having been deemed worthy to see your exaltation. You are the preaching of the prophets. For about you, rejoicing, they daily sing, saying to God, "You have given to those who fear you a sign to flee from the face of the bow." You are the boast of the apostles; for they unceasingly cry out through one of their sacred preachers, "But may it never be for me to boast, except in the cross of the Lord." You are the crown of the martyrs. You are the boast of those in mountains and caves, and in the holes of the earth, who have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. O the unutterable joy of the Lord's cross! O the incomprehensible mysteries in it, and that I might utter the words of the Apostle, "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments! "For having been put to death by the wood, by the wood of condemnation we were made alive. O the immeasurable grace of the one who has given! It is necessary, therefore, for us to celebrate this all-festive feast "among the thick boughs, even to the horns of the altar." And "thick boughs," as those skilled in these matters say, are things soiled by neglect or old 4076 age, or things that are again, through care, transformed to something more honorable for the gladness of those who feast in exultation. Let us therefore be disposed, as we have been commanded, and having stripped off the unpleasantness that has come upon us from carelessness, let us celebrate this bright and all-venerable day of the memory of the life-giving cross, cleansing away sins by alms and faith, as Scripture says, and with fear and joy let us thus cry out, "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us, Holy Trinity, one in essence and one in throne, have mercy on us;" to whom is due glory, power, majesty, and magnificence unto the endless ages of ages. Amen.

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καταξιωθέντες ἰδεῖν τὴν σὴν ἀνάδειξιν. Σὺ εἶ τῶν προφητῶν τὸ κήρυγμα. Περὶ σοῦ γὰρ ἀγαλλιώμενοι ὁσημέραι κελαδοῦσι λέγοντες πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, «Ἔδωκας τοῖς φοβουμένοις σε σημείωσιν τοῦ φυγεῖν ἀπὸ προσώπου τόξου.» Σὺ εἶ τὸ καύχημα τῶν ἀποστόλων· ἀδιαλείπτως γὰρ βοῶσι δι' ἑνὸς αὐτῶν ἱεροκήρυκος, «Ἐμοὶ δὲ μὴ γένοιτο καυχᾶσθαι, εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Κυρίου.» Σὺ εἶ τῶν μαρτύρων στέφος. Σὺ εἶ τὸ καύχημα τῶν ἐν ὄρεσι καὶ σπηλαίοις, καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς τὴν σάρκα σταυρωσάντων σὺν τοῖς παθήμασι καὶ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις. Ὢ τῆς ἀνεκλαλήτου χαρᾶς ∆εσποτικοῦ σταυροῦ! Ὢ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ ἀκαταλήπτων μυστηρίων, καὶ ἵνα τὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου φθέγξωμαι, «Ὦ βάθος πλούτου καὶ σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως Θεοῦ, ὡς ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ! «Παρὰ γὰρ τοῦ ξύλου νεκρωθέντες, παρὰ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς κατακρίσεως ἐζωοποιήθημεν. Ὢ τῆς ἀμέτρου χάριτος τοῦ δεδωκότος! ∆έον οὖν ἡμᾶς τὴν πανέορτον ταύτην ἑορτὴν συστήσασθαι «ἐν τοῖς πυκάζουσι, ἕως τῶν κεράτων τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου.» Πυκάζοντες δέ εἰσιν, ὥς φασιν οἱ περὶ ταῦτα δεινοὶ, τὰ ἐξ ἀμελείας ἢ παλαιό 4076 τητος ῥυπωθέντα ἢ τὰ ἐξ ἐπιμελείας πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ τιμαλφέστερον μετακοσμούμενα εἰς εὐφροσύνην τῶν εὐοχούντων ἐν ἀγαλλιάμασι. ∆ιατεθῶμεν τοίνυν, ὡς προτετάγμεθα, καὶ τὴν συμβᾶσαν ἡμῖν ἐκ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας ἀπεκδυσάμενοι ἀηδίαν, τὴν φαιδρὰν ταύτην καὶ πάνσεπτον ἡμέραν τῆς τοῦ ζωοποιοῦ σταυροῦ μνήμης ἐπιτελέσωμεν ἐλεημοσύναις καὶ πίστεσιν ἀποκαθαίροντες ἁμαρτίας, καθώς φησιν ἡ Γραφὴ, καὶ μετὰ φόβου, καὶ χαρᾶς οὕτω βοήσωμεν, «Ἅγιος ὁ Θεὸς, ἅγιος ἰσχυρὸς, ἅγιος ἀθάνατος, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, ἁγία Τριὰς, ὁμοούσιε καὶ ὁμόθρονε, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς·» ᾖ πρέπει δόξα, κράτος, μεγαλοσύνη τε, καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια εἰς τοὺς ἀτελευτήτους αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

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