ODE 2

Irmos: Attend, O heaven and I will speak, I will sing of Christ, Who from the

Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Theotokion: O Most-pure Lady, Mother of God, the hope of those who run to thee and haven of the storm-tossed and oppressed; pray to the merciful God, thy Creator and thy Son, that He will have mercy on me through thine intercessions.

Theotokion: O Most-pure Theotokos and All-laudable Virgin, fervently intercede for our salvation.

Virgin took flesh to dwell with us. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Irmos: Attend, O heaven and I will speak, I will sing of Christ, Who from the

Attend, O heaven and I will speak; give ear, O earth to the voice of one who repents before God and sings His praises. Look upon me, O God my Savior, with Thy merciful eye, and accept my fervent confession. I have sinned above all men, I alone have sinned against Thee; but as God take pity on Thy creature, O Savior. My lustful desires have formed in me the deformity of my passions and have disfigured the beauty of my mind. A storm of passions surrounds me, O compassionate Lord. But stretch out Thine hand to me, as once Thou didst to Peter. I have stained the garment of my flesh and have defiled that which was made in Thine image and likeness, O Savior. I have darkened the beauty of my soul with passionate pleasures and have

Irmos: Attend, O heaven and I will speak, I will sing of Christ, Who from the

turned my whole mind entirely to dust. I have torn the garment that the Creator first wove for me in the beginning, and therefore I lie naked. I have clothed myself in the torn robe that the serpent hath spitefully stitched for me by his counsel, and now I am ashamed. I offer to Thee, O merciful One, the tears of a harlot. Cleanse me, O Savior, in Thy compassion. I looked upon the beauty of the forbidden tree and my mind was deceived; and now I lie naked and ashamed.

intercede for our salvation. Another Irmos: See, see that I am God, Who sent manna, Who made water to spring from the rock in ancient times for My people in the wilderness, by My right hand, and by My strength alone. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

The demons of passion have ploughed long furrows on my back,

Irmos: See, see that I am God, Who sent manna, Who made water to spring from

prolonging their wickedness upon me.

Irmos: Attend, O heaven and I will speak, I will sing of Christ, Who from the

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. To the Trinity: I sing praises to the One in Three Persons, God of all, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Theotokion: O Most-pure Theotokos and All-laudable Virgin, fervently intercede for our salvation.

Virgin took flesh to dwell with us. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

My sins have stripped me of the garment that God had woven for me, and have stitched for me robes of skin. Now I am clothed with a raiment of shame as if with fig leaves in reproof of my self-willed desires. Now I am clad in a coat of disgrace that is shamefully bloodstained by the flow of my passions and my pleasure-loving life. I have fallen under the burden of my passions and the corruption of my body, and ever since, have been oppressed by the enemy. Having preferred a life of pleasure and material things to a life free of possessions, I have been harnessed with a heavy burden, O Savior. I have adorned the idol of my flesh with the diverse clothing of my shameful thoughts and now I am condemned.

I have been concerned only with outward adornment, and have neglected

the inner temple made in the image of God.

I have buried the beauty of my original image with my passions, O Savior; but seek me, as once Thou hast sought the lost coin, and find me. Like the Harlot I cry to Thee: I have sinned, I alone have sinned against Thee. Oh, accept my tears as a sweet ointment, O Savior. Like the Publican I cry to Thee: Be merciful, O Savior, be merciful unto me; for no child of Adam has ever sinned as I against Thee. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. To the Trinity: I sing praises to the One in Three Persons, God of all, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. 12

Virgin took flesh to dwell with us. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Like David, I have fallen into lust and am covered in filth; but wash me clean with my tears, O my Savior. I have neither any tears, nor repentance, neither have I any compunction; but as God do Thou grant them to me, O my Savior. I have lost my original beauty and splendor and now I lie naked and ashamed. Lord, O Lord, do not shut Thy door against me in that last day, but open it to me, for I repent before Thee. Give ear to the groaning of my soul, and accept the drops of my tears, O Savior, and save me. O Lover of mankind, Who desirest that all shall be saved, call me back and in Thy goodness, accept me in my repentance. Most Holy Theotokos, save us Theotokion: O Most-pure Theotokos and All-laudable Virgin, fervently

‘See, see that I am God’: Listen, O my soul, to the Lord as He cries to thee; forsake thy former sin and fear Him as a Just Lord, as thy Judge and God. 22

Whom dost thou resemble, O most sinful soul? Surely thou art like Cain and that wicked Lamech; for thou hast stoned thy body with thine evil deeds and murdered thy mind with irrational desires. Of all those who have lived before the law, O my soul, thou hast not patterned thyself after Seth, nor has thou followed after Enos or Enoch, who was translated to Heaven, or Noah; but hast shown thyself destitute and without a share in the life of the Righteous. Thou alone hast released the torrents of the wrath of God, O my soul, and hast flooded, as the earth, all thy flesh and works and life. Therefore, thou hast remained outside the Ark of salvation. Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us. To St Mary of Egypt: Turning from the path of sin thou didst run with all

eagerness to Christ, O Venerable Mother Mary, finding nourishment in the trackless wilderness and fulfilling in purity the commandments of God. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. To the Trinity: O Trinity unoriginate and uncreated, O Unity undivided: accept me in repentance and save me, a sinner. Despise me not, for I am Thy creation; but spare me and deliver me from the fire of condemnation. Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Theotokion: O Most-pure Lady, Mother of God, the hope of those who run to thee and haven of the storm-tossed and oppressed; pray to the merciful God, thy Creator and thy Son, that He will have mercy on me through thine intercessions.

the rock in ancient times for My people in the wilderness, by My right hand, and by My strength alone.

Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Lamech cried aloud, lamenting: ‘I have killed a man and wounded myself, and a young man unto my pain’. But thou, O my soul, dost not even tremble while defiling thy flesh and polluting thy mind. Skillfully hast thou planned to build a tower, O my soul, and to fortify it with thy passions; but the Creator hast confounded thy designs and has dashed all thy devices to the ground. O see, how much I have become like Lamech, the murderer of old, slaying my soul as if it were the man, my mind as if it were the youth, and my body as did Cain murdering his brother, with my sensual passions. Angered by their transgressions, the Lord once rained down fire from Heaven and burnt up the men of Sodom; but thou, O my soul, hast kindled the

fires of Gehenna, in which thou shalt surely burn. I am wounded, I am smitten, and the arrows of the enemy have pierced my body and my soul. See the wounds, the open sores and the mutilations, which betray the blows of my self-inflicted passions. Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us. To St Mary of Egypt: Plunged into the depths of sin, thou didst raise thy hands, O Mary, towards the merciful God. And, as to Peter, in His loving-kindness He stretched out His hand to thee in help, ever seeking thy conversion. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. To the Trinity: O Trinity uncreated and without beginning, O Unity undivided, accept me in repentance and save me, for I have sinned. O despise me not, for I

am Thy creation, but take pity on me and deliver me from the fire of condemnation.

Virgin took flesh to dwell with us. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

1. Attend, O heaven and I will speak; give ear, O earth to the voice of one who repents before God and sings His praises. 2. Look upon me, O God my Savior, with Thy merciful eye, and accept my fervent confession. 3. I have sinned above all men, I alone have sinned against Thee; but as God take pity on Thy creature, O Savior. 4. A storm of passions surrounds me, O compassionate Lord. But stretch out Thine hand to me, as once Thou didst to Peter. 5. I offer to Thee, O merciful One, the tears of a harlot. Cleanse me, O Savior, in Thy compassion. 6. I have darkened the beauty of my soul with passionate pleasures and have turned my whole mind entirely to dust. 7. I have torn the garment that the Creator first wove for me in the

beginning, and therefore I lie naked. 8. I have clothed myself in the torn robe that the serpent hath spitefully stitched for me by his counsel, and now I am ashamed. 9. I looked upon the beauty of the forbidden tree and my mind was deceived; and now I lie naked and ashamed. 10.

The demons of passion have ploughed long furrows on my back,

prolonging their wickedness upon me. 11. I have lost my original beauty and splendor and now I lie naked and ashamed. 12. My sins have stripped me of the garment that God had woven for me, and have stitched for me robes of skin. 13. Now I am clothed with a raiment of shame as if with fig leaves in reproof of my self-willed desires. 14. Now I am clad in a coat of disgrace that is shamefully bloodstained by the flow of my passions and my pleasure-loving life.

15. I have stained the garment of my flesh and have defiled that which was made in Thine image and likeness, O Savior. 16. I have fallen under the burden of my passions and the corruption of my body, and ever since, have been oppressed by the enemy. 17. Having preferred a life of pleasure and material things to a life free of possessions, I have been harnessed with a heavy burden, O Savior. 18. I have adorned the idol of my flesh with the diverse clothing of my shameful thoughts and now I am condemned. 19. I have been concerned only with outward adornment, and have neglected the inner temple made in the image of God. 20. My lustful desires have formed in me the deformity of my passions and have disfigured the beauty of my mind.

21. I have buried the beauty of my original image with my passions, O Savior; but seek me, as once Thou hast sought the lost coin, and find me. 22. Like the Harlot I cry to Thee: I have sinned, I alone have sinned against Thee. Oh, accept my tears as a sweet ointment, O Savior. 23. Like David, I have fallen into lust and am covered in filth; but wash me clean with my tears, O my Savior. 24. Like the Publican I cry to Thee: Be merciful, O Savior, be merciful unto me; for no child of Adam has ever sinned as I against Thee. 25. I have neither any tears, nor repentance, neither have I any compunction; but as God do Thou grant them to me, O my Savior. 26. Lord, O Lord, do not shut Thy door against me in that last day, but

open it to me, for I repent before Thee. 27. O Lover of mankind, Who desirest that all shall be saved, call me back and in Thy goodness, accept me in my repentance. 28. Give ear to the groaning of my soul, and accept the drops of my tears, O Savior, and save me. Most Holy Theotokos, save us Theotokion: O Most-pure Theotokos and All-laudable Virgin, fervently intercede for our salvation. Second Irmos: See, see that I am God, Who sent manna, Who made water to spring from the rock in ancient times for My people in the wilderness, by My right hand, and by My strength alone. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

29. ‘See, see that I am God’: Listen, O my soul, to the Lord as He cries to thee; forsake thy former sin and fear Him as a Just Lord, as thy Judge and God. 30. Whom dost thou resemble, O most sinful soul? Surely thou art like Cain and that wicked Lamech; for thou hast stoned thy body with thine evil deeds and murdered thy mind with irrational desires. 31. Of all those who have lived before the law, O my soul, thou hast not patterned thyself after Seth, nor has thou followed after Enos or Enoch, who was translated to Heaven, or Noah; but hast shown thyself destitute and without a share in the life of the Righteous. 32. Thou alone hast released the torrents of the wrath of God, O my soul, and hast flooded, as the earth, all thy flesh and works and life. Therefore,

thou hast remained outside the Ark of salvation. 33. Lamech cried aloud, lamenting: ‘I have killed a man and wounded myself, and a young man unto my pain’. But thou, O my soul, dost not even tremble while defiling thy flesh and polluting thy mind. 34. O see, how much I have become like Lamech, the murderer of old, slaying my soul as if it were the man, my mind as if it were the youth, and my body as did Cain murdering his brother, with my sensual passions. 35. Skillfully hast thou planned to build a tower, O my soul, and to fortify it with thy passions; but the Creator hast confounded thy designs and has dashed all thy devices to the ground. 36. I am wounded, I am smitten, and the arrows of the enemy have

pierced my body and my soul. See the wounds, the open sores and the mutilations, which betray the blows of my self-inflicted passions. 37. Angered by their transgressions, the Lord once rained down fire from Heaven and burnt up the men of Sodom; but thou, O my soul, hast kindled

the fires of Gehenna, in which thou shalt surely burn.

38. ‘See and understand that I am God: I search men’s hearts, I chasten their thoughts, I reprove their actions and I burn their sins; and I sit in judgment defending the orphaned and the humble and the poor.’ Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us. To St Mary of Egypt: Plunged into the depths of sin, thou didst raise thy hands, O Mary, towards the merciful God. And, as to Peter, in His loving-kindness He stretched out His hand to thee in help, ever seeking thy conversion. Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.

To St Mary of Egypt: Turning from the path of sin thou didst run with all eagerness to Christ, O Venerable Mother Mary, finding nourishment in the trackless wilderness and fulfilling in purity the commandments of God. Venerable Father Andrew, pray to God for us. To Saint Andrew: We see, we see the Love of our God and Master for mankind, O my soul; and before the end comes, let us fall down with tears before Him, crying: through the prayers of Saint Andrew, have mercy on us, O Savior. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. To the Trinity: O Trinity unoriginate and uncreated, O Unity undivided: accept me in repentance and save me, a sinner. Despise me not, for I am Thy creation;

but spare me and deliver me from the fire of condemnation. Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Theotokion: O Most-pure Lady, Mother of God, the hope of those who run to thee and haven of the storm-tossed and oppressed; pray to the merciful God, thy Creator and thy Son, that He will have mercy on me through thine intercessions.