READINGS: EASTER FRIDAY III

Invitatory Psalm & BACK


Psalm 69: Hebrew English     Then BACK

In resurrectione tua, Christe, alleluia. — Caeli et terra laetentur, alleluia.

Even Years: Acts 10:34—11:4,18 34 ἀνοίξας δὲ Πέτρος τὸ στόμα εἶπεν, ἐπ' ἀληθείας καταλαμβάνομαι ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν προσωπολήμπτης ὁ θεός, 35 ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει ὁ φοβούμενος αὐτὸν καὶ ἐργαζόμενος δικαιοσύνην δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστιν. 36 τὸν λόγον [ὃν] ἀπέστειλεν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ εὐαγγελιζόμενος εἰρήνην διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ — οὗτός ἐστιν πάντων κύριος — 37 ὑμεῖς οἴδατε, τὸ γενόμενον ῥῆμα καθ' ὅλης τῆς ἰουδαίας, ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῆς γαλιλαίας μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα ὃ ἐκήρυξεν Ἰωάννης, 38 Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ ναζαρέθ, ὡς ἔχρισεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ δυνάμει, ὃς διῆλθεν εὐεργετῶν καὶ ἰώμενος πάντας τοὺς καταδυναστευομένους ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἦν μετ' αὐτοῦ. 39 καὶ ἡμεῖς μάρτυρες πάντων ὧν ἐποίησεν ἔν τε τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν ἰουδαίων καὶ [ἐν] Ἰερουσαλήμ: ὃν καὶ ἀνεῖλαν κρεμάσαντες ἐπὶ ξύλου. 40 τοῦτον ὁ θεὸς ἤγειρεν [ἐν] τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὸν ἐμφανῆ γενέσθαι, 41 οὐ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ ἀλλὰ μάρτυσιν τοῖς προκεχειροτονημένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἡμῖν, οἵτινες συνεφάγομεν καὶ συνεπίομεν αὐτῷ μετὰ τὸ ἀναστῆναι αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν: 42 καὶ παρήγγειλεν ἡμῖν κηρύξαι τῷ λαῷ καὶ διαμαρτύρασθαι ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ὡρισμένος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κριτὴς ζώντων καὶ νεκρῶν. 43 τούτῳ πάντες οἱ προφῆται μαρτυροῦσιν, ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν λαβεῖν διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ πάντα τὸν πιστεύοντα εἰς αὐτόν. 44 ἔτι λαλοῦντος τοῦ Πέτρου τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἐπέπεσεν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντας τὸν λόγον. 45 καὶ ἐξέστησαν οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς πιστοὶ ὅσοι συνῆλθαν τῷ πέτρῳ, ὅτι καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη ἡ δωρεὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐκκέχυται: 46 ἤκουον γὰρ αὐτῶν λαλούντων γλώσσαις καὶ μεγαλυνόντων τὸν θεόν. τότε ἀπεκρίθη Πέτρος, 47 μήτι τὸ ὕδωρ δύναται κωλῦσαί τις τοῦ μὴ βαπτισθῆναι τούτους οἵτινες τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔλαβον ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς; 48 προσέταξεν δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ βαπτισθῆναι. τότε ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν ἐπιμεῖναι ἡμέρας τινάς. 11 1 ἤκουσαν δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ οἱ ὄντες κατὰ τὴν ἰουδαίαν ὅτι καὶ τὰ ἔθνη ἐδέξαντο τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ. 2 ὅτε δὲ ἀνέβη Πέτρος εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ, διεκρίνοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς 3 λέγοντες ὅτι εἰσῆλθες πρὸς ἄνδρας ἀκροβυστίαν ἔχοντας καὶ συνέφαγες αὐτοῖς. 4 ἀρξάμενος δὲ Πέτρος ἐξετίθετο αὐτοῖς καθεξῆς λέγων... 18 ἀκούσαντες δὲ ταῦτα ἡσύχασαν καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεὸν λέγοντες, ἄρα καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὁ θεὸς τὴν μετάνοιαν εἰς ζωὴν ἔδωκεν.

Odd Years: Revelation 10:1-11 καὶ εἶδον ἄλλον ἄγγελον ἰσχυρὸν καταβαίνοντα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, περιβεβλημένον νεφέλην, καὶ ἡ ἶρις ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὡς στῦλοι πυρός, καὶ ἔχων ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ βιβλαρίδιον ἠνεῳγμένον. καὶ ἔθηκεν τὸν πόδα αὐτοῦ τὸν δεξιὸν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης, τὸν δὲ εὐώνυμον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἔκραξεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ ὥσπερ λέων μυκᾶται. καὶ ὅτε ἔκραξεν, ἐλάλησαν αἱ ἑπτὰ βρονταὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν φωνάς. καὶ ὅτε ἐλάλησαν αἱ ἑπτὰ βρονταί, ἤμελλον γράφειν: καὶ ἤκουσα φωνὴν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λέγουσαν, σφράγισον ἃ ἐλάλησαν αἱ ἑπτὰ βρονταί, καὶ μὴ αὐτὰ γράψῃς. καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος ὃν εἶδον ἑστῶτα ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἦρεν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ τὴν δεξιὰν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ὤμοσεν ἐν τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ὃς ἔκτισεν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ, ὅτι χρόνος οὐκέτι ἔσται, ἀλλ' ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ ἑβδόμου ἀγγέλου, ὅταν μέλλῃ σαλπίζειν, καὶ ἐτελέσθη τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ, ὡς εὐηγγέλισεν τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ δούλους τοὺς προφήτας. καὶ ἡ φωνὴ ἣν ἤκουσα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, πάλιν λαλοῦσαν μετ' ἐμοῦ καὶ λέγουσαν, ὕπαγε λάβε τὸ βιβλίον τὸ ἠνεῳγμένον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ τοῦ ἀγγέλου τοῦ ἑστῶτος ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. καὶ ἀπῆλθα πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον λέγων αὐτῷ δοῦναί μοι τὸ βιβλαρίδιον. καὶ λέγει μοι, λάβε καὶ κατάφαγε αὐτό, καὶ πικρανεῖ σου τὴν κοιλίαν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ στόματί σου ἔσται γλυκὺ ὡς μέλι. καὶ ἔλαβον τὸ βιβλαρίδιον ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ ἀγγέλου καὶ κατέφαγον αὐτό, καὶ ἦν ἐν τῷ στόματί μου ὡς μέλι γλυκύ: καὶ ὅτε ἔφαγον αὐτό, ἐπικράνθη ἡ κοιλία μου. καὶ λέγουσίν μοι, δεῖ σε πάλιν προφητεῦσαι ἐπὶ λαοῖς καὶ ἔθνεσιν καὶ γλώσσαις καὶ βασιλεῦσιν πολλοῖς.

Even Years: Justin Martyr, First apology in defence of Christians, ch. 61 (PG 6, 419-422) Ὅν τρόπον δὲ καὶ ἀνεθήκαμεν ἑαυτοὺς τῷ Θεῷ, καινοποιηθέντες διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐξηγησόμεθα… Ὅσοι ἂν πεισθῶσι καὶ πιστεύωσιν ἀληθῆ ταῦτα τὰ ὑφ᾿ ἡμῶν διδασκόμενα καὶ λεγόμενα εἶναι, καὶ βιοῦν οὕτως δύνασθαι ὑπισχνῶνται, εὔχεσθαί τε καὶ αἰτεῖν νηστεύοντες παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν προημαρτημένων ἄφεσιν διδάσκονται, ἡμῶν συνευχομένων καὶ συννηστευόντων αὐτοῖς. Ἔπειτα ἄγονται ὑφ᾿ ἡμῶν ἔνθα ὑδωρ ἐστὶ, καὶ τρόπον ἀναγεννήσεως, ὃν καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ ἀνεγεννήθημεν, ἀναγεννῶνται. Ἐπ᾿ ὀνόματος γὰρ τοῦ Πατρὸς τῶν ὅλων καὶ Δεσπότου Θεοῦ, καὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγίου, τὸ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι τότε λουτρὸν ποιοῦνται. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς εἶπεν· «Ἂν μὴ ἀναγεννηθῆτε, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.» Ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἀδύνατον εἰς τὰς μήτρας τῶν τεκουσῶν τοὺς ἅπαξ γεννωμένους ἐμβῆναι, φανερὸν πᾶσίν ἐστι. Καὶ διὰ Ἡσαῒου, τοῦ προφήτου ὡς προεγράψαμεν, εἴρηται τίνα τρόπον φεύξονται τὰς ἁμαρτίας οἱ ἁμαρτήσαντες καὶ μετανοοῦντες. Ἐλέχθη δὲ οὕτως· «Λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γένεσθε· ἀφέλετε τὰς πονηρίας ἀπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν· μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν· κρίνατε ὀρφανῷ, καὶ δικαιώσατε χήραν· καὶ δεῦτε, καὶ διαλεχθῶμεν, λἐγει Κύριος. Καὶ ἐὰν ὦσι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ὡς φοινικοῦν, ὡσεὶ ἔριον λευκανῶ· καὶ ἐᾶν ὦσι ὡς κόκκινον, ὡς χιόνα λευκανῶ. Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εἰσακούσητέ μου, μάχαιρα ὑμᾶς κατέδεται. Τὸ γὰρ στόμα Κυρίου ἐλάλησε ταῦτα.» Καὶ λόγον δὲ εἰς τοῦτο παρὰ τῶν ἀποστόλῶν ἐμάθομεν τοῦτον. Ἐπειδὴ τὴν πρώτην γένεσιν ἡμῶν ἀγνοοῦντες, κατ᾿ ἀνάνγκην γεγενήμεθα ἐξ ὑγρᾶς σπορᾶς κατὰ μίξιν τὴν τῶν γονέων πρὸς ἀλλήλους, καὶ ἐν ἔθεσι φαύλοις καὶ πονηραῖς ἀναστροφαῖς γεγόναμεν, ὅπως μὴ ἀνάγκης τέκνα μηδὲ ἀγνοίας μένωμεν, ἀλλὰ προαιρέσεως καὶ ἐπιστήμης, ἀφέσεώς τε ἁμαρτιῶν ὑπὲρ ὧν προημάρτομεν τύχωμεν ἐν τῷ ὑδατι, ἐπονομάζεται τῷ ἑλομένῳ ἀναγεννηθῆναι, καὶ μετανοήσαντι ἐπὶ τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις, τὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς τῶν ὅλων καὶ Δεσπότου Θεοῦ ὄνομα· αὐτὸ τοῦτο μόνον ἐπιλέγοντες τοῦτον λουσόμεν ἄγοντες ἐπὶ τὸ λουτρόν. Ὄνομα γὰρ τῷ ἀῥῥητῳ Θεῷ οὐδεὶς ἔχει εἰπεῖν· εἰ δέ τις τολμήσειεν εἶναι λέγειν, μέμηνε τὴν ἄσωτον μανίαν. Καλεῖται δὲ τοῦτο τὸ λουτρὸν φωτισμὸς, ὡς φωτιζομένων τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν ταῦτα μανθανόντων. Καὶ ἐπ᾿ ὀνόματος δὲ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ σταυρωθέντος ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου, καὶ ἐπ᾿ ὀνόματος Πνεύματος ἁγίου, ὃ διὰ τῶν προφητῶν προεκήρηξε τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰησοὺν πάντα, ὁ φωτιζόμενος λούεται.

Odd Years: Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John, Book 4:2 (PG 73, 563-566) Ἀποθνήσκω, φησὶν, ὑπερ πάντων, ἵνα πάντας ζωοποιήσω δι᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ, καὶ ἀντίλυτρον τῆς ἁπάντων σαρκὸς τὴν ἐμὴν ἐποιησάμην. Τεθνήξεται γὰρ ὁ θάνατος ἐν θανάτῳ τῷ ἐμῷ, καὶ συναναστήσεταί μοι, φησὶν, ἡ πεσοῦσα τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσις. 'I am dying'; said the Lord, 'for all men, so that through me all may have life; by my flesh I have redeemed the flesh of all men. For in my death, death will die, and fallen human nature will rise again with me. Γέγονα γὰρ διὰ τούτου καθ᾿ ὑμᾶς, ἄνθρωπος δηλονότι ἐκ σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ, ἵνα κατὰ πάντα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὁμοιωθῶ. Συνεὶς δὲ τοῦτο καλῶς, ὅπερ ἀρτίως ἡμῖν ἔφη Χριστὸς, καὶ αὐτός φησιν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ παιδία κεκοινώνηκεν αἵματος καὶ σαρκὸς, καὶ αὐτὸς παραπλησίως μετέσχε τῶν αὐτῶν, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ θανάτου καταργήσῃ τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου, τοῦτ᾿ ἔστι, τὸν διἀβολον. In this way I have become, like you, a man descended from Abraham, so that I may be made like my brethren in every respect.' Saint Paul understood this well when he said: Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἑτέρως τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου καταργηθῆναί ποτε, καὶ αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν θάνατον, εἰ μὴ δέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὁ Χριστὸς, εἷς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀντίλυτρον· ἦν γὰρ ὑπὲρ πάντας. There was never any other way to destroy the one who had the power of death, and therefore death itself. Christ who had to give himself up for us; the one had to be the ransom for all, for he was the head of all. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς πού φησιν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὥσπερ ἄμωμον ἱερεῖον ἀνατιθεὶς τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί· Θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας, σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι. Ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ περὶ ἡμαρτίας οὐκ ηὐδόκησας· τότε εἶπον· Ἰδοὺ ἥκω Accordingly, he said in another place, namely in the psalms, when he offered himself to God his Father as a spotless sacrifice on your behalf: You wanted no sacrifice or oblation, but you prepared a body for me. You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin. Then I said, "Here I am." Ἐσταυρώθη δὲ ὑπὲρ πάντων, καὶ διὰ πάντας, ἵνα ἑνὸς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀποτεθνηκότος, οἱ πάντες ζήσωμεν ἐν αὐτῷ· οὐ γὰρ ἦν δυνατὸν κρατεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου, ἀλλ᾿ οὐδ᾿ ἂν τῆς κατὰ φύσιν ζωῆς κατεκράτησεν ἡ φθορά. ὅτι δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ προσήγαγε σάρκα Χριστὸς, καὶ διὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ γνωσόμεθα λόγων· Πάτερ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἅγιε, τήρησον αὐτούς. Καὶ πάλιν· Ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐγὼ ἁγιάζω ἐμαυτόν. He was crucified on behalf of us all and for the sake of us all, so that, when one had died instead of all, we all might live in him. For it was impossible that he should be defeated by death or that one who is life by its very nature should yield to corruption. Indeed, Christ's own words prove to us that he offered his flesh for the life of the world: Holy Father, keep them. And again: For their sake I make myself holy. Ἑαυτὸν δέ φησιν ἁγιάζειν ἐν τούτοις, οὐκ εἰς ἁγιασμὸν ὠφελῶν τὸν ἐν καθάρσει ψυχῆς ἤτοι πνεύματος, ὡς ἐφ᾿ ἡμῶν νοούμενον, ἀλλ᾿ οὐδὲ τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος μέθεξιν· ἦν γὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ Πνεὐμα φυσικῶς· ἦν τε καὶ ἔστιν ἁγιος ἀεὶ, καὶ ἔσται κατὰ τὸ διηνεκές· When he says "I sanctify myself", he does not meant that he needs any cleansing of soul or spirit, as would apply to us, nor is he referring to a participation in the Holy Spirit. For the Spirit was physically with him. He was and he is holy, and will be forever. τὸ δὲ ἁγιάζω φησὶν ἐν τούτοις, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἀνατίθημι καὶ προσάγω καθάπερ ἄμωμον ἱερεῖον εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας. Ἡγιάζετο γὰρ, ἤτοι κατὰ νόμον ἐκαλεῖτο ἁγιον τὸ τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ προσκομιζόμενον. Δέδωκε τοιγαροῦν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁπάντων ζωῆς τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα Χριστὸς, ἐνοικίζει δὲ πάλιν ἡμῖν δι᾿ αὐτοῦ τὴν ζωὴν· καὶ ὅπως, ἐρῶ κατὰ δύναμιν. By the words, "I make myself holy," he means 'I consecrate and offer myself as a spotless sacrifice with a sweet savour.' For what was offered on the altar was made holy or called holy according to the Law. Therefore Christ gave his body or the life of all, and through his body planted life among us again. How this came about I shall explain as best I can. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ ζωοποιὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος ἐνῴκηκε τῇ σαρκὶ, μετεσκεύασεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸ ἴδιον ἀγαθὸν, τοῦτ᾿ εστι τὴν ζωὴν, καὶ ὅλως αὐτῇ κατὰ τὸν ἄῥῥητον τῆς ἑνώσεως λόγον συμβεβηκὼς ζωοποιὸν ἀπέδειξε, καθάπερ οὖν ἐστι κατὰ φύσιν αὐτός. When God's life-giving Word came to dwell in human flesh, he remade it for its good, that is, for its life. Being linked with flesh in this unique form of union, he made it a source of life, just as he is by his own nature, a source of life. Διὰ τοῦτο ζωοποιεῖ τοὺς μετέχοντας αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα Χριστοῦ· ἐξελαύνει γὰρ τὸν θάνατον, ὅταν ἐν τοῖς ἀποθνήσκουσι γένηται, καὶ ἐξίστησι φθορὰν, τὸν τὴν φθορὰν ἀφανίζοντα λόγον τελείως ὠδῖνον ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Thus the body of Christ gives life to those who share with him. By being among those who are liable to death, his body drives death out; by bringing forth in itself a principle capable of utterly destroying corruption, his body expels corruption.

Prayer