Feast day October 9 and also the Sunday of Holy Forefathers/Holy Ancestors
Troparion of the Holy Forefathers, 2nd tone
You guided our ancestors in faith, through whom You betrothed Your Church to the pagans; let the saints be praised in glory, for from their seed comes the most glorious fruit, which gave birth to You above nature. Through their prayers, Christ our God, save our souls.
Kontakion 1
Chosen by God from a people who served other gods, you followed His call, choosing the unseen over the seen and the future over what was before your eyes, Holy Patriarch Abraham. You who now rejoice in the eternal embrace of His Fatherly Arms, pray also for us who call upon you: Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, take us also into the Bosom of Heaven to God the Father!
Ikos 1
The bright angels in heaven marveled at your life, Holy Abraham, for God gave you a second birth through His visitation, which you received with all your heart, discovering the One God and becoming the mediator of His blessing for all nations. We glorify you and pray to you thus:
Rejoice, brave man and seeker of Holy Truth;
Rejoice, united with God in all your being;
Rejoice, source of spiritual blessings;
Rejoice, unwavering gaze upon the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise;
Rejoice, molded by faith and righteousness;
Rejoice, loving your God with all your heart;
Rejoice, you who first heard God;
Rejoice, you who then, having been raised spiritually, “the Lord appeared to you”;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, lead us also into the bosom of Paradise to God the Father!
Kontakion 2
Born of the lineage of Shem, son of Noah, you lived in Ur, a city in Chaldea, leading a distinguished life and being exceptionally wealthy, Holy Abraham. In this city, you married Sarai, and then you left with your father for Haran, where you lived in abundance among idol worshippers who did not know how to sing to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
But God, who knew your chosen soul, did not let you perish, Holy Patriarch, and one day He spoke to you from on high: “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s house, and come to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, I will magnify your name, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” We marvel at God’s work and call out to you:
Rejoice, for you did not pry, you did not investigate, but you obeyed;
Rejoice, for as an obedient servant, you listened to the command;
Rejoice, for God did not tell you where to go;
Rejoice, for thus your faith was tested;
Rejoice, for you always lived with your eyes raised to Heaven;
Rejoice, for you were sent into the unknown, obeying by faith;
Rejoice, for you were not afraid, having hope in the One who spoke to you;
Rejoice, for you always sought God, without knowing what you were seeking;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, lead us also into the bosom of Paradise to God the Father!
Kontakion 3
You took Sarai, your wife, Lot, your brother’s son, all your possessions, and all the people you had in Haran, and you went out to the land of Canaan, Holy Abraham, the land promised by God, where the Canaanites lived. When you arrived in Canaan, you settled in the place called Shechem, at the oak of Mamre. There the Lord appeared to you and said, “I will give this land to your descendants,” and you cried out with joy: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
But when there was a great famine, you went down to Egypt with all your family and Lot’s family, and for fear of being killed because of your wife’s beauty, you said she was your sister, and she was taken into Pharaoh’s house to become his wife, Holy Abraham. For this, Pharaoh showered you with gifts: sheep, cattle, and donkeys, servants and maids, mules and camels, and we weep for your suffering:
Rejoice, for God allowed you to be separated from your wife;
Rejoice, for she was taken into Pharaoh’s house;
Rejoice, for you prayed with tears for her return;
Rejoice, for you were heard by God;
Rejoice, for He sent great and heavy blows upon Pharaoh and his house;
Rejoice, for Pharaoh released Sarai from bondage out of fear;
Rejoice, for you returned to Canaan richer than before;
Rejoice, blessed by the Most High God;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, lead us also into the bosom of Paradise to God the Father!
Kontakion 4
When war broke out in the valley of Siddim, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah fell captive, and with them Lot and his family, who had separated from you, Holy Abraham, living in tents near the city of Sodom. Hearing that Lot, your kinsman, had been taken captive, you gathered your household, three hundred and eighteen men, and pursued the enemies, and falling upon them by night, you and your men defeated them and drove them away to Hobah, which is to the left of Damascus, returning all the spoils taken from Sodom, and freeing Lot, with his possessions, women, and men, and for this victory you gave thanks to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
On your return from war, Melchizedek, King of Salem, met you, Holy Abraham, and brought you bread and wine, for Melchizedek was the priest of God Most High. He blessed you and said to you, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hands!” We rejoice in this and praise you:
Rejoice, you who believed that suffering has no time, it must be alleviated immediately, without delay;
Rejoice, for immediately going to war for the liberation of Lot;
Rejoice, full of mercy and honor, father of righteousness;
Rejoice, for God has blessed you for this;
Rejoice, sending Melchizedek, King of Salem, to proclaim your victory as coming from the hands of God;
Rejoice, for he brought bread and wine, embodying the proclamation of the Holy Sacraments —the Body and Blood of Christ;
Rejoice, for giving the King of Salem a tenth of the spoils of war;
Rejoice, our father according to the flesh;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, take us also into the bosom of Heaven to God the Father!
Kontakion 5
All this happiness, however, was overshadowed by the lack of a male heir, Holy Abraham, for although God had promised to raise up a great nation from you, your wife Sarai was barren. Then she gave you her servant Hagar, who conceived a child whom you named Ishmael, crying out to the One who had heard your prayers: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
When you were 99 years old, Holy Abraham, God appeared to you again and renewed His covenant to give you a child from Sarai, so that through him you would become the father of many nations. He changed your name from “Abram” to “Abraham,” and Sarai He named “Sarah,” saying that she would be “the mother of nations, and kings of nations shall rise from her.” We pray, accept our prayers:
Rejoice, you whose name was changed, like a new birth;
Rejoice, for God named your unborn son Isaac;
Rejoice, that the Lord made His covenant not with Ishmael, the son of the law, but with Isaac, the son of the promise;
Rejoice, writing this covenant in the flesh of the men of your tribe;
Rejoice, for the Lord promised you that He would be your shield and reward, that you would have many descendants, and that the land of Canaan would be your inheritance;
Rejoice, for God asked you in return to receive these promises with faith, to accept them, and to trust in God as your Lord;
Rejoice, for the covenant has been replaced by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ;
Rejoice, for the new Law was brought by the Lord Christ, through “the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins”;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, take us also into the bosom of Heaven to God the Father!
Kontakion 6
Then the Lord God appeared to you again one day when you were sitting at the door of your tent at the Oak of Mambre, Holy Abraham, for you suddenly saw three Men standing before you and you hurried to wash their feet, to rest them in the shade of the tree and to feast them. Your heart leapt with joy, knowing that God Himself was testing you through the three men, the Holy Trinity being revealed to you for your great faith, and you cried out the glory of the Lord: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
God, who spoke through one of the men, told you again, Holy Abraham, that your wife Sarah would give birth to a child in a year, “at this time,” and revealed to you the secret of Sodom and Gomorrah, which He wanted to destroy because the cup of iniquity had been filled in the two cities. We tremble and call out to you:
Rejoice, worthy of God with His visitation;
Rejoice, for He knew Sarah’s laughter, as He knows everything and all things;
Rejoice, for she was amazed at how she could conceive at 90 years of age;
Rejoice, entrusted by God that nothing is impossible with Him;
Rejoice, for the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah was great and their sin was terribly heavy;
Rejoice, Holy Abraham, that you tried to intercede for their forgiveness before God;
Rejoice, that because of your prayers, the Lord agreed to save the cities for 10 righteous men;
Rejoice, for finding not even ten righteous men, the Lord rained down brimstone and fire from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, lead us also into the bosom of Heaven to God the Father!
Kontakion 7
As the Lord had promised, Sarah gave birth to a son in her old age, Holy Abraham, naming him Isaac as He had willed, receiving a male heir and calling upon God in a voice of joy: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
But because there was strife within your family, for Sarah feared that Ishmael would take Isaac’s inheritance, Holy Abraham, you sent him and his mother Hagar away, trusting in God who said to you: “Do not be grieved by the words concerning the boy and the slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her voice; for only those of Isaac shall be called your descendants. But I will also make the son of this servant a great nation, for he too is of your seed.” We pray, Holy One, accept these humble words:
Rejoice, you who conceived at 100 years old and your wife Sarah at 90;
Rejoice, through whom God showed that His will overcomes the order of nature;
Rejoice, you who were most tested in prayer and patience;
Rejoice, you who were rewarded with gifts beyond measure;
Rejoice, you who were loved by God for your steadfastness in faith;
Rejoice, you who held a great feast when your child was weaned;
Rejoice, receiving the peace of old age;
Rejoice, knowing now that you have an heir from Sarah;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, take us also to the bosom of Paradise to God the Father!
Kontakion 8
Wanting to test you, God then sent you the hardest trial, during the happiest time of your life, Holy Abraham, for you had the long-awaited child whom you loved dearly. But one day God spoke to you: “Take your son, Isaac, your only son, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on a mountain, which I will show you,” and you, grieving, did not cease to praise God: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
On the way, Isaac asked you where the sheep was that you were going to sacrifice, and you replied that the Lord would take care of it, Holy Abraham. When you reached the top of the mountain, you built an altar there, placed the wood on it, and, binding your son Isaac, you laid him on the altar on top of the wood, then you stretched out your hand and took the knife to slay your son. We tremble at your great faith and cry out to you:
Rejoice, for you did not hesitate to fulfill the Lord’s command;
Rejoice, for you were ready to offer your own child as a blood sacrifice;
Rejoice, for the Angel of the Lord who was Christ before His incarnation did not allow you to complete the trial;
Rejoice, for God took care of you;
Rejoice, for He gave you a ram for sacrifice instead;
Rejoice, for He blessed you for listening to His voice;
Rejoice, for He promised to multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky;
Rejoice, for God then gave us His sacrifice for our sins: His Son Jesus Christ;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, take us also into the bosom of Heaven to God the Father!
Kontakion 9
With great sorrow you buried your wife Sarah, and then, having reached the blessed age of 175, God ended your earthly life, Holy Abraham, leaving behind you three branches of the male line from which the peoples of the world were later born. You lived a rich and joyful life, and you never ceased to cry out to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
But during your lifetime, God did not fulfill His promise to give you possession of the land of Canaan, and you were always a stranger in the places where you lived, as if His promise referred to giving you a much more precious land: the inheritance of eternal life—the city with strong foundations whose architect and builder is God. We marvel and call upon you:
Rejoice, stranger in earthly things;
Rejoice, steadfast in the things of faith;
Rejoice, receiving Heaven as your eternal inheritance;
Rejoice, with the joy of the angels in Heaven;
Rejoice, spending time with your loved ones on earth;
Rejoice, living with the Love of your life, God, in Heaven;
Rejoice, perfect holiness in a frail body;
Rejoice, eagle soaring in the heights of the luminous soul;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, take us also to the bosom of Heaven to God the Father!
Kontakion 10
You have begotten us all from your seed, Holy Abraham. We pray that you send the blessing proclaimed to you by the Lord God upon the nations in Christ Jesus, so that through faith we may receive the promised Spirit, crying out to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
For the fulfillment of the promise made to you by the Lord, Christ the Anointed One of God came, as the Apostle Paul says: “And now I am on trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, and whose fulfillment is awaited by our twelve tribes who serve God without ceasing. Namely, that Christ must suffer and that, after He is the first to rise from the dead, He will proclaim the light to the people and the nations.” We pray to you, Holy Abraham, hear our praises:
Rejoice, for you have received your place after death, Abraham’s bosom, a place of communion and love for the righteous who have fallen asleep;
Rejoice, praying that all nations may know the Holy Spirit;
Rejoice, bringing the lost nations to the Truth of Christ;
Rejoice, for you have instilled in all hearts the desire for salvation;
Rejoice, for you have built in all people a longing for God;
Rejoice, for you have mediated so that we may all be united in faith in the Holy Trinity;
Rejoice, father of the Christian race;
Rejoice, catching us with your holy hands so that we do not fall;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, take us also into the bosom of Heaven to God the Father!
Kontakion 11
Your soul was drawn to God’s grace, understanding that He loves you, and through the life you lived, you perfected your conscience, Saint Abraham. Although He tested you greatly and there were many conflicts and misunderstandings in your mind about the way God fulfills His Will, you walked in the light and in communion with Him, fulfilled by the feeling of love for your Lord, whom you cried out to unceasingly: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
Your whole life was a continuous service to God, rejoicing daily in communion with Him, Saint Abraham. God watched over your falls, always present to lift you up, and we call out to you:
Rejoice, you who knew God intimately and deeply;
Rejoice, blessed with the Lord’s revelations;
Rejoice, for these were rich and full of teaching;
Rejoice, receiving guidance directly from God;
Rejoice, you who walked with the Lord, who revealed Himself to you in grace;
Rejoice, expecting everything from Him;
Rejoice, for from your falls you rose wiser spiritually;
Rejoice, for through prayer and obedience you have become worthy of eternal life;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, lead us also into the bosom of Heaven to God the Father!
Kontakion 12
Your faith was unshakeable, and you believed that if God had made a covenant with you, then He would find a way to fulfill what seemed impossible to the human mind, Holy Abraham. All this became possible because you followed exactly the revelations and teachings given by God, without questioning what you saw and heard, calling upon God always: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
This perfect obedience led you to the perfect stature of unshakeable faith, and God counted your faith as righteousness. We glorify and praise you:
Rejoice, for through faith you departed to your place of inheritance;
Rejoice, for by faith you settled in the promised land;
Rejoice, for by faith you awaited the heavenly city;
Rejoice, for by faith Sarah also received the power to conceive in her old age;
Rejoice, for by faith you obeyed the Lord’s command to sacrifice your son Isaac;
Rejoice, for by faith the Seed of Jesus Christ was born of you;
Rejoice, for by faith you died without receiving the promises;
Rejoice, forerunner of our ascension in Spirit to God;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, lead us also into the bosom of Paradise to God the Father!
Kontakion 13
O blessed Patriarch Abraham, who rejoiced with your heart and body in the Living God and now enjoy the happiness of the angels in Heavenly Canaan, look upon us who call upon you in prayer and intercede with the Lord to give us the gift of faith, that our faith may be counted as righteousness, glorifying God: Alleluia! (This Kontakion is said 3 times).
Ikos 1
The bright angels in heaven marveled at your life, Holy Abraham, for God gave you a second birth through His visitation, which you received with all your heart, discovering the One God and becoming the mediator of His blessing for all nations. We glorify you and pray to you thus:
Rejoice, brave man and seeker of Holy Truth;
Rejoice, united with God in all your being;
Rejoice, source of spiritual blessings;
Rejoice, unwavering gaze upon the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise;
Rejoice, molded by faith and righteousness;
Rejoice, loving your God with all your heart;
Rejoice, you who first heard God;
Rejoice, you who then, having been raised spiritually, “the Lord appeared to you”;
Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, lead us also into the bosom of Paradise to God the Father!
Kontakion 1
Chosen by God from a people who served other gods, you followed His call, choosing the unseen over the seen and the future over what was before your eyes, Holy Patriarch Abraham. You who now rejoice in the eternal embrace of His Fatherly Arms, pray also for us who call upon you: Rejoice, Holy Patriarch Abraham, take us also into the Bosom of Heaven to God the Father!
Prayer
To the chosen one among the Saints and Righteous, Patriarch Abraham, we offer praise and hymns, raising fervent prayers, for living in the Kingdom of God, he now enjoys full and eternal communion with Him.
Holy Abraham, our father according to the flesh through Isaac, the son of promise whom you gave up to death in order to obey the voice of God and who, being saved by the Our Lord Christ himself in the form of an angel, became the father of the Christian race, we cry out to you and pray to you: intercede with your God and ours to be merciful to us, to gently correct our falls, to lift us up strongly from despair, to embrace us in His Fatherly Arms, and to give us the grace of faith.
Becoming children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, we praise the Great One among the Saints, the Son of God, and we pray to you, Holy Abraham, who are the father of all who believe in the True God.