SUPPLICATORY CANON TO THE ALL-HOLY SWEETLY AFFECTIONATE (GLYKOPHILOUSA) MOTHER OF GOD

Ode I.  

Irmos.  After crossing the sea as if it were dry ground and escaping the wickedness of Egypt, the Israelite cried out:  Let us sing to our redeemer and God.

Furnishing deep calmness and joy and generous grace in the monastery of Philotheou, your all-venerable icon of the sweetly affectionate Mother of God came from the east, pure Virgin.

When it was miraculously brought into the harbor of the monastery of Philotheou, your holy icon of the sweetly affectionate Mother of God became the harbor of salvation for those who run to it.

Under your guidance your icon wondrously sailed the sea, unwashed by the waves, and, sweetly affectionate Mother of God, when it approached, it caused streams of divine life to gush forth in Athos.

Redeem from all kinds of dangers those who with firm faith cry out your great name and heal their grievous passions by your grace, sweetly affectionate Mother of God. 

 

Ode III.  

Irmos.  You covered the vault of the sky with a roof, O Lord, and built the church; confirm me in your love, O summit of desires, support of the faithful and only compassionate Lord.

Tenderly kissing him as your own baby and being fitly called the sweetly kissing, pure Virgin, supplicate him as a most sympathetic mother to give our souls grace and mercy.

Your form reveals awe-inspiring things to those who see it, scorching with flames the troops of demons and dispensing to all divine light, pure Virgin; wherefore by your patronage the divine monastery of Philotheou is gladdened.

Sympathetically behold from above, O Maiden, those who stand before your icon with great reverence, and since you are compassionate, give them, sweetly affectionate Mother of God, truly beneficial gifts.

The monastery of Philotheou always receives superior assistance, preservation amid misfortunes and deliverance from every need by your protection, sweetly affectionate Mother of God; wherefore, the monastery sings thanksgiving praises to you.

Tone II.  Fervent Protection.

Enjoying your intercession as a great refuge and a solid protection and support in every situation, we cry out to you:  Always rescue us from all the madness and mischief of the accursed one, pure and sweetly affectionate Mother of God.

 

Ode IV.  

Irmos.  I have heard, O Lord, the mystery of your dispensation; I have meditated on your works and glorified your divinity.

Mount Athos always proclaims your wonders, Maiden, for you have been its helper and defender, O sweetly affectionate Mother of God.

Divine water gushed from where your icon first was placed, by which sanctify and heal, O sweetly affectionate Mother of God, those who hymn you.

As once you showed your remarkable favor to Joannicius, so always show it to this monastery of yours, immaculate Virgin.

Your all-venerable icon, pouring out healings in floods, dries up the filth of the passions, O sweetly affectionate and ever-virgin Mother of God.

 

Ode V. 

Irmos.  Illumine us with your commandments, O Lord, and by your lofty arm grant us your peace, O merciful God.

Open your mother’s mouth, with which you kissed Christ when he was a child, Maiden, and speak to him beneficially on our behalf, for we glorify you.

Show this monastery—and with it all of your mountain—your venerable sanctity and shelter it always beneath your protection, Mother of God.

He who fell from the third storey and was saved miraculously by your grace praised your wonders with a mighty voice, Mother of God.

Our understanding does not suffice to declare your miracles—how you appeared as a nun to save from certain death, pure Virgin, him who fell.

 

Ode VI.  

Irmos.  I will pour out my supplication to the Lord and to him will I declare my afflictions, for my soul has been filled with troubles and my life has approached Hades, so like Jonah I pray:  Raise me up from death, O God.

Your holy image is a free table of manifold graces, in which you are seen kissing the Creator of the ages and the Lord as an infant; therefore the assembly of Philotheou Monastery rejoices in you.

Because the sailors called on you, their boat was preserved from being swamped by the roughness of the sea, and those who were saved praised in song the great wonder of their true deliverance. 

When a man approached you and spoke from the great pain of his heart, you hearkened to him and gave him a son, O Virgin, ending the barrenness of his wife on account of their spiritual fruits, which deem even us worthy to produce.

By your divine overshadowing, your holy icon, the sweetly affectionate Mother of God of the Monastery of Philotheou, gushes forth healings.  It is our conspicuous and august joy and always heals the afflictions of our souls and bodies.

 

Selections of prayers after Ode VI

Preserve the Monastery of Philotheou, sweetly affectionate Mother of God, from all need, for it fervently keeps your icon as its fortress and protection.

The kontakion.  Tone 2.  Protection of Christians.

As she who hugs the Lord of all and is called sweetly affectionate, O all-immaculate Virgin, in your sympathy do not cease to protect and guard this, your venerable monastery, and those who fall down faithfully before your holy icon from all the madness of their enemies and from pain and despondency, as a true protection of your inheritance, all-blameless Mother of God.

Plagal Tone 2.  Having put all my hope.

From the east your monastery, Lady, has received heavenly bliss and great propitiation—your icon—for it pours forth mystically the gifts of your protection on each, saving from dangers and distributing grace and mercy to those who call upon your august name faithfully; wherefore we cry to you, pure and sweetly affectionate Mary, preserve this monastery and the whole mountain.

 

Ode VII.  

Irmos.  The youths from Judea, having come to Babylon of old, by their faith in the Trinity trampled down the flame of the furnace, chanting, O God of our fathers, blessed are you.

As of old you saved from all kinds of diseases and from the attack of robbers your faithful suppliant, O pure and sweetly affectionate Mother of God, so save those who always and faithfully approach your divine icon.

Supernaturally, O Virgin, the divine grace of your divine icon operates on each of us, O pure and sweetly affectionate Virgin, and delivers those who call on you from afflictions and harsh difficulties.

The glorified monastery of Philotheou rejoices in your icon, for from it they enjoy an abundance of blessings and a spring of every grace and they glorify you joyously, pure and sweetly affectionate Virgin.

As you preserve your servants on Earth and on the stormy sea, do not cease, Mother of God, to deliver us your suppliants from dangers and distresses to come, sweetly affectionate Maiden.

 

Ode VIII.  

Irmos.  The king of Heaven whom the hosts of angels hymn, hymn and exalt him above all forever.

Let us who suffer in various ways now fall before the all-holy icon of the sweetly affectionate Mother of God, that we may be delivered from oppressive dangers.

When your holy icon reached us after traversing the sea from the east, O Lady, it began to gush with heavenly graces.

Everyone who runs to your august icon and proclaims your grace, sweetly affectionate Maiden, receives both strength and health.

Pure Virgin, accept the monastic fathers who train themselves in virtue in the Monastery of Philotheou and with them entreat God on our behalf, O Maiden.

 

Ode IX.  

Irmos.  O Mother of God, we who have been saved through you fittingly confess you, and with the incorporeal choirs magnify you, O pure Virgin.

The flock of Philotheou has acquired a salvific harbor—your divine and sweetly affectionate icon, and we always hasten to it.

Behold!  We your unworthy children, O sweetly affectionate Maiden, fall down before your icon as before you yourself, our mother, seeking your protection.

O Monastery of Philotheou, rejoice and exult, for you have the icon of the sweetly affectionate Virgin, which dispenses gifts to you in her maternal kindness.

Accept this intercession made on our behalf which the holy monastic fathers in this monastery bring to your Son, sweetly affectionate Mother of God.

We ought incessantly to hymn, O Maiden, the greatness of your favors to us, but in our perplexity we always fall before you in silence.

 

ENDNOTES FOR THE CIRCUMSPECT

Source:  http://akolouthies-agion.blogspot.com/2014/09/blog-post.html.  This source does not identify the author, but elsewhere the ever-estimable St. Gerasimos of Little Anne Skete is named.  A visit to John Sanidopoulos' site to read up on this icon is worth it.