At Vespers

After the Introductory Psalm, we chant “Blessed is the man…”, the first antiphon.

Abiding in unceasing prayer, and embracing the wicked as well as the good with love, O venerable elders of Optina, ye served God and your neighbors, and through vigils, tears and fasting received the gift of divers miracles. Glory to Him Who hath given us such mediators! Glory to Him Who hath glorified you! Glory to God Who is wondrous in His saints!

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

On “Lord, I have cried…”, these stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel. : “As one valiant among the martyrs…” —

Now & ever…: Theotokion, or this Stavrotheotokion: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…” —

Troparion, in Tone I —

A Reading from Proverbs

Illumined by the Holy Spirit, O all-praised martyrs, ye arrayed yourselves against the wiles of the prince of this world; and, vanquishing him manfully, ye prevailed over him with divine skill. Wherefore, celebrating your splendid memorial today, we honor your sufferings with praises as is meet, O ye of great renown.

Now & ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone —

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

United in fire and torments, O holy ones, by wisdom ye remained unwavering; and burning like lamps with the fervor of the Spirit, ye have illumined the hearts of the faithful with grace. Wherefore, every age and generation doth celebrate your holy memory, hymning the Lord.

Now & ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone —

Shining forth like stars of great brilliance, the divinely wise Eulampius and the most honored Eulampia, the godly pair, illumine creation with the radiance of their struggles and the splendors of their miracles. And celebrating today their most sacred memory, with gladness we bow down before the shrine of their relics.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —

Glory…, the composition of John the Monk, in Tone IV —

Uniting your identical names to your fraternal love, and joining purity to dispassion, ye preserved your moral strength unimpaired; for where God is desired, the whole world is spurned. O the wonder! The serpent is slain! He who dwelleth beneath the earth, who spake unrighteously against heaven, hath been brought down through the suffering of the brother and sister, the wise Eulampius and Eulampia. To them let us cry out in spiritual hymns: O ye who finished well the race for Christ, ask peace for the world and great mercy for our souls!

As she beheld Thee, the Lamb and Shepherd upon the Tree, the Ewe-lamb who gave birth to Thee lamented and maternally exclaimed to Thee: “O Son most desired, Long-suffering One, how is it that Thou art suspended upon the tree of the Cross? How is it that Thy hands and feet have been nailed by the iniquitous, O Word, and Thou hast shed Thy blood, O Master?”

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera: 4 in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…” —

O venerable elders of Optina, having taken up the yoke of Christ, ye labored with fasting and prayer and frequent vigils, and shone forth in hope and faith, and yet more with love, which is the chief among the virtues, wherewith those who approached thee warmed themselves. Twice

O ye who struggled ardently in obedience, making your will subject to the guidance of your fathers who begat you spiritually, ye received help against the adversary: most profound humility, wherewith ye destroyed the snares of the foe; for the enemy can accomplish nought against those who are humble.

O ye guides of the Orthodox people, like the apostle [Paul] ye cried out: Naught will separate us from the love of God! Ye made that which is baser subject to that which is more sublime and enslaved the flesh to the spirit. Wherefore, ye have been shown to be luminaries of the Church, set, not under a bushel, but on a lampstand, that those who behold your works may glorify the heavenly Father.

And 4 stichera, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…” —

O all-glorious wonder! Amid the tumult of life the divinely wise fathers preserving their hearts untroubled, abode bodily with men; but standing noetically before God, protected by the shelter of His wings, bearing the spirit of peace, they thereby drew many to Christ. Twice

O intercessors most rich, instruments of the Holy Spirit, giving utterance to never-ceasing prayer in a contrite and humble heart, ye shone forth in angelic dispassion and struggled for His sake. O physicians of souls and bodies, take pity and spare us who are beset by the tempest of many passions.

O venerable elders, vessels of the Holy Spirit, who have built up the Church of Christ with gifts of grace, ye were zealous for spiritual things, acquiring the gift of prophecy, and telling men things profitable, for their edification and consolation, emulating the prophets of old.

Glory…, in Tone VI —

Having broken asunder the bonds of the passions, ye cleaved unto the love of the good and clothed yourselves in Christ, becoming heirs to the life on high through abstinence and humility. Wherefore, having found rest from your labors, ye rejoice with the heavenly hosts as is meet. O venerable fathers of Optina, ask remission of transgressions for those who celebrate your holy memory with love.

Now & ever…: Dogmaticon, in the same tone —

Who doth not call thee blessed, O all-holy Virgin? Who will not hymn thine all-pure birthgiving? For the only-begotten Son, Who shone forth timelessly from the Father, came forth, ineffably incarnate, from thee, the pure one; and, being God by nature, He became man for our sake, not divided into two Persons, but known in two natures without confusion. Him do thou beseech, O pure and most blessed one, that our souls find mercy.

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. 3 Readings:

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.

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; those who 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.

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.

At Litia, the sticheron of the temple, and these stichera of the venerable fathers —

In Tone II: God, Who is wondrous in His saints, hath revealed to us new strugglers for piety, the venerable elders of Optina, who, abiding in God, looked upon the beauty of Christ, and were mystically illumined with divine splendors.

In Tone IV: Ye gave neither sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids, O blessed ones, until ye attained unto the love of God, which was poured forth abundantly upon you. Wherefore, ye have received divine gifts, and heal soul-corrupting passions, and ye cure infirmities by faith, and expel unclean spirits. O venerable fathers, pray for our souls.

Glory…, in Tone V —

Come, ye zealots of piety, let us praise our spiritual fathers: Leo, Moses and Anthony, Isaacius, Macarius and Anatolius, and with them Hilarion and Barsanuphius, Joseph and the great Ambrose, the other Anatolius and Nectarius, and the martyrs Nicon and Isaacius. With hymns let us honor the great elders, and, crying out to them, let us exclaim: O venerable and divinely wise fathers, never tire in your prayers for us, for ye are our helpers.

Thou art the temple and portal, the palace and throne of the King, O most honored Virgin, through whom Christ the Lord, my Deliverer, Who is the Sun of righteousness, hath revealed Himself unto those who sleep in darkness, desiring to enlighten those whom He fashioned by His own hand in His image. Wherefore, O most hymned one, as thou hast acquired maternal boldness before Him, entreat Him without ceasing, that our souls be saved.

At the aposticha, these stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Called from on high…” —

Thou didst offer thyself to the Almighty, O venerable father Leo, when thy soul was set afire by divine zeal; and thou didst furnish thy mind with wings to soar aloft to the heavens. Then thou didst forsake the world and all that is in the world, and didst follow after Christ with steadfast resolve, preferring nought to His love. Him do thou entreat, that He save and enlighten our souls.

Stichos: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

Having loved God from thy youth, O venerable Macarius, thou didst follow after Him with all thy soul, in nowise preferring that which is in the world; but, considering all things but dung, thou didst hasten to please God, grounding thyself in His commandments. Wherefore, having attained thine uttermost desire, thou standest before Christ, Whom do thou entreat, that He save and enlighten our souls.

Stichos: What shall I render unto the Lord for all that He hath rendered unto me?

O venerable father Ambrose, thou didst acquire perfect love for God and thy neighbor, which is the bond of perfection, and, as the adornment of monks and the consolation of those who live in the world, thou didst assemble ranks of nuns, becoming all things to all men, as saith the apostle. And thou didst lead thy children to the Master, Whom do thou entreat, that He save and enlighten our souls.

Glory…, in Tone VIII —

Illumined with the light of the Trinity, O venerable fathers, ye fled the darkness of pleasures and were shown to be beacons, illumining the hearts of the faithful. Wherefore, celebrating your radiant memorial, we cry out together: O God-bearers who are most rich, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of offenses unto those who honor your holy memory.

O unwedded Virgin who ineffably conceived God in the flesh, Mother of God Most High: accept the entreaties of thy servants, O most immaculate one, granting unto all cleansing of transgressions; and, receiving now our supplications, pray thou, that we all be saved.

When Gabriel announced to thee, “Rejoice!”, O Virgin, the Master of all became incarnate within thee, the holy tabernacle, at his cry, as the righteous David said. Thou wast shown to be more spacious than the heavens, having borne thy Creator. Glory to Him Who made His abode within thee! Glory to Him Who came forth from thee! Glory to Him Who hath set us free by thy birthgiving!