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 VIII: Spec. Mel.: “Of the Wisdom…”—

The confessors and favorites of Christ willingly gave their bodies over to tortures and cruel wounds.

Theotokion: He Who entered into thy womb hath shown thee to be a wellspring of healings, O all-pure Mother of God; wherefore, heal thou my soul.

Glory…: Another sessional hymn, in the same tone & melody—

O holy ones, pray ye that those who celebrate your memory with faith may be delivered from evil thoughts of sin.

Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Suspended upon a tree, with endurance the honored witnesses most piously preserved their confession inviolate.

Armed with the Cross of Christ, as champions of the Faith ye manfully felled all the might of the tyrants therewith, and denounced all the ungodliness of the idols, O holy ones, fervently confessing the Trinity. Wherefore, ye have worthily received crowns of victory therefrom, in that ye suffered lawfully, O most glorious athletes. Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who with love celebrate your holy memory.

Serving Christ in martyrdom, possessed of an unenslaved soul and wisdom, ye enslaved the falsehood of the tyrants; for, wounded by faith in the Trinity, O all-lauded ones, ye denounced the inglorious fame of polytheism. Wherefore, like stars ye shine forth radiantly in the world with the brilliance of miracles, O blessed and most lauded athletes. Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who with love honor your holy memory.

All of us, the generations of men, call thee blessed, as the Virgin who, alone among women, gave birth without seed to God in the flesh; for the fire of the Godhead dwelt within thee, and thou gavest suck to the Creator and Lord as a babe. Wherefore, we, the generation of angels and of men, glorify thine all-holy birthgiving as is meet, and together we cry out to thee: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of offenses unto those who with faith worship thine all-holy birthgiving.

Stavrotheotokion—

Beholding the Lamb, Shepherd and Deliverer upon the Cross, the ewe-lamb cried out, weeping, and bitterly lamenting, exclaimed: “The world rejoiceth, receiving deliverance through Thee; but my womb doth burn, beholding Thy crucifixion, which Thou endurest in the loving-kindness of Thy mercy. O long-suffering Lord, Abyss of mercy and inexhaustible Wellspring: take pity, and grant remission of offenses unto those who with faith hymn Thy divine sufferings.