ODE 1
Tone 1 - Let us sing a hymn of victory to our God * who came to the aid of Moses against the Egyptians. * The army of Pharaoh was drowned through Him, * for He is covered with glory.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
You were filled with love for God, O holy Mother. Your only desire was to fulfill the will of Jesus. Show us how to be true disciples of the Savior, O beloved of God.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
A heavy cross weighed down your shoulders, when you heard of your daughter's death in Russia. Though unable to attend her funeral, you lay prostrate in prayer beseeching for God's mercy and help. You transformed your sorrow into action, by committing your life to service to God and neighbor.
refrain: O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
O victorious martyrs, you suffered for the One Who laid down His life for His friends. Christ has called you His friends because you accomplished His will. Help us to do the same!
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
I glorify the Father, I praise the Son, I extol the Holy Spirit: one Godhead, one power, three distinct Persons, yet a perfect Unity. We praise You, forever!
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Listen to the prayers of your servants, O Virgin, Birth-giver of God, and save us from the ficious attacks of the devil. Lead all souls to heaven especially those in need of God's mercy and help.

ODE 3
O Christ God, may my heart be confirmed in Your will. * You created the firmament above the waters, * and You established the earth on its bases, O all-powerful Lord.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
You were not a mere listener of the word, but a doer, O martyr for conscience's sake. You practiced the Gospel commands. Today, you are exalted in heaven and we honor your holy courage.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
We are spiritually rich because of the wealth of counsel you left for us, O holy one. We gain inspiration and hope from your heroic deeds. Help our restless hearts find our ultimate destiny in Christ.
refrain: O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
In the time when the world was engulfed in war, you were engaged in spiritual warfare, not against flesh and blood, but the spiritual works of darkness. Your love for the Savior was perfected in you, O martyrs; help us to have full confidence on the day of judgement in God's mercy for our souls.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
We sing of the Father, Son, and Spirit, divine Trinity, one in substance and undivided, co-eternal, and ultimate power. Have mercy on your servants through the greatness of Your love.
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O all-pure Virgin, Mother of Christ our God, present our prayers to the One born of you, Who suffered, died and rose again on the third day; make us again as citizens of paradise.

SESSIONAL HYMN
Tone 1 For the sake of your immortal soul, O holy Mother Maria, * you gave up the temporal world and its cares, * and devoted your life to the service of the poor. * Pray for peace in our time and great mercy for our souls.

Glory...... now and ever......

O Virgin Birth-giver of God, * intercede for us with your Son and our God, * and cure us from the pains that ail us, * and grant us health in body and soul, * because you are a most-merciful Mother and the glory of the faithful.

ODE 4
I have heard Your voice, said the Prophet, * and I was filled with fear. * I recognized Your works, O Lord, * and glorified Your Power.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
You made Lourmel a place where heaven meets the earth, and where the Incarnate Christ was encountered in the faces of the poor, naked, lonely and addicted. You saw the divine image shining in their troubled hearts; help us to do the same.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
You took great solace from the writings of the lives of the saints because they prefered the higher ideal of heaven's bliss. Intercede for those who remember your holy martyrdom in faith and love.
refrain: O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
We acknowledge you to be true servants of the God, O holy martyrs, because you emulated those who went to their death during the apostolic era. Your love for others cast out all earthly fear. It shone forth brightly from your hearts and souls. Pray fervently that we abide in His love forever.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
May all the world give praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, a perfect Unity, yet three divine persons. They have been revealed to us through the greatness of God's grace and dispensation. Glory to You. O Lord!
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
You are blessed among all women, O Mary, Birth-giver of God, for You have changed the curse of Eve into manifold blessings. Free us from the tyranny of the devil's assaults and help us to find grace and mercy for our souls.

ODE 5
O Master full of love, * make the day of Your unending brightness shine upon us * who unceasingly keep watch * and meditate on Your precepts and just judgements.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
You were perceived by the world as bankrupt in material goods, yet you exceeded in spiritual wealth, O holy Mother. You freely surrendered your life to the will of Christ and became His servant. Show us your compassion, by instructing us in the ways of God.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
In Paris, you listened to the inner depths of those burdened with grief and misfortune, and was moved by heart-felt love for each of their plights. You have proved yourself to be a good and faithful servant who has now entered into the joy of her Lord. Through your prayers, O holy martyr Maria, make us eager for the city that is to come.
refrain: O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
We are incapable of knowing all the names of those who have been martyred for the sake of Christ; they are more numberless than the stars of heaven. O valiant martyrs, whose names are only known to God, pray that Christ forgive those who wage war upon humanity, and that they too may find divine mercy and forgiveness.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
Let us give praise to the Father, the only-begotten Son, and the all-holy Spirit, God of love and Source of all holiness. Grant us wisdom and insight to know You clearly and be welcomed into paradise where the saints and the just abide.
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Mary, Queen of the heavenly hosts, we sing hymns of praise to you for giving birth to Christ our God. You are the gateway to the Divine and the mystical throne for the King. Be our refuge and haven in our time of necessity. Grant that we may enjoy health in body and soul and receive the good things in the world to come.

ODE 6
You have saved Your Prophet from the sea monster, O Lover of Humankind; * now pull me up from the abyss of my sins, I beseech You.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
Although exhausted and infirm from your incarceration, O Mother Maria, you faithfully displayed courage despite the human cruelty you received. You did not fear death and suffering , but saw it instead as a blessing from on high. Through your prayers, O fearless woman, grant us to work streniously for the glory of God until our last breath.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
O glorious martyr, you have learned simple things from the Savior, Who told us the parable of the Good Samaritan. You cleanse the spiritual and temporal wounds of all humankind, and by your prayers pours into our hearts oil of divine mercy.
refrain: O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
When the rulers of the earth conspired to extinguish the flame of the Spirit in the hearts of believers, your love for the Creator of heaven and earth illumined the whole world even more brightly, O martyrs of the Lord. Though in the sight of the ungodly, you seemed punished, you now are now in the safety of the hands of God. By your prayers, preserve our souls.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
Let us the faithful extol the triune Unity, the consubstantial Trinity, who fills our souls with the warmth of the never-setting Sun. How deep are the riches, wisdom and the knowledge of Your unsearchable ways! O Lord, glory to You!
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O most pure Virgin, listen to the prayers of your servants. Never permit us who call upon you to be overwhelmed by our earthly cares. Hasten to the supplications of your children, who, cry out to you: Rejoice, O Lady, softener of hard hearts, the joy, refuge, and the salvation of our souls.

KONDAKION
Tone 6 - You became an instrument of divine love, O holy martyr Maria, * and taught us to love Christ with all our hearts, minds, and souls. * You conquered evil by not submitting yourself into the hands of the destroyer of souls. * You drank from the cup of suffering. * The Creator accepted your death above any other sacrifice * and crowned you with the laurels of victory with His mighty hand. * Pray fervently that nothing hinders us from fulfilling God's will * because you are a bright star shining in darkness!

IKOS
He Who suffered willingly upon the Cross for the salvation of the world, today welcomes his handmaiden into eternal life. She lived a life a sorrow, hardship and disappointment, yet possessed a simple faith in the living God. She was jailed for the sake of conscience in helping the people of the first Covenant find safety from the forces of inhumanity and cruelty. While in prison, she taught all to find courage and discover their Redeemer. In obedience to the Gospel, she exchanged her life for another waiting to die. Today, Ravensbruck has became a sacred shrine, where her blood and of countless others were shed for Christ. Now as we remember your sacred memory, O martyr and confessor Maria, let not a dark day like those dawn upon the earth. Teach us always to see in others God's image and likeness. Show us the true meaning of Christ's commandment of love. Pray fervently that nothing hinders us from fulfilling God's will, because you are a bright star shining in darkness!

ODE 7
O God our Savior, the furnace became a dew, * and the choir of youths sang joyfully: * Blessed are You, O God of our fathers!
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
As Daniel in the lion's den, you submitted yourself to tortures. By God's grace you freely accepted death, while singing to your Creator: Blessed are You, O God of our Fathers!
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
O martyr Maria, your blood has fertilized the earth, and has caused flowers to bud in the fields for the glory of God. You remind us of the words of the prophet that we are but dust and ashes. Bless those who sing praises to their Creator: Blessed are You, O God of our Fathers!
refrain: O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
You armed yourself with the weapon of the Cross, O venerable martyrs, which freed humankind from eternal bondage. It crushes the proud and vanquishes evil. As a breastplace, it protected your souls from harm. Through your heavenly intercession before the Throne, preserve our world in peace and freedom.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
Glory to the Father, Who created us. Glory to Son, Who redeemed us. Glory to the Holy Spirit, Who guides us. Glory to the holy, consubstantial and life-giving Trinity, now and forever.
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Ezekiel the Prophet called you the mystical gate, O most-holy Virgin, where Christ our Lord and Creator proceeded from your womb. All nations honor your birth-giving, because through you came the Light and Life of all the world. Mighty and wonderful are Your works, O Lord God Almighty!

ODE 8
He Who protected the holy youths in the furnace * and transformed the scorching flames into a refreshing dew, * He is indeed Christ our God. * Let us sing and exalt Him forever.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
O Christ, You granted a spiritual inheritance to Your holy martyr Maria, because she loved Your majestic Name. You have made her a blessing for Your Church. We look to her holiness for true inspiration. Gladden the hearts of those who keep her memory.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
You have made Your holy martyr, a bright beacon for us to emulate. She chose You as a constant travelling companion and did not hide You away in the face of adversity. O Light of the World, gladden the hearts of those who keep her memory.
refrain: O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
O brave martyrs, you lifted your minds to divine things, and set your eyes on a lasting City that awaited you in heaven. How beautiful was your faithful witness for Christ! You gave your blood and received the crown of eternal life. You now sing endlessly before the Throne of the Holy Trinity.
Let us bless the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, the Lord:
O Holy Trinity, You are our Hope, Salvation, and Glory; Unity in might and majesty; One in power and action, Who is over all, through all and in all. Let us praise and glorify Him forever!
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
You are the Lord's handmaiden, O Mary, because you accepted the greeting of the archangel, and consented to bring God the Word into the world for the salvation of our race. All praise to you!

ODE 9
O Virgin Mother, you are the unconsumed bush which Moses You, * the living ladder which Jacob contemplated, * and the heavenly gate through which Christ our God passed. * With our hymns we extol you.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
The most pure Mother seeing her divine Son led to the Cross lamented in great pain and sorrow. She became a participant in the Passion by following Christ on the road to Golgatha. You followed in Christ's footsteps also, O venerable Mother, by voluntarily living a life of sacrifice and love, and later laying down your life so that another may live. Implore Christ our God to save and illumine our souls.
refrain: O holy martyr and confessor Maria, pray to God for us!
O citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, welcome into God's holy mansion a woman whose name is inscribed in the Book of the Living kept by the Lamb. She enters holding a palm of victory in her hand, and now intercedes before the Throne for the salvation of the world. O martyr and confessor Maria, never cease praying for those who remember your deeds. Grant our world neighborly love, healing, and all that is needed for the salvation of our souls.
refrain: O holy martyrs, pray to God for us!
We commemorate your memory, O martyrs, and present to the world your lives worthy of emulation. Let not the cruelity of humanity's ways triumph through the pages of history, instead, let the blood of your humble sacrifices offered to God in true love reign in the hearts of all believers. Through your prayers, grant us and our enemies forgiveness and God's great mercy.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
Let us lift up our voices and chant hymns of praise to the most Holy Trinity: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, Who is, and Who is to come. We profess You in an orthodox manner, to be one in substance and undivided.
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The Lord has done great things for you, O Birth-giver of God, because He has chosen you to be a temple for the Most High God. You carried within your womb the One whom the heavens cannot contain. For this reason all generations of the human race call You blessed.

This Canon has been composed by Iconographer Raymond J. Mastroberte in honor of Blessed Maria Skobtsova: Martyr at Ravensbruck and all victims of Nazism, Fascism, Communism or any other form of tyranny or statism during the World War II. You are free to copy it for private and personal devotional use only. For any other purpose, permission from the author must be obtained in writing.