On September 14, the church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. On this day, the Cross, decorated with flowers, is brought to the center of the church for veneration and remains there for 8 days until the leave-taking (Otdanie) of the feast on September 21.
Before the beginning of the vigil, the priest along with the cantor, go to the Table of Oblation, on which the Cross, decorated with flowers has been placed. The priest incenses the Cross and says, "Blessed is our God, always, now and ever and until ages of ages." The cantor reads the Trisagion Payers. Then are sung the troparion "O Lord, save Your people, and bless Your inheritance. Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians over their adversaries. And by vitue of Your Cross, preserve your habitation." ...Glory...Now and ever.,..and the kontakion "As You were voluntarily raised upon the Cross for our sake, grant mercy to those who are called Your Name, O Christ God; make all Orthodox Christians glad by your power, granting them victories over their adversaries, by bestowing on them the invincible trophy, Your weapon of Peace." The priest makes a prostration, places the Cross on his head, and proceeded by candles and the censor carries it to the Altar and puts it on the Altar in the place where the Gospel (which has previously been placed upright towards the back of the Altar) usually lies. The priest incenses aound the Altar three times and places a lighted candle before the Cross. The vigil now begins as usual.
Towards the end of Matins, just before the singing of the Great Doxology (Glory to God in the heights....), the preist puts on all his vestments (as at the celebration of the Liturgy). At the beginning of Great Doxology, he incenses around the Altar three times. When the choir begins to sing the "Holy God" (usually in the solemn funeral melody), the priest makes a prostration, takes up the Cross, and placing it upon his head, solemnly encircles aound the Altar and exits the sanctuary through the north door (the door to the left of the Altar) peceded by candles and the censer. He stops in front of th Royal Doors, facing the Altar. At the conclusion of the "Holy God," the priest raises the Cross and making the sign of the Cross with it, exclaims "Wisdom! Let us attend!" The choir now sings the troparion "O Lord, save your people." The priest proceeds to the center of the church and places the Cross on the tetrapod. He incenses the Cross from the four sides of the tatrapod, going around three times. All the while, the choir continues to sing the troparion.
The priest and the choir then sing "Before your Cross, we bow down in worship, O Master, and Your Holy Resurrection, we glorify" (Krestu Tvojemu) three times, each time followed by a prostration. The vigil concludes as usual.
In parishes where the vigil with matins is not celebrated, it has become the practice, right befoe the conclusion of Vespers, for the piest to exclaim "Glory to You who show us the light!", followed by the singing of the Great Doxology, and the bringing out of the Cross, as above. Vespers concludes as usual.
Authored by Ben Kalemba