Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 28th Day of the Month of January

Commemoration of Our Father among the Saints Isaac the Syrian, Bishop of Nineveh

At Little Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 4 stichera, in Tone II, Special Melody: “When from the Tree…”

Receiving in thy heart the immaterial fire of the love of Christ, O father, thou didst follow Christ the Savior from thy youth, rejecting the passionate attachments of the world, O all-blessed Isaac. Wherefore, thou wast shown to be a God-bearing monk, severing the offshoots of the passions by extreme asceticism.

When thy soul was devoured by the holy love of stillness, O godly-minded one, thou madest thine abode in a desert place, and, illumined by the effulgence of the Spirit, wast truly shown to be an angel in the flesh. Wherefore, by word and deed thou didst show thyself to be an instructor and God-bearing teacher of monks.

When thou wast ordained by the Holy Spirit to be bishop of Nineveh, O father Isaac, as a most divine shepherd thou didst transmit the saving law of grace to the faithful, and unto them didst dedicate thyself, O blessed one. Wherefore, thou wast shown to be a model of ways which are more sublime and a fulfiller of the divine Gospel.

Thou wast shown to be an initiate of the mysteries and a guide for monastics toward perfection, O God-bearer; for, adorned by the splendor of thy life, thou didst set forth divine teachings and discourse of wisdom, whereby we are directed to the path of the virtues; for by thy manner of life, O father Isaac, thou hast been shown to be a vessel of dispassion and a fragrant meadow.

Glory…, in Tone IV

Withdrawing from fellowship with what is material, with most fervent love thou didst betake thyself to ascetic labors, O Isaac; and conversing with the immaterial angels while yet in a material body, thou wast vouchsafed immaterial visions, and by active discourse didst train all to acquire that which is higher. Wherefore, preserve unharmed by the assaults of the wicked those who celebrate thy memory, asking great mercy for all.

Now and ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone

Preserve thy servants from all misfortunes, O blessed Theotokos, that we may all glorify thee, the hope of our souls.

These stichera Aposticha, in Tone II, Special Melody: “O house of Ephratha…”

Rejoice, O godly-minded Isaac, thou radiant lamp of hesychasts and most divine luminary for all monastics.

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

Wholly devoted to the Lord from thy childhood, through hesychia thou wast shown forth as a sanctified vessel of the Paraclete, O venerable one.

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

By thine entreaties, O father, impart understanding to my mind, that I may comprehend thy divine teachings, the knowledge which is salvific.

Glory…: Triadicon, in the same melody

O Isaac who treasured up mystical radiance from the all-divine Trinity, set us afire with divine teachings.

Now and ever…: Theotokion, in the same melody

Deliver my life from the spirit of despondency, indolence and all ignorance, O all-pure Maiden, and save me.

Troparion, in Tone V

Illumined by rays of the virtues, O God-bearer Isaac, in spirit thou wast shown to be an all-radiant beacon of the life which is in Christ; and by thy divinely inspired teachings, O father, thou dost guide safely to the way of salvation those who bless thee as a godly servant of Christ.

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

Rejoice, impassable gate of the Lord! Rejoice, rampart and protection of those who have recourse unto thee! Rejoice, haven untouched by storms, thou who knowest not wedlock, who gavest birth in the flesh to thy Creator and God! Fail not in thy supplications for those who hymn and worship thy birthgiving!

At Great Vespers

After the Introductory Psalm, we chant “Blessed is the man…”, the first antiphon.

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera: 4 in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Called from on high…”

Inflamed by the love of the Savior from thy youth, with fervent haste thou didst forsake all passionate attachments to the world and didst follow after the Lord. Wherefore, thou didst mortify carnal-mindedness by ascetic struggles, and wast shown to be a most excellent vessel of dispassion. For this cause we call thee blessed, O our God-bearing father Isaac, as one who guideth us to the perfection of the virtues. Twice.

Consumed by divine yearning for stillness, rejoicing, thou didst take up thine abode in the wilderness; and holding converse with God, with a most pure heart thou didst unite thyself to Him, O father. Wherefore, thou wast thereby filled with godly rapture and divine illumination which passeth understanding, and becamest a wise teacher of solitaries, O our God-bearing father Isaac, initiating into the mysteries of the higher life those who receive the splendor of thy teachings with faith.

As a luminary of hesychasts, a knower of [men’s] thoughts and a sublime example [for all], thou dost bear our thoughts aloft toward the bestowal of perfect life, O blessed one; for like the dew which descendeth from Hermon upon the mountains of Sion, as it is written, O holy one, and like divine manna and immaterial nectar, thy wise and divinely inspired discourse doth ever gladden our souls and leadeth them to the Lord, O Isaac who art most blessed.

And 4 stichera in the same tone, Special Melody: “Thou hast given a sign…”

Thou gavest to thy Creator the inclination of thy heart, and didst direct all the movements of thy mind toward Him, O godly minded one; and through temperance and a life equal to that of the angels thou wast raised up to the utmost dispassion, and, becoming full of the radiance of the Paraclete, thou hast pleased God, O most blessed Isaac. Twice

Like a most fragrant meadow, the book of thy discourses delighteth the perception of our minds with the flowers of thy teachings, O blessed one, and by the divine Spirit dispelleth from our souls the fœtor of the passions and aridity of spirit; for in that thou didst live like an angel, O Isaac, thou guidest our minds to the life which is more sublime.

Having been wholly filled with God through ascetic labor, thou wast shown to be a divinely elect hierarch and shepherd, the presiding bishop of Nineveh, O all-blessed Isaac. Yet having tasted of the divine blessings of hesychia, O father, thou didst make thine abode in the desert; and having cleansed thy mind by visions and actions, thou didst hold converse with God.

Glory…, in Tone VIII

Thou didst destroy the thorns of the passions by the fire of asceticism, and didst cultivate the fruit of virtue, O venerable one; for, presenting to God a mind divorced from matter, thou didst receive in thy soul the gifts of the divine energy, thereby becoming wholly divine; and showing forth by word and deed the graces of life in Christ, through thy personal example thou didst show thyself to be a teacher of monastics. And now, O father Isaac, cease not to intercede with Christ, that He illumine our minds with the light of knowledge divine.

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

In His love for mankind, the King of heaven appeared on earth and dwelt among men; for He Who received flesh from the pure Virgin and came forth from her having received human nature, is the only Son of God, two in nature but not hypostasis. Therefore, proclaiming Him to be truly perfect God and perfect man, we confess Christ our God. Him do thou beseech, O Mother unwedded, that our souls find mercy!

Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. Three Readings:

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality. And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for Himself. As gold in the furnace hath He tried them and received them as a burnt offering. And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. 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

The righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High. Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them. He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armor, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies. He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet. He shall take holiness for an invincible shield. His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise. Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well-drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark. And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them. Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill-dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty. Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations. For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.

A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

Though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest. For honorable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years. But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age. He pleased God, and was loved of Him: so that living among sinners he was translated. Yea, speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind. He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time: for his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted He to take him away from among the wicked. This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, that His grace and mercy is with His saints, and that He hath respect unto His chosen.

At Litya, these stichera idiomela

In Tone I: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye company of monastics who have shouldered the divine yoke, and are enriched by receiving a most skilled guide to the way of ascetic labor: the God-bearing Isaac! For, as a husbandman of perfect virtue, he leadeth us by the hand to noetic ascents, that we might harvest the fruit of the Tree of Life, trampling underfoot the temptations of the evil one. Wherefore, spiritually celebrating his holy memory, let us glorify Christ Who granteth us mercy divine.

In Tone II: Having engaged in the ascetic way of life, thou didst love the beauty of stillness with an all-consuming desire, O blessed Isaac; for, devoting thyself wholly thereto, thou didst cast off every earthly burden, and having transcended the world and the flesh through steadfast vigilance and prayer, thou wast united unto God, and didst receive the firstfruits of the good things to come; for, speaking forever through the divine light, as a true servant of God thou didst dispel the darkness of the passions, and dost inflame our minds to desire and to seek things sublime.

In Tone III: Thou wast led by God from the ascetic life to the pastoral care of men’s soul, O most blessed Isaac, and when thou becamest a shepherd of the Church in Nineveh thou didst reverently and righteously excel as a most faithful husbandman of the Gospel. To the flock entrusted to thy care thou didst reveal thyself as a model of all righteousness, and having been tested as both a venerable hierarch and a God-bearing ascetic; and having finished well thy course, thou didst receive the reward of thy labors. In that thou hast boldness, pray for those who honor thee.

In Tone IV: Having cut off every offshoot of the passions with the pruning of the Word, O venerable father, thou dost cultivate the seed of virtue in fertile hearts; for the Bestower of wisdom, Who dwelt within thee, gave the words of everlasting life unto thee, who becamest resplendent in wisdom through godly works; for thou dost instruct us in modesty of morals and strictness of life, O divinely wise Isaac, that we may become partakers of Christ.

Glory…, in the same tone

Let us, the choirs of monastics, honor Isaac of blessed memory, the hierarch and God-bearer among ascetics, as one full of grace divine; for having rendered his mind pure through most exalted hesychia, he became an instrument of the Holy Spirit, encouraging all to seek the goodly Pearl, and to disdain that which is in error. And delighting now in glory on high, he intercedeth without ceasing in behalf of our souls.

Now and ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone

Preserve thy servants from all misfortunes, O blessed Theotokos, that we may all glorify thee, the hope of our souls.

Aposticha stichera, in Tone V, Special Melody: “Rejoice…”

Rejoice, O sacred Isaac, emulator of the angels in thy manner of life! For, undertaking their way of life, with understanding thou didst please God in righteousness. Wherefore, thou didst suppress the uprisings of the passions and didst acquire the radiance of dispassion, wherewith thou didst shine forth as a heavenly luminary. For this cause we bless thee as a divine teacher of the way of Christ and a most excellent judge of the contest, who asketh for all cleansing, salvation and mercy divine.

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

Rejoice, O sacred Isaac, divinely wise preacher of hesychia! For, exercising thyself in asceticism, thou didst cleanse thyself of all dross; wherefore, thou didst avoid all earthly stumbling-blocks, and wast shown to be most exalted in heart, ineffably receiving the immaterial light, for in body thou didst pass through the darkness which surpasseth light, and in purity didst with a perfect mind hold converse with the Creator. Intercede with Him, O father, that we also may be given the light of grace divine.

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

Rejoice, O sacred Isaac, instructor and paragon of monastics, model of abstinence and noetic prayer, and of every form of life sublime! For having done as our Savior hath said, O venerable one, thou didst instruct men well in purity, in modesty and perfection of life. Wherefore, do thou ever send down upon us strength from on high, O father, that we may be well-pleasing unto our God, that we may at last inherit the kingdom of Christ.

Glory…, in Tone II

With hymns and songs let us praise Isaac the God-bearer, who by asceticism became the peer of the angels and in the virtues became divine; for like a lofty palm-tree, watered with showers of tears, by the power of the Spirit he produceth most sweet fruit for the Church of Christ, and without ceasing intercedeth with Christ, the Bestower of light, that He grant us cleansing and remission of transgressions.

Now and ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone

All of my hope do I set on thee, O Mother of God; keep me under thy protection.

Troparion, in Tone V

And “Virgin Theotokos, rejoice!…”, once.

At Matins

At “God is the Lord…”, the Troparion of the saint, twice; Glory…, Now and ever…: The resurrectional Theotokion in the same tone.

After the first chanting of the Psalter, this Sessional hymn, in Tone I, Special Melody: “Thy tomb, O Savior…”

As a radiant star shining forth out of Syria, thou dost enlighten the choir of monastics by thy discourse, and dost deliver us from the moonless night of the passions, O Isaac, for thou art shown to be a son of the light and of the day; wherefore, rejoicing, we celebrate thy splendid memorial with the chanting of hymns unto thee.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

By marvelously giving a body unto God, O Maiden, thou didst deliver the world from the ancient curse, and didst exalt to their primal splendor all who glorify thine inexpressible birthgiving, and who hymn thee as the Mother of the Lord, O all-pure Virgin.

After the second chanting of the Psalter, this Sessional hymn, in Tone III, Special Melody: “Of the divine Faith…”

The immaterial Light Who dwelt within thee, O God-bearing Isaac, showed thee to be an inextinguishable lamp of hesychia; wherefore, thou dost set our minds afire with the divine enkindling of thy teachings. O venerable father, entreat Christ God, that we be granted great mercy.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

He Who brought that which is into being out of non-existence took flesh of thine all-pure blood, yet remained unchanged; and He hath saved from the ancient curse those who with doubting hearts cry out to thee: Rejoice, O all-pure Virgin Theotokos, salvific cleansing of men!

Polyeleos, and this Magnification

We bless thee, O venerable father Isaac, and we honor thy holy memory, O instructor of monks and converser with the angels.

Selected Psalm verses

A With patience I waited patiently for the Lord, and He was attentive unto me, and He hearkened unto my supplication. [Ps. 39: 2]

B He set my feet upon a rock, and He ordered my steps aright. [Ps. 39: 3]

A Lo, I have fled afar off and have dwelt in the wilderness. [Ps. 54: 8]

B I am become like a pelican of the wilderness. [Ps. 101: 7]

A I have watched, and am like a sparrow that sitteth alone upon the housetop. [Ps. 101: 8]

B My knees are grown weak through fasting. [Ps. 108: 24]

A And my flesh is changed for want of oil. [Ps. 108: 24]

B With tears will I water my couch. [Ps. 6: 4]

A For many dogs have encircled me, the congregation of evil doers hath surrounded me. [Ps. 21: 17]

B They have bent their bow, a bitter thing. [Ps. 63: 4]

A That they may shoot in secret at the blameless man. [Ps. 63: 4]

B I beheld the Lord ever before me, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. [Ps. 15: 8]

A All the nations compassed me round about, and by the name of the Lord I warded them off. [Ps. 117: 10]

B Blessed be the Lord Who hath not given us to be a prey to their teeth. [Ps. 123: 6]

A Let all Thy works, O Lord, give praise to Thee. [Ps. 144: 10]

B And let the righteous ones bless Thee. [Ps. 144: 10]

A Know also that the Lord hath made wondrous His righteous one. [Ps. 4: 4]

B He hath labored forever, and shall live to the end. [Ps. 48: 9-10]

A The Lord preserveth the souls of His saints. [Ps. 96: 10]

B The saints shall boast in glory and shall rejoice upon their beds. [Ps. 149: 5]

A Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. [Ps. 115: 6]

B Chant unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. [Ps. 29: 5]

Glory…, Now and ever…

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Glory to Thee, O God! Thrice

After the Polyeleos, this Sessional hymn, in Tone VIII: Special Melody “Of the Wisdom…”

Having offered thyself unto God with thy whole heart and been well-pleasing unto Him, and having cleansed thy mind with ascetical labors, O God-bearer, thou wast shown to be a precious vessel of divine splendors, and dost reward each according to his sacrifice. Wherefore, celebrating thy memorial as an instructor and godly teacher, we acclaim thee in sanctity, O venerable father Isaac. Intercede with Christ God, that forgiveness of transgressions be granted to those who celebrate thy holy memory.

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

In that thou ineffably gavest birth in the flesh to the Savior and Fashioner of all things, O all-pure one, preserve me from the fury of the enemy, and mortify the carnal-mindedness of my flesh, directing the yearning of my soul to what is heavenly; for thou, O Theotokos, art the protection, shelter and deliverance of us who cry out to thee with faith, O pure one: Rejoice, O joy of mortals and glory of the angels, thou queen who dost ask for us, the faithful, forgiveness of offenses.

Song of Ascents, the first antiphon of Tone IV.

Prokimenon, in Tone IV

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

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

Let every breath praise the Lord.

Gospel according to Matthew, §43

The Lord said to His disciples: “All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him. Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI

Becoming an experienced doer of the precepts of God, thou didst truly renounce the comfort of the flesh, and didst strip thyself naked for ascetic struggles; and having restored the splendor of thy soul to the image of God, thou wast deemed worthy of manifold gifts, O venerable father Isaac; wherefore, strengthen us, that we may walk the path of virtue and become heirs to life everlasting.

Canon of Supplication to the Theotokos [the Paraclisis], with 6 Troparia, including the irmos; and that of the venerable one, with 8 Troparia, the composition of Gerasimos of the Little Skete of Saint Anna, in Tone VIII

Ode I

Irmos: The staff of Moses, once working a wonder, striking the sea in the form of the Cross and dividing it, drowned the mounted tyrant Pharaoh, and saved Israel who fled on foot, chanting a hymn unto God.

Give strength and words to my lips, O Word of God and God, that I may hymn the venerable Isaac, who splendidly glorified Thee with a perfect life and instructed the ranks of monastics with divinely inspired discourse.

Hating all carnal luxuriousness from thy youth, O blessed Isaac, and having been wounded by divine love from thy youth, with thy brother thou didst take the Cross of the Lord upon thy shoulders and choose the life of asceticism.

Upborne by love of Christ the Bestower of life, O venerable one, thou didst soar aloft to the life of heaven, and through ascetic labors wast shown to be a stranger and sojourner on the earth, O all-blessed father Isaac.

Theotokion: Without knowing wedlock, thou didst conceive God Who for our sake became immutably incarnate like us through thy pure blood, O all-pure Mary Theotokos. Wherefore, deliver us from changing to the worse.

Ode III

Irmos: O Lord, Fashioner of the vault of heaven and Creator of the Church: establish me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, confirmation of the faithful, Who alone lovest mankind.

In that thou didst rid thy heart of the bonds of the passions, thou wast shown to be a receptacle of dispassion and a vessel fit for the effulgence of life, O blessed Isaac, who dwellest with the angels.

Full of the graces of heaven, O venerable one who emulated the angels in thy conduct, at all times thou pourest forth from thy mouth discourse of salvation, as it were the sweetness of incorruption.

Putting off the burden of the flesh, O father, thou didst elect to make thine abode in the wilderness, uniting thyself unto God with great stillness, prayer and fasting. Wherefore, thou becamest the dwelling-place of the divine Spirit.

Theotokion: O most hymned Maiden who gavest birth unto God and didst destroy the ancient sin, by thy grace restore my mind, which hath been marred by the decadence of the passions which afflict me.

Sessional hymn, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Go thou quickly before…”

As a divinely radiant lamp of stillness thou shinest the never-waning light of a virtuous life upon the ends of the earth, O wise one; wherefore, we, the choirs of monastics, hymn thee as a divine luminary, O God-bearer Isaac, and we study thy radiant discourses with love.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

O pure Virgin Mother, unceasingly beseech Christ our God, Who in His ineffable loving-kindness became incarnate of thee, that He grant us forgiveness of transgressions, O Maiden, and deliverance from the grievous woes of life; for unto thee, O Mother of God, do we have recourse in faith.

Ode IV

Irmos: Thou art my strength, O Lord, Thou art my power; Thou art my God, Thou art my joy, Who, without leaving the bosom of the Father, hast visited our lowliness. Wherefore, with the Prophet Habbakuk I cry unto Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

Irrigated with the streams of thy sacred teachings, O wise Isaac, multitudes of monastics splendidly produce abundant fruit: the purity of abstinence, prayerful contemplation, and the grace of dispassion, chanting: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

With thy whole mind conversing and uniting thyself with the one God, the sight of Whom is beyond comprehension, O venerable one, thou wast filled past understanding with enlightenment, and wast shown to be a light-bearer, a tower of stillness and a most radiant beacon for monastics.

Living in the flesh like an incorporeal being, thou didst serve God in stillness, O God-bearer Isaac, and wast vouchsafed many graces by Christ, whereof grant thou if only a small portion unto me who cry out: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

Theotokion: O Theotokos who gavest birth unto God in the flesh, without seed, without corruption, in manner past understanding and comprehension, thou didst annul the condemnation of Eve by thy birthgiving. Wherefore, at the hour of judgment free me also from the dread sentence.

Ode V

Irmos: Wherefore hast Thou turned Thy face from me, O Light never-waning? And why hath a strange darkness covered me, wretch that I am? But turn me, and guide my steps to the light of Thy commandments, I pray.

Lifting thy mind to the undefiled good, O saint of Christ, by thy way of life thou didst show thyself to be alien to the things that are in the world, O Isaac, and dost teach all to disdain that which is corruptible, and in nowise to desire those things that are perishable.

Thou wast shown to be a describer and model of the angelic life, O divinely wise Isaac; wherefore, the grace of the Spirit hath shown thee to be a divine pastor and a God-bearing hierarch of the Church of Christ.

Having been inducted into the divine mysteries because of the purity of thy way of life, O God-bearer, thou didst do yet greater deeds, O divine Isaac, archpastor of Nineveh, explaining the words of the Gospel to all, and cleansing the wounds of their souls.

Theotokion: Slain by the deception and delusion of the serpent, O all-pure one, I flee unto thee who gavest birth to eternal Life. Enliven my mind by thy vivifying help, and guide me to a blameless life.

Ode VI

Irmos: Cleanse me, O Savior, for many are my transgressions; and lead me up from the abyss of evils, I pray, for to Thee have I cried, and Thou hast hearkened to me, O God of my salvation.

Thou didst make thy hierarchal vestments bright by strict observance of the commandments of God, O divinely-inspired Isaac; wherefore, the Savior hath received thee as one of His own household.

Directing thy life to the uttermost Judge, thou didst show thyself to be a true and venerable hierarch, O Isaac, revealing the commandments of the laws of grace unto all.

Adorned with the spiritual wisdom which cometh from good works, thou wast shown to be a most godly teacher of monks, O Isaac, guiding us to perfection by thine instructions and deeds.

Theotokion: O all-pure one, who gavest birth to the transcendent God in the flesh, from the fall thou hast raised the nature of mortals to the heights of their ancient nobility; wherefore, we glorify thee.

Kontakion, in Tone VIII, Special Melody: “To thee, the champion leader…”

By thine angelic way of life thou wast shown to be a divine instrument of the Comforter, and a model for monastics in all things, O blessed Isaac. As the habitation of grace divine, ask grace and heavenly light for us who cry out to thee: Rejoice, O divinely wise father!

Ikos: An angel in ascetic labor wast thou shown to be in the flesh, O God-bearing Isaac, and by thine angelic voice hast thou set before us the words of salvation, whereby guided to a higher life, we cry out to thee: Rejoice, star out of Syria; rejoice, lamp of stillness! Rejoice, thou who art more sublime than earthly thoughts; rejoice, partaker of heavenly enlightenment! Rejoice, divinely inscribed pillar of hesychasts; rejoice, mouth flowing with the honey of spiritual teachings! Rejoice, for thou wast filled with God-given wisdom; rejoice, for thou deliverest from the evil of the passions! Rejoice, most fervent of the servants of Christ; rejoice, our godly teacher! Rejoice, wise God-bearer Isaac; rejoice, our instructor, guided by God! Rejoice, O divinely wise father!

Ode VII

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the fire stood in awe of the condescension of God; wherefore, the youths, dancing with joyous step in the furnace, as in a meadow, chanted: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Having shone forth like an all-radiant sun among the choir of monastics, O father, with the splendors of thine instructions, as with rays, thou dost illumine all who cry out with faith: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

O father, the honorable choir of monks knoweth thee as a divinely-wise describer and guide to the higher life, and as is fitting it celebrateth thy memory, O wise father Isaac, thou rule of hesychasts.

Caught up by the Spirit to the sight of mystic visions and mysteries of higher glory, which pass understanding, and deified by partaking thereof, thou didst cry out: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Theotokion: With the rich streams of thy mercy purify my heart, which hath been defiled by the passions of the enemy, O Maiden; and dispel the darkness of my mind, that I may gaze upon the Light which shone forth from thee.

Ode VIII

Irmos: Madly did the Chaldæan tyrant heat the furnace sevenfold for the pious ones; but, beholding them saved by a higher Power, he cried out to the Creator and Deliverer: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Thou didst live an angelic life, O most blessed Isaac, and through stillness and the mortification of the passions didst produce the firstfruits of the life which is to come. And now thou criest with the angels in the highest: Ye, children, bless! Ye priests, hymn! Ye people, exalt Christ supremely forever!

Offering up most earnest prayers and supplications, thou didst unite thyself unto God through purity of mind, and wast shown to be blessed and full of divine grace while yet amid the threefold waves of the flesh. And now in the highest, freed from material things, thou dost manifestly enjoy ineffable things.

Having been sacredly arrayed in the vesture of a bishop, O God-bearer, through thy venerable labors and virtuous struggles thou didst show it to be yet more splendid. And now, O Isaac, with the holy hierarchs and the choirs of the venerable thou offerest up the mystical sacrifice of immaterial praise unto the Lord.

Theotokion: Preserving the seal of virginity intact after birthgiving, thou gavest suck to the Lord to Whom thou hadst given birth; and thou bearest him as a babe, O Virgin Mistress, Mary Theotokos. Him do thou beseech, that He grant the washing away of offenses unto those who sing thine ineffable glory.

Ode IX

Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, and the ends of the earth were amazed, that God hath appeared in the flesh, and that thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. Wherefore, the ranks of men and angels magnify thee as the Theotokos.

Let Isaac, who is great among the venerable ascetics, the scion of Syria, the God-bearing initiate of the life which is in Christ, the most excellent recorder of the mysteries and the enlightener of monastics, be worthily hymned as one who entreateth God, for he prayeth that great mercy be granted unto us.

Thou didst engage in the pious struggle of holy ascesis, O venerable one, and thereby didst in godly manner learn the mysteries of all the wisdom of asceticism, that thou mightest teach us wisely to avoid the sophistries of the enemy, that we may live virtuously, O God-bearer.

Thou hast passed over to the true glory, whose revelation thou didst acquire beforehand; and face to face thou dost gaze upon the effulgence of Christ which is past understanding, O Isaac, adornment of the venerable. Yet cease not to pray for us who praise thee with love.

Theotokion: O unwedded Virgin Mother who ineffably gavest birth to God in the flesh, deliver me from diseases of the flesh, redeem my greatly sinful soul from grievous insensitivity, and illumine my mind with the light of repentance, that I may hymn thee, O greatly hymned one.

Exapostilarion, Special Melody: “Hearken, ye women…”

Having freed thy mind from the clasp of the passions through the struggle of asceticism, thou wast filled with immaterial light, and dost illumine all with the rays of thy words; for having done the will of the Lord, O venerable one, thou teachest us that which is more sublime.

Theotokion

In that thou didst wondrously conceive the Author of creation in human essence, and after childbirth didst remain an undefiled virgin, O Virgin Theotokos, in thy great loving-kindness deliver me from the corruption of the passions, and save me, thy servant.

On the Praises, 4 stichera, in Tone VIII, Special Melody: “O all-glorious wonder…”

O blessed father Isaac, from thy youth thou wast seen to be a most godly lover of the blessed life, having spurned all the world; and having by abstinence mortified carnal-mindedness, thou wast seen to be a precious vessel of the Spirit, dispelling the moonless night of the soul by the grace-filled discourse bestowed upon thee.

O divinely eloquent father Isaac, denying thyself, by great inner stillness thou didst furnish thy mind with wings to soar aloft toward heavenly love, and by divine visions and deeds thou dost lead us toward perfection; wherefore, we honor thee as a wise teacher and guide, celebrating thy holy memory.

O God-bearing father Isaac, by the goodwill of God thou didst serve as a godly hierarch, the shepherd and hierarch of Nineveh; and thou didst command that the commandments of the law of grace be kept, instructing all by thine example to submit with faith to the salvific words of the Almighty.

O far-famed father Isaac, in completing well the desert life which revealed thee to be a peer of the angels, thou didst glorify God by mighty ascetic struggle, and didst ascend to the heavenly and ultimate goal; wherefore, we beseech thee to pray for us who celebrate thy most splendid memorial.

Glory…, in Tone VIII

Living thy life in awe of that which is higher, thou didst blot out corrupt images from thy soul, O venerable one; for by great stillness, abstinence and vigilance of mind, thou didst inscribe thereon the image of the ascetic way of life, and from the richness of thy heart thou hast granted thy salvific teachings unto all. And now, O Isaac our father, who standest before the three-Sunned light, deliver us from the nether-darkness of the passions.

Now and ever…: Theotokion

O Mistress, accept the supplications of thy servants, and deliver us from all want and grief.

Great Doxology. Troparia. Litanies. Dismissal. First Hour.

At Divine Liturgy

On the Beatitudes, 8 Troparia from the canon of the saint: 4 from Ode III and 4 from Ode VI.

Prokimenon, in Tone VII

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

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

Epistle to the Galatians, §213

Brethren: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Alleluia, in Tone VIII

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

Stichos: His seed shall be mighty upon the earth.

Gospel according to Matthew, §43

The Lord said to His disciples: “All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him. Come unto Me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

Communion Verse

In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be; he shall not be afraid of evil tidings.