Month of May
THE
15th DAY
Commemoration of the Holy Passion-bearer Hallvard
of Husaby, Defender of Oslo
Composed by Reader Isaac Lambertson
At Vespers
On
"Lord, I have cried …", these stichera of the holy passion-bearer,
in Tone VI: Spec. Mel.: "On the third day ..." -
Moved to Christian pity, O Hallvard, by the sight of a woman pursued by
wicked men, in thy boat thou gavest her refuge on the waters, that she
and her unborn child might escape their savage retribution, and so doing
didst piously forfeit thine own life.
O Hallvard, exemplar of wondrous piety, whose conduct was guided by the
teachings of Christ, thou didst reason with those who sought revenge,
entreating them to spare the innocent; wherefore, their arrow cut short
thy life, and thou didst fly to heaven as if loosed from a bow.
Mindful of the precept of the Lord, that we love God above all and our
neighbour as ourself, without hesitation thou didst defend the woman heavy
with child, O Hallvard, against those who sought to slay her; wherefore,
thou now abidest in the mansions on high, where thou prayest for those
who honour thy memory with love.
Glory ... , of the holy passion-bearer: Idiomelon,
in Tone VIII -
Like the merchant who found a precious treasure in a field, and sold all
he had to acquire it, so did Hallvard find the kingdom of heaven on the
waters of Dremmenfjord, for there at the cost of his life he obtained
the jewelled crown of martyrdom, exchanging this transitory existence
for life everlasting by striving courageously to save the life of a woman
heavy with child from the hands of evildoers. Wherefore, assembling, O
ye who love the martyrs, let us render high praise unto him as a goodly
athlete of Christ, who fought the good fight and gloriously finished the
course, receiving the wreath of victory from the Judge of the contest.
Now & ever ... , from the Pentecostarion;
or theotokion, or this stavrotheotokion, in the same tone: Spec. Mel.:
"O all-glorious wonder ..." -
"I cannot bear to see Thee, O my Child, Who givest vigilance to all,
asleep upon the Tree, that Thou mayest bestow divine and saving wakefulness
upon those who of old fell into the sleep of perdition by eating the fruit
of disobedience!" the Virgin said, weeping, whom we magnify.
Aposticha from the Pentecostarion or the Octoechos;
and Glory ... , of the holy passion - bearer: Idiomelon, in Tone II -
Come, all ye Orthodox peoples! Come ye, Christian people of Norway! Come,
ye citizens of Oslo! Let us extol Hallvard the wondrous youth. who, nurtured
from infancy on the precepts of Christ, and reared in piety and reverence,
bravely sheltered the defenseless woman, whose life and that of her unborn
babe were sought by savage malefactors; for he was mindful of the words
of Jesus, that no-one hath greater love, than that he lay down his life
for his fellow man. Wherefore, let us imitate Hallvard as he imitated
his Lord, that we also may be vouchsafed a place in paradise with Him.
Now & ever ... , from the Pentecostarion;
or theotokion, or stavrotheotokion, in the same tone: Spec. Mel.: "When
from the Tree ..." -
When the unblemished Ewe-lamb beheld her Lamb led forth of His own will,
as a man, to the slaughter, she said, weeping: "Dost Thou now hasten
to leave me childless who gave Thee birth, O Christ? What is this that
Thou hast done, O Deliverer of all? Yet do I hymn and glorify Thine utter
goodness which transcendeth understanding and speech, O Thou Who lovest
mankind!"
Troparion of the holy passion-bearer, in Tone
IV -
In his martyric death Hallvard cast aside riches and trampled sinful pleasures
underfoot; and though his precious body was cast into the watery depths,
it rose from thence at the divine behest as a sign for the faithful that
his soul had ascended to paradise, where he prayeth unceasingly, entreating
the compassion of God for us all.
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 hierarch; Now & ever ... , as prescribed
by the Pentecostarion. But if the feast fall after the Pentecost period,
the troparion of the passion-bearer, twice; Glory ... , Now & ever
... : Theotokion.
Canon from the Pentecostarion, or those from
the Octoechos; and that of the holy passion-bearer, with 4 troparia, the
acrostic whereof is "The Holy Church is adorned by Hallvard",
in Tone VII -
Ode I
Irmos:
To God Who drowned Pharaoh in the Red Sea let u s chant a hymn of victory,
for He hath been glorified.
To Hallvard, who was slain for piety's sake, let us chant a hymn of victory,
for he hath been glorified by God.
Heaven wondrously revealed the body of the passion-bearer when the malefactors
cast it into the waters.
Evildoers sought to hide their crime; but the Lord showed that nought
is hidden which will not be revealed.
Theotokion: Hosts of angels attend
thee on high, O Virgin Theotokos; and the ranks of saints and martyrs
ever hymn thee.
Ode
III
Irmos: O Thou Who lovest mankind.
Who didst establish the heavens and make firm the foundation of the earth
upon many waters: establish Thou my mind in Thy will.
Oslo, the city of kings, rejoiceth greatly in the holy passion-bearer
Hallvard, for by his supplications are its foundations made firm upon
the mighty waters of the Oslofjord.
Let the waters of Dremmenfjord leap up in gladness, for they received
the hallowed body of the holy Hallvard with honour, but surrendered it
at the command of God.
Ye Christian people of Husaby, rejoice and be glad exceedingly, for from
your midst came forth a pious youth, who by his martyric end bringeth
everlasting glory to you.
Theotokion: Come, ye earthborn, and
with fervent hymns of praise let us honour the unblemished Ewe-lamb, who
in her all-pure womb bore the Lamb of God, our Saviour and Lord.
If the feast fall within the period of Pentecost,
the kontakion & ikos of the holy passion-bearer are chanted here.
But if the feast fall after the Pentecost period, the kontakion &
ikos of the holy passion-bearer are instead chanted after Ode VI.
Kontakion of the holy passion-bearers in Tone
VIII
Like a merchant man seeking fine pearls, the young Hallvard plied the
seas of life; and having freighted the ship of his soul with compassion
and all the Christian virtues, he found a most precious treasure on the
waters of Dremmenfjord, and sold all he had, purchasing it with the very
blood of his life, for he bravely shielded the defenceless woman for the
sake of Christ his God. Wherefore, marvelling at his innocence and valour,
let us cry aloud: Wondrous is God Who is glorious in His saints!
Ikos: Having cravenly slain the godly
Hallvard, the murderers sought to conceal their wicked deed; and tying
a millstone to his body, they cast it forth into the waters of the Dremmenfjord.
But God, Who said, There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed,
and nothing hidden that shall not be known, caused the body of His saint
to rise from the depths, bearing with it the heavy millstone, as a rebuke
and accusation against the malefactors; for He likewise admonisheth us,
saying: Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones who believe in
Me, it were better for him that a millstone be hanged about his neck,
and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. O the omniscient providence
of God! O the loving-kindness of Christ for His children! Let us therefore
be not silent, but with the millstone let us boldly proclaim: Wondrous
is God, Who is glorious in His saints!
Sessional hymn of the holy passion-bearer, in
Tone IV: Spec. Mel.:
"Having been lifted up ..." -
At the grave of Hallvard by the church of his kinsman, the holy King Olav,
God wrought marvellous signs and wonders, healing the sick and afflicted,
thereby bearing witness to the righteousness of His saint; wherefore,
the pious, exhuming the precious relics of the passion-bearer, bore them
with honour to enshrine them in great Oslo.
Glory ..., Now & ever …: Sessional hymn
from the Pentecostarion; or this theotokion, in the same tone & melody
-
Though I love sin, I beseech thee, O all-pure one, who gavest birth to
the sinless God Who taketh away the sins of the world: Have pity on my
most sinful soul, and wash away my many sins; for thou art the cleansing
of sinners, the salvation and help of the faithful.
Stavrotheotokion - She who in latter
times gave birth in the flesh to Thee Who wast begotten of the unoriginate
Father, O Christ, seeing Thee hanging upon the Cross cried out: "Woe
is me, O Jesus most beloved! How is it that Thou Who art glorified as
God by the angels art now of Thine own will crucified by iniquitous men?
O my long-suffering Son, I hymn Thee!"
Ode IV
Irmos: Thy virtue covered the heavens,
O Lord, and Thou hast filled all things with Thy praise. Glory to Thy
power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!
Husaby exulteth today in the passion-bearer Hallvard, and summoneth all
the towns and villages of Norway to celebrate his holy memory.
Unto the pious youth Hallvard let us all fall down in homage, mindful
of the words of Christ, for with mercy he treated the least of his brethren.
Rich in earthly goods, the devout Hallvard spurned wealth and power when
he ardently strove to deliver a woman from unjust retribution.
Theotokion: Choirs of virgins and martyrs
surround thy throne on high, O Queen of all, chanting hymns to thy celestial
beauty and ineffable maternity.
Ode V
Irmos:
Rising at dawn unto Thy glory and laudation. O Word, we unceasingly praise
the image of Thy Cross, which Thou hast given us as a weapon to help us.
Hallvard was unjustly slain when the murderer's arrow pierced his neck,
but his Christian death stabbed the wicked heart of the father of lies
like a spear.
In rage and anger the three murderers slew Hallvard and the pregnant woman
whom he sought to protect; but by his death the saint gained immortality.
Signs and miracles abounded at thy grave. O most glorious Hallvard, for
God wondrously raised thy martyred body from the cold waters of the fjord.
Theotokion: All the generations of
men call thee blessed, O immaculate Bride of the Most High, and the ranks
of noetic beings never cease to praise thy mighty works.
Ode VI
Irmos: Sailing amid the tumult of
the cares of life, I founder with the ship of sin and am cast to the soul-destroying
beast; yet like Jonah I cry to Thee, O Christ: Lead me up from the deadly
abyss!
Devout, chaste, honest and pure of heart, Hallvard imbibed the pure waters
of the teachings of Christ; wherefore, without hesitation he came to the
defence of the least of the children of God.
Offering to pay retribution, that the murderers would not put the poor
woman and her unborn child cruelly to death, the saint imitated the One
Who hath redeemed us by His precious Blood.
Remembering the words of Christ, "If ye have done it to the least
of My children, ye have done it unto Me," Hallvard valiantly defended
the oppressed woman, and lost his life for his Saviour.
Theotokion: Now sink we sinners beneath
the vast burden of our offences, and the waters of life's trials inexorably
engulf us; but extend to us thy maternal hand. and swiftly save us. O
Mistress Theotokos.
If the feast fall within the Pentecost period,
the kontakion & ikos from the Pentecostarion are chanted here; otherwise,
the kontakion & ikos of the holy passion-bearer (see after Ode III)
are chanted at this point.
Ode VII
Irmos: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God
of our fathers, Creator of all, Who reinest in the cherubim, and didst
save the children in the furnace!
Evil did not triumph over goodness, and the millstone tied to the saint
floated upon the waters as a sign of God's favour and love.
Deadly was the murderers' sin; thus would it have been better had the
stone been bound to their own necks and cast into the sea.
Blessed is the Lord God of our fathers, by Whose grace the wondrous passion-bearer
gloriously finished the course of his life!
Theotokion: Ye Christian youths and
maidens, praise the all-holy Lady, the Virgin Mary, who far surpasseth
the cherubim in glory and dignity.
Ode VIII
Irmos: Ye heavens of heavens, O earth
and ye mountains, ye hills and depths of the sea, and all ye race of men,
with hymns bless ye as Creator and Deliverer God Who is unceasingly glorified
in the highest by the angels!
Hallvard dwelleth now in paradise and prayeth for his kinfolk on earth;
wherefore, ye mountains and fjords of Norway. and all ye people of that
land, bless the Creator and Deliverer Who hath glorified His saint.
Ascending to the heavens of heavens, the chaste-minded Hallvard joined
the ranks of angelic beings and the companies of the martyrs, where with
hymns he continually blesseth God, his Creator and Deliverer.
Let us praise the devout Vebjorn and Thorny, the pious parents of the
passion-bearer; for, rearing their son in Christian piety and the fear
of God, they trained him to defeat the adversary' like a mighty athlete.
Theotokion: Lady and Queen, Mother
of God and Mother of us all, look down from the heavens upon the race
of men, and in thy compassion come quickly to our aid. For if thou wilt
not help us, where will we find a deliverer?
Ode IX
Irmos: Without seed thou gayest birth
to the incarnate Word in godly manner, O Virgin Theotokos; and we magnify
thee.
Virtue and courage filled the soul of the passion-bearer Hallvard; wherefore,
we magnify him exceedingly.
Arise, ye people of Oslo, and giving fervent thanks to God for so wondrous
a protector, magnify the holy Hallvard.
Residing in the mansions of heaven with all the servants of the Word,
Hallvard magnifieth Him supremely forever.
Theotokion: Dead are we in soul. O
Lady, and destined for the lake of fire; but save us therefrom, that we
may magnify thee.
Exapostilarion of the holy passion-bearer: Spec.
Mel.:. "Hearken, ye women ..." -
Arise, ye people of Norway, who have received so many heavenly benefits
through the intercession of the wondrous Hallvard, and give thanks unto
God Most High, Who in His infinite compassion and love for mankind hath
bestowed upon all Christians so great a mediator.
Glory..., Now & ever ... , from the Pentecostarion;
or this Theotokion -
Unto the preëternal divine Word. Who deigned to descend into thine
all-pure womb, O Theotokos to assume our human flesh - God in two natures,
but in one hypostasis - do we render worship and adoration; for by His
ineffable love for our race have we been truly saved.
Aposticha from the Pentecostarion or Octoechos;
and Glory ... , of the holy passion-bearer: Idiomelon, in Tone III -
Christ our God, our all-merciful Saviour, Who by His suffering and death
on the Cross hath redeemed us from slavery to the devil and death by the
drops of His precious Blood as with flawless rubies, did Hallvard ardently
imitate, shedding his blood for the sake of the innocent; and by the arrow
wherewith he was slain by the iniquitous he escaped the burning darts
of the enemy of man.
Now & ever ... , from the Pentecostarion;
or theotokion, or this stavrotheotokion: Spec. Mel.: "Great is the
power 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 God. Who didst keep me a virgin even after I gave birth!"
At Liturgy
Prokimenon of the holy passion-bearer, in Tone
VII -
The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in Him.
Stichos: Hearken, O God, unto my prayers,
when I make supplication unto Thee.
A Reading from the Acts of the Holy Apostles,
§17
[Acts 6: 8-15; 7: 1-5, 47-60]
In those days, Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and
miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue,
which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians,
and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were
not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they
suborned men, who said: "We have heard him speak blasphemous words
against Moses, and against God." And they stirred up the people,
and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and
brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses, who said: "This
man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and
the law: for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall
destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered
us." And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him,
saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Then said the high priest:
"Are these things so?" And he said: "Men, brethren, and
fathers, hearken: the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when
he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said unto him, 'Get
thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land
which I shall show thee.' Then came he out of the land of the Chaldæans,
and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed
him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. And he gave him none inheritance
in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. Solomon built him a house.
Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith
the prophet: 'Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house
will ye build me? saith the Lord: or 'What is the place of my rest? Hath
not my hand made all these things?" Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised
in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers
did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?
and they have slain those who showed before of the coming of the Just
One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: who have received
the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it." When
they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed
on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked
up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing
on the right hand of God, and said: "Behold, I see the heavens opened,
and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." Then they
cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him
with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the
witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was
Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying: "Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit." And he kneeled down, and cried with a
loud voice: "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." And when
he had said this, he fell asleep.
Alleluia, in Tone IV -
Stichos: The righteous man shall flourish
like a palm-tree, and like a cedar in Lebanon shall he be multiplied.
Stichos: They that are planted in the house
of the Lord, in the courts of our God they shall blossom forth.
Gospel according to John, §52
[Jn. 15: 17-16: 2]
The Lord said to His disciples: "These things I command you, that
ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before
it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but
because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world,
therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you,
The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me,
they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep
yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for My name's sake,
because they know not him that sent Me. If I had not come and spoken unto
them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
He who hateth Me hateth My Father also. If I had not done among them the
works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they
both seen and hated both Me and My Father. But this cometh to pass, that
the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated Me
without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto
you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, Who proceedeth from the
Father. He shall testify of Me: and ye also shall bear witness, because
ye have been with Me from the beginning. These things have I spoken unto
you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues:
yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth
God service."
Communion verse - In everlasting remembrance
shall the righteous be; he shall not be afraid of evil tidings.
