O gate impassable, in mystery seal’d, God-bearing Virgin bless’d; accept our prayers, and offer them thy Son and God, that he, through thee, may save our souls. _Stichera idiomela, tone iii._ Lo, brethren mine belov’d, amid you all I silent lie, bereft of speech; the mouth is listless, still the tongue, impeded are the lips, the hands are tied, the feet together bound, the countenance is chang’d, the eyes are dimm’d and see not them that wail, the hearing takes not in the cry of them that mourn, the nose the fragrant incense smelleth not; but in nowise true love becometh dead. Therefore I you beseech, all mine acquaintances and friends, Remember me before the Lord, that I in day of doom may mercy find before that fearful judgment-seat. _Verse._ I have lifted up mine eyes to the hills, whence cometh my help. All human things are vanity which last not after death: riches abide not, nor doth glory stay; for when death cometh these all disappear. Then let us cry to the immortal Christ, O rest him who is gone away from us where is the dwelling-place of all that joy. _Verse._ The Lord shall keep thy goings-out and thy comings-in from henceforth and for evermore. O men, why do we vainly we ourselves disquiet? the course we run is quick and hard: life is as smoke: soon vapour, dust, and ashes we shall be; and as a flower shall fade. Therefore let us to the immortal Christ exclaim, Rest him remov’d from us where is the dwelling-place of all that joy. _Glory. Both now. Theotokion._ God-bearing Virgin, we, we tempest-tost upon life’s sea, thee as salvation’s haven have. Therefore pray God, who seedlessly from thee incarnate was, and man became unspeakably, to save our souls. _Stichera, tone iv._ Where is the predilection of the world? where their imaginings who fade? where is the silver and the gold? where servants’ multitude and noise? All dust, all ashes, all a shade. But, come ye, let us say to the immortal King, O Lord, him, who hath been remov’d from us, of thine eternal blessings worthy count, him resting in thine ageless happiness. _Verse._ I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Death as a robber came, like as a thief he came, and laid me low; he came, and me declar’d as one existing not; he came, and, being earth, I lie as being not. We verily are a dream, O men, a phantom verily. But, come ye, let us cry to the immortal King, O Lord, vouchsafe thine everlasting blessings unto him remov’d from us, him resting in the life that grows not old. _Glory. Both now. Theotokion._ O only pure and spotless Virgin, who without seed didst bring forth God, pray that our souls be sav’d. _Stichera, tone v._