Despite fierce weather, flooded roads, viruses, colds and various ailments, yesterday saw the core of the parish gather for the celebration the feast of the Holy Great-Martyr Menas, whose icon is here before me on my travels.
We would do well to turn to him in prayer in our present trials, having received the blessing of Father Mark’s diaconal ordination on this feast (Many years to Father!), and we were originally offered use of St John’s after a week of prayers to the Wonderworker.
Holy Great-Martyr, Menas, pray to God for us and for our community!
It was good to have Hierodeacon Avraamy back with us, after the virus that kept him away for several weeks, though we missed those who were unable to be with us, due to weather and road conditions.
As we look to Nativity Fast, we should consider prayers and readings to focus us during the forty days, and I will touch upon this during this evening’s last 2024 “end-of-month visit” to the Wessex parishioners, after which I will share reflections and thoughts on our WhatsApp page.
As we fast and pray, simplifying and limiting the food we consume, we should all endeavour to devote time to spiritual reading and increase our prayers during the season, so that spiritual nourishment fortifies us and renews us.
As we approach the Fast, we need to remind ourselves that the Church calls us ALL to fast as a basic practice of the Christian life, and to do so is obedience to he Law of God, and the Calling of the Holy Spirit in the living, sacred Tradition of the Church.
We are not called to fast for a token week, then ignore the fast until the week before Christmas and then resume is. This is a disingenuous insult to Christ, Whose obedience to the Father – even to the death of the Cross – is realised in His Incarnation to redeem us and raise us up to heaven..
Our basic diet is free of meat, fish, seafood, dairy, alcohol and eggs – unless fish and wine are permitted according to the typikon, and this week’s fasting regulations are:
Thursday 28 November: Wine and oil permitted.
Friday 29 November: Food without oil.
Saturday 30 November: Fish, wine and oil permitted.
Sunday 1 December: Fish, wine and oil permitted.
On Thursday, the first day of the Fast, an Advent moleben will be chanted in the Oratory Church at 15:00 and I will be available for confessions after the service, as well as in the evening, and on Friday the akathist to the Precious and Life-Giving Cross will be chanted at the same time, with the possibility of confessing before and after prayers.
As announced in church and in previous newsletters, this year’s St Herman Calendar is dedicated to the Saints of Wales, and will cost around £10. We will be ordering soon and to avoid excess copies would ask for requests from those who wish to purchase them. This is excellent resource contains lives of saints, as well as an explanation of Orthodox fasting.
As you know, the last month has been one of funerals and memorials, and I ask you to remember the soul of Nikola, whose funeral and burial were on Friday, as well as the newly departed matushka Annemieke and Olga, and – of course – Archbishop Peter of Chicago.
Please pray for Ambrose and Piran in their search for work, with St Xenia being our trusted helper in finding employment, and for Masha and husband, Neil, as they travel to Egypt.
We magnify thee, O all-holy Virgin, divinely elect Maiden, and we honour thy holy image, whereby thou pourest forth healings upon all who have recourse to it.
What a momentous few days it has been, with the great blessing of the Hawaiian-Iveron myrrh-streaming icon of the Mother of God to Cardiff and Chippenham: days of much travelling and little sleep, but immeasurable joy for those involved.
The icon’s late arrival in Cardiff was due to the throngs of the faithful – four hundred people or more – who flocked to Lazarica, to pray and venerate the Icon in Bournville.
Though the lateness in Cardiff was a challenge, knowing that so many had been able to gather to honour the Mother of God in St Lazar’s was a great joy. We pray for the blessing and grace of the Mother of God to pour forth upon Father Nenad, the Serbian Orthodox parish faithful, and the constant flow of pilgrims who make their way to Lazarica to venerate the Hilandarska-Trojerucica Icon.
The Icon did not arrive in Cardiff until 19:30, and in the vastness of the Oratory Church, it was difficult to ascertain the numbers of pilgrims until the veneration, when we realised that there were several hundred faithful gathered to pray and receive the blessing of the Mother of God. We were pleased to have Father Sorin with us, and to welcome Father Youhanis, the Coptic priest from Risca.
It was lovely to see that the Mother of God was greeted and honoured with so many flowers, and their remaining presence in the Oratory Church now is a testimony to the love of the faithful for the Theotokos.
Though the myrrh was less abundant than the following morning, people commented that it could be smelled in the street outside and the environs of the Oratory Church. I look forward to the offering of the “Rule of the Mother of God” / «Богородичное правило» in St Alban’s this afternoon, as a sort of “after-feast” for the icon’s visit.
Wednesday started with the Icon visiting our senior sister’s house, where the clergy had breakfast, before a brief visit to Chippenham, and during the course of the meal the Icon streanmed much myrrh, which soaked the cloth beneath it, so that we were able to soak it up with our prayer ropes and lots of cotton wool. The fragrance greeted us, when we finally arrived back in Cardiff and sat down for supper in the late evening.
It was a short, but welcome visit that brought the blessing of the Mother of God to Chippenham, where Father Nectarios chanted a moleben, before the faithful venerated the icon and were anointed with myrrh.
We were blessed to have a group of young people with us, and after the departure of the icon, the day was treated as a feast day with a meal and afternoon of conversation. I was pleased to hear that after we departed, the day continued in Chippenham with the chanting of the akathist.Immense thanks to those who chanted, served, cooked, cleaned brought vast amounts of flowers and submitted names for commemoration, which we will continue to commemorate the names submitted in prayers to the Mother of God this week, and to all who came to honour the Mother of God.
Our gratitude must especially be directed to the Oratorians, especially to Brother Francis Xavier, who stayed up very late, as we did not lock up and leave St Alban’s until after midnight. May the blessing of the Mother of God give him and his brethren strength.
Our hope and prayer is that the visit of the icon of the Mother of God will bring strength, help and consolation to all who came to honour the Queen of Heaven, and that whether their prayers are answered or not, their Faith is fortified and love for her increased!
O most glorious Lady, Queen of heaven and earth, Virgin Theotokos! Falling down now before thy precious icon, with compunction in our hearts we give voice to this, our meager entreaty; for we are unprofitable servants who deserve condemnation, yet hope to find mercy through thine almighty mediation before the Judge. We believe and trust, O Mistress, that thy Son, Who desireth not death of sinners, will hearken to thy mediation, and have now been informed of this by the wondrous sign of myrrh streaming from thy holy icon, from whence thou hast poured forth healings in abundance upon all who with love and faith have recourse unto thee. Wherefore, we cry out to thee with tears: Have pity on our wretchedness, forgive us our unfaithfulness, break thou the arrogance of our pride, dispel the numbness of our hardened hearts, regard the sighing of those beset by despondency, and make us chaste by the expectation of future reward. And grant, O Lady, that our Church may stand unshakably in the Truth and a goodly increase in love. Protect us from all the wiles of the demons and the vain beliefs of the heretics, and gather the scattered faithful together, that all who glorify thee in Orthodox manner on earth may also be vouchsafed to glorify with song in the heavens the most worshipful name of the Holy Trinity and thy merciful aid to us, unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Despite the current pressures on us, it was good to see so many in St John’s today, including our returned Athonite pilgrims, and plenty of young people.
Many thanks to our faithful for making today work, despite the pressures upon our Sunday routine after the recent meeting between our parish officers and the representatives of St John’s.
When we first came to St John’s we were given great support by Mother Frances, especially in the light of our own support for refugees, and the goodwill and concern for the wellbeing for our community was massively appreciated. There was great stress on St John’s as a place of security and refuge where people could feel safe and welcome. Sadly, times change.
We are very sad that our relationship with St John’s now seems to simply be a hire agreement, but that is the new reality that we need to face and embrace in order to adapt our Sundays and make the most of the time we have together.
Given that we are now paying the full rental rate – with no discount for a small parish with limited funds, and with no allowance even for cleaning time after feeding people who are making up to 160 mile round journeys – we will be raising the issue of worshipping in a cold building in which we could see our own breath by the time the parish committee sat down for its post-Liturgy meeting. I and my brother priest do not usually feel the cold, but most certainly did today after having taken our vestments off, despite wearing cassocks.
Despite entering the building later and having to unfortunately end trapeza earlier, the day worked as well as could be expected, though we greatly regret the lack of thanksgiving prayers and the squeeze on social time for those coming together from such a wide area.
We had intended to add a short litia to the Mother of God and St John the Wonderworker, as a weekly petition for God’s help in our situation, but today’s changes plus a committee meeting rendered this impossible. We will, however, do so in the coming weeks, and I will post prayers for the parish in its present adversities on our WhatsApp group. Please offer prayers in your homes and actively ask for God’s help and guidance.
As you saw today, a copy of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Hodegetria (She Who Shows the Way) of the Church Abroad, was placed with the icon of St John the Wonderworker on the left of the solea in Liturgy, and I would ask those who are able to pray the akathists in honour of the Kursk Root icon, and to St John for the protection and well-being of our parish, and for the Lord and the Mother of God to show us the way forward in our present adversity.
We certainly had a beautiful array of flowers in church, with parishioners bringing autumn garden flowers, in addition to those from the celebration of the feast of the Uncovering of the Relics of St John the Wonderworker in Warminster, yesterday, and other vases of blooms. Thanks to all who brought colour and beauty to St John’s with their floral offerings for the glory of God.
For those who are unclear about our Warminster celebrations, which happen on the second Saturday of each month, our Liturgies are simply an outreach to Cardiff parishioners who live on the English side of the Severn, but regularly journey to Cardiff, often by the car-load, in order to enable as many people as possible to attend the Divine Liturgy. Vladika blessed this outreach just after the lockdown period, when visitors asked about serving those without a parish in Wessex, and who subsequently became regular and supportive members of our Cardiff community.
Whilst we refer to Warminster as a mission, it is essentially a local gathering of Cardiff parishioners for worship and prayer in their own locality, and who not only support one another in their Faith, but wish to share it with others who may have never encountered our Orthodox Church before, or are unable to travel great distances to be physically part of our community in Cardiff.
Activities in Warminster are financially self-supporting, incurring no cost from the Cardiff budget even though our Wessex Cardiff parishioners make a considerable contribution to it.
We look forward to our next Liturgy on Saturday 9th November, when we shall celebrate both the Great-Martyr Demetrios the Myrrh-Gusher and his companion the Martyr Nestor.
Some of our South Wales Cardiff parishioners have visited their brothers and sisters in Wessex, who would love to welcome you if you are able to make the journey to the Chapel of St Lawrence, in Warminster.
After a busy week, I hope to have a quiet day tomorrow before a a busy seven days, which will see me in Cardiff and Cheltenham, with services at 15:00 in the Oratory Church this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I will be available for confession after each service and before Wednesday’s and Thursday’s services by request.
Next Saturday will see Father Mark the Younger and I fulfil the obedience (received from our late Metropolitan Hilarion) to serve Cheltenham, with the Hours and Divine Liturgy at 10:30 in Prestbury United Reformed Church.
As we are unable to celebrate the feast of the Protecting Veil – Pokrov – with a Liturgy tomorrow, we will honour the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in Cheltenham..
The last Saturday of the month, 26th October, will see our pilgrimage to St Lazar’s in Bournville, and if we are to try and arrange transport, we need to know of potential drivers and free seats in cars asap. Please let me or Mary (Tracy) know, including the number of pilgrims you could accommodate in any free seats.
Last Monday, Mary and I planned the pilgrimage list for the next year, and will be seeking permissions for services.
After Mother Melangell shared news of the repose of Mother Joanna in Cambridge, whose funeral will be celebrated tomorrow, Alexander asked for prayers for the newly departed Benjamin, formerly of the same parish, so we add their names to the newly departed we have been commemorating: Archimandrite Germogen, Milica, Nikolai, Halyna, Jovana, Lydia and Natalia.
May the Lord grant eternal repose to the souls of His newly departed servants , the nun Joanna and Benjamin, and may their memory be eternal!
I hope that next Sunday will work even better than today, and hope that everyone will help in church, whether before or after services and trapeza. Please do not wait for someone to clean up and tidy up after you.
Please pray fervently for our parish in the week ahead, especially on tomorrow’s feast of the Protecting Veil.
Canon I, the composition of John the Monk, in Tone VIII
Ode I, Irmos: Having traversed the water as though it were dry land, and escaped the evil of Egypt, the Israelite cried aloud: Let us chant unto our Deliverer and God!
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Let us hymn the sacred forerunner, the prophet who appeared from the womb of a barren woman unto Him Who ineffably is borne in the Virgin’s womb.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Having transcended the boundaries of nature, thou didst preserve the laws of righteousness, denouncing an iniquitous union, undaunted by the king’s cruelty.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Nurtured by the law as with milk, thou didst oppose the vile adultery, sealing the legitimacy of lawful union like a seal of the law.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The ranks of angels and men praise thee unceasingly, O Mother unwedded; for thou didst bear the Creator in thine arms as a babe.
Canon II, the composition of Andrew of Crete, in the same tone
Irmos:Let us chant unto Christ, Who overthrew the tyranny of Pharaoh in the sea, and led Israel over to dry land, for He hath been glorified forever.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
The beauteous lamb of the wilderness, the fruit of Zachariah, and the scion which Elizabeth bore beyond hope, commandeth the faithful to celebrate his honoured memory beforehand.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
O birthday full of blood! O abominable feast! For Herod mingled drunkenness with slaying, and his table was full of vile murder.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O ye faithful, let us hymn the Baptist who denounced iniquitous Herod and endured decapitation, slain for his zeal for God.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou gavest birth to the infinite Word of God, Who made His abode within thee, O pure Theotokos, and ineffably became incarnate of thee in twofold nature, as thine only Son.
Ode III, Irmos: O Lord, Fashioner of the vault of heaven and Creator of the Church: establish me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, confirmation of the faithful, Who alone lovest mankind.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
As mediator standing between the old and the new covenant of the Gospel preachings, thou didst denounce the iniquitous union of the tyrant, and, rejoicing, didst accept a glorious death.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Instructed beforehand by her iniquitous mother, the girl said unto Herod, who was befuddled with drunkenness: “Give me the head of John on a platter, that I may present to my mother the gift she desireth!”
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
The shameless tyrant, unable to endure the reproof of thy God-bearing tongue, O glorious prophet, gave thy precious martyr’s head to the girl as a reward for her dancing.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Having made thy bodily abode within the Virgin, O Lord, Thou didst appear unto men, in that it was fitting that they behold Thee. Her didst Thou show to be the true Theotokos and the help of the faithful, O thou Who alone lovest mankind.
Irmos:None is as holy as the Lord, and none is as righteous as our God, Whom all creation doth hymn, singing: None is righteous save Thee, O Lord!
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
“None greater than John hath arisen among those born of women!” cried Christ the Truth; for in the womb the created being recognised the One Who had created him, and proclaimed Him with his mother’s voice.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Having first pointed to the Lamb with his finger, he next denounced Herod with his tongue, and, lastly, poureth forth miracles upon us through his head, as from a created vessel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thy nativity was glorious, thy life blameless, and thy departure honourable, O Baptiser of Christ. Thy pointing to Christ was awesome, thy death was precious, and thy burial full of glory.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
As God, O Only-begotten One, thou didst abase Thyself, that Thou mayest save those whom Thou hadst created, for whose sake Thou didst become man, incarnate of the Virgin; and transforming my whole nature, Thou hast brought it to Thy Father.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII, Spec. Mel. “Of the Wisdom…”: Having shone forth by the judgment of God from a barren woman, and loosed the bonds on the tongue of thy father, thou didst show forth the Sun Who illumineth thee as the morning-star, and to the people in the wilderness didst proclaim the Creator, the Lamb Who taketh away the sins of the world. Wherefore, thou didst denounce the king with zeal, O ever-memorable and most lauded John, and thine all-glorious head was cut off. Pray thou to Christ God, that He grant remission of offences unto those who with love celebrate thy 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: All of us, the generations of men, call thee blessed, who, as a Virgin, alone among women, gavest birth without seed to God in the flesh; for the fire of the Godhead made its abode within thee, and thou didst nourish the Creator and Lord with milk as a babe. Wherefore, we, the generation of angels and men, glorify thine all-holy nativity as is meet and together cry out to thee: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of offences unto those who with faith worship thine all-holy birthgiving.
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 and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
He who was unable to endure the censure of boldness and the forthrightness of piety, who incurred the retribution of the law, who was depraved by vile pleasures, having bound him who is enrolled immaterially in the heavenly choirs before the end, placed him under guard.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
The wretched voluptuary, sick with spiritually harmful drunkenness and the burning of fornication, having been bound by the dancing of a girl’s feet, became the murderer of the prophet; for he conceived drunkenness, the mother of fornication, and begat grievous iniquity.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Of a truth, in thee the divine voice did not prove false; for thou art the greatest among the prophets, in that thou wast vouchsafed to prophesy from thy mother’s womb, as a fœtus not fully formed, and seeing God the Word Whom thou hadst prophesied, thou didst baptize Him in the body.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thou art the boast of the faithful, O thou who knewest not wedlock; thou art the intercessor and refuge of Christians, their bulwark and haven. For thou bearest entreaties to thy Son, O most immaculate one, and savest from misfortunes those who with faith and love know thee to be the pure Theotokos.
Irmos: O Word, with divine vision the prophet perceived Thee Who wast to become incarnate of the Theotokos alone, the mountain overshadowed; and with fear he glorified Thy power.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Thou didst make clear to us the kingdom of Christ, didst show the people the paths of repentance, and didst denounce the iniquitous Herod, O wise John, thou great preacher.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Unable to bear reproof, Herod was overcome with wrath, jealousy and bitterness, O Baptist; and he marked the day of his birth by cutting off thy head, O preacher of Christ.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Be glad, O Baptist, that thy soul may make merry; for here thou didst denounce the ungodly Herod, while in hades thou didst preach to the souls, saying: “Our salvation draweth nigh!”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The earth marvelleth at thy life, O John; heaven proclaimeth thine unjust murder; and the Church, chanting, declareth the multitude of thy virtues.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Born of the immaculate Virgin Mother, O Thou Who hast put on my whole nature save for sin, Thou didst preserve her pure even after she gave birth.
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 and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Inspired by the enmity of her mother, the yet more savage offspring of a savage lioness demanded as the price of her foul demonic dancing the head of the forerunner and herald, which the wild beasts themselves reverenced in the wilderness.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
O Thine ineffable and unapproachable judgments, O Thou Who lovest mankind! For the vile girl won with her dancing him who, while yet in his mother’s womb, was a receptacle of the Holy Spirit, and grew in chastity and purity.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
When he who with love and ardor preferred his intercourse with iniquity, he permitted the murder of the prophet to be added to his birthday drinking and with love of pleasure mingled a cup full of the holy blood of the prophet.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Possessing maternal boldness before thy Son, O all-pure one, disdain not thought of kinship with us, we pray, for thee alone do Christians set before the Master as a merciful cleansing.
Irmos:O Lord Who by divine knowledge brought the ends of the earth into the light out of the night of ignorance, enlighten me with the dawning of Thy love for mankind.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
The forerunner, the lamb of the wilderness and treasure of the whole world, prepareth a spiritual banquet for us today.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
O John, thou didst denounce Herod, the cruel lover of Herodias, the slave of lust and violator of the laws.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Herodias danceth, and John is bound and slain. O the drunkenness of Herod! O the mindlessness of his soul!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Rejoice, O pure one, thou divine mountain from whence the Stone was quarried without aid of men’s hands, thou mountain of curds which provided God the Word with a body!
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 and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Bringing tribulation upon thyself for the commandments of the law, O blessed one, with reproofs thou didst chastise the one who was committing iniquity; for thou wast not a reed shaken by the winds of the enemy.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Thy head, dripping with the blood of thy slaughter, was offered as a prize for a lustful display, but continued to denounce Herod as one who committed incest, even after thine end.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Clad in camels’ hair while in the wilderness, thou didst live as splendidly as a king therein; and bearing royal adornment therein, thou didst gain dominion over the passions.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
May we be delivered from grievous transgressions through thy supplications, O pure Theotokos, and may we receive divine radiance from the Son of God Who was ineffably incarnate of thee, O all-pure one.
Irmos: As Thou didst deliver the prophet from the uttermost abyss, O Christ God, in that Thou lovest mankind deliver me from my sins, and direct my life, I beseech Thee.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Honouring the decapitation of thine honoured and most praised head, O forerunner of Christ, we glorify thine ever-laudable and universal memory, O all-blessed one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O the vile feast! O the bitter birthday! O the drunkenness of the abominable and iniquitous Herod! For he was held fast by iniquity and, reviled, he was persuaded to slay the prophet.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The new Egyptian woman, dancing wantonly in the midst of the feast, asked for the head which had denounced her mother, the paramour of Herod.The Son of the Virgin is now shown to have first been the Son of the Father, Who is not understood to be different in any fashion from the visible Son; and He hath remained One, perfect in both His natures.
Kontakion, Tone V: The glorious beheading of the forerunner was part of God’s dispensation, that he might proclaim to those in hades the coming of the Saviour. Let Herodias, who demanded the iniquitous murder, therefore lament; for she loved not the law of God nor the age of life, but rather this false and transitory one.
Ikos:The birthday of Herod was shown to all to be unholy when, into the midst of those who feasted, the head of the faster was borne as though it were food. Joy was joined to grief and laughter transformed into bitter lamentation. For, bearing the head of the Baptist on a platter, the girl entered in among them all, as she said. And because of Herod’s oath lamentation fell upon all who reclined there with the king. She did not gladden them, nor even Herod himself. For he said: They sorrowed not with true grief, but with that which is feigned and transitory.
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 and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Armed with lustful desire and grievous drunkenness, striking against the Baptiser of Christ, the immovable tower of abstinence and indestructible city of chastity, the iniquitous Herod was shattered.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Her mind beguiled by the suasions of her mother, she who was the pupil of the devil was neither afraid nor ashamed, nor in anywise reluctant to bear thy precious head shamelessly on a platter.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Sent forth like an angel, thou didst shine forth like a beacon; as a prophet thou didst preach Christ Who appeared as the Lamb of God; and as a martyr thou wast beheaded, proclaiming Him to the dead in hades.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Delivered from the ancient fall and condemnation by thy birthgiving, O Virgin Mother, we ever glorify thee as the manifest cause of our liberation, with thy Son Who gave Himself as deliverance for us.
Irmos:O Lord God of our fathers, Who in the beginning founded the earth and established the heavens by Thy word: blessed art Thou forever!
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Preaching the law of God, John was not afraid to teach the impious and iniquitous Herod to be chaste; for the fire of sin burned within him.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
O the head which manifestly set forth the law and cried to Herod from out of the ground: “It is not fit for thee, who committest iniquity, to wear the purple robe of kingship as a garment of tyranny!”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The iniquitous Herod, armed with vile weaponry, committed an iniquitous deed with an oath, drunk at the banquet he was holding for himself.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Though incorporeal, the Creator of all became immutably incarnate; and being not subject to time, He was known to enter time through the Virgin, remaining as He had been, and becoming what He had not been, without confusion.
Ode VIII, Irmos: Madly did the Chaldæan tyrant heat the furnace sevenfold for the pious ones; but, beholding them saved by a higher Power, he cried out to the Creator and Deliverer: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Going before Thy nativity and divine suffering, in the nethermost parts of the earth John, as the voice of the Word, becometh, through the sword, the prophet and herald of Thy coming there, crying: Exalt Christ supremely for all ages: ye dead as Life-bestower; ye blind, as Giver of light; ye captives, as your Deliverer!
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
He who from a barren woman preceded the Offspring of the Virgin hath now, through the cutting off of his head, become the precursor of the voluntary crucifixion of the Creator of all, crying to those in hades: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
When thy body was deprived of thy head, O forerunner, thy masterly soul was parted from thy flesh; but the divinity of Emmanuel was never separated from his flesh, and not a bone of God the Master was broken. Wherefore, we exalt Him supremely for all ages.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
O all-pure Virgin, bearer of the Lord, by thy merciful entreaty cleanse thou the wounds and sores of my soul, and raise me up who am fallen. Save, O save me, the prodigal, O most immaculate one! For thou art mine intercessor and help, who alone art pure and blessed for all ages.
Irmos: The Lord Who was glorified on the holy mountain, and by the fire in the bush revealed to Moses the mystery of the Ever-virgin, hymn ye and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Him who proclaimed the coming of Christ to those in hades, exclaiming with faith: “The Lord of glory cometh, loosing men’s pangs!”, let us exalt supremely for all ages.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Herod imprisoned thee in a dungeon, O John, thou second Elijah, and, having bound thee with iron chains, slew thee, the faithful and sacred proclaimer of repentance and the kingdom.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O feast full of blood! O food mingled with murder! O banquet replete with vainglory! O the inhumanity and vile murder of the iniquitous Herod!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Wholly above and wholly below, in the bosom of the Father and with Thy Mother, wholly God and wholly man by nature, One in hypostasis yet dual in nature art Thou, O Merciful One.
Ode IX, Irmos: Every ear trembleth to hear of the ineffable condescension of God, for the Most High willingly came down even to the flesh, becoming man through the Virgin’s womb. Wherefore we, the faithful, magnify the all-pure Theotokos.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
The evil horde and the devil, its commander, were afraid of thy divinely eloquent tongue which proclaimed Christ, O prophet, and through the agency of a wanton girl prevailed upon Herod to cut off thy head; but we magnify thee as the baptiser of Christ.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
The valley of humble nature hath been exalted, and the hill of deadly pride hath been laid low; for the voice of the Light crying in the wilderness hath cried out in the dwellings of hades: “Lift up, ye gates, for the King of all shall enter!”
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Human passions tremble, and the demons flee in fear from the overshadowing of the grace given thee by God. But deliver thy flock, which ever magnifieth thee with faith, O forerunner of the Lord, from temptation by both.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Draw Thy bow, and prosper and reign, O Son of the Mother of God, subduing the Moslems who wage war against us and granting victory to our Orthodox hierarchs over all heresies, through the entreaties of her who gave birth to Thee, O Word of God.
Irmos:Thy birthgiving, O Ever-virgin, which was revealed to the law-giver on the mountain in the fire and the bush, for the salvation of us, the faithful, do we magnify with unceasing hymnody.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Again doth Jezebel exult over Elijah; again doth the Egyptian woman seek after Joseph; for the vile Herodias hath now been seen to devise the death of the prophet and baptiser of the Saviour.
Holy and Great John, Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us.
Beheaded by Herod, O John, thou wast sent to the souls in hades, to proclaim Him Who had come to save all of the faithful who had died, from the time of Adam on.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O John, honoured martyr of the Lord, lampstand of the Light, voice of the Word, herald of the Lamb of God, lamb of the wilderness: pray that those who hymn thee be saved.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou alone among women wast shown to be a virgin even after giving birth; thou alone among women wast shown forth as the Theotokos; thou alone hast loosed the pangs of Eve and caused the primal curse to wither away.
Troparion, Tone II: The memory of the righteous is celebrated with hymns of praise, but the Lord’s witness is sufficient for thee, O forerunner. Thou wast truly shown to be more honourable than the prophets, in that thou wast counted worthy to baptise in the streams Him Whom thou didst proclaim. Wherefore, having suffered, rejoicing, for the truth, even unto those in hades thou didst proclaim God, Who had manifested Himself in the flesh, Who taketh away the sin of the world and granteth us great mercy.
“Heaven receives thy soul with joy. The heavenly powers greet thee with sacred canticles and with joyous praise, saying: “Who is this most pure creature ascending, shining as the dawn, beautiful as the moon, conspicuous as the sun? How sweet and lovely thou art, the lily of the field, the rose among thorns; therefore the young maidens loved thee. We are drawn after the odour of thy ointments. The King introduced thee into His chamber. There Powers protect thee, Principalities praise thee, Thrones proclaim thee, Cherubim are hushed in joy, and Seraphim magnify the true Mother by nature and by grace of their very Lord. Thou wert not taken into heaven as Elias was, nor didst thou penetrate to the third heaven with Paul, but thou didst reach the royal throne itself of thy Son, seeing it with thy own eyes, standing by it in joy and unspeakable familiarity.”
First Homily on the Dormition: St John of Damascus
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Greetings for the glorious feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, wherein the Saviour’s victory over death and the opening of the gates of paradise is realised in the translation of the Theotokos from death to life, and from earth to heaven.
It is our summer Pascha, in which we celebrate the rising and ascension of the Mother of God, who follows in the wake of her beloved Son, the first-fruit of the dead, called forth from her sleep by the Giver of Life, who trampled down death by death, bestowing life upon those who dwell in the graves, beginning with His own beloved mother.
When we contemplate the holy icons of her Dormition, the voice and tradition of the Church prompts us to appreciate that this wondrous event was one in which heaven and earth were united as the Mother of God, the Second Eve, was laid in the tomb and subsequently translated from earth to heaven.
We can easily forget how the heavens rejoiced, as the All-Pure Virgin was translated to glory, untouched by corruption, and exalted above the angelic ranks, as she who is “more honourable than the cherubim, and truly more glorious than the seraphim.”
Rather than seeing the feast only from an earthly perspective, focussing upon Gethsemane and the apostles, we must raise our minds to contemplate the glory of the Dormition and Assumption of the Mother of God from the perspective of the dwellers of heaven, appreciating that the angelic hosts and the saints of the Old Covenant eagerly awaited the arrival of the Theotokos.
We see Gethsemane, the Mother of God upon her deathbed, the apostles assembled by the angels and brought to Jerusalem from the “ends of the earth”.
We see them bidding farewell to the Mother of the Lord, forewarned of her Dormition three days earlier by the Archangel Gabriel; we reflect upon their hymns and prayers as they carry the Mother of God on the funeral bier to her sepulchre, and though knowing that the Lord received her all-pure soul, we easily fail to appreciate the joyful anticipation of those abiding in the heavens, and of the celestial attendants and celebration around her falling asleep.
St Jacob of Serug reminds us that the apostles were not the only assembly to gather around her deathbed and to perform the entombment of the Mother of God – as we see in the holy icons – as angelic hosts descend to participate in the rites in which the Theotokos was laid in her sepulchre, before being received, body and soul, into heaven, glorified by her Son and Lord.
St Jacob describes the joyful and expectant citizens of heaven, as the Dormition united the earthly and heavenly realms; a door from mortality to immortality; a concelebrated union of apostles and angels in the burial of the All-Pure Virgin, translated from temporality to eternal blessedness and glory:
“The ranks and companies and host of the sons of light; the tumult of the watchers and the fiery assemblies of flame; the fiery Seraphim, with their dense wings of flame, with legions and their heavenly battalions; the mighty Cherubim, who were yoked to his chariot; they trembled with wonder while singing praises with their hosannas.
The followers of Gabriel, assemblies more fiery than flame, were variously changed in their natures.
The followers of Michael, full of motion in their descent, were keeping the feast, exulting and rejoicing this day with their alleluias.
Heaven and the air were filled with the praise of the heavenly ones, who went forth and descended to the place of earth.”
In the first canon for the feast, St Cosmas of Maiuma goes so far as to write not simply of the angelic presence at the burial of the Mother of God, but seeing her entombment primarily celebrated by the angels, rather than the apostles:
“The choir of angels buried thy body, which had received God, gazing upon it with fear, and exclaiming with a loud voice: O Theotokos who ascendest to thy Son in the heavenly mansions, thou ever savest thine inheritance!”
Writing in the late second century, Melito of Sardis, narrated the descent of the Lord to the Tomb of the Virgin in Gethsemane, and the rolling away of the stone by the Great Taxiarch, the Archangel Michael, before the Saviour called His mother forth from her sepulchre:
“He ordered the archangel Michael to bring the soul of St. Mary. And, behold, the archangel Michael rolled back the stone from the door of the tomb; and the Lord said: Arise, my beloved and my nearest; thou who hast not put an corruption by intercourse with man, suffer not destruction of the body in the sepulchre. And immediately Mary rose from the tomb, and blessed the Lord, and falling forward at the feet of the Lord, adored Him, saying: I cannot render sufficient thanks to Thee, O Lord, for Thy boundless benefits which Thou hast deigned to bestow upon me Thine handmaiden. May Thy name, O Redeemer of the world, God of Israel, be blessed for ever.”
Furthermore, looking beyond the earthly and temporal, we may contemplate not only the angelic hosts rejoicing, but also the righteous-dead of the Old Testament, delivered from Hades by the Victorious Saviour in the harrowing of hell.
Unlike the holy forefathers, patriarchs and prophets (whom we see looking down upon the Dormition from the heavens in some icons), the Mother of God is not simply with her Son by spiritual presence, but also physically, through her translation in both body and soul: a sign and promise to all of humanity of the resurrection, to be fulfilled at the end of the ages.
St Jacob contemplates the joy of the righteous departed, some of them forebears of the Mother of God, as they see her assumed, glorified and welcomed into the heavens where they dwell, awaiting the resurrection of their own bodies.
He calls them to rejoice in the translation (metastasis) of the Mother of God: for Adam and Eve to rejoice as their daughter is welcomed into the eternal rest where they dwell; to Noah and Abraham, as their daughter visits them in their dwelling-place; to Jacob, seeing that the daughter sprouted from his root has called him into life; to the twelve patriarchs because she had visited them; to Judah, for this daughter who has given life is his descendent; to Joseph and Moses, as the Virgin calls all mankind to life, and to Aaron, Eleazar the priest and all the tribes of the sons of Levi with their priesthood.
He calls upon David the renowned forefather of both the Mother of God and the Saviour to rejoice, because his daughter has placed a glorious crown upon his head; to Samuel with Jeremiah, because the Mother of God, the daughter of Judah, drops dew on their bones; to Ezekiel, for the fulfilment of prophecy; and to the prophet Isaiah, because the Mother of God whom he prophesied has visited him in the place of the departed righteous ones.
Through St Jacob‘s poetic reflections, we see the celestial welcome, as angels and the righteous-departed rejoice as the Mother of God, is borne to heaven.
St John of Damascus reflects upon the reaction of Adam and Eve, as first-father and first-mother, who, remembering their own disobedience, joyfully see their restoration in their daughter’s entrance into heaven in both body and soul.
Through the Saviour’s Life-Giving death and Resurrection, the anticipated resurrection of the dead becomes a reality before them, as her Dormition and entrance into heaven becomes the sign of the opening of the gates of paradise, which they themsleves had closed, and the Mother of God becomes the ladder from earth to heaven.
“Then Adam and Eve, our first parents, opened their lips to exclaim, “Thou blessed daughter of ours, who hast removed the penalty of our disobedience! Thou, inheriting from us a mortal body, hast won us immortality. Thou, taking thy being from us, hast given us back the being in grace. Thou hast conquered pain and loosened the bondage of death. Thou hast restored us to our former state. We had shut the door of paradise; thou didst find entrance to the tree of life. Through us sorrow came out of good; through thee good from sorrow. How canst thou who art all fair taste of death ? Thou art the gate of life and the ladder to heaven. Death is become the passage to immortality. O thou truly blessed one!”
Raised to her heavenly place with her Son at the throne of glory, the words of the Psalmist were fulfilled: “The Queen didst stand at my right-hand, arrayed in a vesture of inwoven gold, adorned with various colours.” (Ps 45:9)
What is this vestment of inwoven gold, with the images of coloured embroidery and jewels?
Her vesture, prophetically described by King David, is her life of holiness and purity, adorned by the virtues of the spiritual life: “…a vessel containing every grace, the fulness of all things good and beautiful, the tablet and living icon of every good and all uprightness…” (St Gregory Palamas)
As such, she shows how we must seek to live our lives in honest contemplation of eternity, beyond the grave and beyond the dread judgement, “when the books will be opened, and all hidden things revealed.”
As the Hodegetria, “Who Shows the Way”, the life of the Mother of God was such a life of dedicated holiness, humility and obedience, showing Christians the way to live, and through doing so in preparation for the age to come, her Dormition shows Christians the way to die.
Let us seek to follow the great and saving example of the Mother of God in our lives, weak and feeble though we are, honouring her and her Holy Dormition by seeking to clothe ourselves in sanctity and adorning ourselves with spiritual virtues in the manner in which we live and prepare for the age to come, and in the way we face the certainty of death.
May our lives bring joy and exultation to the heavenly powers, and to the Mother of God, herself, as the Mother of the Church and protectress of Christians.
Having been translated from her earthly tomb, she has no need of our flowers, sweet smelling herbs, candles and incense, but rather calls us to offer lives striving for grace, and for good and beautiful things and uprightness: lives which make the heavens rejoice; lives following the steep, ascending path from earth to heaven, obediently following in the footsteps of the Saviour, as “the Way, the Truth and the Life.”
“If we purify our mind with the body, we shall possess her grace. She shuns all impurity and impure passions. She has a horror of intemperance, and a special hatred for fornication. She turns from its allurements as from the progeny of serpents . . . She looks upon all sin as death-inflicting rejoicing in all good. Contraries are cured by contraries.
She delights in fasting and continence and spiritual canticles, in purity, virginity, and wisdom. With these she is ever at peace, and takes them to her heart. She embraces peace and a meek spirit, and love, mercy, and humility as her children. In a word, she grieves over every sin, and is glad at all goodness as if it were her own.
If we turn away from our former sins in all earnestness and love goodness with all our hearts, and make it our constant companion, she will frequently visit her servants, bringing all blessings with her, Christ her Son, the King and Lord who reigns in our hearts.”
Second Homily on the Dormition: St John of Damascus
Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, was born in the year 340 into the family of the Roman prefect of Gaul (now France). Even in the saint’s childhood there appeared presentiments of his great future. Once, bees covered the face of the sleeping infant. They flew in and out of his mouth, leaving honey on his tongue. Soon they flew away so high that they could no longer be seen. Ambrose’s father said that the child would become something great when he reached manhood.
After the death of the father of the family, Ambrose journeyed to Rome, where the future saint and his brother Satyrius received an excellent education. About the year 370, upon completion of his course of study, Ambrose was appointed to the position of governor (consular prefect) of the districts of Liguria and Aemilia, though he continued to live at Mediolanum (now Milan).
In the year 374 Auxentius, the Arian Bishop of Mediolanum, died. This led to complications between the Orthodox and the Arians, since each side wanted to have its own bishop. Ambrose, as the chief city official, went to the church to resolve the dispute.
While he was speaking to the crowd, suddenly a child cried out, “Ambrose for bishop!” The people took up this chant. Ambrose, who at this time was still a catechumen, considered himself unworthy, and tried to refuse. He disparaged himself, and even tried to flee from Mediolanum. The matter went ultimately before the emperor Valentinian the Elder (364-375), whose orders Ambrose dared not disobey. He accepted holy Baptism from an Orthodox priest and, passing through all the ranks of the Church clergy in just seven days, on December 7, 374 he was consecrated Bishop of Mediolanum. He dispersed all his possessions, money and property for the adornment of churches, the upkeep of orphans and the poor, and he devoted himself to a strict ascetic life.
Ambrose combined strict temperance, intense vigilance and work within the fulfilling of his duties as archpastor. Saint Ambrose, defending the unity of the Church, energetically opposed the spread of heresy. Thus, in the year 379 he travelled off to establish an Orthodox bishop at Sirmium, and in 385-386 he refused to hand over the basilica of Mediolanum to the Arians.
The preaching of Saint Ambrose in defence of Orthodoxy was deeply influential. Another noted Father of the Western Church, Saint Augustine (June 15), bore witness to this, having accepted holy Baptism in the year 387 by the grace of the preaching of the bishop of Mediolanum.
Saint Ambrose also actively participated in civil matters. Thus, the emperor Gracian (375-383), having received from him the “Exposition of the Orthodox Faith” (De Fide), removed, by decree of the saint, the altar of Victory from the halls of the Senate at Rome, on which oaths were wont to be taken. Displaying a pastoral boldness, Saint Ambrose placed a severe penance on the emperor Theodosius I (379-395) for the massacre of innocent inhabitants of Thessalonica. For him there was no difference between emperor and commoner. Though he released Theodosius from the penance, the saint would not permit the emperor to commune at the altar, but compelled him to do public penance.
The fame of Bishop Ambrose and his actions attracted to him many followers from other lands. From far away Persia learned men came to him to ask him questions and absorb his wisdom. Fritigelda (Frigitil), queen of the military Germanic tribe of the Markomanni, which often had attacked Mediolanum, asked the saint to instruct her in the Christian Faith. The saint in his letter to her persuasively stated the dogmas of the Church. And having become a believer, the queen converted her own husband to Christianity and persuaded him to conclude a treaty of peace with the Roman Empire.
The saint combined strictness with an uncommon kindliness. Granted a gift of wonderworking, he healed many from sickness. One time at Florence, while staying at the house of Decentus, he resurrected a dead boy.
The repose of Saint Ambrose, who departed to the Lord on the night of Holy Pascha, was accompanied by many miracles. He even appeared in a vision to the children being baptized that night. The saint was buried in the Ambrosian Basilica in Mediolanum, beneath the altar, between the Martyrs Protasius and Gervasius (October 14).
A zealous preacher and valiant defender of the Christian Faith, Saint Ambrose received particular renown as a Church writer. In dogmatic compositions he set forth the Orthodox teaching about the Holy Trinity, the Sacraments, and Repentance: “Five Books on the Faith” (De Fide); “Explication of the Symbol of the Faith” (Explanatio Symboli); “On the Incarnation” (De Incarnationis); “Three Books on the Holy Spirit” (De Spiritu Sancto); “On the Sacraments” (De Sacramento); “Two Books on Repentance” (De Paenitentia). In writings about Christian morality, he explained the excellence of Christian moral teaching compared to pagan moral teaching.
A well-known work of Saint Ambrose, “On the Duties of the Clergy” (De Officiis Ministrorum) evidences his deep awareness of pastoral duty. He stresses that those who serve in the Church should have not only the proper knowledge of Church services, but also the proper knowledge of moral precepts.
Saint Ambrose was also a reformer of Church singing. He introduced antiphonal singing (along the Eastern or Syrian form) into the Western Church, which became known as “Ambrosian Chant.” He also composed twelve hymns which were used during his lifetime. The hymn, “Thee, O God, we praise” (Te Deum), attributed to Saint Ambrose, entered into the divine services of the Orthodox Church (Moleben).
The canon to the saint, the acrostic whereof is: “I praise Ambrose most great,“ in Tone IV.
Ode I, Irmos: Through the deep of the Red Sea, * marched dry-shod Israel of old, * and by Moses’ outstretched hands, * raised in the form of a cross, * the power of Amalek was routed in the wilderness.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
O venerable one, radiant with divine splendours, by thy prayers illumine those who piously honour thy radiant, light-bearing and holy repose.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
The Word of God gave thee the discourse of wisdom adorned with true knowledge, O hierarch Ambrose, dispelling the irrational and malicious thought of the heretics.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Having cleansed the vision of thy mind of the darkness of the passions, O thou that art most noetically rich, thou didst render it receptive to the pure effulgence of the most holy Spirit, O all-blessed one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having by thine all-wise and sacred dogmas, as a pastor fended off the destruction of those who were of like mind with Arius, O all-wise one, with faith thou didst shepherd thy rational sheep in the meadows of Orthodoxy.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
By the Father’s will and through the divine Spirit of God, thou didst, seedlessly conceive and give birth in the flesh unto the Son Who, for our sake, was begotten of the Father without mother and was born of thee without father.
Ode III, Irmos: Not in wisdom, nor in power do we glory, * but we glory in Thee O Christ, * the Hypostatic Wisdom of the Father, * for there is none more holy than Thee, O Lover of mankind.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Having received of God an abundance of grace and power, O father Ambrose, by thy tangible touch thou didst heal the divers passions of those who had recourse to thee.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
O venerable one, having learned all the knowledge of the Scriptures, in that thou wast a godly hierarch, thou didst manifestly make plain to the ignorant things difficult to understand, O father Ambrose.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
With the sentence of God thou didst instantly strike dead the vile woman who audaciously and senselessly strove to draw nigh unto thee, who didst shine forth with spiritual wisdom.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou alone hast renewed the human race, having given birth unto the Creator and Lord of our nature. Wherefore, we glorify thee, O divinely joyous one.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII, Spec. Mel. “Of the Wisdom…”: Zealously emulating Elijah the Prophet, and likewise John the Baptist, thou didst manfully denounce the iniquitous emperor, O hierarch; in a godly manner adorning thy see, and enriching the world with a multitude of miracles. Wherefore, learned in the divine Scriptures, thou didst establish the faithful therein, and convert the unbelieving. O hierarch Ambrose, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of transgressions unto those who, with love, celebrate thy holy memory.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion, Tone VIII: Having fallen with wicked thoughts, * I have sunk into the abyss of sin, * and, groaning, I cry to thee with all my heart, O all-pure one: * Show forth upon me the wonder of thy rich mercy, * the unfathomable depth of thy tender compassion * and the immeasurable wealth of thy compassions, * and grant me repentance and forgiveness of transgressions, * that I may cry unto thee with love: * Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto me, ** for thee do I, thy servant, have as my hope.
Stavrotheotokion (replaces the Theotokion on Wednesdays and Fridays): Beholding the Lamb, Shepherd and Deliverer upon the Cross, the Ewe-lamb cried out, weeping, and exclaimed, bitterly lamenting: The world rejoiceth, receiving deliverance through Thee, but my womb doth burn, beholding Thy crucifixion, which Thou dost endure in the loving-kindness of Thy mercy, O long-suffering Lord, Abyss of mercy and inexhaustible Wellspring! Take pity, and grant remission of offences unto those who, with faith, hymn Thy divine sufferings.
Ode IV, Irmos: For the sake of love for Thine image, * O compassionate One, * Thou didst ascend the cross * and the nations melted away. * For Thou, O Lover of mankind, * art my strength and my praise.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Having been anointed with the chrism of the priesthood, thou wast shown forth as a hierarch, ordaining priests and granting the cleansing of salvation unto all.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Thou didst protect thy flock from all the harm of the adversaries, O blessed one, and didst blind the delusion of Arius with the radiance of thy words.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Invested with the power of the Spirit, thou didst dispel the evil spirits of malice, who could not endure thy rebuke, O all-blessed one.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
He that wrought all things by His will is Himself wrought of thy pure blood, saving those who acknowledge thee to be the pure Mother of God.
Ode V, Irmos: Thou, O Lord, who didst come into the world, * art my light, * a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance * those who sing Thy praises in faith.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Having attained a mind resplendent with immaterial light, O blessed Ambrose, thou hast emitted rays of healing and miracles.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Thou didst raise thyself up as a sacred dwelling place of the Spirit, O divinely inspired Ambrose, destroying the temples of idolatry.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Emperors were put to shame by thee, shining with the effulgence of the greatest of virtues, and their restrictions did not cause thy tongue to falter.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
He that wrought all things in wisdom through His will, desiring to renew mankind, O Virgin, made His abode within thy womb.
Ode VI, Irmos: The church crieth out unto Thee O Lord, * ‘I will sacrifice unto Thee with a voice of praise * having been cleansed of the blood of the demons’ * by the blood that for mercy’s sake flowed from Thy side.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Amazed, Rome faithfully praiseth thine honoured deeds; for, like a radiant star, O hierarch, thou dost shed the rays of thy wonders everywhere.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Having risen at dawn for Christ, thou hast been richly illumined with splendours and filled with divine light; enlightening those who ever faithfully honour thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having sanctified body and soul, O father, thou didst render thy heart, which ever attendeth unto sweet desire, receptive to the gifts of grace.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Heal thou the wounds of my soul, O Virgin, by thy divine overshadowing, and enlighten my mind, which hath been darkened by slothfulness and by the malice of the adverse foe.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, in Tone III, Spec. Mel. “Of the divine faith…”: Shining with divine dogmas, thou didst darken the deception of Arius, * O Ambrose, pastor and teacher of the mysteries. * And working wonders through the power of the Spirit, * thou didst manifestly heal divers passions, O venerable father. ** Entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.
Ode VII, Irmos: In the Persian furnace the youths and descendants of Abraham, * burning with a love of piety * rather than by a flame of fire, * cried aloud saying: * Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Like lightning, the divine proclamations of thy dogmas have flashed throughout all the earth, O all-wise father; shining forth as light with the revelations of miracles, and enlightening hearts that were in darkness.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Following the command of the Saviour, O father, thou didst, like a blessed servant, diligently increase manifold the talent given thee, and hast been deemed worthy of the Master’s joy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having deepened thy theological mind, like a river thou didst put forth streams of sacred dogmas, giving drink unto the fullness of the faithful, O father Ambrose, teacher of the mysteries.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Behold, O Virgin, thou didst conceive within thy womb the Word Who is co-unoriginate with the Father, and hast given birth in the flesh unto Him Who granteth restoration unto all who from Adam have fallen, O all-immaculate one.
Ode VIII, Irmos: Having spread his hands, Daniel closed the lions jaws * in their den; * while the zealously pious youths, * girded with virtue, * quenched the power of the fire and cried aloud: * Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Having mortified thy members and slain the wisdom of the flesh, thou didst impart life unto thy soul and poured forth a fountain of miracles upon those who had been slain by the passions, O venerable one, granting life unto those who cry: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Thou wast informed of thine approaching repose in the body by the Spirit of God, O wise one; for thou didst say so prophetically unto those who were with thee, and didst pass over to the heavens crying out with joy: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having rid thy body, mind and heart of the turbulence of the passions, O Ambrose, thou didst receive a fiery ray of light from on high, crying out like the divine disciples: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou hast been revealed to be more exalted than the heavens, O most pure one, having given birth unto the God of heaven, Who hath united those of earth with those of the heavens, and Who granteth knowledge of Himself unto all who cry aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Ode IX, Irmos: A cornerstone not cut by hand O Virgin, * was cut from thee the unhewn mountain: * even Christ, Who hath joined together the disparate natures; * therefore rejoicing we magnify thee, * O Theotokos.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
In ecstasy thou didst behold the everlasting honours which are being laid up for the saints, O father; and having passed over to them, rejoicing, thou hast received the reward of thy labours, O glorious one.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
Like a ripe cluster of grapes wast thou gathered into the vats of heaven, pouring forth the wine of immortality and gifts of healing upon those who piously have recourse to thee, as is meet, O divinely wise Ambrose.
Hierarch of Christ, Ambrose, pray to God for us!
With a mighty voice we bless thee, O father, the golden candlestick of the divine Spirit, which putteth forth the light of pious teachings and the radiance of healings, enlightening the faithful.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The Church, O all-blessed one, having acquired thee as a daystar, doth escape all the deception of darkness, and, illumined with the splendours of thy sacred dogmas, she doth bless thee.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
With joy we utter unto thee the salutation of the archangel, O Virgin: Rejoice, thou abolition of the curse! Rejoice, deliverance from all evils, O thou who, in a manner beyond understanding, hath deified mortals by thy birth-giving!
Troparion, in Tone IV: The truth of things revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, * icon of meekness, and teacher of temperance; * wherefore, thou hast attained the heights through humility and riches through poverty; * O hierarch Ambrose our father, ** entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.
Dear brothers and sisters, greetings on this feast of the most beloved of saints, Nicholas the Wonderworker, the recipient of universal devotion in all corners of the world, Orthodox and otherwise.
There can hardly be a single Orthodox temple that is without his icon, virtually every Orthodox home is graced by his image, and such is the spiritual eminence of St Nicholas in the conscience of the Orthodox Church, that we not only celebrate his nativity, his dormition and the translation of his relics, but also the feasts of his many wonderworking icons and every Thursday as his weekly memorial.
This presence is built upon the fact that the Church sees the perfection and perfect example of the Christian life and the living-Gospel in the holy hierarch of Myra. As we sang in the troparion,
“The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, an icon of meekness and a teacher of temperance; therefore thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty…”
What do we mean by this rule of Faith? It has nothing to do with legalism and avoiding offences and black-marks, but rather with living according to the measure of the Gospel, emulating Christ’s example by willing obedience to the spiritual and moral teachings that He has given us: simply, joyfully, willingly, and without compromise – and because we wish to do so because of our love for Christ.
As I have said more times than I can remember, the Beatitudes that we heard in today’s Gospel found their living and perfected realisation in the saints (as they should do in all of us), not as a set of moral ideas, but as the concrete and necessary qualities of the Christian life.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
As ideas or sentiments, the Beatitudes will change neither us or the world, but when they become the very quality of our everyday Christian living, then they shed the Light of Christ upon the world and banish darkness, transforming us and those around us, transfiguring and showing the reality of new life in Christ. As the manifesto of the Christian life and holiness, they are not a set of ideas, but a set of actions: actions which showed St Nicholas to the world as an ideal and example of what it means to be an arch-pastor who will do anything for the sheep in his fold, and more simply just to be a true Christian.
When we are aware of our own poverty and the need for God’s Grace and love; when we mourn for what is fallen and sinful in our lives, whilst looking to God for healing and salvation; when meekness and humility overcome our pride and self-conceit; when our longing for God and the kingdom raises us above all that is earthly, temporary and fleeting; when we are merciful and always struggle for peace; when our Faith is worth the prejudices and judgement of others, even insult and exclusion, and when we bear everything joyfully for the sake of God and the Kingdom yet to come – then we ate TRULY following in the footprints of St Nicholas, and we ourselves are living as “a rule of faith”.
But, the grim truth of our human existence is that sometimes we don’t feel that we even want to do the things that Christ has commanded us to do. We feel angry or resentful; we don’t want to help, or don’t want to be kind to certain people; don’t want to share or give; we feel mean-spirited, impatient and intolerant.
We should see this as a direct challenge to Christ and His commandments, recognising that He orders us to do them at all times and not only when we feel like it. The Christian life and the Law of God are not man-centred, but God-centred – not depending on how we feel when we get up in the morning and walk out through the front door. When we feel reluctance or hostility to the implicit commandments of the Beatitudes we must force ourselves EVEN UNWILLINGLY to fulfil them, knowing that through doing so God’s Grace may warm our hearts and dissolve our hardness of heart, heal us and raise us up.
As I recently reflected in a homily, the Law of God is not to chain us, but to set us free; not to drag us down, but to raise us up; to lead us to VICTORY… and victory – nika – is the very root of the name of St Nicholas: Nikolaos, the victorious one.
As we chanted in vespers, “As a true namesake of victory, to the faithful people thou hast shown thyself to be mighty amid perils, O holy Nicholas, hierarch of Christ…”, and in the Gospel sticheron, we sing, “as was thy name, so also was thy life”: a life of victory over the old man; victory over sin; victory over the world, the flesh and the devil – and all through Christ the Victor living and abiding in him and ruling his life.
Through our individual obedience to the Gospel, confirmed with the Grace of the Holy Spirit, as children of the resurrection of Christ, we are all called to be namesakes of victory, and to conquer in Christ’s Name, as did St Nicholas, as unlikely and improbable as it may sound to us weak sinners.
However weak or doubtful we may feel, we must at least try, called to prayer, repentance, acts of love, kindness, mercy and selflessness in Christ’s stead, through the example of St Nicholas, and the celebration of his feast.
To honour St Nicholas, let us conquer pride in ourselves, and see ourselves as the least of Christ’s children, called to serve others and love our neighbour as ourself.
To honour St Nicholas, let us make peace and be reconciled to those with whom we have fought and argued, being the one to take the first step towards the peace and reconciliation which is Christ’s commandment – NOT an option, a commandment!
To honour St Nicholas, let us forgive and let go of the resentment of others due to past wrongs and the memories of what they have done to us or said about us – praying for them and begging God for the love that may be lacking in us for this necessary healing to happen.
To honour St Nicholas, let us be merciful by giving to at least one person in need or one worthy cause, even if that act challenges us.
To honour St Nicholas, let us bow down in prayer for those in need, sickness, tribulation and sorrow.
To honour St Nicholas, let us try to do as he would do; act as he would act; speak as he would speak; have mercy as he would have mercy; love as he loved… and all because he was a mirror of Christ, as we also should reflect the Saviour in our lives.
Through these actions, in our small and feeble way, we will at least begin to be a rule of faith, and reflect the boundless love, mercy and compassion in our lives, remembering the Saviour’s words in the parable of the sheep and the goats in the 25th chapter of Gospel of St Matthew.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “
Just as St Nicholas heeded the Saviour’s words, and translated them into the Gospel-in-action, let us do likewise!
Saint Sabbas the Sanctified was born in the fifth century at Cappadocia of pious Christian parents, John and Sophia. His father was a military commander. Journeying to Alexandria on military matters, his wife went with him, but they left their five-year-old son in the care of an uncle. When the boy reached eight years of age, he entered the monastery of Saint Flavian located nearby. The gifted child quickly learned to read and became an expert on the Holy Scriptures. In vain did his parents urge Saint Sabbas to return to the world and enter into marriage.
When he was seventeen years old he received monastic tonsure, and attained such perfection in fasting and prayer that he was given the gift of wonder- working. After spending ten years at the monastery of Saint Flavian, he went to Jerusalem, and from there to the monastery of Saint Euthymius the Great (January 20). But Saint Euthymius sent Saint Sabbas to Abba Theoctistus, the head of a nearby monastery with a strict cenobitic rule. Saint Sabbas lived in obedience at this monastery until the age of thirty.
After the death of the Elder Theoctistus, his successor blessed Saint Sabbas to seclude himself in a cave. On Saturdays, however, he left his hermitage and came to the monastery, where he participated in divine services and ate with the brethren. After a certain time Saint Sabbas received permission not to leave his hermitage at all, and he struggled in the cave for five years.
Saint Euthymius attentively directed the life of the young monk, and seeing his spiritual maturity, he began to take him to the Rouba wilderness with him. They set out on January 14, and remained there until Palm Sunday. Saint Euthymius called Saint Sabbas a child-elder, and encouraged him to grow in the monastic virtues.
When Saint Euthymius fell asleep in the Lord (+ 473), Saint Sabbas withdrew from the Lavra and moved to a cave near the monastery of Saint Gerasimus of Jordan (March 4). After several years, disciples began to gather around Saint Sabbas, seeking the monastic life. As the number of monks increased, a lavra sprang up. When a pillar of fire appeared before Saint Sabbas as he was walking, he found a spacious cave in the form of a church.
Saint Sabbas founded several more monasteries. Many miracles took place through the prayers of Saint Sabbas: at the Lavra a spring of water welled up, during a time of drought there was abundant rain, and there were also healings of the sick and the demoniacs. Saint Sabbas composed the first monastic Rule of church services, the so-called “Jerusalem Typikon”, accepted by all the Palestine monasteries. The saint surrendered his soul to God in the year 532.
Canon to the Venerable One, the acrostic whereof is: “Lovingly I hymn Sabbas, most eminent among fasters,” the composition of Theophanes, in Tone VIII.
Ode I, Irmos: The wonderworking staff of Moses, * striking and dividing the sea in the figure of a cross, * once drowned Pharaoh the pursuing charioteer, * while it saved the fleeing people of Israel * as they fled on foot, * chanting a hymn unto God.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
With the splendour of the Holy Spirit, O Sabbas, illumine us who with devout love praise thee with hymns as the boast of fasters, the glory of monastics, the adorner of the desert and teacher of piety.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Having offered all thy love to God from thy youth and made Him the object of all thy desire, rejoicing, thou didst mortify the movements of the flesh and the assaults of the passions, O all-praised God-bearer Sabbas.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Conquering the serpent hidden in the fruit, thou didst trample it down and easily pass over his snares, taking flight on wings of piety, O father; and, rejoicing, thou didst partake of life in the garden of the Cross.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Illumined with the light of grace, thou didst enter into the fire and, like the three youths, remained unconsumed, for God preserved thee, revealing to all thine ultimate future progress and perfection, O father.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Death hath laid hold upon us with irresistible assaults; but, drawing nigh to thine Offspring, it perished and, rushing against Him, it was destroyed. For thou didst truly give birth unto everlasting Life incarnate, O Virgin Theotokos.
Ode III,Canon to the Venerable One, Irmos: O Christ fortify me on the rock of Thy commandments, * Thou who in the beginning didst establish the heavens with understanding * and didst establish the earth upon the waters, * for there is none holy save Thee, O only Lover of mankind.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Having set thy mind as master over the passions, O thou who art most noetically rich, showing thyself to be a dispenser of justice; for thou didst manifestly subject what is worse to that which is better. Wherefore, thou didst flourish in the desert like a palm tree, O father.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Having resolved to follow in the steps of the Master, thou didst forsake thy homeland; and, making thine abode in the desert, thou didst win a victory over the adversaries, strengthened by the power of God.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Strengthened by steadfastness of mind, O all-blessed one, thou didst denounce the divers wiles of the enemy, unmasking them in the sight of all, and setting at naught his conceited audacity, O wise one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Perceiving thee to be sacred of soul and adorned with simplicity of intent and with the virtues, Euthymius, the most radiant star, received thee, prophetically proclaiming thy splendour, O all-blessed one.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Virgin Mother, thou hast truly been known to be the splendid portal of the dispensation of the Word, Who hath saved us; for thou hast brought forth upon us the noetic Ray of the supremely divine Godhead.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII, Spec. Mel. “Of the Wisdom…”: Having forsaken all earthly things, while on earth in the body thou wast a companion of the angels in spirit; for, having mortified the passions present in thy body, thou wast shown to be a servant of the Trinity, O blessed one. Wherefore, thou dost cure the sufferings of the afflicted and, at thy word, dost drive away evil spirits through grace, O our God-bearing father. Pray thou to Christ God, that remission of sins be granted unto those who celebrate thy holy memory with love.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Sessional Hymn, in Tone VIII: Abandoning the tumults of life and taking thy cross upon thy shoulders, thou didst offer thyself wholly unto God; and, being beyond the flesh and the world, thou didst become a converser with the Holy Spirit. Wherefore, raising men up to zealous deeds, thou didst empty the cities and didst make cities of desert places, O our God-bearing father. Entreat Christ God, that remission of transgressions be granted to those who celebrate thy holy memory with love.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion in Tone VIII: As the all-immaculate Bride of the Creator, * Mother of the Redeemer, who knewest not a man, * and as the receptacle of the Comforter O all-hymned one, * hasten thou to deliver me, * the vile abode of iniquity and noetic plaything of the demons, * from their evil machinations; * and make me the bright dwelling-place of the virtues, * O thou incorrupt light-bearing one. * Drive away the clouds of the passions and grant that, * by thy supplications, * I may receive a portion on high ** and share in the never-waning light.
Ode IV, Canon to the Venerable One, Irmos: Thou, O Lord, art my strength and Thou art my power, * Thou art my God and Thou art my joy, * Thou Who, while never leaving the bosom of Thy Father, * hast visited our poverty. * Therefore, with the Prophet Habbakuk I cry unto Thee, * ‘Glory to Thy power, O Lover of mankind!’
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Cleansing and expanding the state of thy soul with divine visions, thou didst truly fashion it into a dwelling-place of divine gifts, O divinely blessed one; and by the laying on of thy hands thou didst heal the afflicted, being an emulator of the Master.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
He that waxed arrogant against thee, O father, was swallowed up like the wretched Dathan, and like Abiram was destroyed; for the grace of God invisibly preserved thee, intending the salvation of many, O all-blessed, glorious and divinely wise Sabbas.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
O divinely eloquent one, having chastised thy senses with the Law of God, thou didst direct thy skillful thought to the knowledge of incorporeal and noetic things, passing inexorably from glory to glory and from strength to strength, O father.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Proposing to do good unto thy compatriots, thou didst found magnificent and spiritually profitable cities in the desert, bringing springs of water to the parched land, and most gloriously bringing down rains from heaven upon the waterless fields.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
A beauteous paradise newly sprung forth hast thou been shown to be, O thou who most divinely bore within thy womb and gave birth to, the Tree of Life planted therein, Which poureth forth the hope of salvation upon all who with faith know thee to be the Theotokos.
Ode V,Canon to the Venerable One, 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.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Stretching forth unwavering thought toward Him Whom thou didst desire, from Him thou didst receive the sure grace of most wondrous miracles, O father; compassionately healing those who have recourse to thee in faith, O venerable one.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Putting away the coarseness of the heaviness of the flesh, thou didst become a divinely wrought and chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit, O wondrous one, adorned with abstinence from foods, patience and chastity.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Thou wast appointed the most resounding herald of the divine dogmas of the Councils, O father, and wast a partaker with the saints, enlightening emperors, to whom, O blessed one, thou wast clearly revealed to be protected by divine grace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O divinely inspired one, the grace given thee by God sounded forth, for it hath been distributed unto all, unto the ends of the earth, manifestly bringing about the divine activity of wondrous revelation in a most godly manner.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O most pure one, intercessor for the faithful, indestructible rampart of those who praise thee, O thou who hast given birth in the flesh unto God, the Salvation revealed to the whole human race: save thou my soul!
Ode VI,Canon to the Venerable One, Irmos: Cleanse me, O Saviour, * for many are mine iniquities; * lead me up from the abyss of evils I pray Thee, * for unto Thee have I cried, * and Thou hast hearkened unto me, * O God of my salvation.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Having acquired love for God and neighbour, fulfilling the chief precepts of the Law and the prophets; thou didst achieve unattainable virtue, surpassing all others, O father.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Thou didst attain on earth a life equal to that of the angels, and Christ hath given thee honour equal to that of the angels, sending thy soul to accompany the ranks of the holy ones.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having been shown to be a child of wisdom, thou didst desire the beginning of wisdom, the fear of God; and, strengthened thereby, O father, thou didst attain unto perfection as far is permitted.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O pure Lady, who hast given birth unto God, the Saviour and Redeemer of all, Who took our flesh upon Himself: from misfortune save those who call upon 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 VIII, Spec. Mel. “To thee the champion leader…”: In thy virtue didst thou offer thyself from childhood unto God * as an unblemished sacrifice, O blessed Sabbas, * becoming a gardener in the garden of piety. * Therefore, thou wast an adornment for the venerable and a right praiseworthy citizen of the desert. ** Wherefore, we cry to thee: Rejoice, O Sabbas most noetically rich!
Ikos: O leader of the fathers, beauty of the venerable, boldness of fasters before Christ, citizen and gardener of the desert: how can I hymn thy life, O venerable one? for thou dost shine forth in brilliance unto the ends of the earth, like the sun. Wherefore, I cry unto thee: Rejoice, beauteous glory of the Cappadocians! Rejoice, honoured standard of the whole world! Rejoice, most good offspring of the desert! Rejoice, godly delight of the righteous! Rejoice, for thou didst disdain that which is fleeting and corruptible! Rejoice, for thou dost dwell with the angels in the heavens! Rejoice, correction and rule of monastics! Rejoice, rousing of the slothful toward God! Rejoice, divinely flowing fountain of miracles! Rejoice, honoured instrument of the Spirit! Rejoice, thou with whom the East is adorned! Rejoice, thou through whom the Western lands shine forth! Rejoice, O Sabbas most noetically rich!
Ode VII, Canon to the Venerable One, Irmos: Once in Babylon the fire stood in awe * of God’s condescension; * for which sake the youths in the furnace, * dancing with joyous steps as in a meadow, chanted: * O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Thou didst put away transitory things, being rewarded with eternal things; and with the angels dost thou join chorus as one that led an angelic life. And with them hast thou chanted: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
In thanksgiving thy great and most honourable Lavra crieth out to the Lord, putting thee forward as its inhabitant, founder and citizen, O wise one, and crying out in praise: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Sabbas most wise, entreat the Lord unceasingly on behalf of thy flock, and earnestly pray that thy labours be preserved forever for those who bear fruit and cry out with love: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Reasoning rightly, we call thee the bridal chamber, the banquet hall and throne of the incarnation of the Word, most pure beyond telling; and, rejoicing, we cry out to thy Son: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Ode VIII,Canon to the Venerable One, Irmos: In his wrath the Chaldean Tyrant made the furnace blaze, * with heat fanned sevenfold for the servants of God; * but when he perceived that they had been saved by a greater power * he cried aloud to the Creator and Redeemer; * ‘ye children bless, ye priests praise, * ye people, supremely exalt Him throughout all ages’.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
With gladness the ranks of the saints preceded thy most pure soul to the place of delight among the splendid mansions, where the choirs of the righteous rejoice, O venerable one. With them dost thou now chant: Ye priests, hymn; ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout the ages!
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Strange are thy wonders, for thou didst tame wild beasts, having quelled the waves of the passions; and with thy prophetic gift thou dost foretell things to come; and, expelling legions of demons, thou dost wound them with thy right powerful vigils, prayers and fasts, and by the invincible power of the Cross, O God-bearer.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
He, that of old spake to Moses from the pillar of cloud and fire, showed thee to be a most magnificent pillar reaching from the earth, where now thy patient and much-suffering body doth lie, unto heaven. Standing before it in faith, we piously chant: Ye people, exalt Christ supremely forever!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Joyously is thy memory celebrated, O all-praised one; for thou didst robe thyself in the virtue which bringeth joy, the true garment of salvation, the pure and radiant garment of gladness, wherein adorned, thou dost now chant unceasingly: Ye priests, hymn; ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout the ages!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Remaining virgin, thou didst give birth without knowing wedlock, and by thy strange birthgiving thou hast brought all together, abolishing the strife of time and great distance, bearing in thy womb Christ, the Bestower of peace. Him do we faithfully hymn and supremely exalt throughout the ages.
Ode IX,Canon to the Venerable One Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, * and the ends of the earth were filled with amazement, * for God hath appeared in the flesh, * and thy womb was rendered more spacious than the heavens. * Wherefore, the ranks of men and of angels * magnify thee as the Theotokos.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Thy shrine issueth forth a sweet spiritual fragrance, richly making glad thy children who fervently surround thee, commemorating thine angelic sojourn on earth, O venerable one, and the radiance, glory and everlasting beauty bestowed upon thee.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
Water broke forth in the desert, and the parched earth became a marsh, transformed by thy prayers, O father; for legions of fasters inhabit it as it were a river valley, and the land of Jordan hath blossomed forth like a lily, watered by thy tears.
Venerable father, Sabbas, pray to God for us.
The splendour of the saints in the heavens shone forth upon thee, in that thou wast a righteous man, O father; for thou didst manifestly love the true righteousness of Christ. Following His manner of life, O all-blessed one, thou didst emulate His life-imparting sanctity as far as thou wast able.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Shining with rich light, O God-bearer, beholding now the choirs of angels standing in splendour around the light of the Trinity, and receiving rays of divine knowledge through grace, pray thou unceasingly that remission of sins be granted to those who hymn thee.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O pure one, thou art more highly exalted than all mortal mankind in thine incomparable pre-eminence; for in thy womb thou didst contain God, the Creator of all creation. Him do thou beseech, in that He is merciful, that He grant to His Churches oneness of mind, peace and serene prosperity.
Troparion of the saint, Tone VIII: With the streams of thy tears thou didst irrigate the barren desert, * and with sighs from the depths of thy soul thou didst render thy labors fruitful an hundredfold, * becoming a beacon for the whole world, resplendent with miracles. ** O Sabbas our father, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.
Apologies that publish did not complete for this post yesterday.
1/14 December
Righteous Philaret the Merciful, son of George and Anna, was raised in piety and the fear of God. He lived during the eighth century in the village of Amnia in the Paphlagonian district of Asia Minor. His wife, Theoseba, was from a rich and illustrious family, and they had three children: a son John, and daughters Hypatia and Philaret was a rich and illustrious dignitary, but he did not hoard his wealth. Knowing that many people suffered from poverty, he remembered the words of the Savior about the dread Last Judgment and about “these least ones” (Mt. 25:40); the Apostle Paul’s reminder that we will take nothing with us from this world (1 Tim 6:7); and the assertion of King David that the righteous would not be forsaken (Ps 36/37:25). Philaret, whose name means “lover of virtue,” was famed for his love for the poor.
One day Ishmaelites [Arabs] attacked Paphlagonia, devastating the land and plundering the estate of Philaret. There remained only two oxen, a donkey, a cow with her calf, some beehives, and the house. But he also shared them with the poor. His wife reproached him for being heartless and unconcerned for his own family. Mildly, yet firmly he endured the reproaches of his wife and the jeers of his children. “I have hidden away riches and treasure,” he told his family, “so much that it would be enough for you to feed and clothe yourselves, even if you lived a hundred years without working.”
The saint’s gifts always brought good to the recipient. Whoever received anything from him found that the gift would multiply, and that person would become rich. Knowing this, a certain man came to Saint Philaret asking for a calf so that he could start a herd. The cow missed its calf and began to bellow. Theoseba said to her husband, “You have no pity on us, you merciless man, but don’t you feel sorry for the cow? You have separated her from her calf.” The saint praised his wife, and agreed that it was not right to separate the cow and the calf. Therefore, he called the poor man to whom he had given the calf and told him to take the cow as well.
That year there was a famine, so Saint Philaret took the donkey and went to borrow six bushels of wheat from a friend of his. When he returned home, a poor man asked him for a little wheat, so he told his wife to give the man a bushel. Theoseba said, “First you must give a bushel to each of us in the family, then you can give away the rest as you choose.” Philaretos then gave the man two bushels of wheat. Theoseba said sarcastically, “Give him half the load so you can share it.” The saint measured out a third bushel and gave it to the man. Then Theoseba said, “Why don’t you give him the bag, too, so he can carry it?” He gave him the bag. The exasperated wife said, “Just to spite me, why not give him all the wheat.” Saint Philaret did so.
Now the man was unable to lift the six bushels of wheat, so Theoseba told her husband to give him the donkey so he could carry the wheat home. Blessing his wife, Philaret gave the donkey to the man, who went home rejoicing. Theoseba and the children wept because they were hungry.
The Lord rewarded Philaret for his generosity: when the last measure of wheat was given away, a old friend sent him forty bushels. Theoseba kept most of the wheat for herself and the children, and the saint gave away his share to the poor and had nothing left. When his wife and children were eating, he would go to them and they gave him some food. Theoseba grumbled saying, “How long are you going to keep that treasure of yours hidden? Take it out so we can buy food with it.”
During this time the Byzantine empress Irene (797-802) was seeking a bride for her son, the future emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitos (780-797). Therefore, emissaries were sent throughout all the Empire to find a suitable girl, and the envoys came to Amneia.
When Philaret and Theoseba learned that these most illustrious guests were to visit their house, Philaret was very happy, but Theoseba was sad, for they did not have enough food. But Philaret told his wife to light the fire and to decorate their home. Their neighbors, knowing that imperial envoys were expected, brought everything required for a rich feast.
The envoys were impressed by the saint’s daughters and granddaughters. Seeing their beauty, their deportment, their clothing, and their admirable qualities, the envoys agreed that Philaret’ granddaughter, Maria was exactly what they were looking for. This Maria exceeded all her rivals in quality and modesty and indeed became Constantine’s wife, and the emperor rewarded Philaret.
Thus fame and riches returned to Philaret. But just as before, this holy lover of the poor generously distributed alms and provided a feast for the poor. He and his family served them at the meal. Everyone was astonished at his humility and said: “This is a man of God, a true disciple of Christ.”
He ordered a servant to take three bags and fill one with gold, one with silver, and one with copper coins. When a beggar approached, Philaret ordered his servant to bring forth one of the bags, whichever God’s providence would ordain. Then he would reach into the bag and give to each person, as much as God willed.
Saint Philaret refused to wear fine clothes, nor would he accept any imperial rank. He said it was enough for him to be called the grandfather of the Empress. The saint reached ninety years of age and knew his end was approaching. He went to the Rodolpheia (“The Judgment”) monastery in Constantinople. He gave some gold to the Abbess and asked her to allow him to be buried there, saying that he would depart this life in ten days.
He returned home and became ill. On the tenth day he summoned his family, he exhorted them to imitate his love for the poor if they desired salvation. Then he fell asleep in the Lord. He died in the year 792 and was buried in the Rodolpheia Judgment monastery in Constantinople.
The appearance of a miracle after his death confirmed the sainthood of Righteous Philaret. As they bore the body of the saint to the cemetery, a certain man, possessed by the devil, followed the funeral procession and tried to overturn the coffin. When they reached the grave, the devil threw the man down on the ground and went out of him. Many other miracles and healings also took place at the grave of the saint.
After the death of the righteous Philaret, his wife Theoseba worked at restoring monasteries and churches devastated during a barbarian invasion.
Canon to the holy and righteous Philaret the Merciful, the acrostic whereof is: “I praise the sun-like remembrance of Philaret,” the composition of Valeria, Tone II.
Ode I Irmos: Come, O ye people, * let us sing a song to Christ our God, * Who divided the sea, * and made a way for the nation * which He had brought up out of the bondage of Egypt; * for He hath been glorified.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Come ye, and let us celebrate today the memory of Philaret, radiant in our gladness, forming an harmonious chorus, for Christ God hath wondrously glorified him.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Thou didst give thy property to God in loan, O Philaret, purchasing things eternal with that which is transitory, O wise one. Wherefore, thou wast deemed worthy to receive a twofold reward, being crowned with honour on earth and with glory in heaven.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Being truly a beacon of the love of Christ, in no wise extinguished by the winds of tribulations and temptations, with divine love thou hast enkindled the hearts of the faithful that they may cry to thee: Rejoice, O Philaret, beloved of God!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Unceasingly we cry unto thee, chanting the archangel’s greeting: Rejoice! For thou art the cause of all joy, O Lady, who hast given birth unto the Salvation of the world.
Ode III, Irmos: The bow of the mighty hath been broken * by Thy might, O Christ, * and the enfeebled * have girded themselves with power.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Thou didst open thy hands unto the poor and the wretched, and thy lips unto the praise of thy Creator and God, O righteous one. Wherefore, the gates of paradise have been opened unto thee with joy.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
When thou didst beggar thyself for a while, when God tested thy love, O Philaret, in no wise despondent, thou didst place all thy trust in God, Who humbleth, exalteth and bestoweth wealth.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst not set thy heart on fleeting riches, but established it in the will of God, O wise Philaret, truly well-beloved.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Rejoice radiantly with Joachim, O righteous Anna, for in but a few days thou shalt joyously cry out: Lo! the most glorious root of the Tree of life hath been sown within me!
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VII: Come ye, and let us prepare a great feast, and a banquet of honour, thus didst thou say to thy household, O Philaret, announcing the arrival at thy house of the King Himself and His servants; and when the time was come, thou didst go forth to meet those who were invited: the poor and wretched of the imperial city; and to all who marvelled, beholding them, thou didst cry aloud: These are the servants of the King, and in them the King Himself hath arrived! Truly, therefore, Christ, the King of kings, came invisibly to thy feast, and with love dost thou now serve Him in unwaning light, reclining with the saints at His banquet and chanting the awesome thrice-holy hymn sung by the seraphim.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion, in Tone VII: Thou hast surpassed the hosts of heaven, * O blessed Theotokos, * for thou hast been shown to be a divine temple, * in that thou hast given birth unto Christ, ** the Saviour of our souls. Or this Stavrotheotokion: Ever protected by the Cross of thy Son, O Virgin, we escape the demons’ assault. Wherefore, raising a song as is meet, we glorify thee, O all-hymned Theotokos.
Or this Stavrotheotokion (Wednesday and Friday): Ever protected by the Cross of thy Son, O Virgin, we escape the demons’ assault. Wherefore, raising a song as is meet, we glorify thee, O all-hymned Theotokos.
Ode IV, Irmos: I have heard report of Thy dispensation, O Lord, * and have glorified Thee * Who alone art the Lover of mankind.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Distributing silver, gold, and copper coins unto the people who begged of thee, thou didst spiritually perceive the need of each, O merciful one, wisely managing the property of Christ, the almighty Master of the house.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
The right loving and divinely wise Philaret showed himself to be a father to orphans and paupers and made love the dominion of his might.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Bearing reproaches and insults with love, and deprived of thy wealth as was Job, thou didst cry aloud: The Lord is my God and my power, and He will set my feet toward perfection!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou didst come forth unto the salvation of Thy people, O Saviour, willingly incarnate of the foreordained Virgin, whom we unceasingly glorify.
Ode V, Irmos: The burning Ember was revealed to Isaiah, * and the Sun hath shone forth from the Virgin’s womb, * granting the enlightenment of the knowledge of God * to those who in darkness have gone astray.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Being a kinsman of the emperor, O Philaret, thou didst not exalt thyself, honouring the King of kings in the guise of the orphaned and the wretched, and adorning thyself with love, the queen of the virtues.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Living in accordance with the Gospel, O Philaret, and bearing fruit an hundredfold for the Saviour, thou didst show thyself to be a good and fertile land for Him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou hast shown us an example of godly mercy, letting thy light shine before all in accordance with the word of the Lord, moving them to glorify the heavenly Father.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Magnifying the Theotokos, the Mother of Emmanuel, with unceasing hymns, and beholding Him Who was born of her, we cry out: God is with us!
Ode VI, Irmos: O Master, hearkening unto the sound of entreaties * from a soul in pain, * do Thou deliver me from my grievous sins, * for Thou alone art the Cause of our salvation.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Thou didst sanctify thy hands with the blessings of almsgiving, enkindling thy heart with mercy, putting an end to sorrows, comforting the afflicted and bringing joy to all in place of grief.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Emulating Abraham the hospitable, O Philaret, thou didst honour the life-creating Trinity, which did not reveal itself to thee in the guise of three strangers, but in the guise of a multitude of the wretched to whom thou didst zealously minister.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Accepting tribulations from the hand of the Lord as blessings, thou didst show forth the patience of Job; and, tempest-tossed by tribulations and deprivation, thou didst bless God, inheriting the blessing of all the righteous.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We have no hope; there is no hope for us, if thou dost not help us and deliver us from misfortunes O Theotokos, by thine all-powerful intercession, which Thy mighty Son doth not disdain.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone III: Truly thy most excellent commerce * is seen and judged to be wise * by all the divinely wise, * for thou didst forgive transitory debts, * seeking that which is lofty and eternal. * Wherefore, thou hast acquired eternal glory as is meet, ** O merciful Philaret.
Ikos: Every virtue acquired for Christ’s sake is comely and loving; fasting is honourable, and abstinence is pleasing to God; meekness doth inherit the earth, and humility leadeth to the heavens; repentance doth conquer every sin, and vision of God is granted to the pure of heart; yet charity and love are exalted above all of these, and, before all else, are received back from the righteous Judge at the dread tribunal of Christ; and on that day shalt thou hear from Him, O righteous one: Come, thou blessed of the heavenly Father, inherit eternal glory and the Kingdom prepared for thee from before the ages, O merciful Philaret!
Ode VII, Irmos: Of old the youths revealed themselves to be rhetors * with a supreme love for wisdom, * for from the depths of their God-pleasing souls, * they theologised with their lips as they sang: * O supremely divine God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Having prepared a great feast, thou didst announce to thy household the coming of the King and His servants; and having filled thy house with the poor and wretched, thou didst cry aloud: Behold the servants of the King!
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
In their midst hath the most divine King, the blessed God of our fathers, come invisibly unto me! Young men and elders, orphans and widows, blessed thy compassionate right hand, O Philaret, giving thanks unto Christ God for thee; and they cried out in compunction: O supremely divine God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom, for ye ministered unto Me in the thirsty, the hungry and the sick! Thus shall Christ the Judge cry to the merciful at His dread Judgment. And at that time, O father, thou shalt be exceeding glad.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Virgin Theotokos, entreat thou the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world and hath washed Christians in His Blood, that He take away our sins; for, lo! with contrite heart we seek the countenance of Him Who is blessed by all creation.
ODE VIII, Irmos: Disdaining the golden image, the thrice-blessed children, * beholding the immutable and living image of God, * chanted in the midst of the flame: * Let all existing creation hymn the Lord * and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages!
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Emulating the merciful Samaritan, pass me not by, for I have fallen among thieves through my many sins, O Philaret, and pour forth the oil of thy prayers upon my grievously wounded soul, O merciful one, that, healed, I may thankfully chant unto God: Let all creation hymn the Lord Who is wondrous in His saints!
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
Thou wast revealed to us to be a wise gatherer of treasures which rust doth not corrupt, nor worm devour, and which thou dost lay up in the treasuries of heaven. Wherefore, thy heart doth abide there, and thy mouth, knowing not satiety, doth hymn the Lord throughout the ages.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
They, that of old did foolishly worship the golden calf, were condemned, and the most-wise youths, that did not bow down before the golden image set up by the king in Babylon, were blessed; and thou, O Philaret, didst emulate the latter and not the former, joyously casting down the idol of wealth, and chanting: Let all creation hymn the Lord throughout the ages!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The cherubim bow down before thee in awe, O Theotokos, and the seraphim hymn thee unceasingly, for truly the King of heaven hath desired thy beauty, calling thee His own Mother. Wherefore, the people confess thee always, and unto the ages of ages.
Ode IX, Irmos: Thou art all desire, Thou art all sweetness, * O Word of God, Son of the Virgin, * God of gods, most holy Lord of the saints. * Wherefore, we magnify Thee * and her who hath given birth to Thee. Pouring forth thy wealth in faith, thou didst receive all of it back again from God.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
And receiving and nourishing the wretched with faith, thou didst receive God Himself. Having lived by faith, and through faith passed on to the eternal mansions, thou dost ever magnify God with the choirs of the righteous.
Holy and righteous, Philaret, pray to God for us.
As an emulator of Abraham and entertainer of the unoriginate Trinity, a servant and most intimate friend of the Master, thou didst have mercy on every creature, thereby inclining the mercy of God toward thyself. Wherefore, in thy mercy do thou also visit us who magnify thee with all our heart.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Enlighten us with thy love, O Philaret, who shone like the sun in thy righteous repose, that, radiantly rejoicing in thee, we may magnify God, Who is wondrous in His saints.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Young men and elders, rich men and paupers, monks and laymen, righteous and penitents: Come ye, let us fall down before the Mother of God, crying out to her: Ever preserve under thy protection, us who magnify thee O Lady.
Troparion, Tone IV: Emulating Abraham in faith and following after Job in patience, * O father Philaret, * thou didst distribute the blessings of the earth to the needy * and didst manfully endure the lack thereof. * Wherefore, Christ our God, the Judge of the contest, * hath crowned thee with a crown of light. ** Him do thou entreat, that our souls be saved.
The Monk Martyr and Confessor Stephen the New was born in 715 at Constantinople into a pious Christian family. His parents, having two daughters, prayed the Lord for a son. The mother of the new-born Stephen took him to the Blachernae church of the Most Holy Theotokos and dedicated him to God.
During the reign of the emperor Leo the Isaurian (716-741) there was a persecution against the holy icons and against those venerating them. With the support of the emperor, the adherents of the Iconoclast heresy seized control of the supreme positions of authority in the Empire and in the Church. Persecuted by the powers of this world, Orthodoxy was preserved in monasteries far from the capital, in solitary cells, and in the brave and faithful hearts of its followers.
The Orthodox parents of Saint Stephen, grieved by the prevailing impiety, fled from Constantinople to Bithynia, and they gave over their sixteen-year-old son in obedience to the monk John, who labored in asceticism in a solitary place on the Mount of Saint Auxentius. Saint Stephen dwelt with the venerable monk John for more than fifteen years, devoting himself totally to this spirit-bearing Elder, and learning monastic activity from him. Here Stephen received the news that his father was dead, and his mother and sisters had been tonsured as nuns.
After a certain time his teacher John also died. With deep sorrow Saint Stephen buried his venerable body, and continued with monastic effort in his cave by himself. Soon monks began to come to the ascetic, desiring to learn from him the virtuous and salvific life, and a monastery was established, with Saint Stephen as the igumen. At forty-two years of age Stephen left the monastery he founded, and he went to another mountain, on whose summit he dwelt in deep seclusion in a solitary cell. But here also a community of monks soon gathered, seeking the spiritual guidance of Saint Stephen.
Leo the Isaurian was succeeded by Constantine Copronymos (741-775), a fiercer persecutor of the Orthodox, and an even more zealous iconoclast. The emperor convened an Iconoclast Council, attended by 358 bishops from the Eastern provinces. However, except for Constantine, the Archbishop of Constantinople, illegitimately raised to the patriarchal throne by the power of Copronymos, not one of the other patriarchs participated in the wicked doings of this Council, thus making it less likely to style itself as “ecumenical.” This council of heretics, at the instigation of the emperor and the archbishop, described icons as idols, and pronounced an anathema on all who venerated icons in the Orthodox manner, and it described icon veneration as heresy.
Meanwhile, the monastery of Mount Auxentius and its igumen became known in the capital. They told the emperor about the ascetic life of the monks, about their Orthodox piety, about the igumen Stephen’s gift of wonderworking, and of how Saint Stephen’s fame had spread far beyond the region of the monastery, and that the name of its head was accorded universal respect and love. The saint’s open encouragement of icon veneration and the implied rebuff to the persecutors of Orthodoxy within the monastery of Mount Auxentius especially angered the emperor. Archbishop Constantine realized that in the person of Saint Stephen he had a strong and implacable opponent of his iconoclastic intentions, and he plotted how he might draw him over to his side or else destroy him.
They tried to lure Saint Stephen into the Iconoclast camp, at first with flattery and bribery, then by threats, but in vain. Then they slandered the saint, accusing him of falling into sin with the nun Anna. But his guilt was not proven, since the nun courageously denied any guilt and died under torture and beatings. Finally, the emperor gave orders to lock up the saint in prison, and to destroy his monastery. Iconoclast bishops were sent to Saint Stephen in prison, trying to persuade him of the dogmatic correctness of the Iconoclast position. But the saint easily refuted all the arguments of the heretics and he remained true to Orthodoxy.
Then the emperor ordered that the saint be exiled on one of the islands in the Sea of Marmora. Saint Stephen settled into a cave, and there also his disciples soon gathered. After a certain while the saint left the brethren and took upon himself the exploit of living atop a pillar. News of the stylite Stephen, and the miracles worked by his prayers, spread throughout all the Empire and strengthened the faith and spirit of Orthodoxy in the people.
The emperor gave orders to transfer Saint Stephen to prison on the island of Pharos, and then to bring him to trial. At the trial, the saint refuted the arguments of the heretics sitting in judgment upon him. He explained the dogmatic essence of icon veneration, and he denounced the Iconoclasts because in blaspheming icons, they blasphemed Christ and the Mother of God. As proof, the saint pointed to a golden coin inscribed with the image of the emperor. He asked the judges what would happen to a man who threw the coin to the ground , and then trampled the emperor’s image under his feet. They replied that such a man would certainly be punished for dishonoring the image of the emperor. The saint said that an even greater punishment awaited anyone who would dishonor the image of the King of Heaven and His Saints, and with that he spat on the coin, threw it to the ground, and began to trample it underfoot.
The emperor gave orders to take the saint to prison, where already there were languishing 342 Elders, condemned for the veneration of icons. In this prison Saint Stephen spent eleven months, consoling the imprisoned. The prison became like a monastery, where the usual prayers and hymns were chanted according to the Typikon. The people came to the prison in crowds and asked Saint Stephen to pray for them.
When the emperor learned that the saint had organized a monastery in prison, where they prayed and venerated holy icons, he sent two of his own servants, twin-brothers, to beat the saint to death. When these brothers went to the prison and beheld the face of the monk shining with a divine light, they fell down on their knees before him, asking his forgiveness and prayers, then they told the emperor that his command had been carried out. But the emperor learned the truth and he resorted to yet another lie. Informing his soldiers that the saint was plotting to remove him from the throne, he sent them to the prison. The holy confessor himself came out to the furious soldiers, who seized him and dragged him through the streets of the city. They then threw the lacerated body of the martyr into a pit, where they were wont to bury criminals.
On the following morning a fiery cloud appeared over Mount Auxentius, and then a heavy darkness descended upon the capital, accompanied by hail, which killed many people.
The canon to the venerable one, with 6 Troparia, the acrostic whereof is: “Christ crowneth thee with the wreath of martyrdom, O blessed one”, the composition of Joseph, 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.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Joyfully treading the narrow path of fasting, O blessed one, thou didst scorch the assaults of the enemy on the griddle of martyrdom and inherited spacious life.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
She who before was barren, the namesake of Hannah, brought thee forth as a root, like Samuel of old, and gave thee to God Who gave thee to her, O wise one, signifying the grace of thy life.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Arriving at the most sacred and divine rank of monastics, O venerable Stephen, thou didst shine forth like a most brilliant star in thy virtues, mystically illumining the faithful.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Confining thy body in a narrow dwelling, thou didst furnish thy mind with wings to fly to the heavens, O wise one, freeing thyself to soar well through the expanse of the heavens.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
With sacred voices let us glorify the holy Lady, O sacred people: the impassable portal, the pure temple of purity, her who is most comely among women.
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.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Thy mind, made beautiful through the vision of God, O father, was revealed to be most comely, truly filled with every grace, and partaking of divine splendor.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Venerating the precious icon of Christ and her who gave birth to Him, O blessed one, by the power of the divine Spirit thou didst despise the vile command of the impious emperor.
The most foolish one, binding with iron fetters thee who dost possess a heart of iron, sent thee to prison, O all-blessed Stephen, as a preserver of the dogmas of Christ.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst manifestly possess beautiful feet which tread radiantly the paths of martyrdom, O venerable one, and crushed the heads of the enemy, O much-suffering Stephen.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
From thee, the only pure one, did the supremely divine Word become incarnate, as is known; and He hath saved from corruption us who worship His divine condescension, in that He is full of loving-kindness.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Kontakion, Tone VIII, Spec. Mel. “To thee, the chosen leader …”: With all our heart, O ye who love the feasts of the Church, * let us faithfully praise with hymns the godly Stephen, the lover of the Trinity, * as one who venerated the beauteous image of the Master and His Mother; * and together let us now cry out to him, rejoicing with love: ** Rejoice, O ever-glorious father!
Sessional Hymn, Tone I, Spec. Mel.: “Thy tomb, O Saviour …”: Thy blood, O divinely wise one, mystically crieth out to God from the earth like that of Abel; for thou didst clearly preach that Christ was both God and man. Wherefore, thou didst put to shame the delusion of the iconoclasts and hast passed over to the mansions of heaven. Pray thou that Christ save us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone I, same melody: Luminous in fasting, thou didst shine in lawful suffering like gold in the crucible, O wise one; and received a crown which befitteth thy calling. Wherefore, rejoicing, we celebrate thy most holy memory, honoring thy feats, O ever-memorable Stephen.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion, Tone I: O pure Virgin Theotokos who knewest not wedlock, thou sole intercessor and protection of the faithful: from tribulations, sorrows and cruel circumstances deliver all who place their trust in thee, O Maiden, and save our souls by thy divine supplications.
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.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Illumined with the light of the Spirit, O father, thou didst impart light to the blind by thy supplications, emulating thy Master and God, O divinely inspired one.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Thou hast been seen by those sailing afar off at sea, by divine grace piloting to a calm harbour those who with faith invoke thy name, O blessed father Stephen.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
As a sacred minister, thou didst offer thyself as a sacred immolation unto Him Who was slain for thy sake, O Stephen, and, rejoicing, thou hast found rest in the mansions of the first-born.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The dry field wast shown to be wholly healthy by thy precious word, O martyr, and we marvel at the grace given thee abundantly from on high for the correction of all mankind.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
On thee, O all-immaculate one, have I set all hope of my salvation, and I have fled to thy protection. Be thou my helper, O Maiden, delivering me from evil things.
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.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Our God, Who alone is the Judge of the contest, strengthened thee against the murderers, O venerable Stephen, and truly crowned thy labors of fasting with the honors of martyrdom.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Struggling right gloriously, thou wast found, O martyr, sharing fellowship with a multitude of martyrs in prison; for, surrounding thee like stars around a never-waning sun, they shone all the more greatly.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
O sacred confessors with divine words as emulators of the divine sufferings, we bless you, the three hundred and forty-two who contended against the ungodly.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
For the icon of Christ the most virtuously glorious multitude of the venerable endured the mockery of having their hair shorn off, their ears and hands severed, and their divine members burned away.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O most pure one, who alone hast truly given birth to the Most holy One on earth; sanctify those who ceaselessly profess thee to be the Theotokos, and save us by thy mediation.
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 Most Merciful One.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
The author of evil was unable to endure the power of thy words; wherefore, O Stephen, the deceiver savagely gave thee over to bonds, wounds and a violent death.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Thou wast burned like bread baked by fire, suspended pitilessly by thy feet, O Paul; thus offering thyself as a sacrifice to God, and been deemed worthy to dwell with the martyrs. With faith and love we bless you, O ye thirty-eight venerable monks who suffered lawfully in Ephesus, imprisoned and deprived of life by suffocation.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst mightily oppose the judge, O right glorious Peter of great renown, and, with thy body lacerated by stripes, thou didst desire to die for Christ, the only Immortal One.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Theotokos, with steadfast heart we bless thee, who alone among women art all-hymned and comely, the invincible rampart of Christians, the most pure Lady.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone III, Spec. Mel. “Today the Virgin…”: From a barren woman didst thou, the offshoot of a root, grow forth, * O venerable father, * namesake of the protomartyr; * and thou wast shown to be a great instructor of monks, * unafraid of the wrath of the emperor * who did not wish to venerate the image of Christ. * Wherefore, in dying thou didst receive ** the crown of martyrdom, O Stephen.
Ikos: He who is the father of hatred and a stranger to God raised many temptations and threefold waves against thee; yet he could not bear to look upon thy godly life and the straight and undeviating steps of thy path. The vile one devised evils against thee, feigning to be thy disciple, like Judas of old; and made haste to place thee in the hands of the iniquitous, O father, who splendidly confessed Christ and venerated His image with love. Wherefore, thou hast received the crown of martyrdom, O Stephen.
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.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Thine end was announced to thee by the all-accomplishing will of God, O blessed one; wherefore, thou didst give thyself over to yet greater fasting, and now, having been slain for Christ Who is God over all, thou hast gone from glory to glory.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Thine end was announced to thee by the all-accomplishing will of God, O blessed one; wherefore, thou didst give thyself over to yet greater fasting, and now, having been slain for Christ Who is God over all, thou hast gone from glory to glory.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Thou wast glorified with the protomartyr of the same name as thee; for, stoned, dragged and beaten mercilessly, thou didst fill the earth with blood and, rejoicing, surrendered thy soul to the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Dragged through the streets of the city, O martyr Stephen, thou didst smooth the way of martyrdom for all the faithful; and stepping forth upon it confidently, they have manifestly reached the city of heaven.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The most sacred prophets announced beforehand the supremely revealed mystery of thine honoured birthgiving, O pure one. And we, splendidly contemplating the fulfilment thereof, now piously call thee blessed.
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.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Most savagely, like wild beasts, the murderous ones seized the lamb of Christ, beating him, and they who live iniquitously buried him with the malefactors.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Pitilessly the enemy crushed thy head which God hath crowned with the wreath of victory in the highest, O crowned sufferer, glory of martyrs and all the venerable.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
The divinely wise and righteous Andrew, steadfastly opposing the tyrant, was broken by blows and mercilessly slain, chanting to Christ God throughout all ages.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As a most holy habitation of Him Who resteth in all the saints, O much-suffering Stephen, thou dost bear Him in thy heart throughout all ages.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
With the sprinkling of the divine blood which flowed from the side of thy Son and God, O Virgin who art blessed of God, wash away, I pray thee, the defilement which hath come upon me through wicked sin.
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.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Beholding the ranks of angels, patriarchs, the venerable, prophets, martyrs, apostles and all the righteous, O divinely inspired one, thou didst rejoice; and as thou hast now joined them, be thou mindful of, and help those of us on earth, who in a pure manner call thee blessed.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Thou wast like a light, like the dawning, like the great sun, like the star-spangled sky replete with the splendours of miracles and holy wounds, O Stephen, truly adorning the thoughts of all who praise thee, O much-suffering martyr.
Venerable Martyr, Stephen, pray to God for us.
Having first destroyed the princes of darkness with the steadfast feats of asceticism, O father, thou didst later suffer mightily, giving them over to utter destruction, O Stephen, beauty of the martyrs and boast of the venerable.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thy most glorious memory doth today illumine the multitudes of the earthborn with the most radiant beams of the gifts of the Spirit, O divinely blessed Stephen. Illumine and sanctify us who now joyfully celebrate it.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O divinely joyous one, abode of the Light, true confirmation of hieromartyrs and boast of all the venerable: from misfortunes, evil circumstances and the invasion of enemies save us who hymn thee.
Troparion, Tone IV: Struggling in fasting upon the mountain, * thou didst slay the noetic hordes of the enemy * with the weapon of the Cross, O all-blessed one, * manfully arming thyself again for martyrdom, * slaying Copronymus with the sword of the Faith. * And for both hast thou been crowned by God, ** O ever-memorable venerable martyr Stephen.
Dear brothers and sisters,
It was lovely to see that the Mother of God was greeted and honoured with so many flowers, and their remaining presence in the Oratory Church now is a testimony to the love of the faithful for the Theotokos.
Our gratitude must especially be directed to the Oratorians, especially to Brother Francis Xavier, who stayed up very late, as we did not lock up and leave St Alban’s until after midnight. May the blessing of the Mother of God give him and his brethren strength.
Dear brothers and sisters,
