day 31

March 31: Venerable Hypatius the Wonderworker, Bishop of Gangra

Glory..., Now & ever..., in Tone V—

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

Troparion: for text, see Great Vespers. Litany and dismissal.

The 31st Day of the MONTH OF MARCH

Glory..., Now & ever..., in Tone VI—

Come, all ye people, and having assembled with faith, let us glorify the Theotokos our Mistress, the helper of our race! And, surrounding her precious icon, let us lovingly venerate it, saying: Rejoice, O all-pure Virgin! Rejoice, Mother of the Lord Most High! Rejoice, protection and salvation of our souls!

Commemoration of the Venerable

Rejoice, O Mount Athos, for the glory of the Lord hath shone upon thee! For a star of great splendor hath moved from the east to the west: the icon of the Mother of God hath appeared in a pillar of fire, enlightening Athos with its arrival.

Hypatius the Wonderworker, Bishop of Gangra

As the bush which burned with fire, yet remained unharmed, was once revealed to Moses on Sinai, so is the sacred image of the all-immaculate one wrapped in fire, yet remaineth unconsumed, sanctifying those who gaze upon it with faith.

(for this day we provide also services in honor of St. Innocent of Moscow, and the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God)

Come ye joyfully, O choirs of monks! Draw ye forth inexhaustible grace from the icon of the Mother of God which flasheth with fire, and receive it with faith and love; for it is bestowed most gloriously upon your monasteries as a rampart and bulwark, that it may protect you against all enemies, visible and invisible.

March 31: Appearance of the Iveron Icon

Come, ye people, and let us worship before the wonder-working and most precious image of the Mother of God, which she hath given to the Monastery of Iveron as an ever-vigilant and invincible guardian; for she sheltereth that holy monastery, and all who live on Holy Athos, with her protection, and granteth abundant gifts of healings out of the inexhaustible wellspring of her holy icon, unto all who honor that wondrous image of the Mother of God. Wherefore, chanting, let us cry out to the prototype thereof: Rejoice, O help of the world, thou consolation of our souls!

Also on THE 31st DAY OF THE MONTH OF MARCH

Then, “O joyful Light...”, without an entrance. Prokimenon: “Our God is in heaven and on earth...”; and then, “Vouchsafe, O Lord…”

COMMEMORATION OF THE APPEARANCE OF THE WONDER-WORKING IMAGE OF THE ALL-HOLY THEOTOKOS,

On the Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone II—

KNOWN AS THE IVERON ICON, OR THE KEEPER OF THE GATE

We thy servants glorify and hymn thee, the pure habitation of the all-pure Light, O Theotokos; for thou dost sanctify us by the revelation of thine all-pure icon.

AT LITTLE VESPERS

Stichos: Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy holiness.

Glory to Thee, O Christ our King! Glory to Thy great loving-kindness towards us! For Thou hast given to the Orthodox the icon of Thine all-pure Mother, which poureth forth upon us torrents of grace in abundance.

Stichos: The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, and He will not annul it.

Let us keep splendid festival today, O right-believing people, overshadowed by the advent of the icon of the Mother of God, with faith receiving therein a constantly attentive guardian; and let us cry out to the Theotokos: Protect us from all evil, and save thou our souls!

Let us make haste to the calm haven, the Virgin Mother, the helper of our race; and let us bow down before her precious image which is reverenced by the angels, crying out with compunction: Look down, O compassionate Mother, upon the grievous sorrows which beset us, and heal thou the sickness of our souls!