✠ \nOn the 9th of August: \nCommemoration of the Glorification of \nOur Venerable & God-bearing Father H E R M A N (Germanus) \nWonderworker of Alaska and Equal to the Apostles \nThe Heavenly Patron and Intercessor of the Orthodox Church in America, \nof the American Land, and of All Its Inhabitants \nAT SMALL VESPERS \n¶ At Lord, I call… we sing four stichera: \nTone One: Joy of the Heavenly Hosts *\nThou art the joy of America, \nthe star that leads these nations to Christ, \nthe angel of the Orthodox Faith in our lands. \nPray for us, O Herman, first saint of America, *** \nfor beside God and his Mother we set our hope on thee! \nThou art the friend of governors and governed, \nnatives and settlers, officers and orphans. \nThou art the friend of all people on earth. \nPray for us, O Herman, first saint of America, *** \nfor beside God and his Mother we set our hope on thee! \nThou art the consolation of the suffering, \na weeper with those who weep, \nand so on thy feast we cry to thee: Rejoice, \nand visit us who rejoice! \nPray for us, O Herman, first saint of America, *** \nfor beside God and his Mother we set our hope on thee! \n These stichera are pointed to be sung to the melody ‘Joy of the Ranks of Heaven’ in the *\nSeven Lakes Hermitage Chant. The Aposticha at Small Vespers below are intentionally \nleft unpointed.\nThis service was prepared at the request of His \nBeatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon by Priest John \nMikitish and Hieromonk Herman (Majkrzak) of \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press. Copyright © \n2020 St. Tikhon’s Monastery Press. All rights \nreserved. Permission is granted to OCA.org to \nmake this document available to the faithful for \nliturgical or private use.\n\nThou art the man who built his house on the rock of Christ’s commandments, \nand no storm of the North could wash away thy labor in God. \nPray for us, O Herman, first saint of America, *** \nfor beside God and his Mother we set our hope on thee! \nGlory. Idiomelon: Tone Eight *\nA bright cloud has filled this earthly temple \nat thy glorification, \ndriving back the darkness of the age. \nHerman has been counted worthy of glory beyond description, \nbrighter than lamps during a night that is black as ink, \nand as witnesses of that glory, we say unto God: *** \nThou art our God, the King of the ages! \nNow and ever. Of the Feast: Same Tone \nThe shining cloud of the Transfiguration \nhas taken the place of the darkness of the Law. \nMoses and Elijah were counted worthy of this glory brighter than light \nand, taken up within it, they said unto God: \n‘Thou art our God, the King of the ages!’ \n¶ Aposticha: Tone Two: House of Ephrathah \nToday on Spruce Island, * Jesus has revealed to us * the victory of his Cross in our \nnature: * Herman, full of God’s light, *** is made godlike. \nV erse: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Ps. 115:6) \nO thou starry ray of love for neighbor, * love for stranger, and love for God, * O \nHerman, at thy glorification * we see the divine light *** of the Transfiguration of \nthe Lord. \nV erse: What shall I render to the Lord for all that he has rendered unto me? (v. 3) \n All the idiomela in this document are pointed for singing in the samoglas tones of Kievan *\nChant (for tones two and six) or Court Chant (for tones five and eight).\n2 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nStars fade at the dawn, * but Herman shines forever, * for in thy light, O Christ, * \nshall we see the light of thy saints, *** through whom thou hast filled the world \nwith light. \nGlory. Now and ever. Of the Feast: Same Tone and Melody \nMoses and Elijah * saw upon Tabor * God, who was made flesh * of a Virgin Maid \n*** for the redemption of mortal men. \n¶ Troparion: Tone Seven \nO joyful North Star of the Church of Christ, \nguiding all men to the heavenly kingdom, \nteacher and apostle of the true faith, \nintercessor and defender for the oppressed, \nadornment of the Orthodox Church in America: \nblessed father Herman of Alaska, \npray to our Lord Jesus Christ *** \nfor the salvation of our souls! \nGlory. Now and ever. Of the Feast: Same Tone \nThou wast transfigured on the mount, O Christ God, \nrevealing thy glory to thy disciples as far as they could bear it. \nLet thine everlasting light shine upon us sinners \nthrough the prayers of the Theotokos. \nO Giver of light, glory to thee. \n \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 3\n\nAT GREAT VESPERS \n¶ W e sing Blessed is the Man…: the first antiphon of the first kathisma. \n¶ At Lord, I call… we sing ten stichera: four for the Feast: \nTone Two: Down from the Tree *\nCome, and let us celebrate with faith \nthe bright Transfiguration of Christ, \nand, with a change for the better wrought within us, \nlet us go in spirit to ascend the high peak of the virtues of Christ’s disciples. \nFor with them we are taught by the revelation of these strange mysteries, *** \nand so we glorify the Lord and Savior. (twice) \nRejoice and be glad, \nO honorable Church of the faithful, \ncelebrating this bright and august feast. \nFor now the Man who is the Master of all, \nbut in whom there was no form nor comeliness, \nis transfigured and grants illumination \nthrough the rays of his brightness beyond all telling, *** \nshining more brightly than the rays of the sun. \nThe God and Maker of all \nhas taken to himself the form of a servant \nfrom the riches of his ineffable compassion, \nand now he grants salvation from the ancient darkness. \nHe makes his face radiant, \nand in his flesh he lays bare the splendor of the Godhead. \nTherefore, falling on their faces and gripped by fear, *** \nthe disciples worshipped the Master of all. \n These stichera are not pointed for the indicated melody but for samoglas Kievan Chant *\ntone two.\n4 Service to St Herman of Alaska \nThis service was prepared at the request of His \nBeatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon by Priest John \nMikitish and Hieromonk Herman (Majkrzak) of \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press. Copyright © \n2020 St. Tikhon’s Monastery Press. All rights \nreserved. Permission is granted to OCA.org to \nmake this document available to the faithful for \nliturgical or private use.\n\nAnd six stichera for St. Herman, the first by Hieromonk Seraphim: \nTone Six: Placing All Their Hope *\nRejoice, O Valaam, \nGod’s dwelling, \nfor thou hast raised up \na wondrous struggler of Christ, \nwho, like a candle upon a candle-stand, \nhath shone upon the islands of Alaska, \na land new and unknown, \nand hath brought unbelieving people \nto the right faith; \nwith them, then, let us glorify God, *** \nwondrous in his saints! \nOther stichera: Same Tone and Melody \nPlacing all thy hope \nin a kingdom to come, \nthou didst become a stranger to this fleeting world. \nPassing through Siberian tundras and forests, \nacross rapid rivers and the great ocean, dread and cold, \nthou wast never separated from the love of God and his saints. \nFor in all things thy Strength was Christ: *** \nnow pray to him for our souls. \nPlacing all thy trust \nin a Light seen by no mortal eye, \nthou didst tread boldly in the dark places of the world. \nEnduring the schemes of the powerful and the impiety of the weak, \ntheir pagan beliefs and backsliding, \nthou wast ever guided by the Light toward whom thou didst strive. \nFor in all things thy Eye was Christ: *** \nnow pray to him for our souls. \n These stichera are pointed to be sung to the melody ‘Placing All Their Hope’ in the Seven *\nLakes Hermitage Chant. This and the final sticheron below are included with the gracious \npermission of St. Herman Press, Platina, California.\nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 5\n\nPlacing all thy faith \nin the promise of God, \nthou didst go out into the desert wilderness to wander. \nThreatened by bears and sea monsters, \nfirearms and axes, betrayers and false brethren, \nthou didst walk not by sight but by faith \nin the One who went before thee in thy heart \nas a pillar of fire and cloud. \nFor in all things thy Salvation was Christ: *** \nnow pray to him for our souls. \nFinding all thy treasure \nin the love of God, \nthou hadst no need for any comfort of earth. \nOn hard boards with no blanket, \nwith bare feet in winter, \nshouldering heavy loads like a beast of burden, \nthou wast driven with a goad of hot zeal \nby the One thou didst bear within thee. \nFor in all things thy Warmth was Christ, \nO Saint Herman: *** \nnow pray to him for our souls. \nA final sticheron, by Hieromonk Seraphim: Same Tone and Melody \n‘What is above all, \nif not the Lord our Creator, \nAdorner of beauty, \nGiver of life, \nMaintainer and Nourisher of all things: \nis it not him that it is befitting to love, \nas most worthy of love, \nand to place one’s happiness in him?’ \nThus, O saint, didst thou teach; \nlikewise teach us also *** \nwith all our heart to love God. \n6 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nGlory. Idiomelon: Tone Six *\nFollowing the example of the Trophy-bearer George, \nwhose name thou didst share while in the world, \nthou didst resign thy post in the army of an earthly czar \nin order to don the uniform of heaven’s ranks, \nreceiving a new name, \nby which we now call on thee, O Herman! \nAt one time serving as a clerk for a temporal host, \nthou wast enrolled in the book of eternal life. \nFor thou wast consumed with a zeal like Elijah’s, \ndriving thee to the wilderness of Sarov and Valaam, \nand by this same zeal thou wast cast onto the shores of a foreign land. \nEven there in America thou didst sing the Lord’s song together with the angels, \nkeeping always before the eyes of thy heart *** \nthe secret light of the King of glory. \nNow and ever: Of the Feast. Same Tone \nPrefiguring, O Christ our God, thy Resurrection, \nthou hast taken with thee in thy ascent upon Mount Tabor \nthy three disciples, Peter, James, and John. \nWhen thou wast transfigured, O Savior, \nMount Tabor was covered with light. \nThy disciples, O Word, cast themselves down upon the ground, \nunable to gaze upon the Form that none may see. \nThe angels ministered in fear and trembling, \nthe heavens shook and the earth quaked, *** \nas they beheld upon earth the Lord of glory. \n All the idiomela in this service are pointed for singing in the samoglas tones of Kievan *\nChant (for tones two and six) or Court Chant (for tones five and eight).\nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 7\n\n¶ Entrance. O Gladsome Light. \n¶ Three Readings: \nThe Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah (42:5–13) \nThus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out, he \nthat spread forth the earth and that which cometh out of it, he that giveth breath \nunto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: ‘I the Lord have called \nthee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a \ncovenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles: to open the blind eyes, to bring \nout the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-\nhouse. I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, nei-\nther my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and \nnew things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.’ Sing unto the \nLord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the \nsea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness \nand the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the \ninhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them \ngive glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands. The Lord shall go \nforth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, \nroar; he shall prevail against his enemies. \nThe Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah (49:5–10) \nThus saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob \nagain to him: ‘though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the \nLord, and my God shall be my strength.’ And he said, ‘It is a light thing that thou \nshouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved \nof Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my sal-\nvation unto the end of the earth.’ Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and \nhis Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a \nservant of rulers, ‘Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of \nthe Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.’ Thus \nsaith the Lord, ‘In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation \nhave I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the peo-\nple, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages: that thou \n8 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nmayest say to the prisoners, “Go forth”; to them that are in darkness, “Show your-\nselves.” They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. \nThey shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he \nthat hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide \nthem.’ \nThe Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon (5:15–6:3) \nThe righteous live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord; the Most High takes \ncare of them. Therefore they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem \nfrom the hand of the Lord, because with his right hand he will cover them, and with \nhis arm he will shield them. The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armor, and will \narm all creation to repel his enemies; he will put on righteousness as a breastplate, \nand wear impartial justice as a helmet; he will take holiness as an invincible shield, \nand sharpen stern wrath for a sword, and creation will join with him to fight against \nthe madmen. Shafts of lightning will fly with true aim, and will leap to the target as \nfrom a well-drawn bow of clouds, and hailstones full of wrath will be hurled as from \na catapult; the water of the sea will rage against them, and rivers will relentlessly \noverwhelm them; a mighty wind will rise against them, and like a tempest it will \nwinnow them away. Lawlessness will lay waste the whole earth, and evil-doing will \noverturn the thrones of rulers. Listen therefore, O kings, and understand; learn, O \njudges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, you that rule over multitudes, and boast of \nmany nations. For your dominion was given you from the Lord, and your sovereign-\nty from the Most High. \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 9\n\n¶ At the Lity: Idiomela: Tone Two \n‘Let him who would save himself \naid in the salvation of others!’ \ncried Metropolitan Gabriel, \nseeking monks for a missionary journey \nto follow in the footsteps of our Forerunner, the Lord Jesus Christ. \nO Herman, as an obedient lamb \nheeding the call of this earthly shepherd, \nthou didst heed all the more the call of that Good Shepherd \nwho pastures his flocks on high. \nAnd as a desert-dwelling apostle to America, \nthou didst seek souls for salvation \nin that one flock of the one Shepherd, \nJesus thy Master! \n‘Whom shall I send \nand who shall go for us?’ saith the Lord, \nand like Isaiah thou didst make answer: \n‘Here am I,’ \nand thou didst offer thyself for the American mission, \nO Herman, as an obedient disciple, \nthou hearer and doer of the will of the Highest. \nThou didst go with thy brethren as the least, \nand among thy companions as a servant of all. \nAs a humble monk and minister to high and low, \nthou wast the master and teacher of them all, \nthat in following thee they might be led \nunto the one Lord and Father and Teacher of us all, *** \nJesus thy God! \n10 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nGlory. Idiomelon: Tone Five \nMoses passed down the Law \nand Elijah left behind a double portion of grace \nwhen he went up in a chariot of divine flame. \nAnd we behold thee, O Herman, \nas the giver of divine law to the American land \nand a dweller through contemplation upon the summits of Carmel and Horeb \nwho hast left behind a double portion of grace for us, \na double glorification in Kodiak and San Francisco upon this day, *** \nand so we praise the Master’s glory in thee unto all ages. \nNow and ever. Of the Feast. Same Tone \nMoses who saw God \nand Elijah who rode in the chariot of fire, \npassing across the heavens unconsumed, \nbeheld thee in the cloud at thy Transfiguration, O Christ, \nand they testified that thou art the maker and the fulfillment \nof the Law and the prophets. \nWith them, count us also worthy of thy light, O Master, *** \nthat we may sing thy praises unto all ages. \n \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 11\n\n¶ Aposticha \nTone Five: Rejoice *\nRejoice, thou who didst take up thy cross, \nbearing it as a trophy even during the contest, \nrunner who hast finished thy race in victory, \npacesetter for thy children. \nThrough thee we have seen the light of Christ, \nand at the coming of the Valaam mission \nthe Father sent down unto us \nthe heavenly Spirit. \nThy glorification is a Pentecost in America, \na Nativity for our Church, \nan icon of the Transfiguration for our lives, *** \nand through it we receive great mercy. \nV erse: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Ps. 115:6) \nRejoice, O fragrant offering of incense, \nrising in secret, evening and morning and noonday, \nfrom thy dawn as a child-hermit in Sarov \nto thy setting as an elder on Spruce Island: \nThy whole life was an offering to God, \nhidden from the eyes of the world. \nThrough thee we have been clad with the full armor of God, \nhaving thee as our champion, with the Mother of God. \nThy glorification is a Theophany in Alaska, \nan Ascension into heaven through contemplation, \nand an Exaltation of the life-giving Cross \nby which Jesus conquered in thee, *** \nand through which he grants the world great mercy! \nV erse: What shall I render to the Lord for all that he has rendered unto me? (v. 3) \n These stichera are pointed to be sung to the melody ‘Rejoice’ in the Optina Hermitage *\nChant.\n12 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nRejoice, O hermit of Spruce Island, \nequal to the apostles, sent out among wolves: \nthou didst see Satan fall like lightning \nwhen the Alaskans rejected their false gods, \nO elder standing near the throne of the Lamb, \never-present intercessor at the foot of the altar of the Cross. \nThrough thy life and death we have seen the Way of Truth, \nleading to eternal Life. \nThy glorification is an Entrance of Christ into our midst, \na Pascha in America, a Resurrection of our hope, \na whispered strain of the music of the age to come, \nthe kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. *** \nThere may we receive great mercy. \nGlory. Idiomelon: Tone Six \nOn Kodiak Island, O Herman, \nthy glorification has been shown to us \nas a father’s gift to his children in the Spirit. \nAs from the face of Moses, the giver of the Law, \nthe veil has been lifted, \nand the glory thou didst behold in thy closet is now broadcast to \n the ends of land and sea. \nMay God lead us by thy light, O hermit, \nthrough the dark places of the desert of this earth, \npowerless though we be to gaze upon the fullness of that brightness. \nWalking with thee in Christ’s law of love, may we behold at sojourn’s end \nthe Pascha of the exalted Cross, \nbathed in the Resurrection’s light: \nthe Cross thou hast planted firmly in America, \nthe Cross which the Son of God has ascended to save the world. \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 13\n\nNow and ever. Of the Feast. Same Tone \nOn Mount Tabor, O Lord, \nthou hast shown today the glory of thy divine form \nunto thy chosen disciples, Peter, James, and John. \nFor they looked upon thy garments that gleamed as the light \nand at thy face that shone more than the sun; \nand unable to endure the vision of thy brightness which none can bear, \nthey fell to the earth, completely powerless to lift up their gaze. \nFor they heard a voice that testified from above: \n‘This is my beloved Son, *** \nwho has come into the world to save mankind.’ \n¶ At the Blessing of the Loaves: \nTroparion: Tone Seven \nO joyful North Star of the Church of Christ, \nguiding all men to the heavenly kingdom, \nteacher and apostle of the true faith, \nintercessor and defender for the oppressed, \nadornment of the Orthodox Church in America: \nblessed father Herman of Alaska, \npray to our Lord Jesus Christ *** \nfor the salvation of our souls! (twice) \nAnd the troparion of the feast, Thou wast transfigured on the mount… once. \n14 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nAT MATINS \n¶ At The Lord is God, we sing the troparion of the feast, Thou wast transfigured \non the mount… twice; Glory to the Father… and the troparion to the saint, O joy-\nful North Star…; Now and ever… and again the troparion of the feast. \n¶ Sessional Hymns after the first reading from the Psalter: \nTone Four: Joseph Marveled \nJosiah marveled when Hilkiah the priest found in the temple a book of the Law, the \nWord of the Lord for his people, Israel. And the Alaskans who spoke with thee, O \nelder and apostle, found in thy few words a marvelous scroll of spacious com-\nmandments leading to life unending. As witnesses of thy glorification in the midst \nof this feast of uncreated Light, we testify to that Radiance shining in thee. May Je-\nsus who burns forth so brightly in thee give light now to our souls. \nGlory. Now and ever. Of the Feast: Same Tone and Melody \nThou wast transfigured upon Mount Tabor, showing the exchange mortal men will \nmake with thy glory at thy second and fearful coming, O Savior. Elijah and Moses \ntalked with thee, and thou hast called the three disciples to be with thee. As they \ngazed upon thy glory, O Master, they were struck with wonder at thy blinding \nbrightness. Do thou who then hast shone upon them with thy light give light now to \nour souls. \n¶ Sessional Hymns after the second reading from the Psalter \nTone Four: Joseph Marveled \nEzra was appalled, and all Israel, when he rent his garments and confessed the sins \nof the people and prayed for them. And to the Russian settlers and sailors, O Her-\nman, thy ways and acts and prayers were like sharp thorns reminding them of the \nthorns and stones in their souls, pricking their hard hearts unto repentance. May \nthis thy luminous feast mark a new beginning of repentance for us also, and may Je-\nsus who burns forth so brightly in thee give light now to our souls. \nGlory. Now and ever. Of the Feast: Same Tone and Melody \nThou wast transfigured upon Mount Tabor, O Jesus, and a shining cloud, spread \nout like a tent, covered the apostles with thy glory. Whereupon their gaze fell to the \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 15\n\nground, for they could not bear to look upon the brightness of the unapproachable \nglory of thy face, O Savior Christ, our God who art without beginning. Do thou \nwho then hast shone upon them with thy light give light now to our souls. \n¶ After the Polyeleos, we sing this Magnification: \nWe bless thee, O our venerable Father Herman, who art equal to the apostles, for \nthou didst traverse sea and land to bring the true Faith to America! \nAnd these selected verses. If time is wanting, only those verses set off in boldface should \nbe used. \nThou wilt light my lamp; O Lord my God; thou wilt enlighten my \ndarkness. (Ps. 17:28) \nThy right hand has upheld me, and thine instruction has guided me \naright. (v. 35) \nHow thou hast multiplied thy mercy, O God! The children of men shall hope in the \nshelter of thy wings. (Ps. 35:7) \nFor with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. (v. 9) \nDisclose thy way unto the Lord and hope in him, and he shall bring it \nto pass. (Ps. 36:5) \nAnd he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the \nnoonday. (v. 6) \nThe meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight in the abundance \nof peace. (v. 11) \nThe sinner shall lie in wait for the just and gnash upon him with his teeth. But the \nLord shall laugh at him, for he foresees that his day shall come. (v. 12–13) \nHe divided the sea and brought them through; he made the waters to stand as in a \nwineskin. (Ps. 77:13) \nHe guided them with a cloud by day, and all the night with the light of fire. (v. 14) \nHe divided a rock in the wilderness, and made them drink as out of a \ngreat deep. (v. 15) \n16 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nSo he tended them as a shepherd in the innocence of his heart, and guided them by \nthe skillfulness of his hands. (v. 72) \nThe Lord is King, let the earth rejoice; let the many islands be glad. (Ps. 96:1) \nHis lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. (v. 4) \nFor thou art Lord Most High over all the earth: thou art exalted far above \nall gods. (v. 9) \nLight has dawned for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. (v. 11) \n¶ Sessional Hymns after the Polyeleos: \nTone Four: Joseph Marveled \nAnanias marveled when the scales fell from the eyes of Saul, and he baptized him \nwith the name of Paul. And the American natives and the Russian colonists alike \nawoke to the light of Christ as thou, O venerable father, didst cry: ‘Arise, thy light \nhas come!’ Now thy little flock gathers in thy name, or rather in the Name of Jesus \nChrist, crying out: Through thy prayers, may Jesus who burns forth so brightly in \nthee give light now to our souls. \nGlory. Now and ever. Of the Forefeast: Same Tone and Melody \nThou wast transfigured upon Mount Tabor, O God, between Moses and Elijah the \nwise, in the presence of James, Peter, and John; and Peter, as he stood there, spake \nthus to thee: ‘It would be good to make three tabernacles here: one for Moses, one \nfor Elijah, and one for thee, O Christ our Master.’ Do thou who then hast shone \nupon them with thy light give light now to our souls. \n¶ Prokimenon: Tone Four \nThy testimonies are wonderful; * therefore my soul has sought them out. \n(Ps. 118:129) \nV erse: When thy words are made known, they shall give light and understanding to \nthe simple. (v. 130) \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 17\n\nThe Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (§ 81; 20:17–27) \nAt that time, Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, \nand said unto them, ‘Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be \nbetrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to \ndeath, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify \nhim: and the third day he shall rise again.’ Then came to him the mother of \nZebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of \nhim. And he said unto her, ‘What wilt thou?’ She saith unto him, ‘Grant that these \nmy two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy \nkingdom.’ But Jesus answered and said, ‘Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to \ndrink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am \nbaptized with?’ They say unto him, ‘We are able.’ And he saith unto them, ‘Ye shall \ndrink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: \nbut to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given \nto them for whom it is prepared of my Father.’ And when the ten heard it, they \nwere moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them unto \nhim, and said, ‘Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over \nthem, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so \namong you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister. And \nwhosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.’50 \n¶ Psalm 50, and then, in Tone Six: Glory… Through the prayers of our venerable \nfather Herman, O merciful One… Now and ever… Through the prayers of the \nTheotokos… Have mercy on me, O God… and then: \n Idiomelon, Tone Six \nIn psalms and songs let us glorify \nthe holy hermit of Spruce Island, \nour venerable father Herman, \nfor he denied himself in order to plant the Cross of Christ \nin the hearts of the new citizens of his heavenly fatherland. \nMay he pray to the Lord of glory *** \nfor the salvation of our souls. \n18 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\n¶ W e use two canons: the first canon of Transfiguration by St. Cosmas is read first, be-\nginning with its irmos in each ode, and with the refrain: ‘Glory to thee, our God, \nglory to thee!’ Then we read the canon to Saint Herman with the refrain ‘Venerable \nfather Herman, pray to God for us!’ At the end of each ode, the irmos is repeated as \nkatavasia. \nCanon for the Feast of the Transfiguration \nby Saint Cosmas of Maiuma \nTone Four \nOde One \nIrmos: The choirs of Israel passed dry-shod across the Red Sea and the \nwatery deep; and beholding the riders and captains of the enemy swal-\nlowed by the waters, they cried out for joy: ‘Let us sing unto our God, \nfor he has been glorified.’ \nDelivering to his friends words of life concerning the kingdom of God, Christ said \nto them: ‘When I shall shine forth with unapproachable light, ye shall know that the \nFather is in me, and shall cry out for joy: Let us sing unto our God, for he has been \nglorified.’ \n‘O my disciples and friends, ye shall eat the strength of the Gentiles and their rich-\nes shall be your boast: for when I shall appear shining brighter than the sun, ye shall \nbe filled with glory and cry out for joy: Let us sing unto our God, for he has been \nglorified.’ \nToday as he has promised, Christ, shining on Mount Tabor, dimly disclosed to his \ndisciples the image and reflection of the divine brightness; and filled with godlike \nand light-bearing splendor, they cried out for joy: ‘Let us sing unto our God, for he \nhas been glorified.’ \nCanon to the V enerable Herman of Alaska \nSame Tone \nThe same irmos as in the preceding canon. \nThe Lord chose thee as he once chose Moses, that thou mightest lead the Alaskans \nto the faith. Bringing them out from the darkness of Pharaoh, thy charge was to \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 19\n\nguide them to the light of salvation as they sang: Let us sing to the Lord, for glori-\nously has he been glorified. \nThe powers of darkness lamented bitterly when they were deprived of the newly \nchosen people whom thou, O Herman, didst lead out of bondage, across the sea of \nbaptism, bringing them into the promised land of Christ, as they sang: Let us sing to \nthe Lord, for gloriously has he been glorified. \nGlory to the Father… \nThe choirs of Christ’s disciples, those fishers of men whose proclamation has gone \nout into all the earth, regard Herman as their equal, for he left behind his beloved \nValaam and struck out into the deep to go fishing for souls in peril. In thanksgiving \nwe cry out: Let us sing of Herman, whom God has glorified. \nNow and ever… \nTheotokion: The choirs of the apostles were caught up from the ends of earth and \nsea to behold thy passage from earth to heaven, as thou, O Mother of Jesus our \nGod, wast translated to the never-ending kingdom of thy Son. Witnessing thine ex-\nodus, the disciples sang like Miriam: ‘Let us sing unto our Queen, whom the Lord \nhas glorified.’ \nKatavasia: The choirs of Israel passed dry-shod… \nOde Three \nFor the Feast \nIrmos: The bow of the mighty has waxed feeble and the weak have \ngirded themselves with strength: therefore is my heart established in \nthe Lord. \nThou hast put Adam on entire, O Christ, and changing the nature grown dark in \npast times, thou hast filled it with glory and made it godlike by the alteration of thy \nform. \nIn the past Christ led Israel in the wilderness with the pillar of fire and the cloud; \nand today ineffably he has shone forth in light upon Mount Tabor. \n20 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nTo St. Herman \nThou wast deprived of thy companions, O Herman: some turned back through \nfaint-heartedness or left at duty’s call, others perished from the harsh climate or the \nsword; but thy heart remained still in the Lord. \nA simple monk and lover of silence, thou wast called upon as a doctor and nurse; as \npreacher, teacher, and choirmaster; as gardener, farmer, and fisherman. But in all \nthings thy heart belonged to the Lord. \nThou wast all things to all men, O venerable father, but thy sweet conversation ever \nreturned to the matter of eternity. For from the abundance of the heart the mouth \nspeaks, and thy heart was ever fixed on the Lord. \nTheotokion: Mighty men go from this world and leave behind empty thrones, but the \nmeek Maiden Mother of God is established as heaven’s Queen forever by her Son \nand Lord. \nKatavasia: The bow of the mighty has waxed feeble… \n¶ Kontakion of the Feast: Tone Seven \nOn the mountain wast thou transfigured, O Christ God, \nand thy disciples beheld thy glory as far as they could see it, \nso that when they should behold thee crucified \nthey would understand that thy suffering was voluntary, \nand would proclaim to the world *** \nthat thou art truly the Radiance of the Father. \nIkos: Awake ye sluggards, lie not for ever on the ground; and ye thoughts that draw \nmy soul towards the earth, arise and go up to the high slope of the divine ascent. \nLet us run to join Peter and the sons of Zebedee, and go with them to Mount Tabor, \nthat with them we may see the glory of our God and hear the voice they heard from \nheaven; *** and they proclaimed that this is the Radiance of the Father. \n¶ Sessional Hymns: \nTone Four: Voluntarily Crucified \nThou hast ascended to be with Christ, for so it was better for thee, but unlike Elijah \nand Moses thou hast left behind thy relics, O Herman. Hierarchs now minister at \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 21\n\nthy simple monk’s tomb and multitudes venerate the traces of thy wilderness \ndwelling. For thou art worthy of these things as a true son of the Highest Father, a \ntrue disciple of his only-begotten Son, and a true vessel of his All-holy Spirit. \nGlory. Now and ever. Theotokion: Same Tone and Melody \nGoing up with the disciples into the mountain, thou hast shone forth with the glory \nof the Father. Moses and Elijah stood at thy side, for the Law and the prophets min-\nister to thee as God. And the Father, acknowledging thy natural Sonship, called \nthee Son. We praise him in song together with thee and the Spirit. \nOde Four \nFor the Feast \nIrmos: I have heard of thy glorious dispensation, O Christ our God: \nhow thou wast born of the Virgin, that so thou mightest deliver from \nerror those who cry aloud to thee: Glory to thy power, O Lord. \nThou, O Christ our God, hast delivered the written Law upon Mount Sinai, and \nhast appeared there riding upon the cloud, in the midst of fire and darkness and \ntempest. Glory to thy power, O Lord. \nAs a pledge of thy glorious dispensation, thou hast ineffably shone forth on Tabor, \nO Christ our God, who wast before the ages and whose chariot is the clouds. \nThose with whom thou hast conversed of old in fiery vapor, in darkness and the \nlightest of winds, stood before thee in the manner of servants, O Christ our Master, \nand talked with thee. Glory to thy power, O Lord. \nMoses who in past times foresaw thee in the fire of the burning bush, and Elijah \nwho was taken up in a chariot of fire, were present on Tabor and made known there \nthy decease upon the Cross. \nTo St. Herman \nAt Valaam is a place called Herman’s Field. In that field, O father, thou didst find \nthe hidden treasure for which thou hadst sold all thy earthly goods, as thou didst \nsing: Glory to thy goodness, O Lord. \n22 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nFollowing in the footsteps of that Stranger whom they crucified on Calvary, thou \ndidst cross Siberia and sail to America to live as a stranger in a strange land, in order \nto deliver from error a nation whom thou didst not know, singing all the while: Glo-\nry to thy goodness, Lord. \nThere is no end to the making of books, but thou wast a scribe bringing forth from \nthy library treasures both old and new. In the pages of the Gospel, the Apostle, the \nservice books, and the Philokalia, thou didst meet the Word of life, begotten of the \nFather before all ages. \nTheotokion: We await thy glorious Falling Asleep, O Theotokos, who shalt soon be \nborn into the bright mansions of thy Son, who is God from God and the Fountain of \nlight from before the ages. To him we cry aloud: Glory to thy power, O Lord. \nKatavasia: I have heard of thy glorious dispensation… \nOde Five \nFor the Feast \nIrmos: Thou hast parted the light from the original chaos, that thy \nworks might celebrate thee in light, O Christ, as their Creator: do thou \ndirect our paths in thy light. \nThe seasons bowed down before thy face: for at thy feet the sun laid its light and its \nbright rays which fill the heavens, when thou, O Christ, vouchsafed to change thy \nmortal form. \n‘Behold the Savior,’ cried Moses and Elijah on Tabor the Holy Mountain, and their \nwords rang in the ears of the disciples: ‘Lo, here is Christ whom we in ancient times \nproclaimed as God.’ \nThe nature that knows no change, being mingled with the mortal nature, shone \nforth ineffably, unveiling in some small measure to the apostles the light of the im-\nmaterial Godhead. \nWhen they saw thee, O Christ the eternal Light, shining forth in the glory of the Fa-\nther, the disciples cried aloud to thee: ‘Direct our paths in thy light.’ \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 23\n\nTo St. Herman \nThou didst shine the light of Christ into the darkness of sinners, O Herman, con-\nverting Simeon thy disciple and biographer from false enlightenment to true illumi-\nnation by the light of the triune Sun. \nBefore she met thee, she lived loosely, but thy disciple Sophia, after hearing thy \npreaching, turned away from the darkened flesh and began to walk in the light of the \nincarnate God. \nThou wast a candle that could not be hid, and thy wilderness cell became a spiritual \nlighthouse for Russians and Alaskans alike, guiding the ship of their souls which \nwere in danger from the rocky shoals of life. \nTheotokion: Thy Son’s light shone on Tabor, so that when darkness should descend \non Golgotha his disciples might recall his true radiance. And even as we draw near \nto the appointed time of thy death, yet we honor thee, O Theotokos, as the Mother \nof the Light. \nKatavasia: Thou hast parted the light from the original chaos… \nOde Six \nFor the Feast \nIrmos: In my affliction I cried unto the Lord, and the God of my salva-\ntion heard me. \nThe Savior Christ, Light shining forth on Tabor more brightly than the brilliance of \nthe sun, has enlightened us. \nGoing up into Mount Tabor, thou wast transfigured, O Christ, and darkening all er-\nror thou hast made thy light shine forth. \nOn Tabor, O Christ, the glorious apostles recognized thee as God and bent their \nknees before thee in their amazement. \nTo St. Herman \nCounting earthly afflictions as nothing, O Herman, thine only sorrow was for thy \nheavenly homeland. \n24 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nStanding by the brook near thy soul as by the waters of Babylon, thou didst long for \nthe Zion on high. \nThe Lord heard the prayers of thy heart, and now thou dost flourish like a palm tree \nin the courts of thy home in heaven. \nTheotokion: In gladness we sing to the Mother of God, anticipating her falling \nasleep and rising again. \nKatavasia: In my affliction I cried unto the Lord… \n¶ Kontakion to St. Herman: Tone Three \nThe eternal light of Christ our Savior \nguided thee, O blessed father Herman, \non thine evangelical journey to America \nto proclaim the Gospel of peace. \nNow thou standest before the throne of glory: \nbeseech God for thy land and its people, *** \nasking peace for the world and salvation for our souls. \nIkos: We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, the Apostle has taught us, but \nagainst the spirits of evil who dwell under heaven. Therefore while still at Valaam \nthou wast invested with the whole armor of God. Well shod in the good news of \nChrist, thou camest to America as a fully clad knight of God. Fighting the good \nfight, thou didst plant here the Orthodox faith and didst finish thy race, becoming \nworthy to receive from God the crown of victory. And now thou takest thy watchful \nstand in prayer on behalf of thy land and its people, *** asking peace for the world \nand salvation for our souls. \nOde Seven \nFor the Feast \nIrmos: In Babylon the Children, sons of Abraham, once trampled upon \nthe flame of the fiery furnace, and they sang this song of praise: ‘O \nGod of our fathers, blessed art thou.’ \nOn Mount Tabor, O Christ, the apostles, bathed in the light of thine unapproach-\nable glory, cried aloud: ‘O God of our fathers, blessed art thou.’ \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 25\n\nThe apostles delighted in the whirlwind of the divine voice, in the cloud that shed \ndew, and in thy shining majesty, O Christ; and they sang: ‘O God of our fathers, \nblessed art thou.’ \nAs Peter looked upon thee, O Christ, shining forth on Mount Tabor in unapproach-\nable light, he cried aloud: ‘O God of our fathers, blessed art thou.’ \nThe children of Zebedee were with Christ, the Prince of life, when light went forth \nfrom his Person, and they thundered out: ‘O God of our fathers, blessed art thou.’ \nTo St. Herman \nEating at the table of the tideland, thy body was nourished by gathered mussels and \nsnails. But thy spirit tasted of Christ’s hidden manna, as thou didst sing: ‘O God of \nour fathers, blessed art thou.’ \nThou didst regard the Alaskans as a newborn infant entrusted to thy care, and while \nteaching them the arts and sciences thou didst direct them in all things to the Arti-\nficer of the principles of the world. \nIn Alaska thy children, the sons of thy mission, cherish thy memory and cleave to \nthy teaching. Their inheritance, through thee, is faith in Jesus Christ, and they sing: \n‘O God of our fathers, wonderful art thou in Saint Herman.’ \nTheotokion: In Judea the mortal children of this passing world took no thought of \nthy departure, but a guard of fiery spirits surrounded thy bier, O Lady, and sang to \nthee: ‘O higher than any angel, O Mother of God, blessed art thou among women \nand in all creation!’ \nKatavasia: In Babylon the Children, sons of Abraham… \nOde Eight \nFor the Feast \nIrmos: In Babylon the Children, burning with zeal for God, bravely \ntrampled upon the threat of the tyrant and the fire; thrown into the \nmidst of the flames but refreshed with dew, they sang: ‘O all ye works \nof the Lord, bless ye the Lord.’ \n26 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nThou, who dost uphold all things by thy will, hast gone up with thine undefiled feet \ninto Mount Tabor. There thy face shone with a splendor brighter than the light of \nthe sun, and in its radiance stood the elect of the Law and of Grace, singing: ‘O all \nye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord.’ \nWhen the infinite Light that knows no evening, even the brightness of the Father \nthat gives splendor to creation, ineffably appeared in unapproachable glory on \nMount Tabor, it made men godlike as they sang: ‘O all ye works of the Lord, bless \nye the Lord.’ \nStanding in reverence on Mount Tabor, Moses and Elijah clearly beheld the express \nimage of the divine Person, even Christ, shining forth as lightning with the glory of \nthe Father, and they sang: ‘O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord.’ \nThe face of Moses once shone with glory because of the divine voice he heard in \nthe darkness; but Christ covers himself with light and glory as with a garment. For \nhe, who is by nature himself the Author of light, shines upon those who sing: ‘O all \nye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord.’ \nTo St. Herman \nIn time of plague on Kodiak, O Herman, thou didst take no thought for the threat of \ninfluenza, but went forth to tend the sick, comfort the dying, and preach repentance \nto all, crying out: ‘O ye works of his hands, turn ye to the Lord!’ \nPeter the Aleut, with a childlike faith, heeded not the threats of his captors. By tor-\nturing his body, they tied a millstone around their own necks, but he was refreshed \nas he departed for the Lord. Hearing this, O Herman, thou didst pray to the new \nmartyr, singing with joy: ‘O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord.’ \nThe three children in Babylon, speaking with one voice, as from a single heart and \nmind, mystically figured the one God in Trinity, three divine persons in Unity. O all \nye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! \nTheotokion: With faith in thy Son and God, pondering the works of the Lord and \nholding the Name of thy Child Jesus in thy heart, thou didst trample down the \nthreat of death. Thou didst pass through death to the resurrection of life, O Lady, \nsinging: ‘Christ is risen from the dead: bless ye the Lord Jesus!’ \nKatavasia: In Babylon the Children, burning with zeal for God… \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 27\n\n¶ W e sing the Magnificat and More honorable… \nOde Nine \nFor the Feast \nIrmos: Thy birthgiving was undefiled: God came forth from thy womb, \nand he appeared upon earth wearing flesh and made his dwelling \namong men; therefore we all magnify thee, O Theotokos. \nThe disciples, struck with fear and illuminated with the sudden stream of strange \nlight, looked at one another and fell face downwards upon the ground, worshipping \nthee, the Master of all. \nA divine voice came forth from the cloud confirming the wonder. For the Father of \nlights called to the apostles: ‘This is my beloved Son. Hear ye him.’ \nOn Tabor the ministers of the Word looked upon strange and marvelous wonders, \nand hearing the voice of the Father, they cried out: ‘This is the imprint of the ar-\nchetype, even our Savior.’ \nO unchanged Image of the One Who Is, O Seal that cannot be removed or altered, \nSon and Word, Wisdom and Arm, Right Hand and Strength of the Most High, thee \ndo we sing with the Father and the Spirit. \nTo St. Herman \nA tree shall be known by its fruit, and we have truly seen thy fruit: Joseph thy disci-\nple; Gerasim the faithful orphan; Sergius the monk of the great schema; Sophia \nwho was like an abbess to thy virgins; and indeed all the Orthodox Christians of \nAmerica. And so we know thee and we honor thee, O Herman our father. \nWhere the body is, there shall the eagles be gathered, and the saints are spiritual \neagles soaring up into the presence of Christ to be gathered into his Body, the \nChurch Triumphant. Even while thou wast on earth thy thoughts soared upward \nwith them, and now seeing thee in their midst we glorify thee, O Herman our fa-\nther. \n28 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nThy counsels were an aid and warning to thy fellow-man. But through their heed-\nlessness of thy words, a convert to Orthodoxy returned to his vomit; thy disciple \nSimeon lost his wife Irene; and one of thy virgins perished in a storm. Let us not be \nonly hearers of thy life, but doers of thy deeds, aided by thy prayers, O holy Her-\nman. \nTheotokion: Thy Dormition approaches, O Queen: God came forth from thy womb, \nand thou shalt soon go forth into his arms. Through thee he was clothed in the mor-\ntal flesh of man; through him thou art clothed in the royal glory of God. We magni-\nfy thee, O Theotokos! \nKatavasia: Thy birthgiving was undefiled… \n¶ Exapostilarion: \nTone Three: Unaltered Light *\nO Herman, spark of flame from Valaam and lamp of Kodiak, * in thy light we see \nthe light of Christ, * one with the light of the Father and the light of the Spirit: * the \nsingle light of the Trinity, the Fountain of all light. \nGlory. Now and ever. Of the Feast. Same Tone and Melody \nToday on Tabor in the manifestation of thy Light, * O Word, thou unaltered Light \nfrom the Light of the unbegotten Father, * we have seen the Father as Light and the \nSpirit as Light, * guiding with light the whole creation. \n According to custom, these may instead be sung in Tone Two, ‘Hearken, ye Women,’ to *\nwhich melody the phrase divisions correspond.\nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 29\n\n¶ At the Praises, we sing four stichera: \nTone Four: Called from Above *\nThou wast called from above, and not of man, \nwhen Metropolitan Gabriel sought monks to preach the Gospel in America. \nFor thou wast obedient not merely to the words of his mouth, \nbut to the will of God, \nas when the heavenly archangel appeared to Mary and she said: \n‘Let it be unto me according to thy word.’ \nThrough thee, O faithful Herman, \nwe have come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Light of all. *** \nBeseech him to save and enlighten our souls. \nThou wast helped from above, and not of man, \nwhen thou wast tried by greedy and violent men by day \nand by demons in the night watches of thy heart. \nBut thou didst keep a heavenly light always before the eyes of thy soul, \nthereby discerning the beautiful countenance of God in all things. \nAt every day and hour and moment, \nthou didst seek to love Jesus Christ as Lord and Light of all. *** \nBeseech him to save and enlighten our souls. \nThou wast honored from above, and not of man, \nwhen thou didst repose and yet remain untouched by corruption, \nyet after thy departure the details of thine earthly course were forgotten by many. \nBut now what thou didst in the darkness of humbleness is brought to light; \nthy secrets stored up in God are made manifest; \nthings hidden by time are revealed by Jesus Christ, the Lord and Light of ages. *** \nBeseech him to save and enlighten our souls. \n These stichera are not pointed for the indicated melody but for samoglas Court Chant *\ntone four.\n30 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nThou art glorified from above, and not of man, \nfor though thy praises are sung in our temples on earth, \nand though we offer thee veneration with our corruptible bodies, \nthy true glory is known only in heaven, \nwhere thou art thy true self, with Christ in God, \nand where thou dost go by a new name known only to him and to thee. \nAnd yet thy name on earth, O Herman, \nis enough for us sinners, \nfor in that name we call upon Jesus Christ as Lord and Light of all: \nHearken, O Lord, to holy Herman, *** \nwho beseeches thee to save and enlighten our souls! \nGlory. Idiomelon: Tone Eight \nIn Christ Jesus we are called a holy people, \na nation set apart, \nto be transfigured after his image in the light of holiness. \nTherefore he has sent Herman to us, \nshining like a beam of sunlight from the kingdom, \nto go before us like a bright cloud by night and by day, \nlike a lamp shining with the fulfillment of the commandments of the Lord, \nleading us into the bridal chamber of feasting \nalong with all the beloved sons of God, *** \nwho have heard the Word of the Lord and have done his will. \nNow and ever. Of the Feast. Same Tone \nChrist took Peter, James, and John \nup into a high mountain apart, \nand was transfigured before them. \nHis face shone as the sun \nand his raiment became white as the light. \nThere appeared Moses and Elijah talking with him; \na bright cloud overshadowed them, \nand behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying: *** \n‘This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him!’ \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 31\n\n¶ And the Great Doxology, followed by the troparion of the saint and of the feast, the \ntwo litanies, the dismissal of Matins, and First Hour. \nAT THE DIVINE LITURGY \n¶ On the Beatitudes, we use eight troparia: four from Ode Four of the Canon for the \nFeast, and four from Ode Six of the canon to the saint. \n¶ Prokimena: for the Feast, Tone Four: \nO Lord, how manifold are thy works; * in wisdom hast thou made them all. (Ps. \n103:24) \nV erse: He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the \nearth. (v. 1) \nAnd for the saint: Same Tone: \nHe shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-\nday. (Ps. 36:6) \n¶ The Reading from the Second Epistle of the Holy Apostle to the Paul to the \nCorinthians (§ 181; 6:1–10) \nBrethren, as workers together with him, we entreat you not to accept the grace of \nGod in vain. For he says, ‘At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped \nyou on the day of salvation.’ Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the \nday of salvation. We put no obstacle in any one’s way, so that no fault may be found \nwith our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: \nthrough great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprison-\nments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kind-\nness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the \nweapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, \nin ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as un-\nknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not \n32 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nkilled; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having \nnothing, and yet possessing everything. \n¶ Alleluia: Tone Eight \nV erse: The heavens are thine; the earth also is thine. (Ps. 88:11) \nV erse: Blessed are the people who know the festal shout! (v. 15) \nAnd for the saint: Same Tone \nV erse: Thy law is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths. (Ps. 118:105) \n¶ The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. (§ 37; 10:23–31) \nThe Lord said to his disciples: ‘When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into \nanother: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till \nthe Son of man be come. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above \nhis lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his \nlord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall \nthey call them of his household? Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing cov-\nered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in \ndarkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the \nhousetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: \nbut rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two \nsparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without \nyour Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, \nye are of more value than many sparrows.’ \n¶ Communion V erses: \nOf the Feast: O Lord, we will walk in the light of thy countenance, and in thy Name \nshall we rejoice all the day. (Ps. 88:15–16) \nOf the saint: He turned a desert into pools of water, and a waterless land into \nstreams of water. Alleluia! (Ps. 106:35) \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 33\n\nA PRAYER TO SAINT HERMAN \nDeacon: Let us pray to our venerable father Herman, the wonderwork-\ner of Alaska and equal to the apostles. \nSingers: O venerable father Herman, pray to God for us! \nThe Lord Jesus Christ has said that greater love knows no man than this, that he lay \ndown his life for his friends. And thou, O most venerable Herman, didst lay down \nthy life for thy fellow-men, and not once, but daily—in cheerful obedience at Sarov \nand Valaam; in readily offering thyself for the American mission; by interceding for \nthe oppressed Alaskans; in thy service to the colonial authorities and to the czar; in \nteaching thy students in matters both secular and sacred; in caring for thy orphans \nand virgins; by opening thy hermit’s cell to all who to thee for aid and counsel. In all \nthese things thou didst die every day, that thou mightest no longer live, but rather \nhave Christ living in thee, so that thou mightest live unto God through Christ the \nLord. \nNow, therefore, we behold thy glorification and see thee grown to the measure of \nthe stature of the fullness of Christ. Now thou dwellest in the sunshine of heavenly \nglory, but thou hast not abandoned thy children and the American land, which was \nenlightened by thy labor for the Gospel. And so we, belabored by the harshness of \nthis mortal coil, turn to thee now for comfort and help, and we beseech thee: \nAs thou didst once call upon the Theotokos to preserve thy disciples from rising \ntides, intercede together with her before the throne of the Master to keep us from \nsurging floodwaters and to secure us against the storms of life in the ark of the \nChurch. As thou didst once make a line in moss to preserve the forests of thy her-\nmit island, keep us from raging fires and guard us from the menacing flames stored \nup for the end of the world. As thou didst many times face armed men with God as \nthy only weapon, keep us from all violence and duress of men, and from conflicts \namong brethren, and shield us against the merciless troops of the demons. Even in \nthy lifetime thou didst foresee dangers lying in wait for thy disciples: guide us by thy \nprayer along the perilous paths of the present unto the narrow Way of Life, the Way \nwhich is Christ, the Truth from all eternity and the true Life of the world. By thine \nintercessions, may we suffer no hunger or thirst or sickness in body or soul. By thy \nsupplications, may God preserve us here and in eternity! \n34 Service to St Herman of Alaska \n\nFor Jesus Christ has said that his Father will hear two or three gathered together in \nhis Name, but now thou art gathered up with all the saints in his presence, engulfed \nin his eternal light, searching the depths of his love. Together with all that heavenly \ncompany, implore that Love for us, thy children, that the love thou knowest might \nbe ours, too, forever. In our weak love we call upon thee, O Herman, for to thee is \ndue honor and veneration, and all glory, thanksgiving, and worship are due to God, \nthe almighty and adorable and all-holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy \nSpirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. R. Amen. \nSt. Tikhon’s Monastery Press 2020 35
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