The Great Canon: The Work of St. Andrew of Crete

Egypt

The Great Canon

THE WORK OF SAINT ANDREW OF CRETE.

Monday of the First Week

On Monday of the first week of Lent, the Canon is chanted during Great Compline, immediately following Psalm 69. The Eirmoi are sung twice at the beginning of each ode. Only at the Ninth Ode is the Eirmos repeated at the end, in place of It is truly meet. Before each Troparion we make the sign of the Cross and bow three times.

Ode 1 · Tone 6

EIRMOS: He is for me unto salvation Helper and Protector. He is my God and I glorify Him, God of my fathers is He and I exalt Him, for He is greatly glorified.

REFRAIN: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Where shall I begin to weep for the actions of my wretched life? What first-fruit shall I offer, O Christ, in this my lamentation? But in Thy compassion grant me forgiveness of sins.

Come, wretched soul, with thy flesh to the Creator of all. Make confession to Him, and abstain henceforth from thy past brutishness; and offer to God tears of repentance.

I have rivalled in transgression Adam the first-formed man, and I have found myself stripped naked of God, of the eternal Kingdom and its joy, because of my sins.¹

Woe to thee, miserable soul! How like thou art to the first Eve! For thou hast looked in wickedness and wast grievously wounded; thou hast touched the tree and rashly tasted the deceptive food.²

Instead of the visible Eve, I have the Eve of the mind: the passionate thought in my flesh, showing me what seems sweet; yet whenever I taste from it, I find it bitter.³

Adam was justly banished from Eden because he disobeyed one commandment of Thine, O Saviour. What then shall I suffer, for I am always rejecting Thy words of life?⁴

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Trinity beyond all being, worshipped in Unity, take from me the heavy yoke of sin, and in Thy compassion grant me tears of compunction.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Theotokos, the hope and protection of those who sing thy praises, take from me the heavy yoke of sin and, pure Lady, accept me in repentance.

Ode 2

EIRMOS: Attend, O heaven, and I shall speak and sing in praise of Christ, who took flesh from a Virgin and came to dwell among us.

REFRAIN: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Attend, O heaven, and I shall speak; give ear, O earth, to the voice of one who repents before God and sings His praise.⁵

Look upon me, God my Saviour, with Thy merciful eye, and accept my fervent confession.

More than all men have I sinned; I alone have sinned against Thee. But as God take pity on Thy creation, O Saviour.

With my lustful desires I have formed within myself the deformity of the passions and disfigured the beauty of my mind.

I am surrounded by the storm of sin, O compassionate Lord. But stretch out Thine hand to me, as once Thou hast to Peter.⁶

I have stained the garment of my flesh, O Saviour, and defiled that which was made in Thine image and likeness.

With the lusts of passion I have darkened the beauty of my soul, and turned my whole mind entirely into dust.

I have torn the first garment that the Creator wove for me in the beginning, and now I lie naked.⁷

I have clothed myself in the torn coat that the serpent wove for me by his counsel, and I am ashamed.

I offer to Thee, O merciful Lord, the tears of the Harlot. Take pity on me, O Saviour, in Thy compassion.⁸

I looked upon the beauty of the tree and my mind was deceived; and now I lie naked and ashamed.⁹

All the ruling passions have ploughed upon my back, making long furrows of wickedness.¹⁰

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

I sing Thy praises, One in Three Persons, God of all, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Theotokos undefiled, Virgin alone worthy of all praise, intercede fervently for our salvation.

Ode 3

EIRMOS: Upon the unshaken rock of Thy commandments, O Christ, make firm Thy Church.

REFRAIN: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

The Lord once rained down fire from heaven and consumed the land of Sodom.¹¹

O my soul, flee like Lot to the mountain, and take refuge in Zoar before it is too late.¹²

Flee from the flames, my soul, flee from the burning heat of Sodom, flee from destruction by the fire of God.¹³

I alone have sinned against Thee, I have sinned more than all men; reject me not, O Christ my Saviour.

Thou art the Good Shepherd: seek me, the lamb that has strayed, and do not forget me.¹⁴

Thou art my beloved Jesus, Thou art my Creator; in Thee shall I be justified, O Saviour.

I confess to Thee, O Saviour: I have sinned against Thee without measure. But in Thy compassion absolve and forgive me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O God, Trinity in Unity, save us from error and temptation and distress.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Hail, Womb that held God! Hail, Throne of the Lord! Hail, Mother of our life!

Ode 4

EIRMOS: The Prophet heard of Thy coming, O Lord, and he was afraid: how Thou wast to be born of a Virgin and revealed to men, and he said: ‘I have heard the report of Thee and I was afraid.’ Glory to Thy power, O Lord.

REFRAIN: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

O righteous Judge, despise not Thy works; forsake not Thy creation. I have sinned as a man, I alone, more than any other man, O Thou who lovest mankind. But as Lord of all Thou hast the power to pardon sins.¹⁵

The end draws near, my soul, the end draws near; yet thou dost not care or make ready. The time grows short, rise up: the Judge is at the door. The days of our life pass swiftly, as a dream, as a flower. Why do we trouble ourselves in vain?¹⁶

Awake, my soul, consider the actions which thou hast done; set them before thine eyes, and let the drops of thy tears fall. With boldness tell Christ of thy deeds and thoughts, and so be justified.

No sin has there been in life, no evil deed, no wickedness, that I have not committed, O Saviour. I have sinned as no one ever before, in mind, word and intent, in disposition, thought and act.

For this I am condemned in my misery, for this I am convicted by the verdict of my own conscience, which is more compelling than all else in the world. O my Judge and Redeemer, who knowest my heart, spare and deliver and save me in my wretchedness.

The ladder which the great Patriarch Jacob saw of old is an example, O my soul, of approach through action and of ascent in knowledge. If then thou dost wish to live rightly in action and knowledge and contemplation, be thou made new.¹⁷

In privation Jacob the Patriarch endured the burning heat by day and the frost by night, making daily gains of sheep and cattle, shepherding, wrestling and serving, to win his two wives.¹⁸

By the two wives, understand action and knowledge in contemplation. Leah is action, for she had many children; and Rachel is knowledge, for she endured great toil. For without toil, O my soul, neither action nor contemplation will succeed.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Undivided in Essence, unconfused in Persons, I confess Thee as God: Triune Deity, one in kingship and throne; and to Thee I raise the great thrice-holy hymn that is sung on high.¹⁹

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Thou givest birth and art a virgin, and in both thou remainest by nature inviolate. He who is born makes new the laws of nature, and the womb brings forth without travail. When God so wills, the natural order is overcome; for He does whatever He wishes.

Ode 5

EIRMOS: From the night I seek Thee early, O Lover of mankind: give me light, I pray Thee, and guide me in Thy commandments, and teach me, O Saviour, to do Thy will.

REFRAIN: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

In night have I passed all my life: for the night of sin has covered me with darkness and thick mist. But make me, O Saviour, a son of the day.²⁰

In my misery I have followed Reuben’s example, and have devised a wicked and unlawful plan against the most high God, defiling my bed as he defiled his father’s.²¹

I confess to Thee, O Christ my King: I have sinned, I have sinned like the brethren of Joseph, who once sold the fruit of purity and chastity.²²

As a figure of the Lord, O my soul, the righteous and gentle Joseph was sold into bondage by his brethren; but thou hast sold thyself entirely to thy sins.

O miserable and wicked soul, imitate the righteous and pure mind of Joseph; and do not live in wantonness, sinfully indulging thy disordered desires.²³

Once Joseph was cast into a pit, O Lord and Master, as a figure of Thy Burial and Resurrection. But what offering such as this shall I ever make to Thee?²⁴

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

We glorify Thee, O Trinity, the one God. Holy, holy, holy, art Thou: Father, Son and Spirit, simple Essence and Unity, worshipped for ever.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Virgin inviolate and Mother who hast not known man, from thee has God, the Creator of the ages, taken human flesh, uniting to Himself the nature of men.

Ode 6

EIRMOS: With my whole heart I cried to the all-compassionate God: and He heard me from the lowest depths of hell, and brought my life out of corruption.

REFRAIN: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

I offer to Thee in purity, O Saviour, the tears of mine