When the priest hath intoned the blessing, we say Christ is risen…, thrice. Then followeth the psalm Bless the Lord, O my soul…

At Lord, I have cried…, 4 stichera, in Tone I: Special Melody: Joy of the ranks of heaven…—

In His love for mankind Christ deigned to be touched, as before this He also endured the Cross and unjust slaying. He Who arose from the tomb on the third day did not break the seal, standing before the disciples as One omnipotent, the doors being shut. Twice

The disbelief of Thomas, who most audaciously touched the wounds of Christ’s hands and feet with his curious hand, unto the assurance of the world, persuadeth all of the arising from the uttermost depths of hades of the Word, the God-man, which saveth the world.

When the apostles were gathered together in fear after Thy passion, O Word, Thou didst suddenly enter into their midst, the doors being shut, granting them peace, and exposing the precious wound of Thy side for Thomas to touch.

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone II—

After Thine arising, O Lord, when Thy disciples were assembled together and the doors were shut, Thou didst stand in their midst, granting them peace. And even Thomas, convinced by the sight of Thy hands and side, confessed Thee to be the Lord and God Who saveth those who hope in Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

O gladsome Light…; Prokimenon: The Lord is King…

Aposticha stichera, in Tone II: Special Melody: O house of Ephratha…—

With pure lips, O men, with the angels hymn ye the One Who rose from the tomb on the third day and hath raised up the world with Himself.

Stichos: Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Sion.

When the doors were shut, O Savior, Thou didst appear to Thy sacred apostles, through them renewing Thy divine Spirit in us.

Stichos: For He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates, He hath blessed thy sons within thee.

Beholding Thee now not with our eyes, but with heartfelt love, and believing Thee to be God, O King of all, we magnify Thee in hymns.

Glory…, Now & ever…, in the same tone & melody—

Unto Thy people, O Deliverer, Thou givest peace and release from debts, through the supplications of the only, most pure Mother of God.

Then, Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart…; Trisagion through Our Father. Troparion, in Tone VII—

When the sepulcher was sealed Thou didst shine forth life from the tomb, O Christ God; and when the doors were shut Thou didst stand before Thy disciples, O Resurrection of all, through them renewing an upright Spirit in us, according to Thy great mercy.

Be it known: If an all-night vigil is not served for this Sunday, on Saturday evening, at Compline, after the Trisagion, the festal kontakion from the Pentecostarion; Glory…, Now & ever…, the kontakion of Pascha: Though Thou didst descend…; And thus is it done until the Leave-taking of Pascha.

After the priest intoneth the blessing, we chant Christ is risen…, thrice. And straightway we perform the Introductory Psalm, Bless the Lord, O my soul…, with chanting, as is customary. And when it is concluded, we sing Blessed is the man…, the entire first kathisma.

On Lord, I have cried…, 10 stichera idiomela, of the feast, the composition of John the Monk—

In Tone I: When the doors were shut, and the disciples were gathered together, Thou didst suddenly enter in, O almighty Jesus our God, and standing in their midst and granting them peace, Thou didst fill them with the Holy Spirit, and didst command them to wait, and in nowise to depart from Jerusalem, until they were invested with power from on high. Wherefore, we cry out to Thee: O our Enlightenment, Resurrection and Peace, glory to Thee! Twice

Eight days after Thine arising, O Lord, Thou didst appear to Thy disciples in the place where they were gathered; and having proclaimed to them “Peace be unto you!” Thou didst show Thy hands and all-pure side to the unbelieving disciple; and, believing, he cried out to Thee: “My Lord and my God, glory to Thee!” Twice

Thomas, who is called the Twin, was not with them when Thou didst enter in, the doors being shut, O Christ; wherefore, he did not believe the things that were said unto him, by his disbelief confirming our faith. But Thou, O Good One, didst not fail to show him Thine all-pure side, and the wounds of Thy feet and hands; and touching and beholding them, he confessed Thee to be not God alone, nor merely man, and cried out: “My Lord and my God, glory to Thee!” Twice

When the disciples doubted, on the eighth day the Savior stood before them where they were assembled, and, granting them peace, cried out to Thomas: “Come, O apostle, and touch the hands which the nails have pierced!” O the goodly unbelief of Thomas! He brought the hearts of the faithful to knowledge, and cried out with fear: “My Lord and my God, glory to Thee!” Twice

In Tone II: After Thine arising, O Lord, when Thy disciples were assembled together and the doors were shut, Thou didst stand in their midst, granting them peace. And even Thomas, convinced by the sight of Thy hands and side, confessed Thee to be the Lord and God Who saveth those who hope in Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind. Once

When the doors were shut, Jesus, standing in the midst of the disciples, gave them peace and release from fear. Then said He unto Thomas: “Wherefore dost thou not believe that I have risen from the dead? Reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side, and behold; for as thou believest not, all have learned of My sufferings and resurrection, and to cry out with thee: ‘My Lord and my God, glory to Thee!’” Once

Glory…, Now & ever…, the composition of John the Monk, in Tone VI—

When the doors were shut, Thou didst come unto the disciples, O Christ. Then was Thomas providentially not among them. For he said: “I will not believe if I do not see the Master myself; if I do not behold the side from whence blood and water—baptism—issued forth; if I do not see the wound whereby the great wound of man hath been healed; if I do not see that He hath not become a spirit, but is flesh and bone.” O Lord, Who didst trample down death and convince Thomas, glory to Thee!

Entrance. O gladsome Light…; Prokimenon: The Lord is King…

At Litia, these stichera—

In Tone IV: O Lord, Thou didst arrive in the unbearable radiance of Thy divinity, the doors being shut, and standing in the midst of the disciples Thou didst expose Thy side, revealing also the wounds of Thy hands and the holes in Thy feet; and easing their grief and sorrow, Thou didst manifestly cry out: “Ye see in Me the assumption of the flesh in the same form, O friends; I have not assumed the nature of a spirit.” And Thou didst command the doubting disciple to touch Thee with trembling, saying: “Having tested all, come and doubt no more.” And, touching Thy twofold nature with his hand, he cried out with faith and fear, drawn on by faith: “My Lord and my God, glory to Thee!”

In Tone VIII: “Touch My side with thy hand, O Thomas,” saith Christ, “and come, thrust thy finger into the print of the nails. Test with faith, and believe on Me: be not unbelieving.” And Thomas, as he touched the Master with his finger, cried with a loud voice: “My God and Lord! O Compassionate One, glory to Thee!”

Glory…, Now & ever…, the composition of Anatolius, in the same tone—

When the doors were shut and the disciples were assembled, the Savior stood forth where they were gathered, and standing in their midst said to Thomas: “Come, touch and see the print of the nails; stretch forth thy hand, and touch My side; and be not unbelieving, but proclaim with faith My resurrection from the dead.

Aposticha stichera, idiomela, in Tone IV—

O all-glorious wonder! Unbelief hath engendered certain faith! For Thomas said: “If I do not see, I will not believe.” But when he had touched His side, he theologized that He is the Son of God incarnate, acknowledged that He suffered in the flesh, proclaimed the Resurrected One as God, and cried out with a splendid voice: “My Lord and my God, glory to Thee!”

Stichos: Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Sion.

O all-glorious wonder! Hay which touched fire was saved! For thrusting his hand into the fiery side of Jesus Christ our God, Thomas was not consumed at his touching; for the disbelief of his soul was changed to goodly faith, and he cried out fervently from the depths of his soul: “Thou art my Master and God! O Thou Who hast risen from the dead, glory to Thee!”

Stichos: For He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates, He hath blessed thy sons within thee.

O all-glorious wonder! John reclined against the breast of the Word, and Thomas was vouchsafed to touch His side. But the one drew forth therefrom an awesome and profound insight of theology; and the other was vouchsafed to teach us a mystery: for he clearly presenteth proofs of His rising, crying aloud: “My Lord and my God, glory to Thee!”

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone V—

O Thou Who lovest mankind, great and inconceivable is the multitude of Thy compassions! For Thou wast long-suffering, being buffeted by the Jews, probed by the apostle, and wast greatly tested by those who rejected Thee. How becamest Thou incarnate? How wast Thou crucified, O Sinless One? But impart understanding to us, as Thou didst to Thomas, that we may cry out to Thee: “My Lord and my God, glory be to Thee!”

Then, Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart…; Trisagion through Our Father, and the troparion, in Tone VII—

When the sepulcher was sealed Thou didst shine forth life from the tomb, O Christ God; and when the doors were shut Thou didst stand before Thy disciples, O Resurrection of all, through them renewing an upright Spirit in us, according to Thy great mercy. Thrice

Then the blessing of the loaves, and the reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Either the Acts are read from the beginning, or the Commentary of Saint John Chrysostom on the Acts is read from the beginning. Beginning with the Sunday of Saint Thomas, the breaking of the bread doth not take place after the blessing of the loaves, due to the brevity of the night.

N.B.: If vigil is not served, after Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart…; and the Trisagion, the troparion, When the sepulcher was sealed… is chanted, whereupon the dismissal is intoned. 

In the morning we chant Sunday Nocturns, during which we chant the Canon to the Trinity from Tone I of the Octoechos. After the canon, the Nocturns prayer It is truly meet to glorify Thee…, and the rest. Trisagion through Our Father. Troparion: When the sepulcher was sealed…; Lord, have mercy! 40 times. Glory…, Now & ever…; More honorable than the cherubim…; O God, have compassion on us…; Then, the prayer O omnipotent and life-creating…, and the dismissal.

After the conclusion of the reading, we say the Six Psalms, followed by the great litany.

We chant God is the Lord…; in Tone VII, and the troparion of the feast—

When the sepulcher was sealed Thou didst shine forth life from the tomb, O Christ God; and when the doors were shut Thou didst stand before Thy disciples, O Resurrection of all, through them renewing an upright Spirit in us, according to Thy great mercy. Thrice

After the first chanting of the Psalter, the sessional hymn, in Tone I: Special Melody: When the stone had been sealed…—

When the disciples had hid themselves for fear of the Jews, and were gathered together in Sion, Thou didst enter in unto them, O Good One, and didst stand in their midst, the doors being shut, imparting joy unto them; and Thou didst show them Thy hands, and the wound of Thine all-pure side, saying to the unbelieving disciple: “Bring hither thy hand, and test whether I am indeed He Who suffered for thy sake!”

Glory…, Now & ever…: The foregoing is repeated, followed by a reading for the feast.

After the second chanting of the Psalter, the sessional hymn, in Tone I: Special Melody: Thy tomb, O Savior…—

Thou didst stand before Thy disciples, O Christ our Life, the doors being shut, showing them Thy side, Thy hands and feet, and convincing them of Thy rising from the tomb. But Thomas was not among them; wherefore he said: “If I do not see Him, I will not believe your words!”

Glory…, Now & ever…: The foregoing is repeated, followed by a reading for the feast.

Polyeleos, and this magnification—

We magnify Thee, O Christ, Bestower of life, Who for our sake didst descend into hades and didst raise up all with Thyself.

Selected psalm verses—

A The Lord is King, He is clothed with majesty. [92:1]

B The Lord is clothed with strength and hath girt Himself. [92:1]

A For He hath established the world which shall not be shaken. [92:1]

B Who shall tell of the mighty acts of the Lord? Who shall make all His praises to be heard? [105:2]

A Let them give thanks unto the Lord for His mercies, and for His wondrous works for the sons of men. [106:31]

B And He brought us out of darkness and the shadow of death. [cf. 106:14]

A For He shattered the gates of brass, and brake the bars of iron. [106:16]

B He delivered them from their corruption, and their bonds He brake asunder. [106:20, 14]

A For the Lord hath hearkened unto the poor. [68:38]

B And hath not despised them that are fettered. [68:38]

A The Lord awoke as one that sleepeth, and He smote His enemies. [77:70, 71]

B Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon them that hope in His mercy. [32:18]

A To hearken unto the groaning of them that be in fetters. [cf. 78:11]

B To loose the sons of the slain. [101:20]

A Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Him flee from before His face. [67:1]

B This is the day that the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad therein. [117:24]

A Arise, O Lord my God, let Thy hand be lifted high; forget not Thy paupers to the end. [9:32]

B O Lord my God, I will confess Thee forever. [29:12]

Glory…, Now & ever…; 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God! Thrice

After the polyeleos, this sessional hymn, in Tone I: Special Melody: Thy tomb, O Savior…—

“Beholding My side and the print of the nails, O Thomas, why believest thou not in My resurrection?” said the Lord Who arose from the tomb, ineffably appearing to the apostles; and the Twin, believing, cried out to the Creator: “Thou art my God and Lord!”

Glory…, Now & ever…: The foregoing is repeated, followed by a reading for the feast.

Song of Ascents, the first antiphon of Tone IV Prokimenon, in Tone IV—

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Sion.

Stichos: For He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates.

Let every breath praise the Lord.

Gospel According to Matthew, §116 
The First Resurrection Gospel [28:16-20]

At that time the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying: “All power is given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Then, Having beheld the resurrection of Christ, thrice. Psalm 50; and the veneration of the Gospel-book. Then, Glory…: Through the prayers of the apostles, O Merciful One…; Now & ever…: Through the prayers the Theotokos, O Merciful One…; then the sticheron: Have mercy on me, O God…, and Jesus having risen from the tomb, as He foretold, hath given us everlasting life and great mercy. And the prayer: O God, save Thy people…

From this day we begin to recite Let us chant unto the Lord…, which is done throughout the Pentecost period.

Canon of the feast (the irmoi twice, the troparia repeated to make up the number twelve), 
the composition of John the Monk, in Tone I—

Ode I

Irmos: O ye people, let us all chant a hymn of victory unto Him Who delivered Israel from the bitter bondage of Pharaoh, and led them dryshod in the depths of the sea, for He hath been glorified.

Today is the spring-time of our souls, for Christ, shining forth from the tomb on the third day, like the sun hath dispelled the dark storm of our sin. Him let us hymn, for He hath been glorified.

Most manifestly offering gifts to the radiant day, the king of days, the queen of the seasons adorneth the chosen people of the Church, unceasingly hymning the resurrected Christ.

Neither the gates of death, nor the seals on the tomb, nor the keys of the doors withstood Thee, O Christ; for having arisen Thou didst stand before Thy friends, O Master, granting them the peace which passeth all understanding.

Katavasia: The irmoi of Pascha, both choirs together: It is the day of Resurrection! Let us shine with splendor, O ye peoples! Pascha, the Pascha of the Lord! For from death to life and from earth to heaven hath Christ God led us over who sing a hymn of victory.

Ode III

Irmos: Establish me, O Christ, upon the immovable rock of Thy commandments, and illumine me with the light of Thy countenance, for there is none holy save Thee, Who lovest mankind.

Having by Thy Cross made us new instead of old, incorruptible instead of corruptible, O Christ, Thou didst fittingly order us to live in renewal of life.

Enclosed in Thy circumscribed flesh within the tomb, O uncircumscribed Christ, Thou didst arise, and, the doors being shut, Thou didst stand before Thy disciples, O Omnipotent One.

Having preserved for Thy disciples the wounds which Thou hadst willingly endured for us, O Christ, Thou didst show proof of Thy glorious resurrection.

Katavasia: Come, let us drink a new drink, not one miraculously sprung from a barren rock; but the Fount of incorruption—Christ Who poured forth from the tomb, in Whom we are established.

Hypacoï, in Tone VI—

As Thou earnest in the midst of Thy disciples, granting them peace, O Savior, so come to us and save us.

Reading of the treatise of St. Gregory the Theologian, beginning: To be honored with renewal…

Ode IV

Irmos: Great is the mystery of Thy dispensation, O Christ! For, foreseeing it with divine vision from above, Habbakuk cried out to Thee: Thou hast come for the salvation of Thy people, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

Christ tasted gall, healing the ancient tasting of the fruit, and now, with the honeycomb, He granteth enlightenment to our ancestor and the sweet partaking of Himself.

Tried, Thou dost rejoice; wherefore, O Thou Who lovest mankind, Thou commandest him to do this, exposing Thy side to the unbelieving one, convincing the world of Thine arising on the third day.

Having drawn riches forth from the divine treasury which cannot be plundered, with the spear which pierced Thy breast, O Benefactor, the Twin filleth the world with wisdom and understanding.

Thy most blessed tongue boasteth, O Twin; for it was the first to proclaim with piety Jesus, the Bestower of life, God and Lord, and was filled with grace at thy touching Him.

Katavasia: Let the divinely eloquent Habbakuk stand with us on godly watch and show us the radiant angel, who clearly saith: “Today hath salvation come to the world, for Christ is risen, in that He is almighty!”

Ode V

Irmos: Waking at dawn out of the night, we chant to Thee, O Christ, Who with the Father art equally without beginning and art the Savior of our souls: Grant peace to the world, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

Standing before His sorrowful friends, the Savior did away with their sorrow by His arrival and moved them to jubilation at His resurrection.

O the truly laudable and awesome undertaking of Thomas! For he boldly touched the side which shone with divine fire.

The disbelief of Thomas didst Thou show us as engendering faith; for as Thou lovest mankind, O Christ, Thou dost profitably take thought for all things in Thy wisdom.

Katavasia: Let us rise very early in the morning and offer hymnody to the Master instead of myrrh; and let us behold Christ, the Sun of righteousness, Who shineth forth life upon all.

Ode VI

Irmos: Thou didst save the prophet from the sea monster, O Thou Who lovest mankind. Lead me up from the abyss of transgressions, I pray.

Thou didst not leave Thomas drowning in the depths of unbelief, O Master, stretching forth Thy hands to be probed.

Our Savior said: “Having touched Me, behold Me clad in bones and flesh. I have not changed!” Thomas, who was not present at Thy first entry, O our Savior, touched Thy side and, believing, acknowledged Thee.

Katavasia: Thou didst descend into the nethermost depths of the earth, and didst shatter the everlasting bars which held those who were bound, O Christ, and like Jonah from the sea monster Thou didst rise from the tomb on the third day.

Kontakion, in Tone VIII—

With his curious right hand Thomas probed Thy life-bestowing side, O Christ God; and as Thou didst enter, the doors being shut, with the other apostles he cried unto Thee: “Thou art my Lord and God!”

Ikos: Who preserved the disciple’s hand unconsumed when it drew nigh to the fiery side of the Lord? Who gave it boldness and enabled it to touch the flaming bone which can in nowise be touched? For even if the side imparted power to the hand of clay, how was it able to touch what through its sufferings shook that which is above and that which is below? The grace was granted unto Thomas to touch these things, and to cry out unto Christ: Thou art my Lord and God!

Synaxarion for the Sunday of Saint Thomas

On this day, the second Sunday of Pascha, we celebrate the renewal of the resurrection of Christ and the touching of the Lord by the holy Apostle Thomas.

Stichoi: If hades and the seal of the sepulcher did not hinder Thee,/ how will the lock of the doors hinder Thy movement, O Savior?

That which is called a “new feast”, committed to perpetual commemoration, was in antiquity celebrated on the occasion of any noteworthy event. Thus, when the cycle of time brought round the day on which the event took place, the ancients celebrated an annual commemoration thereof, so that great deeds would not pass into oblivion. Hence, the Jews first celebrated Passover in Galgala, to commemorate the passage through the Red Sea. Likewise, and moreover with solemnity, was celebrated the festal commemoration of the Tabernacle of the Witness; likewise also the reign of David, and another, so that each event would not be observed only once. And since, of all the events in the life of Christ, the resurrection is by comparison far the greatest, more exalted than any other, we celebrate it and commemorate it not only every year, but always, additionally, on the eighth day. And the first festal commemoration is the actual Sunday which one may quite legitimately call the eighth and the first, the eighth, counting from Pascha, and the first, as the beginning of others. Furthermore, it is called the eighth because it is set forth as an image of that endless day in the age to come, which will also be the first and only one which will not be cut short by night. This is what the feast of renewal is. What happened with Thomas is this: on that day when the resurrected Christ appeared in the evening to the disciples, Thomas was not among the others who were assembled out of fear of the Jews. A little time afterwards, when he came to them and learned of the appearance of Christ, he refused to believe not only the disciples, that they had beheld Him risen, but, alone among the twelve, that Christ had risen at all. But God, Who arrangeth all things for good, and careth even for the one, and likewise, in His exalted dispensation, so as to establish faith in the resurrection among later generations, and even more, to excite the utter love of that one, having waited eight days, that he who did not believe might impart to all a most assured faith in the resurrection, He came again and, the doors being closed as before, but Thomas being there, He entered and gave them His peace, as usual. Then, He gestured to Thomas and said: “Bring hither thy finger, and behold My hands, and bring hither thy hand, and probe My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing. But since thou didst desire to convince thy mind not through sight alone, thou, being hasty, didst remember feeling as well. (And He showed them that when Thomas had said these things to the disciples, He [the Lord] had heard them.) Wherefore, thrust thy hand into My side.” And He showed that the wound in His side was wide enough to admit a whole hand into its depths! And Thomas, having probed carefully, and come to faith by touching (for it was permitted him both to see and to do this so as to be convinced, even though it involved the incorrupt and deified body), proclaimed the proof: “My Lord and my God!”—the one for the sake of the flesh, the other for the sake of the divinity. And Christ said to him: “Thou has believed because thou didst see Me; but blessed are they who have not seen, yet have believed.” Thomas is called the Twin, either because he was born a twin, or because he was of two minds concerning the resurrection, or because by nature his middle finger grew longer than the so-called index finger; but it would be more accurate to say that he was of two minds and desired to touch with these lengthened fingers. Others say, and this is more in accordance with the truth, that the very name Thomas means Twin. This was the second appearance of Christ. The third was by the Sea of Tiberias when, after the draught of fishes, He partook of food prepared over a divine fire, as He Himself knew, thereby showing forth His resurrection as beyond doubt. Later, He appeared in Emmaus; a fifth time in Galilee; and even, as they say, to the eleven, before ascending into heaven. And appearing after the resurrection, He performed many extraordinary works in the sight of the disciples (yet showed them to few). The Evangelists do not record them, because it would not have been possible for many of the people in the world to hear of them, so greatly did they transcend nature. O Christ our God, through the supplications of Thine Apostle Thomas, have mercy upon us! Amen.

Ode VII

Irmos: When the people were summoned with the sound of music to worship the image, the children of David, chanting the songs of Sion like their fathers, rejected the wicked edict of the tyrant and transformed the flame into dew, singing the hymn: O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

This is the first and radiant day of the Lord, whereon it behooveth the new people of God to rejoice, as is meet, with trembling; for as the eighth day it provideth an image of the age which is to come. O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Thomas the Twin, who atone had boldness and hath profited us by his disbelieving faith, freeth all the ends of the earth from dark ignorance, and with faithful unbelief weaveth a wreath for himself, manifestly saying: “Thou art Lord!” O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Thomas, whose doubt in Thine arising was not for naught, did not suppress it, but strove to show all the nations that it is beyond doubt, O Christ. Hence, having convinced all by his unbelief, he hath taught them to say: “Thou art Lord!” O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Thrusting his hand with fear into Thy life-bearing side, O Christ Savior, with trembling he sensed the twofold activity of the two natures which were united in Thee without confusion; and with faith he cried out, saying: “Thou art Lord!” O supremely exalted God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Katavasia: He Who delivered the children from the furnace, having become man suffereth as a mortal, and by suffering clotheth mortal splendor in incorruption. He alone is the blessed and most glorious God of our fathers!

Ode VIII

Irmos: Hymn the Lord, Who preserved the children in the fiery flame of the burning furnace, descending unto them in the form of an angel, and exalt Him supremely forever!

Thomas, who desired the joyous sight of Thee, before did not believe, but vouchsafed it; he called Thee God and Lord, O Master, Whom we exalt supremely for all ages.

Hymn ye the Lord, Who endured the disbelief of Thomas, and showed him His side, and was touched by his hand; and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Thomas’s doubt disclosed to us a hidden treasure; for, theologizing with a God-bearing tongue, he said: “Hymn the Lord and exalt Him supremely for all ages!”

Katavasia: This is the appointed and holy day, the one king and lord of Sabbaths, the feast of feasts and solemnity of solemnities, whereon we bless Christ forever.

We do not chant the Magnificat; rather, each choir chanteth the irmos of Ode IX.

Ode IX

Irmos: Thee, the Mother of God, the radiant lamp, the all-wondrous glory more exalted than all creatures, do we magnify with hymns.

In hymns do we magnify Thy radiant and most splendid day, O Christ, the most luminous grace, whereon Thou didst stand before Thy disciples, beautiful in comeliness.

In hymns do we magnify Thee Who wast touched in Thy side by a hand of clay, yet didst not consume it with the fire of Thine immaterial, divine essence.

Seeing not with our eyes, but having come to belief through heartfelt love, in hymns we magnify as God Christ Who rose from the tomb.

Katavasia: Shine, O shine, thou new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord hath shone upon thee! Dance now and be glad, O Sion! And do thou delight, O pure Theotokos, in the rising of thine Offspring.

Then, Holy is the Lord our God!, in Tone I, thrice. 

Exapostilarion: Special Melody: The heaven with stars…—

O Thomas, who hast probed the wounds of My members with thy hand, do not fail to believe in Me Who was wounded for thy sake. Be thou of one mind with the disciples, and proclaim Me to be the living God. Twice

Glory…, Now & ever…—

Today is spring filled with sweet fragrance, and creation, renewed, doth exult. Today the keys are removed from the doors, as is the unbelief of Thomas the friend of Christ, who crieth: “My Lord and God!”

On the Praises, 4 stichera, in Tone I: Special Melody: O all-praised martyrs…—

After Thy dread rising from the tomb, O Bestower of life, just as Thou didst not break the seals of the sepulcher, so didst Thou enter in to Thine all-glorious apostles, the doors being shut, granting them peace and bestowing upon them Thine upright Spirit in Thine infinite mercy. Twice

Thomas the Twin had not arrived when Thou didst appear to the disciples, O Lord. Wherefore, he did not believe in Thy resurrection, and unto those who had seen Thee he cried: “If I do not thrust my finger into His side and the print of the nails, I will not believe that He hath risen!”

“As thou desirest to touch Me,” Christ cried out to Thomas, “bring hither thy hand, and acknowledge that I possess bones and an earthly body; and be not unbelieving, but be thou convinced with the others.” And he cried out: “Thou art my God and Lord! Glory to Thy rising!”

Glory…, in Tone VI—

Eight days after Thine arising, O Jesus our King, only-begotten Word of the Father, Thou didst appear to Thy disciples, the doors being shut; and granting them peace, Thou didst show signs unto the unbelieving disciple, saying: “Come and touch My hands and feet, and Mine incorrupt side!” And, believing, he cried out to Thee: “My Lord and my God, glory be to Thee!”

Now & ever…: Theotokion, in Tone II—

All-blessed art thou, O Virgin Theotokos, for by Him Who became incarnate through thee hath hades been made captive, Adam restored, the curse annulled, Eve set free, death slain, and we have been given life. Wherefore, chanting, we cry aloud: Blessed is Christ God Who hath been thus well pleased! Glory to Thee!

Great Doxology. Troparion of the feast. Litanies. Dismissal.

From this day we begin the procession, i.e., we go forth to the narthex. Likewise, the catecheses of our venerable father Theodore the Studite, at which we chant the evangelical sticheron: 

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone I—

When the disciples came to the Mount of Olives for Christ’s ascension from the earth, the Lord stood before them; and having worshipped Him and learned of the authority given them everywhere, they were sent forth to proclaim to the whole world His resurrection from the dead and His ascension into the heavens. And Christ God, the Savior of our souls, promised to remain with them without fail, forever.

NB.: Note that the procession to the narthex and the reading of the catecheses of the Studite precede the First Hour. Thereafter come the First Hour and the rest, as usual; and the final dismissal.

Be it known that we sing the services of the saints whose commemorations coincide with the Sundays of the Pentecost period at Compline.

Liturgy is celebrated early because of the burden of the vigil. The Hours, each with its three psalms, are read in the narthex, according to the Typicon, and therein we read the troparion and kontakion of the feast.

Be it known that from Saint Thomas Sunday to the leave-taking of the feast of Pascha, we begin the Liturgy thus: 

When the deacon hath said: Master, give the blessing, and the priest hath said: Blessed is the kingdom…, the priest chanteth Christ is risen…, thrice, without the stichoi Let God arise…; Then followeth the great litany, and the rest of the Liturgy. 

Instead of It is truly meet…, we chant: 

The angel cried out to her who is full of grace: “Rejoice, O pure Virgin! And again I say, Rejoice! Thy Son, Who hath raised up the dead, hath risen from the tomb on the third day!” Be glad, O ye people!

And then: Shine, O shine, thou new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord hath shone upon thee! Dance now and be glad, O Sion! And do thou delight, O pure Theotokos, in the rising of thine Offspring.

And when the priest saith: With the fear Of God…, we say: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. God is the Lord and hath appeared unto us. Priest: O God, save Thy people…; and instead of the troparion, We have seen the true Light…, we chant, Christ is risen…, once. This we do until the leave-taking of Pascha. The rest of the Liturgy is done as usual. After the dismissal, when the priest saith, Glory to Thee, O Christ God our hope, glory to Thee!, we chant Christ is risen…, thrice. Then followeth the dismissal of the Liturgy, as usual.

We begin with the Typical Psalms, and chant on the Beatitudes 8 troparia from Odes III and VI.

After the entrance, the troparion: When the sepulcher was sealed…; Glory…, Now & ever…: the kontakion: With his curious right hand…

Prokimenon, in Tone III—

Great is our Lord, and great is His strength, and of His understanding there is no measure.

Stichos: Praise ye the Lord, for a psalm is a good thing; let praise be sweet unto our God.

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, §14 [5:12-20]

In those days, by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and those who were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said: “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”

Alleluia, in Tone VIII—

Stichos: Come, let us rejoice in the Lord; let us shout with jubilation unto God our Savior.

Stichos: For the Lord is a great God and a great King over all the earth.

Gospel According to John, §65 [20:19-31]

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them: “Peace be unto you.” And when He had so said, He showed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again: “Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said unto them: “Receive ye the Holy Spirit: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him: “We have seen the Lord.” But he said unto them: “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said: “Peace be unto you.” Then said He to Thomas: “Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said unto Him: “My Lord and my God.” Jesus said unto him: “Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.” And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.

Communion verse—

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Sion. Alleluia. thrice

At the meal the brethren are afforded great consolation. And rising from table, we say all that hath been prescribed for Bright Week.