The Canon to St Parasceve of Rome

Ode I, Irmos: Having traversed the depths of the Red Sea with dryshod feet, Israel of old vanquished the might of Amalek in the wilderness by Moses’ arms stretched out in the form of the Cross.

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

O most praised and glorious martyr Parasceva, pray that, by thy petitions to the Lord, grace may be granted us who hymn thy radiant memory.

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

Thinking to break the power of thine endurance, O martyr, with threats the governor commanded thee to worship graven images; yet by thy wise words thou didst set his audacity at nought.

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

Casting down the wiles of the enemy with the weapon of the Cross, thou wast shown to be the beauty of the martyrs, and thou didst preach the pious Faith, as a martyr vanquishing the cruelty of the rulers.

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

The Word was born of thine all-pure blood, O Mistress, receiving animate flesh; and with divine power He hath restored us who fell through the venom of the deceiver.

Ode III, Irmos: Thy Church rejoiceth in Thee, O Christ, crying aloud: Thou art my strength, O Lord, my refuge and my consolation!

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

The divine Spirit made steadfast what was weak and showed the divine radiance of thy soul to be most splendid.

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

Strengthened by the power of Christ, O martyr of Christ, like the hardest of diamonds thou didst endure pitiless lashings with leather cords.

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

With love for God, in the arena thou didst steadfastly endure the flogging of thy body with scorpions and countless other beatings.

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

Thou alone, O Mother of God, wast the bestower of heavenly blessings upon those on earth; wherefore, we say to thee: Rejoice!

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

Kontakion, Tone VIII: Come, ye faithful, and let us melodiously sing a hymn to the passion-bearer Parasceva, for she shineth forth miracles in the world, dispelling the darkness of deception and granting abundant grace to the faithful who chant: Rejoice, O much suffering martyr!

Sessional Hymn, Tone V: Having consecrated thyself for Christ from earliest childhood, thou didst please Him, the Savior of all, as a martyr; and steadfastly trampling the audacity of the tyrants underfoot, thou didst endure sufferings with manliness. Wherefore, Christ, crowning thee, led thee into the heavenly bridal-chamber of glory. O right wondrous Parasceva, entreat Christ God, that He grant us remission of sins.

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 generation of men, call thee, the Virgin, blessed, who alone among women gavest birth unto God in the flesh without seed; for the fire of the Godhead dwelt within thee, and with milk thou didst nurture the Creator and Lord as a babe. Wherefore, we, the race of angels and men, glorify thine all-holy birthgiving as is meet, and cry out to thee together: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of offenses unto those who with faith worship thine all-holy birthgiving!

Ode IV, Irmos: Beholding Thee lifted up upon the Cross, O Sun of righteousness, the Church stood rooted in place, crying out as is meet: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

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

Having received healings, gifts and visions, O glorious one, thou dost ever pour forth streams of grace upon those who honor thee with faith and have recourse to thy temple.

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

Truly lacking any blemish and defilement, but having acquired sanctification of body, thou didst behold the angels, and with them didst cry out: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

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

How fearful was the sign of the dread day, when the suffering of the Savior was depicted in thy womanly body, and thou didst behold the Cross, the reed, the crown [of thorns] and the sponge.

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

Thou didst conceive without knowing wedlock, O Virgin, and even after giving birth thou wast shown to be virgin still. Wherefore, with unceasing voices and unwavering faith we cry out to thee: Rejoice, O Mistress!

Ode V, Irmos: Thou hast come, O my Lord, as a light into the world: a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance those who hymn Thee with faith.

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

Thou didst struggle, O honorable one, and before the tribunal didst intellectually best the all-wise rhetors of the tyrant, preaching Christ.

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

Possessed of a steadfast mind, with unwavering thought thou didst put to shame all the worship of the idols by thine understanding of the Scriptures.

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

Joining chorus with the divinely wise virgins, thou wast vouchsafed a noetic bed and bridal-­chamber, O glorious Parasceva.

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

O Bride of God, we find thee to be an unbreakable sword against the enemy, for we have acquired thee as our anchor and hope of salvation.

Ode VI, Irmos: I will sacrifice to Thee with a voice of praise, O Lord, the Church crieth unto Thee, cleansed of the blood of demons by the blood which, for mercy’s sake, flowed from Thy side.

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

The great slab of rock which was set upon thy breast and the nails which pierced thy hands did the Lord speedily remove with His divine hand and the coming of His angel, O glorious martyr.

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

We glorify thee as a new protomartyr Thecla, for thou didst preach to all, didst enlighten many with the divine word, and didst lead unbelievers to the divine Faith.

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

Thy mellifluous mouth opened, boldly teaching the knowledge unto all, O treasury of divine dogmas, Parasceva, adornment of the martyrs.

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

Theotokion: O wonder stranger than all other wonders! For the Virgin, conceiving in her womb Him Who encompasseth all things, without knowing man, was not restricted.

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

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

Kontakion, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “Thou hast appeared today…”: Finding thy temple to be a source of spiritual healing, O most honored one, therein all the faithful honor thee aloud, O glorious and venerable martyr Parasceva.

Ikos: The Bridegroom, summoning thee as His bride, adorned thee with the crown of immortality, O divinely wise and most praised Parasceva, and hath numbered thee among the honorable martyrs who have received their crowns. Rejoicing with them, be thou mindful of those who celebrate thy holy feast and come together in thy temple; for standing forth now therein, with all our soul we offer thee hymns, O glorious and venerable martyr Parasceva.

Ode VII, Irmos: The children of Abraham in the Persian furnace, afire with love of piety more than with the flame, cried out: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord!

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

Preserved by the Lord before the tribunal of the ungodly, O martyr, thou didst firmly strengthen thy hands; and consumed by the flame, then thou didst sing, saying: Blessed art Thou, O my God and Lord!

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

The burning fire in no-wise consumed thee, but burned up the ungodly, O maiden; and Christ preserved thee unharmed, as of old with His mighty hand He preserved the fearless youths in the midst of the thunderous fire.

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

“Let the demonic idols and gods perish, who did not fashion the whole earth and heaven with wisdom!”, thou didst cry. “Christ the Lord is the Creator of all things!”, thou didst proclaim.

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

Theotokion: Rejoice, O sanctified and divine habitation of the Most High! For through thee, O Theotokos, hath joy been granted those who cry: blessed art thou among women, O most immaculate Mistress!

Ode VIII, Irmos: Stretching forth his hands, Daniel shut the lions’ mouths in the pit; and the young lovers of piety, girded about with virtue, quenched the power of the fire, crying out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

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

Thou didst show them to be not gods, but lying demonic apparitions, O martyr, and didst in every way trample them underfoot and didst utterly ­destroy them, unceasingly crying out in gladness unto Christ: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

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

When the temple of the idols quaked on earth at thy coming, O honored one, Apollo fell and the idols were pierced through by the power of the precious Cross wherewith thou wast mystically protected; and with great boldness thou didst cry out: All ye works, bless ye the Lord!

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

Wounded by Thy beauty and love, O Christ, the pure Parasceva endured the burning of the fire, crying out: Suffering steadfastly now in the fragrance of Thy divine myrrh, I run unceasingly after Thee, glorifying Thy divine name.

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

the Mother of God. Thou wast the abode of the Godhead, O all-pure one, yet wast not consumed by the fire of the unapproachable Light. Wherefore, we all glorify thee, O Mary Bride of God.

Ode IX, Irmos: Christ, the Chief Cornerstone uncut by human hands, Who united the two disparate natures, was cut from thee, the unquarried mountain, O Virgin. Wherefore, in gladness we magnify thee, O Theotokos.

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

Thou didst spurn this fleeting and transitory life, O divinely wise martyr, having beheld the inconceivable beauty of thy Bridegroom, and been manifestly tortured for Him. Wherefore, thou didst receive an imperishable crown, O good virgin.

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

Having heard the voice of God answering the pleas of thy heart from heaven, O Parasceva, thou didst vigilantly finish the race, O honored martyr, fleeing to Him when thy precious head was cut off.

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

Entreat Christ, O Parasceva, that He grant victory over the enemy, remission of sins, and deliverance from misfortunes unto all who with most fervent faith come to thy divine temple.

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

Thou wast shown to surpass the cherubim and to be more exalted than the heavens, O pure Virgin Mary, having given birth to the Angel of great Counsel, the coming Judge of all, Who with the Father is equally without beginning.

Troparion, Tone I: Possessed of a readiness in accord with thy name, O namesake thereof, thou didst choose as a companion a faith equal to thy name, O victorious Parasceva; wherefore, thou pourest forth healings, and prayest for our souls.

Posted in Prayers, Saints.

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