Canon to the Mother of God, Seeker of the Lost
Seeker of the Lost (Perishing) Icon
Canon in front of the Icon of the Mother of God,
The Seeker of the Lost (Perishing)
Canon tone Four
Ode One
Irmos: I shall open my mouth, and the Spirit will inspire it, and I
shall utter the words of my song to the Queen and Mother, I shall be
radiantly keeping feast, and joyfully praising Her wonders.
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
Thou of whom Isaiah prophesied, as the living Coal which purged his lips,
purify also the faculties of my soul, and Thou who dost raise up the
fallen, raise me up to celebrate Thy feast with hymns of thanksgiving.
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
Thou who dost rescue those perishing on the sea of life, Thou Life-boat
of the drowning and quickening Breath of the drowned, Thou Gateway of
rebirth for those long dead in sin, we praise Thy holy icon through which
Thou bestowest grace on mankind.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
O Thou who didst intercede for the repentant Theophilus, after he denied
both Thee and Thy Son, and signed a contract with the devil, Thou whose
great mercy gives boldness to every sinner who calls on Thee for help, We
praise Thee and Thy great boldness before Thy Son.
Both now, and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
The marvel of Thy great mercy, O Mother of God, is beyond our
comprehension. We seize upon it with great hope, falling down before thee
and crying out, O Seeker of the lost, Refuge of sinners, save us!
Ode Three
Irmos: O Mother of God, Thou living and plentiful Fount, give strength to
those united in spiritual fellowship, who sing hymns of praise to Thee:
and in Thy divine glory, vouchsafe unto them crowns of glory.
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
Thou who didst break the chains of him who willingly sold himself to the
evil one, and return the contract of him who sold himself, Thou who didst
hear his prayer and restore him to blessedness; we acclaim Thee as the return of the prodigal!
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
Where there is no grace, how can there be repentance? Wherefore we
understand that all who return to Christ, receive the heavenly sorrow of
repentance as a divine gift while still in their sins. Quicken this gift
in us also, O Lady, lest we be revealed as charred logs.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
The whole world is now darkened by apostasy and sin, and all men creep
upon the earth like the murderer Cain, but Thou, O Lady, hast such great
boldness! Open the doors to repentance and salvation to those who are
perishing!
Both now, and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
God does not desire the death of a sinner, but that he repent and live.
Thus when He paid the world's debt by His death on the Cross, Love
Incarnate gave Thee to the apostle of love, as his Mother and the Mother
of all who will return to Thy Son.
Sedalion,
Tone 3
O Thou who art the Hope of the desperate, and the Correction of the
erring, seek out all those whom Thy Son's Blood has redeemed, hide us
from that roaring lion who seeks to devour the souls of men.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and
ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
In Thee, O Mother of God, we place all our hopes, for none do we have
after God but Thee.
Ode Four
Irmos: He Who sitteth in glory upon the throne of the Godhead, Jesus the
true God, is come in a light cloud, and with His pure hand He hath saved
those who cry: Glory to Thy power O Christ!
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
Through repentance the Ninevites found great mercy; through repentance
the harlot Rahab became a foremother of God; Through repentance, the
Prophet David was restored to the grace he lost through adultery and
murder. Wherefore, O Mother, teach us to repent!
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
Through repentance, Peter who denied Thy Son, became the chief apostle,
and Saul the persecutor became Paul the chosen vessel. Through repentance
Zacchaeus the publican attained the kingdom of God. We pray Thee, O
Mother, grant us such sweet repentance.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Through repentance, Cyprian the sorcerer, became an arch-shepherd
and worthy of a martyr's crown. Through repentance the thief, Moses,
stole paradise, and became a wonder-working elder. Through repentance,
Thy holy ones, Mary of Egypt, Thaisia, and Pelagia, left harlotry and
entered the heavenly bridal chamber. Wherefore, O Mother, grant us such
holy repentance.
Both now, and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou only sinless One, Who wast worthy to receive Christ, Thou who art
above angels and men, help us thy children who constantly stumble and
wander in distraction.
Ode Five
Irmos: The whole world was amazed at Thy divine glory, for Thou O Virgin
who hast not known wedlock, hast held in Thy womb the God of all, and
hast given birth to an eternal Son, Who granteth peace to all who sing
Thy praises.
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
On this bright feast of Thine icon, O Mother, we bring Thee petitions for
all those who are lost, that Thou wouldst seek them out and bring them
home, for we know, O Lady, that each lamb returned to the Shepherd brings
Thee great joy!
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
Have compassion on the youth, on all those brought up in impurity, on all
who are defiled or who defile themselves, and all those who are taught
that they are beasts. Stay the hand of the suicide, bring hope to the
desperate, healing and soberness to the alcoholic and the addict.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Heal the wounds of the abused and of the abuser, bring solace to those
who are in prisons, and new life to those who wait on death's row. Seek
out those who are raised in crime, dispel the resentment and bitterness
of those destitute and wounded by men or demons.
Both now, and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
O Thou who art the New Eve, who has crushed the head of the serpent, Thou
who art a Wound to demons, deliver from demonic darkness, those who are
deluded and all who have been exposed to occult arts.
Ode Six
Irmos: As we celebrate this sacred and solemn feast of the Mother of God,
let us come, clapping our hands, O people of the Lord, and give glory to
God who was born of Her.
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
O Lady, intercede for those wounded through abortion, through drug abuse
during pregnancy, and on all who have abused or murdered their own
children. Remember each young woman who is pressed to do wrong by those
who should love and protect her.
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
O Mother of God, we approach Thee with boldness as Theophilus did: regard
not our prayer as sin. For just as we seek Thine aid for ourselves, we
beg for all who have fallen, knowing that we are no better than they.
Look with compassion on all who do not know or have forgotten how to say,
"Lord have mercy!"
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Intercede, O Lady, for those who chase pleasure to escape the emptiness
in their hearts. Dispel the confusion of all our young: bring them from
false knowledge to the fullness of the truth. Change the hearts of their
teachers, parents and guides that they may also find life.
Both now, and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Have compassion, Thou Harbor of the storm-tossed, on all students:
deliver them from confusion and lead them to the truth. Calm the
disturbed and the agitated. Look upon the troubled, the confused and the
depressed. Strengthen those persecuted for truth and those who hunger for
justice and all in whom the divine image is buried and obscured.
Kontakion,
Tone 4
Thou art a sure Compass to those wandering the trackless wastes of this
world, * the Mother of all those abandoned and left to perish, * sweet
Intercessor for the wronged and embittered heart, * healing Balm to those
exhausted by sorrows. * Cease not, we beg Thee to implore Thy Son, our
merciful God * to have compassion on every lost and suffering soul * O
Seeker of the lost.
Ikos: As the paralytic who was borne of four we come to Thee, our Hope,
borne by the grace of the Church to seek Thine aid, and not only that, O
beloved Mother of God, we bear with us those whom we know and those whom
we do not know. We implore Thine aid upon a world in which many are
perishing and lost for want of Thy help. We praise and glorify Thy
compassion and the wonder-working grace of Thy holy icon and we pray:
Thou who dost help us through Thy continual intercession and shelter us,
who are worthless, have compassion also on every lost and suffering soul,
O Seeker of the lost.
Ode Seven
Irmos: The Holy Youths bravely trampled upon the threatening fire,
preferring not to worship created things rather than the Creator, and
they sang in joy: Blessed art Thou and praised above all, O Lord God of
our Fathers.
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
O Thou who art a Mother to orphans, look now upon all the fatherless
children in our inner cities, and all of the children of the poor! Bring
them help, O bring them guides and teachers, who will bring them to Thy
Son. Let Thy grace and intercession be known in their lives, because only
the grace of God can lift them out of the abyss of misery.
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
Have compassion, beloved Mother, on all those children who grow up
in group homes and foster care, on all who are prevented from knowing the
truth. Have mercy on all who are exposed to corruption and darkness from
their infancy. Mother them, O Lady, and bring Thy children home.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Intercede, O Lady, and be a special Help and Solace to the those abused
or mistreated for their ethnic heritage, for all native peoples, those
taken into slavery or tortured, persecuted or denied what is necessary
for life. Bring peace and an end of strife to those ravaged by war, and
those who suffer from the scar of abuse or neglect, whether to themselves
or to their kind, and bring Thy children home to Him in Whom there is no
east or west.
Both now, and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou who dost bring light to the blind and healing to the sick and the
infirm, peace, sanity and wholeness to the insane, life to the dead, O
Mother of God, bring Thy light and Thy grace to those who suffer from
disorders in the senses, communication, memory or understanding. Protect
the simple, the feeble and the innocent. Help the handicapped and all who
by the wisdom of God have impairments that cut them off from the world.
Ode Eight
Irmos: The Offspring of the Theotokos saved the Holy Youths in the
furnace. He Who was then prefigured, hath since been born on earth, and
He gathereth together all the creation to sing: O all ye works of the
Lord, praise ye the Lord and exalt Him unto the ages.
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
Thy Son sent His servants into the highways and the byways of this
world, to find the poor, the lost, the destitute, and bring them to His
wedding feast so that they might all supremely exalt Him unto the ages.
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
The Good Shepherd left the ninety and nine to seek the one that was lost,
that is the race of man that had fallen from its heavenly home, and
through Thy prayers, O Mother of God, may each lost sheep be found and
praise and supremely exalt Him unto the ages.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
When Thy Son was hanging on the Cross, Thou wast witness to the great
promise He made to the repenting thief, who willingly acknowledged his
own sins, and the Divinity of Thy Son, and now he, and many other
repentant sinners praise the Lord and supremely exalt Him unto the ages.
Both now, and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
We who are unworthy and wretched, turn also to Thy mighty help and
intercession, that we may be set aright. We now, at Thy holy feast, join
in choir with all those who praise the Lord and supremely exalt Him unto
the ages.
Ode Nine
Irmos: Let every mortal born on earth carrying his torch in spirit leap
for joy; and let the order of angelic powers celebrate and honor the holy
feast of the Mother of God, and let them cry: Rejoice! O all-blessed
Theotokos, pure and Ever-Virgin.
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
O Most Pure One, regard not our boldness nor our supplication as sin. The
darkness of the world increases, and we and those we pray for have such
great need of Thy help. We beg Thee, look upon the desperate and bring
enlightenment to those confused and darkened by the mind of this world.
Stop those who seek to make it easier to kill oneself or another for the
sake of convenience and mercy misunderstood.
Most holy Theotokos, Seeker of the lost, save us!
Awaken the light of conscience in us, O Lady, and in all those who lead
and guide and teach, those who make laws or sit in judgment in courts.
Help them to dare to turn from the unrighteousness of this world for the
sake of Thy Son.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
O Birth-giving Virgin, receive our prayers as Thy Son didst receive the
widow's mite. Bring us, through Thy prayers, to the heavenly realms, that
we may praise Thee and Thy Son forever, together with many others who
through Thine intercession, are delivered from great harm.
Both now, and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Thy holy icon, O Lady, is a source of grace and healing for souls, and
gives great boldness to the desperate. Help us, O Lady, who are
perishing. Give us strength to endure to the end for the sake of Thy Son,
that we may magnify Thee now and unto all ages.
It is truly meet to bless Thee, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most immaculate, and Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, thee without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify. Amen.
