AT VESPERS

After the Introductory Psalm, we chant “Blessed is the man…”, the first antiphon.

A Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera of the holy hierarch: 3 in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…” —

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —

Troparion, in Tone IV —

Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

O divinely inspired one, manifest in sanctity, we know thee to be the bedrock of the Truth, the confirmation of the Faith, the expounder of dogmas, the advocate of piety, the abode of purity, the chosen receptacle, the sweet savor of the Spirit, the great treasury of doctrines, the foundation of the Church of Christ.

Now & ever…, from the Pentecostarion, or the dogmatic theotokion, in the same tone as the foregoing doxasticon —

Troparion of the greatmartyr, in Tone IV —

Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

O all-wise, blessed and holy hierarch, we praise thee, the successor of the apostles, who shared in the ways of the martyrs, the emulator of the fasters, the seal of teachers, the divine model, the initiate of the mysteries of Christ, the divinely flowing river of understanding, drowning the thoughts of the ­iniquitous and blasphemous.

Now & ever…, from the Pentecostarion, or this theotokion, in the tone of the foregoing doxasticon —

And the troparion from the Pentecostarion, once; or, if the fifty-day period after Pascha be passed, “Virgin Theotokos, rejoice…”, once.

Having increased the talant of wisdom, O thou who art most rich, thou wast vouchsafed the joy of thy Lord. Adorned with the divine radiance of grace, and shining noetically with the effulgence of the Spirit, thou standest now at the right hand of the Bestower of life, ever illumined, O glorious one, with the rays that emanate therefrom.

Now & ever…, from the Pentecostarion, or this theotokion, in the tone of the foregoing doxasticon —

And 3 stichera, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…” —

O venerable father, as a priest of the law of God thou didst enter within the divine and impassable tabernacle of the truth, which the Lord erected, not with another’s blood, but with thine own, and emulating Christ in not submitting to the vengeance of the council, thou didst thereby please God utterly, O father.

Adorned with thy words and deeds, with thy priestly vesture and the rightness of thy doctrine, O most wise Nicephorus, who nurturest with wisdom, wasted away by imprisonment thou didst receive them through thy confession, and didst zealously endure all the evils which beset thee with strength of mind, O blessed one.

Thou wast shown to be an instrument of the Spirit, sounded from on high by divinely inspired voices and trumpeting forth the ineffable mystery of the Savior, as a divine clarion truly renowned, proclaiming aloud the incarnation of the Word to us, which is beyond comprehension and transcendeth all minds and thoughts, O thou who art most honorable.

O all-pure Mistress who ineffably gavest birth to Christ the Savior, save me; for thee alone have I acquired as an intercessor, an insuperable rampart, my protection and joy, the divine consolation of my soul. Wherefore, deliver me from the worm which sleepeth not and from everlasting fire, O Mother of Christ God.

Stavrotheotokion —

Beholding Thee nailed to the Cross and accepting suffering of Thine own will, O Jesus, thy Virgin 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 man’s affliction and delivered all from corruption in Thy loving-kindness?”

The truth of things revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, a model of meekness and a teacher of abstinence. Wherefore, thou hast acquired exalted things through humility and riches through poverty. O father Nicephorus, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera: If this day fall within the Pentecostarion, 3 stichera from the Pentecostarion, and 5 of the greatmartyr, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “With what wreaths of praise…”, repeating the first sticheron; but if Pentecost hath already passed, then each of the 4 stichera is repeated —

With what good songs of praise shall we hymn John: the true warrior of the great King, the splendid champion, the most excellent athlete of Christ, who made the Faith steadfast and cast deception down, who was patient amid temptations and undaunted amid tortures, the awesome denouncer of the ungodly and ardent helper of the pious, through whom Christ granteth us great mercy? Twice

With what wreaths of praise shall we crown John: the restoration of the martyrs, the skilled opponent, the champion of piety, who laid low the enemy, who sanctified the ground with his blood, who terrified the princes of the air and hath been reckoned with the angels of heaven, the pillar all of gold which upholdeth all the lands of the north, and by whom Christ, Who hath great mercy, doth vanquish all their enemies?

With what right harmonious voices shall we glorify John: the eagle who soareth aloft on the wisdom of words, the pinions of whose wings are golden; the clarion of piety, who hath thundered forth the mysteries of the Word of God; the sword honed sharp by the sayings of the prophets, by whom Christ, Who hath great mercy, hath laid low the uprisings of the Persians?

With what hymn and beauties shall we crown the wondrous John: who gave his flesh over to flogging for the sake of Him Who for our sake gave His shoulders over to wounds, who unsparingly shed his blood for Him Who abased Himself even to assuming the form of a servant, who astonished the tyrant by his supernatural endurance, and put him to shame by his mighty opposition, whom Christ God, Who hath great mercy, hath crowned with wreaths of immortality?

Glory…, in Tone VIII —

Today, the denizens of heaven celebrate an honorable festival, calling those on earth to gladness for the memorial of John, the valiant struggler, the hard diamond; for the arms of those who flogged him became exhausted, and the judge became weary even considering his tortures; but he remained above them all, standing like a lion in the midst of the arena, and filling the tyrant with fear by his confession of Christ, for he right boldly cried out to him: “Touch not my flesh, lest retribution overtake thee, O governor! For though thou hast inflicted many wounds, I shall be given crowns of incorruption by Christ, Whom I preach with the Father and the Holy Spirit!”

In His love for mankind, the King of heaven appeared on earth and dwelt among men; for He Who received flesh from the pure Virgin and came forth from her having received human nature, is the only Son of God, two in nature but not hypostasis. Therefore, proclaiming Him to be truly perfect God and perfect man, we confess Christ our God. Him do thou beseech, O Mother unwedded, that our souls find mercy!

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. Three readings:

Thus saith the Lord: “All the nations are gathered together, and princes shall be gathered out of them. Who will declare these things, or who will declare to you things from the beginning? Let them bring forth their witnesses, and be justified; and let them hear, and declare the truth. Be ye My witnesses, and I too am a witness,” saith the Lord God, “and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know, and believe, and understand that I am He; before Me there was no other God, and after Me there shall be none. I am God; and beside Me there is no Savior. I have declared, and have saved; I have reproached, and there was no strange god among you. Ye are My witnesses, and I am the Lord God, even from the beginning; and there is none that can deliver out of My hands. I will work, and who shall turn it back?” Thus saith the Lord God Who redeemeth you, the Holy One of Israel.

The righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High. Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them. He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armor, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies. He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet. He shall take holiness for an invincible shield. His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise. Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well-drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark. And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them. Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill-dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty. Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations. For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.

Though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest. For honorable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years. But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age. He pleased God, and was loved of Him: so that living among sinners he was translated. Yea, speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind. He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time: for his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted He to take him away from among the wicked. This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, that His grace and mercy is with His saints, and that He hath respect unto His chosen.

At Litia, these stichera, idiomela, in Tone I —

Rejoice, all ye people of the north, and leap up in gladness, having in your midst the never-setting and greatly radiant star whose rays surpass those of the sun: John of great renown, the martyred branch of the root of piety, laden with choice fruit, who loved Christ greatly and was greatly loved of Him, and asketh great mercy for us!

O all ye generations of the pious, joining chorus in spirit, praise ye our common good on the designated day of this feast, having among you, like a right fragrant rose, the holy and much suffering body, now glorified with the glory of incorruption, of him who imparteth healings of the sufferings of men’s souls and bodies.

O ye people of the East, join chorus with those of the North, and think not over highly of yourselves, for another sun hath been shown forth here, making not his circuit toward the lands of the West and setting beyond the western horizon, but passing into the heavens from the earth, and making his abode with the immaterial intelligences; and from thence he shineth down, protecteth and sanctifieth us, and asketh great mercy from Christ.

Glory…, in Tone V —

Let us blow loudly upon the flute of the Spirit on the festive memorial of John, the warrior of valiant resolve, and gathering everyone around us with exalted preaching, let us say: Behold, he who suffered on earth reigneth now in the heavens! Come, brethren, and let us emulate him, and in imitation let us follow his zeal, becoming martyrs by volition! Come, ye kings and princes, and emulate him, the all-rich treasury of alms, that ye acquire crowns like his! Ye rich and poor, ye healthy and infirm, draw forth healings in abundance from the sacred coffer, as from a wellspring of incorruption, unto the glory of God the Savior, Who glorifieth the one who glorified Him.

Thou art the temple and portal, the palace and throne of the King, O most honored Virgin, through whom Christ the Lord, my Deliverer, Who is the Sun of righteousness, hath revealed Himself unto those who sleep in darkness, desiring to enlighten that which He fashioned by His own hand in His image. Wherefore, O most hymned one, as thou hast acquired maternal boldness before Him, entreat Him without ceasing, that our souls be saved.

At the Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…” —

Thou didst traverse the deep of the sea like a goodly sheep, and didst offer thyself as a living and animate sacrifice unto the Lamb of God, Who was slain for our sake, O glorious one. Receiving from Him honors for thy labors, pray that those who celebrate thine all-honorable memory with love may be delivered from corruption and misfortunes.

Stichos: The righteous man shall flourish like a palm-tree, and like a cedar in Lebanon shall he be multiplied.

Neither the savagery of the tyrant, nor beating with iron rods, nor the maiming of thy flesh, nor the torrents of thy blood, were able to turn thy steadfastness away from Christ; and thou didst cry out to those who tortured you: “Try me by torments as in a crucible, that I may appear before my Creator like gold purified by fire!”

Stichos: Those who are planted in the house of the Lord, in the courts of our God they shall blossom forth.

Neither the weight of chains, nor the stench of prison, nor the inhumanity of those who flayed thee, were able to shake thy constant loyalty to thy Master, O blessed one; for for Christ’s sake thou didst consider thy prison cell to be a splendid bridal-chamber, thy chains to be coins of gold, and thy bitter flaying to be a robe of royal purple.

Glory…, in Tone III —

Hastening hither, O brethren, let us delight in the rays of the passion-bearer, which have shone forth; for John, the chosen warrior of Christ, having descended invisibly to us from the heavens and set forth a spiritual banquet for us, and satisfieth in abundance every want. Let us fall down with faith, embracing his relics and crying out in supplication: O thrice-blessed and much suffering one, who hast been well-pleased to place thy precious relics in the church which thou hast loved, with thy boldness before God preserve and protect our leaders, who love thee.

Through the divine Spirit, by the will of the Father, without seed thou didst conceive the Son of God Who hath existed without mother from before the ages, and for our sake thou gavest birth in the flesh unto Him Who came forth from thee without father; and thou didst nurture Him on milk as a babe. Wherefore, cease not to pray, that our souls be delivered from tribulations.

Having sustained well thy life on earth with almsgiving, and frequent prayers and tears, O athlete, thou didst manfully hasten to suffering, and didst denounce the ungodliness of the Persians; wherefore, thou hast become a firm foundation for the Church and the boast of Christians, O ever-memorable John.