Canon of the feast, with 6 troparia, including the irmos, in Tone VIII—

Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “When the disciples…”—

Irmos: Tracing an upright line with his staff, Moses divided the Red Sea for Israel, which was travelling on foot; and striking it a transverse blow, he brought the waters together over the chariots of Pharaoh, thereby inscribing the invincible weapon of the Cross. Wherefore, let us hymn Christ our God, for He hath been glorified.

Katavasia: The irmoi of the feast.

Kontakion of the Cross, in Tone IV—

Then we chant the irmos of Canon I: “O Theotokos, thou art a mystical garden…” The second choir likewise chanteth the refrain and the irmos. The refrain is chanted before each of the 6 troparia of Canon I.

Sessional hymn of the saint, in Tone VIII—

Of old, Moses, standing between the priests, prefigured in himself the image of Christ’s most pure sufferings; for, forming a cross with his outstretched arms, he raised up victory, vanquishing the might of the tyrant Amalek. Wherefore, let us hymn Christ our God, for He hath been glorified.

Theotokion: Understanding thee to be chosen and most pure, O most immaculate one, the Son of God became thy Son, and hath made children through grace those who honor thee as the Theotokos.

Thou didst not permit the murderous bitterness of the tree still to remain, O Lord, for thou didst utterly destroy it by the Cross. Wherefore, by a tree Thou didst once sweeten the bitterness of the waters of Marah, prefiguring the activity of the Cross, which all the hosts of heaven magnify.

Glory…, exapostilarion of the saint—

Irmos: Traversing the deep on foot, as though it were dry land, and seeing the tyrant Pharaoh drowned, Israel cried aloud: Let us chant unto God a hymn of victory!

Katavasia: The irmoi of both canons, with their refrains. And a prostration.

Kontakion of the saint, in Tone VIII—

Glory…, Now & ever…: Sessional hymn of the feast, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Go thou quickly before…”—

Upon a pole did Moses set the cure of the deadly and venomous sting of the serpents, and the deliverance therefrom; for to the tree, in the image of the Cross, he bound a serpent which crawleth upon the ground, triumphing over the sinister bane therein. Wherefore, let us hymn Christ God, for He hath been glorified.

Theotokion: O pure and most immaculate one, thou gavest birth unto Him Who delivereth men from disobedience and by His blood hath washed away the ancestral sin of Adam.

Those who are continually sunk in the darkness of our forefather, Thou hast raised up by the Cross today, O Lord; for though our nature was brought low through deceit and great lack of restraint, the light of Thy Cross hath again guided all of us aright, which we, the faithful, magnify.

Now & ever…, another exapostilarion of the feast Spec. Mel.: “Hearken, ye women…”—

Irmos: There is none as holy as Thee, O Lord my God, Who hast uplifted the horn of Thy faithful and established us on the rock of the confession of Thee, O Good One.

The sky showed forth the victory of the Cross to the divinely wise Emperor Constantine, the pious ruler; and therein the audacity of the hostile foe was cast down, delusion was destroyed and the divine Faith spread to the ends of the earth. Wherefore let us hymn Christ our God, for He hath been glorified.

Theotokion: Entreat God Who loveth mankind for us, O all-holy Mistress, that He remember not our iniquities, but rather that He deal with us according to His mercy.

That Thou mightest show forth to the world the image of the Cross venerated among all, O Lord, Thou didst trace its outline in the heavens, in that it is all-glorious, radiant with boundless light: the invincible weapon for the emperor. Wherefore, all the hosts of heaven magnify Thee.

Irmos: Christ is my power, my God and my Lord, the honored Church doth sing, crying out in godly manner with a pure mind, keeping festival in the Lord.

Standing before the Holy Trinity with the angelic ranks, O great hierarch Demetrius, pray for us sinners, that we may receive the remission of our sins.

Theotokion: O immaculate Virgin who gavest birth to the true Light, shine upon us the light of divine knowledge, for our salvation.

Enjoying the everlasting life for which thou didst diligently struggle, O father, pray thou that we also may attain unto it.

Irmos: With Thy divine light illumine the souls of those who with love rise at dawn unto Thee, O Good One, that they may know Thee, O Word of God, to be the true God Who calleth all forth from the darkness of sin.

Having enslaved thy body to thy spirit by all manner of asceticism and abstinence, and achieved incorruption in the body, imparting a healing power to its essential clay, O holy father, teach us also not to serve mammon.

Theotokion: With mouth and heart we magnify thee, the Mother of God. Do thou, who hast reconciled the whole human race with God, deprive us not of thine aid.

Even though thou hast passed from us to the heavens, O holy hierarch Demetrius, yet dost thou abide in spirit with those who call upon thee, teaching and strengthening them, that they may tread the path of the saving commandments of God.

Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, fleeing to Thy calm haven I cry unto Thee: Lead up my life from corruption, O greatly Merciful One!

Tending the flock entrusted to thee by Christ, the Chief Shepherd, and driving the soul-destroying wolves away from the fold by thy divinely inspired teachings, O holy hierarch Demetrius, look down now and see that vain-minded schisms in nowise disturb the tranquillity of the Church. And entreat God Who loveth mankind, that, with one mouth and one heart, we may all praise His loving-kindness.

Theotokion: O all-pure Virgin, Thou didst conceive in thy womb the unoriginate God, Whom we hymn, saying: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Thou hast been shown to be a most radiant beacon of piety, a most excellent rhetor, and the adornment of Orthodox hierarchs. Wherefore, as is meet, we magnify thee with heartfelt love.

Irmos: The Angel caused the furnace to pour forth dew upon the pious youths, and the command of God, which consumed the Chaldæans, prevailed upon the tyrant to cry out: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Established firmly upon the rock of the Faith of Christ, thou wast firm in the confession of Orthodoxy, and didst unceasingly denounce the ungodly.

Theotokion: O Virgin, we piously hymn thy supernatural and wondrous birthgiving, exalting Christ supremely forever.

The Cross is the guardian of the whole world! The Cross is the beauty of the Church! The Cross is the dominion of kings! The Cross is the confirmation of the faithful! The Cross is the glory of the angels and the wounding of the demons! Twice

Irmos: From the flame didst Thou pour forth dew upon the venerable ones, and didst consume the sacrifice of the righteous one with water; for Thou, O Christ, dost do all things soever Thou desirest. Thee do we exalt ­supremely for all ages!

Thou didst not cease to call out for the lost sheep of the flock of Christ, reproving, entreating and counselling them, even though not all heeded thy voice.

Theotokion: O Virgin Theotokos, with the holy hierarch Demetrius beseech God, Who loveth mankind, Whom thou didst bear, that He save our souls.

O our God, Who settest the bounds of the nations according to the number of Thine angels, and assemblest Thy Church from the scattered children of Adam, Thou dost therein multiply Thy saints like the stars in heaven, among which the memory of Thy holy hierarch Demetrius hath shone forth. For his sake enlighten souls darkened by schismatic vain-mindedness, that together we may cry out to Thee the threefold hymn: Alleluia!

Irmos: Death, which came upon our race through the eating of the tree hath been abolished by the Cross today; for the curse of our first mother, which fell upon us all, hath been annulled through the Offspring of the pure Mother of God, whom all the hosts of heaven magnify.

The children of the Church who had remained unshaken within the bosom thereof didst thou encourage; and we, attending to thy teachings with sweetness, cry aloud: There is none more holy than our God!

Today is the Cross raised on high, and the world is sanctified; for He that sitteth with the Father and the Holy Spirit stretched out his arms thereon. It hath brought the whole world to the knowledge of Thee, O Christ. Therefore, to those who hope in Thee do Thou vouchsafe divine glory.

Irmos: It is not possible for men to behold God, upon Whom the ranks of angels dare not gaze; but through thee, O most pure one, hath the Word appeared incarnate unto men; and magnifying Him with the armies of heaven, we call thee blessed.

O Thou Who wast lifted up willingly on the Cross, bestow Thy compassions upon the new community called after Thee, O Christ God; gladden by Thy power Orthodox Christians, granting them victory over all adversaries. May they have as an ally the invincible trophy, Thy weapon of peace.

Great Doxology. Troparion of the saint; Glory…, Now & ever…, that of the feast. Litanies. Dismissal. First Hour.

Ikos: He Who was caught up to the third heaven of paradise and heard unspeakable and divine words which the human tongue cannot utter, what writeth he to the Galatians, which, as lovers of the Scriptures, ye have both read and come to understand? God forbid, saith he, that I should glory, save only in the Cross of the Lord, whereon having suffered He slew the passions. Let us all then firmly hold this boast, the Cross of the Lord; for this Wood is our salvation, the invincible trophy, the weapon of peace.

Emulating the holiness of the fathers of old, when thou wast eight years of age thou didst dedicate thy life to the service of God; wherefore, thou becamest a great monk, priest, teacher, and hierarch, and now a wonderworker and advocate for our souls.

Rejoicing in thee, O thrice blessed and life-bestowing Cross, the people celebrate together with the immaterial choirs, the ranks of hierarchs reverently hymn thee, multitudes of monastics and fasters bow down before thee in adoration, and we all glorify Christ Who was crucified on thee.

Nurtured from childhood in goodly learning, thou didst not turn the acuity of thy mind to vain-minded ideas, O holy hierarch Demetrius, but to the edification and confirmation of the Orthodox, and to the reproof and chastisement of the inveterate. Wherefore, thou wast shown to be a worthy successor of the throne of the apostles.

The healing shrine of thy relics poureth forth inexhaustible healing, and those who have recourse unto them with faith find deliverance from evils.

For the love which thou didst cherish for Christ and the saints thou hast been glorified with the gift of miracles and healings; wherefore, we bow down before thee and beseech thee as a favorite and friend of God, that thou remember us in thy holy prayers before Him.

O holy hierarch of Christ, preserve thy homeland unassailed by the enemy, and grant victory and triumph over its adversaries to our civil authorities.

O Demetrius, favorite of God, protect us from all the machinations of the wicked devil, that we may traverse the path of this life without stumbling, in fulfillment of the commandments of God.

O father Demetrius, burn away the darkness of sin from the eyes of our souls, and enlighten us with the knowledge of the will of God, that we may finish our race well in the light of His commandments.

With the eye of thy compassion look upon the billows of sin which assail us, O holy hierarch of Christ, and guide our voyage to the calm haven of the loving-kindness of God.

O father Demetrius, be thou for us a good helmsman, and leave us not to perish in our sins, but as thou thyself wast tempted therein as a man, help us who are tempted, O holy Demetrius, and be thou a helper and mediator for us before the greatly merciful God, that He lead our life up from corruption.

Let us bless Demetrius, the golden-worded teacher, the star of Russia, who shone forth from Kiev, and through Novgorod Seversky reached Rostov, and hath illumined the whole land with his teachings and miracles; for he wrote down for all those things which are for our edification, that, like Paul, he might win all for Christ, and save our souls through the right Faith.

Ikos: It becometh the righteous in heaven to rejoice over the repentant, and us sinners on earth, to rejoice over thee, O righteous Demetrius; for we have acquired thee as a new advocate before God for us. And blessing Him with fitting praises, in joy we cry out thus: Rejoice, O boast of Rostov and praise of all Russia!

For the sake of the humility of Christ, thou wast shown to be a model of humility, O holy Demetrius. Grant that I may cry out, not in pride, but in humility: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Through abstinence thou didst make thy body subject to thy spirit, O holy hierarch Demetrius. Grant that I may live in abstinence, that I may cry aloud with undefiled lips: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

By thy teachings, O father Demetrius, thou directest our thoughts; and, emulating thee, we chant unto God: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Thou art our good teacher, O father Demetrius, crying out to all who heed thy teaching: Exalt Christ supremely forever!

O divinely wise hierarch, most blessed Demetrius, by thy supplication and thy philanthropic love for us entreat God Who loveth mankind in our behalf, for we exalt Him supremely for all ages.

Thou didst overturn the wickedly harmful reasoning of the vain-minded, O holy Demetrius, and didst instruct the faithful to remain steadfast in the true Faith, crying out: Exalt Christ supremely forever!

We do not sing the Magnificat before Ode IX, but chant instead the refrain of the feast—

Magnify, O my soul, the all-honored Cross of the Lord!

On the Praises, 6 stichera: 3 of the feast, in Tone VIII—

Automelon: O all-glorious wonder! the Life-bearing Tree, the all-holy Cross is revealed today, lifted up on high. All the ends of the earth glorify it, and the hordes of the demons are affrighted. O what a gift hath been given to mortals! Thereby, O Christ, save Thou our souls, in that Thou alone art compassionate.

In the same melody: O all-glorious wonder! The Cross which bore the Most High like a cluster of grapes full of life is seen today lifted up from the earth. Thereby have we all been drawn to God, and death hath been utterly slain. O the all-precious Tree whereby we have received the food of immortality in Eden, glorifying Christ!

O all-glorious wonder! The length and height of the Cross is equal to heaven! For it sanctifieth all things with grace divine. In it are the barbarian nations vanquished. In it are the scepters of kings made firm. O divine ladder, whereby we ascend to the heavens, exalting Christ the Lord in hymns!

And 3 of the saint, in Tone VI: Spec. Mel.: “Having set all aside…”—

From thy youth thou didst wholly take upon thyself the search for wisdom and the fear of God, which having found thou didst not hide in the earth, like the slothful servant; but teaching and laboring for Him Who gave thee the talant, thou didst increase it an hundredfold, and becamest a great merchant, elucidating the Old and New Testaments, and disclosing the depths of the meaning of the divinely written books: and thou hast taught us also to conduct such goodly trade. Wherefore, O Demetrius, thou good and faithful servant of God, for such treasures which thou hast revealed unto us thou hast entered into the joy of thy Lord. Twice

Thou didst bind thy holy mind to the obedience of faith, that thou mightest adorn it with good works; hence thou hast been shown to be a skillful husbandman of the vineyard of Christ. For every branch which produced not fruit thou didst cut off by the fear of the Lord, and therein thou didst preserve piety alone, which thou didst hedge round about with the dogmas of the Church, and which thou didst strengthen within by the tower of Orthodoxy, wholly filling the wine-vats thereof with thy teachings. Wherefore, O holy Demetrius who loved the works of faith, visit now the vineyard which the right hand of the Most High hath planted, that it may produce the grapes of salvation.

Glory…, of the saint, in the same tone—

Sing unto the Lord a new song, O Russia! Praise thy God, O city of Rostov! For the Most High hath been well-pleased to give us the new wonderworker Demetrius, to whom witness is borne by all and by the truth itself. And honoring his memory among the saints, let us, elders and the young, praise and magnify our God, Who hath granted His favored one to shine forth upon us in holy incorruption and the working of miracles.

Now & ever…, of the feast, in the Tone VI—

Today the Cross of the Lord cometh forth; and the faithful receive it with desire, and they derive healings of soul and body, and every pang. Let us venerate it with joy and fear: with fear, for we are unworthy because of our sins; and with joy, because of the salvation which is granted to the world by Christ God, Who hath great mercy, and Who was nailed to it.