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Verse: Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger; nor chastise me in your wrath.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.

Verse: Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger; nor chastise me in your wrath.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.
Same melody.

Verse: God is wonderful in his Saints, the God of Israel.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.
The soldiers watching.

Δ Enslaved to the passions of sin, I fall before you, Lord, that you may declare me free of them, as I glorify your goodness.

E Wretch that I am, I have been wounded by the sword of sin and died. And seeing me lying there the enemy rejoices. O Lord, who raise the dead, give me life and save me.

Χ The choirs of Champions have been glorified, for with their limbs they glorified Christ, who put on flesh and through suffering made corruption vanish.

Ο Towers and champions of the Church, the glorious Martyrs endured unshaken by the assaults of the foe. At their intercessions, O God, give life to us all.

Another Canon, to the honoured Forerunner,
of which the Acrostic is:
Listen to the voice of those who cry to you, blest Saint. Joseph.

F You were called ‘Voice of the Word’, blest Saint. Therefore, O Forerunner, receive our voices that we bring to you, freeing us from evils by your mediation.

W Shining out like the dawn, like the sun, you enlighten the ends of the earth and darken the wicked spirits. Therefore dispel the gloom darkness of my soul.

N To the dead, blest Forerunner, you preached the coming of our life. Therefore put to death the passions that slay me, and show me to be a partaker of divine radiance.

H All-holy Lady, who alone gave birth in time to the immaculate incarnate Son, heal all the chronic passions of my wretched soul.

Ι See my weakness, Lord, who wore it. See the dread deformity of my soul, and listen to my voice, most merciful Christ, and change its ugliness to beauty of form.

S O Jesu, save the wastrel; save me, who have alone transgressed your saving laws, and irrationally committed every sin and been made subject to thoughts that alienate from you, good Lord.

T The host of Bodiless Powers was truly amazed at your courage, Holy Ones, how you wondrously competed in the stadium and falling in body you threw down in one godly moment all your bodiless opponents.

E Still decked out with the blood from your wounds; still drenched in gore, O Champions, you stand beside the Lord, the immortal King, all garlanded with victors’ crowns.

S In holiness, O Forerunner, you sprouted from a barren mother without fruit, and by divine husbandry you appeared bearing fruit. Therefore make my heart, barren of everything, a source of fair offspring, that I may ever faithfully glorify you.

A With heavenly bread, blest Saint, make firm my heart, weakened by evil thoughts, and make me eagerly fulfil the wishes of God, the all-compassionate, that I may ever faithfully glorify you.

K You preached the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, blessed Prophet, lighten, I beg, the heavy burden of my sins, giving me compunction that wipes away the stain of passions.

O The Word, coming forth from you, Mother of God, bearing flesh in its entirety, put on Adam in his entirety. Implore him, Mother of God, to deliver us from trials and temptations of every kind and from the everlasting fire.

O The wealth you gave me I have squandered wickedly, committing monstrous deeds and now am naked, clothed in the works of dishonour. And so I cry to you, ‘Make me radiant with robes, goading me to repentance by divine grace’.

U I became unconscious, and have fallen terribly, and I lie upon the ground, incurably sick. Raise me, O Christ who raise the fallen, and establish my heart on the rock of repentance.

S Imitating Christ, who was raised upon a Cross, they were acquainted with blows, yet the Champions rejoiced, and having dispelled torrents of atheism with the showers of their blood, they are a source of streams of healing.

D The godly Athletes sailed undrenched through the fierce and bitter storm of torments. Steered by saving hope, hearts filled with gladness, they were brought to anchor at the harbours on high.

U With bodily nakedness you wove yourself a cloak of salvation, Baptist of the Lord. Clothe me, stripped bare of every good work, I beg, with a garment of justice and gladness.

S Forerunner, who plunged in the streams of Jordan a torrent of delight, Jesus the giver of life, rain on me too, who am wasted away by the drought of pleasures, one drop of salvation, that as is fitting I may glorify you.

O It is not an Angel, not an envoy that saved us, but the Lord himself, when he came on earth and whose straight ways you had prepared, blest Saint. Implore him now to show me the path that leads to the Kingdom.

N You were revealed as sanctified Temple of the God who dwelt in you beyond understanding, O Virgin. Implore him to cleanse us from the stain of sins, that we may become known as house and dwelling place of the Spirit.

E I have been filled with many and grievous offences, longsuffering, compassionate Master. Have compassion on me, who am condemned, and do not cast me away from your presence.

T You justified the Tax-collector, O Christ, when he sighed and groaned; therefore I too, imitating him, beat my breast and cry to you, ‘Have mercy on me, O only compassionate and pitying’.

O Your Saints, Lord, appeared like unerring beacons, dispelling the deep night of error and making the whole inhabited world bright with the torchlight of their wonders.

U Like priceless stones, Master, the Martyrs, yearning for you, the Rock of life, crushed through torments, destroyed the whole dispensation of error.

T Like Elias of old you dwelt in the desert, All-blest Forerunner of Christ; and so with divine care make better my heart turned by offences into a desert waste.

W You have become an immoveable pillar and greatest foundation of the faithful, Forerunner of Christ, make my thought, shaken by the wiles of the deceiver, immoveable.

N The dead were brought the good news that the Light from Light had shone on earth by your light, blest Saint, and we, who were in darkness, were enlightened. Therefore on me who have been terribly blackened.

B David proclaims you Virgin Queen, Immaculate Pure Lady. And so I pray you, make me an heir of the heavenly Kingdom, that I may call you blessed.

S The bones of my wretched soul have been crushed, and I am bowed down by the weight of many pleasures. Help me, O Christ, the only hope of all.

E Fallen into an ocean of dread deeds and the tempest of the passions, I cry out, ‘All-powerful Christ, bring me up with your mighty hand, and save me.’

M A myriad multitude of holy Athletes trampled underfoot myriads of spiritual foes and were united with the myriads of heavenly Minds.

O Having dried up the deep of godlessness, O Athletes, you were filled with the torrent of delight, and so dry up the out-pourings of my sins.

O Baptist, who on earth proclaimed repentance, show me ways of repentance that guide me to the light, and deliver me from the chasms of error.

W As you plunged the abyss in the river’s streams, dry up the abysses of my passions by granting me showers of tears, Forerunner, herald of Christ.

N Forerunner of the Lord, save me from diseases of the soul, passions of the flesh, the difficulties of life, and trials and afflictions of every kind.

T I earnestly entreat you, the Mother of God and fair among women, do not despise me, Pure Lady, but take pity and keep me safe from every harm.

U Job practised patience and in all the assaults of the evil one remained unshaken, like a noble tower. Always match him, my soul, and never tire in troubles.

S I have been worsted by bodily pleasures, and though a rational being, have become irrational. O Word of God, who saved the harlot by a word, save me, coward that I am, that I may hymn and bless your goodness.

L Wise Martyrs, redeemed by the blood of the One who suffered in the flesh for us, with eagerness you chose to shed your own blood for him; and so you reign with him for ever.

O By the construction of sacred struggles, you appeared as a joyful palace, wise Martyrs, in which Christ, the only King and Lord, who translated you to heavenly abodes, has taken his rest.

W Glorious, noble Baptist, who became mediator of the old and new covenants, mediate for me who have become old in sins by entreating Jesus, the one who makes all things new, to make me wholly new.

N On earth you appeared, Forerunner of Christ and Baptist, prescribing repentance. By your prayers give us strength to accomplish this, that we may be rescued from the innumerable evils, with by we are always offending.

S You travelled the narrow way, pursuing complete self-mastery, wise Saint, and have been wholly glorified with the broad place of the brightest visions. By interceding with Christ grant that we too may enjoy them.

O We the faithful glorify a consubstantial Trinity, Father without beginning, Son and right Spirit, Essence of equal kingship, single lordship, single rule and life that gives us life.

G The cunning serpent with his wicked counsel rendered me naked of every kind of virtue. But now, my Saviour, who stripped bare all his wickedness, make me radiant with robes of virtue.

O Judge most just, who come to judge the race of mortals in that fearsome hour, do not banish me, who have been condemned, to the fire of Gehenna, but have compassion and save me.

U All-honoured Athletes of the Lord, affliction, danger, sword nor fire parted you in any way from the love of Christ, who because of his compassion has loved us.

S Locked in bodily combat body with a bodiless opponent, you threw him down, noble Athletes, and you dance with the Bodiless powers, healing the passions of our souls and bodies.

M Alone above all those born on earth have I offended, alone have I become a transgressor of your laws, O Lord. Therefore through the Forerunner take pity on me and save me.

A By your way of life, Baptist John, you were revealed to be an Angel, preaching the Angel of great counsel to the ends of the earth. Therefore we sing your praise to all the ages.

K Your head was unjustly cut off, blest Saint, who plunged Christ’s head in the waters. By your prayers empower us all to trample under foot the destructive head of the deceiver.

A Show us all, blest Saint, the paths that lead to the divine entrances, that as we tread them we may become heirs of the divine bridal chamber by your prayers.

R Deliver me from foul sin, sin’s flame, punishing darkness, and the gnashing of teeth and the worm, O Virgin, only protection of the human race.

I See, now is the moment of repentance and pure work! See, now is the day of light! Work its works; flee the darkness of the passions; banish the sleep of wicked sloth, my soul, that you may become a partaker in divine light.

W Like the Tax-collector I groan, like the Harlot I weep, like the Thief I cry out, ‘Remember me, O Compassionate’, and like the Wastrel son I cry, ‘I have sinned!’. Like the Woman of Canaan I fall before you, ‘O merciful, do not despise me!’

S You have been revealed as truly healers of sufferings of the body and afflictions of the soul, for you courageously gave your bodies up to torments and to violent death, all-praised Martyrs of the Lord; and therefore you are blessed for ever.

H The courage of the Christ’s wise Champions, blazing out more brightly than the rays of the sun, by grace abolished the prince of darkness, dispelled the night of godlessness and enlightened the hearts of believers.

F Virgin Mother of God, with the bright rays of light of the Word who dawned from your holy womb and flooded the ends of the earth enlighten my soul, darkened with the blackness of pleasures, that with faith I may sing your praise.

I See the lamp shining for those in the darkness of life, see the sweet voiced swallow, that announces Christ, the spring, the great Forerunner, mediator of the old and new covenants; by whose prayers we are always guarded.

W As the Bridegroom’s friend I now put you forward as ambassador, O Baptist, and I, who have a multitude of sins, cry out to you, ‘Obtain the cancellation of my debts, All-blessed, and light the lamp of my soul, completely extinguished by indifference’.

S With bodiless Angels, with revered Apostles, with holy Champions, and with Prophets, O Prophet, ever implore God who is supremely good, that we, who are enriched with you as good protector, may obtain eternal good things.

H Fair swallow, precious nightingale, all-beauteous dove, desert-loving turtle-dove, Baptist of the Lord, offshoot of the desert, make my soul, that has become a desert through unfruitfulness, fertile and productive of good.

F Like the Cherubim throne you carry the one who carries all things, you nourish the one who nourishes us. Implore him without ceasing, pure Virgin, graced by God, that your flock may be rescued from earthquake, collapse, capture and every constraint.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.
All-praised Martyrs.

Virgin all-praised, Moses with prophetic eyes saw the mystery that is in you, the bush that though in flames was unburned. For the fire of the Godhead did not burn up your womb, pure Maiden. And so we ask you, as Mother of our God, to grant peace to the world.

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Archimandrite Ephrem ©

This page was last updated on 10 May 2009