The History Of The Small Paraklesis Supplication Canon To The Theotokos
Contemporary are two forms of the Paraklesis Charge to the Theotokos: the Unhappy Paraklesis which was serene by Theosteriktos the Holy man in the 9th century (or some say Theophanes), and the Great Paraklesis. At home the collection of the time, in words of one syllable the Unhappy Paraklesis to the Theotokos is chanted. Nonetheless, inside the Dormition Sure (Dignified 1-14), the Typikon prescribes that the Unhappy and Great Paraklesis be chanted on stand in evenings, according to the investigation regulations:

- If Dignified 1st surge on a Monday straightforward Friday, the annoy begins with the Unhappy Paraklesis. If Dignified 1st surge on a Saturday or Sunday, the annoy begins with the Great Paraklesis.

- On the eves of Sundays (i.e., Saturday nights) and on the eve of the Transfiguration (the night of Dignified 5) the Paraklesis is omitted.

- On Sunday nights, the Great Paraklesis is consistently second hand unless it is the eve of Transfiguration.

In the Russian In a straight line Church, the alike of a Paraklesis is the Moleben, which is joined in custom, inn that the canon is omitted, retaining in words of one syllable the refrains and Irmoi of the third, sixth and ninth odes. Since the full service itself is performed, it is called the "Supplicatory Charge" (Molebnyj Kanon).

The account these services are called "Paraklesis" (Pretext) is because the obtain political party to pray the Theotokos to judge on their behalf to her Son and our God for our redeemer and for the aid of anything that burdens and ails us. They are the prayers of pilot and sore children addressed to their loving Blood relation, who is their in words of one syllable delusion, protectress, and assessment in time of determination.

According to liturgical Guru John Fountoulis, even whilst the two Canons to the Theotokos are differentiated with the label "Unhappy" and "Great", in fact they conduct the actual give out of Troparia, every having thirty-two with four in each Ode. Nonetheless the Great Charge is boss protracted, whilst this does not assert the byword. The real account seems to be that the Great Charge is chanted in a boss triumphant tone inside the Dormition Sure than the Unhappy Charge, as ready in the Banishment Hymns which begin: "O you Apostles from far afield, for example now gathered together contemporary in the the public of Gethsemane, lay my enclose in burial; and You, my Son and my God, get as far as my spirit."

Petite leave has been done on the precedent backdrop that led to the expression of the two Canons and the ultimate morphology of the two Supplications.

Concerning the Great Pretext Exercise, we conduct sufficient corroboration to its authorship. The journalist was Theodore II Doukas Laskaris, Ruler of Nicaea. He was an queen in deportation who reigned from 1254 to 1258 AD investigation the fall of Constantinople to the Frankish Crusaders in 1204. Concerning this history, see The Best ever of the Great Paraklesis (Pretext) Charge to the Theotokos.

THE AUTHORSHIP AND Birth OF THE Unhappy PARAKLESIS Charge


The Unhappy Pretext Exercise is vast than the Great Pretext Exercise and its authorship is endorsed by some to Theosteriktos the Holy man, who lived in the ninth century. Others deduction it to be the work of Municipal Theophanes the Confessor of Nicaea who lived in the actual century. Individual even put memorable St. John the Damascene as the singer.

In the liturgical book "Horologion" it perfectly states as the author: "A poem of Theosteriktos the Holy man. Others collection Theophanes." Individual say that these two names actually belonged to the actual person; Theophanes was the name of Theosteriktos formerly he became a holy man.

Up-to-the-minute leave on the authorship of the Unhappy Paraklesis utter that it was authored by Saint Theosteriktos the Confessor. He second hand the one time authored Charge to the Theotokos by Theophanos the Identified and other liturgical and ecclesiastical sources to put together the Unhappy Paraklesis. The Charge of Theophanes the Identified was second hand as the early canon of Matins on the feasts of superior saints. In turn, Theophanes the Identified second hand one time heartfelt verses from the Charge of St. John the Damascene which he wrote for the saint's day of the Raising of Lazarus to remark his hymns. Above all he borrowed the investigation eirmos: 1, 3, 6, and 7 Odes. The rest he either serene himself or borrowed from other liturgical sources. In this way, the Unhappy Paraklesis Charge took a joined form and personage as that of the Great Paraklesis Charge.

SAINT THEOSTERIKTOS THE CONFESSOR AND HIS Wrestle FOR THE Hallowed ICONS

Theosteriktos the Confessor, abbot of Pelekete Monastery represent Prusa, suffered for the Hallowed Icons under the needless queen Constantine Copronymos (741-775). His saint's day day is February 29th in the Slavic Churches and Column 17th in the Greek Churches.

Theosteriktos was uneducated in Triglia of Bithynia and became a holy man at a unsophisticated age at the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, familiar in the same way as Pelekete Monastery, everywhere he as soon as became abbot. At home the aggravation of Ruler Constantine V Copronymos, his global in Asia Darken Michael Lachanodrakon began a tough aggravation unusually versus the monastics who revered the Hallowed Icons.

On the night of Hallowed and Great Thursday in 763 the Familiar came to Pelekete Monastery inside the celebration of the Portend Liturgy. Abbot Theosteriktos was celebrating the Portend Liturgy together with 780 monks under him, 70 of which were hieromonks. In the blink of an eye voluble knocks at the Gate of the Monastery sporadic the intense sensitivity, and 2,000 legion of the Familiar were cold yelling, causing chills and tremors.

The legion short of money the Gate with axes and the mob entered the rectangle. Familiar Michael Lachanodrakon pressurized here the church with his armed forces and approached the Abbot. Frantically the Familiar took the Hallowed Mug and injured it on the dirt, and punched the Abbot in the crag. This resulted in a propel in the midst of the monks and the legion.

Seeing this, the Abbot commanded his children to haunt, and the Familiar handed him a paper, saying angrily:

"Sustain this and sign exactly versus the idols which you call icons, on the other hand we character shortfall all of you. It is a adjustment of the Holier-than-thou Emperor Constantine V."

"You be obliged to wholly say Copronymos", assumed Abbot Theosteriktos. "We character never sign versus the Sacred Icons, which we virtuously honor."

Upon the Hallowed Abbot saying this, the Familiar desperately commanded the shortfall to begin. Within a few proceedings, four hundred monks had fallen dead.

Back this the Familiar gave altered order: to tie the rest with supports and pull out them out to the rectangle. He with planned a fire ignited at every predicament of the Monastery for everything to be reduced to coals. Hence the sizable Monastery was reduced by the inferno of fire.

The captured monks were with led to Ruler Copronymos and appeared formerly him.

Copronymos asked Familiar Michael: "How masses are there?"

The Familiar answered: "40 Hieromonks, 342 Monks and the Abbot."

In a anger Copronymos addressed the monks: "Weak Monks! Testing and small-minded in my alight, come formerly me! I am Constantine the Fifth and I do not banter."

One holy man with a smile on his crag approached the Ruler, Sinesios by name, and he said: "Copronymos! We are children of Theosteriktos and perceptive from our Advanced to trample upon the chief of the Fiend and the Iconoclasts."

By saying this, the Holy man Sinesios hermetically sealed his luck. The Ruler planned his intelligent beheading.

Overdue this the Ruler questioned the monks one by one, and had each of live in who abided by the In a straight line Possibility to be beheaded at that end result. As the foundation of Copronymos rejoiced, the blood of dozens of holy monks ran matching a spill.

Back the shortfall, the Ruler planned Theosteriktos to entrance him. The Saint approached with joy for the pane to own up his Possibility, yet with grief and shed tears in the same way for such a trepidation displayed.

In a voluble anger the Ruler yelled:


"Murderer! Executioner! You killed 780 of your children on a dream, in order to not lope on show your idols which you call icons. Murderer, you character be familiar in the history books as committing infanticide."

The Abbot didn't say anything. He walked director to the wall everywhere a fine art of the Ruler hung, and he threw it down and crushed on it. He with said:

"Such contaminate is imperative of you Copronymos. I am a venerator of the Deserving Icons and I desire for this death. In fact, I'm in a sprint to safety inspection up with my golden and blessed children, my pinnacle and breathe heavily."

Seeing the shortfall be present, masses legion and officials established to rise up versus the Ruler at that end result, and the Ruler cringed in consideration. He with called for his pilot examiner to restart him.

The pilot examiner raised his sword harden to cut off some heads, so sharply the enemy Aimilios Teravinos grabbed his sword, finished the sign of the Teed off, and took out of his breast an Character of Christ. He with yelled loudly:

"Cursed Copronymos Heretic, I am a venerator of the Deserving Icons. Ruin me."

The chief of Aimilios strike, and the Ruler retired for the night.

The behind day the Ruler called forth once again the Abbot, and cocktail party from him the actual answers, it was planned that his core, ears and fingers be cut off. Thus with pliers carpet of keep quiet were pulled from his enclose, and in a unrefined utter he was mystified here a dark cell everywhere he was not to be truth neither food or water, in order to die offering.

Yet Abbot Theosteriktos survived in this cell for nine vivacity, kindness to the hand-outs of final legion who sneaked in cash and water.

In the time Copronymos died, Leo IV, his son, succeeded him to the throne. Nevertheless mortal in enclose, he had a sociable species. Leo sagging all prisoners who revered the Sacred Icons. Abbot Theosteriktos was open in the same way and brought back to his Monastery, which now lay in spoil.

Theosteriktos traditional offers from nearby monasteries to pull out him in, but he refused, preferring wholly to put up in his own Monastery, everywhere he had lived with his children and lived well. In the predicament of the skeleton he built himself a mannered hut and established to put up offering for the rest of his life without help. It was offering, by the skeleton of his Monastery and on one occasion the proficiency of so widely pilot, that he at some indicator serene the Unhappy Paraklesis Charge to the Theotokos.

He began:


Amid constant temptations roundabouts me,

Penetrating for redeemer,

I conduct hastened unto you;

O Blood relation of the Narrative, and Virgin,

From all distresses and dangers circulation me.

Overdue three vivacity in isolation, new monastics came to this holy Advanced, who had no fingers, core or ears, and asked him to be their abbot. Daring not to go versus the character of God, Theosteriktos took them under his slip, and within months 800 monks gathered in the Monastery.

Abbot Theosteriktos lived altered 25 vivacity with his Brotherhood, and the Pelekete Monastery was recharged. On the 17th of Column in 807, the species of Theosteriktos met his martyred children, and the deem words of Saints Theosteriktos are assumed to conduct been:

"Your love Character we honor, O Fastidious One, prayerful release for our transgressions, Christ God..."