Supplicatory Canon of St. Nektarios the Wonderworker of Pentapolis in Aegina, by Dr. Haralampos Mbousia

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.”

O wonderworker Father Nektarios, strong-flowing fountain of wonders, by your supplications soothe the pains of those who take refuge in you as the noblest physician of those who honor you.

From the height of Heaven, O wondrous Nektarios, speedily send down your blessing, protection and help on all who honor you affectionately in Kamariza.

Put an end to the gloomy calamities, blessed Nektarios, of those who hasten to your help and approach your divine temple in Kamariza of Lavrion, O most-blessed one.

Quickly deliver the pious from the terrible pains of deadly diseases and affliction of soul, O highly favored Virgin, by the intercessions of Nektarios.

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.

You unceasingly pour forth sweetness on all who taste the bitterness of life, blessed Nektarios, and on those who approach you faithfully in Kamariza of Lavrion to venerate the image of your grace.

With a sprinkling of compassion, ever hallow those who hasten faithfully to you, O Father, our abode of grace, for you have preserved from misfortune all the faithful inhabitants of Chalkís who run to your place of worship.

You are a torrent of healings of every kind, O physician of souls and bodies, Nektarios, for you very quickly healed of incurable cancer the priest bearing your divine name.

Mother of the merciful Word of the Creator of all!  Sweetest Virgin!  Send down the mercies of your Son upon all who magnify you with affection and bless the divine Nektarios.

Prayers following the 3rd Ode.
Cure the the severely and incurably ill by the abundant power given to you, Nektarios, and soothe the pains of all.

Kathisma.  Tone 2.  Fervent intercession.
Deliver those who reverently take refuge in you, Nektarios, and seek out your power from excruciating afflictions, from the traps of the deceiving destroyer, from all kinds of diseases and terrible dangers, for you are extremely compassionate.

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

O adornment of Kamariza, you show your healing power to all the pious, O saint, O God-given physician Nektarios.

As one who opens the eyes of the blind, receive our entreaty and open the eyes of our souls to see their true interests.

Wise Nektarios, make all your supplicants despisers of material possessions, for they run to your divine temple in Kamariza.

O Mother of the light-giving King of all, dissolve the moonless night of our passions and cause the light of temperance and good sense to rise upon all.

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

See those who faithfully take refuge in your grace and grant them all health of soul and body, Saint Nektarios.

We beseech you as a healer of cancer to deliver those who ask for your help from the grievous torments of cancer, Nektarios.

As you are the physician of those who have recourse to your help and the speedy help of surgeons, Nektarios, grant good health to the faithful.

Grant victories over the invisible enemies to your servants, O kind Mother of God, by the entreaties of Saint Nektarios.

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 power, O blessed Nektarios, spreads through all the world and ever preserves those who faithfully call on you from every kind of mischief of the evil one, from gloomy plights and harsh sufferings.

Reverently and faithfully approaching your august temple in Kamariza, we offer you a honey-sweet hymn and fall down before your image, Nektarios, from which ever pours forth abundantly flowing rivers of miracles.

Holding fast to you as our defender, savior and protector, blessed Nektarios, we ever hasten to your protection and await your fervent help, crying out, “Deliver all your supplicants from all misfortunes and afflictions.”

As we bless Nektarios now, who is the wondrous friend of your only Son and the Savior of the world, we magnify you, O Mother of God and the refuge of Christians, and we await your help.

Prayers after Ode VI
Heal the painfully and incurably sick by your God-given and immeasurable power and soothe the pains of all.

The Kontakion.  Tone 2.  To those of your blood.
Let us praise Nektarios with affection, for he is the bottomless sea of healings, the newly shining perfection of physicians, an unguent box of heavenly gifts and the sweet nectar of blessings.

Prosomoion.  Tone 6.  Having put all hope.
By your divine grace, you unceasingly overshadow those who faithfully honor the multitude of your wonders and cry out, "O Nektarios, most speedy physician and the holiest of Christians!  By the remedy of your entreaties with the merciful Ruler of all, heal the sick, visit those who suffer dreadfully and allay the pains of those who call on you, for you, O venerable one, are our most zealous healer."

 

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.”

By the lightning flashes of your fervent intercessions, dissolve our gloomy pains, for we celebrate you in song as our speedy protector, patron and physician of the ailing and the suffering, thrice-blessed Nektarios. 

Drive off the night of pains and the mist of earthly passions of those who hasten with affection to your temple to seek out your grace in Kamariza, O Nektarios, wise hierarch of the Lord.

Direct us who are worn out by the storm of the billows of life, holy Nektarios, to the peaceful harbor and the undisturbed haven, for you are the pilot of the souls of those who praise you in song.

O defender of the world, Mother of God and Virgin, with the hyssop of your fervent intercessions, wash those who have been defiled in the heart by transgressions and shelter all the faithful beneath your all-holy protection.

 

Ode VIII.

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

Preserve me from the attack of the deceiver, for I run to your divine temple in Kamariza and venerate you, Nektarios.

Keep firmly in Orthodoxy, very blessed Nektarios, those who honor you as the glory of the modern Orthodox hierarchs.

Mortify the passions of your supplicant and revive my soul, Nektarios, I cry, so that I may honor you with the utmost compunction.

Show me the virtuous way which leads me to the heavenly abodes, O Mother of God, blessed above all.

 

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.

Deem your supplicants worthy of heavenly crowns and unceasing glory, O Saint Nektarios, vessel of the miracle-working fathers. 

Perfumed vase of graces and inscription of strange miracles!  Sweeten us all with the nectar of your divine prayers, august Nektarios.

Do not cease to cover from Heaven all those who fall before your divine icon in Kamariza of Lavrion, glorious Nektarios.

O Virgin and unwedded Mother, O stream of compassion, pity all who ardently celebrate you in song as the very august Mother of the very merciful Lord.

 

ENDNOTES FOR THE CIRCUMSPECT

This Ποίημα is by Δρ. Χαραλάμπος Μ. Μπούσια and is available online at (among other sites) https://www.proseyxi.com/paraklisi-eis-ton-agio-nektario/.  I thank Zoilus for proofing the Greek and the eagle-eyed Aeteia, my lawfully-wedded, for proofing the English with her incisive insights.  

Ode I.  

Kamariza is the site of a pilgrimage in honor of St. Nektarios.  The accent is on the second syllable (something like, ka-MA-ri-za).  Lavrion is accented on the first syllable.

“Blessing, protection and help” is the first schesis onomaton of the canon.

Ode III.  

"Image" (ἐκτύπωμα).  The word should refer to a bas-relief image.

"Torrent" (χείμαῤῥος).  Technically, a freshet.  

Prosomoion.  As my eagle-eyed Aiteia points out pointedly, the entreaty in this prosomoion goes on forever.  The Greek hymnographers, like German prose enthusiasts of the Asiatic style, are exceedingly fond of convoluted periods.

Ode VI.

"Power" (σῇ χάριτι).  As usual, I prefer to render a word that is rich in theological misunderstandings in the West with an Pindaric twist.  Even without the Doctor of Grace's contributions to western distortions, it is prima facie unsound to suppose that St. Nektarios has his own grace.

“Savior” (ἀρωγὸν) begins as an adjective meaning propitious (favorable), salutory, helpful, beneficial (Montie).  As a substantive, it means helper (“especially in battle” [Great Scott]), advocate (Autenrieth), savior, defender.  It does not appear in the LXX or in Lampe.  Anglophones have a lot of trouble with calling saints saviors because our word is virtually a proper noun for the Son of God.  In Greek, there are several words, each with its own connotations.  The hymnographers are careful to reserve σωτήρ for Christ, probably because that word had connotations of divinity.

Kontakion.

"Blessings" (χαρίτων), lit., "graces"; fig. and Pindarically, it could be rendered as splendors, favors, glories etc.  In Pindar, graces are an important part of the poet’s vision of the victor as being divinely radiant due to his victories and subsequent honors.

Ode VII.

“Defender” (προστάτην).  Could also be “patron.”

Ode IX.  

"Vessel" (πυξίς).  A puzzling word with a surprising wealth of meanings.  The learned disagree.  One sage proposed "tablet" and another "pyx" (a vessel used to contain the consecrated host).  The faithful are free to use either one.  In the Concise Oxford Dictionary, the word pyxis is defined as a "small box, casket," which may also be relevant, especially since the next troparion refers to the "perfumed vase."  Among our hymnographers, the πυξίς tends to be used in association with vessels of various sorts.

"Unwedded" (Μητράνανδρε).  The Greek word is, as Zoilus remarks, a "super uncommon word."  Stephanos defines as mater sine viro facta.  Since, as Zoilus also observes, "husbandless-mother virgin" is a "very strange combination of English words," I felt it best to resort to the more common equivalent.  “Husbandless Mother” not only violates collocation restrictions but has the effect of combining repugnant terms.  Probably an over-the-top attempt to avoid saying something more common, like “unwedded bride.”