Canon I

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

Irmos: Like a barren woman hath the Church of the nations given birth, and she could scarce bear the great assembly of children. Let us cry out to our wondrous God: Holy art Thou, O Lord!

Kontakion, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel: “Having been lifted up...” —

Glory...; Now and ever...: The foregoing is repeated.

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

Let us hymn the Mother of God, the beauteous adornment and portal of heaven, as well as her robe, which poureth forth divine gifts, which we lovingly venerate.

Great Doxology. Troparion. Litanies. Dismissal. First Hour.

Irmos: Thy Church rejoiceth in Thee, O Christ, crying aloud: Thou art my strength, O Lord, my refuge and my consolation!

Glory..., Now and Ever... —

O pure one, with the garment of incorruption hast thou clothed, by thine incorrupt birthgiving, all who have been stripped naked by corruption. And to them thou hast given thy precious robe as a treasure which cannot be taken away.

Irmos: Out of love for Thine image Thou didst stand affixed to the Cross, O Compassionate One, and the nations melted away; for Thou art my strength and boast, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

Glory..., Now and ever..., in Tone II —

Him Who clad all of Heaven in clouds didst thou wrap in thy robe, O all-pure one. And faithfully bowing down before it, we glorify thee, O protection of our souls.

Irmos: Beholding Thee lifted up upon the Cross, O Sun of righteousness, the Church stood rooted in place, crying out as is meet: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

This divine temple is for the afflicted a treatment which costeth nought, as a wellspring which unceasingly poureth forth healings, O all-immaculate one.

Irmos: Thou hast come, O my Lord, as a light into the world: a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance those who hymn Thee with faith.

Ye faithful, let us honor today, as a bond of our union with God, the robe of the pure one, venerating it with faith.

Irmos: Same as that of the preceding canon.

Through grace doth the most precious robe of the pure one today pour forth healings upon us, the faithful.

Irmos: Prefiguring Thy three-day burial, the Prophet Jonah, praying within the sea monster, cried out: Deliver me from corruption, O Jesus, King of hosts!

Like the morning dew doth thine ever-flowing joy ever quench the furnace of the passions of those who hymn thee.

Irmos: I will sacrifice to Thee with a voice of praise, O Lord, the Church crieth unto Thee, cleansed of the blood of demons by the blood which, for mercy’s sake, flowed from Thy side.

Rivers of miracles, proceeding from thy most precious shrine as from Eden, water the face of the earth, pouring forth grace upon them who faithfully honor thee, O Theotokos. Wherefore, we hymn and faithfully praise thee, and ever thankfully cry out: Rejoice, O thou who art the only hope of them who hymn thee!

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the children of Abraham trampled upon the flame of the furnace, crying aloud in hymns: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Let us exalt her who alone is blessed, and let us touch her robe in faith, that we may draw forth the grace of the Spirit.

Irmos: The children of Abraham in the Persian furnace, afire with love of piety more than with the flame, cried out: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord!

The city that honoreth thee, O Maiden, having acquired thy robe as a priceless treasure, doth venerate it in faith and receiveth grace.

Irmos: O Almighty Deliverer of all, descending into the midst of the flame Thou didst bedew the pious youths and didst teach them to chant: Bless and hymn the Lord, all ye works!

O all-immaculate one, we honor thy robe, for it is a vesture of glory that poureth forth incorruption upon all who praise thee in hymns.

Irmos: Stretching forth his hands, Daniel shut the lions’ mouths in the pit; and the young lovers of piety, girded about with virtue, quenched the power of the fire, crying out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

O all-immaculate one, who alone art blessed, who hast been shown to be more holy than the cherubim: from every evil circumstance save thou the souls of them who honor thee in faith.

Irmos: Eve, through weakness, abode under the curse of disobedience; but thou, O Virgin Theotokos, hast put forth blessing for the world through the Offspring of thy child-bearing. Wherefore, we all magnify thee.

Having established thee as a most honored firmament, O Theotokos, the Creator and Fashioner hath adorned thee with shining rays as with stars, whereby thou dost adorn the ends of the earth.

Irmos: Christ, the Chief Cornerstone uncut by human hands, Who united the two disparate natures, was cut from thee, the unquarried mountain, O Virgin. Wherefore, in gladness we magnify thee, O Theotokos.

From earth to heaven doth thy divine robe draw us who have been fervently enkindled with love therefor, O pure Theotokos. Wherefore, we glorify thee as the cause of Him Who is greater than all.

Behold, inexhaustible grace! Come, all ye who love the feasts of the Church, and with contrite heart draw ye forth the divine streams which pour forth abundantly from the precious shrine of the all-hymned one!

To us, thy servants, O pure Mistress, hast thou given thy robe and thy precious cincture as a divine foundation and a wall of defense.

O all-pure one, thou hast shown forth the temple which doth enshrine thy robe to be a beauteous paradise which emitteth the fragrance of the Spirit.

O all-holy one, sanctify the souls and bodies of us who with faith honor thy holy robe as most precious.

O Theotokos, show thou forth as temples of the God Who dwelt within thee us who bless thee with faith in thy divine temple.

Thou hast magnified Thy Mother, O Lord; beyond compare hast Thou exalted her glory above all the noetic powers.

O all-pure Theotokos, thou art she who abundantly poureth forth the grace of God from thy holy shrine upon them who bow down before thee with love.

With thy power are faithful kings girded about. And thy city, having thee as a bond between it and heaven, is honored by thy robe.

O thou who gavest birth unto the King and Lord of all, thou hast shown forth thy precious and holy robe as an indestructible rampart for the city which ruleth over all.

Rejoicing, let us glorify the grace of the Virgin, and let us honor her most holy robe, from whence proceedeth all health for the afflicted.

We know thee to be a wellspring pouring forth living waters, and we honor thy divine robe, from whence we, the faithful, do ever draw forth healing.

O Theotokos, the Lord Who was with thee, took upon Himself human nature; and all the evils of him who is alien to our race hath He driven away.

The Lord hath wholly glorified thee in manner surpassing nature, adorning thee withal, O Maiden Theotokos; and with thy cincture, robe and their divine shrine hath He honored thee completely.

The faithful, having acquired thee as their strength and boast, are robed in glory through thy precious robe, O Theotokos, having obtained thee as an honored and most splendid adornment.

Of old all the prophets divinely strove to behold thine ineffable glory, O Theotokos; and in times past He Who transcendeth time revealed Himself to us through thee.

O pure one, full of divine grace, thou hast given all the faithful a garment of incorruption, thy sacred robe, wherewith thou didst cover thy sacred body, O protection of all mankind. With love do we celebrate its deposition, and cry out to thee with fear, O pure one: Rejoice, O Virgin, thou boast of Christians!

Ikos: With faith let all of us who have been saved by her birthgiving bless Mary, the Theotokos, the pure vesture and tabernacle of the Word of God, the animate cloud and jar of manna; and let us touch the precious robe, wherewith holding the Master, she bore as a babe Him Who hath robed Himself in our flesh. Through Him was human nature caught up to the life and kingdom that are above all. Wherefore, we cry aloud with joy: Rejoice, O Virgin, thou boast of Christians!

With an exalted mind and a contrite heart let us glorify the most exalted throne of the King, the all-holy and highly favored Maiden.

O chosen abode of God, thy robe which lieth in this thine honored abode do we honor as the holy ark and protection of the pious.

Every man is renewed who approacheth and kisseth the holy shrine containing thy splendid robe, O pure Virgin.

O pure Theotokos, save thou the city that honoreth thee from all famine, earthquake, affliction, foreign invasion and the malice of the adversary.

O Good One, Thou alone, as the Sun of righteousness, hast divinely adorned with Thy divers gifts the temple of the pure one, wherein she emitteth brilliant rays from her robe.

Thy divine vessels truly pour forth the grace of miracles upon the faithful, O all-pure one, and from thy shrine noetic streams flow forth abundantly, as from another Eden, upon them who honor thee.

O all-immaculate Virgin, who dost clad thy precious body in a protecting mantle, thy shrine is cleansed of all spiritual defilement.

“Now draw ye all nigh with gladness! Come, ye who are on earth,” the shrine crieth mystically, “that ye may embrace the Lady’s most glorious robe which is laid up as a treasure within me!”

With thankful voices we hymn thee, the mediator of all that is good for us; and, kissing thy precious robe, O Maiden, we cry out: Bless ye the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Having the sacred garment of the all-pure Virgin set as a noetic candle upon the candlestick of the altar, we ever illumine the eyes of our hearts.

In no wise hast thou left thine unworthy servants bereft of thy sacred touch, O Virgin; for in place of thy living body thou hast given thy robe unto all.

With hymns divine let us honor the spacious dwelling-place of God: her who is most pure among mothers, the portal of heaven whereby the gate that leadeth to death hath been shut.

The angels now join chorus in thine honored temple, O all-pure one, and surround thy precious and holy robe with joy and love, O pure Mistress. And we bow down with great gladness, hymning thee, the glory of our race.

O most pure one, thou art the most honored joy of all, the staff which budded forth the Flower of Life, the phial of the myrrh of the Spirit, the treasury of good things, the wellspring of fragrance, whence thy divine shrine doth pour forth the myrrh of healing.

The spiritual armies hymn thy mighty works, O pure and all-pure one; and all the patriarchs, prophets and apostles, and the choir of martyrs and the venerable openly proclaim the fullness thereof. And with them we also bow down before thee.

Lo! with hymns of joy we honor thee, the bed of Solomon; and surrounding thy precious robe as it were a second ark of holiness, we receive salvific healings, O Ever-Virgin.

Now, O Virgin, thy divine shrine, which containeth thy precious robe, is revealed as a source of light emitting rays of healing, dispelling the darkness of infirmities; and with love do we venerate it.

Today all the powers of heaven rejoice with us at the veneration of thy robe, as do all the apostles, prophets, martyrs, the righteous and the venerable, O Mistress who alone art ever virgin.

Thou hast bestowed thy robe as a radiant garment and a wall of defense upon the city that reigneth over all cities and honoreth thee as Queen of all creation, O Theotokos, Mother and Virgin.

O Theotokos, thy shrine hath been shown to be a most honored chamber, for it containeth thy precious robe, thy virginal and bridal garment, and preserveth it as a treasury of life.

Having come today to the temple which portrayeth all the celestial adornment of the Virgin, O ye faithful, illumined with rays of wonders as by the stars, we are enlightened with splendor and grace.

O Theotokos, thy city hath thy cincture and thy precious robe as a rampart, the bond of unity of divine teachings, the boast of the Orthodox and the victorious hymnody of kings.

We hymn thine ineffable glory and thy boundless grace; for thou art the source of wisdom from whence the Word doth come unto all who honor thee and magnify thy birthgiving, O all-pure one.

O ye mortals, come ye, let us with hymns honor today the robe of the divine Maiden, Mary the Theotokos, which sheltered Christ, that we may ever be blessed by the grace thereof.

Thou hast renewed nature and time, O Mother of God; for thy birthgiving was incorrupt, and incorrupt is thy robe, wherewith thou dost protect thy city and dost uphold the scepters of piety.

On the Praises, 4 stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel: “As one valiant among the martyrs...” —

Every day the shrine which containeth thy robe is acknowledged as an ark of sanctification, a sacred wall of defense, the boast and glory of thy servants, O all-pure one. And having gathered together thereat in sacred manner, we hymn thy many mighty works and the abyss of thy wonders. Twice

Behold, a most glorious place! Behold, an ever-splendid abode wherein a treasure hath been laid up by grace: the precious robe of the divine Maiden. Draw nigh, ye people, and openly draw forth healing and enlightenment therefrom, and with thankful heart cry out: O all-holy Virgin, we who are saved by thy birthgiving do bless thee!

In gladness have we attained the feast of the deposition of thy robe, O Mistress; for today hast thou vouchsafed that thy sacred vesture be given to thy city, as an inviolate treasury, a precious gift, a wealth that cannot be taken away, a river of healing full of the gifts of the Spirit.

Having cleansed mind and thought, let us celebrate with the angels, radiantly beginning the hymn of David to the Maiden Bride of Christ our God, the King of all, saying: “Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy holiness!” For, having adorned her like unto a comely palace, Thou didst appoint her to Thy city, O Master, to establish it and protect it by Thy mighty power from barbarian adversaries, through her supplications.