Rugăciune către Sfântul Gherman de Alaska pentru Biserică și credincioși

The\nAkathist Hymn\nTo\nSt. Herman of\nAlaska\n\n\n1\nPriest: Blessed is our God always, now and ever and unto ages of\nages.\nChoir: Amen. O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of\nTruth who art everywhere present and fillest all things. Trea-\nsury of Blessings, and Giver of Life. Come and abide in us, and\ncleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.\nReader: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.\n(3x)\nGlory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and\never and unto ages of ages. Amen.\nO Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our\nsins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our\ninfirmities, for Thy name’s sake.\nLord, have mercy. (3x)\nGlory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and\never and unto ages of ages. Amen.\nOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy King-\ndom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this\nday our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive\nthose who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but\ndeliver us from the evil one.\nPriest: For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory: of\nthe Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and\nunto ages of ages.\nChoir: Amen\nApproved for use in the Diocese of Alaska,\nand printed with the blessings of His Grace,\nthe Right Reverend NIKOLAI,\nSeptember 2002.\nRevised December, 2002\n\n3 2\nGod Is the Lord\nDeacon: (In the 4th Tone:) God is the Lord and has revealed Him-\nself to us: Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. O give\nthanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.\nChoir: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us: Blessed is\nHe that comes in the name of the Lord.\nDeacon: All nations surrounded me, but in the Name of the Lord I\ndestroyed them.\nChoir: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us: Blessed is\nHe that comes in the name of the Lord.\nDeacon: I shall not die but live and recount the works of the Lord.\nChoir: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us: Blessed is\nHe that comes in the name of the Lord.\nDeacon: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cor-\nnerstone; this is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes.\nChoir: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us: Blessed is\nHe that comes in the name of the Lord.\nTROPARION TONE 4\nO Blessed Father Herman of Alaska\nNorth Star of Christ’s Holy Church,\nthe light of your holy life and great deeds,\nguides those who follow the Orthodox Way.\nTogether we lift high the Holy Cross,\nyou planted firmly in America.\nLet all behold and glorify Jesus Christ,\nsinging His Holy Resurrection.\nFIRST KONTAKION\nO Chosen Doer of Wonders, most glorious favorite of Christ,\nour God bearing Father Herman, Alaska’s adornment,\nthe joy of all Orthodox in America.\nWe sing to you, our heavenly protector and powerful intercessor\nbefore God, these songs of praise.\nCease not to pray for your children, who cry fervently to you:\nRejoice our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nFIRST IKOS\nFather Herman, the Creator of the angelic hosts called you to pro-\nclaim the Orthodox faith in a new land and to be the founder of the\nmonastic way in the remote lands of the north. You were sent, as\nwas the Apostle Paul, to those sitting in darkness so that the light of\nOrthodoxy might illumine all the ends of the earth. We, the inhabit-\nants of the American continents, bring you, our heavenly protector,\nthis thanksgiving and sing you this song of praise:\nRejoice, our Father Herman, our glory, our adornment;\nRejoice, bearer of the light of the true faith to our lands;\nRejoice, ascetic glorified by God;\nRejoice, most honored branch of Valaam Monastery;\nRejoice, praise and joy of the Church in America;\nRejoice, comforter and protector of all of us;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nSECOND KONTAKION\nIn your early youth, O Venerable One, enkindled by the flame of\nlove for the Lord, you desired to serve God and Him alone. As an\noffering, you dedicated your youth to God, beginning your journey\nfrom the hermitage of Valaam, where choirs of monastics sing cease-\nlessly to God: Alleluia.\n\n45\nSECOND IKOS\nThe Most High granted you spiritual wisdom in your youth that you\nmight know the beauty and sweetness of heaven. For this reason, the\nwise Igumen Nazarius, teacher of the venerable Seraphim of Sarov,\ntaught you God’s wisdom and the Lord’s way. Therefore, the Holy\nChurch praises you:\nRejoice, glorious Herman dedicator of your youth to Christ;\nRejoice, disciple together with Seraphim of Sarov;\nRejoice, performer of spiritual labors in glorious Valaam;\nRejoice, honored by all the brethren of Valaam Monastery;\nRejoice, student of spiritual wisdom in Valaam;\nRejoice, glorified now by the Orthodox Church;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nTHIRD KONTAKION\nThe Most High directed the divinely-wise primate of the Church in\nRussia, Gabriel, to send missionaries of the Orthodox Faith to Alaska.\nThe apostolic choice fell on you, O Venerable Herman, therefore, all\nthe people enlightened by the Light of Christ through your labors\nand the personal example of your life, sing to the Lord: Alleluia.\nTHIRD IKOS\nShowing great zeal not only in your spiritual labors as a novice, but\nalso in your Apostolic fervor as you preached to a people sitting in\ndarkness, you, O Venerable Herman, revealed the light of Christ to\nthem with great power. Remembering your apostolic labors and your\nefforts to preach, with love we praise you:\nRejoice, uncomplaining giver of obedience to your spiritual\nfather;\nRejoice, preacher who brought the Good News from afar;\nRejoice, faithful son of Holy Russia;\nRejoice, adopted son of North America;\nRejoice, initiator of the monastic way in our land;\nRejoice, zealous preacher of the Orthodox Faith;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nFOURTH KONTAKION\nO Venerable Father Herman, you endured storms of evil attacks and\nsorrows, by your efforts you persevered in this new land. Therefore,\nChrist glorified you with the gift of foresight, enriching you with\nmiracles, granting you the Kingdom of Heaven where, together with\nthe angels, you praise God in song: Alleluia.\nFOURTH IKOS\nHearing of the miracles revealed to your people when a forest fire\nand tidal wave were made to cease by your prayers, we implore you\nfrom the depths of our hearts and entreat you to aid us who call to\nyou:\nRejoice, ascetic and prophet glorified by God;\nRejoice, holy favorite of God;\nRejoice, our intercessor and healer;\nRejoice, helper of many who called out to you;\nRejoice, healer of many afflicted and suffering;\nRejoice, our merciful and humble father;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nFIFTH KONTAKION\nO Venerable One, you shone like the North Star on Spruce Island,\nthe New Valaam, illuminating all of America with the brightness of\nyour love and prayer, full of God’s power, so that from every corner\nof it the Orthodox people will sing fervently to God: Alleluia.\nFIFTH IKOS\nObserving your humility, all are in awe of you, O Father Herman, for\nyour rigorous asceticism and perseverance in monastic struggles. In\nthis you followed the example of Anthony of the Caves, the founder\nof monasticism in Russia, even as he that of Anthony the Great, the\nfirst monk of the world. You, the founder of monasticism in our\n\n67\nland, chose in your great humility, the way of a simple monk. Therefore,\nthe holy choir of hierarchs and hieromonks sings these songs of praise to\nyou:\nRejoice, founder of monasticism in our land;\nRejoice, imitator of Anthony the Great and Anthony of the Caves;\nRejoice, crowned, as they were, with heavenly glory;\nRejoice, founder of a glorious hermitage;\nRejoice, source of holy relics for the faithful;\nRejoice, fountain of miracles for all the world;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nSIXTH KONTAKION\nThe wilderness of the north proclaims your works and miracles, re-\nvealing you to be a new branch of the vineyard of the Church of\nRussia in America. The forests and wilderness are permeated with\nyour prayers. Following the example of the ancient hermits, you\ncried out in the silence of the night to God: Alleluia.\nSIXTH IKOS\nYou enlightened a people who were living in darkness; you showed\nthem an example of the monastic way of life. O our godbearing\nFather Herman, pray that we all, giving thanks to the Lord, may cease-\nlessly sing you these words of praise:\nRejoice, first saint of our land;\nRejoice, founder of the monastic way in our land;\nRejoice, faithful servant of the Holy Trinity;\nRejoice, humble founder of the church of the Resurrection;\nRejoice, glorious hermit of the hermitage of Spruce Island;\nRejoice, loving father of the children who came to him;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nSEVENTH KONTAKION\nThe Lord chose you, O Venerable One, to bring the light of the knowl-\nedge of God to the land of the Aleuts and there to sow the seeds of\nthe Orthodox faith. You taught all to embrace the true faith and to\ncall out to God: Alleluia.\nSEVENTH IKOS\nHaving reached the heights through prayer, O Venerable One, you\ndid not forget the needs of others. You manifested great concern for\nhomeless orphans, building an orphanage and a school for them and\ntaught them the commandments of the Lord. In gratitude to God for\nyour labors, accept from us these praises:\nRejoice, defender of the poor and orphaned;\nRejoice, their good protector;\nRejoice, builder of a home for the orphaned;\nRejoice, servant to God with your labors;\nRejoice, provider of earthly bread to the orphaned;\nRejoice, nourisher of orphans with words of eternal life;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nEIGHTH KONTAKION\nThe Lord who loves mankind, O Venerable One, gave you the gifts\nof foresight and healing in His desire to manifest through you a source\nof compassion for his people. You showed them the love of God\nthrough your works and many words of instruction. Illumined by\nthe light of your spiritual labors, the people called to the Lord:\nAlleluia.\nEIGHTH IKOS\nThe people transformed by the light of the Christian Faith, came to\nyou in times of illness and sorrow. As a father who loved his chil-\ndren, you interceded for all, bringing forth healing and comfort to all\nwho came to you for help. Your glory has gone forth into all the\nearth and we, your spiritual children, glorify you with these words:\n\n89\nRejoice, our merciful father;\nRejoice, our unmercenary and gracious physician;\nRejoice, merciful healer of our infirmities;\nRejoice, our speedy helper in time of trouble and need;\nRejoice, foreseer of coming events as of the present;\nRejoice, perceptive reprover of hidden transgressions;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nNINTH KONTAKION\nYou spoke with the angels, O Venerable One, and revealed how an-\ngels came to you in your hermitage and you had sweet conversation\nwith them. Now you are in the Kingdom of Heaven where with\nhosts of angels you pray ceaselessly to the Creator: Alleluia.\nNINTH IKOS\nWho can enumerate the miracles witnessed by your people? The\nwaves of the sea and a fire in the forest were calmed by your prayers.\nWhen there was a great tidal wave, you caused the stormy seas to\ncease by your prayers before the icon of the Mother of God, saying:\n“The water shall not go beyond this line.” Therefore, we sing to you\nthus:\nRejoice, wondrous pacifier of the waters;\nRejoice, deliverer from the threat of fire;\nRejoice, safe harbor for the hierarch Innocent who called to you\nfrom the sea;\nRejoice, for through your prayers the wind at sea was calmed;\nRejoice, source of many miracles during your life;\nRejoice, fount of many miracles even after your death;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nTENTH KONTAKION\nWe bring to you a song of praise, O Venerable Father, concerning\nyour righteous life. We sing praises of your honored death. You\nforeknew the day and hour of your blessed end. Most glorious also\nwas your burial. For forty days a great storm raged at sea and your\nprophecy concerning your burial was fulfilled. Your disciple Gerasim,\nsensing a wondrous fragrance at the time of your death, sang to God:\nAlleluia.\nTENTH IKOS\nYou were a most glorious doer of wonders during your life, O Fa-\nther. At your death you manifested this wondrous miracle: your body\nremained incorrupt in the chapel for many days after your death.\nThe Aleut people who saw a flaming pillar ascending to Heaven at\nthe hour of your death, sang to you thus:\nRejoice, for your righteous end has assured us of your holiness;\nRejoice, for your ascension to Heaven was like a pillar of fire;\nRejoice, for your relics, exuding a fragrance of sanctity, remain\nas our inheritance;\nRejoice, for many miracles are made manifest at your reliquary;\nRejoice, for you have provided us with a source of holy water\nand healing;\nRejoice, for from this water many who are afflicted receive\nhealing;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nELEVENTH KONTAKION\nO Holy Father, from your hermitage in the north, in the midst of the\nwilds of nature, you sang ceaseless praises to the Holy Trinity. Moved\nby the Spirit, you foresaw the great flowering of this vineyard planted\nin the soil of America and you called out with the angels of Heaven:\nAlleluia.\nELEVENTH IKOS\nTo all future members of the monastic order, you are a source of\nlight and inspiration. For you foretold, O Venerable One, the found-\ning of a monastery and of an Archbishop’s throne in this land. To-\nday a choir of hierarchs and of monastics glorifies you in these words:\n\n11 10\nRejoice, instructor of monastics and converser with angels;\nRejoice, most glorious founder of the ascetic way in our land;\nRejoice, foreseer of the growth of this great vineyard of Christ;\nRejoice, fulfillment of this prophecy to the coming generations;\nRejoice, giver of a true image of the monastic way;\nRejoice, for your love is made manifest to all;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nTWELFTH KONTAKION\nSeeing your grace and your great boldness before God, we entreat\nyou, O Venerable Father Herman, to pray fervently to the Lord, that\nHe will protect His Holy Church from faithlessness and schism, from\nfalse teaching and willfulness, that we may sing to God Who has\ndealt bountifully with us: Alleluia.\nTWELFTH IKOS\nWe praise your glorification, O Venerable One, we bless you, O most\npowerful intercessor and protector of our Church, and with love we\nsing to you:\nRejoice, protector of all who honor you;\nRejoice, speedy intercessor and helper to all;\nRejoice, founder of Orthodoxy in our land;\nRejoice, confirmation of those who come to the Orthodox Faith;\nRejoice, most glorious protector of the Church in America;\nRejoice, her first saint and her wondrous Father;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nTHIRTEENTH KONTAKION\nO Most glorious favorite of God, Our Venerable Father Herman, ac-\ncept this humble prayer we offer up in praise to you. Standing now\nbefore the Throne of the Almighty Lord, ceaselessly pray for us. In\njoy we sing to God: Alleluia.\n(Three times; followed by first Ikos and first Kontakion.)\nFIRST IKOS\nFather Herman, the Creator of the angelic hosts called you to proclaim\nthe Orthodox faith in a new land and to be the founder of the monastic\nway in the remote lands of the north. You were sent, as was the Apostle\nPaul, to those sitting in darkness so that the light of Orthodoxy might\nillumine all the ends of the earth. We, the inhabitants of the American\ncontinents, bring you, our heavenly protector, this thanksgiving and sing\nyou this song of praise:\nRejoice, our Father Herman, our glory, our adornment;\nRejoice, bearer of the light of the true faith to our lands;\nRejoice, ascetic glorified by God;\nRejoice, most honored branch of Valaam Monastery;\nRejoice, praise and joy of the Church in America;\nRejoice, comforter and protector of all of us;\nRejoice, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\nFIRST KONTAKION\nO Chosen Doer of Wonders, most glorious favorite of Christ,\nour God bearing Father Herman, Alaska’s adornment,\nthe joy of all Orthodox in America.\nWe sing to you, our heavenly protector and powerful intercessor\nbefore God, these songs of praise.\nCease not to pray for your children, who cry fervently to you:\nRejoice our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska,\nAmerica’s most glorious doer of wonders.\n\n\n12 13\nDeacon: Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy.\nDeacon: Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by\nThy grace.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy\nDeacon: Commemorating our most holy, most pure, most blessed\nand glorious Lady Theotokos and ever Virgin Mary with all the saints,\nlet us commend ourselves and each other, and all our life unto Christ\nour God.\nChoir: To Thee, O Lord.\nPriest: For blessed is Thy name, and glorified is Thy kingdom: of\nthe Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and\nunto ages of ages.\nChoir: Amen.\nDeacon: Let us attend. Wisdom! Let us attend.\nThe Prokeimenon in the 4th tone:\nPrecious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints..\nChoir: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints.\nDeacon: What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits to-\nwards me?\nChoir: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints.\nDeacon: Precious in the sight of the Lord\nChoir: is the death of His Saints.\nDeacon: Let us pray to the Lord.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy.\nPriest: For holy art Thou, O our God, who restest in the saints, and\nunto Thee we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the\nHoly Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.\nChoir: Amen.\nDeacon: Let every breath praise the Lord!\nChoir: Let every breath praise the Lord!\nDeacon: Praise God in His sanctuary! Praise Him in His mighty\nfirmament!\nChoir: Let every breath praise the Lord!\nDeacon: Let every breath\nChoir: Praise the Lord!\nDeacon: And that we may be accounted worthy of hearing the Holy\nGospel, let us pray to the Lord God.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nDeacon: Wisdom, arise. Let us hear the Holy Gospel!\nPriest: Peace be unto all!\nChoir: And to your spirit.\nPriest: The reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.\nChoir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee!\n\n14 15\nDeacon: Let us attend!\n(Matthew 7: 7-11)\nThe Lord said: “Ask and it will be given you; seek, and you will find;\nknock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks re-\nceives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be\nopened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give\nhim a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you\nthen, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,\nhow much more will your Father Who is in Heaven give good things\nto those who ask Him!”\nChoir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee!\nClergy: O Venerable Father Herman of Alaska, pray unto God for\nus!\nChoir: O Venerable Father Herman of Alaska, pray unto God\nfor us!\nClergy: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,\nChoir: now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.\nIt is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos, ever blessed, and most\npure and the Mother of our God; More honorable than the cheru-\nbim, and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim, with-\nout defilement thou gavest birth to God the Word. True Theotokos\nwe magnify thee.\nDeacon: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great good-\nness, we pray Thee, hearken and have mercy.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nDeacon: Again we pray for His Beatitude, our Metropolitan\nHERMAN, and His Grace our Bishop NIKOLAI, for priests,\ndeacons, and all other clergy and for all our brethren in Christ.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nDeacon: Again we pray for the President of our country, for all civil\nauthorities, and for our armed forces everywhere.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nDeacon: Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, and\nvisitation for the servant(s) of God NN , and for the pardon and re-\nmission of their sins.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nDeacon: Furthermore we pray to Thee, O Lord our God, that the\nvoice of our petition and prayer be heard; have mercy upon Thy\nservant(s) NN, in Thy grace and goodness, and fulfill all their suppli-\ncations, and pardon them their transgressions both voluntary and in-\nvoluntary; that their petitions and alms be acceptable before the throne\nof Thy Majesty, and protect them from all visible and invisible en-\nemies, from all attacks, misfortune and sorrow, and save them from\nillness, and grant them health and length of days: we pray Thee, O\nLord, hearken and have mercy.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nDeacon: Look down, O Master Lover of mankind with Thy merciful\neye upon Thy servant (s) NN and hearken to our prayers offered in\nfaith, for Thou thyself hast said: What things so ever ye desire, when\nye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them, and\nagain: Ask, and it shall be given you, therefore, though unworthy,\nbut trusting upon Thy mercy, we ask: grant Thy grace, to Thy ser-\nvant (s) NN, and fulfill all (his, her, their) good desires, preserve\n(him, her, them) in peace and tranquility; in health and length of days\nall (his, her, their) life, we pray Thee, hearken quickly and graciously\nhave mercy.\n\n16 17\n (Additional petitions are given at the end for special occasions.)\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nDeacon: Furthermore we pray for all the people here present, await-\ning from Thee great and bountiful mercies, for all the brethren and\nfor all Christians.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nPriest: Hear us, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the\nearth, and to those who are far off upon the sea; and show mercy,\nshow mercy, O Master, upon us sinners, and be merciful unto us.\nFor Thou art a merciful God Who lovest mankind, and unto Thee we\nsend up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,\nnow, and ever, and unto ages of ages.\nChoir: Amen.\nPRAYER\nDeacon: Let us pray to our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska!\nChoir: O Venerable Father Herman of Alaska, pray unto God\nfor us!\nPriest: O most wondrous, favorite of God, our venerable Father\nHerman, as a good laborer you did your great spiritual work in a\nharsh climate in this land. In your service to God, you were faithful\nin the little things. And, as the Lord said: “You have been faithful\nover a little, I will set you over much.” {Matt XXV, 24) Now, when\nthis word has been fulfilled in you, the Lord has set you over our\nwhole Church, as her heavenly protector. We call to you in fervent\nprayer: Entreat the Lord to keep our Holy Church steadfast in Ortho-\ndoxy and to reveal her to be an adornment of our land. May He\nprotect her from all the dark powers of the enemy and drive out all\nadversaries. May He grant us purity of faith and beauty of soul.\nPray He will grant us all the spirit of peace and love, the spirit of humility\nand meekness and drive out the sin of pride. Save us from self praise. Be\nour guard against false teachings. Give healing to the sick; to the sorrow-\nful be a comfort. To those who hunger for spiritual truth, give the heavenly\nfood; that we may attain our true desire, and receive the reward of faithful\nservants at the final Judgment. With all the saints we will praise with song:\nthe Life creating Trinity, the Ineffable Father, the True and Only-Begotten\nSon, the Comforter, Holy Spirit, for ever.\nChoir: Amen.\nPRAYER TO THE VENERABLE HERMAN OF ALASKA\nThis Prayer is said before his holy relics or before his holy icon on\nthe day of his glorification August 9/July 27.\nO Venerable Father Herman, we praise and glorify our God and Cre-\nator. All the earth, and everything within it, acknowledges Him as\nCreator and Eternal father. Heaven and earth, angels and men, to-\ngether, praise and glorify Him: the most glorious company of the\nApostles, the praiseworthy fellowship of the prophets, the great and\nnoble gathering of the Martyrs, and the whole community of the saints,\nall praise Him. On this day, the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church\ngives thanks to God for you, O Venerable Elder of Spruce Island.\nWe your heirs and children gather at your holy reliquary and gaze\nwith awe at your sacred relics in the knowledge that your soul joins\ntogether with the Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs, Saints and the Heav-\nenly Hosts before the throne of the Most Merciful God in praise of\nthe Holy Trinity. O Venerable Hermit of Spruce Island, instructor in\nthe faith of the Holy Trinity, our spiritual father and intercessor be-\nfore the throne of Almighty God, pray for peace within the Church\nand dispel all disunity, faithlessness and discord. Come to the aid of\nour spiritual leaders that they may always be true and effective in-\nstruments of the Holy Spirit, enable them to proclaim the truth of the\nGospel with power, give them the wisdom to enlighten the unen-\nlightened and the spirit to inspire all to love the knowledge of God;\nfortify them with the perseverance to defend the Church, even unto\ndeath, from all enemies both within and without and at all times. May the\n\n18 19\nhearts of your spiritual children be filled with that faith and love of the\nHoly Church which you manifested in your holy life; pray Him to deliver\nus from the temptations which cause us to fall; renew in us a child-like faith\nin our Heavenly Father; teach us to place our trust in God, and in Him\nalone; satisfy our thirst for the true knowledge of God; show us how to\nserve God faithfully; transfigure our life that it may truly reflect the image\nand likeness of God within us. O Holy Father and Patron of the Church in\nAmerica: be a physician to the weak in faith; be a support to the fallen; be\na defender to the defenseless; be a bulwark of strength to the weary in\nspirit; be a guide to the travelers by sea, by land and by air; be our heav-\nenly intercessor. O Venerable Father Herman of Alaska, together with all\nthe saints and the heavenly hosts, pray to God that on each of us He will\nbestow wisdom for our mind, strength for our will, light for our spirit,\nenabling us to attain to the true peace of life which is from God alone. We\npraise with joyous and grateful hearts, the Life-Creating Trinity: Father\nAlmighty, Only-Begotten Son, Comforter, Holy Spirit, now and ever, and\nunto ages of ages.\nChoir: Amen.\nDeacon: Wisdom!\nPriest: Most Holy Theotokos, save us.\nChoir: More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious\nbeyond compare than the Seraphim, without defilement thou gavest\nbirth to God the Word, true Theotokos we magnify thee!\nPriest: Glory to Thee, O Christ our God and our hope, glory to\nThee!\n Choir: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,\nnow and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen. Lord, have mercy.\nLord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Father (Master) Bless.\nPriest: May Christ our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure\nMother, the Birth-giver of God, through the prayers of our father among\nthe saints, Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow, Enlightener of the Aleuts,\nTikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, Enlightener of North America, the Confes-\nsor, John of Shanghai and San Francisco, the Wonderworker, Nikolai of\nSouth Canaan, Bishop of Zhicha, Raphael Bishop of Brooklyn, the holy\nHieromartyrs, Juvenal of Iliamna, Alexander and John, Peter the Aleut,\nMartyr of San Francisco, the Venerable Herman of Alaska and all America,\nthe Wonderworker, the holy and Righteous Forebears of God Joachim\nand Ann, the holy and Righteous Alexis of Wilkes-Barre and Minneapolis,\nand Yakov, enlightener of the native peoples of Alaska, and all the saints,\nhave mercy on us and save us, for He is a Good God and lovest Mankind.\nChoir: His Beatitude the Most Blessed HERMAN, Archbishop\nof Washington, Metropolitan of all America and Canada; His\nGrace the Right Reverend NIKOLAI, Bishop of Sitka, Anchor-\nage, and Alaska; the President and government of this country;\nthe brethren of this Holy Temple and all Orthodox Christians;\nO Lord preserve for many years.\n\n\n20 21\n(If it be a service for the sick, the 3 following petitions may be\nread.)\nPriest: Healer of souls and bodies, with broken and repentant hearts\nwe fall down before Thee. Heal every sickness and evil passion\nafflicting Thy servant(s)____. Forgive (him, her, them) every trans-\ngression, whether voluntary or involuntary, and in the goodness of\nThy heart quickly raise (him, her, them) from (his, her, their) bed(s)\nof illness, we beg Thee, Lord hear us and have mercy.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nPriest: O Merciful Lord, Who desires not the death of the sinner, but\nthat he should turn from his wickedness and live, take pity on Thy\nservant(s) ___. Heal (his, her, their) sickness, take away the pain,\nforgive (his, her, their) sins, for we are conceived in sin, and our\nhearts incline to evil even from birth. As Thou didst deliver the\ndaughter of Jairus from the jaws of death, stretch forth Thy strong\nright hand and raise (him, her, them) from this bed of pain and re-\nstore (him, her, them) quickly to health, we beg Thee, Lord, hear us\nand have mercy.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nPriest: O Lord, by the touch of Thy hand Peter’s mother-in-law was\nhealed of her fever. By the tender mercy of Thy compassionate heart\nheal today the illness of Thy servant(s)___, for (his, her, their) afflic-\ntion is great, (he, she, they) has (have) no hope except in Thee, O\nfountain of healings, we beg Thee, Lord, hear us and have mercy.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\n(If it be a service for those about to travel, the following petitions\nmay be read.)\nPriest: O Lord Who gloriously delivered Joseph from his brothers’\njealousy, and led him to Egypt, where he prospered in all things\nthrough Thy blessing, bless also Thy servant(s)___, as (he, she, they)\nbegin (his, her, their) travels, and make (his, her, their) journey to be peaceful\nand profitable, we beg Thee, hear us and have mercy.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nPriest: O Lord, Who didst send Thy angel to travel with Isaac and\nTobias, who enabled them to complete their journey in peace; send\nThine angel of peace to Thy servant(s) who pray(s) to Thee, that he\nmay guide (him, her, them) in all good deeds, and deliver (him, her,\nthem) from all enemies both visible and invisible, and enable (him,\nher, them) to return in safety, peace and prosperity, for the glory of\nThy name, we beg Thee, hear us and have mercy .\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nPriest: O Lord, who didst accompany Luke and Cleopas on the road\nto Emmaus, and didst make them to return to Jerusalem with their\nhearts burning with the joy of Thy resurrection, send Thy grace and\ndivine blessing to accompany Thy servant(s) and guide (him, her,\nthem) in every good work, to the glory of Thy Holy Name. Preserve\n(him, her, them) in health, and bring (him, her, them) back to us\nagain in due time, we beg Thee, our merciful protector, hear us and\nhave mercy.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\n(If the persons are to travel by Sea the following petitions may be\nread.)\nPriest: O Lord, Who dost rebuke the winds and the sea and by a\nsingle word didst calm the waves and give peace to Thine apostles\nwhen they were storm-tossed in the ship; we receive also the prayers\nof Thy servant(s) who come(s) to Thee in faith. Bless (his, her, their)\nvoyage; grant (him, her, them) a calm, peaceful, and untroubled jour-\nney, we beg Thee, hear us and have mercy.\n\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nPriest: O Saviour, Who didst walk upon the water as if it were dry land,\nand didst save Peter from drowning By Thine Almighty right hand, deliver\nThy servant(s) who pray(s) to Thee in faith, and preserve (his, her, their)\njourney from tempests and stormy winds. Bless (his, her, their) voyage\nand restore (him, her, them) to (his, her, their) home(s) in peace, we beg\nThee, hear us and have mercy.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\nPriest: Send Thine angel, O merciful Lord, to accompany (him, her,\nthem) on (his, her, their) way, and to guard (his, her) soul and body\n(their souls and bodies). Preserve and shelter (him, her, them) from\nall enemies, both visible and invisible. Deliver (him, her, them) by\nThy might from all tribulation and danger, from sickness and acci-\ndents. In due time restore (him, her, them) to (his, her, their) home(s)\nin safety, to the glory of Thy Holy Name, we beg Thee, all powerful\nMaster, hear us and have mercy.\nChoir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)\n22