Canon of the Martyrs, the acrostic whereof is: “I hymn the children of Sophia, who are manifest as exceeding splendid,” the composition of Theophanes, in Tone I
Ode I, Irmos: Thy victorious right arm hath in godly manner been glorified in strength; for as almighty, O Immortal One, it smote the adversary, fashioning anew the path of the deep for the Israelites.
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
O Master Christ, grant me the effulgence of Thy transcendent and ineffable wisdom, that I may hymn Thy magnificent and right glorious martyrs, the offspring of Sophia.
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Thy name was manifestly adorned by thy manner of life, O divinely wise and glorious Sophia; for, illumined with the grace of wisdom, thou didst spend thy whole life in desiring wisdom.
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Thy most blessed fruit, adorned with the number of the all-divine Trinity, struggled like athletes for Him, O most wise Sophia, thou namesake of the divine Wisdom.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The three virgin maidens, Faith, Hope and glorious Charity, having cleansed body and soul with the virtues, were brought in martyrdom to Thee, O Christ, the noetic Bridegroom.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
He Who made His abode as God in thy womb, O all-pure one, Who took upon Him my whole form and was seen before in the form of God, hath renewed all. Wherefore, all we, the faithful, glorify thee as the Theotokos.
Ode III, Irmos: O Thou Who alone hast known the weakness of human nature, having in Thy mercy formed Thyself therein: Thou dost gird me about with power from on high, that I may chant to Thee: Holy is the living temple of Thine ineffable glory, O Thou Who lovest mankind!
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Hearkening to the voice of Christ calling them to a life devoid of death and suffering, the crowned virgin martyrs followed Thee, crying out to Thee, O Holy One: O Thou Who lovest mankind, holy is the animate temple of Thy pure glory!
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
As He promised, Christ gave you strength as ye stood before the tribunal as martyrs; and He filled you with divinely inspired wisdom and showed you forth as radiant, O victorious martyrs, resplendent in the grace of virginity.
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Ye dulled the greatly arrogant mind of the enemy and cast down his pride, contending with great wisdom; and with the streams of your blood ye drowned him who of old boasted that he would destroy the sea.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Filled to abundance with the exalted wisdom of Christ, with elect and sage wisdom the three daughters of Sophia put to shame the savagery of the torturers and their unbearable cruelty, giving utterance to divine teachings.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In holy manner thou gavest birth to Christ, the Holy of Holies, the holy tabernacle of sanctity, Who resteth in the saints; and to Him do we cry out: Holy is the animate temple of Thine ineffable glory, O Thou Who lovest mankind!
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional hymn, Tone I, Spec. Mel:.“The choir of the angels…”: O reason-endowed ewe-lambs of the Lamb and Shepherd, ye were given over to cruel torments and have been shown to be equal in honour with the angels. Wherefore, in gladness of heart we all celebrate your sacred memory, O divinely wise maidens.
Ode IV, Irmos: Habbakuk, gazing with the eyes of foresight upon thee, the mountain overshadowed by the grace of God, prophesied that the Holy One of Israel would come forth from thee, for our salvation and restoration.
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Strengthened by divine grace, the right victorious Faith, Charity and Hope manfully put to shame the threats of the tyrant; and burnt by the fire, the most wise ones were led to Christ the Bridegroom.
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Protected by the armour of the Cross, the holy Faith, Charity and Hope were able to endure the wounds of their torturers with fortitude, opposing sin most mightily even to the shedding of their blood.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Faith, Charity and Hope, the three radiant lamps of the wisdom of the Trinity, illumined and manifestly shining, enlighten the Church most splendidly, for our salvation and defence.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O most lauded Theotokos, thou holy of holies, from thee shone forth the Deliverer, the expectation of the nations and the salvation of the faithful, the Lord and Bestower of life, unto the salvation of us who hymn thee.
Ode V, Irmos: O Christ Who hast enlightened the ends of the world with the radiance of Thy coming and hast illumined them with Thy Cross: with the light of Thy divine knowledge enlighten the hearts of those who hymn Thee in Orthodox manner.
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
The three God-bearing virgins, bound by faith and nature, endured tortures with patience of will, and they put to shame the audacious one, uttering mysteries of wisdom which are in God.
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Our first mother rejoiceth, seeing the deceiver, who of old drove her from Eden, vanquished by Hope, Faith and Charity, the divinely wise women born of Sophia.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Wounded by Thy love and Thy divine ardor, O Christ, the honoured maidens spurned the venomous flattery of the tyrant and willingly endured the wounds of tortures.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Beholding thee, the hosts of heaven rejoice, and with them the assemblies of men make merry; for they have been united by thy nativity, O Virgin Theotokos, which we glorify as is meet.
Ode VI, Irmos: The uttermost abyss hath surrounded us, and there is none to deliver us. We are accounted as lambs for the slaughter. Save Thy people, O our God, for Thou art the strength and correction of the weak!
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Rejoicing, O Master, the three honoured and laudable maidens, equal in number to the Trinity, placed their hope in Thine all-pure hands.
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Resplendent with the beauties of virginity, they adorned themselves with the wounds of martyrdom, and have received from on high a twofold crown from Christ, the most compassionate Bestower of life.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Into the temple of Thee, Who reignest over all, were the precious treasures of virginity brought, O Master, to share in Thy kingdom; for Thou art their light and gladness.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The forefathers of our race rejoice in thee, O all-pure Virgin, receiving Eden through thee which they had lost through their transgression; for thou wast pure before giving birth and art pure even after thy birth-giving.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion of the Martyrs, Tone I, Spec. Mel. “Thy tomb, O Saviour…”: Faith, Hope and Charity, revealed as most sacred branches of the honoured Sophia, through grace made foolish the wisdom of the Hellenes; and having suffered and been shown to be victorious, they were crowned with an incorruptible crown by Christ the Master of all.
Ode VII, Irmos: O Theotokos, we, the faithful, perceive thee to be a noetic furnace; for, as the supremely Exalted One saved the three youths, in thy womb the praised and most glorious God of our fathers wholly renewed the world.
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Manifestly illumined with the thrice-radiant grace of unity, the virgins destroyed the utter darkness of the demons, theologising concerning the Light in three Hypostases, and chanting: Praised and all-glorious is the God of our fathers!
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Possessing mansions in the heavens, O light-bearing souls, with gladness ye now join chorus with the angels, gazing upon eternal glory and saying: Praised and all-glorious is the God of our fathers!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Showing steadfast opposition like the three youths, the maidens manfully trampled upon the fire; for, being equal in number with them, the God-bearing virgins acquired the same understanding of the praised and all-glorious God of our fathers.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O pure one, thou givest remission of transgressions unto those who hymn thee with faith, delivering them from temptations and every evil circumstance; for we have now acquired thee as a refuge, O Bride of God, in that thou didst bear the praised God of our fathers in thine arms.
Ode VIII, Irmos: The children of Israel in the furnace, shining more brightly than gold in a crucible in the beauty of their piety, said: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord; hymn and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
The divinely radiant virgins Faith, Hope and Charity, were more lustrous than gold in the beauty of their piety, saying: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord; hymn and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
The virgins who are radiant and were manifestly splendid amid their torment let us hymn, O ye faithful, saying: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord; hymn and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The shrines of the athletes ever pour forth a stream of healing abundantly, copiously and richly upon those who with faith cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord; hymn and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Holy ground wast thou, O pure one, giving birth to the life-bearing Ear of grain: Christ, the Mediator of everlasting life, to Whom we all cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord; hymn and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Ode IX, Irmos: The bush which burnt with fire yet was not consumed showed forth an image of thy pure birth-giving. And now we pray that the furnace of temptations which rageth against us may be extinguished, that we may magnify thee unceasingly, O Theotokos.
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Filled with thrice-radiant light, and delighting now in the divine radiance, O ye who are equal in number to the virtues and bear their names: love, hope and faith, make us steadfast by hope, love and faith.
Holy Martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, pray to God for us.
Let the might of heaven now subdue the tempest of heresy which besetteth us, O invincible athletes. We entreat you, O good virgins: pray ye unceasingly, that God grant oneness of mind to the faithful.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having passed through the night of this life, O most wise ones, ye have reached the unwaning day, making merry as martyrs and boasting in grace as virgins, being counted worthy of the divine and incorruptible kingdom.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O, how hath the Virgin given birth unto the eternal and hypostatic Word, the effulgence of the hypostasis of the Father, our Benefactor and Lord, Who became incarnate of her, whom we magnify as is meet.
Troparion, Tone IV: In their sufferings, O Lord, Thy martyrs received imperishable crowns from Thee our God; for, possessed of Thy might, they set at nought the tormentors and crushed the feeble audacity of the demons. By their supplications save Thou our souls.