For all Akathists published on our site, click here. This Akathist was contributed by Maxim, who kindly asks all Orthodox Christians to keep him in their prayers for his repentance. See bottom for original source. Explore more prayer: Early Christian Martyrs, Saints of the Gospel, Intercessors for Marriages, Children and Families, Overcoming Hardship and Loss
Feast Day: 29 December
 Hymn-Akathist composed and revised under the guidance and through the prayers of the Most Reverend Ghelasie Gheorghe, of the Holy Monastery of Frasinei.
Glory, worship, and thanksgiving to the Most Holy, Co-eternal, and Indivisible, Life-Giving Trinity!
Kontakion 1
As those who were slaughtered like lambs for Christ, Holy Infants, you have enlightened the world with the adornment of innocence. Forecasting the divine sacrifice, you have blossomed in the garden of Paradise. For this reason, we sing with the angelic hosts: Alleluia!
Ikos 1
The unseen adversary, unable to bear the miracle of God’s incarnation, stirred up the vengeful wrath of King Herod, but since not a single hair moves without the will of the Most High, Christ was carried in the arms of the Virgin to Egypt, and the fruits of your sacrifice were gathered for the growth of the victorious Church, for which all who honor your sufferings cry out:
Rejoice, for you were slain for Christ;
Rejoice, for by the unseen hand of the Lord, like unleavened bread, you were consecrated;
Rejoice, for your blood has washed the earth defiled by sins;
Rejoice, for the name of the Lord has been your altar of sacrifice;
Rejoice, for you are like a bouquet of fragrant flowers placed before the icon of the Incarnation;
Rejoice, for your bodies were broken like heavenly bread before God;
Rejoice, for you have represented the sacrifice of the Divine Infant;
Rejoice, for the angels of heaven have ministered to you;
Rejoice, the joy of a mother’s tears;
Rejoice, hope of the defenseless;
Rejoice, help of the helpless;
Rejoice, joy and protection of children;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain by Herod for the Lord Christ!
Kontakion 2
The tears of inconsolable mothers mingled with your blood, sprinkling the soil of hearts with the awesome power of sacrifice. You were clothed in holiness, O Children, shaking the gates of darkness with the message of salvation. For this, we sing with you: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
You have received the gift of incorruptible life and the blessing of God the Father, that in holiness you might celebrate love through sacrifice, serving the divine providence for the salvation of the world. For this we cry out to you:
Rejoice, appeasers of the tyrants’ wrath;
Rejoice, fruits of the mothers’ prayers;
Rejoice, end of hatred and vengeance;
Rejoice, rainbows of forgiveness and reconciliation;
Rejoice, shelter of the persecuted;
Rejoice, light of day for the conscience;
Rejoice, for the bosom of heaven has nursed you;
Rejoice, preparers of the awesome Sacrifice;
Rejoice, instillers of purity;
Rejoice, destroyers of envy;
Rejoice, banishers of the love of power;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain by Herod for the sake of Christ!
Kontakion 3
With God all things are possible. Since He was pleased to clothe you in the perfection of holiness at the very dawn of your earthly life, the heavens marveled, glorifying the ineffable divine providence and wisdom. For this, humbling our minds, we sing to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
Foreseeing the Infant Jesus sacrificed in the awesome chalice of the Holy Eucharist, you partake, Holy Infants, of the sweetness of the Holy Spirit, being a firm hope for those who steadfastly seek the childlikeness of the heart. For this reason, we cry out to you:
Rejoice, illuminators of the soul’s night;
Rejoice, heralds of the mysterious spring;
Rejoice, messengers of the Resurrection;
Rejoice, rays of the victorious Church;
Rejoice, altars kindled by heavenly song;
Rejoice, torches unquenched by prayer;
Rejoice, spiritual cornerstones;
Rejoice, images of innocence;
Rejoice, chalices of joy;
Rejoice, breezes of the Spirit;
Rejoice, seeds of the Word;
Rejoice, children united at the Father’s bosom;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain by Herod for the Lord Christ!
Kontakion 4
You have received light from the True Light, having been transferred at the Lord’s Resurrection to the unlocked paradise, from where you pray unceasingly for us, in the purity and simplicity of your souls. For this reason, taking hope, we join our voices to sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
Alas, how you weep, Holy Infants, seeing the plague of infanticide spreading throughout the world; how you pour forth streams of tears for the inconsolable children of God, deprived of the gift of light and life! How you mourn the souls of the parents, crushed under the burden of lovelessness! For this reason we cry out to you:
Rejoice, you who move to compassion and bring to repentance those who abandon their children;
Rejoice, you who stop the terrifying thought of abortion;
Rejoice, you who soothe the pains of childbirth;
Rejoice, treasures of the field of the heart;
Rejoice, guardians of the virginity of the mind;
Rejoice, strengtheners of the faith;
Rejoice, lamps lit before the icon of the Incarnation;
Rejoice, joy of the Mother of God;
Rejoice, for her sweet prayer has soothed your pain;
Rejoice, for you have entered the icon of heaven;
Rejoice, for you have attained the incorruptible speech;
Rejoice, for you have partaken of the Tree of Life;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain by Herod for the Lord Christ!
Kontakion 5
Through your prayers, Holy Infants, as ministers of the mystery of birth, call upon God’s mercy for the conception and protection of children and the alleviation of the pains of childbirth. For this, asking you to remove from us all spiritual and bodily illness, we sing with you: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
In trials and persecutions, help the defenseless, so that, entrusting themselves entirely to the Lord, they may fulfill His holy will in peace. For this reason, Holy Infants, we bow before the icon of your innocence, crying out such things as these:
Rejoice, drops of the Spirit’s dew;
Rejoice, links between the old and new law;
Rejoice, flowers of the Cross;
Rejoice, shoots of the change of mind;
Rejoice, springs of spiritual tenderness;
Rejoice, crumbs of heavenly manna;
Rejoice, for you have joined the angels of Christ;
Rejoice, the collapse of the thick wall of passions;
Rejoice, altars of the Spirit;
Rejoice, moss growing on the Cornerstone;
Rejoice, shoots of unblemished life;
Rejoice, buds of brotherly love;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain for the Lord Christ!
Kontakion 6
The Most Holy Virgin Mary grieved deeply at your passing from earthly life, O Saints, fervently praying to her Son and God that He might always be with you, together with the Father and the Spirit. And this being fulfilled, intercede now before the Holy Trinity for our souls, singing with the angelic hosts: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Seeing in her mind’s eye, O Holy Virgin, the despairing and weeping mothers beside your lifeless bodies, O Holy Infants, she imprinted upon her soul the image of the sword that was to pierce her heart at the death of the Lord Jesus. Let us, too, look with understanding upon the end of this fleeting life as a mysterious passage through the Cross toward the Resurrection, and let us cry out words such as these:
Rejoice, rains of light upon the clay of oblivion;
Rejoice, spiritual buds of the Work;
Rejoice, buds of the new life in Christ;
Rejoice, discoverers of the divine counsel;
Rejoice, beholders of the Most Beautiful Face;
Rejoice, grapes crushed in the winepress of love;
Rejoice, for the power of God has overshadowed you;
Rejoice, for the tears of His Mother have refreshed you;
Rejoice, you who bore the passions without sin;
Rejoice, icons of redeemed love;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain by Herod for the Lord Christ!
Kontakion 7
You appeared as morning stars, Holy Infants, and heralds of the Dawn from on High. For this, we humbly worship Him who has crowned you, falling down before Him and singing: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
The Star of the Lord illuminated your birth, and His Cross illuminated your Pascha. You were served by the angelic hosts as martyrs, forerunners of Christ. For this reason, we cry out to you:
Rejoice, honeycombs filled with the honey of the Word;
Rejoice, shining feathers of the dove of the Spirit;
Rejoice, rays of sunshine in the storm of life;
Rejoice, raindrops in the scorching heat of the desert;
Rejoice, secret buds of the barren fig tree;
Rejoice, for you have been enlivened by the spiritual flight;
Rejoice, valleys of the fruitfulness of suffering;
Rejoice, streams of the enlightenment of conscience;
Rejoice, forerunners of the Christ Child;
Rejoice, guardians of the divine Jesus;
Rejoice, turning of the fallen from sin;
Rejoice, shame of unjust judges and rulers;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain by Herod for the Lord Christ!
Kontakion 8
O Saints, you soothe the turmoil of our hearts with the comforting gift of righteous prayer. For this reason, we call upon you to free our souls from the wearisome cares of this life, that we may sing in peace forever: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
Delivering us from the tomb of sin through prayer, you are like guiding stars leading us to the Unapproachable Light, O Holy Infants. For this reason we cry out to you:
Rejoice, our awakening ones from debauchery;
Rejoice, soothers of bitter tears;
Rejoice, guides of orphans;
Rejoice, comforters of inconsolable mothers;
Rejoice, for you have been offered to the Living God;
Rejoice, blessed ones of the Mother of God;
Rejoice, flowers in the garden of paradise;
Rejoice, bearers of crowns of thorns;
Rejoice, saints beset by thorns;
Rejoice, islands of comfort for callous hearts;
Rejoice, rays of hope in the sea of sorrow;
Rejoice, shores upon which the waves of death break;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain by Herod for the sake of Christ!
Kontakion 9
Learning from you, Holy Infants, the innocence of heart and the sincerity of deed, we bless you as those who have been crowned with imperishable light, and together with you we sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
You did not serve the vanity and deceptive image of the world, but the Lord, with Whom, having been born at the same time, you were also taken up to heaven by Him, for eternal remembrance. For this we cry out to you:
Rejoice, return from the way of the prodigal sons;
Rejoice, awakening of conscience in the heedless;
Rejoice, branches upon which the dove of the Spirit rests;
Rejoice, union with the imperishable life;
Rejoice, casting off of aging sins;
Rejoice, for your cry has moved the heavens;
Rejoice, for Rachel’s tears have broken the silences;
Rejoice, preparers of the Mystical Supper;
Rejoice, nightmares of the opposing will;
Rejoice, depths of pure prayer;
Rejoice, rest in the unapproachable light;
Rejoice, snowdrops bursting forth from the Lord’s earth;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain for the Lord Christ!
Kontakion 10
Trampling death by death, the Lord has clothed you in a radiant wedding garment, your song bringing joy and great mercy to all. And hearing your angelic voices, hardened hearts awaken and are reborn to spiritual life, singing: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
Soothing the pain of mothers, you mold the image of tenderness in our souls, Holy Infants, with the fragrance of pure prayer. From the gift you have received, you give ceaselessly to all who call upon the name of the Lord, for whom we cry out to you:
Rejoice, babbling of the conscience;
Rejoice, ears of grain that satisfy the hunger of weakness;
Rejoice, loaves of the offering;
Rejoice, icons of the multiplication of the gifts of the cross;
Rejoice, guides in the mystery of purity;
Rejoice, for you have known the pains of giving birth to joy;
Rejoice, members of the Church of Christ;
Rejoice, teachers of unfeigned humility;
Rejoice, finders of lost treasures;
Rejoice, you who have unmasked false wisdom;
Rejoice, the strength of those who rejoice in insults and persecutions;
Rejoice, the deliverance of those despised by the world;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain by Herod for the Lord Christ!
Kontakion 11
The cruel King Herod died in great torment, pursued by the wrath of God. Likewise, we too, lingering in sin with our minds and opposing the spiritual incarnation of Christ, endanger our souls with the unseen death of understanding. For this reason we call upon the Lord’s mercy, crying out unceasingly: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
Your mothers, Holy Infants, wept bitter tears over the loss of their beloved children. Like them, we too mourn the loss of God’s gift. But just as they later rejoiced in the shelter of your holiness, so too do we pray for the turning of sorrow into joy, crying out words such as these:
Rejoice, comforters of parental sorrows;
Rejoice, for you have walked the steps of the icon;
Rejoice, for your unspeakable wound has blossomed;
Rejoice, grapes in the vineyard of Christ;
Rejoice, the joy of those who give birth in the simplicity of heart;
Rejoice, for you call the murderers of infants to repentance;
Rejoice, for burdens weigh upon their consciences;
Rejoice, for they will be humbled from the pride of exaltation;
Rejoice, for the hope of confession and forgiveness remains for them;
Rejoice, for the arms of the Mother of God embrace you;
Rejoice, in the spirit of the Paschal icon;
Rejoice, in the spiritual incarnation;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain by Herod for the Lord Christ!
Kontakion 12
The spirit of love for domination, envy, and vengeance makes us followers of Herod. But the spirit of gentleness, love, and peace shines forth from your icon, Holy Infants, to the glory of God and the joy of those who sing with faith: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
You awaken the sweetness of paradise in our hearts, Holy Infants, pouring myrrh from on high upon those thirsting for life. For this we cry out to you:
Rejoice, cradles of worship;
Rejoice, rebuke of ungrateful service;
Rejoice, revivers of blameless memories;
Rejoice, unmaskers of hypocritical facades;
Rejoice, illuminators of the void of unbelief;
Rejoice, witnesses of the Unset Star;
Rejoice, the terror of child-killers;
Rejoice, the shame of those who mock the mystery of birth;
Rejoice, the rebukers of those who break the Hippocratic Oath;
Rejoice, the tamers of the beasts of the mind;
Rejoice, for you bear our tears of repentance before the Throne of the Holy Trinity;
Rejoice, leaven of sanctifying love;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain by Herod for the sake of Christ!
Kontakion 13
O Holy Infant Martyrs slain by Herod, pray for our souls, that they may rise from the tomb of sin even in this life, in unfeigned love and spiritual devotion, so that by embodying the Love of God in our lives, we may sing together with you at the Dreadful Judgment: Alleluia!
This kontakion is sung three times.
Then the following are sung again: Ikos 1: The unseen adversary, no longer bearing the miracle…, Kontakion 1: As those who were slain for Christ…,
Ikos 1
The unseen adversary, unable to bear the miracle of God’s incarnation, stirred up the vengeful wrath of King Herod, but since not a single hair moves without the will of the Most High, Christ was carried in the arms of the Virgin to Egypt, and the fruits of your sacrifice were gathered for the growth of the victorious Church, for which all who honor your sufferings cry out:
Rejoice, for you were slain for Christ;
Rejoice, for by the unseen hand of the Lord, like unleavened bread, you were consecrated;
Rejoice, for your blood has washed the earth defiled by sins;
Rejoice, for the name of the Lord has been your altar of sacrifice;
Rejoice, for you are like a bouquet of fragrant flowers placed before the icon of the Incarnation;
Rejoice, for your bodies were broken like heavenly bread before God;
Rejoice, for you have represented the sacrifice of the Divine Infant;
Rejoice, for the angels of heaven have ministered to you;
Rejoice, the joy of a mother’s tears;
Rejoice, hope of the defenseless;
Rejoice, help of the helpless;
Rejoice, joy and protection of children;
Rejoice, Holy Infant Martyrs slain by Herod for the Lord Christ!
Kontakion 1
As those who were slaughtered like lambs for Christ, Holy Infants, you have enlightened the world with the adornment of innocence. Forecasting the divine sacrifice, you have blossomed in the garden of Paradise. For this reason, we sing with the angelic hosts: Alleluia!
Prayer to the 14,000 Holy Innocents Slaughtered by Herod
Deliver, O Lord, the world from murder, the sword, famine, plague, and earthquake! Deliver our land from the invasion of other nations, from division, hatred, and war among us! Deliver the world from all kinds of tyrants and murderers. Savior, deliver our homes from the sin of Herod, from the killing of infants, which reigns over the whole earth! Deliver Christian women from this terrible sin, which even the pagans do not commit! For the sin of mothers who kill their children is greater than the sin of the tyrant Herod. And Christian mothers who are ashamed of giving birth to children will be judged more severely than pagan mothers, who fulfill their calling as mothers with dignity. Deliver the whole earth from the snares of Satan, from child-killing mothers, from hatred among people, and from all kinds of wars! Bless the world and our country with peace, with faithful mothers and healthy children, with descendants worthy of Christ and of our great forefathers!
Let us pray to the 14,000 holy infants slain by Herod that they may ask God to grant salvation to our souls: Holy Martyrs, pray to Christ for us! Through their holy prayers and those of all the Saints commemorated today, O Lord, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
Original Akathist: https://doxologia.ro/acatistul-sfintilor-paisprezece-mii-de-prunci-ucisi-de-irod
