Ode III

Irmos: Thy Church rejoiceth in Thee, O Christ, crying aloud: Thou art my strength, O Lord, my refuge and my consolation!

Glory..., Now and ever...: Theotokion—

Sessional hymn, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel: “Of the wisdom...”—

The sores of thy soul stank and festered; but by the fountain of thy tears thou didst fervently cleanse them.

Theotokion: Having thee as her intercessor, salvation and strength, O pure one, the honored Mary bowed down in worship before the Tree of the holy Cross.

Legions of demons were vanquished by thee, and thou didst rout the uprisings of the passions with thy tears.

Thou hast become like a cloud of the morning and like a trickling droplet providing the waters of saving repentance for all.

Restraining all the uprisings of the flesh with the pangs of fasting, thou didst show forth the manly wisdom of thy soul; for, desiring to behold the form of the Cross, O ever-memorable one, thou didst crucify thyself to the world, and hence didst fervently raise thyself up to zeal for a life undefiled, O most blessed and all-glorious Mary. Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who with love honor thy holy memory.

All of us, the generations of men, bless thee as the Virgin who, alone among women, gave birth without seed unto God in the flesh; for the fire of the Godhead made its abode within thee, and thou hast given suck unto the Creator and Lord as a babe. Wherefore, we, the race of angels and men, glorify thine all-holy birthgiving as is meet, and cry out to thee together: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of offenses unto those who with faith worship thine all-holy Offspring.

Stavrotheotokion—

The ewe-lamb, beholding the Lamb, Shepherd and Deliverer upon the Cross, cried out, weeping and, bitterly lamenting, exclaimed: “The world rejoiceth, receiving deliverance through Thee; but my womb doth burn, beholding Thy crucifixion, which Thou dost endure in the loving-kindness of Thy mercy. O long-suffering Lord, Abyss of mercy, inexhaustible Wellspring: take pity and grant remission of offenses unto those who with faith hymn Thy divine sufferings!”