Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 27th Day of the Month of February

Commemoration of Our Venerable Father Procopius the Decapolite, the Confessor

At Vespers

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

With most pious thought, with purity and holiness of mind, by restraining the passions, and by observing the commandments of Christ and piety, O most blessed one who art most rich, thou didst strive to preserve the dignity of the image which was, in the beginning, fashioned according to the image and likeness of God.

Having first undertaken ascetic endeavor, and followed it afterwards with suffering in divinely wise manner, thou wast in both well pleasing unto the Creator, Who alone requireth of us purity and nobility of soul. And glorifying His advent in the flesh, thou didst venerate the holy image of His divine manhood.

Denouncing those who wickedly rejected the incarnation of the Word, O venerable one, thou didst perfect the truth, upholding it by enduring wounds and all manner of afflictions, by thy fetters and imprisonment; wherefore, thou becamest an heir to the kingdom of Christ, to ineffable joy and everlasting radiance.

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

As thou makest untiring supplication and ceaseless entreaty before God, O all-pure one, quell thou the temptations and still the waves of my wretched soul; calm my heart, which is afflicted, I beseech thee, O Maiden, and bring grace to my mind, that I may glorify thee as is meet.

Stavrotheotokion, in the same tone & melody

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

Troparion, in Tone VIII

With the torrents of thy tears thou didst irrigate the desert; by the sighs which arose from the depths of thy soul thou didst bring forth fruit an hundredfold; and thou wast a beacon for the whole world, shining with miracles. O Procopius our father, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

At Matins

Canon, the acrostic whereof is: “I rightly hymn thy struggles, 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!

Made fast by love of piety, thou didst withstand the threefold waves of the world by thy divine zeal, O venerable one, crying out to God a hymn of victory, for He is glorious.

Thy radiant life and splendor of soul manifestly wrought within thee, O venerable one, an intense image of mingled piety and virtue.

Illumined by the supernatural and radiant teaching of Christ, by asceticism thou didst cause the assaults of the passions to fade away, chanting a hymn of victory unto the Omnipotent One.

Theotokion: Having conceived in godly manner the incarnate Word Who before was incorporeal, O pure and all-pure one, in manner transcending nature thou gavest birth to Him for us, remaining a Virgin even after giving birth.

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.

Thy God-pleasing soul, aflame with zeal on account of thy faith, O blessed God-bearer, mightily destroyed the bitter cruelty and rage of the iniquitous.

Stained by thy blood, thou didst emulate the sufferings of the martyrs, O thrice-blessed Procopius, and with manly soul thou didst patiently endure wounding at the hands of the impious.

Thou didst wisely undertake a twofold struggle, O venerable one, denouncing heresies and manfully enduring the assaults of the lions with godly wisdom, O divinely wise Procopius.

Theotokion: The Wisdom and Word of the Father, Who, though existing from before all time, in the latter days ineffably became incarnate of a Mother who knew not man, made her the Theotokos.

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

Adorned with the beauties of abstinence, thou didst adorn thy soul with the blood of martyrdom, and hast shone forth more brightly than the sun, O wondrous and venerable Procopius.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

O ye faithful, let us bless the Theotokos, the fervent aid of those in tribulation, our helper and reconciliation with God, through whom we have been delivered from corruption.

Stavrotheotokion

Beholding thy Son lifted up upon the Tree, O all-pure one, thou didst piteously cry out, thy maternal womb wracked with pain: “Woe is me! How is it that Thou hast waned, O my timeless Light?”

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.

Setting fire to thy heart with torrents of tears, O blessed and venerable one, thou didst cultivate the seed of the virtues with pure thought, O venerable Procopius.

Thou didst subject earthly wisdom to the divine, O father, taking up a life of fasting and joining the choirs of the martyrs, O most blessed one.

As a martyr divine and most true in piety, thou didst denounce the insanity of the heretics; for thou didst manfully disdain the cruelty of the ungodly.

Theotokion: Having conceived the Creator outside the laws of nature, O most immaculate one, thou gavest birth to Him without corruption, and didst surely become the true Theotokos.

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.

We honor thee as is meet, O father, who wast sanctified by fasting and didst end thy life in blood; for the memory of the righteous is ever celebrated and commemorated with hymns of praise.

The Lord, Who wisely transformeth all and arrangeth it for the good, as He desireth, through thine abstinence and the glory of thy martyrdom transformed the foul murder committed by the ungodly.

Taking the full armor of the Cross upon thy shoulders, O father, thou didst follow after Christ, forgetting all that lay behind thee, intent upon the race which lay ahead.

Theotokion: O all-pure one, we hymn the Lord Who clothed Himself in mortal flesh taken from Thee, which was subject to the passions, and Who hath made it capable of becoming divine, through his unconfused hypostatic union therewith.

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!

Passing from the glory of fasting, O ever-memorable one, thou didst truly hasten to the glory and honor of martyrdom, clad in the purple robe dyed in thine own blood.

Having overcome the impermanence of transitory things by thy soul and divinely wise thought, O most blessed one, thou didst piously take wing to that which ever existeth, is good and hath no end.

Beholding thee enriched with mighty abstinence and meekness, Christ regarded thee in His love for man, and hath shown thee to have a share in His glory, O athlete Procopius.

Theotokion: O most immaculate Mistress, by thy mystical efforts heal thou the grievous and cruel afflictions of my soul, applying the sufferings of thy Son as true medicines.

Kontakion, in Tone IV: Spec, Mel.: “Thou hast appeared…”

The Church, possessing thee today as a morning star, dispelleth all the darkness of heresy, honoring thee, O all-glorious Procopius, initiate of the heavenly mysteries.

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!

As thy life was all-radiant with fasting, O divinely wise one, so was thy suffering shown to be steadfast; for thou didst glorify Christ, crying aloud: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Girded about with the purity of chastity, O wondrous father, by thy courage under torment and by grace thou didst receive a splendid crown, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

The iniquitous, who do not venerate Thine all-pure image, O Savior, wounded Thy servant, cruelly lacerating him, as he cried out to Thee, saying: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Theotokion: Gladdened by thy birthgiving, we all call thee blessed, O most immaculate one; for now thereby delivered from the corruption of the flesh, we cry out to Him: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

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!

Shown even before thy death to be free from corruption, O venerable one, thou didst depart from hence to life incorruptible, splendidly accepting death as a stairway thereto, O divinely wise Procopius.

Thou wast shown to be full of the radiance of grace and didst depart to the Light which waneth not, O father, laying aside every material desire. Wherefore, we honor thee, O divinely wise Procopius.

Armed with the power of the divine Spirit, thou didst vanquish the hosts of the spirits of wickedness. Wherefore, the portals of heaven were opened to thee, O blessed one, who chantest unto Christ for all ages.

Theotokion: O Mistress who alone art blessed of God, as thou didst foretell, all generations bless thee as the true and all-pure Theotokos, whom we exalt 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.

Willing to suffer under the law, O martyr, with asceticism thou didst mortify the assaults of the passions and the uprisings of the flesh, O favorite of Christ; wherefore, with the incorporeal armies thou hast now found the immortal delight of dispassion.

Thou standest in splendor before the just Judge as a victor, O Procopius, receiving imperishable crowns, and praying earnestly in behalf of those who celebrate thy sacred memory and the divine feast of thy repose.

Illumined now by the threefold radiance which proceedeth ineffably from the one Godhead, thou hast been counted worthy of a rich inheritance and ultimate joy, rejoicing with the armies of heaven, O father Procopius.

Theotokion: The incorrupt Word of God, assuming a corruptible form, hath, by the good pleasure of the Father, clad men in incorruption, having made His abode within thee, the joyous one. Wherefore, O all-pure one, with the armies of heaven we magnify thee.