The Great Doxology
7 March 2010
3rd Sunday in Great Lent
Veneration of the Precious Cross of our Lord
Before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy
The Great Doxology
All kneel when the Cross is brought to the center of the Church and arise at the singing of
O Lord, save Thy people... (see text below)
Then the beginning of the Divine Liturgy as normal.
After the Little Entrance
Troparion The angelic powers were at Thy tomb;
Resurrection the guards became as dead men.
(Tone 6) Mary stood by Thy grave,
seeking Thy most pure Body.
Thou didst capture hell, not being tempted by it.
Thou didst come to the Virgin, granting life.
O Lord who didst rise from the dead:
glory to Thee!
Troparion O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance!
Triodion Grant victory to Orthodox Christians over their adversaries!
(Tone 1) And by virtue of Thy Cross preserve Thy habitation!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Kontakion When Christ God, the Giver of Life,
Resurrection raised all of the dead from the valleys of misery
(Tone 6) with His mighty hand,
He bestowed resurrection on the human race.
He is the Savior of all, the Resurrection, the Life,
and the God of all.
Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion Now the flaming sword no longer guards the gates of paradise;
Triodion it has been mysteriously quenched by the wood of the Cross!
(Tone 7) The sting of death and the victory of hell has been vanquished;
for Thou, O my Savior, didst come and cry to those in hell:
Enter again into Paradise!
Instead of the Trisagion:
(accompanied by prostrations)
Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master,
and Thy Holy Resurrection we glorify! (3)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
And Thy Holy Resurrection we glorify!
Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master,
and Thy Holy Resurrection we glorify!
Prokeimenon
(Tone 6) O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
Holy Scriptures
Hebrews 4:14-5:6 Mark 8:34-9:1
Hymn to the Theotokos
(Tone 6) All of creation rejoices in you,
O Full of Grace,
the assembly of angels and the race of men.
O sanctified temple
and spiritual paradise,
the glory of virgins,
from whom God was incarnate and became a Child -
our God before the ages.
He made your body into a throne,
and your womb He made more spacious than the heavens.
All of creation rejoices in you,
O Full of Grace, glory to you!
Communion Hymn
The light of Thy countenance is signed upon us, O Lord.
Epistle - Sunday of the Cross
Priest: Let us attend! Peace be unto all!
Reader: And to your spirit.
Priest: Wisdom!
Reader: The Prokeimenon in the 6th Tone: O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
People: O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
Reader: To Thee, O Lord, do I cry; O my God, be not silent to me!
People: O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
Reader: O Lord, save Thy people.
People: And bless Thine inheritance.
Priest: Wisdom!
Reader: The Reading is from the Epistle of the holy Apostle Paul to the Hebrews.
Priest: Let us attend!
(Hebrews 4:14-5:6)
Reader: Brethren, seeing that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You." As He also says in another place: "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."
Priest: Peace be unto you, Reader!
Reader: And to your spirit. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Reader: Remember Thy congregation which Thou hast gotten of old.
People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Reader: God is our king before the ages. He has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.
People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Gospel - Sunday of the Cross
Priest: The Reading is from the holy Gospel according to St. Mark.
People: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee!
(Mark 8:34-9:1)
Priest: Let us attend! At that time, when Jesus had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
And He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."
People: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee!
The Order of the Procession of the Cross
The Great Doxology
Priest: Glory to Thee, who hast shone us the light!
People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will to men.
We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee,
we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory:
O Lord, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty;
O Lord, the Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
and the Holy Spirit.
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest on the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For Thou alone art holy, Thou alone art Lord, Jesus Christ,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Every day will I bless Thee, and praise Thy name
forever and ever.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, God of our fathers,
and praised and glorified is Thy Name forever. Amen.
Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
as we have set our hope in Thee.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes.
Blessed art Thou, O Master, teach my Thy commandments.
Blessed art Thou, O Holy One, enlighten me
with Thy precepts.
O Lord, Thou hast been our refuge from generation
to generation.
I said: Lord, have mercy on me! Heal my soul,
for I have sinned against Thee!
O Lord, I flee unto Thee! Teach me to do Thy will,
for Thou art my God.
For with Thee is the fountain of life, and in Thy light
shall we see light.
Continue Thy mercy unto those who know Thee.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (3).
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
commence funeral tempo:
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
once the Cross is in the center of the nave, a censing is made
Troparion O Lord, save Thy people
Feast and bless Thine inheritance!
(Tone 1) Grant victory to the Orthodox Christians
over their adversaries;
And by virtue of Thy Cross,
preserve Thy habitation! (3)
then all of the faithful bow before the Cross in worship of the One who was crucified on it
Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship, O Master,
and Thy holy Resurrection, we glorify! (3)
then the Divine Liturgy begins immediately in the usual manner
Priest: O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth Who art everywhere and fillest all Things. Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life. Come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will to men. (2)
O Lord, open Thou my lips
and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.
and the rest of the Divine Liturgy for the Feast
This content has been generously provided by Fr. Jerome Cwiklinski, CAPT, CHC, USN