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The Adoration of the Precious Cross / Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

Vespers

Before the beginning of the service, the Precious Cross, decorated with branches of basil or flowers, is brought from the table of the Prothesis or the sacristy and placed on the Holy Table. A candle is lit and left burning in front of it.

At Lord, I have cried, 10 stichera: Octoechos 3, Triodion 4:

Tone 5 [spec. mel.: ‘Rejoice’]:Shine, Cross of the Lord, / shine with the light of thy grace / upon the hearts of those that honor thee. / With love inspired by God, / we embrace thee, O desire of all the world. / Through thee our tears of sorrow have been wiped away; / we have been delivered from the snares of death / and have passed over to unending joy. / Show us the glory of thy beauty / and grant to us thy servants the reward of our abstinence, / for we entreat with faith // thy rich protection and great mercy.

Rejoice! life-giving Cross, / the fair Paradise of the Church, / Tree of incorruption / that brings us the enjoyment of eternal glory: / through thee the hosts of demons have been driven back; / and the hierarchies of angels rejoice with one accord, / as the congregations of the faithful keep the feast. / Thou art an invincible weapon, / an unbroken stronghold; / thou art the victory of kings and the glory of priests. / Grant us now to draw near // to the Passion of Christ and to His Resurrection.

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Rejoice, thou Life-bearing Cross, / invincible victory of piety, / door to paradise, / confirmation of the faithful, / rampart of the Church, / whereby corruption hath been utterly destroyed, / the dominion of death trampled down, / and we have been lifted up from earth to them that are in Heaven, / invincible weapon, / contender against the demons, / glory of the martyrs, / true adornment of the venerable, / haven of salvation, // which grantest the world great mercy.

Come, Adam and Eve, /our first father and mother, who fell from the choir on high / through the envy of the murderer of man, / when of old with bitter pleasure / ye tasted from the tree in Paradise. / See, the Tree of the Cross, revered by all, draws near! / Run with haste and embrace it joyfully, / and cry to it with faith: / O precious Cross, thou art our helper; / partaking of thy fruit, we have gained incorruption; / we are restored once more to Eden, // and we have received great mercy.

Martyrs 3:

Valiantly enduring present torments, / rejoicing in that for which they longed, / the holy martyrs said one to another: / “If we do not shed our garments, / we shall not put off the old man. / Winter is cruel, but paradise is sweet; / the ice is painful, but the acquisition of the Kingdom is delightful. / Then, let us not give way, O warriors! / Let us endure but a little while, / that we may be crowned with crowns of victory by Christ God, // the Savior of our souls.”

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Casting off all their garments / and entering the lake with trembling, / the holy martyrs said one to another: / “Let us not spare today our corruptible garments, / that we may attain the paradise which we have lost! / Having once been clothed because of the pernicious serpent, / let us now unclothe ourselves for the resurrection of all. / Let us disdain the frigid ice and despise the flesh, / that we may be crowned with crowns of victory by Christ God, // the Savior of our souls!”

Seeing tortures as delight, / running to the frozen lake as to a warm spring, / the holy martyrs said: / “Let us not fear the season of winter, / that we may avoid the fearsome fire of Gehenna; / let our legs be consumed, / that they may dance eternally; / let our arms be cut off, / that they may stretch themselves forth unto the Lord; / let us not spare our mortal nature; / let us submit to death, / that we may be crowned with crowns of victory by Christ God, // the Savior of our souls.”

Glory... Tone 3:O Christ our God, of Thine own will / Thou hast accepted crucifixion / that all mankind might be restored to life. / Taking the quill of the Cross, / out of love for man in the red ink of royalty / with bloody fingers Thou hast signed our absolution. / We are in danger once again of being parted from Thee; / O forsake us not! / Take pity on Thy people in distress, / for Thou alone art long-suffering. // Rise up and fight against our enemies in Thine almighty power.

Both now..., and the dogmatic theotokion.

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3 Readings for the Martyrs:

The Reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah

Thus saith the Lord: All the nations are gathered together, and princes shall be gathered out of them: who will declare these things? or who will declare to you things from the beginning? Let them bring forth their witnesses, and be justified; and let them hear, and declare the truth. Be ye My witnesses, and I too am a witness, saith the Lord God, and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know, and believe, and understand that I am He; before Me there was no other God, and after Me there shall be none. I am God; and beside Me there is no Savior. I have declared, and have saved; I have reproached, and there was no strange god among you: ye are my witnesses, and I am the Lord God, even from the beginning; and there is none that can deliver out of My hands: I will work, and who shall turn it back? Thus saith the Lord God that redeemeth you, the Holy One of Israel.

The Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality. And having been a little chastened, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for Himself. As gold in the furnace hath He tried them and received them as a burnt offering. And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign forever. Those who put their trust in Him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with Him: for grace and mercy is to His saints, and He hath care for His elect.

The Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon

The righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High. Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall he cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them. He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armour, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies. He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet. He shall take holiness for an invincible shield. His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise. Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark. And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them. Yea, a mighty wind

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shall stand up against them, and like a storm shall blow them away: thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty. Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations. For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest. At the Aposticha, the stichera of the resurrection, then:

Glory… Tone 6: In hymnody let us praise the forty passion-bearing martyrs, O ye faithful, /and with sweet singing let us cry out to them, saying: /Rejoice, ye athletes of Christ: /Hesychius, Meliton, Heraclius, Smaragdus and Domnus, /Eunoicus, Valens and Vivianus, /Claudius and Priscus! /Rejoice, Theodulus, Euthychius and John, /Xantheas, Helianus, Sisinius, Cyrion, Angius, Aetius and Flavius! /Rejoice, Acacius, Ecditius, Lysimachus, Alexander, Elias, and Candidus, /Theophilus, Dometian and godly Gaius and Gorgonius! /Rejoice, Leontius and Athanasius, Cyril and Sacerdon, /Nicholas and Valerius, /Philoctimon, Severian, Chudion and Aglaius, /for ye have boldness before Christ our God, O most honored martyrs! /Him do ye earnestly beseech, //that they that keep your most precious memory with faith may be saved.

Both now… Tone 4:O Lord Who hast helped gentle David in the combat / and enabled him to overcome the Philistine, / come to the aid of Thine Orthodox people, / and by the weapon of the Cross cast down our enemies. / In Thy compassion show us Thy mercy as of old, / and make them know in truth that Thou art God, / and that we who put our trust in Thee shall conquer. / At the constant intercessions of Thy most pure Mother, // grant us Thy great mercy.

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Troparia: ‘O Theotokos and Virgin, rejoice’ twice, and the troparion of the Cross once:

Tone 1: O Lord, save Thy people/ and bless Thine inheritance. /Grant Thou victory unto Orthodox Christians /over their enemies, /and by the power of Thy Cross //do Thou preserve Thy commonwealth. Once.

Matins

At God is the Lord, the troparion of the resurrection twice, then:

Glory… Tone 1: By the pangs of Thy saints, / be Thou entreated, O Lord, / and heal all our diseases, we beseech Thee, //O Thou Who lovest mankind.

Both now… Tone 1: O Lord, save Thy people/ and bless Thine inheritance. /Grant Thou victory unto Orthodox Christians /over their enemies, /and by the power of Thy Cross //do Thou preserve Thy commonwealth.

Polyeleos

Magnification for the Martyrs (which is sung only once, by the clergy)

Evlogitaria

Hypakoe of the Octoechos, all the sessional hymns of the Martyrs:

Tone 5 [Troparion Tone]: Adornment of the holy martyrs! /Lo! the divinely assembled company of the forty warriors of fourfold radiance! /Tried by fire and intense cold, /the wise ones were truly shown to be soldiers of Christ, the King of all; //and they entreat Him that we be saved.

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Glory… Both now…I weep now before the Judgment, O pure one, /mindful of my wicked and evil deeds, /of the abyss of my transgressions /which hath grown in size from my youth, /stifling my mind. /But by their intercession grant me remission, //and vouchsafe that I obtain salvation.

Hymns of Ascent, and Prokimenon in tone of the week

Matins Gospel

“Having beheld the Resurrection;”

Psalm 50.

Glory: “The doors of repentance,” Both now: “Guide me in the paths of salvation,” “Have mercy on me, O God,” “When I think of the multitude of evil things I have done.”

The Canon:

Resurrection: 4 “Glory to Thy Holy Resurrection, O Lord.”

Martyrs: 4 “Holy martyrs of Sebaste, pray to God for us.”

Cross (in the Triodion): 6 “Glory, O Lord, to thy precious Cross.”

Katavasia: “Moses the servant of God…”

Ode I

Holy martyrs of Sebaste, pray to God for us.

With hymns inspired by God I praise the divinely-crowned regiment of the martyrs of Christ, radiantly celebrating the annual commemoration of the forty, for He hath been glorified.


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Rejecting every title on earth, the forty desired the title of Christian, whence they now dwell in the Highest.


By your supplication, O ye forty martyrs, now render God well-disposed towards us that call upon you with the pure love of our hearts.


Enlightened in the heavens with the rays of the splendor of the three-fold Sun, O ye forty martyrs, protect us that hymn you on earth, which is frozen over by the winter of temptations.

Glory, O Lord, to thy precious Cross.

This is a day of festival: at the Awakening of Christ, death has fled away and the light of life has dawned; Adam has arisen and dances for joy. Therefore let us cry aloud and sing a song of victory.


This is the day of the veneration of the Precious Cross. Now it is placed before us and shines with the brightness of Christ’s Resurrection. Let us all draw near and kiss it with great rejoicing in our souls.


O mighty Cross of the Lord, manifest thyself: show me the divine vision of thy beauty, and grant me worthily to venerate thee. For I speak to thee and embrace thee as though thou was alive.


Let heaven and earth give praise with one accord, for the all-blessed Cross is now set forth before us all, on which Christ’s Body was nailed when He was offered in sacrifice. Let us venerate it with great rejoicing in our souls.

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

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O Trinity of Persons, O Unity of Essense, Father, Son and Spirit, equal in power, one in purpose and will, one in dominion and rule, watch over Thy world and grant it peace.

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Theotokion: O Virgin who hast not known a man, without seed thou hast conceived: pure and sinless is the birth, and the Child thou bearest is the Maker of all, Christ our God. Entreat Him to grant the whole world peace.

Katavasia, Tone 1: Moses the servant of God prefigured Thy Cross /in days of old, when he divided the Red Sea with his rod /and led Israel across on dry land; /and he sang a song of deliverance unto Thee, //O Christ our God.

Ode III


Disdaining the army and life, the comeliness of their bodies and wealth, the right glorious forty martyrs inherited Christ instead of all these things.


When the forty martyrs were beaten mercilessly with stones at the command of the tormentors, through the Spirit of God the stones were hurled back against them that commanded that they be beaten.


O ye martyred company and united chorus of crowned martyrs: standing before the Master, do ye ever save us that sing your praises.


Battered by the lake of the passions and by the waves of grievous temptations, we flee to you, Christ’s forty warriors.


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O come, let us sing a new song, celebrating the overthrow of hell, for Christ has risen from the tomb; death He has taken captive, and saved all the world.


O come, ye faithful, and let us drink, not from a well of earthly water that perishes, but from the fountain of light, as we venerate the Cross of Christ: for His Cross is our glory.


When now we venerate Thy Cross, which Moses once prefigured with his outstretched arms, we put to flight the invisible Amalek, O Christ our Master, and so we gain salvation.


O ye faithful, with pure eyes and lips let us venerate in joy the Cross of the Lord, singing a song of exultation.


I honor one God without beginning, three in Person but undivided in Essence, the Father, the Son and the Spirit of life, in whose Name we were baptized.


Theotokion: In days of old Moses saw thy mystery prefigured in the bush, O hallowed Virgin: just as the flames did not consume it, so the fire of the Godhead has not consumed thy womb.

Katavasia, Tone 1: Through Thy Cross, O Christ my Master, /set me firmly on the rock of the faith: /let not my mind be shaken /by the assaults of the malicious enemy; //for Thou alone art holy.

After Ode III, Kontakion & Ikos of the Martyrs: Tone 6: Having left every military array of the world, /ye cleaved unto the Master in the heavens, /O forty passion-bearers of the Lord; /for, having passed through fire and water, O blessed ones, /as is meet ye received glory from the heavens //

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and a multitude of crowns.

Ikos: Unworthy as I am, I fall down before Christ Almighty, our Creator and God, Who sitteth upon an unapproachable throne, Who stretched out the heavens as it were a curtain, Who established the earth, Who gathered the waters in the bodies thereof, Who created all things out of naught, Who granteth breath and life unto all, Who receiveth hymnody from the archangels, is worshipped by the angels and is glorified by all; and offering up entreaty, I beg the grace of eloquence, that even I may piously hymn the saints whom He Himself showed forth as victors, granting them glory from the heavens and a multitude of crowns.

Sessional hymn of the Martyrs, G/N: Sessional hymn of the Triodion:

Tone 8 [Sticheron Melody]:Having served Christ in martyrdom as warriors /and cast down the enemy through suffering, /in your deeds ye did fulfill the words of the Prophet: /ye went manfully through fire and water, /finding refreshment, life incorruptible. /Wherefore, adorned with heavenly crowns, /ye rejoice with the choirs of the bodiless ones, /O blessed and all-praised passion-bearers. /Entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins //unto them that honor your holy memory with love.

Glory… Both now… Tone 6: Thy Cross, O Lord, is holy, /and brings healing to those who are in sickness through their sins. /Venerating it, we fall before Thee: //have mercy upon us.

Ode IV


“O ye most iniquitous ones, ye are made vainly to offer such a bad bargain!” said the sufferers.


“Let our arms be cut off, let our feet be burned,” the holy ones cried out, “for we shall receive them back incorruptible.”

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O martyrs, through God ye have become our illumination, for ye have clothed yourselves in splendor undimmed.


O divinely elect and crowned assembly of martyrs, pray that they that hymn you be delivered from misfortunes.


“Behold, Christ is risen”, the Angel said to the women bearing sweet spices. “Lament not, but go and say to the apostles: Rejoice, today is the salvation of the world; for through Christ’s death the tyranny of the enemy has been destroyed.”


As we celebrate today the joyful veneration of Thy life-giving Cross, O Christ our Savior, we prepare ourselves for Thy most holy Passion; for thou in Thine almighty power hast brought to pass the salvation of the world.


There is joy today in heaven and on earth, for the sign of the Cross is made manifest to the world. The thrice-blessed Cross is set before us, and to all who show it veneration it is a fount of ever-flowing grace.


What shall we offer Thee, O Christ? For Thou hast given us Thy Precious Cross to venerate, on which Thy holy Blood was shed, to which Thy flesh was fixed by nails. With love we kiss it and give thanks to Thee.


I sing the praises of the three Persons in one Godhead; I proclaim one simple Nature undivided: Father eternal, Son and Holy Spirit, one in throne and lordship, one single Kingdom, one everlasting Power.

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Theotokion: In thee alone among women, O pure Lady, there was revealed a marvelous and fearful thing: thou hast made natures new, conceiving without seed and still remaining as at first a virgin; for the Child that thou hast borne is the true God.

Katavasia, Tone 1: Seeing Thee, O mighty Lord, upon the Cross, /the sun was seized with fear and hid its rays, /with dread the whole creation glorified Thy longsuffering, //and the earth was filled with Thy praise.

Ode V


Through the most mindless savegery of the tormentors, the athletes, condemned to spend the night in the open air in the cold, chanted a hymn of thanksgiving unto God.


Rejoicing, the forty martyrs endured the painful ice, standing in the lake, yet strengthened with the hope of divine crowns.


From the raging of the heretics do ye now deliver the honorable Church of Christ, O forty martyrs; for, having been born within Her, ye have passed on to great dignity and glory.


Appearing to us, the forty divinely splendid martyrs of Christ like fiery beacons light the salvific way of piety for the faithful.


From the tomb hast Thou arisen, O Light that never sets, and shone upon the world with the bright dawn of incorruption. In Thy compassion Thou hast driven out the dark sorrow of death from the farthest ends of the earth.


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Cleansed by abstinence let us draw near, and with fervent praise let us venerate the all-holy Wood on which Christ was crucified, when He saved the world in His compassion.


Today the ranks of angels dance with gladness at the veneration of Thy Cross. For through the Cross, O Christ, thou hast shattered the hosts of devils and saved mankind.


The Church has been revealed as a second Paradise, having within it, like the first Paradise of old, a tree of life, Thy Cross, O Lord. By touching it we share in immortality.


I glorify three coeternal Persons in one Essence, Father, Son and Spirit, a single Light in threefold brightness, one Power and Kingdom in unconfused identity.


Theotokion: Thou hast conceived by the law of nature, but above that law; for thou alone hast borne child without seed. We are afraid to think or speak of the manner of thy giving birth, O all-blameless Virgin.

Katavasia, Tone 1: Rising early in the morning we sing Thy praises, /O Savior of the world, /for we have found peace through Thy Cross. /By it Thou hast renewed mankind, //and led us to the light that knows no evening.

Ode VI


With joy the author of enmity snatched him that fell away from the forty as he had the wretched Judas from the twelve apostles and man from Eden.


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Being shameless, the devil rageth in vain, for as of old by the thief and Matthias, so now by one in the office of guardsman is the tyrant also rent asunder.


O mighty ones, ye have been shown to be watchful and vigilant preservers of the human race and offerers up of supplications; and ye have been set forth as helpers of the grieving.


Shining forth in the Church of Christ in your unexcelled beauties, O all-praised ones, from temptations deliver them that honor you with love.


Thou hast crushed death, O Christ, and risen as a mighty King; Thou hast recalled us from the depths of hell and brought us to the land of immortality, granting us the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven.


O ye faithful, let us cry aloud with joy and sing triumphantly to God, as we greet the Cross of the Lord; for it is a fountain of holiness to all those in the world.


The words of the Psalmist are fulfilled: for see, we worship at the footstool of Thy most pure feet, O Lord all-powerful, at Thy Precious Cross, the thrice-blessed Wood.


The wood which the Prophet of Lamentation saw placed in Thy bread – Thy Cross, O merciful Lord – we venerate, and we sing in praise of Thy bonds and tom, of the spear and nails.


I praise the Unity in three Persons and the Trinity worshipped in one Nature, the Triune God, threefold Light, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

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Theotokion: O Ewe free from blemish, the greatest wonder of all wonders was revealed in thee: for thou hast borne the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. Entreat Him fervently for those who sing thy praises.

Katavasia, Tone 1: Jonah in the belly of the whale /foreshadowed with his outstretched hands the figure of the Cross; /and he leapt out from the monster, //saved by Thy power, O Word.

After Ode VI, the kontakion and ikos from the Triodion. Tone 7: No longer doth the flaming sword guard the gate of Eden, /for a strange extinction hath come upon it, even the Tree of the Cross. /The sting hath been taken from death, /and the victory from hades. /And Thou, my Savior, didst appear unto those in hades, saying: //Enter ye again into Paradise.

Ikos: Pilate set up three crosses in the place of the Skull, two for the thieves and one for the Giver of Life. Seeing Him, hell cried to those below: “O my ministers and powers! Who is this that has fixed a nail in my heart? A wooden spear has pierced me suddenly, and I am torn apart. Inwardly I suffer; anguish has seized my belly and my senses. My spirit trembles, and I am constrained to cast out Adam and his posterity. A tree brought them to my realm, but now the Tree of the Cross brings them back again to Paradise.”

Ode VII


The guard set over the forty martyrs was struck with awe, beholding their crowns; and, rejecting that which bound him to life, taking wing with the love of Thy manifest glory, with the martyrs he sang: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!


Hastening to the soul-destroying bath, he that loved his life doth die; but he that loved Christ, being a most exemplary apprehender of those things which he beheld, sang with the martyrs as in a bath of incorruption: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

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Your annual commemoration hath radiantly dawned, O ye that are most rich, shing far, radiant with the splendor of the Fast. And celebrating it with faith, we chant with you: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!


To all are ye shown to be loosers from the passions and beacons shining from afar, the cleansing of the world, the destruction of the deception, clear-voiced proclaimers of the truth and expellers of falsehood, chanting: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!


Thou hast risen on the third day from the tomb as one awakening from sleep, O Lord, and by Thy divine power Thou hast struck down the gatekeepers of hell; Thou hast raised up all our ancestors from the beginning, O God of our fathers, who alone art blessed and greatly glorified.


This day, ye peoples, let us dance and sing to the music of the harp, and greatly rejoice at the veneration of the Cross, giving glory to Christ who was nailed upon it, the God of our fathers, who alone is blessed and greatly glorified.


Thy Cross, O Lord all-merciful, is honored by the whole world, for Thou hast made the instrument of death into a source of life. Sanctify those who venerate it, O God of our fathers, who alone art blessed and greatly glorified.


Thou alone, O only Jesus, art merciful and tenderhearted: illumine and sanctify those who venerate with faith Thy Cross and Thy divine Passion, O God of our fathers, who alone art blessed and greatly glorified.


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I praise the Godhead, Unity in three Persons: for the Father is Light, the Son is Light, and the Spirit is Light, but the Light remains undivided, shining forth in oneness of Nature, yet in the three rays of the Persons.


Theotokion: Under many different names thou wast proclaimed by all the prophets: for thou hast been revealed as the gateway of God, the golden vessel of manna, the holy land, O Virgin Bride of God who hast conceived in the flesh Jesus Christ, the God of our fathers who is greatly glorified.

Katavasia, Tone 1: The Lord who delivered the Children from the flames /took flesh and came upon the earth: /nailed to the Cross, He has granted us salvation, /the God of our fathers, //who alone is blessed and greatly glorified.

Ode VIII


Savagely inciting every creature against the athletes, the enemy hath been put to shame by them all, for the forty martyrs unceasingly hymn and exalt the Lord supremely for all ages.


Cruelly were the members of your bodies crushed for Christ, and ye were offered unto God as a divine holocaust; with the angels ye ever hold chorus, O martyrs, hymning Christ for all ages.


Ye steadfastly gave yourselves over to a painful death in the midst of winter, O valiant ones; and now, having passed on to the true life which is hidden in Christ, ye beg salvation and remission for us.


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Having passed over from earth to the heavens, O crowned athletes, ye chorus of the victorious martyrs of the Church, ask for us salvation and deliverance from misfortunes, passions and evil circumstances.


“Why do ye hold sweet-smelling spices in your hands? Whom are ye seeking?”, cries the young man at the tomb. “Christ our God is risen, raising up the nature of mortal men from the hidden depths of hell.”


Rejoice, O Cross, thrice-blessed and divine Wood, a light to those in darkness. Shining on the four courners of the earth, thou dost prepare us for the dawn of Christ’s Resurrection. O grant to all the faithful that they may come to the festival of Pascha.


On this day the Wood anointed with life, the Cross of Christ, fills all things with the perfume of divine grace. Let us smell its God-given fragrance, venerating it with faith for ever.


Come, Elisha the prophet, and tell us plainly: What was the wood that thou hast cast into the water? “It was the Cross of Christ, which draws us up from the depths of corruption: and we venerate it with faith for ever.”

We bless, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Lord.

I glorify one Substance in three beings: Father, Son, and Spirit, neither confused in Persons nor divided in Essence; for there is one God in Trinity, ruling over all for ever.


Theotokion: Alone among mothers, Mary Bride of God, thou hast remained a virgin. Without knowing man thou hast given birth to the Savior Christ, yet kept the seal of thy purity unbroken; and with all the faithful we shall call thee blessed for ever.

Choir: We praise, we bless, we worship the Lord,/ praising and supremely exalting Him // unto all ages.

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Katavasia, Tone 1: Daniel, great among the prophets, /was cast into the lions’ den; /but, stretching out his hands in the form of the Cross, /he was delivered from their mouths and kept unharmed, //blessing Christ our God forever.

Ode IX


Stripped naked and beaten with stones for Christ’s sake, ye endured the wintry air, icy water and crushing of your limbs; and having been consumed by fire, O ye forty martyrs, ye shine forth in the rushing river like beacons.


Having acquired the Cross as a staff of divine power, the forty athletes cried out to Christ: O Master, almighty Conqueror, crown us by Thine own hand, that we may all magnify Thee unceasingly with hymns!


Supernatural illumination and ineffable joy and glory have ye been vouchsafed to receive; and now, O soldiers of Christ, ye forty martyrs, from temptations, misfortunes and the wickedness of the enemy deliver them that honor you with love.


Having received power and might from the heavens, O ye that are most rich, fellow prisoners of Christ, ye have become dispellers of falsehood, driving away all the ephemeral gloom of idolatry and enlightening the world, O forty martyrs.


Thou hast gone down into the tomb, O God the Giver of Life, and Thou hast broken all the bolts and bars, raising up the dead who cry aloud: Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ, the Savior all-powerful.


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Thy tomb, O Christ, has brought me life: for Thou, the Lord of life, hast come and cried to those who were dwelling in the grave: “O all who are in bonds, be loosed: for I am come, the Ransom of the world.”


Let all the trees of the forest dance and sing, as they behold their fellow-tree, the Cross, today receiving veneration: for Christ, as holy David prophesied, has exalted it on high.


I died through a tree, but I have found in thee a Tree of life, O Cross of Christ. Thou art my invincible protector, my strong defence against the demons. Venerating thee this day, I cry aloud: sanctify me by thy glory.


I worship Thee, O holy God, as Trinity of Persons in Unity of Essence, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one Power and Kingdom, sovereign over all.


Theotokion: Thou art the great mountain, O Virgin, wherein Christ dwelt, as holy David says. By thee we are raised up to heaven, all-blessed Lady, regaining through the Spirit the adoption of sons.

Katavasia, Tone 1: O Virgin Mother and true Theotokos, /without seed thou hast borne Christ our God, /who was lifted in the flesh upon the Cross. /We and all the faithful, as is right, //magnify thee with thy Son.

The Expostilarion of the Resurrection:

Glory… [Special melody: Hearken, ye women…”]Let us hymn as is meet /the company of forty, /the victorious regiment, the array of the holy martyrs, /for by fire, ice and water /they have put to shame the regiments of the adversary /and have received crowns of glory //from Christ the Savior.

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Both now...Seeing the Precious Cross of Christ placed this day before us, / let us venerate it and rejoice in faith; / with love let us greet the Lord / Who by His own free choice was crucified upon it, / asking Him to grant us all uncondemned to adore His Holy Passion // and to attain the Resurrection.

At the Praises, 4 stichera of the Resurrection, and 5 from the Triodion:

Praise Him with timbrel and dance, * praise him with strings and flute.

Tone 4:With our voices / let us shout and magnify in songs the Precious Cross; / let us kiss it and cry out: / O honored Cross, / sanctify our souls and bodies by thy power, / and keep unharmed from all malice of the enemy // those who venerate thee with true reverence.

Praise Him with tuneful cymbals, praise Him with cymbals of jubilation. * Let every breath praise the Lord.

Approach and draw waters that shall never fail, / flowing from the grace of the Cross. / See now set before you the holy Wood, source of divine gifts, / on which there fell blood and water / from the wounded side of the Lord of all. / Of His own will He was raised upon the Cross, // and with Himself He has raised up mortal man.

Exalt ye the Lord our God: * and worship at the footstool of His feet, for He is holy.

O honored Cross, / thou art the firm foundation of the Church, / the strength of kings, the glory and defense of monks. / Venerating thee today, we are filled with light in heart and soul, / through the divine grace of the Lord Who was nailed upon thee / and overthrew the power of our deceitful enemy, // bringing the curse to naught.

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

With our voices / let us shout and magnify in songs the Precious Cross; / let us kiss it and cry out: / O honored Cross, / sanctify our souls and bodies by thy power, / and keep unharmed from all malice of the enemy // those who venerate thee with true reverence.

Arise, O Lord my God, let Thy hand be lifted high: * forget not Thy paupers to the end.

Tone 8: The Lord of all has taught us in a parable / to shun the boastful thoughts of the evil Pharisees; / and He has instructed all of us not to think more highly than we should. / He Himself became our pattern and example, / for He emptied Himself even unto death upon the Cross. / Let us therefore render thanks with the Publican and say: / O God who hast suffered for us and yet remained impassable, // deliver us from the passions and save our souls.

Glory...

The Lord of all has taught us...

Both now..., and the theotokion in Tone 2 [Most blessed are thou…].

During the stichera of the Praises the officiating priest puts on all his vestments. While the choir sings the Great Doxology, he takes incense and goes three times round the Holy Table, on which lies the Precious Cross upon a tray with branches of basil or flowers; and he censes the Cross from the four sides. Then, while the choir sings the concluding Holy God to a slow and solemn melody, he takes the Cross with the tray and, placing it upon his head, he proceeds round the Holy Table and out of the sanctuary through the north door, preceded by candles and by the deacon with the Incense. The priest stops in front of the Holy Doors, facing to the east, and when the final Holy God has ended, he says: Wisdom, let us attend. Then we sing the troparion of the feast three times.

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Tone 1: O Lord, save Thy people/ and bless Thine inheritance. /Grant Thou victory unto Orthodox Christians /over their enemies, /and by the power of Thy Cross //do Thou preserve Thy commonwealth. Thrice.

The priest proceeds to the center of the church, and places the Cross on a table or analogion specially prepared for it; and he censes the Cross from the four sides of the table, going round it three times. Then the priest sings three times, in Tone VI:

Before Thy Cross, / we bow down in worship, O Master, / and Thy holy Resurrection // we glorify.

This is repeated three times by the choir and people. Meanwhile the priest makes two prostrations in front of the Cross and kisses it, after which he makes another prostration. The Cross is then venerated by the other clergy in order of rank and by all the faithful, each making two prostrations before venerating the Cross and one after.

During the veneration of the Cross, the choir sings the following:

Tone 2:Come, ye faithful, / let us bow down before the life-creating Tree, / whereon of His own will Christ, the King of glory, / stretching forth His hands, / hath raised us up to our former blessed state, / of which the enemy of old deprived us through pleasure, / causing us to be driven out of paradise by God! / Come, ye faithful, / let us bow down before that by which we have been vouchsafed / to crush the heads of the invisible foe! / Come, all ye peoples of our fatherland, / let us honor the Cross of the Lord with hymns, crying: / Rejoice, O Cross, thou perfect deliverance of fallen Adam; / for in thee do most faithful rulers boast, / for through thy power are the Moslem hordes mightily subjected! / And now, venerating with fear thee upon whom God was nailed, / we Christians render glory, saying: / O Lord Who wast nailed thereto, / have mercy upon us, // in that Thou art good and lovest mankind!

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Tone 8:Today the Master of creation and Lord of glory / is nailed to the Cross, / and His side is pierced by a spear. / Of gall and vinegar doth He partake, / Who is the Sweetness of the Church. / He is invested with a crown of thorns, / and He Who covereth the sky with clouds is arrayed in garments of mockery. / He is smitten with a hand of clay / Who fashioned man with His own hands, / and He is beaten about the shoulders / Who arrayeth heaven with clouds. / My Deliverer and God deigneth to be spat upon and wounded, / mocked and buffeted, / and endureth all things for the sake of me, who am condemned, / that He might save the world from deception, // in that He is compassionate.

Glory...Today He Who is intangible in essence / becometh tangible to me / and undergoeth suffering, freeing me from the passions. / He Who granteth light to the blind / is spat upon by the mouths of the iniquitous, / and giveth His shoulders over to stripes / for those who have been made captive. / And the pure Virgin Mother, / seeing Him upon the Cross, cried aloud in pain: / "Woe is me, O my Child! / What is this that Thou hast done? / Thou Who art comely in beauty beyond all men / dost show Thyself to be bereft of breath and sight, / lacking in appearance and beauty. / Woe is me, O my Light! / I cannot look upon Thee asleep. / I am wounded within, / and a cruel sword passeth through my heart! / I hymn Thy sufferings, / I worship Thy loving-kindness. // O Long-suffering One, glory be to Thee!

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Both now... Tone 6:Today the words of the Prophet are fulfilled: / for see, we worship at the place on which Thy feet have stood, O Lord; / and tasting from the Tree of salvation, / we have been delivered from our sinful passions / at the intercessions of the Theotokos, // O Thou who alone lovest mankind.

Revised 4/4/2016

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