Greetings for the feast of St Nicholas the Wonderworker! S prazdnikom! We especially send our warmest greetings to Kolya and to Olga’s son Nicholas, who has just graduated.
Though the Nativity is still a while away for us, the holiday season has certainly arrived, with our students having departed at the end of term and parishioners going to Russia, Ukraine and other destinations for the feast. This evening, carols and mince-pies in Splott brought a pre-festive reminder with the words and melodies that many of us knew growing up, shaping our childhood images and language of Christmas.
We also enjoyed listening to some traditional carols at Wednesday’s charity concert for Christians in the Holy Land, with the money raised following a Sunday collection of over £450 in Cardiff, a Llanelli collection, and several more personal donations. Many thanks to Masha, Edmund and Aldhelm, to all who supported the event, and those who have given with such generosity. It was lovely to be in a warm, candlelit St John’s, the parish not having used the church since Pascha.
Though I expected Sunday’s Liturgy to be thinly attended, we still mustered more than forty souls, with the possibility of confessing all who needed to approach the Holy Mystery, some of those having confessed outside the Little Oratory. We were pleased to welcome visitors for the first time, and hope that they will join us again for Liturgy soon, and perhaps join us in the cafe for a cuppa after we have packed away.
At the end of the Liturgy, the litia for the departed was offered for the repose of the souls of the newly departed handmaidens of God, Nadezhda, Galina and Viera, whom we ask you to remember in your prayers.
As already communicated, we are now unable to have confessions during mass – something that only became necessary due to changes in Nazareth House, but as guests we must ensure that there are no distractions during catholic services. With this in mind, for as long as we continue to celebrate Liturgy in Nazareth House, worshippers should try not to arrive before 10:45, unless instructed otherwise.
I received no answer from Nazareth House regarding this week’s confessions (as also to the matter of the Christmas Vigil), so through the good offices of the Oratorian Fathers, confessions will be heard in St Alban on the Moors on Thursday. Please email by Wednesday at 18:00 to make arrangements. I hope that will shall offer devotions to St Alban whilst we are there. It was a great joy to catch up with the Fathers this evening, and they reminded us that the Oratory Church is always there for our needs.
We look forward being together on Sunday, when we will celebrate the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers, and the variables may be found here:
It will be a great help to know who will need confessions, so please let me know.
We ask your prayers for the sick – Ludmilla, Brigid and Margarita.
Finally, Sunday brought a surprise to those in the congregation who were unaware that the Paddy who had died in the city centre, was NOT the Paddy who had become a friend of our parish whilst in Canton. His presence at Liturgy was a shock to some of our parishioners, and I was happy that we were able to chant many years for him, as well as for Andrew, who celebrated his nameday last week.
Canon I of the hierarch, the acrostic whereof is: “I chant divine hymnody unto thee, O Nicholas”, the composition of Theophanes, in Tone II
Ode I, Irmos: Overwhelming power once laid low the whole army of Pharaoh in the deep, and the incarnate Word hath destroyed pernicious sin. All-glorious is the Lord, for gloriously hath He been glorified.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Standing, crowned, before the throne of Christ with the angelic armies, O all-wise Nicholas, grant me the enlightenment which illumineth the darkness of my soul, that, rejoicing, I may praise thy memory, O most blessed one.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
The Lord Who glorifieth all who glorify Him hath given thee to the faithful as a refuge delivering from perils those who have recourse to thy protection, who call upon thee with faith and love, O Nicholas.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The most wicked serpent, instilling in me the desire to make myself equal with the Creator, took me captive; but through thee, O most pure one, I have been restored and truly deified, for thou gavest birth to Him Who hath deified me, O Mother of God.
Canon II of the hierarch, the acrostic whereof, excluding the triadica and theotokia, is the [Greek] alphabet, in Tone I
Irmos: Christ is born, give ye glory! Christ cometh from heaven, meet ye Him! Christ is on earth, be ye exalted! O all the earth, sing ye unto the Lord, and chant with gladness, ye people, for He hath been glorified!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Though my tongue and lips are at a loss, O Nicholas, I have come to bring this meagre praise and entreaty to thy godly excellence; but, as thou art a bestower of riches, render God the Saviour merciful to me.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
As a heavenly man thou wast shown to be angelic upon the earth, a ready defender of widows, an avenger of the oppressed, and a helper amid misfortunes for all who are sorrowful, O father Nicholas.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
All who are under the sun tell forth the abyss of the wonders of thy virtues, O thrice blessed Nicholas: the poor call thee their intercessor, the orphans and widows their nurturer, the blind their guide, and all men their champion.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I honour the uncreated Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Spirit – the simple Being, the Godhead, the indivisible Essence, which existeth naturally in three Hypostases, distinguished as to Person and Hypostasis.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Without seed didst thou conceive the Word Who is One of the Trinity, O most immaculate one, and thou gavest birth to Him in the flesh, remaining a virgin after birth-giving, as thou wast before. Ever entreat Him in our behalf, in that He is thy Son and God.
Ode III, Canon I, Irmos: The desert, the barren Church of the nations, blossomed like a lily at Thine advent, O Lord; and therein hath my heart been established.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
O blessed Nicholas, as thou art the true disciple of the Master, thou savest those who have recourse to thee from grievous misfortunes and bitter death.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Cleanse thy servants, granting them remission of sins, in that Thou art good, through the mediations before Thee of Nicholas, Thy favourite, O greatly Merciful One.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Quell thou the turmoil of my soul, O all-pure one, and guide thou my life, O most holy one who gavest birth to God, in Whom my heart hath been established.
Canon II, Irmos: To Christ God, the Son Who was begotten of the Father without corruption before time began, and in latter times without seed became incarnate of the Virgin, let us cry aloud: O Lord Who liftest up our horn, holy art Thou!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Having acquired in thy heart tablets inscribed with many virtues by the immortal and all-pure finger of Christ God, O Nicholas, sweetness greater than that of honey or the honey-comb poureth forth from thy lips.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Grace all-gloriously showed forth miracles in thee, O Nicholas, for thy pure life, truly more lustrous than gold, illumineth benighted souls with the radiance of the divine Spirit.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Thou livest even after death, manifestly appearing in dreams, and thou didst all-gloriously deliver the young men from death, crying aloud to the emperor: “Do no harm to these men, who have been slandered by vainglorious jealousy!”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Be merciful, O most Holy Trinity our God, unto me who have defiled my life with immeasurable transgressions, O Father, Son and living Spirit, Who preservest me wholly and ever unwounded by sorrow.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Theotokos, thou givest thy servants hope of salvation. Stand forth in thy speedy supplications to preserve and help us amid wants and perils, for thou art the boast of us, the faithful, O Ever-Virgin.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional hymn, Tone VIII, Spec. Mel. “Of the Wisdom…”: Having ascended to the summit of the virtues and been illumined by the divine splendours of miracles therefrom, O father, thou wast truly shown to be an all-radiant pastor for the world, and an invincible intercessor for us amid perils. Wherefore, having all-gloriously vanquished the enemy, thou didst drive falsehood away and didst save men from sin. O Nicholas, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who with love honour thy holy memory.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Another sessional hymn, same tone & melody: The Abyss of mercy hath shown thee to be a river pouring forth healings in abundance and an inexhaustible wellspring of miracles, O Nicholas; for those who are bitterly afflicted with grievous ailments and cruelly tormented by the vexations of life truly find the curative healing of all suffering in thy fervent defence. Wherefore, we cry aloud to thee: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of transgressions unto those who with love celebrate thy holy memory.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: All of us, the generations of men, bless thee as the Virgin who, alone among women, gavest birth without seed to God in the flesh; for the fire of the Godhead made His abode within thee, and thou didst nurture the Creator and Lord with milk as a babe. Wherefore, we, the race of angels and men, cry out to thee together: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of offences unto those who with faith worship thine all-holy birthgiving.
Ode IV, Canon I, Irmos: Thou didst come forth from the Virgin, neither a mediator nor an angel, but Thyself incarnate, O Lord, and hast saved me, the whole man; wherefore, I cry to thee: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Having in purity drawn nigh to the rays of the Spirit, thou becamest a light-bearer, illumining the ends of the world, interceding for all, and saving all who have recourse to thee with faith.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
As of old thou didst appear, delivering the young men from death, O venerable Nicholas, so now save me from every evil circumstance, from perils and misfortunes, O most blessed one.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Thou didst shine forth with the effulgence of the virtues, O most blessed one, as a most excellent emulator of thy Master; and, invoked, thou savest those who glorify thee with reverence and love.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Incarnate, the Master of creation came upon thee, saving me wholly, in that He is compassionate. Wherefore, we, the faithful, glorify thee as Theotokos.
Canon II, Irmos: A rod from the root of Jesse and blossom therefrom, O Christ, Thou didst spring forth from the Virgin; from the mountain overshadowed and densely wooded hast Thou come, incarnate of her who knew not man, O Thou praised and immaterial God. Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
At the mere invocation of thy name, those who call upon thee are truly delivered with all speed from all the counsels of the enemy, O sacred Nicholas. As of old thou didst deliver the soldiers, so also save us from every grievous circumstance.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Standing before the throne of God, cease thou never to make earnest supplication on behalf of all of us, thy faithful servants, O wise and wondrous Nicholas, that we may be delivered from everlasting fire, from the enemy, from the wicked tongue, and from affliction.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Thou dost everywhere pour forth healings upon those who have recourse to thee, and deliverest all from bondage. Wherefore, by thy supplications which are acceptable to God, transform our grief into joy, O all-radiant Nicholas, casting down the pridefulness of our enemies.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I honour and venerate the principality of the unoriginate Godhead – the Father, the Son, and the most Holy Spirit – which accomplisheth all things, is one, indivisible, ever distinguished in three characters and Persons: the single undivided Kingship.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou alone art truly more honourable than those on earth and those in heaven, O Theotokos, for thou didst conceive in thy womb the Creator of all, clothed in material flesh, giving birth to Him without seed. O what a new sight!
Ode V, Canon I, Irmos: O Christ my Saviour, enlightenment of those who lie in darkness and salvation of the despairing: rising early unto Thee, O King of the world, may I be enlightened by Thy radiance, for I know none other God than Thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Enlightened by a godly life, O thrice blessed one, standing forth thou didst deliver those condemned by an unjust sentence to death, who cried to Christ God: We know none other God than Thee!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Now beholding everlasting glory in the heavens, and delighting in the most splendid effulgence of ineffable and divine radiance, protect me by thine intercessions, O venerable and most honourable favourite of Christ.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
That Thou mightest seek out Thine image, which had been buried by the passions, O Saviour, hiding from the heavenly hosts, Thou didst appear, incarnate of the Virgin, to those who cry to Thee: We know none other God than Thee!
Canon II, Irmos: As God of peace and Father of compassion, Thou didst send Thine Angel of Great Counsel, Who granteth us peace. Therefore, guided to the light of knowledge divine, and waking at dawn out of the night, we glorify Thee, Who lovest mankind.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
The great metropolis of Myra, the province of Lycia, and all the parts of thy homeland, proclaim thy wonders and miracles, whereby thou deliverest all from pain and sorrow, O divinely blessed father Nicholas.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
As the feeder of wisdom and father of orphans, the most excellent help of those in sorrow, the consolation of the grieving, the shepherd and guide of all the lost, O Nicholas, by thy supplications deliver us from misfortunes.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Thou hast passed over from earth to the immaterial mansions, where thou dost gaze upon the ineffable beauty of Christ, and hast been shown to be a converser with the angelic armies. Wherefore, joining chorus with the apostles and martyrs, earnestly pray for us to the Master of all, O father Nicholas.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I manifestly glorify the three independent Persons of the one, indivisible Godhead, equally unoriginate and equally enthroned, by Whom I have been brought out of oblivion into existence; and with the angels I cry: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O Lord!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O pure one, who alone settest salvation and hope before all men and savest them, help us now who cry aloud to thee and ever call upon thee amid grievous circumstances; for we have none other intercessor than thee, after God.
Ode VI, Canon I, Irmos: Whirled about in the abyss of sin, I call upon the unfathomable abyss of Thy loving-kindness: Lead me up from corruption, O God!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
The crown of victory hath fittingly been placed upon thy head, O Nicholas. As thou art a most excellent victor, save those who call upon thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Appearing, O blessed one, save me who am slain by transgressions and engulfed by the threefold billows of the passions, and lead me to the harbour of the will of God.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
In thee, O Ever-Virgin Mother, have I placed my hope of salvation, and thee do I set forth as the steadfast and unshakable intercessor for my life.
Canon II, Irmos: The sea monster thrust forth, like a babe from the womb, Jonah whom it had swallowed; and the Word, Who dwelt within the Virgin and took flesh of her, issued forth, preserving her incorrupt. He kept her who gave Him birth unharmed, for He Himself was not subject to corruption.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Thou hast been shown to be a new Abraham, O Nicholas, for, ever offering up the unbloody sacrifice, thou didst bring thy mind to thy Master as if it were thine only-begotten son; wherefore, thou wast blessed as a lover of strangers, O father, and didst become the divine and immaculate habitation of the Trinity.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Thou workest strange and awesome miracles, O Nicholas, interceding in thy speedy supplications for those in peril throughout the earth and far out upon the sea, showing thyself to the faithful as a physician of the sick, a feeder of the poor, and the namesake of victory over the enemy.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Foreseeing things yet to come with the eye of thy mind, thou didst fill all the ends of the earth with right doctrines, and, declaring to us that the Son is consubstantial with the Father, thou didst set at nought the savagery of Arius, O pillar of the Orthodox Faith, setting forth thine honoured corrections.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I venerate and honour the indivisible Trinity, which is ever distinguished in three Persons, and united in essence and nature, as a single Principle: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Who with might hath dominion over all and preserveth all things as He desireth.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Wholly incarnate within thy womb, O all-pure one, Christ God was born without seed; for, unable to endure the sight of the work of His hands tormented by the deceiver, He came in the guise of a servant to deliver the human race.
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 III, Spec. Mel. “Today the Virgin…”: In Myra thou wast shown to be a performer of the sacred mysteries, O holy one, for, fulfilling the Gospel of Christ, thou didst lay down thy life for thy people, O venerable one, and didst save the innocent from death. Wherefore, thou hast been sanctified as a great initiate of the grace of God.
Ikos: With songs let us now hymn the holy hierarch, the pastor and teacher of the people of Myra, that we may be enlightened by his prayers. For, lo! he hath been shown to be wholly pure, incorrupt of spirit, offering to Christ the immaculate and pure sacrifice which is right acceptable to God, as a hierarch pure in soul and body. Wherefore, as a true intercessor of the Church and champion thereof, he is a great initiate of the grace of God.
Ode VII, Canon I, Irmos: When the golden image was worshipped on the plain of Dura, Thy three youths spurned the ungodly command, and, cast into the midst of the fire, bedewed, they sang: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Into precipitous temptation have I fallen, and am grievously pierced; I have drawn nigh unto the gates of hell and am wounded by sorrows. Save me by thy supplications, O blessed one, and raise me up who chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Illumined with the immaterial rays of the never-waning Light, rescue the afflicted who find themselves in the darkness of tribulations, and guide to the light of gladness those who chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Ask Christ, thy Son and God, O Virgin Theotokos, for those sold under grievous transgressions and the deceptions of the serpent, that they may be delivered by His precious Blood who chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Canon II, Irmos: The children raised together in piety, disdaining the ungodly command, feared not the threat of the fire, but, standing in the midst of the flame, they chanted: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Having been shown to be a most excellent physician of all manner of grievous ailments, and having healed the infirmity of my soul, O father Nicholas, grant me goodly health, that I may cry: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Having of old delivered the warriors from death, O holy one, thou didst raise them up to hymn and glorify Christ with ardent faith; and they cried aloud: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Having mystically approached the cup of wisdom, O father Nicholas, from thy lips thou didst let fall rain-drops sweeter than honey or the honey-comb, commanding the people to cry aloud: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We hymn Thee, O Trinity, Thou thrice-effulgent consubstantial Unity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And having been baptised thereinto, we chant: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
As thou art more exalted than all other creatures, O Theotokos, entreat thy Son and God, that those who truly honour and glorify thee may be delivered from torments, crying: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Ode VIII, Canon I, Irmos: God, Who descended into the fiery furnace for the Hebrew children and transformed the flame into dew, hymn ye as Lord, O ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
As thou art good and compassionate, O blessed Nicholas, free those who are grievously stuck in the abyss of perils, granting them release from the evils which hold them, by thy supplications to Christ the Saviour, O initiate of the sacred mysteries.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
As thou art a mystogogue of things which pass understanding, the minister of things holy and celestial, and a faithful hierarch, O divinely wise one, ask our Saviour for remission of transgressions, O thou who art manifest in sanctity.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
My mind now faileth, having fallen into the abyss of impiety, for I am beset on every side by divers evils; yet do thou heal me, O Virgin, clothing me in the light of dispassion.
Canon II, Irmos: The dew-bearing furnace showed forth the image of a supernatural wonder; for it burned not the youths whom it had received, just as the fire of the Godhead burned not the Virgin, whose womb it entered. Wherefore, chanting, let us sing: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
The ranks of the patriarchs and apostles, the assemblies of the hieromartyrs, the company of prophets and the whole council of fasters bless thy godly life; and with them we also cry aloud: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
O Most High, O Word, Thou King of all, great in might! Through the supplications of the venerable pastor grant peace to the life of all Christians, aiding our Orthodox hierarchs in the struggle against heresy, that with him we may cry out to Christ: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Illumined with light unapproachable, O father, thou shinest upon the souls of those in tribulation, dispelling all the gloomy darkness of perils, and enlightening our hearts with gladness. And illumined thereby from afar, we cry aloud: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Following the truly divine teachings of the fathers, with faith we hymn the Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – the Life and Lives, the One and Three Lights. And with them we piously chant: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Of old on Mount Sinai, the bush prefigured a strange mystery, O pure Maiden, burning without being consumed, depicting the mystery of thy birthgiving; for the fire of the Godhead which dwelt within thee preserved thee unharmed. Him do we magnify for all ages.
Ode IX, Canon I, Irmos: God the Lord, the Son of the unoriginate Father, hath revealed Himself to us incarnate of the Virgin, to enlighten those in darkness and to gather the dispersed. Wherefore, we magnify the all-hymned Theotokos.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Enlightened by lamps of grace, O divinely wise one, thou didst manifestly become a lamp of piety: thou savest those in danger, deliverest those who are out upon the deep of the sea, and all-gloriously feedest the hungry, O most blessed one.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
Dwelling now in the sweetness of paradise, and clearly beholding ineffable glory, thou lookest down from the circles of heaven upon those who hymn thee, delivering them from sufferings, O most blessed God-bearer.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O pure Mother of God, thou gavest birth to the Wisdom, Power and hypostatic Word of the Father, Who built the temple of His body with thine all-pure blood, and joined Himself inseparably to it by unification.
Canon II, Irmos: A strange and most glorious mystery do I behold: the cave is heaven; the Virgin, the throne of the cherubim; the manger, the place wherein lay Christ God, Whom naught can contain, Whom praising, we magnify.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
O ye who love the feasts of the Church, let us all join chorus in spirit. Ye heavens, ye mountains and hills, ye choirs of virgins and of the Church, ye splendour of fasters: rejoice at the memorial of the most blessed one; and, assembling together thereon, let us magnify the Saviour.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
With hymns let all the ends of the earth chant unceasingly, manifestly adorning the head of Nicholas, the favourite of Christ God, with wreaths of praise. Through his supplications may we be delivered from sufferings and misfortunes.
Hierarch of Christ, Nicholas, pray to God for us.
O Nicholas, accept this meagre effort as fitting hymnody, as Christ accepted the widow’s two mites. Disdain not one accursed with passions, for it is not out of pride that I have presumed, O thrice-blessed one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The Trinity is united in consubstantial will, yet it is indivisibly distinguished as to Persons – the Father, the Son and the living Spirit – the one God in three Hypostases, ever preserving the might of Him, Whom we magnify.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
All grief hath been abolished by thy birth-giving, and the Lord hath taken away lamentation, weeping, and each tear from the face of every mortal, O pure Theotokos who knewest not wedlock. In thee do we also fulfil our debt.
Troparion, Tone IV: The truth of things revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, a model of meekness and teacher of abstinence; wherefore, thou hast attained the heights through humility and riches through poverty. O hierarch Nicholas our father, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.
The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, an icon of meekness, and a teacher of temperance; for this cause, thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty. O Father and Hierarch Nicholas, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.’
So reads the troparion of St Nicholas, hierarch of the Church of Myra in Lycia (now Demra in Turkey), known as ‘wonderworker’ and ‘father’ throughout the Christian world. He is beloved in the Orthodox Church, and indeed far beyond, for his kindness, almsgiving and aid, meted out both during his earthly life and after. As one of the multitude of English lives of the saint joyously proclaims, ‘he is one of the best known and best loved saints of all time.’ And in another: ‘The name of the great saint of God, the hierarch and wonderworker Nicholas, a speedy helper and suppliant for all hastening to him, is famed in every corner of the earth, in many lands and among many peoples. In Russia there are a multitude of cathedrals, monasteries and churches consecrated in his name. There is, perhaps, not a single city without a church dedicated to his honour.’Childhood and early life
St Nicholas was born (c. 270) in the the region of Lycia (southern Asia Minor), in the city of Patara. His parents, Theophanes and Nonna, were both pious Christians, and being childless until his arrival, consecrated Nicholas to God at his birth (the name Nicholas meaning ‘Conqueror of nations’). His birth considered by both an answer to their prayer, and especially the prayer issued during Nonna’s illness, his mother was said to have been healed immediately after giving birth. Nicholas would always remember his parents’ love and devotion to God, and in his later years promised to come to the aid of those who remembered them in their prayers.
Various traditions recount signs of Nicholas’ future glory as ‘wonderworker’ (Gr. thaumatourgos), apparent already in his earliest childhood. One recalls that as an infant in the baptismal font, Nicholas stood on his feet for three hours in honour of the Trinity. Another proclaims him a childhood faster, not accepting milk from his mother until after the conclusion of evening prayers on Wednesdays and Fridays.
His later life revealed that Nicholas had from a young age been absorbed in the study of the Church’s sacred scriptures. He thrived on reading divine texts, and earned a reputation as a devoted youth who often would not leave the church, reading the sacred texts late into the night.
Such activity soon came to the attention of the local bishop, Nicholas’ uncle (his father’s brother), also called Nicholas. Seeing his nephew’s fervour for the Christian life, this elder Bishop Nicholas of Patara tonsured him reader, and later ordained him priest. At Fr Nicholas’ ordination, the elder Bishop Nicholas remarked:
‘I see, brethren, a new sun rising above the earth and manifesting in himself a gracious consolation for the afflicted. Blessed is the flock that will be worthy to have him as its pastor, because this one will shepherd well the souls of those who have gone astray, will nourish them on the pasturage of piety, and will be a merciful helper in misfortune and tribulation.’
The newly-ordained Fr Nicholas’ special charge as assistant to the bishop of Patara was the instruction of the faithful—a unique and uncommon role, given his young age.
The ministry of Fr Nicholas
Nicholas approached his duties as priest and teacher of the faith with the same fervour his uncle had witnessed in him during his childhood. Despite his youthfulness, many of the faithful considered him an elder, and his ability to respond to questions of the faith in love and wisdom earned him the deep respect of those in the city. He was noted in particular for the fervency of his prayer and kind-hearted nature, and the attention to charitable work that characterised his priestly ministry. Following the injunction of Christ, Fr Nicholas sold his possessions and, following his parents deaths a few years after his ordination, distributed his inheritance to the poor and afflicted, who would often seek him out for assistance.
In one of his most well-known acts of selflessness as a young priest, Fr Nicholas reacted to the intention of a wealthy businessman of Patara who had fallen on hard times and lost his fortune. Desparate, the man had determined to sell the bodies of his three daughters in order to raise funds for the family. Hearing of the plan (in some accounts, through a divine revelation), Fr Nicholas called by his home in secret during the night and threw an offering of gold—three hundred coins wrapped in a handkercheif[1]—through the man’s window. Convinced of the goodness of the gesture, though unaware of the identity of his benefactor, the man used the funds to arrange for his eldest daughter to be married honourably to a nobleman. Later the man arose to find the act had been repeated; and eventually, a third time. In each instance, the priest made his offering secretly, attempting to conceal his works of charity.[2]
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Following the example of his bishop, who had made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land a few months before, Fr Nicholas requested to travel to Jerusalem himself, to visit the holy places of the city. Icons today continue to recount the miraculous nature of his voyage there by ship, during which a great storm arose (Nicholas having earlier predicted that it would). Seeing in a vision the devil climbing aboard the ship, Nicholas warned the crew and prayed for the salvation of the craft and its occupants, and the sea shortly calmed.
Arriving in the Holy Land, Nicholas made his pilgrimage of the holy places in Jerusalem, especially Golgotha where Christ was crucified.[3] Overcome by the reality of these places where the incarnate Son of the Father had walked and acted, Nicholas determined to retreat into the desert to live a life of solitude. But he was stopped by a divine voice, which forbad this course and urged him to return home. This he did, though still longing for quiet and the solitary life. Having been moved by his experiences on Mount Sion in Jerusalem, he entered the monastic community of Holy Sion in Lycia (which had earlier been founded by his uncle); but again, the Lord made known to him that this was not to be his path. The voice of the Lord is said to have come to him: ‘Nicholas, if you desire to be vouchsafed a crown from me, go and struggle for the good of the world. This [monastery] is not the vineyard in which you shall bring forth the fruit I expect of you; but turn back, go into the world, and let my Name be glorified in you.'[4]
Desirous above all to follow the command of God, Nicholas departed the brotherhood of Holy Sion and moved to Myra.
Consecration to the episcopate
Shortly after his arrival in Myra, the elder Archbishop of that city, a certain John, died. There was some discussion as to who should succeed him as the chief bishop of the region, the local synod of bishops desirous that the new archbishop should not be an individual chosen by men for the office, but one revealed by God. One of their eldest number beheld a vision of the illumined Christ, who indicated that the old bishop should go into the church, for the one who was first to enter it that night—who would be called Nicholas—was he who should become the new archbishop.
The elder bishop went to the church to await Nicholas’ arrival, in obedience to the vision. When Fr Nicholas arrived, the bishop stopped him.
God’s chosen one replied, ‘My name is Nicholas, Master, and I am your servant.’
The bishop took St Nicholas immediately to the other bishops and exclaimed, ‘Brethren, receive your shepherd whom the Holy Spirit himself anointed and to whom he entrusted the care of your souls. He was not appointed by an assembly of men but by God himself. Now we have the one that we desired, and have found and accepted the one we sought. Under his rule and instruction we will not lack the hope that we will stand before God in the day of his appearing and revelation.'[5]
Nicholas was consecrated to the episcopacy during a tumultuous time in the life of the Church in Lycia. The persecutions under the emperor Diocletian (284-305) effected that region deeply, and for a time, Bishop Nicholas was imprisoned with other Christians for refusing to bow down and worship the idols of the imperial cult. He was remembered later for the exhortations he delivered to his fellow prisoners, urging them to endure with joy all that the Lord lay before them, whether chains, bonds, torture or even death.
Bishop Nicholas’ imprisonment came to an end with the ascension of Constantine to the throne in the early fourth century. He returned to his flock in Myra, which received him with joy, and resumed his episcopal work. He was known as a great ascetic, as he had been since his childhood, and for his gentleness and love. But his kind-hearted spirit was also one of zeal, and with the new freedoms offered under the peace of Constantine (following the ‘Edict of Milan’ in 312), he was known to travel through his city, visiting pagan temples and overthrowing their shrines and idols.
The First Ecumenical Council, Nicaea 325
In the year 325, a great council of bishops—the largest in the history of the Church—was held in the city of Nicaea under the patronage of Emperor Constantine, who had, since his miraculous vision of the cross at Milvian bridge, himself converted to Christianity. This synod, which in later years would come to be known as the First Ecumenical Council (commemorated on the seventh Sunday after Pascha), was attended by over three hundred bishops from throughout the Christian world, to establish various canons of order for the growing Church, affirm the faith, and combat heresy. In particular, the teachings of Arius, a presbyter in Alexandria, were addressed and condemned by the council, which formulated a statement of faith that, with later refinements at Constantinople in 381, became the Creed of the Church.
St Nicholas was a participant at this council, and is particularly remembered for his zeal against Arius. Having openly combatted him with words, Bishop Nicholas, in a fit of fervour (some accounts indicate he was displeased with Arius’ monopolisation of the meeting with his ‘constant arguing’), went so far as to strike Arius on the face. Shocked by this behaviour, especially given that the canons forbid clergy from striking any one at all, yet uncertain of how to react to such actions by a hierarch they knew and respected, the fathers of the council determined to deprive Nicholas of his episcopal emblems (traditionally his omophorion and the Gospel book), and placed him under guard. However, a short time later, several of the assembled fathers reported having a common vision: the Lord and His Mother returning to Nicholas his episcopal items, instructing that he was not to be punished, for he had acted ‘not out of passion, but extreme love and piety’.[6] This was taken as a sign that the extreme behaviour of Nicholas was nonetheless pleasing to God, who was thus restored to the fulness of his episcopal office. [7]
Nicholas the Wonderworker
St Nicholas’ title ‘wonderworker’ comes from the multitude of reports of miracles that issued forth at his intercession, both during his life and after. The renown of his miraculous acts was widespread in his own lifetime. As he had secretly delivered gold, many years before, to the father of three destitute daughters, so he secretly delivered gold to an Italian merchent (by some accounts, this gold was left miraculously by an apparition of the saint appearing to the merchant in Italy), convincing him to sail to Myra with a shipment of grain. And so by his prayers and deeds, his city of Myra was rescued from a terrible famine.
One miracle, particularly widely known, was Bishop Nicholas’ conversion of the local governor, who had been bribed into unjustly condeming three men to death. The saint approached the executioner, who had already raised his sword to issue the death-blow, and swiftly removed it from his hands. He then approached the governor and denounced his unjust action. This latter, convicted by St Nicholas’ words, repented and asked the saint’s forgiveness. This episode is remembered as connected directly to another: for three officers of the imperial military were present to see St Nicholas stay this execution, who were later slanderously accused before the emperor, who condemned them to death. St Nicholas appeared to Emperor Constantine in a dream and urged him to reverse this sentence, which the emperor did.
Many times, the saint’s prayers were said to have saved those drowning in the sea (just a his prayers had calmed the sea on his own journey, as a young priest, to Jerusalem). Prisoners unjustly condemned prayed to him and were delivered. The poor prayed to him and were provided for. And so Nicholas’ reputation as thaumatourgos was established during his life. It continues to this day.
The saint’s departure
Living his life in ascetic labour and zealous ministry, St Nicholas fell asleep in the Lord at an old age (d. 6th December 343), by some accounts quite ill. A church was built in his honour by the residents of Myra, in which his relics were kept for many centuries.
Alexei Cominos ascended the throne of the Byzantine Empire in 1081, in which year Asia Minor suffered various attacks and threats of barbarian invasion. St Nicholas’ relics at this time remained in his city of Myra. However, a priest in the Italian city of Bari soon beheld a vision in which Nicholas appeared and informed him that he did not wish to remain in a city as barren as the defeated Myra. He instructed the priest to remove his body from the city. After informing the residents of Bari of his vision, three ships were sent to Myra to retrieve the saint’s relics.
On their arrival in the city in 1087, the travellers from Bari found the Church of St Nicholas in Myra abandoned, save for the presence of four devoted monks. These led the men to the coffin of the saint, which they had hid to keep it safe from invaders. On opening the coffin, the men found St Nicholas’ relics flowing with myrrh which they collected in vials, before securing the coffin and placing it on one of the ships for the return voyage to Bari, accompanied by two of the Myran monks.
Some time later, the ships arrived in Bari, and were met at the port by throngs of the local faithful. A great festal Liturgy was held in in the Church of St John the Forerunner and Baptist, to which the saint’s relics were taken in procession. Craftsmen had fashioned an ornate silver box, into which St Nicholas’ head and hands were placed, while the remainder of his relics remained in their original coffin from Myra.
A short time later, a large church was built and dedicated to St Nicholas, and the two boxes containing his relics were transferred to it from the Church of St John, where they remain to this day (this event is commemorated on 20th May / 2nd June).[8] Chrism continues to flow from the saint’s relics, as it has for centuries.
Source: Parish of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Oxford, England 5/21/2012
Saint Sabbas the Sanctified was born in the fifth century at Cappadocia of pious Christian parents, John and Sophia. His father was a military commander. Journeying to Alexandria on military matters, his wife went with him, but they left their five-year-old son in the care of an uncle. When the boy reached eight years of age, he entered the monastery of Saint Flavian located nearby. The gifted child quickly learned to read and became an expert on the Holy Scriptures. In vain did his parents urge Saint Sabbas to return to the world and enter into marriage.
When he was seventeen years old he received monastic tonsure, and attained such perfection in fasting and prayer that he was given the gift of wonder- working. After spending ten years at the monastery of Saint Flavian, he went to Jerusalem, and from there to the monastery of Saint Euthymius the Great (January 20). But Saint Euthymius sent Saint Sabbas to Abba Theoctistus, the head of a nearby monastery with a strict cenobitic rule. Saint Sabbas lived in obedience at this monastery until the age of thirty.
After the death of the Elder Theoctistus, his successor blessed Saint Sabbas to seclude himself in a cave. On Saturdays, however, he left his hermitage and came to the monastery, where he participated in divine services and ate with the brethren. After a certain time Saint Sabbas received permission not to leave his hermitage at all, and he struggled in the cave for five years.
Saint Euthymius attentively directed the life of the young monk, and seeing his spiritual maturity, he began to take him to the Rouba wilderness with him. They set out on January 14, and remained there until Palm Sunday. Saint Euthymius called Saint Sabbas a child-elder, and encouraged him to grow in the monastic virtues.
When Saint Euthymius fell asleep in the Lord (+ 473), Saint Sabbas withdrew from the Lavra and moved to a cave near the monastery of Saint Gerasimus of Jordan (March 4). After several years, disciples began to gather around Saint Sabbas, seeking the monastic life. As the number of monks increased, a lavra sprang up. When a pillar of fire appeared before Saint Sabbas as he was walking, he found a spacious cave in the form of a church.
Saint Sabbas founded several more monasteries. Many miracles took place through the prayers of Saint Sabbas: at the Lavra a spring of water welled up, during a time of drought there was abundant rain, and there were also healings of the sick and the demoniacs. Saint Sabbas composed the first monastic Rule of church services, the so-called “Jerusalem Typikon”, accepted by all the Palestine monasteries. The saint surrendered his soul to God in the year 532.
Canon to the Venerable One, the acrostic whereof is: “Lovingly I hymn Sabbas, most eminent among fasters,” the composition of Theophanes, in Tone VIII.
Ode I, 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.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
With the splendour of the Holy Spirit, O Sabbas, illumine us who with devout love praise thee with hymns as the boast of fasters, the glory of monastics, the adorner of the desert and teacher of piety.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Having offered all thy love to God from thy youth and made Him the object of all thy desire, rejoicing, thou didst mortify the movements of the flesh and the assaults of the passions, O all-praised God-bearer Sabbas.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Conquering the serpent hidden in the fruit, thou didst trample it down and easily pass over his snares, taking flight on wings of piety, O father; and, rejoicing, thou didst partake of life in the garden of the Cross.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Illumined with the light of grace, thou didst enter into the fire and, like the three youths, remained unconsumed, for God preserved thee, revealing to all thine ultimate future progress and perfection, O father.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Death hath laid hold upon us with irresistible assaults; but, drawing nigh to thine Offspring, it perished and, rushing against Him, it was destroyed. For thou didst truly give birth unto everlasting Life incarnate, O Virgin Theotokos.
Ode III,Canon to the Venerable One, 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.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Having set thy mind as master over the passions, O thou who art most noetically rich, showing thyself to be a dispenser of justice; for thou didst manifestly subject what is worse to that which is better. Wherefore, thou didst flourish in the desert like a palm tree, O father.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Having resolved to follow in the steps of the Master, thou didst forsake thy homeland; and, making thine abode in the desert, thou didst win a victory over the adversaries, strengthened by the power of God.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Strengthened by steadfastness of mind, O all-blessed one, thou didst denounce the divers wiles of the enemy, unmasking them in the sight of all, and setting at naught his conceited audacity, O wise one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Perceiving thee to be sacred of soul and adorned with simplicity of intent and with the virtues, Euthymius, the most radiant star, received thee, prophetically proclaiming thy splendour, O all-blessed one.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Virgin Mother, thou hast truly been known to be the splendid portal of the dispensation of the Word, Who hath saved us; for thou hast brought forth upon us the noetic Ray of the supremely divine Godhead.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII, Spec. Mel. “Of the Wisdom…”: Having forsaken all earthly things, while on earth in the body thou wast a companion of the angels in spirit; for, having mortified the passions present in thy body, thou wast shown to be a servant of the Trinity, O blessed one. Wherefore, thou dost cure the sufferings of the afflicted and, at thy word, dost drive away evil spirits through grace, O our God-bearing father. Pray thou to Christ God, that remission of sins be granted unto those who celebrate thy holy memory with love.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Sessional Hymn, in Tone VIII: Abandoning the tumults of life and taking thy cross upon thy shoulders, thou didst offer thyself wholly unto God; and, being beyond the flesh and the world, thou didst become a converser with the Holy Spirit. Wherefore, raising men up to zealous deeds, thou didst empty the cities and didst make cities of desert places, O our God-bearing father. Entreat Christ God, that remission of transgressions be granted to those who celebrate thy holy memory with love.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion in 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 IV, Canon to the Venerable One, 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!’
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Cleansing and expanding the state of thy soul with divine visions, thou didst truly fashion it into a dwelling-place of divine gifts, O divinely blessed one; and by the laying on of thy hands thou didst heal the afflicted, being an emulator of the Master.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
He that waxed arrogant against thee, O father, was swallowed up like the wretched Dathan, and like Abiram was destroyed; for the grace of God invisibly preserved thee, intending the salvation of many, O all-blessed, glorious and divinely wise Sabbas.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
O divinely eloquent one, having chastised thy senses with the Law of God, thou didst direct thy skillful thought to the knowledge of incorporeal and noetic things, passing inexorably from glory to glory and from strength to strength, O father.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Proposing to do good unto thy compatriots, thou didst found magnificent and spiritually profitable cities in the desert, bringing springs of water to the parched land, and most gloriously bringing down rains from heaven upon the waterless fields.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
A beauteous paradise newly sprung forth hast thou been shown to be, O thou who most divinely bore within thy womb and gave birth to, the Tree of Life planted therein, Which poureth forth the hope of salvation upon all who with faith know thee to be the Theotokos.
Ode V,Canon to the Venerable One, 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.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Stretching forth unwavering thought toward Him Whom thou didst desire, from Him thou didst receive the sure grace of most wondrous miracles, O father; compassionately healing those who have recourse to thee in faith, O venerable one.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Putting away the coarseness of the heaviness of the flesh, thou didst become a divinely wrought and chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit, O wondrous one, adorned with abstinence from foods, patience and chastity.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Thou wast appointed the most resounding herald of the divine dogmas of the Councils, O father, and wast a partaker with the saints, enlightening emperors, to whom, O blessed one, thou wast clearly revealed to be protected by divine grace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O divinely inspired one, the grace given thee by God sounded forth, for it hath been distributed unto all, unto the ends of the earth, manifestly bringing about the divine activity of wondrous revelation in a most godly manner.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O most pure one, intercessor for the faithful, indestructible rampart of those who praise thee, O thou who hast given birth in the flesh unto God, the Salvation revealed to the whole human race: save thou my soul!
Ode VI,Canon to the Venerable One, 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.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Having acquired love for God and neighbour, fulfilling the chief precepts of the Law and the prophets; thou didst achieve unattainable virtue, surpassing all others, O father.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Thou didst attain on earth a life equal to that of the angels, and Christ hath given thee honour equal to that of the angels, sending thy soul to accompany the ranks of the holy ones.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having been shown to be a child of wisdom, thou didst desire the beginning of wisdom, the fear of God; and, strengthened thereby, O father, thou didst attain unto perfection as far is permitted.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O pure Lady, who hast given birth unto God, the Saviour and Redeemer of all, Who took our flesh upon Himself: from misfortune save those who call upon thee!
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, Spec. Mel. “To thee the champion leader…”: In thy virtue didst thou offer thyself from childhood unto God * as an unblemished sacrifice, O blessed Sabbas, * becoming a gardener in the garden of piety. * Therefore, thou wast an adornment for the venerable and a right praiseworthy citizen of the desert. ** Wherefore, we cry to thee: Rejoice, O Sabbas most noetically rich!
Ikos: O leader of the fathers, beauty of the venerable, boldness of fasters before Christ, citizen and gardener of the desert: how can I hymn thy life, O venerable one? for thou dost shine forth in brilliance unto the ends of the earth, like the sun. Wherefore, I cry unto thee: Rejoice, beauteous glory of the Cappadocians! Rejoice, honoured standard of the whole world! Rejoice, most good offspring of the desert! Rejoice, godly delight of the righteous! Rejoice, for thou didst disdain that which is fleeting and corruptible! Rejoice, for thou dost dwell with the angels in the heavens! Rejoice, correction and rule of monastics! Rejoice, rousing of the slothful toward God! Rejoice, divinely flowing fountain of miracles! Rejoice, honoured instrument of the Spirit! Rejoice, thou with whom the East is adorned! Rejoice, thou through whom the Western lands shine forth! Rejoice, O Sabbas most noetically rich!
Ode VII, Canon to the Venerable One, 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!
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Thou didst put away transitory things, being rewarded with eternal things; and with the angels dost thou join chorus as one that led an angelic life. And with them hast thou chanted: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
In thanksgiving thy great and most honourable Lavra crieth out to the Lord, putting thee forward as its inhabitant, founder and citizen, O wise one, and crying out in praise: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Sabbas most wise, entreat the Lord unceasingly on behalf of thy flock, and earnestly pray that thy labours be preserved forever for those who bear fruit and cry out with love: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Reasoning rightly, we call thee the bridal chamber, the banquet hall and throne of the incarnation of the Word, most pure beyond telling; and, rejoicing, we cry out to thy Son: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Ode VIII,Canon to the Venerable One, 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’.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
With gladness the ranks of the saints preceded thy most pure soul to the place of delight among the splendid mansions, where the choirs of the righteous rejoice, O venerable one. With them dost thou now chant: Ye priests, hymn; ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout the ages!
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Strange are thy wonders, for thou didst tame wild beasts, having quelled the waves of the passions; and with thy prophetic gift thou dost foretell things to come; and, expelling legions of demons, thou dost wound them with thy right powerful vigils, prayers and fasts, and by the invincible power of the Cross, O God-bearer.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
He, that of old spake to Moses from the pillar of cloud and fire, showed thee to be a most magnificent pillar reaching from the earth, where now thy patient and much-suffering body doth lie, unto heaven. Standing before it in faith, we piously chant: Ye people, exalt Christ supremely forever!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Joyously is thy memory celebrated, O all-praised one; for thou didst robe thyself in the virtue which bringeth joy, the true garment of salvation, the pure and radiant garment of gladness, wherein adorned, thou dost now chant unceasingly: Ye priests, hymn; ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout the ages!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Remaining virgin, thou didst give birth without knowing wedlock, and by thy strange birthgiving thou hast brought all together, abolishing the strife of time and great distance, bearing in thy womb Christ, the Bestower of peace. Him do we faithfully hymn and supremely exalt throughout the ages.
Ode IX,Canon to the Venerable One 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.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Thy shrine issueth forth a sweet spiritual fragrance, richly making glad thy children who fervently surround thee, commemorating thine angelic sojourn on earth, O venerable one, and the radiance, glory and everlasting beauty bestowed upon thee.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Water broke forth in the desert, and the parched earth became a marsh, transformed by thy prayers, O father; for legions of fasters inhabit it as it were a river valley, and the land of Jordan hath blossomed forth like a lily, watered by thy tears.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
The splendour of the saints in the heavens shone forth upon thee, in that thou wast a righteous man, O father; for thou didst manifestly love the true righteousness of Christ. Following His manner of life, O all-blessed one, thou didst emulate His life-imparting sanctity as far as thou wast able.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Shining with rich light, O God-bearer, beholding now the choirs of angels standing in splendour around the light of the Trinity, and receiving rays of divine knowledge through grace, pray thou unceasingly that remission of sins be granted to those who hymn thee.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O pure one, thou art more highly exalted than all mortal mankind in thine incomparable pre-eminence; for in thy womb thou didst contain God, the Creator of all creation. Him do thou beseech, in that He is merciful, that He grant to His Churches oneness of mind, peace and serene prosperity.
Troparion of the saint, Tone VIII: With the streams of thy tears thou didst irrigate the barren desert, * and with sighs from the depths of thy soul thou didst render thy labors fruitful an hundredfold, * becoming a beacon for the whole world, resplendent with miracles. ** O Sabbas our father, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.
The Holy Great Martyr Barbara lived and suffered during the reign of the emperor Maximian (305-311). Her father, the pagan Dioscorus, was a rich and illustrious man in the Syrian city of Heliopolis. After the death of his wife, he devoted himself to his only daughter.
Seeing Barbara’s extraordinary beauty, Dioscorus decided to hide her from the eyes of strangers. Therefore, he built a tower for Barbara, where only her pagan teachers were allowed to see her. From the tower there was a view of hills stretching into the distance. By day, she was able to gaze upon the wooded hills, the swiftly flowing rivers, and the meadows covered with a mottled blanket of flowers; by night the harmonious and majestic vault of the heavens twinkled and provided a spectacle of inexpressible beauty. Soon the virgin began to ask herself questions about the First Cause and Creator of so harmonious and splendid a world.
Gradually, she became convinced that the soulless idols were merely the work of human hands. Although her father and teachers offered them worship, she realized that the idols could not have made the surrounding world. The desire to know the true God so consumed her soul that Barbara decided to devote all her life to this goal, and to spend her life in virginity.
The fame of her beauty spread throughout the city, and many sought her hand in marriage. But despite the entreaties of her father, she refused all of them. Barbara warned her father that his persistence might end tragically and separate them forever. Dioscorus decided that the temperament of his daughter had been affected by her life of seclusion. He therefore permitted her to leave the tower and gave her full freedom in her choice of friends and acquaintances. Thus Barbara met young Christian maidens in the city, and they taught her about the Creator of the world, about the Trinity, and about the Divine Logos. Through the Providence of God, a priest arrived in Heliopolis from Alexandria disguised as a merchant. After instructing her in the mysteries of the Christian Faith, he baptized Barbara, then returned to his own country.
During this time, a luxurious bathhouse was being built at the house of Dioscorus. By his orders, the workers prepared to put two windows on the south side. But Barbara, taking advantage of her father’s absence, asked them to make a third window, thereby forming a Trinity of light. On one of the walls of the bath-house Barbara traced a cross with her finger. The cross was deeply etched into the marble, as if by an iron instrument. Later, her footprints were imprinted on the stone steps of the bathhouse. The water of the bathhouse had great healing power. St. Simeon Metaphrastes (November 9) compared the bathhouse to the stream of Jordan and the Pool of Siloam, because by God’s power, many miracles took place there.
When Dioscorus returned and expressed dissatisfaction about the change in his building plans, his daughter told him about how she had come to know the Triune God, about the saving power of the Son of God, and about the futility of worshipping idols. Dioscorus went into a rage, grabbed a sword and was on the point of striking her with it. The holy virgin fled from her father, and he rushed after her in pursuit. His way became blocked by a hill, which opened up and concealed the saint in a crevice. On the other side of the crevice was an entrance leading upwards. St Barbara managed then to conceal herself in a cave on the opposite slope of the hill.
After a long and fruitless search for his daughter, Dioscorus saw two shepherds on the hill. One of them showed him the cave where the saint had hidden. Dioscorus beat his daughter terribly, and then placed her under guard and tried to wear her down with hunger. Finally he handed her over to the prefect of the city, named Martianus. They beat St. Barbara fiercely: they struck her with rawhide, and rubbed her wounds with a hair cloth to increase her pain. By night, St. Barbara prayed fervently to her Heavenly Bridegroom, and the Savior Himself appeared and healed her wounds. Then they subjected the saint to new, and even more frightful torments.
In the crowd where the martyr was tortured was the virtuous Christian woman Juliana, an inhabitant of Heliopolis. Her heart was filled with sympathy for the voluntary martyrdom of the beautiful and illustrious maiden. Juliana also wanted to suffer for Christ. She began to denounce the torturers in a loud voice, and they seized her.
Both martyrs were tortured for a long time. Their bodies were raked and wounded with hooks, and then they were led naked through the city amidst derision and jeers. Through the prayers of St. Barbara, the Lord sent an angel who covered the nakedness of the holy martyrs with a splendid robe. Then the steadfast confessors of Christ, Ss. Barbara and Juliana, were beheaded. Dioscorus himself executed St. Barbara. The wrath of God was not slow to punish both torturers, Martianus and Dioscorus. They were killed after being struck by lightning.
In the sixth century the relics of the holy Great Martyr Barbara were transferred to Constantinople. Six hundred years later, they were transferred to Kiev (July 11) by Barbara, the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenos, who married the Russian prince Michael Izyaslavich. They rest even now at Kiev’s St Vladimir cathedral, where an Akathist to the saint is served each Tuesday.
Many pious Orthodox Christians are in the habit of chanting the troparion of St. Barbara each day, recalling the Savior’s promise to her that those who remembered her and her sufferings would be preserved from a sudden, unexpected death, and would not depart this life without benefit of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. St. Barbara is commemorated on December 4.
Saint John of Damascus was born about the year 680 at Damascus, Syria into a Christian family. His father, Sergius Mansur, was a treasurer at the court of the Caliph. John had also a foster brother, the orphaned child Cosmas (October 14), whom Sergius had taken into his own home. When the children were growing up, Sergius saw that they received a good education. At the Damascus slave market he ransomed the learned monk Cosmas of Calabria from captivity and entrusted to him the teaching of his children. The boys displayed uncommon ability and readily mastered their courses of the secular and spiritual sciences. After the death of his father, John occupied ministerial posts at court and became the city prefect.
In Constantinople at that time, the heresy of Iconoclasm had arisen and quickly spread, supported by the emperor Leo III the Isaurian (717-741). Rising up in defense of the Orthodox veneration of icons [Iconodoulia], Saint John wrote three treatises entitled, “Against Those who Revile the Holy Icons.” The wise and God-inspired writings of Saint John enraged the emperor. But since the author was not a Byzantine subject, the emperor was unable to lock him up in prison, or to execute him. The emperor then resorted to slander. A forged letter to the emperor was produced, supposedly from John, in which the Damascus official was supposed to have offered his help to Leo in conquering the Syrian capital.
This letter and another hypocritically flattering note were sent to the Saracen Caliph by Leo the Isaurian. The Caliph immediately ordered that Saint John be removed from his post, that his right hand be cut off, and that he be led through the city in chains.
That same evening, they returned the severed hand to Saint John. The saint pressed it to his wrist and prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos to heal him so that he could defend the Orthodox Faith and write once again in praise of the Most Pure Virgin and Her Son. After a time, he fell asleep before the icon of the Mother of God. He heard Her voice telling him that he had been healed, and commanding him to toil unceasingly with his restored hand. Upon awakening, he found that his hand had been attached to his arm once more. Only a small red mark around his wrist remained as a sign of the miracle.
Later, in thanksgiving for being healed, Saint John had a silver model of his hand attached to the icon, which became known as “Of the Three Hands.” Some unlearned painters have given the Mother of God three hands instead of depicting the silver model of Saint John’s hand. The Icon “Of the Three Hands” is commemorated on June 28 and July 12.
When he learned of the miracle, which demonstrated John’s innocence, the Caliph asked his forgiveness and wanted to restore him to his former office, but the saint refused. He gave away his riches to the poor, and went to Jerusalem with his stepbrother and fellow-student, Cosmas. There he entered the monastery of Saint Savva the Sanctified as a simple novice.
It was not easy for him to find a spiritual guide, because all the monks were daunted by his great learning and by his former rank. Only one very experienced Elder, who had the skill to foster the spirit of obedience and humility in a student, would consent to do this. The Elder forbade John to do anything at all according to his own will. He also instructed him to offer to God all his labors and supplications as a perfect sacrifice, and to shed tears which would wash away the sins of his former life.
Once, he sent the novice to Damascus to sell baskets made at the monastery, and commanded him to sell them at a certain inflated price, far above their actual value. He undertook the long journey under the searing sun, dressed in rags. No one in the city recognized the former official of Damascus, for his appearance had been changed by prolonged fasting and ascetic labors. However, Saint John was recognized by his former house steward, who bought all the baskets at the asking price, showing compassion on him for his apparent poverty.
One of the monks happened to die, and his brother begged Saint John to compose something consoling for the burial service. Saint John refused for a long time, but out of pity he yielded to the petition of the grief-stricken monk, and wrote his renowned funeral troparia (“What earthly delight,” “All human vanity,” and others). For this disobedience the Elder banished him from his cell. John fell at his feet and asked to be forgiven, but the Elder remained unyielding. All the monks began to plead for him to allow John to return, but he refused. Then one of the monks asked the Elder to impose a penance on John, and to forgive him if he fulfilled it. The Elder said, “If John wishes to be forgiven, let him wash out all the chamber pots in the lavra, and clean the monastery latrines with his bare hands.”
John rejoiced and eagerly ran to accomplish his shameful task. After a certain while, the Elder was commanded in a vision by the All-Pure and Most Holy Theotokos to allow Saint John to write again. When the Patriarch of Jerusalem heard of Saint John, he ordained him priest and made him a preacher at his cathedral. But Saint John soon returned to the Lavra of Saint Savva, where he spent the rest of his life writing spiritual books and church hymns. He left the monastery only to denounce the iconoclasts at the Constantinople Council of 754. They subjected him to imprisonment and torture, but he endured everything, and through the mercy of God he remained alive. He died in about the year 780, more than 100 years old.
Saint John of Damascus was a theologian and a zealous defender of Orthodoxy. His most important book is the Fount of Knowledge. The third section of this work, “On the Orthodox Faith,” is a summary of Orthodox doctrine and a refutation of heresy. Since he was known as a hymnographer, we pray to Saint John for help in the study of church singing.
Source: The Orthodox Church in America
Canon of the Great-Martyr, in Tone II.
Ode I, Irmos: In the deep of old the infinite Power overwhelmed Pharaoh’s whole army. * But the Incarnate Word annihilated pernicious sin. * Exceedingly glorious is the Lord, * for gloriously hath He been glorified.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
O most blessed and honoured Trinity Who givest gifts to Thy servants which are beyond understanding, breathe Thou a ray of splendour into my darkened mind, that I may praise the ever-memorable martyr Barbara.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
O most blessed and honoured Trinity Who givest gifts to Thy servants which are beyond understanding, breathe Thou a ray of splendour into my darkened mind, that I may praise the ever-memorable martyr Barbara.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
The glory of Thy martyrs hath truly passed every bound of praise, O Lover of mankind; yet, accepting the praise we offer thee with faith according to our measure, O Master, send down upon us rich rewards.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
A most beauteous rose sprang forth from a thorny root and hath perfumed the Church of Christ: the glorious Barbara, who dyed her vesture in the blood of her suffering. Her do we hymn as is meet.
Canon of the Venerable One, in the same tone, Irmos: In the deep of old the infinite Power overwhelmed Pharaoh’s whole army. * But the Incarnate Word annihilated pernicious sin. * Exceedingly glorious is the Lord, * for gloriously hath He been glorified.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
To me who desirest to begin thy praises, grant me now thy honeyed voice, O venerable one, wherewith thou didst with hymns illumine the Orthodox Church which honoureth thy memory, O father John.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
To me who desirest to begin thy praises, grant me now thy honeyed voice, O venerable one, wherewith thou didst with hymns illumine the Orthodox Church which honoureth thy memory, O father John.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Perceiving the nature of things most excellently, as a wise judge keen of intellect, thou didst prefer eternal things to those which do not last; for thou didst trade transitory things for those which are abiding, O John, where Christ hath now glorified thee.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou hast been shown to surpass all creation, visible and invisible, O pure Ever-virgin; for thou gavest birth to the Creator, in that it was His good pleasure to become incarnate in thy womb. Him do thou entreat with boldness, that He save those who hymn thee.
Ode III, Irmos: The desert of the barren Church of the nations * blossomed like a lily * at Thy coming, O Lord, * therein hath my heart been established.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Wounded by the love of Thee, her Bridegroom, O Master, the passion-bearer Barbara rejected all the ungodliness of her father with unrestrained vehemence.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Wounded by the love of Thee, her Bridegroom, O Master, the passion-bearer Barbara rejected all the ungodliness of her father with unrestrained vehemence.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Neither the sweet beauty and comeliness of flowers, nor riches, nor yet the sweetness of youth satisfied thee, O goodly virgin, glorious Barbara, who had become the bride of Christ.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Neither the hindrance of a feminine nature or youthful stature impeded the martyr’s perfect struggles, O Christ; for she was fortified by Thine invisible power.
Irmos: The desert of the barren Church of the nations * blossomed like a lily * at Thy coming, O Lord, * therein hath my heart been established.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Thou didst distribute thy wealth, thereby giving it back to God; wherefore, the kingdom in the heavens hath been prepared for thee, and thou hast now received abundant rewards, O John.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Thou didst distribute thy wealth, thereby giving it back to God; wherefore, the kingdom in the heavens hath been prepared for thee, and thou hast now received abundant rewards, O John.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Receiving a talant of wisdom, O John, thou didst adorn the Church of Christ, adorning it with thy deeds; and, departing this life, thou hast increased it exceedingly.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The ranks of angels were astonished, O most pure one, and the hearts of mortals were filled with awe at thy birthgiving. Wherefore, we honour thee, the Theotokos, with faith.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Kontakion of the venerable one, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “Having been lifted up upon the Cross…”: Let us hymn John, the honoured and divinely eloquent speaker and hymnographer, * the instructor and teacher of the Church, * the opponent of the enemy; * for taking up the Cross of the Lord as a sword, * he hath cut down all the falsehood of heresies, * and as a fervent intercessor before God ** he bestoweth forgiveness of transgressions upon all.
Ikos: Together let us cry out to the instructor, teacher and priest of the Church, as an initiate of ineffable mysteries: By thy supplications to God open our mouths and grant that we may speak the words of thy doctrines; for thou didst appear in the world as one who shares in the Trinity, shining forth in the world like another sun, illumining all with thy miracles and teachings, like Moses ever instructing in the law of the Lord. And thou wast a luminary in word and deed, praying unceasingly, that forgiveness of transgressions be given to all.
Sedalion, Tone III, Spec. Mel. “Awed by the beauty of thy virginity…”: In thy suffering thou didst amaze all, for thou didst endure the wounding, bonds, tortures and imprisonment inflicted upon thee by the tormentors, O most praised Barbara. Wherefore, Christ hath given thee a crown in heaven, and it is to Him that thou didst flee, desiring Him earnestly. He hath imparted grace to thee, O martyr, to pour forth healings upon all.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Sedalion of the venerable one, in Tone III: Thou hast been shown to us to be a melodious and sanctified trumpet, O most sacred one, sounding forth in hymnody the teachings of the Lord and Saviour to the ends of the earth; and by thy words thou hast illumined the earth, O venerable John, entreat Christ God, that He grant us great mercy.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Stavrotheotokion in Tone III (replaces the Theotokion on Wednesdays and Fridays): The unblemished ewe-lamb of the Word, * the incorrupt Virgin Mother, * beholding Him Who sprang forth from her without pain * suspended upon the Cross, cried out, maternally lamenting: * “Woe is me, O my Child! * How is it that Thou dost suffer willingly, * desiring to redeem mankind ** from the indignity of the passions?”
Ode IV, Irmos: From a Virgin didst Thou come forth, not as an ambassador, * nor as an Angel, * but the very Lord himself incarnate, * and didst save me, the whole man; * wherefore I cry unto Thee: * Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
O Thou Who wast born of the Virgin, Thou hast given to virgin maidens the boldness to cast down the deceiver. Wherefore, the right victorious Barbara put his arrogance to shame.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
O Thou Who wast born of the Virgin, Thou hast given to virgin maidens the boldness to cast down the deceiver. Wherefore, the right victorious Barbara put his arrogance to shame.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Our first mother, led astray of old by the machinations of the deceiver, wast driven from the food of paradise; but Barbara, putting him to shame, hath now made her abode in the bridal-chamber of heaven.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Thou didst destroy the power of death by Thy Cross; wherefore, the maiden Barbara, sparing not her body, most valiantly endured wounding with steadfast mind.
Irmos: From a Virgin didst Thou come forth, not as an ambassador, * nor as an Angel, * but the very Lord himself incarnate, * and didst save me, the whole man; * wherefore I cry unto Thee: * Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Thou didst distribute thy wealth, thereby giving it back to God; wherefore, the kingdom in the heavens hath been prepared for thee, and thou hast now received abundant rewards, O John.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Submitting to the command of Christ, thou didst forsake the beauty, wealth, sweetness and splendour of the world; and taking up thy cross for His sake, O wise John, thou didst follow after Him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Impoverishing thyself for Christ Who impoverished Himself for the sake of our salvation, thou wast glorified with Him as He promised, and dost now reign with Him Who reigneth for ever, O John.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
All of us, the faithful, know thee to be the haven of salvation and an invincible rampart, O Lady Theotokos; for by thy supplications thou dost deliver our souls from tribulations.
Ode V, Irmos: O Christ God Thou art a mediator between God and man; * for by Thee, O Master, * have we been led from the night of ignorance, * to Thy Father, the Source of light.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Commanding that the bath-house be lighted by three windows, O Barbara, thou didst mystically describe baptism, which, through the light of the Trinity, is the radiant cleansing of thy soul.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Commanding that the bath-house be lighted by three windows, O Barbara, thou didst mystically describe baptism, which, through the light of the Trinity, is the radiant cleansing of thy soul.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Aflame with zeal for God, the all-praised maiden Barbara spat upon the vile faces of the false deities, putting to shame the prince of this world.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Opening for Barbara, who was fleeing the savagery of her cruel father, the mountain straightway received her, like the ever-memorable protomartyr Thecla of old, Christ having wrought a miracle.
Irmos: O Christ God Thou art a mediator between God and man; * for by Thee, O Master, * we have been led from the night of ignorance, * to Thy Father, the Source of light.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Made steadfast in the divine life by the fear of Christ, O father John, thou didst subject all thy carnal mind to thy spirit, cleansing thy senses.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Made steadfast in the divine life by the fear of Christ, O father John, thou didst subject all thy carnal mind to thy spirit, cleansing thy senses.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having assiduously purified body, mind and soul of all defilement, O divinely wise one, thou didst receive the splendour of the threefold Sun, Who hath enriched thee with radiant gifts.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Entreat thy Son and Lord, O pure Virgin; that He grant deliverance from the assaults of the adversary to all captives and peace to those who place their hope on thee.
Ode VI, Irmos: I am held fast in the depths of sin O Saviour, * and am overwhelmed by the sea of life, * but as Jonah was delivered from the sea-monster, * so also deliver me from the passions, * and save me.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
As Thou didst promise to give divinely inspired wisdom to those who stand before the tyrants’ tribunals for Thy sake, the martyr Barbara was filled therewith.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
As Thou didst promise to give divinely inspired wisdom to those who stand before the tyrants’ tribunals for Thy sake, the martyr Barbara was filled therewith.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
With divinely wise words thou didst denounce the falsehood of the ungodly, O glorious Barbara, and in enduring the deeds of the torments thou didst astonish the wise.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
The blameless spiritual athlete gave her body over to be pitilessly afflicted with wounds and to be scraped thoroughly with rags of horse-hair, for the sake of Christ.
Irmos: I am held fast in the depths of sin O Saviour, * and am overwhelmed by the sea of life, * but as Jonah was delivered from the sea-monster, * so also deliver me from the passions, * and save me.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Illumined by the grace of the Spirit, and clearly enriched by the knowledge of secular things, thou didst generously give thy wealth to the needy, O John.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Illumined by the grace of the Spirit, and clearly enriched by the knowledge of secular things, thou didst generously give thy wealth to the needy, O John.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Like the choirs of heaven didst thou adorn the Church in Orthodox manner, intoning divine harmonious hymns to the Trinity.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou gavest birth without knowing a man, O Virgin, and remainest eternally virgin, revealing the true Godhead of thy Son and God in images.
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 of the Great-martyr, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “Having been lifted up upon the Cross…”: Following God Who is piously hymned in Trinity, * thou didst dim the pagan temples O spiritual athlete; * and suffering amid thy contest, * O Barbara of manly mind, * thou wast not afraid of the threats of the tyrants, * ever chanting aloud: ** “I worship the Trinity, the One God!”
Ikos: Assembling, let us honour, as is meet, Barbara, who made herself the bride of Christ through martyrdom; for delivered from soul-corrupting danger, destruction and earthquake through her supplications, we lead our life in peace, and are granted Thy mercies, O Saviour, with all the saints who have pleased Thee from ages past, to walk in the light and to chant with them. And Thou hast astonished all those who confess with faith: We worship the Trinity, the One God!
Ode VII, Irmos: The godless order of the lawless tyrant * fanned the roaring flame; * but Christ bedewed the God-fearing children with the Spirit, * therefore He is blessed and supremely exalted.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
The tyrant who rageth in vain to destroy the earth and annihilate the sea lieth like a plaything beneath the feet of the maiden Barbara; for Christ, having trampled Him down, hath bound him like a vile bird.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
The tyrant who rageth in vain to destroy the earth and annihilate the sea lieth like a plaything beneath the feet of the maiden Barbara; for Christ, having trampled Him down, hath bound him like a vile bird.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
When thy whole body was wracked with unbearable wounds and empurpled with the drops of thy blood, O all-praised glorious martyr Barbara, thou didst yet endure scorching of thy sides by candles.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
O the inhuman and pitiless savagery and exceeding ungodliness of the torments! For with swords they cruelly severed the breasts of the martyr as though in a butcher’s shop, but her mind was set steadfastly on Christ, the Judge of the contest.
Irmos: The godless order of the lawless tyrant * fanned the roaring flame; * but Christ bedewed the God-fearing children with the Spirit, * therefore He is blessed and supremely exalted.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Afire with zeal, thou didst strike down all the false knowledge of God-opposing heresies with thy splendid writings, O John, manifestly making clear what had been sown of old by the wise and written carefully.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Afire with zeal, thou didst strike down all the false knowledge of God-opposing heresies with thy splendid writings, O John, manifestly making clear what had been sown of old by the wise and written carefully.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
With the discourses and the dogmas compiled by thee, thou didst fervently denounce the blasphemous impiety of the abominable disciples of Manes, who strove to infect the Church of Christ, O John.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O undefiled Virgin, Mother unwedded, we know thee to be more holy than the saints, in that thou alone hast given birth to the immutable God; for thou hast poured forth incorruption upon all the faithful by thy divine birth giving.
Ode VIII, Irmos: In Babylon, the activity of the fire was once divided, * for, by the command of God it consumed the Chaldeans, * but bedewed the faithful, who chant: * Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Christ appeared to thee in prison, O Barbara, surrounded by unapproachable light, commanding thee to be of good cheer, healing thy wounds and granting thee joy; wherefore, thou hast lovingly taken wing to thy Bridegroom.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Christ appeared to thee in prison, O Barbara, surrounded by unapproachable light, commanding thee to be of good cheer, healing thy wounds and granting thee joy; wherefore, thou hast lovingly taken wing to thy Bridegroom.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Manifestly hath Thy prophecy been fulfilled, O Christ; for the father gave his own child over to death, the wretched parent having become the instigator of Thy martyr’s slaughter. Wherefore, he was destroyed by fire from heaven.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
An angel of light arrayed thee like a bride in brilliant vesture, O Barbara, who wast stripped naked for Christ’s sake and wast subjected to suffering; for thou didst shed thy garments, receiving divine transformation.
Irmos: In Babylon, the activity of the fire was once divided, * for, by the command of God it consumed the Chaldeans, * but bedewed the faithful, who chant: * Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Thou didst openly denounce the division of Nestorius, the confusion of Severus and the monothelite foolishness, O thrice-blessed John, shining forth the radiance of Orthodoxy upon all the ends of the earth in the one true Faith.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Thou didst openly denounce the division of Nestorius, the confusion of Severus and the monothelite foolishness, O thrice-blessed John, shining forth the radiance of Orthodoxy upon all the ends of the earth in the one true Faith.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The enemy abundantly sowed the tares of heresy in the Church of Christ, that the worship of Christ in His precious icons might be eliminated; but he did not find thee sleeping, O all-blessed John, who uprooted every seed of evil.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Without seed didst thou conceive Him Who is inseparable from the Father and dwelt in thy womb as God and man, and thou hast given birth to Him ineffably, O most pure Theotokos. Wherefore, we confess thee to be the salvation of us all.
Ode IX, Irmos: The Son of the Unoriginate Father, God and Lord, * hath appeared to us incarnate of a Virgin, * to enlighten those in darkness, * and to gather the dispersed; * therefore the all-hymned Theotokos do we magnify.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Meeting the glorious end of thy martyrdom under the sword, O Barbara, and deemed worthy of a crown of martyrdom with Juliana, thou didst hear the voice of God, which filled thee with power.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Meeting the glorious end of thy martyrdom under the sword, O Barbara, and deemed worthy of a crown of martyrdom with Juliana, thou didst hear the voice of God, which filled thee with power.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
United now with Christ thy Bridegroom, shining with the glory of the divine light in the mansions of heaven, O Barbara, look down upon those who hymn thee, lightening our sufferings and leading us to the living God.
Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.
Christ, fulfilling thy request, O Barbara, granteth healings to those who with faith keep thine annual memorial. For truly thy right glorious miracles have surpassed the sands of the sea in number.
Irmos: The Son of the Unoriginate Father, God and Lord, * hath appeared to us incarnate of a Virgin, * to enlighten those in darkness, * and to gather the dispersed; * therefore the all-hymned Theotokos do we magnify.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Thou hast taught all the children of the Church to hymn in an Orthodox fashion the adored Unity in Trinity, and to clearly theologize concerning the divine incarnation of the Word, O John, explaining those things which many find difficult to understand in the sacred Scriptures.
Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.
Thou hast taught all the children of the Church to hymn in an Orthodox fashion the adored Unity in Trinity, and to clearly theologize concerning the divine incarnation of the Word, O John, explaining those things which many find difficult to understand in the sacred Scriptures.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having hymned the ranks of the saints, the pure Theotokos, the forerunner of Christ, the apostles, the prophets, fasters and wise teachers, the righteous and the martyrs, O John, thou dost now abide in their mansions.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In a manner beyond understanding, O Virgin Theotokos, thou didst become the bridal-chamber of the incarnation of the Word, arrayed and embroidered with the glory of the virtues. Wherefore, we proclaim thee to be the Theotokos, O allimmaculate one.
Troparion of the great-martyr, Tone VIII: Let us honour the holy Barbara; for the most honored one * broke the snares of the enemy and was delivered from them like a bird, ** with the help and aid of the Cross.
Troparion of the venerable one, Tone VIII: Teacher of Orthodoxy, instructor of piety and chastity, * luminary of the Church, God-inspired nourishment of monastics, * O supremely wise John, thou spiritual flute illumining all, ** entreat Christ God that our souls be saved.
The Prophet Zephaniah (Sophonias) was a contemporary of the Prophet Jeremiah and the Prophetess Oldama. He was from the tribe of Simeon, and was the ninth of the Twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. The prophet lived at the royal court, where he preached repentance and helped King Josiah eliminate idol-worship.
He prophesied about the calamities that were to come for the people of Judea and the surrounding regions: Gaza, Ascalon, Crete, and against the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Ninevites.
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.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
We beseech thee, O prophet, who standest before the throne of God, that thou earnestly entreat Him to grant enlightenment to us who with faith hymn thine honored memory.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
We beseech thee, O prophet, who standest before the throne of God, that thou earnestly entreat Him to grant enlightenment to us who with faith hymn thine honored memory.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou hast been shown to be a divine instrument containing enlightenment and the gifts of the divine Spirit, O all-wise Zephaniah; wherefore, rejoicing, we, the faithful, call thee blessed.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Sun which shone forth from thy holy womb, O Lady, illumineth all the earth with most brilliant rays; and enlightened thereby, we honor thee as the Mother of God.
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.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
He Who, as God, seeth all things, O blessed and right wondrous one, in a godly manner manifestly revealed and showed thee the knowledge of the future and what is to be.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
He Who, as God, seeth all things, O blessed and right wondrous one, in a godly manner manifestly revealed and showed thee the knowledge of the future and what is to be.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having strengthened thy mind with the boldness of piety, O blessed one, thou didst bow thyself down before the divine Spirit and received divine inspirations.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Behold, with faith all generations call thee blessed who, in a manner transcending nature, hast given birth in the flesh within time unto the timeless Word, yet remained a virgin.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VI, Spec. Mel. “The portals of compassion…”: Having cleansed thy mind of defilement, O all-wise one, thou didst make it a divine mirror reflecting the rays of the Spirit of God; and now, rejoicing, thou hast departed unto the Source of effulgence, O prophet Zephaniah.
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 VI: Groaning from my heart and inmost parts do I offer thee, O all-immaculate one, asking thine aid, which is accompanied by good. Have mercy upon my greatly suffering soul. Move thou the most merciful God to pity, that He deliver me from damnation and the lake of fire, O thou who alone art blessed.
Stavrotheotokion, Tone VI (replaces the above on Wednesdays and Fridays): The ever-virgin Maiden who gaveth birth unto Thee, O Christ, beholding Thee suspended upon the Cross for our sake, was wounded heart and soul by the sword of grief, and wept, lamenting maternally. By her supplications have mercy upon us, O Merciful One.
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.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
The Lord of all appeared to us in accordance with thy prophecy, O blessed one, calling all to knowledge of Him; and freeing us from slavery.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
The Lord of all appeared to us in accordance with thy prophecy, O blessed one, calling all to knowledge of Him; and freeing us from slavery.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Illumined by grace, thou didst make proclamation, speaking to those who bow low to labor beneath the one yoke, who follow the Faith and serve the Lord.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O all-pure Mary, still thou the tumult of the passions of my mind and the storm of temptations, as thou hast given birth unto the Wellspring of dispassion, O Virgin Mother.
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.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
By thine entreaties, O blessed and glorious prophet, convert me from unrighteousness to virtue, and from the captivity of the passions lead me to the light of piety.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
By thine entreaties, O blessed and glorious prophet, convert me from unrighteousness to virtue, and from the captivity of the passions lead me to the light of piety.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having enlightened thy soul with the comeliness of the virtues, thou didst show it to be pleasing to the splendors of the divine Spirit, by Whom thou hast been enriched by the grace of prophecy.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In many forms the words of the prophets proclaim thy birthgiving, O most pure one; and we, beholding now their fulfillment, truly declare thee to be thenTheotokos.
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.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
Receiving the rays of the Spirit through revelation, O glorious one, like a mirror thou didst reflect the splendors of divine prophecy upon the world, prophesying the things of the future as though they were present.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
Receiving the rays of the Spirit through revelation, O glorious one, like a mirror thou didst reflect the splendors of divine prophecy upon the world, prophesying the things of the future as though they were present.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The King hath come! Rejoice and adorn thyself, O Zion, beholding Him! He hath enlightened the world with the brilliant rays of His divinity and hath put the delusion of the demons to shame!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In thy womb the Only-begotten of the Father united Himself to flesh of clay; He Who is One Person of two natures issued forth from thee without corruption, preserving thy pure virginity intact, O all-hymned one.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “Thou hast appeared …”: Thou wast shown to be brilliant by the divine Spirit, O prophet Zephaniah, * proclaiming the coming of God: * Rejoice exceedingly, O daughter of Zion! * Proclaim Him, O Jerusalem! ** Behold, thy King cometh to save mankind!
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.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
Thy memory hath shone upon the world like the sun, illumining with the grace of thy prophecy those who with faith chant together: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
Thy memory hath shone upon the world like the sun, illumining with the grace of thy prophecy those who with faith chant together: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Revealed to be like a cloud heavy laden with showers, thou didst let fall upon us a shower of divine knowledge from the springs of salvation, O blessed one, whereby we are enlightened to cry out: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Desiring in His divine will to restore mankind, the Word, Who of old gave existence to all things, made His abode within thy womb, O pure and blessed one, who hast given birth to God in the flesh.
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.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
Offered wholly to the Almighty, thou wast instructed in the mysteries by way of foreknowledge, teaching the Gentiles in accordance with God’s providence. Wherefore, we hymn thee, O divinely eloquent prophet.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
Offered wholly to the Almighty, thou wast instructed in the mysteries by way of foreknowledge, teaching the Gentiles in accordance with God’s providence. Wherefore, we hymn thee, O divinely eloquent prophet.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Offer up a hymn of supplication on behalf of those who hymn thee, O divinely blessed one, and put an end to the turmoil of temptations, that we may hymn thee, O divinely eloquent prophet.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Giving birth to God, the Lord and Bestower of life, O most pure one, thou didst abolish the unrestrained tyranny of death, slaying it. Wherefore, we hymn 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.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
Thou madest thine abode in the land of the meek, where, after thy repose, thou dost behold the splendors of the angels, O all-wise Zephaniah, thou prophet of God, shining with grace in that thou art meek. Wherefore, rejoicing, we, the faithful, call thee blessed.
Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.
Thou madest thine abode in the land of the meek, where, after thy repose, thou dost behold the splendors of the angels, O all-wise Zephaniah, thou prophet of God, shining with grace in that thou art meek. Wherefore, rejoicing, we, the faithful, call thee blessed.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Radiantly beholding the fulfillment of thy prophecies, O most glorious one, we marvel at the grace given thee and the purity of thy mind, and we are struck with wonder at thy godly soul.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
No other like thee hath ever been given to us from generations of old, O all-immaculate Mother of God; for thou, alone of all, hast incomparable sanctity and purity. Wherefore, thou didst receive within thyself God incarnate.
Troparion, Tone II: Celebrating the memory of Thy Prophet Zephaniah, O Lord, * through him we entreat Thee: ** Save Thou our souls!
The Holy Prophet Habakkuk, the eighth of the Twelve Minor Prophets, was descended from the Tribe of Simeon, and he prophesied around 650 B.C.
The Prophet Habakkuk foresaw the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, the Babylonian Captivity and the later return of the captives to their native land. During the war with the Babylonians the prophet withdrew to Arabia, where the following miracle occurred. When he was bringing dinner to the reapers, he met an angel of the Lord, and instantly by the strength of his spirit he was transported to Babylon, where at the time the Prophet Daniel was languishing in prison. The food intended for the reapers assuaged the hunger of the exhausted Prophet Daniel (Dan. 14:33-37).
After the end of the war with the Babylonians, the Prophet Habakkuk returned to his homeland and died at a great old age. His relics were found at the time of Emperor Theodosius he Younger (408-450), together with the relics of the Prophet Micah (August 14).
Source: The Orthodox Church in America
Canon of the prophet, the acrostic whereof is: “I hymn thee, O blessed Prophet Habbakuk,” the composition of Theophanes, in Tone IV.
Ode I, Irmos: I hymn Thee, O Lord my God, * for Thou hast led Thy people out of the bondage of Egypt, * and hast drowned in the waters * the chariots and the might of Pharaoh.
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
Make me wise, O Lord my God, that I may hymn Thy divine Prophet Habbakuk, and illumine my heart with Thy grace O Good One.
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
“How long, O Lord, will I cry unto Thee, and Thou wilt not hearken?” said the prophet “Wherefore hast Thou shown me the injustice of the judges?”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
By thine entreaties, O prophet, deliver from misfortunes and cruel circumstances, those who piously celebrate thine honoured memory.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
When the fullness of time drew nigh, our holy God appeared from thee, O Theotokos, becoming a man, that He might save mankind.
Ode III Irmos: The bow of the mighty hath waxed feeble * and the weak have girded themselves with strength: * therefore is my heart established * in the Lord.
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
Raised on high by elevating thy gaze unto God, and illumined by the effulgence emanating from Him, thou didst foresee the form of things to come, O thou divinely revealed one.
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
Possessing every virtue, and hating all wickedness of mind, O all-blessed one; thou didst justly revile the iniquitous.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As one pure, O right wondrous one, and entrusted with speech by the Holy Spirit, thou didst clearly prophesy the fulfilment of things to come.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O all-pure one, thou hast been revealed to be the mountain overshadowed by the virtues, from whence the Master hath issued forth as a servant, to free mankind from slavery.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “Having been lifted up…”: Thou didst stand on divine watch, O blessed and divinely inspired Habbakuk, and with the eyes of prophecy perceived the coming of God; wherefore, thou didst cry out with fear: O Lord, I have heard of Thy dread coming, and I hymn Thee, Who hast willed to bear the flesh of clay which Thou didst receive from the Virgin!
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: After God, it is to thy divine protection that I, the lowly, flee, O Theotokos, and falling down I pray: Have mercy, O all-pure one, for my sins have gone over my head, and I fear torment and tremble, O Mistress. O pure one, make supplication to thy Son, that He deliver me therefrom.
Stavrotheotokion (replaces the Theotokion of Wednesdays and Fridays): She who in latter times gave birth to Thee in the flesh, * O Christ Who wast begotten of the unoriginate Father, * when she saw Thee hanging upon the Cross, cried out: * “Woe is me, O Jesus most beloved! * How is it that Thou Who art worshipped as God by the angels, * art now crucified by iniquitous men? ** I hymn Thee, O Long-suffering One!”
Ode IV Irmos: Proclaiming the advent of Thine appearance on earth, O Christ God, * the prophet cried aloud with gladness: * Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
Thou wast shown to be radiant in virtue O divinely inspired one, and announced the never-waning Light. To Him do we now cry out with faith: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
The most radiant grace of the Spirit, dwelling abundantly within thee, O all-wise one, made thee a prophet announcing the Saviour unto all.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Instructed by hearing of the Almighty, O wondrous one, thou wast seized with reverent fear, and, understanding His words, thou wast filled with awe.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Word Who is equally everlasting with the Father described thee O Virgin, as the ark of witness, truly containing the Bread of life.
Ode V Irmos: O Thou Who hast caused the light to shine, * who hast made bright the dawn and revealed the day; * glory be to Thee, glory be to Thee, * O Jesus Thou Son of God.
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
The honoured Church doth now see the Sun lifted up upon the Tree, as Thou didst foretell, O most sacred Habbakuk.
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
The honoured Church doth now see the Sun lifted up upon the Tree, as Thou didst foretell, O most sacred Habbakuk.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Giving wings to thy mind, thou didst stand watch, O thou who art most noetically rich, perceiving the advent of the Lord. “I rejoice aloud in God my Saviour and am glad!” didst thou cry aloud, O wise and all-blessed Habbakuk.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Weighed down by the fetters of my many transgressions, I flee to thee, O Lady Theotokos. Save me, thou boast of the faithful!
Ode VI Irmos: Prefiguring Thy three-day burial * the Prophet Jonah praying in the belly of the sea-monster cried aloud: * Deliver me from corruption * O Jesus Thou King of hosts.
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
God incarnate hath come from the south as thou didst foretell, O thrice blessed Habbakuk, and, radiantly enlightened by Him, thou hast illumined the world with light.
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
O God, by the supplications of the honoured and divinely wise Habbakuk illumine the souls of those who hymn Thee, for by divine inspiration Thou didst enlighten his mind.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thine announcement and the power of thy divine words passed over all the ends of the earth, O divinely eloquent one, prophesying to us the divine advent of the Word.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Virgin, thou hast given birth to the Son, Who is consubstantial with the Father, is clearly understood to be with Him Who begat Him outside time, and Who in the latter times assumed flesh.
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, Spec. Mel. “To thee, the champion leader…”: Having announced to the world God’s coming forth from the south, from the Virgin, * standing on divine watch O divinely eloquent Habbakuk, * thou didst receive report from the radiant angel: * and proclaimed the resurrection of Christ to the world. * Wherefore, in gladness we cry out to thee: ** Rejoice, O splendid adornment of the prophets!
Ode VII Irmos: Of old the Children of Abraham in Babylon * trampled down the flame of the furnace, * crying aloud with hymns: * O God of our Fathers, blessed art Thou.
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
Taught understanding which transcendeth all telling, and prophesying concerning the abundantly radiant lamp, O blessed one, thou dost now cry aloud: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
Taught understanding which transcendeth all telling, and prophesying concerning the abundantly radiant lamp, O blessed one, thou dost now cry aloud: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Christ, Whom thou didst glorify, hath given thee thrice-radiant effulgence and a share in never-waning glory, for thou didst cry aloud: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Among all generations thou hast been revealed to be the blessed Virgin Mother who, in a manner past understanding, hast given birth to the incarnate Word; wherefore, we hymn thee, O pure one.
Ode VIII Irmos: O all ye works of God and all creation, * bless ye the Lord, * ye venerable and humble of spirit * chant ye and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
Illumined with the light of the threefold Sun, O most excellent one, thou wast deemed worthy of divine and supra-natural visions, crying aloud: Supremely exalt ye God throughout all ages!
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
Drinking from the torrent of sweetness, full of immaterial vision, partaking of the glory and eminence of the prophets, rejoicing, thou dost hymn God throughout the ages.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O divine and honoured is the comeliness of the Prophet Habbakuk! For, joining chorus with the angelic hosts, rejoicing he hymneth Christ throughout the ages.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou wast truly shown to be the Mother of Him Who shone forth from the Father before all ages; for thou alone wast more holy than all others. Thee, the pure one, do we supremely exalt throughout the ages!
Ode IX Irmos: Thy birthgiving was revealed to be incorrupt, * God came forth from thy womb, * and He appeared upon earth in mortal flesh * and dwelt among mankind; * Wherefore we all magnify thee, O Theotokos.
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
Thy memory shineth forth, O prophet, emitting the radiant effulgence of thy divine eloquence, thy mystic teachings and prophecies, for those who honour thee, O most blessed Habbakuk.
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
Thy memory shineth forth, O prophet, emitting the radiant effulgence of thy divine eloquence, thy mystic teachings and prophecies, for those who honour thee, O most blessed Habbakuk.
Holy prophet of God, Habbakuk, pray to God for us.
Having preached the Lord of glory and clearly foretold His advent from the holy Virgin, O divinely blessed Habbakuk, thou wast filled with gladness, seeing it come to pass.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
All the prophets rejoice in gladness on this thy joyous day, O divinely wise one, sharing in thy joy and divine glory. And, praying with them, save those who hymn thee.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
With the sprinkling of thy compassions, O pure maiden, wash away the defilement of my soul, and unceasingly cause torrents of tears to pour forth in me, staunching the torrents of my passions.
Troparion, Tone II: Celebrating the memory of Thy Prophet Habbakuk, O Lord, * through him we entreat Thee: ** Save Thou our souls!
Apologies that publish did not complete for this post yesterday.
1/14 December
Righteous Philaret the Merciful, son of George and Anna, was raised in piety and the fear of God. He lived during the eighth century in the village of Amnia in the Paphlagonian district of Asia Minor. His wife, Theoseba, was from a rich and illustrious family, and they had three children: a son John, and daughters Hypatia and Philaret was a rich and illustrious dignitary, but he did not hoard his wealth. Knowing that many people suffered from poverty, he remembered the words of the Savior about the dread Last Judgment and about “these least ones” (Mt. 25:40); the Apostle Paul’s reminder that we will take nothing with us from this world (1 Tim 6:7); and the assertion of King David that the righteous would not be forsaken (Ps 36/37:25). Philaret, whose name means “lover of virtue,” was famed for his love for the poor.
One day Ishmaelites [Arabs] attacked Paphlagonia, devastating the land and plundering the estate of Philaret. There remained only two oxen, a donkey, a cow with her calf, some beehives, and the house. But he also shared them with the poor. His wife reproached him for being heartless and unconcerned for his own family. Mildly, yet firmly he endured the reproaches of his wife and the jeers of his children. “I have hidden away riches and treasure,” he told his family, “so much that it would be enough for you to feed and clothe yourselves, even if you lived a hundred years without working.”
The saint’s gifts always brought good to the recipient. Whoever received anything from him found that the gift would multiply, and that person would become rich. Knowing this, a certain man came to Saint Philaret asking for a calf so that he could start a herd. The cow missed its calf and began to bellow. Theoseba said to her husband, “You have no pity on us, you merciless man, but don’t you feel sorry for the cow? You have separated her from her calf.” The saint praised his wife, and agreed that it was not right to separate the cow and the calf. Therefore, he called the poor man to whom he had given the calf and told him to take the cow as well.
That year there was a famine, so Saint Philaret took the donkey and went to borrow six bushels of wheat from a friend of his. When he returned home, a poor man asked him for a little wheat, so he told his wife to give the man a bushel. Theoseba said, “First you must give a bushel to each of us in the family, then you can give away the rest as you choose.” Philaretos then gave the man two bushels of wheat. Theoseba said sarcastically, “Give him half the load so you can share it.” The saint measured out a third bushel and gave it to the man. Then Theoseba said, “Why don’t you give him the bag, too, so he can carry it?” He gave him the bag. The exasperated wife said, “Just to spite me, why not give him all the wheat.” Saint Philaret did so.
Now the man was unable to lift the six bushels of wheat, so Theoseba told her husband to give him the donkey so he could carry the wheat home. Blessing his wife, Philaret gave the donkey to the man, who went home rejoicing. Theoseba and the children wept because they were hungry.
The Lord rewarded Philaret for his generosity: when the last measure of wheat was given away, a old friend sent him forty bushels. Theoseba kept most of the wheat for herself and the children, and the saint gave away his share to the poor and had nothing left. When his wife and children were eating, he would go to them and they gave him some food. Theoseba grumbled saying, “How long are you going to keep that treasure of yours hidden? Take it out so we can buy food with it.”
During this time the Byzantine empress Irene (797-802) was seeking a bride for her son, the future emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitos (780-797). Therefore, emissaries were sent throughout all the Empire to find a suitable girl, and the envoys came to Amneia.
When Philaret and Theoseba learned that these most illustrious guests were to visit their house, Philaret was very happy, but Theoseba was sad, for they did not have enough food. But Philaret told his wife to light the fire and to decorate their home. Their neighbors, knowing that imperial envoys were expected, brought everything required for a rich feast.
The envoys were impressed by the saint’s daughters and granddaughters. Seeing their beauty, their deportment, their clothing, and their admirable qualities, the envoys agreed that Philaret’ granddaughter, Maria was exactly what they were looking for. This Maria exceeded all her rivals in quality and modesty and indeed became Constantine’s wife, and the emperor rewarded Philaret.
Thus fame and riches returned to Philaret. But just as before, this holy lover of the poor generously distributed alms and provided a feast for the poor. He and his family served them at the meal. Everyone was astonished at his humility and said: “This is a man of God, a true disciple of Christ.”
He ordered a servant to take three bags and fill one with gold, one with silver, and one with copper coins. When a beggar approached, Philaret ordered his servant to bring forth one of the bags, whichever God’s providence would ordain. Then he would reach into the bag and give to each person, as much as God willed.
Saint Philaret refused to wear fine clothes, nor would he accept any imperial rank. He said it was enough for him to be called the grandfather of the Empress. The saint reached ninety years of age and knew his end was approaching. He went to the Rodolpheia (“The Judgment”) monastery in Constantinople. He gave some gold to the Abbess and asked her to allow him to be buried there, saying that he would depart this life in ten days.
He returned home and became ill. On the tenth day he summoned his family, he exhorted them to imitate his love for the poor if they desired salvation. Then he fell asleep in the Lord. He died in the year 792 and was buried in the Rodolpheia Judgment monastery in Constantinople.
The appearance of a miracle after his death confirmed the sainthood of Righteous Philaret. As they bore the body of the saint to the cemetery, a certain man, possessed by the devil, followed the funeral procession and tried to overturn the coffin. When they reached the grave, the devil threw the man down on the ground and went out of him. Many other miracles and healings also took place at the grave of the saint.
After the death of the righteous Philaret, his wife Theoseba worked at restoring monasteries and churches devastated during a barbarian invasion.
Canon to the holy and righteous Philaret the Merciful, the acrostic whereof is: “I praise the sun-like remembrance of Philaret,” the composition of Valeria, Tone II.
Ode I Irmos: Come, O ye people, * let us sing a song to Christ our God, * Who divided the sea, * and made a way for the nation * which He had brought up out of the bondage of Egypt; * for He hath been glorified.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Come ye, and let us celebrate today the memory of Philaret, radiant in our gladness, forming an harmonious chorus, for Christ God hath wondrously glorified him.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Thou didst give thy property to God in loan, O Philaret, purchasing things eternal with that which is transitory, O wise one. Wherefore, thou wast deemed worthy to receive a twofold reward, being crowned with honour on earth and with glory in heaven.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Being truly a beacon of the love of Christ, in no wise extinguished by the winds of tribulations and temptations, with divine love thou hast enkindled the hearts of the faithful that they may cry to thee: Rejoice, O Philaret, beloved of God!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Unceasingly we cry unto thee, chanting the archangel’s greeting: Rejoice! For thou art the cause of all joy, O Lady, who hast given birth unto the Salvation of the world.
Ode III, Irmos: The bow of the mighty hath been broken * by Thy might, O Christ, * and the enfeebled * have girded themselves with power.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Thou didst open thy hands unto the poor and the wretched, and thy lips unto the praise of thy Creator and God, O righteous one. Wherefore, the gates of paradise have been opened unto thee with joy.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
When thou didst beggar thyself for a while, when God tested thy love, O Philaret, in no wise despondent, thou didst place all thy trust in God, Who humbleth, exalteth and bestoweth wealth.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst not set thy heart on fleeting riches, but established it in the will of God, O wise Philaret, truly well-beloved.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Rejoice radiantly with Joachim, O righteous Anna, for in but a few days thou shalt joyously cry out: Lo! the most glorious root of the Tree of life hath been sown within me!
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VII: Come ye, and let us prepare a great feast, and a banquet of honour, thus didst thou say to thy household, O Philaret, announcing the arrival at thy house of the King Himself and His servants; and when the time was come, thou didst go forth to meet those who were invited: the poor and wretched of the imperial city; and to all who marvelled, beholding them, thou didst cry aloud: These are the servants of the King, and in them the King Himself hath arrived! Truly, therefore, Christ, the King of kings, came invisibly to thy feast, and with love dost thou now serve Him in unwaning light, reclining with the saints at His banquet and chanting the awesome thrice-holy hymn sung by the seraphim.
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, in Tone VII: Thou hast surpassed the hosts of heaven, * O blessed Theotokos, * for thou hast been shown to be a divine temple, * in that thou hast given birth unto Christ, ** the Saviour of our souls. Or this Stavrotheotokion: Ever protected by the Cross of thy Son, O Virgin, we escape the demons’ assault. Wherefore, raising a song as is meet, we glorify thee, O all-hymned Theotokos.
Or this Stavrotheotokion (Wednesday and Friday): Ever protected by the Cross of thy Son, O Virgin, we escape the demons’ assault. Wherefore, raising a song as is meet, we glorify thee, O all-hymned Theotokos.
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 righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Distributing silver, gold, and copper coins unto the people who begged of thee, thou didst spiritually perceive the need of each, O merciful one, wisely managing the property of Christ, the almighty Master of the house.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
The right loving and divinely wise Philaret showed himself to be a father to orphans and paupers and made love the dominion of his might.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Bearing reproaches and insults with love, and deprived of thy wealth as was Job, thou didst cry aloud: The Lord is my God and my power, and He will set my feet toward perfection!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou didst come forth unto the salvation of Thy people, O Saviour, willingly incarnate of the foreordained Virgin, whom we unceasingly glorify.
Ode V, Irmos: The burning Ember was revealed to Isaiah, * and the Sun hath shone forth from the Virgin’s womb, * granting the enlightenment of the knowledge of God * to those who in darkness have gone astray.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Being a kinsman of the emperor, O Philaret, thou didst not exalt thyself, honouring the King of kings in the guise of the orphaned and the wretched, and adorning thyself with love, the queen of the virtues.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Living in accordance with the Gospel, O Philaret, and bearing fruit an hundredfold for the Saviour, thou didst show thyself to be a good and fertile land for Him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou hast shown us an example of godly mercy, letting thy light shine before all in accordance with the word of the Lord, moving them to glorify the heavenly Father.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Magnifying the Theotokos, the Mother of Emmanuel, with unceasing hymns, and beholding Him Who was born of her, we cry out: God is with us!
Ode VI, Irmos: O Master, hearkening unto the sound of entreaties * from a soul in pain, * do Thou deliver me from my grievous sins, * for Thou alone art the Cause of our salvation.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Thou didst sanctify thy hands with the blessings of almsgiving, enkindling thy heart with mercy, putting an end to sorrows, comforting the afflicted and bringing joy to all in place of grief.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Emulating Abraham the hospitable, O Philaret, thou didst honour the life-creating Trinity, which did not reveal itself to thee in the guise of three strangers, but in the guise of a multitude of the wretched to whom thou didst zealously minister.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Accepting tribulations from the hand of the Lord as blessings, thou didst show forth the patience of Job; and, tempest-tossed by tribulations and deprivation, thou didst bless God, inheriting the blessing of all the righteous.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We have no hope; there is no hope for us, if thou dost not help us and deliver us from misfortunes O Theotokos, by thine all-powerful intercession, which Thy mighty Son doth not disdain.
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 III: Truly thy most excellent commerce * is seen and judged to be wise * by all the divinely wise, * for thou didst forgive transitory debts, * seeking that which is lofty and eternal. * Wherefore, thou hast acquired eternal glory as is meet, ** O merciful Philaret.
Ikos: Every virtue acquired for Christ’s sake is comely and loving; fasting is honourable, and abstinence is pleasing to God; meekness doth inherit the earth, and humility leadeth to the heavens; repentance doth conquer every sin, and vision of God is granted to the pure of heart; yet charity and love are exalted above all of these, and, before all else, are received back from the righteous Judge at the dread tribunal of Christ; and on that day shalt thou hear from Him, O righteous one: Come, thou blessed of the heavenly Father, inherit eternal glory and the Kingdom prepared for thee from before the ages, O merciful Philaret!
Ode VII, Irmos: Of old the youths revealed themselves to be rhetors * with a supreme love for wisdom, * for from the depths of their God-pleasing souls, * they theologised with their lips as they sang: * O supremely divine God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Having prepared a great feast, thou didst announce to thy household the coming of the King and His servants; and having filled thy house with the poor and wretched, thou didst cry aloud: Behold the servants of the King!
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
In their midst hath the most divine King, the blessed God of our fathers, come invisibly unto me! Young men and elders, orphans and widows, blessed thy compassionate right hand, O Philaret, giving thanks unto Christ God for thee; and they cried out in compunction: O supremely divine God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom, for ye ministered unto Me in the thirsty, the hungry and the sick! Thus shall Christ the Judge cry to the merciful at His dread Judgment. And at that time, O father, thou shalt be exceeding glad.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Virgin Theotokos, entreat thou the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world and hath washed Christians in His Blood, that He take away our sins; for, lo! with contrite heart we seek the countenance of Him Who is blessed by all creation.
ODE VIII, Irmos: Disdaining the golden image, the thrice-blessed children, * beholding the immutable and living image of God, * chanted in the midst of the flame: * Let all existing creation hymn the Lord * and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Emulating the merciful Samaritan, pass me not by, for I have fallen among thieves through my many sins, O Philaret, and pour forth the oil of thy prayers upon my grievously wounded soul, O merciful one, that, healed, I may thankfully chant unto God: Let all creation hymn the Lord Who is wondrous in His saints!
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Thou wast revealed to us to be a wise gatherer of treasures which rust doth not corrupt, nor worm devour, and which thou dost lay up in the treasuries of heaven. Wherefore, thy heart doth abide there, and thy mouth, knowing not satiety, doth hymn the Lord throughout the ages.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
They, that of old did foolishly worship the golden calf, were condemned, and the most-wise youths, that did not bow down before the golden image set up by the king in Babylon, were blessed; and thou, O Philaret, didst emulate the latter and not the former, joyously casting down the idol of wealth, and chanting: Let all creation hymn the Lord throughout the ages!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The cherubim bow down before thee in awe, O Theotokos, and the seraphim hymn thee unceasingly, for truly the King of heaven hath desired thy beauty, calling thee His own Mother. Wherefore, the people confess thee always, and unto the ages of ages.
Ode IX, Irmos: Thou art all desire, Thou art all sweetness, * O Word of God, Son of the Virgin, * God of gods, most holy Lord of the saints. * Wherefore, we magnify Thee * and her who hath given birth to Thee. Pouring forth thy wealth in faith, thou didst receive all of it back again from God.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
And receiving and nourishing the wretched with faith, thou didst receive God Himself. Having lived by faith, and through faith passed on to the eternal mansions, thou dost ever magnify God with the choirs of the righteous.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
As an emulator of Abraham and entertainer of the unoriginate Trinity, a servant and most intimate friend of the Master, thou didst have mercy on every creature, thereby inclining the mercy of God toward thyself. Wherefore, in thy mercy do thou also visit us who magnify thee with all our heart.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Enlighten us with thy love, O Philaret, who shone like the sun in thy righteous repose, that, radiantly rejoicing in thee, we may magnify God, Who is wondrous in His saints.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Young men and elders, rich men and paupers, monks and laymen, righteous and penitents: Come ye, let us fall down before the Mother of God, crying out to her: Ever preserve under thy protection, us who magnify thee O Lady.
Troparion, Tone IV: Emulating Abraham in faith and following after Job in patience, * O father Philaret, * thou didst distribute the blessings of the earth to the needy * and didst manfully endure the lack thereof. * Wherefore, Christ our God, the Judge of the contest, * hath crowned thee with a crown of light. ** Him do thou entreat, that our souls be saved.
The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was the first of the Apostles to follow Christ, and he later brought his own brother, the holy Apostle Peter, to Christ (John 1:35-42). The future apostle was from Bethsaida, and from his youth he turned with all his soul to God. He did not enter into marriage, and he worked with his brother as a fisherman. When the holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John began to preach, Saint Andrew became his closest disciple. Declaring Christ to be the Lamb of God, Saint John the Baptist himself sent to Christ his own two disciples, the future Apostles Andrew and John the Theologian.
After the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, Saint Andrew went to the Eastern lands preaching the Word of God. He went through Asia Minor, Thrace, Macedonia, he reached the River Danube, went along the coast of the Black Sea, through Crimea, the Black Sea region and along the River Dniepr he climbed to the place where the city of Kiev now stands.
He stopped overnight on the hills of Kiev. Rising in the morning, he said to those disciples that were with him: “See these hills? Upon these hills shall shine forth the beneficence of God, and there will be a great city here, and God shall raise up many churches.” The apostle went up around the hills, blessed them and set up a cross. Having prayed, he went up even further along the Dniepr and reached a settlement of the Slavs, where Novgorod was built. From here the apostle went through the land of the Varangians towards Rome for preaching, and again he returned to Thrace, where in the small village of Byzantium, the future Constantinople, he founded the Church of Christ. The name of the holy Apostle Andrew links the mother, the Church of Constantinople, with her daughter, the Russian Church.
On his journeys the First-Called Apostle endured many sufferings and torments from pagans: they cast him out of their cities and they beat him. In Sinope they pelted him with stones, but remaining unharmed, the persistent disciple of Christ continued to preach to people about the Saviour. Through the prayers of the Apostle, the Lord worked miracles. By the labours of the holy Apostle Andrew, Christian Churches were established, for which he provided bishops and clergy. The final city to which the Apostle came was the city of Patra, where he was destined to suffer martyrdom.
The Lord worked many miracles through His disciple in Patra. The infirm were made whole, and the blind received their sight. Through the prayers of the Apostle, the illustrious citizen Sosios recovered from serious illness and Maximilla and Stratokles, the wife and brother of the governor of Patra, were healed. The miracles accomplished by the Apostle and his fiery speech enlightened almost all the citizens of the city of Patra with the true Faith.
Few pagans remained at Patra, but among them was the prefect of the city, Aegeatos. The Apostle Andrew repeatedly turned to him with the words of the Gospel. But even the miracles of the Apostle did not convince Aegeatos. The holy Apostle with love and humility appealed to his soul, striving to reveal to him the Christian mystery of life eternal, through the wonderworking power of the Holy Cross of the Lord. The angry Aegeatos gave orders to crucify the apostle. The pagan thought he might undo Saint Andrew’s preaching if he were to put him to death on the cross.
Saint Andrew the First-Called accepted the decision of the prefect with joy and with prayer to the Lord, and went willingly to the place of execution. In order to prolong the suffering of the saint, Aegeatos gave orders not to nail the saint’s hands and feet, but to tie them to the cross. For two days the apostle taught the citizens who gathered about. The people, in listening to him, with all their souls pitied him and tried to take Saint Andrew down from the cross. Fearing a riot of the people, Aegeatos gave orders to stop the execution. But the holy apostle began to pray that the Lord would grant him death on the cross. Just as the soldiers tried to take hold of the Apostle Andrew, they lost control of their hands. The crucified apostle, having given glory to God, said: “Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit.” Then a blazing ray of divine light illumined the cross and the martyr crucified upon it. When the light faded, the holy Apostle Andrew had already given up his holy soul to the Lord. Maximilla, the wife of the prefect, had the body of the saint taken down from the cross, and buried him with honor.
A few centuries later, under the emperor Constantine the Great, the relics of the holy Apostle Andrew were solemnly transferred to Constantinople and placed in the church of the Holy Apostles beside the relics of the holy Evangelist Luke and Saint Paul’s disciple Saint Timothy.
Canon I to the Apostle, the composition of John the Monk
Irmos: Thy victorious right arm, * in a manner befitting God, * hath been glorified in strength, O Immortal One; * for in its infinite strength it shattered the enemy, * fashioning anew a path for the Israelites through the deep.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
My soul, which hath been troubled by wicked thoughts and words, do thou cleanse with the divine grace which dwelleth within thee, O Andrew, preacher of Christ, that I may pour forth a worthy hymn to thee in a pure manner.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
The Forerunner of Christ, who sprang forth from a barren woman, led Andrew, rejoicing, the most eminent and honoured of his disciples, to Christ the supremely glorified One Who was born from the Virgin.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
With desire and unwavering love, beginning the steps of the virtues, ever learning to ascend, from weakness thou didst attain unto the most lofty strength, O Andrew.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Rejoice, O wellspring of grace! Rejoice, stairway and portal to heaven! Rejoice, golden candlestick and jar, and unquarried mountain, who for the world didst give birth unto Christ, the Bestower-of life.
Canon II to the Apostle, Irmos: Guiding Israel with a pillar of fire and cloud, * as God He divided the sea * and engulfed the chariots of Pharaoh in the deep. * Let us chant a hymn of victory, * for He alone hath been glorified!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
With the rod of the Gospel didst thou fish, O all-praised Andrew, drawing forth souls from the deep of delusion, as Christ promised, Who taught thee to catch them as though fish.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
The divinely inspired Andrew, the pillar of the Faith and seat of the true dogmas of Christ, doth today summon all the ends of the earth to celebrate his yearly festival. Let us therefore make haste, all ye faithful!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Having pursued the whale of the sea with nets, with the skill of a fisherman thou dost fish for nations, tribes and peoples with the net of the Spirit, most plainly disclosing unto us through the Spirit the lofty depths, O most wondrous one.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
O thou who solemnly performed the mysteries of heaven, as an eyewitness and advocate of the ineffable knowledge of Christ, in that thou that had received the Holy Spirit from on high, thou didst discourse, and sit among the nations dispensing sacred gifts with fire: pray thou that we be saved.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Triadicon: With faith I worship the supra-natural Unity of the unoriginate Trinity, not dividing the Godhead. For it is of a single kind, simple and indivisible. And I unite it by essence faithfully distinguishing the Hypostases.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: God is born an Infant through the Virgin, and He reneweth that which, through Adam, had become corrupt; and breaking down the middle-wall of partition and the chamber of enmity with His flesh, He came forth from His most pure Mother, abolishing the curse of our first mother.
Ode III, Canon I to the Apostle, Irmos: Thou alone knowest the weakness of human nature * and in compassion hast assumed its form; * do Thou gird me with power from on high, * that I may cry unto Thee: * Holy is the animate temple of Thine ineffable glory, O Lover of mankind!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Not summoned, but of thine own will didst thou run like a thirsting hart to the Wellspring of life, and having found Him thou didst preach Him to all; and having drunk thereof thou didst drench the parched ends of the earth with the waters of incorruption.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Mindful of the laws of nature, O right wondrous Andrew, thou didst take thy kinsman into partnership, crying out: We have found the Desired One! And to him who prepared the way by his birth in the flesh thou didst reveal spiritual knowledge.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
From the depths of delusion hast thou taken the rational fish in the net of the Word, O apostle, and brought as pure food to the table of Christ: those who have been enlightened by the grace of Him Who appeared in the likeness of the flesh.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Though thou didst conceive God in thy womb, O Virgin, by the All-Holy Spirit thou wast preserved unconsumed, for to Moses the law-giver the unburnt bush manifestly foretold thee, who aflame, received the unbearable Fire.
Canon II to the Apostle, Irmos: Let my heart be established in Thy will O Christ God, * Who hath established a second heaven over the waters, * and founded the earth upon the waters, * O all-powerful One.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Peter and Andrew straightway followed Christ, Who summoned them, saying, Come, follow me! leaving their father, their boat and nets, for they were visionaries of faith.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Transforming pagan temples into churches, O all-honoured one, thou didst sanctify therein sons of baptism, whom grace hath renewed through the water and the Spirit.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Thou didst mystically set before the world the pearl of great price which was hid within the field of thy heart, O apostle, which the Gentiles, finding, treasured faithfully.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Taking up the Gospel in thy hands as a treasure, O much lauded one, thou didst enrich all the earth with thy divine preaching. Wherefore, it doth honour thy memory and thy sufferings. Glory …,
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Triadicon: Let us all hymn chanting in an Orthodox manner the Trinity, the one power of the beginningless, uncreated, consubstantial, co-enthroned, tri-hypostatic, three-sunned God.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: Every mother that beareth a child can no longer be a virgin; but thou, O Virgin Mother, having given birth unto Christ, remained so, nourishing our Life with milk and remaining pure.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII, Spec. Mel. “Of the Wisdom …”: We honour thee as is meet, O apostle Andrew, as the first-called of all the disciples and an eyewitness and minister of the Word; for, fervently and with unwavering faith, thou didst follow the Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world. And thereafter showed thyself to be a sharer in the sufferings of Him Who willingly endured death for our sake. Wherefore, we cry to thee: Pray thou to Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who, with love, celebrate thy holy memory.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Another Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII and same melody: Setting at naught the audacity of the idols and yearning for the sufferings of Christ, thou didst show thyself to be an apostle, O blessed Andrew, raining down wonders from heaven, teaching the nations, O all-blessed one. Wherefore, honouring thy memory as is meet, in hymns we glorify and faithfully magnify thee, O apostle of the Lord. Pray thou to Christ God, that He grant remission of sins to those who with love celebrate thy holy memory.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion, Tone VIII: Rejoice, O fiery throne of God! Rejoice, O Maiden, royal seat and lavishly furnished couch, chamber hung with gold-embroidered purple, cloak of scarlet, temple adorned, chariot of lightning, most radiant candlestick! Rejoice, twelve-walled city, gate cast of gold, radiant bridal chamber, magnificently appointed banquet hall and divinely embellished tabernacle! Rejoice, glorious Bride, radiant as the sun! Rejoice, thou who alone art the splendour of my soul!
ODE IV, Canon I to the Apostle, Irmos: Perceiving thee with prophetic eyes * as the mountain overshadowed by the grace of God, * Habbakuk proclaimed that the Holy One of Israel * would come forth from thee, * for our salvation and restoration.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
The divine and consuming power of the higher, all-accomplishing and radiant Spirit, Who, in a godly manner, made His abode within thee in the form of a tongue of fire, O Andrew, showed thee to be a preacher of ineffable things.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
The all-honoured Andrew did not take up weapons of the flesh for retribution, even to lay low the strong citadels of the enemy, but, protected by Christ, having captured the nations, he brought them to obedience.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Our super-essential God, Who assumed our nature, hath revealed thee, O Andrew, to be a mountain pouring forth noetic gladness, destroying the cruel mountains of demonic arrogance.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
By thy supplications, O Andrew, never cease to fill with the bountiful gifts of Christ, thy Teacher, those who with love celebrate thy memory in hymns.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
We hymn thy great and awesome mystery, for He Who is ever existing, hiding Himself from the supra-mundane legions, descended upon thee like the dew upon the fleece, unto our salvation and restoration, O all-hymned one.
Canon II to the Apostle, Irmos: Foreseeing in the Spirit O Prophet Habbakuk, * the incarnation of the Word, * thou didst proclaim, crying aloud: * When the years draw nigh, Thou shalt be known; * when the season cometh, Thou shalt be shown forth! * Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Having cast aside thy nets and taken up the Cross, thou didst follow after Christ Who called thee, and, stretching out the net of the Spirit, thou dost catch souls instead of fish. Glory to Him Who gaveth thee the Spirit!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Having received the flaming tongue of the Spirit, thou didst become a man well-pleasing unto God, O apostle, going about the beauties of heaven, recognizing the noetic comeliness therein, and revealing it to us.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Thou didst water the parched desert with thy divine words, O wise one, and didst show it forth as fertile, bearing fruit, the children of the Church, through the casting of the divine seed. Glory be to Him Who gaveth thee the Spirit!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Perceiving Thine ineffable goodness, O Jesus, Andrew summoned his kinsman, saying: O Peter, my blood kinsman, we have found the Messiah, Who was proclaimed in the Law and the Prophets! Come, let us truly join ourselves unto Life!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Triadicon: O ye faithful, let us hymn the Trinity in Unity: the Father, the Son, and the divine Spirit, One in Godhead, Essence and Nature, indivisible, inseparable, undivided, for He is One God in three Hypostases.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: Having ineffably conceived One of the Trinity in thy womb, thou didst incorruptly give birth unto Him as a Son; yet the Trinity was not at any time added to, and as thou wast pure before giving birth, thou wast kept whole, O Mother of God.
Ode V, Canon I to the Apostle, Irmos: O Hou hast shone upon us with the radiance * of Thy coming O Christ, * and illumined the ends of the world with Thy Cross, * enlighten with the light of thine understanding * the hearts of those who with right worship hymn Thee.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Thou didst receive Him for Whom thou didst long, O apostle Andrew, making thine abode with Him in the incorruptible mansions, worthily having harvested the sheaves of thy labours. Wherefore, we glorify thee with hymns.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Thou didst love the Master, and quickly didst thou run after Him, guided in life by His footprints and sincerely emulating His sufferings even unto death, O most honourable Andrew.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Having drawn thee like a mighty arrow, O blessed one, the Lord loosed thee upon the world, wounding the demons and healing souls wounded by impiety.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The hosts of heaven are gladdened at the sight of thee, and with them rejoice assemblies of mankind; for by thy birthgiving, a Virgin Theotokos, they are united, glorifying thee as is meet.
Canon II to the Apostle, Irmos: Illumine our minds with the light * of Thy commandments * and with the radiant splendour of Thy grace, O God, * granting us Thy mercy O Good One, * for Thy precepts are light and peace.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Having yearned for the Cross, O disciple of Christ, through thy cross thou didst obtain the incorruptible kingdom, drawing all the initiates of God thereto by the Cross, granting an inheritance unto us, the theologians thereof.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Thou didst truly search for Christ our Life, and having searched, thou wast first to find Him; and having found Him, thou didst mystically embrace Him; and having received the Giver Himself, thou didst become a treasury of life incorruptible.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
The utterances of thy divine thundering were poured forth throughout the world and travelled from one end of the earth to the other, for they have circled round like a wheel; and thy lightnings, as David saith, have appeared to the whole world.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Remember us who celebrate thy memory and venerate thy relics, O disciple of Christ. Pray thou ever earnestly on behalf of the flock whose preserver and salvation thou hast been from the beginning.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Triadicon: O ye faithful, together let us glorify God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the indivisible Trinity, the tri-hypostatic Kingdom, faithfully glorifying It with unceasing theology.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: Thou didst give birth to the Light knowing not how, O thou who hast borne the lamp of the Light of the Sun; the new tabernacle of divine light, emitting rays of divine knowledge upon the whole world.
ODE VI, Canon I to the Apostle, Irmos: The deepest abyss hath surrounded us, * and there is none to deliver us, * yea we have been counted as sheep for the slaughter; * save Thy people O our God, * for thou art the strength and restoration of the weak.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Sailing the sea of life in the vessel of thy body, thou didst discover Christ, the Steersman Who guideth all things, O all-blessed one, and thou didst stand before Him rejoicing, O most honoured Andrew.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Evil spirits are cast out at thy word, infirmities take flight, a multitude of spiritual passions are driven far away from the afflicted by the grace given thee by God, O Andrew.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Like a calm wave, moved by a meek spirit, O blessed one, with divine streams didst thou drain the sea of wicked polytheism and didst pour forth rivers of divine knowledge for all.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
O most pure Virgin, the ancestors of our race are gladdened on thine account, having received through thee Eden, which they had lost through transgression, for thou art pure both before and after giving birth.
Canon II to the Apostle, Irmos: Emulating the Prophet Jonah, I cry aloud: * Free Thou my life from corruption, O Good One; * and save me who crieth out: * O Saviour of the world, Glory be to Thee!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
He that was led away from Bethsaida doth summon us to hold festival, having set before us the solemnity of the commemoration of his struggles.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
By trade a fisherman, by faith a disciple, plumbing the depths of the heart of the faithful, he doth lower the hook of the word and doth catch us.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Spreading the fire of the love of Christ within thy heart, O disciple, thou didst cry out to the Gentiles: Your flame doth burn for Christ, Who hath truly appeared!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Having seasoned your minds with the salt of Christ, your wages have sweetened the heavenly dogmas of unwaning delight for us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Triadicon: The Father, the Son, and the right Spirit, the tri-hypostatic Essence, indivisible, let us worship, O ye faithful, crying out: Glory to God in Trinity!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: At the good pleasure of the Father and through the Holy Spirit was the Son incarnate in thy womb, O pure Birthgiver of God, and manifestly did He save that which was formerly in His image.
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, Spec. Mel. “In supplications …”: The divinely eloquent namesake of manliness, * the eminent follower of the Church, * the kinsman of Peter, let us praise, * for as of old he was called, so now he calleth us: ** Come ye, we have found the Desired One!
Ikos: Of old David constrained a sinner like me to declare the precepts of God honourably. And again he teacheth and with many tears doth proclaim: Today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts as Israel once embittered themselves! And he leadeth the rest in psalmody: Come ye, hymn the Lord, all ye lands, for we have found the Desired One!
Ode VII,Canon I to the Apostle, Irmos: We the faithful perceive thee, O Theotokos, * to be a noetic furnace; * for as He, the supremely exalted One, * saved the three children, * so hath He wholly refashioned fallen humanity, in thy womb, * O Thou praised and supremely glorified God of our fathers.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Truly and manifestly hath Thy promise been fulfilled, O Christ, for Thy most divine disciple, rebuking the tempest with a word, transformed it in to a peaceful calm. Praised art Thou and supremely glorious, O God of our fathers!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Commanded to ascend the mountain of the noetic Zion, O apostle, and having passed over death to divine life, rejoicing, thou dost bestow the cup of salvation of the praised and supremely glorious God of our fathers, having received it within thyself.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
The divine Water of life showed thee forth, O blessed one, as a noetic river drying up the rivers of delusion with the streams of teaching, and watering those who cry aloud: Praised and supremely glorious art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Though a mortal, O apostle, thou dost supra-naturally work wonders, for, undergoing suffering with love, thou didst follow after Christ Who loved thee, chanting: Praised and supremely glorious is our God!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
O Theotokos, Jacob prophetically understood thee to be a ladder, for through thee the supremely exalted One appeared and dwelt among mankind on earth, as he was well-pleased so to do. Praised and supremely glorious is the God of our fathers!
Canon II to the Apostle, Irmos: Thy children who were in the furnace O Saviour, * were neither touched nor troubled by The fire. * Whereupon the three sang, as with a single mouth * Thy praises and blessed Thee, saying: * ‘O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou.’
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
O apostle of Christ, the fire of the all-holy Spirit descended from on high, and commanded thee to proclaim His mighty works upon the ends of the earth in new languages which thou hadst never spoken before.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
The proclamation which ye trumpeted forth throughout the earth astounded every mind, O initiates of the mysteries of Christ and beholders of lofty things, for as the twelve ye have enlightened the darkness covering the earth.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
O Master Christ, wondrous was Thy grace in Thy divinely wise disciples who, as simple and humble men, traversed the whole earth from one end thereof even unto all its ends.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Who instructed thee to speak thus, O apostle? Who enlightened thy mind to behold clearly the radiance of the unapproachable glory which shineth forth the light of truth in our hearts?
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Triadicon: Let us hymn the Trinity, O ye faithful, glorifying the beginningless Father, and the Son, and the righteous Spirit, the single Essence; and let us chant threefold hymns, singing: Holy, holy, holy art Thou throughout the ages! Amen.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: O Christ, we glorify Thee as One of the Trinity, for, having become incarnate from the Virgin without undergoing change, Thou didst bear all things as a man without departing from the Father’s essence, O Jesus, even though Thou wast united unto us. Katavasia: Scorning the impious decree of the godless one, * the Children brought up together in godliness * feared not the threat of fire, * but standing in the midst of the flames, they sang: * O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.
Ode VIII,Canon I to the Apostle, Irmos: In the furnace as in a fiery smelter * the Israelite children shone more brightly than gold * with the beauty of godliness, * as they exclaimed: Bless the Lord all ye works of the Lord, * hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
O Andrew, apostle of Christ, thy divine memory doth emanate with radiant and gladdening rays of healing upon us who cry aloud: Hymn the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Possessed of human nature, thou didst transcend the laws thereof and pass on to the habitations of the angels, O apostle Andrew; crying aloud: Hymn the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
The inspiration of the Spirit of God, which before illumined thee with fire from on high, O divinely eloquent apostle, hath revealed thee to be a zealous orator who crieth out to thy Christ: Hymn the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely throughout all ages!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Thou didst flash forth like lightning, like a radiant light unto the Gentiles, dispelling the darkness of ignorance and illumining the faithful, who cry aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Rejoice, thou throne of the glory of God! Rejoice, rampart of the faithful through which Christ hath shone forth, the Light of those who are in darkness, who bless thee and cry aloud: Hymn the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Canon II to the Apostle, Irmos: The bush which burnt on Sinai * was preserved unconsumed, * likewise the children in the midst of the burning flame * were delivered by God, * hymn ye, bless and supremely exalt Him * throughout the ages!
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
With the craft of fishing thou didst draw fish from the sea, O all-wise one, and now, with faith, thou dost draw forth souls for Christ, from the delusion of the enemy. For such deception was once an abyss which drowned the nations in the storm of impiety.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
With faith in Christ thou didst navigate the noetic abyss of life without capsizing, O apostle, propelled by the sail of the Spirit. Wherefore, thou hast attained unto the harbor of life rejoicing throughout all ages.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
When the noetic Sun willingly set upon the Tree, the great Andrew, the lamp of the Church, the beacon of the Sun, seeking to end his life with Christ and to set in Him, was hung upon the wood of a cross.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
O disciple and beloved friend of Christ, and one of His apostles: when the Judge sitteth upon His throne with you, His twelve, to render judgment as He hath promised, be ye then a rampart of love for mankind and for us.
We bless the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Lord.
Triadicon: Let us glorify the thrice-radiant Unity, the equally-enthroned Trinity, not separating it, but uniting It consubstantially as truly One Essence, united without commingling in three Hypostases.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: Having conceived, thou didst give birth unto one of the Trinity, Who, incarnate from thee, renewed the laws of nature by thy birthgiving, O pure one. Cease not to ever beseech Him as God on our behalf, O Theotokos.
Ode IX, Canon I to the Apostle, Irmos: The Bush, which burnt without being consumed, * prefigured thy pure birthgiving, O Theotokos. * Wherefore we now entreat Thee: * quench the raging furnace of temptations that beset us, * that we may unceasingly magnify Thee.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
As a most excellent disciple, following even thy Master unto death, Who was crucified of His own will upon the Cross, thou didst ascend the heights of thy cross rejoicing, and passed on to the heavens, O blessed Andrew.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
The gates of Eden were opened unto thee, and the ladder of heaven was set up for thee. The mansions of heaven received thee and thou didst stand, rejoicing, before Christ, the Bestower of life, O apostle, most eminent intercessor for the world.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Thou wast glorified by sufferings like unto those of thy Teacher, O blessed and all-wise Andrew; for thou didst receive thine end through a cross and wast deified through communion. Wherefore, we beseech thee: Ever pray thou on our behalf.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Rejoice, most excellent pair, having now inherited citizenship in the heavens! Ye have transcended the desire for crowds; having conquered the power thereof, and ye illumine us with the radiance of divine gifts.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thou didst spring forth from the root of David, the Prophet and forefather of God, O Virgin; but thou hast glorified David, for thou hast given birth unto the Lord of glory, Whom he prophesied. Hymning Him, we magnify thee as is meet.
Canon II to the Apostle Irmos: The light-bearing cloud upon whom * the beginningless Master of all descended from heaven, * like the dew upon the fleece, * and of whom He was incarnate, * becoming a man for our sake, * let us all magnify as the pure Mother of God.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
O holy one, who spread out the net of the mystic knowledge of God, and who ensnared fish therein with the beauties of heavenly thoughts: Entreat the Holy Trinity to pour forth cleansing upon us.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
The nations enlightened by thee and led up from earth to the heavens by thee give thanks, for, wrested from the service of the enemy, they have become co-dwellers with the holy angels, and partakers of the glory of the Lord.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
O ye apostles, witnesses of ineffable things and ministers of the Word, performers of the mysteries and beholders of inscrutable things: Pray ye that we become heirs to the Kingdom of Christ and partakers in His divinity.
Holy, glorious, all-praised apostle, Andrew, pray to God for us.
Having received from Christ the power to bind and to loose, loose ye us all from the bonds of our many transgressions when Christ shall come and all ye twelve will be seated upon thrones to judge the tribes of Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Triadicon: Unceasingly we glorify in heaven and on earth the incomprehensible Trinity, the tri-hypostatic Essence, the indivisible Glory which is hymned in one Godhead, piously worshipping the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: We flee with faith to thy tender compassion, piously worshipping thy Son, O Virgin Birthgiver of God. Him do thou entreat as the God and Lord of all the world, that He deliver us from corruption, misfortune and every temptation.
Troparion, in Tone IV: As thou art the first-called of the apostles * and the brother of the pre-eminent one, * entreat thou the Master of all, O Andrew, * that He grant peace to the world ** and great mercy to our souls.
After the forbidding weather of the last few days, I’m very happy for a sunny (and smooth) journey back to Wales from a visit to Cheltenham, for the funeral of the newly-departed handmaiden of God, Galina, asking your prayers for the repose of her soul: memory eternal!
After a quieter week than usual, Deacon Mark and I were, of course, in Cheltenham on Saturday as well, celebrating the December Liturgy for our mission.
We were pleased to welcome visitors from Oxford, and despite extremely unpleasant driving conditions between Llanelli and Cardiff, we were blessed with our usual Cheltenham weather, with the sun coming out during confessions and filling the chapel with sunlight. By the time we left, the sun and primulas outside the chapel made it feel more like spring than winter. Thanks to mama Galina and mama Liuba for taking the reins and overseeing things in Natalya’s absence. Our next Cheltenham Liturgy will be on the Sunday after Nativity: 13 January, new-style.
The weather certainly impacted upon Cardiff attendance on Sunday, with a smaller than usual congregation of around thirty adults. With the last university lectures of the term this week, our students will be leaving for the Christmas vacation, so things will be quiet in the weeks ahead. I have greatly enjoyed spending time with the students and young people over the current term, and hearing their discussion on theology, history, the arts, culture and politics has been an antidote to the consumerist-mindlessness of much of the world around us. We pray for safe journeys for them – as well as parishioners from eastern Europe – as they rejoin family, both a home and abroad. May God bless them, and the holy angels guard them and guide their steps.
Sunday brought the contrast of our Cheltenham Liturgy in our very humble non-conformist setting with Nazareth House, in which our depleted congregation on such a windy and rainy day seemed somewhat swamped in the vastness of the chapel.
Our choir was also reduced, but what particularly struck me was how a quartet singing with confidence and focus can lead the Liturgy so effectively. In the absence of our usual basses, Hierodeacon Avraamy moved to the choir, which always sings with great confidence when he moves from the sanctuary to the kliros. Thank you, Father, and thanks to Olga for her direction of the choir during such a lovely Liturgy for the feast of the Kursk-Root Icon.
It was good to hear from Marina about the shipments of blankets, bedding and clothes to Ukraine, with the hope that the next collection will start being arranged after Nativity, when I hope that we will be able to contribute towards the costs of transportation as well as much needed donations.
On Wednesday (13th December), Masha will sing in a charity concert in St John’s Church, Canton, CF5 1NX at 19:30, with accompaniment by Edmund and an original piece for organ and electronics by Aldhelm, our Royal College master’s composition student. Money raised by charitable giving will be used for the support and relief of our Orthodox brothers and sisters in Israel’s West Bank and Gaza. Please endeavour to bring a friend and show your appreciation for the musical offerings in the evening’s collection.
As I have made known, during this period of rail disruption and overcrowded trains I will be limiting my journeys, and will be in Cardiff on Wednesday and Thursday, this week, with the availability of confessions on Thursday after the catholic morning mass, and in the afternoon and early evening. Please email requests by Thursday. As on the last two Thursdays, an Advent Moleben will be chanted at 16:00. As many of you will be in St John’s for Wednesday’s Concert, I will also be happy to hear some confessions there, if it helps.
Given the severe overcrowding of trains on Saturdays at this time of year, invariably resulting in a ninety minute homebound journey standing up – often with inebriated and anti-social company – I will not be in Cardiff on any of the remaining Saturdays in December – though we look forward to Steve’s baptism in St Nicholas on Saturday 30th!
Our remaining December dates follow:
Wednesday 13th December: 19:30 – Holy Land Charity Concert, St John’s Church, Canton, CF5 1NX. Confessions in St John’s by arrangement.
Thursday 14th December: 16:00 – Advent Moleben. Confessions will be heard before and after service.
Sunday 17th December: 11:00 Hours and Liturgy in Nazareth House, Cardiff. Confessions from 10:15.
Monday 18th December: Great Vespers for the Eve of St Nicholas Day, Nazareth House, Cardiff.
Tuesday 19th December: 10:00 Hours and Liturgy for St Nicholas Day, Llanelli.
Wednesday 20th December: 19:00 Compline in Llanelli.
Thursday 21 December: 16:00, Vespers for the Conception by St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos, Nazareth House, Cardiff. Confessions will be heard before and after the service.
Sunday 24th December: 11:00 Hours and Liturgy in Nazareth House, Cardiff. Confessions from 10:15.
Friday 29th December: 16:00 – Advent Moleben, Nazareth House, Cardiff. Confessions will be heard before and after service.
Saturday 30th December: Steve’s baptism in St Nicholas in the Vale. Details from clergy.
Sunday 31st December: 11:00 Hours and Liturgy in Nazareth House, Cardiff. Confessions from 10:15.
May God bless you all, and give you strength as we continue our preparation for the Nativity, during this Advent Fast.
