The Canon to St Sisoës the Great

Canon, in Tone VIII

Ode I, Irmos: Let us chant unto the Lord, Who led His people through the Red Sea, for He alone hath gloriously been glorified.

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

By thy prayers enliven me who am done to death by the passions, O father, interceding with great boldness now before the Life of the living.

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

Rejecting the love of the flesh, O father, with divine desire thou didst follow after Him Who crieth out to thee with love, O blessed Sisoës.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Receiving the immaterial radiance within thy heart, O father, thou wast illumined and didst drive away the gloom of all the passions.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O all-immaculate one who gavest birth unto the Savior, the Peace of all: save me who am tempest-tossed by the storm of all the passions.

Ode III, Irmos: Thou art the confirmation of those who have recourse to Thee, O Lord; Thou art the light of the benighted; and my spirit doth hymn Thee.

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

Mightily didst thou subject thy flesh to thy mind, O venerable one, and didst show thy soul to be free of slavery to the passions.

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

With thy pangs thou didst plough well the furrow of thy soul, O wise and venerable one, and didst grow the grain of dispassion and miracles.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thou wast clad in the mortality of Christ, the Bestower of life, O venerable one, and didst follow in His steps. Wherefore, He giveth thee the grace to raise up the dead.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O pure one, we hymn thee as a place of sanctification and the noetic table which received Christ the Bread, the Life of all.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Sessional hymn, Tone IV: Thou didst adorn thy life with abstinence; and having mortified thy members, didst triumph over the onslaughts of the passions, O blessed Sisoës, and didst pass over to everlasting life in God, as a worthy heir to His kingdom. Wherefore, cease thou never to pray that our souls be saved.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Theotokion: O pure Ever-virgin, thou fervent and invincible intercessor, renowned and unashamed hope, thou rampart, shelter and haven for those who have recourse unto thee: With the angels beseech thy Son and God, that He grant peace to the world, salvation and great mercy.

Or this Stavrotheotokion (Wednesdays and Fridays):By the Cross of thy Son, O thou who art full of the grace of God, the deception of idolatry hath been wholly put to shame, and the might of the demons hath been trampled down. Wherefore, as is meet, we, the faithful, ever hymn and bless thee; and confessing thee to be in truth the Theotokos, we magnify thee.

Ode IV, Irmos: I have heard, O Lord, the mystery of Thy dispensation; I have understood Thy works, and have glorified Thy divinity.

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

With the rain of grace, O father, thou hast poured forth rivers of wonders, cleansing from defilement those who with faith have recourse unto thee, O blessed one.

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

Having thoroughly cleansed thy soul with all-night entreaties and day-long standings, O venerable one, thou didst show it to be a dwelling-place of the Trinity.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

In flight thou didst betake thyself to the desert places, O father, waiting upon Him Who saved thee from faint-heartedness and affliction.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Habbakuk of old foresaw thee as an unquarried mountain, O all-immaculate one, whence God appeared Who hath renewed us who are corrupted.

Ode V, Irmos: Waking at dawn, we cry to Thee: Save us, O Lord! For Thou art our God, and we know none other than Thee.

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

As a temple of the three-Sunned Godhead, thou didst cast down the passions of thy soul as though they were graven images.

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

Having slain the wisdom of thy flesh, O God-bearer, thou didst raise up the dead through the activity of the Spirit.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thou wast shown to be a dispeller of unclean spirits, O father; for thou wast a pure abode of the Holy Spirit.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

As thou gavest birth unto the never-setting Sun, O Theotokos, enlighten me who am wholly darkened by the passions.

Ode VI, Irmos: Cleanse me, O Savior, for many are my transgressions; and lead me up from the abyss of evils, I pray, for to Thee have I cried, and Thou hast hearkened to me, O God of my salvation.

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

Thou didst escape being destroyed by the noetic whale, O father, having acquired abstinence, prayer, unfeigned love, mighty humility and steadfast love for Christ.

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

Our mighty God directed thy steps toward Himself and manifestly gave thee the strength to trample down serpents and crush the heads of scorpions, O all-blessed God-bearer.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

By thine inclination towards God, thou wast manifestly deified, becoming light by thine all-embracing love for the Lord, O God-bearing father, thou earthly angel and heavenly man.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Mary, thou pure vessel of ­virginity, cleanse thou my mind of the darkness of the passions, and fill my heart with grace and righteousness, O all-immaculate one.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “Thou hast appeared today…”: Having struggled, thou wast seen to be an angel on the earth, O venerable one, ever illumining the thoughts of the faithful with divine signs. Wherefore, we honor thee with faith, O Sisoës.

Ode VII, Irmos: In the furnace the Hebrew children boldly trod the flame underfoot and transformed the fire into dew, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

With a pure mind thou didst receive all the radiance of the Spirit, and didst become a beacon for those who cry out with faith: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

With a pure mind thou didst receive all the radiance of the Spirit, and didst become a beacon for those who cry out with faith: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

With the divine fire of abstinence didst thou utterly consume the tinder of sin, and thou didst pass over into the noetic light, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Mother of the Savior, save me who am held fast in the abyss of transgressions, and rescue me from all the malice of the enemy, that, saved, I may magnify thine aid.

Ode VIII, Irmos: Madly did the Chaldæan tyrant heat the furnace sevenfold for the pious ones; but, beholding them saved by a higher Power, he cried out to the Creator and Deliverer: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

Abiding in unceasing prayers and entreaties, thou didst drive the gloom of the passions from thy soul, and didst cleanse thy mind’s eye. Wherefore, thou wast vouchsafed to behold the future prophetically, O Sisoës, piously crying Aloud: Ye people, exalt the Lord supremely forever!

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

Like an angel didst thou dwell in thy body, O venerable one and thou didst vanquish legions of the adversary. Wherefore, with gladness, O father, thou hast made thine abode in immaterial life, where the ranks of the angels dwell, and with them thou dost cry out: Hymn the Lord, ye priests; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

By thy sacred prayers unto God cleanse thou my soul, which hath dried up through the passions, and deliver me from the captivity which holdeth me fast, O God-bearing father, that I may cry out in a pure manner: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Sanctified by the Spirit, thou didst receive the Creator of human nature in thy womb, and didst ineffably give birth unto Him, O pure Maiden. Lauding Him unceasingly, we chant: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Ode IX, Irmos: Every ear trembleth to hear of the ineffable condescension of God, for the Most High willingly came down even to the flesh, becoming man through the Virgin’s womb. Wherefore we, the faithful, magnify the all-pure Theotokos.

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

An awesome wonder took place at the very moment of thy repose; for thy countenance shone forth more brightly than the sun, and choirs of angels arrived to receive thy soul and bear it to the three-Sunned Light.

Venerable Father Sisoës, pray to God for us.

Delighting in divine beauties, and deified in partaking thereof, illumined with the radiant splendors which issue forth therefrom, O blessed one, by thine entreaties deliver from the dark destruction of the passions those who faithfully honor thy light-bearing memory, O wise one.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Abstaining from all evil, O father, thou wast righteous, blameless, venerable, guileless, and obedient unto God in thy holiness. Wherefore, the Trinity abode within thy heart, in Whom thou now dost radiantly delight, O right wondrous one.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

There is no salvation for me because of my deeds, O all-immaculate one; for, having trodden the wrong path, I have been filled with darkness. But as thou didst shine forth upon us light from the Light, enlighten and save me, and disdain me not who am grievously perishing.

Troparion, Tone I: A desert-dweller, an angel in the flesh and a wonderworker wast thou shown to be, O our God-bearing father Sisoës. For, having acquired heavenly gifts through fasting, vigilance and prayer, thou dost heal the infirm and the souls of those who have recourse to thee with faith. Glory to Him Who gave thee strength! Glory to Him Who hath crowned thee! Glory to Him Who worketh healings for all through thee!

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