At Vespers

Glory..., Now and ever..., of the feast, idiomelon in Tone I—

At “Lord, I have cried...,” six stichera; three for the Feast, in Tone I: Spec. Mel: “Joy of the ranks of heaven...”—

Troparion of the Feast, in Tone I—

Glory..., Now and ever..., in Tone I—

The Cross is uplifted, and the demons are driven away; the thief openeth the gates of Eden, death is slain and hath now been shown to be desolate; Christ is magnified. Wherefore, be glad, all ye earthborn, for the curse hath been lifted!

Come, all ye 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 Thou Who wast crucified on the wood of the Cross, disdain not us that pray to Thee!

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 thereof in our hearts in godly manner, are saved by its might.

And three stichera of the Martyrs, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel: “Thou hast given us a sign...”—

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.

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.

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.

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!

At the Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone II: Spec. Mel: “O house of Ephratha...”—

Like a bride is the Church splendidly adorned with the water of grace and Thy blood, O Word, hymning the glory of the Cross.

Stichos: Exalt ye 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 wherewith the life-bearing body of Christ was pierced, let us worship them.

Stichos: God is our King before the ages; He hath 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.

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.

O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance; grant victory unto Orthodox Christians over their adversaries, and by the power of Thy Cross preserve Thou Thy commonwealth.