Apolytikion (Troparion) and Kontakion
On Aug 27th, according to the Greek Synaxarion, we remember the Holy Martyr Phanourios. He appeared to people on the island of Rhodes in 1500. Several people had a vision of the saint and then his icon was discovered. The icon depicted a young soldier holding a sword in one hand and a lit candle in the other.
There is a tradition concerning him and his mother, who was a harlot and great sinner. His love for his mother caused him to pray for her incessantly. At the time of his martyric death by stoning, he could not even then forget his mother, and with the boldness that is peculiar to athletes of Christ, prayed: "For the sake of these my sufferings, Lord, help all those who will pray to Thee for the salvation of Phanourios' sinful mother".
Many to this day pray for his mother, and have her listed in their personal diptychs used for commemorations in the Divine Liturgy as "The Mother of St Phanourios" since her name is not known.
On the day of the Saint, there is a tradition that the faithful bake a special bread, and according to some accounts, give it to the poor as alms in the name of his mother, and others, share it with at least seven other people.
St Phanourios' name gives a hint about another tradition concerinign the Saint. "Phanourios" comes from the Greek word, "phanerono", meaning "I reveal". He is know to help people find lost things. Some have therefore also referred to him as "Saint lost and found"!
This is not just an idle story repeated without basis, as the editor of this piece has experienced incidents himself, and know many people who have also been helped by St Phanourios to find lost items. After the lost item is found, one should bake a Phanouropita, (basically a loaf of sweet bread) in memory of St. Phanourios' mother, and give to the poor, as above.
If the bread is first brought to church to be blessed, A Litya blessing service with a prayer specially composed for the Saint may be used.
Apolytikion (Troparion). Tone 4.
A heavenly song of praise is chanted radiantly upon the earth; the company of Angels now joyfully celebrateth an earthly festival, and from on high with hymns they praise thy contests, and from below the Church doth proclaim the Heavenly glory which thou hast found by thy labors and struggles, O glorious Phanourios.
Glory Both now.
Kontakion. Tone 3.
Thou didst save the Priests from an ungodly captivity, and didst break their bonds by Divine power, O godly-minded one; thou didst bravely shame the audacity of the tyrants, and didst gladden the orders of the Angels, O Great Martyr. Wherefore, we honor thee, O divine warrior, glorious Phanourios.
The following recipes are supplied by the kindness of Matushka Anna Lardas, who posted them to a mailing list some time ago.
The fasting bread (with oil for those days that a a little less strict) actually tastes very good, and whose preparation makes an excellent father-daughter "special time" that the whole family benefits from. In other words, the recipe is quite easy and forgiving, and kitchens can always be cleaned.
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΟΝ
Καππαδοκίας τον γόνον και Αγίου Όρους τον έφορον, τον εσχάτοις χρόνοις φανέντα αρετής , φίλον γνήσιον, Παίσιον τιμήσωμεν πιστοί ως ένθεων θεράποντα Χριστού αναβλύζει γαρ ιάσεις παντοδαπάς, τοις ευλαβώς κραυγάζουσι, δόξα τω σε δοξάσαντι Χριστώ, δόξα τω σε θαυμαστώσαντι, δόξα τω ενεργούντι δια Σου πάσιν ιάματα.
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΟ
Ἦχος α Τῆς ἐρήμου πολίτης
Ἐν ὄρει τῶν Ἀμῶμων ὥσπερ ἥλιος ἐλάμψας καί μαρτυρικῶς, Θεοφόρε, πρός Θεόν ἐξεδήμησας, βαρβάρων ὑποστάς ἐπιδρομάς, Ἐφραίμ Μεγαλομάρτυς τοῦ Χριστοῦ , διά τοῦτο ἀναβλύζεις χάριν ἀεί, τοῖς εὐλαβῶς βοῶσι σοι, δόξα τῷ δεδωκότι σοι ἰσχύν, δόξα τῷ σέ θαυμαστώσαντι, δόξα τῷ ἐνεργοῦντι διά Σοῦ, πᾶσιν ἰάματα.
ΚΟΝΤΑΚΙΟΝ
Ἦχος γ Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον
Ἐν τῷ ὄρει ἤσκησας, τῶν Ἀμώμων Θεόφρον καί ἐν τοῦτῳ ἤνυσας, τοῦ μαρτυρίου τόν δρόμον, ὅθεν Σε, διπλοῖς στεφάνους ὁ Ζωοδότης, ἒστεψεν, Ἱερομάρτυς Ἐφραίμ ἀξίως, ἐκτενῶς ἐκδυσωποῦντα, ἐλεηθῆναι τοῦς σέ γεραίροντας.
ΜΕΓΑΛΥΝΑΡΙΟΝ
Βίῳ διαλάμπων ἀσκητικῷ ἐν ὄρει Ἀμώμων, ἠγωνίσω μαρτυρικῶς καί θαυμάτων χάριν, θεόθεν ἐκόμισω, Ἐφραίμ Ὁσιομάρτυς, Ἀγγέλων σύσκηνε.
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΟ
Ἦχος β Ὅτε κατῆλθες
Ὅτε κατῆλθες πρός μαρτύριον Ἀθλητά γενναιότατε τότε πληθύς Θείων Νόων τε ἐξεπλάγη τοῖς ἂθλοις Σου, ὅτε δέ καί πυρακτωμένον δαυλόν Σύ ὑπέμεινας πᾶσαι αἱ χορεῖαι τῶν πιστῶν Ὀρθοδόξων ἐκραύγαζον, Μεγαλομάρτυς Ἐφραίμ ἐκ κινδύνων ἡμᾶς διαφύλαττε.
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΟ
Ἦχος γ Εὐφραινέσθω τά οὐράνια
Θαυμασίων Σέ ἠξίωσε Ἰησοῦς ὁ Παντοδύναμος, διό προφθάνεις ἐν τάχει ἐν ἡμέρᾳ καί νυκτί καλού μενος, ρυόμενος τοῖς δοῦλοις σου ἐκ παντοίων κακώσεων, ἑδραίωμα εὐσεβείας μέγιστον, ὦ Μεγαλομάρτυς Ἐφραίμ Ὅρους Ἀμώμων χαρμονή τοῦτον τόν ὕμνον μου πρόσδεξαι ὡς θυμίαμα εὐάρεστον.
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΟ
Ἦχος δ Τό φαιδρόν τῆς Ἀναστάσεως
Τό σεπτόν καί χαριτόβρητον λείψανον ὡς θησαυρόν κεκτημένη ἡ Μονή σου ἀγάλλεται καί τά δαιμόνια διώκει στρατεύματα ὑγείαν τῆς ψυχῆς παρέχον ἀφθόνως τε· διό εὐχαριστοῦμεν Σε Ἐφραίμ Μεγαλομάρτυς Χριστοῦ, ὁ πᾶσι παρέχων τά συμφέροντα.
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΟ
Ἦχος πλ. α Τόν συνάναρχον Λόγον
Τόν Σταυρόν τοῦ Κυρίου ποθήσας Ἅγιε, ἐκρεμάσθης ἐν δένδρῳ ὥσπερ ἀμνός ἀληθής, προσευχόμενος θερμῶς ἒλαβες δύναμιν τελειωθείς μαρτυρικῶς ὑπέρ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Λυτρωτοῦ, Ἐφραίμ μοναζόντων κλέος, ἡ τῶν Μαρτύρων τερπνότης καί τῶν πιστῶν προστάτης μέγιστος.
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΟ
Ἦχος πλ. β Ἀγγελικές δυνάμεις
Τάς ἡδονάς τοῦ κόσμου παρεῖδες Ἅγιε καί τήν τρυφήν τήν μένουσα ἐπεπόθησας καί βίον τῶν Ἀγγέλων ἠκολούθησας Μάκαρ ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ, ἐνίκησας Βελίαρ ἀγωνισθείς ἀνδρικῶς, ἐκέρδισας στεφάνους Βασιλείας τῶν Οὐρανῶν ὁ ἐν ἐσχάτοις τοῖς καιροῖς φανείς Ἐφραίμ πανένδοξε.
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΟ
Ἦχος βαρύς Κατέλυσας τῷ Σταυρῷ Σου
Ὑπέμεινας τήν μανίαν τοῦ δράκοντος, τά θράση τῶν ἀσεβῶν κατετρόπωσας και τῷ πυρί τῷ ἀσβέστῳ τῆς Χάριτος τήν φλόγα τήν τῶν βασάνων κατέσβεσας, ὅτι ἐδείχθης ἀήττητος ὄντως Χριστοῦ Ἐφραίμ στρατιῶτης Μακάριε.
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΟ
Ἦχος πλ. β Ἀγγελικές δυνάμεις
Ἐκ τάφου προῆλθες ὡς εὔοσμος ἀνθός ἐγκρατείας τρισόλβιε, ἵνα παθῶν τήν δυσωδίαν ἐκβαλῶν εἰς σωτήριον ὁδόν, Ἐφραίμ ὁδηγήσης με.
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΟ
Ἦχος πλ. α Χριστός Ἀνέστη
Ἐφραίμ Ὁσίων καλλονή Μαρτύρων καύχημα καί κλέος σκέπε· φρούρει· φύλαττε πιστοῦς δεομένους Σε.
