The 13th Day of the Month of October

Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs Carpus & Papylas

At Vespers

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

Bound with chains, immured in prison, cast as food to the wild beasts, hung up and maimed, yet, receiving divine help from heaven, ye remained unshaken through the love of the Master and Savior of all, O most wise Carpus and Papylas.

Grounding thy thought through wisdom on the rock of faith, O steadfast martyr Papylas, thou didst rejoice when thou wast stoned, likening thyself to the divine leader of martyrs, the archdeacon Stephen, as a minister and servant of the mysteries of God, as one numbered among the martyrs and a converser with angels.

Treading the path of witness without wavering, your feet nailed to iron sandals, ye did steadfastly destroy the sting of the enemy and destroyer, O all-praised ones, and were crowned with victories. Wherefore, the whole Church of Christ doth celebrate your holy, splendid and right eminent memorial.

Glory..., in Tone VI —

In that thou wast worthy among those who beheld God, O venerable one, thou didst behold the heavens opened, and the Lord seated upon the throne, and the cherubim and seraphim round about Him; and, enlightened by thee, O Carpus we, thy sacred flock, cry out to thee: Ask thou peace for the world and great mercy for our souls.

Now & ever...: Theotokion, or this stavrotheotokion: Spec. Mel: “On the third day...” —

The all-immaculate Theotokos, beholding our Life suspended upon the Tree, cried out maternally, lamenting: “O my Son and my God, save those who hymn Thee with love!”

Troparion, in Tone IV —

O Lord, in their sufferings Thy martyrs received imperishable crowns from Thee, our God; for, ­possessed of Thy might, they cast down the tormentors and set at naught the feeble audacity of the demons. By their prayers save our souls.

Glory..., Now & ever..., Theotokion.

At Matins

Both canons from the Octoechos, and this canon of the martyrs, the acrostic whereof is: “With hymns I crown Carpus and Papylas,” the composition of Joseph, in Tone I —

Ode I

Irmos: Thy victorious right arm hath in godly manner been glorified in strength; for as almighty, O Immortal One, it smote the adversary, fashioning anew the path of the deep for the Israelites.

Praising the most sacred memory of the mighty Carpus and Papylas, the witnesses to the Truth, in godly manner let us hymn the Lord of glory Who hath made them victors.

Tried first by the fire of asceticism, through suffering ye did truly complete a second, spiritual testing, O martyrs, and in your divine virtues ye shone forth more brightly than gold.

Hastening to woundings, hanging, fire and death, O glorious ones, with divine power ye vanquished the might of the tyrants and were crowned with imperishable crowns.

Theotokion: O divinely joyous one, portal of the Light which shone forth from thine incorrupt womb: Shine forth upon me the radiant beams of repentance, and dispel the gloom of my sins.

Ode III

Irmos: O Thou Who alone hast known the weakness of human nature, having in Thy mercy formed Thyself therein: Gird me about with power from on high, that I may chant to Thee: Holy is the living temple of Thine ineffable glory, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

With thyself thou didst bring unto Christ an acceptable and most sacred fruit, the sacred Agathadorus, who endured stripes and wounds, and with the might of knowledge became victorious in the flesh over the incorporeal foe.

Unjustly broken at the command of the judge, O wise one, thou didst endure the laceration of thy sides; and burned with fire, thou didst extinguish the burning coals of delusion with the blood of thy wounds, O much-suffering Carpus.

Desiring to see Christ, hung aloft, thy breast burnt with fire, thou didst endure manfully, O divinely wise Papylas, manifestly bedewed with the dew of the Spirit and strengthened by divine aspirations.

Theotokion: O pure, most holy and all-immaculate Virgin, all of us the faithful, proclaim thee to be the undefiled dwelling-place of God, the unquarried mountain, the holy ark, the censer of the immaterial Coal.

Sessional hymn, in Tone I: Spec. Mel: “When the stone had been sealed...” —

Planting the fruits of the knowledge of God by the labors, thou didst uproot the thorns of ungodliness; having been anointed with deifying oil, thou didst shepherd thy people, O sacred one. And having contended lawfully, thou wast vouchsafed twofold honors, O Carpus. Glory to Him Who gave thee strength! Glory to Him Who crowned thee! Glory to Him Who through thee worketh healings for all!

Glory..., Now & ever...: Theotokion —

Stretching forth thy divine arms wherewith thou didst bear the Creator Who in His goodness became incarnate, O all-holy Virgin, do thou entreat Him to deliver from temptations, sufferings and misfortunes us who praise thee with love and cry out: Glory to Him Who made His abode within thee! Glory to Him Who issued forth from thee! Glory to Him Who by thy birthgiving hath delivered us!

Or this stavrotheotokion —

The Ewe-lamb, beholding Thee, the Lamb, O long-suffering Word, crucified upon the Cross with two thieves, Thy side pierced by a spear, exclaimed, crying out maternally: “What is this strange and dread mystery which is ineffably accomplished, O my Jesus? How is it that Thou art entombed, O uncontainable God? Forsake me not who gave Thee birth, O my Jesus most sweet!”

Ode IV

Irmos: Habbakuk, gazing with the eyes of foresight upon thee, the mountain overshadowed by the grace of God, prophesied that the Holy One of Israel would come forth from thee, for our salvation and restoration.

Bound with the indissoluble love of the Creator, O martyr of Christ, stoned, thou didst manifestly vanquish those who stoned thee with the endurance God granted thee, O all-praised one, struggling with manly resolve against hatred.

Arraying yourselves against all manner of pangs, O most valorous ones, cast to the wild beasts, together ye vanquished them, as did Daniel, by the divine images of faith, O Carpus and Papylas, ye glorious martyrs.

The most wicked one, the author of evil, mercilessly committed the favorites of Christ to the unquenchable conflagration, thinking thus to weaken their power. But his designs were reduced to ashes.

Theotokion: O Virgin, we who are ever tempest-tossed amid the sea of evils have thee as a haven of salvation. To thee do we flee, and in thee do we trust, that we may not fear the treachery of the invisible foe.

Ode V

Irmos: O Christ Who hast enlightened the ends of the world with the radiance of Thy coming and hast illumined them with Thy Cross: with the light of Thy divine knowledge enlighten the hearts of those who hymn Thee in Orthodox manner.

Neither the tribulations of persecution, nor hunger, nor even death, could separate the divinely wise from the love of Christ; for earnestly looking forward to their recompense, they paid no heed to vexatious.

Strengthened by divine power, ye endured the most cruel piercing of your feet, O all-praised ones, travelling the path of witness and setting at naught the sting of ungodliness.

Bearing the inextinguishable torch of suffering, ye passed through the night of ignorance, O martyrs, and drew nigh to the never-waning Light, having truly become sons of the day by faith.

Theotokion: Without knowing man thou didst conceive the infinite God and didst give birth unto the transcendent Creator of nature. Great is the mystery! Inconceivable the wonder, O Virgin, who alone art all-immaculate!

Ode VI

Irmos: The uttermost abyss hath surrounded us, and there is none to deliver us. We are accounted as lambs for the slaughter. Save Thy people, O our God, for Thou art the strength and correction of the weak!

Your virtues perfume the assemblies of men, O right glorious martyrs, manifestly dispelling the foul stench of polytheism, in that ye have now been shown to be the fragrance of God.

With the dew of faith did ye extinguish the burning flame, O blessed ones, and ye fervently enkindled the desire to suffer within Agathonica, who was with you, O noble ones; and with her did ye manfully undergo suffering.

Honed by the infliction of pain, O valiant athletes Carpus and Papylas, ye were truly shown to be swords of heavenly workmanship, hewing down legions of the enemy.

Theotokion: From the mire of the passions and the pit of sinful falls do thou raise me up and set aright me, thy servant, who confess thee to be the Theotokos, O pure one; for thou art ever the restoration of the fallen.

Kontakion, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel: “Having been lifted up...” —

As a most precious treasure and a wellspring pouring forth streams of healings hath the Master bestowed your relics upon those on earth; for they removed the afflictions of divers passions and ­unceasingly impart grace to men’s souls. Wherefore, together we celebrate your festival, O divine martyrs.

Ode VII

Irmos: O Theotokos, we, the faithful, perceive thee to be a noetic furnace; for, as the supremely Exalted One saved the three youths, in thy womb the praised and most glorious God of our fathers wholly renewed the world.

Extinguishing the furnace of youthful passions with the dew of abstinence, and the fire of suffering with blood, ye reduced to ashes another furnace, that of idolatry, hymning God, Who is praised and all-glorious, O martyrs.

“Let us stand firm, for, lo! the contest is begun! Let us not weaken, for with His life-creating hand Christ will manifestly bestow crowns of endurance upon us for the sake of our sufferings!” the athletes Carpus and Papylas cried with fervor of soul.

O holy ones who are manifestly deified by entreating God in every way, ye easily endured wounding by the godless, withstanding it as though it were another person suffering, remaining truly yourselves, and hymning our praised and all-glorious God.

Theotokion: O pure one, thou hast manifestly annulled the curse of Eve, our first mother, having borne the First-fruits of blessedness, O all-immaculate Maiden who knewest not wedlock. And the ranks of angels bless Him, the praised and all-glorious God of our fathers.

Ode VIII

Irmos: The children of Israel in the furnace, shining more brightly than gold in a crucible in the beauty of their piety, said: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord; hymn and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Today the splendid memorial of the martyrs hath dawned upon us, illumining with the light of healings us who cry aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord; hymn and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

O most blessed Carpus, thou hast been adorned as a hierarch, as a divine prophet, as a witness to the sufferings of Christ, as a divine standard, O all-blessed one, chanting: Hymn the Lord, ye works, and exalt Him supremely forever!

The streams of the blood of thy suffering utterly overwhelming the torrents of ungodliness, O martyr Papylas, thou wast shown to be a wellspring of healings for those who cry: Hymn the Lord, ye works, and exalt Him supremely forever!

Theotokion: The sacred choir of divine prophets doth proclaim thee, O all-immaculate one, to be the Mother of the God to Whom all cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely forever!

Ode IX

Irmos: The bush which burnt with fire yet was not consumed showed forth an image of thy pure birthgiving. And now we pray that the furnace of temptations which rageth against us may be extinguished, that we may magnify thee unceasingly, O Theotokos.

As whole burnt-offerings, as sacrifices perfect and without blemish, did ye offer yourselves to the Creator, O most blessed ones, meeting your end by the sword; and now, O crowned ones, ye dwell in the heavens.

O martyrs, ye are shown to be unshakable pillars and ramparts of the Church, springs of water which pour forth healings, and luminous and most radiant beacons which deliver the pious from the night of sin.

O Papylas and Carpus, having already made your abode in the splendid mansions of heaven, illumined with rays of divine light and filled with everlasting joy, pray ye ever in our behalf.

Theotokion: O all-pure one, in thine arms, like the throne of the cherubim, thou bearest Him Who upholdest all things, Who for our sakes clad Himself in flesh like unto ours, and is seen as a twofold unity. Him do thou ever entreat in behalf of us who hymn thee.