_Alleluia, tone vi._
Blessed is he whom thou hast chosen and received, O Lord.
_Verse._ His soul shall dwell in good things.
_The gospel from John, section xxiii._
The Lord spake unto the Jews that came unto him, I am the bread of
life.... _ending_, at the last day.[46]
_Then psalm l. And the canon, tone vi._
_Ode i. Irmos._
Him that beneath the surges of the sea....
_Refrain._ Rest, O Lord, thy sleeping servant’s soul.
To thee, O benefactor, Christ, and Lord of all, we cast us down with
fervent tears, and wailing cry this funeral song, Thy faithful servant
rest, thou that art loving-kind.
Him that is dead in hope of resurrection grant the holy standing, Word,
at thy right hand with thine elect, prolongedly with voice of praise we
pray, O lover of mankind.
Thy chosen servant from the earth remov’d, O lover of mankind, count
worthy brightly to rejoice within thy kingdom heavenly and rever’d; and
overlook, as loving-kind, his soul’s iniquities.
_Glory._
Alas! life’s glory grew as grass, and straightway was dried up. Where
in the grave is honour? and where form or beauty there? Then spare thy
servant, Lord, as being loving-kind.
_Both now. Theotokion._
With love, as it behoves, we thee all praise, O Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin most pure; for thou hast ever sleepless eyes—thy prayers—to save
us now from sins, and from the doom of death.
_Ode iii. Irmos._
There is none holy like to thee, O Lord my God....
There is no man on earth that hath not sinn’d, O Word. Therefore accept
a prayer from us, the lowly ones: and, Saviour, pardon and forgive thy
servant all iniquities.
And who, O lover of mankind, as thou, Lord merciful, forgivest sins of
quick and dead with great authority? Therefore thy servant do thou save
by this.
_Glory._
Of calling from on high, O Saviour, him heritor declare, even him gone
hence in faith, accepting his last tearful prayer, thou only sinless one.
_Both now. Theotokion._
O thou that art our Queen, all holy Virgin, cease not beseeching God,
whom thou didst bear, to count him worthy of his kingdom, even him who
hence in faith hath gone.
_Kathisma, tone vi._
Verily everything is vain, and life a shadow is, a dream; for vainly
every earth-born one disquieteth himself, as saith the scripture. When
we have gain’d the world, then dwell we in the grave, where kings and
beggars are as one. Therefore, O Christ, thy servant rest in tract of
living ones, and in the dwellings of the just.
_Ode iv. Irmos._
Thy divine exhaustion on the cross....
Since importable is the terrible threatening of that day, let us
unceasingly beseech of Christ forgiveness of all sins for him that hath
in faith and hope of resurrection hither gone.
Since, through penitence, he, thy servant, unto thee a lamp enkindled
brightly ere his death, O Master, Saviour loving-kind, vouchsafe to him
in brightly wise thy bridal-room.
_Glory._
When all things hid thou dost reveal, and prove our sins, O Christ, him
whom thou hast receiv’d do thou then spare, remembering his confession,
Lord.
_Both now. Theotokion._
Holy God-bearing one, forget not all that cry to thee with ceaseless
wail; and find him rest, thou blessed one, even him, thy faithful
servant, who is gone from us.
_Ode v. Irmos._
Of thy divine epiphany, O Christ....
In the elect ones’ choir, and in the joy of paradise, O thou
compassionate one, give rest to him whom thou from us in faith removed
hast; for thou, our Saviour, hast divine repentance laid on all men who
have sinn’d; and him, as Master, of thy kingdom worthy count.
According to thy might as God, thou art, in lordly wise, unto thy
creature merciful, whom thou subjected hast to human law, O Lord, sole
lover of mankind. Therefore remit, forgive the sins of him gone hence in
faith, and him, O Saviour, of thy kingdom worthy count.
_Glory._
None there escape the fearful sentence of thy judgment-seat: kings,
mighty ones with servants all together stand, and them, the people who
have sinn’d, the judge’s fearful voice bids to gehenna’s doom; but save
from this thy servant, Christ.
_Both now. Theotokion._
In supernatural wise from thee was born, according unto human nature, him
that Redeemer is; and him, O thou unwedded Virgin, ceaselessly beseech to
free from torment all, and from the fierce and fearful hades’ pains; and
save him who is now in faith remov’d from us.
_Ode vi. Irmos._
The lowest depth....
Death and the grave and judgment us await, impressing all our works; and
out of these thy servant save, O lover of mankind, even him who thou
removed hast.
Open, my Saviour, I beseech thee, unto him gone hence thy mercy’s door,
that he, O Christ, in glory may in chorus sing, partaking of the gladness
of thy mightiness.
_Glory._
Deliver, Saviour, from iniquities thy servant for thy mercy’s sake, him
whom thou now removed hast in faith; for none is justified by human
works, O lover of mankind.
_Both now. Theotokion._
The slayer of death and looser of the curse in flesh thou broughtest
forth, God-bearing one, and all that die in faith he saves, as being
good and lover of mankind.
_Then the customary ectenia._