Fifteen years ago, the Orthodox Church gained a martyric Heavenly intercessor.
Fr. Daniel Sysoev’s entire life was bound up with his missionary activity and his priestly activity, and the night of November 19, 2009, was no exception. He was still in the Church of the Holy Apostle Thomas in southern Moscow late that night, ministering to those who came to him for consolation and hearing confessions.
In fact, Fr. Daniel was hearing a confession in the altar when a crazed Muslim burst into the church, demanding to see him. Fearless in Christ, Fr. Daniel came out to meet the man, who then shot him right there in the church. The zealous young priest died early the next morning, November 20, becoming a hieromartyr.
Fr. Daniel is remembered for his fervent missionary work through which he brought many people to the Orthodox faith, including pagans, atheists, Protestants, and scores of Muslims. It was his ability to preach Christ to Muslims that led to his martyrdom. Fr. Daniel had received many death threats for his work, and he knew what manner of death awaited him.
Since that night, the story of his life, teachings, and martyrdom has spread throughout the Orthodox Church, far beyond the bounds of his native Russia. Though he has yet to be formally glorified as a saint, popular veneration has produced a number of icons of him, and even an akathist.
As witness to his growing veneration, the akathist presented below was originally written in Romanian, and only then translated into Russian. This English text was translated from the Russian version.
Holy Hieromartyr Daniel, pray to God for us!
***
Kontakion 1
Thou didst follow Christ in all things, O holy Hieromartyr Daniel, spreading His word to all peoples; thou didst preserve pure His teachings, bestowing them upon all; thou wast vouchsafed a martyr’s death, which thou hadst praised, and now, having received rest from God in Paradise for thy labors, cease not to pray for us who sing to thee:
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Ikos 1
Thou who didst preach the Gospel of Christ unceasingly in thy life and wast granted the gift of the priesthood, fearing not those who can kill the body, but confessing Christ unto thy death, pray for us who glorify thy confession and sing to thee:
Rejoice, divinely eloquent speaker
Rejoice, tireless preacher
Rejoice, lover of Christ above all else
Rejoice, thou who didst love men and lead them to Christ
Rejoice, laborer against delusions
Rejoice, thou who didst put thy hope in God
Rejoice, destroyer of the works of the enemies of Orthodoxy
Rejoice, servant of Christ like unto the Apostle Thomas
Rejoice, confessor of God like unto the Prophet Daniel
Rejoice, guide of hosts of men to the Church of God
Rejoice, for thou didst find joy in Christ
Rejoice, thou who didst confess Him with thy life
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 2
From thy very youth thou didst strive for God, seeking the meaning of life in nothing other than His word, hearkening to the Scriptures above all, ever desiring to serve Christ; and Christ didst grant thee the gift of the priesthood, which thou didst covet with thy whole soul, and thou didst prove thyself a good shepherd of thy flock, for whose sake thou didst lay down thy life, glorifying God: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
Thy mind wast protected in thy youth, O holy one, untouched by the malicious teachings of the godless communists, and thou didst ceaselessly serve among the people, spreading the word of God and helping all, on the streets, in schools and churches, longing for the salvation of thy brethren; therefore, those whom thou didst bring to Christ now sing to thee:
Rejoice, thou who didst find joy in Christ
Rejoice, light of Christ not hidden under a bushel
Rejoice, true citizen of Heaven
Rejoice, preacher unto the farthest ends of the Earth
Rejoice, thou who dost call children to Christ
Rejoice, tireless worker among men
Rejoice, thou who didst not turn away sinners, after the example of the Savior
Rejoice, for thy love for men has shown forth fruit
Rejoice, thou who didst walk before the face of God
Rejoice, thou whom God has shown the way
Rejoice, thou who didst not stray from His path
Rejoice, for thy love was recompensed with Divine grace
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 3
Following St. Basil the Great, thou didst understand, O Hieromartyr Daniel, that true philosophy is the remembrance of death; and with this thought, seeking a good end before Christ, and teaching children to be mindful of death and the Judgment of God even in their youth, thou didst ever sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
Thou wast a good teacher, O holy one, lovingly preaching the Gospel of Christ to children and all those deprived of the Word of God, in word and in letter, helping many turn back from every heresy and schism to the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church; and thanking God for thy labors, we Christians sing to thee, O Hieromartyr:
Rejoice, good shepherd
Rejoice, O teacher
Rejoice, preacher of the Truth
Rejoice, gatherer of men in Christ
Rejoice, fighter against heresies
Rejoice, thou who didst guide the lost to the Church
Rejoice, destroyer of false philosophies
Rejoice, gatherer of treasure in Heaven
Rejoice, follower of Christ on earth
Rejoice, in the sweet love of Christ
Rejoice, true offering to men
Rejoice, tireless spiritual seeker
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 4
Thou didst understand, O holy one, that the Church of Christ is renewed through the preaching to heathen nations, and with love and the living word breathed by God, thou didst preach among those deprived of Truth, leading many to renewal through the washing of Baptism; together with those enlightened by thee, we sing to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
Thou didst tirelessly oppose the evil teaching of the false prophet Muhammed, O holy father, and the pagan delusion of the Buddhists, and didst support those who had slipped into the demonic snare of occultism, loving all the brethren in Christ and desiring that all might come to true knowledge; wherefore thou art now everywhere hymned:
Rejoice, preacher to many nations
Rejoice, propagator of the Gospel of Christ
Rejoice, thou who didst serve for the Tatars in their native tongue
Rejoice, converter of hosts of Kyrgyzi
Rejoice, bearer of the word of God in Central Asia
Rejoice, thou who didst turn to the people of the Caucasus with love
Rejoice, thou who didst bring Wahhabi fanatics to Christ
Rejoice, thou who didst overcome mullahs
Rejoice, generous benefactor of Africa
Rejoice, zealous striver for Thailand
Rejoice, thou who didst save many from the worship of Satan
Rejoice, baptizer of many unbelievers
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 5
Thou didst serve Christ with thy whole soul, and didst not bow under thy bodily infirmities, O holy one; and taking no account of thy sufferings, thou didst always serve with love, united with others in the name of the Savior, Whom thou didst ever bear in they soul, chanting to Him: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
With spiritual love in thy soul, O holy Fr. Daniel, thou didst erect a church to the holy Apostle Thomas in Moscow, and there thou not only didst celebrate the Divine services, but also didst conduct catechetical talks; and thou didst take care for those crushed by misfortunes and spiritual suffering directing them towards Christ, Who dost grant comfort to all those who labor and are burdened, wherefore we sing to thee:
Rejoice, builder of a church to the holy Apostle Thomas
Rejoice, designer of the cathedral of the holy Prophet Daniel
Rejoice, beloved of the people of Moscow
Rejoice, thou who couldst ever be found among them
Rejoice, firm support for the wayward
Rejoice, helper of the poor
Rejoice, caretaker of thy family
Rejoice, thou who didst raise thy children in a Christian manner
Rejoice, interpreter of the Holy Scriptures
Rejoice, thou who didst lead the sorceress to repentance
Rejoice, thou who didst reveal Christ to the young Buddhist
Rejoice, loving embrace of all
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 6
Falsehoods may penetrate even into the Church in times of confusion from false doctrines, but thou, O holy one, didst zealously withstand all dogmatic errors, and shining with the grace of God, didst remove the delusions of many and didst preach the true Christ, singing: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Being not deceived by the delusions that shook the Church, O holy one, and with unshakeable faith in the Gospel truth, thou didst show them forth as nothing; and as thou didst look to none but Christ and didst protect thy flock from false prophets and ravenous wolves, we sing to thee:
Rejoice, faithful shepherd
Rejoice, thou who didst hope in God
Rejoice, thou who didst not yield to deception
Rejoice, thou who didst forsake false humility
Rejoice, thou who didst put to shame the fear of the end times
Rejoice, rejecter of ecumenistic delusions
Rejoice, exposer of evolution as blasphemy against God
Rejoice, fighter against numerology
Rejoice, preacher of frequent Communion
Rejoice, worshiper of Christ in spirit and in truth
Rejoice, thou who didst show forth Christian courage
Rejoice, true inspiration for many
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 7
“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world,” saith Christ the Savior, and thou, Hieromartyr Daniel, following this word, didst not capitulate before the face of threats and pains and tribulations, but didst boldly wage battle against temptations, seeking assistance from God, the Theotokos, and the saints, and didst joyously glorify God: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
Thou didst bear the cross of sickness and pain, O holy one, allowing none to see how thou didst suffer, ever seeking joy and strength in Christ; and thou didst wage incessant warfare with the attacks of invisible enemies, knowing that man is not alone, but with God, and that only by His grace can he repel the enemy. As thou didst overcome temptations with the help of Christ and the prayers of the Theotokos, we sing to thee:
Rejoice, thou who didst hope in Christ
Rejoice, thou who didst take shelter under the veil of the Mother of God
Rejoice, thou who didst bridle the tempter by true humility
Rejoice, thou who didst not renounce the sufferings of the cross
Rejoice, thou whose pains were known by few
Rejoice, thou who didst sacrifice worldly peace
Rejoice, thou who didst thereby attain to Divine peace
Rejoice, thou who didst not retreat before deadly threats Rejoice, thou whom no false slanders could bring down
Rejoice, thou who didst convert the indifference of men to zeal
Rejoice, thou who didst patiently endure attacks of malevolence
Rejoice, thou who didst endure all things with joy in God
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 8
Having been called by God to be honored with a martyr’s death, thou didst come out to thy murderer with openness and love, knowing that thy true home and treasure awaited thee in Heaven, which thou didst ceaselessly seek and desire all thy life, until the hour of thy death praising Christ: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
He who didst come to take thy earthly life, Hieromartyr Daniel, didst find thee vigilant and praying in the altar, and having passed into eternal life among those crowned by Christ, thou dost ever pray with the flock of the martyrs, glorifying God and invoking His gifts upon men, therefore we sing to thee:
Rejoice, thou who didst accept death for the sake of Christ
Rejoice, thou who didst not turn away from the malefactor’s bullets
Rejoice, conqueror of the enemy of salvation
Rejoice, fearless confessor
Rejoice, selfless lover of Christ
Rejoice, thou who didst confess Him by thy death
Rejoice, thou who dost now glorify Him in the Church Triumphant
Rejoice, true citizen of Heaven
Rejoice, thou who didst receive a crown from the hand of the Savior
Rejoice, thou who didst strengthen the Church by thy sacrifice
Rejoice, thou who dost repose in the immortal Light
Rejoice, shining star among the Righteous
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 9
Thy martyrdom is confirmed, O holy one, by thine own executioners, for they testify of thee as an enemy of their false teaching, and confess that thou wast killed for thy zeal, with which thou didst fight against the Muslims’ deceit by preaching Christ, fearlessly chanting to him: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
God hast lovingly showed men the honor which He vouchsafed thee, O Hieromartyr, and thy sacrifice for Him Who didst sacrifice Himself on the Cross, for at thy burial thy hands were as though alive, clenching the holy cross, and thy blood, poured out upon thy pectoral cross, remained red; therefore, those who rejoice in their new defender in Heaven sing to thee:
Rejoice, thou who hast shown thyself a true friend of God
Rejoice, thou who didst make the good seed to bear fruit
Rejoice, thou who hast attained unto eternal blessedness
Rejoice, thou who dost ever pray for mankind
Rejoice, those whom thou hast brought to Christ do sing to thee
Rejoice, Alexander of Chechnya doth cry to thee
Rejoice, the woman who contemplated suicide doth sing to thee
Rejoice, the Orthodox Tatars and Kyrgyz do proclaim to thee
Rejoice, faithful servant of Christ
Rejoice, thou who didst multiply thy talents
Rejoice, thou who didst strengthen the weak in Christ
Rejoice, thou who, being with Christ, didst not fear the powerful
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 10
Through you, O holy one, all who seek to be baptized or return to Orthodoxy do receive help, for having found boldness before the face of God through thy holy life and martyric end for spreading the Gospel thou dost offer up God-pleasing prayer, chanting: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
Thy help has been revealed, O Hieromartyr Daniel, for even after thy death thou hast led hosts of men to the true faith, again conquering the false teachings of pagans, atheists, and heretics by thy martyrdom; but those grateful ones who didst come to know Christ with thy help now sing to thee:
Rejoice, loving friend of those in need
Rejoice, unwavering support of Orthodox missionaries
Rejoice, gentle guide of the lost
Rejoice, thou who dost lay waste to demonic despair
Rejoice, enlightener of those who seek to know the dogmas of Orthodoxy
Rejoice, for through thy writings seekers are enlightened
Rejoice, for the example of thy martyrdom doth strengthen the weak
Rejoice, thou who dost come to the aid of all through thy prayers
Rejoice, speedy intercessor before God
Rejoice, fragrant flower of Russia
Rejoice, pride of the Tatar people
Rejoice, precious gem of the Church universal
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 11
Wondrous is God in His saints, through whom He doth grant aid to mankind at all times; in like manner, through the holy martyr Daniel Sysoev was God’s mercy revealed to us who are oppressed by a multitude of sins, for through His prophet God didst say: “I desire not the death of the wicked, but that he should turn from his ways and live.” And grateful for this inestimable gift, we sing to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
Laboring together with Thee, O Lord, Thy saints are deified and testify of the boundless riches of Thy love for mankind to the world. In like manner, the Hieromartyr Daniel didst receive Thy grace, and not being careless with it, didst labor to bring Thee, O Lord, to men and to lead them to Thee; and glorifying Thee, we sing to him who wast sanctified in Thee:
Rejoice, rightly glorifying martyr
Rejoice, adornment of priests
Rejoice, thou who art wise in Christ
Rejoice, for thy zeal awaited not old age
Rejoice, thou who didst lay down thy life for Christ
Rejoice, for thou hast taken up abode in the eternal Light
Rejoice, thou who dost ever share joy in the Lord
Rejoice, thou through whom Orthodoxy is strengthened
Rejoice, thou through whom wicked teachings are brought to ruin
Rejoice, victor by the grace of God
Rejoice, light of Orthodox preaching
Rejoice, exemplar of the fullness of spiritual riches in Christ
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 12
Uniting with God, man doth acquire power to overcome all the evil works of the devil; likewise, O Hieromartyr, with humility, but with boldness and daring, thou didst use the gifts of God, wholly bringing to ruin the machinations of the enemy of salvation, and now the fallen angels fear thee yet more, as thou dost sing to the All-Holy Trinity in the Heavens: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
Thou wast blessed by God, O Hieromartyr Daniel, laboring to bring to the true faith to those who did truly desire such for themselves, purifying the Church from pernicious teachings and futile phenomena; and having crowned this holy labor with the crown of a martyr, thou didst enter into eternal life together with Christ; and we hymn thee with love:
Rejoice, thou who hast boldness before Him Who hast overcome the world
Rejoice, laborer with Christ
Rejoice, for Divine love for man hast enlightened thee
Rejoice, destroyer of devilish deeds
Rejoice, help and correction of Christians
Rejoice, rebuke of evil thoughts and idle talk
Rejoice, thou who didst fill God’s house with hosts of men
Rejoice, pure voice of true theology
Rejoice, thou who didst live among men united to Christ
Rejoice, warrior for the Kingdom of Heaven who didst lay down thy life for Christ
Rejoice, offerer of hymns of glorification before the Lord of all
Rejoice, thou who dost bring us joy and unite us with Christ
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 13
O holy Hieromartyr Daniel, who didst labor without respite for the sake of the salvation of men, who didst unshakably accept death for Christ, hear now our meager prayer which we offer unto thee, honoring thy martyrdom and glorifying God, Who didst strengthen and receive thee into the Heavenly abodes. By thy fervent prayers to Almighty God, entreat for us the forgiveness of sins and help in overcoming temptations, that we might be strengthened and enlightened to labor for the sake of our salvation and the salvation of men, that having completed our earthly pilgrimage, we might thereby be vouchsafed eternal life in Christ together with thee, that with all the saints and righteous ones we might glorify God unto the ages of ages: Alleluia! (Chanted thrice)
Ikos 1
Thou who didst preach the Gospel of Christ unceasingly in thy life and wast granted the gift of the priesthood, fearing not those who can kill the body, but confessing Christ unto thy death, pray for us who glorify thy confession and sing to thee:
Rejoice, divinely eloquent speaker
Rejoice, tireless preacher
Rejoice, lover of Christ above all else
Rejoice, thou who didst love men and lead them to Christ
Rejoice, laborer against delusions
Rejoice, thou who didst put thy hope in God
Rejoice, destroyer of the works of the enemies of Orthodoxy
Rejoice, servant of Christ like unto the Apostle Thomas
Rejoice, confessor of God like unto the Prophet Daniel
Rejoice, guide of hosts of men to the Church of God
Rejoice, for thou didst find joy in Christ
Rejoice, thou who didst confess Him with thy life
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
Kontakion 1
Thou didst follow Christ in all things, O holy Hieromartyr Daniel, spreading His word to all peoples; thou didst preserve pure His teachings, bestowing them upon all; thou wast vouchsafed a martyr’s death, which thou hadst praised, and now, having received rest from God in Paradise for thy labors, cease not to pray for us who sing to thee:
Rejoice, holy Hieromartyr Daniel!
The grave of Hieromartyr Daniel Sysoev at Kuntsevo Cemetery in Moscow
