Great Vespers
St. Hilarion of Verey.
O hieromartyr Hilarion, zealous champion of the patriarchate, thou wast a helper to the holy Patriarch Tikhon, preserving the Church of God in time of trials.
Today the Sretensky Monastery rejoiceth, having such a wondrous helper and aid as thee; for thou, O holy hierarch Hilarion, didst drive heretics and those who fought against God from the monastery, and didst glorify it by thy labors. Be thou for us an advocate and guardian, fending off adversaries, and teaching us to worship the Holy Trinity in Orthodox manner.
O divinely-wise Hilarion, who didst enlighten thy mind with the grace of the Holy Spirit, thou didst refute the wicked ones who disputed with thee, and didst confirm the truth of Orthodoxy. Where is the wise man, where the scribe, where the disputer of this world? By thy discourse on the Cross thou hast put to shame the wisdom of the world!
Becoming like the Lamb of God, without resentment thou didst endure the sufferings of prison, threats and abuse, hunger, cold and sickness; and praying for thine enemies, O Hilarion, thou didst meekly commit thy soul unto Christ.
And 4 stichera in Tone IV
Enriched by God with purity of soul, with ascetic struggles thou didst acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit, O lover of virtue and uprooter of sin, earthly angel and heavenly man.
Thou didst love Christ from thy youth; and, forsaking all the beautiful things of this world, O glorious Hilarion, thou didst come to know heavenly love, and didst please God, making thine abode among the choir of monastics.
Thou didst enlighten the eyes of thy heart, O blessed Hilarion; wherefore, thy theology had its source in thy piety, and thou wast shown to be a new Chrysostom, confirming the truth of Orthodoxy and guiding all the faithful to salvation.
When thou didst see the enemy of the human race arrayed against the land of Russia, destroying the churches of God and slaying the Russian people, then, weeping in pain, O Hilarion our master, thou didst call upon the saints of Russia for the salvation of the people of God.
Glory…: Idiomelon, in Tone VIII
Come, ye people of Moscow, and with faith let us bow down before the hieromartyr Hilarion: imitating him, let us set all our hope on Christ; and, following the path of the Church, let us reject the ungodliness of the world, let us abide in faith and purity, let us labor for the Lord and His Holy Church, and let us endure tribulations and pain unto the end. And do thou, O holy Hilarion, entreat Christ God, that He remit our debts and vouchsafe unto us 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!
Aposticha stichera, in Tone VI
Having received the gift of grace divine, O Hilarion elect of God, taking up thy cross thou didst follow Christ, didst spurn all the vanities of the world, and didst seek life everlasting; and in the heavens thou now joinest chorus with all the saints.
Stichos: In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me not be put to shame in the age to come.
All thy hope didst thou set on God, following His divine will; and in time of persecution thou didst take up the archpastoral staff as a cross, preparing thyself for martyrdom for the sake of Christ. Him didst thou confess before thy tormenters, enduring sufferings. And standing now before Christ, O Hilarion, thou dost rejoice with the holy Patriarch Tikhon.
Stichos: Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous; and glory, all ye that are upright of heart.
Always full of spiritual gladness, O wondrous Hilarion, thou didst crucify the old man within thyself and didst open thy heart that Christ might dwell therein. O thou who sharest in the joy of Pascha and dost behold the never-waning Light, entreat Christ God, that we also may be counted worthy to receive joy everlasting.
Glory…: Idiomelon, in Tone V
What shall we call thee, O holy master? Initiate of the profundity of the Church, most subtle theologian, lover of the majesty of the Church, zealot of the wisdom of the Fathers, preacher like unto Chrysostom, converser with the angels. The mind is at a loss what to call thee, for thou art the confirmation of the Church of Russia, the glory of the Russian land, the boast of the martyrs.
Now & ever…: Theotokion, in the same tone—
Rejoice, O all-blessed Mistress, for thy Son hath arisen from the dead and granted to the world everlasting joy, that He might ever bestow upon His Church peace and great mercy.
Troparion of the new-hieromartyr, in Tone IV
O Hilarion, warrior of Christ, glory and boast of the Church of Russia, thou didst confess Christ before the perishing world, hast made the Church steadfast by thy blood, and having acquired divine understanding, hast proclaimed unto the faithful: Without the Church there is no salvation! Twice
Matins
After the first chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone VI
Thou didst not attain the gray hairs of old age, but didst acquire the wisdom of an elder, and with an honorable mind didst come to know God. Help us also to become partakers of wisdom divine.
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion
O all-holy Virgin, Queen of heaven, from thee did the divine Word take flesh and became man. Yea, He dwelt on earth, died on the Cross, arose on the third day, went up into heaven, and sent the Holy Spirit, that the world might be deified.
After the second chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone IV
Today do we magnify thee, the instructor of a multitude of monks, O holy hierarch Hilarion, and more especially the monks of the Sretensky Monastery, who have thee as a mighty advocate and fervent mediator before God. For in time of persecutions and assaults by heresies thou didst pilot the Sretensky Monastery through all manner of billows.
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion
O all-holy Theotokos, splendid beam of the all-radiant Light: by thee are cities and monasteries rendered steadfast, the machinations of the enemy are put to shame, the hearts of the faithful are enlightened with purity and love and adversaries are cast down. Grant victory over enemies also unto us, and save thou our souls.
Magnification
We magnify thee, O holy new-hieromartyr Hilarion, and we reverence thine honored sufferings, which thou didst endure for Christ.
Gospel according to St. Luke, §67
The Lord said: "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags that wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men who wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not."
After Psalm 50, this sticheron, in Tone VI
Storms of misfortunes and perils roil the sea of life; and like an evil wolf the enemy of the human race seeketh whom to devour. Woe is me! Mine iniquities are multiplied and love faileth within me. Yet, though weak in body and soul, I cry out to thee, O Hilarion my master: Be thou a helper and aid to me; heal and enlighten me; direct me to the path of salvation; and teach me to do the will of God.
The Canon in Tone VI
Ode I
Irmos: The children of those who were saved have concealed beneath the earth Him Who of old covered the pursuing tyrant with the waves of the sea; but let us chant unto the Lord like the maidens: For gloriously hath He been glorified.
O Hilarion, most honored master, thy life was truly lived in accordance with thy name; for, having the serenity of prayer within thee, thou didst make manifest the joy of Pascha unto all.
Having rejected the lies of thy persecutors, thou didst manfully confess Christ before the unjust judges, undaunted by grievous tortures; and having been imprisoned and suffered, thou hast been glorified with heavenly glory.
O venerable Hilarion, converser with the angels, thou didst dwell in the Lavra of Saint Sergius, in the house of the Life-creating Trinity; and having cleansed thy soul with fasting and prayer, thou didst acquire divine knowledge.
Possessed of zeal for God, thou wast unable to bear the reasonings of the heretics, didst with thy words rebuke those who fought against God, driving them from the monasteries and churches, and didst lead many to repentance and salvation.
Theotokion: We have no other help than thee, O Mistress. Help us to traverse the bed of the sea of this life as it were dry land, untempted by evils.
Ode III
Irmos: Creation, beholding Thee, Who suspended the whole earth without support upon the waters, Thyself suspended upon Golgotha, was seized with great awe, crying out: None is holy save Thee, O Lord!
Clothed by the Creator in the purity of the virtues, O wondrous Hilarion, who wast virginal in spirit and body, thou didst refuse to serve creation rather than the Creator; and having armed thyself against sin, thou didst manifest an immaterial life on earth.
O all-wise Hilarion, heavenly man and earthly angel, thou didst imitate the venerable Sergius in struggles, didst pray to the holy Seraphim for the salvation of Russia, and as an excellent theologian didst have John the Theologian as thy patron.
Imitating the Lamb of God, O holy Hilarion, having been wholly adorned with meekness, humility and patience, and all the more with love, thou didst forgive thy tormenters, as of old thy God and Savior did.
Having acquired the gift of the Holy Spirit, taking up thy cross thou didst follow after the Son, fulfilling the will of the heavenly Father, O blessed Hilarion, true worshiper of the Holy Trinity.
Theotokion: O all-holy Theotokos, thou ladder of heaven whereby God descended, thou leadest up to heaven our nature which lieth below; wherefore, we unceasingly magnify thee with love.
Sessional hymn, in Tone VII—
When what was foretold by the beloved disciple and theologian was fulfilled, and many antichrists came into the world, thou, O Hilarion, hierarch and friend of Christ, wast cast into prison, refusing to bow down before the forerunner of Antichrist, just as the holy martyrs refused to offer sacrifice to the idols. And now, when evil hath increased in the world, we behold dread signs—earthquakes, famine and plagues—throughout the whole world, and with the apostle we declare that the end is at the door. Wherefore, make haste, O holy Hilarion, and with thy supplications help us to deflect the darts of the enemy and to break asunder the snares of the devil, that we may gaze continually upon Christ crucified and cry out to Him alone from the depths of our hearts: Yea, come Thou, Lord Jesus!
Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—
O all-holy Mistress, our intercessor and advocate, when thy Son and God will sit to judge the living and the dead, entreat Him to forgive our sins and iniquities, and not to deprive us of the kingdom of heaven.
Ode IV
Irmos: Foreseeing Thy divine condescension upon the Cross, Habakkuk cried out in awe: Thou hast cut down the dominion of the mighty, O Good One, entering into fellowship with those who are in hades, in that Thou art Almighty.
Thou wast shown to be a new apostle in the godless world, O divinely-wise Hilarion, didst preach Christ's self-abasement on the Cross, didst come to know the mystery of the Church, and didst make clear the mysteries of the final judgment.
Great is the mystery of the Church, the Bride of Christ, as the divine apostles declared, the profundity whereof thou didst perceive with a pure heart and didst proclaim in thy theological discourses.
Accounted worthy of the gift of heavenly love, O Hilarion, thou didst confess God the Trinity, Who is love; and thou didst theologize concerning the Holy Church, which is the union of love.
Having adamantine faith, O holy hierarch Hilarion, preserver of the precepts of the Fathers, thou didst remain unmoved by the winds of evil doctrines, and didst glorify the pure Theotokos as Virgin and Mother.
Theotokion: Standing before the Cross on Golgotha, the Mother of God exclaimed with sorrow: "Alas, O my Son! How art Thou hanging upon a Cross, Who hast suspended the earth upon the waters? Thou hast come down to earth to lead the earthborn forth from hades and to deify the world!"
Ode V
Irmos: Isaiah, rising at dawn out of the night, and beholding the never-waning light of Thy theophany, O Christ, which hath mercifully come to pass for us, cried out: The dead shall rise up and those who are in the tombs shall arise, and all born on earth shall rejoice.
O holy master Hilarion, help us to pass blamelessly through the moonless night of this sorrowful life in patience and repentance and to be vouchsafed the joy of the never-waning Light.
Thou wast a good shepherd and a sure guide for the pastors of Christ, O Hilarion, and didst instruct them not only in theology, but in virtue as well, restoring their souls to life by the grace given thee by God.
Thou wast ever adorned with a joyous spirit, O Hilarion, didst tread the straight and narrow path, teaching all to crucify themselves with Christ, and to struggle in fasting and prayer, to endure tribulations and want without complaint, that they might not be deprived of the joy of the resurrection.
The monks of the Sretensky Monastery rejoice today, glorifying the glorious archpastor Hilarion, the venerator of the Virgin Mother of the Lord, who greeted her wonderworking Vladimir Icon when it was borne to the monastery on its feast day, for which he endured persecution at the hands of the godless.
Theotokion: We glorify thee unceasingly, O Mistress, and we fall down before thy holy Vladimir Icon, crying out: Out of the depths of sin lead forth the city of Moscow, which of old thou didst save from its enemies; protect the Sretensky Monastery from all the assaults of the enemy, and save thou our souls.
Ode VI
Irmos: Jonah was swallowed, but was not held fast in the belly of the monster; for, serving as an image of Thee, Who didst suffer and wast given over for burial, he issued forth from the whale as from a bridal chamber. And he called to the watch: Ye who guard vain and false things have forsaken mercy for yourselves!
O honored master, from thy youth thou didst grieve over the patriarchate, which was lost to the Church of Russia because of vanity, and thou didst cry out from the depths of thy soul: Let us restore the patriarch, that the lamentation of the Orthodox people may be transformed into joy!
O Hilarion our master, standing before the council of the men of the Church, by thy discourse, infused with wisdom and grace, thou didst call upon them not to leave the holy patriarchal place in the Cathedral of the Dormition empty.
O ye most honored twain, holy Tikhon, patriarch and confessor, and thou O Hilarion, his fellow struggler and martyr, ye showed yourselves to be models of Christ crucified in this world.
The angels and archangels join chorus in the heavens, for they have seen two earthly angels, Tikhon and Hilarion, glorified by the Church.
Theotokion: Rejoice, O Queen of heaven, unshakable pillar of the Church, boast of Orthodox patriarchs, impregnable bulwark of holy monasteries, confirmation of our city and land!
Kontakion, in Tone VI
O Hilarion, hieromartyr of Christ, thou wast not afraid of the minions of the coming Antichrist, but didst manfully confess Christ and lay down thy life for the Church of God, O adornment of the new-martyrs of Russia, boast of Holy Rus', glory and confirmation of our Church.
Ikos: With thy divine wisdom, O holy Hilarion, fill my benighted and passion-fraught mind, that I may hymn thy manner of life, thy virtues and struggles, crying out with the faithful: Rejoice, our all-good advocate; rejoice, inspired theologian! Rejoice, thou who didst attain the depths of the mystery of the Church; rejoice, thou who didst declare that in the Church alone is the path of salvation! Rejoice, thou who didst put to shame the subtle machinations of thy wicked disputers; rejoice, thou who like lightning didst vanquish the rapacious heretics! Rejoice, mighty defender of the patriarchate; rejoice, faithful preserver of the legacy of the Fathers! Rejoice, true confessor of Christ; rejoice, victim slaughtered for the Church! Rejoice, O Hilarion, our glory and confirmation!
Ode VII
Irmos: O ineffable wonder! He, Who in the furnace delivered the venerable children from the flame, is laid in the grave, dead and devoid of breath, for the salvation of us who chant: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou!
Were it not for thy courage, O hieromartyr Hilarion, the heretics and persecutors, those ravening beasts, would have inflicted yet greater wounds and stripes upon the Church of Russia. O God Who hast delivered us from them, blessed art Thou!
Thy labors, O Hilarion, with those of thy patriarch, the divinely-wise Tikhon, drew down the mercy of God and wrought an ineffable miracle: the heretics vanished like smoke and the laws of the Church were restored; and the faithful exclaimed: O God, blessed art Thou!
Thou wast a guide for the monks of the Sretensky Monastery, O archpastor Hilarion; and driving the heretics therefrom, thou didst reconsecrate the temple of the Vladimir Icon. And there monks now chant again: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou!
O holy Hilarion, glory of the Sretensky Monastery, vouchsafe that by thy supplications we, who are weak and sinful, may be delivered from the flame of the passions and preserved unharmed by temptations, crying out to the Lord: O God, blessed art Thou!
Theotokion: Who doth not glorify thee, O all-holy Virgin? For thou art the spiritual dew that quencheth the flame of sin and filleth the faithful with grace; and we cry out to thee, the blessed one: Deliver us from condemnation to everlasting fire, and save thou our souls.
Ode VIII
Irmos: Tremble in amazement, O heaven; and let the foundations of the earth be shaken! For, lo! He Who dwelleth in the highest is numbered among the dead and is lodged as a stranger in a small tomb. Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Refusing to render worship to the spirit of this world, thou didst remain a worshiper of the one God, O most glorious Hilarion, and thou now standest before the Master of all. Him do ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt supremely for all ages!
Truly did all the power of darkness array itself against the Church of Russia; yet thou, O Hilarion mighty in spirit, undaunted thereby, didst confess Christ as a martyr. And we on earth, girded about by thy supplications, glorify the King of heaven, singing: Him do ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt supremely for all ages!
O the sacred and saving night of Pascha, O holy hierarch of Christ, when, in chains on Solovki, thou didst exclaim: "Let God arise!" Him do ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt supremely for all ages!
O island of Solovki, rejoice now and be glad, for thy glory, the all-wondrous Hilarion and the company of new-martyrs, in the heavens now entreateth the King of glory in behalf of Holy Russia. Him do ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt supremely for all ages!
Theotokion: O all-holy Virgin, thou didst go up to thy Son in heaven, yet didst not abandon the sorrowful earth. With thy precious omophorion cover our monastery and city, granting life everlasting unto all who hymn thee.
Ode IX
Irmos: Lament Me not, O Mother, beholding in the tomb the Son Whom thou didst conceive in thy womb without seed; for I shall arise and be glorified, and as God I shall exalt with glory those who unceasingly magnify thee with faith and love.
When thy body was burning with fever in the infirmary of a Petrograd prison, thy soul was filled with joy, floating as on waters of tranquility; and having escaped the snares of the prince of this world, thou didst depart unto Christ.
O glorious Hilarion, thou didst fearlessly confess Christ, didst endure torture for Him and wast vouchsafed a blessed end. Wherefore, we cry out to thee: Beseech the merciful God, that He grant us an end devoid of fear, and life everlasting.
O Hilarion, thy friends and kin heard angelic singing and the paschal greeting when thy pure soul made its ascent to heaven.
When they beheld thy much-suffering body in the coffin thy spiritual children uttered lamentations and cried out to thee: Pray for us, O righteous one, at the throne of the Lord!
Theotokion: O unwedded Mother, deprive us not of thine aid; but entreat the merciful Judge to justify us who magnify thee with faith and love.
Exapostilarion
All the saints of the Church of Russia now joyously hold festival, seeing the holy hierarch Hilarion standing in prayer before the divine Trinity.
Theotokion
O all-holy Theotokos, beauteous abode of God the Word: by thy supplications, O merciful one, help us to acquire patience and hope, and to obtain salvation.
On the Praises, 4 stichera, in Tone VIII
Hath not God spurned the wisdom of this world? But the wisdom of the Cross and grace was given thee, to follow in the steps of the Fathers and proclaim the Truth of the Church. O teacher of true theology, enlighten our darkened souls, establishing them in the mind of the Church.
Standing before the tribunal of the ungodly, thou didst manfully confess Christ, O hieromartyr Hilarion; but we remain in our sins amid the fallen world. Help us not to conform to this age, but to confess Christ in our lives, lest we be put to shame at the judgment-seat of God.
Assailed with slothfulness, despondency and impotence by the devil, we cry out to thee, O Hilarion: Beseech the compassionate God, O master, that He grant us the power of grace, that we may labor earnestly for Him and serve the Holy Church untiringly, as thou didst labor without rest for the good of the Church.
Gazing upon the Cross of Christ, thou didst crucify thyself to the world, O Hilarion, and with patience thou didst bear afflictions and pangs. Strengthen us also for the way of the Cross, that the world may be crucified in us. And entreat Christ God, that He enlighten our hearts with love for Him.
Glory…: Idiomelon, in Tone VI
Having purified thy heart with asceticism, disdaining the good things of this world, confessing Christ before the godless and suffering for His sake, thou didst acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit, O hieromartyr Hilarion. Wherefore, as thou hast boldness before Christ God, beseech Him, that our souls be saved.
Now & ever…: Theotokion
O Theotokos, thou art the initiate of the Counsel of the Trinity. Vouchsafe also that we may glorify the Holy Trinity in this present life, may stand, illumined by the thrice radiant Light, and may obtain life everlasting.
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This service to St. Hilarion of Verey was translated from the Church Slavonic by the reader Isaac E. Lambertsen. The text presented here is abbreviated from the full service, which is available from the St. John of Kronstadt Press.
Translation copyright © 2011. All rights reserved by the translator. Published on OrthoChristian.com with permission.
