After the Introductory Psalm, we chant “Blessed is the man…”, the first antiphon.
And these stichera, in Tone VIII —
On “Lord, I have cried...,” 8 stichera: 4 in Tone IV: Spec. Mel: “As one valiant among the martyrs...” —
Now & ever…: Theotokion, or this stavrotheotokion: Spec. Mel.: “Having set all aside…” —
Troparion, in Tone IV —
Glory..., Now & ever..., in Tone VIII —
As the all-beauteous palace of the Word and His light-bearing throne, O Mistress, thou didst contain within thy womb the Word Who is equally enthroned with the Father. And having given birth unto the never-waning Light, thou hast brought light to our darkness, hast driven away the falsehood of the serpent and destroyed corruption, and by thy birthgiving hast granted everlasting life to the world. Thou hast opened the gates of paradise and bestowed all manner of blessings upon human nature. And now, do thou by thy supplications, O Lady, deliver thy servants from all misfortunes.
Now & ever…: Theotokion, or this stavrotheotokion: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…” —
A Reading from Genesis
As thou art the great Queen and Mother of the King of the all-exalted hosts in heaven, stretching forth thine all-pure hands, thou dost intercede for us with supplication; and on earth, as a mighty helper, thou abidest with thy servants in spirit and in thy divine icon, and dost gladly save and deliverest from all temptation those who piously confess thee to be the Theotokos.
A Reading from the Prophecy of Ezekiel
As a paradise of golden radiance, an all-beauteous palace of divine light, a holy tree overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, a habitation of the never-waning Light, shining manifestly with divine splendor upon those who know thee, thou dost illumine all creation with thine Infant; and entreating Him, O Queen and Theotokos, save all Orthodox hierarchs and the people who flee to thee from all misfortunes.
A Reading from Proverbs
The Church of God, made splendid with the icon of thee and thy Son, O Theotokos, as with royal purple and fine linen, is adorned with miracles. Today, at the revelation of thine image, it calleth all to celebrate, shining with the grace of the Holy Spirit more brightly than the radiance of the sun, pouring forth streams of healing upon the sick and the infirm, and granting rich mercy unto all.
Wisdom hath built a house for herself and set up seven pillars. She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine in a bowl and prepared her table. She hath sent forth her servants, calling with a loud proclamation to the feast, saying: “Whoso is foolish, let him turn aside to me.” And to those who want understanding, she saith: “Come, eat of my bread, and drink wine which I have mingled for you. Leave folly, that ye may reign forever; and seek wisdom, and improve understanding by knowledge.” He that reproveth evil men shall get dishonor to himself; and he that rebuketh an ungodly man shall disgrace himself. Rebuke not evil men, lest they should hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give an opportunity to a wise man, and he will be wiser: instruct a just man, and he will receive more instruction. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the counsel of the law is the character of a sound mind. For in this way thou shalt live long, and years of thy life shall be added to thee.
O Jesus, exalted and unapproachable King, Who art enthroned with the Father and the divine Spirit, and Who wast well-pleased to be born on earth of the Virgin who tasted not of wedlock: Taking pity on thy creation, bestowing ineffable beauties upon human nature, accept Thou the supplications of Thy Mother which are offered to Thee in our behalf; and be not mindful of our iniquities, but, as Thou art compassionate, remember and save our souls. Twice
Glory..., Now & ever..., in Tone VI —
Bowing down the heavens, the King of glory condescended to restore Adam who had become wholly corrupt through his transgression; He made His abode within thee, O pure Virgin, was born without violating the seal of thy virginity, and, though King of the archangels, was borne in thine arms, a lowly babe. And now He accepteth thine entreaty, and fulfilleth thy petition in all things, in that He is thy Son and God. Therefore, beseech Him earnestly, that He save our souls, in that He is compassionate.
More than the tabernacle of Moses, which was fashioned according to a heavenly plan, did God hallow thee wholly with the Holy Spirit, O Theotokos; and, having dwelt wholly within thee, He hath given life to all men. Wherefore, thine icon also hath been filled with the grace of God more than the ark of Aaron, and poureth forth sanctification upon souls and bodies. And bowing down with love before it, we ask of thee great mercy, that thou save our souls, O blessed helper.
Come, let us rejoice in the mighty helper of our race, the Queen and Theotokos! Come, let us bow down before her serene, wondrous and precious image, which is venerated by the angels! For the Theotokos giveth abundant gifts of healing to the faithful, pouring forth never-failing grace from the inexhaustible wellspring of her holy icon. She delivereth from the darkness of temptations and misfortunes, and from every sin, us who piously and in God-pleasing manner glorify and honor the radiant and wondrous holy icon of the Mother of God. Wherefore, chanting, we cry aloud to the prototype thereof: Rejoice, O loving help of the world, in the salvation of our souls!
Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. 3 Readings:
Jacob went forth from the well of the oath, and departed into Haran. And he came to a certain place, and slept there, for the sun had gone down; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it at his head, and lay down to sleep in that place, and dreamed: and behold a ladder fixed on the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended on it. And the Lord stood upon it, and said: “I am the God of thy father Abraham, and the God of Isaac. Fear not; the land on which thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be like the sand of the earth; and it shall spread abroad to the sea, and the south, and the north, and the east; and in thee and in thy seed shall all tribes of the earth be blessed. And behold I am with thee to preserve thee continually in all the way wherein thou shalt go; and I will bring thee back to this land; for I will not desert thee, until I have done all that I have said to thee.” And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said: “The Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.” And he was afraid, and sad: “How fearful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
Thus saith the Lord: “It shall come to pass from the eighth day and onward, that the priests shall offer your wholeburnt-offerings on the altar, and your peace-offerings; and I will accept you,” saith the Lord. Then He brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that faceth eastward; and it was shut. And the Lord said to me: “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it; for the Lord God of Israel shall enter by it, and it shall be shut. For the Prince, He shall sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord; He shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go forth by the way of the same.” And He brought me in by the way of the gate that faceth northward, in front of the house: and I looked, and, behold! the house was full of the glory of the Lord.
At the Litia, these stichera idiomela, in Tone II —
As thine icon, O Theotokos, is truly more venerable than the ark of old before which David danced, having assembled the ranks of Israel, there now stand before it the councils of hierarchs with the ranks of the angels, kings and princes, and all the multitude of the Christian people; and they bless thee, the Mother of God; they glorify thee as befitteth servants, and honor and bow down before thee; and they pray to thee, after God, that thou grant the world peace in Orthodoxy, make steadfast the scepters of kings, and save thy servants from all evils, in that thou art blessed.
Before thine image, O all-pure Lady Theotokos, stand the company of hierarchs, kings and princes, and all the people, monastics and laity, who know thee truly to be a powerful and invincible helper; and they are moved to offer thee supplications with all their soul, and, needful of thine aid, are impelled to pray to God, for thou dost stretch forth thy God-bearing hands and prayest for the world. Hearken thou and give ear, O Mistress, and grant consolation to thy servants, lest our heavy and grievous sins prevail over us; for we are all ever in need of thine assistance.
In Tone VIII: When first thine icon was painted by Luke, the Evangelist of the mysteries of the Gospel, and was brought to thee, O Queen, that thou mightest make it thine own and impart to it the power to save those who honor thee, thou didst rejoice; and as thou art the merciful collaborator in our salvation, in that once thou didst conceive God in thy womb, thou didst chant a hymn to the icon, giving mouth and voice thereto: “Behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed!”, and, gazing at it thou didst say with authority: “My grace and power are with this image!” And we truly believe what thou didst say, O Lady, for in this image thou art with us. Wherefore, standing reverently before it, we thy servants bow down before thee. Visit us with thy maternal compassion.
In Tone VII: A great and all-glorious mountain art thou, O Theotokos, surpassing Mount Sinai. For, unable to bear the descent of the glory of God in types and shadows, it caught on fire, and thunder and lightning struck it; but thou, being all divine light, bore the Word of God in thy womb without being consumed, and with the milk of thy breasts didst nurture Him Who holdeth all things in His hand. And now, as thou dost possess maternal boldness toward Him, O Mistress, help those who faithfully celebrate thine honored festival, and visiting us in thy mercy, forget us not; for thou hast received from God the gift of ordering and protecting the Christian flock, thy servants.
To thee do all the generations of men offer gifts of praise, and they entreat thee as Queen and the Mother of God: the prophets proclaimed thee most wisely, the Levites blessed thee, the apostles and martyrs confessed thee, kings and princes bow down before thee, hierarchs proclaim thee, monks and layfolk render thee reverence, rich and poor, orphans and widows, and men of every age and station, old and young, flee beneath thy mighty protection with faith. By thy prayers, O Lady, protect and preserve us, and save our souls from misfortunes.
On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera for the martyr: 3 in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…” —
Thy name was given thee from heaven as to a preacher to the nations, O most glorious Procopius; and, illumined in mind, thou didst forsake the darkness of idolatry and becamest a lamp for the faithful, illumining the ends of the earth with the divine radiance of thine honored struggles, O glory and boast of the martyrs.
Having first subdued the uprisings of the flesh with abstinence, thou didst later set thyself apart for the contest with manly mind, through the power of the Spirit, O most blessed Procopius, not sparing thy flesh. Wherefore, thou didst endure all manner of tortures, and, crowned, hast ascended to the choirs on high.
As an invincible commander, armed with the Cross, thou didst drown all the power of the adversary in the streams of thy blood, hast richly poured forth showers of healing from the wellsprings of salvation, O right wondrous one, and dost water all who are stuck fast in the flame of the passions, O thou who art divinely inspired.
And 3 stichera in the same tone: Spec. Mel.: “Thou hast given a sign…” —
Like Paul of old, thou wast called from heaven by Jesus the Truth, O all-glorious Procopius; and, believing on Him with all thy soul, O blessed one, thou didst forsake the falsehood and ungodly lies bequeathed to thee by thine ancestors, and, rejoicing, didst set thyself apart for painful labors, enlightened by the thought of perfect suffering.
Lacerated with a trident, burned with fire, and imprisoned in a dungeon, thou didst remain steadfast, looking forward with enlightened mind to the divine rewards which lay before thee, O much suffering martyr. Wherefore, Christ, the Bestower of crowns, hath crowned thee, O Procopius, who completed thy struggles and preserved the Faith.
Truly desiring the beauties of thy divine soul, O Procopius, Jesus pursued thee with the image of the suffering which He endured in the flesh; and thine enemies marvelled at thy patience and splendor. Wherefore, O glorious one, we call blessed thee and those who suffered with thee. With them ask remission of sins for those who hymn thee.
Glory…, in Tone VI —
Thy glorious memorial hath shone forth today, O much-suffering Procopius, summoning us, who love the feasts of the Church, to the goodly praise and glory of Christ our God. Wherefore, hastening to the shrine of thy relics, we receive gifts of healings, and we forever hymn Christ the Savior, Who hath crowned thee, glorifying Him unceasingly.
When the unblemished ewe-lamb, the immaculate Mistress, beheld her Lamb upon the tree of the Cross, she cried out maternally and, marvelling, exclaimed: “O my Child most sweet, what is this new and all-glorious sight? How is it that the thankless assembly hath betrayed Thee to the tribunal of Pilate, Who art the life of all? Yet I hymn Thine ineffable condescension, O Word!”
At the aposticha: Glory…, the composition of Procopius the Chartophylax, in Tone VIII —
Illumined with the mystic effulgence of the all-radiant Trinity, O martyr Procopius of valiant mind, thou becamest a god by adoption, deified by communion. Wherefore, by thy supplications save from multifarious perils those who with faith celebrate thy luminous festival.
Seeing Thee, O Jesus, nailed to the Cross, and voluntarily accepting suffering, the Virgin, Thy Mother, cried aloud, O Master: “Woe is me, O my sweet Child! How is it that Thou dost unjustly endure wounding, O Physician Who hast healed men’s infirmity and delivered all from corruption in Thy loving-kindness?”
In his suffering, O Lord, Thy martyr Procopius received an imperishable crown from Thee, our God; for, possessed of Thy might, he cast down the tormenters and crushed the feeble audacity of the demons. By his supplications save Thou our souls.
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.