About Me

I have discovered this strong, serene prayer in a moment of need, when someone close to me was diagnosed with cancer. I simply went on the internet and search for "prayers for cancer" and eventually I discovered the Akathist to the Mother of God, Pantanassa, Healer of Cancer. To me and my family is has been a comfort, an inspiration, a source of light, faith, neverending hope, patience, strength and sweetness. Both my family member and I have read this prayer during the chemo sessions and afterwards..and it made me (I can only speak for myself) hopeful and more calm. We were in the hands of God and we could only pray to Him for help and deliverance. I want to share this with others who may not know of its existance. On this blog, I've put the prayer and the sources of information on where it originated and where the Ikon of the Mother of God Pantanassa, Queen-of- All, is (Greece).

Prayer

Monday, May 14, 2007

Akathist of the Mother of God, Pantanassa, Healer of Cancer




Kontakion 1.
We, Your faithful servants, standing before Your Newly-Appeared Icon suppliantly cry unto You, O Queen of All,: descent Your healing to Your servants who come to You today that all together we would joyfully cry unto You: Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!


Ikos 1.
An Archangel descended from Heaven and said to the All-Queen: Rejoice! And beholding You, O Lord, taking bodily form he cried to Her saying such things as these:

Rejoice, the Crown of our salvation!
Rejoice, the Fulfillment of our Creator’s plan!
Rejoice, You through Whom God had been made incarnate!
Rejoice, You in Whom Invisible became visible!
Rejoice, You Who accepted in You the Mercy of peace!
Rejoice, You Who had made the cloth of flesh to the Word!
Rejoice, incredible Upper Glory!
Rejoice, Heavenly Manna Who had animated many hearts!
Rejoice, the Star Who is radiant of grace!
Rejoice, the Spring Who is an effusion of living water!
Rejoice, O Birth-Giver of God blessed among women!
Rejoice, Undefiled Virgin Who gave birth to our Savior!
Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!


Kontakion 2.
Through You, O Virgin, the Everlasting Word had become the Infant Child giving healing to those who honored His Birth and You crying: Alleluia!


Ikos 2.
Seeking to know knowledge that cannot be known, the Virgin cried to the ministering one: "Tell Me how I, a pure Maiden, can be the Mother of the Highest?" Gabriel spoke to Her with fear crying aloud thus:

Rejoice, chosen by the Highest Council!
Rejoice, the Fast-hearer of praying voices!
Rejoice, the Treasure of the Christ’s world!
Rejoice, the Hope and Strength of Your people!
Rejoice, the miraculous Destroyer of cancer’s wounds!
Rejoice, the Healer of other sickness!
Rejoice, the only Intercessor of the world!
Rejoice, the true Redemption of sorrow!
Rejoice, the Relief of weeping and tears!
Rejoice, You Who opens to all the entrance of salvation!
Rejoice, the Government of all who live on Athos!
Rejoice, the Mace of monks and laity!
Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!


Kontakion 3.
The Power of the Most High had overshadowed You, O Virgin, and had accepted the flesh showing You a good pasture for those who want to reap salvation, and who sing: Alleluia!


Ikos 3.


Your icon called "Queen of All" had been miraculously glorified when it had appeared carrying healing. You give healing to those who with faith sing before it that would be multiplied by such songs:

Rejoice, the Mother of Unfading Light!
Rejoice, the Victory of those who suffer to the end!
Rejoice, the inviolable Wall of all orphans and widows!
Rejoice, You Who opens the doors of Paradise!
Rejoice, You Who defends all who labor and are burdened!
Rejoice, the Intercessor for the salvation of all!
Rejoice, You Who prays for mankind!
Rejoice, the Heavenly Ladder that raises from the earth to Heaven!
Rejoice, the Living Water that cleanses deadly sins!
Rejoice, the Lamb that protects the hearts of the honest ones!
Rejoice, the Cover that spreads over the children of the Church!
Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!



Kontakion 4.
Granting life to the whole world the Lord settled in Your womb immaculately and showed You to be the Mother for the faithful calling them to sing in peace: Alleluia!



Ikos 4.
You have done amazing things, O Place of God, by healing through Your Holy Icon. Accepting the streams of Your healing we sing, O Queen of All, the song of thanksgiving:

Rejoice, the Medicine that reduces pain!
Rejoice, the Coolness that cools fever of the ailments!
Rejoice, You Who cauterize the illness of cancer like fire!
Rejoice, You Who lift from the bed of illness those who are forgotten by doctors!
Rejoice, You Who show Your All-Pure Image to those who are chosen!
Rejoice, You Who absolve us from sinful chains!
Rejoice, You by Whom we receive deliverance from death!
Rejoice, You by Whom uncountable ranks of the faithful are justified!
Rejoice, the Height Who is not researched by human thoughts!
Rejoice, the Depth Who is investigated only by Word!
Rejoice, the Prophecy of patriarchs who lived before You!
Rejoice, the Preceptor of hierarchs who prayed unto You!
Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!



Kontakion 5.
Acknowledging You as the Most-Pure Temple of the Savior, O Virgin, we fall down before You asking, O Pure One, make us the temples of God, who sing to Him: Alleluia!

Ikos 5.

The ranks of the Angels having seen the Creator of all mankind sitting in Your hands and acknowledging You as the only Glorious Lady even though You had called Yourself "the Servant," strive to serve You with such songs:


Rejoice, You Who are placed by God higher than all Heavenly Powers!

Rejoice, You Who fills the world with miraculous healing!

Rejoice, You Who hears songs of praise and glory from Heaven!

Rejoice, You Who accepts thanksgiving from earth!

Rejoice, You Who destroyed the seed of corruption!

Rejoice, You destroyed the yoke of the devil’s tricks!

Rejoice, You Who had filled the place of weeping with joy!

Rejoice, You Who transfers sorrow into heavenly gladness!

Rejoice, the Fragrance that pleases God!

Rejoice, the great Merriment of penitent sinners!

Rejoice, the Armor of truth that defends from temptations!

Rejoice, the Shield of defense that protects from hostility and adversity!

Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!






Kontakion 6.
The God-proclaiming Preachers, the Saviors Disciples stood miraculously in front of You, O Virgin, when You went from the earth into Heaven that with one heart and one mouth they would sing: Alleluia!




Ikos 6.

Marvelous grace had shone from Your icon, O Queen of All, when a young man, obscured by Satan’s teaching, fell down before the icon and was immobile; but after he was rescued by You from gloomy bonds, with fear and joy he started to cry aloud thus:


Rejoice, the Amendment of wicked life!

Rejoice, the Consolation of those who suffer exceedingly!

Rejoice, the Dispersal of demonic regiments from the Church!

Rejoice, the Dispersion of sinful haze!

Rejoice, the Abrogation of invisible tricks!

Rejoice, the Victory over satanic magic!

Rejoice, the Lamp that shows a way for those who have been charmed!

Rejoice, the Cloud that covers the innocent ones from evil!

Rejoice, the Hill that feeds us with heavenly manna!

Rejoice, the Valley that satiates us with Christ’s humbleness!

Rejoice, the Rock of the Heavenly Kingdom!

Rejoice, the Mirror of Heavenly Light!

Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!


Kontakion 7.

O God, Who was incarnate from the Virgin wishing to be given as food for the faithful that being the communicants of your Precious Body and Blood they would know that You are truly God. We being amazed by this Your wisdom are crying: Alleluia!


Ikos 7.

Having the Last Supper with His disciples, the Creator revealed to us a new sacrament, and praying to the Queen of All to vouchsafe us of the Divine Holy Things we dedicate to Her such songs:


Rejoice, You Who gives the Heavenly Bread!

Rejoice, You Who gave birth to Eternal Life!

Rejoice, the Chalice that joins us to Christ!

Rejoice, You Who unites with God our soul and body!

Rejoice, the Golden Spoon full of Divine Mystery!

Rejoice, the Precious Covenant Box, the Container of the Great Holy Thing!

Rejoice, the Finger pointing out on the Holy Eucharist!

Rejoice, the Table that offers us the Holy Food!

Rejoice, You Who puts the worthy communicants at the right hand!

Rejoice, You Who delivers from hell those who love the Divine Liturgy!

Rejoice, You Who is leading us mortals to the Source of immortality!

Rejoice, You Who girds Your children with peace and strength!

Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!


Kontakion 8.
Having beheld the fearful Nativity we laid aside all earthly care and have our hearts on high, because the Most High had come to invite those who sing to Him: Alleluia!


Ikos 8.

Being always in the Father’s bosom the indescribable Word had become flesh on earth. The Great God had magnified the Virgin and had regarded the humbleness of His Handmaiden, who now hears these:
Rejoice, You Who contained the Uncontainable God!

Rejoice, You Who had shown the Creator of the world!

Rejoice, for the authority of death was destroyed!

Rejoice, for Adam’s wound was healed!

Rejoice, the Plaster that heals the scabs of the soul!

Rejoice, the Oil that anoints the ulcers of the body!

Rejoice, the Relieving of pain to those who are in child-birth!

Rejoice, the Relief of the torments of those who are dying!

Rejoice, You Who have defeated hell!

Rejoice, You Who have blunted the sting of death!

Rejoice, the Expectation of the Resurrection of all!

Rejoice, the Salvation of all Orthodox people!

Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!

Kontakion 9.
O Word! All the angels and humans were amazed by the greatness of Your incarnation that cannot be understood. Being perplexed by this great devotional secret we cry to You in fear and tremble with thanksgiving: Alleluia!


Ikos 9.
Those who are afflicted by various ailments, O Queen of All, receive more healing from Your Holy Icon than expected, have accepted the grace through faith, cry aloud to You:

Rejoice, the Preservation of the healthy!

Rejoice, the Restoring of health to the ailing!

Rejoice, the Healing of the little children!

Rejoice, the Mother of the young sufferer!

Rejoice, the Rising of those who are in bed with illness!

Rejoice, the Consolation of those who are in fear of death!

Rejoice, You Who attend to sobbing humans!

Rejoice, You Who listen to our moaning!

Rejoice, the Relieving of earthly pain with heavenly gladness!

Rejoice, the Patience of those who are in great distress!

Rejoice, You Who prepare joy for those who weep!

Rejoice, You Who give the wings of prayer to the meek!

Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!



Kontakion 10.
The Creator, desiring to save the charred human essence, had descended upon You as dew on fleece and had made You the Fire-proof bush and had become a Man that we would sing to Him: Alleluia!

Ikos 10.
All-Pure Virgin! You are the Wall for maidens and for all who take care of purity. God settled in You purifying His intelligent creations that after being freed we would offer to You these:

Rejoice, the Conversationalist of those who are seeking silence!

Rejoice, the Crown of those who keep virginity!

Rejoice, the Beginning and the End of spiritual accomplishment!

Rejoice, the Repository of the Divine Revelation!

Rejoice, the Secret Place of the Triune Light!

Rejoice, the Source of humans’ salvation!

Rejoice, the Peak unapproachable for the proud minds!

Rejoice, the Refuge accessible for the humble hearts!

Rejoice, the Purest of Heaven!

Rejoice, the More Honorable than the Cherubim and the Seraphim!

Rejoice, the Highly Favored One, because from the Archangel You heard: "Rejoice!"

Rejoice, the Comforted One, for You touched the Resurrected Christ!

Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!


Kontakion 11.
O Glorious Lady, we, Your servants, remain unable to offer intelligent singing to the Savior. Who can praise God, Whose name is as myrrh poured, well enough? Because of that we cry to Him: Alleluia!


Ikos 11.
The Great Light had shone to those sitting in darkness because the Orient had visited us from on High, that is Your Son and Your God, O Virgin. He had made You the candle on the candlestick and commands to the enlightened children of the Church to sing to You:


Rejoice, the Dawn of the Intellectual Sun!

Rejoice, the Container of the Divine Fire!

Rejoice, the Light, You Who have woven the garment of the Saints!

Rejoice, the Candle, You have scattered the demon’s darkness!

Rejoice, the Enlightenment to those who cannot learn easily!

Rejoice, the Illumination of sinful hearts!

Rejoice, the Right Hand leading out of the sea of fuss!

Rejoice, the Ray guiding to the Kingdom those who want to be saved!

Rejoice, the Lightning that defeats the unrepentant!

Rejoice, the Thunder that scares the destroyers!

Rejoice, the Enlightening of a sly conscience!

Rejoice, the Appeasement of God’s Judgment!

Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!


Kontakion 12.
When the Giver of the Old Testament wanted to give us His grace He gave us the New Testament; after we have received the grace, we can be saved not by the deeds of the law but by faith and we sing: Alleluia!

Ikos 12.
While singing to Your Offspring we also are singing to You, O truly Sacred Tent, as former Israel sang to their tabernacle, we glorify You with our good works that You would hear from all such songs:

Rejoice, the Song sung on high!

Rejoice, the Psalm heard below!

Rejoice, You Who have served the One God!

Rejoice, You Who have pleased the Divine Trinity!

Rejoice, You Who has carried the One Who carries the World!

Rejoice, the Altar of the One Who holds the Universe in His hand!

Rejoice, the unspoken Secret of all centuries and times!

Rejoice, the firm Hope of all nations and races!

Rejoice, the Joy of reverent priests’ hearts!

Rejoice, the immediate Receptor of prayers in Churches and in houses!

Rejoice, the House of Wisdom made by God!

Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!


Kontakion 13.
O our Mother Queen of All, Who gave birth the Word, Holiest of all Saints! Having accepted our singing today, heal us from every deadly illness and from the coming condemnation, save those who sing: Alleluia! (This Kontakion read three times the re-read Ikos 1, Kotakion 1)


Ikos 1.
An Archangel descended from Heaven and said to the Queen of All: Rejoice! And beholding You, O Lord, taking bodily form he cried to Her saying such things as these:

Rejoice, the Crown of our salvation!

Rejoice, the Fulfillment of our Creator’s plan!

Rejoice, You through Whom God had been made incarnate!

Rejoice, You in Whom Invisible became visible!

Rejoice, You Who accepted in You the Mercy of peace!

Rejoice, You Who had made the cloth of flesh to the Word!

Rejoice, incredible Upper Glory! Rejoice,

Heavenly Manna Who had animated many hearts!

Rejoice, the Star Who is radiant of grace!

Rejoice, the Spring Who is an effusion of living water!

Rejoice, O Birth-Giver of God blessed among women!

Rejoice, Undefiled Virgin Who gave birth to our Savior!

Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!


Kontakion 1.
We, Your faithful servants, standing before Your Newly-Appeared Icon suppliantly cry unto You, O Queen of All: descent Your healing to Your servants who come to You today that all together we would joyfully cry unto You: Rejoice, O Queen of All, You heal our ailments by Your grace!

First Prayer to the Mother of God
O All-Gracious, most wondrous Mother of God, Pantanassa, Queen of All! I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof! But as Thou art the lovingly compassionate Mother of the merciful God, say the word that my soul may be healed and my weakened body strengthened. For Thou hast unconquerable might, and all Thy speech hath power, O Queen of All! Do Thou gain the victory for me, do Thou supplicate for me - that I may glorify Thy most glorious name, always, now and ever, and unto endless ages. Amen.

Second Prayer to the Mother of God
O Most-Pure Mother of God, O Queen of All! Hearken unto our much-afflicted sighing before Thy miraculous Icon, brought to Russia from the land of Athos. Look upon Thy children, suffering from unhealed ailments, who fall down before Thy holy image with faith! As a bird covers its nestlings with its wings, so do Thou now, who art ever present, cover us with Thy greatly healing omophorion. In that place where Hope be.
There where bitter sorrows overcome us, there will Patience and Rest be revealed. Where the torment of despair dwells in the soul, there will shine the ineffable Light of Divinity! Console the fainthearted, strengthen the weak, bestow softening and enlightenment upon embittered hearts. Heal Thine ailing people, O All-merciful Queen! Bless the minds and hands of our physicians, that they might serve as instruments of the All-powerful Physician, Christ our Saviour. We pray before Thine Icon, that Thou mightest truly live with us, O Sovereign Lady! Stretch out Thy hands, filled with healing and cures, O Joy of the sorrowful, Consolation in afflictions, that having speedily received miraculous help, wee may glorify the Life-creating and Undivided Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Source: Akathist to the Mother of God "Healer of Cancer", St. Paisius Serbian Orthodox
Monastery, Safford, Arizona. 2002. Pp. 30-32.
St. Paisius Serbian Orthodox Monastery
P.O. Box 1075
Safford, Arizona 85548

background on prayer:In the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos in Greece, there is a Holy Icon of the Mother of God called "The Queen of All" (in Greek "Pantanassa"). This icon has a special grace that has been given by God to heal the dreadful illness of cancer.

SOURCES FOR ALL ABOVE INFO (please read for more background info and information on the prayer):

http://www.angelfire.com/nh/milleniumikons/The_Akathist.html http://www.serfes.org/orthodox/prayersforcancer.htm

***disclaimer: I am in no way connected to these sources; I have found this prayer in a moment of personal need, by doing research on the internet, regarding prayers for cancer. I put this prayer here to basically share this wonderful source of light, comfort and strength with others in need.