Sermon for the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman 17/5/20

John 4:5-42

Today’s Gospel reading begins: “Jesus came into a city of Samaria”.

Samaria had originally been a Jewish region, but the Old Testament tells us that, on account of their lack of faith, God allowed the king of Assyria, Shelmaneser, to attack Samaria and deport its inhabitants to Assyria. He then brought Assyrians from Babylon and other places and settled them in Samaria in order to replace the Jewish population. Initially, these new settlers were pagans, but they eventually accepted the worship of the one God and the Law of Moses. By the time of Jesus, the Samarians claimed to be the true Jews, the true descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, they rejected all of the other Old Testament prophets, and also disagreed with the Jews on the true location of the Temple, choosing to worship at a different mountain. 

So, in the eyes of the Jews, the Samaritans were seen not just as Gentiles, but as usurpers of Jewish land, usurpers of Jewish identity and history, co-conspirators with the enemies of God’s people. They were not just ignorant of the Truth, but perverters of the Truth. This is why Jews had such animosity toward the Samaritans, and why they would normally have no dealings with them. And so the opening phrase, “Jesus came into a city of Samaria” describes a bold and unexpected act.

Just as the Lord came down from heaven, to save the fallen race of man on earth, our Lord leaving the land of the Jews and going into the land of Samaria shows God’s desire to reach out to those who have gone astray and bring them back to himself. At midday, the sixth hour, the hottest part of the day, when most people would avoid any heavy work, a Samaritan woman comes to the well to draw water, and Jesus says to her, “Give me to drink”. The Bible doesn’t give us a reason, but from the story we learn that this woman was previously five times married, and was now living with a man outside marriage, and so perhaps the reason she was forced to come to the well at such an odd time of day was because she was something of an outcast in that city; she was considered a sinner, and she wanted to avoid other people.

The Lord not only does not walk away from her, shun her or ignore her, but he engages this sinful woman from an unclean people in conversation, and he asks her, “Give me to drink”. 

As we pray every morning during the six psalms of Matins: 

O God, my God, unto Thee I rise early at dawn. My soul hath thirsted for Thee. 

Ὁ Θεός ὁ Θεός μου, πρὸς σὲ ὀρθρίζω, ἐδίψησέ σε ἡ ψυχή μου.

Just as the human soul has a natural thirst for God on account of it being created in the image of God, the Lord in His infinite love for mankind also longs for the return of the prodigal son and the lost sheep, He thirsts for the person who has gone astray. This is why he says to the Samaritan woman, “Give me to drink”. In other words, it is as if he is saying to her, “come back to me, I long for your return.” 

And these words of the Lord are addressed to each and every human being. Every moment of our life, even the most mundane everyday tasks like fetching water, can become a life-changing encounter with the Lord. As He says elsewhere in Scripture, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20). The Lord is constantly seeking us, constantly knocking at the door to our heart, ready to give us His grace, and to quench our thirst with the living water of the Holy Spirit. The only thing He needs from us is a good disposition, a willingness to open the door. And this is what He finds in the Samaritan woman.

When the Lord says, “Whosoever drinks the water I shall give him in no wise shall ever thirst”, she might not understand what he means, but she responds positively: “Lord, give me this water.”

When the Lord says, “Go, call your husband, and come here”, she responds with honesty: “I have no husband.”

When the Lord with great gentleness reveals to her that he is aware of her sin, she does not become defensive, but she responds with humility, and by that humility she begins to perceive who it is she is speaking to: “Lord, I perceive that you are a prophet”.

At each exchange, the woman becomes more and more open and receptive, allowing Christ to reveal to her higher and higher truths, until she finally understands that the person standing in front of her is the Messiah.

At the end of the conversation, the Gospel says “the woman left her waterpot” and went into the city to tell everyone of what she had experienced. She left the waterpot. She was no longer thirsty, just as the Lord had promised. A short while before, she was a sinner coming to the well at midday to avoid the crowds, and now she was running into the city to speak to every person she possibly could about the One who had changed her life. Many of the Samaritans believed because of her word, and the Holy Tradition tells us that she went on to become a great missionary saint, St Photeini, the Enlightened one, who devoted her life to telling the world about her encounter. 

At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour, water my thirsty soul with streams of true devotion; for Thou didst cry out to all: Any who thirst, let them come to me, and let them drink! O Source of life, Christ our God, glory to Thee!
(Apolytikion of Mid-Pentecost)

"Fasting food" is an oxymoron

As we approach Great Lent, the Church year’s longest and strictest period of fasting, we often meet two responses: pride and despondency. While by no means a cure for these two spiritual ailments, I do think a better knowledge of what fasting actually entails is a big help in countering both of these.

Fasting-related pride can either be personal (“I fast during Lent, they do not”) or collective (“The heretics have abandoned fasting, but we Orthodox have kept the way of the Fathers!”). Every Lent, the orthonet abounds with memes expressing the latter sentiment in particular.

In either case, the truth is that the vast majority of Orthodox Christians today do not actually fast. They may abstain from meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine and even oil, but they do not fast in the strict sense of the word. Fasting means complete abstinence from food and drink, usually until the evening. This is what the Church prescribes for weekdays of Great Lent, and for nearly all Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year: no food until evening. The vegan meal eaten after Vespers marks the end of fasting on that day — the term “fasting food” is an oxymoron. This is why the Presanctified Liturgy is celebrated with Vespers during weekdays of Great Lent, so that the faithful would not break their fast early by receiving Communion and antidoron at a morning service. When the Fathers end a long Lenten sermon or catechetical talk by apologising for wearing out their listeners who are already tired from fasting, they are not apologising to people inconvenienced by veggie burgers and soy substitutes, but to people listening on an empty stomach.

Don’t get me wrong, each person should fast in accordance with their own strength and circumstances, and with the guidance of their spiritual father. I am not calling on anyone to do any more or less than what they are currently doing. But before we boast in our almond milk lattes, let us recognise just how modest our Lenten effort actually is. Let us not take pride in abstaining from meat when our secular neighbour does not, but let us be humbled by how far our ‘fasting’ falls short of what is envisaged by the canons we claim to follow.

Similarly, many people who follow the standard abstinence from meat and dairy, but who have no experience of actual fasting, often complain that they don’t see the point. They feel no different, and they find the idea of not putting milk in their coffee or not eating cheese on certain days of the year arbitrary and irrelevant to their spiritual lives. Now, in our days of abundant choice and instant gratification, even this is a huge sacrifice and struggle for many, and if combined with prayer and a humble disposition, there is no reason why this modest exercise in self-control shouldn’t bring abundant spiritual fruit. I can understand, though, where those who complain are coming from.

The first thing is the way fasting is disconnected from charity. In the 4th century Apostolic Constitutions (XXI), the rules regulating fasting (no food until the 9^th hour of the day) are accompanied by a rule that all the surplus of fasting be devoted to God. In other words, all the food and money saved by limiting oneself to a single, simple meal in the evening, should go to the poor. Every act of self-deprivation should be accompanied by an equal and opposite act of charity. Not only does this simple principle prevent fasting being an inward-looking act (which is what the four Sundays of the Triodion introducing us to Lent warn against), but it also allows the faster to see an immediate, positive result.

Even if the way most of us fast during Lent will involve more modest savings than that envisaged by the canons, consciously applying this principle is still possible and still helpful. If you have a habit of getting a cup of coffee from Starbucks every morning, give that up during lent, and make sure the daily saving of £2.50 goes to someone who needs it.

The same goes for time saved during fasting. The hour you save by not watching your favourite show on Netflix should be used to benefit another person in need of practical help or personal interaction, whether it’s volunteering at a soup kitchen or visiting an elderly person struggling with loneliness.

A second reason people might not feel their fasting does much (if it only involves a change in diet) is because they don’t experience the hunger, the fatigue, and the very concrete feelings these rouse in us, not only of sympathy for the poor who experience these things involuntarily, but of our own weakness and absolute dependence on God, the Provider of all things. Simply put, ‘proper fasting’ has effects on our prayer and on our general mood and outlook that veganism just doesn’t. While this kind of fasting may be beyond the reach of many — it should certainly not be undertaken without discernment and the advice of one’s spiritual father — being aware that this is what fasting is, that this is what the saints and fathers speak of when they refer to fasting, will allow people to put what they read into perspective, and not be disappointed and discouraged when switching to veggie burgers doesn’t bring about the results described in spiritual literature.

And simply being aware of where we are in relation to where we should be is helpful in itself. In the Ladder of Divine Ascent, St John describes how many who had not been granted the gift of tears of repentance would weep on account of their lack of tears, thus reaching the same end through other means.

Similarly, if we are not able to fast according to the canons (which is, in any case, but a means to an end, not an end in itself), let the modesty of our effort become a source of the same humility and openness that fasting is intended to give us. Let us, through acknowledging what we are not doing rather than boasting in what we are doing, win the grace of God through another way.

May God grant us all a fruitful Lent, and let our sacrifices — however great or small they may be — manifest themselves in meaningful, outward-looking acts of love.

The Hours are for everyone

“I can’t find time to pray” is something you hear constantly during confession. Working people, particularly those who also have young children, often struggle to find time in the morning to complete the 20–30 min Morning Prayers one finds in most Orthodox prayer books; in the evening before bed, some might have the time, but often are simply too exhausted. The common advice “Do as much as you can” is sound enough, but not particularly helpful when what they can normally find time for is nothing at all.

The Church, of course, does not centre its formal prayer around getting in and out of bed, but spreads the services out throughout the day — approximately every 3 hours, if the services are not amalgamated. During the average working day, the Book of Hours, which is the prayer book of the Orthodox Church, provides us with four short services — the 1^st, 3^rd, 6^th, and 9^th hours (6am, 9am, 12noon, 3pm). These involve no singing, almost no variables (only the apolytikion and kontakion of the day change), and only take about 10mins to read. In short, they’re perfectly suited for modern, busy working people who want to participate in the Church’s daily cycle of prayer, but who struggle to find time at home.

I consider it unfortunate that the Book of Hours is virtually unknown even among pious Orthodox laypeople. Moreover, those laypeople who do show an interest in the Hours are told not to bother: they are only for monks! 

First of all, recent scholarship seems to discredit this idea. The Orthodox liturgical scholar Stig Symeon Frøyshov of Oslo University, for example, has demonstrated that the Hours were not a monastic feature later imposed on the “cathedral rite”, but actually belonged to the cathedral rite of the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. The same goes for the various other features of the daily office often deemed “monastic” (click here for more info).

But let’s assume it is the case that the Hours strictly speaking are monastic offices: so what? The “parish services” of Matins and Vespers are very long (even in heavily abbreviated “non-monastic” form), almost entirely sung, have a complex structure with countless daily and seasonal variables, and require a whole series of different liturgical books. They also include various elements that assume the participation of a priest. They are not services one can realistically expect anyone to do outside of a church setting. In the past, daily attendance at Matins and Vespers may have been the norm (at least, it was expected), and the rhythm of life allowed for it. Today, however, who has the opportunity to attend Matins and Vespers on a daily basis apart from monastics? The so-called “monastic services”, on the other hand, are short and require only one little book (or app!), no knowledge of ecclesiastical music, and no particular understanding of the Church typicon. They do not presuppose the participation of a priest, and, more importantly, afford a degree of flexibility in terms of when and what to pray. In other words, they are services laypeople can realistically make use of on a daily basis. Why deny them that opportunity?

Redeem the time, because the days are evil

(Eph. 5:16)

The Small Book of Hours

The new Greek-English Holy Week book from Holy Transfiguration Monastery

In terms of the physical appearance of the two books, the HTM's Holy Week and Pascha is slightly bulkier than Papadeas' Holy Week - Easter – about 1/3 thicker, 880 pages to Papadeas’ 500 – but same height and width. The paper quality in the HTM version seems better, and fonts and layout more attractive. For the English text, Papadeas has the benefit of slightly larger font, but when it comes to the Greek, the font used in HTM makes it easier to see and read despite being slightly smaller.

The best argument for getting the HTM rather than Papadeas, and also the reason this is a bulkier volume, is that there is far more content. While Papadeas starts with the Matins of Holy Monday on Palm Sunday evening, HTM begins two days earlier with the Vespers, Compline, Matins and Liturgy for both Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday. It also provides texts for Vespers for every day in Holy Week, while Papadeas only includes Vespers for Holy Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and the so-called “Agape Vespers” on the eve of Renewal Monday. What always disappointed me about Papadeas was that it includes no services for Holy Thursday at all, providing only the text of the Unction service on the basis that this tends to replace Holy Thursday Matins in most North American parishes. The HTM, however, includes both the service of Holy Unction, and the Matins and Vespers of Holy Thursday. HTM also includes the full set of Biblical readings for the various services: for the Vesperal Liturgy on Holy Saturday Morning, Papadeas has three readings from the Old Testament, while the HTM has the full fifteen.

Another benefit of the HTM version is that the English translation of Biblical material actually corresponds to the Greek text on the adjacent page, while the readings in Papadeas follow the Hebrew MT even where it differs significantly from the Greek Septuagint. Compare, for example, in Papadeas the Greek and English reading from Job in the Vespers of the Apokathelosis: the English ends with Job dying “an old man and full of days”, while the Greek continues with another 5 verses showing Job’s genealogical connection to the Patriarch Abraham. I haven’t yet had time to look closely at the HTM translation of the hymns to see how it compares to Papadeas linguistically and in terms of accuracy, although I can imagine you will find some of the awkward wording HTM are occasionally criticised for. As with many of their other liturgical books, the HTM translation of the Lamentations sung during the Matins of Holy Saturday is designed to fit the Byzantine melodies – and fit it does, hand in glove – which means various adjectives not found in the original text are added to make up for the lack of syllables. At least when it comes to the much-loved Lamentations, where it is not uncommon for the congregation to join in, this is a plus in my opinion.

All things considered, (if it is the Lord’s will and we live) I will most definitely be taking the HTM version with me to church next time Holy Week comes around. However, if I was recommending or buying copies to distribute to parishioners, I would probably still have to go with Papadeas, because it is a book designed to follow along with: 1) Papadeas tries to provide the entire text of each service, from the first “Blessed” to the final “Amen”. Nothing is abbreviated. While the service of Matins for each day is relatively complete in the HTM version, some familiarity with the structure of services is still assumed: things such as the Great Litany, the ‘dialogue’ between the priest and choir before Scripture readings, the Trisagion prayers, etc. are omitted or abbreviated, and there is some cross-referencing to avoid repetition. I can therefore see people getting lost if trying to follow along. 2) Papadeas provides detailed rubrics, such as “This Psalm is chanted in a monotone, while the priest censes…with the…small hand-censer”, where HTM has none. Granted, some of these rubrics are wrong and even inappropriate (telling the congregation to sit during the reading of the Hexapsalm, for example, while the HTM instead stresses the need for them to “listen in all silence and with compunction”), but these are relatively few. The big exception is the prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian, where Papadeas says nothing about prostrations (the Greek is not even broken up into three lines, suggesting it should be read straight through), when in fact it is the prayer which is there to accompany the prostrations, not the other way around. 3) Generally speaking, Papadeas presents the services as they are commonly done in parishes, while HTM presents the services as they should be done. I am happy HTM has all fifteen OT readings for the Vespers on Holy Saturday morning, but if most people using the book are only ever going to hear three read in church, this is going to cause confusion. With Papadeas, what the reader sees on the page is what s/he is likely to see in church. 4) I am personally quite fond of “traditional English” in liturgical texts, particularly because it retains the second person singular pronouns, but it can take some getting used to, and if Holy Week is the only time of year you hold a liturgical book in your hands (as is the case with many), it might be needlessly difficult or off-putting.

To conclude, Papadeas has certainly been surpassed by HTM’s new volume, but not necessarily superseded.

Supplicatory Canon to St. Ambrose of Milan (Greek)

ΚΑΝΩΝ ΠΑΡΑΚΛΗΤΙΚΟΣ
ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΓΙΟΝ ΑΜΒΡΟΣΙΟΝ ΜΕΔΙΟΛΑΝΩΝ

Ποίημα Ἀρχιμ. Νικοδήμου Γ. Ἀεράκη, Ἱεροκήρυκος

Εὐλογήσαντος τοῦ ἱερέως, το «Κύριε, εἰσάκουσον…», μεθ’ ὅ το «Θεός Κύριος», ὡς συνήθως, καί τά ἑξῆς:

Ἦχος δ΄. Ὁ ὑψοθείς ἐν τῷ Σταυρῷ.

Μεδιολάνων ἱεράρχην τον θεῖον, ἐν ἐγκωμίοις καί ὠδαῖς εὐφημοῦμεν, τῆς παῤῥησίας ἄριστον ὑπόδειγμα πιστῶν, ἄγαλμα δικαιοσύνης τε, καί ποιμένων τό κλέισμα, τό ἀπροσωπόληπτον ἀφομοίωμα Λόγου, Ὀρθοδοξίας πρόμαχον σεπτόν, κόσμον τοῦ κόσμου, Ἀμβρόσιον ἔνθεον.

Δόξα. Τό αὐτό. Καί νῦν.

Τήν Θεοτόκον ἐν ὠδαῖς εὐφημοῦμεν, καί μεγαλύνομεν αὐτῇ ἐκβοῶντες· τήν Ἐκκλησίαν στήριξον Παρθένε Σεμνή· φρούρησον έν τῇ δυνάμει σου, ὀρθοδόξων συστήματα· σῶσον τούς τιμῶντάς σε ἐξ ἐχθρῶν ἀοράτων, καί ἐκ κινδύνων πλείστων χαλεπῶν· σύ γάρ ὑπάρχεις, βροτῶν ἡ ἀντίληψις.

Εἶτα ὁ Ν΄ Ψαλμός καί ὁ Κανών, οὗ ἡ ἀκροστιχίς:
ΑΜΒΡΟΣΙΟΝ ΜΕΔΙΟΛΑΝΩΝ ΕΥΦΗΜΩ.
ΝΙΚΟΔΗΜ(ΟΥ)

Ὠδή α΄. Ἦχος πλ. δ΄. Ὁ Εἱρμός. Ὑγράν διοδεύσας.

Ἀμβρόσιον ὕμνοις ἐπιποθῶν, λιτάζειν ἐνθέως, θεῖον Πνεῦμα ἀντιβολῶ, κατάπεμψον Λόγε τῇ καρδίᾳ, καί τῷ νοΐ μου πλουσίως Θεάνθρωπε.

Μετάρσιον ἆσαι σήν βιοτήν, οὐ σθένει μου γλῶσσα, ἱεράρχα μυσταγωγέ· διό ἐξαιτοῦμαι τάς εὐχάς σου, τοῦ φωτισθῆναί με θεῖε Ἀμβρόσιε.

Βαβαί οἵα χάρις παρά Χριστοῦ, αὐγάζουσα Πάτερ, σήν καρδίαν ὑπερφυῶς, ἐδίδου σοι γνῶσιν μυστηρίων, ἅ τοῖς πιστοῖς ὡς ποιμήν ἀπεκάλυψας.

Θεοτοκίον

Ῥημάτων ὁρώντων τό ἀληθές, ἐδείχθη Παρθένε, ἐν νηδύι σου θαυμαστῇ, Λόγου τοῦ Θεοῦ κυοφορίᾳ, εἰς σωτηρίαν βροτῶν ἐκ τοῦ πτώματος.

Ὠδή γ΄. Ὁ Εἱρμός. Οὐρανίας ἁψῖδος.

Ὁμοφρόνως ὑμνοῦμεν, ἱερουργόν ἔνθεον, τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας φωστῆρα, κλεινόν Ἀμβρόσιον, ἐπιζητοῦντες αὐτοῦ, τάς πρός Χριστόν ἱκεσίας, τοῦ δοθῆναι ἅπασι, πλούσιον ἔλεος.

Σωτηρίας τόν πόθον, ἀντιβολῶ δώρησαι, καί Ὀρθοδοξίας τήν πίστιν, καί θείαν ἄσκησιν, πρός βιοτήν ἐν Χριστῷ καί φωτισμόν τῆς ψυχῆς μου, θαυμαστέ Ἀμβρόσιε, πίστεως πρόμαχε.

Ἰσχυρός ἀνεδείχθης, στῦλος πιστῶν ἔνδοξε, καταπολεμῶν τάς αἱρέσεις, πάτερ Ἀμβρόσιε, καί διά βίου σεπτοῦ, καί βιασμοῦ Βασιλείας, τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκήρυξας, πίστιν σωτήριον.

Θεοτοκίον

Οὐρανίων Πνευμάτων, καί μοναχῶν καύχημα, καὶ μητέρων πέλεις ὁ κόσμος, σωφρόνων ἕδρασμα· ἐν τῇ ἁγνείᾳ Ἁγνή, τους εὐσεβεῖς περικράτει, σαῖς λιταῖς προς Κύριον, Θεομακάριστε.

Διάσωσον, Μεδιολάνων Ἀμβρόσιε θεοφόρε, τούς σέ ὕμνοις ἐπευφημοῦντας ἐκ παραπτώσεων, ὡς ἔχων πρός Κύριον παῤῥησίαν.

Στερέωσον, τούς ὀρθοδόξως τιμῶντάς σε Θεοτόκε, ἐν τῇ πίστει τοῦ σοῦ Υἱοῦ καί βίου παλαίσμασιν, ὡς ἔχουσα μητρικήν παῤῥησίαν.

Αἴτησις καί τό Κάθισμα.
Ἦχος β΄. Τά ἄνω ζητῶν.

Τά θεῖα ποθῶν, ἐπίκηρα κατέλιπες, καὶ ζήλῳ Χριστόν, ἠγάπησας μακάριε, θαυμαστέ Ἀμβρόσιε, τῶν Μεδιολάνων ἐπίσκοπε· διό ἠξιώθης ἰδεῖν, Τριάδος τήν δόξαν, ἐν τῇ ἄνω Σιών.

Ὀδή δ΄. Ὁ Εἱρμός. Εἰσακήκοα Κύριε.

Νεκρωθείς ὦ Ἀμβρόσιε, κατά κόσμον χάριτι τῇ τοῦ Πνεύματος, ἐν Χριστῷ σοφῶς ἐβίωσας, ἐν Μεδιολάνοις ὡς Ἐπίσκοπος.

Μετ’ ὀδύνης ἐκήρυξας, τῷ Θεοδοσίῳ μάκαρ μετάνοιαν· καταξίωσον τόν δοῦλόν σου, ἐκζητεῖν Κυρίου μέγα ἔλεος.

Ἐν δυνάμει ἠφάνισας, τοῦ Βελίαρ ἔνεδρα ὦ Ἀμβρόσιε, ἀνελθών δ’ εἰς ὕψη ἄῤῥητα, Ἐκκλησίας πίστιν διετράνωσας.

Θεοτοκίον.

Δεομένων σύ γέγονας, σκέπη σωτηρίας λιμήν τε Ἄχραντε, καί λιταῖς σου τό ἀνθρώπινον, ἐκ παθῶν φυλάττεις καί τοῦ δράκοντος.

Ὠδή ς΄. Ὁ Εἱρμός. Τήν δέησιν ἐκχεῶ.

Νομίμως σύ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἀμβρόσιε, διά φόνους βασιλέα ἐλέγχεις, καί τοῖς πιστοῖς, διδαχαῖς σου ἐνθέοις, τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου ὁδόν πᾶσιν ἔδειξας· σοῦ δέομαι πανευλαβῶς, ἐκ παθῶν σαῖς λιταῖς με ἐξάρπασον.

Ὡράισας τήν ψυχήν σου Ἅγιε, διά βίου ἀσκηθείς ὑπέρ φύσιν, καί οὐρανῶν, τῆς χαρᾶς ἀπολαύεις, καί τόν Θεόν καθορᾷς τόν Τρισάγιον· ἐνίσχυσον κἀμέ ἐν γῇ, θεαρέστως βιῶσαι τόν ἄθλιον.

Νικήσαντα τῶν δαιμόνων φάλαγγας, σέ ὁρῶμεν οὐρανίῳ παστάδι, ἐν ἧ ἀεί, Ἀρχιθῦτα ποιμένων, δοξολογεῖς σύν Ἀγγέλοις τόν Κύριον· ἀξίωσον οὖν καί ἡμᾶς, μετά σοῦ αἰωνίως εὐφραίνεσθαι.

Θεοτοκίον.

Ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν γαστρί σου Ἄχραντε, ἀποῤῥήτως τοῦ Πατρός Θεός Λόγος, καί τήν ἐμήν, εἰληφώς θνητήν φύσιν, διά Σταυροῦ ἀνεκαίνισεν Ἄσπιλε, συνανυψῶν εἰς οὐρανούς, ὡς Θεός σός Υἱός Παναμώμητε.

Διάσωσον, Μεδιολάνων Ἀμβρόσιε θεοφόρε, τούς σέ ὕμνοις ἐπευφημοῦντας ἐκ παραπτώσεων, ὡς ἔχων πρός Κύριον παῤῥησίαν.

Στερέωσον, τούς ὀρθοδόξως τιμῶντάς σε Θεοτόκε, ἐν τῇ πίστει τοῦ σοῦ Υἱοῦ καί βίου παλαίσμασιν, ὡς ἔχουσα μητρικήν παῤῥησίαν.

Αἴτησις καί τό Κοντάκιον.
Ἦχος β΄. Προστασία τῶν χριστιανῶν.

Τὸν Ἀμβρόσιον ἀνευφημήσωμεν ᾄσμασιν, τόν κλεΐσαντα ὡς φρυκτωρόν Μεδιόλανα, καί τόν κόσμον ἐν ἀρεταῖς καί ἔργοις θαυμαστοῖς· τάς ἱκεσίας δέ αὐτοῦ, πρός τόν φιλάνθρωπον Θεόν, αἰτούμενοι κτησώμεθα, χάριν τῆς μετανοίας, καί σωτήριον πίστιν, καί ἀρετάς τάς σωστικάς, ἐν ἀσκήσει καί σεμνότητι.

Προκείμενον.

Τό στόμα μου λαλήσει σοφίαν, καί ἡ μελέτη τῆς καρδίας μου σύνεσιν.

Στίχος. Οἱ ἱερεῖς σου, Κύριε, ἐνδύσονται δικαιοσύνην, καί οἱ Ὅσιοί σου ἀγαλλιάσονται.

Εὐαγγέλιον
Ἐκ τοῦ κατά Ματθαῖον.
(ε΄, 14-19)

Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ Μαθηταῖς· ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη· οὐδὲ καίουσι λύχνον καὶ τιθέασι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον, ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν, καὶ λάμπει πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ. οὕτω λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσιν ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας· οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι, ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι. ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ, ἰῶτα ἓν ἢ μία κεραία οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου ἕως ἂν πάντα γένηται. ὃς ἐὰν οὖν λύσῃ μίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων καὶ διδάξῃ οὕτω τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν· ὃς δ᾿ ἂν ποιήσῃ καὶ διδάξῃ, οὗτος μέγας κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν.

Δόξα.

Ταῖς τοῦ Ἱεράρχου πρεσβείαις, Ἐλεῆμον, ἐξάλειψον τά πλήθη τῶν ἐμῶν ἐγκλημάτων.

Καί νῦν.

Ταῖς τῆς Θεοτόκου πρεσβείαις, Ἐλεῆμον, ἐξάλειψον τά πλήθη τῶν ἐμῶν ἐγκλημάτων.

Προσόμοιον.

Στίχος. Ἐλεῆμον, ἐλέησόν με ὁ Θεός, κατά τό μέγα ἔλεός σου καί κατά τό πλῆθος τῶν οίκτιρμῶν σου ἐξάλειψον τό ἀνόμημά μου.

Ἦχος πλ. β΄. Ὅλην ἀποθέμενοι.

Πάντες τόν Ἀμβρόσιον, Μεδιολάνων τόν στῦλον, τῶν πιστῶν διδάσκαλον, καί κλεινόν ἐπίσκοπον εὐφημήσωμεν· τά τῆς γῆς ἅπαντα, ἐν χαρᾷ ἠρνήθη, τά οὐράνια ἐπόθησε, Χριστοῦ παράδεισον, καί μετά ἁγίων συνκοίκησιν· διό ἐν βίᾳ ἔζησε, καί τούς Ὀρθοδόξους ἐδίδαξε, πόθῳ διά βίου φυλάττειν πάντας πίστιν ἀκλινῶς, καί ἐκφυγεῖν τῶν αἱρέσεων, πλάνην τήν πανώλεθρον.

Ὀδή ζ΄. Ὁ Εἱρμός. Οἱ ἐκ τῆς Ἰουδαίας.

Ὑψώθης ἐπαξίως, ὦ Ἀμβρόσιε πάτερ, Μεδιολάνων ποιμήν, κηρύττων μεγαλεῖα, Τριάδος τῆς Ἁγίας, προς Ἥν ἅπαντες ψάλλομεν· Ὁ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, Θεός εὐλογητός εἶ.

Φυλάττων σήν καρδίαν, ἐκ βελῶν μισανθρώπου, ἐπαπολαύεις κλεινέ, ἐλλάμψεως τῆς θείας, θεώσεως τοῦ δώρου, τόν Χριστόν ἐξυμνῶν ἀεί· Ὁ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, Θεός εὐλογητός εἶ.

Ἡλίου τοῦ ἀδύτου, Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεανθρώπου, κατηξιώθης ἰδεῖν, Ἀμβρόσιε τήν δόξαν, ἐν μέσῳ Παραδείσου, καί ὑμνεῖν Θεῖον ὄνομα· Ὁ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, Θεός εὐλογητός εἶ.

Θεοτοκίον.

Μαρία Θεοτόκε, σούς δούλους περιφρούρει, ταῖς πρός Υἱόν σου λιταῖς· δός δόξαν Ἐκκλησίᾳ, καί πίστιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, καί ψαλμόν ὁλοκάρδιον· Ὁ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, Θεός εὐλογητός εἶ.

Ὀδή η΄. Ὁ Εἱρμός. Τόν Βασιλέα.

Ὡραϊσμένος, ἐν οὐρανοῖς σαββατίζεις, ὦ Ἀμβρόσιε κλέος σῶν τέκνων, ἀνυμνῶν τόν Λόγον, είς πάντας τούς αἰῶνας.

Νόοις ἀΰλοις, ἐν Παραδείσῳ συμψάλλεις, ὦ Ἀμβρόσιε ὕμνοις ἀπαύστοις, τῆς Τριάδος δόξαν, είς πάντας τούς αἰῶνας.

Ἰσχύι Λόγου, τῶν βιαστῶν ἐμιμήθης, ὦ Ἀμβρόσιε θείους ἀγῶνας, ἀνυμνῶν ἀπαύστως, Χριστόν εἰς τούς αἰῶνας.

Θεοτοκίον.

Κατηξιώθης τῶν δευτερείων Τριάδος, ὡς γεννήσασα Κόρη τόν Λόγον, Ὅν ὑπερυψοῦμεν, εἰς πάντας τούς αἰῶνας.

Ὠδή θ΄. Ὁ Εἱρμός. Κυρίως Θεοτόκον.

Οἱ λόγοι Ἀμβροσίου, τούς ἐναθλουμένους, ἐν ἀγωνίσμαι θείοις, στεῤῥούς ἀθλητάς, καθοδηγοῦσιν ἐνθέως, πρός τελειότητα.

Δός πᾶσιν τήν σήν χάριν, Ἀμβρόσιε πάτερ, Μεδιολάνων τό κλέος, ποιμήν θαυμαστέ, ἵνα ὁδόν πορευώμεθα, τήν πρός Κύριον.

Ἡδέως μελετῶμεν, ῥήματά σου Πάτερ, καί ἐξαιτούμεθα πάντες, Χριστοῦ φωτισμόν, ἵνα τηρήσωμεν ταῦτα, δυνάμει χάριτος.

Θεοτοκίον.

Μαρία θεῖον Πνεῦμα, δεχθεῖσα ἀφράστως, κυοφορεῖς τόν Σωτῆρα, τοῦ κόσμου παντός· διό τιμῶμεν ἐν ὕμνοις, τά μεγαλεῖά σου.

Ἄξιόν ἐστιν… καί τά παρόντα Μεγαλυνάρια.

Χαίροις τῶν ποιμένων ὑφηγητής, Ἀμβρόσιε πάτερ, βιαστῶν τε ὑπογραμμός, χαίροις Ὀρθοδόξων ὁ θεῖος ἀντιλήπτωρ, τῆς ἀρετῆς δέ τύπος, καί ἐγκαλλώπισμα.

Τοῦ Θεοδοσίου ὁ ἐλεγκτής, καί τῆς μετανοίας τούτου θεῖος ὑφηγητής· ὁ τῶν Ὀρθοδόξων, κρουνός θείας ἀγάπης, πιστῶν φωστήρ ἁπάντων, χαίροις Ἀμβρόσιε.

Πάντες τόν Ἀμβρόσιον ἀδελφοί, τῶν Μεδιολάνων Ἀρχιποίμενα τόν σοφόν, τό δικαιούνης, ἀγλάισμα καί κλέος, ἐν ἐγκωμίων ὕμνοις, ἀνευφημήσωμεν.

Θυηπόλε ἅγιε βιαστά, κραταίωσον πίστιν, καί Ὀρθόδοξον  διδαχήν, διώκων τήν πλάνην, καί αἵρεσιν τοῦ πλάνου, διδάσκων οίκουμένην, Χριστοῦ ἀλήθειαν.

Ὕμνοις εὐφημήσωμεν ἀδελφοί, Ἀμβρόσιον θεῖον, οἱ ποθοῦντες τῆς οὐρανοῦ, τρυφῆς ἀπολαῦσαι, πιστῶς ἀγωνισθέντες, μιμούμενοι τόν τούτου, βίον πανάρετον.

Δεῦτε εὐφημήσωμεν ἀδελφοί, τόν Μεδιολάνων, φρυκτωρόν τε καί ὁδηγόν, ἀρετῆς ποιμένα, ποιμαινομένων δοῦλον, καί τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας, φύλακα ἄριστον.

Πᾶσαι τῶν Ἀγγέλων αἱ στρατιαί, Πρόδρομε Κυρίου, Ἀποστόλων ἡ δωδεκάς, οἱ ἄγιοι Πάντες, μετά τῆς Θεοτόκου, ποιήσατε πρεσβείαν, εἰς τό σωθήναι ἡμᾶς.

Τό Τρισάγιον καί τό Ἀπολυτίκιον.

Ἦχος πλ. α΄. Τὸν συνάναρχον Λόγον.

Ἱεράρχην ἐκ Ῥώμης, Μεδιολάνων φῶς, σοφόν Ἀμβρόσιον ὕμνοις καὶ ἐγκωμίων ᾠδαῖς, εὐφημήσωμεν, πιστοί, καί μιμησώμεθα· ὅτι ἐν βίᾳ θαυμαστῇ, καί παῤῥησίᾳ ἐν Χριστῶ, ἐγένετο τύπος θεῖος, τοῦ ἀληθοῦς Ἱεράρχου, καί ἀληθείας φύλαξ ἄριστος.

Ἐκτενής καί Ἀπόλυσις· Μεθ’ ἥν ψάλλομεν:
Ἦχος β΄. Ὅτε ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου.

Δεῦτε τόν Ἀμβρόσιον πιστοί, τόν θεοστεφῆ Ἱεράρχην, ἐγκωμιάσωμεν· οὗτος γάρ ἐνίκησε, τοῦ κόσμου φρόνημα, τούς πιστούς δέ ἐστήριξεν, ἐν λόγοις καί ἔργοις, πάντας ἁγιότητος, βίον ἐδίδαξεν· ὅθεν ἐστεμμένος εἰσῆλθε, χαίρων εἰς Σιών τήν Ἁγίαν, καθορῶν Χριστοῦ, τό φῶς τό ἄκτιστον.

Δέσποινα πρόσδεξαι, τάς δεήσεις τῶν δούλων σου, καί λύτρωσαι ἡμᾶς, ἀπό πάσης ἀνάγκης καί θλίψεως.

Τήν πᾶσαν ἐλπίδα μου, είς σε ἀνατίθημι, Μῆτερ τοῦ Θεοῦ, φύλαξόν με ὑπό τήν σκέπην σου.

Μικρκόν Τυπικόν 2014, Ἀθῆναι: Νεκτάριος Δ. Παναγόπουλος, 2013, σελ. 6-16.

Akathist Hymn to St. John the Baptist (Greek)

Οἶκοι εἰκοσιτέσσαρες
εἰς τὸν Μέγαν Βαπτιστὴν καὶ Πρόδρομον
τοῦ Σωτῆρος Ἅγιον Ἰωάννην

Ποίημα Γερασίμου Μοναχοῦ Μικραγιαννανίτου
Ὑμνογράφου τῆς Μεγάλης τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησίας

Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος πλ. δ’. Τῇ ὑπερμάχῳ.
Ως τοῦ Σωτῆρος Βαπτιστὴν καὶ θεῖον Πρόδρομον
Καὶ τῶν Ἁγίων πάντων πρόκριτον καὶ μείζονα
Ἀνυμνοῦμέν σε μακάριε Ἰωάννη.
Ἀλλ’ ὡς κήρυξ μετανοίας μεγαλόφωνος
Μετανοίας τῷ φωτὶ ἡμᾶς καταύγασον
Τοὺς βοῶντάς σοι, χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Αγγελος ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, ὡς βροτῶν πάντων μείζων, ἐδείχθης Βαπτιστὰ Ἰωάννη, (ἐκ γ’) καὶ παρέχεις ἅπασιν ἡμῖν, τὴν σὴν πλουσίαν ἐν πᾶσιν ἀντίληψιν· διὸ τὸ μεγαλεῖόν σου, θαυμάζοντες ἀναβοῶμεν·

χαῖρε δι’ οὗ ἡ Τριὰς μυεῖται
χαῖρε δι’ οὗ ὁ Σατὰν σοβεῖται
χαῖρε Ζαχαρίου χαρὰ ὑπερκόσμιος
χαῖρε Ἐλισάβετ βλαστὸς θεοδώρητος
χαῖρε ὕψος δυσαντίβλεπτον ἀρετῶν ὑπερφυῶν
χαῖρε βάθος πολυθρύλητον δωρημάτων θεϊκῶν
χαῖρε ὅτι ὑπάρχεις τῶν Ἁγίων ἀκρότης
χαῖρε ὅτι τυγχάνεις Προφητῶν ὡραιότης
χαῖρε Χριστοῦ Προφήτης καὶ Πρόδρομος
χαῖρε παθῶν ἁπάντων ἀνώτερος
χαῖρε δι’ οὗ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐβαπτίσθη
χαῖρε δι’ οὗ ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἐμισήθη

χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Βλέψας ὁ Ζαχαρίας, Ἰωάννη Προφῆτα, θυμιῶν ἐν τῷ ναῷ Κυρίου, τὸν Ἄγγελον Θεοῦ Γαβριήλ, παρ’ αὐτοῦ τὴν σὴν γέννησιν μεμύηται· ἀλλ’ ἀπιστήσας τὸ πρότερον, εἶτα λαλήσας ἀνεβόα.

Ἀλληλούϊα.

Γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τῆς στείρας, Ἰωάννης ὁ πάνυ, ἔλυσε πατρὸς τὴν ἀφωνίαν, καὶ χαρᾶς πᾶσαν τὴν Ὀρεινήν, ἔπησεν ὡς τῶν κρειττόνων προάγγελος· διὸ σὺν τῷ Ζαχαρίᾳ τούτῳ ἅπαντες ἀνεβόων·

χαῖρε ἡ λύσις τῆς ἀφωνίας
χαῖρε ἡ λῆξις τῆς ἀθυμίας
χαῖρε τῶν μελλόντων καλῶν ὁ προάγγελος
χαῖρε χαρισμάτων τῶν θείων ἀνάπλεως
χαῖρε φοίνιξ ὁ ὑψίκομος χάριτος Προφητικῆς
χαῖρε ὅτι προῆλθες παραδόξως ἐκ στείρας
χαῖρε ὅτι προλάμπεις φῶς ζωῆς τῆς ἁγίας
χαῖρε βλαστὸς τῆς θείας χρηστότητος
χαῖρε κρατὴρ Θεοῦ ἀγαθότητος
χαῖρε Χριστοῦ προαγγέλλων τὸν τόκον
χαῖρε παθῶν διαλύων τὸν ζόφον

χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Δύναμιν ἐν ἐρήμῳ, ἄνωθεν ἐνεδύσω, οἰκήσας ἐν αὐτῇ ἀπὸ βρέφους, ὡς πέφευγας μετὰ τῆς μητρός, τὴν τοῦ Ἡρώδου φρικτὴν βρεφοκτονίαν· διὸ καὶ πόθῳ ἔψαλλες, ὡς ἄγγελος Θεῷ Προφῆτα·

Ἀλληλούϊα

Ερημον κατοικήσας, ἀπὸ βρέφους Προφῆτα, ἰσάγγελος ἐν πᾶσιν ἐδείχθης, καὶ νόμου σφραγὶς καὶ Προφητῶν, καὶ ἀπαρχὴ τῆς νέας Χριστοῦ χάριτος· διὸ καθάπερ ἄγγελον, ὑμνοῦμέν σε πόθῳ βοῶντες·

χαῖρε τὸ θρέμμα τὸ τῆς ἐρήμου
χαῖρε ὁ φίλος ὁ τοῦ Κυρίου
χαῖρε Προφητῶν καὶ τοῦ νόμου ἐκσφράγισμα
χαῖρε δωρεῶν θεοσδότων θησαύρισμα
χαῖρε ἄγγελος ἐν σώματι ὡς Ἀγγέλων μιμητὴς
χαῖρε ἄσαρκος ἐν σκάμμασιν ὡς θεόφρων ἀσκητὴς
χαῖρε ὅτι Κυρίου προκηρύττεις τὴν χάριν
χαῖρε ὅτι κινδύνων κατευνάζεις τὴν ζάλιν
χαῖρε ἀστὴρ τῆς χάριτος μέγιστος
χαῖρε φωστὴρ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἔκλαμπρος
χαῖρε Θεοῦ μυστηρίων ἐπόπτα
χαῖρε κλεινέ Βαπτιστὰ καὶ θεόπτα

χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Ζῶν ζωὴν τὴν ἁγίαν, ἐν ἐρήμῳ Προφῆτα, ἐξέβης τοὺς τῆς φύσεως ὅρους· ἀκρίδας γὰρ εἶχες ὡς τροφήν, καὶ μέλι ἄγριον στερρῶ φρονήματι· τῶ γλυκασμῷ τῷ θείῳ γάρ, ἐνετρύφας Θεῷ κραυγάζων·

Ἀλληλούϊα.

Ημφιεννυσο τρίχας, τῆς καμήλου Προφῆτα, καὶ ζώνην τὴν ὀσφὺν δερματίνην, καὶ πᾶσιν ἐκήρυττες βοῶν· Μετανοεῖτε, ὁ Χριστὸς γὰρ ἤγγικε, ζωὴν πᾶσι δωρούμενος· διό σοι πάντες ἐκβοῶμεν·

χαῖρε ὁ κήρυξ τῆς μετανοίας
χαῖρε ὁ ρύστης τῆς ἀπονοίας
χαῖρε τῶν Ἀγγέλων τὸν βίον μιμούμενος
χαῖρε τῶν μελλόντων τὴν γνῶσιν τυπούμενος
χαῖρε ρήτωρ μεγαλόφωνος βασιλείας οὐρανῶν
χαῖρε γλῶσσα θεοκίνητος ἀπορρήτων ἀγαθῶν
χαῖρε ὁ ἐν νηδύϊ τὸν Χριστὸν προσκυνήσας
χαῖρε ὁ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τοῦτον καθυποδείξας
χαῖρε Χριστοῦ θεόπνευστον ὄργανον
χαῖρε ψυχῶν ἐκπλύνων τὸν βόρβορον
χαῖρε χρησμὸν δεδεγμένος θεόθεν
χαῖρε ἡμῶν προστατεύων ὑψόθεν

χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Θεῖον ρῆμα ἐδέξω, ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐν ἐρήμῳ, καὶ ἐλήλυθας πᾶσι κηρύττων, βάπτισμα μετανοίας σοφέ, ἐν τῇ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου περιχώρῳ· καὶ πάντες σοι προσήρχοντο, καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο βοῶντες·

Ἀλληλούϊα.

Ιησοῦν τὸν Σωτῆρα, τοῖς λαοῖς ἐν ἐρήμῳ, ὑπέδειξας Προφῆτα κραυγάζων· Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου αἴρων ἁμαρτήματα· διὸ τὸ ὑπεραῖρόν σου ἀξίωμα ὑμνοῦντες βοῶμεν·

χαῖρε ὁ ἄϋλος ἐν τῆ ὕλη
χαῖρε ὁ ἄσαρκος ἐν ἀσκήσει
χαῖρε μυστηρίων τῶν θείων διάκονε
χαῖρε μεντανοίας ἁγίας διδάσκαλε
χαῖρε ρεῖθρον διειδέστατον οἰκτιρμῶν τῶν θεϊκῶν
χαῖρε σκεῦος χρυσοκόλλητον ἀρετῶν ἀσκητικῶν
χαῖρε ὅτι κηρύττεις τοῖς λαοῖς σωτηρίαν
χαῖρε ὅτι παρέχεις ζωτικὴν χορηγίαν
χαῖρε Χριστοῦ κηρύξας τὴν σάρκωσιν
χαῖρε λαοῖς ἐκφήνας τὴν ἄφεσιν
χαῖρε φωτὸς οὐρανίου δοχεῖον
χαῖρε πολλῶν χαρισμάτων ταμεῖον

χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Κήρυξ προαπεστάλης, ὡς φησὶν ὁ Προφήτης, ἐλεύσεως ἡμῖν τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ὃν καὶ βαπτίσας σωματικῶς, ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Ἰορδάνου θείοις νάμασιν, Ἰωάννη πολλῆς χάριτος, ἠξιώθης ἀνακράζων·

Ἀλληλούϊα.

Λάμπων τῇ πολιτείᾳ, ἠξιώθης βαπτίσαι, Χριστὸν ἐν Ἰορδάνοῃ Προφῆτα, καὶ φωῆς ἤκουσας Πατρικῆς, καὶ ὡς περιστερὰν Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἑώρακας· διό σοι πάντες ἀναβοῶμεν·

χαῖρε θεάμων τῶν ἀθεάτων
χαῖρε ἐπόπτα ξένων πραγμάτων
χαῖρε ὁ βαπτίσας Χριστὸν ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι
χαῖρε ὁ φωτίσας ἡμᾶς θείοις ρήμασι
χαῖρε ὅτι φωνῆς ἤκουσας οὐρανόθεν Πατρικῆς
χαῖρε ὅτι κατηξίωσαι ὄψεως θαρχικῆς
χαῖρε ὁ κατοπτεύσας τὸ Πανάγιον Πνεῦμα
χαῖρε ὁ κατακλύσας τὸ ὀλέθριον ρεῦμα
χαῖρε ἰδὼν τὰ πᾶσιν ἀθέατα
χαῖρε ὁρῶν βροτοῖς τὰ ἀνέφικτα
χαῖρε Προφῆτα ὁ μείζων ἀπάντων
χαῖρε ἀνθρώπων ἀλγήματα παύων

χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Μέγας ἐν τοῖς Ἁγίοις, ὡς ὑπέρτερος πάντων, βροτῶν ἐν γεννητοῖς Ἰωἀννη, ἐδείχθης, ὤ χαρίτων τῶν σῶν! τίς γὰρ ἄλλος ὀλβιώτερος πέφηνε, πλὴν σοῦ ὧ πανθαύμαστε; Χριστὸν γὰρ ἐβάπτισας κράζον·

Ἀλληλούϊα.

Νόμου προκινδυνεύων, ἤλεγχες Ἰωάννη, Ἡρώδου τὴν παράνομον πρᾶξιν, παρ’ οὗ ἐκτμηθεὶς τὴν κεφαλὴν, τοῖς ἐν Ἅδῃ κήρυξ Χριστοῦ καὶ προάγγελος, ἔδραμες αὐτὸν κηρύττων, ἐλευσόμενον τοῖς βοῶσι·

χαῖρε τὸ στόμα τῆς παρρησίας
χαῖρε τὸ ὄμμα τῆς συμπαθείας
χαῖρε ὁ ἐλέγξας Ἡρώδου τὴν ἄνοιαν
χαῖρε ὁ ἐκτίλας τῶν παθῶν τὴν ἄκανθαν
χαῖρε κήρυξ καὶ προάγγελος τοῖς ἐν Ἅδῃ τοῦ Χριστοῦ
χαῖρε ἄνθος εὐωδέστατον προσταγμάτων τοῦ Θεοῦ
χαῖρε ὅτι ξηραίνεις τὴν ἰλὺν ἁμαρτίας
χαῖρε ὅτι ἐκφαίνεις τὴν ἰσχὺν ἀπαθείας
χαῖρε πηγὴ ἰάσεις πηγάζουσα
χαῖρε λαμπὰς ἡμᾶς καταλάμπουσα
χαῖρε Χριστὸν κατιδὼν καὶ βαπτίσας
χαῖρε ἐχθροῦ τὴν ἀπάτην ἐκτρίψας

χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Ξένος τῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ· ἀνεδείχθης Προφῆτα, καὶ ὤφθης ὑπερκόσμιος ὄντως· τις γὰρ οὐκ ἐξίσταται ἐν σοί; τῆς γὰρ κορυφῆς ἥψω τοῦ Παντάνακτος· διὸ τὴν σὴν λαμπρότητα, ἀγάμενοι Χριστῷ βοῶμεν·

Ἀλληλούϊα.

Ολος λελαμπρυσμένος, ὅλος δεδοξασμένος, ὡς μέγας Βαπτιστὴς τοῦ Σωτῆρος, πέλων Ἰωάννη θαυμαστέ, ἐξιστᾷς ἅπαντας τοῖς μεγαλείοις σου, καὶ χάριν νέμεις ἄφθονον, τοῖς εὐλαβῶς σοι ἐκβοῶσι·

χαῖρε ὁ πάμφωτος ἑωσφόρος
χαῖρε ὁ ἄνωθεν σελασφόρος
χαῖρε ἐγκρατείας εἰκὼν θεοτύπωτος
χαῖρε ἀπαθείας λειμὼν θεοφύτευτος
χαῖρε ἥλιε πολύφωτε ἀρετῶν ἀσκητικῶν
χαῖρε ἄρουρα κατάκαρπε ψυχοτρόφων ἀγαθῶν
χαῖρε ὅτι ἐτμήθης παρ’ Ἡρώδου τὴν κάραν
χαῖρε ὅτι βραβεύεις τὴν γαλήνιον αὔραν
χαῖρε πιστῶν ἀτίνακτον ἔρεισμα
χαῖρε ἡμῶν χαρὰ καὶ ἑδραίωμα
χαῖρε παθῶν καταστέλλων τὴν ρύμην
χαῖρε ψυχῶν θεραπεύων τὴν λύμην.

χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Πὸτον ἄσεμνον ἄγων, μετὰ τῶν μεγιστάνων, Ἡρώδης ἐπὶ τοῖς γενεθλίοις, ἀπέτεμε τὴν σὴν κεφαλήν, μὴ αἰδεσθείς σου τὸ αἰδέσιμον Πρόδρομε, ἡμεῖς δε σε γεραίροντες, τῇ Τριάδι πιστῶς βοῶμεν·

Ἀλληλούϊα.

Ρείθροις τῶν σῶν αἱμάτων, ἡ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησία, τὴν ἑαυτῆς βάψασα πορφύραν, δοξάζει τὸν νυμφίον Χριστόν, καὶ σὲ ὡς νυμφοστόλον θεοτίμητον, γεραίρει θεῖε Πρόδρομε, καὶ κατὰ χρέος ἐκβοᾷ σου·

χαῖρε ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Παρακλήτου
χαῖρε ὁ Πρόδρομος τοῦ Κυρίου
χαῖρε μυροθήκη ἁγνείας μυρίπνοος
χαῖρε εὐσεβείας λυχνία ἀείφωτος
χαῖρε φίλος οἰκειότατος τοῦ Παντάνακτος Χριστοῦ
χαῖρε στύλος ἀπερίτρεπτος τοῦ θεόφρονος λαοῦ
χαῖρε τοῦ Ἰορδάνου ἁγιάσας τὴν χὠραν
χαῖρε τοῦ σαρκωθέντος μεγαλύνας τὴν δόξαν
χαῖρε μορφὴ Ἀγγέλοις αἰδέσιμος
χαὶρε στερρὸς δαιμόνων ἀντίπαλος
χαῖρε Χριστοῦ τὴν χρηστότητα φαίνων
χαῖρε χαρὰν ἡμῖν ἄληκτον φέρων.

χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Συστείλαντες τὸ θεῖον, καὶ πανάγιον σῶμα, τὸ σὸν οἱ ἱεροὶ μαθηταί σου, κατέθηκαν ἐν τάφῳ αὐτό, ὑμνοῦντες τὰ θεῖά σου προτερήματα, μεγαλώνυμε Πρόδρομε, καὶ τῷ Σωτῆρι ἀνεβοων·

Ἀλληλούϊα.

Τὴν ἁγίαν σου κάραν, ὡς ἁγίασμα θεῖον, καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγίαν ἑστίαν, φανεῖσαν ἐκ λαγόνων τῆς γῆς, περικυκλοῦντες πιστῶς προσπτυσσόμεθα, ἁγιασμὸν λαμβάνοντες, ἐξ αὐτῆς καὶ πιστῶς βοῶμεν·

χαῖρε Κυρίου ὁ παραστάτης
χαῖρε ὁ μέγας ἡμῶν προστάτης
χαῖρε τῶν Ἁγίων ἁπάντων ὑπέρτερος
χαῖρε τῶν Ὁσίων Πατέρων ὁ ὄρχαμος
χαῖρε ὅρος ἀληθέστατος παρθενίας εὐαγοῦς
χαῖρε λύρα θεοκίνητος κατευφραίνουσα πιστοὺς
χαῖρε ὅτι ἰθύνεις μετανοίας πρὸς τρίβον
χαῖρε ὅτι ξηραίνεις βορβορῶδες πᾶν ρεῖθρον
χαῖρε πιστῶν σεπτὸν ἀγαλλίαμα
χαῖρε ἡμῶν τὸ θεῖον ἐντρύφημα
χαῖρε σεμνῶν ἀσκητῶν ἀρχηγέτης
χαῖρε τῶν σῶν φοιτητῶν ποδηγέτης

χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Υψηλὸν βίον ἔχων, ὡς ἐκ μητρὸς νηδύος, Ἰωάννη καθηγιασμένος, ἐξιστᾷς τῇ σῇ περιωπῇ, τοὺς καθορῶντάς σε οἶάπερ ἄγγελον, μετὰ σώματος βιοῦντα, καὶ πάντες Θεῷ ἀνεβόων·

Ἀλληλούϊα.

Φρίττουσι τῶν δαιμόνων, τὴν πλουσίαν σου χάριν, μεγαλώνυμε Προφῆτα τὰ στίφη, οἱ δὲ πιστοὶ χαίρουσιν εν σοί, τῆς θαυμαστῆς ἀρωγῆς σου τὰς χάριτας, καθ’ ἑκάστην καρπούμενοι, καὶ εὐλαβῶς σοι ἐκβοῶμεν·

χαὶρε ὁ μέγας ἐν προστασίαις
χαῖρε ὁ ρύστης ἐν ἀπορίαις
χαῖρε χαρισμάτων πλουσίων συμφόρημα
χαῖρε εὐσπλαγχνίας τῆς θείας ἀπόρροια
χαῖρε σάλπιγξ μεγαλόφωνος οἰκτιρμῶν τῶν θεϊκῶν
χαῖρε ὅρμος ἀκλυδώνιστος τῶν ἐν θλίψεσι ψυχῶν
χαῖρε ὅτι πηγάζεις γλυκασμὸν σωτηρίας
χαῖρε ὅτι σκεδάζεις τὴν ἀχλὺν ραθυμίας
χαῖρε γλυκὺς καὶ χάριτος ἔμπλεως
χαῖρε ἡμῶν ἀκοίμητος ἔφορος
χαῖρε δι’ οὗ ὁ Σατὰν κατοιμώζει
χαῖρε δι’ οὗ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμᾶς σώζει

χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Χάριτος νέας κήρυξ, Πρόδρομε Ἰωάννη, χαρίτωσον ἡμῶν τὰς καρδίας· σὲ γὰρ προστάτην καὶ βοηθὸν, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Χριστὸν πρεσβευτὴν θερμότατον, κεκτήμεθα πανάγιε, καὶ σοὶ προσιόντες βοῶμεν·

Ἀλληλούϊα.

Ψάλλοντές σου τοὺς ὕμνους, Πρόδρομε Ἰωάννη, ὑμνοῦμέν σου τὸ μέγιστον κλέος· μέγας γὰρ ἐνώπιον Θεοῦ, ὡς ἔφη ὁ Ἄγγελος ἐχρημάτισας· διὸ ἐκ τῆς μεγίστης σου, χάριτος δίδου τοῖς βοῶσι·

χαῖρε ὁ μείζων πάντων Ἁγίων
χαῖρε Ἀγγέλων οὐδὲν ἐλάττων
χαῖρε Ἀποστόλων σεπτὸν ἀκροθίνιον
χαῖρε θλιβομένων ψυχῶν παραμύθιον
χαῖρε τεῖχος ἀκατάβλητον Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ
χαῖρε ξίφος τέμνον ἅπασαν τὴν μανίαν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ
χαῖρε Προφητομάρτυς Πρόδρομε Ἰωάννη
χαῖρε ὁ Χριστοκήρυξ Πνεύματος ἐν δυνάμει
χαῖρε λαμπτὴρ ψυχῆς μου καὶ ἥδυσμα
χαῖρε τρυφὴ νοός μου καὶ στήριγμα
χαῖρε δι’ οὗ σωτηρίαν ἐλπίζω
χαῖρε δι’ οὗ τὴν ζωήν μου ρυθμίζω

χαῖροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Ω Προφῆτα Κυρίου, μεγαλώνυμε κήρυξ, ὑπέρτερε Ἁγίων καὶ μείζων, (ἐκ γ’) δέξαι ἐκ χειλέων ρυπαρῶν, ὡς προσφορὰν καὶ εὐῶδες θυμίαμα, τὸ παρόν μου ἐφύμνιον, καὶ βοήθει μοι ἵνα κράζω·

Ἀλληλούϊα.

Καὶ αὖθις τὸ Κοντάκιον.

Ἦχος πλ. δ’. Τῇ ὑπερμάχῳ.
Ως τοῦ Σωτῆρος Βαπτιστὴν καὶ θεῖον Πρόδρομον
Καὶ τῶν Ἁγίων πάντων πρόκριτον καὶ μείζονα
Ἀνυμνοῦμέν σε μακάριε Ἰωάννη.
Ἀλλ’ ὡς κήρυξ μετανοίας μεγαλόφωνος
Μετανοίας τῷ φωτὶ ἡμᾶς καταύγασον
Τοὺς βοῶντάς σοι, χαίροις μέγιστε Πρόδρομε.

Δίστιχον.

Μετάνοιαν δίδου μοι Πρόδρομε θεῖε
Γερασίμῳ πλέξαντι τους δε σοι Οἴκους.