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Monday, September 15, 2025
Holy Cross Day
Vespers

Introduction
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

Antiphon 1 O great deed of mercy! Death then was dead, on the wood when death became life.

Psalm 109 (110)    Dixit Dominus
The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”

The Lord will send the scepter of your power out of Zion,
saying, “Rule over your enemies round about you.

“Princely state has been yours from the day of your birth;
in the beauty of holiness have I begotten you,
like dew from the womb of the morning.”

The Lord has sworn and he will not recant:
“You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

The Lord who is at your right hand
will smite kings in the day of his wrath;
he will rule over the nations.

He will heap high the corpses;
he will smash heads over the wide earth.

He will drink from the brook beside the road;
therefore he will lift high his head.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon O great deed of mercy! Death then was dead, on the wood when death became life.

Antiphon 2 We adore your cross, O Lord, we recall your glorious passion: have mercy upon us, you who suffered for us.

Psalm 110 (111)    Confitebor tibi
Alleluia!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the deeds of the Lord!
they are studied by all who delight in them.

His work is full of majesty and splendor,
and his righteousness endures for ever.
He makes his marvelous works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

He gives food to those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works
in giving them the lands of the nations.

The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice;
all his commandments are sure.
They stand fast for ever and ever,
because they are done in truth and equity.

He sent redemption to his people;
he commanded his covenant for ever;
holy and awesome is his Name.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
those who act accordingly have a good understanding;
his praise endures for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon We adore your cross, O Lord, we recall your glorious passion: have mercy upon us, you who suffered for us.

Antiphon 3 We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your cross you have redeemed the world.

Psalm 111 (112)    Beatus vir
Alleluia!

Happy are they who fear the Lord
and have great delight in his commandments!
Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Wealth and riches will be in their house,
and their righteousness will last for ever.
Light shines in the darkness for the upright;
the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

It is good for them to be generous in lending
and to manage their affairs with justice.
For they will never be shaken;
the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.

They will not be afraid of any evil rumors;
their heart is right;
they put their trust in the Lord.
Their heart is established and will not shrink,
until they see their desire upon their enemies.

They have given freely to the poor,
and their righteousness stands fast for ever;
they will hold up their head with honor.

The wicked will see it and be angry;
they will gnash their teeth and pine away;
the desires of the wicked will perish.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your cross you have redeemed the world.

Antiphon 4 Let us adore the sign of the cross, by which we received the mystery of salvation.

Psalm 115 (116:9-17)    Credidi, propter quod
I believed, even when I said,
“I have been brought very low.”
In my distress I said, “No one can be trusted.”

How shall I repay the Lord
for all the good things he has done for me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call upon the Name of the Lord.

I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his servants.

O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;
you have freed me from my bonds.
I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call upon the Name of the Lord.

I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the Lord’s house,
in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.

Alleluia!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon Let us adore the sign of the cross, by which we received the mystery of salvation.

Short Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:23-24
We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Responsory
O glorious cross, on you the king of the angels triumphed.
O glorious cross, on you the king of the angels triumphed.
And by his blood he washes our wounds, on you the king of the angels triumphed.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O glorious cross, on you the king of the angels triumphed.

Hymn     Vexilla regis prodeunt
The banners of the King go forth,
the gleaming mystery of the Cross,
by which the Maker of all flesh
was yoked in flesh upon the wood;

Where, wounded as he hung on high
by bitter blade of sharpened spear,
there flowed forth water mixed with blood,
to wash us clean from every sin.

O noble tree with blood adorned,
the splendid purple of the King,
once chosen from a worthy stock
to touch and bear such holy limbs.

O blessed tree whose branches bore
the price and ransom of the world!
Like scales it weighed the body’s worth
and bore away the spoils of hell.

Hail altar, victim, sacrifice,
for glory gained through grief and death,
by which our Life endured to die
and through his death restored our life.

O Cross, all hail, our only hope!
in this most holy Passiontide,
increase the grace of loving hearts
and rid the guilty of their sin.

O Triune God, let all sing praise
to you, the font of saving grace;
sustain for ever those you save
by wondrous mystery of the Cross. Amen.

Verse
This sign of the cross will be in heaven.
When the Lord comes to judge.

Antiphon Greater than every cedar tree you rise alone, on which the life of the world hangs, on which Christ triumphed, and death overcame death, alleluia.

Canticle: Luke 1:46-55    Magnificat anima mea
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon Greater than every cedar tree you rise alone, on which the life of the world hangs, on which Christ triumphed, and death overcame death, alleluia.

Litany
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
  hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
  your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
  Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.

Collect
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Conclusion
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.