Canon of the Venerable Hilarion

Irmos: The desert, the barren Church of the nations, blossomed like a lily at Thine advent, O Lord; and therein hath my heart been established.

Sessional hymn, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Go thou quickly before…”—

Thy life shone forth with radiant deeds like the sun, O venerable one, and hath illumined the choirs of monastics and dispelled the darkness of the demons.

Theotokion: Heal the wounds of my soul, O Mistress, and direct the movements of my mind to the will of the Word Who was incarnate of thee, I pray.

Irmos: Let my heart be made steadfast in Thy will, O Christ God, Who didst establish the second heaven above the waters and didst found the earth upon the waters, O Almighty One.

Thou wast glad of heart, humble of spirit and full of divine love, O venerable one, ever possessing a welcoming character.

Theotokion: That man might become divine, God became man: He Who is without beginning received a beginning in time through thee, the only pure one. Wherefore, we, the faithful, call thee blessed, O Virgin.

Irmos: Thou didst come forth from the Virgin, neither a mediator nor an angel, but Thyself incarnate, O Lord, and hast saved me, the whole man; wherefore, I cry to thee: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

With the drops of thy tears thou didst extinguish the burning coals of sin and even after thine end, as before it, O wise one, thou pourest forth an abyss of healings upon those who have recourse to thee.

Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Irmos: Foreseeing in the Spirit the incarnation of the Word, O Prophet Habbakuk, thou didst announce, crying out: When the years draw nigh, Thou shalt be acknowledged; when the season cometh, Thou shalt be shown forth! Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Upon the assembly of the monastics thou didst shine forth like a most radiant star in honorable deeds and the corrections of the virtues; and thou hast illumined the whole world with beams of miracles.

Theotokion: The Lord made thee the Lady and Mistress of all, O all-pure one; for He was incarnate of thy womb, delivering His creation from the dominion of the enemy.

Irmos: Thou art a Mediator between God and man, O Christ God; for by Thee, O Master, are we led up out of the night of ignorance to Thy Father, the Source of light.

By the power of the grace of the Spirit thou didst cast down the incorporeal foes, and wast right gloriously exalted by humble wisdom; and thou wast thyself a worker of miracles, O wise father.

Theotokion: Sanctify me, O holy Theotokos who gavest birth in the flesh unto the All-holy One Who desired to become like unto men; and by thy supplications show us all to have a share in the life of heaven, O all-pure one.

Irmos: Grant us Thy peace, O Son of God, for we know none other than Thee. We call upon Thy name, for Thou art the God of the living and the dead.

With the word of truth thou didst shut the mouths of the heretics, O father; and, having endured persecution apart from thy wounds, thou hast received a divine crown, O wise one, as a most eminent martyr.

Theotokion: Thou wast the might of the faithful and the dominion of the venerable; for through thee, O pure one, have beings from on high descended upon all, and those who dwell on earth ascend to the heavens.

Irmos: Whirled about in the abyss of sin, I call upon the unfathomable abyss of Thy loving-kindness: Lead me up from corruption, O God!

Thou didst consecrate thy whole life to God, O most blessed and sacred one, as a truly most excellent performer of sacred Christian acts. Wherefore, rejoicing amid thy great feats and pangs, thou wast translated to the immaterial mansions and now pourest forth streams of healings upon us.

Theotokion: O all-immaculate one who gavest birth unto Emmanuel our God, Who manifestly became man in His loving-kindness: Beseech Him to have pity upon sinners, in that He loveth mankind, O pure one.

Irmos: Emulating the Prophet Jonah, I cry out: O Good One, free me from corruption! O Savior of the world, save me who cry out: Glory to Thee!

Glory…, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Thy tomb, O Savior…”—

Theotokion: All of us, the generations of generations, bless the Theotokos as the divine, undefiled bridal-chamber of God, the fiery throne of the Almighty.

Irmos: The command of the iniquitous tyrant, opposed to God, raised up a lofty flame; but Christ, Who is blessed and all-glorious, spread a spiritual dew upon the pious youths.

Shining forth like the radiant sun, thy memory, O father illumineth the hearts of the faithful, driving away the passions and dispelling the darkness. Protect us who celebrate it with pure faith, O father Stephen, and preserve us from the temptations of life.

Theotokion: Descending upon thee like dew upon a fleece, O Theotokos, the Savior hath manifestly dried up the torrents of ungodliness and ever giveth drink to the souls of those who honor thee.

Irmos: The fire neither touched nor vexed Thy children in the furnace, O Savior; for then, as with one mouth, the three hymned and blessed Thee, saying: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

O pure Virgin Theotokos who knewest not wedlock, thou sole intercessor and protection of the faithful: From tribulations, sorrows and cruel circumstances deliver all who trust in thee, O Maiden, and save our souls by thy divine supplications.

Theotokion: O pure one, the grace of the Spirit prefigured thee from afar in images and the proclamations of the prophets, who called thee the fertile and holy mountain, the portal of salvation, the scroll most new, and the tabernacle.

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the fiery furnace divided its activity at the command of God, consuming the Chaldæans, but bedewing the faithful, who chant: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Or this stavrotheotokion—

Theotokion: How is it that thou dost nourish with milk the Son thou didst bear without father, Who feedeth every creature, O pure Mother? How is it that thou bearest in thine arms Him Who upholdeth all things? Thy wonder passeth understanding! Wherefore, we ever hymn thy mighty works.

Irmos: Him of Whom the angels and all the hosts of heaven stand in awe as their Creator and Lord, hymn, ye priests; glorify, ye children; bless, ye people, and exalt Him ­supremely for all ages!

Seeing Thee stretched out dead upon the Cross, O Christ, Thy most immaculate Mother cried out: “O my Son Who with the Father and the Spirit art equally without beginning, what is this Thine ineffable dispensation, whereby Thou hast saved the creation of Thine all-pure hands, O Compassionate One?”

Theotokion: Wash away the defilement of my passions and the mire of my sins, O divinely joyous one, and open the portal of repentance unto me who have stumbled, am hindered mightily by transgressions, and anger God.

Irmos: God the Lord, the Son of the unoriginate Father, hath revealed Himself to us incarnate of the Virgin, to enlighten those in darkness and to gather the dispersed. Wherefore, we magnify the all-hymned Theotokos.

Having cleansed thy heart, thou didst furnish thy mind with wings to soar aloft in honorable ascents, to behold the inconceivable beauty of the one God and to be illumined by the splendors thereof.

Theotokion: The Incorporeal One Who was divinely incarnate of thee, O all-pure one, do thou beseech, that He slay the passions of my flesh and enliven my soul, which hath been slain by my sins.

Irmos: The radiant cloud upon which the unoriginate Master of all descended from heaven, like rain upon the fleece, and of whom He was incarnate, becoming man for our sake, let us all magnify as the pure Mother of God.

Recounting divine words, O father Hilarion, thou didst draw forth divine understanding therefrom, and didst transmit it unto all who piously had recourse unto thee.

Theotokion: Rejoicing, we offer thee the cry of Gabriel, saying: Rejoice, O place of sanctity! Rejoice, glory of the venerable and salvation of all the faithful, because of whom we have been deified, O Ever-virgin Theotokos!

With the sweetness of thy words calm thou the hearts of those who have recourse unto thee; for, laboring, thou didst teach them with right acceptable discourse and didst preserve love amid compassion, O venerable one.

Theotokion: Being sin-loving and careless of life, O pure one, I tremble before the inexorable judgment. By thy holy entreaties preserve me uncondemned thereat, O Bride of God, that I may ever bless thee as mine intercessor.

Thou wast shown to be a fruitful tree, O wise Stephen, having watered thyself with the drops of thy sacred tears, producing the fragrant fruits of the virtues; and thou pourest forth countless miracles. Wherefore, we piously honor thee.

The church which possesseth the shrine of thy relics is seen to be a divine garden of paradise, O wise Stephen, wherein bloom divers flowers of miracles, wherein the hearts of those who ever praise thee with faith do delight.

Unto the glory of Christ thou curest the blind and dost cause the cruel infirmities of men to cease; and hence, having been enriched by the grace of good works, thou hast been magnified, illumined and glorified, O our father, thou glory of monastics.

Out of thine own pangs thou didst weave for thyself a robe of salvation, O venerable one; for, clad therein, thou didst clothe the prince of darkness in everlasting shame.

Having caused the pleasures of the flesh to wither away through abstinence, O venerable father Hilarion, thou didst receive grace from heaven to cure all the infirmities of men.

With thy hands, which are unceasingly lifted up to God, thou hast delivered the pious from the hands of the deceiver, O father, and hast given health to all the ailing.

As a phial full of the divine virtues, O wise one, after thy repose thou didst pour forth fragrant oil, causing the faithful people to marvel who venerate thee with love.

Thou didst shine forth in the great performing of awesome miracles, O most wise Stephen, before death, and after thy departure, O right wondrous one, and in thy sacred burial.

Having in a holy manner come to the end of thy life in Christ, O Stephen, our divinely wise father, thou hast made thine abode with the saints, and now dost sanctify those who honor thee with faith.

Having mortified thyself to this world, O Hilarion, after thy repose thou now dwellest in the mansions of heaven and ever pourest forth the life-bearing work of healing.

Thou wast rightly named, meek, guileless, blameless and venerable, easy to entreat and serene of spirit, O father who art most rich.

Adorned with boundless compassion and honored with the beauty of love for the poor, thou wast shown to be a chosen favorite of God, O most excellent Hilarion.

As thy life was honorable and blameless and thy character all-comely and beautiful, O most wondrous one, so are the miracles awesome which thou dost ever perform.

O venerable father Stephen, in Christ thou dost set the lame aright and dost cause the blind to see, enablest the paralyzed to walk and drivest away evil spirits.

A stream of healing ever floweth from thy precious shrine in abundance, as from a pure spring, O blessed one, drying up every torrent of the passions.

O father Stephen, who wast shown to be a wondrous worker of miracles and a true pastor, ever preserve thy flock, which thou didst gather together with thy great effort.

With the sword of thine ascetic feats thou didst wound the incorporeal serpent and utterly destroy him. Wherefore, thou hast received the prize of miracles, O venerable one, to heal the most grievous sufferings of souls and bodies.

Thy discourse issueth forth like dew, O our venerable father, dispelling the burning heat of the despondency of those who with faith have recourse to thee, and ever illumining their character with thy virtues and spirit.

Having made thy mind the ruler over thy passions, thou didst manifestly reign as an excellent victor and didst vanquish alien nations, O wise one; and thou didst destroy the most pernicious passions of the demons.

The winds of temptations did not shake the tower of thine unmovable heart, O venerable one; for strengthened by the love of the Lord, thou wast established firmly upon the rock thereof, and hast become the divine confirmation of many, O father.

Triadicon: O transcendent Trinity, I hymn Thee, the indivisible, unconfused Unity of three Persons, incomprehensible in essence: the one God Almighty, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Thou didst perform the sacred mysteries, for with the burning coal of thine ascetic sojourn thou didst show thyself to be wholly the sweet fragrance of Christ, and dost ever perfume the faces of the faithful, working miracles past understanding.

Radiant with the brilliance of Orthodoxy, thou didst drive away the darkness of heresies, O wise one; and having endured persecution for many years, thou wast a martyr who did not shed his blood. Wherefore, we praise thee with faith.

Having acquired great patience, abstinence, faith and true love, thou wast shown to be a father of orphans, a compassionate and meek intercessor for widows, and the glory and boast of monks, O Stephen.

The horde of the evil-minded were amazed by thy standing all night, thine abiding in prayer, thy tears and sighing to the Creator of true love, O Stephen, whereby thou didst foil their machinations.

Having abandoned the transitory glory of life and fleeting pleasure, O most wise father, in the heavens, with all who fear the Lord, thou didst receive glory which cannot be taken away and lasting sustenance.

Thou didst pass all thy life with downcast countenance; wherefore, thou hast been vouchsafed the blessedness and consolation in which the saints share. And now, rejoicing, O venerable one, thou abidest in the land of the meek as one intelligent and wise.

Thy death was shown to be precious in the sight of the Lord, O most sacred father; for thou didst venerate His icon and endure persecutions, O venerable one, oppressed by tyrants and therein shown to be a martyr.

Thou didst manifestly cause the displeasure of the fishermen to cease, O father, and didst multiply their draught of fishes, which before they were unable to catch; for God hearkened unto thy prayers, O venerable and all-blessed sacred minister.

Doing venerable works in holiness, O most blessed one, thou hast joined the venerable and all the elect. With them we honor thee, worshipping at the shrine of thy relics, O God-bearing father Stephen.

Having acquired purity of mind, O wise one, thou wast a beautiful mirror of the Spirit, receiving the manifestations thereof, and illumining the people with thy teachings.

Through thee, O most blessed and all-wise one, that which is all-glorious and perfect is seen; for at the mere sight of thee, a woman was loosed from the illness which afflicted her, and began to walk aright.

Triadicon: Let us hymn the unoriginate Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the indivisible First Cause, the eternal Rule, the Essence in three Hypostases, the one glory and sole kingship.

Pouring forth healings through the grace of the Spirit, thy tomb drieth up the showers of the passions, expelleth spirits of deception, and illumineth the hearts of all the faithful who bless thee with faith, O venerable Hilarion.

In the meadow of fasting thou didst blossom like a rose, like a sweet-smelling lily, like a fragrant apple; and thou hast perfumed the souls and hearts of all the pious, O glorious Hilarion, intercessor for those who praise thee.

Thou didst have compassion, love, humility and mercy, an appearance of simplicity, true faith and hope, an honorable life and upright character, O venerable Hilarion, adornment of monastics.

Thy memory hath shone forth today like the sun, truly illumining the hearts of the pious with the splendor of thy pangs and the effulgence of thy miracles, O father; and thereon be thou mindful of all who honor thee with faith.

Following the steps of those who lived piously and in holiness upon the earth, O God-bearing Stephen, thou didst show thyself to be meek, guileless, compassionate and humble, peaceful and full of the love of God; wherefore, we praise thee with faith.

Like sweet-smelling myrrh, like an all-pure lily, like a full-blown rose, O father, thou dost emit from thy precious shrine the fragrance of countless healings, dispelling the fœtid illnesses of those who fervently have recourse unto thee with faith.

We entreat thee, O divinely wise one, the godly shepherd and emulator of Christ, the Chief Shepherd. With thy holy mediations ever save us, who are of thy flock, from the wolves of evil.

Thy most holy memory, shining forth like a great sun, doth splendidly illumine creation; and celebrating it with piety, we cry out to thee, O Stephen: Having enlightened the thoughts of all with thy supplications, protect and preserve us.