Feast of the All Merciful Savior and the
Most Holy Theotokos
9th Sunday after Pentecost / Tone 8
Before Vespers, the priest (wearing his phelonion) approaches
the Table of Oblation, where the precious Cross, decorated with various flowers
and lying on a tray that is covered with an Aer, has been prepared. The Royal
Doors and the curtain are closed. Priest: Blessed is our God. Deacon or
Reader (in the altar): Trisagion Prayers. During this, the priest censes the
precious Cross and then gives up the censer. Priest: For Thine is the
Kingdom. Then are sung the troparion of the Cross, G/N and the Kontakion.
During the singing, the priest makes a prostration, then places the tray with
the Cross (covered by the Aer) on his head and carries it to the Holy Table,
preceded by two candle-bearers. The priest puts the Cross on the Holy Table in
the place of the Gospel Book, which has previously been set upright at the back
of the Holy Table. The priest censes three times around the Holy Table. Then
the curtain and the Royal Doors are opened and the vigil begins.
Great Vespers:
Blessed is the man.
Lord I have Cried, Tone 8, on 10: Octoechos 4; Feast 3 (We all-radiantly honor Thy city, O most merciful Lord); Cross 3 (Today
the godly multitude of the faithful rejoiceth); G: Cross (To Thy
precious Cross, O Christ God); N: Dogmatic Theotokion in the Tone of the week.
Entry; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the day, Tone 6: The Lord is King. 3 Readings for the
Feast.
Litia stichera of the Cross 3
(Today the holy words of David); G/N:
Cross (Beholding Thee, the Creator and
Fashioner of all).
Aposticha: Octoechos; G:
Feast (Without leaving the bosom of the Father); N: Cross (O God, the words of Moses Thy prophet have
been fulfilled).
Troparia: O Theotokos and Virgin x2; Cross (O Lord, save Thy people) x1.
Matins: God is the Lord,
Tone 8; Troparia: Troparia: Resurrection x2; G: Feast (O
most merciful Savior); N: Cross (O
Lord, save Thy people).
After each Kathisma:
Sessional hymns from the Octoechos.
Polyeleos and Magnification
of the Feast (chanted in front of the Holy Table, on which the Cross is lying):
We
magnify Thee, O Christ, the Giver of life, and we honor Thy holy Cross, whereby
Thou hast saved us from bondage to the enemy. Evlogitaria (The assembly of angels was amazed). This
is sung in front of the Holy Table, on which the Cross is lying.
Hypakoe of the Tone, all the
Sessional hymns of the Feast. Hymns of Ascents, and Prokimenon, Tone 8.
Matins Gospel 9, John 20:19-31 (§65).
Having beheld the Resurrection; Psalm 50; G: Through
the prayers of the Apostles; N: Through
the prayers of the Theotokos; Have
mercy on me, O God; Jesus having
risen. Save, O God, Thy people.
The Gospel is not brought out for veneration on this day, because the Cross is
brought out later.
Canon: Resurrection 4 Glory to Thy Holy Resurrection, O
Lord.
Theotokos 2 O Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Feast 4 Glory to Thee, our God, glory to
Thee.
Cross 4
Glory, O Lord, to Thy precious
Cross.
Irmos
of the Canon of the Resurrection, Tone 8.
Katavasia
of the Cross: Inscribing the invincible
weapon of the Cross.
After Ode 3, Kontakion and Ikos of the Feast (I have become a
committer of every abomination); Sessional hymn of the Feast (O most
Merciful One); G/N: (Of old, Joshua,
the son of Nun).
After Ode 6, Kontakion (O Thou Who wast lifted up willingly on the Cross) and Ikos of the Cross.
At Ode 9, More Honorable.
Exapostilaria: Resurrection;
G: Feast (O Christ, Thou never-waning
Light); N: Cross: (The Cross is the
guardian of the whole world).
Praises, Tone 8, on 8:
Resurrection 3; Feast 2 (We honor Thy heavenly city, O most merciful
Lord); Cross 3 (The precious Cross
– with doxasticon (O Lord Who enabled the
meek David), and the final two psalm verses: Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship the footstool of His feet; for
He is holy. & God is our King
before the ages, He hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth); G:
Gospel Sticheron; N: Most blessed art
thou. The Great Doxology.
For the rubrics
concerning the bringing out of the Cross, see Festal Menaion, p. 153f; or p. 195f of the Menaion. During the Great
Doxology the priest, wearing all his vestments, censes three times around the
Holy Table. While the choir sings the concluding Holy God to a slow and solemn
melody, the priest takes the Cross with the tray and carries it upon his head
out of the Altar through the north door, preceded by two candles, stopping in
front of the Royal Doors. When the final Holy
God has ended, he says Wisdom!
Aright! Then we sing the troparion of the Cross, thrice. The priest places
the decorated Cross on an analogion it in the middle of the church, and censes
around it three times (in Cathedrals the rite of the Elevation is served). Then
he sings three times: Before Thy Cross,
and this is also repeated three times by the people. Then, the priest, clergy,
and the people (one by one) venerate the precious Cross. And as the clergy and
people venerate the Cross, the choir sings the Stichera in the Menaion.
After
the conclusion of the stichera, the two remaining Litanies and
the Festal Dismissal: My Christ our True God, through the
intercessions of His most pure Mother, through the power of the precious and life-creating
Cross; First Hour.
Hours:
Troparia: Resurrection; G: Cross & Feast, alternating; Kontakion:
Resurrection, Cross, and Feast, alternating.
Liturgy: Beatitudes
on 12: Octoechos 4; Feast 4, from Ode 3; Cross 4, from Ode 6.
At the entrance, the Troparion of the Resurrection; Cross; Feast; G:
Kontakion of the Resurrection; G: Feast; N: Cross.
The Trisagion is sung as
usual.
Prokimenon, Tone 6: Save,
O Lord.
Epistle: I Cor. 3:9-17 (§128);
I Cor. 1:18-24 (§125).
Alleluia, Tone 1.
Gospel: Matt. 14:22-34 (§59);
John 19:6-11,13-20,25-28,30-35 (§60).
It is truly meet.
Communion Hymn: The light of Thy countenance, O Lord, hath
been signed upon us.
Resurrectional Dismissal.
After the Liturgy, the lesser
blessing of the waters is performed as set forth in the Book of Needs. Where
possible, there is a procession to a well, river, or lake.
Before the All-Night Vigil on
Saturday, the Cross is brought into the holy altar, and placed on the holy
table.