After the first reading from the Psalter, the sessional hymns of the Cross in the Tone of the week.

After the second reading from the Psalter, the following sessional hymns:

Tone Five

We mortals, who died of old through eating from the tree, are through Thy Cross restored to life, O merciful Lord. By its power, O loving Master, give us strength to pass through the season of abstinence with compunction, obedient to Thy will, and to see the day of Thy light-giving Resurrection.

Glory be to the Father… Repeat. Both now…

Stavrotheotokion

When Thy Mother beheld Thee, O Christ, hanging by Thine own free choice upon the Cross between two thieves, then with a mother’s grief her heart was pierced and she cried out: ‘O sinless Son, how art Thou nailed unjustly to the Cross as an evildoer? It is because in Thy surpassing love Thou willest to restore mankind to life.’

After the third reading from the Psalter, the following sessional hymns:

Tone One

With our flesh cleansed by abstinence and our souls filled with light by prayer, count us worthy, O Lord, to look upon Thy precious and venerable Cross and to reverence it with fear, singing hymns and saying: Glory to Thy lifegiving Cross; glory to the holy spear that pierced Thee, whereby we are restored to life, O Thou who alone lovest mankind.

Glory be to the Father… Repeat. Both now…

Stavrotheotokion

When the Ewe saw Thee her Lamb, crucified upon the Tree between two thieves, O longsuffering Word, Thy side pierced by a spear, with a mother’s grief she cried: ‘What is this strange and fearful mystery, O my Jesus? How is God, whom nothing can contain, confined within a tomb? What words have power to describe these things? Forsake not Thy Mother, my beloved Child.’

The Canon

We use the Canon to the saint of the day from the Menaion, and the two three-canticled Canons from the Triodion; we sing the fifth Biblical Canticle.

Canticle Five

First Canon

Tone Five

by Joseph

Irmos: O Thou who clothest Thyself with light…

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; by Thy wounds cleanse the wounds of my soul, O Christ who hast accepted suffering in the flesh.

When the sun beheld Thee, O Christ, hanging in the flesh upon the Wood, its light was changed to darkness; and the earth quaked and the rocks were rent.

O Lord who in Thy surpassing love hast been crowned with thorns, cleanse my soul, for it is full of thorns and overgrown with the weeds of all the passions.

Theotokion

O all-pure Virgin, thou hast brought forth my Creator as a newborn babe. Entreat Him, then, I pray thee, to fashion me anew, who am grown old in evil.

Another Canon

Tone One

by Theodore

Irmos: Seeking Thee early in the morning…

At the place of the Skull, O Christ, the Jews who crucified Thee wagged their heads in laughter and mockery; and all this Thou hast endured for our salvation.

Pilate wrote the inscription on Thy Cross in three languages, O Christ, showing in this way that Thou art one of the Trinity, who suffered of Thine own will for the salvation of all.

Glory be to the Father…

O ye faithful, let us praise the threefold Sun of the Trinity supreme in radiance, honouring the Father as Light, glorifying the Son as Light, and proclaiming the Spirit as Light.

Both now…

Theotokion

O pure and honoured Virgin, He who was born of thee has made thee higher than the angels. For they are afraid to gaze on Him as God, but thou hast carried Him in thine arms as thy Son.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

O precious Cross, guardian and salvation of the world, watch over me as I fast and count me worthy to take part in thy holy veneration.

Irmos: Seeking Thee early in the morning, we sing Thy praises, Christ our God, who hast for our sakes become poor and in Thy flesh endured the Cross and death.

Canticle Eight

Irmos: For Thee, the Creator of all…

O Christ, Thou hast stretched out Thine hands upon the Cross, and so Thou hast destroyed the sin of our forefather who stretched out his hands in greed. By the Tree hast Thou healed the curse of the tree: therefore we sing Thy praises for ever.

I fall down before Thee, O Word, who desirest my salvation. Cause the evil desires to vanish swiftly from my heart, O Thou who hast willingly endured the Cross and Passion.

I have loved the guilty life of the Prodigal and my soul has grown dark. O Word who at Thy Passion hast darkened the light of the sun, shine upon me with Thy brightness, that I may turn back to Thee.

Theotokion

Cause every ill to vanish from my greatly suffering heart, O Mother of Christ my God. Shatter the arrows and bows of the demons that make war against my humiliated soul.

Second Canon

Irmos: Christ our God preserved the Children who sang His praises…

In our wretchedness what shall we offer Thee, O Master of all, who hast suffered for us? Thou hast endured the Cross for our sake, O Christ, and we sing the praises of Thy grace and boundless mercy.

The lawless Jews who from envy killed Thee on the accursed tree, harmed not the power of Thy glory. For Thou remainest Master of all, and Thou hast suffered by Thine own free choice.

We bless the Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I honour the three Persons of the Godhead that transcends all being, and I glorify for ever the Father without beginning, the Son and the Holy Spirit, undivided in essence and nature.

Both now…

Theotokion

We praise her who is higher that the heavens and exalted above the cherubim, the first among the saints, the undefiled Maiden who bore the God of all, and we exalt her above all for ever.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

O thrice-blessed Cross of Christ, while hidden in the earth thou hast given us a victory written in the sky; grant that, cleansed by fasting, we may all be counted worthy to venerate thee.

We praise, bless and worship the Lord…

Irmos: Christ our God preserved the Children who sang His praises in the furnace, and He changed the roaring flames to dew; let us praise and exalt Him above all for ever.

Canticle Nine

Irmos: Rejoice, Isaiah…

O compassionate Saviour, take away the stony hardness of my soul, and grant me in Thy love a fountain of divine compunction: for Thou hast poured out life upon me from Thy side and lifted up mankind to Thee, O Lord.

Forsaking the heights of virtue I have thrown myself into the depths of sin. But draw me up and save me, for Thou hast ascended on the Cross and lifted up mankind to Thee, O Lord.

O Lord Christ who art sweetness and delight, Thou the Creator hast tasted gall and raised up Adam’s children from their fall that came about through sensual pleasure. Saved by Thy Passion, we sing Thy praises.

Theotokion

All-holy Lady, my hope and refuge, heal the wounds of my soul and give peace to my mind, that even I may praise thy greatness, Ever-Virgin Theotokos.

Second Canon

Irmos: Moses saw thee as a bush…

The transgressors in mockery clothed Thee with purple, O Christ, and crowned Thee as King, striking Thy head with a reed; and from envy they crucified Thee and gave Thee gall to drink. In our hymns with all the faithful we magnify Thee.

When the sun beheld Thy sufferings upon the Cross, it hid its light; and seeing the outrages which Thou hast undergone, O Master, the whole creation quaked and the rocks were rent. In our hymns, Christ our Saviour, we magnify Thee.

Glory be to the Father…

O Unity of the threefold Sun, Light and Life and Maker of all, God and Lord, shining with a single light, three Persons in one Godhead: with all the faithful we magnify Thee.

Both now…

Theotokion

In prophecy David the Psalmist called thee Zion: for He whom the heavens cannot contain made thee His dwelling-place, and from thy flesh He formed the mercy-seat of the world. In our hymns, pure Mother, we magnify thee.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

O Lord, through abstinence enable us to run swiftly to Thy saving Cross, the Light of the faithful, and to behold and venerate it for our sanctification; that so through the Cross we may magnify Thee.

Irmos: Moses saw thee as a bush unconsumed by fire, and Jacob beheld thee as the living ladder and the gate of heaven, through which Christ our God has passed. In our hymns, pure Mother, we magnify thee.

Aposticha:

Tone Six

I have scattered the riches which the Father gave me and wasted my life as the Prodigal, carried away by the evil thoughts of sin. Taking pleasure in the sweetness of passion, I have transgressed Thy saving commandments and become like the unthinking beasts. O Christ my God, who for my sake wast pleased to hang upon the Cross, deprive me not of sonship, but accept me as I now turn back to Thee like the Prodigal Son, and save me (twice).

To the Martyrs

At the commemoration of Thy martyrs, O Lord, the whole creation keeps festival; heaven with the angels greatly rejoices, and the earth with all mankind makes glad. At their intercessions have mercy on us.

Glory be to the Father… Both now…

Stavrotheotokion

When the all-pure Virgin saw Thee hanging on the Cross, with a mother’s grief she cried aloud: ‘O my Son and my God! O my beloved Child! How dost Thou endure this shameful suffering?’

Troparion of the Prophecy:

Tone Eight

In Thy power, O God, Thou hast perfected all things through the Word, and brought us into being out of nothing. Deliver us not up to suffer for our trespasses, we entreat Thee, sinless Lord.

Glory be to the Father… Both now… Repeat.

Prokimenon (Psalm 57):

Tone Six

Do ye truly speak righteousness and are your judgements just, ye sons of men?

℣. The righteous shall rejoice when he sees God’s vengeance.

Lesson: Isaiah 13:2–13.

Prokimenon (Psalm 58):

Tone Seven

Deliver me from mine enemies, O God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

℣. O God, Thou art my helper: O my God, Thou art my mercy.

To Lord, I have cried, ten stichera are sung, beginning with the following:

Tone Seven

Like the Prodigal, I have departed from Thy grace and wasted the riches of Thy love: but now I run to Thee crying, O compassionate Lord: I have sinned, O God, have mercy upon me (twice).

Then four stichera to the Martyrs in the Tone of the week, and four stichera to the saint of the day from the Menaion.

Glory be to the Father…

Verse for the Dead in the Tone of the week.

Both now…

Theotokion in the Tone of the week.

Prokimenon (Psalm 59):

Tone Four

Give us help in our troubles: for vain is the help of man.

℣. O God, Thou hast rejected us and destroyed us: Thou wast angry, but hast taken pity on us.

Lesson: Genesis 8:4–21

Prokimenon (Psalm 60):

Tone Six

Hear my supplication, O God: give ear unto my prayer.

℣. So will I sing praise unto Thy Name for ever.

Lesson: Proverbs 10:31–11:12.

And the rest of the Liturgy of the Presanctified.

In the modern Greek use, the third section of the Akathist Hymn is sung at Small Compline, beginning at the seventh ikos A new creation…, and ending with the tenth kontakion Wishing to save the world… (see pp. 402 ff). Otherwise the order of service is as on the preceding Friday (see p. 239).