Ekos 2
A mind
pure and free of passions do thou entreat for us, O most wondrous Michael,
leader of the heavenly ranks, that having ascended in thought from the earthly
to the heavenly, we may sing to thee a hymn of praise thus:
Rejoice, nearest beholder of
the ineffable beauty and goodness of God!
Rejoice, intimate initiate of
the all-good counsels of the Most Holy Trinity!
Rejoice, faithful fulfiller of
the pre-eternal judgments of the Trinity!
Rejoice, thou at whom the
heavenly armies are lovingly amazed!
Rejoice, thou whom those born
of earth glorify with faith!
Rejoice, thou before whom the
hosts of hades tremble!
Rejoice, O Michael, great
supreme commander, with all the hosts of Heaven!
Kontakion 3
Manifesting
within thyself the invincible power of zeal for the glory of God, thou didst
stand at the head of the choirs of angels against the malice-breathing
most-proud morning star. With him and his dark comrades being cast down from on
high to the nether regions, the heavenly armies most gloriously led by thee,
with gladness, as with one mouth, before the throne of God cried aloud:
Alleluia!
Ekos 3
All
the Christian race hath thee, O Archangel Michael, as a great protector and a
wondrous helper in battle with adversaries; therefore, desiring to be
vouchsafed thy most wondrous protection, we cry to thee on the day of thy festival
thus:
Rejoice, thou by whom Satan
was hurled down like lightning from Heaven!
Rejoice, thou by whom the
protected human race goeth up to Heaven!
Rejoice, most wondrous
adornment of the all-radiant world above!
Rejoice, most glorious defense
of the fallen world below!
Rejoice, thou who wast in no
wise vanquished by the powers of evil!
Rejoice, thou who with all the
angels of God hast been established in truth and righteousness forever by the
Grace of God!
Rejoice, O Michael, great
supreme commander, with all the hosts of Heaven!
Kontakion 4
From
the tempest of temptations and dangers do thou deliver us who with love and joy
celebrate thy most radiant festival, O foremost of the angels; for thou art a
great helper in misfortunes, and at the hour of death a guardian and
intercessor against evil spirits for all that cry to thy and our Master and
God: Alleluia!
Ekos 4
Seeing
thy boldness against the legions of Satan, all the ranks of the angels strove
with joy to follow thee into battle for the name and glory of their Master,
crying aloud: Who is like unto God? And knowing that Satan was cast down
beneath thy feet, we cry out to thee as victor:
Rejoice, thou through whom
peace and tranquility were established in Heaven!
Rejoice, thou by whom the
spirits of evil were put down even unto hades!
Rejoice, thou who dost direct
the angelic armies and the hosts of the invisible world to the destruction of
evil!
Rejoice, thou who, unseen,
dost quell the strife and turmoil of the elements of the visible world!
Rejoice, wondrous defender of
them that wage warfare against the spirits of evil under the heavens!
Rejoice, strong helper of them
that weaken amid the temptations and dangers of this age!
Rejoice, O Michael, great
supreme commander, with all the hosts of Heaven!
Kontakion 5
A
divinely-flowing fountain of most great miracles didst thou reveal thyself to
be in thy temple at Chonae, for not only was the great and terrible serpent
which abode in that place destroyed by thy power, but also streams of water
which heal every bodily ailment were revealed, that all might cry out with
faith to the Master of the angels Who doth glorify thee: Alleluia!
Ekos 5
Hearing
and knowing thee to be a great beacon shining among the choirs of angels, O
most wondrous Michael, to thee, after God and the most holy Mother of God, we
flee; illumine with the rays of thy light all of us that cry unto thee:
Rejoice, conductor and
guardian of the God-chosen people in the wilderness!
Rejoice, great intermediary of
the law given on Sinai by the hand of Moses!
Rejoice, thou through whom the
judges and leaders of Israel found strength and protection!
Rejoice, thou through whom the
prophets and high priests of the Jews received the gift of knowledge from the
omniscient God!
Rejoice, thou who providest
the God-fearing lawgivers with mystical wisdom!
Rejoice, thou who places
judgment and righteousness in the hearts of them that do good!
Rejoice, O Michael, great
supreme commander, with all the hosts of Heaven!
Kontakion 6
When
once Manoah saw thee, the proclaimer of the judgments of God, he was filled
with doubt and fear, thinking that he would live no longer on earth; but
learning from his wife of the goodness of thine appearance and the meekness of
thy words, and that he was to beget, according to thy word, his son Sampson, in
joy and thanksgiving he cried to God: Alleluia!
Ekos 6
Thou
didst shine forth wondrously with glory, O Michael, when thou didst stand
before Joshua, son of Nun, in the form of a man, saying: Loose thy sandal from
off thy foot; I am the supreme commander of the hosts of the Lord. Marveling at
such an appearance of thine, with love we cry unto thee:
Rejoice, vigilant guardian of
divinely-crowned heads!
Rejoice, speedy subduer of
them that oppose authority as opposers of the command of God!
Rejoice, pacifier of
disturbance among the people!
Rejoice, invisible abolisher
of the customs of the impious!
Rejoice, for thou dost
enlighten them that doubt in the hour of cruel perplexity!
Rejoice, for thou dost free
the tempted from pernicious slander!
Rejoice, O Michael, great
supreme commander, with all the hosts of Heaven!
Kontakion 7
Desiring
to show that the lot of the children of men is not haphazard, but is
continually held in His right hand, the Master of all gave thee as a helper and
guardian to the kingdoms of the earth, that thou mightest prepare the tribes
and peoples for the eternal kingdom of God; therefore all, knowing of thy great
service to the salvation of mankind, thankfully cry unto God: Alleluia!
The holy icon of the Archangel Michael, Taxiarches, Chios (source)
Ekos 7
New
wonders did the Maker and Master of all show us on earth through thee, O
supreme commander, when thou didst wondrously save the temple dedicated to thy
name from inundation by the waters of the river, commanding the streams of the
torrent to flow into a cavern of the earth: seeing this, the blessed Archippus
with his spiritual children thankfully cried aloud to thee:
Rejoice, indestructible
rampart of the holy temples of God!
Rejoice, invincible barrier to
enemies of the Christian Faith!
Rejoice, thou through whose
command the elements are brought under subjection!
Rejoice, thou by whom all evil
designs are defeated!
Rejoice, thou who bearest joy
to the faithful from the throne of the Almighty!
Rejoice, thou who leadest
unbelievers to the path of truth and righteousness!
Rejoice, O Michael, great
supreme commander, with all the hosts of Heaven!
Kontakion 8
A
strange miracle of thy power, O supreme commander of God, did Abbachum himself
experience when, according to the command of God to transport him, thou didst
bear him speedily from Judea to Babylon to give food to Daniel, who was
imprisoned in the lions' den; wherefore, marvel ling at the great act of thy
power, he cried out with faith: Alleluia!
Ekos 8
Thou
art in the highest, O Michael, standing before the throne of the King of Glory,
yet not far from those below, battling continually with the enemies of man's
salvation. Wherefore, all that desire to reach the longed-for heavenly homeland
cry out to thee with one accord:
Rejoice, leader of the
thrice-holy hymn of the angels!
Rejoice, ever ready mediator
and guardian of those born of earth!
Rejoice, thou who didst strike
down proud Pharaoh and the unbelieving Egyptians in a wondrous manner!
Rejoice, thou who didst most
gloriously lead the faithful Jews in the wilderness!
Rejoice, thou through whom the
flame was quenched in the furnace of Babylon!
Rejoice, O Michael, great
supreme commander, with all the hosts of Heaven!
Kontakion 9
All
the monks of holy Mount Athos in joyful trembling came, beholding how thou
didst save the God-fearing youth who had been violently cast into the depths of
the sea with stones by ungodly lovers of money; wherefore, the monastery
adorned with thy name, having received him, thankfully cried out to the Lord:
Alleluia!
Ekos 9
The
words of orators and the thoughts of philosophers do not suffice to tell of thy
power, O Michael; how in one night thou didst strike down one hundred
eighty-five thousand of the warriors of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, that he
might learn to blaspheme the name of the Lord no more. And we, honoring thy
holy zeal for the glory of the true God, with gladness cry to thee:
Rejoice, unconquerable leader
of Orthodox armies!
Rejoice, fear and downfall of
the forces of error!
Rejoice, implanter of right
faith and reverence for God!
Rejoice, uprooter of
dissension and soul-harming heresies!
Rejoice, thou who didst often
strengthen the pious Maccabees on the field of battle!
Rejoice, thou who didst strike
down Heliodorus, captain of Antiochus, in the temple itself!
Rejoice, O Michael, great
supreme commander, with all the hosts of Heaven!
Kontakion 10
Unto
us that desire to be saved be thou a firm helper, O supreme commander of God,
delivering and preserving us from dangers and temptations, above all from our
evil habits and sins, that progressing in faith, hope, and love, with joy
because of thy most wondrous aid, we may cry unto the Master of angels and men:
Alleluia!
Ekos 10
A
rampart art thou unto men that believe, O supreme commander of God, and a
pillar of strength in battle with enemies visible and invisible; therefore,
being delivered through thee from the nets of demons, with thankful hearts and
lips we cry unto thee:
Rejoice, invincible opponent
of the enemies of the faith and adversaries of the Church!
Rejoice, tireless helper of
the humble proclaimers of the Gospel!
Rejoice, thou who enlightenest
them that sit in the darkness of false faith with the light of the faith of
Christ!
Rejoice, thou who guidest into
the path of repentance and truth those made foolish by false wisdom!
Rejoice, terrible avenger of
those that take the name of God in vain!
Rejoice, lightning-bearing
chastiser of those that foolishly scoff at the mysteries of the holy Faith!
Rejoice, O Michael, great
supreme commander, with all the hosts of Heaven!
Kontakion 11
Every song of praise is
defeated O supreme commander of God, by the multitude of thy miracles, which
are performed by thee not only in Heaven and on earth, but also in the dark
shadows of the nether regions, where thou didst bind the serpent of the abyss
with the chains of the power of the Lord, that those delivered from his malice
might bless the Master of Heaven and earth, crying aloud: Alleluia!
Ekos 11
A
light-bearing servant of truth and the purity of divine worship wast thou shown
to be, O supreme commander, when, foreseeing the snares of the spirit of
darkness, thou didst forbid him in the name of God so that he dare not reveal
the hidden body of Moses, departed leader of Israel, to the sensual sons of
Israel for idolatrous veneration; therefore, honoring now the right-radiant
feast of thy Synaxis, thankfully we cry unto thee:
Rejoice, thou who didst
preserve the purity of the knowledge of God among the Jews in the days of the
Old Testament!
Rejoice, thou who didst uproot
the tares of error many times in the days of the New!
Rejoice, destroyer of heathen
prophets and idols!
Rejoice, fortifier of
Christian ascetics and passion-bearers!
Rejoice, thou who fillest the
weak in spirit with the power of the Grace of God!
Rejoice, thou who girdest the
weak in the flesh with the armor of faith!
Rejoice, O Michael, great
supreme commander, with all the hosts of Heaven!
Kontakion 12
Grace
from God in Heaven do thou ask for us who sing to the glory of thine
all-honorable name, O Michael, that overshadowed by thy protection, we may live
in all piety and purity until, loosed by death from the bonds of flesh, we may
be vouchsafed to stand before the fiery throne of the King of Glory, and cry
aloud with the angelic choirs: Alleluia!
Ekos 12
Hymning
thy manifold wonders, accomplished for our salvation O Michael, we pray to the
Lord and Master of all that the spirit of zeal for the glory of God that is in
thee in no wise be lacking in us who cry out to thee:
Rejoice, thou who dost most
wondrously set upon the summit of power the faithful servants of God in a
seasonable time!
Rejoice, thou who dost
invisibly overthrow the arrogant and unworthy from the height of power and
glory!
Rejoice, thou who shalt gather
the chosen from the four comers of the earth on the last day!
Rejoice, thou by whom sinners,
like tares, according to the voice of God, shall be committed to eternal fire!
Rejoice, thou by whom Satan
with his angels shall be cast into the lake of fire forever!
Rejoice, thou through whom the
righteous shall dwell most gloriously in the mansions of the heavenly Father!
Rejoice, O Michael, great
supreme commander, with all the hosts of Heaven!
Kontakion 13
O most
wonderful leader of Angels and Archangels, for thy most marvelous service in
the salvation of mankind accept from us the voice of praise and thanksgiving
which we now offer unto thee, and as thou art full of the power of God, shelter
us with thine immaterial wings from all enemies visible and invisible, that to
the Lord glorified by thee and Who hath glorified thee we may continually cry:
Alleluia! Thrice.
And
again Ekos 1 and Kontakion 1.
Prayer to the Holy Archangel Michael
O holy
and great Archangel of God Michael, first among the angels that stand before
the inscrutable and transcendent Trinity, overseer and guardian of the human
race, who with thine armies didst crush the head of the most-proud Morning Star
in Heaven and dost ever put to shame his evil and cunning on earth, to thee do
we flee with faith and to thee we pray with love; be
thou an invincible shield and a firm bulwark of the Holy Church and our
homeland, protecting them with thy lightning-bearing sword from all enemies,
both visible and invisible. Be thou a guardian angel, a most wise counselor and
helper of Orthodox Christians, of our country, bringing them from the throne of
the King of kings enlightenment and power, joy, peace, and consolation. Be thou
the chief captain and companion in arms of our Christ-loving armed forces,
crowning them with glory and victory over adversaries, that all who oppose us
may know that God and His holy angels are with us. And
leave not without thy help and protection, O Archangel of God, also us who
glorify thy holy name today; for behold, even though we be great sinners,
nevertheless we desire not to perish in our iniquities, but rather to turn to
the Lord and be quickened by Him unto good works. Illumine, therefore, our
minds with the light of God's countenance, which continually shineth on thy
lightning-like forehead, that we may understand what the good and perfect will
of God is concerning us, and know all that which we ought to do, and that
which we ought to despise and abandon. Strengthen through the Grace of the Lord
our weak will and feeble state, that, made firm in the law of the Lord, we may
henceforth cease to be tossed to and fro by earthly thoughts and the lusts of
the flesh, enticed away, like senseless children, by the quickly-perishing
beauties of this world, foolishly forgetting the eternal and heavenly for the
sake of the corruptible and earthly. Above all these things, do thou ask for us
from on high a true spirit of repentance, unfeigned sorrow before God and
contrition for our sins, that we may spend the number of days that remain to us
of this transitory life not in gratifying our senses and in slavery to our
passions, but in wiping out the evil things we have done by tears of faith and
heartfelt contrition, by struggles of purity and holy deeds of mercy. And when
the hour of our end and liberation from the bonds of this body of clay draweth
nigh, O Archangel of God, leave us not defenseless against the spirits of evil
in the upper air, who are accustomed to hinder the ascent of man's soul on
high, that guarded by thee we may attain without hindrance those most glorious
dwelling-places of Paradise, where there is neither sorrow, nor sighing, but
life everlasting, and be vouchsafed to behold the most radiant countenance of
our all-beneficent Lord and Master, fall down with tears at His feet, in joy
and compunction shouting aloud: Glory to Thee, our most dear Redeemer, Who,
because of Thy great love for us unworthy ones, hast been pleased to send Thine
angels in the service of our salvation! Amen.
(
source)
Icon of the Holy Archangel Michael, Jerusalem (source)
Christ is risen from the dead, by death, trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs, He has granted life!
Truly, the Lord is risen!
