Despite parishioners being away for half-term, it was good to have a fairly well attended Liturgy, with faces that we haven’t seen since our move from St John’s – some of our Ukrainian faithful having been home for family reasons, before returning to the safety of Cardiff and the Valleys. It was a joy to see them, and especially to see so many confess and commune. We congratulate all who partook of the Holy Mysteries.
We also congratulated oltarnik Alexander on his nameday, the feast of St Alexander of Rome on Thursday, and sang mnogaya leta for him, and for Norman and Anne who have celebrated milestone birthdays. We also congratulate Nataliya on her birthday, which I did not realise was yesterday.
Following Liturgy and trapeza, we were very happy to welcome baby Stylian and his family, for the celebration of his baptism, which was a joyful and blessed British-Bulgarian-Romanian celebration. We look forward to his first reception of the Holy Mysteries, and pray that God will grant him, his godfather Cristian and his family many blessed years. We now look forward to a double baptism on Sunday 11 June.
Last Thursday saw a handful of us celebrate the Lord’s Ascension, and the texts of the Liturgy reminded us that today was the after-feast, on which we celebrated the memory of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, at Nicea in 325.
This coming Wednesday, we will also commemorate the Fathers of the other Ecumenical Councils, and in my homily, I reflected on how the conciliar understanding of the Saviour’s divinity and humanity are celebrated in the feast of the Ascension, in which Christ as God returns to the glory which He possessed in eternity before creation, and yet put aside in the Divine Humility and selfless-love of the Incarnation, but also ascending into this glory with the humanity He shares with us, and which is now worshipped by the angels and saints in heaven – to which he calls us in the fullness of our humanity in the life of the age to come.
Next Sunday will bring the celebration of Pentecost-Trinity, in which we will mark the birthday of the Church, and pray on bended-knee in vespers, for the gift of the All-Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. I know that our sisterhood will be making posies for our worshippers to hold during vespers, according to our tradition, but we also encourage you all to bring branches and greenery for this wonderful feast.
Sadly, train strikes at the end of the week affect my travels using public transport. This will mean that our discussion group on prayer will not happen this Friday.
I will hear confessions on Thursday in Nazareth House, and around vespers on the eve of Pentecost-Trinity on Saturday. Vespers will be at 17:00 and I would prefer to hear confessions before the service, as I am yet unsure of my travel method.
Would those requiring confessions please email me as soon as possible, and most definitely by noon on Wednesday.
Greetings on this joyful feast of the Lord’s Ascension, in which the economy of salvation finds wondrous consummation, as the humanity in which the Lord was clothed in His Divine Incarnation is exalted to the heavens, in which flesh had never dwelt before.
In the Ascension of the humanity of the God-Man, assumed in the womb of the Most Pure Mother of God, the Saviour calls us to physically be with Him in our own fleshly humanity in the glorified resurrectional-life of the age to come.
His Ascension was infinitely more than the completion of the return-journey of human nature to restored communion with God, as the Word did not become flesh to simply restore the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve to Paradise – to the earthly Eden from which our first-father and first mother had been exiled – but to exalt humanity to the very height of the heavens.
The Son of God, obedient to the Father clothed Himself in humility, in the humanity which He Himself had created, so that the created physicality of human-nature itself might be exulted and enthroned in heaven, at the right-hand of the Father.
In the litia we chanted,
“Thou hast renewed in Thyself Adam’s nature, which had gone down into the lower parts of the earth, and Thou didst raise it up above every principality and authority today…”
… and in the ninth ode of the canon of the feast, we chant –
“The majesty of Him Who became poor in the flesh hath been manifestly taken up above the heavens; and our fallen nature hath been honoured by sitting with the Father.”
The Church Fathers described this human nature to be the deadly bait by which Hades was defeated and decimated as it eagerly sought to swallow the Saviour, the God-Man, when He breathed His last breath upon the Cross. The Lord of Life was deadly-poison in the nethermost regions of darkness, which were unable to contain Him, and were made to spew forth not only Christ the Giver of Life, but also the souls of the righteous-dead held captive there.
But, having defeated death and hell, the Saviour did not elect to lay aside the humanity and flesh that proved so deadly to death. The ‘robe of Adam’ had not just been a temporary or disposable property or costume, but was destined to be the eternal, glorified sign of man’s whole redemption and total restoration in Christ.
Exalted beyond the heavens, in Christ’s flesh, humanity would be worshipped and adored in His Divine-Humanity by the bodiless powers of heaven and by the saints.
“Do you see then to what height of glory human nature has been raised? Is it not from earth to heaven? Is it not from corruption to incorruption? How hard would not someone toil in order to become the intimate friend of a corruptible king here below? But we, although we were alienated and hostile in our intent by evil deeds, have not only been reconciled to God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, but we have also soared aloft to sonship, and now our nature is worshipped in the heavens by every creature seen and unseen.”
St Ephrem the Syrian
The last phrase from these words of St Ephrem seem almost impossible to us, as our nature is not only restored, made incorruptible and reconciled with God, but is worshipped in the heavens because Christ has made it His own nature!
That which was not only unknown, but hitherto seemed impossible came to pass, and as the bodiless powers of heaven beheld Christ ascending in glory, they witnessed something new: human-flesh ascending as the Son of God was exalted not only as God, but also as man.
The troparia of the third ode of the canon speak of the wonder and astonishment of the bodiless angelic powers on beholding this sight:
“The ranks of angels, O Saviour, on beholding man’s nature going up together with Thee, were amazed and ceaselessly praised Thee.
The choirs of angels were amazed, O Christ, as they beheld Thee taken up with Thy body, and they praised Thy holy Ascension.
As the Saviour ascended in the flesh unto the Father, the arrays of the angels were astonished at Him and cried: Glory to Thine Ascension, O Christ.”
And in the Praises of matins, the angels poetically ask,
“What sight is this? He that is seen is endowed with the likeness of mankind’s form, yet as the incarnate God doth He now ascend far above the bounds of heaven’s heights.”
And, as we celebrate this feast, we perceive it as the signpost and token of the promise and inheritance to which the Saviour calls us as physical as well as spiritual beings.
Yet, for now, as the saints worship the ascended Saviour in His humanity as well as His divinity, they only dwell in heaven as bodiless, spiritual beings, and like all humans other than the Most Holy Mother of God – bodily translated into heaven at her assumption – they must await the end of time before they can dwell physically with the ascended Lord in their glorified and renewed bodies, but this yet unrealised life is the Lord’s calling to all of us through His glorious Ascension.
He does not jealously guard and preserve the reality of His Ascension for Himself alone, but in the eternity of the age to come desires each of us to follow Him and His Most-Pure Mother to heavenly life in the totality of restored, transfigured and ascended, created-being, saying to us,
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
John 14:3
The Saviour, seeks the whole and complete restoration of humanity made in His image and likeness, in which the first-father and first mother were intended to grow in perfection and glory, reflecting the glory and holiness of God, as do the angelic ranks.
In our baptism, we have been initiated into the Cross and Resurrection, but we are also called to the ascension also – labouring in prayer, fasting and spiritual toil; through the struggle for purity of soul, mind and body; through spiritual and holy living; aspiring to become vessels of Grace and living temples of the Holy Spirit.
His Life-Giving Cross and Passion, His victory over death and hell, His third-day Resurrection, are steps on the journey to the Mount of Olives and His Ascension in glory, but like every aspect of salvation, the Lord – has given us liberty, freedom and choice – and does not force salvation upon us, even though He desires every human being who has and will have existed since Adam and Eve, to be saved and be coheirs of the Resurrection, Ascension and translation to the glory of His Kingdom.
But – this very much depends on our will reflecting and being conformed to the Lord’s will; our lives being shaped by the Gospel; our spiritual and intellectual faculties, physical existence, and very being demonstrating the indwelling of God in us – in short, the struggle for holiness as Christ is allowed to act in us and through us.
Though the resurrection and Ascension are our calling and vocation, day by day, we must decide if we wish to inherit the Kingdom to which the Lord has called us, and whether we desire to receive the great gifts that the Lord has bequeathed for our eternal inheritance.
On this feast, it is not enough for us to simply outwardly rejoice and celebrate,
“Let us all make feast, and with one accord let us cry out with jubilation and clap our hands rejoicing.”
Unless their spiritual meaning is reflected and made real in our lives, feasts will neither save us nor bring us a share in the life of the Resurrection and Ascension, rather only constant, abiding, and dedicated selfless life in Christ – the Way, the Truth and the Life, what St Paul spoke of, when he said,
“…it is no longer I that live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20)
If we wish to follow the Lord, and mount the very heights of heaven, we must be united to the risen and ascended Christ.
On this Leave-Taking of Pascha, we celebrate the last day of the feast, which we will ‘give up’ at the end of the Ninth Hour before celebrating vespers for the feast of the Lord’s Ascension, but even though the Paschal season now draws to an end, the Paschal Mystery through Christ’s victory on the Cross is eternal, and not only humanity, but also the universe is changed for ever. Death is despoiled and Hades is overthrown, for Christ our eternal joy and our eternal Pascha is arisen..
We must endeavour to preserve our Paschal joy in each and every day of our lives, by living in thanksgiving for the victory of the Cross, the death of death and the shattering of Hades, and the Life-Giving Resurrection, struggling – in times of trial, temptation and affliction – to confront ourselves with the wonderful, unchanging reality of the Resurrection, and the promise it contains for those who seek to live the Paschal Mystery.
No matter what darkness may beset human life, no matter how tired or ill, how poor, how hungry or afflicted we are, nothing can change the reality of Christ’s victory, especially for those who have been initiated into the Paschal-resurrectional life through the Holy Mysteries of baptism and chrismation, and through the constant spiritual renewal the Lord offers us in confession and Holy Communion, seeking to raise us up, even in this earthly life.
Whilst the fullness of the Paschal Mystery is to be revealed in the life of the age to come, the power of the Lord’s Resurrection is already at work in the Church and in the lives of her children.
The words of the Paschal Homily of St John Chrysostom, read during the Paschal Matins, must remain words of power and encouragement for us throughout the Christian life, but especially at times when we feel weak, tempted or helpless.
“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?
Christ is risen! And you, O Death, are annihilated!
Christ is risen! and the demons are cast down!
Christ is risen! And the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen! And life reigns!
Christ is risen! And the tomb is emptied of its dead:
For Christ, being risen from the dead, has become the first fruit-fruit, the Leader and Reviver of those who had fallen asleep.”
Through prayer and spiritual labour, fortified by the Holy Mysteries, let us live and abide in the joy of the Resurrection, so that it may be made an abiding and constant reality and qualitative presence in our lives.
This cannot be maintained in passivity and spiritual laziness, but only by active spiritual-labour in Christ-centred lives… and if our lives are truly Christ-centred they will always be Paschal, and the light and joy of the Resurrection cannot be eclipsed or taken away from us.
Christ is Risen! Live in His Resurrection each and every day of your lives.
“Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the Only Sinless One. We worship Thy Cross, O Christ, and Thy holy Resurrection we hymn and glorify, for Thou art our God, and we know none other beside Thee; we call upon Thy Name. O come, all ye faithful, let us worship Christ’s holy Resurrection, for, behold, through the Cross joy hath come to all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, we hymn His Resurrection, for having endured crucifixion, He hath destroyed death by death.”
Here we are in the last days of the Pascha after a very busy few days in the parish.
After Friday’s confessions in the church of St Mary Butetown, we recommenced our discussion group, beginning a series of talks/discussions on prayer. It was wonderful to be back in St Mary’s with some new faces at our first session highlighting that, at its apogee, prayer is our entire life in God, but more than that, it is the connection that opens the Christian – body and soul, mind and heart – so that the life of God can flow into us.
The quoted beginning of Elder Sophrony’s book “On Prayer” expressed this with eloquence and power:
“Prayer is infinite creation, far superior to any form of art or science. Through prayer we enter into communion with Him that was before all worlds. Or, to put it in another way, the life of the Self-existing God flows into us through the channel of prayer.”
As the planned date of the next fortnightly session falls on a day plagued by rail strikes, I hope that we might meet on Wednesday 31st May.
After Friday’s meeting, Saturday brought our wonderful pilgrimage day to Glastonbury, beginning – once everyone had found Bride’s Mound – with a moleben in honour of St Bride on the site of the ancient monastery at Beckery (Becc-Eriu – Little Ireland), followed by a visit to the abbey, where we enjoyed a wonderfully eclectic Russo-Serbian-British picnic on the green lawns at the west end of the abbey ruins. The more energetic then climbed the Tor, whilst the less adventurous enjoyed the peaceful, flower-filled environs of Chalice Well.
We’re all very appreciative of Tracy’s organisational gymnastics in pulling everything together and coordinating yet another very successful and enjoyable pilgrimage. Diolch yn fawr!
We now look forward to our June pilgrimage to Pennant-Melangell, where we will celebrate the Divine Liturgy on Saturday 10th June the day after St Melangell’s feast-day on the Patristic Calendar. Celebrating the Liturgy next to her relics in their canopied stone shrine will be a wonderful blessing and privilege.
Sunday was the feast of St John the Theologian, and it was a blessing to celebrate on a day when the community came together in Cardiff, with the joy of welcoming our brother Lazarus from Paul, and having our visitors from Moscow with us again for Liturgy, after also sharing our time in Glastonbury with them. We pray for God’s blessing and protection as their travels continue.
I hope that our faithful will make the most of today, Tuesday and Wednesday, celebrating the remaining time of the Paschal season, praying the Paschal Canon and chanting the hymns before the leave-taking and the feast of the Lord’s Ascension.
After preparing the church for Ascension, I will celebrate Great Vespers at 16:00 on Wednesday, and we will celebrate the Hours and Divine Liturgy in Nazareth House the following morning, at 11:00.
Those who confessed at the weekend are blessed to commune on the feast, and I will have time to hear short confessions before Thursday’s Liturgy. Additionally, anyone wishing to confess after Wednesday’s vespers should email me so that I can be available.
On Thursday afternoon, I will also be available to hear confessions of those preparing to commune at the weekend. Alternatively, there will be time for confessions on Saturday, when we will set up church ready for Sunday Liturgy at 16:00. Vespers will be celebrated at 17:00, with confessions before and after the service, as needed, as I know that some parishioners will be working till 17:00.
We look forward to being together again on Sunday, when there will also be a baptism in the afternoon, after trapeza. The Hours will commence at 10:45, followed by the Divine Liturgy.
The variables for our services may be found at Orthodox Austin, as usual…
Greetings in the feast of the translation of the relics of St Nicholas from Lycea to Bari.
S prazdnikom!
In the eleventh century the Byzantine Empire was going through some terrible times. The Turks put an end to its influence in Asia Minor, they destroyed cities and villages, they murdered the inhabitants, and they accompanied their cruel outrage with the desecration of churches, holy relics, icons and books. The Mussulmen also attempted to destroy the relics of Saint Nicholas, deeply venerated by the whole Christian world.
In the year 792 the caliph Aaron Al’-Rashid sent Khumeid at the head of a fleet to pillage the island of Rhodes. Having lain waste this island, Khumeid set off to Myra in Lycia with the intent to rob the tomb of Saint Nicholas. But instead he robbed another tomb standing alongside the crypt of the saint. Just as they succeeded in committing this sacrilege, a terrible storm lifted upon the sea and almost all the ships were shattered into pieces.
The desecration of holy things shocked not only Eastern, but also Western Christians. Christians in Italy were particularly apprehensive for the relics of Saint Nicholas, and among them were many Greeks. The inhabitants of the city of Bari, located on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, decided to save the relics of Saint Nicholas.
In the year 1087 merchants from Bari and Venice went to Antioch to trade. Both these and others also proposed to take up the relics of Saint Nicholas and transport them to Italy on the return trip. In this plan the men of Bari commissioned the Venetians to land them at Myra. At first two men were sent in, who in returning reported that in the city all was quiet. In the church where the glorified relics rested, they encountered only four monks. Immediately forty-seven men, having armed themselves, set out for the church of Saint Nicholas. The guards, suspecting nothing, showed them the raised platform, beneath which the tomb of the saint was concealed, and where they anointed foreigners with myrrh from the relics of the saint.
At this time the monks told them about an appearance of Saint Nicholas that evening to a certain Elder. In this vision Saint Nicholas ordered the careful preservation of his relics. This account encouraged the barons, they saw an avowal for them in this vision and, as it were, a decree from the saint. In order to facilitate their activity, they revealed their intent to the monks and offered them money, 300 gold coins. The guards refused the money and wanted to warn the inhabitants about the misfortune threatening them. But the newcomers bound them and put their own guards at the doorway.
They took apart the church platform above the tomb with the relics. In this effort the youth Matthew was excessive in his zeal, wanting to find the relics of Saint Nicholas as quickly as possible. In his impatience he broke the cover and the barons saw that the sarcophagus was filled with fragrant holy myrrh. The compatriots of the barons, the priests Luppus and Drogus, offered a litany, after which the break made by Matthew began to flow with myrrh from the saint’s sarcophagus. This occurred on April 20, 1087.
Seeing the absence of a container chest, the priest Drogus wrapped the relics in the cloth, and in the company of the barons he carried them to the ship. The monks, having been set free, alerted the city with the sad news about the abduction of the relics of the Wonderworker Nicholas by foreigners. A crowd of people gathered at the shore, but it was too late.
On May 8 the ships arrived in Bari, and soon the joyous news made the rounds of all the city. On the following day, May 9, 1087, they solemnly transported the relics of Saint Nicholas into the church of Saint Stephen, not far from the sea. The solemn bearing of the relics was accompanied by numerous healings of the sick, which inspired still greater reverence for God’s saint. A year afterwards, a church was built in the name of Saint Nicholas and consecrated by Pope Urban II.
This event, connected with the transfer of the relics of Saint Nicholas, evoked a particular veneration for the Wonderworker Nicholas and was marked by the establishment of a special Feast day on May 9. At first the Feast day of the Transfer of the Relics of Saint Nicholas was observed only by the people of the city of Bari. It was not adopted in the other lands of the Christian East and West, despite the fact that the transfer of the relics was widely known. This circumstance is explained by the custom in the Middle Ages of venerating primarily the relics of local saints. Moreover, the Greek Church did not establish the celebration of this remembrance, since they regarded the loss of the relics of Saint Nicholas as a sad event.
The Russian Orthodox Church celebration of the memory of the Transfer of the Relics of Saint Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bari in Italy on May 9 was established soon after the year 1087, on the basis of an already established veneration by the Russian people of the great saint of God, brought from Greece simultaneously with the acceptance of Christianity. The glorious accounts of the miracles performed by the saint on both land and sea, were widely known to the Russian people. Their boundless power and abundance testify to the help of the great saint of God for suffering mankind. The image of Saint Nicholas, a mighty wonderworker and benefactor, became especially dear to the heart of the Russian people, since it inspired deep faith and hope for his intercession. The faith of the Russian people in the abundant aid of God’s saint was marked by numerous miracles.
A significant body of literature was compiled about him very early in Russian writings. Accounts of the miracles of Saint Nicholas done in the Russian land were recorded at an early date. Soon after the Transfer of the Relics of Saint Nicholas from Myra to Bari, a Russian version of his Life and an account of the Transfer of his holy relics were written by a contemporary to this event. Earlier still, an encomium to the Wonderworker was written. Each week on Thursday, the Russian Orthodox Church honours his memory in particular.
Numerous churches and monasteries were built in honour of Saint Nicholas, and Russian people are wont to name their children after him at Baptism. In Russia are preserved numerous wonderworking icons of the saint. Most renowned among them are the icons of Mozhaisk, Zaraisk, Volokolamsk, Ugreshsk and Ratny. There was no house or temple in the Russian land in which there was not an icon of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker.
The significance of the intercession of the great saint of God is expressed by the ancient compiler of the Life, in the words of whom Saint Nicholas “did work many glorious miracles both on land and on sea, aiding those downtrodden in misfortune and rescuing the drowning, carrying to dry land from the depths of the sea, raising up others from corruption and bringing them home, liberating from chains and imprisonment, averting felling by the sword and freeing from death, and granting healing to many; sight to the blind, walking to the lame, hearing to the deaf, and speech to the mute. He brought riches to many suffering in abject poverty and want, he provided the hungry food, and for each in their need he appeared a ready helper, an avid defender and speedy intercessor and protector, and such as appeal to him he doth help and deliver from adversity. Both the East and the West know of this great Wonderworker, and all the ends of the earth know his miracle-working.”
The Canon of the Saint, in Tone VIII
Ode I, Irmos: O ye people, let us send up a hymn unto our wondrous God, Who freed Israel from bondage, singing and crying out a hymn of victory unto Thee Who alone art Master.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Accept Thou the song of my lips, O Christ my Benefactor, and cleanse Thou my tongue, being not mindful of my manifold sins; that I may extol in song the honourable life of Thy hierarch, in memory of the translation of his relics.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Having received the gift of working miracles, and crowns of patience, and being adorned with thy hierarchal office, do thou beseech God, O our Father, that He grant remission of transgressions to us who glorify the translation of thy relics.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
O Father, shepherd of the flock of Christ, thou art sent to other sheep, of the Latin tongue, that thou mayest astonish all with thy wonders and lead them to Christ. O blessed one, pray thou unceasingly on our behalf.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The heathen nations formerly far removed have drawn nigh unto God through thy birthgiving, O Theotokos; and, deified and set free from the ancient curse by thy blood, I have been given rebirth by thee.
Another Canon to the Holy Hierarch, in Tone IV—
Irmos: I will open my mouth, and with the Spirit will it be filled; and I shall utter discourse unto the Queen and Mother, and shall appear, keeping splendid festival; and, rejoicing, I will hymn her wonders.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Illumine my soul and heart, I pray thee, O Bestower of light and Fashioner of creation. Grant unto me the gift of praising in song Thy most honoured favourite, by whom do Thou deliver the world from misfortune.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Illumine my soul and heart, I pray thee, O Bestower of light and Fashioner of creation. Grant unto me the gift of praising in song Thy most honoured favourite, by whom do Thou deliver the world from misfortune.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having acquired heavenly wisdom, thou didst invest it as a talent entrusted to thee; for, having set at nought the guile of those opposed to God, thou didst enlighten the people with divine instruction.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
From a Maiden is the Infant born, pre-eternal of origin and preserved in perfection, Whom thou didst preach in two Natures and in one Hypostasis, O divinely blessed one.
Ode III, Irmos: O Lord, Fashioner of the vault of heaven and Creator of the Church: establish me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, confirmation of the faithful, Who alone lovest mankind.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Guileless in manner and meek in demeanour, possessed of an angelic life, O divinely blessed Nicholas: cease thou never to pray to Him Who loveth mankind, on behalf of us all.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
What city doth not have thee as a helper, O blessed one? What soul uttereth not thy name? And what place dost thou not visit in spirit, astounding all with thy wonders, O Nicholas?
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Though the city of Bari hath received thy body, yet thy spirit dwelleth in the heavenly Jerusalem, where thou exultest with the prophets, apostles and holy hierarchs, praying on our behalf to Him Who alone loveth mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Beg thou enlightenment for me who am engulfed in darkness because of my many sins, O all-pure Lady who gavest birth to the Light of the whole world; and drive far from me the gloom of the passions, O divinely blessed one.
Canon II, Irmos: O Theotokos, thou living and abundant fountain: in thy divine glory establish those who hymn thee and spiritually form themselves into a choir; and vouchsafe unto them crowns of glory.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
The grieving have found great consolation; they that are in darkness have acquired the light; and those assailed by sorrows have in thee received deliverance from evils, O most sacred father.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
The grieving have found great consolation; they that are in darkness have acquired the light; and those assailed by sorrows have in thee received deliverance from evils, O most sacred father.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O holy hierarch Nicholas, who wast the mouth of God: thou hast delivered men from the maw of the diabolic wolf, O glorious one, and hast borne them to the Creator as a gift, granting healing unto all.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O most pure Mother of God: the Word Who chose for Himself a servant, the hierarch Nicholas, as a teacher of His people, did will to be born of thee alone in the flesh, in manner past all recounting.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone I: Spec. Mel. “Thy tomb, O Saviour…”: The translation of thy precious relics is for us an occasion of splendid celebration, O Nicholas, holy hierarch of the Lord whom we piously praise, joyously honouring thee, the light of the never-setting Sun, thou adornment of the faithful. (Twice)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Tone VIII: As the Master and Fashioner of all things passed by, * He encountered along the way a blind man who was seated there * and who mourned aloud, saying: * All my life I have beheld neither the sun shining forth * nor laid eyes on the bright luminescence of the moon. * Yet since Thou wast born of an immaculate Virgin so as to fill all with light, * do Thou now fill me with Thy light, in that Thou art compassionate. * And thus I shall adore Thee and cry: * Sovereign Master, Christ my God, forgive me my sins, ** in Thine abundant compassion, O Thou only Lover of mankind.
Ode IV, Canon I, Irmos: Thou didst mount Thy steeds, Thine apostles, O Lord, and didst take their bridles in Thy hands; and Thy chariot hath become salvation for those who chant with faith: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Enlighten my heart and dispel from it the gloom of sin, O holy hierarch who art illumined by the light of the Most High, that I may joyously hymn the holy translation of thy relics.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Having ascended the ladder of the virtues, O blessed one, thou wast revealed to all the world as a wonder-worker, O Nicholas; wherefore, the people of Bari removed thy holy relics from Myra.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Faithful priests rejoice in thee, and Christ-loving princes call upon thee as an ally in battle; and we, unworthy though we are, exhort thee to pray to God on our behalf, O Nicholas.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The depth of thy mystery doth astound the ranks of the angels, O Theotokos, and thine icon doth cast the demons into confusion; and honouring thee as the Mother of God, we bow down before it.
Canon II, Irmos: Perceiving the inscrutable counsel of God — the Incarnation of Thee, the Most High, from the Virgin — the Prophet Habbakuk cried aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
O herald of God, through partaking of the primal light of God, thou wast shown to be a secondary luminary, enlightening with thy splendour them that are in darkness, in that thou art a lover of virtue, soaring aloft in glory.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
O herald of God, through partaking of the primal light of God, thou wast shown to be a secondary luminary, enlightening with thy splendour them that are in darkness, in that thou art a lover of virtue, soaring aloft in glory.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Deliver thy flock from the tempests of sins, from waves of tribulation and hostility, guiding us ever to the calm haven by thy saving prayers.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
He to Whom thou gavest birth in an ineffable manner is by nature the unutterable Light of the Most High, Who is rich in mercy, and hath enriched us, impoverished as we are, with the gifts of God.
Ode V, Canon I, Irmos: O Christ God, Bestower of light, Who didst dispel the primeval darkness of the abyss: disperse the gloom of my soul, and grant me the light of Thy commandments, O Word, that, rising early, I may glorify Thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Thy cathedra was in Myra, but thy body was transported to Bari; yet in spirit thou dwellest with the apostles in heaven, in that thou art their successor. With them pray for us who hymn the translation of thy relics.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
O hope of all Christians and great defender of the oppressed, healer of the afflicted, consolation of the grieving and intercessor before the Lord for the human race: beg thou peace for our land, and save us from the incursions of the aliens.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Through thine intercessions, O Nicholas, do thou enliven my soul which hath drowned because of its many passions and hath been slain by the fall; and guide it to repentance, that I may glorify the translation of thy relics with all the faithful.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
O Virgin, thou dost nourish as a babe Him Whom the myriads of angels and multitudes of the seraphim fear, and before Whom all reason-endowed creatures tremble; and, beholding Him in thine arms, we ever worship Him, as is meet.
Canon II, Irmos: All things are filled with awe at thy divine glory; for thou, O Virgin who hast not known wedlock, didst contain within thy womb Him Who is God over all, and gavest birth to the timeless Son, granting peace unto all who hymn thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Having acquired beautiful feet through the working of many wonders, thou didst bring glad tidings of good things to all. Freeing all from the ancient enmity by thy divine teaching, save us, O sacred hierarch.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Having acquired beautiful feet through the working of many wonders, thou didst bring glad tidings of good things to all. Freeing all from the ancient enmity by thy divine teaching, save us, O sacred hierarch.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Embarking upon the crest of the sea by God’s will, thou didst arrive at the city of Bari, having traversed the deep with many pious men, O blessed Nicholas.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We truly glorify thee, O Virgin Mother of God, as the shield of the faithful, crying out to thee as did the angel: Rejoice, thou who art blessed and full of grace, awesome rumour and report, wondrous place of rest for the Master of all creation!
Ode VI, Canon I, Irmos: As Thou didst deliver the prophet from the uttermost abyss, O Christ God, in that Thou lovest mankind deliver me from my sins, and direct my life, I beseech Thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Health of body and cleansing of soul do we receive abundantly from thy divine church as from a pool, O holy hierarch Nicholas; for through grace wonders pour forth upon them that trust in thee with faith unfeigned.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
As thou art the most glorious favourite of Christ, O father, deliver thy servants, who honour the translation of thy holy relics, from all manner of danger, from grievous misfortunes and the sorrows that beset us.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Blighted by the frost of sin and driven by the wind of life, let me be warmed by thy prayers, gazing upon the likeness of thy divine image; for thou art a second sun, O father Nicholas, thou servant of Christ.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The earthly mind cannot comprehend heavenly mysteries; neither can a creature attain to knowledge of the Creator: for the birth of the Lord from the Virgin passeth man’s understanding. And entreating her with faith, we shall receive remission of sins.
Canon II, Irmos: Celebrating this divine and most honoured festival of the Mother of God, come, ye divinely wise, let us clap our hands and glorify God Who was born of her.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Save us by thy guidance, O Nicholas, preacher and teacher of the nations, who hast led to salvation the people of God Who appeared in the flesh for the benefit of many.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Save us by thy guidance, O Nicholas, preacher and teacher of the nations, who hast led to salvation the people of God Who appeared in the flesh for the benefit of many.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O thou who didst have the sea as thy way and the waters as thy paths: beseech the Lord, that we may navigate the sea of life unharmed, and may reach the heavenly kingdom by the waters of our tears.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou art the portal of the King of the heavens and the temple of His glory, O all-hymned Virgin. Open thou the gates of mercy, and lead us into the abode of heavenly glory by thy supplications.
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, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Today the Virgin…”: Thy relics have moved like a star, from the East unto the West, O holy hierarch Nicholas; and the sea hath been sanctified by thy passage. The city of Bari receiveth grace through thee, for thou hast been shown forth for us as a wonder-worker: illustrious, most wondrous and merciful.
Ikos: Let us now praise with hymns the holy hierarch, pastor and teacher of the people of Myra, that by his entreaties we may be enlightened. For he is shown to be wholly pure, incorrupt of spirit, bringing unto Christ an unblemished sacrifice, pure and well-pleasing unto God, in that he is a hierarch pure of both body and soul. Wherefore, he is truly an intercessor and champion for the Church, and a wonder-worker: illustrious, most-wondrous and merciful.
Ode VII, Canon I, Irmos: On the plain of Dura the tyrant once built a furnace to torment the God-bearers; and therein the three youths chanted hymns unto the one God, and sang, all three together, saying: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Today the angels of God rejoice and a multitude of demons lamenteth; for He hath delivered the people from temptation and hath driven away the spirits of darkness. Wherefore, thou, O Nicholas, art worthily called victor; for which cause we chant unto the Lord: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
They that are taken with the grief of sickness, who are heavy laden with divers afflictions, hasten to thy shrine with faith, and, having received thy mercy, depart in haste, joyfully chanting unto the Lord: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
The assemblies of the people stand before thee, O blessed one, and the teachers of the Church rejoice in thee. Kings glorify thee as their defender; and we entreat thee, O Nicholas: Save us who chant unto the Lord: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
O how can I chant unto my Saviour, Whom even the angels praise with trembling? But do thou, O Mother, direct me, and by thy compassion move the mercy of thy Son to have pity on us who set our hope on thee. As thou dost beseech Him in our behalf, deliver us from torment.
Canon II, Irmos: The divinely wise youths worshipped not a creation rather than the Creator, but, manfully trampling the threat of the fire underfoot, they rejoice, chanting: Blessed art Thou, the all-hymned God of our fathers!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
By thy word grant healing to the whole human soul which, like salt, hath lost its savour through the vanity of things; and teach us to chant unto the Lord: O all-hymned Lord and God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
By thy word grant healing to the whole human soul which, like salt, hath lost its savour through the vanity of things; and teach us to chant unto the Lord: O all-hymned Lord and God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O most glorious are the wonders thou hast wrought! For thou healest infirmities and deliverest from misfortunes, commanding all to chant unto the Lord: O all-hymned God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O pure Theotokos, thou art the defender and rampart of our lowliness, and we, thy servants, ever cry unto the Lord: O all-hymned God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Ode VIII, Canon I, Irmos: O ye angels and heavens, bless, hymn and exalt supremely praise Him Who sitteth upon the throne of glory and as God is glorified unceasingly forever!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
The angels of the heavens accept thee as a minister, and the prophets greet thee as a fellow servant. The Lord Himself receiveth thee. And we sinners ask thee for mercy.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Great is the authority given thee by God, O Nicholas: the sea is subject to thee; the winds obey thee; and the nations, beholding thy most glorious wonders, submit themselves to thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
O Saviour, Thou hast shown Thy holy hierarch Nicholas to be more glorious than Moses, delivering from all tribulation the New Israel, the Christian people.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
In that thou art the Mother of God, ask for us remission of sins, O Lady, and stretch forth thy hand unto me, who am sunk in the abyss of despair, that, raised up by hope, I may exalt thee supremely for all ages.
Canon II, Irmos: The birthgiving of the Theotokos saved the pious children in the furnace – then in figure, but now in deed – and it moveth all the world to chant to Thee: Hymn ye the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Thou didst grow as a sweet-smelling flower in the land of Myra, O glorious one, wafting gifts of healing like fragrant perfume upon all that praise thee and sing: O ye works, chant unto the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Thou didst grow as a sweet-smelling flower in the land of Myra, O glorious one, wafting gifts of healing like fragrant perfume upon all that praise thee and sing: O ye works, chant unto the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having poured out the sweetness of God’s grace like oil from the Mount of Olives, thou didst have in the sea a path made safe by the grace of the Lord, to Whom we sweetly cry: O ye works, chant unto the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou gavest birth, yet remainest ever Virgin, to the astonishment of the choirs above; for thou didst bear the Word, Who was man unaltered by His divinity, and to Whom we sing: O ye works, chant unto the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Ode IX, Canon I, Irmos: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, Who hath exalted the horn of salvation for us in the house of David His child, wherein the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, and directed us to the path of peace.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Blessed be the Lord our God, for He hath glorified His holy hierarch throughout all lands, who gusheth forth streams of wonders, who worketh healing in all the lands of Myra and of the Latins, who visiteth us with mercy.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Blessed be the Lord our God, for He hath glorified His holy hierarch throughout all lands, who gusheth forth streams of wonders, who worketh healing in all the lands of Myra and of the Latins, who visiteth us with mercy.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Thou didst fall into an honourable sleep and didst permit thy body to go to Bari for the good of all; for by thy supplications thou art an ever-vigilant defender for all that call upon thee with
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
At a loss for words, I am unable to praise thee fittingly, who art higher than the heavenly hosts and more honourable than all creation, who gavest birth to God the Creator in the flesh. Entreat Him, O Theotokos, to have mercy upon us on the day of judgment.
Canon II, Irmos: Let every mortal leap for joy, enlightened by the Spirit; and let the nature of the incorporeal intelligences keep festival, honouring the sacred feast of the Mother of God, and let them cry aloud: Rejoice, O most blessed Theotokos, pure Ever-virgin!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Thy memorial is for us an occasion of festivity this day. The choir of the apostles, the assembly of martyrs and the spirits of the righteous rejoice; and we, the faithful, glorify thee with hymns, crying aloud: O holy hierarch of Christ, deliver us from all sorrows!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Thy memorial is for us an occasion of festivity this day. The choir of the apostles, the assembly of martyrs and the spirits of the righteous rejoice; and we, the faithful, glorify thee with hymns, crying aloud: O holy hierarch of Christ, deliver us from all sorrows!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thy most glorious memory hath shown forth upon us, illumining the faithful with splendour, O wise Nicholas, holy hierarch of Christ. Wherefore, we beseech thee: be thou mindful of us all, and deliver us from all the temptations of the adversary by thine intercessions.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Mortify our carnal passions and lusts, O pure Theotokos; still the tempest of our passions; calm the tumult of our thoughts; and strengthen the hearts of them that honour thee as their defender, O most pure and blessed one.
Troparion, Tone IV: The day of splendid solemnity is come; the city of Bari rejoiceth, and with it the whole world doth exult with hymns and spiritual songs. For today is the sacred feast of the translation of the precious and much-healing relics of the hierarch Nicholas the wonder-worker. For like the never-setting Sun, he shineth with brilliant beams of light, driving away the darkness of temptations and misfortunes from them that cry out with faith: Save us, O Nicholas, for thou art our intercessor!
This Saturday – 20th May – will see a band of pilgrims head to Glastonbury, meeting at Bride’s Mount in Beckery, on the edge of the town, at 10:00, celebrating a moleben to St Brigid.
Before the drainage of the Somerset Levels, Beckery – this area on the edge of Glastonbury – was an island in the tidal marshes along the River Brue, and Bride’s Mound was crowned with a monastic house. This monastic dwelling, dedicated to St Mary Magdalene, was associated with Irish monastics travelling to Glastonbury – the primary monastery of ancient Britain – and Glastonbury lore and tradition, lists St Brigid as one of the Irish saints who visited and stayed here.
After the moleben at Bride’s Mound, we will head into town to the abbey, with the ruins of the once great religious foundation in its green acres of gardens. This will be an excellent place to refresh ourselves physically as well as spiritually, and the visitors’ centre has excellent educational resources.
The abbey grounds once contained the women’s alms-houses that were associated with St Patrick’s Chapel, and St Margaret’s Hospital with its men’s alms-houses nearby in Magdalen St, is another place for pilgrims to visit.
Our parish’s seasoned Glastonbury pilgrims enjoy visiting the Rose Garden – a wonderful little shop next to the parish church – from which we usually emerge with books, icons and Orthodox supplies.
As we head towards Chalice Well and the Tor, we can visit the fine neighbouring medieval church, which has been decluttered and restored over the last few years, so that we can now appreciate the beauty of the building, without the Victorian clutter that once made it difficult to see.
Chalice Well is very much a product of romance and legend, with its very creative association between St Joseph of Arimathea and the medieval well from which the iron-rich waters flow. Regardless of the new-age and alternative activities that happen within its environs, it remains a place of peace, relaxation, beauty and tranquillity – with a spring with beneficial waters.
Chalice Hill, from which the well flows is nestled next to Glastonbury Tor, the dramatic conical hill on which an ancient monastery stood – in whose excavation Fr Luke was involved in its excavation in the late 1960’s. In the middle-ages, the church of St Michael was built, with its surviving tower crowning the Tor.
The rural-life museum in the abbey barn is close by, and pilgrims may also wish to make a visit.
We look forward to our day in Avalon!
Looking forward to June, we shall be making a pilgrimage to Pennant Melangell on June 10th (the day after the feast of St Melangell). Given its distance from Cardiff, several parishioners having arranged to camp nearby. On the night of Friday June 9th.
The church in Pennant Melangell is built on the ancient site of the ancient monastery over which St Melangell presided as abbess, and houses her relics in the shrine where we will celebrate our pilgrim Liturgy.
This will be a very special pilgrimage, given the shrine and relics of St Melangell at the heart of the church, and we look forward to it.
Any potential pilgrims should contact Tracy: t_sbrain@icloud.com
From July 24-27th, group of ROCOR parishioners will be travelling to Walsingham, ‘England’s Nazareth’, enjoying the hospitality of the South Wales Anglican Pilgrimage, after Fr Dean’s invitation to join the pilgrimage once more.
The accommodation cost is £225, and the cost for those wishing to travel on the coach is £370. Any more interested parties should contact me, Norman or Georgina as soon as possible
On a non-pilgrimage note, please remember that our Ascension Day Liturgy will be celebrated in Nazareth House at 11:00 on Thursday May 25th.
The Canon of the Holy Hierarch, the Acrostic Whereof Is: “Athanasius was the boast of the Orthodox”, the Composition of Theophanes, Tone VIII
Ode I, Irmos: The staff of Moses, once working a wonder, striking the sea in the form of the Cross and dividing it, drowned the mounted tyrant Pharaoh, and saved Israel who fled on foot, chanting a hymn unto God.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
To Athanasius do I offer praise, lauding him as a doer of good; and I offer yet higher laudation unto God, by Whom men are given the right-praiseworthy gift of virtue, of which he became the animate image and seal.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
Thou wast full of divine wisdom, O blessed one, and shining in thine angelic life more than the sun, thou hast surpassed the laws of our praise; yet accept praise from us, O venerable father, even though it is not worthy of thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We fittingly weave a hymn on the glorious day of thy commemoration, O Athanasius; yet, lacking greater hymns fit for thee, we ask that thou forgive us, and that the abundant grace of the Spirit be given us through thee.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou gavest birth to the divine Word of the Father, Him Who before was incorporeal yet became incarnate for our sake, O most immaculate one, thou boast of virgins, vessel of purity and temple of purity, O Mistress of the world, Bride of God.
Ode III, Irmos: O Christ, Who in the beginning established the heavens in wisdom and founded the earth upon the waters, make me steadfast upon the rock of Thy commandments; for none is holy as Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
Having purified thy soul and body of all defilement, O Athanasius, thou wast shown to be worthy of God; wherefore, the fullness of the Trinity rested within thee, O initiate of the sacred mysteries of God, who art most rich.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
As thou didst desire, the grace of the Comforter, finding thy soul cleansed of the passions, manifestly showed forth its actions therein, O father, and set thee before the world as an all-radiant lamp.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
To hierarchs thou hast shown thyself to be a rule of hierarchy and a pattern of the active life; and thy lucid discourse was shown to be a model of vision, and doctrine to be the limit of thy theology, O all-wise one.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou wast shown to be more exalted than the cherubim and the seraphim, O Theotokos; for thou alone didst receive the infinite God in thy womb, O undefiled one. Wherefore, all of us, the faithful, bless thee with hymns, O pure one.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII, Spec. Mel. “Of the wisdom…”: Having learned the wisdom of the Word and cast down the deception of Arius, thou didst preach the Orthodox Faith to the world; for thou didst explain that Christ the Word, our life, is truly consubstantial with the Father. Wherefore, with oneness of mind the Church doth glorify the consubstantial Trinity in one Godhead, O God-bearing Athanasius. Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of offenses unto those who with love honor thy holy memory. Twice
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII: At Mid-Feast Thou didst stand in the Temple’s court * in a god-befitting manner * and didst cry aloud: * Let him who doth suffer thirst now draw nigh unto Me and drink. * He that drinketh of the sacred water that I shall give, * from within shall the springs of My teachings issue forth. * Whosoever doth believe that the Divine Father hath sent Me, * and that I came forth from Him, * with Me he shall be glorified. * Therefore, we cry unto Thee: * Glory be to Thee, O Christ God, * Who dost cause the streams of Thy great love for mankind, * to abundantly well forth unto us, Thy servants.
Ode IV, Irmos: Thou art my strength, O Lord, Thou art my power; Thou art my God, Thou art my joy, Who, without leaving the bosom of the Father, hast visited our lowliness. Wherefore, with the Prophet Habbakuk I cry unto Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
From on high the Spirit of Christ breathed upon thee the life-bearing breath which of old divinely entered the upper chamber and filled the disciples; and it showed thee, O father, to be a thirteenth apostle proclaiming the Orthodox Faith.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
Burning greatly with divine zeal, thou didst aid the council in Nicæa; and even before thou wast made a hierarch thou didst preach that Christ the Word is consubstantial with the Father. Wherefore, Christ made thee a chief shepherd and disciple.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
Entrusted by divine providence with the task of nurturing the Church, O Athanasius, like a scythe thou didst cut down all the spiritually harmful blasphemies of the heretics, severing them at the root; and, watering the seed of the Word, thou didst cultivate it, O wise one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Arius’ severing of Father from Son and Sabellius’ confusion between Them, which proceed from immeasurable evil unto the dishonor of God Who is equally worshipped, were utterly consumed by thy fiery tongue, O Athanasius, and all heretical blasphemies with them.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
After the first Adam, Thou didst become the new Adam; coming after our first mother, Thou art the Deliverer and Savior of all; and after death, Thou art the true Life immortal. Wherefore, acknowledging her who gave thee birth to be the Theotokos, we call her, the pure one, blessed, as is meet.
Ode V, Irmos: Wherefore hast Thou turned Thy face from me, O Light never-waning? And why hath a strange darkness covered me, wretch that I am? But turn me, and guide my steps to the light of Thy commandments, I pray.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
Having Christ speaking within the melodious instrument of thy tongue, O father Athanasius, with thy writing thou didst put to shame the heresy of idols, guiding the lost and turning them to the true God.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
All pernicious heresies didst thou denounce with thy discourses and writings, O blessed father, dispelling from the whole world all manner of falsehood with thy wise demonstrations, and indisputably making clear the Orthodox Faith.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The Church of Christ truly calleth thee a great teacher of wise teachers, O father Athanasius, and hath numbered with the apostles thee who dost elucidate the unsullied word of the Faith.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Having acquired maternal boldness before thy Son, O most pure one, disdain not to take thought for us as thy kin, we pray; for thee alone do we Christians set before the Master to obtain cleansing of His mercy.
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.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
Apollinarius, showing himself to be the sower of alien seed, preaching that the incarnation of Christ was that of an earthly Word and mind, was strongly denounced by thee as mindless and perverted, O all-blessed one.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
The power of Thy divinely inspired words hath, like the voice of thunder, manifestly smote the ears of the heretics and made their faces dark, O thou who art pleasing to God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Everyone doth marvel, as is meet, at thy wise writings, which suitably make reference to offshoots of heresy yet to be, which, foreseeing, thou dost refute prophetically.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The only-begotten Son, the God of my salvation, Who before time began was invisible, in latter times became the Firstborn of the day, becoming visible in the flesh through thee, O Mother of God.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone II, Spec. Mel. “Of thy blood…”: Planting Orthodox doctrines, thou didst cut down the thorns of heresy, increasing the seed of the Faith with the rain of the Spirit, O venerable one; wherefore, we hymn thee, O Athanasius.
Ikos: Pouring forth the torrents of the divine teaching of thy discourses upon the world, thou gavest drink to the souls of the faithful, O Athanasius, and didst drown the proponents of heresy like Egyptians of old, giving us the divinely inscribed law of Orthodoxy, that we may worship the Trinity in one Godhead. Therewith hast thou preserved us, delivering us from the invisible foe; wherefore, we hymn thee, O Athanasius.
Ode VII, Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the fire stood in awe of the condescension of God; wherefore, the youths, dancing with joyous step in the furnace, as in a meadow, chanted: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
Having preached in Orthodox manner that the Word, the only-begotten Son, is equally worshipped and equally enthroned with the Father, O father, namesake of immortality, thou didst likewise teach that He is equally enthroned and consubstantial with the Spirit.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
The father of ungodliness, seeing thee to be a sacred teacher and preacher of the three-Sunned Light, who proclaimed the Orthodox Faith even unto the ends of the earth, raised up persecutions against thee.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
The countless tribulations thou didst endure when contending for piety, O blessed one, were like radiant crowns; for thou wast as adamant to those who beat thee, and like a magnet didst thou draw all to thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Strange and alien dogmas didst thou drive from the Church of Christ, theologizing concerning the hypostases of the Trinity and the unity of the Godhead, whom thou didst hymn, chanting: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
As thou alone art the one who, without knowing wedlock, gave birth in time to the Timeless One, the Word Who before was incorporeal, O Virgin, we chant to Him together, crying: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
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!
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
O Athanasius, right glorious adornment of hierarchs, pillar of light, foundation of the Church, champion of the Trinity, golden clarion of theology, famed recorder of the laws of the monastic life, thou dost celebrate with us, bringing priests to perfection and leading the faithful to Christ forever.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
Thou wast truly the namesake of immortality, for in thy discourse thou didst transcend active things; and overcoming tangible things in thy discourse and through the fame of thy life, in both thou didst pass all bounds. Wherefore, shining forth with immutable virtue, thou hast acquired an immortal memory forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O God-pleasing initiate of the mysteries of heaven, thou didst show forth a most splendid episcopacy in thy valiant sufferings: thou didst dispel falsehood by thy frequent banishment for the Trinity, Whom preaching thou dost cry: Worship the Father, bless the Son, and hymn the Spirit for all ages!
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou wast a vessel of the never-waning Light, O all-pure one, for He hath been a light to those in darkness and shadow, illumining all things with the grace of divine knowledge. Him do we unceasingly hymn, O ye faithful, for all ages.
Ode IX, Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, and the ends of the earth were amazed, that God hath appeared in the flesh, and that thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. Wherefore, the ranks of men and angels magnify thee as the Theotokos.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
Thou didst shine forth like lightning, O father, and thy sound poured forth like thunder on all upon whom the sun doth look; for thou didst receive true inspiration from the heavens above. Wherefore, let not the grave cause thy memory to be extinguished, O Athanasius.
Holy Father Athanasius, pray to God for us.
Illumined now most brightly with the thrice radiant light of the threefold Sun, like a mirror thou dost reveal effulgence to those who hymn thee, shining from on high like the sun. O blessed one, do that which we beseech of thee, whether it be great or insignificant.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Chanting, we entreat thee earnestly: pray thou for the Church, that through the Cross victories may be granted to Orthodox Christians, strength given to the Orthodox Faith against the heresies of the enemy, salvation to us, and peace to the world on the day of thy commemoration, O Athanasius.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O intercessor for all Christians, all-immaculate Virgin Mother of God, in that thou art merciful deliver from tribulations and perils thine oppressed servants who have suffered the wounds of cruel scourgings, and heal thou those on whom painful stripes have been inflicted.
Troparion, Tone III: Thou wast a pillar of Orthodoxy, strengthening the Church with divine dogmas, O sacred hierarch Athanasius; for, preaching the Son as consubstantial with the Father, thou didst put Arius to shame. O venerable father, entreat Christ God, that He grant us great mercy.
Saint Athanasius the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria, was a great Father of the Church and a pillar of Orthodoxy. He was born around the year 297 in the city of Alexandria into a family of pious Christians. He received a fine secular education, but he acquired more knowledge by diligent study of the Holy Scripture. In his childhood, the future hierarch Athanasius became known to Saint Alexander the Patriarch of Alexandria (May 29). A group of children, which included Athanasius, were playing at the seashore. The Christian children decided to baptize their pagan playmates.
The young Athanasius, whom the children designated as “bishop”, performed the Baptism, precisely repeating the words he heard in church during this sacrament. Patriarch Alexander observed all this from a window. He then commanded that the children and their parents be brought to him. He conversed with them for a long while, and determined that the Baptism performed by the children was done according to the Church order. He acknowledged the Baptism as real and sealed it with the sacrament of Chrismation. From this moment, the Patriarch looked after the spiritual upbringing of Athanasius and in time brought him into the clergy, at first as a reader, and then he ordained him as a deacon.
It was as a deacon that Saint Athanasius accompanied Patriarch Alexander to the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea in the year 325. At the Council, Saint Athanasius refuted of the heresy of Arius. His speech met with the approval of the Orthodox Fathers of the Council, but the Arians, those openly and those secretly so, came to hate Athanasius and persecuted him for the rest of his life.
After the death of holy Patriarch Alexander, Saint Athanasius was unanimously chosen as his successor in the See of Alexandria. He refused, accounting himself unworthy, but at the insistence of all the Orthodox populace that it was in agreement, he was consecrated bishop when he was twenty-eight, and installed as the archpastor of the Alexandrian Church. Saint Athanasius guided the Church for forty-seven years, and during this time he endured persecution and grief from his antagonists. Several times he was expelled from Alexandria and hid himself from the Arians in desolate places, since they repeatedly tried to kill him. Saint Athanasius spent more than twenty years in exile, returned to his flock, and then was banished again.
There was a time when he remained as the only Orthodox bishop in the area, a moment when all the other bishops had fallen into heresy. At the false councils of Arian bishops he was deposed as bishop. Despite being persecuted for many years, the saint continued to defend the purity of the Orthodox Faith, and he wrote countless letters and tracts against the Arian heresy.
When Julian the Apostate (361-363) began a persecution against Christians, his wrath first fell upon Saint Athanasius, whom he considered a great pillar of Orthodoxy. Julian intended to kill the saint in order to strike Christianity a grievous blow, but he soon perished himself. Mortally wounded by an arrow during a battle, he cried out with despair: “You have conquered, O Galilean.” After Julian’s death, Saint Athanasius guided the Alexandrian Church for seven years and died in 373, at the age of seventy-six.
Numerous works of Saint Athanasius have been preserved; four Orations against the Arian heresy; also an Epistle to Epictetus, bishop of the Church of Corinth, on the divine and human natures in Jesus Christ; four Epistles to Serapion, Bishop of Thmuis, about the Holy Spirit and His Equality with the Father and the Son, directed against the heresy of Macedonius.
Other apologetic works in defense of Orthodoxy have been preserved, among which is the Letter to the Emperor Constantius. Saint Athanasius wrote commentaries on Holy Scripture, and books of a moral and didactic character, as well as a biography of Saint Anthony the Great (January 17), with whom Saint Athanasius was very close. Saint John Chrysostom advised every Orthodox Christian to read this Life.
Dear brothers and sisters: Christ is Risen! Христос воскресе! Hristos a înviat! Χριστός ἀνέστη!
Today was an especially joyful Liturgy in Cardiff, as we welcomed back Hierodeacon Avraamy after a three week absence, with him returning to us as a cleric of the Diocese of London and Western Europe of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, having transferred from the Diocese of Dnipropetrovsk. This is a cause for great celebration and we are so happy that his absence, whilst serving in London, afforded fr Avraamy and Bishop Irenei the time to formally conclude this matter. Praising God, we extend congratulations to our Hierodeacon. Axios!
Having two deacons, once again, and a fuller kliros made for a joyful celebration of the Divine Liturgy, though I look forward to us having more space to arrange the altar in a more spacious and Orthodox manner with the removal of seasonal statuary after western Ascension, on Thursday.
I was very happy that our youngest oltarnik could be at Nazareth House so early, today, and was able to observe the whole of the proskomedia, assisting with the commemorations, later standing close to the Holy Table to see the liturgical actions at close quarters. This was a great joy, especially after the involvement of our Cheltenham young people, yesterday, with Isaac having helped his mum to bake the prosphora, and Anastasia and Timofey assisting their mother on the kliros. Glory to God!
I have also been greatly encouraged by the dedication of children within our extended spiritual family. Some brothers and sisters from other parishes come regularly for confession and children who have seen their parents do so have insisted that they should do the same, even though they are younger than the customary age of seven years, and the canonical age of ten years. This is humbling for us adults, especially given that the youngest child who insists on coming to confession is still a toddler! We can see why our Blessed Saviour tells us that we need to be like these little ones.
As anticipated, today was the last Liturgy – for a while – for our journeyman-oltarnik. Oswald, whose apprenticeship sees him depart for Austria tomorrow, on the first leg of the year of journeys which lie before him. Commending him to the Lord’s care and protection, our Liturgy ended with a litia to St Stephen, the patron saint of stone-masons, before the chanting of many years to Oswald and Hierodeacon Avraamy.
Oswald has left a supply of icons, which will be put out for sale on Sundays, though this will be the last batch for a considerable time, as he treads the highways and byways of Europe!
Among our first-time visitors, today, we were pleased to welcome Magdalena and her daughters, visiting from Moscow, and look forward to welcoming them to our Llanelli mission later in the week.
As always, it was wonderful to see the warmth and generosity with which our various visitors were welcomed into the community.
This Friday sees the beginning of a fortnightly discussion group in the parish room of the church of St Mary, North Church St, Butetown, at 19:00, and the subject will be prayer. I will hear confessions in the church before the meeting. Would anyone wishing to arrange a confession please email me by 18:00 on Wednesday?
On Saturday, a group of parishioners will be making a pilgrimage to Glastonbury, where the intention is for us to begin our day with prayers at Bride’s Mound in Beckery, where we will meet at 10:00. This ancient monastic former island in the levels is connected with St Brigid, and was the site of a monastery excavated in the 1980’s. After our stop at Beckery, we will visit the abbey and town, before continuing to Chalice Well and the Tor. En route, we greatly look forward to visiting the Rose Garden bookshop, a source of Orthodox books and icons.
Our June pilgrimage, on Saturday 10th June will be to the shrine and church of Pennant Melangell, where – with Vladika’s blessing – we hope and currently intend to serve the Divine Liturgy. Any one interested should contact our pilgrimage secretary Tracy: t_sbrain@icloud.com
As you know, July will see a group of parishioners heading to Walsingham, joining the South Wales Anglican pilgrims from 24-27th of the month. For those travelling independently, the cost is £225. The cost including a place on the coach is £370. Again, any more interested parties should contact me as soon as possible
Next Sunday will be the last Sunday of the Paschal season, with the Hours and Liturgy at 10:45, and is also the feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. The variables of the Liturgy may be found at:
Following on form announcements at Liturgy, may I remind all parishioners that antidoron, cut from the loaves remaining from the preparation of the Holy Gifts during the proskomedia should be treated with the utmost reverence, and not casually. It is eaten with prayer and fasting, and we should not be finding crumbs on the church floor. Children should be supervised and made to understand that this is not everyday bread, but is blessed and holy, even if not the Holy Gifts. The amount of crumbs on the floor has been raised by cleaning staff, who were concerned for spiritual reasons.
Please, make the most of the remaining days of Pascha, as we enter the last full week of the season. May the joyful hymns of the resurrection ring out as we approach the feast of the Lord’s the Ascension, which we will celebrate in Nazareth House with the Hours and Divine Liturgy at 11:00 on Thursday 25th May.
The feast of Mid-Pentecost continues until its Leave-Taking on Wednesday. Please try to pray the canon, as posted on our blog and Facebook page.
Having come together at the Mid-feast between Thy Resurrection and the divine coming of Thy Holy Spirit, O Christ, we praise the mysteries of Thy wonders. Wherefore, on this day do Thou send down Thy great mercy unto us.
Dear brothers and sisters – Christ is Risen!
On this day of Mid-Pentecost, we celebrate the mid-point between the great feasts of Pascha and Pentecost-Trinity, and as the festal texts make clear, it is a day which looks both back and forward.
In the verses on “Lord, I have cried…” we chant,
There is come now the middle of those days which commence with the saving Arising and which are sealed by the sacred Pentecost. Illumined by both feasts and joining both, we come to render glory and honour beforehand to the regal Ascension.
And in the sixth ode of the canon, the theme of light continues:
The mid-point of Pentecost hath come this day. By the former feast it is illumined with the most divine radiance of the divine Pascha, and by the latter feast it is made to shine with the grace of the Comforter.
Yet even though we use these prepositions, we are aware that the Resurrection and the Descent of the Holy Spirit are the constant and ongoing source life and light in the Church, and the foundation of faith.
On this day, we rejoice in the Paschal feast we are still celebrating, and the great feast of Pentecost, yet to come in our yearly celebration, but by which the Church was born.
Within the week, as a mid-point, the feast also connects the Sunday of the Paralytic with the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, with references to last Sunday’s commemoration of the healing of the paralytic and next Sundays commemoration.
Between the pool of Bethesda and the well in Sichar, and the events commemorated, the hymns are rich with water language and symbolism, looking to the Lord as the living water, and grace flowing upon the Church and its faithful.
We celebrate Christ’s teaching in the Temple, celebrating the Saviour as the Holy Wisdom, and a number of theologians and Church historians have postulated that today was the altar-feast of the ancient churches dedicated to Christ the Wisdom of God.
The doxasticon of the vespers apostikha refers to the Lord as “the Wisdom that fashioned the world”, and in the eighth ode of the canon we chant that,
…the Wisdom of God came into the temple at Mid-feast and taught that He is truly Christ the Messiah, from Whom there cometh salvation.
And the stikhera on the Praises repeat this motif –
The Divine Wisdom and Might, the effulgent Light of the Father, the eternal Word, the Son of the living God, came in the flesh into the temple and imparted His holy words of instruction unto the Jews…
The church has also connected the teaching in the Temple with the episode in which the twelve-year-old Saviour remained within the sacred-precincts with the elders of the Law, when “all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Thus, icons for the feast commonly show the child Saviour seated among them.
But, rather than provide a second-hand observation of the hymns of the feast, I would rather simply encourage parishioners to pray the canons of Mid-Pentecost, and encounter the rich and varied verbal-iconography in prayer and worship within each parish home.
Wishing you a happy and holy feast.
In Christ – Hieromonk Mark
First Canon, Tone IV
Ode I, Irmos: Through the deep of the Red Sea, * marched dry shod Israel of old, * and by Moses’ outstretched hands, * raised in the form of a cross, * the power of Amalek was routed in the wilderness.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
The great benefactions and gifts, the graces and divine illuminations of Thine incomprehensible and divine Incarnation, do Thou abundantly pour forth and shine upon us, O Master.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
At Mid-feast Thou hast come, O Christ, manifestly sending forth the radiant flashes of Thy Godhead; for Thou art the joyous Festival of the saved and the Cause of our salvation.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou art become wisdom, righteousness from God, and redemption for us, O Lord. Thou dost convey us from earth to the height of Heaven, and dost grant us the Divine Spirit.
Most holy Theotokos save us.
Thy flesh knew not corruption in the sepulchre, O Master. Rather, inasmuch as it was formed without seed, it received not corruption, for in a transcendent manner it was not subject to the order of nature.
The Second Canon, in Tone VIII: A Composition of Andrew of Crete
Ode I, Irmos: Thou didst make the sea a wall; * Thou didst overwhelm boastful Pharaoh in the deep * together with his chariots. * Thou didst save the people dry-shod, O Lord, * and didst lead them forth to a mountain of sanctification, as they cried: * We shall sing a song of victory to Thee, our God, * for Thou hast been glorified.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Clap your hands, O ye nations; lament, O ye Hebrews. For Christ, the Giver of Life, hath broken asunder the bonds of Hades, and hath raised up the dead and healed sicknesses by a word. This is our God, Who granteth life unto them that believe in His Name.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou didst show a wonder by changing the water into wine, O Master, Who didst change the rivers of Egypt into blood. Thou didst also raise up the dead, accomplishing this sign in these latter times. Glory be to Thine ineffable counsel, O Saviour; glory be to Thy self-abasement, whereby Thou hast renewed us.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou art an ever-flowing stream of true life, O Lord; Thou art our Resurrection. Willingly didst Thou become weary, O my Saviour, and willingly didst Thou thirst, submitting to the laws of nature. And when Thou camest to Sichar in the flesh, Thou didst ask the Samaritan woman for water, that Thou mightest drink.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou didst bless the loaves and multiply the fish, O incomprehensible God; Thou didst fill the people bounteously and didst promise an ever-flowing spring of wisdom to them that thirst. Thou art our God, O Saviour, Who givest life unto them that believe in Thy Name.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I glorify the Three Who are co-beginningless and of equal sovereignty: the Father, Who is beginningless God; the Son, Who is co-beginningless; and the Spirit, Who is co-eternal with the Son; one essence in three Hypostases. I praise and honour one supreme sovereign Principle of the beginningless Godhead and Essence.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou alone didst contain within thy womb the Creator, O Birthgiver of God, ineffably conceiving Him in the flesh yet remaining a Virgin, while thy virginity in no wise suffered harm. Do thou ever entreat Him unceasingly on behalf of thy flock, since He is thy Son and God.
Katavasia: Thou didst make the sea a wall…
Ode III, Irmos: Thy Church, O Christ, rejoiceth in Thee crying aloud: * Thou, O Lord, art my strength, * my refuge and foundation.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou didst open unto the Church the springs of life-creating waters, O Good One, and didst cry: If any zealous man thirst, let him come and drink.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou didst say plainly that Thou wouldst be lifted up from earth unto Heaven, and Thou didst promise to send the Holy Spirit from thence.
Most holy Theotokos save us.
The Lord, Who by nature is life-creating and Who was born of a Virgin, hath granted incorruption unto all the faithful, since He is compassionate.
Irmos: My heart is established, * my horn is exalted in my God, * my mouth is enlarged against mine enemies, * and I rejoice in Thy salvation.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Do not judge a judgment according to appearance, O ye Jews; thus, as it is written, said the Master when He came unto the temple and taught at the Judaic Mid-feast.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Do not judge a judgment according to appearance, O ye Jews, for Christ is come. The Prophets named Him: He that cometh from Sion and hath restored the world.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Even though ye believe not His Words, O ye Jews, be convinced by the works of the Master. Why do ye deceive yourselves and disregard the Holy One, of Whom Moses wrote in the Law?
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
If the Messiah must assuredly come, O ye Jews, then the Messiah hath now come, Who is Christ. Why do ye deceive yourselves and disregard the Righteous One, of Whom Moses wrote in the Law?
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We worship Thee, O Father, Who art beginningless in Thine essence, and we piously praise Thy beginningless Son and the All-Holy Spirit, O ye Three Who are by nature one God.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Though Thou art one of the Trinity, Thou didst assume flesh, neither undergoing change in Thine essence nor burning the uncorrupted womb of her that gave birth to Thee, O Lord, Who art wholly God and Fire.
Katavasia: My heart is established in the Lord…
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.
Sessional Hymns, in Tone VIII: At Mid-feast Thou didst stand in the Temple’s court * in a god-befitting manner * and didst cry aloud: * Let him who doth suffer thirst now draw nigh unto Me and drink. * He that drinketh of the sacred water that I shall give, * from within shall the springs of My teachings issue forth. * Whosoever doth believe that the Divine Father hath sent Me, * and that I came forth from Him, * with Me he shall be glorified. * Therefore we cry unto Thee: * Glory be to Thee, O Christ God, * Who dost cause the streams of Thy great love for mankind, * to abundantly well forth unto us, Thy servants.
Ode IV, Irmos: Beholding Thee, the Sun of righteousness, * lifted up upon the cross, * the Church now standeth arrayed and doth worthily cry aloud: * Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Having shattered the gates of death by Thy might, Thou hast made known the ways of life; and Thou didst open the gates of immortality unto them that cry with faith: Glory be to Thy power, O Lord.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Since Thou Who art beginningless dost have in the grasp of Thy hand the beginning of all things, and dost hold fast their middle and final end as well, Thou didst stand in the midst and cry aloud: Come, O ye of godly mind; enjoy the divine gifts.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Since Thou as God hast authority over all things, and as one mighty didst destroy the dominion of death, O Christ, Thou didst promise to send the Holy Spirit, Who proceedeth from the Father.
Most holy Theotokos save us.
O all-immaculate Mother who knewest not wedlock, thou dost bestow grace abundantly upon those who praise thee; and from the Word Who is before the ages and Who was born from thee, thou dost entreat for the forgiveness of their offences.
Irmos: With noetic eyes the Prophet Habbakuk * foresaw Thy coming, O Lord; * wherefore he cried aloud: * “God shall come out of Theman!” Glory to Thy power! * Glory to Thy condescension!
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
If the Messiah must come, then Christ is the Messiah, O ye lawless ones; Why do ye not believe in Him? Behold, He is come, and the things He doeth bear witness to Him: He made the water into wine and strengthened the paralytic by a word.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Since ye do not understand the Scriptures, ye are all deceived, O ye lawless Hebrews; for Christ is truly come and hath enlightened all mankind, showing forth many signs and wonders among you. In vain do ye deny Him Who is the true Life.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Christ cried unto the Jews: One work have I shown unto you, and already ye marvel. Ye circumcise a man even on the Sabbath, He saith; Why then do ye accuse Me, Who have raised up a paralytic by a word?
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
I have done many works; for which work, then, do ye stone Me? cried Christ unto the Jews, reproaching them. For by a word I have made a man completely whole; judge not according to appearance, O ye men.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou Who workest through the Apostles and Who, together with the Spirit, dost Thyself rest in the Prophets, O Christ, Thou immaculate Offspring of the Father’s nature, Thou didst lead the nations up unto knowledge of Thee through Thy signs.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Trinity, undivided Unity; beginningless Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Thou Trinity in Unity; O life-creating, uncreated God, equal in honour and in rank: Save those who praise Thee, and deliver them from dangers and afflictions.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Bride of God and pure Virgin Mother, who didst contain God in thy womb while He yet remained uncircumscribed: Cease not to intercede on our behalf, that through thee we may be delivered from adversities, for unto thee do we ever flee for refuge.
Katavasia: With noetic eyes the Prophet Habbakuk…
Ode V, Irmos: Thou, O Lord, who camest into the world, * art my light, * a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance * those who sing Thy praises in faith.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Having reached the middle of the divine feasts, let us be godly-wise and zealously adorn ourselves with the perfection of divine virtue.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
How truly sacred is this present feast; for it marketh the mid-point of the great feasts and doth shine forth from both.
Most holy Theotokos save us.
The mind of the Archangel is not able to comprehend Thine ineffable and most pure birthgiving from a Virgin, O my Saviour, Who art plenteous in mercy.
Second Irmos: O Lord our God, bestow Thy peace upon us; * O Lord our God, take us for Thy possession; * O Lord, besides Thee we know none other: * and we call upon Thy Name.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Having adorned Thine Apostles with miracles and magnified Thy disciples with wonders throughout the World, Thou hast glorified them and bestowed upon them Thy Kingdom, O our Saviour.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
The disciples have enlightened all the ends of the earth with miracles and teachings, and in diverse ways they preached the word of Thy Kingdom, O Christ Saviour.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
We send up praise unto Thy Kingdom, and we offer a hymn unto Thee Who didst appear on earth for our sake and didst enlighten the World and restore Adam.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Glory be to Thee, O Holy Father, Unbegotten God. Glory be to Thee, O timeless, Only-Begotten Word. Glory be to Thee, O Divine Spirit, of one throne and of one essence with the Father and the Son.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thy womb is become a holy table which holdeth the Heavenly Bread, whereof he that eateth dieth not, as the Nourisher of all hath said, O Birthgiver of God.
Katavasia: O Lord our God, bestow Thy peace…
Ode VI, Irmos: The church crieth out unto Thee O Lord, * “I will sacrifice unto Thee with a voice of praise * having been cleansed of the blood of the demons’ * by the blood that for mercy’s sake flowed from Thy side.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
The mid-point of Pentecost hath come this day. By the former feast it is illumined with the most divine radiance of the divine Pascha, and by the latter feast it is made to shine with the grace of the Comforter.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
While standing in the temple, O Christ, Thou didst speak unto the assemblies of the Jews and didst reveal Thine own glory, thereby manifesting Thy consubstantiality with the Father.
Most holy Theotokos save us.
Be thou my protection and mine unshaken rampart, O only Mother of God. Redeem me from the stumbling-blocks of the world, and illumine me by thy divine effulgence.
Second Irmos: The billows of life trouble me like the waters of the sea, * O Lover of Mankind. * Wherefore, like Jonah I cry unto Thee, O Word: * Raise up my life from corruption, O compassionate Lord.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
O Jesus, Who takest care for all the ends of the earth, Thou didst go up to the temple at Mid-feast, as John hath said, and taught the multitudes the Word of truth.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou didst open Thy lips, O Master, and didst preach to the world the Most Pure Father and the All-Holy Spirit, preserving Thy kinship with both even after Thine Incarnation.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou didst accomplish the work of the Father and didst confirm Thy words by Thy deeds, for Thou didst perform healings and signs, O Saviour, raising the paralytic, cleansing lepers, and resurrecting the dead.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
The beginningless Son received a beginning and became a man, taking upon Himself that which is proper to our nature. And at Mid-feast He taught and said: Hasten ye unto the ever-flowing Spring, that ye may draw forth life.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We all glorify the one Godhead in Trinity, the uncreated and undivided essence in three Hypostases, even the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Who while being Three are One.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We praise thee who didst remain a virgin after giving birth; thee alone do we glorify as both Virgin and Mother, O pure Maiden, Bride of God; for from thee God truly became incarnate and thus quickened us.
Katavasia: The billows of life trouble me…
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: Having come to the Mid-feast of the Judaic Law, * O Master and Creator of all things, * Thou didst cry unto those present, O Christ God: * Come hither and draw forth the water of immortality. * Wherefore, we fall down before Thee and faithfully cry aloud: * Grant unto us Thy compassions, ** for Thou art truly the Well-spring of our life.
Ikos: With the streams of Thy Blood do Thou Water my soul, which is grown dry and barren because of mine iniquities and offences, and show it forth to be fruitful in virtues. For Thou didst tell all to draw nigh Thee, O all-holy Word of God, and to draw forth the water of incorruption, which is living and which washeth away the sins of those who praise Thy glorious and divine arising. Unto them that know Thee as God, O Good One, grant from on high the strength of the Spirit, which verily was borne by Thy disciples, for Thou art truly the Well-spring of life for all.
OdeVII, Irmos: In the Persian furnace the youths and descendants of Abraham, * burning with a love of piety * rather than by a flame of fire, * cried aloud saying: * Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Having dispelled the power of death by Thy might, O Saviour, Thou hast made known unto all mankind the path of life. With thankfulness they cry to Thee: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Beholding Thee bearing flesh, the assemblies of the Hebrew people did not recognise Thee, O Word of God; but we sing to Thee: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord.
Most holy Theotokos save us.
Rejoice O sanctified and divine tabernacle of the Most High; for through thee, O Theotokos, joy hath been granted to those who cry: Blessed art thou among women, O most immaculate Lady.
Second Irmos: The Chaldean furnace, burning with fire, * was bedewed by the Spirit * through the presence of God; * and the children chanted: * O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou Who art rest for all didst grow weary in the flesh; Thou Who art the well-spring of miracles didst willingly thirst. Thou didst seek after water, O Jesus, promising living water.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou didst converse with a Samaritan woman, O Lord, thereby reproving the mindlessness of the lawless Hebrews, insofar as she believed Thee to be the Son of God, and they denied Thee.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
O Saviour, Thou ever-living well-spring, Thou didst promise to grant living water which springeth forth, the water of immortality, unto those who with faith receive Thy Spirit, which proceedeth from the Father.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
With five loaves Thou didst feed the thousands that hungered, and made the child’s morsels to be more than enough for yet another multitude, O Saviour. Thus showing Thy glory unto Thy sacred disciples.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
He that eateth Thy Bread shall live forever, and he that drinketh Thy Blood abideth in Thee, my Saviour, and Thou abidest in him, and Thou shalt raise him up at the last day.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou madest Thy dispensation wondrous, O Master, confirming by miracles Thy divine authority. Thou didst drive out illnesses, raise up the dead, and enlighten the blind, since Thou art God.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou didst cleanse the lepers and restore the lame; Thou didst strengthen the paralytics and heal the blood-streaming woman, and didst walk upon the sea. Thus showing Thy glory unto Thy sacred disciples.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We worship Thy timeless Father and the grace of the Spirit, which Thou as God didst apportion unto Thine Apostles, sending them forth to preach, O Lord.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou didst contain within thy womb the uncontainable Word, thou didst suckle at thy breasts Him that nourisheth the world and didst hold in thine arms our Sustainer, O pure Birthgiver of God.
Katavasia: The Chaldean furnace, burning with fire…
Ode VIII, Irmos: Having spread his hands, Daniel closed the lions jaws * in their den; * while the zealously pious youths, * girded with virtue, * quenched the power of the fire and cried aloud: * Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Having arisen from the grave as one comely, and adorned with the glory of the Godhead, O Lord, Thou didst appear unto Thine Apostles and didst promise to send the power of the Spirit unto those who cry aloud: Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
In a manner befitting Thee, since Thou as God art the Supreme Author of life, Thou didst slay Hades and didst well forth eternal life unto all, wherefore the graces of these radiant days now constitute a most clear image of the everlasting life of those who cry: Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou didst cause rays of righteousness to shine upon the world like the sun, O Christ, in that Thou didst send Thine Apostles unto the world. Bearing Thee, the incomprehensible Light, they drove away the darkness of ignorance, and cried: Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.
Most holy Theotokos save us.
Behold now, a prince and ruler hath manifestly come from the tribe of Judah, for thou, O all-immaculate one, hast given birth to Him Who is the Expectation of the nations which were set aside for Him aforetime. Yea, thou hast borne Christ, to Whom we chant: Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.
Irmos: O ye angels and ye powers of heaven, sing to Him Who sits upon the throne of majesty, and is glorified unceasingly as God: bless, praise and exult Him above all for ever.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Come, O ye peoples, and behold Him Who is praised upon a throne of glory, being blasphemed by lawless people. And as ye behold Him, praise Him as the Messiah, Who was foretold by the Prophets.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Thou art truly the Christ, Who hast come into the world. With Thee there is salvation and the remission of the failings of our fathers; Thou art indeed the Life of those who have come to believe in Thee.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
As it is written, the Wisdom of God came into the temple at Mid-feast and taught that He is truly Christ the Messiah, from Whom there cometh salvation.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
On the Sabbaths and on all days Christ wrought manifest signs, healing those in diverse illnesses. But the deceitful people were consumed with malice and wrath.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
The Jews bitterly reviled Christ and said: On the Sabbath did this Man hath healed the paralytic who had lain sick for many years, therefore He hath transgressed the Law.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Christ said to the Jews: Did not Moses in giving you the Law command that ye be circumcised? Yet ye circumcise on the Sabbath, lest the Law of your fathers be broken.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
They that were wholly ungrateful and who of old had sojourned in the wilderness, out of malice cast blasphemies at their Benefactor. They wagged their unjust tongues while they meditated vain things.
We bless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Lord.
Of a truth, the Trinity is one God, without the Father leaving that which is proper to Himself and assuming Sonship, nor with the Son transforming His attributes into procession. But I glorify the Three apart and together, as Light and God, throughout the ages.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Tell us, O Theotokos: How didst thou give birth unto Him Who hath shone forth timelessly from the Father and Who is praised together with the Holy Spirit? – except in a manner known only to Him Who was well-pleased to be born from thee.
Katavasia: Seated upon the throne of glory, * and unceasingly glorified as God, * O ye angels and heavens bless, ** hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Ode IX, Irmos: A cornerstone not cut by hand O Virgin, * was cut from thee the unhewn mountain: * even Christ, Who hath joined together the disparate natures; * therefore rejoicing we magnify thee, * O Theotokos.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Since we have learned from Christ a new and unprecedented way of life, let us all be especially diligent to preserve it until the end, that We may enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
O Life-Giving Saviour, Thou didst clothe my mortal nature with the garment of immortality and the grace of incorruption, and didst raise it up together with Thyself. Thou didst lead it unto the Father, having dispelled my warfare of many years.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Since we have been restored again to the life of Heaven by virtue of the mediation of Him Who emptied Himself even so far as to assume the form of a servant and hath exalted us, let us magnify Him as is meet.
Most holy Theotokos save us.
All we the faithful have put our trust in thee, and we acclaim thee with songs of praise as the root, source, and cause of incorruption, O Virgin, for thou didst well forth for us the Hypostatic Immortality.
Irmos: Virginity is alien to motherhood, * and childbearing is a thing strange to virgins: * yet in thee, O Theotokos, both have come to pass. * Therefore we, and all the nations of the earth, * without ceasing call thee blessed.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
At the Judaic Mid-feast, O my Saviour, Thou didst go up to Thy temple and didst teach all. And the Jews marvelled and said: Whence knoweth this Man letters, having never learned?
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
My Redeemer performed wonders and signs, welling forth gifts of healings. He drove away illnesses and healed the ailing, but the Jews raged with frenzy at the multitude of His miracles.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
My Redeemer cried out as He reproached the disobedient Jews: Judge not according to appearance, but judge ye a righteous judgment. For the Law also commandeth that every man be circumcised, even if it be on the Sabbath.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
As Thou didst promise, O Saviour, Thou didst grant the greater miracles unto Thy disciples when Thou didst send them to preach Thy glory unto the nations. And they proclaimed unto the world Thy grace and Resurrection and Incarnation.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
Christ said unto the Jews: If ye circumcise a man on the Sabbath that the Law might not be broken, why are ye now angry with Me, in that by a word I have made a man completely whole? Ye judge according to the flesh.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
O Word, Who didst heal the withered hand by a word, do Thou heal the earth of my heart, which hath long ago become parched, and show me forth as one fruitful, that I also might bring forth fruit in fervent repentance, O Saviour.
Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee.
I lie upon my bed of pain, O Word. Make me to stand aright by cleansing my leprous heart and enlightening the eyes of my soul, even as Thou didst raise up the paralytic who lay upon his bed.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
It is alien to the lawless to reverence the beginningless Trinity, even the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the uncreated Omnipotence, through Whom the whole world was established by the might of His power.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou, O Virgin Mother, didst contain in thy womb Christ, the Giver of life, Who is One of the Trinity; Whom all creation praiseth and before Whom the thrones on high tremble. Do thou beseech Him, O all-blessed one, that our souls be saved.
Katavasia: Virginity is alien to motherhood…
Troparion, Tone VIII: At Mid-feast give Thou my thirsty soul to drink of the waters of piety; * for Thou, O Saviour, didst cry out to all: * Whosoever is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. ** Wherefore, O Well-spring of life, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.
