Supplicatory Canon to the Most Philanthropic Son of the Living God the Conqueror of the Coronavirus
By Dr. Haralambos M. Boussias,
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Priest: Blessed is our God always, now and forever and to the ages of ages.
People: Amen.
O Lord, hear my prayer, give ear to my supplications in Your truth; hear me in Your righteousness. Do not enter into judgment, with Your servant, for in Your sight no one living is justified. For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell in darkness, like those who have long been dead, and my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is distressed. I remembered the days of old; I meditated on all Your works: I pondered on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You, like a thirsty land.
Hear me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not turn Your face away from me, lest I be like those who go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Your mercy in the morning, for in You I have put my trust. Cause me to know, O Lord, the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Rescue me, lord, from my enemies; to You have I fled for refuge. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Your good Spirit shall lead me in the land of uprightness. For Your name’s sake, O Lord, You shall quicken me. In Your righteousness You shall bring my soul out of trouble, and in Your mercy, You shall utterly destroy my enemies. And you shall destroy all those who afflict my soul; for I am Your servant.
Tone 4
God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Vs. 1. Give thanks to the Lord and call upon His holy name.
God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Vs. 2. All the nations have surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord, I have overcome them.
God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Vs. 3. This has been done by the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes.
God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Tone pl. 4.
Son of God, most philanthropic Savior,
physician of our souls and bodies,
sweetest God-man, Christ Jesus,
as an august antidote to the coronavirus,
with faith we glorify You and fervently cry out to You:
Ever being a Benefactor,
from pestilential illness hasten to redeem us.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
(Repeat the above.)
Now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
O Theotokos, we shall never be silent,
of your mighty acts, all we the unworthy;
had you not stood to intercede for us
who would have delivered us,
from the numerous perils?
Who would have preserved us all
until now with our freedom?
O Lady, we shall not depart from you;
for you always save your servants,
from all tribulation.
(Then we read:)
Psalm 50
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the multitude of Your compassion blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight, that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. For behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and in sin my mother bore me.
For behold, You have loved truth: You have made known to me the secret things of Your wisdom. You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean: You shall wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that bones which You have broken may rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation: And establish me with Your governing Spirit.
I shall teach transgressors Your ways, and the ungodly shall turn back to You. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation, my tongue shall rejoice in Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For if You had desired sacrifice, I would give it: You do not delight in burnt offering. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, God will not despise a broken and humbled heart.
Do good in Your good pleasure to Sion; and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then You shall be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole burnt offerings. Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
Canon to the acrostic (in Greek): "Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ἰοῦ κορώνης ἡμᾶς ἐκλύτρωσαι. Χ." ("Son of God, redeem us from the coronavirus. H.")
Ode 1. The Heirmos. Plagal of the 4th Tone
Son of our Most High God,
who heals all
Your divine benefactions
cease not for those who glorify You,
being most sympathetic and all-merciful.
As the only destroyer of the coronavirus,
speedily deliver, O Life-giver,
Your servants from its scourge,
Son of the Highest, philanthropic Lord.
Fountain of mercy and compassion,
Son of the Highest,
speedily deliver those who implore You,
from pestilential illness,
nationwide we glorify You, lover of mankind.
Theotokion.
Heal us from our pestilential illnesses,
we fervently implore You,
Eleousa,
Kykkotissa Full of Grace,
by the heavenly grace given to you.
Ode 3. The Heirmos.
Reverently we cry out to You:
Son of God compassionate one,
only physician of the souls and bodies
of Your servants,
redeem us from the pandemic
of the coronavirus pandemic,
those who glorify You.
Send the heavenly rain
of Your mercy to the faithful,
who glorify You,
spotless Son of God,
and deliver us,
from the gloomy storm
of the coronavirus,
the much-compassionate Savior and Lord.
Most-hymned Word of God,
Christ, by the ray
of Your philanthropy,
warm the hearts of Your servants, Lord,
to love those
entangled and pursued
by the coldness of the virus,
alas, the soul-destroying.
Theotokion.
I entreat You healer,
the dignity of Christians,
Mother of God, Eleousa,
deliver us all
from the terrible epidemic,
of the coronavirus,
wondrous destroyer
of illnesses and afflictions.
Deliver us,
Son of the Highest, from the scourge those entreating You,
that has visited us from the coronavirus, lover of mankind,
You who heal all sicknesses.
Turn to me,
In your good favor, all-hymned Theotokos;
Look upon my grave illnesses,
Which painfully sting my flesh
and heal the cause of my soul's pain.
(The Priest commemorates those for whom the Supplicatory Canon is sung.)
Priest: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy, hear us and have mercy.
People: Lord have mercy (3).
Priest: Again we pray for our Archbishop (Name), our Bishop (Name), and all the clergy and the laity in Christ.
People: Lord have mercy (3).
Priest: Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and remission of the sins of the servants of God, all pious and Orthodox Christians, those who reside and visit in this city, the members, council members, contributors, and benefactors of this holy church.
People: Lord have mercy (3).
Priest: Again we pray for the servants of God. . . (At this time the Priest commemorates those for whom the Paraklesis is sung.)
People: Lord have mercy (3).
Priest: For You are a merciful and loving God, and to You we give glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.
People: Amen.
(After the petitions, we chant the following Kathisma:)
Tone 2.
Son of God, most philanthropic God,
who has prevailed over every dragon under the sun,
deliver us from the scourge,
woe to me, of the coronavirus,
those who ask to receive medicine
from You, Jesus, the granter of life.
Ode 4. The Heirmos.
Behold from heaven
the sickness of your suppliants, Son and Lord,
and put a stop to the pain
by Your attendance as one who is lovingly compassionate.
Those who sing hymns to You snatch away
from the scourge of the pandemic of the coronavirus,
Jesus, the Son and lover of mankind,
of the sympathetic Almighty one.
Entirely calm Your servant
from the distress of the coronavirus, God-man,
You alone are able
to heal distress that is incurable.
Theotokion.
Guide to health and strength
in the refuge of the harbor,
Eleousa, all those who
hymn you, spotless Kykkotissa.
Ode 5. The Heirmos.
Deliver us
from the coronavirus those who glorify You,
Son of God, and with steadfast faith
receive the cup of life.
As the healer,
of pestilential diseases and the coronavirus,
come in haste, Son of God,
we glorify You, the only lover of mankind.
Now, Son of God,
we beseech You: Overlook
our apostasy from You
and free us from the coronavirus.
Theotokion.
For our daily health,
Eleousa, lift by night
the idle coronavirus,
Kykkotissa who gave birth to God.
Ode 6. The Heirmos.
Make sensible Your senseless servants,
and be not quick, Savior, to punish us,
Christ, through the death-bearing pandemic
of the coronavirus, ever-merciful one,
Son of the King of all and God,
speedily heal the pestilential disease.
May Your Grace come
upon all the sick immediately, Savior,
ever-sympathetic Word of God in the Highest,
the speedy physician of all the sick, all-merciful one,
and the destroyer of the coronavirus, most-divine Lord.
Redeem me, who glorifies You,
from the madness of the coronavirus,
most-compassionate Son of God, and all
those who believe in You, all-good Savior,
but by our words and deeds have
provoked Your goodness to anger.
Theotokion.
Drive away from us,
Kykkotissa Eleousa, Virgin Theotokos,
the epidemic of the coronavirus,
and all sicknesses, Lady,
incurable or pestilential,
which utterly afflict, alas, your supplicants.
Deliver us,
Son of the Highest, from the scourge those entreating You,
that has visited us from the coronavirus, lover of mankind,
You who heal all sicknesses.
Spotless one,
Who by a word, did bring to us the Word eternal,
In the last days ineffably;
Do you now plead with Him
As the one with the motherly favor.
(The priest commemorates as before.)
Kontakion. Tone 2.
Turn not Your face away from us,
Son and Word of God, but deliver us
from impiety and the scourge of the coronavirus,
as a most sympathetic Father, who desires the salvation of His children.
Prokeimenon. Tone 4. All the paths of the Lord are merciful and true.
Verse. Lead me, Lord, in Your truth.
Priest: Let us pray to the Lord our God, that we may be deemed worthy to hear the Holy Gospel.
People: Lord, have mercy (3).
Priest: Wisdom, Arise, Let us hear the Holy Gospel. Peace be with all.
People: And with your spirit.
Priest: The reading of the Holy Gospel according to John. Let us be attentive.
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Priest: The Lord said to his disciples, "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many mansion; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father?' Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me."
People: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Tone 2.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Deliver Your servants
from the coronavirus,
we who glorify You,
Son of God of the Highest.
Now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Through the intercessions
of the Theotokos,
Merciful One,
wash away my many personal offenses.
Prosomoion. Plagal of the 2nd Tone.
Verse: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the multitude of Your compassions blot out my transgressions.
Sweetest Jesus,
Son of God of the Highest,
unmercenary physician,
of all those who
glorify You in song,
deliver us all from
the death-bearing scourge
of the coronavirus,
as one who is most-sympathetic
and all-merciful,
who flee to Your all-healing power
and might, Word of Creation,
who in Your earthly life,
healed all those who came to You,
as a benefactor ridding all illnesses.
Priest: O God, save Your People, and bless Your inheritance; look upon Your world with mercy and compassion; raise the Orthodox Christians to glory, and shower us with your abundant mercies, through the intercessions of our all-pure Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, through the power of the precious and life-giving Cross; through the protection of the honorable, heavenly bodiless powers; of the honorable, glorious prophet, the Forerunner John the Baptist; of the holy glorious and all-praised Apostles; of our holy fathers the great hierarchs and ecumenical teachers, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom; Athanasios and Cyril, John the Merciful, patriarchs of Alexandria; Nicholas of Myra, Spyridon of Trimythous, the wonderworkers; of the holy glorious great martyrs George the Triumphant, Demetrios the Myrrhgusher, Theodore the Tiro and Theodore the General; of the holy-martyrs Haralambos and Eleutherios; of the holy glorious triumphant Martyrs; of our pious and God-bearing Fathers; of (the Saint of the Church); of the holy and righteous Ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna; of Saint (Name) whose memory we celebrate today; and of all Your Saints, we beseech You Lord, Who alone are all merciful; hear the prayers of us sinners and have mercy upon us.
People: Lord, have mercy (12).
Priest: By the mercy and compassion, and love of Your only begotten Son, with whom You are blessed, together with Your all-holy and life giving Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Ode 7. The Heirmos
You, the Son of the Highest,
we glorify with all our soul,
crying out to You with faith:
Deliver us from the
death-bearing coronavirus,
as the only mighty
and powerful God,
and drive away sicknesses,
that encompass us.
Ever-sympathetic Savior,
accept the entreaties of all,
lover of mankind,
who clearly glorify You,
and redeem us all who
are worn out from the terrible
pandemic of the coronavirus
Calm the distress
from the coronavirus,
of those who glorify You,
Son of God of the Highest,
and commune with faith
Your spotless Body
and Your revered Blood,
both for our healing.
Theotokion.
By the brilliance of your prayers,
Virgin Eleousa,
revered Kykkotissa,
drive away the darkness
of the sickness of the pestilence
from your servants and grant
us daily health
Lady Theotokos.
Ode 8. The Heirmos
I sing hymns to You,
Son of God, I beseech You,
who cleansed lepers,
speedily cleanse me of the
pestilential disease, Savior.
The physician of diseases,
God the Word,
deliver the Orthodox
who glorify You, from the
pandemic of the coronavirus.
Wipe away,
the drops of tears, Son of God,
of Your servants according
to Your sympathy, wiping from those
worn out by the coronavirus.
Theotokion.
As a healer,
Virgin Eleousa,
we sing hymns to you
as the Life-giving Spring,
let us now draw out
healing from its waters.
Ode 9. The Heirmos.
Bounteously shower down
from heaven upon Your servants
with the rain of salvation, Word of Creation,
upon the healthy and the sick, lover of mankind.
Hasten to drive away
the pestilential illness,
of the coronavirus, God-man,
Son and Word of the Highest, most-compassionate.
Put a stop to the cornavirus,
my Jesus Christ,
Son of God, save all those who supplicate You,
who by divine calling piously confess You.
Theotokion.
A fountain of grace are you
Eleousa to those who supplicate you,
water us from the stream with
courage and strength and health, Birth-giver of God.
(The priest censes the altar and the people, or the place where the Paraklesis is held, while we chant the following Megalynaria.)
Truly you are worthy to be blessed,
Mother of our God, the Theotokos,
You the ever blessed one, and all blameless one,
And the Mother of our God.
More honorable than the Cherubim,
And beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim;
Without corruption,
You gave birth to God the Word;
You are the Theotokos;
You do we magnify.
Come let us reverently receive,
the spotless Body
and the revered Blood
of the Son of the Highest,
the only antidote
are You that exists
to the coronavirus.
From the pandemic redeem us all
of the coronavirus
those who steadfastly glorify You
as the Son of the Highest God,
Christ the King of all,
who alone can put a stop
to the strength of the sickness.
Remember Your servant, Jesus,
who is suffering distress
from the scourge of the coronavirus,
Savior, Son of God,
there does not exist
an antidote like Your Blood
and Your Body, O Lord.
Send Your mercy upon us,
we who have sinned,
and are unable to gaze upon
Your beautiful form, O Savior,
woe is me, for I am now
tempest-tossed because
of the coronavirus.
Most beautiful Savior, Jesus,
disperse from me the fear
of death because of the coronavirus
which has fallen upon us,
You who alone
are able to heal
all forms of pestilential illnesses.
Hasten to banish despair
from Your servants, O Jesus,
for due to the scourge
of the coronavirus, Savior,
dread has come upon us,
Son of God of the Highest,
who is very ever merciful.
With the hosts of Angels, God's messengers,
with the Lord's Forerunner,
and Apostles, the chosen twelve,
with the saints most holy,
and with you, the Theotokos,
we seek your intercession
for our salvation.
People: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us (3).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Most holy Trinity, have mercy upon us; Lord, pardon our sins; Master, forgive our transgressions; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake.
Lord have mercy (3).
Glory to the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil one.
Priest: For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.
People: Amen.
(Then we chant the following Apolytikion)
Plagal of the 1st Tone.
Hasten to hear our entreaties,
Benefactor of the human race,
Son and Word of God,
speedy physician of the coronavirus,
who is able to drive away pestilential
sicknesses from the people
and banishes the fear of death from all
who with much reverence glorify You.
Priest: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy, hear us and have mercy.
People: Lord, have mercy (3).
Priest: Again we pray for our Archbishop (Name), and our Bishop (Name), and all the clergy and the laity in Christ.
People: Lord, have mercy (3).
Priest: Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness, and remission of the sins of the servants of God, all pious and Orthodox Christians, those who reside and visit in this city, the members, council members, contributors, and benefactors of this holy church.
People: Lord, have mercy (3).
Priest: Again we pray for the servants of God ... (at this time the Priest commemorates those for whom the Paraklesis is sung.)
People: Lord, have mercy (3).
Priest: Again we pray for the safekeeping of this holy church and this city, and of all cities and towns from pestilence, famine, earthquake, flood, fire and the sword, from invasion of enemies, civil war, and unforeseen death; for His mercy, that He will be kind to entreat as our good God, Who loves all people and that He may turn away and scatter all wrath and disease that moves against us, and deliver us from His impending, justified chastisement, and have mercy on us.
People: Lord, have mercy (3).
Priest: Again we pray that the Lord God will hear the voices of the petitions of us sinners and have mercy on us.
People: Lord, have mercy (3).
Priest: Hear us, O God, our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of those who are far off upon the sea; and show compassion on us, O Master, on our many sins, and have mercy upon us.
People: Lord, have mercy (3).
Priest: For you are a merciful and loving God, and to You we give glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of the ages.
People: Amen.
Priest: Glory to You, O God, our hope, glory to You. May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of Your all-pure and blameless holy Mother; of the holy glorious and praise-worthy Apostles; of the holy glorious and triumphant martyrs; of the Holy Martyr Harlambos, our Holy Father Spyridon and the Venerable Nikephoros the Leper; of (the Saint of the Church); of the holy righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna; of Saint (Name) whose memory we celebrate today; and of all the Saints, have mercy and save us, as a good and loving God.
Tone 2.
Savior, most-sympathetic Christ,
physician of our souls and our bodies,
Son of the Highest God,
from the pandemic, ever-merciful one,
of the coronavirus,
do O Lord deliver us
from its bitterness speedily,
You have shown to us
Your philanthropy,
hasten in Your compassion
and care in the fears
of our life, compassionate Lord.
Plagal of the 4th Tone
Lady, do you receive,
from your servants, their many prayers;
and deliver all of us,
from all sadness and necessity.
Tone 2.
All my hopes do I
place in you,
place in you,
Mother of our God,
Keep me under your protection.
Priest: Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy and save us.
People: Amen.
Verses.
Son of the Highest, together with Nikephoros and Haralambos,
from the coronavirus save us all.
THE END
AND TO OUR ONLY
TRUE GOD
BE THE GLORY
Greek Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
Corona, Virus of the Hard Heart
By Dr. Haralambos M. Boussias
Cold is good for viral infections. With heat, they disappear. Cold preserves foodstuffs, but freezes human activities. Cold deadens nature which awaits the life-giving rays of the sun for its revival. The cold puts people who work outside, farmers and such, into hibernation, in the expectation of the coming of spring when they can, once again start their laborious tasks. The cold makes people gather around their hearths, learning from the reminiscences of the past and planning for the future. Finally, in today’s conditions and experiences, the cold encourages the spread of the corona pandemic which will not pass until the warmth of the spring and summer arrives.
God, Who ‘made everything in wisdom’ (Ps. 103:24) has brought us heat and cold in the yearly cycle. If we didn’t huddle together in our homes during the cold spell, we wouldn’t then enjoy the warmth in the countryside or at the sea. In human terms, we’ve associated cold with restriction and, perhaps, general unpleasantness, whereas warmth is desirable and lovely. We even say this about types of people: ‘He’s cold'; 'she’s a cold sort of person’. But if we like someone then it’s ‘They’ve got warm love’, ‘warm behavior’ ‘we send our warmest wishes’, and ‘they’ve got a warm heart’.
What’s unfortunate these days isn’t the effect of warm or cold weather on our everyday lives, since we’re never satisfied with that in any case, but our spiritual warmth and coldness in every manifestation of our existence. In our social environment, even among Christians, we see that the love of many has grown cold (Matt. 24:12). We’ve become frigid emotionally. It’s terrible that, in our own immediate social sphere, there are people who live in apartments, but are isolated. They die without anybody even knowing. There are people in hospitals whom nobody visits, even though hundreds of people are walking backwards and forwards all the time. We see disabled elderly people, abandoned children, mothers without help, people living in hardship, all of whom say, with pain, ‘I have no one’ (cf. Jn. 5:7), underlining the fact that loneliness is a tragic phenomenon these days. It really is a tragedy, in an age when means of communication have been perfected, that there are still people suffering from loneliness, which isn’t merely isolation, but abandonment because of lack of love. If there’s no love, you can be living in the midst of millions of others, but still feel alone, without anyone you can confide in, open your heart to, speak to about your problems, your pain, your anxieties. This is the epidemic of our estrangement from God, the epidemic of the deadly virus of hard-heartedness and dissociation from the Gospel precepts of love, mutual feelings and togetherness. Nothing has been published about this. It doesn’t have the dimensions of a pandemic, though it is deadly.
Regarding the coronavirus, there’s hope of a vaccine and the advent of hot weather which will kill it. For the virus of hard-heartedness, the hope is a warming of the heart and the vaccine of God’s Grace. If we warm our hearts with love and ask for Divine Grace then we’ll kill off every deadly virus and will bear the Cross as we tread our path through life, in the certainty that the Lord’s Grace will bring us to the Resurrection. The spiritual coronavirus will have disappeared. It can’t survive in hearts warmed by love.