As Thursday’s evening services are for the Transfiguration, a Supplicatory Canon to the Mother of God is not appointed to be read.
However, I will still post the canon for the evening of Thursday, in the week of tone 8, as it is still of value in prayer and devotions for the Dormition Fast.
On Thursday evening of Tone VIII, at Compline: Canon of Supplication to the Most Holy Theotokos
Ode 1, Irmos: Let us sing unto the Lord, * who led His people through the Red Sea: * for He alone hath gloriously been glorified.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О most immaculate Virgin, render Christ merciful unto me, setting me free on the day of the dread judgment.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Rain down upon me drops of compunction, O Lady, washing away my defilement, that I may glorify thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Illumine me, О Virgin who hast given birth to the never-waning Light, driving away the profound darkness of my slothfulness.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Save me who have perished amid many sins, О Theotokos, and deliver me from every torment and grievous condemnation.
Ode III, Irmos: O Lord, Creator of the vault of Heaven * and Builder of the Church, * do Thou strengthen me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, * O Support of the faithful, * O only Lover of mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Having fallen, away from the life of sanctity, О most pure one, I have joined the dumb beasts and am wholly condemned; but do thou who hast given birth to the Judge deliver me from all damnation, and save me.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Unto thee do I flee, О Lady. Ever save me who am beset by a multitude of perils, taking pity upon me, О only all-hymned one who hast given birth to the Saviour and Lord of all.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О Lady, thou impassable gate leading to God, open unto me the gates of repentance, I pray, cleansing me of the impurity of my sins with the showers of thy mercy, О thou who art full of the grace of God.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Deliver me from the assaults of the passions, О Lady, and vanquish now the foes which wage war upon me; establish me upon the rock of the will of God, and illumine my soul, О portal of the divine Light.
Ode IV, Irmos: O Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I have considered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Heal thou the stripes of my soul, О Virgin full of the grace of God, and illumine my mind, which hath been darkened by the incursions of the passions, О pure one.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
In that thou art the Mother of the Word, О most pure one, rouse me to repentance, for I sleep the sleep of despondency and am covered with sin.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О Lady unwedded, thou who hast given birth to the incarnate Word, enlighten my soul, and deliver me from Gehenna and torment.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In thee have I placed all my hope, О Virgin Mother; preserve my soul, О thou who hast given birth to God my Saviour.
Ode V, Irmos: O Light never-waning, * why hast Thou turned Thy face from me * and why hath the alien darkness surrounded me, * wretched though I be? * But do Thou guide my steps I implore Thee * and turn me back towards the light of Thy commandments.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Heal thou the wholly incurable sufferings of my soul, О Maiden, light my lamp, which hath gone out through slothfulness, and guide me to the paths of repentance, О Virgin, that I may glorify thee with faith and love.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
I condemn myself even before the trial, О divinely joyous one. I alone among the accused bear shameful deeds. But intercede for me, in that thou art the advocate of all, and deliver me from grievous condemnation.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Cease thou never to deliver me from captivity, from the soul-corrupting turmoil which surrounds me, and from the grievous passions which slay me, О most holy Maiden, ally of sinners and our ready helper.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О most pure one who didst conceive the Life of the world, the Redeemer and King, impart life unto me who am wholly slain by the sting of death because of disobedience, and guide me to the Light.
Ode VI, Irmos: Cleanse me, O Saviour, * for many are mine iniquities; * lead me up from the abyss of evils I pray Thee, * for unto Thee have I cried, * and Thou hast hearkened unto me, * O God of my salvation.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Grant life unto me who have been slain by many transgressions, О most pure Virgin Theotokos who ineffably gave birth to the Life of mankind, and teach me to do the will of the Lord.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
All of us, the faithful, who are ever drowning in the abyss of evils, turmoil and griefs, have acquired thee as an intercessor and bulwark, О Theotokos, thou only refuge of the faithful.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О most immaculate and most pure one, who through thy holy Offspring hast caused the growths of ungodliness to wither away: destroy the evil of the enemy which ever-groweth within me.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sanctify my mind and illumine my heart, О holy Mother of God, and deliver me from the evils which assail me, that I may glorify thee, my steadfast helper
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice).
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional hymn, Tone VIII: “O the new wonder! О the awesome mystery!” the ewe-lamb cried, beholding her Son stretched out upon the Tree; “What is this, О immortal Word of God? How art Thou seen to be dead Who dost cause the earth to quake, in that Thou art almighty? Yet I hymn Thine awesome and divine condescension.”
Ode VII, Irmos: The Hebrew children in the furnace * boldly trampled upon the flames, * changing the fire into dew, they cried aloud: * ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, throughout the ages’.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Be merciful unto me, О Virgin, and with the dressing of thy prayer heal me who have been wounded by the sword of sin; and forever rescue me from the unquenchable fire.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Deliver me from the cruel captivity which hath befallen me, from wicked thoughts and besetting transgressions, О Mother of the Saviour, that, saved, I may ever glorify thee as is meet.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I now flee unto thee, О Mother of God, bound by the fetters of transgressions. In the tender compassion of thy mercy loose me, О Virgin, and deliver me from the torment and malice of the demons.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Take pity and save me, О Virgin who hast given birth to the compassionate Word of God, and with the light which is within thee illumine my soul, and deliver me from the cruel wiles of the demons.
Ode VIII, Irmos: In his wrath the Chaldean Tyrant made the furnace blaze, * with heat fanned sevenfold for the servants of God; * but when he perceived that they had been saved by a greater power * he cried aloud to the Creator and Redeemer; * ‘ye children bless, ye priests praise, * ye people, supremely exalt Him throughout all ages’.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
He Who is perfect in every way and unapproachable in essence hath shown Himself to be accessible to me, having been clothed in the flesh through thee, О thou who knewest not wedlock. Him do thou earnestly entreat, that He lighten the burden of mine iniquities and deliver me from the judgment which is to come.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О most holy one, who in a manner past all telling hast given birth to the Judge and Lord, entreat Him as thy Son, that on the day of judgment He deliver from fire, from the darkness which is devoid of light, and from the gnashing of teeth me who ever piously hymns thee with faith.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О most pure Birthgiver of God, cleanse thou the wounds of my soul and the temptations of sin, washing them away with the streams gushing forth from fountain which emanated from the side of thine Off-spring, for to thee I cry, unto thee I flee, and thee do I entreat, who art full of the grace of God.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О most immaculate one, who alone hast manifestly given birth unto Life, grant life to my soul which hath been slain by the sting of the serpent; and hasten to do the will of Him Who was born for our sake, О Virgin, for I cry: Ye children bless; ye priests hymn; ye people supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Ode IX, Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, * and the ends of the earth were filled with amazement, * for God hath appeared in the flesh, * and thy womb was rendered more spacious than the heavens. * Wherefore, the ranks of men and of angels * magnify thee as the Theotokos.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
My soul, which hath been blinded by the passions, blackened by wicked thoughts and is beset by danger, do thou enlighten, О portal of the Light; and deliver me from perils, from the oppression of the demons, from grievous testing, and the coming flame and torment.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О Saviour Who wast born from the Virgin, and Who preserved her who gave birth to Thee incorrupt even after birthgiving, have pity on me when Thou shalt sit to judge my deeds. As Thou art sinless, overlook mine iniquities and sins, in that thou art a merciful God Who lovest mankind.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Carrying the heavenly Fire in thine arms, as though with tongs, О pure one who art full of the grace of God, utterly consume the passions of my soul, and free me from dread judgment and fire, and from the cruel tyranny of the demons.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
With thy mystical effulgence enlighten our thoughts, hearts and reasoning powers, О Maiden full of the grace of God, that treading the paths of life aright, we may obtain mercy, ever singing praises unto thee.
Dear brothers and sisters, as we look forward to the wonderful feast of the Dormition, Tracey’s baptism draws near.
She will be baptised with the name Mary (in honour of the Mother of God) at 14:00 on the afternoon of Saturday 27th August, at Melangell’s home, in St Nicholas in the Vale, which proved itself an excellent ‘baptismal station’ on the Saturday of the Ascension.
Tracey extends a warm invitation to parishioners to participate in this event, and Melangell would appreciate confirmation of numbers. So, if you are able to attend, please email asap –menna135@yahoo.co.uk .
After the baptism and refreshments, we will also celebrate our evening service for the Dormition, with the feast being the newly-baptised Mary’s name day!
Further to my encouragement to pray the supplicatory canons to the Theotokos as part of the praxis of the Dormition Fast, the canon for compline for Wednesday of tone 8 is posted, below.
This could easily be incorporated into your evening prayers, and though relatively short may be part of the ongoing prayerful-dedication of these days of the Dormition Fast to the Mother of God.
On Wednesday evening of Tone VIII, at Compline: Canon of Supplication to the Most Holy Theotokos
Ode1, Irmos: The wonderworking staff of Moses, * striking and dividing the sea in the figure of a cross, * once drowned Pharaoh the pursuing charioteer, * while it saved the fleeing people of Israel * as they fled on foot, * chanting a hymn unto God.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
In a manner transcending nature, О Virgin Theotokos, thou hast given birth to God the Word incarnate, Who before was incorporeal, yet came to dwell in the world as God and man; wherefore, we all glorify thee who, after God, art our sure help.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Arrayed in a vesture of many colours, О blessed one who art full of the grace of God, in a manner transcending understanding and all telling thou hast given birth to the Word of the Father, Who became flesh in His ineffable loving-kindness; and thou didst remain an undefiled virgin.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
From a royal root thou didst put forth Christ the King, the Word of God, in a manner transcending understanding and comprehension, О pure one, and hast given birth to Him, incarnate from thy pure blood, revealed in two natures, but in a single Hypostasis.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
He who proclaimeth thee the Theotokos, О most pure one, prevaileth over every heresy; wherefore, О Birthgiver of God, having given birth unto the eternal Word of God Who immutably became flesh, thou art higher than all creation.
Ode III, Irmos: O Christ fortify me on the rock of Thy commandments, * Thou Who in the beginning didst establish the heavens with understanding * and didst establish the earth upon the waters, * for there is none holy save Thee, O only Lover of mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
God made His abode within thy holy womb, О Mother of God, and became incarnate in a manner He Himself knew, and hath saved us by His life-bearing sufferings; wherefore, we glorify thee as the portal of salvation.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The Supremely divine One, Who hath breathed the spirit (of life) into all, became incarnate on earth and dwelt with mankind, having been produced by thy womb seedlessly; wherefore, all of us, the faithful, bless thee with hymns, О pure one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having conceived in thy womb Him Who was begotten of the Father before all ages, О Virgin, without knowing a man, thou hast given birth for us to Him as both God and man, perfect and indivisible in both natures.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О pure and divinely blessed Virgin, we all know thee to be the rod which budded forth Christ, the Flower of incorruption, and the golden censer who bore the burning Coal of the divine Essence in thine arms.
Ode IV, Irmos: Thou, O Lord, art my strength and Thou art my power, * Thou art my God and Thou art my joy, * Thou Who, while never leaving the bosom of Thy Father, * hast visited our poverty. * Therefore with the Prophet Habbakuk I cry unto Thee, * ‘Glory to Thy power, O Lover of mankind!’
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Of old the ark which received the divinely written law prefigured the life-creating Word Who was ineffably conceived within thy womb, О most immaculate one, richly nourishing the souls of those who chant: Glory to Thy power, О Lover of mankind!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thou alone wast the true source of salvation, О Mother of God, who through thine all-pure blood gave flesh to the Creator and Fashioner, and through whom the gates of death have been broken down and life given to us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
That in the richness of thy goodness Thou mightest seek out Thine image which was buried by the passions, Thou didst make Thine abode within the Virgin’s womb, and Thou, the Wisdom of God, didst make a temple from her; and having thereby come to dwell among mankind, О Compassionate One, Thou hast saved the ends of the world.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
After God it is thee whom we have acquired as an intercessor, О most immaculate one; for thou wast the Mother of God the Creator and Fashioner, Who took upon Himself our form, saved it from corruption and tribulations, and glorified it with divine glory.
Ode V, Irmos: O Light never-waning, * why hast Thou turned Thy face from me * and why hath the alien darkness surrounded me, * wretched though I be? * But do Thou guide my steps I implore Thee * and turn me back towards the light of Thy commandments.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The generations of all mankind bless thee as the one who gave birth to the Creator, Fashioner and Lord, О most pure one, and the noetic leaders of the incorporeal hosts glorify thee as the Mother of God.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The armies of the hosts on high bless thee, О most pure one; for through thee alone we on earth have been united to those in heaven, wherefore we hymn thy birthgiving.
Glory …;
In an ineffable manner, О Virgin, He Who alone is compassionate, the Word Who shone forth from the Father before all ages, made His abode within thee and become a man, delivering us from corruption and leading us up to a life of incorruption.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. О pure one, heal thou the sickness of my soul, granting me thy
Thou wast clothed with the beauties of virginity, О most pure Virgin, and hast done away with the nakedness of the first Eve, having given birth to Christ Who bestoweth the vesture of incorruption upon those who hymn thee.
Ode VI, Irmos: Cleanse me, O Saviour, * for many are mine iniquities; * lead me up from the abyss of evils I pray Thee, * for unto Thee have I cried, * and Thou hast hearkened unto me, * O God of my salvation.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
He Who upholdeth all things with His omnipotent power arrayed Himself in the weakness of the flesh through thee, О all-immaculate Virgin, for the good of mankind, in that He is the Lover of mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The all-accomplishing Spirit descended upon thee, О all-immaculate one, and the Word, of God made His abode within thee and ineffably assumed flesh, though He remained immutable.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Illumine the souls of those who hymn thee in an Orthodox manner, О Bride of God, for the sayings of the prophets proclaimed beforehand thy most pure conception and birthgiving, which are beyond all telling.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We piously hymn the most pure Mary, the truly divine and honored dwelling-place of God; for she contained God, receiving Him Who is infinite and unapproachable.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice).
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional hymn, Tone VIII: As the all-immaculate Bride of the Creator, * Mother of the Redeemer, who knewest not a man, * and as the receptacle of the Comforter O all-hymned one, * hasten thou to deliver me, * the vile abode of iniquity and noetic plaything of the demons, * from their evil machinations; * and make me the bright dwelling-place of the virtues, * O thou incorrupt light-bearing one. * Drive away the clouds of the passions and grant that, * by thy supplications, * I may receive a portion on high ** and share in the never-waning light.
Ode VII, Irmos: Once in Babylon the fire stood in awe * of God’s condescension; * for which sake the youths in the furnace, * dancing with joyous steps as in a meadow, chanted: * O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О most pure Lady who conceived the Redeemer of all, grant ineffable and divine deliverance unto me who cry aloud and sing: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Now have all things been filled with divine light through thee, О most pure one; for thou hast been revealed to be the door through which God held converse, enlightening those who cry out with faith: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Lo! the divine prophecy of the godly David hath now been fulfilled: They who have acquired the riches of grace truly entreat thy countenance, О pure Birthgiver of God, and now bless the God of our fathers.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О most pure one, thou didst conceive Him Who is God and Lord over all, Whose good pleasure it was to save the race of mankind from death and corruption; and hymning Him as is meet, we cry aloud: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Ode VIII, Irmos: By Thy grace the children became vanquishers * of both the tyrant and the flames, * carefully observing Thy commandments, * wherefore they cried aloud: * Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Cleanse thou the wounds of my soul and the stripes of my sins, О blessed, and most pure Maiden, who from thy virginal womb which knew not wedlock gave birth to Him Who is God over all. Him do the children bless and supremely exalt, throughout the ages.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Resplendent with the beauties of virginity, thou didst become the receptacle of the never-waning Light, О all-pure one, enlightening those who with all their soul confess thee to be the true Theotokos, and who cry aloud: Ye children bless; ye priests hymn; ye people supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Sanctified by the Holy Spirit, О all-immaculate Theotokos, thou didst truly receive in thy womb the beginningless Son Who with the Father is equally eternal, Who became incarnate within thee, О pure one, for the benefit of those who cry out with faith: Ye children bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, supremely exalt Him throughout the ages.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In that thou hast given birth to God in a manner past all telling and understanding, О most pure Mother of God, Him do thou beseech, that all of us who are unworthy may be treated with lenience by Him at the time of His awesome and dread coming, when He shall discern the nature of all who with fear will stand naked before Him and be judged.
Ode IX, Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, * and the ends of the earth were filled with amazement, * for God hath appeared in the flesh, * and thy womb was rendered more spacious than the heavens. * Wherefore, the ranks of men and of angels * magnify thee as the Theotokos.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
All of us who have rejected eternal life and have fallen, accursed, into death thou hast called again, О most pure Mother of the Redeemer, and hast granted them to hasten to our former homeland; wherefore, О Mother of God, we unceasingly magnify thee.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Readily grant that I may pass over the waves of the perils of this life and its present sufferings, О Theotokos, stilling them, in that thou art good, and guiding me to the virtues of the way of heaven, that I may unceasingly magnify thee as my benefactress.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О pure and most glorious Mother of God, save those who hymn thee with love from all perils, mercifully subduing our turmoil, in that thou hast given birth unto God; for thou canst freely do all that thou dost desire, О Virgin. Wherefore, we all magnify thee.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The honoured Church which Christ thy Son hath acquired with His precious blood, and hath saved from misfortunes and the violence which assails us, in that He is good, do thou show forth as victorious over budding heresy, О joyous Lady.
After the Liturgy on Sunday, several people asked me why we blessed honey, and this reminded me of a question from a member of Nazareth House staff: ‘Why did you bless the beehives?’
Why did we bless these things?
Why did we bless Margarita’s house a little over a week ago?
Indeed, why do we bless vestments, holy vessels, parishioner’s cars, our daily meals and so many other things? Why do we bless water at Theophany, and at other times with the Lesser Blessing? Why do we ask blessings for journeys, for new ventures, for new jobs?
When we bless the harvest, be it honey, grains or fruits, we acknowledge the Lord’s goodness as we ‘return’ them to Him in the knowledge that He is the source of every gift, and our Sustainer, Who constantly satisfies us with His earthly blessings.
In the broadest sense of evharistia / thanksgiving, the liturgical blessing acknowledges the very fact that God’s gifts are His, not ours. We also set these things aside, and dedicate them to the Lord, particularly when we bless homes, vehicles, and objects – especially those used in sacred worship.
Just as the priest chants, ‘Thine own of Thine own do we give Thee’ when the Deacon raises the eucharistic-offerings after the words of institution in the Liturgy, so we offered Him ‘His own of His own’ in the honey-blessing, as we shall likewise do with grapes and other fruits at the end of the Transfiguration Liturgy when the words of the prayer will state this with perfect clarity:
‘O Master, Lord our God, Who commandest everyone to bring as an offering Thine own of Thine own, and grantest unto them in return Thine eternal good things…’
Beyond this recognition in various blessings, we receive the Grace of God who truly sanctifies that which is offered, and we partake of this Grace when we eat or drink that which has been blessed and sanctified, or when we are anointed with blessed oil.
At the Jordan blessing of water at Theophany, we pray,
‘Make it a fountain of immortality, a gift of sanctification, the remission of sins, the healing of infirmities, the destruction of the demons, unapproachable by hostile powers, filled with angelic might. And may it be unto all those who shall draw it, and shall partake of it unto the purification of their souls and bodies, unto the healing of their passions, unto the sanctification of their homes, and unto every expedient service.’
When we bless the artos at Pascha, we pray,
‘And count worthy we who offer this, and they that shall kiss it and taste of it, to become partakers of Thy heavenly blessing; and by Thy might drive away from us every sickness and infirmity, grant health unto all.’
When we bless cheese, butter, milk and eggs, on the same festal night, we pray
‘that, while enjoying these, Thy generously presented gifts, we may also be satisfied with Thine unspeakable grace, for the sake of the bright three-days resurrection from the dead of our Lord Jesus Christ…’
At the blessing of wheat, wine and oil at the vigil service we pray that the Lord will
‘sanctify the faithful that partake of them.’
During Sunday’s blessing of honey, we asked that
‘all tasting of it, receiving it and eating it, may find good health, and by this nourishment be satisfied and filled with all good things.’
And… when we bless the fruit offered at Friday’s Transfiguration Liturgy, we shall pray,
“… do Thou now bless this fruit of the vine lying here, and make us thy servants who eat of it, partakers of the True Vine. Keep our lives from harm and ever give us peace that none can take away…”
Through these blessings, tasting and seeing is both physical and spiritual, as the Lord communicates the spiritual gifts of His Grace through His sanctified creation: Grace that strengthens us; Grace that heals us: Grace that purifies us both physically and spiritually.
God communicates spiritual gifts through the offering of His creation to Him as ‘Thine own of Thine own…’, as through their sanctification and dedication, physical things become the communicative medium of God’s Grace.
Through the liturgical blessings in our Christian life, we live it eucharistically and doxologically, endless rendering God glory and thanksgiving and, as we enjoy His gifts, we participate in His goodness and also become spiritual participators in His manifold blessings.
In blessing His gifts and in enjoying that which is blessed we physically and spiritually commune with His love and goodness, as we experience to the invitation of the Psalmist, “O taste and see, the Lord is good.”
Sacrificial living and dying: Baroness Natalia Modestovna von Fredericks (†1926), from Chapter 24 of ‘The Inextinguishable Lamp’, by Boris Shiryayev, New York 1954.
According to the strict rule of the Solovetsk Monastery, women were not allowed on the island. They could venerate the holy objects only from afar, from the tiny “Hare’s Island.” From the wharf it was only a little more than a verst, and its entire kremlin with its soaring cupolas could be seen as if on the palm of a hand.
The tradition was preserved. The island’s new master set Hare’s Island apart as a women’s “special” zone. Its denizens were primarily those who had sinned against the seventh commandment. The only man allowed, who was there in the capacity of a representative of the regime, was a seventy-year-old Jew. God knows how he came to occupy a managerial position in the Cheka. His transgressions, however, eventually exceeded the limit, and he had the good fortune to be exiled. His age and decrepitude placed him, like Caesar’s wife, above suspicion.
Women prisoners who were not guilty of any infractions there on Solovki, lived on the main island, but outside the kremlin, in a compound encompassed by three rows of barbed wire. From there they were taken to work under heavily armed escort to the laundry, the rope-making shop, the peat extraction works, or the brick factory. The laundry and rope-making were considered light work, but the brick factory – the molding and transporting of the raw clay – struck fear. The women stopped at nothing in order to avoid being assigned to the “bricks.” Few lasted more than two or three months at this arduous labor, which was beyond a woman’s physical capacity.
Life in the women’s barracks was more difficult than in the kremlin. Its residents, who were profoundly dissimilar in respect of spiritual make-up, cultural level, habits, and needs, were all mixed and pounded into one mass, without any possibility of separating into individual, homogeneous groups, as happened in the kremlin. The number of criminals far exceeded the number of political prisoners, and the former were united in lording it over the latter. Prostitutes, drug dealers, contrabandists. . ., and among them-aristocrats, officers’ wives, ladies-in-waiting.
Departure from the barracks was strictly controlled. Even to the theater, the women went under escort and sat there in a bloc, also under surveillance.
Women are considerably less adaptable than men to communal life, even under normal circumstances. Life in the women’s barracks was a hell, and thrown into this hell was a woman who had been a lady in waiting for three empresses. She was a sixty-five-year-old baroness whose family name was well known throughout all of Russia.
Dostoevsky spoke a great truth when he said, “Simple people who are sent to hard labor come into their own milieu, a milieu that is perhaps even more developed than their own. An educated person, who is subject to the same punishment, often loses incomparably more than the simple man. He must crush within himself all his needs, all his habits; he must enter a milieu that is for him inadequate; he must learn to breathe another kind of air… And often it happens that the same punishment that is meted out to everyone else is for him ten times more torturous. This is the truth…” (House of the Dead, p 68.)
It was precisely this greatly intensified punishment that this old lady bore, a lady whose only fault lay in being born into an aristocratic rather than a proletarian family.
If for Korablikha, the mistress of a criminals’ haunt in the port city of Kronstadt, the life of the women’s barracks and its atmosphere were the “usual,” what were they for a graduate of the Smolniy Institute, who belonged to the closest circles around the throne? How much harder for her was each year, each day, each hour of captivity?
It was a constant trial that never let up, neither day nor night. The GPU knew this, and sadistically separated the political prisoners among the various cells, so that no two of them were together. They could not do this with the men in the kremlin, but it was possible in the women’s zone. The baroness’s life in Saint Petersburg cultivated very few qualities that could mitigate her lot on Solovki. So it appeared. But it only appeared that way. In fact, the baroness lady-in-waiting carried away from it a genuine feeling for the human dignity and, inextricably bound to this, respect for the individual person; maximum, at times incredible, self-control; and a profound consciousness of personal duty.
When she turned up in the barracks, the baroness was given a worse than hostile reception. It was evoked by envy for her past. Women are unable to suppress this feeling, to curb it, and they give in to it completely. The weak, frail old lady was despised not for herself, for who she really was, but as a bearer of that illusion that fascinated and attracted to itself the dreams and fancies of her haters. Every movement of the elderly lady-in-waiting, every sound of her voice, reflected the past, its elegance, its refinement, its brightness. She could not conceal it, even had she so desired, but she did not desire to do so. She remained an aristocrat in the best and true meaning of the word. In the women’s barracks on Solovki, amid the stench of cursing and foul language, in the chaos of brawls, she was the same as she was observed to be in court. She did not remain aloof, she did not wall herself off from those around her; there was about her not a shadow of that haughtiness that is an invariable mark of false aristocrats. In becoming a prisoner, she acknowledged herself as being such, and accepted her lot as unavoidable, as a cross that she must bear without murmuring, without complaining, without pitying herself, without tears, without looking back.
As soon as she arrived, the baroness was, of course, assigned to “the bricks.” One can only imagine how difficult it was for her, already in the seventh decade of her life, to carry trays loaded with seventy-five pounds of clay. Her comrades at work taunted her gleefully:
“Baroness! Lady-in-Waiting! Hey, you’re no longer hauling around her majesty’s train. Get a taste of our kind of work!” Although few of them had really worked before coming to Solovki.
They did not take their eyes from her and greedily awaited groans, complaints, tears of weakness – but they waited in vain. Self-control and inner discipline, nurtured through the course of her life, saved the baroness from humiliation. Doubtless fatigued, she gave no sign of it, and labored to the end of the day, and in the evening, as always, prayed at length, standing on her knees before a small icon.
My good friend from my time on Solovki, the Kronstadt mistress Korablikha, a real Russian wench, gutsy and sharp-tongued, who nevertheless retained a sense of “compassion” in her heart, related to me later:
“As soon as she stood on her knees, Sonka Glazok began grumbling: ‘Take a load of this. She’s even put up her God. We’ve got a saint here.’ But Annusha retorted, ‘What’s it to you? Has she taken any of your stuff? Look, the lady is taking care of her soul!’ Sonka bit her tongue.”
The same was repeated in the days that followed. The baroness calmly and deliberately carried the raw bricks. Returning to the barracks, she carefully cleaned her dress, ate her bowl of fish slop in silence, prayed, and went to sleep on her neatly made plank bed. She did not join the elite circle of intelligentsia there in the women’s barracks, but neither did she hold herself aloof, just as she did not hold herself aloof from any of her fellow women prisoners. She spoke in the same way to Princess Shakhovskoy, who constantly peppered her speech with French phrases, as she did to Sonka Glazok, whose use of unprintable vulgarities was similarly constant. She spoke only in Russian, although the “elite” preferred French.
As the dismal Solovetsk days passed, the attacks against the baroness grew less and less frequent. It was evident that the “barbs” of the sharp-tongued women failed to reach their mark.
“This morning Manka Dlinnaya jumped on the baroness as she was at the wash sink,” Korablikha related to me that evening at rehearsal. “She swiped her brushes and her soap – You’re hogging the faucet! I gave her a good swat with a dirty rag. Why are you offending a godly old woman? What’s the matter, don’t you have enough water? What’s it to you if she’s trying to keep clean?”
Attitudes towards the former lady-in-waiting changed definitively when the cleaning woman for her barracks “came forward.” To “come forward” in Solovetsk slang meant to report that one was pregnant. It was a general rule that those who transgressed the regulation against sexual relations were sent to isolationist cells on Hare Island, even those who were up to seven or eight months pregnant. However, those who were closer to their due date were sent to Anzersk, where they gave birth and breastfed their infants in relatively tolerable conditions, where they were given just light work. Pregnancy, therefore, was carefully concealed, and was declared only then when one could, by-passing Hare’s Island, be sent directly to “the moms.”
The cleaning woman who had “come forward” had to be replaced. It was an old prison custom that this replacement was democratically chosen. The position required relatively light work: washing the floors, bringing in firewood, tending the stove. The women fought for the position.
“Who are we going to put?” asked Korablikha. She was the cell leader.
“The baroness!” yelled Sonka Glazok, unrestrained both in hate and in love.
“Who besides her? She’s the cleanest of any of us. There won’t be any unpleasantness…”
The argument had weight. For dirt or untidiness, the whole barracks was punished. And so the lady-in-waiting who had served three Russian empresses became the cleaning lady of a cell of thieves and prostitutes. This was a great “mercy” for her. It was obvious that “the bricks” were leading her towards the grave.
I myself never spoke to the baroness, but I attentively followed news of her through my acquaintances who worked in the theater: Korablikha and that same Sonka Glazok, who sang in the chorus.
In occupying a specific social position in the prison collective, the baroness not only ceased to be a foreigner, but she automatically acquired a certain authority, even power, corresponding to her “rank.” It seems that she began to draw near to the rest of the women in her cell when they began consulting her on the intricate mysteries of make-up, a subject that received the same studious attention in prison as it did at the court.
Later the conversations became more profound, more serious… And so… At the theater we were preparing to put on A. Tolstoy’s, The Empress’s Plot, an entertaining pot boiler that was playing at the time in all the theaters of the USSR. Armanov played Rasputin, and eagerly collected any information about him from those who had seen the enigmatic elder.
“That’s a bunch of lies. The empress never had an affair with him,” declared Sonka peremptorily. “She received him only because he prayed hard for the Heir… There weren’t nothing else between them. Our baroness was a witness, and she wouldn’t lie.”
Korablikha, who had received her political credo from among the Kronstadt sailors, illumined the matter from another angle:
“One peasant reached the Tsar and told him the truth. For this the bourgeoisie killed him. The Tsar had promised him that if the Heir should be healed, he would give the land to the peasants. That’s what happened!” The baroness’s growing spiritual influence was felt more and more strongly there in her cell. This great mystery of Man’s awakening took place without any compulsion, without any arguments or debates. She did and said what was necessary, just as she had done throughout her life. The strength of her influence on those around her lay precisely in the simplicity and total lack of moralizing in her words and actions.
Sonka continued to swear a blue streak in the company of men, but among women she became noticeably restrained, and her epithets lost their former insolence, turning into mere words, without which she was not always able to express her tempestuous emotions. On Passion Week, she, Korablikha, and two other women from the chorus prepared for Holy Communion and went to confession to the “comforting priest,” who was smuggled into the theater for that purpose. They partook of the Mysteries in a dark prop room, with Gifts brought in an ordinary soldier’s mug in the side pocket of a sailor’s jacket. Standing guard at the door was the prop-man, a Turk by the name of Reshad-Sedad, in the recent past a communist, a member of the People’s Commissariat and “enlightener” of Adzharistan. If they were found out, they would all be sent to Sekirka or Hare Island – if not worse.
A terrible epidemic of typhus broke out and a call was made for nurses or those who could do their job. The chief of the Sanitary Department, M. V. Feldman, did not want to be assigned to this potentially fatal work. She came to the women’s barracks and, gathering its residents, tried to persuade them to go voluntarily, promising them a wage and good rations. There were no takers. She tried appealing to their conscience, calling them to the aid of the dying. But her effusiveness was no more successful. Just then the elderly cleaning lady entered the cell with a load of firewood. Her head was wrapped in a scarf; outdoors there was a bitter frost. Stacking the wood by the stove, she only heard Feldman’s last words.
“So, no one wants to help the sick and dying?”
“I do,” came a voice from near the stove.
“You? Can you read?”
“I can.”
“And can you read a thermometer?”
“Yes. I worked for three years as a surgical nurse in the imperial infirmary.”
“What’s your name?”
The baroness gave her family name without mentioning her title.
“Baroness!” cried out Sonka, followed by several more women. Among them were none of the “elite,” in spite of their frequent talk of Christianity and of their religiosity.
The doors of the typhus barracks closed after the lady-in-waiting, a lady who had served three empresses. There were few survivors. The majority who entered the barracks did not leave it alive.
M. V. Feldman later related that the baroness was assigned as the head nurse but worked alongside those under her. They were short-handed. The work was hard. The sick lay side by side on the floor, and as the nurses changed the bedding, their hands would be covered by the putrid discharge. It was a frightful place.
The baroness worked day and night. She worked just as quietly and deliberately as she had carried bricks or washed the floor of the women’s barracks. With the same careful and deliberate manner in which she doubtless carried out her duties as a lady-in-waiting. This final act of service was not some impulsive outburst of selflessness but the result of a profound inner culture, not only imbibed together with her mother’s milk, but inherited from preceding generations. The time will come when genetics will reveal the great mystery of hereditary transmission.
Her sense of duty and profound personal discipline gave her the strength to carry on her work to the last hour, the last minute, her last breath… This hour struck when the fatal typhus showed up on the baroness’s hands and neck. M. V. Feldman noticed it.
“Baroness, go and find a bed for yourself in the special ward. Haven’t you noticed it yourself?”
“What for? You well know that at my age no one recovers from typhus. The Lord is calling me to Himself, but I can still serve Him another two or three days.”
They stood facing one another. The aristocrat and the communist. The virgin and the passionate, still unrepentant Magdalene. The believer and the atheist. Women from two different worlds.
The effusive, impulsive Feldman embraced and kissed the old lady. When she told me about this later, her eyes filled with tears.
“You know, I wanted to make the sign of the Cross over her, just as my old nanny used to cross me when I was a child. But I was afraid of offending her religious sensibilities. After all, I’m Jewish.”
The baroness drew her final breath a day later. During the morning rounds, she sat down on the floor, then she lay down. Shortly thereafter she was overtaken by delirium.
Sonka Glazok also never left the barracks of death. Their souls appeared together before the Throne of God.
Further to yesterday’s encouragement to pray the supplicatory canons to the Theotokos, as part of the praxis of the Dormition Fast, the canon for tonight’s compline is posted. This will be equally suited to incorporation into our evening prayers.
You will recognise this as the normal Small Supplicatory Canon, by the Lord Theophanes (also attributed to Theoktistos) but successive evenings will bring different Supplicatory Canons by other hymnographers.
Ode 1, Irmos: Having passed through the water as upon dry land, * and having escaped the malice of the Egyptians, * the Israelites cried aloud: * Unto our God and Redeemer let us sing.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Beset by many perils, I flee unto thee, seeking salvation. О Virgin Mother of the Word, save me from every grievous and cruel circumstance.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Assaults of the passions disquiet me and fill my soul with great despondency. Bring peace to me with the tranquility of thy Son and God, О all-immaculate Maiden.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I entreat thee, О Virgin who hast given birth to God the Saviour, that I may be delivered from grievous circumstances; for, fleeing now unto thee, I raise unto thee my soul and mind.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In that thou art good, О only Mother of God who hast given birth to Him Who is good, unto me who am sick in body and soul grant divine visitation and providence.
Ode III, Irmos: O Lord, Creator of the vault of Heaven * and Builder of the Church,* do Thou strengthen me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, * O Support of the faithful, * O only Lover of mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
I count thee the intercession and protection of my life, О Virgin Birthgiver of God. Guide me to thy haven, О cause of good things, confirmation of the faithful, who alone art all-hymned.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
I beg thee to quell the tumult of my soul and the tempest of my grief, О Virgin; for thou hast given birth to Christ, the Origin of tranquillity, О Bride of God who alone art most pure.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О thou who hast given birth unto the Benefactor, the Cause of good things, pour forth the riches of beneficence upon all; for as thou hast given birth to Christ Who is mighty in strength, thou art able to accomplish all things, О thou who art blessed of God.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
When I am wracked by cruel afflictions and painful sufferings, О Virgin, do thou help me; for I know thee to be an inexhaustible and never-failing treasury of healings, О most immaculate one.
Ode IV, Irmos: O Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I have considered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О Bride of God, who hast given birth to the Lord and Helmsman, still thou the tumult of my passions and the tempest of my transgressions.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О thou who hast given birth to the compassionate Saviour of all who hymn thee, bestow the abyss of thy tender compassion upon me who invoke thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Delighting in thy gifts, О most pure one, we chant hymnody of thanksgiving unto thee, knowing thee to be the Mother of God.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
As I lie upon my bed of sickness and infirmity, help me, О only Ever- virgin Theotokos, in that thou art full of love.
Ode V, Irmos: Illumine us O Lord with Thy commandments, * and with Thine arm raised on high * grant us Thy peace, * O Lover of mankind!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Fill thou my heart with gladness, О pure one, granting me thine unfading joy, О thou who hast given birth to the Cause of gladness.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Deliver us from misfortunes, О pure Theotokos, who hast given birth to eternal Deliverance, the Intelligence which passeth all understanding.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Dispel thou the gloom of my transgressions with the radiance of thy splendour, О Bride of God who hast given birth to the divine and pre-eternal Light.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. О pure one, heal thou the sickness of my soul, granting me thy
О pure one, heal thou the sickness of my soul, granting me thy visitation, and By thy prayers giving me health.
Ode VI, Irmos: I will pour out my prayer unto the Lord, * and to Him will I proclaim my grief; * for my soul is filled with evils, * and my life unto Hades hath drawn nigh, * and like Jonah I pray unto Thee: * Raise me up from corruption, O God.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
He Who gave Himself over to death hath saved from death and corruption my nature which hath been held captive by corruption, О Virgin. Entreat thy Lord and Son, that He deliver me from the wickedness of the enemy.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
I know thee to be the intercessor and steadfast guardian of my life who doeth away with the tumults of temptations and repelleth the onslaughts of the demons; and I ever pray to be delivered from the corruption of my passions.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О Maiden, we have acquired thee as a bulwark of refuge, the perfect salvation of our souls, and latitude amid tribulations; and we ever rejoice in thy splendour. О Lady, even now save us from sufferings and misfortunes.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
I lie now, sick, upon my bed, and there is no healing for my flesh; but to thee, the good one who gave birth to God, the Saviour and Redeemer of the world, do I pray: Raise me up from the corruption of infirmities.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice).
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional hymn, Tone VIII: Beholding Thee, the Lamb and Shepherd, * the Saviour of the world, upon the Cross, * she that gaveth birth to Thee said, weeping: * The world rejoiceth, having received deliverance; * but my womb doth burn, beholding Thy crucifixion, ** which Thou dost endure on behalf of all, O my Son and God!
Ode VII, Irmos: The Children of Judaea, * who of old came to dwell in Babylon, * trampled underfoot the flame of the furnace * through their faith in the Trinity, * as they sang: ‘O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.’
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
As Thou didst desire to arrange our salvation, О Saviour, Thou didst make Thine abode within the womb of the Virgin, and hast shown her to be an intercessor for the world. О God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thou hast given birth to Him Who willeth mercy, О pure Mother. Him do thou beseech, that He deliver from transgressions and defilement of soul those who cry out with faith: О God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou hast shown her who gave birth to Thee to be a treasury of salvation, a wellspring of incorruption, a tower of safety and a portal of repentance for those who cry: О God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О Virgin Birthgiver of God who hast given birth for us to Christ the Saviour, grant healing of bodily weakness and infirmity of soul unto those who with love have recourse to thy protection.
Ode VIII, Irmos: The King of heaven, * Who is glorified by the hosts of angels, * let us praise and supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О Virgin, disdain not those who are in need of thine aid, and who hymn and supremely exalt thee throughout all ages.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thou healest, the infirmity of my soul and my bodily pangs, О pure Virgin, that I may glorify thee throughout all ages.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О Virgin, thou pourest forth a wealth of healings upon those who with faith hymn thee and supremely exalt thine ineffable offspring.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О Virgin, thou drivest away the assaults of temptations and the attacks of the passions; wherefore, we hymn thee throughout all ages.
Ode IX, Irmos: Saved by thee, O pure Virgin, * we confess thee to be truly the Theotokos, * and together with the choirs of the bodiless hosts * thee do we magnify.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Turn not away from the torrent of my tears, О Virgin who hast given birth unto Christ, and wiped away every tear from every face.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Fill thou my heart with joy, О Virgin who received the fullness of Joy, setting at naught the grief of sin.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
With the rays of thy light, О Virgin, illumine those who in an Orthodox manner confess thee to be the Theotokos, dispelling the darkness of ignorance.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Heal thou the infirmities of one who hath been brought down to a place of affliction, О Virgin, transforming illness into health.
With yesterday’s feast, we began the Dormition Fast, which is a small but strict period of abstinence before our celebration of the Falling Asleep of the Mother of God and her Assumption into Heaven.
This feast is a powerful echo of the Lord’s Resurrection and, as such, it is our Summer Pascha. This is reflected in the various ceremonies and services celebrated across the Orthodox world for the feast, including the Burial Service of the Mother of God, which mirrors Holy and Great Saturday.
Given this Paschal nature of the feast, it is not surprising that we should prepare with fasting. But, what about our spiritual preparation in terms of prayer?
The spiritual praxis of the Great Fast is shaped by the Lenten Triodion, but the other fasting periods of the year have no such source of a schematised liturgical framework.
However, in the Greek tradition, the Great and Small Supplicatory Canons to the Mother of God are chanted in a pareklisis/ moleben each night up until the eve of the feast, starting with the Small Supplicatory Canon if August 1st (14th New Style) falls on a weekday, but with the Great Supplicatory Canon if August 1st falls on a Saturday or Sunday.
The canon is not chanted on Saturdays, being the eve of the Lord’s Day, and on the Lord’s Day the Great Supplicatory Canon is chanted unless it is the eve of Transfiguration, when the vigil will be celebrated.
Having said all of this, the Great Supplicatory Canon is not traditionally part of Russian liturgical custom, as only the Small Canon was part of the transmitted liturgical tradition at the time it was received form Byzantium.
As I’ve posted before, there are actually fifty-six Supplicatory Canons to the Mother of God in the Octoechos (the book of the eight tones, from which we take the daily variables on our eight-week cycle). In each tone, there is a canon for use at compline for each night of the week.
Reflecting our own Slavic tradition, it would be good if the faithful could integrate either the Supplicatory Canon from our prayerbooks, or the Supplicatory Canon of the day into evening prayers, in preparation for the celebration of the Dormition.
The canons are to be found in the compline variables, and we start are currently in Tone 8, returning to Tone 1 on Saturday evening, at vespers.
The refrain between the verses is, of course. ‘Most Holy Theotokos, save us’, with ‘Glory be to the Father etc.’ before the penultimate troparion, and ‘Both now and ever etc…’ before the final troparion in each ode.
These are days in which we should be seeking to draw closer to the Mother of God, as we spiritually approach her Falling Asleep, to joyously celebrate her new life – body and soul – with her Son in Heaven.
Wishing you a good struggle with prayer and fasting. Find time for the Mother of God in these two weeks of fasting, and thank the Lord for her maternal care for the Church and Christian people.
St John’s Church, St Johns Crescent, Canton, Cardiff. CF51NX
Dear brothers and sisters
This Sunday, we will celebrate the feast of the All-Merciful Saviour and the Procession of the Life-Giving Cross, so although it is the beginning of the Dormition Fast, we start ‘Post’ with a feast on the very first day!
For some of our parishioners, this will be their first Dormition Fast, as we prepare for the Feast of the Dormition and Assumption of the Mother of God with fourteen days without meat, fish, eggs and dairy food (though we eat fish on the feast of the Transfiguration).
Sunday will be the first of August’s feasts of the Saviour, “Medoviy Spas”, with the blessing of honey at the end of the Liturgy. So… please remember to bring your honey or baked goods (honey cakes, poppy-seed cakes or biscuits etc.) for the blessing at the end of the Liturgy, after we have venerated the Life-Giving Cross and the icon of the All-Merciful Saviour.
We wil lalso venerate the relics of St Panteleimon, whose feast fell on Tuesday, this week.
As always, I encourage you to support your LOCAL beekeepers. Pay extra and buy a jar of local honey!
Help our LOCAL bees by supporting our LOCAL beekeepers.
“This feast was instituted by a mutual agreement of the Greeks and Russians at the time of the Greek Emperor Manuel and the Russian Prince Andrew in commemoration of the simultaneous victories of the Russians over the Bulgarians and the Greeks over the Saracens [in 1164]. In both of these battles, crosses were carried by the armies from which heavenly rays shone. It was therefore instituted that, on August 1, the Cross be carried first to the middle of the Church of the Divine Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) and after that, along the streets for the people to venerate as a commemoration of the miraculous help of the Cross in previous battles. This was not an ordinary cross but the true Honorable Cross which was kept in the church of the imperial court. On July 31, the Honorable Cross was carried from the imperial court to the Church of the Holy Wisdom of God and from there it was carried along the streets for the consecration of the earth and the air. Finally, on August 14, it was again returned to the church of the imperial palace.”
St Nikolai Velimirovic in the Prologue from Ochrid
Apologies for posting later than intended, after a few busy days with parishioners in Wiltshire and Somerset, and a late arrival home.
Our Cardiff parish has been blessed to have gained devoted parishioners in Wessex, initially due to their resistance to local attacks on Orthodox Eucharistic praxis, and their refusal to compromise the Holy Mysteries or doubt the healing efficacy of the Saviour’s Body and Blood.
It was a blessing to be able to recognise their many journeys and great effort to support our services by travelling in the opposite direction to pray with them in Wiltshire and Somerset, making a few home visits – with Margarita’s home being blessed in the process – and to celebrate the feast of St Panteleimon with a pilgrimage visit to the beautiful church of St Laurence, at Bradford on Avon. As announced after Liturgy, this was a reconnaissance-visit prior to a parish pilgrimage, to hopefully be led by Bishop Irenei.
It was wonderful to gather in the small chancel and serve a moleben to the Holy Martyr and Archdeacon Laurence of Rome and the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, before a festal lunch and a time of fellowship and conversation.
The short visit has galvanised our resolve to pray and worship on the other side of the Severn, recognising the constant travels to Cardiff on the part of our Wessex parishioners.
Later this week and the beginning of the following week, I hope to visit some holy places with Cardiff parishioners. To maximise the opportunities on this front, I would like to hear confessions on Saturday, rather than Friday. I know that this may be problematic for a few people and will endeavour to work around this. Please email by Thursday 18:00 to arrange confessions.
Sunday is the Feast of the All-Merciful Saviour and the Procession of the Life-Giving Cross, and we will have the traditional blessing of honey at the end of Liturgy, so remember to bring your new honey, so that you can taste and see that the Lord is good!.
Following on from the feast of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer, Panteleimon, our small portion of his sacred relics will be available to venerate alongside the Life-Giving Cross.
Ode I, Irmos: Let us chant a hymn of victory unto the Lord, * Who of old guided the people in the midst of the sea, * and drowned Pharaoh and all his army therein, * for He hath been glorified.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Desiring to behold the fiery power of the miracles of Elias, his fiery and honoured tongue and strength of spirit, we have assembled as is meet.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
O God-bearer, our lips and the muteness and lack of skill of our tongue do thou open through the activity of the Spirit which is within thee, and illumine us, that we may hymn thy wonders.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou dost grant that which transcendeth nature unto those who have submitted to Thine honoured precepts, O Word, and Thou dost make the portals of the rain subject to them through the Spirit, confirming their word.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
To the Lord Who was born of the Virgin and Who hath renewed the world, and Who for her sake hath bestowed upon us divine life, we chant a hymn of victory, for He hath been glorified.
Canon II, the acrostic whereof is: “I sing praise to the great Elias,” the composition of Hieromonk Pachomius, in Tone VIII:
Ode I, Irmos: Having passed through the water as upon dry land, * and having escaped the malice of the Egyptians, * the Israelites cried aloud: * Unto our God and Redeemer let us sing.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou hast been shown to be an instrument struck by the divine plectrum, O most wondrous prophet, hymning the omniscient God Who doth visit retribution upon all according to their deeds.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
O wondrous prophet, unable to endure deception, thou didst denounce the unrighteous king for his iniquity. Wherefore, thou didst impose God’s judgment of condemnation, full of wrath, upon him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O divine Elias, prophet and forerunner of grace, having denounced Ahab, the iniquitous king, as a transgressor of the Law, thou didst destroy the shameful prophets as impious.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Ye faithful, let us make haste to praise in hymns as is meet the Mother of Christ, for she gaveth birth unto the Saviour of all, Who is the Master of life and death.
Ode III, Irmos: Thou hast established me on the rock of faith, * and my mouth hath been emboldened against mine enemies. * For my spirit rejoiceth when I sing: * There is none as holy as our God * and none more righteous than Thee, O Lord.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
He, that alone sustaineth every living thing by His good will, through a raven provided thee with a banquet as a chosen guest, O Prophet. To Him do we all cry aloud: Thou art our God, and there is none holy save Thee, O Lord!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Grace be to the Benefactor and Guardian Who, in His ineffable providence, nourished the widow and the prophet. To Him do we all cry out: Thou art our God, and none is holy save Thee, O Lord!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
O thou who didst forbid the rain-laden clouds to pour forth, when the widow of Zarephath was deprived of food, thou didst cause the remnant of her food to increase continually; and didst cry aloud: None is holy save Thee, O Lord!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Thou alone, surpassing all of ages past; hast been deemed worthy of great things transcending nature, for thou didst receive the infinite God of all creation within thy womb and gave Him flesh. Wherefore, we all honour thee as the Theotokos.
Another Irmos: O Lord, Creator of the vault of Heaven * and Builder of the Church, * do Thou strengthen me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, * O Support of the faithful, * O only Lover of mankind.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
With mercy dost thou chastise all, taking pity on all who with faith have recourse to thee in thy temple. And in asking help of thee they have in no wise sinned.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou didst denounce Ahab, the impious king, O divine prophet, and judge him with the judgment of God as a violator of the Law.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The shameless Queen Jezebel sought to slay thee, O most divine prophet, for thou didst pronounce the sentence of death upon her unholy priests, as was meet.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Lady, we hymn thee as a palace of the priesthood of glory and the altar which held Christ, the Bread of life, O pure one.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII: Ye faithful, with hymns let us all praise Elias the Tishbite, the wellspring of miracles and adornment of prophets; for, being immortal while yet in the flesh, as a mortal he assured us of the resurrection of the dead. Wherefore, having boldness before God, he granteth healing to those who ask with faith, and earnestly beseecheth Christ to bestow forgiveness of sins upon those who with love celebrate his holy memory. (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.
Theotokion, Tone VIII: From the snares of enemies visible and invisible, * we have been overcome by the storms of our uncountable sins, * and fleeing unto the safe harbour of thy goodness O pure one, * we have thee as our rampart and sure protection. * Wherefore we thy servants beseech thee * to ceaselessly make fervent supplication, O most pure one, * unto Him who seedlessly became incarnate from thee, * that those who worthily hymn thee ** may be granted the remission of their sins.
Ode IV, Irmos: I have heard report of Thy dispensation, O Lord, * and have glorified Thee * Who alone art the Lover of mankind.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou art shown to be one that cutteth down evil at its root and a planter of virtue, O wise prophet. Wherefore, we bless thee.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
With words the widow who fed thee upbraided thee for the death of her son, compelling thee to raise him from the dead.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou didst clearly signify the glory of the Trinity with thy threefold breathing, and didst hand back alive the child to his mother.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
How thou didst burn, aflame with divine fire and zeal, O prophet, denouncing the king who wrought iniquities!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O pure one, who without seed didst conceive God, we entreat thee ever to pray for thy servants.
Another Irmos: I have heard report of Thee O Lord, * and I was afraid, * for thy counsel is ineffable, * being the ever-existent God, * Thou didst come forth from the Virgin, * wherefore I hymn Thee: * glory to Thy condescension, O Christ, * glory to Thy power.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The Lord crowned thee a prophet, O most wise one, granting thee the grace to foretell things of the future as though they were of the present. Wherefore, beholding now the fulfilment of thy words, we bless thee ever with praises as a true prophet.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
As the soul of Thy prophet hath been most greatly adorned with humble-mindedness, O Christ God, so, aflame with zeal which surpasseth fire, he destroyed the shameful priests.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Reflecting like a mirror with thy countenance, the face of Christ before Whom thou dost stand, O most wondrous prophet; from whence do thou mercifully visit us, that with praises we may all bless thee as a prophet.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Having acquired thee as our hope and confirmation, an impregnable rampart of salvation, O all-hymned one, we are delivered from every evil circumstance.
Ode V, Irmos: O Lord, Bestower of light and Creator of the ages: * guide us in the light of Thy commandments, * for we know none other God than Thee.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The Law of thy fathers hath shown thee to be a true man of prayer, O Elias, a wonderworker who transformed the nature of the elements and utterly consumed the righteous sacrifice with water.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
As thou art a true minister of God, thou didst utterly put to shame the prophets of abominable ignominy, O venerable and all-blessed Elias, clearly marking the power of the Trinity.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Rendering priestly service through the word of grace, O Elias, thou didst slay the shameful priests with thy blameless hands, consumed with zeal as with fire.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
To thee who hast given birth unto Christ, the Creator of all, we cry aloud: Rejoice, O pure one! Rejoice, thou who hast shone forth the Light upon us! Rejoice, thou who didst contain the infinite God!
Another Irmos: O Light never-waning, * why hast Thou turned Thy face from me * and why hath the alien darkness surrounded me, * wretched though I be? * But do Thou guide my steps I implore Thee * and turn me back towards the light of Thy commandments.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
O prophet Elias, whom the unwaning splendour of divine grace hath revealed: having diligently acquired a most divine mind, thou dost rouse the pious to song.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Who doth not marvel at thy divine zeal, O wondrous prophet? And who doth not hymn Christ Who hath given thee such great might?
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
With prophecy wast thou adorned by God, O Elias, thou most wondrous prophet; hence, having wholly united thyself to God, and denouncing deception, thou didst lead the Israelites to the knowledge of God.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Theotokos, who hast given birth to the never-setting Sun, enlighten me who am utterly darkened by the passions, and fill me with the divine light.
Ode VI, Irmos: The deep abyss of offenses hath surrounded me, O Lord, * but do Thou lead up my life from corruption, * as Thou didst the Prophet Jonah, O Lord.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
A pillar of piety and of a pure life, an instiller of purity, and an emulator of the angels wast thou, O wondrous God-bearer Elias.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The wrath of the prophet-slaying woman, having frightened thee who had received the power to bind and loose the flow of the rains, O wondrous Elias, caused thee to flee.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Having knelt down, thou didst raise on high the supremely exalted eye of thy mind, and by thine eminent entreaty didst cause the rains to be loosed; and with showers, watered the furrows of the earth.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The bush on Sinai, which drew nigh to the Fire without being consumed, prefigured thee, the Ever-virgin Mother, O all-hymned Theotokos Mary.
Another Irmos: Cleanse me, O Saviour, * for many are mine iniquities; * lead me up from the abyss of evils I pray Thee, * for unto Thee have I cried, * and Thou hast hearkened unto me, * O God of my salvation.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
A hymn of supplication do thou offer unto God, O most honoured prophet, on behalf of all who have recourse to thy divine temple, that we may honour thee as a great helper.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The mortal mind doth not suffice to praise thy life as is meet, O prophet; for, beholding the transfiguration of Christ, thou wast exalted far above the noetic ranks.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
He who is the Lord and Creator of all hath appeared to us in accordance with thy prophecy, O blessed Elias, calling all to the knowledge of Him, for He is the Lover of mankind.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Mary, pure vessel of virginity: cleanse thou my mind of the gloom of the passions, and fill my heart with righteousness, O all-immaculate one.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone II: O prophet, foreseer of the mighty works of our God, * Elias of great renown, * who by thy voice didst restrain the cloud of rain: * on our behalf entreat thou Him ** who alone is the Lover of mankind.
Ikos: Beholding the great iniquity of mankind and the great love of God for them, the prophet Elias was troubled and grew wroth; and he addressed pitiless words to the Merciful One, crying aloud: Be Thou angered against those who deny Thee, O righteous Judge! But he could not move the compassion of the Good One to torment those who deny Him, for He who alone is the Lover of mankind doth ever await the repentance of all.
Ode VII, Irmos: The bush which burned with fire on the mountain * and the dew-bearing furnace of the Chaldeans * clearly prefigured thee, O Bride of God; * for, without being consumed, * thou didst receive the divine and immaterial Fire * within thy material womb. * Wherefore, we chant unto Him Who was born of thee: * O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Most gloriously vested with divine and formidable power, thou didst undertake a long journey, having eaten of food that sufficed thee for forty days, O wondrous Elias. Wherefore, thou didst say on Horeb: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The mild and gentle breeze showed the Lord to thee, O Elias, who wast zealous for God Almighty: not the wind of the tempest, nor the earthquake, nor yet the fearsome fire. Wherefore, to meek Jesus thou didst chant: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Like the great Moses, thou wast deemed worthy of the vision of God and prophecy, O wondrous Elias, anointing prophets and kings with the Spirit. And having borne witness to the glory of Christ on Tabor, thou didst chant: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
In times past thou didst supra-naturally and without seed give birth in the flesh to the beginningless and pre-eternal Lord, the Son, Power and Wisdom of the Father, O most pure one, unto the renovation of mortals. Wherefore, we cry out to Him who was born of thee: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Another Irmos: The Children of Judaea, * who of old came to dwell in Babylon, * trampled underfoot the flame of the furnace * through their faith in the Trinity, * as they sang: ‘O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.’
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The people of Israel that came to thee with a captain of fifty thou didst utterly consume with fire from heaven as unworthy, O divine Elias.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou wast a most divine prophet who wast rightly illumined with the vision of God, O most honoured Elias; and didst straightway put an end to the sacrifices made to Baal.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Inasmuch as the most holy Spirit gave thee the gift to prophesy, O most honoured prophet Elias, thou didst foretell the coming of the Son of God and didst not sin, O all-blessed one. To Him do we chant: ‘O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Truly, as was meet, the poison of death was poured forth through the judgment of God and the hand of the prophet upon the shameful priests that ate unrighteously at the table of Jezebel.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Mother of God, save me who am held fast by the abyss of sins, and rescue me from all the malice of the foe, that, saved by thee, I may magnify thine aid.
Ode VIII, Irmos: The relentless fire, fed with endless fuel, * drew back in fear before the pious Children, * pure in body and in soul; * and as the flame waned in strength, * they sang an everlasting song: * O all ye works, praise ye the Lord * and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Well did Ahab find the just destruction of his house, through the prophet’s condemnation, to be the dread retribution for his vile commission of murder. And with fiery mind the Tishbite chanted a hymn unto the Bestower of life: All ye works of the Lord, hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Fire rained down from heaven for thee, O Elias, twice consuming captains of fifty, in that thou art God’s chosen minister; for to Him who controlleth everlasting life didst thou in a godly manner hymn: All ye works of the Lord, hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
On Tabor Christ showed thee to be an initiate of the mystery of His divine incarnation, as thou wast an instiller of purity and a most divine offshoot of virginity, showing the unapproachable light of the Godhead in His Body to thee who dost cry aloud: All ye works of the Lord, hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Most rich was the womb of the Mother of God; for, having received the Word in the coarseness of the flesh and wrought therefrom an earthly form according to His hypostasis, it was shown to be the city of God wherein the Most High was well-pleased to dwell. To Him do we chant: All ye works of the Lord, hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Another Irmos: The King of heaven, * Who is glorified by the hosts of angels, * let us praise and supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
He who, as God, knoweth all things, entrusted to thee, O Elias, in that thou art faithful, the knowledge of things to come and of things that shall come to pass; and He showed thee things which are afar off as though they were near.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Having strengthened thy mind with pious boldness, O blessed prophet, thou dost foretell those things that are far off as though they were near, O most honoured prophet.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having cleansed thy mind of all defilement, O divine prophet, thou didst become completely holy, guiding all to the divine Light.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Word, to Whom thou didst give birth indescribably, do thou entreat on behalf of those who faithfully honour thee, O pure Birthgiver of God.
Ode IX, Irmos: Thee do we magnify, O blessed and most pure Theotokos, * who through thy virginal womb ineffably brought forth * God incarnate, * the Luminary Who shone forth before the sun * and hath come to us in the flesh.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Having lived on earth the course which man cannot change, and crossed the Jordan’s stream by means of his mantle, the Tishbite, that air-borne charioteer, made a strange and heaven-traversing journey in the Spirit.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The Tishbite, aflame with the zeal of piety, was taken up on a fiery chariot; and he let drop his mantle; and Eliseus, robed therein, received divine grace which could not be concealed.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The Tishbite and Moses the God-seer beheld in a revelation on Tabor what eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, and what hath not entered into the hearts of earth-born men: the Lord Almighty, incarnate.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O Theotokos, we magnify thee, who removed the severe condemnation which was of old the correction of our first mother, and who art ever the reconciliation of our race to God, thou bridge to the Creator.
Another Irmos: Saved by thee, O pure Virgin, * we confess thee to be truly the Theotokos, * and together with the choirs of the bodiless hosts * thee do we magnify.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou hast been deified by the immaterial splendour of the life-creating Trinity, O prophet Elias; wherefore, we all appoint thee as an intercessor to God for the world, O blessed one.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou wast known as an angel on earth, O divine prophet, and in heaven as a man of God; for the Lord Himself said: Because thou art an austere man, O Elias, thou canst not endure iniquitous Israel. Come thou up to Me, that I may come down!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst live on earth as one of the bodiless ones, O divine prophet, and now, borne up to heaven, thou dost join chorus with the angelic choirs. From on high watch over us who hymn thee, O blessed one.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou didst bear in thine arms God Who beareth all things, and thou hast fed the Nourisher Who became like unto us, O pure one. Him do thou beseech, that He grant to thy people deliverance from all oppressors.
Troparion, Tone IV: The angel in the flesh, and foundation of the prophets, * the second forerunner of the Coming of Christ, * the glorious Elias from on High * sent down grace upon Eliseus * to dispel infirmities and to cleanse lepers. * Wherefore, he poureth forth healings ** upon those who honour him.
Further to my encouragement to pray the supplicatory canons to the Theotokos as part of the praxis of the Dormition Fast, the canon for compline for Wednesday of tone 8 is posted, below. 
