Four Years

Thursday, April 2, 2009 will be the fourth anniversary of the death of the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II. In preparation for this anniversary, Dr. Alex Roman, Oblate of Saint Benedict, has graciously authorized me to share with the readers of Vultus Christi the Akathist he composed for private recitation in honour of the Servant of God.

Kontakion 1
To you, our great Pastor, Pontiff and Successor of the Chief Apostles, Peter and Paul,
entrusted for many years with the guidance and welfare of Christ’s Holy Church, we
sinful ones gather to sing a triumphant hymn of praise in your honour, thanking the Lord
Jesus Who chose you and consecrated you according to the order of Melchisedek to
confirm us in our faith and, now, to be our speedy intercessor in the mansions of His
Father’s House, and we incessantly sing :
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing heavenly Protector!

Ikos 1
“Feed my sheep, tend to my lambs that are not of this flock,” the Lord Jesus commanded
Peter before His Ascension to the Right Hand of the Father. “And I will be with you and
the Church unto the consummation of the ages!” Heeding our Lord’s call in your heart,
you took upon your own shoulders the shepherd’s pallium as a new fisher of men in the
footsteps of him who was called “the Rock” by our Lord, and we sing:
Rejoice, Successor to St Peter the Apostle!
Rejoice, Inheritor of his commission!
Rejoice, Rock of faith that was revealed to you by the Heavenly Father!
Rejoice, Preacher of Christ and Him Crucified!
Rejoice, Father of Peace!
Rejoice, Defender of the poor and oppressed throughout the world!
Rejoice, Man of prayer, lost in adoration of the Most Holy Trinity!
Rejoice, fervent in prayer to the Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist!
Rejoice, devoted son of the Most Holy Virgin Mother of God!
Rejoice, Teacher of the ways of the Lord!
Rejoice, Defender of the Apostolic preaching!
Rejoice, Example of piety, drawing all to new Life in Christ!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing heavenly Protector!

Kontakion 2
O Holy Father, John Paul, your esteemed parents raised you to know and fear the Lord
from a tender age. Your home church was where you first learned unceasing prayer in
the Name of the Lord Jesus. Having suffered the loss of your mother, your father’s long
prayer on his knees throughout the night inspired you to the things that are above by
putting on the Lord Jesus Christ and making no provision for the flesh. Praising the Lord
Jesus Who so willed to raise you in His Spirit, we cry: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
A brilliant scholar of the things of this world, O Holy Father, you surpassed all others in
acquired knowledge and wisdom. But you counted all this as nothing, but for the saving
knowledge in Christ Jesus. Hearing His call to serve Him and those who are being saved
in His Church, you put your hand to the spiritual plough without looking back, but
straight ahead toward the glory of the Holy Trinity, as we sing joyfully:
Rejoice, Ploughman of the Lord, called to bring us the Finest Wheat!
Rejoice, Worker in the Vineyard of the Lord, quenching our spiritual thirst with the
Mystic Wine!
Rejoice, for your Daily Bread is truly Christ in the Holy Eucharist and the Word of God!
Rejoice, for Christ calls you to His holy Priesthood!
Rejoice, for you prefer not mother or father, or brother or sister above the sweet yoke of
Jesus Christ!
Rejoice, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but the Father Who is in
Heaven!
Rejoice, for the Lord reveals His power to you in unceasing prayer!
Rejoice, for He unveils to you His own Wisdom that surpasses that of the world!
Rejoice, for in Christ you have become higher than all your teachers!
Rejoice, for the Holy Spirit comes to make His abode within the temple of your body!
Rejoice, for He strengthens you by His Grace to endure all things for Christ!
Rejoice, for the Heavenly Father embraces you as a well-beloved son!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing heavenly Protector!
Kontakion 3
You saw the stormy clouds of war gathered to crush the innocent from all sides, O Holy
Father! Rather than feel despair, you put on the helmet of salvation and the breastplate of
faith in Christ to ward off the darts of the evil one, inspiring all to raise the Cross as the
symbol of final victory. Standing in awe of your fortitude and courage, we sing:
Alleluia!
Ikos 3
O Holy Father, you ceaselessly gazed at the Saviour, crucified in the Flesh for our
salvation. It was the Lord Jesus Himself that taught you from the Book of His Cross to
have unshakeable faith in His Resurrection which all who partake of the Cup of His
sufferings will also experience. With you, we reach out, like Thomas the Apostle, to
touch the Sacred Wounds of the Lord Jesus in all our trials and tribulations, proclaiming
Him to be our Lord and our God, singing:
Rejoice, Man of God, who constantly stood in spirit on Calvary before the Cross!
Rejoice, O Mystic, lost in meditation on Christ’s most sacred Passion!
Rejoice, Bearer on your own body of the Marks of the Lord Jesus!
Rejoice, Good Samaritan, binding the wounds of others suffering the ravages of war!
Rejoice, new Simon of Cyrene, carrying the crosses of others overwhelmed by pain!
Rejoice, Righteous One, who saved the daughter of Abraham from eternal collapse!
Rejoice, for the little suffering ones of God find in you a ready helper!
Rejoice, for you defend those who cannot defend themselves!
Rejoice, for you are ready to give your life for those for whom Christ gave His!
Rejoice, for you see the Cross dispersing the dark clouds of despair and evil!
Rejoice, for it heralds an eternal victory through Christ our Lord!
Rejoice, for you lead us to worship the place where the Feet of the Lord stood!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing Heavenly Protector!
Ikos 4
As Archbishop of Cracow in your beloved Poland, you enlivened the flock entrusted to
you that languished under the God-hating yoke. Ensuring that the Church lived her own
life, the life of the Apostles teaching, the Breaking of the Bread and the prayers, you
inspired young people to dedicate their lives to Christ through His Holy Church,
following your selfless and holy example. Bowing before the Hero of the Lord, we cry
out in thanksgiving: Alleluia!
Kontakion 4
The Lord truly blessed his people of Poland with a great pastor and shepherd in you, O
Holy Father John Paul! In you was fulfilled the commandment of the Lord to His
Apostles, “Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit!” As a people baptized by the Apostles to the Slavs, Saints Cyril
and Methodius, the people and Church of Poland leap for joy in having received the
blessing of a new Apostle in our days, singing loudly:
Rejoice, worthy descendant of the mission of Cyril and Methodius among the Slavs!
Rejoice, new and wondrous patron of Cracow and all Poland!
Rejoice, preacher of God’s Word to your people!
Rejoice, inspiring your people to renewed zeal for God!
Rejoice, teacher of love of God through love of country and its people!
Rejoice, great evangelist bringing God’s Word to us through the medium of culture!
Rejoice, venerator of the holy saints and shrines of Poland!
Rejoice, filial client of the Mother of God of Czestochowa!
Rejoice, promoter of the privileges of the Queen of Poland!
Rejoice, Crown of the Saints of Poland!
Rejoice, bringing many saints of Poland to the honours of the altar!
Rejoice, Tireless Advocate at the Throne of Christ for the people of Poland!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing Heavenly Protector!
Kontakion 5
The Lord Jesus deigned that not only Poland, but the universal Church as well was to
have you as its Chief Pastor and Teacher, O Holy Father John Paul! As the Holy Spirit
breathed upon the Church’s hierarchs to choose you as the new Successor of St Peter, you were overwhelmed in awe and wonder at the ways of God. We remember still your
appearance before the world for the first time as the Holy Ecumenical Pontiff, blessing us
with your hands extended in prayer over us and we sing, with heads bowed: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
The world gazed in amazement at the new Pontiff at Rome wondering what this all meant
in God’s design for His Church, O Holy Father John Paul. Resigning yourself to Christ
through His Most Holy Mother, as indicated by your motto, “Totus Tuus,” you raised
your hands in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord Jesus Who alone gave you the strength
to be all things to all people, singing:
Rejoice, for the Lord Jesus is our mainstay!
Rejoice, for we are nourished at His Wounded Side!
Rejoice, for His Side pours forth Mercy and Forgiveness!
Rejoice, for the Lord makes up for what is lacking in us!
Rejoice, for He is our bulwark and rampart!
Rejoice, for His yoke is light and very sweet!
Rejoice, for Christ is with us always!
Rejoice, for He will be with us until the end of time!
Rejoice, for the Lord Jesus enters through the hardness of our hearts and bids us,
“Peace!”
Rejoice, for He sends us the Consoler, the Spirit of Truth, Who proceeds from the Father!
Rejoice, for the Holy Spirit reminds us of all that the Lord Jesus taught us!
Rejoice, for it is the Spirit Who prays in us, as we know not how to pray as we ought!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing Heavenly Protector!
Kontakion 6
“Woman, behold your son!” the Lord Jesus proclaimed from the Cross at Calvary,
thereby placing us all under the mantle of protection of the Theotokos. You were led to
great veneration for her who nurtures us as the Mother of her Son’s Church, the Body of
Christ, O Holy Father, John Paul. Contemplating the Mother’s role in the Son’s plan for
our salvation, you call on us to invoke frequently the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-
Virgin Mary, crying: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
“Do all that He tells you,” the Mother of God told the servants at the Wedding at Cana in
Galilee. Gazing into her maternal heart to ponder the Word of God made Flesh in her
immaculate Womb, the Most Holy Virgin Mary is our model for contemplation and
submission to the Divine Will of the Holy Trinity, as you taught us many times, O Holy
Father. Seeking to be conformed to Christ in accordance with this Most Holy Model and
our Mother, we join with you in singing:
Rejoice, for your soul, O Mother of God, magnifies the Lord and your spirit exults in
God your Saviour!
Rejoice, for He has looked upon the humility of His maid-servant!
Rejoice, for all generations will call you ‘Blessed!’
Rejoice, for He has done great things for you and Holy is His Name – His Grace is from
generation to generation on all those who fear Him!
Rejoice for He has shown the strength of His Arm and has cast down the proud in the
thoughts of their hearts!
Rejoice, for He has removed the powerful from their thrones, while uplifting the humble,
filling the poor with all manner of good things, and sending the rich away with nothing!
Rejoice, for He has taken to Himself Israel, according to His mercy, remembering His
covenant with Abraham and our fathers!
Rejoice, Mother of God, full of Grace, the Lord is with You and blessed are you among
women!
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, for you have given birth to Christ our Saviour and Redeemer in
accordance with the word of the Archangel!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, teaching us all to praise the Mother of our Lord Jesus incessantly
through her Rule of Prayer, the Rosary!
Rejoice, for you have crowned her many miraculous images throughout the world!
Rejoice, for you call on us to contemplate the Face of Christ with the Virgin Mary!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing Heavenly Protector!
Kontakion 7
As Chief Pastor and Shepherd of Christ’s Holy Catholic Church, you took for yourself
the names “John” and “Paul” to signify your desire to emulate the lives of these Saints
and Apostles in the Gospel throughout your pontificate of service and love to God’s
people. You were not content to be a successor of the Apostles, but you also engaged in
zealous apostolic activity to renew the fervor and devotion of Christians living in morally
indifferent and dangerous times. Buoyed by your constancy of faith and your great zeal
for the glory of God and the Church’s welfare, we cry out joyfully: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
O Holy Father, as “John” you were shown to be a new Forerunner crying to those lost in
a spiritual wilderness to make straight the ways of the Lord. Your preaching and
example also brought many to the saving waters of Baptism. Emulating the Beloved
Disciple of the Lord, you likewise taught sublime theology about the Word Who is God.
Praising God for sending us His messenger in you, we pray:
Rejoice, New Prophet of Christ, most zealous for the glory of God!
Rejoice, for you call everyone to the saving waters of Baptism!
Rejoice, for you anoint us with the Oil of Gladness!
Rejoice, you preach the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins in the Name of the Lord Jesus!
Rejoice, for you show us how to open our hearts to the Love of God!
Rejoice, for you indicate the narrow way into the Kingdom of Heaven!
Rejoice, Teacher of Sublime Theology!
Rejoice, Defender of the Orthodox Faith!
Rejoice, Bulwark of the Catholic Church!
Rejoice, Mystic of God the Word Incarnate!
Rejoice, Adorer of Divine Wisdom!
Rejoice, Silent One before the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist on the Altar!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing Heavenly Protector!

Kontakion 8
You truly emulated St Paul the Apostle, O Holy Father, by your many visitations to the
Local Church throughout the world! You came from Rome and enlivened the people of
God with the Presence of Christ which you bore and reflected in your person. Who does
not remember attending at least one of your pastoral visits? Who has not been
overwhelmed with the joy of receiving your Apostolic blessing and benediction by your
own hand? We continue to call to you, Holy Father, now that you visit us from Heaven
in spirit and sing reverently: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
Having become all things to all people for the sake of Christ, O Holy Father, you took up
the pilgrim’s staff with the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ to go out and preach the good
news of salvation in His Name to all the world. You spoke to the crowds of millions,
encouraging them to hold fast to their faith in the Lord as Christians worthy of such a
great salvation. The people of old touched their handkerchiefs to the Apostles, and so too
did the people greet you with theirs. We wave to you still with the spiritual white of our
sincere prayers to you, Holy Father, and sing:
Rejoice, Eternal Pilgrim in a world searching for Christ!
Rejoice, for the people press in on you, left and right!
Rejoice, for those suffering from constant spiritual illness receive healing at the touch of
your spiritual blessing!
Rejoice, for you feed the multitudes with the Bread of Life that is eaten, but is never
consumed!
Rejoice, for you indicate the Spiritual Cluster of the Tree of Salvation from which drips
the Mystic Wine!
Rejoice, for by you the Lord Jesus quenches our inner thirst!
Rejoice, for they bring the sick and the lame to you as the Vicar of the Wounded Healer!
Rejoice, for you sorrow and weep over their suffering!
Rejoice, for your presence among them witnesses to Christ the Consoler of heavy hearts!
Rejoice, Man of Peace, that which only Christ can bring!
Rejoice, for you tell the young people of the world about the Peace that is beyond it!
Rejoice, for you call us to be apostles of Christ’s peace and love in a hate-filled and wartorn age!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing Heavenly Protector!
Kontakion 9
You are the joy of the Saints of Heaven, O Holy Father John Paul! As the early Church
of Christ took great solace in her sufferings and persecutions from the witness and
intercessions of her Martyrs, whose honour she jealously guarded, so too did you deign to
raise to the honours of the Altar many new witnesses to the love of Christ and
faithfulness to His Church throughout the world. Joining with you in joyfully making
festival in the Lord in honor of the many new Saints and Martyrs of Christ, we earnestly
sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
The Holy, Glorious and All-Praised Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs, Hierarchs, Venerable
Fathers and Mothers of every nation and every age rejoice to see many of their number
honored through you on earth, O Holy Father! The Great Cloud of Witnesses that the
Holy Spirit has glorified through you lets drop a plentiful rain of Divine Grace by means
of their prayers to the Holy Trinity and by it a rich harvest of souls is reaped by Christ the
Sower. We invoke the intercession of all these, and also your prayers, O Holy Father,
before the Throne of Almighty God, all the while singing with compunction:
Rejoice, for by you those who are famous in God are made known to us!
Rejoice, for we receive the benefit of the prayers of many of the Righteous!
Rejoice, for you assemble a venerable Army to aid us in the day of spiritual battle!
Rejoice, for Christ showers His miracles upon us through His Saints!
Rejoice, for holy before God is the death of His Martyrs in whom He is glorified!
Rejoice, for He will not let His holy ones see corruption!
Rejoice, for, by you, God raised up to honour the holy Martyr Maximilian Kolbe!
Rejoice, for the holy Nun Faustina sings of the Divine Mercy of Christ!
Rejoice, for the voice of the martyrs of the death camps makes a loud and joyful sound!
Rejoice, for you join in prayer to the Mother of God with Saint Pio of Pietrelcina!
Rejoice, for Mother Teresa embraces the poor and suffering of Calcutta still!
Rejoice, for you call on us to become holy and submissive instruments in God’s Hands
for a new evangelization of the world!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing Heavenly Protector!
Kontakion 10
As your mother was an Eastern Catholic, you learned early in life concerning the Two
Lungs, Western and Eastern, of the Body of Christ that is the Holy Catholic Church, by
which it must always breathe. You were also mindful of the great mission of the
Apostles to the Slavs, Saints Cyril and Methodius, whom you declared to be patrons of
Europe together with the Holy Father Benedict. Praying to the Lord Jesus that all may be
One in Him through communion with the Successor of St Peter, we sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
You were a true Pastor of the Churches of the East in communion with you, O Holy
Father, and entrusted to your care. Your heart also weighed heavily over the rent in the
seamless Garment of the Lord through the separation of the Churches. Embracing the
spiritual ways of the Christian East, you praised its Orthodoxy and the teaching of her
Holy Fathers, making it your own. And we receive your encouragement to us to be true
bridges between East and West, singing in your honor:
Rejoice, Holy Man of the East, praying the unceasing Prayer of Jesus!
Rejoice, for the Mother of God of Czestochowa is like the sun that first rose in the East!
Rejoice, for you esteem and proclaim the Orthodox Faith of the Councils!
Rejoice, for you drank deeply of the still waters of Eastern Christian spirituality!
Rejoice, for you extended a sincere hand of love and repentance to the Orthodox East!
Rejoice, for you pray that all may be one, even as Christ and the Father are One!
Rejoice, for you glorified the New Martyrs and Confessors of communion with Rome!
Rejoice, for you are the first to praise them!
Rejoice, for the cords of the unrighteous are finally broken!
Rejoice, for your Eastern Flock receives their supreme Pastor with great affection!
Rejoice, for you are another Clement and Martin, coming from Rome to be with them!
Rejoice, for you pray that the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God the Father
and the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing Heavenly Protector!
Kontakion 11
As a truly Apostolic man, you enjoin us to be holy as our Heavenly Father is Holy and to
worship God in the beauty of holiness. You invite the youth of the world to take heart
and be courageous in giving themselves in service to the Church as holy priests and
monastics, as well as servants of the Lord Jesus in the world, witnessing to His salvation
and peace. Looking to you as our eminent example in living the Life in Christ and
experiencing the transfiguring Light of Mt Tabor in the Holy Spirit, we sing: Alleluia!

Ikos 11
Praying ceaselessly to the Lord Jesus and His Most Holy Mother, you invite us to
contemplate the Divine Mysteries of our salvation in silent listening to the Word of God,
O Holy Father. Although your fame spread like wildfire throughout the world, you
continued in self-emptying humility and intercession for all at the Foot of the Cross of
our Lord before the Altar and the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pray for us that we
may also open our hearts to the warmth of the Love of God in purity and sacred
meditation, as we sing:
Rejoice, for holiness becomes the House of God!
Rejoice, for His priests are girded with it!
Rejoice, for Holy is the Lord our God!
Rejoice, for you contemplate the Face of Christ with Mary, His Mother!
Rejoice, for you teach us to pray without hurrying!
Rejoice, for you tell us to linger in thoughtful consideration in our supplications to God!
Rejoice, for you conformed your life to Christ!
Rejoice, for you listen to the Voice of the Father in the stillness of your soul!
Rejoice, for the Holy Spirit finds you filled with the love of the Virgin Mary and so forms
the full stature of Jesus Christ within you!
Rejoice, for Peter joins with his successor in adoring Christ transfigured on Mt Tabor!
Rejoice, for you exclaim to the people of God, “It is good for us to be here!”
Rejoice, for you lead us to Theosis in Christ by the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the
Father!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing Heavenly Protector!

Kontakion 12
O Holy Father, you labored for our salvation and sanctification for more than a quarter of
a century on the Apostolic Throne of Peter! Early in your pontificate, you were shot six
times by the enemies of the Church, but God did not allow you to expire, as your time
had not yet come. Amazed at your inner strength and courage, we exclaim: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
Suffering diverse illnesses in your elder years, O Holy Father, John Paul, you endured
hardship and pain rather than take your hand from the spiritual plough of Church
leadership and guidance given to you by the Lord Jesus. Awed by your long-suffering
patience borne in all suffering, we sing:
Rejoice, for you have been crucified with the Lord Jesus so as to share in His
Resurrection!
Rejoice, for you offered up your sufferings for the salvation of His flock!
Rejoice, for you bear on your body the Marks of the Lord Jesus!
Rejoice, for you set an example of suffering in patience for us all!
Rejoice, firm staff of support for the elderly!
Rejoice, solace of the gravely ill and infirm!
Rejoice, for nothing can sway your resolve to serve the Lord faithfully until the end!
Rejoice, for you look to Christ Who was not taken down from the Cross until “It is
finished.”
Rejoice, for millions of those for whom you are their father in Christ gather near your bed
of pain to pray for and with you!
Rejoice, for you blessed us all with your hand before your soul was released into the
Hand of the Father!
Rejoice, for you said you were happy and that we too should be happy!
Rejoice, for you who prayed for us on earth, continues to pray for us in Heaven!
Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our
unfailing Heavenly Protector!
Kontakion 13
May we who honor your holy memory on earth continue to taste the benefit of your
intercession for us in heaven, O Holy Father! Pray for us to deepen our love for the Lord
Jesus Who was Incarnate by the Most Holy Mother of God, lived among us, and was
crucified, died and was buried to rise in glory on the third day, and ascended to heaven
where He sits at the Right Hand of the Father. Pray that we may conform ourselves to
Christ through the Most Holy Virgin Mary to be true Bearers of Christ, witnessing to His
love and salvation to the world, as you did in so pre-eminent a manner. For all this we
pray, exclaiming: Alleluia!
(Kontakion 13 is recited three times, followed by Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1 and the
final prayer).

O Holy Father, John Paul, great Servant of the Servants of God and Pastor of the flock of
Christ’s Holy Catholic Church! We thank our Lord Jesus Christ for the Grace of the
Holy Spirit bestowed on you, His servant and Vicar on earth, throughout your long and
fruitful pontificate as the chief worker in His Vineyard. Pray for us that the Holy Spirit
may remind us of all that you taught us in the Name of the Lord Jesus and God our
Father. Come speedily to our aid with your intercession in all our necessities that are for
our spiritual good in accordance with the Divine Will. Inspire us who honour you on
earth still with the memory of your example, your prayers and your teachings until we
gather with you once again to praise and thank the Lord for His many mercies shown to
us in the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.