Akathist to The Holy Great Martyr and Trophy-Bearer George
Kontakion 1
To thee, O Champion leader and trophy-bearer, O Saint George, do we offer a hymn of praise, as to our intercessor and speedy helper; and do thou, O holy Great Martyr, as one who hath boldness before the Lord, deliver us from dangers of all kinds, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Ikos 1
The Creator of angels and Maker of all creation, having revealed thee to His Church as a champion of the faith and an unvanquished passion-bearer for the faith, inspireth us to lift up praises to thee for the ascetic labours of thy sufferings, Saint George, in this manner:
Rejoice, thou who didst love to the end Jesus, the Son of God!
Rejoice, thou who didst lay down thy life with love for His Name!
Rejoice, confessor called forth by God!
Rejoice, spiritual athlete glorified by the Grace of God!
Rejoice, thou who dwellest with the angels!
Rejoice, thou who art the equal of the prophets!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 2
Beholding the wicked persecuting the Christians, thou didst not fear their wiles and tortures, O divinely wise one, but as a good soldier of Christ, thou didst distribute all thy possessions to the poor, and didst voluntarily run to that ungodly assembly, singing unto Christ, thy Commander and God: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
Mentally comprehending the one God, divinely worshipped in three Persons, with a firm mind thou didst confess Him before the assembly of the ungodly, and thus thou didst expose the foolish king’s foolish worship of creation. Therefore, for thy lofty love of wisdom, accept from us, Saint George, these fervent praises:
Rejoice, preacher of the One True God!
Rejoice, faithful advocate of the All-Holy Trinity!
Rejoice, thou who didst manifest the great mystery of
Orthodoxy to the non-believers!
Rejoice, thou who didst expose the deception of idolatry!
Rejoice, rhetorician divine!
Rejoice, orator filled with wisdom!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 3
The power of God, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world, didst visit thee also, whilst thou wast suffering in prison, O George wise in humility; for thou hadst despised all the corruptible things of this life as chaff, and didst cling unto Christ alone, that after fighting the good fight for His Name, thou mightest be granted eternally to chant with the angels: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
Possessing a mind and heart enlightened by the Holy Spirit, by His inspiration thou wast fervent to struggle for the Name of Christ, even unto blood; for standing courageously in the faith, thou didst expose the puffed-up pride of the ungodly congregation. Therefore, we praise thee, O most wise George, thus:
Rejoice, shield lifted for preservation of piety!
Rejoice, sword raised for the beheading of evil!
Rejoice, pillar of faith!
Rejoice, wall and confirmation of the Christian Church!
Rejoice, encouragement of the faithful!
Rejoice, fear and disgrace of the unbelievers!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 4
The mad persecutor, breathing murder against thee, O passionbearer George, longed for thy blood like a thirsty dog, ordering thy body stretched out on a wheel and giving thee over to the most evil torments; but thou, taking strength in the Lord, with hope in God didst cry aloud: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
When Diocletian and the priest of the idols heard words of wisdom from thee, they were enraged with hatred for thee, and even more so when thou didst say: O tormentor king! Wherefore dost thou torture me in vain? For me to live is Christ and to die is gain; but it is painful for thee to kick against the goads. Therefore, we cry to thee, O George of great fame, in this way:
Rejoice, thou who didst shed thy blood on the wheel for thy courageous confession of the faith!
Rejoice, thou who didst magnify the triumph of the faith by thy blood!
Rejoice, zealot together with the Apostles!
Rejoice, imitator of the voluntary Passion of Christ!
Rejoice, unshakable champion of the faith!
Rejoice, passion-bearer harder than adamant!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 5
Thou wast as a star sent by God, O Saint George, for by thy miraculous healing and release from the wheel by an angel before the eyes of all, thou didst teach the unbelievers to believe in the Trinity in One Essence, and to sing to Him together with thee: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
The people beheld the miracles of the power of God so clearly taking place upon thee, and meekly accepted the teaching of Christ from thee, and they cried aloud, saying: Truly great is the God of the Christians! Therefore, we also, singing praises to thee, O George worthy of glory, cry out thus:
Rejoice, thou who didst disperse the darkness of unbelief by the radiant word of salvation!
Rejoice, thou who didst convert unbelievers to Christ by thy martyr’s confession of faith!
Rejoice, thou who didst lead legions of earthly soldiers to the heavenly army!
Rejoice, thou who does dwell with the heavenly hosts as a soldier of Christ!
Rejoice, glory of soldiers!
Rejoice, beauty of the all-radiant choir of martyrs!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 6
Being zealous like unto those Spirit-bearing preachers of the faith, the Apostles, thou wast crucified unto the world, O passionbearer; for as Jonah in the belly of the sea monster, so wast thou hurled headlong into the furnace of the lime pit, that for thy sake might be manifested the glory of the Lord Who is wondrous in His saints, to Whom thou, in the lime pit as in a temple of glory, didst noetically cry out: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Having shone forth in His resurrection from the tomb on the third day, Jesus, the Almighty Conqueror of Hades and death, didst save thee from the corruption of Hades, O passion-bearer George; for after three days thou wast found alive in the lime pit, with thy hands lifted and singing unto God; therefore, the ungodly were sore afraid and stricken with terror. But we, rejoicing, compose a hymn of victory to thee:
Rejoice, thou who didst cast down the puffed-up pride of the devil by thy being cast down in disgrace into the lime pit!
Rejoice, thou who didst overcome the persecutor’s bestiality by thy miraculous salvation from God!
Rejoice, for as one without guile, thou didst pray as for benefactors for those who worked evil against thee!
Rejoice, for thou wast zealous for their conversion as Paul was for the Jews!
Rejoice, man of spiritual desires!
Rejoice, chosen vessel!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 7
Desiring by any means to ensnare thy heart for the deception of the idols, the wicked persecutor contrived to deceive thee by magical spells; but thou, chosen of God, didst cry out with David: In God is my salvation and my glory, and didst faithfully chant unto Him: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
That evil servant of Satan Diocletian revealed a new villainy, when, in his insane zeal for the idols, he ordered thee given poison, O Saint George; but thou wast filled with faith and hope, and even though thou didst drink the deadly poison, yet thou didst remain unharmed, O praised-one of God. Therefore we also cry unto thee:
Rejoice, for thou wast not disgraced by hoping in the living God!
Rejoice, for thou didst count thy tormentor as nothing!
Rejoice, expeller of demons!
Rejoice, destroyer of the wiles of magicians!
Rejoice, for through thee God is shown to be wondrous in His saints!
Rejoice, for through thee the name of Christ is piously glorified!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 8
There came to the wicked king a strange and terrible counsel from a certain wizard, that he command thee, as proof of the truth of the Christian faith, by thy word to resurrect a dead man; but thou, O Saint George, having no doubt whatsoever, didst sing unto Him Who is not God of the dead but God of the living: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
The All-Desirable and Sweetest Jesus, Whom thou didst love with all thy soul and heart, O most blessed George, attending to the fervent prayer of thy faith, speedily commanded the resurrection of the dead man at thy word, for the glorification of His Name and the confirmation of the faithful, that the unbelievers and blind might be astounded and come to the knowledge of God. For this reason, we dutifully cry unto thee:
Rejoice, for the Lord of Hosts manifested wonders through thee!
Rejoice, for through thee He resurrected a dead man from the tomb!
Rejoice, thou who didst grant the mental vision of faith to the blinded wizard!
Rejoice, thou who didst show the way to the Holy of Holies to many who suffered for Christ!
Rejoice, astonishment of Rome!
Rejoice, exaltation of the Christian race!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 9
All the angels rendered praise unto God, Who granted thee such courage, O Saint George, that even when locked up in prison thou didst not cease to keep vigil in prayer. Therefore, as a great communicant of the mystery of Divine Grace, thou wast vouchsafed to behold the Lord in a vision, as He crowned thy head with the crown of incorruption, that we might cry out with thee: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
The learned orators are unable with their rhetorical tongues the render worthy praises to thee, O Saint George, for thy labours and sufferings which thou didst assume voluntarily for Christ and the Church! Therefore, we also, while at a loss as to how properly to praise thee, chant this hymn:
Rejoice, for by thy voluntary suffering for Christ and the Church thou didst crucify the old Adam in thyself!
Rejoice, for through thy courageous suffering thou didst receive a crown of righteousness from the Lord!
Rejoice, rule of pious zeal!
Rejoice, model of spiritual poverty!
Rejoice, for thou didst well please not thyself, but Christ alone!
Rejoice, for thou wast prepared for any form of death for the sake of Christ!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 10
Desiring to save the souls perishing in idolatry, O George, lover of God, thou wast zealous with zeal for God like Elijah; for entering into the temple of the idols, by the power of God thou didst drive out the demons, shattering the idols and putting the priests to shame, and as conqueror, not with men but with angels, thou didst chant unto God: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
More unfeeling than a wall, thy hard-hearted tormentor, O Saint George, did not see God, Who so clearly worked miracles through thee, but to the end remained as an asp, stopping his ears. Therefore, he commanded thee to be executed as a criminal by beheading; but thou, through grieving over the loss of his soul, joyfully accepted thine end, for which we praise thee thus with love:
Rejoice, thou who didst keep faith, hope, and love to the end!
Rejoice, thou who didst work many great miracles at thy beheading!
Rejoice, thou who wast crowned by the instrument of God’s good will on the earth!
Rejoice, thou who was adorned with glory and majesty in Heaven!
Rejoice, man of God!
Rejoice, good soldier of Christ!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 11
Thou didst render a hymn to the Most Holy Trinity exceeding others, holy Great Martyr George, not in word and mind only, but by the living sacrifice of thy whole self; for imitating Him Who wast crucified for us, Christ, the Lamb without blemish, thou didst voluntarily lay down thy life for thy friends. Even though we are incapable of praising such courage as thine, for no man hath greater love than this, being grateful we sing unto Him Who is wondrous in the saints: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
A light-receiving lamp of the true Light art thou to those on earth, O George chosen of God, for thou dost enlighten the hearts of the faithful and dost guide them all to divine understanding, instructing us also to joyfully cry aloud:
Rejoice, for thou dost dwell in the all-radiant angelic mansions!
Rejoice, for thou dost commune of the unwaning Light of the Trinity not in a mirror, but face to face!
Rejoice, provider for the needy and defender of the wronged!
Rejoice, healer of the infirm and champion of kings!
Rejoice, champion of Orthodox soldiers in battle!
Rejoice, fervent intercessor for the salvation of sinners!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 12
Knowing the Grace granted by God, we celebrate thy memory, O Great Martyr George, and running with fervent prayer to thy miraculous icon, we are protected by thine all-powerful help in the Lord as by an invincible wall. Therefore, praising thee, we fervently cry unto God: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
Hymning thy glorious end, by which thou wast magnified as a good soldier of Christ, we pray thee, O passion-bearer George: be a helper in all good for us and hear us, as we fervently cry unto thee:
Rejoice, for by thee the the Church of the faithful is enlightened!
Rejoice, for thy name is praised even among the infidels!
Rejoice, wondrous glory of the confessors!
Rejoice, lofty praise of the martyrs!
Rejoice, healer of our bodies!
Rejoice, intercessor for our souls!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 13
O most blessed and holy Great Martyr George, accept this our hymn of praise and deliver us from every evil by thy fervent intercession with God, that we may sing with thee: Alleluia
(Repeat the above Kontakion 13, 3 times)
(Then continue below)
Ikos 1
The Creator of angels and Maker of all creation, having revealed thee to His Church as a champion of the faith and an unvanquished passion-bearer for the faith, inspireth us to lift up praises to thee for the ascetic labours of thy sufferings, Saint George, in this manner:
Rejoice, thou who didst love to the end Jesus, the Son of God!
Rejoice, thou who didst lay down thy life with love for His Name!
Rejoice, confessor called forth by God!
Rejoice, spiritual athlete glorified by the Grace of God!
Rejoice, thou who dwellest with the angels!
Rejoice, thou who art the equal of the prophets!
Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
Kontakion 1
To thee, O Champion leader and trophy-bearer, O Saint George, do we offer a hymn of praise, as to our intercessor and speedy helper; and do thou, O holy Great Martyr, as one who hath boldness before the Lord, deliver us from dangers of all kinds, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, Saint George, great trophy-bearer!
A Prayer to the Holy Great Martyr George
O most praised and holy Great Martyr and Wonderworker, Saint George! Look down upon us with thy speedy help and implore the man-loving God that He not condemn us sinners according to our offenses, but that He treat us according to His great mercy. Despise not our prayer, but beseech for us of Christ our God a quiet life pleasing to God, health of body and soul, fertility of the earth and abundance in all, and that we not turn to evil purposes the good things granted by thee from the AllMerciful God, but that they may be for the glory of His Holy Name, for the glorification of thy mighty intercession. May He grant God-loving soldiers victory over the enemy, and may He secure our land with unchanging peace and prosperity. Especially may He defend us by His holy angels at our departure from this life from the snares of the evil one and his grievous toll-houses of the air, that we may stand uncondemned before the throne of the Lord of Glory. Hear us, O passion-bearer of Christ, Saint George, and pray for us without ceasing unto the Master of All, God in three Persons, that by His Grace and love for mankind, and by thy help and intercession, we may find mercy and may stand with the angels and archangels before the All-glorious Judge, unceasingly praising Him together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.