day 2

March 2: Holy Hieromartyr Theodotus, Bishop of Cyrenia

Haste thou, O gracious Queen, and hearken to my prayer, that my hymn of laudation may come before thee.

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 4 stichera, in Tone VI—

Troparion, in Tone IV—

THE 2nd DAY OF THE MONTH OF MARCH

Having acquired in her an impregnable rampart, not as lovers of the world but as faithful people, let us fall down before the Virgin Mistress, O brethren, and hymn her intercession.

THE COMMEMORATION OF THE HOLY HIEROMARTYR THEODOTUS, BISHOP OF CYRENIA

As thy servants, O all-pure one, we cry out to thee: spurn us not who pray to thee, but shelter us with thy protection.

(on this day also, the commemoration of the “Reigning” Icon of the Mother of God)

Who can recount thy powers, O all-pure one? Thee do we have as our Mistress, and we shall in nowise fear the children of disobedience.

March 2: Commemoration of the Manifestation of the "Reigning" Icon of the All-holy Theotokos

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone V—

The 2nd Day of the MONTH OF MARCH

O Theotokos, thou art truly more holy than the cherubim and more exalted than the seraphim. Thee do we know as our helper. Never cease to pray for us, O might and refuge of our souls.

Commemoration of the Manifestation of the “Reigning” Icon of the All-holy Theotokos

Prokimenon of the day.

AT LITTLE VESPERS

On the Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone VIII—

We glorify the wondrous appearance of thine icon, O all-immaculate Theotokos, and we celebrate thine aid to us. For, as Mother of Life, thou dost entreat Christ God in behalf of us who have set our only hope on thee, O sure guide to our salvation.

Stichos: I shall commemorate thy name in every generation and generation.

Let us set grief aside, O brethren; for, behold! a second unburnt bush, the icon of the Mother of God, which is seen by the Orthodox people, is revealed for the salvation of sinners.

Stichos: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear.

Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem! And rejoice, O ye poor, for invincible is Sion, and the Mother of our God is in the midst of her people!

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone VI—

The splendid festival of our helper hath dawned today. Let creation leap for joy, and let the assemblies of men join chorus; for the holy Theotokos summoneth us to behold her icon, which illumineth all the Orthodox with beams of mercy. Wherefore, rejoicing, let us cry out: O all-immaculate one, save us, the faithful children of thy land!

Seeking the city of Sion, we flee today beneath thy protection, O pure Virgin, and none can assail us, for there is no city as powerful as the one of Him Who is God, and no other might to equal that of the mercy of the Virgin Mistress.