Song of ascents, the first antiphon of Tone IV
Glory..., Now & ever... Alleluia... Thrice .
After the first chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Awed by the beauty of thy virginity…” —
O all ye pious people, ye assemblies of Orthodox Christians, draw nigh with faith, falling down before the divine image of the Mother of God, whereby she gladly imparteth healing unto the sick and woundeth the heretics like an arrow shot from a bow, radiantly gladdening us all and illumining us with grace through her supplications.
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —
At “God is the Lord…”, the first troparion of the Theotokos, twice; Glory…, Now & ever…, the second troparion, once.
Song of Ascents, the first antiphon of Tone IV.
After the second chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Joseph marveled…” —
Glory…, Now & ever…, in the same tone —
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —
At “God is the Lord…”, the troparion of the holy hierarch, twice; Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion.
After the Polyeleos, this sessional hymn, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Thy tomb, O Savior…” —
God sanctified thee wholly as a goodly Virgin, immaculate among women, having prefigured thee honorably through the prophets and blessed thee through the priests. He caused thee to dwell in the holy of holies, and fed thee by an angels, and as food gave thee bread from heaven. And the All-good One Himself, the only-begotten Word of God, made His abode within thee and issued forth from thee in the flesh. Wherefore, we bow down before thee and truly honor thee as the true Theotokos.
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —
Canon of the Theotokos [the Paraclysis], in Tone VIII, with 6 troparia, including the irmos; and 2 canons of the holy hierarch, with 8 troparia —
After the first chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone VII —
Let all the multitudes of the faithful radiantly join chorus, but let the army of the demons lament, beholding resplendent with many names the feasts of the Mother of God, whom with divine hymns we bless as the Mother of God. For the all-blessed Theotokos and Mistress, the divinely chosen Maiden, the fall of the enemy and mighty confirmation of Christians, is divinely glorified.
After the second chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone II —
Glory…, Now & ever…, in the same tone —
After the Polyeleos, this sessional hymn, in Tone IV —
O most blessed Mistress Theotokos, divinely elect Maiden, splendid fulfillment of the prophets, boast of the apostles, confession and crown of the martyrs, greatly hymned one who art honored by the angels and the generations of men, desired helper of the whole world: Deliver thy servants from impending damnation and from the lake of fire, O thou who alone art blessed.
Polyeleos, and this Magnification —
It is meet to magnify thee, O Theotokos, who art more honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim.
Selected Psalm verses —
A O God, give Thy judgment to the king [71: 1]
B And Thy righteousness to the son of the king. [71: 1]
A That he may judge Thy people with righteousness. [71: 2]
B And Thy poor with judgment. [71: 2]
A He shall judge the beggars among the people, and shall save the sons of the poor. [71: 4]
B Proclaim from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God. [cf. 95: 2]
A The Lord shall give speech with great power to those who bring good tidings. [67: 12]
B The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, and He will not annul it. [131: 11]
A Of the fruit of thy loins will I set upon thy throne. [131: 11]
B He shall come down like rain upon a fleece. [71: 6]
A And like rain-drops that fall upon the earth. [71: 6]
B And He bowed the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was under His feet. [17: 10]
A For the Lord hath elected Sion, He hath chosen her to be a habitation for Himself. [131: 13]
B The Most High hath hallowed His tabernacle. [45: 5]
A God is in the midst of her, she shall not be shaken. [45: 6]
B He shall spare the poor man and the pauper, and the souls of the poor shall He save. [71: 13]
A All the nations shall serve Him. [71: 11]
B All the day long shall they bless Him [71: 15]
A He shall be a support in the earth on the summits of the mountains. [71: 16]
B His name shall be blessed unto the ages. [71: 17]
A And in Him shall be blessed all the tribes of the earth. [71: 17]
B Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Who alone doeth wonders. [71: 18]
A And blessed is the name of His glory forever, and unto the ages of ages. [71: 19]
B And all the earth shall be filled with His glory. So be it. So be it. [71: 19]
Glory…, Now & ever…
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. Thrice
O Mother of God, save those who honor thee in Orthodox manner, who flee unto thee and lovingly bow down before thy holy icon; and give us not over to the rapacity of the adversary, neither let any of the evils overtake us which our sins have prepared for us, nor let our iniquities go over our heads. But let thy right acceptable maternal supplications unto God prevail for us.
Glory…, Now & ever… —
Thine all-pure icon is spiritual healing for the whole world, O Virgin Theotokos. Thereunto do we flee, and falling down before thee we venerate and kiss it, drawing forth therefrom the grace of healings, and by thy supplications we are freed from the infirmities of our bodies and the passions of our souls.
Prokimenon, in Tone IV —
I shall commemorate thy name in every generation and generation.
Stichos: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear.
Let every breath praise the Lord.
Gospel according to Luke, §4
[Lk. 1: 39-49, 56]
In those days Mary arose, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; and entered into the house of Zechariah, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit: and she spake out with a loud voice, and said: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” And Mary said: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He Who is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name.” And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI —
Entrust me not to the intercession of men, O all-holy Mistress, but accept the supplication of thy servant; for sorrow besetteth me, and I am unable to bear the arrows of the demons; I have no protection, neither any place to flee, wretch that I am, who am ever vanquished. I have no consolation other than thee, O Mistress of the world, thou hope and intercession of the faithful. Disdain not mine entreaty, but render it profitable.
Canon of the all-holy Theotokos, the composition of the Monk Ignatius, in Tone IV —
Canon of the apostles, the acrostic whereof is: “I hymn the rays of the noetic Sun”, in Tone IV —
As of old the ailing were healed by merely touching the hem of the robe of Christ, so now also the sick are cured when they touch the vestments wherein thou didst stand before the throne of grace, O hierarch of God, Pitirim our father. Wherefore, we glorify God and cry out to thee: Heal also our infirmities of soul and body, we pray thee, O holy one!
O Mistress, thou art a rampart and shelter, a calm haven for all who find themselves amid tribulations and have recourse to thine aid with faith. Wherefore, we also cry out to thee with boldness: Save us from misfortune and sorrow, O merciful Mother!
“I shall build My Church, and the gates of hades will not prevail against it,” Thou didst say to Thy disciples of old, O Savior; and now we see the fulfillment of these words. For when unbelief and superstition arose against Thy Church, Thou didst raise up a new wonderworker who confirmed the holy Faith by his pious life and many miracles and put its enemies to shame. Wherefore, rejoicing, we cry out to Thee: Wondrous art Thou in Thy saints, O Lord!
With the holy hierarch Pitirim do thou beseech Him to Whom thou didst seedlessly give birth through the Holy Spirit, that He make us steadfast in Orthodoxy and oneness of mind, O all-pure Virgin who knewest not wedlock.
Polyeleos, and this magnification —
We magnify thee, O holy hierarch Pitirim, and we honor thy holy memory, for thou dost entreat Christ God in our behalf.
Selected Psalm verses —
A Hear this, all ye nations; give ear, all ye that inhabit the world. [Ps. 48: 2]
B My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. [Ps. 48: 4]
A Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. [Ps. 33: 12]
B I have proclaimed the good tidings of Thy righteousness in the great congregation. [Ps. 39: 10]
A Thy truth and Thy salvation have I declared. [Ps. 39: 11]
B I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I hymn Thee. [Ps. 21: 23]
A That I may hear the voice of Thy praise, and tell of all Thy wondrous works. [Ps. 25: 7]
B O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth. [Ps. 25: 8]
A I have hated the congregation of evil-doers, and with the ungodly will I not sit. [Ps. 25: 5]
B For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and I have not acted impiously toward my God. [Ps. 17: 22]
A The mouth of the righteous shall meditate wisdom, and his tongue shall speak of judgment. [Ps. 36: 30]
B His righteousness abideth unto ages of ages. [Ps. 110: 3]
A Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy righteous shall rejoice. [Ps. 131: 9]
B Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house; unto ages of ages shall they praise Thee. [Ps. 83: 5]
When thou wast set upon the candlestand of the Church of Tambov, thou gavest neither sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids, saving thy reason-endowed sheep, strengthening the weak, healing the infirm, setting aright those astray, and humbling the unruly by thy meekness. And now, O Pitirim our father, cease thou never to entreat Christ the Savior, that He grant to the pastors of the Church zeal and vigilance for souls.
O all-pure Virgin Theotokos, beseech thy Son and our God, that He cleanse us of our iniquities and grant the joy of salvation unto us who kiss the precious image of the venerable Pitirim and cry out: Glory to Thy condescension, O Thou Who lovest mankind!
Prokimenon, in Tone IV —
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
Stichos: What shall I render unto the Lord for all that He hath rendered unto me?
Let every breath praise the Lord.
Gospel according to John, §36 [10:9-16]
The Lord said to the Jews who came to Him: “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he who is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI —
With what hymns of praise shall we bless the holy hierarch Pitirim: the preserver of the Orthodox Faith and denouncer of unbelief, the champion of piety and fearsome reproof of iniquity, the guide of monks and laymen, the adornment of hierarchs and priests, for whose sake Christ granteth peace and great mercy unto the Russian land?
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.