Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 20th Day of the Month of February

Commemoration of Our Venerable Father Leo, Bishop of Catania

At Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…”, these stichera, in Tone VIII, Special Melody: “O Lord, even though at the tribunal…”

O Lord, in the world Thou didst show forth the holy hierarch as a successor to the apostles in word and deed, and a preacher of correct doctrine; wherefore, thou hast made him an instructor of hierarchs and a partaker of Thine incorrupt glory.

Holding thee as a living pillar and a proclaimer of the right teachings of the Word, O Leo, the Church of Christ ever remaineth unshaken, beholding the truth thereof, and glorifying the Lord, the Master of all, Who hath glorified thee.

O Lord, Thou, the Word, didst show forth the holy hierarch as a sharp sword against the impious, and for Thine Orthodox Faith; and cutting down false teachings therewith, Thou didst increase pious teaching in the world, O Master.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion, in the same Tone & Melody

Behold the groanings of my contrite heart, O Bride of God, and accept, and reject not, the lifting up of my hands, O pure and most immaculate Virgin Mary, as thou art full of love; that I may hymn and magnify thee who hast exalted our race.

Or this Stavrotheotokion, in the same Tone & Melody

When the ewe-lamb and Virgin beheld Thee, the Lamb, led to the slaughter, she followed with tears, O Word, and cried out: “Whither dost Thou hasten, O my Child? I will go with Thee, O Thou Who art most sweet! For I cannot endure not to see Thee, O my most merciful Jesus!”

Troparion, in Tone IV

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

At Matins

Canon, the acrostic whereof is: “I honor Leo, the wellspring of miracles”, the composition of Joseph, in Tone VIII

Ode I

Irmos: Having traversed the water as though it were dry land, and escaped the evil of Egypt, the Israelite cried aloud: Let us chant unto our Deliverer and God!

Having acquired thee as a divine beacon of the light of Christ, O wise Leo, the Church is richly illumined with the splendors of thy virtues and miracles.

From thy childhood thou didst offer thyself to the Master of all, and by mortifying the passions thou becamest a living sacrifice, slaying thyself in an unbloody manner, O blessed one.

Thy life shineth forth, adorned with the virtues and ornamented with the splendors of miracles, O God-bearer. And it hath revealed thee to all.

Theotokion: O undefiled Maiden, thou wast a divine temple for Him Who made His abode in thee in manner past understanding, and Who hath driven deception from the souls of men.

Ode III

Irmos: O Lord, Fashioner of the vault of heaven and Creator of the Church: establish me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, confirmation of the faithful, Who alone lovest mankind.

Preserving the saving and pious doctrines of Orthodoxy inviolate, O father, thou didst pasture thy flock on life-bearing meadows and didst lead them to the fold of heaven.

Having ascended to the heights of the virtues, O venerable one, thou didst receive sacred anointing, and in thy most exalted see didst praise the Most High, serving Him with grace, like an angel, O most wise one.

Having endured trials for the sake of Christ, O venerable one, thou didst win a share of deification by immortality; and pouring forth right fragrant myrrh unceasingly, thou dost sanctify those who have recourse to thee with faith.

Theotokion: O tongs of the divine and luminous Coal, O bush which was not consumed by the fire of the Godhead: burn up all my flammable passions, and rescue me from everlasting fire.

Sessional hymn, in Tone III, Special Melody: “Of the divine Faith…”

In the splendors of thy virtues, thou didst shine forth like a great sun upon the universe, enlightening the assemblies of the faithful with the brilliance of miracles, and dispelling the darkness of the passions. O venerable Leo, entreat Christ God, that He grant us great mercy.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

Without separating Himself from the divine Essence, the one Lord remained God when He took flesh in thy womb, becoming man. And even after thy birthgiving He preserved thee, His Mother, a most immaculate Virgin, as thou wast before giving birth. Him do thou earnestly entreat, that He grant us great mercy.

Stavrotheotokion

The unblemished ewe-lamb, the incorrupt Virgin Mother, beholding the Word, Who had sprung forth from her without pain, hanging upon the Cross, cried out, lamenting maternally: “Woe is me, O my Child! How is it that thou sufferest of Thine own will, desiring to deliver man from the dishonor of the passions?”

Ode IV

Irmos: I have heard, O Lord, the mystery of Thy dispensation; I have understood Thy works, and have glorified Thy divinity.

Having cultivated the field of thy mind, thou didst reap the grain of godly virtues and healings an hundredfold, O thou who art most rich.

Thy holy shrine poureth forth a holy oil continually, sanctifying the souls who have recourse to thee with faith, O glorious one.

O holy hierarch, thou wast the washing away of illnesses, the expeller of evil demons, and the refuge of men of faith.

Theotokion: He Who is utterly Infinite was contained within thy womb, O all-pure one, in His goodness saving me who am sunk in my many sins.

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.

Gazing with a most pure mind upon the Mind which is the Cause of all, thou didst receive from Him the radiance of gifts, the sacred effulgence of healings, whereby thou dispellest the darkness of the passions, O divinely inspired one.

He who with demonic deceptions deceiveth all who believe in Christ didst thou justly commit to a fiery judgment, O blessed one, and as a true and saving shepherd thou didst deliver souls from his most pernicious harm.

When the fire was kindled, thou didst stand in its midst unharmed, O all-glorious one; for the divine dew of the Holy Spirit surrounded thee as an initiate of the sacred mysteries, a servant of the glory of God, a partaker in the splendor of the Most High.

Theotokion: Most divinely perceiving of old the ineffable depth of the mystery of thy precious birthgiving, O divinely joyous one, the honored prophets proclaimed it beforehand, using divers images as they received them.

Ode VI

Irmos: I pour forth my prayer unto the Lord, and to Him do I declare my grief; for my soul is full of evil and my life hath drawn nigh unto hell, and like Jonah I pray: Lead me up from corruption, O God!

Through thy supplications the blind recovered their sight, O divinely wise father; for, having Christ working with thee, and the eyes of thy soul ever directed toward Him, thou didst richly receive that which thou didst ask.

Thou didst strike the emperor with awe, O wondrous one, when, entering his palace, thou didst bear burning coals in thy robe; for God glorified thee who, by thy life, didst glorify Him, O Leo.

The shrine of thy relics emitteth sweet fragrance and ever poureth forth a divine oil, like a pure and fragrant wellspring, O most blessed one. And thereby is sickness driven from the faithful and health given to those in need.

Theotokion: Sanctify my soul, O Virgin who gavest birth to the holy Word, our One God, Who truly resteth most purely in the saints; and, as thou art merciful, bestow upon me a shower of compunction, O most immaculate one.

Kontakion, in Tone VIII, Special Melody: “As firstfruits…”

The Church hath thee, O most blessed one, as a great beacon shining more brightly than the sun. By thy supplications preserve it invincible, unshaken and unharmed by any heresy, in that thou art ever-memorable.

Ode VII

Irmos: In the furnace the Hebrew children boldly trod the flame underfoot and transformed the fire into dew, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Emulating, while in the flesh, the ranks of the divine incorporeal beings, O divinely wise one, thou didst serve God unceasingly, chanting: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

The ears of the deaf didst thou open by thy divine supplications, O most blessed one; and thou didst manifestly enable the lame to walk aright, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

At the Master’s divine behest thou didst remain unconsumed when thou didst enter into the midst of the fire; and at thy prayer, Heliodorus, who was not close to it, was consumed by righteous judgment.

Theotokion: The fire of the Godhead did not consume thy womb, O Virgin Mother, but became incarnate of thee, bedewing the ends of the earth with divine splendors. Wherefore, we chant to thee.

Ode VIII

Irmos: Becoming vanquishers of the tyrant and the flame by Thy grace, taking exceeding care to keep Thy commandments, the children cried out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Grace was poured forth into thine ears, O father Leo, initiate of the divine mysteries; wherefore, God anointed thee hierarch for the people who cried out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Thou wast well-pleasing to the all-eternal King, O most blessed father Leo, and didst stand before the earthly king bearing burning embers, astonishing his mind with exceeding glorious miracles.

Planted like a fruitful olive-tree in the house of the Lord, O father, thou bringest forth as fruit, even after thy demise, a divine oil from thy godly body, ever driving every illness from the faithful who have recourse to thee with love, O wise one.

Theotokion: He Who bringeth about all blessings by His will, O most immaculate one, desiring to make His abode in thy womb, appeared in the flesh and hath deified me, who before became corrupt through the evil counsel of the serpent.

Ode IX

Irmos: Every ear trembleth to hear of the ineffable condescension of God, for the Most High willingly came down even to the flesh, becoming man through the Virgin’s womb. Wherefore we, the faithful, magnify the all-pure Theotokos.

That we may, with godly voices, call thee blessed who lived venerably, and hast ascended to the heavens, rejoicing, by thy supplications save us from sufferings, tribulations and evil circumstances, O right-wondrous holy hierarch and pastor.

As a branch of the true Vine, O father, thou didst put forth the grapes of the virtues, which pour forth the sweetness of miracles; and drinking thereof with faith, those who ever praise thee receive health and joy, O Leo most wise.

Thy body was the temple of the holy and worshipful Spirit, O father Leo, and now lieth within the divine temple which thou didst erect to His glory and in honor of the martyr Lucia, pouring forth rivers of miracles upon us who venerate thee with faith.

Ever illumining the ends of the year with rays of the virtues, like a most radiant sun, thou hast now passed over to the never-waning Light. Wherefore, O Leo most rich, from darkness most cruel deliver those who celebrate thy splendid memory.

Theotokion: I fear Thy second coming, O only King, and, having sinned immeasurably before Thee, am afraid and tremble in mind; but as Thou art good, turn and save me, O Jesus, through the prayers of her who gave birth unto Thee.