Let the virgins be brought to the King in the temple of the Lord, following thee, O Virgin, joining chorus with radiant lamps, preceding thee into the holy place, O pure one, as thou wert the holy ark of God, saith David, the ancestor of God.

¶9

A Reading from Proverbs

¶10

Let the gates of the temple of the Lord be made ready, and let the house of glory be opened wide, and, rejoicing, let them receive her who alone is far greater than the heavens and surpasseth understanding, and let them hymn Christ the Savior.

¶11

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

¶12

Let the portals of the most divine temple be opened, let them receive the gate of heaven within themselves; let human nature keep festival, and let the angels leap up, all of them celebrating with us the entry of the Mother of God.

¶13

Glory..., in Tone VIII—

¶14

And 5 stichera of the saint, in Tone VIII—

¶15

Now and ever..., of the feast, in the same tone—

¶16

O divinely wise father Metrophanes, from thy youth thou didst love to search for the wisdom of the heavenly world, and when thou didst acquire it from God through asceticism and prayer, thou didst not hide thy talent in the earth, but unceasingly teaching and laboring pastorally, thou didst increase it an hundredfold, and wast a hierarchical beacon to the Church. Wherefore, as a reward for thy blessed labors, having now entered into the joy of thy King and Master, pray thou in behalf of our souls. Twice

¶17

O venerable father Metrophanes, holding captive thy mind and heart in obedience to God, thou didst not take care for thyself, but for the glory of God. For, laboring in the work of the noetic vineyard of Christ, every branch that bare not fruit didst thou actively and zealously cut off with the sword of the Word of God, and didst maintain the Faith and pure morals like a fence by thy godly life, which was like unto that of an angel. And now, adorned with a crown of incorruption by the hand of the Lord, pray thou in behalf of our souls. Twice

¶18

O God-bearing father Metrophanes, with understanding didst thou divide the word of truth entrusted to thee; for, keeping untiring watch over the house of the Lord and maintaining vigilance over souls without slumbering, thou didst instruct thy flock to please God in word and deed. Wherefore, like a good shepherd, to the Son of God, the Chief Shepherd, didst thou render good report concerning the stewardship He entrusted to thee. Pray thou in behalf of our souls.

¶19

Let us hymn today in sacred manner the adornment of holy hierarchs and the glory of the fathers, and let us praise Christ our God, the King of kings. For, lo! as Sanctifier of saints and Creator of wonderworkers, He so glorified him with the splendor of miracles, that the emperor and princes, hierarchs and priests, and all the right-believing people, receiving grace and healing from his precious relics as from a much-healing spring, cried with compunction: Rejoice, treasury of the gifts of God, blessed and holy hierarch Metrophanes!

¶20

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. Three Readings:

¶21

The memory of the just is praised, and the blessing of the Lord is upon his head. Blessed is the man who hath found wisdom, and the mortal who knoweth prudence. For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver. And she is more valuable than precious stones: no precious thing is equal to her in value. For length of existence and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are wealth and glory: out of her mouth righteousness proceedeth, and she carrieth law and mercy upon her tongue. Hearken to me, O children, for I will speak solemn truths. Blessed is the man who shall keep my ways; for my outgoings are the outgoings of life, and in them is prepared favor from the Lord. Ye, O men, do I exhort; and utter my voice to the sons of men. I, wisdom, have built up; upon counsel, knowledge and understanding have I called. Counsel and safety are mine; prudence is mine, and strength is mine. I love those that love me; they that seek me shall find grace. O ye simple, understand subtlety, and ye that are untaught, imbibe knowledge. Hearken unto me again; for I will speak solemn truths. For my throat shall meditate truth; and false lips are an abomination before me. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing in them wrong or perverse. They are all evident to those that understand, and right to those that find knowledge. For I will instruct you in truth, that your hope may be in the Lord, and ye may be filled with the Spirit.

¶22

The mouth of the righteous droppeth wisdom: but the tongue of the unjust shall perish. The lips of just men drop grace: but the mouth of the ungodly is perverse. False balances are an abomination before the Lord: but a just weight is acceptable unto Him. Wherever pride entereth, there will also disgrace: but the mouth of the humble doth meditate wisdom. The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the overthrow of the rebellious shall spoil them. Possessions shall not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness will deliver from death. When a just man dieth, he leaveth regret: but the destruction of the ungodly is speedy and causeth joy. Righteousness traceth out blameless paths: but ungodliness encountereth unjust dealing. The righteousness of upright men delivereth them: but transgressors are caught in their own destruction. At the death of a just man his hope doth not perish: but the boast of the ungodly perisheth. A righteous man escapeth from a snare, and the ungodly man is delivered up in his place. In the mouth of ungodly men is a snare for citizens: but the understanding of righteous men is prosperous. In the prosperity of righteous men a city prospereth, but at the destruction of the wicked there is exultation. At the blessing of the upright a city shall be exalted, but by the mouths of ungodly men it is overthrown. A man void of understanding sneereth at his fellow citizens: but a sensible man is quiet.

¶23

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 lust 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 doth visit His chosen.

¶24

At the Litia, the sticheron of the temple, and these stichera of St. Metrophanes, in Tone V—

¶25

Such a hierarch befitted us, who was holy, righteous, merciful, blameless in all the precepts of the Lord. Come ye, and with hymns and spiritual psalms let us radiantly join chorus today, crying out thus to him: Rejoice, lover of the customs of the fathers, pillar and foundation of the Faith! Rejoice, thou boast of Voronezh, most sacred and God-bearing Metrophanes!

¶26

Flesh and blood hath not revealed thee, O divinely chosen and holy hierarch, but the heavenly Father, Whom having pleased with thy godly meekness, like an innocent lamb, thou didst become heir with the ranks of the innocent in the angelic choir; and, now, standing before Him in the highest, pray that He grant us the abundance of His compassions and great mercy.

¶27

As is fitting, we bless thee as a beacon of the faith and an angel in the flesh, for thy life was honorable, O Metrophanes, and thy rest is with the saints; for thou didst shine forth in good deeds, as a divinely wise pastor, and wast illumined with thy wonders, as a faithful servant and friend of God. Wherefore, falling down, we beseech thee: Pray for us to the Lord, O holy wonderworker, that He grant our souls great and rich mercy!

¶28

Today is the glorious city of Voronezh adorned with the divine treasure of thy relics, and thy monastery rejoiceth, joining chorus, and the Orthodox boast in thy radiance, O blessed Metrophanes. Pray thou that our faithful hierarchs be granted length of days in continual health, and that the people be granted tranquility, fertility of land and great mercy.

¶29

David foretold thee, O all-pure one, foreseeing the sanctification of thine entry into the Temple. Therein do the ends of the earth, holding festival today, glorify thee, O all-hymned one. For, O Mother of the Word of life, who before giving birth wast Virgin and after giving birth remained incorrupt, today Zachariah maketh merry in the Temple, accepting thee, O Mistress; and the Holy of Holies rejoiceth, receiving thee, the wellspring of our life. Wherefore, we also cry out in psalms to thee: Beseech thy Son and our God in our behalf, that He grant us great mercy.

¶30

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera: 3 for St. Amphilochius, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Thou hast given a sign…”—

¶31

Having inherited a mind with free will and an intellect with absolute power over the passions, O most blessed father, thou didst impart intelligent mastery to thy higher part, that, weighed with a scale most true, it might go higher. Wherefore, thou art admitted to divine vision and the knowledge of God, O divinely inspired hierarch.

¶32

Thou didst break asunder the snares and didst foil the pursuit of the heretics, O venerable father, avoiding division and most wicked contraction by the rightness of thy dogmas and most excellent theology; and, remaining within the bounds of our pious Faith, thou didst preach the Trinity in the unity of the Godhead.

¶33

Skillfully instructing him who reigned on earth, thou didst pass over his son without rendering him homage, teaching him sensibly that when the Son is ignored as unworthy of worship the Father is exceedingly displeased, Who, in manner past understanding, dispassionately begat Him before time as One incorporeal, as He Himself knoweth, O venerable one.

¶34

And 3 stichera of St. Gregory, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…”—

¶35

O sacred father Gregory, thou wast offered to God, cleaving from thine earliest infancy unto Him Who with His mighty hands created all things; and illumined by Him, thou didst pass through the night of the passions and didst shine forth the light of healings and miracles of grace, dispelling lingering ailments and the spirits of deception.

¶36

O wondrous father Gregory, in purity thou didst illumine thy mind with manifestations of light, didst still the raging sea of the passions, and taking wing with dispassion on pinions most precious, thou didst attain to where there is ineffable and inconceivable beauty, ever praying for us who praise thee.

¶37

O Gregory, father of fathers, thou wast a standard of the priesthood, model of chastity, beacon of love, throne of sensibility, wellspring of miracles, tongue of fiery inspiration, mouth of sweet discourse, vessel of the divine Spirit and noetic garden of paradise, O blessed of God.

¶38

Glory…, Now & ever…: Doxasticon of the feast, in Tone IV—

¶39

Come, all ye faithful, let us praise her who alone is immaculate, who was proclaimed by the prophets and led into the temple, who was foretold as a Mother before time began and hath been shown to be the Theotokos in latter times. Through her supplications, O Lord, grant us Thy peace and great mercy.

¶40

At the Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Joy of the ranks of heaven…”—

¶41

¶42

Stichos: The virgins that follow after her shall be brought unto the King, those near her shall be brought unto Thee.

¶43

¶44

Stichos: They shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing, they shall be brought into the temple of the King.

¶45

¶46

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone V—

¶47

The day of joy and the most honored feast hath shone forth! For today she who remained Virgin after giving birth, as she was before birthgiving, is led into the temple of the Lord, and the elder Zachariah, the father of the Forerunner, rejoiceth and crieth out in gladness: “The intercessor for the sorrowful draweth nigh unto the holy temple, in that she is holy, to be hallowed in the habitation of the King of all! Let Joachim, her forebear, be glad, and let Anna rejoice! For they have offered unto God the unblemished Mistress like a heifer three years of age. Rejoice, ye mothers! Leap up, O virgins! Ye barren women, join chorus! For the Queen of all, who hath been foretold, hath opened unto us the kingdom of heaven! Rejoice, ye people, and be glad!”

¶48

O God of our fathers, Who ever dealest with us according to Thy gentleness, take not Thy mercy away from us, but by their entreaties govern our life in peace.

¶49

Today is the prelude of God’s good will and the proclamation of the salvation of man. The Virgin hath manifestly appeared in the Temple of God and proclaimeth Christ unto all. To her let us cry aloud: Rejoice, O thou fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation!

Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.