Month of November
The 7th Day
Commemoration
of Our Father among the Saints,
Willibrord, Bishop of Utrecht,
Enlightener of the Low Countries
At Great Vespers
After
the Introductory Psalm, we chant “Blessed is the man…”,
the first antiphon.
On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera: 4 in Tone III:
Spec. Mel.: “Great is the power of Thy Cross…”—
Great is the power of Thy saint, O Lord! For though born in Northumbria,
he now worketh miracles throughout the world; for becoming the glorious
apostle to the heathen Frisians, he taught them to pray to the one true
God.
Great is the glory of the Monastery of Ripon, O Savior; for the wondrous
Willibrord, entrusted to its care, was filled there with knowledge divine
and radiant grace, and advanced in favor with both God and his fellow
men.
Great is the exultation of the nether lands, O Master of all; for the
holy Willibrord, making his abode therein, began to clear away the tares
which choked the field of God, uprooting the falsehood of idolatry from
men’s hearts.
Great is the boast of the Monastery of Echternach, O King of all; for
the glorious Willibrord, having toiled for Thee until the end of his life,
passed to his eternal reward therein, and was laid to rest with honor
within its sacred confines.
And 4 stichera in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “With what wreaths of
praise shall we crown…”—
With what wreaths of praise shall we crown the holy Willibrord? For as
a good husbandman he cultivated the fertile ground of men’s souls
with the plough of the Gospel, and in the furrows thereof sowed the seed
of the Holy Orthodox Faith, which, watered by the dews of heaven and warmed
by the fervor of grace divine, bore an abundant harvest for Christ the
Master.
With what robes of laudation shall we invest the sacred one? For, chosen
by the will of God, he bowed to the wishes of his holy companions, and
set out for Old Rome to receive episcopal consecration. But before he
arrived, the Lord told the venerable Sergius of Rome in an angelic vision
that the holy Willibrord would, by divine grace, bring the light of Christ
unto many souls.
What hymns of ours are fit to magnify Willibrord? For, undaunted, he went
boldly to the court of the heathen Radbod, King of the Frisians, and preached
the Gospel to him with zeal and fervor; but when his words fell on stony
soil, the holy one, none dismayed, proclaimed the glad tidings to the
pagan Danes, and for his labors he hath joined the apostles in the kingdom
of Christ.
What spiritual songs can we chant to exalt the glorious Willibrord, who
at his consecration received the name Clement, in accordance with his
temperament? For with pity and compassion he bound up the wounds of men’s
souls, and led them by the path of righteousness to the kingdom of the
Most High, nourishing them with the divine sustenance of the Mysteries
of Christ.
Glory…: Idiomelon, in Tone VIII—
As a tireless preacher and faithful herald of the Most High, O saint,
thou didst travel to all the cities, towns and villages in thy charge,
exhorting men to hold fast to the doctrines of Orthodoxy, to cleave faithfully
to the precepts of piety, and resolutely to set aside their former errors.
And to serve their spiritual needs and make them steadfast in the Holy
Faith, thou didst raise up churches and monasteries throughout those parts,
ordaining the devout as priests and deacons, to perform the Holy Mysteries
for the nourishment of men’s souls, and to instruct them wisely
in the ordinances of Christ, that, ascending from earth to the noetic
heights, they might find rest in the kingdom of heaven.
Now & ever…: Dogmatic theotokion, in the same tone—
In His love for mankind, the King of heaven appeared on earth and dwelt
among men; for He Who received flesh from the pure Virgin and came forth
from her having received human nature, is the only Son of God, two in
nature but not hypostasis. Therefore, proclaiming Him to be truly perfect
God and perfect man, we confess Christ our God. Him do thou beseech, O
Mother unwedded, that our souls find mercy!
Entrance. Prokimenon of the day. Three readings:
READING FROM PROVERBS
The memory of the just is praised, and the blessing of the Lord is upon
his head. Blessed is the man who hath found wisdom, and the mortal who
knoweth prudence. For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures
of gold and silver. And she is more valuable than precious stones: no
precious thing is equal to her in value. For length of existence and years
of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are wealth and glory:
out of her mouth righteousness proceedeth, and she carrieth law and mercy
upon her tongue. Hearken to me, O children, for I will speak solemn truths.
Blessed is the man who shall keep my ways; for my outgoings are the outgoings
of life, and in them is prepared favor from the Lord. Ye, O men, do I
exhort; and utter my voice to the sons of men. I, wisdom, have built up;
upon counsel, knowledge and understanding have I called. Counsel and safety
are mine; prudence is mine, and strength is mine. I love those that love
me; they that seek me shall find grace. O ye simple, understand subtlety,
and ye that are untaught, imbibe knowledge. Hearken unto me again; for
I will speak solemn truths. For my throat shall meditate truth; and false
lips are an abomination before me. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
there is nothing in them wrong or perverse. They are all evident to those
that understand, and right to those that find knowledge. For I will instruct
you in truth, that your hope may be in the Lord, and ye may be filled
with the Spirit.
READING FROM THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON
The mouth of the righteous droppeth wisdom, and the lips of wise men know
grace. The mouths of the wise do meditate wisdom, and righteousness shall
deliver them from death. At the death of a just man his hope perisheth
not; for a righteous son is born for life, and in his good works he taketh
hold of the fruit of righteousness. The righteous always have light, and
from the Lord they acquire grace and glory. The tongue of the wise knoweth
what is good, and wisdom resteth in their heart. The Lord loveth holy
hearts, and all that are blameless in the way are acceptable to Him. The
wisdom of the Lord enlighteneth the countenance of the understanding;
for she overtaketh those who desire her, and is readily seen by those
who desire her. Whoso seeketh her early shall have no great travail; and
whoso keepeth watch for her shall quickly be without care. For she goeth
about seeking such as are worthy of her, she manifesteth herself favorably
unto them in her ways. Vice shall never prevail against wisdom. For the
sake thereof I became a lover of her beauty, and came to love her, and
sought her out from my youth; I desired to make her my spouse, for the
Master of all loved her. For she is privy to the mysteries of the knowledge
of God and a seeker of His works. Her labors are virtues, she teacheth
chastity and prudence, justice and fortitude, which are such things as
men can have nothing more profitable in their life. If a man desire much
experience, she knoweth things of old, and conjectureth aright what is
to come; she knoweth the subtleties of speeches and can expound dark sentences;
she foreseeth signs and wonders, and the events of seasons and times.
Unto all she is a counselor of good things, for there is immortality in
her, and glory in the communication of her words. Wherefore, I conversed
with the Lord and prayed unto Him, and with my whole heart I said: O God
of my fathers and Lord of mercy, Who hast made all things by Thy word
and ordained man by Thy wisdom, that he should have dominion over the
creatures which Thou hast made, and that he may order the world in holiness
and righteousness: Give me wisdom which sitteth by Thy throne, and reject
me not from among Thy children, for I am Thy servant and the son of Thy
handmaid. Send her forth from heaven, from Thy holy habitation and the
throne of Thy glory, that being present with me she may teach me what
is well-pleasing in Thy sight. She shall guide me to understanding and
preserve me in her glory. For the thoughts of mortal men are all miserable,
and their devices are but uncertain.
READING FROM THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON.
When the righteous is praised, the people will rejoice; for his memory
is immortality, because it is known with God, and with men; for his soul
pleased the Lord. Love wisdom, therefore, O men, and live; desire her,
and ye shall be instructed. For the beginning of her is love and the observation
of the law. Honor wisdom, that ye may reign for evermore. I will tell
you, and will not hide from you the mysteries of God, for he it is who
is the instructor of wisdom, the director of the wise, the master of all
understanding and activity. And wisdom teacheth all understanding; for
in her is a spirit understanding and holy, the brightness of the everlasting
light, and the image of the goodness of God. She maketh friends of God,
and prophets; she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the constellations
of the stars; compared with the light, she is found pre-eminent. She hath
delivered from pain them that please her, and guided them in right paths,
given them knowledge of holy things, defended them from their enemies,
and given them a mighty struggle, that they might all know that godliness
is stronger than all; vice shall never prevail against wisdom, neither
shall judgment pass away without convicting the evil. For they said to
themselves, reasoning unrighteously: Let us oppress the righteous man,
let us not spare his holiness, neither need we be ashamed of the ancient
gray hairs of the aged, for our strength shall be a law unto us; let us
lie in wait for the righteous, for he is displeasing to us, opposeth our
doings, upbraideth us with our offending the law, and denounceth to our
infamy the transgressions of our training. He professeth to have the knowledge
of God, and calleth himself the child of the Lord. He is become a reproof
to our thoughts, and is grievous even for us to behold; for his life is
not like other men's, his ways are of another fashion. We are accounted
by him as a mockery, and he avoideth our ways as filth, and pronounceth
the end of the just to be blessed. Let us see if his words be true; let
us test what things happen to him. Let us examine him with mockery and
torture, that we may know his meekness and prove his forbearance. Let
us condemn him with a shameful death, for by his own words shall he be
visited. Such things did they imagine, and were deceived; for their own
wickedness blinded them. As for the mysteries of God, they knew them not;
neither bethought they that Thou alone art God, who hast the power of
life and death, savest in time of tribulation, and deliverest from all
evil; who art compassionate and merciful, givest grace to Thy saints and
opposest the prideful with Thine own arm.
At Litia, the sticheron of the temple, and this sticheron of the saint,
in Tone III—
Let us magnify the holy Willibrord, for God, Who is wondrous in His saints,
hath exalted him with divers great wonders, that those in error, perceiving
in him the power of the Lord Most High, might hearken to his preaching,
casting off the darkness of their errors and embracing the supernal light
of grace divine, moving the angels of heaven to rejoice with gladness
over the conversion of so many sinners.
Glory…, in Tone VI—
Full of the grace of God, O Willibrord, like a vessel filled to overflowing
with heavenly nectar, by thine entreaties to Christ, the Well-spring of
good things, thou didst call forth sweet water in a barren place, that
thy thirsty companions might drink their fill, so that, glorifying God
Who worked this awesome wonder for them, they might find strength for
the apostolic labors which lay before them.
Now & ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone—
O Theotokos, thou art the true vine who hast budded forth for us the Fruit
of life. We entreat thee: Pray thou, O Mistress, with the holy Willibrord
and all the saints, that our souls find mercy.
Aposticha stichera of the saint, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “When
from the Tree…”—
When the pagan king would not accept the word of thy preaching, then heeding
the words of thy Master, O divinely wise and holy Willibrord, thou didst
depart forthwith from his city, shaking the dust from thine apostolic
feet, and didst hasten to the heathen Danes, to bring them the light of
Gospel of the Lord
Stichos: The mouth of the righteous is exercised
in wisdom, and his tongue shall speak of judgment.
When thou didst find the Danes likewise in thrall to idolatry and superstition,
and resistant to thy preaching, O Willibrord, then didst thou choose from
among them thirty youths, whom thou didst take abroad for instruction
in the sublime Faith, immersing them in the laver of regeneration, lest
their souls perish eternally.
Stichos: My mouth shall speak wisdom, and
the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
When, as thou didst sail back to Christendom, a great tempest compelled
thee to seek refuge on a solitary island which the heathen held sacred
to their ungodly religion, then, O Willibrord, thou didst bravely baptize
thy charges in the spring of the false god, and didst slaughter cattle
dedicated to him, to serve as food for thy companions.
Glory…: Idiomelon, in Tone I—
Great was the wrath of the iniquitous king when he learned how thou hadst
insulted his false gods, O Willibrord, and breathing threats and seeking
vengeance against thee, he cast lots to see if he might rightly put thee
to death; but the God of all protected his chosen herald, and prevented
the lots from decreeing thy death. Wherefore, O saint, thou didst remember
the words of the Lord, Who said to His disciples: “Ye shall be brought
before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and
the gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what
ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what to say.
For it is not ye who speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh
in you”; and thou didst boldly denounce the pagan gods as demons
who ensnare men’s souls by rank falsehood, and didst fearlessly
proclaim the one true God, who offereth men life everlasting.
Now & ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone—
Behold, the prophecy of Isaiah hath been fulfilled, for a Virgin hath
given birth, and after giving birth hath remained a Virgin as before.
For God was born; therefore He began nature anew. O Mother of God, disdain
not the supplications of thy servants, which are offered unto thee in
thy temple; but as thou bearest the Compassionate One in thine arms, have
pity on thy servants, and beseech Him, that our souls be saved.
After the Blessing of the Loaves, the troparion of the saint, in Tone
I—
Moved to compassion by the plight of the heathen, who languished in noetic
darkness, ignorant of the one, true God, O clement and pious Willibrord,
thou didst leave behind all things comfortable and familiar, and didst
set out for the land of the Frisians, to convert them, by thy preaching,
to the peerless Christian Faith, with zeal enlightening them in the laver
of regeneration. Twice
And “Virgin Theotokos, rejoice…”, once.
At Matins
At “God is the Lord…”, the troparion of the holy
hierarch, twice; Glory…, Now & ever…: Resurrectional theotokion.
After the first chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone
III: Spec. Mel.: “Of the divine Faith…”—
With faith divine the glorious Willibrord hearkened to the call of the
Master of all; and, shouldering his cross like a light burden, he diligently
toiled in the vineyard of the Lord, harvesting a rich vintage of men’s
souls. And in the press of his apostolic labors he produced a wine well-pleasing
to God. Twice
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—
Thou wast the divine tabernacle of the Word, O thou who alone art the
all-pure Virgin Mother, who dost surpass the angels in purity. With the
divine waters of thy prayers, O pure one, cleanse me who above all others
am dust and have defiled myself with carnal transgressions; and grant
me great mercy.
After the second chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in
Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Go thou quickly before…”—
Now is Luxembourg filled with the uncreated light of grace on this, the
sacred memorial of the God-bearing Willibrord; for having passed from
this life in the aura of sanctity and the sweet savor of holiness, his
sacred remains lie enshrined within its borders, at Echternach, whence
miracles ever pour forth even in our times, in witness to his favor with
the Lord. Twice
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—
By thy divine birthgiving, O pure one, thou hast renewed the mortal essence
of the earthborn which becometh corrupt in the passions, and thou hast
raised up all from death to the life of incorruption. Wherefore, as is
meet, we all call thee blessed, O all-glorious Virgin, as thou didst foretell.
Polyeleos, and this Magnification—
We magnify thee, O holy hierarch Willibrord our father, and we honor thy
holy memory; for thou dost entreat Christ God in our behalf.
Selected Psalm verses—
A Hear this, all ye nations; give ear, all ye that inhabit the world.
[Ps. 48: 2]
B My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be
of understanding. [Ps. 48: 4]
A Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the
Lord. [Ps. 33: 12]
B I have proclaimed the good tidings of Thy righteousness in the great
congregation. [Ps. 39: 10]
A Thy truth and Thy salvation have I declared. [Ps. 39: 11]
B I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church
will I hymn Thee. [Ps. 21: 23]
A That I may hear the voice of Thy praise, and tell of all Thy wondrous
works. [Ps. 25: 7]
B O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy
glory dwelleth. [Ps. 25: 8]
A I have hated the congregation of evil-doers, and with the ungodly will
I not sit. [Ps. 25: 5]
B For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and I have not acted impiously
toward my God. [Ps. 17: 22]
A The mouth of the righteous shall meditate wisdom, and his tongue shall
speak of judgment. [Ps. 36: 30]
B His righteousness abideth unto ages of ages. [Ps. 110: 3]
A Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy righteous shall
rejoice. [Ps. 131: 9]
B Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house; unto ages of ages shall they
praise Thee. [Ps. 83: 5]
Glory..., Now & ever...Alleluia... Thrice.
After the Polyeleos, this sessional hymn, in Tone V: Spec. Mel.: “The
Word Who is equally unoriginate…”—
Having acquired a nobility of soul unmingled with base vices, O glorious
Willibrord, thou becamest a most pure receptacle of the divine Spirit,
radiantly receiving His effulgence and illumining thy flock; wherefore,
we beseech thee: Entreat peace in behalf of the world. Twice
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.
Song of Ascents, the first antiphon of Tone IV.
Prokimenon, in Tone IV—
My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of
understanding.
Stichos: The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom, and his tongue
shall speak of judgment.
Let every breath praise the Lord.
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN, § 35, FROM THE MIDPOINT
[JN. 10: 1-9]
The Lord said to the Jews who came to Him: “Verily, verily, I say
unto you: He who entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth
up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who entereth
in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth;
and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and
leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before
them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger
will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice
of strangers.” This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood
not what things they were which He spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto
them again: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the
sheep. All that ever came before Me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep
did not hear them. I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall
be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI—
Invested from on high with the Spirit of God, with boldness thou didst
proclaim the name of the Holy Trinity to the heathen, O holy hierarch
Willibrord. And arrayed in the full armor of the Orthodox Faith, with
the weaponry of Truth and piety thou didst cut down hordes of the demons;
wherefore, thou hast been led into the mansions of heaven, where the King
of kings hath rewarded thee with a splendid abode. And now, as thou hast
acquired boldness before Him, entreat Him earnestly, that He grant peace
unto our souls.
Canon of Supplication to the All-holy Theotokos [the Paraclesis],
in Tone VIII, with 6 troparia, including the irmos; and that of the holy
hierarch, with 8 troparia, the acrostic whereof is: “Plead clemency
for us, holy Willibrord”, in Tone IV—
Ode I
Irmos: Parting the abyss of the Red Sea,
God drowned Pharaoh therein, but led Moses across to the wilderness dryshod,
and rained down manna as food for the people of Israel, in that He is
mighty.
Parting the waves of the North Sea, Willibrord fearlessly led the people
of God away from the tyranny of the noetic Pharaoh to the promised land
of heaven; wherefore, let us praise him.
Let Northumbria, land of saints, exult also in Willibrord its son, and
let the waters of the River Humber leap up in jubilation, thanking the
Almighty for His infinite and ineffable mercy.
Even when thou wast in thy mother’s womb, O Willibrord, the Most
High showed that thou wast destined to be His chosen vessel; for He revealed
in a vision that thou wouldst shine with grace.
Theotokion: All the peoples of the North
praise thee, O most hymned Theotokos, for Willibrord taught them that,
in manner transcending nature, thou gavest birth to the Creator and Savior
of their souls.
Ode III
Irmos: The people of Israel drank from the
hard and rough-hewn stone, which poured forth water at Thy command; and
Thou, O Christ, art the Rock and Life whereon the Church is established,
which crieth: Hosanna! Blessed art Thou Who comest!
Dwelling from childhood at the Monastery of Ripon, by divine grace, and
under the tutelage of the holy Wilfrid, thou didst grow in knowledge and
wisdom, advancing in favor with both man and God, and crying to Him: Hosanna!
Blessed art Thou Who comest!
Cultivating the field of thy soul with the plough of asceticism and the
hoe of abstinence, thou didst grow in fervent love for Christ, in humility
unfeigned, and in zeal for knowledge divine, so that thy youth produced
the wisdom of ripe old age, O saint of God.
Laden with the fruits of piety, like a merchant’s vessel, O favorite
of the Lord, thou didst depart from the haven of Ripon and didst sail
to Ireland, where the saintly Egbert and Wigbert taught thee how to trade
thy talants wisely for thy heavenly Master.
Theotokion: Each rank of angelic beings singeth
its praises unto thee as the Mother of their Creator, surpassing them
in honor and dignity far more highly than the skies lie above the earth;
yet disdain not the meager hymns we offer thee in our lowliness.
Sessional hymn, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Awed by the beauty
of thy virginity…"—
Awed by the magnitude of the grace of God which dwelleth in thee, O godly
Willibrord, which is revealed in the multitude of miracles wrought through
thy merciful intercession, we cry out to thee in compunction, entreating
thee to heal our bodily infirmities and to repel the onslaughts of the
demons by thy supplications. Twice
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—
In that thou art a never-cultivated vine, O Virgin, thou didst give rise
unto the most comely Cluster, Who exudeth for us the wine of salvation
which maketh glad the souls and bodies of all. Wherefore, ever blessing
thee as the cause of good things, with the angel we cry out to thee: Rejoice,
O thou who art full of grace!
Ode IV
Irmos: Out of love for Thine image Thou didst
stand affixed to the Cross, O Compassionate One, and the nations melted
away; for Thou art my strength and boast, O Thou Who lovest mankind.
Multitudes of nations languished in noetic darkness; but by thy preaching,
O holy one, their ignorance melted away, and they came to love above all
the One God, Who alone loveth mankind.
Embarking from Ireland, O Willibrord, thou didst cross the frigid waters
of the sea, and sailing up the Rhine didst put in at fortunate Utrecht,
preaching God Who is thy strength and boast.
Neither the king of the Frisians nor his subjects welcomed thine apostolic
labors in their midst, O all-praised one; wherefore, thou didst prudently
return to the Christian kingdom of the Franks.
Theotokion: Colts and foals were at thy side,
O Virgin Maiden, when thou didst bear the King of all, incarnate as a
babe for our salvation; wherefore, transform us from irrational to rational
beings.
Ode V
Irmos: O radiant children of the Church, receive ye the fiery dew
of the Spirit, the cleansing of sins; for now from Sion hath gone forth
the law, the grace of the Spirit in tongues of fire.
Yielding in nowise to the ingrained habits and passions of men, O venerable
father, thou didst everywhere uproot all idolatrous rites and practices,
instilling in the people the laws of God.
From the furrows of men’s hearts didst thou uproot the tares of
sins, O saint, sowing in them the seed of life, and watering them with
the dew of the Spirit, that they might bear rich fruit.
Observing thy zeal in proclaiming the tidings of salvation in their domain,
the renowned Clovis and Pepin sent thee to Rome, that thou mightest be
consecrated by the grace of the Spirit.
Theotokion: Reigning as Queen, enthroned
eternally at the right hand of thy Son and God, O Mistress, thou dost
not spurn the petitions of thy lowly servants, looking upon us with tender
compassion.
Ode VI
Irmos: Let not the watery tempest drown me, nor the abyss destroy
me; for I have been cast into the depths of the heart of the sea. Wherefore,
like Jonah I cry aloud: Let my life ascend to Thee out of the corruption
of evils, O God!
Utterly convinced of thine unworthiness, O Willibrord, thou didst steadfastly
resist hierarchal election; but compelled by thy brethren, like Jonah
thou didst cry: Let my life ascend to Thee out of the corruption of evils,
O God!
Sergius, Pope of Rome, was warned in an angelic vision of thine approach,
O holy one; wherefore, receiving thee with all honors, he gladly consecrated
thee amid a multitude of the faithful in the great Basilica of Peter the
Apostle.
Holy vestments, costly vessels for the celebration of the divine Mysteries
of Christ, and the precious relics of the saints and martyrs, did the
pious Sergius give thee for the advancement of thine apostolic labors,
O blessed one.
Theotokion: O most blessed Bride of God,
pure Ever-virgin, on bended knee do we offer thee homage and obeisance,
beseeching thy loving-kindness toward us, who were given thee in adoption
by thine all-merciful Son at His Cross.
Kontakion, in Tone I—
With wreaths of praise let us crown the glorious Willibrord as a luminary
who shone forth, a herald who proclaimed the glad tidings of the triune
God, an unshakable pillar of the Orthodox Church, and the merciful intercessor
for the Low Lands, who abolished the demonic worship of idols therein,
and who prayeth to Christ God, that He grant our souls peace and great
mercy.
Ikos: Thou shonest forth in a heathen land
as a beacon of holiness, a brilliant lamp of grace, a light shining in
the wilderness with the grace of God; wherefore, we who honor thy memory
cry aloud unto thee: Rejoice, O holy hierarch, who didst increase in sanctity
from thy youth; rejoice, thou who wast vigilant in all things with a good
conscience! Rejoice, O most lauded luminary of Christ; rejoice, thou who
didst teach all to keep the commandments of God! Rejoice, thou who didst
shine forth like the sun, from the West even unto the North; rejoice,
thou who, seeing the Frisians languishing in demonic idolatry, didst piously
yearn for their conversion to the Faith of Christ! Rejoice, O ever-memorable
wonderworker; rejoice, healer of souls and bodies! Rejoice, O Willibrord
who art unceasing in thine entreaties to the Lord, that He grant our souls
peace and great mercy!
Ode VII
Irmos: The melodious music of instruments
sounded forth, calling men to worship the inanimate idol wrought of gold;
but the radiant grace of the Comforter preferreth that they cry: O only
Trinity, Who art equal in power and equally without beginning, blessed
art Thou!
Leaving Old Rome, thou didst return to the field of thine apostolic labors,
O holy hierarch, where thou didst preach the Gospel with yet greater vigor,
casting down the graven idols of the pagans and proclaiming unto all the
consubstantial and indivisible Trinity.
Ye cities of Antwerp and Utrecht, clap your hands in gladness and rejoice
exceedingly, for the clement Willibrord, shining with the grace of the
Spirit Comforter, confirmed your people in the Christian Faith, calling
them to worship the Trinity in spirit and in truth.
Walking, fearless, among the heathen, like Daniel among the lions, O Willibrord,
undaunted, thou didst preach Christ to Radbod, King of the Frisians, and
his people, admonishing them to worship the beginningless Trinity, equal
in power and of the same essence.
Theotokion: In hymns of laudation do we lift
our voices to praise the all-immaculate Mother of our God; for by bowing
to the will of the Father at the words of angelic herald, she conceived
the divine Logos in her most pure womb through the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit.
Ode VIII
Irmos: Be glad, O Jerusalem! Keep festival,
ye who love Sion! For the Lord of hosts, Who reigneth forever, is come!
Let all the earth show reverence before His face, and let it cry aloud:
Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Leaving the obdurate Frisians, who would not accept thy preaching, thou
didst go rather to the ungodly Danes, to bring them the true Light, and
didst strive to teach them to cry: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the
Lord!
Landing on the Island of Heligoland, thou wast not afraid to defy the
false deity Fosite, having his cattle slaughtered to feed thy companions,
O saint; and thou didst not fear to use his spring as a font for Christian
baptism.
Informed of thy disdain for his false god, O holy hierarch, Radbod, enraged,
swore revenge for thy temerity; but though he cast lots many times to
determine thy death, the power of the true God overshadowed thee.
Theotokion: Before thee, O Lady full of grace
divine, do we all fall down, piteously uplifting our voices in supplication,
raising our hands in ardent supplication, and crying out in compunction:
Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!
Ode IX
Irmos: We all magnify Thy love for mankind,
O Christ our Savior, Thou glory of Thy servants and crown of the faithful,
Who hast magnified the memory of her who gave Thee birth.
Released by the heathen despite thy zeal for the one God, O Willibrord,
thou didst return to Utrecht, where thou didst zealously shepherd and
tend thy reason-endowed flock.
Of thee doth the Monastery of Echternach boast as its founder and protector,
O favorite of God, for when thou didst pass on to thy Lord, thy precious
relics were entombed therein.
Rejoice greatly, ye Orthodox Christians of the Low Lands, for upon you
the Most High hath deigned to bestow a great a healer and sublime intercessor,
the holy hierarch Willibrord!
Theotokion: Death will come inexorably to
each of us when thy Son so willeth, O Mother of the Word; but in that
dread hour intercede for us, thy servants, who magnify thy memory.
Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “Thou
hast visited us…"—
Afire with divine zeal for the Holy Faith, O godly Willibrord, thou didst
forsake thy homeland and brethren to bring the light of Christ to those
benighted by the delusions of the demons.
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—
God hath given thee to us, O pure one, as a refuge, strength and help
amid tribulations and evil circumstances. Wherefore, deliver us all from
all our misfortunes.
On the Praises, 4 stichera, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Joy of the
ranks of heaven…”—
Wondrous was thy passing, O holy one! For, immersed in prayer, one of
thy disciples beheld thy soul ascending on high, surrounded by the radiance
of grace and upborne by a great multitude of angels
Wondrous was thy burial, O saint! For the sarcophagus prepared for thee
was discovered to be too short; but then, by the mercy of God, it was
found to be of sufficient length to accommodate thy full stature.
Wondrous indeed are thy many miracles, O hierarch of Christ! For by the
oil which burneth in the lamp over thy precious relics doth the Almighty
heal the infirm who earnestly have recourse to thee with faith,
Wondrous is thine intercession on high, O blessed Willibrord! For, conveying
the entreaties of the sick to the dread throne of the Lord, thou dost
obtain the curing of their manifold afflictions of both body and soul.
Glory…: Idiomelon, in the same tone—
Scattered were thy precious relics, O Willibrord, when the hosts of the
ungodly laid waste to Echternach and impiously razed thy sacred shrine.
But lest the words of the Psalmist be fulfilled in them, that there was
none to bury the dead bodies of the servants of the Lord, they who honored
thy memory gathered up thy holy remains with reverence and preserved them
as an ever-flowing fountain of healings and cures for those who approach
them with faith.
Now & ever…: Theotokion automelon, in the same tone—
Joy of the ranks of heaven and mighty intercessor for men on earth art
thou, O pure Virgin. Save us who flee unto thee, for on thee, after God,
have we set our hope, O Theotokos.
At Liturgy
On the Beatitudes, 8 troparia: 4 from Ode III and 4 from Ode VI of
the canon of the holy hierarch.
Prokimenon, in Tone I—
My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of
understanding.
Stichos: Hear this, all ye nations; give
ear, all ye that inhabit the world.
Epistle to the Hebrews, §318 (Heb. 7: 26-8: 2)
Brethren: Such a High Priest became us, Who
is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than
the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up
sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this
He did once, when He offered up Himself. For the law maketh men high priests
who have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law,
maketh the Son, Who is consecrated for evermore. Now of the things which
we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a High Priest, Who is set
on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a Minister
of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched,
and not man.
Alleluia of the holy hierarch, in Tone II—
Stichos: The mouth of the righteous shall
meditate wisdom, and his tongue shall speak of judgment.
Stichos: The law of God is in his heart,
and his steps shall not be tripped.
Gospel according to John, § 36 (Jn. 10: 9-16)
The Lord said to the Jews who came to Him: “I am the door: by Me
if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find
pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life
for the sheep. But he who is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own
the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth:
and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth,
because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good
Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth
Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep. And
other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring,
and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
Communion verse of the holy hierarch—
In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be, he shall not be afraid
of evil tidings.
