Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 21st Day of the Month of June

Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Julian of Tarsus

At Vespers

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

Perceiving thee, O blessed martyr Julian, as a brilliant sun illumining the fullness of the world with noetic splendors, we celebrate thy radiant and divine memory, and bow down before the shrine of thy relics, drawing forth health for our souls.

Beaten, wounded and grievously scourged, imprisoned in a dungeon, O blessed one, driven from place to place, caged with wild beasts, brought unto the sea and drowned in the deep, thou didst receive a blessed end, refusing to deny the Master of all, O glory of the martyrs, who art most rich.

Cast up upon dry land out of the bosom of the sea by the action of the Spirit, thou wast seen by an honorable woman, who faithfully took thee up, O martyr Julian, and committed to burial thine immaculate and much-suffering body, which had vanquished the tyranny of the devil through the workings of grace.

Glory…, in Tone VI

Having drawn forth the inexhaustible drink of the immaculate Faith, O blessed one, thou didst extinguish the worship of idols, and didst victoriously pass through the contest, made luminous with dew, shining like a never-waning star of Christ, the ever-shining Sun; and, emitting rays of martyrdom in each city, thou didst receive a blessed end in the sea, and didst come before the face of Christ as a crown-bearer. Him do thou beseech, O all-glorious Julian, that He save those who celebrate thy memory with faith.

Now and ever…: Theotokion, or this Stavrotheotokion, Special Melody: “Having set all aside…”

Of old, when the unblemished ewe-lamb, the immaculate Mistress, beheld her Lamb uplifted upon the Cross, she exclaimed maternally and, marvelling, cried aloud: “O my Child most sweet, what is this new and all-glorious sight? How is it that the ungrateful assembly hath betrayed Thee to the judgment of Pilate and condemneth Thee, the Life of all, to death? Yet do I hymn, O Word, Thine ineffable condescension.”

At the Aposticha, the stichera from the Octoechos, and Glory…, in Tone VI

Come, ye who love the martyrs, let us piously glorify the glorious Julian, the athlete of Christ, the compatriot of Paul, who was shown to be his fellow mystagogue, and who likewise finished the race; for, entering the water, he crushed the head of the serpent with the aquatic beasts, sanctifying the earth with his blood and the sea by his passage, being translated from things here to the eternal mansions, and receiving honor for his struggles from the hand of the Almighty; and he asketh cleansing for our souls and great mercy.

Stavrotheotokion, Special Melody: “On the third day…”

Standing with the virginal disciple by the Tree at the time of the crucifixion, the Virgin cried aloud, weeping: “Woe is me! How is it that Thou sufferest, O Christ, Who art the dispassion of all?”

Troparion, in Tone IV

In his suffering, O Lord, Thy martyr Julian received an imperishable crown from Thee, our God; for, possessed of Thy might, he set at nought the tormenters, and crushed the feeble audacity of the demons. By his supplications save Thou our souls.

At Matins

Both canons from the Octoechos; and this canon of the martyr, the acrostic whereof is: “With hymns I crown the martyr Julian”, the composition of John the Monk, in Tone VIII

Ode I

Irmos: Let us chant unto the Lord, Who led His people through the Red Sea, for He alone hath gloriously been glorified.

Let Thy glorious athlete and his all-honored memory be praised with sacred hymns, for he hath been glorified with unapproachable glory.

Waging the contest of martyrdom in the weakness of thy flesh even unto the shedding of thy blood, thou didst not stumble and fall, O warrior of Christ.

Thou wast adorned with the wounds of martyrdom, shining with luster greater than that of gold and precious stones, O holy one.

Theotokion: O pure Theotokos, we hymn thee who gavest birth to the incarnate Word, eternal and all-divine, in manner transcending nature.

Ode III

Irmos: Thou art the confirmation of those who have recourse to Thee, O Lord; Thou art the light of the benighted; and my spirit doth hymn Thee.

“I have been commanded not to worship stones wrought by men’s hands, as though they were God!” Julian replied to the mindless judge.

Thou didst stand before the tribunal of the tyrant, O martyr Julian, as though standing before Christ, the Judge of the living and the dead.

“I have not been foolish in confessing God Who alone is hymned in the indivisible Trinity!” said Julian.

Theotokion: O all-pure one, grant us help through thy supplications, repelling the assaults of grievous circumstances.

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

In a flood of waters thou didst receive thy blessed end, O wise one, drowning the multifarious serpent therein, and thou didst receive the victory. Wherefore, celebrating thy right laudable memory with love, we pray: Entreat Christ in our behalf.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

Unto the path of repentance guide us who have ever gone astray in the trackless wastes of evils and have angered the all-good Lord, O blessed Mary who knewest not wedlock, thou refuge of despairing men and dwelling-place of God.

Stavrotheotokion

Beholding Thee stretched out, dead, upon the Cross, Thine immaculate Mother cried aloud: “O my Son Who with the Father and the Spirit art without beginning, what is this, Thine ineffable dispensation, whereby Thou hast saved the creation of Thine all-pure hands, O Compassionate One?”

Ode IV

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

Julian surrendered his body to multifarious wounds without sensing pain, for it was preserved by the love of Christ.

Desiring the purple cloak of heaven, O all-glorious Julian, as a favorite of Christ thou didst leave the cloak of thine earthly body to the persecutors.

O thou who art most rich, it was not the power of thy body but thine undeniable desire for the sufferings of Christ which made thee victorious over the deception of the demons.

Theotokion: In that Thou art sinless, O God, grant us cleansing of our ignorant acts and give peace to the world, through the supplications of her who gave Thee birth.

Ode V

Irmos: Waking at dawn, we cry to Thee: Save us, O Lord! For Thou art our God, and we know none other than Thee.

Emulating the Master in all things, O all-praised one, thou didst stand, condemned, before the tribunal of the iniquitous.

Struggling lawfully, like an innocent lamb thou wast slaughtered for the Master by the hands of the iniquitous, O blessed one.

Thou didst reckon neither family nor earthly rank higher than thy Christianity, O glorious martyr.

Theotokion: O Mary Theotokos who knewest not wedlock, render vain the expectation of the enemy, and gladden those who hymn thee.

Ode VI

Irmos: Grant me a robe of light, O Thou Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment, O most merciful Christ our God.

Thy glorious favorite was not ashamed of Thee Who wast nailed to the Tree, O Christ, but cherished Thee as a treasury of glory.

The divine mysteries of the martyrs of Christ have been revealed by divinely eloquent tongues, but they have not spoken vile falsehoods.

O glorious athlete of Christ, ask healing of all passions and the remission of offenses for those who hymn thee.

Theotokion: Be thou our entreaty to our Savior and thine, O all-pure one, for thou art the boast and help of our race.

Kontakion, in Tone II, Special Melody: “The grave and mortality…”

As is meet, let us all praise Julian today, the invincible warrior of piety, the true counsellor and soldier of the Truth, and let us cry aloud unto him: Entreat Christ God in behalf of us all!

Ikos: Thou didst tread the path of the Lord from childhood, O thrice-blessed one, and didst piously desire to bear witness to Him. Eagerly taking the cross upon thy shoulder, O divinely wise Julian, thou didst destroy the grievous falsehood of the madness of idolatry, demolishing the temples of the enemy, his wiles and snares. Wherefore, with faith we hasten to thy protection, O thou who art most rich, crying aloud: Entreat Christ God in behalf of us all!

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!

Thy lauded and glorious memory, O warrior of Christ, causeth sweet-smelling myrrh to fall upon those who chant unceasingly: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Ineffable glory crowneth those who are assembled to praise thee, O warrior of Christ, and who chant unceasingly: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Refusing to obey the edict of the tyrant, thou didst not worship a created thing, O invincible one, but didst cry aloud to the living God alone: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Theotokion: He who dwelt within the all-immaculate Virgin annulled the curse of Eve, pouring forth a wellspring of blessing upon those who cry: Blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, O Mistress!

Ode VIII

Irmos: When the musical instruments sounded and innumerable were those who worshipped the image in Dura, the three youths, refusing to obey the tyrant’s command, hymned and glorified the Lord for all ages.

The deceiver flattered thee and by tortures sought to draw thee into deception, O Julian, but thou didst cry aloud: Hymn the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Mightier than a lion, thou didst set the tyrant at nought during thy torments, O Julian, crying out in gladness: Hymn the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

The rushing of the fire could not separate thee, nor the keen edge of the sword cut thee off from God the Creator; and thou didst cry out, exclaiming: Hymn the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Theotokion: Chanting as is meet, we, the faithful, cry out “Rejoice!” unto thee who gavest birth to the Lord of all, O Mary, who didst remain a virgin even after giving birth; and we exalt thee supremely for all ages.

Ode IX

Irmos: O ye people, with glory let us honor the pure Theotokos, who received the fire of the Godhead in her womb without being consumed, and let us magnify her with hymns.

O warrior of God, thou didst cast down the haughty eye of the incorporeal deceiver, having struggled manfully in the flesh, ever magnifying Christ.

Cast into the depths of the sea, thou didst avoid the nest of the serpent, the enemy, the author of evil, O wise and blessed one; wherefore, we bless thee with hymns.

As thou didst struggle well in sufferings for the Master, thou hast been crowned with beauty by the right hand of the Master; wherefore, we bless thee as is meet.

Theotokion: O pure one, in the bush on the mountain Moses beheld thee who received the unbearable fire of the Godhead without being consumed. Wherefore, we all magnify thee.

Exapostilarion

Like the radiant sun thou guidest all creation with beams of miracles, O all-glorious passion-bearer; wherefore, celebrating thy memory, we ask that we all be delivered from misfortunes.

Theotokion

Amid battles cause Thine inheritance to prevail, O Word, granting victories over barbarians unto Orthodox, through the supplications of the Theotokos, whom Thou hast given unto Christians as a helper.

At Divine Liturgy

Prokimenon, in Tone IV

In the saints that are in His earth hath the Lord been wondrous; He hath wrought all His desires in them.

Stichos: I beheld the Lord ever before me, for He is at my right hand, that I might not be shaken.

Epistle to the Ephesians, §233 [Eph. 6: 10-17]

Brethren: Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Alleluia, in Tone IV

Stichos: The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them, and He delivered them out of all their tribulations.

Stichos: Many are the tribulations of the righteous, and the Lord shall deliver them out of them all.

Gospel according to Luke, §106 [Lk. 21: 12-18]

The Lord said to His disciples: “Beware of men. They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake. But there shall not a hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.”

Communion Verse

In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be; he shall not be afraid of evil tidings.