St Raphael

Kontakion 13.

O most holy and most wonderful Father Raphael, look down from the heights of heaven upon thy flock and accept this our present offering. Entreat the Lord God that He will pour out upon us His divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, that we, being delivered from all enemies visible and invisible, may forever chant to Him with thee and all the saints: Alleluia.

Kontakion 1.

O holy Father, called from thy native land to the distant shores of the New World, thou didst take up thy cross and follow after Christ. Wherefore, as to one who hath crucified himself on behalf of his flock, as to our faithful guardian and protector, we fervently cry:

Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.

Oikos 1.

Thou didst begin thy life in exile, O holy Father Raphael. Child of pious Orthodox parents, successor to the holy hieromartyr Joseph, even in thy mother’s womb thou didst enjoy no repose. Thus was thy life of travel mystically foretold. Thou wast chosen to bring the light of holy Orthodoxy to the scattered flock of Christ in the New World, who together with us honor thee in these words of praise:

Rejoice, thou who like thy Master wast born in a city not thine own;
rejoice, recipient of the name of the great Archangel.
Rejoice, thou who didst say, "Man meant it to me for evil, but God for good;"
rejoice, thou who wast anointed with the blood of the martyrs.
Rejoice, thou who didst traverse the world in ministry to the faithful;
rejoice, thou who didst lead all men to the worship of the Holy Trinity.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.

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