“Blessed is the man...,” the First Antiphon.
O Sergius and Herman, the power of fasting and prayer made you, while in the flesh, like unto the bodiless ones. For the law of the flesh was unable to shake the steadfastness of your mind; but when the law hath dominion over the mind through God, the law in the members is vanquished. Therefore, O most blessed ones, beseech Christ God, that He grant us the gift of chastity and save our souls.
Glory..., in Tone VI—
On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera, 3 of the feast, idiomela, in Tone VI—
Troparion of the venerable one, in Tone VIII—
Now and ever..., of the feast, or the Dogmaticon, in Tone VI—
The composition of Sergius the Patriarch: Today God, Who resteth on the noetic thrones, hath prepared for Himself a holy throne on earth. He Who hath established the heavens by His wisdom hath in His loving-kindness created an animate heaven. For the God of wonders, the Hope of the hopeless, hath caused His Mother to spring forth as a Life-bearing plant from a barren root. Glory to Thee, O Lord! Once
Glory…, Now & ever…: troparion of the feast, in Tone IV—
Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon
This is the day of the Lord! Rejoice, O ye people! For, lo! the bridal-chamber of the Light and the book of the Word of life hath issued forth from the womb, and the portal which faceth toward the east, having been born, awaiteth the entry of the great High Priest. She alone leadeth the one Christ into the world, for the salvation of our souls. Once
Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon
Even though, by the will of God, famous barren women have produced offspring, yet in divine majesty Mary hath outshone all who have been born; for, having been all-gloriously born of a barren mother, she supernaturally gave birth in the flesh to the God of all, from a womb which knew not seed. She alone is the gate of the only-begotten Son of God; and He, passing through it, hath kept it closed, and, arranging all things wisely in accordance with His knowledge, hath wrought salvation for all men.
Glory..., in Tone II—
And 5 stichera of the venerable ones, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel: “O most glorious wonder...”—
Now and ever..., Theotokion, in the same tone—
O most glorious wonder! Sergius and Herman, dwellers in this world, aflame with love for Christ, with noble mind together conquer the world and the prince of the world, and mount to the perfection of the life of the Gospel by the ladder of the virtues. As great beacons hath Christ God bestowed them upon the wilderness of Valaam, illumining our souls with the light of their deeds. twice
O wondrous valor! The holy ones spare not their much-suffering flesh, but rise up against it as though it were their foe, crucifying it with its passions and lusts, and subjecting it to the spirit. Wherefore, they receive imperishable gifts from Christ; they transcend earthly things and attain unto that which is heavenly, and are glorified by angels and men.
O Sergius and Herman, ye animate pillars, adorned with the virtues, how can we fittingly praise you in hymns? For, transcending the limits of nature, ye were shown to be angels in the flesh, who emulate the life of the incorporeal ones. Wherefore, as the adornment of fasters and inhabitants of heavenly Zion, mediators and intercessors before the Lord, ye are ever blessed.
Like fruitful olive trees they grew in the house of God; like palm trees have the venerable ones flourished for us in their virtues; and as vessels of the Holy Spirit they have been adorned, not with gold, but with divine gifts. Celebrating their memory, lovers of the feasts of the Church, let us emulate their life, that God may account us worthy to hear with them the voice of those who celebrate in the heavenly Zion.
We glorify Thee, O God in three Hypostases, Creator of heaven and earth, for Thou hast given us a model of how to be well-pleasing unto Thee in the fasters chosen by Thee, our most blessed fathers Sergius and Herman. Their love for Thee was undivided, the bond of their brotherly love was true, their prayer unceasing, meek and gentle was their demeanor, the streams of their tears were ever-flowing, their fasting, vigil and struggles transcending the bounds of nature. Wherefore, having cleansed mind and heart beforehand, they ascend from the earth to heaven, and now glorify Thee in everlasting glory with the angels. By their supplications, O Master, Who lovest mankind, grant victories over heresy to our Orthodox hierarchs; send down peace upon our world, and great mercy on our souls.
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 becameth 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. Three readings:
Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon (3:1-9).
The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality. And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself. As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering. And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect.
The righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High. Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them. He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armor, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies. He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet. He shall take holiness for an invincible shield. His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise. Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well-drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark. And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them. Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill-dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty. Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations. For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.
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 loved 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 concupiscence 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 it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, That his grace and mercy is with his saints, and that he hath respect unto his chosen.
At the Litia, the sticheron of the temple, and these stichera, idiomela, in Tone III —
Loving Christ, Who loveth mankind, Who out of darkness created wondrous light, being Himself the unoriginate Light, and Who enlightened the hearts of the faithful with the light of the knowledge of Him, the divinely wise fathers walked well in the light of His commandments and, illumined by Him, have been shown to be beacons for us who do battle against the darkness of the passions. By their prayers, O Lord, Bestower of light, illumine also our minds and cleanse our hearts, in that Thou art compassionate.
Thy divinely wise fathers chose voluntary poverty as the gateway to perfection, and, poor in spirit, were enriched by grace, which by its light guided and directed them to the summit of the virtues of perfection. O Master Christ, through the supplications of the venerable ones account us worthy also to be partakers thereof, and save our souls, in that Thou lovest mankind.
The light of the grace of the Godhead in three Hypostases, having driven the gloom of earthly attachment from your souls, O Sergius and Herman, directed you to the arduous path of fasting, guided you across the raging sea of the passions, led you up to the mountain of dispassion, inscribed the law on the tablets of your hearts, made you partakers of spiritual manna, and brought you into the promised land, the heavenly Zion, where, joining chorus with the angels, entreat ye the all-good Creator, that He save our souls.
O new wonder greater than all the wonders of the past! For who hath ever known a mother to give birth without having known a man, and to bear on her arm Him Who sustaineth all creation? Yet it was the will of God to be born. O all-pure one, who bore Him in thine arms as an infant and hast maternal boldness before Him: cease not to pray in behalf of those who honor thee, that He have compassion and save our souls.
Or that of the feast, the composition of Sergius the Patriarch, in Tone VIII—
On the right excellent day of our feast let us strike the spiritual harp; for the Mother of Life is born today of the seed of David, dispelling the darkness: the renewal of Adam, the restoration of Eve, the Well-spring of incorruption, our release from corruption. Because of her we have been deified and delivered from death. And we, the faithful, cry out to her with Gabriel: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee, granting us great mercy for thy sake!
On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera: 3 for the venerable one, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”—
In a woman’s body but in the guise of a man, thou didst undertake manly struggles, living in the midst of men, causing the passions to wither, and utterly restraining the ragings of lust by fasting and constant supplications, O Theodora, and by thy divine and never-ceasing contemplation of God.
The sun, setting beneath the earth, never saw thee sin; and the Lord, Who knoweth men’s hearts and seeth things hidden, knew thee to be untiring and illumined the eyes of thy heart with the light of repentance. Wherefore, thou didst diligently strive to please Him through painful abstinence and the perfection of the virtues.
In nowise understanding the ways of the enemy’s thoughts, thou didst love the child whom thou didst not beget and didst nurture him with paternal kindness, O Theodora, enduring with true piety of mind the undeserved abuse and censure of men. Wherefore, we celebrate thine honored solemnity.
And 3 stichera of the hieromartyr, in the same tone & melody—
Shining with the virtues, adorned with piety, thou wast a godly hierarch, and didst pass over the world like the brilliant sun, sowing the preaching of the Faith everywhere and cutting down falsehood with the scythe of thy tongue, O divinely wise hierarch Autonomus, thou great preacher.
Thou didst not hesitate to endure painful sufferings, manly struggles, wounds and sores; for, buried under a multitude of stones, O Autonomus, thou didst make them into a stairway and ladder, ascending thereby to God as one crowned; and thou didst join the armies of the incorporeal ones, praying for the world.
Thou didst make thy vesture bright with the blood of thy martyrdom and the grace of the divine Spirit; and in sacred manner didst enter into the holy of holies on high, where Jesus, our Forerunner, entered in, receiving from God a crown of victory with all who died by shedding their blood in martyrdom, O Autonomus.
Glory…, Now & ever…, of the feast, idiomelon, in the same tone—
In accordance with the angel’s prophecy, thou didst issue forth from the righteous Joachim and Anna, as an all-pure fruit, heaven and the throne of God, a receptacle of purity, heralding forth joy to all the world, O Virgin, mediatress of our life, removal of the curse, bestowal of blessing. Wherefore, on the feast of thy nativity, O divinely called Virgin, ask peace for the world and great mercy for our souls.
At the aposticha, these stichera of the feast, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “O house of Ephratha…”—
Thou didst weep tears from the depths of thy soul, lamenting thy childlessness, desiring children; yet thou hast given birth to a babe who is the boast of our whole race.
Stichos: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear.
With voices of hymnody let us reverence the honored nativity of the most holy Virgin, because of whom the world hath been renewed.
Stichos: The rich among the people shall entreat thy countenance.
Rejoice, O wise prophets, ye divinely eloquent ones; for the Virgin is born, through whom the Salvation of the world will be given birth.
Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone IV—
Today let the barren and childless Anna clap her hands with splendor, let those on earth bear lamps, let kings leap for joy, let hierarchs be glad in blessing, and let all the world keep festival; for, behold, the Queen, the immaculate Bride of the Father, hath sprung forth from the root of Jesse. No longer will women bear children in grief, for Joy hath blossomed forth and Life shall live in the world for all men. No longer will the offerings of Joachim be rejected, for the lamentation of Anna hath been changed to joy, and she saith: “Rejoice with me, all ye chosen Israel, for, lo! the Lord hath given me the animate palace of His divine glory, for our common gladness and joy, and the salvation of our souls!”
In thee, O mother, that which was created according to the image of God was manifestly saved; for, accepting thy cross, thou didst follow after Christ; and, praying, thou didst learn to disdain the flesh, for thou didst transcend it, and to take care of thy soul, for it is immortal. Wherefore, thy soul doth rejoice with the angels, O venerable Theodora.
Thy nativity, O Virgin Theotokos, hath proclaimed joy to all the world; for from thee hath shone forth Christ our God, the Sun of righteousness, Who, having annulled the curse, hath given His blessing, and, having abolished death, hath granted us life everlasting.
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.