Ode I

Canon I, the composition of John the Monk, with 8 troparia, including its irmos, in Tone IV —

Katavasia: I shall open my mouth…

Theotokion: O most immaculate Theotokos, thou godly city of the King of all, habitation well-pleasing unto God, precious treasure: Preserve thine inheritance, which ever praiseth thee and honoreth thy birthgiving with faith.

The offspring of the barren woman manifestly proclaimeth the birthgiving of the Virgin, preceding the Sun like a magnificent dawn. And he now shineth forth the light of piety and grace upon the whole universe.

Irmos: O Thou Who wast born of the Virgin, drown Thou, I pray Thee, the three parts of my soul in the depths of dispassion, as of old Thou didst drown the mounted captains of Pharaoh; that, in the mortality of my body, as on a timbrel, I may chant a hymn of victory.

Theotokion: Thou art the habitation of God and the noetic ladder whereby God hath descended and, assuming our form, hath led our nature up to the heavens. Thee do we all praise as the mediatress of our salvation.

“Truly art thou called the prophet of the Most High; for thou goest before the face of Christ, to prepare the way for the Creator!” Zechariah crieth out to thee, his son, upborne by the most Holy Spirit, O all-praised John.

Irmos: Let us chant unto God our Deliverer, Who of old guided Israel fleeing from the slavery of Pharaoh, and fed them in the wilderness, for He hath been glorified.

Hearing the words of Gabriel’s divine tidings, Zechariah showed himself to be intractable, and was stricken with muteness; but he is suddenly loosed therefrom, for John the Forerunner, the voice of the Word, hath been born.

Another Canon, the composition of Andrew, with 6 troparia, in Tone IV —

The silence of the father is a symbol of the mysteries of the Scriptures of the law; for when grace arrived Moses fell silent. For it was fitting that all fall silent in the presence of the treasure of wisdom which was revealed.

While the priest was censing in the temple, an angel from on high stood before him and cried out: “I am come unto thee bearing tidings of a strange birthgiving, O elder! For from the barren woman thou shalt receive the baptizer of Christ as your offspring.”

“Wherefore dost thou marvel, O elder? Why standest thou, refusing to believe the one who telleth thee these things? For he is an angel, even if he is in the guise of a man. Be thou therefore mute until the time of the birth of the voice of the Word!”

He who made the silence of Zechariah a symbol of the written law hath thereby shown me to be a preacher of repentance who cry out: He giveth unto the barren woman a son who is the voice who crieth.

O the all-glorious pronouncements of the Forerunner of Christ! He who, even before he was wrapped in swaddling bands, recognized Him who hath loosed our bonds and sanctified the nations, is born today of Elizabeth and freeth the voice of his father.