Ode 9. The Irmos.

Exapostilarion.

Glory. Both now.

**Theotokion.**

A stone, the head of the corner, cut without hands, Christ was cut from you, O Virgin, mountain unhewn, uniting the separated natures: therefore rejoicing, Mother of God, we magnify you.

From Christ we have learnt a new and fresh way of life: let us all strive diligently to keep it to the end, that we may enjoy the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Giver of Life, you have clothed my mortality with the cloak of immortality and the grace of incorruption; you have raised it with yourself and brought it to the Father, ending my age-long war.

Invited once again to the heavenly way of life by the power of the mediation of him who emptied himself even to taking the form of a slave, and raised us up, let us fittingly magnify him.

All we faithful, trusting in you, O Virgin, honour you with words of praise, as root and source and cause of incorruption: for you made the empersonned immortality blossom for us.

Alien to mothers.

At the mid-point of the feast of the Jews you came, my Saviour, to your temple, and you taught all: but the Jews marvelled, and said: Whence does this man know letters, never having learned?

Pouring out gifts of healings, my Redeemer performed signs and wonders, banishing diseases, healing the sick; but the Jews were maddened by the multitude of his wonders.

My Redeemer confounding the unbelieving Jews cried out: Do not judge by appearances; but judge just judgement: for the Law orders every man to be circumcised even on the Sabbath.

You granted your Disciples greater marvels, O Saviour, as you had promised, when you sent them to proclaim your glory to the nations: while they began to proclaim to the world your Resurrection, your grace and your incarnation.

If you circumcise a man on the Sabbath, yet the law is in no way violated; why do you upbraid me because I made a man whole with a word? You judge according to the flesh, says Christ to the Jews.

O Word, who cured the withered hand with a word, cure the long withered land of my heart, and make me fruitful, that I too, Saviour, may produce fruits by fervent repentance.

Purify my leprous heart, O Word, and give light to the eyes of my soul; stand me upright, who am lying on a bed of pain, as you raised the Paralytic as he lay on his bed.

Alien it is to the lawless to honour the Trinity without beginning, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the uncreated omnipotence, through which the whole universe is established by the might of Its strength.

You contained within your womb, Virgin Mother, one of the Trinity, Christ the Giver of life, whom all creation hymns, before whom tremble all the thrones above; beseech him, all blessed one, that our souls may be saved.

Alien to mothers is virginity, and foreign to virgins is child-bearing: in you Mother of God both are effected. Therefore all the tribes of the earth unceasingly call you blest.

You hold the bowl of inexhaustible gifts, grant that I may draw water for the forgiveness of sins; for I am afflicted with thirst, O only compassionate and pitying. (

**Twice**) ****

At Lauds we insert 4 verses and we sing the following Prosomia:

Tone 4.

The Wisdom and power and brightness of the Father, the eternal Word and Son of God came in the flesh to the Temple and taught the fierce, ungrateful peoples of the Jews; and they marvelled at his wealth of wisdom and cried out: Whence does he know letters, never having learned from anyone? (

The Lord Messias silenced the scribes and confounded the Jews when he cried to them: Lawless ones, do not, as unjust, judge by appearances. For on the Sabbath I raised the Paralytic: therefore I am Lord of the Sabbath and the Law. Why do you seek to slay me, who raise the dead?

The fierce and lawless, the ungrateful assembly of the Jews, stoned Moses, sawed Isaias in two with a wooden saw, cast Jeremy the wise into a pit, but the Lord they raised on a Cross and cried out: You who destroy the temple, save yourself, and we will believe.

**By Anatolios.**

Brethren, enlightened by the Resurrection of the Saviour Christ, and having reached the mid-point of the Master’s feast, let us genuinely keep God’s commandments, that we may be worthy to feast the Assumption and reach the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Great Doxology and Dismissal.