Stichera of the precious Cross.
Tone 4. As noblest of Martyrs.

As general protection, as source of sanctification, let us embrace the precious Cross; for it calms sufferings, brings an end to diseases and delivers sufferers from pains of every kind. More than the great deep it forms a sea with streams of wonders for those who faithfully venerate and reverence its image.

We mortals, who sail among the waves of life and are storm-tossed by a tempest of sufferings, let us with faith take refuge in the precious Tree as a vessel of salvation, and it will silence the waves and the winds and break the passions, and we will reach in joy the haven of salvation without storms.

Stichera of the Saints.
Tone 1. All-praised Martyrs.

Tyranny did not shake the roof of the Law, supported by seven pillars; for they bravely endured the irrational frenzy of the persecutor, giving up their bodies to the executioners, those noble youths, kinsmen of Moses and guardians of God’s decrees.

Raising their minds on high beyond things visible the most devout and noble Children, with their mother wise in God, strengthened by the highest hopes had their bodily limbs hacked off. These hopes they have now attained as they rest in the bosom of Abraham their own forefather.

Stoutly arming themselves with youth of soul and whetting their courage most holy Eleazar, the all-wise youths with their mother, wise in God, unflinchingly held their ground against the adversary for the sake of true religion and the maintenance of their ancestral Law.

The holy Maccabees said to the tyrant, ‘For us, Antiochos, there is one King: God, from whom we came to be and to whom we return. Another world awaits us, higher and more lasting than the one we see. Our native land is Jerusalem, the mighty and indestructible. Our festival is life with the Angels.’ O Lord, at their prayers have mercy and save us.

At the Aposticha, Prosomia of the Cross.
Tone 1. Joy of the heavenly hosts.

As we worship in faith the precious Cross, we worship the Master who was nailed upon it, by whose will we purify our lips and souls, by its spiritual illumination we are made radiant as we praise it.

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of the Lord, like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the forefathers before the Law and ancestors of the Maccabees, who are now the objects of our praise. For they, as children of Abraham, were valiant in soul and zealous for the faith of the forefather Abraham, and they struggled even to death for the sake of true religion; for having together lived devoutly and competed lawfully they refuted the impiety if accursed Antiochos, and preferring none of the things of this present life, they offered everything to God: souls, courage, senses, tender bodies and the recompenses of those brought up in purity. O devout root from which you sprang, O Maccabees! O holy mother, who gave birth to a number equal to the days of the week! But we implore you, O Maccabees, with your mother Solomoni and the wise priest Eleazar, when you stand before Christ God, for whose sake you have toiled, as you receive the labours of your fruits, make intercession for mankind. For he does whatever he wills and fulfils the wishes of you that fear him.

All mortal nature together keeps a feast, and in spirit leaps for joy; for the Tree of the Cross is set forth today as an inexhaustible source of healing for those who have recourse to it with devotion and love, and who glorify the One who nailed on it, Christ, the Lover of mankind.

After the 2nd Reading, Kathisma.
Tone 4. You have appeared today.

For this present day the progress of the Cross is cause of joy; for it sanctifies both our souls and bodies, who worship it with faith.

A Composition by Joseph.

Ode 1. Tone 8.
The wonderworking rod of Moses.

Let us today with pure mind and devout intent worship the life-bearing Cross of the Lord; for it is set forth granting to those who approach it sanctification and salvation, illumination, glory and mercy.

The life-giving Cross set forth and contemplated sends out a beam of grace formed of light. Let us draw near and receive enlightenment of joy, salvation and forgiveness, as we bring praise to the Lord.

A strange sight is set forth for those who watch, the precious Cross; and like a source it pours out spiritual gifts of grace, brings sins to an end, abolishes diseases and strengthens the thoughts of those worship it sincerely.

The Canon of the Saints.
By Andrew of Crete.

O all-wise Youths, who like professionals guarded the doctrines of Moses and devoutly imitated the death of Christ, intercede always that we may all be saved.

Who has seen, who has heard what contests the guardians of the Law, the sons of Solomoni, valiantly displayed as they competed with one soul and one thought?

Spurring each other on, the seven holy sons of honoured Solomoni cried out, ‘Let us compete like professionals, and let us die eagerly for our ancestral customs’.

Let us stand with courage, the tyrant has been put to shame, tortures have been made feeble, Beliar has been worsted, the fire has been quenched. Let no one then, brothers, stand outside the starting blocks.

‘For us, Antiochos, the contest is for our ancestral customs’, cried the Youths stripped naked in the stadium, ‘for them we prefer to die rather than to live.’

As their flesh was being scraped with iron claws in the stadium, the guardians of the Law were crying, ‘For us, Antiochos, the pains and the fire are sweet, for the sake of the life of all.’

Glory.

Let us glorify the Trinity, the eternal Essence in Unity, consubstantial, one in majesty and power, the Father without beginning, the Son and the holy Spirit.

The Cross, cause of all blessings, is seen and worshipped; and all creation keeps festival with joy, enlightened by the grace of our God who was willingly lifted up on it.

Made radiant with the light of the splendours of the Cross and having put all our trust in it, let us flee the darkness of sins and let us cry, ‘O enlightenment of all thins, compassionate Lord, glory to you!’

O Youths who all sprang up and grew together in holiness and were instructed in accordance with the Law by Eleazar, you competed like professionals and trampled down to the ground all the plans of Antiochos.

‘Hurry, tyrant, cried out the children of Abraham, do whatever you wish, rage ever more fiercely. We will in no way obey your decrees, with longing for God we choose rather the outrages of tortures.’

‘Let no one be deprived today of the good fight. Let no one be hunted down by the raving beast. The serpent is cunning, let none of us become his fodder’ so the sons of Solomoni spurred one another on.

‘Come, guardians of the Law, let us be tortured together. Come, let us be courageous’, cried the Youths as they devoutly spurred one another to the contests. Let us too imitate their zeal.

Glory.

Let us the faithful glorify one Essence of God, one sovereignty, one kingship, uniting without confusion the one Godhead and devoutly dividing it in three hypostases.

Then Kathisma. Tone 8. The Wisdom and Word.

Having lived devoutly, wise Youths, you bravely as martyrs shamed the tyrant’s threats, as champions of the Law; and as followers of the father you became Saints and with your mother, wise in God, you struggled eagerly. Therefore by death you truly purchased the life of heaven and you rejoice eternally, brave-hearted Maccabees. Intercede with Christ God to grant forgiveness of faults to those who celebrate with love your holy memory.

Of the Cross. Ode 4.
You, Lord, are my strength.

See, the mighty protection and restoration of mortals, the invincible weapon of the faith, the saving Cross is set forth and appears. And sanctifying the hearts of all who approach it with faith it enlightens by grace.

The great guardian of the Orthodox is set forth in the midst of all, the precious Cross in the midst of the earth, on which you were lifted up, supremely loving Lord, by your own free will. It sanctifies the world by its worship and it routs the regiments of demons.

Heaven with all the earth is glad; Champions, Martyrs, Apostles, souls of the Righteous now rejoice exceedingly as they see the life-giving Tree set forth in the midst, which saves all and sanctifies believers by grace.

Rejoice, Eleazar, as you see your holy pupils competing devoutly today on behalf of their ancestral laws and commandments, and refuting the raving of the persecutor Antiochos with wise words.

Be glad, Solomoni, as you see your seven branches blossoming together with the fruits of the Law; from which the blameless Church, reaping heirs of the worship in grace, nourishes us each day as a mother.

Leap for joy, Patriarchs, clap your hands, as you see the guardians of the Law devoutly competing for the worship according to the Law and though tested by every torment in no way abandoning their ancestral customs.

Dance like the best, brave champions, and celebrate a feast with the Martyrs of Christ, as you struggled before them for the Law and with them you are rightly and radiantly praised by the whole Church of Christ.

Glory.

We faithful with never silent mouths glorify a Trinity in Unity as we cry out, ‘Trinity in Unity, worshipped together and praised in a Trinity of persons, to you be glory, honour and worship’.

Holy Virgin, Bride of God, we sing your praise as the one who gave birth to God and wall of the faithful; for your raised up the fallen nature of Adam and made new the image by alone giving birth to the pre-existent God.

Of the Cross. Ode 5. Why have you rejected me.

Shout for joy, you nations, sing, leap and chant, you tribes, to God who has given the Cross as an unshakeable support. As it now set forth let all of us believers rejoice as through it we enjoy the blessings.

All the spiritual armies escort you, all-holy Cross, and we mortals, touching you today with lips of clay, with love draw sanctification and blessing, as we glorify the One who was nailed upon you.

Lovers of Christ, let us imitate the seven Youths, whom Moses lawfully brought up and Eleazar instructed in their ancestral Law through true religion.

‘Do not imagine, Antiochos, persecutor of the faithful, that your burning fire can frighten. Slaughter too, lawless tyrant. Do what you like’, the Youths cried out.

‘Let us together struggle lawfully, brave martyrs of Christ. Let Moses commands be passed along the line, not to touch polluted foods’, the Youths cried out.

Glory.

O Trinity, before eternity, co-eternal and of equal majesty, Father, Son and holy Spirit, holy Unity in three persons, save those of Adam’s race who faithfully sing your praise.

When the Cross was fixed in the earth, the fall of demons came about. As we see it now gloriously set forth and as we greet it lovingly we rise up from the sin of our falls.

As we praise you, God and King and Lord, we now embrace with joy the Cross which you have given us as an unbreachable wall and are delivered from perils.

The Wisdom of God built a temple and supported it on seven spiritual pillars, foreshadowing these Youths as guardians of the Law.

Wise Solomoni gave birth to seven sons, whom wise Eleazar brought up well; and when they had struggled bravely divine grace crowned them.

‘Why do you delay, judge?’ said the band with seven branches in the midst of tortures, ‘punish, slaughter swiftly, do whatever you wish’.

‘Our father has struggled before us, the sons are struggling together, let our mother too follow us, judge. And may their be an addition to the children and a cause of pride.’

‘Though you destroy our bodies by the fire, Antiochos,’ the choir of seven brothers valiantly cried out, ‘do not imagine you can defeat even one of us.’

Glory.

Let us faithfully worship the Father and the Son and the right Spirit in one Godhead, as we cry, ‘Holy Trinity, save your world!’

The Month of August has thirty one days. The day has 13 hours and the night 11.

On the same day, commemoration of the holy Martyrs, Menas, Menaios and the others in Viglention, near the bronze Tetrapylos.

The One beyond time is revealed in time bearing flesh, and through his loving-kindness he heals our chronic passions of both flesh and spirit; while already he sanctifies us by his divine Cross.

We praise and glorify, we worship and magnify your might, O Lord; for you have granted us your servants the divine Cross as inexhaustible delight and guardian of our souls and bodies.

Do not prove me condemned to evils, Lord, on the day of decision; do not cast me away from your presence in shame, but take pity, save me by your precious Cross as you are supremely good.

The zealots for the ancestral Law, the unflinching guardians of Law united in soul, with all devotion confessed one God in three hypostases, faithfully uniting and devoutly distinguishing.

‘What are you waiting for then, tyrant?’ cried the Martyrs to the erring judge; ‘we confess one God and we have a native land, the Jerusalem on high that nurtured us.’

‘We will not eat polluted food,’ they say, ‘we will not sacrifice, nor bow the knee to earth. We confess one God and him we fear, from whom we came and to whom we speed.’

Glory.

Let us raise a song to the Trinity, glorifying the Father without beginning, the Son and the right Spirit, one single essence, whom thrice we praise, crying, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy.’

Godlike Elissaios once drew the iron from a river with wood, from long ago foreshadowing you, all-honoured Cross. For we who through you have also been drawn out of the abyss of error to sure faith are today counted worthy to behold you and to worship you in faith to all the ages.

From long ago Jacob most clearly prefigured you, all-honoured Cross, by his blessings. While we, who have been counted worthy by grace to look on you, all with undoubting faith draw near and sing, plucking blessing richly, and light and salvation and release from faults.

Those guardians of the laws of their ancestral customs, those heralds of ordinance of Moses, appearing like seven beacons in the world, flood us with the rays of their struggles, those spiritual lanterns.

Those that were bravest in accordance with God’s law, and who spat on the counsels of Antiochos, valiantly cried out, ‘Wild beasts, swords, fire or scourges can never separate us from God, Antiochos!’

Those who adorned the chair of Moses and kept safe the ancestral laws, shining like seven stars in the world, made dark the wandering stars, made resplendent by the faith.

Those shoots of devout Solomoni, and nurslings of faithful Eleazar, those seven beacons shining like lamps by the lamp of the Law, have clearly been set in the tabernacle of God.

Glory.

Glory to the Father, the Son and the Spirit, to the Godhead, Trinity of persons, and Unity of nature by hypostases, praised without ceasing by all creation and to all the ages.

Once fixed to the Cross with nails through feet and hands, pierced in the side, your thirst quenched with vinegar and gall, you healed my wounds, O King of all, supremely good, the joy, the sweetness, glory and eternal redemption of all.

Fair beyond sapphire and gold, bright as the sun you are, divine Cross, lying circumscribed by place and ever manifestly surrounded by spiritual Powers, yet enlightening every part of the inhabited world with rays of the divine power.

The Cross is the harbour of the storm-tossed, guide and support of the wandering, glory of Christ, strength of Apostles and Prophets, boast of Champions, refuge of all mortals. As we all see it set fourth in the midst, we greet it with loving devotion.

Those brought up in accordance with the Law and who died on behalf of the Law, the pupils of Eleazar, the Children of Solomoni and zealous followers of Moses, as they were being dragged out shouted, ‘Antiochos, we do you hesitate, why do you delay, why are you not doing what you want to against us?’

The captains of the Law, stoutly despising the follies of Antiochos, bore up bravely under tortures, filling themselves with zeal, stirring one another on and hastening to anticipate toils and struggles and to die rather than to live.

As a brave and noble Olympic victor, Solomoni, as she watched her sons being slaughtered, was not shaken in soul, but she cried, ‘Listen, Antiochos, add me to my children, if indeed there is really grace from foes’.

O the prowess of a woman! O height of nobility! She, who had offered the seven-pillared choir of her sons to God for the sake of the Law, eagerly played the man and gave herself over to tortures as an addition to her sons who had just died.

The Youths who were an image of the holy week of seven days, longing to acquire by death the treasure of life, nobly resisted the threats of the persecutor and by their service of the Law shamed his utterly profane devices.

Let us honour gloriously the heroes of the Law, whom Eleazar brought up and left a fair example, offering himself to the torments of the Saints, as they intercede that peace may be given to the world and to us forgiveness.

Holy Youths of the Law of God, by your intercessions rescue from all disease and corruption those who celebrate the memory of your sacred contests, granting to this Monastery of ours peace and deliverance from evils.

Glory.

I glorify Light, the Father, I magnify Light, the Son and I worship Light, the Spirit, the holy Trinity; but in three persons and one Godhead an eternal and unending might, bringing all things out of non-existence.

Mystic Paradise are you, O Mother of God, who untilled brought forth Christ, who planted on the earth the life-giving Tree of the Cross. And so as it is raised today, we worship it and magnify you.

Exapostilarion. Tone 2.
As the Disciples.

At Lauds we insert 4 [6] Stichera, and sing 3 of Prosomia of the Cross.

With voices let us shout for joy, with songs let us make melody, as with love we embrace the precious Cross, and let us cry out to it, ‘Most blessed Cross, make holy our souls and bodies by your power, and keep unharmed from every hurt of enemies those who devoutly worship you’.

Approach and draw waters that do not fail that issue from the grace of the Cross. See, we contemplate the holy Tree which is set forth, the source of gifts of grace watered by the Blood and Water of the Master of all things who was willingly raised upon it and who raises mortals.

And three Idiomels of the Saints.
Tone 1.

The guardians of the Law and sons of Solomoni, as they struggled in the stadium, cried out to Antiochos, ‘We remain steadfast for our ancestral laws. Neither fire, nor sword, no wild beasts, no scourges will part us, but we will die with our aged mother and our father and teacher, living and rejoicing together to unending ages’.

Glory.

Come, believers, let us contemplate the praiseworthy warfare of the Maccabees, and their bravery. For a tyrannical King, who had mastered all the nations, was mastered in his turn by an old, seven youths and a woman. Therefore at their prayers, O God, have mercy on us.

Great Doxology.

After it has been finished there takes place the Entrance with the precious Cross, and next the veneration according the arrangements for the third Sunday of Lent.

During the veneration we sing the following Idiomel Sticheron.

Come, believers, let worship the life-giving Tree on which Christ the King of glory willing stretched out his hands and raised up to the ancient blessedness us whom of old the foe, luring us through pleasure, had made exiles from God. Come, believers, let us worship the Tree though which we have counted worthy to crush the heads of invisible enemies. Come, all you families of nations, let us honour with hymns the Cross of the Lord. Hail, O Cross, the complete redemption of Adam. In you our faithful Sovereigns boast, as by your power they mightily defeat the people of Ishmael. We Christians, as with fear we now lovingly greet you, glorify God who was nailed to you, as we say, ‘O Lord, who were nailed upon it, have mercy on us as you are good and love mankind’.

The rest of the service as usual, and Dismissal.