Prayer from the Great Euchologion “For One Who Is Ill and Cannot Sleep”
O God, Great, Praised, Incomprehensible and Ineffable, Who didst fashion man with Thy hands, taking dust from the earth, and Who didst honour him with Thine Image, O Jesus Christ, Most-desired Name, together with Thy Father Who is without beginning, and Thy Most-Holy, Good, and Lifegiving Spirit: Do Thou manifest unto Thy servant, N., and visit him (her) in soul and body, being entreated by our most-glorious Sovereign Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary; by the holy Bodiless Powers of Heaven; by the honourable and glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John; by the holy, glorious and all-praised Apostles; by the holy, glorious and right-victorious Martyrs; by our Fathers among the Saints and ecumenical Teachers: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom; by Athanasius and Cyril, Nicholas of Myra in Lycia, Cyril and Methodius, Teachers of the Slavs, Spyridon the Wonderworker, and all the holy Hierarchs; by the holy Apostle, Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen; by the holy, glorious Great-Martyrs: George the Trophy-bearer, Demetrius the Myrrhgusher, Theodore Stratelates, and all the holy Martyrs; by our Venerable and God-bearing Fathers: Anthony, Euthymius, Savvas the Sanctified, Theodosius (Founder of the Common Life), Onouphrius, Arsenius, Athanasius the Athonite, and all the Venerable Ones; by the holy Unmercenary Physicians: Cosmas and Damian, Cyrus and John, Panteleimon and Hermalaeus, Samson and Diomedes, Thalelaeus and Tryphon, and all the rest; by Saint(s), N. (of the Day); and by all Thy Saints; and grant unto him (her) a peaceful sleep, the sleep of bodily health and salvation, and life and strength of soul and body, as once Thou didst visit Abimelech, Thy favourite, in the house of Agrippa, and gavest him the consolation of sleep, that he not see the Fall of Jerusalem, and having nourished him with sleep, didst raise him up again in the twinkling of an eye, to the glory of Thy goodness; and as Thou didst make manifest Thy holy glorious Seven Youths, confessors and witnesses of Thine Appearance in the days of the Emperor Decius and the Apostate, having sustained them in the cave for 372 years, as infants kept warm in their own mother’s womb, none having endured corruption, to the praise and glory of Thy love for mankind, and for a testimony and confession of our regeneration and the resurrection of all. Do Thou Thyself, therefore, O Lover of Mankind and King, be present now also with the infusion of Thy Holy Spirit, and visit Thy servant, N., and grant unto him (her) health, strength and power, by Thy grace, for with Thee every action is good, and every gift is perfect. For Thou art the Physician of our souls and bodies, and unto Thee do we send up glory, thanksgiving and worship, together with Thy Father Who is without beginning, and Thy Most-Holy, Good, and Lifegiving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters, greetings as we celebrate the memory of St John the Wonderworker! Let us all celebrate his memory by praying the akathist!
KONTAKION I Chosen wonderworker and pleaser of Christ, who pourest forth inexhaustible streams of inspiration and a multitude, of miracles upon the whole world, we praise thee with love and call out to thee: Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
OIKOS I An angel in the flesh wast thou manifested in these latter times by the grace of God Who ever careth for men. Seeing the beauty of thy virtues, we cry out to thee: Rejoice, thou who from earliest childhood wast adorned in piety. Rejoice, thou who didst ever live in fear of God and do His holy will. Rejoice, thou who didst manifest the grace of God through good deeds done secretly. Rejoice, thou who dost hearken to the prayers of those in distress. Rejoice, thou who didst hasten, full of love, to save thy neighbors. Rejoice, joy to all who fall down before thee with faith. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION II Beholding the abundance and variety of thy virtues, O holy Hierarch, we see in thee a living source of God’s wonders in our time. Thou dost refresh with thy love and miracles all who cry in faith to God: Alleluia!
OIKOS II Being filled with love and replete with theology, O divinely wise John, made wise by the knowledge of God and adorned with love for the suffering, teach us also to know the true God in love as we call out to thee in admiration: Rejoice, unshakeable stronghold of Orthodox truth. Rejoice, precious vessel of the Holy Spirit. Rejoice, righteous denouncer of impiety and false doctrine. Rejoice, zealous fulfiller of the commandments of God. Rejoice, ascetic who didst not allow thyself to rest upon a bed. Rejoice, beloved shepherd of the flock of Christ. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION III By the power of the grace of God wast thou manifest as a father to orphans and instructor of the young, raising them in the fear of God and preparing them for the service of God. Wherefore all thy children look to thee with love in gratitude cry out to God: Alleluia!
OIKOS III Thou shouldst truly be praised from the heavens, and not from earth, O father John, for our words are feeble beside thy deeds. Yet offering to God what we have, we cry out to thee thus: Rejoice, thou who didst protect thy children by thine unceasing prayer! Rejoice, thou who didst ever guard thy flock with the sign of the Cross. Rejoice, thou whose love knew no bounds of country or race. Rejoice, bright luminary beloved of all. Rejoice, model of unceasing prayer and loving kindness. Rejoice, bestower of spiritual consolation upon those in need. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION IV Overwhelmed by the tempest of perils, we know not how to praise thee worthily, O Hierarch John. Thou didst travel to the ends of the earth to save thy flock and proclaim the glad tidings of the Gospel to those in darkness. Giving thanks to God for thine apostolic labors we cry out to Him: Alleluia!
OIKOS IV Those near and far have heard of the greatness of thy miracles, which are made manifest by the mercy of God even to our days. And so we also, marveling, cry out in awe: Rejoice, enlightener of those in the darkness of unbelief. Rejoice, thou who didst lead thy people from the Far East to the West. Rejoice, fountain of miracles poured forth by God. Rejoice, loving chastiser of those who have gone astray. Rejoice, swift consoler of those who repent of their sins. Rejoice, guide of those who walk the straight path. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION V Thou wast manifest to be a divinely bestowed light to stop the destructive forces of fallen nature, O holy Hierarch, preserving thy flock on the island of Tubabao from the deadly wind and storm, by thy prayer and the sign of the Cross. Teach us who call upon thee for help, O holy woderworker, to cry out in wonder unto God: Alleluia!
OIKOS V All who have trusted in thy help in desperate circumstances and adversities have found deliverance, O bold intercessor, before the Throne of God. Wherefore, we trust in thine intercession before God, and cry out to thee: Rejoice, thou who dost avert the dangers of the elements. Rejoice, thou who by thy prayer deliverest from need. Rejoice, inexhaustible giver of bread to the hungry. Rejoice, abundant wealth for those who live in poverty. Rejoice, consolation for those in sorrow. Rejoice, quick uplifting for those who have fallen. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION VI Preaching salvation though slow of speech, thou wast shown to be like a new Moses, leading thy people out of the captivity of the godless, O all-blessed John. Deliver us also from bondage to sin and the invisible foe, that, rejoicing, we may cry out to God: Alleluia!
OIKOS VI Shining forth in thy righteousness, thou didst do the impossible and persuade the authorities of this world to have pity on thy flock, O good shepherd. Wherefore, with them we also cry out to thee in thanksgiving: Rejoice, good shepherd who didst prepare for thy wandering flock a peaceful haven. Rejoice, thou who didst show the greatest care for children and the sick. Rejoice, helper of all who call thee with faith. Rejoice, for in thy weak body wast the power of God made manifest with abundance. Rejoice, thou who foilest the attacks of the unrighteous. Rejoice, destroyer of lies and exalter of truth. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION VII Desiring to glorify as is meet the ancient saints of the West, of lands which had fallen away from the truth, thou didst revive their veneration in the Orthodox Church, O lover of the saints of the East and the West. With them pray thou today in heaven on behalf of us who chant on earth: Alleluia!
OIKOS VII We see thee as a new chosen one of God, who wast manifest in the latter times as one of the holy Hierarchs of Gaul, exhorting thy flock to preserve the same Orthodox faith that they confessed, and astonishing the peoples of the West by thy holy life. Preserve us, that we too may abide in this Faith, who cry out to thee: Rejoice, thou who wast a new Martin by thy miracles and ascetic feats. Rejoice, thou who wast a new Germanus by thy confession of the Orthodox faith. Rejoice, thou who wast a new Hilary by thy divine theology. Rejoice, thou who wast a new Gregory by thy love and glorification of God’s saints. Rejoice, thou who wast a new Faustus by thy monastic fervor. Rejoice, thou who wast a new Caesarius by thy steadfast love for the canons of the Church of God. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION VIII A strange sight didst thou behold: in the New World thou didst encounter thy former flock in tribulation. Here wast thee called to suffer persecution and by thine patience, righteousness and instruction to guide the flock, and didst erect the church of the Mother of God, the Joy of All Who Sorrow. Now marveling at thy patience and longsuffering, we all cry out to God: Alleluia!
OIKOS VIII Giving thyself wholly unto Christ, O laborer of Christ’s vineyard, thou knewest no rest even at the end of thy much-suffering life; help us, the unworthy, in our labors as we strive to be faithful to Christ, crying out in praise to thee: Rejoice, thou who didst endure unto the end and so didst attain salvation. Rejoice, thou who wast deemed worthy to die before the Icon of the Mother of God. Rejoice, thou who didst keep thy faith and courage in the midst of unjust persecution. Rejoice, thou who didst labor to the end for thy flock and didst repose, seated, as a hierarch. Rejoice, thou who didst comfort the flock by being buried among it. Rejoice, thou who workest wonders for those who come to thy relics with faith and love. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION IX All the angelic hosts rejoiced at thy soul’s ascent to • the mansions of heaven, marveling at the wonders thou didst perform on earth through the action of the Holy Spirit, to Whom we sing: Alleluia!
OIKOS IX Orators find it impossible to describe thy life of sanctity with their many and eloquent words, O righteous father John, for thou didst become a living dwelling-place for the grace of the ineffable God. Yet, unable to be silent at the wonder revealed to our age of feeble faith, we glorify thee: Rejoice, divine palace from whence the counsel of the Good King is given. Rejoice, for in thy humble activity thou hadst angels serving with thee. Rejoice, thou who didst gain a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Rejoice, infirmary wherein every ailment is divinely healed. Rejoice, depository wherein thy holy labor of prayer was hidden. Rejoice, blessed temple of the Holy Spirit. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION X Desiring to save the world, the Savior of all hath sent unto us a new saint and through him hath called us forth from the dark abyss of sin. Hearing this call to repentance, we, the unworthy ones, in turn cry out to God: Alleluia!
OIKOS X Thou art a wall sheltering us from adversity, O father John, for through thy heavenly intercessions are we delivered from the attacks of demonic passions and from afflictions which beset us on earth. Before thy firm support of prayer, we cry with faith: Rejoice, sight to those who are blind. Rejoice, thou who by the power of prayer givest life to those on their bed of death. Rejoice, thou who with divine wisdom dost enlighten those in confusion and doubt. Rejoice, refreshing water to those perishing in the heat of sorrow. Rejoice, loving father to the orphaned and abandoned. Rejoice, holy teacher of those who seek the Truth. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION XI In thought, word and deed thy life was a hymn to the Most Holy Trinity, O most blessed John. For with much wisdom didst thou explain the precepts of the true Faith, teaching us to sing with faith, hope and love to the one God in Trinity: Alleluia!
OIKOS XI We see thee as a radiant lamp of Orthodoxy for those in the darkness of ignorance, O good shepherd of the flock of Christ. Thus, even after thy repose, thou dost reveal the Truth to those ignorant thereof, illumining the souls of the faithful, who cry out to thee such things as these: Rejoice, thou who with divine wisdom dost enlighten those who languish in unbelief. Rejoice, rainbow of quiet joys for the meek. Rejoice, thunder to those obstinate in sin. Rejoice, lightning burning up heresies. Rejoice, downpour of the dogmas of Orthodoxy. Rejoice, dew of the thought of God. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION XII With reverence and thanksgiving do we receive the grace that hath been poured out upon thee by God, O most lauded father John. Glorifying the wonders of a holy hierarch who once walked among us, we cry out to God: Alleluia!
OIKOS XII Singing praise unto God, the heavenly choir of saints rejoiceth that He hath not forsaken the fallen and faithless world, but hath manifested His almighty power in thee, his meek and humble servant. O blessed John, with all the saints we greet thee and give honor to thee: Rejoice, new star of righteousness which hath shone forth in heaven. Rejoice, new prophet who wast sent before the final reign of evil. Rejoice, thou who like Jonah dost warn all of the wages of sin. Rejoice, thou who like the Baptist John calleth all to prayer and repentance. Rejoice, thou who like Paul endured much for the sake of the Gospel and the preaching of the Faith. Rejoice, new apostle whose miracles instill in us faith and awe. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION XIII 0 all-radiant and most wondrous God-pleaser, holy hierarch John, consolation for all who sorrow, accept this, our offering of prayer, that through thy prayers to our Lord we may be delivered from fiery Gehenna and by thy God-pleasing intercession we may chant forever unto God: Alleluia! (Thrice)
OIKOS I An angel in the flesh wast thou manifested in these latter times by the grace of God Who ever careth for men. Seeing the beauty of thy virtues, we cry out to thee: Rejoice, thou who from earliest childhood wast adorned in piety. Rejoice, thou who didst ever live in fear of God and do His holy will. Rejoice, thou who didst manifest the grace of God through good deeds done secretly. Rejoice, thou who dost hearken to the prayers of those in distress. Rejoice, thou who didst hasten, full of love, to save thy neighbors. Rejoice, joy to all who fall down before thee with faith. Rejoice, O holy hierarch,Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION I Chosen wonderworker and pleaser of Christ, who pourest forth inexhaustible streams of inspiration and a multitude of miracles upon the whole world, we praise thee with love and call out to thee: Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
Prayers to the Holy Hierarch John Wonderworker of Shanghai & San Francisco
Prayer 1
O wondrous hierarch John, thou didst stretch thy heart to encompass within it a multitude of people from among diverse nations and peoples who honor thee. Look down at the humility of our words, which we offer out of love” for thee, and help us, O saint of God, to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, so that we may labor for the Lord with fear and rejoice in Him with trembling. What shall we render unto thee for that joy which we have felt, beholding thy sacred relics in the holy church and glorifying thy memory? Truly, we have nothing to offer thee, except if we begin to correct our lives, becoming new men instead of old. Be an intercessor for us of this grace of renewal, O holy John; help us in our weaknesses; heal our sicknesses; cure our passions by thy prayers. O thou who didst depart this temporal life unto life eternal, to which the all-pure Mistress, the Directress of the Russian diaspora, guided thee by her wonder-working Kursk-Root Icon, whose companion thou wast on the day of thy repose, thou dost now rejoice in the choir of the saints who glorify the one God, Who is worshipped in Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 2
O beloved Hierarch John, good shepherd and beholder of the hearts and minds of men! Thou prayest for us now at the throne of God, as thou thyself didst say after thy death: “Even though I have died, yet am I alive.” Beseech the most compassionate God, that He grant us forgiveness of sins, that we may come wakefully to our senses, and cry out to God, asking that we be given the spirit of humility, the fear of God and piety in all the ways of our life. As thou wast a merciful nurturer of orphans and a skilled instructor on earth, be thou now a guide and Christian understanding for us amid the turmoil of the Church; hearken to the groaning of the troubled youth of our corrupt times, who are tempest-tossed by most wicked demonic possession, and mercifully regard the despondency of our weak pastors, caused by the inroads of the corrupting spirit of this world, and who languish in idle indifference. Hasten thou to make supplication, we cry to thee with tears, O fervent advocate; visit us, who are orphaned, scattered over the face of all the world and in our homeland, astray in the darkness of the passions, yet who by our feeble love are drawn to the light of Christ and await thy fatherly instruction; that, having acquired piety, we may be shown to be heirs of the kingdom of heaven, where thou abidest with all the saints, glorifying our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be honor and dominion, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This coming Tuesday is the feast of the Holy Protomartyr, Alban, and to celebrate his memory, we will serve a moleben before the saint’s relics and newly-painted icon in the Oratory Church at 16:00.
Their presence is a great blessing, and some of us make pilgrimages to pray before them week by week. However, it has been some months since a parish group did so, and we look forward to praying and venerating them in the week ahead.
The Cardiff Oratory, The Church of St Alban on the Moors, Swinton St, Splott, Cardiff CF24 2NT.
Saint Tikhon of Medin and Kaluga, in his youth received monastic tonsure at the Chudov monastery in Moscow, but through his love for solitude he settled at an isolated spot near Maloyaroslavl. He lived in asceticism in a deep dense forest, on the bank of the River Vepreika, in the hollow of an ancient giant oak. Once, during a hunt, Prince Basil Yaroslavich (grandson of Vladimir the Brave), came upon St Tikhon, angrily ordered him to leave his property immediately, and dared to raise his whip against the monk. At once, the hand of the prince grew numb. Taken aback by such punishment, the prince repented of his conduct and with humility asked forgiveness.
He received healing through the prayer of St Tikhon. The prince entreated the monk to remain always on his property and to build a monastery there for monks, promising to provide it with everything necessary. St Tikhon built a monastery in honour of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, which he headed. He guided the monastery until he reached a great old age, and he died in the year 1492, after receiving the great schema.
St Tikhon’s body was buried at the cathedral church of the monastery he founded. The celebration of St Tikhon was established at the Council of 1584.
The Orthodox Church in America
6/16/2016
Canon of the saint, 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.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Relying wholly upon almighty God, O divinely wise one, through desire and love thou didst furnish thy mind with wings to fly unto Him, that, abiding with Christ, thou mightest inherit eternal life
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Strengthened by trust in our supremely good God, O most blessed Tikhon, by fasting and prayer thou didst strive towards the good things which are to come.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Wondrous was thy life and the humility which thou didst acquire from thy youth, O all-blessed one; wherefore, having cut thyself off from the world, thou didst become a right skilful monk in whom the virtues flourished.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Word of God, incarnate through thy most pure blood, O most pure Virgin, hath made clear to all His great and divine love; for He hath united human nature to the choir of the angels, and lifted it up unto those who dwell in heaven.
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.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Through fasting and prayer thou hast acquired great boldness before God, O venerable Tikhon. Him do thou beseech, that He be merciful even unto us.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Spurning transitory things here below, the things above, which are exalted, didst thou love, setting thy God-loving soul afire with divine zeal; and having done the will of the Most High, thou hast received the good things of heaven.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Desiring to enjoy the sweet things which are ever abiding, O venerable one, thou didst subsist on plants grown by thyself in the wilderness; and having thus reached the end of the struggle of thy life, thou dost now delight in everlasting good things.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Sovereign Lady, grant thine aid unto me, thy servant, give me understanding, and guide me to the path of salvation O Virgin. Deliver me from misfortunes and tribulations, for thou hast given birth to the Redemption of all.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone IV: Considering the greatly tumultuous world and ephemeral vanity to be as dust, thou didst please God, acquiring the angelic life; wherefore, we pray, from the corrupting passions deliver us who ever honour thy memory in hymns, O blessed Tikhon our father.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Like a vine which hath not been cultivated, O Virgin, thou didst produce the most comely Grape, Who poureth forth upon us the wine of salvation which gladdeneth the souls and bodies of all. Wherefore, blessing thee as the cause of good things, we ever cry out to thee with the angel: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace!
Ode IV, Irmos: Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I have considered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
With torrents of tears thou didst irrigate the wilderness, O blessed one, sowing therein the seed of thy labors; wherefore, in joy thou didst reap fruit an hundredfold, crying aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Mindful of the final day of this life, O venerable Tikhon, thou didst prepare thyself for thy departure at every hour, adorning thy soul with good works, awaiting the arrival of thy Master.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Tikhon our father, never cease to pray for thy holy monastery and hermitage, which thou didst cultivate with much labour, asking that they be delivered from evil circumstances and all manner of tribulation, that we may all unceasingly hymn thee as a gracious father.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Christ the Lord, the King of all, loving thee as a divinely chosen Maiden, a scion of royal lineage, O Theotokos, wholly dwelt within thee, showing thee to be more exalted than the cherubim and the seraphim.
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!
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Like a right flourishing tree planted by streams of water, O venerable father Tikhon, thou hast put forth the virtues as though they were many branches, receiving under thy shade those who desire salvation.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thou wast a fervent advocate in this life, O our blessed father Tikhon, imparting abundant health unto all by thy mediations; wherefore, we now rely on thy supplication even more, asking that through thee we may receive mercy and the remission of sins.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
By voluntary poverty thou didst acquire the kingdom of heaven; wherefore, thou pourest forth in abundance the gifts of spiritual healings upon all who with faith venerate thy most honoured memory, O Tikhon our venerable father.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The noetic Sun shone forth from thee O Theotokos, extending the brilliant rays of His divinity; wherefore with unceasing hymns, we all magnify thee O Sovereign Lady.
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.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thy precious body poureth forth great healing upon those who approach thy salutary tomb with faith, O Tikhon our father.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
By thine unceasing prayers unto God, O Tikhon our father, thou didst attain to the mansions of heaven, where the ineffable Light and the delight of the venerable are, with whom thou standest before the God of all, O father Tikhon.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst consider night to be like day, O blessed one, for thou gavest no rest to thy body, nor sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids, until thou didst reach the resting-place of heaven.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
By thy supplications tear apart the record of my transgressions, and grant me release from the grief and sufferings which beset me, O Sovereign Lady.
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 VIII: Forsaking thy homeland, O venerable one, thou didst make thine abode in the wilderness, * where thou didst show thy manner of life to be strict; * and amazing many by thy virtues, * thou didst receive from Christ the gift of miracles. * Wherefore, remember us who honour thy memory, that we may cry out to thee: ** Rejoice, O venerable Tikhon our father!
Ikos: Loving the divine commandments of Christ, O Tikhon our venerable father, and hating the delights of this world, thou didst leave thy homeland and eagerly hasten to the wilderness; and thou wast a beacon therein, enlightening those parts with the effulgence of the Spirit. Wherefore, approaching thy healing tomb with fervour, we cry out to thee: Rejoice, O Tikhon our venerable father!
Ode VII, Irmos: In Babylon, the pious youths did not worship the golden image, * but, bedewed in the midst of the fiery furnace, * they chanted a hymn, saying: * O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thou didst struggle manfully in the wilderness and, receiving the effulgence of the Spirit, wast caught up to the heights of heaven, O venerable father Tikhon, where thou art now glorified with the angels.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
In the wilderness thou didst curb thy tongue with silence, O Tikhon our father, leading an untroubled life like an angel in the flesh.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Truly thou hast been deemed worthy of a good life, O venerable father Tikhon, obtaining it through purity and asceticism; and now thou standest before God with the ranks of the incorporeal beings.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The mind of man is at a loss as to how to understand the ineffable depths of thy birthgiving, O pure one; for, abasing Himself in His tender compassion, God hath made me wholly new by His incarnation.
Ode VIII, Irmos: The King of heaven, * Who is glorified by the hosts of angels, * let us praise and supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thou didst water the ground of thy heart with torrents of tears, O Tikhon our venerable father, and, standing immovably in prayer, thou didst glorify the Creator of all.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
By thy watchful vigils and frequent sighs, O blessed father Tikhon, the grace of the Holy Spirit grew within thee revealing thee as glorious.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
By the sufferings of asceticism and thy valiant struggles, O most blessed father Tikhon, thou didst cause the divine grain to grow, wherewith thou dost feed those who piously honour thy memory.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O most good Sovereign Lady who hast given birth in the flesh to the supremely good God, purify my heart, which hath been tormented by the passions, that I may glorify thee with faith and love.
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.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
In the depths of thy tears thou didst drown the serpent, the author of evil, O venerable father Tikhon, and as an excellent victor thou hast ascended to the heavens, where with the choirs of the angels thou dost unceasingly glorify the God of all.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thou wast possessed of a guileless life, adorned with the sweat of suffering, O all-praised and venerable father Tikhon; wherefore, thy spirit was filled with divine joy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Arrayed as with a royal crown, the city of Kaluga boasteth in thee O our venerable father Tikhon; having thy relics within its environs as a goodly guardian given it by the Lord.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O all-hymned Virgin who hast given birth unto God in the flesh, show forth those who glorify thee as ones who share in the divine light, and by thy supplications deliver us from the fire of Gehenna and from all the harm of the enemy.
Troparion, Tone IV: O Tikhon our venerable father, * thou wast shown to be a most radiant beacon in the midst of the Russian land; * for, having made thine abode in the wilderness * and led a strict way of life therein, * thou didst live like an incorporeal being, * for which cause God hath enriched thee with the gift of miracles. * Wherefore, hastening to the shrine of thy relics, * we say with compunction: ** O venerable father, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.
Dear brothers and sisters, greetings to you all as we celebrate the feast of St Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia.
This holy hierarch and wonderworker – from the west of modern day Ukraine – was the first metropolitan elected by the Russian Church itself, in response to Constantinople’s embracing the Unia with Rome and the Phanar’s ‘man in Russia’, Isidore wholeheartedly becoming an enthusiastic Uniate and Catholic Cardinal – fleeing Russia and dying in western exile.
At the beginning of his tenure upon the metropolitical cathedra, it was still titled the Metropolia of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus’, but by the time of his death it reflecting the geographical transfer of the throne to Moscow, as the Metropolia of Moscow and all Rus’
On this feast, on which the Church allows the consolation of fish, in honour of the saint, please honour him and try to pray the canon of the feast – praying for the Church at a time when schism threatens unity, and for the Ukrainian and Russian peoples.
Holy Father and Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us!
Canon of the Theotokos, the acrostic whereof is: “O Mother of God, grant unto me abundant grace”, in Tone VI:
Ode I, Irmos: When Israel walked on foot in the sea as on dry land, * on seeing their pursuer Pharaoh drowned, * they cried: * Let us sing to God * a song of victory.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
When Eve partook of the forbidden fruit of the garden, she brought the curse upon herself; but in giving birth to Christ, the First-fruits of blessing, O pure one, thou hast annulled it.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O pure one who hast given birth to Christ as a pearl is engendered by the lightning of God, with the light of thy radiance dispel the gloom of my passions and the turmoil of transgressions.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
With noetic eyes, Jacob mystically foresaw the expectation of the nations: God, incarnate of thee, Who through thy mediation hath delivered us.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
When princes were lacking in the tribe of Judah, O most pure one, thy Son and God, coming forth as a leader, hath now truly become king over the ends of the earth.
Canon of the Holy Hierarch, 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.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
As thou delightest in the divine gifts given by God, and dost answer the petition of each with miracles, O father, grant me the power to sing thy sacred festival.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Divine grace was poured forth in thy lips, O holy hierarch Jonah, and thou wast a shepherd of the Church of Christ; for thou wast adorned by God, Whom thou didst glorify by thy life.
The precious shrine of thy relics exudeth sweet fragrance and poureth forth healings, so that the infirmities of the faithful who piously honour thee are ever driven away, O holy hierarch.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having acquired thee as a firm rampart, O holy hierarch, the Church of Christ ever abideth, praising its Master, Who hath glorified thee.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Theotokos, thou, the undefiled Maiden, became a temple of God for Him Who made His abode within thee in a manner beyond understanding, driving delusion away from men’s souls.
Ode III, Irmos: There is none as holy as Thou, * O Lord my God, * who hast exalted the horn of the faithful O good One, * and strengthened us upon the rock * of Thy confession.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The Good One, assuming my corruptible and mortal flesh through thy womb, O most pure Mother of God, rendered it incorruptible, eternally binding it to Himself.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Beholding God incarnate of thee O Virgin the choirs of angels were filled with awe and fear; and with never-ceasing hymnody they honour thee as the Mother of God.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O Mother of God, the Prophet Daniel was stricken with awe, beholding thee, the noetic mountain from whence the Stone was cut without the aid of men’s hands, which hath mightily crushed the temples of the demons.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Neither speech nor the tongue of man is able to worthily praise thee, O Virgin; for from thee Christ, the Bestower of life, was well pleased to become incarnate, O most pure one.
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.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Thou didst ascend to the summit of the virtues, O holy hierarch, and, receiving the sacred anointing of thy superior life, on an exalted cathedra thou didst serve God as a great high priest.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Having acquired thee as a beacon, O most wise and holy hierarch, the Church of Christ is illumined by thy virtuous instructions, saying: Thou, O Lord, art my strength and confirmation!
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Having cut off all carnal desire with divine desire, thou didst shine forth in a perfect life; wherefore, thou hast passed from hence into never-waning effulgence.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As thou wast the successor of hierarchs O holy hierarch, thou didst strive in word, deed and upright teaching to emulate them; wherefore, we honour thee as a holy hierarch of Christ.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O lustrous tongs of the divine Ember, O bush which was not consumed by the Godhead: Burn up the tinder of my passions, and rescue me from everlasting fire.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Go thou quickly before …”: Thy life hath been shown to all as brilliant, and thy most festive memorial, resplendent with miracles, filleth the faithful with awe. Wherefore, we honour thee now with joy. O boast of hierarchs, pray thou that our souls be saved. (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.
We hymn thee, O Bride of God, Mother of Christ God, glorifying thine unapproachable Offspring, by Whom we have been delivered from the deceit of the devil and from all misfortune, O Sovereign Lady Theotokos; and we faithfully cry out: Have mercy on thy flock, O thou who alone art all-hymned!
Ode IV, Irmos: Christ is my power, * my God and my Lord, * the holy Church divinely singeth, * crying with a pure mind, * keeping festival in the Lord.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O most pure one, we who have been saved by thee hymn thee, the all-immaculate one, and piously chanting, we cry aloud: Blessed art thou who hast given birth unto God, O Ever-virgin!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O all-blessed Virgin, thou hast given birth to the never-waning Light Who in the flesh shineth upon those in the darkness of life; and thou hast poured forth joy upon those who hymn thee, O Ever-virgin.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Through thee, O all-holy one, grace hath blossomed forth and the law hath ceased to be; for thou hast given birth to the Lord Who granteth us forgiveness, O pure Ever-Virgin.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Tasting of the fruit rendered me mortal; but the Tree of life Who revealed Himself through thee, O most pure one, rose from the dead and made me a partaker of the sweetness of paradise.
Irmos: O Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I have considered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
As a great lamp, O holy hierarch, with the radiance of thy virtues and the splendours of thy miracles thou dost enlighten the faithful, who earnestly hymn thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Planted in the house of the Lord like a most comely olive-tree, O holy hierarch and father, thou didst flourish in the courts of the house of our God, imparting health unto men’s souls and bodies.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Thy most precious body became the abode of the most holy Spirit, O holy hierarch Jonah; and lying in the tomb it driveth evil spirits away from men through the power of Him Who dwelleth within thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst shine forth in word, deed and simplicity of heart, O holy hierarch Jonah. Be thou mindful of us who honour thy memory, O venerable one.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O most pure one, He Whom naught can contain, confined Himself within thy womb, in His goodness saving me who am sunk in sin.
Ode V, Irmos: Illumine with Thy divine light, I pray, O Good One, * the souls of those who with love rise early to pray to Thee, * that they may know Thee, O Word of God, * as the true God, * Who recalleth us from the darkness of sin.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Shining forth radiantly in purity, O all-hymned one, thou wast the divine dwelling-place of the Master; for thou alone hast been revealed to be the Mother of God, bearing Him in thine arms as a babe.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Shining forth radiantly in purity, O all-hymned one, thou wast the divine dwelling-place of the Master; for thou alone hast been revealed to be the Mother of God, bearing Him in thine arms as a babe.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Bearing the noetic beauty of thy most comely soul, thou hast become the Bride of God, O pure one, thy virginity sealed, illumining the world with the light of purity.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Let the assembly of the ungodly lament, they who do not profess thee openly to be the pure Mother of God; for thou hast been revealed unto us as the divine portal of the Light, dispelling the gloom of transgressions.
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.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Having thy pure mind ever turned toward God, O holy hierarch, thou didst guide well the flock of Christ; wherefore, with the angels and hierarchs thou hast inherited a habitation which passeth not away, O venerable one, for which cause thou art resplendent with miracles.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
With a mind most pure thou didst gaze upon the Mind which is the cause of all; wherefore, having received gifts of miracles, O most wise and holy hierarch, thou dost amaze the faithful who honour thee with love.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
From the time of thy youth thy life shone forth, adorned with the virtues and arrayed with exalted miracles, O holy hierarch Jonah, and even after thy repose it hath manifestly glorified thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O right praiseworthy father, thou wast truly the glory of hierarchs, the helper of the faithful, the adornment of the Church, the foundation of the virtues and the confirmation of piety.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In divers forms the honourable prophets beheld the unfathomable abyss of the divine mystery of thy pure birthgiving, O most pure and divinely joyous one, insofar as they were able so to do.
Ode VI, Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, * I run to Thy calm haven, and cry to Thee: * Raise up my life from corruption, * O greatly Merciful One.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Moses, great among the prophets, perceived thee beforehand as the ark, the table, the lamp, the jar, as prophetic tokens of the incarnation of the Most High through thee, O Virgin Mother.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Moses, great among the prophets, perceived thee beforehand as the ark, the table, the lamp, the jar, as prophetic tokens of the incarnation of the Most High through thee, O Virgin Mother.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Death is slain and the corruption brought about by Adam’s condemnation is abolished, struck down by thy Fruit, O Sovereign Lady for thou hast given birth to Life, Who doth deliver those who hymn thee from corruption.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The Law lapsed impotent, and the shadow passed away when grace appeared unto me, in a manner beyond understanding and comprehension, through the birth of God the Saviour by thee, O greatly hymned one.
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.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Thou dost now shine, O holy hierarch, adorned with a crown of majesty; and as a true bishop, truly clothed in righteousness, thou hast preserved the inheritance of the Saviour; wherefore, the voice of God cried out to thee: Enter into the joy of thy Lord!
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Meek and innocent, thou didst follow in the steps of the Master and pass over from things corruptible to things eternal; wherefore, with the saints thou hast attained unto the land of the meek, for which cause the councils of the pious hymn thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Because of thy great light and purity, Christ revealed thee to be a child of the light and of the day, and made thee a hierarch and pastor of His Church, which thou didst serve as an excellent shepherd before departing unto the heavenly mansions.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Aflame with prudence of mind and desire of spirit, O holy hierarch, thou didst pass through thy life, avoiding tangible things as transitory, O father Jonah, and wast translated unto the divine habitations.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Virgin Who hast given birth to the holy Word, our one God Who truly resteth in the saints, sanctify my soul, and as thou art merciful grant unto me an outpouring of compunction, O most 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, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “To thee, the champion leader …”: O wise one from childhood thou didst give thyself over wholly to the Lord, * laying waste to thy body through fasting and the keeping of vigils; * wherefore, thou wast revealed to be a pure vessel and abode of the most holy Spirit. * For this cause He ordained thee as hierarch and pastor for His Church, * and having tended it well, thou didst depart unto the Lord Whom thou didst love. * We therefore beseech thee: Be thou mindful of us who honour thy holy memory with faith, * that we may all cry aloud unto thee: ** Rejoice, O father Jonah, most honoured and holy hierarch!
Ikos: As a man by nature, O father, thou didst struggle in a superhuman manner, in fasting and the keeping of vigils, in prayer and labours, becoming a model of virtue for many; wherefore, God ordained thee as a hierarch and pastor of His Church. Wherefore we entreat thee: Pray thou to God, the Benefactor of all, that He grant our civil authorities victory over our enemies, and that we may find grace and mercy on the day of judgment, that we may all cry aloud unto thee: Rejoice, O father Jonah, most honoured and holy hierarch!
Ode VII, Irmos: An Angel made the furnace bedew the holy Children. * But the command of God consumed the Chaldeans * and prevailed upon the tyrant to cry: * O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The furnace, which prefigured thy birthgiving, did not consume the three youths; and the divine Fire, without consuming thee, dwelt within thee, and hath taught all to cry: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
As thou didst foretell, O all-pure Mother, the ends of the earth, enlightened by thy brilliant radiance and grace, call thee blessed and, chanting, cry aloud: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The most evil serpent sank his pernicious fangs in me, O Mother of God, but thy Son Himself broke them and gaveth me the power to cry: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Thou art the cleansing of nature, O thou who alone art divinely blessed, for, bearing in thine arms God Who sitteth upon the shoulders of the cherubim, thou dost cry aloud: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
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.’
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
When Christ God beheld thy goodly disposition, in that thou didst live not for thyself, but for the Lord Who worked within thee, therefore He hath adorned thee with healing miracles.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Shining forth like a lamp in thy pure works and corrections, thou didst shepherd well the Church given thee by God, chanting unto Christ: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
As thou didst study the law of the word day and night, O holy hierarch, forgetting the things which thou didst leave behind, and yearning for the things which lay before thee, thou didst cry aloud unto the Creator and Master: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thine excellent life was known unto all, O holy hierarch, wherefore, Christ hath glorified thee after thy repose. Him didst thou fervently serve, O Jonah our father, chanting: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The fire of the Godhead did not consume thee, O Virgin; for the bush on the mountain, which once burnt yet remained unconsumed, prefigured thee, O most pure one.
Ode VIII, Irmos: Thou didst make flame bedew the holy children, * and didst burn the sacrifice of a righteous man with water. * For Thou alone, O Christ, dost do all as Thou willest, * Thee do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Thy Son, adorning thee as Queen with the radiance of the Spirit, as with a golden robe, set thee at His right hand, O most pure one. Him do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
He Who established the world by His will alone took flesh of thy most pure womb, desiring to restore what He had created. Him do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Through the union of the Word to me, a man, thou didst become a divine habitation, manifestly shining forth with the radiance of virginity; wherefore, we hymn thee throughout all ages.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The golden lamp-stand prefigured thee who ineffably received the unapproachable Light Who illumineth all things with His radiance; wherefore, we hymn thee, O pure one, throughout the ages.
Irmos: The King of heaven, * Who is glorified by the hosts of angels, * let us praise and supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Humble and meek, thou didst live an angelic life on earth, O holy hierarch; wherefore, thou dwellest with the saints in the land of the meek, chanting unto Christ: Praise and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
The most precious shrine of thy relics is a temple of sanctity, O holy hierarch, and drawing forth the grace of healing therefrom, we hymn the Lord, the Master of all, Who hath given thee to us as a healer, and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Deified by the will of God, O holy hierarch, thy mind became utterly estranged from carnal passions, chanting unto Christ: Praise and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As is meet, we, the faithful, venerate the precious shrine of thy relics, O holy hierarch Jonah, drawing forth sweet fragrance like myrrh for those who believe, crying out to Christ the Master: O all ye works, supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Heal thou the sufferings of my heart, O thou who hast given birth to the Wellspring of dispassion, and guide me to the divine life, that I may glorify thee throughout all ages.
Ode IX, Irmos: It is impossible for mankind to see God * upon Whom the orders of Angels dare not gaze; * but through thee, O all-pure one, * did the Word Incarnate become a man * and with the Heavenly Hosts * Him we magnify and thee we call blessed.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
A Star, shining forth beams of divinity from out of Jacob, hath shone upon those held fast by darkness; for through thee, O all-pure one, Christ God the Word, hath become incarnate; and illumined by Him, we bless thee with the armies of heaven.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Strengthened by thy power and grace, I fervently offer up hymnody to thee with all my heart. Wherefore O pure Virgin, do thou accept it, and grant me thy grace of surpassing radiance, from thy treasuries of incorruption, O divinely blessed one.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Thou wast manifestly shown to be the material of the Godhead, from which the Word wove the robe of His body, deifying my form, O Virgin; and having clothed Himself therein, He hath saved all who magnify thee with a pure mind.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Through thine ineffable and indescribable birthgiving resurrection hath now been given to the dead, O all-pure Theotokos; for, clad in the flesh through thee, Life hath shone forth upon all and manifestly destroyed the gloom of death.
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.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Thou gavest wings to thy mind with a pure heart and divine ascents, desiring to gaze upon the beauty of the one God; and art illumined by the effulgence thereof, O divinely wise and holy hierarch.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
O holy hierarch Jonah, with the grace of Christ preserve thou thy fold and thy flock, entrusted to thee by God, which hath thee as a shepherd driving the terrible wolves away from all the faithful.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
As of old Israel translated the body of the chaste Joseph, so now the faithful, receiving the shrine of thy relics, O holy hierarch Jonah, venerate it with love, magnifying Christ.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Today thy splendid memorial, shining forth, illumineth the hearts of the faithful, O holy hierarch; wherefore, entreat Christ God, that he who hath composed this hymnody may be preserved from the pursuit of the evil one, and receive mercy on the day of judgment.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
With the light of repentance, O most immaculate one, enlighten me who am darkened by slothfulness, that I may hymn, magnify and glorify thee, the all-immaculate Sovereign Lady.
Troparion, Tone IV: Having dedicated thyself wholly to the Lord from thy youth, * thou didst become a model of virtue in prayers, labours and fasting; * wherefore, beholding thy goodly intent, God appointed thee * a hierarch and pastor of His Church: * wherefore, thy precious body hath been preserved * whole and incorrupt after thy repose. ** O holy hierarch Jonah, entreat Christ God, that He save our souls.
Saint Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow and Wonderworker of All Russia, was born in the city of Galich into a pious Christian family. The father of the future saint was named Theodore. The youth received monastic tonsure in one of the Galich monasteries when he was only twelve years old. From there, he transferred to the Moscow Simonov monastery, where he fulfilled various obediences for many years.
Once, St Photius, Metropolitan of Moscow (May 27 and July 2), visited the Simonov monastery. After the Molieben, he blessed the archimandrite and brethren, and also wished to bless those monks who were fulfilling their obediences in the monastery.
When he came to the bakery, he saw St Jonah sleeping, exhausted from his work. The fingers of the saint’s right hand were positioned in a gesture of blessing. St Photius said not to wake him. He blessed the sleeping monk and predicted to those present that this monk would be a great hierarch of the Russian Church, and would guide many on the way to salvation.
The prediction of St Photius was fulfilled. Several years later, St Jonah was made Bishop of Ryazan and Murom.
St Photius died in 1431. Five years after his death, St Jonah was chosen Metropolitan of All Russia for his virtuous and holy life. The newly-elected Metropolitan journeyed to Constantinople in order to be confirmed as Metropolitan by Patriarch Joseph II (1416-1439). Shortly before this the nefarious Isidore, a Bulgarian, had already been established as Metropolitan. Spending a short time at Kiev and Moscow, Isidore journeyed to the Council of Florence (1438), where he embraced Catholicism.
A Council of Russian hierarchs and clergy deposed Metropolitan Isidore, and he was compelled to flee secretly to Rome (where he died in 1462). St Jonah was unanimously chosen Metropolitan of All Russia. He was consecrated by Russian hierarchs in Moscow, with the blessing of Patriarch Gregory III (1445-1450) of Constantinople. This was the first time that Russian bishops consecrated their own Metropolitan. St Jonah became Metropolitan on December 15, 1448. With archpastoral zeal he led his flock to virtue and piety, spreading the Orthodox Faith by word and by deed. Despite his lofty position, he continued with his monastic struggles as before.
In 1451 the Tatars unexpectedly advanced on Moscow; they burned the surrounding area and prepared for an assault on the city. Metropolitan Jonah led a procession along the walls of the city, tearfully entreating God to save the city and the people. Seeing the dying monk Anthony of the Chudov monastery, who was noted for his virtuous life, St Jonah said, “My son and brother Anthony! Pray to the Merciful God and the All-Pure Mother of God for the deliverance of the city and for all Orthodox Christians.”
The humble Anthony replied, “Great hierarch! We give thanks to God and to His All-Pure Mother. She has heard your prayer and has prayed to Her Son. The city and all Orthodox Christians will be saved through your prayers. The enemy will soon take flight. The Lord has ordained that I alone am to be killed by the enemy.” Just as the Elder said this, an enemy arrow struck him.
The prediction of Elder Anthony was made on July 2, on the Feast of the Placing of the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos. Confusion broke out among the Tatars, and they fled in fear and terror. In his courtyard, St Jonah built a church in honor of the Placing of the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos, to commemorate the deliverance of Moscow from the enemy.
St Jonah reposed in the year 1461, and miraculous healings began to take place at his grave.
In 1472 the incorrupt relics of Metropolitan Jonah were uncovered and placed in the Dormition Cathedral of the Kremlin (the Transfer of the holy Relics is celebrated May 27). A Council of the Russian Church in 1547 established the commemoration of St Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow. In 1596, Patriarch Job added St Jonah to the Synaxis of the Moscow Hierarchs (October 5).
St Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow is also commemorated on March 31.
It was wonderful to have such a well-attended Liturgy for the feast of “All the Saints who have shone forth in the lands of Rus’ ”, and good to have so many new faces.
As I said in my homily, this feast is no doubt one which could be misrepresented by some, as some sort of representation of a ‘Russkiy Mir’ approach to the Church, holiness and the saints – but we are clear that this feast has nothing to do with ethnicity, politics or nationhood, but rather a celebration of the holiness of those whom GOD has glorified in all of the Rus’ lands: in the territory of the modern states of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, and the Carpatho-Russian region which overlaps several modern European states – and the lands of the Empire
Among the saints of Rus’, in addition to East Slavs (among whom we must not forget the Rusyn peoples of Carpatho-Russia), we celebrate the saints of the early Varangian (Norse) ruling class, Greeks, Mongol-Tartars, Germans, Finns, Latvians, Lithuanian’s, Estonians, Hungarians, Romans, native Siberian peoples and countless other nationalities – all linked by their holiness and their glorification by God in the Rus’ lands and the territory of the Empire (however we may view it).
As we celebrate this feast, we make no differentiation between Slav, Greek of Mongol, but celebrate the memory of all of the saints who have been God-pleasing and glorified by Him.
Beyond the Rus lands, saints such as St John (Maximovich) the Wonder Worker and St Maria of Paris laboured in the spiritual-care of the exiles of the Revolution, and they together with the likes of St Seraphim of Sarov and St Silouan of Mount Athos have gained a place in the loving-hearts of people of all nations and languages, not just Orthodox faithful, but Christians from many backgrounds.
The saints we have celebrated are not just OUR saints, but EVERYBODY’S saints; the Greek saints celebrated in Greek parishes the last Sunday, Romanian saints in Romanian parishes, Serbian saints in Serbian parishes are equally OUR saints. There are no passports, borders and ethno-linguistic divisions in Heaven – and we are meant to reflect that reality here and now!
At a time of division and fragmentation, this feast must be one of unity, and a sign of hope for the Orthodox faithful across borders and battle zones, and we look to the saints as our example in these difficult and painful times.
This coming Sunday will see the celebration of All the Saints who have shone forth in the Isles of Britain, again with no differentiation according to nation, tribe and language, but a celebration of holiness and God’s grace.
In preparation for Sunday, confessions will be heard on Friday, and you are asked – as usual – to email me at otetzmark@hotmail.com, message me via Facebook or send a text. Requests by Wednesday night please.
Following confessions, we will have a catechism discussion on the Eucharist this Friday at 19:00 in the parish room at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, in Butetown. Thanks, as always, to Father Dean, and Georgina for making this possible.
To echo Deacon Mark’s comments at the end of Sunday Liturgy, any children who need to eat due to the very late time of Holy Communion should eat something simple before coming to Church on Sundays. We understand that from bedtime on Saturday to communion time on Sunday is a very long time, and we recognise pastoral necessity for some of our very young parishioners. Food can easily be postny/fasting and should be plain and functional – no animal products and no chocolate cereals are needed.
Our children need to realise that days for Holy Communion are different and should understand that mum and dad, older children and adults are fasting, and they must be helped to grow into this discipline.
Also, children over seven should be confessing before communion, and children’s clothing (like their parents) should be appropriate for Church, with head-coverings for our little girls during Liturgy. This is how children learn that we do things differently in Church to honour God.
They cannot learn Orthopraxis without the input of their parents and elders, and sacred Tradition is in adult hands of to pass on. Without transmission there is no Tradition, and we see the sad results of this in other Orthodox communities where confession before communion, fasting, modest dress, and even reverent silence and behaviour in Church seem optional.
We continue the Apostles’ Fast throughout this week…
Monday June 27 N.S. – Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Tuesday June 28 N.S. – Fast. Fish, wine and oil. St. Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow (1461).
Wednesday June 29 N.S. – Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Thursday June 30 N.S. – Fast. Wine and oil.
Friday July 1 N.S. – Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Saturday July 2 N.S. – Fast. Fish, wine and oil.
Sunday July 3 N.S. – Fast. Fish, wine and oil.
… and we look forward to the Feast of St Peter and St Paul.
Finally, your prayers are asked for Archpriest Luke, Ruth-Silouana, and Isaiah of our Swansea-Llanelli parish as they self-isolate with covid.
As we mark the fortieth day since the repose of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, our First-Hierarch, we pray for the repose of his soul, for the mercy of God, for the remission of his sins, and that he may be granted eternal rest in the heavenly mansions – in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The Canon to Our Holy Father, St Cyril of Alexandria, the Acrostic Whereof Is: “Cyril Is the Harp of Divine Visions”
The Composition of Theophanes, in 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.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Receiving light-giving grace from God, O Cyril, and revealed as a radiant beacon, thou hast shone forth noetic rays upon us by thy commemoration, that we may hymn thee as is meet.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
As a keeper of the commandments of Christ thou wast full of the effulgence of the Spirit, O most wise Cyril, having been cleansed of the passions; thou didst truly become a dwelling-place of the most divine Trinity.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As one full of zeal and boldness, O glorious Cyril, contending for the right Faith thou hast truly denounced the God-opposing blasphemies of impious heresies.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In giving birth to the Creator of all, Who raised up us who had been humbled by the fall of our first father, O all-immaculate Bride of God, thou hast thereby healed the broken state of mankind.
Ode III, Irmos: Thy Church, O Christ, rejoiceth in Thee crying aloud: * Thou, O Lord, art my strength, * my refuge and foundation.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Strengthened in Christ, O Cyril, with a steadfast mind thou didst destroy the wiles of the evil serpent like a spider’s web.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Thou didst shake off the mire of the passions from thy soul, O Cyril, and cast down the uprising of every thought which exalteth itself against Christ.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As a successful spiritual athlete, O father, thou didst steadily turn away from every carnal pleasure, as being harmful and detrimental.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
With joy we all exceedingly glorify thee as the only blessed one among women who became the habitation of God.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Awed by the beauty of thy virginity …”: As a pillar and sacrifice of the Church of Christ, O father, thou didst most wisely preserve it unshaken by the temptations of the evil one; for thou didst destroy all the evil works of Nestorius, proclaiming the Mother of God to be the Theotokos. Wherefore, having assembled, we honour thee, O divinely blessed Cyril.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Doxasticon from the Pentecostarion, or this Theotokion in Tone III: As an uncultivated vine, O Virgin, * thou didst sprout forth the most-comely Cluster of grapes * Which poureth forth upon us the wine of salvation * making glad the souls and bodies of all. * Wherefore, ever blessing thee as the cause of good things, * with the angel we cry out to thee: ** Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace!
Stavrotheotokion: Thy pure unwedded Mother, O Christ, * upon seeing Thee hanging dead upon the Cross, * said, weeping maternally: * “How hath the iniquitous and thankless council of the Jews * repaid Thy many and great wonders, O my Son, * Thou Who hast filled them with Thy gifts? ** I hymn Thy divine condescension!”
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 be to Thy power, O Lord.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Seeing thee, O God-bearing father Cyril, who hath vanquished soul-corrupting passions and restrained carnal thoughts, Christ set thee as a primate of His divine Church.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Inheriting the paternal virtue of Mark as a beloved son, thou wast a successor of his divine throne, following in the footsteps of the evangelist.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Tended by Christ like a lamb, O father, thou didst pasture like a shepherd, thy flock, on thy spiritually nourishing discourses, feeding them grace as though it were grass and flowers.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Giving birth to the incarnate Word of God Who before was incorporeal, O all-hymned and most joyous one, thou hast restored the world. Wherefore, O Bride of God, with Orthodox faith we proclaim thee.
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.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Thy discourse, O Cyril, likened to a mighty torrent which floOdeth rivers, hath scoured away the craftiness of the heretics.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
The vile division of Arius and the abominable mingling of Sabellius hast thou equally consigned to the abyss, O Cyril.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Cyril, like treasuries of gold and precious stones, thou hast left to the Church of Christ thine enriching discourses.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Let heaven sprinkle down gladness and grace upon the earth, for it now sendeth on high gladness, the only Mother of God.
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.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
With tongs the seraph gave the prophet an ember, and by thy hands, O initiate of the sacred mysteries, thou hast given to the Church of Christ a purifying ember from the divine Fire.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Thou didst not destroy aliens as did Samson, but cast down all the foreign doctrines of the heterodox, giving might to the Orthodox, O Cyril.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Manifestly heading the divinely elect council, O father, thou didst cast down the impiety of Nestorius and his Christ-opposing audacity, O father, breathing forth with zeal for the true Mother of God.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou didst bud forth the Fruit of incorrupt understanding, O Birthgiver of God, being revealed to the world as an ever-living mediator of incorruption for those who hymn thee with faith and love.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, in Tone VI: Spec. Mel.: “Fulfilling the dispensation …”: Thou hast manifestly poured forth upon us * an abyss of the doctrines of theology * from the wellsprings of the Saviour, * drowning heresies and saving thy flock unharmed * from the threefold waves, O blessed Cyril, ** as a guide for all lands, revealing things divine, O venerable one.
Ikos: When the great, beauteous and radiant sun showeth itself at dawn, darkness is driven away and the moon retreateth, for night cannot abide therein: Shining forth with the light of day, it illumineth the air, revealing the sky as beautiful, and adorning the earth, causing plants to grow therein, it also maketh bright the sea, and adorneth the whole world. Alike in all is the most radiant Cyril, whose wise teachings save the world. For he illumineth the souls of the faithful therewith and ever vanquisheth heresies with piety; for he is a guide for all lands, revealing divine things.
Ode VII, 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.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Of old Moses, entered the darkness on Mount Sinai, and received the law which slayeth by the letter; but thou, O blessed Cyril, hast disclosed the hidden beauty of the Spirit.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
As revelation was manifest to the children of old in the indistinct images of the law, O father, thou, having lifted the lid from the cup given thee, hast opened it like a rose of understanding, making manifest in speech the images.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Theologizing that the three Hypostases are an uncommingled indivisible divine unity but manifestly distinct, O father Cyril, thou didst utter immutable truths concerning the one Essence and Godhead.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The angels beheld strange things in thy birthgiving, O Mother of God: the corrupt nature of the race of mortals hastening toward the life of incorruption and the glory of heaven.
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 the Lord.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Like a wave of the sea the well-spring of wisdom truly flowed forth in thee; for ever-flowing rivers of the doctrines of piety issued forth from within thee, as Christ foretold, O father; for thy divinely chosen words surpass in number, the sands.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Thou wast a wise pastor and teacher of the Church, O venerable Cyril, manifestly interpreting both covenants; for, possessing thy discourses as an anchor and a paternal inheritance, it crieth aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou hast taught that the indivisible, uncommingled, and ineffable union of the Word, the Fashioner of all, Who for our sake assumed flesh, O Cyril, pointed towards an individual will for each nature, crying aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Son and Word of God Who is wholly unapproachable in His essence, made His abode within thee, O most pure one, and, clothing Himself in our essence, in that He is merciful, He appeared accessible in the flesh and dwelt with us who cry aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Ode IX, Irmos: Eve dwelt under the curse of sin * because of the infirmity of disobedience; * but thou, O Virgin Theotokos, * hast through the Offspring of thy pregnancy * blossomed forth blessing upon the world. * Wherefore, we all magnify thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
O Cyril, thou didst cast down the disdain directed against the understanding of Christ and His divine Mother, and all the might of the ungodly Nestorius, as well as the dual son-ship, and the mingling of essences of the Acephalites.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
With the power of understanding and the enlightenment of grace, O blessed one, thou didst theologize concerning the consubstantial Trinity and the incarnate Word of God; showing thyself to be a champion of the Theotokos, wherefore thou art now glorified in the highest.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O ever-memorable father, thou dost mercifully look down from on high upon us who hymn thee, granting victory over all heresies to our right-believing hierarchs, by thy supplications lifting up the horn of the Orthodox, and illumining those who magnify thy memory.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Beset by many falls and the cruelty of misfortunes, O all-hymned one, I now offer thee a sacrifice of praise and earnestly cry out to thee: O holy Theotokos, help me, for I finish my hymnody glorifying thee.
Troparion, Tone VIII: Teacher of Orthodoxy, instructor of piety and chastity, * luminary of the Church, God-inspired instructor of Hierarchs, * O supremely wise Cyril, thou hast illumined all by thy teaching; * O harp of the Spirit entreat Christ God that our souls be saved.
Today we commemorate the repose of this great Father of the Church. He is also remembered on January 18, the date of his flight from Alexandria.
Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, a distinguished champion of Orthodoxy and a great teacher of the Church, came from an illustrious and pious Christian family. He studied the secular sciences, including philosophy, but most of all he strove to acquire knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and the truths of the Christian Faith. In his youth Cyril entered the monastery of Macarius in the Nitreia hills, where he stayed for six years. Theophilus (385-412), the Patriarch of Alexandria, ordained him as a deacon, numbered him among the clergy and entrusted him to preach.
Upon the death of Patriarch Theophilus, Cyril was unanimously chosen to the patriarchal throne of the Alexandrian Church. He led the struggle against the spread of the Novatian heresy in Alexandria, which taught that any Christian who had fallen away from the Church during a time of persecution, could not be received back into it.
Cyril, seeing the futility of admonishing the heretics, sought their expulsion from Alexandria. The Jews appeared a greater danger for the Church, repeatedly causing riots, accompanied by the brutal killing of Christians. The saint long contended with them. In order to wipe out the remnants of paganism, the saint cast out devils from an ancient pagan temple and built a church on the spot, and the relics of the Holy Unmercenaries Cyrus and John were transferred into it. A more difficult struggle awaited the saint with the emergence of the Nestorian heresy.
Nestorius, a presbyter of the Antiochian Church, was chosen in 428 to the see of Constantinople and there he was able to spread his heretical teaching against the dogma about the uncommingled union of two natures in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Nestorius called the Mother of God not the Theotokos, but rather Christotokos or “Birth-giver of Christ,” implying that she gave birth not to God, but only to the man Christ. The holy Patriarch Cyril repeatedly wrote to Nestorius and pointed out his error, but Nestorius continued to persevere in it. Then the saint sent out epistles against Nestorianism to the clergy of Constantinople and to the holy emperor Theodosius the Younger (408-450), denouncing the heresy. Cyril wrote also to other Churches, to Pope Celestine and to the other Patriarchs, and even to monks of several monasteries, warning of the emergence of a dangerous heresy.
Nestorius started an open persecution against the Orthodox. In his presence one of his partisans, Bishop Dorotheus, pronounced an anathema against anyone who would call the Most Holy Virgin Mary the Theotokos.
Nestorius hated Cyril and brought out against him every kind of slander and fabrication, calling him a heretic. The saint continued to defend Orthodoxy with all his powers. The situation became so aggravated, that it became necessary to call an Ecumenical Council, which convened in the city of Ephesus in the year 431. At the Council 200 bishops arrived from all the Christian Churches. Nestorius, awaiting the arrival of Bishop John of Antioch and other Syrian bishops, did not agree to the opening of the Council. But the Fathers of the Council began the sessions with Cyril presiding. Having examined the teaching of Nestorius, the Council condemned him as a heretic. Nestorius did not submit to the Council, and Bishop John opened a “robber council”, which decreed Cyril a heretic. The unrest increased. By order of the emperor, Patriarch Cyril of Alexandria and Archbishop Memnon of Ephesus were locked in prison, and Nestorius was deposed.
Soon Saints Cyril and Memnon were freed, and the sessions of the Council continued. Nestorius, not submitting himself to the determinations of the Council, was deprived of priestly rank. By order of the emperor he was sent to the faraway place Sasim in the Libyan wilderness, where he died in grievous torments. His tongue, having blasphemed the Mother of God, was overtaken by punishment — in it there developed worms. Even Bishop John of Antioch and the remaining Syrian bishops signed the decrees of the Council of Ephesus.
Cyril guided the Alexandrian Church for 32 years, and towards the end of his life the flock was cleansed of heretics. Gently and cautiously Cyril approached anyone, who by their own simpleness and lack of knowledge, fell into false wisdom. There was a certain Elder, an ascetic of profound life, who incorrectly considered the Old Testament Priest Melchizedek to be the Son of God. Cyril prayed for the Lord to reveal to the Elder the correct way to view the righteous one. After three days the Elder came to Cyril and said that the Lord had revealed to him that Melchizedek was a mere man.
Cyril learned to overcome his prejudice against the memory of the great John Chrysostom (November 13). Theophilus, the Patriarch of Alexandria, and uncle of Cyril, was an antagonist of John, and presided in a council in judgment of him. Cyril thus found himself in a circle antagonistic to John Chrysostom, and involuntarily acquired a prejudice against him. Isidore of Pelusium (February 4) repeatedly wrote to Cyril and urged him to include the name of the great Father of the Church into the diptychs of the saints, but Cyril would not agree.
Once in a dream he saw a wondrous temple, in which the Mother of God was surrounded by a host of angels and saints, in whose number was John Chrysostom. When Cyril wanted to approach the All-Holy Lady and venerate her, John Chrysostom would not let him. The Theotokos asked John to forgive Cyril for having sinned against him through ignorance. Seeing that John hesitated, the Mother of God said, “Forgive him for my sake, since he has labored much for my honor, and has glorified me among the people calling me Theotokos.” John answered, “By your intercession, Lady, I do forgive him,” and then he embraced Cyril with love.
Cyril repented that he had maintained anger against the great saint of God. Having convened all the Egyptian bishops, he celebrated a solemn feast in honor of John Chrysostom.
Cyril died in the year 444, leaving behind many works. In particular, the following ought to be mentioned: commentaries On the Gospel of Luke, On the Gospel of John, On the Epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians and to the Hebrews; also an Apologia in Defense of Christianity against the Emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363). Of vast significance are his Five Books against Nestorius; a work on the Most Holy Trinity under the title Thesaurus, written against Arius and Eunomios. Also two dogmatic compositions on the Most Holy Trinity, distinguished by a precise exposition of the Orthodox teaching on the Procession of the Holy Spirit. Cyril wrote Against Anthropomorphism for several Egyptians, who through ignorance depicted God in human form. Among Cyril’s works are also the Discussions, among which is the moving and edifying Discourse on the Exodus of the Soul, inserted in the Slavonic “Following Psalter”.
Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, a distinguished champion of Orthodoxy and a great teacher of the Church, came from an illustrious and pious Christian family. He studied the secular sciences, including philosophy, but most of all he strove to acquire knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and the truths of the Christian Faith. In his youth Cyril entered the monastery of Macarius in the Nitreia hills, where he stayed for six years. Theophilus (385-412), the Patriarch of Alexandria, ordained him as a deacon, numbered him among the clergy and entrusted him to preach.