Ode I

Irmos: Traversing the deep on foot, as though it were dry land, and seeing the tyrant Pharaoh drowned, Israel cried aloud: Let us chant unto God a hymn of victory!

Theotokion: Let us honor the palace of God the King, wherein He made His abode as was His pleasure; and let us lift up our voices in song to her who alone is the Theotokos who hath not known man, for for her sake have we been deified.

Canon for the Forefeast, the acrostic whereof is the [Greek] alphabet. In Tone VI—

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.

Let creation rejoice, and let the lands of the gentiles sing, for Jesus, the King of all the earth, cometh forth to accomplish our salvation through the streams of the Jordan.

Arrayed in flesh from the Virgin’s blood, a in a robe of royal purple, O Lord, Thou comest naked to the river’s streams, thereby clothing my nakedness.

As Thou art the Son of the all-unoriginate Father, O Compassionate One, Thou dost humbly approach the son of Zachariah, requesting baptism, that through grace Thou mightest make us children of God.

Canon of the apostles, the acrostic whereof is: “Let me praise the second circle of Christ’s disciples”, the composition of Joseph, in Tone IV—

As disciples of Christ Who for our sake revealed Himself in fleshly matter, O all-praised ones, ye have illumined all the world with the radiance of piety, driving away the darkness of godlessness.

As beacons of most godly aspect, Crispus, Prochorus, Andronicus, Thaddæus and Nicanor followed after Christ, forsaking the pollution and impermanence of corruptible things.

With the might of the Spirit ye overcame the might of the destroyer; and with the strength of divine understanding ye healed those rendered wholly impotent by the savagery of godlessness.

As apostles, as hierarchs of God, as true ministers of things past understanding, Amplius, Stachys and Philip preached the Lord Who hath appeared in the likeness of the flesh.