Ode 6.

Kontakion. Tone 2.

Lord, you made Jonas dwell.

As befits God, O Lord, you brought out of nothing by your word the natures of the immortal, heavenly hosts, creating them with forms of light.

O Bodiless Powers, you have become honoured initiates of God’s praise, citizens of the heavenly and truly divine tabernacle, as you fittingly adore the Maker.

Son of God before all eternity, the spiritual ranks of the Bodiless ones praise you unceasingly, and glorify you as Maker and Creator of the universe.

O Immaculate, you were worthy to cradle in your arms the One who is seated eternally with the Father in the highest. Give him to us your servants, O Pure one, in your mercy.

Second Canon.

Be merciful to me.

Flying upward in mind from the corruption of matter, let us in fear with lips of matter honour in songs the immaterial Bodiless Powers as beings of fire and flame and light.

Put to death, O Archangels, the assaults of the passions, and with them bring to an end all the scandals of the faith, O Holy ones formed of fire, the Chief Captains of the Trinity.

Archangels of God, leaders of the Bodiless hosts, by your freedom to speak save us from every heresy, Michael the Prince and Gabriel, the Chief Captains.

Willingly, O Christ, you appeared in flesh from a womb that did not know wedlock as God without flesh, but as man you bore flesh; the form of whose likeness we the faithful honour.

Come, godly-minded people. ****

Chief Captains of God, ministers of divine glory, guides of mankind and princes of the Bodiless Powers, intercede for what is for our good and for great mercy, as Chief Captains of the Bodiless Powers.

You said in the Scriptures, Lover of mankind, that the multitudes of Angels rejoice in heaven over one human who repents, O Immortal; therefore we in our sins, O Sinless One, who alone know the heart, dare to implore you each day, for you are compassionate, to take pity on us, Master, and send us, the unworthy, compunction, granting us pardon; for they intercede for us all, the Chief Captains of the Bodiless Powers.

On the 8th day of the month, the Assembly of the Chief Captains, Michael and Gabriel, and of the rest of the holy, bodiless and heavenly Orders.

Michael, a fitting song I wished to sing

You fittingly; but matter-free have none.

Leaders of heaven’s high host the eighth of November now honours.

For the Assembly of the Nine Orders of Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Principalities, Powers, Archangels and Angels.

What offering worthy of the Orders nine

Could one the offspring of nine months pronounce?

Michael the pre-eminent Captain of the bodiless Powers, in both the Old Testament and the New Grace, has shown and shows to the human race his many graces and benefactions. For when the opponent and enemy of our salvation tossing his mane against the Creator, said swaggeringly: ‘I shall place my throne above the clouds’ and boastingly: ‘I shall be like the Most High’, he fell, as the Lord says, from his Archangel’s dignity. For he says: ‘I saw Satan falling from heaven like lightning.’ Moreover the bragging Order under him suffered the same fate. But all-honoured Michael, maintaining, as a faithful servant, his respect for the Master and showing his great care for our race was appointed by the Almighty to lead the spiritual and archangelic ranks. For when he saw the rebel fall, he assembled the choirs of Angels and saying: ‘Let us attend’ hymned aloud the Lord of all things, as though saying: ‘Let us, who are creatures, attend to what they have suffered who until now were with us, beings of light, but now have become darkness. This support then has been named the Assembly of the Angels, that is attention, agreement and unity.

This great champion then and benefactor of our salvation, abounding in and unfolding many saving acts of kindness, appears visibly to many. For he was seen by Abraham and Lot at the overthrow of Sodom. He appeared to Jacob as he fled from his brother. He marched at the head of the army of the children of Israel when they were being delivered and freed from the malice of the Egyptians. He appeared to Balaam as he went to curse Israel. To Jesus son of Navi when he inquired he said: ‘I the Chief Captain of the Lord have now come to you.’ He also diverted the rivers that had been released against the shrine and chapel by the impious. And many other stories are told of him in the inspired Scripture. Therefore we also, putting him forward as protector and guardian of our life, celebrate his present all-honoured festival, asking through his prayers and intercessions that we may find deliverance from troubles in this present age, and in the age to come that we may be found worthy of heaven’s grace and rank. Amen.

At the prayers of your Saints, O God, have mercy on us. Amen.