Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 5th Day of the Month of March

The Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Conon

At Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…,” these stichera, in Tone VIII, Special Melody: “O most glorious wonder….”

O unwaning, divine ray, luminous radiance of the commandments of God, ever-memorable athlete, most excellent of martyrs! Thou hast dispelled the gloom of darkness like a brilliant star, O blessed one! O goodly offering and unblemished sacrifice! Wherefore, unceasingly entreat Christ, that He save our souls.

O all-wise preacher of the Truth, showing thyself to be an armed opponent of ungodliness, thou didst fell the enemy with the suffering of thy head, and didst openly proclaim the command of God, publishing glad tidings to the people who knew them not. O Conon, who dwellest with the martyrs, entreat the Deliverer, that He deliver from the passions thy servants who hymn thee.

Good was the change which the Lord of our fathers wrought upon thee by the right hand of the Most High, O most glorious athlete! A fruit blossoming forth from the root of unbelief wast thou shown to be, O most blessed and all-praised Conon, and, having Christ as thy most excellent Leader, thou didst mightily vanquish the hordes of the demons.

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

Rejoice, bearer of the Light divine, thou star most bright, and tabernacle of sanctity! From thine all-pure womb Light hath shone upon us, illumining the ends of the earth, and enlightening them with His grace. Rejoice, O all-pure one, origin of salvation! Rejoice, report and saying awesome to those who trust in thee!

Or this Stavrotheotokion

Beholding Thee, O Jesus, nailed to the Cross and accepting suffering willingly, the Virgin, Thy Mother, O Master, cried out: “Woe is me, O my sweet Child! How is it that Thou dost unjustly endure wounding, O Physician Who hast healed the infirmity of men and in Thy loving-kindness hast delivered all from corruption?”

At Matins

Canon, the acrostic whereof is: “I hymn Conon, the crowned martyr,” 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!

Illumine my mind with the light which most manifestly abideth in thee, O martyr, that with divine hymnody I may praise thee, the martyr of Christ and steadfast athlete.

Taught by the instruction of the angel of God, O blessed one, thou didst truly transcend the flesh, like an angel on earth, restraining the lusts and adorning thyself

Having kept the commandments of God, thou didst openly revile the iniquity of the heathens, O venerable one; and having convinced many by sacred miracles, thou didst lead them to God by thy teachings.

Theotokion: Having adorned thyself with the comeliness of the virtues, thou didst give birth to Him Who is more comely than all men and Who doth wisely adorn us with His own beauties, O most immaculate one.

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.

Having adorned thy soul with divine virtues, O venerable one, O martyr, thou didst truly make of it a dwelling-place for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Those who of old fell miserably into the abyss are by thine exalted teachings, shining afar, led up to an eminent height, O martyr Conon.

As a temple of God, thou didst cast down idols by thine invocations of God, O most blessed one, standing forth in the temple of the idols, guiding the erring to the knowledge of God.

Theotokion: He Who alone is holy is born of thee, O all-holy one, in manner past understanding and expression, sanctifying mortals who are in thrall to the passions because of the vile counsel of the enemy.

Sessional hymn, in Tone VIII, Special Melody: “Of the Wisdom…”

Having arrayed thyself in the full armor of Christ, thou didst show thyself to be a destroyer of demons and wast a constant sacrifice for the faithful. Possessed of an impregnable tower of faith, thou dost bear us up to the height of thy miracles. Wherefore, thou hast fittingly received wreaths of victory from God, O much-suffering martyr Conon. For this cause we cry to thee: Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of transgressions unto those who honor thy holy memory with love.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Theotokion

Having fallen into the tangled snares of enemies, visible and invisible, beset by the tempest of my countless offenses, O pure one, I flee to the refuge of thy goodness, as to mine ardent help and protection. Wherefore, O all-pure one, earnestly entreat Him Who became incarnate of thee without seed, in behalf of all thy servants who unceasingly pray to thee, O all-pure Theotokos, ever beseeching Him to grant remission of offenses to those who hymn thy glory as is meet.

Or this Stavrotheotokion

Beholding the Lamb, Shepherd and Deliverer upon the Cross, the ewe-lamb exclaimed, weeping, and lamenting bitterly, cried out: “The world rejoiceth, receiving deliverance through Thee; but my womb doth burn, beholding Thy crucifixion which Thou endurest in the loving-kindness of Thy mercy. O long-suffering Lord, abyss and inexhaustible wellspring of mercy, take pity, and grant remission of offenses unto those who with faith hymn thy divine sufferings.

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.

Thou didst demolish the temples of the idolators, O holy martyr, and didst commit their gods to utter destruction, working miracles and performing right wondrous signs.

When the Word of God came to thee in holy manner, O holy martyr, He made the race of demons subject to thee and glorified thee with many miraculous demonstrations.

The All-good One, loving thee greatly, O Conon most great, gave thee the great instructor Michael, manifestly teaching thee mysteries most great.

Theotokion: O holy Mistress who gavest flesh to the most Holy Word, grant sanctification to my soul, guiding my mind which rusheth headlong through trackless wastes.

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.

Having most manifestly dyed a martyr’s cloak for thyself in the streams of thy sacred blood, O right wise martyr, thou dwellest, rejoicing, in habitations and splendors on high.

The evil-minded one stretched thee out, O blessed and ever-memorable one, who possessest a mind wholly stretched out towards God, and he mutilated thee who called upon the great name of the Almighty.

Enlivened by grace, adorned, thou didst as a martyr endure drops which wounded; and vanquishing ungodliness, O Conon, thou wast counted worthy of immortality.

Theotokion: Delivered from the ancestral curse, O all-pure one, we have all received blessing through thee. Wherefore, with love we bless, magnify, honor and call thee blessed.

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!

Having shone like the sun with brilliant virtues and most glorious miracles, and adorned thyself greatly with the endurance of sufferings, thou dost enlighten the ends of the earth which praise thee, O martyr of great renown.

Having shown thyself to be most comely in the beauty of thy wounds, thou workest most excellent miracles; and having died, thou dost still dispel infirmities even after thy burial and drivest away the spirits of deception, O blessed one.

Cure thou the passions of our souls, O wise one, and dispel the weaknesses of the flesh, for thou hast been given by God as a most excellent physician unto us who honor thee, O glorious Conon.

Theotokion: The Lord looked upon thee, and through thee, O all-pure one, visited those who had drawn far away from Him. Wherefore, as thou didst say, the generations of the saved call thee blessed.

Kontakion, in Tone III

Having lived on the earth in purity, like an angel, thou wast thus counted worthy to converse with the angels, and didst bring thy parents to the knowledge of Christ; and having confessed the one God in Trinity, thou didst suffer unto the shedding of thy blood. O martyr Conon, entreat Him unceasingly in behalf of us all.

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!

Never-waning light shone upon thee who hated the darkness of the passions, O venerable one, and gladness seized thee who fought the good fight with diligence. Wherefore, standing before Christ, remember thou us.

Exalted by divine virtues and awesome miracles, O venerable Conon, foundation of martyrs, thou didst show thy heart to be meek and thy mind humble, whereby thou didst destroy all the pride of the enemy.

Dreadful to all the demons wast thou, commanding them to submit at thy sacred command, O divinely wise one, to God Who glorified thee, O Conon, who glorified Him with good works on earth.

Theotokion: He Who accomplisheth all things desired to make His abode in thy truly all-immaculate womb, O Theotokos the one God Who is glorified in the holy councils as great and awesome.

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!

Steadfastly didst thou oppose the vain-minded one who sought to compel thee to worship his strange and abominable gods, O athlete. Wherefore, having suffered lawfully, thou hast been glorified.

Those wounded by the onslaughts of the demons were healed by thy divine teachings and received deliverance from sorrows, hymning thy grace, O divinely wise one.

Those who have recourse with faith to the shrine of the venerable one draw forth the healing of all manner of ailments, for it is manifestly replete with the grace of the Spirit and quencheth the passions with torrents thereof.

Theotokion: Offer supplication to God the Creator, that He save our souls and deliver us from the grasp of the passions and the temptation of evil-doers, O divinely joyous one.

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.

Thou wast seen to be like a ship riding the storm of the world without foundering, O God-bearer, seeing thy freight of good deeds safely to the beautiful harbors of rest, the kingdom of God and light.

Having armed thyself with the Cross as with a breastplate, thou didst strip bare the hordes of the enemy and enslave them under thy beautiful feet; and being a dutiful servant of the Master, thou didst deliver those in thrall to the enemy.

Standing as one crowned before Christ with the countless hosts of heaven, remember us who praise thee with love, that by thy prayers we may find mercy and deliverance from the evil and the cruel, O most lauded Conon.

Theotokion: With thy light, O Virgin, illumine me who am ever caught fast in the night of despondency, am cast down to the ground, and commit every sin through depravity of mind, that, saved by thee, I may hymn thee, the greatly hymned one.