Canon of the Venerable One

Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “O Light immutable…”—

Irmos: Thou art the confirmation of those who have recourse to Thee, O Lord; Thou art the light of the benighted. And my spirit doth hymn Thee.

Kontakion, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “To the chosen leader…”—

Sessional hymn of the venerable one, in Tone V: Spec. Mel.: “The Word Who with the Father and the Spirit is equally without beginning…”—

Theotokion: Thou didst make Thine abode in the womb of the most holy one, in most holy manner, O Master, and Thou showest us the path which leadeth to holiness.

By the shedding of his blood, Maximus most great truly showed himself to be a martyr and preacher of the pious Christian Faith.

Irmos: Same as that of the preceding canon.

Kontakion of the venerable one, in Tone VI: Spec. Mel.: “Fulfilling the dispensation concerning us…”—

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

Theotokion: Having received immortality for thy sake, O Mother of God, the human race ever offereth thee joyous hymnody.

O blessed Maximus, through fasting thou didst become a pure dwelling-place of philosophy, meet for God.

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

Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Thy tongue, O right honorable and most blessed Maximus, thou nurturer of wisdom, poured forth a river of Christian doctrines.

Irmos: Same as that of the preceding canon.

Theotokion: Delivered from the debt of sin by thy birthgiving, O most immaculate Bride of God, we send up joyous hymnody to thee.

The pure Spirit preserved thee unharmed, who offered thyself wholly to the most compassionate Word, O glorious one.

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

Theotokion: O Theotokos, thou gavest birth to Him Who, in the richness of His goodness, willingly impoverished Himself and hath taken pity on our lowliness.

Seeing the resurrection from the dead of her who had given thee birth, which thou didst perform, O martyr, multitudes of the faithful hymned the Lord.

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

Theotokion: Let those who did not acknowledge thee as the Theotokos never see the light of Him Who was born of thee, O all-pure Mother of God.

The dove radiant with light called thee with a human voice to the paths of salvation, O Neophytus.

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

Theotokion: The divine mystery which was hidden from before all the ages hath been made known to the ends of the world through thee, O most immaculate Virgin Maiden: the Son and Word of God Who became flesh and hath deified man.

With fitting hymns, O ye faithful, let us honor the great Maximus, the lover of the Trinity, who manifestly teacheth us the divine Faith, to worship Christ in two natures, volitions and activities; and let us cry aloud: Rejoice, O preacher of the Faith!

Irmos: I shall pour forth supplication unto the Lord, and to Him shall I declare my grief; for my soul hath been filled with evils, and my life hath drawn nigh unto hell. And like Jonah I pray: Lead me up from corruption, O God!

Theotokion: Thy Son, O most pure one, Who is comely beyond all the sons of men in the beauty of His divinity, became flesh for our sake.

Having suffered persecution for the Faith, O father, thou didst drive away all heresy; and, thy hand and tongue cut off, O blessed Maximus, thou hast received from the hand of the Creator the magnificent crown of confession. Him do thou now unceasingly entreat, that our souls find mercy.

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the children who went down from Judæa trampled the flame of the furnace underfoot by their faith in the Trinity, chanting: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Theotokion: O Virgin, thou wast shown to be the all-radiant throne of the King of heaven, wherein, of His own will, He rested in the flesh, taking away our great debt. And He hath sat man upon the throne of the Father, as was His good pleasure.

Thou didst spring forth in the gardens of Christ’s athletes like a newly flourishing tree, O glorious Neophytus, and didst put forth the fruits of divine understanding, in which those who honor thee with faith find nourishment, O athlete right wise. By thy supplication ever save us, interceding before God.

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

Theotokion: Bearing the little Babe Who is God from before time began and was incarnate of thee, O most immaculate one, never cease to pray that He save those who chant: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Fleeing to thy divine protection after God, O Theotokos, I pray, falling down: Have mercy, O all-pure one, for my sins have gone over my head, and I fear and tremble before the torments to come, O Mistress. O pure one, make entreaty to thy Son, that He deliver me from them.

Irmos: As vanquishers of the tyrant and the flame through Thy grace, the children cried out, adhering greatly to Thy commandments: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Theotokion: Thou hast been shown to be more exalted than the angels, O pure Theotokos, having given birth to the Angel of Great Counsel, to Whom we all chant: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Stavrotheotokion—

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

Theotokion: Knowing thee to be the Mother and Bearer of God our Life, O Theotokos, we all bless thee with Orthodox faith, theologizing together concerning thy birthgiving and exalting thee supremely forever, O pure one.

She who in latter times gave birth to Thee in the flesh, O Christ Who wast begotten of the unoriginate Father, when she saw Thee hanging upon the Cross, cried out: “Woe is me, O Jesus most beloved! How is it that Thou Who art worshipped as God by the angels art now crucified by iniquitous men? I hymn Thee, O Long-suffering One!”

Irmos: The birthgiving of the Ever-virgin, which was revealed on the mountain to the law-giver in the fire and the bush, unto the salvation of us, the faithful, let us magnify with unceasing hymns.

Theotokion: Thou gavest birth to the new Babe Who was ineffably begotten of the Father before all creation, O most pure one. Him do thou beseech, that He now restore me who am grown old through transgressions and cry out: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Mortals honor thee, and the ranks of heaven marvel; for through love of wisdom thou didst show thyself to be like one of the incorporeal beings, O father.

Irmos: Every ear is stricken with awe to hear of the ineffable condescension of God, for the Most High willingly came down to assume the flesh, becoming man through the Virgin’s womb. Wherefore, let us magnify the all-pure Theotokos, O ye faithful.

Theotokion: Thou art our sword and bulwark, O Theotokos; thou art the help of those who have recourse to thee. Thee do we now appoint to make entreaty, that we may be delivered from our enemies.

Savage was the tyrant, yet thy patience was unshakable. Wherefore, thou hast been called blessed, but the most wicked one hath been cast out.

Theotokion: Bearing as with tongs the burning Coal of heaven Who consumeth all the tinder of my heart’s passions, O Theotokos, deliver me from the fire of Gehenna, I pray, that I may glorify thee, the hope of the faithful, O most immaculate one.

Thy two all-blessed disciples suffered with thee, O Maximus, sharing thy sufferings. Wherefore, they have received equal honors.

Watered by the torrents of thy blood, O venerable one, through thy doctrine the Church of Christ giveth rise to the divine seed of the Tradition of the fathers.

A great multitude, beholding thy blameless life and undaunted reason, turned to God, O glorious martyr.

Guided by the divine Spirit, thou didst reach the mountain and there didst make thine abode, O blessed one; and, fed by an angel, thou didst show thyself to be a peer of the angels.

In sympathy thou didst distribute what thou hadst to the poor, as is commanded, O blessed one, receiving the reward which never passeth not away.

Having acquired the knowledge of men and angels, Maximus hath justly been called a philosopher.

With boundless desire for wisdom, thou didst show thyself to be a most excellent emulator of thy Christ, O glorious Maximus.

Thou wast driven out by the rage of the tyrant, O blessed one, but didst find consolation in Christ.

Replete with ineffable mysteries, O right wondrous martyr Neophytus, thou didst depart to the impending contest of the struggles of martyrdom, undaunted by tortures or death.

By the ineffable providence of Him Who directed thy steps, the divine angels, appearing before thee, led thee from the mountain to thy contest, and, like another Moses, thy face was glorified with divine radiance.

Having the living Word in thy heart, O most glorious martyr Neophytus, with boldness of mind thou didst cry out to the persecutors: “I have come of my own, and not because ye sought me, but that I may denounce the weakness of your religion!”

Unceasingly dost thou offer entreaty unto God, O divinely wise one, that He deliver me from the passions, spiritual and bodily, and from corruption.

All the turgid spring of heresies hath been dried up, O glorious Maximus, stopped by the sound of thy tongue.

Cleanse me, O Christ Who alone art good, and by the supplications of Thy venerable one pour forth upon my heart a wellspring of grace.

Lifted up upon a tree, O most blessed one, thou wast mercilessly lacerated with iron implements; but thou didst break the stony heart of the deceiver who commanded thee to sacrifice to the gods and to deny our immortal God.

Torn apart and dragged along, O martyr, thou didst utterly bind falsehood; by the power of the Spirit thou didst show the onslaught of the enemy to be of no effect and didst hasten to heaven, to stand, crowned, before the Lord.

Exulting in the beauties of the Master, thou didst cleave unto Him, crying: “O Word of God, I willingly sacrifice myself for the sake of Thee Who sacrificed Thyself, most manifestly emulating Thine honored and divine sufferings!”

The thrice-radiant light which abode in thy soul showed thee forth as a chosen vessel, O most blessed one, revealing things divine to the ends of the earth. O blessed Maximus, recount understanding of things hard to comprehend and manifestly preach to all the transcendent and unoriginate Trinity!

Ikos: Having shown thyself to be an emulator of the sufferings of Christ, and having Him in thy soul, O most blessed one who art most rich, thou didst appoint ascents in thy heart; and He granted thee grace from heaven. Thou didst manfully oppose the tyrants, O wise one, preaching the divine Trinity which is One in essence, and denouncing the heretics who fought against God. Thou didst endure countless trials, O most lauded and venerable one, and the severing of thy tongue and hand, yet didst not cease to speak with boldness and make steadfast the faithful by thy divine teachings, manifestly preaching to all the people the transcendent and unoriginate Trinity.

Thou didst speak of one essence, one will, one activity of the Trinity, and didst preach God incarnate in two natures, wills and activity. O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Thou didst not preach two separate wills, which is contrary to reason and lacking in substance, O father, but madest a distinction in essences. O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Holding thy divine words to be a pillar of Orthodoxy, O father, we worship One of the Trinity in two essences and wills. O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

The all-iniquitous one, making a furnace of living flame, enclosed thee in it for three days; yet thou wast in nowise consumed, O Neophytus, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Standing in the midst of the flame, O blessed martyr, thou didst all-gloriously delight in hymnody, for the dew of God cooled thee, who cried out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Every mind doth marvel at the magnificent miracle wrought in thee, O divinely wise one, for the fire in nowise burnt thee, but, pouring forth, consumed those who are inheritors of fire.

Greatly loving Him Who hath loved the human race exceedingly, thou didst take up thy cross and wast crucified with Him, O blessed one, chanting: Bless the Lord, ye works of the Lord!

Recoiling from every deadly pleasure, O blessed one, thou didst make thyself a divine mirror of great clarity, chanting: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Receiving life-bearing radiance from the one Godhead in three Hypostases, thou wast shown to be a sun to those lost in darkness, chanting: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

With thy young body and thy perfect intellect thou didst set at naught the malice of the author of evil, O most comely scion springing forth in the courts of Him Who grew from the root of Jesse; and thou didst cry out to Him unceasingly: Ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

In the arena the wild beasts were afraid of thee, like the sacred Daniel of old; for they recognized thee as a witness to the sufferings of Christ. Confessing Him, thou didst endure unbearable tortures, crying out: Ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

The immense lion, who had come to know thee on the mountain, O athlete Neophytus, was brought into the arena and during thine ordeal was loosed upon thee, who wast bound; but, recognizing thee, he bowed down before thee with fear, constrained by shame and reverently shedding streams of tears with compunction, O blessed of God.

O most blessed and all-great Maximus, thy blood, like that of Abel, proclaimeth with a clear voice the divinely inspired dogmas to the Church of Christ forever.

Thy hand was cut off, yet, by the finger of God, using as pen and ink thy severed tongue and thy precious blood, it writeth the Orthodox Faith on the hearts of the faithful.

Thou hast taken thy place before the throne of God with the martyrs whose zeal and faith thou didst share, O father. Make us to be the Master’s own and render us thine emulators.

Thou didst stand before the cruel tormenters who would slay thee, O martyr Neophytus, like a lamb led voluntarily to the slaughter; and when thy side with pierced by a spear, thou didst receive a blessed end, O most valiant athlete of Christ.

O blessed one, thou didst offer thyself to God as a sacrifice, as a comely lamb, as an honorable immolation, as an offering of the holy temple, as pure holocaust, as a chosen bird, as a bullock of great value, as a new tree of paradise.

Thy manner of suffering was like to that of Him Who, in His goodness, suffered for our sake, O martyr, and through a similar spear thou didst truly achieve glory and dwellest now in the heavens, adorned with a diadem of victory and filled with incomparable joy.

Thou didst show thyself to be the clarion of wisdom, affrighting the legions of the adversary with thy brilliant tongue, O Maximus, thou light of monastics. Wherefore, nurtured by thy words, we acknowledge the sense thereof.

O Virgin Theotokos, thou hast shone forth the Deliverer and Master as the Light of noetic gladness in the world. Wherefore, pray thou that He may illumine the eyes of my soul with the light of divine radiance.