You, the Firstborn above all creation.

Jesus, Delight of the Kingdom of Heaven, I glorify You, the Firstborn of the resurrection of the dead.

Jesus, the unshakeable Faith of the Orthodox, I thank You for allowing me to be born into the Orthodox faith.

Jesus, the Unashamed Hope of all the ends of the earth, I thank You for giving us strong hopes of restoration in heaven.

Jesus, Great and endless Mercy, I confess to You that I have willingly made myself unworthy of Your mercy.

Jesus, Eternal Life of the world, I confess to You that I do not love life, but eternal death.

Jesus, Who became our atonement before the Father, atone for my sins and forgive every unrighteous impulse of my heart.

Jesus, Lord of peace, Who reconciled heaven and earth, reconcile me with You, with myself, and with my neighbor.

Jesus, Who through the breath of the Holy Spirit perfumed the world, perfume me too, who am foul-smelling.

Jesus, Who showed Your disciples as Temples of the Spirit, make me too a temple of Your gift and grace.

Jesus, Who clothed Your Apostles with Power from on high, strengthen my wandering thoughts with Your ruling Spirit.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!

Kontakion 12

Taking the grace of the Comforter, Your disciples initiated into the mysteries scattered throughout the world and baptized all nations in the Name of the Holy Trinity, teaching them to believe in One God in three Persons and in You, the Lord Jesus Christ sent by God, and to sing to You as to God the song: Alleluia!

Ikos 12

Singing of Your first coming, my Christ, I now sing in songs and praises of Your second and fearful Coming, through which You will judge the whole world as God with glory and give to each one his reward for what he has done; for this reason I cry out to You with longing:

Jesus, most beautiful, Preaching of the apostles, I glorify You, the One through whom all things were made.

Jesus, most beloved, Strength of the martyrs, I glorify You, the One to whom all things return.

Jesus, most divine Origin and Master, Comforter of the pious, I thank You that, separating me from the world, You have made me worthy of the monastic robe of solitary life.

Jesus, most holy, Glory of the hierarchs, I thank You that through their theology You have taught me the sure faith.

Jesus, Lover of mankind, Joy of the righteous, I confess to You that I have not envied the righteous, but the unrighteous like a madman.

Jesus, most merciful, Messiah desired by all pagan nations, I confess to You that by sinning according to the Law and grace, I have surpassed even the pagans in wickedness.

Jesus Christ, heavenly calling of Christians, You show me unworthy of it because of my deeds.

Jesus, the sinless one, the salvation of sinners, even though I have forsaken You, do not forsake me!

Jesus, the rest of the weary, here and there, give me rest.

Jesus, the judge of the dead and the living, do not judge me according to my deeds.

Jesus, You alone have the keys of hell and death, of eternal damnation, deliver me.

Jesus, You alone are happy from the moment of conception, show me the heir to Your Kingdom.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!

Kontakion 13

O Jesus, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the Holy One, the Alpha and the Omega, the One praised above the world and all things in the world, and as God remain forever above all praise, accept this little praise of mine as the widow’s two coins, and save me and all Orthodox Christians, that we may all sing forever to the glory of Your Name: Alleluia! (This Kontakion is said 3 times).