The Night of Great and
Holy Friday
(The Matins Service of
Great Saturday)
The Lamentations
The priest, standing
before the Royal Doors, makes three metanias and says in an audible voice:
Deacon: Bless, Master.
Priest: Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, and
unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Priest: Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.
O heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, who art in all
places, and fillest all things, treasury of good things, and Giver of life,
come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every stain and save our souls, O
Good One.
People: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy
Immortal, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and
ever, and unto ages of ages.
All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins.
Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy God, visit and heal our infirmities for thy
Name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and
ever, and unto ages of ages.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come;
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily1
bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against
us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.2
Priest: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and
the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now and ever,
and unto ages of ages.”
People: Amen.
Troparia
Reader: O Lord, save thy people and
bless thine inheritance, granting them victory over all adversaries, and by thy
Cross protect thy community.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
O Christ our God, uplifted on the Cross by thine own will, bestow thy
mercy upon the new people of thy name; and in thy might make glad the Orthodox,
granting to them victory over all adversaries. May they have as an ally thine
invincible weapon of peace.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.
O eminent and victorious champion, O good and all-praised Theotokos, do
not overlook our supplications. Strengthen the community of the Orthodox; save
those called to govern; and grant them victory from heaven; for thou, O only
blessed one, gavest birth to God.
The Litany of Peace
The priest, standing
before the Holy table, censes one side on every petition while intoning the
following petitions:
Priest: Have mercy on us, O God, according to thy great
goodness; we pray thee, hearken, and have mercy.
People: Lord, have mercy. (Three times)
Priest: Again we pray for all pious and Orthodox
Christians.
People: Lord, have mercy. (Three times)
Priest: Again we pray for our Father and Metropolitan
PHILIP and for all our brethren in Christ.
People: Lord, have mercy. (Three times)
Priest: For thou art a merciful God and lovest mankind,
and unto thee we give glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit: now and ever and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen. Father, bless in the name of the Lord.
Priest: Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-giving,
and undivided Trinity, always: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men3
(Three times)
O Lord open thou my lips, and my mouth will declare thy praise. (Two times)
Psalm 3
O Lord,
how they have increased who afflict me!
many
are rising against me;
many
are saying concerning my soul,
there
is no salvation for him from his God.
But
thou, O Lord, art my helper, my glory,
and the
lifter up of my head.
I cried
unto the Lord with my voice,
and he
heard me from his holy mountain.
I laid
down and slept,
I
awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
I will
not be afraid of tens of thousands of people
who
have set themselves against me all around.
Rise
up, O Lord!
Deliver
me, O my God!
For
thou hast struck all who are my enemies without cause,
thou
hast broken the teeth of the wicked.
Deliverance
belongs to the Lord;
thy
blessing is upon thy people.
I laid
down and slept,
I
awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
Psalm 38 (37)
O Lord,
do not rebuke me in thine anger,
or
discipline me in thy wrath.
For
thine arrows have pierced me,
and
thine hand hast pressed down upon me.
There
is no health in my flesh,
because
of thine anger.
There
is no peace in my bones
because
of my sins.
For my
iniquities are piled over my head;
a
burden too heavy for me.
My
wounds grow foul and fester
because
of my foolishness;
I have
been wretched and bowed down continually;
all day
I went around mourning,
for my
soul was filled with delusion.
There
is no health in my flesh,
I have
been utterly afflicted and brought down.
I have
roared because of the tumult of my heart.
O Lord,
all my longing is before thee;
my
sighing is not hidden from thee.
My
heart throbs, my strength fails me;
and the
light of my eyes has gone from me.
My
friends and neighbors drew near and stand against me,
but my
relatives stand far off.
Those
who seek my spirit pressed hard on me,
those
who seek to hurt me spoke of ruin,
and
meditated treachery all day long.
But I
was like the deaf, who do not hear;
I was
like the mute, who cannot speak.
Truly,
I was like one who does not hear,
and in
whose mouth is no retort.
For in
thee, O Lord, I trusted;
it is
thou, O Lord my God, who wilt hear me.
For I
said, “Do not let my enemies rejoice over me.”
For
when my feet slipped, they boasted against me.
For I
am ready to fall,
and my
pain is ever before me.
I
confess my iniquity;
I am
sorry for my sin.
But my
enemies are mighty
and are
stronger than I,
and
those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
Those
who render evil for good slandered me,
because
I followed after righteousness.
Forsake
me not, O Lord;
O my
God, do not be far from me;
make
haste to help me,
O Lord,
my salvation.
Forsake
me not, O Lord;
O my
God, do not be far from me;
make
haste to help me,
O Lord,
my salvation.
Psalm 63(62)
O God,
thou art my God, early will I seek thee,
my soul
thirsts for thee;
my
flesh also longs for thee,
as in a
dry and trackless land,
where
there is no water.
Thus I
have looked upon thee in the sanctuary,
beholding
thy power and glory.
Because
thy mercy is better than life,
my lips
will praise thee.
Thus I
will bless thee as long as I live;
in thy
name I will lift up my hands.
Let my
soul be filled with fat and abundance,
and my
joyful lips will praise thy name.
When I
was thinking of thee in my bed,
I
meditated on thee in the watches of the night:
for
thou hast been my help,
and in
the shelter of thy wings I rejoice.
My soul
clung to thee;
thy
right hand upheld me.
And
those who sought my soul in vain
shall
go down into the depths of the earth;
they
shall be given over to the power of the sword,
they
shall be prey for jackals.
But the
king shall rejoice in God;
all who
swear by him shall exult,
for the
mouths of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
I
meditated on thee in the watches of the night:
for
thou hast been my help,
and in
the shelter of thy wings I rejoice.
My soul
clung to thee;
thy
right hand upheld me.
Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto
ages of ages, Amen.
Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (low bow)
Lord,
have mercy, Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy,
Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto
ages of ages, Amen.
Psalm 88 <87>
O Lord,
God of my salvation,
I have
cried out day and night before thee;
let my
prayer come before thee;
incline
thine ear to my supplication.
For my
soul is full of trouble,
and my
life draws near to Hades.
I have
been counted among those who
go down
to the pit;
I
became like those who have no help,
adrift
among the dead,
like
the wounded ones, cast out,
who
sleep in the tombs,
like
those whom thou rememberest no more,
for
they were cut off from thy hand.
Thou
hast put me in the depths of the pit,
in the
dark regions, and in the shadow of death.
Thy
wrath has lain heavily upon me,
and
thou hast overwhelmed me with
all
thine anger.
Thou
hast removed my companions far from me;
they
have made me an abomination to themselves,
I am
shut in so that I cannot escape;
my eyes
grew dim through misery.
Every
day I call on thee, O Lord;
I
spread out my hands to thee.
Dost
thou work wonders for the dead?
Or do
the physicians raise them to praise thee?
Is thy
mercy declared in the grave,
or thy
truth in Hades?
Are thy
wonders known in the darkness,
or thy
righteousness in the land of
forgetfulness?
But I
cry out to thee, O Lord;
in the
morning my prayer comes before thee.
O Lord,
why dost thou cast me off?
Why
dost thou hide thy face from me?
I am in
misery and trouble from my youth up,
I have
been exalted and brought low,
I am
driven to despair.
Thy
wrath has overwhelmed me;
thy
terrors have frightened me,
they
surrounded me like a flood all day long;
they
have closed in upon me, and cut off all assistance.
Thou
hast removed friends and acquaintances far from me
because
of my wretchedness.
O Lord,
God of my salvation,
I have
cried out day and night before thee;
let my
prayer come before thee;
incline
thine ear to my supplication.
Psalm 103 <102>
Bless
the Lord, O my soul,
and all
that is within me
bless
his holy name.
Bless
the Lord, O my soul,
and do
not forget all his benefits--
who
forgives all your iniquities,
who
heals all your diseases,
who
redeems your life from corruption,
who
crowns you with mercy and compassion,
who
satisfies your desire with good,
so that
your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The
Lord works mercy and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made
known his ways to Moses,
his
acts to the people of Israel.
The
Lord is merciful and gracious,
forbearing
and very merciful.
He will
not keep his anger forever,
nor
will he forever be wrathful.
He does
not deal with us
according
to our sins,
nor
repay us according to our iniquities.
For as
high as the heavens are above the earth,
so
great is his mercy toward those who fear him;
as far
as the east is from the west,
so far
does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a
father has compassion for his children,
so the
Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
For he
knows how we were made;
he
remembers that we are dust.
As for
people, their days are like grass;
they
flourish like a flower of the field;
for the
wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its
place knows it no more.
But the
mercy of the Lord is from everlasting
to
everlasting on those who fear him,
and his
righteousness to children’s children,
to
those who keep his covenant
and
remember to do his commandments.
The
Lord has prepared his throne in the heavens,
and his
kingdom rules over all.
Bless
the Lord, all his angels,
you
mighty ones who do his bidding,
obedient
to his voice.
Bless
the Lord, all his hosts,
his
ministers who do his will.
Bless
the Lord all his works,
in all
places of his dominion.
Bless
the Lord, O my soul,
in all
places of his dominion.
Bless
the Lord, O my soul.
Psalm 143 (142)
Hear my
prayer, O Lord;
give
ear to my supplications
in thy
faithfulness;
answer
me in thy righteousness.
Enter
not into judgment with thy servant,
for no
one living is righteous before thee.
For the
enemy has persecuted my soul,
crushing
my life to the ground,
making
me sit in darkness like those
who
have been long dead.
Therefore,
my spirit was grieved within me;
my
heart within me was troubled.
I
remembered the days of old,
I
meditated on all thy deeds,
I
meditated on the works of thy hands.
I
stretched out my hands to thee;
my soul
thirsts for thee like a dry land.
Answer
me quickly, O Lord;
my
spirit has failed.
Hide
not thy face from me,
or I
shall be like those who go down to the pit.
Let me
hear of thy mercy in the morning,
for in
thee I have put my hope.
Teach
me the way I should go,
for to
thee have I lifted up my soul.
Save
me, O Lord, from my enemies;
I have
fled to thee for refuge.
Teach
me to do thy will,
for
thou art my God.
Let
your good Spirit lead me in a straight path.
For thy
name’s sake, O Lord,
give
life to me.
In thy
righteousness,
bring
my soul out of affliction.
In thy
mercy, destroy my enemies;
and
bring to naught all my adversaries;
for I
am thy servant.
Answer
me in thy righteousness.
Enter
not into judgment with thy servant (Twice).
Let thy
good Spirit lead me in a straight path.
Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto
ages of ages, Amen.
Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (low bow)
Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (low bow)
Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to thee, O God.
(low bow)
Our God
and our Hope, Glory to thee.
While the preceding six
psalms are being read, the priest says the following twelve morning prayers.
The first three are said before the Altar, and the remaining nine are said
standing before the icon of Christ.
1.
We give
thanks to thee, O Lord our God, who raised us from our beds, and put a word of
praise in our mouths,4 so that we may worship and call on
thy holy name.5 We implore thy mercies, which thou hast given always
for our life. Send thy help6 upon us and all who stand before the
face of thy holy glory, eagerly waiting the rich mercy, which is from thee.
Grant that we, in awe and love, may always worship thee, praise thee, sing
hymns to thee, and fall down before thine indescribable goodness. For unto thee
are due all-glory, honor and worship: to the Father and to the Son and to the
Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
2.
Our
soul yearns for thee, O our God, in the night;7 for thy commandments
are a light upon the earth. Teach us to fulfill righteousness and holiness in
thy fear; for we glorify thee, our God, He
Who Is. Incline thine ear, and hear us, and remember, O Lord, by name
those who are present with us and those who pray with us, and save them by thy
might. Bless thy people and sanctify thine inheritance, give peace to thy
world, to thy churches, to the priests, to all civil authorities, and to all
thy people. For blessed and glorified is thy most honorable and majestic name:
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto
ages of ages, Amen.
3.
Our
soul yearns for thee, O our God, in the night;8 for thy commandments
are a light upon the earth. Teach me, O God, thy righteousness, thy
commandments, and thy statutes;9 or I will sleep the sleep of death10
in sins. Drive away all darkness from our hearts; and grant us the sun of
righteousness; and by the seal of thy Holy Spirit, preserve our life
unaffected. Guide our steps in the way of peace. Grant us to behold the dawn
and the day with rejoicing, that we may send up our morning prayers to thee;
for thine is the majesty, the kingdom, the power, and the glory, of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages,
Amen.
4.
O
Master, our God, holy and incomprehensible, who said, “Let light shine out of
darkness”;11 who gave us rest through the sleep of the night and raised
us up to glorify and implore thy goodness: as we now ask thy tender
loving-kindness, receive us who fall down before thee and give thanks to thee
to the utmost of our power. Grant us all our petitions which lead us to
salvation. Appoint us to be children of light and of the day,12
and heirs of thine everlasting good things. Remember, O Lord, according to
thine abundant mercy,13 all thy people who are present with us
and who pray with us, and all our brethren who are on land, on sea, and in the
air, and in every place of thy mastery, who implore thy love for mankind and
thy help; and grant thy great mercy to all, that being preserved in safety in
body and soul, we may with boldness glorify thy marvelous and blessed name, of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages
of ages, Amen.
5.
O
treasury of good things, ever-flowing fountain, O wonder-working, omnipotent
and almighty holy Father: we all fall before thee; and we pray to thee, calling
upon thy mercies and thy compassion to aid and help our affliction. Remember, O
Lord, thy suppliants; receive our morning prayers as incense before thee;
consider not anyone of us to be without worth; but preserve us all with thy
compassion. Remember, O Lord, those who watch over thy flock and sing to thy
glory and to the glory of thine only-begotten Son and thy Holy Spirit. Be their
helper and protector. Receive their supplications upon thy celestial and
spiritual altar; for thou art our God, and unto thee we give glory: to the
Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of
ages, Amen.
6.
We give thanks unto thee, O Lord God of our salvation;
for thou dost all things for the benefit of our souls, so that we may ever look
up to thee, the Savior and Benefactor of our souls; for thou gavest us rest in
the night just passed, and raised us from our beds, and enabled us to stand and
to fall down before thy most holy name. Wherefore, we entreat thee, O Lord,
give us grace and power, so that we may in full awareness be made worthy to
sing praises to thee and to pray without ceasing, working out our salvation in
fear and trembling, by the help of thy Christ. Remember, O Lord, those who cry
out to thee in the night. Hear them, and have mercy, and crush under their feet
the invisible and hostile enemies. For thou art the King of Peace, and Savior
of our souls, and unto thee we give glory: to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
7.
O God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, thou hast raised us up from our beds and
hast gathered us together at this hour of prayer. Grant us grace in the opening
of our mouths; and receive our thanksgiving, offered to the utmost of our
ability; and teach us thy statutes, for we do not know how to pray as we ought14
unless thou guidest us, O Lord, by thy Holy Spirit. Wherefore, we entreat thee:
Remit, forgive, pardon all the sins we may have committed to this present hour
by word or deed or thought, voluntary or involuntary: for if thou, O Lord,
shouldest mark iniquities, who could stand?15 For from thee is
redemption, and thou only art holy and mighty and the helper and protector of
our life. Our praise is continually of thee.16 Blessed and
glorified be the supreme might of thy kingdom: of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
8.
O Lord
our God, thou hast driven away from us the indolence of sleep and hast
assembled us together by a holy calling, so that in the night also we may lift
up our hands and give thanks for thy righteous ordinances.17
Receive our prayers, petitions, praises, and night-time worship. And grant us,
O Lord, a confident faith that cannot be put to shame, firm hope and sincere
love. Bless our going out and our coming in,18 our deeds, words
and thoughts. Grant us that we may come to the beginning of the day, praising,
singing hymns, and blessing the goodness of thine inexpressible kindness; for
blessed be thy most holy name, and glorified be your Kingdom: of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages,
Amen.
9.
O
Master, lover of mankind, shine within our hearts the pure light of thy divine
knowledge; and open the eyes of our minds that we may comprehend19
the message of thy Gospel. Instill in us, also, reverence for thy blessed
commandments, so that having conquered20 sinful desires, we may
pursue a spiritual way of life, both thinking and doing all those things that
are pleasing to thee.21 For thou art our sanctification, and unto
thee we give glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: now
and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
10.
O Lord
our God, thou hast given us forgiveness through repentance and hast shown the
repentance of the prophet David as a pattern of the acknowledgment of sin and
of confession that leads to forgiveness. Have mercy, O Master, according to thy
great mercy, on us who are falling into many and great sins.22
According to thine abundant mercy, blot out our transgressions.23
Against thee have we sinned, O Lord, who knows the hidden and secret things in
the human heart and has authority to forgive sins.24 Thou hast created a
clean heart in me and established a yearning spirit within me and made known
the joy of thy salvation. Cast me not away from thy presence.25
But as thou art good and the lover of mankind, take delight that, until our
uttermost breath, we may offer unto thee the sacrifice of righteousness, and an
oblation upon thine altar. Through the mercy and compassion and love for
mankind of thine only-begotten Son, with whom thou art blessed, together with
thine all-holy and good and life giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of
ages, Amen.
11.
God,
our God, thou hast brought into existence by thine own will the powers endowed
with reason and intelligence. We pray thee and we supplicate thee: Receive our
glorification, offered together with all thy creatures, according to the utmost
of our power. Reward us with the rich gifts of thy goodness; for unto thee
every knee bows, whether in heaven, or on earth, or in the underworld, and
every human spirit and creature sings hymns to thine inexpressible glory; for
thou alone art the true and most merciful God. For all the powers of heaven
praise thee, and unto thee they give glory: to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
12.
We
praise thee, we sing unto thee, we bless thee, we give thanks unto thee, O God
of our fathers; for thou hast made the shades of night to pass away and hast
shown us once more the light of the day. And we entreat thy goodness: be
gracious to our sins, and receive our prayer in thy great tenderness. For we
flee unto thee, the merciful and almighty God. Shine within our hearts the true
sun of thy righteousness. Enlighten our minds. And guard all our senses that,
walking decently as in the day in the way of thy commandments, we may reach the
eternal life--for thou art the fountain of life--and that we may be accounted
worthy to enjoy thine unapproachable light.26 For thou art our
God, and unto thee we give glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
The Litany of Peace
Deacon: In peace let us pray to the
Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For the peace from above, and
for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For the peace of the whole
world; for the good estate of the holy churches of God, and for the union of
all men, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For this holy House, and for
those who with faith, reverence, and fear of God enter therein, let us pray to
the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For our Father and Metropolitan
PHILIP, for the venerable priesthood, the diaconate in Christ, for all the
clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For the President of the United
States and all civil authorities, and for our armed forces everywhere, let us
pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For this city, and for every
city and land, and for the faithful who dwell therein, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For healthful seasons, for
abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to
the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For travelers by sea, by land,
and by air; for the sick and the suffering; for captives and their salvation,
let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: For our deliverance from all
tribulation, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Help us; save us; have mercy on
us; and keep us, O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Calling to remembrance our
all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin
Mary, with all the Saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our
life unto Christ our God.
Choir: To thee, O Lord.
Priest: For unto thee are due all glory, honor, and
worship: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and
unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
People
chant the following in the second tone:
Tone Two
People: God is the Lord, and he is
revealed to us27, blessed is he who comes in the name of
the Lord28.
verse 1: O give thanks to the Lord, call on his holy name29.
God is the Lord, and he is revealed to us30, blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord31.
verse 2: All the nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord will I
destroy them32.
God is the Lord, and he is revealed to us33, blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord34.
verse 3: This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes35.
God is the Lord, and he is revealed to us36, blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord37.
The People then sing the
following Troparia:
Tone Two
The Noble Joseph, when he had taken down thine immaculate body from the
tree, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth with spices, and sorrowing placed it in
a new tomb.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Troparion of the
Resurrection
When thou, O immortal life, went down to death, thou didst destroy death
by the dazzling of thy Divinity. And when thou raised the dead from the
underworld, all the powers of heaven cried aloud: O Christ our God, Giver of
life, Glory to thee.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.
The angel stood by the tomb and cried aloud to the ointment-bearing
women: Myrrh is proper for the dead, but Christ has shown himself a stranger to
corruption.
The Little Litany
Deacon: Again and again in peace let us
pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Help us; save us; have mercy on
us; and keep us, O God, by thy grace.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Calling to remembrance our
all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin
Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and each other and all our
life unto Christ our God.
People: To thee, O Lord.
Priest: For thine is the might, and thine is the
kingdom and the power and the glory of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
The Kathismata
(Sessional Hymns)
First Tone
Choir: Joseph asked Pilate for thy
Holy Body; he anointed it with majestic aromatic ointment, wrapped it in linen
cloth and placed it in a new tomb. There the ointment-bearing women, rising
early in the morning, cried aloud: O Christ, show to us thy Resurrection, as
thou hast foretold us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and
ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The Choirs of Angels were dazzled when they saw the immortal One, who is
in the Father’s bosom, lying in the tomb like a dead man. The orders of the
angels surround him and glorify him while he is the dead in Hades: For he is
Creator and Lord.
Psalm 51<50>
Have
mercy on me, O God,
according
to thy great mercy,
according
to the multitude of thy compassions,
blot
out my transgressions.
Wash me
thoroughly from my iniquity,
and
cleanse me from my sin.
For I
acknowledge my transgressions,
and my
sin is ever before me.
Against
thee only have I sinned,
and
done what is evil in thy sight,
so that
thou art justified in thy sentences,
and
prevailest when thou passest judgment.
For
indeed, I was conceived in iniquities,
and in
sins did my mother conceive me.
For
behold: thou lovest truth,
thou
hast made known to me the secret
and hidden
things of thy wisdom.
Sprinkle
me with hyssop,
and I
shall be clean,
Wash
me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me
hear joy and gladness,
then
the afflicted bones shall rejoice.
Turn
away thy face from my sins,
and
blot out all my iniquities.
Create
in me a clean heart,
O God,
and put a right Spirit within me.
Cast me
not away from thy presence,
and
take not thine Holy Spirit from me.
Restore
to me the joy of thy salvation,
and
uphold me with a directing spirit.
Then I
will teach transgressors thy ways,
and
sinners will return to thee.
Deliver
me from bloodshed, O God,
the God
of my salvation,
and my
tongue will joyfully
sing
aloud of thy righteousness.
O Lord,
open my lips;
and my
mouth will declare thy praise;
for if
thou hadst delight in sacrifice,
I would
have given it;
but
thou wouldst not be pleased by burnt offering.
The
sacrifice to God is a broken spirit:
a
broken and contrite heart,
O God,
thou wilt not despise.
Do good
in thy good pleasure to Zion,
and let
the walls of Jerusalem be built;
then
thou wilt delight in a sacrifice of righteousness,
in
offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then
they will offer bulls upon thine altar.
THE CANON
Sixth Tone
Canticle
One
Choir: IRMOS: The children of those
who were once saved concealed under ground the One who all that time had been
concealing the persecuting tyrant under the waves of the sea: So, let us sing
to the Lord like the young men, for he is greatly glorified.
Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.
O Lord my God, I will sing to thee a funeral and burial hymn, for by thy burial, thou hast
opened the gates of life, and by thy death thou hast destroyed death and Hades.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
O my Savior, all the heavenly and earthly38 things shook at thy
death, as they saw thee on thy throne on high and in the grave below. For
beyond understanding, thou wast seen to be the One who gives life though dead.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
To fill all things with thy glory, thou hast descended into the lowest
part of the earth, for my original nature, as it existed in Adam, has not been
hidden from thee. Even though thou wast buried in the tomb, thou made me, the
perishable human, a new creation, O Lover of mankind.
Katavasia
The children of those who were once saved concealed under ground the One
who all that time had been concealing the persecuting tyrant under the waves of
the sea: So, let us sing to the Lord like the young men, for he is greatly
glorified.
Canticle
Three
IRMOS: When the creation saw
thee, who by thy own will hung the whole creation upon the waters, hanging in
Golgotha, it was seized with great wonder, and cried aloud: None is holy but
thee, O Lord.39
Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.
O Master, thou hast revealed the marks of thy burial in a multitude of
appearances; now thou hast shown thy hidden secrets in as God-man to those who
are in Hades, who cry aloud: None is holy but thee, O Lord.40
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Thou hast stretched out thy hands and untied all that had been divided.
Wrapped in linen cloth, O Savior, and buried in a tomb, thou hast set free the
prisoners who cry aloud: None is holy but thee, O Lord.41
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
By thine own will, a grave and seals have enclosed thee, O infinite One;
but thou didst reveal thy power divinely, power in thy actions to those who
sing: None is holy but thee, O Lord.42
Katavasia
When the creation saw thee, who by thine own will hung the whole
creation upon the waters, hanging in Golgotha, it was seized with great wonder,
crying aloud: None is holy but thee, O Lord.”43
Kathisma (Sessional
Hymn)
First Tone
O Savior, the soldiers guarding thy tomb became as dead men from the
lightning appearance of the angel, proclaiming the Resurrection to the women.
We glorify thee the despoiler of corruption, and unto thee we fall down, risen
from the tomb, and our only God.
Canticle
Four
Sixth Tone
IRMOS: When he foresaw thee
emptying thyself upon the Cross, Habakkuk was dazzled as he cried: “Thou hast
cut short the might of the powerful,”44 O gracious and almighty
Lord, who preached salvation to those in Hades.
Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.
Today, thou hast made holy the seventh day, which thou blessed before
resting from thy works. For thou createst all things and makest them new,
taking rest on the Sabbath, my Savior, and restoring them once more.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
O Word, thou hast gained victory by thy almighty strength; thy soul was
separated from thy body, yet by thy dominion, thou burstest the bonds of death
and Hades.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Hades was embittered when it encountered thee,45 O Word, for it saw
a mortal deified, marked by wounds, yet all-powerful; it shrank back in terror
at this sight.
Katavasia
When he foresaw thee emptying thyself upon the Cross, Habakkuk was
dazzled as he cried: Thou hast cut short the might of the powerful,46
O gracious and almighty Lord, who preached salvation to those in Hades.
Canticle
Five
IRMOS: O Christ, when Isaiah
came early in the morning, he saw the never-setting light, the light of divine
manifestation, that appeared to us through thy tender mercy. He cried aloud:
The dead shall live, and the dwellers in the tomb shall rise, and all those who
live on earth will sing for joy.47
Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.
O Creator, when thou wast enrolled among the mortals, thou madest them
new. O Word, the linen cloth and the tomb point to the mystery that is within
thee. For the respected council member of the sanhadrin48
fulfills the will of thy Father, who has gloriously made me new in thee.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
O Master, by thy death thou transformest mortality, and by thy burial,
corruption. As as befits God, thou renderest immortal and incorruptible the
nature thou assumed. But thy flesh did not see decay, nor was thy soul, as that
of a stranger, left in Hades.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Coming from a birth without travail, and pierced in thy side with a
spear, O my Creator, thou accomplished the recreation of Eve. Becoming Adam,
thou fell asleep in a manner transcending nature, producing life and raising it
from sleep and corruption, for thou art the Almighty One.
Katavasia
O Christ, when Isaiah came early in the morning, he saw the
never-setting light, the light of divine manifestation, that appeared to us
through thy tender mercy. He cried aloud: The dead shall live, and the dwellers
in the tomb shall rise, and all those who live on earth will sing for joy.49
Canticle
Six
IRMOS: Jonah was enclosed, but
not held fast in the belly of the whale; for as prefiguring thee, who hast
suffered and wast buried in the tomb, he sprung up from the beast as from a
bridal chamber, and he called out to the guard: O guards, you guard in vain,
for you have forsaken your own mercy.
Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.
O Word, thou wast slain but not separated from the flesh thou didst
share with us. For though thy temple was destroyed at the time of thy Passion,
the Person of thy Godhead and of thy flesh remains but One: in both thou art
one Son, the Word of God, both God and Man.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
The sin of Adam caused the death of man, but not the death of God, for
though the earthly essence of thy flesh suffered, thy Godhead remained without
suffering. Thou hast transformed that which was corruptible to incorruption,
and revealed the fountain of life by thy Resurrection.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Hades rules over our mortal race, but not forever. Laid in the tomb, O
Mighty One, with thy life-giving hand thou hast destroyed the bars of death. As
the first born who rose from the dead, thou hast proclaimed true redemption, O
Savior, to those who throughout the ages slept in the tombs.
Katavasia
Jonah was enclosed, but not held fast in the belly of the whale; for as
prefiguring thee, who hast suffered and wast buried in the tomb, he sprung up
from the beast as from a bridal chamber, and he called out to the guard: O
guards, you guard in vain, for you have forsaken your own mercy.
The Kontakion
The immortal One, who closed the abyss,50 is seen dead and
wrapped in linen cloth with spices and laid in the tomb as mortal. The women
come to anoint him with ointment, weeping bitterly and crying aloud: This is
the Sabbath which is blessed above all, for Christ, having fallen asleep, will
rise on the third day.
The Oikos
He who rules over all things was lifted up on the Cross. The whole
creation weeps to see him hanging naked on the Cross. The sun hid its rays and
the stars lost their brightness; the earth shook in great fear, the sea fled
and the rocks were torn, and many graves were opened and the bodies of the
saints rose. Hades groaned below, and the Jews spread false tidings against
Christ’s Resurrection. But the women cried aloud: This is the Sabbath which is
blessed above all, for Christ, having fallen asleep, will rise on the third
day.
The Synaxarion
Reader: On Great and Holy Saturday, we
commemorate the burial of the Divine Body and the descent of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ to Hades, through which he called up the human race from
corruption, granting it the privilege of entering eternal life.
Therefore, by thine inexpressible condescension, O Christ our God, have
mercy on us. Amen.
Canticle
Seven
IRMOS: O Inexpressible wonder!
For he is laid as dead without breath in the grave for our salvation, who
delivered from the fiery furnace the godly Children, who sang: Blessed art
thou, O God our Deliverer.
Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.
When Hades was consumed by divine fire, it was pierced in the heart and
groaned, receiving the One who was pierced in his side by the spear for the
salvation of us who sing: Blessed art thou, O God our Deliverer.
Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.
O Blessed tomb! It received within itself the Creator, as if sleeping,
and it became a divine treasury of life, for the salvation of us who sing:
Blessed art thou, O God our Deliverer.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
The Life of all submits to being laid in the tomb, according to the law
of the dead, and he makes it a source of resurrection for the salvation of us
who sing: Blessed art thou, O God our Deliverer.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
In Hades and in the tomb and in Eden, the divinity of Christ was
indivisibly united with the Father and the Spirit, for the salvation of us who
sing: Blessed art thou, O God our Deliverer.
Katavasia
O Inexpressible wonder! For he is laid as dead without breath in the
grave for our salvation, who delivered from the fiery furnace the godly
Children who sang: Blessed art thou, O God our Deliverer.
Canticle
Eight
IRMOS: O heavens, be appalled!
Be astonished! Let the foundations of the earth be shaken. For he who dwells on
high is reckoned among the dead, lodging as a stranger in a narrow tomb.
Children bless him, priests praise him, and people exalt him unto all the ages!
Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.
The most pure Temple is destroyed, but raises up with him the fallen
tabernacle. The second Adam, dwelling in the highest heaven, has come down to
the first Adam as far as the depths of Hades. Children bless him, priests
praise him, and people exalt him unto all the ages!
We bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
The disciples were fainthearted, but Joseph of Arimathaea was the
bravest, for seeing the God of all dead and naked, he asked for the body and
buried him, crying: Children bless him, priests praise him, and people exalt
him unto all the ages!
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O strange wonders! O divine goodness! O inexpressible long-suffering! God
who dwells in the highest heaven is willingly sealed beneath the earth, and is
falsely accused as a deceiver. Children bless him, priests praise him, and
people exalt him unto all the ages!
Katavasia
We praise, we bless and worship the Lord.
O heavens, be appalled! Be astonished! Let the foundations of the earth
be shaken. For he who dwells on high is reckoned among the dead, lodging as a
stranger in a narrow tomb. Children bless him, priests praise him, and people
exalt him unto all the ages!
The Deacon stands in the
Holy door facing the icon of the Theotokos and says:
Deacon: The Theotokos and Mother of
Light let us honor and magnify in song.
The Deacon censes the
sanctuary and the people in the usual manner, while People do not sing the
Magnificat and Greater in honor than the cherubim. . . . but chant the
following:
Canticle
Nine
IRMOS: O Mother, weep not for
me, beholding me in the tomb, the Son whom thou conceived without seed in thy
womb. For I will rise and will be glorified, and as God I will continually
exalt in everlasting glory those who magnify thee with faith and love.
Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.
O Son without beginning, at thy strange birth I was blessed in a manner
transcending all nature, for I was spared all the travail of childbirth. But
now, seeing thee, my God, a lifeless corpse, I am attacked by the sword of
bitter sorrow. But arise, that I may be magnified.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
O Mother, the earth covers me willingly, but the gate-keepers of Hades
tremble with fear as they see me, clothed in the blood-stained garment of
punishment, for on the Cross as God I have struck down my enemies, and I will
rise and magnify thee.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Let creation rejoice exceedingly, let all Children of Adam be glad, for
Hades, the enemy, has been stripped of its power. O women, come to meet me with
ointment, for I am delivering Adam and Eve with the whole human race, and on
the third day I will rise.
Katavasia
O Mother, weep not for me, beholding me in the tomb, the Son whom thou
conceived without seed in thy womb. For I will rise and will be glorified, and
as God I will continually exalt in everlasting glory those who magnify thee
with faith and love.
At the completion of the Ninth Ode, the Priest,
preceded by the Altar Boys, exit the Sanctuary and go to where the Bier is,
decorated with flowers, on which is the Epitaphion. The Priests and the Choir stand on both sides of it, and the
Priests stands before it, and starts chanting the first of the Lamentations to
follow, which are divided into three parts, and he censes the Bier on its four
sides. Then at each interval (between the three parts) he censes the Bier as he
stands in front of it.)
Lamentations
First
Stasis
Fifth Tone
1-In a grave they laid thee, O my Life and my Christ: and the armies of
the angels were so amazed as they sang the praise of thy submissive love.
2-O my sweet Lord Jesus, my salvation and my light, how art thou now by
a grave and its darkness hid? How unspeakable the mystry of thy love?
3-Gone the light the world knew, gone the light that was mine; O my
Jesus who art all of the heart’s desire. So the virgin spoke lamenting at thy
grave.
4-Who will give me water, for the tears I must weep. So the maiden wed
to God cried with loud lament, that for my sweet Jesus I may rightly mourn.
5-All we call thee blessed, Theotokos most pure and with faithful hearts
we honor the burial, suffered three days by thy Son who is our God.
6- How O Life canst thou die? In a grave, how canst thou dwell? For the
proud domain of death thou destroyest now; and the dead of Hades thou makest to
rise.
7-Now we magnify thee, O Lord Jesus our King, and we venerate thy
passion and burial: for there with hast thou delivered us from Death.
8-Earth, her bounds thou gavest: yet how small is the tomb where, O
Jesus, King of all, thou dost dwell today, who dost call the dead to leave
their graves and rise.
9-O my dear Christ Jesus, King and Ruler of all, why to them that dwelt
in Hades didst thou descend? Was it not to set the race of mortals free?
10-Lo, the Son, the ruler of creation, is dead, buried in a tomb never
used before, he who has emptied all the graves of their dead.
11-In a grave they laid thee O my Life and my Christ: yet the lord of
death hast thou by death destroyed, and the world of thee does drink rich
streams of life.
12-Lo, how fair his beauty! Never man was so fair; but how strangely now
has death changed that face we knew, though all nature all her beauty to him
owes.
13-O my sweet Lord Jesus, my Salvation, my Light: how art thou now by a
grave and its darkness hid? How unspeakable the mystery of thy love.
14-Lo, how strange these wonders, deeds amazing and new: for the Giver
of my life is borne lifeless forth by the hands of weeping Joseph to his rest.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
15-O Word of God, we praise thee, the Lord of all the world, with thy
Father and thy Holy Spirit, and we glorify thy burial.
Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
16- We bless thee, O most pure Theotokos, and in faith we honor the
three-day burial of thy Son, our God.
In a grave they laid thee, O my Life and my Christ: and the armies of
the angels were so amazed as they sang the praise of thy submissive love.
The Little Litany
Priest: Again and again in peace let us
pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Help us; save us; have mercy on
us; and keep us, O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Calling to remembrance our
all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin
Mary, with all the Saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our
life unto Christ our God.
Choir: To thee, O Lord.
Priest: For blessed is thy name and glorified is thy
kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now and ever,
and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Second
Stasis
Fifth Tone
1-
Right is it in deed, Life-Bestowing Lord to magnify thee: For upon the cross
were thy hands out stretched, and the strength of our dread foe hast thou
destroyed.
2-Right
is it indeed, Maker of all things to magnify thee: for by thy dear passion have
we attained victory o’er the flesh and been rescued from decay.
3-Earth
with trembling shook, and the sun concealed his face with darkness; for the
light unwaning that shines from thee, with thy body sank to darkness and the
grave.
4-That
I may renew man’s lost nature now from beauty fallen, gladly in my flesh I take
death on me: wherefore, mother, slay me not with bitter tears.
5-I am
rent with grief, and my heart with woe is crushed and broken as I see them slay
thee with doom unjust: so bewailing him his grieving mother cried.
6-Ah,
those eyes so sweet and thy lips, O Word, how shall I close them? How shall I
the dues of death to thee pay? So cried Joseph as he shook with holy fear.
7-Dirges
at the tomb, goodly Joseph with Nicodemus sing bringing praise to Christ who by
men was slain; and in song with them are joined the Seraphim.
8-Stone
that man has wrought now conceals the Corner Stone of promise; mortal man would
hide his God in a grave as if God were mortal: shake with fear, O earth.
9-O my
Son, behold thy beloved disciple and thy brother, and thy voice so sweet, let
us hear again: so with plenteous tears his maiden mother cried.
10-Work
of God, Beauty nor charm was thine when thou didst suffer; but thy risen glory
poured down its light, shedding beauty on all men with rays divine.
Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
11-O
Eternal God, and Word co-eternal with him and the Spirit, confirm our leader’s
scetper against his enemies, for thou art rigtheous.
Now and
ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
12- O
pure and undefiled, who dist give birth to Life, end the dissensions of the
Church and crown her with peace, for thou art righteous.
Right
is it in deed, Life-Bestowing Lord, to magnify thee: For upon the cross were
thy hands out stretched, and the strength of our dread foe hast thou destroyed.
The Little Litany
Priest: Again and again in peace let us
pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Help us; save us; have mercy on
us; and keep us, O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Calling to remembrance our
all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin
Mary, with all the Saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our
life unto Christ our God.
Choir: To thee, O Lord.
Priest: For holy art thou, O our God, seated upon the
glorious throne of the cherubim, and unto thee we give glory, to the Father and
to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Third
Stasis
Third Tone
1-Every
generation to thy grave comes bringing, dear Christ, its dirge of praises.
2-From
thy cross he brought thee, that Arimathaean, and in thy grave he laid thee.
3-Women
bringing spices, came with loving forethought, thy due of myrrh to give thee.
4-Come,
all things created, let us sing a dirge Hymn to honour our Creator.
5-Him
as dead though living, let us like the women, in love anoint with spices.
6-Greatly
blessed Joseph buries now the body of Christ the Life-Bestower.
7-Those
he fed with manna lifted heels of spurning against their Benefactor.
8-Ah,
those minds so foolish, hearts so Christ destroying, of them that slew the
prophets.
9-Taught
the inner mystries, he like a mindless servant betrayed the Well of Wisdom.
10-He
that sold his Saviour, sold himself as captive, that crafty traitor Judas.
11-Myrrh
the women sprinkled bringing stored spices to grave your tomb ere dawning.
12- The
ointment-bearing women to thy tomb did come, pouring out their ointment at
early dawn. (Three
times)
(During the third part
of the Lamentations, the Priest sings the verse, “The ointment-bearing
women…” and
sprinkles rosewater on the Epitaphion, around the Bier and on the Faithful,
walking up and down the aisle of the Church.
Meanwhile, the Choir repeats the verse “The
ointment-bearing women…” until the Priest finishes, )
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
13-O my God, the Trinity, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, have
mercy upon the world.
Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prepare thy servants, O chaste Virgin, to behold the Ressurection of thy
Son.
Every generation to thy grave comes bringing, dear Christ, its dirge of
praises.
The Little Litany
Deacon: Again and again in peace let us
pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Help us; save us; have mercy on
us; and keep us, O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Calling to remembrance our
all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin
Mary, with all the Saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our
life unto Christ our God.
Choir: To thee, O Lord.
Priest: For thou art the king of peace, and the Savior
of our souls, and unto thee we give glory, to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Evlogetaria
People: Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach
me thy statutes.
The company of the angels was amazed, when they beheld thee, numbered
among the dead, yet thyself O Savior, destroying the power of death, and with
thee raising up Adam, and setting all free from Hades.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy statutes.
The radiant angel in the tomb cried to the ointment-bearing women: Why
do you lament and mingle your tears with the ointment, O women disciples? Look
upon the tomb and be glad: for the Savior is risen from the tomb.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy statutes.
Very early in the morning the ointment-bearing women hastened to the
tomb lamenting, but the angel came to them and said: the time for lamentation
has passed, weep not, but announce the Resurrection to the disciples.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy statutes.
Weeping, the Ointment-bearing women approached thy tomb, but an angel
came toward them, saying: Why do you count the living among the dead?51
Being God, he has risen from the tomb.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Troparion for the
Trinity
We worship the Father, together with his Son, and his Holy Spirit, the
Holy Trinity one in essence; crying with the Seraphim: Holy, Holy, Holy, art
thou, O Lord!
Now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.
Theotokion
By giving birth to the Giver-of-Life, O Virgin, thou redeemed Adam from
sin, and brought joy to Eve in place of sadness; as for the God-man who took
flesh from thee, he hast restored to life those who had fallen.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (low bow)
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (low bow)
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (low bow)
O our God and our hope, glory to thee.
The Little Litany
Deacon: Again and again in peace let us
pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Help us; save us; have mercy on
us; and keep us, O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Calling to remembrance our
all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin
Mary, with all the Saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our
life unto Christ our God.
Choir: To thee, O Lord.
Priest: For all the powers of heaven praise thee, and
to thee they give glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
People: Holy is the Lord our God. (Three times)
Choir: Verse: Exalt you the Lord our
God; Fall down at his footstool. Holy is he!52
The Praises (Ainoi)
Tone Two
Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from
the heavens: praise him in the heights! To thee, O God, is due our song.
Praise him all his angels; praise him all his hosts! To thee, O God, is
due our song.
Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing
greatness!
Today a tomb holds him who holds the creation in the palm of his hand; a
stone covers him who covered the heavens with his power. Life sleeps, and Hades
trembles, and Adam is set free from his prison. Glory to thy dispensation
through which thou hast fulfilled all things granting us the eternal Sabbath
day’s rest, thy most holy Resurrection from the dead.
Praise him with trumpet sound; Praise him with lute and harp!
What is this sight we see? What is this present rest? When the King of
the ages, through his Passion, fulfilled the plan of salvation, he observes the
Sabbath in the tomb, granting us a new Sabbath. To him let us cry aloud: “Rise
up, O Lord, judge the earth,”53 for immeasurable is thy
great mercy and thou reignest forever.
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
Praise him with strings and pipe!
Come, let us see our Life laid in the tomb, that he might give life to
those who lie dead in their tombs. Come, let us look today on the Son of Judah
as he sleeps, and let us cry aloud to him, with the voice of the prophet: Thou
hast laid down; thou hast slept as a lion; who dares awaken thee, O King?.54
But of thine own free will thou risest up, O Lord, who by an act of free will
gavest thyself for us. Glory to thee.
Tone Six
Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with crashing cymbals! Let
everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Joseph sought the body of Jesus, and he laid it in his own new tomb: for
it was essential that the Lord should come forth from the grave as from a
bridal chamber. Glory to thee, for thou hast destroyed the dominion of death
and opened to mankind the gates of Paradise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Tone Six
Great Moses mystically prefigured this present day saying: So God
blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it.55 For this is the blessed
Sabbath, the day of rest, on which the only-begotten Son of God rested from all
his works. Through the dispensation of death, he observed the Sabbath in the
flesh. Through his resurrection, he returned to what he was, and in his
goodness and love for mankind bestowed upon us eternal life.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.
Theotokion
Thou art most blessed, O virgin Theotokos, for through him who became
incarnate of thee, Hades has been subdued; Adam restored to life, and the curse
was abolished. Eve was set free; death was put to death, and we were made
alive: Wherefore, we sing praises crying aloud: Blessed thou art, O Christ our
God, who is thus pleased, glory to thee.
The Great Doxology
Glory
to thee, who hast shown us the light. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will among men.
We hymn
thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks unto thee
for thy great glory.
O Lord
King, heavenly God, Father Almighty; O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus
Christ; and the Holy Spirit.
O Lord
God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who takest away the sin of the world, have
mercy on us, thou that takest away the sins of the world.
Receive
our prayer, thou that sittest at the right hand of the Father, and have mercy
on us.
For
thou only art holy, thou only art the Lord, O Jesus Christ, to the glory of God
the Father. Amen.
Every
day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name forever; yea, forever and
ever.
Vouchsafe,
O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
Blessed
art thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is thy name
forever. Amen.
Let thy
mercy be upon us, O Lord, even as we have set our hope on thee.
Blessed
art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes. (Three times)
Lord,
thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation. I said: Lord, be
merciful unto me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.
Lord, I
have fled unto thee; teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God.
For
with thee is the fountain of life; in thy light shall we see light.
O
continue thy mercy unto them that know thee.
Holy
God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal: have mercy on us.
(Three times)
Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever, and
unto ages of ages. Amen.
Holy
Immortal: have mercy on us.
Holy
God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal: have mercy on us.
At this time, the Priest
carries the Gospel Book while others carry the Epitaphion over their heads and
they process around the Church, followed by the Faithful. They all pass under the Epitaphion and the
Bier as they reenter the Church, the Choir singing in the Sixth Tone...
People: “Holy God, Holy Mighty . . .”
Fifth Tone
People: When he saw that the sun had
hidden its rays and that the curtain of the temple was torn at the death of the
Savior, Joseph went to Pilate, pleaded with him, and cried aloud:
Give me that stranger, who since his youth had wondered as a stranger.
Give me that stranger, murdered in hatred by his own people as a
stranger.
Give me that stranger, at whom I wonder, seeing him as a guest of death.
Give me that stranger, who knows how to take in the poor and the
strangers.
Give me that stranger, estranged from the world in envy by the Jews.
Give me that stranger, that I may bury him in a tomb, who being a
stranger has no place to lay his head.
Give me that stranger whom his mother saw hanging on the Cross and
cried: My Child, my bowels are wounded, and my own heart is pierced,56
as I see thee dead, yet trusting in thy Resurrection, I magnify thee.
In such words, the honorable Joseph pleaded with Pilate. He took the
Savior’s body, and in awe, wrapped it in linen and ointment. In a tomb he
placed thee, O Giver of eternal life and the great mercy.
When all the
Congregation have returned into the Church, the Priest takes the Epitaphion
into the Sanctuary and places it upon the Holy Altar, saying...
Priest: Let us attend, Peace be to all, Wisdom.
Troparion of the
Resurrection
Second Tone
People: When thou, O immortal life,
went down to death, thou didst destroy death by the dazzling of thy Divinity.
And when thou didst raise the dead from the underworld, all the powers of
heaven cried aloud: O Christ our God, Giver of life, Glory to thee.
The noble Joseph, when he had taken down thine immaculate body from the
tree, wrapped it in pure linen and spices and sorrowing placed it in a new
tomb.57
The angel stood by the tomb and cried aloud to the ointment-bearing
women: Myrrh is proper for the dead, but Christ has shown himself a stranger to
corruption.
The Prophecy
Prokeimenon:
Psalms 44:26
Reader: Arise for our help, and redeem
us for thy mercies’ sake.
Verse: O God, we have heard with our hearts.
The reading is from the prophecy of Ezekiel.
Deacon: Wisdom, Let us attend.
Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of
the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of human
bones. Then he led me all around them; behold, there were very many in the open
valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones
live?” I answered, “O Lord God, thou knowest.” 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: Surely I will cause breath to enter into you,
and you will live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you
with skin and put breath in you; and you will live.’ Then you shall know that I
am the Lord.”
So I prophesied as I had been commanded; as I prophesied, there was a
noise, and suddenly rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin
covered them over; but there was no breath in them. Also 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 on these
slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath
came into them, and they lived and stood upon their feet, a vast multitude.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of
Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are
cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Behold,
O my people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves,
and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the
Lord, when I open thy graves, O my people, and bring you up from your graves. I
will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will place you in your own
land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the
Lord.’”
The Epistle
Deacon: Let us attend.
Reader: Arise, O Lord my God; Lift up
thy hand. I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, with my whole heart.
Deacon: Wisdom:
Reader: The reading from the first
Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians.
Deacon: Let us attend.
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Reader: Brethren, do you not know that a little
yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Therefore, clean out the old yeast that
you may be a new batch because you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our
Paschal lamb, has been sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us celebrate the
feast, not with old yeast, nor with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but
with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Galatians 3:13-14
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, by becoming a curse
for us--for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”--in order
that in Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Priest: Peace be to you who has read.
People: Alleluia. (Three times)
The Gospel
Deacon: Wisdom. Attend, let us hear the
Holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And with thy spirit.
Deacon: The reading is from the Holy
Gospel according to Saint Matthew.
People: Glory to thee, O Lord, glory to
thee.
Matthew 27:62-66
Deacon: Let us attend.
On the
next day, that is after the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees
gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that imposter said while
he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the
sepulcher to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go by night
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; go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the sepulcher
secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
People: Glory to thee, O Lord, glory to
thee.
The Litany of Fervent
Supplication
Deacon: Let us say with all our soul
and with all our mind, let us say:
People: Lord, have mercy. (One time)
Deacon: O Lord Almighty, God of our
fathers: we pray thee, hearken, and have mercy.
People: Lord, have mercy. (One time)
Deacon: Have mercy on us, O God,
according to thy great goodness: we pray thee, hearken, and have mercy.
People: Lord, have mercy. (Three times)
Deacon: Again we pray for all pious and
Orthodox Christians.
People: Lord, have mercy. (Three times)
Deacon: Again we pray for our Father
and Metropolitan PHILIP for presbyters, deacons, and all monastics; and for all
our brethren in Christ.
People: Lord, have mercy. (Three times)
Deacon: Again we pray for mercy, life,
peace, health, salvation, and visitation, and forgiveness and remission of the
sins of the servants of God: (Names) (Here prayer may
be offered for the people with special needs); and for all devout
Orthodox Christians who live and dwell in this community.
People: Lord, have mercy. (Three times)
Deacon: Again we pray for the blessed
and ever-memorable founders of this holy house, and for all our fathers and
brethren, the Orthodox fallen asleep before us, (Names)
(Here prayer may be offered for the departed people) who here and
throughout the world lie asleep in the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy. (Three times)
Deacon: Again we pray for those who
bring offerings and do good works in this holy and venerable church; for those
who serve and those who sing; and for all the people here present who await thy
great and rich mercy.
People: Lord, have mercy. (Three times)
Priest: For thou art a merciful God and lovest mankind,
and unto thee we give glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Vouchsafe,
O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
Blessed
art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers!
Praised
and glorified is thy name forever, Amen.
Let thy
mercy, O Lord, be upon us, even as we have set our hope in thee.
Blessed
art thou, O Lord, teach me thy statutes.58
Blessed
art thou, O Master, make me to understand thy statutes.
Blessed
art thou, O holy One; enlighten me with thy statutes.
Thy
mercy, O Lord, endures forever:59 O despise not the works of
thy hands.60
To thee
belongs praise, to thee belongs honor,61
to thee
belongth glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and
ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
The Litany of
Supplication
Deacon: Let us complete our morning
prayer unto the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Help us; save us; have mercy on
us; and keep us, O God, by thy grace.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: That the whole day may be
perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask of the Lord.
People: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: An angel of peace, a faithful
guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord.
People: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: Pardon and forgiveness of our
sins and transgressions, let us ask of the Lord.
People: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: All things good and profitable
for our souls and peace for the world, let us ask of the Lord.
People: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: That we may complete the
remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord.
People: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: A Christian ending to our life,
painless, blameless, peaceful and a good defense before the awesome judgment
seat of Christ, let us ask.
People: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: Calling to remembrance our
all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin
Mary, with all the Saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our
life unto Christ our God.
People: To thee, O Lord.
Priest: For thou art a good God and lovest mankind, and
unto thee we give glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Priest: Peace be to all.
People: And to thy spirit.
Deacon: Let us bow our heads to the
Lord.
People: To thee, O Lord.
The Prayer at the Bowing
of Heads
Priest: O Lord our God, who bowed the heavens and came
down for the salvation of mankind: Look favorably upon thy servants and thine
inheritance, for to thee, the awesome Judge and lover of mankind, have thy
servants bowed their heads, and bent their necks, not expecting help from men,
but hoping in thy mercy, and looking for thy salvation. Protect them at all
times, especially in the present morning, and in the coming day, from every
enemy, from every adverse work of the devil, from vain thoughts and from evil
imaginations.
Priest: Blessed and glorified is the
might of thy kingdom: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
The Dismissal
Then
the priest concludes the office of vespers with the dismissal:
Deacon: Wisdom!
People: Father, bless.
Priest: Blessed is He
Who is, Christ our God, always now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen. Preserve, O God, the holy
Orthodox Faith, and all Orthodox Christians, now and ever, and unto ages of
ages, Amen.
Priest: O most holy Theotokos, save us!
People: More honorable than the
Cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, thou who without
corruption62, gavest birth to God the Word and art truly Theotokos, we
magnify thee.
Priest: Glory to thee, O Christ, our God and our hope,
glory to thee.
People: Glory to the Father, and to the
Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Father, bless.
Priest: May Christ our true God, who
for us all and for our salvation endured willingly the frightening passion, the
Cross and the entombment, through the intercessions of his all-immaculate and
all-blameless holy Mother; by the might of the precious and life-giving cross;
by the protection of the honorable bodiless powers of heaven; at the
supplication of the honorable, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John;
of the holy, glorious and all-laudable apostles; of the holy, glorious and
right-victorious martyrs; of our venerable and God-bearing Fathers; of the holy
and righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna; of Saint(s) N.N., whose memory we celebrate; and of all the
saints: have mercy upon us, and save us, forasmuch as he is good and loves
mankind.
Then
facing the icon of Christ, the priest says:
Priest: Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord
Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us and save us.
People: Amen.