Canon of the Holy Hierarch, in Tone VIII —

Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “Grace hath visited us…” —

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!

Kontakion, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “To thee, the chosen leader…” —

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

On the Praises, 4 stichera, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…” —

Theotokion: O Theotokos, thou, the undefiled Maiden, becamest a temple of God for Him Who made His abode within thee in manner past understanding, and hath driven falsehood away from men’s souls.

As thou delightest in the divine gifts given by God, and dost answer the petition of each with miracles, O father, grant me the power to sing thy sacred festival.

Irmos: There is none as holy as Thee, O Lord my God, Who hast uplifted the horn of Thy faithful and established us on the rock of the confession of Thee, O Good One.

Having exercised thyself in temperance from thy youth, O divinely wise hierarch, father Jonah, drawing nigh unto the Lord in vigils, prayers and fasting, and ever invoking the Theotokos as an advocate, because of thy trust in her thou didst not err; wherefore, Christ ordained thee for His Church as a hierarch and pastor. Him do thou ever entreat in behalf of our souls. Twice

Theotokion: O lustrous tongs of the divine Coal, O bush which was not consumed by the Godhead: Burn up the tinder of my passions, and rescue me from everlasting fire.

Divine grace was poured forth in thy lips, O holy hierarch Jonah, and thou wast a shepherd of the Church of Christ; for thou wast adorned by God, Whom thou didst glorify by thy life.

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 divinely wise father, holy hierarch Jonah, from childhood thou didst forsake the tumult of the world and didst avoid its turmoil, drawing nigh unto God through purity of mind; wherefore, as is meet, God appointed thee to be a hierarch of the Church and a godly benefactor of the people. Ever pray for us, that He send down upon our souls peace and great mercy.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —

The precious shrine of thy relics emitteth sweet fragrance and poureth forth healings, so that the infirmities of the faithful who piously honor thee are ever dispelled, O holy hierarch.

Irmos: Christ is my power, my God and my Lord, the honored Church doth sing, crying out in godly manner with a pure mind, keeping festival in the Lord.

O divinely wise father, holy hierarch Jonah, having loved Christ from childhood, thou didst cleave unto His love, and having illumined thy heart with the divine beams of the all-radiant Spirit, thou didst truly become wholly luminous. Wherefore, vouchsafe to fulfill those petitions which conduce to salvation for those who have recourse to thy temple with faith, and entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

Theotokion: O all-pure one, He Whom nought can contain confined Himself within thy womb, in His goodness saving me who am sunk in sin.

Having acquired thee as a firm rampart, O holy hierarch, the Church of Christ ever abideth, praising its Master, Who hath glorified thee.

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

Glory…: Idiomelon, in Tone VI —

Theotokion: In divers forms the honorable prophets beheld the unfathomable abyss of the divine mystery of thy pure birthgiving, O all-pure and divinely joyous one, insofar as they were able so to do.

The Good One, assuming my corruptible and mortal flesh through thy womb, O most pure Mother of God, rendered it incorruptible and bound it to Himself eternally.

Irmos: With Thy divine light illumine the souls of those who with love rise at dawn unto Thee, O Good One, that they may know Thee, O Word of God, to be the true God Who calleth all forth from the darkness of sin.

Thou wast a most excellent servant of the Master and King of heaven, O holy hierarch Jonah, and didst preserve the purity without which no one shall behold God. Wherefore, thou hast received thy reward as is meet; for thy precious body, lying in the tomb, hath been preserved whole and incorrupt, and thy soul hath passed over to the choirs of heaven. For this cause, ever beseech the Creator of all in behalf of all who honor thee with love, that He send down peace and great mercy.

Theotokion: O Virgin Who gavest birth to the holy Word, our one God Who truly resteth in the saints, sanctify my soul; and as thou art merciful grant unto me an outpouring of compunction, O all-immaculate one.

Beholding God incarnate of thee, O Virgin, the choirs of angels were filled with awe and fear; and with never-ceasing hymnody they honor thee as the Mother of God.

Irmos: Wherefore hast Thou turned Thy face from me, O Light never-waning? And why hath a strange darkness covered me, wretch that I am? But turn me, and guide my steps to the light of Thy commandments, I pray.

O Theotokos, thou art the true Vine which hath budded forth for us the Fruit of life. Thee do we entreat: O Mistress, with the holy apostles pray thou that our souls find mercy.

Theotokion: The fire of the Godhead did not consume thee, O Virgin; for the bush on the mountain, which once burnt yet was not consumed, prefigured thee, O all-pure one.

O Mother of God, the Prophet Daniel was stricken with awe, beholding thee, the noetic mountain from whence the Stone was cut without the aid of men’s hands, which hath mightily crushed the temples of the demons.

Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, fleeing to Thy calm haven I cry unto Thee: Lead up my life from corruption, O greatly Merciful One!

Theotokion: Heal thou the sufferings of my heart, O thou who gavest birth to the Wellspring of dispassion, and guide me to life divine, that I may glorify thee for all ages.

Neither the speech nor tongue of man is able to praise thee worthily, O Virgin; for from thee was Christ, the Bestower of life, well pleased to become incarnate, O all-pure one.

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: With the light of repentance, O most immaculate one, enlighten me who am benighted by slothfulness, that I may hymn, magnify and glorify thee, the all-immaculate Mistress.

Thou didst ascend to the summit of the virtues, O holy hierarchs, and, receiving the sacred ­anointing of thy superior life, on an exalted cathedra thou didst serve God as a great high priest.

Irmos: The Angel caused the furnace to pour forth dew upon the pious youths, and the command of God, which consumed the Chaldæans, prevailed upon the tyrant to cry out: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —

Having acquired thee as a beacon, O all-wise and holy hierarch, the Church of Christ is illumined by thy virtuous instructions, saying: Thou, O Lord, art my strength and confirmation!

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the youths who had come forth from Judæa trod down the flame of the furnace with their faith in the Trinity, chanting: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

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

Having cut off all carnal desire with divine desire, thou didst shine forth in a perfect life; wherefore, thou hast passed from hence into never-waning effulgence.

Irmos: From the flame didst Thou pour forth dew upon the venerable ones, and didst consume the sacrifice of the righteous one with water; for Thou, O Christ, dost do all things soever Thou desirest. Thee do we exalt supremely for all ages!

As thou wast the successor of hierarchs, O holy hierarch, thou didst strive in word, deed and upright teaching to emulate them; wherefore, we honor thee as a holy hierarch of Christ.

Irmos: The King of heaven, Whom the hosts of angels hymn, praise and exalt ye supremely for all ages!

Thy life hath been shown to all as brilliant, and thy most festive memorial, resplendent with miracles, filleth the faithful with awe. Wherefore, we honor thee now with joy. O boast of hierarchs, pray thou that our souls be saved. Twice

Irmos: It is not possible for men to behold God, upon Whom the ranks of angels dare not gaze; but through thee, O most pure one, hath the Word appeared incarnate unto men; and magnifying Him with the armies of heaven, we call thee blessed.

We hymn thee, O Bride divine, Mother of Christ God, glorifying thine unapproachable birthgiving, whereby we have been delivered from the deception of the devil and from all manner of misfortune. And we cry aloud with faith: O Mistress Theotokos who alone art most hymned, have mercy on thy flock!

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

O all-pure one, we who have been saved by thee hymn thee, the most immaculate one, and piously chanting, we cry aloud: Blessed art thou who gavest birth unto God, O Ever-virgin!

O most blessed Virgin, thou gavest birth to the never-waning Light Who in the flesh shineth upon those in the darkness of life; and thou hast poured forth joy upon those who hymn thee, O Ever-virgin.

Through thee, O most holy one, hath grace blossomed forth and the law ceased to be of effect; for thou gavest birth to the Lord Who granteth us remission, O pure Ever-virgin.

Tasting of the fruit rendered me mortal; but the Tree of life Who revealed Himself through thee, O all-pure one, rose from the dead and made me a partaker of the sweetness of paradise.

As a great lamp, O holy hierarch, with the radiance of thy virtues and the splendors of thy miracles thou enlightenest the faithful, who earnestly hymn thee.

Planted in the house of the Lord like an all-beauteous olive-tree, O holy hierarch and father, thou didst flourish in the courts of the house of our God, imparting health unto men’s souls and bodies.

Thy most precious body became the abode of the all-holy Spirit, O holy hierarch Jonah; and lying in the tomb it driveth evil spirits away from men through the power of Him Who dwelleth within thee.

Thou didst shine forth in word, deed and simplicity of heart, O holy hierarch Jonah. Be thou mindful of us who honor thy memory, O venerable one.

Shining forth radiantly in purity, O most hymned one, thou becamest the divine dwelling-place of the Master; for thou alone hast been shown to be the Mother of God, bearing Him in thine arms as a babe.

Bearing the noetic beauty of thy most comely soul, thou becamest the Bride of God, O pure one, thy virginity sealed, illumining the world with the light of purity.

Let the assembly of the ungodly lament who do not openly profess thee to be the pure Mother of God; for thou hast been revealed unto us as the divine portal of the Light, dispelling the gloom of transgressions.

Having thy pure mind ever turned toward God, O holy hierarch, thou didst guide well the flock of Christ; wherefore, with the angels and hierarchs thou hast inherited a habitation which passeth not away, O venerable one, for which cause thou art resplendent with miracles.

With a mind most pure thou didst gaze upon the Mind which is the cause of all; wherefore, having received gifts of miracles, O all-wise and holy hierarch, thou dost amaze the faithful who honor thee with love.

From the time of thy youth thy life shone forth, adorned with the virtues and arrayed with exalted miracles, O holy hierarch Jonah, and even after thy repose it hath manifestly glorified thee.

O right laudable father, thou wast truly the glory of hierarchs, the helper of the faithful, the adornment of the Church, the foundation of the virtues and the confirmation of piety.

Moses, great among the prophets, perceived thee beforehand as the ark, the table, the lamp, the jar, betokening the incarnation of the Most High through thee, O Virgin Mother.

Death is slain and the corruption brought about by Adam’s condemnation is abolished, struck down by thy Fruit, O Mistress; for thou gavest birth to Life, Who delivereth those who hymn thee from corruption.

The Law lapsed impotent, and the shadow passed away when grace appeared unto men, in manner past understanding and comprehension, through the birth of God the Savior by thee, O greatly hymned one.

Adorned with a crown of majesty, thou shinest now, O holy hierarch; and as a true bishop, truly vested in righteousness, thou didst preserve the inheritance of the Savior: wherefore, the voice of God cried out to thee: Enter into the joy of thy Lord!

Meek and innocent, thou didst follow the steps of the Master and pass over from things corruptible to things eternal; wherefore, with the saints thou hast attained unto the land of the meek, for which cause the councils of the pious hymn thee.

Because of thy great life and purity Christ showed thee to be a child of the light and of the day, and He made thee a hierarch and pastor of His Church, which thou didst serve as an excellent shepherd before departing unto the mansions of heaven.

Thou didst pass through thy life afire with prudence of mind and desire of spirit, O holy hierarch; and avoiding tangible things as ­transitory, O father Jonah, thou wast translated unto the divine habitations.

From childhood thou didst enslave thyself unto the Lord, O wise one, laying waste to thy body through fasting and the keeping of vigils; wherefore, thou wast shown to be the pure vessel and abode of the all-holy Spirit. For this cause He ordained thee as hierarch and pastor for His Church; and having tended it well, thou didst depart unto the Lord Whom thou didst love. We therefore beseech thee: Be thou mindful of us who honor thy holy memory with faith, that we may all cry aloud unto thee: Rejoice, O father Jonah, most honored and holy hierarch!

Ikos: Though a man by nature, O father, thou didst struggle superhumanly in fasting and the keeping of vigils, in prayer and labors, becoming a model of virtue for many; wherefore, God ordained thee as a hierarch and pastor of His Church. For this cause we entreat thee: Pray thou to God, the Benefactor of all, that He grant our civil authorities victory over our enemies, and that we may find grace and mercy on the day of judgment, that we may all cry aloud unto thee: Rejoice, O father Jonah, most honored and holy hierarch!

The furnace, which prefigured thy birthgiving, did not consume the three youths; and the divine Fire, without consuming thee, dwelt within thee, and hath taught all to cry: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

As thou didst foretell, O most pure Mother, the ends of the earth, enlightened by thy brilliant radiance and grace, call thee blessed and, chanting, cry aloud: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

The most evil serpent sank his pernicious fangs in me, O Mother of God, but thy Son Himself broke them and hath given me the power to cry: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Thou art the cleansing of nature, O thou who alone art divinely blessed, for, bearing in thine arms God Who sitteth upon the shoulders of the cherubim, thou criest: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

When Christ God beheld thy goodly disposition, in that thou didst live not for thyself, but the Lord worked within thee, He therefore adorned thee with healing miracles.

Shining forth like a lamp in thy pure works and corrections, thou didst shepherd well the Church given thee by God, chanting unto Christ: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

As thou didst study the law of the Lord day and night, O holy hierarch, forgetting the things which thou didst leave behind thee, and yearning for the things which lay before thee, thou didst cry aloud unto the Creator and Master: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Thine excellent life was known unto all, O holy hierarch, wherefore, Christ hath glorified thee after thy repose. Him didst thou fervently serve, O Jonah our father, chanting: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Thy Son, adorning thee as Queen with the radiance of the Spirit, as with a golden robe, set thee at His right hand, O all-pure one. Him do we exalt supremely for all ages.

He Who established the world by His will alone took flesh of thine all-pure womb, desiring to restore what He had created. Him do we exalt supremely for all ages.

Through the union of the Word to men, a man, thou becamest a divine habitation, manifestly shining forth with the radiance of virginity; wherefore, we hymn thee for all ages.

The golden lamp-stand prefigured thee who ineffably received the unapproachable Light Who illumineth all things with His radiance; wherefore, we hymn thee, O pure one, forever.

Humble and meek, thou didst live an angelic life on earth, O holy hierarch; wherefore, thou dwellest with the saints in the land of the meek, chanting unto Christ: Praise and exalt Him supremely forever!

The most precious shrine of thy relics is a temple of sanctity, O holy hierarch, and drawing forth the grace of healing therefrom, we hymn the Lord, the Master of all, Who hath given thee to us as a healer, and we exalt Him supremely forever.

Deified by the will of God, O holy hierarch, thy mind became utterly estranged from carnal passions, chanting unto Christ: Praise and exalt Him supremely forever!

As is meet, we, the faithful, venerate the precious shrine of thy relics, O holy hierarch Jonah, drawing forth sweet fragrance like myrrh for those who believe, crying out to Christ the Master: O all ye works, praise and exalt Him supremely forever!

A Star, shining forth beams of divinity out of Jacob, hath shone upon those held fast by darkness; for through thee, O most pure one, did Christ, God the Word, become incarnate. And illumined by Him, we bless thee with the armies of heaven.

Strengthened by thy power and grace, I have fervently offered up hymnody to thee with all my heart. Wherefore, accept it, O pure Virgin, granting me thy grace of surpassing radiance out of thy treasuries of incorruption, O divine blessed one.

Thou wast manifestly shown to be the material of the Godhead, of which the Word wove the robe of His body, deifying my form, O Virgin; and having clothed Himself therein, He hath saved all who magnify thee with a pure mind.

Through thine ineffable and indescribable birthgiving hath resurrection now been given to the dead, O most pure Theotokos; for, clad in the flesh through thee, Life hath shone forth upon all and manifestly destroyed the gloom of death.

Thou gavest wings to thy mind with a pure heart and divine ascents, desiring to gaze upon the beauty of the one God; and thou art illumined by the effulgence thereof, O divinely wise and holy hierarch.

O holy hierarch Jonah, with the grace of Christ preserve thy fold and thy flock, entrusted to thee by God, which hath thee as a shepherd driving the terrible wolves away from all the faithful.

As of old Israel translated the body of the chaste Joseph, so now the faithful, receiving the shrine of thy relics, O holy hierarch Jonah, venerate it with love, magnifying Christ.

Today thy splendid memorial, shining forth, illumineth the hearts of the faithful, O holy hierarch; wherefore, entreat Christ God, that he who composeth this hymnody may be protected from the pursuit of the evil one and may receive mercy on the day of judgment.

As a namesake of chastity from the years of thy youth, O holy hierarch, through that which is corruptible thou didst strive to acquire that which is incorruptible; wherefore, as thou wast honored with the hierarchal rank, ever entreat the Master in behalf of us who hymn thee with love. Twice

Send down thy compassions upon thy people and flock, O God, through the supplications of Thine all-pure Mother and of all Thy saints, and grant us Thy great mercy.