Song of ascents, the first antiphon of Tone IV.
The choirs of the angels were amazed, O George, beholding thine opposition to the assembly of the Moslems, when thou didst say: “Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ my Savior!” And the demons were terrified, seeing thee crowned as a youth. O Christ Who strengthened him then for his brilliant struggles, enlighten our souls!
After the first chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “When the stone had been sealed by the Jews…”—
Despising earthly blessings, O glorious martyr George, thou didst desire to live in heaven, for the sake of which thou didst endure bondage, fiery immolation and a violent death. Wherefore, celebrating thy holy memory today, we cry out with love: Glory to Him Who gave thee strength! Glory to Him Who hath crowned thee! Glory to Him Who hath imparted sweet fragrance to thy relics and healings to all who have recourse thereto!
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—
On “God is the Lord…”, the troparion of the martyr, twice; Glory…, Now & ever…: The resurrectional theotokion, in the same tone.
After the second chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Joseph marvelled…”—
Stretching forth thy divine hands, wherein thou didst hold God Who had become incarnate of Thee in His goodness, O all-pure Virgin, beseech Him, that we may be delivered from perils who praise thee and cry out with love: Glory to Whom Who made His abode within thee! Glory to Him Who issued forth from thee! Glory to Him Who hath freed us through thy birthgiving!
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—
After the Polyeleos, this sessional hymn, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Of the Wisdom…”—
Joseph marvelled, beholding that which transcended nature, and in thy seedless conception he pondered in mind the rain which fell upon the fleece, the bush which burned with fire yet was not consumed, and the rod of Aaron which put forth branches. And, bearing witness, thy betrothed and protector cried out to the priests: “The Virgin giveth birth, yet remaineth a virgin even after birthgiving!”
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—
Polyeleos, and this magnification—
We magnify thee, O holy martyr George, and we reverence thine honored sufferings, which thou didst endure for Christ.
Selected Psalm verses—
A Our God is refuge and strength. [Ps. 45: 2]
B A helper in afflictions which mightily befall us. [Ps. 45: 2]
A Therefore shall we not fear when the earth be shaken. [Ps. 45: 3]
B O God, who shall be likened unto Thee? Be Thou not silent, neither be still, O God. [Ps. 82: 2]
A For behold, Thine enemies have made a noise, and they that hate Thee have lifted up their heads. [Ps. 82: 3]
B Against Thy people have they taken wicked counsel, and have conspired against Thy saints. [Ps. 82: 4]
A They have made the dead bodies of Thy servants to be food for the birds of heaven. [Ps. 78: 2]
B The flesh of Thy saints for the beasts of the earth. [Ps. 78: 2]
A They have poured out their blood like water. [Ps. 78: 3]
B For Thy sake we are slain all the day long. [Ps. 43: 23]
A We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. [Ps. 43: 23]
B Thou hast made us a byword among the nations. [Ps. 43: 15]
A And I became a man scourged all the day long. [Ps. 72: 14]
B By fire hast Thou tried us even as silver is tried by fire. [Ps. 65: 11]
A We went through fire and water, and Thou didst bring us out into refreshment. [Ps. 65: 12]
B Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous. [Ps. 31: 11]
A For the Lord is in the generation of the righteous. [Ps. 13: 5]
B And their inheritance shall be for ever. [Ps. 36: 18]
A The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them. [Ps. 33: 18]
B A light hath dawned forth for the righteous man, and gladness for the upright of heart. [Ps. 96: 11]
A In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be. [Ps. 111: 6]
B In the saints that are in His earth hath the Lord been wondrous; He hath wrought all His desires in them. [Ps. 15: 3]
A Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel. [Ps. 67: 36]
B The righteous man shall flourish like a palm tree, and like a cedar in Lebanon shall he be multiplied. [Ps. 91: 13]
A The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in Him. [Ps. 63: 11]
B And all the upright in heart shall be praised. [Ps. 63: 11]
Glory…, Now & ever…
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. Thrice
O scion of the pious Bulgars, led by the Holy Spirit thou didst forsake thy homeland, and didst arrive in the city of Serdica; and thou hadst adorned thyself with piety and righteousness, thou wast hated by the ungodly Moslems, and by all-wise discourse thou didst put to shame the arrogance with which they treated thee: Wherefore, thou didst finish thy course in fire. O martyr George, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of offenses unto those who with love revere thine honored memory.
When the Master of all cometh to judge the whole world, O most immaculate Theotokos, then do thou reckon me, who am condemned, among the lambs at His right hand, and rescue me from the outermost darkness, I pray, that in thanksgiving I may magnify the richness of thy goodness and, rejoicing, may cry out to thee: Entreat Christ God, that He grant me remission of offenses, for I, thy servant, have thee as my hope.
Prokimenon, in Tone IV—
The righteous man shall flourish like a palm tree, and like a cedar in Lebanon shall he be multiplied.
Stichos: They that are planted in the house of the Lord, in the courts of our God they shall blossom forth.
Let every breath praise the Lord.
Gospel according to Matthew, § 36
(Mt. 10: 16-22)
The Lord said to His disciples: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI—
Come, ye councils of the Orthodox, and in boldness let us emulate the martyr George. Let our whole body be broken, for we have a Creator Who is able to refashion it more splendidly, only let us not repudiate the name Christian, for not in vain is that name a wellspring of living water. Let us even deprive ourselves of property and children if only we not fall away from our Lord, for he is invincible who doeth the commandments of Christ in deed and not merely in word, and spareth not his own body to acquire the pearl of great price. Wherefore, let us live as is fitting and strive to reproduce his courage on the tablets of our hearts, crying out to Christ with boldness: O Lord, through the supplications of Thy martyr vouchsafe us the good things of heaven, in that Thou lovest mankind.
Canon of the holy martyr, the acrostic whereof is: “A priest weaveth praise for thee, O George”, in Tone I—
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.