Ode VI

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.

Kontakion, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “The choir of the angels…” —

Theotokion: O Bride of God, who gavest birth to the Master of the law, rend asunder the bonds of mine offenses, freeing me from the law of sin by the law of life.

Thou didst pass from the abyss of malice in the nethermost depths to the highest virtue, O father, and didst mount to the summit, having been most gloriously transformed by divine baptism.

Irmos: Celebrating this divine and most honored festival of the Mother of God, come, ye divinely wise, let us clap our hands and glorify God Who was born of her.

Kontakion, in Tone IV —

Theotokion: We sinners fall down before thee, O Theotokos, that thou mayest spread thine invisible veil over us now and offer thy supplications to thy Son and God for us, as Andrew saw thee do of old.

Thou wast first a servant of the demons, but wast later shown to be a divinely revealed disciple of Christ, loving Him, the object of thy desire, with true love.

Thou didst lead many martyrs to the Master, O divinely wise one, showing thyself to be the greatest of merchants, who purchased the kingdom of heaven with a little blood.

Turning from the sorcerous arts to the knowledge of God, O divinely wise one, thou wast shown to be a most wise physician for the world, with Justina granting healings to those who honor thee, O Cyprian. Pray thou with her to the Master Who loveth mankind, that He save our souls.

Ikos: Sending down upon me gifts of thy healings, O holy one, by thy supplications heal my heart, which is afflicted with the sores of sin, that I may now offer thee discourse of hymnody out of my vile mouth, and may hymn thy pangs, O hieromartyr, which thou hast shown to those who draw nigh to God through good and blessed repentance. For, held in His hand, thou hast mounted to the heavens as by a ladder, unceasingly praying that He save our souls.

In thee, O father, were the words of the Apostle Paul fulfilled: The preaching of the Cross is to those who perish foolishness. Yet it was the power of God to thee who art saved, O most lauded Andrew.

In thee were the words of Christ fulfilled, Who said: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. For thou didst become poor in spirit, and hast received the kingdom of heaven.

Thou didst once guide the young Epiphanius to the straight path, and didst foretell that he would become a bishop and would teach the people; for thou didst perceive all the things of the future as though they were before thy very eyes.

Feigning foolishness of thine own will, thou didst hate the beauties of this world and didst cause the carnal thoughts to wither away through fasting and thirst, the heat of day and freezing cold, rain and snow; and unbowed by any of the vagaries of the weather, thou didst purify thyself like gold in a crucible, O blessed Andrew.

Ikos: Come, ye who love Christ! Come, ye who love the poor! Let us praise the blessed athlete, the all-wise Andrew, who became a fool for Christ’s sake, who, following the apostle, considered the world and all that is in it but dung, and diligently followed after Christ with haste, humbling his flesh with fasting, thirst and the burning heat of the day, with rain and snow, and the inclemency of the weather, keeping his soul free from the passions and rendering it radiant with the virtues, who with all the saints hath inherited the life of heaven eternally and prayeth to Christ God for those who with faith and love honor him. And let us cry out to him: Rejoice, O blessed Andrew, thou favorite of Christ!