A Supplicatory Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos
Ode I, Irmos: Thy victorious right arm, * in a manner befitting God, * hath been glorified in strength, O Immortal One; * for in its infinite strength it shattered the enemy, * fashioning anew a path for the Israelites through the deep.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
He Who is incomprehensible to the armies of heaven received flesh of thy flesh, О all-immaculate Maiden, and hath restored her who became corrupt through the first sin of disobedience.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О ye faithful, with hymns let us bless her who gave birth to the Word of God in a manner past all telling; for she, the most immaculate one, hath been revealed to be the adornment of mortals, becoming the intercessor for all who sin.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou hast been shown to be more spacious than the heavens, for thou didst contain the Creator of all things, О Ever-virgin Mother. Wherefore, I cry to thee: Deliver me from all deadly straits, О divinely joyous one.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О pure one, grant help to us who are tempest-tossed by the turmoil of tribulations; cast down the wicked uprisings of our enemies; and grant salvation to all who glorify thee with piety.
Ode III, Irmos: Thou alone knowest the weakness of human nature * and in compassion hast assumed its form; * do Thou gird me with power from on high, * that I may cry unto Thee: * Holy is the animate temple of Thine ineffable glory, O Lover of mankind!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
He Who is full hath emptied Himself for our sake, and He Who is unoriginate hath received a beginning through thee, О most immaculate Virgin; the Invisible One is seen, and He Who sustaineth all things is fed with milk, intending thus to restore mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Heal thou our broken state, О Virgin who knewest not wedlock, who hast given birth to the Lord and Healer Who through grace hath shown us the entry to life. Him do thou unceasingly beseech, that He have pity and save thy servants.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having wasted my life in slothfulness, I fall down before thee, О most pure one: by thy constant supplications to God move thou my mind and with the radiance of repentance enlighten me who am wholly darkened, that I may glorify thee with faith and love.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Having wasted my life in slothfulness, I fall down before thee, О most pure one: by thy constant supplications to God move thou my mind and with the radiance of repentance enlighten me who am wholly darkened, that I may glorify thee with faith and love.
Ode IV, Irmos: Perceiving thee with prophetic eyes * as the mountain overshadowed by the grace of God, * Habbakuk proclaimed that the Holy One of Israel * would come forth from thee, * for our salvation and restoration.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
We know thee as the divine palace of the Word, wherein He made His abode in the flesh and hath restored us who had been corrupted by the passions. Wherefore, О pure one, we honour thee as the Mother of God, and we glorify Him Who was born from thee.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The incarnate Word made His abode within thy womb, О Virgin. He hath dispelled the curse which before resided in human nature, and by His divine union He hath in a godly manner deified it. Wherefore, we hymn thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Mortality seized Adam because he tasted of the fruit of corruption, О all-immaculate one; but now, by thy birthgiving, he hath been restored to life and dwelleth in the mansions of paradise. Wherefore, we hymn thee as is meet.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Having given birth to Christ God, the Wellspring of immortality, thou hast caused the torrent of death to cease. Him do thou therefore entreat, О thou who art full of the grace of God, that He heal the deadly passions of my soul and save me.
Ode V, Irmos: Thou hast shone upon us with the radiance * of Thy coming O Christ, * and illumined the ends of the world with Thy Cross, * enlighten with the light of thine understanding * the hearts of those who with right worship hymn Thee.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The never-setting Sun shone forth from thy womb, О most immaculate one, and hath utterly destroyed the darkness, and illumined the earth with divine understanding. Wherefore, we hymn thee with faith.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
We cry out to thee with the voice of the angel: “Rejoice, О most pure one!” For thou hast given birth to the Angel of great Counsel, Who with the Father is unoriginate, О Virgin, and Who assumed flesh that He might save mankind.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Making His abode within thy womb, О pure one, the Lord delivered those who piously believe in Him from the dominion of the enemy; wherefore, we all hymn thee aloud, О most pure one.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Clothing Himself in me, the Master issued forth from thee, О all-immaculate one, deifying human nature. Him do thou entreat, О Birthgiver of God, that He strip me bare of every sin.
Ode VI, Irmos: The deepest abyss hath surrounded us, * and there is none to deliver us, * yea we have been counted as sheep for the slaughter; * save Thy people O our God, * for thou art the strength and restoration of the weak.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Without seed thou didst conceive God in thy womb, and after thy strange birthgiving thou didst remain a virgin, О all-immaculate one; wherefore, we who have been delivered from the curse by thee glorify thee with praises, О most pure one.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thou art the ladder which Jacob saw, the mountain overshadowed, the most radiant cloud of the divine Light, the door through which God alone hath passed. Blessed art Thou among women, О most immaculate one!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
In a manner transcending the laws of nature, О Virgin who knewest not wedlock, thou hast given birth to the hypostatic Word of God Who healeth our broken state. Him do thou earnestly beseech, that He save us all.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Bearing my soul which is sick with transgressions, I cry to thee, О most holy, most glorious and pure one: Heal and save me by thy mediation, that I may hymn and magnify thine aid.
Lord, have mercy.Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional hymn, Tone I: Possessing thine intercession, O most pure one, * and delivered from evils by thy supplications, * protected wholly by the Cross of thy Son, ** we all reverently magnify thee as is meet.
Ode VII, Irmos: We the faithful perceive thee, O Theotokos, * to be a noetic furnace; * for as He, the supremely exalted One, * saved the three children, * so hath He wholly refashioned fallen humanity, in thy womb, * O Thou praised and supremely glorified God of our fathers.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The shadows of the law and the former indistinct images of the divinely eloquent prophets manifestly proclaimed thy seedless birthgiving, О most pure and all-immaculate one. And we cry out, hymning the hymned and most glorious God of our fathers.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О pure one full of the grace of God, thou hast given birth to the Sun of the East, Who hath illumined the fullness of all the faithful and caused the night of impiety to fade. Wherefore, we honour the hymned and most glorious God of our fathers.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Once, О all-immaculate one, the bush which burned yet was not consumed prefigured thy womb, for the fire of the Godhead in nowise consumed thee. Wherefore, I entreat thee: Deliver me from the unquenchable fire, that I may unceasingly hymn thy mighty works, О pure one
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
О Mother of God, help of the faithful, cleansing of the sinful, giver of all good things: in thy compassion accept me, who fall down and approach thee with weeping, begging release from mine offences.
Ode VIII, Irmos: In the furnace as in a fiery smelter * the Israelite children shone more brightly than gold * with the beauty of godliness, * as they exclaimed: Bless the Lord all ye works of the Lord, * hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout all ages.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The images of the law and the formerly unclear images clearly foretold that thou wouldst become the pure Mother of the Lord, О Virgin; and we, beholding now the fulfilment of these things, hymn thee together and glorify thee throughout all ages.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thou hast indisputably been adorned with divine beauties among beauties, О all-immaculate one, having given birth to the Word of God, Who illumineth with divine beauties the hearts of all who hymn Him with faith throughout all ages.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
With sacred voices the prophets said of old that thou wouldst become the all-immaculate Mother of God the Master. To Him do we cry aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works! Hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In that thou art beauteous and all-comely, О Virgin, thou gavest, birth blamelessly to Christ Who is comely in beauties. To Him do we cry aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works! Hymn and supremely exalt Him throughout the ages!
Ode IX, Irmos: The Bush, which burnt without being consumed, * prefigured thy pure birthgiving, O Theotokos. * Wherefore we now entreat Thee: * quench the raging furnace of temptations that beset us, * that we may unceasingly magnify Thee.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The nature of mortals, which before was condemned, О Virgin, hath received immortality through thy supra-natural and divine birthgiving; and they have received their former beauty, praising thee together with joyous hymns.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thou bearest Him Who beareth all things, and thou feedest with milk Him Who giveth food unto all. Great and awesome and past understanding is thy mystery, О Virgin Theotokos, thou ark of the honoured priesthood! Wherefore, we all call thee blessed.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О most pure one, shine light now upon me who lie in the darkness of slothfulness, freeing me from the thoughts of the passions which blind me, О all-immaculate one, and ever imparting profound peace to my soul, that I may glorify thee.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
I fear the implacable judgment seat and the impartial Judge, О most immaculate one; for the multitude of mine offences is beyond number, in that I live in slothfulness, wholly consumed by the passions. Wherefore, moved to pity, have mercy on me, О Theotokos.