Great and Holy Wednesday
Troparion — Tone 8
Behold the Bridegroom comes at midnight, / and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching, / and again unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless. / Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighed down with sleep, / lest you be given up to death and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom. / But rouse yourself crying: Holy, Holy, Holy, are You, O our God! / Through the Theotokos have mercy on us!
Kontakion — Tone 4
Though I have transgressed more than the harlot, O Good One, / I have not offered You a flood of tears, but in silence I fall down before You. / With love I embrace Your most Pure feet. / As Master, grant me remission of sins, when I cry to You, O Savior: / “Deliver me from the filth of my evil deeds.”
Afterfeast of the Nativity of the Mother of God
Troparion — Tone 4
Your Nativity, O Virgin, / has proclaimed joy to the whole universe! / The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, / has shone from You, O Theotokos! / By annulling the curse, / He bestowed a blessing. / By destroying death, He has granted us eternal Life.
Kontakion — Tone 4
By Your Nativity, O Most Pure Virgin, / Joachim and Anna are freed from barrenness; / Adam and Eve, from the corruption of death. / And we, your people, freed from the guilt of sin, celebrate and sing to you: / The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos, the nourisher of our life!
Venerable Theodora of Alexandria
Troparion — Tone 4
You offered your life as a holy gift, O righteous Theodora, / for resplendent with the light of repentance, you illumined mankind. / Now pray to Christ who has magnified you to grant us his great mercy!
Troparion — Tone 8
The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother, / for you took up the Cross and followed Christ. / By so doing you taught us to disregard the flesh for it passes away / but to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal. / Therefore your spirit, venerable Theodora, rejoices with the angels.
Kontakion — Tone 2
You depleted your bodily strength by fasting, vigil, and prayers, / entreating the Creator to grant forgiveness of your sin; / having received it, you showed us the way of repentance, / venerable Mother Theodora.
Translation of the Relics of Venerable Sergius and Herman, Wonderworkers of Valaam
Troparion — Tone 4
Fulfilling the Gospel of Christ and loving him alone, / despising earthly cares you settled on an island. / There you fought against invisible enemies, / subjecting your bodies to the Spirit by fasting, vigil and prayer. / Crowned with glory and now standing before the Trinity, / O most blessed Fathers Sergius and Herman, / pray that our souls may be saved.
Kontakion — Tone 4
You left the world to follow in Christ’s footsteps, / reaching Lake Neva1 and the island of Valaam. / There you lived the angelic life / and were translated to the heavenly bridal chamber. / As you stand with the Angels remember the children whom you have gathered, / that we may joyfully cry to you: / Rejoice, blessed Fathers Sergius and Herman!”
1 Lake Ladoga.
Martyrs Demetrius, his wife Euanthia, and their son Demetrian, at Skepsis on the Hellespont
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!
Martyrs Diodorus, Didymus, and Diomedes, of Laodicea
Troparion — Tone 4
Your holy martyrs Diodorus, Didymus, and Diomedes, 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!
Martyr Ia and 9,000 Martyrs with her, of Persia
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!
Saint Euphrosynos the Cook of Alexandria
Troparion — Tone 4
You lived righteously in great humility, / in labors of asceticism and in guilessness of soul, / O righteous Euphrósynos. / In a mystical vision, you demonstrated most wondrously the heavenly joy which you had found. / Make us worthy to be partakers of it as well, by your intercessions.
Troparion — Tone 5
(Podoben: “O coeternal Word...”)
With a humble heart O Father Euphrósynos, / you offered your service as a cook, / and you were truly filled with the Holy Spirit, / therefore the glory of God became known to us through a venerable priest; / make us partakers of it as well, O God-bearer, by your intercessions.
Kontakion — Tone 4
(Podoben: “You appeared today...”)
You shared in heavenly gladness because of your angelic life, / and you appeared as one equal in honor to the Angels, / with them, O Euphrósynos, intercede for those who honor you.
Kazan - Kaplunovka Icon of the Mother of God (1689)
Troparion — Tone 4
O fervent intercessor, Mother of the Lord Most High, / you pray to your Son, Christ our God for all, and save all those who have recourse to your powerful protection. / Defend us, O Lady, Queen, and Sovereign Lady, / when we who are burdened with many sins, stand before you in misfortune, sorrow, and sickness, / praying to you with tender souls and a contrite heart, / shedding tears before this, your most pure Icon, and having steadfast hope in you who deliver us from all evils. / Grant us what is profitable for our souls and save all, O Virgin Theotokos, / for you are the Divine protection of your God-fearing servants.
Kontakion — Tone 8
Let us run to the quiet and good refuge, / and to the speedy helper, ardent and eager to save all. / Let us run to the Virgin’s protection and hasten to repentance; / for the Most Pure Theotokos grants us unfailing mercy as she comes to help all, / delivering her devout and God-fearing servants from great troubles and evils.