The Canon to the Theotokos, in Tone IV; the acrostic whereof is: “I dare to offer thee praise, O Theotokos”
Ode I, Irmos: I shall open my mouth, * and be filled with the Spirit, * and utter discourse to the Queen and Mother; * and be seen radiantly keeping festival, * joyfully praising her wonders.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Disdain not my lowliness, O Theotokos, and compensate for my weakness; sanctify my heart and mind, and open thou my lips, that I may make bold to offer thee a hymn.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
With heartfelt faith we honour thy most pure image, and bowing down before it with compunction, as though beholding thee, the Theotokos, in very truth, and shedding drops of tears, we cry aloud: Rejoice, O Mary, full of grace, blessed Mother of God!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Emulating the angelic hosts, let us surround thine image with fear and love, magnifying thee, the prototype, together, and calling upon thy most sweet name: Rejoice, O all-immaculate Bride of God!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Come, O ye faithful, and let us kiss the holy icon of the Mother of God with love, for she doth pour forth healings therefrom abundantly, and doth work innumerable miracles for those who have recourse to it with faith and love. Wherefore we cry out to the ever-Virgin: Rejoice!
Ode III, Irmos: O Theotokos, thou living and plentiful fount, * establish in spiritual fellowship those who sing hymns to thee, * and in thy divine glory * grant them crowns of glory.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The eyes of our mind rushing headlong into the abyss of the ages, we see there thine icon, O most pure one, shining more brightly than the sun with rays of mercy, illumining thy home, the Russian land, O Theotokos. Wherefore, we cry unto thee: Rejoice, O our protection and defence!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
In its bosom the dark oak of Kursk kept the radiant wonder, the most pure icon of the Mother of God, which had been cut in twain by the impious and grew back together through the power of God. Wherefore, recovering it like a great treasure, the Russian people cried out: Rejoice, O our protection and defence!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Whence is this, that the most blessed Mother of God cometh unto us? A spring of living water sprang forth at the place where the image of the Theotokos abode, refreshing the faithful with streams of healing and curing every wound and infirmity. Wherefore, we cry aloud to her who is full of grace: Rejoice, thou true life-bearing fount!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
At the root of a tree was discovered the icon of her who ineffably gave rise to the Tree of life and budded forth for the world the blessed Fruit. Wherefore, now celebrating the feast of its appearance, we cry out to the most pure one: O most blessed Lady, sever our evil passions at the root, implanting in us good habits, setting out a garden of virtues in us, granting us to be partakers of the life of paradise!
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, Tone VII: What feast is more radiant or more beautiful than those of the most pure Mother of God? And what name, apart from the name of sweetest Jesus, is more sweet than the name of Mary? For lo! surpassing all the choirs of angels in purity and glory, resplendent as the Mother of the Almighty, she embraceth the whole world, saving sinners and leading the righteous to the heavenly mansions, she casteth down enemies and most gloriously crusheth the head of the serpent. Wherefore, we cry out to her: Every creature doth rejoice in thee, O thou who art full of grace! Glory be to thee!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Repeat the Sessional Hymn
Ode IV, Irmos: He who sitteth in glory upon the throne of the Godhead, * Jesus the true God, * is come in a swift cloud * and with His sinless hands he hath saved those who cry: * Glory to Thy power, O Christ.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Today the Church of Russia doth celebrate, adorned in a godly manner with the glory of the newly-revealed icon of the Theotokos; and chanting divinely beauteous hymns, it calleth to all the faithful, saying: Come, let us rejoice in the Mother of our God, and let us bow down before her precious image, through which the most pure Virgin doth richly bestow gifts of grace upon the Christian people who cry aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
O chosen one of the Mother of God, venerable Father Seraphim, ever-vigilant intercessor for the Russian land, thou seest our fervent eagerness, thou hearest the entreaties we offer up before the most pure icon, through which, as a grievously suffering child, thou wast granted healing. Wherefore, stand thou with us, lifting up thy venerable hands, and cry out on our behalf to the Theotokos, that for thy sake she may be well pleased to accept our prayers.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
By thy divine power thou didst confound the mad scheme of the impious atheists to destroy thine icon, O Lady, and didst preserve it unharmed by any destructive action; and while the earth quaked and pillars were cast down, thine icon but turned, averting its face from the vile deeds of men. Wherefore, marvelling at this most glorious wonder, we earnestly entreat thee: Turn not thy most pure face away from us, for lo! with contrite hearts we flee to thee and weep, and cry out in compunction: Let not our wickedness prevail over thy tender compassion, but have mercy and save us!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou didst preserve thy precious icon unharmed by the hands of the evildoers and cruel atheists who trampled down the holy things of God, and upon thy people didst thou bestow it, which we keep as the apple of our eye. Wherefore, O Lady, do thou ever reveal the sign of thy mercy unto us therein.
Ode V, Irmos: All creation stands in awe of thy divine glory; * for thou, O Virgin who hast not known wedlock, * didst contain within thy womb the God of all, * and gave birth to the timeless Son, * bestowing peace, upon all who hymn thee.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Let us radiantly celebrate this light-bearing day, whereon a spiritual ray hath shone forth unto the salvation of the world in the nativity of the most pure Bride of God, whereon also the icon of the Theotokos, like the morning star, announcing the day of deliverance, hath appeared to the land of Russia which languished in the darkness of misfortunes and sorrows. Wherefore, we cry to the most blessed one: Rejoice, for thou hast lighted a beacon of hope for us which cannot be extinguished!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Where sin increaseth, there doth the grace of God exceedingly abound. Wherefore, O Lady, look down upon our weakness, see our boundless abasement, but behold also our faith, and hearken to our cry; and hasten thou to assist us who are helpless, illumining us with thy mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Let us not fear the dark powers of Hades, but having put on the armour of light, let us manfully stand against them, having the all-hymned Theotokos as commander. For lo! she doth mightily war against the enemy, helping the faithful who call upon her most pure name.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We confess thee in truth to be the Theotokos, and we honour the form of thy most pure countenance in an Orthodox manner. We turn away from every sin and vile act; we pray to be granted to do good, and, humbling our souls, we cry: Most holy Theotokos, save us!
Ode VI, Irmos: Celebrating the divine and solemn feast * of the Mother of God * O ye divinely wise, * let us come, clapping our hands, * and glorify God who was born of her.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Let despondency depart from us, O brethren, and let the showers of adverse thoughts be dispelled by the Spirit of God; for lo! the Mother of God herself doth openly dwell amongst us, worshipped in her wonderworking icon, and shining brighter than the sun in the miracles that proceed therefrom. Wherefore, we cry out from the depths of our hearts: O most holy Lady, ever abide with us in thy grace!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
When temptation doth assail us, when we fall into sorrow and pain, when patience doth fail within us and our spirit is troubled, let us make haste to the image of the most holy Virgin and, pouring forth tears, cry out to her from our hearts: Stretch forth thy hands which held God unto us, and lead us up from the abyss of evil!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O thou who didst bear the everlasting Joy of the world, thou art the joy of joys who hast driven away the grief of sin and dost grant our troubled souls divine relief. Cease not thy supplications for the Christian world, for, after God, it is through thee that each is saved and led forth from the depths of offences.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lo! the hordes of evil demons that besiege Christians stand far off, watching, not daring to approach, fearing the glory of the icon of the Theotokos, which burneth the vile demons, but doth mightily aid the faithful, protecting them from all enemies.
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 VI: Come, ye faithful, let us radiantly celebrate * the wondrous appearance of the most precious image of the Mother of God, * and drawing grace therefrom, * let us cry out with compunction: * Rejoice, O Theotokos, ** blessed Mary, Mother of God!
Ikos: Through thee, O Theotokos, the pre-eternal Word was made flesh; through thee men have beheld the Sun of righteousness, upon Whom the angels dare not gaze: for in thine arms was borne Him Whom the cherubim bear aloft, and by thy most pure hands was held the Almighty Creator of all. O daughter of mortal Adam, thou wast called the one who gaveth birth to God. Wherefore, as one who alone hath maternal boldness before Him, pause not in thy prayers for the whole world, lifting up thy God-pleasing hands to thy Son, and inclining His love for mankind towards thy servants who cry out to thee with thankful mouths: Rejoice, O Theotokos, blessed Mary, Mother of God!
Ode VII, Irmos: Refusing to worship created things * in place of the Creator, * the divinely wise youths bravely trampled down the threatening fire * and rejoicing they sang aloud: * O supremely hymned Lord and God of our Fathers, Blessed art Thou.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The angels in thy service revere thee, the seraphim glorify thee in fear, O Theotokos; and how can we who dwell on earth dare to hymn thee with our impure lips? Yet we hope in thy mercy, and through thee unceasingly cry out to the Master and Creator of all: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
O Christ, accept Thy most pure Mother whom Thou hast given us as a help and who now doth fervently pray for us, that having attained unto life everlasting through her intercessions, we may cry aloud with all who have obtained salvation: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Lord, Who callest Thy Mother blessed, be Thou entreated by her intercessions, and may the light of Thy countenance be signed upon us, that, rising from the sleep of sin, we may piously begin to walk towards the day, unceasingly crying out in our hearts: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Emulating the children in Babylon, let us not bow down before the golden image of man-pleasing and Mammon, but let us venerate the image of the immaculate Mother of our God and, filled with heavenly joy, let us cry out to Christ, the Benefactor of all: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Ode VIII, Irmos: The Offspring of the Theotokos * saved the holy children in the furnace. * He who was then prefigured hath now been born on earth, * and He gathereth all creation to hymn thee: * all ye works praise ye the Lord * and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
With unceasing voices the seraphim hymn thee, O ever-Virgin; the choirs of the saints know not their fill of thy praises; all creation doth glorify thee without ceasing. And shall we alone remain silent? Yet, daring to hope on thy mercy, though unworthy, we glorify thee throughout all ages.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
All creatures shall in no wise cease to rejoice in thee, O Theotokos; for lo! as the Apostle hath said, tongues may cease and knowledge vanish away, but love never faileth. Wherefore, throughout all ages they shall chant praises offered to thee in love.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Tell us, O most pure one, what fitting praise can our infirmity offer thee? With what eyes dare we gaze upon thy precious image? Yet, as thou art good, disdain not now our hymns, and in the land of our earthly sojourn reveal to us the form of thy most radiant countenance, that we may glorify thee throughout all ages.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Surrounding thine ever-adored image in fear and love, O Sovereign Lady, laying aside all earthly cares and raising our spiritual eyes to the heavens, we taste the sweetness of paradise aforetime, which do thou grant us to enjoy that, obtaining everlasting life and salvation, we may joyfully hymn thee throughout all ages.
Ode IX, Irmos: Let every mortal born on earth, * radiant with light, in spirit leap for joy; * and let the host of the angelic powers * celebrate and honour the holy feast of the Mother of God, * and let them cry aloud: * Rejoice! O all-blessed Theotokos, * thou pure Ever-Virgin.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
O all-hymned Virgin, accept our hymns as thy Son did the widow’s mite, and grant us ever to offer them to thee, guiding our life in the world and granting remission of sins, that entering the heavenly mansions through thee, we may magnify thy loving- kindness.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Let those who do not confess thee to be the Theotokos and who do not honour thine icons be everlastingly put to shame; but let the faithful rejoice in thee. Let the Russian land be thine abode as of old; let holy monasteries abound and churches be beautifully adorned; and let the people be sanctified, that they may celebrate with gladness, magnifying thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Theotokos, our Queen, standing at the right hand of Christ God in the Kingdom of heaven, establish thou a Christian kingdom on earth, setting at naught the counsels of the impious and strengthening faith and piety, that all who dwell on earth may magnify thee with one mind.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Have we offered thee a worthy hymn, O Lady? Have we glorified thy precious icon as is due? For we know that even hymns a thousand-fold do not suffice for thy glorification, O Virgin. For if we hearken to the fervour of our hearts, our hymns should only be beginning. What, therefore, shall we do? We are at a loss and are in doubt. We glorify the sign of thy mercy, yet with never silent lips and heartfelt love we ever hymn and magnify thee.
Troparion, Tone IV: Having acquired thee as an unassailable rampart * and a fount of miracles, * we, thy servants, set at naught armies of adversaries, * O most pure Theotokos. * Wherefore, do we entreat thee: * Grant peace to our native land ** and great mercy to our souls!