Ode 9. Irmos

Exapostilarion. Tone 2.

Receive our prayer, you who sit at the right hand of the Father, and have mercy on us.

Prokeimenon. Tone 4.

Glory. **Tone 6**

At Lauds we insert 4 idiomel Stichera.

Both now. **Theotokion**

‘Do not weep for me, Mother, as you see in a tomb the Son whom you conceived in your womb without seed; for I shall arise and be glorified, and I shall exalt in glory without ceasing those who with faith and love magnify you.’

Let us complete our morning prayer to the Lord. ****

Prokeimenon. Tone 7.

Let us attend. Peace to all.

Tone 6

‘At your strange birth, my Son without beginning, beyond nature I escaped the pangs and was made blessed; but now, my God, as I see you dead, I am pierced terribly by the sword of sorrow; but arise, that I may be magnified.’

**Reader:** And to your spirit.

Psalm 148

‘Earth covers me by my own will, but the gatekeepers of Hell shudder as they see me clothed in the blood-stained robe of vengeance, Mother; for having trampled on my enemies by the Cross, I shall arise again and magnify you.’

Then the three Apolytikia of the day are sung. Tone 2.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the highest. To you praise is due, O God.

‘Let creation rejoice, let all born of earth be glad; for Hell, the enemy, has been despoiled; let women come to meet me with sweet spices; for I am rescuing Adam and Eve with all their race, and on the third day I shall rise again.’

Then the Troparion of the Prophecy in the same Tone.

Praise him, all his angels: Praise him, all his Powers. To you praise is due, O God.

‘Do not weep for me, Mother, as you see in a tomb the Son whom you conceived in your womb without seed; for I shall arise and be glorified, and I shall exalt in glory without ceasing those who with faith and love magnify you.’

Wisdom. ****

Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you stars and light.

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

Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters that are above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord.

Lord, have mercy. ****

For he spoke and they came into being; he commanded and they were created.

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

He established them for ever and ever; he made an ordinance, and it shall not pass away.

Lord, have mercy. ****

Praise the Lord from the earth; praise him, you sea-monsters and all deeps;

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. ****

Fire and hail, snow and ice and storm-wind; things that do his word.

To you, O Lord. ****

Mountains and all hills, fruiting trees and all cedars;

For all the Powers of heaven praise you, and to you we give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever and to the ages of ages. ****

Beasts of the wild, and all cattle, creeping things and winged birds;

Holy is the Lord our God.

Kings of the earth and all peoples, rulers and all judges of the earth;

Holy is the Lord our God.

Young men and maidens: old men and youths together, let them praise the name of the Lord; for his name alone has been exalted.

Exalt the Lord our God: and bow down before his footstool.

His praise is above earth and heaven, and he will exalt the horn of his people.

For he is holy. ****

A hymn for all his holy ones; for the children of Israel, a people that draws near him. ****

Psalm 149

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the Church of the holy ones.

Let Israel rejoice in him that made him, let the children of Sion be joyful in their king.

Let them praise his name in the dance; let them sing his praise with timbrel and with harp.

For the Lord is well-pleased with his people; he will exalt the meek with salvation.

His holy ones will exult in glory, and rejoice upon their beds.

The high praises of God in their mouths, and two-edged swords in their hands,

To exact vengeance among the nations, punishments among the peoples.

To bind their kings in fetters; and their nobles in shackles of iron.

To execute upon them the judgement that is decreed; such glory will be for all his holy ones. ****

Psalm 150

Praise God in his saints; praise him in the firmament of his power.

Praise him for his mighty acts; praise him according to the greatness of his majesty. ****

Tone 6

Today a tomb hold him who holds all creation in his palm. A stone covers him who covered the heavens with glory. Life sleeps and Hell trembles and Adam is being released from his bonds. Glory to your dispensation, through which you have accomplished all things and granted us an eternal Sabbath rest, your resurrection from the dead!

Praise him in the blast of the trumpet: praise him upon the lute and harp.

What is this sight that is seen? What is this present rest? The king of the ages, having accomplished his dispensation through suffering, takes his Sabbath rest in a tomb, granting us a new Sabbath rest. To him let us cry, ‘Arise, O God, judge the earth, for you are king for ever, and without measure is your great mercy.

Praise him with the timbrel and dances: praise him upon the strings and pipe.

Come, let us see our life lying in a tomb, that he may give life to all those who lie in the tombs. Come today, as we contemplate the Sleeping one from Juda, let us prophetically cry out to him, ‘Taking your rest, you lay down like a lion. Who will rouse you, O King? But arise by your own will, who gave yourself willingly for us. Lord, glory to you!

Praise him on fine-sounding cymbals: praise him on cymbals of gladness. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Joseph asked for the body of Jesus, and laid it in his new grave; for it was right that he should come forth from a tomb as from a bridal chamber. You smashed the might of death and opened the gates of Paradise for humankind; glory to you!

Great Moses mystically prefigured this present day when he said, ‘And God blessed the seventh day’. For this is the blessed Sabbath, this the day of rest on which the only-begotten Son of God rested from all his works. Through the dispensation in accordance with death, he kept the Sabbath in the flesh, and, returning once again to what he was, through the Resurrection he has granted us eternal life, for he alone is good and loves humankind.

You are most blessed, O Virgin Mother of God, for through him who took flesh from you, Hell has been captured, Adam recalled, the curse slain, Eve set free, death put to death, and we given life. Therefore in praise we cry: Blessed are you, Christ our God, who have been thus well-pleased, glory to you.

Glory to you who have shown us the light. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men.

We praise you, we bless you, we worship you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory;

Lord, King, God of heaven, Father almighty; Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; and Holy Spirit.

Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world.

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

Every day I will bless you, and praise your name for ever, and to the ages of ages.

Grant, Lord, this day that we may be kept without sin.

Blessed are you, Lord, God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is your name to the ages. Amen.

May your mercy, Lord, be upon us, as we have put our hope in you.

Blessed are you, Lord, teach me your statutes.

Blessed are you, Lord, teach me your statutes.

Blessed are you, Lord, teach me your statutes.

Lord, you have been our refuge from generation to generation. I said, Lord, have mercy on me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.

Lord, I have run to you for refuge: teach me to do your will, for you are my God.

For with you is the source of life: and in your light we shall see light.

Continue your mercy towards those who know you. Holy God, Holy Strong Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

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

Both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God. Holy Strong. Holy Immortal. Have mercy on us. ****

It is customary for there to be a procession with the Epitaphion at the end of the Great Doxology, though the Triodion of the Apostoliki Diakonia says nothing. It is also customary to sing the following idiomel by George of the Holy City in Tone 5:

When Joseph saw that the sun had hidden its rays and the veil of the temple had been rent in two at the death of the Saviour, he approached Pilate and entreated him, saying, ‘Give me this stranger, who since infancy has been a stranger in the world. Give me this stranger, whom members of his own race hated and slew as a stranger. Give me this stranger, whom I welcome as a stranger as I see the strangeness of his death. Give me this stranger, who knew how to welcome as strangers the poor and those who were strangers. Give me this stranger, whom Hebrews out of envy have made a stranger to the world. Give me this stranger, that I may hide in a tomb one who as a stranger has no place to lay his head. Give me this stranger, whose his mother when she saw him slain cried out, ‘O my Son and my God, though I am wounded to the core and torn to the heart as I see you dead, yet confident in your resurrection, I magnify you’.’ When he had with words like this entreated Pilate, the noble Joseph takes the Saviour’s body, and having in fear wrapped it in a winding sheet with myrrh, he placed in a tomb the One who grants the world eternal life and his great mercy.

When the procession has re-entered the church and the Epitaphion has been carried into the sanctuary, the Priest exclaims:

**Priest: Wisdom.**

When you went down to death, O immortal life, then you slew Hell with the lightning flash of your Godhead; but when from the depths below the earth you raised the dead, all the Powers beyond the heavens cried out: Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to you!

The Angel standing by the grave cried to the women bearing myrrh: Myrrh is fitting for the dead, but Christ has shown himself a stranger to corruption.

The noble Joseph, taking down your most pure Body from the Tree, wrapped it in a clean shroud with sweet spices and laid it for burial in a new grave.

Christ, who hold fast the ends of the earth, you accepted to be held fast in a tomb, that you might ransom humanity from the maw of Hell, \* and as immortal God you have given us life and immortality.

And as immortal God you have given us life and immortality.

Christ, who hold fast the ends of the earth, you accepted to be held fast in a tomb, that you might ransom humanity from the maw of Hell, and as immortal God you have given us life and immortality.

Arise, Lord, help us; and redeem us for the glory of your name.

O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us.

The Reading from the Prophecy of Ezekiel.

The hand of the Lord was upon me and the Lord brought me out in Spirit and set me in the middle of the plain, and it was full of human bones. And he led me round them in a circle and lo, there were very many bones on the surface of the plain, and lo, they were very dry. And he said to me: Son of man, will these bones live? And I said: Lord, Lord, you know this. And he said to me: Prophesy to these bones and you will say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord to these bones: See, I am bringing a spirit of life upon you, and I will give you sinews and I will bring flesh upon you, and I will stretch skin on you and put my spirit into you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord. And I prophesied as he had commanded me. And it came to pass as I prophesied there was a shaking, and the bones approached one another, each to its joint. And I saw, and lo, sinews and flesh were growing on them, and skin came up upon them , but there was no spirit in them. And he said to me: Prophesy to the spirit, son of man, prophesy and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord: Come from the four winds and breathe on these dead bodies and make them live. And I prophesied as he had commanded me, and the spirit entered them, and they lived, and they stood upon their feet, a very great gathering. And the Lord spoke to me saying: Son of man, these bones are all the house of Israel, and they say: Our bones have become dry, our hope has perished, we are quite lost. And so prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord, the Lord: See, I am opening your graves, and I shall bring you out of your graves and shall bring you into the land of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your tombs for me to bring my people out of the tombs; and I shall put my spirit into you, and you will live, and I shall set you on your land and you will know that I am the Lord; I have spoken and I shall do it, says the Lord.

Arise, O Lord my God, let your hand be lifted up; forget not your poor for ever.

I will confess you, Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all your marvellous works.

The Reading from the 1st Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians.

Brethren, a little leaven leavens the whole batch. Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new batch, as you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, not with the leaven of wickedness and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. For Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: Accursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree; that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the nations, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through the faith.

Alleluia. Tone 5.

Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered. ****

As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish; as wax melts before the fire. ****

So shall sinners perish before the face of God.

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

On the next day, which is after the Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will arise.’ Give orders then for the tomb to be made secure until the third day, otherwise his disciples may come at night and steal him and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. And the last deception will be worse than the first.’ Pilate said, ‘You have a watch. God, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went with the watch and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Have mercy on us, O God, according to your great mercy, we pray you, hear and have mercy. ****

Lord, have mercy. **Three times after each petition.**

Also we pray for our Archbishop **N.**

Also we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visitation, pardon and forgiveness of sins for the servants of God, all devout and Orthodox Christians, those who dwell in or visit this city and parish, the wardens and members of this church and their families;

Also we pray for the blessed and ever-remembered founders of this holy church, and for all our brothers and sisters who have gone to their rest before us, and who lie asleep here in the true faith; and for the Orthodox everywhere .

Also we pray for those who bring offerings, those who care for the beauty of this holy and venerable house, for those who labour in its service, for those who sing, and for the people here present, who await your great and rich mercy.

For you, O God, are merciful, and love mankind, 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. ****

Lord, have mercy.

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

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

Grant this, O Lord. ****

An Angel of peace, a faithful guide and guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord.

Pardon and forgiveness of our sins and offences, let us ask of the Lord.

Things good, and profitable for our souls, and peace for the world, let us ask of the Lord.

That we may live out the rest of our days in peace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord.

A Christian end to our life, painless, unashamed and peaceful, and a good defence before the dread judgement seat of Christ, let us ask.

Commemorating our all-holy, 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 a God of mercies and of pity, 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. ****

Peace to all. ****

And to your spirit. ****

Let us bow our heads to the Lord. ****

To you, O Lord. ****

For yours it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, 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. ****

Blessed be he who is, Christ our God, always, now and for ever and to the ages of ages. ****

May the Lord God strengthen the holy and pure faith of devout and orthodox Christians, with his holy Church and this sacred Monastery, unto ages of ages. ****

Most holy Mother of God, save us. ****

Greater in honour than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word, truly the Mother of God we magnify you. ****

And at once he begins the First Hour.