CANON TO ST. SISOIS THE GREAT

Ode 1.

Irmos.  Let us sing to the Lord.

By your intercessions quicken me, for I have slain myself by my passions, Father, and you with great boldness stand before Christ, the life of the living.

With divine love, Father, you beat off the desires of the flesh and followed with longing after him who called you, blessed Sisois.

Having received immaterial radiance, within your heart, Father, you were illumined and you utterly destroyed all the mist of the passions.

Save me, for I am buffeted by the surging fury of all pleasures, and you bore the Savior, the tranquility of the whole world, all-immaculate Virgin.

Ode 3.

Irmos.  You are the steadfastness.

You severely subjected your flesh to your mind, O saint, and your soul was not humiliated by slavery to the passions.

You wisely cultivated the ground of your soul with labors, O saint, causing it to burst into flower with the fruit of impassibility and miracles.

You put on mortification, O glorious among the followers of the life-giving Christ; wherefore he gives you the grace to raise even the dead. 

We hymn you as the hallowed place and noetic table, O pure Mother of God, for you received Christ, who is the bread and life of all.

Ode 4

Irmos.  I have heard, O Lord.

Deluged with a heavy rain of grace, Father, you poured forth rivers of miracles, cleansing from defilements those who run to you in faith, O blessed saint.

Having purified your soul by making intercessions all night and by standing in prayer all day, you became a dwelling of the Trinity.

Fleeing the world, you went deep into the desert, Father, where you awaited him who saves you from faint-heartedness and affliction.

Habakkuk of old foresaw you as the unhewn mountain, all-immaculate Virgin, from which God appeared and renewed us corrupt sinners.

Ode 5

Irmos:  Rising at dawn we cry to thee.

Having become a temple of the three-sunned Divinity, you drove out of your soul the images of the passions.

Having mortified the understanding of your flesh, inspired saint, in cooperation with grace you raised the dead.

As you bore the sun of grace, Mother of God, impassable Virgin, illumine me, for I am plunged in darkness.

Ode 6

Irmos.  Be merciful to me, Savior.

You escaped the utter destruction of the noetic sea-monster, Father, having acquired self-control, prayer, genuine love, mighty humility and steadfast affection for Christ.

Christ guided your steps to him; the powerful one made you powerful to trample safely on the heads of serpents and scorpions, inspired and all-blessed saint.

By your inclination to God, you were plainly reckoned a god; by an absolute love for the light, you became a light, an earthly angel and a heavenly man, inspired Father.  

Mary, pure treasure of virginity, cleanse my mind of the darkness of the passions and fill my heart with grace and righteousness, all-immaculate Virgin.

Ode 7.

Irmos:  The youths of the Hebrews.

You displayed all the splendor of the Spirit in your purified mind and you are a luminary of those who shout faithfully, Blessed are you, O Lord our God, unto the ages.

With the divine fire of self-control, you burned up the thorns of sin and you approached the noetic light, crying out, Blessed are you, O Lord our God, unto the ages.

Save me, Mother of the Savior, for I am oppressed by a sea of sins, and rescue me from all kinds of evils inflicted on me by the enemy, so that saved, I may magnify your protection.

Ode 8.

Irmos.  Sevenfold the furnace.

By continuous prayers and intercessions, you drove the defilement of the passions from your soul and you cleansed the sight of your mind.  Wherefore, you were deemed worthy to foresee prophetically things to come, Sisois, reverently singing, Ye people, exalt Christ above all forever.

You lived angelically in your body, O saint, and you put to flight the forces of the enemy; therefore, you joyfully made your home in the immaterial life, Father, where with the ranks of angels, you now cry out, Ye priests, bless, ye people exalt Christ above all forever.

Cleanse me by your holy intercessions to God, for my soul runs riot with the passions, and deliver me from the captivity which holds me fast, inspired Father, so that I may chant purely:  Ye youths bless, ye priests, hymn, ye people, exalt Christ above all forever.

Sanctified by the Spirit, you received in your womb the Creator of human nature and you bore him indescribably, pure Maiden, whom we unceasingly hymn as we shout, Ye youths bless, ye priests, hymn, ye people, exalt Christ above all forever.

Ode 9.

Irmos.  All who heard shuddered.

An awe-inspiring wonder took place at the time of your death:  your face flashed like lightning more brightly than the sun, Father, when the choirs of the saints stood by to receive your spirit and bring it to God, your Creator.

As you now delight in the divine beauties of Heaven, O blessed one, and are deified by your adoption, and have become brilliant with the radiant splendors streaming from there, by your supplications deliver from the murky filth of the passions those who celebrate your radiant memory faithfully.

Father, you were just and blameless, abstaining from every evil; as an innocent saint you served God in holiness; the Trinity therefore rested on your heart, and you now more clearly delight in him with a far-seen radiance, admirable one.

There is altogether no salvation in me because of my deeds, all-immaculate Virgin; for by travelling the enemy’s path, I am filled with darkness, but as you caused the light from light to rise for us, illumine me and save me; do not disdain me, for I am perishing terribly.