Weekly troparia and kontakia:
On Monday:
Troparion of the heavenly ranks of the disembodied, tone 4:
Heavenly armies of the Archangels, / we always pray to you, we are unworthy, / with your prayers protect us / with the blood of your immaterial glory, / preserving us who fall diligently and cry out: / will deliver you from troubles e us, // like the heads of the highest powers.
Kontakion of the heavenly ranks of the disembodied, voice 2:
Archangels of God, / servants of the Divine glory, / Chief angels and human teachers, / ask for what is useful for us and great mercy, // like the bodiless Archangels.
On Tuesday:
Troparion of the Baptist and Baptist John, tone 2:
The memory of the righteous with praise, / but the testimony of the Lord, the Forerunner, is sufficient for you: / for you have shown that you are truly the most honorable of the prophets, / that you baptize in the streams and have been made worthy of the One who preached. / Moreover, having suffered for the truth, / rejoicing, / you preached the good news to those in hell of God, who appears in the flesh, / who takes away the sin of the world, // and gives us great mercy.
Kontakion of the Baptist and Forerunner John, tone 2:
Prophet of God and Forerunner of grace, / your head, like the most sacred thorn, found from the earth, / we always accept healing, / for again, as before, // you preach repentance in the world.
On Wednesday and Friday:
Troparion of the Cross, tone 1:
Save, O Lord, Thy people / and bless Thy inheritance, / granting victories against the enemy, // and preserving Thy residence through Thy Cross.
Kontakion of the Cross, tone 4:
Ascend to the Cross by will, / to your namesake new residence / grant your bounty, O Christ God; / make us glad with Your power, / give us victories against our adversaries, / help for those who have Yours, weapons of peace, // invincible victory.
On Thursday:
Troparion of the Apostles, tone 3:
Holy apostles, / pray to the Merciful God, / may forgiveness of sins // be granted to our souls.
Troparion of St. Nicholas, tone 4:
The rule of faith and the image of meekness, / the teacher’s self-control / will show you to your flock / even the truth of things; / for this reason you have acquired high humility, / rich in poverty, / Father Hierarch Nicholas, / pray to Christ God // for our souls to be saved.
Kontakion of the Apostles, tone 2:
Firm and divinely preached preachers, / the top of your apostles, O Lord, / you accepted for the enjoyment of your good things and peace; / for you accepted illness and death more than any full-fruitfulness, // the One Conscious cardiac.
Kontakion of Saint Nicholas, tone 3:
In Mireh, the holy one, the priest appeared to you: / For Christ, the venerable one, having fulfilled the Gospel, / you laid down your soul for your people, / and you saved the innocent from death; / for this reason you were sanctified, // like the great hidden place of God’s grace.
On Saturday:
Troparion of All Saints, Tone 2:
Apostles, martyrs and prophets, / saints, saints and righteous ones, / who have accomplished good deeds and kept the faith, / have boldness towards the Savior, / pray for Him who is Good for us // to be saved, Let us pray to our souls.
Troparion for the Dead, Tone 2:
Remember, Lord, that Thy servants are Good, / and if you have sinned in life, forgive: / no one is sinless, only You, // can give peace to the departed.
Kontakion of All Saints, Tone 8:
As the firstfruits of nature to the Planter of creation / the universe brings to You, Lord, God-bearing martyrs; / By those prayers in the deep world / Thy Church, Thy residence, // Keep the Mother of God, O Omni-merciful One.
Kontakion for the Dead, Tone 8:
Rest with the saints, / Christ, Thy servant of the soul, / where there is no sickness, no sorrow, / no sighing, // but endless life.
——
Kontakion of the Mother of God, tone 6:
The representation of Christians is unshameful, / intercession to the Creator is immutable, / do not despise the voices of sinful prayers, / but advance, as the Good One, to the help of us, who faithfully call You: / hasten to prayer and sweat begging, // interceding everlastingly, the Mother of God, who honor Thee .
ON MONDAY
OF THE HEAVENLY ORDERS OF THE IMPORTANT
Troparion, tone 4:
Heavenly armies of the Archangels, / we constantly pray to you, unworthy ones, / with your prayers protect us / with the blood of your immaterial glory, / preserving us, who fall diligently and cry out: / from troubles. See us, / like the heads of the highest Powers.
Kontakion, voice 2:
Archangels of God, / servants of the Divine glory, / leaders of angels and teachers of men, / ask for what is useful for us and great mercy, / like the Bodiless Archangels.
ON SATURDAY,
ALL SAINTS AND FOR THE DEAD
Troparion, voice 2:
Apostles, martyrs and prophets, / saints, saints and righteous ones, / who have accomplished good deeds and kept the faith, / have boldness towards the Savior, / pray for us, as Good, / to be saved , we pray, to our souls.
Glory: Remember, Lord, that Thy servants are good, / and if you have sinned in life, forgive: / no one is sinless, only You, / can give peace to the departed.
And now: Holy Mother of ineffable Light, / we honor you with angelic songs, / we piously magnify you.
ON TUESDAY
THE BAPTIST AND FORECAST JOHN
Troparion, tone 2:
The memory of the righteous with praise, / the testimony of the Lord, the Forerunner, is sufficient for you: / for you have shown that you are truly the most honest of the prophets, / that even in the streams of baptism you were considered worthy of the One who preached. / Moreover, having suffered for the truth, / rejoicing, / you preached the good news to those in hell of God, who appears in the flesh, / who takes away the sin of the world, / and gives us great mercy.
Kontakion, voice 2:
Prophet of God and Forerunner of grace, / your head, like the most sacred thorn from the earth, / we always accept healing, / for again, as before, / you preach repentance in the world.
ON THURSDAY
APOSTLES
Troparion, tone 3:
Holy apostles, / pray to the Merciful God, / may forgiveness of sins / be granted to our souls.
Kontakion, voice 2:
Firm and divine preachers, / the top of Your apostles, Lord, / You accepted for the enjoyment of Your good things and peace: / You accepted illness and death more than all fruitfulness, / E Dine, dear heart.
AND ST. NICHOLAS
Troparion, tone 4:
The rule of faith and the image of meekness, / self-control of the teacher / show you to your flock / Even the truth of things. / For this reason, you have gained high humility, / rich in poverty, / Father Nicholas, / pray to Christ God, / to save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 3:
In Mireh, the holy one, the priest appeared to you, / O Lord of Christ, having fulfilled the Gospel, / you laid down your soul for your people / and saved the innocent from death. / For this reason you were sanctified, / like the great hidden place of God’s grace.
January
1st of January
• Day of Ilya Muromets (1188), princely warrior-combatant and monk of the Pechersk Monastery
The Monk Ilya Muromets, Pechersky, nicknamed Chobotok, was a native of the city of Murom, and folk tradition identified him with the famous hero Ilya Muromets, about whom Russian epics were sung.
It is known about the Monk Elijah that he died with the fingers of his right hand folded for prayer in the same way as is customary now in the Orthodox Church - the first three fingers together, and the last two bent towards the palm. During the period of struggle against the Old Believer schism (late 17th–19th centuries), this fact from the life of the saint served as strong evidence in favor of the three-fingered constitution.
• Day of the Martyr. Bonifatia (290)
Once upon a time there lived a woman named Aglaida in Rome. Her father was a former city chief. Being young and beautiful, possessing rich estates, she indulged in various sins. She had a slave, Bonifatius, who managed her estates and was her partner. Boniface was not devoid of virtues: he was merciful to the poor and responsive to everyone who suffered misfortune. Having a strong desire to improve, Boniface often prayed to God to help him become master over his passions. Aglaida and Boniface felt remorse and wanted to somehow wash away their sin.
Aglaida learned that if you reverently keep the relics of the holy martyrs in your house, then through their prayers it is easier to obtain salvation. She sent Boniface to the East, where at that time there was a cruel persecution of Christians, and asked to bring the relics of a martyr so that he would become their leader and patron. At parting, Boniface, laughing, asked: “What, madam, if I don’t find the relics, and I myself suffer for Christ, will you accept my body with honor?” Aglaida, laughing, called him a sinner, but then, reproaching, said that he should carefully guard himself from all ugliness and ridicule: the holy work must be done honestly and reverently.
Boniface thought about her words. On the way, he thought a lot and decided to fast: not eat meat, not drink wine and pray fervently.
Finally, Boniface and his entourage arrived in Cilicia (Asia Minor), in the city of Tarsus, where King Diocletian and his co-ruler Maximian carried out a cruel persecution of Christians, and believers were subjected to severe torture. Boniface left his companions at the hotel and went to the city square, where the righteous were tortured. There he saw a terrible sight. Many people gathered to watch the suffering of Christians. One of them was hanging upside down, and there was a fire lit on the ground below him. The other was tied crosswise to four posts. The third lay, sawn through with a saw. The fourth was whittled by the torturers with sharp instruments. Others had their eyes gouged out, body parts cut off, and impaled. One had broken bones, the other had his arms and legs cut off, and he was rolling on the ground... But it’s strange: spiritual joy was visible on all the faces, because God Himself helped the martyrs to endure torments unbearable for humans.
Shocked by the spectacle of terrible torture, seeing the enlightened faces of the holy martyrs, Boniface rushed to them, began to hug the martyrs and loudly exclaimed: “Great is the Christian God! He is great, for He helps His servants and strengthens them in such great torment!”
Then the judge asked Boniface who he was. Boniface replied: “My first and most beloved name is Christian; I came here from Rome; the name given to me by my parents is Boniface.” Then the blessed one refused to sacrifice to idols. He was immediately handed over to torture: they stripped him, hung him upside down, and beat him so that the meat fell off his bones. Then the executioners stuck needles under his nails, but a miracle! – he remained unharmed.
Finally, the order was given to pour molten tin down the martyr’s throat. While they were melting it, the saint, raising his hands to heaven, prayed: “Lord my God, Jesus Christ, who strengthened me in the torment I endured, remain with me now, easing my suffering. You are my only consolation: grant me a clear sign that You are helping me defeat Satan and this unrighteous judge: for Your sake I suffer.” Then he asked the holy martyrs with their prayers to help him endure terrible torment. The torturers opened his mouth with iron tools and poured tin down his throat, but did not harm the saint. Those present, seeing such a miracle, exclaimed: “Great is the Christian God! Great is the King - Christ! We all believe in You, Lord!”
The people surrounding the judgment seat became indignant, they began to throw stones at the judge, and then rushed to the pagan temple to overturn the idols. The next morning, when the unrest had calmed down somewhat, the judge again called Bonifatius. They wanted to throw him into a cauldron of boiling tar, but he was protected by an Angel who descended from heaven. Then the saint was sentenced to death. Before his execution, the martyr prayed to God, asking for His mercy and admonition for people who were mistaken in paganism. Blood and milk flowed from the wounds of the executed Bonifatius; Seeing such a miracle, about 550 people believed in Christ.
The companions of Saint Boniface found his body, ransomed it for 500 gold coins and took it to Rome.
On the eve of their arrival, an Angel appeared to Aglaida in a dream and told her about what had happened, ordering her to venerate the relics of Boniface. Aglaida built a temple in the name of the holy martyr and placed there the relics, which became famous for many miracles.
Having distributed all her property to the poor, she retired to a monastery, where she spent eighteen years in repentance and during her lifetime acquired the miraculous gift of casting out unclean spirits. The saint was buried near the grave of the martyr Boniface. They pray to the Martyr Boniface for deliverance from the sins of drunkenness, drug addiction and smoking.
Troparion to the Martyr Boniface, tone 4
Thy martyr, Lord Bonifatius, in his suffering received an imperishable crown from You, our God, for having Thy strength, overthrow the tormentors, crush the demons of weak insolence, save our souls with prayers.
Troparion of the Martyr Boniface, tone 4
Martyrs were sent to the class, you were a true martyr, having suffered for Christ most powerfully, most valiantly, but you returned with the might of the faith that sent you, blessed Boniface, pray to Christ God to accept forgiveness of our sins.
• St. Day Boniface the Merciful, bishop. Ferentiy (VI)
Saint Boniface was from the Tuscan region in Italy. Since childhood, he was distinguished by his love for beggars; when he had to see someone undressed, he took off his clothes and gave them to the beggar. Therefore, Boniface could return home without a chiton or retinue (the name of the Greek clothing - lower and upper), and his mother, who herself was a poor widow, was often angry with him and said: “It’s in vain that you do this, dressing the poor, being a beggar yourself.”
One day she entered the granary, in which bread had been stored for the whole year, and found it empty: Boniface had secretly distributed all the supplies to the poor. The mother began to cry, began to hit herself in the face and lament: where could she now find supplies for the whole year. Hearing her, Boniface tried to console her, but his words could not calm her sadness and anxiety. Then he asked his mother to leave the granary. The boy himself fell to his knees and began to pray fervently - and immediately the granary was filled with wheat. Boniface, thanking God, called his mother. From then on, she no longer forbade her son to help the poor and allowed him to give them as much as he needed.
Saint Boniface subsequently became a bishop in the city of Ferentina (in Italy) and performed many miracles. The Ferenti bishopric was in great poverty. The bishop did not have any church property for his food, except for one income from a vineyard that belonged to the church.
One day there was a big hail and destroyed all the vines with berries, so that only a few clusters of grapes remained. Blessed Boniface, entering the vineyard, saw that everything was broken, and only thanked God for the new test.
One day he ordered his presbyter to prepare all the vessels for wine in the house. He and his assistant poured little by little a small amount of wine, squeezed from the surviving vines, into all the vessels. The saint ordered to call the poor and, according to custom, distribute church wine to them. And a miracle: the jugs contained as much wine as was required for all those who came. After this, the vault was sealed. And three days later it turned out that all the vessels and jugs were overflowing with wine. The saint forbade him to tell anyone about this, avoiding human glory.
Another time, on the day of remembrance of the holy martyr Proclus (July 25), Saint Boniface predicted the death of the wicked buffoon.
One day, Boniface, having no money of his own, gave the beggars twenty coins of his grandson, the presbyter Constantius. Constantius was very upset when he learned about this. Then the saint went to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos and prayed to God. And the Lord helped His servant - suddenly twenty new coins appeared in front of the saint.
Once Boniface received two travelers, seeing them off, he gave them a small vessel of wine as a blessing. As they continued their journey, they drank wine from it several times, but it not only did not diminish, but always filled the vessel to the brim.
We also know about another miracle performed by a merciful and generous saint, which was told about by one of the clergy of that country. One day, Bishop Boniface entered his vineyard and saw that many caterpillars were covering the leaves of the plants; all the greenery was about to die. Then the saint said to the caterpillars: “I adjure you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, get away from here and do not dare to eat this grass anymore.” And according to the word of God’s saint, every single caterpillar immediately left the vineyard.
They pray to Bishop Boniface the Merciful that he would help humbly give alms and intercede before the Lord, so that through his intercession “the necessities of temporary life” would not end. They also pray to him for deliverance from drunkenness.
Troparion to Boniface the Merciful, tone 4
The rule of faith and the image of meekness and self-control as a teacher show you to your flock as the truth of things: for this reason you have acquired high humility, rich in poverty. Father Hierarch Boniface, pray to Christ God to save our souls.
Kontakion to Boniface the Merciful, tone 2
Divine thunder, spiritual trumpet, faith-planter and cutter of heresies, saint of the Trinity, / great Saint Boniface, with the angels standing ever before, pray unceasingly for all of us.
• Martyr's Day. Elias, Probus and Aris, Egyptians (308); mchch. Polyeuctus and Timothy the Deacon (IV); St. Gregory, bishop Omiritsky (about 552)
