Canon of the Feast

Exapostilarion of the venerable martyrs: Spec. Mel.: “By the Spirit in the sanctuary…”—

Irmos: From the ancient snares have we all been set loose, and the teeth of the lions have been broken in their mouths. Let us then rejoice with great joy and open wide our mouths, weaving with words a sweet hymn to the Word, Who delighteth to bestow gifts upon us.

Kontakion of the venerable martyrs, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “Seeking the highest…”—

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

Theotokion: The sword which before was wielded giveth way before me, withdrawing before the spear which pierced Him Who was born of thee, O Virgin Mother.

He who once assumed the guise of a malignant serpent and planted death in the garden of creation, is now cast into darkness by Christ’s coming in the flesh; and by assailing the Master, the Dawn which hath shone forth upon us, he crusheth his own loathsome head.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Exapostilarion of the feast—

Irmos: Plant Thou the fear of Thee in the hearts of Thy servants, O Lord, and be Thou the confirmation of us who call upon Thee in truth.

Kontakion of the feast, in Tone IV—

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

Theotokion: O all-holy one who gavest birth to the all-holy Word, sanctify the souls and bodies of us who bless thee, the most immaculate one.

The Master draweth to Himself the divinely crafted nature of man, which had been overthrown by the tyranny of greed; and He restoreth mortal men, granting them a new birth, and accomplishing thereby a mighty work; for He is come to cleanse our nature.

Irmos: Neither in wisdom, nor in power, nor yet in riches do we boast, but in Thee, O Christ, the hypostatic Wisdom of the Father; for none is holy save Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

Now & ever…: Sessional hymn of the feast, in the same melody—

Theotokion: As the Mother of the Word, O all-pure one, call me to repentance, who slumber in despondency and am covered with sin.

Despising the inconstancy of transitory things, O valiant athletes of Christ, the King of all, ye desired the incorrupt enjoyment of things to come.

Irmos: Purified by the fire of a mystical vision, the prophet praiseth the restoration of mortal men; and, filled with the inspiration of the Spirit, he lifteth up his voice to reveal the incarnation of the ineffable Word, Who hath broken the dominion of the mighty.

Theotokion: Having appeared through the Virgin and become man, the preëternal Lord, the newborn Babe, reneweth the human race. To Him let us chant: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Ye manfully opposed Him Who most iniquitously commanded you to submit to impiety, O divinely wise ones, and have received crowns of victory from heaven.

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

Theotokion: In that thou art beautiful, comely and resplendent in purity, thou didst give flesh to Him Who is comely in beauty, O Virgin Mother, and gavest birth to Him Who in the richness of His goodness granteth that all may become divine.

Ye cast down the temples of falsehood and raised yourselves up as honored temples and pillars of divine knowledge, O martyrs of Christ.

Irmos: Beholding Thee lifted up upon the Cross, O Sun of righteousness, the Church stood rooted in place, crying out as is meet: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Theotokion: Thou gavest birth to God in manner past recounting and comprehension, O pure and divinely joyous one, and even after giving birth didst remain a virgin as thou wast before birthgiving.

Having pleased God with a contrite mind, ye crushed the arrogance of the enemy, O blessed ones who were broken and slain by the sword.

Irmos: Washed clean of the poison of the dark and vile enemy by the cleansing of the Spirit, we have set out upon a new path which leadeth to joy inaccessible, which only they attain whom God hath reconciled with Himself.

Theotokion: As thou art merciful, O all-holy one, cure thou the sick passions of my soul, the pain of my heart and the multifarious changes of my mind, and still thou the cruel turmoil of mine evils, I pray.

Looking toward things which abide forever, O wise ones, ye rejected the inconstant and corrupt things which drag one down; wherefore, ye have been called blessed, O venerable martyrs.

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: Still thou the waves of the passions of my flesh by thy ceaseless supplication, O Virgin, and grant that I not fall into the most heavy sleep of sin.

Having submitted to the law of God with right dutiful mind, ye destroyed the carnal passions with abstinence, and having suffered, ye have now received glory.

Irmos: Thou hast come, O my Lord, as a light into the world: a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance those who hymn Thee with faith.

Theotokion: Annulling the curse of Eve, Thou didst make Thine abode within the most immaculate Virgin, pouring forth springs of blessing upon those who cry: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Ye fled from the tumult of the world and have found rest in the calm haven, crowned with the blood of martyrdom and the labors of asceticism. Wherefore, ye have been shown to dwell together with the martyrs and the venerable.

Irmos: With a most blessed voice the Father made manifest His Beloved Whom He had begotten from the womb. Verily, He saith, this, the splendid Son, of the same nature as Myself, hath come forth from the human race. He is My living Word, Who by My providence is become a man.

Theotokion: The jar which held manna of old truly and manifestly prefigured thee, who held the Manna of life in thy womb. Blessed art Thou among women, O most immaculate Mistress.

Ikos: O ye who mortified your members on earth, with life-bearing mortality ye portrayed the suffering of Christ God, first in goodly asceticism, and later again in suffering. Wherefore, He Himself hath sent down twofold crowns upon your heads, O fathers, preparing for you a heavenly abode and an everlasting place, where, rejoicing now, ye have been shown to dwell together with the martyrs and the venerable.

Irmos: I pour forth my prayer unto the Lord, and to Him do I declare my grief; for my soul is full of evil and my life hath drawn nigh unto hell, and like Jonah I pray: Lead me up from corruption, O God!

Theotokion: He Who through thee was clad in the flesh, being perfect in all things, was shown to be unapproachable by me in His essence, O thou who knewest not wedlock. Him do thou earnestly entreat, that He cut short the time of mine iniquities and save me who chant: Ye priests, bless; ye people, exalt the Lord supremely forever!

Together ye received a blessed end in the waters, O wise ones, drowning Belial therein by the grace of our God, O martyrs; wherefore, having received crowns as victors, ye rejoice with the angelic choirs. With them be ye mindful of us.

Irmos: I will sacrifice to Thee with a voice of praise, O Lord, the Church crieth unto Thee, cleansed of the blood of demons by the blood which, for mercy’s sake, flowed from Thy side.

Theotokion: Ancient paradise is again made accessible because of thee, and man, who before was banished, entereth therein and is most truly deified, O pure one who art full of the grace of God, unto the restoration of men who chant: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Shown to be wanderers and sojourners on earth, establishing cells in the deserts, ye manifestly undertook ascetic labors, O venerable ones, and adorned yourselves in nakedness as with the vesture of the virtues, becoming images of the sufferings of Christ. Wherefore, ye endured slaughter at the hands of the barbarians.

Irmos: He Who cooled the lofty flame that encircled the pious youths in the furnace, hath burnt the heads of the dragons in the waters; and with the dew of the Spirit He washeth away all the unbearable gloom of sin.

Theotokion: O Savior Who wast born and hast preserved incorrupt her who gave Thee birth even after giving birth, spare me when Thou shalt sit to judge my deeds, overlooking mine iniquities and sins, in that Thou art sinless, as the merciful God Who loveth mankind.

Thou didst hallow the streams of the Jordan and didst crush the might of sin, O Christ our God. Thou didst bow down beneath the hand of the Forerunner, and hast saved the human race from falsehood. Wherefore, we pray: Save Thou our souls!

Irmos: In the furnace the Hebrew children boldly trod the flame underfoot and transformed the fire into dew, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Theotokion: The cherubim tremble, beholding the Word, Who sitteth upon them ineffably, carried as a babe in His Mother’s arms, O all-holy Mistress who art more exalted than all creation.

O most radiant Word, Who hast been sent forth by the Father, Thou comest to repel utterly the night of evil darkness and to uproot the sins of men, and by Thy baptism to draw forth children of light from the streams of the Jordan, O Good One.

Irmos: The children of Abraham in the Persian furnace, afire with love of piety more than with the flame, cried out: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord!

When he saw in very truth the Word Who had been foretold, the herald bore witness of Him to creation, and cried, plainly saying: “This is He Who was before me, yet cometh after. Though like us in form, He hath shone forth with divine power to take away our hateful sin!”

Irmos: Creation is seen to be fire, and those who before were in darkness to be children of the light. The prince of darkness alone groaneth. Let the inheritance of all the nations which before was accursed now fervently bless Him Who hath brought these things to pass!

That He might bring His own back to the life-giving pastures of paradise, the Word of God layeth siege to the lairs of the dragons, and destroying their manifold snares, he assaileth him who hath bruised all mankind, and, imprisoning him, delivereth creation.

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!

As a minister of the Word thou didst most diligently denounce the irrationality and foolishness of the iniquitous, O martyr Hermylus.

Irmos: Stretching forth his hands, Daniel shut the lions’ mouths in the pit; and the young lovers of piety, girded about with virtue, quenched the power of the fire, crying out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Preaching the one nature of the Godhead, the single authority and dominion, O divinely wise ones, ye held the falsehood of polytheism in contempt.

Irmos: O most pure Bride, O blessed Mother! The wonders of thy birthgiving pass all understanding. Having received most perfect salvation through thee, we praise our Benefactor as is meet and right, offering a hymn of thanksgiving unto Him as a gift.

Suspended aloft and lacerated, afflicted with wounds, thou didst remain unmoved, O divinely wise martyr and passion-bearer Hermylus.

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.

Unvanquished by carnal passions, ye conquered the enemy; and, slain by the sword, O most blessed ones, rejoicing together, ye have passed over to the life of heaven.

Irmos: Christ, the Chief Cornerstone uncut by human hands, Who united the two disparate natures, was cut from thee, the unquarried mountain, O Virgin. Wherefore, in gladness we magnify thee, O Theotokos.

Fattened on abstinence like lambs, like excellent sheep ye were slain at the hands of bloodthirsty wolves, O venerable ones, and brought to Christ as perfect sacrifices.

O ye priests, elders and youths who lived at Raithu and on Mount Sinai, having lived a holy life ye became martyrs, dying a violent death.

Beholding him whom He had formed of dust bound by inescapable bonds in the darkness of sin, the Creator raised him up and laid him on His shoulders; and now, in the midst of abundant waters, He cleanseth him of the ancient shame of Adam’s inclination toward sin.

With piety let us eagerly hasten to the most pure wellsprings of the stream of salvation: and, gazing upon the Word Who is come forth from the incorrupt Virgin, let us drink the pure water which quencheth our holy thirst, gently healing the infirmity of the world.

The clouds of tortures did not eclipse your courage, O most lauded martyrs; for it was shown to be brighter than the sun in the radiance of piety, which guideth the pious with light and dispelleth the gloom of the demons.

Having passed beyond the bounds of humanity, O divinely blessed ones, and united yourselves with perfect purity to Him Who transcendeth being, ye endured bitter tortures, laceration and wounds with firmness of mind.

Thou didst mightily oppose him who condemned thee, O all-blessed and glorious martyr Hermylus, and wast vouchsafed to hear a voice from heaven, telling thee to drawn nigh with love to the Judge of the contest Who called thee and Who strengtheneth His martyrs.

Ye were shown to be the sweet garden of paradise, having in your midst the Lord, the Tree of life, Who hath accepted your blood as a sacrifice.

Mingling the torrents of your blood with the streams of your tears, O God-bearers, ye therein drowned the serpent of many guises.

Ye were vouchsafed to behold the beauty of God, O blessed ones, and have received everlasting gladness for your labors and pangs.

The prophet, mysteriously swallowed up for the space of three nights in the belly of the sea monster, emerged again, making manifest beforehand to all our regeneration in the last times, and our deliverance from the dragon that slayeth mankind.

When the shining vaults of heaven were opened, he who knew the Scriptures beheld the Spirit, Who proceedeth from the Father and abideth in the all-pure Word, descending in ineffable manner in the form of a dove; and he commanded the multitudes to hasten to the Master.

Full of life-creating waters, ye were cast into the river’s streams, O most lauded ones, and receiving your end therein, ye strangled the princes of evil. And now ye pour forth upon us torrents of healing.

Cast into a basket, ye were committed to the deep, O athletes; but ye have been upborne to the life on high, joyously finding the things for which ye had hoped from of old, O holy martyrs great in wisdom.

Thou wast shown to be tormented with bitter torture, beaten with staves, O martyr Stratonicus, and wast an invincible pillar of endurance set upon the foundation of the Faith, setting at naught the opposition of the tormenters with thy words and deeds.

Having cast off the bonds of passionate attachment through ascetic labor, ye were released from the bonds of the flesh by a violent death, and have bound yourselves with the inviolable love of the Creator.

Having shown yourselves to be like lofty mountains by your manner of life, with the power of Christ ye trampled underfoot him who boasted that he would seize the mountains and all creation.

Drenched with the waters of tears, O blessed ones, like good and fertile soil ye brought forth the grain of martyrdom as fruit, which is stored up in the eternal granaries for Christ.

Thou hast appeared today to the whole world, and Thy light, O Lord, hath been signed upon us who hymn Thee with understanding. Thou hast come, Thou hast appeared, the Light unapproachable.

Ikos: Upon Galilee of the nations, upon the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, as the prophet said, a great Light hath shone, even Christ. A radiant darkness hath dawned upon those who sat in darkness, shining forth from Bethlehem. The Lord born of Mary, the Sun of righteousness, shineth forth with splendor upon the whole world. Come, therefore, all ye naked children of Adam, and let us clothe ourselves in Him, that we may be warmed; for He Who covereth the naked and enlighteneth those in darkness, hath come. He hath appeared, the Light unapproachable!

The fierce Assyrian flame that prefigured Thee hast Thou quenched, transforming it into dew. And now, O Christ, Thou hast clothed Thyself in water as in flame, and Thou burnest up the baneful malice concealed in its depths, which calleth men to fall with faltering step.

When the Jordan was parted of old, the people of Israel passed clean over on dry ground, prefiguring Thee, O most powerful Lord, Who now bearest up creation in the waters without touching it, leading it to a better and imperishable path.

We know that in the beginning Thou didst, in Thy mercy, bring the waters of the flood upon the earth to destroy every living substance that Thou hadst made. And now, O Christ, Who workest wonders strange and most great, Thou hast drowned sin in the waters of Thy compassion, unto the salvation of mortal men.

Honeyed discourse flowed from thy mouth, O Hermylus, bringing an end to the bitterness of the despondency of Stratonicus, thy fellow athlete, who cried: Blessed art Thou, O God, forever!

Holding the Cross of the Savior as a staff of power, O valiant martyr Hermylus, thou didst patiently endure beating with a staff, chanting to thy Creator: Blessed art Thou, O God!

He Who most gloriously saved the prophet who was held fast in the belly of the sea monster saved your victorious relics from the waters of the river after your demise, O athletes.

Illumined by the splendors of asceticism and sacred sufferings, O martyrs, manifestly sanctified, ye have passed over to the never-waning Light and have become children of the day.

Voluntarily withdrawing from the sweet pleasures of the world, ye united yourselves to Him Who strangely appeared to men in the flesh, inheriting the good things which abide and wax not old, O venerable ones.

Let the godly ascetics and glorious martyrs Paul and John, Theodulus and Nilus, and all who most gloriously lived and died together, be blessed.

Sprinkled with dew in the midst of the fire, the three godly children plainly prefigured how the transcendent Nature, which is resplendent with most radiant rays of threefold holiness, doth, through human nature, mercifully consume all pernicious falsehood with the fire of dew.

Let the whole of earthly creation be clothed in white, for this day it is raised up from its fall to heaven; and, washed and most splendidly cleansed in the flowing waters by the Word, by Whom all things are preserved, it hath escaped its former sins.

Beaten and cruelly lacerated, covered with masses of wounds, thou didst endure, O glorious Hermylus; for thou wast the instructor of Stratonicus in struggles of piety, and with him thou didst cry out: Ye priests, bless; ye people, exalt the Lord supremely for all ages!

Unbowed in resolve, valiant in suffering, worthy of heavenly gifts, precious stones and bulwarks of the faithful, when ye were commanded, ye did not offer worship to stones, but cried out to God, the Master of all: Ye people, exalt Him supremely forever!

Raking thy sides with iron claws and pitilessly beheading thee with the sword, the torturer did not break thy resolve, who wast strengthened by divine love and didst look toward the beauty of the Deliverer. And standing now before Him with boldness, thou criest out: Ye people, exalt the Lord supremely forever!

Adorned with feats of asceticism, the magnificent choir of the venerable displayeth today all its godly singers, who praise Christ and chant unto Him: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Ye were slaughtered like lambs, cut down by the swords of the barbarians, and have been brought as perfect sacrifices to the Word Who was slaughtered; and ye have made your abode in the tabernacles of the first-born, chanting: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Having stripped yourselves bare of all pleasures, O venerable fathers, ye stripped naked the most wicked enemy, who had exposed our first parents’ nakedness; and having received sacred vesture through your suffering, ye clothed him in shame, O wise ones.

That which was revealed to Moses in the bush we see here fulfilled in wondrous manner; for as it bore fire, yet was not consumed, so hath the Virgin been preserved, who gave birth unto the Benefactor Who bringeth us light, and the streams of the Jordan suffered no harm when they received Him.

O King Who is without beginning, through the communion of the Spirit dost Thou anoint and make perfect the nature of man, and cleansing it in the pure streams of baptism, putting the arrogant might of darkness to shame, Thou now dost raise it up to eternal life.

Having sailed across the abyss with the sail of torments, O martyrs of Christ, ye put in at the havens of rest, where the choirs of martyrs and assemblies of the righteous are, and where is the never-waning light and the joy of those who keep festival in the Spirit.

Today, the Church of Christ, observing the sacred memorial of your suffering, O most blessed ones, doth celebrate a joyful and radiant feast, magnifying God Who crowned as His favorites you who magnify Him.

Ye have truly been caught up to the all-radiant heights of witness and have attained the Summit of desires, truly receiving the immovable kingdom of God, O martyr Stratonicus and wise and divinely intelligent Hermylus, ye blessed saints.

Come, and with holy and hallowed words let us magnify aloud the sacred fathers who at Raithu and Sinai lived in holiness, and suffered piously.

Having sanctified yourselves with the sweat of asceticism, in holiness ye have dedicated your souls and bodies to the Lord, drying up the sea of barbarian wickedness with the outpouring of your blood.

The divinely radiant commemoration of the pangs ye endured for Christ, illumined by the effulgence of the East, O blessed ones, enlighteneth the thoughts of all with the grace of the all-accomplishing and divine Spirit.

With the pangs of fasting ye utterly slew the serpent, the author of evil, and in death ye have received the crown of martyrdom, O boast of the fathers and glory of the martyrs, ye most sacred multitude of wondrous fathers in Raithu and Sinai.

The day of never-waning light hath dawned, for Christ, the Truth, hath now come and appeared! As is meet let us hymn Him with psalms and hymns as Creator and Master! O the new mystery! The Creator of Adam hath of His own will appeared as a man!