Saturday of the Myrrh-bearers
At the beginning of the Liturgy, the Priest sings “Christ is risen” 2 ˝ times, and the Choir finishes the last half.
Beatitude Verses, on 8: Pentecostarion 4 from Ode 9; St. Matrona 4, from Ode 6
1. O ye faithful, in unceasing hymnody let us magnify her who supernaturally conceived in the flesh of her womb the Word Who shone forth from the Father before time began. 2. The thief who on the Cross acknowledged Thee as God didst Thou make an heir to the noetic garden of paradise, for he cried out: “Remember me, O Almighty Savior!” 3. Let the noble counsellor Joseph be hymned with the myrrh-bearing women and the divine disciples, for he was a proclaimer of the resurrection of Christ. 4. O ye faithful, let us praise the wondrous Joseph with Nicodemus and the faithful myrrh-bearing women, who cried: “The Lord is truly risen!” 5. Ever offering up prayers to God, thou didst declare to Him all needs and griefs, O righteous mother; and like Jonah in the belly of the whale thou didst cry out in great anguish: Lead me up from the depths of evils, O God! 6. Humbly enduring all want with the help of God, O righteous Matrona, thou didst vanquish the power of the enemy by thy prayer: wherefore, having now received the grace of Christ in abundance, pray that we be delivered from the malice of the devil. 7. By thy many struggles, O righteous Matrona, thou didst overcome the machinations of the devil, waging battle against the prince of the darkness of this world; wherefore, pray now for us, that we may put on the full armor of God, and may in evil times withstand the air-borne spirits of wickedness. 8. O all-pure Virgin, who gavest birth to the Vanquisher of hell and death, entreat thy Lord and Son, that He deliver us from the malice of the enemy. Troparia & Kontakia:
Tone 2:
The noble Joseph, taking Thine immaculate Body down from the Tree, /
and having wrapped It in pure linen and spices, laid It in a new tomb. /
But on the third day Thou didst arise, O Lord, //
granting to the world great mercy.
Tone 2: When Thou didst descend unto death, O Life Immortal, /
then didst Thou slay Hades with the lightning of Thy Divinity. /
And when Thou didst also raise the dead out of the nethermost depths,
all the Hosts of the heavens cried out: //
O Life-giver, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.
Tone 2: Unto the myrrh-bearing women /
did the angel cry out as he stood by the tomb: /
Myrrh is meet for the dead, /
but Christ hath proved to be a stranger to corruption. /
But cry out: The Lord is risen, //
granting to the world great mercy.
[Troparion of the Temple]
Tone 2: O ye faithful, let us praise today the blessed eldress Matrona /
who was made wise by God, /
the scion of the land of Tula, /
the all-glorious adornment of the city of Moscow. /
For she, who knew not the light of day, /
was illumined by the light of Christ /
and enriched with the gift of foresight and healing. /
And having been a stranger and wanderer upon the earth,
she standeth now before the throne of God in the mansions of heaven, //
and prayeth in behalf of our souls.
[Kontakion of the Temple]
Glory… Tone 7:
O righteous Matrona, who from thy mother's womb /
wast chosen beforehand for the service of Christ: /
treading the path of sorrows and griefs, /
and showing forth a firm faith and piety, /
thou wast pleasing unto God. /
Wherefore, honoring thy memory, we beseech thee: /
Help us also to abide in the love of God, //
O blessed eldress.
Both now… Tone 2:
When Thou didst cry, Rejoice, unto the myrrh-bearers, /
Thou didst make the lamentation of Eve the first mother to cease /
by Thy Resurrection, O Christ God. /
And Thou didst bid Thine apostles to preach: //
The Savior is risen from the grave.
The Epistle:
Reader: The Prokimenon in the 6th Tone: Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
Choir: Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
Reader: Unto Thee, O Lord, Will I cry; O my God, be not silent unto me.
Choir: Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
Reader: In the 3rd Tone: The Lord is my light and my savior; whom then shall I fear.
Choir: The Lord is my light and my savior; whom then shall I fear.
Reader: The Reading is from the Acts of the Holy Apostles:
[Acts 9:19b-31 (§22); Gal. 3:23-29 (§208)]
Reader: Alleluia in the 8th Tone: Thou hast been gracious, O Lord, unto Thy land; Thou hast turned back the captivity of Jacob..
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reader: In the 6th Tone: The Lord looseth the fettered; the Lord Maketh wise the blind.
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Gospel [John 15:17-16:2 (§52); Luke 7:36–50 (§33)]
Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Canon of the feast, first Tone:
Refrain: The angel cried unto her that is full of grace: Rejoice, O pure Virgin! And again I say, rejoice! For thy Son is risen from the grave on the third day, and hath raised the dead, O ye people, be joyful!
Irmos: Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee; dance now and be glad, O Zion, and do thou exult, O pure Theotokos, in the arising of Him Whom thou didst bear.
Communion Verse: Receive ye the body of Christ, taste ye of the fountain of immortality. In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be; he shall not be afraid of evil tidings. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
We sing “Christ is risen…” instead of “We have seen the true light…“
At the dismissal, when the priest says: “Glory to Thee, O Christ God…” The Choir sings “Christ is risen…” x3 instead of “Glory… Both now… Father bless!” Then the priest gives the dismissal.