CHAPTER IV.

THE SERVICE COMMON TO THE HOLY ANGELS AND OTHER BODILESS ONES.

For, O Lord, I have cried, the Stichera, Tone 4. Similar to: As a virtuous...

Of the thrice-sunny Godhead the most illustrious attendants, -- ye, angels, that appear as chief-captains, joyfully shout with the powers above: Holy art Thou, O Father, Holy art Thou, O Unoriginate Word, Holy art Thou also, O Holy Spirit, one glory, one kingdom and nature, one Godhead and power.

As your appearance is fiery, so is your virtue wonderful, O Michael and Gabriel -- the first among angels, for in your unearthly nature ye traverse the ends of the world, carrying out the behests of the Creator of all, being acknowledged powerful in your strength and making sources of healings the temples dedicated to you and venerated on account of your holy calling.

Thou, O Lord, that makest, as hath been written, Thine angels spirits and Thy ministers flames of fire, hast shewn pre-eminent amongst the orders Thine Arch-angel Michael together with Thy chief-captain Gabriel that at a sign from Thee obey Thee, O Word, and the trisagion hymn, with fear, vociferate unto Thy glory. [Glory, Tone 6:

Rejoice with us, all ye angelic orders, for your chiefs and our intercessors -- the great chief-captains, -- gloriously appearing35to-day in their honourable temple, are blessing us; wherefore in dutifully hymning them we cry unto them: Shelter us with the shadow of your wings, O ye the greatest chief-captains.

Both, now ...the Theotokion : Rejoice with us, all ye the choirs of virgins, for our intercessor and mediatrix, shelter and great refuge doth to-day in her honourable and divine temple comfort the afflicted; wherefore let us, in dutifully hymning her, cry out: Shelter us with thy divine intercession, O most pure Theotokos, Sovereign-Lady.

The Entrance. The Prokeimenon of the day.

The Reading from Joshua the son of Nun (5, 13-15).

It came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand; and Joshua went up to him and said unto him: Art thou for us, or for our adversaries ? And he said, As Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and said unto Him: What saith my Lord unto His servant? And the Captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua: Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

The Reading from the Book of Judges (6, 2. 7. 11-24).

It came to pass in those days that the hand of Midian prevailed against the children of Israel, and they cried unto the Lord God. And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite ; and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the wine-press to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him: The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him: O, my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us ? and where be all the miracles which our fathers told us of, saying: Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt ? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the Lord looked upon 36him and said: Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites, and, behold, I have sent thee. And Gideon said unto Him: O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least of my father's house. And the Lord said unto him: Surely I will be with thee, and thou shaft smite the Midianites as one man. And Gideon said unto Him: If now I have found grace in Thy sight, then shew me a sign that Thou talkest with me. Depart not hence, until I come unto Thee, and bring forth my present and set it before Thee. And the angel of the Lord said unto him: It is I and I will tarry until thou come again. And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto Him under the oak and worshipped Him. And the angel of the Lord said unto him: Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes and lay them upon this rock and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. And when Gideon perceived that He was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said: Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face. And the Lord said unto him: Peace be unto thee, fear not; thou shalt not die. Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord and called it Jehovah-shalom even unto this day.

The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (14, 7-20).

Thus saith the Lord: Let the whole earth break forth into singing; yea, let the fir trees rejoice at thee, and let the cedars of Lebanon say: Since thou art laid down, no fitter has come up against us. Hell beneath is vexed at meeting thee, at thy coming; it stirreth up all the giants against thee, even the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee: Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, 37and all thy noise; the worm is spread under thee and the worms cover thee. Thou art fallen from heaven, O Aurora, shining in the morning. Thou art broken down against the ground, thou which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven, I will sit also upon the high mount in the midst of mountains that are in the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the foundations of the earth. They that see thee shall wonder and say of thee: This is the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms, that made the universe a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof, that loosed not his prisoners into their houses. All the kings of the nations lie in glory, yea every one in his own house, but thou shalt be cast out of thy grave like an abomination of the dead, with those dead that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the pit. As the raiment steeped in blood cannot be clean, so also thou wiltst not be clean, for thou hast destroyed My laws and slain My people, and thou shaft never be renowned.

For the Versicles, the Stichera, Tone 1.

O ye chief-captains of the intellectual hosts, ever standing before the throne of the Most High, do entreat the Lord to grant peace unto the world and unto our souls great mercy.

The Versicle: He maketh His angels spirits and His ministers

flame of fire :

The chief of the powers on high, Michael, the first amongst the divine orders, that ever accompanieth us and preserveth all from every attack of the devil, hath called us to-day unto the feast. Wherefore come, O ye lovers of feasts and lovers of Christ, and taking with us the flowers of virtues, let us, with pure thoughts and ever-clear conscience, do homage unto the assembly of archangels, for standing continually before God and singing the trisagion hymn, they pray that our souls may be saved.

The Versicle: Praise ye Him, all His angels, praise ye Him, all

His hosts

O chief-captains of the intellectual hosts, that stand before the Immaterial Being and with the splendours of the thrice sunny glory illumine the universe, with an unceasing voice ye sing the trisagion hymn; wherefore pray that our souls may be saved. [Glory ... Both now ... Tone 8.

As the chief defender and leader of angels, do, O chief-captain, deliver from every want and tribulation, from wickedness and mortal sins those that hymn thee and implore thee, O glorious one, since, as bodiless, thou seest the Immaterial One and art illuminated with the unapproachable light of the glory of the Most High; for He out of love to mankind and for our sake hath taken the flesh from the Virgin, being desirous of saving the race of man.

The Troparion : Tone 4. Of the heavenly hosts the chief-captains we, the unworthy ones, do ever entreat you, that through your prayers ye may protect us with a shelter of the wings of your immaterial glory, preserving us who assiduously fall down before you and cry out unto you: From dangers do deliver us as the chiefs of the powers on high.

Glory ...Both now ...the Theotokion or the Stavro-theotokion:

At the Matins, for God is the Lord, the same Troparion twice. Glory ...Both now ...the Theotokion. After the 1st Stichologia, the Cathisma, Tone 6

The angelic hosts standing before Thy throne, O Christ, are praying for the race of man; granting therefore peace unto all through their intercessions, do Thou subdue the insolence of foreigners. Twice.

Glory ...Both now ...The Theotokion : Having at the arch-angel's salutation conceived in thy womb, O Theotokos, the Word, Co-unoriginate with the Father and the Holy Spirit, thou hast appeared higher than the cherubim and seraphim and the thrones.

After the 2nd Stichologia, the Cathisma, Tone 6 :

Around the throne of the King of all ever rejoicing, O ye all39the orders of angels, do preserve us, that in faith invoke you, and deliver us from sufferings.

Twice. Glory...Both now ...the Theotokion. Hail thou -- the door open unto God Who unspeakably entered in, and passed out of, thee, O Ever-Virgin.

After Praise ye the name of the Lord, the Refrain :

We magnify you, O archangels and angels and all the hosts, cherubim and seraphim, that glorify the Lord. [Another :

We magnify you, O archangels, angels, principalities, authorities, thrones, dominions, powers, cherubim and fearful seraphim that glorify the Lord.

The selected Psalm: I will confess unto Thee, O Lord,

with all my heart...

After the Polyeleon the Cathisma, Tone 6 :

O ye, shining angels of God that stand before the divine throne of grace, obtaining the true humility and real enlightenment from the divine light, do look down with the heavenly lovers of men upon us that suffer from the terrible persecution of the prince of the world and sleep in darkness. Come then, O archangels, to our assistance and deliver us from the snares of the origin of evil -- the enemy, for unto your shelter, O most praised ones, we all have recourse. [Twice.

Glory ...Both now...the Theotokion :

The hope and shelter and refuge of those who trust in thee, O tender God's Mother and intercessor for the world, do thou assiduously entreat with the bodiless ones man-loving God Whom thou hast brought forth, O only blessed one, that our souls may be delivered from every threatening.

The Graduals, the 1st Antiphon of the 4th Tone. The Prokeimenon : He that maketh His angels spirits and His ministers flames of fire. The 'Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord my God, Thou art become exceedingly exalted. Let every breath... The Gospel, St. Luke 10, 16-21. Glory... Through the intercessions of the archangels...Both now: Through the intercessions of the Theotokos... After the 50th Psalm the Sticheron, Tone 6 :

Thine angels, O Christ, that stand in fear before the throne40of the majesty and with the outpouring of Thy light are ever illuminated, Thy heavenly psalmodists and ministers of Thy council who are sent down by Thee, -- they enlighten our souls.

The Canon, Tone 8. Ode 1. The Heirmos :

Let us, O people, send up a song unto our marvellous God Who delivered Israel from thraldom, chanting a song of victory and vociferating: We sing unto Thee, our only Lord.

Let us, O ye faithful, hymn the untreated Trinity that ruleth all the immaterial orders of the heavenly choirs, vociferating : Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God Almighty.

The beginning of creation, bodiless substance that surroundeth Thy most precious throne, Thou, the Creator of angels, hast set to cry unto Thee: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God Almighty.

Hail, Gabriel, witness of the mystery of God's incarnation, and Michael -- the foremost amongst the orders of the immaterial, that ceaselessly cry: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God Almighty.

The Theotokion : I tremble before the mystery of Thy condescension, O Christ, for being God by nature, Thou wast pleased to be born as man of a virgin, that Thou mayest save the world from the thraldom of the enemy.

Ode 3. The Heirmos :

Thy fear, O Lord, do Thou plant in the hearts of Thy servants and be Thou the strength of those that in truth invoke Thee.

In strength hast Thou, O Immortal One, set the mighty ones that perform Thy most holy will, that ever stand above before Thee.

The initiates of Thine incarnation and august awakening -- the chief of the angels interceding for us, do Thou, O Christ, receive.

Angels hast Thou, as Compassionate One, set guardians of men and hast shewn them, O Christ, ministers of the salvation unto Thy holy ones. [The Theotokion :

Ineffably hast Thou, O God's Bride, conceived the Lord and Saviour Who delivereth from terrible things us that invoke thee in truth.

The Cathisma, Tone 8. Similar to: What was commanded...

The chiefs of the heavenly ones and the foremost that stand before the highest and dreadful throne of the divine glory, Michael and Gabriel, the chief captains of angels, together with all the bodiless ones, -- O ye ministers of the Most High, whilst you incessantly pray for the world, do obtain by your entreaties the remission of our transgressions and that we may meet with mercy and grace in the day of judgment.

Twice. Glory...Both now ...The Theotokion:

Having woefully fallen into the slough of despondency through the multitude of my wicked and lawless deeds, I reached the stage of perplexity and am now holden of by despair. O Theotokos, Sovereign-Lady, do thou save me, do thou help me, for unto sinners thou art the cleansing and saving purification. [The Stavro-Theotokion

Seeing Him Who was incarnate of thy pure blood and past all understanding was born of thee, O pure one, hanging on the tree in the midst of malefactors, thy heart sickened and motherly lamenting thou didst cry out: Woe unto me, O my child! how divine and ineffable is Thine economy wherewith Thou hast revivified Thy creation! I hymn Thy commiseration.

Ode 4. The Heirmos :

Thou hast mounted the horses -- Thine apostles, O Lord, and hast taken up in Thy hands their reins and Thy riding is become salvation unto those that in faith sing: Glory to Thy might, O Lord.

Thou hast sat upon angels as on horses, O Lover of men, and hast taken up with Thy hand their reins, and Thy riding is become salvation unto those that unceasingly cry out: Glory to Thy might, O Lord.

Thy virtue, O Lover of men, covereth the angels and filleth up the ends of the world with Thy glorious and divine praise, O Unoriginate One, and with them vociferateth unto Thee: Glory to Thy might, O Lord.

Thou, O compassionate One, didst come for the salvation of Thy people, O Christ, calling unto Thee the friends of Thy might, and Thy coming is become joy unto those that in faith cry out unto Thee: Glory to Thy might, O Lord.

The Theotokion. As Virgin and Mother hast thou, O most pure one, supernaturally appeared, since as both God and man hast thou brought forth Christ, to Whom the angelic orders with fear cry out: Glory to Thy might, O Lord.

Ode 5. The Heirmos :

Having enlightened with the knowledge of God the ends of the world that was in the night of ignorance, do Thou, O Lord, illumine me with the morning of Thy love to man.

Ever carried by irrevocable desire unto the height, unto Thee, O Christ, that art the extremest end of all desires, the angelic hosts do unceasingly glorify Thee.

The intellectual by nature Thou hast, O Christ, made the psalmodists of Thy majesty incorruptible by Thy grace, having shaped Thine angels in the image, O Incomprehensible One.

Thou hast, O Christ, preserved Thy servants from being inclined to the evil by keeping them near unto Thee, for being the Source of goodness, Thou dost do good unto those that worthily serve Thee. [The Theotokion :

Do Thou, O all-spotless one, who broughtest forth the Preserver of life, revive my soul that hath been deadened with vile passions and set me into the path eternal unto the blessed life.

Ode 6. The Heirmos :

Thou hast, O Lord, settled Jonah alone in the whale; do Thou save me, burdened with trammels of the enemy, from corruption as Thou didst him.

God-beseemingly hast Thou, O Lord, by Thy word brought out of nothing into existence the heavenly immortal hosts, making them luminous.

Honourable initiates of the praising of God you have become, O bodiless ones, the dwellers of the heavenly and truly divine tabernacle, worthily serving the Creator.

The intellectual orders of the bodiless Thee, O Son of God, truly Unoriginate, ceaselessly praise and glorify as Maker and Architect of all things. The Theotokion :

Him that from eternity sitteth on high with the Father, thou, O all purest one, wast made worthy to lay down in thine arms; vouchsafe, O pure one, to make Him merciful unto thy servants.

The Contakion, Tone 2. O ye chief captains of God, ministers of the divine glory, superiors of angels and guides of men, do as the chief captains of the incorporeal ones, entreat for us what is profitable and great mercy. [The Oikos :

In Thy writings, O Lover of men, hast Thou said, there is great joy among angels in heaven on account of one repenting man, O Immortal One; wherefore we that are in sins, always make bold, O Thou the only Sinless One and Searcher of hearts, to implore Thee, as One abounding in mercy, to commiserate and to send down unto us, unworthy, compunction, granting us pardon, for us all intercede before Thee, O Master, the chief captains of the bodiless ones.

Ode 7. The Heirmos.

The Hebrew youths have boldly trodden the flame in the furnace and have changed the fire into dew, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord the God, unto the ages.

Luminaries hast Thou, O Compassionate, shewn the immaterial nature of Thine angels, constantly filled with the ineffable light and calling: Blessed art Thou, O God, unto the ages.

Before Thee continually stand myriads of angels serving Thee, without being able to bear the sight of Thy countenance, and calling: Blessed art Thou, O Lord the God, unto the ages.

By Thy Hypostatic Word hast Thou made the multiplicity of angels and having hallowed them with the Divine Spirit, has taught them, O God, to bless the Trinity unto the ages.

Of the Trinity : Meditating on the three Hypostases, we glorify the uncircumscribed nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord the God, unto the ages.

Ode 8. The Heirmos :

Unto Him that was glorified on the holy mount and in the bush through the flame unto Moses the mystery of the Ever-virgin hath shewn, sing unto the Lord and extol Him unto all the ages.

Let us emulate the life of angels and directing our thoughts on high let us with the angels mentally sing, hymning the Lord and extolling Him unto all the ages.

Participators of the heavenly rejoicings, standing around the throne of the glory and continually moving before God, the angels hymn and extol Him unto all the ages.

Unto the Trinity that maketh those continually serving on high a flame of immaterial fire and the angels -- spirits, let us bow down and let us doxologize It unto all the ages. [The Theotokion :

Before Whom in heaven stand with fear myriads of angels and archangels, Him wast thou, O Theotokos, made worthy to carry in thine arms; do entreat Him that may be saved those who doxologize Him unto all the ages.

Ode 9. The Heirmos:

Thou hast passed the limits of nature, having conceived the Maker and Lord, and wast unto the world the door of salvation; wherefore we do unceasingly magnify thee, O Theotokos.

Thee, O Christ, Who didst ineffably unite the earthly things unto the heavenly and hast of angels and men perfected one Church, we do unceasingly magnify.

O ye both angels and archangels, the thrones, authorities and dominions, principalities and powers, cherubim and seraphim -- do with the Theotokos intercede for the world.

Shewing yourselves as the protectors of all, O Michael and Gabriel, do visit those that lovingly honour your all-festive memory, and deliver from every calamity those that are in faith hymning you.

The Theotokion: Hail, O holy Bride of God! Hail thou that broughtest forth unto the faithful the Light of the world; hail thou -- the wall and shelter of us all ! do unceasingly entreat for us God as Benefactor.

The Photagogicon. Similar to: With the spirit in the sanctuary...

Thou, Michael, the chief-captain of the ministers of fire, hast obtained from the Father the foremost place amongst the lights; wherefore dost thou possess also the brightness of His glory, standing, as the first of the immaterial orders, around the most pure throne. [The Theotokion :

The orders of the bodiless ones honour thy birth, for thou alone hast filled the earthborn with joy; wherefore we the 45faithful glorify thee, the all-spotless one, doxologizing in hymns, for unto those in darkness hast thou kindled a light as an advanced morning day. [With the Lauds, the Stichera. Tone 2.

O intellectual beings, divine and incorporeal! surrounding the immaterial throne, with flaming lips ye sing the trisagion hymn unto God the Ruler: Holy God, the Father Unoriginate, Holy Mighty the Son Co-unoriginate, Holy Immortal-Spirit of the same substance, glorified together with the Father and the Son. Twice.

With immaterial lips and intellectual mouths the orders of the angels an unceasing doxology bring unto Thine unapproachable Godhead, O Lord; and the pure minds and ministers of Thy glory praise Thee, O Lord; with whom Michael the bodiless and Gabriel the greatly resplendent and the foremost of the powers on high, the chief-captains of angels are this day our instructors, enjoining us to sing the song of songs unto Thine unapproachable glory, O Lover of man; before which they also unceasingly entreat for our souls. Tone 4.

With lips of fire the cherubim hymn Thee, O Christ the God, and with immaterial mouths incessantly doxologizeth Thee the choir of archangels, and Michael, the chief-captain of the powers on high, unceasingly bringeth unto Thy glory the victorious hymn; he it is also who enlightened us this day with our perishable lips worthily to strike in psalmody the trisagion praise on the occasion of the bright festival, for everything hath been filled with Thy praise and Thou dost grant therewith unto the world great mercy!

Glory ...Tone 5. Idiomelic :

Wherever thy grace overshadoweth, O archangel, therefrom is driven the power of the devil, for the fallen morning star cannot bear to see thy light; wherefore we entreat thee his fire-bearing arrows which are directed against us, to extinguish with thine intercession, delivering us from his temptations, O worthily-praised (mentioned by name), the chief-captain. Both now ...the Theotokion :

We bless thee, O Theotokos Virgin, and we the faithful praise thee as in duty bound, O city unassailable, wall 46impregnable, sure intercession and refuge for our souls.[The Stavro-theotokion :

A lamb, seeing once her Lambkin go to be slaughtered, intently followed, thus calling out after Him: Whither goest Thou, O my sweetest Child, Jesus? Why dost Thou make this swift progress, O Long-suffering One, unsluggishly ? O Jesu, most desired Lord, sinless, plenteous in grace ? Give me, Thy servant, a word of reply; O my most beloved Son, do not despise, O Compassionate, with Thy silence, me that hath so strangely given birth unto Thee, O God All-compassionate, granting unto the world great mercy.

For the Versicles. Glory...Tone 4.

Ye that are illumined with the sun-rays of God's light, the chief-captains, you do illuminate the ranks of the immaterial ones, and forming up on high a brilliant light, you enlighten the world with the fire of the unapproachable Godhead; where fore also the trisagion hymn ye with fiery mouths do incessantly sing: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, our God, glory to Thee. [Both now ...The Theotokion :

O Theotokos, Sovereign of all, the glory of the orthodox, put an end to the machinations of the heretics and their countenances to shame, since they neither adore, nor honour thy honourable image, O all-pure one. [The Stavro-theotokion :

Seeing Christ, the Lover of men, crucified and with a spear pierced in His side thou, O all-pure one, didst lament, crying out: What is this, O my Son ? What did the ungrateful people render Thee in return for the good Thou hast done unto them ? And yet so lovingly Thou dost take care that I may bear my childlessness. I wonder, O Compassionate One, at Thy voluntary crucifixion.

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