Canon of the Holy Hierarch, in Tone IV—

Exapostilarion of the holy hierarch, Spec. Mel: “Hearken, ye women...”—

Irmos: I will open my mouth, and with the Spirit will it be filled; and I shall utter discourse unto the Queen and Mother, and shall appear, keeping splendid festival; and, rejoicing, I will hymn her wonders.

Katavasia: The irmoi of the feast.

Kontakion of the feast, in Tone I, the composition of Romanus the Melodist—

Glory..., Now and ever..., Sessional hymn of the feast, in Tone IV, Spec. Mel: “Joseph marvelled...”—

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

On the Praises, 6 stichera; 3 of the feast, in Tone II, Spec. Mel: O house of Ephrata...”—

Theotokion: Come ye all, and let us hymn the most pure Mary, who alone hath adorned mankind, having given birth unto God incarnate, and yet remained a pure Virgin.

O most divinely radiant beacon, O holy one who art the namesake of light: thou hast dispelled the darkness of my mind, illumining me with rays of divine light, that I may praise thy corrections.

Exapostilarion of the feast—

Irmos: O Lord, Thou confirmation of those who trust in Thee, establish the Church which Thou hast acquired with Thy precious blood.

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

Glory..., Now and ever...: Exapostilarion of the feast, automelon—

Sessional hymn of the saint, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Having been lifted up…”—

Today, the Savior is carried as a babe into the temple of the Lord, and the elder taketh Him into his aged arms.

Theotokion: The Word of the unoriginate Father, Who surpasseth every principality, receiveth now an incarnate beginning, O pure one; and He Who transcendeth all seasons placeth Himself under time.

We have known thee, O Photius, to be the confirmation of the Faith, a teacher of the Church and immovable pillar of confession, a lamp of grace most bright and a mouth of divine inspiration.

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 feast, in Tone I—

Glory..., in Tone V—

Glory…, Now & ever…: Sessional hymn of the feast, in the same tone: Spec. Mel.: “Joseph marvelled…”—

The Ancient of days is most gloriously seen as a babe in the flesh on this day, and is borne into the temple.

Theotokion: Thou didst give life to mortal man, O most holy one, and didst raise up those who had fallen into corruption, having given birth unto the Giver of life, Who delivereth those who cry: Glory to Thy power, O Christ!

As a faithful and holy hierarch, thou didst lawfully contend, braving battle for the divine teaching, O wondrous one; and with the cords of thy dogmas thou didst strangle the vain-minded Nicholas as though he were a wild beast.

Irmos: Thy virtue hath covered the heavens, O Christ; for having issued forth from Thine immaculate Mother, the ark of Thy holiness, Thou hast appeared in the Temple of Thy glory as a babe borne in arms, and all things have been filled with Thy praise.

Now and ever..., of the feast, in Tone II, Spec. Mel: “O house of Ephrata...”—

The most pure one cried out: “O Symeon, receive as a babe in thine arms the Lord of glory, the salvation of the world!”

Theotokion: The Virgin gave birth to the preëternal Son, Who clothed Himself in human nature and hath saved our nature from corruption by the suffering of His body, as the holy hierarch hath taught.

He that was first begotten of the Father before the ages hath appeared as the first-born Babe of the undefiled Virgin, stretching forth His hand unto Adam.

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!

And 3 for the holy hierarch, in Tone I, Spec. Mel: “Joy of the ranks of heaven...”—

Theotokion: I hymn thy conceiving, O Maiden; I hymn thine ineffable birthgiving; I hymn thy protection, whereby thou deliverest from all harm those who earnestly have recourse to thy serenity.

God the Word hath appeared as a babe, setting aright the first-created man, who through deception had become childish of mind.

Irmos: In a vision Isaiah beheld God exalted upon a throne borne aloft by angels of glory, and he cried: Woe is me! for I have beheld beforehand the incarnate God, the unwaning Light, Who reigneth with peace!

Let us praise Photius, the truly godly chief hierarch of the Church, the great teacher and preacher of the Word, the wondrous peer of the apostles; for his most glorious commemoration hath dawned, bringing gladness to all the faithful.

Theotokion: Thou hast been revealed to all men as the cause of divine deliverance, O all-immaculate one, who gavest birth unto the Deliverer of all, to Whom we all chant: Blessed art Thou, and praised above all, O Lord God of our fathers!

The Creator, having become a Babe without undergoing change, hath shown forth our nature, the product of the earth to which it doth return again, to be like unto divinity.

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.

With the apostles wast thou united as their peer; for, having shown thyself to be an apostolic preacher to Bulgaria and all the Slavic race, thou didst lead them to Christ, giving them new life through holy baptism. Do thou preserve them in Orthodoxy.

Theotokion: O Lady, Bride of God, the Bridegroom from on high made His abode within thee, finding thee to be a rose among thorns, a fragrant lily of the valley, a most pure flower; and He hath perfumed the whole world, exalting thee above all for ever.

The vile serpent of the West which uttered blasphemy against heaven was silenced by thy words, O most divinely luminous beacon; ­wherefore, we, the Orthodox, fittingly do thee honor.

Irmos: The elder, beholding with his own eyes the salvation which was come to me from God, cried out to Thee, O Christ! Thou art my God!

Like the Archangel Michael, O glorious one, thou didst vie with an earthly Lucifer who, grievously puffed up with pride, set his throne higher than the stars; and thou didst say: Let us stand aright! Let us all stand in the precious traditions of the Fathers!

Theotokion: Desiring to deify me wholly, God united Himself fully with thee, and a new mystery inaccessible to all is begun: thou, the incorrupt Virgin, giveth birth, and God is seen in the flesh, Whom praising, we now call thee blessed, O Mary, as thou thyself didst foretell.

The serpent of heresy is slain by thy most wise words, O father, its head crushed as though struck by a stone. Wherefore, the Church doth fittingly honor thee.

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.

Wherever thy name is invoked, O thou who art the namesake of light, the power of the devil is dispelled; for the fallen Lucifer is unable to endure the brilliance of thy light. Wherefore, we entreat thee: Quench thou the fiery darts which he hurleth against us, and deliver us from his temptation by thine intercession, O right laudable hierarch Photius.

Theotokion: Be thou a refuge and guardian to me who am ever constantly assailed by the cruel threefold waves of the passions on the sea of life, O only pure Ever-virgin.

By learned interpretation of the Scriptures, thou didst prove the energies of the grace of the Spirit, O wise one, and that the Spirit proceedeth from the Father hypostatically.

Irmos: We hymn Thee, God the Word Who bedewed the theologizing children in the fire and dwelt within the incorrupt Virgin, and piously we chant: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Great and awesome is the mystery, and strange the dispensation! He Who holdeth all things is formed as a babe, and as a babe is borne in arms.

But if this day fall within the Great Fast: Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

O Thou Who didst hallow the Virgin’s womb by Thy birth and didst bless the hands of Symeon as was meet, by anticipation Thou hast now saved even us, O Christ God. But in the midst of battle grant peace to Thy community, and strengthen the hierarchs whom Thou hast loved, O Thou Who alone lovest mankind.

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!

At the aposticha, these stichera of the feast, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “O house of Ephratha…”—

Theotokion: With his mind Moses beheld thee prefigured in sanctity in the bush which revealed mystically the Fire which was to dwell in thy womb, O Ever-virgin Theotokos.

Ikos: Let us make haste to the Theotokos, desiring to behold her Son borne to Symeon. Looking upon Him from heaven, the bodiless hosts are amazed, saying: “Things wondrous, most glorious, unapproachable and ineffable do we behold: for He Who created Adam is borne as an infant; He Whom nought can contain is held in the elder’s arms; He Who is in the infinite bosom of His Father is of His own will limited by the flesh, but not in His divinity, He Who alone loveth mankind.”

Irmos: United in the unbearable fire, yet unharmed by its flame, the pious youths chanted a divine hymn in intercession: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Today, the Savior is carried as a babe into the temple of the Lord, and the elder taketh Him into his aged arms.

Theotokion: Jesus, the transcendent God, Who by His will bringeth all things into existence and was born of thy womb, O most immaculate one, reneweth the laws of nature.

Emulating Elijah the Prophet, as well as John the Baptist, thou didst manfully denounce the iniquitous emperors. Thou didst adorn in godly manner the throne of the chief hierarch, and hast enriched the world with a multitude of teachings. Wherefore, by thy divine writings thou didst confirm the faithful in Orthodoxy and didst convert unbelievers. O wondrous hierarch, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who celebrate thy holy memory with love.

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!

Stichos: Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Master, according to Thy word.

Theotokion: O Mistress, thou portal of grace who hast opened the gate of heaven to men, do thou most radiantly open to me the doors of repentance and free me from the gate of death.

Of old, on Mount Sinai, Moses beheld the back-parts of God, and in the midst of the darkness and whirlwind he was counted worthy to hear the still small voice of God; and now Symeon hath received in his arms God Who hath become immutably incarnate for our sake. And he hastened to leave things here below for life everlasting; therefore, he cried out: “Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart, O Master!”

Irmos: In the shadow and the writings of the law do we behold an image, O ye faithful: every male child which openeth the womb is consecrated to God. Wherefore, we magnify the first-born Word of the unoriginate Father, the first-born Son of the Mother who knew not man.

The Ancient of days is most gloriously seen as a babe in the flesh on this day, and is borne into the temple.

Theotokion: Delivered from the ancient condemnation by thy birthgiving, O most immaculate one, we who because of thee have been saved hymn thee as our Mistress, O Virgin, crying out with faith and saying: Blessed art Thou who gavest birth to God in the flesh!

Rejoicing, the Theotokos cried out: O Symeon, initiate of ineffable mysteries, take in thine arms Christ, the Word become a babe, of Whom thou wast informed of old by the Holy Spirit, and cry out to Him: All things are filled with Thy praise!

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!

Stichos: A Light to enlighten the gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.

Theotokion: O Theotokos, in sacred manner the divine company of the prophets learned thy mystery, understanding from afar and clearly setting forth the divine signs of thy giving birth to God.

O Symeon, rejoicing, take up Christ, the little Child, on Whom thou hast set thy hope, the Consolation of the Israel of God, the Creator and Master of the law, Who fulfilleth the order of the law; and cry aloud unto Him: All things are filled with Thy praise!

Irmos: O Lord, Thou confirmation of those who trust in Thee, establish the Church which Thou hast acquired with Thy precious blood.

The most pure one cried out: “O Symeon, receive as a babe in thine arms the Lord of glory, the salvation of the world!”

Theotokion: At the cry of the angel, O pure one, thou gavest birth to Christ, Emmanuel, Who uniteth those below to the angels, O Virgin who alone art blessed, who alone art most lauded, who alone art the cause of our deification.

Beholding the Word Who is without beginning, the Author of all, borne as a babe in the flesh by the Virgin as on the throne of the cherubim, Symeon marvelled and cried out to Him: All things are filled with Thy praise!

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.

Glory…, Now & ever…, in the same tone & melody—

In thy youth thou didst show forth chastity; in old age, understanding; and throughout thy whole life steadfastness and long-suffering, and love for all who cry out: Glory to Thy power, O Christ!

Irmos: Thy virtue hath covered the heavens, O Christ; for having issued forth from Thine immaculate Mother, the ark of Thy holiness, Thou hast appeared in the Temple of Thy glory as a babe borne in arms, and all things have been filled with Thy praise.

Great and awesome is the mystery, and strange the dispensation! He Who holdeth all things is formed as a babe, and as a babe is borne in arms.

By every godly virtue was thy most illustrious life shown to be a most renowned model, in prayer, fasting, vigil and supplication unto God Who loveth mankind.

Irmos: Christ is my power, my God and my Lord, the honored Church doth sing, crying out in godly manner with a pure mind, keeping festival in the Lord.

O God-bearing father, thou didst not give slumber to thine eyelids nor sleep to thine eyes until thou hadst made of thyself a most comely habitation for the all-seeing Master, to Whom thou didst cry out: Glory to Thy power, O Christ!

Irmos: In a vision Isaiah beheld God exalted upon a throne borne aloft by angels of glory, and he cried: Woe is me! for I have beheld beforehand the incarnate God, the unwaning Light, Who reigneth with peace!

The divine elder, comprehending the glory that was manifested of old to the prophet, beholding the Word held in His Mother’s arms, cried out: “Rejoice, O pure one, for as a throne dost thou hold God, the Light unwaning, Who reigneth with peace!”

Irmos: With Thy divine light illumine the souls of those who with love rise at dawn unto Thee, O Good One, that they may know Thee, O Word of God, to be the true God Who calleth all forth from the darkness of sin.

The elder, bowing low and divinely touching the feet of the Mother of God who knew not wedlock, said: “O pure one, thou dost bear Fire! I fear to hold the infant God, the Light unwaning, Who reigneth with peace!”

Irmos: The elder, beholding with his own eyes the salvation which was come to me from God, cried out to Thee, O Christ! Thou art my God!

“Isaiah was purified by the burning ember brought by the seraph,” the elder cried to the Mother of God, “and thou dost illumine me, giving me Him Whom thou dost bear in thine arms as with tongs, the Light unwaning, Who reigneth with peace.”

Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, fleeing to Thy calm haven I cry unto Thee: Lead up my life from corruption, O greatly Merciful One!

Having received the grace of the all-holy Spirit, thou wast shown to be a divine dwelling place, reverently teaching the light of divine knowledge, O wise and wondrous Photius, most holy father, thou confirmation of the Church.

Irmos: We hymn Thee, God the Word Who bedewed the theologizing children in the fire and dwelt within the incorrupt Virgin, and piously we chant: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Thy tongue became the pen of the Comforter, Who quickly giveth deliverance unto those who acknowledge His dominion, and breatheth into their souls heavenly wisdom, O most sacred Photius.

Irmos: The Angel caused the furnace to pour forth dew upon the pious youths, and the command of God, which consumed the Chaldæans, prevailed upon the tyrant to cry out: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Christ hath shown thee to be one who art resplendent with the grace of speech and teaching, who repelleth the assaults of the heretical and enlighteneth the souls of all the faithful, who all hymn thee as a preacher of the Faith.

Irmos: United in the unbearable fire, yet unharmed by its flame, the pious youths chanted a divine hymn in intercession: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

In Sion wast Thou set as a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense for the disobedient, and the inviolate salvation of the faithful.

Irmos: From the flame didst Thou pour forth dew upon the venerable ones, and didst consume the sacrifice of the righteous one with water; for Thou, O Christ, dost do all things soever Thou desirest. Thee do we exalt ­supremely for all ages!

Manifestly bearing the lineaments of Him Who begot Thee before the ages, Thou hast now been clothed in the weakness of mortals in Thy loving-kindness.

Irmos: In the shadow and the writings of the law do we behold an image, O ye faithful: every male child which openeth the womb is consecrated to God. Wherefore, we magnify the first-born Word of the unoriginate Father, the first-born Son of the Mother who knew not man.

Now Thou lettest depart in peace him who worshipped Thee as the Son of the Most High, the Son of the Virgin, God become a Child.

Irmos: It is not possible for men to behold God, upon Whom the ranks of angels dare not gaze; but through thee, O most pure one, hath the Word appeared incarnate unto men; and magnifying Him with the armies of heaven, we call thee blessed.

Let us hymn the great Photius, the clarion which proclaimed the procession of the divine Spirit from the Father, as the son of thunder theologized.

By thy speech was all the arrogance of the heretics rent asunder, O most sacred Photius. Wherefore, the assembly of the faithful doth radiantly honor thy memory, O holy one.

The whole assembly of Orthodox believers is filled with joy and gladdened, O most honorable Photius, seeing thee as a truly worthy successor to Gregory and Chrysostom.

Now let the most brilliant luminary of the Church be crowned with flowers of hymnody —the most godly instructor of the Orthodox, the divinely inspired harp of the Spirit, the most mighty opponent of heresy— and let us cry out to him: Rejoice, O most honored Photius!

Ikos: An angel among men wast thou shown to be, O father, who from earth attained unto things of heaven. Wherefore, beholding thee made equal to the bodiless choirs, I am stricken with awe and with love to reverently cry out to thee such things as these: Rejoice, thou by whom the Trinity is worshipped; rejoice, thou by whom God is praised! Rejoice, most correct standard of the Orthodox; rejoice, thou who most firmly dost denounce the wicked! Rejoice, height of humility unattainable by many; rejoice, depth of discretion difficult for mortals to fathom! Rejoice, for thou wast a divine priest of God; rejoice, for thou leadest the saved unto God! Rejoice, thou who makest thy dwelling with the martyrs of God; rejoice, thou who dost converse with the honorable saints! Rejoice, thou by whom the impious are destroyed; rejoice, thou through whom the faithful are given confidence! Rejoice, O most honored Photius!

“I go to announce the glad tidings unto Adam who dwelleth in hades and unto Eve,” cried Symeon, joining chorus with the prophets, singing: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

God Who doth deliver the mortal race shall go even unto hades; He shall grant remission to all, sight to the blind, and even the mute shall chant: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

And Symeon foretold to the Virgin: “A sword shall pierce thy heart, O incorrupt one, beholding thy Son upon the Cross, to Whom we cry out: Blessed is the God of our fathers!”

Thou didst pass on to the mansions of heaven, and having drawn nigh unto God, thou wast made divine and deified by communion with Him, O venerable and divinely wise father, chanting: Blessed art Thou, and praised above all, O Lord God of our fathers!

We are instructed by thy words of admonition, O most praised father, to honor the Godhead, indivisible and inseparable, as three Suns; and to Him do we chant: Blessed art Thou, and praised above all, O Lord God of our fathers!

How acceptable unto God and most sacred is thy confession, O thrice-blessed father; for having been tried like gold in the fire, thou didst please God, O venerable one, rejoicing in the emulation of the Savior’s Sufferings.

O people of Israel, beholding your glory, Emmanuel, the Babe born of the Virgin, join ye chorus now in the presence of the Ark of God, chanting: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Behold, cried Symeon, this One Who is both God and Babe shall be a sign of contradiction. O ye faithful, let us cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

God the Word, being Life itself and having become a Babe, shall be the downfall of the disobedient, but the restoration of those who chant with faith: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

The fountains of thy dogma flow forth to water the holy Church throughout all the world, O most wondrous father Photius; wherefore, we praise thee as the confirmation and boast of the Orthodox, and unceasingly we bless the Lord, and exalt Him above all for ever.

Thou didst arrive at the calm haven, having braved the storms of life; for, O Photius most wise, during all thy journey thou didst have as Helmsman to guide thee the Lord Who created all things by a mere gesture. Him do we exalt above all for ever.

The thrice-radiant light of the all-divine Trinity made its abode within thee, and showed thee to be a secondary luminary, enlightening the assembly of the Orthodox and blunting the enemy’s assault, crying: O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, and exalt Him above all for ever.

The ancients were wont to offer a pair of new-born doves and two young birds, but the godly elder and the chaste prophetess Anna serve in their stead, magnifying the only-begotten Son of the Father, Who was born of the Virgin and is borne into the temple.

Thou hast imparted unto me the joy of Thy salvation, cried Symeon. Accept Thou Thy servant, for I am weary of the shadow, as a mystic and sacred preacher of the new grace, magnifying Thee in praise!

The aged Anna, chaste and venerable, prophesying in sacred manner, openly confessed the Lord in the temple, and she magnified the Theotokos, proclaiming her to all present.

My whole self do I commit to thy divine protection; for, as a holy hierarch, having received authority from Christ to loose transgression, thou hast broken asunder the chains of my sin. Save me by thy supplications, and illumine me with thy divine light.

Thou wast taken up to the never-waning Light, O glorious father, and wast delivered from things earthly; and thou standest with the ranks on high before the Almighty, the Light of the threefold Sun, and dost delight in the radiance which doth emanate therefrom and dost illumine us who praise thee.

As a struggler thou wast shown to be a denouncer of the delusion of heresy and a divine defender of Orthodoxy, O Photius, together with Ignatius whose successor thou wast, both as to his throne and his way of life. Pray thou with him to the Lord.

The Church hath thee as a most fervent intercessor and brilliant teacher, O father. Wherefore, she doth radiantly celebrate thy memory, crying out: Do thou ever protect thy flock and preserve it unscathed by heresy and harm, O chief hierarch of the Lord!

Set by the Spirit in the sanctuary, the elder doth take the Master of the law in his arms, crying out: “Now loose Thou the bonds of my flesh in peace, as Thou didst say; for with mine eyes have I beheld the revelation of the gentiles and the salvation of Israel!” Thrice

Great Doxology. Troparia. Litanies. Dismissal. First Hour.

He that was first begotten of the Father before the ages hath appeared as the first-born Babe of the undefiled Virgin, stretching forth His hand unto Adam.

God the Word hath appeared as a babe, setting aright the first-created man, who through deception had become childish of mind.

The Creator, having become a Babe without undergoing change, hath shown forth our nature, the product of the earth to which it doth return again, to be like unto divinity.

Becoming a child of the day and the light by thy godly labors, O holy hierarch, thou hast manifestly made thine abode now among the saints, shining with grace.

Piously preaching the one Essence of the Trinity, thou didst uproot from the earth the falsehood of polytheism, as an honorable hierarch, a true minister of the Word.

Thou didst show the path of life unto all who were deceived by the assault of the enemy, and, as a shepherd of the Word, didst bring them, saved, to the Word, the Chief Shepherd.

Shining with the light of the priesthood, thou didst illumine the people, O holy hierarch, and didst destroy the darkness of idolatry, dispelling the gloom of the passion with the radiance of healings; and thou hast passed over to the radiance which never waneth, praying earnestly for us who honor thee, O blessed Bucolus.

Thou didst become a babe for my sake, O Ancient of days, and didst partake of cleansing, O most pure God, that Thou mightest assure me of the flesh thou didst receive from the Virgin. And Symeon, taught thereby, recognized Thee as God appearing in the flesh, and the elder kissed Thee, our Life, and, rejoicing, cried out: “Release me, for I have seen Thee, the Life of all!”

He Who sitteth upon the throne of the cherubim and abideth in the bosom of the Father doth sit in thy womb as upon a throne, O Lady; for, truly God incarnate, He reigneth over all nations, and with understanding to Him do we now chant. Him do thou also entreat, that thy servants be saved.

Or this Stavrotheotokion—

She who in days past gave birth in the flesh unto Thee Who wast begotten of the unoriginate Father, O Christ, beholding Thee upon the Cross, cried out: Woe is me, O Jesus, my most beloved! How is it that Thou Who art glorified as God by the angels art now crucified by iniquitous men, O my Son? I praise Thee, O Long-suffering One!

Rejoicing, the Theotokos cried out: O Symeon, initiate of ineffable mysteries, take in thine arms Christ, the Word become a babe, of Whom thou wast informed of old by the Holy Spirit, and cry out to Him: All things are filled with Thy praise!

O Symeon, rejoicing, take up Christ, the little Child, on Whom thou hast set thy hope, the Consolation of the Israel of God, the Creator and Master of the law, Who fulfilleth the order of the law; and cry aloud unto Him: All things are filled with Thy praise!

Beholding the Word Who is without beginning, the Author of all, borne as a babe in the flesh by the Virgin as on the throne of the cherubim, Symeon marvelled and cried out to Him: All things are filled with Thy praise!

Knowing beforehand the beauty of thy soul and thy purity of mind, O divinely blessed one, with sanctity God ordained thee a wise sacred preacher.

Illumined by the Spirit, thou hast illumined those who are in the darkness of deception, O all-glorious holy hierarch, and through baptism hast made them children of the day.

The glorious Theologian chose thee, who didst shine with grace, and with divine admonitions laid hands upon thee; and he ordained thee a sacred priest, O most wise Bucolus.

The divine elder, comprehending the glory that was manifested of old to the prophet, beholding the Word held in His Mother’s arms, cried out: “Rejoice, O pure one, for as a throne dost thou hold God, the Light unwaning, Who reigneth with peace!”

The elder, bowing low and divinely touching the feet of the Mother of God who knew not wedlock, said: “O pure one, thou dost bear Fire! I fear to hold the infant God, the Light unwaning, Who reigneth with peace!”

“Isaiah was purified by the burning ember brought by the seraph,” the elder cried to the Mother of God, “and thou dost illumine me, giving me Him Whom thou dost bear in thine arms as with tongs, the Light unwaning, Who reigneth with peace.”

Arrayed with sanctity in the sacred vesture of the hierarchy, O honored hierarch Bucolus, thou didst illumine the ungodly, preaching the uncreated Unity in three Persons.

Thou didst snatch men from the mouth of the spiritual wolf by the teachings of thy divinely eloquent mouth; and with thy theology, O father, thou didst close the gaping mouths of the heretics.

The vile Marcion was vanquished by thy sacred words and all wickedness was cast out, O glorious Bucolus, the fœtid mire thereof being shaken off.

In Sion wast Thou set as a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense for the disobedient, and the inviolate salvation of the faithful.

Manifestly bearing the lineaments of Him Who begot Thee before the ages, Thou hast now been clothed in the weakness of mortals in Thy loving-kindness.

Now Thou lettest depart in peace him who worshipped Thee as the Son of the Most High, the Son of the Virgin, God become a Child.

Possessing exalted humility, purity of mind, love unfeigned, and pure faith and love, the glorious Bucolus was shown to be a habitation of the Trinity.

Into the mysteries doth the Spirit lead thee, O all-lauded Bucolus, who didst greatly adorn the sacred cathedra of Smyrna and by thine own hand thou didst make Polycarp pastor thereof after thee.

Understanding thy name in the Spirit, O all-wise one, by grace thou didst lead to the cathedra one who, after thee, would be a guide of the reason-endowed sheep, shining with the radiance of the virtues.

O Thou Who didst hallow the Virgin’s womb by Thy birth and didst bless the hands of Symeon as was meet, by anticipation Thou hast now saved even us, O Christ God. But in the midst of battle grant peace to Thy community, and strengthen the hierarchs whom Thou hast loved, O Thou Who alone lovest mankind.

Ikos: Let us make haste to the Theotokos, desiring to behold her Son borne to Symeon. Looking upon Him from heaven, the bodiless hosts are amazed, saying: “Things wondrous, most glorious, unapproachable and ineffable do we behold: for He Who created Adam is borne as an infant; He Whom nought can contain is held in the elder’s arms; He Who is in the infinite bosom of His Father is of His own will limited by the flesh, but not in His divinity, He Who alone loveth mankind.”

“I go to announce the glad tidings unto Adam who dwelleth in hades and unto Eve,” cried Symeon, joining chorus with the prophets, singing: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

God Who doth deliver the mortal race shall go even unto hades; He shall grant remission to all, sight to the blind, and even the mute shall chant: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

And Symeon foretold to the Virgin: “A sword shall pierce thy heart, O incorrupt one, beholding thy Son upon the Cross, to Whom we cry out: Blessed is the God of our fathers!”

Giving understanding to the ignorant and setting aright those who had stumbled through deception, O father, thou hast saved and led to God the pure who piously chant to Him: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Thy cheeks which preached the incarnation of Him Who, in His ineffable loving-kindness, shone forth upon us, were adorned, O most blessed one; and to Him didst thou cry out earnestly: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Restraining the passions of thy body by abstinence, O glorious one, thou didst show thyself unaffected by the assaults of the deceiver, and now dost truly chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

O people of Israel, beholding your glory, Emmanuel, the Babe born of the Virgin, join ye chorus now in the presence of the Ark of God, chanting: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Behold, cried Symeon, this One Who is both God and Babe shall be a sign of contradiction. O ye faithful, let us cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

God the Word, being Life itself and having become a Babe, shall be the downfall of the disobedient, but the restoration of those who chant with faith: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Thou didst flourish like a palm-tree in the courts of God, and didst fall into the needful sleep of the righteous; and thy divine tomb bringeth delight to those who behold thy wonder, O Bucolus, preacher of God.

God, the hypostatic Word of God, ordaineth thee a sacred hierarch who anointeth the people with sanctity, O holy hierarch and instructor of the people of Smyrna, thou luminary of the whole world.

Thou didst theologize concerning the incarnate Word and didst save many people from folly, as a godly disciple of him who shone forth in theology, O God-bearing Bucolus.

The ancients were wont to offer a pair of new-born doves and two young birds, but the godly elder and the chaste prophetess Anna serve in their stead, magnifying the only-begotten Son of the Father, Who was born of the Virgin and is borne into the temple.

Thou hast imparted unto me the joy of Thy salvation, cried Symeon. Accept Thou Thy servant, for I am weary of the shadow, as a mystic and sacred preacher of the new grace, magnifying Thee in praise!

The aged Anna, chaste and venerable, prophesying in sacred manner, openly confessed the Lord in the temple, and she magnified the Theotokos, proclaiming her to all present.

Thou hast illumined the Church of Christ like a light, like a radiant beam, like a great sun, like a lightning-flash, and hast enlightened the thoughts of the faithful. And thou hast made thine abode where shineth the never-waning light, singing to the uncreated Trinity the thrice-holy hymn.

Having passed beyond the flesh and the world, O performer of sacred acts, rejoicing, thou hast passed over to the ranks of heaven, deified by a most splendid disposition. Wherefore, we on earth celebrate thy memory with faith, O most wise Bucolus.

The earth covereth thy blessed body, which manifestly poureth forth healings and spiritual gifts, and heaven beareth thy spirit with the elect of ages past, truly adorned with divine splendors, O glorious Bucolus.

Set by the Spirit in the sanctuary, the elder doth take the Master of the law in his arms, crying out: “Now loose Thou the bonds of my flesh in peace, as Thou didst say; for with mine eyes have I beheld the revelation of the gentiles and the salvation of Israel!” Thrice

Glory…, Now & ever…: The foregoing is repeated.