He that was lifted up beyond the third heaven in Paradise, and (heard) unspeakable and divine words that it is not allowed for tongues to speak, what doth he write to the Galatians? As lovers of the Scriptures, ye have read it and known. Far be it from me to glory, he sayeth, if not in the Cross of the Lord alone, on which He suffered, and slew (our) sufferings. Therefore let us all also steadfastly embrace the Cross of the Lord as our boast, for this wood is our salvation, the weapon of peace, the unconquered sign of victory! (The oikos at Matins of the Exaltation of the Cross in the Byzantine Rite.)
Ὁ μετὰ τρίτον οὐρανὸν ἀρθεὶς ἐν Παραδείσῳ, καὶ ῥήματα τὰ ἄρρητα καὶ θεῖα (ἀκούσας), ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν γλώσσαις λαλεῖν, τί τοῖς Γαλάταις γράφει; ὡς ἐρασταὶ τῶν Γραφῶν, ἀνέγνωτε καὶ ἔγνωτε. Ἐμοί, φησί, καυχᾶσθαι μὴ γένοιτο, πλὴν εἰ μὴ ἐν μόνῳ τῷ Σταυρῷ τῷ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἐν ᾧ παθών, ἔκτεινε τὰ πάθη. Αὐτὸν οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς βεβαίως κρατῶμεν τοῦ Κυρίου τὸν Σταυρὸν καύχημα πάντες· ἔστι γὰρ σωτήριον ἡμῖν τοῦτο τὸ ξύλον, ὅπλον εἰρήνης, ἀήττητον τρόπαιον.
Ὁ μετὰ τρίτον οὐρανὸν ἀρθεὶς ἐν Παραδείσῳ, καὶ ῥήματα τὰ ἄρρητα καὶ θεῖα (ἀκούσας), ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν γλώσσαις λαλεῖν, τί τοῖς Γαλάταις γράφει; ὡς ἐρασταὶ τῶν Γραφῶν, ἀνέγνωτε καὶ ἔγνωτε. Ἐμοί, φησί, καυχᾶσθαι μὴ γένοιτο, πλὴν εἰ μὴ ἐν μόνῳ τῷ Σταυρῷ τῷ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἐν ᾧ παθών, ἔκτεινε τὰ πάθη. Αὐτὸν οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς βεβαίως κρατῶμεν τοῦ Κυρίου τὸν Σταυρὸν καύχημα πάντες· ἔστι γὰρ σωτήριον ἡμῖν τοῦτο τὸ ξύλον, ὅπλον εἰρήνης, ἀήττητον τρόπαιον.
