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Canon by Theophanes Ode 1. Tone 8. On crossing the water. With divine loveliness renowned, and resplendent with light that streams from God, shed radiance, Mary, by your prayers onto my blackened heart. The Word of the Father rescued you from the wickedness of spirits and made you holy. You became his disciple and have been filled with the gifts of grace of the all-holy Spirit. Filled with life-giving streams from a plentiful Fount - the Master who through pity appeared on earth -, you dried up the muddy waters of sin. Theotokion. We sing your praise, O Maiden, as Mother of him who is by nature the Creator, for you reconciled to God human nature that had offended, O Mother of God, all-blameless Lady. Ode 3. You constructed. Mary, you loved the first cause of blessings, who in compassion made our nature divine, and you followed him fervently, obedient to his divine commands. Joyfully you came to the tomb of the Redeemer, being the first, O Maiden, to look on the divine Resurrection. Therefore you were declared herald of the Gospel and cried out: Christ has been raised. Clap your hands. Theotokion. The Word, O all-pure, who was incarnate from your all-pure blood, saves me, with a wealth of goodness abolishing the sentence of the ancient condemnation. Entreat him without ceasing to save your flock. Irmos. You constructed the heavens’ high vault, O Lord, and the Church, * has you as its builder, do you establish me in your love. * You are the pinnacle * of all desires, and foundation, * mankind’s only Lover, of all who believe in you.
Ode 4. I have heard, Lord. With a mind undisturbed by the vanity of the world, you served the one who had come to save the whole world from error. As you washed the tomb of Life with tears, Mary, you met an Angel and saw him proclaim Christ’s Resurrection. Your heart was blameless in Christ’s statutes, and you longed for him alone, the one fair in beauty, O worthy of praise. Theotokion. By the slumber of indifference the sleep of sin overcame me, O Maiden. By your unsleeping intercession rouse me to repentance. Ode 5. Why have you rejected me. The foremother, seeing the one who tricked her by words and exiled her from Paradise of old trampled on by holy women who had gained a will of courage, rejoices with them eternally. Wounded with longing for his sweet love, you bring sweet spices to the one who breathes life into all, now slain and lying in a tomb, holy Mary Magdalen, and pour out the fragrant scent of tears. After the divine Passion, after the dread Resurrection of the Saviour you hurried to and fro, proclaiming the holy word, and as a Disciple of the Word catching many who had been deceived by ignorance, glorious Saint. Theotokion. The one who through his measureless mercy was well pleased to be born from you, all-holy Maiden, sets upright me, who have fallen into the tangled gulfs of sin. Implore him that those who with faith sing your praise may be rescued from every harm. Ode 6. Have mercy on me, O Saviour. With the dew of your words, honoured Saint, you dispelled the fierce heat of the despair of the Disciples as you cried out: Christ has been raised; Life has appeared; the radiant Sun has blazed forth. See, Mary, worthy of praise, your feast filled with light has shone out, giving light to all who on it faithfully sing your praise, and chasing away the darkness of the abuse of evil demons. Theotokion. You have appeared, O all-blameless, as a spiritual sanctuary and mercy seat that may not be touched, lampstand formed of light and bridge leading over to God those who sing your praise as Mother of God.
Ode 7. The Hebrew Youths. You drove out diseases of many kinds, having gained the Word as your fellow-worker, before whom you now stand, O Myrrhbearer, crying out: Blessed are you, Lord God, to the ages. Alone before the rest you saw our life, Christ who had been raised; but you took him for the gardener, crying out: Blessed are you, Lord God, to the ages. Theotokion. You halted the onrush of death as you conceived and gave birth to immortal God, pure Virgin. To you we all sing: Blessed, all-pure, is the fruit of your womb. Ode 8. The Chaldean tyrant. Your way of life, O Magdalen, was resplendent blazing with the beams of virtuous actions, of the divine proclamation and your inclination to the divine, and with the bright rays of love for the Creator, to whom you sing with the Angels: You priests, bless; you people, highly exalt to all the ages. You stood by the Cross, glorious Mary, watching the unjust slaughter of the one who emptied himself through ineffable mercy; and drenched with groans and tears, you cried out: What is this strange wonder? How is he, who slew death and who is life by nature, slain and dying? Theotokion. With one mind we glorify you as Mother of God and higher than all creatures, O all-pure. For in you the condemnation that came from Adam has been annulled, and rejected human nature has been reconciled and sings: You priests, bless; you people, highly exalt to all the ages. Ode 9. Heaven was amazed. You have now been translated to divine joy, to the broad plain of Paradise, to spiritual dwellings beyond the world, where the ranks of Holy Ones are found and the pure sound of those who feast in splendour, O Myrrhbearer Mary. And so we all call you blessed. You preferred none of the things on earth to the love of Christ God, but wounded by his beauties only and by the bright beams at once sent forth, following in his footsteps, O all-honoured, you cried out: I magnify you, O most merciful. You have found deification that makes divine, you enjoy the torrent of grace, receive the rewards for your toils from God, are numbered with the ranks of the Apostles, Magdalen, Disciple of the Word. By your prayers guard those who honour you with love. Theotokion. As Mother of the one who suffered the Passion for our sake, save me from soul-destroying passions; as you are compassionate, loose the bonds of my faults; as you are good, do good to my soul, now wearied by the abuse of demons, Virgin Mother of God, that I may sing your praise as all-blameless.
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