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Feast Day: 13 September
Troparion of the Holy and Blessed Martyr Cornelius the Centurion, Tone 4:
And having shared in the customs and followed in the footsteps of the Apostles, you received a mission, inspired by God, to lift your gaze toward the things above. For this reason, teaching the word of truth rightly and enduring with faith even unto blood, Holy Martyr Cornelius, pray to Christ our God to save our souls.
Kontakion 1
To the first called from among the pagans by the Lord Himself, let us, Christians throughout the ages, offer praise. For, like him, we would have remained in the darkness of ignorance, had the Lord not opened the way of salvation to all people. Therefore, let us sing to him with gratitude: Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called from among the pagans!
Ikos 1
The angel of the Lord was sent from heaven to Caesarea in Palestine to a God-fearing man, to call out to him:
Rejoice, Cornelius, worthy servant of the Lord;
Rejoice, trustworthy helper of your neighbor;
Rejoice, wise leader of the hundred soldiers entrusted to you;
Rejoice, honorable warrior of the Roman Italica cohort;
Rejoice, beginner among Christians;
Rejoice, for you were appointed by men over a hundred, and by the Lord you were anointed over hundreds;
Rejoice, leader of the many, who brought many to Christ;
Rejoice, soldier undefeated in battle, conqueror of many souls;
Rejoice, flower of Caesarea, unshaken by temptations;
Rejoice, you who, for the King of all, forsake the king of the Romans;
Rejoice, you who have chosen the shining gold of faith;
Rejoice, you who were not enticed by anything fleeting;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called from among the pagans!
Kontakion 2
As Cornelius the centurion stood in prayer at the ninth hour, seeing the angel of the Lord illuminating his house with his light, he humbly bowed his face to the ground and sang to the One who sent him: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
Knowing himself to be far from God and living in the darkness of ignorance, astonished by the angel’s coming, Cornelius cried out: “What is it, Lord?” And the Lord’s messenger answered him, saying:
Rejoice, fervent supplicant;
Rejoice, shining beacon;
Rejoice, you who naturally kept the law;
Rejoice, banisher of iniquity;
Rejoice, lover of God;
Rejoice, nourisher of your soul;
Rejoice, master of your house;
Rejoice, path to salvation for your own;
Rejoice, for you joyfully cast aside your armor and shields;
Rejoice, for without helmet or shield you ran to Christ;
Rejoice, for you laid down the broad sword;
Rejoice, for you were pierced by the “sword of the Spirit”;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called from among the pagans!
Kontakion 3
The angel of the Lord did not depart from you until he assured you that your prayers and alms had ascended as a memorial before God. Hearing this with a loud voice, you gave glory to the Provider, singing to Him: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
You proved yourself obedient, Holy Cornelius, to God’s command, for, heeding the angel of the Lord, you sent two servants and a devout soldier to Joppa to search the house by the Great Sea belonging to Simon the tanner, to summon the Lord’s high priest to show you the way that leads to Him. For this we praise you:
Rejoice, fulfiller of the Lord’s will;
Rejoice, receiver of the Word;
Rejoice, thirsty for the Truth;
Rejoice, runner toward the one God;
Rejoice, for courage, honors, and wealth were not enough for you;
Rejoice, for you set all things to the service of the soul;
Rejoice, you who, like Lazarus, lay in the tomb for four days;
Rejoice, for you found no rest until the servants returned;
Rejoice, you who, as the Apostle to the Gentiles, preached to the Gentiles;
Rejoice, rare flower grown in the wilderness of paganism;
Rejoice, ray of light upon the vault of Christendom;
Rejoice, for you drank your fill from the Fountain of Life;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called from among the pagans!
 Kontakion 4
Hearing from those whom you had sent that at that very hour the Lord had also spoken to Peter, declaring clean what had previously been considered unclean, you fell at the feet of the great apostle and gave thanks together with him, singing to the Lover of mankind: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
God, Who dwells everywhere and loves all people, revealed to the one from the chosen people the birth of the faithful nation, bringing together Jew and Gentile and uniting them through the descent of the same Holy Spirit. For this reason, we, the Christians from among the Gentiles, cry out with thanksgiving to him who was deemed worthy to be the first among us, thus:
Rejoice, for in the port of Joppa you found the great fisherman;
Rejoice, for like him, you were sent into the world as a missionary;
Rejoice, for receiving baptism from him;
Rejoice, for having begun to travel the earth after receiving baptism from him;
Rejoice, for praying in the mystery of the upper room like Peter;
Rejoice, guide on the sea of life;
Rejoice, for the great apostle fasted until sunset;
Rejoice, for your soul thirsted for the Living Water;
Rejoice, for the Church was revealed in the form of a cloth;
Rejoice, for the shadow of the Law has passed;
Rejoice, for grace has come;
Rejoice, you who were cleansed in the bath of baptism;
Rejoice, you who cared for your soul;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called from among the pagans!
Kontakion 5
Seeing Peter in amazement that the sheet with the unclean creatures had been raised three times to heaven, and understanding that it was the will of the Most Holy Trinity that through the four corners, the four evangelists might spiritually nourish all, to the ends of the earth, he sang to God together with the centurion: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
When the great fisher cast his net of the Word as he crossed the threshold of your house, knowing the power that God gives to His chosen ones, you threw yourself face down at his feet, Holy Cornelius. But he, in his humility, recognizing that he too is merely human, and that worship is due only to God, said to you:
Rejoice, for the Lord is not partial;
Rejoice, for in every nation, He is the Judge of those who fear Him
Rejoice, for the sons of Israel have also been prepared for you;
Rejoice, for our Emmanuel is also with you;
Rejoice, for there is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
Rejoice, for there is no longer Jew or Greek, nor any other creed;
Rejoice, you who received the testimony from the mouth of the witness;
Rejoice, for of all the Gentiles, the Lord has loved you most;
Rejoice, you who received the Lord’s Good News;
Rejoice, for through this you have brought healing to souls;
Rejoice, for you did not keep the light you received hidden under a bushel;
Rejoice, for you carried this torch from place to place;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called among the Gentiles!
Kontakion 6
God, Who can do all things according to His will, has shown through you that the Kingdom of Heaven is within us. For from a conqueror of nations, He found you to be a conqueror of souls, to whom you sang until the end of your life: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
When the Lord’s apostle opened his mouth to testify to what he himself had heard and seen, you opened your soul wide to receive what God incarnate had revealed to mankind. Therefore, praising you, we say:
Rejoice, you who did not see God but believed;
Rejoice, for this reason the Lord has placed you among the blessed;
Rejoice, you who were born of water and the Spirit;
Rejoice, you who pray in truth and in the Spirit;
Rejoice, you who, loving the Truth, followed the path of salvation and inherited life;
Rejoice, you who turned your face toward the East;
Rejoice, you who, moved by an inner impulse, had already shown mercy;
Rejoice, lover of your fellow men;
Rejoice, for through your love for people you are like the centurion of Capernaum;
Rejoice, for you were a witness like Longinus the centurion;
Rejoice, for setting Christ above all else;
Rejoice, for sitting at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, though you were not of the chosen people;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called among the Gentiles!
Kontakion 7
When you heard about Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power from on high, you rejoiced greatly. You were amazed, O Saint, to hear from witnesses of countless healings and the casting out of unclean spirits by His word alone. Deeply saddened by His Passion, Crucifixion, and burial, you enlightened your soul with the news of the Resurrection, flooding it with that joy which no one will take from the hearts of those who sing to Him: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
Like a sponge parched by the heat, your heart was saturated and opened wide to receive all the revelations that God has made to His chosen ones. Those of your household, hearing the proclamation of the One appointed by God to be Judge of the living and the dead, hastened to believe the one who spoke these things to them, so that they might receive the forgiveness of sins. And to you, Saint Cornelius, the cause of their enlightenment, they sang:
Rejoice, God-fearing one;
Rejoice, opener of my soul;
Rejoice, listener to the great preacher;
Rejoice, God-fearing son of the Church;
Rejoice, you who hosted the One clothed with power from on high;
Rejoice, for the Holy Spirit descended even into your house;
Rejoice, for this was transformed into a secret tabernacle;
Rejoice, you who brought Mount Zion to Caesarea;
Rejoice, for you too were clothed with power from on high;
Rejoice, bearer of the Holy Spirit;
Rejoice, for through your deeds you did not drive Him away to the grave;
Rejoice, for your body was the dwelling place of the precious gift;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called among the Gentiles!
Kontakion 8
The unexpected and unhoped-for outpouring of the Holy Spirit overwhelmed you, Saint Cornelius, along with Peter and all who were in your house—Jews and Greeks—who began to glorify God in the languages of other peoples. Therefore, the brother of the first called to the apostolate cried out with a loud voice: “Can anyone stop the water from baptizing these who have already received the Holy Spirit, just as we Jews have?” And with one voice, all sang to the One God: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
We, Christians from all over the world, immersed three times in the font of cleansing sins, offer a song of thanksgiving to the spreader of the faith of love, thus:
Rejoice, the first among the pagans baptized in the name of the Lord Christ,
Rejoice, for this has been of great benefit to you;
Rejoice, for like Zacchaeus the tax collector, you have saved your household;
Rejoice, for your own, having been baptized, have followed a chosen life;
Rejoice, for you have been immersed in the waters of baptism;
Rejoice, you who have clothed yourself in Christ;
Rejoice, new man, born a second time;
Rejoice, discoverer of the priceless treasure;
Rejoice, for you have been reborn of water and the Spirit;
Rejoice, for you have broken away from the vain world;
Rejoice, for you have kept nothing of the world;
Rejoice, for you have embraced Christ with your whole being;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called from among the pagans!
Kontakion 9
We see the eloquent orators falling silent like voiceless fish, for they cannot explain how the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father, was sent by the incarnate Son to enlighten the nations who for ages had been in the darkness of unbelief and separation from God. When the news of the baptism of the centurion Cornelius in the name of the Lord Jesus reached the circumcised believers in Jerusalem, Peter told them what had happened in Caesarea, and they were reassured and glorified the Lord, saying: “So then, God has granted repentance leading to eternal life even to the Gentiles.” Later, men from Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch and spoke to the Greeks, proclaiming Christ. And the Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and came to faith. Then the Church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to visit the community in Antioch. And when he arrived and saw the grace of God working in all of them, he rejoiced and encouraged them to remain in the Lord with steadfast hearts and to sing to Him: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
Knowing that in Antioch the disciples were first called “Christians,” that is, followers of Christ in all things, we bless you, Holy Cornelius, opener of the paths to salvation for all peoples, thus:
Rejoice, you who have laid down the broad sword;
Rejoice, you who with the sword of the Spirit have won new victories;
Rejoice, you who, like the apostles, left everything for the Lord;
Rejoice, you who, like the apostles, received immortal honor from God;
Rejoice, for you did not boast of your rank as a centurion;
Rejoice, for you did not oppress the hundred entrusted to you;
Rejoice, for you brought many of them to Christ;
Rejoice, for you delivered them from passions and idolatrous worship;
Rejoice, you who skillfully multiplied the talents;
Rejoice, for the hundredfold has borne fruit;
Rejoice, for the seed of the Gospel has fallen on good soil;
Rejoice, for by honoring the cross, it has been your shield against the demons;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called from among the pagans!
Kontakion 10
Loving the Lord with all your heart, you followed Peter in his mission, as a true disciple. Together you established many communities, together you sought out many brothers, together you often sang to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
While you were with Peter and Timothy in Ephesus, you were informed that in the city of Schepsia, the inhabitants were diligently worshiping demons in the form of hideous idols. Loving them as if they were ignorant children, you consulted with them fatherly on how to help them. And because each of you desired to sacrifice yourselves for their good, you cast lots, and when they fell upon you, they praised you:
Rejoice, for giving thanks to God, you called upon Him for help;
Rejoice, for you became a preacher of Christ;
Rejoice, for though uneducated, you confronted Demetrius the philosopher;
Rejoice, for Christian wisdom confounded Hellenic wisdom;
Rejoice, for through you Zeus and Apollo fell;
Rejoice, for through you the unknown God became known;
Rejoice, conqueror of the great ruler;
Rejoice, conqueror of Schepsia;
Rejoice, defiler of idols;
Rejoice, expeller of demons;
Rejoice, destroyer of paganism;
Rejoice, worker of miracles;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called among the pagans!
Kontakion 11
Like a skilled gardener, you sought to clear the field before sowing the word of the Lord. For this, in full view of all, you confronted the idolater Demetrius, the great ruler. And he, thinking that through threats and torments he would thwart your preaching, forced you to worship Apollo and Zeus. Confident in the almighty power of God, you entered the idolatrous temple together with the governor’s family and a multitude of people. And turning toward the east, you knelt down on the ground and sang to the true God: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
Holy Cornelius, you prayed to the One in whom you believed, that He might not allow those creatures, out of ignorance, to be swallowed up by destruction. But rather, for the assurance of all, to overthrow the lifeless idols, which were nothing but the dwelling places of demons, to the deception of many. And finishing your prayer, you went out of the temple together with the governor and the people who were present. And immediately a great earthquake occurred, overthrowing not only the idols but also the walls, terrifying everyone. For this visible sign of the fulfillment of your prayer, we too offer you praise:
Rejoice, you who trust in God;
Rejoice, you who fear not the devils;
Rejoice, you who praise the Lord;
Rejoice, you who overthrow idols;
Rejoice, you who have offered a prayer well received;
Rejoice, you who can also make our prayers come true;
Rejoice, for you have caused worldly things to reveal their clay;
Rejoice, for through the power of prayer you brought the pagan temple to the ground;
Rejoice, for they beat you while you hung naked on the wood;
Rejoice, for you joyfully drank the cup of suffering for Christ;
Rejoice, for by God’s providence, the wife and son of the governor could not escape from the temple;
Rejoice, for God kept them alive beneath the ruins;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called from among the pagans!
Kontakion 12
Hearing that his wife, Evantia, and his son, Demetrius, had remained at the scene of the disaster, the governor ceased to torment Cornelius. And sending his servants at once, he hoped to find at least their crushed bones. But, oh, a miracle! Those below joyfully cried out: “Great is the God of the Christians!… Ask Cornelius to bring us out of here.” And the governor, seeing his family reunited, sang to the true Savior: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
Like his benefactor before him, the governor Demetrius was baptized along with his wife, son, and all his household. And when the apostles heard that many in the city had asked for Christian baptism, they laid their hands on the head of the confessor Cornelius, ordaining him bishop of the city of Schepsia. Here he remained until the end of his life, winning new souls for the Kingdom of Heaven. For this, we too, Christians throughout the ages, offer him praise:
Rejoice, you who from a soldier of the world became a soldier of heaven;
Rejoice, you who as a bishop guided many;
Rejoice, for you did not flee from the ravenous wolves;
Rejoice, for you worthily shepherded the flock for many years;
Rejoice, for among all, you ordained Evnomius as a priest;
Rejoice, for together you performed many services;
Rejoice, you who knew in advance the end of your earthly life;
Rejoice, joyful traveler to the heavenly Lord;
Rejoice, for you appeared in a dream to Bishop Silvanus of Troy;
Rejoice, for you entrusted your relics to him;
Rejoice, for in your honor, Evgeny, a great church was built;
Rejoice, for there your relics were placed with honor;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called from among the pagans!
Kontakion 13
O Holy Cornelius, confessor of the true faith, founder of the community of non-Jewish Christians, be our intercessor before the Most Merciful God. Ask Him to grant us forgiveness of sins, to fulfill our humble prayers, to protect us from dangers and hardships, and to help us remain on the path of salvation until the last moment of our lives, singing to Him: Alleluia!
This Kontakion is sung three times.
Ikos 1
The angel of the Lord was sent from heaven to Caesarea in Palestine to a God-fearing man, to call out to him:
Rejoice, Cornelius, worthy servant of the Lord;
Rejoice, trustworthy helper of your neighbor;
Rejoice, wise leader of the hundred soldiers entrusted to you;
Rejoice, honorable warrior of the Roman Italica cohort;
Rejoice, beginner among Christians;
Rejoice, for you were appointed by men over a hundred, and by the Lord you were anointed over hundreds;
Rejoice, leader of the many, who brought many to Christ;
Rejoice, soldier undefeated in battle, conqueror of many souls;
Rejoice, flower of Caesarea, unshaken by temptations;
Rejoice, you who, for the King of all, forsake the king of the Romans;
Rejoice, you who have chosen the shining gold of faith;
Rejoice, you who were not enticed by anything fleeting;
Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called from among the pagans!
Kontakion 1
To the first called from among the pagans by the Lord Himself, let us, Christians throughout the ages, offer praise. For, like him, we would have remained in the darkness of ignorance, had the Lord not opened the way of salvation to all people. Therefore, let us sing to him with gratitude: Rejoice, Holy Cornelius, the first called from among the pagans!
