Sunday Octoechos Services
Sunday Services in the Fifth Tone
Saturday Evening Great Vespers
After the Introductory Psalm, the usual chanting from the Psalter. On Lord, I have cried…
The Resurrectional Stichera, in Tone V:
Stichos: Bring my soul out of prison,/ that I may confess Thy name.
By Thy precious Cross didst Thou put the devil to shame, O Christ,/ and by Thy resurrection didst Thou break the sting of sin,/ and hast saved us from the gates of death.// We glorify Thee, O Only-begotten One!
Stichos: The righteous shall wait patiently for me/ until Thou shalt reward me.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter,/ bestowing resurrection upon the human race;/ and the princes of hades were afraid of Him,/ and the gates of weeping were seized,/ for Christ, the King of glory, entered in,/ saying to those in bonds: “Come forth!”// and to those in darkness: “Show yourselves!”
Stichos: Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord;/ O Lord, hear my voice.
Great is the wonder!/ The immortal Creator of the invisible hosts,/ suffering in the flesh in His love for mankind, hath risen!/ Come, ye kindreds of the nations, let us worship Him!/ For, having been delivered from deception by His compassions,/ we have learned to hymn the one God// in three Hypostases!
Stichos: Let Thine ears be attentive/ to the voice of my supplication.
We offer evening worship unto Thee, the never-waning Light,/ Who in the flesh shone forth upon the world as in a mirror,/ Who at the culmination of the ages descended even unto hades/ and destroyed the darkness there,/ and showed the nations the light of the resurrection.// O Lord, Bestower of light, glory be to Thee!
Stichos: If Thou shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, O Lord, who shall stand?/ For with Thee there is forgiveness.
Let us glorify Christ, the Author of our salvation;/ for when He rose from the dead,/ the world was saved from deception,/ the choir of the angels rejoiced,/ the beguilement of the demons was banished, fallen Adam arose,// and the devil was set at naught.
Stichos: For Thy name’s sake have I patiently waited for Thee, O Lord, my soul hath waited patiently for Thy word,/ my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
The guardsmen were instructed by the iniquitous:/ “Keep secret the rising of Christ;/ take the pieces of silver,/ and say that while we slept the dead man was stolen from the tomb.”/ Who hath ever seen or heard/ of a corpse, and moreover one embalmed and naked, stolen,/ and the grave clothes left behind in the tomb?/ Be ye not deceived, O Jews!/ Learn the sayings of the prophets, and know that He is truly almighty,// the Deliverer of the world!
Stichos: From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch/ let Israel hope in the Lord.
O Lord our Savior, Who madest hades captive,/ trampled down death, and hast enlightened the world by Thy Cross:// Have mercy upon us!
Then stichera for the saint from the Menaion.
Glory… from the Menaion. Now and ever…
The dogmatic theotokion, in Tone V:
Once the image of the Bride who knoweth not wedlock/ was inscribed in the Red Sea./ There Moses was the parter of the waters;/ and here Gabriel is the minister of a miracle./ There Israel traversed the deep dryshod;/ and now the Virgin giveth birth unto Christ without seed./ The sea remained impassable after Israel had crossed;/ and the immaculate one remaineth incorrupt after the birth of Emmanuel./ O God Who hast appeared as a man,/ who existest and hast existed from the beginning:// Have mercy upon us!
Entrance. O gladsome Light…
The daily prokimenon, in Tone VI:
The Lord is King, He is clothed with majesty.
Stichos: The Lord is clothed with strength and He hath girt Himself.
Stichos: For He hath established the world which shall not be shaken.
Stichos: Holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord, unto length of days.
The aposticha stichera, in Tone V:
With sounds of hymnody do we magnify Thee, Christ the Savior,/ Who hast not been separated from the heavens;/ for Thou didst accept the Cross and death for our race,/ as the Lord Who loveth mankind,/ Who hath overthrown the gates of hades,/ and hath risen on the third day,// saving our souls.
Stichos: The Lord is King,/ He is clothed with majesty.
When Thy side was pierced, O Bestower of life,/ Thou didst pour forth torrents of remission, life and salvation upon all;/ and Thou didst accept death, granting us immortality./ Making Thine abode in the tomb,/ Thou didst free us, gloriously raising us with Thyself, in that Thou art God./ Wherefore, we cry out:// O Lord Who lovest mankind, glory be to Thee!
Stichos: For He established the world/ which shall not be shaken.
Strange is Thy crucifixion and Thy descent into hades,/ O Thou Who lovest mankind;/ for, having made it captive/ and gloriously raised the ancient captives with Thyself,/ as God Thou didst open paradise and didst count them worthy to receive it./ Wherefore, grant Thou remission of sins/ unto us who glorify Thine arising on the third day,/ vouchsafing us to become dwellers in paradise,// in that Thou alone art compassionate.
Stichos: Holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord,/ unto length of days.
O Thou Who lovest mankind,/ Who accepted suffering in the flesh for our sake,/ and rose from the dead on the third day:/ Heal Thou the sufferings of our flesh,// lift us up out of grievous transgressions, and save us!
Glory… if there is a doxasticon provided.
If not, Glory…, Now and ever…, Theotokion:
Thou art the temple and portal,/ the palace and throne of the King,/ O most honored Virgin,/ through whom Christ the Lord, my Deliverer,/ Who is the Sun of righteousness,/ hath revealed Himself unto those who sleep in darkness,/ desiring to enlighten that which He fashioned by His own hand in His image./ Wherefore, O most-hymned one,/ as thou hast acquired maternal boldness before Him,// entreat Him without ceasing, that our souls be saved.
Then, Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart…
Trisagion through Our Father.
Resurrectional troparion, in Tone V:
Let us, O faithful, praise and worship the Word/ Who is co-unoriginate with the Father and the Spirit,/ and Who was born of the Virgin for our salvation;/ for He was pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh/ and to endure death,// and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.
Glory…, Now and ever…, Theotokion:
Rejoice, impassable gate of the Lord!/ Rejoice, rampart and protection of those who have recourse unto thee!/ Rejoice, haven untouched by storms,/ thou that knowest not wedlock,/ who gavest birth in the flesh to thy Creator and God!/ Fail not in thy supplications for those who hymn// and worship thy birthgiving!
And the rest of the service followeth in order.
Sunday Morning Matins
After the Six Psalms, we chant God is the Lord… in Tone V, and sing the resurrectional troparion, twice, and the theotokion, once. Then the usual chanting of the Psalter.
After the first chanting of the Psalter, these resurrectional sessional hymns, in Tone V:
We praise the Cross of the Lord, we honor His holy burial with hymns, and we greatly glorify His resurrection, for as God with Himself He raised the dead up from the graves, having captured the dominion of death and the might of the devil; and He shone light upon those in hades.
Stichos: Arise, O Lord my God, let Thy hand be lifted high; forget not Thy paupers to the end.
Declared to be dead, O Lord Who didst slay death, Thou wast laid in a tomb, O Thou Who emptied the graves. Above, soldiers kept guard over Thy sepulchre, while below Thou didst raise up the dead from ages past. O almighty and unapproachable Lord, glory be to Thee!
Glory…, Now and ever…, Theotokion:
Rejoice, O holy mountain trodden by God! Rejoice, animate bush which was not consumed! Rejoice, bridge to God for the world, who alone bearest mortals to everlasting life! Rejoice, incorrupt Maiden who without knowing man gavest birth unto the Salvation of our souls.
After the second chanting of the Psalter, these resurrectional sessional hymns, in Tone V:
O Lord, after Thy resurrection on the third day and the worship of the apostles, Peter cried out to Thee: “The women showed courage, but I was afraid. The thief uttered theology, but I denied Thee. And dost Thou now call upon me to be Thine apostle still? Or wilt Thou show me again to be a fisher of the deep? Yet do Thou accept me, who repent, O God, and save me!”
Stichos: I will confess Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart, I will tell of all Thy wonders.
O Lord, the iniquitous nailed Thee in the midst of condemned criminals, and pierced Thy side with a spear, O Merciful One! Thou didst accept burial, Who broke down the gates of hades, and didst rise again on the third day. The women hastened to behold Thee, and announced Thine arising to the apostles. O supremely exalted Savior, Whom the angels hymn, O blessed Lord, glory be to Thee!
Glory…, Now and ever…, Theotokion:
O Theotokos, unwedded Bride, who hast transformed the grief of Eve into joy, we, the faithful, hymn and bow down before thee, for thou hast led us out of the ancient curse. And now, pray thou unceasingly, O most hymned and all-holy one, that we be saved.
Blessed are the blameless in the way… followed by the troparia The assembly of the angels…
Little litany, and this hypacoï, in Tone V:
Troubled in mind by the appearance of the angel, yet enlightened in soul by the divine resurrection, the myrrh-bearing women announced to the apostles: “Tell among the nations the resurrection of the Lord Who worketh miracles and granteth us great mercy!”
Songs of Ascent
Antiphon I, in Tone V:
When I Am filled with sorrow,/ I sing unto Thee like David, O my Savior:// Deliver my soul from a lying tongue.
Blessed is the life of those in the wilderness,// who soar aloft on wings of love divine.
Glory…, Now and ever…
By the Holy Spirit are sustained all things,/ visible and invisible;/ for, Himself possessed of dominion,// He is truly One of the Trinity.
Antiphon II
Let us ascend to the mountains, O my soul,// and go thither, from whence cometh our help.
Let Thy right hand, which toucheth me, O Christ,// preserve me from all deception.
Glory…, Now and ever…
Theologizing concerning the Holy Spirit, let us say:/ Thou art God, life, love, light and understanding!// Thou art goodness, and Thou reignest forever!
Antiphon III
Full of great joy, I send up supplications for those who have said to me:// Let us enter into the courts of the Lord.
Awesome things are wrought in the house of David;// for there is found the fire which burneth up every shameful thought.
Glory…, Now and ever…
To the Holy Spirit, by Whom every living thing is made animate,/ is due the dignity of the Bestower of life,// as to the Father and the Word.
Prokimenon, in Tone V:
Arise, O Lord my God, let Thy hand be lifted high; for Thou shalt be King forever.
Stichos: I will confess Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart.
Let every breath praise the Lord.
The appointed Resurrectional Gospel.
Then, this resurrectional hymn, in Tone VI:
Having beheld the resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the only Sinless One. We worship Thy Cross, O Christ, and Thy holy resurrection we hymn and glorify. For Thou art our God, and we know none other beside Thee, we call upon Thy name. O come, all ye faithful, let us worship Christ’s holy resurrection, for behold, through the Cross joy hath come to all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, we hymn His resurrection; for, having endured crucifixion, He hath destroyed death by death.
Psalm 50: Have mercy on me, O God…
Glory… Through the prayers of the apostles, O Merciful One, blot out the multitude of our transgressions.
Now and ever… Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Merciful One, blot out the multitude of our transgressions.
Then, in Tone VI:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions, blot out my transgression.
Then, this sticheron:
Jesus having risen from the grave, as He foretold, hath given us life eternal, and great mercy.
Then, the Prayer: Save, O God, Thy people… followed by the exclamation: Through the mercy and compassions and love for mankind…
The Canons, in Tone V
Ode I
Irmos: Bringing battles to nought with His upraised arm,/ Christ hath overthrown horse and rider/ in the Red Sea,/ and hath saved Israel,// who chanteth a hymn of victory.
Refrain: Glory to Thy holy resurrection, O Lord!
The thorny assembly of the Jews, devoid of maternal love for Thee, their Benefactor, O Christ, crowned Thee with thorns, Who lifted the thorny sentence of our first father.
Bending down, O Bestower of life, Thou raised me up who had fallen into the pit; and having endured my fœtid corruption without partaking thereof, O Christ, Thou hast made me fragrant with the myrrh of the divine Essence.
Theotokion: The curse hath been annulled; grief hath ceased! For she who is blessed and full of grace hath shone joy forth upon the faithful, causing Christ to blossom forth as a blessing upon all the ends of the earth.
Canon of the Cross and the Resurrection
Ode 1, same tone.
Irmos: To God the Savior…
Refrain: Glory to Thy Precious Cross and Resurrection, O Lord.
To Him alone Who of His own will was nailed to the Cross in the flesh and freed him who through the tree fell under the ancient condemnation, let us chant, for He hath been glorified.
To Christ alone, Who raised up the dead man from the tomb, Who resurrected the fallen one with Himself, and adorned him by sitting with the Father, let us chant, for He hath been glorified.
Theotokion: O all-pure Mother of God, unceasingly pray to Him Who became incarnate of thee, God Who was not separated from the bosom of the Father, that He save from every evil circumstance those He fashioned.
Canon of the All-holy Theotokos
Ode 1, same tone.
Irmos: Bringing battles to nought…
Refrain: O most holy Theotokos, save us.
O all-pure one, entreat Christ, the Light Who abode within thee and illumineth the world with the rays of His divinity, that He enlighten all who hymn thee, O Virgin Mother.
As one adorned with the beauty of the virtues, O most pure one who art full of grace, through the effulgence of the Spirit thou didst receive the majesty of Him Who adorneth all things, and which createth beauty.
Prefiguring thee on Sinai of old, the bush which was united with fire was not consumed; for as a virgin thou gavest birth and remained a virgin still, in manner past understanding, O Virgin Mother.
Then, the canon from the Menaion, and the katavasia as prescribed by the Typicon.
Ode III
Irmos: O Christ Who by Thy command fixed the earth upon naught/ and suspended its weight unsupported:/ establish Thou Thy Church upon the immovable rock of Thy commandments,// O Thou Who alone art good and lovest mankind.
They who sucked forth honey from a rock when Thou didst work a miracle in the desert, O Christ, gave Thee gall to eat; the ungrateful children of Israel gave Thee vinegar in return for manna, repaying thus Thy benefactions.
They who of old were covered by the cloud of light placed Christ, our Life, in the tomb; yet He hath arisen through His own power and from on high hath given to all the faithful the effulgence of the Spirit, which mystically overshadoweth them.
Theotokion: Thou, O Mother of God, gavest birth without knowing union, and without the pangs of motherhood, unto Him Who shone forth from the incorrupt Father; wherefore, in Orthodox manner we proclaim thee the Theotokos, for thou gavest birth unto the incarnate Word.
Canon of the Cross and Resurrection
Irmos: By the power of Thy Cross, O Christ…
Thou didst arise from the tomb, O Christ, delivering from the corruption of death those who hymn Thy voluntary crucifixion, O Bestower of life.
The myrrh-bearing women strove to anoint Thy body with myrrh, O Christ; but not finding it, they turned back, hymning Thine arising.
Theotokion: Unceasingly entreat Him Who was born of thy womb, O pure one, that He deliver from the deception of the devil those who hymn thee as the pure Virgin.
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: O Christ Who by Thy command…
O pure one, thou art now manifestly seen by all to be the ladder whereby the Most High hath descended unto us to set aright our nature, which had become corrupt; for through thee was the All-good One well pleased to enter into fellowship with the world.
The mystery which was ordained of old and foreseen before time began by God Who knoweth all things, hath now, in the latter days been made manifest, fulfilled in thy womb, O most immaculate one.
The condemnation incurred by the ancient curse was annulled at thy mediation, O all-pure Virgin; for having manifested Himself through thee, the Lord hath poured forth blessing upon all, in that He is all-good, O only adornment of men.
Ode IV
Irmos: Perceiving Thy divine condescension prophetically, O Christ,/ Habbakuk cried out to Thee with trembling:/ Thou art come for the salvation of Thy people,// to save Thine anointed ones!
O Good One, with a tree Thou didst sweeten the bitter waters of Marah, prefiguring Thine all-precious Cross, which doeth away with the taste of sin.
O my Savior, Thou didst receive a Cross in exchange for the tree of knowledge and gall for sweet food, and Thou didst pour forth Thy divine blood for the corruption of death.
Theotokion: Without physical joining thou didst incorruptibly conceive within thy womb, and gavest birth without pain; and having given birth unto God in the flesh, thou wast preserved a virgin even after birthgiving.
Canon of the Cross and the Resurrection
Irmos: I heard report of the power…
When the Cross was planted in the ground on Golgotha, the everlasting bars were shattered; and the gatekeepers cried out: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
When as One dead the Savior descended unto those bound, he raised up with Himself those who had died in times past; and they cried aloud: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
Theotokion: The Virgin gave birth without knowing the pangs of motherhood; and though she is a mother, she hath remained a virgin. Hymning her, we cry out: Rejoice, O Theotokos!
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: Perceiving Thy divine condescension…
With heart and mind, with soul and mouth I most piously confess thee to be the true Theotokos, O pure one; and laying hold of the fruit of salvation, I am saved by thy supplications, O Virgin.
He Who created all things out of nothingness was well-pleased, as our Benefactor, to be formed of thee, O pure one, for the salvation of those who with faith and love hymn thee, O most immaculate one.
The choirs above hymn thy birthgiving, O most immaculate one, rejoicing at the salvation of those who acknowledge thee to be the true Theotokos, O undefiled Virgin.
Isaiah called thee the staff from whence Christ God, the beautiful Flower, budded forth for us, unto the salvation of those who with faith and love have recourse to thy protection.
Ode V
Irmos: O Thou Who art clothed in light as with a garment:/ I rise at dawn unto Thee, and to Thee do I cry:/ enlighten Thou my gloom-enshrouded soul, O Christ,// in that Thou alone art compassionate!
Of His own will the Lord of glory hangeth ignominiously upon the Tree in inglorious form, ineffably taking thought of divine glory for me.
Having tasted of the corruption of death in the flesh without suffering corruption, O Christ, Thou didst clothe me in incorruption, having shone forth from the tomb on the third day.
Theotokion: Having seedlessly given birth for us to Christ, our righteousness and deliverance, O Theotokos, thou didst rid the nature of our first father of the curse.
Canon of the Cross and Resurrection
Irmos: Rising at dawn, we cry to Thee…
Thou didst stretch forth Thine arms upon the Tree, O our Savior, calling all to Thyself, in that Thou lovest mankind.
By Thy burial Thou didst capture hades, O my Savior, and by Thy resurrection Thou hast filled all with joy.
Rising from the tomb on the third day, O Bestower of life, Thou didst pour forth imperishable immortality upon all.
Theotokion: We hymn thee as the Virgin who remained so even after giving birth, O Theotokos, in that for the world thou gavest birth in the flesh unto God the Word.
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: O Thou Who art clothed in light…
All the prophets manifestly proclaimed thee beforehand as the one to become the Mother of God, O pure Theotokos; for thou alone, O pure and immaculate one, wast found to be perfect.
O pure one, we recognize thee as the radiant cloud of the Water of life, which raineth Christ, the Torrent of incorruption, upon us, the despairing.
God who dwelt within thee, in that He alone is compassionate, loved thee with a pure love, as the one who, good, immaculate and sealed with virginity, was close to Him.
Ode Vl
Irmos: O Christ Master,/ still Thou the sea of the passions/ which rageth with a soul-destroying tempest,/ and lead me up from corruption,// in that Thou art compassionate.
The progenitor of our race stumbled headlong into corruption, having tasted of the forbidden food, O Christ our Master; but he hath been led up to life through Thy suffering.
Thou, O our Life, didst go down into hades, and having become corruption for the corrupter, O Christ our Master, Thou didst pour forth resurrection through corruption.
Theotokion: The Virgin gave birth, and having given birth hath remained pure. The Virgin Mother hath truly borne in her arms Him Who holdeth all things.
Canon of the Cross and Resurrection
Irmos: The abyss engulfed me…
Thou didst stretch forth Thine arms, gathering together through Thy Life-bearing Cross the assemblies of Thy nations scattered afar, O Christ our God, in that Thou lovest mankind.
Thou madest death captive and didst break down the gates of hades; and bound Adam, released from his bonds, cried out to Thee: Thy right hand hath saved me, O Lord!
Theotokion: As is meet, we glorify thee, O glorious Mary, boast of the Orthodox, as the bush unconsumed, the mountain and the animate ladder.
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: O Christ Master, still Thou the sea…
When He Who is the cause of all, and Who hath brought all into being, became incarnate, He had thee as His human cause, O most immaculate Mother of God.
O most immaculate Mistress, we know thee to be a soul-nurturing wellspring pouring forth healings upon those who with faith have recourse unto thy right glorious protection.
For us didst thou give birth unto the Bestower of life, the Author of salvation, Who giveth everlasting deliverance unto us who confess thee to be the true Theotokos.
Kontakion, in Tone V:
Special Melody, The Word Who…
Unto hades, O my Savior, didst Thou descend,/ and having broken its gates as one omnipotent,/ Thou, as Creator, didst raise up the dead together with Thyself./ And Thou didst break the sting of death,/ and didst deliver Adam from the curse, O Lover of mankind./ Wherefore, we all cry unto Thee:// Save us, O Lord.
Ikos: When the women heard the words of the angel, they put aside their lamentation, and full of joy and trembling they gazed in awe. And, lo! Christ drew nigh to them, saying: “Rejoice! Be of good cheer! I have vanquished the world and freed the captives! Make haste, therefore, to My disciples, telling them that I go before you to preach in the city of Galilee.” Wherefore, we all cry out to Thee: Save us, O Lord!
Ode VII
Irmos: The supremely exalted Lord of our fathers/ quenched the flame and bedewed the children,/ who sang together:// Blessed art Thou, O God!
Clad in flesh like bait on a hook, by Thy divine power thou didst draw the serpent down, leading up those who cry: Blessed art Thou, O God!
The Infinite One, Who brought the immense structure of the earth into being, in the flesh is covered in the tomb. Unto Him do we all sing: Blessed art Thou, O God!
Theotokion: O most immaculate one, thou gavest birth to the incarnate God, one Hypostasis in two natures. Unto Him do we all sing: Blessed art Thou, O God!
Canon of the Cross and Resurrection
Irmos: Blessed is the God of our fathers…
Blessed is the God of our fathers, Who by the Tree of the Cross abolished the deception of the idols.
Blessed is the God of our fathers, Who rose from the dead and with Himself raised up those in hades.
O Christ, Thou blessed God of our fathers, by Thy death Thou didst destroy the dominion of death.
Theotokion: Blessed is the God of our fathers, Who was born of the Virgin and showed her forth as the Theotokos.
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: The supremely exalted Lord…
The Uncircumscribable One, Who alone is the blessed God of our fathers, remaining immutable, O all-holy one, within thee united flesh to His Hypostasis, in that He is full of loving-kindness.
Together we glorify thee, the most immaculate Bride and throne of thy Creator, O Mistress Theotokos. And unto Him do we all chant: Blessed art Thou, O God!
Having been purified by the Spirit, O Virgin, thou becamest the Mother of the King of all, Who had created thee. Unto Him do we all sing: Blessed art Thou, O God!
Having clothed Himself in flesh through thee, O all-pure Mother of God, the Lord saved me. Unto Him do we all sing: Blessed art Thou, O God!
Ode VIII
Irmos: The children, forming a universal chorus in the furnace,/ chanted to Thee, the Creator of all:/ Hymn the Lord, all ye works,// and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Thou didst pray concerning Thy voluntary and saving passion as though it were a cup which Thou didst not desire; for Thou bearest two wills, according to each of Thy two natures, O Christ, forever.
At Thine all-accomplishing descent, O Christ, hades, mocked, spewed forth all whom it had lured by deceit into death from of old, and they exalt Thee supremely for all ages.
Theotokion: All of us, the works of the Lord, bless and supremely exalt thee for all ages, as her who, in manner past understanding, gave birth to the Lord as God and man at the word of the archangel, and doth remain a virgin.
Canon of the Cross and Resurrection
Irmos: The Son and God, Who was…
Christ God, Who of His own will stretched forth His hands upon the Cross and destroyed the bonds of death, do ye hymn, O ye priests! Ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Christ God, Who shone forth from the tomb like a bridegroom, and appeared to the myrrh-bearing women, and proclaimed joy unto them, do ye hymn, O ye priests! Ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Theotokion: Thou hast been shown to be higher than the cherubim, O pure one, having borne within thy womb Him Who is upborne upon them. And with the incorporeal ones, we men glorify Him for all ages.
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: The children, forming a universal…
The grief of our forefather ceased when thou didst receive joy, O Mother of God; wherefore, we unceasingly hymn thee, O Virgin, and exalt thee supremely for all ages.
With us the assembly of the incorporeal beings, forming a single choir with love, hymneth thine unapproachable Offspring, exalting Him supremely for all ages.
The Lord of all, the limpid Stream of immortality, hath issued forth from thee, O Maiden, washing away the defilement of those who with faith hymn and exalt thee supremely for all ages.
O Virgin, we confess thee to be the truly divine and Light-bearing throne, and the tablets of grace, in that thou didst receive within thee the Word of the Father; and we exalt Him supremely for all ages.
Then we chant the Hymn of the Theotokos: My soul doth magnify the Lord… with the refrain More honorable than the cherubim…
Ode IX
Irmos: Rejoice, O Isaiah!/ The Virgin hath conceived in her womb and borne a Son, Immanuel,/ both God and man./ Orient is His name;// and, magnifying Him, we call the Virgin blessed.
Thou didst take up fallen man, O Christ, through the Virgin’s womb uniting Thyself wholly unto him without partaking of the least sin; and by Thine all-pure sufferings Thou didst free him wholly from corruption.
By the divinely flowing blood poured forth from Thine all-pure and life-creating side, O Christ our Master, the sacrifices of the idols were brought to an end, and the whole earth offereth Thee the sacrifice of praise.
Theotokion: It is not the incorporeal God nor a simple man whom the pure and undefiled Maiden brought forth, but a perfect Man and the truly perfect God. Him do we magnify with the Father and the Spirit.
Canon of the Cross and Resurrection
Irmos: With oneness of mind…
In Orthodox manner we, the faithful, magnify Thee, Who didst undertake to suffer upon the Cross and broke the power of hades by Thy death.
In oneness of mind we, the faithful, magnify Thee, Who arose from the tomb on the third day, made hades captive, and hast enlightened the world.
Theotokion: Rejoice, O Theotokos, Mother of Christ God! Him to Whom thou gavest birth do thou entreat, that He grant remission of transgressions unto those who hymn thee with faith.
Canon of the Theotokos
Irmos: Rejoice, O Isaiah…
By thy pure blood was flesh with mind and soul supernaturally formed for the Creator of all, the only-begotten Son of the Father, O Ever-virgin Theotokos, not by man, but seedlessly.
In giving birth in the flesh truly unto Life eternal, in manner past understanding, thou didst cause the encircling and unrestrained siege of death to cease. And hades, striking against Him with its bitter maw, was abolished, O all-holy Virgin Mother.
Seating thee upon a royal throne, who art resplendent in the golden robes of divine virtues, O pure one, thy Son hath set thee at His right hand, rendering honor unto thee as His Mother, O most immaculate one.
Past understanding is thy birthgiving, O Mother of God; for thou didst conceive within thee without knowing man, and thy birthgiving was virginal, in that it is God Who was born of thee. And magnifying Him, we bless thee, O Virgin.
After the katavasia, the little litany.
Then, Holy is the Lord our God! thrice;
and the matins exapostilarion.
On the Praises, 8 stichera, in Tone V:
Stichos: To do among them the judgment that is written./ This glory shall be to all His saints.
O Lord, when the tomb had been sealed by the iniquitous,/ Thou didst issue forth from the grave,/ as Thou hadst been born of the Theotokos./ Thine incorporeal angels did not understand how Thou hadst become incarnate,/ and the soldiers who guarded Thee did not sense when Thou didst arise./ For both things were sealed for those who would examine them;/ but the wonders were revealed to those who worshipped the mystery with faith.// Grant Thou joy and great mercy unto us who hymn it!
Stichos: Praise ye God in His saints,/ praise Him in the firmament of His power.
O Lord, Who broke asunder the everlasting chains/ and rent apart the bonds of hades,/ Thou didst rise from the tomb,/ leaving Thy grave-clothes behind as a witness to Thy true burial on the third day;/ and Thou didst go before Thy disciples into Galilee,/ O Thou Who wast guarded in the cave./ Great is Thy mercy, O unapproachable Savior!// Have mercy and save us!
Stichos: Praise Him for His mighty acts,/ praise Him according to the multitude of His greatness.
The women, O Lord, hastened to the tomb/ to see Thee Who suffered for our sake, O Christ;/ and when they were come, they found an angel seated upon the stone,/ which had rolled away in fear;/ and he cried out to them, saying: “The Lord is risen!// Tell ye the disciples that He hath risen from the dead, saving our souls!”
Stichos: Praise Him with the sound of trumpet,/ praise Him with psaltery and harp.
O Lord, as Thou didst come forth from the sealed tomb,/ so didst Thou enter in unto Thy disciples while the doors were fast shut,/ showing them the bodily sufferings/ which Thou didst endure, O long-suffering Savior./ Thou didst undergo wounding as One from the seed of David,/ and didst free the world as the Son of God./ Great is Thy mercy, O unapproachable Savior!// Have mercy and save us!
Stichos: Praise Him with timbrel and dance,/ praise Him with strings and flute.
O Lord, King of the ages and Creator of all,/ Who for our sake didst accept crucifixion and burial in the flesh,/ that Thou mightest free us all from hades:// Thou art our God, and we know none other than Thee.
Stichos: Praise Him with tuneful cymbals, praise Him with cymbals of jubilation./ Let every breath praise the Lord.
O Lord, who can describe Thine all-radiant wonders?/ Or who can declare Thy dread mysteries?/ For, having become man for our sake, as Thou Thyself desired,/ Thou didst reveal the might of Thy power;/ for by Thy Cross Thou didst open paradise to the thief,/ and by Thy burial Thou didst break the chains of hades,/ and by Thy resurrection Thou hast enriched all things.// O compassionate Lord, glory be to Thee!
Stichos: Arise, O Lord my God, let Thy hand be lifted high;/ forget not Thy paupers to the end.
Arriving at Thy tomb very early in the morning,/ the myrrh-bearing women sought to anoint God the immortal Word with myrrh;/ but, informed by the words of the angel,/ they returned with joy and declared openly to the apostles/ that Thou hadst arisen, O Life of all,// and granted the world cleansing and great mercy.
Stichos: I will confess Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart,/ I will tell of all Thy wonders.
The guards of the God-receiving tomb said to the Jews:/ “O your vain-minded counsel!/ In attempting to confine Him Who is uncontainable,/ ye labored in vain; desiring to conceal the resurrection of the Crucified,/ ye showed it forth clearly!/ O your vain-minded assembly!/ Do ye again advise us to hide what cannot be hid?/ Hearken, rather, to us, and believe in those things which have truly happened:/ A lightning-bearing angel, descending from heaven,/ rolled away the stone,/ and in fear of him we became as dead;/ and as herald to the myrrh-bearing women of steadfast mind he said:/ ‘See ye not the guards lying as dead,/ and the seals broken, and the emptying of hades?/ Why seek ye Him Who hath set at naught the victory of hades/ and broken the sting of death, as though He were dead?/ Going forth quickly,/ proclaim the resurrection without fear to the apostles, crying out:// Truly the Lord is risen, Who hath great mercy!’”
Glory… The matins Gospel sticheron.
Now and ever…, Theotokion, in Tone II:
All-blessed art thou, O Virgin Theotokos,/ for by Him Who became incarnate through thee hath hades been made captive,/ Adam restored, the curse annulled, Eve set free,/ death slain, and we have been given life./ Wherefore, chanting, we cry aloud:// Blessed is Christ God Who hath been thus well pleased! Glory be to Thee!
Great Doxology, and the resurrectional troparion
Today is salvation come unto the world;/ let us sing praises to Him that arose from the tomb,/ and is the Author of our life./ For, having destroyed death by death,/ He hath given us the victory and great mercy.
Then the litanies and the dismissal.
Sunday Morning Divine Liturgy
On the Beatitudes, these troparia, in Tone V:
Believing Thee to be God, O Christ, the thief on the cross confessed Thee in a pure manner, crying out from the depths of his heart: Remember me in Thy kingdom, O Lord!
Together let us hymn as Savior and Creator Him Who on the tree of the Cross budded forth life for our race and caused the curse which originated from the tree to wither up.
By Thy death hast Thou destroyed the power of death, O Christ, and Thou didst raise up with Thyself the dead of ages past, who now hymn Thee as our true God and Savior.
Arriving at Thy tomb, O Christ, the honorable women sought to anoint Thee with myrrh, O Bestower of life; but an angel appeared to them, crying out: The Lord is risen!
When Thou wast crucified between two condemned thieves, O Christ, one of them blasphemed Thee and was justly damned, while the other confessed Thee and hath now come to dwell in paradise.
When they had come to the choir of the apostles, the honorable women cried out: Christ is risen! Let us worship Him as Master and Creator!
Triadicon: O indivisible Trinity, all-effecting and all-powerful Unity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit: thee do we hymn as our true God and Savior!
Theotokion: Rejoice, O animate temple of God and impassable gate! Rejoice, O fiery throne which burneth yet is not consumed! Rejoice, O Mother of Emmanuel, Christ our God!
Resurrectional troparion, in Tone V:
Let us, O faithful, praise and worship the Word/ Who is co-unoriginate with the Father and the Spirit,/ and Who was born of the Virgin for our salvation;/ for He was pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh/ and to endure death,// and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.
Kontakion, in Tone V:
Unto hades, O my Savior, didst Thou descend,/ and having broken its gates as one omnipotent,/ Thou, as Creator, didst raise up the dead together with Thyself./ And Thou didst break the sting of death,/ and didst deliver Adam from the curse, O Lover of mankind./ Wherefore, we all cry unto Thee:// Save us, O Lord.
Prokimenon, in Tone V:
Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us and shalt preserve us from this generation and for evermore.
Stichos: Save me, O Lord, for a righteous man there is no more.
Alleluia, in Tone V:
Of Thy mercies, O Lord, will I sing forever; unto generation and generation will I declare Thy truth with my mouth.
Stichos: For Thou hast said: Mercy shall be built up for ever; in the heavens shall Thy truth be established.
The Octoechos © Isaac E. Lambertsen