READINGS: EASTER MONDAY I

Invitatory Psalm & BACK


Psalm 1: Hebrew English     Then BACK
Psalm 2: Hebrew English     Then BACK
Psalm 3: Hebrew English     Then BACK

ἐχάρησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ - Ἁλληλουϊά — ἰδόντες τὸν κύριον - Ἁλληλουϊά.

Even Years: Acts 1:1-26 1 τὸν μὲν πρῶτον λόγον ἐποιησάμην περὶ πάντων, ὦ θεόφιλε, ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς ποιεῖν τε καὶ διδάσκειν 2 ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας ἐντειλάμενος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου οὓς ἐξελέξατο ἀνελήμφθη: 3 οἷς καὶ παρέστησεν ἑαυτὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τὸ παθεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν πολλοῖς τεκμηρίοις, δι' ἡμερῶν τεσσεράκοντα ὀπτανόμενος αὐτοῖς καὶ λέγων τὰ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ. 4 καὶ συναλιζόμενος παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων μὴ χωρίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ περιμένειν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ πατρὸς ἣν ἠκούσατέ μου: 5 ὅτι Ἰωάννης μὲν ἐβάπτισεν ὕδατι, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐν πνεύματι βαπτισθήσεσθε ἁγίῳ οὐ μετὰ πολλὰς ταύτας ἡμέρας. 6 οἱ μὲν οὖν συνελθόντες ἠρώτων αὐτὸν λέγοντες, κύριε, εἰ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ ἀποκαθιστάνεις τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Ἰσραήλ; 7 εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς, οὐχ ὑμῶν ἐστιν γνῶναι χρόνους ἢ καιροὺς οὓς ὁ πατὴρ ἔθετο ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ: 8 ἀλλὰ λήμψεσθε δύναμιν ἐπελθόντος τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἔσεσθέ μου μάρτυρες ἔν τε Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ [ἐν] πάσῃ τῇ ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ σαμαρείᾳ καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. 9 καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν βλεπόντων αὐτῶν ἐπήρθη, καὶ νεφέλη ὑπέλαβεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν. 10 καὶ ὡς ἀτενίζοντες ἦσαν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν πορευομένου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο παρειστήκεισαν αὐτοῖς ἐν ἐσθήσεσι λευκαῖς, 11 οἳ καὶ εἶπαν, ἄνδρες γαλιλαῖοι, τί ἑστήκατε [ἐμ]βλέποντες εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν; οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀναλημφθεὶς ἀφ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν οὕτως ἐλεύσεται ὃν τρόπον ἐθεάσασθε αὐτὸν πορευόμενον εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. 12 τότε ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἀπὸ ὄρους τοῦ καλουμένου ἐλαιῶνος, ὅ ἐστιν ἐγγὺς Ἰερουσαλὴμ σαββάτου ἔχον ὁδόν. 13 καὶ ὅτε εἰσῆλθον, εἰς τὸ ὑπερῷον ἀνέβησαν οὗ ἦσαν καταμένοντες, ὅ τε Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης καὶ ἰάκωβος καὶ ἀνδρέας, φίλιππος καὶ θωμᾶς, βαρθολομαῖος καὶ μαθθαῖος, ἰάκωβος ἁλφαίου καὶ σίμων ὁ ζηλωτὴς καὶ ἰούδας Ἰακώβου. 14 οὗτοι πάντες ἦσαν προσκαρτεροῦντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν τῇ προσευχῇ σὺν γυναιξὶν καὶ μαριὰμ τῇ μητρὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ. 15 καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις ἀναστὰς Πέτρος ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν εἶπεν ἦν τε ὄχλος ὀνομάτων ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ὡσεὶ ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι, 16 ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἔδει πληρωθῆναι τὴν γραφὴν ἣν προεῖπεν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διὰ στόματος δαυὶδ περὶ ἰούδα τοῦ γενομένου ὁδηγοῦ τοῖς συλλαβοῦσιν Ἰησοῦν, 17 ὅτι κατηριθμημένος ἦν ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ ἔλαχεν τὸν κλῆρον τῆς διακονίας ταύτης. 18 οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἐκτήσατο χωρίον ἐκ μισθοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας, καὶ πρηνὴς γενόμενος ἐλάκησεν μέσος, καὶ ἐξεχύθη πάντα τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ. 19 καὶ γνωστὸν ἐγένετο πᾶσι τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν Ἰερουσαλήμ, ὥστε κληθῆναι τὸ χωρίον ἐκεῖνο τῇ ἰδίᾳ διαλέκτῳ αὐτῶν ἁκελδαμάχ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, χωρίον αἵματος. 20 γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν βίβλῳ ψαλμῶν, γενηθήτω ἡ ἔπαυλις αὐτοῦ ἔρημος καὶ μὴ ἔστω ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν αὐτῇ, καί, τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ λαβέτω ἕτερος. 21 δεῖ οὖν τῶν συνελθόντων ἡμῖν ἀνδρῶν ἐν παντὶ χρόνῳ ᾧ εἰσῆλθεν καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς, 22 ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος Ἰωάννου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ἧς ἀνελήμφθη ἀφ' ἡμῶν, μάρτυρα τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ σὺν ἡμῖν γενέσθαι ἕνα τούτων. 23 καὶ ἔστησαν δύο, ἰωσὴφ τὸν καλούμενον βαρσαββᾶν, ὃς ἐπεκλήθη ἰοῦστος, καὶ μαθθίαν. 24 καὶ προσευξάμενοι εἶπαν, σὺ κύριε, καρδιογνῶστα πάντων, ἀνάδειξον ὃν ἐξελέξω ἐκ τούτων τῶν δύο ἕνα 25 λαβεῖν τὸν τόπον τῆς διακονίας ταύτης καὶ ἀποστολῆς, ἀφ' ἧς παρέβη ἰούδας πορευθῆναι εἰς τὸν τόπον τὸν ἴδιον. 26 καὶ ἔδωκαν κλήρους αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἔπεσεν ὁ κλῆρος ἐπὶ μαθθίαν, καὶ συγκατεψηφίσθη μετὰ τῶν ἕνδεκα ἀποστόλων.

Odd Years: Peter 1:1-21 Πέτρος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκλεκτοῖς παρεπιδήμοις διασπορᾶς Πόντου, Γαλατίας, Καππαδοκίας, Ἀσίας, καὶ Βιθυνίας, κατὰ πρόγνωσιν θεοῦ πατρός, ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος, εἰς ὑπακοὴν καὶ ῥαντισμὸν αἵματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ: χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη πληθυνθείη. εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ κατὰ τὸ πολὺ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος ἀναγεννήσας ἡμᾶς εἰς ἐλπίδα ζῶσαν δι' ἀναστάσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκ νεκρῶν, εἰς κληρονομίαν ἄφθαρτον καὶ ἀμίαντον καὶ ἀμάραντον, τετηρημένην ἐν οὐρανοῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς τοὺς ἐν δυνάμει θεοῦ φρουρουμένους διὰ πίστεως εἰς σωτηρίαν ἑτοίμην ἀποκαλυφθῆναι ἐν καιρῷ ἐσχάτῳ.      ἐν ᾧ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε,      ὀλίγον ἄρτι εἰ δέον ἐστὶν λυπηθέντες ἐν ποικίλοις πειρασμοῖς,      ἵνα τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως πολυτιμότερον χρυσίου τοῦ ἀπολλυμένου, διὰ πυρὸς δὲ δοκιμαζομένου, εὑρεθῇ εἰς ἔπαινον καὶ δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ὃν οὐκ ἰδόντες ἀγαπᾶτε, εἰς ὃν ἄρτι μὴ ὁρῶντες πιστεύοντες δὲ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε χαρᾷ ἀνεκλαλήτῳ καὶ δεδοξασμένῃ, κομιζόμενοι τὸ τέλος τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν σωτηρίαν ψυχῶν.      περὶ ἧς σωτηρίας ἐξεζήτησαν καὶ ἐξηραύνησαν προφῆται      οἱ περὶ τῆς εἰς ὑμᾶς χάριτος προφητεύσαντες,      ἐραυνῶντες εἰς τίνα ἢ ποῖον καιρὸν ἐδήλου           τὸ ἐν αὐτοῖς πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ προμαρτυρόμενον           τὰ εἰς Χριστὸν παθήματα           καὶ τὰς μετὰ ταῦτα δόξας:      οἷς ἀπεκαλύφθη ὅτι οὐχ ἑαυτοῖς ὑμῖν δὲ διηκόνουν αὐτά,      ἃ νῦν ἀνηγγέλη ὑμῖν διὰ τῶν εὐαγγελισαμένων ὑμᾶς      ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ ἀποσταλέντι ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ,      εἰς ἃ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἄγγελοι παρακύψαι. διὸ ἀναζωσάμενοι τὰς ὀσφύας τῆς διανοίας ὑμῶν, νήφοντες, τελείως ἐλπίσατε ἐπὶ τὴν φερομένην ὑμῖν χάριν ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ὡς τέκνα ὑπακοῆς, μὴ συσχηματιζόμενοι ταῖς πρότερον ἐν τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ ὑμῶν ἐπιθυμίαις,      ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν καλέσαντα ὑμᾶς ἅγιον      καὶ αὐτοὶ ἅγιοι ἐν πάσῃ ἀναστροφῇ γενήθητε,      διότι γέγραπται ὅτι ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος εἰμι.     καὶ εἰ πατέρα ἐπικαλεῖσθε τὸν ἀπροσωπολήμπτως κρίνοντα κατὰ τὸ ἑκάστου ἔργον,     ἐν φόβῳ τὸν τῆς παροικίας ὑμῶν χρόνον ἀναστράφητε,      εἰδότες ὅτι οὐ φθαρτοῖς, ἀργυρίῳ ἢ χρυσίῳ ἐλυτρώθητε      ἐκ τῆς ματαίας ὑμῶν ἀναστροφῆς πατροπαραδότου, ἀλλὰ τιμίῳ αἵματι ὡς ἀμνοῦ ἀμώμου καὶ ἀσπίλου Χριστοῦ, προεγνωσμένου μὲν πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, φανερωθέντος δὲ ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τῶν χρόνων δι' ὑμᾶς τοὺς δι' αὐτοῦ πιστοὺς εἰς θεὸν τὸν ἐγείραντα αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν καὶ δόξαν αὐτῷ δόντα, ὥστε τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν καὶ ἐλπίδα εἶναι εἰς θεόν.

Even Years: Hippolytus of Rome—attributed, Easter Homily 6, 1:5 (PG 59, 735, 743-746) Ἱεραὶ μὲν ἤδη φωτὸς ὑπεραυγοῦσι Χριστοῦ ἀκτῖνες, καὶ καθαροὶ καθαροῦ Πνεύματος ἀνατέλλουσι φωστῆρες, οὐράνιοι δὲ καὶ βασίλειαι δόξαι θεότητος ἀνεῴγασι θησαυρούς. Νὺξ πολλὴ καὶ ἀμαυρὰ κατεπόθη, καὶ ὁ ἀμειδὴς θάνατος συσκιασθείς· ζωὴ τοῖς ὅλοις ἐφηπλώθη, καὶ φωτὸς ἀνεννάου τὰ ὅλα γέμει, καὶ ἀνατολαὶ ἀνατολῶν ἐπέχουσι τὸ πᾶν, καὶ ὁ πρὸ ἑωσφόρου γεννηθεὶς, ἀθάνατος, καὶ πολὺς μέγας έπανθεῖ Χριστὸς τοῖς ὅλοις ὑπὲρ ἥλιον. Πάσχα τὸ μυστικὸν, τυπικῶς μὲν διὰ νόμου λειτουργούμενον· Πάσχα, τὸ θαυμαστὸν τῆς θείας ἀρετῆς καὶ δυνάμεως ἔργον· ἀληθῶς ἑορτὴ καὶ μνημόσυνον ἔννομον αἰώνιον. Ἐκ πάθους ἀπάθεια, ἐκ θανάτου ἀθανασία, ἐκ νεότητος ζωὴ, ἐκ πληγῆς ἴασις, ἐκ πτώσεως ἀνάστασις, ἐκ καθόδου ἀνάβασις. Οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς ἐργάζεται μεγάλα· οὕτως ἐκ τῶν ἀδυνάτων δημιουργεῖ τὰ παράδοξα, ὅπως γνωσθῇ, ὅτι μόνῳ πάντα θέλοντι ἔξεστι. Now the holy rays of the light of Christ shine forth, the pure stars of the pure Spirit rise, the heavenly treasures of glory and divinity lie open. In this splendour the long dark night has been swallowed up and the dreary shadows of death have vanished. For us who believe in him a glorious day has dawned, a long unending day, the mystical Passover symbolically celebrated by the Law and effectually accomplished by Christ, a wonderful Passover, a miracle of divine virtue, a work of divine power. This is the true festival and the everlasting memorial, the day upon which freedom from suffering comes from suffering, immortality from death, life from the tomb, healing from a wound, Resurrection from the fall, and Ascension into heaven from the descent into hell. [Thus God works wonders, thus from the impossible he creates paradoxes, so that it may be known that to him alone everything comes about by his willing it.] Ἔλυσε μὲν οὖν καὶ παρὰ τὸν βίον τοὺς τοῦ θανάτου δεσμοὺς ἐξουσίᾳ χρώμενος βασιλικῇ, ὥστε, Λάζαρε, δεῦρο ἔξω, και Ἡ παῖς, ἐγείρου· ἵνα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ ἐν δυνάμει ἐπιτακτικὸν δηλωθῇ. Διὸ δὴ καὶ ὅλον ἑαυτὸν φέρων ἔδωκε τῷ θανάτῳ, ἵνα τὸ ἀδηφάγον θηρίον, καὶ ὁ ἄπληστος δεσμὸς ὅλως ἐν ἑαυτῷ νεκρωθῇ. Τῷ ἀναμαρτήτῳ σώματι ἐζήτει πανταχοῦ τὰς ἰδίας τροφὰς, μή που ἡδονὴ, μή που ὀργὴ, μή που παρακοὴ, μή που ὅλως ἡ παλαιὰ ἁμαρτία ἡ πρώτη τοῦ θανάτου τροφή. Κέντρον γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῦ θανάτου ἡ ἁμαρτία. Ὡς δὲ οὐδὲν εὔρισκεν ἐν αὐτῷ θανάτου θρεπτικὸν, ὅλως ἐν ἑαυτῷ κλεισθεὶς καὶ ἀτροφίᾳ λυθείς, αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ θάνατος ἐγίγνετο, ὡς δὲ καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν δικαίων εὐαγγελιζόμενοι καὶ προφητεύοντες καὶ τὸν ἐν ἀναστάσει πρωτότοκον ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν. Ὁ δὲ καὶ τῆν τριήμερον ὑπὸ γῆν ὑπομονὴν ἠνέσχετο, ἵνα ὅλον καὶ πᾶν σώσῃ τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος, τὸ πρὸ νόμου, δι ἑαυτοῦ. To show that he had power over death Christ had exercised his royal authority to loose death's bonds even during his lifetime, as for example when he gave the commands, Lazarus, come out and Arise, my child. For the same reason he surrendered himself completely to death, so that in him that gluttonous beast with his insatiable appetite would die completely. Since death's power comes from sin, it searched everywhere in his sinless body for its accustomed food, for sensuality, pride, disobedience or, in a word, for that ancient sin which was its original sustenance. In him, however, it found nothing to feed on and so, being entirely closed in upon itself and destroyed for lack of nourishment, death became its own death. Many of the just, proclaiming the Good News and prophesying, were awaiting him who was to become by his Resurrection the firstborn from the dead. And so, to save all members of the human race, whether they lived before the Law, under the Law, or after his own coming, Christ dwelt three days beneath the earth. Ἀναστάντα δὲ αὐτὸν πρῶτον ὁρῶσιν αἱ γυναῖκες. Ὡς γὰρ πρώτην τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τὴν ἐν κόσμῳ ἤγαγε γυνὴ, οὕτω καὶ πρώτη τῷ κόσμῳ ζωὴν ἐπαγγέλλει. Διὸ καὶ ἀκούουσι τὴν ἱερὰν φωνὴν γυναῖκες, Χαίρετε, ἵνα ἡ πρώτη λύπη διὰ τῆς χαρᾶς τῆς ἀναστάσεως [ληφθῇ,] καὶ τοῖς ἀπιστοῦσιν, ἵνα αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασις πεστευθῇ μετὰ σώματος. Ὡς δὲ ὅλην τὴν εἰκόνα ἐν ἑαυτῷ φέρων ἐνεδύσατο, καὶ τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀναστολισάμενος μετέθηκεν εἰς τὸν ἐπουράνιον ἄνθρωπον, τότε συνανέβαινεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἡ εἰκὼν, συγκεκραμένη εἰς τοὺς οὐρανούς. Βλέπουσαι δὲ αἱ δυνάμεις τὸ μέγα μυστήριον συναναβαίνοντα ἤδη ἄνθρωπον ἐν Θεῷ, ἐγκελευόμεναι ἐβόων μετὰ χαρᾶς ταῖς ἄνω στρατιαῖς· Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ Βασιλεῦς τῆς δόξης. After his Resurrection it was the women who were the first to see him, for as a woman brought the first sin into the world, so a woman first announced the news of life to the world. Thus they heard the holy words, Women, rejoice; for sadness was to be swallowed up by the joy of the Resurrection. When Christ had clothed himself completely in the humanity created in God's image and transformed into the heavenly man the old man he had put on, the image united to himself ascended with him into heaven. At the sign of the great mystery of human nature now ascending with God the angelic powers cried out with joy, commanding the hosts of heaven: Lift up your gates, you princes, be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall enter. Αἱ δὲ ὁρῶσαι τὸ καινὸν θαῦμα ἄνθρωπον συγκεκραμένον Θεῷ, ἀντιβοῶσι καὶ λέγουσι· Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης; Αἱ δὲ πάλιν ἐρωτηθεῖσαι ἀνταπεκρίναντο· Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων, αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης, ἰσχυρὸς καὶ κραταιὸς καὶ δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ. They, seeing the unheard of wonder of human nature united to God, exclaimed in their turn: Who is this King of glory? and received the reply: The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory, the strong, the mighty, the powerful in battle. Ὢ τῆς χορηγίας τῆς μυστικῆς! ὢ τῆς πνευματικῆς ἑορτῆς! ὢ πάσχα θεῖον ἀπ οὐρανῶν ὁδεῦσαν μέχρι γῆς, καὶ ἀπὸ γῆς πάλιν ἀναβαῖνον εἰς οὐρανούς!... Ὣ πάσχα, καινῆς λαμπαδουχίας τὸ φώτισμα, παρθενικῆς δᾳδουχίας ἀγλάϊσμα! Διὸ οὐ ἔτι σβέννυνται τῶν ψυχῶν αἱ λαμπάδες· ἐνθέως δὴ καὶ πνευματικῶς ἐν πᾶσι τῆς χάριτος δᾳδουχεῖται τὸ πῦρ, σώματι, καὶ πνεύματι, καὶ ἐλαίῳ Χριστοῦ χορηγούμενον. [What a mystical provision! What a spiritual festival! What a divine Passover, coming from heaven to earth, and rising agains from earth to heaven! What a Passover, the enlightenment of a new lamp, the exultation of a virginal candle! Therefore the lamps of our souls are not yet put out. Inwardly and spiritually the fire of grace is burning in all of us, both in body and spirit, and is given by the oil of Christ.] Σὲ δὲ δὴ παρακαλοῦμεν, Θεὲ Δέσποτα, πνευματικῶς αἰώνιε βασιλεῦ Χριστὲ, ὑπερέσχε σου τὰς χεῖρας τὰς μεγάλας ἐπὶ τὴν ἱεράν σου Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν ἀεί σου τὸν ἅγιον, προπολεμῶν, φυλάσσων, συντηρῶν... ἀνάστησον καὶ νῦν αὐτὸς τὰ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τρόπαια, καὶ χάρισαι ἡμῖν ᾆσαι μετὰ Μωϋσέως τὴν ᾠδην τὴν ἐπινίκιον, ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. O God, spiritual and eternal Lord, and Christ, Lord and King, we entreat you to extend your strong protecting hands over your holy Church and over your holy people, for ever devoted to you. Raise high in our defence the trophies of your triumph and grant that we like Moses may sing a hymn of victory, for yours is the glory and the power throughout all ages. Amen.

Odd Years: Melito of Sardis, Easter homily, 2-7, 100-103 (SC 123, 60-64. 120-122) Τοίνυν ξύνετε, ὦ ἀγαπητοί· οὕτως ἐστὶν καινὸν καὶ παλαιόν, ἀΐδιον καὶ πρόσκαιρον, φθαρτὸν καὶ ἄφθαρτον, θνητὸν καὶ ἀθάνατον τὸ τοῦ πάσχα μυστήριον· παλαιὸν μὲν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, καινὸν δὲ κατὰ τὸν λόγον, πρόσκαιρον διὰ τὸν τύπον, ἀΐδιον διὰ τὴν χάριν, φθαρτὸν διὰ τὴν τοῦ προβάτου σφαγήν, ἄφθαρτον διὰ τὴν τοῦ κυρίου ζωήν, θνητὸν διὰ τὴν ἐν τῇ γῇ ταφήν, ἀθάνατον διὰ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν· παλαιὸς μὲν ὁ νόμος, καινὸς δὲ ὁ λόγος, πράσκαιρος ὁ τύπος, αΐδιος ἡ χάρις, φθαρτὸν τὸ πρόβατον, ἄφθαρτος ὁ κύριος, σφαγεὶς ὡς ἀμνός, ἀναστὰς ὡς θεός. You must understand, dearly beloved, how both new and old, eternal and transient, corruptible and incorruptible, mortal and immortal. is the mystery of the Pasch. It is old according to the Law, but new according to the Word. It is transient in its prototype, but eternal in grace. It is corruptible in the immolation of the sheep, but incorruptible in the life of the Lord. It is mortal because of his burial in the earth, but immortal because of his resurrection from the dead. The Law is old, but the Word new; the prototype is transient, but grace eternal; the sheep is corruptible, the Lord incorruptible, who was sacrificed as a lamb, but rose as God. Καὶ γὰρ ὡς πρόβατον εἰς σφαγὴν ἤχθη, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἀμνὸς ἦν· ὁ μὲν γὰρ τύπος ἐγένετο, ἡ δὲ ἀλήθεια ηὑρίσκετο. Ἀντὶ γὰρ τοῦ άμνοῦ θεὸς ἐγένετο καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ προβάτου ἄνθρωπος, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ Χριστός, ὃς κεχώρηκεν τὰ πάντα. ἡ γοῦν τοῦ προβάτου σφαγὴ καὶ ἡ τοῦ νόμου γραφὴ εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν κεχώρηκεν, δι᾽ ὃν τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ νόμῳ ἐγένετο, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐν τῷ νέῳ λόγῳ. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ νόμος λόγος ἐγένετο καὶ ὁ παλαιὸς καινός,       —συενξελθων ἐκ Σιὼν καὶ Ἰερουσαλήμ— καὶ ἡ ἐντολὴ χάρις, καὶ ὁ τύπος ἀλήθεια, καὶ ὁ ἀμνὸς υἱός, καὶ τὸ πρόβατον ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος θεός He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, but he was not a sheep; he was as a lamb without voice, but he was not a lamb. The figure has passed away, the reality has come: In place of the lamb, God has come, in place of the sheep a man; in the man is Christ, who contains all things. So the letter of the Law found fulfilment in Christ Jesus, towards whom everything in the Old Law was enacted and more so everything in the New Word. For the Law has become the Word and the old new (each coming from Sion and Jerusalem); the commandment has become grace, and the type reality, the lamb has become Son, the sheep a man, and man has become God. Κύριος, ἐνδυσάμενος τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ παθὼν διὰ τὸν πάσχοντα, καὶ δεθεὶς διὰ τὸν κρατούμενον, καὶ κριθεὶς διὰ τὸν κατάδικον, καὶ ταφεὶς διὰ τὸν τεθαμένον, ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν καὶ ταύτην ἐβόησεν τὴν φωνήν Τίς ὁ κρινόμενος πρός με; Ἀναστήτω μοι. Ἐγὼ τὸν κατάδικον ἀπέλυσα. Ἐγὼ τὸν νεκρὸν ἐζωοποίησα. Ἐγὼ τὸν τεθαμμένον ἀνίστημι. Τίς ὁ ἀντιλέγων μοι; Ἑγώ, φησίν, ὁ Χριστός, ἐγὼ ὁ καταλύσας τὸν θάνατον καὶ θριαμβεύσας τὸν ἐχθρὸν καὶ καταπατήσας τὸν ᾅδην καὶ δήσας τὸ ἰσχυρὸν καὶ ἀφαρπάσας τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἰς τὰ ὑψηλὰ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἐγώ, φησίν, ὁ Χριστός. Though Lord, he became man; he suffered for those who were suffering, he was bound for the captive, judged for the condemned, buried for the one who was buried; he rose from the dead and cried out: 'Who shall contend with me? Let him stand up to face me. I have freed the condemned, brought the dead to life, raised up the buried. Who will speak against me? I am the Christ', he says. It is I who destroyed death, who triumphed over the enemy, who trampled Hades underfoot, who bound the strong one and snatched man away to the heights of heaven; I am the Christ.' Τοίνυν δεῦτε πᾶσαι αἱ πατριαὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων αἱ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις πεφυραμέναι, καὶ λάβετε ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτημάτων. Ἐγὼ γὰρ εἰμι ὑμῶν ἡ ἄφεσις, ἐγὼ τὸ πάσχα τῆς σωτηρίας, ἐγὼ ὁ ἀμνὸς ὁ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν σφαγείς, ἐγὼ τὸ λύτρον ὑμῶν, εγὼ ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν, εγὼ ἡ ἀνάστασις ὑμῶν, ἐγὼ τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν, εγὼ ἡ σωτηρία ὑμῶν, ἐγὼ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὑμῶν. Ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἀνάγω εἰς τὰ ὑψηλὰ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ἐγὼ ὑμῖν δείξω τὸν ἀπ᾽ αἰώνων πατέρα. Ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἀναστήσω διὰ τῆς ἐμῆς δεξιᾶς. 'Come then, all you nations of men defiled by sin, receive the forgiveness of sin. For I am your forgiveness, I am the Pasch of your salvation, I am the lamb slain for you; I am it is I who am your ransom, I am your life, I am your resurrection, I am your light, I am your salvation, I am your king. I am bringing you to the heights of heaven, I will show you the Father who is from all eternity, I will raise you up with my right hand.'

Te Deum [English]

Prayer