Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 9th Day of the Month of May

Commemoration of the Holy Prophet Isaiah

Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Christopher

At Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera: 3 of the prophet, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Thou hast given a sign…”

Purified by the burning coal of the Godhead for the Incarnate One, the great and glorious Isaiah confirmed his prophecy, and having been vouchsafed to behold divine glory by the great richness of his virtue and purity, he standeth forth as a herald and proclaimeth the coming salvation to the nations and the appearance of God.

Having cleansed mind and thought, O right wondrous Isaiah, as a right pleasing harp of the Spirit, ever sounded by His action and inspiration, thou wast tuned with divine wisdom, O all-glorious one, beholding Him Who sitteth upon an exalted throne, and learning things divine.

Having seen and been taught of the divine seraphim who unceasingly glorify the single dominion of the Godhead in three Hypostases, thou wast assured of the grace of prophecy, O wondrous one; wherefore, celebrating thy most sacred memory, we bring thee before Christ as a most powerful advocate.

And 3 stichera of the martyr, in the same tone, Special Melody: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”

O all-glorious Christopher, thou pillar named after Christ, precious ornament of grace: having cast down the dominion of the mighty, thou didst put the tyrants to shame and didst proclaim Christ, thy Creator, to be thy true King; and by His divine power thou hast received from heaven a divine crown and abiding glory.

Illumined with unapproachable divinity, ineffable grace and constant effulgence, destroying the gloom of idolatry, thou didst splendidly cast down the arrogance of the iniquitous; and, assailed by fire and wounds, thou didst cast down at the tribunal the archer who was thy foe, and wast shown forth as victorious.

The hosts of the armies on high marvelled at thee, the ranks of the martyrs rejoiced with thee, the assemblies of the righteous cried out together, and from on high God crowned thee with His divine hand. Wherefore, we cry out: Through the supplications of Christopher save all who celebrate his divine festival, in that Thou art compassionate.

Glory…, Now and ever…, from the Pentecostarion.

Troparion of the prophet, in Tone II

Celebrating the memory of Thy Prophet Isaiah, O Lord, through him do we entreat Thee: Save Thou our souls!

Glory…: Troparion of the martyr, in Tone IV

Arrayed in vesture dyed with thine own blood, thou standest before the King of hosts, O ever-memorable Christopher; therefore, with the incorporeal ones and the martyrs thou dost sing thrice-holy and awesome melodies. Wherefore, by thy supplications save thou thy flock.

Now and ever…: Troparion from the Pentecostarion.

At Matins

Canon of the prophet and the martyr, the composition of Theophanes, in Tone IV

Ode I

Irmos: I shall sing to Thee, O Lord my God; for Thou didst lead Thy people forth from the bondage of Egypt, and didst overwhelm the chariots of Pharaoh and his might.

Troparia of the Prophet

Enlighten me, O Lord my God, and guide me with splendor, that I may praise the glorious and honored festival of Thy divine prophet.

The divinely sounded clarion of Isaiah, sounding forth unto the earth, hath summoned the children of the Church to celebrate his memory.

Having steadfastly made the passions of thy body subject to the thoughts of thy soul, O God-bearer, thou hast been vouchsafed to behold the glory of the Almighty.

Troparia of the Martyr

Come, all ye Christ-bearers, and let us piously hymn today the memory of Christopher, the divinely wise witness to the Truth.

Having manfully struggled against falsehood, O martyred athlete, strengthened by the might of Christ thou didst trample the threats of the tyrants underfoot.

Theotokion: O all-pure Theotokos, the glorious Isaiah, foreseeing thee as a staff, proclaimed the incarnate Word Who would come forth from thee like a flower.

Ode III

Irmos: The bow of the mighty is become weak, and the strengthless have girded themselves with power; wherefore, my heart is established in the Lord.

Troparia of the Prophet

Receiving the full radiance of the Spirit, O glorious one, thou didst proclaim the ineffable mystery of the dispensation of the Word.

Thou wast caught up to the heights of heaven, and didst show forth the radiance of piety, denouncing the impotence of the vanity of idolatry.

Isaiah prophesied Christ the Master, Who sustaineth the universe, as the all-precious Cornerstone set in Sion.

Troparia of the Martyr

Protected by the armor of the Cross, O martyr Christopher, thou didst endure wounds, and dost now delight, rejoicing, in that which thou didst ever desire.

Thy flesh was cut away by wounds, O Christopher, but thy God-loving soul was nourished with love, meditating on the delight of the kingdom.

Theotokion: Truly the saying of Isaiah hath been fulfilled: for the Virgin hath given birth to the incarnate Bestower of life, the Savior of our souls.

Sessional hymn of the prophet, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Go thou quickly before…”

Having cleansed thy soul of carnal passions, thou didst behold Him Who is God over all, O prophet who art most rich; and shining forth with the radiant beams of prophecy, thou didst say: “The Creator shall be born as a little Babe, Who will save us from corruption through the supplications of her who gave Him birth!”

Glory…: Sessional hymn of the martyr, in the same tone, Special Melody: “Thou hast appeared today…”

Finishing the struggle of martyrdom, O glorious and blessed Christopher, thou didst receive a crown of victory from God. Him do thou beseech, that He deliver us from misfortunes.

Now and ever…: Sessional hymn from the Pentecostarion.

Ode IV

Irmos: Proclaiming the coming of Thine appearance on earth, O Christ God, the prophet cried out with gladness: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Troparia of the Prophet

Ascending to the summit of the virtues, thou didst converse in purity with Him Whom thou didst desire, and didst sing with joy: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Isaiah was entrusted with the grace of prophecy and showed himself to be a dwelling-place of God; and he hath been vouchsafed the incorrupt glory of the heavenly hosts.

As an initiate of ineffable mysteries, O glorious one, full of the divine Spirit thou didst say in a proverb that the children, the Churches of the nations, would be renewed.

Troparia of the Martyr

Thou hast received a heavenly inheritance, O martyr, having struggled for Christ on earth; and thou hast manfully extinguished the idolatrous falsehood of the cruel demon.

As he had tempted our forefather Adam of old, the serpent exposed thee to a woman’s temptation, O martyr, but though he sought to choke thee, he was vanquished and put to shame.

Theotokion: The Babe born of the Mother of God without pain hath been given to us by the prophetess; and the godly Isaiah hath proclaimed that His government is upon His shoulders.

Ode V

Irmos: Send down upon us Thine enlightenment, O Lord, and free us from the gloom of transgressions, O Good One, granting us Thy peace.

Troparia of the Prophet

Beholding the mystery hidden from above and the ancient counsel of the Most High, thou didst announce God’s dispensation concerning us, O divinely eloquent one.

The ever-flowing wellspring of Thy sufferings, O Lord, washeth away our passions; for Thou hast come, O Savior, as the Prophet Isaiah hath taught.

The pious Isaiah hath proclaimed to the ignorant the one Trinity in a single Essence: the Word and the Holy Spirit Who have Their origin in God the Father.

Troparia of the Martyr

With the enlightenment of grace thou didst fish for men, and thou didst manifestly set at nought the savagery of the ungodly tyrants, O wise one, invested on earth with power from on high.

Manifestly desiring the enjoyment of heaven more than anything earthly, O wise Christopher, thou didst mightily endure the pangs of martyrdom, strengthened by the Cross.

Theotokion: O Lord, Isaiah clearly saw Thee sitting on the cloud of Thy most hymned Mother, casting down the idols of Egypt.

Ode VI

Irmos: Prefiguring Thy three-day burial, the Prophet Jonah, praying within the sea monster, cried out: Deliver me from corruption, O Jesus, King of hosts!

Troparia of the Prophet

Transported by the Spirit, Isaiah beheld on the throne of dominion the threefold shining Glory which is hymned with the thrice-holy hymn.

To thy fearful lips, O Isaiah, did the seraph bear the burning coal, carrying it with tongs; and he made thee a prophet of God, mystically consecrated.

Perceiving from afar the fulfillment of his prophecies, Isaiah rejoiceth spiritually with the angels and, leaping up, glorifieth Him Who fulfilled his prophecies.

Troparia of the Martyr

Waging war not against flesh or blood, the valiant one vanquished principalities and demons, strengthened by the invisible power of the Son of God.

Piously loving the uttermost Desire, O athlete, thou didst not feel the pain when thou wast lacerated, ever elevating thy mind to thy Master.

Theotokion: Beholding the Virgin who conceived in her womb and gave birth to the Word, the Son of God incarnate, the glorious Prophet Isaiah now rejoiceth.

Kontakion of the prophet, In Tone II, Special Melody: “The tomb and mortality…”

Receiving the gift of prophecy, O martyred Prophet Isaiah, thou herald of God, thou didst explain to all the incarnation of the Lord, exclaiming aloud to the ends of the earth: “Behold, a Virgin shall conceive in her womb!”

Ikos: Let all of us, the faithful of all lands, come together to hymn Isaiah, wondrous among the prophets, as is meet; for, receiving the gift of prophecy, he illumineth the world, proclaiming unto all the mystery of the divine union, and crying out with them: “The invisible God is with us! Behold, a Virgin shall conceive in her womb!”

Ode VII

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the children of Abraham trampled upon the flame of the furnace, crying aloud in hymns: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Troparia of the Prophet

Beholding the deliverance of salvation which will come upon us, Isaiah cried aloud: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

With the grace of prophecy and the crown of martyrdom hath Isaiah been crowned, who is my strength and my song. O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

With thy God-bearing tongue thou didst lay down the bounds of piety and the laws of life, O divinely inspired prophet. O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Troparia of the Martyr

Having run the path of martyrdom with endurance, Christopher dwelleth in the mansions of heaven, chanting: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

With the dew of piety Christopher caused the flame of ungodliness to die out, crying out in hymns: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Theotokion: Beholding the supernatural birthgiving and the splendor of purity of the Virgin, Isaiah cried out: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Ode VIII

Irmos: The children in Babylon, consumed by zeal divine, manfully trampled the tyrant and the flame underfoot; and, cast into the midst of the fire, bedewed they chanted: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Troparia of the Prophet

Arrayed in figure with a bridegroom’s robe of gladness, the glorious Isaiah now rejoiceth in gladness, and delighting in divine food, he exclaimeth with the angels: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

The accursed ones who, deceived by the words of the demons, cut themselves off from God of old, have rightly fallen away from the pure earth, in accordance with the prophet’s words; and they are unable to chant: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Forsaking falsehood, multitudes of the gentiles have hastened to divine radiance and have betrothed themselves to the Church of Christ, as Isaiah said of old; and with hymns they now chant: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Troparia of the Martyr

The wave of the madness of idolatry, boldly hurtling forth, hath broken on the steadfast and adverse opposition of the martyrs, who accepted tribulations for Christ and cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Beautifully arrayed now in a royal robe empurpled in thy blood, O invincible martyr Christopher, thou joinest chorus with the angelic choirs and dost chant to thy Creator: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Theotokion: The Virgin Maiden, the Mother of God, holdeth as an infant the Word Who giveth life unto all and hath created all things, as Isaiah said of old, joyfully crying: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Ode IX

Irmos: Eve, through weakness, abode under the curse of disobedience; but thou, O Virgin Theotokos, hast put forth blessing for the world through the Offspring of thy child-bearing. Wherefore, we all magnify thee.

Troparia of the Prophet

Thou hast stood in splendor before the throne of the Master of hosts, O most blessed and glorious God-pleaser, and delighting in His glory and gathering together the fruits of thy piety; wherefore, we all magnify thee.

Come now, O ye who desire the gifts of the prophet’s light, and earnestly receive the Book of Isaiah, which is full of divine knowledge. Let us attend unto it with steadfast desire, that we may be filled with divine radiance.

Manifestly illumined by the Spirit of radiance, O God-bearing Isaiah, pray thou that those who celebrate thine honored and splendid memorial with faith may receive salvation, that we may all magnify thee.

Troparia of the Martyr

Receiving a radiant crown as a victor, O most glorious Christopher, thou reignest with the Master, Who strengthened thee amid thy tortures and gave Thee His life-bearing hand, that thou mightest prevail over the author of evil.

Radiantly washed in the blood of martyrdom, thou wast illumined, O all-wondrous one; and, rejoicing now, thou hast entered with the Bridegroom into the virginal wedding-chamber. O glorious martyr, cease thou never to ask peace for the world.

Theotokion: O pure divine Bride and Mother of God, in thine arms thou dost bear the noetic Ember, which Isaiah beheld, united to our guise, and splendidly bestowing salvation upon the world. Wherefore, we all magnify thee.