For all Akathists published on our site, click here. This Akathist was recently provided in English by Maxim, who kindly asks all Orthodox Christians to keep him in their prayers for his repentance.
Feast Days: September 13, January 7 and May 26
Read the article on the Saint’s Life here. Pray his Akathist below.
Kontakion 1
To the protector of travelers, a swift helper in all spiritual struggles, the tested hermit who vanquished the demonic hosts and broke the merciless scythe of the Angel of Death, we offer praises to the Holy and Blessed Zayya. And you, Holy hermit and skilled spiritual father, we pray that you intercede for us before the Almighty God on behalf of us who call upon you: Rejoice, Holy Venerable Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Ikos 1
God has enlightened your most holy face, Holy Zayya, and opening your inner eyes, He has granted you the experiences of deification while you were in human form; and living in the presence of the Angels, you became one of them; and now, as you stand at the foot of the Throne of the Holy Trinity, hear these words from us:
Rejoice, lightning of enlightenment in the sky of ignorance;
Rejoice, great wonder of the desert;
Rejoice, flower blooming in the scorching sand;
Rejoice, shoot watered with the Living Water;
Rejoice, for you have borne fruit like a fruitful vine;
Rejoice, for from you the buds of faith have sprung up in the wilderness;
Rejoice, Holy Monk Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 2
You were born in the 4th century on the day of the Lord’s Ascension into a Christian family in Palestine, Holy Zayya, and your birth was announced to your mother in a dream by the Holy Archangel Gabriel, and great joy filled your home when you came into the world, for your parents were very old—your father Simon was 120 years old and your mother Helena 93—your birth thus being a divine miracle: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
On the day you were born, the earth shook, and that is why your parents named you “Zayya,” meaning “he who makes the devil tremble with fear,” and your entire life was like your name, O Holy One, for you brought great fear to the spirits of darkness, for which we praise you:
Rejoice, for you were quick-witted and eager for Christ;
Rejoice, for at the age of three you were sent to Christian school;
Rejoice, for after two years you knew Scripture by heart;
Rejoice, for at the age of six you went to Jerusalem to study;
Rejoice, for there you were perfected in spiritual knowledge;
Rejoice, Holy Pious Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 3
When you reached the proper age, the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained you a priest, then after three days an Angel of the Lord appeared to you and led you into the desert, where you sustained yourself for 12 years from a goat given to you by the Angel, and in the complete stillness of hesychasm you taught yourself to fight the enemy of mankind: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
Those years of solitude were your best teachers, Holy Zayya, for you gained knowledge of the unseen warfare from your own experience, not from the words of others, and with an iron will and the patience of a Saint, you overcame all temptations, strengthening your mind so as not to fall prey to the schism of reason that the spirits of darkness bring upon the untested, becoming strong and unshakable, a true soldier of the Lord Christ:
Rejoice, defender of the lonely;
Rejoice, you who drive the devil from the imagination;
Rejoice, you who cleanse the mind of impurity;
Rejoice, you who drive demons from our minds;
Rejoice, great deliverer from madness;
Rejoice, skilled teacher of those who struggle with their thoughts;
Rejoice, Holy Monk Zayya, guide on the path to salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 4
One day, Tawor, the son of King Paras, came to the wilderness to hunt, and drawing his bow, he aimed his arrow at your goat, O Saint, but you stopped him at once, for you knew in your spirit what he intended to do; and speaking to him about God, the prince was enlightened in his mind and said: “I too believe in Christ the Lord”: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
Then Tawor took you to his father, the king, who was just preparing to offer sacrifices to the goddess Artemis, but you, O Saint, spoke to him with love and explained to him that he was worshiping a demon, bringing the king to the faith as well. Tawor, sensing the Spirit of God within you, left his wife and children and became your disciple, and we honor you:
Rejoice, for you went together;
Rejoice, for afterward the Amalekites launched a war and kidnapped Tawor’s family;
Rejoice, for you went out to the battlefield;
Rejoice, for you offered a fervent prayer;
Rejoice, for God sent five thousand warrior angels;
Rejoice, for they slew the Amalekites and thus Tawor’s family was freed;
Rejoice, Holy Pious Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 5
You journeyed to Mosul, the ancient city of Nineveh, where you performed many miracles, Holy Zayya, for you stopped the wayward Assyrians from their devilish sacrifices, you fought against the sorcerers who refused to worship Christ, and you brought victory through the death of those who would not cease from casting spells, and multitudes of people were converted to Christianity upon seeing the power of God, who always defeats the devil and his servants: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
In a village near Mosul, you heard that the villagers were worshiping a dragon, to whom they sacrificed their children, and you hurried there, Holy Blessed One, and calling the dragon out of its cave, you prayed and split it in two with your staff, thus slaying the beast of hell and bringing the inhabitants to the faith, to the glory of God:
Rejoice, for afterward you departed for the Gara Mountains;
Rejoice, for there you chose your dwelling place;
Rejoice, for Tawor followed you;
Rejoice, for you found two caves side by side,
Rejoice, for you began the true life of hesychasm;
Rejoice, for your companionship was a wound to the demons;
Rejoice, Holy Monk Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 6
Though you dwelt in the wild mountains, people heard of you, Holy Zayya, and sought you out for the miracles wrought through your prayers, for you were skilled healers, curing the blind, the mute, the deaf, the lame, and those of unsound mind, having received from God the gift to drive away madness and other diseases of the mind, for great is the grace that descends from Heaven upon those who faithfully call upon the name of the Most Holy Trinity: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Like two pillars of light you were in the wilderness, Saints Zayya and Tawor, for forty years you lived in a cave with your bodies, yet in spirit you were already in the Kingdom of God, both blessed with a state of deification beyond nature, experiencing what no one can imagine, for the mysteries of Heaven are revealed only to the worthy:
Rejoice, eagle who soared beyond human judgment;
Rejoice, you who flew over the visible peaks;
Rejoice, you who rested on the unseen meadows of Heaven;
Rejoice, you who attained the peace of the sanctified;
Rejoice, great conqueror of the devil’s legions;
Rejoice, for through you even Tawor was sanctified;
Rejoice, Holy Pious Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 7
But just as light cannot remain hidden under a bushel, so your divine power could not be concealed in the wilderness, for though the mountains covered your body like a garment, your heart shone so brightly with the gift of working miracles that the people around you began to seek you out amid the rocks, the wild forest, and the rivers untamed by man: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
Thus you became the spiritual father of the Christians who labored to climb the narrow paths to your cave, yet no wild beast ever endangered them, and if they happened to travel through the mountains at night, a light always showed them the way, for their journey was blessed by God, since they were pilgrims and your disciples:
Rejoice, you who preached the mystery of confession;
Rejoice, skillful spiritual father;
Rejoice, you who made your cave an altar of the Lord Christ;
Rejoice, you who offered to Heaven the sacrifice of pure prayer;
Rejoice, you who taught Christians repentance;
Rejoice, great defender of the disciples on their way to their spiritual father;
Rejoice, Holy Monk Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 8
Thus, after forty years had passed, you received a command from God to come down from the mountains and set out to seek the parched hearts of idol-worshippers and the straying minds of those who worked against Christ; and, doing the Lord’s will, you left behind the sweetness of the desert and the austerity of hesychasm, for God was calling you to the apostolate: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
You traveled through many parts of present-day Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, and everywhere you left the mark of God’s love upon people, for your very presence alone sweetened the bitterness of the soul, and through simple prayers you transformed the fleshly gaze into a spiritual one, so that all might know God through their senses and not merely through words:
Rejoice, pillar of fire who parted the sea of sins;
Rejoice, sheltering cloud of those who are tempted;
Rejoice, lover of children and Christian families;
Rejoice, you who blessed the wombs of women, who then gave birth;
Rejoice, for through love you overturned the schemes of the Persian robbers;
Rejoice, for through faith you conquered the Assyrian demons;
Rejoice, Holy Pious Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 9
God has granted you the charism of the gift of life, Holy Zayya, that is, the power to conquer death, for you were empowered from on high with the strength to command the Angel of Death to depart from the homes of those for whom you prayed, so that the spirit of heavenly blessing might dwell in them and Christians might be delivered from all the temptations of death: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
O bright star who shone in the ancient East before the great Christological controversies divided the one Church, you remained a luminary of the Undivided Universal Church, venerated to this day by the Assyrian Church and honored by all who cherish the holy ascetics. Therefore we cry aloud with compunction:
Rejoice, radiant star illumining the lands of the sunrise;
Rejoice, pillar of the Undivided Church before the schisms;
Rejoice, saint beloved and glorified by the Assyrian faithful;
Rejoice, model of asceticism and unceasing prayer for every Christian;
Rejoice, missionary whose zeal turned kings from idols and sinners from despair;
Rejoice, heavenly intercessor honored by all lovers of hesychia and the desert;
Rejoice, O Holy Venerable Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 10
O blessed Zayya, though thou hast passed from earthly labors to the heavenly dwellings, thy wonder-working relics still abide in the church thou didst raise, and from thence thou dost unceasingly pour forth healings, turning aside the Angel of Destruction and granting life to those who invoke thee in faith, as thou didst promise while yet on earth.
Alleluia!
Ikos 10
Knowing this, you have saved from death many people who were in danger of perishing from various diseases; indeed, you have delivered the people from the dreadful plague countless times, and you are also powerful in overcoming the demons sent by sorcerers to cut short the lives of the innocent; and we, your supplicants, honor you:
Rejoice, for by receiving life, the pagans came to believe in God;
Rejoice, for when you stopped in what is now Iran, you built a stone church;
Rejoice, for at that time the place was an Assyrian heritage;
Rejoice, for that church still stands today;
Rejoice, for it is cared for by Christians;
Rejoice, for you too, O Saint, protect those who love you;
Rejoice, O Holy and Pious Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 11
You departed to the Lord at the age of 122, leaving behind a life full of miracles, blessed Saint, and your love for the faithful still touches our souls today, for you defend us as a spiritual father protects his disciples, in the spirit of Christ’s fellowship and love: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
Just as in the church in Iran you performed many miraculous healings during your lifetime, healing hundreds of sick people who were brought to you on their beds and whom you raised up healthy through prayer, so too are you merciful now to those who call upon you with faith:
Rejoice, for recently a family had a little girl whose mind was confused;
Rejoice, for the doctors diagnosed her with “dementia”;
Rejoice, for her parents left her overnight in your church;
Rejoice, for you appeared to the child and made the sign of the cross on her head;
Rejoice, for you sent her home, telling her that the illness no longer existed;
Rejoice, for the next day her parents found her completely healed;
Rejoice, Holy Pious Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 12
You who have dominion over the Angel of Death, not only did you defend Christians from untimely death, but you also brought back the souls of those who had died from the devil’s temptation, so that the Lord’s will might be done for them and they might receive time for repentance: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
You are a great defender against all the misfortunes of the elements of nature, Holy Zayya, being a protector against hail, wind, rain, and earthquake, but you also defend us against famine and contagious diseases, being a healer of leukemia, blood diseases, anger, and the passion of pride, and we praise you:
Rejoice, Holy One who gives life to the infants in the womb;
Rejoice, you who protect them until birth;
Rejoice, you who stand with your sword of protection against the Angel of Death;
Rejoice, you who give us the strength to overcome temptations;
Rejoice, you who renew our strength when we are worn out by suffering;
Rejoice, our heavenly spiritual father, beloved Saint and defender;
Rejoice, Holy Pious Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 13
Holy Monk Zayya, please accept these words of honor and be for us like a Guardian Angel; grant us the gift of life, drive away all spirits that seek and demand death, protect us from all temptations that bring sickness, harm, and death; unbind our minds and heal us of all afflictions brought by demons, making the Holy Cross over our heads and healing us of sorrow, sickness, and passions, so that we may rejoice with you in the gift of salvation: Alleluia!
This Kontakion is sung 3 times.
Then again Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1 are said
Ikos 1
God has enlightened your most holy face, Holy Zayya, and opening your inner eyes, He has granted you the experiences of deification while you were in human form; and living in the presence of the Angels, you became one of them; and now, as you stand at the foot of the Throne of the Holy Trinity, hear these words from us:
Rejoice, lightning of enlightenment in the sky of ignorance;
Rejoice, great wonder of the desert;
Rejoice, flower blooming in the scorching sand;
Rejoice, shoot watered with the Living Water;
Rejoice, for you have borne fruit like a fruitful vine;
Rejoice, for from you the buds of faith have sprung up in the wilderness;
Rejoice, Holy Monk Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Kontakion 1
To the protector of travelers, a swift helper in all spiritual struggles, the tested hermit who vanquished the demonic hosts and broke the merciless scythe of the Angel of Death, we offer praises to the Holy and Blessed Zayya. And you, Holy hermit and skilled spiritual father, we pray that you intercede for us before the Almighty God on behalf of us who call upon you: Rejoice, Holy Venerable Zayya, guide on the path of salvation and great deliverer from death!
Prayer to Saint Zayya:
O blessed Saint Zayya, great hermit and miracle-worker, look upon us, the servants of God, who run to you with fervent prayers. We pray that you defend us from all devilish temptations; be for us a shield and armor against all demonic attacks, so that the blood sacrifice may not be taken from us, but with the divine power that Christ our Lord has given you, stop all the blows of darkness, of sorcerers, of shamans, and of all those who invoke the devil to break the thread of our lives and those of our loved ones.
Watch over us, Holy Zayya, just as you protected throughout your life all those who sought refuge under your spiritual mantle, and break the scythe of the Angel of Death, bringing us victory and deliverance from these spiritual afflictions, freeing our minds from demonic bonds and revealing to us the mystery of mysteries that lies hidden, so that we may know all that is necessary to triumph in this holy war and enter victorious into the Kingdom of Heaven, now and forever and ever. Amen.
The Prayer of Saint Zayya for those who pray to God and to him:
O Lord God Almighty, searcher of hearts and minds, before You, my God, I bow down and ask for mercy from You for all people who speak or write and cling to Your Holy Name, O Lord God Almighty, and by my name, Your servant Zayya, and who implores and kneels before the Lord God Almighty; let there be no hail, no famine, no plague, no wrath, no Angel of Death, no sickness, and no pain in their homes. Amen.
It is truly fitting to bless you, O Mother of God, ever-blessed and all-pure, and Mother of our God. You who are more honorable than the Cherubim and more exalted, without equal, than the Seraphim, who, without corruption, gave birth to God the Word, we magnify you, the true Mother of God. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!
Original akathist: https://acoperamantulmaiciidomnului.wordpress.com/2026/03/23/acatistul-sfantului-cuvios-zayya-zaia-cel-binecuvantat-26-mai/
Original article containing the Saint’s Life here:
https://orthodoxreflections.com/the-life-of-our-father-among-the-saints-zayya-the-blessed/
