ᾨδὴ Θʹ
The Mystery of the Incarnation
The chapter opens with a hymn of praise to the Mother of God for the miraculous birth of Christ.
The birth from an unseeded conception is beyond explanation; the motherhood of one without a husband is a pure pregnancy. For the birth of God renews natures; therefore, all generations honor you as the Mother of God, praising you rightly.
A Call to Urgent Repentance
The soul is urged to examine its spiritual decay and turn toward the examples of Christ's condescension.
The mind is wounded, the body is weak, and the spirit is sick; the word has grown feeble, life is deadened, and the end is at the door. Therefore, wretched soul, what will you do when the Judge comes to examine your deeds? Moses produced, O soul, the origin of the world, and from him every inner narrative that tells you about the righteous and the unrighteous; of whom I will imitate the latter, O soul, not the former, having sinned against God. The Law has grown weak, the Gospel is delayed, and all Scripture has been neglected in you; the Prophets have grown weary, and every righteous word has faded; your wounds, O soul, have multiplied, with no healer present to restore you. From the New Scripture, I bring you examples, leading you, O soul, toward compunction; therefore, strive for the righteous, turn away from sinners, and reconcile with Christ through prayers and fasting, along with purity and solemnity. Christ spoke to me in the flesh and fulfilled everything in nature according to His will, apart from sin; He gives you a pattern, O soul, and shows you the image of His condescension. Christ became human, calling sinners and prostitutes to repentance; O soul, repent, for the door to the Kingdom is already open, and the Pharisees and tax collectors are taking it by force, along with adulterers who are being transformed. Christ saved the Magi, called the shepherds, revealed the innocence of infants as witnesses, and honored the elder and the aged widow. You didn't envy them, soul—not their deeds nor their lives—but woe to you when you are judged!
The Wilderness and the Temptation
Reflecting on Christ's fasting and temptation, the soul is encouraged to use prayer and fasting to resist the enemy.
After fasting for forty days in the wilderness, the Lord later felt hunger, showing what it means to be human. Soul, don’t lose heart; if the enemy attacks you, let prayer and fasting drive him away. Christ was tempted, the Devil tempted him by showing him the stones, to turn them into bread; he took him up to a mountain to see all the kingdoms of the world in an instant. Fear this drama, my soul; stay sober and pray to God at every hour. The voice of the beloved turtle dove rang out, proclaiming repentance; the lamp of Christ was shining. Look, my soul, don’t get caught in the traps of the wicked, but embrace repentance. The Forerunner of grace inhabited the wilderness; and all of Judea and Samaria, hearing this, ran and confessed their sins, eagerly being baptized; but I will not imitate them, my soul.
The Healing Ministry of Christ
A survey of Christ's miracles and encounters with sinners, inviting the soul to imitate the repentance of those He healed.
Marriage is honorable, and the marriage bed is undefiled; both were blessed by Christ, who, while dining in the flesh at the wedding in Cana, turned water into wine and revealed his first miracle, so that you may be transformed, O soul. Christ grasped the paralyzed man, lifting his bed, and raised the young man who had died, the child of the widow and the centurion, and appearing to the Samaritan woman, He portrayed for you, O soul, the worship in spirit. The Lord healed the bleeding woman by touching the hem of His garment; He cleansed lepers, restored sight to the blind and the lame, raised up the weak, healed the deaf and the mute, and cured the bent-over woman with His word, so that you might be saved, poor soul. Christ the Word healed diseases, preaching good news to the poor; He healed the lame, dined with tax collectors, and associated with sinners; and He brought back to life the daughter of Jairus, restoring her soul with a touch of His hand. The tax collector was saved, and the sinner showed restraint, while the Pharisee was condemned for his arrogance; the former said, 'Have mercy on me,' the latter boasted, 'God, I thank you.' And then he went on to speak of his foolishness. Zacchaeus was a tax collector, yet he was saved, while Simon the Pharisee was mistaken, and the woman received the forgiveness of her sins from the one who has the power to forgive them; may your soul be merciful to her. O wretched soul, you didn't envy the sinful woman who, taking an alabaster jar of perfume, anointed the Lord's feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, thus tearing up the record of her past sins.
Faith and the Promise of Paradise
The soul is warned by the example of the unrepentant cities and encouraged by the faith of the Canaanite woman and the thief on the cross.
The cities to which Christ gave the Gospel, my soul, you have known, how they were cursed; fear the example, lest you become like them; for the Lord condemned them to Hades, likening them to those in Sodom. Don't be worse off, my soul, than the Canaanite woman who, upon hearing of the faith that healed her daughter through the word of God, didn't despair. Cry out to Christ from the depths of your heart, just as she did: "Son of David, save me." Have compassion on me, save me; Son of David, have mercy, you who healed the possessed by your word; and speak to me with that tender voice, as you did to the thief. Truly I say to you, you will be with me in Paradise when I come in my glory. The thief accuses you; the thief confesses you, for both were hung on the cross. But, O Most Compassionate One, just as you opened the door of your glorious kingdom to the faithful thief who recognized you as God, open it for me as well. Creation trembled to see you nailed to the cross; mountains and rocks split in fear; the earth shook, Hades was stripped bare, and the light faded at midday as it watched you, Jesus, hanging in the flesh.
Final Supplication and Doxology
The canon concludes with a plea for mercy, a confession of the Holy Trinity, and a prayer for the protection of the Church.
Don't demand worthy fruits of repentance from me, for my strength has failed. Grant me a heart that is always broken, and spiritual poverty, so that I may offer these to you as an acceptable sacrifice, O Savior. My Judge and my Knower, who will come again with the Angels to judge the whole world, look upon me with your merciful eye then, and have compassion on me, Jesus, who have sinned beyond all human nature. O Trinity, consubstantial, one essence, we hymn you, glorifying the Father, magnifying the Son, and worshiping the Spirit, the one true God, life and lives, and everlasting kingdom. Guard your city, Mother of God, for it is in you that it faithfully reigns; it is in you that it is strengthened, and through you it conquers every temptation and defeats its enemies, ruling over those who are subject to it.
Read the original Latin
Ἀσπόρου συλλήψεως ὁ τόκος ἀνερμήνευτος, Μητρὸς ἀνάνδρου ἄφθορος ἡ κύησις· Θεοῦ γὰρ ἡ γέννησις καινοποιεῖ τὰς φύσεις· διό σε πᾶσαι αἱ γενεαὶ ὡς Θεόνυμφον Μητέρα ὀρθοδόξως μεγαλύνομεν.
Ὁ νοῦς τετραυμάτισται, τὸ σῶμα μεμαλάκισται, νοσεῖ τὸ πνεῦμα· ὁ λόγος ἠσθένησεν, ὁ βίος νενέκρωται, τὸ τέλος ἐπὶ θύραις· διό μοι, τάλαινα ψυχή, τί ποιήσεις, ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ Κριτὴς ἀνερευνῆσαι τὰ σά;
Μωσέως παρήγαγον, ψυχή, τὴν κοσμογένεσιν καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου πᾶσαν ἐνδιάθετον γραφὴν ἱστοροῦσάν σοι δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους· ὧν τοὺς δευτέρους, ὦ ψυχή, ἐμιμήσω, οὐ τοὺς πρώτους, εἰς Θεὸν ἐξαμαρτήσασα.
Ὁ Νόμος ἠσθένησεν, ἀργεῖ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, Γραφὴ δὲ πᾶσα ἐν σοὶ παρημέληται, Προφῆται ἠτόνησαν καὶ πᾶς δικαίου λόγος· αἱ τραυματίαι σου, ὦ ψυχή, ἐπληθύνθησαν, οὐκ ὄντος ἰατροῦ τοῦ ὑγιοῦντός σε.
Τῆς Νέας παράγω σοι Γραφῆς τὰ ὑποδείγματα, ἐνάγοντά σε, ψυχή, πρὸς κατάνυξιν· δικαίους οὖν ζήλωσον, ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἐκτρέπου καὶ ἐξιλέωσαι Χριστὸν προσευχαῖς τε καὶ νηστείαις, καὶ ἁγνείᾳ καὶ σεμνότητι.
Χριστὸς ἐνηπίασε σαρκὶ προσομιλήσας μοι, καὶ πάντα ὅσα ὑπάρχει τῆς φύσεως, βουλήσει ἐπλήρωσε τῆς ἁμαρτίας δίχα· ὑπογραμμόν σοι, ὦ ψυχή, καὶ εἰκόνα προδεικνύων τῆς αὐτοῦ συγκαταβάσεως.
Χριστὸς ἐνηνθρώπησε καλέσας εἰς μετάνοιαν, λῃστὰς καὶ πόρνας· ψυχὴ μετανόησον, ἡ θύρα ἠνέῳκται τῆς Βασιλείας ἤδη· καὶ προαρπάζουσιν αὐτὴν Φαρισαῖοι καὶ Τελῶναι καὶ μοιχοὶ μεταποιούμενοι.
Χριστὸς Μάγους ἔσωσε, Ποιμένας συνεκάλεσε, Νηπίων δήμους ἀπέδειξε Μάρτυρας, Πρεσβύτην ἐδόξασε καὶ γηραλέαν Χήραν· ὧν οὐκ ἐζήλωσας, ψυχή, οὐ τὰς πράξεις, οὐ τὸν βίον· ἀλλ᾿ οὐαί σοι ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαι!
Νηστεύσας ὁ Κύριος ἡμέρας τεσσαράκοντα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ὕστερον ἐπείνασε δεικνὺς τὸ ἀνθρώπινον. Ψυχή, μὴ ἀθυμήσῃς· ἄν σοι προσβάλῃ ὁ ἐχθρός, προσευχαῖς τε καὶ νηστείαις ἐκ ποδῶν ἀποκρουσθήτω σοι.
Χριστὸς ἐπειράζετο, Διάβολος ἐπείραζε δεικνὺς τοὺς λίθους, ἵνα ἄρτοι γένωνται· εἰς ὄρος ἀνήγαγεν ἰδεῖν τὰς βασιλείας τοῦ κόσμου πάσας ἐν ριπῇ. Φοβοῦ, ὦ ψυχή, τὸ δρᾶμα· νῆφε, εὔχου, πᾶσαν ὥραν Θεῷ.
Τρυγὼν ἡ φιλέρημος, φωνὴ βοῶντος ἤχησε, Χριστοῦ ὁ λύχνος κηρύττων μετάνοιαν· Ἡρῴδης ἠνόμησε σὺν τῇ Ἡρῳδιάδι. Βλέπε, ψυχή μου, μὴ παγῇς τῶν ἀνόμων ταῖς παγίσιν, ἀλλ᾿ ἀσπάζου τὴν μετάνοιαν.
Τὴν ἔρημον ᾤκησεν ὁ Πρόδρομος τῆς χάριτος· καὶ Ἰουδαία πᾶσα καὶ Σαμάρεια ἀκούοντες ἔτρεχον καὶ ἐξωμολογοῦντο τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἑαυτῶν, βαπτιζόμενοι προθύμως· οὓς αὐτὴ οὐκ ἐμιμήσω, ψυχή.
Ὁ γάμος μὲν τίμιος, ἡ κοίτη δὲ ἀμίαντος· ἀμφότερα γὰρ Χριστὸς προευλόγησε, σαρκὶ ἑστιώμενος ἐν τῆς Κανᾶ τῷ γάμῳ, τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνον ἐκτελῶν καὶ δεικνύων πρῶτον θαῦμα, ἵνα σὺ μετατεθῇς, ὦ ψυχή.
Παράλυτον ἔσφιγξε Χριστὸς τὴν κλίνην ἄραντα καὶ νεανίσκον θανόντα ἐξήγειρε, τῆς χήρας τὸ κύημα καὶ τοῦ Ἑκατοντάρχου, καὶ Σαμαρείτιδι φανεὶς τὴν ἐν πνεύματι λατρείαν σοί, ψυχή, προεζωγράφησεν.
Αἱμόρρουν ἰάσατο ἁφῇ κρασπέδου Κύριος· λεπροὺς καθῆρε, τυφλοὺς καὶ χωλεύοντας φωτίσας ἀνώρθωσε, κωφούς τε καὶ ἀλάλους καὶ τὴν συγκύπτουσαν χαμαὶ ἐθεράπευσε τῷ λόγῳ, ἵνα σὺ σωθῇς, ἀθλία ψυχή.
Τὰς νόσους ἰώμενος πτωχοῖς εὐηγγελίζετο Χριστὸς ὁ Λόγος· κυλλοὺς ἐθεράπευσε, τελώναις συνήσθιεν, ἁμαρτωλοῖς ὡμίλει· τῆς Ἰαείρου θυγατρὸς τὴν ψυχὴν προμεταστᾶσαν ἐπανήγαγεν ἁφῇ τῆς χειρός.
Τελώνης ἐσῴζετο καὶ Πόρνη ἐσωφρόνιζε, καὶ Φαρισαῖος αὐχῶν κατεκρίνετο· ὁ μὲν γάρ, Ἱλάσθητι, ἡ δέ, Ἐλέησόν με· ὁ δὲ ἐκόμπαζε βοῶν· Ὁ Θεὸς εὐχαριστῶ σοι· καὶ ἑξῆς τὰ τῆς ἀνοίας ρητά.
Ζακχαῖος Τελώνης ἦν, ἀλλ᾿ ὅμως διεσῴζετο, καὶ Φαρισαῖος ὁ Σίμων ἐσφάλλετο, καὶ Πόρνη ἐλάμβανε τὰς ἀφεσίμους λύσεις παρὰ τοῦ ἔχοντος ἰσχὺν ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας· ὅν, ψυχή, σαυτῇ ἱλέωσαι.
Τὴν Πόρνην, ὦ τάλαινα ψυχή μου, οὐκ ἐζήλωσας, ἥτις λαβοῦσα μύρου τὸ ἀλάβαστρον, σὺν δάκρυσιν ἤλειψε τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Κυρίου· ἐξέμαξε δὲ ταῖς θριξί, τῶν ἀρχαίων ἐγκλημάτων τὸ χειρόγραφον ρηγνύντος αὐτῇ.
Τὰς πόλεις, αἷς ἔδωκε Χριστὸς τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, ψυχή μου, ἔγνως, ὅπως κατηράθησαν· φοβοῦ τὸ ὑπόδειγμα, μὴ γένῃ ὡς ἐκεῖναι· ταῖς ἐν Σοδόμοις γὰρ αὐτὰς ὁ Δεσπότης παρεικάσας ἕως ᾍδου κατεδίκασε.
Μὴ χείρων, ὦ ψυχή μου, φανῇς δι᾿ ἀπογνώσεως, τῆς Χαναναίας τὴν πίστιν ἀκούσασα, δι᾿ ἧς τὸ θυγάτριον λόγῳ Θεοῦ ἰάθη. Υἱὲ Δαυΐδ, σῶσον κἀμέ, ἀναβόησον ἐκ βάθους τῆς καρδίας, ὡς ἐκείνη, Χριστῷ.
Σπλαγχνίσθητι, σῶσόν με· Υἱὲ Δαυΐδ, ἐλέησον, ὁ δαιμονῶντας λόγῳ ἰασάμενος· φωνὴν δὲ τὴν εὔσπλαγχνον, ὡς τῷ Λῃστῇ, μοι φράσον· Ἀμήν σοι λέγω, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ Παραδείσῳ, ὅταν ἔλθω ἐν τῇ δόξῃ μου.
Λῃστὴς κατηγόρει σοι, Λῃστὴς ἐθεολόγει σοι· ἀμφότεροι γὰρ σταυρῷ συνεκρέμαντο. Ἀλλ᾿ ὦ Πολυεύσπλαγχνε, ὡς τῷ πιστῷ Λῃστῇ σου τῷ ἐπιγνόντι σε Θεόν, κἀμοὶ ἄνοιξον τὴν θύραν τῆς ἐνδόξου βασιλείας σου.
Ἡ Κτίσις συνείχετο σταυρούμενόν σε βλέπουσα· ὄρη καὶ πέτραι φόβῳ διερρήγνυντο· καὶ γῆ συνεσείετο καὶ ᾍδης ἐγυμνοῦτο· καὶ συνεσκότασε τὸ φῶς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, καθορῶν σε, Ἰησοῦ, προσηλωμένον σαρκί.
Ἀξίους μετανοίας καρποὺς μὴ ἀπαιτήσῃς με· ἡ γὰρ ἰσχύς μου ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐξέλιπε· καρδίαν μοι δώρησαι ἀεὶ συντετριμμένην· πτωχείαν δὲ πνευματικήν, ἵνα ταῦτά σοι προσοίσω ὡς δεκτὴν θυσίαν, μόνε Σωτήρ.
Κριτά μου καὶ γνῶστά μου, ὁ μέλλων πάλιν ἔρχεσθαι σὺν τοῖς Ἀγγέλοις κρῖναι Κόσμον ἅπαντα, ἱλέῳ σου ὄμματι τότε ἰδών με φεῖσαι· καὶ οἴκτειρόν με, Ἰησοῦ, τὸν ὑπὲρ τὴν πᾶσαν φύσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτήσαντα.
Τριὰς ὁμοούσιε, Μονὰς ἡ τρισυπόστατος, σὲ ἀνυμνοῦμεν Πατέρα δοξάζοντες, Υἱὸν μεγαλύνοντες καὶ Πνεῦμα προσκυνοῦντες, τὸν ἕνα φύσει ἀληθῶς Θεόν, ζωήν τε καὶ ζωάς, βασιλείαν ἀτελεύτητον.
Τὴν Πόλιν σου φύλαττε, Θεογεννῆτορ ἄχραντε· ἐν σοὶ γὰρ αὕτη πιστῶς βασιλεύουσα, ἐν σοὶ καὶ κρατύνεται, καὶ διὰ σοῦ νικῶσα τροποῦται πάντα πειρασμὸν καὶ σκυλεύει πολεμίους καὶ διέπει τὸ ὑπήκοον.
The Great Canon companion
Never lose the rhythm again
Chosen Portion delivers your morning, midday and night office to your phone — the Hours, without the bells.
Chosen Portion is a modern Book of Hours: it turns the fixed-hour structure this collection preserves into scheduled, tappable daily prayer on your phone.
- Three daily prayer moments scheduled around your real calendar, not a monastery's
- Psalms and historic prayers sequenced for you — no page-flipping or decision fatigue
- A visible streak of completed offices, so the rhythm compounds instead of collapsing