Dormition & The Paraklesis

You can download the August Pocket Calendar here or you can visit our Schedule Page on the parish website.

In August we celebrate three feasts of the Savior including His glorious  Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor, followed by the final feast of the Church  year: the Dormition of the Most-holy Theotokos.

During the short but intense two-week fast in preparation for her repose  and translation to life as the Mother of Life, the Paraklesis  service—also called the Supplicatory Canon to the Theotokos—acts as our  daily psalter to the Mother of God. Like David's aforetime, these hymns  till the ground of our heart, uprooting our passions, cares, worries,  stresses, and dread in the face of our infirmities both bodily and  spiritual, so that we might run to the Physician of souls and bodies  through the intercessions of the greatest intercessor for the Christian  people, His Mother, whom we laud in this service with words such as  these: she is the Mother of the Word, the Ever-virgin, the Bride of God,  the Spotless, Pure, and All-blameless one, the Sure Rampart,  Protectress, Directress, Mediatress, Mistress of Creation, Fervent  Advocate, Invincible Battlement, Fountain of Mercy, Sheltering Retreat  for the World, Higher than the Heavens, the Sweetness of Angles, the  Gladness of the Afflicted, the Gold-entwined Tower, the Twelve-wall  Encircled City, the Throne Besprinkled with Sunbeams, the Royal Chair of  the King, the Inexplicable Wonder.

May the following selection of hymns from the 6th and 9th odes of the  Small Paraklesis be an encouragement to everyone to attend as many  services this month as possible:

My nature, held by corruption and by death, hath He saved from out  of death and corruption, for unto death He Himself hath submitted.  Wherefore, O Virgin, do thou intercede with Him Who is in truth thy Lord  and Son to redeem me from enemies' wickedness.

I know thee as the protection of my life and most safe fortification, O  Virgin; disperse the horde of my many temptations, and put to silence  demonic audacity; unceasingly I pray to thee: From corruption of  passions deliver me.

A bulwark of safe retreat art thou to us, and of souls art thou the  perfect salvation, and a relief in distresses, O Maiden; and in thy  light do we ever exult with joy. O Lady, do thou also now from all  passions and perils deliver us.

Bedridden, I lie supine with sickness now, and no healing for my flesh  is existent except for thee, who didst bear the world's Savior, our God,  the Healer of every infirmity; I pray to thee, for thou art good: From  corruption of illnesses raise me up.

The torrent of my weeping spurn not with refusal for thou didst give  birth to Him Who doth take away all tears from every face, O thou  Virgin, for He is Christ indeed.

Do thou, O Virgin Maiden, fill my heart with gladness, for thou art she  who received all the fulness of joy, and made to vanish away all sorrow  of sinfulness.

A haven and protection, and a wall unshaken, and a rejoicing and shelter  and place of retreat do thou become, O thou Virgin, for those who flee  to thee.

Illumine with the radiance of thy light, O Virgin, all those who piously  call thee the Mother of God; and do thou banish away all darkness of  ignorance.

Brought low am I, O Virgin, in a place of sickness, and in a dwelling of  anguish; grant healing to me, transforming all of my illness into full  healthfulness.



Most-holy Theotokos, save us!