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:
Saint Abanoub is a Child Martyr who was martyred in the year 304 A.D. and is a Saint of the Universal Undivided Church. Even though he is not currently in any calendar of any of the EO (Eastern Orthodox) Patriarchates this doesn’t matter as he was martyred for the Faith before any Schism. The Egyptian Church (the Patriarchate of Alexandria) venerated him before the schism at Chalcedon. So he was venerated by the Coptic Church (he still is to this day) before the Schism of 451 A.D., when they were still in communion with us.
He is, therefore, an Orthodox Saint. He should be venerated and prayed to. And iconographers should paint Byzantine icons of this powerful Saint! – Maxim
You can read more about him here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abanoub and here:
https://orthodoxwiki.org/Abanoub
There currently are no Byzantine style icons of St. Abandoub. It is our fervent hope that this will be corrected.Â
Feast Day – July 31
Kontakion 1
To him who showed himself to be a most pure vessel of the Holy Trinity, suffering great torments in his child’s body, receiving death for God as a precious gift, we pray to Saint Martyr Abanoub. And you, Holy Child, who have been perfected in Heaven among the Holy Archangels, hear our prayers and receive these praises: Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hordes!
Ikos 1
The Lord said to be like children, for theirs is the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father, and you, Holy Martyr, sacrificed yourself from childhood, for you did not wait for the strength of the body that comes with age, but showed the world that the power of God is perfected in weakness, and by resembling the Angels in behavior and obedience, you have attained eternal delight, and we who honor you cry out:
Rejoice, pillar of Light in the wilderness of Egypt;
Rejoice, pure offspring of Heaven;
Rejoice, model of virtue;
Rejoice, strength of the tormented;
Rejoice, support of the tried;
Rejoice, deliverer in temptations;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hordes!
Kontakion 2
You were born in the village of Nehesa in Egypt and were the only son of your parents, Holy Abanoub, and you grew up in the true faith, for in your home only prayers to the True God were heard: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
When you were 12 years old, on a blessed day you went to church and heard the priest encouraging the faithful not to renounce Christ in the face of Diocletian’s threats, whose lawlessness and commands had reached that far, and you were amazed at the power of the words in the sermon:
Rejoice, for you were deeply marked by what you heard;
Rejoice, for the love and longing for God burned within you;
Rejoice, for you were baptized immediately;
Rejoice, for you later received communion;
Rejoice, for you decided to change your life;
Rejoice, for you went home with a peaceful heart;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hordes!
Kontakion 3
After a short time, you asked your parents for your share of the inheritance that was due to you and distributed it to the poor, and being fully convinced that you would give your life as a sacrifice to God, you set out on the road to the city of Samanud, praying fervently: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
On the way, you were worthy of a heavenly apparition, for you prayed deeply to God to strengthen you in the trials that were to come and to send you an angel from Heaven to help you, and God sent Saint Michael the Archangel, who appeared to you during your prayer and told you that in three days the torment of your body would begin:
Rejoice, for the Archangel promised to be with you;
Rejoice, for you then arrived in the city of Samanud;
Rejoice, for the Family of our Lord had lived there for 17 days during their flight to Egypt;
Rejoice, for you immediately sought out the seat of power;
Rejoice, for you went to the ruler of the city;
Rejoice, for he was a great worshipper of idols;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hordes!
Kontakion 4
Arriving before the governor, you cried out for the whole city to hear that you were a servant of God, a minister of Christ, and you denounced the worship of idols, and for this you immediately drew great wrath from the pagans: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
The ruler of the city immediately ordered you to be tortured, Holy Martyr, and the first test of your faith was to have your belly cut open from side to side, while all your entrails hung out, and those around you said to you:
Rejoice, for an earthquake occurred on the spot;
Rejoice, for the Holy Archangel Michael descended from Heaven;
Rejoice, for he surrounded you with Holy Light;
Rejoice, for he healed you completely;
Rejoice, for you stood unharmed before the workers;
Rejoice, for your belly and its contents were healed and put in order;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hordes!
Kontakion 5
The governor was speechless, amazed by your quick rescue, and not knowing what to do, he threw you into prison where 8,000 other Christians were awaiting death for confessing the Name of Christ: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
Seeing you, the 8,000 believers took courage even more, because you were a model of strength in the body of a child, and they said to themselves that if he, at his age, had suffered the cutting of his belly and God had delivered him, He would deliver them too:
Rejoice, for you brought hope to prison;
Rejoice, for you strengthened those weak in faith;
Rejoice, for the Light of the Archangel Michael enveloped them all;
Rejoice, for you were a flame in the darkness of helplessness;
Rejoice, for afterwards all 8,000 died for God;
Rejoice, for not even one renounced Him;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hordes!
Kontakion 6
You were a living light for the servants of God, dispelling doubt and increasing faith in the hearts of the less strong, therefore we also ask you to strengthen us in our weakness, that we may overcome to the end for the glory of God: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
When the governor heard that you were preaching martyrdom in prison, he took you out of there, fearing a revolt among the prisoners, and setting out on the Nile toward the town of Itreep by boat, he took you with him, Holy One, devising other torments:
Rejoice, for he hung you upside down on the boat;
Rejoice, for afterwards, the governor cut his hand in a glass;
Rejoice, for he could no longer move his hand at all;
Rejoice, for all the soldiers on the boat were blinded;
Rejoice, for Saint Michael the Archangel came again;
Rejoice, for he wiped the blood flowing from your mouth and nose;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hordes!
Kontakion 7
God opened the eyes of the pagan so that he could see the work of the Archangel, and marveling at what he saw, he cried out to you: “O boy, I truly believe in Jesus Christ, the God of the Christians! Now pray to your Lord to do us good, me and my soldiers, and we will become Christians, for we have seen the miracle!” Alleluia!
Ikos 7
But you, Holy One, answered him: “God is alive, and all these things will happen, but not here, but in Itreep, so that all the people may know that there is no other God but Jesus Christ!” And we pray:
Rejoice, for the soldiers also cried out, “We are Christians!”
Rejoice, for when they reached their destination, they surrendered their weapons.
Rejoice, for they all became Christians.
Rejoice, for they received Holy Baptism.
Rejoice, for afterwards the pagans killed them all with the sword;
Rejoice, for the hand of the governor was also healed by a miracle;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hordes!
Kontakion 8
But the governor returned to his old ways, for his mind was poisoned by devilish service, and without any remorse he commanded that you be tortured again, Holy Abanoub, because he did not want to worship our God: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
They tied you to an iron bed under which they lit a great fire, then they pressed your child’s body between two large mill wheels and stuck burning iron rods into your eyes, and we honor you with tears:
Rejoice, for the power of God did not forsake you;
Rejoice, for with every torment, Saint Michael the Archangel came;
Rejoice, for he saved you from every wound;
Rejoice, for he rebuilt your eyes;
Rejoice, for there was no trace of burns left on your skin;
Rejoice, for your bones were put back in place;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hordes!
Kontakion 9
Countless pagans then believed in God, abandoning the worship of idols and sacrifices to the gods for God, for their hearts believed and their minds were enlightened, receiving and trusting in the true power of pure prayer to Heaven: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
Confused, the governor wanted at all costs to see you defeated, Holy Child, and ordered that your hands and feet be cut off with an axe, and the crowd that was watching prayed:
Rejoice, for the Archangel Michael has come again;
Rejoice, for he has put your hands and feet back in place;
Rejoice, for you felt no pain;
Rejoice, for the grace of God protected you;
Rejoice, for the hosts of the Heavenly Powers were with you;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hosts!
Kontakion 10
Rising, you began to walk on the path with your healed feet, raising your hands to Heaven and thanking the Lord for His immeasurable mercy towards you, and the pagans who watched cried out with voices of faith: “There is no other God in heaven and on earth but the Lord of Saint Abanoub!” Alleluia!
Ikos 10
They then threw you into a dungeon full of poisonous snakes, but God closed their mouths, and one of the snakes attacked the governor, who begged you to save him, and you prayed for his life, bringing many people to faith. But the governor still did not want to believe in Christ, and seeing that there was no way to defeat you, he sent a letter to the ruler of Alexandria, Armanius, and they took you bound to his city for further torture, so that those around you would sing:
Rejoice, for they have tormented you for a long time;
Rejoice, for they did not shy away from the most severe tortures;
Rejoice, for you, Holy One, have overcome all things;
Rejoice, for prayer was your nourishment and strength;
Rejoice, for each time the Archangel Michael came and healed you;
Rejoice, for no wound harmed you to death;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hordes!
Kontakion 11
Having reached the end of his patience and fearing that you were bringing too many people to God, Armanius ordered your head to be cut off, and you, Holy One, received a martyr’s death at the age of 12: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
Your holy relics are still in the Church of Samanud, where there is also the fountain of holy water from which the Holy Family of the Lord drank during their flight from Egypt, and all those who have true faith experience healing miracles when they approach you with pure prayer:
Rejoice, you who bless the fruit of labor;
Rejoice, you who give us the shining gold of grace;
Rejoice, you who untie the temptations of harm and deliver us from deception;
Rejoice, our defender in troubles and savior from poison;
Rejoice, for even now you appear as a 12-year-old child;
Rejoice, for you put child sorcerers to flight;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of devilish hordes!
Kontakion 12
You are a great lover of faithful children, Saint Abanoub, for you too suffered the trials of childhood, but you left behind all the joys of play and followed God up to Heaven: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
We pray, be a helper to us adults, for our suffering is great, and intercede with the Father of Lights, illuminate our path so that we may become like children in feeling and thinking, and we humbly praise you:
Rejoice, you who help us inherit the Kingdom of God;
Rejoice, merciful one to those who are spiritually tried;
Rejoice, you who break old curses;
Rejoice, you who undo spells and charms;
Rejoice, you who calm children to the joy of their parents;
Rejoice, you who give health to sick children, especially those with cancer;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of devilish hordes!
Kontakion 13
Holy Martyr Abanoub, child who gave your life for God, pure though like an infant, receive these prayers and deliver us from all troubles, temptations, sufferings, and illnesses, so that, saved from the gathering of sorcerers and enchanters, we may live in peace, praying unceasingly to God: Alleluia! (This Kontakion is said 3 times).
Ikos 1
The Lord said to be like children, for theirs is the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father, and you, Holy Martyr, sacrificed yourself from childhood, for you did not wait for the strength of the body that comes with age, but showed the world that the power of God is perfected in weakness, and by resembling the Angels in behavior and obedience, you have attained eternal delight, and we who honor you cry out:
Rejoice, pillar of Light in the wilderness of Egypt;
Rejoice, pure offspring of Heaven;
Rejoice, model of virtue;
Rejoice, strength of the tormented;
Rejoice, support of the tried;
Rejoice, deliverer in temptations;
Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hordes!
Kontakion 1
To him who showed himself to be a most pure vessel of the Holy Trinity, suffering great torments in his child’s body, receiving death for God as a precious gift, we pray to Saint Martyr Abanoub. And you, Holy Child, who have been perfected in Heaven among the Holy Archangels, hear our prayers and receive these praises: Rejoice, Holy Martyr Abanoub, our savior from the invasion of the devilish hordes!
The Prayer of Saint Abanoub:
O merciful God, long-suffering, full of mercy and justice, who receives all sinners, of whom I am the first, who sent Your Angel and walked before the three wise men and guided them until they came to You with gifts, Who heard Elijah and sent down fire from heaven, Who listened to our father Adam and forgave him and brought him back to Paradise, hear me now and send Your Angel of Light to guide me so that I may endure the torments for You, for You are the light of my eyes, Lord, and my soul longs to reach You, now and forever. Amen.
It is truly fitting to bless you, Mother of God, ever blessed and most innocent, and Mother of our God. You who are more honorable than the Cherubim and more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gave birth to God the Word, we magnify you, truly Mother of God.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Holy Mother and all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!
Source of the text:https://acoperamantulmaiciidomnului.wordpress.com/2024/08/22/acatistul-sfantului-mucenic-abanoub-pruncul-din-egipt-31-iulie/
Final Note:
Saint Abanoub is great and powerful saint. A great miracle worker. Just like the Apostle Saint Jude, he is one of the saints who responds very rapidly to prayers. Saint Joseph the Betrothed would be another. There are few saints who have this special charism and gift from God.
Similar Saints would be Saint Nicholas and Saint Simeon the God-Receiver. And we know this from the life of Saint Peter the Athonite. Because Saint Peter the Athonite ended up in prison as a slave of war. He prayed to Saint Nicholas day and night to be released. After many days, Saint Nicholas appeared to him face-to-face, and said that God will not release him from captivity. Even though he (Saint Nicholas) prays on his behalf, the Lord will not listen, as St. Peter made some promises in the past that he has not kept. Then Saint Nicholas revealed to Saint Peter the Athonite, that Saint Simeon the God-Receiver has greater glory in Heaven than he (than Saint Nicholas), and that he (St. Peter) should pray to Saint Simeon the God Receiver. After that, Saint Peter the Athonite prayed both to St. Nicholas and St. Simeon. After many days, both of them showed themselves to him face-to-face and they liberated him. Finally his prayers were heard after he appealed to Saint Simeon the God-Receiver, and after Saint Simeon interceded for him before God.
Another Saint like Saint Nicholas, Saint Simeon, Saint Jude, and Saint Abanoub, and Saint Joseph is Saint Mohrael. Though just like Saint Abanoub – totally unknown in the Eastern Orthodox Church – she is a Saintly martyr who was killed by the pagans in the year 305 A.D.
She is one of the most powerful saints a person could appeal to, a fact revealed from her Life: “During Mohrael’s burial many miracles took place. One being that a beam of light went forth from her mouth.”
Before she was martyred, Jesus appeared to her and promised that whoever mentions her name, or intercedes through her, that God would answer his/her requests because she accepted suffering with great joy and patience, and that whoever calls his daughter then I will bless that house. Whoever writes her life story, God will write his name in the book of life. Whoever takes care of her church, her servants and so on… then God will give him/her a place in heaven. Jesus also gave her many other promises, for her and for those who would take care of her story, her picture and so on….
Thus it would be better for anyone who wants to receive something to pray to Saint Mohrael and spread her cultus.
Finishing this note I would say only this: Saint Abanoub is one such saint.
He is one of the Saints who has been revealed to us to be one of the few chosen powerful ones whom God grants almost (almost) every prayer.
Then what do you wait for, fellow Christian? Start coming to Saint Abanoub with your requests, spread the word about him to other Orthodox people and he will speedily answer.
Glory to God! – Maxim
