Category Archives: Saints

Canons for the Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos

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Two canons of the holy and righteous Anna.

Canon I, composition of Andrew, in Tone I.

Ode I, Irmos: Let us all chant a triumphant hymn unto God * Who wrought wondrous miracles * with His upraised arm, * and saved Israel, * for He hath been glorified.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

O divinely wise Anna, we celebrate thy conception today, for, loosed of the bonds of barrenness, thou didst conceive her who contained Him Who is in nowise contained.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Thou didst hearken to the supplication of the righteous ones, didst fulfil the vow of Thy holy forebears, O Lord, and didst give them a fruit: the pure one who gave Thee birth.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

The glorious Anna now conceiveth the pure one who conceived the supremely good, incorporeal Lord, and who will give birth in the flesh unto Christ.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

From a corruptible womb didst thou shine forth, O Virgin, for in thine incorrupt womb thou didst bear the Sun of glory Who became as we are, save for change and confusion.

Canon II, the acrostic whereof is the alphabet, in the same tone.

Irmos: Christ is born, render ye glory. * Christ cometh from heaven, meet ye Him. * Christ is on earth, be ye exalted. * O all the earth, sing unto the Lord, * and sing praises in gladness, O ye people, * for He hath been glorified.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Anna, receiving in her womb the pure Virgin and divine Maiden who will become the Mother of the Creator, cried out with joy: “All ye tribes of Israel, rejoice with me! For, behold! I have conceived!”

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

Anna, holding in her womb the book which the prophet foretold, which was sealed by the divine Spirit, cried out to all: “All the scriptures proclaim her! I am magnified, putting her forth this day!”

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The temple of the divine Saviour is contained and formed in her mother’s womb.  The ladder is set up which leadeth all men on high, whose conception we celebrate with faith.

Ode III, Canon I, Irmos: Let my heart be established in Thy will O Christ God, * Who hath established a second heaven over the waters, * and founded the earth upon the waters, * O all-powerful One.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Anna cried to the Lord: “If Thou wilt grant fruit to my womb, I shall be magnified, and will offer it to Thee.” Therefore, she conceived the pure Mother of God.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Having observed the provisions of the law and served God blamelessly, O most honourable Anna, thou truly bearest in thy womb her who wilt give birth unto the Giver of the law. Wherefore, we, the faithful, call thee blessed.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

When thou didst pray in the garden, thou didst hear the voice of the Most High, O divinely wise Anna; and He gaveth fruit to thy womb: the portal which by grace shall open paradise.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Dispel all the barrenness of my fruitless mind, and show forth my soul to be fruitful in the virtues, O all-holy Theotokos, thou help of the faithful.

Canon II, Irmos: To the Son who was begotten of the Father * without change before all ages, * and in the last times, without seed, was made flesh of the Virgin, * to Christ our God let us cry aloud: * Thou hast raised up our horn, holy art Thou, O Lord.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Entreating the Lord, Joachim receiveth from on high the message he desired when an angel appeared before him and said: “Depart, O righteous man, for the God of all hath fulfilled thy petitions.”

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

Calling upon the God of all, Anna once, standing in the garden, beheld an angel, who appeared before her, saying: “Be thou not downcast, for thou shalt become the mother of the Mother of God!”

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

When thou, O Anna, full of zeal, didst offer up supplications to God, thou didst
conceive in thy womb the pure one who without seed hast received the infinite Word, and thou hast imparted grace to us all in thy fertility.

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

Sessional Hymn, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “O Thou Who wast lifted up upon the Cross …”: The sacred Joachim and Anna offered a gift to the priests of old, but it was not accepted, for they were barren; but they made entreaty to the Giver of all things, and, hearkening to their prayer, He granteth them the Tree of Life, whose holy conception we honour.

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

Spec. Mel. “Joseph marvelled …”: The divinely adorned Mary, the unblemished ewe-lamb and most pure bridal-chamber, now most gloriously beginneth to issue forth from the righteous ones, O ye faithful. Be glad henceforth, O heaven and earth; and all ye born on earth, exult! For this day hath God wrought most glorious things, showing forth in the womb the one Virgin, the fruit of a barren woman. Her do we hymn with faith.

Ode IV, Canon I, Irmos: Foreseeing in the Spirit O Prophet Habbakuk, * the incarnation of the Word, * thou didst proclaim, crying aloud: * When the years draw nigh, Thou shalt be known; * when the season cometh, Thou shalt be shown forth! * Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

“O the divine proclamation! O the strange report, if I shall conceive!” Anna cried out, amazed, to the angel who was sent to her. “Glory be to my God, Who hath wrought marvellous things!”

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

“Rejoice with me, all ye tribes of Israel! I have conceived in my womb a new heaven, from which Jesus, the Bestower of life, shall in time shine forth!” Anna cried, rejoicing.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

God hearkened to the sighs of Anna; the Lord attended to her supplication and, dispelling the cloud of her childlessness, He most gloriously illumineth her with the light of fertility. Wherefore, she conceiveth her who alone is pure.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

O Virgin Theotokos, undefiled tabernacle, with the most pure sprinkling of the compassions cleanse me now who have been defiled by transgressions, and grant me a helping hand, that I may cry: glory to thee, O pure and divinely glorious one!

Canon II, Irmos: Rod of the root of Jesse, * and flower that blossomed from his stem, * O Christ, Thou hast sprung from the Virgin. * From the Mountain overshadowed by the forest * Thou hast come, made flesh from her that knew not wedlock, * O God who art not formed from matter. * Glory to Thy power, O Lord.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Thy womb, which before bore no children, hath been opened, O Anna, and receiveth the heavenly cloud, from whence the radiant Sun, shining forth upon us, hath illumined all with the light of truth and driven away the profound darkness of ungodliness.

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

The fiery throne of God hath been set up in thy womb, O blessed Anna, acceptable to God, and, seated thereon, He hath rested and taken away the labours of all the pious; and He hath planted the pure knowledge of God on earth.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Behold, thou hast received in thy womb the bower which Solomon described beforehand, most truly preserved for the true King, for the divine restoration and conversion of the human race. Wherefore, O Anna, we bless thee with joy.

Ode V, Canon, Irmos: Grant us Thy peace, O Son of God, * for we know no other God than Thee, * and we call upon Thy Name, * for Thou art the God of the living and the dead.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Springing forth from the root of Jesse and David, Anna now beginneth to put forth the divine shoot which shall give rise to Christ, the mystic Flower, the Creator of all.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

“The people look upon me who am become a mother, and marvel;” Anna cried, “for, lo! I shall give birth, as is the good pleasure of Him Who loosed the bonds of my barrenness!”

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

“The voices of the prophets proclaimed from afar the Maiden whom I have conceived, to be the mountain and the impassable gate!” Anna cried out most joyfully to those who came to her.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

O pure Virgin Mother, we know thee to be the cloud, paradise and portal of light, the fleece, the jar bearing Manna within, the sweetness of the world.

Canon II, Irmos: As Thou art the God of peace and Father of compassions, * Thou hast sent unto us Thine Angel of great counsel, * granting us peace. * Wherefore guided towards the light of the knowledge of God, * and watching by night we glorify Thee, * O Lover of mankind.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Joachim descended from the mountain, not receiving tablets of the law, but her whom the law prefigured and whom all the sayings of the prophets revealed the Mother of God. And, dancing, he cried aloud: “My heart hath been magnified!”

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

When Anna felt in her womb the divinely fruitful branch which had been planted there, from whom the ripe Cluster would blossom forth which abundantly poureth forth upon us the wine of immortality, she exclaimed: “What shall I render unto Thee, O compassionate Lord?”

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Joachim, unable to endure the sight of creation bereft of piety, prayed that the barrenness of Anna might pass, and that she would conceive that Maiden to whom a Son would be given; the Most Exalted One Who bringeth about the adoption of all to His Father.

Ode VI, Canon I, Irmos: Emulating the Prophet Jonah, I cry aloud: * Free Thou my life from corruption, O Good One; * and save me who crieth out: * O Saviour of the world, Glory be to Thee!

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

How can she who contained God in her womb be contained? How can she who gave birth unto Christ in the flesh be born? How can she who nourished the Creator with milk take nourishment at a woman’s breast?

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Hearkening unto your entreaty, O all-praised Joachim and Anna, God this day doth now grant you fertile fruit.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Having conceived the pure dove in her womb, Anna was truly filled with spiritual joy, offering hymns of thanksgiving unto God.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The threefold waves of wicked thoughts, the assaults of the passions and the abyss of sins bestorm my wretched soul. Help me, O holy Lady!

Canon II, Irmos: The sea monster spat forth Jonah as it had received him, * like a babe from the womb: * while the Word, having dwelt in the Virgin and taken flesh, * came forth from her yet kept her incorrupt. * For being Himself not subject to decay. * He preserved His Mother free from all harm.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

“The shadows of the law are manifestly transcended; for, lo! the ray of divine grace is shown forth: the cloud who is the Virgin, from whence the radiant Sun of the Godhead shall truly shine forth!” Anna cried out, rejoicing and magnifying the God of Israel.

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

“A strange sight will it be if I, who before was barren and childless, conceive,” Anna said when she heard the angel announce that she would give birth to a child; and she cried aloud: “Better than any good report will be the fulfilment of thy words!”

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Let the mountains and hills, the fields and the sea, the multitude of the angels and all human nature be glad; for Anna received the divine temple of the Master, the beginning of our reconciliation. And when she sensed that she had conceived, she cried aloud.

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

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

Kontakion, Tone IV, Spec. Mel.: “Thou hast appeared today …”: Today the whole world doth celebrate Anna’s conceiving, * which was brought about by God; ** for she gave birth unto her who ineffably gave birth unto the Word.

Ikos: The wondrous Joachim and the divinely wise Anna, living together in all piety according to the law of Moses, were childless; and they prayed to God with all their heart, saying: “O supremely good Lord of hosts, Thou help of all: Thou knowest the pain, reproach and grief of childlessness. Wherefore, grant us fruit of the womb, and Ye will bring to Thy temple as a; sacred gift and perfect offering her who ineffably giveth birth unto the Word!”

Ode VII, Canon I, Irmos: Thy children who were in the furnace O Saviour, * were neither touched nor troubled by the fire. * Whereupon the three sang, as with a single mouth * Thy praises and blessed Thee, saying: * ‘O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou.’

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Anna entreated the Master of all, that she might escape the reproach of childlessness; and, hearkening unto her pitiful cry, He granted her as fruit her who gave birth to Him, as was His good pleasure.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

O Anna, the weaving of a robe of royal purple beginneth in thy womb, wherewith God, the King of all, having clothed Himself, appeareth unto men and layeth low the enemies which war against us.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

In thy womb, O Anna, didst thou conceive the fragrant myrrh who, in a manner transcending nature, received the Master, the Myrrh of life, Who perfumeth our thoughts with the wafted scents of grace.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

We glorify Thee as One of the Trinity, O Christ; for, incarnate of the Virgin without change, Thou didst assume full humanity, without separation from the Father’s nature, though Thou didst unite Thyself to us.

Canon II,  Irmos: Scorning the impious decree of the godless one, * the Children brought up together in godliness * feared not the threat of fire, * but standing in the midst of the flames, they sang: * O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

The fire-bearing bush of old, which Moses beheld upon Sinai, hath Anna conceived in her childless womb, and it consumeth the fire as impiety, for those who chant: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

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

A drop, O Anna, hath now been most gloriously poured into thy womb, which hath contained all the Water of life within it, bedewing those who cry out with faith thereto: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

As thou didst behold the bird’s nest, thou wast furnished with wings by the Spirit and prayer; and thou didst receive the unblemished turtle-dove who beareth Christ, the olive branch Who freeth us from the noetic deluge, O Anna.

Ode VIII, Canon I, Irmos: Him of whom the angels and all the hosts of heaven are in awe * as their Lord and Creator, * ye priests hymn, ye children praise, * ye peoples bless and supremely exalt * throughout all ages.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

“Behold! I receive in my womb the Queen whom David foretold,” cried Anna, “and I shall give birth unto the intercessor for all the faithful, who will give birth unto Christ the King!”

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

The land in which the Creator of earth made His abode, the holy sceptre, the new ark, the jar of Manna who gave birth to Him, beginneth to bud forth in her mother’s womb.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

The unburnt bush, the golden candle-stand, the animate bridal-chamber of the Lord God, the precious staff who gave birth to Him, beginneth to bud forth in her mother’s womb.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Raise me up who lie in the abyss of evils, and vanquish the enemies that now engage me in battle. Disdain me not who am wounded by countless pleasures, O good and pure one, but take pity and save me.

Canon II, Irmos: The furnace moist with dew showed forth an image * of a wonder past nature, * for it burned not the youths whom it had received; * neither did the fire of the Godhead consume the Virgin * when it descended into her womb. * Wherefore, chanting, we sing: * Let all creation bless the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

As Thou didst foretell through the prophets, O Master, Anna once cried out: “What hast Thou done for my childless womb and my withered breasts? Loose Thou the disgrace of my childlessness and grant me a fruit with whom I may cry aloud: Let all creation bless the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!”

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

O Anna, the lamp-stand hath entered thy womb, she who mystically contained the divine Lamp Who illumineth every creature with the effulgence of the knowledge of God. Wherefore, rejoicing, thou didst cry aloud: “Let all creation bless the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!”

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Joachim and Anna, as a most comely husband and wife, bring forth the divine heifer, from whom the beautiful Bullock will shine forth, Who was slaughtered for all, and they chant: “Let all creation bless the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!”

Ode IX, Canon I, Irmos: The ever-flowing wellspring of life, * light-bearing candlestick of grace, * the animate temple, and most pure cloud, * wider than the heavens and the earth, * the Theotokos do we the faithful magnify.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Conceiving the Life-receiving well-spring, O divinely wise Anna, receive joy now, taking the holy temple into thy womb, magnifying her who is radiant with the light of the Creator’s righteousness.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Let Joachim and Anna be honoured: the honourable and most glorious twain, the forebears of the pre-eternal Son, the renowned observers of the law, who gave birth to the first-fruits of joy.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Let us hymn the Virgin Theotokos, whom Daniel beheld as a great mountain, whom Joel saw as a holy land, whom Isaiah perceived as an impassable gate, and another prophet foretold as a sealed fountain and divine fleece.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Let the Virgin Theotokos be glorified: the purple which dyed the fleece of the ineffable incarnation of the Word, the golden lamp-stand, the table on which Christ, the Bread of life, was set forth.

Canon II, Irmos: A strange and most wondrous mystery do I see: * the cave is heaven; * the Virgin the throne of the cherubim; * the manger a room, in which Christ God, * whom nothing can contain, is laid. * Whom we praise and magnify.

Holy and righteous ancestor of God, Anna, pray to God for us.

Dance ye all and leap up! Now hath the earth been prepared which, without being ploughed, will produce the life-bearing Grain, eating of which those who magnify His goodness will hunger no more.

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

O David, take up thy psaltery and harp and chant! Behold, the ark of God hath appeared which thou didst foretell would be for our edification. Thereby have we arisen from our fall into sin.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Like two magnificent stars ye bore forth the most radiant beam who shineth forth the great Sun upon the world. Wherefore, we praise and glorify you, O Joachim and Anna, as divinely wise.

Troparion, Tone IV: Today, the bonds of barrenness are loosed, * for God, hearkening unto Joachim and Anna, * doth manifestly promise unto them who, beyond all expectation, * will give birth to the divine Maiden, * from whom the Infinite One Himself, becoming a man, shall be born. * And He commandeth the angels to cry unto her: ** Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee!

The Canon to St Patapios of Thebes

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Canon for the Venerable One, Tone II.

Ode I, Irmos: In the deep of old the infinite Power overwhelmed Pharaoh’s whole army. * But the Incarnate Word annihilated pernicious sin. * Exceedingly glorious is the Lord, * for gloriously hath He been glorified.

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

I pray thee, O venerable Patapios: Beseech the Lord Who driveth away the clouds of ignorance, that He grant a ray of grace from heaven unto me who desirest to praise the splendid achievements of thy radiant life.

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

He Who of old covered the Egyptians with the deep by divine command, having drawn thee forth as from the abyss of the world’s turmoil, illumined thee with divine splendours and showed thee forth as a most radiant star, O venerable father.

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

Burning with the fervour of the Spirit like a noetic ember, O venerable one, thou didst drive away the gloom of the demons and didst quench the fiery darts of sin; and being most pure thou wast led to the summit of dispassion.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Granting the world deliverance from the ancient curse, the Redeemer was born from thee, O Virgin, He Who hath shown the venerable Patapios to be a wellspring of healing for all who have recourse to him in faith.

Ode III, Irmos: The desert of the barren Church of the nations * blossomed like a lily * at Thy coming, O Lord, * therein hath my heart been established.

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

Having thoroughly watered the field of thy soul with streams of tears, thou didst bring forth the divine grain of good works which is stored in the granaries on high.

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

Armed with love as with a sword, and protected thereby as with a shield, O venerable one, thou didst destroy legions of demons by thy divine humility.

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

Like a lily didst thou sprout the blossom of abstinence, O venerable one, perfuming the hearts of those who hymn thee and celebrate thy memory with love.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Borne upon the arms of her who gave birth to Thee, O Lord, by Thy might Thou didst destroy the idols of Egypt, from whence a multitude of the venerable sprang forth.

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

Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII, Spec. Mel. “Of the Wisdom …”: The flame of the passions didst thou quench with streams of fasting and abstinence, pouring forth an abyss of wonders upon all, and like another Moses, thou didst thereby subdue the deceitful assaults of legions of demons. Wherefore, assembling, we honour thy most worthy and prayerful commemoration, O venerable and God-bearing Patapios. Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who honour thy holy memory with love.

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

Theotokion, Tone VIII: As thou hast given birth unto the merciful and loving Word, O Lady of all, have mercy upon all who have recourse to thee and free us from temptations and illness, from all afflictions and from the everlasting flame, that in thanksgiving we may glorify the wealth of thy many compassions and thine infinite mercy, and that we may ever cry out to thee: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who worship thy birthgiving with faith.

Stavrotheotokion (replaces the Theotokion of Wednesdays and Fridays): The Virgin and Mother of the Redeemer, standing before the Cross and lamenting with tears of anguish, cried out maternally: What strange and most glorious thing is this that I behold, O my Son? Thou Who pourest forth dispassion upon all mankind art crucified upon a Cross between two condemned malefactors, Thy side pierced, and given gall to drink by hands which Thou Thyself hast made; but arise and grant remission of sins unto those who hymn Thy divine Passion with faith.

Ode IV, Irmos: From a Virgin didst Thou come forth, not as an ambassador, * nor as an Angel, * but the very Lord himself incarnate, * and didst save me, the whole man; * wherefore I cry unto Thee: * Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

The sea of thy fervent fears drowned the armies of the demons and the uprisings of sin; and thou didst show thyself to be a sea of miracles unto those who are in the midst of the seas of the passions.

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

Having acquired humility, vigilance and intense prayer, unfeigned love, faith and hope, O venerable father, thou didst become a converser with the angels of heaven.

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

With divine ascents and unceasing purification, thou didst lay to rest the tumult of divers passions. Wherefore, after thy repose thou didst depart unto the unwaning light.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Like the sun through a cloud didst Thou shine forth from the Virgin, O Compassionate One, showing Thy venerable ones to shine like stars, having crucified themselves to the world and the passions.

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

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

O Enlightenment of those who lie in darkness, shine Thy radiance upon me through the divine prayers of Thy venerable one, drive away the clouds of despair which hang over my soul, and rain down upon me the dew of forgiveness, for I know none other God than Thee.

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

Having purged thy noetic eye of the defilement of the passions by abstinence, O God-bearing father, thou didst open the eyes of the blind with divine prayer and dispelled the gloom of evil with the effulgence of healing.

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

Come ye, let us all draw forth health of body and soul, and abundant grace from the divine shrine of the wise Patapios, as from a wellspring, for it poureth forth miracles like water upon those who have recourse to it with pure faith.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

In thine ineffable birthgiving, O Maiden, thou didst give birth to the Giver of life Who created all things, to Him Who is glorious in the saints and resteth in the venerable. Him do thou entreat, O Bride of God!

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

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

Illumining thy mind with most radiant ascents, O father, thou didst live in the flesh as one of the bodiless ones, unsullied by sins.

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

Emulating Elijah the Tishbite and following John the Forerunner, of old thou didst make thine abode in the desert, having cleansed thy mind with stillness.

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

A beacon of most godly splendour from Egypt, O most radiant father Patapios, thou didst shine forth in the city of Constantinople with the effulgence of healings.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Christ Who sitteth upon a light cloud came of old into Egypt, and, having cast down the idols, He hath brought together choirs of the venerable.

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

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

Kontakion, Tone III, Spec. Mel. “Today the Virgin …”: Those who find thy temple to be a place of spiritual healing, O holy one, * and have recourse thereto with zeal, * ask to receive the healing of their infirmities * and forgiveness of the transgressions committed by them in their lives; ** for thou art seen to be an intercessor for all that are in need, O venerable Patapios.

Ode VII, Irmos: When the golden image was worshipped on the plain of Dura, * Thy three children spurned the impious command, * and, cast into the midst of the flame, * they were bedewed, and sang: * O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

With noetic fire thou didst inflame the senses of thy soul; reducing the fire of sin to ashes by the activity of the Spirit, and wast thereby revealed to be radiant, O Patapios, chanting: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

O divinely blessed one, who opened the eyes of the blind with divine assistance, O divinely blessed one, thou didst heal divers passions and by the invocation of God drove away the wicked legions of the demons, chanting: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

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

O father, thy tomb hath been shown to be an abyss of wonders, a river of healing, and an ever-flowing wellspring, a stream which is never exhausted, for those who approach it with faith and cry out fervently: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The supremely divine God Who was born from thee, O Virgin, hath deified me, having Himself taken on the guise of a servant; and He hath restored the paths of knowledge within the bounds of His nature, leading aloft a multitude of monks and the venerable one, who chant: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

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

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

Having cleansed thyself of the filth of the passions with care, O father, thou wast revealed to be a most splendid tabernacle of God, crying aloud: Hymn the Lord and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

Having ordered thy life in a godly manner, O venerable father, thou wast shown to be a good steward serving the needs of the saints, O venerable one; and with them thou hast been deemed worthy of a heavenly inheritance.

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

By thy prayers to the Lord cleanse us of every impurity, and by thy fervent supplication, O Patapios, do thou deliver from the threefold waves of passions, infirmities and tribulations us who honour thee as is meet.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O pure one who rendered our earthly and corruptible nature celestial, glory of the angels and joy of the venerable, thou that alone art the Sovereign Lady of creation, forever hymned as she who gave birth unto God!

Ode IX, Irmos: The Son of the Unoriginate Father, God and Lord, * hath appeared to us incarnate of a Virgin, * to enlighten those in darkness, * and to gather the dispersed; * therefore the all-hymned Theotokos do we magnify.

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

Thy commemoration hath dawned as a day of salvation enlightening those who are in the murky darkness, dispelleth the gloom of the passions and showeth forth as children of the light those who now honour thee as a chosen one of the Lord, O father.

Venerable father, Patapios, pray to God for us.

Patapios, who was shown to be an angel on earth, the offspring of Thebes, the boast of the desert, the glory and splendour of monastics, the beacon of Byzantium, let us now bless him as is meet.

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

Being a converser with the angels, the peer and fellow heir of the prophets and apostles, the martyrs and hierarchs, thou didst serve the honoured Trinity with purity of mind, O venerable one. Pray thou on behalf of us all.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The great mystery of thy birthgiving, which surpasseth understanding, doth astound the angels, O divinely joyous one, delighting the assemblies of the venerable, and gladdening the sacred fathers who hymn thee in a godly manner, O pure Theotokos who knewest not wedlock.

Troparion, Tone VIII: In thee, O father, the image of God was preserved, * for taking up thy cross, thou didst follow after Christ; * by activity thou didst learn to disdain the flesh, as something transient, * but to care for thy soul as something immortal. ** Wherefore, with the angels thy spirit doth rejoice, O venerable Patapios.

the Canon to St Ambrose of Milan

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The canon to the saint, the acrostic whereof is: “I praise Ambrose most great,“ 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, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

O venerable one, radiant with divine splendours, by thy prayers illumine those who piously honour thy radiant, light-bearing and holy repose.

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

The Word of God gave thee the discourse of wisdom adorned with true knowledge, O hierarch Ambrose, dispelling the irrational and malicious thought of the heretics.

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Having cleansed the vision of thy mind of the darkness of the passions, O thou that art most noetically rich, thou didst render it receptive to the pure effulgence of the most holy Spirit, O all-blessed one.

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

Having by thine all-wise and sacred dogmas, as a pastor fended off the destruction of those who were of like mind with Arius, O all-wise one, with faith thou didst shepherd thy rational sheep in the meadows of Orthodoxy.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

By the Father’s will and through the divine Spirit of God, thou didst, seedlessly conceive and give birth in the flesh unto the Son Who, for our sake, was begotten of the Father without mother and was born of thee without father.

Ode III, Irmos: Not in wisdom, nor in power do we glory, * but we glory in Thee O Christ, * the Hypostatic Wisdom of the Father, * for there is none more holy than Thee, O Lover of mankind.

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Having received of God an abundance of grace and power, O father Ambrose, by thy tangible touch thou didst heal the divers passions of those who had recourse to thee.

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

O venerable one, having learned all the knowledge of the Scriptures, in that thou wast a godly hierarch, thou didst manifestly make plain to the ignorant things difficult to understand, O father Ambrose.

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

With the sentence of God thou didst instantly strike dead the vile woman who
audaciously and senselessly strove to draw nigh unto thee, who shone forth with spiritual wisdom.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Thou alone hast renewed the human race, having given birth unto the Creator and Lord of our nature. Wherefore, we glorify thee, O divinely joyous one.

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

Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII, Spec. Mel. “Of the Wisdom …”: Zealously emulating Elijah the Prophet, and likewise John the Baptist, thou didst manfully denounce the iniquitous emperor, O hierarch; in a godly manner adorning thy see, and enriching the world with a multitude of miracles. Wherefore, learned in the divine Scriptures, thou didst establish the faithful therein, and convert the unbelieving. O hierarch Ambrose, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of transgressions unto those who, with love, celebrate thy holy memory.

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

Theotokion, Tone VIII: Having fallen with wicked thoughts, * I have sunk into the abyss of sin, * and, groaning, I cry to thee with all my heart, O all-pure one: * Show forth upon me the wonder of thy rich mercy, * the unfathomable depth of thy tender compassion * and the immeasurable wealth of thy compassions, * and grant me repentance and forgiveness of transgressions, * that I may cry unto thee with love: * Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto me, ** for thee do I, thy servant, have as my hope.

Stavrotheotokion (replaces the Theotokion of Wednesdays and Fridays): Upon beholding the Lamb, Shepherd and Redeemer * upon the Cross, * the ewe-lamb exclaimed weeping, bitterly lamenting, and crying aloud: * “The world rejoiceth, having received deliverance through Thee, * but my womb doth burn, beholding Thy crucifixion, * which Thou hast endured in Thy merciful loving-kindness. * O long-suffering Lord, * Thou abyss and inexhaustible well-spring of mercy, * take pity, and grant forgiveness of sins ** unto those who hymn Thy divine sufferings with faith!”

Ode IV, Irmos: For the sake of love for Thine image, * O compassionate One, * Thou didst ascend the cross * and the nations melted away. * For Thou, O Lover of mankind, * art my strength and my praise.

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Having been anointed with the chrism of the priesthood, thou wast shown forth as a hierarch, ordaining priests and granting the cleansing of salvation unto all.

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Thou didst protect thy flock from all the harm of the adversaries, O blessed one, and didst blind the delusion of Arius with the radiance of thy words.

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

Invested with the power of the Spirit, thou didst dispel the evil spirits of malice, who could not endure thy rebuke, O all-blessed one.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

He that wrought all things by His will is Himself wrought of thy pure blood, saving those who acknowledge thee to be the pure Mother of God.

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, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Having attained a mind resplendent with immaterial light, O blessed Ambrose, thou hast emitted rays of healing and miracles.

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Thou didst raise thyself up as a sacred dwelling place of the Spirit, O divinely inspired Ambrose, destroying the temples of idolatry.

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

Emperors were put to shame by thee, shining with the effulgence of the greatest of virtues, and their restrictions did not cause thy tongue to falter.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

He that wrought all things in wisdom through His will, desiring to renew mankind, O Virgin, made His abode within thy womb.

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, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Amazed, Rome faithfully praiseth thine honoured deeds; for, like a radiant star, O hierarch, thou dost shed the rays of thy wonders everywhere.

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Having risen at dawn for Christ, thou hast been richly illumined with splendours and filled with divine light; enlightening those who ever faithfully honour thee.

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

Having sanctified body and soul, O father, thou didst render thy heart, which ever attendeth unto sweet desire, receptive to the gifts of grace.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Heal thou the wounds of my soul, O Virgin, by thy divine overshadowing, and enlighten my mind, which hath been darkened by slothfulness and by the malice of the adverse foe.

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

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

Kontakion, Tone III, Spec. Mel. “Of the divine faith …”: Shining with divine dogmas, thou didst darken the deception of Arius, * O Ambrose, pastor and teacher of the mysteries. * And working wonders through th power of the Spirit, * thou didst manifestly heal divers passions, O venerable father. ** Entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

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, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Like lightning, the divine proclamations of thy dogmas have flashed throughout all the earth, O all-wise father; shining forth as light with the revelations of miracles, and enlightening hearts that were in darkness.

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Following the command of the Saviour, O father, thou didst, like a blessed servant, diligently increase manifold the talent given thee, and hast been deemed worthy of the Master’s joy.

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

Having deepened thy theological mind, like a river thou didst put forth streams of sacred dogmas, giving drink unto the fullness of the faithful, O father Ambrose, teacher of the mysteries.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Behold, O Virgin, thou didst conceive within thy womb the Word Who is co-unoriginate with the Father, and hast given birth in the flesh unto Him Who granteth restoration unto all who from Adam have fallen, O all-immaculate one.

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, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Having mortified thy members and slain the wisdom of the flesh, thou didst impart life unto thy soul and poured forth a fountain of miracles upon those who had been slain by the passions, O venerable one, granting life unto those who cry: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Thou wast informed of thine approaching repose in the body by the Spirit of God, O wise one; for thou didst say so prophetically unto those who were with thee, and didst pass over to the heavens crying out with joy: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

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

Having rid thy body, mind and heart of the turbulence of the passions, O Ambrose, thou didst receive a fiery ray of light from on high, crying out like the divine disciples: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Thou hast been revealed to be more exalted than the heavens, O most pure one, having given birth unto the God of heaven, Who hath united those of earth with those of the heavens, and Who granteth knowledge of Himself unto all who cry aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

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.

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

In ecstasy thou didst behold the everlasting honours which are being laid up for the saints, O father; and having passed over to them, rejoicing, thou hast received the reward of thy labours, O glorious one.

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Like a ripe cluster of grapes wast thou gathered into the vats of heaven, pouring forth the wine of immortality and gifts of healing upon those who piously have recourse to thee, as is meet, O divinely wise Ambrose.

Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!

With a mighty voice we bless thee, O father, the golden candlestick of the divine Spirit, which putteth forth the light of pious teachings and the radiance of healings, enlightening the faithful.

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

The Church, O all-blessed one, having acquired thee as a daystar, doth escape all the deception of darkness, and, illumined with the splendours of thy sacred dogmas, she doth bless thee.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

With joy we utter unto thee the salutation of the archangel, O Virgin: Rejoice, thou abolition of the curse! Rejoice, deliverance from all evils, O thou who, in a manner beyond understanding, hath deified mortals by thy birthgiving!

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

The Akathist Hymn to St Nicholas

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Kontakion 1: O champion wonderworker and superb servant of Christ, thou who pourest out for all the world the most precious myrrh of mercy and an inexhaustible sea of miracles, I praise thee with love, O Saint Nicholas; and as thou art one having boldness toward the Lord, from all dangers do thou deliver us, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Ekos 1: An angel in manner though earthly by nature did the Creator reveal thee to be; for, foreseeing the fruitful beauty of thy soul, O most blessed Nicholas, He taught all to cry to thee thus:

Rejoice, thou who wast purified from thy mother’s womb!
Rejoice, thou who wast sanctified even unto the end!
Rejoice, thou who didst amaze thy parents by thy birth!
Rejoice, thou who didst manifest power of soul straightway after birth!
Rejoice, plant of the land of promise!
Rejoice, flower of divine planting!
Rejoice, virtuous vine of Christ’s vineyard!
Rejoice, wonderworking tree of the paradise of Jesus!
Rejoice, lily of paradisaical growth!
Rejoice, myrrh of the fragrance of Christ!
Rejoice, for through thee lamentation is banished!
Rejoice, for through thee rejoicing is brought to pass!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 2: Seeing the effusion of thy myrrh, O divinely wise one, our souls and bodies are enlightened, understanding thee to be a wonderful, living source of unction, O Nicholas; for with miracles like waters poured out through the grace of God thou fillest them that faithfully cry unto God: Alleluia!

Ekos 2: Teaching incomprehensible knowledge about the Holy Trinity, thou wast with the holy fathers in Nicea a champion of the confession of the Orthodox Faith; for thou didst confess the Son equal to the Father, co-everlasting and co-enthroned, and thou didst convict the foolish Arius. Therefore the faithful have learned to sing to thee:

Rejoice, great pillar of piety!
Rejoice, city of refuge for the faithful!
Rejoice, firm stronghold of Orthodoxy!
Rejoice, venerable vessel and praise of the Holy Trinity!
Rejoice, thou who didst preach the Son of equal honour with the Father!
Rejoice, thou who didst expel the demonized Arius from the council of the saints!
Rejoice, father, glorious beauty of the fathers!
Rejoice, wise goodness of all the divinely wise!
Rejoice, thou who utterest fiery words!
Rejoice, thou who guidest so well thy flock!
Rejoice, for through thee faith is strengthened!
Rejoice, for through thee heresy is overthrown!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 3: Through power given thee from on high, thou didst wipe away every tear from the face of those in cruel suffering, O God-bearing Father Nicholas; for thou wast shown to be a feeder of the hungry, a superb pilot of those on the high seas, a healer of the ailing, and thou hast proved to be a helper to all that cry unto God: Alleluia!

Ekos 3: Truly, Father Nicholas, a song should be sung to thee from heaven, and not from earth; for how can a mere man proclaim the greatness of thy holiness? But we, conquered by thy love, cry unto thee thus:

Rejoice, model of lambs and shepherds!
Rejoice, holy purification of morals!
Rejoice, container of great virtues!
Rejoice, pure and honorable abode of holiness!
Rejoice, all-luminous lamp, beloved by all!
Rejoice, light golden-rayed and blameless!
Rejoice, worthy converser with angels!
Rejoice, good guide of men!
Rejoice, pious rule of faith!
Rejoice, model of spiritual meekness!
Rejoice, for through thee we are delivered from bodily passions!
Rejoice, for through thee we are filled with spiritual delights!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 4: A storm of bewilderment confuseth our minds: How can we worthily hymn thy wonders, O blessed Nicholas? For no one could count them, even though he had many tongues and willed to tell them; but we make bold to sing to God Who is wonderfully glorified in thee: Alleluia!

Ekos 4: People near and far heard of the greatness of thy miracles, O divinely-wise Nicholas, for in the air with the delicate wings of grace thou art accustomed to forestall those in misfortune, quickly delivering all who cry to thee thus:

Rejoice, deliverance from sorrow!
Rejoice, channel of grace!
Rejoice, dispeller of unexpected evils!
Rejoice, planter of good desires!
Rejoice, quick comforter of those in misfortune!
Rejoice, dread punisher of wrongdoers!
Rejoice, abyss of miracles poured out by God!
Rejoice, tablets of the law of Christ written by God!
Rejoice, strong uplifting of the fallen!
Rejoice, support of them that stand aright!
Rejoice, for through thee all deception is exposed!
Rejoice, for through thee all truth is realized!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 5: Thou didst appear as a divinely-moving star, guiding those who sailed upon the cruel sea who were once threatened with imminent death, if thou hadst not come to the help of those who called upon thee, O wonderworking Saint Nicholas; for, having forbidden the flying demons who shamelessly wanted to sink the ship, thou didst drive them away, and didst teach the faithful whom God saveth through thee to cry: Alleluia!

Ekos 5: The maidens, prepared for a dishonourable marriage because of their poverty, saw thy great compassion to the poor, O most-blessed Father Nicholas, when by night thou secretly gavest their aged father three bundles of gold, hereby saving him and his daughters from falling into sin. Wherefore, thou hearest from all thus:
Rejoice, treasury of greatest mercy!

Rejoice, depository of provision for people!
Rejoice, food and consolation of those that flee unto thee!
Rejoice, inexhaustible bread of the hungry!
Rejoice, God-given wealth of those living in poverty on earth!
Rejoice, speedy uplifting of paupers!
Rejoice, quick hearing of the needy!
Rejoice, acceptable care of the sorrowful!
Rejoice, blameless provider for the three maidens!
Rejoice, fervent guardian of purity!
Rejoice, hope of the hopeless!
Rejoice, delight of all the world!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 6: The whole world proclaimeth thee, O most blessed Nicholas, as a quick intercessor in adversities; for, oftentimes preceding those that travel by land and sail upon the sea, thou helpest them in a single hour, at the same time keeping from evils all that cry unto God: Alleluia!

Ekos 6: Thou didst shine as a living light, bringing deliverance to the generals who received sentence to an unjust death, who called upon thee, O good shepherd Nicholas, when thou didst quickly appear in a dream to the emperor, and didst terrify him and didst order him to release them unharmed. Therefore, together with them we also gratefully cry unto thee:

Rejoice, thou who helpest them that fervently call upon thee!
Rejoice, thou who deliverest from unjust death!
Rejoice, thou who preservest from false accusation!
Rejoice, thou who destroyest the counsels of the unrighteous!
Rejoice, thou who tearest lies to shreds like cobwebs!
Rejoice, thou who gloriously exaltest truth!
Rejoice, release of the innocent from their fetters!
Rejoice, revival of the dead!
Rejoice, revealer of righteousness!
Rejoice, exposer of unrighteousness!
Rejoice, for through thee the innocent were saved from the sword!
Rejoice, for through thee they enjoyed the light!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 7: Desiring to dispel the blasphemous stench of heresy, thou didst appear as a truly fragrant, mystical myrrh, O Nicholas; by shepherding the people of Myra, thou hast filled the whole world with thy gracious myrrh. And so, dispel from us the stench of abominable sin, that we may acceptably cry unto God: Alleluia!

Ekos 7: We understand thee to be a new Noah, a guide of the ark of salvation, O Holy Father Nicholas, who drivest away the storm of all evils by thy direction, and bringest divine calm to those that cry thus:

Rejoice, calm harbour of the storm-tossed!
Rejoice, sure preservation of those that are drowning!
Rejoice, good pilot of those that sail upon the deeps!
Rejoice, thou who rulest the raging of the sea!
Rejoice, guidance of those in whirlwinds!
Rejoice, warmth of those in frosts!
Rejoice, radiance that dispellest the gloom of sorrow!
Rejoice, light that illuminest all the ends of the earth!
Rejoice, thou who deliverest people from the abyss of sin!
Rejoice, thou who castest Satan into the abyss of Hades!
Rejoice, for through thee we boldly invoke the abyss of God’s compassion!
Rejoice, for as ones rescued through thee from the flood of wrath, we find peace with God!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 8: A strange wonder is thy sacred church shown to be to those that flock to thee, O blessed Nicholas; for, by offering in it even a small supplication, we receive healing from great illnesses, if only, after God, we place our hope in thee, faithfully crying aloud: Alleluia!

Ekos 8: Thou art truly a helper to all, O God-bearing Nicholas, and thou hast gathered together all that flee unto thee, for thou art a deliverer, a nourisher, and a quick healer to all on earth, moving all to cry out in praise to thee thus:

Rejoice, source of all kinds of healing!
Rejoice, helper of those that suffer cruelly!
Rejoice, dawn shining for prodigals in the night of sin!
Rejoice, heaven-sent dew for those in the heat of labours!
Rejoice, thou who givest prosperity to those that need it!
Rejoice, thou who preparest an abundance for those that ask!
Rejoice, thou who often forestallest requests!
Rejoice, thou who restorest strength to the aged and gray-headed!
Rejoice, convicter of many who have strayed from the true way!
Rejoice, faithful steward of the mysteries of God!
Rejoice, for through thee we conquer envy!
Rejoice, for through thee we lead a moral life!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 9: Assuage all our pains, O Nicholas, our great intercessor, dispensing gracious healings, delighting our souls, and gladdening the hearts of all that fervently hasten to thee for help and cry unto God: Alleluia!

Ekos 9: The falsely theorizing orators of the ungodly, we see, were put to shame by thee, O divinely-wise Father Nicholas; for thou didst confute Arius the blasphemer who divided the Godhead, and Sabellius who mingled the persons of the Holy Trinity, but thou hast strengthened us in Orthodoxy. Therefore, we cry unto thee thus:

Rejoice, shield that defendest piety!
Rejoice, sword that cuttest down impiety!
Rejoice, teacher of the divine commandments!
Rejoice, destroyer of impious doctrines!
Rejoice, ladder set up by God, by which we mount to heaven!
Rejoice, God-given protection, by which many are sheltered!
Rejoice, thou who makest wise the unwise by thy sayings!
Rejoice, thou who movest the slothful by thine example!
Rejoice, inextinguishable brightness of God’s commandments!
Rejoice, most luminous ray of the Lord’s statutes!
Rejoice, for through thy teaching the heads of heretics are broken!
Rejoice, for through thee the faithful are counted worthy of glory!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 10: Desiring to save thy soul, thou didst truly subject thy body to the spirit, O our Father Nicholas; for by silence first and by wrestling with thoughts, thou didst add contemplation to activity, and by contemplation thou didst acquire perfect knowledge with which thou didst boldly converse with God and angels, always crying: Alleluia!

Ekos 10: Thou art a rampart, O most-blessed one, to those that praise thy miracles, and to all that have recourse to thine intercession; wherefore, free also us who are poor in virtue from poverty, temptations, illness, and needs of various kinds, as we cry unto thee thus:

Rejoice, thou who rescuest from eternal wretchedness!
Rejoice, thou who bestowest incorruptible riches!
Rejoice, imperishable food for those that hunger after righteousness!
Rejoice, inexhaustible drink for those that thirst for life!
Rejoice, thou who preservest from revolution and war!
Rejoice, thou who freest us from chains and imprisonment!
Rejoice, most-glorious intercessor in misfortunes!
Rejoice, great defender in temptations!
Rejoice, thou who hast snatched many from destruction!
Rejoice, thou who hast kept countless numbers unharmed!
Rejoice, for through thee sinners escape a frightful death!
Rejoice, for through thee those that repent obtain eternal life!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 11: A song to the Most Holy Trinity didst thou bring, surpassing others in thought, word, and deed, O most-blessed Nicholas; for with much searching thou didst explain the precepts of the true Faith, guiding us to sing with faith, hope, and love to the one God in Trinity: Alleluia!

Ekos 11: We see thee as a brilliant and inextinguishable ray for those in the darkness of this life, O God-chosen Father Nicholas; for with the immaterial angelic lights thou conversest concerning the uncreated Light of the Trinity, and thou enlightenest the souls of the faithful who cry unto thee thus:

Rejoice, radiance of the Three-sunned Light!
Rejoice, daystar of the unsetting Sun!
Rejoice, lamp kindled by the Divine Flame!
Rejoice, for thou hast quenched the demonic flame of impiety!
Rejoice, bright preaching of the Orthodox Faith!
Rejoice, luminous radiance of the light of the Gospel!
Rejoice, lightning that consumest heresy!
Rejoice, thunder that terrifiest tempters!
Rejoice, teacher of true knowledge!
Rejoice, revealer of the secret mind!
Rejoice, for through thee the worship of creatures hath been abolished!
Rejoice, for through thee we have learned to worship the Creator in the Trinity!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 12: Knowing the grace that hath been given thee by God, dutifully and joyfully we celebrate thy memory, O most-glorious Father Nicholas, and with all fervency we hasten to thy wonderful intercession; unable to count thy glorious deeds which are like the sands of the seashore and the multitude of the stars, being at a loss to understand, we cry unto God: Alleluia!

Ekos 12: While we sing of thy wonders, we praise thee, O all-praised Nicholas; for in thee God Who is glorified in the Trinity is wondrously glorified. But even if we were to offer thee a multitude of psalms and hymns composed from the soul, O holy wonderworker, we should do nothing to equal the gift of thy miracles, and amazed by them we cry unto thee thus:

Rejoice, servant of the King of kings and Lord of lords!
Rejoice, co-dweller with His heavenly servants!
Rejoice, support of faithful kings!
Rejoice, exaltation of the race of Christians!
Rejoice, namesake of victory!
Rejoice, eminent victor!
Rejoice, mirror of all the virtues!
Rejoice, strong buttress of all who flee unto thee!
Rejoice, after God and the Theotokos, all our hope!
Rejoice, health of our bodies and salvation of our souls!
Rejoice, for through thee we are delivered from eternal death!
Rejoice, for through thee we are deemed worthy of endless life!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 13: O most-holy and most-wonderful Father Nicholas, consolation of all that sorrow, accept our present offering, and entreat the Lord that we be delivered from Gehenna through thy God-pleasing intercession, that with thee we may sing: Alleluia!

Ekos 1: An angel in manner though earthly by nature did the Creator reveal thee to be; for, foreseeing the fruitful beauty of thy soul, O most blessed Nicholas, He taught all to cry to thee thus:

Rejoice, thou who wast purified from thy mother’s womb!
Rejoice, thou who wast sanctified even unto the end!
Rejoice, thou who didst amaze thy parents by thy birth!
Rejoice, thou who didst manifest power of soul straightway after birth!
Rejoice, plant of the land of promise!
Rejoice, flower of divine planting!
Rejoice, virtuous vine of Christ’s vineyard!
Rejoice, wonderworking tree of the paradise of Jesus!
Rejoice, lily of paradisaical growth!
Rejoice, myrrh of the fragrance of Christ!
Rejoice, for through thee lamentation is banished!
Rejoice, for through thee rejoicing is brought to pass!
Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Kontakion 1: O champion wonderworker and superb servant of Christ, thou who pourest out for all the world the most precious myrrh of mercy and an inexhaustible sea of miracles, I praise thee with love, O Saint Nicholas; and as thou art one having boldness toward the Lord, from all dangers do thou deliver us, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker!

Hierarch and father, O most holy Nicholas, thou extraordinary Saint of the Lord, our loving defender and ready helper in sorrows everywhere: help us sinners and hapless ones in the present life: entreat the Lord God to grant us remission of all of our sins, that we have committed from our youth and all our life, by deed, word, though and all our senses; and in the passing of our souls, help us wretched ones; entreat the Lord God and Maker of all creation, to deliver us from trials in the air and eternal torment: that we may always glorify the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and thy merciful intercession, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O most good father Nicholas, pastor and teacher of all who in faith call upon thy protection and warm prayer, make haste to deliver Christ’s flock from the wolves that attack it; and guard every Christian land, and keep it by thy holy prayers from worldly unrest, upheaval, the assault of enemies and civil strife; from famine, flood, fire, the axe and sudden mortality. And as thou didst take pity on the three men who were imprisoned, and didst deliver them from royal anger and death by the sword, so have mercy also on us, who are in the darkness of sins of mind, word and deed, and deliver us from the wrath of God and eternal punishment, so that, by thine intercession and help, and by His mercy and grace, Christ our God may grant us to lead a quiet life without sin in this age and deliver us in the next from standing at the left side,  but rather grant us to be at His right hand with all the Saints. Amen.

Happy St Nicholas Day!

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Dear brothers and sisters, greetings to you all for the feast of the Holy Hierarch and Wonderworker Nicholas.His life is a model of Christian living for us all – not just for our bishops, despite the fact that he is the very ideal of hierarchical life – and in his life we all see all that is holy, true and righteous. 

Despite the relative obscurity of this life, spanning the third and fourth centuries, St Nicholas quickly became the most universally loved and venerated saint of Christendom. We might ask why, as his power and influence seem so disproportionate to what we know of him in historical terms. 

Surely, this is because his life shines so brightly with the Light of Christ, and he so clearly encapsulates everything that it is to be a Christian. The central meaning of this is love, for God is absolute and perfect love, Christ is Incarnate Love and we are all called to reflect God and His love in our lives.

We are all called to be icons of Christ, struggling for the image of God to be restored and renewed in us, not simply by our baptism, but by continual prayer and repentance in which we seek perfection by struggling to reflect the Saviour, making His Gospel real in our lives.

In the Gospel for the hierarch we heard the Beatitudes and, as Father Luke pointed out in the homily of today’s Liturgy, these Beatitudes were made real and appreciable in the life of St Nicholas.

I constantly tell my spiritual children that the Beatitudes are the whole manifesto of Christian living, telling us how to make the Gospel real in our lives and how to live the lives Christ wants us to have. When this happens, we touch the world with God’s love, mercy and compassion, bringing light and life to those around us. These Beatitudes are not for our gain, for our sake and our benefit, but for the benefit of our neighbour and the world that surrounds us. They are not rules for us to gain, but rather for us to give, for us to love, for us to care, for us to respond to the needs of others – loving and serving Christ by doing so!

St Nicholas not only did this in his earthly life, but having been glorified by God among the saints on His right hand, the great saint has worked great miracles for a millennium and a half, continuing to reveal God’s glory, love and power; continuing to touch the faithful with his fatherly and archpastoral care, as a shepherd of souls and wonderworker doing God’s inscrutable works in the world.  

As Orthodox Christians, we continue to turn to him, not simply on his feasts, but day by day, week by week, and virtually every Orthodox home and church possesses an icon of St Nicholas. Apart from Holy Week and Bright Week, every Thursday of the year honours him. We celebrate his nativity, his death, the translation of his relics, and various feasts of his wonderworking icons. 

All of these acts of piety and devotion make him a great presence in our lives, as one whom we love, to whom we turn as a trusted and respected father, guide, helper and source of strength.

May we ever do so, and we pray that he may ever help us, teach us how to follow Christ and show us the way to the Kingdom of Heaven.  

But, without seeking to follow his example our devotion will be hollow, paper-thin and meaningless. St Nicholas calls us to reflect Christ and to live the Gospel. Let us honour him by doing so!
May God bless you all.
In Christ – Fr Mark

The Canons to the Holy Great-Martyr Barbara and the Venerable John of Damascus

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Ode I Canon of the Great-Martyr, in Tone II.

Irmos: In the deep of old the infinite Power overwhelmed Pharaoh’s whole army. * But the Incarnate Word annihilated pernicious sin. * Exceedingly glorious is the Lord, * for gloriously hath He been glorified.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

O most blessed and honoured Trinity Who givest gifts to Thy servants which are beyond understanding, breathe Thou a ray of splendour into my darkened mind, that I may praise the ever-memorable martyr Barbara.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

O most blessed and honoured Trinity Who givest gifts to Thy servants which are beyond understanding, breathe Thou a ray of splendour into my darkened mind, that I may praise the ever-memorable martyr Barbara.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

The glory of Thy martyrs hath truly passed every bound of praise, O Lover of mankind; yet, accepting the praise we offer thee with faith according to our measure, O Master, send down upon us rich rewards.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

A most beauteous rose sprang forth from a thorny root and hath perfumed the Church of Christ: the glorious Barbara, who dyed her vesture in the blood of her suffering. Her do we hymn as is meet.

Canon of the Venerable One, in the same tone, Irmos: In the deep of old the infinite Power overwhelmed Pharaoh’s whole army. * But the Incarnate Word annihilated pernicious sin. * Exceedingly glorious is the Lord, * for gloriously hath He been glorified.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

To me who desirest to begin thy praises, grant me now thy honeyed voice, O venerable one, wherewith thou didst with hymns illumine the Orthodox Church which honoureth thy memory, O father John.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

To me who desirest to begin thy praises, grant me now thy honeyed voice, O venerable one, wherewith thou didst with hymns illumine the Orthodox Church which honoureth thy memory, O father John.

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

Perceiving the nature of things most excellently, as a wise judge keen of intellect, thou didst prefer eternal things to those which do not last; for thou didst trade transitory things for those which are abiding, O John, where Christ hath now glorified thee.

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

Thou hast been shown to surpass all creation, visible and invisible, O pure Ever-virgin; for thou gavest birth to the Creator, in that it was His good pleasure to become incarnate in thy womb. Him do thou entreat with boldness, that He save those who hymn thee.

Ode III, Irmos: The desert of the barren Church of the nations * blossomed like a lily * at Thy coming, O Lord, * therein hath my heart been established.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Wounded by the love of Thee, her Bridegroom, O Master, the passion-bearer Barbara rejected all the ungodliness of her father with unrestrained vehemence.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Wounded by the love of Thee, her Bridegroom, O Master, the passion-bearer Barbara rejected all the ungodliness of her father with unrestrained vehemence.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Neither the sweet beauty and comeliness of flowers, nor riches, nor yet the sweetness of youth satisfied thee, O goodly virgin, glorious Barbara, who had become the bride of Christ.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Neither the hindrance of a feminine nature or youthful stature impeded the martyr’s perfect struggles, O Christ; for she was fortified by Thine invisible power.

Canon of the Venerable One Irmos: The desert of the barren Church of the nations * blossomed like a lily * at Thy coming, O Lord, * therein hath my heart been established.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Thou didst distribute thy wealth, thereby giving it back to God; wherefore, the kingdom in the heavens hath been prepared for thee, and thou hast now received abundant rewards, O John.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Thou didst distribute thy wealth, thereby giving it back to God; wherefore, the kingdom in the heavens hath been prepared for thee, and thou hast now received abundant rewards, O John.

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

Receiving a talant of wisdom, O John, thou didst adorn the Church of Christ, adorning it with thy deeds; and, departing this life, thou hast increased it exceedingly.

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

The ranks of angels were astonished, O most pure one, and the hearts of mortals were filled with awe at thy birthgiving. Wherefore, we honour thee, the Theotokos, with faith.

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

Kontakion of the venerable one, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “Having been lifted up upon the Cross …”: Let us hymn John, the honoured and divinely eloquent speaker and hymnographer, * the instructor and teacher of the Church, * the opponent of the enemy; * for taking up the Cross of the Lord as a sword, * he hath cut down all the falsehood of heresies, * and as a fervent intercessor before God ** he bestoweth forgiveness of transgressions upon all.

Ikos: Together let us cry out to the instructor, teacher and priest of the Church, as an initiate of ineffable mysteries: By thy supplications to God open our mouths and grant that we may speak the words of thy doctrines; for thou didst appear in the world as one who shares in the Trinity, shining forth in the world like another sun, illumining all with thy miracles and teachings, like Moses ever instructing in the law of the Lord. And thou wast a luminary in word and deed, praying unceasingly, that forgiveness of transgressions be given to all.

Sedalion, Tone III, Spec. Mel. “Awed by the beauty of thy virginity …”: In thy suffering thou didst amaze all, for thou didst endure the wounding, bonds, tortures and imprisonment inflicted upon thee by the tormentors, O most praised Barbara. Wherefore, Christ hath given thee a crown in heaven, and it is to Him that thou didst flee, desiring Him earnestly. He hath imparted grace to thee, O martyr, to pour forth healings upon all.

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

Sedalion of the venerable one, Tone III: Thou hast been shown to us to be a melodious and sanctified trumpet, O most sacred one, sounding forth in hymnody the teachings of the Lord and Saviour to the ends of the earth; and by thy words thou hast illumined the earth, O venerable John, entreat Christ God, that He grant us great mercy.

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

Stavrotheotokion, Tone III (replaces the Theotokion on Ednesdays and Fridays): The unblemished ewe-lamb of the Word, * the incorrupt Virgin Mother, * beholding Him Who sprang forth from her without pain * suspended upon the Cross, cried out, maternally lamenting: * “Woe is me, O my Child! * How is it that Thou dost suffer willingly, * desiring to redeem mankind ** from the indignity of the passions?”

Ode IV, Canon of the Great-martyr Irmos: From a Virgin didst Thou come forth, not as an ambassador, * nor as an Angel, * but the very Lord himself incarnate, * and didst save me, the whole man; * wherefore I cry unto Thee: * Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

O Thou Who wast born of the Virgin, Thou hast given to virgin maidens the boldness to cast down the deceiver. Wherefore, the right victorious Barbara put his arrogance to shame.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

O Thou Who wast born of the Virgin, Thou hast given to virgin maidens the boldness to cast down the deceiver. Wherefore, the right victorious Barbara put his arrogance to shame.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Our first mother, led astray of old by the machinations of the deceiver, wast driven from the food of paradise; but Barbara, putting him to shame, hath now made her abode in the bridal-chamber of heaven.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Thou didst destroy the power of death by Thy Cross; wherefore, the maiden Barbara, sparing not her body, most valiantly endured wounding with steadfast mind.

Canon of the Venerable One, Irmos: From a Virgin didst Thou come forth, not as an ambassador, * nor as an Angel, * but the very Lord himself incarnate, * and didst save me, the whole man; * wherefore I cry unto Thee: * Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Thou didst distribute thy wealth, thereby giving it back to God; wherefore, the kingdom in the heavens hath been prepared for thee, and thou hast now received abundant rewards, O John.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Submitting to the command of Christ, thou didst forsake the beauty, wealth, sweetness and splendour of the world; and taking up thy cross for His sake, O wise John, thou didst follow after Him.

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

Impoverishing thyself for Christ Who impoverished Himself for the sake of our salvation, thou wast glorified with Him as He promised, and dost now reign with Him Who reigneth for ever, O John.

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

All of us, the faithful, know thee to be the haven of salvation and an invincible rampart, O Lady Theotokos; for by thy supplications thou dost deliver our souls from tribulations.

Ode V, Canon of the Great-martyr Irmos: O Christ God Thou art a mediator between God and man; * for by Thee, O Master, * have we been led from the night of ignorance, * to Thy Father, the Source of light.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Commanding that the bath-house be lighted by three windows, O Barbara, thou didst mystically describe baptism, which, through the light of the Trinity, is the radiant cleansing of thy soul.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Commanding that the bath-house be lighted by three windows, O Barbara, thou didst mystically describe baptism, which, through the light of the Trinity, is the radiant cleansing of thy soul.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Aflame with zeal for God, the all-praised maiden Barbara spat upon the vile faces of the false deities, putting to shame the prince of this world.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Opening for Barbara, who was fleeing the savagery of her cruel father, the mountain straightway received her, like the ever-memorable protomartyr Thecla of old, Christ having wrought a miracle.

Canon of the Venerable One, Irmos: O Christ God Thou art a mediator between God and man; * for by Thee, O Master, * we have been led from the night of ignorance, * to Thy Father, the Source of light.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Made steadfast in the divine life by the fear of Christ, O father John, thou didst subject all thy carnal mind to thy spirit, cleansing thy senses.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Made steadfast in the divine life by the fear of Christ, O father John, thou didst subject all thy carnal mind to thy spirit, cleansing thy senses.

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

Having assiduously purified body, mind and soul of all defilement, O divinely wise one, thou didst receive the splendour of the threefold Sun, Who hath enriched thee with radiant gifts.

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

Entreat thy Son and Lord, O pure Virgin; that He grant deliverance from the assaults of the adversary to all captives and peace to those who place their hope on thee.

Ode VI, Canon of the Great-martyr Irmos: I am held fast in the depths of sin O Saviour, * and am overwhelmed by the sea of life, * but as Jonah was delivered from the sea-monster, * so also deliver me from the passions, * and save me.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

As Thou didst promise to give divinely inspired wisdom to those who stand before the tyrants’ tribunals for Thy sake, the martyr Barbara was filled therewith.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

As Thou didst promise to give divinely inspired wisdom to those who stand before the tyrants’ tribunals for Thy sake, the martyr Barbara was filled therewith.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

With divinely wise words thou didst denounce the falsehood of the ungodly, O glorious Barbara, and in enduring the deeds of the torments thou didst astonish the wise.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

The blameless spiritual athlete gave her body over to be pitilessly afflicted with wounds and to be scraped thoroughly with rags of horse-hair, for the sake of Christ.

Canon of the Venerable One Irmos: I am held fast in the depths of sin O Saviour, * and am overwhelmed by the sea of life, * but as Jonah was delivered from the sea-monster, * so also deliver me from the passions, * and save me.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Illumined by the grace of the Spirit, and clearly enriched by the knowledge of secular things, thou didst generously give thy wealth to the needy, O John.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Illumined by the grace of the Spirit, and clearly enriched by the knowledge of secular things, thou didst generously give thy wealth to the needy, O John.

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

Like the choirs of heaven didst thou adorn the Church in Orthodox manner, intoning divine harmonious hymns to the Trinity.

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

Thou gavest birth without knowing a man, O Virgin, and remainest eternally virgin, revealing the true Godhead of thy Son and God in images.

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

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

Kontakion of the Great-martyr, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “Having been lifted up upon the Cross …”: Following God Who is piously hymned in Trinity, * thou didst dim the pagan temples O spiritual athlete; * and suffering amid thy contest, * O Barbara of manly mind, * thou wast not afraid of the threats of the tyrants, * ever chanting aloud: ** “I worship the Trinity, the One God!”

Ikos: Assembling, let us honour, as is meet, Barbara, who made herself the bride of Christ through martyrdom; for delivered from soul-corrupting danger, destruction and earthquake through her supplications, we lead our life in peace, and are granted Thy mercies, O Saviour, with all the saints who have pleased Thee from ages past, to walk in the light and to chant with them. And Thou hast astonished all those who confess with faith: We worship the Trinity, the One God!

Ode VII, Canon of the Great-martyr Irmos: The godless order of the lawless tyrant * fanned the roaring flame; * but Christ bedewed the God-fearing children with the Spirit, * therefore He is blessed and supremely exalted.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

The tyrant who rageth in vain to destroy the earth and annihilate the sea lieth like a plaything beneath the feet of the maiden Barbara; for Christ, having trampled Him down, hath bound him like a vile bird.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

The tyrant who rageth in vain to destroy the earth and annihilate the sea lieth like a plaything beneath the feet of the maiden Barbara; for Christ, having trampled Him down, hath bound him like a vile bird.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

When thy whole body was wracked with unbearable wounds and empurpled with the drops of thy blood, O all-praised glorious martyr Barbara, thou didst yet endure scorching of thy sides by candles.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

O the inhuman and pitiless savagery and exceeding ungodliness of the torments! For with swords they cruelly severed the breasts of the martyr as though in a butcher’s shop, but her mind was set steadfastly on Christ, the Judge of the contest.

Canon of the Venerable One, Irmos: The godless order of the lawless tyrant * fanned the roaring flame; * but Christ bedewed the God-fearing children with the Spirit, * therefore He is blessed and supremely exalted.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Afire with zeal, thou didst strike down all the false knowledge of God-opposing heresies with thy splendid writings, O John, manifestly making clear what had been sown of old by the wise and written carefully.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Afire with zeal, thou didst strike down all the false knowledge of God-opposing heresies with thy splendid writings, O John, manifestly making clear what had been sown of old by the wise and written carefully.

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

With the discourses and the dogmas compiled by thee, thou didst fervently denounce the blasphemous impiety of the abominable disciples of Manes, who strove to infect the Church of Christ, O John.

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

O undefiled Virgin, Mother unwedded, we know thee to be more holy than the saints, in that thou alone hast given birth to the immutable God; for thou hast poured forth incorruption upon all the faithful by thy divine birth giving.

Ode VIII Canon of the Great-martyr, Irmos: In Babylon, the activity of the fire was once divided, * for, by the command of God it consumed the Chaldeans, * but bedewed the faithful, who chant: * Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Christ appeared to thee in prison, O Barbara, surrounded by unapproachable light, commanding thee to be of good cheer, healing thy wounds and granting thee joy; wherefore, thou hast lovingly taken wing to thy Bridegroom.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Christ appeared to thee in prison, O Barbara, surrounded by unapproachable light, commanding thee to be of good cheer, healing thy wounds and granting thee joy; wherefore, thou hast lovingly taken wing to thy Bridegroom.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Manifestly hath Thy prophecy been fulfilled, O Christ; for the father gave his own child over to death, the wretched parent having become the instigator of Thy martyr’s slaughter. Wherefore, he was destroyed by fire from heaven.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

An angel of light arrayed thee like a bride in brilliant vesture, O Barbara, who wast stripped naked for Christ’s sake and wast subjected to suffering; for thou didst shed thy garments, receiving divine transformation.

Canon of the Venerable One, Irmos: In Babylon, the activity of the fire was once divided, * for, by the command of God it consumed the Chaldeans, * but bedewed the faithful, who chant: * Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Thou didst openly denounce the division of Nestorius, the confusion of Severus and the monothelite foolishness, O thrice-blessed John, shining forth the radiance of Orthodoxy upon all the ends of the earth in the one true Faith.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Thou didst openly denounce the division of Nestorius, the confusion of Severus and the monothelite foolishness, O thrice-blessed John, shining forth the radiance of Orthodoxy upon all the ends of the earth in the one true Faith.

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

The enemy abundantly sowed the tares of heresy in the Church of Christ, that the worship of Christ in His precious icons might be eliminated; but he did not find thee sleeping, O all-blessed John, who uprooted every seed of evil.

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

Without seed didst thou conceive Him Who is inseparable from the Father and dwelt in thy womb as God and man, and thou hast given birth to Him ineffably, O most pure Theotokos. Wherefore, we confess thee to be the salvation of us all.

Ode IX Canon of the Great-martyr, Irmos: The Son of the Unoriginate Father, God and Lord, * hath appeared to us incarnate of a Virgin, * to enlighten those in darkness, * and to gather the dispersed; * therefore the all-hymned Theotokos do we magnify.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Meeting the glorious end of thy martyrdom under the sword, O Barbara, and deemed worthy of a crown of martyrdom with Juliana, thou didst hear the voice of God, which filled thee with power.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Meeting the glorious end of thy martyrdom under the sword, O Barbara, and deemed worthy of a crown of martyrdom with Juliana, thou didst hear the voice of God, which filled thee with power.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

United now with Christ thy Bridegroom, shining with the glory of the divine light in the mansions of heaven, O Barbara, look down upon those who hymn thee, lightening our sufferings and leading us to the living God.

Holy Great-Martyr, Barbara, pray to God for us.

Christ, fulfilling thy request, O Barbara, granteth healings to those who with faith keep thine annual memorial. For truly thy right glorious miracles have surpassed the sands of the sea in number.

Canon of the Venerable One Irmos: The Son of the Unoriginate Father, God and Lord, * hath appeared to us incarnate of a Virgin, * to enlighten those in darkness, * and to gather the dispersed; * therefore the all-hymned Theotokos do we magnify.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Thou hast taught all the children of the Church to hymn in an Orthodox fashion the adored Unity in Trinity, and to clearly theologize concerning the divine incarnation of the Word, O John, explaining those things which many find difficult to understand in the sacred Scriptures.

Venerable father, John, pray to God for us.

Thou hast taught all the children of the Church to hymn in an Orthodox fashion the adored Unity in Trinity, and to clearly theologize concerning the divine incarnation of the Word, O John, explaining those things which many find difficult to understand in the sacred Scriptures.

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

Having hymned the ranks of the saints, the pure Theotokos, the forerunner of Christ, the apostles, the prophets, fasters and wise teachers, the righteous and the martyrs, O John, thou dost now abide in their mansions.

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

In a manner beyond understanding, O Virgin Theotokos, thou didst become the bridal-chamber of the incarnation of the Word, arrayed and embroidered with the glory of the virtues. Wherefore, we proclaim thee to be the Theotokos, O allimmaculate one.

Troparion of the great-martyr, Tone VIII: Let us honour the holy Barbara; for the most honored one * broke the snares of the enemy and was delivered from them like a bird, ** with the help and aid of the Cross.

Troparion of the venerable one, Tone VIII: Teacher of Orthodoxy, instructor of piety and chastity, * luminary of the Church, God-inspired nourishment of monastics, * O supremely wise John, thou spiritual flute illumining all, ** entreat Christ God that our souls be saved.

The Canon to St Birinus the Apostle of Wessex

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Canon of the saint, the acrostic whereof is “Birinus shepherded the lambs of Christ”, in Tone V.

Canon of the saint, the acrostic whereof is “Birinus shepherded the lambs of Christ”, in Tone V

Ode I, Irmos: Christ, Who hath delivered our race from the madness of idolatry, hath appeared on earth! To Him alone let us chant, for He hath been glorified.

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

Blessed Birinus took the easy yoke of Christ upon his shoulders, and set forth for distant Wessex to free men’s souls from the madness of idolatry.

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

Imitating the apostles, the holy Birinus journeyed far to preach Christ, our God and Saviour, to Whom alone let us chant, for He hath been glorified.

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

Raging seas could not keep the holy hierarch from the flock entrusted to his care by Christ, to Whom alone let us chant, for He hath been glorified.

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

In thy most pure womb, O Virgin, did the Word become incarnate, appearing to men on earth. To Him alone let us chant, for He hath been glorified.

Ode III, Irmos: God is King over the nations. God sitteth on His holy throne. And with understanding we chant unto Him as King and God.

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

Never failing in his care for the sheep and lambs of Christ, the wondrous hierarch Birinus taught them to worship Him as King and God.

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

Unto the king of Wessex didst thou preach, O saint, uprooting pagan superstitions from his heart and uniting him to the King of kings. Saving the king, O Birinus, thou didst also save his people; for through thy preaching were thousands brought to divine understanding.

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

Sanctified by thee in the laver of regeneration, Cynegils was illumined by grace divine and was arrayed in a baptismal robe of pure white.

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

How didst thou, O Virgin, conceive in thy womb God Who is King over the nations, to Whom we all chant as eternal King and God?

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

Sessional hymn, Tone III: Spec. Mel: “Awed by the beauty of thy virginity…”:  Hallowed by the oil of anointing and the indwelling of the Spirit of God, as a great high priest the holy Birinus faithfully served Christ his Lord, caring for the souls of the people, whom by his preaching he had brought into the light of grace out of the gloom and darkness of ignorance; wherefore, let us praise his godly memory.

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

Theotokion: Like a vine which had not been cultivated didst thou put forth the most comely Cluster of grapes which poureth forth upon us the wine which maketh glad the souls and bodies of all. Wherefore, ever blessing thee as the cause of good things, with the angel we cry to thee: Rejoice, O thou Who art full of grace!

Stavrotheotokion (replaces the Theotokion of Wednesdays and Fridays): Thy pure Mother who knew not wedlock, beholding Thee hanging dead upon the Cross, O Christ, said, weeping maternally: “How hath the iniquitous and thankless assembly of the Jews, which enjoyed Thy manifold and great gifts, rewarded Thee, O my Son? I hymn Thy divine condescension!”

Ode IV, Irmos: Hearing of Thine advent from the densely wooded mountain, the prophet cried aloud: Glory to Thine ineffable incarnation!

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

Edifying his flock with the teachings of the Saviour, the saint taught them to cry unto Him: Glory to Thine ineffable incarnation!

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

Praise ye the virtues of Birinus and the wonders he wrought through the power of God, crying: Glory to Thine ineffable incarnation!

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

Hearing the words of salvation, which fell from thy mouth like precious jewels, all cried out: Glory to Christ’s ineffable incarnation!

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

Eminent among the angels, Gabriel was sent to the all-holy Mary to proclaim: Glory to God’s ineffable incarnation in thee!

Ode V, Irmos: O almighty Word of God, send peace upon the whole world, enlightening and illumining with the light of truth all who glorify Thee, awakening out of the night.

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

Rising at dawn out of each night, the holy hierarch fervently did his Master’s bidding, bringing the light of Truth to all, that they might glorify His incarnation.

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

Divine light dawned upon the people of Wessex, for the holy Birinus brought them the light of Christ, Who is the true Light that enlighteneth the whole world.

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

Exalt ye the honoured memory of the God-bearing hierarch, for he illumined with grace divine a people who sat in darkness and the shadow of death and corruption.

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

David, thy forefather, called thee a queen, O Lady, and thou art verily the Queen of all that is, having given birth to Christ the King, the preëternal Word of God.

Ode VI, Irmos: Like Jonah I cry to Thee from the depths of the heart of the sea: Let my supplication come unto Thy holy and heavenly Church!  Lead me up from my sins, I pray Thee, O Lord!

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

Two holy kings gave thee Dorchester as thy see, O Birinus – Cynegils of Wessex and Oswald of Northumbria; and therein thou didst establish the Church, to deliver men from their sins.

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

Heartfelt praise let us utter from the depths of our souls, giving thanks with gladness to the holy Birinus, who dwelleth now in the holy and heavenly Church, where he prayeth for our souls.

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

Exalted above all earthly things, the holy hierarch standeth now in the Holy Church triumphant, crying out to Christ most fervently: Lead up my people from their sins, I pray Thee, O Lord!

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

Like as Jonah cried out to the Lord, so do we send up entreaties to His most immaculate Mother, crying: Lead us up out of our sins, O Lady, and pray thou in our behalf to the Lord thy Son!

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

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

Kontakion, Tone IV: Spec. Mel.,: “Thou hast appeared…”: With sacred hymns and spiritual songs we exalt the most blessed hierarch Birinus today, for he was a faithful servant of Christ and a vigilant shepherd of His flock, who ever prayeth on our behalf.

Ikos: With hymns of praise let us exalt Birinus, great among hierarchs, the enlightener of the Saxons and teacher of the Christian Faith; and let us bestow a wreath of honour upon his brow, for he tirelessly uprooted the tares of idolatry from Wessex, and with the light of Christ dispelled the darkness of ignorance from men’s souls. Wherefore, having received an everlasting reward from the Lord, he ever prayeth on our behalf.

Ode VII, Irmos: Blessed, all-hymned and all-glorious art Thou, O God Who lookest upon the depths and sittest upon the throne of glory!

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

All-glorious is the sacred memory of the holy hierarch Birinus, who now sitteth upon a throne of glory in the heights of heaven.

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

Many who before were drowning in the depths of heathen error did the most blessed hierarch lift up to the heights of heaven.

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

Blessed and most wondrous is the saint of God, for he put his hand to his Master’s plough and did not turn back.

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

Sacred hymns let us offer now to the all-hymned Virgin Mary, who in her loving-kindness looketh down upon us with pity.

Ode VIII, Irmos: Him Who bedewed the furnace and preserved the children amid the burning flame do ye hymn, O children, bless, O priests, and exalt supremely, ye people, for all ages!

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

O ye children of the Orthodox Church, lift up your voices in praise of God Who is wondrous in His saint, crying. Ye priests and people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

For our sins and iniquities we fear the burning of the fiery furnace; but, bedewed by God’s saint, let us cry: Ye priests and ye people, exalt Christ supremely for all ages!

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

Come, ye who love Birinus, and, burning with zeal to imitate his virtues, let us cry to God: Ye children, hymn; ye priests, bless; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages.

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

Her who was prefigured by the bush, which burned with flame yet was not consumed, do ye children hymn, ye priests bless, ye people exalt supremely for all ages.

Ode IX, Irmos: O most hymned Theotokos, thou rod sprung forth from the root of David, thou hast borne for us a most comely Blossom, the Cause of our ancient blessedness. Wherefore, we all magnify thee with hymns.

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

Rivers of grace issued forth from thy tomb, O Birinus, watering Dorchester with blessedness, filling the vale of the River Thames with the souls of the saved, as with comely flowers; wherefore, we magnify thee.

Holy Father, Birinus, pray to God for us.

In royal Winchester did the holy Hædda enshrine the sacred relics of the hierarch Birinus, where they put forth the sweet fragrance of gracious healings for those who approached them with faith and the fear of God.

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

Sent forth to proclaim the Godhead of the Son of David, Birinus bore to a distant land the words that are able to restore men to their ancient blessedness; wherefore, we glorify him with spiritual songs and hymns of praise.

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

The most hymned Theotokos is eternally praised in the courts of heaven, for she gave birth in the flesh to the Creator of all things, in manner past understanding and recounting; wherefore, we also dare to magnify her. 

Troparion of the saint, in Tone VI: Taking up the Cross of Christ as it were a battle standard, thou didst set forth for the English lands, to wage war upon the ancient foe of mankind, O Birinus glorious in wonders; and, as a valiant champion of the Christian Faith, thou didst fight the good fight until the end. Wherefore, thou hast received the trophy of victory from the King of kings Whom thou didst serve. Entreat Him, O holy hierarch, that He save our souls.

The Canon to the Holy Prophet Zephaniah

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The canon of the prophet, the acrostic whereof is: “May the glory of Zephaniah illumine me,” a composition of Theophanes, in Tone VI:

Ode I, Irmos: When Israel walked on foot in the sea as on dry land, * on seeing their pursuer Pharaoh drowned, * they cried: * Let us sing to God * a song of victory.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

We beseech thee, O prophet, who standest before the throne of God, that thou earnestly entreat Him to grant enlightenment to us who with faith hymn thine honored memory.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

We beseech thee, O prophet, who standest before the throne of God, that thou earnestly entreat Him to grant enlightenment to us who with faith hymn thine honored memory.

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

Thou hast been shown to be a divine instrument containing enlightenment and the gifts of the divine Spirit, O all-wise Zephaniah; wherefore, rejoicing, we, the faithful, call thee blessed.

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

The Sun which shone forth from thy holy womb, O Lady, illumineth all the earth with most brilliant rays; and enlightened thereby, we honor thee as the Mother of God.

Ode III, Irmos: There is none as holy as Thou, * O Lord my God, * who hast exalted the horn of The faithful O good One, * and strengthened us upon the rock * of Thy confession.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

He Who, as God, seeth all things, O blessed and right wondrous one, in a godly manner manifestly revealed and showed thee the knowledge of the future and what is to be.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

He Who, as God, seeth all things, O blessed and right wondrous one, in a godly manner manifestly revealed and showed thee the knowledge of the future and what is to be.

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

Having strengthened thy mind with the boldness of piety, O blessed one, thou didst bow thyself down before the divine Spirit and received divine inspirations.

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

Behold, with faith all generations call thee blessed who, in a manner transcending nature, hast given birth in the flesh within time unto the timeless Word, yet remained a virgin.

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

Sessional Hymn, Tone VI: Spec. Mel.: “The portals of compassion…”: Having cleansed thy mind of defilement, O all-wise one, thou didst make it a divine mirror reflecting the rays of the Spirit of God; and now, rejoicing, thou hast departed unto the Source of effulgence, O prophet Zephaniah.

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

Theotokion, Tone VI: Groaning from my heart and inmost parts do I offer thee, O all-immaculate one, asking thine aid, which is accompanied by good. Have mercy upon my greatly suffering soul. Move thou the most merciful God to pity, that He deliver me from damnation and the lake of fire, O thou who alone art blessed.

Stavrotheotokion, Tone VI (replaces the above on Wednesdays and Fridays): The ever-virgin Maiden who gaveth birth unto Thee, O Christ, beholding Thee suspended upon the Cross for our sake, was wounded heart and soul by the sword of grief, and wept, lamenting maternally. By her supplications have mercy upon us, O Merciful One.

Ode IV, Irmos: Christ is my power, * my God and my Lord, * the holy Church divinely singeth, * crying with a pure mind, * keeping festival in the Lord.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

The Lord of all appeared to us in accordance with thy prophecy, O blessed one, calling all to knowledge of Him; and freeing us from slavery.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

The Lord of all appeared to us in accordance with thy prophecy, O blessed one, calling all to knowledge of Him; and freeing us from slavery.

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

Illumined by grace, thou didst make proclamation, speaking to those who bow low to labor beneath the one yoke, who follow the Faith and serve the Lord.

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

O all-pure Mary, still thou the tumult of the passions of my mind and the storm of temptations, as thou hast given birth unto the Wellspring of dispassion, O Virgin Mother.

Ode V, Irmos: Illumine with Thy divine light, I pray, O Good One, * the souls of those who with love rise early to pray to Thee, * that they may know Thee, O Word of God, * as the true God, * Who recalleth us from the darkness of sin.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

By thine entreaties, O blessed and glorious prophet, convert me from unrighteousness to virtue, and from the captivity of the passions lead me to the light of piety.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

By thine entreaties, O blessed and glorious prophet, convert me from unrighteousness to virtue, and from the captivity of the passions lead me to the light of piety.

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

Having enlightened thy soul with the comeliness of the virtues, thou didst show it to be pleasing to the splendors of the divine Spirit, by Whom thou hast been enriched by the grace of prophecy.

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

In many forms the words of the prophets proclaim thy birthgiving, O most pure one; and we, beholding now their fulfillment, truly declare thee to be thenTheotokos.

Ode VI, Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, * I run to Thy calm haven, and cry to Thee: * Raise up my life from corruption, * O greatly Merciful One.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

Receiving the rays of the Spirit through revelation, O glorious one, like a mirror thou didst reflect the splendors of divine prophecy upon the world, prophesying the things of the future as though they were present.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

Receiving the rays of the Spirit through revelation, O glorious one, like a mirror thou didst reflect the splendors of divine prophecy upon the world, prophesying the things of the future as though they were present.

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

The King hath come! Rejoice and adorn thyself, O Zion, beholding Him! He hath enlightened the world with the brilliant rays of His divinity and hath put the delusion of the demons to shame!

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

In thy womb the Only-begotten of the Father united Himself to flesh of clay; He Who is One Person of two natures issued forth from thee without corruption, preserving thy pure virginity intact, O all-hymned one.

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

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

Kontakion, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “Thou hast appeared …”:
Thou wast shown to be brilliant by the divine Spirit, O prophet Zephaniah, * proclaiming the coming of God: * Rejoice exceedingly, O daughter of Zion! * Proclaim Him, O Jerusalem! ** Behold, thy King cometh to save mankind!

Ode VII, Irmos: An Angel made the furnace bedew the holy Children. * But the command of God consumed the Chaldeans * and prevailed upon the tyrant to cry: * O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

Thy memory hath shone upon the world like the sun, illumining with the grace of thy prophecy those who with faith chant together: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

Thy memory hath shone upon the world like the sun, illumining with the grace of thy prophecy those who with faith chant together: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

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

Revealed to be like a cloud heavy laden with showers, thou didst let fall upon us a shower of divine knowledge from the springs of salvation, O blessed one, whereby we are enlightened to cry out: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!

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

Desiring in His divine will to restore mankind, the Word, Who of old gave existence to all things, made His abode within thy womb, O pure and blessed one, who hast given birth to God in the flesh.

Ode VIII, Irmos: Thou didst make flame bedew the holy children, * and didst burn the sacrifice of a righteous man with water. * For Thou alone, O Christ, dost do all as Thou willest, * Thee do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

Offered wholly to the Almighty, thou wast instructed in the mysteries by way of foreknowledge, teaching the Gentiles in accordance with God’s providence. Wherefore, we hymn thee, O divinely eloquent prophet.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

Offered wholly to the Almighty, thou wast instructed in the mysteries by way of foreknowledge, teaching the Gentiles in accordance with God’s providence. Wherefore, we hymn thee, O divinely eloquent prophet.

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

Offer up a hymn of supplication on behalf of those who hymn thee, O divinely blessed one, and put an end to the turmoil of temptations, that we may hymn thee, O divinely eloquent prophet.

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

Giving birth to God, the Lord and Bestower of life, O most pure one, thou didst abolish the unrestrained tyranny of death, slaying it. Wherefore, we hymn thee throughout all ages.

Ode IX, Irmos: It is impossible for mankind to see God * upon Whom the orders of Angels dare not gaze; * but through thee, O all-pure one, * did the Word Incarnate become a man * and with the Heavenly Hosts * Him we magnify and thee we call blessed.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

Thou madest thine abode in the land of the meek, where, after thy repose, thou dost behold the splendors of the angels, O all-wise Zephaniah, thou prophet of God, shining with grace in that thou art meek. Wherefore, rejoicing, we, the faithful, call thee blessed.

Holy Prophet, Zephaniah, pray to God for us.

Thou madest thine abode in the land of the meek, where, after thy repose, thou dost behold the splendors of the angels, O all-wise Zephaniah, thou prophet of God, shining with grace in that thou art meek. Wherefore, rejoicing, we, the faithful, call thee blessed.

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

Radiantly beholding the fulfillment of thy prophecies, O most glorious one, we marvel at the grace given thee and the purity of thy mind, and we are struck with wonder at thy godly soul.

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

No other like thee hath ever been given to us from generations of old, O all-immaculate Mother of God; for thou, alone of all, hast incomparable sanctity and purity. Wherefore, thou didst receive within thyself God incarnate.

Troparion, Tone II: Celebrating the memory of Thy Prophet Zephaniah, O Lord, * through him we entreat Thee: ** Save Thou our soul

St Maxim of Serpukkhov, the First Bishop of Suffering Catacomb Orthodoxy

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Never having seen a proper icon of the Holy Hieromartyr, Maxim of Serpukhov, first bishop of the Catacomb Church in Russia, I was very happy to have quite literally JUST stumbled upon an icon by chance.

As well as posting the icon, his life is posted below.

Holy Hieromartyr, Maxim, pray to God for us!

Michael Alexandrovich Zhizhilenko (the future Catacomb bishop and Saint Maxim of Serpukhov) was the chief physician of the ‘Taganka’ prison in Moscow (in the early-mid 1920s).

In his difficult post he was not only a physician, but also a great master of the heart, a comforter and father. Before him, a physician, not infrequently as before a priest the most inveterate and incorrigible ncriminals confessed, finding for themselves not only comfort, but often also a return to honest life. Many in Moscow knew that he slept on bare boards, that he ate prison food, that he unfailingly distributed all his salary to the prisoners. He acted in this way not only under the Bolsheviks, but earlier as well, under the Imperial (Tsarist) government. In Moscow he was known as “the elder of Taganka”.

Being a deeply religious man, Vladyka Maxim, while still a layman, made the acquaintance of His Holiness Patriarch (Saint) Tikhon, whom he deeply revered. The Patriarch greatly loved Dr. Zhizhilenko and often made use of his advice. Their relationship in time took on the character of the most intimate friendship. In the words of Vladyka Maxim, the Patriarch confided in him his most secret thoughts and feelings.

Thus, for example, in one of their conversations His Holiness expressed to Vladyka Maxim (then still simply a doctor) his painful doubts as to the benefit of further concessions to the Soviet power. In making these concessions, he became more and more convinced, with horror, that the boundary of the ‘political’ demands of the Soviet power lay beyond the bounds of faithfulness to Christ and the Church. And not long before his death the Patriarch expressed the thought that apparently the only way out for the Russian Orthodox Church to preserve her faithfulness to Christ would be, in the near future, to go into the catacombs.

Therefore Patriarch Tikhon blessed Dr. Zhizhilenko to accept secret monasticism and then, in case in the near future the higher church hierarchy were to concede to the Soviet power the spiritual freedom of the Church, to become a secret bishop.

While telling us, physicians imprisoned at Solovki and true ‘Tikhonites,’ of Patriarch Tikhon’s refusal once to bless one of the participants in the White Movement, Vladyka related in detail concerning the extreme caution of Patriarch Tikhon, who did not show to those around him his authentic deepest relationship to questions of politics, but who revealed this in strict confidence to his no less cautious friend, and concerning the immense joy he had in connection with the activity of Metropolitan Anthony (ROCOR) abroad. “How they there well understand everything and do not, apparently, judge me,” the Patriarch once expressed himself with tears, having in mind the activity of the so-called ‘Karlovchany.’


Vladyka Maxim told us in detail of the many attempts to kill Patriarch Tikhon. Once a supposed madman threw himself with a knife upon the Patriarch as he was coming out of the altar. Unexpectedly, however, instead of Patriarch Tikhon someone else came out, and the ‘madman,’ being ‘sanely surprised,’ delivered no wound to the one who came out. Another time, when the cell-attendant of the Patriarch was killed, the murderer ran about the Patriarch’s apartments without noticing Patriarch Tikhon sitting in an armchair. Several attempts to poison His Holiness were made with the aid of medicines sent to him.

Vladyka Maxim also told us of some disagreements he had with Patriarch Tikhon. The chief of these lay in the fact that His Holiness was optimistically inclined, believing that all the terrors of Soviet life could yet pass, and that Russia could still be reborn through repentance. Vladyka Maxim, however, was inclined to a pessimistic view of the events that were occurring and believed that we had already entered into the final days of the apocalyptic period. “Apparently,” Vladyka Maxim concluded, smiling (which happened rarely), “we infected each other a little with our attitudes: I infected him with pessimism, and he me with optimism.”

His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon died on March 25, 1925, being, in the words of Vladyka Maxim, unquestionably poisoned. The Patriarch’s ‘Testament (will),’ according to Vladyka Maxim’s  categorical assertion, was a counterfeit. (The room in which the Patriarch died was immediately sealed by Tuchkov. Only after several days did Tuchkov give what was purported to be the will of his Holiness to two Metropolitans to be taken to the newspaper.)

Michael Alexandrovich later fulfilled the will of the late Patriarch Tikhon and in 1927, when Metropolitan Sergius published his well-known (and infamous) Declaration, he received a secret tonsure with the name Maxim, and became the first Catacomb bishop. He was secretly consecrated Bishop of Serpukhov on October 12, 1928 by Archbishop (Saint) Demetrius of Gdov and Bishop n (Saint) Sergius of Narva. This was the first consecration of a catacomb bishop.

In Serpukhov in a very short time all 18 parishes went over to the new bishop, i.e., to the opposition (the Catacomb Church). In neighboring Kolomna the same thing happened. In Zvenigorod, Volokolamsk, Pereyaslav Zadessky, and other cities a significant number of the parishes followed the example of Serpukhov.

It should be noted that in addition to being highly regarded by Patriarch Tikhon, Vladyka Maxim was likewise highly esteemed by the Patriarch’s successor, Metropolitan (Saint) Peter of Krutitsa, who knew him well. Vladyka Maxim was also a spiritual son of Fr. (Saint) Valentine Sventitsky.

The influence of Bishop Maxim constantly grew, and increased especially when there was introduced into the Liturgy in Petrograd the famous “Prayer for the Holy Church,” which however received among the faithful the title of “Prayer concerning the Bolsheviks.” Rumor ascribed the authorship of this prayer to no one else than Bishop Maxim.

His fate, however, was sealed. The Soviet authorities knew him as a physician, as a Soviet employee. His appearance in a black ryassa at the head of a confessing Church seemed to them the highest brazenness. In his new post Vladyka did not last long. He was arrested in the middle of 1929, and thereafter spent two whole years in prison before winning his martyr’s crown.

St. Maxim was shot in 1931. May we have his holy prayers!

Canon to St Philaret the Merciful

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Canon to the holy and righteous Philaret the Merciful, the acrostic whereof is: “I praise the sun-like remembrance of Philaret,” the composition of Valeria, Tone II.

Ode I Irmos: Come, O ye people, * let us sing a song to Christ our God, * Who divided the sea, * and made a way for the nation * which He had brought up out of the bondage of Egypt; * for He hath been glorified.

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

Come ye, and let us celebrate today the memory of Philaret, radiant in our gladness, forming an harmonious chorus, for Christ God hath wondrously glorified him.

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

Thou didst give thy property to God in loan, O Philaret, purchasing things eternal with that which is transitory, O wise one. Wherefore, thou wast deemed worthy to receive a twofold reward, being crowned with honour on earth and with glory in heaven.

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

Being truly a beacon of the love of Christ, in no wise extinguished by the winds of tribulations and temptations, with divine love thou hast enkindled the hearts of the faithful that they may cry to thee: Rejoice, O Philaret, beloved of God!

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

Unceasingly we cry unto thee, chanting the archangel’s greeting: Rejoice! For thou art the cause of all joy, O Lady, who hast given birth unto the Salvation of the world.

Ode III, Irmos: The bow of the mighty hath been broken * by Thy might, O Christ, * and the enfeebled * have girded themselves with power.

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

Thou didst open thy hands unto the poor and the wretched, and thy lips unto the praise of thy Creator and God, O righteous one. Wherefore, the gates of paradise have been opened unto thee with joy.

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

When thou didst beggar thyself for a while, when God tested thy love, O Philaret, in no wise despondent, thou didst place all thy trust in God, Who humbleth, exalteth and bestoweth wealth.

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

Thou didst not set thy heart on fleeting riches, but established it in the will of God, O wise Philaret, truly well-beloved.

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

Rejoice radiantly with Joachim, O righteous Anna, for in but a few days thou shalt joyously cry out: Lo! the most glorious root of the Tree of life hath been sown within me!

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

Sessional Hymn, Tone VII: Come ye, and let us prepare a great feast, and a banquet of honour, thus didst thou say to thy household, O Philaret, announcing the arrival at thy house of the King Himself and His servants; and when the time was come, thou didst go forth to meet those who were invited: the poor and wretched of the imperial city; and to all who marvelled, beholding them, thou didst cry aloud: These are the servants of the King, and in them the King Himself hath arrived! Truly, therefore, Christ, the King of kings, came invisibly to thy feast, and with love dost thou now serve Him in unwaning light, reclining with the saints at His banquet and chanting the awesome thrice-holy hymn sung by the seraphim.

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

Theotokion, in Tone VII: Thou hast surpassed the hosts of heaven, * O blessed Theotokos, * for thou hast been shown to be a divine temple, * in that thou hast given birth unto Christ, ** the Saviour of our souls. Or this Stavrotheotokion: Ever protected by the Cross of thy Son, O Virgin, we escape the demons’ assault. Wherefore, raising a song as is meet, we glorify thee, O all-hymned Theotokos.

Or this Stavrotheotokion (Wednesday and Friday): Ever protected by the Cross of thy Son, O Virgin, we escape the demons’ assault. Wherefore, raising a song as is meet, we glorify thee, O all-hymned Theotokos.

Ode IV, Irmos: I have heard report of Thy dispensation, O Lord, * and have glorified Thee * Who alone art the Lover of mankind.

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

Distributing silver, gold, and copper coins unto the people who begged of thee, thou didst spiritually perceive the need of each, O merciful one, wisely managing the property of Christ, the almighty Master of the house.

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

The right loving and divinely wise Philaret showed himself to be a father to orphans and paupers and made love the dominion of his might.

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

Bearing reproaches and insults with love, and deprived of thy wealth as was Job, thou didst cry aloud: The Lord is my God and my power, and He will set my feet toward perfection!

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

Thou didst come forth unto the salvation of Thy people, O Saviour, willingly incarnate of the foreordained Virgin, whom we unceasingly glorify.

Ode V, Irmos: The burning Ember was revealed to Isaiah, * and the Sun hath shone forth from the Virgin’s womb, * granting the enlightenment of the knowledge of God * to those who in darkness have gone astray.

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

Being a kinsman of the emperor, O Philaret, thou didst not exalt thyself, honouring the King of kings in the guise of the orphaned and the wretched, and adorning thyself with love, the queen of the virtues.

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

Living in accordance with the Gospel, O Philaret, and bearing fruit an hundredfold for the Saviour, thou didst show thyself to be a good and fertile land for Him.

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

Thou hast shown us an example of godly mercy, letting thy light shine before all in accordance with the word of the Lord, moving them to glorify the heavenly Father.

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

Magnifying the Theotokos, the Mother of Emmanuel, with unceasing hymns, and beholding Him Who was born of her, we cry out: God is with us!

Ode VI, Irmos: O Master, hearkening unto the sound of entreaties * from a soul in pain, * do Thou deliver me from my grievous sins, * for Thou alone art the Cause of our salvation.

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

Thou didst sanctify thy hands with the blessings of almsgiving, enkindling thy heart with mercy, putting an end to sorrows, comforting the afflicted and bringing joy to all in place of grief.

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

Emulating Abraham the hospitable, O Philaret, thou didst honour the life-creating Trinity, which did not reveal itself to thee in the guise of three strangers, but in the guise of a multitude of the wretched to whom thou didst zealously minister.

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

Accepting tribulations from the hand of the Lord as blessings, thou didst show forth the patience of Job; and, tempest-tossed by tribulations and deprivation, thou didst bless God, inheriting the blessing of all the righteous.

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

We have no hope; there is no hope for us, if thou dost not help us and deliver us from misfortunes O Theotokos, by thine all-powerful intercession, which Thy mighty Son doth not disdain.

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

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

Kontakion, Tone III: Truly thy most excellent commerce * is seen and judged to be wise * by all the divinely wise, * for thou didst forgive transitory debts, * seeking that which is lofty and eternal. * Wherefore, thou hast acquired eternal glory as is meet, ** O merciful Philaret.

Ikos: Every virtue acquired for Christ’s sake is comely and loving; fasting is honourable, and abstinence is pleasing to God; meekness doth inherit the earth, and humility leadeth to the heavens; repentance doth conquer every sin, and vision of God is granted to the pure of heart; yet charity and love are exalted above all of these, and, before all else, are received back from the righteous Judge at the dread tribunal of Christ; and on that day shalt thou hear from Him, O righteous one: Come, thou blessed of the heavenly Father, inherit eternal glory and the Kingdom prepared for thee from before the ages, O merciful Philaret!

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

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

Having prepared a great feast, thou didst announce to thy household the coming of the King and His servants; and having filled thy house with the poor and wretched, thou didst cry aloud: Behold the servants of the King!

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

In their midst hath the most divine King, the blessed God of our fathers, come invisibly unto me! Young men and elders, orphans and widows, blessed thy compassionate right hand, O Philaret, giving thanks unto Christ God for thee; and they cried out in compunction: O supremely divine God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

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

Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom, for ye ministered unto Me in the thirsty, the hungry and the sick! Thus shall Christ the Judge cry to the merciful at His dread Judgment. And at that time, O father, thou shalt be exceeding glad.

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

O Virgin Theotokos, entreat thou the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world and hath washed Christians in His Blood, that He take away our sins; for, lo! with contrite heart we seek the countenance of Him Who is blessed by all creation.

ODE VIII, Irmos: Disdaining the golden image, the thrice-blessed children, * beholding the immutable and living image of God, * chanted in the midst of the flame: * Let all existing creation hymn the Lord * and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

Emulating the merciful Samaritan, pass me not by, for I have fallen among thieves through my many sins, O Philaret, and pour forth the oil of thy prayers upon my grievously wounded soul, O merciful one, that, healed, I may thankfully chant unto God: Let all creation hymn the Lord Who is wondrous in His saints!

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

Thou wast revealed to us to be a wise gatherer of treasures which rust doth not corrupt, nor worm devour, and which thou dost lay up in the treasuries of heaven. Wherefore, thy heart doth abide there, and thy mouth, knowing not satiety, doth hymn the Lord throughout the ages.

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

They, that of old did foolishly worship the golden calf, were condemned, and the most-wise youths, that did not bow down before the golden image set up by the king in Babylon, were blessed; and thou, O Philaret, didst emulate the latter and not the former, joyously casting down the idol of wealth, and chanting: Let all creation hymn the Lord throughout the ages!

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

The cherubim bow down before thee in awe, O Theotokos, and the seraphim hymn thee unceasingly, for truly the King of heaven hath desired thy beauty, calling thee His own Mother. Wherefore, the people confess thee always, and unto the ages of ages.

Ode IX, Irmos: Thou art all desire, Thou art all sweetness, * O Word of God, Son of the Virgin, * God of gods, most holy Lord of the saints. * Wherefore, we magnify Thee * and her who hath given birth to Thee. Pouring forth thy wealth in faith, thou didst receive all of it back again from God.

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

And receiving and nourishing the wretched with faith, thou didst receive God Himself. Having lived by faith, and through faith passed on to the eternal mansions, thou dost ever magnify God with the choirs of the righteous.

Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.

As an emulator of Abraham and entertainer of the unoriginate Trinity, a servant and most intimate friend of the Master, thou didst have mercy on every creature, thereby inclining the mercy of God toward thyself. Wherefore, in thy mercy do thou also visit us who magnify thee with all our heart.

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

Enlighten us with thy love, O Philaret, who shone like the sun in thy righteous repose, that, radiantly rejoicing in thee, we may magnify God, Who is wondrous in His saints.

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

Young men and elders, rich men and paupers, monks and laymen, righteous and penitents: Come ye, let us fall down before the Mother of God, crying out to her: Ever preserve under thy protection, us who magnify thee O Lady.

Troparion, Tone IV: Emulating Abraham in faith and following after Job in patience, * O father Philaret, * thou didst distribute the blessings of the earth to the needy * and didst manfully endure the lack thereof. * Wherefore, Christ our God, the Judge of the contest, * hath crowned thee with a crown of light. ** Him do thou entreat, that our souls be saved.