The Catholic Poetry Room is pleased to present a Byzantine Catholic akathist (“without sitting”) hymn by Luke Iyengar (about whom, more below). This poetry form is used in the Byzantine tradition particularly to venerate saints, and Mr. Iyengar has used it to express his devotion to Blessed Solanus Casey, the Capuchin Franciscan friar who many of us hope will soon be canonized.
Normally the hymn would contain 12 pairs of stanzas called “kontakia” and “ikoi”. Mr Iyengar has been kind enough to share the first pair of his as yet uncompleted work. The repeated greeting “rejoice” in the ikos is typical for that part of the stanza.
Blessed Solanus Casey Akathist
Kontakion:
Today Detroit rejoices and New York is glad,
Wisconsin likewise celebrates her saintly son;
We faithful ones, possessing relics filled with grace,
Now likewise praise the most high, glorious God of all,
For in His wondrous loving-kindness He bestowed
Upon the New World one of Francis’ true-born sons
Who, showing godly wisdom in a lowly mind,
And ever interceding at the throne of Christ,
Enlightens all who seek his aid and sing:
Rejoice, Solanus, keeper of the gates of grace!
Ikos:
Instructed in piety from your youth, you sought
To take upon yourself the gentle yoke of Christ
And reap the harvest sown in fields of human souls.
Acquiring wisdom from your lowly-mindedness,
We ask you as a faithful priest and friend of God,
Remember all of us who bring to you this praise:
Rejoice, O sun arising from Wisconsin’s fields!
Rejoice, O faithful tenant of the field of Christ!
Rejoice, O wise instructor to whom error yields!
Rejoice, O lowly-minded and most righteous priest!
Rejoice, divinely-wise and faithful Francis’ son!
Rejoice, O you who followed in the narrow way!
Rejoice, your wisdom shines upon us like the sun!
Rejoice, your pray’rs now make us children of the day!
Rejoice, Solanus, keeper of the gates of grace!
Luke Iyengar (pronounced “eye-en-gar”) is a Byzantine Catholic, ordained reader, and seminarian of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy (Archdiocese) of Pittsburgh. He holds a BA and Master of Arts in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and currently studies at Saints Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Pittsburgh.
