Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos
Daughter of Zion
archpriest lawrence r. farley
ancient faith publishing chesterton, indiana
Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos: Daughter of Zion
Copyright © 2005 Lawrence R. Farley
First edition published by Alexander Press, 2005
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published by:
ISBN: 978-1-944967-34-5 Printed
Introduct
Ion
Zion as a Type of the Mother of God
Christians have always read the Old Testament and found the Gospel contained therein. The realities revealed in the Law and the Prophets point not just to historical events, persons, and truths, the significance of which has now been exhausted; those realities also point beyond themselves to the Kingdom of God.
Thus, when the Christians read in the Greek version of Isaiah 7:14 that a parthenos or virgin will conceive, and that her child will mean that God is with us, it is impossible for us not to think of Christ’s birth from the Holy Virgin Mary. In the same way, when we read Zechariah’s prophecy that God will come to the daughter of Zion to dwell in her midst (Zech. 2:10), it is impossible not to think of Christ’s Incarnation, of the time when Christ God did, in literal fact, come to dwell
in the physical midst of Mary. Mary is thus revealed as the fulfilment of Jerusalem, the City of Zion.
The Scriptures are remarkably consistent in pointing to Jerusalem (or Zion) as the locus of God’s Presence among men and as the place where He would choose to dwell. This indwelling by God was thought to confer a certain blessing on Zion (Ps. 132:13f), even a measure of invincibility. The city was therefore referred to as the Virgin Daughter of Zion (Is. 37:22)—that is, she was considered to be intact, impenetrable, unconquerable. (It was a status many thought would remain regardless of the sins of its inhabitants; the Babylonian exile was to prove them wrong.)
Zion is thus an image, a prophecy, a type, of the Holy Mother of God. As God chose to dwell in Zion and thus blessed and glorified her (the city is often referred to in the feminine, as a woman), so God also chose to dwell in Mary and to bless and glorify her. The glory of the holy City points forward to her glory as well.
This is all the clearer in the New Testament. St. Paul refers to heaven, the dwelling place of God, as the “Jerusalem which is above,” as “our mother” (Gal. 4:26). Thus Jerusalem is revealed as both a virgin and a mother—just like the Holy Theotokos. She remains
ever-virgin in her invincible purity, while she also is Mother to Christ and (spiritually) to all His disciples. The following akathist is therefore offered to the Church along with the passages of Scripture upon which each Kontakion and Ikos is a meditation. One may read the Scripture first, before the liturgical praises based on them. It is my prayer that this meditation may redound to the greater glory of Christ our God and His Holy Mother, as we see anew His Gospel work revealed in the Old Testament.
Copyright ©2005 by Lawrence R. Farley. All Rights Reserved. Published by Ancient Faith Publishing.
Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos, Daughter of Zion
Konta
KIon 1 (Tone 8)
Shine, shine, O holy Mother of God! You are the New Jerusalem, our Mother. The glory of the Lord has shone on you! Save us, your children and exiles, that we may return home and sing to you: Rejoice, O Theotokos, Virgin Daughter of Zion!
i kos 1 (see Zech. 2:8–13)
The Lord of hosts came to dwell in your midst, O Holy Virgin, just as He promised through the holy prophet Zechariah. Seeing this, you sang for joy and were glad, knowing many nations would join themselves to the Lord and become His people, and from all of us you hear this song:
Rejoice, for the Lord chose you for His own dwelling!
Rejoice, for the Almighty set up His royal dwelling in your flesh!
Rejoice, for he who touches you touches the apple of God’s eye!
Rejoice, for you abide under the Almighty’s protection!
Rejoice, O royal pavilion of the King!
Rejoice, O mystical courts of the Lord!
Rejoice, for through you Judah enters his inheritance!
Rejoice, for through you Israel receives the blessing of God!
Rejoice, for all flesh is silent before your fame!
Rejoice, for the Lord is roused up and has come to dwell in you!
Rejoice, for God is a wall of fire around you!
Rejoice, for He is the glory in your midst!
Rejoice, O Theotokos, Virgin Daughter of Zion!
Konta KIon 2
(see Is. 28:16)
Christ was firmly placed in you as the precious Cornerstone, O Virgin Theotokos, mystical
Zion, and those who believe in Him will not be ashamed. As living stones of His spiritual temple, we marvel at this prophetic mystery and call out to you in peace: Alleluia!
i kos 2
(see Gen. 14; Heb. 7)
Melchizedek, King of Salem, went out to bless Abraham after his victory, and he brought forth bread and wine as a priest of the Most High God. He was, by translation of his name, the King of Righteousness, and he abides a priest forever—a type and image of your Son, O Holy Mother of God. Through him, your Son first united Jerusalem to Himself and thereby taught us to sing to you:
Rejoice, for through you the Lord’s peace shines forth!
Rejoice, for through you His righteousness is revealed!
Rejoice, O giver of the Bread of Life!
Rejoice, O bestower of the Wine of Immortality!
Rejoice, O sacrificial altar of prophecy!
Rejoice, O mystical table of the Eucharist!
Rejoice, for you gave birth to Him who has no father on earth!
Rejoice, for you gave life to Him who abides forever!
Rejoice, you that bless the nations!
Rejoice, you that bring renewal to Jacob!
Rejoice, O victory over our enemies!
Rejoice, O ransom from our foes!
Rejoice, O Theotokos, Virgin Daughter of Zion!
Konta KIon 3
(see Is. 59:20)
Christ our Redeemer came to dwell in you, the mystical Zion, O Holy Virgin; and we who have turned from our transgressions now sing to you: Alleluia!
i kos 3
(see Deut. 12:5–18)
The great Moses revealed that God would choose a place out of all the tribes of Israel for His Name to dwell, that all His people should come there to find His glory. By so doing, he also foretold your glory,
O Holy Theotokos, showing how all Christians should turn to you with praises such as these:
Rejoice, for God chose you out of all women on the earth!
Rejoice, for all generations will call you blessed!
Rejoice, O rest from our enemies!
Rejoice, O victory over our foes!
Rejoice, for he who has no portion finds his abundance in you!
Rejoice, for the dispossessed finds in you his inheritance!
Rejoice, O festal table fully laden with good things!
Rejoice, O wealth of the Kingdom freely given to all!
Rejoice, for through you the hungry eat and are filled!
Rejoice, for through you the true desires of the world are satisfied!
Rejoice, O place where the Sacrificial Lamb is found!
Rejoice, O you who gave your blood to Him whose Blood is the life of the world!
Rejoice, O Theotokos, Virgin Daughter of Zion!