The Church, in Her wisdom, celebrates the feast of the Falling Asleep of the Panagia for 9 days, until August 23, “τα Εννιάμερα της Παναγίας.”
The following is a prayer to the Panagia from Small Compline, which are evening prayers in the Orthodox Church that the faithful can pray even at home. In Greek, Small Compline is referred to as “το Μικρόν Απόδειπνον,” the prayers after dinner. This beautiful prayer to the Panagia we hear chanted during the Friday services to the Panagia during Great Lent.
Prayer to the All Holy Theotokos by Paul the Monk of the Monastery of Evergetis
Spotless, undefiled, immaculate, unstained, pure Virgin, Lady, and Bride of God, by your wondrous conceiving you united God the Word with human beings and joined the fallen nature of our race to heavenly things. You are the only hope of the hopeless, and the help of those oppressed. You are the ready protection of those who flee to you and the refuge of all Christians. Do not spurn me an accussed sinner, though I have made myself completely useless by my shameful thoughts, words, and deeds and through indolence have become a slave to the pleasures of life. But as the Mother of God who loves all people, mercifully have compassion upon me a sinner and a prodigal and receive my prayer though it be offered to you by unclean lips. Entreat your Son and our Lord and Master, using your boldness as a mother, so that he may open to me the loving mercy of his goodness, overlook my numberless transgression, turn me to repentance, and make me an acceptable doer of his commandments. Always be near me, for you are merciful, compassionate, and loving. Be my ardent help and protection in this present life, defending me from the assaults of adversaries, and lead me to salvation. At the hour of my death, care for my miserable soul and drive the dark visions of evil spirits far from it. On the awesome day of judgment, save me from eternal punishment and make an inheritor of the ineffable glory of your Son, our God. May this be my lot, my Lady, all holy Theotokos, through your intercession and help, by the grace and love of your only begotten Son, our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ; to whom belong all glory, honor, and worship, with his eternal Father, and his all holy, righteous, and life-giving Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
From Daily Prayers For Orthodox Christians: The Synekdemos, edited by N. Michael Vaporis, Holy Cross Orthodox Press: Brookline, MA,
Ἄσπιλε, ἀμόλυντε, ἄφθορε, ἄχραντε, ἁγνὴ Παρθένε, Θεόνυμφε Δέσποινα, ἡ Θεὸν Λόγον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τῇ παραδόξῳ σου κυήσει ἑνώσασα καὶ τὴν ἀπωσθεῖσαν φύσιν τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν τοῖς οὐρανίοις συνάψασα, ἡ τῶν ἀπηλπισμένων μόνη ἐλπὶς καί τῶν πολεμουμένων βοήθεια, ἡ ἑτοίμη ἀντίληψις τῶν εἰς σὲ προστρεχόντων, καὶ πάντων τῶν Χριστιανῶν τὸ καταφύγιον· μὴ βδελύξῃ με τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν, τὸν ἐναγῆ, τὸν αἰσχροῖς λογισμοῖς καὶ λόγοις καὶ πράξεσιν ὅλον ἐμαυτὸν ἀχρειώσαντα, καί τῇ τῶν ἡδονῶν τοῦ βίου, ῥαθυμίᾳ γνώμης, δοῦλον γενόμενον· ἀλλ’ ὡς τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ Μήτηρ, φιλανθρώπως σπλαγχνίθητι ἐπ’ ἐμοὶ τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ καὶ ἀσώτῳ, καὶ δέξαι μου τήν ἐκ ῥυπαρῶν χειλέων προσφερομένην σοι δέησιν· καὶ τὸν σὸν Υἱόν , καὶ ἡμῶν Δεσπότην καὶ Κύριον, τῇ μητρικῇ σου παρρησίᾳ χρωμένη δυσώπησον, ἵνα ἀνοίξῃ κἀμοὶ τὰ φιλάνθρωπα σπλάγχνα τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀγαθότητος καί, παριδὼν μου τὰ ἀναρίθμητα πταίσματα, ἐπιστρέψῃ με πρὸς μετάνοιαν καί τῶν αὐτοῦ ἐντολῶν ἐργάτην δόκιμον ἀναδείξῃ με. Καὶ πάρεσό μοι ἀεὶ ὡς ἐλεήμων καὶ συμπαθὴς καὶ φιλάγαθος, ἐν μὲν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ θερμὴ προστάτις καὶ βοηθός, τάς τῶν ἐναντίων ἐφόδους ἀποτειχίζουσα καὶ πρὸς σωτηρίαν καθοδηγοῦσά με· καὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἐξόδου μου τὴν ἀθλίαν μου ψυχὴν περιέπουσα καὶ τὰς σκοτεινὰς ὄψεις τῶν πονηρῶν δαιμόνων πόρρω αὐτῆς ἀπελαύνουσα· ἐν δὲ τῇ φοβερᾷ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, τῆς αἰωνίου με ῥυομένη κολάσεως, καί τῆς ἀπορρήτου δόξης τοῦ σοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν κληρονόμον με ἀποδεικνύουσα. Ἧς καὶ τύχοιμι, Δέσποινα μου, ὑπεραγία Θεοτόκε, διά τῆς σῆς μεσιτείας καὶ ἀντιλήψεως, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ μονογενοῦς ΣουΥἱοῦ, τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ᾯ πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις, σὺν τῷ ἀνάρχῳ αὐτοῦ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ παναγίῳ καὶ ἀγαθῷ καὶ ζωοποιῷ αὐτοῦ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τους αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
From Father Leo Schefe at
https://analogion.gr/glt/texts/Oro/Apodeipnon.uni.htm.
