Canon of the Venerable Onuphrius, in Tone IV —

Exapostilarion of the venerable Onuphrius —

Irmos: He Who is mighty in battle cast the chariots of Pharaoh and his power into the sea. Let us chant a new hymn, for He hath been glorified!

Kontakion of the venerable Peter, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “Seeking the highest…” —

Sessional hymn of Saint Onuphrius, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Go thou quickly before…” —

Theotokion: Thou gavest birth unto Him Who before thee was begotten of the Father, and didst remain an incorrupt virgin even after giving birth; wherefore, we all confess thee to be the true Theotokos, O all-hymned one.

Illumined with the light of thrice-radiant splendor, O father Onuphrius, by thy supplications rescue me from the deadly darkness of offenses, that I may hymn thy memory.

Glory…: Exapostilarion of the venerable Peter —

Irmos: Come, ye people, let us chant a hymn to Christ God, Who divided the sea and guided the people whom He had led forth from the bondage of Egypt, for He hath been glorified.

Kontakion of St. Onuphrios, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Today the Virgin…” —

Glory…, Sessional hymn of Saint Peter, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Thy tomb, O Savior…” —

Theotokion: He Who in His surpassing goodness, for our sake clad Himself in man through thee, O Virgin, is supremely glorified by the assemblies of the venerable who love Him.

Having rejected the world and cleaved unto Christ, thou didst make thy flesh subject to thy mind, and wast shown to be a receptacle of the Holy Spirit, O divinely wise father Onuphrius.

Irmos: O Lord Who dost establish the thunder and formest the wind: make me steadfast, that I may hymn Thee in truth and do Thy will; for none is as holy as Thee, O our God.

Theotokion: Thou hast abolished the grief of our first parents, having given birth unto Joy for us: the Bestower of life and Deliverer, O all-holy Theotokos. Him do thou earnestly entreat, that He save thy flock.

Guided by a pillar of divine light, thou didst abandon the Egypt of the passions and didst attain unto the heights of dispassion, where thou didst converse with God.

Irmos: Establish us in thee, O Lord Who hast slain sin by the Tree, and plant the fear of Thee in the hearts of us who hymn Thee.

Theotokion: Knowing thee to be a beauteous palace of indescribable richness, O Virgin, we glorify thee as is meet, having been saved by thy birthgiving, O most immaculate one.

Today the Church setteth thee before us as another Peter, illumining our minds with thy divine memory, O father most rich.

Irmos: I heard report of Thee, O God, and I was afraid; I understood Thy works, O Lord, and I was filled with awe, for the earth is full of Thy praise.

Now & ever…, from the Pentecostarion, or this theotokion, in the same tone & melody —

Having washed the mire of the passions from thy noetic eyes, O venerable one, thou didst clearly see the infinite beauty of Christ the King Who hath glorified thee.

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: At every hour, in every place, I call upon thee, my salvation: Disdain me not, O most immaculate one who gavest birth to God, my Deliverer and Savior!

He Who shone forth upon thee the never-waning light of the three-Sunned Godhead, O all-blessed and divinely wise father, made thee the pure receptacle of divine gifts.

Irmos: Shine forth upon me the light of Thy precepts, O Lord, for my spirit riseth early unto Thee and hymneth Thee: for Thou art our God, and I flee to Thee, O King of peace.

Theotokion: The Lord Who was born of thee, O most immaculate Lady, hath delivered all from the enemy who hath dominion over the world, and hath magnified the venerable as ones who love Him.

Following the vision of the angel, thou didst attain unto the desert; and having caused carnal pleasures to wither away through abstinence, thou didst live angelically therein, O blessed one.

Irmos: O Lord, Bestower of light and Creator of the ages: guide us in the light of Thy commandments, for we know none other God than Thee.

Theotokion: O Virgin Mistress, shine forth the radiance of thy mercy upon me who am in the darkness of transgressions, and guide me to the light of repentance and salvation of life, I pray.

Shown forth as a tree planted by springs of the waters of abstinence, O father Onuphrius, thou didst truly produce the fruit of the virtues in due season through husbandry.

Irmos: The tempest of evil thoughts, having overtaken me, doth drag me down into the abyss of my countless sins; but, going before me, O good Helmsman, govern me and save me, as Thou didst the Prophet Jonah.

Theotokion: With sacred voices we hymn thee, the beauty of Jacob, who for the world gavest birth in the flesh to the Light begotten of Light, Who illumineth the assembly of the venerable.

Having shone forth from the desert like a most radiant star upon the world, thou didst enlighten the assemblies of the pious and faithful with the beams of thy struggles, O Onuphrius our venerable father.

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 most immaculate Theotokos, who gavest birth to the Abyss of mercy, having engulfed the abyss of my passions in the depths of thy compassions, grant me an outpouring of tears from the depths of my soul.

Having mortified thy members on the earth, O venerable one, with divine precepts thou didst impart life to thy soul; and thou hast received everlasting life and splendor.

Irmos: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers, Who spake on the mountain with Moses and revealed an image of the Virgin in the bush.

Theotokion: The Lord dwelt within thy womb and deified all human nature, O pure one; and He hath drawn to Him a multitude of the venerable by sanctity.

Having lived in goodness, thou hast joined the choirs on high, O all-blessed one, abiding in stillness and gazing upon the beauty of God.

Irmos: The all-wise children did not worship the golden body, but entered into the flame themselves and mocked the gods of the heathen. They cried aloud in the midst of the flame, and the Angel bedewed them, saying: The prayer of your mouths hath already been heard.

Theotokion: O Lord God of our fathers, Who dwelt within the Virgin’s womb and showed it to be more spacious than the heavens: Blessed art Thou!

Manifestly hiding in the mountains, thou didst withdraw from the society of men, and in gladness didst furnish thy mind with wings to soar aloft to the beauty of heaven.

Irmos: O earth and all that is therein, O ye seas and every shower and dew, ye heavens of heavens, light and darkness, frost and burning heat, ye children of men and priests: bless ye the Lord, praise and exalt Him supremely forever!

Theotokion: Having found thee to be good and beautiful among women, O all-holy one, the all-comely Word made His abode within thine all-holy womb, illumining all the choirs of the venerable, who cry aloud: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers!

Having withdrawn thyself from human companionship, out of divine desire and love for thy Lord, O Peter, thou didst dwell in caves of stone and deep ravines; and thou didst receive from Him a crown. Pray thou unceasingly, that we be saved.

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: O most immaculate Mother of God, thou holy ground from whence Christ, the Grain of life, sprang forth: Thou hast built up human nature, which of old was ruined by the famine of the ancient evil. Wherefore, we hymn thee forever.

Ikos: Having fled the tumults of the world and the tempest of life as frightful and evil, thou didst attain unto the impassable places; and like a bird thou didst live alone for many years, hiding thyself in caves, defiles and ravines, looking unto the Lord and fulfilling His precepts. And having received grace from Him, O venerable father, thou didst shine forth like the sun, praying unceasingly for us all.

Irmos: For He Who is mighty hath magnified me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him, throughout all generations.

Theotokion: Possessed of a downcast mind and a soul weighed down by the passions, O pure Theotokos, fleeing to thee I cry: Raise me up and save me who am despairing and condemned!

Thou didst withdraw, O venerable one, and didst manifestly make thine abode in desert places, ever waiting upon the Lord, Who delivered thee from evils. Wherefore, having pleased the Master well, O most blessed one, thou didst receive the kingdom of heaven which waxeth not old; and, dwelling therein, be thou now mindful of those who honor thee.

Irmos: O ye faithful, with hymns let us magnify in oneness of mind the Word of God, Who from God came in His ineffable wisdom to renew Adam who had grievously fallen into corruption, and Who became ineffably incarnate of the holy Virgin for our sake.

Theotokion: We who have acquired thee as a hope and rampart, O all-pure one, trust that through thy supplications we may obtain the good things which Christ, Who for our sake became incarnate of thee, hath promised.

Thou didst bury all the uprisings of the passions by the mortification of the flesh, O sacred father, and after death hast received life without end. Wherefore, the Church of Christ today doth celebrate thy right wondrous memory, O adornment of the venerable.

Theotokion: Spare me! Spare me, O Lord, when thou shalt come to render judgment, and condemn me not to the fire, neither repudiate me with wrath, for the Virgin who gave Thee birth, O Christ, entreateth Thee, as do the assemblies of angels and the companies of the venerable.

To the path of repentance guide us who have ever strayed into the trackless wastes of evils and have angered the all-good Lord, O blessed Mary who knewest not wedlock, thou refuge of despairing men and dwelling-place of God.

Now & ever…: Theotokion —

Stavrotheotokion —

Seeing Thee stretched out, dead, upon the Cross, O Christ, Thy most immaculate Mother cried aloud: “O my Son, Who with the Father and the Spirit art equally without beginning, what is this Thine ineffable dispensation, whereby Thou hast saved the creation of Thine all-pure hands, O Compassionate One?”

Having shed the corrupt vesture of sin, O father Onuphrius, thou didst clothe thyself in the raiment of righteousness and hast passed within the bridal-chamber.

By constant supplications thou didst gather the light of divine understanding in thy heart, O Onuphrius our father, and hast escaped the dark deception of ignorance.

Having trod the narrow path of sorrows on earth, O divinely wise and venerable one, thou didst reach the wide road full of the joy of heavenly delights.

Appointing divine ascent in thy heart while among the mountains and caves, O wise one, thou didst cause all the torrents of the passions to dry up through grace divine.

Protected by the shield of the Faith, thou didst utterly escape the arrows, darts and pursuit of the demons, O venerable one.

Beholding the lying serpent cast down beneath thy feet and mocked, though he rageth savagely, O most glorious Peter, we praise thy greatness before the Lord.

In the desert, Paphnutius found thee to be a companion of angels, a great luminary equal to the angels, O wise one, and he piously revealed to all the corrections of thy life.

The Lord, Whom thou didst desire with all thy heart, shone forth upon thee the never-waning light of dispassion, O wise Onuphrius, and thou hast illumined the whole world in the account of thy blameless life.

While preaching well that men ought to cleave unto our God, O blessed Onuphrius, thou didst set the hope of thy soul upon Him, and didst ever have His praise in thy mouth.

Going about the mountains of the precious commandments like Moses, O venerable one, thou didst manifestly behold God as thou didst receive them, and, illumined in all the senses of thy soul, thou wast greatly glorified.

Ever adorned with divine benefactions, O wise Peter, thou didst remain untouched by any passion, and didst clothe thyself in dispassion as it were a garment, O venerable one.

Thy body, hidden for many years, was revealed for our enlightenment, pouring forth upon us rivers of healings and the myrrh of grace.

While thy flesh was being chilled with cold, thy spirit was warmed by the fervor of the Spirit; and while thou wast burned by the intense heat of the day, O wise one, a heavenly dew cooled thee through grace.

Whilst thou wast in the desert, God caused a bright light to go before thee, there prefiguring thee who wouldst receive light and everlasting glory.

He Who was born in a cave and deigned to be held in the elder’s arms as a babe taught thee higher things, for though thou wast an elder, thou wast but a babe in good works.

Made steadfast by the might of the Spirit, thou didst bring low all the might of the enemy; and as a victor thou didst hasten, crowned, unto Christ.

Following in the footsteps of the preëminent Peter, the rock of faith, O venerable one, thou didst take his name, and wast richly enriched with faith.

Thou didst struggle in divine feats, O father, and didst keep the faith; and the crown of good works was added unto thee.

Illumined by the radiance of the all-holy Spirit, O divinely wise one, thou didst forsake all the tumults of life; and on reaching the desert, O venerable father, thou didst gladden God the Creator, Who is over all things. Wherefore, Christ, the great Bestower of gifts, doth glorify thee, O blessed one.

Ikos: Who can recount thy struggles, O most blessed one? Who among mortals can fittingly praise thy life, O father Onuphrius? For like one of the incorporeal ones thou didst subsist on herbs, and didst have as thy food Christ God, upon Whom thou didst set thy hope, going naked about the desert places, enduring burning heat and cold like a bodiless being. Wherefore, the great Bestower of gifts hath shown thee to be a luminary, O blessed one.

He Who through a raven fed Elijah on the mountain sendeth thee food by an angel, O venerable one, magnifying thee who didst magnify Him.

Like a palm-tree flourishing by streams of the waters of abstinence, thou didst produce dates for thy food, feeding thyself by the sweat of thy brow.

Expanding thy perception by visions, O father, thou wast nourished by the pangs of asceticism; and now thou hast received heavenly sustenance, O Onuphrius.

Taking thy cross upon thy shoulders with steadfast resolve, as a consecrated monk thou didst follow after Him Who was crucified, O all-blessed one, burning up all the passions like tinder, and crying aloud: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers!

The divine Word revealeth thee as a treasure hidden in secret for many years, an heirloom revealed, O venerable Peter, and a manifest advocate for all who have in secret acquired sinful defilement yet openly repent.

By the vow thou madest unto Christ thou wast shown to be incense of sweet savor, pouring forth fragrant myrrh from thy precious relics unto the astonishment of all who see it; for thou didst live an angelic life in the flesh.

Forsaking the world below, thou didst acquire a heavenly life and wast enrolled among the choirs of the incorporeal even though thou didst yet bear the flesh, O blessed Onuphrius; and thou hast inherited the land of the meek, which Christ hath given thee forever.

Thou didst truly acquire tear-drops as a means of extinguishing the burning of the passions, and to the dew of dispassion thou wast united by the love of the divine Fire, Christ our God; wherefore, we honor thee, O divinely wise Onuphrius.

O father, Christ, Who is truly the Angel of great Counsel, showed thee to be an emulator of the life of the angels through unceasing supplications, and by the hand of His angel revealed thee to be a partaker of His mysteries. Him do we exalt supremely forever.

Thou hast truly been vouchsafed divine blessedness, O divinely wise Peter, having abased thyself of thine own will; and ever weeping and embracing meekness, O wise one, thou hast inherited the land of the meek.

Possessed of a vigilant mind, thou didst lull to sleep the uprisings of the passions; and having fallen now into the sleep which befitteth all the righteous, O thou who art most rich, thou hast been shown to be a tireless advocate for all who honor thee.

Having vanquished the demons’ winter by winter’s cold and summer’s heat, O wise one, with the fervor of the Spirit thou dost manifestly destroy it, and dost mortify the passions of the body, irradiating them with the effulgence of dispassion.

Diligently seeking God in stillness, thou madest thine abode on Mount Athos, as Elijah the Tishbite did on Carmel of old, O divinely wise and right wondrous Peter; and as one venerable thou wast vouchsafed the vision of Him.

Thy gaze ever directed toward God, O divinely wise father, and deified by communion with Him, thou becamest a god; and offering up worship with the angels, thou dost ever glorify Him.

Having mortified the flesh, thou didst vanquish the enemy, and thou hast passed over to the never-waning Light, becoming an heir to the good things of heaven, O father Onuphrius.

By thine entreaties thou dost ever deliver from all the threefold billows of the passions those who with love celebrate thy holy feast, O Onuphrius, for thou hast found boldness before the Savior.

Girding thee about with might and strength, Christ God made thee strong, that thou mightest overcome the machinations of the demons, O thou who art most rich, as one who loved Him with all thy heart and soul. Wherefore, we bless thee with faith and love.

O divinely wise one, thou wast shown to be like unto an olive-tree planted in the house of the Lord, anointing with the oil of thy sweat the faces of us who celebrate this thy glorious and divine festival, O adornment of monks, preëminent among the venerable.

Thine all-glorious body, which hath poured forth fragrant and beautiful myrrh, O most glorious Peter, hath filled the faithful with sweet savor; for while alive and even after thy demise thou hast manifestly shown thyself to be sweet fragrance for God. Wherefore, we bless thee as is meet.

O vessel consecrated to the Lord God, converser with the martyrs, apostles and angels, pray thou in behalf of us who honor thee on earth with faith, that we may all find the remission of offenses.

The ranks of the angels marvelled at the struggles which thou didst undertake in the desert, O God-bearing Onuphrius; for thou didst live in abstinence for sixty-three years, O father. And now, O blessed and venerable one, thou reignest with Christ for ages without end.

With hymns, as is meet, let us all honor aloud the namesake of the preëminent Peter, the boast of fasters, the glory of the venerable, the pillar of heaven, the flower of Athos, for He is an intercessor for us all.

Saved for thy sake, O Mistress, we truly confess thee to be the Theotokos; for thou didst ineffably give birth to God Who by the Cross hath destroyed death, and hath drawn to Himself the councils of the venerable. With them we praise thee, O Virgin.