Canon of the Apostle Bartholemew

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 Apostle Titus, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “Seeking the highest…”—

Sessional hymn of the Apostle Bartholemew, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Of the divine…”—

Theotokion: God the Word Who, in manner past recounting, was well-pleased to be born of thee in the flesh, O pure Virgin Mother, chose the glorious Bartholemew as His disciple and close servant.

Those held fast by deception, and madly enshrouded in the gloom of ungodliness to their detriment, have found thee to be a mighty consolation, a light and deliverance from evils, O all-wise Bartholemew.

Irmos: Neither in wisdom, nor in power, nor yet in riches do we boast, but in Thee, O Christ, the hypostatic Wisdom of the Father; for none is holy save Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

Kontakion of the Apostle Bartholemew, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Thou hast appeared today…”—

Glory…: Sessional hymn of the Apostle Titus, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “Of the Wisdom…”—

Theotokion: He Who was born of thee in the flesh hath made thee holier than the angels and more exalted than all creation; wherefore, we honor thee as the Mistress of all.

Thou wast the mouth of God the Word, O glorious Apostle Bartholemew, and hast delivered men from the mouth of the wicked wolf, bringing them to thy Master through the font of baptism.

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!

Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Having burned up the bitter tinder of falsehood with thy fiery tongue, O all-wise one, thou hast restored hardened hearts and made them receptive to heavenly understanding.

Irmos: Seated in glory upon the throne of the Godhead, Jesus most divine hath come on a light cloud, and with His incorrupt arm hath saved those who cry: Glory to Thy power, O Christ!

Theotokion: In that thou gavest birth ineffably to the ineffably great wealth of ­loving-kindness, O pure one, with divine gifts enrich us who have become paupers through sin.

Not by wisdom didst thou render foolish those who were attentive thereto, O blessed one; rather by an understanding of the Truth thou didst drive away the blindness of the souls of those who have recourse unto thee.

Irmos: All things are filled with awe at thy divine glory; for thou, O Virgin who hast not known wedlock, didst contain within thy womb Him Who is God over all, and gavest birth to the timeless Son, granting peace unto all who hymn thee.

Theotokion: The holy Theotokos is called blessed, in that she is the undefiled tabernacle, the portal of the Light, the altar and golden jar, the unquarried mountain densely wooded, for she contained the Creator.

With the scythe of God thou didst clear the inheritance of the nations, the furrow choked with the thorns of ungodliness, sowing therein the seed of understanding.

Irmos: The ungodly perceive not Thy glory, O Christ; but, waking at dawn out of the night, we hymn Thee, O Only-begotten One Who lovest mankind, Thou effulgence of the glory of the Father’s divinity.

Theotokion: Rejoicing, I truly glorify thee, the all-pure Mother of God, and I cry out to thee like the angel, O blessed one full of joy, awesome report and saying, thou strange receptacle of the Master of creation.

Preaching the one Godhead in three Persons, O blessed one, thou didst drive away the gloom of polytheism, leading the ends of the earth to divine understanding.

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.

Theotokion: Adorned with divine acts, with pure mind let us honor the pure one, the beauty of Jacob, and with piety let us hymn her as the Mother of our God.

Revealed as a companion of Paul, O ever-memorable Apostle Titus, thou recounter of sacred mysteries, with him thou didst preach to us the words of divine grace. Wherefore, we cry out to thee: Cease thou never to pray for us all!

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.

Theotokion: Thou wast a temple of glory and wast shown to be the portal of the Light, the mountain densely wooded, O divinely joyous Virgin Mother, who art hymned by ­prophetic signs.

O Apostle Bartholemew, thou hast been shown to be a treasure of the Church which cannot be stolen, an unshakable pillar of piety; and setting thy path in the sea, thou pourest forth an abyss of divine healings. O right glorious one, entreat Christ God, that He grant us great mercy.

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!

Theotokion: Generations of generations hymn thee, O all-hymned one; for, in manner past recounting, thou gavest birth to the all-hymned Word of God, Whom the ranks of ­angels and men glorify.

Like a star with the sun, thou didst travel with Paul, O all-glorious Titus; and ye manifestly illumined the earth and destroyed the darkness. Settling in the island of Crete, O blessed one, in death thou didst leave thy pangs and discourses behind for all, like never-fading beams of light, O divinely wise one; and, illumined thereby, we piously honor and cry out to thee together: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who honor thy holy memory with love.

Irmos: O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, Who saved the children of Abraham in the fire, slaying the Chaldæans whom justice rightly overtook: blessed art Thou!

Theotokion: Made rich, O pure Theotokos, we, thy servants, ever cry out with faith to thee, our intercessor and insuperable rampart: Rejoice, O bridge leading from the earth to God, O blessed one!

O all-hymned one, most immaculate Bride of the Creator, Mother of the Deliverer, who knewest not man, receptacle of the Comforter: haste thou to deliver me, who am the vile abode of iniquity and in mind am become the plaything of the demons, from their evil wiles; and make me the splendid dwelling-place of the virtues, O radiant one untouched by corruption. Drive away the clouds of the passions and vouchsafe that, by thy supplications, I may receive a portion on high and share in the never-waning light.

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!

Theotokion: Adorned with the virtues, thou hast taken thy place at the right hand of the King of all Who became incarnate of thy blood, O thou who knewest not wedlock, earnestly praying that we be delivered from all need.

Stavrotheotokion—

Irmos: Same as that of the preceding canon .

Theotokion: Circumventing the laws of nature, thou gavest birth yet remained Ever-virgin; for thou didst bear the Word Who, in His surpassing goodness, became man. To Him do we all cry out: Hymn the Lord, ye works, and exalt Him supremely forever!

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

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!

Theotokion: The sword which of old warded me off now giveth way before me, O Virgin, for thou gavest birth to the Word clad in the flesh and understood to be in two natures. Before Him do the ranks of angels tremble, and mortals glorify Him forever.

The sayings of the prophets have received their fulfillment; for the divinely eloquent disciple hath gone as a light to preserve the nations, illumining all the ends of the world.

Irmos: Eve, through weakness, abode under the curse of disobedience; but thou, O Virgin Theotokos, hast put forth blessing for the world through the Offspring of thy child-bearing. Wherefore, we all magnify thee.

Theotokion: Mortify our carnal thoughts, O pure Theotokos, quell the tempest of our passions, still our turmoil, and with divine thoughts make steadfast the hearts of those who honor thee with faith, O our pure unashamed advocate.

Illumined with divine light, O glorious one, thou wast shown to be a secondary luminary by divine communion, ministering from the beginning to Him Who abased Himself to assume flesh for our sake.

Theotokion: By thy mediation, O pure and most immaculate one, loose thou the bonds of my transgressions and destroy the darkness of my soul. O Ever-virgin Mistress, still the tempest of my passions, crush those who make war upon me in vain, and save me.

Deliver thy flock from the storm of sin, from misfortunes and tribulations at the hands of the adversary, O glorious one, ever guiding us to the havens of salvation with grace.

Glory…, Now & ever…: theotokion—

Drawing from inexhaustible treasuries, O most wise and glorious one, thou didst fill hungry minds with a true wealth of understanding, and hast brought life to dead hearts, driving away the darkness of ignorance.

The net of Paul ensnared thee by the grace of providence, O Titus, and in time thou didst diligently draw many nations forth from the depths of deception into piety with the hook of thy discourse.

Following the glorious and godly Paul like a lamb, O divinely eloquent one, thou didst drive away the wolves of evil. Thou hast cast the temples of the idols to the ground and made men temples of God.

Acquiring beautiful feet through thy preaching, thou didst proclaim the glad tidings unto all, O blessed one, and didst announce peace to the world, banishing the ancient enmity by divine teachings, O apostle of the Savior.

Thy discourse was healing for those who had received the deadly venom of the serpent, O Bartholemew; and, in accordance with the prophecy, the ground of the impious split asunder at the proclamation of thine all-wise doctrines.

Traversing the unfathomable depths upborne on the crests of the waves of the sea, with the divine martyrs, O Apostle Bartholemew, thou didst arrive at the island of Lipari, pouring forth abundant life upon a man many days dead.

Like an excellent physician and as a minister of grace, thou didst bind up the fœtid and evil wounds of the souls of the gentiles, O blessed one, with the sweet salt of thy divine ­discourses.

Meekly submitting to the precepts of Paul, O all-wise and most honored herald of God, with him thou didst travel about the world, proclaiming words of understanding.

Teaching the Word Who is equally active and equally enthroned with the Father, O divinely eloquent one, as one wise thou didst subdue the vain-minded ones, causing them to cast aside all the falsehood of idolatry.

In thy radiant teachings, O apostle, thou wast a ray of the Sun Who shone forth in the flesh upon the world, driving away the night of the darkness of polytheism.

Thou didst explain to the people the salvation wrought by God Who, in His surpassing goodness, manifested Himself in the likeness of the flesh, O Bartholemew, preacher and apostle to the nations.

Thou didst have thy path in the sea and didst make thy way through the waters, O blessed apostle; and thy steps were perceived therein through the Spirit, as David foretold.

Paul, the never-setting sun of the world, emitteth thee like a ray of splendor, O blessed one, illumining the hearts of those who sit in the darkness of ignorance.

Full of life-giving waters, O blessed one, with the streams of thy divine teachings thou dost wash away the torrents of ignorance, watering the assemblies of the nations.

Thou hast appeared to the Church as a great sun, O Bartholemew, apostle of the Lord, illumining with the radiance of doctrines and with awesome wonders those who hymn thee.

Ikos: Having passed over the earth like a sun of great radiance, illumining it with the rays of thy discourses, thou didst set, dying a martyr’s death; and with the splendor which issueth forth from thy tomb thou didst dispel the darkness of the passions. Wherefore, those consumed with envy, driving thee like the sun toward the West, O passion-bearer, set thee afloat on the sea; and a wonder most great was beheld in thee, who in awesome manner sailed the depths of the sea in a wondrous voyage, O Bartholemew, apostle of the Lord.

Mankind, rendered foolish through wickedness, O all-glorious one, didst thou heal with the sweet savor of thy words; and thou didst give them the faith to chant: O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Like heaven all-high, with an exalted voice as a divine apostle thou dost noetically proclaim the glory of God, to Whom we cry: O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Having woven a robe of divine grace, O blessed one, thou hast clothed those who have been cruelly stripped bare through the malice of the serpent, and hast given them the faith to chant; O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Teaching men to hymn the one Godhead and to worship the one Dominion, Titus converted from the madness of polytheism those who piously exclaim: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Instructed by thee, O disciple and recounter of ineffable mysteries, those dead in soul who worshipped inanimate matter came to acknowledge God, the Bestower of life, Who was put to death for our sake.

As a servant of the Truth, thou wast shown to be a dispeller of falsehood, O glorious one; and as a disciple of Paul, thou didst endure persecutions and tribulations, chanting with him: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Irrigated by divine streams, thou didst issue forth, like a river from Eden, to water the world with thy teachings, drying up the waters of falsehood by grace, and crying out: Hymn the Lord and exalt Him supremely forever!

The Word, having taught thee heavenly discourse as a divine theologian, loosed thee like a heavenly arrow upon the world, wounding the assemblies of the enemy, O glorious one, and saving those who with faith hymn and exalt Him supremely forever.

Thou wast shown to be like a mountain which letteth fall divine sweetness, O right laudable one; and after thy death thou didst set thy path in the sea, sailing under divine power, undrowned by its depths, O valiant athlete, but being upborne thereby.

With the sprinkling of thy blood thou didst quench the alien fire of falsehood; and sickness was driven out and demons vanished at thine entreaty to God, O Apostle Titus. Wherefore, we praise thee as a divine favorite of Christ, the King of all.

Wholly consecrated to God and adorned with divine graces, O Titus, thou didst explain unto all the word of salvation which hath delivered us who with true faith bless and exalt Christ supremely forever.

As a most pure receptacle of the Light thou hast illumined the world with divine radiance, O right wondrous Titus; and thou hast cast into darkness the opposition of the iniquitous foe, hymning and exalting the Lord for all ages.

Today the choir of the apostles doth celebrate the feast of thy memory: the martyrs and the ranks of all the righteous rejoice. And we, the faithful, honor thee with hymns and cry aloud: O disciple of Christ, deliver us from all grief!

Receiving thy blessed end on a cross, O glorious one, thou didst emulate the sufferings of thy Teacher, sharing in His radiance and divine glory, and ever standing before Him with the angels, counted worthy of ineffable light.

The all-radiant and right harmonious day of thy memory hath dawned, illumining all, O wise Bartholemew, eye-witness of Christ; and thereon we entreat thee: Remember us all, delivering us by thy supplications from all adversity and every evil circumstance.

Bearing all thy love and hope to the Deliverer, O apostle, Paul took thee along as his companion, preaching the sacred Gospel to the nations with thee. Wherefore, we honor thee with him.

Thou drivest away the ailments of the faithful and expellest demons by divine grace. And the great city of Crete hath acquired thee as its divine primate and a luminary of heavenly radiance, O divinely wise and right laudable Titus.

Thy memory hath shone forth upon us like the sun, and, adorned most splendidly with the radiance of the Spirit, it dispelleth the clouds from our souls. O most blessed and right laudable Titus, preserve us who celebrate it with faith.

O ye faithful, let us all glorify Bartholemew and Titus, the receptacles of the Light, the immutable rays of the never-waning day, the brilliant flashes of lightning.

With thy mighty protection, O pure one, preserve all of us, thy servants, unharmed by the assault of the enemy; for thee alone do we have as our refuge amid perils.