The Canon of the Saint, in Tone VIII—

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

Irmos: O ye people, let us send up a hymn unto our wondrous God, Who freed Israel from bondage, singing and crying out a hymn of victory unto Thee Who alone art Master.

Katavasia from the Pentecostarion.

Kontakion from the Pentecostarion, with its Ikos; and the Sessional hymn of the holy hierarch, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Thy tomb, O Savior...”—

Glory..., Now & ever...: the Sessional hymn, or Hypacoi, from the Pentecostarion.

Accept Thou the song of my lips, O Christ my Benefactor, and cleanse Thou my tongue, being not mindful of my manifold sins; that I may extol in song the honorable life of Thy hierarch, in memory of the translation of his relics.

Theotokion: The heathen nations formerly far removed have drawn nigh unto God through thy birthgiving, O Theotokos; and, deified and set free from the ancient curse by thy blood, I have been given rebirth by thee.

Great Doxology; and after the Trisagion, the troparion of the saint; Glory..., Now & ever...: the troparion from the Pentecostarion.

Irmos: I will open my mouth, and with the Spirit will it be filled; and I shall utter discourse unto the Queen and Mother, and shall appear, keeping splendid festival; and, rejoicing, I will hymn her wonders.

Kontakion, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Today the ­Virgin...”—

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

Having received the gift of working miracles, and crowns of patience, and being adorned with thy hierarchal office, do thou beseech God, O our Father, that He grant remission of transgressions to us who glorify the translation of thy relics.

Theotokion: From a Maiden is the Infant born, pre-eternal of origin and preserved in perfection, Whom thou didst preach in two Natures and in one Hypostasis, O divinely blessed one.

Irmos: O Lord, Fashioner of the vault of heaven and Creator of the Church: establish me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, confirmation of the faithful, Who alone lovest mankind.

Glory..., in Tone V—

O Father, shepherd of the flock of Christ, thou art sent to other sheep, of the Latin tongue, that thou mayest astonish all with thy wonders and lead them to Christ. O blessed one, pray thou unceasingly in our behalf.

Theotokion: Beg thou enlightenment for me who am engulfed in darkness because of my many sins, O all-pure Lady who gavest birth to the Light of the whole world; and drive far from me the gloom of the passions, O divinely blessed one.

Irmos: O Theotokos, thou living and abundant fountain: in thy divine glory establish those who hymn thee and spiritually form themselves into a choir; and vouchsafe unto them crowns of glory.

Another Canon to the Holy Hierarch, in Tone IV—

Theotokion: O most pure Mother of God: the Word Who chose for Himself a servant, the hierarch Nicholas, as a teacher of His people, did will to be born of thee alone in the flesh, in manner past all recounting.

Irmos: Thou didst mount Thy steeds, Thine apostles, O Lord, and didst take their bridles in Thy hands; and Thy chariot hath become salvation for those who chant with faith: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Illumine my soul and heart, I pray thee, O Bestower of light and Fashioner of creation. Grant unto me the gift of praising in song Thy most honored favorite, by whom do Thou deliver the world from misfortune.

Theotokion: The depth of thy mystery doth astound the ranks of the angels, O Theotokos, and thine icon doth cast the demons into confusion; and honoring thee as the Mother of God, we bow down before it.

Irmos: Perceiving the inscrutable counsel of God — the Incarnation of Thee, the Most High, from the Virgin — the Prophet Habbakuk cried aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Having acquired heavenly wisdom, thou didst invest it as a talent entrusted to thee; for, having set at nought the guile of those opposed to God, thou didst enlighten the people with divine instruction.

Theotokion: He to Whom thou gavest birth in an ineffable manner is by nature the unutterable Light of the Most High, Who is rich in mercy, and hath enriched us, impoverished as we are, with the gifts of God.

Irmos: O Christ God, Bestower of light, Who didst dispel the primeval darkness of the abyss: disperse the gloom of my soul, and grant me the light of Thy commandments, O Word, that, rising early, I may glorify Thee.

Guileless in manner and meek in demeanor, possessed of an angelic life, O divinely blessed Nicholas: cease thou never to pray to Him Who loveth mankind, in behalf of us all.

Theotokion: O Virgin, thou dost nourish as a babe Him Whom the myriads of angels and multitudes of the seraphim fear, and before Whom all reason-endowed creatures tremble; and, beholding Him in thine arms, we ever worship Him, as is meet.

Irmos: All things are filled with awe at thy divine glory; for thou, O Virgin who hast not known wedlock, didst contain within thy womb Him Who is God over all, and gavest birth to the timeless Son, granting peace unto all who hymn thee.

What city doth not have thee as a helper, O blessed one? What soul uttereth not thy name? And what place dost thou not visit in spirit, astounding all with thy wonders, O Nicholas?

Theotokion: We truly glorify thee, O Virgin Mother of God, as the shield of the faithful, crying out to thee as did the angel: Rejoice, thou who art blessed and full of grace, awesome rumor and report, wondrous place of rest for the Master of all creation!

Irmos: As Thou didst deliver the prophet from the uttermost abyss, O Christ God, in that Thou lovest mankind deliver me from my sins, and direct my life, I beseech Thee.

Though the city of Bari hath received thy body, yet thy spirit dwelleth in the heavenly Jerusalem, where thou exultest with the prophets, apostles and holy hierarchs, praying in our behalf to Him Who alone loveth mankind.

Theotokion: The earthly mind cannot comprehend heavenly mysteries; neither can a creature attain to knowledge of the Creator: for the birth of the Lord from the Virgin passeth man’s understanding. And entreating her with faith, we shall receive remission of sins.

Irmos: Celebrating this divine and most honored festival of the Mother of God, come, ye divinely wise, let us clap our hands and glorify God Who was born of her.

The grieving have found great consolation; they that are in darkness have acquired the light; and those assailed by sorrows have in thee received deliverance from evils, O most sacred father.

Theotokion: Thou art the portal of the King of the heavens and the temple of His glory, O all-hymned Virgin. Open thou the gates of mercy, and lead us into the abode of heavenly glory by thy supplications.

Irmos: On the plain of Dura the tyrant once built a furnace to torment the God-bearers; and therein the three youths chanted hymns unto the one God, and sang, all three together, saying: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

O holy hierarch Nicholas, who wast the mouth of God: thou hast delivered men from the maw of the diabolic wolf, O glorious one, and hast borne them to the Creator as a gift, granting healing unto all.

Theotokion: O how can I chant unto my Savior, Whom even the angels praise with trembling? But do thou, O Mother, direct me, and by thy compassion move the mercy of thy Son to have pity on us who set our hope on thee. As thou dost beseech Him in our behalf, deliver us from torment.

Irmos: The divinely wise youths worshipped not a creation rather than the Creator, but, manfully trampling the threat of the fire underfoot, they rejoice, chanting: Blessed art Thou, the all-hymned God of our fathers!

The translation of thy precious relics is for us an occasion of splendid celebration, O Nicholas, holy hierarch of the Lord whom we piously praise, joyously honoring thee, the light of the never-setting Sun, thou adornment of the faithful. Twice .

Theotokion: O pure Theotokos, thou art the defender and rampart of our lowliness, and we, thy servants, ever cry unto the Lord: O all-hymned God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Irmos: O ye angels and heavens, bless, hymn and exalt supremely Him Who sitteth upon the throne of glory and as God is glorified unceasingly forever!

Enlighten my heart and dispel from it the gloom of sin, O holy hierarch who art illumined by the light of the Most High, that I may joyously hymn the holy translation of thy relics.

Theotokion: In that thou art the Mother of God, ask for us remission of sins, O Lady, and stretch forth thy hand unto me, who am sunk in the abyss of despair, that, raised up by hope, I may exalt thee supremely for all ages.

Irmos: The birthgiving of the Theotokos saved the pious children in the furnace — then in figure, but now in deed — and it moveth all the world to chant to Thee: Hymn ye the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Having ascended the ladder of the virtues, O blessed one, thou wast revealed to all the world as a wonder-worker, O Nicholas; wherefore the people of Bari removed thy holy relics from Myra.

Theotokion: Thou gavest birth, yet remainest ever Virgin, to the astonishment of the choirs above; for thou didst bear the Word, Who was man unaltered by His divinity, and to Whom we sing: O ye works, chant unto the Lord and exalt Him ­supremely for all ages!

Irmos: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, Who hath exalted the horn of salvation for us in the house of David His child, wherein the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, and directed us to the path of peace.

Faithful priests rejoice in thee, and Christ-loving princes call upon thee as an ally in battle; and we, unworthy though we are, exhort thee to pray to God in our behalf, O Nicholas.

Theotokion: At a loss for words, I am unable to praise thee fittingly, who art higher than the heavenly hosts and more honorable than all creation, who gavest birth to God the Creator in the flesh. Entreat Him, O Theotokos, to have mercy upon us on the day of judgment.

Irmos: Let every mortal leap for joy, enlightened by the Spirit; and let the nature of the incorporeal intelligences keep festival, honoring the sacred feast of the Mother of God, and let them cry aloud: Rejoice, O most blessed Theotokos, pure Ever-virgin!

O herald of God, through partaking of the primal light of God, thou wast shown to be a secondary luminary, enlightening with thy splendor them that are in darkness, in that thou art a lover of virtue, soaring aloft in glory.

Theotokion: Mortify our carnal passions and lusts, O pure Theotokos; still the tempest of our passions; calm the tumult of our thoughts; and strengthen the hearts of them that honor thee as their defender, O most pure and blessed one.

Deliver thy flock from the tempests of sins, from waves of tribulation and hostility, guiding us ever to the calm haven by thy saving prayers.

Thy cathedra was in Myra, but thy body was transported to Bari; yet in spirit thou dwellest with the apostles in heaven, in that thou art their successor. With them pray for us who hymn the translation of thy relics.

O hope of all Christians and great defender of the oppressed, healer of the afflicted, consolation of the grieving and intercessor before the Lord for the human race: beg thou peace for our land, and save us from the incursions of the aliens.

Through thine intercessions, O Nicholas, do thou enliven my soul which hath drowned because of its many passions and hath been slain by the fall; and guide it to repentance, that I may glorify the translation of thy relics with all the faithful.

Having acquired beautiful feet through the working of many wonders, thou didst bring glad tidings of good things to all. Freeing all from the ancient enmity by thy divine teaching, save us, O sacred hierarch.

Embarking upon the crest of the sea by God’s will, thou didst arrive at the city of Bari, having traversed the deep with many pious men, O blessed Nicholas.

Health of body and cleansing of soul do we receive abundantly from thy divine church as from a pool, O holy hierarch Nicholas; for through grace wonders pour forth upon them that trust in thee with faith unfeigned.

As thou art the most glorious favorite of Christ, O father, deliver thy servants, who honor the translation of thy holy relics, from all manner of danger, from grievous misfortunes and the sorrows that beset us.

Blighted by the frost of sin and driven by the wind of life, let me be warmed by thy prayers, gazing upon the likeness of thy divine image; for thou art a second sun, O father Nicholas, thou servant of Christ.

Save us by thy guidance, O Nicholas, preacher and teacher of the nations, who hast led to salvation the people of God Who appeared in the flesh for the benefit of many.

O thou who didst have the sea as thy way and the waters as thy paths: beseech the Lord, that we may navigate the sea of life unharmed, and may reach the heavenly kingdom by the waters of our tears.

Thy relics have moved like a star, from the East unto the West, O holy hierarch Nicholas; and the sea hath been sanctified by thy passage. The city of Bari receiveth grace through thee, for thou hast been shown forth for us as a wonder-worker: illustrious, most wondrous and merciful.

Ikos: Let us now praise with hymns the holy hierarch, pastor and teacher of the people of Myra, that by his entreaties we may be enlightened. For he is shown to be wholly pure, incorrupt of spirit, bringing unto Christ an unblemished sacrifice, pure and well-pleasing unto God, in that he is a hierarch pure of both body and soul. Wherefore, he is truly an intercessor and champion for the Church, and a wonder-worker: illustrious, most wondrous and merciful.

Today the angels of God rejoice and a multitude of demons lamenteth; for He hath delivered the people from temptation and hath driven away the spirits of darkness. Wherefore, thou, O Nicholas, art worthily called victor; for which cause we chant unto the Lord: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

They that are taken with the grief of sickness, who are heavy laden with divers afflictions, hasten to thy shrine with faith, and, having received thy mercy, depart in haste, joyfully chanting unto the Lord: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

The assemblies of the people stand before thee, O blessed one, and the teachers of the Church rejoice in thee. Kings glorify thee as their defender; and we entreat thee, O Nicholas: Save us who chant unto the Lord: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

By thy word grant healing to the whole human soul which, like salt, hath lost its savor through the vanity of things; and teach us to chant unto the Lord: O all-hymned Lord and God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

O most glorious are the wonders thou hast wrought! For thou healest infirmities and deliverest from misfortunes, commanding all to chant unto the Lord: O all-hymned God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

The angels of the heavens accept thee as a minister, and the prophets greet thee as a fellow servant. The Lord Himself receiveth thee. And we sinners ask thee for mercy.

Great is the authority given thee by God, O Nicholas: the sea is subject to thee; the winds obey thee; and the nations, beholding thy most glorious wonders, submit themselves to thee.

O Savior, Thou hast shown Thy holy hierarch Nicholas to be more glorious than Moses, delivering from all tribulation the New Israel, the Christian people.

Thou didst grow as a sweet-smelling flower in the land of Myra, O glorious one, wafting gifts of healing like fragrant perfume upon all that praise thee and sing: O ye works, chant unto the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Having poured out the sweetness of God’s grace like oil from the Mount of Olives, thou didst have in the sea a path made safe by the grace of the Lord, to Whom we sweetly cry: O ye works, chant unto the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Blessed be the Lord our God, for He hath glorified His holy hierarch throughout all lands, who gusheth forth streams of wonders, who worketh healing in all the lands of Myra and of the Latins, who visiteth us with mercy.

Thou didst fall into an honorable sleep and didst permit thy body to go to Bari for the good of all; for by thy supplications thou art an ever-vigilant defender for all that call upon thee with faith, O Nicholas.

Thy memorial is for us an occasion of festivity this day. The choir of the apostles, the assembly of martyrs and the spirits of the righteous rejoice; and we, the faithful, glorify thee with hymns, crying aloud: O holy hierarch of Christ, deliver us from all sorrows!

Thy most glorious memory hath shown forth upon us, illumining the faithful with splendor, O wise Nicholas, holy hierarch of Christ. Wherefore, we beseech thee: be thou mindful of us all, and deliver us from all the temptations of the adversary by thine intercessions.

Great are thy wonders, O most holy Nicholas, for thou didst appear in a dream to the divinely wise Constantine, and didst save the three generals condemned to death though innocent. Thus do thou save us also from sudden and everlasting death, O most holy Nicholas, hierarch of the Lord.

On the Praises, 4 stichera—

In Tone I: Having gazed steadfastly upon the noetic heights, and beheld the abyss of hidden wisdom, thou didst enrich the world with thy teachings, O father. Ever pray to Christ in our behalf, O holy hierarch Nicholas.

O man of God, faithful favorite and steward of His mysteries, man of spiritual desires, living pillar and animate image: the Church of Myra received thee with delight as a divine treasure and intercessor for our souls.

In Tone II: O holy hierarch Nicholas, Christ God revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith and a model of meekness, for thy divine and worthy deeds shine forth everywhere with splendor, emitting the fragrance of thy myrrh, O intercessor for orphans and widows. Wherefore, pray thou unceasingly, that our souls be saved.

O father Nicholas, the shrine of thy relics overfloweth with myrrh, and thou didst appear to the Emperor in a dream, and by thine apparition didst save from death, bonds and prison the condemned men unjustly sentenced. Now, as then, pray thou for our souls, manifesting thyself in thy presence.

Let us sound the trumpet with the clarion-call of hymns. Let us who keep festival make haste and exult, rejoicing. Let kings and princes hasten to the solemn supplication of our God-bearing father, who appeared to the Emperor in a dreadful dream, commanding him to release the three warriors who were imprisoned without cause. Let the pastors and teachers laud the shepherd who emulated the Good Shepherd. And, assembling, let us praise the physician of the afflicted, the deliverer of those amid misfortunes, the helper of the sinful, the treasure of the poor, the consoler of the sorrowful, the companion of travellers, the pilot of those who sail the seas, who hasteneth everywhere and to everyone most earnestly. And praising the great hierarch, let us say: O most holy Nicholas, go thou before us and deliver us from our present tribulations, and by thy supplications save thou thy flock.

Now & ever...: from the Pentecostarion.

Litanies, and the dismissal. The faithful are anointed with holy oil from the saint’s lamp. First Hour, and final dismissal.

At the Liturgy, 8 troparia on the Beatitudes: 4 from the appointed ode of the appropriate canon from the Pentecostarion; and 4 from Ode III of the first of the canons of the holy hierarch.

Prokimenon, in Tone VII—

The saints shall boast in glory and they shall rejoice upon their beds.

Stichos: Sing unto the Lord a new song; His praise is in the Church of the saints.

Epistle to the Hebrews, § 335

[Heb. 13: 17-25]

Brethren: Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia, in Tone II—

Stichos: Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy righteous shall rejoice.

Stichos: For the Lord hath elected Zion, He hath chosen her to be a habitation for Himself.

Gospel according to Luke, § 24 [Lk. 6: 17-23]

At that time, Jesus stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judæa and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; and they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven.

Communion Verse—

In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be; he shall not be afraid of evil tidings.