THE 15th DAY OF THE MONTH OF MARCH

THE COMMEMORATION OF THE HOLY MARTYR AGAPIUS

AND THE SIX MARTYRS WITH HIM

AT VESPERS

On “Lord, I have cried...,” these stichera, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel: “O most glorious wonder...”—

O ye seven martyrs of Christ, ye counted as naught the assaults of the torturers and a violent death; and having readily and valiantly hastened to battle and covered yourselves with the glory of victory, ye were numbered among all the righteous; and glorifying you with them forever, we call you blessed.

O martyred athlete Agapius, having loved the Wellspring of good things, the Summit of desires, thou didst make haste to drain the cup of martyrdom, calling upon the divine name of the living God. O, thy courage! O, thine endurance, whereby thou hast been manifestly vouchsafed to receive glory and splendor!

O all-blessed martyrs, ye gave yourselves over to voluntary slaughter, sanctified the earth with your blood, and enlightened the air with your passing. And now ye live in the heavens, ever praying for us to the never-waning Light, O ye who are in the image of God.

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

Troubled amid griefs, we beseech thee, our intercessor, O all-pure one: Let not thy servants perish utterly, but make haste to rescue us from this present wrath and grief, O divinely joyous, pure and all-holy one. For thou art a bulwark for us and an invincible aid.

Stavrotheotokion—

Beholding Thee nailed to the Cross, O Jesus, accepting suffering of Thine own will, the Virgin, Thy Mother, O Master, cried aloud: “Woe is me, O sweet Child! How is it that Thou endurest wounding unjustly, O Physician Who hast healed the infirmity of man and hast delivered all from corruption by Thy loving-kindness?”

AT MATINS

The Canon, the acrostic whereof is: “I offer hymnody to the seven martyrs,” the composition of Joseph,

in Tone VIII—

Ode I

Irmos: Let us chant unto the Lord, Who led His people through the Red Sea, for He alone hath gloriously been glorified.

Dwelling in the habitations of heaven, O martyrs, vouchsafe enlightenment unto those who praise you on earth.

Ye were shown to be pillars of the Church, breaking down the ramparts of the madness of idolatry, O all-valiant athletes of Christ.

Thou wast wounded with the love of the Master of all, for Whose sake thou didst go forth to die, O right wondrous martyr Agapius.

Theotokion: With the most radiant Effulgence which shone forth from thee, O Virgin, enlighten the eyes of my soul, that I may glorify thee.

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!

Kindled by the fire of the love of Christ, thou didst extinguish the burning of the madness of idolatry with the streams of thy blood, O martyr Agapius. Wherefore, we call thee blessed.

Ye were shown to be swords cutting down myriads of demons with grace, O blessed ones; and now, rejoicing, ye have been united to the myriads of the noetic hosts.

Manfully completing the course of martyrdom, in setting aside the body ye attained the kingdom on high, wherein ye acquired life, O godly martyrs.

Theotokion: O Ever-virgin Mother, we have come to know the Creator Who manifested Himself in fleshly form through thy radiant womb, in the loving-kindness of His mercy, unto us who hymn thee.

Sessional hymn, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel: “He arose...”—

The seven-member choir of holy martyrs suffered mightily for the divine Trinity and destroyed multitudes of the noetic foe with grace; and they have been united to the myriads of the heavenly intelligences by the Spirit. By their supplications have pity on us, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

Glory... Now and ever...: Theotokion—

O all-holy Virgin, save us from every threat and the malevolence of men; for thee do we have as our protection and aid, fleeing to thee, O Mother of God, and to our God Who was born of thee. Him do thou entreat, that He deliver us from tribulations and sorrows.

Stavrotheotokion—

The unblemished Ewe-lamb, beholding the Lamb and Shepherd suspended upon the Cross, cried out: “O my Child, what is this strange and unexpected sight? How can the Life of all be condemned to death like mortals? But rise Thou from the dead on the third day, O Word, as Thou didst say, that, rejoicing, I may glorify Thee!”

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.

Loving Christ greatly, O Agapius, thou didst manfully emulate His sufferings, slaughtered voluntarily, like a lamb, O right wondrous great martyr.

Having given yourselves willingly over to the sword, O wise martyrs, with the sprinkling of your blood ye dyed vesture for yourselves, therein arrayed, ye dwell in the heavens.

O, your fervent love for God, for the sake of which ye utterly denied yourselves! Accepting a violent death, ye have been vouchsafed immortality.

Theotokion: O undefiled and pure one, thou didst receive Myrrh in thy womb: the Word Who purifieth the whole world of the stench of all offenses. Wherefore, with faith we call thee blessed.

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.

Loving in thine activity as well as in thy name, O glorious one, thou didst suffer for love of Christ our God, the King of all.

Recruited into Christ’s army, ye trampled the edict of the cruel tyrant underfoot, O holy martyrs, and destroyed legions of demons.

Casting down the audacity of the iniquitous with sacred struggles, O martyrs of Christ, ye were crowned with a wreath of immortality.

Theotokion: O ye faithful, with divine hymnody let us bless the Theotokos, saying: Rejoice, O portal through which the Lord alone hath passed!

Ode VI

Irmos: Cleanse me, O Savior, for many are my transgressions; and lead me up from the abyss of evils, I pray, for to Thee have I cried, and Thou hast hearkened to me, O God of my salvation.

Let us hymn the two Alexanders, Dionysius and Dionysius, the glorious Agapius, Timolaus and Romulus, who suffered mightily and waged war against the myriads of the enemy.

Pouring forth rivers of healings, O martyrs, in godly manner ye cleanse mortal men of the passions; wherefore, rejoicing, with faith we praise your valiant deeds.

Having completed the sacred contest lawfully, ye were lawfully crowned by the hand of the Omnipotent One, O ye seven martyrs, citizens of heaven, peers of the angels.

Theotokion: O most immaculate Bride of God, who hast caused the gardens of ungodliness to wither up by thy birthgiving, uproot the enmity of the enemy which ever springeth up within me.

Ode VII

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the youths who had come forth from Judæa trod down the flame of the furnace with their faith in the Trinity, chanting: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Willingly did ye surrender yourselves to the slaughter, like lambs, undaunted by tortures, O most laudable swordsmen, but crying out with spirit: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Illumined by the love of the Master of all, O martyr Agapius, thou didst bend thy neck beneath the sword and wast enrolled among the army of the martyrs, crying out: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Ye are seen to be a lamp with seven wicks in the house of the Lord, O glorious martyrs, which illumineth the world with the radiance of grace, crying out: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Theotokion: O most immaculate one, loose me, who am bound by the bonds of unspeakable transgressions, granting showers of tears to me who chant unto Him Who shone forth from thee: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Ode VIII

Irmos: The Lord Who was glorified on the holy mountain, and by the fire in the bush revealed to Moses the mystery of the Ever-virgin, hymn ye and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

O physicians of divers infirmities, who were revealed by the indication of the Spirit, heal ye all our infirmities, that we may praise and glorify your divine memory.

Thou didst love God by Whom thou wast loved, O martyr; wherefore, O Agapius, He led thee, who finished the divine contest, into the mansions of heaven with thy fellow zealots.

Strengthened by the love of the Master, ye set at naught the oppression of the deceiver; and right gloriously adorned with trophies, O martyrs of the Lord, ye dwell in the chambers of heaven.

Theotokion: Cure thou the passions of my heart, O thou who gavest birth unto the Wellspring of dispassion, and guide me to divine life, that I may glorify thee, the Mother of the Savior, for all ages.

Ode IX

Irmos: Saved by thee, O pure Virgin, we confess thee to be in truth the Theotokos, magnifying thee with the incorporeal choirs.

Beauteous in the divine magnificence of martyrdom, ye stand before the Lord, and with Him, O athletes, ye ever rejoice.

As ye are parted from your bodies, O martyrs, the army of the angels receiveth you into the heavenly fold, unto the Light that waneth not.

O glorious martyrs, never cease to remind God of us who keep your sacred memory today.

Theotokion: O most immaculate one, illumine with the light of repentance me who am benighted by negligence, that I may hymn and glorify thy mighty works.