Month of May
THE 27TH DAY
Commemoration of Our Venerable Father Bede of Jarrow
Composed by Reader Isaac Lambertson
At Vespers
At Lord, I have cried, these stichera, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: O all-praised martyrs
Having with fasting and ascetic feats extinguished the burning of the carnal passions, O ever-memorable father Bede, abiding in concord with thy brethren thou didst purify thy mind with unceasing prayer unto God. And dwelling now on high, thou dost fervently entreat Him to grant us peace and great mercy.
Enrolled in the choir of ascetics as a child, thou didst adorn thyself with dispassion and all the monastic virtues; wherefore, thou dwellest forever with the saints in paradise, in the radiant mansions of the venerable, nigh unto Christ, the Tree of life, where thou prayest unceasingly, on behalf of us all, that He grant us peace and great mercy.
In thy peerless writings thou didst shine forth from the English land like a beacon, enlightening the whole world with the splendor of the grace which filled thee, dispelling the darkness of ignorance from the souls of men, and dissipating the gloom and mist which the demons cast over our minds; wherefore, thou prayest now on high that our souls be granted peace and great mercy.
Glory: Idiomelon, in the same tone
In recording the history of the Holy Church in the English lands, O venerable father Bede, thou hast profited us beyond measure; for, reading thine inspired accounts of the conversion of thy land to Christ, of its many holy hierarchs, pious kings and queens, wondrous ascetics and martyrs, we truly exult in spirit and rejoice exceedingly in this priceless treasure, which thou hast bequeathed unto all who rightly praise thine honored memory with hymns.
Now & ever, from the Pentecostarion; or Theotokion, or this Stavrotheotokion, in the same tone: Spec. Mel.: O all-praised martyrs
As she beheld her Lamb upon the Cross, bereft of form or comeliness, the unblemished ewe-lamb, the sovereign Lady, said lamenting: Woe is me! Where hath Thy beauty fled, O most Sweet One? Where is Thy splendor? Where is the radiant grace of Thine image, O my Son most blessed?
Aposticha stichera from the Pentecostarion or the Octoechos; and Glory: Idiomelon, in Tone III
In thee, O venerable one, did the grace of the Holy Spirit make its abode, lighting thy pure soul like a precious lamp to mark for the lost the straight and narrow path which leadeth unerringly to the kingdom of Christ; wherefore, the Lord hath set thee in the heights of heaven, where thou shinest even now with the radiance of the uncreated light of God, everlastingly resplendent with ineffable brilliance, ever guiding us to the safe harbor of the Most High.
Now & ever, from the Pentecostarion; or Theotokion, or this Stavrotheotokion, in the same tone: Spec. Mel.: Great are the powers of Thy Cross
A sword pierced thy heart, O all-pure one, when thou didst behold thy Son upon the Cross; and thou didst cry out: Show me not to be childless, O my Son and my God, Who hast preserved me a virgin even after giving birth!
Troparion, in Tone VIII
Throughout the dark years of thy times, O Bede, thou didst water the English lands and all the West with outpourings of grace; and like a skilled sower thou didst cast the seed of divine knowledge far and wide over the fields of thy Master, where, springing forth, it hath borne fruit for Him an hundredfold. Wherefore, having thus acquired boldness before Him, O venerable one, pray thou unceasingly that our souls be saved.
At Matins
At God is the Lord: If the feast fall within the period of Pentecost, the troparion of the Pentecostarion, twice; Glory, that of the venerable one; Now & ever, as prescribed by the Pentecostarion. But if the feast fall after the Pentecost period, the troparion of the saint, twice; Glory, Now & ever: Theotokion.
Canon from the Pentecostarion, or those from the Octoechos; and that of the venerable one, with 4 troparia, the acrostic whereof is Bede the Venerable doth edify his land, in Tone VII
Ode I
Irmos: To God Who drowned Pharaoh in the Red Sea let us chant a hymn of victory, for He hath been glorified.
Be Thou pleased, O God, to overlook our many sins, and deign that we may glorify Bede the venerable.
England rejoiceth today in the holy Bede, for he hath left her a precious treasure in his peerless writings.
Drowning in the sea of temptations, we entreat the holy Bede to extend his hand to us, for he is glorious.
Theotokion: Entering the Temple when three years of age, O Virgin Maiden, thou becamest the animate temple of God.
Ode III
Irmos: The Church of Christ hath been made steadfast through faith; for it unceasingly crieth out in hymns, chanting: Holy art Thou, O Lord! My spirit doth hymn Thee!
The Abbey of Saint Paul, in Jarrow, boasted in thee, O Bede; for thou wast enrolled therein as a child of seven years, that thou mightest chant: Holy art Thou, O Lord!
Having been placed in the care of the venerable Benedict Biscop, O wondrous Bede, thou becamest steadfast in the Faith, crying out to God: My spirit doth hymn Thee!
Ever excelling in piety and purity, O venerable one, with thine ascetic struggles thou didst purchase all the virtues like a skilled merchant, crying: Holy art Thou, O Lord!
Theotokion: Venerable and worthy of all adoration is the most pure Mother of our Lord; wherefore, the saints unceasingly cry out to her in the heavens: All-holy art Thou, O Lady!
If the feast fall within the period of Pentecost, the kontakion & ikos of the venerable one are chanted here. But if the feast fall after the Pentecost period, the kontakion & ikos of the saint are instead chanted after Ode VI.
Kontakion, in Tone VIII
Thou wast like a radiant lamp shining forth from Northumbria, O venerable Bede, shedding the light of divine knowledge upon the realms of the English, and enlightening with thy godly wisdom all the lands of the West. Wherefore, Christ thy Master hath bestowed upon thee rich rewards in paradise, where in gladness thou dwellest forever with the saints and angels.
Ikos: Filled with pity for the ignorance of thy people, O Bede, thou didst willingly undertake the task of their enlightenment, translating the Holy Gospel of John into their native tongue. And even as thou wast overcome with weakness and bodily infirmity, when thy Lord informed thee that thy departure into eternity was nigh, thou didst hasten to complete thy sacred work; and when all was done, thou didst repeat the words of thy Master, It is finished. Then, lifting thine eyes unto heaven, thou didst pray to the All-holy Trinity, saying: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit! And at that very moment, an odor of sweet fragrance filled thy cell as thy pure soul took flight from thine ailing body, for it was transported to paradise, where in gladness thou dwellest forever with the saints and angels.
Sessional hymn, in Tone V: Spec. Mel.: The Word Who with the Father and the Spirit is equally without beginning
Having by fasting, abstinence and ascetic feats cleansed thy mind of carnal stain, O Bede most wise and venerable, thou becamest like a divine mirror, reflecting with clarity the rays of the effulgence of God, to Whom thou hast now been gloriously upborne on thy manifold virtues, as upon the chariot of Elijah.
Glory, Now & ever: Theotokion
O pure one, earnestly entreat the Lord God, Who for our sake became incarnate of Thee, that He take pity on us who have become corrupt in transgressions, and avert His wrath and anger from those who with faith unceasingly honor and praise His power and might.
Stavrotheotokion
Beholding Thee hanging of Thine own will upon the Cross between the thieves, Thy Mother, O Christ, said maternally, her womb rent asunder: O my sinless Son, how is it that Thou hast been unjustly nailed to the Cross as a malefactor, desiring to bring life to the human race, in that Thou art compassionate?
Ode IV
Irmos: In latter times, the prophet, perceiving Thine advent, O Christ, cried aloud: I have heard of Thy power, O Lord, for Thou hast come to save all Thine anointed ones!
Enlivened in soul by the teachings of the holy Abbot Ceolfrid, O glorious one, thou didst illumine the Sacred Scriptures for the edification of God¹s anointed ones
.
Neither sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids didst thou give, O Bede, devoting thyself entirely to holy obedience, humility, and all the monastic virtues.
Ever chanting the divine services, O blessed one, thou didst cry out in exultation: I have heard of Thy power, O Lord, for Thou hast come to save all Thine anointed ones!
Theotokion: Receive these wholly unworthy praises from our polluted mouths, and disdain them not, O Mother of God, but accept them as though they were meet for thy laudation.
Ode V
Irmos: O Thou Who hast dispelled the night of the passions, illumine me with the noetic light, driving away the primordial darkness of the abyss, and shining forth upon the world the first-created light, O Creator of all.
All the sinful passions which beset the soul of man didst thou drive from thy heart, O glorious father Bede, and, casting off the darkness of the abyss, thou didst rejoice in the primal light of the Creator of all.
Belaboring thy frail body with fasting and ascetic discipline, O venerable father, thou didst mortify all carnal-mindedness within thy members, until thou didst shine with the primal light of the Creator of all.
Luxury and lasciviousness didst thou utterly banish from thyself, O wondrous athlete of Christ, and vainglory and avarice didst thou likewise uproot, so that thou wast illumined from within with spiritual light.
Theotokion: Even we, who are the worst of sinners, do not utterly despair of salvation, for Christ hath given thee to us, O Maiden, as a helper, mediator and defender, driving away the primordial darkness of the abyss.
Ode VI
Irmos: Jonah cried out from the belly of hades: Lead up my life from corruption! And we cry out to Thee: O almighty Savior, have mercy on us!
Deacon wast thou ordained, and priest, by the holy John of Beverly, O Bede, that by God’s grace in thee men might be led up from corruption.
O Almighty Savior, have mercy on us!, the holy one cried out unceasingly to the Lord, praying fervently, that He deliver all from corruption.
Taking care ever for the good of thy flock, O saint, thou didst say to Christ with joy: Here am I and the children Thou hast entrusted to me!
Theotokion: Having fallen headlong into the pit of our sins and bemired ourselves helplessly in the slough of corruption, we cry unto thee for aid, O Mary.
If the feast fall within the Pentecost period, the kontakion & ikos from the Pentecostarion are chanted here; otherwise, the kontakion & ikos of the venerable one (see after Ode III) are chanted at this point.
Ode VII
Irmos: In the Chaldæan furnace, the children of Abraham joined chorus with the Angel, saying: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Enduring temptations unbowed, and weeping abundant tears of compunction, thou didst cry: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Devoutly didst thou serve the Lord God and didst teach thy brethren to chant unto Him: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
In leaving us thy history of the Church in the English lands, O saint, thou movest us to chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Theotokion: Fiery trials assail us, O Virgin, but do thou extinguish them by thy mercy, that we may cry aloud: Blessed is the God of our fathers!
Ode VIII
Irmos: Bedewed, the children cried aloud in the midst of the furnace: Let creation bless Him Who formed all things by His word, and exalt Him supremely forever!
Ye pious and devout, let us bless Bede the Venerable, who, having drunk deeply of the fountain of divine wisdom, hath bedewed us with his wise writings.
Homilies didst thou write for the edification of all, O holy Bede, and inspired interpretations of the Scriptures, that they might exalt Him supremely forever.
Inspired by pity for thy people, on thy deathbed thou didst undertake to render the Gospel of John into English, that all might exalt God supremely forever.
Theotokion: Symeon foretold that a sword would pierce thy heart, O blessed Bride of God; and this indeed came to pass when thou didst behold thy Son hanging on the Cross.
Ode IX
Irmos: O most hymned one, who art more exalted than the heavens, without seed thou didst conceive the Word Who is without beginning and for men gavest birth to God incarnate; wherefore, we all magnify thee.
Let the Cathedral of Durham rejoice, for it hath within it the sepulcher of the venerable one like a jewel lustrous with gems, which with its splendors filleth our hearts with gladness; wherefore, we magnify him.
All ye faithful, let us make haste to the tomb of the venerable Bede, and there let us light the lamps of our hearts from him, the lantern of the Church, which burneth brightly with the grace of the Spirit.
Now let the whole land of England render thanks exceedingly unto the incarnate God, Whose good pleasure it was to bestow upon it the venerable Bede, as a bright luminary, thereby guiding all to heaven
.
Theotokion: Disdain us not, O all-immaculate Virgin, neither spurn our pitiful entreaties, but hearken to our cries of desperation, and incline thine ear to our earnest supplications, for thou gavest birth for us unto Christ.
Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: O Light immutable
With thy sublime words thou dost nourish our souls, that we may grow in wisdom and spiritual stature, O sacred one; wherefore, Christ hath bestowed on thee a diadem of immutable light.
Glory, Now & ever, from the Pentecostarion; or this Theotokion
With unceasing hymns do we bless thee, O Virgin, for thou gavest birth unto One of the Trinity, and didst bear in thy holy embrace the transcendent Word, immutably and without change.
Aposticha stichera from the Pentecostarion or Octoechos; and Glory: Idiomelon, in Tone VIII
Arise, O holy Jarrow! Exult thou, O city of Durham! For the sainted Bede the Venerable extendeth his monastic mantle over you both, protecting you from the predations of the ungodly, and preserving you from the wrath of God which smiteth all heresies. Wherefore, cherish well his sacred relics, for like the bones of the Prophet Elisha they will, through the living grace of God which dwelleth therein, impart new life unto that which is dead.
Now & ever, from the Pentecostarion; or Theotokion, or this Stavrotheotokion, in the same tone: Spec. Mel.: What shall we call you
When she beheld the Lamb stretched out upon the Tree of the Cross, the ewe-lamb cried out maternally, weeping and in pain: O my Son, what is this strange thing that I see? How is it that Thou diest, Who as Lord givest life to all, O Long-suffering One, granting resurrection to mortals? I glorify Thy great condescension, O my God!
At the Liturgy
Prokimenon, in Tone VII
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
Stichos: What shall I render unto the Lord for all that He hath rendered unto me?
EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS, § 213 [Gal. 5: 22-6:2]
Brethren: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Alleluia, in Tone VI
Stichos: Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord; in His commandments shall he greatly delight.
Stichos: His seed shall be mighty upon the earth.
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE, § 24 [LK. 6: 17-23]
At that time, Jesus stood in the plain, and the company of His disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judæa and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him: for there went virtue out of Him, and healed them all. And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said: Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.. Blessed are ye who hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye who weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven.
Communion Verse
In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be; he shall not be afraid of evil tidings.