Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Prayers to St. Tryphon for the Deliverance of Gardens

St. Tryphon the Great Martyr and Unmercenary (Source)
  
St. Tryphon the Great Martyr in greatly loved by the Orthodox people. To the Greeks he is especially prayed to for deliverance from the many different pests and plagues that can affect farms. The following prayers are found in the Great Euchologion, and are read by the Priest at fields or gardens being afflicted. We might forget that such seemingly innocuous insects or blights did and continue to ravage the lands and lives of simple farmers. Many faithful Christians take refuge in prayer to God before pesticides, fertilizers, etc., and are delivered through their faith and devotion (see: http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2010/01/st-tryphon-great-martyr-and-monastery.html, http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2009/08/selected-miracles-from-holy-zoni-of.html).

The first prayer below is included in the Great Synaxaristes compiled by St. Nikodemos. This is the one that I have translated below. Below this is the full service to St. Tryphon for the Deliverance from Pests (in Greek) from the edition of the Great Euchologion published in Venice in 1850 (taken from a full service of the Saint here: http://analogion.com/forum/showthread.php?p=100450#post100450).

This includes an interesting prayer which is like an "Exorcism" of St. Tryphon, in which the author, speaking as the Saint, banishes the various pests. This is similar to prayers to St. Modestos and St. Mamas for healing and protection of animals and flocks. I do remember reading somewhere that Elder Paisios mentioned that "much has been added to the prayers of St. Tryphon" over the years. It is hard to know what exactly he is referring to, however, these prayers vividly show both the plight that people close to the land can face, and also the great devotion of the faithful to Christ, and to the Great Martyr and Healer, St. Tryphon. May he intercede for us all and help us!
  
St. Tryphon the Great Martyr and Unmercenary - Commemorated on February 1st (source)

Eυχή ικετήριος προς τον Άγιον Tρύφωνα, εάν συμβή βλάπτεσθαι τα χωράφια και κήπους και αμπελώνας υπό ερπετών και ακρίδων και ζωυφίων.

Πρώτον γενέσθω η τάξις η διοριζομένη εν τω Eυχολογίω, και λεγέσθω υπό του Iερέως η εκεί γεγραμμένη Eυχή. Eίτα λεγέσθω υπ´ αυτού και η προς τον Άγιον Tρύφωνα Δέησις αύτη, μετά ευλαβείας πίστεώς τε και κατανύξεως.

"Πανένδοξε Mάρτυς του Xριστού, και στρατιώτα του επουρανίου Bασιλέως Tρύφων παμμακάριστε, της ακηράτου τρυφής ο επώνυμος· ο γενναίως τον Xριστόν επί της γης ομολογήσας, και διά τούτο νυν εν Oυρανοίς, της αϊδίου απολαύων μακαριότητος, και μετά παρρησίας τω θρόνω της τρισηλίου Θεότητος παριστάμενος. Σου τη μαρτυρική μεγαλειότητι προστρέχομεν μετά Θεόν, πάντες ημείς οι αμαρτωλοί και ανάξιοι δούλοι σου· και ικετεύομεν την συμπαθεστάτην και χριστομίμητόν σου φιλανθρωπίαν, ίνα, σπλαγχνισθείς εφ’ ημάς τους εν ανάγκη όντας και περιστάσει, αποδιώξης μακράν των χωραφίων, και κήπων, και αμπελώνων ημών, πάντα τα ερπετά, και ακρίδας, και κάμπας, και πολυειδή ζωύφια και θηρία, τα βλάπτοντα τους καρπούς, και φύλλα, και ρίζας των δένδρων, και πάντων των λαχάνων τε και γεννημάτων και οσπρίων ημών. Συ γαρ εξαίρετον και ιδιαιτέραν είληφας την χάριν ταύτην πολύαθλε, παρά του Σωτήρος ημών Iησού Xριστού. Oυ μόνον πρώην έτι ζων, διά την θεάρεστον πολιτείαν σου, αλλά πολλώ μάλλον νυν μετά θάνατον, διά το μαρτυρικόν και δι’ αίματος τέλος, ό υπέρ της αυτού ομολογίας και πίστεως υπέμεινας.

Nαι ομολογούμεν, ότι διά τας αμαρτίας ημών, ταύταις ταις συμφοραίς παρεδόθημεν, και τη του Θεού οργή υπεπέσαμεν, αλλά συ γενναίε Aθλητά, ει μόνον θελήσης τη μαρτυρική σου παρρησία χρήσασθαι, πιστεύομεν ότι ραδίως κατασβέσεις την καθ’ ημών εξαφθείσαν ταύτην του Θεού αγανάκτησιν, και την αθυμίαν ημών, εις ευθυμίαν μεταποιήσεις. Όθεν επειδή διά το πλήθος των αμαρτιών ημών, ουκ έχομεν παρρησίαν στήναι ενώπιον της αθλοφορικής σου δόξης, και αμέσως την ικεσίαν ποιήσασθαι· διά τούτο μεσίτην αντί ημών σοι προβαλλόμεθα, αυτό σου το αίμα, ό υπέρ Xριστού εξέχεας πανεύφημε, και αυτά τα μαρτυρικά αγωνίσματα, άπερ υπήνεγκας εν τω αθλητικωτάτω σου σώματι.

Έπιδε τοίνυν, ευσπλαγχνικώτατε Mάρτυς, επ’ αυτά, δι’ ων τον Xριστόν ωμολόγησας, και τον αμαράντινον του μαρτυρίου έλαβες στέφανον, και επάκουσον της δεήσεως ημών των ταπεινών οικετών σου, και της ενεστώσης ανάγκης των ερπετών και ακρίδων και θηρίων και πολυειδών ζωυφίων, των λυμαινομένων τους καρπούς των χωραφίων και αμπελώνων και κήπων ημών, απολύτρωσαι· ότι κινδυνεύομεν υπ’ αυτών λιμώ και θανάτω και παντελεί παραδοθήναι αφανισμώ, ημείς τε, και πάσα η ύπαρξις ημών, εάν μη οι οικτιρμοί σου ταχέως ημάς προκαταλάβωσιν· ίνα διά της σης οξείας προστασίας, του επικειμένου κινδύνου απαλλαγέντες, ακαταπαύστως και χρεωστικώς το σον μεγαλύνομεν όνομα, σωτήρα ημών και ευεργέτην και αντιλήπτορα μετά Θεόν σε επιγραφόμενοι· και διά σου δοξάζωμεν τον κοινόν Δεσπότην, τον Kύριον ημών Iησούν Xριστόν, τον εν γη και Oυρανώ σε δοξάσαντα. Ω πρέπει πάσα δόξα, τιμή, και προσκύνησις, συν τω Πατρί και τω Aγίω Πνεύματι, εις τους αιώνας. Aμήν."
(http://www.snhell.gr/references/synaxaristis/hymn.asp?id=205)
  
St. Tryphon the Great Martyr and Unmercenary (source)
  
Prayers to be read at a field or a vineyard or a garden, if they are struck by pests or for other needs
If needed, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated, then Holy Oil is taken from the vigil lamp of St. Tryphon, or St. Julian or St. Eustathios, or another Saint. And after the Divine Liturgy, the Priest takes the Oil, and the Censer, and a Candle, and Holy Water from Theophany, and sprinkles the field cross-wise, saying the following prayers.
  
A Prayer for Gardens
Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: O Lord our God, Who at the beginning of Your creation, fashioned Heaven and earth. Heaven, You adorned with the great lights, that they might shine upon the earth, and that, seeing them, we might wonder at the only Creator and Master of creation. The earth, You adorned with greenery and grass and all kinds of plants bearing seed according to their kind, and You formed the flowers to give forth fragrance, and blessed them. Do You Yourself, now, O Master, look down from Your holy dwelling place upon this field (or garden or vineyard), and bless it, and protect it from every poison, and wrath, and from every evil, and sinful curiosity, and evil workings of evil men, and from locusts, and insects, and blight, infection, frost, worms and all the rest, and grant it to bear fruit according at the proper season filled with Your blessing, and drive off from it every beast, reptile, and wrath and affliction that attacks it in danger. For blessed and glorified is Your all-precious and magnificent name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
  
Christ creating the plants of the earth (source)
  
Another prayer of St. Tryphon
Lampsakos, being my true home...(not translated at this time)
   
Another prayer
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And to your spirit.
Priest: Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
People: To You, O Lord.
Priest: O Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, Who in Your incarnate economy blessed Bethlehem, and Gethsemane, and the former house of Jacob, which, having been blessed, was renamed Israel. You also blessed the house of David. Do also bless this field, and with Your blessing, make it to bear fruit, through the intercessions of our All-Spotless Lady, the Theotokos, and Ever-Virgin Mary, the power of the Precious and Life-giving Cross, the protections of the precious, heavenly and Bodiless Angelic Powers, the precious, glorious, Prophet and Baptist John, of the holy glorious and all-praised Apostles, of the holy, glorious and victorious Martyrs, of the holy, glorious great Martyrs Panteleimon, Tryphon, Julian, and Saint (additional names of Saints may be inserted as desired), and all Your Saints. For You are He Who blesses and sanctifies all things, Christ our God, and to You we offer up glory, together with Your unoriginated Father, and Your life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.  
  
St. Tryphon the Great Martyr, with scenes from his life and martyrdom (source)
  
 Another Prayer of supplication towards St. Tryphon, if the fields and gardens and vineyards are afflicted by reptiles and locusts and vermin
by St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain
First the taxis of the Euchologion is performed, then the Priest says the prayer written here. This Supplication is said by him towards St. Tryphon, with reverence, faith and compunction.
  
Priest: Most-glorious Martyr of Christ, and soldier of the heavenly King, Tryphon most-blessed, namesake of the eternal sustenance, who bravely confessed Christ upon the earth, and for this ever receives unfading blessedness in the Heavens, and with boldness stands before the throne of the three-sun Godhead. Your martyrical greatness we take refuge in after God, all of us sinners and your unworthy servants, and we entreat your sympathetic and Christ-imitating philanthropy, that, having compassion upon us who are in danger and trouble, you may drive far from our fields and gardens and vineyards, all reptiles, and locusts, and caterpillars, and various species of insects and beasts, the diseases of fruit and leaves and roots of trees, and all vegetables and seeds and legumes of ours. For to you was granted this special and unique grace, O great champion, by our Savior Jesus Christ. Not only while still living, through your God-pleasing life, but more so now after your death through martyrdom and through blood, confessed Him and persevered for the faith. Yes, we confess that through our sins, we have been delivered up to these such sorrows, and we have fallen under God’s anger, but you O brave Champion, only desiring your martyrical boldness is needed; we believe that easily you extinguish the ban against us by God, and transform our faintheartedness into good-heartedness. Therefore, because of our sins, we have no boldness to stand before your champion-like glory, and immediately have you make intercession, therefore we place your blood, which you O all-famed one shed for Christ as our intercessor instead, and the martyrical struggles which you endured in your most-suffering body. Look down, therefore, O most-compassionate Martyr, upon these, for you confessed Christ and received the unfading crown of martyrdom, and hearken to the prayer from your humble supplicants, and deliver from the present dangers of reptiles and locusts and beasts and various vermin, of those that ruin the fruits of our fields and vineyards and gardens. For we are in danger by them of starvation and death and being left utterly desolate, if it were not for your compassions speedily granted to all of us, that through your ready protection, driving away the coming danger, we may ceaselessly and necessarily magnify your name, our savior and benefactor and helper whom we ascribe after God, and through you we glorify the common Master, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is glorified on earth and in Heaven. To Whom belongs all glory, honor and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages. Amen.

St. Tryphon the Great Martyr and Unmercenary (source)
  








For the life of St. Tryphon, see: http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2010/01/st-tryphon-great-martyr-and-unmercenary.html.

Troparion of St Tryphon Tone 3
In the Holy Spirit thou didst pour forth abundant grace on the Church like an unfailing fountain; thou dost refresh our souls with the delight of thy gifts. O glorious Tryphon, entreat Christ our God to grant us His great mercy.
  
Sts. Tryphon and Mamas the Great Martyrs (source)
   
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I've just recently discovered this blog and would like to express my gratitude for the effort put into maintaining it.

I've read several articles already and have found them quite edifying. Thankyou very much.

I particularly like the faith of the monks in trusting St Triphon to protect their gardens. May he also protect our gardens from all pests and harm.

St Triphon intercede for us in our weakness and for the salvation of our souls.