Canon the Mother of God at Compline
Tone 1 – Tuesday

Ode I, Irmos.

Thy victorious right hand, O God, hath been glorified in strength; for it, O Immortal and Almighty One, hath crushed the adversaries, and for Israel made new a path through the deep.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

He Who is invisible to the heavenly hosts, O all-immaculate Maiden, received flesh from thy flesh, and renewed that which had been corrupted by the first transgression.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

With hymns let us faithful call blessed her who, beyond speech, gave birth unto the Word of God; for this most immaculate one hath appeared as the adornment of those born of earth, and hath become the protectress of all who sin.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thou wast shown to be more spacious than the heavens, for thou didst contain the Creator of all, O ever-virgin Mother. Therefore I cry unto thee: deliver me from every death-bearing straitness, O thou who art full of divine joy.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Grant us help, O pure one, who are storm-tossed by the tumult of sorrows; cast down the wicked exaltations of our enemies, and grant salvation unto all who piously glorify thee.

Ode III, Irmos.

O Thou Who alone knowest the frailty of the nature of those born of earth, and Who mercifully didst clothe Thyself therein: gird me with power from on high, that I may cry unto Thee: Holy is the living temple of Thine ineffable glory, O Lover of mankind.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

The Full One is poured out for our sake, and the Beginningless One receiveth a beginning from thee, O all-immaculate Virgin; and the Invisible One is seen, and He Who feedeth all is fed with milk, providentially working the renewal of mankind.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Heal our brokenness, O Virgin who gavest birth unto the Healer and Lord, Who by grace hath shown unto us the entrance into life. Entreat Him unceasingly to have compassion and save thy servants.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O thou who alone, beyond nature, hast deified the nature of man, O all-immaculate one, entreat Him Who was born of thee to grant forgiveness of our sins and eternal rejoicing, O most holy and all-hymned Virgin.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Having spent my life in sloth, I fall down before thee, O most pure one: by thine unceasing prayers unto God, raise up my mind, and enlighten me who am wholly blackened, with the radiances of repentance, that with faith and love I may glorify thee.

Ode IV, Irmos.

Thee, the mountain overshadowed by the grace of God, did Habakkuk behold with his discerning eyes; and he proclaimed that from thee the Holy One of Israel should come forth, unto our salvation and renewal.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

We know thee as the divine palace of the Word, wherein He dwelt in the flesh and renewed us who had been corrupted by the passions. Therefore, O pure one, we honor thee as the Mother of God, and glorify Him Who was born of thee.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

The Word dwelt within thy womb, O Virgin, having become incarnate, and drove out the curse which had formerly taken up its dwelling in human nature; and by His divine union He deified it in a manner befitting God. Therefore we hymn thee.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Adam received mortality, O all-immaculate one, when he ate of the corruptible fruit; but now through thy childbirth he hath returned to life and dwelleth in the habitations of Paradise. Therefore, as is meet, we hymn thee.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Thou hast stayed the stream of death, O pure one, having given birth unto Christ God, the Fountain of immortality. Entreat Him therefore, O thou who art full of divine grace, to heal the passions which are putting my soul to death, and to save me.

Ode V, Irmos.

Enlighten us with the radiance of Thy coming, O Christ, and illumine the ends of the world by Thy Cross; enlighten with the light of Thy divine understanding the hearts of those who praise Thee in right belief.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

From thy womb hath shone forth the Unsetting Sun, O most immaculate one, and utterly destroyed the darkness, and illumined the earth with divine understandings. Therefore we faithfully hymn thee.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

We cry unto thee the angelic voice, “Rejoice,” O most pure one; for thou hast given birth unto the Angel of Great Counsel, Who is co-unoriginate with the Father, and Who became flesh of thee, O Virgin, that He might save man.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

The Lord, having dwelt within thy womb, O pure one, hath delivered from the dominion of the enemy those who piously believe in Him. Therefore with a mighty voice we all hymn thee, O most pure one.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

The Master clothed Himself in me and came forth from thee, O all-immaculate one, and deified the nature which had been corrupted. But entreat Him, O Birthgiver of God, to make me naked of every sin.

Ode VI, Irmos.

The uttermost abyss hath encompassed us; there is none to deliver us; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Save Thy people, O our God, for Thou art the strength and restoration of the weak.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Without seed didst thou conceive God in thy womb, remaining a virgin after thy wondrous childbirth, O all-immaculate one. Therefore with praises we glorify thee, O most pure one, who through thee have been delivered from the curse.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Thou art the ladder which Jacob saw, the overshadowed mountain, the all-radiant cloud of the divine Light, the gate through which God alone passed; thou art she who is blessed among women, O most immaculate one.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Beyond the law of nature didst thou give birth, O Virgin who knewest not wedlock, unto the hypostatic Word of God, Who healeth our brokenness. Fervently entreat Him to save us all.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Bringing unto thee my soul, sick with transgressions, I cry unto thee, O all-holy, most glorious and pure one: heal and save me by thine intercession, that I may hymn and magnify thy protection.

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.
Having acquired thy protection, O most pure Virgin Theotokos, we are delivered by thy prayers from our adversities; for being ever preserved by the Cross of thy Son, we all, as is meet, faithfully magnify thee.

Ode VII, Irmos.

We faithful perceive thee, O Theotokos, as the spiritual furnace; for as the Supremely Exalted One saved the three youths, so hath He renewed the world, being made perfect in thy womb: God praised by the fathers and greatly glorified.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

The shadows of the Law and the ancient dark sayings of the God-voiced prophets plainly foretold thy seedless childbirth, O most pure and all-immaculate one; and hymning it, we cry: God praised by the fathers and greatly glorified.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Thou gavest birth unto the Dawning of the Sun, O pure one full of divine grace, Who enlightened all the fullness of the faithful and diminished the night of ungodliness. Therefore we honor God praised by the fathers and greatly glorified.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

The bush of old, remaining unconsumed, prefigured thy womb, O all-immaculate one; for the fire of the Divinity did not consume thee at all. Therefore I beseech thee: deliver me from the unquenchable fire, that I may unceasingly sing thy mighty works, O pure one.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

O Mother of God, help of the faithful, cleansing of those who sin, and giver of all good things: receive me who fall down before thee and come with weeping, and in thy merciful compassion grant me release from my sins.

Ode VIII, Irmos.

In the furnace the children of Israel, as in a crucible, shone more brightly than gold with the beauty of godliness, saying: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord; hymn and supremely exalt Him unto the ages.

Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

The images of the Law and the ancient dark sayings, O Virgin, plainly foretold thee as the pure Mother of the Lord; but we, now beholding the fulfillment of these things, hymn thee with one accord and glorify thee unto all ages.

Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Thou wast adorned with divine beauties, incomparable in beauty, O all-immaculate one, having given birth unto the Word of God, Who with divine beauties maketh radiant the hearts of all who hymn Him in faith unto all ages.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

With sacred voices the prophets from afar declared thee beforehand to be the Mother of the Master and God, O all-immaculate one. Unto Him we all cry: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord; hymn and supremely exalt Him unto the ages.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Being fair, being exceeding beautiful, O Virgin, thou gavest birth unto Christ, Who is fair in beauty and beyond cause. Unto Him we all cry: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord; hymn and supremely exalt Him unto the ages.

Ode IX, Irmos.

The burning bush showed forth an image of thy pure childbirth, remaining unconsumed; and now we beseech thee to quench the furnace of temptations raging against us, that we may unceasingly magnify thee, O Theotokos.

Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

The nature of those born of earth, which had formerly been condemned, O Virgin, through thy supernatural and divine childbirth obtained immortality and received again its former beauty; therefore with one accord we hymn thee with songs of joy.

Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Thou bearest Him Who beareth all, and with milk thou feedest Him Who giveth food unto all. Great and dread, beyond understanding, is thy mystery, O Virgin Theotokos, ark of the honorable priesthood; therefore we all call thee blessed.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Shine forth now as light unto me who lie in the darkness of sloth, O most pure one; loose the thoughts of the passions which blind me, and ever work deep peace within my soul, O all-immaculate one, that I may glorify thee.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

I fear the unbribable judgment-seat and the Judge Who forgetteth not, O all-immaculate one; for I have a multitude of sins without number, having lived in sloth, wholly subject to the passions. Therefore, O Theotokos, have compassion upon me and have mercy.

Then at Compline, “It is truly meet,” and the rest as usual, followed by the Dismissal.

6 October 2026