Icon of the Life-giving Spring of the Theotokos - Commemorated on the Friday of Bright Week (Icon courtesy of www.eikonografos.com used with permission)
Selected hymns from the Feast of the Life-giving Spring of the Theotokos (taken from: http://www.oca.org/PDF/liturgicaltexts/04.April/2010-0409-texts.doc)
Stichera in the Plagal of the Second Tone
The Master of the heavens accomplished strange and marvelous things in You, O all-blameless Lady; from above He descended like rain into your womb, O Bride of God, Showing you to be a spring, gushing forth the perfection of goodness and a flood of healings, flowing with benefactions in abundance to all those yearning for strength of soul and health of body, through the water of grace.
Most fittingly, O Virgin, I call you heavenly manna and the divine Spring of Paradise; for truly, the stream of your Spring runs from the earth [of Paradise.] Grace reveals it as having four branches*, working wonderful miracles daily. Requests by all are fulfilled when the water is drunk. Therefore, with joy, we who bear the name of Christ run faithfully, and draw the flowing, sweet water of sanctification.
You well forth streams of healings, O Virgin, to those who always have recourse to your Spring, O Bride of God; for, you freely issue bountiful torrents of cures to all the sick; you enable the blind who approach you to see with clarity; you have restored many lame and halt; you have strengthened paralytics; by the threefold pouring of water you brought to life the one who had been dead; and you have also cured those afflicted by dropsy and shortness of breath.
Doxastikon of the Stichera in the Plagal of the Second Tone
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
Who will speak of your powers, O Spring, which often overflows with inexhaustible wonders, and accomplishes through healings that which is beyond nature? Oh, the great miracles you stream forth to all! For you not only drive out ailments from those who draw near with love, but you also cleanse away the passions of souls, bestowing great mercy, O all-spotless Lady.
Icon of the Life-giving Spring of the Theotokos (Icon courtesy of www.eikonografos.com used with permission)
Aposticha in the Plagal of the First Tone
Rejoice, O life-giving Spring, who filled the whole inhabited earth with your miracles! Rejoice, O spiritual Ocean, surpassing the streams of the Nile with the flood of your grace! You are a second Siloam, pouring forth miraculous water as through a rock. You have received the power of Jordan, O all-holy Maid, and have become the Manna of salvation that fulfills the need of those who seek. You pour out great mercy to the world, O Mother of Christ.
With hymns of wonder, let us, the faithful, praise and glorify the heavenly cloud that lets fall upon the earth the heavenly Rain, the life-giver Christ! He is the living divine Water, that eternally pours forth the Ambrosia of nectar that never diminishes even after it has been drunk, but which dispels the thirst and also refreshes our soul. As we drink of it with wisdom, the most divine streams shall come forth from our hearts, and shall shower us all with bountiful grace.
Rejoice, O life-giving Spring, which eternally pours forth abundant gifts, O fountain of healings that purges the weak and paltry strength of sickness. You restored the sight of the blind and cleansed the lepers. Your streams are the medicine for all complaints and diseases, and for all who, with faith, flock to Your shrine. You are a great physician, O Maid, who is prepared to receive all who turn to you in affliction. O holy Mother of Christ, the Word, Who pours forth His great mercy to the world.
Doxastikon of the Aposticha in the Plagal of the First Tone
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
Let us sound the trumpet in hymns, O lovers of feasts, and leap for joy in the water; let us form a choir and sing praises to the water that never ceases to flow from the life-giving Spring! Let rulers assemble and give thanks for the kindness of the Spring! It has saved kings, and, by a touch, has raised up the infirm from their
beds. All people, gather together and draw the saving water; the afflicted shall be delivered and the endangered shall gain spiritual strength; the thirsty shall be refreshed and the blind will receive their sight; the deaf shall hear and the sick shall be cured! Let those who have lifted their hands in thanksgiving draw the waters of salvation that flow forth to all the faithful Let us all cry out to the pure Virgin: “As you pour forth the ever-living streams from the Source, do not cease to intercede for your servants!”
For more information on this feast of the Theotokos, see: http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2009/04/bright-friday-life-giving-spring-of.html. Most-Holy Theotokos, save us!
Icon of the Life-giving Spring of the Theotokos (Icon courtesy of www.eikonografos.com used with permission)
Christ is risen from the dead, by death, trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs, bestowing life!
Truly the Lord is risen!
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