THE 2nd DAY OF THE MONTH OF MARCH

THE COMMEMORATION OF THE HOLY HIEROMARTYR THEODOTUS, BISHOP OF CYRENIA

(on this day also, the commemoration of the “Reigning” Icon of the Mother of God)

AT VESPERS

On “Lord, I have cried…”, these stichera, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”—

A most sacred priest, the foundation of the Church, a pillar unshakable wast thou shown to be, O most glorious one, and a wonderworker most true, bestowed of God, O glorious one; and thou wast a most radiant and sacred luminary and a garden of paradise, having acquired Jesus the Bestower of life as the Tree of life in thy midst, O hieromartyr Theodotus.

Flogged with leathern thongs, and stretched out on a tree, and bitterly lacerated, O right wondrous one, imprisoned in a dungeon, thy feet cruelly pierced with nails, and laid upon a heated bed of iron, thou didst show thyself to be steadfast, glorifying Him Who strengthened thee amid all thy torments, O hieromartyr Theodotus.

Strangling the enemy with the cords of thy struggles, thou didst vanquish his power; and having been most splendidly courageous, thou dwellest as a crowned victor in the kingdom of heaven, having been accounted worthy of enlightenment and the comeliness of those who hold festival; and thou prayest that those who honor thee may be saved, O Theodotus, thou glory of the martyrs.

Glory..., Now and ever...: Theotokion, in the same tone and melody—

Deliver thou my soul from condemnation and grievous transgressions, O all-holy Bride of God, and rescue it from death by thy supplications. Grant that on the day of trial I may receive the justification which the assemblies of the saints have received; and before the end show me to be cleansed through repentance and by the shedding of tears.

Stavrotheotokion—

As she beheld Thee nailed to the Cross, O Lord, the Ewe-lamb Thy Mother marvelled and cried out: “What is this that I see, O my Son most desired? How hast Thou been rewarded by the unfaithful and iniquitous assembly which hath enjoyed Thy many miracles? Yet glory to Thine ineffable condescension, O Master!”

AT MATINS

Canon of the Hieromartyr, the acrostic whereof is: “A gift of God splendidly given wast thou, O blessed one,” the composition of Joseph, in Tone IV—

Ode I

Irmos: Having traversed the depths of the Red Sea with dryshod feet, Israel of old vanquished the might of Amalek in the wilderness by Moses’ arms stretched out in the form of the Cross.

God directed thy movements towards Him, O martyr, and, having kept His precious commandments, thou becamest a hierarch and wast most manifestly illumined with the blood of thy ­martyrdom.

Having lived in godly and pious manner, and mortified the movements of the flesh with feats of fasting, thou didst receive life, O adornment of the hierarchs, consummation of the martyrs.

Having made Its abode in thine all-wise heart from thine infancy, O venerable martyr Theodotus, the Holy Spirit showed thee to be a godly hierarch, upright, compassionate and kind.

Theotokion: In the beginning human nature was wickedly enslaved by deception, O pure one; but when thou gavest birth unto Christ it obtained its freedom, and glorifieth thee most wisely.

Ode III

Irmos: Thy Church rejoiceth in Thee, O Christ, crying aloud: Thou art my strength, O Lord, my refuge and my consolation!

With the streams of thy tears and torrents of thy blood thou didst extinguish the cruel burning coal of deception, O holy martyred hierarch Theodotus.

Having shown thee to be a godly hierarch, thy pure life made of thee a true witness to the sufferings of Christ.

Standing in the midst of the tribunal, wounded with cruel wounds, thou didst not deny the name of Christ, O martyr Theodotus.

Theotokion: O all-pure one, heal thou my mind which hath been rendered feeble by the attacks of the evil serpent and is in thrall to sin.

Sessional hymn, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Having been lifted up…”—

Thou didst render thy hierarchical vesture yet more splendid with the wetness of thy blood, O Theodotus, and thou hast made thine abode in the heavens, where with pure thought thou seest Him Whom thou didst desire. Wherefore, we glorify thy most sacred memory and cry aloud: Remember us as thou standest with boldness before God.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Who can describe mine impure mind and the tempests of my wicked thoughts, O all-immaculate one? Who can recount the assaults of mine incorporeal foes and their malice? Yet by thine entreaties grant me deliverance from them all, O good one.

Stavrotheotokion—

Beholding Thee hanging upon the Cross Who wast begotten of the unoriginate Father, she who in latter days gave birth unto Thee in the flesh, O Christ, cried out: “Woe is me, O Jesus most beloved! How is it that Thou, O my Son, Who art glorified as God by the angels, art now crucified by iniquitous men? I hymn Thee, O Long-suffering One!”

Ode IV

Irmos: Beholding Thee lifted up upon the Cross, O Sun of righteousness, the Church stood rooted in place, crying out as is meet: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Broken by wounds, O martyr, thy body made thy mind truly more steadfast and stronger, as thou didst chant: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Aflame with the love of the Master, thou didst endure the most intense pain from thy wounds as though it were another who was suffering; and thou thyself didst remain most great among martyrs, O Theodotus.

The wounds inflicted upon thy body thou didst endure, O divinely wise father; for with purity of mind thou didst look to abiding rewards, which eased thy pain.

Theotokion: O all-holy Theotokos, thou most splendid palace of the Master, show us who offer praise unto the Lord in thy holy temple to be temples of the Holy Spirit.

Ode V

Irmos: Thou hast come, O my Lord, as a light into the world: a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance those who hymn Thee with faith.

Suspended upon the tree, O wise Theodotus, thou didst endure the laceration of thy flesh right steadfastly, filled with great awe.

Hanging, O Theodotus, thou didst endure the convulsions of thy flesh, having the Master strengthening thee the while, and making thee steadfast through faith.

Empurpled in the streams of thy blood, O blessed Theodotus, thou didst show forth thy sacred vesture as most splendid.

Theotokion: Thou didst conceive God Who had become man, O Mistress! Wherefore, we, the generations of generations, unceasingly call thee blessed.

Ode VI

Irmos: I will sacrifice to Thee with a voice of praise, O Lord, the Church crieth unto Thee, cleansed of the blood of demons by the blood which, for mercy’s sake, flowed from Thy side.

Thou wast imprisoned in a dungeon like a malefactor, O glorious Theodotus, being a keeper of the commandments of God Who hath made thy divine festival of great brilliance.

Thou didst stand condemned before the tribunal of the unjust, counting it useless to judge iniquitous men who prefer injustice to righteousness, O divinely wise and holy hierarch.

Thou didst break the waves of savage torments as though thou wast a rock, O most blessed one, ascending by the ascent of thy heart to Christ God, the chief Cornerstone.

Theotokion: Christ our God, Who dwelt in thy womb and liveth among men, O all-pure one, driveth sin away and, in His love for mankind, maketh human nature His own.

Kontakion, in Tone III—

Thou didst rebuke the sea of false belief, and with the faith of correct belief didst wound the falsehood of the godlessness of idolatry; and as a divine immolation thou bedewest the ends of the earth with thy wonderworking. O holy hierarch Theodotus our father, entreat Christ God, that He grant us great mercy!

Ode VII

Irmos: The children of Abraham in the Persian furnace, afire with love of piety more than with the flame, cried out: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord!

Aflame with the divine love of the Spirit, when thou wast laid upon the intensely heated couch thou didst remain unconsumed, crying: Blessed art Thou, O my God and Lord!

Remaining as though it was not thou thyself, but another who was suffering, thou didst pay no heed to thy mutilation and burning, sensing nought, in accordance with the will of Christ, having passed on to God wholly in mind.

Standing in the midst of the tribunal, with the wisdom of thy words didst thou reprove those who were full of ignorance, were manifestly afflicted with impiety and preferred demonic idols to the Creator.

Theotokion: With the choirs on high we all cry out to thee: Rejoice, O Mother of God, thou animate heaven, most glorious palace, and fiery throne upon which Christ rested in the flesh!

Ode VIII

Irmos: Stretching forth his hands, Daniel shut the lions’ mouths in the pit; and the young lovers of piety, girded about with virtue, quenched the power of the fire, crying out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Opposing the enemy with thy struggles, O martyr Theodotus, thou didst tread the heavenly path which leadeth to the kingdom, for thy feet were pierced with nails, O glorious one; and thou didst chant: Bless the Lord, O ye works of the Lord!

Preaching God Who came to earth and destroyed most pernicious suffering with His sufferings, O Theodotus, thou didst accept divine and blessed suffering, crying aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

With the drops of thy blood and the stream of thy sacred teachings thou didst water the hearts of the faithful with grace, O most wise one; and thou didst labor that they might put forth divine understanding for the Husbandman of good things. Unto Him do we cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Theotokion: Thou hast washed away all defilement from human nature, O all-pure one, having given rise to the heavenly Rain Who became a man; and thou, O pure one, hast made us new who have waxed old, and we cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Ode IX

Irmos: Christ, the Chief Cornerstone uncut by human hands, Who united the two disparate natures, was cut from thee, the unquarried mountain, O Virgin. Wherefore, in gladness we magnify thee, O Theotokos.

The divine shrine of the relics of the most sacred pastor poureth forth all manner of healings, putteth an end to sufferings, and truly freeth the faithful from chronic illness through the divine grace of the Savior.

Possessed, as a hieromartyr, of the authority to loose and to bind, loose thou the bonds of my wicked deeds and bedew my soul which burneth with the fire of sin, entreating the most Compassionate One.

Today the Church doth faithfully honor thy most sacred memory and thy departure unto the Lover of mankind, O God-bearer; and, rejoicing, it fashioneth diadems of divine hymns for thee.

In that we have acquired thee as a star which shineth by day, O divinely eloquent Theodotus, we are enlightened with the luminous rays of thy godly pangs and the precious splendors of thy wonders.

Theotokion: O Virgin who for us gavest birth unto the Light Who shone forth from the Father before the morning star, thou hast destroyed the darkness of ignorance and brought light to those who sleep in the shadow of sin.