Akathist by Mykhayl

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(STAND)

IN THE BEGINNINGS… 1-15 (999)

(Kontakion) MEDITATION 1

(CHANTER:)
Scythia was a barren land during the times of the old law, now its fields are fertile, sewn with the seeds of the new faith. Its black steppes are heavily laden as golden grains * shimmering against the azure heavens. Its highlands are sloped as with vineyards and orchards of succulent fruits. * Its ports and river banks are teaming with fishermen. Its neighbors lust over its beauty even though this bounty is shared amongst us.

(Ikos) CHANT 1

(CLERGY:)

Attention! A reading from the book of Saint Matthew:

(ALL:)
+ Glory be to You O Lord glory be to You.
Alleluia, alleluia!

(CLERGY:)

“ He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. * His field is the world, and the good shoots * are the children of the kingdom, * but the weeds are the offspring of the evil one.” (Matt 13:37-8)

(ALL:)
+ Glory be to You Our God glory be to You
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

(MAY SIT IF FATIGUED)
(ALL:)
1 Rejoice all you people of God, and know the reasons why our lives are illuminated so, * is because of our faithful forbearers from the lands of Scythia.

Glory be as we begin as does the Gospels with a litany of people and places, * but the truth lie not in the who and where, in its narrative it encouraging us to study the why.

2 Rejoice for we are so blessed by the first-called of the apostles. * Andrew walks the golden terrain of Scythia.
He travels north from the Pntos, than west where all roads lead to Rome * in order to visit his brother Peter and his flock.

3 Rejoice for Saint Andrew blesses as he travels, * approaches the future sight for the mother of all the cities of Christian Rus’.

At this sight for Kyiv he calls for innumerable golden temples of God * glistening against its free flowing azure panorama.

4 Rejoice ever recalling why we skew the lower limb of the triune armed cross * bringing to mind that which Saint Andrew planted, his “Chi” (X) tree of life in the hills overlooking mother Kyiv (“X”+PUCTOC = “KH”-rist).

The cross grows with sheltering branches for houseing the cradle of Slavic Christendom * protecting even the dewdrops from the sun’s blistering heat.

5 Rejoice in delight as the disciple of the holy apostles Saint Peter * and Saint Paul also comes to the lands of Scythia, though as an exile.

Glory be for he who is intended to drown will not hang, * unless it be the poor banished pope Saint Clement who will do both, but for now energetically evangelizeing (101).

6 Rejoice as our holy father here gathers more than four scores (80) of church communities around him * like coastal lighthouses directing all to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even his epistle is neither hot nor timid but echoes before us expelling envy through benevolence, * and is addressed to all of us through our sister Church in Corinth (c. 99),

7 Rejoice honoring the sight of Saint Clement’s martyrdom, * this condemned bishop from Rome went under in the waters off the Crimean coastal bay at Kazachya (102),

Here the warlord Volodymyr of Kyiv will come as a pilgrim of peace * to voluntarily go under in the holy waters of baptism into Christ Jesus (988).

8 Rejoice pleased in the knowledge Scythia is the home from where Saint John Cassian hails * growing into a key that masters the lock of the monastic treasury.

This friar comes from the Coptic desert * transformed as a monastic oasis, for the parched western world (360-435).

9 Rejoice for through his fineness his mystical writings warn the west of its predestine heresy * echoing through the hallowed halls of the abbeys of Saint Benedict.

Glory be as he is lauded by Saint John Climacus on the LADDER OF DIVINE ASCENT * positioning Saint John Cassian on step 4 of section 105 (one-o-five) (Ladder step 105:4).

10 Rejoice rightfully heeding the Augustinian Tradition: “in fundamentals unity, nonessentials liberality, * and above all with charity” but be tempered by truth as was Saint Cassian,

Warning in regard to those who aspire to drink from the Augustinian well * they may find cause to spew as God makes nothing soiled.

11 Rejoice contented that this first missionary from the black earthen furrows of Scythia Rus’, * Saint John implants all of western Europe with prosperous spiritual sprouts.

Glory be as great pope Saint Gregory glorifies our pre-sanctified liturgy and the writings of our Saint John, * never the less the western Church has no canonization for a Saint Cassian.

12 Rejoice honoring Saint John Cassian’s feast every leap (4th) year on February 29th (twenty ninth). * If esteem comes not from your peers popularity may be your luck amongst the populous.

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=828

Celebrate the conception of Saints Anna by Joecum, but not without discernment for the long shadow of Saint Augustine. * Like Saint John let us question his supposition on predestination for God starts everyone like His mother, sinless (7th c).

13 Rejoice in the honor of the Scythian Goths as their first shepherd is chosen * by non other than the righteous golden – tongued Saint John (Chrysostom).

There is a lighthouse beacon from Doros on the southern shore of the Crimean cost * which shines from the cathedral seat of Bishop Ulfilas (Wulfila) (341).

14 Rejoice and realize that although the Huns overrode the golden (central) steppes many embrace Christianity there * especially around the birthplace of the warlord Attila (at Kyiv).

This may clarify Attila’s consideration to the great pope Saint Leo outside of Rome, * after-all no matter how well you feed the wolf he looks to the forest. (452).

15 Rejoice as the apostolic prophesied city of Kyiv is settled * by a brotherly triad of Kyi, Shchek, Khiryv with their sister Lybid (560) (Rus’, Czech, Lech?).

Bravlin an early bully as a leader of Kyiv together with his comrades * accepted the gentility of Christ Jesus through the tranquil waters of baptism (c. 788).