ON THURSDAY EVENING
At, Lord, I have cried, Prosomia.
Stichera for the Cross.
Mode 2. Joseph took You down.
Savior, when You hung upon the Cross, * seeing You the sun became darkened from overwhelming fear, * and the curtain of the Temple then was torn in two, * and the earth shook in every place, * and likewise in horror * rocks and boulders split apart, unable to behold * hanging on a cross their Creator * willfully to suffer unjustly, * nor the lawless men humiliating You. [SD]
Since You have been lifted on the Cross, * the malignant serpent has utterly been cast down to earth, * overthrown completely, as a slain monstrosity, * O benevolent Savior Christ, * while Adam the former * convict from the curse is loosed, and he is being saved. * Therefore we implore You, O Master: * Save us, and on all have compassion, * and account us worthy of Your blessed Rule. [SD]
Savior, and the Life of all the world, * when the lawless people suspended You on a wooden cross, * all creation, horrified, then quaked in fear and awe. * By Your might and divinity * the kingdom of Hades * disappeared, accompanied by the dominion of death. * Then, too, did the forefather Adam * joyfully cry out to You: Glory * to Your condescension and benevolence. [SD]
Additional Stichera. For the Theotokos. Same Melody.
Pure one, we entreat you to incline * unto our petition and grant us your servants founts of tears * so that we may weep and thereby wash away the stains * of our sins, O all-blameless one, * and also extinguish * the flame of the never-ending and most bitter fire. * For indeed you answer the prayers * of those who wholeheartedly call on * you the holy Mother of our Lord and God. [SD]
Glory. Both now. Stavrotheotokion. Same Melody.
Prokeimenon. Mode pl. 2.
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Verse: I lifted my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? [SAAS]
At the Aposticha.
Aposticha. Mode 2. For the Cross.
By the power of Your Cross, save me, O Christ my Savior, Who saved Peter in the sea, and have mercy on me, O God. [SD]
Verse: I lift my eyes to You, who dwell in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hands of their masters, as the eyes of the maidservant look to the hands of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God until He shall have compassion on us. [SAAS]
O Christ our God, You have made the tree of Your Cross a tree of life for us who believe in You. Through it You destroyed him who had the power of death, and granted life to us who were dead because of sin. Therefore we cry out to You, O Benefactor of all: Glory to You, O Lord. [SD]
Verse: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we are greatly filled with contempt; our soul is greatly filled with it. We are a disgrace to those who prosper, and a contempt to the arrogant. [SAAS]
For the Martyrs.
The prizewinning Martyrs, who loved no earthly enjoyments, were accounted worthy of the bounties of heaven. They have become fellow citizens of the Angels. By their intercessions, O Lord, have mercy on us and save us. [SD]
Glory. Both now. Stavrotheotokion. Joseph took You down.
Pure one, when you saw the Bunch of grapes * hanging on the Cross wholly ripened, which without being tilled * you had carried in your womb, that is your Son and God, * you lamented and mourned aloud * and cried: O my Child, * let the new sweet wine drip forth, O Benefactor, by which * all intoxication of passions * may be swept away in Your mercy, * through the ardent prayers of me who gave You birth. [SD]
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ON FRIDAY MORNING
MATINS
After the first Psalter reading, Kathismata. For the Cross.
Mode 2.
You worked salvation in the midst of the earth, O Christ our God. You stretched out your immaculate hands on the Cross, and gathered all the nations, who cry to You: “Lord, glory to You!” [SD]
O benevolent Lord, as an intercessor we we present to You the life-giving Cross of Your goodness, which we the unworthy have as a gift from You. Save our leaders and our nation and keep them in peace, through the Theotokos. [SD]
Glory. Both now. Stavrotheotokion. As the Mother of God.
When the Ewe-lamb and Virgin beheld * that Christ was being killed, she lamented and she cried out, * “Who could be so shameless and murderous? Sun, in utter horror, now hide your rays. For He who created everything is willingly put to death; * the Lord of angelic hosts is viewed as a criminal.” [SD]
After the second Psalter reading, Kathismata. For the Cross. Automelon.
We venerate Your immaculate icon, O good Lord, and entreat You to forgive our offenses, O Christ our God. By Your own choice you were pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh, to deliver us, whom You created, from our slavery to the foe. Therefore we cry to You with gratitude: You have filled all things with joy, O our Savior, by coming to save the world. [SD]
O Savior, you illumined the earth by Your Cross, and You called all sinners to repentance. I pray You do not separate me from Your flock, O Good Shepherd. But rather look for me, the lost sheep, and include me in Your holy flock, O only good and benevolent Master. [SD]
Glory. Both now. Stavrotheotokion.
You are supremely glorified, O Virgin Theotokos; we sing your praise. By your Son’s crucifixion, Hades was overthrown and death itself has died. We who were dead have risen and have been granted life. We have received the original enjoyment of Paradise. Therefore we give thanks and send up glory to Christ our God, the only strong and very merciful Lord. [GOASD]
After the third Psalter reading, Kathismata.
For the Cross.
Like the Robber, I confess, and I cry to You who are good: “Remember me, O Lord, in Your kingdom.” Number me with him, O Savior who voluntarily accepted to suffer on our behalf. [SD]
For the Martyrs.
In the world the Saints had You as their cover, You who cover heaven with clouds. They endured the torments of the ungodly, and they destroyed the error of idolatry. By their entreaties, O Lord, liberate us from the invisible enemy, and save us. [SD]
Glory. Both now. Stavrotheotokion.
When Your Mother, who gave birth to You without seed, was standing near Your Cross, she could not bear to watch You suffer unjustly. She lamented and wept and cried out to You, “O sweetest Son of mine, how do You suffer, since You are by nature impassible? I extol Your extreme goodness.” [SD]
Canon for the Cross.
Mode 2. Ode i. Heirmos.
When they had traversed dry-shod * the sea path that was untrodden and unusual, * then chosen Israel did cry aloud: * Let us sing unto the Lord, for He is glorified. [SD]
Troparia.
For the Martyrs.
Stavrotheotokion.
Canon for the Theotokos.
Peoples, now come.
Ode iii. Heirmos.
You strengthened me on the rock of faith, O Savior. * You made me smile at my enemies and deride them. * My spirit is rejoicing, as I am singing, * “No one is holy like our God, * and no one is righteous but You, O Lord.” [SD]
Troparia.
For the Martyrs.
Stavrotheotokion.
Canon for the Theotokos. Establish us in You.
Ode iv. Heirmos.
You came, O Lord, * not an elder nor angel, but You yourself, * God incarnate, being born of a pure Virgin, thus saving me * and all of humanity. * Therefore I sing to You: * Glory to Your strength, O Lord! [SD]
Troparia.
For the Martyrs.
Stavrotheotokion.
Canon for the Theotokos. I have heard about Your glorious.
Ode v. Heirmos.
Troparia.
For the Martyrs.
Stavrotheotokion.
Canon for the Theotokos. Lord, the provider of light.
Ode vi. Heirmos.
Troparia.
For the Martyrs.
Stavrotheotokion.
Canon for the Theotokos. Like a deep sea, my sins.
Ode vii. Heirmos.
The godless decree of the unlawful tyrant * commanded the stoking of the furnace’s fiery flame. * But Christ joined His pious Servants, and He covered them * with the Spirit’s dewy breeze. * He is praised and blessed and exceedingly glorious. [SD]
Troparia.
For the Martyrs.
Stavrotheotokion.
Canon for the Theotokos. The image of gold.
Ode viii. Heirmos.
Those thrice-blessed Young Men * demonstrated their disdain for the golden image, * for they had seen the living Image of God that is exact and unaltered. * Standing in the furnace they sang aloud, * “Everything the Lord has created with substance, extol and bless Him; * exalt Him beyond measure, unto all the ages.” [SD]
Troparia.
For the Martyrs.
Stavrotheotokion.
Canon for the Theotokos. When God went down.
Ode ix. Heirmos.
Every tongue is dumbfounded to extol as is worthy; * a super-mundane mind is dizzied praising you with hymns, O Theotokos. * Nonetheless accept our faith, since you are full of goodness, * for you have seen our longing indeed inspired by God. * Lady, as the protectress of Christians, you do we magnify. [SD]
Troparia.
For the Martyrs.
Stavrotheotokion.
Canon for the Theotokos. Being from God.
At the Aposticha of Lauds.
Aposticha. Mode 2. For the Cross.
“Let Him be crucified!” cried they who had always enjoyed Your gifts of grace; and they asked to receive a malefactor instead of You, the Benefactor, those slayers of the righteous. But You, were silent, enduring their impudence, for You willed to suffer and to save us, O benevolent Christ. [SD]
Verse: We were filled with Your mercy in the morning, and in all our days we greatly rejoiced and were glad; gladden us in return for the days You humbled us, for the years we saw evil things. And behold Your servants and Your works, and guide their sons. [SAAS]
Willingly You assumed the poverty of Adam, O Christ our God, and You came to earth and became incarnate of the Virgin. Then You accepted to be crucified, to free us from our bondage to the foe. Glory to You, O Lord. [SD]
Verse: And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the works of our hands. [SAAS]
For the Martyrs.
O medal-winning Martyrs, for Christ you suffered to the point of death. Now your souls are in heaven in the hand of God, and your relics are processed throughout the world. Clergy and world leaders venerate them, and all people rejoice, and we shout the well known verse: “Precious sleep in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints.” [SD]
Glory. Both now. Stavrotheotokion. Joseph took You down.
When the Ewe-lamb saw You on the Cross, * You her Son and Lamb, whom she brought forth, * now being pierced with nails, * she was overcome with grief and great astonishment; * and she wept and cried out to You, * “How is it You die now, * wishing to tear up the record that has stood against * first-created Adam, and free all * humanity from death? O benevolent Lord, * glory to Your plan by which You save the world!” [SD]
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LITURGY
The Beatitudes. Mode 2.
We present You the robber’s words and we prayerfully echo them; and like him we cry out, O Savior: In Your kingdom remember us. [SD]
Sinless Lord, You were crucified on the Place of the Skull and crushed * the skull of the crafty foe, and You saved the world. [SD]
You uprooted the thorn of evil, O long-suffering Lord, when You * wore a crown of thorns on Your head for us voluntarily. [SD]
For the Martyrs.
You were crushed, and you clearly crushed all the error of the enemy, * and thus you, O Martyrs, received your halos from Christ our God. [SD]
Glory.
By the sprinkling of divine blood, we believers are illumined, * and we worship the single Godhead in three hypostases. [SD]
Both now. Stavrotheotokion.
You saw Christ hanging on the Cross as a Lamb, O all-blameless one. * As His Mother you cried out in grief, and you magnified Him. [SD]