At Matins

Song of Ascents, the first antiphon of Tone IV.

Glory..., Now & ever...Alleluia... Thrice.

After the first chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone V: Spec. Mel.: “The Word Who is equally unoriginate…”—

With hymns let us laud the holy hierarch of the Lord as one who lawfully ran the good race of the Christian life, with patience truly put to shame the adverse foe and set his arrogance at nought, and now prayeth that our souls find mercy. Twice

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Canon of the martyrs, with 6 troparia, the acrostic whereof is: “I hymn Sergius the athlete and the ever-memorable Bacchus”, the composition of Theophanes, in Tone I

After the second chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Thy tomb, O Savior…”—

Awesome is the miracle of thy conceiving, O pure Ever-virgin, and the ineffable image of birthgiving known in thee filleth my mind with awe and amazeth my thoughts. Thy glory hath spread over all, O Theotokos, unto the salvation of our souls.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

At “God is the Lord…”, the troparion of the saint, twice; Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion.

After the Polyeleos, this sessional hymn, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “Of the Wisdom…”—

Carefully tending the vineyard of the Lord, thou didst reap a goodly vintage by thy virtuous labors; for the souls of those in thy care, crushed like grapes in the wine-press of grievous exile, have produced for thee the wine of praise which gladdeneth thy Master.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

The prophets clearly announced thee beforehand, O Maiden Mother of God, the divine apostles proclaimed thee in the world, and we have believed on thee. Wherefore, honoring thee with pious mind, we all chant unto thee and ever call thee the true Theotokos.

Polyeleos, and this magnification—

We magnify thee, O holy hierarch Jonah, and we honor thy holy memory; for thou dost entreat Christ God in our behalf.

Selected Psalm verses—

A Hear this, all ye nations; give ear, all ye that inhabit the world. [Ps. 48: 2]

B My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. [Ps. 48: 4]

A Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. [Ps. 33: 12]

B I have proclaimed the good tidings of Thy righteousness in the great congregation. [Ps. 39: 10]

A Thy truth and Thy salvation have I declared. [Ps. 39: 11]

B I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I hymn Thee. [Ps. 21: 23]

A That I may hear the voice of Thy praise, and tell of all Thy wondrous works. [Ps. 25: 7]

B O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth. [Ps. 25: 8]

A I have hated the congregation of evil-doers, and with the ungodly will I not sit. [Ps. 25: 5]

B For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and I have not acted impiously toward my God. [Ps. 17: 22]

A The mouth of the righteous shall meditate wisdom, and his tongue shall speak of judgment. [Ps. 36: 30]

B His righteousness abideth unto ages of ages. [Ps. 110: 3]

A Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy righteous shall rejoice. [Ps. 131: 9]

B Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house; unto ages of ages shall they praise Thee. [Ps. 83: 5]

Taken early under the protection of the all-pure Mother of God, O holy hierarch Jonah, thou didst love Christ alone with all thy heart and didst cleave unto Him with all thy soul. Having labored selflessly for the glory of God and the good of thy fellow man, and holding earthly riches and glory to be as dung, in heaven thou hast now received riches which nought can corrupt and glory which never fadeth. Wherefore, we bless thy holy repose, and, celebrating thy memory with solemnity, we cry out to thee with fervor: O divinely wise father Jonah, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who honor thee with faith.

All of us, the generations of mankind, bless thee who without seed gavest birth to God in the flesh, as her who alone among women wast Virgin; for the fire of the Godhead made its abode within thee, and thou didst give suck unto our Lord and Creator as a babe. Wherefore, we, the race of angels and of men, glorify thine all-holy birthgiving as is meet, and with one accord cry aloud unto thee: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of transgressions to those who hymn thy glory as is meet.

Prokimenon, in Tone IV—

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

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

Let every breath praise the Lord.

Gospel according to John, §35 from the midpoint

(Jn. 10: 1-9)

The Lord said to the Jews who came to Him: “Verily, verily, I say unto you: He who entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.” This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which He spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI—

Come, let us praise Jonah, our good shepherd and loving pastor, who by his good works, Christian virtues and steadfast faith in God hath taught us to tread the path which leadeth to the kingdom of heaven. And mindful of the sacred words of Andrew of Crete, which our holy father heard as he committed his soul to Christ the Master, “My soul, my soul, arise! Why sleepest thou? The end approacheth, and thou must needs suffer grief!”, let us carefully prepare for our own judgment, beseeching Christ to spare us at the pleas of the holy hierarch.

Canon of Supplication to the Theotokos [the Paraclesis], with 6 troparia, including the irmos; and this canon of the holy hierarch, with 8 troparia, the acrostic whereof is “Beg mercy for us, O Jonah, hierarch of God”, in Tone II—