GREAT SATURDAY MATINS
JERUSALEM MATINS

Before the Matins service, the clergy gather before the Holy Tomb where there are prepared chairs along with tapers and books. The clergy sing Matins seated – the priests in red epitrakhilion and phelonion, and the deacon in a red sticharion. Behind them is placed an analoy.

Priest: Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-giving and undivided Trinity, always, now and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Reader: Glory to God in the highest, and to His people on earth, His peace and good will. (3)

O Lord, You open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. (2)

Psalm 3

How many are my foes, O Lord! How many are rising up against me! How many are saying about me: There is no help for him in God. But You, Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, who lifts up my head. I cry aloud to the Lord. He answers from His holy mountain. I lie down to rest and I sleep. I wake, for the Lord upholds me. I will not fear even thousands of people who are ranged on every side against me. Arise, Lord; save me, my God, You who strike all my foes on the mouth, You who break the teeth of the wicked! O Lord of salvation, bless Your people! I lie down to rest and I sleep. I wake, for the Lord upholds me.

Psalm 37

O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger; do not punish me, Lord, in Your rage. Your arrows have sunk deep in me; Your hand has come down upon me. Through Your anger all my body is sick: through my sin, there is no health in my limbs. My guilt towers higher than my head; it is a weight too heavy to bear. My wounds are foul and festering, the result of my own folly. I am bowed and brought to my knees. I go mourning all the day long. All my frame burns with fever; all my body is sick. Spent and utterly crushed, I cry aloud in anguish of heart. O Lord, You know all my longing: my groans are not hidden from You. My heart throbs, my strength is spent; the very light has gone from my eyes. My friends avoid me like a leper; those closest to me stand afar off. Those who plot against my life lay snares; those who seek my ruin speak of harm, planning treachery all the day long. But I am like the deaf who cannot hear, like the dumb unable to speak. I am like a man who hears nothing in whose mouth is no defence. I count on You, O Lord: it is You, Lord God, who will answer. I pray: Do not let them mock me, those who triumph if my foot should slip. For I am on the point of falling and my pain is always before me. I confess that I am guilty and my sin fills me with dismay. My wanton enemies are numberless and my lying foes are many. They repay me evil for good and attack me for seeking what is right. O Lord, do not forsake me! My God, do not stay afar off! Make haste and come to my help, O Lord, my God, my Saviour!  O Lord, do not forsake me! My God, do not stay afar off! Make haste and come to my help, O Lord, my God, my Saviour!

Psalm 62

O God, You are my God, for You I long; for You my soul is thirsting. My body pines for You like a dry, weary land without water. So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory. For Your love is better than life, my lips will speak Your praise. So I will bless You all my life, in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be filled as with a banquet, my mouth shall praise You with joy. On my bed I remember You. On You I muse through the night for You have been my help; in the shadow of Your wings I rejoice. My soul clings to You; Your right hand holds me fast. Those who seek to destroy my life shall go down to the depths of the earth. They shall be put into the power of the sword and left as the prey of the jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; all that swear by Him shall be blessed for the mouth of liars shall be silenced. On my bed I remember You. On You I muse through the night for You have been my help; in the shadow of Your wings I rejoice. My soul clings to You; Your right hand holds me fast.

Reader: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

All: Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia; glory be to You O God. (3)

Lord, have mercy. (3)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Reader: Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 87

Lord my God, I call for help by day; I cry at night before You. Let my prayer come into Your presence. O turn Your ear to my cry. For my soul is filled with evils; my life is on the brink of the grave. I am reckoned as one in the tomb: I have reached the end of my strength, like one alone among the dead; like the slain lying in their graves; like those You remember no more, cut off, as they are, from Your hand. You have laid me in the depths of the tomb, in places that are dark, in the depths. Your anger weighs down upon me: I am drowned beneath Your waves. You have taken away my friends and made me hateful in their sight. Imprisoned, I cannot escape; my eyes are sunken with grief. I call to You, Lord, all the day long; to You I stretch out my hands. Will You work Your wonders for the dead? Will the shades stand and praise You? Will Your love be told in the grave or Your faithfulness among the dead? Will Your wonders be known in the dark or Your justice in the land of oblivion? As for me, Lord, I call to You for help: in the morning my prayer comes before You. Why do you reject me? Why do you hide Your face? Wretched, close to death from my youth, I have borne Your trials; I am numb. Your fury has swept down upon me; Your terrors have utterly destroyed me. They surround me all the day like a flood, they assail me all together. Friend and neighbour You have taken away: my one companion is darkness. Lord my God, I call for help by day; I cry at night before You. Let my prayer come into Your presence. O turn Your ear to my cry.

Psalm 102

My soul, give thanks to the Lord, all my being, bless His holy Name. My soul, give thanks to the Lord and never forget all His blessings. It is He who forgives all your guilt, who heals every one of your ills, who redeems your life from the grave, who crowns you with love and compassion, who fills your life with good things, renewing your youth like an eagle’s. The Lord does deeds of justice, gives judgement for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses and His deeds to Israel’s sons. The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy. His wrath will come to an end; He will not be angry for ever. He does not treat us according to our sins nor repay us according to our faults. For as the heavens are high above the earth so strong is His love for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west so far does He remove our sins. As a father has compassion on his sons, the Lord has pity on those who fear Him; for He knows of what we are made, He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flowers like the flower of the field; the wind blows and he is gone and his place never sees him again. But the love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold Him in fear; His justice reaches out to children’s children when they keep His covenant in truth, when they keep His will in their mind. The Lord has set His sway in heaven and His Kingdom is ruling over all. Give thanks to the Lord, all His angels, mighty in power, fulfilling His word, who heed the voice of His word. Give thanks to the Lord, all His hosts, His servants who do His will. Give thanks to the Lord, all His works, in every place where He rules. My soul, give thanks to the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, all His works, in every place where He rules. My soul, give thanks to the Lord!

Psalm 142

Lord, listen to my prayer: turn Your ear to my appeal. You are faithful, You are just; give answer. Do not call Your servant to judgement for no one is just in Your sight. The enemy pursues my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead, long forgotten. Therefore, my spirit fails; my heart is numb within me. I remember the days that are past: I ponder all Your works. I muse on what Your hand has wrought and to You I stretch out my hands. Like a parched land my soul thirsts for You. Lord, make haste and answer; for my spirit fails within me. Do not hide Your face lest I become like those in the grave. In the morning let me know Your love for I put my trust in You. Make me know the way I should walk: to You I lift up my soul. Rescue me, Lord, from my enemies; I have fled to You for refuge. Teach me to do Your will for You, O Lord, are my God. Let Your good spirit guide me in ways that are level and smooth. For Your Name’s sake, Lord, save my life; in Your justice save my soul from distress. In Your love make an end of my foes; destroy all those who oppress me for I am Your servant, O Lord. Lord, listen to my prayer: do not call Your servant to judgement. Let Your good spirit guide me in ways that are level and smooth.

Reader: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

All: Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Glory be to You, O God! (3)

While the Hexapsalm is being chanted, the priest prays the Prayers of Matins before the closed Holy Doors.

Prayers of Matins

1. We thank You, Lord our God, for You have wakened us from our sleep, and have filled our lips with praise that we might worship You and call upon Your holy name. We beg of Your compassion that You have always shown towards us, hear us now and send help to those who stand before Your holy glory awaiting Your abundant mercy. O Lord, grant that those who serve You in fear and love may praise Your ineffable goodness. For to You is due all glory, honour, and worship, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
2. From the depths of night our soul longs for You, our God, for Your commandments are a light upon the earth. Give us understanding that we may be perfected in righteousness and holiness in fear of You, for it is You Whom we glorify as our true God. Turn Your ear and hear us. O Lord, remember all those present and praying with us by their own name, and save them by Your might. Bless Your people and sanctify Your inheritance. Give peace to Your world, to Your churches, to the priests, and to all Your people. For blessed and glorified is Your most honoured and sublime name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
3. From the depths of night our soul longs for You, our God, for Your commandments are a light upon the earth. Teach us, O God, Your righteousness, Your statutes, and Your decrees. Enlighten the eyes of our minds, lest in sin we fall asleep until death. Cast out all darkness from our hearts, favor us with the Sun of Righteousness, and keep our lives from danger by the seal of Your Holy Spirit. Direct our steps along the road of peace. Grant that we may see the dawn and the whole day in joy, and that we may offer You our morning prayers. For Yours is the power, and Yours is the kingdom and the might and the glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
4. Lord God, holy and incomprehensible, You told the light to shine out of darkness; You have given us rest in the sleep of night; and You have raised us to glorify and praise Your goodness. We beg of Your mercy, accept us who now worship You and thank You with all our strength, and grant all that we ask for our salvation. Reveal us to be children of light and of the day, and heirs of Your eternal good gifts. In the abundance of Your mercy, Lord, re-member all Your people who invoke Your love for mankind and aid those here present and who pray with us and those travelling abroad in every place of Your kingdom, who are in need of Your loving kindness and help. Be greatly merciful to all, that we may persevere always in confidence, being saved in soul and body. We glorify Your magnificent and blessed name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
5. Treasury of all good, ever-flowing spring, holy Father, Wonder-worker, all-powerful Ruler of all: we worship You and beg of Your mercy and compassion, help and support us in our lowliness. Lord, remember those who pray to You, and let our morning prayer rise like incense before You. Grant that no one of us may be put to shame, but sur-round us with Your mercy. Lord, remember those who keep watch and sing of Your glory, and that of Your only-begotten Son and our God, and of Your Holy Spirit. Be their help and support and accept their prayers upon Your heavenly spiritual altar. For You are our God, and to You we give glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
6. We give thanks to You, O Lord and God of our salvation. You have done everything that is good for our lives, and we look always to You, Saviour and Benefactor of our souls. For You have given us rest in that part of the night which has passed, and now have raised us from our sleep to worship Your honoured name. Therefore, O Lord, we pray: give us the grace and strength to be found worthy to sing praise always, and to pray constantly, and to work for our own salvation in fear and trembling, with the help of Your Christ. O Lord, remember those who pray to You in the night. Hear them and have mercy on them and crush under their feet invisible and malicious enemies. For You are the King of Peace, and the Savior of our souls, and we give thanks to You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

7. God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, You have raised us from our sleep and gathered us for this time of prayer. Give us grace that we may open our lips in praise. Accept the thanksgiving we offer with all our strength. Teach us Your decrees, for we do not know how to pray as we should, unless You guide us by Your Holy Spirit. Therefore, we pray, that if until now we have sinned in any way—in word, or deed, or thought, voluntarily or involuntarily—remit, pardon and forgive us; for if You, O Lord, were to look upon our guilt, Lord, who would survive? For with You is found redemption. You alone are holy and a helper and the stronghold of our lives, and our praise is for You forever. Blessed and glorified be the power of Your reign, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
8. Lord our God, You have shaken from us the laziness of sleep; You have called us to be holy, to lift up our hands in the night, and to glorify You for Your just decrees. Receive our prayers, our petitions, our confessions of faith, and our nighttime worship. Bestow on us, O Lord, an invincible faith, a confident hope, and a love without pretense. Bless our comings and our goings, our deeds and works, our words and desires. Grant that we may come to the beginning of the day praising, glorifying, and blessing the goodness of Your inexpressible generosity. For blessed is Your all-holy name, and glorified is Your kingdom, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
9. O Lord our God, You have given us forgiveness through repentance, and as a model of knowledge and confession of sins, You have revealed to us the repentance of the prophet David that led to pardon. Master, have mercy on us who have fallen into so many and so great sins. Have mercy in Your kindness, and in Your compassion blot out our offenses, for against You have we sinned, O Lord, Who know the hidden depths of our hearts, and Who alone have the power to forgive sins. A pure heart You have created for us; You have sustained us with a spirit of fervour and have given us the joy of Your help. Do not cast us away from Your presence, but in Your goodness and love for all, grant that we may offer a sacrifice of righteousness and oblation on Your holy altar until our last breath. Through the mercies and goodness and love of Your only-begotten Son, with Whom You are blessed, together with Your good and life-creating Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
10. O God, our God, who have placed all spiritual and intellectual powers under Your will, we pray and beg You, accept these hymns of praise which we offer to You according to our ability together with all Your creatures. Give us in exchange the riches of Your goodness, for before You all beings in the heavens, or on earth and under the earth bend their knees, and everything that lives or that breathes gives praise to Your glory beyond reach, for You are the one true God, full of mercy. For all the heavenly powers praise You, and we give glory to You, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
11. God of our ancestors, we praise You, we glorify You, we bless You, we thank You, for You have made the shadow of night pass and have shown us again the light of day. We beg You in Your goodness and in Your great mercy, cleanse our sins and hear our prayer, for we take refuge in You, O merciful and all-powerful God. Make the true Sun of Righteousness shine in our hearts, enlighten our minds, and watch over all our senses, that we may live decently like people of the daytime, so that walking in Your commandments, we may come to eternal life, and may be made worthy of the enjoyment of Your light beyond reach, for You are the source of life. For You are a God of mercy and kindness and love, and we glorify You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Ektenia of Peace

Deacon: In peace let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For the peace from on high and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For peace throughout the world, for the well-being of God’s holy churches and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For this holy church and for all who enter it with faith, reverence, and fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For our most holy universal Pontiff, N., Pope of Rome, for our most blessed Patriarch, N., our most reverend Metropolitan, N., our God-loving Bishop., N., the reverend priesthood, diaconate in Christ, and all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For our nation under God, for our government, and for all the military, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For this city (or For this village, or For this holy monastery), for every city and country and for the faithful who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For favourable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For the seafarers and travellers, the sick and the suffering, those held captive, and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: That we may be delivered from all tribulation, wrath, and misfortune, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Help and save, have mercy and protect us, O God, by Your grace.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Remembering our most holy and immaculate, most blessed and glorious lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

All: To You, O Lord.

Priest: For all glory, honour and worship befit You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

God is Lord

Tone 2 – to the melody “The Noble Joseph”

God is Lord and has revealed Himself to us.* Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord.

verse: Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His mercy endures forever.

verse: They surrounded me, they encircled me, but in the Name of the Lord I have overcome them.

verse: No, I will not die; I will live, and declare the works of the Lord.

verse: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, this is the Lord’s own doing, a marvel in our eyes!

Troparia, Tone 2

The priest, accompanied by the deacon, or the deacon alone, incenses the shroud from the four sides and then the Altar and the whole church as usual.

The noble Joseph took Your most pure Body down from the Cross.* He wrapped it in a clean linen with aromatic spices* and sadly laid it in a new tomb. (2)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

By descending into death, O Life Immortal, You destroyed hell’s power by the brilliance of Your divinity and raised the dead from their deep sleep. For this the Powers of heaven shout triumphantly: “O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to You!”

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

An angel greeted the myrrh-bearing women as they neared the tomb: “Mortal death deserves the soothing balm of precious spices, but the corruption of death can never defile Christ!”

At the beginning of each stasis, the deacon incenses the shroud from four sides, the choir, and the people.

Stasis One

Clergy: We extol You, O Christ, O Giver of Life, Who yesterday were crucified for us and placed in a tomb, gloriously granting life to those in the grave.

All: We extol You, O Christ, O Giver of Life, Who yesterday were crucified for us and placed in a tomb, gloriously granting life to those in the grave.

Then, we sing the following stichera accompanied by verses from Psalm 118; we sing this according to custom.

Blessed are those that are blameless in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.

How, O Life can You die? In a grave how can You dwell? For the proud domain of death You do destroy now and the dead of Hades do you make to rise!

For they that work wickedness have not walked in His ways.

Now we magnify You, O Lord Jesus, our King; and we venerate Your Passion and burial, for therewith have You delivered us from death!

You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently.

You gave earth her bounds; yet how small is the tomb where, O Jesus, King of all You do dwell today, You who call the dead to leave their graves and rise!

O that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes!

O my dear Christ Jesus, King and Ruler of all, why to man who dwelt in Hades have You descended? Was it not to set the race of mortals free?

I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned the judgements of Your righteousness.

In a grave they laid You, O my Life and my Christ. Yet the Lord of Death have You by Your death destroyed. And the world of You does drink rich streams of life.

I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.

You have gone down into the tomb, O Christ, yet You were never parted from Your Father’s side, O marvellous wonder!

Your testimonies are my study, and Your statutes are my counsellors.

In a new tomb You were laid, O Christ, and have made new the nature of mortal man, rising from the dead by Your divine power.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Word of God, we hymn You; God of all things are You, With the Father and the Spirit most holy praised: And we glorify Your burial divine.

Now and forever and ever. Amen.

All we call you blessed, Theotokos most pure: And with faithful hearts we honour the burial suffered three days by your Son who is our God!

All: We extol You, O Christ, O Giver of Life, Who yesterday were crucified for us and placed in a tomb, gloriously granting life to those in the grave.

Small Ektenia

Deacon: Again and again, in peace let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Help and save, have mercy and protect us, O God, by Your grace.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Remembering our most holy and immaculate, most blessed and glorious lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

All: To You, O Lord.

Priest: For Your Name is blessed and Your Kingdom is glorified of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Stasis Two

Clergy: Right it is, indeed, Life bestowing Lord, to magnify You; for upon the Cross were Your hands outspread. And the strength of our dread foe have You destroyed.

All: Right it is, indeed, Life bestowing Lord, to magnify You; for upon the Cross were Your hands outspread. And the strength of our dread foe have You destroyed.

Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, and I shall learn Your commandments.

Right is it, indeed,* Maker of all things,* to magnify You;* for by Your dear Passion* have we all attained* victory over the flesh and rescue – from decay.

They that fear You will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in Your words.

Earth with trembling shook* and the sun concealed* its face with darkness.* For the light unwaning* that shines from You* with Your body sank to darkness – and the grave.

Your truth also remains from one generation to another; You have established the earth, and it abides.

Joseph hid You reverently in a new tomb, O Saviour, and lamenting sang to You a funeral hymn fitting for God.

I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Your words.

You have gone into the tomb, O Creator of light, and with You the sun’s light has also set; with trembling is creation seized and it proclaims You the Maker of all.

I have sworn, and am steadfastly purposed, that I will keep the judgements of Your righteousness.

Daystar without evening, You have gone down in the flesh beneath the earth; and the sun grew dark at the height of noon-day, for it could not bear to look upon You.

Sinners have laid a snare for me; yet have I not gone astray from Your commandments.

You have slept a little while, and brought the dead to life; You have arisen, O loving Lord, and raised up those that from the beginning of time had fallen asleep.

I opened my mouth, and drew in my breath; for I longed for Your commandments.

In our hymns, O Christ, with all the faithful we worship now Your crucifixion and Your sepulchre, for by Your burial we are set free from death.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O eternal God,* Word co-unoriginate* and Most Holy Spirit,* protect our country* from all evil* blessing us with peace and freedom – evermore!

Now and forever and ever. Amen.

Life was born of You,* O most Blameless* and most holy Virgin.* Keep the Church from* every dissension free* blessing us with peace and love – evermore!

All: Right it is, indeed, Life bestowing Lord, to magnify You; for upon the Cross were Your hands outspread. And the strength of our dread foe have You destroyed.

Small Ektenia

Deacon: Again and again, in peace let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Help and save, have mercy and protect us, O God, by Your grace.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Remembering our most holy and immaculate, most blessed and glorious lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

All: To You, O Lord.

Priest: For You are holy, O our God, who rest on the throne of glory of the Cherubim, ad to You do we ascribe glory, with the Father who has no beginning, and Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Stasis Three

Clergy: Every generation* to Your grave comes bringing* dear Christ its dirge of praises.

All: Every generation* to Your grave comes bringing* dear Christ its dirge of praises.

Look upon me, and be merciful to me, according to the judgement of those that love Your name.

From Your Cross he brought You,* that Arimathean* and in Your grave he laid You.

Order my steps in Your word; and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

Women bringing spices* came with loving forethought,* Your due of myrrh to give You.

Rivers of water have run down from my eyes, because I kept not Your law.

Joseph, greatly blessed,* bury now the Body* of Christ the Life-Bestower.

The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; give me understanding, and I shall live.

Joseph is entombing* helped by Nicodemus* the body of his Master.

Many are Your tender mercies, O Lord; quicken me according to Your judgement.

O Son of God and King of all, my God and my Creator, how have You accepted suffering?

Let my prayer draw near to You, O Lord; give me understanding according to Your word.

All the powers of heaven were filled with fear and wonder when they saw You dead.

Let my supplication come before You, O Lord; deliver me according to Your word.

With love and fear we honour Your Passion: grant us the forgiveness of our sins.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O You Triune Godhead,* Father, Son and Holy Spirit,* upon Your world have mercy!

Now and forever and ever. Amen.

On the Resurrection* of Your Son, O Virgin,* grant us to look who serve Him!

All: Every generation* to Your grave comes bringing* dear Christ its dirge of praises.

Host of Angels

Blessed are You, O Lord,* teach me Your statutes.

The company of angels was amazed* beholding You, O Saviour, numbered among the dead.* Who have destroyed the power of death and raised up Adam with Yourself* setting all men free from hell.

Blessed are You, O Lord,* teach me Your statutes.

“Why do you mingle sweet-smelling ointment with tears of pity,* O ye women disciples?”* cried the angel who shone as lightning within the tomb* to the myrrh-bearing women.* “Behold the tomb and understand* for the Saviour has risen from the grave!”

Blessed are You, O Lord,* teach me Your statutes.

The women bearing sweet-smelling ointment* hastened early in the morning to Your tomb, lamenting;* But the angel arose before them and he said:* “The time for lamentation has ceased;* weep not,* but tell the apostles of the Resurrection.”

Blessed are You, O Lord,* teach me Your statutes.

The women bearing sweet-smelling ointment* came to Your tomb, O Saviour.* But they heard the angel say to them:* “Why count ye the living among the dead?* For as God* He has risen from the tomb!”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

We worship the Father together with His Son and the Holy Spirit,* the Holy Trinity, One in Essence.* And we cry with the Seraphim:* “Holy, Holy, Holy are You, O Lord!

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

O Virgin, who have borne the Giver of life,* you have delivered Adam from sin,* and to Eve* you have brought joy in place of sorrow.* He who took flesh from you, who is both God and Man,* has raised up once more those who had fallen from life.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!* Glory to You, O God! (3)

Small Ektenia

Deacon: Again and again, in peace let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Help and save, have mercy and protect us, O God, by Your grace.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Remembering our most holy and immaculate, most blessed and glorious lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

All: To You, O Lord.

Priest: For You are the King of Peace, O Christ our God, and to You we ascribe glory, together with the eternal Father, and Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Sidalen, Tone 1

Joseph went to Pilate and begged for Your body;* he wrapped it in a pure linen cloth,* anointed it with precious spices and placed it in a new tomb.* Early in the morning, the holy myrrhbearers cried out:* O Christ, as You foretold, show us Your resurrection.

Psalm 50

Have mercy on me, O God, in the greatness of your compassion;* according to the multitude of your mercies blot out my offence.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,* and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my iniquity,* and my sin is always before me.

Against you alone have I sinned* and done what is evil in your sight.

That you may be justified when you speak* and win when you judge.

Behold, in wickedness I was conceived,* and in sin my mother bore me.

For see, you have loved truth;* you have shown me the hidden and secret things of your wisdom.

Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be clean.* Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow;

Make me hear joy and gladness;* the bones that were crushed shall rejoice.

Turn your face from my sins,* and blot out all my lawlessness.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,* and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not from your presence,* nor deprive me of your Holy Spirit.

Give me again the joy of your salvation,* and sustain me with your sovereign Spirit.

I will teach transgressors your ways,* and sinners will return to you.

Deliver me from blood-guilt, O God, the God of my salvation,* and my tongue shall ring out your justice.

Lord, you will open my lips* and my mouth shall declare your praise.

For if you wanted sacrifice, I would have given it,*you will not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit,* a humbled and contrite heart God will not spurn.

Deal favourably, O Lord, with Sion in your good pleasure* and let the walls of Jerusalem be rebuilt.

Then you will be well pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness,* oblations and whole burnt offerings;* then they will lay calves upon your altar.

Canon, Tone 6

Ode 1

Irmos: He who in ancient times hid the pursuing tyrant beneath the waves of the sea, is hidden beneath the earth by the children of those whom once He saved. But as the maidens let us sing to the Lord, for He is greatly glorified.

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

O Lord my God, I will sing to You a funeral hymn, a song at Your burial: for by Your burial You have opened for me the gates of life, and by Your death You have slain death and hell.

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

All things above and all beneath the earth quaked with fear at Your death, as they beheld You, O my Saviour, upon Your throne on high and in the tomb below. For beyond our understanding You lie before our eyes, a corpse yet the very Source of Life.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

To fill all things with Your glory, You have gone down into the nethermost parts of the earth: for my person that is in Adam has not been hidden from You, but in Your love for man You are buried in the tomb and restore me from corruption.

Katavasia: He who in ancient times hid the pursuing tyrant beneath the waves of the sea, is hidden beneath the earth by the children of those whom once He saved. But as the maidens let us sing to the Lord, for He is greatly glorified.

Ode 3

Irmos: When the creation beheld You hanging in Golgotha, who have hung the whole earth freely upon the waters, it was seized with amazement and it cried: ‘There is none holy save You, O Lord.’

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

Signs and tokens of Your burial You have disclosed in a multitude of visions; and now, O Master, as both God and man, You have revealed Your hidden secrets to those in hell who cry: ‘There is none holy save You, O Lord.’

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

You have stretched out Your arms and united all that before was separated; wrapped in a winding-sheet, O Saviour, and buried in a tomb, You have loosed the prisoners, and they cry: ‘There is none holy save You, O Lord.’

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

O You whom nothing can contain, of Your own will You were enclosed and sealed within the tomb: but through Your energies You have as God revealed Your power to those who sing: ‘There is none holy save You, O Lord who loves mankind.’

Katavasia: When the creation beheld You hanging in Golgotha, who have hung the whole earth freely upon the waters, it was seized with amazement and it cried: ‘There is none holy save You, O Lord.’

Small Ektenia

Deacon: Again and again, in peace let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Help and save, have mercy and protect us, O God, by Your grace.

Deacon: Remembering our most holy and immaculate, most blessed and glorious lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

All: To You, O Lord.

Priest: For all glory, honour, and worship befit You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Sessional Hymn, Tone 5

The soldiers keeping watch over Your tomb, O Saviour,* became as dead men in the presence of the shining angel,* who proclaimed the Resurrection to the women.* We glorify You, for You have destroyed corruption.* We fall down before You, risen from the tomb, our only God.

Ode 4

Irmos: Foreseeing Your divine self-emptying upon the Cross, Habakkuk cried out marvelling: You have cut short the strength of the powerful, O gracious and almighty Lord, and preached to those in hell.

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

Today You keep holy the seventh day, which You have blessed of old by resting from Your works. You bring all things into being and You make all things new, observing the Sabbath rest, my Saviour, and restoring Your strength.

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

You have gained the victory by Your greater strength: Your soul was parted from Your body, yet by Your power, O Word, You have burst asunder the bonds of death and hell.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Hell was filled with bitterness when it met You, O Word, for it saw a mortal deified, marked by wounds yet all-powerful; and it shrank back in terror at this Sight.

Katavasia: Foreseeing Your divine self-emptying upon the Cross, Habakkuk cried out marvelling: You have cut short the strength of the powerful, O gracious and almighty Lord, and preached to those in hell.

Ode 5

Irmos: Isaiah, as he watched by night, beheld the light that knows no evening, the light of Your Theophany, O Christ, that came to pass from tender love for us; and he cried aloud: The dead shall arise and they that dwell in the tomb shall be raised up, and all those born on the earth shall rejoice exceedingly.

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

Becoming a creature formed from dust, O Creator, You make new those born on earth. The winding-sheet and tomb point, O Word, to the mystery that is within You. For the honourable counsellor fulfils the counsel of Your Father, who has gloriously refashioned me in You.

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

By death You transform mortality, and by Your burial, corruption. With divine power You make incorruptible the nature You have taken, rendering it immortal; for, O Master, Your flesh saw not corruption, nor was Your soul left in hell as that of a stranger.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Coming forth from a birth without travail and wounded in Your side with a spear, O my Maker, You have brought to pass the recreation of Eve. Becoming Adam, You have in ways surpassing nature slept a life-giving sleep, awakening life from sleep and from corruption by Your almighty power.

Katavasia: Isaiah, as he watched by night, beheld the light that knows no evening, the light of Your Theophany, O Christ, that came to pass from tender love for us; and he cried aloud: ‘The dead shall arise and they that dwell in the tomb shall be raised up, and all those born on the earth shall rejoice exceedingly.

Ode 6

Irmos: Jonah was enclosed but not held fast in the belly of the whale; for, serving as a figure of You, who have suffered and was buried in the tomb, he leapt forth from the monster as from a bridal chamber and he called out to the watch: ‘O you who keep guard falsely and in vain, you have forsaken your own mercy.’

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

You were torn but not separated, O Word, from the flesh that You had taken. For though Your temple was destroyed at the time of Your Passion, yet the Person of Your Godhead and of Your flesh is but one; in both You are one Son, the Word of God, both God and man.

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

The fall of Adam brought death to man but not to God. For though the earthly substance of Your flesh suffered, yet the Godhead remained impassible; that which was corruptible in Your human nature You have transformed to incorruption, and by Your Resurrection You have revealed a fountain of immortal life.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Hell is king over mortal men, but not for ever. Laid in the sepulchre, mighty Lord, with Your life-giving hand You have burst asunder the bars of death. To those from every age who slept in the tombs, You have proclaimed true deliverance, O Saviour, who are become the firstborn from the dead.

Katavasia: Jonah was enclosed but not held fast in the belly of the whale; for, serving as a figure of You, who have suffered and was buried in the tomb, he leapt forth from the monster as from a bridal chamber and he called out to the watch: ‘O you who keep guard falsely and in vain, you have forsaken your own mercy.’

Small Ektenia

Deacon: Again and again, in peace let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Help and save, have mercy and protect us, O God, by Your grace.

Deacon: Remembering our most holy and immaculate, most blessed and glorious lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

All: To You, O Lord.

Priest: For you are the King of peace and the Saviour of our souls, and we give you glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 6

He who closed the abyss lies before us dead;* and as a corpse the Immortal is wrapped in linen with sweet spices and laid in a tomb.* The women come to anoint Him with myrrh, weeping bitterly and crying:* This is the most blessed Sabbath on which Christ sleeps, but on the third day He shall rise again.

Ikos

He who holds all things in unity was lifted on the Cross, and the whole creation wept to see Him hanging naked on the Tree. The sun hid its rays and the stars cast aside their brightness; the earth shook in mighty fear, the sea fled and the rocks were rent, and many graves were opened and the bodies of the saints arose. Hell groaned below and the Jews considered how to spread false tidings against Christ’s Resurrection. But the women cried aloud: ‘This is the most blessed Sabbath on which Christ sleeps, but on the third day He shall rise again.’

Ode 7

Irmos: Wonder past speech! He who delivered the holy Children from the fiery furnace, is laid a corpse without breath in the tomb, for our salvation who sing: O God our Deliverer, blessed are You.

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

Hell was wounded in the heart when it received Him whose side was pierced by the spear; consumed by divine fire it groaned aloud at our salvation who sing: O God our Deliverer, blessed are You. O happy tomb! It received within itself the Creator, as one asleep, and it was made a divine treasury of life, for our salvation who sing: O God our Deliverer, blessed are You.

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

The Life of all submits to be laid in the tomb, according to the law of the dead, and He makes it a source of awakening, for our salvation who sing: O God our Deliverer, blessed are You.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

In hell and in the tomb and in Eden, the Godhead of Christ was indivisibly united with the Father and the Spirit, for our salvation who sing: O God our Deliverer, blessed are You.

Katavasia: Wonder past speech! He who delivered the holy Children from the fiery furnace, is laid a corpse without breath in the tomb, for our salvation who sing: O God our Deliverer, blessed are You.

Ode 8

Irmos: Be astonished, O you heavens, be horribly afraid, and let the foundations of the earth be shaken. For lo, He who dwells on high is numbered with the dead and lodges as a stranger in a narrow tomb. Him do you children bless, you priests praise, and you people exalt above all forever.

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

The most pure Temple is destroyed, but raises up the fallen tabernacle. The second Adam, He who dwells on high, has come down to the first Adam in the depths of hell. Him do you children bless, you priests praise, and you people exalt above all forever.

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

The disciples’ courage failed, but Joseph of Arimathea was more bold; for seeing the God of all a corpse and naked, he asked for the body and buried Him, crying: Him do you children bless, you priests praise, and you people exalt above all forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

O strange wonders! O love and infinite forbearance! He who dwells on high is sealed beneath the earth with His own consent, and God is falsely accused as a deceiver. Him do you children bless, you priests praise, and you people exalt above all forever.

We praise, bless and worship the Lord, singing and exalting Him above all forever.

Katavasia: Be astonished, O you heavens, be horribly afraid, and let the foundations of the earth be shaken. For lo, He who dwells on high is numbered with the dead and lodges as a stranger in a narrow tomb. Him do you children bless, you priests praise, and you people exalt above all forever.

The deacon or priest with incense before the icon of the Virgin announces: Let us greatly extol the Theotokos and the Mother of Light in hymns! The Magnificat is not sung, but immediately the irmos:

Ode 9

Irmos: Weep not for Me, O Mother, beholding in the sepulchre the Son whom you have conceived without seed in your womb. For I shall rise and shall be glorified, and as God I shall exalt in everlasting glory those who magnify you with faith and love.

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

‘O Son without beginning, in ways surpassing nature was I blessed at Your strange birth, for I was spared all travail. But now beholding You, my God, a lifeless corpse, I am pierced by the sword of bitter sorrow. But arise, that I may be magnified.’

Glory to Your holy burial, O Lord.

‘By Mine own will the earth covers Me, O Mother, but the gatekeepers of hell tremble as they see Me, clothed in the blood-stained garment of vengeance: for on the Cross as God have I struck down My enemies, and I shall rise again and magnify you.’

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

‘Let the creation rejoice exceedingly, let all those born on earth be glad: for hell, the enemy, has been despoiled. You women, come to meet Me with sweet spices: for I am delivering Adam and Eve with all their offspring, and on the third day I shall rise again.’

Katavasia: Weep not for Me, O Mother, beholding in the sepulchre the Son whom you have conceived without seed in your womb. For I shall rise and shall be glorified, and as God I shall exalt in everlasting glory those who magnify you with faith and love.

Small Ektenia

Deacon: Again and again, in peace let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Help and save, have mercy and protect us, O God, by Your grace.

Deacon: Remembering our most holy and immaculate, most blessed and glorious lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

All: To You, O Lord.

Priest: For all the heavenly powers praise you, and we give you glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Holy is the Lord, Tone 2

Holy is the Lord our God. (З)

Psalm 148

Tone 2
Let everything that lives and that breathes give praise to the Lord
Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise Him in the heights.
To You is due a hymn, O God!

Praise Him, all His angels,
Praise Him, all His host.
To You is due a hymn, O God!

Praise Him sun and moon,* praise Him, shining stars.

Praise Him highest heavens* and the waters above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the Lord.* He commanded: they were made.

He fixed them for ever,* gave a law which shall not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth,* sea creatures and all oceans,

fire and hail, snow and mist,* stormy winds that obey His word;

all mountains and hills,* all fruit trees and cedars,

beasts, wild and tame,* reptiles and birds on the wing;

all earth’s kings and peoples,* earth’s princes and rulers;

young men and maidens,* old men together with children.

Let them praise the name of the Lord for He alone is exalted.* The splendour of His name reaches beyond heaven and earth.

He exalts the strength of His people.* He is the praise of all His saints, of the sons of Israel, of the people to whom He comes close.

Psalm 149

Sing a new song to the Lord,* His praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,* let Sion’s sons exult in their King.

Let them praise His name with dancing * and make music with timbrel and harp.

For the Lord takes delight in His people.* He crowns the poor with salvation.

Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,* shout for joy and take their rest.

Let the praise of God be on their lips* and a two-edged sword in their hand,

to deal out vengeance to the nations* and punishment on all the peoples;

to bind their kings in chains* and their nobles in fetters of iron;

to carry out the sentence pre-ordained:* this honour is for all His faithful.

Psalm 150

Praise God in His holy place,* praise Him in His mighty heavens.

Praise Him for His powerful deeds,* praise His surpassing greatness.

Tone 2: Today a tomb holds Him Who holds all creation in the hollow of His hand,* a stone covers Him who covered the heavens with glory.* Life sleeps and hell trembles,* and Adam is set free from his bonds.* Glory to Your dispensation by which You have accomplished all things,* granting us eternal Sabbath,* Your most holy Resurrection from the dead.

O praise Him with sound of trumpet,* praise Him with lute and harp.

Tone 2: What is this sight that we behold?* What is this present rest?* The King of the ages, having through His Passion fulfilled the plan of salvation,* keeps Sabbath in the tomb* granting us a new Sabbath.* Unto Him let us cry aloud:* Arise, O Lord, judge the earth,* for measureless is Your great mercy,* and You reign forever!

Praise Him with timbrel and dance,* praise Him with strings and pipes.

Tone 2: Come, let us see our Life lying in the tomb,* that He might give life to those that in their tombs lie dead.* Come, let us look today on the Son of Judah as He sleeps,* and with the prophet let us cry aloud to Him:* “You have lain down, You have slept as a Lion;* Who shall awaken You, O King?* But of Your own free will do You rise up,* who willingly give Yourself for us* O Lord, glory to You!”

O praise Him with resounding cymbals,* praise Him with clashing of cymbals.* Let everything that lives and that breathes * give praise to the Lord.

Tone 6: Joseph asked for the body of Jesus* and he laid it in his own new tomb:* for it was fitting that the Lord should come forth from the grave as from a bridal chamber.* O You who have broken the power of death,* and opened to men the gates of Paradise,* glory to You!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Tone 6: Moses the great mystically prefigured this present day, saying:* “And God blessed the seventh day.”* For His is the blessed Sabbath.* This is the day of rest* on which the only-begotten Son of God* rested from all His works.* Suffering death in accordance with the plan of salvation,* He keeps the Sabbath in the flesh.* And returning once again to what He was,* through His Resurrection* He has granted us eternal life,* for He alone is good* and the Lover of mankind.

Now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Tone 2: You are truly most blessed, O virgin Mother of God.* Through the One Who was incarnate of you,* Hades was chained, Adam revived, the curse wiped out,* Eve set free, Death put to death, and we ourselves were brought back to life.* That is why we cry out in praise:* Blessed are You, O Christ our God,* Who finds in this Your good pleasure.* Glory be to You!

Great Doxology

Priest: Glory to You Who have shown us the light!

All: Glory to God in the highest,* and on earth peace, good will among men.

We praise You, we bless You, we worship You, we glorify You,* we give You thanks for Your great glory.

O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty,* O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;* and You, O Holy Spirit!

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that take away the sin of the world,* have mercy on us;

You that take away the sin of the world,* receive our prayer;

You that sit at the right hand of the Father,* have mercy on us.

For You alone are holy, You alone are the Lord, O Jesus Christ,* to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Every day I will bless You and praise Your Name* for ever and ever!

Vouchsafe, O Lord,* to keep us this day without sin.

Blessed are You, O Lord, God of our Fathers,* and praised and glorified is Your Name forevermore.

O Lord, let Your mercy lighten upon us* as our trust is in You!

Blessed are You, O Lord;* teach me Your statutes:

Blessed are You, O Master;* grant me to understand Your statutes.

Blessed are You, O Holy One;* enlighten me by Your statutes.

O Lord, You have been our refuge,* from generation to generation!

I said: Lord, have mercy on me; heal my soul,* for I have sinned against You.

O Lord, to You I have fled for refuge:* teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.

For with You is the fountain of life,* and in Your light shall we see light!

Continue Your mercy* to those that know You!

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.

Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us.

Troparion, Tone 5

Come and let us bless the memory of Joseph of Arimathea, who went to Pilate by night to beg for the One Who is our Life: Give me the body of this pilgrim Who has no place to lay His head: give me the body of my Lord and Master, Who was led to death by a wicked disciple; give me the body of the only Son, Whose Mother saw Him hanging on the cross, weeping and sighing as she cried out in a motherly lament: Alas, O my beloved Son! Alas, O Light of my eyes, O Treasure of my heart and soul; today the prophecy of Simeon in the Temple is fulfilled: for a sword has pierced my heart; but You shall change my grief into the joy of Your resurrection. We bow before Your passion, O Christ: we bow before Your passion, O Christ; we bow before Your passion, O Christ; and we adore Your holy resurrection.

Deacon: Let us be attentive!

Priest: Peace be with all.

Deacon: Wisdom! Let us be attentive!

Troparia, Tone 2

The noble Joseph took Your most pure Body down from the Cross.* He wrapped it in a clean linen with aromatic spices* and sadly laid it in a new tomb

O Christ, Who holds fast the ends of the earth,* You have accepted to be held fast within the tomb,* You have conferred upon us immortality and life.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

Deacon: Let us be attentive!

Priest: Peace be with all.

Deacon: Wisdom! Let us be attentive!

Tone 4: Stand up and come to our help!* Redeem us because of Your love.

verse: We heard with our own ears, O God, our forebears have told us the story.

Prophecy

Deacon: Wisdom!

Reader: A reading from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel.

Deacon: Let us be attentive!

Exekiel 37:1-14

Reader: The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me round among them; and behold, there were very many upon the valley; and lo, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Again he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And as I looked, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done it, says the Lord.”

Prokeimenon, Tone 7

Deacon: Wisdom! Let us be attentive!

Tone 7: Arise, then, Lord, lift up Your hand!* O God, do not forget the poor!

verse: I will praise You, Lord, with all my heart: I will recount all Your wonders!

Epistle

Deacon: Wisdom!

Reader: A reading from the first epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.

Deacon: Let us be attentive!

1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 3:13-14

Reader: Brethren! Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us — for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree” — that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. ()

Alleluia, Tone 5

verse: Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee from before His face.

verse: As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish as wax melts before a fire.

verse: So let the wicked perish at the presence of God, and let the righteous ones rejoice.

Gospel

Deacon: Wisdom! Stand aright! Let us listen to the Holy Gospel!

Priest: Peace be with all.

All: And with your spirit.

Priest: A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.

All: Glory to Your passion, O Lord! (great prostration)

Deacon: Let us be attentive!

Matthew 27:62-66

Priest: The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore, order the sepulchre to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away, and tell the people, `He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the sepulchre secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

All: Glory to Your long-suffering, O Lord! (great prostration)

Ekteny of Supplication

Deacon: Have mercy on us, O God, in the greatness of Your compassion, we pray You, hear us and have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy. (З)

Deacon: We also pray for our most holy universal Pontiff, N., Pope of Rome; for our most blessed Patriarch, N.; our most reverend Metropolitan, N.; our God-loving Bishop, N., for those who serve and have served in this holy church, for our spiritual fathers, and for all our brethren in Christ.

All: Lord, have mercy. (З)

Deacon: We also pray for our nation under God, for our government, and for all the military.

All: Lord, have mercy. (З)

Deacon: We also pray for the people here present who await Your great and bountiful mercies, for those who have been kind to us, and for all orthodox Christians.

All: Lord, have mercy. (З)

Priest: For You are a merciful and loving God, and we give glory to You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Ekteny of Petition

Deacon: Let us complete our morning prayer to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Help us, save us, have mercy and protect us, O God by Your grace.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: That this whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask the Lord.

All: Grant this, O Lord.

Deacon: For an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask the Lord.

All: Grant this, O Lord.

Deacon: For the forgiveness and remission of our sins and offenses, let us ask the Lord.

All: Grant this, O Lord.

Deacon: For all that is good and beneficial for our souls and for peace for the world, let us ask the Lord.

All: Grant this, O Lord.

Deacon: That we may spend the rest of our lives in peace and repentance, let us ask the Lord.

All: Grant this, O Lord.

Deacon: For a Christian end to our lives, one that is painless, unashamed, and peaceful,; and for a good defense at the awesome tribunal of Christ, let us ask the Lord.

All: Grant this, O Lord.

Deacon: Remembering our most holy and immaculate, most blessed and glorious lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

All: To You, O Lord.

Priest: For You are merciful O God, and You love mankind, and to You we send up glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Priest: Peace be with all.

All: And with your spirit.

Deacon: Bow your heads to the Lord.

All: To You, O Lord.

Priest: Holy Lord, You live on high, and yet stoop to look down upon the earth, and with your divine eyes You see all creatures. Before You we bow down in spirit and body, and we pray You, O Holy of Holies, stretch forth Your invisible hand from Your holy dwelling and bless us. If we have sinned in any way, either deliberately or through human frailty, forgive us, for Your are good; You give us earthly and heavenly blessings, and You alone love all. For it is You alone Who have mercy and save us, and we glorify You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Great Dismissal

Deacon: Wisdom.

All: Give the blessing.

Priest: Blessed is He-Who-Is, Christ our God, always, now and for ever and ever.

All: Amen. O God, uphold the holy orthodox faith for ever and ever!

Priest: O most-holy Mother of God, save us.

All: More honourable than the cherubim,* and by far more glorious than the seraphim;* ever a Virgin, you gave birth to God the Word,* O true Mother of God, we magnify you.

Priest: Glory to You, Christ God, our Hope; glory to You.

All: Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen. Lord, have mercy. (3) Give the blessing!

Priest: Christ our true God, Who for us and our salvation endured in the flesh the dread Passion, the Life-giving Cross and voluntary burial, by the prayers His most pure Mother, those of all the holy and illustrious apostles, and by the prayers of all the Saints, will have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

All: Amen.

Troparion, Tone 2

The noble Joseph took Your most pure Body down from the Cross.* He wrapped it in a clean linen with aromatic spices* and sadly laid it in a new tomb. (thrice with great prostrations)

Vespers with Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great
in the late afternoon

At Psalm 140

Tone 1

Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord;* O Lord, hear my voice!

Accept our evening prayers, O holy Lord,* and grant us the remission of our sins,* for You alone have revealed to the world the Resurrection.

Let Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my prayer.

Walk about Zion, you people, and encompass her;* and within her walls give glory to Him Who is risen from the dead.* For He is our God Who has delivered us* from our iniquities.

If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

Come, you people, let us praise and worship Christ,* glorifying His Resurrection from the dead.* For He is our God Who has delivered the world* from the delusion of the enemy.

I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

By Your Passion, O Christ,* we have been set free from our passions,* and by Your Resurrection* we have been delivered from corruption.* O Lord, glory be to You!

Tone 8

From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.

Today hell groans and cries aloud:* “It had been better for me had I not accepted Mary’s Son,* for He has come to me and destroyed my power;* He has shattered the gates of brass,* and as God He raised up the souls that I once held.”* Glory to Your Cross, O Lord, and to Your Resurrection!

For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Today hell groans and cries aloud:* “It had been better for me had I not accepted Mary’s Son,* for He has come to me and destroyed my power;* He has shattered the gates of brass,* and as God He raised up the souls that I once held.”* Glory to Your Cross, O Lord, and to Your Resurrection!

Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.

Today hell groans and cries aloud:* “My power has been destroyed.* I accepted a mortal man as one of the dead;* yet I cannot keep Him prisoner,* and with Him I shall lose all those whom I ruled.* I held in my power the dead from all ages;* but see, He is raising them all.”* Glory to Your Cross, O Lord, and to Your Resurrection.

Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

Today hell groans and cries aloud:* “My dominion has been swallowed up;* the Shepherd has been crucified and He has raised Adam.* I am deprived of those whom I once ruled;* in my strength I have devoured them, but now I have cast them forth.* He who was crucified has emptied the tombs;* the power of death has no more strength.”* Glory to Your Cross, O Lord, and to Your Resurrection.

Tone 6

Glory…

Moses the Great mystically prefigured this present day, saying:* “And God blessed the seventh day.”* For this is the blessed Sabbath, this is the day of rest,* on which the only-begotten Son of God rested from all His works.* Suffering death in accordance with the plans of salvation,* He kept the Sabbath in the flesh;* and returning once again to what He was,* through His Resurrection He has granted us eternal life,* for He alone is good and loves mankind.

Now…

Let us praise the Virgin Mary,* glory of all the world and gate of heaven,* Daughter of men and Mother of the Lord,* song of the angelic hosts and adornment of the faithful.* For she is revealed as heaven and the temple of the Godhead.* It is she who, breaking down the middle wall of enmity,* established peace and opened the palace of the King.* With her, therefore, as anchor of our faith,* we have as our defender the Lord whom she has borne.* Be of good courage, then, people of God, be of good courage:* for in His almighty power* He will make war upon our foes.

Reading I

Genesis 1:1-13

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Thus evening came, and morning followed—the first day. Then God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other.” And so it happened: God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it. God called the dome “the sky.” Evening came, and morning followed-the second day. Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear.” And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared. God called the dry land “the earth,” and the basin of the water he called “the sea.” God saw how good it was. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it.” And so it happened: the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw how good it was. Evening came, and morning followed – the third day.

Reading II

Isaiah 60:1-16

Thus says the Lord: Rise up in splendour! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light,   and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: Your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered for you, the rams of Nebaioth shall be your sacrifices; They will be acceptable offerings on my altar, and I will enhance the splendour of my house. What are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their cotes? All the vessels of the sea are assembled, with the ships of Tarshish in the lead, To bring your children from afar with their silver and gold, In the name of the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you. Foreigners shall rebuild your walls, and their kings shall be your attendants; Though I struck you in my wrath, yet in my good will I have shown you mercy. Your gates shall stand open constantly; day and night they shall not be closed But shall admit to you the wealth of nations, and their kings, in the vanguard. For the people or kingdom shall perish that does not serve you; those nations shall be utterly destroyed. The glory of Lebanon shall come to you: the cypress, the plane and the pine, To bring beauty to my sanctuary, and glory to the place where I set my feet. The children of your oppressors shall come, bowing low before you; All those who despised you shall fall prostrate at your feet. They shall call you “City of the Lord,” “Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” Once you were forsaken, hated and unvisited, Now I will make you the pride of the ages, a joy to generation after generation. You shall suck the milk of nations, and be nursed at royal breasts; You shall know that I, the Lord, am your saviour, your redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

Reading III

Exodus 12:1-11

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall stand at the head of your calendar; you shall reckon it the first month of the year. Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every one of your families must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household. If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it. The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present, it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight. They shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb. That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. It shall not be eaten raw or boiled, but roasted whole, with its head and shanks and inner organs. None of it must be kept beyond the next morning; whatever is left over in the morning shall be burned up. This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the Lord.”

Reading IV

Jonah 1:1-4:11

This is the word of the Lord that came to Jonah, son of Amittai: “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; their wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the Lord. He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish, away from the Lord. The Lord, however, hurled a violent wind upon the sea, and in the furious tempest that arose the ship was on the point of breaking up. hen the mariners became frightened and each one cried to his god. To lighten the ship for themselves, they threw its cargo into the sea. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship, and lay there fast asleep. The captain came to him and said, “What are you doing asleep? Rise up, call upon your God! Perhaps God will be mindful of us so that we may not perish.” Then they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots to find out on whose account we have met with this misfortune.” So they cast lots, and thus singled out Jonah. “Tell us,” they said, “what is your business? Where do you come from? What is your country, and to what people do you belong?” “I am a Hebrew,” Jonah answered them; “I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Now the men were seized with great fear and said to him, “How could you do such a thing!”-They knew that he was fleeing from the Lord, because he had told them.- “What shall we do with you,” they asked, “that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea was growing more and more turbulent. Jonah said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea, that it may quiet down for you; since I know it is because of me that this violent storm has come upon you.” Still the men rowed hard to regain the land, but they could not, for the sea grew ever more turbulent. Then they cried to the Lord: “We beseech you, O Lord, let us not perish for taking this man’s life; do not charge us with shedding innocent blood, for you, Lord, have done as you saw fit.” Then they took Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea’s raging abated. Struck with great fear of the Lord, the men offered sacrifice and made vows to him.

But the Lord sent a large fish, that swallowed Jonah; and he remained in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. From the belly of the fish Jonah said this prayer to the Lord, his God: Out of my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me; From the midst of the nether world I cried for help, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea, and the flood enveloped me; All your breakers and your billows passed over me. Then I said, “I am banished from your sight! yet would I again look upon your holy temple.” The waters swirled about me, threatening my life; the abyss enveloped me; seaweed clung about my head. Down I went to the roots of the mountains; the bars of the nether world were closing behind me forever, But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord, my God. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; My prayer reached you in your holy temple. Those who worship vain idols forsake their source of mercy. But I, with resounding praise, will sacrifice to you; What I have vowed I will pay: deliverance is from the Lord. Then the Lord commanded the fish to spew Jonah upon the shore.

The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the Lord bidding. Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: “Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish.” When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.

But this was greatly displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. “I beseech you, Lord,” he prayed, “is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish. And now, Lord, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.” But the Lord asked, “Have you reason to be angry?” Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it, where he built himself a hut and waited under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city. And when the Lord God provided a gourd plant, that grew up over Jonah’s head, giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort, Jonah was very happy over the plant. But the next morning at dawn God sent a worm which attacked the plant, so that it withered. And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind; and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint. Then he asked for death, saying, “I would be better off dead than alive.” But God said to Jonah, “Have you reason to be angry over the plant?” “I have reason to be angry,” Jonah answered, “angry enough to die.” Then the Lord said, “You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labour and which you did not raise; it came up in one night and in one night it perished. And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left, not to mention the many cattle?”

Reading V

Joshua 5:10-15

While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month. On the day after the Passover they ate of the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain. On that same day after the Passover on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan. While Joshua was near Jericho, he raised his eyes and saw one who stood facing him, drawn sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you one of us or of our enemies?” He replied, “Neither. I am the captain of the host of the Lord and I have just arrived.” Then Joshua fell prostrate to the ground in worship, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” The captain of the host of the Lord replied to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy.” And Joshua obeyed.

The following reading is never omitted.

Reading VI

Exodus 13:20-15:19

The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “Consecrate to me every first-born that opens the womb among the Israelites, both of man and beast, for it belongs to me.” Moses said to the people, “Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, that place of slavery. It was with a strong hand that the Lord brought you away. Nothing made with leaven must be eaten. This day of your departure is in the month of Abib. Therefore, it is in this month that you must celebrate this rite, after the Lord , your God, has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers he would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and the seventh day shall also be a festival to the Lord .

Only unleavened bread may be eaten during the seven days; no leaven and nothing leavened may be found in all your territory. On this day you shall explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ It shall be as a sign on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead; thus the law of the Lord will ever be on your lips, because with a strong hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. Therefore, you shall keep this prescribed rite at its appointed time from year to year.

“When the Lord , your God, has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, which he swore to you and your fathers he would give you, you shall dedicate to the Lord every son that opens the womb; and all the male firstlings of your animals shall belong to the Lord . Every first-born of an ass you shall redeem with a sheep. If you do not redeem it, you shall break its neck. Every first-born son you must redeem. If your son should ask you later on, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall tell him, ‘With a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, that place of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every first-born in the land of Egypt, every first-born of man and of beast. That is why I sacrifice to the Lord everything of the male sex that opens the womb, and why I redeem every first-born of my sons.’ Let this, then, be as a sign on your hand and as a pendant on your forehead: with a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

Now, when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the Philistines’ land, though this was the nearest; for he thought, should the people see that they would have to fight, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. Instead, he rerouted them toward the Red Sea by way of the desert road. In battle array the Israelites marched out of Egypt.

Moses also took Joseph’s bones along, for Joseph had made the Israelites swear solemnly that, when God should come to them, they would carry his bones away with them. Setting out from Succoth, they camped at Etham near the edge of the desert. The Lord preceded them, in the daytime by means of a column of cloud to show them the way, and at night by means of a column of fire to give them light. Thus they could travel both day and night. Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire by night ever left its place in front of the people.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn about and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, just opposite, by the sea. Pharaoh will then say, ‘The Israelites are wandering about aimlessly in the land. The desert has closed in on them.’ Thus will I make Pharaoh so obstinate that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord .” This the Israelites did. When it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about them. “What have we done!” they exclaimed. “Why, we have released Israel from our service!”

So Pharaoh made his chariots ready and mustered his soldiers- six hundred first-class chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt, with warriors on them all. So obstinate had the Lord made Pharaoh that he pursued the Israelites even while they were marching away in triumph. The Egyptians, then, pursued them; Pharaoh’s whole army, his horses, chariots and charioteers, caught up with them as they lay encamped by the sea, at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. Pharaoh was already near when the Israelites looked up and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them. In great fright they cried out to the Lord .

And they complained to Moses, “Were there no burial places in Egypt that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert? Why did you do this to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said, ‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians’? Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians than to die in the desert.”

But Moses answered the people, “Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the Lord will win for you today. These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. The Lord himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea, split the sea in two, that the Israelites may pass through it on dry land. But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate that they will go in after them. Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots and charioteers. The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I receive glory through Pharaoh and his chariots and charioteers.”

The angel of God, who had been leading Israel’s camp, now moved and went around behind them. The column of cloud also, leaving the front, took up its place behind them, so that it came between the camp of the Egyptians and that of Israel. But the cloud now became dark, and thus the night passed without the rival camps coming any closer together all night long. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord swept the sea with a strong east wind throughout the night and so turned it into dry land. When the water was thus divided, the Israelites marched into the midst of the sea on dry land, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.

The Egyptians followed in pursuit; all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and charioteers went after them right into the midst of the sea. In the night watch just before dawn the Lord cast through the column of the fiery cloud upon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic; and he so clogged their chariot wheels that they could hardly drive. With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel, because the Lord was fighting for them against the Egyptians.

Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and their charioteers.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth. The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea, when the Lord hurled them into its midst. As the water flowed back, it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh’s whole army which had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not a single one of them escaped. But the Israelites had marched on dry land through the midst of the sea, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel on that day from the power of the Egyptians. When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore and beheld the great power that the LORD had shown against the Egyptians, they feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses.

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:

Reader: Let us sing to the Lord.

All: For He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my fathers God, and I will exalt him.

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. Pharaohs chariots and his host he cast into the sea; and his picked officers are sunk in the Red Sea. The floods cover them; they went down into the depths like a stone.

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: In the greatness of Your majesty You overthrow Your adversaries; Your send forth Your fury, it consumes them like stubble. At the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: Who is like You, O Lord , among the gods? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, terrible in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them. You have led in Your steadfast love the people whom You have redeemed, You have guided them by Your strength to Your holy abode.

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: The peoples have heard, they tremble; pangs have seized on the inhabitants of Philistia. Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; the leaders of Moab, trembling seizes them; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of Your arm, they are as still as a stone, till Your people, O Lord , pass by, till the people pass by whom You have purchased.

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: You bring them in, and plant them on Your own mountain, the place, O Lord , which You have made for Your abode, the sanctuary, Lord , which Your hands have established.

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: The Lord will reign for ever and ever.

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

All: Let us sing to the Lord, for He has been clothed with glory.

Reader: Both now and forever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

All: Let us sing to the Lord

Reader: For He has been clothed with glory.

Reading VII

Zephaniah 3:8-15

Therefore, wait for me, says the Lord, against the day when I arise as accuser; For it is my decision to gather together the nations, to assemble the kingdoms, In order to pour out upon them my wrath, all my blazing anger; For in the fire of my jealousy shall all the earth be consumed. For then I will change and purify the lips of the peoples, That they all may call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one accord; From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia and as far as the recesses of the North, they shall bring me offerings. On that day You need not be ashamed of all your deeds, your rebellious actions against me; For then will I remove from your midst the proud braggarts, And you shall no longer exalt yourself on my holy mountain. But I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, Who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord; the remnant of Israel. They shall do no wrong and speak no lies; Nor shall there be found in their mouths a deceitful tongue; They shall pasture and couch their flocks with none to disturb them. Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear.

Reading VIII

Kings 17:8-24

The Lord said to Elijah: “Move on to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have designated a widow there to provide for you.” He left and went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her, “Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink.” She left to get it, and he called out after her, “Please bring along a bit of bread.”

“As the Lord, your God, lives,” she answered, “I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die.”

“Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it tome. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’”

She left and did as Elijah had said. She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well; The jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the Lord had foretold through Elijah. Some time later the son of the mistress of the house fell sick, and his sickness grew more severe until he stopped breathing.

So she said to Elijah, “Why have you done this to me, O man of God? Have you come to me to call attention to my guilt and to kill my son?”

“Give me your son,” Elijah said to her. Taking him from her lap, he carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. He called out to the Lord: “O Lord, my God, will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying by killing her son?”

Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times and called out to the Lord: “O Lord, my God, let the life breath return to the body of this child.”

The Lord heard the prayer of Elijah; the life breath returned to the child’s body and he revived. Taking the child, Elijah brought him down into the house from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “See!” Elijah said to her, “your son is alive.”

“Now indeed I know that you are a man of God,” the woman replied to Elijah. “The word of the Lord comes truly from your mouth.”

Reading IIsaiah 61:10-62:5

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My delight is in her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

Reading Genesis 22:1-18

Some time after these events, God put Abraham to the test. He called to him, “Abraham!” “Ready!” he replied. Then God said: “Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust on a height that I will point out to you.” Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey, took with him his son Isaac, and two of his servants as well, and with the wood that he had cut for the holocaust, set out for the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar. Then he said to his servants: “Both of you stay here with the donkey, while the boy and I go on over yonder. We will worship and then come back to you.” Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the holocaust and laid it on his son Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham. “Father!” he said. “Yes, son,” he replied. Isaac continued, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep for the holocaust?”

“Son,” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the sheep for the holocaust.” Then the two continued going forward. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up his son Isaac, and put him on top of the wood on the altar. Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the Lord’s messenger called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.

“Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the messenger. “Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”

As Abraham looked about, he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So he went and took the ram and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son. Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh; hence people now say, “On the mountain the Lord will see.” Again the Lord’s messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said: “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you acted as you did in not withholding from me your beloved son, I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants shall take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing-all this because you obeyed my command.”

Reading XI

Isaiah 61:1-9

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion – to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

Aliens shall stand and feed your flocks, foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; but you shall be called the priests of the Lord, men shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory. Instead of your shame you shall have a double portion, instead of dishonour you shall rejoice in your lot; therefore in your land you shall possess a double portion; yours shall be everlasting joy.

For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.

Reading XII

Kings 4:8-37

One day Elisha came to Shunem, where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her. Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine. So she said to her husband, “I know that he is a holy man of God. Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp, so that when he comes to us he can stay there.”

Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight. Then he said to his servant Gehazi, “Call this Shunammite woman.” He did so, and when she stood before Elisha, he told Gehazi, “Say to her, ‘You have lavished all this care on us; what can we do for you? Can we say a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’” She replied, “I am living among my own people.” Later Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?”

“Yes!” Gehazi answered. “She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.”

“Call her,” said Elisha. When she had been called, and stood at the door, Elisha promised, “This time next year you will be fondling a baby son.”

“Please, my lord,” she protested, “you are a man of God; do not deceive your servant.” Yet the woman conceived, and by the same time the following year she had given birth to a son, as Elisha had promised.

The day came when the child was old enough to go out to his father among the reapers.

“My head hurts!” he complained to his father. “Carry him to his mother,” the father said to a servant. The servant picked him up and carried him to his mother; he stayed with her until noon, when he died in her lap. The mother took him upstairs and laid him on the bed of the man of God. Closing the door on him, she went out and called to her husband, “Let me have a servant and a donkey. I must go quickly to the man of God, and I will be back.”

“Why are you going to him today?” he asked. “It is neither the new moon nor the sabbath.” But she bade him good-bye, and when the donkey was saddled, said to her servant: “Lead on! Do not stop my donkey unless I tell you to.” She kept going till she reached the man of God on Mount Carmel. When he spied her at a distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi: “There is the Shunammite! Hurry to meet her, and ask if all is well with her, with her husband, and with the boy.”

“Greetings,” she replied. But when she reached the man of God on the mountain, she clasped his feet. Gehazi came near to push her away, but the man of God said: “Let her alone, she is in bitter anguish; the Lord hid it from me and did not let me know.”

“Did I ask my lord for a son?” she cried out. “Did I not beg you not to deceive me?”

“Gird your loins,” Elisha said to Gehazi, “take my staff with you and be off; if you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff upon the boy.”

But the boy’s mother cried out: “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not release you.” So he started to go back with her. Meanwhile, Gehazi had gone on ahead and had laid the staff upon the boy, but there was no sound or sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and informed him that the boy had not awakened. When Elisha reached the house, he found the boy lying dead. He went in, closed the door on them both, and prayed to the Lord. Then he lay upon the child on the bed, placing his mouth upon the child’s mouth, his eyes upon the eyes, and his hands upon the hands. As Elisha stretched himself over the child, the body became warm. He arose, paced up and down the room, and then once more lay down upon the boy, who now sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” She came at his call, and Elisha said to her, “Take your son.” She came in and fell at his feet in gratitude; then she took her son and left the room.

Reading XIII

Isaiah 63:11-64:5

Then they remembered the days of old and Moses, his servant; Where is he who brought up out of the sea the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who put his holy spirit in their midst; Whose glorious arm was the guide at Moses’ right; Who divided the waters before them, winning for himself eternal renown; Who led them without stumbling through the depths like horses in the open country, Like cattle going down into the plain, the spirit of the Lord guiding them? Thus you led your people, bringing glory to your name. Look down from heaven and regard us from your holy and glorious palace! Where is your zealous care and your might, your surge of pity and your mercy? O Lord, hold not back, for you are our father. Were Abraham not to know us, nor Israel to acknowledge us, You, Lord, are our father, our redeemer you are named forever. Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. Why have the wicked invaded your holy place, why have our enemies trampled your sanctuary? Too long have we been like those you do not rule, who do not bear your name. Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you, As when brushwood is set ablaze, or fire makes the water boil! Thus your name would be made known to your enemies and the nations would tremble before you, While you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for, such as they had not heard of from of old. No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait for him. Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways! Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful; all of us have become like unclean men, all our good deeds are like polluted rags; We have all withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us away like the wind.

Reading XIV

Jeremiah 31:31-34

The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt; for they broke my covenant and I had to show myself their master, says the Lord. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they have need to teach their friends and kinsmen how to know the Lord. All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the Lord, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.

The following reading is never omitted.

Reading XV

Daniel 3:1-88

King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden statue made, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, which he set up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then ordered the satraps, prefects, and governors, the counsellors, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the officials of the provinces to be summoned to the dedication of the statue which he had set up.

The satraps, prefects, and governors, the counsellors, treasurers, judges, and magistrates and all the officials of the provinces, all these came together for the dedication and stood before the statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. A herald cried out: “Nations and peoples of every language, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and all the other musical instruments, you are ordered to fall down and worship the golden statue which King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship shall be instantly cast into a white-hot furnace.”

Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and all the other musical instruments, the nations and peoples of every language all fell down and worshiped the golden statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

At that point, some of the Chaldeans came and accused the Jews to King Nebuchadnezzar: “O king, live forever! O king, you issued a decree that everyone who heard the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and all the other musical instruments should fall down and worship the golden statue; whoever did not was to be cast into a white-hot furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have made administrators of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego; these men, O king, have paid no attention to you; they will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and sent for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were promptly brought before the king. King Nebuchadnezzar questioned them: “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you will not serve my god, or worship the golden statue that I set up? Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made, whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and all the other musical instruments; otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace; and who is the God that can deliver you out of my hands?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual and had some of the strongest men in his army bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the white-hot furnace. They were bound and cast into the white-hot furnace with their coats, hats, shoes and other garments, for the king’s order was urgent. So huge a fire was kindled in the furnace that the flames devoured the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into it. But these three fell, bound, into the midst of the white-hot furnace. They walked about in the flames, singing to God and blessing the Lord.

In the fire Azariah stood up and prayed aloud:

“Blessed are you, and praiseworthy, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and glorious forever is your name. For you are just in all you have done; all your deeds are faultless, all your ways right, and all your judgments proper. You have executed proper judgments in all that you have brought upon us and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our fathers. By a proper judgment you have done all this because of our sins; For we have sinned and transgressed by departing from you, and we have done every kind of evil. Your commandments we have not heeded or observed, nor have we done as you ordered us for our good. Therefore all you have brought upon us, all you have done to us, you have done by a proper judgment. You have handed us over to our enemies, lawless and hateful rebels; to an unjust king, the worst in all the world. Now we cannot open our mouths; we, your servants, who revere you, have become a shame and a reproach. For your name’s sake, do not deliver us up forever, or make void your covenant. Do not take away your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, your beloved, Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one, To whom you promised to multiply their offspring like the stars of heaven, or the sand on the shore of the sea. For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation, brought low everywhere in the world this day because of our sins. We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader, no holocaust, sacrifice, oblation, or incense, no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you. But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received; As though it were holocausts of rams and bullocks, or thousands of fat lambs, So let our sacrifice be in your presence today as we follow you unreservedly; for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame. And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and we pray to you. Do not let us be put to shame, but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy. Deliver us by your wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord: Let all those be routed who inflict evils on your servants; Let them be shamed and powerless, and their strength broken; Let them know that you alone are the Lord God, glorious over the whole world.”

Now the king’s men who had thrown them in continued to stoke the furnace with brimstone, pitch, tow, and faggots. The flames rose forty-nine cubits above the furnace, and spread out, burning the Chaldeans nearby. But the angel of the Lord went down into the furnace with Azariah and his companions, drove the fiery flames out of the furnace, and made the inside of the furnace as though a dew-laden breeze were blowing through it. The fire in no way touched them or caused them pain or harm.

Then these three in the furnace with one voice sang, glorifying and blessing God:

“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;

And blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.

Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne upon the cherubim, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever.

After verse 56: “Blessed are You in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever,” all stand and sing:

Refrain: Sing praise to the Lord, and exalt Him above all forever.

This refrain is sung after each verse of the Canticle.

Canticle of the Three Youths

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. R.
Angels of the Lord, and you heavens, bless the Lord. R.
All you waters above the heavens, and all you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord. R.
Sun and moon, and stars of heaven, bless the Lord. R.
Every shower and dew, and all you winds, bless the Lord. R.
Fire and heat, frost and chill, bless the Lord. R.
Ice and snow, and nights and days, bless the Lord. R.
Light and darkness, lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord. R.
Let the earth bless the Lord. R.
Mountains and hills, and everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord. R.
You springs, and seas and rivers, bless the Lord. R.
You dolphins and all water creatures, and all you birds of the air, bless the Lord. R.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord. R.
You children of the earth, bless the Lord: O Israel, bless the Lord. R.
Priests of the Lord, and servants of the Lord, bless the Lord. R.
Spirits and souls of the just, holy people of humble heart, bless the Lord. R.
Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, bless the Lord. R.
Apostles, prophets and martyrs of the Lord, bless the Lord. R.
Let us bless the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. R.
Both now and forever and unto ages of ages. Amen. R.
Let us praise, bless and worship the Lord. R.

Small Litany

Instead of the Trisagion Hymn

All who have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. Alleluia.

Prokeimenon, Tone 8

Let all the earth worship and sing to You,* chanting praise to Your Name, O Most High.

verse: Sing joyfully to God, all you the earth; chant the glory of His Name, give to Him noble praise.

Epistle

Romans 6:3-11

Brothers and Sisters, do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We do not sing Alleluia; in its place we sing the following verses from Psalm 81 in Tone 7:

Refrain: O God, arise and judge the earth,* for all the nations are Yours.

verse: God arises in the divine assembly; He judges in the midst of the heavens.

verse: How long will you judge unjustly and favour the cause of the wicked?

verse: Defend the lowly and the fatherless, give justice to the afflicted and the destitute.

verse: Rescue the lowly and poor; deliver them from the hands of the wicked.

verse: They do not know or understand; they go about in darkness.

verse: I have said: You are divine; you are the sons of the Most High. Yet like men, you will die; you shall fall like any other prince.

Gospel

Matthew 28:1-20

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Instead of the Cherubic Hymn, we sing:

Let all mortal flesh be silent and stand with fear and trembling. Let thoughts remove earthly concerns, for the King of kings, the Lord of lords comes to be sanctified. He is given as food to the faithful. All ranks of angelic choirs of glory go before Him. Many-eyed Cherubim, six-winged Seraphim hide their faces and cry out the hymn: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Hymn to the Mother of God

Weep not for me, O Mother, as you see in the tomb the Son whom you conceived without seed in your womb; for I shall rise, and be glorified; and as God, I shall exalt in everlasting glory those who magnify you with faith and love.

Communion Verse

The Lord has waked as if from sleep:* He is risen and saves us. Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia.