Ode III

Irmos: Thou art the confirmation of those who have recourse to Thee, O Lord; Thou art the light of the benighted; and my spirit doth hymn Thee.

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

Theotokion: Possessed of thine aid, O pure one, I fear not the assaults of the enemy; for, having thee as mine intercessor, I vanquish their hosts.

Moved by the Spirit, O wise one, by endurance thou didst nullify the evil acts of the demons with spiritual acts.

Irmos: O Lord, Fashioner of the vault of heaven and Creator of the Church: establish me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, confirmation of the faithful, Who alone lovest mankind.

Sessional hymn, in Tone II—

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Strengthened with godly power, O venerable Moses, like one of the incorporeal ones thou didst bring low the mighty serpent.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

With the showers of thy tears thou didst extinguish the fiery conflagration of the passions, and wast shown to be a river of spiritual gifts, full to overflowing with the Spirit.

Made rich with divine radiance, thou didst destroy the darkness of the passions, O most blessed one; and by thy vigilant prayers thou didst cause the vaunted reasonings of the flesh to wither away, and hast passed over to the ultimate city on high. O venerable father, entreat Christ God, that He grant us great mercy.

While becoming man in thy womb, the one Lord remained God, unseparated from the divine nature, preserving thee, the Virgin Mother, most immaculate after giving birth, as thou wast before thy birthgiving. Him do thou earnestly beseech, that He grant us great mercy.

Stavrotheotokion—

The undefiled ewe-lamb of the Word, the incorrupt Virgin Mother, beholding suspended upon the Cross Him Who sprang forth from her without pain, lamenting maternally cried out: “Woe is me, O my Child! How is it that Thou dost suffer willingly, desiring to deliver man from the disgrace of the passions?”

The Fashioner of the vault of heaven and the earth created this place and set you therein as good citizens, O thrice-blessed fathers. Reckon us also among your incorrupt community, and pray ye that we may attain unto the desired goal of mercy, we beseech you.

O blessed Agatho, namesake of the proclamation of goodness, adornment of fasters, true prophet, healer of the sick: Tell us, who are insensible, whether the way of iniquity lieth within us, and by thy supplications guide us to the eternal path.

We hymn the wondrous Zeno, who shone forth in fasting, and Macarius, the namesake of blessedness; and for the sake of these two fathers, O Master, we entreat Thee: rescue us from the passions of soul and body, O Thou Who alone lovest mankind.

We glorify Achilles, the minister of the Sacrifice, and in that he is a true faster we set him before Thee, O Christ, to make supplication. For his sake rescue us from slavery to the passions of the belly, and teach us his temperance, O Thou Who alone lovest mankind.

O Hypatius who didst minister unto the infirm, as thou hast the gift of healing the sick by the touch of thy hand, we beseech thee: Visit us from on high who are beset by spiritual infirmities, and save us by thy supplications.

In that ye were bound in this life by the bond of love, after death ye were placed in the same grave; and living thus together now in life incorruptible, O Païsius and Mercurius, by your mediation before God establish us in oneness of mind and love, we pray.

Glory…: O Laurence, beacon of ascetics, and Moses who bore thy cross, enlighten us who walk in the darkness of the passions, and guide us by your supplications, that as we bear our own crosses our feet may not trip over any stumbling-block.

Now & ever…: The darkness of the passions hath encompassed us; we have strayed into the aimless paths of the pleasures, and cannot see the light which would set us aright. O our guide, direct us and shine upon us the light of repentance, for thou art a most radiant beacon for all, illumining our souls.

Who is able to praise the pure life and labors of the venerable fathers of the Caves, who shone forth in asceticism and in splendid struggles? Yet out of love for them let us offer up gifts of hymnody, for, standing with the angels, they ever pray to the Lord in behalf of us all.

As thou art a wellspring of loving-kindness, O Theotokos, vouchsafe mercy unto us. Look down upon those who have sinned, and, as ever, reveal thy power. For, trusting in thee, we cry out to thee: “Rejoice!”, as once did Gabriel, the supreme commander of the incorporeal beings.