1st Saturday of Great Lent: The Miracle of the Boiled Wheat
Troparion — Tone 2
Great are the accomplishments of faith, / the Holy Martyr Theodore rejoiced in the flames as though at the water of rest, / for having been made a whole-burnt offering in the fire, / offered to the Trinity as a sweet loaf. / By his prayers, O Christ God, save our souls!
Kontakion — Tone 8
(Original melody)
Having carried the faith of Christ within thy heart as a breastplate; / thou didst trample underfoot the forces of the Enemy. / Therefore thou art crowned with a heavenly crown, as one who is joyfully invincible.
Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem
Troparion — Tone 5
Patriarch Sophronius, you were glorious in the splendor of sobriety, / and through the radiance of your words you revealed ineffable enlightenment from heaven. / For by your life you attained wisdom / and now you confirm the Church / as an illustrious hierarch and intercessor for us with the Lord.
Kontakion — Tone 8
You were most wise among patriarchs, Sophronius of Jerusalem. / You struggled with divine zeal, spreading the commandments of truth with your lips. / You set right the foundations of the Church and firmly established the monastic order. / You brought to light wise sermons, and instructed by them, / therefore we cry out to you: “Rejoice, splendid boast of the Orthodox.”
Saint Euthymius, Bishop of Novgorod
Troparion — Tone 4
From from your youth you were chosen by God, O Hierarch Euthymios, / therefore you were honored with the episcopal rank, / and you directed the spiritual life of the people entrusted to you by God. / Therefore, even after your repose, you received from the Lord the gift of wondrously healing various infirmities. / Pray to God for us who celebrate your honorable memory and always glorify you.
Kontakion — Tone 8
Ruling together with the bishops and being an excellent champion with the hierarchs, Saint Euthymios. / Do not cease to protect your country, your city, and the people who revere you with faith and bow down before your relics, / that we may cry out to you: “Rejoice, O divinely-wise Hierarch.”
Hieromartyrs Pionius and Limnus of Smyrna and those with them: Asclepiades, Macedonia, and Sabina
Troparion — Tone 4
Your holy martyrs O Lord, / through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God. / For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries, / and shattered the powerless boldness of demons. / Through their intercessions, save our souls!
Translation of the relics of the Martyr Epimachus of Pelusium
Troparion — Tone 3
Your holy martyr Epimachus, O Lord, / through his suffering has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God. / For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries, / and shattered the powerless boldness of demons. / Through his intercessions, save our souls!
Kontakion — Tone 2
(Podoben: “You sought the heights...”)
You appeared as a bright star announcing Christ with your radiance, / which is repulsive to this world, O Martyr Epimachus; / extinguishing the allure of false gods, / you enlighten the faithful, / always interceding for us all.
Saint Sophronius, Bishop of Vratcha, Bulgaria
Troparion — Tone 4
In truth you were revealed to your flock as a rule of faith, / an image of humility and a teacher of abstinence; / your humility exalted you; / your poverty enriched you. / Hierarch Father Sophronius, / entreat Christ our God / that our souls may be saved.
Venerable Sophronius the Recluse of the Kiev Caves
Troparion — Tone 8
By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile, / and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance. / By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe! / O our holy father Sophronius, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!