The Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos before the Icon of ‘Unexpected Joy’ is a prayer that helps us deepen our understanding and reverence for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was created to pay homage to the Most Holy Theotokos before the miraculous icon ‘Unexpected Joy’, considered one of the greatest icons of the Theotokos in the world.
Кондак 1
We offer to you, O All-Pure Mother of God and Queen, a hymn of thanksgiving, for you have appeared to the lawless man, sometimes, in order to turn him away from the path of wickedness. You, as one possessing an unfathomable mercy, set us free from all afflictions and sins, and we call out to you:
Radiant, O Unforeseen Joy of the Faithful.
Икос 1
The angels and righteous souls were amazed when you stood before your Son and God, and interceded for the man, who was perpetually dwelling in sin. We, beholding your boundless compassion with the eyes of faith, humbly entreat you thus:
Radiant, O Receiver of All Christian Prayers;
Radiant, O One Who Does Not Reject the Prayers of the Most Desperate Sinners.
Radiant, O One Who Intercedes Before Your Son on Their Behalf;
Radiant, O One Who Grants Unforeseen Joy of Salvation to Them.
Radiant, O One Who Saves the Whole World Through Your Intercession;
Radiant, O One Who Alleviates All Our Sorrow.
Radiant, O Mother of All God, Who Comforts the Souls That Are Enraged;
Radiant, O One Who Orders Our Life Well.
Radiant, O One Who Brings Salvation from Sins to All Humanity;
Radiant, O Mother of All Joy to the Whole World.
Radiant, O Unforeseen Joy of the Faithful.
Кондак 2
Beholding the Most Holy One, who, though a sinner, yet, with faith and hope, daily prostrates himself before your holy icon, and greets her with the Archangel’s greeting, the sinner, too, is worthy of praise, and all, beholding your maternal mercy, shall cry out to God on earth and in heaven:
Alleluia
Икос 2
The human mind is truly surpassed by your love for the Christian race, for even when your Son showed you the wounds of the cross, the sins committed by humanity against Him, your intercession for the lawless man did not cease. Beholding you, O Unwavering Intercessor for us sinners, we cry out to you with tears:
Radiant, O Zealous Patroness of the Christian Race, Given to Us by God;
Radiant, O Our Guide, Leading Us to the Heavenly Fatherland.
Radiant, O Defense and Refuge of the Faithful;
Radiant, O Help of All Who Invoke Your Holy Name.
Radiant, O One Who Rescues All Who Are Despised and Rejected from the Pit of Destruction;
Radiant, O One Who Turns Them to the Right Path.
Radiant, O One Who Drives Away Perpetual Sorrow and Mental Darkness;
Radiant, O One Who Grants the New and Better Understanding to Those Who Are Afflicted.
Radiant, O One Who Receives Those Abandoned by Physicians into Your Omnipotent Hands.
Radiant, O Unforeseen Joy of the Faithful.
Condak 3
There has been an abundance of the power of grace in the place where sin has multiplied; may all the angels in heaven rejoice at the one repentant sinner, singing before the throne of God:
Alleluia
Icos 3
Having maternal mercy towards the Christian people, You provide a helping hand to all who come to You with faith and hope, O Lady, so that all may offer You sincere praise with one heart and one mouth:
Rejoice, for through You, divine favor comes to us;
Rejoice, for through You, we have greater boldness towards God.
Rejoice, for through You, You intercede with fervent prayers to Your Son in all our afflictions;
Rejoice, for You make our prayers acceptable to God.
Rejoice, for You drive away invisible enemies from us;
Rejoice, for You deliver us from visible enemies.
Rejoice, for You soften the hearts of wicked men;
Rejoice, for You deliver us from slander, annoyance, and reproach.
Rejoice, for through You, all our good desires are fulfilled;
Rejoice, for Your prayer is mighty before Your Son and God.
Rejoice, as the unexpected joy of the faithful;
Condak 4
Having a tempest of sinful thoughts within, the lawless man prayed before Your holy icon, and seeing the Blood of Your Eternal Son flowing like a stream, as on the Cross, he fell down in fear and weeping, and cried out to You: “Have mercy on me, O Mother of Mercy, lest my wickedness overcome Your boundless goodness and mercy; for You are the only hope and refuge of all sinners. Be gracious, O benevolent Mother, and intercede with Your Son and my Creator, that I may continually cry out to Him:
Alleluia
Icos 4
Having heard from the angels about the wondrous salvation of their earthly brother through Your prayers, they praised You, O benevolent Queen of Heaven and earth; and we, sinners, having learned about Your similar intercession for a sinner like us, although our tongue may falter in praising You, from the depths of our sorrowful heart, we sing to You:
Rejoice, as the Mediator of the salvation of sinners;
Rejoice, as the Redemption of the fallen.
Rejoice, as the Unexpected Joy of sinners;
Rejoice, as the Resurrection of the fallen.
Rejoice, as the Intercessor before God, who brings peace from troubles;
Rejoice, for the voices of Your prayers make demons tremble.
Rejoice, for the angels rejoice at this;
Rejoice, for Your prayers bring joy to us, earthly-born.
Rejoice, for You deliver us from the mire of sin;
Rejoice, for You extinguish the flame of our passions.
Rejoice, as the Unexpected Joy of the faithful;
Conakion 5
Thou hast shown unto us a God-bearing star, the wonder-working icon of Thy Mother, O Lord; for gazing upon the image of Her with bodily eyes, mind, and heart, we ascend to the Prototypes, and through Her we ascend unto Thee, singing:
Alleluia
Ikos 5
Having seen the Guardian Angels of Christians how the Mother of God assists them in guidance, intercession, and salvation, they sought to cry out thus, O most honorable than Cherubim and more glorious beyond comparison than Seraphim:
Rejoice, reigning eternally with Thy Son as God;
rejoice, always bringing the prayers of the race of Christians to Him.
Rejoice, Teacher in the faith and piety of Christians;
rejoice, Root-utter of heres and corrupting schisms.
Rejoice, preserving from the temptations that corrupt both soul and body;
rejoice, delivering from perilous circumstances and sudden death without repentance and Holy Communion.
Rejoice, granting an unashameful end of life to those who hope in Thee;
rejoice, and even after death, for the soul departed to the Lord’s judgment, ceaselessly pleading before Thy Son.
Rejoice, delivering this world from eternal tormentation by Thy Motherly intercession;
Rejoice, granting unexpected joy to the faithful.
Conakion 6
The preacher of Thy wondrous mercy, granted to a certain lawless man, appeared as Saint Dmitry of Rostov, who, having recorded the great and glorious, and exceptional works of God revealed in Thee, committed them to writing; and this deed of Thy mercy for the instruction and comfort of all the faithful, and also for those who, in sins, woes, sorrows, and bitterness, many times every day with faith bow their knees in prayer before Thy icon and, having overcome these things, cry out to God:
Alleluia
Ikos 6
Thou hast shone upon us like the most radiant dawn, Thy wonder-working icon, O Theotokos, driving away the darkness of woes and sorrows from all who cry out to Thee with love thus:
Rejoice, our Healer in bodily diseases;
rejoice, Gracious Comforter in our spiritual sorrows.
Rejoice, transforming our grief into joy;
rejoice, gladdening the hopeless with certain hope.
Rejoice, Nourisher of the hungry;
rejoice, Garment of the naked.
Rejoice, Comforter of widows;
rejoice, invisible Nurturer of orphans without mothers.
Rejoice, Advocate of the unjustly persecuted and offended;
rejoice, just-vengeful avenger of those who persecute and offend.
Rejoice, granting unexpected joy to the faithful.
Condak 7
The Righteous Lawgiver, the Lord Himself, though He is the Executor of the Law, has revealed His boundless mercy, and, moved by Your fervent prayer, O Blessed Mother of God, has spoken to the sinful man: “The Law commands, that the son should honor his mother. I am Your Son, and You are My Mother; I must honor You, obeying Your prayer; therefore, do as You wish: now, Your sins are forgiven You, on My account.” We, seeing the power of the intercessor’s prayer for the forgiveness of our sins, shall extol the mercy and ineffable benevolence of Her, calling out:
Alleluia
Icos 7
A new, wondrous, and glorious sign has appeared to all the faithful, that not only Your Mother, but also the immaculate image of Her, depicted on the icon, has been endowed with the power of miracles, O Lord; marveling at this mystery, we cry out to Her with a heart full of compassion:
Rejoice, O revelation of God’s wisdom and goodness;
Rejoice, O confirmation of faith.
Rejoice, O manifestation of grace;
Rejoice, O gift of soul-nourishing knowledge.
Rejoice, O overthrow of soul-destroying teachings;
Rejoice, O easy overcoming of sinful habits.
Rejoice, O gift of the word of wisdom to those who ask;
Rejoice, O one who makes the senseless wise.
Rejoice, O one who gives understanding to those who are in need of guidance;
Rejoice, O good Guardian and Guide of youth.
Rejoice, O unexpected joy of the faithful;
Condak 8
A strange and terrifying vision appeared to a sinful man, showing him the Lord’s goodness, forgiving his sins through the intercession of the Mother of God; therefore, from that time on, he corrected his life, living a virtuous life. Thus, we, seeing the glorious deeds and the manifold wisdom of God in the world and in our lives, shall remove ourselves from earthly vanities and superfluous worldly cares, and lift up our mind and heart to Heaven, singing to God:
Alleluia
Icos 8
You have not departed from those who dwell in the heavens, nor from those who dwell on earth, O Most Merciful Queen of Heaven and earth; for, although You ascended to Heaven with Your immaculate flesh at Your Dormition, You have not abandoned the sinful earth, appearing as the Co-Worker of the Promised Son of God for the Christian race. Therefore, we, out of duty, extol You:
Rejoice, O illuminator of the whole earth with the radiance of Your pure soul;
Rejoice, O one who has made all the heavens rejoice with the purity of Your flesh.
Rejoice, O Holy Servant of the Promised Son of God for the Christian race;
Rejoice, O zealous Intercessor for the whole world.
Rejoice, O one who has adopted us all as children at the Cross of Your Son;
Rejoice, O one who always shows maternal love to us.
Rejoice, O generous Bestower of all gifts, spiritual and bodily;
Rejoice, O faithful Guide and Helper.
Rejoice, O one who opens the gates of the Kingdom of Christ to the faithful;
Rejoice, O one who fills the hearts of the righteous with pure joy.
Rejoice, O unexpected joy of the faithful;
Condak 9
All angelic nature is astonished by the deed of Your mercy, O Lord, for You have granted us a steadfast and warm Intercessor and Helper for the Christian people, who invisibly intercedes for us and hears those who sing to You:
Alleluia
Icos 9
Formerly, many were ignorant, but not unenlightened, and they spoke foolishly, as if the veneration of the holy image were the same as the worship of an idol; for they do not understand that the honor given to the holy image ascends to the Prototype. We, however, not only understand this well, but also, having heard of many miracles wrought by the face of the Mother of God from the faithful, and having received the benefit of veneration for both temporal and eternal life, we joyfully invoke the Mother of God:
Rejoice, for from Your sacred face, wonders are wrought;
Rejoice, for the wisdom and grace of this mystery have been hidden from the wise and prudent of this age.
Rejoice, for You were revealed as a child in faith;
Rejoice, for You glorify those who glorify You.
Rejoice, for You shame those who reject You before all;
Rejoice, for You deliver those who flee to You from drowning, fire, and sword, and from deadly wounds and from all evil.
Rejoice, for You heal all human infirmities, both bodily and spiritual;
Rejoice, for You quickly appease the righteous wrath of God through Your intercession.
Rejoice, for You are a peaceful haven for those who sail on the stormy sea of life;
Rejoice, for You lead us safely to the untroubled land of the Kingdom of Christ at the end of our earthly journey.
Rejoice, for You grant an unexpected joy to the faithful.
Condak 10
May You save one man, a sinner, from the error of his life’s path, O Most Blessed One, for You have shown him a wondrous vision from Your holy icons, that, seeing the miracle, he may repent and, lifted up by Your merciful providence from the depths of his sinful life, cry out to God:
Alleluia
Icos 10
You are a wall, O Virgin Mother, for maidens, and for all who come to You, for You are the Creator of heaven and earth, who dwelt in Your womb and was born of You. Show Yourself, O Immaculate Virgin, as the guardian of virginity, purity, and chastity, and as the vessel of all virtues, and teach all to proclaim You:
Rejoice, pillar and guardian of virginity;
Rejoice, invisible protector of purity and chastity.
Rejoice, good teacher of maidens;
Rejoice, beautiful adornment and patroness of brides.
Rejoice, perfect fulfillment of good marriages;
Rejoice, speedy deliverance of mothers in childbirth.
Rejoice, upbringing and gracious protection of infants;
Rejoice, joy of childless parents, and of those who are barren in faith and spirit.
Rejoice, comfort of sorrowing mothers;
Rejoice, secret joy of chaste maidens and widows.
Rejoice, grant an unexpected joy to the faithful.
Condak 11
We, unworthy ones, beseech Thee, O Virgin Theotokos, to accept our hymn of supplication, and not despise the voice of Thy servants, for we flee to Thee in times of tribulation and sorrow, and weep before Thee in our afflictions, singing:
Alleluia
Icos 11
The light-bearing candle, which hath appeared in the darkness of sin and the lamentation of tears, hath revealed to us the Holy Virgin; for Thy spiritual fire, kindling the prayers of Thy servants, guides them to the Light of the Eternal Day, and comforts those who invoke Thee with these hymns:
Rejoice, O Radiance of the Sun of Truth, Christ our God;
Rejoice, Thou who enlightenest the unclean conscience.
Rejoice, Thou who, in secret and unforeseen ways, dost lead all to good, and dost declare what is fitting;
Rejoice, Thou who dost confound the false prophets and the vain divinations.
Rejoice, Thou who, in times of perplexity, dost implant a thought of good in the heart;
Rejoice, Thou who dost abide with those who persevere in fasting, prayer, and godly meditation.
Rejoice, Thou who dost comfort and instruct the faithful pastors of the Church;
Rejoice, Thou who dost bring solace and comfort to the God-fearing monks and nuns.
Rejoice, Thou who art the unashamed Intercessor for sinners before God;
Rejoice, Thou who art the warm Intercessor for all Christians.
Rejoice, Thou who dost bestow unexpected joy upon the faithful;
Condak 12
Grant us, O Mother of God, the divine blessing of Thy Son and God, stretch forth Thy hand of help to us, drive away from us every enemy and adversary, calm our life, that we may not perish in wickedness, but receive us into the eternal mansions, O our Mother, that we may sing to God, who hath saved us through Thee:
Alleluia
Icos 12
Singing Thy incomprehensible maternal mercy towards the sinful man, we all praise Thee, O Thou who art a firm Intercessor for us, and we worship Thee, O Thou who dost entreat for us; for we believe and trust, that Thou hast obtained from Thy Son and God the good things of this life and the life to come, for those who cry out to Thee with love, thus:
Rejoice, Thou who dost put to shame all the wiles and temptations of the world, flesh, and devil;
Rejoice, Thou who dost bring about the unexpected reconciliation of those who were at enmity.
Rejoice, Thou who dost bring about the unknown correction of the unrepentant sinners;
Rejoice, Thou who dost bring comfort to those who are worn out by sorrow and grief.
Rejoice, Thou who dost supply us with the gift of humility and patience;
Rejoice, Thou who dost bring to light the public censure of perjuries and unjust acquisitions.
Rejoice, Thou who dost protect us from domestic strife and family enmity, and dost enclose us in peace and love;
Rejoice, Thou who dost turn us away from pernicious beginnings and vain desires.
Rejoice, Thou who art the constant Helper of our good intentions;
Rejoice, Thou who art the Helper at the hour of our departure.
Rejoice, Thou who dost bestow unexpected joy upon the faithful;
Кондак 13
Oh, All-Pure Mother, who in thy womb didst contain the Uncontainable God and didst give birth to the Joy of the entire world! Accept our present hymn, and transform our sorrow into joy, and deliver us from all present and future afflictions, O Thee whom we cry out to:
Alleluia
This Kontakion is read three times, followed by “Ikos 1” and “Kontakion 1”.
Икос 1
The angels and the righteous were amazed when thou didst appear before thy Son and God, and didst intercede for man, who was perpetually immersed in sin; we, however, with eyes of faith beholding thy boundless compassion, cry out to Thee thus:
Rejoice, O Mother of all Christians, who dost receive all prayers;
rejoice, O Mother, who dost not reject the prayers of the most desperate sinners.
Rejoice, O Mother, who dost intercede before thy Son on their behalf;
rejoice, O Mother, who dost grant them the unexpected joy of salvation.
Rejoice, O Mother, who dost save the entire world through thy intercession;
rejoice, O Mother, who dost soothe all our sorrows.
Rejoice, O Mother of all God, who dost comfort souls embittered by sin;
rejoice, O Mother, who dost order our lives well.
Rejoice, O Mother, who hast brought deliverance from sins to all humanity;
rejoice, O Mother, who hast given birth to the Joy of the entire world.
Rejoice, O Mother, who dost grant the unexpected joy to the faithful;
Кондак 1
Thou, O most chosen of all the generations of God, and Queen, who didst appear to man, a sinner, at times, to turn him away from the path of wickedness, we offer to thee, O Theotokos, a hymn of thanksgiving; and thou, with an inexhaustible wellspring of compassion, dost deliver us from all our afflictions and sins, that we may cry out to thee:
Rejoice, O Mother, who dost grant the unexpected joy to the faithful;
Молитва
O Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Most Holy Son, our Protectress, and Defender of all who are in sin, sorrow, affliction, and disease! Accept this hymn of supplication from us, unworthy servants of thine, and as thou didst not despise the publican who prayed before thy holy icon, but didst grant him the unexpected joy of repentance, so also now, do not despise our supplications, and intercede with thy Son and our God, that He may grant us the unexpected joy, according to each one’s need:
to the sinful, who are plunged in the depths of wickedness and passions, deliverance, repentance, and salvation;
to those who are in sorrow and grief, consolation;
to those who are in affliction and anger, complete deliverance;
to the timid and the hopeless, hope and patience;
to those who live in joy and abundance, unceasing thanksgiving to the Beneficent God;
to the afflicted, mercy;
to those who are in disease and long illness, and who are abandoned by physicians, unexpected healing and strengthening;
to those whose mind is clouded by disease, the return of the mind and its renewal;
and to those who are departing this life for the eternal and endless one, remembrance of death, sorrow, and repentance, a spirit that is awake and a firm hope in the mercy of the Judge.
O Most Holy Virgin! Have mercy on all who honor thy holy name, and show thy powerful protection and intercession to all; preserve those who live in piety, purity, and chastity until the end of their lives, and grant them the good things of the Lord; turn the wicked to the path of righteousness; assist all who are doing good and pleasing to thy Son; destroy