Canon the Mother of God at Compline
Tone 8 – Thursday
Ode I, Irmos.
Let us sing unto the Lord, Who led His people through the Red Sea, for He alone hath been gloriously glorified.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Make Christ merciful unto me, O all-immaculate Virgin, delivering me in the dread day of condemnation.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Rain down upon me, O Lady, I pray thee, drops of compunction, washing away the defilement that is in me, that I may glorify thee.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Enlighten me, O Virgin, who hast borne the Light that setteth not, driving away the deep darkness of my sloth.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Save me, O Theotokos, who am perishing in many sins, and deliver me from every torment and from grievous condemnation.
Ode III, Irmos.
O Lord, supreme Fashioner of the vault of heaven and Builder of the Church, establish me in Thy love, Thou Who art the consummation of desire and the confirmation of the faithful, O only Lover of mankind.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Having fallen away from the sacred life, O most pure one, I joined myself unto the beasts and became wholly condemned; thou who hast borne the Judge, deliver me from every condemnation and save me.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Unto thee do I ever flee, O Lady, encompassed by a multitude of afflictions; have compassion and save me, thou who hast borne the Saviour and Lord of all things, O thou alone who art all-hymned.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O impassable Door who leadest unto God, O Maiden, open unto me the doors of repentance, I pray thee, cleansing away the defilement of my sins with the showers of thy mercy, O divinely-graced one.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Deliver me from the assaults of the passions, O Lady, and now vanquish mine enemies who war against me. Establish me upon the rock of the will of God; enlighten my soul, O Door of divine light.
Ode IV, Irmos.
I have heard, O Lord, the mystery of Thy dispensation; I have understood Thy works, and have glorified Thy Divinity.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Heal the wounds of my soul, O divinely-graced Virgin, and enlighten my mind, O pure one, darkened by the assaults of the passions.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Call me unto repentance, O most pure one, who sleep through despondency and am covered by sin, as thou art Mother unto the Word.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Lady who knewest not wedlock, who hast borne the incarnate Word, enlighten my soul and deliver me from Gehenna and torment.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Upon thee have I placed all my hope, O Virgin Mother; preserve my soul, thou who hast borne God, my Saviour.
Ode V, Irmos.
Why hast Thou cast me away from Thy face, O Light that setteth not? The alien darkness of the wretched one hath covered me. But turn me, and direct my paths unto the light of Thy commandments, I pray Thee.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Heal all the incurable passions of my soul, O Maiden, and kindle my lamp which hath been extinguished by sloth; guide me upon the way of repentance, O Virgin, that with faith and love I may glorify thee.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
I condemn myself before the trial, O divinely-joyous one, bearing shameful deeds and myself condemned; but stand before me, for thou art the intercessor of all, and deliver me from grievous condemnation.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Cease not to deliver me from captivity and from the soul-destroying tumult that holdeth me, and from the cruel passions that put me to death, O most holy Maiden, Intercessor for sinners and ready Help of mankind.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Raise me up, O most pure one, who have been wholly put to death by the deadly sting of transgression, thou who hast conceived the Life, the Deliverer and King of the world; and guide me unto the light.
Ode VI, Irmos.
Cleanse me, O Saviour, for many are mine iniquities; and raise me up from the depths of evils, I pray Thee; for unto Thee have I cried: hear me, O God of my salvation.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Give life unto me, O most pure Virgin, who have been put to death by many transgressions, thou who hast ineffably borne the Life of men, O Theotokos; and guide me to do the will of the Lord.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
All we faithful, ever being drowned in the depths of evils, tumult, and sorrows, have acquired thee as an intercessor and a wall, O Theotokos, thou only refuge of the faithful.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O all-immaculate one, who by thy holy Shoot hast withered the gardens of ungodliness, therefore destroy, O most pure one, the enemy’s malice which ever groweth within me.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Sanctify my mind and enlighten my heart, O holy Mother of God, and turn away the evils that hold me, that I may glorify thee, my steadfast intercessor.
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 8.
Beholding upon the Cross the Lamb and Shepherd and Saviour of the world, she who bore Thee said, weeping: The world rejoiceth, receiving deliverance through Thee; but my womb burneth as I behold Thy crucifixion, which Thou endurest for all, O my Son and my God.
Ode VII, Irmos.
The Hebrew children in the furnace, trampling upon the flame and boldly enduring it, and changing the fire into dew, cried: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, for ever.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Be merciful unto me, O Virgin, and heal me, wounded by the weapon of sin, with the salve of thy prayer; and snatch me from the unquenchable fire for ever.
Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Deliver me, O Mother of the Saviour, from the grievous captivity of evil thoughts that holdeth me, and from the bonds of transgression, that, ever being saved, I may glorify thee as is meet.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Now do I flee unto thee, O Mother of God, bound fast with the fetters of transgressions. In thy compassionate mercy loose me, O Virgin, and deliver me from the torment and malice of the demons.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Have compassion upon me and save me, O Virgin, who hast borne the compassionate Word of God; with the Light Who is in thee illumine my soul, and deliver me from the cruel guile of the demons.
Ode VIII, Irmos.
The Chaldean tyrant fiercely heated the furnace sevenfold for the godly youths; but seeing them saved by a mightier power, he cried unto the Creator and Deliverer: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him above all for ever.
Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
He Who is perfect in all things and by nature inaccessible appeared touchable unto me, clothed in flesh from thee, O thou who knewest not wedlock. Him do thou earnestly entreat to lighten the burden of mine iniquities and to deliver me from the judgment to come.
Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Thou who beyond words hast borne the Judge and Lord, entreat Him as thine own Son, O most holy one, in the hour of judgment to deliver me, who ever hymn thee devoutly in faith, from condemnation, fire, lightless darkness, and the gnashing of teeth.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O most pure Birthgiver of God, cleanse the wounds of my soul and the stains of sin, washing them in the fountain from the side of thine Offspring, and with the streams that flowed therefrom; for unto thee do I cry, unto thee do I flee, and thee do I entreat, O divinely-graced one.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Give life unto my soul, which hath been put to death by the serpent’s bite, O all-immaculate one, who alone hast truly borne the Life; and hasten, O Virgin, to accomplish the will of Him Who was born of thee for our sake, as I cry: Ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him above all for ever.
Ode IX, Irmos.
Heaven was amazed at this, and the ends of the earth were astonished, for God appeared unto men in the flesh, and thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. Wherefore the ranks of Angels and of men magnify thee, O Theotokos.
Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Enlighten my soul, O Door of Light, blinded by the passions, blackened and afflicted by evil thoughts; and deliver me from temptations, from the malice of the demons, from the grievous examination, and from the flame and torment to come.
Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)
Spare me, O Saviour, Who wast born of the Virgin and didst preserve her who bore Thee incorrupt even after Thy birth; when Thou shalt sit to judge my deeds, overlook mine iniquities and sins, for Thou art sinless, and God merciful and the Lover of mankind.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Bearing the heavenly Fire in thy hands as with tongs, O divinely-graced one, burn up the passions of my soul, O pure one; and free me from dread condemnation and fire, and from the grievous torment of the demons.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
With thy noetic radiance enlighten our thoughts and hearts and minds, O divinely-graced Maiden, that, walking aright in the paths of life, we may obtain mercy, ever proclaiming thy praises.
Then at Compline, “It is truly meet,” and the rest as usual, followed by the Dismissal.
1 October 2026