Verse: Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name.
The Fast that bringeth us blessings hath now reached its midmost point: it hath helped us to receive God's grace in the days that are past, and it will bring us further benefit in the days still to come. For by continuing in what is right we attain yet greater gifts. We therefore cry to Christ, the Giver of all good things: O thou who for our sakes hast fasted and endured the Cross, make us worthy to share uncondemned in thy divine Pascha. May we spend our lives in peace and rightly glorify thee with the Father and the Spirit.
Verse: The righteous shall wait for me, until thou recompense me.
If we look for a spiritual recompense, let us perform our good deeds in secret; let us not proclaim them in the streets but keep them hidden in our hearts. Then he who seeth the secrets of all men will reward us for our abstinence. Let us complete the Fast, not with a sad countenance, but praying in the inner chamber of our souls; and without ceasing let us cry: Our Father who art in heaven, lead us not into temptation, we pray, but deliver us from the evil one.
Verse: Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice.
Your souls filled with an insatiable love, O holy Martyrs, ye did not deny Christ. Ye were condemned to various torments, and ye endured great sufferings, whereby ye cast down the tyrants' bold audacity. Ye preserved the Faith both steadfast and unassailable; to heaven ye have gone to dwell. Thus, in that ye have boldness before him, pray to him, beseeching him that he may bestow great mercy upon us.
Verse: Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
Let all of us wash and cleanse our souls * in the waters of the Fast; * and as we draw nigh the hon'rable * and the all-hallowèd * Cross of the Lord, let us * bow down unto it with faith, * and draw forth from it divine enlightenment; * and let us gather now * the eternal everlasting fruits * of salvation * and of peace and great mercy.
Verse: If thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? for with thee there is forgiveness.
O Cross, thou art the Apostles' boast, * thou that art attended by * the Principalities, Powers, and the Archangels' ranks: * from all dangers save us * who bown down to thee, and grant * that we be worthy to finish well the course * of divine abstinence, * and that we at last may reach the day * of salvation, * on which we too shall be saved.
Verse: Because of thy name have I waited for thee, O Lord; my soul hath waited upon thy word, my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
As we bow down before the Cross of the Lord today, let us cry aloud: * O thou Tree of life, rejoice, which didst slay Hades, * thou joy of the world, which destroyedst corruption! * Rejoice, thou that by thy power hast dispersed the demons' hosts! * Thou support of the faithful ones, thou weapon unbreakable, * keep watch over us that kiss thee, and grant sanctification unto us.
Verse: From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch let Israel trust in the Lord.
The first sticheron for the commemoration of the day is chanted from the Menaion.
Verse: For with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is abundant redemption, and he will deliver Israel from all his iniquity.
The first sticheron for the commemoration of the day from the Menaion is repeated.
Verse: Praise the Lord, all ye nations; praise him, all ye peoples.
The second sticheron for the commemoration of the day is chanted from the Menaion.
Verse: For his mercy is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.
The second sticheron for the commemoration of the day is chanted from the Menaion.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Today he that is unapproachable in essence becometh for my sake approachable; he suffereth passion, that he might free me from passions. He that giveth light to the blind is spat upon by the lips of the lawless ones, and for the sake of captives he doth offer up his back to be scourged. When that most pure one, the Virgin and Mother, beheld him upon the Cross outstretched, in her distress she cried aloud: Woe is me, O my Child! What is this that thou hast done? Thou that wast in beauty fairer than all mortal men dost appear without breath or form, and having neither shape nor beauty! Woe is me, O my Light! I cannot bear to look upon thee sleeping: mine inward parts have been pierced, and a fearsome and dread sword hath been passed through my heart. I sing the praise of thy Passion; thy compassion I venerate; O longsuffering Lord, glory to thee.