If it be Saturday evening, we chant “Blessed is the man…”, the entire kathisma; but if it be Sunday evening, we chant only the first antiphon thereof. On any other day we do not chant “Blessed is the man…”, but chant “Lord, I have cried…” immediately after the Introductory Psalm and Great Ektenia.
On “Lord, I have cried…”, 8 stichera, in Tone VI: Spec. Mel.: “Having set aside…”—
A Reading from the Book of Exodus
Raised on high, the Cross exhorteth all creation to hymn the all-pure Passion of Him Who was lifted up thereon. For thereon having slain him who slew us, in that He is merciful, He gave life unto the dead, and in the exceeding greatness of His goodness He hath made them beautiful and vouchsafed them to live in the heavens. Wherefore, rejoicing, we exalt His name, and magnify His extreme condescension. Thrice
A Reading from Proverbs
Moses prefigured Thee, stretching forth his arms on high, and vanquished the tyrant Amalek, O precious Cross, boast of the faithful, confirmation of sufferers, savior of all the venerable. Wherefore, creation, beholding thee lifted up, is gladdened, and keepeth festival, glorifying Christ, Who through thee hath gathered the dispersed in His extreme goodness. Thrice
A Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah
O most precious Cross, who art today exalted, and about whom the ranks of angels stand in gladness, by divine command thou dost uplift all who for the stealing of the fruit were driven out and were sunk in death. Wherefore, we, the faithful, venerating thee with hearts and lips, derive from thee sanctification, crying out: Exalt ye Christ, the all-good God, and worship His divine footstool. Twice
Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone II—
Come, all ye nations, let us worship the blessed Tree whereby everlasting righteousness hath come to be; for he who by the tree deceived our forefather Adam, is himself deceived by the Cross, and he who by tyranny held fast the royal house, falleth, cast down by a strange fall. By the blood of God the venom of the serpent is washed away, and the curse of the just condemnation was lifted by the Righteous One when He was condemned by an unjust sentence; for it was fitting that the tree be healed by a Tree, and that, by the sufferings of the Dispassionate One on the Tree, the sufferings of the condemned be loosed. Glory, O Christ our King, to Thy wise dispensation toward us, whereby Thou hast saved all, in that Thou art good and lovest mankind.
Entrance. Prokimenon of the day.
N.B.: If this feast fall on Saturday, on Friday evening, instead of the prokimenon of the day, we chant the Great Prokimenon, in Tone VII—
Our God is in heaven and on earth; all things soever He hath willed, He hath done.
Stichos: When Israel went out of Egypt, and the house of Jacob from among a barbarous people.
Stichos: The sea beheld and fled, Jordan turned back.
Stichos: What aileth thee, O sea, that thou fleddest? And thou Jordan, that thou didst turn back?
Moses brought up the children of Israel from the Red Sea, and brought them into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water to drink. And they came to Marah, and could not drink of Marah, for it was bitter; therefore he named the name of that place, Bitterness. And the people murmured against Moses, saying: “What shall we drink?” And Moses cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, and he cast it into the water, and the water was sweetened. There He established to him ordinances and judgments, and there He proved him, and said: “If thou wilt indeed hear the voice of the Lord thy God, and do things pleasing before Him, and wilt hearken to His commands, and keep all His ordinances, no disease which I have brought upon the Egyptians will I bring upon thee, for I am the Lord thy God, Who healeth thee.” And they came to Elim, and there were there twelve fountains of water, and seventy stems of palm-trees; and they encamped there by the waters. And they departed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sin.
My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loveth, He rebuketh, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. Blessed is the man who hath found wisdom, and the mortal who knoweth prudence. For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver. And she is more valuable than precious stones: no evil thing shall resist her; she is well known to all who approach her, and no precious thing is equal to her in value. For length of existence and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are wealth and glory: out of her mouth proceedeth righteousness, and she carrieth law and mercy upon her tongue. Her ways are good ways, and all her paths are peaceful. She is a tree of life to all who lay hold upon her; and she is a secure help to all who stay themselves on her, as on the Lord.
Thus saith the Lord: Thy gates shall be opened continually, O Jerusalem; they shall not be shut day nor night; to bring in to thee the power of the gentiles, and their kings as captives. For the nations and the kings which will not serve thee shall perish; and those nations shall be made utterly desolate. And the glory of Lebanon shall come to thee, with the cypress, and pine, and cedar together, to glorify My holy place. And the sons of those who afflicted thee, and of those who provoked thee, shall come to thee in fear; and thou shalt be called Sion, the city of the Holy One of Israel. Because thou hast become desolate and hated, and there was no helper, therefore I will make thee a perpetual gladness, a joy of many generations. And thou shalt suck the milk of the gentiles, and shalt eat the wealth of kings; and shalt know that I am the Lord Who saveth thee and delivereth thee, the God of Israel.
At Litia, these stichera, idiomela—
The composition of Andrew of Jerusalem, in Tone I: Today the holy words of David have received their fulfillment; for, lo! we manifestly worship the footstool of Thine all-pure feet, O most Compassionate One, and cry out to Thee, placing our trust in the shelter of Thy wings: Let the light of Thy countenance be shined upon us! Exalt Thou the horn of Thine Orthodox people through the elevation of Thy Cross, O greatly merciful Christ!
Elevated today, the Tree of life, which was planted in the place of the skull, whereon the preëternal King wrought salvation in the midst of the earth, sanctifieth 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 ye the Lord our God, and worship the footstool of His feet, for it is holy, granting great mercy to the world!
Prefiguring Thy 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 Savior, we cry out: Grant victory to all Orthodox Christians over their adversaries, as Thou gavest the victory to Constantine.
The composition of Theophanes, in Tone II: The divine treasure which is hidden in the ground, the Cross of the Bestower of life, was shown in the heavens to the pious emperor and noetically displayeth an inscription of victory over his enemies. And rejoicing therein with faith and love, in godly manner he hastened to ascend to a visible height and with zeal drew it forth from the bosom of the earth, for the deliverance of the world and the salvation of our souls.
The composition of Cyprian: When the hands of the Patriarch Jacob were crossed at the blessing of Joseph’s children, the sign of Thy Cross was revealed beforehand, and we, holding it as our steadfast protector, do mightily drive away the hordes of the demons and cast down the pride of Belial in that which vanquisheth the most pernicious power of the most malicious Amalek. With right honorable mind, O ye faithful, we bear it forth to Thy goodness, uplifted now for the cleansing of sins, and cry out with a loud voice: Have mercy, O Lord! O Good One Who wast incarnate of the Virgin, have pity on the wise creation of Thy hands!
The composition of the Emperor Leo: Thou art my mighty protection, O tripartite Cross of Christ! Sanctify me by thy power, that I may bow down with faith and love, and glorify thee.
In Tone IV: Let us clap our hands today for the victory which is praised with hymns, and with radiant countenance and tongue let us openly cry: O Christ, Who for our sake didst deign to be tried, to be spat upon and scourged and arrayed in a purple robe, and Who ascended the Cross; Whom beholding, the sun and the moon hid their light, and the earth trembled with fear, and the veil of the temple was rent in twain: Do Thou now grant us Thine honored Cross as a preserver and protector, and a dispeller of the demons; that, kissing it, we may all cry out to it: Save us by thy power, O Cross! Sanctify us by Thy radiance, O precious Cross! And fortify us by thine exaltation, for thou hast been given to us as the light and salvation of our souls.
The composition of Anatolius: O Cross, thou didst show forth thine image beforehand, radiant with the light of the stars, to the great and pious emperor as a token of victory. And his mother Helena, finding thee, revealed thee to the world. Today we, the choirs of the faithful, elevating thee, cry out: Illumine us with thy splendor, O life-bearing Cross! Sanctify us with thy might, O most precious Cross! And establish us in thine elevation, O thou who art wielded against the array of the enemy!
Glory…, Now & ever…, the composition of Anatolius, in the same tone—
Moses, prefiguring the activity of the precious Cross, O Christ, vanquished Amalek his adversary in the wilderness of Sinai; for when he stretched out his arms, forming the image of the Cross, he strengthened the people. And now these events have found their fulfillment in us: today the Cross is elevated and the demons flee; today all creation is freed from corruption, for gifts have shone forth upon us because of the Cross. Wherefore, rejoicing, we all fall down before it, saying: Glory to Thee, O Lord, for Thy works are magnified!
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.