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AT VESPERS
At Lord, I have cried, we insert 6 Stichera and sing Prosomia,
doubling them.
Your form is of fire and your beauty wondrous, Michael, first of the
Angels, for with your immaterial nature you pass through the ends
of the earth fulfilling the commands of the Maker of all things,
acknowledged as powerful in your strength and making your
church, honoured with your name, a source of healings.
As it is written, Lord, you make your Angels spirits and those who
minister to you a fiery flame. You have revealed Michael the Chief
Captain to be the leader among the ranks of Archangels, as he obeys
your wishes, O Word, and with fear raises the Thrice-holy Hymn of
praise to your glory.
Rejoice with us, all you leaders of the Angels, for your commander
and our champion, the great Chief Captain, hallows this present day
as he appears in his holy place. Therefore as is fitting we sing his
praises as we cry out, ‘Shelter us in the shelter of your wings, great
Archangel Michael’.
Rejoice with us, all you choirs of Virgins, for our defence and
intercessor, protection and great refuge by her revered and godlike
concern brings comfort on this present day to the afflicted. Therefore
as is fitting we sing her praises as we cry out, ‘Shelter us by your
godlike protection, all-pure Lady, Mother of God’.
Verse: Who makes his Angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of
fire.
The leader of the godlike Powers on high today invites the choirs of
mortals to celebrate with Angels one radiant feast of their assembly
and together sing to God the Thrice-holy Hymn.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord, my God, you have been
greatly magnified.
The mystery hidden from all eternity and unknown to Angels, has
been revealed to those on earth through you, O Mother of God: God
being made flesh in a union without confusion, and willingly
accepting the Cross for us, through which he raised the first-formed
man and saved our souls from death.
AT MATINS
After the 1st Reading from the Psalter, Kathisma.
Tone 4. Lifted up on the Cross.
May we, the unworthy, never cease to speak of your acts of power, O
Mother of God. For if you had not stood by to intercede, who had
delivered us from so many dangers? Who had kept us free until
now? May we never desert you, Sovereign Lady; for you ever save
your servants from disasters of every kind.
Let us humble sinners now hasten to the Mother of God, and let us
fall down in repentance as we cry from the depth of the soul:
Sovereign Lady, help, have compassion on us, hasten, for we perish
by a multitude of offences; do not turn your servants empty away;
for we have gained you as our only hope.
The Canons to the Mother of God and the Archangel; after which, if
you like, sing Katavasias as well: I shall open my mouth.
Ode 1. Tone 4.
Always ablaze with the divine radiance, make bright my soul to sing
your praise, Chief Captain of the hosts on high, strength of all who
have recourse to you.
Leader in spirit of the heavenly Minds, you have been given to those
below, all-noble Michael, as rampart and might and as a sword that
slaughters and wipes out our foes.
Theotokion.
Let us sing with harmonious praise the prince of the Angels, the
shining sun, who sheds his light on the earth with the splendours of
his wonders and ever drives away the gloom of temptations.
Lord, who made the Angels a flame of fire as they mightily fulfil
your all-holy will, you revealed resplendent in their midst like a star
Michael, the Chief Captain.
Let us all sing the praise of the loving Lord who has given us as a
wall invincible to foes and an immovable support holy Michael who
always savings us from dangers.
By your godlike care you ever render your godlike house a place of
propitiation for sinners, a refuge for the wronged and a place that
puts all diseases to flight, O first of God’s angels.
Crush the children of Hagar without ceasing who are roused against
us, glorious one, and rescue us from their expectation and
oppression, that we may always honour you as our loving protector.
Theotokion.
Ode 3.
Most godlike Chief Captain of God, you have been named divine
herald, defender of believers who cannot be put to shame. guide and
instructor of the erring.
Theotokion.
The One who by his will brought into being the immaterial Minds
dwells by his will in your material womb, All-blameless; The one
who cannot be beheld is seen in flesh.
Another.
As you stand beside the throne of the Trinity, made divine by
participation and illumined by the rays that come from there,
illumine those who sing your praise, Chief Captain of God.
When Jesus saw you holding a sword in your hand, he was struck
with amazement at your fearsome sight and cried out: What do you
now command your servant to do, Lord?
You were set by God as ruler of the Jewish nation; but now, Chief
Captain, as helper and deliverer of Christians, delivering them from
constraints and afflictions.
Let us give greatness to the Lord, who has given us a champion and
helper in afflictions, the great Chief Captain, through whom we are
ever rescued from godless barbarians.
Chief Captain, imploring God the Most High, speedily bring back
those who been led away and miserably enslaved to foreign nations.
Theotokion.
Ode 4.
The primal Mind brought into being the divine Minds by his will and
created in their midst Michael as prince, illumined by all-blessed
participation and blazing with thoughts whose origin is God.
We magnify the Maker and Lord of all things, who has given us
through his compassion a great safeguard and infallible wall and
bulwark, Michael, the resplendent Chief Captain.
Theotokion.
Of old the Revealer of sacred mysteries was initiated in mind into the
strange marvel of your child-bearing, O Virgin, seeing you inspirit
most clearly as a shaded mountain, from which there came the Holy
One, God in a body.
Another.
As you traverse the things on high you visit fearsomely each day
those below, rescuing from many disasters, dangers and afflictions
all those who call to you, Minister of God.
See, the divine place; see, the refuge of the afflicted; see, the all-holy
house, which the great Chief Captain reveals a truly a haven of many
who being saved.
You appeared as a pillar of fire to godly minded Archippos, when a
lawless people was hasting to flood with limitless waters your sacred
enclosure, O Prince of the Powers on high.
Theotokion.
Gabriel came bringing you the ‘Hail’ from on high, O All-pure; with
him therefore we cry aloud: Hail Gate, through which Christ alone
has passed, the God who saves humanity.
Ode 5.
You appeared at the head of the Israel of old, at the commands of the
One who appeared to mortals from Jacob in the solidity of a body, O
bodiless Michael, Chief Captain of the Angels.
You godlike church has been made lovely by grace; for as you visit it
you reveal it be an ocean of healings and a remedy against passions,
Michael First of Angels.
Theotokion.
Another.
Crush the insolence of the barbarians who seek to wipe out your
flock, Chief Captain; deliver those who have been taken prisoner by
them, that they may ever praise you with us.
Theotokion.
You surpass the angelic Powers and you gave birth to the God and
king of all. With them, all-holy Lady, implore him to save us all.
Ode 6.
You appeared and saved the army of Israel, and fulfilling the divine
ordinances, Chief Captain, you destroyed their enemies and wiped
them out completely.
Theotokion.
Blessed the people who ever calls you blessed, O blessed one you
gave birth to the blessed God, who by an ineffable union has made
mortals divine through pity.
Another.
Of old Moses struck a rock and waters gushed out; while now, when
you struck a rock, the streams of rivers were swallowed up,
witnessing still to the marvel, godlike Archangel.
Those who of old were clad in the gloom of unbelief by the folly of
idols attacking your godlike house were manifestly granted the light
of knowledge at your prayers.
Theotokion.
The Prophet foresaw you as a volume in which the Word was written
by the finger of the Father, O Virgin; implore him to write down in
the book of life us who devoutly glorify you.
Ikos.
Synaxarion.
Verses.
New Noë to your church, Michael, you came,
At Chonae made an end to river’s flood.
Michael, Chief Captain of the Angel hosts,
Once on the sixth of the month the flow of the river he funnelled
[chonevse].
Consumed by envy at the marvels which took place in the church of the Chief
Captain Michael, certain pagan men planned to divert the river which flowed
nearby against the church, so as to flood the church and destroy Archippos,
the honoured man who dwelt in it. The divine Archangel simply appeared
and, telling Archippos to take courage, struck the rock with a staff, making a
passage for the river in it. From that day to this it is visible passing through
and hollowing out its passage.
On the same day the Contest of the holy Martyrs Evdoxios, Zeno,
Romulus and Makarios.
Verses.
Zeno, Evdoxios and Romulus were slain,
So too Makarios: blessed [makaristoi] in their end!
On the same day one thousand one hundred and four holy soldiers
and Saint Kalodoti met their end by the sword.
Verses.
Martyrs one thousand, ten times ten and four,
A single end accomplished by the sword.
On the same day the Saints Faustus the presbyter, Makarios, Andrew
and the monk Vivos, Kyriakos, Dionysios, Andronikos; and saints
Andropelagia and Thekla; and the sea captain Theoktistos and
another Kyriakos the commoner met their end by the sword.
Verses.
Faustus, when through a sword he left the earth,
Was raised to brightness [phavsis] of a home on high.
On the same day there coincided the dedication of the most holy
Mother of God at the Second in the house of St Irene.
Ode 7.
As he kept watch Daniel saw you standing with him making him
understand the vision he had seen at the Ubal, O Gabriel formed of
lightning, and after this showing him Michael.
In faith let us praise with mighty voice the godlike and light-bearing
guides of the Angels, Michael and Gabriel, our good comforters,
defenders and guardians.
Fair and all-comely and godlike, in spirit you became the leader of
the immaterial ministers, Michael, radiant with light. With them
therefore intercede on behalf of us all.
Theotokion.
Seeing the eternal Word of the supreme Mind dwelling ineffably and
fearsomely in you, O Maiden, the Archangel Gabriel cried out: Hail,
blessed throne of the Most High!
Another.
When Daniel once saw you standing with him, wholly seized with
apprehension, he was afraid and approaching your feet he was made
to understand clearly the revelation of hidden mysteries, as he cried:
Blessed are you, the God of our Fathers.
What place does not share in your limitless wonders? What city does
not have you as champion? What soul of those in trouble does not
call you its helper, Chief Captain of God? as it cried out
harmoniously: Blessed are you, the God of our Fathers.
Theotokion.
Ode 8.
Archangels Michael and Gabriel, the two beacons all light, who
guide creation with light with the beacon fires of the Godhead, dispel
the fog of dread troubles.
As bridal escort the godlike Archangel came and addressed with his
‘Hail!’, O Bride of God without bridegroom, the glory of the Angels
and the protection and wall of defence of humans.
Another.
You pass through earth like lightning, fulfilling the divine will, you
traverse the heavens, leading the Angels; great is your glory, beyond
understanding the numberless wonders which fearsomely you
accomplish in all creation.
The eye-witnesses of the One who appeared in a body for our sake,
Philip the far-famed and the greatest Divine, by divine inspirations
foretell the inexhaustible grace of your healings, O First of Angels.
With a rod Moses of old divided the sea; and now the Chief Captain
of God with invisible power, as with a visible rod, channels the
waters, which flowed in disorder, into the rock as in a funnel.
Theotokion.
Ode 9.
Today the bodiless and godlike Minds rejoice with us, as they see the
great and radiant Archangel being praised by all, as he entreats for us
illumination and redemption from faults.
Theotokion.
At the voce of the Angel Gabriel you conceived God the Word, O All-
blameless, who by a word made the hosts on high and grants reason
to praise his holy condescension beyond reason and understanding.
Another.
Every believer ever addresses you a song, who without ceasing with
many tens of thousands in the highest raise the thrice-holy hymn.
Bring us all to God, rescuing us from disasters and toils, O prince of
Angels.
Let creation leap for joy as it mystically sings the praise of the great
Archangel of the Lord; for he is the guide of the erring and haven for
many who are storm-tossed by disasters and temptations, physician
of the sick and fount of wonders.
Theotokion.
You appeared wider than the heavens, O Virgin, for in a manner
beyond explanation you contained God, whom the choirs of Bodiless
Powers mystically praise. Implore him, pure Maiden, that we who
call you blessed with never silent voices may all be saved.
As we in the world keep festival like the Angels, let us cry aloud to
God, who is borne on a throne of glory, the hymn: Holy are you,
Father in heaven; co-eternal Word, holy are you; and the All-holy
Spirit. (Twice)
With great boldness you lead the heavenly powers and stand before
the throne unendurable in glory, eye-witness of things ineffable; by
your intercessions, Michael Chief Captain, save us who are
constrained by dangers and temptations, we implore.
Manifestly you are first of the bodiless Angels and minister of that
divine radiance, eye-witness and initiate; save us, Michael Chief
Captain, who yearly honour you devoutly and faithfully sing the
praise of the Trinity.
Glory. Tone 5.