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ON THE HOLY AND GREAT SUNDAY OF PASCHA AT THE MIDNIGHT OFFICE After the blessing by the Priest, the Superior, or the Reader, continues: Glory to you, our God. Glory to you. Heavenly King, Paraclete, Spirit of truth, present everywhere, filling all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, cleanse us from every stain, and, O Good One, save our souls. Reader: Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (x3).Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and for ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for your name’s sake. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us to-day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one. Priest: For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and always and to ages of ages.Reader: Amen.Lord, have mercy ( x12). Glory. Both now.Come, let us worship and fall down before the King, our God. Psalm 50 And we begin the Canon, of which the Acrostic is: And today I sing a great Sabbath. Ode 1. Tone 6. Irmos. ‘The One, who of old hid the pursuing tyrant in the waves of the sea, the children of those he saved have hidden beneath the earth; but let us, like the young maidens, sing to the Lord; for he has been greatly glorified.’ Verse: Glory to you, O God, glory to you. And so before each Troparion.Troparia Lord, my God, I will sing a song for your departure, a funeral hymn for you who by your burial opened up for me the entrances to life, and by your death put Death and Hell to death. All things above the world and all below the earth quaked with fear at your death, as they saw you on the throne above and below in a tomb; for beyond understanding you appeared as a one dead, you the source of life. That you might fill all things with your glory, you went down into the lowest parts of the earth; for my substance, which is in Adam was not hidden from you, and by being buried you make me, who had been corrupted, new, O Lover of humankind. Katavasia The One, who of old hid the pursuing tyrant in the waves of the sea, the children of those he saved have hidden beneath the earth; but let us, like the young maidens, sing to the Lord; for he has been greatly glorified. Ode 3. Irmos. ‘When it saw you, who had hung the whole earth freely on the waters, hanging on Golgotha, creation was seized with great amazement and cried, ‘None is holy but you, O Lord’.’ Troparia Multiplying visions, you revealed symbols of your burial, while now, as God and man, you have also made clear your secrets, Master, to those in Hell, who cry, ‘None is holy but you, O Lord’. You opened out your palms and united things that before were separated, while by being closed in a shroud and a grave, O Saviour, you loosed those who were fettered. None is holy but you, O Lord. By your will, O uncontainable, you were held fast by grave and seals; and by your energies you made known your power as God to those who sing, ‘None is holy but you, O Lord, lover of humankind’. Katavasia When it saw you, who had hung the whole earth freely on the waters, hanging on Golgotha, creation was seized with great amazement and cried, ‘None is holy but you, O Lord’. Then we sing the following Kathismata. Tone 1. Model Melody. The soldiers watching your tomb became as dead men at the lightning flash of the Angel who appeared and proclaimed the Resurrection to the women. We glorify you, who destroy corruption; we fall down before you, who rose from the tomb and alone are our God. Glory. Both now. The soldiers watching your tomb became as dead men at the lightning flash of the Angel who appeared and proclaimed the Resurrection to the women. We glorify you, who destroy corruption; we fall down before you, who rose from the tomb and alone are our God. Then the reading from the Sermon of St Epiphanios, beginning: What thing is this? Great silence, or from the Homilies of St John Chrysostom on the Gospels of Matthew or John, and the 4th, 5th and 6th Odes of the Canon.Ode 4. Irmos ‘Foreseeing your divine self-emptying on the Cross, Avvakoum, amazed, cried out, ‘You cut off the might of the powerful, O Good One, you speaking with those in Hell as all-powerful’.’ Troparia You sanctified the seventh day, which of old you blessed by resting from your works; for you bring all things into being and make them new, as you keep the Sabbath rest, O Saviour, and restore your strength. By your greater strength you gained the victory; your soul was parted from your body, shattering the bonds of both Death and Hell, O Word, by your might. Hell, when it met you, O Word, was embittered, seeing a mortal made divine, marked by wounds and all powerful, and it shrank back in terror at the sight. Katavasia Foreseeing your divine self-emptying on the Cross, Avvakoum, amazed, cried out, ‘You cut off the might of the powerful, O Good One, you speaking with those in Hell as all-powerful’. Ode 5. Irmos ‘Isaias, as he watched by night, O Christ, saw the light which knows no evening of your theophany, which in your compassion came to pass for us, and he cried, ‘The dead will arise and those in the graves will rise, and those in the earth will rejoice.’ Troparia Becoming a creature formed of dust, our Fashioner, you make new those born of earth, and the shroud and the tomb point to the mystery within you, O Word; for the noble counsellor fulfils the counsel of your Begetter, who in you gloriously makes me new. Through death you transform mortality, through burial corruption; for in a manner fitting God you make incorruptible the nature you took on and make it immortal. For your flesh did not know corruption, Master, nor was your soul, like a stranger, abandoned in Hell. You came forth from a birth without travail and, pierced in your side, my Fashioner, you wrought the refashioning of Eve by becoming Adam, sleeping supernaturally a life-producing sleep and raising life from sleep and corruption, as all-powerful. Katavasia Isaias, as he watched by night, O Christ, saw the light which knows no evening of your theophany, which in your compassion came to pass for us, and he cried, ‘The dead will arise and those in the graves will rise, and those in the earth will rejoice.’ Ode 6. Irmos ‘Jonas was held, but not held fast in the belly of the whale; for being a type of you, the One who suffered and was given over to burial, as from a bridal chamber he leapt forth from the beast and cried to the guard, ‘You who vainly and falsely keep guard, you have forsaken your own mercy’.’ Troparia You were torn, but not torn away, O Word, from the flesh you had taken. For though your temple was destroyed at the moment of the passion, you were still one person in your Godhead and your flesh; for in both you are one Son, Word of God, God and man. Adam’s fall slew mortals but not God, for though your substance of dust suffered, yet your Godhead remained impassible. That which was corruptible in you, you have transformed to incorruption, and you have revealed a source of incorruptible life from your resurrection. Hell reigns, but not for ever, over the race of mortals; for you, O Mighty One, when placed in a tomb, shattered with your palm, the origin of life, the bars of death, and proclaimed to those who slept there from every age no false redemption, O Saviour, who have become the first-born of the dead. Katavasia Jonas was held, but not held fast in the belly of the whale; for being a type of you, the One who suffered and was given over to burial, as from a bridal chamber he leapt forth from the beast and cried to the guard, ‘You who vainly and falsely keep guard, you have forsaken your own mercy’. After the small litany the Kontakion. Tone 6. He who closed the abyss lies dead before our eyes; and wrapped in myrrh and fine linen the Immortal is laid as a mortal in a grave. While women came to anoint him, weeping bitterly and crying out, ‘This is the most blessed Sabbath, on which Christ sleeps, but he will rise again on the third day’. Ikos He who holds all things together was lifted up on the Cross, and all creation lamented seeing him hanging naked on the tree; the sun hid its rays, and the stars threw away their light; the earth quaked with great fear, the sea fled and the rocks were rent; many graves were opened, and bodies of holy men were raised. Hell below is groaning and the Jews are considering how to discredit Christ’s resurrection; the women are crying out, ‘This is the most blessed Sabbath, on which Christ sleeps, but he will rise again on the third day’. Then the reading from the Sermon of St Epiphanios, beginning: What thing is this? Great silence, or from the Homilies of St John Chrysostom on the Gospels of Matthew or John, and the 7th, 8th and 9th Odes of the Canon.Ode 7. Irmos ‘Ineffable wonder! He who in the furnace delivered the holy youths from the flame, is laid in the tomb a lifeless corpse for the salvation of us who sing, ‘God, our Redeemer, blessed are you!’’ Troparia Hell has been wounded, having received in its heart the One whose side was pierced by a lance, and consumed by divine fire groans aloud at the salvation of us who sing, ‘God, our Redeemer, blessed are you!’ O happy tomb! For having received in itself the Creator as one asleep, it has been revealed as a treasure house of life for the salvation of us who sing, ‘God, our Redeemer, blessed are you!’ The life of all things accepts being laid in the tomb, according to the law of those who die, and he shows it to be a source of rising for the salvation of us who sing, ‘God, our Redeemer, blessed are you!’ In Hell and in the tomb and in Eden Christ’s godhead was one and inseparable with the Father and the Spirit for the salvation of us who sing, ‘God, our Redeemer, blessed are you!’ Katavasia Ineffable wonder! He who in the furnace delivered the holy youths from the flame, is laid in the tomb a lifeless corpse for the salvation of us who sing, ‘God, our Redeemer, blessed are you!’ Ode 8. Irmos ‘Be amazed and tremble, O heaven, and be shaken, foundations of the earth; for see he who dwells in the highest is numbered among the dead, and welcomed in a little tomb. Youths bless him, priests praise him, people highly exalt him to all the ages.’ Troparia The immaculate temple has been destroyed, but raises up the fallen tabernacle; for the second Adam, who dwells in the highest, has come down to the first as far as the storehouses of Hell; Youths bless him, priests praise him, people highly exalt him to all the ages. The daring of the disciples has failed, but Joseph of Arimatheia has proved valiant; for seeing the God over all dead and naked he asked for him and gave him burial, crying, ‘Youths bless him, priests praise him, people highly exalt him to all the ages’. Katavasia Be amazed and tremble, O heaven, and be shaken, foundations of the earth; for see he who dwells in the highest is numbered among the dead, and welcomed in a little tomb. Youths bless him, priests praise him, people highly exalt him to all the ages. Ode 9. Irmos ‘Do not weep for me, Mother, as you see in a tomb the Son whom you conceived in your womb without seed; for I shall arise and be glorified, and I shall exalt in glory without ceasing those who with faith and love magnify you.’ Troparia ‘At your strange birth, my Son without beginning, beyond nature I escaped the pangs and was made blessed; but now, my God, as I see you dead, I am pierced terribly by the sword of sorrow; but arise, that I may be magnified.’ ‘Earth covers me by my own will, but the gatekeepers of Hell shudder as they see me clothed in the blood-stained robe of vengeance, Mother; for having trampled on my enemies by the Cross, I shall arise again and magnify you.’ ‘Let creation rejoice, let all born of earth be glad; for Hell, the enemy, has been despoiled; let women come to meet me with sweet spices; for I am rescuing Adam and Eve with all their race, and on the third day I shall rise again.’ Katavasia ‘Do not weep for me, Mother, as you see in a tomb the Son whom you conceived in your womb without seed; for I shall arise and be glorified, and I shall exalt in glory without ceasing those who with faith and love magnify you.’ Reader: Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (x3).Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and for ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our weaknesses, for your name’s sake. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and for ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us to-day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one. Priest: For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and always and to ages of ages.Reader: Amen.At once the Apolytikion. Tone 2 When you went down to death, O immortal life, then you slew Hell with the blaze of your Godhead; but when from the infernal regions you raised the dead, all the Powers of heaven cried out to you: Giver of life, glory to you! Priest: Have mercy on us, O God, according to your great mercy. We pray you, hear and have mercy.Reader: Lord have mercy.(x3)Priest: For you are a merciful God, and you love mankind, and to you we give glory, to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and to the ages of ages.Reader: Amen.Priest: Wisdom.Reader: Bless.Priest: Blessed be he who is, Christ our God, always, now and ever and to ages of ages.Reader: May the Lord God strengthen the holy and pure faith of devout and orthodox Christians, with his holy Church and this sacred Monastery, unto ages of ages.Priest: Most holy Mother of God, save us.Reader: Greater in honour than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word, truly the Mother of God we magnify you.Priest: Glory to you, Christ God, our hope, glory to you.Reader: Glory. Both now. Lord, have mercy (x3). Give the blessing.And the Dismissal. Priest: May he who rose from the dead, Christ our true God… |
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