Menaion of the Orthodox Church
The 4th Day of the Month of January
The Forefeast of the Enlightenment
The Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles
The Commemoration of our venerable father Theoctistus the Abbot, at Cuomo in Sicily
At Vespers
On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera: 3 to the apostles, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Thou hast given a sign….”
O ye faithful, with sacred hymns let us bless Cleopas, Andronicus, Silvanus and Agabus, Ananias and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Rufus and Sosthenes, Linus and Stachys, Stephen, Timon, Hermas, Phlegon, Mark, Luke, Sosipater, Jason and Gaius, Tychicus and Philemon.
As is meet, let Narcissus and Trophimus be praised, with Cæsarius, Zenas and Aristarchus, Mark, Silas and Gaius, Quartus, Hermes and Asyncritus, Apollos and Cephas, Clement and Justus, Quartus, Erastus, Luke, Onesiphorus, Carpus, Euodias, Matthias and James, Urban and Aristobulus, Tychicus and Aristarchus.
Let us honor the honored preachers of God: Pudens, Herodion and Artemas, Philologus, Olympus and Rodion, Apelles and Amplias, Patrobus and Mark, Tertius and Thaddeus, the wondrous Epenetus, Achaius, Aquila, Lucius, Barnabas and Fortunatus, and glorious Apollos and Crispus.
And 3 stichera to the venerable one, in Tone II, Special Melody: “When from the Tree….”
When thou didst wound thy soul with divine desire, O most blessed one, rejoicing thou didst take up thy cross and follow after Christ; and having mortified the carnal-mindedness through abstinence, thou didst receive the living activity of the Spirit, which enabled thee to banish the winter of infirmities with the fervor of thy right acceptable prayers. Wherefore, together we bless thee.
When thou didst cleanse the sight of thy soul through earnest prayers and most intense ascetic labor, O father, thou didst become a temple of the three-Sunned Godhead; and, receiving the divine anointing of the priesthood of God, thou didst penetrate things inaccessible, offering up in sacrifice Him Who was slain for thee, for the sake of an ineffable companionship.
Manifest as meek and guileless, O father Theoctistus, in wholeness of character didst thou truly inherit the land of the meek; and deified through communion with God, thou dost delight in the sustenance of true joy and gladness. Cease thou never to remember us here who ardently honor thee and celebrate thy godly repose.
Glory…, Now and ever…, in Tone III
Splendid hath the past feast been, and most glorious is the present day, for thereon did the magi do homage to the Savior, and hereon a glorious servant hath baptized the Master. Then piping shepherds, beholding the Lord, marvelled; and now the voice of the Father hath proclaimed His only-begotten Son.
At the Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone VIII, Special Melody: “Thy martyrs, O Lord…”
“Why dost Thou incline Thy holy head before me who am clay and shadow, O my Christ Who art ineffable Fire, before which the angelic hosts tremble?” said John to his Creator, when He came to be baptized. “Great is Thy condescension, O compassionate Bestower of life!”
Stichos: Therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan and Hermoniem.
Lo! our Enlightenment, Deliverance and Salvation shall enter the Jordan openly to strip Himself naked and be clothed in the waters as in a robe, thus covering the nakedness of all who have been stripped naked by the adverse counsel of the serpent.
Stichos: The waters saw Thee, O God, the waters saw Thee and were afraid.
He that is truly unbearable Fire shall enter into the Jordan to cleanse me who have been destroyed by the wicked violation. In the midst of the waters shall He receive the rain of Heaven, to cleanse me of the defilement of my many transgressions, in that He is compassionate and great in mercy.
Glory…, Now and ever…, of the forefeast, in Tone VI
Christ the Truth cometh to the Jordan to be baptized by John; and he saith unto Him: “It is I who must needs be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? I who am grass dare not touch the Fire! Sanctify me, O Master, by Thy divine epiphany!”
Troparion of the Apostles, in Tone III
O holy apostles, entreat the merciful God, that He grant our souls remission of transgressions.
Glory…, Now and ever…: Troparion of the Forefeast, in Tone IV
Make ready, O Zebulon! Adorn thyself, O Naphtali! O River Jordan, leaping up, receive thou the Master Who cometh to be baptized! Rejoice, O Adam, with our first mother! Hide not yourselves as ye did before in paradise; for He that beheld you naked hath revealed Himself, that He may clothe you in your primal raiment. Christ hath appeared, desiring to make all creation new!
At Compline
The Canon, the acrostic whereof is: “I chant the long hymn of Great Thursday,” in Tone VI, the irmoi whereof are repeated twice, with 6 Troparia.
Ode I
Irmos: The Red Sea is parted by that which was cut down, and the wave-ridden deep is dried up, becoming both a path for the defenseless and a grave for the armed. And a hymn of beauty divine is chanted: Christ our God hath gloriously been glorified!
The infinite, all-effecting and munificent Wisdom of God hath built a house for Himself of the pure Mother who hath not known man; and now He cometh to the streams of the Jordan, enriching mortals with His divinity for their restoration.
Elucidating the mysteries, the Wisdom of God summoneth to the light all among the nations who before lay in the lightless darkness of ignorance, leading them up to knowledge of the truth and to the light through baptism which cleanseth men’s hearts and edifieth them through the Spirit.
Let us now hearken to the utterances of the prophets which were prompted by the Spirit; for Christ Who baptizeth in the Spirit and in fire cometh to the Jordan. Come ye to Him and be enlightened, for your faces shall not be ashamed.
Ode III
Irmos: O Thou Who art God, the Lord and Creator of all, having beggared Thyself, O Dispassionate One, Thou didst unite to Thyself that which Thou hadst fashioned; and by the streams which Thou didst desire to enter, Thou Thyself didst declare unto the people: Draw ye forth the water of life, and make yourselves steadfast through faith!
O Savior, Thou comest to bestow the grace of baptism, which setteth souls free as well as bodies; wherefore, Thou dost now grant us also grace upon grace, crying out: Draw ye forth the water of life, and make yourselves steadfast through faith!
The foolish man who knoweth not God is subject to destruction; for he depriveth himself of every good thing through wicked endeavors, and falleth away utterly from salvation. From his fate may all of us who know Christ be delivered!
Ode IV
Irmos: The prophet, foreseeing the ineffable quality of Thy mystery, O Christ, declared: Thou hast set forth the mighty grace of baptism for all that receive it with faith, unto our deliverance from our sins!
Thou hast made haste to the baptism which poureth forth remission upon mortals, and Thou callest all who are weighed down with transgressions and have lived wickedly in impurity, promising to bestow rest of soul upon them, in that Thou art compassionate.
Thou sharest my flesh, that Thou mightest bestow upon me Thy divinity; for, being the immutable image of Thy Father, Thou dost pass beneath the hand of Thy creation, O Savior, being manifest as a man save without sin, purifying that which is like unto Thee by Thy likeness thereto, O Word.
Manifest are drink, anointing and the Spirit of Thy sealing, O Savior, and knowledge, mystic gifts, and the right comely works of the gifts of God; for the Father sent Thee, His only-begotten Son, into the world for the cleansing thereof.
Ode V
Irmos: The Forerunner, now held fast in the grip of fear, refuseth to baptize Christ, reverently gazing upon Him standing in the water Who covereth His chambers with water.
The Wisdom of God, Who supporteth the formless chambers of water upon the air, Who setteth bounds for the deep and restraineth the seas, cometh to the Jordan, receiving baptism at the hands of His servant.
Having wrought human nature, Christ, Who covereth the heavens with clouds and is clothed with light, now cometh to purify it through baptism; and He is seen naked in the Jordan’s streams Who holdeth all things in His hand.
Ode VI
Irmos: The uttermost abyss of sins hath engulfed me, whose billows none can withstand; and like Jonah I cry to Thee, O Master: Lead me up from corruption!
Knowing Thee to be the Lord, O Savior, at Thy birth the heavens declared Thy glory to the earth; and now at Thy baptism the Father declareth Thee to be His beloved Son.
Let everyone who hath undergone defilement wash it away with teardrops, and with trembling let him approach Christ Who cometh to purify our nature with fire and the Spirit of God.
Ode VII
Irmos: The children in Babylon did not fear the flame of the furnace, but, cast into the midst of the fire, bedewed, they sang: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers!
Let no one falsely move, beckoning with his head to hatred, wickedly teaching the earnest man to repay evil with evil; but let us honor one another in the love of the Lord Who hath revealed Himself.
As friends of Christ, keep ye watch together but a little while for Him Who hath taken on our form, and cometh to receive baptism, and hath appeared in our guise for the purification of that which was created in His image and for our deliverance from transgressions.
“If any will go down and be buried with Me in baptism, with Me will he inherit glory and resurrection!” doth Christ now exclaim. Let us now go forth to meet Him with faith!
Ode VIII
Irmos: The blessed youths in Babylon, braving danger for the laws of their fathers, reviled the mindless command of the ruler, and, united by the fire which burned them not, they chanted a fitting hymn unto the Almighty: Hymn the Lord, ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
O ye who have received God as a guest, having wisely partaken of nourishment in Bethlehem and rendered up glory with the angels, shepherds and magi, unto the Incarnate One, let us now mystically go to the Jordan, beholding the great mystery which Christ Himself doth accomplish, Whom we exalt supremely for all ages.
Keeping the chief portion of the Law and the prophets, and having established ourselves in love, we shall be emulators of Christ Who in His extreme love took flesh, and hath reconciled us to the Father through baptism, and hath taught us to chant: Hymn the Lord, ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
John received Him who came to wash away the sins of the world with water; but constrained by fear he forbade Him. “I have need to be baptized of Thee,” protested His friend, the voice of the Word, the harbinger of the Sun, to the Bridegroom. “Thee do we exalt supremely for all ages!”
Ode IX
Irmos: Having before, in the lowly cave, delighted in the hospitality of the Master and the feast of immortality, let us now hasten to the Jordan, beholding the strange mystery which bringeth down upon all the effulgence of Heaven.
Go ye from Bethlehem to the land of the Jordan, O ye who thrive on miracles, and there behold deeds mystically wrought through the baptism of Christ Who is come to renew Adam, for He became incarnate for this cause.
The Creator, Who before the ages was begotten of the Father, hath in these latter days been born, incarnate without change, of the pure, virginal and godly Maiden, remaining God and man, that He might renew Adam through baptism.
Thou hast come as a man in essence, not as an illusion; for as one among many, Thou hast requested baptism, Thou Who alone art nature free of guilt. For Thou camest to bury man’s guilt, being baptized in the waters.
Then again, the Irmos: “Having before, in the lowly cave…” is sung, after which a prostration is made.
At Matins
At “God is the Lord…”, the Troparion of the Forefeast, twice; Glory…, the Troparion of the apostles; Now and ever…, the Troparion of the Forefeast, once.
After the first chanting of the Psalter, this Sessional hymn, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Go Thou quickly before us…”
Lo! Christ approacheth Jordan and inviteth the Forerunner, saying: “Come and baptize in the river’s streams Me Who cleanse the world wholly of its sin! Stretch forth thy hand and touch the crown of My divine head, for I have come to heal the transgression with My hands!”
Glory…, Now and ever…, in the same tone, Special Melody: “Having been lifted up…”
O ye faithful, beholding the Master and King of all Who, though God, cometh to baptism, let us hymn Him, and with love let us prepare the ways of our hearts, washing away the defilement of our grievous transgressions. For, lo! He cometh to the streams of the Jordan to save the human race.
After the second chanting of the Psalter, this Sessional hymn, in Tone VIII, Special Melody: “Thou hast risen…”
Rejoice, O great Baptist of the Lord! For Christ hath come to be baptized of thee. Touch thou the crown of the divine head of God Who in His hand holdeth all things and in His good pleasure saveth the human race!
Glory…, Now and ever…, in the same tone
Celebrating the splendid solemnity of the forefeast of the enlightenment of Christ, let us all shine forth in the virtues; for He Who is Lord over all cometh from Galilee unto John, to pour forth in the streams of the Jordan the baptism of salvation upon the human race through the fire of the Spirit, in that He is God.
Three Canons: that for the Forefeast, with six Troparia, including its Irmos; that to the apostles, with four Troparia; and that to the venerable one, with four Troparia.
Ode I
Canon for the Forefeast, the acrostic whereof is the [Greek] alphabet. In Tone VI
Irmos: Traversing the deep on foot, as though it were dry land, and seeing the tyrant Pharaoh drowned, Israel cried aloud: Let us chant unto God a hymn of victory!
Let creation rejoice, and let the lands of the gentiles sing, for Jesus, the King of all the earth, cometh forth to accomplish our salvation through the streams of the Jordan.
Arrayed in flesh from the Virgin’s blood, a in a robe of royal purple, O Lord, Thou comest naked to the river’s streams, thereby clothing my nakedness.
As Thou art the Son of the all-unoriginate Father, O Compassionate One, Thou dost humbly approach the son of Zachariah, requesting baptism, that through grace Thou mightest make us children of God.
Canon of the apostles, the acrostic whereof is: “Let me praise the second circle of Christ’s disciples”, the composition of Joseph, in Tone IV
Irmos: I will open my mouth, and with the Spirit will it be filled; and I shall utter discourse unto the Queen and Mother, and shall appear, keeping splendid festival; and, rejoicing, I will hymn her wonders.
As disciples of Christ Who for our sake revealed Himself in fleshly matter, O all-praised ones, ye have illumined all the world with the radiance of piety, driving away the darkness of godlessness.
As beacons of most godly aspect, Crispus, Prochorus, Andronicus, Thaddæus and Nicanor followed after Christ, forsaking the pollution and impermanence of corruptible things.
With the might of the Spirit ye overcame the might of the destroyer; and with the strength of divine understanding ye healed those rendered wholly impotent by the savagery of godlessness.
As apostles, as hierarchs of God, as true ministers of things past understanding, Amplius, Stachys and Philip preached the Lord Who hath appeared in the likeness of the flesh.
Theotokion: Let us honor the palace of God the King, wherein He made His abode as was His pleasure; and let us lift up our voices in song to her who alone is the Theotokos who hath not known man, for for her sake have we been deified.
Canon to the venerable one, in Tone II
Irmos: Overwhelming power once laid low the whole army of Pharaoh in the deep, and the incarnate Word hath destroyed pernicious sin. All-glorious is the Lord, for gloriously hath He been glorified.
Christ, the Torrent of sweetness, cometh like a servant to the waters of Jordan to be washed. Ye mountains, leap for joy! Ye hills, gird yourselves about with joy! Ye defiled ones, make ready for divine cleansing!
Thy splendid memorial hath today shone forth the sun-like rays of thy corrections, dispelling the cloud of our passions. And celebrating it, with faith and love we call thee blessed.
Having taken wing through the love of Christ, thou didst soar aloft, leaving the tumult of the world behind. Wherefore, thou didst live like an angel, setting thyself apart for asceticism through onerous labor and abstinence.
Theotokion: Come ye, and with a pure mind let us bless the pure one, the beauty of Jacob, whom God loved and chose, and within whom He made His abode. Let us hymn her as the tabernacle of sanctification, the most honored of all creatures.
Ode III
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: There is none as holy as Thee, O Lord my God, Who hast uplifted the horn of Thy faithful and established us on the rock of the confession of Thee, O Good One.
Though Thou art God Who hast mastery over all, Thou hast assumed the form of a servant; and to a servant dost Thou come in the flesh, O Compassionate One, freeing us from slavery to the enemy through Thy divinely accomplished baptism.
Wherefore hast Thou come to the river’s streams? What manner of cleansing dost Thou desire? What defilement seekest Thou to wash away? I hymn Thy loving-kindness and condescension which pass understanding, O Word!
Seeking the lamb which the savage wolf separated from the flock by deception, O Christ, Thou dost stand in the Jordan’s streams, crying out to the Forerunner: Come thou and baptize Me!
Canon to the Apostles
Irmos: O Theotokos, thou living and abundant fountain: in thy divine glory establish those who hymn thee and spiritually form themselves into a choir; and vouchsafe unto them crowns of glory.
The Word sent thee forth, O most wise ones, like rivers throughout all the world, filling it with floods of the Spirit of God and quenching the flame of godlessness by grace.
Let us hymn the godly Timon, Silas and Silvanus; and with faith let us praise the glorious Epenetus, Urban and Agabus, the true preachers of Christ.
Being already blessed, having truly acquired God, the blessed Teacher, O most wise ones, those who before were accursed did ye show forth as partakers of the blessedness of God.
Theotokion: O Virgin Mother, truly pure wast thou before giving birth, during birthgiving, and after birthgiving; for thou gavest birth unto God Whom the company of angels hath most splendidly heralded.
Canon to the Venerable One
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!
He Who created the deeps and covered the chambers thereof with the waters, entereth the waters to be baptized. Take care, O soul, to cleanse thyself of the passions, offering up a flowering of the virtues.
Through the Spirit’s cultivation, O Theoctistus, thou didst bloom in the meadow of asceticism like a sweet-smelling rose, ever filling with fragrance those who sing: There is none holy save Thee, O Lord!
Like a fruitful olive tree hast thou sprung forth in the house of the Lord, O venerable Theoctistus, anointing with the oil of thy labors the faces of us that sing: There is none holy save Thee, O Lord!
Theotokion: Many are those who war against me from above, and my life hath grown faint in pain; and I have fallen headlong into the abyss of transgressions. Save me, O Mistress; disdain me not, for thee do I have as an invincible intercessor.
Kontakion of the Forefeast, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Thou hast appeared…”
In the streams of the Jordan the Lord crieth out to John today: “Fear not to baptize Me, for I have come to save Adam the first-created!”
Ikos: “I do not require thee to transgress the bounds of what is meet, O Baptist; I am not saying unto thee: Tell Me what thou tellest the iniquitous, and what thou teachest sinners. Only baptize Me in silence, awaiting those things which come through baptism; for it is for this cause that thou hast received a dignity which even the angels do not possess; for I have made thee greater than all the prophets. Thus, not one of them beheld Me plainly, but only in images, shadows and reflections; but thou beheldest Me standing before thee. For I am come to save Adam the first-created!”
Sessional hymn of the apostles, in Tone III, Special Melody: “Of the divine Faith…”
O unshakable pillars of the Church, as ye are disciples of God, the foundations of piety, preserve it unharmed, dispelling the temptations of the deceiver, and ever entreating Christ God to grant us great mercy.
Glory…, the Sessional hymn of the venerable one, in Tone I, Special Melody: “When the stone had been sealed…”
Playing the shepherd’s pipe of the Word, thou didst lead the Lord’s flock in God-pleasing manner to the pasture of dispassion, O God-bearing Theoctistus, and thou didst bring it, saved, unto God. And departing unto Him, thou didst receive a reward befitting thy labors. Glory to Him Who gave thee strength! Glory to Him Who hath crowned thee! Glory to Him Who worketh healings for all through thee!
Now and ever…, in the same tone
Jesus, having been born of the Virgin Mary, was baptized of John in the Jordan; and the Spirit, seen in the guise of a dove, descended upon Him. Wherefore, with the angels the prophet said, crying aloud: Glory to Thine advent, O Christ! Glory to Thy Kingdom! Glory to Thy dispensation, O Thou Who alone lovest mankind!
Ode IV
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: Christ is my power, my God and my Lord, the honored Church doth sing, crying out in godly manner with a pure mind, keeping festival in the Lord.
When the stream of the Jordan beheld Thee, O Lord, it drew back. But our nature, which hath been laid low by the many passions, doing homage to Thee, hath turned back to the heavens.
The sun was stricken with fear, beholding Thee, the Sun, bare by the flesh and mystically illumining our whole nature which hath been stripped bare by dark transgression, O Master.
Lo! the cleansing, deliverance, renewal and enlightenment of all is come unto His own! Let us therefore cleave unto Him through purity of life!
Canon to the Apostles
Irmos: Perceiving the inscrutable counsel of Godthe Incarnation of Thee, the Most High, from the Virginthe Prophet Habbakuk cried aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Like stallions did the divinely wise disciples of the Savior enter the sea of paganism and trouble it; and they saved the faithful by holy water and the Spirit.
Pudens, Apelles and Philologus, Herodion, Rufus and Patrobus have shone like the sun upon the earth and enlightened the faithful, delivering them from the darkness of unbelief.
O glorious ones, the Compassionate One, having brought you together, let you fly like sharp arrows, bolts to fell the enemy and to heal by the grace of God those grievously wounded.
Let us offer praise to the Deliverer, hymning the divinely eloquent Rodion, the glorious Hermes, the wise Asyncritus, and the godly Linus and Gaius.
Theotokion: The most blessed choir of those who of old uttered prophecies in the Spirit, O all-pure one, now in godly manner, with sacred and divine utterances, call thee the portal of heaven and the mountain densely wooded.
Canon to the Venerable One
Irmos: Thou didst come forth from the Virgin, neither a mediator nor an angel, but Thyself incarnate, O Lord, and hast saved me, the whole man; wherefore, I cry to thee: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Thy sweat exuded the sweetness of pangs, removing the bitterness of the demons, O right wondrous and glorious one, and dispelling bitter afflictions by the sprinkling thereof.
Deified by unceasing purifications, O venerable one, thou wast a most luminous beacon, a most renowned model and guide, and an unshakable pillar for monastics.
Thou didst cleave the sea of the passions with the staff of faith, O venerable father Theoctistus; and having drowned the invisible Pharaoh, thou didst attain unto the promised land.
Theotokion: Day and night I cry unto thee, O all-immaculate one, and I am saved. And through thy mediation I scale the rampart of pleasures and am delivered from the temptation of the demons.
Ode V
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: With Thy divine light illumine the souls of those who with love rise at dawn unto Thee, I pray Thee, O Good One, that they may know Thee, O Word of God, to be the true God Who calleth all forth from the darkness of sin.
Let us bring to Christ a pure life as an offering of fruit, for He Who alone is the sinless Creator of all cometh to wash away the defilement of sins with the waters and with grace.
O ye people who from of old have been sitting in the darkness of sorrows, a Light which fadeth not away hath appeared unto us! Behold, and be ye illumined with the rays thereof, and hymn ye the grace of Him Who hath appeared!
To Thy great Forerunner dost Thou come, O most compassionate Lord, bringing a great mystery to pass, ineffably magnifying humanity through baptism.
Canon to the Apostles
Irmos: All things are filled with awe at thy divine glory; for thou, O Virgin who hast not known wedlock, didst contain within thy womb Him Who is God over all, and gavest birth to the timeless Son, granting peace unto all who hymn thee.
Receiving, as apostles, the authority to bind and to loose, O all-praised ones, ye released those bound with the bonds of unbelief. Wherefore, joining chorus, we celebrate your memory with faith.
With divine hymnody let Aristarchus be honored, together with Tertius, Jason and Sosthenes, Cæsar and Mark, Luke and Sosipater, Quartus and the godly Apelles, Clement and Epaphras, and Erastus the most wise.
The Lord sent you forth, as He did the twelve, to uproot all ungodliness and to plant the knowledge of God splendidly among all men, O glorious apostles, intercessors for our souls.
Theotokion: Enlighten the eyes of my heart, O Virgin, and illumine me with the radiance of repentance. From everlasting darkness deliver me, O portal of light, thou refuge of all Christians who hymn thee with faith.
Canon to the Venerable One
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.
Having cultivated the ground of thy heart with the plough of prayer, thou didst sow it with the seed of the word, O divinely wise father, and didst reap the grain of abundance, thereby nurturing the souls of all the pious who hymn thee.
Ever possessed of a vigilant mind, O divinely wise father, thou didst lull to sleep the soul-corrupting passions and didst strive to attain unto the morning of God, to the radiance of the unwaning Light, wherein is the abode of those who rejoice.
As a luminous light-bearer, full of the gifts of the Spirit of God, O father, manifesting a character pure and guileless, thou wast revealed to all as an angel living in a body.
Theotokion: Thou hast been shown to be the portal of the Orient Who revealed Himself from on high, and the most exalted throne of the King, O all-pure one, and the lofty ladder reaching to heaven, whereby Christ descended and entered into fellowship with rejected men.
Ode VI
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, fleeing to Thy calm haven I cry unto Thee: Lead up my life from corruption, O greatly Merciful One!
Being water full of mysteries, O our only Lord, as a river of peace Thou camest to the river, asking to be baptized by the least drop thereof, O Thou Who alone art sinless.
The choir of angels on high doth marvel, beholding Thee naked Who coverest heaven with clouds; and they cry out: What is this Thy great condescension towards mankind?
Lo! He that is full emptieth Himself; He that is invisible hath appeared incarnate! Rejoice, O river Jordan! Fill up thy streams, that thou mightest wash the Regeneration of all!
Canon to the Apostles
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.
O ye apostles, manifest as animate clouds, ye have sprinkled the saving water of life upon all the world, and have bedewed the hearts of the faithful.
The power of your divine words vanquished the great evil of the sages and made wise the ignorant who had become foolish through the deluding knowledge, O all-wise ones.
Let the divine Pudens and Trophimus, the glorious Philemon, Aristarchus, Onesiphorus and the most renowned Tychicus, be exalted as disciples of the Word.
Theotokion: I hymn thee, O thou who alone art all-hymned! I ever glorify thee, O divinely glorious one! And I bless thee whom all generations call blessed, O divinely blessed Virgin.
Canon to the Venerable One
Irmos: Whirled about in the abyss of sin, I call upon the unfathomable abyss of Thy loving-kindness: Lead me up from corruption, O God!
Vested in human form, Christ cometh to His servant asking baptism, by grace showing forth the enslaved to be liberated from passions.
Revealed as a vessel of the Holy Spirit Who breathed power into thee, O most blessed God-bearer Theoctistus, thou didst subdue the spirits of wickedness.
With the staff of thy discourse didst thou tend thy reason-endowed flock on the pasture of fasting, O venerable father, and thou didst guide it to the fold of Heaven.
Theotokion: He Who stretched out the Heavens with a gesture hath shown thee to be another heaven on earth, O immaculate Theotokos; and from thee He hath revealed Himself to those in darkness.
Kontakion of the apostles, in Tone II, Special Melody: “Seeking the Highest…”
In hymns, O ye faithful, let us divinely praise the choir of the seventy disciples of Christ; for through them have we all learned to worship the indivisible Trinity. And they remain beacons of the divine Faith.
Ikos: With sacred hymnody, O ye faithful, let us together praise the choir of the seventy apostles: Stephen, Prochorus, Silas and Nicanor, Mark, Matthias and Herodion, Crescens and Phlegon, Barnabas, Linus and Olympas, Ananias, Luke and Asyncritus, and the rest; for they remain beacons of the divine Faith.
Ode VII
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: The Angel caused the furnace to pour forth dew upon the pious youths, and the command of God, which consumed the Chaldæans, prevailed upon the tyrant to cry out: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
How can the river’s streams admit Thee Who art the Torrent of sweetness, O Christ? How can the Forerunner extend his hand over Thee Who by Thy hand hast created all and hast delivered us from the hands of the deceiver?
As Thou art Thyself a stream of goodness, how is it that Thou comest to the streams of the Jordan seeking to give the waters of incorruption as drink to us who through wicked eating have been cast down into corruption through the hatred of the serpent?
Let the mountains pour forth joy, let the hills exult in gladness, let the rivers clap their hands, for Christ hath appeared and cometh to the river to drown men’s transgressions.
Canon to the Apostles
Irmos: The divinely wise youths worshipped not a creation rather than the Creator, but, manfully trampling the threat of the fire underfoot, they rejoice, chanting: Blessed art Thou, the all-hymned God of our fathers!
Casting forth the word as a net, up from the depths ye drew the far-flung nations; and rendering their minds steadfast with signs and wonders, O wise apostles, ye were guides for those astray.
Having entered the harbor most calm, ye were shown to be saviors of those tempest-tossed upon the sea of evils, and wise helmsmen who cry out: O Lord God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Let us all bless Euodias and Carpus, Tychicus and Cephas, Justus and Artemas, and Zenas the glorious, for they are disciples of Christ who chant: O Lord God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
The apostles of Christ, whose visages shone like lightning through the Spirit, delivered those held fast in the night of ignorance, and have guided to the Light of life those who ever cry: Blessed art Thou, O God!
Theotokion: A mercy seat hast thou been for us that are ever sinning, O all-immaculate one, having given birth in manner transcending nature unto Christ Who taketh away the sins of the world, to Whom we cry out: O Lord God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Canon to the Venerable One
Irmos: The command of the iniquitous tyrant, opposed to God, raised up a lofty flame; but Christ, Who is blessed and all-glorious, spread a spiritual dew upon the pious youths.
Let the wilderness of Jordan blossom forth today, for the Deliverance of all cometh through the fire of the Godhead to submerge in water and the Spirit us who have been grievously broken by our falls into sin.
With floods of tears thou didst extinguish the burning of the passions, O blessed Theoctistus, and thou hast poured forth ever-living streams of miracles whereby infirmities both of body and soul are washed away, O all-glorious one.
The meekness of David didst thou emulate, O father, having acquired the blameless dispassion of Job, the simplicity of Jacob, the faith of Abraham and the fervor of Peter. Dwelling with them, be thou mindful of us.
Theotokion: Having for us given birth unto the hypostatic Life Who hath abolished death by death, O Virgin, by thine entreaties enliven me who have been done to death by grievous tempests, O pure, blessed and most glorious one.
Ode VIII
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: From the flame didst Thou pour forth dew upon the venerable ones, and didst consume the sacrifice of the righteous one with water; for Thou, O Christ, dost do all things soever Thou desirest. Thee do we exalt supremely for all ages!
Elisha clove the river’s streams with the mantle of Elijah, foreshadowing the grace of baptism which Christ, our only Benefactor, doth accomplish, going up to them therefor.
The glorious Prophet Elisha once prefigured the grace of baptism, making waters that before were barren fruitful through salt, through the power of our God Who hath revealed Himself.
Every valley is filled with divine gifts, and every obstinate hill is laid low, and the crooked ways are made straight again at the appearance of our incarnate God.
Canon to the Apostles
Irmos: The birthgiving of the Theotokos saved the pious children in the furnacethen in figure, but now in deedand it moveth all the world to chant to Thee: Hymn ye the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Having cultivated stony minds with the plough of the word, O most glorious ones, ye sowed therein the seed of salvation and have reaped a multitude of the saved, the grain of piety, an hundredfold, O most wise apostles of the Lord.
With divine praises let us honor James, Cleopas, Barnabas and Stephen, the most wise Narcissus, Mark, Aristobulus and Apelles, crying out: Hymn the Lord, ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Bearing the Cross instead of a breastplate, ye manfully arrayed yourselves against all the legions of the serpent, O most wise apostles, and vanquished them. And with faith ye pursued the men he had captured, and brought them to the Master, the Bestower of life.
Theotokion: O wonder more sublime than all wonders! How is it that thou givest birth, yet remainest virgin, O all-holy Bride of God? For thou didst bear the Word Who with the Father is equally without beginning. Unto Him do we all sing: Hymn the Lord, ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Canon to the Venerable One
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!
O Savior, Thou Wellspring of wisdom, in the Jordan Thou wast revealed as the enlightenment and cleansing of souls. And bestowing upon us a refreshing torrent of living water, Thou hast drowned our sin in the waters.
Having truly passed thy life in innocence, O divinely wise father, with a mind made most perfect thou didst set at naught the malice of the enemy, crying out: Hymn the Lord, all ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Now the axe doth threaten to hew down souls. Haste thou, O my soul, and, having cut down the thorns of the passions, bring ripe fruits to the Lord, being saved at the supplications of the God-bearer.
Theotokion: Out of all generations Christ chose thee as a habitation for Himself, O Theotokos, renewing us corrupt mortals by a higher union. Wherefore, we hymn thee for all ages!
Ode IX
Canon of the Forefeast
Irmos: It is not possible for men to behold God, upon Whom the ranks of angels dare not gaze; but through thee, O most pure one, hath the Word appeared incarnate unto men; and magnifying Him with the armies of heaven, we call thee blessed.
O Christ Who with Thy hands fashioned man, Thou dost go down under the hand of the Forerunner, humbling Thyself as a man, that Thou mightest exalt me who of old was humbled and perished. Glory to Thy glorious and strange economy!
The cleansing and enlightenment of souls is at hand! The loosing of grievous bonds is nigh! Be glad, O river Jordan! Make merry, all creation! Clap your hands, ye earth and sea, glorifying the all-good Christ!
As Thou art the fullness of all good things, Thou comest crying out to Thy servant who hath been filled with holiness and who marvelleth at Thy condescension: “Draw nigh and baptize Me, for I wish to fill the nature of mortals with sanctification and purification!”
Canon to the Apostles
Irmos: Let every mortal leap for joy, enlightened by the Spirit; and let the nature of the incorporeal intelligences keep festival, honoring the sacred feast of the Mother of God, and let them cry aloud: Rejoice, O most blessed Theotokos, pure Ever-virgin!
O Christ, heal Thou the contrition of our hearts through the prayers of those who loved Thee, who preached Thee as God and Lord, the Creator of all, among all the nations, and dispelled all the gloom of idolatry with the light of their preaching.
Like bolts of lightning have Luke and Hermas, Mark and Ananias, Matthias and the sacred Olympus enlightened the world, and have manifestly illumined the fullness of the faithful. With faith let us honor them today with sacred hymns of homage.
Let us stand reverently in the house of the Lord and bless the sacred heralds and disciples, rich in angelic wisdom, the saviors, defenders and intercessors for all who honor their memory.
Aquila, Achaicus, the glorious Lucius and Fortunatus, together with the sixty-six other favorites and sacred disciples of Christ, have been illumined with the immaterial life of the Spirit. And they illumine the hearts of all through their radiant memorial today.
Theotokion: The radiance of the splendor of thy birthgiving hath shone forth and illumined all the world and destroyed the prince of darkness, O all-pure Theotokos, thou boast of angels and salvation of all men who praise thee with unceasing cries.
Canon to the Venerable One
Irmos: God the Lord, the Son of the unoriginate Father, hath revealed Himself to us incarnate of the Virgin, to enlighten those in darkness and to gather the dispersed. Wherefore, we magnify the all-hymned Theotokos.
Thou wast a pure dwelling-place of God, O venerable Theoctistus, not having befouled the beauty of thy soul with the mire of sins; and thou didst adorn thyself wholly with good gifts. Wherefore, we honor thee.
Adorned with the virtues, enlightened with love, luminous with divers good deeds, thou didst pass over to thy fathers, O wise father, in the richness of old age, being stored up like ripe wheat in the granaries of God.
Thy flock doth today join chorus, celebrating the splendid commemoration of thy repose. Standing with the angels before God, O thrice-blessed and most blessed one, cease not to bless them from heaven even after thy repose.
Theotokion: O pure Virgin, who gavest birth unto Him Who is life, for the deliverance of mortals: enliven my soul, in that thou art compassionate, who alone art intercessor for those who have recourse to thy protection, O all-immaculate one.
Exapostilarion of the Apostles, Special Melody: “Hearken, ye women…”
O all-praised apostles and disciples of the all-compassionate Christ, ye who beheld God: Fall not silent in your supplications in behalf of us who celebrate your memory with love, that we may find remission of sins and divine grace on the day of judgement.
Glory…, Now and ever…: Exapostilarion of the Forefeast, Special Melody: “Thou hast visited us…”
Make ready, O Zabulun! Adorn thyself, O Naphtali! Receive, O Jordan, the Creator and God of all, Who cometh to thee in the flesh, desiring to wash our sins away!
At the Praises, 4 stichera, in Tone VI, Special Melody: “Go forth, O angelic hosts…”
Christ is come to the Jordan’s streams, Whose herald appeared before Him; and He said to the Forerunner: “Come and wash Me with the waters; baptize Me Who now go down into them, for I have come to wash away the primal fall of Adam.” Blessed art Thou Who hast appeared! O our God, glory to Thee!
“I have in no wise reckoned the number of the stars of the heights of heaven, nor have I measured the earth,” the Forerunner said to the Master; “How then can I touch Thy head with my hand? How can I baptize Thee Who holdest creation in Thy hand? Wherefore, I cry to Thee: Blessed art Thou Who hast appeared! O our God, glory to Thee!”
“Being enthroned together with the Father and the Spirit, I am upborne in triumph by the legions of the angels. Yet in My loving-kindness I was born a stranger in the little cave in Bethlehem. Wherefore, lend Me now thy right hand, that in Me I may wash away the transgressions of the world!”
“Of old, in the days of Noah, Thou didst drown sin, O Thou Who by Thy word didst throw wide the flood-gates of the heavens. And how will Jordan bear the sight of Thee? For already its streams withdraw! All creation doth recognize Thee, and I cry out to Thee: Blessed art Thou Who hast appeared! O our God, glory to Thee!”
Glory…, in the same tone and melody
“That the Father’s good pleasure might be fulfilled, I have come to earth clad in poverty. Heaven is My throne, and the earth My footstool. I incline My neck before Thee, for his have I come to do. Baptize Me Who wash away the transgression of men in Myself!”
Now and ever, in the same tone and melody
“O Thou Who of old guided Israel with a pillar of fire and of cloud, and Who didst send down dew in the wilderness! Thou Who hast dominion over all, Who art ineffable in Thy nature! How art Thou clothed in human form? I, who am grass, dare not touch Thee Who art fire! Do Thou Thyself baptize me, for I have need to receive cleansing of Thee!”
Aposticha stichera, in Tone II, Special Melody: “O house of Ephratha…”
In the streams of the Jordan hast Thou appeared, O Effulgence of the glory of the Father, washing away by baptism the defilement of our souls.
Stichos: Therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan and Hermoniem.
O prophet John, receive thou the Deliverer of the world Who cometh like a servant, and baptize the Creator unto the renewal of mortals.
Stichos: The waters saw Thee, O God, the waters saw Thee and were afraid.
Enlightenment is come! Deliverance hath appeared! Come ye to the Jordan, and let us descend together to be cleansed and to chant the hymns of the forefeast!
Glory…, Now and ever…, in the same tone and melody
Today doth Christ grant the remission of salvation unto men, cleansing away the impurity from their souls by the fire of baptism.
At Divine Liturgy
At the Beatitudes, 8 Troparia: 4 from Ode III of the canon of the Forefeast, and 4 from Ode VI of the apostles’ canon.
Prokimenon, in Tone VIII
Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Stichos: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaimeth the works of His hands.
Epistle to the Romans, §96 [Rom 8:8-14]
Brethren: Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He Who raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit Who dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Alleluia, in Tone I
Stichos: The heavens shall confess Thy wonders, O Lord, and Thy truth in the congregation of the saints.
Stichos: God is glorified in the council of the saints.
Gospel according to Luke, §50 [Lk 10:1-15]
At that time, the Lord revealed seventy other of His disciples, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He himself would come. Therefore said He unto them: “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the Son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaïda! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, who art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.”
Communion Verse
Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
The Menaion of the Orthodox Church © Isaac E. Lambertsen