ODE I
Irmos. After
crossing the sea as if it were dry ground and escaping the wickedness of Egypt,
the Israelite cried out: Let us sing to our redeemer and God.
All-blessed
Raphael, holy Nicholas and Irene, as you come together with the
divine choirs of martyrs, beseech God to rescue us from afflictions of various
kinds.
When
your divine body appeared from the recesses of the earth, you hallowed the pious. But, wonder-worker Raphael, give us
sanctification and deliverance.
Your
bones have appeared as noetic flowers, the mystical grace of which, O Nicholas,
together with Irene, drives away the stench of afflictions.
Fountain
of divine compassion, pour forth for me, O Virgin, the sweetness of
salvation. Eradicate the bitterness
of my soul, which the multitude of my passions has instilled into it.
ODE III
Irmos. You covered
the vault of the sky with a roof, O Lord, and built the church; confirm me in
your love, O summit of desires, support of the faithful and only clement Lord.
Your
abundant grace from God, O saint, acting wondrously, distributes higher
blessings to all men. Therefore, O
Raphael, give healing of soul and body to those who hasten to your protection.
Having
contended lawfully for Christ, O martyrs, deliver us from every lawless act and
the mischief of the enemy by your intercessions to the
merciful God.
In
truth, your manifestation in the world has truly become the fulfilment of the divine
mysteries, O holy Raphael, Nicholas and Irene. Wherefore bestow on us divine reverence.
As
an illustrious throne and brilliant temple of the King of glory and the almighty
God, all-pure Maiden, make my soul a vessel shining with the light of a pure life, so
that I may be saved.
O saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene, preserve those who in faith run to you from all kinds of dangers and diseases.
Kathisma
O our protectors, you have been made known fittingly, and as you appear to all the
faithful, marvelously you always furnish their requests
in your appearances. Therefore we hymn you, wise
Raphael and Nicholas.
O
Father Raphael, visit us invisibly and deliver from diseases and every
misfortune those who call upon your great name.
O Irene and Nicholas, appear to those who run to you in purity, delivering them from the attack of the invisible enemy.
Ask
for us salvation in soul and body for all those who hasten to you, saints
Raphael, Nicholas and Irene.
Heal,
O Virgin, the wounds of my soul by your kindness; ask for both my health and forgiveness
of my faults.
ODE V
Many
saw you and were filled with much joy.
Gladden, therefore, Father Raphael, also our life, which is grieved by
bitter afflictions.
Hear
our voice, divine Nicholas, and furnish our life, O wondrous Irene, with a peace
that is free from disturbance.
O divine
champions, Raphael, Nicholas and Irene—the joy of Lesbos—deliver us from
sorrowful misfortunes.
Deliver
us, O ever-virgin Mother of God, from the enemy’s mad attacks against us, for
he always prowls like a restless lion.
ODE VI
O
blessed saint, you appeared to the faithful in many visions, revealing to them
the knowledge of hidden things; but even now appear secretly, holy martyr
Raphael, and grant us our petitions.
Having
appeared to the world from secret places, hidden under the earth for many ages,
grant the wealth of the compassion of God to men as their intercessor,
steadfast martyr Nicholas and godly fair-virgin Irene.
O new
luminaries of the church, who prevailed long ago in your contest—Raphael, the
wise theologian, and, with Irene, the divine Nicholas—deliver us by your authority from dangers in our life.
Be pleased, O Maiden, by your intercession to your Son and God and Lord, to rescue
me from the evil of the passions and from every evil deed of the enemy, and
give me, in your goodness, a sorrowful tear of repentance.
O saints Raphael and Nicholas and Irene, preserve those who in faith run to you from
all kinds of dangers and diseases.
Kontakion
As
most fervent helpers of all, O Raphael and Godly-wise Nicholas, ever help those
who suffer, and relieve the pains of our sufferings by your speedy protection.
ODE VII
O
God-bearing Raphael, those who have beheld your heavenly countenance have
received from it the light of divine joy.
Give also to me, therefore, O blessed one, the salvific gifts of your
help.
Do
not cease to heal the sufferings of our souls and bodies, thrice-blessed
Nicholas and venerable Irene, and always give us deliverance from dangers and
relief from distresses.
Having
become known to the world as friends of the Lord, achieving your purposes of old,
you brilliantly work miracles, Raphael and Nicholas, speedily coming to those who flee fervently to your protection.
The
God and Lord of all who came forth from your pure womb in human form showed you
to be the defender of all the world, O all-pure Virgin. Wherefore deliver us from every distress.
ODE
VIII
Grant
both strength and health to those who run to your divine relics and hymn you,
all-blessed Raphael.
Enable
us to faithfully accomplish a life untroubled in true benevolence by your
intercessions, Nicholas the Godly-minded.
Give
me strength amid the distresses of life and comfort in all despondency, O holy
newly-appearing martyrs.
Heal,
O Maid, my afflicted soul and heal the pain of my body with your sympathetic
providence, O Virgin.
ODE IX
Irmos. O Mother of God, we who have been saved through
you fittingly confess you, and with the incorporeal choirs magnify you, O pure
Virgin.
Deemed
worthy by Christ of great gifts, O holiest Raphael, you have been proven to be
a great protection and support for us.
O
glorified martyrs of the Lord, with Nicholas and God-wedded Irene, deliver us
from disgrace of the passions.
O
holy Raphael and Nicholas, with Irene, invisibly protect from above without
ceasing those who celebrate you in faith.
We
celebrate your power in hymns, O highly favored Virgin, because you always preserve us and you
guide us safely to the divine will.
ENDNOTES FOR THE CIRCUMSPECT
The source of this canon by anonymous is https://www.saint.gr/14/texts.aspx.
I thank Zoilus for proofing the Greek and I thank Aeteia, my lawfully-wedded, for proofing the English. Any errors surviving their ministrations are purely my own.
Ode III.
"Mischief" > βλάβη. Great Scott: harm, damage, mischief. Montanari: damage, mistake, wrong.
“All-pure” seems the
best way to put Πανάμωμε. “All-blameless” means nothing in English—who
uses that expression? Bauer rightly observes that the term was used to
mean unblemished in the case of sacrificial animals or men in ritual contexts
but also blameless in religious contexts. I do not think that we
call the Mother of God blameless in the same sense that we speak of a blameless
man; in his 44th homily on Matthew, St. John Chrysostom puts the kibosh
on that. Montanari adds as a later extension immaculate or pure.
These extensions make “all-pure” viable. As an
epithet of extreme affection, “all-pure” makes sense.
"Diseases" > νόσημα. Montanari: disease, evil, fault, vice, permanent sickness of the soul. Great Scott: disease, passion, vice, grievous affliction.
Kathisma. "Made known" > ἀναδείκνυμι. Montanari: show by raising, make seen, show, make known, proclaimed, dedicate.
Ode VI. "Distresses" > ἀνάγκη. Normally mistranslated as necessity. Great Scott: anguish, bodily pains, distress.
Ode VIII. "Virtuous conduct" > ευπραγία. Montanari: well-being, good outcome, good behavior, (pl.) good actions. Great Scott: well-doing. Words are often two-faced like this. Is it doing good or is it well-doing (defined by OCED as "virtuous conduct")?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.