AT VESPERS

After the Introductory Psalm, we chant “Blessed is the man…”, the first antiphon.

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

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

Troparion, in Tone IV—

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

Assembling, all ye who love the martyrs, let us together praise with faith today Maura and Timothy, valiant among the martyrs, who suffered mightily and slew the adversary, who loved Christ and hated the world, the worthy inhabitants of the noetic Zion.

Troparion of the venerable one, twice, in Tone VIII—

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

O Timothy, thou didst undergo the binding of thy body, the plucking out of thine eyes, the driving of spikes into thine ears, and being crushed with a heavy stone; and thou didst cast down the enemy, being upborne to divine glory, O glorious one. Wherefore, assembling with faith, we praise thee with supplication, O glory and boast of martyrs.

And the troparion from the Pentecostarion, once.

With radiant effulgence thou didst cast the enemy into darkness, suffering in purity, O glorious Maura; for thou didst endure the boiling of the cauldron, the cutting off of thy fingers, being burned with torches and crucifixion for a time, and hast passed over to divine rest, where the choir of the martyrs ever rejoiceth.

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

In their sufferings, O Lord, Thy martyrs received imperishable crowns from Thee, our God; for, possessed of Thy might, they set at nought the tyrants and crushed the feeble audacity of the demons. By their supplications save thou our souls.

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera: 3 from the Pentecostarion, and 5 for the venerable one, in Tone V: Spec. Mel.: “O venerable father…”—

O venerable and God-bearing father Theodosius, having struggled greatly through thy transitory life, through hymnody, fasting and vigils thou becamest a model for thy disciples. Wherefore, thou now joinest chorus with the incorporeal ones, unceasingly glorifying Christ, the Word of God Who is from God, the Deliverer Who bowed His head upon the Cross and hath delivered the human race from falsehood. Him do thou beseech, Him do thou entreat, O venerable one, that He grant peace and great mercy unto the world. Twice

O venerable and God-bearing father Theodosius, thou wast truly vouchsafed a godly life, finding it through purity and ascetic endeavor; for having lived out thy life thou didst pass over to the true life, leaving all things behind, with the incorporeal ones unceasingly glorifying Christ Who ineffably received flesh from the Virgin, Who cast down hades and raised up the dead from ages past. Him do thou beseech, Him do thou entreat, O venerable one, that He grant peace and great mercy unto the world. Twice

O venerable and God-bearing father Theodosius, in that thou didst love, thou didst find purity of soul; for the grace of the most Holy Spirit dwelt within thee like all-pure light, and, radiantly illumined by progress, unceasingly glorifying Christ, the one God in two essences, Who suffered in the flesh upon the Cross, yet remained dispassionate in His divinity, Him do thou beseech, Him do thou entreat, O venerable one, that He grant peace and great mercy unto the world.

Glory…, in Tone VIII—

Come, let us all hasten to the divine memorial of our father Theodosius; for receiving his calling from on high when he was yet a child, by the priest he was given a name signifying the gift of God. Wherefore, having become a teacher of the Orthodox Faith for Christ-loving princes, the steadfast defense of noblemen, the kind-hearted father of orphans, the fervent aid of widows, the comfort of the sorrowful, the treasure of the poor, a ladder for the choir of monastics leading up to the heights of heaven, and a wellspring of ever-flowing waters for those who in simplicity have recourse unto him, he prayeth unceasingly, that our souls be saved.

Now & ever…, from the Pentecostarion.

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. Three Readings:

The righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the Most High. Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall He cover them, and with His arm shall He protect them. He shall take to Him His jealousy for complete armour, and make the creature His weapon for the revenge of His enemies. He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment for an invincible shield. His severe wrath shall He sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with Him against the unwise. Then shall the right-aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well drawn bow, shall they be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them. Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty. Hear, therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations. For power is given you by the Lord, and sovereignty from the Most High.

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality. And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for Himself. As gold in the furnace hath He tried them and received them as a burnt offering. And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. They that put their trust in Him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with Him: for grace and mercy is to His saints, and He hath care for His elect.

Though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest. For honorable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years. But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age. He pleased God, and was beloved of Him: so that living among sinners he was translated. Yea, speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind. He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time: for his soul pleased the Lord; therefore hasted He to take him away from among the wicked. This the people saw, and understood not, neither laid they up this in their minds: that His grace and mercy is with His saints, and that He hath respect unto His chosen.

At the Litia, these stichera automela—

In Tone I: Come, ye who love the feasts of the Church, and, assembling today, let us piously celebrate the all-glorious and honored memory of the great father, the beacon of the whole world, and let us honor him gloriously, saying: Rejoice, O Theodosius, dweller with the venerable and the righteous! Rejoice, thou who brought together an all-radiant company of honorable fathers! Rejoice, faithful servant and steward of the habitation of the Mother of God, whose excellent temple thou didst build unto the glory of God! And chanting therein, we beseech thee: Pray thou, that the Lord deliver us from all trials and misfortunes, and from the incursion of barbarians, and that He save our souls.

In Tone II: O disciple of the Master, divinely wise father Theodosius, harp struck by God, divinely eloquent mouth, warrior of the Spirit, good shepherd, boast of the venerable: thou didst seek after God and wast illumined by His divinely luminous effulgence; thou didst converse with God amid unceasing purification and radiance, and, having cleansed thy thoughts with springs of tears, thou wast shown to be a most brilliant and splendid pillar of fire. O most blessed boast of monks, glory of the fathers and servant of the Trinity: by thy mediation do thou now preserve us all.

O venerable father Theodosius, thou didst take pity upon those languishing in thirst amid burning heat, and as an excellent minister, emulating thy Master, thou didst divinely reward them, performing signs: thou didst increase their wine and didst fill their empty granaries with grain at thy command, and a vessel nearly empty thou didst cause to overflow with honey. Having learned things not revealed, thou didst adorn the Church, undergoing sufferings like a martyr. Thou didst grant multitudes of healings, and didst love the poor, showing pity to men in thy ways; and thou didst confine thy belly to bread and water, emulating the life of the incorporeal beings while yet in the flesh, for which sake we offer thee glory, praying: Forsake us not, preserving thy servants by thy supplications!

Two most radiant beacons shone forth in Russia: Anthony and Theodosius. For the one by the word of God loosed dew upon the earth, brought down fire from heaven, and manifestly proclaimed things to come, having received the grace of the Trinity. And the other loosed rain from heaven, denounced the prince for his hatred of his brethren and his unjust love of power, and beheld the Lord face to face; and was seen, like Elijah, suspended in the air above the monastery amid fiery light, lifting up his hands and making supplication unto God. And now, joining chorus with the angels, they pray for us, that with them we may be vouchsafed the true light, and that our souls may be saved.

Glory…, in Tone VI—

Having preserved intact that which was created according to the image of God, and through fasting set thy mind as master over the pernicious passions, thou didst ascend, as far as thou wast able, to that which is in accordance with the likeness of God; for, manfully doing violence to thy nature, thou didst strive to subject that which is base to that which is higher, and to enslave the flesh to the spirit. Wherefore, thou hast been shown to be the paragon of monastics, a most excellent rule of virtue. And now, O Theodosius our father, the reflections having been abolished, in the heavens thou dost gaze in purity upon the Holy Trinity, praying directly for those who honor thee with faith and love.

Now & ever…, from the Pentecostarion.

At the aposticha, these stichera, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…”—

O divinely wise father Theodosius, having drawn closer to God in thought from thy mother’s womb, thou didst care exceedingly for the almighty King, offering Him the worthy fruits of thy struggles, O venerable one, adorned with wreaths of the virtues. Wherefore, thou didst acquire the gift of good things, O right wondrous one.

Stichos: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

Thou wast an instructor of monastics and the most radiant star of the Russian land, shining miracles forth upon that whole country; for God chose thee beforehand from thy youth, O father, as a shepherd for His reason-endowed sheep. Wherefore, the choir of the venerable hath received thee; with them pray, we beseech thee, that He grant remission of sins unto thy flock.

Stichos: Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord; in His commandments shall he greatly delight.

Rejoice, O all-hymned Virgin, who by a pillar of fire indicated the field where thou didst desire that thy godly flock be pastured! Theodosius straightway erected a church there, adorned for thee and most wondrous; and therein all of us, the faithful, celebrate thy dormition, O all-pure Theotokos, standing round about the shrine of thy favored one.

Glory…, in Tone VIII—

O Theodosius our father, we honor thee, the instructor of a multitude of monks, for we have truly learned to walk aright in thy steps. Blessed art thou who labored for Christ and denounced the power of the enemy, O conversor with the angels, fellow-heir with the venerable and the righteous: with them pray thou to the Lord, that our souls find mercy.

Now & ever…, from the Pentecostarion.

Exalted in virtue, having loved the monastic life from childhood, and valiantly attained thy desire, thou didst dwell within a cave; and having adorned thy life with asceticism and splendor, like one of the incorporeal beings thou didst abide in prayer, shining like a radiant beacon in the Russian land. O father Theodosius, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.