On Lord, I have cried…, 6 stichera: 3 of the feast, in Tone II: Special Melody: When from the Tree…—

They who heard words of joy from the young men sitting in the tomb of the Word, ran a race of most ardent haste; and abandoning their previous rite of embalming, they showed themselves to be heralds, announcing to the initiates of the mysteries that He Who became man for our sake had risen from the nether regions of hades.

Forestalling the earliest dawn, the myrrh-bearing women approached the tomb with fear, bearing myrrh to Christ, the Bestower of life, assuming that He Who had slain death was among the dead; but a divine angel stood before them, crying out: “Why seek ye with the dead Him Who is alive and bringeth life? Go and proclaim His arising!”

O blessed Joseph, dost thou bear upon thy shoulders, like any other burden, Him Who resteth on the shoulders of the cherubim, Who first became incarnate, and now hath been slain, and Who hath brought life to us mortals? Beholding His resurrection, thou dost rejoice with the honored myrrh-bearers, though ye first lamented His death.

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone I—

The Magdalene and another Mary came to the tomb, seeking the Lord; and they beheld an angel bright as lightning, seated upon the stone, who said to them: “Why seek ye among the dead Him Who is alive? He hath risen, as He said. Ye shall find Him in Galilee. Unto Him let us cry out: O Lord Who hast arisen from the dead, glory to Thee!”

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

Aposticha stichera, in Tone II—

Thy resurrection, O Christ Savior, illumined the whole universe; and Thou didst call back Thine own creation. O all-powerful Lord, glory be to Thee!

Stichos: Unto Thee have I lifted up mine eyes, unto Thee that dwellest in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hands of their masters, as the eyes of the handmaid look unto the hands of her mistress, so do our eyes look unto the Lord our God, until He take pity on us.

Of the apostles: Thou didst magnify the names of Thy preeminent apostles throughout the whole world, O Savior, for they learned heavenly things and imparted ineffable healings unto mortals. They who were fishermen healed diseases by their handkerchiefs alone; they who were Jews theologized the doctrines of grace. For their sake, O Thou Who art full of lovingkindness, grant us great mercy.

Stichos: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for greatly are we filled with abasement. Greatly hath our soul been filled therewith; let reproach come upon them that prosper, and abasement on the proud.

Martyricon: Great is the glory ye have acquired by faith; for ye not only vanquished the enemy in your sufferings, but in death ye drive away evil spirits and heal the infirm, O physicians of souls and bodies. Pray ye to the Lord, that our souls may find mercy.

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone II—

With tears the women poured forth myrrh upon Thy tomb; but their mouths were filled with joy when they could say: The Lord is risen!

Then, Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart…, Trisagion, troparia, and dismissal.

At God is the Lord…, the troparia of the feast.

After the first chanting of the Psalter, these sessional hymns, in Tone II: Special Melody: All-blessed art thou…—

Bearing the myrrh of Thy burial, the women came secretly to the tomb very early, fearing the audacity of the Jews and expecting to find soldiers standing guard. But their courage overcame their weak nature, since their merciful intention was pleasing unto God. Wherefore, they cried out fittingly: “Help us, O Lord, and deliver us for the sake of the glory of Thy name!”

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

O Christ God, Who in Thine ineffable love for mankind didst make fishermen wiser than rhetors and didst send them forth as preachers throughout the whole world, for their sake make steadfast Thy Church, and send down Thy blessing upon the faithful, O Thou Who alone restest in the saints.

Stichos: Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel.

O ye apostles, martyrs and prophets, ye venerable and righteous, who ran the race well and kept the Faith: As ye have boldness before the Savior, entreat Him in our behalf, in that He is good, we pray, that our souls may be saved.

Glory…, Now & ever…: Theotokion—

Through thee, O Ever-virgin Theotokos, have we come to share in the divine essence; for unto us thou gavest birth to the incarnate God. Wherefore, we all piously magnify thee as is meet.

After the second chanting of the Psalter, this sessional hymn, in Tone II—

Bearing myrrh in haste, O Savior, the women sought to anoint Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind; but an angel cried to them from the tomb: “The Lord and Bestower of life hath risen, trampling death and hades underfoot.”

Glory…, Now & ever…: The foregoing is repeated.

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

Canon of the feast, with 8 troparia, including the irmos; and that from the Menaion, with 4 troparia.

On the Praises, 4 stichera, in Tone II—

Of the resurrection: Before Thou wast conceived, O Lord, the angel brought the salutation ‘Rejoice!’ to her who is full of grace; and an angel rolled away the stone of Thy glorious tomb at Thy resurrection: the one, instead of grief, announcing tidings of gladness; and the other, instead of death, proclaiming to us the Master the Giver of life. Wherefore, we cry out to Thee: O Lord, Thou Benefactor of all, glory be to Theel Twice

Of the apostles: We, who are ever assailed by the actions of the unrighteous, yet truly find refuge in Thee, Who art God, offer unto Thee the voice of Thy disciples, saying: Save us, O our Instructor, for we are perishing! And we pray: Show now to our enemies that Thou dost protect men and savest them from misfortunes through the supplications of the apostles, overlooking their sins in Thy great goodness. O Lord, glory be to Thee!

Martyricon: Every city and land honoreth your relics, O passion-bearers and martyrs; for, having contended lawfully, ye have received heavenly crowns: wherefore, ye are the boast of hierarchs and the majesty of the Churches.

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone II—

Very early in the morning, the myrrh-bearing women, bearing spices, reached the tomb of the Lord; and finding that which they had not expected, they pondered piously the rolling away of the stone, and said one to another: “Where are the seals of the tomb? Where is the watch set by Pilate, and the careful security?” But a radiant angel was a herald for the bewildered women, and he said unto them: “Why do you seek with lamentation the Living One Who hath enlivened the human race? Christ our God hath risen from the dead as almighty!”—He Who granteth incorruption and life, enlightenment and great mercy to us all!”

Aposticha stichera, in Tone II: Special Melody: When from the Tree…—

When Thou didst arise as God, Thou gavest the command to the myrrh-bearers to rejoice, saying: “I have not yet ascended to My Father, wherefore, touch Me not. Go instead, and say to My friends: Behold, He goeth before you!” Wherefore, after these things, Thou wast seen, and breathing upon them Thou gavest them the Holy Spirit, O Savior.

Stichos: Thou hast been gracious, O Lord, unto Thy land; Thou hast turned back the captivity of Jacob.

The initiates of the mysteries did not believe the words of the myrrh-bearing women who proclaimed Christ’s resurrection from the dead, and they hastened to the tomb to see for themselves. There in the tomb they beheld the shroud and the napkin, but He Whom they sought was nowhere to be seen. Wherefore, when they acknowledged the resurrection, they were shown to be heralds in the world, proclaiming it to the nations.

Stichos: Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Light unapproachable hath appeared to us—the comely Christ the Lord shining forth from the tomb. Hades hath been made captive; the ends of the world rejoice; creation danceth; celebrating, the Church of Christ hymneth the memory of the most wise Joseph, and with him doeth honor to the celebration of the myrrh-bearing women.

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone II—

Why mingle ye myrrh with tears, O ye women disciples? The stone hath been rolled away; the tomb is empty. Behold, corruption hath been trampled down by life, the seals and the sleeping guardsmen of those who are wickedly contumacious bearing manifest witness. That which is mortal hath been saved by the flesh of God. Hades lamenteth. Hastening with joy, say unto the apostles: “Christ, Who hath slain death, the Firstborn from among the dead, goeth before you into Galilee.”

Then, the troparia; First Hour; and dismissal.