Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center Holy and Glorious Pascha Preparation Twentyfirst Day - Great Lent - Third Sunday: Sunday of Veneration of the Holy Cross with Procession with the Holy Cross and Presentation of Holy Cross for Veneration (20th Days before the Transition Period)

Sundays of Great Lent or Pascha Cycle
Sunday	Name	Day of Great Lent	Day before Transition Period	Apostolos	Gospel	Action
3	Sunday of Veneration of Holy Cross	21st day of Great Lent	20th day before Transition Period	Heb. 4:14-5:6	Mk. 8:34-9:1	Procession with Holy Cross and presentation for veneration

The Trisagion Hymn is the Hymn of the Cross

English

We bow in worship before your Cross, O Master, and we glorify your Holy Resurrection.
We bow in worship before your Cross, O Master, and we give praise to your Holy Resurrection.

Arabic phonetic transliteration:

Li saleebika ya Sayyidana nosjed, wa li quamatik almoqaddasal numajjid.
li-Sa-lee-bi-ka yaa Say-yi-da-na nas-jud, wa-li-Qi-yaa-ma-ti-kal mu-Qad-da-sa, nu-maj-jid.
Li-sa-lee-bi-ka ya Say-yi-da-na nos-jud, wa-li-qi-yaa-ma-ti-kal-mu-qad-da-sa-nu-maj-jid.

Greek Phonetic transliteration:

Ton Stavron sou proskinoomen, Dhespota, keh teen Agian souAnastasin dhoxaxomen.
Ton-stav-ron soo pros-ki-noo-men Dhes-po-ta, keh tin a-ghi-an soo a-nas-ta-sin dho-xa-zo-men.
Ton Stav-ron su pros-ki-noo-men Dhes-po-ta, ke tin a-gi-an su A-na-sta-sin dho-xa-zo-men.

The Third Sunday of Great Lent commemorates the Holy Cross on which the human form of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ died. The death and the resurrection of the human form of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ opens the possiblity of "eternal life" for us after we fall asleep in the Lord. By His death, Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ redeemed our souls.

The Third Sunday of Great Lent is the middle point of this holy season (Great Lent) of prayer, fasting, and charity in preparation for the Feasts of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha. Archbishop Joseph Raya has written, "Every major effort brings pain and fatigue. Discouragement sometimes appears before the work is done. Since now, with the grace of God, we have reached the mid-point of Lent, and lest we be overcome by its burdens, the Church, our compassionate mother, reveals to us the Cross of Christ as a source of power and inspiration, as the support of the just and the hope of the sinner. The Cross is planted in the midst of Lent like the Tree of Life in the midst of Paradise, like the Rod of Moses in the midst of the camp, in order that anyone looking upon it may find health, strength and the courage to pursue his course."

Liturgy

There are some special parts in the Liturgy for this Sunday. Special verses are chanted for the First Antiphon. Also, instead of the usual Trisagion ("Quddooson illa," "Agios o theos," "Holy God") we sing "We bow in worship before Your Cross, O Christ, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection" ("Li saleebika"). Further, in the Liturgy of St Basil, we already have a special Kontakion ("Triumphant Leader" or "Nah nou abeed aki") and a special Hirmos ("In you, O full of grace" or "Inn al baraya").

Procession with the Holy Cross and Presentation of Holy Cross for Veneration

The Holy Cross presented for veneration is a small Holy Cross, which stands on a platter covered with flowers.

We have a procession with the Holy Cross and a presentation of the Holy Cross for veneration by all the faithful These actions are to show that we understand the true meaning of the Holy Cross. The Cross, a degrading and torturous means of taking the lives of prisoners, was transformed by Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ into a glorious and saving means of giving eternal life to believers. The Holy Cross is not venerated for itselves, but for what it represents.

During Divine Liturgy, the Holy Cross to be presented for veneration sits on the altar.

The procession with the Holy Cross and presentation of Holy Cross for veneration is at the end of the Liturgy. The priest carries the Holy Cross on a platter covered with flowers three times around the Church. Then, everyone comes forward to venerate the Cross.

Epistle

Hebrews 4:14-5:6 The reading is from St Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews. The Epistle reading explains that Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ is our high priest, chosen by God for this job, and especially suited for it because he understands our human condition. St Paul writes, "let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Then,we can approach Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ with boldness and complete assurance that He understands us and will grant us mercy and grace, because He became human like us, "one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin."

Gospel

St Mark 8:34-9:1 The reading tells us what we must to be true followers of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, that is true Christians. We must must deny himself or herself and take up our crosses and follow Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. We must put His truth and His will first in our lives, and not being ashamed of Him and His words. The way to salvation is not through worldly accomplishments or material possessions; it is through the words of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Kontakion, Troparion, Exapostilarion, and Vespers Sticheron or Doxastikon

KONTAKION (TONE 7)
The angel's fiery sword will no longer guard the gate of Paradise, for the Cross of the Lord has extinguished it wonderfully. The power of death has been broken, the victory of Hades wiped out, and You, my Savior, have arisen and called out to all those bound in Hades: "Come now, and enter into heaven!"

TROPARION (TONE I)
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance; preserve our public authorities in every good deed; and protect your nation by the power of your Cross.

Eparch Cyrille Bustros's Message, Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Eparchy of Newton, Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States

2006

Pascha Cycle

The Sundays of Great Lent are within the Pascha Cycle. The Sundays of Great Lent are between the Fourth Sunday of the Triodion: Sunday of Cheese fare - Forgiveness and the Transition Period between Great Lent and Great and Holy Week. Great Lent begins on Clean Monday and ends on the Friday after the Fifth Sunday of Lent.

How to determine when the Third Sunday of Great Lent occurs

Great Lent is Forty Days.
A count back from the date of Pascha is made.

Sundays of Great Lent or Pascha Cycle
Sunday	Name	Day of Great Lent	Day before Transition Period	Apostolos	Gospel	Action	Saint
Vespers of Clean Monday	Service of Forgiveness	Vespers of 1st day of Great Lent	Eve of 40th day before Transition Period			Forgive
Clean Monday	1st day of Great Lent	1st day of Great Lent	40th day before Transition Period	1 Cor. 3:18-23	Lk. 21:8-36
1	Sunday of Triumph of Orthodoxy	7th day of Great Lent	34th day before Transition Period	Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40, 12:1-2A	John 1:43-51	Procession with holy ikons and presentation for veneration
2	Sunday of Veneration of Holy Relics Gregory Palamas	14th day of Great Lent	27th day before Transition Period	2nd Cor. 4:6-15	Mk. 2:1-12	Procession with holy relics and presentation for veneration	All Saints have Relics St. Gregory Palamas
3	Sunday of Veneration of Holy Cross	21st day of Great Lent	20th day before Transition Period	Heb. 4:14-5:6	Mk. 8:34-9:1	Procession with Holy Cross and presentation for veneration
4	Commem- oration of Our Holy Father John Climacus	28th day of Great Lent	13th day before Transition Period	Heb. 6:13-20	Mk. 9:17-31		Our Holy Father John Climacus
5	Commem- oration of Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt	35th day of Great Lent	6th day before Transition Period	Heb. 9:11-14	Mk. 10:32b-45		Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt
Friday after Fifth Sunday	Last day of Great Lent	40th day of Great Lent	1st day before Transition Period	Eph. 2:4-10	Mt. 4:1-11

Traditions

Traditions of Great Lent and Holy Week Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton

More Information

Saint Ignatios of Antioch Melkite Greek Catholic Church Then click on Resources. The first category is Lenten Information.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Lent But Were Afraid to Ask St. George Melkite-Greek Catholic Church, Sacramento, CA

Third Sunday of Great Lent Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Click on The Triodion Celebrations for Great Lent

Ikon

Third Sunday of Great Lent Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Click on The Triodion Celebrations for Great Lent

Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center
Martha Liles
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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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