Ode 6. Irmos

After the small litany the Kontakion. Tone 6.

‘Jonas was held, but not held fast in the belly of the whale; for being a type of you, the One who suffered and was given over to burial, as from a bridal chamber he leapt forth from the beast and cried to the guard, ‘You who vainly and falsely keep guard, you have forsaken your own mercy’.’

You were torn, but not torn away, O Word, from the flesh you had taken. For though your temple was destroyed at the moment of the passion, you were still one person in your Godhead and your flesh; for in both you are one Son, Word of God, God and man.

Adam’s fall slew mortals but not God, for though your substance of dust suffered, yet your Godhead remained impassible. That which was corruptible in you, you have transformed to incorruption, and you have revealed a source of incorruptible life from your resurrection.

Hell reigns, but not for ever, over the race of mortals; for you, O Mighty One, when placed in a tomb, shattered with your palm, the origin of life, the bars of death, and proclaimed to those who slept there from every age no false redemption, O Saviour, who have become the first-born of the dead.

Jonas was held, but not held fast in the belly of the whale; for being a type of you, the One who suffered and was given over to burial, as from a bridal chamber he leapt forth from the beast and cried to the guard, ‘You who vainly and falsely keep guard, you have forsaken your own mercy’.

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

Lord, have mercy. ****

Help us, save us, have mercy on us and keep us, O God, by your grace. ****

Lord, have mercy. ****

Calling to remembrance our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us entrust ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God. ****

To you, O Lord. ****

For you are the King of peace and the Saviour of our souls, and to you we give glory, to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. ****

He who closed the abyss lies dead before our eyes; and wrapped in myrrh and fine linen the Immortal is laid as a mortal in a grave. While women came to anoint him, weeping bitterly and crying out, ‘This is the most blessed Sabbath, on which Christ sleeps, but he will rise again on the third day’.

He who holds all things together was lifted up on the Cross, and all creation lamented seeing him hanging naked on the tree; the sun hid its rays, and the stars threw away their light; the earth quaked with great fear, the sea fled and the rocks were rent; many graves were opened, and bodies of holy men were raised. Hell below is groaning and the Jews are considering how to discredit Christ’s resurrection; the women are crying out, ‘This is the most blessed Sabbath, on which Christ sleeps, but he will rise again on the third day’.

Menologion, and the following notice from the Triodion:

On the holy and great Sabbath we celebrate the burial of our Lord and God and Saviour, Jesus Christ and the Descent into Hell, through which our race, called back from corruption, has passed over to eternal life. ****

In vain, O guard, you keep watch on the tomb,

No sepulchre can hold in life itself.

By your ineffable condescension, Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen.