The Canon to Saints Constantine and Helena

Posted on June 3, 2025June 4, 2025 by Father Mark

Dear brothers and sisters – on this day on which we celebrate the Meeting of the Vladimir Icon, we also celebrate the Holy Equals to the Apostles Constantine and Helena.

Though we have a lack of Constantine’s, we greet our sisters baptised in honour of the Holy Empress Helena, congratulating them, asking God’s blessing and praying that he will preserve them for many years!

Многая и Благая лѣта!

Canon of the saints, Tone VIII.

Ode I, Irmos: Having passed through the water as upon dry land, * and having escaped the malice of the Egyptians, * the Israelites cried aloud: * Unto our God and Redeemer let us sing.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

O Thou Who alone art the King of heaven, through the entreaties of Thy favoured ones, free Thou my lowly soul from sin, which now reigneth within me.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

As one who loved the kingdom on high, O blessed Constantine, believing with a pure mind, thou didst worship the King and Master of all.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Illumined with divine light, O divinely wise Helena, thou didst truly forsake the darkness of ignorance and most sincerely enslave thyself to the King of the ages.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Lady, thou portal of the divine East, open unto me the door of repentance, and by thine intercession deliver me from the gates of deadly sin.

Ode III, Irmos: O Lord, Creator of the vault of Heaven * and Builder of the Church, * do Thou strengthen me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, * O Support of the faithful, * O only Lover of mankind.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Thou didst strive to receive heavenly rewards; wherefore, O divinely wise father, thou didst follow Him Who called thee, forsaking the darkness of the falsehood bequeathed to thee, and didst become a luminary through the divine Spirit.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Having cleaved unto Christ and set all thy hope on Him, O most honoured one, thou didst attain unto His sacred places, wherein the Supremely good One, having become incarnate, endured His most pure sufferings.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Burning with divine desire, O divinely blessed one, thou didst uncover the precious Cross, the weapon of salvation, the insuperable victory, the hope of Christians, which had been hidden in malice.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Having fallen away from my sacred citizenship, O most pure one, I have become like a beast and am wholly condemned. O thou who hast given birth to the Judge, deliver and save me from all condemnation.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Sessional Hymn of the saints, Tone VIII, Spec. Mel. “Of the Wisdom…”: Having stretched forth thy senses toward heaven and acquired the beauty of the stars, thou wast taught by them the mysteries of the Lord of all; and the weapon of the Cross shone forth in their midst, signifying that in which thou shouldest conquer and achieve dominion. Wherefore, opening the eyes of thy soul, thou didst read the writings and learn about the image. O most honored Constantine, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who celebrate thy holy memory with love. (Twice)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone VIII: Having conceived the Wisdom and Word in thy womb without being consumed, O Mother of God, thou hast given birth for the world unto the Nourisher of all and Fashioner of creation; and thou didst bear in thine arms Him Who holdeth all things. Wherefore, I beseech thee, O all-holy Virgin, and glorify thee with faith: May I be delivered from transgressions, and, on the day of judgment when I shall stand before the face of my Creator, O pure Virgin Sovereign Lady, grant me thine aid; for thou canst do all things whatsoever thou dost will, O thou who art all-hymned.

Ode IV, Irmos: O Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I have considered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Christ the Lord pursued thee from heaven, as He had Paul of old, O Constantine, teaching thee to worship Him as the only King.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

With a most radiant sign of stars, O blessed one, Christ the Sun illumined thee, showing thee to be a luminary for the darkened.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O blessed one, thou wast God-loving in nature and right wondrous in thy divine works; wherefore, we glorify thee with faith.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Ever-Virgin who hast given birth to the Sun of righteousness, illumine my soul, which hath been darkened by sins.

Ode V, Irmos: Rising early we cry to Thee, O Lord; * save us, for Thou art our God, * and we know none other besides Thee.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Having risen at dawn unto the never-waning Sun and Master, O divinely wise emperor, thou wast filled with light.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Wearing love and perfect loving-kindness like a robe of royal purple, thou hast now made thine abode in the kingdom on high.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O Helena, thou hast joined the choirs of the incorporeal ones, having pleased God by thy virtuous works.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Cleanse thou my soul, which hath been defiled by carnal pleasures through the treachery of the serpent, O Virgin.

Ode VI, Irmos: I will pour out my prayer unto the Lord, * and to Him will I proclaim my grief; * for my soul is filled with evils, * and my life unto Hades hath drawn nigh, * and like Jonah I pray unto Thee: * Raise me up from corruption, O God. Most gloriously didst thou assemble the divine choir of the God-bearing fathers,

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

O Constantine, and through them make steadfast the storm-tossed hearts of all, that they might glorify the Word as equal in honor and co-enthroned with the One Who begat Him.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Having believed on the living Lord Who giveth life unto all, O Helena, thou didst spurn the abominable worship of vain idols and joyously received the kingdom of heaven.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Guided by Thy hand, O Word, through Thee the sovereigns thrust aside the most profound darkness of ignorance and the tempest of cruel godlessness, and arrived, rejoicing, at the calm havens of piety.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Heal thou my heart, which hath grown incurably sick and hath been grievously wounded by the sting of the evil one, O Maiden, and by thine entreaties grant healing unto me, and save me who trust in thee, O most pure 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 III, Spec. Mel. “Today the Virgin …”: Today Constantine and his mother Helena * have revealed the Cross, the most precious Tree, * which putteth to shame all the Jews * and is the weapon of faithful kings against the adversary. ** For our sake the great standard hath appeared, terrible in battle.

Ikos: Let us honor Constantine, and Helena his mother; for, hearing the words of David, they recognized the three parts of the Cross in the cedar, the pine and the cypress, upon which the suffering of the Savior was accomplished. And having found it, in preparation to display it before the people, they set it before all the Jews, hidden because of their hatred and jealousy; revealing it to be the great justification. Wherefore, they have been revealed to all as victors, bearing the invincible trophy, the great standard, terrible in battle.

Ode VII, Irmos: The Hebrew children in the furnace * boldly trampled upon the flames, * changing the fire into dew, they cried aloud: * ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, throughout the ages’.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Keeping Thy precepts, Constantine submitted to Thy law. Wherefore, he hath cast down hordes of the iniquitous, crying out to Thee: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God!

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

The Tree which hath drawn all from the pit of destruction, O right wondrous one, and which was buried out of malice, thou didst disclose unto us, burying the most pernicious demons forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

By godly works thou didst make thy heart a temple of God, O Helena, and didst likewise build sacred churches for Him, where for our sake He endured His most pure sufferings for our sake.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Willingly committing sins, and enslaved by unseemly habits, I flee now to thy tender compassion. O most holy Sovereign Lady, save me who am in despair!

Ode VIII, Irmos: In his wrath the Chaldean Tyrant made the furnace blaze, * with heat fanned sevenfold for the servants of God; * but when he perceived that they had been saved by a greater power * he cried aloud to the Creator and Redeemer, * ‘O ye youths bless, O ye priests praise, * O ye people, supremely exalt Him throughout all ages’.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Arrayed in loving-kindness as in a robe and in goodly meekness as in cloak, O glorious one, thou wast adorned with a mind perfect in the virtues as with a crown; and having been translated from earth to the kingdom on high, thou dost cry aloud: O ye priests bless; O ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout all ages!

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Beholding thee rejoicing with thy divinely wise son, in the kingdom of God, O glorious Helena, we magnify Christ Who hath shown us your honoured festival, which illumineth us more brightly than the rays of the sun, wherefore we chant with faith: O ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout all ages!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Wondrous is thy desire and godly thy character, O glorious Helena, thou boast of women! For having attained unto the places where the precious sufferings took place, thou didst adorn them with all-beauteous temples of the Master of all, crying: O ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout all ages!

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Theotokos, enlighten the eyes of my soul, which have been blinded by many crimes; grant peace to my mind and heart, which have been vexed by multifarious pleasures, I pray, and save me who cry: O ye priests bless; ye people supremely exalt the pure one throughout all ages!

Ode IX, Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, * and the ends of the earth were filled with amazement, * for God hath appeared in the flesh, * and thy womb was rendered more spacious than the heavens. * Wherefore, the ranks of men and of angels * magnify thee as the Theotokos.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

The tomb wherein thy sacred and precious body doth lie, O Constantine, doth ever pour forth the radiance of divine healings upon those whoever approach it in purity, driving away the darkness of divers passions and illumining those who praise thee with never-waning light.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Having finished thy life in holiness, thou hast now made thine abode with the saints, full of sanctity and enlightenment. Wherefore, ever pouring forth rivers of healings, thou dost burn up our sufferings, giving drink to our souls, O blessed Helena.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O unoriginate and immortal King, Thou hast vouchsafed Thy heavenly kingdom to the holy Helena and the great Constantine, whom of old thou didst grant to reign piously on earth, and who loved Thee in purity, O Lord. By their supplications have pity on us all.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Having conceived, thou hast given birth to the King and Creator of all, O Virgin. And, lo! as a Queen thou standest forth now at His right hand. Wherefore, I beseech thee: at the hour of judgment deliver me from the left side, and number me with the sheep on the right.

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Troparion, Tone VIII: Beholding the image of Thy Cross in the sky, * and like Paul receiving a call not from men, * Thine apostle among kings placed the imperial city in Thy hands, O Lord. * Do Thou ever preserve it in peace, ** through the supplications of the Theotokos, O Thou Who alone art the Lover of mankind.

The Canon for the Feast of the Mother of God, the Life-Giving Spring

Posted on April 24, 2025June 3, 2025 by Father Mark

The Paschal Canon, the Work of St John of Damascus

Ode I, Irmos: It is the Day of Resurrection, * let us be radiant, O ye people; * Pascha, the Lord’s Pascha: * for from death to life, * and from earth to heaven, * Christ God hath brought us, * as we sing the song of victory.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Let us purify our senses, * and we shall behold Christ, * radiant with the unapproachable light of the Resurrection, * and we shall clearly hear Him say, Rejoice! ** as we sing the hymn of victory.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Let the heavens be glad as is meet, * and let the earth rejoice, * and let the whole world, both visible and invisible, * keep festival: * for Christ is risen, ** O gladness eternal.

To the Theotokos: by Nicephorus Callistos Xanthopolous:

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

Thou dost now gush forth grace for me, O Virgin Theotokos of the Spring, thereby granting me the words, by which I may praise thy Spring, from which issueth forth life and grace unto the faithful; for thou hast caused the Hypostatic Word to flow forth.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

Thy temple, O honored one, hath been shown to be a supra-natural place of healing for all, O Maiden; for clearly it hath raised up from death the faithful that flee thereto, causing an abundance of sweetness to flow forth unto all.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thou alone, hast truly been the cause by which grace hath inexhaustibly descended unto us from Heaven; for thou didst cause the blind man to behold light in a manner past understanding, when thou didst call from on high unto Leo in the swampland.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Thou art the common honour of mankind O honored One, Rejoice O Mary, rejoice; for the Creator of all hath clearly descended upon thee like a drop of rain, showing thee to be an immortal Spring, O Bride of God.

Katavasia: It is the Day of Resurrection, * let us be radiant, O ye people; * Pascha, the Lord’s Pascha: * for from death to life, * and from earth to heaven, * Christ God hath brought us, * as we sing the song of victory.

Ode III, Irmos: Come, let us drink a new drink, * not one miraculously brought forth from a barren rock * but the Fountain of Incorruption, * springing forth from the tomb of Christ, * in Whom we are strengthened.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Now all things are filled with light; * heaven and earth, * and the nethermost parts of the earth; * let all creation, therefore, celebrate the arising of Christ ** whereby it is strengthened.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Yesterday I was buried with Thee, O Christ; * today I rise with Thine arising. * Yesterday I was crucified with Thee; * do Thou Thyself glorify me with Thee, O Savior, ** in Thy kingdom.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

I know thee to be an effulgent and holy temple of the Master of all, O Maiden, and a Spring of incorruption from whence Christ, the Water of incorruption, floweth forth, and from whence we refresh ourselves.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

God hath granted grace unto thy Spring, O Lady, and by its water it
dispelled the fearful gall-stone, granting it passage from the emperor who grievously suffered from it.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Abundant grace doth flow forth from thee, O Virgin Theotokos, pouring forth in floods; through thee, the lame skip with joy, a multitude of lepers are cleansed, and demons are suffocated.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Unto all the faithful dost thou impart healings; to kings and common people, paupers and rulers, to poor and rich alike; pouring forth water as a source of a healing of diverse maladies.

Katavasia: Come, let us drink a new drink, * not one miraculously brought forth from a barren rock * but the Fountain of Incorruption, * springing forth from the tomb of Christ, * in Whom we are strengthened.

Chirst is risen from the dead… (Thrice)

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Kontakion, Tone VIII: Thou didst descend into the tomb, O Immortal, * Thou didst destroy the power of Hades. * In victory didst Thou arise, O Christ God, * proclaiming “Rejoice!” to the myrrh-bearing women; * granting peace to Thine apostles, ** and bestowing resurrection on the fallen.

Sessional Hymn of the Theotokos, Tone VIII: Let us all who ask of grace, * with one accord praise the living and ever- flowing divine source, * the most divine Spring, which daily poureth forth * healings unto all mankind, * by comparison a river’s flow is insignificant. * Wherefore, as is due, as we all draw nigh with love, * with faith let us now draw from the Spring inexhaustible strength, * truly immortal, * bedewing the hearts of the pious; * and with our lips let us cry aloud: ** Thou art the comforting solace of the flock of the faithful.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Repeat the Sessional Hymn

Ode IV, Irmos: On divine watch let the God-inspired Habakkuk stand with us, * and show forth the light-bearing angel clearly saying: * Today salvation is come to the world, * for Christ is risen * as Almighty.

Christ is risen from the dead.

As a man-child did Christ appear * when He came forth from the Virgin’s womb, * and as a mortal was He called the Lamb. * Without blemish also, is our Pascha * for He tasted no defilement; ** and as true God, perfect was He proclaimed.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Like unto a yearling lamb, * Christ, our blessed Crown, * of His own will was sacrificed for all, * a Pascha of purification; * and from the tomb the beautiful Sun of Righteousness ** shone forth again upon us.

Christ is risen from the dead.

David, the ancestor of God, * danced with leaping before the symbolical Ark; * let us also, the holy people of God, * beholding the fulfillment of the symbols, * be divinely glad; ** for Christ is risen as Almighty.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

Truly, more numerous than grains of sand, and drops of rain, are the multitude of the deeds of thy Spring, which doth unceasingly and abundantly pour forth upon all the earth, quickly healing all who are grievously ill.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

From thy Spring, water was poured upon the breast of the woman stricken with cancer, O Virgin; and straightway the fatal malady ceased at the pouring, for the cancer simply knew to leave.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Incomprehensible and surpassing nature is that which hath been manifestly accomplished in thee, O Theotokos; for the water of thy Spring is, for those illnesses that are fatal, an antidote clearly unknown to nature.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The enemy doth ever slay me by the attacks of pleasures, O Lady Theotokos of the Spring; turn not away from me, but do thou hasten, O thou who art quick to help, and deliver me from his snares, that I may ever praise thee, O greatly praised one.

Katavasia: On divine watch let the God-inspired Habakkuk stand with us, * and show forth the light-bearing angel clearly saying: * Today salvation is come to the world, * for Christ is risen * as Almighty.

Ode V, Irmos: Let us awake in the deep dawn, * and instead of myrrh, offer a hymn to the Master, * and we shall see Christ, * the Sun of Righteousness, * Who causeth life to dawn for all.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Seeing Thy boundless compassion * they who were held in the bonds of hades * hastened to the light, O Christ, * with gladsome feet, ** praising the Pascha eternal.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Bearing lights, let us approach Christ, * Who cometh forth from the tomb like a bridegroom, * and with the feast-loving ranks of angels * let us celebrate ** the saving Pascha of God.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

The wondrous miracles spoken of concerning thy Spring, O Virgin Maiden, truly astonish the minds of mortal men; for in a manner surpassing nature they sanctify all the faithful.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

The fleece, the manna and Siloam, the rock that poured forth Water, Solomon’s porch, the waters of the Jordan, and the well of the Samaritan woman all depicted thy grace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Drops from thy Spring, O Virgin Maiden, have raised a dead man. Truly surpassing telling and understanding is that which hath been accomplished! For all things that pertain to thee surpass the telling of mankind, O all-pure one.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Maiden, thou hast healed my sufferings, as thou didst dry up the source of the woman’s issue of blood, and dispel the blistering of skin shriveled by fire, and cure tuberculosis, and the blockage of urine, and dysentery.

Katavasia: Let us awake in the deep dawn, * and instead of myrrh, offer a hymn to the Master, * and we shall see Christ, * the Sun of Righteousness, * Who causeth life to dawn for all.

Ode VI, Irmos: Thou didst descend into the nethermost parts of the earth, * and didst shatter the eternal bars that held the fettered, O Christ, * and on the third day, * like Jonah from the whale, * Thou didst arise from the tomb.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Having kept the seals intact, O Christ, * Thou didst rise from the tomb, * O Thou Who didst not break the seal of the Virgin by Thy birth, * and Thou hast opened for us ** the doors of Paradise.

Christ is risen from the dead.

O my Savior, the living and un-slain Sacrifice, * when, as God, Thou, of Thine Own will, * hadst offered up Thyself unto the Father, * Thou didst raise up with Thyself the whole race of Adam, ** when Thou didst rise from the tomb.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

Rational speech hymneth thee as truly a Spring, O pure one; for in a manner surpassing reason thou hast given birth to the Depth of Wisdom, Who suspended the Waters in the sky, and the earth upon the waters.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

Standing beneath the collapse of the stairs which threatened to crush the painters that were there, O all-holy Spring, thou didst hold them fast, and thou didst save the people when the roof collapsed during the earthquake.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Wombs once bereft of fruit because of barrenness hast thou manifestly healed by the streams of thy Spring; for as thou didst give birth unto the Master of all, while yet a virgin, thou hast also granted them children.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Neither word, nor mind, nor tongue is able to rightly praise thy childbirth, O pure one; even the sublimity of philosophers and the beauty of the eloquence of rhetoricians are humbled before thee.

Katavasia: Thou didst descend into the nethermost parts of the earth, * and didst shatter the eternal bars that held the fettered, O Christ, * and on the third day, * like Jonah from the whale, * Thou didst arise from the tomb.

Chirst is risen from the dead… (Thrice)

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Kontakion, Tone VIII: From thine unfailing fount, O thou who art full of God’s grace, * do thou reward me by the flow of the never-ending streams of thy grace * which surpasseth human telling. * And since thou didst bear the Word in a manner beyond human understanding, * I beseech thee to refresh me with thy divine grace, ** that I may cry to thee: Rejoice, O thou water of salvation.

Ikos: O undefiled Theotokos, thou who ineffably hast given birth to the Word Who was begotten of the Father before the ages, do thou open my mouth, O modest one, that I may praise and acclaim, thee, crying such things as these unto thy Spring: Rejoice, Spring of unceasing joyfulness. Rejoice, Stream of ineffable beauty; Rejoice, Banishment of diverse impairments. Rejoice, Destruction of various ailments; Rejoice, Stream of clarity, curing the believing. Rejoice, water of jubilation, healing a multitude of the ailing; Rejoice, Lymph of wisdom, banishing ignorance. Rejoice, Draught for the heart, brimming with ambrosia in abundance. Rejoice, Bowl of manna streaming with life. Rejoice, Laver and Nectar, divinely-wise flowing; Rejoice, thou who hast shown us the passage from illness. Rejoice, thou who didst quench the fire of sickness; Rejoice, O thou water of salvation.

Hymn of the Resurrection, Tone VI: Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, * let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, * the only sinless One. * We worship Thy Cross, O Christ, * and Thy holy Resurrection we hymn and glorify. * For Thou art our God, * and we know none other beside Thee; * we call upon Thy name. * O come, all ye faithful, * let us worship Christ’s holy Resurrection, * for, behold, through the Cross joy hath come to all the world. * Ever blessing the Lord, * we hymn His Resurrection; * for, having endured crucifixion, ** He hath destroyed death by death. (Thrice)

Jesus having risen from the tomb, * as He foretold, * hath granted us life eternal, ** and great mercy. (Thrice)

Ode VII, Irmos: He Who delivered the Children from the furnace, * became man, suffereth as a mortal, * and through His Passion * doth clothe mortality with the beauty of incorruption, * He is the only blessed and most glorious * God of our fathers.

Christ is risen from the dead.

The godly-wise women with myrrh * followed after Thee in haste; * but Him Whom they sought with tears as dead, * they worshipped joyfully as the living God, * and they brought unto Thy disciples, O Christ, ** the good tidings of the mystical Pascha.

Christ is risen from the dead.

We celebrate the death of death, * the destruction of hades, * the beginning of another life eternal, * and leaping for joy, * we hymn the Cause, ** the only blessed and supremely glorious God of our fathers.

Christ is risen from the dead.

For truly sacred and all-festive is this saving night, * and this shining, light- bearing day, * the harbinger of the Resurrection, * whereon the Timeless Light bodily ** from the tomb upon all hath shined.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

O Ye infirm, draw forth healing for yourselves, for the all-pure one causeth true sweetness to flow from her divine Spring, truly pouring forth a torrent of delight. Wherefore, let us all in faith draw forth from these abundant streams.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

All the faithful are astonished by thy wondrous marvels, O Lady; for thy water hath made the deaf and the dumb eloquent, curing them that suffer grievously and granting them healing.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thou dost lead out from the furnace of afflictions those who draw nigh unto thee, O pure one, bedewing them with water from thine awesome spring; for thou didst deliver a man from gout and disfigurement; and heal the leper, and quench malignant boils.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Ye young men and maidens, and all ye men, with heartfelt faith let us radiantly acclaim our Lady; for she hath healed cysts, the punctures of nails, foul sores, inflammations, and palsy.

Katavasia: He Who delivered the Children from the furnace, * became man, suffereth as a mortal, * and through His Passion * doth clothe mortality with the beauty of incorruption, * He is the only blessed and most glorious * God of our fathers.

Ode VIII, Irmos: This chosen and holy day * is the first of the Sabbaths, * the queen and lady, * the feas of feasts, * and the festival of festivals, * wherein we bless Christ throughout the ages.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Come, on this auspicious day of the Resurrection, * let us partake of the fruit of the new vine * of divine gladness of the kingdom of Christ, * praising Him as God ** throughout the ages.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Lift up thine eyes about thee, O Zion, * and see, for behold, there cometh unto thee * like God-illumined beacons, * from the west, and from the north, * and from the sea, and from the east, ** thy children, in thee blessing Christ throughout the ages.

O Most Holy Trinity, our God, glory be to Thee.

O Father Almighty, and Word, and Spirit, * one Nature united in three Hypostases, * transcendent and most divine! * Into Thee have we been baptized, ** and Thee will we bless throughout all ages.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

Thy Spring doth pour forth divine and honorable Water, O Virgin, and by the invocation of divine grace, it doth greatly staunch the effluence of those with dropsy. Wherefore, we honor thee, O Spring, throughout the ages.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

Let us all gladly praise the honorable and life-streaming water; for it doth staunch the sources of phlegm in respiratory maladies, making an open path that it may freely depart. O how great are thy wonders, O pure Birthgiver of God!

We bless the Father, son, and Holy Spirit, the Lord.

What mouth can rightly praise thy wondrous birth-giving, O all-hymned one? And what mind can gaze upon the well-spring of thy miracles and praise them with words? Nature hath not the strength to stand in awe at that which is thine.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

All the might of death hath been banished straightway, O Queen and Lady; for thou art the well-spring of Christ the immortal King, our Life, the Water, the Manna, throughout the ages.

Katavasia: This chosen and holy day * is the first of the Sabbaths, * the queen and lady, * the feast of feasts, * and the festival of festivals, * wherein we bless Christ throughout the ages.

Ode IX, Irmos: Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, * for the glory of the Lord hath arisen upon thee; * dance now and be glad, O Zion, * and do thou exult, O pure Theotokos, * in the arising of Him Whom thou didst bear.

Christ is risen from the dead.

O how divine, how loving, * how sweet is Thy voice! * For Thou hast truly promised * to be with us unto the end of the age, O Christ; * having this foundation of hope, ** we the faithful rejoice.

Christ is risen from the dead.

O Christ, Thou great and most sacred Pascha! * O Wisdom, Word and power of God! * Grant us to partake of Thee more fully * in the unwaning day ** of Thy kingdom.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

The water of thy Spring doth surpass all water in essence, O pure Maiden, clearly granting deliverance from grievous illnesses, and supernaturally pouring the fullness of health upon all souls.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

We all behold thy Spring as a new Siloam, a deliverer from infirmities; for having received noetic eyes, we can all now partake of a healthy noetic life.

Most Holy Theotokos save us.

Ye that seek health, hasten unto the Spring; for the grace of the Virgin Maiden doth dwell therein. Leap for joy and be glad, O ye multitudes of the faithful, for in her temple, each according to his need, shall receive the recompense of his request.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

The water of thy Spring hath been exalted above the heavens, coursing in streams throughout the abysses of the earth; it is the nourishment of the soul, the nectar of the faithful, the honey from the rock, and the distribution of manna.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Virgin, thou dost gladden the faithful in a manner surpassing nature, by pouring forth grace from thine ever-flowing Spring, and thereby granting us strength against our adversaries, as well as victories, health, and peace, and the fulfillment of our prayers.

Katavasia: Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, * for the glory of the Lord hath arisen upon thee; * dance now and be glad, O Zion, * and do thou exult, O pure Theotokos, * in the arising of Him Whom thou didst bear.

Chirst is risen from the dead…

(Thrice)

The Paschal Canon

Posted on April 21, 2025June 3, 2025 by Father Mark

Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is Risen!

I greatly encourage parishioners to try to read the Paschal Canon every day during the Paschal season, and here publish the English text with the Theotokia verses (to the Mother of God) which are added to the canon after the night of Pascha itself.

Ode 1, Eirmos: It is the Day of Resurrection! Let us be radiant, O ye people! Pascha! The Lord’s Pascha! For Christ our God hath brought us from death to life, and from earth unto heaven, as we sing triumphal hymn!

Christ is risen from the dead.

Let us purify our senses and we shall behold Christ, radiant with inaccessible light of the Resurrection, and shall hear Him saying clearly, “Rejoice!” As we sing the triumphal hymn!

Christ is risen from the dead.

Let the heavens rejoice in a worthy manner, the earth be glad, and the whole world, visible and the invisible, keep the Feast. For Christ our eternal joy hath arisen!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thou hast broken through the barrier of death, by giving birth to Christ, the eternal Life, Who today hath shone forth from the tomb, O Virgin all-blameless, and Who hath enlightened the world.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen

Having beheld thy resurrected Son and God, rejoice thou with the apostles, O Pure One graced of God, and be the first to rejoice, as thou hast received the Cause of joy for all, O Mother of God all-blameless.

Katavasia: It is the Day of Resurrection!…

Ode 3, Eirmos: Come, let us drink a new drink, not miraculously drawn from a barren rock, but the fountain of Incorruption springing from the tomb of Christ in Whom we are established.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Now all things are filled with light: heaven and earth, and the nethermost regions. So let all creation celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, whereby it is established.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Yesterday, O Christ, I was buried with Thee, and today I arise with thy arising. Yesterday I was crucified with Thee. Glorify me, O Saviour, with Thee in Thy Kingdom.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Into incorruptible life have I entered today, through the goodness of Him Who was born of thee, O Pure One, and Who makest all the ends of the earth radiant with joy.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Having beheld God, Whom thou hast borne in the flesh, risen from the dead, as He said, O Pure One, dance, and Him as God, O most Pure One, do thou magnify.

Katavasia: Come, let us drink…

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life. (Thrice)

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.

Hypakoe, tone 4: When at dawn, the women with Mary came and found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre, they heard from the angel: Why seek ye among the dead (as if He were a mortal man) Him Who lives in everlasting light? Behold the grave-clothes. Run and tell the world that the Lord is risen, and has slain death. For He is the Son of God Who saves mankind.

Ode 4, Eirmos: May the divinely speaking Abbacum now stand watch with us, and show forth a shining Angel saying resoundingly: Today salvation hath come to the world; for Christ is risen as Almighty.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Christ revealed Himself as of the male sex when He opened the Virgin’s womb, and as a mortal is He called the Lamb. Thus, without blemish also, is our Pascha, for He tasted no corruption, and, since He is truly God, He was proclaimed perfect.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Christ, our blessed Crown, like a yearling Lamb, of His own good will sacrificed Himself for all, a Pascha of purification, and as the glorious Sun of Righteousness, He has shone upon us again from the grave.

Christ is risen from the dead.

David, the forefather of our divine Lord, leapt and danced before the symbolic Ark of the Covenant. Let us also, the holy people of God, beholding the fulfilment of the symbols, be divinely glad; for Christ hath risen as Almighty.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

He Who created Adam thy forefather, O Pure One, took form from thee, and the habitation of the dead hath He demolished today through His death, and shone upon all things with the divine radiance of the Resurrection.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Beholding Christ Whom thou hast borne, shining forth splendidly from the dead, O Pure One, who art good and spotless among women, and comely, today rejoicing with the apostles in the salvation of all, Him do thou glorify.

Katavasia: May divinely speaking Abbacum …

Ode 5, Eirmos: Let us arise in the deep dawn and, instead of myrrh, offer a hymn to the Lord, and we shall behold Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, Who causest life to dawn for all.

Christ is risen from the dead.

When they who were held by the chains of hell beheld Thy boundless compassion, O Christ, they hastened to the light with joyful feet, exalting the eternal Pascha.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Bearing lights, let us meet Christ, Who cometh forth from the tomb like a bridegroom. And with the ranks of joyfully celebrating Angels, let us celebrate the redeeming Pascha of God.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Enlightened by the divine rays and the life-bearing Resurrection of thy Son, O most pure Mother of God, the gathering of the pious is filled with joy.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Thou didst not open the gates of virginity in the incarnation, nor the seal upon the tomb didst Thou destroy, O King of creation; from whence seeing Thee risen, Thy Mother rejoiceth.

Katavasia: Let us arise…

Ode 6, Eirmos: Thou didst descend into the nethermost regions of earth, O Christ, and didst shatter the eternal bars which held the prisoners captive; and like Jonah from the sea-monster, after three days Thou didst rise from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead.

Having kept the seals intact, Thou didst rise from the grave, O Christ, Who didst not violate the Virgin’s womb by Thy birth, and Thou hast opened to us the gates of Paradise.

Christ is risen from the dead.

O my Saviour, while as God Thou didst voluntarily offer Thyself to the Father as an unslain and living sacrifice, Thou didst raise up with Thyself the whole race of Adam, when Thou didst rise from the grave.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

He that of old was held by death and corruption is raised up by Him Who was incarnate of the thy most pure womb, O Theotokos Virgin, unto incorruption and everlasting life.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

He Who went down into the nethermost part of the earth, and came into thy womb, O Pure One, and dwelt and past understanding was incarnate, hath also raised up Adam with Himself when He rose from the tomb.

Katavasia: Thou didst descend…

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life. (Thrice)

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 Resurrection, Tone 8: Though Thou did descend into the grave, O Immortal One, yet didst Thou destroy the power of hell, and did rise again as a conqueror, O Christ our Lord, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, rejoice! And giving peace to Thine Apostles, and offering Resurrection to the fallen.

Eikos: The myrrh-bearing maidens anticipated the dawn and sought, as those who seek the day, their Sun, Who was before the sun and Who had once sat in the grave. And they cried to each other: Friends, come, let us anoint with spices His life-giving and buried body – the Flesh Who raised up fallen Adam, and Who now lies in the tomb. Let us go, let us hasten, and like the Magi, let us worship; and let us bring myrrh as a gift to Him, Who is wrapped, not now in swaddling clothes, but in a shroud. And let us weep and cry: Arise, O Lord, Who dost offer Resurrection to the fallen.

Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless One. We worship Thy Cross, O Christ, and Thy Holy Resurrection we praise and glorify; for Thou art our God, and we know no other than Thee; we call upon Thy name. O come all ye faithful, let us worship Christ’s holy Resurrection. For behold, through the Cross joy hath come to all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, let us praise His Resurrection. For by enduring the Cross for us He destroyed death by death. (Thrice)

Jesus, having risen from the grave as He foretold, hath given us eternal life and great mercy. (Thrice)

Ode 7, Eirmos: He Who delivered the children from the furnace, and became man and suffered as a mortal, through His suffering, He clothes mortality with the grace of incorruption. He is the only blessed and most glorious God of our fathers.

Christ is risen from the dead.

The godly wise women came to Thee with myrrh. But Him Whom they sought with tears as dead, they joyfully adored as the living God. And they told to Thy disciples, O Christ, the glad tidings of the mystical Pascha.

Christ is risen from the dead.

We celebrate the death of death, the destruction of hell, the beginning of eternal life. And leaping for joy, we celebrate the Cause, the only blessed and most glorious God of our fathers.

Christ is risen from the dead.

For a truly holy and a supreme feast is this saving night radiant with Light, the harbinger of the bright day of Resurrection, on which the Eternal Light shone bodily from the grave upon all.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thy Son, having put death to death, O All-spotless One, today hath granted unto all mortals the life that abideth unto the ages of ages, the only blessed and most glorious God of our fathers.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

He Who reigneth over all creation, became man, dwelling in thy God-graced womb, and having endured crucifixion and death, is risen in a God-befitting manner, raising us up with Himself, for He is almighty

Katavasia: He Who delivered…

Ode 8, Eirmos: This is the chosen and Holy Day, the first of Sabbaths, the Sovereign and Queen, the Feast of Feasts, and Triumph of Triumphs, on which let us bless Christ forever.

Christ is risen from the dead.

O come, let us partake of the fruit of the new vine of divine joy on the auspicious Day of the Resurrection and Kingdom of Christ, praising Him as God forever.

Christ is risen from the dead.

Cast thine eyes about thee, O Zion, and behold! For lo! Thy children have assembled unto thee from the West and from the North and from the South and from the East, as divinely radiant luminaries, Blessing Christ unto the ages.

O Most Holy Trinity, our God, Glory be to thee.

Father, Almighty, the Word, and the Spirit, one Nature in three Persons united, transcending essence supremely Divine! In Thee we have been baptized, and Thou wilt bless us throughout all ages.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Through thee the Lord came into the world, O Virgin Theotokos, and the womb of hades did He tear open, granting unto us mortals resurrection; wherefore, we bless Him unto the ages.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Laying low all the dominion of death by His resurrection, thy Son, O Virgin, as the mighty God, hath raised us up with Himself and deified us; wherefore, we sing His praise unto the ages.

Katavasia: This is the chosen…

Ode 9, Eirmos: Shine, shine, O New Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord hath risen upon thee. Dance now for joy and be glad, O Sion! And thou, pure Mother of God, rejoice in the rising of Him Whom thou didst bear.

Christ is risen from the dead.

O divine, O dear, O sweetest Voice! For Thou, O Christ, hast faithfully promised to be with us to the end of the world. And holding fast this promise as an anchor of hope, we the faithful rejoice.

Christ is risen from the dead.

O great and holiest Pascha, Christ! O Wisdom, Word and Power of God! Grant that we may more perfectly partake of Thee in the unending Day of Thy Kingdom.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

With one voice, O Virgin, the faithful do bless thee: Rejoice, O Portal of the Lord; rejoice, O living City; rejoice, through whom for our sake the Light hath shone, Who, born of thee, is the resurrection of the dead.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Be glad and rejoice, O Portal of the Divine Light; for Jesus set into the grave, hath dawned forth shining more brightly than the sun, and hath illumined all the faithful, O Sovereign Lady who rejoiceth in God.

Katavasia: Shine, shine…

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the graves bestowing life. (Thrice)

The General Order for Chanting a Canon

Posted on April 2, 2025June 3, 2025 by Father Mark

The General Order for Chanting a Canon – With Supplicatory Prayers to St Arilda

Dear brothers and sisters, one of our young people recently asked about the order for chanting canons and akathists, so this post will hopefully help.

We have previously published a simple order, which consists of the opening prayers with Psalm 50 and the creed before the canon/akathist, and then “It is truly meet…”, the Trisagion prayers and the dismissal.

The following order is a little more complex, mirroring the order of the moleben, but without readings, and is set out for use when there is no priest.

As you will see, we begin with the opening prayers and the usual moleben Psalm (142).
This is followed by “God is the Lord…” with its verses, and this is always chanted in the tone of the first troparion of the feast or saint that is being honoured.
The troparion is then chanted twice, and after the Glory, we sing the Theotokion, which is a troparion to the Mother of God appointed to follow troparia.
If we are honouring a Great Feast, we chant the troparion twice, and then repeat it after “Glory… Now and ever…”
We then chant Psalm 50, although this is sometimes omitted, and the canon(s) follows.
As some of our parishioners will be visiting Oldbury-on-Severn on Saturday, and will honour the Virgin-Martyr, Arilda, I have taken the canon for a Virgin-Martyr from the General Menaion and used this to illustrate the order of prayer. The General Menaion is used for the variable parts of services when there are none specific to a saint in the monthly menaion. We insert names into the general hymns.
The canon is followed by “It is truly meet…” or a zadostoinik (a hymn to the Mother of God that takes the place of “It is truly meet…”), the Trisagion prayers, the troparion and kontakion (sometimes a prayer) and the dismissal sequence.

Once the faithful get used to this order, it will be straight forward and second nature!

Reader: Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us.

People: Amen.

O Heavenly King, O Comforter, * Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, * Treasury of good things and Giver of life, * come and dwell in us, * and cleanse us of all impurity, ** and save our souls, O Good One.

Reader: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy Name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One.

Reader: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us.

People: Amen.

Reader: Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen

O come let us worship God our King. 

O come let us worship and. fall down before Christ our King and God. 

O come let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and God. 

Psalm 142: O Lord, hear my prayer, give ear unto my supplication in Thy truth; hearken unto me in Thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with Thy servant for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath humbled my life down to the earth. He hath sat me in darkness as those that have been long dead, and my spirit within me is become despondent; within me my heart is troubled. I remembered days of old, I meditated on all Thy works, I pondered on the creations of Thy hands. I stretched forth my hands unto Thee; my soul thirsteth after Thee like a waterless land. Quickly hear me, O Lord; my spirit hath fainted away. Turn not Thy face away from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Thy mercy in the morning; for in Thee have I put my hope. Cause me to know, O Lord, the way wherein I should walk; for unto Thee have I lifted up my soul. Rescue me from mine enemies, O Lord; unto Thee have I fled for refuge. Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God. Thy good Spirit shall lead me in the land of uprightness; for Thy name’s sake, O Lord, shalt Thou quicken me. In Thy righteousness shalt Thou bring my soul out of affliction, and in Thy mercy shalt Thou utterly destroy mine enemies. And Thou shalt cut off all them that afflict my soul, for I am Thy servant. 

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. (Thrice)

And in Tone 4: God is the Lord, and hath appeared unto us. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Stichos 1: O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever.

People: God is the Lord…

Stichos 2: Surrounding me they compassed me, and by the Name of the Lord, I warded them off.

People: God is the Lord…

Stichos 3: I shall not die, but live, and I shall tell of the works of the Lord.

People: God is the Lord…

Stichos 4: The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

People: God is the Lord…

Troparion, Tone IV: Thy ewe-lamb Arilda, O Jesus crieth out with a loud voice: * “Thee do I love, O my Bridegroom, * and, seeking Thee, I endure suffering. * In Thy baptism I am crucified and buried with Thee. * I suffer for Thy sake, that I may reign with Thee; * I die for Thee, that I may live with Thee. * Accept me, who with love sacrifice myself for Thee, * as an unblemished offering!” ** By her supplications, in that Thou art merciful, save Thou our souls. (Twice)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

Theotokion, Tone IV: The mystery hidden from all ages * and unknown to the ranks of angels, * hath been revealed to those on earth through thee, O Theotokos: * God incarnate in an uncommingled union, * Who willingly accepted the Cross for our sake, * and through it hath raised up the first-formed man, ** and saved our souls from death.

Reader: Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)

Psalm 50: Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, and prevail when Thou art judged. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother bear me. For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice. Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me. I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness. O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise. For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou shalt not be pleased. A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Sion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded. Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt offerings. Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.

The Canon, in Tone VIII

Ode I, Irmos: Let us sing unto the Lord, * who led His people through the Red Sea: * for He alone hath gloriously been glorified.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

By her wondrous actions the all-praised maiden Arilda inspires the choirs of heavenly hosts above and those of us here on Earth below to hymn her holy deeds.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

The Master of all loved the beauty of thy most fair heart, O all-praised one, wherefore He hath made thee worthy to dwell in the heavenly dwellings.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thou, O Martyr, without fear underwent suffering, manifold wounds, and execution, taking with thee the sustaining grace of the Savior which helped thee to endure.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

We ever hymn thee, O most pure Theotokos, who above nature hast given birth unto the pre-eternal Incarnate and supremely divine Word.:

Ode III, Irmos: O Lord, thou art the confirmation of those who flee to Thee, * Thou art the Light of those in darkness, * and my spirit doth hymn Thee.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

Thou O all-praised Arilda, didst appear before thy judges with a courageous soul, vanquishing the cowardly enemy.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

Sporting neither blemish in thy beauty, nor any failing in thy soul, Christ received thee as a fair bride in His incorruptible palaces.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O all-praised Martyr of Christ Arilda, heal the scars of my soul, and by thine intercessions still the stormy seas of my life.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

All Orthodox Christians have acquired in thee a refuge and an unshakable rampart, wherefore we unceasingly magnify thee, O thou who knewest not wedlock.

Katavasia: Pray to God for us, O Holy Virgin-Martyr, Arilda, for we eagerly betake ourselves unto thee, who art a spreedy helper and intercessor for our souls.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

The Sessional Hymn, in Tone VIII: With the streams of thy blood * thou hast drowned the wicked, O all-praised Martyr of Christ, * and from joyous clouds of grace thou dost ever water the spiritual meadows, * rearing up therein the fruits of faith; * wherefore after thy repose thou hast appeared lustrously as a luminous cloud, * shedding forth the testimony of thy life. * O all-praised spiritual athlete Arilda, * pray to Christ God that those whom with love honor thy holy memory * be granted the remission of their sins.

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 VIII: All we, the generations of mankind, * call thee blessed, * in that thou art the Virgin who alone among women * hast given birth without seed unto God in the flesh; * for the fire of the Godhead made its abode within thee, * and thou didst feed the Creator and Lord * with milk as an infant. * Wherefore, we, the race of mankind and of angels, * worthily glorify thine all-holy birthgiving, * and together we cry out to thee: * Entreat Christ God to grant forgiveness of sins ** unto those who with faith worship thine all-holy Offspring.

Ode IV, Irmos: O Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I haveconsidered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

Presenting thyself as an unstained mirror of divine understanding, thou, O Martyr, doth shine forth in the midst of women sufferers like a golden lamp of priceless beauty.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

Thou didst not offer sacrifice unto the dumb demons, O invincible Martyr Arilda, but rather with love desired to receive a life-bestowing death for thy piety.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

With the other passion-bearers, O unblemished Arilda, thou didst bear upon thy body countless wounds, and yet remained without pangs through the manifestation of divine love.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

As the only Sinless One, grant deliverance from ignorance unto us, and peace to Thy world, O God, through the intercession of her who gave birth to Thee.

Ode V, Irmos: Rising early we cry to Thee, O Lord; * save us, for Thou art our God, * and we know none other besides Thee.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

Having learned the difference between the spiritual day and the darkness of the world, thou didst rebuke the contentious spirit.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

Imagining he would be able to weaken thy divine strength, O Martyr Arilda, the most cunning enemy hath only made himself a subject of derision.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Grant unto me, O all-praised one, enlightenment and peace, and by thine intercessions disperse the great agitation and confusion that afflicts my soul.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

We hymn thee as a Virgin, O Theotokos, even after child-birth, for thou hast brought forth into the world God the Word in the flesh.

Ode VI, Irmos: O Thou that puttest on light as a garment * grant me also a robe of light, * O All-merciful Christ, our God.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

Bearing valiant wisdom of mind while in thy feminine body, thou, O glorious one, didst not fear beasts of land and sea.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

Vanquishing the pride of thy tormentors, thy soul remained unharmed, O invincible Martyr, wherefore thou didst receive a crown of victory.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As righteous and beautiful, as honorable and resplendent with the radiance of virginity, the Bridegroom, even the Lord, hath brought thee to Himself, O most glorious martyr.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

As the only one who hath given birth in the flesh unto the Word, we beseech thee to deliver our souls from the snares of the enemy.

Katavasia: Pray to God for us, O Holy Virgin-Martyr, Arilda, for we eagerly betake ourselves unto thee, who art a spreedy helper and intercessor for our souls.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

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: Finding thine all-revered temple (and holy spring)* to be a source of healing for our souls, * we the faithful with a loud voice cry unto thee, * O greatly renowned Maiden-Martyr Arilda, ** entreat Christ God unceasingly on behalf of us all.

Ikos: Having gathered together today let us worthily honor the Martyr of Christ Arilda, that by her intercessions, our souls and bodies be may delivered from all pestilence, earthquake and plague, and that we may pass our lives in humility, and thereby be granted to praise God together with all the saints that pleased Him in ages past, and to walk in the un-waning light. For Thou, O Savior, hast bedewed with Thy mercies all those who in faith praise her. Wherefore we cry unto her, unceasingly pray for us all.

Ode VII, Irmos: The Children of Judaea, * who of old came to dwell in Babylon, * trampled underfoot the flame of the furnace * through their faith in the Trinity, * as they sang: “O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.”

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

The manly-courage of the divine Martyrs is beyond understanding, for the Creator of maketh His creation subject to those who in the midst of their suffering cry out: “O God of our Fathers, blessed art Thou.”

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

The glorious maiden hath silenced the wicked mouths of her tormentors and subdued the pride of the lawless, while in the Holy Spirit she divinely sang: “O God of our Fathers, blessed art Thou.”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Of old, the trio of devout youths burned those who superheated the fiery furnace; and now, as then, the Divinely-wise maiden, hymning the Trinity, inspires us to sing: “O God of our Fathers, blessed art Thou.”

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

O Savior, when thou didst deign to accomplish our salvation; Thou didst enter the womb of the Virgin and reveal her to be a sure intercessor for all the world: “O God of our Fathers, blessed art Thou.”

Ode VIII, Irmos: The King of heaven, * Who is glorified by the hosts of angels, * let uspraise and supremely exalt throughout all ages.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

The exceedingly blessed among women Arilda, having been rewarded with grace from the Most High, now hymneth, praising Christ throughout all ages.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

Strengthened by the thought of the Bridegroom and caring for things spiritual, thou didst give up thy body, even unto death, and inherited eternal life.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

The Bridegroom, mysteriously descending unto the most pure maiden in the furnace, hath, by the dew of the Holy Spirit, and in accordance with the good pleasure of the Father, saved her who hymneth Christ throughout all ages.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

Despise not, O pure Virgin; those that seek thine aid, and who chant and extol thee throughout all ages.

Ode IX, Irmos: With never ceasing praises we magnify thee, * the Mother of God Most High, * who art higher than the most pure hosts, * and who beyond comprehension knew not wedlock, * yet hath truly given birth to God.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

From on high thou wast granted to understand that the flow of thy blood was a token of thy future incorruptible life, O all-praised martyr, wherefore thou hast appeared unto all who draw nigh to thee, to be an inexhaustible treasury of healings.

Holy Martyr Arilda pray to God for us!

In accordance with the law of nature, O divinely-wise one, thou didst suffer death, which thou didst willingly endure; and upon death, which was witnessed to by the flow of thine own blood, thine all-precious body was laid to rest remaining incorrupt.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As the fairest bride of Christ and an illumining sun, as a truly chosen turtle-dove and as a fertile olive tree more comely than the cedars of Lebanon we all praise thee, O godly-revered Arilda.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

O bride who knewest not wedlock, receptacle of sweet fragrance, the true and immaculate Virgin and Mother who received in thy womb the heavenly rain descending from the cloud of light, thee do we magnify.

Zadostoinik, Tone VIII: Receive the prayers of thy servants, O Sovereign Lady, and deliver us from every need and sorrow. Thou art our weapon, O Mother of God, and a wall of refuge; thou art the Mediatrix, and unto thee do we run, and now we cry in prayer to thee, that thou mightest deliver us from our enemies. We all exalt thee, O blameless Mother of Christ our God, whom the Holy Spirit hath overshadowed.

Reader: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Thrice.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice).

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Reader: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us.

People: Amen.

Troparion, in Tone IV: Thy ewe-lamb Arilda, O Jesus crieth out with a loud voice: * “Thee do I love, O my Bridegroom, * and, seeking Thee, I endure suffering. * In Thy baptism I am crucified and buried with Thee. * I suffer for Thy sake, that I may reign with Thee; * I die for Thee, that I may live with Thee. * Accept me, who with love sacrifice myself for Thee, * as an unblemished offering!” ** By her supplications, in that Thou art merciful, save Thou our souls.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

Kontakion, in Tone II: Finding thine all-revered temple (and holy spring)* to be a source of healing for our souls, * we the faithful with a loud voice cry unto thee, * O greatly renowned Maiden-Martyr Arilda, ** entreat Christ God unceasingly on behalf of us all.

Reader: Lord, have mercy. (Forty times)

O holy Virgin-Martyr, Arilda, look upon us with a merciful eye, and hearken unto our small supplication; and as thou didst flee the pollution of the world, and refusing the defilement of sin didst become a ewe-lamb offered unto the Lord, we humbly pray and bessech thee to intercede for us before the Master and Shepherd of His sheep. Help us, that encumbered as we are with the pleasures and ease of life, we may emulate thy martyrdom, resisting the lures and temptations of the world, and may be granted the grace to struggle for purity of body, mind and soul. Pray to God for us, that we may join thee in the Heavenly Kingdom, and that as pure and unblemished offerings, holy to the Lord, He may grant to us healing of soul and body, and great mercy.

People: Amen,

Reader: Most Holy Mother of God, save us.

People: More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without defilement gavest birth to God the Word, the true Theotokos, thee do we magnify.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.  Lord, have mercy. (Thrice) Lord, bless.

Reader: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thy Most-Pure, Mother, of the Holy Virgin-Martyr Arilda, and all the saints, have mercy upon us and save us, for Thou art a merciful God and lovest mankind.

People: Amen.

The Canon to St Benedict

Posted on March 27, 2025March 27, 2025 by Father Mark

The Canon of The Venerable One, the Acrostic Whereof Is: “I Offer a Hymn to the Wise Benedict”: The Composition of Joseph, in 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.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

O venerable Benedict, pray thou that God grant deliverance from all trans- gressions and grace unto me who yearn to hymn thy right laudable memory.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

Taking up thy cross from childhood, in monasticism thou didst follow after the Almighty; and having mortified the flesh, thou wast deemed worthy of life, O most blessed one.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Subjecting thyself to the law of God, O right wondrous one, thou didst quell the uprisings of the passions with feats of abstinence, and wast enriched by the grace of dispassion.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Enriched with incorruption on account of thee, O all-pure Birthgiver of God, we cry out to thee who art full of joy: Rejoice, O adornment of the venerable and the righteous!

Ode III, Irmos: O Lord, who didst slay sin upon the tree, * firmly establish us in Thee, * and in the hearts of us who hymn Thee * plant the fear of Thee.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

Full of the living waters of the divine Spirit, O God-bearer, thy soul poured forth rivers of miracles, drying up the flow of ailments.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

Thou didst pass over to abide in the vastness of paradise, O all-blessed one, having trodden the narrow path, and didst choke off the wiles of the demons and the ways of the disorderly.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Watered with streams of thy tears, O Benedict, like a fruitful tree thou didst bring forth a divine harvest of virtues and miracles, by divine grace.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

He Who alone is good passed, incarnate, through thy womb, O most immaculate one, and was seen as a perfect man. Him do thou beseech, that He save those who hymn thee.

Sessional Hymn, Tone I: Being a monk in a manner pleasing to God, thou didst live virtuously and didst receive the grace of healing, O Benedict, working awesome miracles; and having assembled a sacred community, thou didst lead to the Lord multitudes of the saved, O most spiritually rich father. Glory to God Who enlightened thee! Glory to Him Who crowned thee! Glory to Him Who hath glorified thy holy memory!

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.

Theotokion, Tone I: Stretching forth thy divine arms, wherewith thou didst bear the Creator Who in His goodness hath become incarnate, O most pure virgin, beseech Him to deliver from temptations, sufferings and tribulations us who praise thee with love and cry aloud: Glory to Him Who made His abOde within thee! Glory to Him Who issued forth from thee! Glory to Him Who hath delivered us by thy birthgiving!

Stavrotheotokion (replaces the Theotokion on Wednesdays and Fridays): In awe of Thy great and dread endurance, O Savior, the most pure one lamented bitterly and cried out to Thee Who wast crucified on the Cross by the iniquitous ones and whose side was pierced with a spear by the soldiers: Glory to Thy love for mankind! Glory to Thy goodness! Glory to Thee Who by Thy death hast rendered mankind immortal!

Ode IV, Irmos: I hymn Thee, O Lord, for I have heard report of Thee, * and I was afraid; * for Thou comest to me, seeking me who am lost. * Wherefore, I glorify Thy great condescension towards me, * O greatly Merciful One.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

Having crucified thyself to the passions and the world, O father Benedict, thou didst please Christ Who stretched out His hands on the Cross of His own will. Him do thou entreat, that He save our souls.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

With feats of abstinence didst thou mortify thy fleshly members, O venerable one; by thy prayer didst thou raise up the dead; thou gavest the paralyzed, who marveled in faith, the ability to walk, and didst heal every infirmity, O father.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

By thy vivifying discourse, O venerable one, didst thou render dry and desiccated souls fruitful, bringing forth spiritual and divine fruit, in that thou wast advanced by God, thou most sacred adornment of monastics.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The incarnate Word descended upon thine honored womb like rain upon the fleece, O pure one, and manifestly halted the rains of polytheism and brought an end to the bitter winter, O all-immaculate one.

Ode V, Irmos: O Lord, Bestower of light and Creator of the ages: * guide us in the light of Thy commandments, * for we know none other God than Thee.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

Entreating the God of mercy, O venerable father, like Elijah thou didst fill a cruse, a great vessel, with oil, a thing marveled at by those who watched with faith.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

As one pure of soul, O all-blessed Benedict, in ecstasy, thou didst behold the whole earth resplendent as beneath a single light, for God so honoreth thee.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Working miracles in Christ, O Benedict, by thy supplication thou entreatest the Judge of the contest, that water gush forth, which remaineth to this day, proclaiming thy wonders.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

He Who dwelleth in the heavens, so desiring, made His abOde within thy pure womb, that He might make habitations for the Trinity of us who proclaim thee to be the Theotokos, O pure one.

Ode VI, Irmos: Whirled about in the abyss of sin, * I appeal to the unfathomable abyss of Thy compassion: * Raise me up from corruption, O God.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

Illumined by the effulgence of the Spirit, thou didst dispel the darkness of evil demons, O wonder-worker Benedict, most radiant lamp of monastics.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

How glorious was thy life, O blessed one! How splendid thine honored life whereby thou didst draw the flock of monastics to knowledge of the Savior!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As a resident of the kingdom of heaven, O divinely wise Benedict, pray thou, that we who ever faithfully bless thee may also attain it.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The never-setting Sun of righteousness shone forth from thy holy womb and enlightened the faithful, O all-hymned virgin Theotokos.

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 venerable one, Tone VI: Thouwast enriched by the grace of God, * and by thy deeds proclaimed thy name. * In prayer and fasting thou wast revealed to be * full of the gifts of the Spirit of God, * O Benedict, favorite of Christ God, * shown to be a healer of the infirm, ** as one who repulses the enemy, the ready helper of our souls.

Ode VII, Irmos: Of old the youths revealed themselves to be rhetors * with a love for supreme wisdom, * for from the depths of their God-pleasing souls, * they theologized with their lips as they sang: * O supremely divine God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

Thou didst acquire life-bearing mortality by laying aside pleasures; wherefore, thou wast deemed worthy to resurrect the dead, O blessed Benedict, crying out: O supremely divine God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

Astonishing a multitude of the faithful, thou didst do as did the great Elijah, raising up a garden for monks by thy venerable labors, and it remaineth ever walled about by thy supplications, O blessed one.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

The mindless ones who sought to murder thee with evil sorcery were put to shame, O father Benedict, denounced by the foreknowledge in thee, for thou wast preserved by the hand of Almighty God.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Heal thou the passions of my soul, O Virgin who ineffably conceived the Well-spring of dispassion, and grant me a shower of compunction to bring me consolation there, O holy Theotokos.

Ode VIII, Irmos: God Who descended into the fiery furnace * with the Hebrew children, * and transformed the flame into dew, * do ye works hymn, * and supremely exalt as Lord throughout all ages.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

Reigning in Christ over corrupting passions, O divinely wise father, thou wast deemed worthy to dwell in the heavenly kingdom with all who lived righteously and loved God Who seest all things.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

Accepting thy holy supplications, through thee God bestowed the means to live upon those in want, glorifying thee exceedingly with miracles on earth, O thrice– blessed Benedict.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Adorned with the beauties of godly virtues, thou didst pass on to the beautiful mansions to abide with God, O father, and to enjoy His divine beauties for ages without end.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Behold, a Babe, the Son of the Most High, is born of thee, O pure one, as Isaiah crieth out, and He is seen to be thy Son also, O Virgin, making those who honor thee children of the heavenly Father.

Ode IX, Irmos: God the Word, God of God, * Who by ineffable wisdom came to create Adam anew * after his grievous fall to corruption through eating * and Who took flesh beyond all telling from the Holy Virgin for our sake, * Him we faithful with one accord magnify in song.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

Thou wast shown to be like the great sun, illumining creation with awesome signs and rays of the virtues; wherefore, celebrating thy truly luminous memory, we are enlightened with compunctionate thoughts, O father.

Venerable Father, Benedict, pray to God for us.

The flock of monastics assembled by thee giveth praise day and night, having in their midst thy body which poureth forth rivers of miracles abundantly and unceas- ingly enlighteneth their steps, O wise father.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thou didst emit a radiance greater than that of the Sun, O father, fulfilling the commandments of God; and thou hast passed into never-waning light, praying that forgiveness of sins be granted to those who faithfully honor thee; O ever-memorable Benedict.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Virgin, bearer of the Light, drive thou the passions from my soul, and grant that I may behold, in pure manner, the beauty of the Savior Who shone forth ineffably from thy most pure womb, as a light to the nations, O all-hymned one.

The Feast and Canon of St Gerasimos of Jordan

Posted on March 17, 2025March 17, 2025 by Father Mark

Dear brothers and sisters, greetings for the feast of St Gerasimos, famously remembered to taking a thorn from the paw of a lion who came to him, and being befriended by the creature.

His monastery, of which he was abbot, remains a place beloved of pilgrims to the Holy Land.

Saint Gerasimos was a native of Lycia (Asia Minor). From his early years he was distinguished for his piety. Having received monastic tonsure, he withdrew into the desert of the Thebaid (in Egypt). Thereafter, in about the year 450, the monk arrived in Palestine and settled at the Jordan, where he founded a monastery.

For a certain while Saint Gerasimos was tempted by the heresy of Eutyches and Dioscorus, which acknowledged only the divine nature in Jesus Christ, but not His human nature (i.e. the Monophysite heresy). Saint Euthymius the Great (January 20) helped him to return to the true Faith.

Saint Gerasimos established a strict monastic Rule. He spent five days of the week in solitude, occupying himself with handicrafts and prayer. On these days the wilderness dwellers did not eat cooked food, nor did they kindle a fire, but ate only dry bread, roots and water.

On Saturday and Sunday all gathered at the monastery for Divine Liturgy and to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. In the afternoon, taking a supply of bread, tubers, water and an armload of date-palm branches for weaving baskets, the desert-dwellers returned to their own cells. Each had only old clothes and a mat, upon which he slept. When they left their cells, the door was never locked, so that anyone could enter and rest, or take whatever he needed.

Saint Gerasimos himself attained a high level of asceticism. During Great Lent he ate nothing until the very day of the All-Radiant Resurrection of Christ, when he received the Holy Mysteries. Going out into the desert for all of Great Lent, Saint Gerasimos took with him his beloved disciple Saint Cyriacus (September 29), whom Saint Euthymius had sent to him.

When Saint Euthymius the Great died, Saint Gerasimos saw how angels carried the soul of the departed up to Heaven. Taking Cyriacus with him, the monk immediately set off to the monastery of Saint Euthymius and consigned his body to the earth.

Saint Gerasimos died peacefully, mourned by his brethren and disciples. Before his death, a lion had aided Saint Gerasimos in his tasks, and upon the death of the Elder it died at his grave and was buried nearby. Therefore the lion is depicted on icons of the saint, at his feet.

The Orthodox Church in America

3/2/2017

Canon to the venerable one, the acrostic whereof is: “I praise Gerasimos, as I weave for him a crown,” in Tone VIII

Ode I, Irmos: Let us chant unto the Lord, Who led His people through the Red Sea, for He alone hath gloriously been glorified.

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

The glory of immortality and a divine crown of incorruption hath Christ given thee who struggled well, O Gerasimos.

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

Having the Bestower of light attending to thy supplications, O father Gerasimos, thou didst diminish the darkness of the demons.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Through the streams of thy tears, O father, thou didst bring forth the fruits of immortality like an irrigated tree, O divinely wise Gerasimos.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Ease thou the pain of my heart, O all-pure Theotokos who, in manner past understanding and recounting, gave birth unto Christ without pain.

Ode III, Irmos: Thou art the confirmation of those who have recourse to Thee, O Lord; Thou art the light of the benighted; and my spirit doth hymn Thee.

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

Following Him Who endured crucifixion willingly, O venerable one, thou wast wholly crucified to life and to the passions.

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

Strengthened by the support of Him Who accomplisheth all things, O wise Gerasimos, thou wast able to trample down all the snares of the mighty one.

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

Made strong by an humble mind and a humble spirit, O wise one, thou didst utterly lay low the passions which corrupt the soul.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

With the splendours of thy wonders thou dost, like the great sun, enlighten the hearts of all who praise thee with faith.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O all-immaculate one, thou gavest birth unto the Son Who is enthroned with the Father and of the same essence, and Who showeth the portals of life unto all.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Sessional hymn, Tone IV, Spec. Mel .“Thou hast appeared today….”: Passing over the wiles of the demons through the activity of the Cross, O venerable one, thou didst become a god by adoption. Wherefore, we faithfully honor thee, O Gerasimos . (Twice)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Theotokion: Stretching forth thine all-pure hands, O Virgin Mary, protect those who trust in thee and cry out to thy Son: O Christ, grant Thy mercies unto all!

Stavrotheotokion (replaces the Theotokion on Wednesdays and Fridays): Beholding thy Son suspended upon the Tree, O all-pure one, thou didst cry out in grief, thy maternal womb rent with pain: Woe is me! How hast Thou set, O mine everlasting Light?

Ode IV, Irmos: I have heard, O Lord, the mystery of Thy dispensation; I have understood Thy works, and have glorified Thy divinity.

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

Thine enlightened heart became a temple of the Spirit, O father. Wherefore, it poureth forth gifts, healing afflictions by grace divine.

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

Submitting to the law of God, thou didst follow the Lord from thy youth, O father, embracing the life of the bodiless ones while yet in the body.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thy steps were directed to the way of salvation, O venerable one, by the guidance of the divine Spirit Who dwelt within thee, O venerable one.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Jesus, Who loveth mankind, Whom thou didst bear in thy womb, O all-immaculate one, do thou beseech, that He save all who hymn thee.

Ode V, Irmos: Waking at dawn, we cry to Thee: Save us, O Lord! For Thou art our God, and we know none other than Thee.

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

Having received rays of the Holy Spirit with a purified mind, thou didst become a light to monastics.

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

Thy life, shining forth through the constraint of nature, showed thee to be an earthly angel in the flesh.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Filled with the life-imparting waters of the Spirit, thou didst pour forth rivers of wonders, O father Gerasimos.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Theotokos, the incarnate Word descended upon thee like a shower, unto the enlightenment of our souls.

Ode VI, Irmos: Cleanse me, O Saviour, for many are my transgressions; and lead me up from the abyss of evils, I pray, for to Thee have I cried, and Thou hast hearkened to me, O God of my salvation.

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

The weakness of thy flesh, strengthened by the power of Him Who hath shone forth upon us from the pure Virgin, O venerable father, hath brought low the power of the incorporeal foe.

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

Having crushed the jaws of the noetic lions by grace, thou didst put down the assaults of the senses, O venerable one. Wherefore, a lion submitted to thee, like a sheep to a shepherd, ministering to thee right dutifully.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Acquiring an angelic life and a mind humble in Christ, O father, thou wast meek. And now, thou hast made thine abode in the land of the meek, filled with divine joy.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The Effulgence of the Father dwelt within thee, O pure one, and, born in the flesh, He hath enlightened the world and delivered all from the darkness of polytheism. Wherefore, we hymn 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 IV, Spec. Mel. “Having been lifted up….”: Burning with heavenly love, thou didst prefer the harshness of the desert of Jordan more than all the delights of the world; hence, a wild beast submitted to thee even until the time of thy death, O father, dying in obedience and grief on thy grave. Thus did God glorify thee. And when thou dost pray to Him, O father Gerasimos, be thou mindful of us.

Ode VII, Irmos: In the furnace the Hebrew children boldly trod the flame underfoot and transformed the fire into dew, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

Light and gladness, its spouse, shone forth upon thee, O father, who dost ever abide in the mansions of heaven and dost chant: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Venerable Father, Gerasimos, pray to God for us.

Having watered thy heart with showers of tears, O God-bearer, thou bringest forth fruits of virtue, through which, with all the venerable, thou hast received the delight of heaven forever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Continue reading →

The Canon to St John of Damascus: Defender of the Holy Icons

Posted on March 11, 2025March 11, 2025 by Father Mark

Dear brothers and sisters, Sunday’s celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy reminded me that I had been remiss in sharing the canon to St John of Damascus with one of our parishioners, so I am posting the canon to this great Church Father below, hoping that parishioners might do a little on-line research into this holy father and his defence of sacred imagery in the life and worship of the Church.

Canon of the Venerable One, 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.

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.

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.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Sedalion of the venerable one, 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. (Twice)

Stavrotheotokion, 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!

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, * 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 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 Canons to Saints Ephraim and Isaac the Syrians

Posted on February 10, 2025February 10, 2025 by Father Mark

Canon of the venerable one, the acrostic whereof is: “I honour Ephraim, the noetic Euphrates”, the composition of Theophanes, in Tone VI:

Ode 1, 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.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

With the Euphrates-like flood of thy supplications water thou my soul, which hath become dry with the burning heat of the passions, and inspire discourse within me who praise thy festival, O all-blessed one.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Shining forth noetic light, thou didst show thyself to be a radiant sun, O Ephraim, illumining all the fullness of the faithful with brilliant virtues and teachings.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Extinguishing the flame of the passions with the streams of tears, O divinely blessed Ephraim, thou wast a precious vessel of the Holy Spirit, pouring forth wellsprings of doctrines.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Having received the incorrupt Word in thy womb, thou hast given birth to Him Who delivereth from corruption those who ever worship Him, O pure Mother and Virgin, who art truly the portal of Life.

Canon of the venerable one, the composition of Gerasimus of the Little Skete of Saint Anna, in Tone VIII:

Another 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, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Give strength and words to my lips, O Word of God and God, that I may hymn the venerable Isaac, who hath radiantly glorified Thee with a perfect life and instructed the ranks of monastics with divinely inspired discourse.

Venerable Father, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Having from thy youth hated all carnal luxury, O blessed Isaac, and been wounded by divine love, thou didst take the Cross of the Lord upon thy shoulders, and with thy brother didst choose a life of asceticism.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Borne aloft by the love of Christ the Bestower of life, O venerable one, thou didst soar to the heavenly life, and through ascetic labours wast shown to be a stranger and sojourner on the earth, O most blessed father Isaac.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Without knowing wedlock, thou didst conceive God Who for our sake didst become immutably incarnate as we are, through thy pure blood, O most pure Mary Theotokos. Wherefore, deliver us from changing to the worse.

Ode 3, 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.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Having purified thyself of the mire of the passions, thou didst reveal thyself to be a true receptacle of the virtues and a vessel containing the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

In nowise giving slumber to thine eyes, thou didst show thyself to be a temple of the Holy Trinity and a treasury of wisdom, enriching the world with the golden rays of teachings, O blessed one.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

The honoured Church of Christ doth recognize thee as a golden-streamed Euphrates, flowing with torrents of wise doctrines and watering all creation.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Incarnate of thy precious blood, One of the Holy Trinity divinely issued forth in two natures, saving by grace the children of Adam, O all-pure one.

Another Irmos: O Lord, Creator of the vault of Heaven * and Builder of the Church, * do Thou strengthen me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, * O Support of the faithful, * O only Lover of mankind.

Venerable Father, Isaac, pray to God for us.

In that thou didst rid thy heart of the bonds of the passions, thou wast shown to be a receptacle of dispassion and a vessel fit for the effulgence of spiritual life, O blessed Isaac, dweller with the angels.

Venerable Father, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Full of the graces of heaven, O venerable one, who didst emulate the angels in thy conduct, at all times pouring forth from thy mouth a discourse of salvation, as it were the sweetness of incorruption.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Putting off the burden of the flesh, O father, thou didst elect to make thine abode in the wilderness, uniting thyself unto God with great stillness, prayer and fasting. Wherefore, thou didst become the dwelling-place of the divine Spirit.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O all-hymned Maiden who hast given birth unto God and destroyed the ancient sin, by thy grace do thou restore my mind, which hath been marred by the decadence of the passions which sorely afflict me.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Kontakion of St Ephraim, in Tone II, Spec. Mel “Seeking the highest …”: Ever looking forward to the hour of judgment, * thou didst bitterly lament, O Ephraim; * and though a lover of stillness * thou wast also a teacher of activity, O venerable one. ** Wherefore, O universal father, thou dost motivate the slothful to repentance.

Ikos: Do thou let but a drop of the waters of thy grace bedew my soul, purifying it of every unclean defilement, that cleansed, it may complete the remaining time of life zealous in all things profitable, and partake of the divine sweetness which thou didst enjoy, for thou dost quench the thirst of all who burn with passions, inspiring the slothful to repentance by thy discourses.

Sedalion of St Ephraim, in Tone V, Spec. Mel “The Word Who is co-unoriginate …”: O ye faithful, on the day of his commemoration let us hymn the treasury of the wisdom of the mysteries of Christ, the cup of divine compunction, for in accordance with his name the godly Ephraim doth ever gladden the hearts of the faithful with divine discourses, as a performer and initiate of the mysteries of the revelations of the Lord.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Sedalion, in Tone IV, Spec. Mel., “Go thou quickly before …”: As a divinely radiant lamp of stillness thou shinest the never-waning light of a virtuous life upon the ends of the earth, O wise one; wherefore, we, the choirs of monastics, hymn thee as a divine luminary, O God-bearer Isaac, and we study thy radiant discourses with love.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Theotokion in Tone IV: O pure Virgin Mother, unceasingly beseech Christ our God, Who in His ineffable tender compassion didst become incarnate of thee, that He grant us forgiveness of sins, O Maiden, and deliverance from the grievous woes of life; for unto thee, O Mother of God, do we have recourse in faith.

Ode 4, 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.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

The power of thy words hath passed through the whole world, O blessed one, driving away the blindness of men’s souls by the exalted radiance of humility.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Thou didst render thy life blameless, cleansing thyself with tears, O right wondrous and divinely revealed one, and by thy wise discourses hast described to all the coming of the Judge.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Having beheld the most glorious height of thy humility, the Lord gave thee exalted discourse, whereby the grievous uprisings of heresies have been humbled.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Strengthened by the grace of the Almighty, thou didst array thyself against the princes of the demons, O father, and having vanquished them, fervently pray on behalf of us who praise thee.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Let us bless the Virgin as a divine temple, as a holy mountain, as a wellspring of incorruption, as the one who alone was the chosen of God our Creator.

Another 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, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Irrigated with the streams of thy sacred teachings, O wise Isaac, multitudes of monastics splendidly produce abundant fruit: the purity of abstinence, prayerful contemplation, and the grace of dispassion, chanting: Glory to Thy power, O Lover of mankind!

Venerable Father, Isaac, pray to God for us.

With thy whole mind conversing and uniting thyself with the one God, the sight of Whom is beyond comprehension, O venerable one, thou wast filled past understanding with enlightenment, and wast shown to be a light-bearer, a tower of stillness and a most radiant beacon for monastics.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Living in the flesh like an incorporeal being, thou didst serve God in stillness, O God-bearer Isaac, and wast granted many graces by Christ, of which do thou grant, if only a small portion, unto me who doth cry aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lover of mankind!

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Theotokos, having given birth unto God in the flesh, without seed, without corruption, in a manner beyond understanding and comprehension, thou hast annulled the condemnation of Eve, at the hour of my judgment do thou also free me from the dread sentence.

Ode 5, 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.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

With torrents of tears, O father, thou didst utterly dry up the depths of pleasures; and with the outpourings of thy doctrines thou hast staunched the torrents of heresies, O blessed one.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Thy mind, illumined by seeking God, O father Ephraim, began to take pleasure in the full vision of God, receiving immaterial revelation as if a mirror of the divine Spirit.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Thou didst truly become a temple imbued with the Trinity, adorned with grace and the radiance of pure virtues, and the fullness of teaching, O father.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Eating of the tree in Eden through the wicked treachery of the serpent I was revealed to be mortal; but thou, having given birth to Christ, the Bestower of life, hast brought me to life, O thou who alone art full of God’s grace.

Another Irmos: O Light never-waning, * why hast Thou turned Thy face from me * and why has 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, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Lifting thy mind to the undefiled good, O saint of Christ, thou didst reveal thyself by thy way of life, to be alien to the things that are in the world, O Isaac, teaching all to disdain that which is corruptible, and in nowise to desire those things that are temporal.

Venerable Father, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Thou wast shown to be a scribe and model of the angelic life, O divinely wise Isaac; wherefore, the grace of the Spirit hath revealed thee to be a divine pastor and a God-bearing hierarch of the Church of Christ.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Having been inducted into the divine mysteries because of the purity of thy way of life, O God-bearer, thou didst attain to yet greater deeds, O divine Isaac, archpastor of Nineveh, explaining the words of the Gospel to all, and cleansing the wounds of their souls.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Slain by the deception and delusion of the serpent, O most pure one, I flee unto thee who hast given birth to eternal Life. Enliven my mind by thy vivifying help, and guide me to a blameless life.

Ode 6, Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging the flood of temptations, * I run to calm haven, and cry to Thee: * Raise up my life from corruption, * O Most Merciful One.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Setting thy foundation not on sands, but on the inviolate Faith, O God-bearer, thou didst remain undaunted by all the assaults of the enemy, guided by the hand of the Invincible One.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Thy tongue was truly like the pen of a swiftly-writing scribe, showing forth a most pious intellect and tracing the law of the Spirit upon the tablets of our hearts, O father.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Those who navigate the calm expanse of thy dogmas, O divinely wise Ephraim, are delivered from the soul-destroying billows of the abyss and, awakened, are saved by faith from the storm of heresies.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Incarnate, He Who as God is above all noetic beings and visible creatures, issued forth from thy womb, preserving thee incorrupt as thou wast before birthgiving, O Virgin Mother.

Another Irmos: Cleanse me, O Saviour, * for many are mine iniquities; * lead me up from the abyss of evils I pray Thee, * for unto Thee have I cried, * and Thou hast hearkened unto me, * O God of my salvation.

Venerable Father, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Thou didst brighten thy hierarchal vestments through strict observance of the commandments of God, O divinely-inspired Isaac; wherefore, the Saviour hath received thee as one of His own.

Venerable Father, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Directing thy life towards the uttermost Judge, thou didst show thyself to be a true and venerable hierarch, O Isaac, revealing the commandments of the laws of grace unto all.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Adorned with the spiritual wisdom which cometh from doing good works, thou wast revealed to be a pious teacher of monastics, O Isaac, guiding them to perfection by thine instructions and deeds.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O most pure one, who hast given birth in the flesh to the transcendent God, from the fall hast thou raised the nature of mortals to the heights of their former nobility; wherefore, we glorify 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 of St Isaac, in Tone VIII, Spec. Mel, “To thee, the champion leader…”: By thine angelic way of life thou wast shown to be a divine instrument of the Comforter, * and a model for monastics in all things, O blessed Isaac. * As the habitation of divine grace, ask thou grace and heavenly light for us ** who cry out to thee: Rejoice, O divinely wise father!

Ikos: Thou wast revealed to be an angel in the flesh in thine ascetic labours, O Godbearing Isaac, and by thine angelic voice hast thou set before us the words of salvation, whereby guided to a higher life, we cry out to thee: Rejoice, star coming forth from Syria; rejoice, lamp of stillness! Rejoice, thou who art more sublime than earthly thoughts; Rejoice, partaker of heavenly enlightenment! Rejoice, divinely inscribed pillar of hesychasts; Rejoice, mouth flowing with the honey of spiritual teachings! Rejoice, for thou wast filled with God-given wisdom; Rejoice, for thou deliverest from the evil of the passions! Rejoice, most fervent of the servants of Christ; Rejoice, our godly teacher! Rejoice, wise God-bearer Isaac; Rejoice, our instructor, guided by God! Rejoice, O divinely wise father!

Ode 7, 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.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Thou wast shown to be a most excellent giver of laws for monastics, O most honoured one, rescuing them from all the machinations of the enemy. Wherefore, O blessed one, they honour thine honoured and sacred memory on earth.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Thou wast an excellent instrument of the Spirit, ever sounding forth thine inspirations and playing the saving hymn of repentance for us who hymn thee, O ever-memorable one.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Thy conception was beyond description, O Bride of God, for thou hast given birth to the Word of God Who hath delivered all mankind from irrationality granting them the words to cry: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

Another 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, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Having shone forth like a most radiant sun among the choirs of monastics, O father, thou dost illumine with the radiance of thine instructions, as with beams of light, all who cry out with faith: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Venerable Father, Isaac, pray to God for us.

O father, the honourable choirs of monastics know thee to be a divinely-wise describer and guide to the higher life, and as is fitting, celebrate thy memory, O wise father Isaac, thou rule of hesychasts.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Caught up by the Spirit to the vision of the mystical mysteries of a higher glory, which passeth understanding, and deified by partaking thereof, thou didst cry aloud: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

With the rich streams of thy mercy purify my heart, which hath been defiled by the passions of the enemy, O Maiden; and dispel the darkness of my mind, that I may gaze upon the Light which shone forth from thee.

Ode 8, 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 exalt throughout all ages.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Thou wast shown to be like another sun, O blessed one, and, emitting the beams of thy teachings upon the ends of the earth, thou hast driven away the lightless gloom of all sin with the light of repentance.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Surrounded by the streams of divine dogmas, thou didst flow forth like another river from Eden, watering the face of the earth, O wondrous one, inundating the tares of ungodliness.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Confessing thee to be the true Theotokos, like the angel we cry out to thee with faith: Rejoice! For thou alone hast given birth to Joy on earth, O ever joyous and blessed one.

Another 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, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Thou didst live an angelic life, O most blessed Isaac, and through stillness and the mortification of the passions didst bring forth the first-fruits of the life to come. And now thou dost cry aloud with the angels in the highest: Ye, children, bless! Ye priests, hymn! Ye people, supremely exalt Christ forever!

Venerable Father, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Offering up most earnest prayers and supplications, thou didst unite thyself unto God through purity of mind, and wast shown to be blessed and full of divine grace while yet amid the threefold waves of the flesh. And now in the highest, freed from material things, thou dost manifestly enjoy things ineffable.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Having been sacredly arrayed in the vesture of a bishop, O God-bearer, by thy venerable labours and virtuous struggles thou hast rendered it yet more splendid. And now, O Isaac, with the holy hierarchs and the choirs of the venerable thou dost offer up the mystical sacrifice of immaterial praise unto the Lord.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Preserving the seal of thy virginity intact after birthgiving, thou gavest suck to the Lord to Whom thou hadst given birth, bearing him as a babe, O Virgin Sovereign Lady, Mary Theotokos. Him do thou beseech, that He grant the cleansing of offences unto those who hymn thine ineffable glory.

Ode 9, 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.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Wounded by the love of the Almighty O venerable one, thou didst reach the end of thy life, lamenting and crying out with fear: “Assuage my passing with the waves of thy grace, O Saviour, richly preserving me therewith in the life to come!”

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Thy sweet discourse was replete with compunction and full of enlightenment for those who have recourse to thee, O right wondrous God-bearer Ephraim; and thy life was blameless, adorned and illumined with all manner of divinely radiant virtues.

Venerable Father, Ephraim, pray to God for us.

Thou wast a temple of the Spirit, a river full of life-giving waters, the unshakable foundation of the Church, the confirmation of monastics, and an ever-flowing stream of divine compunction, O right wondrous Ephraim.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The mind of man cannot understand the mystery of thy birthgiving which passeth understanding, O Virgin; for, making His abode within thy womb, God did not violate the seal of thy virginity, as He, Who is unapproachable alone knoweth.

Another 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, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Let Isaac, great among the venerable ascetics, the scion of Syria, the God-bearing initiate of the life which is in Christ, the most excellent recorder of the mysteries and the enlightener of monastics, be worthily hymned as one who entreateth God, for he prayeth that great mercy be granted unto us.

Venerable Father, Isaac, pray to God for us.

Thou didst engage in the pious struggle of holy ascesis, O venerable one, and thereby didst piously learn the mysteries of all the wisdom of asceticism, that wisely teaching us to avoid the sophistries of the enemy, we may live virtuously, O Godbearer.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thou hast passed over to the true glory, whose revelation thou didst acquire beforehand; and face to face thou dost gaze upon the effulgence of Christ which is beyond comprehension, O Isaac, adornment of the venerable. Cease not to pray for us who praise thee with love.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O unwedded Virgin Mother who ineffably gavest birth to God in the flesh, deliver me from diseases of the flesh, redeem my greatly sinful soul from grievous insensitivity, and illumine my mind with the light of repentance, that I may hymn thee, O greatly hymned one.

Troparion of St Ephraim, in 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 labours fruitful an hundredfold, * and didst become a beacon for the whole world, resplendent with miracles. ** O Ephraim our father, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

Troparion of St Isaac, in Tone V: Illumined by rays of the virtues, * O God-bearer Isaac, * in spirit thou wast shown to be a most radiant beacon * of the life which is in Christ; * and by thy divinely inspired teachings, O father, * thou dost guide safely to the way of salvation * those who bless thee ** as a godly servant of Christ.

St Spyridon of Tremithus: a Great Shepherd of Souls

Posted on December 24, 2024December 25, 2024 by Father Mark

12/25 December: Saint Spyridon of Tremithus

Saint Spyridon of Tremithus was born towards the end of the third century on the island of Cyprus. He was a shepherd, and had a wife and children. He used all his substance for the needs of his neighbours and the homeless, for which the Lord rewarded him with a gift of wonderworking. He healed those who were incurably sick, and cast out demons.

After the death of his wife, during the reign of Constantine the Great (306-337), he was made Bishop of Tremithus, Cyprus. As a bishop, the saint did not alter his manner of life, but combined pastoral service with deeds of charity.

According to the witness of Church historians, Saint Spyridon participated in the sessions of the First Ecumenical Council in the year 325. At the Council, the saint entered into a dispute with a Greek philosopher who was defending the Arian heresy. The power of Saint Spyridon’s plain, direct speech showed everyone the importance of God’s wisdom before human wisdom: “Listen, philosopher, to what I tell you. There is one God Who created man from dust. He has ordered all things, both visible and invisible, by His Word and His Spirit. The Word is the Son of God, Who came down upon the earth on account of our sins. He was born of a Virgin, He lived among men, and suffered and died for our salvation, and then He arose from the dead, and He has resurrected the human race with Him. We believe that He is one in essence (consubstantial) with the Father, and equal to Him in authority and honor. We believe this without any sly rationalisations, for it is impossible to grasp this mystery by human reason.”

As a result of their discussion, the opponent of Christianity became the saint’s zealous defender and later received holy Baptism. After his conversation with Saint Spyridon, the philosopher turned to his companions and said, “Listen! Until now my rivals have presented their arguments, and I was able to refute their proofs with other proofs. But instead of proofs from reason, the words of this Elder are filled with some sort of special power, and no one can refute them, since it is impossible for man to oppose God. If any of you thinks as I do now, let him believe in Christ and join me in following this man, for God Himself speaks through his lips.”

At this Council, Saint Spyridon displayed the unity of the Holy Trinity in a remarkable way. He took a brick in his hand and squeezed it. At that instant fire shot up from it, water dripped on the ground, and only dust remained in the hands of the wonderworker. “There was only one brick,” Saint Spyridon said, “but it was composed of three elements. In the Holy Trinity there are three Persons, but only one God.”

The saint cared for his flock with great love. Through his prayers, drought was replaced by abundant rains, and incessant rains were replaced by fair weather. Through his prayers the sick were healed and demons cast out.

A woman once came up to him with a dead child in her arms, imploring the intercession of the saint. He prayed, and the infant was restored to life. The mother, overcome with joy, collapsed lifeless. Through the prayers of the saint of God, the mother was restored to life.

Another time, hastening to save his friend, who had been falsely accused and sentenced to death, the saint was hindered on his way by the unanticipated flooding of a stream. The saint commanded the water: “Halt! For the Lord of all the world commands that you permit me to cross so that a man may be saved.” The will of the saint was fulfilled, and he crossed over happily to the other shore. The judge, apprised of the miracle that had occurred, received Saint Spyridon with esteem and set his friend free.

Similar instances are known from the life of the saint. Once, he went into an empty church, and ordered that the lampadas and candles be lit, and then he began the service. When he said, “Peace be unto all,” both he and the deacon heard from above the resounding of a great multitude of voices saying, “And with thy spirit.” This choir was majestic and more sweetly melodious than any human choir. To each petition of the litanies, the invisible choir sang, “Lord, have mercy.” Attracted by the church singing, the people who lived nearby hastened towards it. As they got closer and closer to the church, the wondrous singing filled their ears and gladdened their hearts. But when they entered into the church, they saw no one but the bishop and several church servers, and they no longer heard the singing which had greatly astonished them.

Saint Simeon Metaphrastes (November 9), the author of his Life, likened Saint Spyridon to the Patriarch Abraham in his hospitality. Sozomen, in his Church History, offers an amazing example from the life of the saint of how he received strangers. One time, at the start of the Forty-day Fast, a stranger knocked at his door. Seeing that the traveller was very exhausted, Saint Spyridon said to his daughter, “Wash the feet of this man, so he may recline to dine.” But since it was Lent there were none of the necessary provisions, for the saint “partook of food only on certain days, and on other days he went without food.” His daughter replied that there was no bread or flour in the house. Then Saint Spyridon, apologising to his guest, ordered his daughter to cook a salted ham from their larder. After seating the stranger at table, he began to eat, urging that man to do the same. When the latter refused, calling himself a Christian, the saint rejoined, “It is not proper to refuse this, for the Word of God proclaims, ‘Unto the pure all things are pure’” (Titus 1:15).

Another historical detail reported by Sozomen, was characteristic of the saint. It was his custom to distribute one part of the gathered harvest to the destitute, and another portion to those having need while in debt. He did not take a portion for himself, but simply showed them the entrance to his storeroom, where each could take as much as was needed, and could later pay it back in the same way, without records or accountings.

There is also the tale by Socrates Scholasticus about how robbers planned to steal the sheep of Saint Spyridon. They broke into the sheepfold at night, but here they found themselves all tied up by some invisible power. When morning came the saint went to his flock, and seeing the tied-up robbers, he prayed and released them. For a long while he advised them to leave their path of iniquity and earn their livelihood by respectable work. Then he made them a gift of a sheep and sending them off, the saint said kindly, “Take this for your trouble, so that you did not spend a sleepless night in vain.”

All the Lives of the saint speak of the amazing simplicity and the gift of wonderworking granted him by God. Through a word of the saint the dead were awakened, the elements of nature tamed, the idols smashed. At one point, a Council had been convened at Alexandria by the Patriarch to discuss what to do about the idols and pagan temples there. Through the prayers of the Fathers of the Council all the idols fell down except one, which was very much revered. It was revealed to the Patriarch in a vision that this idol had to be shattered by Saint Spyridon of Tremithus. Invited by the Council, the saint set sail on a ship, and at the moment the ship touched shore and the saint stepped out on land, the idol in Alexandria with all its offerings turned to dust, which then was reported to the Patriarch and all the bishops.

Saint Spyridon lived his earthly life in righteousness and sanctity, and prayerfully surrendered his soul to the Lord. His relics repose on the island of Corfu (Kerkyra), in a church named after him (His right hand, however, is located in Rome).

Canon to the saint, the composition of Theophanes, in Tone II.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

Having attained unto the land of the meek, being thyself meek, merciful and pure, O father, calm thou the present tempest of my heart, that, in divine tranquillity, I may hymn thee.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

Having cleared thy soul of the overgrowth of the passions through godly cultivation, O father Spyridon, thou didst become god-like and wast enriched by the most radiant splendour of the divine Spirit. Wherefore, thou dost illumine those who sincerely bless thee.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Taking thee from a flock as He had David, the Creator appointed thee as a most eminent shepherd of the rational sheep, shining forth in simplicity and meekness, and adorned with guilelessness, O venerable pastor.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O most holy and pure Virgin, enlighten and hallow my thoughts and soul, I pray thee, dispelling the clouds of mine ignorance, and removing the darkness of sin, that I may bless thee as is meet.

Ode III, Irmos: Thou hast established me on the rock of faith, * and my mouth hath been emboldened against mine enemies. * For my spirit rejoiceth when I sing: * There is none as holy as our God * and none more righteous than Thee, O Lord.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

Having illumined thy mind with dispassion and adorned thyself with divine humility, thou didst receive the gifts of the Spirit to cast out evil spirits and to loose the infirmities of those who faithfully honour thee, O most sacred one.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

Having slain the serpent, the author of evil, and trampled down the inclination towards avarice, O holy hierarch, taking pity on him who was in need, thou didst transform a serpent into a golden ornament by thy sacred prayers, O venerable father.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thou didst ascend the mountain of dispassion; thou didst enter the darkness of the vision of God, and didst receive the law of salvation on the tablets of thy heart, in that thou art the most sacred and faithful favoured one of thy Master.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Heal thou the wounds of my soul, O Bride of God, and illumine my mind which hath been darkened by neglect, that I may chant: There is none blameless save thee, O immaculate one, and none pure, but thee, O Lady!

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Sessional Hymn, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “Of the Wisdom …”: Thou didst shine forth as a divinely appointed pastor, O Spyridon, raised from the tending of sheep by God, Who entrusted thee to preside over the Church of Christ. Thou didst drive away the wolves of false teaching by thy words, grazing thy flock on the pasture of piety. Wherefore, thou didst affirm the Faith by the wisdom of the Spirit in the midst of the God-bearing fathers, O blessed hierarch. Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who celebrate thy holy memory with love.

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!

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

Set afire by the burning coal of the honoured Spirit, thou didst burn up all the readily kindled fuel of the passions, O all-blessed one, enlightening the world with the fiery rays of thy virtues.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

Having slain the movements of thy flesh, O divinely inspired one, thou didst raise up the dead by thy life-imparting call. Wherefore, I beseech thee: Enliven my slain soul, O father!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O father, the dead woman, obeying thee, spake, and by thy commands the raging of the river was restrained. For thou wast revealed as a worker of wonders endowed with divine grace, O blessed one.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The prophets foretold the incomprehensible abyss of thy mystery, for thou alone, O pure one, didst give birth unto the Unknowable One, Who, in His unutterable tender compassion, became incarnate.

ODE V, Irmos: O Christ my Saviour, the enlightenment of those lying in the darkness of sin. * I rise early to hymn Thee O King of Peace, * enlighten me with Thy radiance, * for I know no other God than Thee.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

The river of the gifts which are within thee doth water every heart, O venerable one, and richly granteth health unto all, moving all to glorify God, Who hath glorified thee and honoured thee with all manner of wonders.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

The earthly emperor clearly recognised thee as a true servant of the heavenly King, full of divine gifts, O blessed one, when thou didst come to him, proclaiming the great Physician, Who is God.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Emulating the hospitable character of Abraham, thou didst open the doors of thy house unto all, and wast all things to all people, mindful of those who were in evil straits, O blessed Spyridon.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

For us hast thou given birth unto a new-born Babe, Who before the ages was begotten of the unoriginate Father, O Maiden. Him do thou entreat as thy Son and God, that He spare those who, with a pure soul, proclaim thee to be the Theotokos.

Ode VI, Irmos: Whirled about in the abyss of sin, * I appeal to the unfathomable abyss of Thy compassion: * Raise me up from corruption, O God.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

Gold was as mire to thee who shone forth in dispassion more brightly than gold, and wast enriched by thy most golden gifts of the Spirit, O venerable one.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

Serving thy Master in purity, O venerable one, thou didst have a multitude of the angelic hosts serving thee with unseen voices, O most sacred one.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O most glorious and all-wise father, thy life hath made thee most glorious to the world. Wherefore, rejoicing, we that hymn thee celebrate thy divine memory.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

More spacious than the heavens was thy womb, which contained God Whom no place can contain, O all-holy virgin Bride of God, who knewest not a man.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Kontakion, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “Seeking the Highest …”: O most sacred one, wounded with love for Christ, * and giving wings to thy mind through the radiance of the Spirit, * thou didst find thy work fulfilled in the activity of divine vision. * O thou who art pleasing to God, thou divine oblation, ** beseech Him that divine illumination be granted unto all.

Ikos: Let us now praise Spyridon, the hierarch of the Lord, sanctified from his mother’s womb, who received the tablets of the grace of divine glory, as one most glorious in miracles from all of creation, as a fervent witness of the divine radiance, intercessor for the poor, and spiritual guide for the sinful; for he hath become a divine oblation for the throne of Christ, asking divine illumination for all.

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.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

Having acquired the guilelessness of Moses, the meekness of David and the blamelessness of Job of Uz, thou didst become a dwelling-place of the Spirit, chanting most sacredly: Blessed and supremely glorious art Thou!

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

The showers of heaven rained down upon thy head during the harvest and prefigured the future; for, as thou didst say, God glorified thy divine memory, sanctifying the faithful by thy mediation.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

In the council of the fathers God glorified thee, who guarded thy words in judgment, O blessed one. Thou didst bring them forth with faith, openly disclosing the follies of the most irrational Arius and destroying his opposition.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Through the ineffable Word, O Virgin, thou didst put forth the Cluster of grapes as the Branch which alone was uncultivated and which poureth forth the wine gladdening all mankind, sanctifying mortals and dispelling all the drunkenness of the wicked.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

Thou didst extinguish the furnace of the passions with divine outpourings of the divine Spirit, O father, pouring forth a dew which taketh away the fever of the ailing who ever have recourse unto thee in faith, O blessed Spyridon, thou who art most noetically rich.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

Guileless, upright, meek, merciful, not mindful of the wrongs done thee, loving and hospitable wast thou, O most sacred hierarch, adorned with the wisdom of Orthodoxy, O venerable one. Wherefore, we honour thee with faith.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Of old the dead woman when questioned by thee O father, replied as though alive. Oh what a most marvellous wonder! Oh, what a most glorious mystery! Oh, the grace which thou hast received, having adorned thyself with an angelic life, O right wondrous one!

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Heal thou the passions of my heart with thy mercy, O all-hymned one; calm thou my mind, enlighten my soul, and guide me to walk the paths of salvation, that I may ever hymn thee, O all-hymned one.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

Exalted among the God-bearing fathers, thou didst openly proclaim the Son of the unoriginate Father to be of one essence and equally everlasting with the Father, and didst stop the mouths of the iniquitous, O all-blessed and holy hierarch.

Hierarch of Christ, Spyridon, pray to God for us.

O all-radiant sun, adornment of the fathers, glory of priests, converser with angels: By thy prayers grant the unwaning Light unto those who now joyously celebrate thy light-bearing memory.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

With a voice of rejoicing have the divine mansions, the heavenly city and the beauteous choir of those who hold festival received thy soul, which hath been hallowed and adorned with the virtues, O all-blessed one.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The great mystery of thy birthgiving, which passeth understanding doth astound the angels, O divinely joyous one, delighting the assembly of the venerable and making glad the sacred fathers who hymn thee, the hope of our souls, in a godly manner.

Troparion of the Hierarch, Tone IV: The truth of things revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, * icon of meekness, and teacher of temperance; * wherefore, thou hast attained the heights through humility and riches through poverty; * O hierarch Spyridon our father, ** entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

Another troparion, Tone I: Thou wast shown forth as a champion of the first Council * and a wonderworker, O Spyridon, our God-bearing father. *Wherefore, thou didst speak to one dead in the grave, * and didst change a serpent into gold. * And, whilst chanting thy holy prayers, thou didst have angels serving with thee, O most sacred one. * Glory to Him that hath given thee strength! * Glory to Him that hath crowned thee! **Glory to Him that worketh healings for all through thee!

The Canon to the Theotokos, in Honour of Her Kursk-Root Icon

Posted on December 10, 2024December 10, 2024 by Father Mark

The Canon to the Theotokos, in Tone IV; the acrostic whereof is: “I dare to offer thee praise, O Theotokos”

Ode I, Irmos: I shall open my mouth, * and be filled with the Spirit, * and utter discourse to the Queen and Mother; * and be seen radiantly keeping festival, * joyfully praising her wonders.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Disdain not my lowliness, O Theotokos, and compensate for my weakness; sanctify my heart and mind, and open thou my lips, that I may make bold to offer thee a hymn.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

With heartfelt faith we honour thy most pure image, and bowing down before it with compunction, as though beholding thee, the Theotokos, in very truth, and shedding drops of tears, we cry aloud: Rejoice, O Mary, full of grace, blessed Mother of God!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Emulating the angelic hosts, let us surround thine image with fear and love, magnifying thee, the prototype, together, and calling upon thy most sweet name: Rejoice, O all-immaculate Bride of God!

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Come, O ye faithful, and let us kiss the holy icon of the Mother of God with love, for she doth pour forth healings therefrom abundantly, and doth work innumerable miracles for those who have recourse to it with faith and love. Wherefore we cry out to the ever-Virgin: Rejoice!

Ode III, Irmos: O Theotokos, thou living and plentiful fount, * establish in spiritual fellowship those who sing hymns to thee, * and in thy divine glory * grant them crowns of glory.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The eyes of our mind rushing headlong into the abyss of the ages, we see there thine icon, O most pure one, shining more brightly than the sun with rays of mercy, illumining thy home, the Russian land, O Theotokos. Wherefore, we cry unto thee: Rejoice, O our protection and defence!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

In its bosom the dark oak of Kursk kept the radiant wonder, the most pure icon of the Mother of God, which had been cut in twain by the impious and grew back together through the power of God. Wherefore, recovering it like a great treasure, the Russian people cried out: Rejoice, O our protection and defence!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Whence is this, that the most blessed Mother of God cometh unto us? A spring of living water sprang forth at the place where the image of the Theotokos abode, refreshing the faithful with streams of healing and curing every wound and infirmity. Wherefore, we cry aloud to her who is full of grace: Rejoice, thou true life-bearing fount!

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

At the root of a tree was discovered the icon of her who ineffably gave rise to the Tree of life and budded forth for the world the blessed Fruit. Wherefore, now celebrating the feast of its appearance, we cry out to the most pure one: O most blessed Lady, sever our evil passions at the root, implanting in us good habits, setting out a garden of virtues in us, granting us to be partakers of the life of paradise!

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Sessional Hymn, Tone VII: What feast is more radiant or more beautiful than those of the most pure Mother of God? And what name, apart from the name of sweetest Jesus, is more sweet than the name of Mary? For lo! surpassing all the choirs of angels in purity and glory, resplendent as the Mother of the Almighty, she embraceth the whole world, saving sinners and leading the righteous to the heavenly mansions, she casteth down enemies and most gloriously crusheth the head of the serpent. Wherefore, we cry out to her: Every creature doth rejoice in thee, O thou who art full of grace! Glory be to thee!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Repeat the Sessional Hymn

Ode IV, Irmos: He who sitteth in glory upon the throne of the Godhead, * Jesus the true God, * is come in a swift cloud * and with His sinless hands he hath saved those who cry: * Glory to Thy power, O Christ.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Today the Church of Russia doth celebrate, adorned in a godly manner with the glory of the newly-revealed icon of the Theotokos; and chanting divinely beauteous hymns, it calleth to all the faithful, saying: Come, let us rejoice in the Mother of our God, and let us bow down before her precious image, through which the most pure Virgin doth richly bestow gifts of grace upon the Christian people who cry aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

O chosen one of the Mother of God, venerable Father Seraphim, ever-vigilant intercessor for the Russian land, thou seest our fervent eagerness, thou hearest the entreaties we offer up before the most pure icon, through which, as a grievously suffering child, thou wast granted healing. Wherefore, stand thou with us, lifting up thy venerable hands, and cry out on our behalf to the Theotokos, that for thy sake she may be well pleased to accept our prayers.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

By thy divine power thou didst confound the mad scheme of the impious atheists to destroy thine icon, O Lady, and didst preserve it unharmed by any destructive action; and while the earth quaked and pillars were cast down, thine icon but turned, averting its face from the vile deeds of men. Wherefore, marvelling at this most glorious wonder, we earnestly entreat thee: Turn not thy most pure face away from us, for lo! with contrite hearts we flee to thee and weep, and cry out in compunction: Let not our wickedness prevail over thy tender compassion, but have mercy and save us!

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Thou didst preserve thy precious icon unharmed by the hands of the evildoers and cruel atheists who trampled down the holy things of God, and upon thy people didst thou bestow it, which we keep as the apple of our eye. Wherefore, O Lady, do thou ever reveal the sign of thy mercy unto us therein.

Ode V, Irmos: All creation stands in awe of thy divine glory; * for thou, O Virgin who hast not known wedlock, * didst contain within thy womb the God of all, * and gave birth to the timeless Son, * bestowing peace, upon all who hymn thee.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Let us radiantly celebrate this light-bearing day, whereon a spiritual ray hath shone forth unto the salvation of the world in the nativity of the most pure Bride of God, whereon also the icon of the Theotokos, like the morning star, announcing the day of deliverance, hath appeared to the land of Russia which languished in the darkness of misfortunes and sorrows. Wherefore, we cry to the most blessed one: Rejoice, for thou hast lighted a beacon of hope for us which cannot be extinguished!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Where sin increaseth, there doth the grace of God exceedingly abound. Wherefore, O Lady, look down upon our weakness, see our boundless abasement, but behold also our faith, and hearken to our cry; and hasten thou to assist us who are helpless, illumining us with thy mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Let us not fear the dark powers of Hades, but having put on the armour of light, let us manfully stand against them, having the all-hymned Theotokos as commander. For lo! she doth mightily war against the enemy, helping the faithful who call upon her most pure name.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

We confess thee in truth to be the Theotokos, and we honour the form of thy most pure countenance in an Orthodox manner. We turn away from every sin and vile act; we pray to be granted to do good, and, humbling our souls, we cry: Most holy Theotokos, save us!

Ode VI, Irmos: Celebrating the divine and solemn feast * of the Mother of God * O ye divinely wise, * let us come, clapping our hands, * and glorify God who was born of her.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Let despondency depart from us, O brethren, and let the showers of adverse thoughts be dispelled by the Spirit of God; for lo! the Mother of God herself doth openly dwell amongst us, worshipped in her wonderworking icon, and shining brighter than the sun in the miracles that proceed therefrom. Wherefore, we cry out from the depths of our hearts: O most holy Lady, ever abide with us in thy grace!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

When temptation doth assail us, when we fall into sorrow and pain, when patience doth fail within us and our spirit is troubled, let us make haste to the image of the most holy Virgin and, pouring forth tears, cry out to her from our hearts: Stretch forth thy hands which held God unto us, and lead us up from the abyss of evil!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O thou who didst bear the everlasting Joy of the world, thou art the joy of joys who hast driven away the grief of sin and dost grant our troubled souls divine relief. Cease not thy supplications for the Christian world, for, after God, it is through thee that each is saved and led forth from the depths of offences.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Lo! the hordes of evil demons that besiege Christians stand far off, watching, not daring to approach, fearing the glory of the icon of the Theotokos, which burneth the vile demons, but doth mightily aid the faithful, protecting them from all enemies.

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 VI: Come, ye faithful, let us radiantly celebrate * the wondrous appearance of the most precious image of the Mother of God, * and drawing grace therefrom, * let us cry out with compunction: * Rejoice, O Theotokos, ** blessed Mary, Mother of God!

Ikos: Through thee, O Theotokos, the pre-eternal Word was made flesh; through thee men have beheld the Sun of righteousness, upon Whom the angels dare not gaze: for in thine arms was borne Him Whom the cherubim bear aloft, and by thy most pure hands was held the Almighty Creator of all. O daughter of mortal Adam, thou wast called the one who gaveth birth to God. Wherefore, as one who alone hath maternal boldness before Him, pause not in thy prayers for the whole world, lifting up thy God-pleasing hands to thy Son, and inclining His love for mankind towards thy servants who cry out to thee with thankful mouths: Rejoice, O Theotokos, blessed Mary, Mother of God!

Ode VII, Irmos: Refusing to worship created things * in place of the Creator, * the divinely wise youths bravely trampled down the threatening fire * and rejoicing they sang aloud: * O supremely hymned Lord and God of our Fathers, Blessed art Thou.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The angels in thy service revere thee, the seraphim glorify thee in fear, O Theotokos; and how can we who dwell on earth dare to hymn thee with our impure lips? Yet we hope in thy mercy, and through thee unceasingly cry out to the Master and Creator of all: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

O Christ, accept Thy most pure Mother whom Thou hast given us as a help and who now doth fervently pray for us, that having attained unto life everlasting through her intercessions, we may cry aloud with all who have obtained salvation: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O Lord, Who callest Thy Mother blessed, be Thou entreated by her intercessions, and may the light of Thy countenance be signed upon us, that, rising from the sleep of sin, we may piously begin to walk towards the day, unceasingly crying out in our hearts: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Emulating the children in Babylon, let us not bow down before the golden image of man-pleasing and Mammon, but let us venerate the image of the immaculate Mother of our God and, filled with heavenly joy, let us cry out to Christ, the Benefactor of all: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

Ode VIII, Irmos: The Offspring of the Theotokos * saved the holy children in the furnace. * He who was then prefigured hath now been born on earth, * and He gathereth all creation to hymn thee: * all ye works praise ye the Lord * and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

With unceasing voices the seraphim hymn thee, O ever-Virgin; the choirs of the saints know not their fill of thy praises; all creation doth glorify thee without ceasing. And shall we alone remain silent? Yet, daring to hope on thy mercy, though unworthy, we glorify thee throughout all ages.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

All creatures shall in no wise cease to rejoice in thee, O Theotokos; for lo! as the Apostle hath said, tongues may cease and knowledge vanish away, but love never faileth. Wherefore, throughout all ages they shall chant praises offered to thee in love.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Tell us, O most pure one, what fitting praise can our infirmity offer thee? With what eyes dare we gaze upon thy precious image? Yet, as thou art good, disdain not now our hymns, and in the land of our earthly sojourn reveal to us the form of thy most radiant countenance, that we may glorify thee throughout all ages.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Surrounding thine ever-adored image in fear and love, O Sovereign Lady, laying aside all earthly cares and raising our spiritual eyes to the heavens, we taste the sweetness of paradise aforetime, which do thou grant us to enjoy that, obtaining everlasting life and salvation, we may joyfully hymn thee throughout all ages.

Ode IX, Irmos: Let every mortal born on earth, * radiant with light, in spirit leap for joy; * and let the host of the angelic powers * celebrate and honour the holy feast of the Mother of God, * and let them cry aloud: * Rejoice! O all-blessed Theotokos, * thou pure Ever-Virgin.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

O all-hymned Virgin, accept our hymns as thy Son did the widow’s mite, and grant us ever to offer them to thee, guiding our life in the world and granting remission of sins, that entering the heavenly mansions through thee, we may magnify thy loving- kindness.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Let those who do not confess thee to be the Theotokos and who do not honour thine icons be everlastingly put to shame; but let the faithful rejoice in thee. Let the Russian land be thine abode as of old; let holy monasteries abound and churches be beautifully adorned; and let the people be sanctified, that they may celebrate with gladness, magnifying thee.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O Theotokos, our Queen, standing at the right hand of Christ God in the Kingdom of heaven, establish thou a Christian kingdom on earth, setting at naught the counsels of the impious and strengthening faith and piety, that all who dwell on earth may magnify thee with one mind.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Have we offered thee a worthy hymn, O Lady? Have we glorified thy precious icon as is due? For we know that even hymns a thousand-fold do not suffice for thy glorification, O Virgin. For if we hearken to the fervour of our hearts, our hymns should only be beginning. What, therefore, shall we do? We are at a loss and are in doubt. We glorify the sign of thy mercy, yet with never silent lips and heartfelt love we ever hymn and magnify thee.

Troparion, Tone IV: Having acquired thee as an unassailable rampart * and a fount of miracles, * we, thy servants, set at naught armies of adversaries, * O most pure Theotokos. * Wherefore, do we entreat thee: * Grant peace to our native land ** and great mercy to our souls!

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