Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 7th Day of the Month of June

Commemoration of the Holy Hieromartyr Theodotus, Bishop of Ancyra

At Vespers

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

With joyful heart and steadfast resolve, O martyr, thou didst truly brave the torments, undaunted by the pangs of the torturers or a violent death; wherefore, having contended lawfully, thou hast been crowned with splendor, O Theodotus.

By the testing of thy flesh thou didst wound the adversary, O blessed one, and didst pierce their hearts with thy rebukes; and with the drops of thy blood which thou didst shed thou didst utterly dry up torrents of ungodliness, O all-blessed one.

Burned steadily with torches and your back lacerated with stripes, thou didst endure, O martyr, crying aloud: “Naught shall ever separate me from the love of Christ neither death, nor life, nor any other torment!”

If Alleluia be chanted at Matins instead of “God is the Lord…”, we chant these stichera of the Theotokos before the foregoing stichera of the hieromartyr, in the same tone & melody

Beset by hopeless falls, yet having thee alone as an intercessor, O pure Virgin, we cry out in thanksgiving: Cleanse us, O all-holy Bride of God, for thou art the refuge of the world and the help of our race!

With the rod of thine intercession, O pure Theotokos, quickly drive the bestial passions away from my wretched soul, governing my life in peace, and reckon me among the holy flock of thy chosen sheep.

Sinking in the deep of offenses, yet fleeing to the calm harbor of thine all-pure supplication, O Theotokos, I cry unto thee: Save me, O all-immaculate one, extending thy mighty right hand to thy servant!

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

Having stumbled headlong through my corrupt character, I lie prostrate, O Virgin, yet I flee to thy serenity. Deliver me from the storm of the adversary and from multifarious temptations, that I may unceasingly hymn thy grace, O ever-virgin Mother and Theotokos.

Stavrotheotokion

Standing before the Cross of thy Son and God, and beholding His long-suffering, weeping, thou didst say, O pure Mother: “Woe is me, O my Child most sweet! What are these things Thou dost suffer unjustly, O Word of God, that Thou mightest save humanity?”

Troparion, in Tone IV

As thou didst share in the ways of the apostles and didst occupy their throne, thou didst find thine activity to be a passage to divine vision, O divinely inspired one. Wherefore, speaking aright the word of truth, thou didst suffer for the Faith even to the shedding of thy blood. O hieromartyr Theodotus, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

At Matins

Canon of the hieromartyr, the acrostic whereof is “Thou wast truly the gift of God, O blessed one,” the composition of Joseph, in Tone IV

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!

The noetic Sun, showing thee to be a divinely shining star in the heights of His Church, O blessed one, illumined all the earth with the splendors of thy sufferings.

Inclined toward God from the years of thy youth, O Theodotus, thou didst manifestly illumine thy soul with divinely bestowed virtues, and hast adorned the world with thine honored sufferings.

Seeing the nets of the deceiver spread out upon the earth, the glorious martyr passed through them all, making the souls of the pious steadfast through his teachings and grace.

Theotokion: Bowing down the heavens in His surpassing loving-kindness, the Son of God descended and became incarnate of thee, O pure one, saving man from the beguilement of the serpent.

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.

Ever gazing upon God with noetic eyes, O ever-memorable martyr, thou didst not feel the wound inflicted upon thy body when thou wast wounded in every part.

Thou wast in nowise shaken by the onset of pangs, O martyr, nor by the blandishments of the iniquitous, but stood immovably on the hard rock of the Faith of Christ, O glorious Theodotus.

Though he inflicted many wounds upon thy body, the persecutor was in nowise able to weaken the strength of thy soul, O blessed one, who was made steadfast by the divine love of the Savior.

Theotokion: The divinely eloquent choir of the prophets, perceiving from afar the profound mystery of thee, O all-pure Bride of God, with many and varied cries proclaimed thee to be the pure Mother of God.

Sessional hymn, in Tone I, Special Melody: “Thy tomb, O Savior…”

O blessed Theodotus, thou wast truly a star of great radiance, illumining creation with gifts of miracles and sacred sufferings; wherefore, celebrating thy splendid memorial today, we magnify Christ in gladness of heart.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

O pure Virgin Theotokos, Bride of God, only intercessor and protection of the faithful: From misfortunes, tribulations and grievous circumstances deliver all who set their hope on thee, O Maiden, and save our souls by thy divine supplications.

Stavrotheotokion

The unblemished Ewe-lamb, seeing her Lamb and Shepherd hanging dead upon the Tree, exclaimed, weeping and crying out maternally: “How can I bear Thine ineffable condescension and voluntary suffering, O my Son, mine all-good God?”

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.

With the wisdom of thy words and the grace of thy deeds thou didst manifestly put to shame the prince of darkness, O Theodotus, and didst win victory over him, having struggled gloriously.

With the fire of thy sufferings thou didst manifestly consume the falsehood of polytheism, O martyr, and having mystically lighted thyself with the Holy Spirit like a lamp, thou didst enlighten the whole world.

Thy sides mightily lacerated and truly covered all over with cruel wounds, thou wast known to be unshaken in mind because of thy faith, O glorious and ever-memorable one.

Theotokion: Preserving thee as incorrupt after giving birth as thou wast before birthgiving, O Virgin, the Creator made His abode within thy womb, and restored those who had become corrupt through many offenses.

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.

Protected by divine force, O wise martyr, with thy patience thou didst manifestly endure the onslaughts of the iniquitous, the affliction of tortures and burning.

Preaching the word of piety, O divinely wise martyr, thou didst journey far on paths of travel, and didst turn to the Light those led astray by the darkness of vanity.

Like a lamb thou wast suspended upon a tree, O martyr, and thou didst endure maiming with iron blades as though thou wast without a body, stripping away the coarseness of mortality, O blessed one.

Theotokion: O pure Virgin, of thy pure blood thou truly gavest birth to the incarnate Word of the Father in two perfect natures but a single hypostasis, O divinely joyous one.

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!

With thy sacred discourses thou didst oil the pure women for the contest, O martyr, and bringing down the enemy with manly exertions, they have woven crowns of incorruption.

Protecting thy soul with the might of the Spirit, by thine endurance of wounds thou didst cast down the spirits of evil, O right wondrous one, and hast received from God a crown of victory.

With the drops of thy blood, O martyr of Christ, thou didst quench the flame of the idols; and with the dew of thy pangs thou didst moisten the souls of the pious, delivering them from the flame of deception.

Theotokion: He Who is God of every and all creation, noetic and visible, truly made His abode within thy womb, and became flesh, edifying men, O Ever-virgin.

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!

With the fire of thy pangs, O divinely blessed one, thou didst quench the burning of the idols; and in the torrents of thy blood thou didst drown the incorporeal foe, O Theodotus, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Thou didst offer thyself to the Judge of thy contest like incense of sweet savor, O wise one, setting fœtid deception at naught by grace divine; wherefore, thou chantest with joy: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Preserving thy words, the holy Fortus gave thee over to the God-bearing Fortunus for the construction of an honorable temple for the cleansing of all the pious and the preservation of men’s souls, O martyr Theodotus.

Theotokion: O Virgin Mother, thou gavest birth unto Him Who beareth a single hypostasis, yet manifestly hath two wills and essential characteristics; for He Who became incarnate for our sake is both God and man.

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!

An unshakable tower, an unbreakable rampart, an invincible bulwark, a foundation of the Faith, a divine gift, a champion of piety and a destroyer of deception wast thou shown to be, O passion-bearer.

Steered by divine grace, O all-wise one, thou didst traverse the great deep of torments and, rejoicing, didst attain unto the calm harbors of the heavenly kingdom, O glorious one.

Thou didst direct thy steps and feet to Christ, the God and Lord of all, and into His hands thou didst give thy spirit, O thrice-blessed martyr and passion-bearer Theodotus.

Theotokion: The language of the rhetors cannot describe the unfathomable depth of thy mystery, for, in manner past recounting, thou gavest birth to the Word of God for the salvation of all, O all-pure Virgin.

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.

That thou mightest receive heavenly glory, O passion-bearer, rejoicing thou didst spurn visible glory; and committing thyself to tortures with divine resolve, thou wast undaunted by the prospect of tortures and bitter death; wherefore, thou, having struggled, hast been crowned with the martyrs.

Thou didst show thyself to be the pure temple of the Trinity, erected by godly deeds and adorned with the brilliance of splendid sufferings, O Theodotus who art most rich; wherefore, with the divine power of the Comforter thou didst manifestly demolish the demonic temples of the graven images.

Thou wast shown to be a mountain which letteth fall divine sweetness, a wellspring of miracles, an abyss of divine gifts, and a radiant stream of the Holy Spirit giving drink to men’s souls, drowning the passions, and winning joy for all who hymn thee with piety, O glorious martyr.

Theotokion: At the cry of the angel thou gavest birth to the Word Who is without beginning, Who took noetic and animate flesh of thy pure blood, O most pure Virgin, cast down the incorporeal foe, and hath saved all of us who confess thee to be the true Theotokos.