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 for Spiritual Struggles, Against Alchoholism, Akathists to Military Saints, Western Saints, Akathists to Ascetics and Monastics
Feast Day: 11 November
Kontakion 1
To him who cut his cloak to clothe the Lord Jesus, who had appeared to him in the guise of a poor man; who left his earthly knighthood to serve in the army of the God of Hosts; and who received the staff of the priesthood with which he led the flock of Christ the Shepherd to salvation, we pray to Saint Martin, the Pious and Bishop. And you, O Holy One, protector of the despairing, have mercy on us and come quickly to our aid, we who call upon you: Rejoice, Holy and Pious Martin, exorcist and high priest of the Lord God, defend us from all devilish temptations and cut off evil at its root!
Ikos 1
You were renowned throughout Gaul while you lived on earth, Saint Martin, but now you are a light from Heaven for all believers, for your generosity and compassion fill our lives with heavenly blessings; and as a member of the heavenly host of holy bishops, you bring our prayers before the Throne of God, and we, your supplicants, honor you:
Rejoice, you who are wise in counsel;
Rejoice, you who grant freedom to those who glorify you;
Rejoice, prophet of the Holy Trinity;
Rejoice, adornment of the Church;
Rejoice, you who bestow upon us the priestly blessing;
Rejoice, you who mark our foreheads with the seal of the Holy Trinity;
Rejoice, Holy Pious Martin, exorcist and bishop of the Lord God, defend us from all devilish temptations and cut evil off at the root!
Kontakion 2
You were born in what is now Hungary as the son of a Roman tribune, and though your parents were pagans, you came to know God, loving Him with all your heart and believing in Him as the true King: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
At the age of 10, you chose to join the group of catechumens—that is, those preparing to receive the sacrament of Holy Baptism—and you told your parents that you wished to become a Christian and serve God alone, but the Roman emperor issued an edict requiring the sons of officers to follow a military career as well, and you were deeply distressed:
Rejoice, for you fled from home to the family of some Christians;
Rejoice, for they took you in for a time;
Rejoice, for they later guided you to return;
Rejoice, for your parents searched for you in tears;
Rejoice, for you went home so as not to harm the Christians;
Rejoice, for God saw your heart and later granted you Heaven;
Rejoice, Holy and Pious Martin, exorcist and bishop of the Lord God, defend us from all devilish temptations and cut evil off at the root!
Kontakion 3
Thus, at the age of 15, you entered the army in the service of the cavalry—that is, those who fought on horseback—taking the military oath, but unlike other officers, you had only one servant, whom you treated like a brother, leading a life far from revelry and living with piety and self-restraint, and soon you won the love and esteem of all because of your kindness and worthiness: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
One day, while riding with the cavalry through the French city of Amiens, you saw at the city gate a poor, naked beggar, shivering from the cold, and none of your brothers-in-arms even looked at him but passed by indifferently, but you, O Saint, thought that this was the Lord’s will, so that you might have the opportunity to do a good deed:
Rejoice, for you stopped and dismounted from your horse;
Rejoice, for you were clothed in the purple cloak of the Roman officers;
Rejoice, for you drew your sword and cut the cloak in two;
Rejoice, for you gave half of it to the poor man;
Rejoice, for that piece is still preserved today;
Rejoice, for the other piece remained with you;
Rejoice, Holy and Pious Martin, exorcist and high priest of the Lord God, defend us from all devilish temptations and cut evil off at the root!
Kontakion 4
Your companions, seeing you dressed in this way, some laughed at you, O Saint, but others regretted that they, too, had not shown mercy to the poor man, but you rejoiced, and that very night Jesus Christ Himself appeared to you, clothed in the half-cloak given to the beggar, and He said to the hosts of angels surrounding Him: “Martin, who is but a catechumen, has clothed Me in this garment”: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
Then the Lord said to you: “Because you fed Me when I was hungry, and gave Me drink when I was thirsty, and clothed Me when I was naked, for this reason I will be with you and strengthen you, and grant you victory over your enemies” and you, O Saint, after waiting three more years, received divine courage and left the earthly army, receiving baptism from Bishop Hilary in Poitiers, whom you had come to know during your many military campaigns in Gaul:
Rejoice, for you received the monastic habit, ordination as a priest, and consecration as an exorcist;
Rejoice, for you lived seven years in the wilderness;
Rejoice, for you hid yourself from the heresies of the Arian bishop of Milan;
Rejoice, for you lived in seclusion at a monastery in Genoa;
Rejoice, for after his death, you returned among the people;
Rejoice, for you were reunited with Bishop Hilary, who entrusted a city to your care;
Rejoice, Holy and Pious Martin, exorcist and bishop of the Lord God, defend us from all devilish temptations and cut evil off at the root!
Kontakion 5
In that city you founded the first monastery in Europe, Saint Martin, gathering under your mantle as abbot a multitude of monastic brothers, all eager to quench their longing for God through prayer, but your work was not limited to this alone; rather, you were in the habit of traveling extensively throughout the regions of Western Gaul, preaching the Gospel of Christ: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
You were loved by people just as God loved you, and because of your pure heart, sharp mind, and prayerful spirit, you were deemed worthy of the gift of working miracles, being known among the people as a great healer of bodily and spiritual ailments, bringing souls back to the Light from the deepest depths:
Rejoice, for you led the life of a hermit in the midst of the world;
Rejoice, for everything you gathered you gave to the poor;
Rejoice, for you had nothing for yourself but the weapon of prayer and a humble heart;
Rejoice, for you lived in want so that the needy might have everything;
Rejoice, for you were a spiritual father to multitudes of people;
Rejoice, for your fellow monks revered you as a true teacher;
Rejoice, Holy Pious Martin, exorcist and bishop of the Lord God, defend us from all devilish temptations and cut off evil at its root!
Kontakion 6
When Bishop Hilary died, the faithful chose you to be their spiritual leader, but when they came in a procession to the monastery to fetch you, you hid in a thicket, wishing to leave this honor to others, O Holy One; yet some geese gave you away by making a great commotion around you, and thus you understood that it was God who had chosen you—not the people—to serve Him from the episcopal throne: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Upon beginning your ministry as Bishop of Tours, you did not abandon the hermit’s life, for you continued to eat only once a day; toward evening; you prayed all night and slept on a sack filled with ashes; and because of your ascetic life, many who longed for the hermit’s life gathered around you, each living in a small cave hewn into the rock of the mountain near the monastery:
Rejoice, for you combined communal life with a life of solitude;
Rejoice, for this community resembled that of the Egyptian desert;
Rejoice, for the hermit monks came to you for confession;
Rejoice, for they came down only for confession, Communion, and the holy services;
Rejoice, for they then returned to their hermitages;
Rejoice, for this life was blessed and full of spiritual fruits;
Rejoice, Holy Pious Martin, exorcist and bishop of the Lord God, defend us from all devilish temptations and cut off evil at its root!
Kontakion 7
In that monastery, no monk possessed any personal belongings; everything belonged to the monastery and was used as needed. The clothes they wore were coarse and meager, and the monks devoted themselves to transcribing spiritual manuscripts; all the inhabitants had prayer constantly on their lips, and all fasted daily until a certain hour; and thus, from earthly men, they became heavenly angels, in the joy of brotherhood and spiritual communion: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
One of the hermit monks faced a great temptation, Saint Martin, for the devil appeared to him in the form of an angel of light and told him that he would bring him a heavenly garment sent by the Lord Jesus Himself, and the monk accepted it, so that the following night the unclean spirit brought him the garment—a red robe made of an unprecedented material—which the monk put on and then showed to his brothers, boasting of it and wishing to appear superior to the others:
Rejoice, for the brothers gazed in amazement at the robe;
Rejoice, for it was made of a demonic, unnatural fabric;
Rejoice, for they understood that their brother had fallen into deception;
Rejoice, for they brought him to you, O Holy One, even though the tempted monk did not want to;
Rejoice, for they told you in detail what had happened;
Rejoice, for as soon as you appeared to the monk, the robe disappeared on its own;
Rejoice, Holy and Pious Martin, exorcist and high priest of the Lord God; defend us from all devilish temptations and cut off evil at its root!
Kontakion 8
By this you have shown, Saint Martin, that the devil could not bear the presence of the grace that was within you, and you brought the brother who had fallen into temptation from the wilderness to the monastery to keep him under your watchful eye, for not everyone can endure the harshness of the hermit’s life and the cunning trials of the devils, but only those who are cleansed of passions and have God entirely in their hearts: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
Having put monastic life in order at the monastery, you continued your work of preaching the Gospel throughout Gaul, traveling from village to village and speaking to the people about God, and you faced many trials, for at that time the custom of idol worship still prevailed, and the Druid priests held great power, being feared and respected because of the spells they cast:
Rejoice, for you fought long against the sorcerers;
Rejoice, for you put an end to the blood sacrifices they offered on the devil’s altar;
Rejoice, for you drove out the demons by slaying the cunning serpent of the Druids;
Rejoice, for you destroyed the lairs of unclean spirits;
Rejoice, for you baptized entire villages, like a true Apostle;
Rejoice, for you have replaced fear with love for one’s neighbor and for God;
Rejoice, Holy and Pious Martin, exorcist and high priest of the Lord God, defend us from all devilish temptations and cut evil off at the root!
Kontakion 9
You fought fiercely to tear down the places of idol worship and to abolish the cult of sacred trees, which subjugated people’s minds to worship pine trees as gods, and you did not limit yourself to traversing the territories of your diocese but went beyond its borders, doing so not out of pride but out of love for the souls oppressed by the devil’s dominion through the Druid priests: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
Your power as an exorcist was fully revealed when you went forth with spiritual weapons to wage the unseen war against the spirits of darkness, and through God’s grace you cleansed the lands of Gaul of the creatures of darkness, stopping the shedding of human blood and bringing people the hope, peace, and prosperity that spring from faith, as a swordsman of light, a soldier of the heavenly army, and a high priest victorious over Druidic spells and curses:
Rejoice, for you even brought two believers back to life;
Rejoice, for those had been killed by the devil;
Rejoice, for you performed many miraculous healings;
Rejoice, for even nature obeyed your prayers;
Rejoice, for you broke the curses of the earth;
Rejoice, protective high priest of the poor;
Rejoice, Holy and Pious Martin, exorcist and bishop of the Lord God; defend us from all devilish temptations and cut off evil at its root!
Kontakion 10
God granted you iron-like health as you shepherded His flock for over 26 years, and wherever you went, you left behind an ordained priest, a parish, and a church in your wake. You were a great diplomat, possessing the ability to address both the uneducated and the most brilliant minds, knowing how to exercise both prudence and boldness alike as a true mentor to the clergy and communities of the faithful: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
You were a great spiritual strategist, foreseeing all obstacles and always acting with discernment, so that you were forever above temptations and succeeded in all things through prayer and by fulfilling the Lord’s will, not your own, and upon reaching old age, you departed in peace to the Lord, dying as a traveler on the road just as you had been all your life:
Rejoice, for before you gave up your spirit, you prayed humbly, asking whether your life still served a purpose for God;
Rejoice, for you then said to your brothers, “Abraham will receive me into his bosom,” and then you passed away;
Rejoice, for thousands of people attended your funeral;
Rejoice, for many miracles took place at your tomb;
Rejoice, for you have become the most renowned and venerated saint in Europe;
Rejoice, for you laid the foundations of European monasticism;
Rejoice, Holy and Pious Martin, exorcist and bishop of the Lord God, defend us from all devilish temptations and cut off evil at its root!
Kontakion 11
You left behind a Christian people, raised from the darkness of idol worship to the light of faith, and you bequeathed to us the tradition and commandment of fasting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays throughout the year, Saint Martin, who was a soldier against your will, a monk by choice, a priest and exorcist by anointing, and a bishop by the will of God expressed through the cry of the geese that revealed you to the faithful, and who was later received into the Kingdom of Heaven: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
Although your soul has departed to Heaven, you unceasingly watch over those who call upon you with faith, acting as a great exorcist wherever the need arises, swiftly driving out unclean spirits and preventing their return, for you, Saint Martin, have possessed this power ever since you lived on earth:
Rejoice, you who surround the Christian family with love;
Rejoice, you who destroy demonic schemes;
Rejoice, you who uproot evil from within us and from without;
Rejoice, you who even bring back stolen goods;
Rejoice, you who grant us unexpected joys and the well-being of body and soul;
Rejoice, you who heal unknown illnesses;
Rejoice, Holy and Venerable Martin, exorcist and bishop of the Lord God; defend us from all devilish temptations and cut off evil at its root!
Kontakion 12
Wishing to remove the coffin containing your relics from the ground so that they might be placed for veneration in the Church, the bishops and priests performed the exhumation service; then they dug, but could not in any way lift the reliquary from the ground, and they despaired, for they had tried for three days and three nights with fasting and prayer; but on the fourth day, an elderly monk with a white beard and radiant with light appeared to them and said: “How long will you continue to fret and delay? Can’t you see Master Martin standing there, ready to help you, if only you would reach out?” Then he placed his hand on the coffin and pulled it out of the ground, to the joy of the exhausted priests and bishops: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
When they later searched for the somber monk, they could not find him, and it became clear that he had been the Angel of the Lord who had announced that you, Saint Martin, were truly alive in the Kingdom of God, and from there above you bring us wonderful news of healing and deliverance:
Rejoice, for you heal even blindness;
Rejoice, for you close wounds, heal the limbs, and stop infections;
Rejoice, you who dispel the blindness of the mind;
Rejoice, you who bring forth the fruits of perseverance in faith;
Rejoice, you who grant the eyes the ability to see beyond the veil;
Rejoice, you who reveal to the mind the power of the Gospel;
Rejoice, Holy and Pious Martin, exorcist and bishop of the Lord God; defend us from all devilish temptations and cut off evil at its root!
Kontakion 13
O Holy Bishop Martin, by the power of your episcopate, descend from Heaven to us and drive away all unclean spirits, casting out demons from the bodies, homes, and places of the faithful; put a stop to evil so that it may never return, cut the snares of the curse so that they may lose their malevolent power, free us from all spells and curses, and root out evil at its source, so that we may be delivered from all devilish schemes and all forms of witchcraft, be freed from all temptation, and enjoy a life of prayer, so that we may set out with zeal on the narrow path of the Cross that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven, singing to the Lord forever: Alleluia!
This Kontakion is recited three times.
Ikos 1
You were renowned throughout Gaul while you lived on earth, Saint Martin, but now you are a light from Heaven for all believers, for your generosity and compassion fill our lives with heavenly blessings; and as a member of the heavenly host of holy bishops, you bring our prayers before the Throne of God, and we, your supplicants, honor you:
Rejoice, you who are wise in counsel;
Rejoice, you who grant freedom to those who glorify you;
Rejoice, prophet of the Holy Trinity;
Rejoice, adornment of the Church;
Rejoice, you who bestow upon us the priestly blessing;
Rejoice, you who mark our foreheads with the seal of the Holy Trinity;
Rejoice, Holy Pious Martin, exorcist and bishop of the Lord God, defend us from all devilish temptations and cut evil off at the root!
Kontakion 1
To him who cut his cloak to clothe the Lord Jesus, who had appeared to him in the guise of a poor man; who left his earthly knighthood to serve in the army of the God of Hosts; and who received the staff of the priesthood with which he led the flock of Christ the Shepherd to salvation, we pray to Saint Martin, the Pious and Bishop. And you, O Holy One, protector of the despairing, have mercy on us and come quickly to our aid, we who call upon you: Rejoice, Holy and Pious Martin, exorcist and high priest of the Lord God, defend us from all devilish temptations and cut off evil at its root!
Prayer:
Holy Hierarch Martin, comforter of the afflicted and healer of broken hearts, father of the sorrowful and light in the darkness of the human mind, you who bore in your heart the pain of the whole world, accept our prayers, for we are bound by our thoughts, troubled, and plunged into helplessness.
Touch our hearts, filled with fear and anxiety, with the power of your grace; drive away the turmoil that overwhelms us; bring clarity where the mind cannot see clearly; and grant us peace of soul. Help those who are despairing, those suffering from depression, and those struggling in the snares of fear and distrust, and grant everyone the confidence that every life is precious in God’s eyes, every tear is seen, and every sigh is heard in Heaven.
Embrace with love those who can no longer pray, those who can no longer love, those who feel unworthy, and those who have fallen into the darkness of despair. Be a source of peace for all who pray to you in faith, driving away temptations, granting the discernment to know what is good and what is evil, so that we may distinguish between the devil, who appears as an angel of light, and those who are truly angels of God, protecting our minds and hearts from all devilish influence, removing from within us and from upon us the garment of the curse and all the defilement brought by the devil’s temptation; enlighten us from within and deliver us from the bondage of death.
Be for us like Simon of Cyrene, for when we have fallen beneath the cross of the soul, we call upon you to help us, to give us the strength to rise, so that our tears may become prayer, our pain may give birth to repentance, and the darkness may be illuminated by the Light of Christ. Ask God to grant us a clear mind, a serene heart, living hope, and healing from all bodily and spiritual ailments, for all who draw near to you in prayer are comforted, healed, and transformed, touched by holy peace and your episcopal blessing, walking joyfully in the ways of the Lord all the way to the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Holy Mother and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!
