3rd Sunday of Great Lent: Veneration of the Cross
Troparion — Tone 4
O Lord, save Your people, / and bless Your inheritance. / Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians, / over their adversaries. / And by virtue of Your Cross / preserve Your habitation!
Kontakion — Tone 7
Now the flaming sword no longer guards the gates of Eden; / it has mysteriously been quenched by the wood of the Cross! / The sting of death and the victory of hell have been vanquished; / for You, O my Savior, have come and cried to those in hell: / “Enter again into paradise.”
Repose of Saint Nikolai of Zhicha
Troparion — Tone 8
O golden-tongued preacher proclaiming the risen Christ, / everlasting guide of the cross-bearing Serbian people, / resounding harp of the Holy Spirit, and dear to monastics who rejoice in you, / pride and boast of the priesthood, teacher of repentance, master for all nations, / guide of those in the army of Christ as they pray to God, / Holy Nikolai teacher in America and pride of the Serbian people, / with all the saints, implore the only Lover of mankind / to grant us peace and joy in his heavenly kingdom!
Kontakion — Tone 3
Born at Lelich in Serbia, / you served as archpastor at the church of Saint Nahum in Ochrid. / You presided on the throne of Saint Savva at Zhicha, / teaching the people of God and enlightening them with the Gospel, / bringing them to repentance and love for Christ. / And for His sake you endured suffering at Dachau. / Therefore, Nicholai, we glorify you as one newly well pleasing to God.
Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem
Troparion — Tone 8
You were seen in Zion clothed in a robe of godliness / as an illustrious pillar of the Apostles’ faith. / You became an heir to their grace, / setting forth their pious doctrines / and dispensing their talents of wisdom. / O Cyril, our Father and hierarch, pray for us.
Kontakion — Tone 1
With your lips, O wise Cyril, / and through divine inspiration / you enlightened your people / to the worship of the one Trinity, / undivided in essence, yet divided in Hypostases. / Wherefore rejoicing, we celebrate your all-holy memory, / offering you as our intercessor before God.
Martyrs Trophimus and Eucarpus of Nicomedia
Troparion — Tone 4
Your holy martyrs Trophimus and Eucarpus, O Lord, / through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God. / For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries, / and shattered the powerless boldness of demons. / Through their intercessions, save our souls!
Venerable Aninas of the Euphrates
Troparion — Tone 8
By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile, / and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance. / By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe! / O our holy father Aninas, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!
Saint Cyril of Astrakhan
Troparion — Tone 8
By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile, / and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance. / By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe! / O our holy father Cyril, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!