Ode III

Irmos: There is none as holy as Thee, O Lord my God, Who hast uplifted the horn of Thy faithful and established us on the rock of the confession of Thee, O Good One.

Kontakion, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “To thee, the chosen leader…”—

Sessional hymn, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Thy tomb, O Savior…”—

Thy mind, made beautiful through gazing upon God, O father, was shown to be most comely, truly filled with every grace, and partaking of divine splendor.

Theotokion: From thee, the only pure one, was the all-divine Word incarnate, as is known; and He hath saved from corruption us who worship His divine condescension, in that He is full of loving-kindness.

Venerating the precious icon of Christ and her who gave birth to Him, O blessed one, with the power of the divine Spirit thou didst despise the vile command of the impious emperor.

Now & ever…: Theotokion—

The most mindless one, binding with iron fetters thee who dost possess a heart of iron, sent thee to prison, O most blessed Stephen, as a preserver of the dogmas of Christ.

Thou didst manifestly possess beautiful feet which tread radiantly the paths of martyrdom, O venerable one, and crush the heads of the enemy, O much-suffering Stephen.

With all our heart, O ye who love the feasts of the Church, let us faithfully praise with hymns the godly Stephen, the lover of the Trinity, as one who venerated the beauteous image of the Master and His Mother; and together let us now cry out to him, rejoicing with love: Rejoice, O ever-glorious father!

Thy blood, O thou who art wise with wisdom divine, mystically crieth out to God from the earth like that of Abel; for thou didst clearly preach that Christ was both God and man. Wherefore, thou didst put to shame the deception of the iconoclasts and hast passed over to the mansions of heaven. Pray thou that Christ save us.

Glory…: in the same tone & melody—

Luminous in fasting, thou didst shine in lawful suffering like gold in the crucible, O wise one; and thou hast received a crown which befitteth thy calling. Wherefore, rejoicing, we celebrate thy most holy memory, honoring thy feats, O ever-memorable Stephen.

O pure and unwedded Virgin Theotokos, who alone art the intercessor and protection of the faithful: from tribulations and sorrows and evil circumstances deliver all who have thee as their hope, O Maiden, and by thy divine supplications save thou our souls.

Stavrotheotokion—

Beholding Thee stretched out, dead, upon the Cross, O Christ, Thine all-immaculate Mother cried out: “O my Son Who with the Father and the Spirit art equally without beginning, what is this, Thine ineffable dispensation, whereby Thou hast saved the creation of Thine all-pure hands, O Compassionate One?”