The Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos /

The Sunday of the Holy Cross

Tone 3 / Third Sunday of Lent

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: Trisagion Prayers. Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom. Then are sung the Troparion of the Cross, G/N and the Kontakion of the Exaltation. During the singing, the priest censes the precious Cross and then gives up the censer. The priest then makes a prostration, then places the tray with the Cross (covered by the Aer) on his head and carries it to the Holy Table. 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 3, on 10: Octoechos 3; Triodion 3 (Shine, Cross of the Lord); Feast 4 (Gabriel stood before thee); G: Triodion (O Christ our God, of Thine own will); N: Feast (The Archangel Gabriel).

Entry; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the day, Tone 6: The Lord is King.

5 Readings for the Feast

Litia: Feast 3 (In the sixth month), Cross 3 (With our voices – from the Praises in Matins); G: Feast (Let the heavens be glad); N: Cross (Beholding Thee, the fashioner).

Aposticha: Octoechos; G: Cross (O Lord Who hast helped gentle David) N: Feast (Today is the joy).

Troparia: Feast (Today is the fountainhead of our salvation) x2; Cross (O Lord, save Thy people) x1.

Matins: God is the Lord, Tone 3; Troparia: Resurrection x2; G: Cross; N: Feast.

After each Kathisma: Sessional hymns from the Octoechos.

Polyeleos and Magnification of the Feast: With the Archangel’s voice we cry to thee, O most-pure one: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Evlogitaria (The assembly of angels was amazed).

Hypakoe, Tone3; all the Sessional hymns of the Feast; Hymns of Ascents, Tone 3.

Prokimenon of the Feast, Tone 4: Proclaim from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God.

Matins Gospel: Luke 1:39-49,56 (§4).

Having beheld the Resurrection; Psalm 50; G: Through the prayers of the Theotokos; N: Repeat; Have mercy on me, O God; Sticheron of the Feast (Today Gabriel). 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.

Cross (in the Triodion) 4 Glory, O Lord, to thy precious Cross.

Feast 6 O Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Irmos of the Resurrectional Canon, Tone 3.

Katavasia: The Irmoi of the Feast

After Ode 3, Kontakion (No longer doth the flaming sword), Ikos, and Sessional hymn of the Cross (Thy Cross, O Lord, is holy); G/N: Sessional hymn of the Feast (The Word of God).

After Ode 6, Kontakion (To thee the champion leader) and Ikos of the Feast.

At Ode 9, More Honorable. The Festal verses are not sung.

Holy is the Lord, our God.

Exapostilaria: Resurrection; G: Cross (Seeing the Precious Cross of Christ); N: Feast (The mystery of God).

Praises, Tone 3, on 9: Octoechos 4; Feast 4 (Flying down to Nazareth – with the Doxasticon (Today the mystery is revealed) and Psalm verses: Proclaim from day to day the good tidings of the salvation of our God. & O sing unto the Lord a new song, sing unto the Lord all the earth); then the verse: Arise, O Lord my God; Triodion (The Lord of all has taught us in a parable); G: Triodion (The Lord of all has taught us in a parable); N: Most blessed art thou.

For the rubrics concerning the bringing out of the Cross, see the Triodion, page 348. 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 in the middle of the church, and censes around it three times. 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 Triodion, pp 348-350.

After the conclusion of the stichera, the two remaining Litanies and Resurrectional Dismissal; after the dismissal: G/N: Gospel Sticheron (11^th Matins Gospel); followed by First Hour.

Hours: Troparion: Resurrection, G: Cross and Feast, alternating; Kontakion: Cross and Feast, alternating.

Liturgy of St. Basil the Great: Beatitudes on 12: Octoechos 4; Feast 4, from Ode 3; Triodion 4, from Ode 6.

After the entrance: Troparion of the Resurrection; Cross; Feast; G: Kontakion of the Cross; N: Feast.

Instead of the Trisagion: Before Thy Cross.

Prokimenon of the feast, Tone 4: Proclaim from day to day the good tidings. & Tone 6: Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.

Epistle: Heb. 2:11-18 (§306); Heb. 4:14-5:6 (§311).

Alleluia, Tone 6 & Tone 8*.

Gospel: Luke 1:24-38 (§3); Mark 8:34-9:1 (§37).

Instead of All creation rejoiceth, we sing the refrain Proclaim, O earth; with the Irmos of the 9th Ode of Annunciation (Let no profane hand).

Communion Hymn: The Lord hath elected Zion, He hath chosen her to be a habitation for Himself. & The light of Thy countenance, O Lord, hath been signed upon us. Resurrectional Dismissal.

*The Slavonic Triodion calls for this to be Tone 1, but the Apostle, and Typikon call for it to be Tone 8.

Sunday Evening Vespers: As on Cheesefare Sunday.

Lord I have Cried, Tone 8, on 10: Triodion 3 (O Lord, Thou hast stretched out Thine hands); Feast 4 (During the sixth month); Archangel Gabriel 3 (The great Gabriel); G/N: Feast (The Archangel Gabriel was sent from heaven).

Entry; O Gladsome Light; Great Prokimenon, Tone 8: Thou hast given an inheritance to them that fear Thy Name.

During the final repetition of the prokimenon, the priest closes the royal doors, removes his phelonion and puts on a dark epitrachilion, and goes out to the Ambon. All the other liturgical covers are likewise changed.

Vouchsafe, O Lord; then the Litany, Let us complete our evening prayer unto the Lord, with the choir singing the responses according to the penitential Lenten melody.

Aposticha: Triodion (Stichera and verses, beginning with In my wretchedness), G/N: Feast (Today is the joy – same as at Vespers on the previous evening).

Now lettest Thou Thy servant.

Troparia: O Theotokos and Virgin (with a great prostration); G: O Baptizer of Christ (with a great prostration): N: Plead in our behalf (great prostration); Beneath thy compassion (without a prostration).

Lord, have mercy x40; G/N; More Honorable. In the name of the Lord, father bless. Priest: He that is is blessed. Reader: O Heavenly King, strengthen Orthodox Christians. Then the priest says the prayer of St. Ephrem with 3 prostrations, then the dismissal.

Let it be known: We venerate the precious Cross on Monday and Wednesday during the 1st hour. There is a censing of the Cross with open Royal Doors, and instead of My steps do Thou direct, we sing Before Thy Cross... and Come, ye faithful.., etc. On Friday this same veneration occurs, not at the 1st hour but after the dismissal of the Typica, after which the Cross is returned to the altar.

On these three days on which the Cross is venerated -- on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the Kontakion of the Cross is read at all of the hours and at the Typica, and also at Compline (at Small Compline on Sunday evening and at Great Compline on Tuesday and Thursday evenings just before O Lord of hosts...).

Note: Beginning on the Wednesday of mid-fast, at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts we add the litany for those preparing for Holy Illumination.