THE SERVICE OF

THE SUPPLICATORY CANON

TO
ELDER EPHRAIM OF ARIZONA

Who fell asleep in the Lord on the 7th of December.

A Composition of Dr. Haralampus Bousias,

Great Hymnographer of the Church of Alexandria

The priest: Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

The reader: Amen. But if there is no priest, then: Through the prayers of our
holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

The priest, but if there be no priest, then the reader: Glory to Thee, our God,
glory to thee. Heavenly King.

The reader: Holy God. All-holy Trinity. Our Father.

The priest: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Fa-
ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of
ages.

The reader: Amen. But if there is no priest, then the reader: Through the
prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (12) Glory; both now.

O come, let us worship and fall down before our King and God.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and God.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Him, Christ the King and our God.

PSALM CXLII (142).

O Lord, hear my prayer, give ear unto my supplication in Thy truth; hearken
unto me in Thy righteousness.

 And enter not into judgement with Thy servant, for in Thy sight shall no man
living be justified.
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath humbled my life down to the
earth.
He hath sat me in darkness as those that have been long dead, and my spirit
within me is become despondent; within me my heart is troubled.
I remembered days of old, I meditated on all Thy works, I pondered on the cre-
ations of Thy hands.
I stretched forth my hands unto Thee; my soul thirsteth after Thee like a water-
less land.
Quickly hear me, O Lord; my spirit hath fainted away.
Turn not Thy face away from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the
pit.
Cause me to hear Thy mercy in the morning; for in Thee have I put my hope.
Cause me to know, O Lord, the way wherein I should walk; for unto Thee have I
lifted up my soul.
Rescue me from mine enemies, O Lord; unto Thee have I fled for refuge. Teach
me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God.
Thy good Spirit shall lead me in the land of uprightness; for Thy name's sake, O
Lord, shalt Thou quicken me.
In Thy righteousness shalt Thou bring my soul out of affliction, and in Thy
mercy shalt Thou utterly destroy mine enemies.
And Thou shalt cut off all them that afflict my soul, for I am Thy servant.

And straightway God is the Lord is chanted with his verses:

God is the Lord, and hath appeared unto us; blessed is He that cometh in the
Name of the Lord.
Verse: O give thanks unto the Lord, and call upon His holy Name.
Verse: All the nations compassed me round about, and by the Name of the Lord
I warded them off.
Verse: This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

Then the following Troparia:

Tone IV. Thou Who wast raised up.
The Philothean Godbearing ascetic, new missionary to America’s country, of
twenty monasteries Godly founder therein let us praise with longing as the abode
of unceasing prayer, silence, watchfulness; let us hasten, ye faithful, to his en-
treating prayers before our Lord, before our Saviour the greatly compassionate.

Glory; both now.

 O Theotokos, we shall not cease from speaking of all thy mighty acts, all we the
unworthy ones, for if thou hadst not stood to intercede for us, who would have
delivered us from such numerous perils, who would have preserved us all until
now in true freedom. O Lady, we shall not turn away from thee, for thou dost al-
ways save thy servants from all manner of grief.

PSALM L.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the
multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression.
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me.
Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil before Thee, that Thou
mightest be justified in Thy words, and prevail when Thou art judged.
For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother bear me.
For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom
hast Thou made manifest unto me.
Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt
wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they
shall rejoice.
Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit estab-
lish me.
I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto
Thee.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue
shall rejoice in Thy righteousness.
O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.
For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings
Thou shalt not be pleased.
A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God
will not despise.
Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Sion, and let the walls of
Jerusalem be builded.
Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and
whole-burnt offerings.
Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.

Then we chant the Canon.

 Ode I. Tone Plagal IV. Traversing the water.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

Ephraim, O ascetic, most holy one, the abbot and guide of Philotheou’s cenobi-
um, Arizona’s brilliant luminary, direct thy supplicants’ steps to salvation’s ways.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

Forsaking the city that gave thee birth while yet in the flower of thy youth, most
august Ephraim, for the love of Jesus Christ, O father, vouchsafe thy supplicants
that they might love the Lord.

Glory.

Regarding all earthly and fleeting things as worthless, O father, thou ascendedst
through continence the ladder of all the holy virtues; wherefore the ways of dis-
passion teach unto us.

Both now.

All those that do hymn thee, O Virgin pure, do hallow; all those that hasten faith-
fully to thy grace, O Arizonitissa our Lady, rescue them all from the snares of the
evil one.

Ode III. Of the vault of the heavens.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

Interceding before God on our behalf do not cease, Him Whom from the depths
of thy heart thou lov’dest, O blest Ephraim, Whom thou didst please with the
pains of thy most wonderous conduct, O ascetic graced of God, O missionary
wise.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

Cease not for us beseeching, thou boast of all Athonites and divine apostle of all
the ends of America, O Spirit-bearing Ephraim, that Christ may send down upon
us from the heavens strengthening, might, and encouragement.

Glory.

To the heavenly mansions direct them that lovingly honour thee, since thou art a
sure and unerring guide of souls unto the shining abodes of true repentance in
Christ God and deification, O peer of angelic hosts.

 Both now.

O thou Virgin Birthgiver, become a guide to the Way for all them that wander, O
Mother, unto the only Truth, Arizonitissa, unto thine offspring, O Mistress; O
most pure and spotless one, hasten, we cry to thee.

Thy supplicants by thine entreaties to God sanctify and hallow, and the souls that
come to thee, Ephraim, river flowing grace and showing the path of sanctifica-
tion.

In thy good will, look thou on me, O all-hymned Theotokos; and do thou behold
my body’s grievous infirmity, and heal thou the cause of my soul’s sorrow.

Then the priest commemorateth those for whom the Supplication is chanted,
whereafter we chant the following:
Sessional Hymn. Tone II. O fervent advocate.
Successor divine of Joseph the great Hesychast, cohabitant of noetic prayer and
watchfulness, O ascetic angel-like, Philotheou’s abbot and guardian, America’s
enlightener, Ephraim, we honour thee as our fervent advocate.

Ode IV. I have hearkened.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

Kollyvadian zealousness thee that didst exhibit we honour and we praise, O

Ephraim, entreating thee to send from above God’s mercy to us hymning thee.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

Blest Ephraim, from above send down unto us thy blessing, and strengthen and
support us that honour thy most sacred pains to perfect the virtues and make
strong the faith.

Glory.

All the struggles and battlegrounds of the missionaries thou didst now replicate
in America, O ven’rable, blest Ephraim, thou guard of those that flee to thee.

Both now.

Ever-virgin, establish us servants of thy grace and confirm our shakenness, Lady
pure Arizonitissa, by the fervent prayers of Godly-bright Ephraim.

 Ode V. Lord, enlighten us.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

By the running streams of thy tears, Ephraim, thou water’dest both Mount Athos
and America’s great land; by the torrents of thy prayers enrich my heart as well.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

Gracious unto us, holy father, make the Lord our God, O Ephraim, Whom thou
didst please by ceaseless prayer, by ascetic life and hardships of the flesh, as well.

Glory.

Having holy zeal of apostles, thou didst run, Ephraim, from the Orient unto the
utter West, O ascetic and unsleeping help of pious men.

Both now.

Precious, costly wealth of virginity and modesty, Theotokos, all the faithful do
thou save from temptations and all straits, Arizonitissa.

Ode VI. Entreaty.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

O violet newly-sprung, from Athos’ hills now transplanted to America’s country

unto the fragrance of faithful that dwelt there, the dreadful stench of our passions
do drive away, O blest Ephraim, by fervent prayers unto Christ God, Who loveth
the race of man.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

By pouring forth thine own sweat and thine own tears thou didst cultivate the
Athonite mountain, O abbot of ven’rable Philotheou and all America; do cultivate
the hearts of us who chant to thee in praise by thy faithful entreaties before our
God.

Glory.

O Godly-wise, O ascetic of like zeal as the Hesychast Saint Joseph, thine elder,
and Haralampus, Arsenius, Joseph, the renovators of Athos’s monast’ries,
Ephraim, renew the souls of those seeking refuge with thee who art graced of
God.

 Both now.

O hearken to our entreaties and our prayers and before thy Son and God do
present them like unto incense well-pleasing and fragrant, Arizonitissa Mother,
who sendest down from God a shower onto all, raining healing and health,
strength and joyfulness.

Thy supplicants by thine entreaties to God sanctify and hallow, and the souls that
come to thee, Ephraim, river flowing grace, who show’d us the path of sanctifica-
tion.

O spotless one, who inexpressibly in the last days didst by a word bring forth the
Word, do thou make request of Him, as one who hath motherly boldness.

Then the priest maketh commemoration as before.

After the petitions, we chant:
The Kontakion. Tone II.
O abbot of Philotheou’s monastic fold,
America’s missionary of latter days,
We hymn and praise thee, Ephraim, as the dwelling-place
Of ceaseless prayer and a most fervent advocate
And intercessor for us to the Lord Most High.

Thereafter the first Antiphon of the Hymns of Ascent of the Fourth Tone.

From my youth do many passions war against me, but do Thou Thyself protect
and save me, O my Saviour. (2)

Ye haters of Sion shall be shamed by the Lord; for, like grass, by the fire shall ye
be withered. (2)

Glory.
In the Holy Spirit every soul is quickened, and through cleansing is exalted and
made radiant by the triple Unity in a hidden sacred manner.

Both Now.
By the Holy Spirit the springs of grace gush forth, watering all creation for the
begetting of life.

 And straightway the Prokeimenon.

The righteous man shall flourish like a palm tree, and like a cedar in Lebanon
shall he be multiplied. (2)
Verse: They that are planted in the house of the Lord, in the courts of our God
they shall blossom forth.

And we chant the Prokeimenon once again.

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Saint Luke (6:17-21).

Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.

In those days, Jesus stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a
great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast
of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
and they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. And the
whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and
healed them all. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye
poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye
shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye,
when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company,
and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's
sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in
heaven.

Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.

Glory. Tone II.

By the intercessions of our holy father, O Merciful One, blot out the multitudes
of mine offences.

Both now. Theotokion.

By the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Merciful One, blot out the multitudes
of mine offences.

Verse: Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according
to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression.

Tone Plagal II. Having laid up all their hope.

Athos’ height and majesty, spiritual guide and director of the Church’s pious fold
to the mansions heavenly, O Apostles’ peer, thou who didst newly found twenty
monasteries in America, Ephraim divine, righteous and venerable, temple of the

 Spirit the Comforter, thou great in the ascetical battlegrounds and contests, ex-
tensively supplicate Him for Whom thy heart did truly long that from above He
grant the health of body and soul unto those that honour thee.

The priest: Save, O God, Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance…

The choir: Lord, have mercy. (12)

The priest: By the mercy and compassions…

The choir: Amen. And we complete the remaining Odes of the Canon:

Ode VII. Once from out of Judea.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

From all damage and danger, from temptations and crises of our worst enemy,
deliver those that hymn thee, Ephraim, as the destroyer of all spirits unclean, as
thou didst trample on all his snares by constant prayers and struggles.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

For monastics a trainer most unerring art thou, O Ephraim, for faithful souls an
excellent director to dwellings of salvation; show the way of repentance now to
those that honour thy life with splendid songs and praises.

Glory.

Of all base satisfaction make disdainers and scorners of all thy supplicants,
Ephraim, thou who wast lifted to ramparts of dispassion through the pains,
earnest and intense, of thine ascetical life, through guarding all five senses.

Both now.

A protectress and saviour and defender become, O Arizonitissa, for those that
supplicate thee, for those that daily praise thee, for those hastening to thy grace
amidst temptations and dangers, Lady Theotokos.

Ode VIII. The King of heaven.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

Amidst the Church thou broughtest forth fruit most abundant as a tireless hus-
bandman, O father; nourish by the bread of devotion those that hymn thee.

 O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

O Godly-minded Ephraim, from God send thy graces to us praising thee, vessel
most translucent of the Spirit’s graces and tablet of the virtues.

Glory.

Shelter and rescue, august Ephraim, all the faithful from assaults of the hater of
goodness, thou who by thy struggles didst crush his every ambush.

Both now.

Fill us with vigour, Arizonitissa Mother, as we lie in the depths of our sickness,
Maiden full of graces, O Lady Theotokos.

Ode IX. Most rightly we confess thee.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

By day-and-nightly struggles, watchfulness, O father, and ceaseless prayer thou

didst please our redeemer, Ephraim; propitiate him, O father, for thine own sup-
plicants.

O Saint of God, intercede in our behalf.

Make us who glorify thee, O Ephraim, partakers of everlasting rejoicing, who

honour thee as partaker of exultation endless in heaven’s heights.

Glory.

Commemorate, O father, them that call thee blessed, faithfully asking, Ephraim,
that thou supplicate on our behalf our Creator and Lord, the Friend of man.

Both now.

Cease not, O Theotokos, to propitiate Him, thine all-immaculate offspring the

Friend of man, along with Godly Ephraim for the faithful, blessed one.

It is truly meet to call thee blest, the Theotokos, the ever-blessed and all-immac-
ulate and Mother of our God. More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond
compare more glorious than the Seraphim, thee who without corruption gavest
birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.

The priest censeth the Holy Table and the people, or the house where the
Canon is being chanted; and we chant the following Megalynaria:

 Philotheou’s abbot, Ephraim, rejoice! Guide of Arizona’s fold and also the
founder of twenty monasteries, ascetic Spirit-bearer, O sharer of Apostles’ zeal, in
America.

Blossom most august of Volos, rejoice! Sweet, delightful flower of the Mountain
of Holiness, abbot of the cloister of Philotheou, father, adornment of monastics,
godly Ephraim, rejoice!

Dwelling-place of prayer, Ephraim, rejoice! Guide of those unwedded to salva-

tion’s strait paths, rejoice! Orthodoxy’s newly-appearing boast and glory, Ameri-
ca’s great founder of sacred monast’ries.

Zealous of the Hesychast Joseph’s ways, thou didst imitate him, luminary of
monks, Ephraim, on the Holy Mountain to whom thou didst submit thee and
whom thou didst please fully by thine ascetic life.

Sanctify intensely and guard, Ephraim, all that sing the praises of thy conduct
angelical and that wait expecting thy fervent intercessions before the Lord
Almighty, Master of all that is.

Since thou hast great boldness before our God as a monk of Athos and ascetic, O
righteous one, who in Arizona didst fall asleep in stillness, Ephraim send down
His great and rich mercy to us all.

Then the Megalynarion of the Saint to whom the temple is dedicated. Then:

O all ye arrays of Angelic Hosts, with the holy Baptist, the Apostles’ twelve-num-
bered band, all the Saints together, as well as God’s Birthgiver, pray make ye in-
tercession for our deliverance.

The reader: Holy God. All-holy Trinity. Our Father.

The priest: For Thine is the kingdom…

The reader: Amen. But if there is no priest, then the reader: Through the
prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Then:

Dismissal Hymn. Tone I. The offspring of Selyvria.

 Fame and glory of Athos, Philotheou’s resplendent boast, light to the American
people, Arizona’s great guardian, let us the faithful honour now with hymns
Ephraim the great Apostle of our times, who shines forth as an example of prayer
and love and model of humility: Glory to Christ Who glorified thee, glory to Him
Who made thee wondrous, glory to Him Who gave thee unto us a father for all
the world.

And the priest, having again commemorated the faithful for whom the Canon is
being chanted, maketh the dismissal, whereafter the following Troparia are
chanted with prostrations:

Tone II. When he took Thee.

Come and let us magnify Ephraim, Philotheou’s father and abbot, on Athos shin-
ing most bright, him who by his body pure blessed and sanctified Arizona; thus
let us cry: All-venerable father, oratory most divine of prayer and watchfulness,
send down from the heavens thy graces unto all that honour thee as a missionary
wondrous of America.
Tone Plagal IV.
Lady, do thou receive the supplications of thy slaves, and deliver us from every
affliction and necessity.
Tone II.
Unto thee do I commit mine every hope, O Mother of God; guard me under thy
shelter.

The priest: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God,
have mercy on us.

The choir: Amen.

A Couplet.
Ephraim of Philotheou, temple of the Prayer,
Bless this Haralampus, supplicant of thine.

© 2021, St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery.