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Sun12Apr2020
Agape Vespers on Pascha
AGAPE VESPERS
The Paschal Troprion is sung three times: first by the clergy, then by the faithful, then half by the clergy, and half by the faithful. We continue to sing the Troparion with verses from Psalm 67:
Paschal Troparion
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life.
Priest: Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee from before His face!
All: Christ is risen...
Priest: As smoke vanishes, let them vanish, as wax melts before the fire!
All: Christ is risen...
Priest: So let the sinners perish before the face of God, but let the righteous be glad!
All: Christ is risen...
Priest: This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
All: Christ is risen...
Priest: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
All: Christ is risen...
Priest: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death,
All: And to those in the tombs giving life.
Litany of Peace
Lamp-Lighting Psalms
In Tone 2
- If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.
Come, let us worship Him who was born of the Father before all ages.* the Word of God incarnate of the Virgin Mary,* for by His own free will He has suffered crucifixion* and was committed to the tomb* and is now risen from the dead* and has saved me who had been lost.
- I have waited for You as You have commanded;*my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.
By His cross, Christ our Saviour* wiped out the sentence written against us.* He wiped it out and abolished the might of death.* Let us therefore bow in adoration* before His resurrection on the third day.
- From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.
With the archangels let us sing a hymn of praise* to the resurrection of Christ,* for He is the Redeemer and Saviour of our souls* and He shall come again with awesome glory and great might* to judge the world He Himself created.
- For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
O You who were crucified and were buried,* the angel proclaimed You the Lord when he said to the women:* Come and see where the Lord was laid.* Since He is almighty* He is risen as He had foretold.* Therefore, we worship You, the only Immortal One,* O Christ, Giver of life,* have mercy on us!
- Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all You people.
By Your cross You abolished the curse of the tree.* By Your burial You put to death the might of death* and by Your resurrection You enlightened humankind.* Therefore, we cry out to You:* O Christ our God, the Benefactor, glory to You!
- Strong is the love of the Lord for us;*eternally will His truth endure.
O Lord, the gates of death opened to You out of fear,* and when the gate-keepers of Hades saw You, they trembled.* They trembled again when You crushed its gates of bronze and its iron bars* and delivered us from the shadow and gloom of death,* and broke our fetters.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Let us sing a salutary hymn or praise;* let us kneel in the house of the Lord and cry out:* O You who were crucified on a cross and rose from the dead* while still remaining in the bosom of the Father,* forgive us our sins.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
O Virgin,* the shadow of the Law passed away with the realization of grace.* For as the bush had burned without being consumed* so you gave birth while a virgin,* and you remained a virgin.* Instead of the pillar of fire there rose the Sun of Justice.* Instead of Moses, Christ God came forth,* the Saviour of our souls.
The Great Prokeimenon, Tone 7
Who is so great a God as our God?* Thou art the God who doest wonders!
verse: Amongst the people hast Thou made Thy power known!
verse: And I said: now have I made a beginning: this change has been wrought by the right hand of the Most High.
verse: I have remembered the works of the Lord, and called to mind Thy wonders from of old.Gospel
John 20:19-25Litany of Supplication
Deign, O Lord
Second Litany of Supplication
Aposticha
In Tone 2
Your Resurrection, O Christ, the Saviour,* has lighted up the whole universe.* You have renewed Your creation,* O Lord almighty, glory to You!
Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered.
Today a sacred Pascha is revealed to us: a new and holy Pascha; a mystical Pascha; a Pascha which is Christ the Redeemer; a blameless Pascha; a great Pascha; a Pascha of the faithful; a Pascha which has opened for us the gates of Paradise; a Pascha which sanctifies all the faithful.
As smoke vanishes, let them vanish!
Come from that scene O women bearers of glad tidings, and say to Zion: Receive from us the glad tidings of joy of Christ’s Resurrection: Exult and be glad, and rejoice, O Jerusalem, seeing Christ the King who comes forth from the tomb like a Bridegroom in procession!
So let sinners perish before the face of God, but let the righteous scatter rejoice!
The myrrh-bearing women at the break of dawn drew near to the tomb of the Life Giver. There they found an angel sitting upon a stone, he greeted the, with these words: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? Why do you mourn in the incorrupt amid corruption? Go, proclaim the glad tidings to His disciples.”
This is the day which the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Pascha of beauty! The Pascha of the Lord! Pascha! A Pascha worthy of all honour has dawned on us. Pascha! Let us embrace each other joyously! Pascha, ransom from affliction! For today as from a bridal chamber Christ has shown forth from the Tomb, and filled the women with joy saying: “Proclaim the glad tidings to the Apostles!”
Glory… Now…
This is the day of Resurrection, let us be illumined by the Feast! Let us embrace each other! Let us call “brothers” even those that hate us and forgive all by the Resurrection, and so let us cry:
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life. (3)
At this time, all exchange the Paschal Kiss
Dismissal
Deacon: Wisdom!
All: Give the blessing!
Priest: Blessed is the One-Who-is, blessed is Christ our God, always, now and forever and ever.
All: Amen. O God, strengthen the orthodox faith forever and ever.
Priest: O most holy Mother of God, save us.
All: Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem! For the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Exult now and be glad, O Sion! And you, O chaste Mother of God, take delight in the resurrection of your Son
Priest: Glory be to You, O Christ our God, our hope, glory be to You!
All: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs, giving life. Lord, have mercy. (3) Give the blessing!
Priest: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs, giving life, through the prayers of His immaculate Mother, of the holy glorious and all-praiseworthy Apostles, of our venerable god-bearing fathers, of Saint N., patron of this temple, of Saint N., whose memory we celebrate this day, and of all the saints, will have mercy and save us, for He is good and loves mankind.
All: Amen.
Christ is risen from the dead,* trampling death by death,* and to those in the tombs* giving life. (3)