Holy saturday pascahl vigil
The church is censed before the Liturgy begins. Following this, the Deacon gives the censer to an Acolyte, opens the Holy Doors, and joins the Priest at the Altar Table (Southwest corner). They bow three times. The Deacon leaves the Sanctuary, passing the High Place, through the North door. He goes before the Holy Shroud (Epitaphion), raises his Orarion and exclaims aloud:
Deacon: Arise! Bless, Master!
+Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
The Deacon enters the Sactuary through the South Door, bows, and goes to his place.
The Priest goes to stand in front of the Holy Shroud, head uncovered, to read the Prayers of
Light silently.
Bless the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, You are very great; * You are clothed with honor and ma-jesty.
You cover Yourself with light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a curtain and lay the beams of Your chambers in the waters. * You make the clouds for your ascent and You walk on the wings of the wind.
You make Your angels spirits, * Your ministers a bla-zing fire.
You laid the foundation of the earth * that it should ne-ver be moved.
You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the moun-tains. * At Your rebuke they fled; at the voice of Your thunder they hur-ried away.
They go up by the moun-tains; * they go down by the valleys to the place that You e-stab-lished for them.
You have set a boundary that they may not pass, * that they never a-gain flood the earth.
He sends the springs into valleys * that run a-mong the hills.
They give drink to every beast of the field; * the wild donkeys quench their thirst;
By them live the birds of the air; * from among the rocks they pipe their calls.
He waters the hills from His chambers; * the earth is satisfied by the fruit of His labor.
He causes the grass to grow for the cattle and green plants for our nourish-ment, * that we may grow food from the earth.
Wine that gladdens our hearts, oil to make our faces shine * and bread that strength-ens our bodies.
The trees of the plain are full of sap; * the cedars of Lebanon, which He planted;
There the sparrows make their nests; * there the heron has made its abode.
The high mountains are a refuge for the deer and the rocks for the badgers. * You made the moon to mark the seasons: the sun knows its time for setting.
You make darkness and it is night, * in which all the beasts of the for-est creep forth.
The young lions roar after their prey * and seek their food from God.
The sun rises; they gather themselves to-gether * and lay down in their dens.
Mankind goes off to work * and to labor un-til the evening.
O Lord, how great are Your works. In wisdom, You have made them all: * the earth is full of Your creatures.
So is this great and wide sea, in which there are creeping things without number, * creatures, both small and great.
There go the ships; * there is that sea beast, which You made to sport therein.
All these wait upon You, * that You may give them their food in due season.
They gather what You give them; * when You open Your Hand, they are filled with good.
When You turn away Your Face, they are troubled. * You take away their breath and they shall cease and to their dust, shall they return.
You send out Your Spirit and they shall be created * and You shall renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the Lord, endure through the ages; * the Lord shall re-joice in His works.
He looks on the earth and it trembles; * He touches the mountains and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord throughout my life; * I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
The Deacon, standing at the Southwest corner of the Altar Table, passing the High Place, exits the Sanctuary, through the North door and stands before the Holy Shroud until the conclusion of the Psalm.
My meditation of Him shall be sweet; * I will be glad in the Lord.
Let the sinners be consumed from the earth and let the wicked be no more. * Bless the Lord, O my soul.
The sun knows its time for setting. * You make darkness and it is night.
O Lord, how manifold are your works. * In wisdom, You have made them all.
Great Litany
Deacon: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Deacon: For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Deacon: For the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the holy churches of God and for the union of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Deacon: For this holy temple and for those who enter here with faith, reverence and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
Deacon: For our Metropolitan, His Eminence Antony; for our Archbishop, His Eminence Daniel, for the reverend presbyters, for the deacons in Christ and for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
Deacon: For our God-Loving and God-Protected country the United States of America, for the government and armed forces, and for all the people; for our God-Loving and God-Protected ancestral homeland Ukraine, and for all her people let us pray to the Lord.
Deacon: For this city, (village or holy monastery) and for every city and community and for the faithful who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
Deacon: For seasonable weather, an abundance of the fruits of the earth and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
Deacon: For those who travel by land, sea and air, for the sick, the suffering, for captives and for the salvation of them all, let us pray to the Lord.
Deacon: For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger and distress, let us pray to the Lord.
Deacon: Help us, save us, have mercy on us and preserve us, God, by Your grace.
Deacon: Remembering our Most-Holy, Most-Pure, Most-Blessed and Glorious Lady, the Birth-Giver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and all our life, to Christ our God.
Priest: O Lord, compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and of great mercy, give heed to our prayers, and attend to the voice of our supplications. Work upon us a sign for good. Guide us in Your way that we may walk in Your truth. Gladden our hearts that we may fear Your holy name, for You are great and You work wonders. You alone are God, and among the gods there is none like You, O Lord, powerful in mercy and good in might, to help and to comfort and to save all those who hope in Your holy name,
Priest: For to You are due all glory, honor and worship: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
Go to Blessing of Oil and return here after prebaptismal annointing.
Lord I Call...
V. (8) Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice.
V. (7) Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
V. (6) If You should mark iniquities, O Lord, Lord, who shall stand? For with You is forgiveness.
V. (5) Because of Your Name I have waited for You, O Lord; my soul has waited for Your word, my soul has hoped in the Lord.
Be glad, O heavens! * Sound
trumpets, O foundations of the earth! *Sing in gladness, O mountains! * Behold
Emmanuel has nailed our sins to the Cross!*Granting life, He has slain death.//He
has resurrected Adam as the Lover of mankind.
Tone 8
V. (4) From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, let Israel hope in the Lord.
Today hell cries out
groaning: * I should not have accepted the Man born of Mary. * He
came and destroyed my power. * He shattered the gates of brass. *
As God, He raised the souls that I had held captive. // Glory to Your Cross and
Resurrection, O Lord!
V. (3) For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is abundant redemption, and He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Today hell cries out
groaning: * I should not have accepted the Man born of Mary. * He
came and destroyed my power. * He shattered the gates of brass. *
As God, He raised the souls that I had held captive. // Glory to Your Cross and
Resurrection, O Lord!
V. (2) Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise Him, all peoples!
Today, hell cries out
groaning: * My dominion has been shattered.
* I received a dead Man as one of the dead, *
but against Him I could not prevail. * From eternity I had ruled the dead, * but behold, He raises all. * Because of Him
do I perish. // Glory to Your Cross and Resurrection,
O Lord!
V. (1) For His mercy has prevailed over us, and the truth of the Lord abides forever.
Today, hell cries out
groaning: * My power has been trampled upon.
* The Shepherd is crucified and Adam is raised. * I have been
deprived of those whom I ruled. * Those whom I swallowed in my strength I
have given up. * He Who was crucified has
emptied the tomb. * The power of death has been vanquished. // Glory to
Your Cross and Resurrection, O Lord!
Tone 6
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
The great Moses mystically
foreshadowed this day, when he said: * God blessed the seventh day.
* This is the blessed Sabbath. * This is the day of rest * on which the only-begotten Son of God rested from
His works. * He kept the Sabbath in the flesh, *
through the dispensation of death. * But on this day, He returned again * through the Resurrection. * He has
granted us eternal life, // for He alone is good, the Lover of mankind.
Tone 1
now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Let us praise the Virgin
Mary,
the gate of heaven, the glory of the world,
the song of the Angels, the beauty of the faithful!
She was born of man, yet gave
birth to God.
She was revealed as the
heaven,
as the temple of the Godhead.
She destroyed the wall of
enmity.
She commenced the peace; she
opened the Kingdom.
Since she is our foundation
of faith,
our defender is the Lord Whom she bore.
Courage! Courage! O People of
God!
For Christ will destroy our
enemies//
since He is all powerful.
Reader: “Let us sing to the
Lord!”
Horse and rider He has thrown
into the sea!
For gloriously…
The Lord became my helper and
the shield of my salvation; He is my God, and I will glorify Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
For gloriously…
The Lord brings wars to
nothing; The Lord is His name.
For gloriously…
Pharaoh’s chariots and army
He cast into the sea; His chosen captains also were drowned in the Red Sea.
For gloriously…
The sea covered them; they
sank to the bottom like a stone.
For gloriously…
“Your right hand, O God, is
glorified in strength; Your right hand, O God, dashed
the enemy in pieces.
For gloriously…
In the greatness of Your glory You broke the adversaries to pieces; You sent
forth Your wrath; it consumed them like stubble.
For gloriously…
By the Spirit of Your anger the
waters were gathered together; the waves stood upright in the midst of the sea;
the depths congealed in the heart of the sea.
For gloriously…
The enemy said, ‘I will
pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoils; I will satisfy my soul; I
will destroy with my sword; My hand shall have
dominion.’
For gloriously…
You sent forth Your Spirit;
the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
For gloriously…
“Who is like You, O Lord,
among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness,
marvelous in praises, doing wonders?
For gloriously…
You stretched out Your right hand; the earth swallowed them up.
For gloriously…
In righteousness You guided Your people whom You redeemed; in strength You
called them to Your holy resting place.
For gloriously…
“The nations heard and were
angry; pangs seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
For gloriously…
The princes of Edom and the
chiefs of the Moabites were dismayed; trembling took hold of them; all the
inhabitants of Canaan melted away.
For gloriously…
Fear and dread will fall upon
them; by the greatness of Your arm, let them become as
stone, till Your people pass over, O Lord, till Your people pass over, whom You
purchased.
For gloriously…
Bring them in and plant them
in the mountain of Your inheritance; in Your prepared
habitation, O Lord, which Your hands made ready; the sanctuary, O Lord, which
Your hands established.
For gloriously…
The Lord reigns forever and
ever and ever.
For gloriously…
For Pharaoh’s horses went
with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought back the
waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry ground in
the midst of the sea.”
For gloriously…
Glory to the Father, and to
the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Let us sing to the Lord!
For gloriously…
…now and ever, and unto ages
of ages. Amen. Let us sing to the Lord!
For gloriously…
Bless the Lord, all you works
of the Lord. Bless the Lord, you angels of the Lord. Bless the Lord, you
heavens.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, all you
waters above heaven. Bless the Lord, all you powers of the Lord.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, you sun and
moon. Bless the Lord, you stars of heaven.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, every shower
and dew. Bless the Lord, all you winds.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, you fire and
heat. Bless the Lord, you winter cold and summer heat. Bless the Lord, you dews
and snows.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, you frost and
cold. Bless the Lord, you hoarfrosts and snows.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, you night and
day. Bless the Lord, you light and darkness.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, you lightning
and clouds. Let the earth bless the Lord.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, you mountains
and hills. Bless the Lord, all you things growing on the earth.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, you springs.
Bless the Lord, you seas and rivers.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, you
sea-monsters and everything that moves in the waters. Bless the Lord, all you
birds of heaven. Bless the Lord, all you wild animals and cattle. Bless the
Lord, O children of men.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, O Israel.
Bless the Lord, O priests of the Lord. Bless the Lord, O servants of the Lord.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, O spirits and
souls of the righteous. Bless the Lord, O holy ones and humble in heart.
Praise the Lord…
Bless the Lord, O Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael! Bless the Lord, O apostles, prophets and martyrs
of the Lord.”
Praise the Lord…
We bless the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen
Praise the Lord…
We praise, bless and worship
the Lord, singing and exalting Him throughout all ages.
Praise the Lord…
Go to Baptism and return here after chrismation is complete.
The newly illumined are lead to the tomb.
Little Litany
Deacon: Again and again, in peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Help us, save us, have mercy on us and preserve us, God, by Your grace.
Deacon: Remembering our Most-Holy, Most-Pure, Most-Blessed and Glorious Lady, the Birth-Giver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and all our life, to Christ our God.
Priest: Lord our God, save Your People, and bless Your Inheritance; protect the fullness of Your Church. Sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house, glorifying them in return by Your divine Power and do not forsake us who hope in You.
Priest: Holy God, dwelling in Your heavenly sanctuary, praised by the Seraphim with the Thrice-Holy hymn, glorified by the Cherubim, and adored by all the Heavenly Powers: You have brought all things into being out of nothing. You created us in Your image and likeness, and adorned us with all Your gifts. To those who seek, You grant wisdom and understanding. You do not despise the sinner, but have set repentance as the way of salvation. You have deemed us worthy, Your lowly and undeserving servants, to stand at this very hour before the Glory of Your holy altar, and to offer You due worship and praise, Master, accept even from the lips of us sinners the Thrice-Holy Hymn, and graciously visit us in Your Goodness. Forgive us our every offense whether voluntary or involuntary. Sanctify us, soul and body, and grant that we may worship You in holiness all the days of our life: through the intercessions of the Holy Birth-Giver of God and of all the saints who have well pleased You throughout the ages.
Deacon: Bless, Master, the time of the Thrice-holy.
Priest: For You are Holy, our God, and to You we give glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever...
Deacon: ...and to the ages of ages.
Trisagion
The newly illumined are lead three times around the tomb.
Prokeimeon
Tone 5
The prokeimenon
in the fifth tone: Let all the earth worship You and
praise You; let it praise Your name, O Most High!
Make a joyful
noise to God, all the earth! Sing of His name, give glory to His praise!
Epistle: Romans
Brethren, do you not know
that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His
death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just
as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the
likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His
resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the
body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we
believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been
raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For
the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives,
He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Instead of Alleluia Tone 7
God has taken His place in the divine council; in the
midst of the gods He holds judgment.
Arise…
How long will you judge unjustly and accept the faces
of sinners?
Arise…
Give justice to the weak and the
fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
Arise…
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the sinner.
Arise…
They have neither knowledge nor
understanding; they walk about in darkness.
Arise…
Let all the foundations of the earth be shaken!
Arise…
I say: You are gods, sons of the
Most High, all of you; nevertheless, you shall die like men, and fall like any
prince! (If changing of vestment colors is not complete repeat above verses.
Arise…
Gospel: Matthew
Matthew 28:1-20
Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week
began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold,
there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven,
and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His
countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the
guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered
and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus
who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the
place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is
risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you
will see Him. Behold, I have told you. So they went out quickly from the tomb
with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went
to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So
they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them,
"Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go
to Galilee, and there they will see Me." Now while they were going,
behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests
all the things that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and
consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying,
"Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we
slept.' And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make
you secure. So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this
saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. Then the eleven
disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for
them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came
and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples
of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
Cherubic Hymn
Sing verses 1 and 2. Then wait for entrance. Finishes with verses 3 and 4.
Hymn to Theotokos
If there are newly-illumined, churching is done after clergy communion
Communion Psalm
The Lord awoke as one asleep, and arose saving us! * Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Prayer Before the Amvon
Priest: Let us depart in peace.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
Priest: O Lord, bless those who bless You and sanctify those who trust in You. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Protect the fullness of Your Church. Sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house, glorifying them in return by Your divine power and do not forsake us who hope in You. Grant peace to Your world, to Your Churches, to Your priests, to those in public service, to our God-loving and God-protected country the United States of America and to our God-loving and God-protected ancestral homeland Ukraine, to the members of this holy temple and to all Your people; for every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from You, the Father of Lights and to You we give glory, thanksgiving and worship: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
If there are newly-illumined, Ablution and Tonsure are Completed after Prayer before Tomb
The Blessing of Bread and Wine
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus Christ our God, You blessed the five loaves in the wilderness and with them fed the five thousand: now, as then, Master, bless these loaves of bread, this wheat, wine and oil and multiply them in this community (holy monastery) and in all the world and sanctify the faithful who shall partake of them. For You bless and sanctify all things, Christ our God and we glorify You, together with Your Father without beginning and Your All-Holy, Good and Life-Creating Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
People: Amen. Blessed be the Name of the Lord... Followed by PS 33