For all Akathists published on our site, click here. This Akathist was recently translated into English by Maxim, who kindly asks all Orthodox Christians to keep him in their prayers for his repentance and same for his grandfather who is gravely ill.
Translator’s Note:
This is an official Akathist which is sung in a lot of Romanian churches on Saturdays for the souls of the departed.
You can click here in order to hear it being chanted by Deacon Vlad Roșu, a clergyman of the Metropolitan Cathedral Saint Spyridon-New from Bucharest and you can click here to listen to it being chanted by Father Marian Moise.
In addition to the Akathist below are additional prayers: Prayer to the Mother of God, Prayer for a Good Death, Prayer to Persevere unto Death, Prayer for Final Repentance, and Prayer to Our Lord on the Cross for a Happy Hour of Death
Kontakion 1
You who, with Your unfathomable providence, have prepared peace for eternal good, determining for all men the time and manner of their end, forgive the sins of those who have fallen asleep, receive them into the place of light and joy, and open Your fatherly arms to them. Hear us, O Merciful One, who remember them and cry out: Our Father, boundless love, give rest to the souls of Your departed servants!
Ikos 1
You saved Adam the fallen and all his descendants from eternal destruction by sending Your Son into the world, O Lord, that eternal life might dawn upon us through His Cross and Resurrection. We hope in Your mercy, we await the imperishable Kingdom of glory, we ask for the communion of the departed with the Lord, and we pray:
Our Father, grant that they may forget all earthly sorrows and afflictions!
Our Father, gladden the souls of those tormented by the waves of life!
Our Father, comfort them in Your bosom, as a mother comforts her children!
Our Father, say to them: ‘Your sins are forgiven’!
Our Father, receive them into the happy and peaceful harbour!
Our Father, open to them the abodes of the angels and saints!
Our Father, grant our departed parents and brothers Your eternal goodness!
Our Father, boundless love, give rest to the souls of Your departed servants!
Kontakion 2
The venerable Macarius, enlightened by the radiance of the Most High, heard a voice from the skull of an idolatrous servant: ‘When you Christians pray for those who are tormented in hell, even the pagans rejoice.’ The power of Christian prayers is marvelous. Through them, those in the depths are enlightened when we sing for everyone: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
We remember the words of Saint Isaac the Syrian, who says: ‘The heart that loves people and animals always prays with tears, so that all creation may be cleansed.’ So we too boldly ask God for help for those who have fallen asleep, crying out:
Our Father, ease the sorrow of parents for the loss of their children!
Our Father, may those who did not know You on earth know You at least in heaven!
Our Father, have mercy on all those who were buried without prayers!
Our Father, receive into Your dwelling places those who died suddenly from grief or joy!
Our Father, send peace and rest to all who die!
Our Father, for the prayers of those who suffered without guilt, forgive the sinners!
Our Father, ease the sorrow of those who have fallen asleep with the hope of meeting in the heavenly Zion!
Our Father, boundless love, rest the souls of Your servants who have fallen asleep!
Kontakion 3
We are guilty of the troubles of the world, of the sufferings of the creatures without speech and of the sufferings of innocent children, because, through the fall of man, the happiness and beauty of creation have been destroyed. You, the greatest of the innocent sufferers, You alone have the power to forgive all, so forgive and restore to the world the happiness it once had, that both the dead and the living may find peace, crying out: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
Gentle Light, Redeemer of all, hearing Your sigh on the Cross for Your enemies: ‘Father, forgive them their sin!’, in the name of forgiveness for all, we also dare to pray to the Father for the eternal rest of Your enemies and ours:
Our Father, forgive those who have shed innocent blood!
Our Father, forgive those who have made their prosperity on the tears of their neighbors!
Our Father, do not judge those who have wronged us with slander and injustice!
Our Father, reward with mercy all those we have wronged!
Our Father, let this prayer for them be accepted as a sacrament of reconciliation!
Our Father, break the record of the sins of our deceased parents and brothers!
Our Father, boundless love, rest the souls of Your departed servants!
Kontakion 4
Save, O Lord, those who have ended their lives in great suffering through murder, buried alive, consumed by hail, frost, or falling from heights; so for the sadness of their end, grant them Your eternal joy, that they may bless their time of suffering as a time of their redemption, singing: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
Grant, O Lord, to all whom You have taken from their youth, to all whom You have given the crown of thorns, to all who have not known earthly happiness, Your endless mercy. You will reward them with the rays of Your endless love, beyond the grave, and we cry out:
Our Father, reward those who died under the heavy burdens of toil!
Our Father, receive into the chambers of Heaven the children who reposed and all the virgins!
Our Father, make them worthy of joy at the Supper of Your Son!
Our Father, give eternal rest to the lonely, the orphans, and the strangers, for whom there is no one to pray!
Our Father, let their sins be extinguished by the warm rays of Your all-embracing love!
Our Father, grant Your servants, our departed parents and brothers, the white robe of victory!
Our Father, boundless love, rest the souls of Your departed servants!
Kontakion 5
You have given, O Lord, death to the human race as the last means of understanding and repentance; at the terrible judgment, earthly vanities are revealed, carnal desires are calmed, the proud mind is humbled, eternal justice is revealed, for even sinners who are stubborn in their faith, when they are on their deathbed, confess that there is a God. For this reason, they eternally ask for Your mercy, crying out: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
Father of all mercy, You illuminate the day with the sun, You sweeten the earth with fruits, You gladden the world with beauty, both Your friends and Your enemies; we believe that even beyond the grave, in eternity, Your mercy is endless, showing mercy even to sinners who are completely rejected; therefore we pray:
Our Father, we grieve for those who blaspheme holiness and for their transgressions!
Our Father, let Your will for salvation be upon them too!
Our Father, have mercy on those wounded by destructive unbelief!
Our Father, forgive those who have died without repentance!
Our Father, save those who have lost themselves in grave and dark sins!
Our Father, extinguish the flame of unbelief in the sea of Your goodness!
Our Father, Conqueror of hell, deliver our parents and brothers who have departed from this world from condemnation in hell!
Our Father, boundless love, give rest to the souls of Your departed servants!
Kontakion 6
How terrible is the darkness of the soul separated from God, tormented by conscience and gnashing of teeth, by unquenchable fire and sleepless worms. I tremble, thinking that this will also be my suffering, so I pray for myself and for those who suffer in hell, that refreshing dew may fall upon them, singing to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Where else would Your light shine, Christ God, if not upon those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death? That is why the souls in hell remember You; descend again into the lowest depths of the earth and bring forth in joy those who have separated themselves from You through their sins, but have not departed from You. Therefore, in the name of the Son and the Holy Spirit, we pray to the Father:
Our Father, Your children are suffering, have mercy on them!
Our Father, their sins are heavy, but Your mercy is great!
Our Father, You sent Your Son to save sinners!
Our Father, look upon the bitter affliction of the souls who have strayed from You!
Our Father, have mercy on those who have persecuted the truth out of ignorance!
Our Father, may Your love be not fire, but coolness in paradise!
Our Father, boundless love, rest the souls of Your departed servants!
Kontakion 7
Wishing, Lord, to give a helping hand to the dead, You have allowed them to appear in dreams and visions to the living, so that the living, remembering the departed with love, may do good deeds in their memory and, striving with faith, cry out with love: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
The Church of Christ offers prayers for the departed throughout the world, every day, at every hour, throughout the earth. The sins of the world are cleansed by the cleansing blood of the Lamb of God. The souls of the departed rise from death to life and from earth to heaven, through the power of the prayers from the Altar of the Lord:
Our Father, may the Church intercede for those who have fallen asleep, that they may have a ladder to heaven!
Our Father, have mercy on them for the sake of the Most Holy Virgin and all the saints!
Our Father, cleanse those for whom the faithful cry out to You day and night!
Our Father, for the innocence of the children, forgive their parents!
Our Father, for the tears of the mothers, redeem the sins of their sons!
Our Father, accept our alms and prayers as fulfillment of their good deeds!
Our Father, may the blood of Your Son be a source of life for those we commemorate!
Our Father, boundless love, rest the souls of Your departed servants!
Kontakion 8
The whole world appears as a holy communal tomb. Everywhere is found the dust of our brothers and fathers, created in the image and likeness of God, our kinsmen in Adam. You alone are the One who has loved us without ceasing. Forgive all those who have died from the beginning until now, that they may sing of Your love for mankind: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
The day of woe is coming like a burning fire, the great and terrible day of the Last Judgment, when the hidden things of men will be revealed and the Book of Knowledge will be opened. “Be reconciled to God before that day!” cries the apostle Paul. Lord, help us, and with the tears of the living, fulfill the shortcomings of the dead as we cry out:
Our Father, at the hour of Judgment, make them and us worthy of Your joy-giving mercy!
Our Father, crown with glory those who have suffered for You and for their neighbors!
Our Father, grant Your truth to those purified by the tribulations of this earthly world!
Our Father, You who know the names of all, receive those who have been saved from the monastic and lay orders!
Our Father, receive the pious shepherds, together with their spiritual sons!
Our Father, may Your servants welcome Christ the Bridegroom with lighted torches!
Our Father, boundless love, give rest to the souls of Your departed servants!
Kontakion 9
Blessed ones, do not waste time, which passes quickly. Every hour, every moment brings us closer to the grave; the whitening of our hair and the weakening of our strength are harbingers of the world to come, witnesses to earthly decay; they tell us that everything is passing away and eternal happiness is approaching, where there are no tears, no sighs, but only songs of victory: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
Just as the trees shed their leaves in autumn, so our lives decline with each passing year and month, the flower of youth withers, the light of joy fades, heavy old age approaches, friends die, and those close to us drift away. You who were once young, full of joy and happiness, where are you now? Your graves lie silent, but your souls are in Your hands, Lord, and so we say:
Our Father, Your gaze and care for the world beyond the grave call us to prayer!
Our Father, shine Your beautiful sun and warm the dwellings of those who have fallen asleep!
Our Father, may the time of separation be erased forever!
Our Father, make us worthy of the joy of meeting them in heaven!
Our Father, make us one with You!
Our Father, restore to the departed the purity of children and the kindness of young souls!
Our Father, make their eternal life a bright celebration of Easter!
Our Father, boundless love, rest the souls of Your departed servants!
Kontakion 10
At the graves of our relatives, tears flow like raindrops, and we pray with hope: Confirm to us, Lord, that You have forgiven them all, tell them that You welcome them into the places of joy. Reveal this in the mystery of our souls, so that we may sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
I look into the distance on the path of my past life and see a multitude of those who have passed away from the first day until now, my benefactors, and with grateful love I cry out:
Our Father, have mercy on all those who loved me and did me good!
Our Father, make our parents, brothers, and neighbors worthy of Your glory!
Our Father, save those who preached Your word to me!
Our Father, exalt before the angels those who taught me to love You!
Our Father, grant joy to those who guided me with the example of their holy lives!
Our Father, sweeten with secret manna those who have helped me in difficult days!
Our Father, Your Kingdom has no end, let those who have fallen asleep enter into Your joy!
Our Father, boundless love, rest the souls of Your servants who have fallen asleep!
Kontakion 11
Where is your sting, O death? Where is your darkness and your former fear, for from now on you are desired, you unite us inseparably with God, you are a great rest, you are a great Sabbath day. The Apostle cried out, “I desire to die, that I may be with Christ”; therefore, looking upon death as a wonderful expectation and life, we cry out: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
The dead will rise, they will rise from their graves, and those on earth will rejoice, for then the bodies will rise, spiritual, glorified, incorruptible, enlightened, dry bones hearing the word of the Lord: “Clothe yourselves with vines, cover yourselves with skin, rise from the grayness of times past, for you are redeemed with the Blood of the Son of God; through His death you are resurrected, the light of Resurrection has come upon you.” Glorifying this mystery, we cry out:
Our Father, reveal to them now the depth of Your deeds!
Our Father, You have revealed to them the light of the sun and the quiet moon!
Our Father, let them see the glory of the angels who are like flames of fire!
Our Father, You have sweetened me with the beauty of sunrise and sunset, so let them also see the light of Your eternal divinity!
Our Father, may every soul be enlightened like the morning star and the morning light!
Our Father, boundless love, rest the souls of Your departed servants!
Kontakion 12
Flesh and blood will not inherit the Kingdom of God. As long as we live in the body, we are separated from Christ. If we do not die, we cannot rise to eternal life, for it is fitting that this perishable body be clothed in imperishability and this mortal be enlightened with immortality, so that in the light of the day that never ends, we may sing unceasingly: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
We await the joy of meeting the Lord, the bright rays of the Resurrection, the rising from the graves of our loved ones, and the clothing of the dead with living glory; through the transformation of all creation, we will cry out to the Creator:
Our Father, You created the world for the victory of joy and goodness!
Our Father, lift us up from the depths of sin to holiness!
Our Father, grant the departed to reign over Your creatures in honor!
Our Father, make Christ the Lord their ever-burning light!
Our Father, grant us also to celebrate with them the Passover of incorruption!
Our Father, do not depart from Your servants until the end!
Our Father, boundless love, give rest to the souls of Your departed servants!
Kontakion 13
Most merciful Father, You who are without beginning and desire that all be saved, You who sent Your Son and our God to the lost and poured out upon them the life-giving Spirit, have mercy, forgive, and save our relatives and all who have fallen asleep throughout the ages, and with their prayers, examine us also, that together with them we may sing to You, our Savior and God: Alleluia! (said three times)
Ikos 1
You saved Adam the fallen and all his descendants from eternal destruction by sending Your Son into the world, O Lord, that eternal life might dawn upon us through His Cross and Resurrection. We hope in Your mercy, we await the imperishable Kingdom of glory, we ask for the communion of the departed with the Lord, and we pray:
Our Father, grant that they may forget all earthly sorrows and afflictions!
Our Father, gladden the souls of those tormented by the waves of life!
Our Father, comfort them in Your bosom, as a mother comforts her children!
Our Father, say to them: ‘Your sins are forgiven’!
Our Father, receive them into the happy and peaceful harbor!
Our Father, open to them the abodes of the angels and saints!
Our Father, grant our departed parents and brothers Your eternal goodness!
Our Father, boundless love, give rest to the souls of Your departed servants!
Kontakion 1
You who, with Your unfathomable providence, have prepared peace for eternal good, determining for all men the time and manner of their end, forgive the sins of those who have fallen asleep, receive them into the place of light and joy, and open Your fatherly arms to them. Hear us, O Merciful One, who remember them and cry out: Our Father, boundless love, give rest to the souls of Your departed servants!
Prayer to the Mother of God
Most Holy Lady, Mother of God, we turn to you, Most Pure One. You are the strong fortress, the mediator and protection of all who run to you with faith and hope. We pray to you, blessed one, hear the prayer of your unworthy servants and always intercede for your departed servants! Intercede always for those who honor you with true faith, who run under your protection and pray with faith for the sick, the afflicted, and the sorrowful, but your intercession and prayer are even more necessary to us after our death. After God, we have strong hope in you, for no one who prays to you leaves from you without help, but with joy, comfort, and sweetness. Most Holy Lady, Mother of God, pray to your Son and our God to grant forgiveness of sins to those who have fallen asleep. Pray, Mother of God, for the prayer of the Mother is powerful before the Lord, because the Lord receives from you every word about forgiveness. Most Holy Virgin, accept the prayers we offer you with all our hearts and souls for the souls of your departed servants. We pray to you, Mistress, who are full of grace, to help them with the boldness you have as Mother before the Lord. Help them to stand before the One who sits on the throne of glory, so that they may not be ashamed before the angels and all the saints, before the world above and below. Most Holy Lady, Queen and Mistress, you are the bridge that leads those on earth to heaven, you are the opening of the gates of Paradise, and we bless you forever. Amen!
Prayer for a Good Death
Lord Jesus Christ, God of mercy, I kneel before You with a broken and contrite heart. I entrust to You the last hour of my life and what follows thereafter.
When my weakened legs make me understand that this ship of my life is approaching the end of its journey, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!
When my weakened eyes, clouded by the approach of death, look intently at You, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!
When my trembling and numb hands can no longer hold Your cross firmly and, against my will, I let it fall onto my bed of pain, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!
When my ears can no longer hear the words of men, so that they may hear Your voice, which will pronounce the judgment on which my forgiveness will depend, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!
When my thoughts are darkened by the fear of death, when my soul struggles with the spirit of darkness that wants to cover the eyes of my heart, to lose Your mercy and thus throw me into the torments of despair, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!
When my weary heart barely beats, struggling with the enemies of my salvation, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!
When I shed my last tears, a sign of my nothingness, accept them as a sacrifice of repentance and, in those moments, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!
When those around me, sensing the end of my life, call upon You to help me, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!
When my soul bids farewell to this world and leaves my body lifeless, accept the return of my being to You as a sacrifice that is due to You. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!
When, at last, my soul appears before You and sees for the first time the unspeakable radiance of Your divinity, do not turn it away from Your face; deign to receive me into Your heavenly dwellings, that I may sing Your praises and glorify You forever.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me! Amen!
Prayer to Persevere unto Death
Eternal Father, I humbly adore Thee, and thank Thee for having created me, and for having redeemed me through Jesus Christ. I thank Thee most sincerely for having made me a Christian, by giving me the true faith, and by adopting me as Thy son, in the sacrament of baptism. I thank Thee for having, after the numberless sins I had committed, waited for my repentance, and for having pardoned (as I humbly hope) all the offences which I have offered to Thee, and for which I am now sincerely sorry, because they have been displeasing to Thee, who art infinite goodness. I thank Thee for having preserved me from so many relapses, of which I would have been guilty if Thou hadst not protected me. But my enemies still continue, and will continue till death, to combat against me, and to endeavor to make me their slave. If Thou dost not constantly guard and succor me with thy aid, I, a miserable creature, shall return to sin, and shall certainly lose Thy grace. I beseech Thee, then, for the love of Jesus Christ, to grant me holy perseverance unto death. Jesus, Thy Son, has promised that Thou wilt grant whatsoever we ask in his name. Through the merits, then, of Jesus Christ, I beg, for myself and for all the just, the grace never again to be separated from Thy love, but to love Thee forever, in time and eternity. Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me.
Prayer for Final Repentance
Lord, I confess that up till now I have not lived as a Christian. I am not worthy to be numbered among Your elect. I recognize that I deserve to be damned; but Your mercy is great and, full of confidence in Your grace, I say to You that I want to save my soul, even if I have to sacrifice my fortune, my honor, my very life, as long as I am saved. If I have been unfaithful up to now, I repent, I deplore, I detest my infidelity, I ask You humbly to forgive me for it. Forgive me, good Jesus, and strengthen me also, that I may be saved. I ask You not for wealth, honor or prosperity; I ask you for one thing only, to save my soul. And You, O Jesus! What do You say? O Good Shepherd, see the stray sheep who returns to You; embrace this repentant sinner, bless his sighs and tears, or rather bless these people who are so well disposed and who want nothing but their salvation. Brothers, at the feet of Our Lord, let us protest that we want to save our soul, cost what it may. Let us all say to Him with tearful eyes, “Good Jesus, I want to save my soul,” O blessed tears, O blessed sighs!
Prayer to Our Lord on the Cross for a Happy Hour of Death
O My Crucified Jesus, mercifully accept the prayer which I now make to Thee for help in the moment of my death, when at its approach all my senses shall fail me.
When, therefore, O sweetest Jesus, my weary and downcast eyes can no longer look up to Thee, be mindful of the loving gaze which I now turn on Thee, and have mercy on me.
When my parched lips can no longer kiss thy most Sacred Wounds remember then those kisses which now I imprint on Thee, and have mercy on me.
When my cold hands can no longer embrace thy Cross, forget not the affection with which I embrace it now, and have mercy on me.
And when, at length, my swollen and lifeless tongue can no longer speak, remember that I called upon Thee now.
O Our God Jesus Christ, Most Holy Theotokos, Saint Joseph the Betrothed, to Thee do I commend my soul. Amen.
Original source: https://speranta.mmb.ro/acatistul-catre-dumnezeu-tatal-pentru-cei-adormiti
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