Come ye faithful let’s celebrate the Mother of God’s honorable Protection, because she mercifully spread her hands to her Son and the whole world got covered in her intercession. Therefore let us rejoice and sing with our lips and heart, chants and spiritual hymns together will all who come to her.
(From the Intercession of Theotokos Divine service)
Yearning for justice ever since young age, you hastened to the holy Mount Athos and there fully committed yourself to fit. Therefore your monastery was adorned by your enchanting hymns which you presented us with as a precious gift. So now, we beseech you, St. John, sweet-chanting harp, don’t stop interceding for us.
(A stichira for the service of St. John Koukouzelis)
Great is and indescribable the mercy which the Heavenly Queen pours upon our entire sinful human kind, and through centuries, those who have beloved Her with all of their heart, who constantly followed Her as the Bethlehem Star, and who confided in Her in the worst moments of trial, received Her uncompromising help and protection, and later got dignified with eternal life as well. And it’s not by chance that today, when we celebrate Her honorable Protection which she maternally spread all around the world, and embraced us all in Her care, we commemorate two of Her sweet offspring, two angelic souls, who celebrated Her all their life in deeds and hymns and were finally celebrated by Her? Yes the glorious John Koukouzelis and the graceful Roman the Melodist are a bright example as to how great dignity has been given to us faithful – to celebrate God and His Most Holy Mother together with the angels. And to be made worthy for greater glory than the angelical one.
That’s the reason why the sisters of the Convent dedicated to St. George the Triumphant in Rajchica took great joy in the possibility to chant hymns and praises to their intercessor, whose life and fit and endless fidelity towards the Divine Mother and Her Son they constantly try to emulate, conveyed to that same love which once took the Saint out of the Emperor’s court and brought him to a monastery, and now it summoned them from the world to a constant service for the glory of God. Emulating his zeal for constant praising and chanting to God, on this all – night vigil in his memory reminded themselves of his eagerness to turn his chanting into prayer or to express his heartfelt prayer through a wonderful harmonious chanting which awakens the soul of all the present and inspires them for prayer. That’s what this night filled with God – inspired stichires and praising verses because of the maternal protection of the Most Blessed One was – an incessant prayer flowing from the God loving souls of those present in the solemn silence of the Rajchica chapel. And this graceful prayer was topped by the sweetness of the festive Holy Liturgy served by our most beloved Elder, Archimandrite Parthenius, which we all considered as a great gift from Christ our Lord.
Protected by the omophorion of the Most Holy Empress and strengthen by the prayers of the sweet – chanting Fathers John and Roman, gracefully nourished by the incorruptible Holy Communion, we conveyed our humble prayers to the human loving God Creator, pleading with Him that He protects our country in these times of trial, to enlighten the misled and tame the raged, so that reason would prevail and fraternal love would shine through that all nation could celebrate the great mercy and love of God. Amen.
