Post-feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.

VESPERS ON TUESDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

The appointed psalms are chanted.

At Psalm 140

Tone 1, Podoben “Joy of the ranks of angels…”

If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

The Cross is uplifted, and the demons are driven away;* the thief opens the gates of Eden,* death is slain and has now been shown to be desolate;* Christ is magnified.* Therefore, be glad, all you earthborn,* for the curse has been lifted!

I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

Come, all you who love God,* and beholding the precious Cross uplifted,* let us magnify it together* and give glory to the one Deliverer and God, crying aloud:* O You who were crucified on the wood of the Cross,* disdain not us that pray to You!

From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.

Moses of old, changing bitterness into sweetness, delivered Israel,* inscribing the image of the Cross beforehand;* and all of us, the faithful,* ever mystically making the sign of the Cross in our hearts in godly manner,* are saved by its might.

Tone 4, Podoben “You have given a sign…”

For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

The virgin maidens, bound by the law of nature* and manifestly strengthened by the love of the Creator,* with faith loosed the bonds of deception;* and, becoming manly, they broke the feeble enemy underfoot* and have been radiantly adorned with the crown of victory;* and, rejoicing, they have made their abode* in the heavenly bridal chamber.

Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.

The most laudable Faith and the glorious Charity,* and the divinely wise Hope,* showing themselves to be the namesakes of the virtues most splendid,* as athletes cast down the evil one,* who with cunning had deceived our first mother;* and having become deified, they have received mansions in paradise,* praying for us all.

Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

Faith, Hope and Charity, the offspring of Sophia,* seeking with faith the beauty of the most comely Bridegroom,* united themselves to Him,* having adorned themselves with divine wounds;* and they disdained the fire, the multifarious torments and an ignominious death.* For their sake, O Lord, free us from evils.

Tone 1, Glory… Now…

Elevated today, the Tree of life, which was planted in the place of the skull,* whereon the pre-eternal King wrought salvation in the midst of the earth,* sanctifies the ends of the earth;* and the temple of the Resurrection is renewed.* The angels rejoice in heaven, and men make merry on earth, crying like David and saying:* Exalt the Lord our God, and worship the footstool of His feet, for it is holy,* granting great mercy to the world!

Prokeimenon, Tone 1

Your mercy, O Lord, shall follow me* all the days of my life.

verse: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. In green pastures He gives me repose.

Aposticha

Tone 2, Podoben “O house of Ephratha…”

Like, a bride is the Church splendidly adorned with the water of grace* and Your Blood, O Word,* singing the glory of the Cross.

Exalt the Lord our God, and worship the footstool of His feet, for it is holy.

Raising aloft the spear and the Cross,* the nails and all else by which the life-bearing body of Christ was pierced,* let us worship them.

God is our King before the ages; He has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.

When Moses conquered Amalek, keeping his arms raised aloft,* he prefigured the all-pure suffering of Christ* in the form of the Cross.

Tone 1, Glory… Now…

Prefiguring Your Cross, O Christ,* in giving his blessing to his grandsons,* the Patriarch Jacob crossed his hands over their heads.* And raising it aloft today, O Saviour, we cry out:* Grant victory to all Orthodox Christians over their adversaries,* as You gave the victory to Constantine.

Troparia

Tone 4

The Church celebrates and rejoices* in the feast of the three daughters, Faith, Hope and Love* and their mother Sophia named for her wisdom:* For in them she gave birth to the three godly virtues.* Now they eternally behold their Bridegroom, God the Word.* Let us rejoice spiritually in their memory and cry:* Our three heavenly protectors,* establish, confirm and strengthen us* in faith, hope and love!

Tone 1, Glory… Now…

Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance.* Grant victory to Your faithful people against enemies,* and protect Your community by Your cross.

DIVINE LITURGY ON WEDNESDAY MORNING

Antiphon 1

O God, my God, hear me; why have You forsaken me? The words of my transgressions put salvation far from me.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.

O God, I will call to You by day but You will not listen; and by night, yet it will not be foolish of me.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.

But You, the praise of Israel, dwell in the holy place.

Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.

Glory… Now… Only-begotten Son…

Antiphon 3

Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God, our Saviour.

Son of God, crucified in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.

Son of God, crucified in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

For God is the great Lord, and the great king over all the earth.

Son of God, crucified in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Entrance

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ.

Son of God, crucified in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 1: Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance.* Grant victory to Your faithful people against enemies,* and protect Your community by Your cross.

Troparion, Tone 4: The Church celebrates and is truly happy* over the newly born children and their radiant mother.* Named after Wisdom, she gave birth to three children* equal to the three theological virtues.* In the company of these wise virgins,* she gazes on the Word and chaste Groom.* We join her in her happiness and sing:* O thrice-blessed martyrs, Faith, Hope, and Charity,* make us firm in faith, hope, and charity.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Kontakion, Tone 1: Your daughters, O venerable Sophia, were Faith, Hope, and Charity.* They were like three buds of great holiness.* By the grace of Christ, they confused the false reasoning of the Greeks.* By their struggles, they obtained an incorruptible crown* from Christ the Master of all.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 4: By Your own choice, O Christ our God,* You were lifted on the cross.* Grant Your mercies to Your new community* that bears Your Name.* By Your power gladden the faithful people,* and grant them victory against enemies.* May they have the help of Your instrument of peace,* the invincible sign of victory.

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

Exalt the Lord our God,* and bow in worship at the footstool of his feet, for it is holy.

verse: The Lord reigns, let the people tremble. (Psalm 98:5,1)

Epistle

Galatians 3:15-22

Alleluia, Tone 1

verse: Remember Your congregation which You acquired from the beginning.

verse: But God is our king before the ages; He has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. (Psalm 73:2,12)

Gospel

Mark 6:7-13

Hymn to the Mother of God

O my soul, magnify the most precious cross of the Lord.

And the Irmos, Tone 8: You are a mystical Paradise, O Mother of God, who though untilled, have brought forth Christ. He has planted upon earth the life-giving Tree of the Cross. Therefore today as we raise it on high we bow low and we magnify you.

Communion Hymn

Let the light of Your countenance, O Lord,* shine upon us.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 4:7)

At the end of Liturgy we sing:

To Your Cross, O Master, we bow in veneration, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection. (3)