Song of Ascents, the first antiphon of Tone IV.
By unceasing prayer, instructive discourse, great loving-kindness and a virtuous life wast thou a model for the faithful, O divinely wise Joasaph, leading all to Christ and guiding them to the path of salvation. Deprive not of the great chief shepherd us who with faith honor thy memory, O great and holy hierarch of God.
Glory..., Now and ever..., Theotokion—
After the first chanting of the Psalter, this Sessional hymn, in Tone IV—
One canon from the Octoechos, and two for the saints.
At “God is the Lord...,” the troparion of the hierarch, twice; Glory..., Now and ever..., Theotokion.
Glory..., Now and ever..., Theotokion—
After the second chanting of the Psalter, this Sessional hymn, in Tone VIII—
Let Joasaph, the holy hierarch of Christ, be magnified, and let him inherit the everlasting kingdom prepared for him; for he served Christ faithfully, taking care for the least of his brethren, and took the repentant into his love; and now he prayeth for our souls. twice
Glory..., Now and ever..., Alleluia thrice
After the Polyeleos, this Sessional hymn, in Tone II—
O ye faithful, let us bless the Theotokos, the fervent aid of those in misfortunes, our helper and reconciliation to God, by whom we have been delivered from corruption.
Glory..., Now and ever..., Theotokion—
During thy life, O favored one of Christ, thou didst lay waste to thy body with fasting and labors; wherefore, after thy death it blossomed with incorruption and is become a wellspring of healings for the faithful. Earnestly entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved. twice
Reading from the Gospel
As the most immaculate Bride of the Creator, as the Mother of the Deliverer who knewest not man, as the dwelling place of the Most High, O most lauded one, haste thou to deliver me, who am the polluted habitation of iniquities and have in mind become the plaything of the demons, from their evil acts, making me a splendid habitation of the virtues. O incorrupt receiver of the Light, dispel the cloud of the passions, and vouchsafe unto me heavenly splendor and the true radiance of Thy never-waning Light.
At the Polyeleos, this Magnification—
We magnify thee, O holy hierarch father Joasaph, and we honor thy holy memory; for thou dost entreat Christ our God in our behalf.
Selected Psalm—
A Hear this, all ye nations; give ear, all ye that inhabit the world. [48:2]
B My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. [48:4]
A Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. [33:12]
B I have proclaimed the good tidings of Thy righteousness in the great congregation. [39:10]
A Thy truth and Thy salvation have I declared. [39:11]
B I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I hymn Thee. [21:23]
A That I may hear the voice of Thy praise and tell of all Thy wondrous works. [25:7]
B O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth. [25:8]
A I have hated the congregation of evil-doers, and with the ungodly will I not sit. [25:5]
B For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and I have not acted impiously toward my God. [17:22]
A The mouth of the righteous shall meditate wisdom and his tongue shall speak of judgment. [36:30]
B His righteousness abideth unto ages of ages. [110:3]
A Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy righteous shall rejoice. [131:9]
B Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house; unto ages of ages shall they praise Thee. [83:5]
Come all ye faithful, and standing round the much-healing relics of the holy hierarch, let us pour out our hearts in prayer, that he may remain with us in spirit, may instruct us in good works, and teach us to vanquish the temptations of the flesh and please God alone.
Without separating Himself from the divine Essence, the one Lord became flesh in thy womb; yet in becoming man He remaineth God, and after thy birthgiving preserved thee, His Mother, a Virgin most immaculate, as thou wast before giving birth.
Prokimenon, in Tone I—
My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
Stichos: Hear this, all ye nations; give ear, all ye that inhabit the world.
“Let every breath praise the Lord.”
according to St. John §36 (10:9-16).
The Lord said to the Jew who came to Him: I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
After the Gospel, this sticheron, in Tone VI—
Canon of Supplication to the Theotokos [the Paraclysis], with six troparia; and that of the holy hierarch, with eight troparia, the acrostic whereof is: “O holy hierarch Joasaph, pray thou for the Tsar and the people,” in Tone IV—
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.