Canon the Mother of God at Compline
Tone 1 – Monday
Ode I, Irmos.
Let us all sing a song of victory unto God, Who hath wrought wondrous miracles with His uplifted arm, and hath saved Israel, for He hath been glorified.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Rejoice, O most pure habitation of sanctity, adornment of the Angels and dwelling-place of the Spirit; O immaculate Bride of the unoriginate Father, and Mother of the Son, the Word of God.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Thou art Queen, O Theotokos and Lady, for thou didst spring forth as the daughter of the King, and didst give birth in the flesh unto God the King, and with Him thou reignest.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
David the singer hymneth thy childbirth, and Isaias extolleth thy most pure womb, O all-pure Mary; and the Christian people glorify thy childbirth.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
The Church proclaimeth thy childbirth, O Virgin Bride of God, by Orthodox teachings and divine realities; for in the image of the Incarnation of thy Son, He is worshipped.
Ode III, Irmos.
The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. This is the stone upon which Christ established His Church, which He redeemed from among the nations.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Possessing the glory of virginity, thou wast clothed with the grace of the Holy Spirit, O most pure Mary, being revealed as the Theotokos, a new and hidden mystery; for how, having given birth unto God, dost thou remain a virgin?
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Who shall tell of the work which Thou hast wrought, O Lord? For He Who was shown to be her Son hath loosed the curse, “In sorrows shalt thou bring forth children;” and fallen womanhood rejoiceth in Thee, O God, because of the Theotokos.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The storm of transgressions is calmed for the world through thee alone, O most pure Mary Theotokos. Therefore, having thee as a haven of salvation, we faithful praise thee, singing of thy mighty works.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
The prophet of old sang beforehand of thy virginity: that thou shouldest give birth in time unto the Timeless One, and, beyond speech, unto the Word, Christ our God, One of the Trinity, Whose images the Church, O pure Mother, doth venerate.
Ode IV, Irmos.
Foreseeing by the Spirit, the Prophet Habakkuk proclaimed the incarnation of the Word, saying: When the years draw nigh, Thou shalt be known; when the time is come, Thou shalt appear. Glory to Thy power, O Lord.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
The seven-luminous mirror of the divine prophets hymneth thy prefigurations in manifold ways; but we, having received in very deed the signs of thy coming forth, and beholding the Theotokos in the realities themselves, truly believe.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Honoring thee worthily as the Mother of God and truly the Theotokos, we glorify thee, offering unto thee the voice proper to thee, who wast proclaimed in the Law and the Prophets; for the Son rejoiceth more greatly in the honor shown unto His Mother.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Behold the divine mountain which Habakkuk saw: being manifestly the overshadowing of the virtues, the Theotokos hath shone forth in the world; through her we who of old had withdrawn through transgression have straightway drawn nigh unto God.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Blessed is the nation, O all-hymned and pure one, which hath been deemed worthy faithfully to honor thy childbirth, by Orthodoxy, by teaching, and by deeds, manifesting in truth all the images of the incarnation of thy Son.
Ode V, Irmos.
Rising early from the night, we praise Thee, O Christ God, Who for our sake didst become poor, and in the flesh didst suffer crucifixion and death.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
The bush revealed thee unto Moses as a hidden mystery, O Theotokos and Lady, remaining unconsumed; for thy material womb was not consumed by the Divinity.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Hymning thee, O pure Theotokos, as Mother of the Word of God, our rational nature offereth unto thee its flourishing gift, wherein we believe thou dost rejoice.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Turn not away the praise offered from defiled lips, O most pure Theotokos; for there is none upon earth worthy who dareth to hymn thee.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
He Who was born of the Virgin is one in two natures: as God invisible, and as man, of His own will for our sake He became like unto men.
Ode VI, Irmos.
Thou didst save the Prophet from the whale, O Lover of mankind; and me also, I beseech Thee, raise up from the depth of sins.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
The Prophet beholdeth thee, O Virgin, as the noetic lampstand shining with seven lights, plainly showing beforehand the operations of the Spirit shining forth in thee.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Thou wast shown to be in truth a life-bearing tree, O Virgin, having by thy fruit slain the deceitful serpent, and having given birth unto Christ God, the Life of men.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
No comely praise is offered unto thee from defiled lips, O pure Mother of our God; but behold the desire of my soul, and accept this.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
The lawless are shaken amid the tumult of bitter unbelief, when they behold only the assemblies of the Orthodox kissing thine image, O Virgin.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sedalen, Tone 1.
Guide, O pure one, my wretched life, and have compassion, O all-immaculate one, upon my soul, which through many transgressions hath slipped into the depth of perdition; and at the hour of my death deliver me from the accusing demons and from the dread accounting.
Ode VII, Irmos.
He Who saved Thy children in the furnace suffered not the fire to touch or harm them; then the three, as with one mouth, sang and blessed, saying: Blessed is the God of our fathers.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Thou wast shown forth adorned with virtues, O Bride of God, with the glory and honor of virginity; for thy beauty is fairer in comeliness. Truly the Lord, thy Lover, brought thee unto Himself as His divine Mother.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Thou wast manifestly the rod of righteousness, O pure one, the most honorable rod of the Kingdom; therefore thou didst put forth as fruit the Word of God, and didst plainly bring to fulfillment the wonder of Aaron’s rod from afar.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having defiled body and word and soul with many bodily passions, how shall I hymn unto thee, O pure one, the beauty of the virtues? I am perplexed and afraid; but do thou thyself, by thy prayers, be my help.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
I honor, O Christ, the union of Thine incarnation, and I worship its visible form in a manner befitting God; for being the pre-eternal God, Thou becamest man of the Virgin without change, Thyself perfect in both.
Ode VIII, Irmos.
Him before Whom the Angels and all the hosts tremble, as Creator and Lord: hymn Him, ye priests; glorify Him, ye children; bless Him, ye people, and supremely exalt Him unto all ages.
Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Let the divine habitation of God be hymned, through whom the world hath been delivered from corruption. Arise, all ye who once had fallen, for Mary hath given birth unto Christ, our salvation.
Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
We hymn thee, O most pure one and Mother of God; and who indeed doth not glorify thee, who art the good hope of our souls? Therefore, O most holy one, receive my supplication.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice today with songs, ye faithful; glorify, ye Angels and men together, for the devil falleth, and despair; for Mary hath given birth unto us the Hope of salvation.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Circumscribe not the Divinity; speak no falsehood, ye blind: for It is simple, unknowable, and invisible. But depicting the form of the flesh, I venerate it, and in faith I glorify the Virgin who gave birth unto the Lord.
Ode IX, Irmos.
O light-bearing cloud, upon whom the Master of all descended from heaven as rain upon the fleece, and for our sake was incarnate, becoming man, though without beginning: we all magnify thee as the pure Mother of our God.
Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Rejoice, O Mary, great wonder of all creation; rejoice, daughter of David and Mother of the Lord; rejoice, song of Gabriel; rejoice, O refuge and confirmation and help of all sinners upon earth, O most holy one.
Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Wondrous Joachim and divine Anna sing by the divine Spirit and offer a hymn of thanksgiving; for upon the earth they beheld the Mother of their Creator, whom they begat as their daughter Mary. By her prayers, save all, for Thou art God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O most holy Virgin, Mother of God Most High, thy childbirth appeared upon earth as salvation unto sinners and the lowly; for through thee have we been saved, having believed. But save me also now and throughout all the ages of my life.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
I know the Word incarnate, yet unchanged; therefore I hymn Him faithfully, confessing two natures, but one hypostasis. Him Whom I have manifestly beheld as man, I straightway proclaim to be One, and so I bring my hymn to completion.
Then at Compline, “It is truly meet,” and the rest as usual, followed by the Dismissal.
5 October 2026