Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The Sunday on or After the 22nd Day of January

Sunday of the New-Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Land

Their commemoration is made on the Sunday nearest to the 25th of January. If the 25th of January fall on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, we chant the service to the New Martyrs on the Sunday before; but if it fall on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, we chant the service on the following Sunday. If the 25th of January fall on Sunday itself, we chant the service to the New Martyrs on that very day, and the service to St. Gregory the Theologian on January 27th, in conjunction with that to St. John Chrysostom. When such be the case, the hymnody to St. Gregory precedes that to St. John. Be it known that this service can fall between January 22nd and January 28th. If it coincide with the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, or with the Sunday of the Prodigal, or with Meatfare Sunday, the service to the New Martyrs is chanted in conjunction with the Triodion, following the pattern set for the service to the Three Hierarchs in the Chapters of Mark. If a service to a major saint fall on the same day, we chant the service to the major saint on the closest Saturday, or on some other day. If a church’s patronal feast fall on such a Sunday, we chant the service of the patronal feast in conjunction with the Triodion, without further alteration; and the service to the New Martyrs is then transferred to the subsequent Sunday.

At Little Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…,” 4 stichera for the resurrection, and Glory…, for the New Martyrs, Tone VIII

The land of Russia hath become an earthly heaven, hiding the bodies of the new-martyrs and confessors in its clefts, and shining forth with the heavenly glory of those who bedewed it with their own blood, having suffered at the hands of the minions of Satan for the Faith of Christ, to redeem them from the sin of apostasy.

Now and ever…: Theotokion of Little Vespers, in the resurrectional tone.

At the Aposticha, one sticheron of the resurrection, and these stichera for the new martyrs, in Tone I

O great passion-bearers, new martyrs of Russia, with love we fall down before you; and, glorifying your struggles, we reverently kiss your wounds. Pray ye, we beseech you, in behalf of our souls.

Stichos: By fire hast Thou tried us, even as silver is tried by fire.

O glorious new martyrs of Russia, when faith failed, ye strengthened it with your confession; when loved waxed cold, ye gave yourselves over to torment and death for the sake of your love for Christ; and when hope was shaken, ye made it steadfast by your trust in God, Whom do ye entreat, that within us He strengthen faith, hope and love.

Stichos: The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them, and He delivered them out of all their tribulations.

It is not men who save the Church; and accord with her enemies profiteth naught. Rather, the Church saveth men by the power of Christ, as your struggle hath shown. O invincible new martyrs of Russia, truly ye are the glory of the Church, for which do ye earnestly pray, that Christ make it steadfast and unshakable.

Glory…, in Tone II

O wondrous army of new athletes of Russia, who is able to glorify you worthily? Truly blessed is the land which hath been watered by your blood; and its cities and villages are mystically hallowed, having received your precious remains, oft-times without hymnody of the Church, and likewise without honorable burial. Yet pray, O ye saints, for your country and for all that honor you.

Now and ever…, Theotokion, in the same tone

Who can praise and bless thee as is meet, O Maiden Bride of God, for the deliverance which through thee came into the world? Wherefore, in thanksgiving we cry out to thee, saying: Rejoice, thou who deified Adam and brought together that which had been sundered! Rejoice, thou who hast enlightened our race with the radiant resurrection of thy Son and our God! For the Christian race doth unceasingly call thee blessed.

After “Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace…”, and after “Our Father…”, the Troparion of the resurrection; Glory…, the Troparion of the new martyrs (see text below in Great Vespers); Now and ever…, Theotokion: “The mystery hidden from before the ages…”

At Great Vespers

After the Introductory Psalm, we chant “Blessed is the man…”, the full kathisma.

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 4 stichera for the resurrection, and 6 for the new martyrs, in Tone I

With fervent supplication, O brethren, let us now begin to chant hymns to the new favorites of God; for, cleansed through fearsome torments, they have been shown to be branches of the true vine of Christ, abundantly watered with the sweetness of grace, set forth before us in the fragrance of their holiness. And edified by their struggle, with compunction let us also offer unto God the fruit of repentance.

O ye mountains of Kiev which were blessed by the cross of the apostle Andrew, praise ye the beginning of the dread baptism wherewith the land of Russia hath been baptized anew. For where grace shone forth upon the Russian people through water and the Spirit, unto the opening of the kingdom of God, there was it fitting for this renewal to begin, through the blood of the first slain among the Russian hierarchs, the namesake of the enlightener of the Russian land. For this new Vladimir, led forth from his vineyard through the gates of the sacred Lavra of the Caves, was vouchsafed the crown of Stephen, forgiving and blessing those who slew him, as a meek intercessor for our souls.

Lamentation, and mournful song, and woe: lo! the scroll of Ezekiel which filled thy soul to repletion, O holy Tikhon our Patriarch! May thy voice be heard even now, saying: “O brethren, archpastors and pastors, summon thy children to the defense of the Orthodox Church!” And may those who destroy the churches of God hearken to thy fiery discourse: “If ye but call yourselves Christians, we anathematize you by the authority given us by God!” O dread and everlasting excommunication! Behold an anathema lifted by no one! Behold the boldness of the Patriarch!

O our holy Tsar and passion-bearer Nicholas, O new and saintly Tsaritsa Alexandra, O child Alexis, heir to heavenly things, and royal maidens Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia: ye who were abandoned by the ungrateful, O holy band of seven, who through many humiliations found ascent to heaven, leading with you four fellow sufferers: pray with them to our all-good God, that He vouchsafe the exceeding sinful people of Russia forgiveness, bring peace to the world, and save our souls.

And these other stichera, in Tone IV

Meek, yet steadfast, wast thou, O elect of the city of Peter, hieromartyr Benjamin, who wast condemned by new Copronymuses and betrayed by false pastors to an authority opposed to God. For then God revealed thee as a fearless teacher. Behold, here is thy testament proclaimed from imprisonment: “For the sake of the Church, let us not spare ourselves, and let us not betray the holy Church for our own sake!” And at the lawless tribunal thy discourse was amazing to all: “Ye offer me now death or life; but signing myself with the sign of the holy Cross, I say: Glory to Thee for all things, O Lord God!”

O victims for God who were buried alive, cast down into a well-like pit! First of all the passion-bearer Elizabeth, the merciful princess who strove for the things of heaven, finding the pearl of Orthodoxy in her new homeland, who in accordance with the Gospel forgave the slayer of her husband, and who pleased God with prayer and benevolence, yet was not spared by the godless! Pray also for us, ye holy princes! Pray for all, ye venerable passion-bearers Elizabeth and faithful Barbara! Hearken unto us, ye who were buried in the Garden of Gethsemane. Give ear to us, ye whose place of burial is unknown! Hear us, ye holy seven, received together into the mansions of heaven, and pray to God in our behalf!

Glory…, in Tone VIII

Your steadfast courage is the glory of the Church of Russia, O new passion-bearers and confessors, for ye are the disciples of Philip and Hermogenes, and the servants of the much-suffering Patriarch Tikhon, who gave you your name. Persecuted and slain, ye remained in tribulations with patience. And who can reckon the number of your torments and bitter deaths? Yet ye showed yourselves to be preachers to those with you in bondage, enlighteners of those who before were unbelievers, performers of the holy Mysteries. Great is your love for Christ, great is your faith! In all things ye have shown yourselves to be servants of God!

Now and ever….: Dogmatic Theotokion of the tone.

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. 3 Readings:

A Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah [Isa 43:9-13]

Thus saith the Lord: All the nations are gathered together, and princes shall be gathered out of them: who will declare these things? or who will declare to you things from the beginning? Let them bring forth their witnesses, and be justified; and let them hear, and declare the truth. Be ye My witnesses, and I too am a witness, saith the Lord God, and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know, and believe, and understand that I am He; before Me there was no other God, and after Me there shall be none. I am God; and beside Me there is no Savior. I have declared, and have saved; I have reproached, and there was no strange god among you: ye are my witnesses, and I am the Lord God, even from the beginning; and there is none that can deliver out of My hands: I will work, and who shall turn it back? Thus saith the Lord God that redeemeth you, the Holy One of Israel.

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon [Wis 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 chastened, 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 forever. Those who 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.

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon [Wis 4:7-15]

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 grey hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age. He pleased God, and was beloved 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 naught, neither laid they up this in their minds, that His grace and mercy is with His servants, and that He hath respect unto His chosen.

At the Litya, this sticheron, in Tone VIII

May the joyous angels of God summon us all, and let us be glad; for, rejoicing over a single sinner who repenteth, they dance for joy over the multitude of new saints, the martyrs and confessors of the Church of Russia, who shone forth in their sufferings. Behold, the Tsar and those of his household, the Patriarch, holy hierarchs, priests and monks, and a multitude of people of every calling, tested by bondage and privations, by cruel and multifarious torments, and by death, which brought them to everlasting life. And for the sake of this their struggle, grace hath been given them to pray for us, for they are a royal priesthood, the hope for the renewal of our generation, the proclaimers of the mercy of Christ our Savior, Who hath called them to His own wondrous light.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone

O fervent helper, ready joy of the sorrowful, thou art the comforter of those who call upon thee in their hour of tribulation, O all-holy Mistress Theotokos. Look upon the ruined temples of thy Son, look upon the mockery to which His humble servants have been subjected by the godless. Hearken to the groans of thy servants, and do thou thyself, with the holy passion-bearers, help and have mercy upon us.

Aposticha stichera of the resurrection; and Glory…, in Tone VI

O holy and most humble priests and confessors, we see how during the dreadful time of persecutions ye were banished far from your homes. We see you starving, afflicted with scurvy, bereft of your comeliness, covered with bleeding sores, beaten and deprived of sleep by guardsmen, weeping over abandoned children and their defenseless mothers. And who can record all your names? Who can relate to the world all that ye suffered? Yet God knoweth His elect who have preserved the pledge they had given, even unto death, thereby obtaining the boldness to pray for us.

Now and ever…: Theotokion in the same tone

O Theotokos, thou help of the helpless! Help even now the suffering people of the Russian land, who are in prison, torment or grievous circumstances. We beseech thee, O Mistress, with all the holy new martyrs and confessors of our generation: Pray that thy servants be delivered from many tribulations.

Troparion of the New Martyrs, in Tone IV

O ye holy hierarchs, royal passion-bearers and pastors, monks and laymen, ye countless new martyrs and confessors, men, women and children, flowers of the spiritual meadow of Russia, who blossomed forth wondrously in time of grievous persecutions, bearing good fruit for Christ in your endurance: Entreat Him as the One Who planted you, that He deliver His people from godless and evil men, and that the Church of Russia be made steadfast through your blood and suffering, unto the salvation of our souls.

At Matins

At “God is the Lord…,” the Troparion of the resurrection, twice; Glory…, the Troparion of the new martyrs; Now and ever…, Theotokion: “The mystery hidden from before the ages….”

Polyeleos, and this Magnification

We magnify you, O holy new martyrs and confessors of Russia, and we honor your honored sufferings, which ye have endured for Christ.

Selected Psalm

A Our God is refuge and strength. [Ps. 45: 2]

B A helper in afflictions which mightily befall us. [Ps. 45: 2]

A Therefore shall we not fear when the earth be shaken. [Ps. 45: 3]

B O God, who shall be likened unto Thee? Be Thou not silent, neither be still, O God. [Ps. 82: 2]

A For behold, Thine enemies have made a noise, and those who hate Thee have lifted up their heads. [Ps. 82: 3]

B Against Thy people have they taken wicked counsel, and have conspired against Thy saints. [Ps. 82: 4]

A They have made the dead bodies of Thy servants to be food for the birds of heaven. [Ps. 78: 2]

B The flesh of Thy saints for the beasts of the earth. [Ps. 78: 2]

A They have poured out their blood like water. [Ps. 78: 3]

B For Thy sake we are slain all the day long. [Ps. 43: 23]

A We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. [Ps. 43: 23]

B Thou hast made us a byword among the nations. [Ps. 43: 15]

A And I became a man scourged all the day long. Ps. 72: 14]

B By fire hast Thou tried us even as silver is tried by fire. [Ps. 65: 11]

A We went through fire and water, and Thou didst bring us out into refreshment. [Ps 65: 12]

B Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous. [Ps. 31: 11]

A For the Lord is in the generation of the righteous. [Ps. 13: 5]

B And their inheritance shall be for ever. [Ps. 36: 18]

A The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them. [Ps. 33: 18]

B A light hath dawned forth for the righteous man, and gladness for the upright of heart. [Ps. 96: 11]

A In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be. [Ps. 111: 6]

B In the saints that are in His earth hath the Lord been wondrous; He hath wrought all His desires in them. [Ps. 15: 3]

A Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel. [Ps. 67: 36]

B The righteous man shall flourish like a palm tree, and like a cedar in Lebanon shall he be multiplied. [Ps. 91: 13]

A The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in Him. [Ps. 63: 11]

B And all the upright in heart shall be praised. [Ps. 63: 11]

Glory…, Now and ever… Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. Thrice

“The assembly of the angels…..” Then, the little litany and its exclamation: “For blessed is Thy name….”

After the Polyeleos, the Hypacoï of the tone, and this Sessional hymn of the saints, in Tone I

Ye passed through the fire of torment and the water of tears, and the Lord hath led you forth into the rest of the saints, O new martyrs and confessors of Russia, intercessors who call upon God in behalf of those who understand and venerate your struggle. Glory to Him Who kneweth your volition beforehand! Glory to Him Who predestined you for the glory of heaven! Glory to Him Who through you granteth us great mercy!

Another Sessional hymn, in the same tone

In that ye loved God, O passion-bearers, all things soever ye endured on earth were for your good, and as ones elect ye passed on to the promised inheritance of everlasting blessings. Glory to Him Who gave you strength amid grievous torments! Glory to Him Who hath crowned you! Glory to Him Who through you worketh salvation!

Glory…, in Tone III

Ye shone forth brightly in the firmament of the Church, O holy hierarchs of the foremost sees of Russia: most holy Patriarch Tikhon, who with fire pronounced the anathema against the enemies of the Cross; Vladimir, holy hierarch of Kiev, first fruit most ripe of the new harvest of the garden of Russia; and Benjamin, luminary of Petrograd, who from childhood desired to suffer for Christ, which he did. And with you all the passion-bearers are also glorified. Wherefore, with compunction we say to you thus: Rejoice, mighty and steadfast council! Be ye bold intercessors for all that pray to you!

Now and ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone

Gabriel marvelled at the beauty of thy virginity and thy most radiant purity, O Theotokos, and cried out to thee: “What worthy praise shall I bring thee? What shall I call thee? I am at a loss and filled with awe. Wherefore, as I have been commanded, I cry to thee: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace!”

Then the Hymns of Ascent, Prokimenon, and Gospel of the Resurrection.

N.B.: If the temple be dedicatedto the holy new martyrs:

Prokimenon, in Tone IV

For Thy sake, O Lord, are we slain all the day long.

Stichos: We are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Gospel according to Matthew, §36 [10:16-22]

The Lord said to His disciples: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye who speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake: but he who endureth to the end shall be saved.”

After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI

The new passion-bearers and confessors have been shown to be true witnesses to the resurrection of Christ, and for them have we established this feast. How could they have borne their cross to the glory which was to be revealed to them, had they not known that they were undeserving of the suffering of this present age?

Here endeth the prescription for a temple of the new martyrs.

Canon to the resurrection, with 4 Troparia, and to the Theotokos, from the Octoechos, with 2 Troparia. (If it be the Sunday of the Publican, or of the Prodigal, or Meatfare, see the Chapter of Mark for January 30th.) Then the canon of the new martyrs, with 8 Troparia, in Tone VI

Ode I

Irmos: The children of those who were saved have concealed beneath the earth Him Who of old covered the pursuing tyrant with the waves of the sea; but let us chant unto the Lord like the maidens: Gloriously hath He been glorified.

O Lord my God, help me humbly to hymn the glory of the new martyrs and confessors of Russia, to whom Thou hast lovingly thrown open the portals of heaven for the sake of their grievous suffering.

O Lord our God, Who from of old hast given this glory to the martyrs, that their relics be scattered throughout the churches for our renewal: Grant this glory also to the new passion-bearers, even if the places of their burial are unknown.

O holy martyred Tsar Nicholas, thou who, though deprived of thine earthly kingdom, didst remain utterly faithful to the King of heaven amid thy tribulations: Entreat Him that we also not be deprived of the comfort of His grace amid our misfortunes.

O holy Patriarch Tikhon our father, rebuker of the children of disobedience, who from the hands of the hieromartyr Vladimir didst receive the wooden staff of the holy hierarch Peter the primate: Seek me out who am a sheep lost in the mountains.

Theotokion: In thy dormition thou didst not forsake the world, O Mistress, nor hast thou abandoned the Russian land, but hast been well-pleased to accept the praise rendered thee by the holy new passion-bearers.

Ode III

Irmos: Creation, beholding Thee, Who suspended the whole earth without support upon the waters, Thyself suspended upon Golgotha, was seized with great awe, crying out: None is holy save Thee, O Lord!

What gift of discourse shall we offer unto you, O faithful witnesses of the Word, valiant passion-bearers and pastors, who were reckoned like lambs for the slaughter?

It was fitting for thee, O Vladimir, first hierarch of the Church of Russia, namesake of the holy enlightener of Rus’, to initiate the glorious contest of struggle and sufferings. Since thou dost lead the host of passion-bearers crowned by God, let the first crown of praise be bestowed upon thee.

Amid the valorous array we behold thee, O sacred one, first hierarch of the city of Saint Peter, holy hierarch Benjamin, beloved of thy flock as thy namesake, the patriarch of old, was beloved of Jacob.

Thou art shown to be first in the rank of the newly martyred priests, O presbyter John, who first stood before the throne of God in America. For the Lord crowned thee with a martyr’s crown as the denouncer of the cruel godless ones in Tsarskoe Selo, as He did another John, the namesake of rapture, who was wondrous in courage and word before the tormenters. With them, O all ye newly martyred priests, grant us aid.

Theotokion: O most merciful Mother, all-pure Virgin, who suffered with thy Son and Savior: we know thee to be a solicitous comforter both of those of thy servants who have remained in the Russian land and those who are in the dispersion.

Kontakion of the new martyrs, in Tone II

O ye new passion-bearers of Russia, who have with your confession finished the course of this earth, receiving boldness through your sufferings: Beseech Christ Who strengthened you, that we also, whenever the hour of trial find us, may receive the gift of courage from God. For ye are a model for us who venerate your struggle; for neither tribulation, prison, nor death could separate you from the love of God.

Ikos: When the days of trial by fire began of the Church of Russia, and the Lord was not pleased to accept wholeburnt offerings and oblations from us, many hierarchs and priests did not confer with flesh and blood, but, understanding the will of the Lord, offered themselves up as an unblemished sacrifice. And following the eternal High Priest and Mediator of the new covenant, they entered into the holy of holies with their own blood, that the sins of the people might be washed clean. Glorious are your names, O valiant passion-bearers, for ye are a model for us who venerate your struggle; for neither tribulation, prison, nor death could separate you from the love of God.

Sessional hymn, in Tone VIII

Prone to the weaknesses of the flesh like us, in spirit ye attained the measure of the ancient fathers, O undaunted sacred confessors of Russia, who were banished to the ruined Monastery of Solovki and to other places of imprisonment. And while your sufferings abounded, likewise did consolation from the Lord mystically abound; and ye are now comforted manifestly by Him, having attained unto the unsetting day of the kingdom of Christ, wherein, we beseech you, cease not to pray for the salvation of our souls.

Glory…, another Sessional hymn, in Tone I

The priest Alexis, of peasant stock like the elderly prophetess Anna, accepted death of his own will in the stead of a young pastor who was his fellow prisoner. And the priest Peter, whose name signifieth scepter, was shot in the mouth by one whom he exhorted. Glory to Him Who gave to so many priests strength against the godless! Glory to Him Who hath also led deacons to be martyrs. Glory to Him Who giveth to them a twofold grace to pray for us!

Now and ever…, of the coming forefeast, in the same tone

The new martyrs and confessors of our generation rejoice, meeting their Lord and Master, Whom once the holy elder Symeon met, saying to Him: “Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart, O Master!” Vouchsafe unto us also, O Lord, that at the hour of our passing from this transitory life, we may be forgiven and may depart in peace, through the supplications of our all-holy Mistress the Theotokos, of Thy favored ones who are now being hymned, and of all Thy saints.

Ode IV

Irmos: Foreseeing Thy divine condescension upon the Cross, Habbakuk cried out in awe: Thou hast cut down the dominion of the mighty, O Good One, entering into fellowship with those who are in hades, in that Thou art Almighty.

The land defiled by the deeds of the godless is made blessed again by the sprinkling of your blood. And the waters of the seas and rivers have received the bodies of the drowned as a sacred treasure cast therein.

O new hieromartyr, lamp of Tobol’sk, namesake of Hermogenes of Moscow, thy whole life was like a flame which the River Tura could in no wise extinguish. For, drowned, thou didst ascend to thy Lord, and beaten on the mouth, thou didst pray silently until the end. And now thou dost also pray for us.

Dreadful is the report concerning the torments of Andronicus, the holy archpastor of Perm, who, fearing not tortures, commanded his flock to take an oath against the godless authorities. And Basil, holy hierarch of Chernigov, with others sent by the Council of All Russia to investigate the slaying of Andronicus, then suffered with him; and they all stand together before the Lord.

The archpastor Metrophanes, who glorified the holy hierarch Joseph who of old had been slain by the minions of Razin, was cruelly slain at night; and his fellow bishop Leontius also suffered at that time. Thus, these three hieromartyrs of Astrakhan are illumined by the one light of the kingdom of heaven.

Theotokion: O, how many of the holy icons are now taken from the faithful by the hands of the godless! Yet the image of the good comfortress is not uprooted from the hearts of those who pray, the confessors of the holy Faith who are bereft of freedom.

Ode V

Irmos: Isaiah, rising at dawn out of the night, and beholding the never-waning light of Thy theophany, O Christ, which hath mercifully come to pass for us, cried out: The dead shall rise up and those who are in the tombs shall arise, and all born on earth shall rejoice.

O Peter and Cyril, great and steadfast confessors, different of character, yet one in faith and firmness of spirit: Though ye were exiled, yet ye retained the full right to govern the Church; and now, as heirs to the kingdom of heaven, entreat God that we also be maintained in this right.

O Agathangelus, angel of the Church of Yaroslavl’, rejoice with your friends; for your withdrawal from your brethren, who did not defend the rights of the Church, was a joy to the angels. Ye refused to subject yourselves to impiety; wherefore, ye went forth to tribulations and privations, bearing your cross.

O Arsenius, glory of Novgorod the Great, who wast one of the pillars of the Council of All Russia: thy soul was exceeding sorrowful when thou wast in prison; but soon thy faith shone forth in triumph, overcoming all temptations, and thou wast shown to be steadfast to the end.

The life of Damascene moveth all who read it to compunction: how he was on the islands of Solovki, in Kazakhstan and the parts of Siberia, ascending his own Golgotha; how on the bank of a river, tormented by the cold of Siberia, he gave his own outer riassa to a priest who had none. And he himself surrendered his spirit to God on a raft in the cold of winter, one of those of whom the whole world is not worthy.

Theotokion: O all-pure Virgin, guide of steadfast and holy hierarchs: Instruct us to think, to say and to do only that which is right, emulating the confessors who spared not themselves.

Ode VI

Irmos: Jonah was swallowed, but was not held fast in the belly of the monster; for, serving as an image of Thee, Who didst suffer and wast given over for burial, he issued forth from the whale as from a bridal chamber. And he said to the watchmen, the vain and false guardians: Ye have forsaken His mercy!

Ye have been shown to be heirs of Eden most sweet, O new martyrs of the land of Russia. Blessed are ye, for your weeping hath found solace in heaven. Ye thirsted after righteousness, and therewith ye are now abundantly satisfied in the kingdom of heaven.

In cruel imprisonment, the daughters of the Tsar and their holy mother drew forth consolation for themselves from the writings of the holy Fathers, and thus betrothed themselves unto Christ. And Alexis their brother was borne in the arms of the martyred Tsar to the place where those royal persons and their four fellow sufferers were slain. And they intercede before God for our race as animate sacrifices.

The mine-shaft became a tomb wherein the venerable martyr Elizabeth ended her royal path with Barbara, her sister in the Lord, and six others. There the Princess bound the wounds of the passion-bearer Prince John. O ye holy martyrs of Alapaevsk, tend now the wounds of our souls!

O favored ones of God who have suffered in these dreadful days in the Russian land, ye renowned and unknown alike, monks, nuns, men, women and children: Strengthen us by your prayers, that the way may be made straight before the Lord for us who commemorate your struggle.

Theotokion: Many times hath our race been delivered from misfortunes and evils by people praying before thy holy icons, O Mother of God. O Mistress, in thine intercession bring together all of our supplications for deliverance from tribulation most cruel.

After Ode VI, the Kontakion of the resurrection, and its ikos.

Ode VII

Irmos: O ineffable wonder! He, Who in the furnace delivered the venerable children from the flame, is laid in the grave, dead and devoid of breath, for the salvation of us who chant: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou!

The Church of Russia is glorified by your sufferings, O new martyrs, our kinsmen of every rank and estate, who have been slain for Christ by the godless, for the salvation of us who chant: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou!

Having the Cross as a spear and faith in Christ as a shield, ye accepted sufferings and death, for the salvation of us who chant: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou!

Set afire by the minions of Satan whose conscience burned with fire, the holy hierarch John of Riga denounced their malice; likewise did those who were hanged: Tikhon, holy hierarch of Voronezh, the priest Alexis of Simferopol’, and others wickedly slain. And they cry out to Thee, O Lord, in Thy radiant kingdom: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou!

Like pure birds into the nest of heaven doth the Lord receive the passion-bearing children who were slain, and who sing unceasingly in paradise: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou!

Theotokion: O faithful deliverer of thy people, implore thy Son and God to deliver thy home again from tribulations more cruel than all that have been before, that, saved by thee, with compunction we may say to Him: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou!

Ode VIII

Irmos: Fall back in awe and fear, O heaven; and let the foundations of the earth be shaken! For, lo! He Who dwelleth in the highest is numbered among the dead and sojourneth as a stranger in a small tomb. Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Ye washed your robes in your blood and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb Who was slaughtered for man’s sake: Whom do ye children bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt supremely for all ages!

Let us bless the holy hierarchs Joseph of Petrograd, the zealot of the purity of the mystical Church, who in his banishment was forced to sleep with unclean swine. And let us hearken to him say to the ear of our heart: By your sufferings and faithfulness exalt Christ supremely for all ages!

Glorious in their life and end were the holy hierarchs Seraphim of Uglich, and Maximus of Serpukhov, who was a physician blessed for a secret episcopate. Of great difficulty is the ministry of the persecuted Church, and those who undertook it have come to stand before Christ God, interceding with Him in behalf of His flock, ever glorifying Him unto the ages.

O tireless chorus chanting heavenly praise, right victorious new martyrs of the Russian land: Ye now ever commune with the ever-living Lamb for Whom ye were slain by the godless. Him do ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt supremely for all ages!

Theotokion: O all-holy Mistress, save and free thy servants who suffer even to this day; and grant them endurance and strength. On thee do we set all our hope, and we ever bless thee and exalt thy Son and God supremely unto the ages!

Ode IX

Irmos: Lament Me not, O Mother, beholding in the tomb the Son Whom thou didst conceive in thy womb without seed; for I shall arise and be glorified, and as God everlasting shall I exalt with glory those who magnify thee with faith and love.

O new passion-bearers, ye took up the struggle against the malice of the godless ones, holding up the Faith of Christ as a shield before the teaching of this world, and showing us an example of patience and endurance of evils as is meet.

O, the steadfastness and valor of the host of Christian martyrs slain for Christ! They have adorned the Orthodox Church and given their blood in their land as the seed of the Faith. Let them be honored as is meet, together with all the saints.

Let us all hear how the wondrous Lydia, though she wept, was steadfast in her sufferings, and moved Cyril to suffer with her. And he became a shield for her, but a sword against the bestial tormenters. And having recounted these things to the Church, Alexis also suffered. By the supplications of these three, O God, have mercy upon us!

O ye saints whom we have remembered here, and ye countless multitude of those unknown, forgive the poverty of these words, and vouchsafe that praises may be written more fitting for you. To reckon your number is not possible. By the supplications of all of you may we that honor you receive from the Lord and Master of our life grace and great mercy.

Theotokion: O all-hymned Mother: even though thy great Church of the Caves hath been demolished by the wicked, wherein the hieromartyr Vladimir, when the day of his murder drew nigh, read the akathist hymn with great compunction, praying to thee, yet thy mercy for repentant people doth not fail utterly. Rejoice, O joyous one, who in thy dormition hath not forsaken us!

Exapostilarion

O holy new martyrs and confessors, exceeding luminous is your struggle for us in these days which are benighted by faint-heartedness: for faith hath failed because of the multitude of our iniquities; love hath grown cold, and hope hath been shaken; but your valor hath enlightened the Church of Russia with new glory.

On the Praises: 4 stichera of the resurrection, and 4 of the new martyrs, in Tone VI, Special Melody: “Having set all aside….”

Our sacred and great Council of All Russia heard the dreadful report of the persecutions raised against the Church of God, and its members all joined in one conciliar thought and appointed prayers for the persecuted and the slain, confessors and martyrs, on the day of the suffering and death of the holy hierarch Vladimir. He who today doth reason with the Church knoweth: the days of the repose of those who have departed unto God amidst torment are called the days of their birth. Wherefore, let us celebrate this feast as the nativity of the new passion-bearers of Russia.

The first who were slain for the Faith and the Church were the first commemorated by name by the most holy Patriarch. O holy hierarch Vladimir, lamb of the Caves, and ye senior priests: John, Peter, Joseph and Paul, ye venerable martyrs Gervasius and Gerasimus, and ye hieromartyrs Paul, Peter and Theodore, Michael, Vladimir and Constantine, deacon John, novice Anthony and custodian John, with the vast multitude of clergy, monks and laity, whose names are all known unto the Lord: Entreat Him, that we be saved.

Stichos: Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord; in His commandments shall He greatly delight.

O ye that with the holy Tsar were oppressed every day, O holy and passion-bearing Tsaritsa and royal virgins, holy royal son, and faithful fellow sufferers who served you: unjustly were ye all slain at night; and utterly consumed as victims for justice, ye are become mediators for us, like incense well-pleasing unto God. Ye also who on the next day were buried alive amid dreadful torments with the holy Princess and her companion. And now, O Tsar Nicholas, leading all that suffered with thee, O holy lamenter of our generation, like a new Job, entreat the Lord to forgive all.

Stichos: Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy righteous shall rejoice.

Condemned by the godless, the priests of God whom the holy Patriarch had blessed to undergo torments and death for Christ refused to ask for mercy. And when on the morrow they were led to execution, the guardsmen were at a loss how to drive back the faithful who came forth to meet them. For the people kissed the doomed ones condemned to death and their sacred hands and the hem of their garments, and some chanted triumphantly: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death! O Lord, through the supplications of these hieromartyrs, have mercy upon us!

Glory…, the Evangelical Sticheron (or the doxasticon from the Triodion). [N.B.: If the temple be dedicated to the new martyrs: Glory…, the sticheron of the martyrs, in Tone I: “It is not man….” (from Little Vespers).]

Now and ever…: Theotokion, in Tone II: Most blessed art thou….

At Divine Liturgy

At the Beatitudes, 6 Troparia from the Octoechos, and 4 for the new martyrs:

Remember, O Lord, the dreadful torments which the new passion-bearers, who have now sprouted forth from our race, suffered for Thee; and accept their entreaties for our salvation.

O righteous Judge, Thou hast opened the kingdom of heaven unto the confessors of the Church of Russia. Hearken, O Lord, unto their righteousness, and give ear unto their supplication for the salvation of our souls.

Glory…: O most divine Trinity, return us from our captivity! We know that sin hath increased in our land more than ever before; yet grace also hath shone forth in the struggle of the new saints, who also entreat Thee, O thrice-holy God, for the salvation of our souls!

Now and ever…: Gather the dispersed; raise up the faint-hearted; call those who have renounced the holy Faith and convert them, O gracious and all-pure Virgin Mary, entreating Christ the Savior, with the holy new martyrs and confessors, for the forgiveness and salvation of our souls.

After the Entrance, the Troparia in accordance with the prescription of the Typicon concerning when the services of saints whose services are of vigil rank fall on Sunday. If the feast of the new martyrs falleth within the period of the Triodion, see the Chapter of Mark for January 30th.

Prokimena of the Tone (or the Triodion), and of the martyrs, in Tone VII

For Thy sake, O Lord, we are slain all the day long.

Epistle according to the table of readings, and that for the New Martyrs:

Epistle to the Romans, §99 [8:28-39]

Brethren: We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, those He also called: and whom He called, those He also justified: and whom He justified, those He also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He Who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God Who justifieth. Who is he who condemneth? It is Christ Who died, yea rather, Who is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Alleluia of the tone, and of the Martyrs, in Tone IV

The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them, and He delivered them out of all their afflictions.

Gospel according to the table of readings, and that for the Martyrs:

Gospel according to Luke §106 [21:12-29]

The Lord said to His disciples: “Beware of men. They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.”

Communion verses

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest.

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright.