At "Lord, I have cried," six stichera.
Of the Master. Tone 2. When he took thee.

When in thy great glory thou shalt come * with the choir of the holy Angels * so that thou mightest judge all, * when all shall present themselves * as naked before thee, * that they might render an account for their deeds and actions: * then appoint to me a place * among the sheep of thy flock; * and grant unto me the remission * of all of my sins and trespasses * which I have com-mitted in this life, O Word.

O thou who alone dost love mankind, * do thou break the bonds of my passions * and dry my soul's rottenness, * granting unto me the tears * of one compunctionate. * Bring enlightenment to my heart * which is veiled in darkness. * Grant redemption unto me * from storms of misfortune * which surge against me and surround me, * and from all the manifold trials * of the grievous foe and ruler of this world.

O my soul, keep thou before thy mind * that most fear-inspiring and dread hour * of judgment which shall come, * when quaking and trembling * shall seize all creation, * and the Most High shall take his throne * which no man can endure; * and he shall require of us * an answer for our deeds. * Hasten then to be reconciled to * him that judgeth all things, and cry out: * O Lord, I have sinned against thee, save thou me.

And three stichera from the Menaion. But if there be no Menaion, the following three stichera to the Theotokos, in the same tone and melody.

From my youth have I been utterly * a slave unto disgraceful passions * and manifold wantonness; * to the uttermost have I * darkened the image of God; * and, all-hymned one, I am dismayed * at the thought of judgment, * when I shall be called to stand * before thy Son and thy God. * Grant now unto me ere the end come * cleansing from my passions, O pure one, * and redemption from my sins and trespasses.

O pure one, I tremble at the thought * of the judgment and of the fire of * eternal punishment, * and the sentence to be passed * which shall not be allayed: * both the gnashing of the teeth * and the ever-wakeful, * never-sleeping cruel worm, * O thou all-blameless one. * Wherefore, from a heart full of grieving * earnestly I beg thee, O Virgin: * From this fearsome condemnation rescue me.

When my soul, by force of violence * is rent and is sundered in twain from * the cares of the body, * then do thou stand at my side * and scatter the assemblies * of the bodiless enemies * and their heavy millstones, * wherein they do seek to crush * and wholly swallow me up; * so that I may pass through unhindered * by all of the aerial powers, * the captains of darkness, O thou Bride of God.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.

The shadow of the Law is passed away with the coming of grace; for as the bush was not consumed when it was burning, thus as a virgin didst thou give birth, and a virgin didst thou remain. In the stead of a pillar of fire, there hath arisen the Sun of Righteousness; in the stead of Moses, Christ, the Salvation of our souls.

Aposticha Martyrika.

In that the holy Martyrs intercede for us and praise Christ, every error is brought to nought, and the race of man is saved through faith.

Verse: Wondrous is God in his saints.

The choirs of the Martyrs withstood the tyrants and said: We have been enlisted by the King of hosts. Even should ye destroy us with fire and torments, we will not deny the might of the Trinity.

Verse: In the saints that are in the earth hath the Lord been wondrous.

Great is the glory which ye gained through faith, O ye Saints. For ye conquered the enemy not only while ye suffered, but even after death ye cast out evil spirits. Ye heal the sick, O ye physicians of souls and bodies. Intercede ye with the Lord that he have mercy on our souls.

Verse: Blessed are they whom thou hast chosen and hast taken to thyself, O Lord.

Of the dead.

As a flower withereth, and as a dream vanisheth and doth dissolve, so doth every man. And yet when the trumpet shall sound its call, all of the dead shall arise like a quaking of the earth, that they may meet thee, O Christ God. Then, O Master, in the place wherein thy Saints do dwell, appoint a place for the spirits of thy servants who have been removed from among us, O Christ.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.

In thee, O Mother of the Light, I place all my hope; keep me under thy protection.

At the first reading from the Psalter, Kathisma Martyrika.
Tone 2.

O thou who hast rendered thy Saints more radiant than gold, and hast glorified thy righteous ones, since thou art good: Being entreated by them, O Christ God, make our life peaceful, since thou art the Friend of man; and let our prayer be set forth as incense, O thou who alone dost rest in the Saints.

O trophy-bearers of the Lord, blessed is the earth which hath been enriched with your blood, and holy are the tabernacles which received your spirits. For in the stadium ye triumphed over the enemy, and ye preached Christ boldly. Since he is good, entreat him that our souls be saved, we pray.

O ye Apostles, Martyrs and Prophets, Hierarchs, venerable and righteous ones, who have finished well the contest and guarded the faith: Beseech, we pray, since ye have boldness before the Saviour who is good, that he may save our souls.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.

Exceeding glorious beyond the power of thought are thy mysteries, O Theotokos; for being sealed in purity and preserved in virginity, thou wast acknowledged to be in very truth the Mother who didst bring forth the true God. Wherefore, entreat him to save our souls.

At the Amomos, Kathisma Martyrikon.

Having thee, who dost wrap heaven with clouds, as their garment in this world, the Saints endured the torments of the lawless and destroyed the error of the idols. By their supplications, free us also from the invisible enemy, O Saviour, and save us.

Of the dead. Since thou art a fountain.

Thou who hast the dominion as God * over all, both the living and the dead, * O Life-giver, * hearken to thy servants who entreat of thee: * Show forth thy compassion in thy love for man; * and grant thou remission to * the souls of those who reposed * in the hope that is in thee, * who in thy compassions art supremely good.

Remember, O Lord, as thou art good, thy servants; and forgive whatever sin they have committed in life, for no one is without sin save thee, the mighty One; and grant rest to those who have been removed from among us.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.

O holy Mother of the inexpressible light, with angelic hymns we reverently magnify and honor thee.

Aposticha of the Praises. Martyrika.

Taking up the Cross of Christ as an unconquerable weapon, the holy Martyrs destroyed all the might of the devil; and receiving a heavenly crown, they are become a rampart for us, ever interceding in our behalf.

Verse: Wondrous is God in his saints.

The multitudes of thy Saints beseech thee, O Christ: Have mercy, O Saviour, on our souls.

Verse: In the saints that are in the earth hath the Lord been wondrous.

Every city and land doth honor your relics, O prizewinning Martyrs; for having contested lawfully, ye received a heavenly crown, and for this cause ye are the boast of priests, the victory of kings, the majesty of the Churches.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion. When he took thee.

I have squandered the whole of my life * doing evil, who am most wretched * and wholly desolate * of every good deed; but now * I cling to thee, hallowed one, * for lo, I behold the approach * of death. Ah! Woe is me! * I quake at the judgment-seat * of thy Son and thy God, * from which deliver me, O Virgin, * and, O Lady, from all its anguish; * in repentance turn me back, and save thou me.

But if Alleluia be chanted for the dead, the foregoing Martyrika are chanted at the Praises, together with the following hymn:

Alas! What agony hath the soul as it is severed from the body! Alas! How many are its tears, and there is none to have mercy on it! Toward the Angels doth it turn its eyes, gaining nothing by its entreaty; unto men doth it stretch out its hands, but there is none to come to its aid. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, bringing to mind the brevity of life, let us ask of Christ repose for the departed, and for our souls great mercy.

Then the following Aposticha for the dead is chanted,
the composition of Theophanes.
When he took thee.

Master, by thy life-bestowing death * thou hast overthrown the corruption * and violence of death. * A fount of eternal life * hast thou become for all; * resurrection up from the dead * thou grantest to mortals. * Wherefore do we beg of thee: * O Saviour, grant repose * to those who in faith have departed * to thee, and do thou deem them worthy * of thy glory's fullness, O thou Friend of man.

Verse: Blessed are they whom thou hast chosen and hast taken to thyself, O Lord.

Of thine own good will accepting death, * thou in patience and in forbearance * submittedst to the Cross * to make men communicants * of thy divine kingdom. * For this cause we entreat of thee: * In thy tender mercies * to those who in faith have been * translated unto thee, * grant that they partake of thy kingdom, * and deem them worthy of the sweetness * of thy beauty, O thou Lover of mankind.

Verse: Their souls shall dwell among good things.

In thy will to save what thou hadst formed, * thou hast brought about with rejoicing * the most deep mystery * of thine own true providence * in thy surpassing love, * and thou hast paid the purchase-price * of the entire cosmos * with thine honorable Blood; * for this cause we entreat * that thou deem worthy of redemption * those translated unto thee in faith, * with the entire company of all the Saints.

Verse: And their remembrance is unto generation and generation.

The dead from all the ages, O Christ, * stand before thy fearsome and dread throne * trembling and quaking with fear: * for, O Saviour, they await * thy verdict righteous and just, * and they wait upon thy divine * pronouncement of judgment. * Then, O Master, do thou spare * thy servants who in faith * have gone to be with thee, O Saviour, * where the Saints exult with rejoicing * and dwell in the joy of immortality.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion. To the same melody.

Come ye, and with never-silent hymns * cry unto the Mother of the Light. * Let us all glorify * her who conceived in her womb * the One who saveth us, * and let us bring her the "Rejoice!" * as only birthgiver * of the pre-eternal God * of all the ancient ones. * Rejoice, thou who bringest renewal * to the offspring of Eve; rejoice thou, * O unwedded Virgin who art undefiled.