Matins service begins with the Trisagion Prayers, the Six Psalms, and a Litany. Then the following:
God is the Lord, and He appeared to us. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. (four times with verses)
Apolytikion. Mode Pl. IV.
Glory... (of the saint of the day)
Both now...
Theotokion.
Born of a Virgin, O Good One who also endured crucifixion for our sake, who by death took the spoils of death as plunder and showed resurrection, being God, O despise not the ones that You formed with Your own hand. Demonstrate Your love for man, O Lord of mercy, and accept Your Mother, the Theotokos, who intercedes on our behalf, O Savior, and save us a despairing people.
After the first reading from the Psalter, Small Litany, and we chant Resurrectional Kathismata.
Original Melody
When You, the Life of all, from the dead resurrected, * a shining Angel cried to the lamenting women, * “Cease from your tears. Announce unto the Apostles the tidings full of joy. * Cry out in exaltation, that Christ the Lord has arisen from the dead. * For He so willed to save the human race, as God, in His good pleasure.”
Glory...Melody: By conceiving the Wisdom.
After having in truth risen from the tomb, You commanded the venerable women * to proclaim Your arising to the Apostles, as it is written. * And Peter ran quickly and came to the sepulcher. * And beholding the light in the tomb, He was quite amazed. * Wherefore he observed that the grave clothes were lying * alone in the sepulcher without the divine body. * And believing he cried aloud, * “Glory be to You, Christ God our Savior, for You save all people, * inasmuch as You are the Father’s radiance.”
Both now...
Theotokion.
Let us sing hymns in praise of the holy ark * and the heavenly gate and the shining cloud, * the all-holy mountain, and the heavenly ladder, * the rational Paradise, and the redemption of Eve, * the magnificent treasure of the entire universe. * For in her and thru her for the world was salvation * accomplished and forgiveness of its ancient transgressions. * Let us therefore cry out to her, * “Intercede with your Son and our God * that remission of offenses be bestowed * on those who piously worship the all-holy Child you bore.”
After the second reading from the Psalter, Small Litany, and Kathismata.
Human beings sealed Your tomb, O Savior; an Angel rolled the stone away from the door. The women saw You resurrected from the dead, and they announced the good tidings to the Disciples in Zion: that You the life of all resurrected, and that the bonds of death have been loosed. Glory to You, O Lord.
Glory...
The women who were bringing the burial spices heard the voice of an Angel coming from the sepulcher: “Cease from your tears, and instead of sorrow bring joy. Sing praises; cry aloud that Christ the Lord has risen. He is the One who as God was well pleased to save the human race.”
Both now…
Theotokion.
In you, O Lady full of grace, rejoices all creation, the orders of Angels and the human race together. O hallowed temple and rational Garden of Paradise, the pride of virgins, from you did God become incarnate, and our God who existed before the ages became a child. For He wrought your womb into a throne for himself, and He made your belly to be wider than the heavens. In you, O Lady full of grace, rejoices all creation. Glory to you.
After the reading of Psalm 118, the Evlogetaria (see Vol I). Small Litany.
Hypakoë
The myrrh-bearing women came to the grave of the Giver of life seeking the immortal Master among the dead. And receiving good tidings of joy from the Angel, they reported to the Apostles, that Christ God had risen, granting the world great mercy.
The Hymns of Ascent
1st Antiphon
From my youth does the enemy tempt me, * and with the pleasures he scorches me. * But trusting You, O Lord, * monumentally do I defeat him.
Let the haters of Zion become as the grass is before it is plucked up. * For Christ will also cut their necks with the cutting sword of torments.
Glory… Both now…
In the Holy Spirit is the life of all things living. * He is light from light and great God. * Him do we extol with the Father and Logos.
2nd Antiphon
With the fear of You, Lord, let my heart be covered * and be humble-minded, * lest it be exalted and fall from You, all-compassionate Master.
He who has set his hope on the Lord will not fear * when He will judge and punish all things with fire.
Glory… Both now…
In the Holy Spirit every divine man sees and speaks as a prophet. * He does sublime miracles, praising the one God in three persons. * For though It is three lights, yet the Godhead rules as monarch.
3rd Antiphon
I cried to You, O Lord. Attend; incline Your ear to me who am shouting, * and purify me prior to taking me from this life.
Everyone will set in the earth, his mother, and will again return thence * to receive the torments or honors for his life’s actions.
Glory… Both now…
From the Holy Spirit was bestowed theology. Thrice-holy Monad: * Father unoriginate, from whom timelessly the Son did issue, * and the Spirit, sharing both form and throne, shone at once from the Father.
4th Antiphon
Behold, what is so good or so delightful as for brothers to reside together? * For in this has the Lord promised life everlasting.
He who so adorns the lilies of the field commands not to be concerned about one’s own raiment.
Glory… Both now…
In the Holy Spirit, the unifying Cause, are all things sustained in peaceful coexistence. * This is so for He is God, with the Father and the Son being truly one in essence.
Prokeimenon
The Lord will reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to generation and generation.
Verse: Praise the Lord, O my soul.
Let every breath. Gospel reading. Having seen the Resurrection. Psalm 50, etc.
Canon of the Resurrection
Ode One. Mode Pl. IV. The Heirmos.
The rod of Moses working wonders once submerged Phar'onic charioteers * when it smote the waters in the figure of a cross * and thereby split the sea in two; * while it rescued on dry land * wayfaring fugitive Israel, * which to God resoundingly sang a song.
Ode Three. The Heirmos.
In the beginning You confirmed * with understanding the heavens, * while establishing the earth on the waters. * Stand me firmly on the rock * of Your commandments, O my Christ. * Besides You none is holy, * and only You love humanity.
Kontakion
When You had risen from the grave, You also raised those who had died and resurrected Adam; and now Eve is celebrating in Your Resurrection, and the ends of the world keep festival, for Your rising from the dead, O Most-Merciful.
Œkos
Having plundered the realms of Hades and raised the dead, O Longsuffering, You met the Myrrh-bearing women and gave them joy instead of sorrow. And Your Apostles You informed of the symbols of victory, my life-giving Savior, and You illumined creation, O Lover of man. And therefore the world also rejoices, for Your rising from the dead, O Most-Merciful.
Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim, you without corruption gave birth to God the Word and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify.
Ode Nine. The Heirmos.
The heavens were astounded as a result, * and the ends of the earth were astonished, inasmuch as God * bodily appeared to the human race, * O Theotokos, coming forth * from your virgin womb which indeed became * more spacious than the heavens. * And therefore by the orders * of men and angels you are magnified.
Holy is the Lord our God. Exalt the Lord our God and worship the footstool of His feet. For He is Holy..
Exapostilarion
Click here to find the appropriate exapostilarion. Then the Praises are chanted.
Let every breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest. To You, O God is due our song.
Praise Him, all you His angels; praise Him, all you His hosts. To You, O God is due our song.
Resurrectional Stichera
To do in them the written judgement. This glory shall be to all His saints.
Lord, even if You stood on trial and suffered Pontius Pilot to be Your judge, yet You did not leave Your divine throne, seated with the Father as You are. And when You rose from the dead, You freed the world from servitude that was imposed on it by the Devil, O Compassionate who love mankind.
Praise God for His saints, praise Him for the firmament of His power.
Lord even if the Judeans had You buried as a lifeless body in a grave, yet a guard of soldiers was watching over You as though a sleeping king; and with a seal they secured the tomb as a treasure-house of life. But You arose and unto our souls granted incorruptibility.
Praise Him for His mighty acts, praise Him in proportion to the magnitude of His greatness.
Lord, as a weapon against the Adversary You have given us Your holy Cross. Gripped with fear he trembles unable to endure to look upon its might, because it raises the dead, and death itself it neutralized. For this reason we adore Your three-day burial and rising again.
Praise Him with sound of trumpet, praise Him with the psaltery and harp.
O Lord, Your angel messenger, when he proclaimed Your resurrection, caused the guardians to be afraid but the women’s fear allayed, and addressed them, “Wherefore seek you among the dead the One who lives? He rose, for He is God, and the gift of life He has given to the universe.
Other Stichera by Anatolios
Praise Him with timbrel and dance, praise Him with strings and flute.
You suffered by means of the Cross, though in Divinity impassible. You accepted three-day burial, so that You might liberate us from our slavery to the enemy, and making us immortal might bring us to life, O Christ our God, through Your resurrection, O Lord who love mankind.
Praise Him with tuneful cymbals, praise Him with cymbals of jubilation. Let every breath praise the Lord.
I adore and I glorify and I extol, O Christ, Your resurrection from the sepulcher, through which You have set us free from the bonds of Hades that no one could break, and as God You have granted to the world everlasting life and the great mercy.
Arise, O Lord my God, let Your hand be exalted; forget not Your paupers to the end.
With a company of soldiers the unlawful ones set a guard at Your tomb that held life, and with a seal they secured it. You, however, as immortal God and omnipotent, resurrected on the third day.
I will give thanks to You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.
When You entered at the gates of Hades, O Lord, and when You had shattered them, then the Devil there in exile shouted, “Who is this one? For not only is he not condemned to the lowest regions of the earth, but he has also torn down, like a tent, the prison that belonged to death. I received him as though a mortal man, and quake at him as God.” O almighty Savior, have mercy on us.
Glory...
Click Here to view the appropriate Eothinon Doxasticon
Both now… Theotokion.
Mode II (or the Mode of the week)
You are supremely blessed, O Virgin Theotokos. For through Him who from you became incarnate, was Hades taken prisoner, and Adam has been summoned back, and the curse has been neutralized, and Eve has been liberated; death has been put to death, and we have been brought to life. Wherefore extolling we cry out: O Christ our God, You are blessed, for so was Your good pleasure. Glory to You.
The Great Doxology
Glory be to You who showed the light. Glory in the highest to God. His peace is on earth, His good pleasure in mankind.
We praise You, we bless You, we worship You, we glorify You, we give thanks to You for Your great Glory....
Lord King, heavenly God, Father, Ruler over all; Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; and You, O Holy Spirit.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us, You that take away the sins of the world.
Accept our supPLIIcation, You that sit at the right hand of the Father, and have mercy on us.
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 Your name will I praise to eternity, and to the ages of ages.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, this day, that we be kept without sin.
Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Your name to the ages. Amen.
Let Your mercy be on us, O Lord, as we have set our hope on You.
Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes. (Thrice)
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 fled to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we shall see light.
Continue Your mercy to those who know You.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
On Sundays, if the mode of the week be I, II, III, or IV, the following troparion is chanted in Mode IV or the mode of the week:
When You rose from the sepulcher and broke the bonds of Hades, You repealed the sentence of death, O Lord, and delivered all from the snares of the enemy. And when You showed yourself to Your Apostles, You sent them out to preach, and through them You granted peace to the whole world, O only very merciful One.
All texts and translations on this web site are Copyright to Fr. Seraphim Dedes of St. Gregory Palamas Monastery. They may be downloaded, printed and used by anyone. Permission to publish any part of them should be obtained from the translator.
