Canon II of the Holy Fathers, in Tone VIII —

Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel: “Hearken, ye women...” —

Irmos: The staff of Moses, once working a wonder, striking the sea in the form of the Cross and dividing it, drowned the mounted tyrant Pharaoh, and saved Israel who fled on foot, chanting a hymn unto God.

Kontakion and Ikos of the Resurrection; and this Sessional hymn of the fathers, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel: “Go thou quickly before...” —

Glory..., Now & ever...: Theotokion —

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

At the Praises, 4 stichera of the resurrection; and 4 of the fathers, in Tone VI: Spec. Mel: “Having set all aside...” —

Theotokion: Most glorious things have been said of thee among generations of generations, O Mary Theotokos, who contained God the Word within thy womb, and remained pure. Wherefore, we all honor thee, after God, as our intercessor.

The pious council of the fathers, which once assembled against Eutyches, truly preached the Savior in two inseparable natures, manifestly walking and abiding in the doctrine of the godly father Cyril.

Exapostilarion: Spec, Mel.: “Thou hast visited us…” —

Irmos: There is none as holy as Thee, O Lord my God, Who hast uplifted the horn of Thy faithful and established us on the rock of the confession of Thee, O Good One.

Kontakion, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel: “As the firstfruits...” —

Glory..., Now & ever...: Theotokion —

Glory…, sessional hymn of the venerable one, in Tone III, Spec. Mel.: “Awed by the beauty of thy virginity…” —

Having combined their spiritual skills, and applied them to the heavenly and precious Symbol of Faith through the divine Spirit, the honored fathers inscribed it in divine writing, wherein the right glorious, most rich and truly divine wise ones teach most clearly that the Word is equally without beginning and eternal with Him Who begot Him, thus following most carefully the teachings of the apostles. Twice

Theotokion: O all-pure one, thou gavest birth unto One of the uncreated Trinity, Who is two in nature and volition, and Whose image we worship, filled with grace.

The six hundred and thirty pious men, having cast down the deception of Eutyches and the heresy of Severus, gave voice to this hymn: We preach Christ in two natures, walking according to the pronouncement of the blessed Cyril.

Irmos: O Christ, Who in the beginning established the heavens in wisdom and founded the earth upon the waters, make me steadfast upon the rock of Thy commandments; for none is holy as Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

Kontakion of the archangel, in Tone II —

Glory...: the composition of George of Nicomedia, in Tone VIII —

Stichos: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Thy name unto the ages.

Theotokion: Thou hast been shown to be more exalted than the cherubim and the seraphim, O Theotokos; for thou alone hast received the uncontainable God in thy womb, O immaculate one. Wherefore, all of us, the faithful, bless thee with hymns, O pure one.

Let him who doth not confess Christ, the Word of the Father, to be in two natures and activities, fall under our anathema! For thus did the Fourth Council of the holy fathers unanimously preach. Let us all, therefore, call them blessed.

Irmos: Christ is my power, my God and my Lord, the honored Church doth sing, crying out in godly manner with a pure mind, keeping festival in the Lord.

Kontakion of the archangel, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “The steadfast…” —

The choir of the holy fathers, which hath gathered from the ends of the earth, hath taught the single essence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and hath carefully committed to the Church the mystery of theology. Praising them in faith, let us bless them, saying: O divine legion, divinely eloquent swordsmen of the Lord’s command, most radiant stars of the noetic firmament, unassailable towers of the mystical Sion, sweet-scented blossoms of paradise, golden mouths of the Word, boast of Nicæa and adornments of the whole world: Pray ye in behalf of our souls!

Having received all the noetic radiance of the Holy Spirit, as preachers of Christ, the divine defenders of the teachings of the Gospel and the traditions of the pious, inspired by God, proclaimed their most supernatural decision; and having manifestly received from on high the revelation thereof, being illumined they expounded the Faith taught by God.

Theotokion: From thy precious blood didst thou give birth unto God Who bore flesh, O pure Maiden; Him have the fathers professed to be in two natures, but a single Hypostasis.

The mindless Arius, showing himself to be a servant of a created being, and Macedonius, likewise revealed as abominable, are tormented together in the fire of Gehenna with the heathen.

Irmos: Thou art my strength, O Lord, Thou art my power; Thou art my God, Thou art my joy, Who, without leaving the bosom of the Father, hast visited our lowliness. Wherefore, with the Prophet Habbakuk I cry unto Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

Stichos: Gather together unto Him His holy ones who have established His covenant upon sacrifices.

Theotokion: Thou art the chariot of the cherubim, O pure Mother of God; thou art the habitation, the dwelling-place of God the Word of the Father, Who clothed Himself in flesh of thine all-pure womb. Wherefore, worshipping Him Who became incarnate of thee in two natures, we glorify Him unceasingly.

With the seven sacred councils of the holy fathers didst thou adorn the honored Church, O Christ, driving far away the darkness of deception as with the light of seven beacons.

Irmos: With Thy divine light illumine the souls of those who with love rise at dawn unto Thee, O Good One, that they may know Thee, O Word of God, to be the true God Who calleth all forth from the darkness of sin.

Having mustered all their pastoral skill, moved to wrath most just, as champions, as most true servants of Christ and most sacred keepers of the mysteries of divine preaching, the godly pastors drove away the savage and pernicious wolves, casting them out of the fullness of the Church; and they fell, as it were, to their deaths as ones afflicted incurably.

Theotokion: Thou wast the Mother and handmaiden of thy Son, O pure one; for He Who came forth from thee existed before thee as thy Creator. Him do we know to be in two natures and we unite them in the hypostatic Word.

The multifarious murrain of the heretics destroyeth Thy flock, O Word; but the shepherds of Thy noetic sheep have cured this by their doctrine.

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: Possessed of maternal boldness before thy Son, O most pure one, spurn not any thought of us as kin, we pray; for thee alone do we Christians set before the Master as our merciful purification.

Those who have foolishly inclined towards the words of Severus, which are full of dreadful poison, are ever put to shame, driven away from the Church like predatory wolves and dogs.

Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, fleeing to Thy calm haven I cry unto Thee: Lead up my life from corruption, O greatly Merciful One!

Theotokion: Let Nestorius be admitted to the benighted councils of the Jews and let his blasphemous tongue be cut out; for the Virgin Mary gave birth to God Who became incarnate for us.

O ye faithful who join chorus together, we honor the Savior and Creator of all in two indivisible natures, two volitions and activities. Wherefore, we utterly reject the deception of Severus.

Irmos: Cleanse me, O Savior, for many are my transgressions; and lead me up from the abyss of evils, I pray, for to Thee have I cried, and Thou hast hearkened to me, O God of my salvation.

Theotokion: We, the pious, proclaim thee truly to be the pure and all-glorious Virgin, O Mary Theotokos, closing off the impudent mouth of Nestorius and the evil mind of Dioscorus.

Come ye, and let us openly reject the deception of the pernicious Severus and Jacob, and with them Theodosius and Dioscorus; but let us praise the Fourth Council of the pious fathers with hymns divine.

Irmos: The Angel caused the furnace to pour forth dew upon the pious youths, and the command of God, which consumed the Chaldæans, prevailed upon the tyrant to cry out: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Theotokion: With reverence do we venerate the image of the countenance of Thine incarnation, O Master, and that of Thy Mother and of all the saints, knowing with right thought that the veneration passeth well to the Prototype.

Ye have been shown to the world as all-radiant beacons of the truth of Christ on earth, O truly most blessed and divinely eloquent fathers, having burned the heresies of the blasphemous confusion of tongues and quenched the flaming tumults of those whose faith is false. Wherefore, as holy hierarchs of Christ, pray ye that we be saved. Twice

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the fire stood in awe of the condescension of God; wherefore, the youths, dancing with joyous step in the furnace, as in a meadow, chanted: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Theotokion: Not in more than one Person do we glorify the one Christ, nor do we unify Him in commingling His essence; for He is one and the same Person, thy Son and Creator, O Virgin, distinguished by being dual in nature.

By thy divine birthgiving, O pure one, thou hast renewed mortal nature which had grown corrupt in earthly passions; and thou hast raised up all from death to the life of incorruption. Wherefore, as is meet, we all bless thee as thou didst foretell, O all-glorious Virgin.

Irmos: From the flame didst Thou pour forth dew upon the venerable ones, and didst consume the sacrifice of the righteous one with water; for Thou, O Christ, dost do all things soever Thou desirest. Thee do we exalt supremely for all ages!

Theotokion: O all-pure Theotokos, cleanse thou the wounds of my soul and the bruises of sin, washing them with the stream which springeth forth from the side of thy Son in flowing streams; for to thee do I cry, to thee do I flee, and thee, who art full of the grace of God, do I invoke.

Thine enemies raised a great tumult, O Savior, and they that hate Thee have lifted up their head a little; yet straightway they have fallen, unable to endure the blare of Thy spiritual trumpets.

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!

Theotokion: God shone forth from thy womb, O Mother of God, and hath deified the human race and counted it worthy of His own glory; and He hath shown all who ever proclaim thee truly the Theotokos to be His heirs.

The suns of the Sun have with twofold radiance made clear that the Son and the Spirit are from the Father, uncreated, equally without beginning. The Father is believed to be the sole Cause of both.

Irmos: It is not possible for men to behold God, upon Whom the ranks of angels dare not gaze; but through thee, O most pure one, hath the Word appeared incarnate unto men; and magnifying Him with the armies of heaven, we call thee blessed.

Theotokion: The pride and audacity of the foe and the counsels of those who utter blasphemy against the Creator hath He Who was born of the Virgin set at naught; and as God Who hath lifted up the horn of His people and strengthened them with faith He hath made the council of the faithful unshakable, that we may all magnify thee, O Theotokos.

Seven are the spirits which rested on Christ, Isaiah said; and Christ, with the Father and the divine Spirit, rested on the seven councils.

Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, and the ends of the earth were amazed, that God hath appeared in the flesh, and that thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. Wherefore, the ranks of men and angels magnify thee as the Theotokos.

Now & ever...: the Theotokion “All-blessed art thou, O Virgin Theotokos...”

O mindless and vain Severus, tell us: Is the Word, the Son of the Father of lights, a single essence, commingled, without beginning? For if thou sayest so, thou dost postulate a different essence; for flesh and the Word are not a single essence, but are two, O accursed one!

Irmos: Overwhelming power once laid low the whole army of Pharaoh in the deep, and the incarnate Word hath destroyed pernicious sin. All-glorious is the Lord, for gloriously hath He been glorified.

Theotokion: O pure one, thou hast been shown to be more exalted than all creatures, visible and invisible; for thou gavest birth unto the Creator, in that it was His good pleasure to become incarnate in thy womb. Him do thou now entreat with boldness, that He save those who hymn thee.

To speak of a single nature of the Word goeth against the incarnate nature of humankind apart from any change and commingling; and the teacher and primate of the Alexandrians hath clearly taught two natures and volitions to those who wish to reason in Orthodox manner.

Irmos: O Theotokos, thou living and abundant fountain: in thy divine glory establish those who hymn thee and spiritually form themselves into a choir; and vouchsafe unto them crowns of glory.

Theotokion: Giving utterance unto the mystery which had been hidden from of old, Gabriel once cried out to thee, O Maiden: Rejoice, thou palace of God, wherein making His abode He hath deified all men, in that He is full of loving-kindness!

The two unconfused natures of Christ do we all proclaim, O ye faithful, trampling underfoot all the impiety of Eutyches and the mindless Dioscorus. And we follow the limits set down by the holy fathers through the discourse of the divine Cyril.

Irmos: The desert, the barren Church of the nations, blossomed like a lily at Thine advent, O Lord; and therein hath my heart been established.

Theotokion: In thy purity thou hast been shown to be like a lily amid thorns, O Mistress, radiant in the splendors of thy virginity, O all-pure Theotokos.

The divine grapevine of Christ which was brought from Egypt was once consumed by the wild beasts of the accursed destroyer; but they have been driven far away with the sling of the holy fathers.

Irmos: Perceiving the inscrutable counsel of God — the Incarnation of Thee, the Most High, from the Virgin — the Prophet Habbakuk cried aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Now & ever…, Theotokion —

Illumining their minds with thrice-radiant divine splendor, the honored fathers professed the Lord Christ to be One of the worshipful Trinity and two in nature and volition.

Irmos: Thou didst come forth from the Virgin, neither a mediator nor an angel, but Thyself incarnate, O Lord, and hast saved me, the whole man; wherefore, I cry to thee: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Theotokion: Gabriel, understanding through the Spirit that thou art wholly pure, O all-immaculate one, manifestly cried out to thee: Rejoice, thou deliverance from the curse, O restoration of the forefathers!

Triadicon: O Trinity, among material things hath the Church been made heavenly by the wise fathers as among the seraphim; and ever chanting unto Thee the thrice-holy hymn, it uniteth Thy threefold nature into One.

Irmos: All things are filled with awe at thy divine glory; for thou, O Virgin who hast not known wedlock, didst contain within thy womb Him Who is God over all, and gavest birth to the timeless Son, granting peace unto all who hymn thee.

Theotokion: Eve offered me the fruit of mortality, but thou, O all-pure one, giving birth to Life hypostatic, hast straightway set our life aright. Wherefore, I cry out to thee: Rejoice, O Ever-virgin!

O Severus! Do not wickedly confuse the natures of Christ, O iniquitous one; for all the priests and all-blessed teachers, professing that in the one Person of Christ there are two natures, have expounded thus to all.

Irmos: Thou art a Mediator between God and man, O Christ God; for by Thee, O Master, are we led up out of the night of ignorance to Thy Father, the Source of light.

Theotokion: As thou wast a temple of sanctification, O all-immaculate one, at the cry of the archangel thou gavest birth unto the All-holy God Who resteth in the saints, Who sanctifieth all and rescueth them from evils.

Desiring to take pity on us who were perishing, He Who is without beginning, the Word of the Father, Who loveth mankind, manifestly assumed human nature. Wherefore, I profess Him in two natures and volitions.

Irmos: Celebrating this divine and most honored festival of the Mother of God, come, ye divinely wise, let us clap our hands and glorify God Who was born of her.

Theotokion: Lo! in manner surpassing recounting didst thou contain Christ God within thy womb, O all-pure Theotokos; and the Prophet Isaiah cried aloud, saying: Thou hast given birth unto Him Who is above our essence, O Theotokos!

The Fourth Council, having set at naught Severus and Dioscorus, who blaspheme Christ, read aloud the Tome of Leo, the primate of Rome, showing forth right well the natures of the Savior as two in number, without separation.

Irmos: Whirled about in the abyss of sin, I call upon the unfathomable abyss of Thy loving-kindness: Lead me up from corruption, O God!

Theotokion: Obedient to the divine words of Gabriel, O pure one, thou gavest birth in the flesh unto the Word Who is wholly without beginning Who delivereth the world from insanity.

Once David, chanting, said: The God of gods, the Lord, hath spoken, and He hath called them from the ends of all the earth, from the rising of the sun and even unto the setting thereof, signifying the œcumenical councils of the fathers.

Irmos: The divinely wise youths worshipped not a creation rather than the Creator, but, manfully trampling the threat of the fire underfoot, they rejoice, chanting: Blessed art Thou, the all-hymned God of our fathers!

Theotokion: In manner transcending nature, thou gavest birth, O Virgin, and remainest a virgin forever, having made manifest the true divinity of thy Son and God.

The wisdom of God hath founded seven pillars, Thy Church, O Master, which is maintained unshaken by all the heresies by the councils of the sacred fathers, seven in number.

Irmos: The command of the iniquitous tyrant, opposed to God, raised up a lofty flame; but Christ, Who is blessed and all-glorious, spread a spiritual dew upon the pious youths.

Theotokion: Gabriel, the supreme commander, was sent to announce joy unto thee, O pure Virgin Mother, for whose sake grief hath ceased, the curse hath truly lost its force, and blessing hath blossomed forth for the faithful forever.

May shame cover the countenances of Eutyches and Dioscorus, who spake foolishly of a commingling of the nature of Christ; for He received the nature of earthborn man not in appearance, but in His divinity.

Irmos: The birthgiving of the Theotokos saved the pious children in the furnace — then in figure, but now in deed — and it moveth all the world to chant to Thee: Hymn ye the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Theotokion: Directing my life, O all-pure one, do thou guide it to thy calm haven, O thou who hast given birth to the Wellspring of blessing Who bestoweth an abundance of goodness upon all the faithful.

The two epistles of Cyril which were once sent to the prefect who held authority over the East, denounce all the deception of Severus, piously proclaiming Christ.

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the fiery furnace divided its activity at the command of God, consuming the Chaldæans, but bedewing the faithful, who chant: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Theotokion: Let us hymn the blessed Virgin as the beautiful throne of the King, her who is more exalted than all other creatures, who alone brought into the world the Transcendent One Who hath deified men through the supernal union of His ineffable and wondrous birthgiving.

Cyril preached Christ in two natures and two activities, cutting to pieces the heresy of the senseless Severus. Wherefore, let us all remain in his doctrines.

Irmos: Let every mortal leap for joy, enlightened by the Spirit; and let the nature of the incorporeal intelligences keep festival, honoring the sacred feast of the Mother of God, and let them cry aloud: Rejoice, O most blessed Theotokos, pure Ever-virgin!

Theotokion: The dispassionate Mind doth unite Himself to a human mind in thy womb, O all-pure one, and He Who transcendeth time cometh under time through the coarseness of the flesh. Wherefore, with faith and love we glorify thee, the Theotokos.

The preaching of the apostles and the dogmas of the fathers sealed the one Faith of the Church; and clad in the robe of Truth woven of theology from on high, it setteth aright and glorifieth the great mystery of piety.

Irmos: God the Lord, the Son of the unoriginate Father, hath revealed Himself to us incarnate of the Virgin, to enlighten those in darkness and to gather the dispersed. Wherefore, we magnify the all-hymned Theotokos.

Theotokion: The light of grace shone forth through thy birthgiving and hath illumined the whole world and destroyed the princes of darkness, O all-pure Theotokos, thou boast of the angels and salvation of all men who praise thee with unceasing hymnody.

Ikos: Let us hearken unto the Church of God which crieth out with exalted preaching: let him who thirsteth come to me and drink the cup which I hold, for it is the cup of wisdom! This drink of truth have I drawn by the word, which poureth forth not the water of gainsaying, but of confession, and drinking of it the present Israel beholdeth God, Who declareth: Behold ye, and see that it is I Myself Who am God, and I change not! I have been God from the beginning, and will be so ever after; and other than Me there is no God! They that drink hereof shall be satisfied, and shall praise the great mystery of piety.

Theotokion: Seeing from afar with prophetic eyes, the prophets clearly proclaimed thee who wast to become the Mother of the Creator and Master of all. Wherefore, we confess thee to be the Theotokos, O all-hymned one.

Once Daniel destroyed the dragon of Babylon; and by the prayers of the fathers hath Arius, the cruel serpent of Egypt, which devoureth the flock of Christ, been manifestly broken asunder.

Theotokion —

With unforgivable impiety the wolf Macedonius showed his disdain, striking out against the Spirit Who deifieth men and restoreth all the faithful to their primal goodness through the laver of baptism.

Dioscorus, Eutyches and Severus the Leviathan, the three who have commingled and mixed the natures of Christ with mental confusion, have struck out with audacity against the worshipful Trinity.

Confessing Christ to be in two natures and activities, without confusion, immutably, we vanquish the deception of Severus. Wherefore, we cry out to Him Who, in assuming flesh, endured suffering: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

We understand that it was One Who was on the Tree, yet, as God in the highest, was in the bosom of the Father, and Who was in the tomb in that He was joined to the flesh. To Him do we chant, crying out together: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Despising the enemies of the Trinity, the emptiness and division of Arius who belittled God, and the like-mindedness of Sabellius, let us cry out to the Trinity, O ye faithful: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Trinitarian: Theologizing in Orthodox manner, we declare Thee to be the Lord of all, the one and, more precisely, only-begotten Son of the Father, knowing Thy one, proceeding Spirit to be upright, equally united and eternal with Thee.

The Son and the Spirit shone forth as divinely planted shoots from a single Root; for the Father is the sole Cause, is timeless and of honor equal with the other timeless Persons.

Thou didst timelessly shine forth from an immaterial womb, O Word Who art of one essence with the Father and the Spirit; yet for our sake Thou madest Thine abode in the material womb of the only Theotokos.

Darts ablaze with the fire of the Spirit, the seven councils of the godly fathers, pierced the shameful hearts of the heretical enemies and sent them to their death.

Let those who do not profess the one Son in two natures, indivisible, immutable and unconfused, be put to shame, and let their mouths be stopped; for we, the pious, render glory, believing that Christ acteth and willeth not in accordance with different hypostases, but in two natures.

O ye who bear the name of Jacob the ragged and take his name to yourselves, tell us: Were ye baptized in his name of old? Wherefore, because of him, ye who yet willingly cleave unto shamelessness with that liar have fallen away from the grace of Christ.

In Chalcedon, the Fourth Council set at naught Dioscorus, Eutyches and Severus, and utterly cut off from the Church of Christ the Master the thorns of their heresy, which confused the natures of the Savior. With the Church we who are Orthodox hold them in derision.

Triadicon: The one, thrice-luminous splendor of the Godhead which shineth forth from the one essence in three Hypostases: the unoriginate Father, the conjoined Word of the Father, and the equally reigning consubstantial Spirit, ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

One must not add to or subtract anything from sacred Tradition, our Orthodox Faith; for therein have we been baptized with faith. And they that add anything to this Faith shall fall under the ban of anathema.

Let us all leap up in joy of heart, uniting in one feast the memory of the sacred councils of the fathers, for for their sake have we come to behold the light of Orthodoxy; for they have been revealed as beacons guiding all to find the right doctrines.

Let us ask cleansing for our souls, and let us strive to live our life piously, that we may share in the portion of the holy fathers who have disclosed the riches of right doctrine unto us their children.

The false Severus, having traversed the right glorious Church of Christ, rightly became the object of the vengeance of the council of the pious fathers because of his blasphemy and deceptive verbal artifice; and, condemned, he is cut off from the company of the teachers of the Church.

O wretched Severus, why comminglest thou the natures of Christ and introducest confusion and commixture into them, thus adding to the Godhead, which is devoid of passion, the suffering on the Cross and the burial of the only-begotten Word of God? Wherefore, we abominate thy great blasphemy.

Celebrating the memory of the divine fathers today, by their supplications, O most Compassionate One, we entreat Thee: Deliver Thy people, O Lord, from all the harm of heresies, and vouchsafe that all may glorify the Father, the Word and the most Holy Spirit.

Rejoice, palace of God! Rejoice, mountain overshadowed! Rejoice, bush unburnt! Rejoice, throne of glory! Rejoice, divine table! Rejoice, golden candlestick! Rejoice, most radiant lamp! Rejoice, O Mary, Virgin and Mother, thou light cloud!

Great Doxology, and after the Trisagion, the troparion of the Resurrection alone. Litanies, and Dismissal. Catechetical Discourse of St. Theodore the Studite. Departure to the narthex. Glory..., Now & ever...: Evangelical Sticheron. First Hour. Final dismissal.

In debt to thee for thy teaching, O all-blessed one, plaiting a wreath of praises we offer it to thee in return. By thy prayers, O thou who art most rich, grant me grace of spirit, showing thyself to be merciful.

The most pernicious assault of the passions didst thou quell, O father, possessed of the divine wisdom of the Word; for thou wast beneficent and right eloquent, meek and humble, and crowned by the Word with wisdom and knowledge, O Stephen.

In sacred manner didst thou adorn thyself with understanding and the active working of grace, O divinely eloquent father Stephen, desiring the crown of the glory of Christ; and thou wast not disappointed in thy desire, O all blessed one.

Manifestly didst thou lay hold of chastity, extreme meekness and lofty humility, O God-bearer; and, exalted thereby, through the activity of thy works and thy vision, thou didst present thyself before the Lord, rejoicing, and didst receive an imperishable crown.

O Gabriel, in that thou art truly immaterial and illumined immaterially through partaking of the immaterial Light, thou art seen to be a secondary luminary, ever enlightening the material men who hymn thee.

O thou who art great among the angels, thou hast been vouchsafed renown, having disclosed unto us the great mystery whereby we who honor thee greatly have been caught up to the most exalted heights.

From heaven hast thou appeared unto all who ever seek thee with love, and hast stilled the tempest of temptations and tribulations which hath raged against us, O Gabriel, thou supreme commander.

Like the sun hath thy most splendid life shone forth in the world, O God-bearing Stephen, and it hath illumined those who approach thee with faith and love.

The ends of the earth are illumined by thy teachings, O venerable one, for thou didst shine forth like a beacon upon the Church of Christ, wherein my heart hath been established, O God-bearer.

Thy soul didst thou maintain unenslaved by the passions and pleasures of the flesh, O honored God-bearer Stephen. Wherefore, we now praise thee as is meet.

O wise Gabriel, thou leader of the angels, minister of the glory of God and divine champion of the world, who beholdest the glory of God in the heavens and bestowest grace on earth: save and preserve those who cry out to thee: Be thou thyself our helper, and no one will prevail against us!

Thou art foremost among the incorporeal ministers of God, O glorious Gabriel, for to thee was entrusted the dread mystery of the ineffable birthgiving of the holy Virgin, which was commanded immemorially. And thou didst exclaim to her: Rejoice, O joyous one! Wherefore, we, the faithful, ever bless thee with gladness as is meet.

The amendment of thy life doth truly serve as a light to the feet of those who emulate thee with faith, O father Stephen. Wherefore, by thy supplications do thou ever save from all imprisonment those who bless thee with love, entreating Christ, O blessed, right wondrous and venerable one.

In that thou art a never-cultivated vine, O Virgin, thou didst give rise unto the most comely Cluster, Who poureth forth upon us the wine of salvation which maketh glad the souls and bodies of all. Wherefore, ever blessing thee as the cause of good things, with the angel we cry out to thee: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace!

Stavrotheotokion —

Thy pure Mother who knew not wedlock, O Christ, beholding thee hanging upon the Cross, said, weeping maternally: “What hath the iniquitous and ungrateful synagogue of the Jews rendered unto Thee, which enjoyed Thy many and great gifts, O my Son? I hymn Thy divine condescension!”

O right wondrous Gabriel, thou didst stand of old through divinely appointed communion, enlightening the Prophet Daniel and expounding the manifestation of incomprehensible things through the Spirit.

With mouths of clay we joyously praise thee who art fiery by nature. From the fire which burneth everlastingly do thou rescue us by thy divine mediations, O Gabriel.

Arrayed in divine vesture which shineth with unapproachable glory more brightly than the sun, O supreme commander of God’s servants, thou dost stand in gladness before the King of heaven.

Thou, O Stephen, wast the crown of monastics, adorned with the virtues as with precious stones; for thou art truly seen to be a divinely joyous adornment, O blessed one.

Thou didst hold divine wisdom in veneration, O God-bearer; wherefore, Wisdom hath made thee radiant with crowns of spiritual gifts, bestowing eternal glory upon thee, O most honored father.

By the splendor of thy demeanor and the nature of thy goodness thou didst live a fitting life, O venerable Stephen; wherefore, thou art become accessible unto all, O most blessed and all-wondrous one.

Made radiant by communing with the primordial Mind, thou art seen to be a secondary luminary, crying aloud with the countless ranks of the angels: Holy is the Father, the Accomplisher of all things, the equally unoriginate Son, and the Spirit Who is enthroned with them!

Fiery is thine aspect, most wondrous thy beauty, and great is thy glory, astonishing every mind, O Gabriel, great leader of the incorporeal hosts of God, thou adornment of all who hymn thee with faith.

When of old the godly Zacharias beheld thee standing nearby at the hour of censing, he fell mute; for he did not believe the strange proclamation which thou didst make, O Gabriel, thou supreme commander.

With desire for dispassion didst thou quell the assaults of the passions, O God-bearing Stephen; and with visions and good works thou didst enlighten the state of thy soul, O father.

With a pure mind and spiritual writings didst thou converse, O divinely eloquent Stephen; and thou didst assemble a divine wealth of visions and deeds, O venerable father.

Plumbing the abyss of wisdom, O Stephen, thou didst attain the discovery of that which is right profitable; and for thine efforts thou didst acquire the precious pearl of knowledge, O all-blessed one.

Earthly tongues cannot honor thee, the radiant and heavenly intelligence, most splendidly illumined with divine splendor in manner past understanding and recounting.

O greatly splendid beam of the Sun, leader of the fiery ministers, by thy radiant entreaties to the Master rescue those who hymn thee from the darkness of the passions.

Confound the counsels of the heathen; confirm the Orthodox Faith; and abolish the divisions of the Church, by thy supplications to the Creator of all, O archangel.

Thou hast been shown to be a most radiant beacon for the whole world, illumining with the brilliance of thy words those who have recourse unto thee with faith and love, O father Stephen.

Thou didst pass thy blessed life lulling thy senses to sleep and setting thyself beyond the tumult of the world; and thou didst draw nigh unto God, O Stephen.

Crowned with the virtues, O all-wise Stephen, thou hast now been crowned as with a comely and beauteous crown, and hast gained the rule over the passions, O most eminent one.

Supreme commander of God, minister of His divine glory, leader of the angels and instructor of men: Ask for us great mercy and that which is profitable, in that thou art the supreme commander of the incorporeal hosts.

Ikos: In Thy Scriptures Thou didst say, O Immortal One Who lovest mankind, that a multitude of angels rejoice in heaven over one repentant man. Wherefore, O Thou Who alone art sinless and knowest the hearts of men, we who are amid transgression ever dare to entreat Thee, in that Thou art compassionate: Have pity and send down compunction upon us, even though we are unworthy; and grant us forgiveness, for the supreme commander of the incorporeal hosts doth beseech Thee in behalf of us all.

Thou didst announce the birth of John unto Zachariah, O glorious one, when he once stood within the temple of God and chanted unto our Deliverer and God: Blessed art Thou, O all-hymned Lord and God of our fathers!

The most glorious magnificence of thy temple, O Gabriel, doth most splendidly sanctify the souls of the faithful and impel them to cry aloud: Blessed art Thou, O all-hymned Lord and God of our fathers!

Mystically enlightened by communing with the primordial Light, O supreme commander, thou art seen to be truly a secondary luminary, and dost ever illumine those who sing: Blessed art Thou, O all-hymned Lord and God of our fathers!

Shining forth with the grace of the Spirit, O venerable one, the words of thy teachings emit a sweet fragrance; for, honoring the one Godhead in three Persons, and hymning the incarnation of the Word, thou dost render us fragrant, O thou who art most rich.

With purity of mind and splendor of knowledge thou didst pass thy life, O divinely wise one; and with purity of body and the splendor of virginity thou didst show thyself to be an offering to the Almighty Who seeth all things.

As thy discourse appeared seasoned with salt, O most wondrous one, so did thy life shine forth radiantly with grace. Wherefore, rejoicing in Christ, thou hast made thine abode in the mansions of heaven, standing before Him now with boldness.

With sacred utterances the priestly people hymn thee in gladness, for unto the Virgin, O archangel, thou didst announce the Word, the Cause of all, Who was incarnate for our sake and became one of us.

Uniting thyself immaterially to the great and primordial Mind, O archangel, with thy fiery mouth thou dost chant the awesome hymn which all the angelic choirs sing: Hymn the Lord, O ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Manifestly adorned with divine splendor, thou dost traverse the heavens and the earth, carrying out the wishes of Christ, the God of all, O Gabriel, thou leader of angels and beauty of those who ever praise thee with faith.

The Word, wishing to associate Himself hypostatically, in the flesh, with men, had thee go before Him and prepare a sanctified palace for Him, O sacred Gabriel, chanting: Hymn the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

In accordance with the meaning of thy name, Christ, the Bestower of life, placed a splendid crown upon thy head, O Stephen; for thou didst shine forth in deeds and visions, and wast shown to be one who crieth aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Having transcended all that is sensual, O all-blessed one, thou didst draw nigh to the primordial Mind in purity of soul; and thou dost wear a crown because of the splendor of thy life, O Stephen, crying out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

With eager desire thou didst follow after the God-bearing Sabbas, O all-blessed Stephen, and didst emulate his godly life through the splendor of thy life, O all-praised one, thus being a truly worthy disciple of him.

Ministering before the throne of grace, illumined with splendor which passeth understanding, edified in sacred manner, beholding the Light and enlightening those who honor thee with faith, O sacred Gabriel, supreme commander, thou dost intercede in awesome manner.

As the heaven adorned with stars dost thou appear resplendent with divine splendors; and, like a general, thou dost hold a most radiant staff in thy hands and goest about the whole universe, fulfilling the will of the Master and ever rescuing the faithful from evil circumstances.

Still thou the cruel storm of the barbarians which ever riseth up against thy servants, and heal thou the breaches within the Church; grant deliverance from transgressions unto those who hymn thee and victories to our Orthodox hierarchs over all heresies, through thy fervent intercession, O Gabriel.

O most good and all-glorious Michael and Gabriel, who stand before the throne of the glory of God: ask forgiveness of sins and release from evils for all, in that ye are our intercessors and in all emulate the goodness of the Master.

O all-honored and blessed Stephen, who delightest now in a pure manner and receivest sustenance which transcendeth understanding where the assemblies of the saints join chorus in the praise of God: in thy mediation draw unto thyself those who now hymn thee.

Rejoicing, thou hast passed over to the ultimate Desire, to Him Who alone is blessedness itself, to the highest Beauty, to the Life which in truth never ageth, to the never-waning Light, O God-bearing father Stephen.

In the assemblies of monks thou didst shine forth like the sun, sanctified from thine earliest childhood, O Stephen most sweet; and thou didst emit the virtues of thy life like a ray, O our God-bearing and venerable father.

O supreme commander of God, extending thy sheltering wings, protect me who have recourse unto thee, deliver me from the wicked interrogators when I depart this life, and save me by thine entreaties.

God hath given thee to us, O pure one, as a refuge, strength and aid amid our tribulations and evil circumstances. Wherefore, deliver us all from our misfortunes.