18th Sunday after Pentecost / The Apodosis of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Beatitudes on 10: Octoechos: 6; Feast: 4, from Ode 9, 1st Canon..
1. Through food did the enemy lead Adam forth from paradise; but by the Cross hath Christ led back to it the thief who cried: Remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom!
2. With Adam and the thief I worship Thy sufferings and glorify Thy resurrection; and I cry out with a splendid voice: Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest in Thy kingdom!
3. O Sinless One, of Thine own will Thou wast crucified and placed in the Tomb, yet Thou didst arise as God, raising up with Thyself Adam who crieth out: Remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom!
4. Raising up the temple of Thy body by Thy resurrection on the third day, O Christ God, Thou didst raise up Adam and his descendants who cry: Remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom!
5. Very early, the myrrh-bearing women arrived, weeping, at Thy tomb, O Christ God; and they found an angel sitting there, clad in white garments, who said: What seek ye? Christ is risen! Lament no longer!
6. When Thine apostles went to the mountain whither Thou hadst commanded them to go, and saw Thee, O Savior, they worshipped Thee; and Thou didst send them unto the nations, to teach and baptize them.
7 & 8. O Theotokos, thou art a mystical Paradise, who untilled hast brought forth Christ. He hath planted upon the earth the life-giving Tree of the Cross: therefore at its exaltation on this day, we worship Him and thee do we magnify.
9. Let all the trees of the forests rejoice, for their nature hath been sanctified by Him who planted them in the beginning—Christ Who was stretched out upon the Tree. Wherefore, worshipping it as it is now raised aloft, we magnify thee, O Theotokos.
10. A sacred horn hath been lifted up, the chief horn for all the divinely wise: the Cross, whereby all the horns of the sinful are noetically broken asunder. Wherefore, worshipping it as it is now raised aloft, we magnify thee, O Theotokos.
Troparia & Kontakia
Tone 1: When the stone had been sealed by the Jews, /
And the soldiers were guarding Thine immaculate Body, /
Thou didst arise on the third day, O Savior, /
granting life unto the world. /
Wherefore, the Hosts of the Heavens cried out to Thee, O Life-giver: /
Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ. /
Glory to Thy kingdom. //
Glory to Thy dispensation, O only Lover of mankind.
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.
Glory… Tone 1: As God, Thou didst arise from the tomb in glory, /
and Thou didst raise the world together with Thyself. /
And mortal nature praiseth Thee as God, /
and death hath vanished. /
And Adam danceth, O Master, /
and Eve, now freed from fetters, rejoiceth as she crieth out: /
Thou art He, O Christ, //
that grantest unto all resurrection.
Both now… Tone 4:
O Thou Who wast lifted up willingly on the Cross, /
bestow Thy mercies upon the new community named after Thee, O Christ God; /
gladden with Thy power the Orthodox Christians, /
granting them victory over enemies; //
may they have as Thy help the weapon of peace, the invincible trophy.
The Epistle
Reader: The Prokimenon in the 8th Tone: Make your vows and pay them to the Lord our God.
Choir: Make your vows and pay them to the Lord our God.
Reader: In Judea is God known, His name is great in Israel.
Choir: Make your vows and pay them to the Lord our God.
Reader: In the 7th Tone: Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship the footstool of His feet for it is holy.
Choir: Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship the footstool of His feet for it is holy.
Reader: The Reading is from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians:
[Gal. 2:16-20 (§203); II Cor 9:6-11 (§188)]
Reader: Alleluia in the 1st Tone: Remember Thy congregation which Thou hast purchased from the beginning.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: But God is our king before the ages, He hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: In the 8th Tone: Come let us rejoice in the Lord, let us shout with jubilation unto God our Savior.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [Mark 8:34-9:1 (§37); Matt. 18:23-35 (§77)]
Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the First Canon of the feast, Eighth Tone:
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, / the most precious Cross of the Lord.
Irmos: O Theotokos, thou art a mystical Paradise, /
who untilled hast brought forth Christ. /
He hath planted upon the earth the life-giving Tree of the Cross: /
therefore at its exaltation on this day, //
we worship Him and thee do we magnify.
Communion Verse: The Light of Thy countenance, O Lord, hath been signed upon us. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!