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 Christ and the Holy Trinity
The Icon of the Saviour that cleanses itself at the Celic Dere Monastery in Tulcea
Among the most precious treasures of Celic Dere Monastery is an icon of the Saviour Jesus Christ which cleanses itself. It was originally so darkened that the image of the Saviour was barely visible, but now more than half of it has cleansed itself. Sister Irina Gociu, the monastery’s guide, recounts: “Against the backdrop of the Russo-Turkish conflicts at the start of the 19th century, around the year 1816, a soldier arrived in these parts carrying this icon. Upon finding a group of monks, he gave the icon to one of them, saying: ‘Father, keep this icon! If you do not live to see the end, let those who follow you preserve this icon. Have great devotion, for through it a great miracle will be wrought. ‘You can see that this icon is black, but in time it will become entirely luminous, it will be cleansed, and the Saviour’s eyes, which you see are closed, will open.’ Thus, ever since then, the icon has been continually cleansing itself, remaining more than half illuminated. The photographs were taken in June 2023.
Kontakion 1
You who have dwelt within us through the Mystery of Baptism, driving out original sin and sanctifying our lives, Christ our God, to You we offer these words of praise and honour. And You, as the Good and Loving One, remove the veil of death from our hearts, for we pray with humility: Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Ikos 1
The choirs of Seraphim sing ceaselessly in Heaven the reign of Him who descended in the form of man, clothing His divine Image with the earthly one and becoming flesh Himself, the Incomprehensible One, that He might raise us up to the greatness of the angels. From the depths of our souls we cry out to You, Lord Jesus:
Save us, Lord, for we know no other salvation;
Save us, Lord, for in You we find peace;
Save us, Lord, for through You we overcome sin;
Save us, Lord, the unseen Face of all that surrounds us;
Save us, O Lord, the boundless mercy of all that encompasses us;
Save us, O Lord, for You are our life and our breath;
O Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 2
Born of a divine calling, the Celic Dere Monastery was founded by the monk Athanasius of Mount Athos, who was called by the Mother of God, who for three nights in a row showed him a place as beautiful as Eden, with seven springs, and called upon him to fulfil God’s command. Setting out on his journey, he arrived in Dobrogea, where he recognised the marvellous land from his dream: the poplar forest with the seven springs; and with tears in his eyes he gave thanks to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
Having reached the promised place, the monk Athanasius prayed: ‘Tell me, Lord, whether the community should be of nuns or monks?’, and immediately the heralding angel appeared to him in spirit, replying: ‘Whatever you see in the morning, let it be so’, and we glorify You, Jesus Christ:
Enlighten us, O Lord, You who bear our cross upon Your wings;
Enlighten us, O Lord, You who proclaim Your commandment to those who labour;
Enlighten us, O Lord, by sending a speaking angel;
Enlighten us, O Lord, that we may understand Your Will;
Enlighten us, O Lord, by raising us up even now into Heaven;
Enlighten us, O Lord, by opening our eyes to the joy of communion with You;
Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us even now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 3
The next morning, whilst awaiting the fulfilment of the angelic voice, the monk Athanasius saw a man and a woman walking on either side of the road; realising from this that God wished to establish two communities, one of nuns and one of monks, he joyfully gave thanks to the Holy Trinity: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
Ever since then, God and the Mother of God have watched over the Monastery of Celic Dere, bestowing grace upon grace and strengthening the prayers of those who prayed:
Come, O Lord, and bestow Your blessing upon us;
Come, O Lord, and still the storm of temptations;
Come, O Lord, together with the Comforter, the Holy Spirit;
Come, O Lord, who is of one essence with the Heavenly Father;
Come, Lord, into us, that we too may live in You;
Come, Lord, and make Your home in our hearts;
Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 4
And behold, God was pleased to come Himself through the Icon bearing His Holy Countenance, brought to the Monastery in 1816 by an unknown soldier. He left behind only a piece of wood, completely blackened, saying that it was the Icon of the Saviour which, in time, would cleanse itself, and the nuns rejoiced: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
Great was their amazement at hearing the soldier’s prophecy, namely that when the Image of the Saviour were to be illuminated and His eyes were to open fully, a great miracle would take place. We tremble and pray to the King of Heaven and earth:
Search us, O Lord, and let us not be lost;
Search us, O Lord, for we are Your servants;
Search us, O Lord, our light and our defence;
Search us, O Lord, Perfect Love and boundless Mercy;
Search us, O Lord, and empty us of ourselves;
Search us, O Lord, and fill us with Yourself;
O Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 5
The elderly nuns of the Monastery bear witness to the miracle of the Icon of the Saviour, for several decades ago the Icon was half-shaded across the face and the eyes were closed, whereas now the light shines past the Saviour’s left temple and His eyes are half-open. Seeing God’s great mercy towards us humans, we call upon Him with voices of humility: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
The miracle-working icon is marked by abundant Grace, for our Creator Himself paints the greatest miracle: year after year it shines ever more brightly, and the power of the icon is so great that it overcomes every illness, temptation, tribulation or suffering for those who call upon Christ with faith:
Heal us, O Lord, of ourselves and of the ruin into which we have sunk;
Heal us, O Lord, from the anxiety of the last days;
Heal us, O Lord, from unbelief and sloth;
Heal us, O Lord, from weakness and passions;
Heal us, O Lord, from memories, illnesses and sins;
Heal us, O Lord, our voices, that we may speak purely in confession;
O Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 6
In the holy places of Dobrogea, where on the Celic plain the holy relics of Saints Epictectus and Astion and of the first martyrs who sacrificed themselves for their faith in You, O Lord, were discovered, You reign, having descended from Heaven in the Icon that depicts You with Your right hand upon Your heart, with a gentle and loving countenance and with living eyes that begin to open for our salvation, so that we may honour You as the Son of God: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Every person discovers You within themselves, Lord Jesus Christ, for You are an inseparable part of the soul: the seal of Holy Baptism through which Your Image is united with the heart of the one who is wholly clothed in You. Seeking the love that began on the day of our Baptism, we cry out from the depths of our being:
Receive us, O Lord, for we have strayed from You;
Receive us, O Lord, for we do not wish to be lost;
Receive us, O Lord, and make us Your own for ever;
Receive us, O Lord, our sorrowful souls;
Receive us, O Lord, our weary hearts;
Receive us, O Lord, our bodies long sacrificed;
O Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 7
For some, Your Image has always dwelt within them; others discover You in times of trouble; but whatever the case, O Lord, You are incarnated in man in the form of hope, for You are prayer, fervour and grace, and Your measure lies in the power and strength of faith to call upon You unceasingly: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
‘A thousand years in Thy sight are like yesterday, which has passed, and like a watch in the night,’ sings the psalmist, and we gaze upon the Holy Icon as it glows from left to right like the hands of a clock, measuring our time—God Who created the world and through Whom the ages were made—and we pray:
Grant us, O Lord, the time of Your perfect love;
Grant us, O Lord, the time of repentance and reconciliation with You;
Grant us, O Lord, the time of detachment from the passions and of pure flight;
Unlock for us, O Lord, the time of fruitfulness and joy;
Unlock for us, O Lord, the time of salvation;
Unlock for us, O Lord, the time of eternity with You;
Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 8
Bring us to the moment of salvation, O merciful Lord, for our time is ever ready and lies under Your dominion. You alone, being both God and man, have lived through both eternity and time at once; and we, awaiting the time of healing and deliverance, call upon You with joy: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
That which You have brought into being shall never know non-existence, our Jesus, for in You there is neither change nor shadow nor alteration; You are the fulfilment of all things and transcend our way of living and thinking. We seek to discern beyond the reason of the mind, and we pray to You:
Grant us, O Lord, the Time to return to You;
Grant us, O Lord, the Time of the atonement of sins;
Grant us, O Lord, the Time of communion with You;
Grant us, O Lord, the time of sacrifice for Thy Holy Name;
Grant us, O Lord, the time to live truly with Thee on earth;
Grant us, O Lord, the time of passing beyond the body;
Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 9
Help us to make the most of our time, for these are evil days; the time is fulfilled and Your Kingdom draws near, Jesus Christ! Help us to repent and grant that we may live in the time when You reign, not men and their expectations, so that, saved from the torments of temptation, we may worship You for ever: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
‘Man is like grass, his days like the flower of the field; so shall he flourish’, but who clears our minds so that we do not fall into the tormenting clock that measures our years as nothing? Only You, O Lord, Who art from age to age, can water us with the dew of grace that knows neither beginning nor end, and we cry out to You in humility:
Nourish us, O Lord, with Your hand, You who are unmoved by the passing of years;
Nourish us, O Lord, with Your Grace, that we may pass from glory to glory;
Nourish us, O Lord, with the time of promise;
Nourish us, O Lord, with the time of waiting;
Nourish us, O Lord, with the time of hope and fulfilment;
Nourish us, O Lord, with the moment of healing;
O Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 10
In You, O Lord, there is no time of fall, nor time spent in sin; there is no void of lost time, but only true time which finds its true fulfilment in the fulfilment of the Will of God the Father. As we gaze upon Your Most Holy Icon, we feel the hour that weighs upon our decay shatter, making way for us to receive eternity, and we rejoice: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
The time pleasing to You is the time in which You are present, Christ our God, and You are ever present if You have a place in our hearts; so we pray: grant, O Lord, that we may live ceaselessly with thoughts of You alone, through You, and with You, so that You may reign in our lives in an infinity of moments gilded with grace; and, filled with piety and longing, we call upon You:
Measure for us, O Lord, the second, with our breath in prayer;
Measure for us, O Lord, the minute, with the fluttering of Your angels’ wings;
Measure for us, O Lord, the hour, with the bells that call us to the Liturgy;
Measure for us, O Lord, the day, with the mind that prays whilst kneeling;
Measure for us, O Lord, the heart, with Your Holy Body and Blood;
Measure for us, O Lord, the soul, with the Sacrament of Confession which brings us back to You;
Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 11
Growing in prayer as timeless beings, we are born as children of God in the season of salvation, like butterflies breaking free from their cocoons and flying freely towards the Light. We pray with our hands raised to Heaven: call us, O Lord, to break free from the fleeting hours and the haste to die, that we may receive eternity as the gift of victory and praise You with the Seraphim: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
Through Your death on the Cross, You did not die as any man, O Jesus Christ, but through You a whole world died, bringing an end to an ancient age and heralding the dawn of a new beginning; for You, through whom the ages were made, brought an end to the old age and ushered in the birth of the new age. Rejoicing in the news of our salvation, we cry out to You:
Raise us up, O Lord, from the old man and from the ashes of our fall;
Raise us up, O Lord, You who measure time by repentance;
Raise us up, O Lord, You who gather the moments of our prayer;
Raise us up, O Lord, for You make them a stairway to Your marvellous Heaven;
Raise us up, O Lord, and grant that we may be reborn into the age without end;
Raise us up, O Lord, that we may once more become in Your Image and Likeness;
O Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 12
Marvellous is Thy Icon, which shines of its own accord, for no human hand touches it, so that we may see and understand, O Christ, that Thou art He who made heaven and earth and all that is in them, creating not only Creation but also the course of time along with it, and all creation praises You: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
Time is our way of being, and eternity is Your way of being, O Lord, for You neither move nor remain still, being by nature above all movement and state, and we call upon You:
Reveal, O Lord, Your wonders in our lives;
Reveal, O Lord, Your Grace in our prayer;
Reveal, O Lord, Your Mercy in our infirmities;
Reveal, O Lord, Your Power in our weaknesses;
Reveal, O Lord, Your Love in our hearts;
Reveal, O Lord, Your Forgiveness in our souls;
Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 13
You who rule over the ages as the perfect Lord and King, and who determine the beginning and end of every person and thing, Jesus, Son of God, look upon us with mercy and lift us above the snares of time that hasten our death, so that, saved from the hour of evil, we may glorify You for ever with the Angels: Alleluia!
This Kontakion is sung three times.
Ikos 1
The choirs of Seraphim sing ceaselessly in Heaven the reign of Him who descended in the form of man, clothing His divine Image with the earthly one and becoming flesh Himself, the Incomprehensible One, that He might raise us up to the greatness of the angels. From the depths of our souls we cry out to You, Lord Jesus:
Save us, Lord, for we know no other salvation;
Save us, Lord, for in You we find peace;
Save us, Lord, for through You we overcome sin;
Save us, Lord, the unseen Face of all that surrounds us;
Save us, O Lord, the boundless mercy of all that encompasses us;
Save us, O Lord, for You are our life and our breath;
O Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
Kontakion 1
You who have dwelt within us through the Mystery of Baptism, driving out original sin and sanctifying our lives, Christ our God, to You we offer these words of praise and honour. And You, as the Good and Loving One, remove the veil of death from our hearts, for we pray with humility: Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of the ages, call us now to live in Your Eternity!
PRAYER:
We bow deeply before the Most Holy Icon of our Lord Jesus Christ from the Monastery of Celic Dere, through which God Himself has deigned to look upon us with His boundless mercy, so as to extend His Love to us as an embrace of the whole world at once.
You have overturned the course of time, O Lord, by dying on the Cross on the sixth day at the sixth hour, and You have made Golgotha the place where You showed us that the dominion over time is Yours; and through Your Holy Resurrection, eternity has been opened up for us too, for with You, from that moment on, every moment has become a favourable time for salvation.
We too, who are worn down by temptations, burdened by illness, and have passed through life and its trials, pray to You that You may turn the time that measures our transience into a time of eternity in You, for our soul has grown as thin as a spider’s web, and we know of no other refuge but the Lord of the ages, He who makes angels out of vapour and makes mortals partakers of endless Life in His Kingdom, for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Holy Mother and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!
