Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 10th Day of the Month of March

The Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Codratus and his Companions

At Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…,” these stichera, in Tone I, Special Melody: “Joy of the ranks of Heaven….”

With faith let the all-praised Codratus be splendidly hymned with the great Cyprian, the two Dionysiuses and Anectus as is meet, together with Crescens and the glorious Paul, as divinely crowned athletes of the Lord and our most fervent intercessors.

Today another choir of sacred martyrs hath appeared, victorious and triumphant, a brilliant assembly of divine passion-bearers, a steadfast company, a chosen army, whereof Codratus holdeth the captaincy, and is shown to be a right glorious conqueror.

O all-praised Codratus, with thine incisive discourse thou didst cut through the most subtle webs of the rhetors’ wisdom as though they were darkness. Faithfully didst thou teach, and with patience didst thou suffer for Christ; and being well adorned in both teaching and suffering, thou hast been crowned together with the passion-bearers.

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

Stuck fast in hopeless transgressions, O pure Virgin, we cry out in thanksgiving, having acquired thee as our sole intercessor: Cleanse us, O all-holy Bride of God, for thou art the refuge of the world and the help of our race.

Or this Stavrotheotokion

As she beheld the Lamb lifted up upon the Cross, the immaculate Virgin cried out, weeping: “O my sweet Child, what is this new and strange thing that I see? How is it that Thou Who holdest all things in Thy hand art nailed to the Cross in the flesh?”

At Matins

Canon to the martyrs, the composition of Joseph the Hymnographer, in Tone IV

Ode I

Irmos: O Thou Who wast born of the Virgin, drown Thou, I pray Thee, the three parts of my soul in the depths of dispassion, as of old Thou didst drown the mounted captains of Pharaoh; that, in the mortality of my body, as on a timbrel, I may chant a hymn of victory.

The sacred and wondrous feast of the sacred martyrs, who suffered in sacred manner, hath dawned! O ye who love the feasts of the Church, which assembleth and guideth all with the radiance of the Spirit, let us call them blessed as is meet.

Like the radiant sun hast thou shone upon us in the splendor of the virtues, O blessed athlete Codratus, driving away the darkness of polytheism with the rays of thy light, and illumining the assemblies of the faithful.

Proclaiming Jesus our Savior to be God, the Rock of life, O glorious martyrs, ye suffered with steadfastness; and, stoned, ye made the outpourings of your blood into a well-spring of sanctity.

Theotokion: From the mire of the passions, from the three-fold waves of evil thoughts, from the darts of the enemy, and from every assault of the adversary, save the souls of those who hymn thine ineffable birthgiving, O pure and all-immaculate Theotokos.

Ode III

Irmos: Like a barren woman hath the Church of the nations given birth, and she could scarce bear the great assembly of children. Let us cry out to our wondrous God: Holy art Thou, O Lord!

The steadfast adamants, while slain by the sword and constantly being subjected to all manner of pangs, cried out to our wondrous God: Holy art Thou, O Lord!

With wisdom granted him by God, Codratus set at nought the wisdom of the heathens, enduring mockery and adorned with his own blood by the divine Spirit.

O ye faithful, in hymns let us with honor and wisdom rightly crown those who suffered with faith: Anectus and Codratus, Crescens and Paul, the godly Cyprian and Dionysius.

Theotokion: Even a celestial intelligence is unable to describe thy birthgiving which passeth understanding, O Maiden; for in thy womb thou didst conceive the Word, the primal intelligence, Who by His word created all things, O pure one.

Sessional hymn, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Having been lifted up….”

By enduring evils, with the most wise ones who suffered with thee, O Codratus, thou didst slay the proud enemy, O passion-bearer; and thou didst endure death by the sword. Wherefore, we celebrate your honored memory, crying aloud: Remember us to the Master, O invincible martyrs!

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

Who can describe the multitude of mine impure thoughts and the turbulence of my wicked mind, O all-immaculate one? Who can recount the assaults of mine incorporeal foes and their malice? Yet by thine entreaty, O good one, grant me deliverance from them all.

Or this Stavrotheotokion

Beholding Thee hanging upon the Cross, O Christ, Who wast begotten of the unoriginate Father, she who in latter times gave birth unto Thee cried out: “Woe is me, O most beloved Jesus! How is it that Thou, O my Son, Who art glorified as God by the angels, art now being crucified by iniquitous men? I hymn thee, O Long-suffering One!”

Ode IV

Irmos: Seated in glory upon the throne of the Godhead, Jesus most divine hath come on a light cloud, and with His incorrupt arm hath saved those who cry: Glory to Thy power, O Christ!

By the wisdom of thy words thou didst put the foolish to shame; and by the instruction of thy godly doctrines, O martyr Codratus, thou didst draw in the godly Anectus, and thou didst bring the steadfast martyr to thy Master.

From earliest infancy thou didst become wholly the possession of thy Creator, and from childhood, having chosen the sense of a mature man and desired wisdom, thou didst wholly become a most pure habitation of Christ, O martyr.

Having fed the six-branched lampstand of Thy martyrs with mystic oil, O Lord, thou hast dispelled the night of polytheism and illumined those who cry out: Glory to Thy power, O Christ!

Theotokion: The holy Theotokos, in whom the consubstantial Word of the Father was well-pleased to make His abode as in a fragrant temple, was not burned in her womb, nor did she suffer pain, for she gave birth unto Emmanuel: God and man.

Ode V

Irmos: Send down upon us Thine enlightenment, O Lord, and free us from the gloom of transgressions, O Good One, granting us Thy peace.

Driving away the gloom of ignorance with the enlightenment of reason, thou didst lead a company of athletes to the Lord, O wise Codratus, and wast crowned with them.

Having first put down the revolt of the passions through fasting, thou didst then destroy the might of the ungodly, having suffered most mightily, O martyr Codratus.

The dry rock hath been filled by the shedding of thy precious blood, and giveth forth splendid streams unto the faithful, sanctifying them with its divine outpourings.

Theotokion: He Who fashioned Eve out of Adam’s rib, O all-pure one, is in His loving-kindness conceived of thy pure womb, desiring to save Adam, in that He loveth mankind.

Ode VI

Irmos: Prefiguring Thy three-day burial, the Prophet Jonah, praying within the sea monster, cried out: Deliver me from corruption, O Jesus, King of hosts!

The choir of passion-bearers six in number hath shone upon us like stars in the honored firmament of the Church, illumining the faithful and dispelling the darkness of deception.

Without being battered by waves, the martyrs traversed the deep of torments and received the calm of the Most High, being themselves a haven and most fervent intercessors for the faithful.

Let us praise the glorious Codratus and Anectus, Dionysius and Paul, Crescens and Cyprian, the right faithful branches of the vine of Christ.

Theotokion: Thou didst make the earthly nature of men heavenly, and didst fashion anew that which had been corrupted. Wherefore, O Maiden, with unceasing cries we all glorify thee.

Ode VII

Irmos: O all-hymned Lord God of our fathers, Who saved the children of Abraham in the fire, slaying the Chaldæans whom justice rightly overtook: blessed art Thou!

Receiving from on high the dew of endurance amid the fire of torments, with the children the valiant martyrs cried out: O all-hymned Lord and God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

The stone which before was dry hath been filled with the rain of your precious blood, O passion-bearers, pouring forth streams of healing upon those who chant: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

As a noetic phial doth the shrine of thy relics pour forth the myrrh of healings, O Codratus, dispersing the fœtor of the passions and burning the regiments of the demons with divine power.

Theotokion: Blessed is the fruit of thy blessed womb, Whom the hosts of Heaven and the assemblies of men bless, and Who hath delivered us from the ancient curse, O blessed one.

Ode VIII

Irmos: O Almighty Deliverer of all, descending into the midst of the flame Thou didst bedew the pious youths and didst teach them to chant: Bless and hymn the Lord, all ye works!

Illumined with the splendor of sufferings, O glorious Codratus, thou dost stand as a crown-bearer with those who suffered with thee, crying aloud: All ye works, bless and hymn the Lord!

Made comely by the light of the virtues, O most wise Codratus, in thine end thou didst inherit the splendor of martyrdom, raising the hymn: All ye works, bless and hymn the Lord!

Corinth hath acquired as fortifications the precious relics of the saints, and their temple as a healing for which no payment is exacted, where everyone who hath recourse thereto is freed from pangs and passions.

Theotokion: Delivered from the curse of our first mother by thee, O pure Mother of God, blessed Mistress, we bless thee with faith and chant hymns to thee, O all-holy Virgin Bride of God.

Ode IX

Irmos: Eve, through weakness, abode under the curse of disobedience; but thou, O Virgin Theotokos, hast put forth blessing for the world through the Offspring of thy child-bearing. Wherefore, we all magnify thee.

The sores inflicted during your martyrdom emit a fragrance full of grace, and the blood therefrom poureth forth torrents of healings through the divine Spirit, and healeth soul-destroying passions; and we bless them as is meet.

Comely in the beauty of thy wounds, thou didst become like unto the angels, O Codratus; and seated upon the blood which thou hadst shed as upon a chariot, thou didst soar aloft to the kingdom on high, receiving honors for thy pangs.

Pouring forth divine sweetness from thy mouth, O martyr Codratus, thou didst exhort the company of athletes to suffer with thee: Anectus and Paul, Crescens, Cyprian and the godly Dionysius; and with them thou dost join chorus, O right wondrous one.

We all honor the day of the celebration of your suffering, O passion-bearers; for thereon, having taken up the crown of incorruption, ye became sons of the light and the day, forming a choir around the throne of the King of all.

Theotokion: Shown to be the bearer of the Creator of all in manner past all understanding, O all-immaculate one, thou wast shown to be more exalted than the heavens and as having dominion over all, O undefiled Virgin Theotokos. Wherefore, we all unceasingly magnify thee.