HOMILY

By His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America

At the Service of the Akathist Hymn

Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church

Corona, New York

April 19, 2024

 

Beloved brethren in the Lord,

Tonight, we sing this magnificent canticle – the Akathist Hymn – in its entirety, in praise of our Παναγία, our Heavenly Champion.

Tonight, we join with Orthodox Christians around our country and around the world – beseeching the Holy Virgin to grant us spiritual victory, to grant us peace and to grant us relief from suffering.

For centuries, the Akathist Hymn has been the spiritual National Anthem of the Greek Orthodox People. It is called “Ἀκάθιστος” because we stand at attention during its recitation, as once did the People of Constantinople within Hagia Sophia during an attack on the city over one thousand years ago. They remained standing all through the night imploring the Virgin’s mercy upon the Queen of Cities in the Stanzas of this Sacred Ode, dedicated to her. And as a result of the victory that came with the dawn, Patriarch Germanos composed the magnificent kontakion, “Τῇ Ὑπερμάχῷ,” as a song of praise and gratitude to the Most Holy Mother of God.

So, you see, “Τῇ Ὑπερμάχῷ” was not originally part of the Akathist Hymn, which was composed centuries before by the Deacon and Saint, Romanos the Melodist. The first meaning for the Akathist is easy to ascertain if you pay attention to its content. It is the story of the Incarnation and Nativity of our Lord, which was written for the Feast of the Annunciation. And this is one of the reasons why it is chanted in the period of Lent, because March 25th almost always falls within the period of Great Lent.

But the piety and fervor of the People, coupled with the genius of the Akathist, have turned it into something far greater. It has become our anthem of hope, aspiration, and trust in God and His Virgin Mother. We chant it throughout the Holy Fast as way of stirring our hearts to hope and faith for the journey of Lent. It fills every Friday of Σαρακοστή except the Sixth Friday – which is why we call the entire week, Κουφή Ἑβδομάδα, the “Empty Week.”

In fact, the week is not empty at all; it is filled with a liturgical countdown to the Saturday of Lazarus. But the fact that there is no special service to the Virgin on the Friday of this week – next Friday, that is – shows that we are turning from our supplications to the Virgin to the events of Holy Week. We can make this turn because we have been imploring the Virgin in the prior five weeks, so that we may be fortified to face the hard path – the Way of the Cross that is coming – which she had to witness as her Son fulfilled the mystery of our salvation.

The Theotokos will behold all manner of evil done to her Son and God. She will see His betrayal by His own people. She will see his humiliation at the hands of the Romans. She will witness His crucifixion. And she will stand fearlessly by the Cross. There is even a tradition that she took her head covering – what every good Jewish woman would wear – and wrapped it around his naked body on the Cross to spare him some of the shame that was being inflicted upon him. In turn, her Son spared her the moment of His death, as He sent her away to home with His beloved disciple, John. Finally, she returned to the Cross to take His Sacred Body down from the Cross, and anoint His holy flesh and prepare it for burial. What strength she must have had! What a sword pierced her very soul!*

Thus, my beloved people, let us take the beauty, the power and the knowledge of these Fridays of Lent, and especially that of this evening, when we chant the Akathist Hymn in its entirety, and ready ourselves for Holy Week.

Just as our Panagia stood by the Cross of her Son, she will stand with all of us in prayer and intercession. Thus, we will attain something of her experience and see the magnificence of the Divine Services through her eyes. Such a blessing will be the fruit of our preparations and the gift of her grace. Through the prayers of our Celestial Champion, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and all the Saints, may we all attain to the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

* Cf. Luke 2:35.

Photos: GOARCH/Dimitrios Panagos