The Canon to the Holy, Right-Believing Prince Wenceslaus

Ode I, Irmos: When Israel walked on foot in the sea as on dry land, * on seeing their pursuer Pharaoh drowned, * they cried: * Let us sing to God * a song of victory.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

O ye faithful, with joy let us join chorus, hymning the Savior with radiant souls, on the most wondrous memorial of Wenceslaus, the servant of Christ!

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Slain unjustly like an innocent lamb, thou didst emulate the sufferings of the Master, O glorious one; wherefore, thou dost now rejoice with the choirs of the martyrs, O thou who art blessed of God.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Receiving a death which won thee life, thou standest now in glory before the Master of all. Pray thou that we who keep thy most wondrous memory may also obtain it, O holy one.

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

Who can tell of the countless wonders which thou workest in the world, O glorious one? For thou dost continually grant healing in abundance unto all the faithful.

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

O Sovereign Lady, raise me up who have fallen among thieves through my soul-destroying deeds and am drowning in death. I pray thee: Entreat thy Son and God for me.

Ode III, Irmos: There is none as holy as Thou, * O Lord my God, * who hast exalted the horn of The faithful O good One, * and strengthened us upon the rock * of Thy confession.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Thou didst ever burn with Christian love for the Holy Church, O most blessed one, where, like an innocent lamb, thou didst look forward to thine unjust slaughter.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Adorned with thy most splendid blood, thy Church emitteth the radiant beams of miracles, hymning thy memory, O right glorious one.

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

Enlightened from childhood by the rays of the Trinity, O venerable one, thou didst become an heir of Christ. Him do thou entreat, that He send peace unto our souls.

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

Thy divine birthgiving doth transcend every other miracle, O pure one; for, having conceived in thy womb and given birth unto the transcendent God, thou didst remain Ever-virgin.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

Sessional Hymn, Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “Of the Wisdom …”: Seeking to prevent thee from ascending thy throne, the enemies of the Orthodox Faith murdered thy pious grandmother, the saintly Lyudmila, that she might no longer guide thee with Christian counsel; yet so well grounded wast thou by her in reverence for things divine and in love for Christ, that her martyrdom in nowise moved thee from thy sacred purpose, and the wiles of thine enemies served only to strengthen thee in thy resolve, and to gain for the Holy Church another martyr in heaven.

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

Theotokion, Tone VIII: All we, the generations of mankind, * call thee blessed, * in that thou art the Virgin who alone among women * hast given birth without seed unto God in the flesh; * for the fire of the Godhead made its abode within thee, * and thou didst feed the Creator and Lord * with milk as an infant. * Wherefore, we, the race of mankind and of angels, * glorify thy birthgiving, * and together we cry out to thee: * Entreat Christ God to grant forgiveness of sins ** unto those who with faith worship thy most holy Offspring.

Ode IV, Irmos: Christ is my power, * my God and my Lord, * the holy Church divinely singeth, * crying with a pure mind, * keeping festival in the Lord.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Lovingly raised in the pure Faith from childhood, by thy pure works thou didst lovingly follow the Master and put His false enemy to shame by thy hope.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Shining with radiance, O holy Wenceslaus, by thy supplications enlighten those who are darkened by sins, for with the choirs of the martyrs thou hast boldness to pray for us.

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

Cut down by the sword, O invincible saint, thou didst cut down the wicked foe with the sword of patience; wherefore, thou hast received a crown from the hand of the Almighty.

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

Truly the mysteries of thy divine birthgiving are ineffable and unattainable for those on earth and those in heaven, O Ever-virgin Theotokos.

Ode V, Irmos: Illumine with Thy divine light, I pray, O Good One, * the souls of those who with love rise early to pray to Thee, * that they may know Thee, O Word of God, * as the true God, * Who recalleth us from the darkness of sin.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Having received through thy sufferings the life which is devoid of pain, O all- praised and holy Wenceslaus, thou hast been shown to be a help for all who suffer and with faith call upon thee for aid.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

With the most radiant beams of thy miracles thou hast enlightened the north, the south and the west more than the sun, O blessed one; wherefore, illumine us who celebrate thy memory, O saint.

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

Thou wast a helper of those amid misfortunes, the sustainer of the poor, and the comfort of the grieving; wherefore, even after thy death, O holy one, thou dost deliver all who with faith call upon thee for help.

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

O good Sovereign Lady of the world, save those who with all their soul confess thee to be the Theotokos; for we have thee, who art truly the Theotokos, as our help, O immaculate one.

Ode VI, Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, * I run to Thy calm haven, and cry to Thee: * Raise up my life from corruption, * O greatly Merciful One.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Having acquired a pure life through fasting, O most wondrous Wenceslaus, thou hast been revealed to be a fellow citizen with the angels. With them pray thou for the salvation of our souls.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Forsaking a transitory earthly princedom, and receiving a royal adornment from the right hand of the Master, thou didst acquire through corruptible things that which is eternal, in that thou art wise.

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

O holy one, accept praise from the accursed lips of one who is unable to fashion worthy praises for thee, and entreat the merciful God, that He grant us great mercy.

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

O most pure Lady who for mortals gave birth to the Helmsman and Lord, confound my wicked lusts, and grant serenity unto my heart.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

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

Kontakion, Tone I, Spec. Mel.“The choir of the angels …”: Standing with the choirs of the angels, * O blessed Prince Wenceslaus, * thou delightest in divine and ineffable goodness; * and drawing thence the goodly gifts of miracles, * thou pourest forth abundant cures upon all ** who with faith flee to thy holiness.

Ikos: Great is the consternation of the enemy of our salvation! For, seeking to destroy the Christian Faith which was planted in Bohemia by the pious Borivoy and the holy Lyudmila, he instilled within the accursed Prince Boleslaus the treacherous intention to murder his godly brother, the holy Prince Wenceslaus, and thus unjustly to seize his throne. Yet the Savior bestowed upon His martyr so great an abundance of the grace of miracles that the people of Bohemia were amazed and hastened to be enlightened. Thus the machinations of the devil were utterly foiled, and the Holy Orthodox Church grew and thrived. And even to this day the precious relics of the martyr pour forth an abundance of cures upon all who with faith flee to his holiness.

Ode VII, Irmos: An Angel made the furnace bedew the holy Children. * But the command of God consumed the Chaldeans * and prevailed upon the tyrant to cry: * O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

The ancient malefactor envied thy sacred life and incited the mindless brigand to slay thee; but with a pure conscience thou didst unceasingly cry out to thy Creator: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Prague, thy most glorious city, danceth with gladness today, honoring thy memory, and, radiantly emitting thy miracles, it calleth the whole land to cry aloud: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

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

Through the deception of the wicked one, of old the ground was stained by the hand of Cain, who slew his own brother; but sprinkled now with blood, it offereth sacrifices of sweet savor unto Christ, crying: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

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

Through thee, O Virgin, Light hath shone forth upon those in darkness, for thou hast given birth to the Creator and God of all. Him do thou beseech, O most pure one, that He ever send down great mercy upon us, the faithful.

Ode VIII, Irmos: Thou didst make flame bedew the holy children, * and didst burn the sacrifice of a righteous man with water. * For Thou alone, O Christ, dost do all as Thou willest, * Thee do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Sanctified from on high by rays of grace, O most glorious one, thou didst shine forth more brightly than the sun in the land of Bohemia with the beauties of gladness, supremely exalting Christ throughout the ages.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Receiving thy holy body today, O blessed one, Prague, thine all-praised city, proclaimeth thy most wondrous miracles unto all the world, supremely exalting Christ throughout the ages.

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

Adorned with meekness and illumined with a proper understanding of Orthodoxy, O most wondrous one, thou wast truly shown to be a herald of the most holy Trinity, supremely exalting Christ throughout the ages.

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

Thou didst ineffably conceive and give birth unto the Transcendent One, the Word, the Bestower of light, Who is begotten of Light, O Virgin, for the Spirit of God made His abode within thee. Wherefore, we hymn thee, O pure one, throughout all ages.

Ode IX, Irmos: It is impossible for mankind to see God * upon Whom the orders of Angels dare not gaze; * but through thee, O all-pure one, * did the Word Incarnate become a man * and with the Heavenly Hosts * Him we magnify and thee we call blessed.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Thou wast deemed worthy of great grace, O glorious one, and hast illumined the whole world, granting healings in abundance unto all.

Holy, right-believing prince,Wenceslaus, pray to God for us.

Accept the joy of the angels, O holy one, and, standing before thy Creator, pray for us who magnify thee.

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

Thou hast now received blessed repose, O most glorious one. Cease thou never to pray that those who magnify thee may continually share in holy blessedness.

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

O Virgin Theotokos, who after the word of the archangel hast given birth to thy Creator in a manner beyond all telling, entreat Him, that our souls be saved.

Troparion, in Tone IV: Today angels and men share a common joy. * Heaven and earth join together in splendid chorus for thy memorial, O holy one. * And we sinners earnestly cry aloud unto thee: * Pray thou to the Master on our behalf, * that from dangers and from visible and invisible foes, * He may deliver us ** who honor thine all-honored memory.

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