Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 12th Day of the Month of February

Commemoration of Our Father among the Saints Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch the Great

At Vespers

At “Lord, I have cried…”, these stichera, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”

Wisely, O most wise one, didst thou teach the incorporeal Word Who with the Father is equally unoriginate and Who united Himself hypostatically to the flesh; Whose activity is twofold, through both the natures whereof He is comprised and in which He is seen: One, indivisible in essence, and comprehended as existing in both.

Having studied the law of the Lord, O blessed and holy hierarch Meletius, thou didst show thyself to be a tree standing by the waters of asceticism, as it is written, and bringing forth the fruits of the virtues through the grace of Him Who sanctified thy holy soul and made of thee a receptacle of all spiritual effulgence.

As say the Scriptures, thy cheeks were adorned like turtle-doves, O most wise one Meletius, loving abstinence and forgoing food, desiring the noetic sustenance which Christ bestowed upon thee when thou didst undertake thy manifold labors, displaying the ardent zeal which thou didst show when suffering misfortunes for the sake of the Faith.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

As thy prayer to the Lord is untiring and thine entreaty abiding, O all-pure one, quell thou the assaults and still the waves of my wretched soul; calm my heart, which is in suffering, I beseech thee, O Maiden, and impart grace to my mind, that I may worthily glorify thee.

Stavrotheotokion, in the same tone & melody

When the ewe-lamb, who gave birth to Thee, saw Thee, the Lamb and Shepherd, upon the Tree, she lamented and cried out to Thee maternally: “O my Son most desired! How is it that Thou art suspended upon the Tree of the Cross, O Long-suffering One? How have Thy hands and feet been pierced with nails by the iniquitous, O Word? And how hast Thou shed Thy blood, O Master?”

Troparion, in Tone IV

The truth of things revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, a model of meekness and a teacher of abstinence. Wherefore, thou hast acquired exalted things through humility and riches through poverty. O father Meletius, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

At Matins

Canon, the acrostic whereof is “I pour forth thy praises, O most blessed one”, in Tone VIII

Ode I

Irmos: The staff of Moses, once working a wonder, striking the sea in the form of the Cross and dividing it, drowned the mounted tyrant Pharaoh, and saved Israel who fled on foot, chanting a hymn unto God.

O thou who standest in radiance before the Bestower of light, illumine the darkened eye of my soul with light, and drive away the gloom of the passions by thy prayers; for as a holy hierarch thou hast boldness before Him, O venerable Meletius.

The Word Who resteth in the Father’s bosom, and Who is equally everlasting and of the same essence as the One Who begat Him, alone ordaineth thee now as a preacher of His divinity, as a peer to the apostles, O divinely revealed Meletius.

Shining with divine effulgence, thou didst utter theology concerning the only-begotten Word, that He is begotten of the Father, uncreated and crowned, O venerable one; and, protected by the armor of God, thou didst expel the minions of those who shared the heresy of Arius.

Theotokion: To the Word of divine origin, Who before was incorporeal, didst thou give birth incarnate, O all-holy one; for thou alone, of all throughout the ages, wast worthy, by virtue of the radiance of thy purity, the beauty of thy virginity and thy most immaculate gifts.

Ode III

Irmos: O Christ, Who in the beginning established the heavens in wisdom and founded the earth upon the waters, make me steadfast upon the rock of Thy commandments; for none is holy as Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

Possessed of a soul firmer than adamant, and shedding light upon the corrupt doctrine of the heresies by thy teaching of piety, O most blessed one, thou didst revile it. Wherefore, all of us, the faithful, honor thee, O divinely wise one.

Emulating the apostles of Christ in the virtues, as a pillar of Orthodoxy thou didst manifestly inherit their authority and throne, O most glorious Meletius, champion of piety.

Adopted by God, thou didst not mindlessly reduce God, the Word of God, to the status of a creature, but didst glorify Him as equally unoriginate and enthroned with the Father: the Creator and Fashioner of all the ages, O thou who pleased God.

Theotokion: Making His abode in thy holy womb, God became incarnate, as we know, O Mother of God, and hath saved us by His life-bearing sufferings. Wherefore, we know thee to be the portal of salvation, O Virgin.

Sessional hymn, in Tone VIII: Spec, Mel.: “Of the Wisdom…”

Studying the law of the Lord day and night, O wise father, thou wast shown to be like a fruitful tree planted by spiritual waters; wherefore, as thou didst serve God blamelessly as bishop, and didst with Orthodox mind openly revile the blasphemy of Arius and the impious ways of Sabellius, O holy hierarch Meletius, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who celebrate thy holy memory with love.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

Having found, through thee, healing for the multifarious ailments of my flesh and the manifold passions of my soul, surcease from grief, and ready release and speedy deliverance from misfortunes and sorrows, O all-immaculate Mistress, with unwavering faith and fervent heart I confess thy mercies and thy many miracles wrought for the children of men; and I pray that thou wilt ever preserve and always keep me beneath the shelter of thy wings.

Stavrotheotokion

The ewe-lamb, beholding the Lamb, Shepherd and Deliverer upon the Cross, exclaimed, weeping, and bitterly lamenting, cried out: “The world rejoiceth, receiving deliverance through Thee; but my heart is pained, beholding Thy crucifixion, which Thou endurest in the loving-kindness of Thy mercy. O long-suffering Lord, Abyss and inexhaustible Wellspring of mercy, take pity and grant remission of offenses unto those who with faith hymn Thy divine sufferings.”

Ode IV

Irmos: Thou art my strength, O Lord, Thou art my power; Thou art my God, Thou art my joy, Who, without leaving the bosom of the Father, hast visited our lowliness. Wherefore, with the Prophet Habbakuk I cry unto Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

As one manifestly superior, O initiate of the mysteries of God, thou didst inherit the throne of the preëminent Peter who was ordained by Christ; and emulating his ways, thou didst glorify the Savior, the Son of the living God, following His teachings.

Adorned with all manner of gifts, thou wast a preacher of the Monarchy which is recognized in the Father, the only-begotten Son and the divine Spirit, O most wise one; and thou didst teach the Unity of essences which is in the three Persons, O venerable one.

Nurtured on beauty, conforming to the splendor thereof, and illumined with divine radiance in communing therewith, thou becamest a secondary light for the Church, O divinely manifest one, revealing the enlightenment of piety to those who have recourse to thee with faith.

Theotokion: That Thou mightest rescue Thine image, which was buried by the passions, in the richness of Thy goodness Thou didst make thine abode in the Virgin’s womb; and Thou, the Wisdom of God, didst make of it a temple, wherein Thou didst dwell with men, O Compassionate One, and save the ends of the world.

Ode V

Irmos: Wherefore hast Thou turned Thy face from me, O Light never-waning? And why hath a strange darkness covered me, wretch that I am? But turn me, and guide my steps to the light of Thy commandments, I pray.

Those who wickedly purvey every evil and demonic heresy hast thou surpassed by nobility of soul, radiance, a most holy way of life and steadfast piety, O divinely revealed and all-blessed father Meletius.

Repulsing with all diligence those who shared the heresy of Arius, O God-bearer, with the Orthodox Faith thou didst confirm the ruling Principle in the Trinity, preaching the one God to us, O most blessed father Meletius.

Thou wast a most true initiate of the mysteries of the all-divine Trinity, worshipping the Word as of one essence and equally enthroned with the Father, and the divine Spirit as of one essence with the Father and the Son, O most honorable father Meletius.

Theotokion: The armies of the hosts on high call thee blessed, O most pure one, and all the generations of men glorify thee as is meet; for those on earth, joining with those is heaven for the sake of unity, hymn thy birthgiving, O Virgin.

Ode VI

Irmos: Cleanse me, O Savior, for many are my transgressions; and lead me up from the abyss of evils, I pray, for to Thee have I cried, and Thou hast hearkened to me, O God of my salvation.

Thou didst dry up the torrents of heresies and didst open wellsprings of right dogmas, O divinely wise champion of Orthodoxy, who art blessed of God.

Having caused the turbid and godless stream of Arius to wither up, thou didst give the assemblies of the faithful to drink of the waters of grace in abundance, and hast adorned the majesty of the Church.

Living rightly by divine principles, O father, thou becamest an all-radiant husbandman, an undistorted mirror of piety, and a guide for pastors.

Theotokion: The utterances of the prophets, heralding thine all-pure conceiving and thine ineffable birthgiving, illumine the souls of those who hymn thee in Orthodox manner, O Bride of God.

Kontakion, in Tone VI

Fearing the boldness of thy spirit, the apostate Macedonius fleeth; but we, thy servants, celebrating a service of prayer to thee, have recourse to thee with love, O Meletius, converser with angels, fiery sword of Christ our God, who cuttest down all the ungodly; and we hymn thee as a beacon enlightening all.

Ode VII

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the fire stood in awe of the condescension of God; wherefore, the youths, dancing with joyous step in the furnace, as in a meadow, chanted: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

The holy Council, which the Holy Spirit assembled from the ends of the earth, had thee as its presiding bishop, and its members hymned His divinity: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Thou didst receive a presidency equal in honor to that of the apostles of Christ, didst inherit their divine teaching, and, emulating their life, didst chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Possessing a most keen intellect which directed toward the vision of God, thou didst mock the dim sight of the heretics; and, teaching the pious, thou didst cry out: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Theotokion: O most pure Virgin and Theotokos, Mother of the Light, thou wast like a clear mirror bright with the grace of thy purity; wherefore, together we chant to thine Offspring: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Ode VIII

Irmos: Madly did the Chaldæan tyrant heat the furnace sevenfold for the pious ones; but, beholding them saved by a higher Power, he cried out to the Creator and Deliverer: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Most splendidly didst thou teach all to worship the One Godhead, in the Father, the Son and the Spirit, each Hypostasis mightily and manifestly preserving its character, infinite power and a single ruling principle. And chanting to Him, thou didst cry out: Ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

As a temple of sanctity, O holy hierarch, thou dost hallow all who make haste to call upon thy name, who lovingly depict thine image, O blessed father, and chant with faith: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely forever!

With instruction in the mysteries didst thou enlighten thine exemplary flock; and now thou hast caused the Church of the first-born to grow, increasing, because of thy hierarchal and mystical ministries, the number of those who have shone forth from ages past. And with them thou criest out unceasingly: Ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt the Lord supremely forever!

Theotokion: Taught by the mystery made manifest within thee, O most pure one, and which, through thee, reapeth the deliverance and salvation of men’s souls, with the Archangel Gabriel we say, crying out to thee: “Rejoice, O Theotokos!”, hymning and exalting thee supremely forever, O pure one.

Ode IX

Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, and the ends of the earth were amazed, that God hath appeared in the flesh, and that thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. Wherefore, the ranks of men and angels magnify thee as the Theotokos.

Standing immaterially before the Immaterial One, thou didst splendidly theologize Him Who is, essentially and co-essentially, the Creator and Lord of all, the Word and Wisdom of the Father. Cease thou never to pray that He save those who with faith praise thee, O divinely eloquent one.

The good and Holy Spirit, beholding thee exerting thyself in spiritual labors and zealously contending for Him against those who fight against Him, crowned thee as a victor and, receiving thee as is meet, hath enrolled thee among the choirs on high, O most blessed one.

Having completed the contests of piety, having finished the best of races and taught the Orthodox Faith most piously, thou didst receive a crown of righteousness from the Creator of all, O divinely eloquent one, sending forth a hymn of hymns from the Council of teachers.

Theotokion: O Theotokos, as thou art good, grant that I may safely pass through the storm of life, and quell the assaults of temptations and passions, leading me to virtue and the right path, that I may unceasingly magnify thee as my benefactor.