Ode 7. Irmos.

Of the Mother of God. The same Irmos.

Both now. **Theotokion.**

He who delivered the Children from the furnace, becoming man suffers as a mortal, and through suffering he clothes the mortal with the glory of incorruption: the only blessed and most glorious God of our fathers.

Of the Myrrhbearers. Irmos.

The holy women hastened after you with sweet spices. Whom they sought with tears as a mortal, they worshipped with joy as the living God, and they proclaimed the mystic Passover, O Christ, to your disciples.

We feast death’s slaughter, the overthrow of Hell, the first fruits of a new eternal life: and dancing we hymn the cause: the only blessed and most glorious God of our fathers.

How truly holy and all-festive is this saving night, how full of light, herald of the bright day of the resurrection, in which the timeless Light shone bodily for all from the tomb.

aving slain death, your Son today, All-blameless one, has given to all mortals life that endures to ages of ages, he the only blessed and highly exalted God of our fathers.

He who reigns over all creation, becoming man, dwelt in your womb, O full of God’s grace, and having endured Cross and death, he has risen as God and raised us with him, for he is all powerful.

Wishing, as you love mankind, to save from error all those you had fashioned, you endured being nailed to the Cross, that in your flesh, O Saviour, you might renew the image smothered by the passions; and having overthrown Hell you raised up the dead with yourself.

Lifted up on the cross, O Merciful, you called all to yourself, as you had promised, O Good One; for you were well-pleased in truth to suffer all these things because of our sins; so too you opened the gates of Paradise to the thief, O Saviour.

The temple of your body, which had been destroyed, you raised on the third day, as you had promised, O Good One, that in truth you might make known your glory, which you pour out upon us through the faith, having freed the prisoners whom Hell of old held captive.

O the madness of the Jews! O the frenzy of the lawless! What had you seen which was unbelievable, that you did not believe Christ? That he did not raise the sick with a word? That he did not save the whole world himself? If not the soldiers, then let those risen from the dead convince you.

Let the guards, who became as dead men, now say how he was stolen, whom they did not see, being wholly without sensation. For if they did not see, did not perceive him risen, how then could they ever think he had been stolen? Let them convince you, and also this stone and Christ’s grave clothes.

Why do you guard him like a corpse? Why have you set seals on the stone, O Jews? Fearing theft? See, the tomb was truly sealed. How then did Christ arise unless he was God? Let those who arose and were seen by many persuade you.

With the Father we glorify the Son and the Holy Spirit, crying out with unceasing voice, ‘Trinity, single Essence, have mercy. Save us all, Unity in three Persons. Have pity, O God, glorified to the ages’.

How did you contain as a child in your womb, O Immaculate, him before whom as God the angelic powers tremble? Unless as he willed, as he knew how, he took up his dwelling, wishing to save the those born from earth, Adam’s seed, by freeing Adam from that curse which came through the bitter eating.

The only blessed. ****