SEPTEMBER 14
The Universal Exaltation of the Honoured and Life-giving Cross

VESPERS
Blessed is our God always, now and ever, and unto Ages of Ages. Amen.
Come, let us worship and bow down before God our King.
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ, our God and our King.
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ, Himself, our God and our King.

Psalm 103
Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord my God, You have been magnified exceedingly.
Confession and majesty have You put on, Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretches out the heaven as it were a curtain; Who supports His chambers in the waters,
Who appoints the clouds for His ascent, Who walks upon the wings of the winds,
Who makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire,
Who establishes the earth in the sureness thereof; it shall not be turned back forever and ever.
The abyss like a garment is His mantle; upon the mountains shall the waters stand.
At Your rebuke they will flee, at the voice of Your thunder shall they be afraid.
The mountains rise up and the plains sink down, unto the place where You have established them.
You appoint a bound that they shall not pass, neither return to cover the earth.
He sends forth springs in the valleys; between the mountains will the waters run.
They shall give drink to all the beasts of the field; the wild asses will wait to quench their thirst.
Beside them will the birds of the heaven lodge, from the midst of the rocks will they give voice.
He waters the mountains from His chambers; the earth shall be satisfied with the fruit of Your works.
He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men,
To bring forth bread out of the earth; and wine makes glad the heart of man.
To make his face cheerful with oil; and bread strengthens man's heart.
The trees of the plain shall be satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon, which You have planted.
There will the sparrows make their nests; the house of the heron is chief among them.
The high mountains are a refuge for the harts, and so is the rock for the hares.
He has made the moon for seasons; the sun knows his going down.
You appointed the darkness, and there was the night, wherein all the beasts of the forest will go abroad.
Young lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their food from God.
The sun arises, and they are gathered together, and they lay them down in their dens.
But man shall go forth unto his work, and to his labour until the evening.
How magnified are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom have You made them all; the earth is filled with Your creation.
So is this great and spacious sea, therein are things creeping innumerable, small living creatures with the great.
There go the ships; there this dragon, whom You have made to play therein.
All things wait on You, to give them their food in due season; when You give it them, they will gather it.
When You open Your hand, all things shall be filled with goodness; when You turn away Your face, they shall be troubled.
You will take their spirit, and they shall cease; and unto their dust shall they return.
You will send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created; and You shall renew the face of the earth.
Let the glory of the Lord be unto the ages; the Lord will rejoice in His works,
Who looks on the earth and makes it tremble, Who touches the mountains and they smoke.
I will sing unto the Lord throughout my life, I will chant to my God for as long as I have my being.
May my words be sweet unto Him, and I will rejoice in the Lord.
O that sinners would cease from the earth, and they that work iniquity, that they should be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
and again
the sun knows his going down. You appointed the darkness, and there was the night,
How magnified are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom have You made them all;
Glory... Now and ever...
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Glory to Thee O God.(3).
Our hope, O Lord, Glory to Thee.

In peace let us pray to the Lord...

Ἦχος πλ. β'
Psalm 140
Lord, I have cried unto You, hearken unto me; Lord, I have cried unto You, hearken unto me; attend to the voice of my supplication when I cry unto You. hearken unto me;
Let my prayer be set forth as incense before You, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. hearken unto me;
Set, O Lord, a watch before my mouth, and a door of enclosure round about my lips.
Incline not my heart unto words of evil, to make excuse with excuses in sins,
With men that work iniquity; and I will not join with their chosen.
The righteous man will chasten me with mercy and reprove me; as for the oil of the sinner, let it not anoint my head.
For yet more is my prayer in the presence of their pleasures; swallowed up near by the rock have their judges been.
They shall hear my words, for they are sweetened; as a clod of earth is broken upon the earth, so have their bones been scattered nigh unto Hades.
For unto You, O Lord, O Lord, are my eyes, in You have I hoped; take not my soul away.
Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the stumbling-blocks of them that work iniquity.
The sinners shall fall into their own net; I am alone until I pass by.
Psalm 141
With my voice unto the Lord have I cried, with my voice unto the Lord have I made supplication.
I will pour out before Him my supplication, my affliction before Him will I declare.
When my spirit was fainting within me, then You knew my paths.
In this way wherein I have walked they hid for me a snare.
I looked upon my right hand, and beheld, and there was none that did know me.
Flight has failed me, and there is none that watches out for my soul.
I have cried unto You, O Lord; I said: You are my hope, my portion are You in the land of the living.
Attend unto my supplication, for I am brought very low.
Deliver me from them that persecute me, for they are stronger than I.
Στίχ. Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name;
Στίχ. the righteous shall wait for me, until you recompense me.
Psalm 129
Στίχ. Out of the depths have I cried to you, O Lord. O Lord, hearken to my voice,
Στίχ. let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
Στίχ. If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? For with you is forgiveness:
Στιχηρὰ of the Feast
Ἦχος πλ. β'
Having laid up all their hope ΤΟ ΑΚΟΥΤΕ
AS the Cross is lifted up,
it urges all of creation
to praise the immaculate
Passion of the One Who was
lifted up thereon.
For by means of the Cross,
He slew him that slew us;
and He made the dead to live again,
making them beautiful,
granting them the Heavens as dwelling-place,
because He is compassionate,
in the unsurpassed and unspeakable
excess of His goodness.
With joy, then, let us all exalt His Name,
while magnifying His infinite
condescension towards our race.
Στίχ. for your name's sake have I waited for you, O Lord, my soul has waited for your word. My soul has hoped in the Lord;
Ἦχος πλ. β'
MOSES once prefigured you,
stretching his hands out toward Heaven,
and prevailing mightily
over tyrant Amalek,
O most precious Cross,
boast of all faithful men,
staff and strength of athletes,
the Apostles' fair embellishment,
champion of the just,
and the sure salvation of all the Saints.
Hence, seeing you exalted now,
all creation keeps a festival,
filled with joy and gladness,
and glorifying Christ God, Who through you
in His extreme goodness joined again
what was set at enmity.
Στίχ. from the morning watch till night. Let Israel hope in the Lord:
Ἦχος πλ. β'
O ALL-HONOURED Cross of Christ,
round which the orders of Angels
hover with exceeding joy,
as you are raised up today
by the will of God,
you do raise up all those
cast away and exiled
for the theft of the forbidden fruit,
who had slipped down to death.
Wherefore, with our lips and with all our heart,
we kiss you, filled with faith and love,
and we draw forth holiness for ourselves,
crying out: Exalt you
Christ Jesus, the transcendently good God,
and do you worship the most divine
footstool of His holy feet.
Στίχ. for with the Lord is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Στιχηρὰ of the Feast
Ἦχος πλ. β'
Having laid up all their hope ΤΟ ΑΚΟΥΤΕ
AS the Cross is lifted up,
it urges all of creation
to praise the immaculate
Passion of the One Who was
lifted up thereon.
For by means of the Cross,
He slew him that slew us;
and He made the dead to live again,
making them beautiful,
granting them the Heavens as dwelling-place,
because He is compassionate,
in the unsurpassed and unspeakable
excess of His goodness.
With joy, then, let us all exalt His Name,
while magnifying His infinite
condescension towards our race.
Psalm 116
Στίχ. Praise the Lord, all you nations: praise him all you peoples.
Ἦχος πλ. β'
MOSES once prefigured you,
stretching his hands out toward Heaven,
and prevailing mightily
over tyrant Amalek,
O most precious Cross,
boast of all faithful men,
staff and strength of athletes,
the Apostles' fair embellishment,
champion of the just,
and the sure salvation of all the Saints.
Hence, seeing you exalted now,
all creation keeps a festival,
filled with joy and gladness,
and glorifying Christ God, Who through you
in His extreme goodness joined again
what was set at enmity.
Στίχ. For his mercy has been abundant toward us: and the truth of the Lord endures for ever. Praise the Lord.
Ἦχος πλ. β'
O ALL-HONOURED Cross of Christ,
round which the orders of Angels
hover with exceeding joy,
as you are raised up today
by the will of God,
you do raise up all those
cast away and exiled
for the theft of the forbidden fruit,
who had slipped down to death.
Wherefore, with our lips and with all our heart,
we kiss you, filled with faith and love,
and we draw forth holiness for ourselves,
crying out: Exalt you
Christ Jesus, the transcendently good God,
and do you worship the most divine
footstool of His holy feet.
Glory...
Now and ever... Theotokion
Ἦχος β'
COME, all you nations, let us worship the blessed Tree, through which was wrought the everlasting righteousness. For he that by a tree beguiled our forefather Adam, is himself ensnared by the Cross; and he that by tyranny gained dominion over the creation of the King, is by faith overthrown in utter ruin. By the Blood of God, the serpent's poison is washed away; and the curse of a just condemnation is loosed by the unjust judgment passed against the Just One. For it was fitting that the wood should be healed by wood; and that the sufferings of him who was condemned because of the tree should be done away through the Passion of Him Who is passionless. But, O Christ our King, glory to Your dread dispensation toward us, whereby You have saved us all, since You are good and the Friend of man.

Wisdom Arise!

Φῶς ἱλαρὸν ἁγίας δόξης, ἀθανάτου Πατρός, οὐρανίου, ἁγίου, μάκαρος, Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, ἐλθόντες ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλίου δύσιν, ἰδόντες φῶς ἑσπερινόν, ὑμνοῦμεν Πατέρα, Υἱόν, καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα Θεόν. Ἄξιόν σε ἐν πᾶσι καιροῖς, ὑμνεῖσθαι φωναῖς αἰσίαις, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ζωὴν ὁ διδούς, Διὸ ὁ κόσμος σὲ δοξάζει.
O Joyfull light of the holy glory, of the Immortal Father, heavenly, holy, blessed, Jesus Christ. As we approach the setting of the sun, and see the evening light, we hymn Thee, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God. Meet it is at all times for Thee to be praised by righteous voices, O Son of God, the Giver of life. Wherefore the world glorifies Thee.

Monday Evening, Psalm 4, tone 4
The Lord will hearken unto me when I cry unto Him.
Στίχ. When I called upon You, O God of my righteousness, You did hearken unto me; in my affliction You have enlarged me.

The Reading is from the Book of Exodus
(15:22-16:1)
MOSES brought the sons of Israel out of the Red Sea, and led them into the wilderness of Sur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water to drink. And they came to Marah, and could not drink of the water of Marah, for it was bitter; therefore the name of that place was called, Bitterness. And the people murmured against Moses, saying: What shall we drink? And Moses cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, and he cast it into the water, and the water was sweetened; there He established to him ordinances and judgments, and there He proved him, and said: If you will indeed hear the voice of the Lord your God, and will do that which is pleasing in His sight, and will give ear to His commands, and keep all His statutes, no disease which I have brought upon the Egyptians will I bring upon you, for I am the Lord that heals you. And they came to Aelim, and there were there twelve fountains of water, and three score and ten palm trees; and they encamped there by the waters. And they departed from Aelim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Aelim and Sinai.
The Reading is from the Book of Proverbs
(3:11-18)
MY son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; nor faint when you are rebuked of Him; for whom the Lord loves, He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, and the mortal who knows prudence. For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver. And she is more valuable than precious stones; no evil thing shall resist her; she is well known to all that love her, and no precious thing is equal to her in value. For length of existence and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are wealth and glory; out of her mouth proceeds righteousness, and she carries law and mercy upon her tongue. Her ways are good ways, and all her paths are peaceful. She is a tree of life to all that lay hold upon her; and she is a secure help to all that stay themselves on her, as on the Lord.
The Reading is from the Prophecy of Esaias
(60:11-16)
THUS says the Lord: Your gates shall be opened continually, O Jerusalem; they shall not be shut day nor night, to bring in to you the power of the nations, and their kings as captives. For the nations and the kings which will not serve you shall perish; and those nations shall be made utterly desolate. And the glory of Lebanon shall come to you, with the cypress, and pine, and cedar together, to glorify My holy place; and the place of My feet will I glorify. And the sons of them that humbled you, and of them that provoked you, shall come to you in fear; and all they that provoked you shall worship at the footsteps of your feet; and you shall be called Sion, the city of the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. Because you are become desolate and hated, and there was none to help you, therefore I will make you a perpetual gladness, a joy of generations of generations. And you shall suck the milk of the nations, and shall eat the wealth of kings; and shall know that I am the Lord that saves you and delivers you, the God of Israel.

As the final Trisagion is slowly and solemnly chanted, the priest takes the tray with the Precious Cross upon his head and goes out of the north door of the Sanctuary, preceded by candles and fans and incense. He goes to the Royal Gates (that is, the middle gate leading from the narthex to the nave) where he shall stand until the chanting is finished; then he exclaims Wisdom, Arise! and we chant: (3)
Σῶσον Κύριε τὸν λαόν σου καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου, νίκας τοῖς Βασιλεῦσι κατὰ βαρβάρων δωρούμενος καὶ τὸ σὸν φυλάττων διὰ τοῦ Σταυροῦ σου πολίτευμα.
SAVE, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance; grant unto the faithful victory over adversaries. And by the power of Your Cross do You preserve Your commonwealth.
he makes the entrance into the temple and places the Cross on the small table prepared for it in the middle, and censes it from all four sides. Then making three prostrations, on whatever day it might be, he takes the Precious Cross with sprigs of basil into his hands; standing at the front or west side of the small table and facing the East, he says in the hearing of all:
Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy; we pray You, hearken and have mercy.

Then we begin chanting the first century of Lord, have mercy.
At the beginning, the priest makes the sign of the Cross three times with the precious Cross; then slowly bowing to the ground with it, so that his head is only a span from the earth, he slowly rises again, until he is standing upright, raising the Cross once more above his head at the completion of the first century of Lord have mercy. Then going to the right or south side of the table, so as to face towards the North, he says:
Again we pray for pious and Orthodox Christians.

And we begin the second century, and the priest performs the exaltation of the Cross as described before. Then, going to the back or east side of the table and facing towards the West, he says:
Again we pray for our Archbishop (Name) and all our brotherhood in Christ.

And we begin the third century, everything done as before; then the priest, going to the left or north side of the table and facing towards the South, says:
Again we pray for the souls of all Orthodox Christians, for their health, salvation, and the remission of their sins.

And we begin the fourth century, everything done as before; then the priest, returning to the front or west side of the table and facing towards the East again, he says:
Again we pray for all them that do minister and have ministered in this church, for their health, salvation, and the remission of their sins.

And we begin the fifth century. After the completion thereof, the priest lifts up the Cross while the Kontakion is chanted
Κοντάκιον
Ἦχος δ'
You who were raised up on the Cross of Your own will,
O Christ our God, bestow Your compassions
upon this, Your new commonwealth named after You.
Gladden with Your sov'reign might
our most Orthodox hierarchs,
and vouchsafe them victory
over every false teaching;
and as Your help in war may they possess
the weapon of peace, the trophy invincible.
and blessing the people by making the sign of the Cross. Then, placing the Cross on the table, we chant
We worship Your Cross, O Master, and we venerate Your Holy Resurrection.
The priest immediately worships the precious Cross and then all the people after him. While the brethren are venerating the Cross, the following hymns are chanted:
Second Tone. By the Emperor Leo
COME, O you faithful, let us worship the life-creating Wood, whereon Christ, the King of Glory, stretching out His hands of His own will, lifted up to the ancient blessedness us whom the enemy had aforetime despoiled through pleasure, making us exiles from God. Come, O you faithful, let us worship that Wood whereby we have been deemed worthy to crush the heads of our invisible enemies. Come, all you kindreds of the nations, with hymns let us honour the Cross of the Lord. Rejoice, O Cross, you perfect redemption of fallen Adam. In you do our most faithful sovereigns boast, since by your power they have mightily subjected to themselves the Ishmaelite peoples. As we Christians now venerate you with fear, we glorify God, Who was affixed to you, and we say: O Lord, Who were crucified thereon, have mercy on us, since You are good and the Friend of man.
Plagal of First Tone
COME, O you people, and beholding the strange wonder, let us worship the power of the Cross. For a tree sprouted forth death in Paradise; but this one has made life to blossom forth, since it has the sinless Lord nailed upon it, from Whom all we the nations reap incorruption as we cry: O You Who through the Cross have abolished death and have made us free, glory be to You.
Same Tone
O GOD, fulfilled is the voice of Your Prophets Esaias and David, which says: All the nations shall come and worship before You, O Lord. For behold the people, O Good One, which has been filled with Your grace in Your courts at Jerusalem. O You who have endured the Cross for our sakes, and do grant us life by Your Resurrection, preserve and save us.
Plagal of Second Tone
TODAY the Tree of Life, raised up from the hidden recesses of the earth, confirms the Resurrection of Christ, Who was nailed upon it. And raised on high by priestly hands, it declares His Ascension into the Heavens, whereby our nature, lifted from its fall to earth, becomes a citizen of the Heavens. Wherefore, let us cry in thanksgiving: O Lord, Who was lifted up on the Cross, and through it has lifted us up with Yourself, vouchsafe the joy of Heaven unto us who sing Your praise.
Same Tone
THE four ends of the earth are sanctified today by the exaltation of Your four-branched Cross, O Christ our God; and with it the horn of Your faithful is exalted, who thereby crush the horns of the adversaries. Great are You, O Lord, and wondrous in Your works! Glory be to You.
Same Tone
THE voices of the Prophets declared beforehand the holy Wood, whereby Adam was set free from the ancient curse of death. Today, as the Cross is lifted up, creation also lifts up its voice, asking God for His rich mercy. O Master, Who alone are boundless in mercy, be gracious unto us and save our souls.
Glory; both now. Plagal of Fourth Tone
O GOD, fulfilled is the saying of Your Prophet Moses, which says: You shall see your Life hanging before your eyes. Today the Cross is exalted and the world is set free from error. Today the Resurrection of Christ is inaugurated, and the ends of the earth rejoice, as with Davidic cymbals they offer You a hymn and say: You have wrought salvation in the midst of the earth, O God, even the Cross and the Resurrection, whereby You have saved us, O You Who are good and the Friend of man. O Almighty Lord, glory be to You.

After all have worshipped the Cross, then the Dismissal.

Instead of It is truly meet, we chant the first Heirmos with its Megalynarion from the ninth Ode of the Canon,
Ἦχος πλ. δ'
Megalynarion
Magnify, O my soul, the most venerable Cross of the Lord.
Heirmos ΤΟ ΑΚΟΥΤΕ
O THEOTOKOS, you are a mystical paradise, which being untilled has blossomed forth Christ, by Whom the life-bringing Tree of the Cross was planted in the earth. In worshipping Him now through its exaltation, you do we magnify.

The Communion Hymn
The light of Your countenance, O Lord, has been signed upon us. Alleluia.