Canon of the Martyrs

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

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.

Kontakion of the venerable one, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Thou hast appeared…”—

Sessional hymn, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Joseph marvelled…”—

Theotokion: Rejoice, O pure Mistress, Maiden of great renown, who gavest birth unto the infinite Word Who became circumscribed by the flesh, confessing Whom the choir of the martyrs suffereth most mightily.

With thy sacred precepts, O glorious and divinely blessed Hieron, thou didst train the sacred martyrs for the divine contest and didst most gloriously cause them to pay no heed to the torments.

Glory…: Exapostilarion of the venerable one: Spec. Mel.: “The heaven with stars…”—

Irmos: Establish us within Thee, O Christ, who cry aloud: Thou art my strength, O Lord, my refuge and confirmation!

Kontakion of the martyrs, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “As firstfruits…”—

Glory…: sessional hymn of the venerable one, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Of the divine Faith…”—

Theotokion: Thou gavest birth to the Master of all, O pure Virgin, in manner ineffable and past describing. Him do thou entreat, O most hymned one, that He rescue those who hymn thee from the dominion of the passions.

Crushed by a tree, O holy ones, ye emulated the precious suffering of the all-good Master and with the grace of the Almighty crushed the pernicious deceivers.

Irmos: Thou art my strength, O Lord, Thou art my power; Thou art my God, Thou art my joy, Who, without leaving the bosom of the Father, hast visited our lowliness. Wherefore, with the Prophet Habbakuk I cry unto Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Setting your hope upon the Lord of all, O martyrs who behold God, ye were in no wise moved from your great stand, but lawfully finished the divine race with upright character.

Irmos: I hymn Thee, O Lord, for I heard report of Thee, and I was afraid; for Thou comest to me, seeking me who have strayed. Wherefore, I glorify Thy great condescension toward me, O greatly Merciful One.

Theotokion: The shadows of the law and the visions of the prophets proclaimed thee of old to be the Mother of the Deliverer; and, beholding thee, O most immaculate one, we now chant unto thee together, O glory of passion-bearers and strength of the holy martyrs.

Fortified by divine strength, O wise one, thou wast delivered from savage beasts. Wherefore, entreat Christ, that He deliver from noetic beasts those who hymn thee.

Irmos: Wherefore hast Thou turned Thy face from me, O Light never-waning? And why hath a strange darkness covered me, wretch that I am? But turn me, and guide my steps to the light of Thy commandments, I pray.

Theotokion: I hymn thee, O Mistress Theotokos, and cry out to thee: Preserving me, sanctify me by thy supplication, and guide me to salvation who have fallen through many sins and am beset by the assaults of the demons.

Strengthened by the power of Christ, O venerable one, thou didst manfully endure the hunger, privation and oppressiveness of the desert in the hope of ineffable sweetness.

Irmos: O Lord, Bestower of light and Creator of the ages: guide us in the light of Thy commandments, for we know none other God than Thee.

Theotokion: O most lauded Mistress who hast loosed the bonds of hades by thy divine birthgiving: Loose me who am bound with the bonds of transgressions, I pray thee, and set my feet upon the paths that lead to life.

Protected by divine grace, O most blessed one, thou didst escape the assaults of the hostile spawn of Hagar, saved for the benefit of many.

Irmos: Cleanse me, O Savior, for many are my transgressions; and lead me up from the abyss of evils, I pray, for to Thee have I cried, and Thou hast hearkened to me, O God of my salvation.

Theotokion: Save me from every assault of enemies visible and invisible, O all-hymned Mother of God, thou hope of the despairing and intercessor of the faithful.

With gladness the Church of Christ doth glorify thee in psalms as a luminary most great. Wherefore, cease thou never to beseech Christ, that He grant forgiveness of transgressions unto all.

Irmos: From the belly of the sea monster, Jonah cried out: Lead me up from the abyss of hell, I pray, that with a spirit of truth and in a voice of praise I may sacrifice to Thee, as to my Deliverer!

Theotokion: The weaponry of the enemy was rendered useless, O Theotokos, from the moment when Christ, to Whom thou gavest birth, was pierced by the spear, edifying with blood and water those who have become worn out.

Having shown mighty courage, O wise ones, ye foiled the most malicious snares of the enemy, preaching Christ at the tribunal. Wherefore, when ye were beheaded, ye were crowned by the right hand of God, O thirty-three blessed inhabitants of Melitene. O honorable martyrs, be ye mindful of us who honor you with faith.

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the youths who had come forth from Judæa trod down the flame of the furnace with their faith in the Trinity, chanting: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Theotokion: O all-immaculate Virgin, entreat thy Son and Lord in behalf of thy servants who ever venerate the precious image of thy countenance with faith; for thou art able so to do.

Possessed of divine intelligence, O venerable one, thy heart exchanged earthly things for things divine and lasting; and thou joinest chorus with the angels, delighting in immaterial light and rejoicing unceasingly. Wherefore, O venerable one, entreat Christ God, that He grant us great mercy.

Irmos: The youths of old showed themselves to be rhetors with the greatest love of wisdom; for, theologizing with their lips, they chanted from the depths of their God-pleasing souls: O most divine God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Theotokion: As thou gavest birth to the Physician, O pure Virgin, heal thou the sufferings of my heart and deliver me from everlasting torment who cry out in hymns: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Thou wast the divine tabernacle of the Word, O thou who alone art the all-pure Virgin Mother, who dost surpass the angels in purity. With the divine waters of thy prayers, O pure one, cleanse me who above all others am dust and have defiled myself with carnal transgressions; and grant me great mercy.

Irmos: Becoming vanquishers of the tyrant and the flame by Thy grace, taking exceeding care to keep Thy commandments, the children cried out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Theotokion: By thy mediation save me from the snares of the enemy, O pure one, and to the ultimate love of thy good Son bind me who am ever driven away from Him by wicked pleasures.

Stavrotheotokion—

Irmos: God, Who descended into the fiery furnace for the Hebrew children and transformed the flame into dew, hymn ye as Lord, O ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Theotokion: As one holier than the angels, O pure one, thou didst receive the God of all Who resteth in the saints. Wherefore, all of us, the faithful, hymn and glorify thee for all ages.

The unblemished ewe-lamb of the Word, the incorrupt Virgin Mother, beholding the One Who sprang forth from her without pain hanging upon the Cross, cried out, lamenting maternally: “Woe is me, O my Child! How is it that Thou sufferest willingly, desiring to deliver man from the indignity of the passions?”

Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, and the ends of the earth were amazed, that God hath appeared in the flesh, and that thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. Wherefore, the ranks of men and angels magnify thee as the Theotokos.

Theotokion: Let heaven rejoice! Let the earth and men be glad! For the Virgin Mary hath ineffably given birth unto the Creator of all, to Whom we chant: We exalt Thee supremely, O Christ, forever!

With the rays of divine struggles, ye most gloriously enlighten all the ends of the universe and drive away the darkness of the invisible foe, O ye who are most rich. Wherefore, with pious intent we celebrate your radiant and divine solemnity.

Irmos: O ye faithful, with hymns let us magnify in oneness of mind the Word of God, Who from God came in His ineffable wisdom to renew Adam who had grievously fallen into corruption, and Who became ineffably incarnate of the holy Virgin for our sake.

Theotokion: I tremble before Thy coming judgment, O Thou Who alone art King, and am afraid lest I be cast into suffering and torment. But cleanse me of all defilement of sin through the supplications of Thine all-pure Mother, in that Thou lovest mankind.

Having completed the contest, having given your own blood for Him Who suffered and shed His divine blood willingly on the Cross for our salvation, O ye who are one in mind, ye have all been vouchsafed equal honor. Wherefore, we call you blessed.

Theotokion: Show forth thy Son, to Whom thou gavest birth without seed, as a merciful Judge when He shall seat Himself upon the holy throne, as it is written, to judge all mortals for the wicked things they committed during their life, O Maiden.

Now let us praise the wise martyrs Theogenes and Mamas, Hieron, Claudian, Nicon and Nicander, Longinus and Hesychius, Barachius, the great Callinicus and the godly Xanthius, Theophilus and Valerius.

Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Most wisely hastening to the struggle, O right glorious ones, ye found the divine grace of the Deliverer which accomplisheth all things, and ye right wisely endured all manner of tortures, chanting unto Christ with thanksgiving: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

As thou didst spurn all transitory things, passionate attachments and love, O venerable one, having ever set all thy hope on God, that which thou acquired did the hands of the poor receive.

Turning aside the malice of the demons through the onslaughts of wild beasts, O venerable and blessed one, thou didst remain in no wise touched thereby, protected by the grace of God Who doth ever aid thee in all things.

Seeing thy love and gratitude towards God, O venerable one, the most wicked one sought to weaken thy strength. Wherefore, he set dogs upon thee; but his wiles were shown to be in vain.

Let us praise the wise athletes who manfully completed the course, honoring Maximian and the godly Eugene, Theodore and Ducitius, Callimachus, Theodulus and Dorotheus.

The valiant warriors who were voluntarily slain and crushed have inherited everlasting immortality and join chorus now in the spaciousness of paradise, having received blessed hope.

Having spurned the slumber of indifference, O most lauded ones, with godly vigilance ye raced each other during your contest, the course of the divine faith of martyrdom, and have now arrived at the refuge of heaven.

Hoping to cast down the steadfastness of thy soul and the firmness of thy resolve, O venerable one, the evil one transformed himself into a dog, and thus came to vex thee.

In great dearth of confusion the enemy departed, O blessed one, seeing thee in nowise affected, who moreover bore want with thanksgiving.

Ever wielding the Cross in thy hands like a mighty pestle, O venerable one, thou didst grind all the activity of the enemy’s wiles into dust.

In hymns let us bless the athletes Theodotus and Hilarion, the wise Gigantius and Athanasius, and the divine Eutychius and Epiphanius.

In thy faith let the valiant martyrs of Christ be blessed: Hieron and Diodotus, the wise Castrycius and the godly Ostrychius, the great Themelius and Amonitus.

Having drowned the invisible Pharaoh and all his army in the outpouring of your blood, O right victorious martyrs, ye reached the heavens and have adorned the Church of the firstborn.

Desiring to show thy heart to be a temple for God, O venerable one, thou didst go about the churches of the saints, from whom thou didst abundantly receive the grace of the Holy Spirit as confirmation for many.

Thy native land received thee back as a priceless treasure through the judgment of God, O divinely wise one. Wherefore, make me, who am a stranger to the homeland of Eden, to be an heir thereto, O venerable one.

The church of the virgin-martyr Marina first received thee as a tenant, and therein thou didst shine forth like a never-waning star, shedding light upon those who sleep in the darkness of ignorance, O venerable one. .

The radiant choir of martyrs, the luminous company, descending to us noetically, hath illumined the Church today with wondrous rays. Wherefore, celebrating their honored memory, we ask of Thee, O our Savior: through their supplications deliver us from misfortunes, that we may chant unto Thee: Alleluia!

Seeing thy precious hand severed for the truth, O glorious Hieron, thou didst cry out hymns of thanksgiving unto Him Who seeth all things, chanting: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

With great sense thou wast the model for thy fellow sufferers, O glorious Hieron, and with them thou hast received a portion in the kingdom on high, chanting: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

As valiant warriors of the eternal King, with the sword of your courage ye destroyed the legions of the deceiver, chanting: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Thou didst prepare an abundant feast, replete with thy goodly divine virtues; and nurturing all therewith, thou didst teach them to chant: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Following the words of thine all-wise teachings, and having with true zeal set aside the love of all transitory things, men chose dwelling with thee to be something good, O most blessed one.

Having acquired the manner of thy life from the wondrous Symeon, thou didst stand unsheltered upon thy pillar, firm as stone, crying out in gladness: O most divine God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Having died to the world, ye inherit the life which is to come and pour forth the grace of healing upon those who chant: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord; exalt Him supremely forever!

Revealed by the rays of your sufferings to be splendid luminaries, ye illumine the world, O martyrs and passion-bearers, crying out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely forever!

Cast into prison, O truly divine preservers of the truth, your flesh scourged pitilessly with leather thongs, O blessed ones, ye in no wise strayed from the straight path. Wherefore, ye have received crowns of victory.

Truly studying the struggles and feats of the fathers who fasted before thee, O father, thou didst strive to show thyself their successor; and thou didst not only do so, but even surpassed them.

Thou didst fulfill the supplication wherewith thou didst entreat God of old, O thrice-blessed one, offering thy bread unto all and saying: O Lord of glory, Thine own of Thine own do we offer unto Thee for all ages!

Directing those with thee toward the divine path by word and deed, O father, and being thyself directed thereto far more than they, thou didst perform miracles for them; for God increased the harvest through thy supplications.

Strengthened by divine power, O all-wondrous Hieron, with strength of mind thou wast able to vanquish the greatly devious one, and thou didst lead to Christ an assembly of athletes by thy teachings, with whom we ever bless thee with faith.

Ye were shown to be an honorable army assembled in Christ, O ye of great renown; and ye opposed the powers of the prince of this world. And having vanquished them with the sword of the divine faith, in gladness ye received crowns from the hand of the Author of life.

Rise up, O Melitene, bringing to the Almighty a goodly assembly of honored martyrs, whose city is on high, since they have completed the sacred race! And with all cities ever bless them with faith.

O Christ, Thou never-setting Sun, through the supplications of Thy glorious martyrs illumine the rays of splendor and sanctify those who celebrate their radiant and divine martyrdom, and, as Thou art God, vouchsafe us to share in the kingdom on high.

Woe is me! I have led a life of sloth and fear the dread judgment! Yet, O Lord Who lovest mankind, at the entreaty of Lazarus send me torrents of tears, that I may thereby wash away the filth of my transgressions.

Possessed of a calm soul, O father, thou didst likewise have a suitably meek countenance, O wise one, wholly manifest as consoling to all, and watering men’s souls with streams of thy words. Beseech Christ that He grant this tranquility also unto us.

Desiring to reveal the most manifest and divine virtue plainly to all, O venerable father, God prompted thee to approach the wild mountain, from whence thou didst illumine the whole world, readily emitting rays of life.

Protected by the sword of Thy precious Cross, O Word, Thine athletes mightily vanquished the adverse powers and put the tyrant to shame. They suffered for Thee, and reign together with Thee, O my Christ, Thou King of all.

Let us all praise with hymns the ever-memorable Lazarus, the God-bearer and emulator of the Master, who with the power of God destroyed the savagery of the demons.

Thee did Daniel describe beforehand as the unquarried mountain from whence the precious Stone was cut, which crushed the temples of the idols, O Mary Theotokos.