AT VESPERS

On “Lord, I have cried…”, these stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”—

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

When the great turbulence of the earth laid hold of thee, and a storm smote thy soul, O most glorious one, steered by thine exalted name as with a rudder thou didst traverse unharmed the abyss of greatly painful tortures; and having attained unto the harbors of the Most High, thou wast filled with everlasting calm, O martyr Thalalæus.

Lifted up upon a tree, thy side lacerated by the savagery of the torturers, thou didst emulate the suffering of the Master of creation, O glorious one; and thou didst denounce their erroneous thought, reviling the falsehood of idolatry and manifestly strengthening piety, O greatmartyr Thalalæus.

At the command of the tyrant thou wast committed to the depths of the sea, yet through divine grace didst remain undrowned, O all-wise one; and with the torrents of thy blood thou didst drown the noetic Pharaoh and his army, O divinely wise one, and, strengthened greatly by Christ, didst commit him to utter destruction.

But if Alleluia is to be chanted instead of “God is the Lord…” at matins, before the foregoing stichera of the martyr we chant the following stichera of the Theotokos, in the same tone & melody—

O all-holy Bride of God, deliver my lowly soul from condemnation and grievous transgressions, and by thy supplications rescue me from death and grant that on the day of trial I may receive the justification which the assemblies of the saints have received; and show me forth as cleansed before the end by repentance and outpourings of tears.

With the showers of the all-holy Spirit, O all-pure one, bedew thou my mind, O thou who gavest birth to Christ, the Drop Who by His compassions hath utterly washed away the countless iniquities of men; and dry up the wellspring of my passions, and ever vouchsafe unto me a torrent of living sustenance by thy supplications.

O Virgin who gavest birth to God my Savior, by thy supplications grant unto me the excellent and saving cure of repentance, torrents of tears, the thought of the dread and awesome hour and the inexorable judgment, that I may escape terrifying torment and may receive divine grace.

Ten thousands of times have I promised to repent of mine offenses, O all-pure one, yet the cherished habit of mine evils will not depart from me; wherefore, I cry unto thee and fall down, praying: O Mistress, rescue me from such tyranny, guiding me to things that are higher, which are nigh unto salvation.

Stavrotheotokion—

When she beheld Thee, the Lamb and Shepherd, upon the Tree, the ewe-lamb who gave Thee birth lamented and exclaimed to Thee maternally: “O my Son most desired, how is it that Thou hast been suspended upon the tree of the Cross, O Long-suffering One? How have Thy hands and feet been pierced with nails by the iniquitous, O Word? How hast Thou shed Thy blood, O Master?”