ON THE 4TH OF THE MONTH

Forefeast Of The Lights; and Assembly of the Seventy Holy Apostles; and Commemoration of our venerable Father Theoktistos.

AT VESPERS

Tone 4. 

Other Prosomia of the Saint. Tone 2.

Radiant the feast that has passed, glorious the present day. At the former the Magi worshipped the Saviour; on the latter a chosen slave baptized the Master. There Shepherds abiding in the field, saw and marvelled; here the voice of the Father proclaimed the Only-begotten Son.

At the Aposticha, Prosomia.

Tone 2. House of Ephratha.

As the lamp to the Light, as the beam to the Sun, as the friend to the Bridegroom, as the Forerunner to the Word, O Prophet, give service.

Illumination has come, redemption has appeared in Jordan; come, let us assemble to be cleansed and to sing the forefeast.

Every good thing is mine through you, Mother of God; God among men, the Light in the Jordan, and I in his light.

Christ the truth is coming to Jordan to be baptized by John, who says to him: I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? Grass, I dare not handle fire; but sanctify me, Master, by your Appearing.

Apolytikion. Tone 3.

Holy Apostles¼

And Forefeast. Tone 4.

Zavoulon prepare¼

AT COMPLINE

At Compline, the following Canon, of which the acrostic is:

On the long Thursday, I sing a long hymn.

Ode 1. Tone 6. Irmos.

‘The Red Sea was cut by a cutting rod, while the deep nurse of waves grew dry; it became a pathway for the unarmed, and a tomb for the fully armed; while a hymn pleasing to God was sung: Christ our God has been greatly glorified’.

The infinite Wisdom of God, cause of all and productive of life, has built itself a house from a pure Mother who knew not man; now it is coming to the streams of Jordan, asking for baptism for the refashioning of mortals.

The initiating Wisdom of God is summoning all from the Nations to the light, mystically leading those who before lay in the darkness of unlit ignorance to knowledge of the truth by Baptism which purifies hearts and by the creating Spirit.

Let us now give ear to the prophetic voices as they are fulfilled through the Spirit; for Christ, who baptizes with Spirit and fire, is hurrying towards Jordan. Go towards him and be enlightened, for your faces will not be ashamed.

Ode 3. Irmos.

‘God without passions, though Lord and Creator of all things, you made yourself poor by uniting to yourself that which is created, and to the streams to which you were yourself about to come, to the peoples you cried out: Draw the water of life, and you will be established in the faith’.

You are coming, Saviour, to bestow the grace of Baptism, which delivers both souls and bodies; and so you now award us grace for grace as you cry: Draw the water of life, and you will be established in the faith.

Senseless man who knows not God; for he is destroyed by unnatural habits, he falls short of every good, and falls from every salvation; may we all, who know Christ, be delivered from his lot.

Ode 4. Irmos.

‘Foreseeing your ineffable mystery, O Christ, the Prophet cried out: You have ordained the mighty grace of Baptism for all those who receive it with faith, for the redemption of our offences’.

You are hastening for baptism, which is source of forgiveness for all mortals burdened by wicked falls and living wickedly in depravity, having promised to grant them repose of soul as you are pitying.

Participating in my flesh, you give me a part in your Divinity; for being without change of the Father you take in your hands, Saviour, what was fashioned, sin excepted, appearing as man, purifying, O Word, like by like.

Drink and anointing and Spirit are the tokens of your seal, O Saviour, and its mystic gifts, and the honours, worthy of love, of the divine gifts; for the Father has sent you, the Only-begotten, as ransom to the world.

Ode 5. Irmos.

‘Held back by the bond of fear the Forerunner now reverently begs to be allowed not to baptize, as he looks on Christ, who roofs his upper chambers in the waters, standing naked in the water’.

The Wisdom of God, which hold the boundless upper water in the air, which reins in the deeps and holds back the seas, is coming to Jordan; while he accepts Baptism from the hand of a slave.

Having taken form, Christ has come to purify the first Adam by Baptism; while he who wraps the vault of heaven with clouds and clothes himself in light, is appears naked in the streams of Jordan, and he who bears the universe is grasped by a hand.

Ode 6. Irmos.

‘The final abyss of sins has encircled me, and no longer able to endure its billows, as Jonas I cry to you, Master: Bring me up from corruption’.

Knowing you as Lord, the heavens declared your glory at your birth, O Saviour; while now the Father proclaims you the beloved Son as you are baptized.

Let everyone who bears a stain be thoroughly cleansed by founts of tears, and let them approach Christ with fear, as he advances to purify our nature by fire and the divine Spirit.

Ode 7. Irmos.

‘In Babylon the Youths did not quail at the flame of the furnace, but cast into the midst of the flame they were refreshed with dew and sang: Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our Fathers’.

Assenting to a hostile head, let no one move craftily to render wickedly to their neighbour, meditating wickedness for wickedness; but with love let us honour the Lord who has appeared.

As many of you as are friends of Christ, but a little distressed for him who has been formed and appeared like us, and who hastens to receive Baptism for the purifying of his image.

Whoever goes down with me and is entombed by Baptism, with me will enjoy glory and resurrection, Christ now promises; let us go to meet him with faith.

Ode 8. Irmos.

‘The most blest Young Men in Babylon, accepting danger for their ancestral laws, scorned the irrational order of the ruler; and standing united in the fire, by which they were not smelted, they sang a hymn worthy of the Mighty One: You his works bless the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages’.

Guests of the food of God, having delighted in Bethlehem by the word and given glorified the Incarnate One with Angels, Shepherds and Magi, let us now go towards Jordan to see the great mystery which Christ has come to accomplish; him we highly exalt to all the ages.

By keeping the essential of the law and embracing the love of the Prophets let us become imitators of Christ, who through extreme love took flesh, and through Baptism reconciled us to the Father, and taught us to sing: You his works praise the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages.

He greeted with honour the one who came to cleanse the sins of all in the waters; but cast down with fear, he prevented him: For I need to be baptized by you, the friend replied to the Bridegroom, the voice to the Word, the lamp to the Sun; whom we highly exalt to all the ages.

Ode 9. Irmos.

‘Having first tasted delight on the Master’s welcome and his immortal table in the poor Cave, now let us run to Jordan to see the strange mystery, host to the splendour from above’.

Leave Bethlehem for the country of Jordan, you who delight in wonders, and there you will see deeds mystically accomplished, and Christ advancing for Baptism; for he has taken flesh to refashion Adam.

The Creator, begotten of the Father before the ages, has been brought to birth in the last times, incarnate without change from a pure Maiden, Child of God, both God and man, as he wishes to refashion Adam through Baptism.

You have come in reality and not mere fantasy, as one among many, seeking Baptism, alone guiltless by nature; for you have come to bury the guilt of mankind by being baptized in the waters.

AT MATINS

After the 1st Reading from the Psalter, Kathisma.

Tone 4.

See, Christ approaches Jordan, and cries out to the Forerunner: Come, baptize me, who cleanse every sin of the world in a river’s streams; stretch out your hand to my divine head; for I have come to heal a hand’s offence.

Believers, as we look on the King and Master of the universe coming to Baptism in a manner fitting God, let us sing his praise; let us make ready the pathways of our hearts with longing, washing away the spots of dire offences; for see, he comes to save the race of mortals in the Jordan.

After the 2nd Reading, Kathisma.

Tone 8.

Great Baptist of the Lord, rejoice; for Christ has come to be baptized by you; you tremble as a servant, for the Master bows his head to you; touch the divine head of God who touches the universe with his hand, and in his good pleasure saves the human race.

The Canons: of the Forefeast to 6, of the Apostles to 4 and of the Saint to 4.

Ode 1. Tone 6. Irmos.

‘Crossing the deep on foot as on dry land, Israel saw their pursuer Pharao drowning in the deep and cried aloud: Let us sing a song of victory to God’.

Let creation rejoice, let the families of the Nations sing: Jesus, the King of all the earth, is approaching the streams of Jordan to bring bout our cleansing.

Clothed in the royal purple from virgin blood, O Lord, you are entering the streams of the river naked, as you clothe our nakedness.

Offspring though you are of the Father without beginning, O Compassionate, you are approaching simply the offspring of Zachary requesting baptism, that you make us children of God by grace.

Ode 3. Irmos.

‘None is Holy as you, O Lord my God, who have exalted the horn of your faithful, O Good one, and established me on the rock of confession of you.’

Mastering all things as God, you bear the image of a slave, and in flesh, O Pitying one, you approach a slave, so taking us from the slavery of the foe by the divine work of Baptism.

You stood in the stream, but why? What cleansing did you want? What stain did you seek to wash away, O supremely Good? I hymn, O Word, your condescension beyond understanding through your compassion.

Seeking the sheep, O Christ, which the savage wolf had scattered by guile, you have entered the streams of Jordan, as you cry to the Forerunner: Come, baptize me!

Kathisma

When Jesus had been born of the Virgin Mary and baptized in the Jordan by John, the Spirit came down upon him, appearing in the form of a Dove; and therefore the Prophet with the Angels cried aloud and said: Glory to your coming, O Christ; glory to your Kingdom; glory to your dispensation, only Lover of mankind.

Ode 4. Irmos.

‘Christ is my power, my God and Lord, the holy Church sings in a manner fitting God, as she cries out from a pure mind and keeps festival in the Lord’.

When the stream of Jordan saw you, Lord, it was turned back; while our nature, stained by many passions, was turned up towards heaven as it worshipped you.

The sun was afraid as it saw you, O Sun, stripped naked in the flesh and filling with your rays all that nature, which had been stripped naked by dark transgression.

See, the cleansing; see, the redemption, the refashioning, the illumination of all has come to his own; let us then be made his own through pureness of life.

Ode 5. Irmos.

‘With your divine light shine, O Good One, I beg, on the souls of those who with love seek you early in the morning, that they may know you, O Word of God, as truly God, who call them back from the gloom of faults’.

Let us for Christ bear the fruit of a pure life; for he is coming, cleansing with the waters the stain of sins by grace, he the only Benefactor and Sinless One.

People, who of old sat in the darkness of difficulties, the unsetting Light has appeared to you; look, and be illumined by the divine beams, and praise the grace of him who has appeared.

Accomplishing a great mystery, O Lord of great gifts, you are coming to your greatest Forerunner, as you ineffably magnify through Baptism humanity which had been made small.

Ode 6. Irmos.

‘Seeing life’s sea rising with a tempest of temptations, as I flee to your calm haven, I cry out to you: Bring my life up from corruption, O Most merciful.’

As filled with mystic waters, as a river of peace, O only Lord, you, the only sinless one, have come to a river and ask from a little drop to be baptized.

The choir of Angels is amazed as it contemplates you stripped naked, who cover the heavens with the clouds, and it cries out: What is this, your great condescension towards humanity.

The Full has been emptied; see, the Invisible has appeared embodied. River Jordan be glad, fill your streams, that you may wash the rebirth of all.

Irmos.

‘Surrounded by an abyss of offences, I call upon the unfathomable abyss of your compassion: O God, bring me up from corruption’.

On the 4th day of the same month, Assembly of the holy and glorious Seventy Apostles.

Verses
 The Seventy Apostles fair renowned
To praise them thus together is most fit.
And on the fourth of the month far famed are the men that I honour.[1]

On the same day, our Venerable Father Theoctistos, Superior of the monastery in Koukoumos in Sicily, died in peace.

Verses
God’s [theou] uncreated [aktistos] Word, to Theoctist
In Eden’s verdant land his lot you give.

On the same day, six holy Martyrs did in peace.

Verses
Six radiant souls, from this life taking wing,
Now stand together with the Six-winged Minds.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs, Zosimas the Monk and Athanasios the Kommentarisios.

Verses
With Zosimas died Athanasios
Within a rock with him can sweetly live.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Venerable Apollinaria of Senatorial rank.

Verses
They take Apollinaria from earth,
For worthy was she found to dwell in heaven.

Ode 7. Irmos.

‘An Angel made the furnace moist with dew for the holy Youths; while God’s command consuming the Chaldeans in the flame persuaded the tyrant to cry out: Blessed are you, O God of our Fathers’.

How will the streams receive you, O Christ, who are the torrent of delight? How will the Forerunner stretch out his hand upon you, who fashioned him with your hand, and who have brought us out of the hand of the evil one?

You, Lord, are a stream of goodness; how have come to the streams of Jordan seeking waters of incorruption? To give drink to those who by the envy of the serpent had been brought under corruption by evil eating.

Let the mountains drop down gladness and the mountains leap for joy as they exult; let rivers clap their hands: Christ has appeared, has come to bury the faults of mortals in the river.

Ode 8. Irmos.

‘You made dew fall from the flames for the Holy Ones, and burnt up the sacrifice of the Just with water; for you do all things, O Christ, simply by willing them. We highly exalt you to all the ages’.

Elisaios cut the river’s streams with his cloak, foreshadowing the grace of Baptism which Christ, the only Benefactor, wrought when he entered them.

The glorious Prophet of old prefigured the grace of Baptism when he rendered the waters, which before were barren through salt, fruitful by the power of our God who has appeared.

Every valley will be filled with divine gifts, and every hostile hill made low, and the rough places will turn to smooth at the Appearing of God incarnate.

Irmos.

‘The God, who came down into the furnace of fire with the Hebrew Youths and turned the flame to dew, praise him his works as Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages’.

Ode 9. Irmos.

‘It is impossible for humans to see God, on whom the ranks of Angels dare not gaze. But through you, All-pure one, the incarnate Word has been seen by mortals. As we magnify Him, with the heavenly armies we call you blessed.’

Christ, who fashioned mankind with your hands, as a man you bow beneath the hand of the Forerunner, humbling yourself that you may exalt me, who of old was humbled and destroyed; glory to your glorious and fearful dispensation.

The cleansing of souls is being made ready; the illumination, the abolition of dread deeds has come to make his abode; river Jordan, be glad; all creation, dance, earth and sea, clap your hands as you glorify Christ, the supremely Good.

As the fullness of all good things, you come, crying out to your slave, who, full of holiness, is amazed at your condescension: Draw near, baptize me; for I wish to full the nature of mortals with sanctification and purity.

Exapostilarion.

Abandoning the world the Seventy, O Word, with love became disciples of you the Word and Teacher, cleansing the world of ignorance by faith.

The Son, born timelessly from the Father before the ages, and beyond nature bearing flesh from a Woman, is coming to be baptized for the rebirth of the world.

At Lauds we insert 6 Verses, and we sing Prosomia [which continue yesterday’s acrostic, and are sung to the same melody].

Tone 6.

Christ, whom the voice of one crying forefigured, has come to the streams of Jordan and said to the Forerunner: Come, wash me with waters, baptize me now as I condescend; for I have come to wash Adam clean of his former fall. Blessed are you, our God, who have appeared, glory to you.

I can in no way fathom the height of heaven; I cannot measure the number of the stars or the earth; and how shall I, the Forerunner, touch with my hand head of you, the Master? How shall I baptize the One who bears creation in the hollow of his hand? And so I cry to you: Blessed are you, our God, who have appeared, glory to you.

I am enthroned with the Father and the Spirit, I am escorted by the angelic hosts; but through compassion I was exiled, being brought to birth in a little cave in Bethlehem; and so now lend me your right hand, that I my wash away in my own person the faults of the world.

Once in the days of Noë you abolished sins when you opened with a word the cataracts of heaven; how then will Jordan when it sees you hold its place? For already its stream is turning back; all creation has recognised you; and I cry to you: Blessed are you, our God, who have appeared, glory to you.

That the good pleasure of the Father may be fulfilled I have come on earth clothed in poverty. Heaven is my throne and earth my footstool; but now I bow my neck to you; for at present I have come hither; baptize me, as I also cleanse in my own person the faults of mortals.

You once led Israel to light through a pillar and a cloud, and bedewed him in the wilderness; you are Master of all things, in nature inexpressible, how have you put on the form of a slave? I am grass, I may not touch you, who are fire; do you rather baptize me; for I need to receive cleansing at your hands.

Aposticha. Tone 2. House of Ephratha.

The brightness of the Father’s glory has appeared in Jordan’s streams, cleansing by Baptism the stain of our souls.

Receive in a manner fitting a slave, Prophet John, the Redeemer of the world, and baptize the Creator for the rebirth of mortals.

Illumination has come, redemption has appeared in Jordan; come, let us assemble to be cleansed and to sing the forefeast.

To-day Christ bestows saving redemption on mankind, cleansing the stain of souls by the fire of Baptism.