Akathist to the Prison Saints of Romania
Composed by the Brotherhood of Petru Vodă Monastery
The Troparion of the Prison Saints of Romania, 1st Tone:
The true confessors of Christ hath bravely withstood the wiles of the devil, and neither persecution, nor prison, nor tortures, nor chains couldst frighten them, but with power from on High, hath they guarded the faith and the Romanian Land. By their prayers, Christ our God, save Thou our souls.
The Unseated Hymn to the Prison Saints of Romania
Priest: In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Reader: Amen. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee. O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things; Treasury of Blessings, and Giver of Life — come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now
and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, look upon and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now
and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the Glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Reader: Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (12 times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now
and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O come, let us worship God, our King.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and our God.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, and prevail when Thou art judged.
For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother bear me. For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice.
Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Ghost from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me. I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness. O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise. For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with wholeburnt offerings Thou shalt not be pleased. A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise.
Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded. Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole burnt offerings. Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.
1st Hymn on the Scroll (Kontakion):
The chosen Confessors of Christ and adornment of the Church, those who endured torture and mockery in prison, the true soldiers of the Lord who put the servants of Satan to shame by the power of the Cross, in heaven do they pray for us, for which we, desiring to praise them, say: Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
1st Stanza (Ikos):
From the icon and the altar did the Holy Confessors set out to defend the true faith and the Romanian multitude from the scourge coming from the East, who were frightened neither by persecution nor imprisonment but boldly stood against the machinations of Satan, for which we rejoice and praise in such hymns as these:
Rejoice, O souls as pure as the lilies.
Rejoice, O imprisoned yet left undefiled.
Rejoice, O ye willing to break the chains of the nation.
Rejoice, O foundation of the nation with martyric blood.
Rejoice, O ye persecuted by the enemies of Christ.
Rejoice, O ye tortured by the traitors.
Rejoice, ye who were crushed and yet rose again.
Rejoice, for by the vision of death hath ye been strengthened.
Rejoice, for the life of prayer and weeping.
Rejoice, O ye whole-burnt offerings.
Rejoice, for the gift of the Archangel’s cover and help.
Rejoice, for the preservation by the power of the honorable Cross.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
2nd Hymn on the Scroll:
The Red Beast of Anger set out against the Church of Christ, and the whole world was horrified by its terrible iniquities: the icons were trampled underfoot, the relics of the saints mocked, the priests killed, and many Churches demolished; and, O Saints, not wanting to leave us a country without altars and Crosses, manfully hath ye resisted the wicked, singing to God: Hallelujah!
2nd Stanza:
The Christian settlement of the world was shaking and the terrible powers of darkness were foaming, and the soldiers of Christ with brave hearts, not enduring such things, set off quickly towards Bloody Spain where they joyfully accepted the death of martyrs; and, O Saints, a covenant hath ye made on their grave to fight the good fight for the salvation of the nation, for which we gratefully offer such praises as these:
Rejoice, defenders of Romania.
Rejoice, worthy sons of the ancestral land.
Rejoice, for two young men were living examples to us all.
Rejoice, for they departed to a blessed death.
Rejoice, for the vows made at their graves.
Rejoice, for the vow of poverty.
Rejoice, for the renunciation of worldly cares.
Rejoice, for the resolve to guard the nation.
Rejoice, for the climb atop the mountains of suffering.
Rejoice, for the endurance in elder age.
Rejoice, for the spiritual fulfillment of the nation.
Rejoice, for the pain that hath borne fruit a hundredfold.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
3rd Hymn on the Scroll:
The enemies of the Cross and the betrayers of the nation wanted to tear the Romanian soul from Christ, but then arose a new valiant defender with the soul of an Archangel, who laid down his life for the ancestral law, saying: “He who fights, even alone, for God and his people, will never be defeated;” and now, victorious, with the angels in heaven, he unceasingly sings: Hallelujah!
3rd Stanza:
The murderous tyrant and the wicked internationalists, unable to bear to see pure souls burning with love for faith and nation, gave a diabolical order, that ye be taken to the forest at night and strangled, then riddled with bullets, thrown into a pit, burned with vitriol, and crushed with stone slabs, but neither the grave nor death could hold they who grasped True Life, for which cause we sing such things as these:
Rejoice, for the tears shed on the face of the nation.
Rejoice, for the great trials of your souls.
Rejoice, for the knowledge of death to come.
Rejoice, for the peaceful departure from all others.
Rejoice, for ye hath been confined in the darkness of the woods.
Rejoice, for the chains that shackled your feet.
Rejoice, for the ropes that were stretched around your necks.
Rejoice, for ye hath been crowned by these malicious deaths.
Rejoice, for the sufferings endured in the iconostasis of the nation.
Rejoice, for the Princes arose from the graves.
Rejoice, for, like the trembling Horea, hath ye been mangled.
Rejoice, for, like the betrayed Tudor, hath ye terrified the torturers.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
4th Hymn on the Scroll:
The servants of Satan were frightened by steadfastness and faith, O Saints, and, thinking that ye be destroyed, angrily hath they campaigned in the Prisons of Sărat, Siyuk, Brashov, and Vaslui, and on the terrifying “night of vengeance” the crowns martyrdom were ye bestowed, singing to God: Hallelujah!
4th Stanza:
Fearless were ye of their lawless plans, O Brave Confessors, but understanding the approach of death, all knelt in the courtyard of the camp and, in the silence of the night, humbly recited the Lord’s Prayer, then the bullets began to rain down, while an imprisoned priest secretly performed the last service for those who would die, for which we offer praises as these:
Rejoice, for with Christ hath ye died.
Rejoice, for a sacrifice hath ye become for the nation.
Rejoice, for the executioners marveled at the sight.
Rejoice, for they were conquered by the strength of such faith.
Rejoice, for the bullets rained without mercy.
Rejoice, for pain hath lost its dominion.
Rejoice, for the bodies were left at the crossroads.
Rejoice, for without graves hath ye been abandoned by the persecutors.
Rejoice, for the humiliation suffered even after death.
Rejoice, for the slanderous name of “traitors.”
Rejoice, O Sons of a Crucified Nation.
Rejoice, for through pain hath ye been sanctified.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
5th Hymn on the Scroll:
Satan himself descended to destroy you, O Holy Confessors, in the terrible Prison of Piteshti, and the demonic executioner of souls cried out: “If Christ had passed through my hands, He would not have reached the Cross and would not have risen,” followed by greater blasphemies and insults, and, O Saints, with no hope of salvation except from God hath ye cried out to Him with tears: Hallelujah!
5th Stanza:
The angels in heaven hid their faces, unable to bear such God-hating madness, because on Good Friday, in mockery, they crucified a young man on the wall and killed him with savage blows. The walls of the prison trembled from the tortured screams, the pits swallowed hungry piles of crushed flesh and blood, but in the depths of hell, God hath empowered and strengthened ye, for which we sing such praises as these:
Rejoice, O much-suffering martyrs.
Rejoice, for beasts hath struck in human form.
Rejoice, for the blows to the head with sharp stakes.
Rejoice, for the fingers broken with pliers.
Rejoice, for the hateful trampling hath become a crown.
Rejoice, for ye hath been humiliated while kneeling for food.
Rejoice, for ye hath been made to eat salt alone.
Rejoice, for ye hath been deprived of water for days at a time.
Rejoice, for ye hath endured pains beyond nature.
Rejoice, for ye hath resembled the Great Martyrs.
Rejoice, for ye hath terribly suffered in the body.
Rejoice, for the soil of more prosperous souls hath borne fruit.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
6th Hymn on the Scroll:
The hired murderers from the prison of Aiyud thought hide the memory of the Saints by throwing the much-suffering bodies into the ravine of the “Hill of Slaves,” not knowing the power of God shown in the vision of the Prophet Ezekiel, who says: “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and he said unto me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord God, thou knowest.’ Again he said unto me, ‘Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live!’ and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army,” which continually praised God, singing to Him: Hallelujah!
6th Stanza:
The prison of Aiyud was a place of prayer, for there was spent much time in constant fasting and vigil, the vigilance of mind and humility of heart hath ye acquired, learning the Divine Scriptures, and at night, kneeling with tears, for the dead hath ye prayed and for the persecutors, for which we sing such praises as these:
Rejoice, O Holy Crown Bearers.
Rejoice, for ye hath fought the good fight.
Rejoice, for ye hath endured a double battle.
Rejoice, for ye hath subdued the passions.
Rejoice, for ye hath faced even the executioners.
Rejoice, for they thought to destroy the elect.
Rejoice, for ye hath been struck and spat upon.
Rejoice, for each limb hath been beaten and crushed.
Rejoice, for ye hath stood in frozen cells.
Rejoice, for ye hath suffered in freezing water.
Rejoice, for ye hath patiently endured every trial.
Rejoice, for ye hath strength and power from above.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
7th Hymn on the Scroll:
The Savior’s words: “brother shall betray the brother to death” they wanted to fulfill in the prison of Gherla, for the demon-possessed executioners with hatred turned the prisoners on one another, and, calling a father, they forced him to trample his child, and he fell to his knees and cried out: “Kill me, but do not torture my boy!;” and, understanding the madness of Satan, hath ye prayed saying: “Lord, give us strength to endure or take us from here!,” crying out to God: Hallelujah!
7th Stanza:
No man’s mind can comprehend the cruelty of the torments ye hath endured, O Saints, for crucified were ye on the floor, beaten with wet ropes, fingers crushed with pliers, and boards hit across the face, that ye no longer bore the face of men, but, following Christ the Crucified, suffered everything hath ye and forgiven the executioners, for which sing such praises as these:
Rejoice, O bodies crushed in torment.
Rejoice, O souls purified in fire.
Rejoice, for Satan sifted the wheat.
Rejoice, for faith becamest a weapon.
Rejoice, for ye hath endured to the end.
Rejoice, for Christ hath given ye strength.
Rejoice, for ye hath suffered much.
Rejoice, for the death in which ye bore an enlightened countenance.
Rejoice, for snow flowers fell on your grave.
Rejoice, for unseen angels wept at the sight.
Rejoice, for the climb atop the mountains of pain.
Rejoice, for to the Lord hath ye been received.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
8th Hymn on the Scroll:
A fraction of such sufferings hath not been endured even by the Israelites enslaved in Egypt, O Holy Confessors, for not with labor to crush stones and bricks hath ye exerted, but rather to move mountains of earth from their places with exhausted arms, and and a bed of tears and blood hath ye carved that all the waters of the Danube will not be able to wash away, for such suffering voices ever rise to heaven, crying out to God: Hallelujah!
8th Stanza:
The waters gave voice, and the depths of the terrible Canal trembled, for there are no words that are not heard and no pains that do not gnaw; and we, O Saints, hearing the voice of such passion from the depths, pray ye such things as these:
Rejoice, O souls strong as the ancient mountains.
Rejoice, O trees shaken by the storms.
Rejoice, for in heat and frost hath ye toiled.
Rejoice, for the earth hath ye sanctified with blood.
Rejoice, for naked and hungry hath ye struggled.
Rejoice, for with tears hath ye carved through the rocks.
Rejoice, for with sweat hath ye made a path through the stone.
Rejoice, for as payment, hath ye received beatings.
Rejoice, for scattered hath ye been beneath the waves.
Rejoice, for beneath the mud and sand hath ye rested.
Rejoice, for the exhausted body hath been crushed.
Rejoice, for the stronger soul hath borne fruit.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
9th Hymn on the Scroll:
Light dawned in the Prison of Suffering from Târgu Ocna, for the Saint of Romanian Prisons shone like a sun within it, serene in soul and face, the comfort of the suffering and the praise of the ascetics, the one who spent his time in vigilance and prayer of the heart, the gift of the Holy Ghost agonized, and knowing his end in advance, moved to the Lord with joy, singing: Hallelujah!
9th Stanza:
“Love them that persecute you,” Christ commanded, and, O Saints, ye hath fulfilled His word exactly, for in Târgu Ocna, on the night of the Nativity of the Lord, a dying priest asked to be taken to the one who had terribly tormented him, and comforting him with gentleness, he said to him: “I forgive you with all my heart and I believe that Christ, Who is better than us, will forgive you too.” That one, repenting, confessed with tears, and that same night they both went to the Lord in peace, and we, marveling at the power of love, sing such praises as these:
Rejoice, O followers of the divine commandments.
Rejoice, O zealots for heavenly glory.
Rejoice, for ye hath received the Jesus Prayer.
Rejoice, for the gift of the Holy Ghost hath overshadowed you.
Rejoice, for ye hath the Gospel as a guide.
Rejoice, for ye hath found enlightenment and grace.
Rejoice, for the sun has shone in darkness.
Rejoice, for the “Saint of the Prisons.”
Rejoice, for he hath overcome pain and torment.
Rejoice, for his soul was white as a lily.
Rejoice, for they threw him into an unknown grave.
Rejoice, for the sky hath wrapped him in a shroud of snow.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
10th Hymn on the Scroll:
The enemies of Christ wanted not only to crush the body and soul, but also to mock the true faith, therefore, on the Holy Feasts of Orthodoxy, they forced blasphemies of from ye that the human mind cannot imagine, and, O Saints, enduring humiliation and torments, ye hath asked for God’s help, being strengthened and crying aloud: Hallelujah!
10th Stanza:
The joy of the Resurrection shone in the dark mine at Baiya Spriye, when, in the bowels of the earth, the priests imprisoned by the earthquake cried out: “Come and take light!” and the bell-shaped drills began to resound, the lamps were lit and the condemned, kneeling with tears, sang “Christ is risen!,” for which things we marvel with such praises as these:
Rejoice, O who were buried alive.
Rejoice, for ye hath not denied Christ.
Rejoice, for in mockery, they gave ye meat on Holy Friday.
Rejoice, for enduring hunger was better than food.
Rejoice, for the Resurrection was celebrated in the depths.
Rejoice, for fasting and confession hath brought purification.
Rejoice, for ye hath raised a Cross of metal beams.
Rejoice, for the drills rang in the form of bells.
Rejoice, for expensive chambers were absent.
Rejoice, for a white linen became a stole.
Rejoice, for the liturgy was served with the angels.
Rejoice, for Christ was confessed under the earth.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
11th Hymn on the Scroll:
The complete persecution unleashed with anger spared not even the frail women, and, just like the martyrs of old, many women boldly confessed their love for Christ and their people and endured the torments with joy, singing to God: Hallelujah!
11th Stanza:
The believers were horrified to see a tortured body of a woman brought to be burned, and the stone-hearted executioners, not taking into account that there was still life within, hastily threw the body into the furnace and muffled wails resounded from the flames, and we, trembling at such things, sing with fear:
Rejoice, O frail bodies with firmness of soul.
Rejoice, for ye hath boldly confessed Christ.
Rejoice, for ye hath imitated the martyrs of old.
Rejoice, for ye hath all kinds of torments.
Rejoice, for ye hath received beatings and mockery.
Rejoice, for ye hath been terribly tortured by hanging.
Rejoice, for they have given ye to bullets.
Rejoice, for the hands of the soldiers trembled on their weapons.
Rejoice, for ye hath been beaten to the point of blood.
Rejoice, for they could not do the same to the soul.
Rejoice with the Saints of this persecuted nation.
Rejoice, all ye who hath died in the faith.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
12th Hymn on the Scroll:
With divine grace hath ye miraculously been overshadowed, O Saints, and in the Prisons of Piteshti, Aiyud, Gherla, Sighet, Baiya Spriye, Târgu Ocna and the Canal, like the martyrs of old, many kinds of sufferings hath ye endured, and, knowing well that this was a trial from above, ye hath called upon Christ more fervently, singing: Hallelujah!
12th Stanza:
This earthly life was counted as nothing; the soul hath been offered up for the true faith and ancestral people, and now. at the haven free from pain and sorrow, ye rejoice, with all the righteous praising God and hearing from us such things as these:
Rejoice, O wings that hath taken flight.
Rejoice, O illuminated faces of grace.
Rejoice, O lives that hath broken the chains.
Rejoice, O ye who were hated by the world.
Rejoice, O rays of light kindled in darkness.
Rejoice, O arms stretched to the heavens.
Rejoice, O bearers of the Cross and Name of Saints.
Rejoice, O temples aglow with illustrious crowns.
Rejoice, O rivers of clean waters.
Rejoice, O branches laden with fruit.
Rejoice, O messengers proclaiming the good news.
Rejoice, O foundation of the rock of the nation.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
13th Hymn on the Scroll:
O Holy Confessors, who endured all tortures in prison, who bravely accepted martyrdom for the Resurrection of the Romanian soul, with boldness towards Christ our God, pray that we may be delivered from all devilish deceit and may manfully confess the Orthodox faith, so that, having been saved, we may sing always to God: Hallelujah!
O Holy Confessors, who endured all tortures in prison, who bravely accepted martyrdom for the Resurrection of the Romanian soul, with boldness towards Christ our God, pray that we may be delivered from all devilish deceit and may manfully confess the Orthodox faith, so that, having been saved, we may sing always to God: Hallelujah!
O Holy Confessors, who endured all tortures in prison, who bravely accepted martyrdom for the Resurrection of the Romanian soul, with boldness towards Christ our God, pray that we may be delivered from all devilish deceit and may manfully confess the Orthodox faith, so that, having been saved, we may sing always to God: Hallelujah!
1st Stanza:
From the icon and the altar did the Holy Confessors set out to defend the true faith and the Romanian multitude from the scourge coming from the East, who were frightened neither by persecution nor imprisonment but boldly stood against the machinations of Satan, for which we rejoice and praise in such hymns as these:
Rejoice, O souls as pure as the lilies.
Rejoice, O imprisoned yet left undefiled.
Rejoice, O ye willing to break the chains of the nation.
Rejoice, O foundation of the nation with martyric blood.
Rejoice, O ye persecuted by the enemies of Christ.
Rejoice, O ye tortured by the traitors.
Rejoice, ye who were crushed and yet rose again.
Rejoice, for by the vision of death hath ye been strengthened.
Rejoice, for the life of prayer and weeping.
Rejoice, O ye whole-burnt offerings.
Rejoice, for the gift of the Archangel’s cover and help.
Rejoice, for the preservation by the power of the honorable Cross.
Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
1st Hymn on the Scroll:
The chosen Confessors of Christ and adornment of the Church, those who endured torture and mockery in prison, the true soldiers of the Lord who put the servants of Satan to shame by the power of the Cross, in heaven do they pray for us, for which we, desiring to praise them, say: Rejoice, O Holy Confessors, who, in the prisons, ascended the Golgotha of Romania!
++++Here endeth the hymn.++++
A Prayer to the New Confessors of the Romanian Prisons:
O Holy Confessors, who in prisons and persecutions, through many sufferings, have restrained the incitement of the enemy, which was directed with anger against the Church of Christ to all who have suffered hunger, cold, torture, humiliation, and torments of all kinds in defense of the ancient law, we offer our thanksgiving.
As those who have done well for the Resurrection of the Soul of Romania, and now rejoice with the angels and archangels in the unsettling light of the Heavenly Kingdom, we ask: cease not the intercession to the Almighty God that He may grant us forgiveness of sins, that He may protect us and His Holy Church from foreign invasions, and that He may preserve us from unbelief and the war between us.
Guide us always on the path of salvation, patience, and love that we may remain steadfast and united until the end of our lives in the true faith. O Holy Confessors, who in the trials and struggles of earthly life asked for the help of the Heavenly Powers, we unworthy ones pray ye to receive our prayers at this hour and cover us from the scandals of this generation and the evils of our adversaries as we fearlessly confess the Gospel of Christ on the narrow path with many torments to the glory of God and the salvation of our people.
Amen.
Another Prayer to the New Martyrs and Confessors:
Holy New Martyrs and Confessors, pray to God for us in these times of great trial. Take care of all the clergy and faithful. Do not allow the enemy of our salvation to overwhelm the soil of our souls through errors and passions of all kinds. Help us to make, again and again, a good beginning to our salvation.
Guide us on the path of salvation, instructing us through our spiritual fathers. Support those who desire to reject the wisdom of this world and acquire true wisdom. Strengthen those who, out of fear, avoid bearing witness. Raise those who have fallen into the pit of sins. Ease the sufferings of the sick and give what is needful to those in great need.
All ye saints, who have endured hunger, thirst, cold, heat, nakedness, have received from God the gift of comforting those in all kinds of need. We desire your deeds in our lives, we wish to witness your miraculous intercession. Soften those who still persecute you, appease those who still slander you. Pray to God that the witness of your zeal and holiness will spread everywhere. Strengthen us, O saints, to follow in your footsteps so that we may truly be the followers of your prayers.
Help us to depict your icons in our hearts and to praise you until the last hour of our lives, glorifying God in the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Glorification of the New Martyrs of the Prisons:
O Lord, our God, who didst keep Daniel and the Three Youths safe in the furnace of fire, and who hast strengthened the witnesses of the last persecution to bear good testimony before the persecutors, receive this little prayer from us.
Sow, O Christ God, their sacrifice as a seed in the soil of our hearts. May this seed bring forth good fruit, may it be unto us a good beginning of salvation, and may it bestow upon us the courage to confess the truth in the face of those who mock it. Grant, O Lord, that their example may not be forgotten, but rather that the most just sons of the Church may be nourished by it. Grant thou that their virtues and sacrifice may be a rebuke to our idleness and neglect and that we may receive this rebuke for our correction.
Saint Mary Magdalene once asked for thy body, saying to the Gardener, “Lord, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away.” In like manner do we fall before Thee, praying before Thee in the hope that Thou wilt forgive our boldness and shall not overlook our request: “Lord, show us where the holy relics of Thy confessors are, that when we find them, we may honor them with piety.” If it be our sins that doth withhold us from being worthy to venerate them, we beseech Thee, O Lord, with broken and humbled hearts, that Thou, O Lord, shall not let the holy relics of Thy servants be forgotten, but bring them to light, that they may receive the honor due to them.
Grant that, venerating them with piety, we may also enjoy their honor in Thy Church together with the hosts of the martyrs, as is their due. With them, O Triune God, may we bring glory, honor, and worship unto Thee, to the Father and the Son and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Amen!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Notes on the Hymn and Translation from Kaleb:
- All the above is the text of the Unseated Hymn as localized in translation.
- This is the link to the Romanian text of the Unseated Hymn.
- This Unseated Hymn was composed at the request of Elder Justin Pârvu. You can see him chanting the hymn in Romanian here.
- This is not an official hymn of the Church.
- This hymn was translated to English entirely by myself, Kaleb, on the entreaty of a Romanian Orthodox Christian who desired that the veneration of the Prison Saints of Romania be spread.
- The translation provided here is not word-for-word, but rather, it is thought-for-thought. There are some intentional inconsistencies in the translation to fit the structure of the hymn, grammatical form, or English-speaking custom. For example, the words “ţării” and “neam” are both translated to “nation,” when “ţării” is more accurately “land” or “country.” The word “ţării” appears in line 4 of the 1st Stanza, line 1 of the 3rd Stanza, and line 12 of the 12th Stanza. Its derivative, “tarã,” is indeed translated to country.
In some places, the word “neam” is entirely removed, such as in the refrain, “ascended the Golgotha of Romania!,” but is more accurately “ascended the Golgotha of the Romanian Nation!” In this example, the content of the hymn hasn’t been changed at all, even though not every word is translated.
In the 4th Stanza, the names of certain Romanian cities are changed and shortened simply so that the reader, who might not be Romanian, may pronounce them correctly. The line “Sărat, Siyuk, Brashov, and Vaslui” is originally, “Râmnicu Sãrat, Miercurea Ciuc, Brasov si Vaslui.” Anyone reproducing the English text of this Unseated Hymn may change this line to the Romanian original. The same is the case for “Aiyud,” which is, originally, “Aiud.” - The 2nd Stanza refers to Ion Moța and Basil Marin, who were martyred in Spain during the Spanish Civil War on the same day. In the words of Ion Moța himself: “A machine gun was being fired in the cheek of Christ! The Christian world was shaking! Could we stand by? I understood the duty of my life. I loved Christ and went happily to my death for Him! (…) Let us not let our descendants lose the soulful blessings of the Birth of the Redeemer! Let us not leave a country without churches, without icons, without the protection of the hand of God! Let us not leave our children a life in which they will have lost Christ!”
- The “Saint of the Romanian Prisons” referred to in the 9th Hymn on the Scroll is Saint Valerius Gafencu. You can pray his Unseated Hymn here.
- The woman referred to in the 11th Stanza is the Blessed Nicoleta Nicolescu. She was tortured, raped and then cremated while still alive.
- You can read about all Romanian Martyrs and Confessors of the 20th Century here.
- The Feast Day of the Prison Saints of Romania is 14 May because the communists arrested 10,000 people on that night.
- Here is the text of “Another Prayer” to the Prison Martyrs in Romanian:
“Sfinților noi mucenici și mărturisitori, rugați-vă lui Dumnezeu pentru noi în aceste vremuri de grea încercare. Aveți grijă de tot clerul și de tot poporul binecredincios. Nu îngăduiți ca dușmanul mântuirii noastre să cotropească pământul sufletelor noastre, prin rătăciri și patimi de tot felul. Ajutați-ne să punem, iară și iară, început bun mântuirii noastre.
Fiți călăuzitori ai noștri pe calea mântuirii, povățuindu-ne prin părinții noștri duhovnici. Fiți sprijinitori ai celor care vor să lepede înțelepciunea acestei lumi și să dobândească înțelepciunea cea adevărată. Fiți întăritori ai celor care, din pricina fricii, se feresc să dea mărturia cea bună. Ridicați-i pe cei căzuți în groapa păcatelor. Celor bolnavi ușurați-le suferințele, celor necăjiți dați-le cele de trebuință.
Voi, care ați răbdat foamea și setea și frigul și arșița și golătatea, ați primit de la Dumnezeu darul de a-i mângâia pe cei aflați în nevoi de tot felul. Vrem să vedem lucrarea voastră în viețile noastre, vrem să fim martori ai mijlocirii voastre minunate. Îmblânziți-i pe cei care și acum vă prigonesc, potoliți-i pe cei care și acum vă defaimă. Rugați-vă lui Dumnezeu să răspândească în tot locul mărturia despre pătimirea și sfințenia voastră. Dați-ne putere, sfinților, să mergem pe urmele voastre, ca să fim cu adevărat urmașii rugăciunilor voastre.
Ajutați-ne să zugrăvim în inimile noastre icoanele voastre și să vă lăudăm până în ceasul din urmă al vieții noastre, slăvindu-L pe Dumnezeu cel în Treime lăudat, pe Tatăl, pe Fiul și pe Sfântul Duh, acum și pururea, și în vecii vecilor. Amin.” - The Second Prayer to the Prison Saints is sourced from the Unseated Hymn to Saint Valerius.
- Here is the text for the Glorification Prayer in Romanian:
Doamne, Dumnezeul nostru, Cel ce i-ai păzit pe cei trei tineri şi pe Daniel în cuptorul cel de foc, Cel ce i-ai întărit pe mărturisitorii ultimei prigoane să dea mărturia cea bună în faţa prigonitorilor, primeşte de la noi această puţină rugăciune.
Sădeşte, Hristoase Dumnezeule, jertfa lor ca o sămânţă pe pământul inimii noastre. Să fie această sămânţă aducătoare de roadă bună, să ne fie nouă spre început bun mântuirii şi dătătoare de curajul mărturisirii adevărului în faţa celor care îl batjocoresc. Fă, Doamne, ca pilda lor să nu fie dată uitării, ci din ea să se hrănească fiii Bisericii celei dreptslăvitoare. Fă ca virtuţile şi jertfa lor să mustre lenevia şi negrija noastră, şi să primim această mustrare spre îndreptarea noastră. Cerut-a oarecând Sfânta Maria Magdalena trupul Tau, zicând Grădinarului: „Doamne, spune-mi unde l-ai pus, şi eu îl voi lua.” Tot aşa noi cădem înaintea Ta, rugându-ne Ţie cu nădejdea că ne vei ierta îndrăzneala şi nu vei trece cu vederea cererea noastră: „Doamne, arată-ne nouă locurile în care se află sfintele moaşte ale mărturisitorilor Tăi, ca aflându-le să le cinstim cu evlavie.” Şi dacă din pricina păcatelor noastre nu am fost vrednici să ne închinăm lor, ne rugăm Ţie cu zdrobire de inimă, Doamne, să nu laşi sfintele moaşte ale robilor Tăi să zacă în uitare, ci scoate-le la lumină, pentru a primi închinarea cuvenită.
Ca închinându-ne eu evlavie, să ne putem bucura şi de cinstirea lor în Biserica Ta, după cum li se cuvine, împreună cu a cetelor de sfinţi mucenici şi muceniţe. Şi împreună cu ei să îţi aducem slavă, cinste şi închinăciune Ţie, Dumnezeului cel în Treime lăudat, Tatălui şi Fiului şi Sfântului Duh, acum şi pururea şi în vecii vecilor. Amin” - The Glorification Prayer is sourced from here.
