Ode 6. Χιτῶνά μοι παράσχου.

Kontakion. Tone 4. Ὁ ὑψωθεὶς ἐν τῷ Σταυρῷ.

Bearing a manly attitude of soul in a woman’s flesh, glorious Martyr, you despised the beasts in the waters.

You conquered the proud scorn of tyrants, invincible Martyr, remaining unharmed in the waters with the wild beasts, like Jonas.

The Lord hearkening to your supplication, delivered you from destruction by wild beasts, like Daniel from the den, O all-praised.

You alone bore the Word in flesh through a word: deliver our souls from the snares of the foe, we beg.

Grant me a tunic of light, most merciful, Christ our God, who are clothed in light as in a garment.

In your contest you struggled nobly, and after death you hallow us by the streams of your wonders, all-praised Martyr; therefore we honour your holy falling asleep, as we stand with faith around your honoured relics, that we may be delivered from sicknesses of soul and draw the grace of wonders.

The temple of the all-praised Martyr has been declared a Paradise, having gained in its midst a plant of immortality, her honoured body. Those who gather its ripe fruits are immediately sanctified, while as they look on they marvel how a dead body, as though alive, gushes forth blood which anoints all. And so with haste come all with lowly me and purified from every stain, let us embrace it and draw the grace of wonders.

**Synaxarion.**

On the 16th of the same month, commemoration of the Holy and all-praised Great Martyr Efphemia.

She lived in the times of Diocletian; arrested because of her confession of Christ, she was subjected to fire and wheels and again to other instruments of torture and offered as fodder to lions; and from all these by the grace of Christ, she remained unharmed; in the theatre itself she rendered up her soul to the Lord.

Slain by a bear’s fangs for the sake of God,

With praises Efphemia should be your crown.

And on the sixteenth day a with its fangs bear slew Efphemia.

On the same day, commemoration of the holy Martyr Melitini.

She was from Markianoupolis in Thrace in the reign of Antoninus, in the governorship of Antiochus; she suffered many dreadful things and worked very many signs (for she brought down the idols by prayer and smashed in an instant Apollo and Herakles). After bringing many to Christ her head was cur off. But before she was beheaded she had been entrusted to the wife of the governor, to be instructed by her, and she had made her a Christian. After she had been beheaded her precious body was left unburied, but a certain Akakios, a Macedonian, passing through on his way to his home country, asked for her remains. The governor, suspecting nothing, allowed him to take them. So he took them and placing in a bag hastened home; but falling ill at sea, he died. The ship having run ashore on a headland in Lemnos, the holy body of the Martyr was laid to rest there and beside it Akakios, lover of martyrs.

Her head struck off by sword, Melitini

Offered her blood to Christ as honey sweet.

At their holy intercessions, O God, have mercy on us. Amen.