Ode 8. Irmos.

Of the Mother of God. The same Irmos.

Both now. **Theotokion.**

This chosen and holy day is the first of Sabbaths, the Queen and Lady, the Feast of Feasts and the Festival of Festivals on which we bless Christ to all the ages.

**Of the Myrrhbearers. Irmos.**

Come let us share in the new fruit of the vine, of joy divine, and in the kingdom of Christ, on the glorious day of the Resurrection, hymning Him as God to all the ages.

Lift your eyes around you, O Sion, and see: for behold like beacons shedding light divine your children have come to you, from West and North, from the Sea and from the East, blessing Christ in you to all the ages.

Almighty Father, Word and Spirit, nature united in three Persons, beyond all being and beyond all Godhead, into you we have been baptised and we bless you to all the ages.

s the Creator came into the world through you, Virgin Mother of God, tearing open the belly of Hell, he granted us mortals the Resurrection; therefore we bless him to the ages.

Your Son, O Virgin, having overthrown the might of death by his resurrection, as a mighty God has exalted us with himself and made us divine; therefore we praise him to the ages.

The rays of the sun cowered with fear at the sufferings of Christ, the dead were raised, the mountains were shaken, the earth quaked and Hell was stripped bare.

The thrice-blessed Youths in the furnace of old raised their hands, typifying your most pure Cross, through which, O Christ, you overthrew the power of the foe.

O blind Jews, deceivers and transgressors, who do not trust Christ’s Resurrection, as though it was a lie, what do you see that you cannot believe? That Christ has risen, he who raised the dead?

O hostile Jews, even though you do not believe us, ask your own soldiers what they experienced. Who with their hands rolled the stone away from the grave?

Who withered the fig-tree? Who healed the withered hand? Who once fed the multitudes in the desert? If not Christ God, who raised the dead.

Who gave light to the blind, healed lepers, cured the lame and walked on the sea dry-shod as though on land? If not Christ God, who raised the dead.

Who raised from the tomb one four days dead, and the widow’s son? Who gave strength to the paralytic on his bed? If not Christ God, who raised the dead.

The stone itself cries out, the seals, which you placed yourselves when you posted the sentries to guard the grave, shout aloud, ‘Christ has risen indeed, and lives to the ages’.

Christ has risen indeed, Hell is despoiled, the serpent slain, Adam redeemed, those below are saved. Why do you persist in unbelief, foes and transgressors?

With the Father we glorify the Son and the Holy Spirit, the holy Trinity in one Godhead, as we cry, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy are you to the ages’.

In your womb, pure Maiden, you bore without change the ever-living bread, compounded uncompoundedly with our composition, one Christ, God, in the two Essences.

This chosen. ****