ODE 4

Irmos: The prophet heard of Thy coming, O Lord, and was afraid that Thou

wast to be born of a Virgin and appear to men, and he said, ‘I have heard the report of Thee and am afraid.’ Glory to Thy power, O Lord. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Irmos: The prophet heard of Thy coming, O Lord, and was afraid that Thou

Despise not Thy works, O Righteous Judge, and forsake not Thy creation though I alone have sinned more than any other man. Yet Thou, as the Lord of all, hast the power to remit all sins, O Lover of mankind.

Irmos: The prophet heard of Thy coming, O Lord, and was afraid that Thou

The end draws near, O my soul, the end draws near; yet thou dost not

Irmos: The prophet heard of Thy coming, O Lord, and was afraid that Thou

prepare, neither dost thou care. The time grows short. Arise, for the Judge is at

Irmos: I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation, O Lord; I have considered

the very doors. The days of our lives pass quickly, as if they were a dream, as if

Irmos: I have heard the report of Thee, O Lord, and was afraid; I have

they were a flower. O why do we trouble ourselves in vain? Arise, O my soul and consider all the deeds which thou hast done, and set them up before thine eyes. Now pour out the drops of thy tears and boldly confess to Christ of thy deeds and thoughts, and so be thou justified. In life’s course, O Savior, there has been no sin, no deed, no wicked thing, that I did not commit. I have sinned as no one has ever before, in mind, word and intent, in purpose, deed and thought. For this I am condemned and for this, wretch that I am, I am convicted by mine own conscience, more severe than all else in the world. O my Judge and Redeemer, Who knowest my heart, spare me, deliver me and save me, Thy servant.

Irmos: The prophet heard of Thy coming, O Lord, and was afraid that Thou

The ladder seen of old by the great Patriarch Jacob is an example, O my

soul, both of ascent through action and of ascent through spiritual understanding. If, therefore, it is thy desire to live by thy works, with understanding and contemplation, be thou made new. Bearing the burning heat by day and the frost by night because of his privation, Jacob endured making daily gains, shepherding, struggling and slaving in order to win two wives. By the two wives, understand that one is action and the other is spiritual understanding in contemplation. Leah represents action, for she had many children; and Rachel spiritual understanding, for she endured great toil. For without labor, O my soul, neither action nor contemplation will succeed. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

To the Trinity: I confess Thee as undivided in Essence, unconfused in Persons, One Triune Divinity, co-reigning and co-enthroned! And to Thee, I raise the great Thrice-holy hymn that is sung on high. Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Theotokion: Thou givest birth and art a virgin, and in both thou remainest a virgin by nature. He Who is born renews the laws of nature, and the womb gives birth without travail. When God so wills, the order of nature is overruled, for He does whatsoever He wills.

wast to be born of a Virgin and appear to men, and he said, ‘I have heard the report of Thee and am afraid.’ Glory to Thy power, O Lord. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Watch, O my soul, and take courage like the Great Patriarch Jacob of old, that thou mayest acquire action with spiritual understanding, and be named Israel, ‘the mind that sees God’; and so shalt thou penetrate the impassable darkness through contemplation, and obtain a great treasure as thy reward. By fathering the twelve Patriarchs, the Great Patriarch Jacob established a mystical ladder of active ascent for thee, O my soul; wisely setting his sons as the steps at each level of ascent. Thou hast rivaled the hated Esau, O my soul, for thou hast given up the birthright of thy first beauty to the deceiver thus forsaking thy father’s blessing. Twice then, hast thou fallen, once in action and once in understanding; Repent

now, thou wretched soul. Esau was known as Edom because of his raging love for women; for burning always with desires and stained with sensual pleasures, he was named ‘Edom’ which means the red-hot heat of a sin-loving soul. Thou hast heard of Job, O my soul, who was justified on a dung heap; yet thou hast not imitated his courage nor hast thou shown any firmness of will in

the face of thy trials and temptations but hast proved cowardly and weak.

He that once sat upon a throne now lies naked on a dung heap, covered with his sores. He that had many children and was once admired by all is suddenly bereft of children and is left without a home; yet for him the dung heap is a palace, and his sores a chain of pearls. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. To the Trinity: I confess Thee as undivided in Essence, unconfused in Persons, One Triune Divinity, co-reigning and co-enthroned! And to Thee, I raise the great Thrice-holy hymn that is sung on high. Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Theotokion: Thou givest birth and art a virgin, and in both thou remainest a virgin by nature. He Who is born renews the laws of nature, and the womb gives

birth without travail. When God so wills, the order of nature is overruled, for He does whatsoever He wills. 14

wast to be born of a Virgin and appear to men, and he said, ‘I have heard the report of Thee and am afraid.’ Glory to Thy power, O Lord. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

My body is corrupt, my spirit is defiled, and I am all covered with sores; but as Physician, O Christ, heal both my body and my spirit through my

repentance. Wash me, purify me and cleanse me, O Savior, and make me whiter than snow. Thou hast offered Thy Body and Thy Blood for the sake of us all, O Crucified Word: Thy Body to renew me, Thy Blood to cleanse me, and Thou hast given up Thy Spirit, O Christ, to bring me to Thy Father. Thou hast worked Salvation in the midst of the earth, O Compassionate Lord, so that we might be saved. Thou wast voluntarily crucified upon the Tree; and Eden has been opened once again. All creation, both the things above and

the things below, and all the nations have been saved and they praise and worship Thee.

May the Blood that flows from Thy side be a cleansing font for me, and may the Water that flows with it be a drink of forgiveness. May I be cleansed by both, O Word, anointed and refreshed, having as chrism and drink, Thy words of Life. Thy Life-giving side, O my Savior, has been granted to the Church as a chalice from which flows a two-fold stream of forgiveness and spiritual understanding, representing the two Covenants, both the Old and the New. I am deprived of the bridal chamber and of the wedding feast because my lamp has gone out for want of oil; the chamber was closed while I was asleep, and the supper has been eaten; I am bound both hand and foot and now I am cast out. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

To the Trinity: I confess Thee as undivided in Essence, unconfused in Persons, One Triune Divinity, co-reigning and co-enthroned! And to Thee, I raise the great Thrice-holy hymn that is sung on high. Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Theotokion: Thou givest birth and art a virgin, and in both thou remainest a virgin by nature. He Who is born renews the laws of nature, and the womb gives birth without travail. When God so wills, the order of nature is overruled, for He does whatsoever He wills.

wast to be born of a Virgin and appear to men, and he said, ‘I have heard the report of Thee and am afraid.’ Glory to Thy power, O Lord. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

The time of life is short, full of wickedness and pain. But accept me in

repentance and call me back to spiritual awareness, that I may not fall as prey and become the possession of the enemy, and take pity on me, O Savior. Job, the righteous man of great possessions, with an abundance of riches and cattle, was clothed in royal dignity, in crown and purple robe. He was suddenly deprived of his wealth and kingship and glory, and reduced to the state of a beggar. If he who was righteous and blameless above all men could not escape the snares and assaults of the deceiver, what wilt thou do, O wretched and sinful soul, when some sudden misfortune befalls thee? Although I am boastful and vain, hard-hearted and arrogant in speech, condemn me not with the Pharisee, O righteous Judge. But rather, grant me the

humility of the Publican and number me with him, O only merciful One. I know, O compassionate Lord, that I have sinned, having defiled the vessel of my flesh. But accept me in repentance and call me back to spiritual awareness, that I may not fall as prey and become the possession of the enemy, and take pity on me, O Savior. I have become mine own idol and have defaced my soul through my passions, O compassionate One. But accept me in repentance and call me back to spiritual awareness, that I may not fall as prey and become the possession of the enemy, and take pity on me, O Savior. I have disobeyed Thy Scripture and not listened to Thy voice, O Giver of

the Law. But accept me in repentance and call me back to spiritual awareness,

that I may not fall as prey and become the possession of the enemy, and take pity on me, O Savior. Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.

To St Mary of Egypt: Though brought down into the abyss of great iniquity, thou didst not remain there, O Mother Mary; but through thy steadfast intent, thou hast ascended to the heights of virtue, astonishing even the Angels. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. To the Trinity: I confess Thee as undivided in Essence, unconfused in Persons, One Triune Divinity, co-reigning and co-enthroned! And to Thee, I raise the great Thrice-holy hymn that is sung on high. Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Theotokion: Thou givest birth and art a virgin, and in both thou remainest a virgin by nature. He Who is born renews the laws of nature, and the womb gives birth without travail. When God so wills, the order of nature is overruled, for He

does whatsoever He wills.

Thy works and glorify Thy Godhead. Refrain: Apostles of Christ, pray to God for us.

Enlightened by God, the Apostles of Christ lived in abstinence; and by their divine mediation they help us in this season of the fast. As a twelve-stringed instrument, the divine choir of the Disciples sang a hymn of salvation, confounding the music of the evil one. Driving away the drought of polytheism with the waters of the Spirit, O All-blessèd Apostles, you have nourished the earth. Most Holy Theotokos, save us. Theotokion: I have passed my life in arrogance: make me humble and save me, O All-pure Lady, for thou hast borne the Lord Who has exalted our humbled nature.

(SECOND CANON)

TONE 8

considered Thy works and glorify Thy power, O Master. Refrain: Apostles of Christ, pray to God for us.

O Most-honored choir of the Apostles, in your intercessions to the Maker of all, ask that He have mercy on us who sing your praises.

As the husbandmen of Christ, O Apostles, you tilled the whole earth with

the word of God, and at all times you bring to Him the fruit of your labors.

You became a vineyard, O Apostles, for Christ the Most-belovèd, for from you the wine of the Spirit gushed forth into the world. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. To the Trinity: Trinity, One in essence, without beginning and supreme in power, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: O God, Light of Life, guard Thy flock. Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Theotokion: Rejoice, O fiery Throne! Rejoice, O candlestick that bears the Light! Rejoice, O Mountain of sanctification, O Ark of life, Tabernacle and Holy of Holies!

NOW WE CONTINUE WITH ODE 4 OF THE GREAT CANON:

wast to be born of a Virgin and appear to men, and he said, ‘I have heard the report of Thee and am afraid.’ Glory to Thy power, O Lord. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

1. Despise not Thy works, O Righteous Judge, and forsake not Thy creation though I alone have sinned more than any other man. Yet Thou, as the Lord of all, hast the power to remit all sins, O Lover of mankind. 2.

The end draws near, O my soul, the end draws near; yet thou dost

not prepare, neither dost thou care. The time grows short. Arise, for the Judge is at the very doors. The days of our lives pass quickly, as if they were a dream, as if they were a flower. O why do we trouble ourselves in vain? 3. Arise, O my soul and consider all the deeds which thou hast done, and set them up before thine eyes. Now pour out the drops of thy tears and boldly confess to Christ of thy deeds and thoughts, and so be thou justified. 4. In life’s course, O Savior, there has been no sin, no deed, no wicked thing, that I did not commit. I have sinned as no one has ever before, in mind, word and intent, in purpose, deed and thought.

5. For this I am condemned and for this, wretch that I am, I am convicted by mine own conscience, more severe than all else in the world. O my Judge and Redeemer, Who knowest my heart, spare me, deliver me and save me, Thy servant. 6.

The ladder seen of old by the great Patriarch Jacob is an example, O

my soul, both of ascent through action and of ascent through spiritual understanding. If, therefore, it is thy desire to live by thy works, with understanding and contemplation, be thou made new. 7. Bearing the burning heat by day and the frost by night because of his privation, Jacob endured making daily gains, shepherding, struggling and slaving in order to win two wives. 8. By the two wives, understand that one is action and the other is spiritual understanding in contemplation. Leah represents action, for she had many children; and Rachel spiritual understanding, for she endured great toil. For without labor, O my soul, neither action nor contemplation will succeed. 9. Watch, O my soul, and take courage like the Great Patriarch Jacob

of old, that thou mayest acquire action with spiritual understanding, and be named Israel, ‘the mind that sees God’; and so shalt thou penetrate the impassable darkness through contemplation, and obtain a great treasure as thy reward. 10. By fathering the twelve Patriarchs, the Great Patriarch Jacob established a mystical ladder of active ascent for thee, O my soul; wisely setting his sons as the steps at each level of ascent. 11. Thou hast rivaled the hated Esau, O my soul, for thou hast given up the birthright of thy first beauty to the deceiver thus forsaking thy father’s blessing. Twice then, hast thou fallen, once in action and once in understanding; Repent now, thou wretched soul. 12. Esau was known as Edom because of his raging love for women;

for burning always with desires and stained with sensual pleasures, he was named ‘Edom’ which means the red-hot heat of a sin-loving soul. 13. Thou hast heard of Job, O my soul, who was justified on a dung heap; yet thou hast not imitated his courage nor hast thou shown any firmness of will in the face of thy trials and temptations but hast proved cowardly and weak. 14. He that once sat upon a throne now lies naked on a dung heap, covered with his sores. He that had many children and was once admired by all is suddenly bereft of children and is left without a home; yet for him the dung heap is a palace, and his sores a chain of pearls. 15. Job, the righteous man of great possessions, with an abundance of

riches and cattle, was clothed in royal dignity, in crown and purple robe. He was

suddenly deprived of his wealth and kingship and glory, and reduced to the state of a beggar. 16. If he who was righteous and blameless above all men could not escape the snares and assaults of the deceiver, what wilt thou do, O wretched and sinful soul, when some sudden misfortune befalls thee? 17. My body is corrupt, my spirit is defiled, and I am all covered with sores; but as Physician, O Christ, heal both my body and my spirit through my repentance. Wash me, purify me and cleanse me, O Savior, and make me whiter than snow. 18. Thou hast offered Thy Body and Thy Blood for the sake of us all, O Crucified Word: Thy Body to renew me, Thy Blood to cleanse me, and Thou hast given up Thy Spirit, O Christ, to bring me to Thy Father.

19. Thou hast worked Salvation in the midst of the earth, O Compassionate Lord, so that we might be saved. Thou wast voluntarily crucified upon the Tree; and Eden has been opened once again. All creation, both the things above and the things below, and all the nations have been saved and they praise and worship Thee. 20. May the Blood that flows from Thy side be a cleansing font for me, and may the Water that flows with it be a drink of forgiveness. May I be cleansed by both, O Word, anointed and refreshed, having as chrism and drink, Thy words of Life. 21. I am deprived of the bridal chamber and of the wedding feast because my lamp has gone out for want of oil; the chamber was closed while I

was asleep, and the supper has been eaten; I am bound both hand and foot and now I am cast out. 22. Thy Life-giving side, O my Savior, has been granted to the Church as a chalice from which flows a two-fold stream of forgiveness and spiritual understanding, representing the two Covenants, both the Old and the New. 23.

The time of life is short, full of wickedness and pain. But accept me

in repentance and call me back to spiritual awareness, that I may not fall as prey and become the possession of the enemy, and take pity on me, O Savior. 24. Although I am boastful and vain, hard-hearted and arrogant in speech, condemn me not with the Pharisee, O righteous Judge. But rather, grant me the humility of the Publican and number me with him, O only merciful One. 25. I know, O compassionate Lord, that I have sinned, having defiled

the vessel of my flesh. But accept me in repentance and call me back to spiritual

awareness, that I may not fall as prey and become the possession of the enemy, and take pity on me, O Savior.

26. I have become mine own idol and have defaced my soul through my passions, O compassionate One. But accept me in repentance and call me back to spiritual awareness, that I may not fall as prey and become the possession of the enemy, and take pity on me, O Savior. 27. I have disobeyed Thy Scripture and not listened to Thy voice, O Giver of the Law. But accept me in repentance and call me back to spiritual awareness, that I may not fall as prey and become the possession of the enemy, and take pity on me, O Savior. Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us. To St Mary of Egypt: Having lived a bodiless life in the body, O Venerable Mary, thou didst receive great grace from God. Therefore, protect us who honor

thee with faith and through thy prayers, we entreat thee, deliver us from every attack of the evil one. Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us. To St Mary of Egypt: Though brought down into the abyss of great iniquity, thou didst not remain there, O Mother Mary; but through thy steadfast intent, thou hast ascended to the heights of virtue, astonishing even the Angels. Venerable Father Andrew, pray to God for us. To Saint Andrew: O Andrew, the praise of the fathers and the glory of Crete, as thou dost stand before the Supreme and Holy Trinity, in thy prayers do not forget to ask that we may be delivered from every trial and torment, who call upon thee with love as our advocate in heaven. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

To the Trinity: I confess Thee as undivided in Essence, unconfused in Persons, One Triune Divinity, co-reigning and co-enthroned! And to Thee, I raise the great Thrice-holy hymn that is sung on high. Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Theotokion: Thou givest birth and art a virgin, and in both thou remainest a virgin by nature. He Who is born renews the laws of nature, and the womb gives birth without travail. When God so wills, the order of nature is overruled, for He does whatsoever He wills.