Song of Ascents, the first antiphon of Tone IV
After the first chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Thou hast appeared today…”—
Like most magnificent stars ye ever enlighten the firmament of the honored Church and illumine the faithful, O divine martyrs, warriors of Christ.
Glory…, Now & ever…: theotokion—
On “God is the Lord…”, the troparion of the saints, twice . Glory…, Now & ever…: theotokion.
After the second chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Having been lifted up upon the Cross…”—
O all-pure Virgin, thou receivest entreaty from us who have recourse to thy protection. Cease thou never to entreat Him Who loveth mankind, that He save thy servants.
Glory…, Now & ever…: theotokion—
Canon of Supplication to the Theotokos [the Paraklysis], with 6 troparia, including the irmos; and that of the martyrs, with 8 troparia, in Tone IV—
After the Polyeleos, this sessional hymn, in Tone VIII—
Enduring your torment with manly mind, O wondrous athletes, ye passed through fire and water, and crossed over to the broad plain of salvation, receiving your inheritance, the kingdom of heaven, wherein ye offer up divine entreaties for us, O wise and great martyrs.
Glory…, Now & ever…: theotokion—
O Mistress, with thanksgiving we hymn thee with all our heart and earnestly entreat thy mercy for thy servants who cry out, saying: Go thou before us and deliver us from enemies visible and invisible, and from every threat, for thou, O Virgin Theotokos, art our help.
Polyeleos, and this magnification—
We magnify you, O holy martyrs Anthony, John and Eustathius, and we reverence your honored sufferings, which ye endured for Christ.
Selected Psalm verses—
A Our God is refuge and strength. [Ps. 45: 2]
B A helper in afflictions which mightily befall us. [Ps. 45: 2]
A Therefore shall we not fear when the earth be shaken. [Ps. 45: 3]
B O God, who shall be likened unto Thee? Be Thou not silent, neither be still, O God. [Ps. 82: 2]
A For behold, Thine enemies have made a noise, and they that hate Thee have lifted up their heads. [Ps. 82: 3]
B Against Thy people have they taken wicked counsel, and have conspired against Thy saints. [Ps. 82: 4]
A They have made the dead bodies of Thy servants to be food for the birds of heaven. [Ps. 78: 2]
B The flesh of Thy saints for the beasts of the earth. [Ps. 78: 2]
A They have poured out their blood like water. [Ps. 78: 3]
B For Thy sake we are slain all the day long. [Ps. 43: 23]
A We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. [Ps. 43: 23]
B Thou hast made us a byword among the nations. [Ps. 43: 15]
A And I became a man scourged all the day long. [Ps. 72: 14]
B By fire hast Thou tried us even as silver is tried by fire. [Ps. 65: 11]
A We went through fire and water, and Thou didst bring us out into refreshment. [Ps. 65: 12]
B Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous. [Ps. 31: 11]
A For the Lord is in the generation of the righteous. [Ps. 13: 5]
B And their inheritance shall be for ever. [Ps. 36: 18]
A The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them. [Ps. 33: 18]
B A light hath dawned forth for the righteous man, and gladness for the upright of heart. [Ps. 96: 11]
A In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be. [Ps. 111: 6]
B In the saints that are in His earth hath the Lord been wondrous; He hath wrought all His desires in them. [Ps. 15: 3]
A Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel. [Ps. 67: 36]
B The righteous man shall flourish like a palm tree, and like a cedar in Lebanon shall he be multiplied. [Ps. 91: 13]
A The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in Him. [Ps. 63: 11]
B And all the upright in heart shall be praised. [Ps. 63: 11]
Glory…, Now & ever… Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. Thrice
Bound, ye were led forth by the enemy and subjected to long imprisonment, yet were ye preserved by your faith and remained unharmed; and, though your bodies were cut in pieces by the sword, O holy ones, ye have manifestly been bound together by divine desire. Wherefore, ye have shone forth in the world like lamps, illumining all with the grace of the Spirit. O blessed passion-bearers, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who with love celebrate your holy memory.
All of us, the generations of men, call thee blessed, in that thou, O Virgin, alone among women, gavest birth without seed unto God in the flesh; for the fire of the Godhead dwelt within thee, and thou gavest suck to the Creator and Lord as a babe. Wherefore, we, the race of angels and men, glorify thine all-holy birthgiving and together cry out to thee: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of offenses unto those who with faith worship thine all-holy birthgiving.
Prokimenon, in Tone IV—
The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them, and He delivered them out of all their tribulations.
Stichos: Many are the tribulations of the righteous, and the Lord shall deliver them out of them all.
Let every breath praise the Lord.
Gospel according to Matthew, §36 [10:16-22]
The Lord said to His disciples: Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI—
Come, ye who love the feasts of the Church, let us rejoice in the Lord on the day of the commemoration of the passion-bearers! Come, let us chant, mystically praising the athletes of Christ who committed the falsehood of idolatry to perdition and manifestly proclaimed Christ in the midst of the tribunal. Wherefore, O most blessed ones who suffered greatly, cease not to pray for our souls.
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.