Lesser-known Treasures from the Divine Services and Liturgy of the Orthodox Church
- The Ancient Way - Eastern Orthodox
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Today is the feast of St. Luke on the Julian Calendar, and there is a spectacularly beautiful Ode from the canon commemorating him at Matins, this Ode being, like most odes of the canons, a hymn inspired by the Canticles, specifically the Nine Canticles or Odes from the Orthodox psalter. This one is one of two Odes based on the two Canticles of the Three Youths in the Furnace in Babylon, one of which is known in the west as Benedicite Omni Opera (Ode VIII for us), but this is the preceding Ode. I am providing both the original canticle and the Ode for St. Luke, so as to demonstrate how these Odes work for those unfamiliar. i will also, because this is the feast of St. Luke, include Ode IX, which features the Magnificat from Luke ch. 1, which we sing at Matins (and sometimes at Compline) rather than at Vespers, but since in the Slavonic practice these often happen together in an All Night Vigil that consists of Vespers, Compline, Matins, and Prime (the First Hour), and sometimes the Ninth Hour in monastic use, that changes things a bit (the Menaion however, unlike the Octoechos, usually only has propers for Vespers and Matins).
Canticle VII
BLESSED art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Thy Name for evermore; For Thou art righteous in all the things that Thou hast done to us; yea, true are all Thy works, Thy ways are right, and all Thy judgments are true. In all the things that Thou hast brought upon us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, even Jerusalem, Thou hast executed true judgment; for according to truth and judgment didst Thou bring all these things upon us because of our sins. For we have sinned and committed iniquity, departing from thee, and in all things have we trespassed, and not obeyed Thy commandments, nor kept them, neither done as Thou hast commanded us, that it might go well with us. Wherefore all that Thou hast brought upon us, and everything that Thou hast done to us, Thou hast done in true judgment; and Thou didst deliver us into the hands of lawless enemies, most hateful apostates, and to an unjust king, and the most wicked in all the world. And now we cannot open our mouths; we are become a shame and reproach to Thy servants, and to them that worship Thee.
Yet deliver us not up wholly, for Thy holy Name’s sake, neither disannul Thou Thy covenant; and cause not Thy mercy to depart from us, for Thy beloved Abraham’s sake, for Thy servant Isaac’s sake, and for Thy holy Israel’s sake; To whom Thou hast said that Thou wouldest multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that lieth upon the seashore. For we, O Master, are become less than any nation, and be kept under this day in all the world because of our sins. Neither is there at this time prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place to sacrifice before Thee, that we may find mercy. Nevertheless in a contrite soul and an humble spirit let us be accepted.
Like as in the burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, and like as in ten thousands of fat lambs; so let our sacrifice be acceptable in Thy sight this day, and may it hereafter be performed before Thee; for they shall not be confounded that put their trust in Thee. And now we follow Thee with all our heart, and we fear Thee, and seek Thy face; Put us not to shame, but deal with us after Thy loving-kindness, and according to the multitude of Thy mercy. Deliver us also according to Thy marvelous works, and give glory to Thy Name, O Lord. And let all them that do Thy servants hurt be ashamed; and let them be confounded in all their power and might, and let their strength be broken; And let them know that Thou art Lord, the only God, and glorious over the whole world. And the king’s servants, that put them in, ceased not to make the oven hot with rosin, pitch, and tow, and small wood; So that the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits; and it passed through, and burned those Chaldeans it found about the furnace. But the Angel of the Lord came down into the oven together with Azariah and his fellows, and smote the flame of the fire out of the oven; And made the midst of the furnace as it had been a moist whistling wind, so that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them. Then the three, as out of one mouth, praised, and blessed, and glorified God in the furnace, saying, The Three Youths in the Furnace Praise God.
For eight verses
Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers, and praised and exalted above all for ever. And blessed is Thy glorious and holy Name, which is praised and exalted above all for ever.
For six verses
Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy holy glory, and praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed art Thou that beholdest the depths, Who sittest upon the Cherubim; and art praised and exalted above all for ever.
For four verses
Blessed art Thou on the glorious throne of Thy kingdom, and praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed art Thou in the firmament of heaven, and praised and exalted above all for ever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Ode VII from the Canon of the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist
Irmos: In Babylon, the pious youths did not worship the golden image, but, bedewed in the midst of the fiery furnace, they chanted a hymn, saying: O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
As a faithful disciple of the ineffable mysteries of Christ God, O most wise one, thou didst preach His divine Gospel to the faithful who said: O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Thou wast shown to be adorned with the embellishment of the virtues, O most blessed Luke, illumined by the rays of divine majesty and crying out unceasingly to thy Creator: O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Emitting radiant beams, thou wast shown to be like a torch in the midst of night, piously driving away the darkness of delusion with the radiance of thy words, and crying aloud: O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Theotokion: Possessed of a life illumined with wise discourse, O Luke who didst behold God, thou didst manifestly describe the birthgiving of the Virgin and didst lovingly depict her in icons. To her do we faithfully offer veneration, glorifying Christ
I really loved the third and fourth Troparia “Thou was shown to be adorned with the embellishment of the virtues” and “Emitting radiant beams”, which is awesome liturgical language.
Also, because it is the feast of St. Luke, I feel obliged to include:
Canticle IX - Evangelical Canticles from Luke ch. 1 - The Magnificat and the Prayer of St. Zecariah
MY soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He hath regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden, for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath magnified me, and holy is His Name, and His mercy is on them that fear Him throughout all generations. He hath showed His strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek; He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away. He remembering His mercy hath holpen His servant Israel, as He promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.
The Prayer of Zechariah (Luke 1:68–79). Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people, And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; As He spake by the mouth of His holy Prophets, which have been since the world began; That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant,
For eight verses The oath which He sware to our father Abraham, that He would grant unto us, that we, having been delivered out of the hands of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life.
For six verses And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Most High; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto His people unto the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God;
For four verses Whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Ode IX from the Canon of the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist
Irmos: With unceasing glorification we magnify thee, the Mother of the Most High, who knewest not wedlock, who didst truly give birth unto God the Word in manner past understanding, and art more highly exalted than the all-pure hosts.
In the preaching of the Gospel thou wast a proclaimer of the salvation of the world; and, breathing the inspiration of the Spirit, thou didst show thyself a sacred and greatly renowned trumpet, O most honored one of sacred eloquence.
Adorned with the acts of the Savior’s apostles, moved by God thou didst record them for the faithful, ever setting them forth as a lasting and inspired model, O most glorious sacred preacher.
Thou didst stand, O godly Luke, attaining thine ultimate desire; for thou didst stand forth before Christ, delighting in the divine vision bestowed by Him. Wherefore, we all call thee blessed.
Theotokion: We magnify thee, O Mother of God, who bore in thine arms the unapproachable God Who is hymned in the heavens by all the hosts, and Who ever granteth salvation to us through thee.
While Ode IX is not one of the better adaptations of the Magnificat one will find in the Canons of the Menaion, I felt obliged to include it for it is thanks to St. Luke we have the three Evangelical Canticles. However, I absolutely loved Ode VII from the canon for today; I thought it was amazing, particularly the middle troparion, which one is least likely to hear, because only the Irmos (the first Troparion), the Katavasia (the last Troparion) and the Theotokion (the Troparion to the Theotokos that follow each Ode) tend to survive the process of severe abbreviation.
Canticle VII
BLESSED art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Thy Name for evermore; For Thou art righteous in all the things that Thou hast done to us; yea, true are all Thy works, Thy ways are right, and all Thy judgments are true. In all the things that Thou hast brought upon us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, even Jerusalem, Thou hast executed true judgment; for according to truth and judgment didst Thou bring all these things upon us because of our sins. For we have sinned and committed iniquity, departing from thee, and in all things have we trespassed, and not obeyed Thy commandments, nor kept them, neither done as Thou hast commanded us, that it might go well with us. Wherefore all that Thou hast brought upon us, and everything that Thou hast done to us, Thou hast done in true judgment; and Thou didst deliver us into the hands of lawless enemies, most hateful apostates, and to an unjust king, and the most wicked in all the world. And now we cannot open our mouths; we are become a shame and reproach to Thy servants, and to them that worship Thee.
Yet deliver us not up wholly, for Thy holy Name’s sake, neither disannul Thou Thy covenant; and cause not Thy mercy to depart from us, for Thy beloved Abraham’s sake, for Thy servant Isaac’s sake, and for Thy holy Israel’s sake; To whom Thou hast said that Thou wouldest multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that lieth upon the seashore. For we, O Master, are become less than any nation, and be kept under this day in all the world because of our sins. Neither is there at this time prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place to sacrifice before Thee, that we may find mercy. Nevertheless in a contrite soul and an humble spirit let us be accepted.
Like as in the burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, and like as in ten thousands of fat lambs; so let our sacrifice be acceptable in Thy sight this day, and may it hereafter be performed before Thee; for they shall not be confounded that put their trust in Thee. And now we follow Thee with all our heart, and we fear Thee, and seek Thy face; Put us not to shame, but deal with us after Thy loving-kindness, and according to the multitude of Thy mercy. Deliver us also according to Thy marvelous works, and give glory to Thy Name, O Lord. And let all them that do Thy servants hurt be ashamed; and let them be confounded in all their power and might, and let their strength be broken; And let them know that Thou art Lord, the only God, and glorious over the whole world. And the king’s servants, that put them in, ceased not to make the oven hot with rosin, pitch, and tow, and small wood; So that the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits; and it passed through, and burned those Chaldeans it found about the furnace. But the Angel of the Lord came down into the oven together with Azariah and his fellows, and smote the flame of the fire out of the oven; And made the midst of the furnace as it had been a moist whistling wind, so that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them. Then the three, as out of one mouth, praised, and blessed, and glorified God in the furnace, saying, The Three Youths in the Furnace Praise God.
For eight verses
Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers, and praised and exalted above all for ever. And blessed is Thy glorious and holy Name, which is praised and exalted above all for ever.
For six verses
Blessed art Thou in the temple of Thy holy glory, and praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed art Thou that beholdest the depths, Who sittest upon the Cherubim; and art praised and exalted above all for ever.
For four verses
Blessed art Thou on the glorious throne of Thy kingdom, and praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed art Thou in the firmament of heaven, and praised and exalted above all for ever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Ode VII from the Canon of the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist
Irmos: In Babylon, the pious youths did not worship the golden image, but, bedewed in the midst of the fiery furnace, they chanted a hymn, saying: O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
As a faithful disciple of the ineffable mysteries of Christ God, O most wise one, thou didst preach His divine Gospel to the faithful who said: O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Thou wast shown to be adorned with the embellishment of the virtues, O most blessed Luke, illumined by the rays of divine majesty and crying out unceasingly to thy Creator: O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Emitting radiant beams, thou wast shown to be like a torch in the midst of night, piously driving away the darkness of delusion with the radiance of thy words, and crying aloud: O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Theotokion: Possessed of a life illumined with wise discourse, O Luke who didst behold God, thou didst manifestly describe the birthgiving of the Virgin and didst lovingly depict her in icons. To her do we faithfully offer veneration, glorifying Christ
I really loved the third and fourth Troparia “Thou was shown to be adorned with the embellishment of the virtues” and “Emitting radiant beams”, which is awesome liturgical language.
Also, because it is the feast of St. Luke, I feel obliged to include:
Canticle IX - Evangelical Canticles from Luke ch. 1 - The Magnificat and the Prayer of St. Zecariah
MY soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He hath regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden, for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath magnified me, and holy is His Name, and His mercy is on them that fear Him throughout all generations. He hath showed His strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek; He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away. He remembering His mercy hath holpen His servant Israel, as He promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.
The Prayer of Zechariah (Luke 1:68–79). Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people, And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; As He spake by the mouth of His holy Prophets, which have been since the world began; That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant,
For eight verses The oath which He sware to our father Abraham, that He would grant unto us, that we, having been delivered out of the hands of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life.
For six verses And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Most High; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto His people unto the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God;
For four verses Whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Ode IX from the Canon of the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist
Irmos: With unceasing glorification we magnify thee, the Mother of the Most High, who knewest not wedlock, who didst truly give birth unto God the Word in manner past understanding, and art more highly exalted than the all-pure hosts.
In the preaching of the Gospel thou wast a proclaimer of the salvation of the world; and, breathing the inspiration of the Spirit, thou didst show thyself a sacred and greatly renowned trumpet, O most honored one of sacred eloquence.
Adorned with the acts of the Savior’s apostles, moved by God thou didst record them for the faithful, ever setting them forth as a lasting and inspired model, O most glorious sacred preacher.
Thou didst stand, O godly Luke, attaining thine ultimate desire; for thou didst stand forth before Christ, delighting in the divine vision bestowed by Him. Wherefore, we all call thee blessed.
Theotokion: We magnify thee, O Mother of God, who bore in thine arms the unapproachable God Who is hymned in the heavens by all the hosts, and Who ever granteth salvation to us through thee.
While Ode IX is not one of the better adaptations of the Magnificat one will find in the Canons of the Menaion, I felt obliged to include it for it is thanks to St. Luke we have the three Evangelical Canticles. However, I absolutely loved Ode VII from the canon for today; I thought it was amazing, particularly the middle troparion, which one is least likely to hear, because only the Irmos (the first Troparion), the Katavasia (the last Troparion) and the Theotokion (the Troparion to the Theotokos that follow each Ode) tend to survive the process of severe abbreviation.
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