Canon I of the Holy Hierarch, in Tone II —

Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “Heaven with stars…” —

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.

Katavasia: I shall open my mouth…

Kontakion, in Tone VIII —

At the site of thy feats of prayer thou didst dig a well of grace-filled water, from whence reverent people draw off the healing of their infirmities if they ask thine aid and repent, crying: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Sessional hymn, in Tone II —

On the Praises, 4 stichera, in Tone III —

Theotokion: O Mistress, Mother of the Deliverer, by thine intercession entreat thy Son, that He destroy the sin which dwelleth within me and lead me forth into the freedom of the glory of His children.

O Christ, Thou true Light, illumine mine understanding and cleanse my heart, that I may glorify the memory of Thy favored one, the God-bearing Pitirim.

Irmos: Having traversed the water as though it were dry land, and escaped the evil of Egypt, the Israelite cried aloud: Let us chant unto our Deliverer and God!

Come, all ye nations! Understand ye a mystery of our Faith! Pitirim, the holy hierarch of God, the preserver of spiritual gifts, who hath departed bodily into the earth, remaineth even today with the faithful through the spirit of Christ’s love and joyfully saveth from every misfortune, working divers wonders: by the mere invocation of his name raising those who suffer from grievous afflictions up healthy from their beds, strengthening the doubting in the Faith, correcting those in error, saving those who are in danger of drowning during their travels, that they may ever thank God Who is beneficent unto them and glorify His new favorite and wonderworker Pitirim. Twice

Theotokion: The threefold waves of evil thoughts and passions and the abyss of sins have engulfed my wretched soul. Extend unto me a helping hand, O Virgin Theotokos, thou refuge of the faithful.

O venerable father Pitirim, standing before the fiery throne in the highest, illumined with the radiance of the threefold Sun, illumine thou the abyss of mine evils, that I too may chant: For gloriously hath He been glorified!

Irmos: Establishing me upon the rock of faith, Thou hast enlarged my mouth against mine enemies, for my spirit doth exult when I chant: There is none holy as our God, and none righteous save Thee, O Lord!

O divinely blessed father Pitirim, spurning all the beauties of this world and loving the law of God, thou didst lay waste to thy flesh by fasting and the keeping of vigils, didst adorn thyself with humility and meekness, patience and love, and didst live angelically upon the earth. Wherefore, thou hast shone forth in many miracles as a most brilliant beacon, and hast been shown to be wellspring of the great gifts of God. Entreat the Lord Who hath glorified thee, that He illumine the darkness of our sins and iniquities and grant peace and great mercy to the land of Russia.

Theotokion: O all-pure Virgin, Mother who knewest not wedlock: By the grace of thy Son show forth my barren soul as fruitful, through the supplications of the new wonderworker Pitirim, that I also may cry out with all the faithful: None is as holy as our God!

As of old Moses the God-seer delivered Israel out of the hands of Pharaoh, so also do thou free me from slavery to the enemy, O God-bearing father, that, rejoicing, I may glorify God Who is wondrous in His saints.

Irmos: O Lord, Fashioner of the vault of heaven and Creator of the Church: establish me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, confirmation of the faithful, Who alone lovest mankind.

O God-bearing father Pitirim, ascending the mountain of exalted virtues bearing God within thy soul as in a temple, thou didst lead thy flock up from earth to heaven with the teachings of the commandments of Christ as by a ladder. Wherefore, thou didst found monastic communities and didst adorn the churches of God with all magnificence, and didst teach those who pray therein. By thy supplications make us also temples of the Holy Spirit, in that thou art our intercessor, O great Pitirim.

Theotokion: With hymns let us honor the all-pure Mother and Virgin through whom heaven and the courts of the Lord have been opened unto men, chanting: There is none as pure as thee, O all-pure one, and none more immaculate than thee, O Mistress!

Standing before the face of God in light unapproachable, O divinely wise and holy hierarch, illumine the darkness of our souls, and grant us utterance, that, rejoicing, we may praise thy memory, O most blessed one.

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!

Glory…, in Tone VIII —

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —

From thy youth didst thou subject thy carnal-mindedness to thy spirit, O venerable one, and, clothed in dispassion, thou wast shown to be a chosen vessel of the grace of the priesthood and a true shepherd for thy flock. Pray thou, O father, that we be saved.

Irmos: I have heard, O Lord, the mystery of Thy dispensation; I have understood Thy works, and have glorified Thy divinity.

We honor thee as the instructor of a multitude of monks and a great assembly of the people, and we glorify thee as a divinely wise teacher, O Pitirim our father; for during thy lifetime thou didst diligently guide all on the path of salvation, and now in thy love thou dost embrace all and pourest forth streams of divine mercy upon those who with faith approach thy precious and much-healing tomb. Pray for us, O most sacred father, that we may be counted worthy of the kingdom of heaven, where thou shinest forth in glory unwaning.

Theotokion: O Mother of the Word and Virgin, preserve us from ignominious passions, that we may chant unto Christ Who dwelleth within us: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Thy life was blameless, and thy repose is with the saints, O father; and thy memory is celebrated with hymns of praise. Pray thou to Christ in our behalf, asking that which is profitable for us; for the effective prayer of the righteous man is able to accomplish much.

Irmos: O Christ my Savior, enlightenment of those who lie in darkness and salvation of the despairing: rising early unto Thee, O King of the world, may I be enlightened by Thy radiance, for I know none other God than Thee.

O Mistress, accept the supplications of thy servants, and deliver us from all want and grief.

Theotokion: Having given birth unto the Lord, the Joy of the world, O most lauded Virgin, make us partakers of the joy of heaven, that we may cry out to thee with the voice of the archangel: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!

As the righteous Hannah of old gave up her child, so didst thou give thyself as a gift to God, O father Pitirim. Establish me also upon the rock of His commandments, that I may cry: None is as holy as our God!

Irmos: Enlighten us with Thy commandments, O Lord, and with Thine upraised arm grant us Thy peace, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

Theotokion: O Theotokos, holy Mother who gavest birth unto the Light unapproachable: disdain not the entreaties of thine unworthy children who languish in the darkness of sin, but illumine us with the light of the knowledge of God, that, rising early, we may glorify thee.

By thy supplications, O father Pitirim, establish our mind and heart in the Lord; and exalt the horn of Orthodox Christians, that the mouths of the enemies of the Faith may be shut, and we may rejoice in our salvation.

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: O all-pure Virgin, glory of those in heaven and joy of those on earth: As thou art a Queen, with all the saints pray thou unceasingly for us to thy Son; for on thee, after God, have we set all our hope.

On the feast of the new wonderworker let not the mighty one boast in his strength, nor let the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor yet the rich man boast in his wealth, but let him boast who boasteth of understanding and knowing the Lord and acquiring the riches of His grace.

Irmos: I pour forth my prayer unto the Lord, and to Him do I declare my grief; for my soul is full of evil and my life hath drawn nigh unto hell, and like Jonah I pray: Lead me up from corruption, O God!

Theotokion: O all-holy Mistress, Mother of mercy: the enemies of our Faith have surrounded us, and, as there is none to help us, we are perishing; for torrents of iniquities have overcome us, and we are in despair. But in thy maternal compassion do thou incline thy Son to mercy, that He may save us from misfortunes, as He did Jonah from the whale.

Emulating John the Almsgiver, O venerable one, in thy life thou didst show thyself to be merciful to those in need and wast a true father unto the poor; and, dwelling now in the highest, be thou merciful unto us who call thee blessed.

Irmos: When the golden image was worshipped on the plain of Dura, Thy three youths spurned the ungodly command, and, cast into the midst of the fire, bedewed, they sang: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Theotokion: Beneath thy shelter all mortals flee, O Mistress, and we cry out to thee with compunctionate souls: by thine almighty mediation, O Mother of God, render Christ our God, to Whom thou gavest birth in all-pure manner, merciful unto us.

Of old many of the sick who touched the garments of Christ became well; and now those who place the vestments of the holy hierarch upon themselves and touch them for a blessing receive healing of all manner of ailments. Wherefore, O brethren, in accordance with the Gospel let us glorify God Who hath given such authority unto men.

Irmos: In the furnace the Hebrew children boldly trod the flame underfoot and transformed the fire into dew, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Theotokion: O all-holy Mistress and Theotokos, thou didst give thy precious image to the city of Tambov as a blessing and mighty protection, through the hands of the holy hierarch Pitirim, that through thee we may glorify Christ our mighty God.

As thou wast a good helmsman of the ship of Christ’s Church, O father, deliver thy flock from the tempest of sins, tribulations and sorrows, guiding us to the calm haven of the will of God.

Irmos: God, Who descended into the fiery furnace for the Hebrew children and transformed the flame into dew, hymn ye as Lord, O ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Theotokion: Wake thou from the sleep of sin, O my wretched soul, and cry out to the only helper of all: O Mother and Virgin, by thy supplications save me and vouchsafe the portion of the elect unto me who cry: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Even though thy body descended beneath the earth, yet hath it shone forth like the sun from behind the clouds, emitting rays of grace. Wherefore, celebrating thy memory, we fervently entreat thee as our common father. From misfortunes and grievous circumstances deliver all who honor thee!

Irmos: Becoming vanquishers of the tyrant and the flame by Thy grace, taking exceeding care to keep Thy commandments, the children cried out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Theotokion: Consumed by the passions as by a fiery furnace, I cry to thee, prodigal that I am: O pure Mistress, Mother of the Almighty, save and deliver me from fiery damnation!

O all-holy Virgin, hope of Christians, taking Pitirim as thy fellow suppliant, entreat Him to Whom thou gavest birth in manner past understanding and recounting, that He grant us remission of transgressions and correction of life, that we may ever hymn thee who hast magnified our race.

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: All generations of men call thee blessed, for without father thou didst give birth in the flesh to the Son Who before time began was the Son of God begotten without mother. To Him do we cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

From thy youth thou didst emulate the angels in the virginal purity of thy life, didst serve unto the salvation of men, O father Pitirim, and didst cry out to God, saying: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Irmos: Saved by thee, O pure Virgin, we confess thee to be in truth the Theotokos, magnifying thee with the incorporeal choirs.

Theotokion: O holy Mother, Virgin who knew not man, who in thy womb didst unite God and man in one: grant that we who are scattered may be united in the one Christ, thy Son, on Whom the Church hath been founded which magnifieth thee.

Like an angel in the flesh thou didst burn with the life of love for Christ, O holy one, and didst illumine with the knowledge of the Son of God the people entrusted to thee, who cry out: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Theotokion: O Mistress, save thy servants from misfortune, and free them from the passions, through the supplications of thy holy hierarch Pitirim; for all who grieve have thee as an unassailable rampart, in that thou hast given birth to our salvation.

O earthly angel and heavenly man, ask salvation for us sinners from Christ God, that we also may cry out with thee: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —

We who find ourselves amid sorrows have acquired thee as a most fervent intercessor for us and a most ready helper, O father; for thou preservest from every evil not only the people of thy flock in thy city, but also those afar off who invoke thy name.

Now & ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone —

Thou didst desire Christ alone, and wast wholly Christ-like, O venerable one. Him didst thou unwaveringly follow in thy life; Him didst thou strive to reach. Wherefore, having now found the One desired by thee, by thy supplications join us to the flock of the elect.

As a faithful servant of the Holy Trinity, illumine my wretched soul with the three divine virtues — faith, hope and love — and vouchsafe that I may behold the Triune God in the age to come.

O Lord Who hast illumined the whole universe with Thy light, enlighten my darkness and dispel the gloom of my soul, on the honored day of the commemoration of Thy favorite Pitirim.

As thou art the lamp of the Sun of righteousness, ever illumined with never-waning light, O Pitirim our father, shed light upon our mind and heart, that, rejoicing, we may chant unto our Savior: We know none other God than Thee!

What shall we offer Thee, O Christ our Savior! What hymns shall we chant unto Thy compassion? For Thou hast shone forth upon us the light of salvation and deliverance from our iniquities, through the many miracles of the holy hierarch Pitirim.

Foreseeing the beauty of thy soul, Christ, the Chief Shepherd, showed thee forth as a good shepherd and excellent teacher for His flock; wherefore, He hath received thee into His heavenly bridal-chamber with the holy hierarchs whose life thou didst wisely emulate. With them, therefore, pray in the heavens for us all.

Bodily infirmities assail us, and tribulations surround us on every side. Wherefore, rescue us from them by thy supplications, O holy hierarch; for thee do we have as a divinely given physician amid our ailments and a comforter amid sorrows.

Having kept the commandments of Christ and taught them to thy flock, thou art fittingly called great in the kingdom of heaven. Haste thou, O father, and lead us also into the courts of the Lord; for we are thy children and the sheep of thy reason-endowed flock.

The abyss of mine evils troubleth me and doth drag me down into the depths of despair. But do Thou, O God, as the unfathomable Abyss of mercy, extend to me a helping hand, as Thou didst to Peter, through the intercession of Thy merciful favorite Pitirim, and save me.

O Lord, Abyss of mercy and compassion: take pity on us, Thy fallen creation; still the waves of our passions, and lead us to the harbor of salvation, through the entreaties of the holy hierarch Pitirim.

O Pitirim our father, faithful servant of the merciful God: entreat His beneficence, that by the judgments He knoweth, He may save us who are perishing and show us almighty aid through thine intercession.

O good shepherd who instructest the people of Christ with divine teachings and dost edify them with the virtues of thy soul: Leave us not to perish in our sins, but as thou thyself wast tempted as a man therein, help us now who are tempted.

O great wonder! The tomb of the holy hierarch is become a common hospital for all, truly accessible and free of charge. Come, ye people, and with fear and faith freely receive health for your souls and bodies, glorifying the Lord and blessing His favored one.

Be thou an aid to thy city, O holy father, and with thine invincible intercession protect our whole country, that we may all cry out to thee with gladness: Rejoice, O ever-memorable Pitirim, thou boast of Tambov!

Assembling together, let us hymn Pitirim: the excellent instructor of monks, the holy hierarch merciful to all men, the all-wondrous worker of miracles, the tireless intercessor for us, the boast of the land of Tambov.

Ikos: O ye faithful, in hymns and spiritual songs let us hymn today the great and holy hierarch: Rejoice, O God-bearing father Pitirim, thou all-honored scion of the land of Smolensk, who by the grace of God wast planted in the city of Vyazma and blossomed like a lily, enriching the region of Tambov with the fruits of the virtues; rejoice, good pastor who didst illumine the darkness of ungodliness with the light of piety and by the planting of the true Faith! Rejoice, thou who didst convert many of the unbelieving and lead them to Christ through thy salvific labors and struggles; rejoice, thou who didst leave to the city of Tambov as a legacy a miraculous icon of the Mother of God through which divers healings have poured forth! Rejoice, thou who with thine own hands didst dig a well of ever-abundant water, through which they who drink thereof receive healing of infirmities and release from soul-destroying passions; rejoice, thou who didst make fragrant the vales and forests of Tambov by thy visitation with thy friends, the holy hierarch Metrophanes and the God-loving Basil! Rejoice, thou who didst thereby make a beginning for the monastic life in that place, and didst set an example of true friendship for those who live in the world! Rejoice, thou boast of the land of Tambov!

O Lord our God, ineffable Love, Thou hast adorned man, made of dust, with Thine image beyond gold and silver, and hast enriched him with all manner of gifts and many miracles. Wherefore, celebrating the memory of Thy wonderworker Pitirim, we cry out to Thee: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

O venerable father Pitirim, having cleansed the image of thy Creator in thy soul from the passions, aflame with the love of God thou didst commit thyself to the service of His will, ever crying aloud: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Like the pious youths in Babylon of old, thou didst establish the true Faith in the region of Tambov and didst denounce impiety, O father Pitirim, ever laboring, preaching the Gospel, praying and chanting: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Thou didst exercise diligent care for thy flock, guiding all well to the path of salvation by thy life and word. Wherefore, as a compassionate shepherd, do thou now seek out me, thy lamb, who am lost in the ways of perdition and cry out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

The words of the Lord, that the pure of heart shall see God, have been fulfilled in thee, O holy father; for with the eyes of thy body thou didst behold Christ the Savior, Who hearkened to thy supplication when thou didst cry out to Him: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

O Lord my God, Who of old transformed the flames of fire into dew for the pious youths, quench Thou the flame of my passions with the dew of the supplications of the pious and holy hierarch Pitirim, that with him I also may exalt Thee for all ages.

O Pitirim our father, with the torrents of thy tears thou didst extinguish the fiery temptations of the passions and lusts of the flesh, and in thy pure heart thou didst ever dance as in a meadow, chanting: All ye works, bless and hymn the Lord!

Standing now in thy pure and God-loving soul with the angels before the fiery throne of God, illumined with the never-waning beams emitted therefrom, and shining upon us with many miracles, O father Pitirim, enlighten the darkness of unbelief and superstition which surroundeth us, that we may hymn and bless God, Who is wondrous in His saints, forever.

Thou didst present the icon of the Mother of God to thy city, O father, as a sanctification, protection and defense, which hath been shown to be a source of grace-bearing healings and a mighty shield against all dangers for those who cry: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Thou art a swiftly responding helper amid sorrows and sickness, O venerable one, for those who invoke thee with faith, manifesting thyself to some in dreams, clearly appearing before others, and doing good secretly to yet others who cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Rising from thy tomb, thou didst manifestly appear to the sacrilegious temple robber in thy church, O holy hierarch, calling him to repentance with an awesome admonition. Pray thou who, before the end, repentance also be given to us who cry: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

O Word of the unoriginate Father, only-begotten Son: Desiring to renew fallen man, thou didst manifest Thyself as the Son of the Virgin; and assuming the sins of the whole world, Thou didst take up the Cross, and from thence hast gathered the scattered children of God with Thine outstretched arms. Wherefore, bound by the bond of Thy love today, we magnify Thy wondrous favorite Pitirim and her who gave birth unto Thee.

Emulating the incarnate Son of God, thou didst humble thyself more than others, O venerable father Pitirim. Wherefore, thou hast acquired the love of God and hast led the lost children of God to the heavenly Father, to glorify His compassion.

Full of the love of Christ, O Pitirim our father, thou didst teach thy flock with thy word and life, to look after the orphaned, to feed the poor and to console the sorrowful. Beseech Christ the Savior, that on this day of thy commemoration we may adorn ourselves with compassion and almsgiving, as beloved children of God.

Aflame with pastoral zeal, other sheep, not of thy flock, didst thou lead to Christ, rebuking the heretics and illumining the unbelieving with the light of the knowledge of God, that, in the words of the Savior, there may be one flock and one Shepherd.

Earnestly do we entreat thee as a heavenly physician who hath received from the Lord the gift of healing, O holy hierarch: With the heavenly treatment of thy prayers heal thou the cruel afflictions of our souls and bodies.

Disdain not this the hymn of thanksgiving of thy children, O favorite of God, but accept it in thy compassion and offer it to the Creator of all, that He may be merciful to those who honor thee.

He Who established the lights in the heavens hath revealed thee to His Church as a new and most radiant star, illumining us with the splendor of the Spirit and the brilliance of miracles, and putting the ungodly to shame, O holy hierarch, father Pitirim, our ever-vigilant intercessor.

O all-pure Mother who gavest birth to the ineffable Light: Show us to be children of the Light, and vouchsafe that we may behold the blessedness of heaven, that, rejoicing, we may cry out with thee and the venerable Pitirim: O Christ our God, Bestower of light, glory be to Thee!

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