AT VESPERS

On “Lord, I have cried…”, these stichera of the hieromartyr, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “Thy martyrs, O Lord…” —

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —

Troparion, in Tone IV —

Thou wast shown to be the tablet of the Spirit of God, O divinely blessed father, bearing the doctrines of God graven upon thy divine mind; and in disclosing them thou didst illumine those who languished in ignorance. Wherefore, by thy supplications, O father, ask thou great mercy for us all.

Having dyed thy priestly raiment in the streams of thy divine blood, O Dorotheus, thou hast now entered, rejoicing, into the temple of heaven, to appear before our God, Who bestoweth crowns upon those who have suffered. Him do thou earnestly entreat, that He send down great mercy upon all.

Angelic was thy life and splendid thy martyrdom, for which thou was counted worthy to dance in joy with the angels, O father Dorotheus, illumining the land with divine miracles and teachings. Wherefore, in thine entreaties ask God to grant great mercy unto all.

If Alleluia be chanted instead of “God is the Lord…”, the following stichera for the Theotokos are chanted before the foregoing stichera of the saint, but in the same tone & melody —

O Mistress, wrest me from the hands of the serpent, the slayer of mankind, who warreth against me with deceit, that he might slay me utterly. Crush his jaws and destroy his wiles, I pray, that, delivered from his talons, I may magnify thy power.

O most immaculate one, I am a barren tree devoid of the fruit of salvation, and for this cause I tremble at the thought of being cut down, lest I be cast into the unquenchable fire, wretch that I am. Wherefore, I fall down before thee, crying: Deliver me therefrom, O pure one, and present me to thy Son, rendered fruitful by thy mediation.

The deadly dart of desire hath pierced my heart, and I am wounded by ignorance and suffer incurable pain. O Mother of God, disdain me not, wretch though I am, but grant me healing, in that thou gavest birth to the Lord and Savior Who alone is compassionate.

My thoughts are impure, my lips deceitful, and all mine acts defiled. What then shall I do? How shall I meet the Judge? O Virgin Mistress, entreat thy Son, Creator and Lord, that He receive my spirit in repentance, in that He alone is compassionate.

Stavrotheotokion —

The unblemished heifer, beholding her Bullock nailed to the Tree of His own will, cried out, lamenting pitiably: “Woe is me, O my Child most beloved! How hath the thankless assembly of the Jews rewarded Thee, desiring to leave me childless, O most Beloved One?”

As thou didst share in the ways of the apostles and didst occupy their throne, thou didst find thine activity to be a passage to divine vision, O divinely inspired one. Wherefore, speaking aright the word of truth, thou didst suffer for the Faith even to the shedding of thy blood. O hieromartyr Dorotheus, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.