ON THE 28TH OF THE SAME MONTH

Commemoration of our Venerable father Ephraim the Syrian.

AT VESPERS

Tone1. Joy of the heavenly ranks

Having beheld as in a mirror the beauties of Paradise and having enjoyed in abundance its undefiled meadows, you made the knowledge of God flower in the world. As we share in it, Venerable Father, by the spiritual condition of our souls, we flower once again in spirit.

You described the second coming of the Judge and with the streams of your tears you teach us to light the lamps of our souls, as you proclaim to all the Bridegroom’s coming, ‘Let us all clothe ourselves in shining robes to meet the Bridegroom Christ’.

By self control you tamed the body, O Father, and by prayers and vigils you slew the stirrings of the passions; and so the power of the Spirit overshadowed you, and revealed you to be a spiritual beacon for the whole world.

Revered Ephrem, prudently rising above life’s troubles, with love of quiet you grasped the desert; and led by it in truth towards God, you shone on the world as a beacon, and became a source of words of life for humankind; and therefore do not cease to support us by your prayers that our souls may be delivered from the enemy’s harm.

We have come to know God incarnate of you, Virgin Mother of God; implore Him that our souls may be saved.

Or Cross-Theotokion. You arose on the third day

When she who bore you saw you crucified, O Christ, she cried aloud, ‘What is the strange mystery I see, my Son? How are you dying on a tree, who hung the earth upon the waters?

At the Aposticha, Stichera from the Octoichos.

With the Prophet you watered your couch with tears and made repentance the concern of your life, showing us by actions and through words the fear of judgement. Therefore as we come together, All blest and honoured Ephrem, worker of wondrous deeds, we honour your memory; and now we beseech you: Intercede with Christ God on behalf of our souls.

All-holy Bride of God, deliver me from condemnation, and free my wretched soul from dread offences and from death by your prayers and grant that on the day of trial I may obtain the justification that the companies of the Saints gained by repentance, when I cleansed by floods of tears.

Or Cross-Theotokion.

When the Lamb who gave you birth saw you, the Lamb and Shepherd on the tree she grieved, and cried out as a mother, ‘My Son so dearly loved, how have you been suspended on the tree of the Cross, O long-suffering? How have your hands and feet been nailed by lawless men? How, Master, have you poured out your blood?’

Apolytikion. Tone 8.

With the streams of your tears you cultivated the barren desert, and with your deep groans your made your toils bring forth fruit a hundredfold, and you have become a beacon, shining in all the world by your wonders: Venerable Father Ephrem, intercede with Christ God that our souls may be saved.

AT MATINS

After the usual reading from the Psalter, the Canons from the Octoichos and that of the Saint to 6, of which the acrostic is:

Ephrem I honour, the spiritual Euphrates.

By Theophanes
Ode 1. Tone 6. As Israel marched on foot.

The gladdening shower of your prayers water my soul parched by the drought of the passions, All blessed Father, and with your words breathe upon me who praise your festival.

Blazing with spiritual light you have been declared to be a shining sun, by your radiant virtues and the beauty of your teachings flooding the whole company of the faithful with light.

With the streams of your tears you quenched the flame of the passions and became an honoured vessel of the Holy Spirit, pouring forth springs of teachings, O Ephrem blessed of God.

Theotokion.

Without corruption you received the Word in your womb and gave birth to Him who delivers from corruption those who ever worship Him, O holy Virgin Mother, truly the gate of life.

Ode 3. None is holy as you.

You cleansed yourself of all the slime of passion, showed yourself to be truly a vessel of virtues and a container of the gifts of grace of the Holy Spirit.

In no way did you give sleep to your eyes, you appeared as a dwelling of the Holy Trinity and a treasure house of wisdom, enriching the world with the bright gold of your teachings, blessed Father.

The holy Church of Christ sees in you a second Euphrates, flooding with golden streams of wise teachings and watering all creation.

Theotokion.

One of the Holy Trinity in two natures incarnate in a manner fitting God from your pure blood came forth and saves Adam’s descendants, All-pure, by his goodness.

Irmos.

None is holy as you, O Lord my God, who have exalted the horn of your faithful people, O Good one, and established me on the rock of confession of you.

Kathisma. Tone 5. Let us believers.

Treasury of the wisdom of the mysteries of Christ, the divine mixing bowl of compunction, let us the faithful hymn on his commemoration, for like his name Ephrem ever fills the hearts of the faithful with joy by godlike words, as a collector and initiate of the revelations of the Lord.

Pure and ever Virgin, fervent and invincible advocate, sure hope that cannot be put to shame, wall and protection and haven of those who have recourse to you, with the Angels implore your Son and God to give peace to the world and his great mercy.

Or Cross-Theotokion.

By the Cross of your Son, O Full of God’s grace, the error of idols has been destroyed, and the strength of demons has been trampled down; therefore we the faithful as is fitting ever sing your praise and bless you, and confessing you to be truly Mother of God we magnify you.

Ode 4. Christ is my power.

The power of your words, blessed Father, has run through all the world, dispelling the blindness of souls by its elevating light.

Noble revealer of God, blamelessly you accomplished your life, cleansing yourself by your tears and by wise words setting forth for all the coming of the Judge.

The Lord, seeing the glorious height of your elevating humility, gave you the grace of words, through which the dread risings of heresies have been humbled.

Strengthened by the grace of the Almighty you went out to battle against the demons powers and conquered, as you intercede for us who fervently sing your praise.

Theotokion.

As a sacred enclosure, as a holy mountain, as a source of incorruption, as the alone chosen for God our creator, let us call the Virgin blessed.

Ode 5. With your divine radiance.

With the streams of your tears, blest Father, you completely dried up the sea of pleasures; and by the outpouring of your teachings you overwhelmed the torrents of heresies.

Your mind, Father Ephrem, lighted by its inclination towards God, became wholly Godlike, receiving like a mirror the immaterial reflections of the divine Spirit.

You became, Father, truly a temple of the Trinity, adorned with grace, radiance of pure virtues and sincerity of teachings.

Theotokion.

By the assault of the serpent, evil tasting of the tree pronounced me dead in Eden; but you alone full of God’s grace have given me life, for you bore Christ the giver of life.

Ode 6. Watching life’s sea.

The God bearing Father, established not on a foundation of sand but on unbreakable faith, remained unshaken by every assault of the foe, for he was governed by invincible power.

Your tongue, Father, was truly the pen of a scribe swiftly writing, teaching a knowledge wholly devout, engraving on the tablets of hearts the law of the Spirit.

Those who sail the calm sea of your teachings, godly Ephrem, are delivered from soul destroying waves and rising above the storm of heresies they are saved by faith.

Theotokion.

He who as God is above all visible and invisible creation took flesh and came from your womb, keeping you incorrupt as you were before your bearing child, O Bride of God.

Irmos.

Watching life’s sea rising with a tempest of temptations, fleeing to your calm haven, I cry out to you: Bring my life up from corruption, O Most merciful.

Kontakion. Tone 2. Seeking things on high.

Ever looking towards the hour of the trial you lamented bitterly, venerable Ephrem, as a lover of stillness; but you became by your actions a teacher in deed. And therefore, universal Father, you rouse the idle to repentance.

The Ikos.

Wishing to follow in the footsteps of the Forerunner, O Father, you took yourself alone from the world and dwelt in the desert. The enemy seeing you the just one living so raised up an utterly shameless woman against you, thinking to overthrow your manliness by the ancient weapon and to befoul your purity, that you might no longer by words and deeds rouse the idle to repentance.

Synaxarion.

On the 28th of the same month, Commemoration of our Venerable Father Ephrem the Syrian.

On the same day, Commemoration of our Venerable Father Palladios.

On the same day, Commemoration of our Venerable Father James the Ascetic.

On the same day two Martyrs, mother and daughter, died by the sword.

On the same day the holy Charis died by amputation of her legs.

On the same day, Commemoration of our Venerable Father, Isaac the Syrian.

At the intercessions of your Saints, O God, have mercy upon us. Amen.

Ode 7. An Angel made the furnace moist.

Most honoured Father, you were revealed as a most strict lawgiver for monks, anointing them against the holds of enemies; and so we honour on earth your revered and sacred memory.

You have been revealed as an harmonious instrument of the Spirit, honoured Father, echoing his every breath and sounding a saving melody of repentance for us who sing your praise.

Theotokion.

Your conceiving was beyond reason, Bride of God; for you bore God the Word, who delivered all mortals from unreason and grants them reason to cry: Blessed are you, the God of our fathers.

Ode 8. From flame you made a source.

You were revealed as a second light bearing sun, shedding rays of teachings to the ends of the earth and you diminished the unlit darkness of every sin, blest Father, with the light of repentance.

You have come as a river from a second Eden, surrounded by streams of divine teachings, O God inspired, watering the face of the earth and drowning the cockles of impiety.

Theotokion.

Confessing you as truly Mother of God, with faith we cry to the Angel’s Hail; you alone on earth bore joy, O ever blessed Full of grace.

Irmos.

‘From flame you made a source of dew for the Saints and with water you consumed the sacrifice of a righteous man with flame. For you do all things, O Christ, simply by willing them. We highly exalt you to all the ages.’

Ode 9. It is impossible for humans.

Wounded with love of the Almighty, you passed your whole life grieving, crying out with amazement, venerable Father, ‘Loose the waves of your grace, my Saviour, preserving it richly for me in the life to come’.

Sweet is your word, fertile of compunction, full of enlightenment for those who have recourse to you, god-bearing, admirable Ephrem; while your life was blameless, adorned and shining with every godly-radiant virtue.

You were declared to be a temple of the Spirit, and a river filled with waters flowing with life, and unshakeable foundation of the Church, rampart of Monastics, ever-flowing stream of godly compunction, Ephrem, worthy of wonder.

Theotokion.

No human mind can comprehend the mystery understanding of your giving birth, O Virgin; for God, when he dwelt in your womb, break the bars of your virginity, as he the Incomprehensible alone knows how.

Irmos.

It is impossible for humans to see God, on whom the ranks of Angels dare not gaze. But through you, O All-pure, the incarnate Word has been seen by mortals. As we magnify him, with the heavenly armies we call you blessed.

Exapostilarion. The heaven with stars.

You are like a river, surging with streams that flow with gold, and rousing the peoples to the path of repentance. Implore Christ, Father Ephrem, that the world may be saved.

Theotokion. Same melody.

Hope of those without help, refuge of Christians, all-praised Mother of God, joy of the afflicted, deliver from every affliction your unworthy servants.

At the Aposticha, Stichera from the Oktoichos.

You flourished like the palm tree in the psalm, Venerable Father Ephrem, cutting out the tongues of the blasphemers with the sword of your words; by self-mastery you dried up the deeps of the passions; you were revealed as an instrument of the Holy Spirit, taking up the weapon of the Cross. Without ceasing implore Christ for us who celebrate your all-festive memory.

Joy of all the afflicted, defence of the wronged, nourishment of the hungry, consolation of strangers, haven of the storm-tossed, visitation of the sick, protection and assistance of the drowning and staff of the blind your are, O Mother of God. We implore you, O Immaculate, hasten to deliver your servants.

Or Cross-Theotokion.

When you saw the Maker of the universe enduring many affronts and hanged on Cross, O All-immaculate, you groaned and cried, ‘Lord beyond praise, my Son and my God, how, when you wish to honour what you fashioned, do you bear dishonour? Glory to your great compassion and condescension, Lover of humankind!’