Canon of the Venerable One

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

Irmos: Establishing me upon the rock of faith, Thou hast enlarged my mouth against mine enemies, for my spirit doth exult when I chant: There is none holy as our God, and none righteous save Thee, O Lord!

Kontakion of the martyr, in Tone II, Spec. Mel: “The grave and mortality...” —

Thou didst make haste to the mountain of prayer, and entering the cloud of the Spirit didst see the back parts of God, receiving the glory of discernment, as an unshakable pillar, O father. Wherefore, earnestly pray that those who hymn thee may be delivered from the temptation of the enemy.

Glory...: Sessional hymn of the martyr, in the same tone & melody —

Sessional hymn of the venerable one, in Tone VIII, Spec. Mel: “Of the Wisdom...” —

Thou didst show thyself to be a most radiant pillar, guiding the ranks of monastics, O divinely wise one, and a cloud overshadowing the chosen of God, casting into darkness the faces of the invisible foe with the grace of the King of all.

Theotokion: Isaiah foresaw thee as a scroll whereon the Word was written in the flesh, rending asunder the document of the first-created man which he had signed by his transgression; and He hath given us liberation from slavery.

Irmos: The bow of the mighty is become weak, and the strengthless have girded themselves with power; wherefore, my heart is established in the Lord.

Kontakion of the venerable one, in Tone II, Spec. Mel: “Seeking the highest...” —

Thou standest before the face of thy Master, praying with untiring supplication that thy flock be delivered from slavery to darkness and the tyranny of the passions, O venerable one, and God has hearkened unto thy supplications.

Theotokion: Of the Virgin is a Babe born Who created time by His will. Her do we hymn and rightly bless as the Theotokos.

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.

Having mortified the movements of thy flesh with mighty asceticism, O divinely eloquent one, thou becamest a dwelling place for the Master. Him do thou beseech, that those who have recourse to thee may be delivered from sorrows and the turmoil of the passions.

Now & ever...: Theotokion —

Irmos: Seated in glory upon the throne of the Godhead, Jesus most divine hath come on a light cloud, and with His incorrupt arm hath saved those who cry: Glory to Thy power, O Christ!

With the splendor of the virtues thou didst make thy soul a house of God, O martyr; and by thy supplication thou didst demolish the temples of the idols.

Theotokion: Behold, all generations glorify thee as thou didst foretell, O Maiden; for thou becamest the palace and divine temple of the Creator, wherein the Most High made His abode, having clad Himself in flesh, that He might save us.

Irmos: O Christ my Savior, enlightenment of those who lie in darkness and salvation of the despairing: rising early unto Thee, O King of the world, may I be enlightened by Thy radiance, for I know none other God than Thee.

Surrounded by dangers and oppressed by the pangs of torments, O martyr, thou didst hymn Him Who counted thee worthy of such, in that He is the Accomplisher of all that is good.

Theotokion: The divine Sun, shining forth from thy womb, O maiden, hath enlightened those who are in the darkness of polytheism and hath illumined those who are in the shadow of death. To Him do we cry aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Christ!

Irmos: The ungodly perceive not Thy glory, O Christ; but, waking at dawn out of the night, we hymn Thee, O Only-begotten One Who lovest mankind, Thou effulgence of the glory of the Father’s divinity.

Surrendering thy body to torments, O martyr, thou didst keep thy soul pure, and thou didst offer thyself to the Master as an unblemished sacrifice, O most honorable one.

Theotokion: Thou wast revealed to Jacob, the ancestor of God, O pure one, as a ladder loftier than heaven, having the Creator seated thereupon; for through thee did God reveal Himself incarnate and unite those things which before were separated. Wherefore, we, the faithful, glorify thee as the Theotokos.

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!

With hymns let us all gloriously honor as a most splendid luminary Lucian, who shone forth in asceticism and later was radiant in suffering, and who prayeth unceasingly for us all.

Theotokion: Thou didst remain incorrupt even after giving birth, O pure one, and in that thou gavest birth unto God, thou hast freed all the human race from corruption; wherefore, in Orthodox manner, with faith we call thee blessed.

Irmos: I will sacrifice to Thee with a voice of praise, O Lord, the Church crieth unto Thee, cleansed of the blood of demons by the blood which, for mercy’s sake, flowed from Thy side.

Having renounced the flesh for the sake of Christ, and shown thyself to be a leader of the people, thou didst hear words of mystic teaching; and thou wast shown to be a model of righteousness and didst mightily trample down all the passions. Wherefore, thou didst utterly reduce the machinations of the demons to ashes, looking ever to the Lord, O God-bearing Euthymius. Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who honor thy holy memory with love.

Theotokion: Understanding thine ineffable mystery, O pure one, the Prophet Habbakuk proclaimed thee beforehand to be the mountain overshadowed, for through thee was the Creator incarnate in His loving-kindness, lifting the ancient curse.

Irmos: The fiery bush on the mount and the dew-bearing furnace of Chaldæa manifestly prefigured thee, O Bride of God; for in thy material womb thou didst receive the divine and immaterial Fire without being consumed. Wherefore, to Him Who was born of thee do we chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Anointing the hearts of the faithful with the word of grace, O martyr Lucian, thou didst prepare to contend and to vanquish the tyrant; and having well and truly finished the divine race, thou wast vouchsafed the glory of the martyrs at the end. Wherefore, assembling together, we all honor thy holy end, glorifying the Savior. O all-praised athlete, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who honor thy holy memory with love.

Theotokion: The all-pure Word found thee alone to be a pure and undefiled dove, and it was His good pleasure to be born of thee, O all-holy Mother of God, most immaculate Virgin.

Irmos: O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, Who saved the children of Abraham in the fire, slaying the Chaldæans whom justice rightly overtook: blessed art Thou!

O cloud of the noetic Sun, lamp of divine light fashioned of gold, O undefiled, blameless, all-immaculate Mistress: With the rays of dispassion, I pray thee, enlighten thou my soul which hath been darkened by the blindness of the passions; with streams of compunction and tears of repentance wash thou my polluted heart, and cleanse me of the filth of my deeds, that I may cry out to thee with love: O Ever-virgin Theotokos, entreat Christ God, that He grant me remission of sins, for on thee do I, thy servant, set my hope.

Theotokion: In times past, O all-pure one, thou gavest birth in the flesh, in manner transcending nature, unto the Son, the Lord of all, Who existed before the ages, the Fulfiller of the Law, the Wisdom and the Power, unto the restoration of mortals. Wherefore, piously cry out to Him Who was born of Thee, O pure Virgin: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

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!

Or this stavrotheotokion —

Theotokion: O blessed one, blessed is the Fruit of thy blessed womb, Whom the hosts of heaven and the councils of mortals bless, and Who hath redeemed us from the ancient curse.

Irmos: The birthgiving of the Theotokos saved the pious children in the furnace — then in figure, but now in deed — and it moveth all the world to chant to Thee: Hymn ye the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

The Ewe-lamb, beholding the Lamb, Shepherd and Deliverer upon the Cross, exclaimed, weeping, and, bitterly lamenting, cried out: “The world rejoiceth, receiving deliverance through Thee; but my womb doth burn, beholding Thy crucifixion, which Thou dost endure in the loving-kindness of Thy mercy! O long-suffering Lord, Thou abyss and inexhaustible wellspring of mercy, take pity and grant remission of offenses unto those who with faith hymn Thy divine suffering!”

Theotokion: Thou didst loose mortals from the ancient curse, O all-pure one, having conceived God at the ineffable word of the archangel, for He became incarnate of thee in His loving-kindness, O all-immaculate Mistress. Him do we exalt supremely for ever.

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.

Divine desire set thee afire, kindling thy heart, and in the end thou didst attain that which thou didst desire, O divinely wise father, renouncing passionate attachment to earthly things, making thine abode with the ministering angels in the highest.

Theotokion: With both tongue and heart we proclaim thee to be the pure Theotokos, O Virgin, for thou gavest birth unto the Lord clad in the flesh and known in two natures. Him do all the hosts of heaven glorify for ever!

Irmos: Eve, through weakness, abode under the curse of disobedience; but thou, O Virgin Theotokos, hast put forth blessing for the world through the Offspring of thy child-bearing. Wherefore, we all magnify thee.

The endearments of thy spouse didst thou trample underfoot in every way, O venerable one; for the love of the Creator entered into thee with fervor, and thou didst utterly reject dark desires for created things.

Theotokion: Becoming incarnate of thee ineffably, O Mary Theotokos, the Master of all became perfect man; and in being born He preserved thee a pure Virgin as thou wast before giving birth. Him do thou beseech, that He save our souls from misfortunes.

To the pure pasture of abstinence didst thou bring thy flock, O father, and thou didst bring it to the placid wellspring of dispassion, driving away noetic beasts. Save it now also by thy supplications.

Theotokion: The dwelling-place of the highest Wisdom, which surpasseth understanding, wast thou shown to be, O pure Maiden, thou animate throne and portal. Wherefore, the assemblies of men and the armies of angels glorify thee, O thou who alone surpassest all.

One mighty against deception wast thou shown to be, O blessed one, and a teacher ever urging the faithful on to divine feats; and in thine endurance of torments, O martyr, thou didst humble the feeble strength of the proud one.

Theotokion —

Stretched out on a tree, flogged with leathern thongs, subjected to prolonged starvation and thirst, and lacerated with sharp blades, thou didst endure, O right glorious martyr of Christ.

Preaching the law of God, thou didst convert the iniquitous, and didst show them how to drain the cup of torment with zeal. With them hast thou made thine abode in the courts of our God, delighting in the tree of life, O most ever-memorable one.

Paying heed wholly to God, O father, thou didst valiantly endure the darkness of night in desert places, withstanding also the burning heat of day; and thou becamest a house of the wisdom of God, adorned in many ways with the radiance of virtue.

Engaging in fasting in thy youth, O father, thou didst not take the serpent of gluttony to thyself as a councilor; but having united thyself to God by hunger, unceasing supplication and purity, thou becamest a partaker of a better delight.

Ascending into the clouds of the virtues, thou didst receive tablets inscribed by the hand of God, O blessed one, and didst teach multitudes of monastics to shun all material things, leading them up to the mountain of the knowledge of God.

Having set afire, the thorns of the passions with the sweat of fasting, O venerable one, thou didst with goodly knowledge extinguish the furnace of impiety with the streams of thy labors, O most blessed one.

Though pain was oft inflicted upon thee, thou didst remain unbowed, lifting thine eyes unto God Who is able to save, O holy one; and rejoicing, into His hands didst thou place thy spirit.

Thou didst reprove those of evil belief who were far from God, and, afflicted by long and cruel pangs, O glorious one, thou didst draw nigh unto Christ, upon Whose suffering thou didst meditate.

Pierced through by the love of the Master, thou didst forsake all tangible things and didst follow after Him, manfully taking His easy yoke upon thy shoulder, O namesake of goodly courage.

Taught the knowledge of ineffable things, O blessed one, thou didst teach thy flock to meditate upon heavenly things, repelling the assaults of the passions with thy teachings.

Thy life became like unto that of the hosts on high, O father, and gave thee boldness which thou hast ever held. Entreat Christ to deliver thy flock from the passions.

Thou didst traverse the abyss by torments dryshod, and thy body was saved from the deep by the right hand of the Almighty, and was seen unharmed by those who love thee, O divinely blessed one.

He Who delivered Jonah from his three-day sojourn in the belly of the whale, saved thee also from the midst of the seas after thirty days by the ministering dolphins.

Set afire by the love of Christ, O glorious one, before thy death thou didst oppose the tormentors; wherefore, rejoicing, thou hast been vouchsafed the kingdom of heaven, O most wise one.

Passing through the tumult of the multitude dryshod, thou didst utterly drown the incorporeal foe in the streams of thy tears, O venerable and divinely wise Euthymius; and receiving the gift of miracles, thou healest all sufferings. Pray thou unceasingly for us all.

Ikos: Open thou my mouth by thy right acceptable supplications, O thrice-blessed and most glorious Euthymius, as thou standest before God, that I may hymn thy godly life and worthily recount thy virtues, which thou didst venerably perfect on earth for the sake of Christ God. For thou wast shown to be a most splendid model for monks, having acquired a life equal to that of the angels. O thou who dwelt in truly impassable wastes, pray thou unceasingly for us all.

Having acquired the character of Abraham, and become a sojourner from thy land, O all-wise one, thou didst behold God Who promised thee a rich reward. Wherefore, fervently rejoicing, thou didst chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Set afire by the Spirit, O venerable one, thou didst destroy the snares of the enemy, and didst lay hold of the trophies of victory, protected by the sword of the Master Who for our sake was nailed to the Cross. Wherefore, fervently rejoicing, thou didst chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

The persecutor, unable to bear the assaults of thy wise words, slew thee and cast thy body into the depths of the sea, winning for thee the heavenly kingdom and divine glory, O thou of valiant mind, things which he doubted.

Not having worshipped graven images or bent thy knees before idols, O divinely wise martyr, cast into the fire of tribulation thou didst enter the tyrant’s furnace bedewed by the Spirit and dew-bestowing power.

People slain and sacrificed in the depths of pagan ungodliness didst thou draw forth by thy life-bearing words, O right wondrous one, chanting: O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

With the streams of thy tears thou didst reduce fiery pleasures to ashes and didst dispel fear of the flames of Gehenna, O wise father, having blended fear with perfect love for thy Creator for ever.

Having passed over to God like Enoch, thou wast received by Him, O father; and dwelling with the choirs on high, thou chantest: Hymn the Lord, all ye works, and exalt Him supremely for ever!

As thou delightest now in incorruptible gifts and art filled with the effulgence of the threefold Sun, O blessed one, by thy supplications deliver those who hymn thee from sufferings and darkness, that we may glorify Christ as is meet.

With the bread of thy words didst thou strengthen those who were wasting away through spiritual starvation, instructing them to worship the one Lord, the Bread of our life. To Him do we all sing: Hymn the Lord, ye works, and exalt Him supremely for ever!

Having trampled down the cruel wiles of the deceiving foe by thy suffering, thou wast taken up to a most glorious height, O right glorious one, and hast attained unto the ranks of the angels, crying out: Hymn the Lord, ye works, and exalt Him supremely for ever!

O! the strange things wrought by thee, O most steadfast Lucian! For the bosom of the sea, receiving thy holy body, was content not to harm it, and gave it up whole to the dry land; and it poureth forth streams of healing upon those who love thee.

Illumined by the beauty of asceticism, arrayed in the robe of incorruption, and crowned with a wreath of gifts of understanding, O father Euthymius, thou standest before the Master of all, rejoicing.

Thou hast made thine abode in the everlasting mansions, where are the councils of the apostles, the multitudes of martyrs, the assembly of the venerable, the choirs of the prophets, O blessed, right glorious and divinely wise one, receiving from God the reward for thy pangs as is meet.

Most resplendent wast thou, O divinely eloquent one, radiantly illumined with rays of the threefold Sun. Ask thou remission of sins, deliverance from evil and separation from the wicked for all who have recourse to thee with love.

The day of thy sacred commemoration shineth with the rays of the Spirit, dispelling the cloud of the passions, illumining the assemblies of the faithful and setting fire to the legions of the demons. Preserve us who celebrate it.

Thou wast freed of the bonds of thy body, O blessed one, and rejoicing, didst take flight to the heights of heaven; and thou hast shown thyself to God the Creator as comely in the adornments of thy wounds. Before Him dost thou stand in gladness with the martyrs.

The martyr Lucian hath brought us together today to praise his sufferings, his splendid feats, his utter courage, and the abundant grace of his miracles. Wherefore, together we all call him blessed.

Thou didst flee passionate attachment to the world as onerous, and didst lay waste to thy body by fasting. Having renewed the strength of thy soul, O venerable and ever-memorable one, thou wast enriched with heavenly glory. Wherefore, cease thou never to pray to the Lord for us.

Awesome is thine intercession, O divinely adorned Mary, and dread is thy glory to all the earth, O Theotokos. For in thee do we now boast, having thee as a mediatress before thy Son and Creator, that by thine ever-vigilant supplication we may all be saved.