Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 17th Day of the Month of May

Commemoration of the Holy Apostle Andronicus & Those with Him

At Vespers

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

As a servant of the Word, a glorious minister, an all-radiant luminary of the whole world, O divinely blessed one, by thy word thou didst bring an end to the irrational corruption of ungodliness; wherefore, with divine words do we joyfully glorify and celebrate thy holy memory, offering praise to the Almighty.

The divine Apostle Paul, splendidly praising you with divine laudations, setteth your valor before the faithful, speaking first of all to show you forth as most wise disciples of the Word of God and His true kinsmen, O glorious Junia and blessed Andronicus, ye favorites of God.

Illumining the whole earth with sacred preaching, ye dispelled the gloom of vainglory and have directed to the light of divine knowledge those who from of old were sunk in the darkness of ungodliness, O divine apostles, ye guides to salvation and intercessors for all who ever honor you with faith.

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

Troparion, in Tone III

O holy apostles, entreat the merciful God, that He grant to our souls remission of transgressions.

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

At Matins

Canon of the apostle, the acrostic whereof is: “I offer praise to the wise Andronicus”, the composition of Joseph, 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.

The honored Church offereth praise to God on the all-holy day of thy memorial, O blessed one, glorifying thy struggles with faith.

Thou didst direct all the movements of thy mind to the desires of God, O sacred Andronicus, rejoicing in the fulfillment thereof.

O divinely wise Andronicus, thou hast received from God the divine grace to cleanse away ailments and expel evil spirits.

Theotokion: O Virgin, by thy mediation and grace rain down upon me deliverance from all offenses and correction of life.

Ode III

Irmos: None is as holy as the Lord, and none is as righteous as our God, Whom all creation doth hymn, singing: None is righteous save Thee, O Lord!

Having mortified thy members with ascetic feats, thou wast vouchsafed to behold those who live the life of Christ our God, Who bear flesh upon the earth, O Apostle Andronicus.

Filled with the fiery inspiration of the divine Spirit, O most lauded Apostle Andronicus, thou didst embrace His fervor with thy pure thought and didst burn up the thorns of falsehood.

The sound of thy words and the power of thy miracles have gone throughout the ends of the world, O disciple of the Lord, teaching the faithful the divine grace of the Spirit.

Theotokion: There is none all-pure other than thee, O Mistress, and none more immaculate than thee, O most immaculate one; for thou alone wast the spacious dwelling-place of the God of all.

Kontakion of the saints, in Tone II, Special Melody: “Seeking the highest…”

Let us praise Andronicus, the apostle of Christ, the all-radiant star who illumined the nations with the light of divine knowledge, and with him the all-wise Junia, who shone forth in piety; and let us cry: Entreat Christ God without ceasing in behalf of our souls!

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

As one radiant, the divine Andronicus illumined men’s hearts with the light of divine knowledge and hath passed over to the Lord; wherefore, even after his end he poureth forth healings upon those who approach his honored temple with faith, and asketh great mercy for all the faithful.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Sessional hymn from the Pentecostarion, or this Theotokion, in the same tone & melody

By thy divine birthgiving, O pure one, thou hast restored the mortal nature of the earthborn which became corrupted in the passions, and hast raised all up from death to the life of incorruption. Wherefore, we all bless thee as is meet, O all-glorious Virgin, as thou didst foretell.

Stavrotheotokion

When Thine all-pure Mother beheld Thee uplifted upon the Cross, O Word of God, she exclaimed, lamenting maternally: “What is this new and awesome wonder, O my Son? How is it that Thou, the Life of all, dost taste of death, desiring to bring life to the dead, in that Thou art full of loving-kindness?”

Ode IV

Irmos: O Word, with divine vision the prophet perceived Thee Who wast to become incarnate of the Theotokos alone, the mountain overshadowed; and with fear he glorified Thy power.

Paul greeteth thee as a kinsman, proclaiming thy divine praises before the faithful, O divinely eloquent Andronicus, who leadest to the Light those who praise thee.

As a dwelling-place of the all-holy Trinity, thou didst demolish the offensive temples, O all-lauded one, and didst raise up churches for the salvation of our souls.

Strengthened by the might of God, O blessed Andronicus, thou wast able to remove the vessels of the mighty one and to make a dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit.

Theotokion: O Virgin Theotokos, all of us, the faithful, together ever hymn thee as the steadfast and prevailing intercession and salvation of our souls.

Ode V

Irmos: O Lord Who by divine knowledge brought the ends of the earth into the light out of the night of ignorance, enlighten me with the dawning of Thy love for mankind.

Assembling with faith, O Andronicus, we honor thee with Paul, for thou wast his kinsman, and even more his disciple.

Let us honor the sacred apostles, the divine Junia and the God-bearing Andronicus, the radiant stars.

In the midst of the Church the blessed Paul declared you to be excellent among the apostles, O blessed ones.

Theotokion: O all-holy Maiden, in sacred images the choir of the prophets portrayed thee as the Mother of the Lord.

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 house poureth forth springs of healings upon those who have recourse to it, O apostle, washing away the infirmities of their souls.

With thy new teachings thou didst renew a multitude of the heathen who had been corrupted by ungodliness, O true friend of Jesus Who is incorrupt.

Like the sun thou didst pass over all the earth, O all-wise Andronicus, proclaiming to the faithful the light of the three-Sunned Godhead.

Theotokion: In thee were perceived the divine ways of the Master, Who impoverished Himself by assuming flesh and hath enriched the faithful, O thou who knewest not wedlock.

Kontakion & ikos from the Pentecostarion.

Ode VII

Irmos: O Lord God of our fathers, Who in the beginning founded the earth and established the heavens by Thy word: blessed art Thou forever!

O wise disciple of Christ, thou drivest grievous ailments and every pang from the souls and bodies of those who have recourse to thy house.

Thou turnest away the visitations of demons and dost cleanse men of cruel passions by thy compassion, O eye-witness of Christ; wherefore, we bless thee with faith.

Having cast down the prating of the orators by the simplicity of thy teachings, O wise one, thou proclaimest that God hath appeared in the flesh and dwelt with mortals in His goodness.

Theotokion: O Lord God of our fathers, Who madest Thine abode in the Virgin’s womb, and therein restored Adam: Blessed art Thou!

Ode VIII

Irmos: The Lord Who was glorified on the holy mountain, and by the fire in the bush revealed to Moses the mystery of the Ever-virgin, hymn ye and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Having seasoned with divine salt the hearts of men made foolish by evil decadence, O Andronicus, by thy teachings thou didst present them as saved to the Word Who poured Himself forth, O thrice-blessed one.

To Him Who in His loving-kindness was sacrificed wast thou known as priest, sacrificer and sacrifice, O Andronicus, and thou didst hasten to Him, receiving from Him a crown of incorruption and righteousness.

Thou wast shown to be a divine preacher, a godly witness of the apostles, the destroyer of pernicious graven images, the enricher of the poor and a great inhabitant of Sion on high, O glorious and divinely wise Andronicus.

Theotokion: In thine arms, as with tongs, O Virgin, thou bearest Him Who poureth forth divine dew upon those who languish in the flame of falsehood and burneth up the passions of those who hymn His kingdom.

Ode IX

Irmos: Thy birthgiving, O Ever-virgin, which was revealed to the law-giver on the mountain in the fire and the bush, for the salvation of us, the faithful, do we magnify with unceasing hymnody.

O right blessed Andronicus, by thy life-bearing discourse thou givest life to those slain before by the assaults of the demons, that thou mightest be shown to be heir to the life of heaven.

As a right fruitful branch of the true Vine, O all-blessed and all-praised Andronicus, thou didst exude the wine of immortality and hast made glad the hearts of men.

Having utterly consumed the tinder of polytheism like lightning, thou didst manifestly show forth the light of divine knowledge upon those whose life was in darkness; wherefore, we all glorify thee, O Andronicus.

Thy sacred memory, extended today unto the ends of the earth, illumineth the hearts of those who in sanctity praise thee thereon, O right blessed Andronicus.

Theotokion: O pure and most immaculate Virgin who gavest birth to the Light, ask enlightenment, remission of offenses and salvation of soul for us who acknowledge thee to be the true Theotokos.