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Feast Day 19 April
Kontakion 1
O holy martyr Expeditus, Roman centurion who cast aside the world’s delays to embrace the faith of Christ, you trampled the crow of procrastination underfoot and declared “Today!” for the Lord. As we hasten to honor your swift conversion and undaunted courage, we cry out to you in our urgent needs:
Alleluia!
Ikos 1
Born amid the ranks of Rome’s legions, you served as a soldier in Armenia’s distant lands, yet the light of Christ pierced your heart, calling you from earthly duties to heavenly glory. Forsaking the marching pack of worldly cares, you became Expeditus, the unburdened warrior for the King of Kings. We venerate your life, O saint, and sing:
Rejoice, centurion who crushed the serpent of delay!
Rejoice, converter who proclaimed “Hodie” over “Cras”!
Rejoice, martyr of Melitene, beheaded for the faith!
Rejoice, member of the Fulminata Legion, thunderstruck by grace!
Rejoice, O invincible athlete of faith!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
Kontakion 2
In the persecutions under Diocletian, you faced the tyrant’s wrath, beaten with rods and slain by the sword, yet your spirit remained unbroken, earning the crown of righteousness promised to those who love the Lord. As we recall your faithful endurance to the end, we chant:
Alleluia!
Ikos 2
The Devil, appearing as a crow, whispered temptations of tomorrow, urging you to defer your holy baptism, but with resolute foot you crushed his deceit, teaching us never to postpone our devotion to God. From Turin to the ends of the earth, your story inspires the faithful to act with urgency, and we praise:
Rejoice, vanquisher of the bird of procrastination!
Rejoice, teacher who bids us act without delay!
Rejoice, one who lost all earthly goods to gain Christ!
Rejoice, submitter to rods and sword for heaven’s sake!
Rejoice, O faithful to the end amid affliction!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
Kontakion 3
Venerated as patron of urgent causes and expeditious solutions, you intercede for those in despair, granting strength, courage, and serenity through your prayers before the throne of God. In hours of affliction, we implore your aid, singing:
Alleluia!
Ikos 3
Holy warrior and saint of the afflicted, you protect the desperate and mediate in pressing matters, as devotees in Brazil, Chile, and RĂ©union erect altars to your honor, offering flowers, candles, and painting images in gratitude for your rapid help. We join their voices in acclaim:
Rejoice, patron of emergencies and quick resolutions!
Rejoice, helper of those in dire straits!
Rejoice, intercessor for peace and tranquility!
Rejoice, guardian against harm from adversaries!
Rejoice, O succor in hours of despair!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
Kontakion 4
As protector of merchants, navigators, and travelers, you guide those who cross seas and lands, shielding them from perils and ensuring safe passage, just as your name sped relics and statues to distant shores, igniting devotion. With thankful hearts, we exclaim:
Alleluia!
Ikos 4
In New Orleans and France, legends tell of packages marked “Expedite,” mistaken for your sacred name, leading to answered prayers and widespread veneration. O model of soldiers and help of scholars, you inspire youth to faithfulness, and we hail:
Rejoice, protector of travelers and seafarers!
Rejoice, advocate for merchants in their dealings!
Rejoice, patron of the youth in their pursuits!
Rejoice, model for soldiers in battle and peace!
Rejoice, O help of scholars in their studies!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
Kontakion 5
Mediator of lawsuits and resolver of conflicts, you bring fair outcomes to legal matters, enlightening both sides to mercy, forgiveness, and humility, offering ordeals to the Lord’s infinite mercy. In times of strife, we beseech you, chanting:
Alleluia!
Ikos 5
For those entangled in prolonged disputes, you hasten just resolutions, teaching us to overcome ego and submit to divine wisdom. As mediator of litigations, you pray for calm ends to conflicts, and we proclaim:
Rejoice, mediator in lawsuits and trials!
Rejoice, bringer of fair and swift outcomes!
Rejoice, enlightener of adversaries to mercy!
Rejoice, overcomer of faults through humility!
Rejoice, O resolver of conflictual situations!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
Kontakion 6
Health of the sick and consolation of the afflicted, you heal bodies and souls, providing support in pain and distress, as the Almighty God receives our cries through your merits. With hope in your intercession, we sing:
Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Advocate of sinners and consoler in affliction, you aid those who hope in you, ensuring protection at the hour of death for salvation. O most faithful support, we turn to you in our weaknesses, and laud:
Rejoice, health of the sick and weary!
Rejoice, consolation for the afflicted and pained!
Rejoice, advocate for sinners seeking grace!
Rejoice, protector at death’s solemn hour!
Rejoice, O faithful support of the hopeful!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
Kontakion 7
In devotions on RĂ©union and beyond, your altars stand as beacons of faith, where the faithful offer thanks for miracles granted, even as you unite cultures in praise of God’s mercy. We marvel at your widespread cult, crying:
Alleluia!
Ikos 7
Depicted with palm of martyrdom and cross inscribed “Hodie,” your foot upon the crow of “Cras,” you symbolize timely action and rejection of delay. From Sicily to Latin America, pilgrims flock to your shrines, and we rejoice:
Rejoice, bearer of the palm of victory!
Rejoice, raiser of the cross of today!
Rejoice, trampler of tomorrow’s temptations!
Rejoice, icon of urgency and resolve!
Rejoice, O honored in diverse lands!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
Kontakion 8
For miracles and rapid favors, we kneel before you, promising to glorify your name and spread devotion, as you intercede with the Holy Spirit before the Father. In submission to divine will, we implore:
Alleluia!
Ikos 8
O glorious martyr, recommend us to God’s goodness, that your protection may obtain what our merits cannot. Inspire our thoughts and actions with courage, fidelity, and promptitude, leading to a happy end. We extol:
Rejoice, granter of miracles and blessings!
Rejoice, intercessor for rapid solutions!
Rejoice, recommender to divine goodness!
Rejoice, inspirer of courageous deeds!
Rejoice, O guide to faithful promptitude!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
Kontakion 9
Honored by gratitude in pressing cases and at the last hour, you obtain graces through Mary’s intercession, submitting all to the divine will. As we solicit your aid today, we chant:
Alleluia!
Ikos 9
Queen of martyrs, Holy Mary, and all saints, join in praying for us through Expeditus’s merits. O warrior saint, prevail in our difficult hours, and we acclaim:
Rejoice, honored by the grateful faithful!
Rejoice, obtainer of graces at the last hour!
Rejoice, submitter to the divine will!
Rejoice, joiner with Mary’s intercession!
Rejoice, O prevailer in trials!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
Kontakion 10
In urgent matters, you teach us confidence in the Lord’s wisdom, hastening solutions with sure intervention. As our savior in pressing needs, we cry out:
Alleluia!
Ikos 10
From unfair trials to martyrdom, you endured for love of God, now aiding us in conflicts and ordeals. May we forgive and recognize faults, offering all in humility, and sing:
Rejoice, endurer of unfair trials!
Rejoice, martyr for God’s infinite love!
Rejoice, aider in times of conflict!
Rejoice, promoter of mercy and forgiveness!
Rejoice, O offerer of ordeals to the Lord!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
Kontakion 11
Patron of those seeking change, you inspire action against delay, symbolizing the urgency of faith in a world of procrastination. With revolutionary zeal for Christ, we exclaim:
Alleluia!
Ikos 11
In Acireale and beyond, as patron saint, you settle long legal matters and guide the wayward. O protector whose cult endures despite doubts, we praise:
Rejoice, patron of those wanting change for the good!
Rejoice, settler of prolonged disputes!
Rejoice, guider of the wayward to light!
Rejoice, endurer through historical trials!
Rejoice, O cult of the faithful undimmed!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
Kontakion 12
Consolation of the afflicted and support in pain, receive our cries of distress, that through your intercessory prayers before the Throne of God we experience God’s mercy in extreme necessity. Joyfully, we sing:
Alleluia!
Ikos 12
Almighty God, deign to hear us via your glorious martyr. O Expeditus, our help in urgent matters, ensure salvation and peace, as we laud:
Rejoice, consoler of the pained and distressed!
Rejoice, receiver of cries in necessity!
Rejoice, obtainer of merciful help!
Rejoice, ensurer of eternal salvation!
Rejoice, O bringer of joy in trials!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
Kontakion 13
O Saint Expeditus, invincible athlete and holy warrior, intercede for us in all urgent causes, that we may prevail through difficulties, protected from harm, and returned to peace by your swift aid. To you, we forever cry:
Alleluia!
This Kontakion is repeated three times.
 Ikos 1
Born amid the ranks of Rome’s legions, you served as a soldier in Armenia’s distant lands, yet the light of Christ pierced your heart, calling you from earthly duties to heavenly glory. Forsaking the marching pack of worldly cares, you became Expeditus, the unburdened warrior for the King of Kings. We venerate your legend, O saint, and sing:
Rejoice, centurion who crushed the serpent of delay!
Rejoice, converter who proclaimed “Hodie” over “Cras”!
Rejoice, martyr of Melitene, beheaded for the faith!
Rejoice, member of the Fulminata Legion, thunderstruck by grace!
Rejoice, O invincible athlete of faith!
Rejoice, O Saint Expeditus, swift intercessor in desperate times!
 Kontakion 1
O holy martyr Expeditus, Roman centurion who cast aside the world’s delays to embrace the faith of Christ, you trampled the crow of procrastination underfoot and declared “Today!” for the Lord. As we hasten to honor your swift conversion and undaunted courage, we cry out to you in our urgent needs:
Alleluia!
Prayer to Saint Expeditus
O glorious martyr Saint Expeditus, who trampled delay and embraced Christ without hesitation, intercede for us before the throne of God. In our hours of affliction, despair, and urgent need, grant us strength, courage, and serenity. Protect us from adversaries, mediate our conflicts, heal our ailments, and hasten miracles according to divine will. Through your merits and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we receive the graces we seek, promising to glorify your name and spread devotion to you. Amen.
 Source: https://archive.org/details/akathist-to-saint-expeditus
