Akathist to St John Theristus (The Harvester)

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 Ascetics and Monastics, Western Saints, Overcoming Hardship and Loss , Akathists for Spiritual Struggles

Icon of Saint John Theristus together with his Spiritual Guides: Saint Ambrose of Bivongi and Saint Nicholas of Bivongi

Feast Day: 24 February

Note: Saint John Theristus is included in the “Synaxarion: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church, volume 3” compiled by Hieromonk Makarios of Simonos Petras from Mount Athos. He has also been locally canonized in the last decade by the Romanian Orthodox Bishopric of Italy/in Italy. Romanian Orthodox Monks are now inhabiting the Monastery of Saint John Theristus in Bivongi.

Patronage: Harvesting, Harvesters, Crops/for Crops, Gardeners. Against starvation.

Kontakion 1
O chosen wonderworker and harvester of grace, Saint John Theristus, who reaped the fields of Calabria by divine power and gathered souls into the heavenly granary, we sing to thee with joy. As thou didst cross the sea without oars or sail in thy youth, guide us through the storms of life to the safe harbor of salvation, that we may cry: Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Ikos 1
An angel in the flesh wast thou born in Palermo to a captive mother amid Saracen lands, yet nourished in the Christian faith. At fourteen years thou didst flee to thy ancestral Calabria, seeking holy Baptism and the monastic path. Therefore we praise thee:
Rejoice, son of a noble yet afflicted house;
Rejoice, deliverer from the bonds of captivity;
Rejoice, fearless voyager guided by Providence;
Rejoice, seeker of the true Faith in a foreign land;
Rejoice, lover of Saint John the Baptist whose icons thou didst venerate;
Rejoice, emulator of his ascetic life from thy youth;
Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Kontakion 2
Seeing the ascetics Ambrose and Nicholas dwelling in the lavra on Mount Consolino, thou didst cleave unto them with all thy heart, O blessed one. In humble obedience and ceaseless labor by day, and in tearful prayer by night, thou didst shine as a lamp of virtue. Alleluia!

Ikos 2
Understanding the vanity of the world, thou didst forsake all earthly glory, distributing thy family treasure to the poor according to the rule of Saint Basil. Thy brethren, edified by thy humility and loving-kindness, chose thee as abbot. Thus we acclaim thee:
Rejoice, perfect disciple of the holy fathers;
Rejoice, model of monastic obedience;
Rejoice, distributor of riches to the needy;
Rejoice, chosen abbot of the sacred lavra;
Rejoice, protector of the monastery that bears thy name;
Rejoice, father of monks in the Italo-Greek tradition;
Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Kontakion 3
By thy prayer, O God-bearer, a storm was stayed and the harvest miraculously gathered and bound into sheaves, earning thee the name Theristus. The workers marveled as the bread and wine remained undiminished, beholding the power of God working through thee. Alleluia!

Ikos 3
Having great boldness before the Lord, thou didst aid the harvesters in their need, saving the crops from destruction and the people from famine. Therefore the fields were donated to thy monastery, and thy fame spread. We cry out with compunction:
Rejoice, harvester blessed by Heaven;
Rejoice, intercessor in times of earthly trial;
Rejoice, calmer of tempests both natural and spiritual;
Rejoice, provider for the laborers of the land;
Rejoice, worker of miracles in the fields of Calabria;
Rejoice, symbol of divine abundance and grace;
Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Kontakion 4
A new wonderworker in southern Italy wast thou revealed, O saint, healing the afflicted, including King Roger who was cured by touching thy tunic. Crippled, blind, deaf, and those tormented by demons found relief through thy prayers. Alleluia!

Ikos 4
The Norman rulers honored thee, and the monastery flourished as a beacon of Byzantine monasticism amid changing times. Pilgrims flocked to thy holy relics and the aghiasma font. With thankful hearts we sing:
Rejoice, healer of the royal wound;
Rejoice, liberator from demonic bondage;
Rejoice, restorer of sight to the blind;
Rejoice, strength to the lame and hearing to the deaf;
Rejoice, patron of the monastery in Bivongi and Stilo;
Rejoice, bridge between East and West in faith;
Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Kontakion 5
Though the monastery endured decline, plunder, and secularization, thy intercession preserved its spirit. In modern times it was restored by monks from Athos and now serves the Romanian Orthodox Diocese, with thy relics returned in glory. Alleluia!

Ikos 5
Venerated in both East and West, thou dost unite the faithful across schisms and centuries. Thy life, handed down in legends and synaxaria, inspires all who seek ascetic struggle. Accept this praise:
Rejoice, saint honored by Orthodox and Catholics alike;
Rejoice, whose memory abides in Greek menologia;
Rejoice, protector of the Vallata dello Stilaro;
Rejoice, inspirer of monastic revival in our days;
Rejoice, keeper of Byzantine treasures in Calabria;
Rejoice, intercessor for pilgrims at thy holy sites;
Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Kontakion 6
O holy one, who didst live as a stranger and pilgrim on earth, grant us also to walk the narrow path of salvation, reaping virtues as thou didst reap the wheat. Alleluia!

Ikos 6
Be thou our guide in ascetic labors, our helper in temptations, and our advocate at the dread judgment. Through thy prayers may we bring forth fruit worthy of repentance.
Rejoice, teacher of tearful prayer;
Rejoice, exemplar of humble manual toil;
Rejoice, lover of the poor and protector of the oppressed;
Rejoice, victor over the snares of the enemy;
Rejoice, citizen of the heavenly Kingdom;
Rejoice, fellow-worker with the saints of Calabria;
Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Kontakion 7
Rejoicing in thy glorious repose around the year of our Lord 1129, we celebrate thy translation and the miracles at thy relics. With one voice we glorify God Who is wondrous in His saints: Alleluia!

Ikos 7
Thy holy monastery, blending Byzantine and Norman beauty, stands as a testimony to thy life. May all who visit find peace and healing. We entreat thee:
Rejoice, whose relics guard the faithful;
Rejoice, whose memory brings joy to Bivongi and Stilo;
Rejoice, patron of farmers and laborers;
Rejoice, model for monastics in every age;
Rejoice, intercessor for Italy and Sicily;
Rejoice, harvester of souls for Christ’s Church;
Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Kontakion 8
O most compassionate father, who didst distribute thy ancestral treasure to the poor and needy according to the rule of the great Basil, thou didst teach us by word and deed to lay up treasure in Heaven. As abbot of the holy lavra, thou didst shepherd thy spiritual flock with wisdom and meekness, leading many to the pastures of salvation. Therefore we sing: Alleluia!

Ikos 8
Thy brethren, beholding thy virtues and loving-kindness, elected thee their superior, and under thy guidance the monastery flourished as a beacon of Byzantine piety in the land of Calabria. We who honor thee cry out with gladness:
Rejoice, wise steward of earthly riches turned heavenly;
Rejoice, shepherd after the heart of Christ;
Rejoice, abbot adorned with humility and discernment;
Rejoice, guardian of the monastic tradition of the East;
Rejoice, builder of souls in the spiritual vineyard;
Rejoice, example of evangelical poverty and detachment;
Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Kontakion 9
Healing flowed abundantly from thy holy presence, O wonderworker. King Roger, afflicted with an incurable wound, was restored to health by the touch of thy tunic, and multitudes of the lame, blind, deaf, and demon-possessed received deliverance through thy prayers. Alleluia!

Ikos 9
Thy fame spread throughout the Norman realm and beyond, drawing pilgrims to thy sacred monastery. With one heart we glorify thy compassionate intercessions:
Rejoice, healer of the royal affliction;
Rejoice, physician of souls and bodies;
Rejoice, deliverer from every torment of the enemy;
Rejoice, giver of sight to the eyes of the blind;
Rejoice, strengthener of the paralyzed and lame;
Rejoice, opener of ears to the deaf;
Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Kontakion 10
Though earthly trials beset thy holy monastery—plunder by brigands, decline, and secular confiscation—thy heavenly patronage never failed. In latter days it was restored by zealots from the Holy Mountain, becoming a living witness to the undying spirit of Orthodox monasticism in the West. Alleluia!

Ikos 10
Today thy sacred house in Bivongi, adorned with Byzantine-Norman beauty, shelters monks and pilgrims alike, uniting East and West in prayer. Accept, O saint, our thankful hymnody:
Rejoice, protector of thy restored lavra;
Rejoice, whose relics were joyfully returned;
Rejoice, bridge of faith between divided Christians;
Rejoice, patron of the Romanian Orthodox presence in Italy;
Rejoice, inspirer of Athonite revival in Calabria;
Rejoice, guardian of ancient frescoes and sacred springs;
Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Kontakion 11
O luminary of Calabria, thou didst shine with the light of Christ amid Saracen captivity, Norman conquest, and changing empires. Grant us also, in our turbulent times, unwavering faith and courage to confess the true God. Alleluia!

Ikos 11
As a youth thou didst cross the stormy Strait without oars or sail, guided solely by divine will. So guide our lives through every peril:
Rejoice, fearless voyager of faith;
Rejoice, conqueror of fear and worldly attachment;
Rejoice, emulator of the Forerunner in the wilderness;
Rejoice, lover of holy icons and ascetic struggle;
Rejoice, model of filial obedience to thy captive mother;
Rejoice, light to those in spiritual darkness;
Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Kontakion 12
Having fought the good fight and kept the faith, thou didst depart in peace around the year of our Lord 1129, leaving behind a legacy of miracles and virtue. Now in the heavenly mansions thou dost intercede unceasingly for all who call upon thy name. Alleluia!

Ikos 12
With the choirs of saints and ascetics of Italy and Sicily, thou dost rejoice eternally before the Throne of Glory. Entreat the Master of the harvest that we too may be gathered as wheat into His barn:
Rejoice, citizen of the Heavenly Jerusalem;
Rejoice, companion of Ambrose and Nicholas in bliss;
Rejoice, crowned with the wreath of incorruption;
Rejoice, intercessor for farmers and laborers;
Rejoice, advocate for monastics and pilgrims;
Rejoice, glory of Calabria and Sicily;
Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester!

Kontakion 13
O most blessed and God-bearing Saint John Theristus, harvester of divine grace and ceaseless intercessor before the Trinity, accept this our humble offering of praise. As thou didst miraculously reap the earthly harvest and save thy people from want, so reap our souls from the tares of sin and present us pure before Christ our God, that with thee and all the saints we may cry eternally: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

This Kontakion is read three times.

First Prayer to Saint John Theristus
O holy John Theristus, harvester of grace and worker of miracles, look mercifully upon us who honor thy memory. As thou didst miraculously gather the harvest and aid the needy, gather our scattered thoughts and petitions, presenting them before the throne of the Most High. Grant us thy intercession that we may live in humility, obedience, and ceaseless prayer, reaping an eternal reward. Protect thy monastery, the land of Calabria, and all who call upon thee. Through the prayers of the Theotokos and all the saints, save us who cry: Rejoice, O John, wondrous Harvester! Amen.

Second Prayer to Saint John Theristus

O holy and God-bearing Father John Theristus, wondrous Harvester of grace and glorious wonderworker of Calabria, who in thy youth didst cross the stormy sea without oars or sail, guided by divine Providence, and who didst reap the fields in a single hour by the power of thy prayer, hear us who call upon thee with faith.Thou who didst forsake earthly riches, distributing them to the poor according to the Gospel, and who didst shine as a bright lamp of monastic virtue in the lavra of Mount Consolino; thou who wast chosen as abbot for thy humility and wisdom, and who didst heal the sick, restore sight to the blind, give hearing to the deaf, and deliver those tormented by demons — even curing King Roger by the touch of thy tunic — look mercifully upon us. Intercede for us, O blessed one, before the Throne of the Most High. As thou didst miraculously gather the earthly harvest and save the people from famine, so gather our scattered hearts and minds, cleansing us from the tares of sin and passions. Grant us the fruits of repentance, the bread of spiritual consolation, and the wine of true joy in the Holy Spirit. Protect thy holy monastery in Bivongi and all the faithful who venerate thee. Guard the land of Calabria and Sicily, farmers and laborers, monastics and pilgrims. Strengthen the Church in Italy, East and West, and help us to walk the narrow path of salvation with obedience, ceaseless prayer, and love for the poor. Through thy prayers, O Saint John, may we be delivered from every danger, storm, and temptation, both visible and invisible, and may we be found worthy at the dread Judgment to be gathered as pure wheat into the heavenly granary of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Saint John Theristus, pray to God for us!