Feast Day: September 7th
and Holy Tuesday Evening (The Bridegroom Matins for Holy Wednesday morning)
The Life of Saint Kassiani: The young emperor approached her and said: “Through a woman came forth the baser things,” referring to the sin and suffering coming as a result of Eve’s transgression. Kassiani promptly responded by saying: “And through a woman came forth the better things,” referring to the hope of salvation resulting from the Incarnation through the Most Holy Theotokos…
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The Hymn of Saint Kassiani
The Hymn of Kassiani is also known as the Hymn of the fallen woman, and is a Hymn of repentance based on the Gospel reading for the Matins of Holy Wednesday. This Gospel reading is Matthew 26:6-16, and is about the sinful woman who anointed the feet of Jesus with costly ointment. This Hymn is chanted only once a year on Holy Tuesday evening for the Matins of Holy Wednesday.
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Lord, when the woman who had fallen into many sins perceived Your divinity, she assumed the role of a myrrh-bearing woman, and lamenting brought fragrant oils to anoint You before Your burial. “Woe is me,” she says. “Night for me is a às frenzy without restraint, very dark and moonless, a sinful love-affair.
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Accept the fountains of my tears, You who draw out from the clouds the water of the sea.
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Take pity on me, and incline to the sighing of my heart, You who bowed the heavens by Your ineffable self-emptying.
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I shall cover Your unstained feet with kisses, and wipe them dry again with the locks of my hair; those feet, whose sound at twilight in Paradise echoed in Eve’s ears, and she hid in fear. Who can reckon the multitude of my sins, or fathom the depths of Your judgments, O my life-saving Savior?
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Do not despise me, Your servant, since without measure is Your mercy.”
Below is a photo of the Tomb of Saint Kassiani
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