The 8th Day Of The Month Of October

Commemoration Of Our Venerable Mother Pelagia

(for this day we provide also the service in honor of St. Thaïs)

At Vespers

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

O all-glorious wonder! Showing courage, a woman hath trampled the enemy underfoot and suppressed the passions of the body through great abstinence. Zealously taking the Cross of the Lord upon her shoulders, Pelagia shed the burden of life’s possessions and followed after Christ through the teachings of the wise Nonus.

Thou hast been revealed to us as a new Thecla! For, finding thy teacher Nonus to be another Paul, thou didst accept his teachings, O glorious one, having fervently embraced repentance; and through abstinence thou didst join thyself to Christ, O all-blessed and most honored Pelagia. Wherefore, cease thou never to pray to Christ, that we be saved.

Rejoice, O most honored Pelagia! For, most honorably enkindled by zeal divine, thou didst cast away the pleasure of fornication, O all-blessed one, and hastening to Nonus, didst cry aloud: “Thou must needs give answer for my deeds if thou wilt not seal me with the sign of Christ, O glorious one, investing me through baptism with the robe of purity!”

Glory…, the composition of John the Monk, in Tone IV —

Where sin is rife, there grace aboundeth, as the Apostle teacheth; for in prayers and tears thou didst dry up the abyss of many offenses, O Pelagia, and didst finally bring to the Lord right acceptable repentance, and therein dost pray for our souls.

Now & ever…: Theotokion, or this stavrotheotokion: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…” —

When she beheld Thee, the Lamb and Shepherd, upon the Tree, the Ewe-lamb who gave Thee birth lamented and exclaimed to Thee maternally: “O my beloved Son, how is it that Thou hast been suspended upon the tree of the Cross, O Long-suffering One? How have Thy hands and feet been nailed by the iniquitous, O Word? How hast Thou shed Thy blood, O Master?”

Troparion, in Tone VIII —

In thee, O mother, that which was created according to the image of God was manifestly saved; for, taking up thy cross, thou didst follow after Christ; and, praying, thou didst learn to disdain the flesh in that it passeth away, but to take care of the soul as a thing immortal. Wherefore, thy soul rejoiceth with the angels, O venerable Pelagia.

At Matins

Both canons from the Octoechos; and that of the saint, with 4 troparia, the acrostic whereof is: “I honor the wise Pelagia with love”, 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.

Mystically setting her divine memorial today before the whole world as a great feast, Pelagia commandeth all to partake of her struggles as though they were food.

Making its abode within thy soul, O honored one, desire beyond all desire illumined thy mind, and the flame of the Spirit, enkindled, illumined thee and burned away the dross of thy passions.

Escaping the waves of the sea of sin, O honored Pelagia, thou didst put in at the calm harbor of Christ; wherefore, thou hast inherited the land of the meek by thy repentance.

Theotokion: Thou art the calm of those whirled about in the midst of life, their firm and mighty anchor, O pure one; and thou art their haven and sustenance, ever guiding and saving those who have recourse to thee.

Ode III

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

Uplifted by thy manifold pangs, thou hast soared aloft to the heavens of Christ on wings of abstinence, O dove.

Having washed away the fœtid mire of the passions with the water of Christ, O honored Pelagia, thou didst show thyself to be myrrh for Him.

Thine ardent love and desire for God truly became a deadly weapon against the enemy, O honored one.

Theotokion: Thy gladness, O pure one, dropping down like the dew of morning, doth ever quench the furnace of the passions for those who hymn thee.

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

Having quenched the flame of the passions with the dew of repentance, thou didst offer thy life to Christ thy Savior; and, fleeing the world for His sake, thou didst withdraw in solitude to the desert, attaining an angelic life. Wherefore, obtaining from God an honorable end with great glory, thou hast become known to the ends of the earth, O angelic Pelagia. Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who with love celebrate thy holy memory.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion —

Having fallen into greatly tangled perils from enemies visible and invisible, and been beset by the tempest of my countless offenses, O pure one, I flee to the haven of thy goodness as to my fervent help and protection; wherefore, O all-pure one, earnestly entreat Him Who became incarnate of thee without seed, in behalf of all thy servants who unceasingly praise thee, ever beseeching Him, O all-pure Theotokos, to grant remission of offenses unto those who fittingly hymn thy glory.

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, take pity and grant remission of offenses unto those who hymn Thy divine sufferings with faith.

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!

Like most precious incense burning on the coals of abstinence, O Pelagia, thou becamest a wholeburnt fragrance for Christ our God, hastening to the sweet savor of His myrrh.

Thy bodily splendor which before was as the mire of sin, O Pelagia, thou didst wholly transform into undefiled beauty, which Christ, thy Bridegroom, desired.

The grace of the Spirit, touching thy soul like a spark of the Word, O Pelagia, kindled a lofty flame of faith and burned up thy sins.

Theotokion: O Theotokos, thou didst give rise to the Rod from whence Christ our God, the noetic Flower, grew, filling all things with divine fragrance, in that He is the inexhaustible and precious Myrrh.

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.

Irrigated with the mystic waters of the Spirit, through the pangs of asceticism thou didst come to blossom forth in faith with the fruitfulness of the virtues.

Thou, O Lord, the Light of men who lie in darkness, hast shone forth in the heart of the venerable one the splendor of divine understanding.

Sown with tears, O honored Pelagia, thy pangs have gathered in an abundance of gladness and joy in the heavens.

Theotokion: Thy grace hath truly been shown to be marvelous, O all-pure one, all-gloriously performing wonders and mighty acts throughout the earth.

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.

When the never-waning radiance of Christ our God was manifest in the soul of Pelagia, the prince of darkness was driven away, and the grace of the Spirit and faith in Him made their abode therein.

She who before had been trapped by the serpent hath been shown to be a snare for him, restraining his power and trampling his wickedness down by the power of God.

Loving Christ God, thy Bridegroom, thou didst adorn thyself with the virtues, O Pelagia, and arrayed in thy divine labors, thou hast been counted worthy to dwell in His bridal-chamber.

Theotokion: Of old, all the divine prophets desired to behold thine ineffable glory; yet in latter times thou didst appear to us who love thee more than all.

Kontakion, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “Seeking the highest…” —

Laying waste to thy body with fasting, with vigilant supplications thou didst entreat the Creator concerning thy deeds, that thou mightest receive complete remission; and this thou hast manifestly acquired, O mother, having shown us the path of repentance.

Ikos: Come with me, as many as in this life have defiled yourselves in sins, and let us strive to emulate the penitence, tears and struggles of our venerable mother Pelagia, that we may quickly receive forgiveness from God as did the blessed one who, while yet alive, washed away the defilement of sin and received from God complete forgiveness, showing forth the path of repentance.

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!!

Thou hast truly been shown to be an abyss of divine corrections, drowning all the might of the enemy therein. Wherefore, thou hast chanted: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord!

Divinely melting body and soul like pure gold in a crucible, O honored Pelagia, thou didst show forth thy pristine beauty as most lustrous through exceeding great abstinence.

Having truly shed the first garment of the passions and the corrupt man in the divine font, O glorious one, thou didst put on the new man, conforming to Christ.

Theotokion: The Word of God, Who sitteth on the throne of the Father, strangely and awesomely made His abode within thee, O Theotokos, and lifted up our nature, exalting it in Himself, in that He is compassionate.

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!

The beams of thy miracles shine forth radiantly like the sun, and reveal all the splendor of thy life and the divine faith which shineth within thee; and they cry out: Hymn the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely forever!

Binding thyself faithfully to Christ with an unbreakable bond, thou didst cleave unto Him, and through union with Him hast remained inseparable from His love. Through faith in Him, O Pelagia, thou didst noetically become a member of Him, abiding inseparably with Him.

Having received understanding in thy heart, through the Spirit thou didst manifestly forsake all the vainglory of life; wherefore, thou didst astonish men by thy sudden transformation, O honored one, and hast filled even the heavens with gladness.

Theotokion: The noetic armies hymn thy mighty works, O all-pure Virgin, and all the patriarchs, the prophets and the apostles manifestly proclaim them, as do the choirs of the martyrs and all the multitude of the venerable. And with them we also render homage unto thee.

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.

Thou didst truly desire to behold the beauty of Christ thy Bridegroom, O venerable one, for Whose sake thou didst crucify thyself to the world, didst cause the beautiful flower of thy body to wither up, and didst hate the love of life.

Casting off all the burden of the body, O Pelagia, through abstinence and pangs thou didst hasten to the mansions of heaven, wherein thou delightest in the beauty thou lovest, O glorious one.

O venerable one, watch now over all who honor thee with love and celebrate this, thine annual commemoration. Pray thou to thy Creator and Fashioner, that we may become partakers of His glory.

Theotokion: I hymn thy grace, O Virgin, I magnify thy glory! For thou art truly the enlightenment and consolation of my soul, my speedy helper, my salvation and defense.