Tuesday, January 31, 2023

 

Canon to one’s Guardian Angel


ODE 1

Lord Jesus Christ, my God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Deem me, your servant, O Savior, worthy to sing a hymn of praise to my unbodied angel, my guide and protector.

My holy guardian angel, pray for me.

I lie alone now on account of my folly and idleness; my guide and protector, do not let me perish.

Glory.

Direct my mind through your prayer to fulfil the commandments of God, so that I may obtain from God the forgiveness of my sins, and teach me to hate evil.

Now.  Amen.

O Virgin, together with my guardian angel, pray for me, your slave, to the giver of good things; teach me to observe the commandments of your Son and my Creator.


ODE 3

All the thoughts of my mind I bring before you, my protector; deliver me from all the attacks of the enemy.

The enemy oppresses and embitters me and teaches me always to do his will; but you, my guide, do not forsake me, for I am perishing.

Grant me with gratitude and fervor to sing a song to my creator and God and also to you, my kind guardian angel; my liberator, rescue me from my enemies, who embitter me.

Heal, most pure Virgin, the many wounds of my heart; drive away the enemies who constantly fight against me.


Kathisma, Tone 2

With great affection I call to you, the protector of my soul, my all-holy angel:  Guard and protect me at all times from the snares of the evil one, and guide me to the heavenly life, giving me understanding, illumination and strength.  GNE.  Amen.

Theotokion
O all-pure Virgin and Mother of God, who without seed bore the Lord of all:  I entreat you, with my guardian angel, to deliver me from every affliction, to bring feeling and light to my soul and to cleanse me of my sins, for you are my only merciful intercessor. 


ODE 4

Entreat the merciful God, my protector, and abandon me not, but keep my life always in peace and grant me invincible salvation.

Since I have received you from God as the defender and protector of my whole life, my holy angel, free me from all my troubles.

Cleanse me of my defilement through your holiness, my protector, so that I may be delivered from the lot of those who stand on the left by your prayers and instead partake of heavenly glory.

Perplexity confronts me, purest Virgin, account of the evil which surrounds me.  Free me quickly from it, for I take refuge in you alone.


ODE 5

As you have boldness of speech before God, my holy protector, entreat him to free me from evil afflictions.

O radiant light, illumine my soul with your radiance, my angel, for you have been given to me by God as my guide and protector!

Keep me vigilant, O angel of God, though I have fallen into an evil sleep under the load of my sins, and raise me up through your prayer to praise God.

Mary, as you are our queen and the unwedded Mother of God and the hope of the faithful, utterly destroy the enemy’s pride and gladden those who sing to you.


ODE 6

Free me from every temptation and save me from every sorrow, I beg you, my holy angel, for you were given to me by God as my kind protector.

Illumine my mind, my kind angel, and enlighten me; I implore you, my holy angel, to teach me constantly to think on what is wholesome.

Free my heart of its present commotion and strengthen me to be vigilant in goodness, my protector, and guide me in a wonderful way to a quiet life.

The Word of God has dwelt in you, Mother of God, and showed you to men as a ladder to Heaven, for through you has the Most High come down to us.


Kontakion, Tone 4
Be merciful to me, holy angel of God, my protector.  In spite of my wickedness, do not depart from me, but illumine me through your incomprehensible light and make me worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.


Ikos

M
y holy champion, grant my soul, which has been humiliated by many temptations, incomprehensible heavenly glory.  As a singer in God’s choir of bodiless powers, have mercy on me and protect me.  Illumine my soul with good thoughts, so that I may be enriched by your glory, my angel.  Subdue my enemies who wish me evil and make me worthy of the kingdom of Heaven.


ODE 7

Be merciful to me, O angel of the Lord, and entreat God for me, for I have you as my intercessor, guide and protector for my whole life, and you have been given to me by God forever.

Do not let my wretched soul be slain by robbers on the road of its journey—for it was entrusted to you as blameless by God—but guide it to the road of the repentance.

I offer you my soul, though it is disgraced by evil thoughts and deeds; but come and stand before me, my guide, and grant me healing through good thoughts, so that I may always stay on the right path.

For the sake of the Mother of God, fill with wisdom and divine strength, O incarnate Wisdom of the Most High, all who faithfully cry:  Blessed are you, O God of our fathers!


ODE 8

Kindest angel, sent by God, strengthen the life of your servant and never abandon me.

I chant your praises forever, O blessed one, for you are my good angel, the guide and protector of my soul.

Protect and defend me on the day of judgment of all men, when good and evil deeds will be tested by fire.

Be the help and calmness of your servant, O virgin Mother of God, and do not let me remain without your protection.


ODE 9

Lord Jesus Christ, my God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Have mercy on me, my only Savior, for you are gracious and compassionate, and make me a member of the choirs of the just.

My holy guardian angel, pray for me.

Grant me, O angel of the Lord, ever kind and wholesome thoughts and deeds, showing me to be blameless and strong despite my weakness.

As you possess boldness of speech with the heavenly King, ask him together with the other bodiless powers to have mercy on me, a miserable sinner.

Since you possess great liberty of speech with him who has taken flesh from you, deliver me from my shackles and grant me acquittal and salvation through your prayers.

 

SOURCE:  https://orthodoxia.de/de/.

 

NOTA BENE.  This canon is the one used in the tri-canon (a combination of the canon of repentance, the canons to the Mother of God and one’s guardian angel).  I have not been able to find the putatively Greek original, so settled for a German translation.  Our guardian angels are one of the most underrated features of our faith.  The usual Greek canon to the same is rather longer than this beautiful piece, which is perhaps one of the finest canons I have found.

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