At Great Vespers

After the Introductory Psalm, we chant “Blessed is the man…”, the first antiphon.

A Reading from the Book of Judges

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…” —

Now & ever…: Dogmatic theotokion, in the same tone —

Troparion, in Tone I —

A Reading from the Book of Judith

Thy most glorious commemoration hath dawned upon us like the sun, O divinely wise Olga, mother of the princes of Russia, youngest daughter of Christ. Thou, who wast nurtured on the teaching of the apostles, didst prevail over the graven images and over the devil, being enlightened by the power of the Holy Spirit; and from the darkness of ignorance thou didst lead to God the whole land and all the people. Him do thou entreat in behalf of those who keep thy memory. Twice

Now & ever…: Theotokion —

Troparion, in Tone IV —

A Reading from Proverbs

In the spiritual understanding wherewith thou didst put to shame the enemy who beguiled Eve and didst break asunder his weaponry, thou didst build up the divinely planted paradise of the Church, wherein thou didst plant the Cross, the Tree of life, having as food the table of God, the inexhaustible fountain of the Blood of Christ. And, drinking thereof, thou remainest incorrupt, ever praying in behalf of us all. Twice

Now & ever…: Theotokion —

Or this Troparion, in the same tone —

Glory..., in Tone VI —

Be ye spiritually filled with gladness, ye ends of the Russian land, honoring the memory of the divinely wise Olga; for she prayeth ever to Christ with the wonderworkers and the martyrs, having as a helper the holy Theotokos, that we that hymn her with faith and bow down before the reliquary of her incorrupt body be delivered from misfortune and grief.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —

Glory..., in Tone V —

Come, ye Christian people of Russia, and in praises let us magnify our first mother, who showed great wisdom and courage, who spurned the glory of this world and loved Christ our true God more than all others; and let us cry out thus unto her: O all-glorious favorite of Christ, pray thou for the people of Russia, that they may not be turned away from the Orthodox Faith by any of the wiles of the enemy, but may remain unshaken in piety.

Now & ever...: Theotokion, or this Stavrotheotokion: Spec. Mel: “Having set all aside...” —

Glory…, in Tone VI —

Now & ever...: Theotokion, or this Stavrotheotokion: Spec. Mel: “On the third day...” —

Come, ye generations of Russia, and with hymns let us praise the all-wise Olga! Come, and, enriched in understanding, learn from her how to bring our understanding to the obedience of faith! Come, O ye men, and render honor to an all-glorious woman! Come, ye women, and emulate her great manliness! Come, ye rulers, and understand an incorrupt glory which surpasseth all earthly things! Come, all ye her descendants, and celebrate with splendor on her day! For she prayeth fervently to the Lord, that our souls be enlightened.

Who doth not call thee blessed, O all-holy Virgin? Who will not hymn thine all-pure birth–giving? For the only-begotten Son Who shone forth timelessly from the Father, came forth, ineffably incarnate, from thee, the pure one; and being God by nature, He became man for our sake, not divided into two Persons, but known in two natures without confusion. Him do thou beseech, O pure and most blessed one, that our souls find mercy!

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. Three readings:

In those days, the children of Israel continued to do evil against the Lord; and Ehud was dead. And the Lord sold the children of Israel into the hand of Jabin, King of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor. The chief of his host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the gentiles. And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, because he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he mightily oppressed Israel twenty years. And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, judged Israel at that time. And she sat under the palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim; and the children of Israel went up to her for judgment. And Deborah sent and called Barak, the son of Abinoam, out of Kedesh Nephtali, and said to him: “Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded thee, saying: ‘Thou shalt depart to Mount Tabor, and shalt take with thyself ten thousand men of the sons of Nephtali and of the sons of Zebulon. And I will bring to thee, to the torrent of Kishon, Sisera, the captain of the host of Jabin, and his chariots, and his multitude; and I will deliver them into thy hands’?” And Barak said to her: “If thou wilt go with me, I will go; but if thou wilt not go, I will not go: for I know not the day of which the Lord prospereth His messenger with me.” And she said: “I will surely go with thee; but know that thine honor shall not attend on the expedition on which thou goest, for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” And Deborah arose, and went with Barak out of Kadesh. And Barak called Zebulon and Nephtali out of Kadesh, and there went up at his feet ten thousand men; and Deborah went with him. And Heber the Kenite had removed from Kena, from the sons of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and pitched his tent by the oak of the covetous ones, which is near Kadesh. And it was told Sisera that Barak, the son of Abinoam, was gone up to Mount Tabor. And Sisera summoned all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron and all the people with him, from Harosheth of the gentiles unto the brook of Kishon. And Deborah said to Barak: “Rise up, for this is the day on which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thy hand; for the Lord shall go forth before thee.” And Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera descended from off his chariot, and fled on his feet. And Barak pursued his chariots and the army, into Harosheth of the gentiles; and the whole army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword, and there was not one left. And Sisera fled on his feet to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, his friend; for there was peace between Jabin, King of Hazor, and the house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him: “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me. Fear not.” And he turned aside to her into the tent; and she covered him with a mantle. And Sisera said to her: “Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him to drink, and covered him. And Sisera said to her: “Stand now by the door of the tent, and it shall come to pass if any man come to thee and ask of thee, and say: ‘Is there any man here?’, then thou shalt say: ‘There is not.’” And Jael, the wife of Heber, took a pin of the tent, and took a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him, and fastened the pin in his temple; and it went through to the earth, and he fainted away, and darkness fell upon him, and he died. And behold, Barak was pursuing Sisera; and Jael went out to meet him, and said to him: “Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest.” And he went in to her; and, behold, Sisera was fallen dead, and the pin was in his temple. So God routed Jabin, King of Canaan, in that day, before the children of Israel. And the hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin, King of Canaan, until they utterly destroyed Jabin, King of Canaan. And Deborah and Barak, son of Abinoam, sang in that day, saying: “A revelation was made in Israel when the people were made willing: Praise ye the Lord! Hear, ye kings, and hearken, ye rulers: I will sing! It is I who will sing to the Lord; it is I, I will sing a psalm to the Lord, the God of Israel! O Lord, in Thy going forth on Seir, when Thou wentest forth out of the land of Edom, the earth quaked and the heaven dropped dew, and the clouds dropped water. The mountains were shaken before the face of the Lord Eloi, this Sinai before the face of the Lord God of Israel. In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, they deserted the ways, and went in by-ways; they went in crooked paths. The mighty men in Israel failed, they failed until Deborah arose, until she arose, a mother in Israel. They chose new gods. Then the cities of rulers fought; there was not a shield or a spear seen among forty thousand in Israel. My heart inclineth to the orders given in Israel. Ye that are willing among the people, bless the Lord. Ye that mount a she-ass at noon-day, ye that sit on the judgment-seat, and walk by the roads of those who sit in judgment by the way: declare ye that are delivered from the noise of disturbers among the drawers of water: there shall they relate righteous acts. O Lord, increase righteous acts in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the cities. Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, O Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, O son of Abinoam!”

Judith was left alone in the tent, and Holofernes lying along on his bed, for he was filled with wine. Now Judith had commanded her maid to stand without her bedchamber, and to wait for her coming forth, as she did daily; for she said she would go forth to her prayers, and she spake to Bagoas according to the same purpose. So all went forth, and none was left in the bedchamber, neither little nor great. Then Judith, standing by his bed, said in her heart: “O Lord God of all power, look at this present upon the work of mine hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem. For now is the time to help Thine inheritance, and to execute mine enterprise to the destruction of the enemies which are risen against us.” Then she came to the pillar of the bed, which was at Holofernes’ head, and took down his sword from thence, and approached his bed, and took hold of the hair of his head, and said: “Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, this day!” And she smote twice upon his neck with all her might, and took away his head from him, and tumbled his body down from the bed, and pulled down the canopy from the pillars. And afterward she sent forth, and gave Holofernes’ head to her maid, who put it in her bag of meat. And the twain went together, according to their custom, unto prayer; and when they passed the camp, they compassed the valley, and went up the mountain of Bethulia, and came to the gates thereof. The said Judith afar off to the watchmen at the gate: “Open, open now the gate! God, even our God, is with us, to show His power yet in Israel, and His strength against the enemy, as He hath even done this day!” Now when the men of her city heard her voice, they made haste to go down to the gate of their city, and they called the elders of the city. And then they ran all together, both small and great, for it was strange unto those who she was come; so they opened the gate, and received them, and made a fire for a light, and stood round about them. Then said she to them with a loud voice: “Praise, praise God! Praise God, I say, for He hath not taken away His mercy from the house of Israel, but hath destroyed our enemies by my hands this night!” And she took the head out of the bag, and showed it, and said unto them: “Behold the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Ashur; and behold the canopy, wherein he did lie in his drunkenness! The Lord hath smitten him by the hand of a woman. And the Lord liveth, Who hath kept me in my way that I went, my countenance hath deceived him to his destruction, and yet hath he not committed sin with me, to defile and shame me.” Then all the people were wonderfully astonished, and bowed themselves down, and worshipped God, and said with one accord: “Blessed be Thou, O our God, Who hast this day brought to nought the enemies of Thy people!” Then said Hosiah unto her: “O daughter, blessed art thou by the Most High God more than all the women upon the earth; and blessed be the Lord God, Who hath created the heavens and the earth, and hath directed thee to the cutting off of the head of the chief of our enemies! For this thy confidence shall not depart from the heart of men, who remember the power of God forever! May God turn these things to thee for a perpetual praise, to visit thee in good things, because thou hast not spared thy life for the affliction of our nation, but hast revenged our ruin, walking a straight way before our God.” And all the people said: “So be it! So be it!”

Who shall find a virtuous woman? for such a one is more valuable than precious stones. The heart of her husband trusteth in her: such a one shall stand in no need of fine spoils. For she employeth all her living for her husband’s good. Gathering wool and flax, she maketh it serviceable with her hands.

At Litia, the sticheron of the temple; and this sticheron of the saint, in Tone I —

Today is all the land of Russia called to rejoice; for the commemoration of our first mother hath arrived, who brought us to the light of the Christian Faith, who showed us the path to salvation, and laid the foundation for the good estate of our realm.

Glory…, in Tone VI —

Let us hold festival today, O brethren; let us celebrate the memory of the holy Olga, glorifying our first mother not with hymns alone, but rendering glory to the Lord with Christian works. Let us purge all that is heathen from our character and reject what is ungodly in our life, lest the Lord, Who loveth mankind, be utterly wroth because of our sins.

Christ the Lord, my Creator and Deliverer, Who came forth from thy womb, O all-pure one, and robed Himself in me, hath freed Adam from the curse. Wherefore, like the angel do we unceasingly cry out to thee, O most pure one, who art truly the Mother of God and Virgin: Rejoice! Rejoice, O Mistress, thou intercession, protection and salvation for our souls!

At the aposticha, these stichera, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…” —

O all-glorious wonder! Through a woman the Lord Who loveth mankind all-wondrously restored the human race, which had fallen through a woman, and in later times He sent a woman for the conversion of the Russian race: the all-glorious Olga, whose baptism laid the foundation for the enlightenment of the Russian land, unto the salvation of our souls.

Stichos: The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him, to all that call on Him in truth.

Rejoice, O divinely saved city of Kiev, who hast poured forth the light of Christ upon all the ends of our land, and showed forth therein the first saint, the all-honored Olga! Rejoice, O Vyshegrad, her honored inheritance! Rejoice, O assembly of the women of Russia, who have provided our boast, unto the salvation of our souls!

Stichos: The will of those who fear Him shall He do, and their supplication shall He hear, and He shall save them.

Be glad, O barren land of Russia! Dance, O thou who never felt the pangs of childbirth, for thou hast now given birth to thy child, the blessed Olga! And to the Lord she calleth our father Vladimir, and by her struggles moveth to emulation the choirs of God’s saints, and thy cities and groves, unto the salvation of our souls.

Glory…, in the same tone —

Great is thy glory, and thy memorial is ­celebrated with praises, O all-wise Olga, who disdained the emptiness of the idols and understood the truth of the Gospel. In thine old age thou didst bind thy mind to Christ in obedience, and hast shown the true path of life to all the generations of Russia. In our behalf entreat Him Who alone loveth mankind.

O unwedded Virgin who ineffably conceived God in the flesh, Mother of God Most High: accept the entreaties of thy servants, O most immaculate one, granting unto all cleansing of transgressions; and, accepting now our supplications, pray thou that we all be saved.

Having furnished thy mind with wings of divine knowledge, thou didst soar far above visible creation; and seeking God, the Creator of all, and finding Him, thou didst receive rebirth through baptism; and delighting in the Tree of life, O ever-glorious Olga, thou remainest incorrupt forever.

When Gabriel announced to thee, Rejoice! O Virgin, the Master of all became incarnate within thee, the holy tabernacle, at His cry, as the righteous David said. Thou wast shown to be more spacious than the heavens, having borne thy Creator. Glory to Him Who made His abode within thee! Glory to Him Who came forth from thee! Glory to Him Who hath set us free by thy birthgiving!

On “Lord, I have cried...,” 6 stichera: 3 for the martyr, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel: “O most glorious wonder...” —

O most glorious wonder! The ewe-lamb of the Lord, emulating His voluntary death with pangs of suffering, while lying in the tomb emitteth an outpouring of blood through the power of the Spirit. And drawing it forth for the purification of our souls, we ever offer up the praise of all unto God.

O most glorious wonder! How, though mortal by nature, the all-praised athlete stood on this day, holding the divine scroll, which she gave not to the adversaries, but entrusted to the fathers. O glorious martyr, boast of the whole world, by thy supplications save thou the Church of Christ unshaken.

The assembly of the divine fathers placed on thy breast the definition of the Faith. And, receiving it, O all-glorious one, as one who preserveth the divine Faith unshaken, and vanquisheth every heresy, thou didst put to shame the defenders of erroneous belief. Wherefore, we honor and bless thee.

And 3 stichera for the blessed one, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel: “As valiant among the martyrs...” —

Thy most glorious commemoration hath dawned upon us like the sun, O divinely wise Olga, mother of the princes of Russia, youngest daughter of Christ. Thou who wast nurtured on the teaching of the apostles didst prevail over the graven images and over the devil, being enlightened by the power of the Holy Spirit; and from the darkness of ignorance thou didst lead to God the whole land and all the people. Him do thou entreat in behalf of those who keep thy memory.

In the spiritual understanding wherewith thou didst put to shame the enemy who beguiled Eve and didst break asunder his weaponry, thou didst build up the divinely planted paradise of the Church, wherein thou didst plant the Cross, the Tree of life, having as food the table of God, the inexhaustible fountain of the Blood of Christ. And, drinking thereof, thou remainest incorrupt, ever praying in behalf of us all.

Be ye spiritually filled with gladness, ye ends of the Russian land, honoring the memory of the divinely wise Olga; for she prayeth ever to Christ with the wonderworkers and the martyrs, having as a helper the holy Theotokos, that we that hymn her with faith and bow down before the reliquary of her incorrupt body be delivered from misfortune and grief.

The virgin, athlete and martyr Euphemia stood at the right hand of the Savior, arrayed in the virtues of victory and adorned with the oil of purity and the blood of suffering, crying aloud unto Him, joyfully holding her lamp: “I have made haste to the odor of Thy sweet fragrance, O Christ God, for I am wounded by Thy love! Turn me not away, O heavenly Bridegroom!” By her supplications, O almighty Savior, send down upon us Thy mercies!

A sword passed through thy heart, O all-pure Mistress, as Symeon said, when thou didst behold Him Who, at His ineffable utterance, shone forth from thee lifted up on the Cross, as One condemned from among the iniquitous, given vinegar and gall to drink, His side pierced, His feet and hands nailed; and, lamenting, thou didst exclaim, crying out maternally: “What is this new mystery, O my Child most sweet?”

At the Aposticha, we chant also the following stichos and sticheron, in Tone III —

Stichos: Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel.

Let the martyr of Christ be honored with hymns; for a recounting of praises truly becometh her, as one that hath woven a wreath for her head. For, truly unshaken and steadfast, she cast down the arrogance of many tormentors. Wherefore, suffering, she cried out with joy: Be Thou mine aid, O Lord, and forsake me not!

O thou who art clad in the virtues and made radiant by thy thought, who pourest forth myrrh upon the hearts of the faithful, shining forth like a radiant star from the East, who made a council of the divine fathers through the coming of the Holy Spirit: Cease not to beseech Christ in our behalf, O all-praised Euphemia, that our souls be saved!

Thy pure Virgin Mother was wounded inwardly, as Symeon foretold, beholding the most iniquitous of people nailing Thee unjustly to the Tree.

Thy ewe-lamb Euphemia crieth out to Thee with a loud voice, O Jesus: “I love Thee, O my Bridegroom; and, seeking Thee, I pass through many struggles: I am crucified and buried with Thee in Thy baptism, and suffer for Thy sake, that I may reign with Thee; I die for Thee, that I may live with Thee. As an unblemished sacrifice accept me who sacrifice myself with love for Thee.” By her prayers save Thou our souls, in that Thou art merciful.

Having furnished thy mind with wings of divine knowledge, thou didst soar far above visible creation; and seeking God, the Creator of all, and finding Him, thou didst receive rebirth through baptism; and delighting in the Tree of life, O ever-glorious Olga, thou remainest incorrupt forever.