In the countries of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is one of the most revered saints. For Orthodox people, the most common type of address to him is the recitation of canons and akathist. These prayer chants are distinguished by their special solemnity and special construction of the text, as well as the history of their creation.
It is known from the biography of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker that he was born in 270 AD. e. in the province of Lycia (Patara). From the very childhood, he showed a special zeal for the service of God, was distinguished by strong piety. The inhabitants of Lycia saw in the local priest, and then the bishop of Myra in Lycia, a clear example of a shepherd who, with God's help, guided them on the path of salvation.
The divine service of Saint Nicholas fell on the period of Christian persecution, and therefore he was already a bishop, arrested and kept in prison. Here he courageously carried his cross and provided all kinds of support to other prisoners. Saint Nicholas is especially revered throughout the Christian world. During his lifetime, he performed many merciful deeds and miracles. For believing Christians, he is a real healer of souls and a guide to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Canons to Nicholas the Wonderworker
The canons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker belong to the compositions of church hymnographic hymns, special in structure, praising the saint. The text of the canons is a combination of biblical chants and additional (added later) verses in the form of irmos and troparia. Irmos are necessary for the connection of the biblical song with the troparion by analogy with the modern holiday and the event of the original event taken from the Bible. And the troparia celebrate the solemn event itself. It is important that the structural structure of the irmos carries the basis for the rhythm and melody of the troparion. They must have equal number and length of stanzas.
In the Orthodox tradition, there are several canons for Nicholas the Wonderworker, which include the following:
- The first canon has as the beginning of the irmos the words: "In the depths of the bed sometimes …".
- The second canon begins with the words of Irmos: "Christ is born - praise …".
- The third canon contains the first words of the irmos: "Let us lift up the song, people …"; the canon is read during the divine service associated with the transfer of the relics of the saint.
- The fourth canon begins: "I will open my mouth …".
It is customary to recite the first two canons on December 19 (according to the new style), when the day of commemoration of Nicholas the Wonderworker is celebrated, and the third and fourth canons are read on May 22 - the day dedicated to the memory of the transfer of the saint's relics.
When is it necessary to read the canons
The canons dedicated to St. Nicholas are read at home and during divine services in the church. It is believed that they have a special mystical power that protects believers with the power of the Savior. In them, a person turns to the saint precisely through the events of the biblical years, which in itself already brings significant help from Heaven.
The texts of the canons, written in ancient times by persons with high spiritual qualities, offer a song prayer to God in the shortest way. They are read as asking to heal them from bodily and mental ailments, material needs and to protect them from the injustice of the authorities. The saint is considered a powerful protector of widows, orphans, imprisoned under the experience and those who are overcome by sadness, despondency and even despair.
Where to find and how to correctly read the canons and akathist to Nicholas the Wonderworker
It must be remembered that any Orthodox prayer texts, including canons and akathists to Nicholas the Wonderworker, should be purchased in church shops. In addition, at present, Orthodox sites have texts with accents and comments, which is very important for those who are just beginning their spiritual ascent and do not yet have sufficient knowledge of prayer rules.
An important rule for reading the canons and akathist is certification of their approval by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. This can be guaranteed by church shops in churches and the compliance of the texts with the lists posted on the Internet on reliable Orthodox information sites. And, of course, you can always double-check thematic information with any clergyman.
When reciting the canons, you should pronounce all the words very carefully. Moreover, in contrast to the akathist, one can read the canon of penitence while sitting. Reading is carried out at any time, but only after special preliminary prayers or after the daily prayer rule. The texts of the canons can be read in Russian and Church Slavonic. In the latter case, the prayer will wear that ancient flavor and capacity with which the words of the chant were impregnated by their creators.
There is no need to worry when it is not possible to recite the canon aloud, because communication with St. Nicholas is carried out not through the mouth of the praying person, but through his heart. Therefore, mental reading is allowed. The main thing is that the words are spoken with a feeling of love and repentance. It should be remembered that divine chant is performed without any pretentious expression, namely in a monotonous voice. It is desirable at home for the reading of the canons to be accompanied by a lighted lamp or a church candle in front of the face of St. Nicholas. If his icon is not there, then prayer reading can be performed before the image of the Savior or the Mother of God.
Akathist to Nicholas the Wonderworker
An akathist is a song of praise to God, the Virgin Mary, or saints. The first akathist in the history of Orthodoxy was written in 626 on the occasion of the liberation of Constantinople from the Persian invaders. Structurally, the akathist consists of ikos and kontakions and consists of twenty-four stanzas. Kontakion ends with the words "Alleluia!", And the ikos - "Rejoice!"
The Akathist to St. Nicholas was created after his death. Until now, the authorship of this akathist is not reliably known. There is an opinion that it could have been both Greek clergy and Russian hieromonks who took part in the transfer of the myrrh-streaming relics of the saint. In Orthodox churches consecrated in honor of Nicholas the Pleasant, an akathist dedicated to him is read weekly. The Orthodox tradition also uses the forty-day reading of the akathist to St. Nicholas, which can be ordered in monasteries.
It is important to remember that before reading the akathist to Nicholas the Wonderworker, it is advisable to receive the appropriate blessing from a priest who is a confessor. After all, only he really knows about the spiritual abilities of all members of his flock. When reading an akathist, one should remember the rule of reading it. The prayer appeal to Nicholas the Pleasant (13th kontakion) is read three times, after the final kontakion, the first ikos and kontakion are recited again, and then a prayer to the saint follows.
Despite the fact that there is no time limit for reading the akathist, it is customary to read this hymn of praise for exactly forty days. Moreover, if you had to skip a day, you can continue the next. It is recommended to read the akathist while standing in front of the icon of the saint.
Since Nicholas the Wonderworker, even during his lifetime, provided all kinds of help to people in need, it is now customary to turn to him when reading an akathist when resolving a variety of life's hardships and difficulties. Especially often travelers turn to him in case of material difficulties, serious illnesses. Since the content of the akathist contains information from the biography of Nicholas the Wonderworker, this text is perceived much easier than the canon dedicated to the saint.
Forward prayers (the same as before reading the canon) help to tune thoughts and state of mind in the appropriate way and focus on the text of the song of praise. If it is necessary to read the akathist and the canon at the same time, their combination occurs when the akathist is read after the sixth canon of the canon. And after the end of the reading of the canons and the akathist to the saint, ordinary prayers are read for all prayer rules.
It should be remembered that in all Orthodox churches all services are conducted exclusively in the Church Slavonic language. However, for a believer in the Savior who begins his spiritual ascent, it is better to familiarize himself with the Russian translation and the corresponding interpretation of the akathist and the canon to the saint.
It is important to understand that canons are an older type of church chant than akathist. Therefore, in the opinion of many clergymen, if you choose between them, then preference should be given to the canon. After all, akathists were often written not even by church ministers or monks, but by spiritual writers who received inspiration to sing the greatest of Christian saints. However, the light structure of the construction of the text of the akathist allows us to speak of an easy perception and a more solemn character of the chant.
