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.”
Martyrs Agapius, Publius, Timolaus, Romulus, two named Dionysius, and two named Alexander, at Caesarea in Palestine
Troparion — Tone 4
Your soul aflame with love for Christ, / you gathered a company of illustrious athletes, O glorious Agapius. / With them you excelled in righteous contest, / and together you were beheaded by the sword. / Henceforth always pray for the forgiveness of our sins!
Kontakion — Tone 4
Out of love for Christ / the eight-fold choir of martyrs spurned all earthly things. / As they were beheaded / they cried out together: / O compassionate One, give joy to your servants!
Hieromartyr Alexander of Sίdē, in Pamphylia
Troparion — Tone 4
By sharing in the ways of the Apostles, / you became a successor to their throne. / Through the practice of virtue, you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God; / by teaching the word of truth without error, you defended the Faith, / even to the shedding of your blood. / Hieromartyr Alexander, entreat Christ God to save our souls.
Martyr Nicander of Egypt
Troparion — Tone 4
Your holy martyr Nicander, O Lord, / through his sufferings has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God. / For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries, / and shattered the powerless boldness of demons. / Through his intercessions, save our souls!
Kontakion — Tone 2
(Podoben: “You sought the heights...”)
You appeared as a bright star announcing Christ with your radiance, / which is repulsive to this world, O Martyr Nicander; / extinguishing the allure of false gods, / you enlighten the faithful, / always interceding for us all.