Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 14th Day of the Month of February

Commemoration of Our Venerable Father Auxentius

At Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…”, these stichera, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Thou hast given a sign…”

Showing forth an increase of asceticism, thou didst receive from God an outpouring of spiritual gifts to heal infirmities and dispel demons, O most blessed Auxentius, who art faithful to the calling of Christ, and full of divine grace and the power of the Spirit; wherefore, manifestly guided thereby, thou hast attained unto the harbor of faithful.

Having cleansed thyself in mind, thou wast enriched with the grace of healings and miracles; for thou didst shake off the weakness of the passions and the darkness and threefold waves of the flesh, and didst fashion splendid spiritual armor. Wherefore, thou hast shone forth among the ranks of monastics, entreating Him Who loveth mankind in behalf of those who praise thee.

Thou didst increase the talant entrusted to thee, O all-wise one; and having richly worked the soil of thy soul and sown it with tears, thou dost now reap in joy, O father, truly harvesting manifold joy and consolation. Wherefore, as one who hath boldness before the Master, entreat Him in behalf of those who hymn thee, O God-bearing Auxentius.

Glory…: the composition of Anatolius, in Tone VIII

The pure wisdom of the Holy Spirit which dwelt within thy heart showed thee to be a dread tormentor of the spirits of wickedness, O most blessed and venerable father Auxentius, and not only one awesome, but also a healer of hidden ailments. Wherefore, having acquired boldness before God Who loveth mankind, by thine unceasing supplication free us from the passions of soul and body.

Now and ever…: Theotokion, or this Stavrotheotokion, Special Melody: “O all-glorious wonder…”

When the ewe-lamb beheld her Lamb suspended on the tree of the Cross of His own will, she cried out maternally, in painful lamentation: “O my Son, what is this strange sight which I see? How is it that Thou, the Lord Who givest life to all, dost die, O Long-suffering One, bestowing resurrection upon mortals? I glorify Thy great condescension, O my God!”

Troparion, in Tone I

A dweller in the desert, an angel in the flesh and a wonder-worker wast thou shown to be, O our God-bearing father Auxentius. Receiving heavenly gifts through fasting, vigils and prayers, thou healest the infirm and the souls of those who with faith have recourse unto thee. Glory to Him Who hath given thee strength! Glory to Him Who hath crowned thee! Glory to Him Who worketh healings for all through thee!

At Matins

Canon of the venerable one, the acrostic whereof is: “With wisdom I hymn the godly Auxentius”, the composition of Theophanes, in Tone IV

Ode I

Irmos: Having traversed the depths of the Red Sea with dryshod feet, Israel of old vanquished the might of Amalek in the wilderness by Moses’ arms stretched out in the form of the Cross.

Having increased thy love for God and forsaken worldly love, O God-bearing father Auxentius, thou wast shown to be a vessel containing the gifts of the Spirit.

Thou didst submit to the easy yoke of the Lord in thy desires, O father Auxentius, and watering the ground with thy tears thou didst renew the earth, O right wondrous one.

Having withdrawn from the tumult of life and diligently united thy soul and mind to God, O most blessed one, with mighty ascetic feats thou didst live on earth like one of the incorporeal ones.

Theotokion: Through thee, O Mistress, hath the unapproachable descent of Christ as God and man now been seen, for He was born of thee as God and man, O pure one, restoring my nature.

Ode III

Irmos: Neither in wisdom, nor in power, nor yet in riches do we boast, but in Thee, O Christ, the hypostatic Wisdom of the Father; for none is holy save Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

Strengthened by the power of the Cross, thou didst set at nought the assaults of the demons and destroy their snares, vanquishing their onslaught by asceticism.

Emulating the life of the angels, O father Auxentius, thou didst diligently pass through a life which was pure in prayer and mighty in vigils.

Perceiving pleasure to be deadly poison aimed at men’s souls, O God-bearing and venerable Auxentius, by abstinence thou didst mortify its movements.

Theotokion: He Who in the beginning formed me, a man, out of dust, formed Himself in thy womb for my sake, O most immaculate one, setting aright our ancient fall.

Sessional hymn, in Tone VIII, Special Melody: “Of the Wisdom…”

Having abandoned all earthly things, while in the world of the body thou wast in spirit a converser with the angels; for, mortifying the passions of the body, thou didst show thyself to be a favorite of the Trinity, O blessed one. Wherefore, thou healest the sufferings of the infirm and with grace dost expel evil spirits by thy word alone. O God-bearing father Auxentius, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of transgressions unto those who honor thy holy memory with love.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

O undefiled, pure, immaculate Mistress, thou cloud of the noetic Sun and golden candlestand of the divine Light, with the radiance of dispassion illumine, I pray thee, my soul, which hath been benighted by the blindness of the passions. With torrents of compunction and tears of repentance wash clean my defiled heart and cleanse me of the mire of my wicked deeds, that I may cry out to thee with love: O Ever-virgin Theotokos, entreat Christ God, that He grant me remission of transgressions; for thee do I, thy servant, have as my hope.

Stavrotheotokion

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

Ode IV

Irmos: Beholding Thee lifted up upon the Cross, O Sun of righteousness, the Church stood rooted in place, crying out as is meet: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Having with prayer made thyself steadfast against the torrents of iniquity, O most blessed one, thou didst flee turmoil; and as is meet thou didst drink of the torrent of sweetness, O most blessed one.

Causing thy faith and love for God to grow, O God-bearer, thou didst mount to the lofty heights of belonging to God, crying out: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Theotokion: Manifestly knowing thee to be her who gave birth to God the Word in the flesh, all of us, the faithful, truly call thee the Theotokos, giving thee a title appropriate to the nature of things.

Ode V

Irmos: Thou hast come, O my Lord, as a light into the world: a holy light turning from the darkness of ignorance those who hymn Thee with faith.

With keen intellect and purity of soul thou didst go unharmed over the stumbling-blocks in thy path, O father.

Through grace, O Auxentius, was thy life radiant, thy faith Orthodox, thine abstinence wondrous and thy discourse temperate.

With evenness of thought thou didst pass through life, O father, passing over transitory things and ever cleaving to those things which are eternal.

Theotokion: Possessed of a mind full of right doctrines, with love we all bless thee and call thee the Theotokos, O all-pure one.

Ode VI

Irmos: I will sacrifice to Thee with a voice of praise, O Lord, the Church crieth unto Thee, cleansed of the blood of demons by the blood which, for mercy’s sake, flowed from Thy side.

Thy life, O blessed one, showed thee to be a child of the light and the day, who truly walked nobly and had the Word of life as a beacon amid the world. Twice

Having made thy life an instruction in how to die and understood most excellently the limitations of wisdom, O father, thou didst offer thyself to the hypostatic Wisdom.

Theotokion: We know thee to be the temple and bridal-chamber of God, the jar and lampstand, and the tablet which hath inscribed thereon the Word Who, in His loving-kindness, became incarnate.

Kontakion, in Tone II, Special Melody: “In prayers…”

Delighting in abstinence and restraining the desires of the flesh, O divinely wise and sacred father Auxentius, thou wast shown forth, shining with faith, and didst blossom like a plant in the midst of paradise.

Ikos: Who now will recount thy feats or the pangs which thou didst receive on earth, O father? Following the laws of the Lord for godly delight, and serving His commands, thou hast been revealed to us as a new Job in thy struggles. To the world thou didst appear as a sojourner, and to all the earth as a stranger. With faith thou didst blossom forth in fasting and didst teach vigilance and purity, O sacred father Auxentius.

Ode VII

Irmos: The children of Abraham in the Persian furnace, afire with love of piety more than with the flame, cried out: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord!

In that thou wast wounded by the divine love of the Master, O father, thou didst direct towards Him all the unremitting love of thy heart, crying out: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord! Twice

Illumined with the radiance of the Savior, O most wise one, thou didst sternly rebuke the prince of darkness and didst cast down the prince of this world, crying: Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy glory, O Lord!

Theotokion: Desiring to restore to a higher plane human nature which of old had become corrupt, God the Creator made His abode within thy womb, O only all-pure and most hymned one.

Ode VIII

Irmos: O Almighty Deliverer of all, descending into the midst of the flame Thou didst bedew the pious youths and didst teach them to chant: Bless and hymn the Lord, all ye works!

Turning wholly to God, thou didst shake off a ready inclination toward the passions and didst receive the ability to work miracles, chanting: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord! Twice

Thou didst show thyself to be dreadful to the demons, having acquired Christ as thy helper Whom, taking up thy cross, thou didst follow, chanting: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Theotokion: The archangel, appearing, holdeth forth in speech and announceth the ineffable conception of thine Offspring, Who saveth the world, O all-pure one. All ye works, bless and hymn the Lord!

Ode IX

Irmos: Christ, the Chief Cornerstone uncut by human hands, Who united the two disparate natures, was cut from thee, the unquarried mountain, O Virgin. Wherefore, in gladness we magnify thee, O Theotokos.

By thy baptism thou didst promise thyself to the whole Godhead, O father; thou didst maintain the dignity of the image of God in purity, and with gladness hast made thine abode in thrice-radiant splendor.

Thou dost now behold the light of the Godhead, not in indistinct images or in a reflection, O most wise father, but face to face, being ineffably vouchsafed the radiance of the vision of God.

In that thou hast great boldness before the King of all, O father, pray that we who now celebrate thy memory may be delivered from every evil circumstance, that we may all call thee blessed.

Theotokion: Loose thou the bonds of my transgressions, O Virgin Theotokos who gavest birth to the Wellspring of compassion, and fill us with consolation, O thou who alone art blessed of God, that we may magnify thee as is meet.

Exapostilarion, Special Melody: “Hearken, ye women…”

Thou didst turn away from earthly happiness as from defilement, and, having caused thy flesh to wither through fasting, thou didst restore the strength of thy soul, O venerable one, and wast made rich with heavenly glory. Wherefore, O glorious one, cease not to pray to the Lord for us all.

Theotokion, in the same melody

The transcendent Word doth noetically and perfectly unite Himself hypostatically to flesh and soul, and issueth forth from thee, O all-pure one: One comprising two natures without confusion, deifying that which He received. Wherefore, He glorifieth thee as the true Theotokos.