At Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera: 3 for the martyrs, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”—

Now & ever…: Theotokion, or this Stavrotheotokion: Spec. Mel.: “On the third day…”—

Lacerated by iron claws, beaten with a scourge of cords, thy body burned with fire, thou didst not deny the saving name of Christ, nor wast thou vanquished in mind, nor didst thou sacrifice to graven images, but wast a willing wholeburnt offering, a pure and perfect sacrifice to thy Master, O martyr Minas.

Thine eyes put out, suspended upon a tree, burned all over by torches, scourged with thongs by the cruelty of the judge, thy head cut off by the sword, thou didst rejoice, O glorious Victor, passionbearer of the Savior, vanquishing legions of the enemy by the activity of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord hath crowned thee with a diadem of grace, O much suffering Stephanida, for willingly didst thou give thyself over to torments with spiritual valor. Bound between two palm trees, thou wast torn asunder, and didst like a sparrow take flight to God, leaving thy flesh in the hands of thy tormenters, O right glorious martyr.

And 3 stichera for the venerable one, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…”—

O father Theodore, true to thy name thou hast given to those who piously love thee the gifts thou didst receive, which pass understanding. And having increased thy talant, O blessed one, thou didst hear the voice of God calling thee to His bridal-chamber, where thou now livest by the throne of the King of all, O right wondrous one.

O Theodore, father of fathers, thou didst bring to Christ multitudes of monastics and wast the godly cause of their salvation, illumined with doctrines, and shown, prophetically, to be the mouth of the Lord, O most wise one. Standing now before Him, be thou mindful of us.

The abundant grace of the Spirit was poured forth in thy mouth, O wise initiate of sacred mysteries, and caused a wellspring of doctrines to gush forth, revealing thee, O Theodore, to be a champion of piety, a zealous conveyor of the truth, a pillar and fortress of the Orthodox Faith, and a most excellent rule of the monastic life, O most wise one.

Glory…, in Tone VI—

Again hath dawned for us the yearly commemoration of the beacons of the world: Minas, Victor, and Vincent, who enlighten the hearts of the faithful by their struggles for Christ and His Cross. Wherefore, in hymns let us honor Christ our God, Who hath crowned them with glory and honor.

The pure Virgin, Thy Mother, beholding the iniquitous men who nailed Thee unjustly to the Tree, was wounded, O Savior, in the womb, as Simeon foretold.