Procession of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross; commemoration of the seven holy Macchabees, their mother Salome, and their instructor, the elder Eleazar
(4th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone4
6. Let us venerate the precious Cross as the universal means of protection and the source from which all holiness flows. It stills the passions, makes sickness cease and delivers sufferers from all pain. It pours forth miracles in streams more numerous than those of the sea upon the faithful who honor it and bow down in worship before it.
5. As we sail upon the waves of life, tossed by the storms of the passions, we take refuge in faith in the redeeming and precious Cross as in a ship that can tow us. It will calm waves, spirits and passions. By it, we shall come with joy to the safe harbor of salvation without being overcome by the rough sea.
4. The all-holy Cross shone more brightly than the sun, radiating wonders like rays and healings like arrows in flight. Let all of us who are daily bound by the darkness of evil things, draw near to it and receive light-giving grace and healing. Magnify the God who was nailed in the flesh upon this wood.
Tone 1
3. Cruelty could not shake down the roof of the Law which rested on the seven pillars, the Maccabee brothers. They courageously endured the senseless persecution, surrendering their bodies to the executioners. They were guardians of the traditions of Moses, those noble young men and blood brothers.
2. Lifting up their minds above visible things, these pious and noble young men allowed their bodies to be butchered, together with their wise mother, for they were strengthened by their great hope. They have found their fulfillment now that they rest in the bosom of their father Abraham.
1. The wise young men, their holy mother and the vulnerable Eleazar armed themselves with courage in the nobility of their hearts. As they aroused the fury of their enemy, they conducted themselves with steadfastness before him for the sake of the Faith and the observance of the Law.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 8
The holy Maccabee brothers said to the tyrant: "O Antiochos, for us there is only one King, and He is God. Through Him we have come into being, and to Him we return. Another world, higher and more lasting than the one we see, awaits us. Our homeland is the heavenly and indestructible Jerusalem; and for us, she now keeps feast with the angels above!" By their prayers, O Lord, have mercy on us and save us!
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 8
O Christ our God, Your precious Cross was prefigured by Moses when he stretched out his arms and defeated Amalek, and by Your footstool, before which the psalmist told us to bow down and worship. Today, we sinners venerate that Cross with our unworthy lips. We entreat You who willed to be nailed upon it: "O Lord, with the Thief, make us worthy of Your Kingdom!"
Aposticha Tone 1
1. All you who love the feasts, come now and celebrate this solemn festival with the procession of the Cross. Let us rejoice and sing in the security of our Faith: "O Cross of Christ, by the grace of Him who was elevated on you, sanctify us; and deliver us from all evil by your power!"
v. Exalt the Lord our God; bow down before His footstool; He, the Lord, is holy.
2. The holy Cross prepares the way to heaven for all those who humbly prostrate before it with reverence and love. He who was nailed upon it joins to the choirs of bodiless angels all those who praise it with love.
v. The Lord is King from of old, and He has brought about salvation in the midst of the earth.
3. As we prostrate before the precious Cross with faith, let us worship the Lord who was crucified upon it. At His invitation, let us purify our lips and hearts, and let us rejoice in its mystical light as we praise it.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 8
The souls of the just as in the hands of the Lord. Thus it is with the forefathers before the Law: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and thus it is also with their descendants, the Macabees, whom we celebrate today. For these men of undaunted courage, as worthy sons of Abraham, imitated his faith, and fought for it unto death. Brought up together in piety, they struggled together according to the Law. They stood up to the impiety of the evil Antiochos. Counting the things of this passing life as nothing in the light of eternal blessedness, they consecrated everything to the Lord: their souls, their strength, their hearts, their young bodies and the fruits of a holy upbringing. What a root filled with Faith that blossomed you forth as fruit, O Maccabees: that mother who gave birth to you, children equal in number to the days of the week. Thus we pray to you, O holy brothers, together with your mother Salome and your wise teacher, the priest Eleazar: since you now enjoy the fruits merited by your pains, ceaselessly intercede for all mankind; for He does whatever He wills, and He hears the prayers of those who fear Him.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 8
Lord, behold the fulfillment of the words of Your prophet Moses, who said, "You will see your life hanging before your eyes!" Today the Cross is exalted and the world is set free from error. Today the Resurrection of Christ is renewed; the ends of the earth exult with joy, offering You a hymn of praise to the sound of cymbals with David, saying, "O our God, You have brought about salvation in the midst of the earth, in Your goodness and love for mankind: the Cross and the Resurrection by which You have saved us! O Lord almighty, glory to You!"
Troparion of the Martyrs Tone 1
We beseech You, O Lord; and through the sufferings these saints endured for Your sake, we implore You to heal all our infirmities.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of the Cross Tone 1
O Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance; grant victory to our country over its enemies; and preserve Your community by the power of Your Cross.
After the Dismissal of Vespers, the priest and deacon put on all their vestments. The Deacon incenses the Cross on the prothesis, then says "Give the blessing..." The priest intones, "Blessed is our God..." The Trisagion prayers follow, then the Troparion and Kontakion of the Cross. Meanwhile, the priest carries the Cross to the altar, preceded by the deacon carrying a candle. It is placed over the Antimension (Gospel book is put upright as at Offertory) with a candle before it until the procession the following day.
ORTHROS
Use the Festal Format (for Fourth Class Feasts)
Sessional Hymns after the First Reading from the Psalter Tone 1
The whole creation comes together today to keep feast and dance in a mystic way. For the wood of the Cross is laid before us. He who was laid upon it is a Physician who freely grants healing to those who run to Him with reverence and love. Let us give glory to Christ who was crucified on the Cross for our sake.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
The whole creation comes together...(Repeat)
Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter Tone 4)
Today the Cross comes forth in procession, a cause of gladness for us all. For it sanctifies the souls and bodies of those who venerate it with faith.
v. Glory.....Now...
Today the Cross...(Repeat)
Canons: one from the occurring tone of the Octoechos, then that of the Cross (Tone 8); then that of the Saints (Tone 1), the work of Andrew of Crete. The Katavasias are those of September 14.
Ode 1:
Long ago, the rod of Moses struck the sea and marked it with a Cross, drowning Pharaoh and his army, while the children of Israel crossed over on foot, singing a song to their saving God.
(v. Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord!
With pure minds and reverent understanding, let us all worship today the life-giving Cross of the Lord. It lies before all those who draw near to it, granting sanctification, salvation, illumination, glory and mercy.
The life-giving Cross that lies before us looks downward and radiates luminous rays of grace. Let us draw near and draw the enlightenment of joy, salvation and pardon, offering praises to the Lord.
The precious Cross lies before us, an awesome sight to the beholder. As a fountain, it gushes forth gifts of grace for the soul; it makes sin cease; it delivers form disease; it strengthens the hearts of those who venerate it without reserve.
The rod of the Cross opens the way through the sea of life. By faith, we sail over it without drowning upon the waters that are never still. We flee from all the tides and waves of sin, and the Cross fills us with a divine calm.
"When I gave birth to You, my Son, I felt no pain. How is it that I am now filled with anguish? I see You hanging like a criminal upon the Cross, You who hung the earth above the waters." Thus spoke the all-pure Virgin in tears.
Let us sing a triumphant song to the God who has done wondrous deeds by His mighty arm and has saved Israel: for He is gloriously triumphant!
(v. O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
O young men who faithfully kept the Law of Moses and reverently imitated the death of Christ, ceaselessly intercede that we may be saved.
Who has ever seen or heard of such sufferings as were endured by these observers of the Law, the sons of Salome, as they struggled together with one mind and heart.
Encouraging one another, the seven holy sons of Salome called out, "We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors!"
"The tyrant has been confounded; let us resist with courage; the torments are in vain; Satan has been thrown down; the fire has gone out; let none of us leave the struggle, O brothers!"
Stripped in the middle of the arena, the young men cried out, "O Antiochos, we struggle for the laws of our fathers; we desire to die for them rather than live without them!"
Flogged and tormented, the defenders of the Law called out to Antiochos, "The sufferings and fire are sweet for the sake of the Author of all life!"
Let us glorify the eternal and consubstantial Trinity in the one God, sharing the same power and kingdom: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
For the Church of Christ, O Mother of God, you have been the life-giving vine that produced in your womb the ripe cluster of grapes in an ineffable manner for the joy of all.
Katavasia: Tracing a Cross upon the waters, Moses marked out a straight line before him with his staff and divided the Red Sea, opening a path for Israel, which went through with dry feet. Then he marked a second line across the waters, uniting them in one, overwhelming the chariots of Pharaoh. Therefore, let us sing to Christ our God, for He is gloriously triumphant.
Ode 3:
When time began, O Christ, Your wisdom established the heavens, firmly setting the earth on the waters. So now confirm us on the rock which is Your Church, in Your goodness and love for mankind, for one is holier than You.
(v. Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord!
The Cross is venerated today, for it brings about all good. All creation keeps feast in joy, illumined by the grace of our God who was voluntarily crucified upon it.
Illumined by the radiance of the Cross, we who put our trust in it can flee from the darkness of sin and cry out, "O compassionate Lord, Light of all creation, glory to You!"
We praise the Cross in hymns and look upon it with faith as it lies before us. We ask that, through it, we may be snatched from the nets of the enemy and be guided toward a safe harbor as we praise it.
The pure Virgin beheld the Life of All lying dead upon the Cross. Unable to bear the pain in her heart, she cried out, "Alas, my Son! What have the evildoers done to You!"
The stone rejected by the builders has become the Cornerstone; and on his rock, Christ has built His Church, which He has gathered from among the nations.
(v. O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
O holy young men, you were raised in holiness and guided in the Law by Eleazar. You struggled in faithfulness, and you have overcome all the evil intentions of Antiochos.
The sons of Abraham called out, "Do your best, O tyrant, and rage as much as you wish. But we shall never be led astray by your efforts and teachings. We prefer the stripes given by the torturer for the sake of the love of God."
"Let none of us weaken in the struggle! Let none of us give in to this madman! The devil, the cunning serpent, is wise-let us not become his prey!" Thus spoke the seven sons of Salome in exhortation to one another.
"Come, O keepers of the Law, let us be wounded! Being brave, we shall be crowned!" cried the young men, urging one another to the struggle. Let us follow their example!
O faithful, let us glorify the one Essence of God, the one Lordship, the one Kingdom; let us proclaim the unity of the Godhead without confusion and distinguish in faith the three Persons in the one God.
O holy Mother of God, you were foreshadowed in the unconsumed bush on Sinai; to Daniel you were shown as the holy mountain from which was quarried, without the hand of man, the undivided Christ, the Rock of our Life, the one Son born from you.
Katavasia
The rod of Aaron is an image of this mystery, for when it budded, it showed who would be priest. So in the Church that was once barren, the wood of the Cross has now put forth a flower, filling her with strength and perseverance.
Little Litany
Kontakion of the Cross Tone 2
O Christ our God, who chose by Your free violation to be elevated upon the Holy Cross, grant Your mercies to Your new people who are called by Your name; in Your power, gladden the hearts of our public authorities; strengthen them in every good deed, so that Your true alliance may be for them a weapon of peace and a standard of victory.
Ikos
Paul ascended to the third heaven. He heard unutterable and heavenly things which human beings cannot express. Study the Scriptures and you will read and understand what he wrote to the Galatians: May I never boast of anything but the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, on which He suffered the Passion, putting to death our passions. Therefore, let us continue to praise this Cross of the Lord with confidence. Its Wood save us; it is a weapon of peace and a standard of victory.
Sessional Hymns Tone 8
O wise young men, you grew up in holiness and became champions of the Law. As true martyrs, you stood up under the threats of the tyrant. You became saints along with your mother as you strove to follow your fathers. By death, you have earned life, and now you rejoice, O steadfast Maccabees. Intercede with Christ God for those who honor your memory in love that we may be given remission of our sins.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
You were a priest of the Mosaic Law, O blessed one, ceaselessly offering worship according to the Law to the Master of creation. In your zeal to defend the Law of the Lord, you nobly suffered all types of torments. For all, you became a model of wisdom and fidelity by your courageous constancy and sublime struggle. O Eleazar, intercede before Christ our God to grant remission of sins to those who lovingly celebrate your sacred memory.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 6 O Lord, Your Cross has been sanctified. By it, there have been healings for those weakened by sin. Thus we fall down before You saying, "Have mercy on us!"
Ode 4:
Without leaving Your Father, You came to visit our poverty, O Lord, my power and my strength, my God and my exceeding joy! With Habakkuk the Prophet, I therefore cry out to You: "Glory to Your power, O You who love mankind!"
(v. Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord!
Behold lying before us the redeeming Cross, the power, protection and amendment of the human race, the invincible weapon of the Faith. It sanctifies with light and grace the hearts of all who draw near to it.
That which transcends all goodness, the great protector of the holy, lies in our midst. It is the precious Cross, on which You were lifted up in the midst of the earth by Your own will and desire. It sanctifies the world and drives away the devil as it is venerated.
Heaven rejoices with all the earth. Those who have fought the good fight, the martyrs, apostles and souls of the just, now rejoice exceedingly at seeing the life-giving wood which has saved all, lying in the midst of the earth and sanctifying the faithful with grace.
In my insolence, I have not kept Your laws. I shall be condemned when You come again from heaven to judge the works of man. Thus I cry out to You: Turn me back to You by the power of Your Cross; save me and grant me tears of repentance!
From my maternal womb, I gave birth to You, O my Son. Seeing You hanging on the Cross, I cannot comprehend the depth of Your mysterious plans. Thus spoke the Virgin whom we ceaselessly magnify as the Mother of God.
O Prophet Habakkuk, in spirit you foresaw the incarnation of the Word, and you announced it, saying, "In the course of the years, You will make it known; in the course of the years, You will be revealed; glory to Your power, O Lord!"
(v. O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
Rejoice, O Eleazar, as you see the young men whom you taught. Today they reverently struggle for the laws and customs of their fathers. Their words of wisdom are a rebuke to the madness of Antiochos, their prosecutor.
Rejoice, O Salome, as you see your sons. The seven branches blossom together and yield fruits of the Law. The Church gathers up their graces and ministers it to us as a mother.
O patriarchs, clap your hands and rejoice as you reverently behold your descendants fighting for the Law and being tested by wounds. They refuse to abandon the ways of their fathers.
O seven holy brothers, rejoice and keep feast with all the martyrs of Christ. You fought for the sake of the Law before they did, and you are rightly honored with them by the whole Church of Christ.
O faithful, let us unceasingly glorify in the Unity of the Trinity the One God whom we adore in Three Persons. Without confusing them, let us sing, "Holy Trinity, glory and honor to You!"
O Virgin, divine Bride, we sing to you as the rampart of the faithful and the Mother of God, for you lifted up the fallen human race and restored the image and likeness of Him who existed before all ages.
Katavasia
O Lord, I have heard the mystery of Your Economy; I have considered Your works, and I glorify Your divinity.
Ode 5
If You turn me away, the darkness will surely overcome me in my wretchedness, O Light that never fades. Bring me back to the path of Your commandments, O Lord, there to rejoice in their brilliant light.
(v. Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord!
O peoples and nations, shout with joy to God who has given us the Cross as a protection that cannot be shaken. We faithful rejoice as it is brought forth for us; through it we enjoy all good things.
All the heavenly hosts honor the all-holy Cross today as we mortals touch it with our human lips. From it we draw love, sanctification and blessing as we glorify the One who was crucified on it.
O compassionate Lord, heal the lasting passions of my soul and preserve me as I venerate Your holy Cross. By its power, everything evil is driven away, and we continue free from passion.
O spotless one, when you saw hanging on the Cross the One who had been born from you in His goodness, your heart was broken with grief and you said, "Alas, my Son! How can You suffer such pain? I worship Your compassion, O Lord!"
O Son of God, grant us Your peace, for we know no other God but You; it is Your name that we proclaim: You are the God of the living and the dead.
(v. O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
O friends of Christ, let us imitate the seven young men who were brought up in the Law of Moses, and whom Eleazar instructed in the ways of their fathers.
"O Antiochos, persecutor of the faithful, do not imagine that the fire you enkindled can frighten us. You can sacrifice us on it, O sinful man, as you wish!" shouted the young men.
"As martyrs of Christ, we shall strive to keep the Law. The teachings of Moses were never meant to be brushed aside through impurities!" Thus we spoke the seven young men in faith.
Eternal and all-powerful Father, coeternal Son, Spirit of holiness, sharing the same honor in the bosom of the One Trinity: save the sons of Adam who sing to You in faith!
Grant us peace, O only compassionate God, through the prayers of Your spotless Mother and the Saints who have fought the good fight for the traditions of their fathers and Law of Moses.
Katavasia
Blessed are you, O Tree on which Christ the King and Lord was stretched out. Through you, the tempter fell, the devil who had seduced the human race through a tree. He was caught in the trap set by God, who was crucified on you, granting peace to our souls.
Ode 6
From my many transgressions, I entreat You to cleanse me, O Lord. Lead me up from the depth of sin: for the You do I call from the anguish of my soul: "Hear me, O God of my salvation!"
(v. Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord!
The setting up of the Cross on earth was the downfall of the demons. As we now gaze upon it and kiss it, we are raised to glory from the falls of sin.
We sing Your praises, O Lord our God and King, for You have given us the Cross as an unshakable wall, O Christ. We are filled with joy and delivered from harmful things.
The Cross of the Lord, from which all good flows, is laid before us. O people, let us whose souls have been cleansed by Baptism, now approach it for the enlightenment of our hearts.
O pure Virgin, grant us the strength to remain vigilant, keeping away from all sin, faults and evil; for you are the protector of all people.
With Jonah I cry out to You, O Master: "Snatch my life up from the pit; O Savior of the world, save me as I sing, 'Glory to You!'"
(v. O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
Wisdom has built herself a house, setting it upon seven pillars; this is a sign of the seven holy Maccabee brothers, who were pillars of the Law.
The wise Salome bore seven sons. Eleazar the priest brought them up in goodness and beauty. They were crowned by the grace of God as they suffered for Him.
"Why are you lingering with your decision?" the seven brothers said to Antiochos in the midst of their torments. "Punish us and slay us as you wish!"
As their father had struggled earlier, now also the sons fight the good fight. And the judge allows their mother to follow them to help them with her counsel.
The seven brothers spoke boldly to Antiochos: "Even if you destroy our bodies in the fire, you will not have a victory over even one of us!"
In faith, let us adore the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the one Godhead: O Holy Trinity, save Your world!
How could you bear a Son who was not engendered by a father? How can you remain a virgin after childbirth? God alone understands, for He does whatever He wills.
Katavasia
Jonah stretched out his hands in prayer in the form of a Cross within the belly of the whale, plainly prefiguring the saving Passion. Cast out from there after three days, he foreshadowed the marvelous Resurrection of Christ our God, who was crucified in the flesh and enlightened the world by His rising on the third day.
LITTLE LITANY
Kontakion Tone 2
O Maccabees perfect in wisdom, you are like the seven pillars of God's wisdom, the seven candelabra of heaven. O great ones, first of the martyrs, together with all the martyrs intercede with God that He may save those who honor you.
Ikos
O Zion, praise your God! He has strengthened the bars of your gates and has blessed your sons within you. Like a triumphant army, they formed a firm line to resist the attempts of the adversary. As you enjoy the crowns of victory from the heavenly Zion, O Maccabees, draw near to the throne of God, praying for all people without ceasing. Ask that He may save those who honor you.
SYNAXARION
On August 1, we commemorate the seven holy martyred Maccabee brothers: Abim, Antonios, Gourias, Eleazar, Eusebos, Akhim and Marcellos; as well as their mother Salome, and their instructor, Eleazar.
By order of the tyrant, Eleazar was the first to walk the way of martyrdom before Christ. Behold, another protomartyr among women before Thecla: Salome died in the fire before Christ. The wheel, dismemberment and fire led the seven young men from the seventh day into the eighth. The first day of August beheld the pious woman reunited with her seven triumphant sons through the fire.
By their holy prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Ode 7
Long ago, God shamed the scorching heat of Babylon. He made it cool, a refreshing dew, though the tyrant tried to vain to heat it all the more. And the three young men were so overwhelmed with joy, that they sang this song to their victor Lord: "Blessed are You, the God of our Fathers!"
(v. Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord!
He who is beyond time appeared in time, robed in our flesh. Through His goodness, He heals the passions of our flesh and spirit. By His divine Cross, He sanctifies us.
We sing, glorify, venerate and magnify Your power, O Lord. You have given us, Your servants, the divine Cross as an invincible delight, the guardian of our souls and bodies.
On the day of judgment, do not let me be crushed by wickedness. Cast me not away from Your face. Take pity and save me by Your precious Cross, since You are infinitely good.
Moses made the waters of Marah sweet by casting in a piece of wood. This is a symbol of Your Cross. By its power, we are drawn away from the bitterness of evil. Therefore, sweeten us now as we kiss the wood of Your Cross with repentance.
O Lady, you frustrated the plans of the enemy. By your prayers, loosen the frustrations of my mind; lead me along the narrow way that I may walk in the ways of eternal life.
In the furnace, the young men were not touched nor damaged by the fire; the three blessed You with one voice and said, "Blessed are You, the God of our Fathers!"
(v. O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
Those zealous for the customs of their fathers, the united defenders of the Law, reverently and steadfastly confessed the one God in Three Persons, distinct yet one.
The martyrs cried out to the madman who judged them, "Tyrant, why do you hold back? We confess the One God of all; and our homeland is the heavenly Jerusalem on high, of which we are sons!"
"We shall not eat what is unclean; we shall not sacrifice to idols nor bow down to them. We confess One God; we serve Him. He brought us into being, and now we hasten to return to Him!"
Let us sing a trinity hymn as we glorify the eternal Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the one Essence whom we celebrate with a triple acclamation: "Holy, holy, holy, O thrice-holy Trinity!"
Hail, rampart and joy of all, hope of all the ends of the earth, delight of angels and men: in the flesh you have conceived the One God, O pure Virgin, all worthy of our hymns.
Katavasia
The senseless decree of the wicked tyrant, threatening and blasphemous, made confusion for the people. Yet neither threats nor the roaring fire frightened the three young men; standing together in the flames, fanned by the dew-bearing wind, they sang, "Blessed are You and praiseworthy, O Lord, the God of our Fathers!"
Ode 8
In his wrath against the servants of God, the tyrant had his furnace fire stoked seven times. But when he saw a better power saving them, he cried out: "Bless your Maker and Redeemer, young men! Praise Him, priests! Exalt Him, O people, throughout all the ages!"
(v. Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord!
Once Elisha drew an axe-head out of a river using a piece of wood. This was a symbol of the precious Cross. Led up from the depths of error by the wood of the Cross, we are made firm in the faith and united to God forever.
O most precious Cross, Jacob symbolized you when he held his hands crossed in blessing. Made worthy by grace to venerate you today, we approach and seek a blessing: light, salvation and deliverance from our sins.
Washed white as snow by virtuous deeds, let us draw near to Christ with joy and say: "O Good Master, by the height of Your Cross, lift up our horn, the horn of Your people, that they may praise Your power in peace throughout all the ages!"
Let us sing to the unbegotten Father, the only Son and the Holy Spirit, who share one nature and one throne throughout eternity; proclaiming the unity of Their Essence and the distinction of Their Persons, let us glorify the Divinity as we say, "Priests, praise the Lord! Exalt Him, O people, throughout all the ages!"
"I see You as an innocent Lamb hung and pierced on the Cross, O my Son, who preceded all ages! I am struck by pain; distress has seized my motherly heart," said the all-pure one in tears. With unceasing voice, as is right, let us sing to her throughout all the ages.
The Lord and Creator whom the Angels in heaven serve with reverence and awe: O priests, sing to Him; young men, glorify Him; O people, bless and exalt Him throughout all the ages!
(v. O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
O faithful, let us magnify the radiant Cloud in which the Master of all descended from heaven like dew upon the fleece and was incarnate for us; He, the infinite God, was made a man like us in her, the holy Mother of our God!
(v. O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
Brought up according to the Law of Moses, and willing to die for it, the students of Eleazar cried out in their zeal for Moses, as they were tortured, "Why hesitate, O Antiochos? Do whatever you want!"
Those who kept the Law scorned the madness of Antiochos in their courage. They withstood the torments, encouraging one another in the Faith, each striving to be victorious in the contest and win the prize, dying for the sake of Life.
Salome, as brave as an athlete in the Olympic games, was not shaken in her faith as she saw her sons die. She said to Antiochos, "If one can call upon the clemency of enemies, then do me the grace of joining me to my sons!"
O valiant woman! O unequaled nobility! She who consecrated her seven sons to God for the sake of the Law reveals the valor of her great heart as she surrendered herself to torments to be joined to her sons in death.
By their number, the young men represent the sacred number as seven days. Wishing to gain life through death, they bravely withstood the threats of the persecutor; and by keeping the Law, they brought all his plots to nothing.
Eleazar had formed these defenders of the Law, and he gave them an example by offering himself up to the torments as a martyr. Let us venerate them fittingly as glorious intercessors so that the world may be given peace and great mercy.
Today we celebrate the memory of your sacred combat, O holy sons of the divine Law. By your prayers, deliver us from all evil and perdition, granting peace to our holy community and deriving away from it all calamity.
I glorify the Father, who is Light; I magnify the Son, who is Light; I prostrate before the Holy Spirit, who is also Light: a Holy Trinity, eternal Majesty, one God in three Persons, who made all things rise from non-being.
Tell us, O Virgin, how did you give birth, becoming the Mother of the only Son who was born of the Father on high without a mother, and was born of you without a father? How did you give milk to the Nourisher of the whole world? He alone knows, who was pleased to do so!
Katavasia
O Mother of God, you became a mystical Paradise, when without tilling, you brought forth Christ our God, by whom the life-giving Tree of the Cross was planted on earth. Therefore, seeing Him on the Cross, we adore Him on the Cross, we adore Him and we magnify you.
Today the death that came to man through eating of the tree is made ineffective through the Cross. For the curse of our mother Eve that fell on the human race is destroyed by the pure fruit of the Mother of God, whom all the powers of heaven magnify.
The guardians of the customs of their fathers, the preachers of the ordinances of Moses, the living lamps, the Maccabee brothers, appear to the world as seven torches who shine upon us with the rays of their struggles.
Those who were firm in the Law of Moses trampled down the plans of Antiochos and boldly called out, "O Antiochos, neither wild beasts, nor sword, nor fire, nor scourging shall separate us from God!"
Those who held the chair of Moses and kept the customs of their fathers, shining like seven stars in the world, eclipsed all erring stars by the splendor of their faith.
The sons of the pious Salome, students of the faithful Eleazar, were set upon the candlestick of the Law in the tabernacle of God, like seven shining lamps.
(v. We bless the Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Glory to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: to God who is ceaselessly celebrated in His Trinity and the nature which His Persons share, by His whole creation throughout all the ages.
Treasure in whom the Father was pleased, dwelling of the coming of the Son, vessel of the divine Spirit: in you, O Mary, the Holy Trinity has been manifested.
Katavasia
O young men, equal in number to the Trinity, bless God the Father and Creator; sing the praises of the Word who came down and changed the fire to refreshing dew; and exalt above all else forever the Most Holy Spirit, who gives life to all.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ode 9
The ends of the earth were astounded, while heaven was awed: that God would come physically to mankind, and that your womb became more spacious than the heavens. And so, all ranks of angels and men praise you, O Mother of God!
(v. Glory to Your precious Cross, O Lord!
Nailed to the Cross, O Good One, You healed my broken nature by the nails in Your feet and hands, O King of all, pierced in Your side. Given gall and vinegar to drink, You became the gladness, sweetness, glory and eternal deliverance of all.
O divine Cross, more beautiful than sapphire and gold, you are brighter than the sun. Although laid in this church before us, you are always seen by the spiritual powers, clearly filling the whole cosmos with your light.
The Cross is the harbor for the shipwrecked in life; it is the foundation and glory of Christ, the strength of the Apostles and Prophets, the might of the martyrs, the refuge of all people. Let us kiss it with reverence as it lies before us.
O Lord, when you come to judge the world You made, with all the hosts of angels before You and the Cross shining in the heavens with its rays, have pity on me and save me by Your power, for I have sinned more than all men.
"From my virginal womb, I have given birth to Him whom the Father begot before all ages. How is it, then, O my Son, that evil men tear at You without pity, nailing Your hands and feet and piercing Your side with a lance?" Thus spoke the spotless Virgin, whom we ceaselessly magnify.
Exapostilaria Tone 2
Let us sing the praises of the wondrous Maccabee brothers, the students of Eleazar, the sons of Salome, who laid low the arrogance of the proud serpent, the Prince of Evil, and received crowns for their defense of the Law.
The Cross is the protector of the whole world; the Cross is the splendor of the Church; the Cross is the glory of kings; the Cross is the support of the faithful; the Cross is the glory of the angels and the terror of the demons.
Praises Tone 4
4. Let us shout in triumph and magnify in song the precious Cross. Let us cry out as we embrace it, "O venerable Cross, sanctify our souls and bodies by your power; protect the faithful who bow down before you from all the wounds of the enemy!"
3. Come and drink from the inexhaustible stream that flows forth form the Cross. Behold, the all-holy wood lies before our eyes, the source from which flows the grace given in the blood and water from the Lord of all, who was willingly lifted up on the Cross in order to lift up mankind with Him.
2. On you the Church was founded; monks find their splendor in you; priests find in you their safeguard and pride. O precious Cross, we bow before you today as we are enlightened in heart and soul by the grace of Him who was nailed on you. For He has laid low the power of the evil one and put the curse to death.
1. Tone 1
The long-suffering mother called her sons to the struggle and said, "Follow the example of Abraham in his old age, and share in the sacrifice of Isaac!" They followed her advice and practiced what she taught. They went before her, seeing the punishments which each suffered. By their prayers, O our God, take pity on us!
v. God is wonderful among His Saints, the God of Israel!
Tone 4
Seven chosen columns were hewn from one rock, and they maintained the tower of the Law unshaken; by their merits, which were so pleasing to You, O Savior, keep our souls in peace.
v. God has displayed wonders in the Saints who dwell in His land; all His good pleasure is upon them.
Tone 5
Struggling in the arena, the defenders of the Law, the sons of Salome, cried out to Antiochos: "O King, we endure all this for the sake of the Law of our fathers! Neither fire, nor sword, nor wild beasts, nor flogging shall separate us; but we shall die with our mother and our teacher, living and rejoicing together throughout all the ages!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 4
War has been declared against the Maccabees. Come, O faithful, and admire their courage. For the tyrant Antiochos, who ruled many nations, was overcome by an old man, a woman and seven youths. By their prayers, O God, have mercy on us!
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 4
O Lord, You gave our forefather David the means to defeat an alien tribe. In our faith, O King, You have entered into the struggle with us and have cast down our enemy by the weapon of Your Cross. O Compassionate One, show Your ancient mercies so that all may know that You are God. We who put our trust in You shall be victorious. May your Mother intercede for us that we may receive great mercy.
Great Doxology
August 2
Treasfer of the Remains of the Holy Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
6. Your heart was enlightened by the grace of the Spirit and your face seemed like that of an angel, O Stephen, because of the inner radiance illuminating your body, revealing the splendor of your soul to those who saw you. Because of this, you received a glorious vision when the heavens were miraculously opened for you, O first among the martyrs and their pride.
5. The hail of stones became for you the steps of a ladder which led up to heaven. Climbing up on them, you saw the Lord standing at the right hand of the Father. With his life-giving right hand, He has extended to you the crown, which corresponds to your name. You stand near Him among the victorious athletes as the crown of all the martyrs.
4. Radiant in your miracles, your wonders and your teaching, you made the assembly of the impious pale and blanch. Dragged out by them and stoned, you prayed for your murderers to be forgiven, imitating the words of your Savior. Then you commended your spirit into His hands, O admirable Stephen.
Tone 2
3. First among deacons, you were also first among martyrs, O blessed Stephen. You showed the way followed by the saints, leading a countless number of martyrs to the Lord. The heavens opened and God Himself appeared to you. Intercede with Him for the salvation of our souls.
2. Let us venerate in a fitting manner the noble servant of Jesus Christ: Stephen the archdeacon and protomartyr. On our behalf, pray and beseech the Lord and Savior, the only Sinless One.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 6
You are the first among witnesses and among deacons, O blessed Stephen: the most beautiful adornment of martyrs, the glory of the just, the pride of believers. As you stand before the throne of Christ, the King of all, ask pardon of sins and the Kingdom of Heaven for all the faithful who celebrate your holy memory.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Comfort of the sick, consolation of the afflicted, Virgin Mother of God: save your Christian people, for you are peace for the oppressed, rest for the shipwrecked and the only protection of Christians.
Aposticha of the Octoechos, with:
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 6
Rejoice in the Lord, O holy crowned Stephen, imitator of Your Master, Jesus, for you were the first of the witnesses to Christ our King. By your martyrdom, you triumphed over the error of the impious; intercede for us before the Lord.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O Mother of God, you are the true vine laden with Fruit of Life: wherefore we implore you, O Lady, to intercede together with the apostles and all the saints that we may obtain mercy for our souls.
Troparion of Stephen Tone 4
O protomartyr Stephen, your head was crowned with a kingly crown on account of all struggles you endured for Christ our God. You beheld the vision of your Savior seated at the right hand of God. Do not cease to intercede with Him for the salvation of our souls.
ORTHROS
Kontakion Tone 8
O blessed Stephen worthy of all praise, you are the very first to have been planted in the earth by the Divine Gardener, the very first to have shed your blood for Christ, the very first to have been crowned with the crown of victory by Christ in heaven. You are the first to have suffered for Christ and to have received a martyr's reward.
Ikos
Seeing the flowers of Paradise filling the universe with a fragrant perfume, I admire this wondrous spectacle: that, despite the cold of winter, they flourish even more than in the spring, when all flowers are most abundant. Thus was the martyr of Christ who was the first to flower and become the gate through which have passed all those who fought the good fight, blossoming amid the cold of torments. He showed the unserving way to all who wished to struggle, the first of a beautiful line, radiant in their heroic deeds. He is the first to have suffered for Christ and to have received a martyr's reward.
Synaxarion
On August 2, we celebrate the transfer of the remains of the holy protomartyr and archdeacon Stephen.
Will Sion zealously keep the all-honorable remains as her own possession? Behold, O city of Constantine, the relics of the first of martyrs are forever yours. On the second day of the month, the precious treasure, the remains of Stephen, were transferred.
By his holy prayers, O our God, have pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria Tone 2
The first to walk the way of martyrdom, he whom all deacons claim as head, Stephen, full of grace, is transferred to the City of the Emperors, pouring forth a stream of wondrous miracles.
Christ, whom the heavenly armies surround with fear and trembling, unable to bear the mighty light of His ineffable and radiant being, found a place in your womb, taking flesh from your pure bosom, O pure Virgin.
Praises Tone 4
4. Having become an angel on earth below, the protomartyr was lifted up through the skies to heaven. Insofar as he was able, he contemplated the glory of God, initiated into the divine mysteries of the unapproachable Trinity, who surpasses all understanding; thus, he proclaims Your transcendent power, O almighty Christ Jesus, the Savior of our souls.
3. Having become an angel...(Repeat
2. At the transfer of your body, you made your splendor shine forth, O Stephen, glorious protomartyr, radiant with divine gifts and the grace of healing; thus, by your wonders, you enlightened the assembly of the faithful celebrating the Lover of Mankind, the almighty Jesus, the Savior of our souls.
1. In your piety, your tongue became the venerable pen of a skillful scribe; with it, in your divine teachings, you enlightened all mankind, O Protomartyr, leading them from ignorance to faith. Thus we celebrate your annual memory, O Stephen; as we sing to you, we magnify you as the first of martyrs.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Stephen, the splendid first-fruits of the martyrs, filled with the splendid first-fruits of the martyrs, filled with the grace and power of God, working wondrous miracles and deeds among the people, was stoned to death by unjust hands. But his face seemed like that of an angel, and he saw Your glory, O Christ, who were incarnate for us, at the right hand of the Father almighty. By the grace of the Spirit, he was received into the heavens. Now dwelling with the angelic choirs before You, O Lord, he intercedes for the salvation of our souls.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Save your servants from all dangers, O blessed Virgin and Mother of God, that we may glorify you as the hope of our souls.
Aposticha of the Octoechos, with:
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 5
O Protomartyr, Apostle, Archdeacon, pride of the Apostles, glory of the just and first of the line of martyrs: in the arena, you saw an opening in the sky and the Son of God standing at the right hand of the invisible Father. Your face seemed like that of an angel as you joyfully prayed for those who stoned you, saying, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Now ask forgiveness of sins and the grace of salvation for those who celebrate you with love.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
We, the faithful, call you blessed, O Virgin Mother of God; and we glorify you as is right, O unshakable city, indestructible rampart, fearless protectress and refuge of our souls.
August 3
Commemoration of our Holy Father Isaac, Dalmatos and Faustos
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 8
3. Lord, Your saints came to resemble the bodiless Powers, for by fasting and prayer, they dominated the bodily passions. Impassable, and thus radiant, they enlighten all hearts. By their holy prayers, O Lord, grant Your people great mercy.
2. Dalmatos and Isaac, moved by virtuous zeal, overcame the heresy of Arius and Nestorius. Struggling together with the Orthodox, they enlightened the eyes of all. By their holy prayers, O Lord, grant Your people great mercy.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion
Impure are the thoughts of my heart; my lips are full of deceit; the deeds of my life are covered with shame: what can I do? How can I stand before the Judge? O sovereign Virgin, implore your Son, your Creator and Lord, to accept the conversion of my spirit in the unique compassion of His heart.
OR Stavrotheotokion
Seeing her Lamb nailed to the Cross by the impious, the virginal Ewe cried out in tears and said, "Alas, O my beloved Son! Is this what an ungrateful people gives You in return for all Your great benefits? They take You away from me, O beloved Child!"
Aposticha from the Octoechos
Troparion of the Fathers Tone 4
O God of our Fathers, who always deal with us according to Your everlasting compassion, do not withdraw Your mercy from us; but through the prayers of our Fathers, guide our lives along the ways of peace.
ORTHROS
Kontakion Tone 2
Let us sing a hymn of praise to Isaac, Dalmatos and Faustos, shining as stars in heaven, who dispelled heresies by the power of their faith. Since they are Christ's servants, they intercede with Him for the salvation of us all.
Ikos
What man would be able to speak of the radiant virtues of the venerable fathers and their deeds, their zeal for God, their boldness before His throne, their divine works, the purity of their lives, and all that these angels brought about on earth? At least, in faith, let us venerate the Trinity in company with them; for they ceaselessly entreat Him together with the Angels; they intercede with Him for the salvation of us all.
Synaxarion
On August 3, we commemorate our holy fathers Isaac, Dalmatos and Faustos.
By their number here below, Dalmatos, Faustos and Isaac reproduced the icon of the Trinity; above, they stand as three soldiers before the throne of God. The third witnessed their death. O Savior, save us!
By their holy prayers, O our God, have pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria Tone 3
O companions of the angels, heavenly spirits, Dalmatos and Faustos, together with the admirable Isaac: in the presence of the Lord before whom you constantly stand, be mindful of us who celebrate your illustrious and light-bearing memory, O holy fathers!
Theotokion
O Mary, whose name reveals your sovereign power, hasten to deliver my soul which is dominated by murderous passions; grant this for me, who am your servant and the servant of your Son, O pure Virgin and Mother of God, that I may sing of you as the hope of Christians.
OR Stavrotheotokion
All-pure one, standing by the Cross and seeing your Son stretched out lifeless on the tree, you poured forth tears, grieving as a mother, and said, "What is this new wonder? The Creator of all has been sent to the Cross!"
August 4
Commemoration of the Seven Holy Youths of Ephesus
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
3. The blessed young men, obedient to the commandments of God, refused the impious commandment of the tyrant. In chains, they loosened the chains of error; and renouncing the honors of this world, they obtained that honor which has made them famous and won for them the joys of the Kingdom on high.
2. You courageously girded yourselves for the struggles of martyrdom. You were buried in a cave as you ceaselessly prayed to the Lord to grant you the strength to persevere. But for reasons known only to Himself, the Lover of Mankind divinely commanded you all to sleep in peace.
1. The greatest mystery is foreshadowed by these Saints: just as they did not notice their death, so were they surprised by their awakening. This miracle came about to confirm the resurrection of the dead; so that those who rejected the idea might come to believe in it as they glorify these martyrs in faith.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion
All-holy Bride of God, deliver my poor soul from the condemnation which it deserves because of its sins; by your prayers, snatch me from death and grant that, on the day of judgment, I may be justified together with all the Saints; purify me before the end through repentance and the bath of my tears.
OR Stavrotheotokion
Seeing the Lamb and Shepherd on the tree, the Mother Ewe who bore You called out to You in her maternal grief: "O my beloved Son, how can You be nailed to this Cross, O long-suffering Lord? How can your hands and feet be pierced by the impious, O Word? How can You pour out Your blood, O divine Master?"
Aposticha of the Octoechos
Troparion Tone 4
O Lord our God, Your holy martyrs have deserved the crown of immortality on account of their good fight. Armed with Your strength, they have vanquished their prosecutors and crushed Satan's dreadful might. Through their supplications, O Christ God, save our souls!
Troparion Tone 4
What a marvel of faith! The seven holy youths dwelt in the cave as in a palace, and they passed on without corruption. They arose, as if from sleep, after many years and confirmed our faith in the resurrection of all. Through their prayers, have mercy on us, O Christ our God.
ORTHROS
Kontakion Tone 4
Those who renounced the perishable comforts of this world and preferred the eternal goods of heaven were left incorrupt after their death. They rose from the dead after many years and buried wiles of the devils. O faithful, let us then honor them by singing a hymn of praise to Christ.
Synaxarion
On August 4, we commemorate the seven holy sleepers of Ephesus: Maximilian, Amblichos, Martinian, John, Dionysios, Constantine and Antoninos.
I honor these martyrs, a living catechism, who gave the world proof in their own bodies of the universal resurrection of the dead. On the fourth, the seven sleepers of Ephesus disappeared from sight.
By their holy prayers, O our God, have pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria Tone 2
Before the tribunal of the tyrant, the sevenfold number of holy martyrs boldly confessed Christ God as Savior and Creator of the world. By divine providence, they dwelt in the cave in physical death for long years. By miracle, they arose, as though awakening from sleep, closing the mouths of heretics throughout the whole world.
With Amblichos, let us sing of Maximilian, Martinian, John, Dionysios, Constantine and Antoninos as well, celebrating their wondrous memory with joy; that by their prayers and those of the Mother of the Savior, we may find remission of sins before Christ our God.
Aposticha of the Octoechos
August 5
Forefeast of the Transfiguration; Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Eusignios
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
For the Forefeast
6. Come, let us go up with Jesus. Let us climb the holy mountain to hear the voice of the living God, the Father existing before eternity. He bears witness in the Holy Spirit through a radiant cloud to the divine sonship. Enlightening our hearts in the light, we shall see the divine Light.
5. Come, let us celebrate in advance. Purifying our hearts, let us prepare ourselves in faith for the divine ascent to the City of our God. There, let us contemplate His Majesty as eye-witnesses, and experience the glory which His chosen Apostles were judged worthy to perceive mystically on Mount Tabor.
4. Come, let us be transformed and progress toward the good. Let us prepare ourselves to climb the holy mountain of God tomorrow to see the immutable glory of Christ, more radiant than the sun. Under the brilliance of His triple Light, let us glorify the condescension of God.
For Eusignios
3. By the grace of God, O illustrious martyr, you were arrayed in a garment dyed with your own blood. On your head, you have received the crown of that life which never ends. Holding as a scepter in your hand the trophy of the Cross, you now reign in eternal joy with Christ.
2. Eusignios, invincible soldier, protected by the weapon of the Cross, you set out to struggle against the enemy. You cast him down by your noble exploits, receiving the crown of victory from the only Judge of combats, the Lord who reigns forever.
1. By your sufferings, worthy of all honor, you imitated the venerable Passion, O Eusignios, illustrious athlete of the Lord. Becoming a trophy-bearer, you dwell with joy in the heavenly city with all the triumphant athletes, deified by your approach to God. Thus we celebrate your holy and sacred feast.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 5
Come, let us climb the mountain of the Lord to the house of our God. Let us contemplate the glory of His Transfiguration, the glory of an only Son coming from the Father. Let us take Light from His Light. Then, lifted up by the Spirit, let us sing to the consubstantial Trinity throughout all the ages.
Aposticha Tone 2
1. Shining forth with the light of the virtues, let us set foot on the holy mountain that we may gaze upon the divine Transfiguration of the Lord.
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth; You have founded the earth and made all it contains.
2. Before going to the Cross, today on the mountain Christ reveals His disciples the radiant sign of His divinity, shining like the sun.
v. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
3. Wishing to transform the nature taken from Adam, Christ now reveals to His disciples on Mount Tabor the nature of God.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 2
Gloriously transfigured on Mount Tabor, O Christ our God, You showed Your disciples the glory of Your divinity; pour out over us also the light of the knowledge of You, and guide us along the way of Your divine commandments in Your goodness and love for mankind.
Troparion of Eusignios Tone 4
O Lord our God, Your holy martyr Eusignios has deserved the crown of immortality on account of his good fight. Armed with Your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors and crushed Satan's dreadful might. Through his supplications, O Christ God, save our souls.
Troparion of the Forefeast Tone 4
O faithful, let us celebrate in advance the joy of the Transfiguration of Christ; let us rejoice in this pre-festive time and cry out: "Here comes the day of heavenly joy, for the Lord goes up Mount Tabor, there to shine with the light of His divinity!"
ORTHROS
Kontakion of the Forefeast Tone 4
Today the whole human race prepares to reflect the radiance of divine splendor brought about in the Transfiguration of Christ, and to cry out with joy, "Christ is transfigured to save us all!"
Kontakion of Eusignios Tone 8
The Church honors today a man martyred for his piety and devotion, Eusignios the wise, sincere and godly-minded. It glorifies his spiritual struggles and cries out with fervor: "O most merciful One, guard your servants through his intercession!"
Ikos
Celebrating the memory of Eusignios, the assembly of the faithful rejoices. O you, heads of Churches and states, strangers and citizens, poor and rich; have recourse to the miracles of this martyr. From his relics flow the graces of healing. The faithful draw from them and cry out in song to God as they say, "O most merciful One, guard Your servants through his intercession!"
Synaxarion
On August 5, the Forefeast of the holy Transfiguration of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the commemoration of the holy martyr Eusignios.
Eusignios, the friend of Christ and soldier of the Lord, cried out until his death, "My prayer goes to Christ alone!" On August 5, he was decapitated by an old companion in arms; and his head was buried in the earth.
By his holy prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria Tone 2
O Eusignios, protected by the armor of Christ, you put to flight the battalions of the apostate tyrant. Illustrious and great martyr, combating with courage, you carried off the prize of victory. You stand now with the angels in the presence of the Holy Trinity: ceaselessly intercede for us who wholeheartedly venerate your memory.
Desiring only the glory of God, let us pass through the cloud of the flesh, lifting ourselves up to the heights of Mount Tabor. Let us strive to join the chief Apostles, Moses and Elijah, to be worthy of the unapproachable and divine radiance, taking our light from the Light that never fades.
Aposticha Tone 1
1. On this day, coming before the all-holy and glorious Transfiguration of the Lord, let us glorify Christ who, through the fire of His divine splendor, restores our fallen nature and makes it radiant, as before the Fall.
v. Love and truth go before Your face.
2. Come, let us climb the holy mountain in order to behold in faith the radiant Transfiguration of the Lord. Let us prostrate ourselves before Him and say, "You alone are our God, who took flesh and deified human nature!"
v. O Lord, we shall walk in the light of Your face.
3. Behold, the eve of the day on which Christ is transfigured in the presence of Moses, Elijah, and His disciples on Tabor, and the divine voice is heard, saying, "This is My beloved Son!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 5
Moses, who saw God, and Elijah, who rode through the heavens unconsumed in a chariot of fire, following You, in a cloud saw You, the Author of the Law and the Fulfillment of the Prophets. They were witnesses to Your Transfiguration. With them, count us also worthy of Your Light, O Lord, that we may sing to You throughout the ages.
August 6
Transfiguration of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ
(1st Class)
GREAT VESPERS
There is no reading from the Psalter.
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
8. O Lord, when You were transfigured before being crucified, Mount Tabor was made to resemble heaven, for a cloud was extended as a canopy and the Father bore witness to You. Peter, James and John were present there, the same three apostles who were to be with You at the time of Judas' betrayal; so that having seen You in glory, they would not be dismayed at the time of Your suffering. Likewise, O Lord, make us worthy to recognize You as our God in these same sufferings You endured in Your great mercy, and to adore You!
7. O Lord, when You were transfigured...(Repeat
6. O Lord, as a preparation to Your crucifixion, You led some of Your disciples to a high mountain and became transfigured before them, enlightening them with a radiation of light and glory. In this way, You showed the reality of the Resurrection You are to grant us in Your love for men and Your almighty power as God. Make us worthy of this Resurrection, O God, for You are gracious and the Lover of Mankind!
5. O Lord, as a preparation...(Repeat)
4. O Lord, when You were transfigured on a high mountain in the presence of Your foremost disciples, You radiated with glory, showing how those who lead an outstanding life of virtue will be made worthy of the glory of heaven. Elijah and Moses, conversing with the Lord, showed Him to be the Lord of the living and the dead, God who spoke through the Law and the Prophets-the same to whom the Father's voice bore witness out of the bright cloud, saying, "Hear Him, for it is He, through His Cross, who despoiled Hades and granted eternal life to the dead!"
3. O Lord, when You were...(Repeat)
2. Indeed, O Lord, the mountain that had been dark with smoke today becomes honorable and holy because You stood on it; the mystery hidden from the beginning of the world becomes manifest in Your Transfiguration before Peter, James and John, who fell with their faces to the ground, unable as they were to bear the light of Your countenance and the splendor of Your clothing. A further marvel was the vision of Moses and Elijah conversing with You on Your future, and the voice of the Father bearing witness and saying, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased. Hear Him. He is the one who will convey great mercy on the world!"
1. Indeed, O Lord...(Repeat)
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 6
O Christ God, when You willed to prefigure Your Resurrection, You chose three disciples-Peter, James and John-and went up with them to Mount Tabor. At the moment of Your Transfiguration, O Savior, the mountain was flooded with light, and Your disciples fell with their faces to the ground, for they could not bear the sight of Your countenance upon which no one may look, O Word! Angels attended with trembling and awe; the heavens were afraid; and the earth shook to its very foundations when they saw the Lord of Glory come upon the earth.
Entrance. "O Joyful Light" Prokimenon of the day. Readings.
Readings: 1) Exodus 24:12-18
2) 33:11-23; 34:4-6, 8
3) III Kings 19:3-9, 11-13, 15-16
Lete
Tone 2
O God of goodness, You sanctified the whole world with Your light when You were transfigured on a high mountain, showing Your disciples Your power that You might deliver the world from sin. Therefore, we cry out to You: "O compassionate Lord, save our souls!"
O Christ our God, You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, showing Your disciples the splendor of Your divinity; enlighten us also with the light of knowledge of You, and set us on the path of Your commandments, for You are good and the Lover of Mankind.
O Christ, the Light that shone before the sun, You went about the earth in the body; In keeping with His divine majesty, before His crucifixion, He fulfilled all things pertaining to His saving economy. Today, upon Tabor, He has mystically revealed the image of the Trinity. Taking aside His three chosen disciples-Peter, James and John-He led them up the mountain. Concealing for a while the flesh He had assumed in the Incarnation, He was transfigured before them, manifesting the splendor of the original beauty, though not in its full perfection. While strengthening their faith, He spared them, lest they lose their lives at the sight. Thus their bodily eyes saw only as much as they could endure. He also invited Moses and Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, to bear witness to His divinity, that He is indeed the Image of the divine Father, the Lord of the living and the dead. A cloud covered them like a tent, and from on high the voice of the Father resounded, testifying to Him and saying, "This is My beloved Son, whom I bore virginally from My bosom from before the morning star! It is He whom I have sent to save those baptized into the Father, the Son and the all-Holy Spirit, and who confess in faith that the power of the Divinity is one and undivided. Hear Him!" O Christ our God, Lover of Mankind, make us also shine in the light of Your inaccessible glory. In Your great goodness, make us worthy heirs of Your everlasting Kingdom.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 5
Come, O faithful, let us go up to the Mountain of God, to the house of our God, that we may see the glory of His Transfiguration: the glory as of the only Son of the Father, receiving Light from Light. Let us rise through the Spirit and praise the consubstantial Trinity for ever and ever.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 5
Moses, who saw God, and Elijah, who rode through the heavens unconsumed in a chariot of fire, following You, in a cloud saw You, the Author of the Law and the Fulfillment of the Prophets. They were witnesses to Your transfiguration. With them, count us also worthy of Your Light, O Lord, that we may sing to You throughout the ages.
Aposticha
Tone 1
1. He who mysteriously spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai and said, "I am who I am", today manifests Himself to His disciples on Mount Tabor and reveals through His Person that human nature is re-established in its original splendor. As witnesses to this grace and partakers of this joy, He raised up Moses and Elijah, the Forerunners of the glorious and saving Resurrection made possible by the Cross of Christ.
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth: You have founded the earth and made all it contains.
2. When David, the forefather of the Lord, foresaw Your coming in the flesh, he invited the whole creation to rejoice, crying out prophetically: "O Savior, Tabor and Herman shall rejoice in Your name"; for indeed, You ascended this mountain with Your disciples. Through Your Transfiguration, You returned Adam's nature to its original splendor, restoring its very elements to the glory and brilliance of Your divinity. Wherefore, we cry out to You, the Creator of All: "Glory to You!"
v. Tabor and Herman shall rejoice in Your name.
3. O Christ, without a beginning, when on the Mount of the Transfiguration Your disciples saw the Light that was Yours and Your unapproachable divinity, they were rapt in amazement and completely changed; they were enrobed in a brilliant cloud, and they heard the Father's voice confirming the mystery of Your Incarnation; for even after coming in the flesh, You remained the only-begotten Son and the Savior of mankind.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 6
O Lord, today on Mount Tabor, You have manifested the glory of Your divinity to Your chosen disciples, Peter, James and John. They saw Your clothing radiant as light and Your face more brilliant than the sun. Unable to bear Your overwhelming radiance, or to look upon You, they fell to the ground and heard a voice bearing witness from heaven: "This is My beloved Son, who came to the world to save mankind."
TROPARION
(3 times)
TROPARION
7th Tone
Troparion of the Feast
Tone 7
You were transfigured on the Mountain, O Christ God, showing your disciples as much of your glory as they could hold. Let your eternal light shine also upon us sinners, through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Gover of light, glory to You.
ORTHROS
Sessional Hymns after the First Reading from the Psalter Tone 4
You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, Showing the exchange mortal men will make with Your glory at Your second and awesome coming, O Savior. Elijah and Moses talked with You; and the three disciples whom You had invited gazed upon Your glory, O Master, and were struck with wonder at Your blinding brightness. As You once shone upon them with Light, so now send Your radiance upon our souls.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
You were transfigured....(Repeat)
Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter Tone 4
You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, O Jesus, and a shining cloud spread out like a tent, covering the Apostles with Your glory, Lord. They fell down prostrate on the ground, unable to bear the unapproachable glory of Your radiant face, O eternal Savior, Christ our God! As You once shone upon them with Light, so now send Your radiance upon our souls.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
You were transfigured....(Repeat)
Sessional Hymns after the Polyeleos Tone 4
Going up the mountain with Your disciples, You shone with the glory of the Father. Moses and Elijah stood at Your side, for the Law and the Prophets minister to You as God. And the Father, acknowledging Your sonship according to Your divine nature, called You His beloved Son. We praise Him in song together with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Going up the mountain...(Repeat)
Prokimenon Tone 4
Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
v. Yours is the heaven, and Yours the earth.
Gospel. Psalm 50.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Holy Spirit.
Through the intercession of the Apostles, O Merciful One...
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Through the intercession of Theotokos, O Merciful One...
v. O God, have mercy on me in the greatness of Your love...
Tone 2
O God of goodness, You sanctified the whole world with Your Light when You were transfigured on a high mountain, showing Your disciples Your power that You might deliver the world from sin. Therefore, we cry out to You: "O compassionate Lord, save our souls!"
Two canons of the Feast are used: the first, in Tone 4, by Cosmas the Monk; the second, in Tone 8, by St. John of Damascus. The refrain between the Troparia is either "Glory to Your holy Transfiguration, O Lord!" or "Glory to You, O our God, glory to You!"
CANONS
Ode 1
The choirs of Israel passed dry shod through the abyss of waters in the Red Sea and saw the enemy hosts of pharaoh swallowed by the flood. They chanted in joy, "Let us sing to our God, for He is gloriously triumphant!"
Addressing to His friends the words of life concerning the Kingdom of God, Christ said to them, "When I shine with the unapproachable Light, you shall know that the Father is in Me; and in joy, you shall intone, 'Let us sing to the Lord, for He is gloriously triumphant!"
"O My disciples and friends, you shall eat the wealth of the nations and boast of the riches from them, for you will be filled with glory when I appear more brilliant than the sun; and you shall cry out in joy, 'Let us sing to the Lord, for He is gloriously triumphant!"
Today, as He promised, on Mount Tabor Christ shines and discloses to His disciples a reflection of His divine splendor. Filled with that divine Light, they say in joy, "Let us sing to the Lord, for He is gloriously triumphant!"
The people of Israel, fleeing the wretchedness of Egypt, passed the sea as if it were dry land. They cried out: "Let us sing to our Deliverer and our God!"
In times past, Moses prophetically saw the glory by the Red Sea in the cloud and the pillar of fire; and he shouted aloud, "Let us sing to our Deliverer and our God!"
Protected, as in the hollow of the rock, by the divinized Body, Moses, who beheld God, contemplated the Invisible One and cried aloud, "Let us sing to our Deliverer and our God!"
You once appeared in a dark cloud to Moses on the Mountain of the Law; now, On Mount Tabor, You appear to him in the unapproachable Light of Your divinity.
Katavasia
Tracing a Cross upon the waters, Moses marked out a straight line before with his staff and divided the Red Sea, opening a path for Israel, which went through with dry feet. Then he marked a second line across the waters, uniting them in one, overwhelming the chariots of Pharoah. Therefore, let us sing to Christ our God, for He is gloriously triumphant!
Ode 3
The bows of the mighty have grown weak, and the tottering have girded themselves with strength; therefore my heart finds strength in the Lord.
You have put on Adam completely, O Christ; and changing his once darkened nature, You filled it with Light, divinizing it as Your countenance was transfigured.
Christ once led Israel through the desert by the cloud and the pillar of fire; today on Mount Tabor, He shines with an ineffable radiance.
O Lord, Creator of the dwellers of the highest heavens and Builder of the Church, strengthen my love for You. O supreme Goal of all desire, Uplifter of the faithful, You alone are the Lover of Mankind!
The Glory that once overshadowed the Tabernacle and spoke with Your servant, Moses, O Master, was the image of Your ineffable Transfiguration, by which You shown upon Mount Tabor, O Lord.
O Word, only-begotten Son, God Most High, the leaders of the Apostles climbed Mount Tabor with You; and Moses and Elijah were present with You as servants of God, O only Lover of Mankind.
Being completely the Word of God, You became completely a man, uniting humanity and Your entire divinity in Your Person which was contemplated in two natures by Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor.
Katavasia
The rod of Aaron is an image of this mystery, for when it budded, it showed who should be priest. So in the Church that was once barren, the wood of the Cross has now put forth a flower, filling her with strength and perseverance.
LITTLE LITANY
Sessional Hymn
Tone 4
You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, O our God, between blessed Moses and Elijah, in the presence of Peter, James and John. Seeing this, Peter cried out, "It would be good to set up three tabernacles here: one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for You, O Jesus, our Master!" As You once shone upon them with Light, so now send Your radiance upon our souls!
Ode 4
I have heard of Your glorious Economy, O Christ our God: how You were born of the Virgin in order to save those who cry to You, "Glory to Your power, O Lord!"
When You delivered the Law on Sinai, You appeared there carried upon the cloud, the darkness and the fire in a storm. Glory to Your power, O Lord!
To strengthen faith in Your Economy, O Christ our God, who exist before all ages and who make the clouds Your conveyance, You shone forth ineffably on Tabor.
Those with whom You had once spoken in darkness, smoke and a light breeze, now stand openly before You as servants, conversing with You, O Christ our Master. Glory to Your power, O Lord!
Moses, who once saw You in the burning bush, and Elijah, who was taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot, appeared with You on Mount Tabor, speaking of Your departure, Your going to the Cross.
From Your flesh came flashes of Your radiant Divinity; thus the Prophets and the chosen Apostles sang, "Glory to Your power, O Lord!"
You kept the bush unharmed, although it was penetrated by the fire. You showed to Moses Your flesh blazing with the divine Light, and he sang, "Glory to Your power, O Lord!"
The visible sun was eclipsed by the radiance of Your divinity when You were transfigured on Tabor, O my Jesus. Glory to Your power, O Lord!
You appeared as an immaterial Fire, burning without consuming the material substance of the body. Thus You were seen by Moses, the Apostles and Elijah, as a witness to the two natures in unity.
Katavasia
O Lord, I have heard the mystery of Your economy; I have considered Your works, and I glorify Your Divinity.
Ode 5
You made the Light appear from the original chaos, that Your works might celebrate You in full light as their Creator, O Christ. Direct our steps in Your Light.
The seasons bowed down before You, for the sun laid at Your feet its radiance which fills the heavens, O Christ, when You deigned to transfigure the nature of mankind.
On the holy mountain of Tabor, Moses and Elijah addressed the Apostles and cried out, "Behold the Savior! Behold Christ, whom in ancient times we had foretold as the true God!"
The unchanging nature of God, united to that of man, shone forth with an ineffable radiance, revealing to the Apostles of Christ a reflection of the immaterial Divinity!
When the disciples saw You, the eternal Light, shining in the glory of the Father, O Christ, they cried out, "Direct our steps in Your Light!"
O inaccessible Light, why have You cast me far from Your face? In my wretchedness, the alien darkness has covered me. Bring me back, I pray, and direct my paths toward the light of Your Law!
The tongues of orators are unable to proclaim Your mighty deeds! As ruler of the living and the dead, You made Moses and Elijah appear with You on Tabor, as witnesses to Your divinity.
With Your invisible hands, O Christ, You formed mankind in Your image; You now manifest the original beauty in that same body; you reveal it not as an image, but as You are in Yourself, truly both God and man by nature.
In Your union without confusion, You have shown us on Mount Tabor the burning coal of Your divinity, which enlightens souls as it consumes sin. And You struck awe in Elijah, Moses and Your chosen Apostles.
Katavasia
Blessed are you, O Tree on which Christ the King and Lord was stretched out. Through you, the tempter fell, the devil who had seduced the human race through a tree. He was caught in the trap set by God, who was crucified on you, granting peace to our souls.
Ode 6
In my affliction I cried out to the Lord; and the God of my salvation made haste to hear me.
Shining forth on Tabor as a Light surpassing the bright radiance of the sun, the Savior has enlightened us.
After climbing Mount Tabor, You were transfigured. Plunging all error into darkness, O Christ, You made Your Light shine forth.
On Tabor, the glorious Apostles recognized You as God; seized with amazement, they knelt down before You.
O Savior, grant me Your pardon, despite the number of my sins. Draw me out of the pit of evil, I pray. It is to You that I cry out: "Lord, God of my salvation, hear me!"
Great and awesome is the vision that is seen today! The visible sun shone from heaven, but upon earth there shone from Mount Tabor the incomparable Sun of Justice, the spiritual sun!
"The pale shadow of the Law has faded away, for Christ, the radiant Truth, has come!" cried out Moses on Tabor as he saw Your divinity.
The pillar of fire had revealed to Moses the Transfiguration of Christ, but the cloud clearly pointed out to Him the grace of the Spirit overshadowing Mount Tabor.
Katavasia
Jonah stretched out his hands in prayer in the form of a Cross within the belly of the whale, plainly prefiguring the saving Passion. Cast out from there after three days, he foreshadowed the marvelous Resurrection of Christ our God, who was crucified in the flesh and enlightened the world by His rising on the third day.
Little Litany.
Kontakion
Tone 7
On the Mountain You were transfigured, O Christ our God, and your Disciples saw as much of your glory as they could hold, so that when they should see you crucified, they would know that Your suffer willingly, and would proclaim to the world that You are verily the Splendor of the Father.
Ikos
Come, stay awake! If we let laziness chain us to the ground, our spirits will never rise to lofty matters! Let us rise and go up the slope of the divine Mount. Let us hasten to join Peter and the two sons of Zebedee on Tabor, that with them we may see the glory of our God and hear the voice they heard from heaven; and they proclaimed that this is verily the Splendor of the Father!
Synaxarion
On August 6, we commemorate the holy Transfiguration of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
In a glory surpassing all earthly desire, Tabor was able to see the Light emitted by the divine nature in its infinite glory. On the sixth, Christ was transfigured, altering His appearance.
To Him be the glory and power throughout the ages. Amen.
Ode 7
In Babylon, the young men, the sons of Abraham, once trampled upon the flame of the fiery furnace, and they sang this song of praise: "Blessed are You, O God of our Fathers!"
O Christ, on Mount Tabor the Apostles were bathed in the Light of Your unapproachable glory, and they cried out, "Blessed are You, O God of our Fathers!"
Delighting in Your splendor, the cloud bringing refreshment, and the radiance of the divine voice, the Apostles cried out, "Blessed are You, O God of our Fathers!"
O Christ, when Peter saw You shining in inaccessible splendor on Mount Tabor, he cried out, "Blessed are You, O God of our Fathers!"
The sons of Zebedee were with Christ, the Prince of Life, when divine Light shone forth from Him, and with their voice of thunder they cried out, "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, forever!"
In the furnace, the young men boldly trampled upon the flame, and they changed the fire to dew as they cried aloud, "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, forever!"
Now the Invisible has become visible to the Apostles: on Mount Tabor, the Divinity has shone forth before them in the flesh, and they cried aloud, "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, forever!"
Struck with wonder before the beauty of Your divine Kingdom, the Apostles on Mount Tabor cried out, "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, forever!"
Now the unimaginable has happened! The Son who came forth without a father from the Virgin, receives glorious testimony from the voice of His Father, that He is both God and Man forever.
It is by nature, and not by adoption, that You are the beloved Son of the Most High; You are the eternal God who, without change, have dwelt among us who cry out, "Blessed are You forever!"
Katavasia
The senseless decree of the wicked tyrant, threatening and blasphemous, made confusion for the people. Yet neither threats nor the roaring fire frightened the three young men; standing together in the flames, fanned by the dew-bearing wind, they sang, "Blessed are You and praiseworthy, O Lord, the God of our Fathers!"
Ode 8
In Babylon, the young men, burning with zeal for God, bravely trampled upon the threat of the tyrant and the fire; thrown into the midst of the flames, but refreshed with dew, they sang, "All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord!"
He who upholds all things by His will, climbed up Mount Tabor on His divine feet. There His face shone more brightly than the sun, and in its radiance stood the chosen ones of the Law and Grace, singing, "All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord!"
The inaccessible and never-setting Light was revealed on Mount Tabor, ineffably showing in His unapproachable glory that the Image of the Father was sent to enlighten creation and divinize mankind, which cries out to Him, "All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord!"
Standing with reverence on Mount Tabor, Moses and Elijah clearly beheld Christ, in the glory of His Father, radiantly transfigured in all His appearance, as they sang, "All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord!"
The face of Moses once shown with glory because of the divine voice he had heard in the dark cloud; but Christ is clothed in brilliance, arrayed with light as with a cloak. Author of Light by nature, He enlightens those who sing, "All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord!"
Seeing Christ surrounded by a radiant cloud on Mount Tabor, and prostrate on the ground, the disciples were filled with spiritual Light, and they sang to Him together with the Father and the Spirit, saying, "All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord!"
The Chaldaean tyrant ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more for the three young men who were filled with reverent fear of God. but seeing them saved by a greater power, he cried out, "O young men, bless the Creator and Deliverer! Priests, sing His praises! O people, exalt Him above all forever!"
Having heard the testimony of the Father on Your behalf, O Lord, and unable to look upon Your face, whose lightning brilliance was too fierce for the eyes of man, the disciples fell to the ground in awe, singing, "O priests, sing the praises of Christ! O people, exalt Him above all forever!"
You are the most beautiful of all kings, the universal Lord of all lords: O blessed Master, You dwell in unapproachable Light. The awestruck disciples sang to You: "Young men, bless Christ! Priests, sing His praises! O people, exalt Christ above all forever!"
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Your chosen Apostles laid aside all earthly care and followed You, O Lover of Mankind, to the divine way of life that is high above this world. So they were counted worthy to receive the vision of Your Godhead, and they sang, "O people, exalt Christ above all forever!"
Katavasia
O young men, equal in number to the Trinity, bless God the Father and Creator; sing the praises of the Word who came down and changed the fire to refreshing dew; and exalt above all else forever the Most Holy Spirit, who gives life to all.
Ode 9
Tone 4
v. O my soul, magnify the Lord who was transfigured on Mount Tabor! (between the Troparia)
Troparion
You gave birth without stain, for it was God incarnate in the flesh who came forth from your womb. He was seen on earth and conversed with men. Wherefore, O Mother of God, we all exalt you.
Struck with common fear before the strange Light which illumined them, the disciples looked at one another and fell face downwards upon the ground in awe, worshipping You, O Master of All!
Confirming the wonder, the voice of God was heard from the cloud; for the Father of Lights addressed the Apostles and said, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"
Seeing that strange and new wonder, then hearing the voice of the Father on Tabor, the servants of the divine Word cried out, "Behold the Image of the Archetype! Behold, our true Savior!"
O faithful Image of He-Who-Is, O Seal that cannot be changed or altered, Son and Word, Wisdom and Arm, Power of the right hand of the Most High: we sing to You and to the Father and the Spirit.
Every ear trembled with fear at hearing of the ineffable condescension of God: how the Most High willingly came down to take flesh and was made man from an undefiled womb. Therefore, O pure Mother of God, we the faithful magnify you!
O God Most High, to show us clearly the nature of Your ineffable Second Coming, and to show us that You are greater than all the gods, You were transfigured on Mount Tabor before Your Apostles in the company of Moses and Elijah; therefore we all magnify You.
O people, come and follow me! Let us climb the holy mountain, toward heaven! In spirit, let us stand in the City of the Living God and contemplate the immaterial Divinity of the Father and the Spirit, shining forth in the only-begotten Son.
You have taken me captive with longing for You, O Christ, and have transformed me with Your divine love. Burn up my sins in the immaterial fire; grant that I may be filled with Your delights, so that with exultation I may magnify Your two comings, O God of compassion.
Katavasias
O Mother of God, you became a Mystical Paradise, when without tilling you brought forth Christ our God, by whom the life-giving Tree of the Cross was planted on earth. Therefore, seeing Him on the Cross, we adore Him and we magnify you.
Today the death that came to man through eating of the tree is made ineffective through the Cross. For the curse of our mother Eve that fell on the human race is destroyed by the pure fruit of the Mother of God, whom all the powers of heaven magnify.
Exapostilarion (3 times
Today, O Word, You reveal Your light on Tabor, O unaltered Light of the eternal Father's Light! And in Your light, we see the light of the Father and the Holy Spirit, guiding all creation with eternal uncreated Light.
Praises Tone 4
4. Before Your Passion and Cross, O Lord, taking with You those whom You had chosen from among Your holy disciples, You climbed up Mount Tabor, in order that Your glory might appear to them. When they saw You transfigured and shining more brilliantly than the sun, they fell down upon the ground. Struck with wonder at Your power, they proclaimed, "O Christ, You are the timeless Light; You are the Reflection of the Father; yet You have freely manifested Yourself in our flesh without undergoing change!"
3. Before Your Passion and Cross, O Lord...(Repeat)
2. You exist before all ages in eternity and are arrayed with light as with a cloak: You were transfigured before Your disciples, shining more brightly than the sun, O Word of God. Moses and Elijah stood at Your side, revealing You to be the Lord of both the living and the dead. They glorified Your ineffable saving Economy as well as Your love and the infinite condescension by which You saved the world which had been lost in sin.
1. O Lord, who were incarnate and born of the Virgin Cloud, You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, covered by a radiant cloud. In the presence of Your disciples, the voice of the Father clearly proclaimed You as His beloved Son, one in essence with Him and sharing the same throne. Struck with wonder, and not knowing what he said, Peter cried out, "It is good for us to be here, O Lord, whose immense mercy fill us with blessings!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 8
Christ took Peter, James and John aside; going up with them on a high mountain, He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothing became whiter than snow. Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Him. Then a radiant cloud covered them, and a voice was heard from the cloud: "Behold, this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"
Great Doxology. Troparion of the Feast. Litanies and Dismissal.
Blessing of Grapes.
Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
Bless, O Father, this new fruit of the vine, which you permitted to ripen through good weather and drops of dew, and may it bring joy for us who will partake of this fruit of the vine, and forgiveness of sins to those who offer it, through the pure Body and Blood of your Christ, with whom you are blessed, together with your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
August 7
Second Day of Transfiguration; Commemoration of the Holy Martyred Monk Dometios
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
For the Transfiguration
6. Before Your Passion and Cross, O Lord, taking with You those whom You had chosen, from among Your holy disciples, You climbed up Mount Tabor in order that Your glory might appear to them. When they saw You transfigured and shining more brilliantly than the sun, they fell down upon the ground. Struck with wonder at Your power, they proclaimed, "O Christ, You are the timeless Light; You are the Reflection of the Father; yet You have freely manifested Yourself in our flesh without undergoing change.
5. You exist before all ages in eternity and are arrayed with light as with a cloak, O Word of God. Moses and Elijah stood at Your side, revealing You to be the Lord of both the living and the dead. They glorified Your ineffable saving Economy as well as Your love and the infinite condescension by which You saved the world which had been lost in sin.
4. O Lord, who were incarnate and born of the Virgin Cloud, You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, covered by a radiant cloud. In the presence of Your disciples, the voice of the Father clearly proclaimed You as His beloved Son, one in essence with Him and sharing the same throne. Struck with wonder, and not knowing what he said, Peter cried out, "It is good for us to be here, O Lord, whose immense mercy fills us with blessings!"
For Dometios
Tone 6
3. Totally renouncing the deceptions of magic, the abominations of the Persians and their monstrous star-gazing, you took refuge in God, who governs the heavens with the wisdom of His Providence. In His name, like an Apostle, you healed the infirmities of animals as well as the sicknesses of the people who had recourse to you with their whole heart, O servant of Christ. With confidence, pray to Him for our souls.
2. You surrendered Your whole life to the Lord, O venerable Father; filled with fervor, you set out on the way of asceticism, giving yourself over to peaceful prayer, continuous praise, night-long vigils, and a life without reproach like an angel in heaven. Thus you received the power to work countless miracles, for the Lord knows how to glorify His servants. With confidence, pray to Him for our souls.
1. Having put on the whole armor of the Cross, covered with the unbreakable buckler of the Faith, you caused terror in the hostile demons attacking you. You routed them by the sword of your Faith and your holy prayers. Now you save travelers from the evils which they can cause them, O Dometios, faithful servant of Christ. With confidence, pray to Him for our souls.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 6
O Christ God, when You willed to prefigure Your Resurrection, You chose three disciples-Peter, James and John-and went up with them to Mount Tabor. At the moment of Your Transfiguration, O Savior, the mountain was flooded with light, and Your disciples fell with their faces to the ground, for they could not bear the sight of Your countenance upon which no one may look, O Word! Angels attended with trembling and awe; the heavens were afraid; and the earth shook to its very foundations when they saw the Lord of Glory come upon earth.
Entrance. "OJoyful Light..."
Great Prokimenon
Tone 7
Our God is in heaven; whatever He wills, He does.
v. When Israel came forth from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of alien tongue, Judah became His sanctuary.
v. The sea fled at the sight; the Jordan turned back on its course.
v. Why was it, O sea, that you fled? That you turned back, Jordan, on your course?
If it is a Saturday, the Prokimenon "The Lord is King..." is used, and the Great Prokimenon with its verses is chanted on the Vespers of the Feast.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. Today, on Mount Tabor, Christ has changed the darkened human nature; filling with brightness, He has made it godlike.
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth.
2. On Tabor, Moses and Elijah saw God, who took flesh from a Virgin for the salvation of the human race.
v. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
3. Before going to the Cross, today on the mountain Christ reveals to His disciples the radiant sign of His divinity, shining like the sun.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 8
Clearly revealing Your divine splendor to those who went up on to the mountain with You, You made them share in Your glory which surpasses all things. Then, filled with enthusiasm, they cried out, "It is good for us to be here!" We, too, sing to You, O Christ our transfigured Savior, throughout the ages!
Troparion of Dometios
Tone 4
Having struggled to the mountain top by fasting, you destroyed the assaults of the spiritual enemy by the armor of the Cross. You girded yourself valiantly for martyrdom with the sword of Faith to cast down the apostate emperor. Because of these two exploits, you received a double crown from God, O blessed Dometios, monk and martyr.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of the Transfiguration
Tone 7
You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God, showing Your disciples as much of Your glory as they could hold. Let Your eternal light shine also upon us sinners, through the prayers of the Mother of God. O Giver of Light, glory to You!
ORTHROS
Sessional Hymns
Tone 4
Behold the coming of the radiant Feast of the Lord: come, let us climb Mount Tabor, as we purify our spirits to see Christ.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Celebrating today in joy the after-Feast of the illustrious and awesome Transfiguration of the Lord, O faithful, let us sing with one accord: "You have transformed our nature, O Savior! You have made it radiant in Your flesh as God, and in love You have restored it to its original dignity. Thus we glory in You, O our only God!"
Kontakion
Tone 7
On the mountain You were transfigured, O Christ our God, and your Disciples saw as much of your glory as they could hold, so that when they should see You crucified, they would know that You suffer willingly, and would proclaim to the world that You are verily the Splendor of the Father.
Ikos
Come, stay awake! If we let laziness chain us to the ground, our spirits will never rise to lofty matters! Let us rise and go up the slope of the divine mount. Let us hasten to join Peter and the two sons of Zebedee on Tabor, that with them we may see the glory of our God and hear the voice they heard from heaven; and they proclaimed that this is verily the Splendor of the Father!
Synaxarion
On August 7, we commemorate the holy martyred monk Dometios the Persian.
Valiantly your disciples determined to fight with you against the idols of stone. On the seventh, as they chanted their fervent prayers, Dometios and two disciples were stoned to death.
By their holy prayers, O our God, have pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
Born in Persia which worshipped fire, from youth yoiu hastened to the divine Faith of Christ, O Dometios, as you proclaimed the true God. Thus in our hymns, O holy Father, we venerate you as an ascetic and a martyr, as a celebrant of the divine mysteries and as an intercessor for those who keep your venerable memory.
Lord, before.going to the Cross, You took Your chosen disciples and were transfigured on Mount Tabor. Moses and Elijah stood in awe as servants at Your side, speaking with You. With them, we adore the Father and the Spirit in You, O Christ the Savior, the Sun risen from the Virgin for the salvation of mankind.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. Wishing to transform the nature taken from Adam, Christ now reveals to His disciples on Mount Tabor the nature of God.
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth.
2. O Christ, You once appeared to Moses and Elijah in the darkness, the storm and the light breeze. But now, You appear in the radiance of Your glory.
v. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
3. In a wondrous manner, radiant with the tripe Light of Your divine glory, O Savior, You enlightened the universe on Mount Tabor.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 5
Contemplating You in the cloud, O Christ, as the Author of the Law and the Fulfillment of the prophecies, were Moses, who saw God, and Elijah, who rode in the fiery chariot without being burned as he sped through the heavens. They were the witnesses to Your Transfiguration. With them, make us worthy of the same Light, that we may sing to You throughout the ages.
August 8
Third Day of Transfiguration; Commemoration of the Holy Confessor Emilian, Bishop of Cyzica
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
For the Transfiguration
6. Today You revealed Your divinity to Your holy Apostles, Lord, in the presence of Moses and Elijah, as the God of both grace and the Law, who have delivered us from the grasp of death. With them, we glorify Your saving Economy, O Lover of Mankind, all-powerful Jesus, the Savior of our souls.
5. Today You shine more brilliantly than the light of the sun on Mount Tabor. You showed Your friends, O Lord, that You are the reflection of God's glory and splendor, although in love You assumed human nature. Thus we glorify Your saving Economy, O all-powerful Jesus, the Savior of our souls.
4. Today the angels in heaven exult with joy, celebrating in company with mankind Your awesome and divine splendor, which shone forth on Tabor in the presence of Moses, Elijah, Peter, James and John. O Lover of Mankind, they sang to You, O all-powerful Jesus, the Savior of our souls.
For Emilian
3. You continued to venerate the icon of Christ when the boldness of Leo raged like a lion and troubled the Christian people, renewing the heresy of the impious Copronymos. O wise Father, you clearly denounced him with courage in the assembly of the hierarchs, revealing yourself to be a valiant soldier of Christ our God. O blessed one, we pray you to intercede with Him that He enlighten and save our souls.
2. You now dwell in the halls of heaven. When the impious emperor displayed his ferocity against God and exiled you because of your firm convictions, you knew no other homeland than Paradise, from which we had fallen; thus you endured banishment, filled with joy. Thus, O holy Father, you fittingly merited to contemplate Christ our God, our immortal Life. We pray you to intercede with Him that He enlighten and save our souls.
1. You wisely used your tongue of fire when the tyrant Leo published the barbarous decree forbidding further honor to be given to the august icon of Christ the Savior. You opposed him, teaching the sacrosanct principle that it is the divine model which receives the veneration given the image, as had been said. Your word reduced the beast to a cursed name, O venerable Father, holy spokesman for God.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 1
He who mysteriously spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai and said, "I am who I am", today manifests Himself to His disciples on Mount Tabor and reveals through His Person that human nature is re-established in its original splendor. As witnesses to this grace and partakers of this joy, He raised up Moses and Elijah, the forerunners of the glorious and saving Resurrection made possible by the Cross of Christ.
Aposticha
Tone 6
1. In Your compassion, O Christ, You took from the Virgin the form of Adam, the first man; and You became a new Adam, a second Adam. On Mount Tabor, You were transfigured, O Savior, revealing Your divinity.
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth.
2. The chief representatives of grace and the Law were amazed as they beheld Your Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, O Christ. With them, we bow down before You, as well as the Father and the Spirit.
v. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
3. O Christ, the creation shone with a joyful Light at Your divine Transfiguration which You revealed on Mount Tabor to Your Apostles in the presence of Moses and Elijah. Then You were more radiant than the sun in Your divinity, in a wondrous manner.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 1
When David, the forefather of the Lord, saw in spirit Your coming in the flesh, he invited the whole creation to rejoice, crying out prophetically: "O Savior, Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name," for indeed, You ascended this mountain with Your disciples. Through Your Transfiguration, You returned Adam's nature to its original splendor, restoring its very elements to the glory and brilliance of Your divinity. Wherefore we cry out to You, the Creator of All: "Glory to You!"
Troparion of Emilian
Tone 4
O Father and Hierarch Emilian, the holiness of your life was set before your flock as a rule of faith, an example of meekness and a teaching of temperance; wherefore you acquired greatness through humility and spiritual wealth through poverty. Pray to Christ God that He may save our souls.
Troparion of the Transfiguration
Tone 7
You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God, showing Your disciples as much of Your glory as they could hold. Let Your eternal light shine also upon us sinners, through the prayers of the Mother of God. O Giver of Light, glory to You!
ORTHROS
Sessional Hymns
Tone 4
You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, showing the exchange mortal men will make with Your glory at Your second and awesome coming, O Savior. Elijah and Moses talked with You; and the three disciples whom You had invited gazed upon Your glory, O Master, and were struck with wonder at Your blinding brightness. As You once shone upon them with Light, so now send Your radiance upon our souls.
Kontakion of the Transfiguration
Tone 7
On the Mountain.You were transfigured, O Christ our God, and your Disciples saw as much of your glory as they could hold, so that when they should see You crucified, they would know that You suffer willingly, and would proclaim to the world that You are verily the Splendor of the Father.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Transfigured on Mount Tabor, You showed Your glory to Your chosen disciples as You shone forth in the splendor of Your immutable divinity, O Christ our Savior. You summoned Moses and Elijah into the radiant cloud, and they conversed with You. Peter then declared, "O God of compassion, it is good for us to be here with You!"
As You once shone upon them with Light, so now send Your radiance upon our souls.
Ikos
Come, stay awake! If we let laziness chain us to the ground, our spirits will never rise to lofty matters! Let us rise and go up the slope of the divine Mount. Let us hasten to join Peter and the two sons of Zebedee on Tabor, that with them we may see the glory of our God and hear the voice they heard from heaven: and they proclaimed that this is verily the Splendor of the Father.
Synaxarion
On August 8, we commemorate our venerable Father Emilian, the Confessor, Bishop of Cyzica.
Emilian kept strict watch over his soul, so as to render an account; but he was not overly concerned about the body. On the eighth day of the month of August, the earth was opened to receive the bones of Emilian.
Through his holy prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
When the beast rose up against the Church, the barbarous Leo, that devouring Hades, forbidding the faithful to venerate the holy and sacred images, then, O blessed Emilian, you firmly opposed the infamous and blasphemous heresy of the tyrant, under whom you suffered persecution and the bitterness of exile.
Lord, before going to the Cross, You took Your chosen disciples and were transfigured on Mount Tabor. Moses and Elijah stood in awe as servants at Your side, speaking with You. With them, we adore the Father and the Spirit in You, O Christ the Savior, the Sun risen from the Virgin for the salvation of mankind.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. O Savior, You were more radiantly white than snow, revealing to Your disciples the unapproachable glory which You enjoyed as God.
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth.
2. Interrupting its course through the heavens, the sun came to rest at Your feet in all its brilliance, O Christ our Savior, to show that You are the Master and Author of all creation.
v. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
3. O Savior, when they saw with Moses and Elijah the glory which You wished to show on Tabor, Your disciples were struck with awe.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 1
O Christ without a beginning, when on the Mount of the Transfiguration Your disciples saw the Light that was Yours and Your unapproachable divinity, they were rapt in amazement and completely changed. They were enrobed in a radiant cloud, and they heard the Father's voice confirming the mystery of Your Incarnation; for even after coming in the flesh, You remained the only-begotten Son and the Savior of Mankind.
August 9
Fourth day of Transfiguration; holy Apostle Matthias
(4th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 1
For the Transfiguration
6. On this day, celebrating the all-holy and glorious Transfiguration of the Lord, let us glorify Christ, who through the fire of His divine splendor, restores our fallen nature and makes it radiant, as before the Fall.
5. Come, let us climb the holy mountain in order to behold in faith the radiant Transfiguration of the Lord. Let us prostrate ourselves before Him and say, "You alone are our God, who took flesh and deified human nature!"
4. Behold the venerable day on which Christ is transfigured in the presence of Moses, Elijah, and His disciples on Tabor, and the divine voice is heard, saying, "This is My beloved Son!"
For Matthias
3. O Apostle Matthias, you completed the number of the divine choir from which Judas had fallen; and by the splendor of your wise speech in the Spirit, you drove away the darkness of idolatry. Pray, then, to Christ to grant our souls peace and great mercy.
2. O Apostle Matthias, you flow forth from the spiritual Paradise like a river bearing divine waters. O blessed one, you water the earth with your mystic streams, making it bear fruit in abundance. Pray, then, to Christ to grant our souls peace and great mercy.
1. O Apostle Matthias, the light of your inspired teachings has shone all over the world, enlightening men and leading them to the knowledge of God. You transform into dwelling-places of light those who had been lying in the night of vain illusions and the shadows of the complete absence of God.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 6
Grace was poured out on your lips, O glorious apostle Matthias, and you were a light for the Church of Christ, teaching His followers to believe in the consubstantial Trinity, the One God.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 2
O God of goodness, You sanctified the whole world with Your light when You were transfigured on a high mountain, showing Your disciples Your power that You might deliver the world from sin. Therefore, we cry out to You: "O compassionate Lord, save our souls!"
Aposticha
Tone 6
1. O Word of God, whose Light dawned ineffably from the all-holy Mother of God, You assumed the nature of Adam, wholly darkened by sin. You made it shine by the divine change in Your appearance when You were transfigured on Mount Tabor before Your venerable Crucifixion, O Christ our God!
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth.
2. The mountain which had at first been covered by darkness and smoke is now venerable and holy. For Christ, who according to the Scriptures once led the People of Israel in the pillar of fire and the cloud, today as God has made His light shine forth ineffably, brighter than the sun, to enlighten the world.
v. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
3. Seeing two men speaking as servants to the Master on Mount Tabor, Peter cried out, "It is good for us to be here! Let us set up three tents, if You wish: one for You, O Christ, and the others for Your servants Moses and Elijah!" He did not know what he was saying, so great was his awe.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 2
Filled with divine zeal, O Apostle Matthias, worthy of all praise, you burned with fervor for the all-powerful God who had filled you with wondrous miracles. By your unequaled zeal, you merited to enter into true Life, O blessed one. Now you dwell on high among the celestial choirs. O Apostle who have beheld God, pray to Christ the divine Word to grant us great mercy!
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 2
O Christ our God, You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, showing Your disciples the splendor of Your divinity: enlighten us also with the light of knowledge of You, and sets us on the path of Your commandments, for You are good and the Lover of Mankind.
Troparion of Matthias
Tone 3
O holy Apostle Matthias, intercede with God all-merciful that He may grant us the remission of our sins.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of the Transfiguration
Tone 7
You were transfigured on the Moutain, O Christ God, showing your Disciples as much of your glory as they could hold. Let your eternal light shine also upon us sinners, through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Giver of Light, glory to You.
ORTHROS
Use the Festal Format for Orthros
Sessional Hymns after the First Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
O Apostle Matthias, the Sun of Justice, Christ our God, has sent you forth as a ray of light to enlighten all the earth; by your prayers, you illumine with the never-setting Light all those who keep your memory with faith.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O Jesus, transfigured by the unapproachable glory of Your divine Light, You shone before Your divine Apostles Peter and the sons of Zebedee. By Your divine grace, You filled them with awe, for they heard the voice of the Father bearing witness that You are His beloved Son. With awe, they beheld the glory of Your face. You desire to save us: enlighten our souls, O Savior!
Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter
Tone 8
Having cast down the error of false gods and having willingly shared in the sufferings of the Savior, you became a true Apostle, O blessed Matthias, and poured forth the wonders of heaven upon mankind as a teacher to the nations. Thus, honoring your sacred memory, as is right, we glorify you in our hymns. O Apostle of the Lord, and magnify you in faith. Intercede before Christ our God that He grant remission of sins to the faithful who celebrate your sacred memory with love.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 4
You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, O our God, between blessed Moses and Elijah, in the presence of Peter, James and John. Seeing this, Peter cried out, "It would be good to set three tabernacles here: one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for You, O Jesus, our Master!" As You once shone upon them with Light, so now send Your radiance upon our souls!
Kontakion of Matthias
Tone 4
Your word has spread over the whole world, enlightening men as does the sun, and giving to the Church the grace of Faith in Gentile lands, O Matthias, wonder-worker and apostle!
Ikos
Grant me streams of eloquence, O Lord who gathered together the waters into a single basin. Grant power to my heart, O God of compassion, whose word made firm the dry land. Enlighten the thoughts of my heart, O God who are arrayed with light as with a cloak. Thus may I proclaim and sing: "In Your mercy, You have justly showered honors upon Matthias, wonder-worker and apostle!"
Synaxarion
On August 9, we commemorate the holy Apostle Matthias.
Excluded from the holy Twelve as a traitor, Judas hung himself with a rope. Chosen by lot, Matthias entered the Twelve, and he died on a tree, in imitation of his Master. On August ninth, Matthias was put to death.
By his holy prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
The impious Judas willingly excluded himself and reduced the number of the Twelve Holy Apostles. By divine election, Matthias was given his place and joined them, chosen as an Apostle and Disciple of Christ to bring light to the whole world by teaching of the Holy Trinity.
Lord, before going to the Cross, You took Your chosen disciples and were transfigured on Mount Tabor. Moses and Elijah stood in awe as Your servants at Your side, speaking with You. With them, we adore the Father and the Spirit in You, O Christ the Savior, the Sun risen from the Virgin for the salvation of mankind.
Praises
For the Transfiguration
Tone 2
6. On Mount Tabor, the glory of the Holy Trinity was openly revealed when You were transfigured in Your great goodness, O God our Savior.
5. A radiant cloud brilliantly covered all when You were transfigured, and it struck wonder in Your chosen holy disciples.
4. Moses and Elijah stood near You when You were transfigured, O Word. The Father bore witness to You when His voice was heard from on high.
For Matthias
Tone 4
3. With the shepherd's staff of grace, you have snatched people back from destruction, O Apostle Matthias, since you yourself obeyed the call of your Teacher, Christ, who enlightened you. He made you a herald of God and spokesman for the Divinity.
2. Enlightenment descended upon you from the Holy Spirit in the shape of fire and made you a divine receptacle that drives away the darkness of godlessness. You gave light to the world by your preaching, O you who are an explainer of the mysteries, ornament of apostles, and eye-witness of Christ.
1. With the lightning of your preaching, O glorious apostle Matthias, you have raised those sitting in the darkness of ignorance to the dignity of sons of God, our Master, through their faith. You imitated His passion and death, becoming an heir to His glory, for you are a wise preacher, a spokesman for God and a disciple of the truth.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 2
Renouncing earthly treasure, you followed Christ and were sealed by the breath of the Holy Spirit. He sent you to the scattered nations to turn men to the light of knowledge of God. O apostle Matthias, you ended your life by martyrdom, returning your soul to Christ. Ask Him to grant us great mercy.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 2
On Tabor, Moses and Elijah saw God, who took flesh from a Virgin for the salvation of the human race.
Great Doxology. Troparia. Litanies and Dismissal
August 10
Fifth day of Transfiguration; commemoration of the holy marty, the Archdeacon Lawrence.
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
6. Come, let us rejoice, mounting up from the earth to the highest contemplation of the virtues: let us be transformed this day into a better state and direct our minds to heavenly things, being shaped anew in piety according to the model of Christ. In His mercy, the Savior of our souls has transfigured disfigured man and made him shine with light upon Mount Tabor.
5. O let us who love to see and hear things past understanding, mystically behold Christ shine as lightning with the rays of divine splendor. Let us make the Father's voice resound, who proclaimed Him as His beloved Son. On Mount Tabor, He makes bright the weakness of man and bestows enlightenment upon our souls.
4. Let the assembly of all on earth and in the world above be moved to praise Christ our God, Lord of both the living and the dead. When He was divinely transfigured on Tabor, the Savior of our souls was pleased to have at His side the leaders and the preachers of both the Law and Grace.
For Lawrence
3. O holy martyr, the Lord and Master gave you the fiery grid-iron as a help. Inflamed at contact with it, you more quickly laid aside the earthly garment of your body and received as your inheritance the never-ending life of the Kingdom. Thus in joy we celebrate your beautiful feast, O Lawrence, bearer of the blessed crown.
2. You extinguished the smoldering embers of the worship of false gods on the grid where you were burned. Freed of the burden of the flesh by it, you shook off that weighty impediment, the dust to which our ancestors returned through sin. Thus you became for us a burning coal, ceaselessly shedding light on the faithful who honor your memory.
1. The invincible martyrs were enkindled by God like living flames which drive away the darkness of error and godlessness by their fervor and the light of the Spirit in order to enkindle the flame of our Faith. Among them, the venerable Lawrence, a true deacon for the Savior, shines forth for his wondrous miracles.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 4
O Lord, when You were transfigured before being crucified, Mount Tabor was made to resemble heaven, for a cloud was extended as a canopy and the Father bore witness to You. Peter, James and John were present there, the same three Apostles who were to be with You at the time of Judas' betrayal; so that having seen You in glory, they would not be dismayed at the time of Your suffering. Likewise, O Lord, make us worthy to recognize You as our God in these same sufferings You endured in Your great mercy, and to adore You!
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. On Mount Tabor, the Lord came to manifest His divine glory to His chosen disciples in a limited manner.
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth.
Come, let us all quickly climb to the height of the virtues with the disciples, that we, too, may be worthy of grace.
v. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
3. O people of the earth, let us cleanse our hearts of all stain, that the glory and grace of the triple Sun may also come to us.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 4
O Lord, as a preparation to Your crucifixion, You led some of Your disciples to a high mountain and became transfigured before them, enlightening them with a radiation of light and glory. In this way, You showed the reality of the Resurrection You are to grant us in Your love for men and Your almighty power as God.
Troparion of Lawrence
Tone 4
O Lord our God, Your holy martyr Lawrence has deserved the crown of immortality on account of his good fight. Armed with Your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors and crushed Satan's dreadful might. Through his supplications, O Christ God, save our souls.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of the Transfiguration
Tone 7
You were transfigured on the Moutain, O Christ God, showing your Disciples as much of your glory as they could hold. Let your eternal light shine also upon us sinners, through the prayers of the Mother fo God, O Giver of light, glory to you.
ORTHROS
Sessional Hymns
Tone 4
You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, O Jesus, and a shining cloud spread out like a tent, covering the Apostles with Your glory, Lord. They fell down prostrate on the ground, unable to bear the unapproachable glory of Your radiant face, O eternal Savior, Christ our God! As You once shone upon them with Light, so now send Your radiance upon our souls.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Transfigured on Mount Tabor, You showed Your glory to Your chosen disciples as You shone forth in the splendor of Your immutable divinity, O Christ our Savior. You summoned Moses and Elijah into the radiant cloud, and they conversed with You. Peter then declared, "O God of compassion, it is good for us to be here with You!" As You once shone upon them with Light, so now send Your radiance upon our souls.
Kontakion
Tone 2
Holy martyr Lawrence, the pillar of those who struggle, while your heart was aflame with the love of God, the fire of the passions died out in you. In the midst of your effort, you cried out, "Nothing will separate me from the love of Christ!"
Ikos
O faithful, come, in our hymns let us sing of that unswerving star which shone upon the world, the victorious athlete Lawrence, the servant of the ineffable sacred mysteries, that we may be delivered by his prayers from our dark sins. With purified hearts, may we see Christ who wondrously glorified him as he struggled, full of power, and said, "Nothing will separate me from the love of Christ!"
Synaxarion
On August 10, we commemorate the holy martyr, the archdeacon Lawrence, Sixtus, Pope of Rome, and Hippolytus.
I celebrate Lawrence, who gained his laurels from Christ as he was roasted alive on a grill. Wishing to become an heir of glory, Sixtus ended his life by the sword in the arena. I see Hippolytus tied to chargers, suffering his passion by dismemberment. On August 10, the executioners became cooks as they laid Lawrence on the grill.
By their holy prayers, O our God, have pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
O wondrous and great martyr, you share in the exultation of the heavenly Powers and the choirs of martyrs, close to the throne of the radiant Trinity, surrounded by the splendors of the Age to Come. Ask light and peace for the faithful who celebrate your radiant memory. Enlightened, they will glorify you, O holy archdeacon Lawrence.
Lord, before going to the Cross, You took Your chosen Apostles and were transfigured on Mount Tabor. Moses and Elijah stood in awe as Your servants at Your side, speaking with You. With them, we adore the Father and the Spirit in You, O Christ the Savior, the Sun risen from the Virgin for the salvation of mankind.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. From heaven, the voice of the Father was heard bearing witness: "Look upon Him and hear Him, for He is My beloved Son!"
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth.
2. O faithful, in spirit let us climb to the summit of contemplation in order to see the glory of God our Savior.
v. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
3. O Christ my Savior, in a psalm David proclaimed that in Your name, Tabor and Hermon would exult with joy.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Sovereign King of All, grant peace to the world by the prayers of the spotless Virgin, the Queen of all, and all the saints.
August 11
Sixth day of Transfiguration; commemoration of the holy martyr Euplos the Deacon
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
For the Transfiguration
Tone 6
6. In Your compassion, O Christ, You took from the Virgin the form of Adam, the first man; and You became a new Adam, a second Adam. On Mount Tabor, You were transfigured, O Savior, revealing Your divinity.
5. The chief representatives of grace and the Law were amazed as they beheld Your Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, O Christ. With them, we bow down before You, as well as the Father and the Spirit.
4. O Christ, the creation shone with a joyful Light at Your divine Transfiguration which You revealed on Mount Tabor to Your Apostles in the presence of Moses and Elijah. Then You were more radiant than the sun in Your divinity, in a wondrous manner.
For Euplos
Tone 1
3. O Euplos, all-worthy of our hymns, you frustrated the hostile plots of the enemy by your struggle against him and your determined resistance. You offered yourself to Christ, Your Creator, as a spotless victim in a manner that pleased Him. And now you exult throughout the ages with the King of All.
2. O Euplos, all-worthy of our hymns, having put your intentions under the protection of the Cross, you marched deliberately toward the enemy and wondrously put him to flight. And now you exult throughout the ages with the King of All.
1. O Euplos, all-worthy of our hymns, having Christ as your defender, you paid no heed to things here below. For His sake, O holy martyr, you handed over your own body to the executioner for torments. You persevered in your struggle until death. Thus your Master, Savior and Lord adorned you with the crown of victory.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 4
Indeed, O Lord, the mountain that had been dark with smoke today becomes honorable and holy because You stood on it; the mystery hidden from the beginning of the world becomes manifest in Your Transfiguration before Peter, James and John, who fell with their faces to the ground, unable as they were to bear the light of Your countenance and the splendor of Your clothing. A further marvel was the vision of Moses and Elijah conversing with You on Your future, and the voice of the Father bearing witness and saying, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased. Hear Him. He is the One who will convey great mercy to the world!"
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. Wishing to transform the nature taken from Adam, Christ now reveals to His disciples on Mount Tabor the nature of God.
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth.
2. In a wondrous manner, radiant with the triple Light of Your divine glory, O Savior, You enlightened the universe on Mount Tabor.
v. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
3. O Word, when the disciples suddenly saw the wondrous change in Your garments and Your countenance, they fell face downward on the ground.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 4
O Lord, when You were transfigured on a high mountain in the presence of Your foremost disciples, You radiated with glory, showing how those who lead an outstanding life of virtue will be made worthy of the glory of heaven. Elijah and Moses, conversing with the Lord, showed Him to be the Lord of the living and the dead, God who spoke through the Law and the Prophets-the same to whom the Father's voice bore witness out of the bright cloud, saying, "Hear Him, for it is He, through His Cross, who despoiled Hades and granted eternal life to the dead!"
Troparion of Euplos
Tone 4
O Lord our God, Your holy martyr Euplos has deserved the crown of immortality on account of his good fight. Armed with Your strength, he has vanquished his persecutor and crushed Satan's dreadful might. Through his supplications, O Christ God, save our souls.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of the Transfiguration
Tone 7
You were transfigured on the Moutain, O Christ God, showing your Disciples as much of your glory as they could hold. Let your eternal light shine also upon us sinners, through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Giver of light, glory to You.
ORTHROS
Sessional Hymns
Tone 4
Behold the coming of the radiant Feast of the Lord: come, let us climb Mount Tabor, as we purify our spirits to see Christ.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 5
The Word, receiving the same honor as the Father and the Spirit, took flesh from the Virgin for our salvation and dwelt among us as is written. Then, climbing Tabor with His chosen disciples, He was transfigured in glory; thus we sing of the infinite condescension of our God.
Kontakion of Euplos
Tone 1
When the love of Christ was your sole defense, you stood up in the midst of the fighting and said, "I am willing to bear the struggle with confidence." With joy, Euplos, you offered your head to the sword and thus completed your course.
Kontakion of the Feast
Tone 7
On the Mountain You were transfigured, O Christ our God, and your Disciples saw as much of your glory as they could hold, so that when they should see You crucified, they would know that You suffer willinglly, and would proclaim to the world that You are verily the Splendor of the Father.
Ikos
Come, stay awake! If we let laziness chain us to the ground, our spirits will never rise to lofty matters! Let us rise and go up the slope of the divine Mount. Let us hasten to join Peter and the two sons of Zebedee on Tabor, that with them we may see the glory of our God and hear the voice they heard from heaven; and they proclaimed that this is verily the Splendor of the Father!
Synaxarion
On August 11, we commemorate the great martyr Euplos the Deacon.
Euplos, under the vestment you were a holy levite; under the blow of the sword, you were a generous soldier. On the eleventh, Euplos died, beheaded by a sword.
By his holy prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 3
Totally consecrated to the Almighty, illumined by the radiance of heaven, O victorious athlete, be mindful of those who celebrate your light-bearing memory, venerating you as a deacon of the Mysteries of Christ, O holy and great martyr Euplos.
Today, O Word, You reveal Your Light on Tabor, O unaltered Light of the eternal Father's Light! And in Your Light, we see the Light of the Father and the Holy Spirit, guiding all creation with eternal uncreated Light.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. O three divine Apostles, rejoice! For on Mount Tabor, you saw the Trinity, One in Essence!
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth!
2. O Tabor, once in darkness, what a wonder! You received not the light of the visible sun, but the Splendor shining from on high!
v. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
3. Enlightened by the radiance of Your face, O Savior, and unable to bear the Light, the disciples fell face down to the ground!
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
On Tabor, Moses and Elijah saw God, who took flesh from a Virgin for the salvation of the human race.
August 12
Seventh day of Transfiguration; commemoration of the holy martyrs Photios and Anicetos
(5th Class)
On the same day, we sing the office of our venerable Father Maximos the Confessor, because of the Leave-taking of Transfiguration on August 13.
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
For Photios and Anicetos
6. You had no fear of the fire, the cut of instruments of torture, nor the wild rage of the senseless one who judged you, the teeth of wild beasts, the scalding water of the cauldrons, nor dismemberment, nor the bitter sentence condemning you to that death which made you immortal, O generous athletes, leading you in a wondrous manner to the immortal Lord our God.
5. You found a blessed end, more venerable than all and highly desirable, the object of all hope, O intrepid martyrs. For us, you pour forth streams of miracles to extinguish the burning passions of body and soul in those who reverently celebrate your annual feast, O greatly-renowned martyrs.
4. The illustrious Photios and the divinely-wise Anicetos were both wondrously enlightened by the radiance of the Three Persons in God. Adorned by wounds as by precious carvings, they now rejoice with the angels, granting enlightenment and great mercy to the faithful who celebrate their wondrous struggles.
For Maximos
3. Christ was made man for us in His good pleasure and reveals Himself to our hearts in two wills and two natures. You preached Him, O venerable Maximos, and closed the gaping mouths of the impious. By the diabolical instigation of the worker of all evil, they had proclaimed Him as having only one will and one energy.
2. O venerable Maximos, under the vigor of your teachings, you smothered the foolish babbling of Pyrrhus. You endured being afflicted, persecuted and severely beaten. They cut off your tongue as well as the hand which you had lifted up in constant prayer to God, and with which you wrote your sublime works.
1. O blessed one, your holy tongue was like the pen of a skillful writer, sharpened by the Spirit and writing with grace on the tablets of our hearts about the law of the divine virtues, the Orthodox teachings, and the Incarnation of the One who wished to be revealed to men in two natures, yet as a single Person.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 8
All the monks honor you, O Maximos, holy father, as a spiritual guide. Through you, we have set out on the narrow path; blessed are you for having served Christ and for having broken the power of the enemy, O companion of the angels, the just and the saints. With them, ask the Lord to have mercy on our souls!
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Following after the shadows of the Law, behold the radiant cloud which surrounds the transfigured Christ! In it are seen Moses and Elijah, judged worthy of the glory more brilliant than the sun, who say to Christ, "You are our God, the King of the Ages!"
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. Let us hasten to go to Mount Tabor to see the glory of Christ, our Redeemer and the King of All.
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth!
2. For the sake of Your chosen disciples, O Savior, You shone more brightly than the sun on Mount Tabor in the presence of Moses and Elijah.
v. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
3. The voice of the Father bore witness to Your glory, O Savior. The disciples heard it and fell down on the ground in fright.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 6
Venerable father, the whole world is filled with the fame of your holy deeds; through them, you have received the recompense of your labors in heaven. You destroyed hordes of demons and have been united to the choirs of angels, whose pure lives you imitated. By your boldness with Christ our God, ask peace for our souls!
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 8
Clearly revealing Your divine splendor to those who went up the mountain with You, You made them share in Your glory which surpasses all things. Then, filled with enthusiasm, they cried out, "It is good for us to be here!" We, too, sing to You, O Christ our transfigured Savior, throughout the ages!
Troparion of Photios and Anicetos
Tone 4
O Lord our God, Your holy martyrs Photios and Anicetos have deserved the crown of immortality on account of their good fight. Armed with Your strength, they have vanquished their persecutors and crushed Satan's dreadful might. Through their supplications, O Christ God, save our souls!
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Troparion of Maximos
Tone 8
Guide of Orthodoxy, mirror of piety and exemplary behavior, bright star of the universe and adornment of monks: you enlightened us all by your teaching. O wise Maximos, inspired by God and lyre of the Holy Spirit, intercede with Christ God that He may save our souls!
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of the Transfiguration
Tone 7
You were transfigured on the Mountain, O Christ God, showing your Disciples as much of your glory as they could hold. Let your eternal light shine also upon us sinners, through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Giver of light, glory to You.
ORTHROS
Sessional Hymns
Tone 4
You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, showing the exchange mortal men will make with Your glory at Your second and awesome coming, O Savior. Elijah and Moses talked with You; and the three disciples whom You had invited gazed upon Your glory, O Master, and were struck with wonder at Your blinding brightness. As You once shone upon them with Light, so now send Your radiance upon our souls.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever ever. Amen.
Transfigured on Mount Tabor, You showed Your glory to Your chosen disciples as You shone forth in the splendor of Your immutable divinity, O Christ our Savior. You summoned Moses and Elijah into the radiant cloud, and they conversed with You. Peter then declared, "O God of compassion, it is good for us to be here with You!" As You once shone upon them with light, so now send Your radiance upon our souls!
Kontakion of Maximos
Tone 6
Taking up its abode within your heart, the thrice-brilliant Light made you a chosen vessel, O blessed one: for you gave the truths concerning God as a light to the ends of the earth. You made deep and complicated ideas clear to us as you preached the eternal and supreme Divinity, the Holy Trinity, to everyone, O venerable father Maximos!
Ikos
Having imitated the sufferings of the Savior, meditating on them in your soul, O blessed one, and preparing your heart to undergo them, the Lord gave you grace from heaven on high. Courageously you opposed the tyrant, preaching the eternal, divine and consubstantial Trinity. As you refuted the blasphemy of heresy, you endured countless torments. They cut out your tongue, O venerable theologian, and severed your hand as well. But you did not cease to speak freely, strengthening the faithful by your divine teachings, confessing the eternal and supreme Divinity, the Holy Trinity, to everyone, O venerable father Maximos!
Kontakion of Photios and Anicetos
Tone 2
Let us celebrate the faithful soldiers of God, praising them to the glory of Christ. O friends of the martyrs, let us all sing of the valiant preachers of the faith, crowning with our hymns these true friends of the Lord.
Synaxarion
On August 12, we commemorate the holy martyrs Photios and Anicetos.
The fire consumed Photios and his uncle Anicetos; but on the twelfth, Anicetos the invincible and Photios the illustrious raised up more brightly than Phoebus on the pyre, toward the Sun of Justice.
By their holy prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 3
The depth of Your judgments was revealed to us by the Spirit, O Lord. But the Mystery of the Spirit was fathomed by the power of his spirit by Maximos, O Savior, as that lover of wisdom in truth proclaimed the two wills and two energies. Thus today we cover him with honor and glory.
A light has come for all people in the radiant witnessing of Photios and Anicetos, the invincible martyrs, triumphing over error in their torments. By their struggles, the two glorified both the divine and the earthly birth of Christ. Let us celebrate the glory which they have found together.
Today, O Word, You reveal Your Light on Tabor, O unaltered Light of the eternal Father's Light! And in Your Light, we see the light of the Father and the Holy Spirit, guiding all creation with eternal, uncreated Light!
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. "The shadow of the Law has passed away, for grace has come!" said Moses on Mount Tabor as he contemplated Your Divinity, O Savior!
v. Yours is the heaven and Yours the earth!
2. O Lover of Mankind, on Mount Tabor Moses and Elijah spoke of Your passing which You were about to carry out for our sake.
v. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
3. Unable to gaze upon the radiance of Your divine countenance, O Savior, the three chosen disciples were filled with fear and prostrated upon the ground.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Lift up the heads of Your faithful Christians, O King of all, in Your love; grant them victory, O Savior, through the prayers of the Mother who gave birth to You.
August 13
Leave-taking of the Feast of the Transfiguration; transfer of the remains of our venerable father Maximos, the Confessor.
We sing the Office of August 6, except for the readings, the Lete and the Polyeleos.
If this day falls on Sunday: Saturday evening at Vespers, we sing the first Kathisma (Blessed the man). At "O Lord...", 4 stichera from Sunday in the tone of the week, then 6 of the Feast. "Glory," of the Feast; "Now," then the Dogmaticon of the Tone of the week.
Aposticha of the Resurrection, Glory, Now, Feast. Troparia: Resurrection, Glory, Now, Feast.
At Orthros, Sessional Hymns of the Resurrection and Evloghitaria. Canons of the Resurrection and the Feast. Katavasias of the Cross. After the third Ode, hymns of the Feast. After the sixth Ode, of the Resurrection. Mary's Canticle is sung at the ninth Ode. Exapostilaria of Sunday and the Feast. At the praises, 4 stichera of the Tone , 4 of the Feast. Glory, Eothinon; Now, "You are truly..." Great Doxology.
Synaxarion
On August 13, we commemorate the transfer of the remains of our venerable father Maximos the Confessor.
O Maximos, the faithful were able to move your ashes, showing that in your strong will, you wished to move. On the thirteenth, his body was brought down from exile in the Caucasus. Let us give thanks to God.
By his prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Troparion of the Feast
Tone 7
You were transfigured on the Mountain, O Christ God, showing your Disciples as much of your glory as they could hold. Let your eternal light shine also upon us sinners, through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Giver of Light, glory to You.
Kontakion of the Feast
Tone 7
On the Mountain You were transfigured, O Christ our God, and your Disciples saw as much of your glory as they could hold, so that when they should see You crucified, they would know that You suffer willingly, and would proclaim to the world that You are verily the Splendor of the Father.
August 14
Forefeast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary; commemoration of the holy prophet Micah.
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
For the Vigil
6. To the sound of cymbals, let us intone canticles of praise as a prelude to the feast of farewell. Let us lift up our voices to sing a wondrous hymn near the sepulchre. For the Mother of God, that golden Ark, is now preparing to pass from earth to the heights of heaven, to a new life in divine splendor.
5. Gather together from the ends of the earth in a wondrous fashion, O holy Apostles: for the living City of the One who rules the whole world will soon rise in glory to heaven, to exult as Queen at the side of her Son. For her divine burial, sing a farewell hymn with one heart in union with the heavenly hosts.
4. O procession of holy priests, all princes and kings, choirs of virgins, make haste now; gather with all the people to sing near the tomb. The Queen of all is keeping vigil before the heavenly gates to hand over her spirit into the hands of her Son.
For Micah
3. You foretold that the teachings of the Savior would be established higher than the mountains, like a peak that can be seen from all sides. Thus, O blessed Micah, you revealed the sublime knowledge of God to which, in a desire for the faith, many nations would come and take refuge, so as to be instructed in the ways of the Lord and find salvation for all ages.
2. O divine prophet Micah, with your lips inspired by God, you predicted that from Bethlehem would come forth a Prince who would bring peace to His people. His origin is from old, from ancient times. Now that we have seen your prophecy fulfilled, we glorify Him who spoke through your mouth.
1. O venerable prophet, you dwell forever near the throne of God in a merited joy, contemplating His glory and rejoicing in divine delights, filled with spiritual exultation. Keep watch over those who now in faith celebrate your memory, delivering them from all danger by your constant prayers.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O pure and most holy Virgin, the choirs of angels in heaven and the race of men on earth sing the praises of your glorious Dormition, for you have become the Mother of the Creator of All, Christ our God. We beg you to intercede constantly for us, for we have placed our hope in you next to God, O most glorious and ever-Virgin Mother of God.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. O wondrous marvel! O new event! How can the Virgin who bore Life now be subjected to death? How can the tomb now receive her?
v. Go up, O Lord, into Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your majesty.
2. Exult with joy, all mankind! Behold, the Virgin, the daughter of Adam, passes from earth to heaven.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David and He will not repent.
3. Allow me to see in spirit on her funeral bed the Virgin surrounded wondrously by the choir of Apostles, singing of her passing.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
She who is higher than the heavens and more glorious than the Cherubim, she who is held in greater honor than all creation, she who by reason of her surpassing purity became the receiver of the everlasting Essence, today commends her most pure soul into the hands of her Son. With her, all things are filled with joy, and she bestows great mercy upon us.
Troparion of Micah
Tone 2
We celebrate today the memory of Your prophet Micah; and we implore You, O Lord, to save our souls through his intercession.
Troparion of the Forefeast
Tone 4
O peoples, dance with joy and clap your hands with fervor; gather today in eagerness and jubilation and sing with glee, for the Mother of God is about to rise in glory, going up from the earth into heaven. It is to her we always sing hymns of praise, for she is the Mother of God.
ORTHROS
Sessional Hymns
Tone 4
Transferred from this corruptible world to the heavenly Paradise, your all-pure soul, that spiritual tabernacle, exults with joy, O holy Virgin, while the Lord deals justly with the impious who dare to profane your mortal remains. Thus, in company with the holy Apostles, let us sing, "Hail, O full of grace!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
You commended your soul into the hands of Him who, for our sake, received humanity from you, as your Creator and your God; and you passed into eternal life. In faith, we all call you blessed, O only pure and spotless Virgin. We all call out to you as Mother of God, asking you to intercede before Christ, to whom you passed, that He grant mercy to our souls.
Kontakion of the Forefeast
Tone 4
Today the whole universe dances with joy at your glorious memory, O Mother of God, and it cries out to you: "Rejoice, O Virgin, pride of Christians!"
Ikos
Let heaven now rejoice and exult with all creation: for behold, the Virgin leaves our earth for Paradise. As refuge and intercessor for all mankind, she appears as a mercy coming from God. Thus the choir of Apostles hastens to its full complement, gathering together from the four corners of the earth. Suddenly, clouds appear to carry them to meet the Mother and the Son. Now they cry out, "Hail, treasury of the heavenly Manna! Rejoice, O Virgin, pride of Christians!"
Synaxarion
On August 14, we commemorate the holy prophet Micah.
I have been lifted up from the earth; but since I fly to heaven, I give thanks for the providential tree, given by God, through which I can escape. On the fourteenth, Micah is hung on the gibbet.
By his holy prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
O Micah, in keeping with what you foretold, behold, the Prince has come, the Leader who was to shepherd His people in peace, whose origin is from of old, who came forth from Bethlehem. Through Him, all men find salvation.
Celebrating the radiant memorial of your holy Dormition, O Mother of God, we sing out with love: "O all-pure Mother, lifted up in glory to your Son, the Lord, intercede for the Christians who sing to you with faith.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. The assembly of the disciples has gathered together to bury the Mother of God. By a sign from the all-powerful Lord, they have come from the ends of the earth.
v. Go up, O Lord, into Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your majesty.
2. The Virgin Queen, the Bride of God, the glory of the elect, the jewel of virginity, is translated from this world to her Son.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. In a wondrous manner, the choir of disciples is assembled from the ends of the earth to bury your pure body.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O our Lady, lift up your holy hands to your Son, the Creator of our life, that He may take pity on your faithful servants.
August 15
Dormition of our Lady, the Most Holy Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary.
(2nd Class)
GREAT VESPERS
First Kathisma of the Psalter: Blessed the man
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 1
6. O marvel: the Source of Life is laid in a tomb; the grave becomes a means of ascent to heaven! Rejoice, Gethsemane, holy chamber of the Mother of God! As for us, O faithful, let us cry out with Gabriel, Prince of the Angels: "Hail, O Woman full of grace, the Lord is with you: the Lord who, because of you, bestows great mercy upon the world!"
5. O marvel....(Repeat)
4. O our lady, marvelous are your mysteries. You have become the throne of the Most High, and today you go up from earth to heaven. Your glory, shining forth with the radiance of divine grace, surpasses every other splendor. Go up, therefore, all you virgins, together with the Mother of our King, and cry out, "Hail, O Woman full of grace, the Lord is with you: the Lord who, because of you, bestows great mercy upon the world!"
3. O our Lady...(Repeat)
2. Behold, all the heavenly hierarchies-the Dominations, Thrones, Principalities, Virtues, Powers, Cherubim and Seraphim-sing a hymn of glory to your Dormition; all human races rejoice at your glory; and kings, together with the angels and archangels, sing out to you: "Hail, O Woman full of grace, the Lord is with you: the Lord who, because of you, bestows great mercy upon the world!"
1. Behold, all the heavenly....(Repeat)
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 1
The holy Apostles were taken up from every corner of the world and carried upon clouds by order of God.
Tone 5
And they gathered around your pure remains, O Source of Life, and kissed them with reverence.
Tone 2
As for the most sublime Powers of heaven, they came with their own Leader.
Tone 6
To escort and pay their last respects to the most honorable body that had contained Life itself. Filled with awe, they marched together with the Apostles in silent majesty, professing to the Princes of heaven in a hushed voice, "Behold, the Queen of All, the divine Maiden, is coming!"
Tone 3
Lift up your gates and receive with becoming majesty the Mother of the Light that never fades.
Tone 7
Because through her, salvation was made possible for our human race. She is the one upon whom no one may gaze, and to whom no one is able to render sufficient glory.
Tone 4
For the special honor that made her sublime is beyond our understanding.
Tone 8
Wherefore, O most pure Mother of God, forever alive with your Son, the Source of Life, do not cease to intercede with Him that He may guard and save your people from every trouble, for you are our intercessor.
Tone 1
To you we sing a hymn of glory with loud and joyful voices, now and forever.
Entrance. "O Joyful Light" Prokimenon of the day. Readings.
Readings: 1) Genesis 28:10-18; 2) Ezechiel 43:27-44:5; 3) Proverbs 9:1-11.
Lete
Tone 1
It was right that the eye-witnesses and ministers of the Word should see the Dormition of His Mother according to the flesh, even the final mystery concerning her. Thus they might be witnesses not only to the Ascension of the Savior, but also to the Translation of her who gave Him birth. Assembled from all parts by the power of God, they came to Sion, and sped on her way to heaven the Virgin who is higher than the Cherubim. We also venerate her, for she intercedes for our souls.
Tone 2
She who is higher than the heavens and more glorious than the Cherubim, she who is held in greater honor than all creation, she who by reason of her surpassing purity became the receiver of the everlasting Essence, today commends her most pure soul into the hands of her Son. With her, all things are filled with joy, and she bestows great mercy upon us.
Tone 2
The spotless Bride, the Mother of Him in whom the Father was well-pleased, she who was foreordained by God to be the dwelling-place of His union without confusion, delivers today her blameless soul to her Creator and God. The spiritual powers receive her with honors due to God, and she who is truly the Mother of Life departs unto life, the lamp of the Light which no man can approach, the salvation of the faithful and the hope of our souls.
Tone 3
Come, all you ends of the earth, let us praise the most holy Translation of the Mother of God: for she has delivered her spotless soul into the hands of her Son. Therefore, the world, restored to life by her holy Dormition, in radiant joy celebrates this feast with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs together with the angels and the apostles.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 5
Come, you feast-lovers, let us form a chorus; let us fill the Church with hymns of praise at the falling asleep of the Ark of God! For today heaven has opened its bosom: it has received the woman who gave birth to the One whom nothing can contain: today the earth gives back to heaven the woman who was the Source of Life. The angels join the crowd of the Apostles, and together they gaze upon the woman who gave birth to the Principle of Life, and who now moves up from life to Life. Let us, therefore, venerate her and beseech her, saying, "O Lady, do not forget those who share your humanity and who celebrate your holy Dormition with fervor and love!"
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 5
Sing, O people! Sing the praises of the Mother of our God: for today she delivers her soul, full of light, into the spotless hands of Him who was made incarnate of her without seed. And she entreats Him without ceasing to grant the whole world peace and great mercy.
Aposticha
Tone 4
1. All you peoples of the earth, sing together a hymn of glory to the pure and most holy Virgin from whom the Word of God came to us, receiving flesh form her in a manner beyond understanding. Let us cry out: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is your womb that contained Christ, in whose hands you committed your soul. O pure Virgin, intercede with Christ God, that He may save our souls!"
v. Go up, O Lord, into Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your majesty.
2. O pure and most holy Virgin, the choirs of angels in heaven and the race of men on earth sing the praises of your glorious Dormition, for you have become the Mother of the Creator of All, Christ our God. We beg you to intercede constantly for us, for we have placed our hope in you next to God, O most glorious and ever-virgin Mother of God!
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. With all the peoples of the earth, let us sing to Christ the hymn of praise that David had sung of old: "Together with her escort of virgins, she shall be led to the king with happiness and rejoicing," for the Fruit of David's seed, the one through whom we have been led to God, has been lifted up to glory by her Son and Master in a way that defies description. Since she is the Mother of God, we sing to her a hymn of glory and cry out, "Deliver us from all harm and guard our souls from tribulations. We confess and proclaim that you are God's Mother!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O Virgin Mother of God, at the time you were carried up to the One born of you in a manner beyond understanding, James and Peter were present: James, the brother of the Lord and first Bishop, and Peter the honorable head of the Apostles and prince of theologians. The whole college of the Apostles was also there: all in one accord proclaiming things divine and praising Christ's astounding mystery, preparing with joy your body, O most glorious one, the Source of Life and the Temple of God. As for the most holy angelic powers, they were rapt in wonder at the sight of this miracle and said to each other: "Lift up your gates to receive the Mother of the Creator of heaven and earth. Come, let us all sing hymns to her noble and holy body that has contained the invisible Lord." We, too, therefore, celebrate your feast, O woman worthy of all praise, and cry out: "O glorious Lady, exalt the Christian people and intercede with Christ God that He may serve our souls!"
Troparion of the Feast (3 times)
Tone 1
In giving birth you have preserved your virginity and in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Mother of God. You have passed to life being the Mother of Life. Through your intercession, save our souls from death.
Sessional Hymns after the First Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
Cry out, O David, and tell us, what is this present feast about which you sang in the book of Psalms? And David says, "Christ has carried up into the heavenly mansions her who bore Him without seed. I sang of her in the Psalms calling her 'daughter, bride of God and virgin'." Therefore, mothers, daughters and brides of Christ, rejoice and call out, "Hail to you, O Lady, who have been translated to the Kingdom on high.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Cry out, O David...(Repeat)
Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter
Tone 1
The venerable choir of the Apostles was wondrously gathered together to bury your most pure body, O Theotokos, who are praised by all. With them, the multitudes of angels sounded the triumphant praises of your Translation into heaven that we celebrate with faith.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
The venerable choir....(Repeat)
Sessional Hymns after the Polyeleos
Tone 3
In giving birth, your conception was without seed; and in falling asleep, your death was without corruption. A second wonder followed swiftly on the first, O Theotokos. How could a maiden untouched by man nurse a child while still remaining a virgin? And how, O Mother of God, could you experience death? Therefore, with the angel we cry to you, "Hail, O full of grace!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
In giving birth....(Repeat)
Prokimenon
Tone 4
They shall remember your name from age to age.
v. Listen, daughter, and behold and lend your ear; and forget your people and your father's house.
Gospel. Psalm 50.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Through the intercession of the Theotokos, O Merciful One, wipe out...
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Through the intercession of the Theotokos, O Merciful One, wipe out...
v. O God, have mercy on me in the greatness of Your love, in the abundance....
Tone 6
O spotless tabernacle, when the time for your Translation had come, the Apostles surrounded your deathbed and looked on with awe. In tears, Peter cried out to you, "O Virgin, I see you who gave birth to the Life of Mankind lying here outstretched, and I am struck with wonder: for He who is the delight of the future life made His dwelling in you. Pray then fervently to your Son and God to save your people from all harm!"
Canons
Ode 1: Your glorious memorial, O holy Virgin, is clothed in divine splendor. It has brought all the faithful together in joy; led by Miriam, they sing the praises of your only Son, for He is gloriously triumphant.
v. Most Holy Theotokos, save us! (between the Troparia)
The spiritual hosts that dwell in heaven attend your divine body on Sion, while the Apostles, coming together suddenly from the ends of the earth, stood beside you. With them, O pure Virgin and Mother of God, we glorify your sacred memory.
O pure Virgin, you won the honor of victory over nature by bringing forth God. Yet like your Son and Creator, you submitted to the laws of nature in a manner above nature. Therefore, in dying, you have risen to live eternally with your Son.
I shall open my mouth, and it shall be filled with the Spirit, and I shall sing a hymn of praise to the Mother and Queen; with great joy, I shall celebrate and sing the praise of her Dormition.
O young maidens, with Miriam the prophetess, now sing the song of farewell. For the Virgin, the Mother of God, is translated toward the happiness of heaven.
The heavenly mansions of God fittingly received you, O Most Holy, who are a living heaven. Joyously adorned as a Bride without spot, you stand before our King and God.
Ode 3
O Christ, the Wisdom and Power of God, who create and uphold all things, establish Your Church unshaken and unwavering: for You alone are holy, and You rest among the saints.
v. Most Holy Theotokos, save us! (between the Troparia)
The glorious Apostles knew you to be a mortal woman, O spotless Virgin, and at the same time, beyond and above nature, the Mother of God. Therefore, they touched you with the reverent hands, as they gazed upon you shining with glory, the Tabernacle that had held God.
The Lord guarded with the glory of the Godhead the honor due to the living Ark in which the Word took flesh; and in His just vengeance, He intervened to cut off the sacrilegious hands of the presumptuous unbeliever.
O Mother of God, living and overflowing fountain, strengthen those who sing your praise and who gather now to honor you; and on this occasion of your divine commemoration, deem them worthy of the glorious crown of heaven.
O pure Virgin, sprung from mortal loins, your end was in keeping with nature; but because you bore the true Life, you departed to dwell with Life Himself.
At an all-powerful command, the Apostles gathered from the ends of the earth and the angels from on high; they made haste to Sion, there to minister in a fitting manner at your burial, O Lady.
Little Litany.
Hypacoi
Tone 5
All generations call you blessed, O Virgin Mother of God: for Christ our God, who cannot be contained, was pleased to be contained within you. We are blessed in having you as our constant protection. Day and night, you intercede for us all, and by your prayers, the Christian people are strengthened. Therefore, singing your praises, we cry out to you, "Hail, O full of grace, the Lord is with you!"
Ode 4
The dark sayings and types mentioned by the prophets foreshadowed Your Incarnation from a Virgin, O Christ, whose radiance was to be a light to the revelation of the Gentiles. The depths cry out to You in joy, "Glory to Your power, O Lord, Lover of Mankind!"
v. Most Holy Theotokos, save us! (between the Troparia)
Come, O people, and gaze in wonder: for in the sight of all, the holy Mountain of the Lord is exalted above the hills of heaven. The earthly heaven takes up her dwelling in a heavenly and imperishable land.
Your death, O Virgin, was a translation to a better and eternal life. It took you from this mortal life, O spotless one, to a life which knows no end and is indeed divine: now you look with joy upon your Son and your Lord.
The gates of heaven were opened wide and the angels sang, as Christ received the virgin treasure of His own Mother. Cherubim withdrew before you in your exultation, while seraphim glorified you with joy.
Perceiving the ineffable plan for Your virginal Incarnation, O God Most High, the prophet Habakkuk cried out, "Glory to Your power, O Lord!"
A strange wonder it was to see the living Heaven of the King of All buried in the depths of the earth. How great are Your works! Glory to Your power, O Lord!"
At your Translation, O Mother of God, the angelic hosts in awe and joy extended their wings to cover your body which had been spacious enough to contain God.
If her Fruit, whom none may comprehend, on whose account she was called a Heaven, submitted voluntarily to a burial as a mortal, how could she, who gave Him birth without knowing a man, refuse it?
Ode 5
I shall sing of the divine and ineffable beauty of Your mighty deeds, O Christ! You shown forth in Your own Person as the coeternal Brightness from the eternal Glory. Taking flesh from the womb of the Virgin, You rose like the Sun, giving light to those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.
v. Most Holy Theotokos, save us! (between the Troparia)
Carried to Sion, as upon a cloud, the company of the Apostles gathered from the ends of the earth to minister to you, O Virgin. You are the swift cloud from which the Most High God, the Sun of Justice, shone forth upon those who lay in darkness and the shadow of death.
The inspired tongues of the Apostles rang out louder than trumpets, as they sang in the Spirit the burial hymn to the Theotokos: "Hail, incorruptible source of God's life-giving Incarnation, that brings salvation to all!"
The whole universe is rapt in amazement at the sight of your divine glory, for you are a virgin and have not known man, and yet you have been translated from earth to the eternal mansions and to life without end, bestowing salvation upon all who sing your praises.
Let the trumpets of the Apostles ring out today, and let the voices of men sound praises in many tongues. Let the sky re-echo, shining with infinite light; and let the angels honor with hymns the Dormition of the Virgin.
Wholly beside himself, wholly transported, his whole being consecrated to God, the chosen vessel of the Lord surpassed himself in hymns to you, O far-famed Theotokos and Virgin. In the sight of all, he proved himself to be the very truth inspired by God.
Ode 6
The fire-breathing whale, the monster dwelling in the salt wasters of the sea, was a prefiguring of Your three-day burial, and Jonah acted as interpreter. For, saved and unharmed, as though he had never been swallowed, he cried aloud, "I will offer You the sacrifice of praise, O Lord!"
v. Most Holy Theotokos, save us! (between the Troparia)
The divine King of All gave you the things that are above nature as your inheritance. For, just as He kept you virgin in your childbearing, so did He preserve your body incorrupt in the tomb; and He glorified you by a divine translation, showing you honor as a Son to a Mother.
O Virgin, your Son has made you dwell in the Holy of Holies as a bright candlestick, flaming with immaterial Fire, as a golden censer burning with divine Coal, as the vessel of manna, the rod of Aaron, and the tablet written by God, as a holy ark and the table of the Bread of Life.
Come, all you people whose mind is upon God: come, let us clap our hands and celebrate this divine and glorious feast of the Mother of God. Let us send up glory to God who was born of her!
Life arose from you without breaking the seals of your virginity. How then could the spotless Tabernacle of your body, the source of Life, become a partaker of death?
Having become the Temple of Life, you obtained eternal life; you bore Life in Person-now you have passed over through death to life.
Little Litany.
Kontakion
Tone 2
Neither death nor the tomb could hold the Mother of God, our watchful Protectress and our unfailing hope. Since she is the Mother of Life, Christ who dwelt in her ever-virginal womb lifted her up to the eternal life.
Ikos
Set a rampart about my mind, O Savior, that I may dare to sing the praises of Your most pure Mother, the rampart of the world. Establish me firmly within the fortress of my words and make me strong with the defenses of my thoughts, for You always hear the petitions of those who present them with faith. Grant me a tongue, words and thoughts of which I may never be ashamed: for every gift that enlightens us comes from You, O Enlightener of our souls, who dwelt in her ever-virginal womb and lifted her up to the eternal life.
Synaxarion
On August 15, we commemorate the venerable Dormition of our Lady, the Most Holy Mother of God and ever-Virgin, Mary.
It is not surprising that the Gate of Salvation fell asleep in bodily death, since You, the Creator of the world, had submitted to it. Although she died on the fifteenth, she lives forever.
By her holy prayers, O our God, have pity on us and save us. Amen.
Ode 7
Divine Love, fighting against cruel wrath and fire, quenched the fire with dew and laughed the wrath to scorn, making the three-stringed harp of the saints inspired by God, sing in the midst of the flames in answer to the instruments of music, "Blessed are You, O our Lord and the God of our Fathers!"
v. Most Holy Theotokos, save us! (between the Troparia)
In his anger, Moses shattered the tablets made by God and inscribed by the Holy Spirit. But Moses' Master kept His own Mother unharmed in her childbirth, and now He has made her dwell in the heavenly abodes. Dancing with her in her joy, we cry aloud to Christ, "Blessed are You, O our Lord and the God of our Fathers!"
To the sound of the cymbals of our pure lips, of the harmonious harps of our hearts, of the sweet-sounding trumpets of our uplifted minds, to the clapping of our active hands, let us cry on this solemn and holy day of the Translation of the pure Virgin: "Blessed are You, O our Lord and the God of our Fathers!"
The people inspired by God has gathered together: for the Tabernacle of the glory of God is translated in Sion to a heavenly abode, where the pure voices of those who keep feast are heard with the sound of ineffable joy, shouting in gladness to Christ: "Blessed are You, O our Lord and the God of our Fathers!"
The three young men, divinely inspired, refused to worship creatures instead of the Creator: they had the courage to overcome the threatening fire, and sang out joyfully: "You are worthy of all praise, O Lord, God of our Fathers. Blessed are You!"
Young men and maidens, old men and rulers, kings and judges, who honor the memory of the Virgin and Mother of God, sing out, "Blessed are You, O Lord, God of our Fathers!"
Let the high mountains ring out to trumpet of the Spirit: let the hills now rejoice, and let the Apostles of God dance for joy. The Queen goes to dwell with her Son and to rule with Him forever.
The all-holy Translation of Your divine and undefiled Mother has gathered together the heavenly hosts of the powers on high, that they may rejoice with those on earth who sing to You, "Blessed are You, O Lord, God of our Fathers!"
Ode 8
The all-powerful Angel of God revealed to the young men a flame that brought refreshment to the holy while it consumed the ungodly. And he made the Theotokos into a life-giving fountain, gushing forth for the destruction of death and to the life of those who sing, "We praise the one God and Creator; we exalt Him throughout the ages!"
v. Most Holy Theotokos, save us! (between the Troparia)
The whole multitude of the Apostles accompanied in Sion the divine Ark of holiness as they sang, "O living Tabernacle of God, where are you going? Do not cease to watch over those who sing, "We praise the one God and Creator; we exalt Him throughout the ages!"
As she departed, the spotless Virgin lifted up her hands - those hands that had held God incarnate in their embrace - and with the boldness of Mother to her Son, she said, "Guard forever my inheritance, which cries out to You, "We praise the one God and Creator; we exalt Him throughout the ages!"
The maternity of the Theotokos, prefigured by the three young men in the furnace, preserved them against the power of fire: but now that this maternity has come to be accomplished, it brings the whole universe together and makes it sing: Praise the Lord, all you His works, and exult Him forever!"
O most pure Virgin, the rulers and dominions and powers, the angels, archangels and thrones, the principalities, cherubim and dread seraphim make your memory glorious; and we men also sing your praises and exult you forever.
v. We bless the Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The one who wondrously took flesh from you and dwelt in your womb, Himself received your all-holy spirit. As a Son paying His respects, He gave it rest within Himself. Therefore, we sing your praises, O Virgin, and exult you forever.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Beyond and above understanding are the wonders of the ever-virgin and Mother of God. Going to dwell in the tomb, she made it a paradise. Standing beside this tomb today, we sing with joy: "All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord and exalt Him above all forever!"
Little Litany
Ode 9
All human generations bless you, O Mother of God. The laws of Nature were overcome in you, O Pure Virgin: For your birthgiving left you a virgin, and your death became the herald of your life. O you who remained virgin after giving birth, and alive after having died. O Mother of God, deign always to save your inheritance.
The angelic powers were amazed as they looked in Sion upon their own Master, bearing in His hands the soul of a woman: for as befitted a Son, He said to her who without spot had born Him: "Come, share the glory of your Son and your God!"
Standing around your body that had held God, the choir of apostles looked upon it with awe and saluted it, saying with a clear voice: "As you depart for the heavenly mansions, to your Son, continue to protect your inheritance!"
v. The angels, as they looked upon the Dormition of the Virgin, were struck with wonder, seeing how the Virgin went up from earth to heaven.
Let every human spirit take up a torch, and let him dance with joy in his spirit! Let the whole immaterial creation celebrate this feast of the Mother of God, and cry out, "Hail, glorious Mother of God, ever-pure and ever-virgin!"
Come to Sion, the divine and fertile mountain of the living God, and let us embrace it, touching it sincerely with the lips and eyes and forehead of the heart. Let us draw abundant gifts of healing grace from this ever-flowing fount.
O Mother of the living God, accept from us this burial hymn, and cover us with the shadow of your light-giving and divine grace. Grant victory and peace to the people that loves Christ, and to us who sing, remission of our sins and salvation of our souls.
Exapostilaria
Tone 3
O faithful Apostles, gathered here from the ends of the earth, I implore you this day: set my body to rest in the garden of Gethsemane. And You, my Son and my God: receive my life and my spirit.
Praises
Tone 4
4. At your glorious Dormition, the heavens rejoice and the armies of angels exult. The whole earth makes glad, singing a burial hymn to you, O Mother of Him who is Lord of All, all-holy Virgin and Bride, who have delivered the human race from the condemnation of our forefathers.
3. At your glorious Dormition...(Repeat)
2. At a divine command, the Apostles hastened from the ends of the earth to bury you. When they saw you taken up from earth to heaven, they shouted with joy the words of Gabriel and said, "Hail, O bearer of the Divinity! Hail, O you who have united the things of earth and the things of heaven by your holy childbearing!"
1. You gave birth to Life, and by your holy Dormition, you have been carried up to immortal life, attended by angels, principalities, powers, Apostles, prophets and the whole creation. And your Son received your pure soul into His spotless hands.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 6
At your deathless Dormition, O Theotokos, Mother of Life, clouds lifted the Apostles up into the air. Dispersed throughout the world, they were gathered together in one choir to stand before your spotless body. Burying you with reverence, they sang the words of Gabriel: "Hail, full of grace, Virgin Mother and Bride, the Lord is with you!" With them, intercede before Your Son and God that He may save our souls!
August 16
Second day of the Dormition; transfer from Edessa to Constantinople of the Icon not-painted-by-hand-of-man, the Holy Shroud of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ; commemoration of the holy martyr Diomedes.
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
For the Mandylion
Tone 2
6. With what eyes can we mortals behold Your image, O Lord, upon which the Angels cannot gaze without trembling, in the splendor of Your divine radiance? Today, leaving the land of the unbelievers, it arrives by God's will in the midst of a faithful people in the queen of all cities. At its approach, the king rejoices and prostrates before it, filled with reverence and faith.
5. With that hands can we men of earth touch Your Image, O Savior: the image of the sinless God, the unapproachable Lord; for our faults make us impure and stained beings. The Cherubim cover their faces in awe; the Seraphim cannot gaze upon Your glory; all creation serves You with reverence. O Christ, do not condemn us for, although unworthy, we embrace Your wondrous Image of faith.
4. Behold, the divine day of the Feast of the Lord has come again. He who is enthroned on high visits us now through His sacred Image. He who remains invisible to the Cherubim, allows Himself to be seen in His features as portrayed in the Image, for the Father has ineffably formed Him with His own hand in His image. Prostrating before it with love and faith, we are sanctified.
For Diomedes
Tone 4
3. O blessed one, you were counted worthy to heal pains, banish maladies, and expel evil spirits with the help of the Spirit. In your courage, you overthrew the pagan idolatry by the steadfastness of your struggles, O fellow-citizen of the angels, crowned martyr, companion of the victorious athletes.
2. You fought the good fight and ran the race to the end, keeping the Faith, O blessed one. You went to God and received from Him in return the gift of miracles and the imperishable crown of the conquerors, O invincible martyr who intercedes for us as an heir of the Kingdom on high.
1. O Lord, cherishing Your will as his treasure as he followed in Your way of witnessing, Diomedes commended his spirit into Your hands and found a blessed end when he was beheaded, O Christ. Now, in a wondrous manner, he leads the godless blind ones who can see toward the truth in the Faith.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 6
Come, let us celebrate the universal Dormition of the spotless Mother of our God; today the angels feast her translation in her presence and invite us mortals to rejoice, that we may tirelessly sing to her: "Hail, O light Cloud which brought together the disciples in one choir! Hail, O our hope and protection!" With incessant voice, all we Christians call you blessed!
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. The assembly of the disciples has gathered together to bury the Mother of God. By a sign from the all-powerful Lord, they have come from the ends of the earth.
v. Go up, Lord, into Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your majesty!
2. Wondrous are your mysteries! As the Theotokos, the pure and divine Mother, you are now going to Him in a radiant manner!
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent!
3. The tomb of the Virgin Mother of God has truly become a ladder leading to heaven the faithful who always glorify her.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
When you passed from earth to the Son born of you, O Virgin, the Apostles came, carried on clouds, to bury your body.
Troparion of the Icon
Tone 2
Before your most pur eImage we bow in worship, O Good Lord, begging forgiveness of our sins, O Christ God: Because You chose of your own free will to ascend upon the Cross in the flesh in order to deliver from the enemy's bondage those You had created. For this reason we cry out to You in thanksgiving: "You have filled all things with joy, O our Saviour, when You came to save the world.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Troparion of Diomedes
Tone 4
O Lord our God, Your holy martyr Diomedes has deserved the crown of immortality on account of his good fight. Armed with Your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors and crushed Satan's dreadful might. Through his supplications, O Christ God, save our souls!
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of Dormition
Tone 1
In giving birth you have preserved your virginity and in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Mother of God. You have passed to life being the Mother of Life. Through your intercession, save our souls from death.
Sessional Hymns after the First Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
The armies of angels, seeing your passing, O holy Theotokos, pure, blessed and all worthy of our hymns, and following the will of your Son, gathered the Disciples together into their full assembly. With joy, they carried your body to Paradise, singing to Christ who is the Giver of Life throughout the ages.
v. Glory be the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
The armies of angels.....(Repeat)
Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
You commended your soul into the hands of Him who, for our sake, received humanity from you, as your Creator and your God; and you passed into eternal life. In faith, we all call you blessed, O only pure and spotless Virgin. We all call out to you as Mother of God, asking you to intercede before Christ, to whom you passed, that He grant mercy to our souls.
v. Glory...Now...
You commended your soul...(Repeat)
Kontakion of the Icon
Tone 2
We have come to realize the extent of Your victory, the inexpressible plan of Your perfect Incarnation, and to recognize this miraculous and unpainted icon as a banner of that divine triumph. With hearts full of love, we kiss it in homage and reverence.
Kontakion of Diomedes
Tone 2
You vanquished the torturer and became a winner, crowned with victory's laurels, O Diomedes. You are a heavenly mystic and an unconquerable warrior.
Kontakion of the Dormition
Tone 2
Neither death nor the tomb could hold the Mother of God, our watchful Protectress and our unfailing hope. Since she is the Mother of Life, Christ who dwelt in her ever-virginal womb lifted her up to the eternal life.
Synaxarion
On August 16, we commemorate the holy martyr Diomedes.
Diomedes struggled both in life and in death: while living, for that Faith which leads to a good harbor; in death, when, on the sixteenth, he was beheaded as his body was submitted to the blows of a sword.
On the same day, we commemorate the transfer from Edessa to Constantinople of the Icon not-painted-by-the-hand-of-man, O Fashioner of the first man.
On the same day, we call to mind the frightening danger of earthquakes in our own times, and from which we are saved, against all hope, by our God, the Lover of Mankind.
To Him be the glory and majesty throughout all the ages. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 3
In a divine manner, you have crimsoned the Church of Christ with the streams of your blood. You have drowned the deadly error of idolatry, O illustrious Diomedes, blessed martyr; now you ceaselessly intercede for us in the presence of the Lord.
Carried on clouds, the Apostles have all come together to bury the Mother of the Lord in a worthy manner. The Savior Himself is present, and all the hosts of His angels form her escort.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. As an escort accompanying your body which bore God, the holy Disciples sing in their hymns, "O Lady, where are you now going?"
v. Go up, Lord, into Your resting-place, You and the Ark of Your majesty!
2. Come, let us mortals form a choir to sing a farewell hymn in honor of the translation to God of His Mother.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. O Virgin, blessed was the earth that buried you when you died according to the law of nature; and the air was sanctified when you went up in a wondrous manner!
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 1
It was right that the eye-witnesses and ministers of the Word should see the Dormition of His Mother according to the flesh, even the final mystery concerning her. Thus they might be witnesses not only to the Ascension of the Savior, but also to the Translation of her who gave Him birth. Assembled from all parts by the power of God, they came to Sion, and sped on her way to heaven the Virgin who is higher than the Cherubim. We also venerate her, for she intercedes for our souls.
August 17
Third day of the Dormition; commemoration of the holy martyr Myron.
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
For the Feast
Tone 2
6. With what lips, unprepared as we are, shall we call the Theotokos blessed? She is more honorable than the whole creation, more holy than the Cherubim and all the Angels of heaven; for she is the unshakable Throne of the King, the dwelling-place of the Most High, the salvation of the world, the Holy Place of God. She grants great and abundant mercy to the faithful on this day on which we celebrate her holy memory.
5. What spiritual hymns can we now sing to you, O all-holy Virgin? By your deathless Dormition you have sanctified the whole universe, and you have passed to heaven to contemplate the beauty of the Holy Mighty One and to rejoice with Him as His Mother, escorted by the hosts of angels and souls of the Just, O spotless Virgin. With them, ask for peace and great mercy for us.
4. What hymns did all the Apostles of the Word sing to you with awe on the day on which they stood around your funeral bed, O spotless Virgin? Seized with wonder, they cried aloud, "Behold, the Palace of the King is lifted up; the Ark of His holiness arises; lift up your lintels, O gates, that in joy the Gate of God may enter, for she ceaselessly entreats great mercy for the world!"
For the Martyr
Tone 2
3. When the furnace of impious worship was scorching the whole earth, O blessed one, then, enkindled by the fire of the Spirit, you preached the incarnate Word, the divine and loving Servant. For this, you endured the terrible punishments of fire and torments, strengthened by the power of the Spirit.
2. When the evil-named adversary tried to rob your soul by flattery, then in the splendor of your courage, O Myron, you firmly resisted and submitted to the pains which led you to the painless joys of the Kingdom of heaven and the happiness of eternal bliss, O martyr all-worthy of our praise.
1. When the enemy mercilessly wounded you with the lashes of the scourge, he beat your venerable body to exhaustion, O holy martyr. Then you lifted up your eyes to Christ, the Judge of all combats, who stretched out to you His divine and powerful hand. Then, running the good race to the end, you obtained the supreme reward, O thrice-noble martyr.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 2
She who is higher than the heavens and more glorious than the Cherubim, she who is held in greater honor than all creation, she who by reason of her surpassing purity became the receiver of the everlasting Essence, today commends her most pure soul into the hands of her Son. With her, all things are filled with joy, and she bestows great mercy upon us.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. The assembly of the Disciples has gathered together from the ends of the earth, in company with the Angels, to bury your body which bore God, O divine Mother.
v. Go up, Lord, into Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your Majesty.
2. Come, all you mortals: together with the angels, let us form a radiant choir today for the Dormition of the Mother of God.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. Your body was not touched by the dust of the tomb; although it was buried in keeping with nature and its laws, nevertheless it remains incorruptible.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 2
The spotless Bride, the Mother of Him in whom the Father was well-pleased, she who was foreordained by God to be the dwelling-place of His union without confusion, delivers today her blameless soul to her Creator and God. The spiritual powers receive her with honors due to God, and she who is truly the Mother of Life departs unto life, the lamp of the Light which no man can approach, the salvation of the faithful and the hope of our souls.
Troparion of the Martyr
Tone 4
O Lord our God, Your holy martyr Myron has deserved the crown of immortality on account of his good fight. Armed with Your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors and crushed Satan's dreadful might. Through his supplications, O Christ God, save our souls!
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of the Dormition
Tone 1
In giving birth you have preserved your virginity and in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Mother of God. You have passed to life being the Mother of Life. Through your intercession, save our souls from death.
Sessional Hymns after the First Reading from the Psalter
Tone 3
Transferred from this corruptible world to the heavenly Paradise, your all-pure soul, that spiritual tabernacle, exults with joy, O holy Virgin, while the Lord deals justly with the impious who dare to profane your mortal remains. Thus, in company with the holy Apostles, let us sing, "Hail, O full of grace!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Transferred from this corruptible....(Repeat)
Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
You commended your soul into the hands of Him who, for our sake, received humanity from you, as your Creator and your God; and you passed into eternal life. In faith, we all call you blessed, O only pure and spotless Virgin. We all call out to you as Mother of God, asking you to intercede before Christ, to whom you passed, that He grant mercy to our souls.
v. Glory...Now...
You commended....
Kontakion of the Feast
Tone 2
Neither death nor the tomb could hold the Mother of God, our watchful Protectress and our unfailing hope. Since she is the Mother of Life, Christ who dwelt in her ever-virginal womb lifted her up to the eternal life.
Kontakion of the Martyr
Tone 2
O Myron worthy of all praise, you longed for Christ since your childhood, observed His commandments, and followed Him with all your might. Now, together with the angels, you give Him glory, beseeching divine mercy for us all.
Ikos
He who was sanctified from the womb, let us all sing to him as an acceptable and true myrrh of Christ. To the faithful who draw near to him with fervor, he truly grants healing from all ill. For, burning with love for the Creator, he is compassionate toward the sufferings of the afflicted; as a blessed martyr, he delivers them from disaster and, with this myrrh, perfumes the hearts of all with the grace coming to him from the Spirit. He beseeches divine mercy for us all.
Synaxarion
On August 17, we commemorate the holy martyr Myron.
"Why should it bother me if they now decapitate me, since a holy crown will then adorn my head?" boldly declared the courageous martyr Myron. On the seventeenth, he died under the blow of a sword.
By his holy prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 3
The Church possesses you as a fragrant rose, O Myron, holy martyr of many combats. O blessed one, you are seen to be the good odor of Christ, for whom you struggled and from whom you received glory in heaven. Ceaselessly be mindful before Him of those who honor you with love.
With a roll of thunder, the Savior sent His Apostles on the clouds to bury with tenderness the Mother who gave Him birth; and He Himself descended with the Angels to escort her.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. O Virgin, you were received by the Kingdom on high, in the glory of the elect, as the Bride of God when you took your leave for your Son.
v. Go up, Lord, into Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your Majesty.
2. The assembly of the disciples has gathered together to bury the Mother of God. By a sign from the all-powerful Lord, they have come form the ends of the earth.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. The Mother of the Creator now commends her soul into the hands of her Lord: there is glory in heaven and joy on earth.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 8
O divine Mother, Jesus, your Son and our God, strengthened our faith in His two natures by dying as man and rising as God. He willed that you, too, should submit to the law of nature in order that the work of salvation not appear to the faithful as merely imaginary. You, the heavenly Bride, passed from earth to the regions of heaven, leaving behind the temple of your body. The firmament was sanctified by your ascent, just as the earth had received light in your childbearing. The Apostles accompanied you; the choirs of Angels received you. As they buried your all-pure body and sang a hymn at the tomb, they lifted up their eyes and said filled with awe, "Behold, the right hand of the Most High has changed, for He is found in your midst, and you can never be shaken! O Virgin all-worthy of our praise, ceaselessly keep watch over us; for we are your people, the sheep of your fold; we call upon your name, asking through you great mercy."
August 18
Fourth day of the Dormition; commemoration of the holy martyrs Floros and Lauros.
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
For the Feast
6. It is not a chariot of fire that carries you up from the earth, like the prophet Elijah, but rather the Sun of Justice takes your holy and spotless soul into His hands and grants you rest. Having made you pass to Him in a wondrous manner, He filled you with honor in a joy that surpasses our understanding.
5. O feast-lovers, come! Today let us radiantly celebrate the passing of the holy Mother of God. For, with joy, she has commended her holy and spotless soul into the hands of Him who arose from the eternal Father from all eternity, then came forth from your womb in these latter times: Jesus, our God. Now she ceaselessly intercedes for our salvation.
4. O wonder that causes amazement! Behold, they have enclosed in a tomb the woman who carried in her womb the King whom no place can contain. Together with the Apostles, the choirs of angels reverently bury her body which bore God. Her Son, Jesus, the Savior of our souls, makes her rise to the heavens.
For the Martyrs
3. As living stones quarried by their witnessing in martyrdom and polished by the pains of their torments, the Saints are built into a Temple for the Lord as they cast down the altars and temples of the idols. Thus, let us justly proclaim them as blessed, as citizens of Paradise and adornments of the Temple of heaven.
2. Draw grace, enlightenment, mercy and joy from contact with the sacred relics of Floros and Lauros, those martyrs from whom flows an abundant stream of healing. Calling them blessed as servants of the Lord, let us sing with fervor, "Glory to You, O our God!"
1. Enclosed in a well and covered by earth at the order of a cruel judge, by divine instigation and under the revelation of the All-Holy Spirit, you appear to us as two radiant stars of wondrous healing and miracles, O martyred brothers and companions of the angels in heaven.
v. Glory be the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
All you peoples of the earth, sing together a hymn of glory to the pure and most holy Virgin from whom the Word of God came to us, receiving flesh from her in a manner beyond understanding. Let us cry out, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is your womb that contained Christ, into whose hands you commended your soul. O pure Virgin, intercede with Christ God that He may save our souls!
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. Open wide, O gates of heaven: behold, the Mother of the Most High, the all-pure Virgin, is coming in through her Dormition.
v. Go up, O Lord, into Your resting-place, You and the Ark of Your Majesty.
2. In a wondrous manner, the choir of disciples is assembled from the ends of the earth to bury your spotless body.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. O powers of heaven, sing a hymn to the Lord with the disciples of the Word, assembled from the ends of the earth, around the holy Mother of God.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 4
With all the peoples of the earth, let us sing to Christ the hymn of praise that David had sung of old: "Together with her escort of virgins, she shall be led to the king with happiness and rejoicing", for the Fruit of David's seed, the one through whom we have been led to God, has been lifted to glory by her Son and Master in a way that defies description. Since she is the Mother of God, we sing to her a hymn of glory and cry out, "Deliver us from all harm and guard our souls from tribulations. We confess and proclaim that you are God's Mother!"
Troparion of the martyrs
Tone 4
We the faithful sing your praise, O holy brothers, radiant with beauty: blessed Floros and Lauros, all-worthy of honor, who confessed the divine Trinity in the presence of all. You fought for God unto the shedding of your blood and received radiant crowns upon your heads. Pray to Christ our God that He may save our souls.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of the Dormition
Tone 1
In giving birth you have preserved your virginity and in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Mother of God. You have passed to life being the Mother of Life. Through your intercession, save our souls from death.
Sessional Hymns after the First Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
As it remembers you, the whole world is adorned with graces woven by the Spirit, and it cries out in joy, "Hail, O holy Virgin, for you are the pride of Christians!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
As it remembers you.....(Repeat)
Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
At the order of the Creator born from you, by clouds you gathered the Apostles around you to aid in your passing to Him. Celebrating you with glory and great joy, they buried your all-pure body, O blessed Mother of Christ our God.
v. Glory....Now...
At the order......(Repeat)
Kontakion of the Dormition
Tone 2
Neither death nor the tomb could hold the Mother of God, our watchful Protectress and our unfailing hope. Since she is the Mother of Life, Christ who dwelt in her ever-virginal womb lifted her up to the eternal life.
Kontakion of the martyrs
Tone 8
The world glorifies Floros and Lauros today as holy and long-suffering martyrs for God. We hope to find grace and mercy from their prayers, and freedom from temptations and afflictions, and from anger and pain on the day of Judgment.
Synaxarion
On August 18, we commemorate the holy martyrs Floros and Lauros.
Floros and Lauros hastened to the well for the sake of the Word of God who suffered thirst as He died. In that deep pit, on the eighteenth, the earth saw the life of Floros and Lauros closed.
By their holy prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 3
At the touch of your holy relics, O blessed ones, we the faithful feel ourselves strengthened; O Floros and Lauros, great martyrs, in the presence of the Lord remember all of us who celebrate your memory so radiant with light.
Carried on clouds, the Apostles have all come together to bury the Mother of the Lord in a worthy manner. The Savior Himself is present, and all the hosts of His angels form her escort.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. Rejoice, Gethsemane, divine temple of the unique Mother of God, for in you rested the Queen of all.
v. Go up, O Lord, into Your resting-place, You and the Ark of Your Majesty.
2. The Mother of God, the only one blessed above all, is carried up in glory, from the earth into the heavens.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. Sing, O heavenly choirs; for the Virgin Mother has truly been carried up in a wondrous manner from earth into the heavens.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 4
O pure and most holy Virgin, the choirs of angels in heaven and the race of men on earth sing the praises of your glorious Dormition, for you have become the Mother of the Creator of All, Christ our God. We beg you to intercede constantly for us, for we have placed our hope in you next to God, O most glorious and ever-Virgin Mother of God.
August 19
Fifth day of the Dormition; commemoration of the holy martyrs, Andrew the Centurion and his Companions.
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
For the Feast
Tone 6
6. Remembering the words of Gabriel, we address to you the angelic salutation, "O pure Virgin and Mother of the Lord, you have passed to Him; remember those who sing to your name!"
5. O divine Mother, the infinite Wisdom of God has built His dwelling in you through the Holy Spirit; and now He has made you pass to the immaterial dwellings, O Woman all-worthy of our praise.
4. I come to you as a suppliant, O Mother of the God of All: deliver me from all trials. O divine Theotokos, reunited with your Son, save and protect the Christian people.
For the martyrs
Tone 1
3. You were a model of strength, encouraging the army of your soldiers to enter the arena and fight at the side of their leader, O blessed martyr Andrew. You ceaselessly pour forth a stream of healing on the faithful, O you who have received grace from heaven.
2. Endowed with that courage signified by your name, you struggled in single combat with the enemy; and you drowned him, like another Pharaoh, with his whole army in the streams of your blood. Now, O wondrous martyr, entreat Christ to grant our souls peace and great mercy.
1. With the invincible armor of the Cross as your shield, and taking Faith as a buckler, you inspired fear in your enemies and put their powerful forces to flight. Now, O blessed martyr, entreat Christ to grant our souls peace and great mercy.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 4
O Virgin Mother of God, at the time you were carried up to the One borne of you in a manner beyond understanding, James and Peter were present: James, the brother of the Lord and first Bishop, and Peter, the honorable head of the Apostles and prince of theologians. The whole college of the Apostles was also there: all in one accord proclaiming things divine and praising Christ's astounding mystery, preparing with joy your body, O most glorious one, the Source of life and the Temple of God. As for the most holy angelic powers, they were rapt in wonder at the sight of this miracle and said to each other: "Lift up your gates to receive the Mother of the Creator of heaven and earth. Come, let us all sing hymns to her noble and holy body that has contained the invisible Lord." We, too, therefore, celebrate your feast, O Woman worthy of all praise, and cry out, "O glorious Lady, exalt the Christian people and intercede with Christ God that He may save our souls!"
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. Open wide, O gates of heaven: behold, the Mother of the Most High, the all-pure Virgin, is coming in through her Dormition.
v. Go up, Lord, into Your resting-place, You and the Ark of Your majesty.
2. In a wondrous manner, the choir of disciples is assembled from the ends of the earth to bury your spotless body.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. Rejoice, O new Sion: your Son has come with glory in the transfigured form which He has as God-Man.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 5
Come, you feast-lovers, let us form a chorus; let us fill the Church with hymns of praise at the falling asleep of the Ark of God! For today heaven has opened its bosom: it has received the woman who gave birth to the One whom nothing can contain: today the earth gives back to heaven the woman who was the Source of Life. The angels join the crowd of the Apostles, and together they gaze upon the woman who gave birth to the Principle of Life, and who now moves up from life to life. Let us, therefore, venerate her and beseech her, saying, "O Lady, do not forget those who share your humanity and who celebrate your holy Dormition with fervor and love!"
Troparion of the Martyrs
Tone 5
Renouncing the glory of earthly honors, you inherited the Kingdom of Heaven. With the streams of blood you shed, you adorned your immortal crown with precious gems. You led an army of martyrs to Christ, and with the Angels in the never-fading light, you have found Christ, the never-setting Sun. Together with your companions, O holy Andrew, ceaselessly entreat Him to grant great mercy to our souls.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of the Dormition
Tone 1
In giving birth you have preserved your virginity and in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Mother of God. You have passed to life being the Mother of Life. Through your entercession, save our souls from death.
Sessional Hymns after the First Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
The armies of angels, seeing your passing, O holy Theotokos, pure, blessed and all worthy of our hymns, and following the will of your Son, gathered the Disciples together into their full assembly. With joy, they carried your body to Paradise, singing to Christ who is the Giver of Life throughout the ages.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
The armies of angels....(Repeat)
Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
You commended your soul into the hands of Him who, for our sake, received humanity from you, as your Creator and your God; and you passed into eternal life. In faith, we all call you blessed, O only pure and spotless Virgin. We all call out to you as Mother of God, asking you to intercede before Christ, to whom you passed, that He grant mercy to our souls.
v. Glory...Now...
You commended your soul.....(Repeat)
Kontakion of the Dormition
Tone 2
Neither death nor the tomb could hold the Mother of God, our watchful Protectress and our unfailing hope. Since she is the Mother of Life, Christ who dwelt in her ever-virginal womb lifted her up to the eternal life.
Kontakion of the Martyrs
Tone 2
Constantly in prayer before the Lord, like a star heralding the dawn, you contemplate the heavenly Treasure in the ineffable joy with which your soul is filled, just as you desired. Throughout the unending ages, you sing to the immortal King who is ceaselessly praised by angels in heaven. O Andrew, venerable Centurion, do not cease to intercede with them on behalf of us all.
Synaxarion
On August 19, we commemorate the holy great-martyr Andrew the Centurion and his many companions. The earth is strewn with such a great number of slain men that it forms a lake of their blood in honor of Him who once formed the seas. On the nineteenth, holy Andrew was beheaded.
By the prayers of Your Saints, O Christ our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
By the divine grace of the Cross, the wondrous centurion and martyr Andrew overthrew the impotent boldness of the tyrant and received a crown of glory in heaven. With him shines a whole divine army of martyrs, a company bearing trophies, an unbreakable regiment, an invincible aid. Celebrating their memory with joy, we sing to Christ our God.
Tone 3
With a roll of thunder, the Savior sent His Apostles on the clouds to bury with tenderness the Mother who gave Him birth; and He Himself descended with the Angels to escort her.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. Wondrous are your mysteries! As the Theotokos, the pure and divine Mother, you are now going to Him in a radiant manner!
v. Go up, Lord, into Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your majesty!
2. The tomb of the Virgin Mother of God has truly become a ladder leading to heaven the faithful who always glorify her.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath t David, and He will not repent.
3. When you passed from earth to the Son born of you, O Virgin, the Apostles came, carried on clouds, to bury your body.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Together with the bodiless Angels, let all of us mortals hasten wholeheartedly as a choir to the tomb of the Mother who gave birth to the divine Author of all creation!
After the final Trisagion prayers, only the Troparion of the Dormition.
August 20
Sixth day of the Dormition; commemoration of the holy prophet Samuel.
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
For the Feast
Tone 5
6. When He, who for our sake assumed our nature from your spotless womb, was pleased to make you pass from this world to Himself and to welcome you in all your purity into His presence, He brought together on clouds all His disciples with the charge to bury you and assist at your departure. Filled with grace as they reverently looked upon you, O Virgin, they prostrated and cried out in faith, "Hail, O you who brought to the world great mercy!"
5. "How did you know that I am leaving my body?" asked the pure Mother of God of the holy Disciples. "My sons, what is this wondrous sight I see?" They responded, "We were suddenly carried up on the clouds, O divine Tabernacle; and behold, we are here, prostrate before you as before a throne of fire, to contemplate your glorious passage to God. With our own hands we shall bury you, O all-holy dwelling-place of the Lord, who allowed the world to find great mercy!"
4. In obedience to the laws of nature, the Disciples of the Savior formed an escort around your death bed and carried you to the tomb, O all-holy one, as they sang this farewell hymn to you: "Hail, O pure Virgin, Palace of God and prompt helper of mankind! Hail, fiery chariot who carried our God! Arise, pass to the ever-lasting mountains, the dwelling-place of glory, to live in the house of God, asking for mankind peace and great mercy!"
For the Prophet
Tone 4
3. O Samuel, your mother, who had borne you and received you as the fruit of prayer, consecrated you as an acceptable gift order to give you back to the divine Benefactor from her maternal arms, in keeping with her vow. Thus, the grace of the Spirit dwelling in your soul made you increase in wisdom and grow in virtue.
2. Consecrated y anointing as a priest and possessing the power of a prophet, you foresaw that which was to come. At the command of God, you anointed kings and revealed the things to be. With justice, you were a Judge for the people of Israel, who ceaselessly were false and wandered from the Lord, O wondrous and God-bearing Samuel, the blessed.
1. It is not in a mysterious way, now, nor in a confused manner as before, O Samuel, but face to face, that you behold Him who is the Object of your desire. You left the flesh, its shadows and its weight, to attain heaven in joy, O equal of the Prophets, venerable Seer, confidant of the Just, and companion of the Angels in heaven.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 6
At your deathless Dormition, O Theotokos, Mother of Life, clouds lifted up the Apostles into the air. Dispersed throughout the world, they were gathered together in one choir to stand before your spotless body. Burying you with reverence, they sang the words of Gabriel: "Hail, full of grace, Virgin Mother and Bride, the Lord is with you!" With them, intercede before your Son and God that He may save our souls!
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. As an escort accompanying your body which bore God, the holy Disciples sing in their hymns, "O Lady, where are you now going?"
v. Go up, Lord, into Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your majesty!
2. Come, let us mortals form a choir to sing a farewell hymn in honor of the translation to God of His Mother.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. Lift up your portals, O gates of heaven, as you behold the Gate of the Most High advancing in glory toward her Son, the Lord.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O Virgin, blessed was the earth that buried you when you died according to the law of nature; and the air was sanctified when you went up in a wondrous manner!
Troparion of the Prophet
Tone 2
We celebrate today the memory of Your prophet Samuel; and we implore You, O Lord, to save our souls through his intercession.
Troparion of the Prophet
Tone 2
You were given as a precious gift to a barren woman, and later you were consecrated as a pleasing and acceptable sacrifice to God. You served Him with reverence and justice, and we honor you as a prophet, O Samuel; you are an intercessor for our souls.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of the Dormition
Tone 1
In giving birth you have preserved your virginity and in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Mother of God. You have passed to life being the Mother of Life. Through your intercession, save our souls from death.
Sessional Hymns after the First Reading from the Psalter
Tone 3
Transferred from this corruptible world to the heavenly Paradise, your all-pure soul, that spiritual tabernacle, exults with joy, O holy Virgin, while the Lord deals justly with the impious who dare to profane your mortal remains. Thus, in company with the holy Apostles, let us sing, "Hail, O full of grace!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Transferred from this....(Repeat)
Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
You commended your soul into the hands of Him who, for our sake, received humanity from you, as your Creator and your God; and you passed into eternal life. In faith, we all call you blessed, O only pure and spotless Virgin. We all call out to you as Mother of God, asking you to intercede before Christ, to whom you passed, that He grant mercy to our souls.
v. Glory....Now...
You commended....(Repeat)
Kontakion of the Dormition
Tone 2
Neither death nor the tomb could hold the Mother of God, our watchful Protectress and our unfailing hope. Since she is the Mother of Life, Christ who dwelt in her ever-virginal womb lifted her up to the eternal life.
Kontakion of Samuel
Tone 8
Like a precious gift, you were given to God before your birth, and you served Him like an angel from your youth, O blessed one. You were judged worthy to announce that which was to come, and thus we say to you, "Hail, O Samuel, great priest and prophet of God!"
Synaxarion
On August 20, we commemorate the holy and glorious prophet Samuel.
The seer Samuel closed his eyes in order to see the living Light after his death. The seer of the future found his final rest on the twentieth and merits our annual homage.
By his holy prayers, O our God, have pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 3
With hymns, let us celebrate Samuel, who was consecrated to the Most High God by his illustrious mother from before his conception; let us sing to him as the priest and prophet who anointed kings.
O faithful Apostles, gathered here from the ends of the earth, I implore you this day: set my body to rest in the garden of Gethsemane. And you, my Son and my God: receive my life and my spirit.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. When you passed from earth to the Son born of you, O Virgin, the Apostles came, carried on clouds, to bury your body.
v. Go up, Lord, into Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your Majesty.
2. Wondrous are your mysteries! As the Theotokos, the pure and divine Mother, you are now going to Him in a radiant manner!
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. Come together quickly on the clouds, all you divine Disciples, to bury the body of the unique Mother who was the only bearer of God.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Together with the bodiless Angels, let all of us mortals hasten wholeheartedly as a choir to the tomb of the Mother who gave birth to the divine Author of all creation.
After the final Trisagion prayers, only the Troparion of the Dormition.
August 21
Seventh day of the Dormition; commemoration of the holy apostle Thaddeus and of the holy woman martyr Bassa and her children.
(5th Class)
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
For Thaddeus
Tone 8
6. O Thaddeus, blessed Apostle of the Lord, upon reaching the supreme Light, you became a light in turn through your communion with God. Scattering the night of the many idols, you led souls to the Almighty One. Thus, we joyfully celebrate your memory which sheds its radiance upon us, we glorify Christ our God.
5. O Thaddeus, blessed Apostle of the Lord, after the divine and radiant Resurrection and all-holy Ascension of Christ into heaven, you received the mission of preaching the divine message in Edessa, your city. By your words and miracles there, you confirmed the ruler Abgar and all his subjects in the truth of the Faith.
4. O Thaddeus, blessed Apostle of the Lord, your divine touch allowed the blind to see, the lame to walk, the sick to recover their health, the paralytics to stand aright, and the uninitiated to receive salvation; for you were filled with gifts by the Creator Spirit. Thus, we sing to you in our hymns, O blessed one.
For Bassa
Tone 4
3. O illustrious martyr Bassa, wishing to fight the good fight for Christ, you endured your many torments. Thus you passed to the life without suffering, the never-setting Light, the radiant joy and eternal happiness of God. For this reason, we call you blessed and celebrate your holy feast today, O victorious martyr.
2. After so many, varied tortures, when you were cast into the sea, the Savior of all, our God, saved you by His divine power, for you crushed the power of the enemy, O martyr of many struggles. Now you enlighten the heart of believers by your wonders which surpass our understanding.
1. As a bird on a branch makes her delightful song heard, so from the tree of wondrous struggles, you called your loving children to escape from the snares of the Deceiver. With them, O wondrous Bassa, you flew away to rest in the heavenly dove-cots where you intercede for us.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 6
Come, let us celebrate the universal Dormition of the spotless Mother of our God; today the angels feast her translation in her presence and invite us mortals to rejoice, that we may tirelessly sing to her: "Hail, O our hope and protection!" With incessant voice, all we Christians call you blessed!
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. The choir of Disciples has come together from the ends of the earth, in order to bury, in company with the angels, your body which bore God, O divine Mother.
v. Go up, Lord, into Your resting-place, You and the Ark of Your majesty!
2. Come, all you mortals: together with the angels, let us form a radiant choir today for the Dormition of the Mother of God.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. Your body was not touched by the dust of the tomb; although it was buried in keeping with nature and its laws, nevertheless it remains incorruptible.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
The spotless Bride, the Mother of Him in whom the Father was well-pleased, she who was foreordained by God to be the dwelling-place of His union without confusion, delivers today her blameless soul to her Creator and God. The spiritual powers receive her with honors due to God, and she who is truly the Mother of Life departs unto life, the lamp of the Light which no man can approach, the salvation of the faithful and the hope of our souls.
Troparion of Thaddeus
Tone 3
O holy apostle Thaddeus, intercede with God all-merciful that He may grant us the remission of our sins.
Troparion of Thaddeus
Tone 3
Edessa rejoices today at its baptism through you, O Thaddeus. Abgar has been freed form passion and praises you. We join him in his hymns and sing, "Fill our lives with spiritual happiness and heal our passions by your prayers, O holy apostle Thaddeus!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of the Dormition
Tone 1
In giving birth you have preserved your virginity and in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Mother of God. You have passed to life being the Mother of Life. Through your intercession, save our souls from death.
Sessional Hymns after the First Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
O pure Virgin, we celebrate your Dormition on this day when Christ our God, incarnate through you, came in His ineffable glory to receive your spirit. You passed to Him in glory, without leaving the world, O Mother of God, but by your prayers protecting those who sing to your name.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O pure Virgin, we celebrate....(Repeat)
Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter
Tone 5
The multitude of the angels glorifies you; mankind sings to you in faith; you have passed from earth to heaven; you ceaselessly pray to your Son and your God to deliver from all peril the faithful who celebrate your holy Dormition, O Virgin.
v. Glory...Now...
The multitude.....(Repeat)
Kontakion of Bassa
Tone 1
You put out the fires of torments by the dew of the Spirit, blessed Saint, O Bassa. You were taken into the divine and spiritual light; and after your passing, you shower cures upon us, suppressing the urges of our passions by your power.
Kontakion of Thaddeus
Tone 3
Today is the joyous feast of the Apostle Thaddeus: let us celebrate it with rejoicing, for to the faithful who venerate him, he grants the remission of sins and the strength of God, since he has special boldness before Him as a disciple of the grace of Christ.
Ikos
Let us all celebrate the Disciple of Christ: let us venerate this eye-witness of the Word today. He preached the sacred Gospel to the world; he brought back the nations from the pit of error; showing them the path of truth, he has led the faithful to the heavenly homeland. Standing before the throne of God in all his splendor, he grants an abundance of light to those who wholeheartedly honor him, since he has special boldness before Him as a disciple of the grace of Christ.
Synaxarion
On August 21, we commemorate the holy apostle Thaddeus.
O Thaddeus, what other wreath could I weave for you than to sing of you as one who was an eye-witness of the Word as His disciple. Leaving this life on the twenty-first, Thaddeus is united to the divine choirs in heaven.
On this same day, we commemorate the holy woman martyr Bassa and her children, Theognios, Agapios and Pistos.
Three were the children of this unique mother, yet they all hasten to the sword as with one soul. On the twenty-first, O sword, you sunder Bassa with the point of your blade, in order to unite her to her children.
By the prayers of your Saints, O Christ our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 3
In you, O divine preacher, holy Apostle Thaddeus, Edessa possesses her torch. It is there that you preached the Word and His saving work; you baptized Abgar and all his subjects and made them worshippers of the divine Trinity.
Carried on clouds, the Apostles have all come together to bury the Mother of the Lord in a worthy manner. The Savior Himself is present, and all the hosts of His angels form her escort.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. O Virgin Mother of God, remember all those who implore you with fervor as they wholeheartedly sing of your holy dormition.
v. Go up, Lord, into Your resting-place, You and the Ark of Your majesty!
2. Come, all you Disciples: on this feast now, let each one of you sing a farewell hymn to the Virgin.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. Come together quickly on the clouds, all you divine Disciples, to bury the body of the unique Mother who was the only bearer of God.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Lift up your portals, O gates of heaven, as you behold the Gate of the Most High advancing in glory toward her Son, the Lord.
After the final Trisagion prayers, only the Troparion of the Dormition.
August 22
Eighth day of the Dormition; commemoration of the holy martyrs Agathonicos and his companions.
(5th Class)
VESPERS
Because of the Leavetaking of the Dormition on August 23, the Office of Luppus is sung on the 22nd.
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
For Agathonicos
6. Seeking the original Beauty, the Splendor which surpasses all understanding, O Agathonicos, you joyously advanced to your noble sufferings. Struggling with the enemy, you bravely cast him down and radiantly wove for yourself the crown of victory. Thus, before the Lover of Mankind, you intercede forever for those who sing to your name.
5. Adorned with the wisdom of God, you poured forth the words of life, correcting the foolish, reproving tyrants, calming the storms of the many idols and granting to the faithful the strengths to remain in the grace of God. Thus, enduring the most cruel torments, you entered into the Kingdom on high, wearing your crown.
4. Still bathed in your own blood, shed in your faithful combat, you appeared before the Master as a victim of pleasing fragrance, a pure sacrifice, an acceptable holocaust, a holy offering, a perfect and spotless oblation. By your prayers, you can protect the whole Church of Christ in peace, O martyr Agathonicos.
For Luppus
3. Through the fervor of the Holy Spirit, the blessed and holy Luppus brought an end to the cold of the many idols; pierced by a sword, he poured out streams of healing and shed grace like dew upon parched souls. O friends of the martyrs, let us celebrate him as a wondrous intercessor and a fervent defender.
2. You hurried the pagan idols into the depths of the waters and amazed those godless men who beheld the wonders you worked by your faith, O blessed martyr. In the midst of them you received a divine outpouring from on high, while in the midst of the angels, God magnified you as a true martyr, a pure jewel.
1. In trying to overcome you, your enemies were torn apart by one another, and they were pierced by the very arrows they aimed at you. They cut down a tree, thinking they were following you, blind as they were, O blessed martyr; for you were under the protection of the Lord for whom you had chosen to suffer, O companion of the angels, who intercede for us.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 1
Your name was well chosen, a name of splendid conquerors, O Agathonicos of many combats. Pierced by love of your God, rejecting the error of the tyrant and the falsehood of the idols, you passed to a better life in a wondrous manner. On this day of your radiant memorial, by the boldness which you have before God, intercede for the salvation of our souls.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 1
It was right that the eye-witnesses and ministers of the Word should see the Dormition of His Mother according to the flesh, even the final mystery concerning her. Thus they might be witnesses not only to the Ascension of the Savior, but also to the Translation of her who gave Him birth. Assembled from all parts by the power of God, they came to Sion, and sped on her way to heaven the Virgin who is higher than the Cherubim. We also venerate her, for she intercedes for our souls.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. The assembly of the disciples has gathered together to bury the Mother of God. By a sign from the all-powerful Lord, they have come from the ends of the earth.
v. Go up, Lord, into Your resting-place, You and the Ark of Your Majesty.
2. The Virgin Queen, the Bride of God, the glory of the elect, the jewel of virginity, is translated from this world to her Son.
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. In a wondrous manner, the choir of disciples is assembled from the ends of the earth to bury your pure body.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 8
Having received a name signifying wondrous treasures, O martyr Agathonicos, you consecrated yourself as a temple to the King of All. Having fought the good fight, you overthrew the power of the terrible Belial. Carrying off the prize, the crown of victory, you stand before God in the heights of heaven. Do not cease to intercede before Him for those who honor you, O jewel of the martyrs!
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 8
Today the choirs of virgins form an honor guard in spirit around the funeral bed of the Theotokos. Wishing to escort her, the souls of the Just and Holy Ones come to honor the Mother of the King. The former now bear their purity in place of myrrh; the latter bear their virtues and spiritual hymns. It is fitting that the Theotokos, as a Queen, be accompanied by a royal escort, radiant with virtue. With them, let us also bear the purity of our lives and go forth to bury the Mother of our God, uniting our voices to call her blessed in hymns and spiritual canticles.
Troparion of Agathonicos
Tone 4
O Lord our God, Your holy martyrs Agathonicos and his companions have deserved the crown of immortality on account of their good fight. Armed with Your strength, they have vanquished their persecutors and crushed Satan's dreadful might. Through their supplications, O Christ God, save our souls!
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Troparion of Irenaeus
Tone 4
O holy hieromartyr Irenaeus, you lent yourself to the apostles' way of life and succeeded them on their throne. Inspired by God, you found the way to contemplation through practice and prayer, wherefore you became a perfect teacher of the truth, fighting for the faith unto the shedding of your blood. Intercede with Christ God that He may save our souls.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion of the Dormition
Tone 1
In giving birth you have preserved your virginity and in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Mother of God. You have passed to life being the Mother of Life. Through your intercession, save our souls from death.
Sessional Hymns after the First Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
O Virgin, on earth you were seen to be more spacious than the heavens in giving birth in the flesh to the Creator of all. Now you have passed from earth to those same heavens. At this sight, contemplating you, the souls of the Just and the choirs of Angels continually praise you fittingly as their Queen. Intercede ceaselessly for those who sing to your name.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O Virgin, on earth....(Repeat)
Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter
Tone 4
The choir of Apostles, scattered throughout the world, is gathered together on Sion in order to escort the Theotokos on her way from earth to the Most High whom she bore. The heavenly powers draw near to exult in spirit and sing, "Let the heavens rejoice as they receive the Theotokos, the Queen of all creatures, both invisible and visible!"
v. Glory...Now...
The choir of Apostles....(Repeat)
Kontakion of the Dormition
Tone 2
Neither death nor the tomb could hold the Mother of God, our watchful Protectress and our unfailing hope. Since she is the Mother of Life, Christ who dwelt in her ever-virginal womb lifted her up to the eternal life.
Kontakion of Irenaeus
Tone 4
With martyrdom, you crowned a life of outstanding virtue, O model among hierarchs! Therefore we honor you, O holy father Irenaeus, for your victory in the battle of truth against error. With devotion, we entreat you: by your prayers, deliver us from our troubles!
Kontakion of Agathonicos
Tone 1
O holy martyr who have acquired great renown as your lot, you brought an end to the worship of evil men without fearing all types of punishment. Thus, you inherited eternal goods, O Agathonicos, and were worthy, together with your companions in your struggles, to obtain the heavenly crown.
Ikos
O Agathonicos, pray to the God of all goodness, the Lover of Mankind, entreating Him to pour out His benefits upon my poor soul. May He grant me words to sing worthily of the struggles you endured for faith in Jesus Christ our God, and of the manner in which you kept watch as a shepherd, O holy martyr, driving away the wolves in order to lead your flock to the land of truth, as they cried out to you with confidence, "We are counted as sheep for the slaughter; we die now to obtain the heavenly crown!"
Synaxarion
On August 22, we commemorate the holy martyr Agathonicos and his companions: Zoticos, Zenon, Theoprepios, Akindynos and Severian.
The name Agathonicos befits him without exaggeration; by the sword, he carried off a splendid victory. Through a barbarous machine, the machinations of the Evil One reached out to the perdition of three martyrs. By beheading, Severian took his place in the choir of the witnesses, adorned with a holy diadem. Behold, a new Simon of Cyrene: not required to carry the cross, but offering himself up on it. Sacrificed for the Nazarene by the sword, Agathonicos died on August twenty-second.
By their holy prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
Let us celebrate in a wondrous manner the radiant memorial of Agathonicos the martyr, whom grace has united to the memory of the Dormition of the spotless Virgin. In the nobility of his soul, he confounded tyrants by the bravery of his struggles. Bearing a crown, he exults now before Christ, interceding for us who wholeheartedly glorify him.
Tone 3
O faithful Apostles, gathered here from the ends of the earth, I implore you this day: set my body to rest in the garden of Gethsemane. And you, my Son and my God: receive my life and my spirit.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. O Virgin, blessed was the earth that buried you when you died according to the law of nature; and the air was sanctified when you went up in a wondrous manner.
v. Go up, Lord, into Your resting-place, You and the Ark of Your majesty!
2. As an escort accompanying your body which bore God, the holy Disciples sing in their hymns, "O Lady, where are you now going?"
v. The Lord has sworn an oath to David, and He will not repent.
3. Your body was not touched by the dust of the tomb; although it was buried in keeping with nature and its laws, nevertheless it remains incorruptible.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Together with the bodiless Angels, let all of us mortals hasten wholeheartedly as a choir to the tomb of the Mother who gave birth to the divine Author of all creation!
After the final Trisagion prayers, only the Troparion of the Dormition.
August 23
Leavetaking of the Dormition; commemoration of the holy martyr Luppus.
@ RUBRIC = Because of the Leave-taking, the Service to Luppus is sung on the previous day. Today we sing the Service of the Dormition as on the Feast, with the exception of the Readings, Lete, Polyeleos and Gospel.
Synaxarion
On August 23, we commemorate the holy martyr Luppus.
Holy Luppus was a slave or simple servant, but he became a free man under the blow of the sword. On the twenty-third, he was inscribed in the book of life as a friend of Christ when he courageously bore witness.
By his holy prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
August 24
Commemoration of the Holy Hieromartyr Euctyches, Disciple of St. John the Theologian
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 8
3. O blessed martyr Eutyches, instructed in a holy manner by the Theologian of the Word, the venerable preacher, you received from that Disciple a complete initiation into the things of God. You shone forth with grace as a lamp, enlightening all hearts with your divine teachings. Thus we celebrate your sacred memory.
2. With the levers of your constant endurance, you tore down the ramparts of error. You endured chains and your death was glorious. Now, O blessed one, you have found immortality in company with all the angels in the choirs of the martyrs. By a divine communion with the supreme God, you are completely deified in a wondrous manner.
1. Enclosed in prison, you received the bread of life from heaven. Thrown into the furnace, you were not burned. O blessed one, you endured the wounds with which you were cruelly afflicted. As you prayed, you calmed the rage of the savage beasts. When the sword finally beheaded you, your blood, like a divine chariot, carried you up to heaven.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion
Go out, my soul: sigh and weep, pour forth streams of tears with your whole heart, and cry out to the Mother of God: "O pure Virgin, in your immense compassion, I pray you to deliver me from the frightful and terrible punishment; grant that I may rest in a place of repose, there to enjoy eternal blessedness!"
Stavrotheotokion
"The sun has set, O my Son! The moon is darkened with a black robe in which shadows hide. The earth trembles; the veil of the Temple is torn in half. How can I bear the tearing of my heart and eyes in seeing Your unjust death, O sweet Savior?" Thus spoke the Mother of God in tears.
Aposticha of the Octoechos
Troparion of Eutyches
Tone 4
O holy hieromartyr Eutyches, you lent yourself to the apostles' way of life and succeeded them on their throne. Inspired by God, you found the way to contemplation through practice and prayer; wherefore you became a perfect teacher of truth, fighting for Christ unto the shedding of your blood. Intercede with Christ God that He may save our souls.
Kontakion
Tone 4
You sat on the throne of the Apostles of the Lord, and you were the honor of hierarchs; O Eutyches, you were also glorified as a martyr. You shine with the brilliance of the sun throughout the world, dispersing the dark night of godlessness. Thus we honor you as a minister of the divine mysteries of Christ.
Synaxarion
On August 24, we commemorate the holy martyr Eutyches, the disciple of St. John the Theologian and of the holy Apostle Paul.
What honor was yours, O blessed Eutyches, when your name was inscribed on the list of divine honors. As a martyr in the arena, you rightly struggled; and on the twenty-fourth, the earth received you in peace.
By his holy prayers, O our God, have pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilarion of the day.
Aposticha of the Octoechos.
August 25
Transfer of the Remains of the holy Apostle Bartholomew, commemoration of the holy Apostle Titus.
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
For Bartholomew
Tone 4
6. We rightly call you blessed, O illustrious Bartholomew, for you are a sun shining with countless flames, a never-setting star, a living heaven which declares the saving glory of our God, a divine herald, a light for the nations, a river pouring forth streams of wisdom to refresh all hearts.
5. Your voyages across the sea, O holy Apostle Bartholomew, have revealed a splendor which surpasses all understanding. Laid to rest in a precious reliquary, you traveled from East to West in the company of illustrious martyrs who served as a guard of honor for you at the command of the all-powerful Lord.
4. You sanctified the waves by your wondrous crossing, and you arrived at the island of Lipari, where you poured forth myrrh, healing incurable ills. For its citizens, you became a savior, a refuge, a protection and an intercessor before the King who redeemed the world, O blessed Apostle Bartholomew.
For Titus
Tone 4
3. Preaching the one God in three Persons, you trampled down the sea of false gods of the nations. Those who were floundering in godless depths, you brought safely to a serene harbor, O blessed Apostle. Thus, you received your reward in heaven, where you pray to the Lover of Mankind for those who sing to your name.
2. Your soul illumined by divine light, O blessed Titus, you set out with holy Paul, as a ray of that great Sun which drives away all darkness. With him, you chased away the shadows from the earth. Thus we call you blessed as an inspired hierarch, a holy Apostle, and a fervent intercessor.
1. A native of Crete, you returned to it as the unshakable foundation upon which the Orthodox Faith was established. You enlightened believers through the power of our God, O Titus, traveling-companion of holy Paul, and became the first to occupy the bishop's throne in your homeland. You now intercede for the faithful.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 6
Through the sea was your way, your path through the mighty waters, when you left the East, many years after your death, O illustrious Apostle Bartholomew, because the Just are alive forever in the providential plan of your Master, Christ our God. O holy Apostle Bartholomew, ask Him to grant us great mercy!
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O Mother of God, you are the true vine laden with the Fruit of Life: wherefore we implore you, O Lady, to intercede together with the Apostles and all the saints that we may obtain mercy for our souls.
Aposticha of the Octoechos, with:
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 6
As a disciple of holy Paul, that chosen instrument, that divine preacher, you were introduced by him to the knowledge of our God. You were sent to the nations to convert them to the Faith, enlightening them by the radiance of your speech. Thus you traveled throughout the world, O Apostle Titus, to announce to all the good news of the incarnate God. Beg Him now to save the faithful who celebrate your venerable memory at all times.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
All-pure Virgin, pray to the Son born of you to take pity on my poor soul and grant it a share with His elect at the hour of judgment in His great goodness.
Troparion of the Apostles
Tone 3
O holy Apostles, intercede with God-all merciful that He may grant us the remission of our sins.
ORTHROS
Kontakion of Bartholomew
Tone 1
O Bartholomew, disciple of the Lord and worthy of all praise, the transfer of your remains is for us a great feast and an occasion to rejoice. We honor these remains and exalt you, and we give glory to Christ who made you a lamp that sheds everlasting light.
Kontakion of Titus
Tone 2
O Titus, worthy of all praise, preacher of Christ's mysteries: you became the companion of Paul with whom you taught us the doctrine of God. Wherefore, we cry out to you: "Never cease to intercede for the sake of us all!"
Ikos
You announced to the world the Savior who allowed Himself to be seen on earth, and you became His intimate friend, an heir of His true divinity. Prostrating myself with faith, I beg you to grant me pardon through your prayers, driving all shadowy darkness far from my soul, that I may worthily sing of you forever and cry out: "Never cease to intercede for the sake of us all!"
Synaxarion
On August 25, we commemorate the transfer of the remains of the holy and glorious apostle Bartholomew.
Your venerable reliquary was found to refresh us all with inexhaustible grace, O Apostle. On the twenty-fifth, after having hidden it, the earth returned your body to the faithful, O Bartholomew.
On the same day, we commemorate the holy Apostle Titus, Bishop of Gortyna in Crete, the disciple of the holy Apostle Paul.
Making a bouquet of my very humble flowers, accept my praises, both the small and the great. I sing to you, O holy Titus, who died in peace and entered the heavenly banquet on the twenty-fifth.
By the prayers of Your Saints, O Christ our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
With all our heart we rejoice in the transfer of your remains, O Bartholomew, and we celebrate you with faith. Having sailed from the East to the island of Lipari in a wondrous manner, you illumined the West by your travels, O Apostle of Christ and divine preacher.
O Apostle initiated into the grace of God, holy Titus, together with the divinely-minded Paul, intercede before the Holy Trinity for the peace of the world and for us who celebrate your thrice-holy memory, venerating you with our whole heart, that we be delivered from shame, freed from our sins, and be made worthy of the mercy, glory and splendor of the Kingdom of heaven.
We sing to you, O Virgin Mother of God, together with the bodiless Angels, the choirs of martyrs, the just and the prophets, and the divine Apostles: for you have given birth to the One who, by His Cross, cast down the tyranny of Hades in His ineffable wisdom, and saved all mankind.
Aposticha of the Octoechos, with:
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 5
As was foretold in the Gospel by the Wisdom of God, the Word who shares the eternity of the Father, O illustrious Apostles, you were the vine shoots whose branches bore the ripe grapes of delightful taste. We the faithful eat of them to taste joy and happiness. O Bartholomew, divinely-inspired, and Titus, pride of Crete, intercede ceaselessly for our souls.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
We the faithful all call you blessed, O Virgin Mother of God; and we glorify you rightly as the unassailable city, the indestructible rampart, the fearless protectress and refuge of our souls.
AUGUST 26
Commemoration of the holy martyrs Adrian and his wife Natalia.
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
3. Having seen the venerable struggles, the valiant sufferings of the martyrs, you yourself set out of the arena, full of courageous intentions, unmindful of your body in your love for God. Then you fought the good fight, humbling the pride of the enemy, O Adrian, by your sublime perseverance.
2. Imprisoned, beaten by leather scourges, weighed down with iron shackles, enclosed in a wooden cage with numerous martyrs, you obtained heavenly honor with them, encouraged by your wife, Natalia, that chosen one of God, O thrice-noble Adrian.
1. Adam was exiled from Paradise through his wife by the council of the cunning serpent. But Natalia, encouraging Adrian by holy exhortations, wisely led him toward Paradise, urging him to endure the pains of his struggle which won eternal glory and the reward of heaven.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 1
The zeal of the pious man was carried along by the brilliant exhortation of the woman chosen by God; for the noble Adrian, influenced by Natalia, followed the way of martyrdom until the end. For that wife, beloved of God, was not another Eve, causing the fall of Adam-rather, she offered her husband eternal life. Praising them both, let us sing to Christ, "Help us through the prayers of Your saints!"
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion
O all-pure Virgin, from your sacred icon flows the healing of ills in abundance for the faithful who approach you. In my weakness, visit me; take pity on me; grant healing also to my body!
Stavrotheotokion
Seeing You, the lamb and Shepherd, on the Cross, O God our Savior, the Virgin who bore You cried out in tears: "My Child, sweet Light of the world, how can I see You nailed on the wood of the Cross?"
Aposticha
Tone 1
1. With the purple of your blood, you dyed the vestment in which you now stand, reigning with your Master, according to His promise, O holy martyr, in the splendor of your combats and divine beauty. Pray to Christ to grant our souls peace and great mercy.
v. God is wonderful among His Saints, the God of Israel.
2. O holy martyr, abandoning the way of the passions, you chose the path of salvation to find the incorruptible dwelling, O blessed one, in company with all those who followed Christ; with them, beg Him to grant our souls peace and great mercy.
v. God has displayed wonders in the Saints who dwell in His land: all His good pleasure is upon them.
3. O new marvel, truly wondrous in its grandeur! Behold, the wise Natalia, who urged her own husband to endure the blow of the sword! Who has ever seen such a thing? Who has ever heard tell of such a deed? He who was the apple of her eye, she prefers to hand over to death for his salvation.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 6
O irreproachable couple, elect of God, noble spouses, blessed in the Lord, loving union cherished by Christ! Who would not be filled with amazement before their deeds surpassing human nature? In that woman, what manly courage faced the tyrant when she urged her husband not to yield under torment, but to prefer death to life for the Faith! What wisdom in the divine intentions of Natalia, the holy exhortations which opened the heavens and placed the illustrious Adrian before the very throne of the great King! Pray for us to the Lord, both of you, that He save us from trials and afflictions as we celebrate your sacred memory with love.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion
O Mother of God, you are the truly vine laden with the Fruit of Life: wherefore, we implore you, O Lady, to intercede together with the apostles and all the saints that we may obtain mercy for our souls.
Stavrotheotokion
O Christ, when she who gave You birth saw You crucified, she cried out, "O my Son, what strange sight do I see? How can You die in the flesh, hung upon the Cross, O Prince of Life?"
Troparion
Tone 3
You valued the Orthodox Faith as a treasure which no one can steal, O blessed one. Turning away from the impious folly of your ancestors and following in the footsteps of the Lord, you were enriched by divine gifts. O illustrious Adrian, pray to Christ God that our souls be given great mercy.
ORTHROS
Kontakion
Tone 4
O Adrian, martyr of Christ, you preserved in your heart the exhortations of your pious and devoted wife, and together with her, accepted every kind of suffering and obtained the crown of victory.
Ikos
Behold, the time of joy has come for the faithful: the feast day of the martyr Adrian. In holy joy, let us cry out to him, "O witness of Christ, who fought the good fight and received the crown of justice in heaven, save us all from the attacks of the enemy; grant us the healing of our souls and bodies; purify our spirits from all stain, O you who with your wife obtained the crown of victory!"
Synaxarion
On August 26, we commemorate the holy martyrs Adrian and Natalia and their companions.
His feet hastening to the crime, with his hands the impious cut off both the hands and feet of the martyr Adrian. As on earth, so in heaven, he was joined for the better to the fate of his wife Natalia. Without feet or hands, Adrian nevertheless steps into the choir of the martyrs on the twenty-sixth.
By the prayers of Your saints, O Christ our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
Let us glorify the invincible martyr Adrian, as well as the pious Natalia, as the support of victorious athletes. With them also shines the assembly bearing their trophies, a whole group of holy martyrs. Celebrating their holy memory, let us sing to them, "Intercede for us all before Christ our God!"
All-holy one, in the midst of so many perils, the whole world has you as an invincible protection, a guardian, refuge, fortified city, unassailable rampart, unshakable salvation and divine fortress. And so do I, your servant. O Mother of the King, Handmaid of God, deliver me from all danger and save me!
Praises
Tone 8
4. Carrying out the word of the Lord, O thrice-noble martyr Adrian, you renounced all pleasures here below. Taking up your Cross, you shared in the sufferings of Christ. You were tried in all things; thus all we, the faithful, glorify you on this day of your sacred memorial.
3. Carrying out the word of the Lord....(Repeat)
2. Ceaselessly tossed about on the waves of torment, O courageous martyr Adrian, you found in your wife a faithful helmsman to pilot you to the harbor of peace. She made you enter the heavenly city where you now dwell, O far-famed martyr. Thus we pray to you to intercede for us who celebrate your memory.
1. With courage, you withstood shackles, the twisting of your body, and dismemberment. Commending your soul to the Creator, you have truly found peace and eternal blessedness throughout the ages: what divine reward before Christ, O martyrs full of glory and worthy of all honor.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 2
The ineffable Providence of the Lord, which knows the hearts of all in advance, countless fruits of your perseverance with which you nourish the faithful who wholeheartedly celebrate you, O illustrious Adrian.
Aposticha of the Octoechos
AUGUST 29
Beheading of the honorable and glorious Prophet and Forerunner, John the Baptist.
GREAT VESPERS
Lete
Tone 1
What shall we call you, O Prophet? Angel, Apostle or Martyr? An angel, for you lived like the bodiless powers. An Apostle, for you taught the nations. A Martyr, for you were beheaded for Christ. Pray to Him that our souls be granted great mercy.
We celebrate the memorial of the beheading of the Forerunner: his head once gushed froth streams of blood upon the platter. Now it gushes forth rivers of healings upon the whole world.
Today the sacrilegious mother and murderer incites her lewd daughter, born of a sinful union, by her criminal advice, against God and against the greatest of the Prophets. While hateful Herod celebrated his shameful birthday with a banquet, by virtue of the oath he had sworn, she demanded the precious and wondrous head of the divine Preacher. Insanity that it was, out of respect for the word he had given, he delivered over to her the head as her reward for having entertained him with a dance. But the Prophet of the Coming of Christ did not cease to reprove them even after death for their union so unacceptable to God. He rebuked them as he cried out, "It is not right for you to marry adulterously the wife of your brother Phillip!" O murderous birthday! O feast full of blood! But we the faithful, on this day on which the Prophet and Forerunner was beheaded, rejoice and celebrate a feast, robed in white. Let us ask him to intercede before the Trinity that we be delivered from the disgrace of the passions and that our souls be saved.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 5
Wishing to escape from the reproaches merited by his unjust conduct, Herod in weakness gave your head to a wicked woman, O Forerunner. But that wretched man did not realize that, when he had it brought in on a platter, he was accusing himself. You are the teacher of true purity and the guide to saving repentance: intercede before Christ, O Baptist, that we be delivered from the shameful passions.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
We the faithful call you blessed, O Virgin Mother of God; and we glorify you, as is right, calling you an unshakable city, an indestructible rampart, the fearless protector and refuge of our souls.
Aposticha
Tone 2
1. O preacher of repentance, Baptist of the Lord, your head sanctified the earth when it was cut off; you confirmed the clear law of our God for the faithful, and you destroyed wickedness. As you stand before the throne of the King of All, in the presence of Christ, beg Him to have mercy on our souls.
v. The just man shall flourish like the palm tree; like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
O thrice-holy Baptist, John, you were beheaded for the sake of the Law of the Lord. With the boldness of the pure, you reproached the unjust king who had transgressed it. Thus the angelic hosts stand in wonder at you, and the choirs of apostles and martyrs glorify you. We venerate your illustrious memory each year, glorifying the Holy Trinity who has crowned you, O blessed Forerunner!
v. The just man is glad in the Lord and takes refuge in Him.
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call...
Tone 8
3. What shall we now call you, O Poemen? A model for monks, a worker of healings, mortifying the passions with the scourge of temperance, a fellow citizen with the angels and their confident, a dweller in the heavenly City, a home of the virtues and the adornment of the wilderness. Pray to Christ our God to save our souls!
2. How can we now describe you, O Poemen? Citizen of the desert, cultivator of holy peace of soul, tamer of the passions, guide for monks, stream of teachings from the Holy Spirit, ever-shining torch of judgment, true wonder-worker, healing all ills. Pray to Christ our God to save our souls.
1. Truly you have been a lamp stand, enlightening with its discerning radiance the souls who approach you in faith. In your wisdom, you show them the way of life. Thus we praise you and call you blessed, O Poemen, as we celebrate this holy feast. Pride of the Fathers and Joy of Ascetics, pray to Christ to save our souls!
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion
To what can I compare you, my poor soul? You refuse to repent, not fearing the fire, as you persist in evil. Rouse yourself! Call upon the only prompt refuge. Say to her, "O Virgin Mother, beseech your Son and our God to save me from the snares of the evil one!"
Stavrotheotokion
Seeing her Lamb willingly nailed on the tree of the Cross, the Ewe cried out as a Mother, weeping and lamenting: "What is this strange sight, O my Son? You give life to every being-how can You die, O long-suffering Lord, as You raise up mankind? I glorify Your infinite condescension, O my God!"
Aposticha of the Octoechos
Troparion of Poemen
Tone 8
Your abundant tears made the wilderness sprout and bloom, and your deep sighings made your labor fruitful a hundredfold. You became a star shining over the world with miracles, Holy Father Poemen Pray to Christ God that He may save our souls.
AUGUST 27
Commemoration of our venerable father Poemen.
ORTHROS
Kontakion
Tone 4
O Poemen, lofty in word and deed, we commemorate today your holy and celebrated struggles that strengthen pious hearts.
Synaxarion
On August 27, we commemorate our venerable father Poemen.
As though fleeing from the jaws of the ravaging wolf, Poemen, the lamb of the supreme Shepherd, escapes this life. It is the twenty-seventh that brings the good shepherd Poemen home to the heavenly sheepfold.
By his holy prayers, O our God, take pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
Having received the whole radiance of the divine triple Sun, behold, you were deified by your communion in the nature of God. Pray to Him to save from peril and affliction those who venerate your holy and light-bearing memory, O holy father Poemen, joy of ascetics and venerable shepherd.
The Father chose you as a desirable lily, all-pure Mother of God, after finding you, radiant in your virginal beauty, in the midst of thorns, so that you might become the dwelling-place of the Son through the Holy Spirit. Thus, O divine and spotless Bride, we wholeheartedly call you blessed, we the faithful who have been saved through you.
Aposticha of the Octoechos
AUGUST 28
Commemoration of our venerable Father Moses, the Ethiopian.
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 8
3. Wisely renouncing the pleasures of this world, the illustrious Moses submitted the passions of the flesh to the harsh labors of asceticism. Overthrowing the perfidious Deceiver, he received the crown of victory. By his prayers, O Lord, grant us great mercy.
2. You were armed with incomparable temperance, night-long vigils in prayer, custody of the eyes, and a spirit that contemplated the beauty of God, O blessed Moses. Thus you received the grace of healing the strongest passions. O venerable Father, gain for us great mercy.
1. O Father Moses, you passed unharmed through the snares of the demons and their plots and their arrows, protected by the right hand of God. Freed from the passions, you were added to the number of holy monks in heaven, where you pray to Christ to grant great mercy to the faithful who venerate you.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Theotokion
The thoughts of my heart are impure; my lips are filled with falsehood; the works of my life are covered with shame. What can I do? How can I appear before the Judge? O sovereign Lady, implore your Son, your Creator and your Lord, that He accept the conversion of my heart in the unique compassion of His heart.
Stavrotheotokion
Seeing her Lamb nailed to the Cross by the impious, the virginal Ewe cried out in tears and said, "Alas, O my greatly beloved Son, is this the return for all Your immense benefits that you receive from an ungrateful people, that You be taken from me, O my beloved Child?"
Aposticha of the Octoechos
Troparion of Moses
Tone 1
You made the wilderness your dwelling, O our Father Moses, the bearer of God: you became an angel in the flesh and a wonderworker. Through fast, vigils and prayers, you obtained from God special graces to heal the sick and sanctify the souls of those who come to you with trust. Glory to the One who gave you strength! Glory to the One who crowned you! Glory to the One who, through your intercession, grants healing to all!
ORTHROS
Kontakion
Tone 3
A holy inspiration from God enriched your mind and made you turn away from lust and the pleasures of the body, and carried you to the peak of the City of God. Holy father Moses, intercede with Christ God that He may grant us great mercy.
Synaxarion
On August 28, we commemorate our venerable Father Moses the Ethiopian.
In dying, Moses could say, "Man looks upon the face; but God looks into the heart!" On the twenty-eighth of August, the Church of Christ remembers the black Moses, the Ethiopian, whom the angels received into their choirs.
By his holy prayers, O our God, have pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
With the sword of your divine prayers, you cut off the heads of the dark demons, O blessed Father Moses, bearer of God. Thus you received the victor's reward from Christ. In His presence now with the angels, far from the passions, radiant in light, by your prayers enlighten all those who celebrate you with hymns and take refuge in you.
I have lost the beauty of my soul through the dishonor of my life. Wretched as I am, I resemble the senseless beasts in my unworthy deeds. But, O sovereign Mother of God, enlighten me with your divine splendor. Purify me with the hyssop of repentance; and of me, your unworthy servant, make an instrument that can serve the Lord.
Aposticha of Octoechos
AUGUST 29
Beheading of the honorable and glorious Prophet and Forerunner, John and Baptist.
(3rd Class)
GREAT VESPERS
First Kathisma of the Psalter: Blessed the man.
6. While the birthday of shameless Herod was being celebrated, the oath he had sworn to the lewd dancer was carried out. The head of the Forerunner, cut off by the master of the feast, was offered on a platter to the guests. O hateful banquet, full of crime and impiety! But we bless the Baptist of the Lord, rightly honoring him as the greatest of those born of women.
5. While the birthday of shameless...(Repeat)
4. After dancing, the disciple of the wicked devil claimed your head as her reward, O Forerunner! O hateful feast, so full of blood! Would to God that you had never given your oath, O Herod, son of lies, violator of the Law! Having sworn, why did you keep your word? Better for you to have broken your word and to have received life, than to keep it and cut off the head of the Forerunner! But we bless the Baptist of the Lord, rightly honoring him as the greatest of those born of women.
3. After dancing, the disciple of the wicked....(Repeat)
2. It was not fitting for you, O Herod, to condemn to death the man who accused you of adultery, for you were spurred on by desire and by a love inspired by the devil. It was not fitting for you to give that precious head to that impious woman because of a promise made for a dance. How could you dare to commit such a deed? How was the impudent dancer not consumed by the divine fire when she carried it on a platter into the midst of the guests at that banquet? But we bless the Baptist of the Lord, rightly honoring him as the greatest of those born of women.
1. At times Herodias is calm, at times she is troubled in spirit. O treacherous dance, and treachery of drunkenness! The Baptist has his head cut off, and the head of Herod is troubled! Lord, by the prayers of the Forerunner, grant peace to our souls!
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
While the birthday of shameless Herod was being celebrated, the oath he had sworn to the lewd dancer was carried out. The head of the Forerunner, cut off by the master of the feast, was offered on a platter to the guests. O hateful banquet, full of crime and impiety! But we bless the Baptist of the Lord, rightly honoring him as the greatest of those born of women.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Who would not call you blessed? Who would not sing a hymn of praise to the glory of your giving birth without pain or travail, O Virgin most holy? The only-begotten Son Himself, begotten of the Father before all ages, was made flesh out of you in a manner that cannot be explained, O Woman most pure! And for our sake, He who is God by nature assumed the nature of man. He is not divided into two persons: He is understood to have two natures without commixtion or confusion. O noble and blessed woman, intercede with Him that He may have mercy on our souls.
Entrance. "O Joyful Light" Prokimenon of the day. Readings
Readings: 1) Isaiah (composite); 2) Malachy (composite); 3) Wisdom (composite).
3. Son of the Prophet Zecheriah and the greatest of all the Prophets, sanctified from his mother's womb for the service of the Lord, John was beheaded today by an unjust King. His head was a living reproach, both before and after execution, to the young girl who danced in a lewd manner; and the sinful assembly was cast into confusion. Thus we cry out, "Because of the boldness which you have before God, O Baptist of the Lord, ceaselessly intercede with Him for our souls!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 8
O Forerunner of the Savior, you urged the king and queen not to commit iniquity; but pleasure in a lawless woman spurred Herod on to behead you. Thus your name is praised from East to West. By the boldness which you possess before the Lord, ceaselessly pray to Him for the salvation of our souls!
v. Now and always and forever and ever.
On unwedded Virgin from whom God ineffably took flesh, Mother of God Most High, all-pure one: receive our supplications. You obtain remission of sins for mankind: hear us now and intercede for our salvation.
Troparion
Tone 2
The memory of the just is mentioned with praise. As for you, O Forerunner, the Lord's witness is enough: indeed, you were greater than the prophets since you were found worthy to baptize in the waters the One they could but announce. You have fought for the sake of truth and proclaimed to those in Hades that God who appeared in the flesh has taken away the sins of the world and bestowed His great mercy upon us.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Resurrectional Theotokion
Tone 2
All your mysteries, O Theotokos, are beyond understanding and most glorious. Sealed by purity and preserved by virginity, you have indeed been acknowledged as the Mother who gave birth to the true God. Intercede with Him to save our souls.
ORTHROS
Use the Festal Format.
Sessional Hymns after the First Reading from the Psalter
Tone 5
Come, O faithful, let us celebrate together the one who came between grace and the Law, the one who preached repentance to us. After having boldly rebuked Herod in public, he was beheaded. Living forever with the angels now, he intercedes before Christ for our salvation.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O ever-Virgin Mother, we have come to know the great mystery of your divine maternity, the ineffable manner in which you conceived. Your glory strikes wonder in our spirits and overwhelms our minds, and it is extended over all of us, O Mother of God, for our salvation.
Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter
Tone 5
In our hymns and chants, let us all celebrate him who was shown to be a prophet from his mother's womb, the one who came forth from a barren woman to be a shining light for all: the Baptist of Christ, John, the Forerunner and victorious athlete. He intercedes before the Lord that great mercy be given to our souls.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Hasten to bring us help and protection, show your mercy to your servants, O holy Virgin. Calm the turbulence of our vain thoughts. O Mother of God, lift up my fallen soul. O Virgin, I know that you can do whatever you wish.
Sessional Hymns after the Polyeleos
Tone 8
By the will of God, you were born from a barren woman, loosening the bonds of your father's tongue, and pointing out the Sun which enlightened you like the Morning Star. In the wilderness, you announced to the people the Creator, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. With zeal, you confronted the king, and you were beheaded, O glorious Forerunner, truly worthy of our praise. Intercede before Christ our God that He grant remission of sins to those who wholeheartedly celebrate your holy memory.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
All holy and Virgin Mother of God, heal the cruel passions of my soul, I beg you; grant me the remission of the sins which I have committed in my folly, staining my souls and body. Wretched as I am, what can I do? What will happen at the hour when the angels separate my poor soul from my body. Be my aid at that hour, O Lady. Be my fervent protection, for you are my hope, and I am your servant.
Prokimenon
Tone 4
O precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful.
v. How can I repay the Lord for His goodness to me?
Gospel. Psalm 50.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Through the intercession of the Forerunner, O Merciful One, wipe out...
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Through the intercession of the Theotokos, O Merciful One, wipe out....
v. O God, have mercy on me in the greatness of Your love. In the abundance....
Tone 2
O preacher of repentance, Baptist of the Lord, your head sanctified the earth when it was cut off; you confirmed the clear Law of our God for the faithful, and you destroyed wickedness. As you stand before the throne of the King of All, in the presence of Christ, beg Him to have mercy on our souls.
Canons: we use the Canon to the Mother of God, then the following two Canons in Tone 8, both being the work of John the Monk. Katavasias of the Cross.
Canons
Ode 1
The people of Israel, fleeing the wretchedness of Egypt, passed the sea as if it were dry land. They cried out, "Let us sing to our Deliverer, to our God!"
v. Holy Forerunner of the Lord, intercede for us! (between the Troparia)
Let us sing the praises of the Prophet who came forth from the womb of a barren woman to become the holy Forerunner of the One who was conceived by the Virgin in an ineffable manner.
You surpassed nature and its laws, yet kept the laws of holiness as you denounced an unjust union, without fearing the bold impiety of the king and queen.
You were nourished by the milk of the Law, and as a seal of the Law, you sanctioned the laws of lawful marriage, as you drew upon yourself the hatred of those in adultery.
The choirs of angels and of men ceaselessly sing to you, O unwedded Mother, for in your arms you carried as a child their Creator.
By Your powerful right hand, You delivered the people of Israel from slavery; as You once saved them, now save us!
Let us all praise John the Forerunner, the friend of Christ: the witness which was born to him by the Lord has placed him above all men.
Let us all praise the divine John, citizen of the wilderness, the companion of the bodiless angels, the pride of the new people of God.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
In memory of the Forerunner, let us form a choir with the angels and chant to Christ: "At his prayers, grant peace to the world!"
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O Mother of God, at all times pray to the God who was born of you ineffably, that He deliver your servants from all evil.
Ode 3
You are a rampart for those who have recourse to You; those dwelling in darkness find their light in You; and my soul sings to You, O Lord!
v. Holy Forerunner of the Lord, intercede for us! (between the Troparia)
The lewd young girl cried out to king Herod in his drunkenness, "Give me right now, on a platter, the head of John!"
The girl danced and charmed Herod, who was unjustly moved to the murder of the Forerunner, the herald of the Lord.
Miserable is your lot, O Herod, foolish liar: the boldness of a shameless girl has made you a criminal.
By your prayers, O spotless Virgin, come to our aid and turn aside the dangers which surround us.
O Lord, Creator of the dwellers of the highest heavens and Builder of the Church, strengthen my love for You. O supreme Goal of all desire, Uplifter of the faithful, You alone are the Lover of mankind.
Mediator between the Old and New Law, Forerunner and first Preacher of the good news: after denouncing the unlawful union of the tyrant, you suffered a death filled with glory and joy.
Encouraged by a sinful mother, the young girl said to Herod in his drunken frenzy, "Give me on a platter the head of John, that I may give it to my mother as a pleasing gift!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Unable to endure the rebukes of your divinely-inspired tongue, O wondrous Forerunner, the shameful monarch handed over your precious and venerable head to his daughter as a reward for the entertainment she had provided by dancing.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Having dwelt bodily in the womb of the Virgin, O Lord, You appeared to mankind as it was fitting for them to see You. O Lover of Mankind, You made the Virgin the Mother of God and the help of the faithful.
Little Litany.
Sessional Hymns
Tone 1
With a pure heart, O faithful, let us honor the Forerunner, the Baptist and Prophet of Christ, as a glorious preacher, a teacher of repentance, and a most true witness to the Savior; after denouncing the folly of Herod, he was beheaded.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 4
The Baptist of the Savior has now appeared to us, exulting the hearts of the faithful with spiritual joy. Behold the seal of the Prophets, the jewel of the wilderness, the Forerunner of Christ, the true Witness to His coming. With spiritual hymns, let us all cry out together to the Prophet John, that herald of truth: "Intercede for our salvation!"
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 4
O pure Virgin, the angels in their choirs were struck with wonder before the awesome mystery of your divine maternity: how can the One who holds all things together by a gesture of His hand now be carried in your arms as an infant? How can the pre-eternal God know a beginning? How can you nourish with milk the One who nourishes all creatures with His goodness? Thus the angels justly acclaim and glorify you as the Mother of God!
Ode 4
Without leaving Your Father, You came to visit our poverty, O Lord, my power and my strength, my God and my exceeding great joy. With Habakkuk the prophet, I cry out to You: "Glory to Your power, O Lover of Mankind!"
v. Holy Forerunner, intercede for us! (between the Troparia)
He who was subject to the penalties of the Law, unable to endure the sharpness of reproaches nor the pious boldness of the Forerunner, he who had given himself over to the lowest of pleasures, bound and kept John in prison. Before his death, he had already been united to the choirs of the angels.
Seized with shameful drunkenness, moved by the goad of pleasure, the wretch was bewitched by the rhythm of the dance and a girl's feet, and became the murderer of the Prophet. He had conceived drunkenness, the mother of lust, and he gave birth to a terrible iniquity.
In you the truth of the divine witness was not proved false: you were the greatest of all the prophets; from the womb, before your body was even formed, you were given the gift of prophecy. Then you saw and baptized in the flesh the Word of God whom you had announced in prophecy.
You are the glory of believers, their advocate, the refuge, rampart and haven of Christians: you present their prayers to your Son and save from all danger the faithful who acknowledge you to be the Mother of God!
O Word, the prophet inspired by God recognized your future incarnation from the overshadowed mountain, the unique Mother of God; and with reverence, he glorified Your power.
Unable to bear your reproaches, O servant of Christ, blessed John, Herod plotted the crime of your death, without respect for your holiness.
Under the effect of drunkenness and lust, the evil king unjustly pronounced the death sentence against you, O blessed Prophet, without respect for your holiness.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Enslaved by the words of his daughter, in his cruel impiety, Herod offered as a reward to the adulteress your head, O Prophet, from which you now pour forth grace upon us.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Receive from us the angelic salutation: "Hail, O holy Mother of God, who have given birth to Joy for the world. You are the only refuge for mankind, O divine Mother, all-pure and blessed!
Ode 5
Why have You sent me far from Your face, O inaccessible Light? Wretched as I am, the outer darkness has enveloped me. Make me turn back to You, I pray, and direct my footsteps to the light of Your Law!
v. Holy Forerunner, intercede for us! (between the Troparia)
As the reward for her demonic dance, at the advice of her mother, the girl, as a cub surpassing the lioness in cruelty, demanded that which had commanded the respect of all the wild beasts in the wilderness: the head of John the Baptist and divine Forerunner!
O Lover of Mankind, Your judgments are inscrutable, unable to be known: as she dances, a lewd girl outrages him who from the womb had been an instrument of the Spirit, who had grown up in wisdom and purity!
It was acceptable and natural for a man, infatuated by a sinful marriage, to mix the murder of a prophet with his festive libations, and to offer to his companions in pleasure in a cup filled with the blood of a prophet and a saint.
Having the confidence of a Mother with her Son, O all-holy Virgin, we pray you not to withhold your protection from the Christian fold, for you are our unique intercessor before Christ our Master and Lord.
Early in the morning we keep watch and cry out to You, O Lord: "Have pity and save us, for You are truly our God, and we know no other!"
As a reward for her dance, by trickery, the venerable head of the Forerunner was given on a platter to the girl. O height of folly!
O divine Forerunner, your head, dripping with blood, satisfied the pride of a dissolute woman. O height of folly!
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Herod believed that your tongue would be silenced forever, O glorious Prophet; but its silence only accused him further.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
We sing to you, O holy Mother of God, who remained a virgin after childbirth: you brought forth the Word of God in the flesh for the whole world.
Ode 6
O Savior, grant me your pardon, despite my countless sins. Draw me up from the abyss of evil, I beg You; for it is to You that I cry: "Lord, God of my salvation, hear me!"
v. Holy Forerunner, intercede for us! (between the Troparia)
Confronting danger for the sake of the commandments of the Law, O blessed one, you rebuked him who had violated them. For you were not just a reed shaken by enemy winds.
Your severed head, still flowing with blood, was offered as a reward for lewd accomplishments. After your death, it still continued to accuse King Herod, who had disturbed nature by his licentiousness.
Wandering through the wilderness robed in a garment of camel-skin. The wilderness was to you a resplendent palace. Your garment was like a royal robe, for you ruled over your passions.
By your holy prayers, O Mother of God, may we be delivered from our sins, in order to obtain divine enlightenment from the Son of God who was wondrously incarnate from you, O spotless Virgin.
Give to me a robe of light, You who clothe Yourself with light as with a garment, O most merciful Christ our God.
As you announced the Lamb of God to us, you poured forth divine teachings upon the multitude of believers, O illustrious Baptist.
True model of holiness and perfection, O Forerunner, in the presence of the Lord, remember those who sing to your name.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
By your prayers, O Prophet of Christ, bring peace to the world; O Baptist and Forerunner, save our souls from all dangers.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
By a word alone, you gave birth to the Word of God in the flesh; save our souls from the snares of the enemy.
Little Litany.
Kontakion
Tone 5
The beheading of the Forerunner was an act of divine providence: the occasion for him to announce the coming of the Savior to the souls in Hades. Let then Herodias lament and weep, for she has asked for murder, preferring the present life and its pleasures to eternal life and God's Law.
Ikos
The birthday of Herod was outstanding for its impiety: in the midst of the guests, the head of the Faster was presented on a platter. Sorrow was jointed to the joy; laughter turned to bitter lamentation; for according to the word that had been given, the girl appeared before everyone bearing the head of the Baptist on a platter. For the sake of a whim, sadness fell upon all the guests of the king. They did not receive any joy-not even Herod, who had given the word. But their grief was not true sorrow, but a preference for false sorrow in the present life and its pleasures, rather than one for eternal life and God's Law.
Synaxarion
On August 29, we commemorate the beheading of the venerable, holy and glorious prophet, forerunner and Baptist, John.
With a sword, a criminal hand removed the head of the one whose hand had touched the head of the Lord in the Jordan. The Forerunner was beheaded by the sword on the twenty-ninth.
By the prayers of Your Forerunner, O Christ our God, have pity on us and save us. Amen.
Ode 7
Once, at the descent of God, the fire in Babylon was put to shame; this made the young men dance with joyful feet. Rejoicing in the furnace, as in a meadow, they sang, "Blessed are You, O God of our Fathers!"
v. Holy Forerunner, intercede for us! (between the Troparia)
Armed with your insatiable lust and your shameful drunkenness, O wicked Herod, you were broken as you raised yourself up against the unshakable pillar of temperance, the impregnable citadel of purity, the Baptist of Christ.
That offspring of the devil who shamelessly carried your precious head on a platter was not fearful, nor weakened, nor numb with horror, aroused as she was in her spirit by the complaints of her mother.
As a torch, you went before the Light; as an Angel, you preceded the One who was sent; as a Prophet, you revealed the Lamb of God; as a Martyr, you were beheaded by the sword, so that you might announce the coming of Christ to the dead in Hades.
By your childbearing, you have delivered us from the condemnation of the ancient fall; we glorify you as the cause of our deliverance. O Virgin Mother, we honor you together with your Son, who handed Himself over as a ransom for us.
In the furnace, the young men trampled upon the flames with fervor, changing the fire into a refreshing dew as they cried out, "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, forever!"
O servant announcing the coming of the Lord, as the morning star heralds the sun, O holy John, you hastened to Hades and cried out, "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, forever!"
O the foolishness of Herod, which offered to a lewd woman as a toy, the man who in the flesh was equal to the angels and who sang, "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, forever!"
More than blood, O holy Forerunner, your head has gushed forth healings in abundance for those who sing in faith to the Lord who has glorified you, "Blessed are You forever!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
"Receive me, O Holy of holies, for I pray for the Church, "cried the Forerunner to the Master, as he sang, "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, forever!"
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
You stopped the advance of death, O pure Virgin and Mother of God, when you gave birth to the Immortal God, to whom we sing in faith, "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, forever!"
Ode 8
In his wrath against the servants of God, the tyrant had his furnace fire stoked seven times. But when he saw a better power saving them, he cried out, "Bless your Maker and Redeemer, young men! Praise Him, priests! Exalt Him, O people, throughout all the ages!"
v. Holy Forerunner, intercede for us! (between the Troparia)
Holy John, who went before You in Your birth and in Your sufferings, by a sword has also preceded You to Hades as a Prophet and Messenger of Your descent, O Lord, as he proclaimed as the voice of the Word, "Exalt Him who is the Giver of Life, O dead! O blind, praise the Giver of Light! O captives, bless Christ the Redeemer!"
As your head is severed from your body, O Forerunner, your body is separated from your soul, which was its head; but the Godhead never abandoned the flesh of Emmanuel, and not one bone of the divine Master was broken. Thus we faithfully exalt Him throughout the ages!
Herod, that transgressor of the Law, that criminal king, rejoicing in his birthday, induced the girl to dance; he made an oath to fulfill whatever she demanded; spurred on by the advice of her mother, she asked to be given the head of the Forerunner on a platter!
Earning the accusation of being stained by a bloody crime, the wretched king Herod has received the reward of eternal punishment for having committed a sacrilegious deed; for he had presented at his table, on a platter, the head of the Forerunner, who never ceases to accuse him and Herodias throughout all the ages.
Radiant apostle of the Lord, holy John, blessed Forerunner, greatest among the Prophets: by your prayers save those who wholeheartedly celebrate your holy memory and cry out, "Bless Him, young men! Praise Him, priests! Exalt Christ, O people, throughout all the ages!"
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
More holy than the angels, you gave birth to the Holy of Holies, who became one of us in love, without confusion of natures, O all-holy Virgin. He did this to save those who sing constantly, "Bless the Lord, young men! Praise Him, priests! Exalt Him, O people, throughout all the ages!"
Canticle of Mary
Ode 9
Every ear was seized with amazement at hearing of the ineffable condescension of God: for the Most High was pleased to come down in a body and become a man in the virginal womb; O pure Mother of God, we, the faithful, magnify you!
v. Holy Forerunner, intercede for us! (between the Troparia)
The company of evil men, and the devil, their chief, trembled in fear as they saw your tongue announce Christ our God, O Prophet: by means of the lewd daughter, they urged Herod to behead you; but we, the faithful, magnify you.
Every valley of human nature has been exalted; every mountain and hill of proud death has been made low; the wilderness deprived of life, the kingdom of Hades, has heard the voice of one who cries out, "Lift up your gates! The King of Glory is coming!"
The passions of mankind tremble, the demons flee in fear to escape that shadow of grace which the Lord bestowed upon you. O Forerunner, in all trials, save and protect the faithful flock which ceaselessly magnifies you.
Go forth in the radiance of Your royal splendor, O Son of the divine Mother, and put down the hosts that war against us. O Word of God, at the prayers of Your Mother, grant victory over the enemy to the Orthodox Faith.
The ends of the earth were astounded, while heaven was awed: that God would come physically to mankind, and that your womb became more spacious than the heavens. And so, all ranks of men and angels praise you, O Mother of God!
O Prophet born from a Prophet, Baptist of the Lord, you were a voice crying out in the wilderness, "Repent!" You rebuked Herod for his lustful impiety. Thus you hastened to announce the Kingdom of God to those held in bondage in Hades.
Pushed on by her mother, Herodias, the shameless daughter demanded that the sacred head of the Baptist be cut off. Herod then ordered that it be placed on a platter, then offered as a reward that head which never cease to accuse his folly.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
O Forerunner, as Prophet, Baptist and Martyr, as the voice of the Word, His messenger, His torch: you were the greatest of the Prophets, according to the witness given by God. Ask the Lord to save from all trial and shame those who lovingly celebrate your light-bearing memory.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O Virgin Mother of God, you gave birth in the body in a wondrous manner to the good Word which the Father begot in His bosom from all ages; for He is good, and although clothed in the body, we know that He transcends it.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
Let us crown with hymns of praise him who is acknowledged to be the greatest of the prophets, who went before the Apostles in bearing witness to God, the Forerunner of the grace of God: he was beheaded for the sake of the Law of the Lord.
Tone 3
The adulterous Herod deceitfully beheaded you, O Baptist of the Savior, preacher of purity; but he could not completely cut off the reproaches which your tongue had made.
Tone 3
By your divine child-bearing, O pure Virgin, you have taken away the curse from the world; by your prayers, deliver from all danger the faithful flock which implores your favor.
Praises
Tone 8
4. O marvelous wonder! The lewd daughter carries the holy head, venerated by the angels. She brings to her adulterous mother the very tongue that rebuked her for evil deeds. Your patience is beyond our understanding, O Lover of Mankind! Therefore, save our souls, O Christ, for You alone are compassionate!
3. O marvelous wonder.....(Repeat)
2. How hardened is the heart of Herod! He despised God by ignoring His Law, yet honors the word he has treacherously given. Not content with adultery, he becomes a murderer, yet pretends to be saddened. Your goodness is beyond our understanding, O Lover of Mankind. Therefore, save our souls, O Christ, for You alone are compassionate.
1. O wonder surpassing understanding! The seal of the Prophets, the Angel in the flesh is offered as a reward to a lewd dancer! The tongue of the divine preacher is sent ahead to announce Christ to those in Hades. Your mercy is beyond our understanding, O Lover of Mankind! Therefore, save our souls, O Christ, for You alone are compassionate.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 6
At times Herodias is calm, at times she is troubled in spirit. O treacherous dance and treachery of drunkenness! The Baptist has his head cut off, and the head of Herod is troubled! Lord, by the prayers of the Forerunner, grant peace to our souls!
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O Mother of God, you are the true vine laden with the Fruit of Life: wherefore, we implore you, O Lady, to intercede together with the Apostles and all the Saints, that we may obtain mercy for our souls.
Great Doxology. Troparion of the Feast. Litanies and Dismissal.
AUGUST 30
Second day of the Beheading; commemoration of the holy Patriarchs of Constantinople Alexander, John and Paul the Younger.
(5th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
For the Forerunner
Tone 6
6. While the birthday of shameless Herod was being celebrated, the oath he had sworn to the lewd dancer was carried out. The head of the Forerunner, cut off by the master of the feast, was offered on a platter to the guests. O hateful banquet, full of crime and impiety! But we bless the Baptist of the Lord, rightly honoring him as the greatest of those born of women.
5. After dancing, the disciple of the wicked devil claimed your head as her reward, O Forerunner! O hateful feast, so full of blood! Would to God that you had never given your oath, O Herod, son of lies, violator of the Law! Having sworn, why did you keep your word? Better for you to have broken your word and to have received life, than to keep it and cut off the head of the Forerunner! But we bless the Baptist of the Lord, rightly honoring him as the greatest of those born of women.
4. It was not fitting for you, O Herod, to condemn to death the man who accused you of adultery, for you were spurred on by desire and by a love inspired by the devil. It was not fitting for you to give that precious head to that impious woman because of a promise made for a dance. How could you dare to commit such a deed? How was the impudent dancer not consumed by divine fire when she carried it on a platter into the midst of the guests at that banquet? But we bless the Baptist of the Lord, rightly honoring him as the greatest of those born of women!
For the Patriarchs
Tone 1
3. Blessed Alexander, shepherd of the Church and defender of Orthodoxy, you put down the uprising of Arius by your fervent prayers to the Redeemer of all. Intercede now that our souls be given praise and great mercy.
2. Venerable John, you renounced the corruptions of the flesh. By your abstinence, the confession of the Faith, your night-long vigils in prayer, you became an earthly angel, a heavenly man. Intercede before Christ that our souls be given peace and great mercy.
1. Having carefully followed the teachings of Saint Paul, O venerable Father, you were rapidly lifted up to the third heaven along with him by the heighth of your virtues. There you heard the ineffable and divine words of the Spirit. O blessed Paul, unshakeable pillar of the Faith, ceaselessly intercede for our salvation.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 6
At times, Herodias is calm, at times she is troubled in spirit. O treacherous dance, and treachery of drunkeness! The Baptist has his head cut off, and the head of Herod is troubled! Lord, by the prayers of the Forerunner, grant peace to our souls!
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O Mother of God, you are the true vine laden with the Fruit of Life: wherefore we implore you, O Lady, to intercede together with the Apostles and all the Saints that we may obtain mercy for our souls.
There is no Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. "Deign, O Lord..."
Aposticha of the Octoechos, with:
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 4
O criminal birthday! O lewd banquet that Herod celebrates today! Seduced by lust for a woman, moved by his sacrilegious desire for pleasure, he orders the beheading of the Forerunner. But he cannot cut short the words of the Prophet which had denounced his madness. He poured out innocent blood to hide his infamous sin; but he could not bury the voice that called the world to repentance. Although he rejoiced in murder, we wholeheartedly celebrate the blessed sacrifice of John the Baptist. He went before Life into the underworld to announce to those lying in the shadow of death and darkness the rising of the Daystar from on high, Christ our God, who alone is infinite in compassion!
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Save your servants from all danger, O Mother of God and blessed Virgin, that we may glorify you as the hope of our souls.
Troparion of the Forerunner
Tone 2
The memory of the just is mentioned with praise. As for you, O Forerunner, the Lord's witness is enough: indeed, you were greater than the prophets since you were found worthy to baptize in the waters the One they could but announce. You have fought for the sake of truth and proclaimed to those in Hades that God who appeared in the flesh has taken away the sins of the world and bestowed His great mercy upon us.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Troparion of the Forerunner
Tone 2
The memory of the just is mentioned with praise. As for you, O Forerunner, the Lord's witness is enough: indeed, you were greater than the prophets since you were found worthy to baptize in the waters the One they could but announce. You have fought for the sake of truth adn proclaimed to those in Hades that God who appeared in the flesh has taken away the sins of the world and bestowed His great mercy upon us.
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Troparion of the Patriarchs
Tone 4
O God of our Fathers, who always deal with us according to Your everlasting compassion, do not withdraw Your mercy from us, but through the prayers of our Fathers, guide our lives along the ways of peace.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Weekday Theotokion in Tone 4.
Kontakion of the Forerunner
Tone 5
The beheading of the Forerunner was an act of divine Providence: the occasion for him to announce the coming of the Savior to the souls in Hades. Let then Herodias lament and weep, for she has asked for murder, preferring the present life and its pleasures to eternal life and God's law.
Synaxarion
On August 30, we commemorate the holy Patriarchs of Constantinople Alexander, John and Paul the Younger.
Having broken the bonds of the flesh, Alexander received the divine portion granted to him by the Eternal One. The face of the Church was clothed with mourning at being deprived of the Archbishop John. Abandoning the paths of this life, Paul has found rest in the place to which Christ invites us all. On the thirtieth, the three stood before the Trinity to sing as a trio for all eternity.
By their holy prayers, O our God, have pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 2
In his foolishness, the impious Herod ordered the beheading of the divine Forerunner, after never having heeded his admonitions. What truly terrible boldness! Let that wretched man bewail his unjust deed! As for us, we venerate now the precious head and fittingly sing to the Baptist.
Although no rational being is able to speak your praises, O pure Mother of God, since you surpass every creature, may our efforts not be rejected. Recieve my poor hymns, just as your Son once wholeheartedly accepted the widow's mite.
Aposticha of the Octoechos, with:
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tone 8
O Forerunner of the Savior, although Herod made you perish, a preacher of the truth, the radiant torch of your mouth brought the resplendent light of the Faith to the captives in Hades. Pray to Christ to have pity on our souls.
v. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
O Lady, receive the prayers of your servants: deliver us from all danger and affliction.
AUGUST 31
Deposition of the honorable Cincture of the Most Holy Mother of God.
(4th Class)
VESPERS
At "O Lord, to You I call..."
Tone 4
6. The reliquary containing your cincture, O Mother of God, is an ark of holiness for the faithful, a sacred rampart around them, their pride adn their glory. Each day it overflows as a fountain of healing. Thus, gathered together by God, we celebrate today the sea of your miracles and your countless wondrous deeds.
5. The religuary containing.....(Repeat)
4. We celebrate the holy deposition of your concture, O Mother of God, as a festival of joy. On this day, you have deigned to bestow it upon your city as a sacred rampart, an inviolate talisman, a precious bond, an impregnable treasury of healing, a river overflowing with the gifts of the Spirit.
3. We celebrate the holy deposition...(Repeat)
2. Behold the renowned place; behold the ceaselessly radiant dwelling-place in which grace is kept as a treasure: the honorable cincture of the Handmaid of the Lord! O mortals, come and draw pardon and enlightenment. In thanksgiving, cry out with your whole heart: "By your birth-giving, you have saved us, O all-pure Virgin, and we bless you!"
1. Behold the renowned place...(Repeat)
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 2
O all-pure Mother of God, the Church of Christ has received your sacred cincture as a resplendent diadem. Today it is radiant with joy, O Lady, as it exults in the mystery and cries out: "Hail, precious diadem, crown of the glory of het Lord, only glory of the assembly and my eternal joy! Hail, protectress of those who have recourse to you, their haven of peace, our anchor of salvation!"
Aposticha
Tone 4
1. O Virgin more honorable than all, you gave your cincture to your city as a most sure bond, to surround it with divine power in the face of all dangers and to keep it inviolate in the presence of the enemy, so that it may cry out, "My strength, my support, my joy, my glory is your Son, who alone is full of compassion!"
v. The Most High has sanctified His dwelling-place.
2. Having received your precious cincture as a royal diadem, O spotless Virgin, the faithful glorify your wondrous deeds which have struck fear in our enemies. Singing to you, they cry out in greeting to the Son ineffably born from you: "In Your mercy, save us, O all-powerful Jesus!"
v. There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God.
3. Surround us with your power, O spotless Virgin, giving us strength to combat our enemy through your cincture. Subdue the passions that dominate us and fight against us, granting us victory over them, that we may glorify you with a pure heart and ceaselessly sing to your Son: "In Your mercy, save us, O all-powerful Jesus!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 2
Let us purify our hearts and minds, that we may joyfully celebrate this feast with angels, intoning the psalm which David sang for the young Bride of the King of All, Christ our God: He said, "Go up to Your resting-place, O Lord; You and the ark of Your holiness!" O Lord, You have adorned her as a palace of delights and have given her as an inheritance to Your city, to surround and protect it, delivering it from all enemies in Your power and thanks to the prayers which she raises to You!
Troparion
Tone 8
O ever-Virgin Mother of God, refuge of the human race: you have given to your city your garment, the cincture that encircled your body as a protective wall. In you, time and nature are always made new, for you are the Mother of our God. Wherefore, we implore you to grant peace to the world and great mercy to our souls!
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Resurrectional Theotokion
Tone 8
O Good One, You were born of the Virgin and suffered crucifixion for us. You destroyed death by Your death, and as God You made manifest the resurrection. Turn not away from those you have made by Your hands. O Merciful One, show Your love to men, and accept as our intercessor the Mother of God who gave birth to You. O our Savior, save a desperate people!
ORTHROS
Use the Festal Format
Tone 1
O all-holy Virgin, we the faithful sing of the precious cincture which once encircled your spotless body and from which we now draw healing for our sufferings. We say to you, O Mother of God Most High: "You are the deliverance of all the faithful who venerate you, O Mary, chosen one of God!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 4
O Virgin worthy of all praise, your people celebrate the deposition of your honorable cincture today and ceaselessly cry out, "Hail, O pride of Christians!"
Kontakion
Tone 2
O Mother of God, the cincture that encircled your body which had borne the Son of God is for us an object of glory, a treasure abundant in grace. You are the Mother of God, the only ever-virgin Mother!
Ikos
What mortal mouth could tell of your wonders on earth? What pure spirit could do so in heaven? You gave birth to the unsounded Depth of compassion: accept this chant from my barren lips and give me the grace of God to celebrate your holy cincture, O Lady; for the whole world exults in you, singing in company with all the angels of your unequalled wonders, O Mother of God, the only ever-virgin Mother!
Synaxarion
On August 31, we commemorate the deposition of the honorable Cincture of the all-holy Mother of God in a sacred reliquary in her venerable temple at Chalcoprateia. It was carried there from the diocese of Zela under the Emperor Justinian; and the memory of the miracle that occured when the honorable cincture was touched to the Empress Zoe, wife of the Emperor Leo.
O Virgin, who were worthily crowned, I crown the end of the year with your cincture. The cincture of the Virgin was deposed, to the joy of all, on the thirty-first.
At the prayers of your spotless Mother, O Christ our God, have pity on us and save us. Amen.
Exapostilaria
Tone 3
He who has done great things for you, O all-pure one, has also granted honors to your robe and cincture as He bestowed it on your city as a talisman. As we now commemorate its deposition, we celebrate you with our whole heart in joy and happiness.
O Lady, sovereign fo the whole creation filled with radiant wisdom as the Mother of God: fill me with light, grace and the knowledge of God as I sing hymns in your honor!
Praises
Tone 4
4. The Church of Christ has received your sacred Cincture as a resplendent diadem, O all-pure Mother of God. Today she is radiant with joy; she exults, O Lady, and sings mystically to you: "Hail, O diadem and crown of God! Hail, only glory of the assembly and my joy for all ages!"
3. The Church of Christ...(Repeat)
2. Spotless queen, fortified wall, indestructible rampart and defense for your poeple and your city: you gave them your Cincture, a precious treasure, as a radiant protecting wall, O divine Bride, to guard from all disaster the faithful who venerate it with zeal and fervor.
1. O spotless Virgin, today your temple has become an inexhaustible source of miracles. Rivers of grace flow in abundance from your holy reliquary and bring joy to the hearts of those are filled with faith and love as they cry out to you in greeting: "You are truly our joy, our happiness, and our life!"
v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Tone 2
O all-pure Mother of God, the Church of Christ has received your sacred cincture as a resplendent diadem. Today it is radiant with joy, O Lady, as it exults in the mystery and cries out, "Hail, O precious diadem, crown of the glory of the Lord, only glory of the assembly and my eternal joy! Hail, protectress of those who have recourse to you, their haven of peace, our anchor of salvation!"
Great Doxology. Troparion of the Feast. Litanies and Dismissal.