Thy seal, O Saviour, against demons is a sword, and prayers of priests a fire that burneth passions of the soul. Therefore in faith we praise thee, we, who have healing gain’d. _Both now._ O thou, the Mother of God, who didst conceive within thy womb, in wise befitting God, him that doth all things hold within his hand, and flesh didst give to him unspeakably; we pray thee, Be thou gracious to this suffering one. _Ode viii. Irmos._ With hands extended, Daniel.... O Saviour, have mercy upon all, according to thy mercy mighty and divine; for, for this cause, we all are gather’d here to image forth in mystic wise the condescension of thy mercies, and to bring the unction with the oil in faith unto thy servant, whom visit thou likewise. With thy mercy’s streams, O Christ, and by thy priests’ anointing wash away, as Lord the loving-kind, the pains and wounds, and overwhelmings of affliction of him tormented with the stress of sufferings, that he, being sav’d, may praise thee with thanksgiving. _Glory._ The sign of condescension from on high and of tranquility being drawn on us, O Master, through thy godlike mercy; do thou thy mercy not withdraw, nor him reject who ever crieth faithfully, O bless the Lord, all ye his works. _Both now._ Glorious as a crown, O pure one, nature hath gain’d thy sacred giving-birth, which crusheth hosts of foes, and mightily doth vanquish them. Therefore, with festal brightness crowned through thy grace, we thee extol, O most extolled Queen. _Ode ix. Irmos._ Unquarried rock.... Look down from heaven, O compassionate one, and shew thy mercy unto all; and thine assistance and thy strength bestow on him who now approacheth thee through the divine anointing by thy priests, O lover of mankind. O Saviour, thou most good, we have, rejoicing, seen the oil divine, which, through thy godlike condescension for them that are recipients, thou thyself accepted hast, and typically hast given to them that have participated in the font divine. _Glory._ O Saviour, be compassionate and have mercy: deliver out of dangers and afflictions—deliver from the arrows of the evil one the souls and bodies of thy servants, and heal them, as the Lord, the merciful, by thy divine anointing. _Both now._ Accept thy servants’ songs and prayers, O Virgin, and, by thy supplications, from sufferings and from ills deliver us, even us who to thy sacred shelter us betake, O thou most pure. It is very meet.... _Exapostilarion._ _Like_, He hath visited us.... In mercy, O thou good one, with thine eyes regard our prayer, ours, who to-day are gather’d in thy holy temple to anoint with oil divine thy suffering servant. _Then stichera, tone iv._ _Like_, Thou hast given a sign....