Canon of the venerable one, in the same tone—

Exapostilarion from the Octoechos; Glory…: Exapostilarion of the venerable one: Spec. Mel.: “With the disciples let us ascend…”—

Irmos: Christ is born, give ye glory! Christ cometh from heaven, meet ye Him! Christ is on earth, be ye exalted! O all the earth, sing ye unto the Lord, and chant with gladness, ye people, for He hath been glorified!

Kontakion of the venerable one, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “To thee, the champion leader…”—

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

New hymnody of praise do I hasten to bring to mine open lips, O God-bearing Paul. By thy prayers grant me the grace to give utterance, O venerable one, that I may recount thine honored struggles.

Theotokion: The Incorporeal and All-blessed One, receiving my corruptible flesh from thy body, and lying in the manger of His own will, O Bride of God, deifieth that which He received by uniting Himself with it.

Come ye, and assembling, let us all hymn our sacred father Stephen, and honor the confirmation of Sougdaia, the helper of our souls and invincible protector of our city.

Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “With the disciples…”—

Irmos: Let my heart be made steadfast in Thy will, O Christ God, Who didst establish the second heaven above the waters and didst found the earth upon the waters, O Almighty One.

Kontakion of the hieromartyr, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “The steadfast…”—

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

Taking up the yoke of the Lord from thy youth, O venerable one, and sowing the wheat of the Spirit in the furrows of thy heart, thou didst reap the grain which maketh steadfast men’s souls, O divinely blessed one.

Theotokion: Thou didst bud forth the Staff of strength whereby we are made steadfast; for the staff of Aaron, which once put forth branches, prefigured thee, O land untouched by the plough, O pure turtle-dove, O Ever-virgin!

Incline our hearts to the saving commandments of Christ, O God-bearer, that we may not ponder the things of this life, but that, having attained spiritual beauties, we may enter with splendor into the bridal chamber of Christ.

Irmos: To Christ God, the Son Who was begotten of the Father without corruption before time began, and in latter times without seed became incarnate of the Virgin, let us cry aloud: O Lord Who liftest up our horn, holy art Thou!

Kontakion, in Tone III—

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

Through manifold efforts thou didst receive the kingdom on high, having lived on earth like an incorporeal being and passed through life like an angel in thy body. And now, standing in the highest before the Trinity, do thou be mindful of us.

Theotokion: O Word, Who as God in essence art without beginning and art equally worshipped with the Father: in being born of the Virgin Thou received a beginning in time, manifesting Thyself as man by nature; and becoming a babe, O Christ, Thou didst reveal Thyself as an infant wrapped in swaddling bands.

O divinely wise Stephen, eminent father, peer of the angels and confirmation of Sougdaia: spurn not that which I, the unworthy, have offered thee from my poverty, but receive this hymnody as it were incense.

Irmos: Foreseeing in the Spirit the incarnation of the Word, O Prophet Habbakuk, thou didst announce, crying out: When the years draw nigh, Thou shalt be acknowledged; when the season cometh, Thou shalt be shown forth! Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

O wise one who didst will to suffer for Christ, thou didst endure the wounding of thy body, finding delight in thy pangs and afflictions; wherefore, thou hast now received a life without pain.

Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Having taken the grace of the Spirit into thy heart, O holy hierarch of Christ, purify the tongues and hearts of those who hymn thee, that we may hymn thy memory with splendor, O Stephen the confessor.

Irmos: A rod from the root of Jesse and blossom therefrom, O Christ, Thou didst spring forth from the Virgin; from the mountain overshadowed and densely wooded hast Thou come, incarnate of her who knew not man, O Thou praised and immaterial God. Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Holding fast with the fervent desire for the Creator, O divinely wise athlete Eleutherius, bedewed by the fire of the Spirit thou didst submit thyself to fiery testing.

Theotokion: The angelic armies were in awe, beholding how He Who is invisible became visible, through thee assuming a guise like unto ours, O Virgin Theotokos. Him do thou beseech, that He vouchsafe salvation unto all who glorify thee with faith.

The great Stephen, the shepherd of the Church of Sougdaia, now splendidly summoneth the pastor and flock, and all of Sougdaia. Come ye, and assembling, let us keep splendid festival for our common father.

Irmos: Grant us Thy peace, O Son of God, for we know none other than Thee. We call upon Thy name, for Thou art the God of the living and the dead.

Shown forth as most sacred among priests and a martyr most steadfast among the martyrs, O blessed one, thou hast received a twofold crown, continually beholding the face of God.

Theotokion: O Word Who hast heaven for Thy throne and the earth for Thy footstool, becoming incarnate Thou didst enter the womb of the Virgin and madest Thine abode in a wretched cave; yet as King and God-man Thou didst receive gifts from the magi, the kings of Persia.

Thy corrections, words and objectives are triumphant, O Stephen, for whose sake we have received a kindly disposition of soul, O right wondrous one; for all are unable to fashion hymnody fit for thee.

Irmos: As God of peace and Father of compassion, Thou didst send Thine Angel of Great Counsel, Who granteth us peace. Therefore, guided to the light of knowledge divine, and waking at dawn out of the night, we glorify Thee, Who lovest mankind.

O thy courage! O the valor of thy soul, O glorious one! For, desiring to break the jaws of the invisible lions, at night thou didst carry two large stones as a weight upon thy shoulders.

Theotokion: Every mind marvelleth at the wonder of thee, O pure one; for thou gavest birth to God in the flesh and feddest the Nurturer with milk, without having experienced the temptation of man, as thou thyself knowest.

Whosoever doth not bless thee, O all-blessed God-bearer Stephen, is dead in body and soul even before dying, and even before the judgment hath fallen under condemnation.

Irmos: Emulating the Prophet Jonah, I cry out: O Good One, free me from corruption! O Savior of the world, save me who cry out: Glory to Thee!

Who can fittingly recount thy struggles? For, treading the hard paths in the wilderness, thou didst eat wild plants, learning to sweeten thy meals with the pangs of asceticism.

Theotokion: Incarnate of thee, O Ever-virgin Maiden Bride of God, the all-unoriginate Word, Who through thee lowered Himself to lie as a babe in a manger of dumb beasts, hath delivered from irrationality our race, that of the first Adam who was driven from Eden.

Crush thou the adversaries and the power of their arms, O venerable one; quickly cast beneath our feet the visible army, make steadfast thy servants, and grant dominion to thy flock, O blessed and sacred one.

Irmos: The sea monster thrust forth, like a babe from the womb, Jonah whom it had swallowed; and the Word, Who dwelt within the Virgin and took flesh of her, issued forth, preserving her incorrupt. He kept her who gave Him birth unharmed, for He Himself was not subject to corruption.

Moses the God-seer of old was vouchsafed a divine vision in the bush, and the most honored Paul manifestly recognized himself as the fire which appeared from on high, burning without being consumed.

Theotokion: Revealed as a tabernacle of sanctity, O Mary, sanctify my wretched soul, which hath been defiled by the pleasures, and make it a receptacle of glory divine.

Protect thy city from the children of Hagar, O God-bearing Stephen our father. For, lo! they gnash their teeth at us, ravening like wild beasts to slaughter us; but break thou their fangs.

Irmos: The fire neither touched nor vexed Thy children in the furnace, O Savior; for then, as with one mouth, the three hymned and blessed Thee, saying: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

From thy youth, O wise one, thou didst manfully desire that which passeth understanding and didst forsake the tumult of the world. For thy divine way of life thou becamest a dwelling-place of the Trinity, and hast illumined those who have recourse to thee with faith. Wherefore, we cry out: Rejoice, O Paul who art most rich!

Theotokion: The Word of the Father, the timeless Son of God, the preëternal Offspring of the pure and divine Maiden and Mother, Who as man is become a babe and as God is uncontainable, is contained by the cave. Wherefore, marvelling, we all worship the great mystery.

Omniscient God knew thee from thy mother’s womb, O God-bearer; He sent His angel to deliver His message to thee, consecrated thee a guide and great shepherd for men’s souls, and, as unto Peter, entrusted His flock to thee.

Irmos: The children raised together in piety, disdaining the ungodly command, feared not the threat of the fire, but, standing in the midst of the flame, they chanted: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Having acquired a mind free of the passions, thou wast a most dutiful servant of God, and didst free from falsehood those who hearkened well unto thee; and having suffered as priest and martyr, O Eleutherius, thou hast received a twofold crown. Pray thou, that we be saved.

Theotokion: The most pure Word of God, Who was born of thy womb, found thee alone to be most pure, O most immaculate Bride of God, and purifieth the faithful of the defilements which have come upon us through our failure to restrain the passions.

Like Moses thou didst part the sea of the passions with the staff of abstinence, O blessed one, and didst ascend the mountain of dispassion, receiving the noetic tablets [of God’s commandments]; and thou hast taught to the Church of Christ the law of the Spirit.

Irmos: Him of Whom the angels and all the hosts of heaven stand in awe as their Creator and Lord, hymn, ye priests; glorify, ye children; bless, ye people, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Steered by the power of the Almighty, and borne along by the mast and sail of the Cross, thou didst pass easily through the storm of life and hast reached the truly divine havens; and having acquired a heavy cargo of the virtues, thou didst bring it to the Master of all, and didst hear from Him: Well done, O good servant. Wherefore, O blessed Paul, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who with love honor thy holy memory.

Theotokion: The Incorporeal One is become incarnate, the Timeless One cometh under time, The Lord Who wrappeth the earth in mist is wrapped in swaddling bands for our sake, Himself appearing, past understanding, unchanged through her who knew not man.

Thou wast shown to be humble, meek and peaceable, O Stephen; wherefore, the grace of the Spirit, which was poured out greatly in thee, showed thee to be great, illumining the land of Sougdaia with rays of miracles.

Irmos: The dew-bearing furnace showed forth the image of a supernatural wonder; for it burned not the youths whom it had received, just as the fire of the Godhead burned not the Virgin, whose womb it entered. Wherefore, chanting, let us sing: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Having fallen into the temptations of great cunning laid for me by enemies visible and invisible, caught in the tempest of my countless offenses, I make haste to the haven of thy goodness, O pure one, as to my fervent assistance and protection. Wherefore, O all-pure one, pray thou earnestly to Him Who became incarnate of thee without seed in behalf of all thy servants who unceasingly entreat thee, O all-pure one, ever beseeching Him to grant remission of sins unto those who hymn thy glory as is meet.

Theotokion: Like rain did Christ, the sole Benefactor, descend upon thy womb, O Virgin, and truly water all creation, drying up the turbid rivers of the madness of idolatry.

Let the godly Stephen, the great and holy hierarch of Christ, be hymned: the pillar of light which illumineth us with the radiance of miracles, the dew-bearing cloud which quencheth the flame of the passions and bedeweth the thoughts of the faithful.

Irmos: O ye faithful, let us magnify the Theotokos, the ever-flowing, life-receiving wellspring, the light-bearing lamp of grace, the animate temple, the all-pure tabernacle which is more spacious than heaven and earth.

Stavrotheotokion—

Theotokion: She who gave birth to the Sun of righteousness by a star summoneth the magi with gold, myrrh and frankincense, who worship Him Who hath newly become a babe immutably. Him did the shepherds magnify and the multitude of angels hymn, glorifying Him as God in essence and man by nature.

Thou art as the prophets proclaimed thee, O Virgin, thou radiant beacon, divine table, golden censer, jar holding the life-bearing Manna which delighteth the minds of the faithful.

Irmos: A strange and most glorious mystery do I behold: the cave is heaven; the Virgin, the throne of the cherubim; the manger, the place wherein lay Christ God, Whom naught can contain, Whom praising, we magnify.

The Virgin and Mother of the Redeemer, standing before the Cross and lamenting with tears of anguish, cried out maternally: What strange and most glorious thing is this that I behold, O my Son? Thou Who pourest forth dispassion upon all men art crucified upon a Cross between two condemned thieves, Thy side pierced, and Thou art given gall to drink by hands which Thou Thyself hast made! But arise and grant remission of sins unto those who hymn Thy divine sufferings with faith.

Theotokion: Spare us who hymn Thee, O Lord, Thou ineffable Offspring of the Virgin, in that Thou alone art our Benefactor Who lovest mankind, delivering Thy servants from perils, passions and tribulations.

I, a sinner and prodigal, have departed and withdrawn from God. Once I was a sojourner in a far land, O father, and, as one uncorrected, I was stripped naked, having listened to the deceiver.

Irmos: The children of those who were saved have concealed beneath the earth Him Who of old covered the pursuing tyrant with the waves of the sea; but let us chant unto the Lord like the maidens: Gloriously hath He been glorified.

Neither the gaping mouths of the lions, nor the raging of the fire, nor cruel threats were able to weaken the endurance of thy strength, O initiate of the sacred mysteries; but, hard as adamant, thou didst delight in tortures, afire with zeal divine.

Theotokion: In latter times, O Mother who knewest not man, thou didst conceive in thy womb the Son Whom the Father begat incorruptibly before time. Him do the heavens show forth by the star and the earth by a cave in the ground.

Thou wast justly illumined by the light of the threefold Sun of the uncreated Trinity; wherefore, send it also upon us who hymn Him, and vouchsafe that in heaven we may also hymn Him in the Trinity, O God-bearing Stephen.

Irmos: Christ is born, give ye glory! Christ cometh from heaven, meet ye Him! Christ is on earth, be ye exalted! O all the earth, sing ye unto the Lord, and chant with gladness, ye people, for He hath been glorified!

Full of life-bearing waters, thy mouth poured forth rivers of divine doctrines, O hieromartyr, drowning the mockery of the iniquitous and watering the hearts of those who acknowledge Christ as God.

Now & ever…: Theotokion—

O God-bearing Stephen, father of fathers, confirmation of Sougdaia, child of Orthodoxy: preserve thy servants from every transgression and from ungodly barbarians and enemies visible and invisible.

Irmos: There is none as holy as Thee, O Lord my God, Who hast uplifted the horn of Thy faithful and established us on the rock of the confession of Thee, O Good One.

Glorifying thee greatly, thy Creator, for Whom thou wast zealous to suffer, O athlete, sent a dove bearing angelic food to thee who becamest angelic through the most radiant splendors of suffering.

Theotokion: Before death, call out to the Mother of God, O unworthy soul, fervently crying out with tears in thy thoughts: O all-pure Lady, by thy supplications render thy Son merciful unto me.

Submitting to the laws of the Spirit from earliest childhood, thou didst come to transcend the laws of the flesh, O venerable one, having first mortified grievous sins; wherefore, thou didst denounce the unbelieving emperor, showing thyself to be a great confessor, O Stephen.

Irmos: To Christ God, the Son Who was begotten of the Father without corruption before time began, and in latter times without seed became incarnate of the Virgin, let us cry aloud: O Lord Who liftest up our horn, holy art Thou!

Once, in the time of thy youth, when thou wast overcome by sleep and didst weaken while standing all night, thine honored teacher Peter, seeing this, smote thee in the face; but, having smote thee, he straightway comforted thee.

Theotokion: Unfathomable is the abyss of thine unapproachable birthgiving, O most pure one. Wherefore, we, the faithful, fall down before thee without hesitation, saying: Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, Mother unwedded!

Thou gavest neither sleep to thine eyes nor slumber to thine eyelids until, having purified thy heart as is meet, thou didst find the place worthy of all the blessed, O father. Wherefore, the eternal God, the King of glory, showed thee to be his habitation.

Irmos: Foreseeing Thy divine condescension upon the Cross, Habbakuk cried out in awe: Thou hast cut down the dominion of the mighty, O Good One, entering into fellowship with those who are in hades, in that Thou art Almighty.

Conversing privily with God, having drawn nigh to Him directly, our father Paul was never overcome by sleep after the blow dealt him by his teacher; and becoming like unto the incorporeal ones, he ever remained vigilant.

Theotokion: In a dream, O all-hymned Mother, Jacob foresaw thee as a ladder reaching up to heaven, whereon the Word dwelt and led men upward, delivering them from the man-slaying serpent.

Mortify the incurable understanding of our flesh, O wise one, and guide us to things divine, in that thou art strong and mighty; subject us to good laws, O blessed one, and show us, who have been enslaved by grievous passions, to be servants of Christ.

Irmos: A rod from the root of Jesse and blossom therefrom, O Christ, Thou didst spring forth from the Virgin; from the mountain overshadowed and densely wooded hast Thou come, incarnate of her who knew not man, O Thou praised and immaterial God. Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Shown forth as a most sacred vessel, thou didst receive the heavenly myrrh of Christ in thy heart; and, having brightly lighted the lamp of thy patient abstinence with a virtuous life, thou didst hasten to the divine Bridegroom.

Theotokion: The choir of the prophets proclaimed thee the truly closed and sealed door, O most hymned one, in images describing for us from afar the wellspring of thy virginity, which was preserved even after thou gavest birth.

A base man, I have blackened my soul with unseemly acts, and I cry unto thee, my fervent helper: Forsake me not, O all-honored Stephen, but make supplication for me to the Savior.

Irmos: The apostles, bound with a bond of love, offered themselves unto Christ the Master of all, and washed their beautiful feet, announcing the glad tidings of peace unto all.

The most wicked enemy, plotting to lead thee astray through deceitful words, O martyr, is shown to be put to scorn, the most crafty sage of malice being outwitted by thy wisdom.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Forget not the entreaties of thy servant, O beloved father, but accept them and bear them with fervor to the Lord, that I may escape from need and the inextinguishable fire.

Irmos: As God of peace and Father of compassion, Thou didst send Thine Angel of Great Counsel, Who granteth us peace. Therefore, guided to the light of knowledge divine, and waking at dawn out of the night, we glorify Thee, Who lovest mankind.

Mounting the chariot of the divine virtues, O glorious one, thou didst reach the summit of martyrdom and didst cast down the vaunted pride of the wicked demons.

Theotokion: Forget not my bitter tears and disdain not the groanings of my soul, O pure and immaculate Virgin. Show forth upon me the mercy of thy Son and God and His love for man.

Weighed down by sins, I lie upon the ground. Send thy help unto me, O father, and raise me up, that I may stand aright and walk in the paths of God.

Irmos: The uttermost abyss of sins hath engulfed me, whose billows none can withstand; and like Jonah I cry to Thee, O Master: Lead me up from corruption!

Desiring to behold the beauty of Jesus, O venerable one, thou didst adorn thyself with the beauty of martyrdom, and didst go to Him, crowned with a wreath of splendor.

Theotokion: We hymn thy great and awesome mystery which was hidden from the angels, but which the heavenly captain announced to thee: that He Who Is would descend upon thee like dew upon the fleece, O most hymned one, for our salvation and restoration.

The immeasurable outpouring of thy mercy hath been shown to the people of Sougdaia as a great wealth of compassion, O servant of Christ; for, giving unto those who ask, O blessed one, thou didst strive to satisfy them with what thou didst offer them.

Irmos: The sea monster thrust forth, like a babe from the womb, Jonah, whom it had swallowed; and the Word, Who dwelt within the Virgin and took flesh of her, issued forth, preserving her incorrupt. He kept her who gave Him birth unharmed, for He Himself was not subject to corruption.

Having cleansed thy mind of the mire of the passions, thou becamest an unblemished mirror, ever receiving the radiance of the Spirit. Wherefore, vanquished, the tempter who taught our ancestors the weakness of evil in the garden was put to shame by thee.

Theotokion: Rejoice, O only Virgin Theotokos, who gavest birth to Joy, thou beauty of the angels and great refuge of men, haven of sinners and harbor for the tempest-tossed.

Thou wast both meek and humble in deed, word and thought, and thus thou didst draw all unto thee with love and good works; and, denouncing the heretical emperor, thou didst gladden the hearts of the faithful, who are strengthened by thy confession.

Irmos: O ineffable wonder! He, Who in the furnace delivered the venerable children from the flame, is laid in the grave, dead and devoid of breath, for the salvation of us who chant: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou!

Having acquired Christ God, Who is Wisdom, abiding in thy heart, thou didst trample beneath thy beautiful feet the foolish sage of evil who attempted to deceive thee with divers proposals, O divinely wise Paul.

Theotokion: O pure Virgin holy of holies, thou gavest birth to the Holy of holies, Christ the Deliverer, Who sanctifieth all things; wherefore, we magnify thee, the Queen and Mistress of all, as the Mother of the Author of creation.

Christ, the great Shepherd of all, showed thee, O blessed one, to be the shepherd of His sheep and the teacher of His reason-endowed flock; wherefore, as a shepherd full of love for mankind, do thou now rescue us, thy sheep who are lost in the mountains of perdition.

Irmos: The children raised together in piety, disdaining the ungodly command, feared not the threat of the fire, but, standing in the midst of the flame, they chanted: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

As a receptacle of the Light, a son of the Day, as though he were a lion thou didst deceive the prince of darkness who assailed thee with earthquakes and a rain of stones, sought to terrify thee with his arrogance and set upon thee, raging, O Paul.

Theotokion: Thou alone art holy Who restest in the saints. Illumining me with Thy light, sanctify my soul by repentance, through the supplications of Thy Mother.

Possessing thee as a fervent helper, we, thy servants, fear not the hosts of the adversary, but, strengthened by the Cross of Christ, we vanquish them.

Irmos: The blessed youths in Babylon, braving danger for the laws of their fathers, reviled the mindless command of the ruler, and, united by the fire which burned them not, they chanted a fitting hymn unto the Almighty: Hymn the Lord, ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

The excellent sheep of the flocks of Christ, the most eloquent pastor, the path of struggles, is glorified, having glorified God with his members.

Theotokion: Without departing from the bosom of the unoriginate Father, He made His abode within the womb of the pure Maiden; and Christ Who ever reigneth, Who before was without mother, now becometh incarnate without a father. His generation is incalculable, awesome and ineffable.

Preserve thy city, O venerable father Stephen, from the assault of ungodly infidels and from civil war, and deliver it from all fear and torment.

Irmos: The dew-bearing furnace presented an image of a supernatural wonder, for it did not consume the young men whom it had received, as the fire of the Godhead consumed not the Virgin’s womb which it had entered. Wherefore, chanting, let us sing: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Given life through visions of God, thou didst steadfastly render lifeless the greatly crafty foe, O ever-memorable wise one, glory of the martyrs and standard of the priesthood.

Theotokion: Grant me a downpour of tears, O Mistress, and, washing me, cleanse the stripes of my soul and the blackness of my flesh. Lead me to the Creator, and deliver me from all torment.

Christ hath given us the honored Stephen to cut down all armies of the visible foe and to set aright His Orthodox flock.

Irmos: Lament Me not, O Mother, beholding in the tomb the Son Whom thou didst conceive in thy womb without seed; for I shall arise and be glorified, and as God everlasting shall I exalt with glory those who magnify thee with faith and love.

Enduring wounds, entering the fire of thine own will, thou didst halt the onslaughts of the savage beasts, possessing constant love for the Creator.

Theotokion: Jacob prophetically understood thee to be a ladder, O Theotokos, for for thy sake the Supremely-exalted One appeared on earth and dwelt among men, as was His good pleasure: the hymned and all-glorious God of our fathers.

Thou wast the enlightener of Sougdaia and the helper of those who dwell therein, the calm haven of those who are tempest-tossed amid tribulations, and the physician of passions of soul and body; wherefore, all of us together declare and invoke thy name.

Irmos: A strange and most glorious mystery do I behold: the cave is heaven; the Virgin, the throne of the cherubim; the manger, the place wherein lay Christ God, Whom naught can contain, Whom praising, we magnify.

As the Savior, Christ our God fed a vast multitude with a few loaves of bread, so did Paul, the initiate of Christ’s mysteries, with the little water contained in a tiny cruse gladden a multitude, filling them to repletion with its abundance.

Theotokion: Free thou and save me, who am beset by transgressions and surrounded by the lusts of life, O holy Theotokos; and hearken unto the groanings of my heart, as thou didst to the tears of the repentant harlot, O Virgin, and accept me who fall down before thee with tears.

Bishops and priests rejoice with us today, celebrating the father of Sougdaia; true hesychasts in concord sing together, and all the simple folk hymn thee together, our intercessor and teacher.

By thy supplications, O wondrous one, thou causest burning heat to cease and liftest dire famine; and with waters poured forth from on high thou dost irrigate the earth and givest drink to its dry furrows, causing it to put forth richly, and multiplying the crops thereof.

Theotokion: O pure Virgin Theotokos, God hath not spurned me, His creature, who have fallen and broken that which is according to His image, but hath restored me fully. Wherefore, all creation hymneth thee, the cause of our salvation, crying: Blessed art thou among women, O most immaculate one.

I alone am become a wicked child through vile passions, O father; I am truly unworthy of thy goodly and beauteous celebration, O glorious one. Yet, having washed away my defilement of soul, O venerable one, show me to be worthy of thy banquet.

Amid thy pangs thou didst receive the life which is devoid of pain, and thou causest the affliction of cruel pangs to cease for those who with faith ask to receive healing from thee, O most honored one, thou adornment of the fathers. Wherefore, loose thou the pangs of my body and soul, I pray.

Theotokion: Like the thief, like the harlot do I cry out to thee from the depths of my heart: Enliven me who have sinned, O holy Theotokos! Be not wroth with me, neither turn thy face away from me who am foolish and desperate.

Strengthened by the power of the Most High, O sacred one, thou didst cast down the pride of the iconoclast emperor. And thy holy relics are today the glory of Sougdaia and all the faithful. These do the ranks of angels bear aloft, glorifying thee with hymns and songs, O great and sacred Stephen.

We all praise thee as the adornment of priests and the proclamation of passion-bearers, O venerable hieromartyr Eleutherius, and we entreat thee: From all manner of misfortunes free those who celebrate thy memory with love, praying unceasingly for us all.

Theotokion: Ineffable is the mystery of the Virgin; for she hath been shown to be the cherubic throne and radiant bridal chamber of Christ God Almighty. Her do we piously magnify as the Theotokos.

Ikos: What human tongue is ever able to praise and hymn thy pure and blameless life with faith, understanding and truth, O venerable Stephen? For thou didst show thyself to be valorous in all thy struggles. For thou, O most blessed one, didst put the cruel emperor to shame, and didst teach that the veneration shown to icons ascendeth to their Prototype, O most wise and holy one, and didst confess the dogmas of the fathers. Wherefore, we bless thee, O great and sacred Stephen.

Ikos: As Thou alone art the compassionate God Who loveth mankind, O loving Bestower of life, look Thou upon the darkness of my soul, and with Thine omnipotent right hand free me from the oppression of the passions, O Word, that I may hymn Thy hierarch Eleutherius; for, truly acknowledging Thee from his mother’s womb, he became sanctified, and like Samuel was offered by his sacred mother to Thee, the Creator, unceasingly praying for us all.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Open unto me the doors of repentance, O venerable Stephen, dispel all the gloom from my soul, and wash away all defilement from my body, that I may offer thee hymnody and cry: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou!

Shattered, O wise one, thou didst cry out: “May Christ now be magnified in my flesh! I fear neither the boiling of the cauldron, nor am I daunted by death or the assaults of wild beasts, for the sake of life!”

Now & ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone—

Stand by my soul at its departure from my body, O all-honored Stephen, and deliver me from the wickedness of Satan, that with faith I may glorify thee, the great hierarch, chanting unto God: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou!

“Seeking the beauty of the one God, I desire to receive His glory alone! Let my whole body be broken and burned!” thou didst cry out, O glorious one; “I seek the freedom which enslaveth me to Christ!”

O wise hierarch Stephen, tend thou thy people, preserving us; and vouchsafe that with thee we may unceasingly chant unto the Trinity in the heavens: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou!

Looking toward the life to come, O blessed one, thou didst truly die to the world, and, burned with the wounds of torture, thou didst shine forth like gold and hast been laid up in the treasuries of the mansions of heaven.

The land and country of Sougdaia declare thy wonders, O father, and chant unto thee everywhere, having learned to sing with joy: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Shining forth like the sun, thou didst straightway illumine the East, and ascending thy pillar, standing as in the midst of the heavens, thou hast gladdened the whole world with thy teachings, crying: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

As it is written, O blessed one, the Bridegroom Who is comely beyond all the sons of men showed thee to be a most comely bridegroom for His Bride, the Church, for thou didst bear the image of the likeness of Him, the all-glorious God of our fathers.

Thou didst withdraw, fleeing the billows of the world, and, making thine abode in the wilderness, as saith the Psalm, O divinely blessed one, thou didst receive God in thy heart, Who preserved thee with angelic protection.

Having adorned thy life with almsgiving, meekness and love, thou wast shown to be an excellent and splendid image of the good Shepherd, having chosen well His virtues. Unto Him do we chant: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

With spiritual eyes thou didst behold the tortures of the next world, and pained in heart by thy loving soul, thou didst ever water thyself with tears, not like David, who only drenched his couch with tears at night.

Wholly sinful, I have sinned more than all other men, and there is no sin which I have not committed, nor evil or slander which I have not done. Yet with faith I approach thee, O Christ. Have mercy upon me, as Thou didst upon Manasseh.

Blossoming, thou didst put forth a garden beauteous in the splendors of martyrdom, O adornment of the martyrs. Ye have now shown yourselves to be flowers of paradise, in godly manner emitting a divine fragrance.

O holy Stephen, father of fathers, pillar of Orthodoxy, child of the Faith: from every misfortune save thy servants who are vexed by the devil, the slayer of men. Disdain not those who pray to thee with a true heart and chant: Hymn the Lord, O ye works, and exalt Him supremely forever!

Thy mother mingleth her own blood with the outpouring of the blood of thee who wast born of her; for, embracing thy body, O wise one, she was slain by the sword and liveth forevermore.

The children of Hagar arm themselves against thy humble servants, O all-honored Stephen; but crush them invisibly, and turn their bows, arrows and swords against their own hearts, that with joy we may chant aloud the hymn: Hymn the Lord, O ye works, and exalt Him supremely forever!

Thy shrine poureth forth the waters of healings and rivers of miracles upon those in need, who wash away the defilements of soul-destroying passions, O martyred hierarch, forever.

With thy supplication nurture thy populous Church, and by thy prayers rebuke and still the storms of contrary winds, material and noetic; deliver it from all temptations and vexations, and preserve it utterly unharmed.

With David thou didst chant a melodious hymn, well-tuned on all strings, saying: “O King of all, Thy consolations have divinely gladdened my soul by Thy loving gesture!” Wherefore, rejoicing, thou didst cry out: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him supremely forever!

Vanquished by thy supplications, the descendants of Hagar, who rise up against us, desiring to oppress thine inheritance, have fallen, O father, and they have become a byword and a mockery, weeping over their fall. But we joyfully hymn thy sacred memory.

Granting thee that which is contrary to carnal love and preserving thee from thy youth with His right hand, the Creator thrice divinely fed thee with greens who from childhood hadst trampled down every lust; and by the hand of an angel He gave such to thee who, loving the life of the angels, hast been glorified, O God-bearing Paul.

Ineffable is thy love for thy children, surpassing paternal love, O father; wherefore, thou dost ever bring us joy, invisibly visiting us in thy vigilant supplications, ever bringing about our salvation and bestowing upon us joys and tranquility, O Stephen.

The three men, bound and condemned, were able to escape execution as deserters from general service, invisibly freed from their bonds by thy name, O most glorious father; for thou didst deliver those in fetters from misfortunes, and they were borne away by the hand alone of Him Who holdeth all things.

Thy city ever rejoiceth greatly in thy miracles, and through thy sacred relics we are filled therewith in every time and season. Depart not now from us, but make supplication to the Lord, that He deliver us from the godless barbarians.

As the mouth of God, rescuing vain-minded people from the mouth of the alien, thou didst show them to be heirs of grace; and suffering mightily, thou livest with priests and passion-bearers, O Eleutherius.

Come, ye people of Sougdaia, and let us all assemble at the divine shrine of our father, the venerable Stephen; and with tears let us cry: Deliver thy people! Give not thine inheritance unto the generation of Ishmael, that we may hymn thy mercy as is meet, O holy hierarch!

Let Eleutherius be faithfully praised: the pure phial of the Spirit, the beautiful abode of the virtues, the innocent lamb, the ever-burning lamp, the foundation of hierarchs and martyrs.

It is not possible to hymn thy glory as is meet, for thy miracles are manifold, and thou dost freely bestow countless healings upon those who with fervent faith approach thee, O holy hierarch Stephen, boast of the people of Sougdaia.

Truly thou dost live in never-waning light, having become the most radiant light of the Sun; wherefore, by thy supplications to God, O Eleutherius, deliver from the darkness of the passions those who celebrate thy radiant memory today.

Christ hath set thee as the foundation of His Church, a tower forever mighty and immovable, who dost watch over and preserve thy city unharmed and unassailed for all ages, and who dost deliver from all assaults those who with faith celebrate thy sacred memory.

Thy boldness crieth out to God, and thou hast wrought wondrous works even after thy departure unto Him; for thou hast freed many from divers infirmities by the oil of thine effulgence.

O ye hierarchs, priests and monks, and all ye people, men, women and maidens, the old and the infants, people of every age and class: with splendor let us celebrate the holy hierarch Stephen of Sougdaia.

Possessed of a most radiant soul, O venerable one, and wholly anointed as with the ointment of grace, by oil thou dispellest demons, cleansing lepers and those addled in mind, and causing cruel scabs to fall away.

Thou didst flourish like a palm-tree in the house of the Lord, as David said, O venerable father, and hast now increased the fruit of thy labors a hundredfold. Wherefore, having drowned a cloud of demons in the downpour of thy tears, O blessed one, thou hast received from Christ the trophy and wreath of victory, O all-wise one, and the great mercy of miracles in abundance.

Stumbling, Satan the most wicked falleth headlong like a most savage wild beast, beholding thee stretching forth the oil of thy lamp like myrrh for the healing of divers ailments; and, seized with fear, he hath vanished.

Standing now before the throne of Christ, O holy hierarch, with the Mother of God, the all-pure Virgin, cease thou never to pray that He grant to our land victory over barbarians, peace to the world, and salvation of soul to those who celebrate thy memory, O all-wise Stephen, thou beauty of hierarchs.

As David saith, thou didst flourish in the house of the Lord like a palm-tree, O venerable father, now multiplying the fruits of thy labors a hundredfold. Wherefore, drowning the hordes of the demons in the showers of thy tears, O blessed Paul, thou hast received honor from Christ and the crown of victory, O all-wise one, and the grace of miracles abundant in richness.

Great Doxology. Troparion. Litanies. Dismissal. First Hour.

He Who on high is glorified as God by the angels, O pure one, ineffably dwelt with those below without leaving the bosom of the Father; and thou wast the cause of His salvation, inexpressibly lending flesh to Him of thy pure blood, O pure one. Him do thou beseech, that He grant deliverance from transgressions to thy servants.

On the Praises, 4 stichera—

In Tone IV: O all-glorious father Stephen, hierarch of Christ, comfort of those who wander, physician of the infirm: Depart not from us, but pray thou for those who hymn thee. Twice

Thou didst preserve the image of God, O father, and didst bravely defend the icon of Christ; and, undaunted by the threats of Copronymus, thou didst slay him with the sword of the Spirit. Wherefore, as thou hast boldness before the Lord, save thy flock from every heresy, O much-suffering Stephen.

In Tone VIII: The fruit of thy valiant deeds hath illumined the hearts of the faithful, O father. For who hath heard of thy boundless humility and not been amazed at thy patience, thy generosity toward the poor, thy kindness toward the suffering? Thou didst teach all in godly manner, O holy hierarch Stephen, and now thou hast been crowned with a never-fading wreath. Pray thou who our souls be saved.

Glory…, in Tone VI—

O thrice-blessed, venerable and sacred father, thou wast a good shepherd, the disciple of Christ, the Chief Shepherd, who laid down thy life for Sougdaia. And now, O holy hierarch Stephen, by thy supplications ask that we be given great mercy.

O Theotokos, thou art the true vine who hast put forth for us the Fruit of life. Beseech Him with the holy apostles, we pray thee, O Mistress, that He have mercy upon our souls.