Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 15th Day of the Month of February

Commemoration of the Holy Apostle Onesimus

At Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…”, these stichera, in Tone I, Special Melody: “Joy of the ranks of heaven…”

Celebrating with hymns today the sacred memory of the divine apostle Onesimus, the martyr for God, who was adopted by God through grace for the sake of thy faith, and begotten by the faith of Paul, let us praise him.

Naturally escaping the slavery of deception, O wise one, thou becamest a child of God by grace, the Holy Spirit and faith in Christ, joining the divine and all-praised disciples of Paul, O right profitable Onesimus.

Becoming a disciple of the Word thanks to the divine and most praised Paul, the preacher and apostle, O thrice-blessed Onesimus, thou dost thrice receive from Christ a twofold crown: adorned as a priest, as a preacher, and as an athlete, O all-lauded one.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone & melody

With the staff of thine intercession, O pure Theotokos, drive from my wretched soul the bestial passions, guiding me peacefully toward life; and add me to the holy flock of thy chosen sheep.

Stavrotheotokion, in the same melody

When the immaculate Virgin beheld her Lamb uplifted upon the Cross, she cried out, lamenting: “O my sweet child, what is this new and all-glorious sight? How is it that Thou Who holdest all things in Thy palm art nailed to the Tree in the flesh?”

Troparion, in Tone III

O holy apostle Onesimus, entreat the merciful God, that He grant to our souls remission of transgressions.

At Matins

Canon of the apostle, the acrostic whereof is: “Deliver me who am a slave to the passions, O blessed one”, the composition of Theophanes, in Tone VI

Ode I

Irmos: Traversing the deep on foot, as though it were dry land, and seeing the tyrant Pharaoh drowned, Israel cried aloud: Let us chant unto God a hymn of victory!

Illumined with the divine and radiant grace of the Savior, O blessed Onesimus, illumine my darkened soul, entreating Christ God Who loveth mankind.

Enlightened by the radiant beams of Paul, O glorious and most blessed one, thou didst easily escape the darkness of ignorance, uttering a hymn of thanksgiving unto Christ.

Thou wast shown to be a divine sacred minister, O all-blessed one, and, shining radiantly with the divine Spirit, thou didst go about everywhere, proclaiming Christ piously, O blessed one of God.

Theotokion: Adorned with the beauty of the virtues, O pure Mother of God, thou didst ineffably conceive the true God Who hath illumined us with divine virtues.

Ode III

Irmos: There is none as holy as Thee, O Lord my God, Who hast uplifted the horn of Thy faithful and established us on the rock of the confession of Thee, O Good One.

Thou didst put thy mouth to the fountain of divine waters, and, receiving therefrom a torrent of sweetness, O glorious one, thou didst wash the face of the honored Church.

Through partaking of noetic effulgence thou wast shown to be most radiant, splendidly illumining the hearts of the faithful with lamps of piety and with the luminous beams of thy preaching.

Thou wast released from the slavery of deception by the bonds of Paul and wast honored with the freedom of grace; and, becoming a son of God, thou wast shown to be an heir of God.

Theotokion: By deception hath the serpent held me in thrall from of old, having made me captive through deceit; but, having been released from slavery to him by thee, O Mother of God, I bless thee with hymns.

Sessional hymn, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Go thou quickly before…”

Having been truly released from temporal slavery, O Onesimus, thou didst become a slave of Christ God and a right profitable vessel; wherefore, through the divine Word, thou hast shown forth as free those enslaved by the enemy, making them citizens of heaven. With them do we glorify thy sacred memory with faith.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

By thy divine birthgiving, O pure one, thou hast restored the mortal nature of those born of earth, which had become corrupt in the passions, and thou hast raised up all from death to the life of incorruption. Wherefore, as is meet, we all bless thee, O all-glorious Virgin, as thou didst predict.

Stavrotheotokion

When Thine all-pure Mother beheld Thee uplifted upon the Cross, O Word of God, she exclaimed, lamenting maternally: “What new and strange wonder is this, O my Son? How is it that Thou dost taste of death, O Life of all, desiring to bring life to mortals, in that Thou art compassionate?”

Ode IV

Irmos: Christ is my power, my God and my Lord, the honored Church doth sing, crying out in godly manner with a pure mind, keeping festival in the Lord.

Desiring to save all from the yoke of slavery, O blessed and divinely manifest one, the Lord ordained thee as a performer of the sacred mysteries of His honored Gospel.

Thou becamest a child of God through grace, proclaiming His only-begotten and ever-existing Word, Who hath all-gloriously drawn nigh in the flesh unto those on earth.

Thou didst live as a hierarch, O most wise one, with discourse of judgment and the divine anointing of the priesthood, and by enduring cruelties thou becamest a martyr of God.

Theotokion: The Son, Who by nature is unoriginate and beyond time, of His own will receiveth a beginning in time through the Virgin Maiden, intending to restore from corruption those who are subject to time.

Ode V

Irmos: With Thy divine light illumine the souls of those who with love rise at dawn unto Thee, O Good One, that they may know Thee, O Word of God, to be the true God Who calleth all forth from the darkness of sin.

Soaring over the snares of the enemy with keenness of mind and purity of soul, O blessed one, thou wast borne aloft to the mansions of heaven, receiving wings of divine knowledge.

Thine apostle, O Good One, preached Thy coming in the flesh unto men, guiding the lost to knowledge and illumining them with the radiance of faith.

Thou wast shown to be a most magnificent temple, O blessed Onesimus, having within thee, like a lampstand, the effulgence of divine grace, being built through the activity of the divine Spirit.

Theotokion: By thy mediation and intercession, O Virgin, cut asunder the bonds of my sin; for thou art the hope of the despairing who have recourse with faith to thy divine protection.

Ode VI

Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, fleeing to Thy calm haven I cry unto Thee: Lead up my life from corruption, O greatly Merciful One!

Called from heaven, O most blessed one, shining like the sun with the radiance of grace, thou didst emit a beam which with goodly power doth from afar dispel the darkness of ignorance. Twice

Thou didst splendidly denounce the corrupt and vile insolence of the iniquitous, O most honored hierarch of the Lord, truly proclaiming the divine teachings of piety.

Theotokion: Guilty of sin and grievously wounded, wretch that I am, I flee to thee, the merciful one, O Mother of God, praying that thou wilt cleanse the sores of my transgressions.

Kontakion, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Thou hast appeared…”

Thou didst shine forth upon the whole world like a beam, O blessed one, shining with the rays of the most radiant Paul, that sun who hath illumined the world. Wherefore, we honor thee, O glorious Onesimus.

Ode VII

Irmos: The Angel caused the furnace to pour forth dew upon the pious youths, and the command of God, which consumed the Chaldæans, prevailed upon the tyrant to cry out: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

O blessed Onesimus, through pure hope thou hast received a blessed end and imperishable immortality, and thou dost chant to Christ, rejoicing: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers. Twice

By thy steadfast wisdom, O divinely wise Onesimus, thou didst trample the machinations of deception underfoot, casting them down with the devices of piety, crying aloud: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Theotokion: As the most immaculate Bride of God thou didst conceive the Word of God Who hath not been separated from the bosom of the Father, and Who was held in thine arms, O blessed Mother of God who knewest not wedlock.

Ode VIII

Irmos: From the flame didst Thou pour forth dew upon the venerable ones, and didst consume the sacrifice of the righteous one with water; for Thou, O Christ, dost do all things soever Thou desirest. Thee do we exalt supremely for all ages!

Joining chorus with the angels, O blessed Onesimus, adorned with the crown of martyrdom thou standest in splendor before the throne of the Master, Whom we exalt supremely for all ages.

Ministering to the apostle of God, O godly Onesimus, as a true preacher of Christ thou didst acquire the ability to perform ineffable miracles. Him do we exalt supremely for all ages.

Enriched with the grace of healings from the abundant wellspring of the Savior, thou hast bestowed it upon all. And submitting ourselves to His divine commandments, O blessed one, we exalt Him supremely for all ages.

Theotokion: Having learned that the wonder of thy birthgiving is divine beyond comprehension, O most holy, pure and all-immaculate Mother of God, we exalt Thee supremely for all ages.

Ode IX

Irmos: It is not possible for men to behold God, upon Whom the ranks of angels dare not gaze; but through thee, O most pure one, hath the Word appeared incarnate unto men; and magnifying Him with the armies of heaven, we call thee blessed.

Thou wast shown to be an all-radiant beacon, shining with the splendid rays of the spirit and illumining the ends of the world with the light of the knowledge of God, O blessed Onesimus. Wherefore, we magnify thee with the choirs of the apostles.

Adorned with spiritual fruits, thou wast taken up, rejoicing, into the heavens, O divinely manifest one, and thou wast shown to be an honored apostle of Christ, an all-wise hierarch, an invincible martyr, and a true preacher of things past understanding, O blessed of God.

Standing before the Master, ever intercede for those who ever hymn thee and praise thy festival, O Onesimus, who art ever illumined, ever all-radiant, ever shining forth everywhere with splendors.

Theotokion: Delivered by thy birthgiving from skin-clad mortality, the curse, corruption and death, the product of sin, O Mother of God who knewest not wedlock, I ever glorify thee with the armies of heaven.