On Thursday (i.e., Wednesday evening) of the fifth week of Great Lent, Matins begins as usual. After the eighth kathisma and the appropriate sidalen for Thursday (in the tone of the week), the first half of the Life of Saint Mary of Egypt is read. Then, after Psalm 50, we begin the Great Canon.
TONE 6
Ode I
Irmos
A Helper and a Protector hath He become unto me for salvation;
He is my God, and I will glorify Him;
the God of my fathers, and I will exalt Him:
for gloriously hath He been glorified.
Note: When one choir chanteth, the other maketh prostrations, for the sake of good order.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
From whence shall I begin to weep for the deeds of my wretched life?
What beginning shall I lay, O Christ, for this present lamentation?
But as Thou art compassionate, grant me tears of compunction.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Come, O wretched soul, together with thy flesh;
confess thyself to the Creator of all.
Refrain henceforth from thy former brutishness,
and offer unto God tears in repentance.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have emulated the transgression of the first-formed Adam;
I have known myself stripped naked of God,
and of the everlasting Kingdom and its delight,
because of my sins.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
In place of the bodily Eve, there hath arisen for me a spiritual Eve:
the passionate thoughts within my flesh,
showing me sweetness, yet ever causing me to taste the bitterness of the fall.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Adam was justly driven forth from Eden,
because he kept not Thy one commandment, O Savior.
What then shall I suffer,
who ever reject Thy words of life?
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have passed beyond the murder of Cain;
I have become a murderer of my soul by my will,
quickening the flesh against it,
and warring against it by my wicked deeds.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have not resembled Abel in righteousness, O Jesus;
never have I offered unto Thee acceptable gifts,
nor divine deeds, nor a pure sacrifice,
nor a blameless life.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Like Cain, we also, O wretched soul,
have offered unto the Creator of all
defiled works, a polluted sacrifice,
and a worthless life;
therefore we are condemned.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Having formed me as living clay, O Creator,
Thou hast given me flesh and bones, breath and life.
But, O my Maker, my Redeemer, and my Judge,
receive me who repent.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Woe is me, O wretched soul!
How hast thou become like the first Eve?
For thou didst look wickedly and wast bitterly wounded;
thou didst touch the tree and rashly taste
of the irrational food.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I confess unto Thee, O Savior, my sins,
the wounds of my soul and body,
which murderous thoughts have laid upon me within,
like robbers.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Though I have sinned, O Savior,
yet I know that Thou art the Lover of mankind.
Thou dost chasten with mercy and art fervent in compassion;
Thou seest me weeping,
and Thou runnest to meet me, as the father the prodigal.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
From my youth, O Christ,
I have transgressed Thy commandments.
I have passed all my life in passions and negligence;
therefore I cry unto Thee, O Savior:
at least at the end, save me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Cast me not away, O Savior,
who lie before Thy gates,
even in mine old age.
Before the end, in Thy love for mankind,
grant me remission of my sins.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have wasted my substance in prodigality, O Savior,
and am barren of the fruits of piety.
In hunger I cry:
O Father of mercies, hasten Thou to meet me, and have compassion on me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I am he who fell among thieves by my thoughts;
I am wholly wounded by them now,
and full of sores.
But do Thou Thyself, O Christ my Savior,
draw near and heal me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The priest, seeing me, passed by;
and the Levite, beholding me naked in affliction,
despised me.
But do Thou, who didst shine forth from Mary, O Jesus,
come and have mercy on me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of all,
take from me the heavy burden of sin,
and as Thou art merciful,
grant me tears of compunction.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Reject me not, O Savior,
nor cast me away from Thy presence.
Take from me the heavy burden of sin,
and as Thou art compassionate,
grant me tears of compunction.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Unto Thee I fall down, O God:
I have sinned; cleanse me.
Take from me the heavy burden of sin,
and as Thou art merciful,
grant me tears of compunction.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
It is the time of repentance;
I come unto Thee, my Creator.
Take from me the heavy burden of sin,
and in Thy tender compassion
grant me tears of compunction.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
My voluntary and involuntary sins, O Savior,
both manifest and hidden,
known and unknown,
forgive them all, as God,
and cleanse and save me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Behold, O my soul,
the hour and the day draw near,
when God shall come openly.
Weep and lament,
that thou mayest be found pure
in the hour of trial.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The fire of Gehenna affrighteth me,
and the bitter worm, and the gnashing of teeth.
But do Thou, O Christ,
spare me and number me among Thy chosen.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
Refrain: Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Grant me, O Mother, the radiant grace
of divine providence from above,
that I may escape the darkness of the passions,
and fervently sing the fair account of thy life.
Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Bowing to the divine law of Christ,
thou didst draw near unto Him,
having forsaken the impure impulses of sensual delight,
and didst adorn thyself with every virtue, O Mary.
Glory…
O Most-essential Trinity,
worshipped in Unity,
take from me the heavy burden of sin,
and as Thou art compassionate,
grant me tears of compunction.
Now and ever…
Bohorodičen
O Theotokos, hope and protection of those who sing unto thee,
take from me the heavy burden of sin,
and as the pure Lady,
receive me who repent.
The Irmos is then repeated.
Ode II
Irmos
Give ear, O heaven, and I will speak;
and I will sing of Christ,
who came forth from the Virgin in the flesh.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Give ear, O heaven, and I will speak;
and hear, O earth, the voice of one who repenteth unto God
and singeth praise unto Him.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Give ear unto me, O God,
for Thou art merciful and compassionate;
look upon me with Thy gracious eye,
and receive my fervent confession.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have sinned more than all men;
I alone have sinned against Thee.
But as God, have compassion upon Thy creature.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The storm of evils encompasseth me, O merciful Lord;
but as Thou didst to Peter,
stretch forth Thy hand unto me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Like the harlot, O compassionate One,
I also offer Thee tears;
cleanse me, O Savior, in Thy mercy.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have defiled the garment of my flesh
and have stained that which was made in Thine image
and after Thy likeness, O Savior.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have darkened the beauty of my soul
with the pleasures of the passions,
and I have wholly sullied my mind.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have torn now the first garment
which the Creator wove for me in the beginning,
and therefore I lie naked.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have clothed myself in a torn garment,
which the serpent wove for me by his counsel,
and I am ashamed.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I looked upon the beauty of the tree
and my mind was deceived;
therefore I lie naked and am ashamed.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have lost my original beauty
and my comeliness,
and now I lie naked and am ashamed.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
All the princes of the passions
have ploughed upon my back,
prolonging their iniquity against me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Sin hath sewn for me garments of skin,
having stripped me of the first God-woven robe.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I am clothed in a garment of shame,
as with fig leaves,
in reproach of my self-willed passions.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I am arrayed in a shameful garment,
stained with the blood of a passionate and pleasure-loving life.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have fallen into the ruin of passions
and into material corruption,
and from that time even until now the enemy afflicteth me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have preferred a life of pleasure and possession,
through lack of restraint, O Savior;
and now I am burdened with a grievous weight.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have adorned the outward image
with shameful thoughts,
yet I am condemned for neglecting the inward beauty.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have been careful only for external adornment,
and have despised the inner temple,
fashioned in the image of God.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have deformed the beauty of my soul
with passionate desires,
and I have utterly destroyed the image of the mind.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have buried the beauty of the first image
under the passions, O Savior,
as once the drachma was lost;
do Thou seek it and find it.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Like the harlot I cry unto Thee:
I have sinned, I have sinned against Thee alone;
accept, O Savior, my tears as myrrh.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have fallen like David into fornication,
and I have been defiled;
but wash me, O Savior, with my tears.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I cry unto Thee, O Savior: cleanse me,
as the Publican did.
For none of the sons of Adam hath sinned against Thee as I have.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have neither tears, nor repentance, nor compunction;
but do Thou Thyself, O Savior,
grant these unto me, as God.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Shut not Thy door against me, O Lord, O Lord;
but open it unto me who repent.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
O Lover of mankind,
who desirest that all should be saved,
call me back and receive me in Thy goodness,
for I repent.
Bohorodičen
Hear the groaning of my soul,
and receive the drop of tears from mine eyes, O Savior,
and save me.
Second Irmos
Behold, behold that I am God,
who rained down manna
and brought forth water from the rock
of old for My people in the wilderness,
by My right hand alone
and by My might.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Behold, behold that I am God.
Hearken, O my soul, unto the Lord who crieth thus;
depart from thy former sin,
and fear Him as Judge and God.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
To whom art thou likened, O sinful soul?
Only to Cain the first murderer,
and to that Lamech;
for thou hast stoned thy body with evil deeds
and slain thy mind with brutish passions.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast surpassed all who were before the Law, O soul;
thou hast not resembled Seth, nor Enos,
nor Enoch in his translation, nor Noah;
but thou hast shown thyself barren
of the life of the righteous.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou alone, O my soul, hast opened
the floodgates of the wrath of thy God,
and hast drowned all thy flesh, thy deeds, and thy life,
as the earth was once overwhelmed;
and thou hast remained outside the saving ark.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
“I have slain a man to my wounding
and a young man to my hurt,”
cried Lamech lamenting.
But thou, O my soul, dost not tremble,
having defiled both thy flesh and thy mind.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Alas! I have imitated Lamech,
that first murderer:
I have slain my soul as a man,
my mind as a youth,
and my body as my brother,
like Cain the murderer,
through senseless passions.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast devised to build a tower, O soul,
and to establish a stronghold by thy desires;
but the Creator hath confounded thy designs
and cast down thy devices to the earth.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I am wounded, I am pierced;
behold the arrows of the enemy
that have struck my soul and body.
Behold the sores, the ulcers, and the corruption
that cry out from the wounds
of my self-chosen passions.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast kindled for thyself, O soul,
the fire of Gehenna,
in which thou desirest to be burned.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Know and see that I am God,
who trieth hearts and testeth thoughts,
who convicteth deeds and consumeth sins,
and judgeth the orphan and the humble and the poor.
Glory…
O beginningless, uncreated Trinity,
undivided Unity,
receive me who repent;
save me who have sinned.
I am Thy creation, despise me not,
but spare me
and deliver me from fiery condemnation.
Now and ever…
Bohorodičen
O pure Lady, Theotokos,
hope of those who flee unto thee,
and haven in the storm:
entreat thy merciful Creator and Son
to have mercy on me,
through thy prayers.
This Ode is covered by the second Irmos: “Behold, behold…”
Ode III
Irmos
Upon the immovable rock of Thy commandments, O Christ,
establish my wavering mind.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The Lord of old rained fire from the Lord
and burned the land of Sodom, O my soul.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Flee to the mountain, O my soul, like Lot;
take refuge in Zoar.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Flee the burning, O my soul;
flee the fire of Sodom;
flee the destruction of the divine flame.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have sinned against Thee, O Savior,
I have sinned!
But as Thou art merciful,
do Thou forgive me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I alone have sinned, I have sinned above all men,
O Christ my Savior;
despise me not.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou art the Good Shepherd;
seek me, Thy lamb,
and despise me not who have gone astray.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou art the sweet Jesus,
Thou art my Creator;
in Thee, O Christ,
shall I be justified.
O Most Holy Trinity, our God, glory to Thee.
Troičen
O Trinity, one in essence,
save those who have sinned against Thee,
and lead them forth from corruption.
Bohorodičen
Rejoice, O womb that received God.
Rejoice, O throne of the Lord.
Rejoice, O Mother of our life.
Second Irmos
Establish, O Lord, my heart,
which hath been shaken,
upon the rock of Thy commandments;
for Thou alone art holy and righteous.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have acquired Thee as the source of life,
O Destroyer of death;
and from my heart I cry unto Thee before the end:
I have sinned, cleanse me and save me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have imitated those who sinned in the days of Noah, O Savior,
and I have inherited their condemnation
in the flood of destruction.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned against Thee,
cleanse me;
for there is none among men
who hath sinned as I have.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast imitated Ham, O my soul,
who mocked his father;
thou hast not covered the shame of thy neighbor,
but hast turned back to behold it.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast not inherited the blessing of Shem, O my passionate soul,
nor hast thou received the spacious inheritance of Japheth
in the land of forgiveness.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Depart from the land of Haran, O my soul;
depart from sin,
and go to the land that floweth with incorruption,
which Abraham inherited.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast heard, O my soul, of Abraham of old,
who left his land and became a wanderer;
imitate his resolve.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
At the oak of Mamre,
the patriarch received angels into his house,
and in his old age
he inherited the promise.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast heard, O wretched soul, of Isaac,
the new sacrifice, mystically offered to the Lord;
imitate his obedience.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast heard of Ishmael,
cast out as the son of the bondwoman;
be watchful, O my soul,
lest thou suffer something similar through thy wantonness.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Have mercy upon me, O Lord, have mercy upon me,
I cry unto Thee,
when Thou shalt come with Thine angels
to render unto all according to their deeds.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast become like Hagar the Egyptian, O my soul,
enslaved by thine own will,
and hast borne a new Ishmael:
presumption.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast known, O my soul, the ladder of Jacob,
shown from earth to heaven;
why hast thou not sought a firm ascent
of piety?
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Imitate the priest of God and king apart,
a type of Christ,
who lived in the world yet apart from it.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Be not turned into a pillar of salt, O my soul,
by looking back;
let the example of Sodom affright thee;
flee to the mountain and be saved.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
Like Lot, flee the burning of sin, O my soul;
flee Sodom and Gomorrah;
flee every flame of irrational desire.
Refrain: Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
I am held fast by the storm
and the tempest of my sins, O Mother;
but do thou now save me
and bring me to the harbor of divine repentance.
Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Offering now thy supplication
unto the compassionate Mother of God,
O venerable one,
open unto me the divine paths.
Glory…
O simple and uncreated Trinity,
beginningless Essence,
praised in three Persons:
save us who in faith worship Thy dominion.
Now and ever…
Bohorodičen
Thou hast borne in time
the Son begotten of the Father beyond time,
without seed, O Theotokos,
a strange wonder:
thou remainest a virgin
even while nursing Him.
This Ode is covered by the second Irmos.
Sessional Hymn (Kathisma), Tone 8
O radiant lights of God, Apostles of the Savior,
enlighten us who walk in the darkness of life,
that we may now walk decently as in the day,
in the light of abstinence,
fleeing the passions of the night;
and that we may behold the radiant Passion of Christ, rejoicing.
Glory…
(Another Sessional Hymn, same tone)
O God-chosen choir of the Twelve Apostles,
offer prayers unto Christ
for those who complete the course of the Fast,
that we may all finish the contest
with compunction, prayer, and fervent virtue,
and thus be made worthy
to behold the glorious Resurrection of Christ our God,
offering Him glory and praise.
Now and ever…
Bohorodičen
O Theotokos,
who ineffably hast borne the Son and Word of God
beyond all understanding,
entreat Him together with the Apostles
to grant peace unto the world,
and before the end
forgiveness of sins;
and in His surpassing goodness
to vouchsafe the Kingdom of Heaven unto His servants.
Ode IV
Irmos
The Prophet, hearing of Thy coming, O Lord, was afraid,
that Thou wouldst be born of the Virgin
and appear unto men;
and he cried:
“I have heard Thy report and was afraid;
glory to Thy power, O Lord.”
Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Despise not the work of Thy hands,
forsake not Thy creation, O righteous Judge.
Though I alone have sinned as a man
more than any other man, O Lover of mankind,
yet as Lord Thou hast authority
to forgive all sins.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The end draweth near, O my soul,
it draweth near, and thou carest not,
thou preparest not.
The time is shortened: arise!
The Judge is at the door.
Like a shadow, like a flower,
the time of life passeth,
why do we trouble ourselves in vain?
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Awake, O my soul;
consider the deeds thou hast wrought,
set them before thine eyes,
and pour forth the drops of thy tears.
Speak boldly unto Christ
of thy deeds and thoughts,
and thou shalt be justified.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
There hath been no sin in life,
no deed nor wickedness,
which I have not committed, O Savior.
I have sinned in mind, in word, in will,
in intention, in habit, and in deed,
beyond all others.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Therefore am I condemned,
therefore am I judged, O wretched one,
by mine own conscience,
than which nothing in the world is more severe.
O Judge, my Redeemer and Knower of all,
spare me, deliver me,
and save Thy servant.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The ladder which the great patriarch beheld of old
is an image, O my soul,
of active ascent and spiritual elevation.
If thou desirest to live aright,
in action, knowledge, and contemplation,
be renewed.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The patriarch endured the burning heat of day
and the frost of night for the sake of his wives,
daily gaining his hire
by tending, laboring, and serving.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Understand, O my soul, the two wives:
Leah as action, fruitful in children;
and Rachel as contemplation, gained through toil.
For without labors
neither action nor contemplation
is accomplished.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Watch, O my soul;
be courageous like the great patriarchs,
that thou mayest gain both action and knowledge,
become a mind that beholdeth God,
and attain the unapproachable darkness in contemplation,
and become a great merchant.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The great patriarch, having begotten the twelve,
mystically established for thee
the ladder of ascent, O my soul:
placing his children as foundations,
and the steps as degrees of ascent.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast imitated Esau the hated, O my soul;
thou hast given thy first-born dignity
to the deceiver,
and hast fallen from the paternal blessing;
twice hast thou stumbled, in action and in knowledge.
Therefore now repent.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Esau was called Edom
because of his unrestrained passion for women;
ever inflamed by lack of self-control
and defiled by pleasures,
he was named “red,”
signifying the burning of a sin-loving soul.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast heard, O my soul, of Job upon the dunghill,
who was justified;
yet thou hast not emulated his endurance,
nor hast thou acquired firmness
in all that thou knowest or hast tested;
but thou hast shown thyself impatient.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
He who once sat upon a throne
now sitteth naked upon a dunghill;
he who was rich in children and glorious
is suddenly childless and homeless;
he counted the dunghill as his palace,
and the worms as pearls.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
He who was clothed in royal dignity,
with crown and purple,
a man of many possessions and righteous,
abounding in wealth and flocks,
was suddenly stripped of riches
and deprived of royal glory.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
If he, being righteous and blameless above all,
did not escape the snares and nets of the deceiver,
what wilt thou do, O sin-loving soul,
if some sudden misfortune befall thee?
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have defiled my body,
I have stained my spirit,
I am wholly ulcerous;
but as the Physician, O Christ,
heal both by repentance,
wash and cleanse me,
and make me whiter than snow, O my Savior.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast offered Thy Body and Blood for all, O Word,
being crucified;
Thy Body, to renew me;
Thy Blood, to wash me;
and Thy Spirit Thou didst commit
to bring me unto the Father.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast wrought salvation in the midst of the earth,
O Compassionate One,
that we might be saved.
Of Thine own will Thou wast crucified upon the Tree,
and Eden, which was closed, was opened;
things above and things below,
all creation and the nations,
are saved and worship Thee.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Let the blood from Thy side
be unto me a fountain of purification,
and the water that flowed therefrom
a drink of remission,
that I may be cleansed by both, O Word,
being anointed and drinking
of Thy life-giving wonders.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The Church hath acquired Thy life-bearing side
as a chalice, O Savior,
from which there hath flowed for us
a twofold stream:
remission and knowledge,
as an image of the Old and New Covenants.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I am naked of the bridal chamber,
naked of the marriage,
and of the supper.
My lamp is gone out, lacking oil;
the bridal chamber is closed while I sleep;
the supper is ended;
and I, bound hand and foot,
am cast forth.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The time of my life is short
and filled with trouble and evil;
but receive me in repentance
and call me back to understanding,
that I be not the possession
and food of the alien;
do Thou Thyself have mercy on me, O Savior.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have become high-minded and boastful in heart,
vainly and foolishly;
let me not be condemned with the Pharisee.
But rather grant me the humility of the Publican,
O only Compassionate One and righteous Judge,
and number me with him.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have sinned by abusing the vessel of my flesh;
I know it, O Compassionate One.
But receive me in repentance
and call me back to understanding,
that I be not the possession
and food of the alien;
do Thou Thyself have mercy on me, O Savior.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have made myself an idol of passions,
harming my own soul, O Compassionate One;
but receive me in repentance
and call me back to understanding,
that I be not the possession
and food of the alien;
do Thou Thyself have mercy on me, O Savior.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
I have not hearkened to Thy voice,
I have transgressed Thy Scripture, O Lawgiver;
but receive me in repentance
and call me back to understanding,
that I be not the possession
and food of the alien;
do Thou Thyself have mercy on me, O Savior.
Refrain: Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
Living in the flesh the life of the bodiless,
thou didst receive great grace from God, O venerable one,
and thou dost intercede for those who faithfully honor thee;
therefore we beseech thee,
deliver us from all afflictions by thy prayers.
Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Having fallen into the depths of great sin,
thou wast not held fast,
but didst hasten by better thoughts
unto manifest perfection of virtue, O glorious one,
amazing even the ranks of angels.
Glory…
Undivided in essence,
unconfused in Persons,
I confess Thee,
one Triune Godhead,
co-enthroned and reigning;
and I cry aloud unto Thee the great thrice-holy hymn
which is sung in the highest.
Now and ever…
Bohorodičen
Thou both bearest and remainest a virgin,
and in both natures abidest.
He who is born of thee
reneweth the laws of nature;
for the womb bringeth forth
yet remaineth unwedded.
Where God willeth,
the order of nature is overcome,
for He doeth whatsoever He desireth.
Ode V
Irmos
Out of the night I rise early unto Thee, O Lover of mankind;
enlighten me, I pray,
and guide me in Thy commandments,
and teach me, O Savior,
to do Thy will.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have passed my life ever in night, O Savior,
for the darkness of sin
hath been to me a deep and moonless night;
but make me a child of the day.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Like Reuben the wretched,
I have devised a lawless and transgressive deed
against God Most High,
defiling my bed as he defiled his father’s.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I confess unto Thee, O Christ my King:
I have sinned, I have sinned,
as of old the brethren of Joseph
sold the pure and chaste fruit.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The righteous soul was bound and sold into slavery
by his kinsmen,
as a type of the Lord;
but thou, O my soul,
hast sold thyself wholly
to thine own evil deeds.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Imitate the righteous and chaste mind of Joseph,
O wretched and unworthy soul,
and commit not fornication
through lawless impulses,
ever transgressing.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Though Joseph was cast into the pit, O Master,
it was as a type of Thy burial and Resurrection;
but what shall I ever offer unto Thee
in return?
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast heard, O my soul, of Moses
borne upon the waters of the river
as in a chamber of old,
escaping the bitter counsel of Pharaoh.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
If thou hast heard, O my soul,
of the midwives who once slew the male infants,
then learn chastity as did Moses,
and drink of wisdom.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Like Moses the great,
who slew the Egyptian, O wretched soul,
thou hast not slain the mind of sin;
how then shalt thou dwell,
tell me, in the desert of the passions
through repentance?
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Moses the great dwelt in the desert;
come, O my soul, imitate his life,
that thou mayest be counted worthy
to behold God in the bush.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Imagine, O my soul,
the rod of Moses striking the sea
and making firm the deep,
as a type of the divine Cross,
by which thou also mayest accomplish great things.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Aaron offered to God a blameless sacrifice,
free from deceit;
but Hophni and Phinehas, like thee, O soul,
offered a strange and polluted life.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Like Jannes and Jambres,
servants of Pharaoh,
I have become hardened in mind, O Master,
and have sunk in thought;
but do Thou help me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
My mind is mingled with the mire, O wretched one;
wash me, O Master,
in the bath of my tears, I pray Thee,
making the garment of my flesh
white as snow.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
If I examine my deeds, O Christ,
I see that I have surpassed all men in sins;
for I have sinned knowingly in mind,
and not in ignorance.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Spare, spare, O Lord, Thy creation;
I have sinned, grant me remission.
For Thou alone art pure by nature,
and none besides Thee is free from defilement.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
For my sake Thou, being God,
didst become as I am;
Thou hast wrought wonders,
healing lepers, strengthening the paralytic,
and stopping the flow of blood
by the touch of Thy garment, O Savior.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Imitating the woman bowed down, O soul,
draw near and fall at the feet of Jesus,
that He may straighten thee
and thou mayest walk upright
in the paths of the Lord.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Though Thou art a deep well, O Master,
draw forth for me water
from Thy most pure veins,
that, like the Samaritan woman,
I thirst no more;
for Thou dost pour forth streams of life.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
Let my tears be unto me, O Master Lord,
as the pool of Siloam,
that I may wash the eyes of my heart
and behold Thee,
the pre-eternal Light.
Refrain: Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
With surpassing longing
thou didst desire to venerate the life-giving Tree,
and wast counted worthy of thy desire, O blessed one;
make me also worthy
to attain the glory on high.
Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Having crossed the streams of the Jordan,
thou didst find rest
apart from the pleasures of the flesh;
by thy prayers, O venerable one,
deliver us also from them.
Glory…
Thee do we glorify, O Trinity,
one God:
Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou;
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
simple Essence,
Unity ever worshipped.
Now and ever…
Bohorodičen
From thee, the incorrupt Virgin Mother,
God who created the ages
clothed Himself in my lowliness,
uniting to Himself human nature.
Ode VI
Irmos
I cried with my whole heart
unto the compassionate God,
and He heard me from the lowest hell
and brought up my life from corruption.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The tears of mine eyes, O Savior,
and the groanings from the depths,
I offer unto Thee with a pure heart, crying:
O God, I have sinned against Thee,
cleanse me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The waves of my sins, O Savior,
returning like the waters of the Red Sea,
have suddenly covered me,
as once they covered the Egyptians
and their chariots.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Like a raging heifer, O soul,
thou hast become like Ephraim;
but as a gazelle from the snare,
save thy life by action, knowledge, and contemplation.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Let the hand of Moses assure us, O soul,
that God is able to make the leprous life clean and white;
despair not thyself,
even though thou art leprous.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast followed Dathan and Abiram, O my soul,
rebelling against thy Lord;
but cry out from the depths of hell,
that the chasm of the earth swallow thee not.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Like a maddened heifer, O soul,
thou hast resembled Ephraim;
but, like a gazelle escaping the snare,
save thy life by sobriety and watchfulness.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The hand of Moses shall convince thee, O soul,
how God can cleanse and make white a leprous life;
despair not, even though thou art stricken.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast acquired a foolish will, O soul,
like Israel of old;
for thou hast irrationally preferred
the gluttony of passions
to the divine manna.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast preferred, O my soul,
the wells of Canaanite thoughts
to the rock from which the river of wisdom floweth,
pouring forth streams of theology.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The flesh of swine and the cauldrons of Egypt
thou hast preferred, O my soul,
to the heavenly food,
as did the senseless people in the wilderness.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
When Thy servant Moses struck the rock with his rod,
he prefigured Thy life-giving side,
from which we all draw forth
the drink of life, O Savior.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Examine thyself, O my soul,
and consider the promised land,
as Joshua the son of Nun did,
and dwell therein by the keeping of the law.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Arise and fight, O my soul,
like Joshua against Amalek,
ever conquering the passions of the flesh
and the deceitful thoughts of the Gibeonites.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Pass over the flowing nature of time, O my soul,
as once the ark crossed the Jordan,
and take possession of the land of promise
which God commandeth thee.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
As Thou didst save Peter when he cried out,
so save me, O Savior;
hasten to deliver me from the beast,
stretching forth Thy hand
and raising me from the depths of sin.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I know Thee as a calm haven, O Master Christ;
but from the unfathomable depths of sin
anticipate and deliver me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I am the lost drachma, O Savior;
but light the lamp of Thy Forerunner, O Word,
seek and find Thy lost image.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
Take me to Thyself, O Lord,
lest I hear that dread voice:
“Depart from Me into the fire”;
but grant that I may hear
the blessed voice of the righteous.
Refrain: Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
To quench the flame of passions,
thou didst ever pour forth streams of tears, O Mary,
thy soul aflame with longing;
grant me also this grace,
thy servant.
Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Thou didst acquire heavenly dispassion
by thy life upon earth, O Mother;
therefore pray that those who praise thee
may be delivered from passions.
Glory…
I am the Trinity, simple and undivided,
yet divided in Persons;
and I am the Unity, united in essence,
so saith the Father, and the Son,
and the Divine Spirit.
Now and ever…
Bohorodičen
Thy womb hath borne God for us,
fashioned according to our form;
Him, as the Creator of all,
entreat, O Theotokos,
that by thy prayers
we may be justified.
Kontakion, Tone 6
O my soul, my soul, arise, why sleepest thou?
The end draweth near, and thou shalt be confounded.
Awake, then, that Christ God may spare thee,
He who is everywhere present
and filleth all things.
Ikos
Seeing the healing opened by Christ
and health flowing forth from it unto Adam,
the devil suffered and was wounded,
and lamenting as one in distress,
he cried out to his friends:
“What shall I do concerning the Son of Mary?
The Bethlehemite slayeth me,
He who is everywhere present
and filleth all things.”
Ode VII
Irmos
We have sinned, we have transgressed,
we have not been justified before Thee;
for we have neither kept nor done
as Thou hast commanded us.
But abandon us not utterly,
O God of our fathers.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have sinned, I have transgressed,
and I have rejected Thy commandments;
for I was conceived in iniquities,
and I have added wound upon wound.
But do Thou Thyself have mercy on me,
as the God of our fathers.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The secrets of my heart
have I confessed unto Thee, my Judge;
behold my humility,
behold also my affliction;
attend now unto my judgment,
and do Thou Thyself have mercy on me,
O God of our fathers.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Saul once lost his father’s asses, O soul,
and found a kingdom unexpectedly;
but beware, lest thou choose instead
thy brutish desires
over the Kingdom of Christ.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
David, the forefather of God,
sinned doubly, O my soul:
he was pierced by the arrow of adultery
and smitten by the spear of murder;
but thou art more grievously sick
through thine own willful passions.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
David once joined sin unto sin,
mingling murder with adultery;
yet he showed a twofold repentance.
But thou, O soul,
hast committed even greater evils
and hast not repented before God.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
David once composed a hymn
to reveal his deed, crying:
“Have mercy on me,
for against Thee only have I sinned,
the God of all;
do Thou Thyself cleanse me.”
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The Ark was borne upon a cart,
and when the ox stumbled,
Uzzah but touched it
and felt the wrath of God.
But flee, O my soul, from such presumption,
and revere divine things rightly.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast heard of Absalom
who rose against nature;
thou knowest his defiled deeds,
whereby he polluted his father’s bed.
But thou hast imitated his passions
and unnatural desires.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast subjected thy free dignity
to thy flesh, O soul;
finding another Ahithophel, the enemy,
thou hast followed his counsel.
But Christ Himself hath scattered it,
that thou mightest be saved.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Solomon the wondrous,
once full of grace and wisdom,
did evil before God and fell away from Him;
and thou, O soul,
hast become like him
through thy accursed life.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Led by thy passions,
thou hast defiled thyself – alas! –
thou lover of wisdom,
become a lover of harlots,
and estranged from God;
and thou hast imitated him, O soul.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast followed Rehoboam,
who heeded not his father’s counsel,
and Jeroboam, the evil servant and apostate;
but flee their example, O soul,
and cry unto God:
I have sinned; save me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast gathered to thyself
the sins of Manasseh, O my soul,
setting up passions as abominations
and multiplying wickedness;
but emulate his repentance
and acquire compunction.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast imitated Ahab in defilements,
O my soul;
thou hast become a dwelling-place
of fleshly filth
and a shameful vessel of passions.
But sigh from the depths
and confess thy sins unto God.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Heaven was shut to thee, O soul,
and a famine from God hath overtaken thee,
as of old in the days of Elijah the Tishbite.
But imitate the widow of Zarephath
and nourish the prophet’s soul.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I fall down before Thee
and offer unto Thee the words of my tears:
I have sinned,
as the harlot sinned;
I have transgressed,
as no one else on earth.
But have compassion, O Master,
upon Thy creation, and call me back.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have buried Thy image
and broken Thy commandment;
all my beauty is darkened,
and my lamp is quenched by passions.
But in Thy compassion restore it,
as David singeth, granting me joy.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
Turn back, repent, reveal thy deeds;
say unto God, who knoweth all things:
Thou knowest my secrets, O only Savior;
but do Thou have mercy on me,
as David singeth, according to Thy mercy.
Refrain: Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
Having cried unto the most pure Mother of God,
thou didst first turn away
from the violent assault of the passions
and didst put to shame the enemy;
grant now also thy help in sorrow
unto me, thy servant.
Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Him whom thou didst love,
whom thou didst desire,
for whose sake thou didst afflict thy body,
O venerable one,
entreat Christ on behalf of thy servants,
that He may grant us all
a life of peace who fear Him.
Glory…
O simple and undivided Trinity,
most-essential Unity,
Light and Lights,
one Holy and thrice Holy,
God the Trinity is praised.
Sing and glorify Him, O my soul,
the Life and Life of all.
Now and ever…
Bohorodičen
We hymn thee, we bless thee,
we fall down before thee, O Theotokos;
for thou hast borne
one of the inseparable Trinity,
Christ our God;
and thou hast opened unto us on earth
the heavenly things.
Ode VIII
Irmos
Him whom the hosts of heaven glorify,
before whom the Cherubim and Seraphim tremble,
let every breath and all creation
hymn, bless, and supremely exalt
unto all ages.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Having sinned, O Savior, have mercy on me;
raise up my mind unto repentance.
Receive me who repent,
have compassion on me who cry:
I have sinned against Thee, save me;
I have transgressed, have mercy on me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Elijah, borne aloft in the chariot of virtues,
ascended as it were into heaven,
being exalted above earthly things;
consider his ascent, O my soul.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Elisha once received the mantle of Elijah
and a double portion of grace from the Lord;
but thou, O my soul,
hast not partaken of such grace
through lack of restraint.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The Shunammite woman
once received the righteous man with good will;
but thou, O my soul,
hast not received into thy house
either stranger or traveler;
therefore thou shalt be cast out of the bridal chamber.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast not been made worthy, O my soul,
of the grace of Elijah’s mantle,
which once parted the Jordan
on either side through abstinence.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast imitated Gehazi, O wretched soul,
in his foul disposition;
cast away at least in thine old age
his love of silver;
flee from the fire of Gehenna
by departing from thy wicked deeds.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast imitated Uzziah, O my soul,
bearing his leprosy doubly within thyself;
for thou thinkest what is unlawful
and doest what is contrary to the law.
Abandon what thou hast
and hasten to repentance.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast heard, O my soul,
of the Ninevites who repented before God
in sackcloth and ashes;
yet thou hast not imitated them,
but hast proved more stubborn
than all who have sinned
before and after the Law.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast heard of Jeremiah in the pit of mire, O soul,
lamenting over the city of Zion
and asking for tears;
imitate his mournful life,
and thou shalt be saved.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Jonah fled to Tarshish,
foreseeing the repentance of the Ninevites;
for, as a prophet,
he knew the compassion of God,
and was zealous lest his prophecy be shown false.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast heard, O my soul, of Daniel in the den,
how he stopped the mouths of the wild beasts;
thou knowest how the youths with Azariah
quenched the flame of the furnace by faith.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
All the examples of the Old Testament
have I set before thee, O my soul:
imitate the righteous in their love of God,
and flee the sins of the wicked.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
O righteous Judge and Savior, have mercy on me,
and deliver me from the fire
and from the threat which I must justly endure at the judgment;
loosen my bonds before the end
through virtue and repentance.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Like the thief I cry unto Thee: Remember me;
like Peter I weep bitterly;
grant me remission, O Savior.
I cry like the Publican,
I weep like the harlot;
receive my lamentation
as once Thou didst the Canaanite woman.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Heal, O Savior,
the festering wounds of my wretched soul,
O only Physician;
apply the plaster:
the works of repentance,
compunction, and tears.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Like the Canaanite woman, I also cry unto Thee:
Have mercy on me, O Son of David!
I touch the hem of Thy garment,
as did the woman with the issue of blood;
I weep like Martha and Mary for Lazarus.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I pour out a vessel of tears, O Savior,
as myrrh upon Thy head;
I cry unto Thee like the harlot,
imploring Thy mercy;
I offer my supplication
and ask to receive forgiveness.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Though none hath sinned as I have,
yet receive even me, O compassionate Savior,
who repent with fear
and cry with love:
Against Thee alone have I sinned,
have mercy on me.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Spare Thy creature, O Savior;
seek me as a Shepherd seeketh the lost;
overtake the wandering one,
snatch me from the wolf,
and make me a sheep
in the pasture of Thy flock.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
When Thou shalt sit as Judge in mercy
and reveal Thy dread glory, O Savior,
what fear there shall be then!
The furnace shall burn,
and all shall tremble
before the unsearchable judgment.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
When Thou shalt summon all to judgment, O Christ,
what fear there shall be then,
what distress!
For all shall tremble
before Thy uncorruptible tribunal.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
O Judge of all, my God and Lord,
grant that I may then hear Thy gentle voice,
and behold Thy great light,
and see Thy dwellings
and Thy glory,
rejoicing unto the ages.
Refrain: Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
The Mother of the never-setting Light
hath enlightened thee,
and delivered thee from the darkness of the passions;
therefore, having received grace,
enlighten those who hymn thee, O Mary.
Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Beholding in thee a new wonder, O Mother,
the divine Zosimas was struck with awe;
for he beheld an angel in the flesh
and was filled with amazement,
glorifying Christ unto the ages.
We bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Lord.
O beginningless Father,
and co-beginningless Son,
and gracious Comforter, Spirit of truth,
who proceedest from the Father:
O Holy Trinity, one in essence,
have mercy on me.
Now and ever…
Bohorodičen
From thy crimson womb, O pure one,
was woven the spiritual purple garment of Emmanuel;
therefore we truly honor thee
as Theotokos.
Ode IX
Irmos
Seedless conception;
birth ineffable;
of a Mother without husband,
childbearing incorrupt.
For the birth of God reneweth nature.
Wherefore all generations rightly magnify thee
as the Bride of God and Mother.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
My mind is wounded, my body is weakened,
my spirit is sick, my word hath lost its strength;
my life is dead, the end is at the doors.
What then shalt thou do, O wretched soul,
when the Judge cometh
to examine thy deeds?
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have set before thee, O my soul,
all the history of Moses
and of the whole Scripture,
telling of the righteous and the unrighteous;
yet thou hast imitated the latter
and not the former,
sinning against God.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The Law hath grown weak,
the Gospel is unheeded;
all Scripture is neglected by thee.
The prophets have become feeble,
and every word of righteousness.
Thy wounds, O soul, have multiplied,
for there is no physician
to heal thee.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
I have brought before thee examples
from the New Scripture,
leading thee to compunction;
therefore emulate the righteous,
turn away from sinners,
and entreat Christ
through prayer, fasting, purity, and reverence.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Christ became man
and called thieves and harlots to repentance.
Repent, O my soul:
the door of the Kingdom is already opened,
and the Pharisees, the publicans,
and the repentant sinners
enter therein before thee.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Christ became man,
sharing in my flesh,
and willingly fulfilled all that belongeth to nature,
save sin;
showing thee, O my soul,
the example and image of His condescension.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Christ saved the Magi,
called the shepherds,
and showed the multitude of infants as martyrs;
He glorified the elders and the aged widows.
But thou hast not imitated their lives, O soul,
woe unto thee
when thou shalt be judged!
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The Lord fasted forty days in the wilderness
and at the last was hungry,
revealing His human nature.
Be not slothful, O soul;
if the enemy assail thee,
let him be driven away
by prayer and fasting.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Christ was tempted,
the devil tempted Him,
showing Him stones to be made bread;
he led Him up the mountain
to behold all the kingdoms of the world.
Fear this, O my soul;
be watchful and pray at all times unto God.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The dove-loving desert voice cried aloud,
the lamp of Christ preached repentance;
but Herod transgressed with Herodias.
Take heed, O my soul,
lest thou be ensnared
by lawless passions,
but embrace repentance.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The Forerunner dwelt in the wilderness of grace,
and all Judea and Samaria heard him
and ran, confessing their sins,
and were baptized eagerly.
But thou hast not imitated them, O soul.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Marriage is honorable
and the bed undefiled;
for Christ blessed both beforehand,
eating in the flesh at a wedding
and turning water into wine,
showing His first miracle,
that thou, O soul, mightest be changed.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Christ strengthened the paralytic,
who took up his bed;
He raised the dead youth, the widow’s son;
He healed the centurion’s servant;
and revealed Himself to the Samaritan woman,
teaching thee, O soul,
the worship in spirit.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The woman with the issue of blood
was healed by touching the hem of His garment;
He cleansed lepers,
gave sight to the blind,
made the lame to walk,
and by His word healed the deaf and the dumb
and the woman bowed down,
that thou, O wretched soul, mightest be saved.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Healing the sick,
He preached good tidings to the poor;
He healed the broken,
ate with publicans,
and conversed with sinners;
and by the touch of His hand
He restored the dead daughter of Jairus.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
The publican was justified,
the harlot became chaste,
but the Pharisee boasting was condemned;
for the one cried: Cleanse me;
the other: Have mercy on me;
but the third vaunted himself,
speaking senseless words.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Zacchaeus was a publican, yet he was saved;
Simon the Pharisee was scandalized;
but the harlot received forgiveness
from Him who hath authority to remit sins.
Strive, O my soul,
to follow her.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou hast not imitated the harlot, O my soul,
who took the alabaster jar of myrrh
and with tears anointed the feet of the Savior
and wiped them with her hair;
He who tore up the record of her former sins.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Thou knowest, O my soul,
how the cities to which Christ preached the Gospel
were condemned;
fear their example,
lest thou become like them,
for the Master compared them to Sodom
and condemned them even unto Hades.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Be not worse than the Canaanite woman, O soul,
whose faith thou hast heard of;
for by her faith her daughter was healed by the Word.
Cry from the depths of thy heart,
“Son of David, save me,”
as she once did.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Have compassion on me, O Son of David,
and save me;
Thou who by Thy word didst heal the possessed.
Speak unto me also, as to the thief:
Amen, I say unto thee,
thou shalt be with Me in Paradise
when I come in My glory.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
One thief reviled Thee,
another confessed Thee;
both hung upon the Cross with Thee.
But, O most merciful Lord,
open unto me also
the door of Thy Kingdom.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Creation trembled,
seeing Thee crucified;
the mountains and rocks were rent with fear,
the earth quaked,
Hades was laid bare,
and the light grew dark at midday,
beholding Thee, O Jesus,
nailed in the flesh.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
Require not of me fruits worthy of repentance,
for my strength faileth within me;
but grant me a contrite heart
and poverty of spirit,
that I may offer them unto Thee
as an acceptable sacrifice,
O only Savior.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
O my Judge and Knower of all,
who shalt come again with the angels
to judge the whole world,
look upon me then with Thy merciful eye,
spare me and save me, O Savior,
who have sinned more than all men.
Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.
To Saint Andrew of Crete
O honorable Andrew, most blessed father,
shepherd of Crete,
cease not to pray for those who praise thee,
that we all may be delivered
from wrath, affliction, corruption, and sins,
who faithfully honor thy memory. (twice)
Refrain: Holy Father Andrew, pray to God for us.
Refrain: Venerable Father Andrew, pray to God for us.
To Saint Mary of Egypt
Thou hast amazed all
by thy strange and wondrous life, O Mother,
both the ranks of angels and the assemblies of men;
for thou didst live beyond nature,
and didst cross the Jordan
as though bodiless.
Refrain: Venerable Mother Mary, pray to God for us.
Entreat the Creator
on behalf of those who praise thee, O venerable Mother,
that we may be delivered
from the afflictions and sorrows that surround us,
and, being saved from dangers,
may unceasingly magnify the Lord
who hath glorified thee.
Glory…
O consubstantial Trinity,
Unity in three Persons,
we hymn Thee:
glorifying the Father,
magnifying the Son,
and worshipping the Holy Spirit,
one Essence, truly God,
Life and Kingdom without end.
Now and ever…
Bohorodičen
Thou alone hast borne the one God
and hast remained a virgin;
O strange birth, O wondrous conception!
A conception without seed,
and a birth beyond nature.
O Bride of God most pure,
preserve the flock of thy Son
which He hath acquired.
25 March 2026