After the Opening Psalm we recite the 1st Section of the 1st Kathisma of the Psalter.

Formed by the light of the Forerunner, when the empersonned brightness of the Father’s glory appeared, wishing through his compassion to save the human race, then, glorious Saint, you were the first to run to him, illumined in mind by the perfect brilliance of his Godhead; therefore you are named herald and Apostle of Christ our God; implore him to save and enlighten our souls.

Acquainted with the voice of the Forerunner, when the all-holy Word became flesh, granting us life and salvation, bringing the good tidings to those on earth, then, O all-wise, you followed him and dedicated yourself as firstling and all-holy first fruits to him; our God, whom you both came to know and revealed to your own brother; implore him to save and enlighten our souls.

Frequenting the one sprung from a barren womb, when the offspring of the Virgin dawned, as Teacher of piety and temperance revealing purity, then you became a most fervent lover of virtue, blessed Andrew, placing ascents in your heart; and from glory you were raised to the ineffable glory of Christ our God; implore him to save and enlighten our souls.

Leaving behind the catching of fish, O Apostle, you net men, lowering the bait of true religion like a hook with the rod of your preaching, and drawing up from the depth of error all the nations. Apostle Andrew, brother of the Prince and outstanding teacher of the world, do not cease to intercede for us, O all-praised, who with faith and love praise your ever-honoured memory.

Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Beloved, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired about this salvation; they inquired what person or time was indicated by the Spirit of Christ within them when predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things which have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Therefore gird up your minds, be sober, set your hope fully upon the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ And if you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. Through him you have believed in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth through the Spirit for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another from a pure heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living word of God which abides for ever; for ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withered, and the flower fell, but the word of the Lord abides for ever’. That word is the good news which was preached to you. So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander. Like new-born babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation; for you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight chosen and precious; and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Sion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.’

Beloved, for to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. Likewise you wives, be submissive to your husbands, so that some, though they do not obey the word, may be won without a word by the behaviour of their wives, when they see your reverent and chaste behaviour. Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing of fine clothing, but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. So once the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves and were submissive to their husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are now her children if you do right and let nothing terrify you. Likewise you husbands, live considerately with your wives, bestowing honour on the woman as the weaker sex, since you are joint heirs of the grace of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered. Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love of the brethren, a tender heart and a humble mind. Do not return evil for evil or reviling for reviling; but on the contrary bless, for to this you have been called, that you may obtain a blessing.

When you saw the God so longed for walking the earth, O First-called, who saw God, you called out to your brother: We have found, Simon, the one so longed for; to the Saviour you cried like David: As the hart longs for the springs of water, so my soul longs for you, Christ God. Therefore too adding longing to longing, you pass over through a cross to him you longed for, as a true Disciple and became an imitator of the passion through his Cross; and so having also become with him a partaker of glory, fervently intercede on behalf of our souls.

Let us all sing the praise of Andrew, the herald of the faith and servant of the Word; for he fishes men from the deep, grasping in his hands the Cross for a rod, and lowering power like a line he brings souls up from the error of the foe and offers them as an acceptable gift to God. Let us the faithful ever sing his praise with the choir of Christ’s Disciples, that he may intercede with him so that he may be merciful to us on the day of judgement.

You caught from the deep of ignorance the nations which did not know God with the net of your words, and you troubled the salt seas, appearing as a noble horse of him who is Master of the sea, honoured Saint; and you dried up the putrid rot of godlessness, casting in precious salt, your wisdom; at which, glorious Andrew, they were indeed amazed, those who were shameless content with a wisdom proved folly.

With hymns let us honour the brother of Peter and disciple of Christ, catcher of fish and fisher of men, Andrew the Apostle; for by his doctrines he has trained all in the teachings of Jesus; and like a bait for fish he handed over his flesh to lawless men, and caught them in his net. At his intercessions, O Christ, grant your people peace and great mercy.

As the First-called of the Apostles and full brother of the Prince, implore the Master of all things, Andrew, to give peace to the inhabited world, and to our souls his great mercy.

As a godly Disciple and First-called of all the Disciples of Christ, with love we praise you, Apostle Andrew, and faithfully we cry out to you: Deliver your flock, with which you were entrusted by God, from every tribulation, from constraints and stumblings, and every evil

Let us all sing the praise of the Apostle as eye-witness and godlike herald of the Word, and truly spiritual fisher of nations; because Andrew inspired of God brought us to knowledge of Christ, and now he intercedes without ceasing that our souls may be saved.

The 1st Antiphon of the Anavathmi of the 4th Tone.

At that time, Jesus was walking by the sea.

Glory. At the prayers of the Apostle.

After this are said the Canons, of the Mother of God, and the two of the Apostle.

The Canon of the Mother of God.

As she who alone gave birth in time in the flesh to the Son who is without time, O all-holy and immaculate, heal for all times the passions of my most wretched soul.

As you are compassionate, O all-pure, wipe out by your supplications the wounds of my soul, the hardness of my heart, the darkening of my thought and the wrong turnings of my mind.

O Immaculate, who bore the Light, my Redeemer, redeem me from darkness and the eternal torments there, that saved I may praise you mighty deeds.

Purify my soul, muddied by thoughts and words, Andrew, herald of Christ, by the divine grace which dwells in you, that in purity I may offer you a worthy hymn.

Christ’s Forerunner, shoot of a barren womb, rejoicing brought you, Andrew, as the precious cornerstone of his own Disciples to the one born of a Virgin, Christ, who has been glorified.

With the rod of the Gospel, Andrew all-praised, you drew from the deep of error and caught peoples, as Christ had promised, who taught you to trawl men as you had caught fish.

The pillar of the faith, the seat of the true doctrines of Christ, Andrew inspired by God today calls all the ends of the earth to arrange a yearly feast; let us believers, therefore, come together.

As a fisherman by craft you searched the hollow of the sea with nets; with the seine net of the Spirit you catch nations, tribes and peoples by the Spirit, and, O most wondrous, you reveal to us the deep above.

Initiator, eye-witness and preacher of the ineffable knowledge of Christ, you received from on high the Holy Spirit, who speaks in tongues, comes to rest by fire, distributes his gifts. Intercede that we may be saved.

Glory.

With faith I worship a Unity beyond being of a Trinity without beginning, not dividing the Godhead; for it is one in form, simple and indivisible; but I join it together in a being of Persons, and faithfully I distinguish.

Banish from my barren mind all unfruitfulness, and make my soul fruitful with virtues, All-holy Mother of God, the help of the faithful.

Deliver me from every condemnation and the many stumbling blocks of the serpent, the everliving fire and the darkness, O All-blameless, who bore for us the Light that knows no evening.

I greatly fear the inexorable tribunal, that unquenchable fire and the dread sentence, pure, loving Lady. Hasten, save your servant before the end.

Without being called, with thirst you hurried forward, Andrew, of your own volition to the source of life, like a hart; and having found it you proclaimed it to all, and having drunk you watered with the streams of incorruption the ends of the earth, that were fainting from thirst.

You acknowledged the bonds of nature, noble Andrew, and took your brother as companion, crying out: We have found the one so longed for. And when he made his way you explained to him the birth of the flesh and the knowledge of the spirit.

When the Word called, ‘Come after me’, Kephas too with Andrew followed Christ at once, and like arrows of faith they left their father and the boat and the nets.

O all-revered, you transformed the shrines of idols into temples of God, consecrating in them children of baptism, whom grace renewed through water by the Spirit.

Mystically you found beforehand for the world the pearl of great price, hidden in the field of your heart, Apostle, which once the nations found it they treasured it by the faith.

Having taken the Gospel in your hands like a treasure, O all-praised, you enriched the whole earth with the inspired proclamation; and so it honours your memorials with your struggles.

Glory.

Let us all praise with orthodox belief the one power in Trinity, as we sing the praise of God without beginning, uncreated, consubstantial, equal in throne, three-personned triple sun.

As First-called of all the Disciples, eye-witness and minister of the Word, we honour you as is fitting, Apostle Andrew; for you fervently followed with unwavering love the Lamb who takes away the offences of the world; therefore you were revealed as a partaker in the passion of him who willingly underwent death in the flesh. And so we cry to you: Intercede with Christ God to grant forgiveness of faults to those who celebrate with love your holy memory.

You threw down the insolence of the idols; you longed for the sufferings of the Saviour, blessed Andrew, and you were declared to be an Apostle, a source for all of wonders from heaven; and you became, all-blessed, a Teacher of nations; therefore as we fittingly honour your memory, we give you glory in hymns and faithfully magnify you, Apostle of the Lord. Intercede with Christ God to grant forgiveness of faults to those who celebrate with love your holy memory.

All-holy Virgin, spotless tabernacle, purify me now, who am defiled by sin, with the most pure drops of your mercies, and give me a hand of help, that I may cry, ‘Glory to you, pure Virgin glorified by God’.

You were revealed as the hallowed Temple of God, who, beyond understanding, dwelt in you, O Virgin; entreat him to cleanse us from the stain of sins, that we may be recognised as house and dwelling of the Spirit.

Have mercy on me, Mother of God, who alone gave birth to the source of mercy, and loose the dread sickness of my soul and the hardness of my heart, granting me before the end streams of tears and divine compunction by your intercessions.

The divine power of the all-creating and radiant Spirit, which utterly consumes what is worse, dwelt in you, Andrew, in a manner fitting God, in the form of a tongue of fire, and revealed you as Herald of ineffable mysteries.

All-honoured Andrew did not take up weapons of flesh for the destruction of the dread strongholds of the foe, but shielding himself with Christ he took prisoner and brought him subject nations.

Leaving your nets and taking up the Cross, you ran to follow Christ who called you; and spreading the seine net of the Spirit, you netted men instead of fish. Glory to the Spirit which was given you.

Having received the flame of the Spirit by a tongue, Apostle, you became a man possessed by God, traversing the beauties of the heavenly places and learning thoroughly the spiritual realities in them, and revealing these beauties to us.

Wise Apostle, you watered the thirsty desert with your inspired words, and showed it to be mother of many offspring, the children of the Church, who bear the fruit of the seed of your preaching. Glory to the Spirit which was given you.

Andrew, seeing your beauty, Jesu, before him, radiantly called to his brother: My brother Peter, we have found the Messias, the one proclaimed beforehand in the Law and the Prophets; come let us cling fast to the true life.

Glory.

Let us believers praise a Trinity in Unity, in one Godhead, Father, Son and Divine Spirit, one essence and nature, without division, without separation, without partition; for God is one in a Trinity of Persons.

Open the eyes of my heart, Pure Virgin, that I may clearly see your divine splendour and your inexpressible glory, that I may obtain mercy and eternal glory.

All-immaculate, you gave birth to one of the holy Trinity, with two wills but one substance; implore him fervently that we may all be saved.

As you gave birth, All-immaculate, to the Saviour and God, intercede that I, your unprofitable servant, may be kept safe from every tribulation, from diseases and evil.

You have received the one for whom you longed, Apostle Andrew, and you take your rest with him in imperishable tabernacles, having worthily reaped the sheaves of your toils; therefore in hymns we glorify you.

You longed for the Master, and you pursued him, guided by his footsteps, and truly imitating his sufferings, most honoured Andrew, unto death.

Longing for the Cross of Christ, Disciple, you gained by your cross the unsullied kingdom, which he who by a cross had drawn all God’s initiates, will give as their inheritance to you his divines.

You sought for Christ, the true life, and having sought you were the first to find; and having found it mystically you grasped it and received it in him who gave it, and you have become a treasury of life perpetual.

The words of your thunders have re-echoed in the world, and gone from extremity to extremity of the earth; for like a wheel your lightnings encircled it and appeared to the inhabited world, as David says.

Disciple of Christ, remember us, who celebrate your memory and honour your relics; ever entreat fervently for the flock, whose guard and salvation you have been from the beginning.

Glory.

Let us believers with one accord glorify Father, Son and Divine Spirit, undivided Trinity, Three-personned Kingship, as we faithfully sing its praise with unceasing songs of contemplation.

Befouled by many sins, I beseech you, the truly good and undefiled Tabernacle, wash me clean of every kind of stain by your mediation.

Be my pilot, who am ever storm-tossed on an ocean of the dread trials of life; and save me, directing me to an roadstead of salvation.

Waves of thoughts, assaults of passions and a deep of sins drive my wretched soul before the storm; help me, holy Lady.

As you crossed the sea of life in the boat of the body, O all-blessed, you found Christ, who governs all things, as your helmsman, and, blessed Andrew, you were borne rejoicing towards him.

Spirits are banished by the word, diseases take to flight and the swarm of sufferings of the soul are driven far from the diseased by the grace, Andrew, that has been given you from God.

He who comes from Bethsaida calls us together today to celebrate his festival, having set before us the trophies of his combats.

The fisherman by craft and disciple by faith, he scans the hearts of the faithful like the deep, lets down the fish hook of the word and catches us in his net.

Bearing in your heart the fire of the love of Christ, Disciple, you cried out to the nations: You flame has been truly quenched, now that Christ has appeared.

Seasoned in mind with the salt of Christ, you sweetened your relishes for us, the doctrines of heavenly and pure delight.

Glory.

Let us believers worship the Father, the Son and the right Spirit, three-personned nature, undivided, as we cry aloud: Glory to God in Trinity.

Pure and Immaculate, ever sanctify the defiled soul of your servant, and swiftly abolish dread imprisonments of the mind, hardness of heart and assaults of the demons.

Give life to my mind, slain by the passions of the flesh, All-blameless, and strengthen me to accomplish things pleasing to God; that I may magnify you, that I may ever glorify your goodness.

Slay the passions of my flesh, pure Lady, and wiping away the foul stain of my base soul, O Virgin, deliver me from the audit of the invisible foes, and save me.

Your certain promise has been manifestly fulfilled, O Christ, for your pupil, inspired by God, rebuking the rolling swell with a word, changed it to a joyful calm, as he sang, ‘God is praised and highly glorified’.

Ordered to ascend to the spiritual mount of Sion, Apostle, and taking with joy the cup of salvation, ferried through death you went towards divine life, where Christ is, God of all and highly glorified.

Having breathed in the fire of the all-holy Spirit from above, Apostle of Christ, with new tongues, you were in no way consumed by them, but were commanded to declare his mighty works to the ends of the earth.

Initiates of Christ, contemplators of things above, the proclamation that you trumpeted to the earth astounds every thought; because, while only twelve, you illumined earth’s many thousands.

Your grace, O Master Christ, was regarded as a wonder in your Disciples, wise in God; because though of small account and common they hastened through all the earth, from one extremity to the other.

What taught you to speak thus, Apostle? What enlightened your mind to see clearly the beam of the unapproachable glory, which pours the light of truth into our hearts?

Glory.

Let us believers sing hymns of the Trinity as we glorify Father without beginning, Son and right Spirit, one single being; let us praise it with triple song: Holy, holy, holy are you, to the ages. Amen.

He who is without flesh took flesh from you in a manner fitting God; beseech him, O all-pure, to put to death the passions of my soul and give life to it, that was slain of old by most evil sin.

By bearing God the Saviour, O all immaculate, you cured the wound of Adam formed from dust; implore him to heal the incurable bruises of my sick soul

Raise me up as I lie in the depths of evils; war against the enemies who now war against me; do not, pure Lady, despise one wounded in soul by unseemly pleasures, but take pity and save me.

Andrew, Apostle of Christ, your godly memorial, bearing light and gladness has now shed its rays of healings on us, as we cry out, ‘All you works of the Lord, praise the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages’.

The breath of God’s Spirit from on high set you aflame and made you a fervent Orator to speak of God, Apostle, as you cried out, ‘All you works of the Lord, praise the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages’.

By the skill of the fisherman, O all-wise, you caught fish from the sea; while now by the faith you net humans for Christ from the error of the foe; for error was once a deep, drowning the nations in the tempest of ignorance.

You sailed the spiritual deep of life unwashed by waves, Apostle, spreading the sail of the Spirit by the faith of Christ; and so rejoicing you attained the harbour of life for all the ages.

When the spiritual Sun had set upon the Tree by the counsel of his own free will, the beacon of the sun, Andrew the great lamp of the Church, seeking to be dissolved with him and to set into Christ, was hanged upon the tree of a cross.

O disciple and friend of Christ, and fellow of his Apostles, when the Judge is seated upon his throne with you, the Twelve, to judge, as the promise says, then be for us a wall of lovingkindness.

Glory.

Let us glorify the Unity of triple light and Trinity of equal throne, not separating, but uniting it harmoniously as truly one united being in three persons, yet not confounded.

A lover of sin, I live in indifference, pure Bride of God, and I tremble at the impartial tribunal, at which keep me uncondemned by your holy entreaties, that as my protectress I may ever call you blessed.

I quake before the judgement seat, pure Virgin, and the infallible eye of your Son, for I have accomplished shameful deeds upon earth, and therefore I cry out to you, ‘Most compassionate Lady, help me, snatch me from then from my straits, and save me’.

How fearful, O Maiden, is the day of the trial! How dread the sentence! How terrible the shame! Who then will stand? All-immaculate, pure Lady, have mercy on my wretched soul and grant me forgiveness before the end.

Like an outstanding pupil, of your own will you became familiar with the cross, following your Master unto death, and you ascended the height of the cross rejoicing, as you journeyed on the path to heaven, blessed Apostle.

The gate of Eden was opened for you, a heavenly ladder was set up, the tabernacles of heaven received you and you took your stand rejoicing before Christ the giver of life, Apostle, best intercessor for the world.

Blessed, all-wise Andrew, you were glorified by sufferings equalling those of the Teacher; for you achieved your godlike end through a cross, and were called God by participation; and so we beseech you: ever intercede on our behalf.

Having spread the net of mystic contemplation, and in it caught like fish the beauties of heavenly thoughts, Holy Apostle, implore the Holy Trinity to be for us too a source of pardon.

We nations, enlightened through you, and through you raised from earth to heaven, give thanks; for having abandoned the cult of the foe, we have become companions of the Angels and fellows of the Lord of glory.

Eye-witnesses of ineffable mysteries and servants of the Word, mystagogues and contemplators of things unsearchable, intercede, Apostles, that we too may become fellow heirs of Christ’s kingdom and sharers in his Godhead.

Having received from Christ authority to bind and loose, loose us all from the bonds of many offences, because Christ will come and all you Twelve will sit on as many thrones to judge all the tribes of Israel.

Glory.

Let us glorify the Nature in three persons and the inseparable glory, the undivided Trinity, hymned unceasingly in one Godhead in heaven and on earth, as we devoutly worship the Father and Spirit with the Son.

Bethsaida now be glad; for in you there flowered from a mystic pool two sweet scented lilies, Peter and Andrew, who spread the fragrant proclamation of the faith to the whole world by the grace of Christ, whose sufferings too they imitated.

Andrew rejoice and leap for joy, because in the radiance of the Word you clearly received the Sun of glory, Christ the giver of life, whom you held fast and by the faith proclaimed; implore him without ceasing on behalf of us who sing your praise with faith.

Chosen initiate of the divine dispensation of Christ, chosen first of all to be a disciple of the Word, Andrew who saw God cried out and said, when he saw his brother Peter, ‘We have found the Messias whom the Scripture and Prophets proclaimed of old’.

The city of Patras has gained you as Shepherd and divine defender, deliverer from dangers of every kind and guardian, wise Andrew, as with thanksgiving it honours you. But implore without ceasing that it may be preserved unharmed.

Let us all sing the praise of Andrew, the herald of the faith and servant of the Word; for he fishes men from the deep, grasping in his hands the Cross for a rod, and lowering power like a line he brings souls up from the error of the foe and offers them as an acceptable gift to God. Let us the faithful ever sing his praise with the choir of Christ’s Disciples, that he may intercede with him so that he may be merciful to us on the day of judgement.

Great Doxology and Dismissal.

At the Liturgy, the Typika and from the 3rd and 6th Odes of the Canons of the Apostle.