AT MATINS

One canon from the Octoechos, with 6 troparia, including the irmos; and one combined canon of the saints, with 8 troparia.

“The assembly of the angels.....” Then, the little litany and its exclamation: “For blessed is Thy name....”

Glory..., in Tone III—

After the Polyeleos, the Hypacoï of the tone, and this Sessional hymn of the saints, in Tone I—

Polyeleos, and this Magnification—

At “God is the Lord...,” the troparion of the resurrection, twice; Glory..., the troparion of the new martyrs; Now & ever..., Theotokion: “The mystery hidden from before the ages....”

Now and ever...: Theotokion, in the same tone—

Another Sessional hymn, in the same tone—

We magnify you, O holy new martyrs and confessors of Russia, and we honor your honored sufferings, which ye have endured for Christ.

Then the Hymns of Ascent, Prokimenon, and Gospel of the Resurrection.

Selected Psalm—

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 those who 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

Ye passed through the fire of torment and the water of tears, and the Lord hath led you forth into the rest of the saints, O new martyrs and confessors of Russia, intercessors who call upon God in behalf of those who understand and venerate your struggle. Glory to Him Who kneweth your volition ­beforehand! Glory to Him Who predestined you for the glory of heaven! Glory to Him Who through you granteth us great mercy!

In that ye loved God, O passion-bearers, all things soever ye endured on earth were for your good, and as ones elect ye passed on to the promised inheritance of everlasting blessings. Glory to Him Who gave you strength amid grievous torments! Glory to Him Who hath crowned you! Glory to Him Who through you worketh salvation!

Ye shone forth brightly in the firmament of the Church, O holy hierarchs of the foremost sees of Russia: most holy Patriarch Tikhon, who with fire pronounced the anathema against the enemies of the Cross; Vladimir, holy hierarch of Kiev, first fruit most ripe of the new harvest of the garden of Russia; and Benjamin, luminary of Petrograd, who from childhood desired to suffer for Christ, which he did. And with you all the passion-bearers are also glorified. Wherefore, with compunction we say to you thus: Rejoice, mighty and steadfast council! Be ye bold intercessors for all that pray to you!

Gabriel marvelled at the beauty of thy virginity and thy most radiant purity, O Theotokos, and cried out to thee: “What worthy praise shall I bring thee? What shall I call thee? I am at a loss and filled with awe. Wherefore, as I have been commanded, I cry to thee: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace!”

N.B.: If the temple be dedicatedto the holy new martyrs:

Prokimenon, in Tone IV—

For Thy sake, O Lord, are we slain all the day long.

Stichos: We are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Gospel according to Matthew, §36 [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 who 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 who endureth to the end shall be saved.”

After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI—

The new passion-bearers and confessors have been shown to be true witnesses to the resurrection of Christ, and for them have we established this feast. How could they have borne their cross to the glory which was to be revealed to them, had they not known that they were undeserving of the suffering of this present age?

Here endeth the prescription for a temple of the new martyrs.

Canon to the resurrection, with 4 troparia, and to the Theotokos, from the Octoechos, with 2 troparia. (If it be the Sunday of the Publican, or of the Prodigal, or Meatfare, see the Chapter of Mark for January 30th.) Then the canon of the new martyrs, with 8 troparia, in Tone VI—