Canon of the holy myrrh-bearer, the acrostic whereof is: “With love do I hymn Mary Magdalene”, the composition of Theophanes, 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 Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Adorned with godly beauties and divinely radiant splendors, O Mary, illumine my darkened heart with thy supplications.
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
The Word of the Father sanctified thee, manifestly delivering thee from the malice of evil spirits. And, becoming His disciple, thou wast filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Filled with life-creating waters from a never-failing Wellspring, the Master Who appeared upon earth in His loving-kindness, thou didst dry up the muddy torrents of sin.
We hymn thee, the Mother of the Creator of our nature, O Maiden who hast reconciled fallen human nature with God, O most immaculate Mistress and Theotokos.
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 Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Loving first the First Cause of good things, Who in the goodness of His heart hath deified our nature, thou didst follow Him zealously, O Mary, submitting to His divine precepts.
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Loving first the First Cause of good things, Who in the goodness of His heart hath deified our nature, thou didst follow Him zealously, O Mary, submitting to His divine precepts.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Lamenting, thou didst reach the tomb of the Deliverer, O maiden, and wast the first to behold the divine resurrection. Wherefore, thou didst show thyself to be a herald of the glad tidings, crying out: Christ is risen! Clap your hands!
The Word Who was incarnate of thine all-pure blood, O all-pure one, in the richness of His goodness saveth me, releasing me from the condemnation of the first fall. Him do thou unceasingly beseech, that He save thy flock.
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 of the myrrh-bearer, Tone VIII, Spec. Mel. “Of the Wisdom…”: Thou didst truly and manifestly, as a disciple, minister to the Word, Who had abased Himself in His surpassing loving-kindness, O Mary Magdalene; and beholding Him lifted up upon the Cross and laid in the tomb, thou didst lament, weeping. Wherefore, we honor thee and with faith observe thy solemnity. O glorious myrrh-bearer, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins to those who with love honor thy holy memory.
Ode IV, Irmos: I have heard, O Lord, the mystery of Thy dispensation; I have understood Thy works, and have glorified Thy divinity.
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Possessing a mind devoid of the tumult of worldly vanity, thou didst minister unto Him Who came to save the whole world from deception.
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Bathed in thy tears thou didst reach the life-bearing tomb, O Mary, and didst behold the angel, who announced the resurrection of Christ.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thy heart was blameless in the precepts of Christ, and thou didst desire Him alone, Who is beautiful in comeliness, O right glorious one.
O Maiden, the sleep of sin hath overtaken me through the slumber of slothfulness. By thy vigilant supplication do thou rouse me to repentance.
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 Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Our first mother, seeing the one who of old deluded her with his words and drove her from paradise trampled under the feet of pure women who have acquired manly integrity, rejoiceth with them eternally.
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Wounded with love for Him Who died and was enclosed in a tomb, breathing forth life for all, O honorable Mary Magdalene, thou offerest myrrh to His sweet love, and pourest forth the perfume of thy tears.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
After the divine suffering and the awesome ascension of the Savior, thou didst go forth, announcing the word everywhere, as a glorious disciple of the Word, and pursuing the many who were deceived by ignorance.
He Whose good pleasure it was, in His boundless mercy, to be born of thee, O all-holy Maiden, delivereth me, who have fallen into the cunningly wrought pitfalls of sin. Him do thou beseech, that those who hymn thee with faith may be delivered from all harm.
Ode VI, Irmos: Cleanse me, O Savior, 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 Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
The dew of thy words dispelled the burning heat of the disciples’ grief, O honored one, for thou didst cry out: “Christ hath risen! Our Life hath appeared! The brilliant Sun hath shone forth!”
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
The dew of thy words dispelled the burning heat of the disciples’ grief, O honored one, for thou didst cry out: “Christ hath risen! Our Life hath appeared! The brilliant Sun hath shone forth!”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Behold, thy splendid commemoration hath shone forth, illumining the faithful who hymn thee thereon, and dispelling the darkness of the temptations of the evil demons, O right wondrous one.
O all-immaculate one, thou hast been shown to be a noetic and untouchable mercy-seat of sanctity, a lustrous candlestick, and a bridge leading to God those who confess thee to be the Theotokos.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion of the myrrh-bearer, Tone III, Spec. Mel.“Today the Virgin…”: Standing before the Cross of the Savior with many others, suffering with the Mother of the Lord and pouring forth tears, the all-glorious one made this offering as praise, saying: “What is this strange wonder? Is it Thy will to suffer, O Thou Who sustainest all creation? Glory to Thy dominion!”
Ikos: Without leaving heaven, Christ, the King and Master of creation, descended as He desired, and of His own will took upon Himself transitory flesh. Watching Him nailed to the Cross, His immaculate Mother stood nearby with the honored virgins. And Mary Magdalene was also there, weeping, who, ever showing most fervent faith, had followed Christ. And when she looked upon the tomb, she cried out in expectation: “Thy good pleasure hath it been to suffer! Glory to Thy dominion!”
Ode VII, Irmos: In the furnace the Hebrew children boldly trod the flame underfoot and transformed the fire into dew, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Thou hast dispelled divers ailments, having the Word working within thee, before Whom thou now dost stand, O myrrh-bearer, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Thou hast dispelled divers ailments, having the Word working within thee, before Whom thou now dost stand, O myrrh-bearer, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Before the others thou alone didst behold Christ our Life arisen, but thou didst suppose Him to be a gardener, and didst cry out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!
Having conceived and given birth to the immortal God, O pure one, thou didst halt the course of death. To Him let us all chant: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!
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 Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Splendid was thy life, O Magdalene, and it shone forth with the rays of thy virtuous acts and thy divine preaching at God’s behest, and with beams of love for the Creator, to Whom thou dost chant with the angels: Ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely forever!
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Splendid was thy life, O Magdalene, and it shone forth with the rays of thy virtuous acts and thy divine preaching at God’s behest, and with beams of love for the Creator, to Whom thou dost chant with the angels: Ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely forever!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst stand before the Cross, O glorious Mary, beholding the unjust slaughter of Him Who, in His ineffable mercy, had abased Himself; and, overflowing with tears and sighs, thou didst cry out: “What is this strange mystery? How is He Who is by nature Life and hath slain death, Himself put to death and dieth?”
With oneness of mind we glorify thee, the Mother of God, who art more exalted than creation, O pure one; for in thee hath the condemnation which began with Adam been annulled, and the fallen nature of men been restored, which chanteth: Ye priests, bless; ye people, exalt Him supremely forever!
Ode IX, Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, and the ends of the earth were amazed, that God hath appeared in the flesh, and that thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. Wherefore, the ranks of men and angels magnify thee as the Theotokos.
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Thou hast now been transported to divine joy, to the broad expanse of paradise, to the noetic and heavenly mansions, where the ranks of the venerable dwell, and where the voice of those who keep splendid festival is heard, O God-bearing Mary. Wherefore, we all call thee blessed.
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, Mary Magdalene, pray to God for us.
Nought didst thou prefer on earth to the love of Christ God, and consumed by His beauties alone and following His steps, directly illumined by the rays He sendeth upon thee, O most honored one, thou didst cry out: “Thee do I magnify, O greatly Merciful One!”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having received divinely imparted deification, having drunk of the torrent of grace, and in godly manner received recompense for thy pangs, O Magdalene, disciple of the Word, numbered with the ranks of the angels, by thy supplications preserve those who honor thee with love.
As the Mother of Him Who suffered for us, deliver me from soul-corrupting passions; as thou art merciful, loose thou the bonds of mine offenses; and as thou art good, bless now my soul, which hath been vexed by the temptations of the demons, O Virgin Theotokos, that I may hymn thee, the most hymned one.
Troparion, Tone I: The honorable Mary Magdalen followed after Christ, Who for our sake was born of the Virgin, keeping His precepts and laws. Wherefore, celebrating thy most holy memory today, through thy supplications we receive remission of sins.