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 Martyrs, Early Christian Martyrs, Western Saints
Feast Day: August 25th
Genesius is considered the patron saint of actors, lawyers, barristers, clowns, comedians, converts, dancers, people with epilepsy, musicians, printers, stenographers, and victims of torture.
One day Genesius, leader of a theatrical troupe in Rome, was performing before the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Intending to expose Christian religious rites to ridicule by his audience, he pretended to receive the Sacrament of Baptism.
As the play continued, however, Genesius suddenly while performing had a conversion experience on stage. He announced his new faith, and refused to renounce it, even when ordered to do so by emperor Diocletian. Genesius persisted in his faith, and he was finally ordered to be beheaded.
Kontakion 1
To him who unravels the origins of all things, who causes masks and seals to fall as the Lord God commands, and who renews our nature in the image of God’s creation by breaking the spells, curses and patterns of the past, we offer praise and honour to the Holy Martyr Genesius and pray to him: Rejoice , Holy Martyr Genesius, set free the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Ikos 1
Like a flash of light you came upon the earth, wielding the Sword of the Word of God, O Holy Genesius, and by overcoming the realm of human sin you attained the vision of heavenly things; and now, being amongst the company of the Holy Martyrs in Heaven, you look down from the heights of Heaven upon us who offer these prayers to you:
Rejoice, fountain of all joys;
Rejoice, deliverer from empty words;
Rejoice, revealer of the true face;
Rejoice, bringer of lies to light;
Rejoice, you who separate deceit from truth;
Rejoice, you who sever the unseen thread of the devil’s masks;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Genesius, untie the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 2
You lived in Rome during the reign of Diocletian, the pagan ruler who persecuted Christians for their faith, and you were an actor by trade, leading a theatre troupe with which you performed various plays before the imperial court; yet God did not allow you to be lost amongst the devil’s masks, but worked unseen to bring you back to Him: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
You were the director of that theatre troupe, but you also wrote the plays; and with your mind lost in idolatrous delusion, you wrote a play in which you mocked the Holy Mysteries of the Christians, especially Holy Baptism; and because you were very talented, your sketches were in great demand:
Rejoice, for your parody had many actors;
Rejoice, for you worked hard at rehearsals;
Rejoice, for you wanted everything to be in its rightful place;
Rejoice, for you were eager to please the emperor;
Rejoice, for the stage was your realm of power;
Rejoice, for everyone knew how skilful you were in your craft;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Genesius, untie the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 3
You studied the Christian baptismal ceremonies in great detail, cast the roles for the play and wrote lines copied word for word from the actual ritual of this service, not realising that through this God was about to bring you into His flock, the flock of the saved: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
When the day of the performance arrived, a great crowd gathered, and Emperor Diocletian was present along with his entire court, and the play began with you in the leading role, Saint Genesius, as you pretended to be a certain sick man who was about to die; and, lying prostrate on the ground, you cried out that you wished to become a Christian and asked to be baptised:
Rejoice, for they brought a cup of water onto the stage;
Rejoice, for an actor appeared who played the part of the priest;
Rejoice, for he began the baptismal service;
Rejoice, for he recited all the Christian renunciations and baptismal prayers;
Rejoice, for you, O Holy One, answered all the catechumen’s questions;
Rejoice, for though it was a parody, the words retained their meaning;
Rejoice, O Holy Martyr Genesius, untie the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 4
The whole ceremony was particularly eloquent because, in the unseen world, what was spoken was truly coming to pass, even though the actors were trying to mock Holy Baptism, and those present were shouting with laughter without realising the error they were in, yet the Lord God Himself was present, awaiting the moment when the mask of perdition would fall from the mind of the one who would later cry out with all his heart to Heaven: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
Continuing the scene, the priest-actor took the cup of water and poured it over your head, Saint Genesius, uttering the words of the prayer: “The servant of God, Genesius, is baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” And at that moment what was required came to pass, for you, O Saint, were touched by the holiness of the words and rose from the ground as a true Christian:
Rejoice, for the world within you has suddenly crumbled;
Rejoice, for the water penetrated beyond the boundaries of the body;
Rejoice, for the grace of God descended upon you;
Rejoice, for Almighty God touched your heart;
Rejoice, for the ray of the Holy Spirit broke the power of the devil;
Rejoice, for you have instantly understood the truth of Christianity;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Genesius, set free the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 5
The skit continued even though you were standing up shouting that you were truly a Christian; your classmates thought you were playing your part according to the script, and the audience cheered wildly, and then the priest-actor clothed you in a white robe, the garment of the baptised, so that it might be known that you had become a Christian: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
But you proclaimed your faith in Jesus Christ ever more loudly, even though the actors around you were presenting you to the crowd amidst great mockery. You waited for the clamour to subside and turned towards the emperor, confessing the truth with dignity and sincerity:
Rejoice, you who possessed the courage of the Saints;
Rejoice, for you were disgusted by your past deeds;
Rejoice, for you humbled yourself in your heart for your former straying;
Rejoice, for you repented on the spot;
Rejoice, for you realised that life has no meaning without God;
Rejoice, for you detached yourself from worldly things and all human endeavour;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Genesius, set free the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 6
You told Diocletian that during the blasphemy scene, at the very moment they poured water over you and declared you baptised, you saw the heavens open and felt an unseen hand touch you, and before that you saw an Angel holding a book containing all your sins, who told you that through Baptism God would wipe away all your transgressions and you would be cleansed in the waters of repentance: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
You then declared that you renounced all worship of idols and proclaimed yourself a Christian for ever, serving God from that time onwards, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Saviour of the world:
Rejoice, for you were enlivened by the grace of the Holy Spirit;
Rejoice, for you proved faithful even unto death;
Rejoice, for you urged the emperor to do likewise;
Rejoice, for you denounced the idols as the demons they were;
Rejoice, for you preached the truth from the stage that had been dedicated to the devil;
Rejoice, for you overcame the error of the pagans;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Genesius, set free the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 7
When Diocletian heard you, he realised that you spoke the truth and not mere theatrics, and he flew into a rage, for he had not expected such a confession in the presence of so many people; and he gave orders that you be taken from the stage at once and that your white garment of baptism be torn to shreds, so that the mark of the Lord Christ might be erased from you; but he did not know that His grace was in your heart: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
You were mercilessly flogged, Saint Genesius, because they suspected you had become a Christian before performing the play and had used the occasion to bring others to God as well, and so they flogged you daily from morning till night, hoping you would renounce your faith; yet, marvelling at you, we call out:
Rejoice, for you spent the night bound in prison;
Rejoice, for the Angels were your companions;
Rejoice, for they brought you the mercy of Jesus Christ;
Rejoice, for they healed you completely;
Rejoice, for they also brought you heavenly food;
Rejoice, for the gift of baptism worked within you through unseen mysteries;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Genesius, set free the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 8
Thus, every morning when they led you out to be tortured, you appeared once more fully healed, without a single mark of the whip on your skin, fair of countenance, well-fed and healthy, and the pagans marvelled greatly at how such a miracle could be possible, for they knew that in the evening they had taken you, nearly dead, back to the dungeon: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
You told them, Holy Martyr, that God’s grace watches over you, that at night His Angels come to heal you, and that if they too believe in the True God, then they too will be protected by Him from all bodily and spiritual suffering, receiving eternal life:
Rejoice, for some of them have believed in God;
Rejoice, for they too have asked for Baptism;
Rejoice, for you have become a means of salvation for others;
Rejoice, for they were subjected to torments just as you were;
Rejoice, for others, however, were provoked even further;
Rejoice, for the prefect ordered new torments for you;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Genesius, set free the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 9
So you were laid on the ground, torn apart with iron hooks and burned with torches, but you, O Saint, said to the prefect: ‘Your emperor is but a mortal man… I pray to the immortal King of heaven and earth, and I shall never forsake Him. I know that He, who received me into Holy Baptism, is the true King, and I repent for having so often mocked and offended Him… Even if you had the power to kill me a hundred times, you could not have removed Him from my heart or from my mouth’: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
Hearing this, the pagan prefect reported your words, Saint Genesius, to Diocletian, and he ordered that your head be cut off; and you rejoiced greatly at this, for you could hardly wait to meet the One who had appeared to you in person, wiping away all your sins:
Rejoice, for the prefect carried out the command;
Rejoice, for thus you have joined the Host of Holy Martyrs in Heaven;
Rejoice, for your martyrdom has encouraged other pagans;
Rejoice, for many have been converted through the power of your example;
Rejoice, for you have left a divine miracle upon the earth;
Rejoice, for you have become the first martyr of Christ the Lord;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Genesius, deliver the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 10
Your holy relics were carefully taken by Christians and reverently buried in the cemetery of Saint Hippolytus in Rome, where it was customary to bury martyrs; and later you were exhumed and your body transferred to a tomb in the Church of Saint Susanna, where it remains to this day: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
You work many miracles, O Saint, for all who call upon you with love and faith; you are the protector of actors, comedians, musicians, screenwriters, those who work in the theatre and, more recently, in the film industry; you are the defender of those who take to the stage, of dancers and of those suffering from epilepsy; and we honour you thus:
Rejoice, for you also help lawyers to discover the truth;
Rejoice, for you are a source of inspiration;
Rejoice, for you are a support to those who must speak in public;
Rejoice, for you help all those who take to the stage to work in Truth;
Rejoice, for you teach us that even through humour, God calls us to Himself;
Rejoice, for although you mocked Christianity, you died a martyr for Christianity;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Genesius, untie the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 11
You are an unceasing support to all who are tormented for the Holy Name of God, whether they suffer physically or merely psychologically and emotionally, and you immediately drive away all the unclean spirits that prevent us from seeing the truth, causing the masks of hell to fall and revealing the true face of people, of the past, of temptations and of witchcraft’s snares, so that we may see clearly beyond the veil what God reveals to us: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
You are proof that God’s grace works in the most unexpected situations, Saint Genesius, for from a mocker of holy things you instantly became a true Christian, eager to sacrifice your life for God, and you show us that even the most hardened hearts can melt when the Holy Spirit dwells within them, to the joy of those who call upon you:
Rejoice, for you have passed from the stage to holiness;
Rejoice, for you have passed from satire to sacrifice;
Rejoice, you who guard your tongue, putting a stop to idle talk;
Rejoice, for you have been completely transformed through the waters of Holy Baptism;
Rejoice, thou who breakest the spells and curses of baptism;
Rejoice, thou who grantest freedom to those who serve God;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Genesius, unbind the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 12
Holy Martyr Genesius, help us too to triumph in the arena of these times, for the stage of our lives is full of deceit, lies, delusion and disappointment; therefore we pray that you be our defender, that we may discern the true script of our lives, that we may no longer stray into lines written by others but live out our own calling as ordained by God: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
We beseech you, Holy Martyr, by the power you have received from God, to journey through our lives and break all the seals placed upon us, to sever all ties with whatever keeps us chained, and to free us from the spells and curses that rewrite our lives according to an evil script, and we glorify you thus:
Rejoice, you who break the curses of blood and lineage;
Rejoice, you who cut short the power of sorcerers;
Rejoice, you who bring us deliverance from spells and magic;
Rejoice, you who renew our being through holiness;
Rejoice, you, who defend us with the power of the Grace of the Most Holy Trinity;
Rejoice, you, who protect our minds from demonic thoughts;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Genesius, untie the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 13
Holy Martyr Genesius, look upon us, the servants of God, with mercy and heal us of all our faults, illnesses and deformities; deliver us from all devilish temptations, let the masks fall from all those who conceal their true identity and intentions; reveal the truth; put a stop to lies and false pretences; lift us above the snares of devilish schemes; erase all demonic seals; and bring to light what we must see, to the glory of God: Alleluia!
This Kontakion is chanted three times.
Ikos 1
Like a flash of light you came upon the earth, wielding the Sword of the Word of God, O Holy Genesius, and by overcoming the realm of human sin you attained the vision of heavenly things; and now, being amongst the company of the Holy Martyrs in Heaven, you look down from the heights of Heaven upon us who offer these prayers to you:
Rejoice, fountain of all joys;
Rejoice, deliverer from empty words;
Rejoice, revealer of the true face;
Rejoice, bringer of lies to light;
Rejoice, you who separate deceit from truth;
Rejoice, you who sever the unseen thread of the devil’s masks;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Genesius, untie the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
Kontakion 1
To him who unravels the origins of all things, who causes masks and seals to fall as the Lord God commands, and who renews our nature in the image of God’s creation by breaking the spells, curses and patterns of the past, we offer praise and honour to the Holy Martyr Genesius and pray to him: Rejoice , Holy Martyr Genesius, set free the creation of the Heavenly Father and heal all sickness and infirmity!
PRAYER:
O Holy Martyr Genesius, valiant champion of Christ upon the stage of the world, please accept these words of praise; and, calling upon all the Heavenly Powers for aid, descend into the depths of our lives, healing us of all sickness, weakness and unbelief.
Pray to God that He may forgive us and not impute our sins to us, but rather forgive us. Protect us, Saint Genesius, and bring us salvation through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross so that we might live eternal life with Him in Heaven. Deliver us from all wrath by clothing us in the white robe of Grace. Watch over us, Saint Genesius, and intercede so that we too may reach Heaven at the end of our lives, overcoming all evil obstacles and showing us the right path of our lives towards the Kingdom of God, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
