Ode III

Irmos: Thy Church rejoiceth in Thee, O Christ, crying aloud: Thou art my strength, O Lord, my refuge and my consolation!

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

Thou wast uplifted, O venerable one, having humbled thyself for Christ’s sake, and thou didst bring low the pride of the noetic serpent by the Spirit.

Theotokion: With joy let us all glorify the Theotokos, who, alone among women, is blessed, in that she is the most magnificent habitation of God.

Having been vouchsafed great gifts by God, O God-pleasing hierarch and father, thou becamest a great priest.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Perfecting thy life in innocence like a babe, O venerable one, thou didst destroy all the malice of the enemy by grace.

Having taken up thy cross from childhood, thou didst piously follow after Christ, causing the wisdom of the flesh to wither away through abstinence; wherefore, on thy hierarchal cathedra, O divinely blessed Nicetas, thou didst exalt the Master Who hath adorned thy shrine with divers signs.

O pure, most immaculate one who knewest not man, who alone gavest birth within time to the timeless Son and Word of God, with the holy and honored patriarchs, the martyrs, prophets and the venerable, entreat Him, that He grant us purification and great mercy.

Stavrotheotokion—

When Thine all-pure Mother beheld Thee uplifted upon the Cross, O Word of God, she exclaimed, lamenting maternally: “What is this new and awesome wonder, O my Son? How is it that Thou, the Life of all, dost taste of death, desiring to bring life to the dead, in that Thou art full of loving-kindness?”