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Menaion - July 1

Memory of the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Rome

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MATINS

CHOIR

Mode pl. 4.

God is the Lord, and He revealed Himself to us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. [SAAS]

Verse 1: Give thanks to the Lord and call upon His holy name.

Verse 2: All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I defended myself against them.

Verse 3: And this came about from the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes.

Apolytikion.

From Menaion - - -

Mode pl. 4.

Holy Unmercenaries and Wonder-workers, visit our infirmities. Freely you received; freely give to us. [SD]

Glory. Repeat.

Holy Unmercenaries and Wonder-workers, visit our infirmities. Freely you received; freely give to us. [SD]

Both now. Theotokion.

From Octoechos - - -

Mode pl. 4.

You were born of a Virgin, and You endured crucifixion for us, O good Lord. By Your death You divested death of spoils, and You displayed resurrection, as God. Please do not despise us, the work of Your hand. Demonstrate Your loving kindness, O merciful Master. Defer to Your Mother, the Theotokos, when she intercedes on our behalf, and save us, Your people in despair, O Savior. [GOASD]

PRIEST

Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.

CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.

PRIEST

Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.

CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.

PRIEST

Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

CHOIR: To You, O Lord.

PRIEST

For Yours is the dominion, and Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.

CHOIR: Amen.

CHOIR

Kathisma I.

From Menaion - - -

Mode pl. 4. By conceiving the wisdom.

Τὴν Σοφίαν καὶ Λόγον.

In a wonderful manner you have received * from the heavens from Christ our Savior and God * the gift to work miracles. * And you continue to cure all ills. * For the grace of the Spirit was clearly active in you, * manifesting its power in healings and divine cures. * Therefore, by your faith and your unmercenary mindset, * you gained an abundance of incorruptible blessings, * O God-bearing Unmercenaries. * Intercede with Christ our God * that He grant forgiveness of offenses * to those who with longing observe your holy memory. [SD]

Glory. Both now.

Theotokion. Same Melody.

You alone among women have without seed * given birth, as a Virgin, to God in the flesh. * We, all generations, now * call you blessed, as you foretold. * For the fire of Divinity has dwelt in your womb indeed; * and you nursed the Creator and Lord in His infancy. * Therefore does the human race along with the Angels * give glory and worthily extol your all-holy childbirth, * and with one voice we sing to you: * Intercede with your Son and our God, * that He grant forgiveness of offenses * to us who faithfully take refuge in you, O immaculate one. [SD]

Kathisma II.

Mode 4. You appeared today.

O believers, let us keep the joyous feast of * the Unmercenary Saints, * and let us earnestly entreat * that they will rid us of all disease * and also cure every ailment of body and soul. [SD]

Glory. Both now.

Theotokion. Same Melody.

Unassailable Guardian * of those in trouble, * ardent Helper of the ones * who place their every hope on you, * from every danger deliver me. * You are the help and assistance of all in need. [SD]

READER

Psalm 50 (51).

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the abundance of Your compassion, blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from my lawlessness and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my lawlessness, and my sin is always before me. Against You only have I sinned and done evil in Your sight; that You may be justified in Your words, and overcome when You are judged. For behold, I was conceived in transgressions, and in sins my mother bore me. Behold, You love truth; You showed me the unknown and secret things of Your wisdom. You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; You shall wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow. You shall make me hear joy and gladness; my bones that were humbled shall greatly rejoice. Turn Your face from my sins, and blot out all my transgressions. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your guiding Spirit. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and the ungodly shall turn back to You. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall greatly rejoice in Your righteousness. O Lord, You shall open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For if You desired sacrifice, I would give it; You will not be pleased with whole burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken and humbled heart God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Your good pleasure to Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built; then You will be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with offerings and whole burnt offerings; then shall they offer young bulls on Your altar. [SAAS]

Kontakion.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 2.

You received the grace of healing, and thus extend health to those in need, O glorious wonder-working Physicians. We pray that by your visitation you will also bring down the insolence of our enemies, and that you will cure the world by your miracles. [SD]

Oikos.

Surpassing all understanding and wisdom is the speech of the wise physicians, who impart knowledge to all; for they received the grace of the Most High, and to all invisibly grant health. Therefore to me they have granted the gift of narration, in order to extol them as God-bearers and servants of Christ, pleasing and acceptable, who provide many cures. They relieve everyone from pain, and they cure the world by their miracles. [SD]

Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.

Synaxarion

From the Menaion.

On July 1, we commemorate Saints Cosmas and Damian, the Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries, who died in Rome.

On this day we also commemorate our devout Father Basil, who founded the Monastery of the Deep Stream.

On this day we also commemorate devout Saint Peter, a Patrician in the district of Evandrus.

Devout Saint Leo the Hermit, who lived naked, reposed in peace.

The holy Two Thousand Martyrs died by the sword.

The holy Martyr Maurice died after being covered with honey and stung by bees.

The holy Twenty-five Martyrs of Nicomedia died by fire.

The holy Martyr Constantine and those with him died by the sword.

By their holy intercessions, O God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Katavasias Odes 1-8

CHOIR

Katavasias of Theotokos

Ode i. Mode 4.

I open my mouth and pray the Spirit fill it, like David said, * to pour out a good word to the Queen and Mother of God. * I will celebrate * her feast with joy and gladness * and sing to her merrily, lauding her miracles. [GOASD]

Ode iii.

Establish your servants who extol you, * O Mother of God, for they have formed * a spiritual choir for you * the living and abundant fount; * and graciously in your divine glory give glorious crowns to them. [GOASD]

Ode iv.

When the Prophet Habakkuk heard the divine * and incomprehensible counsel of Your Incarnation * from the Virgin, O Most High, * considering, he cried aloud: * Glory to Your strength, O Lord my God. [GOASD]

Ode v.

Amazed was the universe by your divine magnificence. * You who were perpetually virgin * carried the heavenly God of all in your womb * and gave birth to the eternal Son, * who awards salvation to all who sing hymns of praise to you. [GOASD]

Ode vi.

O godly-minded believers, come * and celebrate this sacred and venerable feast and thus extol * the Theotokos, and clap our hands, * and glorify our God who was truly born of her. [GOASD]

Ode vii.

Godly-minded three * did not adore created things in the Creator’s stead; * rather, disdaining the threat * of fire, they trampled it, and joyfully they sang: * “O supremely praised * and most exalted Lord and God * of the fathers, You are blessed.” [GOASD]

Ode viii.

We praise and we bless and we worship the Lord.

Guiltless were those Servants in the furnace. * The Son of the Theotokos went and rescued them. * He who was prefigured then, * having been incarnate now, * is gathering the whole wide world into His Church to sing: * “O all you works of the Lord, to all ages * sing praises to the Lord and exalt Him beyond measure.” [GOASD]

Stand for the singing of Ode ix.

DEACON

Let us honor and magnify in song the Theotokos and the Mother of the light.

CHOIR

Ode ix.

The Magnificat. Mode 4.

Verse: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. [NKJV]

Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify. [GOASD]

Verse: For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. [NKJV]

Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify. [GOASD]

Verse: For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. [NKJV]

Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify. [GOASD]

Verse: He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. [NKJV]

Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify. [GOASD]

Verse: He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. [NKJV]

Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify. [GOASD]

Verse: He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. [NKJV]

Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify. [GOASD]

Ode 9: Katavasia

Ode ix. Katavasia. Mode 4.

All you born on earth, * with festival lamps in hand, in spirit leap for joy; * and all you the heavenly angelic orders, join in and celebrate; * and honoring the sacred wonders of the Mother of God, * sing the joyful salutation, “O rejoice, * Theotokos, all-blest, ever-virgin pure!” [GOASD]

PRIEST

Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.

CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.

PRIEST

Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.

CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.

PRIEST

Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

CHOIR: To You, O Lord.

PRIEST

For all the powers of heaven praise You, and to You they offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.

CHOIR: Amen.

CHOIR

Exaposteilarion.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 3. The Elder in the Temple.

Ἐν Πνεύματι τῷ Ἱερῷ.

Since you received from God the grace * to effect cures and healings, * you cure all manner of disease, * O blessed Unmercenaries, * and you grant healing to all those * who are ill and run with faith * to your holy shrine and temple. * Therefore as it is worthy * we observe your most solemn * memorial together. [SD]

Theotokion.

Mode 3. The Elder in the Temple.

O Lady, all-immaculate, * you bore the Word of God and God, * who wisely wrought the excellent * plan for the world’s salvation. * All of us for this reason * as it is worthy extol you, * as the one who entreats Him * to deliver us from illness * and every kind of danger. [SD]

Lauds. Mode 4.

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest. It is fitting to sing a hymn to You, O God. [SAAS]

Praise Him, all you His angels; praise Him, all you His hosts. It is fitting to sing a hymn to You, O God. [SAAS]

Show Stichologia

Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars and light.

Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens. Let them praise the Lord’s name.

For He spoke, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created.

He established them forever and unto ages of ages; He set forth His ordinance, and it shall not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you dragons and all the deeps.

Fire and hail, snow and ice, stormy wind, which perform His word.

Mountains and all the hills, fruitful trees and all cedars.

Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds.

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all judges of the earth.

Young men and maidens, elders with younger, let them praise the Lord’s name, for His name alone is exalted.

His thanksgiving is in earth and heaven. And He shall exalt the horn of His people.

A hymn for all His saints, for the children of Israel, a people who draw near to Him.

Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of His holy ones.

Let Israel be glad in Him who made him, and let the children of Zion greatly rejoice in their King.

Let them praise His name with dance; with tambourine and harp let them sing to Him.

For the Lord is pleased with His people, and He shall exalt the gentle with salvation.

The holy ones shall boast in glory, and they shall greatly rejoice on their beds.

The high praise of God shall be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand.

To deal retribution to the nations, reproving among the peoples.

To shackle their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron.

To fulfill among them the written judgment: this glory have all His holy ones.

Praise God in His saints; praise Him in the firmament of His power.

Hide Stichologia

Stichera. For the Unmercenaries.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 4. You have given.

Ἔδωκας σημείωσιν.

Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness. [SAAS]

You like surging rivers washing with the waves of the Spirit and * flooding over now irrigate * the world with your miracles * and your overflowing * abundance of healings * and store of paradoxal cures, * and you dry up the passions that harm the soul. * O God-bearing Unmercenaries, our diseases you remedy, * evil spirits you drive away, * as you pray on our souls’ behalf. [SD]

Praise Him with the sound of trumpet; praise Him with the harp and lyre. [SAAS]

You like surging rivers washing with the waves of the Spirit and * flooding over now irrigate * the world with your miracles * and your overflowing * abundance of healings * and store of paradoxal cures, * and you dry up the passions that harm the soul. * O God-bearing Unmercenaries, our diseases you remedy, * evil spirits you drive away, * as you pray on our souls’ behalf. [SD]

Praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise Him with strings and flute. [SAAS]

You, O Saints, subordinated the irrational passions to * higher faculties of the soul, * becoming immensely rich * with the gift of healing * given you by Christ God; * thereafter you dispense the wealth * of benefactions to men and beasts alike. * And thus for the illumination of our souls we entreat you now, * in observing the luminous * sacred feast of your memory. [SD]

Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with triumphant cymbals; let everything that breathes praise the Lord. [SAAS]

Your most sacred temple has been shown to be like the sky itself, * being bright and celestial; * for stars it has miracles, * which you work to save us * from our many ailments, * and for the shining of the sun * it has the force of your remedies and cures, * O blessed Saint Cosmas together with all-famous Saint Damian, * as the servants of Christ the Lord, * who entreat on our souls’ behalf. [SD]

Glory.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 4.

Since you have a fountain of healings, O holy Unmercenaries, you dispense cures to all in need, for you have been granted very great gifts from the ever-flowing wellspring of Christ our Savior. The Lord says to you who emulate the zeal of the Apostles, “Behold, I have given you authority over unclean spirits, so that you might drive them out and cure every disease and illness.” Having truly lived according to His commandments, freely you received and therefore freely you give, healing the ailments of our souls and our bodies. [SD]

From Octoechos - - -

Both now. Theotokion.

Mode 4.

Guard your servants from dangers of every kind, O blessed Theotokos, so that we may glorify you, the hope of our souls. [SD]

Stand for the Great Doxology.

Great Doxology

Glory be to You who showed the light. Glory in the highest to God. His peace is on earth, His good pleasure in mankind. [SD]

We praise You, we bless You, we worship You, we glorify You, we give thanks to You for Your great glory.

Lord King, heavenly God, Father, Ruler over all; Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; and You, O Holy Spirit.

Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us, You who take away the sins of the world.

Accept our supplication, You who sit at the right hand of the Father, and have mercy on us.

For You alone are holy, You alone are Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Every day I will bless You, and Your name will I praise to eternity, and to the ages of ages.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, this day, that we be kept without sin.

Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Your name to the ages. Amen.

Let Your mercy be on us, O Lord, as we have set our hope on You.

Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes.

Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes.

Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes.

Lord, You have been our refuge from generation to generation. I said: Lord, have mercy on me. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.

Lord, I have fled to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.

For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we shall see light.

Continue Your mercy to those who know You.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Apolytikion.

From Menaion - - -

Mode pl. 4.

Holy Unmercenaries and Wonder-workers, visit our infirmities. Freely you received; freely give to us. [SD]