Books - Sources

Menaion - September 21

Leave-taking of the Feast.

__________

MATINS

CHOIR

Mode 1.

God is the Lord, and He revealed Himself to us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. [SAAS]

Verse 1: Give thanks to the Lord and call upon His holy name.

Verse 2: All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I defended myself against them.

Verse 3: And this came about from the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes.

Apolytikion. For the Cross.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 1.

Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting victory to the faithful over the enemy, and by Your Cross protecting Your commonwealth. [GOA] (3)

PRIEST

Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.

CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.

PRIEST

Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.

CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.

PRIEST

Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

CHOIR: To You, O Lord.

PRIEST

For Yours is the dominion, and Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.

CHOIR: Amen.

CHOIR

Kathisma I.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 1. The stone had been secured.

Τοῦ λίθου σφραγισθέντος.

We venerate the wood of Your Cross, O humane One, * for You, the Life of all, were nailed to it. * O Savior, You opened Paradise to the Robber who approached You with faith. * He was counted worthy of delight, confessing You, Remember me, O Lord. * Accept us as You accepted him, * for we now cry, We all have sinned * against Your compassion. Do not abandon us. [SD]

Glory. Both now. Repeat.

We venerate the wood of Your Cross, O humane One, * for You, the Life of all, were nailed to it. * O Savior, You opened Paradise to the Robber who approached You with faith. * He was counted worthy of delight, confessing You, Remember me, O Lord. * Accept us as You accepted him, * for we now cry, We all have sinned * against Your compassion. Do not abandon us. [SD]

Kathisma II.

From Menaion - - -

Mode pl. 2.

The wood of Your Cross was merely planted, O Christ, and the foundations of death were shaken, O Lord. Hades had swallowed You eagerly, but with trembling it disgorged You. You have shown us Your salvation, O Holy One, and we glorify You, Son of God. Have mercy on us. [SD]

Glory. Both now. Repeat.

The wood of Your Cross was merely planted, O Christ, and the foundations of death were shaken, O Lord. Hades had swallowed You eagerly, but with trembling it disgorged You. You have shown us Your salvation, O Holy One, and we glorify You, Son of God. Have mercy on us. [SD]

READER

Psalm 50 (51).

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the abundance of Your compassion, blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from my lawlessness and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my lawlessness, and my sin is always before me. Against You only have I sinned and done evil in Your sight; that You may be justified in Your words, and overcome when You are judged. For behold, I was conceived in transgressions, and in sins my mother bore me. Behold, You love truth; You showed me the unknown and secret things of Your wisdom. You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; You shall wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow. You shall make me hear joy and gladness; my bones that were humbled shall greatly rejoice. Turn Your face from my sins, and blot out all my transgressions. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your guiding Spirit. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and the ungodly shall turn back to You. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall greatly rejoice in Your righteousness. O Lord, You shall open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For if You desired sacrifice, I would give it; You will not be pleased with whole burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken and humbled heart God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Your good pleasure to Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built; then You will be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with offerings and whole burnt offerings; then shall they offer young bulls on Your altar. [SAAS]

Kontakion.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 4. Automelon.

Ὁ ὑψωθεὶς ἐν τῷ Σταυρῷ.

You who were lifted on the cross voluntarily, * O Christ our God, bestow Your tender compassions * upon Your new community to which You gave Your name. * Cause our faithful emperors to be glad in Your power, * granting them the victories against their adversaries. * And for an ally, Lord, may they have You, * peace as their armor, the trophy invincible. [SD]

Oikos.

Paul, who was caught up into Paradise beyond the third heaven, and who heard the unspeakable and divine words that it is not permissible for tongues to utter, writes to the Galatians what you, as lovers of the Scriptures, have read and already know. “God forbid,” says he, “that I should boast except in the Cross of the Lord, whereby He suffered and thus killed the passions.” This very Cross of the Lord, then, let us all surely hold as our boast. For this wood is our salvation, the shield of peace, the trophy invincible. [GKD]

Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.

Synaxarion

From the Menaion.

On September 21 we commemorate the holy Apostle Quadratus.

By the intercessions of Your Saints, O God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Katavasias Odes 1-8

CHOIR

Katavasias of the Cross

Ode i. Mode pl. 4.

Moses prefigured the Cross. * Lifting up the rod, he stretched out his hand and split the Sea for Israel to cross on land. * Then he stretched it out again, * and the sea returned and covered Pharaoh’s chariots. * The Cross was thus portrayed as our invincible armor. * So let us sing to the Lord, * Christ our God, for He is greatly glorified. [GOASD]

Ode iii.

The rod of Aaron is seen as typifying the mystery; * for it budded, and thus was the priest selected. * Now in the Church, that was barren once, the Cross of Christ, like a tree, * has blossomed forth, * as power and a firm support. [GOASD]

Ode iv.

I have heard the report, O Lord, * of Your incarnation, which is a mystery. * I considered Your astounding works, * and I glorified Your divinity. [GOASD]

Ode v.

Tree of the Cross, you are thrice-blessed, * for Jesus Christ, who is King and Lord, was crucified on you. * Through you fallen is the one who by a tree deceived us, * for he was lured by God who in the flesh indeed * was hung and nailed to you, * and who grants to our souls His peace. [GOASD]

Ode vi.

In the belly of the sea beast * the prophet Jonah prayed with his arms extended crosswise; * thus he clearly prefigured the saving Passion of Christ. * When after three days he emerged, * he was depicting the supernal resurrection from the dead * of Christ God, who was physically nailed to the Cross * and by His third-day arising illumined the universe. [GOASD]

Ode vii.

The impious tyrant’s preposterous decree disturbed the populace, * breathing threats and blasphemous pronouncements hateful to God. * His brutal anger did not intimidate * the three Servants, nor did the consuming fire. * But when the dew-laden breeze whistled against the fire, they joined it and together sang, * “Blessed are You, O Lord. You are highly praised, O God, the God of our fathers.” [GOASD]

Ode viii.

We praise and we bless and we worship the Lord.

You three pious Servants, * same in number as the Trinity, * bless God the Father, Maker of all; * sing a hymn to the Word who condescended * and who changed the fire in the furnace into dew; * as for the all-holy Spirit, who gives life to all, exalt Him * beyond measure unto the ages. [GOASD]

Stand for the singing of Ode ix.

DEACON

Let us honor and magnify in song the Theotokos and the Mother of the light.

CHOIR

From Menaion - - -

Ode ix.

Mode pl. 4. Heirmos.

Μυστικὸς εἶ Θεοτόκε.

Theotokos, you are mystical Paradise, * for without husbandry you have blossomed Christ, * by whom on earth the Cross, as a life-bearing tree, has been planted and watered. * As it is now exalted, * we adore Him and worship Him and magnify you. (2)

Troparia.

[All-holy] Cross of Christ, guard us by your power.

Let all the trees of the forest greatly rejoice, * because their nature was sanctified when Christ, * by whom they were originally planted on earth, * was crucified upon one. * As it is now exalted, * we adore Him and worship Him and magnify Him. [SD]

[All-holy] Cross of Christ, guard us by your power.

A sacred horn of the Head of all has been raised up, * the Cross of Christ, for people of godly mind. * By it are all the horns of intelligible sinners completely crushed and broken. * As it is now exalted, * we adore Him and worship Him and magnify Him. [SD]

Another Heirmos.

Mode pl. 4. Heirmos.

Ὁ διὰ βρώσεως.

Eating the tree’s forbidden fruit once * in Paradise brought death to the human race. * But through the Cross, today death has no effect, * because the curse that fell on the entire human race through mother Eve * was undone by the Offspring of the all pure Mother of God, who now is by all the hosts of heaven magnified. [SD]

Troparia.

[All-holy] Cross of Christ, guard us by your power.

You did not let the bitter taste of the tree annihilate us, O Lord our God, * but by Your Cross You eradicated it. * And to prefigure what Your Cross would do, * the wood dissolved the bitterness * of the water of Marah in times of old. * This power of the Cross is by all the hosts of heaven magnified. [SD]

Glory.

We were continually plunged in our forefather’s darkness, O Lord our God; * but through the Cross, today You have raised us up. * Even as all of human nature was swept down by error uncontrollably, * so the light of Your Cross lifted the entire human race. * And therefore we the believers magnify the Cross. [SD]

Both now.

Wishing to show the world that truly * the figure of Your Cross is most glorious * and should be venerated by everyone, * O Lord, You formed it in the sky above resplendently with boundless light, * the invincible armor that Constantine the Emperor adopted, * which all the hosts of heaven magnify. [SD]

Ode 9: Katavasia

Ode ix. Katavasia. Mode pl. 4.

Theotokos, you are mystical Paradise, * for without husbandry you have blossomed Christ, * by whom on earth the Cross, as a life-bearing tree, has been planted and watered. * As it is now exalted, * we adore Him and worship Him and magnify you. [GOASD]

Another Katavasia. Mode pl. 4.

Eating the tree’s forbidden fruit once * in Paradise brought death to the human race. * But through the Cross, today death has no effect, * because the curse that fell on the entire human race through mother Eve * was undone by the Offspring of the all pure Mother of God, who now is by all the hosts of heaven magnified. [GOASD]

PRIEST

Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.

CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.

PRIEST

Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.

CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.

PRIEST

Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

CHOIR: To You, O Lord.

PRIEST

For all the powers of heaven praise You, and to You they offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.

CHOIR: Amen.

CHOIR

Exaposteilaria.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 2. With the disciples.

Τῶν Μαθητῶν ὁρώντων σε.

O Cross, you are the guardian of the whole world. * O Cross, you are the height of the Church’s beauty. * O Cross, you are what strengthened the Emperors. * O Cross, the believers’ firm support. * O Cross, the glory of Angels * and the defeat of the demons. [SD]

Another.

Mode 2. O Women, hearken.

Γυναῖκες ἀκουτίσθητε.

Exalted is Your Cross today, and all the world is sanctified. * O Christ, who sit together with the Father and the Spirit, * You stretched Your hands upon this Cross, * and thus You drew the whole wide world * to knowledge of You, O Savior. * Count worthy of divine glory * those who with faith obey You. [SD]

Lauds. Mode pl. 4.

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest. It is fitting to sing a hymn to You, O God. [SAAS]

Praise Him, all you His angels; praise Him, all you His hosts. It is fitting to sing a hymn to You, O God. [SAAS]

Show Stichologia

Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars and light.

Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens. Let them praise the Lord’s name.

For He spoke, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created.

He established them forever and unto ages of ages; He set forth His ordinance, and it shall not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you dragons and all the deeps.

Fire and hail, snow and ice, stormy wind, which perform His word.

Mountains and all the hills, fruitful trees and all cedars.

Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds.

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all judges of the earth.

Young men and maidens, elders with younger, let them praise the Lord’s name, for His name alone is exalted.

His thanksgiving is in earth and heaven. And He shall exalt the horn of His people.

A hymn for all His saints, for the children of Israel, a people who draw near to Him.

Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of His holy ones.

Let Israel be glad in Him who made him, and let the children of Zion greatly rejoice in their King.

Let them praise His name with dance; with tambourine and harp let them sing to Him.

For the Lord is pleased with His people, and He shall exalt the gentle with salvation.

The holy ones shall boast in glory, and they shall greatly rejoice on their beds.

The high praise of God shall be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand.

To deal retribution to the nations, reproving among the peoples.

To shackle their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron.

To fulfill among them the written judgment: this glory have all His holy ones.

Praise God in His saints; praise Him in the firmament of His power.

Hide Stichologia

From Menaion - - -

Mode pl. 4. What a paradoxal.

Ὢ τοῦ παραδόξου.

Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness. [SAAS]

What a paradoxal miracle! * Behold, the life-bearing plant, * the all-holy and precious Cross,* is appearing on display * and is carried aloft today. * Now all the ends of the earth do glorify, * and all the demons are greatly terrified. * Oh, what a gift is this * that to mortals has been granted! Hence, O Christ * the only compassionate, * do thereby save our souls. [SD]

Praise Him with the sound of trumpet; praise Him with the harp and lyre. [SAAS]

What a paradoxal miracle! * Behold, the life-bearing plant, * the all-holy and precious Cross,* is appearing on display * and is carried aloft today. * Now all the ends of the earth do glorify, * and all the demons are greatly terrified. * Oh, what a gift is this * that to mortals has been granted! Hence, O Christ * the only compassionate, * do thereby save our souls. [SD]

Praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise Him with strings and flute. [SAAS]

What a paradoxal miracle! * The Cross that held the Most High * like a grape cluster full of life * is observed by all to be * exalted from the earth today: * the Cross, through which we have all been drawn to God, * and by which death was completely swallowed up. * O immaculate Tree, * whereby we again enjoy the deathless food * that was in Eden of old, * and Christ we glorify. [SD]

Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with triumphant cymbals; let everything that breathes praise the Lord. [SAAS]

What a paradoxal miracle! * Behold the breadth and the length * of the Cross are the same as those * of the sky. For by divine * grace it hallows the universe. * By it barbarian nations are subdued, * by it the scepters of kings have been secured. * O holy and divine * ladder whereby to the heavens we return, * as we offer songs of praise * exalting Christ the Lord. [SD]

Glory. Both now.

From Menaion - - -

Mode pl. 2.

Today the Cross of the Lord comes out, and the faithful receive it with longing, and they obtain healings of soul and body and of every infirmity. Let us kiss it with joy and with fear: with fear, for we are unworthy because of sin; and with joy, because of the salvation, which Christ the Lord grants us, since He was nailed to the Cross, and He has great mercy. [SD]

Stand for the Great Doxology.

Great Doxology

Glory be to You who showed the light. Glory in the highest to God. His peace is on earth, His good pleasure in mankind. [SD]

We praise You, we bless You, we worship You, we glorify You, we give thanks to You for Your great glory.

Lord King, heavenly God, Father, Ruler over all; Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; and You, O Holy Spirit.

Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us, You who take away the sins of the world.

Accept our supplication, You who sit at the right hand of the Father, and have mercy on us.

For You alone are holy, You alone are Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Every day I will bless You, and Your name will I praise to eternity, and to the ages of ages.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, this day, that we be kept without sin.

Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Your name to the ages. Amen.

Let Your mercy be on us, O Lord, as we have set our hope on You.

Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes.

Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes.

Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes.

Lord, You have been our refuge from generation to generation. I said: Lord, have mercy on me. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.

Lord, I have fled to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.

For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we shall see light.

Continue Your mercy to those who know You.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)

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

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Apolytikion.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 1.

Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting victory to the faithful over the enemy, and by Your Cross protecting Your commonwealth. [GOA]