Ode IX

Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “O Light immutable…”—

Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, and the ends of the earth were amazed, that God hath appeared in the flesh, and that thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. Wherefore, the ranks of men and angels magnify thee as the Theotokos.

Thou didst shine forth like lightning, O father, and thy sound poured forth like thunder on all upon whom the sun doth look; for thou didst receive true inspiration from the heavens above. Wherefore, let not the grave cause thy memory to be extinguished, O Athanasius.

Theotokion: O intercessor for all Christians, all-immaculate Virgin Mother of God, in that thou art merciful deliver from tribulations and perils thine oppressed servants who have suffered the wounds of cruel scourgings, and heal thou those on whom painful stripes have been inflicted.

Great Doxology & troparia. Litanies. Dismissal. First Hour.

Glory…: another exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “The heaven with stars…”—

Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, and the ends of the earth were amazed, that God hath appeared in the flesh, and that thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. Wherefore, the ranks of men and angels magnify thee as the Theotokos.

Illumined now most brightly with the thrice radiant light of the threefold Sun, like a mirror thou dost reveal effulgence to those who hymn thee, shining from on high like the sun. O blessed one, do that which we beseech of thee, whether it be great or insignificant.

Theotokion: O Bride of God, chosen from among all generations, bring low the mighty in the pride of their hearts and exalt the humble, fill the hungry with all manner of good things and send the rich empty away; for thou art able to accomplish all things soever thou desirest, O thou who art most hymned.

Now & ever…: exapostilarion from the Pentecostarion.

Chanting, we entreat thee earnestly: pray thou for the Church, that through the Cross victories may be granted to Orthodox Christians, strength given to the Orthodox Faith against the heresies of the enemy, salvation to us, and peace to the world on the day of thy commemoration, O Athanasius.

Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “Hearken, ye women…”—

Thou wast shown to be a river of golden flow, giving drink to all with the waters of thy teachings, O servant of the Trinity, adornment of hierarchs; for by thy doctrines, O Athanasius, thou didst destroy the teaching of Arius.

In laudation let us hymn the great Athanasius, the glory of hierarchs, offspring of Egypt and adornment of immortality, as the one who cast down Arius and the helper of the faithful.

On the Praises, 4 stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”—

By thy fiery teachings is all the tinder of heresy utterly consumed, O all-glorious one; and by the abyss of thine understandings is the wicked army of the unruly drowned, O venerable Athanasius. And the Church of the faithful is adorned every day by thy doctrines, O blessed one, and doth honor thee, crying aloud. Twice

With the staff of thy teachings thou didst drive the spiritual wolves from the Church of Christ, O all-wise one, and thou hast hedged it round about with the confirmations of thy words, and hast presented it to Christ unshaken and unshakable. Pray thou to Him, that those who celebrate thy most honored memory with faith may be delivered from corruption and misfortunes.

With the splendors of thy divine discourses, O venerable one, is the whole Church adorned: it is piously bedecked with comely beauties and doth honor, as is meet, thy most festive memory, O Athanasius, thou glory of priests, radiant and great preacher of piety, and champion of the Trinity.

Glory…, the composition of Patriarch Germanus, in the same tone—

The great and true clarion of the Church, the much-suffering Athanasius, today doth splendidly summon the whole world to goodly praise. O all ye faithful, let us go forth to greet the festival of the good shepherd, honoring his sacred labors with hymns, that, through his supplications, we may receive from Christ God great mercy.

Now & ever…: doxasticon from the Pentecostarion.

Having guided thy people along the path of salvation and finished thy work, thou didst receive a blessed end for thine earthly life; and having passed over to the kingdom of heaven, thou prayest unceasingly for us all.

We bless thee, the equal of the apostles for the land of Bulgaria, who by holy baptism and the Slavonic language led thy people to the light of the Christian Faith, and prayest unceasingly for us all.

We have glorified thee with human discourse, though thou art worthy of angelic praises; yet, condescending, accept the love of our hearts, and be for us a mediator before the Lord, praying unceasingly for us all.

O brethren, with hymns let us all honor the right-believing Boris, the apostle who is our kinsman, who hath united us to God through baptism and instructed us in Orthodoxy, and who hath wrought for us the way of salvation, which he himself travelled, and whereby he leadeth all of us, the faithful, up to the kingdom of heaven.

Glory…, Now & ever…, from the Pentecostarion.

On the Praises, 6 stichera: 3 from the Pentecostarion, and 3 for the saint, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…”—

O right-believing King Boris, seeing that thy land of Bulgaria was like a goat amid the sheep of Christ, thou didst desire to bring about its rebirth. Wherefore, having illumined it with holy baptism, thou didst lead it into the pious company of the Christian peoples which surrounded it, and, having instructed it with the word of the Gospel, thou didst lead it to the feet of Christ the Savior. Him do thou beseech, that He save and enlighten our souls.

O right-believing King Boris, heeding the admonition of Paul, who said: In the Church I would rather speak five words with mine understanding, that others listening may benefit!, thou didst diligently seek and find teachers for thy people; and bringing them to thee with all honor, thou didst entrust to them the labor of the apostolate of Christ the Savior. Him do thou beseech, that He save and enlighten our souls.

O right-believing King Boris, having experienced the vanity of the world like Solomon, and set aside the scepter of thy kingdom, thou didst receive the monastic habit and, struggling ascetically in the wilderness of Preslav, didst flourish in holiness and righteousness, for which cause thou didst pass over into eternal bliss. In the miracles wrought by thy relics thou hast glorified Christ, Whom do thou beseech, that He save and enlighten our souls.

Glory…, in Tone VIII—

Come, ye multitudes of Bulgaria, and, assembling today, with chanted praises let us bless the right-believing King Boris, saying: Rejoice, O thou who by thine apostolic labor didst bring thy people to Christ and use thine earthly kingdom to win that of heaven! Rejoice, thou who didst advance the preaching of the word of God which could be understood, and like the preëminent Peter preferred the stillness of Tabor to a kingdom! Rejoice, O King Boris, equal of the apostles, who from earthly glory passed directly to that of heaven, praying unceasingly for us, that our souls be saved!

Now & ever…, from the Pentecostarion.