Ode 9. Mother of God most High.

> **I**s there any who would not marvel, Protomartyr, at your indomitable courage? For having tamed the passions, wild beasts of the mind, you did not quail before the impotent assaults of wild beasts, but remained in their midst unharmed.

> **E**ven the sheer untrodden rock was rent by God’s command for the god-bearing Martyr, sealed as God’s bride by the bath of rebirth; and like a bridal chamber for the fugitive it received her in its arms.

> **D**octor the bruises of my soul, First Champion; crown the world with peace, giving victories to our faithful Sovereign against hostile barbarians and peace to the Churches by your supplications.

> **S**overeign Lady, slay my sin that still lives, give life to the death of soul by the force of the true Life born from your womb through ineffable compassion for those who devoutly magnify you.

> The source for this Canonby St John of Damascus, as for the other texts of the feast, is the Acts of Paul and Thekla. This is an ancient apocryphal text which probably dates from the middle of the second century. It was known to Tertullian and exists in numerous Greek manuscripts and in many versions, Latin, Coptic, Syriac and Armenian. The most recent English version is to be found in J.K. Elliot’s The Apocryphal New Testament .

> In order to preserve the acrostic of this Canon, I have used the Greek word martys, rather than the English martyr.

> For the full text of the office of Saint Thekla, go to .