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Kontakion 1
Chosen Prince and our Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, You have enlightened and resurrected me—who am weighed down by sins and shrouded in the darkness of passions—when You descended to me even unto death on the cross. Before this greatness of Your Divine love, bowing before Your Holy Cross, watered by Your Blood, I worship You with gratitude and warm affection, with tearful prayer, with a burning heart, crying out to You: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me, strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Ikos 1
Creator of the angels and Lord of Hosts, an angel appeared to You in the Garden of Gethsemane, strengthening and comforting You. The heavy burden of my sins is a burden upon Your hands, and in this sorrow of the Garden of Gethsemane, with reverence, with great fear and trembling, from my heart I cry out to You:
Lord, Lord, Your disciple is in anguish and cries out: “Pray for me, defend me from the evil one, for behold, Belial is coming to attack me,” my pain is great, my prayer unchanging; I pray to You in desperation, defend me, I beg You;
My Jesus, sweetest Jesus, You took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John, into the Garden of Gethsemane to be witnesses to Your mighty cry, where You prayed with tears of blood; Take me too now with You, the One suffering so fiercely, and make me a witness to Your holy sufferings, so that I may be strengthened to bear my own sufferings with patience;
My Christ, sweet Christ, in Gethsemane You prayed to the Father, and I am terrified, sorrowful, and saddened; hear me, take my soul, and deliver me from the distress of bitterness;
Son of God, Only-Begotten, I stand in prayer for my sins before Your Most Pure Face; lift me up from among the fallen;
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me; strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 2
I see You, O Lord my God, in the Garden of Gethsemane where You entered, as You kneel in prayer, and with wonder I cry out to You in reverence: Alleluia.
Ikos 2
My mind marvels at the depths of the riches of Your wisdom and thought, O Lord, my Savior: Truly, Your judgments are unfathomable and Your ways are incomprehensible for the salvation of fallen man. In the same way, I cry out to You, my benefactor, with the voice of prayer:
Lord, Lord, in Your prayer to Your Father, You cried out: “Father, if You are willing, let this cup pass from Me”; behold, turning to You, I pray while in great temptation: have mercy on me, take from me the cup of my trials, so that my faith may not fail;
My Jesus, sweetest Jesus, in the prayer at Gethsemane, You surrendered Your will completely to the Father, praying thus: “Not My will, but Yours be done,” hear me, for I am weak and lacking in steadfastness in the hour of my trials and tribulations, and I pray to You: My God and my Lord, if this is pleasing before You, let the pains, hardships, and temptations press in upon me from every side; I am a sinner, deserving of every punishment; I dare not oppose Your will, but I humble myself under Your mighty hand: Your will be done, not as I will, but as You will, blessed be You, O Lord!
My Christ, sweet Christ, in the Garden of Gethsemane You were exhausted in prayer, drops of blood dripping from You onto the ground; You now breathe in me, the indecisive one, and I pray to You, even with the resolve to go to my death, that I may not live for myself, but that You, the Life without end, may live in me, and I in You;
Son of God, the Only Begotten, when You returned from prayer and found Your disciples asleep, You let them sleep for a while and then You woke them; Behold, I too am weighed down by sorrow; fear and trembling have come upon me, and I live in a strange, accursed darkness that envelops me; awaken me from my slumber, drive away death, help me who am helpless;
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me, strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 3
My strength is weak, O Lord, Almighty God, but behold, my desire is burning; my eyes await You, my Christ, my Christ! I am imprisoned and cannot leave, my strength is exhausted, I await pain and death, those who comforted me have gone, I am poor and wounded. Hear me, Jesus, hear me for I have grown poor; strengthen me for my salvation, O Lord; receive me into Your presence and let my soul be healed, and I cry out to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 3
With Your image before my eyes, Jesus, my Savior, who suffers for all the wounded, just as I see, I too come to You, suffering from the incurable and burning pains of my passionate heart, and believing without doubt that Your sufferings are my healing and Your death on the cross is my resurrection, I call upon You:
Lord, my Lord, the One spat upon by lawless lips, dishonored, humiliated, have mercy on me and look upon me: my sinful passions seem immortal, and I dishonor the breath of Your lips; deliver me from the captivity of my passions, for I am perishing in them;
My Jesus, sweetest Jesus, the One crowned with thorns, where You find sharp thorns in my mind, absurd thoughts and dreams that torment me, pluck them out and replace them with good thoughts and holy feelings;
My Christ, sweet Christ, You who are clothed in Light as in a garment, clothe me too in the garment of light, I who am darkened by sins, for I stand naked before Your gates and am ashamed of my nakedness;
Son of God, the Only-Begotten, ever surrounded in heaven by Angels, fill me with all boldness and courage, that I may fear no one, not even the most fierce torment, and that I may boldly confess Your greatness;
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me, strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 4
A storm of passions rages in my heart; I hear a noise—behold, water has flooded my soul; the hunter of souls has come from the depths of the sea… behold, the rain has fallen and the river has risen, stirring up the winds of my sinfulness, and now they assail my heart! My Savior, calm the storm, guide me by saying to it: “Be still, be quiet,” and in this silence I say to You with gratitude: Alleluia.
Ikos 4
You heard Peter who denied You but then wept bitterly. I too weep now, for I have strayed from You, the Source of all joy, Light, and Comfort, and in my sorrowful weeping I cry out to You:
Lord, Lord, You who were tortured by men for Your teaching, do not torture my conscience with the evil I have done, for I cannot account for my sins; man is weak, Lord, who can endure?
My Jesus, sweetest Jesus, who was led to Caiaphas, betrayed, defamed—with Your patience, cover my impatience;
My Christ, sweet Christ, mocked and humiliated by Herod, what song shall I sing to You, when I see myself exalting and proud at every moment? Through Your humility, through Your meekness, please overcome my invincible pride;
Son of God, Only Begotten, unjustly judged and condemned by Pilate, help me not to judge others, not to constantly condemn others. O my Judge, teach me with all my soul, with all my life, to fulfill Your great commandment: do not judge, lest you be judged!
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me, strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 5
You have given me Your Blood, shed on the Cross, in the Divine Liturgy, O Lamb of God, as the greatest comfort in all my sorrows, as sweetness, to be my invincible strength in all my weaknesses, as the source of immortality in my mortality. For this inexpressible mercy, for this priceless gift, for this immeasurable love of Yours, all grateful souls lift up to You the cry: Alleluia.
Ikos 5
Seeing You, Pilate, brought from greatness to humiliation, bearing Yourself with innocence against the accusations, my Savior, he desired to release You, asking the people: “Which one do you want me to release, Barabbas or Jesus, the one called Christ?” But we, all guilty, falling before You, our Judge and Creator, cried out to You:
Lord, Lord, I and the people, ungrateful to You, our benefactor, answered Pilate’s question: “Not this man, but Barabbas”; I am ungrateful for having forgotten Your good, undeserved deeds, which You have poured out upon me in abundance like a gracious rain, and for this reason I am so discouraged; O, teach me, Good Teacher, to always remember Your mercy of old, and, encouraged by this memory, never to lose my faith in my sufferings;
My Jesus, sweetest Jesus! You heard the cry of the wicked: “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Please, Lord, crucify my rebellious and evil will, to bring me peace, for in me there is no peace, there is no joy, but may Your goodness be in me forever, bringing peace and joy to my whole life;
My Christ, sweet Christ! You wore a crown of thorns and a scarlet robe, which Pilate gave to the people; grant me the joy and gratitude to bear Your shame, being humbled for You;
Son of God, Only Begotten, You were called by Pilate “Behold, the Man”; look upon me with a merciful eye, for I am a sinful man, but You, as God, are generous; have mercy on me, seeing the weakness of my soul;
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me, strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 6
The heavens proclaim Your glory with a loud voice, my Creator, and Your crucifixion on the Cross speaks of Your immortal love for us. I glorify Your glory, I magnify Your wonderful creation, I sing of Your love, crucified for me, singing to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 6
The light of Christ shines upon my soul, defiled by passions and filled with dark sorrow, but by Your light I see the light of deliverance, of salvation, and of my rebellion against myself; and thus I am comforted, that I may pray to You:
Lord, Lord, at the Last Judgment do not cast me out with the unrighteous, for like a gentle and silent lamb I am afraid, and I am silent before Your incomprehensible destinies and sufferings, for they lead me to the path of salvation;
Jesus, my sweetest, Jesus, You said to Pilate: “You would have no power over Me, if it had not been given to you from above,” teach me in every step, in every word of my life to discern Your will, and under Your mighty Hand I humble myself always;
My Christ, sweet Christ, on Good Friday, about the sixth hour, Pilate said to the Jews: “Behold your King”; I pray to You, Heavenly King, to reign in my lowly mind and in my cold heart, so that by consuming me with Your Fire, You may kindle Divine love within me; reign in my will, fickle and weak, that it may be strong and unwavering on the path to You;
Son of God, the Only-Begotten, Pilate asked the Jews: “Shall I crucify your King?” but the chief priests replied: “We have no king but Caesar”; They have betrayed You, Lord, but I acknowledge You as my King; I confess You as my Lord and God, so I dare to call upon You in my pain, in the distress of my trials: “Do not reject me, do not let me die, just as my father and mother have forsaken me, receive me”;
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me, strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 7
Although I walk in the way of Your commandments, O Lord my God, my feet have often strayed from Your path, falling and rising, gaining strength and then growing weary, praying half-heartedly, fighting and weakening in the struggle. I stand with the Apostle who said, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me”; I want to do good and do not do it; I do not want to do evil, yet I do it. O Merciful Christ, Savior, save me, and I will praise You: Alleluia.
Ikos 7
I see my Savior carrying His cross to the place of crucifixion, Golgotha. O, Your power is boundless, my Creator; O, Your patience is beyond words, Lord! With fear and joy, kissing Your feet that bore You on the road to Calvary, I cry out to You:
Lord, Lord, under the weight of the Cross You were weakened, but they found a man from Cyrene named Simon to carry Your Cross; carry with me the frail cross of my life, as a small part of Your Cross, which is a great ship that swims powerfully through the waves, so that I too may swim in the abyss of the sea of life;
My Jesus, sweetest Jesus! You said to the daughters of Jerusalem, who wept for You: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children”; hear now my cry: behold, I weep for myself, for my misery, for my emptiness and my poverty, for my passions and my sinfulness;
My Christ, sweet Christ, counted among the criminals, condemned with the wicked, do not blame me for the sin of my cowardice and discouragement;
Son of God, Only Begotten, they placed an inscription above Your head on the cross: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”; write Your name within me, for it is sweeter than honey and honeycomb, Make it so that every day and every hour my lips may confess this name, my mind may think through this name, and my heart may feel the life and sweetness of this name;
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me, strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 8
You were persecuted, my Jesus, having nowhere to lay Your head, until You ascended to Golgotha where You laid Your head upon the Cross, and we sang to the powers of heaven for You: Alleluia.
Ikos 8
You sacrificed Yourself completely, Savior; You renounced everything and embraced me with love; in Your sufferings You loved me to the end, my Jesus, inexpressible Love! To this ardent love, I sing to You from my heart my song of fervent prayer:
Lord, Lord, Your garments were cast into lots; teach me to take up Your good yoke and Your light burden and to bear all things with patience;
My Jesus, sweetest Jesus, You raised Your Hands to be crucified on the Cross; accept the raising of my hands as an evening sacrifice, to lighten the burden of many sins;
My Christ, Sweet Christ, may Your feet nailed to the Cross guide my feet along Your narrow and thorny path, so that I may walk unwaveringly toward Your eternal Kingdom;
Son of God, Only Begotten, You were pierced in the side with a spear by one of the soldiers; pierce my hardened soul with Your living and sure Word, sharper than any double-edged sword;
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me, strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 9
All of angelic nature, Heaven, and all the Powers heard Your prayer on the Cross with awe and trembling, as You said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Astonished by Your boundless love, I lift up a cry to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 9
You are the wonderful Teacher who forgives out of love, for You forgave even the thief who was crucified with You, Jesus, who prayed to You: “Remember me, Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom,” and You said to him: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” And I sing to You thus:
Lord, Lord, as You did for the thief on the cross, open to me the gates of Paradise, open to me the gates of Your mercy, for You have said: “Knock, and it shall be opened to you”;
My Jesus, sweetest Jesus, You who blessed the one at Your right hand, fill my lips with Your prayers, that I may sing Your glory, blessing You all day long, as You bless me with the Cross;
My Christ, sweet and merciful Christ, benefactor in the midst of suffering, grant me understanding in all my sufferings and misfortunes, that I may know Your mercy and praise Your good deeds;
Son of God, Only Begotten, who did not yield to temptations and did not come down from the Cross, but endured all the torments of the Cross to the end, I am ashamed of my cowardice and impatience, for I have often tried to come down from my cross. Forgive me, for I am sick;
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me, strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 10
To save me, my Savior, Lord, You came to seek me on earth and did not find me there, so You descended into hell after me. Glory to You, my Savior, and I sing to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 10
Eternal King, exalted from the Cross to God the Father, the One blessed forever, lift up my mind and heart to You, my Savior, and I rise, crying out to You in prayer:
My Lord, O God, Righteous Sun, who went to Golgotha and sent us the last ray of love through Your Mother and Your beloved Apostle, send me Your light and truth to guide me to Your holy mountain, that I may walk in the light of Your face and rejoice in Your name forever;
My Jesus, sweetest Jesus, from the Cross you cried out in comfort to your Mother, the Most Holy Virgin: “Woman, behold your son!” Then, You said to the disciple: “Behold your mother!”, giving him a mantle for the Most Holy Mother of God, woven from Your sufferings on Golgotha, and she, with her tears adorned with precious pearls, covers us from all evil;
My Christ, sweet Christ, with Your sufferings You shook the foundations of the earth, You crushed the rocks; crush my hardened heart, my indifference, for though I see You and feel You always near me, I do not move from my state of sin;
Son of God, Only Begotten, with Your Passion You have illuminated the dark face of the sun; Grant that I may see all the fleeting beauty of this world, full of vanity, as nothing, filthy and full of dust, so that with my mind and heart I may contemplate You alone, the one eternal beauty;
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me, strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 11
My song, my fortress, my salvation, my joy, deliver me from those who harm me, sweetest Jesus, comfort Your servant, draw near to me, You who are everywhere, so that I too may sing with the psalmist: “For though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me,” and I praise You unceasingly: Alleluia.
Ikos 11
You are the quiet Light of the immortal Heavenly Father, and Your Forerunner, speaking the Word of God, cried out, “Repent!” “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Behold, I too call upon You with a repentant voice:
Lord, Lord, in the ninth hour, with a loud voice You cried out: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” I pray to You, do not forsake me, do not forsake me, come, for if You do not come I will perish to the end; save me;
My Jesus, sweetest Jesus, burning in the heat of suffering, You said: “I thirst!” Awaken in me the thirst for communion with You, the Fountain of living water; let me drink from the stream of Your sweetness, from Your pierced side;
My Christ, sweet Christ, to whom they gave gall to drink and then You cried out: “It is finished,” work Your salvation in me, renew me in all things, revive me so that I may no longer live according to the flesh but according to the spirit;
Son of God, Only-Begotten, while on the Cross You said: “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!” and bowing Your head, You gave up Your spirit; here I am, bowing my head before You, I commit my soul to You, Teacher, guide me throughout my life;
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me; strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 12
The great grace that flows from Your Cross, Jesus, is given in abundance to all who worship Your Cross with faith and kiss it with love. With this same grace, all are clothed in majesty, for those who make the sign of the cross with reverence possess within it an invincible weapon before which demons tremble, while the angels rejoice evermore and offer praise to God together with the Orthodox, crying out: Alleluia.
Ikos 12
I see Your suffering; I worship Your burial for three days; I praise Your luminous Resurrection; I believe, along with all the tax collectors and sinners, that Your grace has saved us, for if I have You, my Savior, I will never perish, for You wash away my sins, and when my sin multiplies, Your grace abounds in me. Thus my soul will live and praise You, and Your love will help me. For this I dare to call upon You:
Lord, Lord, upon contemplating Your sufferings, the centurion exclaimed: “Truly, this Man was righteous”; behold, I too am moved by Your sufferings and confess to You together with the Apostle Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”;
Jesus, sweetest Jesus, You were wrapped in a clean shroud and laid in a new tomb, anointed with fragrant oils and buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, Your secret disciple; I pray to You that my sorrows and pains may be a sweet-smelling sacrifice to You, and accept my tears as if they were shed for Your burial;
My Christ, sweet Christ, all wept with sorrow at the burial of Your body, sealed in a tomb; and I ask You to help me endure all the hardships You have sent me, as a seal for my salvation; I thank You, do not lose me from You, seek my heart unceasingly;
Son of God, Only Begotten, at Your life-giving Tomb the myrrh-bearing woman wept bitterly but was comforted, for it was “the blessed Sabbath on which Christ, having fallen asleep, will rise on the third day.” Behold, even though I am lazy, I follow in Your footsteps; and even though I am not strong, I walk Your path; even though I am weak, I carry my cross, and I pray to You, crying out:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me, strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 13
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, behold, I stand before You with fear and joy, unworthy of the gift of Your mercy, but from the depths of my soul I cry out to You: do not turn Your face away from me, Lord, Lord, all the more because of my sin and abomination, for I am worthy of this abomination, but You have boundless glory; heal me, for I bear the wounds of sin. I am a sinner, but I am Yours; save me, intercede for me, rescue me, protect me, help me, strengthen me, so that I may take refuge in the shadow of Your Grace from the heat of troubles and the passions hidden within me, so that, being saved, I may sing to You in Heaven with the angelic hosts, weep before You with the prophets, proclaim You together with the Apostles and the martyrs, and pray to You with all my heart along with all the saints, singing, weeping, calling upon You, and saying to You forever: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
This Kontakion is repeated 3 times.
Ikos 1
Creator of the angels and Lord of Hosts, an angel appeared to You in the Garden of Gethsemane, strengthening and comforting You. The heavy burden of my sins is a burden upon Your hands, and in this sorrow of the Garden of Gethsemane, with reverence, with great fear and trembling, from my heart I cry out to You:
Lord, Lord, Your disciple is in anguish and cries out: “Pray for me, defend me from the evil one, for behold, Belial is coming to attack me,” my pain is great, my prayer unchanging; I pray to You in desperation, defend me, I beg You;
My Jesus, sweetest Jesus, You took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John, into the Garden of Gethsemane to be witnesses to Your mighty cry, where You prayed with tears of blood; Take me too now with You, the One suffering so fiercely, and make me a witness to Your holy sufferings, so that I may be strengthened to bear my own sufferings with patience;
My Christ, sweet Christ, in Gethsemane You prayed to the Father, and I am terrified, sorrowful, and saddened; hear me, take my soul, and deliver me from the distress of bitterness;
Son of God, Only-Begotten, I stand in prayer for my sins before Your Most Pure Face; lift me up from among the fallen;
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me; strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Kontakion 1
Chosen Prince and our Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, You have enlightened and resurrected me—who am weighed down by sins and shrouded in the darkness of passions—when You descended to me even unto death on the cross. Before this greatness of Your Divine love, bowing before Your Holy Cross, watered by Your Blood, I worship You with gratitude and warm affection, with tearful prayer, with a burning heart, crying out to You: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bearing the saving Cross, stretch out Your right hand toward me, strengthen me, for my strength is failing!
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen.
 Original Akathist: https://acoperamantulmaiciidomnului.wordpress.com/2021/04/01/acatist-catre-domnul-iisus-hristos-purtatorul-de-spini-si-cruce/




