Hymns & Music

The 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. (4x with verses)

 

Apolytikion. Original Melody.

The stone had been secured with a seal by the Judeans, * and a guard of soldiers was watching Your immaculate body. * You rose on the third day, O Lord * and Savior, grant­ing life unto the world. * For this reason were the powers of heaven crying out to You, O Life-giver: * Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ; * glory to Your Kingdom; * glory to Your dispensation, only One who loves mankind.

 

Theotokion. Same Melody.

When Gabriel had uttered rejoice to you, O Virgin, * then with the voice was the Lord of all becoming incarnate * in you whom the holy Ark [of old * prefigured], as righteous David said. * You carried Your Creator and proved to be more spacious than the heavens. * Glory to Him who dwelt inside of you; glory to Him who came forth from You; glory be to Him who through your childbirth has set us free.

 

After the first reading from the Psalter, the Small Litany, and we chant Resurrectional Kathismata

Mode I. Original Melody.

The soldiers keeping watch at Your sepul­cher, O Savior, * became as dead for fear of the Angel appearing * as lightning and pro­claiming unto the women that You arose. * O Destroyer of corruption, we glorify You, * and we worship You who from the tomb res­urrected, * for You are our only God.

 

Glory.... Same Melody.

You willingly were nailed to the Cross, lov­ing Master; * as mortal You were laid in a tomb, O Life-giver. * By Your own death did You destroy death’s dominion, O Mighty One. * For the sentries of Hades in fear of You shud­dered. * With yourself You raised those who were dead from the ages, * for You alone love mankind.

 

Both now... Theotokion.

All we who run to you and with longing take refuge * in your benevolence, know that you are the Mother * of God and after giving birth are a virgin in very truth. * For we sinners have you as our only protection. * In temptation we rely on you for salvation, * O only all-blameless one.

 

After the second reading, the Small Litany, and Kathismata.

Melody: The stone had been secured

The women to the gravesite went early in the morning * and when they beheld the appearance of an angel they trembled. * The sepulcher radiated life; the wonder filled them with astonishment. * Hence they went away, proclaiming the resurrection unto the Disci­ples. * “Christ has despoiled Hades, as the One * mighty and only powerful, * and He raised up all who were corrupted, * and dispelled the fear of condemnation, by the power of the Cross.”

 

Glory... Same Melody.

When You the Life of the universe were nailed unto the Cross, * and You were reckoned among the dead, O Lord, the Im­mortal One, * O Savior, on the third day You arose, * and resurrected Adam from decay. * For this reason were the powers of heaven cry­ing out to You, O Life-giver: * Glory to Your suf­ferings, O Christ; * glory to Your Res­ur­rec­tion; * glory to Your condescension, only One who loves mankind.

 

Both now... Theotokion.

Melody: The soldiers keeping watch

O Mary who became the Master’s hal­lowed vessel, * O raise us up, for we have fallen into the chasm * of awful despon­dency, and transgressions and suffer­ing. * For you have indeed become salvation for sinners, * and their help in need and their prevailing protection; * and also you save your slaves.

 

After the reading of Psalm 118, the Evlogetaria are chanted.

Mode Plagal I

Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.

The company of angels * was amazed when it saw You among the dead being numbered, * O Savior, who destroyed the power of death * and resurrected Adam together with yourself, * while from Hades liberating everyone.

 

Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.

Why do you mingle the ointments * with your tears full of pity, * O women dis­ciples? * Thus the Angel who was flashing in the tomb * cried unto the myrrh-bearing women. * See for yourselves the empty tomb and under­stand; * for the Savior has risen from the sepulcher.

 

Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.

Unto Your tomb, very early in the morning, * did the myrrh-bearers hasten lamenting. * But the angel ap­peared unto them and uttered: * The time for lamentation has ended; weep no more. * But announce the Resurrection to the Apostles.

 

Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.

The myrrh-bearing women, who had come with their spices * to Your sepulcher, O Savior, * heard the voice of an Angel speak­ing unto them: * Why do you account among the dead the One who lives? * For as God, He has risen from the sepulcher.

 

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

We worship the Father and together His Son * and the Holy Spirit, * the Holy Trinity, one in essence, * and we cry aloud together with the Seraphim: * Holy, Holy, Holy are You, O Lord.

 

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

O Virgin who gave birth to the Giver of life, * from sin you delivered Adam, * while to Eve you have rendered joy in place of sorrow. * He who was from you made in­carnate, God and man, * has directed to life him who fell from it.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to You, O God. (Thrice)

 

Small Litany

Hypakoë

The repentance of the robber plundered Paradise, while the lament of the myrrh-bearing women revealed the joy. For You had risen, O Christ our God, bestowing on the world the great mercy.

The Hymns of Ascent

1^st Antiphon

When I am afflicted, hearken to my distress; Lord, to You I cry out.

Ceaseless does divine longing become in those who dwell in the wilderness, * outside of the futile world as they are.

Glory.... Both now...

To the Holy Spirit do both honor and glory belong, as to the Father and the Son. Let us therefore sing in praise to the Trinity and one dominion.

 

2^nd Antiphon

Having lifted me up to the mountains of Your laws, * brighten me with virtues, O God, that I may praise You.

With Your right hand embracing me, O Logos, * be my keeper, shelter me, so that the fire of sin not burn me.

Glory.... Both now...

By the Holy Spirit all creation is renewed, and thus returns unto its first state. For He is equal in power to the Father and the Logos.

 

3^rd Antiphon

Because they said to me, Let us journey to the courts of the Lord, * my spirit has been cheered, and my heart rejoices also.

On the house of David there is great fear; * for there, when thrones have been placed, all the tribes and tongues of the earth will be judged.

Glory.... Both now...

To the Holy Spirit honor, worship, glory and dominion, * as befit the Father and the Son, must also be offered. * For the Trinity is a Monad, in nature but not in persons.

 

Prokeimenon

Now will I arise, says the Lord; I will set them in salvation; * I will speak boldly thereof.

Verse: The words of the Lord are pure words.

 

Let every breath. Gospel reading. Having seen the Resurrection. Psalm 50, etc.

Canon of the Resurrection

Ode One. Mode I. The Heirmos.

As befits Divinity, O Lord, * so Your victorious right hand was glorified. * For it shattered adversaries, as it is all-powerful, Immortal One, * opening a new way across the deep for the Israelites.

 

Ode Three. The Heirmos.

As You are the only One who knows * our mortal nature’s frailty * and with com­passion took on the form thereof, * gird me about with the power from above, * to cry out that Holy is the animate temple of * Your immaculate glory, O Lover of man.

 

Kontakion

Melody: When You come, O God

You arose from the sepulcher in glory as God, and with yourself resurrected the world. And mortal nature extolled You as God, and death was obliterated, and Adam is dancing, O Master; and Eve, now redeemed from the bonds, rejoices crying out: O Christ, You are He who grants resurrection to all.

Oikos

Let us extol, as omnipotent God, the One who rose on the third day, and who smashed the gates of Hades, and who raised from the tomb those who were there from all time, and who was seen by the myrrh-bearing women as He so willed, uttering to them first of all the greeting, Rejoice, and to the Apos­tles declaring the joy, as the only Giver of life. Wherefore in faith the women announce to the Disciples the tokens of victory. And Hades groans, and Death laments, and the world exults and all people rejoice together. For You, O Christ, are He who grants resur­rection to all.

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.

Burning, yet remaining unconsumed, * the bush disclosed a type of your virgin child­birth. * And now we entreat that you ex­tinguish the furnace of * fierce tempta­tions, for it is besetting us; * that we, O Theotokos, * may praise you ceaselessly and magnify.

 

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.

O Christ, we praise in song Your saving Passion, and Your resurrection do we glorify.

 

Praise God for His saints, praise Him for the firmament of His power.

You endured crucifixion and abolished death and resurrected from the dead. Do therefore now bring peace into our life, O Lord, as the only Almighty One.

 

Praise Him for His mighty acts, praise Him in proportion to the magnitude of His greatness.

You stripped Hades of plunder, and hu­manity You resurrected by Your resur­rection, O Christ. Do therefore now account us worthy with a pure heart to praise You and glorify.

 

Praise Him with sound of trumpet, praise Him with the psaltery and harp.

We glorify Your divine condescension, and we sing Your praise, O Christ. You were born of a Virgin, and from the Fa­ther You remained inseparable. You suffered as a man and voluntarily endured the Cross. As one emerging from a bridal chamber, You rose from the sepulcher, in order to save the world. Glory to You, O Lord.

 

Other Stichera by Anatolios

Praise Him with timbrel and dance, praise Him with strings and flute.

When You were nailed to the tree of the Cross, then was the might of the enemy put to death. All creation trembled in fear of You, and Hades was despoiled by Your own might. You raised the dead from the graves, and for the robber You opened Paradise, O Christ our God. Glory to You.

 

Praise Him with tuneful cymbals, praise Him with cym­bals of jubilation. Let every breath praise the Lord.

The loyal women earnestly came unto Your grave lamenting. And finding that the sepulcher had been opened, and from the Angel learning of the novel and paradoxical wonder, they brought these tidings to the Apostles, that the Lord is risen, bestowing on the world His great mercy.

 

Arise, O Lord my God, let Your hand be exalted; for­get not Your paupers to the end.

The divine stripes that You suffered at Your Passion we adore, O Christ our God, as well as the dominical sacrifice in Zion that was divinely manifested toward the end of the ages. For You, the Sun of Right­eousness, have illuminated them that lay in darkness, leading them to the illumination that never wanes. Glory to You, O Lord.

 

I will give thanks to You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.

Listen, O trouble-loving race of Judeans. Where are the men who went to Pilate? Let the soldiers who were guarding answer. Where, pray tell, are the seals that were on the tomb? Where was the buried corpse removed? How was the priceless One sold for a price? How was the treasure stolen? Why are you discrediting the Resurrection of the Crucified, O unlawful Judeans? He arose, as the One free among the dead, and He grants to the world the great mercy.

 

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 supplication, 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:

Today has salvation come to pass in the world. Let us sing to Him who resur­rected from the tomb and is the Author of our life. For, destroying death by death, He gave us the victory and the great mercy.

 

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.