Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 15th Day of the Month of June

The Commemoration of the Holy Prophet Amos

At Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…”, these stichera of the prophet, in Tone II: Special Melody : “When from the Tree…”

The spiritual splendor of thy mind, O all-wondrous prophet, hath revealed a purity which manifestly shineth like a mirror, and hath illumined the world, being resplendent with the brilliance of divine knowledge, prefiguring images of the divine mysteries, and causing grace to be bestowed upon all men.

As the mouth of God, following righteous teachings and divine judgments, thou didst openly denounce the doers of iniquity, condemning them with an inescapable sentence, O thou who art most rich. Wherefore, seeing the fulfillment of thine all-wise words, O blessed one, we praise thee with hymns, as is meet.

Standing before the throne of the Master, full of ineffable and divine glory, and beholding the good things of heaven, filled with light, O divinely eloquent Amos, be thou mindful of all who honor thee with faith, asking that salvation of soul and remission of offenses be granted them all, O thou who art acceptable to God.

Or, if Alleluia is to be chanted at Matins instead of “God is the Lord…”, the following stichera to the Theotokos are chanted first, in the same tone and melody, followed by the stichera to the prophet

Rejoice, O star of solar radiance! Rejoice, O all-immaculate one, who art the cause of all good things! Rejoice thou who didst contain the uncontainable God, causing Him to spring forth as a shoot of immortality! Rejoice, divine chariot and most splendid portal! Rejoice, O Maiden who, as the mediatress of good things, art the abolisher of the curse of our first mother!

O all-pure one, the joy of all who sorrow, intercessor for the oppressed, feeder of the poor, comfort of travellers, staff of the blind, visitation of the ailing, protection and helper of those who labor and assister of the orphaned art thou, O Mother of God Most High. Haste thou, we pray, to save thy servants!

Thou art the protection and help and a mighty refuge for us Christians, O Mother of God Most High. And now, as ever, cease not to pray with thy ready supplication, to save thy servants from all evil circumstances: for with God all of us Christians have thee as a help and refuge.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

No other mighty refuge, or tower of strength, or unassailable rampart have we acquired than thee, O all-pure one. To thee do we flee, and to thee do we cry out: O Mistress, help us, lest we perish! Show forth upon us thy grace, and the strength of thy glory, and the magnitude of thy loving-kindness.

Or this Stavrotheotokion

When the unblemished ewe-lamb beheld her Lamb led to the slaughter of His own will as a man, weeping, she said: “Now Thou hastenest to leave me childless who gave birth to Thee, O Christ! Why hast Thou done this, O Deliverer of all? Yet I hymn and glorify Thine utter goodness, which passeth understanding and recounting, O Thou Who lovest mankind!”

At Matins

Canon, in Tone VII:

Ode I

Irmos: To God Who overthrew Pharaoh in the Red Sea let us chant a hymn of victory, for He hath been glorified.

Having cleansed my mind of the passions of benighted thought, illumine it, that it may hymn Amos Thy prophet, O Master.

Manifest as an initiate of the mysteries of God which pass understanding, O glorious one, thou wast counted worthy to see beyond the things of the present.

Shown to be an undefiled and pure resting-place of God, O Amos, thou didst receive the divine activity of the Spirit.

Theotokion: In accordance with prophecy, O all-pure one, thou didst restore the fallen tabernacle of Adam, having borne God the Savior in thy womb.

Ode III

Irmos: The Church of Christ hath been confirmed by faith; for it crieth out unceasingly in hymns, chanting: Holy art Thou, O Lord! Thee doth my spirit hymn!

Denouncing the iniquitous, O Amos, thou didst show forth the righteousness of the Lord, crying out, O divinely revealed one: Holy art Thou, O Lord, Who savest our souls!

Thou wast shown to be a pillar of the New Testament, O prophet, supporting the roof thereof, O divinely manifest one, and crying out: Holy art Thou, O Lord, Who savest our souls!

Having mastered divine things, O divinely eloquent and godly Prophet Amos, thou didst cry out, enlightening the people: Holy art Thou, O Lord, Who savest our souls!

Theotokion: Confessing thy divine birthgiving, and thee to be our intercessor, O Virgin, I have been firmly established; and made rich, I cry out: Rejoice, O Bride of God, my hope and my help!

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

A prophet, a divine instrument of the Comforter, wast thou, O blessed one, ever manifestly called by His grace; for thou givest utterance to the revelation of things unknown, and illuminest with faith those who have recourse unto thee. O glorious Amos, entreat Christ God to grant us great mercy.

Glory…, Now and ever…, of the Pentecostarion, or this Theotokion

Though the one Lord became man, taking flesh in thy womb, yet did He not separate Himself from the divine essence, remaining God, and preserving thee, His Mother, even after giving birth, an immaculate Virgin as thou wast before birthgiving. Him do thou earnestly entreat, that He grant us great mercy.

Stavrotheotokion

The undefiled ewe-lamb of the Word, the incorrupt Mother and Virgin, beholding Him Who sprang forth from her without pain hanging upon the Cross, lamenting maternally, cried out: “Woe is me, O my Child! How is it that Thou sufferest willingly, wishing to deliver man from the indignity of the passions?”

Ode IV

Irmos: I have heard report of Thee, O Lord, that Thou hast appeared on earth to save us. Wherefore, we cry out: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

The people of Israel who were worshipping deaf idols didst thou denounce; wherefore, thou didst tell them that they would be exiled, O right-wondrous one.

Thee who first wast a shepherd did God show to be a prophet, taking thee for Himself, O sacred Amos. Wherefore, with faith we all call thee blessed.

Reflecting rays of light through the radiance of the Holy Spirit like a mirror, O Amos, rejoicing, thou showest forth piety unto all.

Theotokion: The Word Who made His abode within thee, O pure one, hath reformed mine essence, which fell of old through disobedience.

Ode V

Irmos: I rise at dawn to Thee, O compassionate Lord, and I cry unto Thee: illumining my soul, darkened by sins, with the light of Thy commandments, do Thou guide it!

Those slain with the javelin of luxury didst thou revile, O blessed one, as ones who cherish the ease of the belly and transitory and corrupt pleasure.

Illumined with rich outpourings of light, thou wast shown to be divinely eloquent and a converser with God, proclaiming the true way of piety to all.

Pray thou, O blessed one, that all who hymn thee may be delivered from the beguilements and snares of the enemy, and that they may be illumined with the heavenly light of the kingdom of Christ.

Theotokion: O Mother and Virgin, Mother of God, through thee may we who confess thee to be the Theotokos receive the kingdom and nourishment which cannot be taken away.

Ode VI

Irmos: From the belly of hades Jonah cried out: Lead up my life from corruption! And we cry out to Thee: O Almighty Savior, have mercy on us!

Shining with radiant beams of the Truth, thou didst smite the prophet of falsehood, mightily denouncing him and foretelling his destruction. Twice

Thou didst dim the flame of beguilement, O prophet, shining forth the radiance of piety upon all, like the sun, in that thou hast received the effulgence of the Spirit.

Theotokion: I hymn thine all-pure virginity, O Virgin, and I glorify the ineffable and honored birthgiving, whereby I am saved from corruption and death, O all-pure one.

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

Having cleansed thy radiant heart by the Spirit, O glorious Prophet Amos, and received the gift of prophecy from on high, thou didst cry aloud throughout the land: Behold our God! There is none other like unto Him!

Ode VII

Irmos: Cast into the fiery furnace, the venerable youths transformed the fire into dew, crying aloud thus in hymnody: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers!

The divine salvation which thou didst foretell hath been revealed, O wondrous Prophet Amos. Illumining the world with rays of piety, thou didst cry out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers! Twice

Strengthened by the power of God, thou wast not harmed by the enemies opposed to God, but remained as hard as adamant, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers!

Theotokion: We glorify the birthgiving of the Virgin, which the mind cannot approach, whereby we have been delivered from death. Wherefore, though born in corruption, we cry out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers!

Ode VIII

Irmos: O ye priests, hymn the one unoriginate King of glory, Whom the hosts of heaven bless, and before Whom the ranks of angels tremble! O ye people, exalt Him supremely forever!

Thou didst hasten to the mountain’s summit, and didst master ineffable things of knowledge, and wast a prophet of the incarnation of the Word, O Amos. Wherefore, we hymn thee unto all ages.

With the keenness of thine intellect wast thou counted worthy to understand, as far as is possible, the Master of all, Who taught thee ineffable things; and thou didst cry out: O ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

As a prophet thou didst receive blessedness, ineffable joy and the kingdom of heaven, O beholder of heavenly things, crying out piously: Ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Theotokion: Without seed, in manner befitting God, O Mother of God, didst thou give birth unto One of the Trinity: the Savior of the world, in two natures. Wherefore, we, the faithful, exalt thee with love forever.

Ode IX

Irmos: O most lauded one, who art higher in eminence than the heavens: without seed didst thou conceive the unoriginate Word and gavest birth for men unto the incarnate God. Wherefore, we all magnify thee.

Thy tongue divinely moved by prophetic revelation and declaring things divine, O Amos, thou didst announce unto all the loving-kindness of God. Wherefore, we all ever call thee blessed. Twice

Ineffable is the glory of the prophets; for the Holy Spirit, making His abode within them, hath shown them to be partakers of His effulgence, and by them are all of us, the faithful, illumined.

Theotokion: Thou hast stripped away my garment of mortality and corruption, O Virgin, having engendered for men the saving garment of the incarnate God. Wherefore, we all ever magnify thee.