Dear friends
Today the Sunday is called "Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross" and as we are in the middle of the Pascha fast we pray, read and sing for the Triune God to strengthen us in our personalised through our cross struggle (that through the fast may have become more and more difficult). The Gospel read today notes:
Mark 8:34-38; 9:1
"The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny
himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his
life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole
world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his
life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and
sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he
comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said to
them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not
taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."
Also as it is the tradition in the Orthodox Church, this is the period when at each Friday vespers we sing the hymn to the Virgin Mary, to praise her for allowing us via the birth of Christ to rejoice in the message of the Resurrection that we are going soon to commemorate. You can read the deep and rich in meaning and significance Akathist Hymn for Lent
here.
In the Third Stasis we read and sing:
Ikos 9
We see most eloquent orators mute as fish before Thee, O Theotokos; for they are at a loss to tell how Thou remainest a Virgin and could bear a child. But we, marveling at this mystery, cry out faithfully:
Rejoice, receptacle of the Wisdom of God:
Rejoice, treasury of His Providence!
Rejoice, Thou Who showest philosophers to be fools:
Rejoice, Thou Who exposest the learned as irrational!
Rejoice, for the clever critics have become foolish:
Rejoice, for the writers of myths have faded away!
Rejoice, Thou Who didst rend the webs of the Athenians:
Rejoice, Thou Who didst fill the nets of the fishermen!
Rejoice, Thou Who drawest us from the depths of ignorance:
Rejoice, Thou Who enlightenest many with knowledge!
Rejoice, ship for those who wish to be saved:
Rejoice, harbor for sailors on the sea of life!
Rejoice, Thou Bride Unwedded!
