On Lord I have cried…, 6 stichera: 3 of the feast: Idiomela, 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!

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!”

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!”

And 3 stichera from the Menaion.

Glory…, 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!

Now & ever…: Dogmatic theotokion, in Tone I—

Let us hymn the Virgin Mary, the glory of the whole world, who sprang forth from men and gave birth unto the Master, the portal of heaven, and the subject of the hymnody of the incorporeal hosts and adornment of the faithful; for she hath been shown to be heaven and the temple of the Godhead. Having destroyed the middle-wall of enmity, she hath brought forth peace and opened wide the kingdom. Therefore, having her as the confirmation of our faith, we have as champion the Lord born of her. Wherefore, be of good courage! Yea, be ye of good cheer, O people of God, for He vanquisheth the foe, in that He is almighty!

Then, O gladsome Light…, and the prokimenon of the day.

Aposticha stichera of the resurrection, in Tone I—

Accept Thou our evening prayers, O holy Lord, and grant us remission of sins, as Thou alone art He Who hath shown forth the resurrection in the world.

Stichos: The Lord is King, He is clothed with majesty.

Encircle Sion and embrace it, O ye people, and therein give glory unto Him Who hath risen from the dead; for He is our God, Who hath delivered us from our iniquities.

Stichos: For He hath established the world which shall not be shaken.

Come, ye people, let us hymn and worship Christ, glorifying His resurrection from the dead; for He is our God, Who hath delivered the world from the deception of the enemy.

Stichos: Holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord, unto length of days.

By Thy passion have we been freed from passions, O Christ, and by Thy resurrection have we been delivered from corruption. O Lord, glory be 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…; and the troparion: When the sepulcher was sealed…; litany, and dismissal.

N.B.: Be it known that the canons for the departed from the Octoechos in the tone of the week are, on all Saturdays during the period of Pentecost, to be chanted on Friday evening during Compline.

At God is the Lord…, the troparion of the feast, thrice.

After the first chanting of the Psalter, these sessional hymns, in Tone I—

The soldiers guarding Thy tomb, O Savior, became as dead men because of the radiance of the angel who appeared before them, proclaiming the resurrection to the women. We glorify Thee, the Destroyer of corruption, and we bow down before Thee, our one God Who hast risen from the grave.

Special Melody: When the stone had been sealed…: Very early the women arrived at the tomb and, beholding the appearance of the angel, they trembled. The tomb shone forth life, and the miracle filled them with awe. Wherefore, going to the disciples, they proclaimed the resurrection: Christ hath made hades captive, in that He alone is mighty and powerful; and by the Cross destroying the fear of damnation, He hath raised up with Himself all who had fallen prey to corruption!

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

When Gabriel announced to thee, “Rejoice!” O Virgin, the Master of all became incarnate within thee, the holy tabernacle, at his cry, as the righteous David said. And bearing thy Creator, thou wast shown to be more spacious than the heavens. Glory to Him Who made His abode within thee! Glory to Him Who came forth from thee! Glory to Him Who hath set us free by thy birthgiving!

After the second chanting of the Psalter, this 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!”

And the reading.

Then, Having beheld the resurrection of Christ…; and Psalm 50.

Canon of the feast, with 6 troparia, including the irmos; that of the temple, with 4 troparia; and that from the Menaion, with 4 troparia. After Ode III, the kontakion and sessional hymn from the Menaion; Glory…, Now & ever…, that of the feast. After Ode VI, the kontakion and ikos of the feast. After Ode IX, the exapostilarion of the feast.

On the Praises, 4 stichera of the resurrection, in Tone I—

We hymn Thy saving Passion, O Christ, and glorify Thy resurrection.

O Lord Who didst endure the Cross, abolish death and rise from the dead: Bring peace to our life, as Thou alone art almighty.

O Christ Who by the resurrection didst make hades captive and raise men up from the dead, count us worthy to hymn and glorify Thee with a pure heart.

Glorifying Thy divine condescension, we hymn Thee, O Christ. Thou wast born of the Virgin and yet wast not separated from the Father; Thou didst willingly endure the Cross and didst rise from the tomb, issuing forth therefrom as from a bridal chamber, that Thou mightest save the world. O Lord, glory be to Thee!

Glory…, Now & ever; in Tone VI—

Eight days after Thy rising, 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!”

Aposticha stichera of the feast, in Tone I: Special Melody: O all-praised martyrs…—

After Thy dread arising 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.

Stichos: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world.

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!”

Stichos: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaimeth the work of His hands.

“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 Thine arising!”

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

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!”

And the rest of Matins. Troparion: When the sepulcher was sealed…; Litany, First Hour, and dismissal. And the usual procession to the narthex.

On the Beatitudes, 6 troparia, from Ode IX of the canon of the feast.

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, §15 [5:21-33]

In those days, when the apostles heard the angel’s words, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and those who were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned and told, saying: “The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.” Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. Then came one and told them, saying: “Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.” Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council; and the high priest asked them, saying: “Did not we strictly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood upon us.” Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, Whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, Whom God hath given to those who obey Him.” When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.

Alleluia, in Tone VIII—

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

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

Gospel According to John, §19 [6:14-27]

At that time, men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said: “This is of a truth that Prophet Who should come into the world.” When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone, and when even was then come, His disciples went down unto the sea, and entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernæum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. But He said unto them: “It is I; be not afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went. The day following, when the people who stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto His disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples were gone away alone; (howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:) when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither His disciples, they also took ship, and came to Capernæum, seeking for Jesus. And when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said unto Him: “Rabbi, when camest Thou hither?” Jesus answered them and said: “Verily, verily, I say unto you: Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labor not for the food which perisheth, but for that food which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed.”

Communion verse—

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

And we follow this same pattern for all Saturdays, until the Ascension of Christ.