Ode 1. Tone 4. I will open my mouth.

And the Canon of the Saint.

Light of heaven, blaze out from below more brightly than the sun; and earth give ear to the words of the living God; for the Father will bear witness on mount Thabor to the One transfigured, of his Sonship.

Then the Triode of the Forefeast.

To sight a mortal, but God in hiddenness, Christ ascends Thabor to lay bare the radiance of his Godhead by the splendours of his glory which shines more brightly than the sun.

Both now. Theotokion.

Christ knowingly now goes forward to appear to Moses and to reveal his ineffable glory on mount Thabor, by conversing with him directly face to face. [5] Let us today with gladness celebrate the forefeast.

Forefeast. Ode 3. O Mother of God.

Ode 1. Tone 4. I will sing to you, Lord my God.

Kathisma of the Saint.

As we, the faithful, celebrate this day of the forefeast of the Transfiguration of Christ our Redeemer, let us clap our hands and sing.

Glory. Both now. Of the Forefeast.

As we have reached the entry of the holy Transfiguration of Christ, let us too blaze with divine changes as we welcome it.

Of the Forefeast. Ode 4. The One seated in glory.

If we possess a high mountain, a heart purified of passions, we shall see the Transfiguration of Christ enlightening our mind.

Of the Saint.

Let us all worship a Trinity of distinct persons, a Unity, a divine nature, the Father without beginning, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Of the Forefeast. Ode 5. The universe was amazed.

Let all of us the faithful sing the praise as truly Mother of God of the blameless Maiden, from whom Christ our God came forth in the flesh without change.

Of the Saint.

You, the Master of all creation, appeared having taken the form of a servant, [6] in which you revealed the unapproachable brightness of your Godhead to the Disciples, as far as they could look upon it.

Of the Forefeast. Ode 6. Come, godly-minded people.

Christ the sun of glory hastens to blaze forth on the mountain and to darken by his light the beacon which shines from on high. Made radiant by his beams, let us today celebrate the forefeast.

Of the Saint.

About to fulfil the words of eternal life Christ is present; as by deeds he shows that he was well-pleased for his friends to recognize in himself the Father’s glory blazing forth.

Kontakion of the Forefeast.

Tone 4. Today you have appeared.

Another, of the Saint.

The Sun of glory has appeared, has blazed forth the rays of the Godhead to those in darkness, [7] as he goes up to Thabor. Let us honour his light-bearing coming.

Of the Forefeast. Ode 7. The godlike Youths.

The heavenly choir joins in gladness those on earth and feasts in advance the shining out of the Giver of light, which he will make to blaze beyond compare, surpassing the mortal form on Thabor; as he was well-pleased.

Of the Saint.

By your coming as God and man you spoke with men, and by a multitude of wonders you mystically illumined the world, by the blazing glory of your Godhead you shone forth supremely on Thabor with unapproachable light.

Forefeast. Ode 8. The Offspring of the Mother of God.

Jesus, the offspring of Nave, of old stopped the sun, [8] prefiguring the day of the divine Passion; while you, Saviour and Lord, before your honoured Cross, hid the brightness of the sun with the radiance of your Face.

Of the Saint.

Rejoicing in the Lord, let us faithfully follow him; for see, he is going up to the mount, taking with him the chosen initiates, to whom he will show his glory as he shines more brightly than the sun with unapproachable beauty.

Triode of the Forefeast. Christ the King.

Let heaven shine more radiantly today; for see, Christ will ascend the mount, from where he will blaze with infinite light, as giver of light darkening the rays of the sun with the glory of the Godhead.

Both now. Theotokion.

Christ shows his Disciples a mystery on Thabor as with his face he shines beyond radiance, and through the raiment of his garments he becomes shining white as snow, [9] the One who is clothed in light as in a garment, [10] as the Psalmist says.

Of the Forefeast. Ode 9. Let all born of earth.

Making ready for his friends the bridal chamber of glory of the joy to come Christ ascends the mountain, bringing them up from a lowly life on earth to a way of life high above the world.

Of the Saint.

Astonishing the minds of the Disciples, Christ made the radiance of heaven blaze out on earth, placing beside him in the manner of servants the leaders of the Law and the Prophets, by whom, both dead and living, [11] God is witnessed to.

Triode of the Forefeast. You that knew not wedlock

Christ the lamp now begins to appear in a parched place with the rays of the divine lightning. Let us journey towards his brilliance, rejoicing in the radiance of his face.

Both now. Theotokion.

Tone 4. Today you have appeared.

Exapostilarion.

In the divine Transfiguration all mortal nature divinely shines forth today, as with gladness it cries: Christ is transfigured, saving all.

Of the Forefeast. With the Disciples let us go.

On the 5th of the month, Forefeast of the holy Transfiguration of our Lord and God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and commemoration of the holy Martyr Efsignios.

They execute Efsignios, Christ’s friend,

Who cries until the blow: To Christ my worship!

And on the fifth of the month Efsignios’ head with dust mingled.

On the same day Saints Kattidios and Kattidianos, Martyrs and blood brothers, died by being stoned.

They piled up lofty hills of stones, O Christ,

By means of which two brothers climbed to you.

On the same day Saint Nonna, the mother of St Gregory the Divine, died in peace.

Fair offspring to fair Nonna in her death

Gives a fair speech of burial, his words.

On the same day Saint Soleb the Egyptian was pierced by an arrow and died.

If backwards, Soleb, you should spell your name,

‘Belos’ you’ll get, instrument of your end.

On the same day the holy Bishop and Martyr Fabius (or Fabian), Bishop of Rome, died by the sword.

Fabius lies dead, Christ’s sacrificing priest,

New sacrifice offered to Christ by sword.

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

Let us now follow Christ as he leads the chosen Disciples to a height of soul far above the world, as we contemplate strange sights. Filled with amazement let us cry out with them: Blessed are you, O God!

Having cleansed sullied mortal nature by water and fire, [12] in your own flesh, you show, O Saviour, its splendour by your face, as you shine more brightly than the sun, as a figure of the glory to come.

Let us go up with Christ to the holy mountain, as he takes with him the sons of Zebedee and Peter, the leader, whom he chose as witnesses of his own glory as they cried: Blessed are you, O God!

Who would not be amazed, O Word, Sovereign of all, at the majesty of your glory? Which, when transfigured, you showed to your friends as you surrounded them with divine splendours. With them make us who sing your praise radiant by your light, as we celebrate the forefeast.

Grant the height of a heavenly way of life and the divine brilliance of the eternal glory to your servants, who now celebrate the radiant festival of your Transfiguration; on which, blazing with light, you make radiant those who sing your praise, Christ the giver of light.

You are light and giver of unapproachable [13] and eternal light, Lord without beginning, who wrap yourself in light as in a garment; you shed light on the world when you came with flesh; and you blaze with light on the mountain revealing the imprint of the Father’s glory.

The present day of the radiant Transfiguration of the Lord, shining beforehand on the world, urges us to cry out: All you his works praise and highly exalt Christ to the ages.

Come, believers, let us go towards the holy mountain, to see the all-radiant Transfiguration of Christ; for it illumines all who glorify it to the ages.

Today let us go in advance to meet the Transfiguration of Christ with pure heart, and let us cry to him: All you his works, praise and highly exalt him to all the ages.

The one Godhead in three persons which is proclaimed together, Father, Son and all-holy Spirit, all you works praise and highly exalt to all the ages.

O fearsome wonder! How is a virgin, child of God, a mother and how does she give birth to the Master of heaven and earth? Him then, all you his works, praise and highly exalt to all the ages!

Heaven rejoices as it now perceives dawning from earth the unsetting Sun, which is about to dim the radiance of the sun by divine glory. Earth dances radiantly, resplendent with heavenly brightness it becomes light.

David in psalms foretold your Transfiguration: Who will be likened to you, Lord, he said, among the sons of God? For you are glorified in the counsels of the Saints, you appeared great among those around you, [14] fearful in the glory of your divine form.

O Word of God, wisdom and power and imprint [15] of the Father. O God, so known to believers and acknowledged as man, count us worthy to celebrate the radiant festival of your Transfiguration, and to shine out with the light of good works.

As we celebrate this day which precedes your all-glorious and all-shining Transfiguration, Lord, in hymns we magnify you.

Transformed to the fair transformation by the Transfiguration of Christ, let us be found shining with light by our good deeds as we magnify it.

Standing at the threshold of the glorious Transfiguration of the Lord, let us be made spiritually radiant in our minds as we magnify it.

Essence in Trinity and Unity, with all authority, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in hymns we magnify you.

Most holy Mother of God, higher than the hosts on high, O alone pure of all creation, in hymns we magnify you.

We who desire wholly the divine glory, let us cut away the fog of what is earthly and fleshly, as raised high above earth we ascend mount Thabor; and let us hasten to be found worthy to share with Moses and Elias and the princes of the Apostles in the divine and unapproachable radiance, receiving light by light.