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SEPTEMBER 24
CANON TO THE HOLY
PROTOMARTYR
AND EQUAL OF THE APOSTLES THEKLA
A Composition by Monk
John.
The Acrostic, without the Theotokia, is
First Woman Martys is
glorified.
Ode 1. Tone 8.
Let us sing to the Lord.
First Woman Martyr’s far-famed struggles tongue’s sound has
not the strength to tell; for it is far too weak to raise a worthy hymn.
It has ceased, the scornful boasting of the tyrant; for in Christ
women, like heroes, devoutly stood against him.
Resounded in her ears, all-blessed Paul, your ineffable preaching of
the gospel; and so the virgin has been betrothed to Christ.
Theotokion.
All-immaculate
Mother of God, who bore beyond nature the eternal and divine Word incarnate, we hymn you.
Ode 3. You are the
foundation.
So far beyond thought, all-honoured virgin, the love by which in
Christ, united by the Spirit, you were bound to Paul.
The pleasurable enjoyment of earthly things had no strength to wound
your mind, wounded by spiritual love.
Wholly you had abandoned the passions of the flesh, all-praised
Champion, and so you were not softened by your mother’s words.
Theotokion.
By your
intercessions, O All-pure, give us help by driving off the assaults of dread misfortunes.
Ode 4. I heard, Lord.
O all-wise Thekla, when you were betrothed to Thamyris, the bridesman
Paul joined you as a spotless virgin to the heavenly Bridegroom.
Moved far from earthly love by Paul’s words of true religion,
Thamyris’s words, O Martyr, you mocked as lunacy.
Adam’s race was blessed by being sprinkled with God’s blood;
while Eve rejoices when she sees the serpent falling to women.
Now longing for purity, the Champion rejected all the pleasures of
life: wealth, race and beauty, and a fair suitor.
Theotokion.
As you
are sinless, grant us pardon of our follies, O God, and give peace to the world at the
intercessions of her who gave birth to you .
Ode 5.
Rising at dawn we cry to
you.
Martyr Thekla, all-blessed, you ran the arduous race of the athlete and
were found worthy of the prize.
And now the cunning dragon has been despoiled: for through godlike
sufferings the virgin was being taught obedience.
Right godly boldness overcame your modesty; for the fire of the Trinity
had set your heart ablaze.
Theotokion.
We hymn
you as Virgin after childbirth, Mother of God; for you bore for the world God the Word in
the flesh.
Ode 6. I pour out my
entreaty.
The weakness of a girl’s nature was made strong by the
Saviour’s power, for with longing for God she left off the ornaments of youth and
boldly by night ran seeking the sweet-scented teachings of her Lover.
Yet by her own desire the far-famed first Champion Thekla marvellously
exchanged the bridal chambers of marriage to dwell in the malefactors’ prison; for
her longing for the Maker conquered the loves of creatures.
Spiritually the Martyr kissed the bonds of her inspired Teacher; in the
prison, as in a God-filled meadow, watered by his words she grew and truly bore the
fairest fruit for the Master.
Theotokion.
All-holy
Virgin Mother of God, do not cease to intercede for us, for you are the support of the
faithful, and we are strengthened by your hope, and with longing we glorify you and the
One who ineffably took flesh from you.
Ode 7. The Youths from
Judea.
In longing as to a prisoner, All-blessed virgin, you were bound to
Paul; with songs unchained in harmony you sang in faith devoutly with him: God of our
Fathers, blessed are you.
Standing with Paul before unjust tribunals, fair virgin, with longing
for the Master you cast away shame and in ecstasy cried out: God of our Fathers, blessed
are you.
Giving your body to the furnace, O Martyr, through longing for God, by
the power of the One you longed for you remained unburned as you sang: God of our Fathers,
blessed are you.
Lo, a rain-bearing cloud, having quenched the flame with shower and
hail, justly burns the senseless and saves the Martyr as she sings: God of our Fathers,
blessed are you.
Theotokion.
You
appeared incarnate from a virgin womb for our salvation; therefore, knowing your Mother to
be Mother of God, with thanksgiving we cry: God of our Fathers, blessed are you.
Ode 8. The King of
heaven.
O Virgin Martyr, strange seemed your thought; for you dwelt in a tomb
as if in Eden, as you sang the praise of Christ to the ages.
Refusing that the bright beauty of your virginity be darkened, you
chose to die, and now you live to the ages.
Intimately linked with Christ, the life-giving and supernatural
Bridegroom, you chose wild beasts, first Champion, as guardians of your virginity.
Flinging aside your garment of corruption, Christ’s well-equipped
competitor reached a life without decay to the ages.
Theotokion.
The One
who came down from heaven and dwelt in a virgin womb, praise and highly exalt to all the
ages.
Ode 9. Mother of God most
High.
Is there any who would not marvel, Protomartyr, at your indomitable
courage? For having tamed the passions, wild beasts of the mind, you did not quail before
the impotent assaults of wild beasts, but remained in their midst unharmed.
Even the sheer untrodden rock was rent by God’s command for the
god-bearing Martyr, sealed as God’s bride by the bath of rebirth; and like a bridal
chamber for the fugitive it received her in its arms.
Doctor the bruises of my soul, First Champion; crown the world with
peace, giving victories to our faithful Sovereign against hostile barbarians and peace to
the Churches by your supplications.
Theotokion.
Sovereign
Lady, slay my sin that still lives, give life to the death of soul by the force of the
true Life born from your womb through ineffable compassion for those who devoutly magnify
you.
NOTE
The source for this Canonby St John of Damascus, as for the
other texts of the feast, is the Acts of Paul and Thekla.
This is an ancient apocryphal text which probably dates from the middle of the second
century. It was known to Tertullian and exists in numerous Greek manuscripts and in many
versions, Latin, Coptic, Syriac and Armenian. The most recent English version is to be
found in J.K. Elliot's The Apocryphal New Testament [Oxford
1993].
In order to preserve the acrostic of this Canon, I have used
the Greek word martys, rather than the English martyr.
For the full text of the office of Saint Thekla, go to 24 September.
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