Canon of the Feast

Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “The heaven with stars…”—

Irmos: O Theotokos, thou living and abundant fountain: in thy divine glory establish those who hymn thee and spiritually form themselves into a choir; and vouchsafe unto them crowns of glory.

Kontakion of the martyr, in Tone II—

Standing before the Lord in prayer, like a star preceding the sun, thou didst gain sight of the desired treasure of the kingdom, full of ineffable joy; and for ages without end, O general Andrew, thou dost unceasingly sing to the immortal King with the angels. With them pray thou continually for us all.

The choir of the divine apostles assembled to bury thee with all honor, O most pure Theotokos; and with them the ranks of angels hymned thy repose, crying out with all praise. Leaping up together with joy, O pure one, we, the faithful, offer laudation unto thee with voices of hymnody, and we exclaim: Rejoice, O intercessor of those who ever honor thee!

Sessional hymn of the martyr, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Thy tomb, O Savior…”—

At the aposticha, these stichera, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “O house of Ephratha…”—

Theotokion: O most immaculate Virgin Mistress, thou gavest birth to the Lord of all Who delivereth men from the tyranny of the enemy.

Having issued forth from a mortal womb, O pure one, thou didst receive an end conforming to nature; but, having given birth unto Him Who is Life, Thou hast been translated to the divine and hypostatic Life.

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

Kontakion of the feast, in Tone II—

Glory…, Now & ever…: Sessional hymn of the feast, in the same tone: Spec. Mel.: “When the stone had been sealed…”—

The council of the divine disciples and apostles assembled to bury the God-receiving body of the only Mother of God.

Theotokion: O all-immaculate one, thou boast of the martyrs and salvation of the faithful, all of us, the generations of men, praise thee; for thou gavest birth to God, remaining an incorrupt Virgin.

At the behest of the Almighty, the choir of theologians journeyed from the ends of the earth, and multitudes of angels came from on high to Sion, to minister at thy burial as was meet, O Mistress.

Irmos: Perceiving the inscrutable counsel of God — the Incarnation of Thee, the Most High, from the Virgin — the Prophet ­Habbakuk cried aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Stichos: Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy holiness.

Theotokion: The weaponry of the enemy hath utterly failed, O Theotokos, since thou gavest birth to Him Who was wounded by the spear and hath restored the world.

Sailing the deep of temptation with the mast of the Cross, O glorious one, with the streams of thy blood thou didst drown the enemy.

Irmos: Beholding Thee lifted up upon the Cross, O Sun of righteousness, the Church stood rooted in place, crying out as is meet: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

O Master Who shone forth ineffably from her as her Son, take into Thy hands the most holy spirit of the Theotokos.

Theotokion: Ineffably thou gavest birth to Him Who with the Father is equally without beginning, and Who, in manner past understanding and recounting, made Himself like unto men, O Theotokos. Him do thou beseech, that thy servants be delivered from misfortunes.

Thou wast glorified as an excellent victor, O martyr, overcoming the stumbling-blocks of the deceiver and his machinations.

Irmos: All things are filled with awe at thine honored dormition; for thou, O Virgin who hast not known wedlock, hast passed from earth to the everlasting mansions, and to never-ending life, bestowing salvation upon all who hymn thee.

Stichos: The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, and He will not annul it.

Theotokion: Blessed art thou among women, O all-immaculate Virgin Mistress, who by thy divine birthgiving hast manifestly deified human nature and hast ineffably given flesh to God.

Adorned with a crown of splendor, O martyr of Christ, thou ever standest in joy with the chosen martyrs.

Irmos: Thou hast come, O my Lord, as a light into the world: a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance those who hymn Thee with faith.

When thou didst pass over to Him Who had been born of thee, O Virgin, the apostles descended on clouds to bury thy body.

Theotokion: O holy Virgin Who gavest birth in holiness to the all-holy god, Whom all the holy martyrs confessed at the tribunal: send down sanctity and enlightenment upon us who cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Strengthening thy soul with manliness, O martyr, thou didst destroy the mighty savagery of the enemy, and, rejoicing, didst suffer and please God. Wherefore, we all celebrate thine all-holy memory with gladness of heart, O Andrew who art most rich.

Irmos: Celebrating this divine and most honored festival of the Mother of God, come, ye divinely wise, let us clap our hands and glorify God Who was born of her.

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone V—

Theotokion: Bearing in thine arms Christ Who holdeth all things in His hand, O Mistress, entreat Him, that He deliver me from the hand of the alien, for I unceasingly magnify thee with Orthodox faith.

A wonder was it to see the animate heaven of the King of all, which surpasseth the barren places of the earth. How wondrous are Thy works! Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Irmos: I will sacrifice to Thee with a voice of praise, O Lord, the Church crieth unto Thee, cleansed of the blood of demons by the blood which, for mercy’s sake, flowed from Thy side.

O ye people, hymn ye, hymn ye the Mother of our God! For today she committeth her most radiant soul into the all-pure hands of Him Who became incarnate of her without seed. And she entreateth Him unceasingly, that He grant peace and great mercy to the whole world.

If her unapproachable Fruit, through Whom the heavens arose, chose of His own will to accept burial as a mortal, how can she, who gave birth to Him without knowing wedlock, refuse burial?

Irmos: The divinely wise youths worshipped not a creation rather than the Creator, but, manfully trampling the threat of the fire ­underfoot, they rejoice, chanting: Blessed art Thou, the all-hymned God of our fathers!

At thy repose, O Mother of God, with trembling and joy the armies of the angels covered with their sacred wings thy most spacious body, which had held God.

Irmos: The children of Abraham in the Persian furnace, afire with love of piety more than with the flame, cried out: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord!

Having acquired thee as a mighty rampart, O all-wise one, the Church is shown to be unbroken by the assaults of the adversary, crying aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Irmos: The birthgiving of the Theotokos saved the pious children in the furnace — then in figure, but now in deed — and it moveth all the world to chant to Thee: Hymn ye the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Having fortified the regiment of the martyrs with divine teachings, O glorious one, as a general thou didst in nowise spare thyself when thy body was being broken.

Irmos: Stretching forth his hands, Daniel shut the lions’ mouths in the pit; and the young lovers of piety, girded about with virtue, quenched the power of the fire, crying out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Having armed thyself with courage as with a sword, O all-blessed Andrew, thou didst destroy the enemy with the precious Cross as with a two-edged sword, in that thou art a most valiant general.

Irmos: Let every mortal leap for joy, enlightened by the Spirit; and let the nature of the incorporeal intelligences keep festival, honoring the sacred feast of the Mother of God, and let them cry aloud: Rejoice, O most blessed Theotokos, pure Ever-virgin!

We praise thee as a champion of the Faith, an invincible athlete, a partaker of the splendor of heaven, a wellspring pouring forth the waters of miracles for those in need.

Irmos: Christ, the Chief Cornerstone uncut by human hands, Who united the two disparate natures, was cut from thee, the unquarried mountain, O Virgin. Wherefore, in gladness we magnify thee, O Theotokos.

Let the clarions of the theologians trumpet forth today, and let the eloquent tongues of men now render praise; let the air resound, shining with boundless light, and let the angels hymn the dormition of the all-pure Virgin.

It was fitting for thee, O most lauded Virgin Theotokos, to be the chosen vessel, which is wholly marvelled at in hymnody at thy departure, wholly consecrated to God, divinely pleasing unto all, and truly shown to be such.

As the namesake of true manliness, O most blessed Andrew, thou didst rout thine enemies and utterly destroy them.

Thou ever pourest forth the waters of healing upon the faithful, O all-praised one, enriching them with the saving grace of the Spirit.

The fame of thy miracles and thine honored martyrdom hath truly gone through all the earth, O divinely inspired one, like the radiance of the grace of God.

From thee did Life shine forth, leaving intact the seal of thy virginity. How, therefore, hast thine all-pure and life-giving body been permitted to be tempted by death?

As the temple of Life, thou didst attain life everlasting; for, having given birth to the hypostatic Life, thou didst pass through death on to life.

By thy pangs thou didst break the sting of the evil one and, rejoicing, didst pass over to the glory which is devoid of pain, O martyr Andrew, commander of regiments of honored martyrs.

Thou didst exchange a little blood for the splendor of everlasting glory, joy which never faileth, heavenly crowns and never-waning radiance.

Having assembled a vast army, O blessed martyr, thou didst enroll in the choirs of the angels those who suffered with thee; and ye stand in joy before the Master of all.

The tomb and mortality could not hold the Theotokos, who is untiring in her supplications and our certain hope in her intercessions. For, as the Mother of Life, she hath passed over to the Life Who dwelt within her ever-virgin womb.

Ikos: Guard thou my thoughts, O my Christ, for I make bold to hymn the bulwark of the world, Thy pure Mother. Establish me firmly in the bastion of my words, and help me in the midst of difficult thoughts; for Thou fulfillest the entreaties of those who cry out and ask with faith. Wherefore, grant unto me a deft tongue and a ready mind, for every good deed of enlightenment cometh down from Thee, O Bestower of light, Who dwelt within her ever-virgin womb.

Honoring the memory of the Mother of God, O youths and virgins, elders and princes, kings and judges, chant ye: O Lord and God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Let the mountains of heaven sound the trumpet of the Spirit! Let the hills rejoice and the divine apostles dance! The Queen passeth over to her Son, reigning with Him!

The most sacred repose of Thy divine and incorrupt Mother hath united the celestial ranks of the exalted hosts to rejoice with those on earth, chanting unto Thee: Blessed art Thou, O God!

With the streams of thy blood thou didst cause to flow forth a wellspring which truly healeth all manner of infirmities for those who approach thee with undoubting faith, O divinely inspired martyr.

O wise martyr, through thy blood thou didst bring an assembly of saints to the all-holy Word, and hast inherited life which groweth not old; with them entreat Christ, Who loveth mankind, in our behalf.

With divine zeal having dyed a robe of purple for thyself in thy blood, O martyr, and clad thyself therein, adorned with a crown of victory thou now reignest with Him Who is King over all.

The principalities, authorities and powers, the angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, the cherubim and the dread seraphim, glorify thy memory, O pure Virgin; and we, the race of men, hymn and exalt it supremely for all ages.

He Who, in manner strange, made His abode, incarnate, within thy pure womb, O Theotokos, receiveth thy most sacred spirit and, as thy Son and One in thy debt, hath given it rest by His side. Wherefore, we hymn and exalt thee supremely for all ages, O Virgin.

O the wonders of the Ever-virgin and Mother of God, which pass understanding! For, taking up her abode in the grave, she hath shown it to be paradise; and standing before it today, rejoicing, we chant: Hymn the Lord, ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Thou didst restrain the onslaught of savage lions by thy brave struggles, O glorious one, didst bring low the arrogance of the ungodly tyrants with divine power, and as a victor hast hastened to the heavens, crying: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Having contended valiantly and finished thy struggle in being beheaded by the sword, thou hast been vouchsafed to behold the splendor of the saints and to dwell in joy, O martyr. And now thou criest out with gladness: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Hastening to the divine temple, let us receive the light of the godly martyr; and ever touching the shrine of his relics with rejoicing and receiving the sanctity of grace imparted thereby, let us cry aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Come ye to Sion, the divine and fertile mountain of the living God, and let us behold the Theotokos; for Christ hath translated her, as His Mother, to the Holy of Holies of a far better and divine tabernacle.

Come, ye faithful, let us approach the tomb of the Mother of God and kiss it with hearts and lips, touching to it your eyes and faces, and drawing gifts of abundant healings from the ever-flowing fountain.

Accept from us a hymn of parting, O Mother of the living God, and with thy light-bearing and divine grace overshadow us, granting victory to Orthodox hierarchs over heresies, and forgiveness to all Christian people who hymn thee, and salvation to their souls.

Lo! the radiant memorial of the passion-bearer hath shone forth brilliantly, dispelling the darkness of the demons and enlightening all the faithful. Let us celebrate it splendidly, magnifying him as is meet.

O Andrew, thou hast been shown to be like the sun amid those who suffered with thee, by thy words guiding them to the never-waning radiance of the splendor of heaven. With them we bless thee with faith.

O martyr Andrew, we magnify thee who dost illumine all creation with the radiance of miracles and art become a pillar of the Church and a foundation for the faithful by thine unwavering martyrdom.

Thou didst blossom forth like a rose in the midst of a garden of athletes, O most wise one, mystically bearing sweet fragrance, gladdening the fullness of the faithful and dispelling the stench of falsehood by divine grace.

O ye apostles, having gathered here from the ends of the earth, bury my body in the Garden of Gethsemane. And do Thou, O my Son and God, receive my spirit!

Glory…, Now & ever…: The foregoing is repeated.