CHAPTER XVI.

THE GENERAL SERVICE TO ONE HIEROMARTYR

At the Vespers, for O Lord, I have cried, the Sticheron, Tone 1.

Similar to: All-laudable martyrs...

O God-wise, blissful (mentioned by name), with the purple-dye of thy blood, thou hast brightened thy sacred and divine raiment, for thou hast piously gone from strength to strength and from glory to glory; do now supplicate that peace and great mercy may be granted to our souls.

Offering first unto God the bloodless sacrifice, as a priest truly lawful, afterwards, as an entire and acceptable sacrifice, hast thou, O God-spoken and all-honoured one, offered thyself in thy blood, as a most true martyr, unto Christ; Him entreat for those that hymn thee.

A whole troop of martyrs hast thou, O father, brought to Christ by thy precepts and teaching, not only instructing and teaching in words, but offering manifestly thyself as an example, O God-wise one; pray together with them that peace and great mercy may be granted to our souls.

Glory...Both now...the Theotokion : Being the sport of the abyss of transgressions and having run up unto the calm haven of thy supplication, I call out unto thee, O most pure Theotokos: Save me by extending thy sovereign right hand unto thy servant, O most spotless one. [The Stavro-theotokion:

Standing at the cross of thy Son and God and considering His long suffering, thou, O pure Mother, thus spakest in tears: Woe unto me, O my sweetest Child! Why dost Thou unjustly suffer this, O Word of God, that Thou savest mankind?

If Idiomelion be appointed, Glory, Tone 6.

Most lawful priest didst thou, O blissful (mentioned by name), remain unto thy very end, for performing the divine and ineffable mysteries, thou hast shed thine own blood for Christ the God and offered thyself as a sacrifice well acceptable161to Him; wherefore having boldness before Christ, do assiduously supplicate for those who in faith and with love celebrate thy most honoured memory and who honour it, that they may be saved from attacks, all dangers and calamities.

Both now...the Theotokion: The God incarnate of thee we have come to know, O Theotokos---Virgin, entreat Him for the salvation of our souls. [The Stavro-theotokion:

Beholding Thee, O Christ, crucified, she that bare Thee vociferated: What a strange mystery I see, O my Son! How dost die, being in the flesh hung on the tree, Thou -- the Giver of life.

If the Celebration be with the Polyeleon, say the Theotokion of

the resurrection: Who would not bless thee...

The Entrance. The Prokeimenon of the day. The three Readings

of Hierarchs (see Appendix).

With the Versicles, the Idiomelic Stichera, Tone 6 .

Having steeped thy sacred vestment in blood, thou hast, O glorious (mentioned by name), entered into the Holy of Holies, being thyself holy, and manifestly art in continuous enjoyment, being adorned with deification, shining in thy martyrdom and taking part in a communion purer than that of angels; wherefore we honour thee and lovingly celebrate thy most sacred festival, O worthy of bliss.

The Versicle: The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree; he
shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Bound with irons, thou hast trodden, without stumbling, thy path, O holy one, which leadeth unto the heavenly city, being trimmed with the precious wounds as with ornaments, O all-wise (mentioned by name); therein having entered as the truest vanquisher and invincible martyr and most sacred minister, thou dost clearly sing with the angels the divine hymnology: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O Trinity Consubstantial.

The Versicle: Those that be planted in the house of the Lord,
shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Thy sacred deeds as an ascending gradual hath acquired the church which thou, O hieromartyr (mentioned by name), dost 162preserve unshaken and unassailable for the mighty wolves, and which proclaimeth thy virtues and magnifieth thy sufferings, lawfully endured by thee for Christ's sake, O blissful one.

Glory...Tone 4. Into the heavenly church hast thou as a holy one entered, being besprinkled with blood, and dost now, O blissful one, stand before the Trinity, richly besprinkled, shining with the lustres proceeding therefrom, O most opulent one, wherefore celebrating to-day thy, O (mentioned by name), light-bearing memory, we enlighten the senses of our souls.

The Theotokion of the resurrection; but if there be no Celebration,
say the following Theotokion :

With the clouds of the Most Holy Spirit do thou bedew my thoughts, O most pure one, who hast given birth unto the drop, even Christ, that washed out, through compassions, the countless and immeasurable lawless deeds of men; do thou dry up the source of my passions, and vouchsafe unto me the stream of ever living food by thine intercessions.

The Stavro-theotokion: Beholding Thee, O Lord, nailed to the cross, she-lamb and Thy Mother wondering called out: What is this spectacle, O my desired Son? Is it thus that the treacherous and lawless assembly hath repaid Thee for Thy many miracles in which it had taken delight? Howbeit, glory be unto Thine unspeakable descent, O Master.

The Troparion from the Typicon; if there be no Typicon, say the following Troparion, Tone 4.

Having been a participant of the character and a successor of the apostles on the throne, thou, O God-inspired one, didst find work in coming into visions; whilst therefore rightly dividing the word of truth, for the sake of the faith didst thou suffer even unto the shedding of thy blood. O hieromartyr (mentioned by name), intercede before Christ the God that our souls may be saved.

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

At the Matins, for God is the Lord, the same Troparion.
After the 1st Stichologia, the Cathisma, Tone 3. Similar to :

Of the divine faith...

O sea of confession of the faith ! Thou hast put an end to the heterodoxy of the enchantment, having put to shame the godlessness of idol-worship, and having been made a divine burnt offering, thou dost illumine the ends of the world with thy miracles; O holy father, entreat Christ the God to grant us great mercy. Twice.

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

A divine tabernacle of the Word wast thou, O only most pure Virgin and Mother; thou that hast with thy purity excelled angels, do cleanse me--dust that I am--defiled above all by the sins of the flesh, with the divine waters of thine entreaties, granting, O pure one, great mercy.

After the 2nd Stichologia, the Cathisma, Tone 4. Similar to :

Thou hast appeared...

Having shone forth as a ray of the sun, thou dost sparkle brilliantly unto all the world in thy teaching, O God's voice, light-bearing, holy (mentioned by name), the glory of the martyrs. Twice. Glory...Both now...the Theotokion:

Stretching out thy most pure arms, shelter, O Virgin and Mother, those that trust in thee and call out unto thy Son: grant unto all, O Christ, Thy mercies.

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

We magnify thee, O hieromartyr (mentioned by name) and honour thy holy memory, for thou dost supplicate for us Christ our God. The selected Psalm: Hear this all ye people...

After the Polyeleon the Cathisma, Tone 8. Similar to:

Of the wisdom...

Steered by the all-effecting might and winged by the sail of the cross, thou hast easily swum across the storms of life and hast truly reached the divine haven, having acquired a goodly supply of virtues, which thou didst present unto the Master of all and from Him heard: Well done, thou good and faithful servant and words following these; wherefore, O blissful (mentioned by 164name), supplicate Christ the God to grant remission of sins unto those that with love venerate thy holy memory. Twice.

Glory...Both now...the Theotokion: Having fallen a prey unto the greatly complicated assaults from the enemies both visible and invisible, and being held back by the storm of mine innumerable sins, I have recourse unto the refuge of thy loving kindness, O pure one, as to my warm defence and protection; wherefore, O most pure one, do assiduously supplicate Him Who was seedlessly incarnate of thee, for all thy servants that ceaselessly implore thee, O most pure Theotokos, ever entreating Him to grant remission of sins unto those that worthily hymn thy glory.

The Graduals, the 1st Antiphon of the 4th Tone. The Prokeimenon: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. The Verse: What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits towards me? Let every breath...The Gospel of a hierarch (Luke xii. 32-40.). After the 50th Psalm, the Sticheron, Tone 4:

Having cleansed thy soul from passions, thou wast, O holy one, a sacred vessel of the Holy Spirit, and having received from Him the divine holy unction, thou wast a hierarch and preceptor of the God-wise people and an invincible martyr of Him Who for our sake endured passions and made impassiveness to flow, O sufferer (mentioned by name).

The Canon, Tone 2, Ode 1. The Heirmos:

Come, O ye people, let us sing an ode unto Christ the God Who hath divided the sea and instructed the people whom He brought out of the Egyptian bondage, for He is glorified.

Enlightened with the light emitted by Christ, do thou, O glorious hierarch (mentioned by name), with thine intercessions enlighten my darkened soul, that I may hymn thee, O most blissful one.

Having shone forth as an untarnished mirror of thy pure heart in the enlightenment of the salutary preaching, thou, O father, hast emitted rays unto all.

By thy fasting thou hast put down the activity of passions, and by abstemiousness hast thou changed the desire itself165and by divers exploits wast thou raised to the height of impassivity. [The Theotokion:

We know God that was incarnate of thee without seed or man's desire, that existed before every creature and before all the ages; wherefore we hymn thee as the true Theotokos.

Ode 3. The Heirmos:

Fix us firmly unto Thee, O Lord, that hast slain sin on the tree, and plant Thy fear in the hearts of us that hymn Thee.

As an all-perfect living sacrifice hast thou brought thyself up unto Christ in thy martyrdom, with the conscience of a martyr, having suffered before in the life of abstemiousness.

Thy sacred life, thy divine word and divine deeds taking ascent in thy heart unto the true contemplation of God, thou hast attained it.

Having God-wisely directed thy word in accordance with the injunctions of the Saviour, thou didst appear worthy and wast an invincible defender of the faith. [The Theotokion:

Thou hast shaken our minds off deadliness, having given birth unto the Immortality itself; and with thy bringing forth thou hast, O Virgin, woven unto us a vestment of incorruption.

The Cathisma, Tone 3 : Enlightened of the Divine Spirit, thou least, O hieromartyr, with thy great wisdom and pastoral boldness put to shame the ferocity of tyrants, and having been carried across the abyss of enchantment, hast reached the divine refuge. O holy father ! supplicate Christ the God to grant us great mercy. [Glory...Both now... the Theotokion:

Everyone hath recourse thither where he can be saved, and what other such recourse is there that can shelter our souls but thou, O Theotokos. [The Stavro-theotokion:

Having acquired the staff of might in the cross of thy Son, we put down therewith the surgings of the enemies, unceasingly magnifying thee with love.

Ode 4. The Heirmos:

I have hearkened unto Thy glorious economy and glorified Thine incomprehensible might, O Lover of man.

As a divine burnt-offering and a pure sacrifice wast thou brought up unto the Saviour of all, O most wise hierarch.

Instructing in the light of the knowledge of God the flock of Christ, thou hast driven away the darkness of godlessness.

With the streams of thy sweat hast thou, O father, as hierarch dried up the depths of godlessness. [The Theotokion:

With thy light do thou, O most pure one, enlighten my darkened soul, since thou didst give birth unto the Sole Hypostatical Light.

Ode 5. The Heirmos:

O Granter of light and Creator of ages ! Do Thou, O Lord, lead us in the light of Thine injunctions, for beside Thee we know no other God.

Christ, the true wisdom, hath granted thee, O blissful one, both riches and glory, both longevity and life eternal, for having loved Him exceedingly.

The snares of heresies dost thou drive away with the staff of faith and, having united thy flock with the bonds of love, by love and faith dost thou preserve it unhurt.

Having refused food in thine abstemiousness, thou hast satisfied thy soul, having as food incessant prayers and instruction, and humility that raiseth one up to God. [The Theotokion:

We all have acquired in thee, O pure one, protection, sure hope, might and shelter, a wall and a bridge that leadeth into the Kingdom of heaven.

Ode 6. The Heirmos:

Wallowing in the abyss of sin, I call unto Thine unfathomable abyss of mercy: Bring me up, O God, from corruption.

Having been both the sacrifice and priest, thou hast sacrificed thyself unto God for the sake of the faith, and dost preserve undefiled the accomplishment of thy ministry to Him.

Having been slain unto the whole world, but remaining alive unto God alone, thou, O God-spoken one, went over to Christ being enriched with incorruptible life.

Having now gone over from earth into the never-ending glory, do thou, O holy one, by assiduous cleansing of thy supplication heal my soul accursed through the passions.

The Theotokion : Having conceived Christ that taketh away the sins of the whole world, cease not, O most pure and all-spotless one, to supplicate for the remission of sins unto thy servants.

The Contakion from the Typicon; but if there be no Typicon, say this Contakion, Tone 4. Similar to: Thou that wast of Thine own will lifted...

Having lived piously among hierarchs and having gone through the path of martyrdom, thou, O God-wise one, hast extinguished the sacrifices of idols and wast a protector unto thy flock. Wherefore, in honouring thee, in our hearts we cry out unto thee: Do ever deliver us from dangers through thine intercessions, O (mentioned by name), our father. [The Oikos :

Faithfully and with love having come together in memory of the sacred sufferer, let us praise him to-day in odes that we may obtain the enjoyment of his grace, for he doth deliver the souls from passions and dangers, as a martyr and as a faithful hierarch and champion of those that heartily implore him; wherefore let us cry out unto him: Do ever deliver us from dangers through thine intercessions, O (mentioned by name), our father.

Ode 7. The Heirmos :

Whilst a golden image in the planes of Dura was being worshipped, Thy three youths have not taken heed of the godless command, and thrown into the midst of the fire, but bedewed, they sung: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers.

Thou hast appeared as a cup of wisdom full of virtue, and having by the preaching of thy sublime life gathered thy flock, thou hast, O God-wise one, well tended it and dost now, together with thy sheep, call out: Blessed is the God of our fathers.

Unto the temples there existing, unto the habitation of honour hast thou reached; thou, O father, dost tabernacle with angels and with them rejoicest; wherefore honouring thee, O most blissful one, we with boldness call out: Blessed is the God of our fathers.

Happy art thou and it is now well with thee in thy tabernacle where the troops of the righteous, the numbers of martyrs and the choirs of the most wise apostles vociferate: Blessed is the God of our fathers. [The Theotokion:

Thou alone, O most pure Virgin, hast become known as the Mother, innocent of marital life, of God Who created everything168in His wisdom; wherefore piously calling unto thee, we say: Blessed art thou that gavest birth in the flesh unto God.

Ode 8. The Heirmos:

The God that hath descended unto the Hebrew youths in the fiery furnace and hath changed the flame into dew--hymn ye the works as the Lord and exalt unto all the ages.

Having piously performed the service of the mysteries of Christ, thou--an intellectual sheep--wast thyself offered up unto Him as an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice, perfected with the blood, O most blissful one.

Having adorned thy hierarchical vestments with thy virtues, O most wise one, thou didst appear as keeper of chastity, true food of abstemiousness, teacher of prayer, instructor in repentance and law unto life.

Let us at the time of offering always bring the fruit worthy of repentance, since the barren fig-tree is continually threatened with being cut off; O my soul, fear the curse and receive Christ--the abundant fruit of virtue. [The Theotokion :

Do not despise, O dreaded defender, the voice of thy servants and snatch us all away from every danger and from every cruel menace, O holy Virgin, for thy motherly supplication doth move God to mercy.

Ode 9. The Heirmos.

The Word of God, that in unspeakable wisdom came down from God to renew Adam who hath deeply fallen into corruption through eating, and became for our sake ineffably incarnate of the holy Virgin,--Him let us, O faithful, with one mind magnify in odes.

Thou, O father, hast blighted manifold arrows of the enemy with the fire of abstemiousness and having burnt up the fleshly mud with the coals of purity, wast gloriously accounted worthy of the true limpidity existing on high.

Thy light-bearing memory, O father, having shone forth, illumineth the souls of those who reverently celebrate it, and maketh them manifestly the partakers of the divine light, O worthy of admiration; which we do worthily magnify in odes, O God-wise one.

Thee, O father, that dost wear the crown, having received from the right hand of God the reward of thy victory, finished169thine exploits and been filled with divine light,--we the faithful offer unto Christ in faith as a fervent intercessor.

The Theotokion: Thee as the Theotokos, Virgin and Mother of the Word, our mediatrix that hast shone forth unto us the Ever-existing Life of God and the Sun of righteousness, we the faithful with one mind magnify in odes.

The Photagogicon. Similar to: The heaven with the stars...

As hieromartyr having the power to bind and to loose, do thou, O blissful one, loose the bonds of mine evil deeds and unto those loved of God number me and partaker of the Kingdom make me through thine intercession. [The Theotokion :

Do thou, O pure one, illumine my soul darkened by my sins and through thine intercession deliver me from the eternal flame and darkness, that I may joyfully laud thy majesty.

With the Lauds the Stichera, Tone 4. Similar to : Thou hast given a sign...

The spiritual grace having shone forth unto thee, O father (mentioned by name), did greatly illumine thee; thenceforth the night of passion was shortened and the day of impassivity hast thou reached when thou wast united unto the purest Light; abiding therein, forget not, O God-voiced hieromartyr, those who in faith hymn thy memory. [Twice.

Possessing the desired grace of heaven, thou, O hieromartyr (mentioned by name), hast left unheeded earthly possessions; wherefore as a bodiless one and desirous of enjoying the food of the ever-existing source, thou, O God-pleasing one, hast selected the life of suffering and, having dried up with tears the troubled source of passions, thou hast filled the ears with the food of the soul.

Thy body hast thou given over to affront, since it was covered with wounds from beating and exposed to the fire, for thy mind hast thou fixed with an invincible desire on the divine Bestower for the sake of His beauty, having been transfixed by His sweet desire, O thou ornament of martyrs, adornment of hierarchs, martyr (mentioned by name), associate of angels.

Glory ...Tone 4. Like a new plant, like unto a green olive tree wast thou set in the house of God as the son of those that walk in the ways of the Lord; on account of thy martyrdom170the Lord hath blessed thee and thou shalt see the good of the heavenly Zion, taking delight in the divine joys together with all the saints, O hieromartyr (mentioned by name), worthily hymned; make us also partakers thereof through thine intercessions. [Both now...the Theotokion :

O Theotokos, the Queen of all and the glory of the orthodox ! Do thou put down the rays of the heretically inclined and put to shame their countenances, since they neither bow down before thy precious image, O most pure one, nor venerate it. [The Stavro-theotokion:

Seeing Christ---Lover of man crucified and pierced in His side with a lance, the most pure one bewailed crying out: What is this, O my Son ? What have the ungrateful people rendered unto Thee for all the good Thou hast done unto them, and Thou dost most lovingly take care of my childlessness? I wonder, O Compassionate One, at Thy voluntary crucifixion.