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CANON FOR MID-PENTECOST The Acrostic is: Ode 1. Tone 4. The Irmos. Israel, who of old marched through the Red Sea dryshod, routed the power of Amalek in the wilderness through Moses’ hands raised in the form of the Cross. Troparia. The great blessings of your incarnation beyond understanding shine for us, Master; your graces without price and your divine brightness well up for us as gifts of goodness. Sending out the rays of your Godhead, O Christ, you took your stand openly at the mid-point of the feast; for you are a feast of joy for the saved and the cause of our salvation. You, Lord, have become Wisdom, Justice and Redemption for us from God, as you pass over from earth to the height of heaven and bestow the divine Spirit. Theotokion. Your flesh did not know corruption in the grave, Master; but as it had been formed without seed, it did not undergo corruption, for supernaturally it was not enslaved to the course of nature. Ode 3. The Irmos. Your Church, O Christ, rejoices at you as she cries: you, Lord, are my strength, my refuge and my foundation. Troparia. You opened springs of life-giving waters for the Church, O Good One, as you cried: If any thirst, let them with fervour come and drink. You said clearly that you would be lifted up from earth to heaven; but you promised to send the Holy Spirit from heaven. Theotokion. The Lord, by nature giver of life and born of a Virgin, as he is compassionate has given immortality to all the faithful. Ode 4. Irmos. When she saw you, the Sun of justice, lifted up on the Cross, the Church stood in her rank, and fittingly cried out: Glory to your power, O Lord. Troparia. When you broke open the gates of death by your power you made known the ways of life, and opened the gates of immortality to those who cry in faith: Glory to your power, O Lord. You hold the mid-point of all things and their end, and as you are without beginning you hold their beginning in your grasp. You stood in the midst and cried out: Come, all who think godly thoughts and enjoy his gifts! As God, O Christ, you have authority over all, as powerful you destroyed the might of death, and you promised to send the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father. Theotokion. Mother who knew not wedlock, richly you pour out grace on those who hymn you and the eternal Word who was born of you, as you ask for them forgiveness of offences, O Immaculate. Ode 5. Irmos. Lord my light, you have come into the world; a holy light turning those who hymn you from the fog of ignorance. Troparia. Now that we have reached the mid-point of the divine feasts, let us hasten with godly thoughts to work for the perfection of virtue inspired by God. How truly sacred is the present festival, for it marks out the mid-point of the greatest feasts and shines with light from both. Theotokion. My Saviour full of mercy, the mind of the Archangel cannot comprehend your ineffable and immaculate birth from a Virgin. Ode 6. Irmos. I will sacrifice to you, Lord, with a voice of praise, your Church cries out to you, purified from the filth of demons by the blood which flows through pity from your side. Troparia. The mid-point of Pentecost is here to-day, brilliant from the one side in the brightness of the divine Pascha, and shining from the other with grace of the Comforter. As you stood in the Temple, O Christ, you spoke with the Jewish people, revealing your own glory, and showing forth your identity of nature with the Father. Theotokion. Be my protection and an unshakeable wall, delivering me from the world’s stumbling blocks, only Mother of God, and making me shine with the light that floods from God. Ode 7. The Irmos, The Children of Abraham in the Persian furnace, ablaze not with the flame but with love for true religion, cried aloud: Blessed are you, Lord, in the temple of your glory. Troparia. Saviour, by strength you destroyed the power of death and made known the path of life to mortals, who cry aloud: Blessed are you, Lord, in the temple of your glory. When they saw you bearing flesh the Hebrew people did not acknowledge you, O Word of God; but we sing to you: Blessed are you, Lord, in the temple of your glory. Theotokion. Hallowed, divine dwelling of the Most High, hail! For through you, Mother of God, joy has been given to those who cry aloud: Blessed are you among women, all-spotless Lady. Ode 8. The Irmos. Daniel, stretching out his hands, shut up the mouths of lions in the den, while the Youths, lovers of piety and clothed in virtue, quenched the power of fire, as they cried: All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord! Troparia. In beauty you rose from the tomb, Lord, adorned in the glory of your Godhead, and appeared to your Apostles, promising to send the force of the Spirit to them as they cried: All you works, praise the Lord! Having slain Hell as God, supreme source of life, you became for all a source of eternal life, which the graces of these brilliant days now most clearly resemble for those who cry: All you works, praise the Lord! Showing your rays, O Christ, as sun of justice, you sent out your Apostles to the world, bearing you, the light ineffable, dispelling the fog of ignorance and crying: All you works, praise the Lord! Theotokion. See now a ruler, a leader has now clearly failed from the tribe of Juda; for you, all-spotless one, have given birth to the things stored up for him, the expectation of the nations, Christ, to whom we sing: All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord! Ode 9. The Irmos. A stone, the head of the corner, cut without hands, Christ was cut from you, O Virgin, mountain unhewn, uniting the separated natures: therefore rejoicing, Mother of God, we magnify you. Troparia. From Christ we have learnt a new and fresh way of life: let us all strive diligently to keep it to the end, that we may enjoy the coming of the Holy Spirit. Giver of Life, you have clothed my mortality with the cloak of immortality and the grace of incorruption; you have raised it with yourself and brought it to the Father, ending my age-long war. Invited once again to the heavenly way of life by the power of the mediation of him who emptied himself even to taking the form of a slave, and raised us up, let us fittingly magnify him. Theotokion. All we faithful, trusting in you, O Virgin, honour you with words of praise, as root and source and cause of incorruption: for you made the empersonned immortality blossom for us. |
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