Canon of the Forerunner, the composition of John the Monk, in Tone VIII—

Exapostilarion of the forerunner—

Irmos: Having traversed the water as though it were dry land, and escaped the evil of Egypt, the Israelite cried aloud: Let us chant unto our Deliverer and God!

Kontakion of the hierarchs, in Tone VIII—

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

Theotokion: The ranks of angels and men praise thee unceasingly, O Mother unwedded; for thou didst bear the Creator in thine arms as a babe.

Let us hymn the sacred forerunner, the prophet who appeared from the womb of a barren woman unto Him Who ineffably is borne in the Virgin’s womb.

Irmos: Let us chant unto the Lord, Who led His people through the Red Sea, for He alone hath gloriously been glorified.

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

Glory…: Sessional hymn of the hierarchs, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Go thou quickly before…”—

Theotokion: Let us chant unto the Lord Who was well-pleased to take flesh of the Virgin without seed, for our salvation and ­deliverance.

Having transcended the boundaries of nature, thou didst preserve the laws of righteousness, denouncing an iniquitous union, undaunted by the king’s cruelty.

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.

Theotokion: Having made thy bodily abode within the Virgin, O Lord, Thou didst appear unto men, in that it was fitting that they behold Thee. Her didst Thou show to be the true Theotokos and the help of the faithful, O thou Who alone lovest mankind.

Nurtured by the law as with milk, thou didst oppose the vile adultery, sealing the legitimacy of lawful union like a seal of the law.

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.

Theotokion: All of us Christians have thee as our refuge and bulwark, and we glorify thee without ceasing, O thou who knewest not wedlock.

Today the thrice radiant splendor of the fathers hath shone forth in their most glorious memory. Delighting therein with faith, let us join chorus.

Irmos: Thou art my strength, O Lord, Thou art my power; Thou art my God, Thou art my joy, Who, without leaving the bosom of the Father, hast visited our lowliness. Wherefore, with the Prophet Habbakuk I cry unto Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

Now & ever…: Theotokion—

O holy hierarch Alexander, with the boldness of piety thou didst destroy the assertions of the heretics, preaching the Trinity.

Irmos: I have heard, O Lord, the mystery of Thy dispensation; I have understood Thy works, and have glorified Thy divinity.

Theotokion: Thou art the boast of the faithful, O thou who knewest not wedlock; thou art the intercessor and refuge of Christians, their bulwark and haven. For thou bearest entreaties to thy Son, O most immaculate one, and savest from misfortunes those who with faith and love know thee to be the pure Theotokos.

Using thy tongue as a pen for divine writing, O father John, the grace of the Spirit hath explained the Faith.

Irmos: Wherefore hast Thou turned Thy face from me, O Light never-waning? And why hath a strange darkness covered me, wretch that I am? But turn me, and guide my steps to the light of Thy commandments, I pray.

Theotokion: Let us hymn the Virgin who remained virgin after giving birth, in that she gave birth to Christ God, Who hath delivered the world from deception.

As mediator standing between the old and the new covenant of the Gospel preachings, thou didst denounce the iniquitous union of the tyrant, and, rejoicing, didst accept a glorious death.

Irmos: Waking at dawn, we cry to Thee: Save us, O Lord! For Thou art our God, and we know none other than Thee.

Theotokion: Possessing maternal boldness before thy Son, O all-pure one, disdain not thought of kinship with us, we pray, for thee alone do Christians set before the Master as a merciful cleansing.

Instructed beforehand by her iniquitous mother, the girl said unto Herod, who was befuddled with drunkenness: “Give me the head of John on a platter, that I may present to my mother the gift she desireth!”

Irmos: Cleanse me, O Savior, for many are my transgressions; and lead me up from the abyss of evils, I pray, for to Thee have I cried, and Thou hast hearkened to me, O God of my salvation.

Theotokion: O Theotokos, we hymn thee who wast a virgin even after giving birth; for thou gavest birth for the world unto God the Word in the flesh.

The shameless tyrant, unable to endure the reproof of thy God-bearing tongue, O glorious prophet, gave thy precious martyr’s head to the girl as a reward for her dancing.

Irmos: Grant me a robe of light, O Thou Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment, O most merciful Christ our God.

Theotokion: May we be delivered from grievous transgressions through thy supplications, O pure Theotokos, and may we receive divine radiance from the Son of God Who was ineffably incarnate of thee, O all-pure one.

With excellence thou didst shepherd the flock of thy Master, O Alexander; wherefore, He glorifieth thee eternally as a holy hierarch.

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the fire stood in awe of the condescension of God; wherefore, the youths, dancing with joyous step in the furnace, as in a meadow, chanted: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Theotokion: O thou who alone gavest birth in the flesh to God the Word, deliver our souls from the snares of the enemy, we pray.

With thy tongue thou didst pour forth the waters of salvation and doctrines of piety for thy flock, O blessed John.

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the youths who had come forth from Judæa trod down the flame of the furnace with their faith in the Trinity, chanting: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Theotokion: Delivered from the ancient fall and condemnation by thy birthgiving, O Virgin Mother, we ever glorify thee as the manifest cause of our liberation, with thy Son Who gave Himself as deliverance for us.

O most blessed Paul, thou wast manifestly the radiant vessel of the election of Christ and His image in calling and life.

Irmos: Madly did the Chaldæan tyrant heat the furnace sevenfold for the pious ones; but, beholding them saved by a higher Power, he cried out to the Creator and Deliverer: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Theotokion: O Thou Who becamest incarnate of the Virgin’s womb, Thou hast appeared for our salvation. Wherefore, acknowledging Thy Mother as the Theotokos, we cry out in thanksgiving: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Crucified by the love of Christ and having taken His yoke upon you as a yoke, ye showed yourselves to be emulators of His life and became partakers of His divine glory, O divinely wise Alexander, wondrous John and glorious Paul. Wherefore, standing before His throne, ye earnestly make supplication for our souls.

Irmos: The Lord Who was glorified on the holy mountain, and by the fire in the bush revealed to Moses the mystery of the Ever-virgin, hymn ye and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Theotokion: O all-pure Virgin, bearer of the Lord, by thy merciful entreaty cleanse thou the wounds and sores of my soul, and raise me up who am fallen. Save, O save me, the prodigal, O most immaculate one! For thou art mine intercessor and help, who alone art pure and blessed for all ages.

Having shone forth by the judgment of God from a barren woman, and loosed the bonds on the tongue of thy father, thou didst show forth the Sun Who illumineth thee as the morning-star, and to the people in the wilderness didst proclaim the Creator, the Lamb Who taketh away the sins of the world. Wherefore, thou didst denounce the king with zeal, O ever-memorable and most lauded John, and thine all-glorious head was cut off. Pray thou to Christ God, that He grant remission of offenses unto those who with love celebrate thy holy memory.

Irmos: Every ear trembleth to hear of the ineffable condescension of God, for the Most High willingly came down even to the flesh, becoming man through the Virgin’s womb. Wherefore we, the faithful, magnify the all-pure Theotokos.

Theotokion: How can a human choir hymn thine awesome birthgiving, O Theotokos? For thou remainest a virgin, even though thou truly gavest birth in manner past recounting, and thy mysteries transcend cause, O Theotokos.

The thrice-radiant lamp of our fathers, Alexander, John and the glorious Paul, hath shone forth for divine understanding, ever illumining the congregations of the faithful and destroying all the impiety of the ungodly and putting them to shame by their teaching of wisdom.

Irmos: With unceasing glorification we magnify thee, the Mother of the Most High, who knewest not wedlock, who didst truly give birth unto God the Word in manner past understanding, and art more highly exalted than the all-pure hosts.

Theotokion: Draw Thy bow, and prosper and reign, O Son of the Mother of God, subduing the Moslems who wage war against us and granting victory to our Orthodox hierarchs over all heresies, through the entreaties of her who gave birth to Thee, O Word of God.

O most immaculate Virgin who gavest birth to the transcendent God: with the incorporeal ones unceasingly entreat Him, that, before the end, He grant remission of transgressions and amendment of life unto us who hymn thee with faith and love as is meet, O thou who alone art most hymned.

Theotokion: O holy, most immaculate vessel of sweet fragrance, entreat Christ to Whom thou gavest birth, that He grant victory to our hierarchs over all heresy and deliverance from the yoke of oppression to thy people; for thee do we unceasingly magnify.

Stavrotheotokion—

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

O all-immaculate Virgin Mother of Christ God, a sword passed through thine all-holy soul when thou didst behold thy Son and God crucified of His own will. Cease thou never to entreat Him, O blessed one, that He grant us forgiveness of transgressions.

He who was unable to endure the censure of boldness and the forthrightness of piety, who incurred the retribution of the law, who was depraved by vile pleasures, having bound him who is enrolled immaterially in the heavenly choirs before the end, placed him under guard.

The wretched voluptuary, sick with spiritually harmful drunkenness and the burning of fornication, having been bound by the dancing of a girl’s feet, became the murderer of the prophet; for he conceived drunkenness, the mother of fornication, and begat grievous iniquity.

Of a truth, in thee the divine voice did not prove false; for thou art the greatest among the prophets, in that thou wast vouchsafed to prophesy from thy mother’s womb, as a fœtus not fully formed, and seeing God the Word Whom thou hadst prophesied, thou didst baptize Him in the body.

With the torrent of thy tongue thou didst hurl the betrayer of Christ, like Judas, into a place of fœtor, O blessed Alexander.

Like a fruitful olive-tree standing in the house of God, O John, thou therein didst bring forth those who believe on Him, like ripe fruit.

With wings of humility thou didst elude the snares of the enemy; wherefore, exalted, O venerable Paul, thou art become a citizen of heaven.

Inspired by the enmity of her mother, the yet more savage offspring of a savage lioness demanded as the price of her foul demonic dancing the head of the forerunner and herald, which the wild beasts themselves reverenced in the wilderness.

O Thine ineffable and unapproachable judgments, O Thou Who lovest mankind! For the vile girl won with her dancing him who, while yet in his mother’s womb, was a receptacle of the Holy Spirit, and grew in chastity and purity.

When he who with love and ardor preferred his intercourse with iniquity, he permitted the murder of the prophet to be added to his birthday drinking and with love of pleasure mingled a cup full of the holy blood of the prophet.

Adorning the cathedra of Metrophanes, O Alexander, even before thine elevation thou didst shine forth in hierarchal teaching.

Though thou didst live in humility, O father, thou didst show thyself to be wondrous in Nicæa by thy divinely eloquent teachings.

The grace of thy words maketh firm the Church, which hath acknowledged thee to be a pillar of Orthodoxy, O John.

Bringing tribulation upon thyself for the commandments of the law, O blessed one, with reproofs thou didst chastise the one who was committing iniquity; for thou wast not a reed shaken by the winds of the enemy.

Thy head, dripping with the blood of thy slaughter, was offered as a prize for a lustful display, but continued to denounce Herod as one who committed incest, even after thine end.

Clad in camels’ hair while in the wilderness, thou didst live as splendidly as a king therein; and bearing royal adornment therein, thou didst gain dominion over the passions.

Manfully defending the Church of Christ, O glorious father, with the arrows of thy prayers thou didst shoot down Arius, the betrayer of Christ.

As a branch of the vine of life, O glorious and most blessed John, thou didst cause fruit to grow forth for thy Master.

Piously thou didst cause to flee from the imperial city him who iniquitously cast out the veneration of icons, O most honored Paul.

Working iniquity, Herod gave thy precious head to a woman, O forerunner. We, venerating it, are filled with gladness; but Herodias weepeth and lamenteth, with Herod and the dancer.

Ikos: Let us prepare ourselves, O brethren, for a divine banquet; for, lo! the God-bearing head of the forerunner is set before us in church like pure food, pouring forth blood, emitting surpassing healings, and using fasting as a remedy to cure those sick with the drunkenness of sin. Let no one, then, confine himself to corruptible food and thus be deprived now of the divine food of the forerunner. The world is filled with gladness, but Herodias weepeth and lamenteth, with Herod and the dancer.

Armed with lustful desire and grievous drunkenness, striking against the Baptizer of Christ, the immovable tower of abstinence and indestructible city of chastity, the iniquitous Herod was shattered.

Her mind beguiled by the suasions of her mother, she who was the pupil of the devil was neither afraid nor ashamed, nor in anywise reluctant to bear thy precious head shamelessly on a platter.

Sent forth like an angel, thou didst shine forth like a beacon; as a prophet thou didst preach Christ Who appeared as the Lamb of God; and as a martyr thou wast beheaded, proclaiming Him to the dead in hades.

Thou wast truly shown to be an initiate of the all-divine Trinity, O Alexander who art most rich, and didst worship the incorrupt One with purity of heart, chanting: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Christ hath shown thee to be a treasury of doctrines, O John, and a wellspring of miracles, pouring forth a wealth of divine knowledge upon those who cry out: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Thine angelic life, like that of the divine Paul whose namesake thou wast, hath glorified thee throughout all the earth, O divinely wise one, in the breadth of the outpouring of the wisdom of thy heart and in thine ineffable understanding.

Going before Thy nativity and divine suffering, in the nethermost parts of the earth John, as the voice of the Word, becometh, through the sword, the prophet and herald of Thy coming there, crying: Exalt Christ supremely for all ages: ye dead as Life-bestower; ye blind, as Giver of light; ye captives, as your Deliverer!

He who from a barren woman preceded the Offspring of the Virgin hath now, through the cutting off of his head, become the precursor of the voluntary crucifixion of the Creator of all, crying to those in hades: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

When thy body was deprived of thy head, O forerunner, thy masterly soul was parted from thy flesh; but the divinity of Emmanuel was never separated from his flesh, and not a bone of God the Master was broken. Wherefore, we exalt Him supremely for all ages.

Slaying the wicked Arius by thine earnest supplications, O divinely wise Alexander, thou didst dispatch him to a vile place, like another Judas, since he had apostatized in like manner.

The mindless Arius, the enemy of God, who as a traitor rent asunder the robe of Christ, fell headlong, and now, like another Judas, lieth in torment in hell, O thrice-blessed Alexander.

Through abstinence and unsurpassed vigils thou wast shown to be as one of the incorporeal beings, and in thy constant teachings thou becamest a rich wellspring of paradise for all ages, O John.

The evil horde and the devil, its commander, were afraid of thy divinely eloquent tongue which proclaimed Christ, O prophet, and through the agency of a wanton girl prevailed upon Herod to cut off thy head; but we magnify thee as the baptizer of Christ.

The valley of humble nature hath been exalted, and the hill of deadly pride hath been laid low; for the voice of the Light crying in the wilderness hath cried out in the dwellings of hades: “Lift up, ye gates, for the King of all shall enter!”

Human passions tremble, and the demons flee in fear from the overshadowing of the grace given thee by God. But deliver thy flock, which ever magnifieth thee with faith, O forerunner of the Lord, from temptation by both.

O Metrophanes, as thy holy and lawful disciple and a hierarch meek and chaste, ­Alexander submitted to thy life-bearing words and is now fittingly called blessed.

O divinely blessed father John who art most rich, thou wast an excellent initiate of ineffable mysteries, and wast made a teacher of ineffable things. Wherefore, O father, thou didst preach the divine Trinity.

O father Paul, as is meet we honor thee as a guileless and holy pastor, blameless, pure and undefiled, chaste and glorious, setting forth the word of truth aright.

O divinely blessed Trinity of wondrous fathers, now deified with immortal divinity in the heavens, cease ye never to pray to Him Whom ye piously served on earth, in behalf of your flock.

The vile Herod was in nowise able to cut off the reproofs of thy tongue, O baptizer of the Savior, and therefore deceitfully cut off the head of thee, the husbandman of purity.

Having annulled the curse on the world by thy divine birthgiving, O pure Maiden, through thy supplications deliver from all misfortunes the flock which entreateth thee with faith.