The city of Lydda (Lod) is the birthplace of the Great Martyr George the Victorious. His mother’s house was there, where he spent his childhood. The Holy Great Martyr George was a Roman soldier, he suffered under Emperor Diocletian in Nicomedia at the beginning of the IV century. His relics were transferred by Christians to their homeland, Lydda, and there he was buried.
The tomb where the relics of the Great Martyr were laid is now located in an Orthodox church dedicated to the Great Martyr George. In the temple itself there is a piece of the relics of Saint George, as well as the chain with which the Great Martyr was bound.
The first church was built here in the VI century. The temple was destroyed several times and was restored in its present form only in 1872, thanks to donations from Russia. The consecration of the restored temple took place on November 3, 1872, the anniversary of the day when it was first consecrated. The Russian Church remembers and celebrates this event until the present day. This Feast is included in the Menaion, in honor of the churches built and dedicated to Saint George in Russia.
It was also in Lydda that the Apostle Peter healed Aeneas, who had been lying paralyzed for eight years (Acts 9:32-35).
Troparion, Tone 4: O liberator of captives, defender of the poor, physician of the sick, and champion of kings, Trophy-Bearer and Great Martyr George, ntercede with Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Kontakion, Tone 8 (Podoben: “O Victorious Leader…”): We the faithful flee to thee for refuge seeking thy protection and speedy help, we entreat thee, O Champion of Christ, that we who sing thy praises may be delivered from the snares of the enemy and from every peril and adversary, that we may cry: “Rejoice, O Martyr George!”
A Canon Of Supplication To The Holy Martyr Varus, To Whom The Grace Was Given To Pray For Those Deceased Ancestors Of Cleopatra Who Had Not Been Vouchsafed To Receive Holy Baptism: Tone VIII
Ode I, Irmos: The staff of Moses, once working a wonder, striking the sea in the form of the Cross and dividing it, drowned the mounted tyrant Pharaoh, and saved Israel who fled on foot, chanting a hymn unto God.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
O Lord, be Thou entreated by Thy holy martyr Varus, and clothe Thyself in mercy and compassions! Lo! they will be poured out even unto hades, O Thou Who lovest mankind, and, through Thy rich lovingkindness will bring pity unto NN., for whom we pray.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
O great martyr of Christ, be thou mindful of the afflicted and helpless NN. Who sit, unenlightened, in the gloom of darkness; and do not cease to fall down before the compassionate Lord, until He comfort them with His rich lovingkindness.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou wast able to make entreaty for the family of the wondrous Cleopatra, O glorious passion-bearer; wherefore, rendering aid today, thou art likewise able to free from torments NN., who are remembered by us, if it is fitting for thee to pray to the Lord for them: for the Master will comfort them with His rich lovingkindness for thy sake.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O good helper and Mistress, look down from thy glory upon the helpless who are in the gloom of hades, and behold the misfortunes of the pitiful NN. whom we remember to thee; and cease thou never to entreat thy Son, the compassionate Lord and Master, in their behalf, until He comfort them with His rich lovingkindness.
Ode III, Irmos: O Christ, Who in the beginning established the heavens in wisdom and founded the earth upon the waters, make me steadfast upon the rock of Thy commandments; for none is holy as Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
Move thou the choir of the holy hosts of heaven to make supplication with thee, O martyr, and do thou a thing all-wondrous, great and honourable, which will bring even greater joy unto those who have no hope and consolation and are without expectation: our ancestors who died a bitter death outside the Faith, and NN., who are remembered with them, that the Lord may grant them forgiveness and great mercy.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
O excellent passion-bearer, beloved of Christ! Thou knowest how desirable and joyful freedom is for those in torment; wherefore, the joy of our kin and NN. with them, who have incurred everlasting torments because of their unbelief, will know no bounds if thou wilt ask the Lord to grant them forgiveness and great mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Varus, right victorious athlete, be thou merciful to our entreaties, and look upon NN., who are in desperate need; and moved by pity, do thou thyself earnestly pray to the Master Who loveth mankind, that He grant them forgiveness and great mercy.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Mary our Mistress, thou hope of the universe, divinely acceptable habitation, our reconciliation with God: Accept the petitions of this present intercession, and cease not to beseech thy Son, the Lord of all, that for thy sake He grant forgiveness and great mercy unto the hopeless NN.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional hymn, Tone V: Pray thou for the whole world, O great-martyr, and cease not to ask mercy for all sinners who have in divers ways grievously offended the Master and continue to offend him, who by mortal works have utterly done themselves to death and acquired nought, since they have wrought evil. And intercede also, O passion-bearer, for our departed kinfolk, NN., beginning as is possible; and cease not to pray and fall down before the Lord Who hath mercy on all, that He forgive and have mercy on those who sit in darkness and are embittered with exceeding great bitterness.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Another sessional hymn, Tone III: O great Varus, dweller in everlasting joy and namesake of heavenly rest: With boldness thou darest to remember before the Lord the redeeming qualities of our forebears; for even though we cannot place thee in their graves, yet do we beseech thee to add thy prayers to our earnest supplications that they be granted pity. Wherefore, fall down and pray, for the Master will not reject thine intercession, but, inclined by His infinite goodness, will send deliverance and great mercy upon those who are embittered with exceeding great bitterness.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O all-radiant Lady, who art hymned above all and art continually magnified by the heavenly hosts, Mother of the King of all: Since thy glory and greatness are increased where and when He desireth, when thou helpest sinners and coverest the whole world with thy supplications, O Mistress, increase the majesty of thy sublimity, and by thy fervent supplications deliver from grievous torments our unbelieving and unbaptized kinfolk and NN., who are commemorated with them; and grant them deliverance and great mercy.
Ode IV, Irmos: Thou art my strength, O Lord, Thou art my power; Thou art my God, Thou art my joy, Who, without leaving the bosom of the Father, hast visited our lowliness. Wherefore, with the Prophet Habbakuk I cry unto Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
Since thou lovest all who have recourse to thee with faith, O passion-bearer, thou hast won the love of those who make entreaty unto thee. What other thing, desiring to glorify thee, will He Who loveth mankind do if not to bestow the asked-for mercy upon the compunctionate, the eternal prisoners bereft of all joy, NN. As before, O valiant martyr, fail not in thy prayers for them.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
Cruel winter, barren of salvation, and joyless lamentation lie upon the ungodly who have died, in the place where NN., whom we remember, are assigned. But haste thou, O passion-bearer, to unite them to the race of the righteous, and fail not in thy prayers for them.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Let not the gloomy prison of hades forever hold our ancestors and kinfolk, and all who are remembered with them, NN. Since thou, the wondrous athlete, hast set at nought the power of unbelief and the might of sin, so as before with the family of Cleopatra, fail not in thy prayers for them, that they may be forgiven, O martyr.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Through thee, O all-pure one, have we come to know how to glorify the Creator of all things; through thee are we wont to magnify the true Saviour Who came forth from thee bearing flesh. We praise and bow down before thee, the Mistress, and pray: Have mercy on the our kinfolk NN. who have died in unbelief, and fail not in thy prayers to thy Son, that He deliver them.
Ode V, Irmos: Wherefore hast Thou turned Thy face from me, O Light never-waning? And why hath a strange darkness covered me, wretch that I am? But turn me, and guide my steps to the light of Thy commandments, I pray.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
Every gift and every mercy poured forth from the merciful Lord, though allwondrous and all-marvelous, when brought to bear to accomplish the forgiveness of NN. who have died in impiety, impart excellent magnitude thereto. Wherefore, today also do thou make haste to entreat the Master, O martyr, that He work great things.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
Turn not away from our compunction, O Lord, neither be Thou mindful of the multitude of our sins; rather, remember Thy mercies which are from of old, and in Thy compassions, and for the sake of the valiant athlete Varus, exhaust not the riches of Thine infinite lovingkindness, but pour forth Thy mercies and forgiveness upon NN., whom we remember.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
If the Master’s love for mankind extendeth even unto those afar off at sea, O great-martyr, stand forth today and, falling down, beseech Him to have mercy on those far away from the Faith, our kinfolk who have died unbaptized, and NN., who are commemorated with them, that He may grant them forgiveness and great mercy.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Intercede, O Mistress, for our weakness, and be thou constantly with us in time of need, helping us everywhere and always; for thou art the hope and expectation of Christians. Wherefore, reject not our petitions, but fulfil and perfect them by thine incomprehensible grace.
Ode VI, Irmos: Cleanse me, O Saviour, for many are my transgressions; and lead me up from the abyss of evils, I pray, for to Thee have I cried, and Thou hast hearkened to me, O God of my salvation.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
Let not the pride of the enemy rejoice, having seized men’s souls as plunder; but by thy fervent supplications do thou, O martyr, destroy his desires, entreating the Lord to forgive NN., whom we remember, and to deliver them and us from everlasting torment.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
The inspiration for our feat of prayer is the forgiveness of the family of Cleopatra, whence we have conceived the thought to move thee to make supplication. Disdain not NN., whom we remember, O great-martyr, and reject not their sinful state; but making haste, ask of Christ the Master that He grant them forgiveness and deliverance from bitter torments.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Assuming boldness, O passion-bearer, ask of the King of heaven that He grant the joy of remission instead of dread punishment unto those who have met an evil end because of their unbelief, and whose hope of good things hath utterly perished because they have angered God; and having led them up from bitterness, preserve them in the mercy of the Master.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
What evil can prevail over thy maternal supplications, O Mistress? For truly, if thou wilt stand forth today and make supplication for NN., for whom we ask thee to pray, thou shalt obtain for them joyous forgiveness, deliverance and great mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone IV: Following Christ, O martyr Varus, and draining His cup, thou wast crowned with the wreath of martyrdom and joinest chorus with the angels. Pray thou without ceasing for our souls.
Ikos: Be thou mindful of our words, O splendid denizen of heaven, glorious Varus, great-martyr of Christ, namesake of everlasting rest, who by thy great sufferings didst obtain an impassable and splendid resting-place, far from inescapable imprisonment, unceasing retribution and want: Haste thou by thy God-pleasing supplications to deliver His compunctionate servants NN., for whose sake we entreat thee, standing before thee and crying out with earnestness: Fulfil our petitions, O holy one, and beseech Christ God unceasingly in behalf of our souls.
Ode VII, Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the fire stood in awe of the condescension of God; wherefore, the youths, dancing with joyous step in the furnace, as in a meadow, chanted: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
As Thou dost enlighten all like the sun, O Lord, and lettest rain fall in abundance upon all, and unceasingly bestowest mercy upon those who anger Thee, hearken now unto Varus, Thine athlete, and pour forth Thy mercy utterly upon our kinfolk who have been separated from Thee, and upon the unbelieving NN., whom we remember, O Thou Who lovest mankind.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
Now as before, be Thou compassionate, O Lord, and allowing Thyself to be entreated, O Master, as Thou didst with Cleopatra, so do Thou deal with us, O Merciful One: Send forth Thy compassions and lovingkindness upon NN., whom we remember, for Thou art the inexhaustible Well-spring of mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The prophet, soaring aloft, hymneth Thy mercies, O Lord, unto the ages, and we also believe that Thou hast not diminished in Thy compassions, for the bounds of Thy lovingkindness are infinite. We entreat Thee to pour forth mercies from the abyss thereof upon NN., who have been drowned in the depths, and fill them therewith, for the sake of the martyr, O our Master.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
He who is most wise among the prophets calleth thee the mountain; and we believe him when he saith that from thee, without the interference of man, the Stone of the divine Offspring issued forth, from Whom we have received salvation and release from the depths of hades. O Mistress, lead up from hades NN., whom we remember today, that we may unceasingly magnify thee, the most merciful one.
Ode VIII, Irmos: When the musical instruments sounded and innumerable were those who worshiped the image in Dura, the three youths, refusing to obey the tyrant’s command, hymned and glorified the Lord for all ages.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
Let Thine ancient words of mercy, which bespeak the hope that we will be lifted up, be fulfilled, O Lord, for Thou didst hearken to Thy saints when they besought Thee to have mercy on those who died in unbelief. And today we bring them before Thee, O Lord, to pray that for the sake of their entreaties Thou mightest have pity on NN., who have died outside of Orthodoxy, O Master, and have offended Thee, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
O Lamb of God Who hast redeemed us by Thy precious Blood, Who didst hearken to the plea of Thecla and the blessed Gregory, who didst accept the petitions of Methodius, Macarius and many others, bestowing joy and deliverance upon those who died in wicked religions, and moved Chrysostom to write that we pray for them: Accept, O Master, with him the glorious Varus, and by their supplications forgive and have mercy on NN., whom we remember.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Entreat joy for us, O great-martyr, for we will be filled with gladness if we find that our kinfolk NN. are delivered from everlasting torments; for the Master always listeneth to thy supplications and fulfilleth thy petitions. Wherefore, fail not therein, praying even now, that we may continually glorify thee.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O all-immaculate Mistress, wondrous and unwedded Mother of the King, increase to abundance the multitude of thy lovingkindness and compassions for us who seek mercy. For where else may we find it if we do not make haste to fall down before thee? For thou gavest birth for us to the most abundant Torrent of delight, O all-blessed one.
Ode IX, Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, and the ends of the earth were amazed, that God hath appeared in the flesh, and that thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. Wherefore, the ranks of men and angels magnify thee as the Theotokos.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
O glorious Varus, in God thou art able by thy divinely acceptable supplications to obtain and pour forth mercies upon those who have been utterly separated therefrom. For there is but one Father of compassions and lovingkindness, and as Master all things are possible for Him. Unfailingly beseech Him, O athlete, that He forgive and have mercy on NN., whom we remember.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
O great-martyr, accomplish thou an all-wondrous deed attendant upon thy glory: Ask forgiveness from the Lord and the assuaging of His righteous anger for our ancestors, who are embittered because of their dark unbelief, and for NN., who find themselves in bitterness and the expectation of the most grievous of torments, that thou mightest raise them up to a deliverance free of fear, where are the mansions wherein the Master placeth the forgiven to live.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
What miracle is more wondrous than this, what glory more remarkable, what lovingkindness greater than when thou, O martyr, takest pity and entreatest the merciful Lord to remit the sin of impiety from NN., whom we remember, and to deliver them from grievous punishment?
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O merciful Mistress, who lovest mankind and art not mindful of evil: Accept the urgency of our petition, and unfailingly intercede for mercy with thy Son and Master, that He have mercy and forgive the sin of heterodoxy for our deceased kinfolk, and for NN. who are remembered with them, and that He bestow upon them remission and a place of mercy which shall not be taken away.
Prayer: O Holy, wondrous Martyr Varus, who, burning with zeal for the Heavenly King, didst confess Him before thy torturers and didst greatly suffer for Him! Now the Church doth venerate thee, as one glorified with the glory of heaven by Christ the Lord, Who granted thee the abundant grace to approach Him boldly. And now, standing before Him together with the Angels, rejoicing on high, beholding the Most Holy Trinity clearly, and enjoying the Uncreated Light, remember the suffering of our relatives (and those we remember, and those we hold in our hearts) who have died outside the Faith, and accept our pleas, and as thou didst intercede for the unbelieving ancestors of Cleopatra and didst free them from eternal suffering, remember those who have died unbaptized or have been buried in an ungodly manner, or died suddenly, or by their own hand, or unjustly, N.N. …. and pray earnestly that they may be delivered from eternal darkness, that we may all, with one mouth and one heart, praise the Most Merciful Creator unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Translated from the Church Slavonic by the reader Isaac E. Lambertsen from The Holy Martyr Varus:
Prayers for Those Who Have Died Unbaptized, 5th printing (Moscow: Dunkan Service, 1996), pp. 4-13.
Troparion, Tone V: Thou didst follow in the steps of the martyrs and contend for the glory of Christ. Thou wast tied to a beam and restored by the Tree of Life, and thine intercessions gladden our souls.
As well as celebrating the feast of St John of Kronstadt, we also commemorate the feast of the Holy Martyr Varus (Uar), to whom the Lord has given the grace to supplicate for the departed who have died without Holy Baptism.
From our friends at the Convent of St Elizabeth, in Minsk…
“On 1 November, the Church commemorates Saint Martyr Varus of Egypt. His life teaches us the power of unwavering faith. With it, we can withstand the gravest sorrows. He shows that our life in this world is only a fleeting moment of transition to eternity and that worldly honours and comforts are worthless compared to our everlasting salvation.
On icons, Saint Varus appears as a brave warrior in lustrous armour. He is a victorious commander, popular among the rank and file soldiers for his valour, bravery and talent. He is deeply respected among the rulers of Rome. The Emperor himself takes it as a great honour to welcome him in his palace.
With his deserts and spectacular feats, he could have earned himself an honourable place among the heroes of Rome. Yet he was a believer in Christ, and he knew well that worldly fame and glory are worthless in eternity, and the only way to have eternal salvation is by accumulating riches in heaven. In the years of bitter persecution of Christians, he did not hide his beliefs. Voluntarily, he suffered unimaginable torments. He withstood them to the end and gratefully accepted the fate of a Christian martyr, preferring it to a place of honour in the pantheon of Roman heroes.
Yet even after his departure, Saint Varus continued to reassure the tormented and the desperate, reminding them about the eternal joy and comfort waiting for them in their life to come. The pious widow Cleopatra who had assumed the care of Saint Varus’ remains, had a terrible loss. Her son died from an illness at a young age. With great love and dedication, she had been raising him for a brilliant career in the army. Her worldly life lost all meaning, her hopes received a crushing blow. She brought her son’s lifeless body to Saint Varus’ grave in the desperate hope that he would revive him.
Saint Varus came to her in a dream. He told the grieving mother that he would resurrect the boy if she held the glory that he would win in the empire’s wars to be more valuable than his eternal life in heaven. For his part, the boy assured his mother that nothing would make him go back to the world of sorrow. Cleopatra found closure. Praying for her son all the time, she gave away her estate to the poor and served at a church. Seven years later, she reunited with her son in haven.
In this part of the world, the faithful remember Saint Varus for his prayerful intercession for the unbaptised. They invoke his name in prayers for small children, unbaptised kin and stillborn infants. As we read the Canon of Saint Varus at Saint Elisabeth Convent, our sisters pray privately for people of other faiths and unbelievers. In every person, there is an image of God, and we all have a shared purpose – to grow in His likeness.
As we read the Creed at every liturgy, we express our hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. It gives us the strength to overcome our worst losses and pains, and to live through our most bitter sorrows. Yet so many people in our age of reason and enlightenment find it hard to embrace this hope with their hearts and souls. Habitually, we look to science for some confirmation but hear only silence. No one person who has departed to eternity can return to tell us about it. Even people who have had encountered eternity but returned to life cannot find the words to talk about it.
And so, like the righteous Cleopatra, we turn to Saint Varus for his assistance. We ask him to help us grow in our faith, build our confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
O Martyr Varus, you received the crown of martyrdom and now rejoice with the angels. Pray for our souls unceasingly!”
Canon of the martyr, the acrostic whereof is: ”I praise the sufferings of Varus and his great glory”, the composition of Joseph, in Tone VI:
Ode 1, Irmos: When Israel crossed the deep on foot as though it were dry land, beholding the tyrant Pharaoh drowned, he cried aloud: Let us sing to God a hymn of victory!
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Thou hast appeared in the heights of the Church of Christ as a radiant sun, illumining the fullness of the earth with the brilliance of thy battles, O blessed Varus.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Embraced by the sweet ardour of divine love, O most blessed one, thou didst deny thyself and didst hasten wisely to all the tortures of the flesh, struggling mightily.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having sensibly bound thyself with the bonds of godly strugglers, O athlete, thou didst break asunder the bonds of falsehood by thy mighty endurance of many torments.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The transcendent Word made His abode within thy womb in manner past recounting, O pure one, and, having been born in godly manner, He hath led to Him the choirs of martyrs. With them we praise thee in hymnody.
Ode 3, Irmos: There is none as holy as Thou, O Lord my God, Who hast exalted the horn of Thy faithful, O Good One, and hast established us upon the rock of Thy confession.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Thou didst enter upon valiant struggles with mighty resolve, having made thyself steadfast by hope in the good things which are to come and by the most-wise teachings of the martyrs of Christ, O blessed one.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Beholding the army of the holy athletes suffering lawfully, thou didst show forth their courageous strength, entering upon multifarious torments, O Varus.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As a valiant warrior, O Varus, thou didst find thyself in the sacred regiment, and didst cut down multitudes with the battle-sword of courage, O wise one, being glorified with victories.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Virgin Mother of God, I beseech thee: By the effulgence of grace which is in thee, drive away the most profound darkness of my despair and the clouds of the passions.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sedalion, Tone I, “Thy tomb, O Saviour…”: Beholding the honoured sufferings of the martyrs, and venerating their fetters with love, thou didst hasten to ascend to the summit of witness, O most wondrous one; for, suspended upon a tree, thou didst endure wounds, until thou didst commit thy spirit into the hands of the Lord.
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: O all-pure Virgin, thou hope of Christians, unceasingly entreat God to Whom thou gavest birth in manner past understanding and recounting, on behalf of those who hymn thee, that He grant remission of all our sins and correction of life unto those who ever glorify thee with faith and love.
Stavrotheotokion (replaces the Theotokion on Wednesdays and Fridays): Beholding Thee stretched out, dead, upon the Cross, O Christ, Thy most immaculate Mother cried aloud: “O my Son Who art equally unoriginate with the Father and the Spirit, what is this, Thine ineffable dispensation, whereby Thou hast saved the creation of Thine own all-pure hands, O Compassionate One?”
Ode 4, Irmos: Christ is my power, my God and Lord, the honoured Church doth chant in godly manner, crying out with a pure mind, keeping festival in the Lord.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Adorned with holy wounds, thou didst show thyself to be most comely and the beloved of God Who crowned thy head, O right wondrous Varus.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Stretched out on a cross and again upon the ground; O glorious one, thou didst endure cruel pangs. Wherefore, in gladness thou hast inherited the life which is devoid of pain.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
The godly martyrs, seeing thee suffering lawfully, strengthened thee with words of patience, O blessed one; and having completed thy valiant sufferings with them, thou hast attained blessedness.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
With praises we crown the divine martyrs, for with divine wreaths the grace of God hath crowned them who cast down the overweening thoughts of the enemy.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Mistress, from the mire of the passions and the passionate thoughts which alienate me from the one pure God lead me up, that I may bless thee with faith.
Ode 5, Irmos: With Thy divine light, O Good One, illumine the souls of those who rise early unto Thee with love, that they may know Thee, O Word of God, to be the true God Who calleth them forth from the darkness of sin.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Strengthened by divine inclinations, O Varus, with valiant mind thou didst endure unremitting laceration, rending apart the heart of the prideful one, the author of evil.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
The glorious martyr, seeing pieces of his flesh falling to the ground, rejoiced, looking toward eternal and divine rewards with splendour of mind.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
“I hymn, glorify and worship Thee, O Lord God, having been vouchsafed the good things prepared for those who love Thee!” the martyr cried out fervently amid his suffering.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In that thou hast truly been shown to be more holy than the cherubim and seraphim, O most immaculate one, do thou now sanctify all who with faith call thee sacred, and save them by thy mediation.
Ode 6, Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the storm of temptations, fleeing to Thy calm haven I cry unto Thee: Lead up my life from corruption, O greatly Merciful One!
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Thou didst disdain the words of the all-iniquitous enemy and didst patiently endure unbearable pain of the flames, O much suffering Varus, who prayest for those who praise thee with faith.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
The most mindless tyrant did not cease inflicting wounds upon thee without pity, until thou didst commit thy sacred soul into the hands of God, made radiant with the beauties of thy struggles.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Emulating Christ, thou wast uplifted upon a tree, and hanging thereon, thou didst surrender thy soul to God, Who crowned thee, having suffered valiantly, O athlete.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Mistress, ever direct my lowly soul which is tempest-tossed on the deep of evils, and guide it to the calm haven, for with unfaltering understanding it calleth thee blessed.
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 4: Following Christ, O martyr Varus, and draining His cup, thou wast crowned with the wreath of martyrdom and joinest chorus with the angels. Pray thou without ceasing for our souls.
Ode 7, Irmos: The Angel caused the furnace to pour forth dew upon the venerable children, and the command of God which consumed the Chaldeans prevailed upon the tyrant to cry: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
O Varus, the all-good Cleopatra helped to bury thee, who wast illumined with gifts of thy struggles, finding through thee the glory of faith manifestly fitting, which thou didst fervently show forth in thine end.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Shedding tears over thee and embalming thee with precious unguents, the most honoured woman buried in the earth thee who hast buried wicked falsehood and hast illumined us with rays of brilliance from thy grave.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The ever-memorable one did not cease pleasing thee, the favourite of Christ, O wise and venerable one, until thou didst show thyself to be a mediator for her of the kingdom of heaven which she and her beloved son were vouchsafed through thee.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
By thy mediation, O Virgin, restore me, who am crushed by my countless offences, healing my soul and granting me the words to cry out: Blessed art thou who gavest birth to God in the flesh!
Ode 8, Irmos: Out of the flame didst Thou pour forth dew upon the venerable ones, and didst consume the sacrifice of the righteous man with water; for Thou, O Christ, doest all things whatsoever Thou desirest. Thee do we exalt supremely for all ages.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Hearkening to a mother’s entreaties, O martyr, and splendidly enrolling her son in the army of heaven, with ineffable loving-kindness thou didst show that thy glory and that of the honoured youth cannot be taken away.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Cleopatra bore thee out of Egypt like riches beyond price, O martyr, lavishing precious gifts of healings upon all of Palestine, which honoureth thee with love.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
In gladness thou didst complete thy struggles, O valiant warrior of the Almighty, and thou hast been crowned by Him as a victor, O most blessed Varus, thou great glory of the martyrs.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sins upon sins do I add, yet I do not fear the coming dread judgment. O pure one, overcome the blindness of my soul, and converting me, save me by thine entreaty.
Ode 9, Irmos: It is not possible for men to see God, upon Whom the ranks of angels dare not gaze; for through thee, O most pure one, the Word appeared, incarnate, to men. And, magnifying Him, with the armies of heaven we call thee blessed.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Manifestly girded about with divine power, O valiant athlete Varus, thou didst cast down the might of the adversary; wherefore, we, the faithful, praise thee, drawing forth abundant healing from thy relics.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Thy memory hath spread forth upon the ends of the earth like light, like the dawn, like the great sun, O all-praised one, illumining all with the radiant effulgence of thine honoured struggles and driving darkness away from men’s hearts.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
The loving mother, beholding her son shining with thee in great glory, magnified the God of all, O martyr, and most earnestly glorified thee as an intercessor most great, having been manifestly enriched by thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The land on which thy most patient body lieth, O wise one, hath been divinely sanctified. By thy supplications, O Varus, grant us remission of sins, amendment of life and deliverance from all difficulties.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Lord, manifesting Himself through thee, the light cloud, O Virgin, wrought utter destruction upon the graven images of Egypt; and He hath vouchsafed the multitude of His athletes to endure, becoming emulators of His honoured sufferings.
Troparion of St Varus the Martyr, Tone 5: Thou didst follow in the steps of the martyrs/ and contend for the glory of Christ./ Thou wast tied to a beam and restored by the Tree of Life,/ and thine intercessions gladden our souls.
Today the Russian Church Outside of Russia celebrates the canonisation of our Holy and Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, that bright luminary, who shone through the gathering storm clouds and darkness in the last days of the Imperial Russia.
At the time of the canonisation in 1964, the Church Abroad was the only free part of the Russian Church, with its prophetic voice championing the plight of the martyric suffering of the faithful in the Soviet Union, whilst the Bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate fervently denied the persecution of the Church, especially before western commentators, despite the renewed, savage attacks on the Church under Krushchev, who had died only weeks earlier.
Despite its poverty and numerical insignificance, our Russian Church Abroad struggled to preserve the Faith and the legacy of Holy Russia – and continued that life and legacy in exile and the emigration.
It was clear that the Church in captivity could not canonise such a holy and light-bearing spiritual giant as St John, clearly glorified by God among the choir of the Saints in the Heavenly Church. So, in 1964, our Russian Church Outside of Russia, as the free voice of Russian Orthodoxy glorified St John – an event so long awaited by the faithful in the homeland and in the emigration. The Moscow Patriarchate would not declare St John a saint for another twenty six years.
In this event, we not only reflect upon the holiness and awe-inspiring life and ministry of St John, but also on the importance of our Church Abroad in championing and preserving the inheritance and legacy of our Faith, rejecting compromise and the ‘dumbing down’ of Orthodoxy, the perversion of the tenets of Faith to suit nationalistic and political agendas, communion with schismatics, the cancer of ecumenism that still spreads its deathly cells throughout the ‘Orthodox’ world, and the temptation to accommodate the Church to the fallen world, with its politically correct, hellish agendas.
This is why recognising St John up as a beacon of Orthodoxy and holiness was so important in 1964, and remains so important at the present time, when we are surrounded by darkness… but darkness that is dispelled by the light of God’s Glory shining in the lives of His saints and in His Holy Church.
Let us pray to St John for the Church and the suffering-world, and for us to have the courage and strength to tread the Royal Path that leads to the Kingdom of God.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us!
The Canon to St John of Kronstadt in Tone IV
Ode I, Irmos: Through the deep of the Red Sea, * marched dry shod Israel of old, * and by Moses’ outstretched hands, * raised in the form of a cross, * the power of Amalek was routed in the wilderness.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
Make firm my senses and mind, O my Savior, that I may worthily hymn the supplications and struggles of Thy servant John our father, who loved Thee and was beloved of Thee.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
O blessed one who from thy youth wast forechosen to chant unto the first-called apostle in his holy temple, illumined with the radiance of the Cross thou didst flee the gloom of sin, unceasingly offering up prayers and hymnody to God our Savior.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
On a chariot of the virtues didst thou mount to heaven, as once did Elijah on a chariot of fire; hence, beseech thou the Lord that He send down upon us correction of life.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Through thee, O Virgin Theotokos, we who were once deprived of life in paradise have received everlasting life; for thou hast given birth unto Him Who alone is without beginning and giveth life unto all.
Ode III, Irmos: Thy Church, O Christ, rejoiceth in Thee crying aloud: * Thou, O Lord, art my strength, * my refuge and foundation.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
As one who shared in the manner of life of the apostles and wast an emulator of their life, O divinely inspired one, thou didst set forth the word of truth unto the end.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
The eye of thy soul beheld the kingdom of heaven, for it was pure; wherefore, thou didst splendidly set forth thy life, and, honoring it in God, we glorify thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Let him who doth not labor not eat! These words of the Apostle Paul didst thou proclaim to thy brethren; wherefore, thou didst raise up a house of industry for the sake of the poor, wherein the impoverished and ailing might be provided for, being sustained by the work of their own hands.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou art wholly light, all-goodness, all-wisdom; thou canst, as Mother of the Almighty, do all things; thou alone art all-perfect, in that thou art the Mother of the all-perfect King of glory.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII: O blessed John, lamp of Kronstadt, thou whose activity and preaching were continual, who offered up before the throne of the Most High lamentation over the sins of many, and who in the Spirit beheld the bowing down of the heavens at the holy liturgy: Pray thou on behalf of our souls!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion, Tone VIII: O ye faithful, with hymns let us magnify the Theotokos, * the unshakable confirmation of the Faith * and the precious gift of our souls: * Rejoice, thou who didst hold within thy womb the Stone of life! * Rejoice, thou hope of the ends of the earth * and aid of the sorrowful! ** Rejoice, thou Bride unwedded!
Ode IV, Irmos: Beholding Thee, the Sun of righteousness, * lifted up upon the Cross, * the Church now standeth arrayed and doth worthily cry aloud: * Glory be to Thy power, O Lord!
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
Having a firm foundation in Christ, thou didst imitate Abraham of old in thy hospitality, receiving those who came to thee from all lands, and leading them to the Lord; and thus didst thou do that which is pleasing unto God.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
Desiring to make thy heart a temple of God, it was thy wish to serve unceasingly in the house of God, adorning thy soul with the beauties of heaven.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having extinguished all the passions of the body with the dew of thy feats, thou didst kindle the light of dispassion; wherefore, thou wast shown also to be a child of the everlasting day, O blessed father.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The divine Ezekiel, O most pure one, called thee prophetically the gate which was closed, through which He Who alone is pre-eternal hath passed without change, granting His peace.
Ode V, Irmos: Thou, O Lord, who camest into the world, * art my light, * a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance * those who sing Thy praises in faith.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
Unceasingly serving thy Lord and ever emulating the labors of the apostles, O father, thou wast deemed worthy of heavenly gifts.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
Having slain the passionate pleasures of thy corruptible flesh, thou didst enliven thine incorruptible soul with piety, and make of it a house of the divine Spirit.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Earnestly proclaiming the Gospel of Christ unto all, thou wast a daily communicant at the banquet of the Lord, making thyself and thy flock a living offering which was holy in God’s sight.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O most pure one, thou hast given birth unto One of the Trinity, Who, for the sake of His loving-kindness, appeared on earth in two natures; Him do thou unceasingly entreat, that He save our souls.
Ode VI, Irmos: The church crieth out unto Thee O Lord, * ‘I will sacrifice unto Thee with a voice of praise * having been cleansed of the blood of the demons’ * by the blood that for mercy’s sake flowed from Thy side.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
Thou wast a fruitful olive tree in the house of thy Lord, O divinely manifest John, for the Lord imparted divine knowledge unto thee and strengthened thee in thine apostolic work.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
Ye are the members of the body of Christ! Thus, with the Apostle Paul didst thou preach, teaching thy flock to love Christ alone, that all may be one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thy life is holy, thy discourse, O divinely wise one, was filled with the grace of God, and thy heart became a vessel of grace-filled prayer. Wherefore, with faith and love we honor thee.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The angelic hosts marveled at the ineffable wonder which took place within thee, O most holy Virgin; how He Who is incorporeal and sustaineth all things took flesh from thee.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone IV: O father John, namesake of grace, * who wast chosen by God from childhood, * who in thy youth miraculously received from Him the gift of learning, * and in a dream wast most gloriously called to be a priest: ** Entreat Christ God, that we may all be with thee in the kingdom of heaven.
Ikos: The Holy Spirit Who spake in the prophets and enlightened the whole world through the apostles, Who gave strength to the martyrs and made clear the Orthodox Faith through the holy hierarchs, poured forth His grace abundantly upon thee, O father John; for by thy discourse, by thy works and thy whole life thou didst proclaim the faith of Christ. Wherefore, the Lord hath summoned thee to His habitations; and as thou dost now stand before the throne of His glory, do thou pray that all who honor thee may be with thee in the kingdom of God.
Ode VII, Irmos: In the Persian furnace the youths and descendants of Abraham, * burning with a love of piety * rather than by a flame of fire, * cried aloud saying: * Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
By the providence of God thou wast revealed to be a light of piety amid the heavy darkness of godlessness and unbelief, O father, calling upon all to cry aloud: Blessed art Thou in the churches of Thy glory, O Lord!
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
Man is formed in the image of God; and thou, O father John, wast a most splendid mirror of the love of God and a dwelling place of the Holy Trinity, Whom we sinners also glorify.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
From the Lord didst thou receive the grace to heal the infirmities and passions of all; visit us also therewith always, that with thee we may all chant in oneness of mind: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, throughout all ages!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Lady, save thy people, save those who are of the same blood as thee. Save us, O Mother of life and of the whole human race, and, even though we are unworthy to call thee our mother, sanctify, make steadfast and save us by thy supplications.
Ode VIII, Irmos: Having spread his hands, Daniel closed the lions jaws * in their den; * while the zealously pious youths, * girded with virtue, * quenched the power of the fire and cried aloud: * Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
Cleanse our hearts and thoughts by thy supplications, and show us forth to be fertile ground, that, girded about with virtue, we may cry aloud: Bless the Lord all ye works of the Lord!
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
Thou wast crowned with a crown of gifts of grace, contemplating heavenly wisdom and ever crying aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Glory to Thee, O most holy, life-creating Spirit, Who proceedest from the Father and ever restest in the Son! Glory to Thee, O Son of God, Who sanctifiest through the Holy Spirit, and strengthenest and makest us wise! Glory to Thee, O Father, Who art ever well pleased with us through the Holy Spirit! O indivisible Triune Unity, have mercy upon us!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Rejoice, thou who hast given birth to the salvation of the world! for through thee we have been raised up from earth to heaven! Rejoice, O blessed one, thou protection and dominion, rampart and foundation of those who chant: Hymn the Lord, O ye works, and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Ode IX, Irmos: A cornerstone not cut by hand O Virgin, * was cut from thee the unhewn mountain: * even Christ, Who hath joined together the disparate natures; * therefore rejoicing we magnify thee, * O Theotokos.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
Truly thou wast a light to the world, O holy father, for, having adorned thy soul with godly works, thou wast revealed to be an eminent pastor of the Orthodox Church, being a model for the faithful in word and life; wherefore, we bless thee.
Holy, Righteous Father, John of Kronstadt, pray to God for us.
Keeping the One Creator ever before thy mind, through Whom and in Whom all things exist, with a pure heart and guileless soul thou didst labor for Him throughout thy life as thy Lord; and in no wise wast thou bound by Mammon.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Princes praised thee and many people glorified thee; but, disdaining earthly glory, thou didst desire to be in the eternal mansions of God, there to glorify the Lord always.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
He Who is pre-eternal descended into thy womb, O most holy Virgin, and ineffably, in a manner transcending comprehension and all telling, was born from thee, that He might renew Adam of old; wherefore, we ever magnify thee as the cause of our renewal.
Troparion, in Tone IV: With the apostles thy sound hath gone forth into all the earth; * with the confessors thou didst endure sufferings for Christ; * thou didst resemble the holy hierarchs in thy preaching of the Word; * and with the venerable hast thou shone forth in the grace of God. * Therefore, the Lord hath exalted the depths of thy humility above the heavens, * and hath given us thy name as a source of most wondrous miracles. * Wherefore, O wonderworker, who livest in Christ forever, * take pity in thy love upon people in misfortunes; * and hearken unto thy children, * who with faith call upon thee, ** O righteous John, our beloved pastor.
Troparion, in Tone IV: O wonderworker, who livest in Christ forever, * take pity in thy love upon people in misfortunes; * hearken unto thy children who with faith call upon thee, * expecting compassionate aid from thee, ** O John of Kronstadt, our beloved pastor.
The Canon to St Michael, First Metropolitan of Kiev, in Tone VI.
Ode I, Irmos: When Israel walked on foot in the sea as on dry land, * on seeing their pursuer Pharaoh drowned, * they cried: * Let us sing to God * a song of victory.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
Standing with the choirs of the saints of heaven before the throne of the Most High, as a hierarch and servant of God, pray for us who serve with divinely inspired hymns, that we may stand with thee where the gladness of the righteous is.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
As one chosen by the Lord for the service of His glory in the work of the Gospel of Christ, O holy hierarch Michael, pray for us who have assembled for thy memorial, that we may labour in the commandments of the Gospel and may receive as our reward the gladness of the venerable.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Standing like a candle upon a candlestick, thou didst shine far and wide with the light of thy good works, O father, for by thine instruction the light of the vision of God illumined the unbelieving people, and the land enlightened by thee
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In that thou art she who from thy womb hath revealed to the world the true Light, enlighten and direct upon the way us who walk in the darkness of the passions, O Mary Bride of God, who gavest birth to the Way for the human race.
Ode III, Irmos: There is none as holy as Thou, * O Lord my God, * who hast exalted the horn of the faithful O Good One, * and strengthened us upon the rock * of Thy confession.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
The Faith was not planted nor piety rooted in Rus, O holy hierarch Michael, until thou, as a most wise husbandman, didst plough up the barren ground of polytheism, deepening the steadfast confession of the knowledge of God.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
Illumined by light from on high, the great Vladimir, receiving thee like a radiant beam, O hierarch of God, brought thee to the land of Rus, which was darkened by idolatry, that there the people might be enlightened by thy coming and be brought to knowledge by thy confession of the steadfast Faith.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Christ God, the Sun of righteousness, revealed thee, O Michael, to the land of Rus as a ray of splendour, and, illumining it with the regeneration of the font of baptism, thou didst bring to the Master a new people, restored through the confession of the good Faith.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Our true God, the Sun of righteousness, borrowing flesh from thee, O Virgin Mary, shone forth upon the world and utterly destroyed the darkness of polytheism. Illumine me with light, O Virgin Mary, who am darkened by despondency, and guide me to the path of goodly works.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, in Tone VIII: With the axe of the teaching of the Gospel thou didst fell the graven idols, and overthrowing their temples thou didst plant piety. And the city of Kiev, adorned therewith, crieth out to thee with love: Rejoice, O Michael, first enthroned of the hierarchs of Rus!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion, in Tone VIII: O thou who hast delivered from barbaric slavery those who chant unto thee “Rejoice!”, rescue us from slavery to the alien, root out idolatrous passions from our thoughts, and plant therein the right-mindedness of the fear of God; for thou art the cause, beginning and fulfilment of all that is good.
Ode IV, Irmos: Christ is my power, * my God and my Lord, * the holy Church divinely singeth, * crying with a pure mind, * keeping festival in the Lord.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
Sensing thee, the servant of Christ and steward of piety, O holy hierarch, the idols bitterly lamented their destruction; but the people, renewed through baptism, were filled with gladness, celebrating a splendid festival in the Lord.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
When thou, O father, didst arrive at the mountains of Kiev, Perun, the foremost idol, was cast down and dragged away by horses, and the rest of the graven images trembled with fear. But the people chanted, celebrating the day of their regeneration.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
People of every age and gender, who before were darkened, came to the River Dnieper for enlightenment, a countless multitude with thee at its head. And having administered to them the laver of regeneration, thou didst guide them to the knowledge of God, O Michael, holy hierarch of God.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
All generations call thee blessed O Mary our Queen, and we, blessing thee with hymns, bow down before thy countenance, depicted upon thine icon, and celebrate a splendid feast in memory of thy holy hierarch.
Ode V, Irmos: Illumine with Thy divine light, I pray, O Good One, * the souls of those who with love rise early to pray to Thee, * that they may know Thee, O Word of God, * as the true God, * Who recalleth us from the darkness of sin.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
The newly-baptized people, illumined by the light of God, cried out with thee, O Michael: O Christ God, grant that we may behold Thee alone, the Word of God, Who dost rescue us from the darkness of the madness of idolatry!
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
When Joshua son of Nun bore the ark around the walls of Jericho, they tumbled down; and when thou camest forth with the Cross, O holy hierarch, the idols likewise fell. And the people glorified Thee, the Word of God, O Christ, who dost rescue mankind from the darkness of unbelief.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Clothed by thee through the font of baptism, the city of Kiev is adorned even to this day, O holy hierarch; and it beareth upon its shoulders the precious Gospel of Christ, as it were coins of gold. And we, kissing it, glorify the Word of God Who hath rescued us from the darkness of sin.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We are all adorned by thy beauty, O Mary Bride of God, for thou art truly beauteous. And desiring thy beauty, the Most High united Himself to thy flesh: God became a man, for thy sake deifying us who had fallen into corruption, O pure Virgin.
Ode VI, Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, * I run to Thy calm haven, and cry to Thee: * Raise up my life from corruption, * O greatly Merciful One.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
Like Moses thou didst cut through the fetid sea of the madness of idolatry with the staff of the Cross, O hierarch Michael; and cleansing the people with the water of the vision of God, thou hast led into harbour those who chant: Glory to Thee, O greatly merciful Christ!
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
The land of Rus, which of old had gone astray and was not established in the Faith, hath now come to the vision of God, guided by thee, O hierarch Michael; and having received the ring of adoption, it rejoiceth, crying aloud: Glory to Thee, O my greatly merciful Christ!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having subdued in the land of Rus the people who raged in their unbelief and imposed upon them the yoke of obedience to the Church, O Michael, thou didst bring many labourers to the vineyard of the heavenly Master. Make us also wise husbandmen, O holy one, for we offer thee praise this day.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Tame thou the passions which rage within me, and impose upon me the yoke of humility, O Theotokos, that I may labour the rest of my days therein and find mercy on the day of judgment.
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 II: Thou wast shown to be a second Moses for Rus, O father, * bearing the noetic grapes from the Egypt of idolatry * to the land foreseen by prophecy, which said: * The Faith will be established in this land, * and on the peaks of the mountains of Kiev will the Fruit which nourisheth the whole world * be exalted higher than Lebanon! ** And tasting thereof, we bless thee, O Michael, thou hierarch of God.
Ikos: Having brought the scattered people together into one understanding of the vision of God, and washed away by baptism the old blindness of the land of Rus, thou didst illumine it by the Cross. And having taught it to glorify the most holy Trinity – the Father, the Son and the most Holy Spirit, thou didst make it a reason-endowed flock of Christ God, and standing with faith before Him to this day, it crieth out: Deliver from every evil circumstance the city and people who bless thee, O Michael, thou hierarch of God!
Ode VII, Irmos: An Angel made the furnace bedew the holy children. * But the command of God consumed the Chaldeans * and prevailed upon the tyrant to cry: * O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
By thee, O holy hierarch, was Rus washed with the dew-giving water of grace, and the scales fell away from its noetic eyes in the holy font. It recognised the one Creator, and crieth out with faith: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
When thou wast filled with gladness after baptism, O city of Kiev, the abominable idols lamented. And the idol Perun, which was the first of them to be dragged away, cried out bitterly. Wherefore, the people, acknowledging their former error, cried out with thee, O Michael: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Placing the golden ring of the new grace upon the hand of Rus, O hierarch Michael, thou didst betroth her, the Church of the nations, as a pure bride unto Christ. And spiritually rejoicing to this day, she crieth aloud: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O pure Virgin, we call thee the golden ring, adorned as with a precious diamond by Christ’s union with the flesh. Wherefore, we cry out with love: Blessed art thou alone, whose Son is the God of our fathers!
Ode VIII, Irmos: Thou didst make flame bedew the holy children, * and didst burn the sacrifice of a righteous man with water. * For Thou alone, O Christ, dost do all as Thou willest, * Thee do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
Snatching the land of Rus land from the flame of the deception of idolatry, O most wise one, thou didst bedew it with the dew of baptism, and it no longer yearneth to return to its old ways, but supremely exalteth Christ and thee, its pastor, throughout the ages.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
Disposing all things well for the newly-elect people, thou didst ordain pastors and teachers for the cities; and having thereby made provision for the newly-chosen flock, thou thyself didst depart unto Christ God, the Chief Shepherd, to reign with Him throughout the ages.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Much weeping and lamentation didst thou cause the city of Kiev by thy departure, O father; but the Jerusalem on high, taking thee to its bosom, rejoiced. And living there, forget not thy flock, but pray that it may dwell with thee throughout the ages.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Much gladness and joy do I cause the demons by my evil deeds, and thus much grief also to my guardian. O pure Mary, Mother of Christ God, guide me to repentance, that they may weep and mine angel may find joy, and me with him throughout the ages.
Ode IX, Irmos: It is impossible for mankind to see God * upon Whom the orders of Angels dare not gaze; * but through thee, O all-pure one, * did the Word Incarnate become a man * and with the Heavenly Hosts * Him we magnify and thee we call blessed.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
Like a palm-tree didst thou flourish in the house of God, O father, and thou didst show forth the incorruption of thy relics like fruit unto all; wherefore, we the people, understanding from this that thou standest before Christ, magnify thee with hymns.
Holy Hierarch, Michael, pray to God for us.
Like a fragrant cedar dost thou spread thy perfume, O holy hierarch, and delightest those who bow down before thee. Fill us also with the sweet savour of thy prayers, for we magnify thy memory with hymns.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We magnify the choir of the holy hierarchs of Rus and the council of those who love the feasts of the Church. Haste ye together to the holy cave, ye pastors of the Chief Shepherd! Ye people, with us honour your father with hymns! For today we magnify his memory.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
All creation hymneth thee, O Virgin, as her who passed through all the gates of heaven and standeth at the right hand of the fiery throne. Grant that we also may stand at the right hand of thy Son, for with hymns do we magnify thee and Him Who was born of thee.
Troparion, in Tone IV: Today hath the prophecy of the first-called apostle been fulfilled, * for, lo! on these mountains grace hath shone forth and the faith hath increased. * And those who had grown old through unbelief have found rebirth * through the divine font and became a renewed people, * a holy priesthood, a hallowed nation, the flock of Christ. * And thou wast shown to be His first pastor, * in that thou didst first serve Him by baptism. * Standing now before Christ God the Master, * pray thou that all the children of Rus may be saved; * for thou art possessed of boldness, ** as a hierarch and sacred minister of God.
Ode I, Irmos: When Israel walked on foot in the sea as on dry land, * on seeing their pursuer Pharaoh drowned, * they cried: * Let us sing to God * a song of victory.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
O ye faithful, with joy let us join chorus, hymning the Savior with radiant souls, on the most wondrous memorial of Wenceslaus, the servant of Christ!
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Slain unjustly like an innocent lamb, thou didst emulate the sufferings of the Master, O glorious one; wherefore, thou dost now rejoice with the choirs of the martyrs, O thou who art blessed of God.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Receiving a death which won thee life, thou standest now in glory before the Master of all. Pray thou that we who keep thy most wondrous memory may also obtain it, O holy one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Who can tell of the countless wonders which thou workest in the world, O glorious one? For thou dost continually grant healing in abundance unto all the faithful.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Sovereign Lady, raise me up who have fallen among thieves through my soul-destroying deeds and am drowning in death. I pray thee: Entreat thy Son and God for me.
Ode III, Irmos: There is none as holy as Thou, * O Lord my God, * who hast exalted the horn of The faithful O good One, * and strengthened us upon the rock * of Thy confession.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Thou didst ever burn with Christian love for the Holy Church, O most blessed one, where, like an innocent lamb, thou didst look forward to thine unjust slaughter.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Adorned with thy most splendid blood, thy Church emitteth the radiant beams of miracles, hymning thy memory, O right glorious one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Enlightened from childhood by the rays of the Trinity, O venerable one, thou didst become an heir of Christ. Him do thou entreat, that He send peace unto our souls.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thy divine birthgiving doth transcend every other miracle, O pure one; for, having conceived in thy womb and given birth unto the transcendent God, thou didst remain Ever-virgin.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “Of the Wisdom …”: Seeking to prevent thee from ascending thy throne, the enemies of the Orthodox Faith murdered thy pious grandmother, the saintly Lyudmila, that she might no longer guide thee with Christian counsel; yet so well grounded wast thou by her in reverence for things divine and in love for Christ, that her martyrdom in nowise moved thee from thy sacred purpose, and the wiles of thine enemies served only to strengthen thee in thy resolve, and to gain for the Holy Church another martyr in heaven.
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: All we, the generations of mankind, * call thee blessed, * in that thou art the Virgin who alone among women * hast given birth without seed unto God in the flesh; * for the fire of the Godhead made its abode within thee, * and thou didst feed the Creator and Lord * with milk as an infant. * Wherefore, we, the race of mankind and of angels, * glorify thy birthgiving, * and together we cry out to thee: * Entreat Christ God to grant forgiveness of sins ** unto those who with faith worship thy most holy Offspring.
Ode IV, Irmos: Christ is my power, * my God and my Lord, * the holy Church divinely singeth, * crying with a pure mind, * keeping festival in the Lord.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Lovingly raised in the pure Faith from childhood, by thy pure works thou didst lovingly follow the Master and put His false enemy to shame by thy hope.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Shining with radiance, O holy Wenceslaus, by thy supplications enlighten those who are darkened by sins, for with the choirs of the martyrs thou hast boldness to pray for us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Cut down by the sword, O invincible saint, thou didst cut down the wicked foe with the sword of patience; wherefore, thou hast received a crown from the hand of the Almighty.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Truly the mysteries of thy divine birthgiving are ineffable and unattainable for those on earth and those in heaven, O Ever-virgin Theotokos.
Ode V, Irmos: Illumine with Thy divine light, I pray, O Good One, * the souls of those who with love rise early to pray to Thee, * that they may know Thee, O Word of God, * as the true God, * Who recalleth us from the darkness of sin.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Having received through thy sufferings the life which is devoid of pain, O all- praised and holy Wenceslaus, thou hast been shown to be a help for all who suffer and with faith call upon thee for aid.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
With the most radiant beams of thy miracles thou hast enlightened the north, the south and the west more than the sun, O blessed one; wherefore, illumine us who celebrate thy memory, O saint.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou wast a helper of those amid misfortunes, the sustainer of the poor, and the comfort of the grieving; wherefore, even after thy death, O holy one, thou dost deliver all who with faith call upon thee for help.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O good Sovereign Lady of the world, save those who with all their soul confess thee to be the Theotokos; for we have thee, who art truly the Theotokos, as our help, O immaculate one.
Ode VI, Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, * I run to Thy calm haven, and cry to Thee: * Raise up my life from corruption, * O greatly Merciful One.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Having acquired a pure life through fasting, O most wondrous Wenceslaus, thou hast been revealed to be a fellow citizen with the angels. With them pray thou for the salvation of our souls.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Forsaking a transitory earthly princedom, and receiving a royal adornment from the right hand of the Master, thou didst acquire through corruptible things that which is eternal, in that thou art wise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O holy one, accept praise from the accursed lips of one who is unable to fashion worthy praises for thee, and entreat the merciful God, that He grant us great mercy.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O most pure Lady who for mortals gave birth to the Helmsman and Lord, confound my wicked lusts, and grant serenity unto my heart.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone I, Spec. Mel.“The choir of the angels …”: Standing with the choirs of the angels, * O blessed Prince Wenceslaus, * thou delightest in divine and ineffable goodness; * and drawing thence the goodly gifts of miracles, * thou pourest forth abundant cures upon all ** who with faith flee to thy holiness.
Ikos: Great is the consternation of the enemy of our salvation! For, seeking to destroy the Christian Faith which was planted in Bohemia by the pious Borivoy and the holy Lyudmila, he instilled within the accursed Prince Boleslaus the treacherous intention to murder his godly brother, the holy Prince Wenceslaus, and thus unjustly to seize his throne. Yet the Savior bestowed upon His martyr so great an abundance of the grace of miracles that the people of Bohemia were amazed and hastened to be enlightened. Thus the machinations of the devil were utterly foiled, and the Holy Orthodox Church grew and thrived. And even to this day the precious relics of the martyr pour forth an abundance of cures upon all who with faith flee to his holiness.
Ode VII, Irmos: An Angel made the furnace bedew the holy Children. * But the command of God consumed the Chaldeans * and prevailed upon the tyrant to cry: * O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
The ancient malefactor envied thy sacred life and incited the mindless brigand to slay thee; but with a pure conscience thou didst unceasingly cry out to thy Creator: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Prague, thy most glorious city, danceth with gladness today, honoring thy memory, and, radiantly emitting thy miracles, it calleth the whole land to cry aloud: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Through the deception of the wicked one, of old the ground was stained by the hand of Cain, who slew his own brother; but sprinkled now with blood, it offereth sacrifices of sweet savor unto Christ, crying: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Through thee, O Virgin, Light hath shone forth upon those in darkness, for thou hast given birth to the Creator and God of all. Him do thou beseech, O most pure one, that He ever send down great mercy upon us, the faithful.
Ode VIII, Irmos: Thou didst make flame bedew the holy children, * and didst burn the sacrifice of a righteous man with water. * For Thou alone, O Christ, dost do all as Thou willest, * Thee do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Sanctified from on high by rays of grace, O most glorious one, thou didst shine forth more brightly than the sun in the land of Bohemia with the beauties of gladness, supremely exalting Christ throughout the ages.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Receiving thy holy body today, O blessed one, Prague, thine all-praised city, proclaimeth thy most wondrous miracles unto all the world, supremely exalting Christ throughout the ages.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Adorned with meekness and illumined with a proper understanding of Orthodoxy, O most wondrous one, thou wast truly shown to be a herald of the most holy Trinity, supremely exalting Christ throughout the ages.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou didst ineffably conceive and give birth unto the Transcendent One, the Word, the Bestower of light, Who is begotten of Light, O Virgin, for the Spirit of God made His abode within thee. Wherefore, we hymn thee, O pure one, throughout all ages.
Ode IX, Irmos: It is impossible for mankind to see God * upon Whom the orders of Angels dare not gaze; * but through thee, O all-pure one, * did the Word Incarnate become a man * and with the Heavenly Hosts * Him we magnify and thee we call blessed.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Thou wast deemed worthy of great grace, O glorious one, and hast illumined the whole world, granting healings in abundance unto all.
Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.
Accept the joy of the angels, O holy one, and, standing before thy Creator, pray for us who magnify thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou hast now received blessed repose, O most glorious one. Cease thou never to pray that those who magnify thee may continually share in holy blessedness.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Virgin Theotokos, who after the word of the archangel hast given birth to thy Creator in a manner beyond all telling, entreat Him, that our souls be saved.
Troparion, in Tone IV: Today angels and men share a common joy. * Heaven and earth join together in splendid chorus for thy memorial, O holy one. * And we sinners earnestly cry aloud unto thee: * Pray thou to the Master on our behalf, * that from dangers and from visible and invisible foes, * He may deliver us ** who honor thine all-honored memory.
Saint Nίkander of Pskov was born on July 24, 1507 into a peasant family in the village of Videlebo in the land of Pskov. His parents were called Philip and Anastasia, and in Holy Baptism, he was named Nikon.
From childhood he dreamed of continuing the ascetical contests of his fellow villager, Saint Euphrósynos of the Spaso-Eleazar Monastery (May 15), who lived in the Pskov wilderness. The first of Nikon’s family to enter the Monastery was his older brother Arsenios. After the death of his father, the seventeen-year-old Nikon was able to convince his mother to dispose of her property and enter a convent, where she lived until her repose.
After visiting Pskov’s monasteries and venerating the relics of Saint Euphrósynos and his disciple Saint Savva of Krypetsk (August 28), Nikon was firmly convinced of his calling to the monastic life.
In order to be able to read the Word of God, Nikon went to work for a resident of Pskov, whose name was Philip. He rewarded Nikon’s diligence by sending him to study with an experienced teacher. Seeing the young man’s zeal, the Lord Himself guided him to the place of his podvig.1 While praying in one of the Pskov churches, he heard a voice from the altar commanding him to go to a place in the wilderness, which the Lord would show him through His servant Theodore. The peasant Theodore led him off to the Demyanka River, between Pskov and Porkhov. Afterward, both Philip and Theodore, who helped him attain his goal, would become monks as well. They were tonsured at Krypetsk Monastery with the names Philaret and Theodosios.
After several years of silence and strict asceticism, emaciating his flesh, Nikon went to the Monastery founded by Saint Savva of Krypetsk. The Igoumen, seeing his weakened body, would not agree to accept him right away, fearing that the difficulties of monastic life would be too much for him. Nikon bowed down before the tomb of Saint Savva, and spoke to him as if he were alive, entreating him to accept him into his Monastery. The Igoumen relented and tonsured Nikon with the name Nίkander.
Saint Nίkander endured many temptations and sorrows on his path of asceticism. Blessed Nicholas (February 28) while still at Pskov predicted Father Nίkander’s trials in the wilderness. Through the prayers of all the Pskov Saints, as well as those of Saint Alexander of Svir (August 30 and April 17), who appeared to him twice, guiding and strengthening him, Father Nίkander was able to avoid all the manifold snares of the Evil One, by the grace of God.
He overcame the weakness of his flesh, as well as human failings, and diabolical apparitions by the power of prayer. On one occasion he was almost killed by robbers, who stole the only and most precious property for an anchorite – books and icons. By the Saint’s prayers, two of them, frightened by the sudden death of their comrade, repented of their wicked deeds and the Elder forgave them.
Saint Nίkander did not remain very long at Krypetsk Monastery, and obtained a blessing to return to his own wilderness. Later, he came to live at Krypetsk Monastery again, where he fulfilled the obediences of ecclesiarch and cellarer. Then he went into the wilderness once more and lived there in fasting and prayer, meditating on the Word of God.
Once a year, during Great Lent, Saint Nίkander visited the Damianov Monastery, where he made his confession and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Eight years before his death, he was tonsured into the Great Schema. Many people began coming to him in order to benefit from his counsels, because according to Saint John of the Ladder: “Angels are a light for monks, and the monastic life is a light for all mankind” (Step 26:31). Thus, the faithful turned to Saint Nikander for help, for the Lord had bestowed many gifts of grace upon him.
This dweller in the wilderness took care of all the needs of the visitors and even built a guest house for them, for which he provided heat. The Saint did not permit himself to reveal his spiritual gifts. People sometimes heard him praying in his cell with bitter tears. When he was aware of people nearby, he prayed silently, concealing from them the gift of tears which he had received.
Until the end of his life, Saint Nίkander remained an anchorite in the wilderness, but he left instructions that after his repose, the place of his podvig would not be forsaken, promising his protection to those who would live in a future monastery. The Saint gave his final instructions to Deacon Peter of the Porkhov convent, charging him to build a church at his grave, and to transfer the icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos there from the Tishanka church cemetery.
He knew the day of his own death, predicting that he would die when enemies invaded the land, and he foretold this imminent assault. On September 24, 1581, during an invasion by the army of the Polish king Stephen Bathory, a certain peasant found Saint Nίkander dead. He lay on his bed with his hands crossed on his chest. The clergy and those who revered him came from Pskov, among whom was Deacon Peter, and they performed the service of Christian burial.
In 1584, at the place which Saint Nίkander sanctified by almost half a century of prayer, a monastery was established by a monk named Isaiah, and was known as the Annunciation – Nikandrov Hermitage. Father Isaiah had been healed of a foot ailment after praying to the Saint.
The glorification of Saint Nίkander Nikander took place under Patriarch Joachim in 1696, and festal celebrations were appointed for September 24, the day of his repose; on June 29, the uncovering of his holy relics during the reconstruction of the Monastery’s cathedral church; and on the Monastery’s temple Feast (the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos). Saint Nίkander is also commemorated on the third Sunday after Pentecost, the Synaxis of the Saints of Novgorod and Pskov (movable Feast).
Troparion, Tone 6: Thou hast become a luminary of unwaning light for our land, blessed by God, / and didst valiantly endure tribulations from the Enemy. / Thy beatings and wounds became for thee a garment of incorruption, / for thou didst fight the beasts, and wast wounded by robbers. / Thou didst pray for them, saying, / “Impute not this sin to them,” / thereby becoming like the Master, Christ. / O Father Nίkander, worthy of glory, pray for our souls.Kontakion, Tone 1: Christ hath shown thee as the dawning of the sun, O venerable one, / for thou shinest in the Russian land with the grace of miracles, / dispersing the darkness of suffering and sorrow for those who come to thee in faith. / Therefore, we honor thy memory, O Father Nίkander, and we cry out to thee: / “Rejoice, adornment of ascetics, the glory and strength of our land.”
Tomorrow, we will celebrate the feast of the Holy Wonderworkers, Peter and Febronia of Murom, cherished as exemplars and saintly-guardians of Christian marriage.
Their united lives of devotion and their example of righteousness and holiness impressed themselves upon the faithful, who recognised qualities to be emulated in Holy Matrimony, reminding us that the first duty of each Orthodox husband and wife is to nurture one another in Faith and to lead one another into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Though they completed their lives in monasticism, the miraculous movement of their relics to lie beside one another in their tombs remindsus of the equality of marriage with the angelic-life as a way of Christian-living and a path to holiness and salvation.
On the feast, we will pray for the faithful united in holy matrimony, with additional petitions in the Liturgy of Fervent Supplication and a prayer at the end of Liturgy.
The Canon to the Holy Wonderworkers, Prince Peter and Princess Febronia of Murom
Ode 1, 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, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
O God, grant that I may offer hymnody unto Peter, Who was pleasing unto Thee and glorified Thee on earth, that I may magnify Thee, the Giver of understanding, with hymns.
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
To your homeland hath Christ shown you to be like an all-radiant sun, illumining with miracles all who have recourse to you with faith.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having given no mind to the things of the body, hated earthly things as corruptible and renounced the world, ye have been vouchsafed the honour of the venerable. With them pray ye for the world.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O all-pure Ever-virgin Theotokos, who gavest birth in the body to the eternal Word of the unoriginate Father, unto Him do we now cry aloud: Let us chant unto our Deliverer and God!
Ode 3, Irmos: As we who are wise in God celebrate this divine and solemn feast of the Mother of God, come, let us clap our hands, with faith, glorifying Him Who was born from of her.
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
Be thou a helper for the helpless and merciful consolation for the grieving, O blessed Peter, that, delivered by your supplications, we may honour thee.
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
As thou didst once commit the serpent to utter destruction, slaying him, O thrice blessed one, so now vanquish those who make war upon thy homeland, that we may glorify thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Behold our despondency; behold our grief; behold the misfortune that the enemy bringeth upon us! Wherefore, change it by your prayer unto the Lord, O Peter, that we may piously honour thee.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thee have all of us Christians acquired as a refuge and bulwark, and thee do we unceasingly glorify, O thou who knewest not wedlock.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional hymn of the Saints: Tone 4: O ye faithful, let us hasten to the blessed and splendid solemnity /of Peter and Febronia as to the shining sun, /and let us unceasingly cry out: /Even though ye have passed from this earth, O all-glorious ones, /ye have not parted from us, /but stand with the angels before the Trinity, Whom do ye entreat, //that our souls be saved.
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.
We know the Word of the Father, Christ our God, wast incarnate of thee, O Virgin Mother of God, O only Pure and only blessed one. Wherefore, we unceasingly glorify thee.
Ode 4, Irmos: O Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I have considered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
As a mediator and helper of thy homeland, be thou as one who scattereth the adversary, as an ally of thy people, who glorify thee, O Peter.
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
As ye dwell in the mansions of heaven with the venerable and the righteous, O all-blessed Peter and Febronia, never cease to pray for thy people.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thee do we beseech, O all-blessed one: quell the uprisings of adversaries and ease the infirmities of men, that we may magnify thee with voices of praise.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Grant us cleansing from our transgressions, in that Thou art all-good, and bring peace to Thy world, O God, through the supplications of her who gave Thee birth.
Ode 5, Irmos: Illumine us O Lord with Thy commandments, * and with Thine arm raised on high * grant us Thy peace, * O Lover of mankind!
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
The ground that received your precious bodies hath been sanctified, O divinely blessed Peter and Febronia; and receiving healing through you, men glorify Christ Who hath glorified you with might.
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
Even though ye have passed from this earth, yet have ye attained unto the abodes of heaven, where ye stand with the angels before the Trinity, Whom do ye entreat, that those who honour you with love may be saved, O blessed ones.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having acquired you as all-radiant stars and a never-setting sun, your homeland boasteth, cherishing your all-honoured memory, O Peter and Febronia.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We hymn thee, who art virgin even after giving birth, O Theotokos; for, for us thou gavest birth in the flesh to God the Word, to Whom we all cry out thus: Make straight our paths, we pray Thee!
Ode 6, 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.
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
O all-honoured couple! O great luminaries! Sanctify and glorify those who with love glorify you in hymns, O wonderworkers.
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
As an all-radiant twain and an all-honoured summit and couple, who took up the yoke of the Lord, ye served Him with all your soul.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As good counsellors for your own way of life, possessing a single mind in two bodies, ye illumine the world with miracles; wherefore, illumine us also by your supplications.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The voices of the prophets make clear that thou art the Mother of God, O Virgin; and beholding the fulfilment of their honoured prophecies, we also hymn thee, who art truly the abode of virginity and purity.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion of the Saints, Tone 8: Pondering the transitory glory and governance of this world, /for this thou didst live piously in peace with the all-wise Febronia thy spouse, /O Peter, pleasing God with almsgiving and prayers. /Wherefore, lying inseparably in the tomb even after death, ye invisibly impart healing. //Pray ye now unto Christ, that He preserve your city and the people who glorify you.
Ikos: Make clear my tongue and pacify my heart; enlarge my mouth and fill it with the Spirit and wisdom, that therewith I may give utterance and chant thus to Thy wonderworkers: Rejoice with the all-praised Febronia, O blessed Peter! Rejoice, allies of the land of Russia and helpers of Orthodox princes! Rejoice, preservers of our homeland and confirmation of our city! O all-honoured twain and goodly couple, pray ye to Christ, that He preserve the city and people who glorify you!
Ode 7, Irmos: The Children of Judaea, * who of old came to dwell in Babylon, * trampled underfoot the flame of the furnace * through their faith in the Trinity, * as they sang: ‘O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.’
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
O all-blessed Peter and all-praised Febronia, deliver those who flee unto you amid sickness and who cry out unto Christ: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
Be ye a refuge for all and tranquility untouched by storms for those amid sins, that with you we also may cry out to Christ: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Be ye a refuge for me on the day of wrath, O divinely blessed ones, for I walk among many snares; wherefore, deliver me from them, that I may hymn you.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Drop, divinely flowing, that was born of thee, O Virgin Theotokos, hath sanctified the world. Pour forth upon me the drops of mercy that sanctify the souls and minds of those on earth.
Ode 8, Irmos: The King of heaven, * Who is glorified by the hosts of angels, * let us praise and supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
Wash away and forgive our offenses, O Sinless One, through the supplications of Peter and Febronia who pleased Thee, that we may hymn Thee, O Christ, forever.
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
Accept the praise offered thee offered thee with an unworthy hand from the depths of my heart, O blessed ones, and make entreaty in our behalf unto Christ God.
O Most Holy Trinity, our God, glory be to Thee.
Remit the offenses of the singers who hymn Thee, O all-holy Trinity, in that Thou art all good, through the supplications of Peter and Febronia, that we may hymn Thee forever.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
As thou art the vessel of divinity, O pure one, enlighten me, that I may walk in the commandments of the Light Who shone forth from thy womb and hath illumined the hearts of the faithful, O all-pure one.
Ode 9, 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.
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
Possessed of a conscience pure before God from your youth, ye therefore lived in piety and have passed over to the Most High. Entreat Christ God in our behalf, that we may honour you with love.
Holy, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, pray to God for us.
As ye stand before the Holy Trinity with the venerable and the righteous, O blessed ones, pray ye that He deliver us from wrath and every threat, that we may unceasingly magnify you.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thy people beseech thee, O Peter blessed of God: with the all-wise Febronia, with whom ye lived a God-pleasing life in the world, entreat Christ to deliver us from all evils.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O great wonder! How did Christ God, Whom naught can contain, make His abode in thy womb? Beseech Him on behalf of those who praise thee, O Virgin, that He ever deliver us from misfortunes and from iniquitous men.
Prayer to the Holy & Right-believing Prince Peter & Princess Fevronia
O great favourites of God and all-wondrous wonderworkers, right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Febronia, 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 of everlasting glory in eternal life. Yea, O holy wonderworkers, disdain not our prayer 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 worshiped in Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sacrificial living and dying: Baroness Natalia Modestovna von Fredericks (†1926), from Chapter 24 of ‘The Inextinguishable Lamp’, by Boris Shiryayev, New York 1954.
According to the strict rule of the Solovetsk Monastery, women were not allowed on the island. They could venerate the holy objects only from afar, from the tiny “Hare’s Island.” From the wharf it was only a little more than a verst, and its entire kremlin with its soaring cupolas could be seen as if on the palm of a hand.
The tradition was preserved. The island’s new master set Hare’s Island apart as a women’s “special” zone. Its denizens were primarily those who had sinned against the seventh commandment. The only man allowed, who was there in the capacity of a representative of the regime, was a seventy-year-old Jew. God knows how he came to occupy a managerial position in the Cheka. His transgressions, however, eventually exceeded the limit, and he had the good fortune to be exiled. His age and decrepitude placed him, like Caesar’s wife, above suspicion.
Women prisoners who were not guilty of any infractions there on Solovki, lived on the main island, but outside the kremlin, in a compound encompassed by three rows of barbed wire. From there they were taken to work under heavily armed escort to the laundry, the rope-making shop, the peat extraction works, or the brick factory. The laundry and rope-making were considered light work, but the brick factory – the molding and transporting of the raw clay – struck fear. The women stopped at nothing in order to avoid being assigned to the “bricks.” Few lasted more than two or three months at this arduous labor, which was beyond a woman’s physical capacity.
Life in the women’s barracks was more difficult than in the kremlin. Its residents, who were profoundly dissimilar in respect of spiritual make-up, cultural level, habits, and needs, were all mixed and pounded into one mass, without any possibility of separating into individual, homogeneous groups, as happened in the kremlin. The number of criminals far exceeded the number of political prisoners, and the former were united in lording it over the latter. Prostitutes, drug dealers, contrabandists. . ., and among them-aristocrats, officers’ wives, ladies-in-waiting.
Departure from the barracks was strictly controlled. Even to the theater, the women went under escort and sat there in a bloc, also under surveillance.
Women are considerably less adaptable than men to communal life, even under normal circumstances. Life in the women’s barracks was a hell, and thrown into this hell was a woman who had been a lady in waiting for three empresses. She was a sixty-five-year-old baroness whose family name was well known throughout all of Russia.
Dostoevsky spoke a great truth when he said, “Simple people who are sent to hard labor come into their own milieu, a milieu that is perhaps even more developed than their own. An educated person, who is subject to the same punishment, often loses incomparably more than the simple man. He must crush within himself all his needs, all his habits; he must enter a milieu that is for him inadequate; he must learn to breathe another kind of air… And often it happens that the same punishment that is meted out to everyone else is for him ten times more torturous. This is the truth…” (House of the Dead, p 68.)
It was precisely this greatly intensified punishment that this old lady bore, a lady whose only fault lay in being born into an aristocratic rather than a proletarian family.
If for Korablikha, the mistress of a criminals’ haunt in the port city of Kronstadt, the life of the women’s barracks and its atmosphere were the “usual,” what were they for a graduate of the Smolniy Institute, who belonged to the closest circles around the throne? How much harder for her was each year, each day, each hour of captivity?
It was a constant trial that never let up, neither day nor night. The GPU knew this, and sadistically separated the political prisoners among the various cells, so that no two of them were together. They could not do this with the men in the kremlin, but it was possible in the women’s zone. The baroness’s life in Saint Petersburg cultivated very few qualities that could mitigate her lot on Solovki. So it appeared. But it only appeared that way. In fact, the baroness lady-in-waiting carried away from it a genuine feeling for the human dignity and, inextricably bound to this, respect for the individual person; maximum, at times incredible, self-control; and a profound consciousness of personal duty.
When she turned up in the barracks, the baroness was given a worse than hostile reception. It was evoked by envy for her past. Women are unable to suppress this feeling, to curb it, and they give in to it completely. The weak, frail old lady was despised not for herself, for who she really was, but as a bearer of that illusion that fascinated and attracted to itself the dreams and fancies of her haters. Every movement of the elderly lady-in-waiting, every sound of her voice, reflected the past, its elegance, its refinement, its brightness. She could not conceal it, even had she so desired, but she did not desire to do so. She remained an aristocrat in the best and true meaning of the word. In the women’s barracks on Solovki, amid the stench of cursing and foul language, in the chaos of brawls, she was the same as she was observed to be in court. She did not remain aloof, she did not wall herself off from those around her; there was about her not a shadow of that haughtiness that is an invariable mark of false aristocrats. In becoming a prisoner, she acknowledged herself as being such, and accepted her lot as unavoidable, as a cross that she must bear without murmuring, without complaining, without pitying herself, without tears, without looking back.
As soon as she arrived, the baroness was, of course, assigned to “the bricks.” One can only imagine how difficult it was for her, already in the seventh decade of her life, to carry trays loaded with seventy-five pounds of clay. Her comrades at work taunted her gleefully:
“Baroness! Lady-in-Waiting! Hey, you’re no longer hauling around her majesty’s train. Get a taste of our kind of work!” Although few of them had really worked before coming to Solovki.
They did not take their eyes from her and greedily awaited groans, complaints, tears of weakness – but they waited in vain. Self-control and inner discipline, nurtured through the course of her life, saved the baroness from humiliation. Doubtless fatigued, she gave no sign of it, and labored to the end of the day, and in the evening, as always, prayed at length, standing on her knees before a small icon.
My good friend from my time on Solovki, the Kronstadt mistress Korablikha, a real Russian wench, gutsy and sharp-tongued, who nevertheless retained a sense of “compassion” in her heart, related to me later:
“As soon as she stood on her knees, Sonka Glazok began grumbling: ‘Take a load of this. She’s even put up her God. We’ve got a saint here.’ But Annusha retorted, ‘What’s it to you? Has she taken any of your stuff? Look, the lady is taking care of her soul!’ Sonka bit her tongue.”
The same was repeated in the days that followed. The baroness calmly and deliberately carried the raw bricks. Returning to the barracks, she carefully cleaned her dress, ate her bowl of fish slop in silence, prayed, and went to sleep on her neatly made plank bed. She did not join the elite circle of intelligentsia there in the women’s barracks, but neither did she hold herself aloof, just as she did not hold herself aloof from any of her fellow women prisoners. She spoke in the same way to Princess Shakhovskoy, who constantly peppered her speech with French phrases, as she did to Sonka Glazok, whose use of unprintable vulgarities was similarly constant. She spoke only in Russian, although the “elite” preferred French.
As the dismal Solovetsk days passed, the attacks against the baroness grew less and less frequent. It was evident that the “barbs” of the sharp-tongued women failed to reach their mark.
“This morning Manka Dlinnaya jumped on the baroness as she was at the wash sink,” Korablikha related to me that evening at rehearsal. “She swiped her brushes and her soap – You’re hogging the faucet! I gave her a good swat with a dirty rag. Why are you offending a godly old woman? What’s the matter, don’t you have enough water? What’s it to you if she’s trying to keep clean?”
Attitudes towards the former lady-in-waiting changed definitively when the cleaning woman for her barracks “came forward.” To “come forward” in Solovetsk slang meant to report that one was pregnant. It was a general rule that those who transgressed the regulation against sexual relations were sent to isolationist cells on Hare Island, even those who were up to seven or eight months pregnant. However, those who were closer to their due date were sent to Anzersk, where they gave birth and breastfed their infants in relatively tolerable conditions, where they were given just light work. Pregnancy, therefore, was carefully concealed, and was declared only then when one could, by-passing Hare’s Island, be sent directly to “the moms.”
The cleaning woman who had “come forward” had to be replaced. It was an old prison custom that this replacement was democratically chosen. The position required relatively light work: washing the floors, bringing in firewood, tending the stove. The women fought for the position.
“Who are we going to put?” asked Korablikha. She was the cell leader.
“The baroness!” yelled Sonka Glazok, unrestrained both in hate and in love.
“Who besides her? She’s the cleanest of any of us. There won’t be any unpleasantness…”
The argument had weight. For dirt or untidiness, the whole barracks was punished. And so the lady-in-waiting who had served three Russian empresses became the cleaning lady of a cell of thieves and prostitutes. This was a great “mercy” for her. It was obvious that “the bricks” were leading her towards the grave.
I myself never spoke to the baroness, but I attentively followed news of her through my acquaintances who worked in the theater: Korablikha and that same Sonka Glazok, who sang in the chorus.
In occupying a specific social position in the prison collective, the baroness not only ceased to be a foreigner, but she automatically acquired a certain authority, even power, corresponding to her “rank.” It seems that she began to draw near to the rest of the women in her cell when they began consulting her on the intricate mysteries of make-up, a subject that received the same studious attention in prison as it did at the court.
Later the conversations became more profound, more serious… And so… At the theater we were preparing to put on A. Tolstoy’s, The Empress’s Plot, an entertaining pot boiler that was playing at the time in all the theaters of the USSR. Armanov played Rasputin, and eagerly collected any information about him from those who had seen the enigmatic elder.
“That’s a bunch of lies. The empress never had an affair with him,” declared Sonka peremptorily. “She received him only because he prayed hard for the Heir… There weren’t nothing else between them. Our baroness was a witness, and she wouldn’t lie.”
Korablikha, who had received her political credo from among the Kronstadt sailors, illumined the matter from another angle:
“One peasant reached the Tsar and told him the truth. For this the bourgeoisie killed him. The Tsar had promised him that if the Heir should be healed, he would give the land to the peasants. That’s what happened!” The baroness’s growing spiritual influence was felt more and more strongly there in her cell. This great mystery of Man’s awakening took place without any compulsion, without any arguments or debates. She did and said what was necessary, just as she had done throughout her life. The strength of her influence on those around her lay precisely in the simplicity and total lack of moralizing in her words and actions.
Sonka continued to swear a blue streak in the company of men, but among women she became noticeably restrained, and her epithets lost their former insolence, turning into mere words, without which she was not always able to express her tempestuous emotions. On Passion Week, she, Korablikha, and two other women from the chorus prepared for Holy Communion and went to confession to the “comforting priest,” who was smuggled into the theater for that purpose. They partook of the Mysteries in a dark prop room, with Gifts brought in an ordinary soldier’s mug in the side pocket of a sailor’s jacket. Standing guard at the door was the prop-man, a Turk by the name of Reshad-Sedad, in the recent past a communist, a member of the People’s Commissariat and “enlightener” of Adzharistan. If they were found out, they would all be sent to Sekirka or Hare Island – if not worse.
A terrible epidemic of typhus broke out and a call was made for nurses or those who could do their job. The chief of the Sanitary Department, M. V. Feldman, did not want to be assigned to this potentially fatal work. She came to the women’s barracks and, gathering its residents, tried to persuade them to go voluntarily, promising them a wage and good rations. There were no takers. She tried appealing to their conscience, calling them to the aid of the dying. But her effusiveness was no more successful. Just then the elderly cleaning lady entered the cell with a load of firewood. Her head was wrapped in a scarf; outdoors there was a bitter frost. Stacking the wood by the stove, she only heard Feldman’s last words.
“So, no one wants to help the sick and dying?”
“I do,” came a voice from near the stove.
“You? Can you read?”
“I can.”
“And can you read a thermometer?”
“Yes. I worked for three years as a surgical nurse in the imperial infirmary.”
“What’s your name?”
The baroness gave her family name without mentioning her title.
“Baroness!” cried out Sonka, followed by several more women. Among them were none of the “elite,” in spite of their frequent talk of Christianity and of their religiosity.
The doors of the typhus barracks closed after the lady-in-waiting, a lady who had served three empresses. There were few survivors. The majority who entered the barracks did not leave it alive.
M. V. Feldman later related that the baroness was assigned as the head nurse but worked alongside those under her. They were short-handed. The work was hard. The sick lay side by side on the floor, and as the nurses changed the bedding, their hands would be covered by the putrid discharge. It was a frightful place.
The baroness worked day and night. She worked just as quietly and deliberately as she had carried bricks or washed the floor of the women’s barracks. With the same careful and deliberate manner in which she doubtless carried out her duties as a lady-in-waiting. This final act of service was not some impulsive outburst of selflessness but the result of a profound inner culture, not only imbibed together with her mother’s milk, but inherited from preceding generations. The time will come when genetics will reveal the great mystery of hereditary transmission.
Her sense of duty and profound personal discipline gave her the strength to carry on her work to the last hour, the last minute, her last breath… This hour struck when the fatal typhus showed up on the baroness’s hands and neck. M. V. Feldman noticed it.
“Baroness, go and find a bed for yourself in the special ward. Haven’t you noticed it yourself?”
“What for? You well know that at my age no one recovers from typhus. The Lord is calling me to Himself, but I can still serve Him another two or three days.”
They stood facing one another. The aristocrat and the communist. The virgin and the passionate, still unrepentant Magdalene. The believer and the atheist. Women from two different worlds.
The effusive, impulsive Feldman embraced and kissed the old lady. When she told me about this later, her eyes filled with tears.
“You know, I wanted to make the sign of the Cross over her, just as my old nanny used to cross me when I was a child. But I was afraid of offending her religious sensibilities. After all, I’m Jewish.”
The baroness drew her final breath a day later. During the morning rounds, she sat down on the floor, then she lay down. Shortly thereafter she was overtaken by delirium.
Sonka Glazok also never left the barracks of death. Their souls appeared together before the Throne of God.
Ode I, Irmos: Let us chant a hymn of victory unto the Lord, * Who of old guided the people in the midst of the sea, * and drowned Pharaoh and all his army therein, * for He hath been glorified.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Desiring to behold the fiery power of the miracles of Elias, his fiery and honoured tongue and strength of spirit, we have assembled as is meet.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
O God-bearer, our lips and the muteness and lack of skill of our tongue do thou open through the activity of the Spirit which is within thee, and illumine us, that we may hymn thy wonders.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou dost grant that which transcendeth nature unto those who have submitted to Thine honoured precepts, O Word, and Thou dost make the portals of the rain subject to them through the Spirit, confirming their word.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
To the Lord Who was born of the Virgin and Who hath renewed the world, and Who for her sake hath bestowed upon us divine life, we chant a hymn of victory, for He hath been glorified.
Canon II, the acrostic whereof is: “I sing praise to the great Elias,” the composition of Hieromonk Pachomius, 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.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou hast been shown to be an instrument struck by the divine plectrum, O most wondrous prophet, hymning the omniscient God Who doth visit retribution upon all according to their deeds.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
O wondrous prophet, unable to endure deception, thou didst denounce the unrighteous king for his iniquity. Wherefore, thou didst impose God’s judgment of condemnation, full of wrath, upon him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O divine Elias, prophet and forerunner of grace, having denounced Ahab, the iniquitous king, as a transgressor of the Law, thou didst destroy the shameful prophets as impious.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Ye faithful, let us make haste to praise in hymns as is meet the Mother of Christ, for she gaveth birth unto the Saviour of all, Who is the Master of life and death.
Ode III, Irmos: Thou hast established me on the rock of faith, * and my mouth hath been emboldened against mine enemies. * For my spirit rejoiceth when I sing: * There is none as holy as our God * and none more righteous than Thee, O Lord.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
He, that alone sustaineth every living thing by His good will, through a raven provided thee with a banquet as a chosen guest, O Prophet. To Him do we all cry aloud: Thou art our God, and there is none holy save Thee, O Lord!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Grace be to the Benefactor and Guardian Who, in His ineffable providence, nourished the widow and the prophet. To Him do we all cry out: Thou art our God, and none is holy save Thee, O Lord!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
O thou who didst forbid the rain-laden clouds to pour forth, when the widow of Zarephath was deprived of food, thou didst cause the remnant of her food to increase continually; and didst cry aloud: None is holy save Thee, O Lord!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Thou alone, surpassing all of ages past; hast been deemed worthy of great things transcending nature, for thou didst receive the infinite God of all creation within thy womb and gave Him flesh. Wherefore, we all honour thee as the Theotokos.
Another Irmos: O Lord, Creator of the vault of Heaven * and Builder of the Church, * do Thou strengthen me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, * O Support of the faithful, * O only Lover of mankind.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
With mercy dost thou chastise all, taking pity on all who with faith have recourse to thee in thy temple. And in asking help of thee they have in no wise sinned.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou didst denounce Ahab, the impious king, O divine prophet, and judge him with the judgment of God as a violator of the Law.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The shameless Queen Jezebel sought to slay thee, O most divine prophet, for thou didst pronounce the sentence of death upon her unholy priests, as was meet.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Lady, we hymn thee as a palace of the priesthood of glory and the altar which held Christ, the Bread of life, O pure one.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII: Ye faithful, with hymns let us all praise Elias the Tishbite, the wellspring of miracles and adornment of prophets; for, being immortal while yet in the flesh, as a mortal he assured us of the resurrection of the dead. Wherefore, having boldness before God, he granteth healing to those who ask with faith, and earnestly beseecheth Christ to bestow forgiveness of sins upon those who with love celebrate his holy memory. (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: From the snares of enemies visible and invisible, * we have been overcome by the storms of our uncountable sins, * and fleeing unto the safe harbour of thy goodness O pure one, * we have thee as our rampart and sure protection. * Wherefore we thy servants beseech thee * to ceaselessly make fervent supplication, O most pure one, * unto Him who seedlessly became incarnate from thee, * that those who worthily hymn thee ** may be granted the remission of their sins.
Ode IV, Irmos: I have heard report of Thy dispensation, O Lord, * and have glorified Thee * Who alone art the Lover of mankind.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou art shown to be one that cutteth down evil at its root and a planter of virtue, O wise prophet. Wherefore, we bless thee.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
With words the widow who fed thee upbraided thee for the death of her son, compelling thee to raise him from the dead.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou didst clearly signify the glory of the Trinity with thy threefold breathing, and didst hand back alive the child to his mother.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
How thou didst burn, aflame with divine fire and zeal, O prophet, denouncing the king who wrought iniquities!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O pure one, who without seed didst conceive God, we entreat thee ever to pray for thy servants.
Another Irmos: I have heard report of Thee O Lord, * and I was afraid, * for thy counsel is ineffable, * being the ever-existent God, * Thou didst come forth from the Virgin, * wherefore I hymn Thee: * glory to Thy condescension, O Christ, * glory to Thy power.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The Lord crowned thee a prophet, O most wise one, granting thee the grace to foretell things of the future as though they were of the present. Wherefore, beholding now the fulfilment of thy words, we bless thee ever with praises as a true prophet.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
As the soul of Thy prophet hath been most greatly adorned with humble-mindedness, O Christ God, so, aflame with zeal which surpasseth fire, he destroyed the shameful priests.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Reflecting like a mirror with thy countenance, the face of Christ before Whom thou dost stand, O most wondrous prophet; from whence do thou mercifully visit us, that with praises we may all bless thee as a prophet.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Having acquired thee as our hope and confirmation, an impregnable rampart of salvation, O all-hymned one, we are delivered from every evil circumstance.
Ode V, Irmos: O Lord, Bestower of light and Creator of the ages: * guide us in the light of Thy commandments, * for we know none other God than Thee.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The Law of thy fathers hath shown thee to be a true man of prayer, O Elias, a wonderworker who transformed the nature of the elements and utterly consumed the righteous sacrifice with water.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
As thou art a true minister of God, thou didst utterly put to shame the prophets of abominable ignominy, O venerable and all-blessed Elias, clearly marking the power of the Trinity.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Rendering priestly service through the word of grace, O Elias, thou didst slay the shameful priests with thy blameless hands, consumed with zeal as with fire.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
To thee who hast given birth unto Christ, the Creator of all, we cry aloud: Rejoice, O pure one! Rejoice, thou who hast shone forth the Light upon us! Rejoice, thou who didst contain the infinite God!
Another 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.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
O prophet Elias, whom the unwaning splendour of divine grace hath revealed: having diligently acquired a most divine mind, thou dost rouse the pious to song.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Who doth not marvel at thy divine zeal, O wondrous prophet? And who doth not hymn Christ Who hath given thee such great might?
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
With prophecy wast thou adorned by God, O Elias, thou most wondrous prophet; hence, having wholly united thyself to God, and denouncing deception, thou didst lead the Israelites to the knowledge of God.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Theotokos, who hast given birth to the never-setting Sun, enlighten me who am utterly darkened by the passions, and fill me with the divine light.
Ode VI, Irmos: The deep abyss of offenses hath surrounded me, O Lord, * but do Thou lead up my life from corruption, * as Thou didst the Prophet Jonah, O Lord.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
A pillar of piety and of a pure life, an instiller of purity, and an emulator of the angels wast thou, O wondrous God-bearer Elias.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The wrath of the prophet-slaying woman, having frightened thee who had received the power to bind and loose the flow of the rains, O wondrous Elias, caused thee to flee.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Having knelt down, thou didst raise on high the supremely exalted eye of thy mind, and by thine eminent entreaty didst cause the rains to be loosed; and with showers, watered the furrows of the earth.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
The bush on Sinai, which drew nigh to the Fire without being consumed, prefigured thee, the Ever-virgin Mother, O all-hymned Theotokos Mary.
Another Irmos: Cleanse me, O Saviour, * for many are mine iniquities; * lead me up from the abyss of evils I pray Thee, * for unto Thee have I cried, * and Thou hast hearkened unto me, * O God of my salvation.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
A hymn of supplication do thou offer unto God, O most honoured prophet, on behalf of all who have recourse to thy divine temple, that we may honour thee as a great helper.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The mortal mind doth not suffice to praise thy life as is meet, O prophet; for, beholding the transfiguration of Christ, thou wast exalted far above the noetic ranks.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
He who is the Lord and Creator of all hath appeared to us in accordance with thy prophecy, O blessed Elias, calling all to the knowledge of Him, for He is the Lover of mankind.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Mary, pure vessel of virginity: cleanse thou my mind of the gloom of the passions, and fill my heart with righteousness, O all-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, Tone II: O prophet, foreseer of the mighty works of our God, * Elias of great renown, * who by thy voice didst restrain the cloud of rain: * on our behalf entreat thou Him ** who alone is the Lover of mankind.
Ikos: Beholding the great iniquity of mankind and the great love of God for them, the prophet Elias was troubled and grew wroth; and he addressed pitiless words to the Merciful One, crying aloud: Be Thou angered against those who deny Thee, O righteous Judge! But he could not move the compassion of the Good One to torment those who deny Him, for He who alone is the Lover of mankind doth ever await the repentance of all.
Ode VII, Irmos: The bush which burned with fire on the mountain * and the dew-bearing furnace of the Chaldeans * clearly prefigured thee, O Bride of God; * for, without being consumed, * thou didst receive the divine and immaterial Fire * within thy material womb. * Wherefore, we chant unto Him Who was born of thee: * O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Most gloriously vested with divine and formidable power, thou didst undertake a long journey, having eaten of food that sufficed thee for forty days, O wondrous Elias. Wherefore, thou didst say on Horeb: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The mild and gentle breeze showed the Lord to thee, O Elias, who wast zealous for God Almighty: not the wind of the tempest, nor the earthquake, nor yet the fearsome fire. Wherefore, to meek Jesus thou didst chant: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Like the great Moses, thou wast deemed worthy of the vision of God and prophecy, O wondrous Elias, anointing prophets and kings with the Spirit. And having borne witness to the glory of Christ on Tabor, thou didst chant: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
In times past thou didst supra-naturally and without seed give birth in the flesh to the beginningless and pre-eternal Lord, the Son, Power and Wisdom of the Father, O most pure one, unto the renovation of mortals. Wherefore, we cry out to Him who was born of thee: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Another Irmos: The Children of Judaea, * who of old came to dwell in Babylon, * trampled underfoot the flame of the furnace * through their faith in the Trinity, * as they sang: ‘O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.’
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The people of Israel that came to thee with a captain of fifty thou didst utterly consume with fire from heaven as unworthy, O divine Elias.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou wast a most divine prophet who wast rightly illumined with the vision of God, O most honoured Elias; and didst straightway put an end to the sacrifices made to Baal.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Inasmuch as the most holy Spirit gave thee the gift to prophesy, O most honoured prophet Elias, thou didst foretell the coming of the Son of God and didst not sin, O all-blessed one. To Him do we chant: ‘O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Truly, as was meet, the poison of death was poured forth through the judgment of God and the hand of the prophet upon the shameful priests that ate unrighteously at the table of Jezebel.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Mother of God, save me who am held fast by the abyss of sins, and rescue me from all the malice of the foe, that, saved by thee, I may magnify thine aid.
Ode VIII, Irmos: The relentless fire, fed with endless fuel, * drew back in fear before the pious Children, * pure in body and in soul; * and as the flame waned in strength, * they sang an everlasting song: * O all ye works, praise ye the Lord * and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Well did Ahab find the just destruction of his house, through the prophet’s condemnation, to be the dread retribution for his vile commission of murder. And with fiery mind the Tishbite chanted a hymn unto the Bestower of life: All ye works of the Lord, hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Fire rained down from heaven for thee, O Elias, twice consuming captains of fifty, in that thou art God’s chosen minister; for to Him who controlleth everlasting life didst thou in a godly manner hymn: All ye works of the Lord, hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
On Tabor Christ showed thee to be an initiate of the mystery of His divine incarnation, as thou wast an instiller of purity and a most divine offshoot of virginity, showing the unapproachable light of the Godhead in His Body to thee who dost cry aloud: All ye works of the Lord, hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Most rich was the womb of the Mother of God; for, having received the Word in the coarseness of the flesh and wrought therefrom an earthly form according to His hypostasis, it was shown to be the city of God wherein the Most High was well-pleased to dwell. To Him do we chant: All ye works of the Lord, hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Another Irmos: The King of heaven, * Who is glorified by the hosts of angels, * let us praise and supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
He who, as God, knoweth all things, entrusted to thee, O Elias, in that thou art faithful, the knowledge of things to come and of things that shall come to pass; and He showed thee things which are afar off as though they were near.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Having strengthened thy mind with pious boldness, O blessed prophet, thou dost foretell those things that are far off as though they were near, O most honoured prophet.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having cleansed thy mind of all defilement, O divine prophet, thou didst become completely holy, guiding all to the divine Light.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Word, to Whom thou didst give birth indescribably, do thou entreat on behalf of those who faithfully honour thee, O pure Birthgiver of God.
Ode IX, Irmos: Thee do we magnify, O blessed and most pure Theotokos, * who through thy virginal womb ineffably brought forth * God incarnate, * the Luminary Who shone forth before the sun * and hath come to us in the flesh.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Having lived on earth the course which man cannot change, and crossed the Jordan’s stream by means of his mantle, the Tishbite, that air-borne charioteer, made a strange and heaven-traversing journey in the Spirit.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The Tishbite, aflame with the zeal of piety, was taken up on a fiery chariot; and he let drop his mantle; and Eliseus, robed therein, received divine grace which could not be concealed.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
The Tishbite and Moses the God-seer beheld in a revelation on Tabor what eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, and what hath not entered into the hearts of earth-born men: the Lord Almighty, incarnate.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
O Theotokos, we magnify thee, who removed the severe condemnation which was of old the correction of our first mother, and who art ever the reconciliation of our race to God, thou bridge to the Creator.
Another 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.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou hast been deified by the immaterial splendour of the life-creating Trinity, O prophet Elias; wherefore, we all appoint thee as an intercessor to God for the world, O blessed one.
Holy and glorious Prophet, Elias, pray to God for us.
Thou wast known as an angel on earth, O divine prophet, and in heaven as a man of God; for the Lord Himself said: Because thou art an austere man, O Elias, thou canst not endure iniquitous Israel. Come thou up to Me, that I may come down!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst live on earth as one of the bodiless ones, O divine prophet, and now, borne up to heaven, thou dost join chorus with the angelic choirs. From on high watch over us who hymn thee, O blessed one.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou didst bear in thine arms God Who beareth all things, and thou hast fed the Nourisher Who became like unto us, O pure one. Him do thou beseech, that He grant to thy people deliverance from all oppressors.
Troparion, Tone IV: The angel in the flesh, and foundation of the prophets, * the second forerunner of the Coming of Christ, * the glorious Elias from on High * sent down grace upon Eliseus * to dispel infirmities and to cleanse lepers. * Wherefore, he poureth forth healings ** upon those who honour him.
Holy Martyr, Varus, pray to God for us.
“On 1 November, the Church commemorates Saint Martyr Varus of Egypt. His life teaches us the power of unwavering faith. With it, we can withstand the gravest sorrows. He shows that our life in this world is only a fleeting moment of transition to eternity and that worldly honours and comforts are worthless compared to our everlasting salvation.
At the time of the canonisation in 1964, the Church Abroad was the only free part of the Russian Church, with its prophetic voice championing the plight of the martyric suffering of the faithful in the Soviet Union, whilst the Bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate fervently denied the persecution of the Church, especially before western commentators, despite the renewed, savage attacks on the Church under Krushchev, who had died only weeks earlier.
Their united lives of devotion and their example of righteousness and holiness impressed themselves upon the faithful, who recognised qualities to be emulated in Holy Matrimony, reminding us that the first duty of each Orthodox husband and wife is to nurture one another in Faith and to lead one another into the Kingdom of Heaven.