O Word, thou art the light that lighteneth all. O God, thou art the eye of our body in this world. We acknowledge thee as the Creator of sight. Today from a mixture of spittle and dust thou didst re-create sight for the blind man. In times past thy fingers did make both clay and sight. Today he receiveth both from thee. Until this time the blind man was unable to see the sun. Now he seeth thee, the gentle Sun and Creator of all, who in thy love hast made and fashioned us.

The man who was blind from birth asked himself, ‘Was I born blind because of the sin of my parents, or am I a living sign of the unbelief of the nations? I am not content to ask whether it is night or day; my feet can no longer endure tripping upon the stones. I have not seem the brightness of the sun nor have I see the image and likeness of my Creator. Yet I beseech thee, O Christ our God, to look upon me and have mercy upon me.’

Ye have driven away the intellectual wolves from the Church of Christ with the staff of your teachings, O blessed bishops. Ye have surrounded her with a solid wall of reasoning and have presented her whole and unharmed to Christ. Pray to him that those who in faith keep your noble memory may be delivered from corruption and danger.

Icon of St Matrona, the blind seeress