The 7th Day of the Month of April

Commemoration of Our Venerable Father George,

Bishop of Mitylene

AT VESPERS

On “Lord, I have cried…”, these stichera, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “O all-praised martyrs…”—

O most wise father George, with honor thou didst bow down before the precious and all-pure icon of Christ, strengthened by His power, in nowise fearing the vehemence of those who fought against God. Him do thou now entreat, that He grant our souls peace and great mercy.

O glorious father George, thou didst endure the anger of the ungodly who were mindlessly enraged, and whom thou didst see exalting themselves in impious arrogance, and yet manifestly and utterly crushed by providence, moved to defend the senseless.

O father George, as a fellow-laborer of God, a priest and husbandman, by thy words thou hast now brought to the Master fruit a hundredfold: the souls of the saved. Pray thou now, that He grant unto our souls peace and great mercy.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Rejoice, O bush unburnt! Rejoice, thou who alone gavest birth to the Angel of great counsel! Rejoice, will of the worshipful Trinity! Rejoice, confirmation of mortals! Rejoice, thou who didst cause to spring forth the uncultivated Grain of paradise: the King and Lord Who doth cause the offshoots of evil to wither.

Stavrotheotokion—

The unblemished ewe-lamb and Mistress, seeing her Lamb upon the Cross, bereft of form and beauty, said, lamenting: “Woe is me! Whither hath Thy comeliness departed, O Thou Who art most sweet? Where is Thy goodness? Where the shining grace of Thy form, O my Son most beloved?”

AT MATINS

Canon of the holy hierarch, in Tone VIII—

Ode I

Irmos: O ye people, let us send up a hymn unto our wondrous God, Who freed Israel from bondage, singing and crying out a hymn of victory unto Thee Who alone art Master.

Shine forth the radiance of Thy loving-kindness upon me who am full of transgressions and grievous sins, O compassionate Christ, and dispel the gloom of my blindness through the entreaties of Thy hierarch.

With thy pangs and sweat, O wise and blessed George, thou didst till all the ground of abstinence, and, sowing the grain of the Spirit in men’s hearts, thou didst bring forth the wheat of dispassion.

Taking thy cross upon thy shoulder, thou didst reject the prince of this world of earthly beauty, and, following after Christ, didst acquire the treasure of His immaterial kingdom.

Theotokion: Possessing thine intercession as armor and a steadfast refuge, a bulwark, stronghold and divine foundation, a bridge and protection, O Bride of God, we are all delivered from misfortunes.

Ode III

Irmos: None is as holy as the Lord, and none is as righteous as our God, Whom all creation doth hymn, singing: None is righteous save Thee, O Lord!

Entering upon the summit of the virtues, O blessed and venerable one, and worthily gazing upon the depths of the Spirit, thou dwellest with the angelic choirs, as a receptacle of divine vision.

Poor in spirit, O wise one, thou wast enriched by the immaterial kingdom, wherein thou didst faithfully prepare everlasting treasures for thy flock; wherefore, we call thee blessed.

With simplicity and meekness of soul, in thy character and corrections, thou wast like unto Jacob; and by thy spiritual purity wast shown to be an Israel whose mind looketh upon God.

Theotokion: Without father thou gavest birth unto Him Who before thee was without mother, and thou didst nurse as a babe Him Who nourisheth all. Him do thou beseech, that those who hymn thee with faith and dominion as the pure Theotokos may be saved.

Sessional hymn, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “Of the Wisdom…”—

Luminous with loftiness of humility, thou didst utterly destroy the uprisings of the enemy, doing battle splendidly; and being merciful, O venerable father, thou didst feed the starving with abundant provision. Wherefore, after death thou didst inherit food which waxeth not old, rejoicing forever, O blessed hierarch George. Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of transgressions unto those who with love celebrate thy holy memory.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

All of us, the generations of men, bless thee as the Virgin who, alone among women, gavest birth in the flesh unto God without seed; for the fire of the Godhead made its abode within thee, and thou dost nourish the Creator and Lord as a babe. Wherefore, we, the generations of angels and men, glorify thine all-holy birthgiving as is meet, and together we cry out to thee: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of offenses unto those who with faith worship thine all-holy birthgiving.

Stavrotheotokion—

The ewe-lamb, beholding the Lamb, Shepherd and Deliverer upon the Cross, exclaimed, weeping, and bitterly lamenting, cried out: “The world rejoiceth, receiving deliverance through Thee; but my womb doth burn, beholding Thy crucifixion, which Thou endurest in the loving-kindness of Thy mercy. O long-suffering Lord, abyss and inexhaustible wellspring of mercy, have pity and grant remission of transgressions unto those who with faith hymn Thy divine sufferings!”

Ode IV

Irmos: O Word, with divine vision the prophet perceived Thee Who wast to become incarnate of the Theotokos alone, the mountain overshadowed; and with fear he glorified Thy power.

Thou didst save the ship of thy soul from the passions of the threefold waves of materialism, O venerable father, and didst hasten to the harbor and tranquillity of abstinence.

Having acquired angelic understanding, in the ecstasy of thy mind thou didst listen to the angels chanting unto the Trinity, O all-praised one.

Armed with thy divine faith as with noetic pebbles, O hierarch, like David thou didst bring down the prideful prince of darkness as he were another Goliath.

Theotokion: O Theotokos, hope and intercession for the world, entreat Him Who was incarnate of thee in behalf of thy servants; for having acquired thee as a holy mercy-seat, we are delivered from sin.

Ode V

Irmos: O Lord Who by divine knowledge brought the ends of the earth into the light out of the night of ignorance, enlighten me with the dawning of Thy love for mankind.

All of us, knowing thee as a tower of purity and key of chastity, O ever-memorable one, receive mercy through thy supplications.

Thou wast arrayed in priestly rank by godly foresight when the immaculate Virgin summoned thee thereto as one blameless.

Possessed of the compassion of mercy planted within thee and ever dwelling with thee, thou wast a producer of abundant food for the poor.

Theotokion: Having conceived the Master of heaven in thy womb, O all-immaculate one, thou wast higher than the heavens and all creation.

Ode VI

Irmos: Grant me a robe of light, O Thou Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment, O most merciful Christ our God.

The most Holy Spirit found a dwelling-place within thee, driving out legions of evil spirits by thy prayers.

Thou wast shown to be a river of tranquillity and a stream of meekness, from whence we are watered with a torrent of sweetness, O venerable father.

Having mortified the pleasures of the flesh, thou didst live according to the Spirit, O glorious one. Do thou also raise me up who have fallen through the passions.

Theotokion: God the Word, the Word Who shone forth eternally from the Father didst thou ineffably conceive within time in thy womb, O Ever-virgin.

Ode VII

Irmos: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers, Who bedewed the children in the furnace and preserved her who gave Thee birth a Virgin after birthgiving!

By the radiance of the divine Spirit thou didst foreknow thy departure from hence to that which is higher; and now thou dost join chorus in the mansions on high, O venerable one.

A star proclaimed thy repose, O venerable one, when thou was manifest as a star illumined by thy life and divine radiance and senses.

Thou didst worthily enter the wedding-chamber of the kingdom of high all arrayed, reclining with the Bridegroom at the feast of immaterial sweetness, O venerable one.

Theotokion: As is fitting, the hosts of heaven bear thee aloft and hymn thee as the Mother of the Life of all, the intercession of our souls, O Mistress.

Ode VIII

Irmos: Trampling down the fire and flame in the furnace, the divinely eloquent youths did chant: Bless the Lord, O ye works of the Lord!

Having a heart guided by God, O father, drive off the dark tempest of my passions and direct me to the haven of Thy serenity.

Planted by the divine springs of the waters of love, thou didst grow the tree of thy life and didst produce the fruits of piety in due season.

As a physician of incurable infirmities and a dispeller of unclean spirits, O blessed George, heal thou the sickness of my sin.

Theotokion: Who can tell of thy divine birthgiving, O Mary Theotokos? For every nature of mortals and angels is amazed and calleth thee blessed.

Ode IX

Irmos: Thy birthgiving, O Ever-virgin, which was revealed to the law-giver on the mountain in the fire and the bush, for the salvation of us, the faithful, do we magnify with unceasing hymnody.

With the springs of thy tears, O venerable one, thou didst blamelessly cultivate the paradise of dispassion and dost produce abundant fruit, feeding the divine flock with the virtues.

Thou didst offer pure service unto God, O venerable one, and, having finished the race of faith, hast now received a crown of righteousness from the hand of Christ, the Judge of the contest.

Today a multitude of the faithful, flocks of monks and assemblies of priests leap up and join chorus; for all have found thee to be a model, rule and image of salvation.

Theotokion: O most immaculate Maiden, cease not to entreat without ceasing the God-man, thine Offspring, Who is God and the Creator of time, that He save the souls of those who hymn thee.