As we celebrate the feast of the Holy Wonderworkers Peter and Fevronia, we pray for all of the married couples within our community, mindful of the fact that marriage can be challenging in the modern world – in which marriage and the traditional family is undermined, eroded and attacked.
Whilst having supper with us in Newman Hall, Bishop Irenei reminded us that the primary aim of a husband and wife in the Holy Matrimony is to lead one another into the Kingdom of Heaven, and this is manifestly true of the marriage of Saints Peter and Fevronia. We need to never lose sight of this.
Wishing you a happy feast!
Holy Wonderworkers, Peter and Fevronia, pray to God for us!
Prayer to the Holy & Right-believing Prince Peter & Princess Fevronia, the Wonderworkers of Murom
O greatly favoured ones of God and all-wondrous wonderworkers, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia, intercessors for the city of Murom, preservers of honourable marriage and diligent advocates for all of us before the Lord! In the days of your earthly life ye showed forth a model of piety, Christian love and fidelity one to another, and thereby glorified lawful and blessed marriage. Wherefore, we have recourse unto you and pray with mighty zeal: Offer your holy supplications unto the Lord God for us sinners, and ask for us all things of goodly benefit to our souls and bodies: right faith, good hope, unfeigned love, unshakable piety, success in good works*; and by your supplications grant even more unto those united by the bond of matrimony chastity, love for one another in the bond of peace, oneness of mind of souls and bodies, an unsullied marriage bed, an undisgraced sojourn, long-lived progeny, the favour of children, homes full of goodness, and the imperishable crown everlasting glory in eternal life. Yea, O holy wonderworkers, disdain not our prayers which are offered unto you with compunction, but be ye our faithful helpers before the Lord, and vouchsafe that through your intercession we may receive eternal salvation and inherit the kingdom of heaven, that we may glorify the ineffable love for mankind of God Who is worshipped in Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – unto ages of ages. Amen.
Troparion, tone 8: Having lived thy good life in piety, O blessed Peter, thou wast a most precious offspring of the pious root; and thus having pleased God in peace with thy spouse, the all-wise Fevronia, the holy monastic life was vouchsafed unto you. Beseech the Lord, that He preserve our homeland unharmed, that we may honor your memory unceasingly.
Kontakion, tone 8: Pondering the transitory glory and governance of this world, O Peter, thou didst live piously in peace with thy spouse the all-wise Fevronia, having pleased God with your alms and prayers. Wherefore, lying inseparably in the tomb even after death, ye invisibly impart healing. Pray now unto Christ, that He preserve our land and the faithful who glorify you.
We are looking forward to the Feast of the Holy Chief-Apostles Peter and Paul, next Tuesday, 12 July New Style, when we will again celebrate the Hours and Divine Liturgy in the Church of St Mary the Virgin, North Church St, Butetown.
We will begin the Hours at 10:00, with the Liturgy following at 10:30. We will break the Apostles’ Fast in the parish room afterwards, and you are invited to bring NON-LENTEN food to celebrate the feast.
Being able to celebrate the weekday feasts, now that there is a full-time parish-priest is a great blessing, as is the kindness of Father Dean and his parishioners in making this possible in St Mary’s.
The canon, the acrostic whereof is “Save Albion by thy prayers, O godly Alban”, in Tone VIII – the work of the Monk Joseph (Isaac Lambertsen)
Ode I, Irmos: O Lord Who didst fashion an all-glorious path for the people in the sea, make Thou the journey to heaven passable for us, that we may sing a new song unto Thee.
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
Send me grace from on high to purify my sinful mind, O Christ, that with boldness and without condemnation I may hymn Thy great martyr Alban, the invincible.
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
A great and undaunted witness to Thy truth was Alban, O God; for though he had not received holy baptism, yet so great was his zeal for the Faith that he gladly shed his blood for Thee.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Verulamium and the parts thereof were sanctified b y thy martyrdom, O Alban; for within its walls thou didst confess the true God and wast sentenced to death; and beyond it thou wast beheaded.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Even after giving birth thou hast remained ever-virgin, O all-pure and most immaculate Theotokos; wherefore, thou prayest in purity for thy sinful servants.
Ode III, Irmos: The bow of the mighty is become weak, and the strengthless have girded themselves with power; wherefore, my heart hath been established in the Lord.
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
All-joyously didst thou endure scourging for the sake of Christ, when thou didst spurn the worship of graven images, defying the unjust demand of the tyrant, O holy one.
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
Like Moses, who parted the Red Sea, so didst thou divide the rushing River Ver, which impeded thy path to martyrdom, O Alban, filling the people with amazement.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Bowing thy head before the executioner’s sword, thou didst surrender thy pure soul into the hands of Christ Jesus, Who hath caused it to dwell in paradise.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In psalms, hymns and spiritual songs we lift up our voices in praise of thee, who alone among women gavest birth unto the Unapproachable One, O Virgin Theotokos.
Katavasia: Pray to God for us, O holy Protomartyr, Alban, for we fervently flee unto thee, the speedy helper and intercessor for our souls.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional hymn, Tone III: Awed by the mighty works wrought through thee by the Almighty, O Alban, we sinners earnestly entreat thine aid: Look down from on high, O holy martyr, and deliver us from those who would destroy us, body and soul. Beseech the Master of all, that He take pity on us and save us, in that He loveth mankind. (Twice)
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*: Past understanding and beyond the mind of man is the awesome mystery of God wrought within thee, O divinely joyous Mistress; for, having conceived the Infinite One, thou gayest birth to Him, wrapped in flesh through thine all-pure blood. Him do thou ever beseech as Thy Son, O pure one, that our souls be saved.
*Replaced with the Stavrotheotokion on Wednesdays and Fridays
Stavrotheotokion: Thy pure Mother who knew not wedlock, O Christ, beholding thee hanging, dead, upon the Cross, said, weeping maternally: “How hath the iniquitous and thankless council of the Jews, who enjoyed Thy many and great gifts, rewarded Thee, O my Son? I hymn Thy divine condescension!”
Ode IV, Irmos: What criest thou, O Prophet Habbakuk? What hast thou seen which filleth thee with awe? Beholding God come forth from Thæman, I was afraid!
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
O thy steadfastness of soul, which withstood the threats of the tyrant, O martyr, and gave thee the strength to confess the one true God in the face of the idolaters!
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
Never cease to offer supplications before the all-holy Trinity, O wondrous one, that our manifold offences may be mercifully remitted and our grievous sins forgiven.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Before the dread throne, amid the ranks of the angels and saints, dost thou stand, mediating with Christ for the people of thy native land and all Christians.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Ye six-winged seraphim and many-eyed cherubim, stand in awe of the Maiden who is full of grace, for she is higher than you in honour.
Ode V, Irmos: O Lord Who by divine knowledge didst bring the ends of the earth into the light out of the night of ignorance, enlighten me with the dawning of Thy love for mankind.
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
Though a man of substance and property, yet through martyrdom thou didst exchange all earthly things for the pearl of great price, the holy Christian Faith, O Alban.
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
Holmhurst Hill, whereon thou didst seal thy witness, was drenched with thy blood when, beheaded by the sword, thou gayest thy pure soul into the hands of Christ, O martyr.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Yea, thy glory hath truly shone forth, undimmed, through all the ages, O blessed Alban; and, guided by thy light, we hasten to the mansions of heaven, where thou dwellest in splendour.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Pure and all-immaculate art thou, O Maiden, and replete with the grace of God; wherefore, thou standest with honour at the right hand of thy Son and our God.
Ode VI, Irmos: Mine iniquities have gone over my head, weighing down upon me like a heavy burden, and they drag me down into the depths of despondency; but before I sink, save me, O Lord!
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
Ravaged and destroyed were thy sacred relics and their shrine, O Alban, when ungodly blasphemers descended upon thy church like wolves upon a sheepfold; yet despite their predations thy grace hath never ceased to shine forth.
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
Against the vile heresy of Pelagius did the holy hierarch Germanus do battle in Britain, and therein he found thee a mighty ally; for which cause he took with him to Gaul a portion of thy precious and holy relics.
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
“Yesterday, in my ignorance of the true God, I was as one sitting in darkness and the shadow of death; but today, when I lay down my life for Him, I shall dwell in paradise, filled with His effulgent glory!” Alban cried out.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
“Everlasting life is the portion of those who cleave unto the God of the Christians; wherefore, put away thine unbelief from thee and believe on Him, that it may go well with thee in the life to come,” the martyr exclaimed to the tyrant.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Retribution from God awaiteth the accursed Nestorius, O all-pure Mistress, and all who revile thee and teach others to hold thee in contempt; for thou, O all-blessed one, dost bid all generations to call thee blessed.
Katavasia: Pray to God for us, O holy Protomartyr, Alban, for we fervently flee unto thee, the speedy helper and intercessor for our souls.
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 2: Spec. Mel.: “Seeking the highest …”: Imbued with courage and bravery from on high, the glorious martyr Alban stood undaunted before the tyrant and boldly confessed Christ as the only God of all; and he utterly refused to offer sacrifice to false deities. Wherefore, having laid down his life for the Lord, he maketh earnest entreaty in behalf of our souls.
Ikos: Heeding well the words of the Saviour to His disciples, thou didst not fear him who could slay thy body, for he was unable to kill thy soul. For this cause, what was taught thee in the darkness by the Christian priest, whose life thou didst save, thou didst proclaim in the light; and what thine ear took in of his pure teaching, thou didst declare openly before the tribunal. Wherefore, having laid down thy life for the Lord, thou makest earnest entreaty in behalf of our souls.
Ode VII, Irmos: O Lord, make us emulators of Thy three children, opposing sin and trampling the fire of the passions underfoot, and chanting: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
Succour and aid do thou send down upon us from on high, O blessed martyr, for we know thee to be a fervent advocate for those who chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
On Holmhurst Hill thou didst pause, athirst; and when thou didst pray to God a spring of water gushed forth at His behest, for which thou didst cry: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Gildas the pious and the venerable Bede have reverently related thy life and martyrdom, O Alban, that, giving thanks for thee, we may chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O how manifold are thy mighty works, O Virgin Theotokos! What tongue can fittingly describe their magnitude? And who can number them? Yea, they transcend all understanding!
Ode VIII, Irmos: Becoming vanquishers of the tyrant and the flame by Thy grace, taking exceeding care to keep Thy commandments, the children cried out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
Divine grace shineth forth with radiance from thy precious relics and sacred shrine, O wondrous martyr, whereby we all are illumined who cry: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
Let every Christian soul give thanks unto God, Who is wondrous in His saints, for He hath given Alban to us as an earnest suppliant for all who cry: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Yielding pacifieth great offences, saith Solomon the wise; wherefore, thou didst reject the madness of idolatry. crying out with the faithful: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
A stranger wast thou to the pangs of parturition, O most immaculate Mother, for, passing forth from thy womb, Christ kept thee from all pain and preserved thy virginity intact.
Ode IX, Irmos: Let the assemblies of the heretics fall silent, for they do not confess thee to be the true Theotokos; but the prophets proclaimed thee from on high to be the Mother of God and the mediatress of our race. Wherefore, we magnify thee, O Virgin.
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
Light from on high shineth forth upon us through thee, O most pious Alban, dispelling the darkness of polytheism and the gloom of heresy, that we may tread the path of righteousness without faltering and attain the heavenly Sion.
Holy Protomartyr, Alban, pray to God for us.
Britain rejoiceth greatly in thy memory, O invincible martyr Alban, and bendeth its knee in gratitude for the many benefactions thou hast wrought for it, setting at nought the evil machinations of the devil and his minions.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
All Christendom is glad and danceth for joy, reverently celebrating thy memorial with prayers, hymns and godly feasts, O martyr of Christ; for, having thee as a champion and mediator, it magnifieth thee exceedingly.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Now and always do we proclaim thee our peerless intercessor, who pleadeth earnestly with thy Son, the Lord of hosts, that he take pity and deal mercifully with us. Wherefore, we magnify thee, O most blessed Virgin.
Troparion, Tone 3: With faith, piety and devotion let us hasten to the sacred shrine of the wondrous martyr Alban, the first in Britain to shed his blood for Christ the Lord, for Whom he willingly laid down his life; and let us pray that through his supplications our souls may find mercy and salvation.
Dear brothers and sisters, greetings as we celebrate the memory of St John the Wonderworker! Let us all celebrate his memory by praying the akathist!
KONTAKION I Chosen wonderworker and pleaser of Christ, who pourest forth inexhaustible streams of inspiration and a multitude, of miracles upon the whole world, we praise thee with love and call out to thee: Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
OIKOS I An angel in the flesh wast thou manifested in these latter times by the grace of God Who ever careth for men. Seeing the beauty of thy virtues, we cry out to thee: Rejoice, thou who from earliest childhood wast adorned in piety. Rejoice, thou who didst ever live in fear of God and do His holy will. Rejoice, thou who didst manifest the grace of God through good deeds done secretly. Rejoice, thou who dost hearken to the prayers of those in distress. Rejoice, thou who didst hasten, full of love, to save thy neighbors. Rejoice, joy to all who fall down before thee with faith. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION II Beholding the abundance and variety of thy virtues, O holy Hierarch, we see in thee a living source of God’s wonders in our time. Thou dost refresh with thy love and miracles all who cry in faith to God: Alleluia!
OIKOS II Being filled with love and replete with theology, O divinely wise John, made wise by the knowledge of God and adorned with love for the suffering, teach us also to know the true God in love as we call out to thee in admiration: Rejoice, unshakeable stronghold of Orthodox truth. Rejoice, precious vessel of the Holy Spirit. Rejoice, righteous denouncer of impiety and false doctrine. Rejoice, zealous fulfiller of the commandments of God. Rejoice, ascetic who didst not allow thyself to rest upon a bed. Rejoice, beloved shepherd of the flock of Christ. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION III By the power of the grace of God wast thou manifest as a father to orphans and instructor of the young, raising them in the fear of God and preparing them for the service of God. Wherefore all thy children look to thee with love in gratitude cry out to God: Alleluia!
OIKOS III Thou shouldst truly be praised from the heavens, and not from earth, O father John, for our words are feeble beside thy deeds. Yet offering to God what we have, we cry out to thee thus: Rejoice, thou who didst protect thy children by thine unceasing prayer! Rejoice, thou who didst ever guard thy flock with the sign of the Cross. Rejoice, thou whose love knew no bounds of country or race. Rejoice, bright luminary beloved of all. Rejoice, model of unceasing prayer and loving kindness. Rejoice, bestower of spiritual consolation upon those in need. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION IV Overwhelmed by the tempest of perils, we know not how to praise thee worthily, O Hierarch John. Thou didst travel to the ends of the earth to save thy flock and proclaim the glad tidings of the Gospel to those in darkness. Giving thanks to God for thine apostolic labors we cry out to Him: Alleluia!
OIKOS IV Those near and far have heard of the greatness of thy miracles, which are made manifest by the mercy of God even to our days. And so we also, marveling, cry out in awe: Rejoice, enlightener of those in the darkness of unbelief. Rejoice, thou who didst lead thy people from the Far East to the West. Rejoice, fountain of miracles poured forth by God. Rejoice, loving chastiser of those who have gone astray. Rejoice, swift consoler of those who repent of their sins. Rejoice, guide of those who walk the straight path. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION V Thou wast manifest to be a divinely bestowed light to stop the destructive forces of fallen nature, O holy Hierarch, preserving thy flock on the island of Tubabao from the deadly wind and storm, by thy prayer and the sign of the Cross. Teach us who call upon thee for help, O holy woderworker, to cry out in wonder unto God: Alleluia!
OIKOS V All who have trusted in thy help in desperate circumstances and adversities have found deliverance, O bold intercessor, before the Throne of God. Wherefore, we trust in thine intercession before God, and cry out to thee: Rejoice, thou who dost avert the dangers of the elements. Rejoice, thou who by thy prayer deliverest from need. Rejoice, inexhaustible giver of bread to the hungry. Rejoice, abundant wealth for those who live in poverty. Rejoice, consolation for those in sorrow. Rejoice, quick uplifting for those who have fallen. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION VI Preaching salvation though slow of speech, thou wast shown to be like a new Moses, leading thy people out of the captivity of the godless, O all-blessed John. Deliver us also from bondage to sin and the invisible foe, that, rejoicing, we may cry out to God: Alleluia!
OIKOS VI Shining forth in thy righteousness, thou didst do the impossible and persuade the authorities of this world to have pity on thy flock, O good shepherd. Wherefore, with them we also cry out to thee in thanksgiving: Rejoice, good shepherd who didst prepare for thy wandering flock a peaceful haven. Rejoice, thou who didst show the greatest care for children and the sick. Rejoice, helper of all who call thee with faith. Rejoice, for in thy weak body wast the power of God made manifest with abundance. Rejoice, thou who foilest the attacks of the unrighteous. Rejoice, destroyer of lies and exalter of truth. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION VII Desiring to glorify as is meet the ancient saints of the West, of lands which had fallen away from the truth, thou didst revive their veneration in the Orthodox Church, O lover of the saints of the East and the West. With them pray thou today in heaven on behalf of us who chant on earth: Alleluia!
OIKOS VII We see thee as a new chosen one of God, who wast manifest in the latter times as one of the holy Hierarchs of Gaul, exhorting thy flock to preserve the same Orthodox faith that they confessed, and astonishing the peoples of the West by thy holy life. Preserve us, that we too may abide in this Faith, who cry out to thee: Rejoice, thou who wast a new Martin by thy miracles and ascetic feats. Rejoice, thou who wast a new Germanus by thy confession of the Orthodox faith. Rejoice, thou who wast a new Hilary by thy divine theology. Rejoice, thou who wast a new Gregory by thy love and glorification of God’s saints. Rejoice, thou who wast a new Faustus by thy monastic fervor. Rejoice, thou who wast a new Caesarius by thy steadfast love for the canons of the Church of God. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION VIII A strange sight didst thou behold: in the New World thou didst encounter thy former flock in tribulation. Here wast thee called to suffer persecution and by thine patience, righteousness and instruction to guide the flock, and didst erect the church of the Mother of God, the Joy of All Who Sorrow. Now marveling at thy patience and longsuffering, we all cry out to God: Alleluia!
OIKOS VIII Giving thyself wholly unto Christ, O laborer of Christ’s vineyard, thou knewest no rest even at the end of thy much-suffering life; help us, the unworthy, in our labors as we strive to be faithful to Christ, crying out in praise to thee: Rejoice, thou who didst endure unto the end and so didst attain salvation. Rejoice, thou who wast deemed worthy to die before the Icon of the Mother of God. Rejoice, thou who didst keep thy faith and courage in the midst of unjust persecution. Rejoice, thou who didst labor to the end for thy flock and didst repose, seated, as a hierarch. Rejoice, thou who didst comfort the flock by being buried among it. Rejoice, thou who workest wonders for those who come to thy relics with faith and love. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION IX All the angelic hosts rejoiced at thy soul’s ascent to • the mansions of heaven, marveling at the wonders thou didst perform on earth through the action of the Holy Spirit, to Whom we sing: Alleluia!
OIKOS IX Orators find it impossible to describe thy life of sanctity with their many and eloquent words, O righteous father John, for thou didst become a living dwelling-place for the grace of the ineffable God. Yet, unable to be silent at the wonder revealed to our age of feeble faith, we glorify thee: Rejoice, divine palace from whence the counsel of the Good King is given. Rejoice, for in thy humble activity thou hadst angels serving with thee. Rejoice, thou who didst gain a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Rejoice, infirmary wherein every ailment is divinely healed. Rejoice, depository wherein thy holy labor of prayer was hidden. Rejoice, blessed temple of the Holy Spirit. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION X Desiring to save the world, the Savior of all hath sent unto us a new saint and through him hath called us forth from the dark abyss of sin. Hearing this call to repentance, we, the unworthy ones, in turn cry out to God: Alleluia!
OIKOS X Thou art a wall sheltering us from adversity, O father John, for through thy heavenly intercessions are we delivered from the attacks of demonic passions and from afflictions which beset us on earth. Before thy firm support of prayer, we cry with faith: Rejoice, sight to those who are blind. Rejoice, thou who by the power of prayer givest life to those on their bed of death. Rejoice, thou who with divine wisdom dost enlighten those in confusion and doubt. Rejoice, refreshing water to those perishing in the heat of sorrow. Rejoice, loving father to the orphaned and abandoned. Rejoice, holy teacher of those who seek the Truth. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION XI In thought, word and deed thy life was a hymn to the Most Holy Trinity, O most blessed John. For with much wisdom didst thou explain the precepts of the true Faith, teaching us to sing with faith, hope and love to the one God in Trinity: Alleluia!
OIKOS XI We see thee as a radiant lamp of Orthodoxy for those in the darkness of ignorance, O good shepherd of the flock of Christ. Thus, even after thy repose, thou dost reveal the Truth to those ignorant thereof, illumining the souls of the faithful, who cry out to thee such things as these: Rejoice, thou who with divine wisdom dost enlighten those who languish in unbelief. Rejoice, rainbow of quiet joys for the meek. Rejoice, thunder to those obstinate in sin. Rejoice, lightning burning up heresies. Rejoice, downpour of the dogmas of Orthodoxy. Rejoice, dew of the thought of God. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION XII With reverence and thanksgiving do we receive the grace that hath been poured out upon thee by God, O most lauded father John. Glorifying the wonders of a holy hierarch who once walked among us, we cry out to God: Alleluia!
OIKOS XII Singing praise unto God, the heavenly choir of saints rejoiceth that He hath not forsaken the fallen and faithless world, but hath manifested His almighty power in thee, his meek and humble servant. O blessed John, with all the saints we greet thee and give honor to thee: Rejoice, new star of righteousness which hath shone forth in heaven. Rejoice, new prophet who wast sent before the final reign of evil. Rejoice, thou who like Jonah dost warn all of the wages of sin. Rejoice, thou who like the Baptist John calleth all to prayer and repentance. Rejoice, thou who like Paul endured much for the sake of the Gospel and the preaching of the Faith. Rejoice, new apostle whose miracles instill in us faith and awe. Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION XIII 0 all-radiant and most wondrous God-pleaser, holy hierarch John, consolation for all who sorrow, accept this, our offering of prayer, that through thy prayers to our Lord we may be delivered from fiery Gehenna and by thy God-pleasing intercession we may chant forever unto God: Alleluia! (Thrice)
OIKOS I An angel in the flesh wast thou manifested in these latter times by the grace of God Who ever careth for men. Seeing the beauty of thy virtues, we cry out to thee: Rejoice, thou who from earliest childhood wast adorned in piety. Rejoice, thou who didst ever live in fear of God and do His holy will. Rejoice, thou who didst manifest the grace of God through good deeds done secretly. Rejoice, thou who dost hearken to the prayers of those in distress. Rejoice, thou who didst hasten, full of love, to save thy neighbors. Rejoice, joy to all who fall down before thee with faith. Rejoice, O holy hierarch,Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
KONTAKION I Chosen wonderworker and pleaser of Christ, who pourest forth inexhaustible streams of inspiration and a multitude of miracles upon the whole world, we praise thee with love and call out to thee: Rejoice, O holy hierarch, Father John, speedy helper amid misfortunes!
Prayers to the Holy Hierarch John Wonderworker of Shanghai & San Francisco
Prayer 1
O wondrous hierarch John, thou didst stretch thy heart to encompass within it a multitude of people from among diverse nations and peoples who honor thee. Look down at the humility of our words, which we offer out of love” for thee, and help us, O saint of God, to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, so that we may labor for the Lord with fear and rejoice in Him with trembling. What shall we render unto thee for that joy which we have felt, beholding thy sacred relics in the holy church and glorifying thy memory? Truly, we have nothing to offer thee, except if we begin to correct our lives, becoming new men instead of old. Be an intercessor for us of this grace of renewal, O holy John; help us in our weaknesses; heal our sicknesses; cure our passions by thy prayers. O thou who didst depart this temporal life unto life eternal, to which the all-pure Mistress, the Directress of the Russian diaspora, guided thee by her wonder-working Kursk-Root Icon, whose companion thou wast on the day of thy repose, thou dost now rejoice in the choir of the saints who glorify the one God, Who is worshipped in Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 2
O beloved Hierarch John, good shepherd and beholder of the hearts and minds of men! Thou prayest for us now at the throne of God, as thou thyself didst say after thy death: “Even though I have died, yet am I alive.” Beseech the most compassionate God, that He grant us forgiveness of sins, that we may come wakefully to our senses, and cry out to God, asking that we be given the spirit of humility, the fear of God and piety in all the ways of our life. As thou wast a merciful nurturer of orphans and a skilled instructor on earth, be thou now a guide and Christian understanding for us amid the turmoil of the Church; hearken to the groaning of the troubled youth of our corrupt times, who are tempest-tossed by most wicked demonic possession, and mercifully regard the despondency of our weak pastors, caused by the inroads of the corrupting spirit of this world, and who languish in idle indifference. Hasten thou to make supplication, we cry to thee with tears, O fervent advocate; visit us, who are orphaned, scattered over the face of all the world and in our homeland, astray in the darkness of the passions, yet who by our feeble love are drawn to the light of Christ and await thy fatherly instruction; that, having acquired piety, we may be shown to be heirs of the kingdom of heaven, where thou abidest with all the saints, glorifying our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be honor and dominion, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This coming Tuesday is the feast of the Holy Protomartyr, Alban, and to celebrate his memory, we will serve a moleben before the saint’s relics and newly-painted icon in the Oratory Church at 16:00.
Their presence is a great blessing, and some of us make pilgrimages to pray before them week by week. However, it has been some months since a parish group did so, and we look forward to praying and venerating them in the week ahead.
The Cardiff Oratory, The Church of St Alban on the Moors, Swinton St, Splott, Cardiff CF24 2NT.
Saint Tikhon of Medin and Kaluga, in his youth received monastic tonsure at the Chudov monastery in Moscow, but through his love for solitude he settled at an isolated spot near Maloyaroslavl. He lived in asceticism in a deep dense forest, on the bank of the River Vepreika, in the hollow of an ancient giant oak. Once, during a hunt, Prince Basil Yaroslavich (grandson of Vladimir the Brave), came upon St Tikhon, angrily ordered him to leave his property immediately, and dared to raise his whip against the monk. At once, the hand of the prince grew numb. Taken aback by such punishment, the prince repented of his conduct and with humility asked forgiveness.
He received healing through the prayer of St Tikhon. The prince entreated the monk to remain always on his property and to build a monastery there for monks, promising to provide it with everything necessary. St Tikhon built a monastery in honour of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, which he headed. He guided the monastery until he reached a great old age, and he died in the year 1492, after receiving the great schema.
St Tikhon’s body was buried at the cathedral church of the monastery he founded. The celebration of St Tikhon was established at the Council of 1584.
The Orthodox Church in America
6/16/2016
Canon of the saint, Tone VIII:
Ode I, Irmos: Having passed through the water as upon dry land, * and having escaped the malice of the Egyptians, * the Israelites cried aloud: * Unto our God and Redeemer let us sing.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Relying wholly upon almighty God, O divinely wise one, through desire and love thou didst furnish thy mind with wings to fly unto Him, that, abiding with Christ, thou mightest inherit eternal life
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Strengthened by trust in our supremely good God, O most blessed Tikhon, by fasting and prayer thou didst strive towards the good things which are to come.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Wondrous was thy life and the humility which thou didst acquire from thy youth, O all-blessed one; wherefore, having cut thyself off from the world, thou didst become a right skilful monk in whom the virtues flourished.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Word of God, incarnate through thy most pure blood, O most pure Virgin, hath made clear to all His great and divine love; for He hath united human nature to the choir of the angels, and lifted it up unto those who dwell in heaven.
Ode III, Irmos: O Lord, Creator of the vault of Heaven * and Builder of the Church, * do Thou strengthen me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, * O Support of the faithful, * O only Lover of mankind.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Through fasting and prayer thou hast acquired great boldness before God, O venerable Tikhon. Him do thou beseech, that He be merciful even unto us.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Spurning transitory things here below, the things above, which are exalted, didst thou love, setting thy God-loving soul afire with divine zeal; and having done the will of the Most High, thou hast received the good things of heaven.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Desiring to enjoy the sweet things which are ever abiding, O venerable one, thou didst subsist on plants grown by thyself in the wilderness; and having thus reached the end of the struggle of thy life, thou dost now delight in everlasting good things.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Sovereign Lady, grant thine aid unto me, thy servant, give me understanding, and guide me to the path of salvation O Virgin. Deliver me from misfortunes and tribulations, for thou hast given birth to the Redemption of all.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone IV: Considering the greatly tumultuous world and ephemeral vanity to be as dust, thou didst please God, acquiring the angelic life; wherefore, we pray, from the corrupting passions deliver us who ever honour thy memory in hymns, O blessed Tikhon our father.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Like a vine which hath not been cultivated, O Virgin, thou didst produce the most comely Grape, Who poureth forth upon us the wine of salvation which gladdeneth the souls and bodies of all. Wherefore, blessing thee as the cause of good things, we ever cry out to thee with the angel: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace!
Ode IV, Irmos: Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I have considered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
With torrents of tears thou didst irrigate the wilderness, O blessed one, sowing therein the seed of thy labors; wherefore, in joy thou didst reap fruit an hundredfold, crying aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Mindful of the final day of this life, O venerable Tikhon, thou didst prepare thyself for thy departure at every hour, adorning thy soul with good works, awaiting the arrival of thy Master.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Tikhon our father, never cease to pray for thy holy monastery and hermitage, which thou didst cultivate with much labour, asking that they be delivered from evil circumstances and all manner of tribulation, that we may all unceasingly hymn thee as a gracious father.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Christ the Lord, the King of all, loving thee as a divinely chosen Maiden, a scion of royal lineage, O Theotokos, wholly dwelt within thee, showing thee to be more exalted than the cherubim and the seraphim.
Ode V, Irmos: Illumine us O Lord with Thy commandments, * and with Thine arm raised on high * grant us Thy peace, * O Lover of mankind!
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Like a right flourishing tree planted by streams of water, O venerable father Tikhon, thou hast put forth the virtues as though they were many branches, receiving under thy shade those who desire salvation.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thou wast a fervent advocate in this life, O our blessed father Tikhon, imparting abundant health unto all by thy mediations; wherefore, we now rely on thy supplication even more, asking that through thee we may receive mercy and the remission of sins.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
By voluntary poverty thou didst acquire the kingdom of heaven; wherefore, thou pourest forth in abundance the gifts of spiritual healings upon all who with faith venerate thy most honoured memory, O Tikhon our venerable father.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The noetic Sun shone forth from thee O Theotokos, extending the brilliant rays of His divinity; wherefore with unceasing hymns, we all magnify thee O Sovereign Lady.
Ode VI, Irmos: I will pour out my prayer unto the Lord, * and to Him will I proclaim my grief; * for my soul is filled with evils, * and my life unto Hades hath drawn nigh, * and like Jonah I pray unto Thee: * Raise me up from corruption, O God.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thy precious body poureth forth great healing upon those who approach thy salutary tomb with faith, O Tikhon our father.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
By thine unceasing prayers unto God, O Tikhon our father, thou didst attain to the mansions of heaven, where the ineffable Light and the delight of the venerable are, with whom thou standest before the God of all, O father Tikhon.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst consider night to be like day, O blessed one, for thou gavest no rest to thy body, nor sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids, until thou didst reach the resting-place of heaven.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
By thy supplications tear apart the record of my transgressions, and grant me release from the grief and sufferings which beset me, O Sovereign Lady.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone VIII: Forsaking thy homeland, O venerable one, thou didst make thine abode in the wilderness, * where thou didst show thy manner of life to be strict; * and amazing many by thy virtues, * thou didst receive from Christ the gift of miracles. * Wherefore, remember us who honour thy memory, that we may cry out to thee: ** Rejoice, O venerable Tikhon our father!
Ikos: Loving the divine commandments of Christ, O Tikhon our venerable father, and hating the delights of this world, thou didst leave thy homeland and eagerly hasten to the wilderness; and thou wast a beacon therein, enlightening those parts with the effulgence of the Spirit. Wherefore, approaching thy healing tomb with fervour, we cry out to thee: Rejoice, O Tikhon our venerable father!
Ode VII, Irmos: In Babylon, the pious youths did not worship the golden image, * but, bedewed in the midst of the fiery furnace, * they chanted a hymn, saying: * O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thou didst struggle manfully in the wilderness and, receiving the effulgence of the Spirit, wast caught up to the heights of heaven, O venerable father Tikhon, where thou art now glorified with the angels.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
In the wilderness thou didst curb thy tongue with silence, O Tikhon our father, leading an untroubled life like an angel in the flesh.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Truly thou hast been deemed worthy of a good life, O venerable father Tikhon, obtaining it through purity and asceticism; and now thou standest before God with the ranks of the incorporeal beings.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The mind of man is at a loss as to how to understand the ineffable depths of thy birthgiving, O pure one; for, abasing Himself in His tender compassion, God hath made me wholly new by His incarnation.
Ode VIII, Irmos: The King of heaven, * Who is glorified by the hosts of angels, * let us praise and supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thou didst water the ground of thy heart with torrents of tears, O Tikhon our venerable father, and, standing immovably in prayer, thou didst glorify the Creator of all.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
By thy watchful vigils and frequent sighs, O blessed father Tikhon, the grace of the Holy Spirit grew within thee revealing thee as glorious.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
By the sufferings of asceticism and thy valiant struggles, O most blessed father Tikhon, thou didst cause the divine grain to grow, wherewith thou dost feed those who piously honour thy memory.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O most good Sovereign Lady who hast given birth in the flesh to the supremely good God, purify my heart, which hath been tormented by the passions, that I may glorify thee with faith and love.
Ode IX, Irmos: Saved by thee, O pure Virgin, * we confess thee to be truly the Theotokos, * and together with the choirs of the bodiless hosts * thee do we magnify.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
In the depths of thy tears thou didst drown the serpent, the author of evil, O venerable father Tikhon, and as an excellent victor thou hast ascended to the heavens, where with the choirs of the angels thou dost unceasingly glorify the God of all.
Venerable Father, Tikhon, pray to God for us.
Thou wast possessed of a guileless life, adorned with the sweat of suffering, O all-praised and venerable father Tikhon; wherefore, thy spirit was filled with divine joy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Arrayed as with a royal crown, the city of Kaluga boasteth in thee O our venerable father Tikhon; having thy relics within its environs as a goodly guardian given it by the Lord.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O all-hymned Virgin who hast given birth unto God in the flesh, show forth those who glorify thee as ones who share in the divine light, and by thy supplications deliver us from the fire of Gehenna and from all the harm of the enemy.
Troparion, Tone IV: O Tikhon our venerable father, * thou wast shown to be a most radiant beacon in the midst of the Russian land; * for, having made thine abode in the wilderness * and led a strict way of life therein, * thou didst live like an incorporeal being, * for which cause God hath enriched thee with the gift of miracles. * Wherefore, hastening to the shrine of thy relics, * we say with compunction: ** O venerable father, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.
Dear brothers and sisters, greetings to you all as we celebrate the feast of St Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia.
This holy hierarch and wonderworker – from the west of modern day Ukraine – was the first metropolitan elected by the Russian Church itself, in response to Constantinople’s embracing the Unia with Rome and the Phanar’s ‘man in Russia’, Isidore wholeheartedly becoming an enthusiastic Uniate and Catholic Cardinal – fleeing Russia and dying in western exile.
At the beginning of his tenure upon the metropolitical cathedra, it was still titled the Metropolia of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus’, but by the time of his death it reflecting the geographical transfer of the throne to Moscow, as the Metropolia of Moscow and all Rus’
On this feast, on which the Church allows the consolation of fish, in honour of the saint, please honour him and try to pray the canon of the feast – praying for the Church at a time when schism threatens unity, and for the Ukrainian and Russian peoples.
Holy Father and Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us!
Canon of the Theotokos, the acrostic whereof is: “O Mother of God, grant unto me abundant grace”, 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.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
When Eve partook of the forbidden fruit of the garden, she brought the curse upon herself; but in giving birth to Christ, the First-fruits of blessing, O pure one, thou hast annulled it.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O pure one who hast given birth to Christ as a pearl is engendered by the lightning of God, with the light of thy radiance dispel the gloom of my passions and the turmoil of transgressions.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
With noetic eyes, Jacob mystically foresaw the expectation of the nations: God, incarnate of thee, Who through thy mediation hath delivered us.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
When princes were lacking in the tribe of Judah, O most pure one, thy Son and God, coming forth as a leader, hath now truly become king over the ends of the earth.
Canon of the Holy Hierarch, in Tone VIII:
Ode I, Irmos: Having passed through the water as upon dry land, * and having escaped the malice of the Egyptians, * the Israelites cried aloud: * Unto our God and Redeemer let us sing.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
As thou delightest in the divine gifts given by God, and dost answer the petition of each with miracles, O father, grant me the power to sing thy sacred festival.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Divine grace was poured forth in thy lips, O holy hierarch Jonah, and thou wast a shepherd of the Church of Christ; for thou wast adorned by God, Whom thou didst glorify by thy life.
The precious shrine of thy relics exudeth sweet fragrance and poureth forth healings, so that the infirmities of the faithful who piously honour thee are ever driven away, O holy hierarch.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having acquired thee as a firm rampart, O holy hierarch, the Church of Christ ever abideth, praising its Master, Who hath glorified thee.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Theotokos, thou, the undefiled Maiden, became a temple of God for Him Who made His abode within thee in a manner beyond understanding, driving delusion away from men’s souls.
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.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The Good One, assuming my corruptible and mortal flesh through thy womb, O most pure Mother of God, rendered it incorruptible, eternally binding it to Himself.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Beholding God incarnate of thee O Virgin the choirs of angels were filled with awe and fear; and with never-ceasing hymnody they honour thee as the Mother of God.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O Mother of God, the Prophet Daniel was stricken with awe, beholding thee, the noetic mountain from whence the Stone was cut without the aid of men’s hands, which hath mightily crushed the temples of the demons.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Neither speech nor the tongue of man is able to worthily praise thee, O Virgin; for from thee Christ, the Bestower of life, was well pleased to become incarnate, O most pure one.
Irmos: O Lord, Creator of the vault of Heaven * and Builder of the Church, * do Thou strengthen me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, * O Support of the faithful, * O only Lover of mankind.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Thou didst ascend to the summit of the virtues, O holy hierarch, and, receiving the sacred anointing of thy superior life, on an exalted cathedra thou didst serve God as a great high priest.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Having acquired thee as a beacon, O most wise and holy hierarch, the Church of Christ is illumined by thy virtuous instructions, saying: Thou, O Lord, art my strength and confirmation!
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Having cut off all carnal desire with divine desire, thou didst shine forth in a perfect life; wherefore, thou hast passed from hence into never-waning effulgence.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As thou wast the successor of hierarchs O holy hierarch, thou didst strive in word, deed and upright teaching to emulate them; wherefore, we honour thee as a holy hierarch of Christ.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O lustrous tongs of the divine Ember, O bush which was not consumed by the Godhead: Burn up the tinder of my passions, and rescue me from everlasting fire.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Go thou quickly before …”: Thy life hath been shown to all as brilliant, and thy most festive memorial, resplendent with miracles, filleth the faithful with awe. Wherefore, we honour thee now with joy. O boast of hierarchs, pray thou that our souls be saved. (Twice)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We hymn thee, O Bride of God, Mother of Christ God, glorifying thine unapproachable Offspring, by Whom we have been delivered from the deceit of the devil and from all misfortune, O Sovereign Lady Theotokos; and we faithfully cry out: Have mercy on thy flock, O thou who alone art all-hymned!
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.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O most pure one, we who have been saved by thee hymn thee, the all-immaculate one, and piously chanting, we cry aloud: Blessed art thou who hast given birth unto God, O Ever-virgin!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O all-blessed Virgin, thou hast given birth to the never-waning Light Who in the flesh shineth upon those in the darkness of life; and thou hast poured forth joy upon those who hymn thee, O Ever-virgin.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Through thee, O all-holy one, grace hath blossomed forth and the law hath ceased to be; for thou hast given birth to the Lord Who granteth us forgiveness, O pure Ever-Virgin.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Tasting of the fruit rendered me mortal; but the Tree of life Who revealed Himself through thee, O most pure one, rose from the dead and made me a partaker of the sweetness of paradise.
Irmos: O Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I have considered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
As a great lamp, O holy hierarch, with the radiance of thy virtues and the splendours of thy miracles thou dost enlighten the faithful, who earnestly hymn thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Planted in the house of the Lord like a most comely olive-tree, O holy hierarch and father, thou didst flourish in the courts of the house of our God, imparting health unto men’s souls and bodies.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Thy most precious body became the abode of the most holy Spirit, O holy hierarch Jonah; and lying in the tomb it driveth evil spirits away from men through the power of Him Who dwelleth within thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst shine forth in word, deed and simplicity of heart, O holy hierarch Jonah. Be thou mindful of us who honour thy memory, O venerable one.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O most pure one, He Whom naught can contain, confined Himself within thy womb, in His goodness saving me who am sunk in sin.
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.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Shining forth radiantly in purity, O all-hymned one, thou wast the divine dwelling-place of the Master; for thou alone hast been revealed to be the Mother of God, bearing Him in thine arms as a babe.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Shining forth radiantly in purity, O all-hymned one, thou wast the divine dwelling-place of the Master; for thou alone hast been revealed to be the Mother of God, bearing Him in thine arms as a babe.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Bearing the noetic beauty of thy most comely soul, thou hast become the Bride of God, O pure one, thy virginity sealed, illumining the world with the light of purity.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Let the assembly of the ungodly lament, they who do not profess thee openly to be the pure Mother of God; for thou hast been revealed unto us as the divine portal of the Light, dispelling the gloom of transgressions.
Irmos: O Light never-waning, * why hast Thou turned Thy face from me * and why hath the alien darkness surrounded me, * wretched though I be? * But do Thou guide my steps I implore Thee * and turn me back towards the light of Thy commandments.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Having thy pure mind ever turned toward God, O holy hierarch, thou didst guide well the flock of Christ; wherefore, with the angels and hierarchs thou hast inherited a habitation which passeth not away, O venerable one, for which cause thou art resplendent with miracles.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
With a mind most pure thou didst gaze upon the Mind which is the cause of all; wherefore, having received gifts of miracles, O most wise and holy hierarch, thou dost amaze the faithful who honour thee with love.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
From the time of thy youth thy life shone forth, adorned with the virtues and arrayed with exalted miracles, O holy hierarch Jonah, and even after thy repose it hath manifestly glorified thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O right praiseworthy father, thou wast truly the glory of hierarchs, the helper of the faithful, the adornment of the Church, the foundation of the virtues and the confirmation of piety.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In divers forms the honourable prophets beheld the unfathomable abyss of the divine mystery of thy pure birthgiving, O most pure and divinely joyous one, insofar as they were able so to do.
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.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Moses, great among the prophets, perceived thee beforehand as the ark, the table, the lamp, the jar, as prophetic tokens of the incarnation of the Most High through thee, O Virgin Mother.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Moses, great among the prophets, perceived thee beforehand as the ark, the table, the lamp, the jar, as prophetic tokens of the incarnation of the Most High through thee, O Virgin Mother.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Death is slain and the corruption brought about by Adam’s condemnation is abolished, struck down by thy Fruit, O Sovereign Lady for thou hast given birth to Life, Who doth deliver those who hymn thee from corruption.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The Law lapsed impotent, and the shadow passed away when grace appeared unto me, in a manner beyond understanding and comprehension, through the birth of God the Saviour by thee, O greatly hymned one.
Irmos: I will pour out my prayer unto the Lord, * and to Him will I proclaim my grief; * for my soul is filled with evils, * and my life unto Hades hath drawn nigh, * and like Jonah I pray unto Thee: * Raise me up from corruption, O God.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Thou dost now shine, O holy hierarch, adorned with a crown of majesty; and as a true bishop, truly clothed in righteousness, thou hast preserved the inheritance of the Saviour; wherefore, the voice of God cried out to thee: Enter into the joy of thy Lord!
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Meek and innocent, thou didst follow in the steps of the Master and pass over from things corruptible to things eternal; wherefore, with the saints thou hast attained unto the land of the meek, for which cause the councils of the pious hymn thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Because of thy great light and purity, Christ revealed thee to be a child of the light and of the day, and made thee a hierarch and pastor of His Church, which thou didst serve as an excellent shepherd before departing unto the heavenly mansions.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Aflame with prudence of mind and desire of spirit, O holy hierarch, thou didst pass through thy life, avoiding tangible things as transitory, O father Jonah, and wast translated unto the divine habitations.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Virgin Who hast given birth to the holy Word, our one God Who truly resteth in the saints, sanctify my soul, and as thou art merciful grant unto me an outpouring of compunction, O most immaculate 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, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “To thee, the champion leader …”: O wise one from childhood thou didst give thyself over wholly to the Lord, * laying waste to thy body through fasting and the keeping of vigils; * wherefore, thou wast revealed to be a pure vessel and abode of the most holy Spirit. * For this cause He ordained thee as hierarch and pastor for His Church, * and having tended it well, thou didst depart unto the Lord Whom thou didst love. * We therefore beseech thee: Be thou mindful of us who honour thy holy memory with faith, * that we may all cry aloud unto thee: ** Rejoice, O father Jonah, most honoured and holy hierarch!
Ikos: As a man by nature, O father, thou didst struggle in a superhuman manner, in fasting and the keeping of vigils, in prayer and labours, becoming a model of virtue for many; wherefore, God ordained thee as a hierarch and pastor of His Church. Wherefore we entreat thee: Pray thou to God, the Benefactor of all, that He grant our civil authorities victory over our enemies, and that we may find grace and mercy on the day of judgment, that we may all cry aloud unto thee: Rejoice, O father Jonah, most honoured and holy hierarch!
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.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The furnace, which prefigured thy birthgiving, did not consume the three youths; and the divine Fire, without consuming thee, dwelt within thee, and hath taught all to cry: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
As thou didst foretell, O all-pure Mother, the ends of the earth, enlightened by thy brilliant radiance and grace, call thee blessed and, chanting, cry aloud: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The most evil serpent sank his pernicious fangs in me, O Mother of God, but thy Son Himself broke them and gaveth me the power to cry: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Thou art the cleansing of nature, O thou who alone art divinely blessed, for, bearing in thine arms God Who sitteth upon the shoulders of the cherubim, thou dost cry aloud: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Irmos: The Children of Judaea, * who of old came to dwell in Babylon, * trampled underfoot the flame of the furnace * through their faith in the Trinity, * as they sang: ‘O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.’
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
When Christ God beheld thy goodly disposition, in that thou didst live not for thyself, but for the Lord Who worked within thee, therefore He hath adorned thee with healing miracles.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Shining forth like a lamp in thy pure works and corrections, thou didst shepherd well the Church given thee by God, chanting unto Christ: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
As thou didst study the law of the word day and night, O holy hierarch, forgetting the things which thou didst leave behind, and yearning for the things which lay before thee, thou didst cry aloud unto the Creator and Master: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thine excellent life was known unto all, O holy hierarch, wherefore, Christ hath glorified thee after thy repose. Him didst thou fervently serve, O Jonah our father, chanting: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The fire of the Godhead did not consume thee, O Virgin; for the bush on the mountain, which once burnt yet remained unconsumed, prefigured thee, O most pure one.
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.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Thy Son, adorning thee as Queen with the radiance of the Spirit, as with a golden robe, set thee at His right hand, O most pure one. Him do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
He Who established the world by His will alone took flesh of thy most pure womb, desiring to restore what He had created. Him do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Through the union of the Word to me, a man, thou didst become a divine habitation, manifestly shining forth with the radiance of virginity; wherefore, we hymn thee throughout all ages.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The golden lamp-stand prefigured thee who ineffably received the unapproachable Light Who illumineth all things with His radiance; wherefore, we hymn thee, O pure one, throughout the ages.
Irmos: The King of heaven, * Who is glorified by the hosts of angels, * let us praise and supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Humble and meek, thou didst live an angelic life on earth, O holy hierarch; wherefore, thou dwellest with the saints in the land of the meek, chanting unto Christ: Praise and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
The most precious shrine of thy relics is a temple of sanctity, O holy hierarch, and drawing forth the grace of healing therefrom, we hymn the Lord, the Master of all, Who hath given thee to us as a healer, and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Deified by the will of God, O holy hierarch, thy mind became utterly estranged from carnal passions, chanting unto Christ: Praise and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As is meet, we, the faithful, venerate the precious shrine of thy relics, O holy hierarch Jonah, drawing forth sweet fragrance like myrrh for those who believe, crying out to Christ the Master: O all ye works, supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Heal thou the sufferings of my heart, O thou who hast given birth to the Wellspring of dispassion, and guide me to the divine life, that I may glorify 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.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
A Star, shining forth beams of divinity from out of Jacob, hath shone upon those held fast by darkness; for through thee, O all-pure one, Christ God the Word, hath become incarnate; and illumined by Him, we bless thee with the armies of heaven.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Strengthened by thy power and grace, I fervently offer up hymnody to thee with all my heart. Wherefore O pure Virgin, do thou accept it, and grant me thy grace of surpassing radiance, from thy treasuries of incorruption, O divinely blessed one.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Thou wast manifestly shown to be the material of the Godhead, from which the Word wove the robe of His body, deifying my form, O Virgin; and having clothed Himself therein, He hath saved all who magnify thee with a pure mind.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Through thine ineffable and indescribable birthgiving resurrection hath now been given to the dead, O all-pure Theotokos; for, clad in the flesh through thee, Life hath shone forth upon all and manifestly destroyed the gloom of death.
Irmos: Saved by thee, O pure Virgin, * we confess thee to be truly the Theotokos, * and together with the choirs of the bodiless hosts * thee do we magnify.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
Thou gavest wings to thy mind with a pure heart and divine ascents, desiring to gaze upon the beauty of the one God; and art illumined by the effulgence thereof, O divinely wise and holy hierarch.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
O holy hierarch Jonah, with the grace of Christ preserve thou thy fold and thy flock, entrusted to thee by God, which hath thee as a shepherd driving the terrible wolves away from all the faithful.
Hierarch of Christ, Jonah, pray to God for us.
As of old Israel translated the body of the chaste Joseph, so now the faithful, receiving the shrine of thy relics, O holy hierarch Jonah, venerate it with love, magnifying Christ.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Today thy splendid memorial, shining forth, illumineth the hearts of the faithful, O holy hierarch; wherefore, entreat Christ God, that he who hath composed this hymnody may be preserved from the pursuit of the evil one, and receive mercy on the day of judgment.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
With the light of repentance, O most immaculate one, enlighten me who am darkened by slothfulness, that I may hymn, magnify and glorify thee, the all-immaculate Sovereign Lady.
Troparion, Tone IV: Having dedicated thyself wholly to the Lord from thy youth, * thou didst become a model of virtue in prayers, labours and fasting; * wherefore, beholding thy goodly intent, God appointed thee * a hierarch and pastor of His Church: * wherefore, thy precious body hath been preserved * whole and incorrupt after thy repose. ** O holy hierarch Jonah, entreat Christ God, that He save our souls.
Saint Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow and Wonderworker of All Russia, was born in the city of Galich into a pious Christian family. The father of the future saint was named Theodore. The youth received monastic tonsure in one of the Galich monasteries when he was only twelve years old. From there, he transferred to the Moscow Simonov monastery, where he fulfilled various obediences for many years.
Once, St Photius, Metropolitan of Moscow (May 27 and July 2), visited the Simonov monastery. After the Molieben, he blessed the archimandrite and brethren, and also wished to bless those monks who were fulfilling their obediences in the monastery.
When he came to the bakery, he saw St Jonah sleeping, exhausted from his work. The fingers of the saint’s right hand were positioned in a gesture of blessing. St Photius said not to wake him. He blessed the sleeping monk and predicted to those present that this monk would be a great hierarch of the Russian Church, and would guide many on the way to salvation.
The prediction of St Photius was fulfilled. Several years later, St Jonah was made Bishop of Ryazan and Murom.
St Photius died in 1431. Five years after his death, St Jonah was chosen Metropolitan of All Russia for his virtuous and holy life. The newly-elected Metropolitan journeyed to Constantinople in order to be confirmed as Metropolitan by Patriarch Joseph II (1416-1439). Shortly before this the nefarious Isidore, a Bulgarian, had already been established as Metropolitan. Spending a short time at Kiev and Moscow, Isidore journeyed to the Council of Florence (1438), where he embraced Catholicism.
A Council of Russian hierarchs and clergy deposed Metropolitan Isidore, and he was compelled to flee secretly to Rome (where he died in 1462). St Jonah was unanimously chosen Metropolitan of All Russia. He was consecrated by Russian hierarchs in Moscow, with the blessing of Patriarch Gregory III (1445-1450) of Constantinople. This was the first time that Russian bishops consecrated their own Metropolitan. St Jonah became Metropolitan on December 15, 1448. With archpastoral zeal he led his flock to virtue and piety, spreading the Orthodox Faith by word and by deed. Despite his lofty position, he continued with his monastic struggles as before.
In 1451 the Tatars unexpectedly advanced on Moscow; they burned the surrounding area and prepared for an assault on the city. Metropolitan Jonah led a procession along the walls of the city, tearfully entreating God to save the city and the people. Seeing the dying monk Anthony of the Chudov monastery, who was noted for his virtuous life, St Jonah said, “My son and brother Anthony! Pray to the Merciful God and the All-Pure Mother of God for the deliverance of the city and for all Orthodox Christians.”
The humble Anthony replied, “Great hierarch! We give thanks to God and to His All-Pure Mother. She has heard your prayer and has prayed to Her Son. The city and all Orthodox Christians will be saved through your prayers. The enemy will soon take flight. The Lord has ordained that I alone am to be killed by the enemy.” Just as the Elder said this, an enemy arrow struck him.
The prediction of Elder Anthony was made on July 2, on the Feast of the Placing of the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos. Confusion broke out among the Tatars, and they fled in fear and terror. In his courtyard, St Jonah built a church in honor of the Placing of the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos, to commemorate the deliverance of Moscow from the enemy.
St Jonah reposed in the year 1461, and miraculous healings began to take place at his grave.
In 1472 the incorrupt relics of Metropolitan Jonah were uncovered and placed in the Dormition Cathedral of the Kremlin (the Transfer of the holy Relics is celebrated May 27). A Council of the Russian Church in 1547 established the commemoration of St Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow. In 1596, Patriarch Job added St Jonah to the Synaxis of the Moscow Hierarchs (October 5).
St Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow is also commemorated on March 31.
Today we commemorate the repose of this great Father of the Church. He is also remembered on January 18, the date of his flight from Alexandria.
Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, a distinguished champion of Orthodoxy and a great teacher of the Church, came from an illustrious and pious Christian family. He studied the secular sciences, including philosophy, but most of all he strove to acquire knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and the truths of the Christian Faith. In his youth Cyril entered the monastery of Macarius in the Nitreia hills, where he stayed for six years. Theophilus (385-412), the Patriarch of Alexandria, ordained him as a deacon, numbered him among the clergy and entrusted him to preach.
Upon the death of Patriarch Theophilus, Cyril was unanimously chosen to the patriarchal throne of the Alexandrian Church. He led the struggle against the spread of the Novatian heresy in Alexandria, which taught that any Christian who had fallen away from the Church during a time of persecution, could not be received back into it.
Cyril, seeing the futility of admonishing the heretics, sought their expulsion from Alexandria. The Jews appeared a greater danger for the Church, repeatedly causing riots, accompanied by the brutal killing of Christians. The saint long contended with them. In order to wipe out the remnants of paganism, the saint cast out devils from an ancient pagan temple and built a church on the spot, and the relics of the Holy Unmercenaries Cyrus and John were transferred into it. A more difficult struggle awaited the saint with the emergence of the Nestorian heresy.
Nestorius, a presbyter of the Antiochian Church, was chosen in 428 to the see of Constantinople and there he was able to spread his heretical teaching against the dogma about the uncommingled union of two natures in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Nestorius called the Mother of God not the Theotokos, but rather Christotokos or “Birth-giver of Christ,” implying that she gave birth not to God, but only to the man Christ. The holy Patriarch Cyril repeatedly wrote to Nestorius and pointed out his error, but Nestorius continued to persevere in it. Then the saint sent out epistles against Nestorianism to the clergy of Constantinople and to the holy emperor Theodosius the Younger (408-450), denouncing the heresy. Cyril wrote also to other Churches, to Pope Celestine and to the other Patriarchs, and even to monks of several monasteries, warning of the emergence of a dangerous heresy.
Nestorius started an open persecution against the Orthodox. In his presence one of his partisans, Bishop Dorotheus, pronounced an anathema against anyone who would call the Most Holy Virgin Mary the Theotokos.
Nestorius hated Cyril and brought out against him every kind of slander and fabrication, calling him a heretic. The saint continued to defend Orthodoxy with all his powers. The situation became so aggravated, that it became necessary to call an Ecumenical Council, which convened in the city of Ephesus in the year 431. At the Council 200 bishops arrived from all the Christian Churches. Nestorius, awaiting the arrival of Bishop John of Antioch and other Syrian bishops, did not agree to the opening of the Council. But the Fathers of the Council began the sessions with Cyril presiding. Having examined the teaching of Nestorius, the Council condemned him as a heretic. Nestorius did not submit to the Council, and Bishop John opened a “robber council”, which decreed Cyril a heretic. The unrest increased. By order of the emperor, Patriarch Cyril of Alexandria and Archbishop Memnon of Ephesus were locked in prison, and Nestorius was deposed.
Soon Saints Cyril and Memnon were freed, and the sessions of the Council continued. Nestorius, not submitting himself to the determinations of the Council, was deprived of priestly rank. By order of the emperor he was sent to the faraway place Sasim in the Libyan wilderness, where he died in grievous torments. His tongue, having blasphemed the Mother of God, was overtaken by punishment — in it there developed worms. Even Bishop John of Antioch and the remaining Syrian bishops signed the decrees of the Council of Ephesus.
Cyril guided the Alexandrian Church for 32 years, and towards the end of his life the flock was cleansed of heretics. Gently and cautiously Cyril approached anyone, who by their own simpleness and lack of knowledge, fell into false wisdom. There was a certain Elder, an ascetic of profound life, who incorrectly considered the Old Testament Priest Melchizedek to be the Son of God. Cyril prayed for the Lord to reveal to the Elder the correct way to view the righteous one. After three days the Elder came to Cyril and said that the Lord had revealed to him that Melchizedek was a mere man.
Cyril learned to overcome his prejudice against the memory of the great John Chrysostom (November 13). Theophilus, the Patriarch of Alexandria, and uncle of Cyril, was an antagonist of John, and presided in a council in judgment of him. Cyril thus found himself in a circle antagonistic to John Chrysostom, and involuntarily acquired a prejudice against him. Isidore of Pelusium (February 4) repeatedly wrote to Cyril and urged him to include the name of the great Father of the Church into the diptychs of the saints, but Cyril would not agree.
Once in a dream he saw a wondrous temple, in which the Mother of God was surrounded by a host of angels and saints, in whose number was John Chrysostom. When Cyril wanted to approach the All-Holy Lady and venerate her, John Chrysostom would not let him. The Theotokos asked John to forgive Cyril for having sinned against him through ignorance. Seeing that John hesitated, the Mother of God said, “Forgive him for my sake, since he has labored much for my honor, and has glorified me among the people calling me Theotokos.” John answered, “By your intercession, Lady, I do forgive him,” and then he embraced Cyril with love.
Cyril repented that he had maintained anger against the great saint of God. Having convened all the Egyptian bishops, he celebrated a solemn feast in honor of John Chrysostom.
Cyril died in the year 444, leaving behind many works. In particular, the following ought to be mentioned: commentaries On the Gospel of Luke, On the Gospel of John, On the Epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians and to the Hebrews; also an Apologia in Defense of Christianity against the Emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363). Of vast significance are his Five Books against Nestorius; a work on the Most Holy Trinity under the title Thesaurus, written against Arius and Eunomios. Also two dogmatic compositions on the Most Holy Trinity, distinguished by a precise exposition of the Orthodox teaching on the Procession of the Holy Spirit. Cyril wrote Against Anthropomorphism for several Egyptians, who through ignorance depicted God in human form. Among Cyril’s works are also the Discussions, among which is the moving and edifying Discourse on the Exodus of the Soul, inserted in the Slavonic “Following Psalter”.
Dear brothers and sisters – on this day on which we celebrate the Meeting of the Vladimir Icon, we also celebrate the Holy Equals to the Apostles Constantine and Helena.
Though we have a lack of Constantine’s, we greet our parish sisters baptised in honour of the Holy Empress Helena – Alyona and Elena – congratulating them, asking God’s blessing and praying that he will preserve them for many years!
Многая и Благая лѣта!
Canon of the saints, Tone VIII.
Ode I, Irmos: Having passed through the water as upon dry land, * and having escaped the malice of the Egyptians, * the Israelites cried aloud: * Unto our God and Redeemer let us sing.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
O Thou Who alone art the King of heaven, through the entreaties of Thy favoured ones, free Thou my lowly soul from sin, which now reigneth within me.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
As one who loved the kingdom on high, O blessed Constantine, believing with a pure mind, thou didst worship the King and Master of all.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Illumined with divine light, O divinely wise Helena, thou didst truly forsake the darkness of ignorance and most sincerely enslave thyself to the King of the ages.
Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Lady, thou portal of the divine East, open unto me the door of repentance, and by thine intercession deliver me from the gates of deadly sin.
Ode III, Irmos: O Lord, Creator of the vault of Heaven * and Builder of the Church, * do Thou strengthen me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, * O Support of the faithful, * O only Lover of mankind.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
Thou didst strive to receive heavenly rewards; wherefore, O divinely wise father, thou didst follow Him Who called thee, forsaking the darkness of the falsehood bequeathed to thee, and didst become a luminary through the divine Spirit.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
Having cleaved unto Christ and set all thy hope on Him, O most honoured one, thou didst attain unto His sacred places, wherein the Supremely good One, having become incarnate, endured His most pure sufferings.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Burning with divine desire, O divinely blessed one, thou didst uncover the precious Cross, the weapon of salvation, the insuperable victory, the hope of Christians, which had been hidden in malice.
Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Having fallen away from my sacred citizenship, O most pure one, I have become like a beast and am wholly condemned. O thou who hast given birth to the Judge, deliver and save me from all condemnation.
Lord, have mercy.Lord, have mercy.Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn of the saints, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “Of the Wisdom …”: Having stretched forth thy senses toward heaven and acquired the beauty of the stars, thou wast taught by them the mysteries of the Lord of all; and the weapon of the Cross shone forth in their midst, signifying that in which thou shouldest conquer and achieve dominion. Wherefore, opening the eyes of thy soul, thou didst read the writings and learn about the image. O most honored Constantine, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who celebrate thy holy memory with love. (Twice)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion, Tone VIII: Having conceived the Wisdom and Word in thy womb without being consumed, O Mother of God, thou hast given birth for the world unto the Nourisher of all and Fashioner of creation; and thou didst bear in thine arms Him Who holdeth all things. Wherefore, I beseech thee, O all-holy Virgin, and glorify thee with faith: May I be delivered from transgressions, and, on the day of judgment when I shall stand before the face of my Creator, O pure Virgin Sovereign Lady, grant me thine aid; for thou canst do all things whatsoever thou dost will, O thou who art all-hymned.
Ode IV, Irmos: O Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I have considered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
Christ the Lord pursued thee from heaven, as He had Paul of old, O Constantine, teaching thee to worship Him as the only King.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
With a most radiant sign of stars, O blessed one, Christ the Sun illumined thee, showing thee to be a luminary for the darkened.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O blessed one, thou wast God-loving in nature and right wondrous in thy divine works; wherefore, we glorify thee with faith.
Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Ever-virgin who hast given birth to the Sun of righteousness, illumine my soul, which hath been darkened by sins.
Ode V, Irmos: Rising early we cry to Thee, O Lord; * save us, for Thou art our God, * and we know none other besides Thee.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
Having risen at dawn unto the never-waning Sun and Master, O divinely wise emperor, thou wast filled with light.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
Wearing love and perfect loving-kindness like a robe of royal purple, thou hast now made thine abode in the kingdom on high.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Helena, thou hast joined the choirs of the incorporeal ones, having pleased God by thy virtuous works.
Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Cleanse thou my soul, which hath been defiled by carnal pleasures through the treachery of the serpent, O Virgin.
Ode VI, Irmos: I will pour out my prayer unto the Lord, * and to Him will I proclaim my grief; * for my soul is filled with evils, * and my life unto Hades hath drawn nigh, * and like Jonah I pray unto Thee: * Raise me up from corruption, O God. Most gloriously didst thou assemble the divine choir of the God-bearing fathers,
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
O Constantine, and through them make steadfast the storm-tossed hearts of all, that they might glorify the Word as equal in honor and co-enthroned with the One Who begat Him.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
Having believed on the living Lord Who giveth life unto all, O Helena, thou didst spurn the abominable worship of vain idols and joyously received the kingdom of heaven.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Guided by Thy hand, O Word, through Thee the sovereigns thrust aside the most profound darkness of ignorance and the tempest of cruel godlessness, and arrived, rejoicing, at the calm havens of piety.
Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Heal thou my heart, which hath grown incurably sick and hath been grievously wounded by the sting of the evil one, O Maiden, and by thine entreaties grant healing unto me, and save me who trust in thee, O most pure one.
Lord, have mercy.Lord, have mercy.Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Today the Virgin …”: Today Constantine and his mother Helena * have revealed the Cross, the most precious Tree, * which putteth to shame all the Jews * and is the weapon of faithful kings against the adversary. ** For our sake the great standard hath appeared, terrible in battle.
Ikos: Let us honor Constantine, and Helena his mother; for, hearing the words of David, they recognized the three parts of the Cross in the cedar, the pine and the cypress, upon which the suffering of the Savior was accomplished. And having found it, in preparation to display it before the people, they set it before all the Jews, hidden because of their hatred and jealousy; revealing it to be the great justification. Wherefore, they have been revealed to all as victors, bearing the invincible trophy, the great standard, terrible in battle.
Ode VII, Irmos: The Hebrew children in the furnace * boldly trampled upon the flames, * changing the fire into dew, they cried aloud: * ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, throughout the ages’.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
Keeping Thy precepts, Constantine submitted to Thy law. Wherefore, he hath cast down hordes of the iniquitous, crying out to Thee: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God!
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
The Tree which hath drawn all from the pit of destruction, O right wondrous one, and which was buried out of malice, thou didst disclose unto us, burying the most pernicious demons forever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
By godly works thou didst make thy heart a temple of God, O Helena, and didst likewise build sacred churches for Him, where for our sake He endured His most pure sufferings for our sake.
Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Willingly committing sins, and enslaved by unseemly habits, I flee now to thy tender compassion. O most holy Sovereign Lady, save me who am in despair!
Ode VIII, Irmos: In his wrath the Chaldean Tyrant made the furnace blaze, * with heat fanned sevenfold for the servants of God; * but when he perceived that they had been saved by a greater power * he cried aloud to the Creator and Redeemer, * ‘O ye youths bless, O ye priests praise, * O ye people, supremely exalt Him throughout all ages’.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
Arrayed in loving-kindness as in a robe and in goodly meekness as in cloak, O glorious one, thou wast adorned with a mind perfect in the virtues as with a crown; and having been translated from earth to the kingdom on high, thou dost cry aloud: O ye priests bless; O ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout all ages!
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
Beholding thee rejoicing with thy divinely wise son, in the kingdom of God, O glorious Helena, we magnify Christ Who hath shown us your honoured festival, which illumineth us more brightly than the rays of the sun, wherefore we chant with faith: O ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout all ages!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Wondrous is thy desire and godly thy character, O glorious Helena, thou boast of women! For having attained unto the places where the precious sufferings took place, thou didst adorn them with all-beauteous temples of the Master of all, crying: O ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout all ages!
Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Theotokos, enlighten the eyes of my soul, which have been blinded by many crimes; grant peace to my mind and heart, which have been vexed by multifarious pleasures, I pray, and save me who cry: O ye priests bless; ye people supremely exalt the pure one throughout all ages!
Ode IX, Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, * and the ends of the earth were filled with amazement, * for God hath appeared in the flesh, * and thy womb was rendered more spacious than the heavens. * Wherefore, the ranks of men and of angels * magnify thee as the Theotokos.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
The tomb wherein thy sacred and precious body doth lie, O Constantine, doth ever pour forth the radiance of divine healings upon those whoever approach it in purity, driving away the darkness of divers passions and illumining those who praise thee with never-waning light.
Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.
Having finished thy life in holiness, thou hast now made thine abode with the saints, full of sanctity and enlightenment. Wherefore, ever pouring forth rivers of healings, thou dost burn up our sufferings, giving drink to our souls, O blessed Helena.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O unoriginate and immortal King, Thou hast vouchsafed Thy heavenly kingdom to the holy Helena and the great Constantine, whom of old thou didst grant to reign piously on earth, and who loved Thee in purity, O Lord. By their supplications have pity on us all.
Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Having conceived, thou hast given birth to the King and Creator of all, O Virgin. And, lo! as a Queen thou standest forth now at His right hand. Wherefore, I beseech thee: at the hour of judgment deliver me from the left side, and number me with the sheep on the right.
Troparion, Tone VIII: Beholding the image of Thy Cross in the sky, * and like Paul receiving a call not from men, * Thine apostle among kings placed the imperial city in Thy hands, O Lord. * Do Thou ever preserve it in peace, ** through the supplications of the Theotokos, O Thou Who alone art the Lover of mankind.
Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, a distinguished champion of Orthodoxy and a great teacher of the Church, came from an illustrious and pious Christian family. He studied the secular sciences, including philosophy, but most of all he strove to acquire knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and the truths of the Christian Faith. In his youth Cyril entered the monastery of Macarius in the Nitreia hills, where he stayed for six years. Theophilus (385-412), the Patriarch of Alexandria, ordained him as a deacon, numbered him among the clergy and entrusted him to preach.
