Ode III

Irmos: Thy Church rejoiceth in Thee, O Christ, crying aloud: Thou art my strength, O Lord, my refuge and my consolation!

Sessional hymn, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Awed by the beauty of thy virginity…” —

Strengthened in Christ, O Cyril, with steadfast mind thou didst destroy the wiles of the evil serpent like a spider’s web.

Theotokion: With joy we all splendidly glorify thee as the only blessed one among women who became the habitation of God.

Thou didst shake off the mire of the passions from thy soul, O Cyril, and cast down the uprising of every thought which exalteth itself against Christ.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Doxasticon from the Pentecostarion, or this theotokion —

As a successful athlete, O father, thou didst steadily turn away from every carnal pleasure as harmful and detrimental.

As a pillar and sacrifice of the Church of Christ, O father, thou didst preserve it unshaken by the temptations of the evil one, and all-wise; for thou didst destroy all the evil works of Nestorius and didst proclaim the Mother of God to be the ­Theotokos. Wherefore, assembling, we honor thee, O divinely blessed Cyril.

As an uncultivated vine, O Virgin, thou didst put forth the most comely Cluster Who poureth forth upon us the wine of salvation which maketh glad men’s souls and bodies. Wherefore, ever blessing thee as the cause of good things, we cry out to thee with the angels: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace!

Stavrotheotokion —

Thy pure Mother who knew not wedlock, beholding Thee, O Christ, hanging dead upon the Cross, said, lamenting maternally: “How hath the iniquitous and ungrateful assembly of the Jews rewarded Thee, which enjoyed Thy many and great gifts, O my Son? I hymn Thy divine condescension.”