A Canon of Supplication to the Most Holy Theotokos
Ode I, Irmos: He who of old gathered the waters * into one by His divine decree, * divided the sea for the people of Israel. * For He is our God and supremely glorious, * to Him alone let us sing, for He hath been glorified.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О Theotokos, grant me contrition and spiritual tears, that I may weep for my many transgressions and my failure to correct my conscience. О Maiden, I entreat thy loving-kindness.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Stumbling over my thoughts, I fall headlong into the abyss of destruction. О Virgin, I now entreat thy help: set thou unshakeably the weakness of my mind upon the firm rock of the commandments of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I bear the barrenness of the fig tree, and fear felling and disputation, lest my Creator and God send me into the fire. О Lady, anticipating my needs, render me fruitful in works of repentance, that I may glorify thee.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
I beseech thee, О most pure one who art full of grace, in that thou art the immaculate temple of the King, with chastity and a pure life cleanse thou my heart, which hath been defiled by unseemly passions, and enrich it with grace.
Ode III, Irmos: O Most High, Ruler of all, * who out of nothing hath established all things, * fashioned by Thy Word, * perfected by the Spirit, * confirm me in Thy love.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Many are they who war against me and afflict me, and I can find no ease of deliverance from those who beset me; yet disdain not my prayer, О pure one.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Weighed down by a multitude of evils and my manifold transgressions, I am unable to lift up mine eyes to the heights of heaven; yet do thou grant me remission, О most pure one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
All my days the evil serpent strives to destroy my lowly soul; yet do thou break his soul-destroying fangs, О Theotokos.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О Theotokos, deliver me from all the misfortunes which beset me, thy servant, and from tempests of sin, and by thy supplications direct me to the haven of salvation.
Ode IV, Irmos: Thou hast shown us steadfast love, O Lord, * for Thou gavest Thine only-begotten Son over to death for our sake. * Wherefore with thanksgiving we cry unto Thee, * ‘Glory to Thy power, O Lord!’
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
I tremble, considering the depths of my sins and the grievous and great billows of mine adverse thoughts; yet do thou direct and pilot me to the calm haven, О most pure one.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Grievous ignorance, incomprehension and the heedlessness of mine evils have now come upon my soul; yet do thou, О most pure one, lead me to repentance for those things which I have done.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
With streams of tears extinguish the fire of the passions and with the fire of the Spirit bum up the thorns and billows of life which choke my mind, О Theotokos, for thou art my protection and boast.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
I am wholly engulfed by the tumult and threefold billows of perils and evil thoughts, and ever dragged down into the abyss of despair, I cry to thee: О Lady, save me, thy servant!
Ode V, Irmos: The Invisible One hath appeared on earth, * and the Unapproachable One hath willingly dwelt among mankind; * and, rising early at dawn, we hymn Thee, * O Lover of mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thou knowest the pain of my soul, the weakness of my flesh and the corruption and inconstancy of my mind, О Lady. Wherefore, grant me thy mercy and grace, that, saved by thy protection, I may glorify thee.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Deny me not thy loving-kindness and compassion, О all-immaculate Lady; but grant thy mercies, and the release and forgiveness of mine evil deeds to me who approach thee in compunction, that I may hymn thy mighty acts with thanksgiving.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Those who hate me in vain and oppress me have now increased in number more than the hairs of my head, О pure Virgin, seeking to destroy me and make of me food for them to devour; wherefore, turn them back, filling them with shame.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О pure Virgin who hast given peace to the world and salvation unto all, having given birth to divine Peace, with the peace and love of Christ the Saviour quell thou the battle of the passions against my soul and body.
Ode VI, Irmos: The uttermost depths of sin have surrounded me, * and my spirit perisheth. * but do Thou, O Master, stretch forth Thy lofty arm * and like Peter O Helmsman, * do Thou save me.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
There is no one on earth who lives as wickedly as I do in deed, word and action. Wherefore, О Lady, I beg thee to grant me the mercies of thy love for mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Actions of evil transgression beget grief for all; wherefore, we are now beset by bitter perils. Help us, О thou who alone art the salvation of Christians!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou hast given birth, yet hast remained pure after birth-giving, О Virgin Theotokos; wherefore, do thou ever entreat thine Offspring, that we, thy servants, may be delivered from all the harm of the enemy.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Through the supplications of Thy most pure Mother, of all the prophets, martyrs and sacred disciples, О Word of God, grant us peace and the cleansing of transgressions.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional Hymn, Tone III: I have passed my whole life in great slothfulness, О most pure one, and have now drawn nigh unto my departure from this time; and I am afraid of mine enemies, lest they destroy my soul, О all-immaculate one, and cast me into the abyss of destruction. Yet take pity on thy servant, О Virgin, and deliver me from their affliction.
Ode VII, Irmos: As of old Thou didst bedew * the three pious children in the Chaldean flames, * so also with the radiant fire of Thy divinity * illumine us who cry to Thee, * ‘Blessed art Thou, the God of our fathers!’
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Defiled in body and soul, and sullied by mine unclean acts, I beseech thee, the pure and immaculate Mother of God, О Lady, trusting in thy mercy: Have pity on me, О most pure one!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The multitude of my transgressions and temptation of evils fill me greatly with perplexity and drag me down into the abyss of despondency; but do thou, О most pure Lady, save me who am perishing and cruelly drowning.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
In the magnitude of the compassions of thy goodness, О Good One, overlook the multitude of our sins, and be thou well disposed toward those who cry out unceasingly: Blessed art Thou, О Lord God of our fathers!
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О pure and blessed one, from the mire of the passions and the depths of sorrows and the perils of life do thou draw toward dispassion and gladsome joy us who cry: Thou alone art full of the grace of God!
Ode VIII, Irmos: The flame of material fire withered * through the immaterial flame brought about by the god-seeing children, * wherefore they chanted: * Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The bitterness of pleasures, overcoming all the senses of my body, doth foully sully my soul, drawing me toward death. О Sovereign Lady of the world, be thou my salvation!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
To thee have I entrusted soul, heart and body, for I have no other help than thee, О Lady, through whom I obtain mercy; wherefore, grant me thy rich mercy and grace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Poisoning me with his venom, the serpent hath grievously slain my wretched soul with bodily death; yet bring it to life again, using thy supplications as remedies to counter the adversary.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О thou who hast given birth to God the Saviour, the Prince of peace, beseech Him, that He quickly bestow peace upon the world, that we may glorify Him in peace.
Ode IX, Irmos: We magnify thee, the unburnt bush, * the holy Virgin, * and the Mother of the Light, * the Theotokos, the hope of us all.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Wash away the defilement of passionate thought from my mind, О pure one, clothing me in the splendid robe of dispassion.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Open unto me the divine portals of repentance, О Virgin, terminating and hindering my passions and pleasures.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Hearken unto the voice of my groaning, the voice of my lamentation, and grant cleansing and salvation to my wretched soul, О all-immaculate Virgin.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Verily and in truth Daniel the Prophet beheld thine Offspring, О Virgin, and he called Him Who sitteth on the throne the Ancient of days.
Ode I, Irmos: Through the deep of the Red Sea, * marched dry shod Israel of old, * and by Moses’ outstretched hands, * raised in the form of a cross, * the power of Amalek was routed in the wilderness.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
The great benefactions and gifts, the graces and divine illuminations of Thine incomprehensible and divine Incarnation, do Thou abundantly pour forth and shine upon us, O Master.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
At Mid-feast Thou hast come, O Christ, manifestly sending forth the radiant flashes of Thy Godhead; for Thou art the joyous Festival of the saved and the Cause of our salvation.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou art become wisdom, righteousness from God, and redemption for us, O Lord. Thou dost convey us from earth to the height of Heaven, and dost grant us the Divine Spirit.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thy flesh knew not corruption in the sepulchre, O Master. Rather, inasmuch as it was formed without seed, it received not corruption, for in a transcendent manner it was not subject to the order of nature.
Second canon, in tone VIII – a composition of Andrew of Crete
Irmos: Thou didst make the sea a wall…
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Clap your hands, O ye nations; lament, O ye Hebrews. For Christ, the Giver of Life, hath broken asunder the bonds of Hades, and hath raised up the dead and healed sicknesses by a word. This is our God, Who granteth life unto them that believe in His Name.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou didst show a wonder by changing the water into wine, O Master, Who didst change the rivers of Egypt into blood. Thou didst also raise up the dead, accomplishing this sign in these latter times. Glory be to Thine ineffable counsel, O Saviour; glory be to Thy self-abasement, whereby Thou hast renewed us.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou art an ever-flowing stream of true life, O Lord; Thou art our Resurrection. Willingly didst Thou become weary, O my Saviour, and willingly didst Thou thirst, submitting to the laws of nature. And when Thou didst come to Sychar in the flesh, Thou didst ask the Samaritan woman for water, that Thou mightest drink.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou didst bless the loaves and multiply the fish, O incomprehensible God; Thou didst fill the people bounteously and didst promise an ever-flowing spring of wisdom to them that thirst. Thou art our God, O Saviour, Who givest life unto them that believe in Thy Name.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I glorify the Three Who are co-Unoriginate and of equal sovereignty: the Father, Who is Unoriginate God; the Son, Who is co- Unoriginate; and the Spirit, Who is co-eternal with the Son; one essence in three Hypostases. I praise and honour one supreme sovereign Principle of the Unoriginate Godhead and Essence.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou alone didst contain within thy womb the Creator, O Theotokos, ineffably conceiving Him in the flesh yet remaining a Virgin, while thy virginity in no wise suffered harm. Do thou ever entreat Him unceasingly on behalf of thy flock, since He is thy Son and God.
Katavasia: Thou didst make the sea a wall; * Thou didst overwhelm boastful Pharaoh in the deep * together with his chariots. * Thou didst save the people dry-shod, O Lord, * and didst lead them forth to a mountain of sanctification, as they cried: * We shall sing a song of victory to Thee, our God, * for Thou hast been glorified.
Ode III, Irmos: Thy Church, O Christ, rejoiceth in Thee crying aloud: * Thou, O Lord, art my strength, * my refuge and foundation.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou didst open unto the Church the springs of life-creating waters, O Good One, and didst cry: If any zealous man thirst, let him come and drink.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou didst say plainly that Thou wouldst be lifted up from earth unto Heaven, and Thou didst promise to send the Holy Spirit from thence.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The Lord, Who by nature is life-creating and Who was born of a Virgin, hath granted incorruption unto all the faithful, since He is compassionate.
Irmos: My heart is established…
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Do not judge a judgment according to appearance, O ye Jews; thus, as it is written, said the Master when He came unto the temple and taught at the Judaic Mid-feast.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Do not judge a judgment according to appearance, O ye Jews, for Christ is come. The Prophets named Him: He that cometh from Sion and hath restored the world.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Even though ye believe not His Words, O ye Jews, be convinced by the works of the Master. Why do ye deceive yourselves and disregard the Holy One, of Whom Moses wrote in the Law?
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
If the Messiah must assuredly come, O ye Jews, then the Messiah hath now come, Who is Christ. Why do ye deceive yourselves and disregard the Righteous One, of Whom Moses wrote in the Law?
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We worship Thee, O Father, Who art Unoriginate in Thine essence, and we piously praise Thine Unoriginate Son and the all-holy Spirit, O ye Three Who are by nature one God.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Though Thou art one of the Trinity, Thou didst assume flesh, neither undergoing change in Thine essence nor burning the uncorrupted womb of her that gave birth to Thee, O Lord, Who art wholly God and Fire.
Katavasia: My heart is established in the Lord, * my horn is exalted in my God, * my mouth is enlarged against mine enemies, * and I rejoice in Thy salvation.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymns, Tone VIII: At Mid-feast Thou didst stand in the temple’s court * in a god-befitting manner * and didst cry aloud: * Let him who doth suffer thirst now draw nigh unto Me and drink. * He that drinketh of the sacred water that I shall give, * from within shall the springs of My teachings issue forth. * Whosoever doth believe that the Divine Father hath sent Me, * and that I came forth from Him, * with Me he shall be glorified. * Therefore we cry unto Thee: * Glory be to Thee, O Christ God, * Who dost cause the streams of Thy great love for mankind, * to abundantly well forth unto us, Thy servants.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Tone VIII: Thou, O Saviour, dost pour out for all the world living waters * of wisdom and endless life, * inviting all to partake and to drink thereof; * for he who receiveth and keepeth Thy holy law * doth thereby quench the coals of deception. * Wherefore, he shall not thirst throughout the ages, * nor fail to be filled with Thee, O Master King of Heaven. * For this cause we glorify Thy power, O Christ God, * asking that the forgiveness of sins ** be abundantly granted unto us, Thy servants.
Ode IV, Irmos: Beholding Thee, the Sun of righteousness, * lifted up upon the cross, * the Church now standeth arrayed and doth worthily cry aloud: * Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Having shattered the gates of death by Thy might, Thou hast made known the ways of life; and Thou didst open the gates of immortality unto them that cry with faith: Glory be to Thy power, O Lord.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Since Thou Who art Unoriginate dost have in the grasp of Thy hand the beginning of all things, and dost hold fast their middle and final end as well, Thou didst stand in the midst and cry aloud: Come, O ye of godly mind; enjoy the divine gifts.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Since Thou as God hast authority over all things, and as one mighty didst destroy the dominion of death, O Christ, Thou didst promise to send the Holy Spirit, Who proceedeth from the Father.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
O all-immaculate Mother who knewest not wedlock, thou dost bestow grace abundantly upon those who praise thee; and from the Word Who is before the ages and Who was born from thee, thou dost entreat for the forgiveness of their offences.
Irmos: With noetic eyes the Prophet Habbakuk…
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
If the Messiah must come, then Christ is the Messiah, O ye lawless ones; Why do ye not believe in Him? Behold, He is come, and the things He doth bear witness to Him: He made the water into wine and strengthened the paralytic by a word.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Since ye do not understand the Scriptures, ye are all deceived, O ye lawless Hebrews; for Christ is truly come and hath enlightened all mankind, showing forth many signs and wonders among you. In vain do ye deny Him Who is the true Life.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Christ cried unto the Jews: One work have I shown unto you, and already ye marvel. Ye circumcise a man even on the Sabbath, He saith; Why then do ye accuse Me, Who have raised up a paralytic by a word?
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
I have done many works; for which work, then, do ye stone Me? cried Christ unto the Jews, reproaching them. For by a word I have made a man completely whole; judge not according to appearance, O ye men.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou Who workest through the Apostles and Who, together with the Spirit, dost Thyself rest in the Prophets, O Christ, Thou immaculate Offspring of the Father’s nature, Thou didst lead the nations up unto knowledge of Thee through Thy signs.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Trinity, undivided Unity; Unoriginate Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Thou Trinity in Unity; O life-creating, uncreated God, equal in honour and in rank: Save those who praise Thee, and deliver them from dangers and afflictions.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Bride of God and pure Virgin Mother, who didst contain God in thy womb while He yet remained uncircumscribed: Cease not to intercede on our behalf, that through thee we may be delivered from adversities, for unto thee do we ever flee for refuge.
Katavasia: With noetic eyes the Prophet Habbakuk * foresaw Thy coming, O Lord; * wherefore he cried aloud: * “God shall come out of Thaeman!” Glory to Thy power! * Glory to Thy condescension!
Ode V, Irmos: Thou, O Lord, who didst come into the world, * art my light, * a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance * those who sing Thy praises in faith.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Having reached the middle of the divine feasts, let us be godly-wise and zealously adorn ourselves with the perfection of divine virtue.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
How truly sacred is this present feast; for it marketh the mid-point of the great feasts and doth shine forth from both.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The mind of the Archangel is not able to comprehend Thine ineffable and most pure birth-giving from a Virgin, O my greatly merciful Saviour.
Irmos: O Lord our God, bestow Thy peace…
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Having adorned Thine Apostles with miracles and magnified Thy disciples with wonders throughout the World, Thou hast glorified them and bestowed upon them Thy Kingdom, O our Saviour.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
The disciples have enlightened all the ends of the earth with miracles and teachings, and in diverse ways they preached the word of Thy Kingdom, O Christ Saviour.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
We send up praise unto Thy Kingdom, and we offer a hymn unto Thee Who didst appear on earth for our sake and didst enlighten the World and restore Adam.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Glory be to Thee, O holy Father, unbegotten God. Glory be to Thee, O timeless, only-begotten Word. Glory be to Thee, O Divine Spirit, of one throne and of one essence with the Father and the Son.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thy womb is become a holy table which holdeth the Heavenly Bread, whereof he that eateth dieth not, as the Nourisher of all hath said, O Theotokos.
Katavasia: O Lord our God, bestow Thy peace upon us; * O Lord our God, take us for Thy possession; * O Lord, besides Thee we know none other: * and we call upon Thy Name.
Ode VI, Irmos: The church crieth out unto Thee O Lord, * “I will sacrifice unto Thee with a voice of praise * having been cleansed of the blood of the demons’ * by the blood that for mercy’s sake flowed from Thy side.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
The mid-point of Pentecost hath come this day. By the former feast it is illumined with the most divine radiance of the divine Pascha, and by the latter feast it is made to shine with the grace of the Comforter.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
While standing in the temple, O Christ, Thou didst speak unto the assemblies of the Jews and didst reveal Thine own glory, thereby manifesting Thy consubstantiality with the Father. Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Be thou my protection and mine unshaken rampart, O only Mother of God. Redeem me from the stumbling-blocks of the world, and illumine me by thy divine effulgence.
Irmos: The billows of life trouble me…
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
O Jesus, Who takest care for all the ends of the earth, Thou didst go up to the temple at Mid-feast, as John hath said, and taught the multitudes the Word of truth.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou didst open Thy lips, O Master, and didst preach to the world the most pure Father and the all-holy Spirit, preserving Thy kinship with both even after Thine Incarnation.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou didst accomplish the work of the Father and didst confirm Thy words by Thy deeds, for Thou didst perform healings and signs, O Saviour, raising the paralytic, cleansing lepers, and resurrecting the dead.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
The Unoriginate Son received a beginning and became a man, taking upon Himself that which is proper to our nature. And at Mid-feast He taught and said: Hasten ye unto the ever-flowing Spring, that ye may draw forth life.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We all glorify the one Godhead in Trinity, the uncreated and undivided essence in three Hypostases, even the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Who while being Three are One.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We praise thee who didst remain a virgin after giving birth; thee alone do we glorify as both Virgin and Mother, O pure Maiden, Bride of God; for from thee God truly became incarnate and thus Quickened us.
Katavasia: The billows of life trouble me like the waters of the sea, * O Lover of Mankind. * Wherefore, like Jonah I cry unto Thee, O Word: * Raise up my life from corruption, O compassionate Lord.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone IV: Having come to the Mid-feast of the Judaic Law, * O Master and Creator of all things, * Thou didst cry unto those present, O Christ God: * Come hither and draw forth the water of immortality. * Wherefore, we fall down before Thee and faithfully cry aloud: * Grant unto us Thy compassions, ** for Thou art truly the Well-spring of our life.
Ikos: With the streams of Thy Blood do Thou Water my soul, which is grown dry and barren because of mine iniquities and offences, and show it forth to be fruitful in virtues. For Thou didst tell all to draw nigh Thee, O all-holy Word of God, and to draw forth the water of incorruption, which is living and which washeth away the sins of those who praise Thy glorious and divine arising. Unto them that know Thee as God, O Good One, grant from on high the strength of the Spirit, which verily was borne by Thy disciples, for Thou art truly the Well-spring of life for all.
Ode VII, Irmos: In the Persian furnace the youths and descendants of Abraham, * burning with a love of piety * rather than by a flame of fire, * cried aloud saying: * Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Having dispelled the power of death by Thy might, O Saviour, Thou hast made known unto all mankind the path of life. With thankfulness they cry to Thee: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Beholding Thee bearing flesh, the assemblies of the Hebrew people did not recognise Thee, O Word of God; but we sing to Thee: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Rejoice O sanctified and divine tabernacle of the Most High; for through thee, O Theotokos, joy hath been granted to those who cry: Blessed art thou among women, O most immaculate Lady.
Irmos: The Chaldean furnace, burning with fire…
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou Who art rest for all didst grow weary in the flesh; Thou Who art the well-spring of miracles didst willingly thirst. Thou didst seek after water, O Jesus, promising living water.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou didst converse with a Samaritan woman, O Lord, thereby reproving the mindlessness of the lawless Hebrews, insofar as she believed Thee to be the Son of God, and they denied Thee.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
O Saviour, Thou ever-living well-spring, Thou didst promise to grant living water which springeth forth, the water of immortality, unto those who with faith receive Thy Spirit, which proceedeth from the Father.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
With five loaves Thou didst feed the thousands that hungered, and made the child’s morsels to be more than enough for yet another multitude, O Saviour. Thus showing Thy glory unto Thy sacred disciples.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
He that eateth Thy Bread shall live forever, and he that drinketh Thy Blood abideth in Thee, my Saviour, and Thou abidest in him, and Thou shalt raise him up at the last day.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou madest Thy dispensation wondrous, O Master, confirming by miracles Thy divine authority. Thou didst drive out illnesses, raise up the dead, and enlighten the blind, since Thou art God.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou didst cleanse the lepers and restore the lame; Thou didst strengthen the paralytics and heal the blood-streaming woman, and didst walk upon the sea. Thus showing Thy glory unto Thy sacred disciples.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We worship Thy timeless Father and the grace of the Spirit, which Thou as God didst apportion unto Thine Apostles, sending them forth to preach, O Lord.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou didst contain within thy womb the uncontainable Word, thou didst suckle at thy breasts Him that nourisheth the world and didst hold in thine arms our Sustainer, O pure Theotokos.
Katavasia: The Chaldean furnace, burning with fire, * was bedewed by the Spirit * through the presence of God; * and the children chanted: * O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Irmos: Having spread his hands, Daniel closed the lions’ jaws * in their den; * while the zealously pious youths, * girded with virtue, * quenched the power of the fire and cried aloud: * Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Having arisen from the grave as one comely, and adorned with the glory of the Godhead, O Lord, Thou didst appear unto Thine Apostles and didst promise to send the power of the Spirit unto those who cry aloud: Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
In a manner befitting Thee, since Thou as God art the Supreme Author of life, Thou didst slay Hades and didst well forth eternal life unto all, wherefore the graces of these radiant days now constitute a most clear image of the everlasting life of those who cry: Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou didst cause rays of righteousness to shine upon the world like the sun, O Christ, in that Thou didst send Thine Apostles unto the world. Bearing Thee, the incomprehensible Light, they drove away the darkness of ignorance, and cried: Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Behold now, a prince and ruler hath manifestly come from the tribe of Judah, for thou, O all-immaculate one, hast given birth to Him Who is the Expectation of the nations which were set aside for Him aforetime. Yea, thou hast borne Christ, to Whom we chant: Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.
Irmos: O ye angels and ye powers of heaven…
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Come, O ye peoples, and behold Him Who is praised upon a throne of glory, being blasphemed by lawless people. And as ye behold Him, praise Him as the Messiah, Who was foretold by the Prophets.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Thou art truly the Christ, Who hast come into the world. With Thee there is salvation and the remission of the failings of our fathers; Thou art indeed the Life of those who have come to believe in Thee.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
As it is written, the Wisdom of God came into the temple at Mid-feast and taught that He is truly Christ the Messiah, from Whom there cometh salvation.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
On the Sabbaths and on all days Christ wrought manifest signs, healing those in diverse illnesses. But the deceitful people were consumed with malice and wrath.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
The Jews bitterly reviled Christ and said: On the Sabbath did this Man hath healed the paralytic who had lain sick for many years, therefore He hath transgressed the Law.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Christ said to the Jews: Did not Moses in giving you the Law command that ye be circumcised? Yet ye circumcise on the Sabbath, lest the Law of your fathers be broken.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
They that were wholly ungrateful and who of old had sojourned in the wilderness, out of malice cast blasphemies at their Benefactor. They wagged their unjust tongues while they meditated vain things.
We bless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Lord
Of a truth, the Trinity is one God, without the Father leaving that which is proper to Himself and assuming Sonship, nor with the Son transforming His attributes into procession. But I glorify the Three apart and together, as Light and God, throughout the ages.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Tell us, O Theotokos: How didst thou give birth unto Him Who hath shone forth timelessly from the Father and Who is praised together with the Holy Spirit? – except in a manner known only to Him Who was well-pleased to be born from thee.
Katavasia: Seated upon the throne of glory, * and unceasingly glorified as God, * O ye angels and heavens bless, ** hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!.
Ode IX, Irmos: A cornerstone not cut by hand O Virgin, * was cut from thee the unhewn mountain: * even Christ, Who hath joined together the disparate natures; * therefore rejoicing we magnify thee, * O Theotokos.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Since we have learned from Christ a new and unprecedented way of life, let us all be especially diligent to preserve it until the end, that We may enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
O Life-Giving Saviour, Thou didst clothe my mortal nature with the garment of immortality and the grace of incorruption, and didst raise it up together with Thyself. Thou didst lead it unto the Father, having dispelled my warfare of many years.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Since we have been restored again to the life of Heaven by virtue of the mediation of Him Who emptied Himself even so far as to assume the form of a servant and hath exalted us, let us magnify Him as is meet.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
All we the faithful have put our trust in thee, and we acclaim thee with songs of praise as the root, source, and cause of incorruption, O Virgin, for thou didst well forth for us the Hypostatic Immortality.
Irmos: Virginity is alien to motherhood…
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
At the Judaic Mid-feast, O my Saviour, Thou didst go up to Thy temple and didst teach all. And the Jews marvelled and said: Whence knoweth this Man letters, having never learned?
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
My Redeemer performed wonders and signs, welling forth gifts of healings. He drove away illnesses and healed the ailing, but the Jews raged with frenzy at the multitude of His miracles.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
My Redeemer cried out as He reproached the disobedient Jews: Judge not according to appearance, but judge ye a righteous judgment. For the Law also commandeth that every man be circumcised, even if it be on the Sabbath.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
As Thou didst promise, O Saviour, Thou didst grant the greater miracles unto Thy disciples when Thou didst send them to preach Thy glory unto the nations. And they proclaimed unto the world Thy grace and Resurrection and Incarnation.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
Christ said unto the Jews: If ye circumcise a man on the Sabbath that the Law might not be broken, why are ye now angry with Me, in that by a word I have made a man completely whole? Ye judge according to the flesh.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
O Word, Who didst heal the withered hand by a word, do Thou heal the earth of my heart, which hath long ago become parched, and show me forth as one fruitful, that I also might bring forth fruit in fervent repentance, O Saviour.
Glory to Thee our God; glory to Thee.
I lie upon my bed of pain, O Word. Make me to stand aright by cleansing my leprous heart and enlightening the eyes of my soul, even as Thou didst raise up the paralytic who lay upon his bed.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
It is alien to the lawless to reverence the Unoriginate Trinity, even the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the uncreated Omnipotence, through Whom the whole world was established by the might of His power.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou, O Virgin Mother, didst contain in thy womb Christ, the Giver of life, Who is One of the Trinity; Whom all creation praiseth and before Whom the thrones on high tremble. Do thou beseech Him, O all-blessed one, that our souls be saved.
Katavasia: Virginity is alien to motherhood, * and childbearing is a thing strange to virgins: * yet in thee, O Theotokos, both have come to pass. * Therefore we, and all the nations of the earth, * without ceasing call thee blessed.
Troparion, Tone VIII: At Mid-feast give Thou my thirsty soul to drink of the waters of piety; * for Thou, O Saviour, didst cry out to all: * Whosoever is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. ** Wherefore, O Well-spring of life, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.
A Canon of Supplication to the Most Holy Theotokos
Ode I, Irmos: He who of old gathered the waters * into one by His divine decree, * divided the sea for the people of Israel. * For He is our God and supremely glorious, * to Him alone let us sing, for He hath been glorified.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Having lived out my life in slothfulness, I have drawn nigh unto the end of my life; yet do thou thyself, О most pure one, if but one last time, grant me compunction, I pray, that I may weep bitterly over my countless transgressions.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
With the passions of my flesh, О Virgin, I have mindlessly defiled the beauty of the divine image, and am afraid of God’s displeasure and the terrible threat of fire; yet do thou thyself have mercy upon me who flee to thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Falling to my knees, wretch that I am, I beg thy help, О most holy Virgin: hearken thou to my pain-wracked soul, and by the radiance of thy prayers dispel the cloud of grief which weighs heavily upon me.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Grant that the furrows of my passion-plagued soul may be watered abundantly with tears, and grant that I may produce fruit an hundredfold, О Lady; and fill my heart with all manner of gladness, that I may glorify thee.
Ode III, Irmos: O Most High, Ruler of all, * who out of nothing hath established all things, * fashioned by Thy Word, * perfected by the Spirit, * confirm me in Thy love.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О good Theotokos, grant me a torrent of tears, and thereby quench the furnace of my passions, and wash away all defilement from my soul.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
In iniquities have I defiled the nobility of my soul, О most pure one, and I tremble at the thought of the interrogation, when the Word will examine the state of my worthiness.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Beset now by the tempest of transgressions, I have been brought down into the abyss of despair; yet grant me thy hand, О pure one, and lead me to repentance.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Deliver thy servant from Gehenna and every other threat at the hour of judgment, О most immaculate one, and cause me to share in the kingdom of thy Son and God.
Ode IV, Irmos: Thou hast shown us steadfast love, O Lord, * for Thou gavest Thine only-begotten Son over to death for our sake. * Wherefore with thanksgiving we cry unto Thee, * ‘Glory to Thy power, O Lord!’
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The waters of unseemly deeds have flooded my wretched soul, О pure one; wherefore, beset by worldly thoughts, I cry out in pain: Spurn not thy servant, О Lady!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Noetic beasts have now mercilessly surrounded me and have striven pitilessly to seize my lowly soul, О all-immaculate one; yet do thou, О most pure one, break their soul-destroying jaws.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О all-pure Lady, be thou merciful to thy servant, I pray, and rescue thy people from the coming threat, that we may cry out to thee in thanksgiving: Glory to Thee, О Queen of all!
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
When the Bridegroom will come at night to judge the earth, О most pure one, then be thou well-pleased that I may go forth to meet Him with a lighted lamp, and may worship His coming.
Ode V, Irmos: The Invisible One hath appeared on earth, * and the Unapproachable One hath willingly dwelt among mankind; * and, rising early at dawn, we hymn Thee, * O Lover of mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Many dogs have truly set themselves against me, and a horde of evil spirits have surrounded me; yet set their counsels now at naught, О most pure one.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Having dug now a pit for me, the evil one strives to cast me into it; yet with thy right hand, О Lady, may he fall into the pit which he hath made.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Let me not be denounced by the wrath of thy Son at the time of His coming, neither let me be punished by His anger, О all-hymned one; but save me by thine entreaties.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Behold my weakness, behold the lowliness of my soul, О pure one, and the uprising of mine incorporeal enemies; and deliver me from their harm.
Ode VI, Irmos: The uttermost depths of sin have surrounded me, * and my spirit perisheth. * but do Thou, O Master, stretch forth Thy lofty arm * and like Peter O Helmsman, * do Thou save me.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
At the behest of the Creator of all, when my soul must needs part from the flesh, О all-immaculate and all-hymned Theotokos, free me from the hands of those who hate me.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
With streams of compunction dry up the turbulent rivers of my wicked deeds, О Birth-Giver of God, and guide me to the waters of tranquility on the day of judgment.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou knowest the weakness of my soul, the feebleness of my mind and the infirmity of my flesh, О most pure one. Wherefore, save thy servant, for thee have I acquired as an invincible ally.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Grant me streams of spiritual tears, О most immaculate Lady, whereby I may wash away the mire of my transgressions, the tumult of the passions and the defilement of my body.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional Hymn, Tone III, Spec. Mel. “Awed by the beauty of thy virginity …”: О Lady who bore the Merciful One within thy womb, have pity on me who flee beneath thy protection and with all my soul ask thy divine help, and grant mercy unto me when we will stand before the Author of creation, О pure one, and deliver me from everlasting fire and all condemnation.
Ode VII, Irmos: Of old the three children did not worship the golden image, * of the Persian idol, * but chanted in the midst of the furnace: * O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The waters of transgressions have been poured out upon me and my soul drowns, O pure one, and the uttermost abyss hath engulfed me; yet rescue me from its threefold billows.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Sprinkle me with the blood which flowed from the side of thine Offspring and by the multitude of thy mercies; wash thou and cleanse me of all defilement with streams of tears.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Grant thou contrition to my soul and humility to my heart, О all- pure one, that I may be delivered from all the wiles of those who ever pitilessly pursue me.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
As thou art merciful, О Lady Mother of God, grant mercy to those who with faith cry out to thy Son: О God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Ode VIII, Irmos: United together in the unbearable fire, * yet not harmed by the flame, * the children, champions of godliness, sang a divine hymn: * O all ye works of the Lord, * bless ye the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
With the might of thy Son thou hast broken the arrows of the archer, О pure one. Let his unrighteousness now descend upon his own head, that I may cry out: All ye works of the Lord, hymn the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
With thy light do thou illumine my darkened heart, О Maiden, and with the sword of light open thou the portals of light to me who cry: All ye works of the Lord, hymn the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Falling into the sleep of death, I lie in the grave of despondency; yet do thou thyself raise me up, О Virgin, and grant that I may chant with vigilance: All ye works of the Lord, hymn the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О pure one, cease thou never to pray for those who honor thee, that, delivered in compunction from the snares of the devil, we may cry out to thy Son: All ye works of the Lord, hymn the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Ode IX, Irmos: In the shadow and the letter of the Law, * let us, the faithful, discern a figure: * every male child that openeth the womb * shall be sanctified to God. * Therefore we magnify the firstborn Word * and Son of the unoriginate Father, * the firstborn Child of a Mother who hath not known a man.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The turbulence of the passions and the turmoil of vile thoughts bestorm my soul, and evil men ever smite me like a tempest; yet as thou lovest mankind, О Virgin, quickly deliver me from my besetting needs
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О my lowly soul, leave off thy wicked deeds and cease from doing evil and angering God; but earnestly embrace His commandments, for thou hast the Theotokos directing thy ways.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As thou hast given birth to the Lord of all, free me from the passions and from grievous sins, and in thy surpassing loving-kindness enrich me wholly with good works, that, rejoicing, I may magnify thee, О all-immaculate one.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The end approacheth, О my soul, judgment is at the door! Forsake thy shameful works and undertake to live a good life; for thou hast the Theotokos as thine ally, delivering thee from all oppression.
A Canon of Supplication to the Most Holy Theotokos
Ode I, Irmos: He who of old gathered the waters * into one by His divine decree, * divided the sea for the people of Israel. * For He is our God and supremely glorious, * to Him alone let us sing, for He hath been glorified.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О cloud of the Light Who fashioned the great luminaries in the universe: with thy rays dispel all the darkness, day and night, of all my passions and transgressions, and show me to be a child of the light, О Birth-Giver of God.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
By the Rain which descended from heaven into thy womb, О Theotokos, enlighten and bedew my soul and heart, and extinguish the flame of passions and sorrows, that I may glorify thee fervently throughout all ages.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О pure one, thou didst give birth ineffably to the Wisdom of God which united the earthly and the heavenly, bringing all things forth from nonexistence; by His word grant me wisdom and understanding, that I may hymn clearly thy divine birth-giving.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О Sovereign Lady of the world, I cry aloud and pray that my soul and body may be bedewed through thy supplications, and that I may be quickly delivered from the pangs of sin and the evil of the passions; for thou art the healing of all mankind.
Ode III, Irmos: O Most High, Ruler of all, * who out of nothing hath established all things, * fashioned by Thy Word, * perfected by the Spirit, * confirm me in Thy love.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The Master and Lord Who hath dominion over fire hath been called thy Son, О pure one; wherefore, deliver me from the works of the passions by thine intercessions, О Lady.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
From the tempest of carnal passions do thou quickly deliver me, thy servant, О most pure one who hast given birth to the Calm of salvation and the Wellspring of dispassion.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As the luminous lamp-stand of the never-waning Light, О most pure one, thou hast enlightened the world. Wherefore, with thy beams dispel the clouds from my soul.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О Lady who hast given birth ineffably to Christ, the Bestower of life, enliven me who am dead of soul because of the multitude of mine evil passions.
Ode IV, Irmos: Thou hast shown us steadfast love, O Lord, * for Thou gavest Thine only-begotten Son over to death for our sake. * Wherefore with thanksgiving we cry unto Thee, * ‘Glory to Thy power, O Lord!’
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The siege of carnal understanding hath beset me and made my soul captive; yet do thou, О Lady who hast given birth to the Mind which transcendeth all the understanding of the world, grant me thy peace.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
From thy womb thou didst pour forth the noetic Myrrh upon the world; wherefore, free my soul from the defilements of the passions, О most pure one, and grant me the myrrh of dispassion by thy supplications.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Knowing thee to be the golden jar manifestly holding Christ, the God-man, the Manna of life, I pray: feed thou my soul which is famished with hunger, and give it the torrent of the Spirit to drink.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Of old, unrestrained, Eve brought about death; but thou hast brought about true life by thy pure virginity. Wherefore, deliver me from a sinful death by thy supplications.
Ode V, Irmos: The Invisible One hath appeared on earth, * and the Unapproachable One hath willingly dwelt among mankind; * and, rising early at dawn, we hymn Thee, * O Lover of mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
As our deliverance, thy Son hath delivered all from corruption, О Virgin; wherefore, deliver me from a carnal understanding and from the presence of the passions.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.By the fire of thy prayers burn up all the thorns of my passion-filled thoughts, О Theotokos who hast purified the nature of man as with tongs and ember.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou art the divine heifer of the divine Bullock Who in His love for mankind was slaughtered for our sake. With His divine blood do thou purify my heart.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Of old I acquired the beautiful robe of the virtues, yet I have cast it off in my slothfulness; but do thou, О Virgin, now clothe me in one that is yet more splendid by thy supplications.
Ode VI, Irmos: The uttermost depths of sin have surrounded me, * and my spirit perisheth. * but do Thou, O Master, stretch forth Thy lofty arm * and like Peter O Helmsman, * do Thou save me.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The cruel wiles of evil have shaken the temple of my soul, yet do thou who hast given birth to Christ, Who established the earth upon the waters, make me steadfast by thy prayers.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
In giving birth to the Pearl of great price, thou hast released mortals from their debt; wherefore, О most pure one, quickly loose the bonds of my transgressions, passions and sorrows.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The supremely good God Who was born from thy womb hath given thee to the faithful as a refuge and divine protection; wherefore, О most pure one, cover me with thy hands, and preserve me.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Often engulfed in frenzy by the billows of life, and ever tempest- tossed by the works of the enemy, I now cry out to thee: О Theotokos, help me!
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional Hymn,Tone III, Spec. Mel. “Of the divine Faith …”: Thou wast the divine tabernacle of the Word, * O only all-pure Virgin Mother * who surpassed the angels in purity. * By the divine waters of thy supplications * cleanse me who, more than all others, * have become dust, defiled by carnal transgressions; ** and grant me great mercy, O pure one.
Ode VII, Irmos: As of old Thou didst bedew * the three pious children in the Chaldean flames, * so also with the radiant fire of Thy divinity * illumine us who cry to Thee, * ‘Blessed art Thou, the God of our fathers!’
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Crowds of wicked demons and hordes of carnal passions have surrounded me; yet as thou hast given birth to Christ, Who is mighty in battles, deliver me from frequent griefs and cruel falls.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
He Who alone cannot be approached by the cherubic beings and is held in awe by the ranks of the angels made His abode within thee, О pure one, and hath renewed us. О Lady, through Him render me terrible to invisible foes.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О Virgin, thou wast a noetic garden of paradise which put forth the Tree of life; and Adam, partaking thereof, hath been delivered from, the fruit of death. Wherefore, bring sweetness to me now, and deliver me from the taste of the passions.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Deliver me from the mire of the passions of my body, and from the temptations of the demons, О thou who hast given birth to the Redeemer for our sake, as the habitation of the Most High and hallowed temple of the God of our fathers.
Ode VIII, Irmos: United together in the unbearable fire, * yet not harmed by the flame, * the children, champions of godliness, sang a divine hymn: * O all ye works of the Lord, * bless ye the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О cloud of the Light Who fashioned the great luminaries in the universe: with thy rays dispel all the darkness, day and night, of all my passions and transgressions, and show me to be a child of the light, О Birth-Giver of God.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.By the Rain which descended from heaven into thy womb, О Theotokos, enlighten and bedew my soul and heart, and extinguish the flame of passions and sorrows, that I may glorify thee fervently throughout all ages.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О pure one, thou didst give birth ineffably to the Wisdom of God which united the earthly and the heavenly, bringing all things forth from nonexistence; by His word grant me wisdom and understanding, that I may hymn clearly thy divine birth-giving.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О Sovereign Lady of the world, I cry aloud and pray that my soul and body may be bedewed through thy supplications, and that I may be quickly delivered from the pangs of sin and the evil of the passions; for thou art the healing of all mankind.
Ode IX, Irmos: Upon Mount Sinai Moses saw thee in the bush, * as one who didst conceive the fire of the Godhead within thy womb, * and yet remained unconsumed. * Daniel saw thee as a mountain not cut by the hand of man, * and Isaiah proclaimed thee as the Rod that blossomed forth * from the root of David.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thou wast shown to be cloth divinely woven for Christ, from whence the Spirit prepared the divine raiment of the flesh. Wherefore, by thy supplications, О pure one, clothe me also in the vesture of chastity.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О noetic vine who hast put forth for us the divine Grapes, by Whom we have been given the water of incorruption to drink: by thy prayers pour forth upon my soul compunction and the wine of purification.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О pure and holy bridal chamber, by whose nature God wedded His nature to that of mortals, I beseech thee: unite me to thy Son, and impart unto me divine life by thy prayers.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О Virgin who hast given birth to Christ, the Wellspring of incorruption, thou hast transformed the pasture of corrupt human nature. Wherefore, by thy supplications deaden the stormy assaults of the passions which consume me.
As some of you are aware, the octoechos (the book of the eight tones) has a supplicatory canon to the Mother of God for compline each evening of the tone cycle – giving fifty six canons.
We have previously posted some canons in the hope that parishioners might sometimes pray compline with the appointed canon for the day, or integrate the canon into their evening/night prayers.
We will endeavour to post all fifty six of these canons, and very much hope that they will enrich the prayer lives of the members of our community, and contribute to a growing level of liturgical literacy, allowing people to share prayers together across the wide geographical diaspora of our community.
A Canon of Supplication to the Most Holy Theotokos
Ode I, Irmos: He who of old gathered the waters * into one by His divine decree, * divided the sea for the people of Israel. * For He is our God and supremely glorious, * to Him alone let us sing, for He hath been glorified.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
With pure hymns, О most pure Bride of God, we, the faithful, crown thee as her who, through the divine Spirit and at the good pleasure of the Father, wast revealed to be the Mother of God; and with the archangel we greet thee with hymns, unto our salvation.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Of old, Eve was formed from the side of Adam by God’s creative action, and Christ, Who is our God, appeared out of the womb of the Theotokos and became immutably man: the Pre-eternal came under time.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
He Who is our God condemned the womb of Eve to give birth amid grief and pain, yet He made His abode within thy womb, appeared in the flesh in a manner past all telling, and loosed the debt of our first mother.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Having fallen, heavy laden, into the abyss of despair, О Birth-Giver of God, we earnestly cry out to thee: О Lady, help us who are drowning because of our deeds of wicked transgression! For thee alone do we have as our hope after God.
Ode III, Irmos: O Most High, Ruler of all, * who out of nothing hath established all things, * fashioned by Thy Word, * perfected by the Spirit, * confirm me in Thy love.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The staff of Aaron, which blossomed forth without being watered, showed thee forth, О most pure Theotokos, who without seed hast given birth to God Who became incarnate without undergoing change.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
In the Spirit, О most pure one, the prophet foresaw thee as a lamp-stand bearing the divine Fire, conveying sweet fragrance and life everlasting to those in the world.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Let us approach the Archangel Gabriel, in hymns declaring to the Theotokos: Rejoice! for through thee the curse of our first parents’ condemnation hath been loosed!
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Having thee as a bulwark of salvation, О most holy Theotokos, we sinners are saved. О Lady, disdain not, neither spurn thou our supplications!
Ode IV, Irmos: Thou hast shown us steadfast love, O Lord, * for Thou gavest Thine only-begotten Son over to death for our sake. * Wherefore with thanksgiving we cry unto Thee, * ‘Glory to Thy power, O Lord!’
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Of old, Habbakuk, perceiving thee with divine vision, О most pure one, proclaimed thee to be the noetic mountain, the tabernacle of the virtues, for the Word Who came forth from the south received flesh from thee.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
In the Spirit Daniel beheld thee as a great and unquarried mountain, revealing the purity of thy virginity as remaining inviolate, О Lady, from whom Christ the Word, the Rock, was cut, casting down the falsehood of idolatry.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
David foretold thee to be a wondrous and rich mountain; for the only-begotten Son of the Father was well-pleased to make His abode within thee, in the flesh. Wherefore, in the Spirit we cry out to thee: Rejoice!
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
As thou art the wholly good and fervent intercessor for the sinful and lowly, О most pure Lady and Birth-Giver of God, save Thy servants from misfortunes, sorrows and sins.
Ode V, Irmos: In a vision Isaiah saw upon a throne, * God lifted up on high * borne aloft by angels of glory; * and he cried: ‘Woe is me! * For I have foreseen God made flesh, * the Lord of the never-setting light * and the King of peace.’
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The Virgin Mary, the rod of Jesse, without seed, through the divine Spirit of the Father, put forth the never-fading Blossom of the Unoriginate God, Who hath dominion over the mighty kingdoms of the nations, and upon Whom the gentiles set their hope.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Taking flesh from thee, О Theotokos, the Prince of peace hath come to reign upon the throne of David. О the wonder! He hath shown thee to be the Queen who gave birth to Him Who set warfare at naught, striking down the princes of Moab.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Revealing thine immaculate goodness, through which Christ was clad in the flesh without seed, О Virgin, Isaiah cried out, exclaiming: The Lord of glory cometh upon a light cloud, and dispelling the darkness of delusion, He hath bestowed light upon us!
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Having conceived by the Holy Spirit the Word Who is consubstantial with the Father, О Virgin, thou hast given birth to Him in two natures, perfect God and perfect man. His manifestation in the flesh do we honour with faith.
Ode VI, Irmos: The uttermost depths of sin have surrounded me, * and my spirit perisheth. * but do Thou, O Master, stretch forth Thy lofty arm * and like Peter O Helmsman, * do Thou save me.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
In hymns the most wise one described thee beforehand, О all-hymned one, as the couch whereon God, Who was hypostatically incarnate from thee, did rest; and He Who was born from thee without commingling hath glorified thee.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О all-hymned Virgin, as one chosen thou didst become the chosen vesture of the Word, for, taking flesh from thee as it were a robe of divine purple, He hath reigned, arrayed in majesty.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О Bride of God, thou didst become the receptacle of the divine Union, more lustrous than gold; for through thee God became a man and conversed with mankind as a man.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The evil of heresy hath brought death upon those who refuse to honor thee, О all-hymned Virgin; for in their malice they hide at the sight of the most glorious likeness of thine image.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional Hymn, in Tone III: In the fervour of faith I cry out to thee with unworthy lips and a defiled heart, О Theotokos: Save me who am drowning in sins! Take pity on one who is slain by despair, that, saved, I may cry aloud to thee: Rejoice, О Virgin, thou help of Christians!
Ode VII, Irmos: Of old the three children did not worship the golden image, * of the Persian idol, * but chanted in the midst of the furnace: * O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Having been united conformably and been revealed to be incorrupt, the bush and the flame manifestly show thee forth, О Virgin; for thou hast given birth to God, yet remained a virgin.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The fleece and the dew, shown forth in change, prefigured thy birth-giving for Gideon; for thou alone hast borne the divine Word in thy womb, as though He were rain, О Virgin Mother.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The fire of my sin created a flame surpassing that of Gehenna for me, О pure one. By thy mercy do thou quench it, guiding me to the light by repentance.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Venerating the appearance of thy countenance as the primal image, О most pure Theotokos, we all have thee as a helper and a right effective protection before God forever.
Ode VIII, Irmos: The Babylonian furnace burnt not the children, * neither did the fire of the Godhead consume the Virgin, * wherefore with the faithful children we cry aloud: * ‘Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord’.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Finding thee as an all-radiant lily amid thorns, shining with the splendour of beauty through the divine Spirit, the Father desired thee, the Bride who knew not wedlock, as a habitation for His Son.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Without hesitation I manifestly glorify thee, the most immaculate Virgin, as more holy than the host on high; for thou didst bear in thy womb their Creator, Who in an uncommingled union received flesh from thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having preserved thy virginity intact, О Virgin, thou wast truly shown to be the Mother of the Son of God, becoming a Bride through the Father’s good pleasure and the incorrupt receptacle of the Spirit of glory.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
God Who is immaterial and invisible by nature was ineffably and supra-naturally born as a man from the holy Virgin, becoming visible, two natures in a single hypostasis, wherein He is seen and depicted.
Ode IX, Irmos: New is the wonder and befitting of God: * for the Lord clearly passes through the closed gate of the Virgin: * naked at His going in and God bearing flesh at His coming out, * while the gate remaineth closed. * As ineffably the Theotokos and Mother of our God we magnify her.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
A holy fruit sprang forth from the holy root of the barren and sanctified one: the Maiden Theotokos who, by the law of God the Father, hath blossomed forth never-withering and perfecting Life. And Anna rejoicing, receives in her old age a babe, the Mother of God, whom we glorify.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
New and godly is the birth-giving of thy holy and God-bearing womb, О pure one; for therein the incarnate holy Son was depicted in human image by the finger of the Father and by the Holy Spirit. Him do we magnify as both God and man without commingling.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
All judgment crieth out against me, for the deeds of my sinful actions lift up their voice to forbid me, and my whole soul knoweth those things whereby it will be condemned, and it trembleth before the flame of Gehenna. О Lady, before the end, from which do thou deliver me by thy prayers.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
After giving birth thou wast shown to be incorrupt, О pure one, for in a manner transcending nature, О Theotokos, thou hast given birth immutably to the Creator of all as a man in the flesh, though He was not separated from the essence of the Father; and through the divine Spirit thou didst remain a Virgin. Wherefore, glorifying thee, we lift our voices in hymnody.
I was very happy that one of our parish-brothers asked for a blessing to chant the canons to the saints of the day during Thursday’s confessions in Nazareth House, with another young brother formatting the canons to St Cyril of Alexandria and St Columba for them to chant together.
As I turned to welcome each penitent before their confession, it was wonderful to see four of our parish brothers praying before the shrine containing an icon of the Saviour and the analoy bearing the icons of the icons of the saints of the day, and to hear the refrains of the canons from the other end of the temple.
On our Facebook page, we are always keen on publishing such liturgical canons: cycles of hymns based around the themes of the Biblical Odes, or Canticles, as they are often called in the west.
A good explanation is to be found on orthowiki, so we will simply quote:
“There are nine Biblical Canticles that are chanted at Matins These form the basis of the Canon, a major component of Matins.
The nine Canticles are as follows:
Canticle One – The (First) Song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-19)
Canticle Two – The (Second) Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:1-43)
Canticle Three – The Prayer of Hannah (I Kings 2:1-10) KJV: 1+Samuel 2:1-10
Canticle Four – The Prayer of Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:1-19)
Canticle Five – The Prayer of Isaiah (Isaiah 26:9-20)
Canticle Six – The Prayer of Jonah (Jonah 2:2-9)
Canticle Seven – The Prayer of the Three Holy Children (Daniel 3:26-56)
Canticle Eight – The Song of the Three Holy Children (Daniel 3:57-88)
Canticle Nine – The Song of the Theotokos (the Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55); the Song of Zacharias (the Benedictus Luke 1:68-79)
Originally, these Canticles were chanted in their entirety every day, with a short refrain inserted between each verse. Eventually, short verses (troparia) were composed to replace these refrains, a process traditionally inaugurated by Saint Andrew of Crete.
Gradually over the centuries, the verses of the Biblical Canticles were omitted (except for the Magnificat) and only the composed troparia were read, linked to the original canticles by an Irmos. During Great Lent however, the original Biblical Canticles are still read.
Another Biblical Canticle, the The Song of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32), is either read or sung at Vespers.”
The canons – usually, but not always appointed to be chanted during matins – are a great liturgical treasure of our Church, and a great accomplishment of Byzantine hymnography, associated with some great hymnographers: St Andrew of Crete, St John of Damascus, St Joseph the Hymnographer.
The first two names are, of course, particularly associated with two of the great liturgical canons: the Great Canon of Repentance, and the Paschal Canon – both of which have a very important place in Orthodox liturgico-spiritual life.
Other canons, which we know particularly well are the Canon of Preparation for Holy Communion, the Penitential Canon included in most Slavic type prayerbooks, and the “three canons”, chanted as part of preparation for Holy Communion in the East Slavic tradition: the Supplicatory Canon to the Saviour (O Sweet/Sweetest Jesus, in the Old and New Rites respectively), the Small Supplicatory Canon to the Mother of God), and the Small Supplicatory Canon to the Guardian Angel).
Current East Slavic praxis tends not to know the Greater Supplicatory Canon to the Mother of God (not a standard part of liturgical tradition in the centuries of the spiritual formation of Rus) known and loved in the Greek world, and the Greater Supplicatory Canon to the Guardian Angel, to be found in Slavic Old Rite prayerbooks.
Pre-Nikonian Psalters contained the canons for the departed, for those who give us alms, and to St Nicholas – so these were, at one time a common component in the prayer-life of the literate.
The brothers of our parish who use the Old Orthodox Prayerbook (from the ROCOR Old Rite parish in Erie, Pennsylvania), have expressed their appreciation for the canon for the sick, largely unknown by the faithful, today.
Supplication to St Varus, for those who have died without Holy Baptism made the canon to the Great-Martyr popular in Russia, Belorus and Ukraine, and similarly the canon to St Paisius for those who have died without repentance. Recourse to both of these saints was reflected by the popularity of cast icons, particularly among Old Believers.
Over the centuries after the reforms of Patriarch Nikon, the growing popularity of akathist hymns (of varying, and sometimes dubious quality) largely supplanted the chanting of canons by many believers, but it is firstly to the canons that we should turn for intercessory prayer and supplication, rather than akathist hymns, as the canons are the liturgical prayers and hymns of the Church – not para-liturgical or optional extras. We should remember that only one akathist hymn is appointed to be chanted liturgically: that to the Mother of God, by St Romanos the Melodist. Conversely, the canons, are part of the sanctified liturgical prayer of the Church… so I would always encourage parishioners to pray the canons first, with the akathist as an extra though still valuable offering.
The faithful would greatly benefit by including the canons in their day-to-day prayer-life, particularly for Great Feasts of the Lord and the Mother of God, and for the feasts of our major saints, as well as regularly praying the various canons for the sick and the departed.
This is easy for those praying in Slavonic, as the Kanonik (according both Old and New Rite texts) is freely available as a unified collection of texts, in print and electronically, but with the wealth of liturgical material available on-line, a little searching will lead those praying in English to a wealth of resources – especially in the monthly menaia to be found online at the ponomar project (https://www.ponomar.net) and at st-sergius.org (http://www.st-sergius.org/services/pent/100.pdf), both also having texts in Slavonic.
Following simple custom, a canon may be chanted just before the end of our morning or evening prayer-rule, followed by “It is Truly Meet” or its festal replacement and just before the usual dismissal of the prayers. Alternatively canons may chanted ‘alone’ with slightly varying orders available on-line.
Parishioners use a variety of different prayerbooks, and I would recommend that British parishioners in particular ensure that any prayerbook they consider buying contains the canons we use week by week, not just for preparing for communion but as a more regular part of Orthodox prayer.
Additionally, I hope that parishioners make the most of freely available resources, and assemble their own ‘kanonik’, so that they always have a source of liturgical prayer freely available in our homes, so that we do not spend times of prayer scrolling down the screen of a mobile phone.
As an extremely geographically dispersed community, the canons in our daily prayers can be a source of liturgical and prayerful unity across the miles, as we mark the feasts and seasons in our homes in the cities, towns and villages in which we live.
Greetings as we celebrate the New Indiction and begin a new Church year.
This is a great sense of newness, this year, as we celebrate not only the New Indiction, but the election of a new First-Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and the accession of a new King to the throne of Great Britain. Both Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, our Metropolitan-Elect and King Charles are in our prayers as we reflect on the passage of time, renewal, endings and new-beginnings.
And, this Church New Year must also be a time of reflection and renewal for each and everyone of us, as we contemplate that time is not infinite and that we must receive this year and every day as a gift from God for our spiritual renewal through repentance and growing in the spiritual life.
Like our departed Metropolitan Hilarion and the late Sovereign, we too will pass from the world when the Lord calls us, at a time of His reckoning and not of our volition.
Mindful of this, we must constantly live with the words of Blessed Seraphim of Platina echoing in our ears. “It’s later than you think!”
Each hour, each day, and each year should bring us closer to God, and see us further perfected and purified, as the image of God is restored in us, but we have to question whether this is the reality of our lives.
In the past year, has the image of Christ become clearer in us? Have we reflected Him ever-clearer, as mirrors polished through prayer, virtue and repentance?
Have we grown closer to Him and have we drawn closer to the Gates of the Kingdom? Or, have we stood still or, indeed, moved one step forward and two steps back?
Have we tackled the spiritual problems and illnesses which beset us and taken the medicine of repentance to recover – even if that medicine is bitter?
Have we sought to overcome the passions which may have held us?
These are the questions to ask as we receive this Church Year as a gift from God: a gift of time and the opportunity to journey towards His outstretched arms and paternal embrace.
But though this should be a time for sobriety, this is not a time for gloom, and we must begin the Indiction thankful not only for a new year, but also for all of the gifts and blessings of the old year: personal blessings, blessings upon our families and parishes, blessings upon the Church and nation and, in the words of the troparion we pray:
“O Fashioner of all creation, Who in Thine authority hast appointed the times and seasons: bless Thou the crown of the year with Thy goodness, O Lord, preserving in peace Orthodox Christians and Thy city, and save us through the prayers of the
May God bless you all, and let us begin this year of grace with spiritual purpose and the clear vision of the spiritual journey before us, as the spiritual destination of every year must be the Kingdom of Heaven and the life of the age to come.
Saint Tikhon of Medin and Kaluga, in his youth received monastic tonsure at the Chudov monastery in Moscow, but through his love for solitude he settled at an isolated spot near Maloyaroslavl. He lived in asceticism in a deep dense forest, on the bank of the River Vepreika, in the hollow of an ancient giant oak. Once, during a hunt, Prince Basil Yaroslavich (grandson of Vladimir the Brave), came upon St Tikhon, angrily ordered him to leave his property immediately, and dared to raise his whip against the monk. At once, the hand of the prince grew numb. Taken aback by such punishment, the prince repented of his conduct and with humility asked forgiveness.
He received healing through the prayer of St Tikhon. The prince entreated the monk to remain always on his property and to build a monastery there for monks, promising to provide it with everything necessary. St Tikhon built a monastery in honour of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, which he headed. He guided the monastery until he reached a great old age, and he died in the year 1492, after receiving the great schema.
St Tikhon’s body was buried at the cathedral church of the monastery he founded. The celebration of St Tikhon was established at the Council of 1584.
The Orthodox Church in America
6/16/2016
Canon of the saint, Tone VIII:
Ode I, Irmos: Having passed through the water as upon dry land, * and having escaped the malice of the Egyptians, * the Israelites cried aloud: * Unto our God and Redeemer let us sing.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Relying wholly upon almighty God, O divinely wise one, through desire and love thou didst furnish thy mind with wings to fly unto Him, that, abiding with Christ, thou mightest inherit eternal life
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Strengthened by trust in our supremely good God, O most blessed Tikhon, by fasting and prayer thou didst strive towards the good things which are to come.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Wondrous was thy life and the humility which thou didst acquire from thy youth, O all-blessed one; wherefore, having cut thyself off from the world, thou didst become a right skilful monk in whom the virtues flourished.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Word of God, incarnate through thy most pure blood, O most pure Virgin, hath made clear to all His great and divine love; for He hath united human nature to the choir of the angels, and lifted it up unto those who dwell in heaven.
Ode III, Irmos: O Lord, Creator of the vault of Heaven * and Builder of the Church, * do Thou strengthen me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, * O Support of the faithful, * O only Lover of mankind.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Through fasting and prayer thou hast acquired great boldness before God, O venerable Tikhon. Him do thou beseech, that He be merciful even unto us.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Spurning transitory things here below, the things above, which are exalted, didst thou love, setting thy God-loving soul afire with divine zeal; and having done the will of the Most High, thou hast received the good things of heaven.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Desiring to enjoy the sweet things which are ever abiding, O venerable one, thou didst subsist on plants grown by thyself in the wilderness; and having thus reached the end of the struggle of thy life, thou dost now delight in everlasting good things.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Sovereign Lady, grant thine aid unto me, thy servant, give me understanding, and guide me to the path of salvation O Virgin. Deliver me from misfortunes and tribulations, for thou hast given birth to the Redemption of all.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone IV: Considering the greatly tumultuous world and ephemeral vanity to be as dust, thou didst please God, acquiring the angelic life; wherefore, we pray, from the corrupting passions deliver us who ever honour thy memory in hymns, O blessed Tikhon our father.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Like a vine which hath not been cultivated, O Virgin, thou didst produce the most comely Grape, Who poureth forth upon us the wine of salvation which gladdeneth the souls and bodies of all. Wherefore, blessing thee as the cause of good things, we ever cry out to thee with the angel: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace!
Ode IV, Irmos: Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I have considered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
With torrents of tears thou didst irrigate the wilderness, O blessed one, sowing therein the seed of thy labors; wherefore, in joy thou didst reap fruit an hundredfold, crying aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Mindful of the final day of this life, O venerable Tikhon, thou didst prepare thyself for thy departure at every hour, adorning thy soul with good works, awaiting the arrival of thy Master.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Tikhon our father, never cease to pray for thy holy monastery and hermitage, which thou didst cultivate with much labour, asking that they be delivered from evil circumstances and all manner of tribulation, that we may all unceasingly hymn thee as a gracious father.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Christ the Lord, the King of all, loving thee as a divinely chosen Maiden, a scion of royal lineage, O Theotokos, wholly dwelt within thee, showing thee to be more exalted than the cherubim and the seraphim.
Ode V, Irmos: Illumine us O Lord with Thy commandments, * and with Thine arm raised on high * grant us Thy peace, * O Lover of mankind!
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Like a right flourishing tree planted by streams of water, O venerable father Tikhon, thou hast put forth the virtues as though they were many branches, receiving under thy shade those who desire salvation.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thou wast a fervent advocate in this life, O our blessed father Tikhon, imparting abundant health unto all by thy mediations; wherefore, we now rely on thy supplication even more, asking that through thee we may receive mercy and the remission of sins.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
By voluntary poverty thou didst acquire the kingdom of heaven; wherefore, thou pourest forth in abundance the gifts of spiritual healings upon all who with faith venerate thy most honoured memory, O Tikhon our venerable father.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The noetic Sun shone forth from thee O Theotokos, extending the brilliant rays of His divinity; wherefore with unceasing hymns, we all magnify thee O Sovereign Lady.
Ode VI, Irmos: I will pour out my prayer unto the Lord, * and to Him will I proclaim my grief; * for my soul is filled with evils, * and my life unto Hades hath drawn nigh, * and like Jonah I pray unto Thee: * Raise me up from corruption, O God.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thy precious body poureth forth great healing upon those who approach thy salutary tomb with faith, O Tikhon our father.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
By thine unceasing prayers unto God, O Tikhon our father, thou didst attain to the mansions of heaven, where the ineffable Light and the delight of the venerable are, with whom thou standest before the God of all, O father Tikhon.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst consider night to be like day, O blessed one, for thou gavest no rest to thy body, nor sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids, until thou didst reach the resting-place of heaven.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
By thy supplications tear apart the record of my transgressions, and grant me release from the grief and sufferings which beset me, O Sovereign Lady.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone VIII: Forsaking thy homeland, O venerable one, thou didst make thine abode in the wilderness, * where thou didst show thy manner of life to be strict; * and amazing many by thy virtues, * thou didst receive from Christ the gift of miracles. * Wherefore, remember us who honour thy memory, that we may cry out to thee: ** Rejoice, O venerable Tikhon our father!
Ikos: Loving the divine commandments of Christ, O Tikhon our venerable father, and hating the delights of this world, thou didst leave thy homeland and eagerly hasten to the wilderness; and thou wast a beacon therein, enlightening those parts with the effulgence of the Spirit. Wherefore, approaching thy healing tomb with fervour, we cry out to thee: Rejoice, O Tikhon our venerable father!
Ode VII, Irmos: In Babylon, the pious youths did not worship the golden image, * but, bedewed in the midst of the fiery furnace, * they chanted a hymn, saying: * O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thou didst struggle manfully in the wilderness and, receiving the effulgence of the Spirit, wast caught up to the heights of heaven, O venerable father Tikhon, where thou art now glorified with the angels.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
In the wilderness thou didst curb thy tongue with silence, O Tikhon our father, leading an untroubled life like an angel in the flesh.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Truly thou hast been deemed worthy of a good life, O venerable father Tikhon, obtaining it through purity and asceticism; and now thou standest before God with the ranks of the incorporeal beings.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The mind of man is at a loss as to how to understand the ineffable depths of thy birthgiving, O pure one; for, abasing Himself in His tender compassion, God hath made me wholly new by His incarnation.
Ode VIII, Irmos: The King of heaven, * Who is glorified by the hosts of angels, * let us praise and supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thou didst water the ground of thy heart with torrents of tears, O Tikhon our venerable father, and, standing immovably in prayer, thou didst glorify the Creator of all.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
By thy watchful vigils and frequent sighs, O blessed father Tikhon, the grace of the Holy Spirit grew within thee revealing thee as glorious.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
By the sufferings of asceticism and thy valiant struggles, O most blessed father Tikhon, thou didst cause the divine grain to grow, wherewith thou dost feed those who piously honour thy memory.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O most good Sovereign Lady who hast given birth in the flesh to the supremely good God, purify my heart, which hath been tormented by the passions, that I may glorify thee with faith and love.
Ode IX, Irmos: Saved by thee, O pure Virgin, * we confess thee to be truly the Theotokos, * and together with the choirs of the bodiless hosts * thee do we magnify.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
In the depths of thy tears thou didst drown the serpent, the author of evil, O venerable father Tikhon, and as an excellent victor thou hast ascended to the heavens, where with the choirs of the angels thou dost unceasingly glorify the God of all.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thou wast possessed of a guileless life, adorned with the sweat of suffering, O all-praised and venerable father Tikhon; wherefore, thy spirit was filled with divine joy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Arrayed as with a royal crown, the city of Kaluga boasteth in thee O our venerable father Tikhon; having thy relics within its environs as a goodly guardian given it by the Lord.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O all-hymned Virgin who hast given birth unto God in the flesh, show forth those who glorify thee as ones who share in the divine light, and by thy supplications deliver us from the fire of Gehenna and from all the harm of the enemy.
Troparion, Tone IV: O Tikhon our venerable father, * thou wast shown to be a most radiant beacon in the midst of the Russian land; * for, having made thine abode in the wilderness * and led a strict way of life therein, * thou didst live like an incorporeal being, * for which cause God hath enriched thee with the gift of miracles. * Wherefore, hastening to the shrine of thy relics, * we say with compunction: ** O venerable father, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.
The Canon to Our Holy Father, St Cyril of Alexandria, the Acrostic Whereof Is: “Cyril Is the Harp of Divine Visions”
The Composition of Theophanes, in Tone IV.
Ode I, Irmos: Through the deep of the Red Sea, * marched dry-shod Israel of old, * and by Moses’ outstretched hands, * raised in the form of a cross, * the power of Amalek was routed in the wilderness.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Receiving light-giving grace from God, O Cyril, and revealed as a radiant beacon, thou hast shone forth noetic rays upon us by thy commemoration, that we may hymn thee as is meet.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
As a keeper of the commandments of Christ thou wast full of the effulgence of the Spirit, O most wise Cyril, having been cleansed of the passions; thou didst truly become a dwelling-place of the most divine Trinity.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As one full of zeal and boldness, O glorious Cyril, contending for the right Faith thou hast truly denounced the God-opposing blasphemies of impious heresies.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In giving birth to the Creator of all, Who raised up us who had been humbled by the fall of our first father, O all-immaculate Bride of God, thou hast thereby healed the broken state of mankind.
Ode III, Irmos: Thy Church, O Christ, rejoiceth in Thee crying aloud: * Thou, O Lord, art my strength, * my refuge and foundation.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Strengthened in Christ, O Cyril, with a steadfast mind thou didst destroy the wiles of the evil serpent like a spider’s web.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Thou didst shake off the mire of the passions from thy soul, O Cyril, and cast down the uprising of every thought which exalteth itself against Christ.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As a successful spiritual athlete, O father, thou didst steadily turn away from every carnal pleasure, as being harmful and detrimental.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
With joy we all exceedingly glorify thee as the only blessed one among women who became the habitation of God.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Awed by the beauty of thy virginity …”: As a pillar and sacrifice of the Church of Christ, O father, thou didst most wisely preserve it unshaken by the temptations of the evil one; for thou didst destroy all the evil works of Nestorius, proclaiming the Mother of God to be the Theotokos. Wherefore, having assembled, we honour thee, O divinely blessed Cyril.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Doxasticon from the Pentecostarion, or this Theotokion in Tone III: As an uncultivated vine, O Virgin, * thou didst sprout forth the most-comely Cluster of grapes * Which poureth forth upon us the wine of salvation * making glad the souls and bodies of all. * Wherefore, ever blessing thee as the cause of good things, * with the angel we cry out to thee: ** Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace!
Stavrotheotokion: Thy pure unwedded Mother, O Christ, * upon seeing Thee hanging dead upon the Cross, * said, weeping maternally: * “How hath the iniquitous and thankless council of the Jews * repaid Thy many and great wonders, O my Son, * Thou Who hast filled them with Thy gifts? ** I hymn Thy divine condescension!”
Ode IV, Irmos: Beholding Thee, the Sun of righteousness, * lifted up upon the cross, * the Church now standeth arrayed and doth worthily cry aloud: * Glory be to Thy power, O Lord.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Seeing thee, O God-bearing father Cyril, who hath vanquished soul-corrupting passions and restrained carnal thoughts, Christ set thee as a primate of His divine Church.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Inheriting the paternal virtue of Mark as a beloved son, thou wast a successor of his divine throne, following in the footsteps of the evangelist.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Tended by Christ like a lamb, O father, thou didst pasture like a shepherd, thy flock, on thy spiritually nourishing discourses, feeding them grace as though it were grass and flowers.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Giving birth to the incarnate Word of God Who before was incorporeal, O all-hymned and most joyous one, thou hast restored the world. Wherefore, O Bride of God, with Orthodox faith we proclaim thee.
Ode V, Irmos: Thou, O Lord, who camest into the world, * art my light, * a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance * those who sing Thy praises in faith.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Thy discourse, O Cyril, likened to a mighty torrent which floOdeth rivers, hath scoured away the craftiness of the heretics.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
The vile division of Arius and the abominable mingling of Sabellius hast thou equally consigned to the abyss, O Cyril.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Cyril, like treasuries of gold and precious stones, thou hast left to the Church of Christ thine enriching discourses.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Let heaven sprinkle down gladness and grace upon the earth, for it now sendeth on high gladness, the only Mother of God.
Ode VI,Irmos: The church crieth out unto Thee O Lord, * ‘I will sacrifice unto Thee with a voice of praise’ * having been cleansed of the blood of the demons’ * by the blood that for mercy’s sake flowed from Thy side.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
With tongs the seraph gave the prophet an ember, and by thy hands, O initiate of the sacred mysteries, thou hast given to the Church of Christ a purifying ember from the divine Fire.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Thou didst not destroy aliens as did Samson, but cast down all the foreign doctrines of the heterodox, giving might to the Orthodox, O Cyril.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Manifestly heading the divinely elect council, O father, thou didst cast down the impiety of Nestorius and his Christ-opposing audacity, O father, breathing forth with zeal for the true Mother of God.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou didst bud forth the Fruit of incorrupt understanding, O Birthgiver of God, being revealed to the world as an ever-living mediator of incorruption for those who hymn thee with faith and love.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, in Tone VI: Spec. Mel.: “Fulfilling the dispensation …”: Thou hast manifestly poured forth upon us * an abyss of the doctrines of theology * from the wellsprings of the Saviour, * drowning heresies and saving thy flock unharmed * from the threefold waves, O blessed Cyril, ** as a guide for all lands, revealing things divine, O venerable one.
Ikos: When the great, beauteous and radiant sun showeth itself at dawn, darkness is driven away and the moon retreateth, for night cannot abide therein: Shining forth with the light of day, it illumineth the air, revealing the sky as beautiful, and adorning the earth, causing plants to grow therein, it also maketh bright the sea, and adorneth the whole world. Alike in all is the most radiant Cyril, whose wise teachings save the world. For he illumineth the souls of the faithful therewith and ever vanquisheth heresies with piety; for he is a guide for all lands, revealing divine things.
Ode VII, Irmos: In the Persian furnace the youths and descendants of Abraham, * burning with a love of piety * rather than by a flame of fire, * cried aloud saying: * Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Of old Moses, entered the darkness on Mount Sinai, and received the law which slayeth by the letter; but thou, O blessed Cyril, hast disclosed the hidden beauty of the Spirit.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
As revelation was manifest to the children of old in the indistinct images of the law, O father, thou, having lifted the lid from the cup given thee, hast opened it like a rose of understanding, making manifest in speech the images.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Theologizing that the three Hypostases are an uncommingled indivisible divine unity but manifestly distinct, O father Cyril, thou didst utter immutable truths concerning the one Essence and Godhead.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The angels beheld strange things in thy birthgiving, O Mother of God: the corrupt nature of the race of mortals hastening toward the life of incorruption and the glory of heaven.
Ode VIII, Irmos: Having spread his hands, Daniel closed the lions jaws * in their den; * while the zealously pious youths, * girded with virtue, * quenched the power of the fire and cried aloud: * Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Like a wave of the sea the well-spring of wisdom truly flowed forth in thee; for ever-flowing rivers of the doctrines of piety issued forth from within thee, as Christ foretold, O father; for thy divinely chosen words surpass in number, the sands.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
Thou wast a wise pastor and teacher of the Church, O venerable Cyril, manifestly interpreting both covenants; for, possessing thy discourses as an anchor and a paternal inheritance, it crieth aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou hast taught that the indivisible, uncommingled, and ineffable union of the Word, the Fashioner of all, Who for our sake assumed flesh, O Cyril, pointed towards an individual will for each nature, crying aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Son and Word of God Who is wholly unapproachable in His essence, made His abode within thee, O most pure one, and, clothing Himself in our essence, in that He is merciful, He appeared accessible in the flesh and dwelt with us who cry aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Ode IX, Irmos: Eve dwelt under the curse of sin * because of the infirmity of disobedience; * but thou, O Virgin Theotokos, * hast through the Offspring of thy pregnancy * blossomed forth blessing upon the world. * Wherefore, we all magnify thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
O Cyril, thou didst cast down the disdain directed against the understanding of Christ and His divine Mother, and all the might of the ungodly Nestorius, as well as the dual son-ship, and the mingling of essences of the Acephalites.
Hierarch of Christ, Cyril, pray to God for us.
With the power of understanding and the enlightenment of grace, O blessed one, thou didst theologize concerning the consubstantial Trinity and the incarnate Word of God; showing thyself to be a champion of the Theotokos, wherefore thou art now glorified in the highest.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O ever-memorable father, thou dost mercifully look down from on high upon us who hymn thee, granting victory over all heresies to our right-believing hierarchs, by thy supplications lifting up the horn of the Orthodox, and illumining those who magnify thy memory.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Beset by many falls and the cruelty of misfortunes, O all-hymned one, I now offer thee a sacrifice of praise and earnestly cry out to thee: O holy Theotokos, help me, for I finish my hymnody glorifying thee.
Troparion, Tone VIII: Teacher of Orthodoxy, instructor of piety and chastity, * luminary of the Church, God-inspired instructor of Hierarchs, * O supremely wise Cyril, thou hast illumined all by thy teaching; * O harp of the Spirit entreat Christ God that our souls be saved.
THE PASCHAL PANIKHIDA FOR USE AT THE GRAVE-SIDE, OR IN THE HOME OR MONASTIC CELL.
As we resume memorials for the departed, we commemorate them in this Thomas Week with the Paschal Order of the Panikhida, praying for our departed in the joy of the Resurrection, resounding with the Paschal greeting: Christ is Risen.
The order here is for use by the laity, whether that is at home or at the grave-side.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy upon us. Amen.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life (Thrice).
Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Him flee from before His face.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.
As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish, as wax melteth before the fire.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.
So let sinners perish at the presence of God, and let the righteous be glad.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.
This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad therein.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.
Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)
Prayer: Remember, O Lord our God, Thy servants, N., who have reposed in the Faith and hope of life eternal, and in that Thou art good and the Lover of mankind, Who remittest sins and blottest out iniquities, do Thou loose, remit and pardon all their sins, voluntary and involuntary. Deliver them from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant unto them the communion and delight of Thine eternal good things prepared for them that love Thee. For though they have sinned, yet have they not forsaken Thee, and they undoubtedly believed in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; and even until their last breath did they confess Thee in Orthodox fashion: God glorified in Trinity, Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. Wherefore, be Thou merciful unto them and reckon their faith in Thee, rather than their deeds, and in that Thou art compassionate, grant them rest with Thy saints; for there is no man that liveth and doth not sin. But Thou alone art wholly without sin, and Thy truth is forever; and Thou alone art the God of mercies, and compassion, and love for mankind, and unto Thee do we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Paschal Canon – 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!
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.
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.
Prayer: Remember, O Lord our God, Thy servants, N., who have reposed in the Faith and hope of life eternal, and in that Thou art good and the Lover of mankind, Who remittest sins and blottest out iniquities, do Thou loose, remit and pardon all their sins, voluntary and involuntary. Deliver them from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant unto them the communion and delight of Thine eternal good things prepared for them that love Thee. For though they have sinned, yet have they not forsaken Thee, and they undoubtedly believed in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; and even until their last breath did they confess Thee in Orthodox fashion: God glorified in Trinity, Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. Wherefore, be Thou merciful unto them and reckon their faith in Thee, rather than their deeds, and in that Thou art compassionate, grant them rest with Thy saints; for there is no man that liveth and doth not sin. But Thou alone art wholly without sin, and Thy truth is forever; and Thou alone art the God of mercies, and compassion, and love for mankind, and unto Thee do we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto 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.
Katavasia: May divinely speaking Habakkuk …
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.
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.
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.
Prayer: Remember, O Lord our God, Thy servants, N., who have reposed in the Faith and hope of life eternal, and in that Thou art good and the Lover of mankind, Who remittest sins and blottest out iniquities, do Thou loose, remit and pardon all their sins, voluntary and involuntary. Deliver them from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant unto them the communion and delight of Thine eternal good things prepared for them that love Thee. For though they have sinned, yet have they not forsaken Thee, and they undoubtedly believed in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; and even until their last breath did they confess Thee in Orthodox fashion: God glorified in Trinity, Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. Wherefore, be Thou merciful unto them and reckon their faith in Thee, rather than their deeds, and in that Thou art compassionate, grant them rest with Thy saints; for there is no man that liveth and doth not sin. But Thou alone art wholly without sin, and Thy truth is forever; and Thou alone art the God of mercies, and compassion, and love for mankind, and unto Thee do we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion for the departed, tone 8: With the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the souls of Thy servants, where there is neither pain, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting.
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.
Jesus, having risen from the grave as He foretold, hath given us eternal life and great mercy.
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.
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 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.
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.
Katavasia: Shine, shine…
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the graves bestowing life (Thrice).
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Prayer: Remember, O Lord our God, Thy servants, N., who have reposed in the Faith and hope of life eternal, and in that Thou art good and the Lover of mankind, Who remittest sins and blottest out iniquities, do Thou loose, remit and pardon all their sins, voluntary and involuntary. Deliver them from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant unto them the communion and delight of Thine eternal good things prepared for them that love Thee. For though they have sinned, yet have they not forsaken Thee, and they undoubtedly believed in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; and even until their last breath did they confess Thee in Orthodox fashion: God glorified in Trinity, Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. Wherefore, be Thou merciful unto them and reckon their faith in Thee, rather than their deeds, and in that Thou art compassionate, grant them rest with Thy saints; for there is no man that liveth and doth not sin. But Thou alone art wholly without sin, and Thy truth is forever; and Thou alone art the God of mercies, and compassion, and love for mankind, and unto Thee do we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Troparia, tone 4: With the spirits of the righteous give rest, O Savior, to the souls of Thy departed servants and keep them in the blessed life with Thee, O Lover of man.
In the place of Thy rest, O Lord, where all Thy Saints repose give rest also to the souls of Thy servants, for Thou alone art the Lover of men.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou art the God Who descended to hell and loosed the chains of the captives. Give rest, O Lord, to the souls of Thy servants.
Now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
O only pure and immaculate Virgin, who without seed didst bear God, pray to Him that their souls may be saved.
Lord, have mercy. (Forty times)
Prayer: Remember, O Lord our God, Thy servants, N., who have reposed in the Faith and hope of life eternal, and in that Thou art good and the Lover of mankind, Who remittest sins and blottest out iniquities, do Thou loose, remit and pardon all their sins, voluntary and involuntary. Deliver them from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant unto them the communion and delight of Thine eternal good things prepared for them that love Thee. For though they have sinned, yet have they not forsaken Thee, and they undoubtedly believed in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; and even until their last breath did they confess Thee in Orthodox fashion: God glorified in Trinity, Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. Wherefore, be Thou merciful unto them and reckon their faith in Thee, rather than their deeds, and in that Thou art compassionate, grant them rest with Thy saints; for there is no man that liveth and doth not sin. But Thou alone art wholly without sin, and Thy truth is forever; and Thou alone art the God of mercies, and compassion, and love for mankind, and unto Thee do we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
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. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Lord, bless.
Christ our True God, Who art risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the graves bestowing life, through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother and all Thy saints, grant the souls of Thy departed servants, N., to dwell in the abode of all Thy saints, and number them among the righteous, and have mercy on us, for Thou art good and the Lover of mankind. Amen
Give rest eternal, O Lord, in blessed repose, to the souls of Thy departed servants, our fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters N., and make their memory eternal.
MEMORY ETERNAL. (Thrice)
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and on those in the graves bestowing life (Thrice).
And has bestowed on us life eternal, we worship His resurrection on the third day.
The first canon, in tone IV
I was very happy that one of our parish-brothers asked for a blessing to chant the canons to the saints of the day during Thursday’s confessions in Nazareth House, with another young brother formatting the canons to St Cyril of Alexandria and St Columba for them to chant together.
The canons – usually, but not always appointed to be chanted during matins – are a great liturgical treasure of our Church, and a great accomplishment of Byzantine hymnography, associated with some great hymnographers: St Andrew of Crete, St John of Damascus, St Joseph the Hymnographer.
