Can we be raised again from death? I have hated transgressors: but Thy law have I loved. Behold, I have longed after Thy precepts: quicken me in Thy righteousness. Much of the service takes place around the tomb of Christ in the center of the nave. I have sworn, and am steadfastly purposed, that I will keep the judgements of Thy righteousness. According to the order of the Lenten Triodion, the Matins service for Holy and Great Saturday is served Friday night, or on Friday evening as is the practice in most parish churches. O Savior, Sun of Righteousness, Thou dost set beneath the earth: therefore the Moon, Thy Mother, is eclipsed in grief, seeing Thee no more. One of the most characteristic, widely attended rites is the Epitaphios, the Good Friday procession. Willingly, O Savior, Thou hast gone down beneath the earth, and Thou hast restored the dead to life, leading them back to the glory of the Father. The deceiver is deceived, and those he misled are set free by Thy wisdom, O my God. Joseph and Nicodemus bury the Creator with the honors that befit the dead. Het has now descended into hell, hades, the underworld, sheol, that lower dimension, the dark place of the dead. Teach me goodness, discipline and knowledge: for I have believed in Thy commandments. (3) Gone the Light the world knew. How great the joy, how full the gladness, that Thou hast brought to those in hell, shining as lightning in its gloomy depths. Pierced to the heart, the Virgin shed warm tears and cried aloud. In a robe of mockery ye clothe Him who ordered all things, who adorned the heavens with stars and the earth with wonders. Woe is me, my Light! Seven times a day have I praised Thee because of the judgements of Thy righteousness. Matins of Holy Saturday and Lamentations - Holy Friday. ( often l.c.) O my Son, I glorify Thy supreme compassion, that causes Thee to suffer so.. This particular psalm is the verbal icon of Jesus, the righteous man whose life is in the hands of God and who, therefore, cannot remain dead. Be shaken, O foundations of the earth! Also a special icon which is painted on cloth (in Greek, epitaphios; in Slavonic, plaschanitsa) depicting the dead Saviour is placed on the altar table. O My Life and My Christ The injustice of the proud is multiplied against me: but I will seek Thy commandments with my whole heart. When the chief captains of the heavenly hosts saw Thee, Savior, stripped, bloodstained and condemned, how could they bear the boldness of Thy crucifiers? At 10 minutes 45 seconds the Third Stasis begins: Every generation to thy tomb comes grieving to sing its hymn of praise to thee, O Savior. a hymn especially beloved by Orthodox people. Listen to Resurrection! Of Thine own will, O Word, Thou wast laid dead in the tomb: yet dost Thou live, my Savior, and, as Thou hast foretold, Thou shalt raise up mortal men by Thy Resurrection. Last Minute Instructions before we go into Lent. The Orthodox Celebration of Great and Holy Saturday. 2020 Orthodox Statistics in America: Bad News and Good News. Then shall I not be ashamed, when I give heed unto all Thy commandments. They begin in the normal way with the singing of God is the Lord, the troparion The Noble Joseph, and the following troparia: When Thou didst descend to death 0 Life Immortal, Thou didst slay hell with the splendor of Thy Godhead! Much of the service takes place around the tomb of Christ in the center of the nave. Our Lord Jesus Christ has been taken down from the cross, and His Most Pure Mother laments and grieves over His lifeless Body, but theologizes concerning the mystery of His death and our redemption. Isaiah 3:1-14. . Cnrist has conquered death and hades. . Yes! This is the blessed Sabbath. And so there isno hope for the world, no hope formankind, no hope for anyone ever. Is it to set free the race of mortal men? All that crucified Thee shall be destroyed together, O Word, Thou Son of God and King of all. The earth, O Lord, is full of Thy mercy: teach me Thy statutes. The book also includes a homily on Holy Saturday by St. Epiphanius of Cyprus. Before the service begins, a tomb is erected in the middle of the church building and is decorated with flowers. for the salvation of us who sing: Holy Trinity will be hosting on the 5th. Truly the Mother of Sorrows, as Roman Catholics call her. Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and upright are Thy judgements. This service is also sometimes called Jerusalem Matins. For therewith hast Thou delivered us from death. The epitaphios itself represents the body of Jesus wrapped in a burial shroud, and is a roughly full-size cloth icon of the body of Christ. The festival of Purim is only four days away. Met. But then quickly, we return to the Tomb on earth (Matthew 27:62-66), with a great stone still sealing the door, and we wait just a little while longer. Saints, Feasts, and Readings for 03/03/2023. O Morning Star of righteousness, Thou art gone down beneath the earth and hast raised up the dead as if from sleep, dispersing all the darkness of hell. 371. We will see that tomorrow in our Paschal icon, and then for the next Forty Days we will sing the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thou who art Life wast laid in a tomb, O Christ: by Thy death Thou hast destroyed death and art become a fountain of life for the world. Now Christ is driving Satan crazy, rescuing the dead of all times past, present, future leading them up into the light, into life again. We sing this hymn (normally a Sunday Troparion) about what has already happened below, an is about to happen here on earth. Rather tonight we focus on the laments of his Blessed Mother, for she did not know. The seraphim, O Savior, beheld Thee on high, united inseparably with the Father, yet they saw Thee below lying dead in the tomb; and they trembled with fear. I am afraid, cried Joseph. When she saw Thee lying dead, O Word, the all-pure Virgin wept with a mother's grief. It was the ultimate horror. Christ the Life, by tasting death, has delivered mortal men from death, and now gives life to all. But even in the Lamentations, there are words of hope for the coming Resurrection. I am Thine, save me; for I have sought Thy precepts. Chant. Theotokos, most pure. This is the beautiful St. Nicholas Choir chanting the lamentations. Thou hast brought to nothing all them that depart from Thy statutes: for their inward thought is unrighteous. NATIONAL FORUM OF GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH MUSICIANS. 1) The Lamentations of the Theotokos, like those for Christ on Great and Holy Saturday, are chanted after the 7th Ode before the Exaposteilaria the evening before the feast of the Dormition. With their hands they struck Christ in the face, though He it was who formed man with His hand and crushed the teeth of the beast. We die with Christ in His Church. Blessed art Thou, O God, our Redeemer!. Orthodox (5) Other (14) Pentecostal (71) Presbyterian/Reformed (26) . The dead shall arise. Arise, O Giver of Life', the Mother who bore Thee said with tears. Is this a funeral service? I beheld the foolish and was grieved; because they kept not Thy words. Do not lament Me O Mother, seeing Me in the tomb, Although . ." The music is in Western & Byzantine notation. Scheduled for 3/4/23, 7:00 AM. A stone hewn from the rock covers the Cornerstone; and a mortal man now buries God in the grave as one dead. Then he fell, but now he is raised up. What wast thou given in exchange for Him who is precious? Thou didst shatter the dominion of the mighty by First Friday of Lent. We magnify Thee, Jesus our King: we honor Thy burial and Thy sufferings, whereby Thou hast saved us from corruption. Tomorrow morning we will celebrate the first Divine Liturgy of Pascha actually of Christs triumph down below. Specifically, the Lamentations are part of the Matins service for Holy Saturday, often called Encomiums (E) or Megalynaria (M), consisting of a long series of hymns, or troparia, divided into three stanzas, with each hymn introduced by a verse from Psalm 118 in the Septuagint. Inexpressible wonder! Thou hast dealt well with Thy servant, O Lord, according unto Thy word. So already in tonights Epistle (1 Corinthians 5:6-8) we begin the celebration: Christ, our Passover has been sacrificed for us. On the icons And when Thou hast raised up the dead from their dwelling place beneath the earth, all the powers of Heaven cried aloud: Giver of Life, O Christ our God, glory to Thee.'. Tremble, O Heaven, at this sight. The Service for the Restoration of the Marriage of those who have been Divorced. And we venerate Thy passion and burial, O that my ways were directed to keep Thy statutes! Michael Gelsinger later became a priest and died at the Greek Orthodox Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, MA. Be amazed, O heavens! With Thy hand Thou hast fashioned Adam from the earth; and for his sake Thou hast become by nature man and wast of Thine own will crucified. It is usually celebrated in the mid-afternoon to commemorate the burial of Jesus. This is an ongoing project. Sinners have waited for me to destroy me: but I have understood Thy testimonies. The texts of the propers sung at Vespers (stichera on "Lord I call," Litya, Aposticha, Troparia and Kontakia that change daily according to either the day of the week or particular day of the month). In the Slavic practice, at the end of Vespers, Compline is immediately served, featuring a special Canon of the Crucifixion of our Lord and the Lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos by Symeon the Logothete. Full texts of Readers Services for suite of Divine Services of Holy Friday, including the Royal Hours, the Vespers with the Burial of Christ, and Lamentations at the Tomb of the Saviour (with sheet music); for prayer at home during the Covid-19 pandemic period. In the furnace Thou didst save the holy youths from the flame. On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, After three days I will rise., Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, He has risen from the dead. So the last deception will be worse than the first.. The beginning of Thy words is truth: and every one of Thy righteous judgements endures forever. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for Thy testimonies are my meditation. This derives from an ancient Mediterranean custom of women singing laments at peoples deaths. Thy side was pierced, O Savior, like the rock of flint in the wilderness; but Thou hast poured forth a stream of living water, for Thou art the Fount of Life. The women with spices came early at dawn to anoint Thee. Thy testimonies have I received as an heritage forever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. Judge my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to Thy word. Throughout the world in Greek Orthodox Churches, a unique service known as the The Lamentation at the Tomb is celebrated on Good Friday. Those He fed with manna have lifted up their heel against their Benefactor. Seeing Thy body laid in the tomb, O Christ, Thy Mother brings Thee the offering of her tears, and she says: Arise, my Child, as Thou hast foretold.. The veil of the temple is rent in twain at Thy Crucifixion, O Word, and the lights of heaven hide their radiance, when Thou, the Sun, art hidden beneath the earth. Jesus Christ has conquered death and hell. At the end of tonights service, in the Old Testament reading (Ezekiel 37:114) the question is Can these bones live? Ezekiel was asked that question about the bones of Israel, their nation laid level by the Babylonians. III. I opened my mouth, and drew in my breath: for I longed for Thy commandments. Unless Thy law had been my study, I should have perished in my humiliation. By keeping Thy words. Listen to Lamentations: Orthodox Chants of Holy Week by Archangel Voices on Apple Music. I have done judgement and justice: O give me not over unto mine oppressors. The Lamentations of Jeremiah, also called The Lamentations Of Jeremias, Old Testament book belonging to the third section of the biblical canon, known as the Ketuvim, or Writings. Be ashamed, O Jews, for the Life-giver raised your dead, yet ye slew Him out of envy. How is God enclosed within a tomb?. Ode 3 I have been very greatly humbled: quicken me, O Lord, according unto Thy word. The righteousness of Thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live. With my whole heart have I sought Thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments. Early in the morning the myrrh-bearers came to Thee and sprinkled myrrh upon Thy tomb. I rose up before it was dawn, and cried: I have hoped in Thy word. The Lamentations Service for Holy Saturday Matins. for gloriously has He been glorified. Hell trembled, O Savior, when he saw Thee, the Giver of Life, despoiling him of his wealth and raising up the dead from every age. Saint Perpetua and her Heart-breaking Dilemma, 365. Tags. The nonstop service has gone on in this manner for two weeks, with over 50,000 people from other states and even other countries traveling to Asbury to experience the "outpouring." When the university authorities had to close the service this Sunday, February 26, the Asbury Outpouring sparked nascent revivals in Ohio, Tennessee, and elsewhere. Rising early from the night he cried out: Copyright 2023 OrthodoxyToday and OrthodoxNetwork. O Life, how canst Thou die? How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men. In church, still in The Church. I spoke of Thy testimonies also before kings, and was not ashamed. For I shall arise and be glorified with eternal glory as God. O Jesus, my Christ and King of all, why hast Thou come to those in hell? manifestation to us as God, O Christ. O life-giving Vine, Thou wast lifted up from the earth, yet hast Thou poured out the wine of salvation. When thou didst descend to death, O Life Immortal, thou didst slay hell with the splendor of thy Godhead: and when from the depths thou didst raise the dead, all the powers of heaven cried out: O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory to thee! O Life, how canst Thou die? Thou art the Joy of the angels, O Savior, but now Thou art become the cause of their grief, as they see Thee in the flesh a lifeless corpse. Orthodox Online Australia An online directory for Orthodox Churches in Australia live streaming on Facebook and YouTube in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pilate said to them, You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how. So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. Christ our God! As they sang the praise of Thy submissive love! During Holy Week, the Orthodox Christian Church mimics the events that led to Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. Orthodox Chants and Hymns of Holy Pascha by Archangel Voices on Apple Music. Orthros. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? Yet Thou dost destroy deaths kingdom and raise the dead from hell. Daystar without evening, Thou hast gone down in the flesh neath the earth; and the sun grew dark at height of noon-day, for could not bear to look upon Thee. The traitor was cast down to the depths of hell, and to the pit of destruction. In the Hebrew Bible, Lamentations stands with Ruth, the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and Esther and with them makes up the Megillot, five scrolls that are read on various festivals of the Jewish religious year.