O pure Theotokos, wellspring of wisdom, thou art the great help of the grieving, a speedy helper, the salvation and confirmation of the world, an abyss of mercy! We, the faithful, hymn thee, the protection of the world, ineffably praising thy luminous omophorion, saying: Rejoice, for the Lord is with thee, Who through thee granteth the world great mercy! Twice

¶8

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

¶9

Glory…, troparion of the venerable one, in Tone VIII —

¶10

A Reading from Proverbs

¶11

The wondrous Isaiah prophesied; for he said: “In later times the mountain of the Lord shall manifestly appear, and the house of the Lord shall be upon the summit of the mountain.” O Mistress, we have known thee to be the true fulfillment of this, for the mountains and hills have been adorned with the renowned churches of thy feasts. Wherefore, in gladness we cry out to thee: Rejoice, O joyous one, the Lord is with thee, Who through thee granteth the world great mercy!

¶12

Now & ever…: Theotokion, or stavrotheotokion.

¶13

Wisdom hath built a house for herself, and set up seven pillars. She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine in a bowl, and prepared her table. She hath sent forth her servants, calling with a loud proclamation to the feast, saying: “Whoso is foolish, let him turn aside to me,” And to those who want understanding she saith: “Come, eat of my bread, and drink wine which I have mingled for you.” Leave folly, that ye may reign forever; and seek wisdom, and improve understanding by knowledge. He who reproveth evil men shall get dishonor to himself; and he who rebuketh an ungodly man shall disgrace himself. Rebuke not evil men, lest they should hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give an opportunity to a wise man, and he will be wiser: instruct a just man, and he will receive more instruction. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding: for to know the law is the character of a sound mind. For in this way thou shalt live long, and years of thy life shall be added to thee.

¶14

Thou art the wondrous adornment of all the faithful, the true fulfillment of the prophecies, the glory of the apostles, the beauty of the martyrs, the boast of virginity and the all-marvelous protection of the whole world! O Mistress, with thine omophorion protect all the pious who cry aloud: Rejoice, O joyous one, the Lord is with thee, Who through thee granteth the world great mercy!

¶15

And 4 stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…” —

¶16

We know thee, O Theotokos, as a divinely planted garden of paradise, the place of the Tree of life, watered by the Holy Spirit, the one who gave birth to the Creator of all Who feedeth the faithful with the bread of life. With the Forerunner entreat Him in our behalf, with thy precious omophorion protecting all pious people from all tribulations. Twice

¶17

Heaven and earth are sanctified, the Church is made radiant and all the people are glad; for, lo! the Mother of God, arriving invisibly with the angelic armies, the Forerunner and the Theologian, the prophets and the apostles, prayeth to Christ for Christians, that He have mercy upon the city and the people Who glorify the feast of her protection.

¶18

Thou art the beauty of Jacob and the heavenly ladder whereby the Lord descended to earth. At that time these images manifested thine honor and glory, O Theotokos. The angels of heaven and mortal men bless thee who gavest birth to the God of all, for thou prayest for the whole world, covering with thy mercy those who celebrate thine honored feast.

¶19

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone VIII —

¶20

All the ranks of the noetic beings rejoice with us who spiritually form a material choir, beholding the Queen and Mistress of all most excellently glorified by the faithful. And the spirits of the righteous rejoice, seeing her stretching forth her most precious hands in supplication, asking peace for the world, might and confirmation for kings, and salvation for our souls.

¶21

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. 3 Readings:

¶22

Jacob went forth from the well of the oath, and departed into Haran. And he came to a certain place, and slept there, for the sun had gone down; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it at his head, and lay down to sleep in that place, and dreamed: and behold a ladder fixed on the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended on it. And the Lord stood upon it, and said: “I am the God of thy father Abraham, and the God of Isaac. Fear not; the land on which thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be like the sand of the earth; and it shall spread abroad to the sea, and the south, and the north, and the east; and in thee and in thy seed shall all tribes of the earth be blessed. And behold I am with thee to preserve thee continually in all the way wherein thou shalt go; and I will bring thee back to this land; for I will not desert thee, until I have done all that I have said to thee.” And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said: “The Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.” And he was afraid, and said: “How fearful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

¶23

Thus saith the Lord: “It shall come to pass from the eighth day and onward, that the priests shall offer your wholeburnt-offerings on the altar, and your peace-offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord.” Then He brought me back by way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that looketh eastward; and it was shut. And the Lord said to me: “This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it; for the Lord God of Israel shall enter by it, and it shall be shut. For the Prince, he shall sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord; He shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go forth by the way of the same.” And He brought me in by way of the gate that looketh northward, in front of the house: and I looked, and, behold, the house was full of the glory of the Lord.

¶24

At Litia, these stichera —

¶25

In Tone III: The all-radiant feast of thine honored protection hath dawned today, O all-pure Virgin! Brightly thou dost illumine more than the sun the people who with faith and a pure heart confess thee to be the true Mother of God, and cry out to thy Son: O Christ God, through the supplications of the Ever-virgin who gave birth to Thee in purity and without corruption, give not Thine inheritance over to the enemies who wage war upon us, but in that Thou art merciful save our souls in peace.

¶26

In Tone IV: The people of thy Son desire to chant praise to thee as is meet, O all-pure Mistress, yet they are not able; for thou dost ever help all the faithful, covering them with thy precious omophorion; and thou prayest that all may be saved who with faith honor thee as the pure one, the true Theotokos.

¶27

In Tone II: Assembling today, O ye faithful, let us bless the Mother of Christ God, the all-immaculate and all-pure Virgin Queen of all; for she ever mercifully stretcheth forth her hands to her Son. The all-wondrous Andrew beheld her in the air, covering the people with her precious omophorion. Wherefore, let us cry out to her with compunction: Rejoice, O protection, help and salvation of our souls!

¶28

Glory…, Now & ever…, in the same tone —

¶29

Having purified our minds and thoughts, let us celebrate with the angels, splendidly beginning David’s hymn to the Maiden, the Bride of Christ our God, the King of all, saying: Arise, O Lord, into thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy holiness! For having adorned her as a beautiful palace, O Master, at her supplications and by Thy mighty power Thou hast sent her to thy city, to fortify and protect it against pagan adversaries.

¶30

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera: 3 for the apostle, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Called from on high…” —

¶31

When, at the behest of the Most High, Saul was blinded and stuck fast in darkness, he came unto thee, begging divine cleansing, O thou who hadst received divine illumination; then, as a wise hierarch, O most blessed one, thou didst make him a son by adoption through baptism, and he later caused the whole world to be adopted. Wherefore, we bless thee with him as an apostle of Christ. O divinely wise Ananias, pray ye, that we be saved!

¶32

Having all-gloriously learned things divine, thundering forth, O blessed one, thou didst rouse those sleeping in the graves of vanity, who then cast off mortality; and thou didst sound the clarion of the saving Word of God, Who dwelt among mortals and hath transformed those held fast in hades, whom thou madest precious vessels of Jesus the Master and Savior of our souls, Who hath slain death.

¶33

As a bearer of light, as preacher of God, as a divinely chosen witness to the sufferings of Christ, and a fellow heir and partaker of the glory which is to come, in that thou art with the Master, ever delighting in the effulgence which floweth forth from the never-waning Light, O divinely eloquent Ananias, by thy supplications deliver from dark misfortunes those who now celebrate thy splendid feast.

¶34

And 3 stichera of the venerable one, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Joy of the ranks of heaven…” —

¶35

The melodious harp of the Spirit of God, the nightingale, the cicada singing hymns divine, the flute of the Church, setteth forth his melodious compositions before us all, and doth thereby gladden the divine wise.

¶36

The most radiant and luminous beacon, the sweet-sounding harp which hath as strings the right meaningful words of the Spirit, chanteth, manifestly teaching the ends of the earth, to glorify the one effulgence of the Godhead with never-ceasing hymnody.

¶37

Standing now before the Master of all, having acquired boldness before Him, O father, pray thou, that we who celebrate thy memory and thy splendid festival may be delivered from misfortunes and perils, O divinely blessed Romanus.

¶38

Glory…, of the apostle, the composition of Byzantius, in the same tone —

¶39

Instructed by a revelation from God, in that thou wast an eye-witness of the Word and an initiate the mysteries of His wonders, thou didst enlighten the Apostle Paul, the chosen vessel and great receptacle of the Spirit, as an apostle before the disciples and a faithful observer of the new covenant, O venerable one. Wherefore, emulating Christ thy Teacher, thou didst shed thy blood, O Ananias, hierarch of Christ, becoming a confessor by suffering martyrdom. And, having finished thy course and kept the Faith inviolate, thou dwellest now in the highest with the heavenly ministers of God. Pray thou, that our souls be saved.

¶40

Standing at the Cross of thy Son and God, and beholding His long-suffering, O pure Mother, thou didst say: “Woe is me, O my Child most sweet! How is it that Thou sufferest unjustly, O Word of God, that Thou mayest save humanity?”

¶41

At the aposticha, the stichera from the Octoechos, and an additional sticheron for the apostle, in Tone IV —

¶42

Stichos: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

¶43

Covered with stones as with flowers, O Apostle Ananias, thou didst show thyself to be a receptacle of sufferings, and didst shed thy blood for Him Who of His own will suffered in the flesh for our sake. Wherefore, Damascus boasteth thy sacred festival today, and not it alone, but all the lands of the world as well; and, manifestly proclaiming thy miracles, it crieth aloud: Pray thou to God, that He grant us forgiveness of our offenses!

¶44

Glory…, of the venerable one, in Tone VI —

¶45

Thou didst show thyself to be a first-offering of the good works, a starting-point of salvation, O Romanus our father; for, composing angelic hymns, thou didst show thy life to be godly. Entreat Christ God, that He deliver from perils and tribulations those who hymn thee.

¶46

Seeing Thee crucified, O Christ, she who gave Thee birth cried out: “What is this strange mystery which I behold, O my Son? How is it that Thou diest, suspended in the flesh on the Tree, O Bestower of life?”

¶47

O holy Apostle Ananias, entreat the merciful God, that He grant to our souls remission of transgressions.

¶48

In thee, O father, that which is fashioned according to the image of God was preserved; for, taking up thy cross, thou didst follow after Christ, and by thine example didst teach that the flesh is to be spurned as transitory, but that the soul must be cared for as a thing immortal. Wherefore, thy spirit rejoiceth with the angels, O venerable Romanus.

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