From the very dawn of Christianity, the faithful spent Easter night in the temple. According to the story of the historian Eusebius, Emperor Constantine the Great turned this sacred night into a jubilant day. All over the city, tall pillars were lit, like fiery lamps, so that this mysterious night became brighter than the brightest day.

From 8 o'clock in the evening, before the Shroud, the reading of the Acts of the Apostles begins in commemoration of the new life - the life of the Church, redeemed by the Blood of Christ.

At half past twelve o'clock at night the choir begins to sing the Great Saturday canon with the Wave of the Sea. But these mysterious words sound completely different here. There is no more sorrow, the soul catches in them the joyful approach of the Resurrection. During the singing of the Midnight Office, the Shroud is taken to the altar and placed there on the Throne, remaining there until the Feast of the Ascension as a sign of the forty-day stay of the Risen Savior on earth.

Everything falls silent in the temple, immersed in twilight, awaiting the sacred moment.

Easter Matins

Easter Matins begins at 12 o'clock at night with a solemn religious procession around the temple. The clergy, dressed in all the most luminous dignity, with a cross, the Gospel, icons and banners, surrounded by worshipers with lighted candles, to the joyful ringing of bells, leaves the temple as if to meet the coming Savior, with the singing of the stichera: Thy Resurrection Christ the Savior, Angels sing in heaven , and grant us on earth, with a pure heart, to glorify You. The angel's song is already sounding in the heavens, and people are still walking in the darkness of the night, but the heart is already trembling in anticipation of the all-illuminating joy of the Resurrection. Having walked around the temple, the procession stops in the vestibule in front of closed doors, as if at the entrance to the Holy Sepulcher. And now the joyful news is heard: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tombs. The doors open - and the entire sacred host solemnly enters the temple shining with lights. The singing of the Easter canon begins. According to the interpretation of the synaxarion ( short reading, placed after the 6th song of the canon, containing the summary of the service), the word “Easter” means translation; from non-existence - to being, from hell - to heaven, from death and corruption - to immortality, which is the original and natural state of man. From the chanting of Easter as a “translation” human life to its original sources - immortality, eternal life– and the Easter canon begins.

Song 1

Irmos: Resurrection day, let us be enlightened (shine), people: Easter, the Lord's Easter (that is, the transition to another existence), for from death to life and from earth to heaven, Christ God translated us, singing the song of victory.

Chorus: Christ is risen from the dead.

Troparion: Let us purify our senses and see Christ, shining with the unapproachable light of the resurrection, and, singing the song of victory, let us clearly hear from Him: “Rejoice!”

Let the heavens rejoice according to their dignity (as they should, as befits), and let the earth rejoice: let the (whole) world, visible and invisible, celebrate, for Christ has risen - eternal joy.

Song 3

Irmos: Come, (and let us) drink a new drink, not miraculously produced from a barren stone, but a source of incorruptibility (immortality), produced (like rain) from the tomb by Christ, in whom we are established.

Troparion: Now everything is filled with light - heaven, and earth, and the underworld, therefore, let all creation celebrate the rebellion of Christ, by which it was established.

Yesterday I was buried with You, Christ, today when I rise with You risen; I crucified with You yesterday, glorify me with You. Himself, Savior, in Your Kingdom!

Song 4

Irmos: On divine guard, may the God-speaking (i.e., prophet of God) Habakkuk stand with us and show (us) an Angel shining with light, loudly, piercingly exclaiming: “Today is the salvation of the world, for Christ has risen as almighty.” (Opressed by the thought of the triumph of evil, the prophet Habakkuk tensely awaited news from God about the triumph of truth and the salvation of the world.)

Troparion: As the firstborn male, born of the Virgin, He appeared as Christ, as He who was offered for food is called the Lamb, as free from filth - immaculate, our Passover, and as true God- perfect.

Song 5

Irmos: (Let us) get up early in the morning and instead of myrrh we will bring (our) song to the Lord, and we will see Christ - the Sun of Truth, pouring out the (rays) of life on everyone.

Troparion: (The dead) bound by the bonds (literally ropes, chains) of hell, (suddenly) seeing Your, O Christ, immeasurable mercy (and as if revived by this) rushed to the light with joyful feet (even literally stamping joyfully with their feet, just like, for example, they clap their hands with joy), praising the eternal (i.e., real, true, coming once and for all) Easter.

There is life beyond the grave - this is the highest essence of the Easter celebration. Christ raised to life those who had died before His coming, but who were waiting for Him. He raised up those who died with faith in Him after His coming, just as He will also raise up those who are now dying and those who are about to die in this age. For all of them, for all of us, the posthumous expectation of His Second Glorious Coming is only a three-day stay in the tomb according to the Example and image of Christ Himself. On Easter days, believing people carry this joyful news to the graves of their departed.

Let us go with lamps in our hands to meet Christ emerging from the tomb as the Bridegroom, and together with the celebrating ranks (of angels) we will celebrate God’s saving Easter

Song 6

Irmos: You, Christ, descended into the lowest depths of the earth and crushed the eternal locks that held the chained prisoners, and on the third day, like Jonah from the whale, you emerged from the tomb.

Kontakion

Even if you descended into the grave, Immortal...

From the mystical heights of the thought of God, the kontakion again leads us to the historical event of the resurrection, and the ikos that follows it tells us about the experiences of the holy myrrh-bearing women, who hastened to anoint the life-giving and buried body, the flesh of the One who raised Adam, but Himself lies in the tomb. Like the Magi, they rush to worship Christ, not in shrouds, but wrapped in a shroud. Their crying is replaced by a joyful vision of an Angel announcing their resurrection. This is followed by the singing of the Sunday song, which is repeated at every Sunday matins: Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one. We worship Your Cross, O Christ, and we sing and glorify Your holy Resurrection: for You are our God, do we know no other than You, your name we call it. Come, all faithful, let us worship the saint Christ's Resurrection: Behold, through the Cross joy has come to the whole world. Always blessing the Lord, we sing His Resurrection: having endured the crucifixion, destroy death by death.

Song 7

Troparion: We celebrate the mortification of death, the destruction of hell, the beginning of another - eternal - life and in delight we glorify the Author (of this), - the One blessed God of the fathers and glorified.

Song 8

The eighth canto reminds us that the joy of Easter is the joy of the Eucharist given by Christ to the whole world.

Troparion: On this appointed and holy day, “the feast of feasts and the solemnity of solemnities,” the faithful are invited to come and share in this joy.

Come, let us partake of the new fruit of the vine, divine joy, and the Kingdom of Christ.

Look around you, Zion (address to the New Testament Church, the Upper Room of Zion, where the Last Supper was celebrated) and see: behold, your children have flocked to you like wondrous shining stars from the west, north, south and east, blessing Christ in you forever.

Canto 8 ends with the glorification of the Holy Trinity.

After the 8th song at the usual Matins comes the hymn of the Theotokos, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” Here it is replaced by special Easter choruses, glorifying the Suffering, Buried and Risen Christ. The 3rd chorus expresses the meaning and content of the entire Easter celebration:

Christ the New Passover, Living Sacrifice, Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world.

Christ is that new Easter, the fulfillment of which He spoke to His disciples at the Last Supper (Luke 22:15-16). He is that living Sacrifice that was supposed to stop all Old Testament sacrifices, that Lamb about whom the prophets prophesied (Isa. 53:7).

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul already definitely refers to Christ as “our” Passover, saying: “Our Passover is Christ” (1 Cor. 5:7).

Thus the aspirations were fulfilled, the prophecies were fulfilled, and the secret Easter, the mysterious Easter, was openly revealed to people.

The 4th chorus is the Archangel's greeting to the Mother of God: The angel cried out with grace: Pure Virgin, rejoice, and again the river, rejoice: Your Son is risen three days from the grave; and raised up the dead; people have fun.

Song 9

The Mother of God is the new Jerusalem, the New Testament Zion, the glory of the Church, and the irmos of the 9th canto unites Her image with the image of the glorified Church of Christ:

Irmos: Shine, shine, new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is upon you: rejoice now and be glad, Zion: But you, Pure One, rejoice in the Mother of God, about the rise of Your Nativity.

In the troparia of the 9th canto, Paschal rejoicing reaches its highest tension. The soul is filled to the brim like a full cup and can no longer find words to express its bliss.

Troparion: Oh, how divine, oh, how kind, oh, how sweet is Your voice, O Christ...

O great and most sacred Easter, Christ! O Wisdom, Word of God and Power! Grant us to commune with You more perfectly in the eternal (unsetting) light of Your Kingdom.

The following chant is in minted and strong words again tells us about the unity of Easter of the Cross and Easter of the Resurrection.

The path to resurrection lies through death and the image of this path was given to us by Christ.

Having fallen asleep in the flesh, as if dead, Thou art the King and Lord, who rose for three days, raised Adam from aphids and abolished death: Easter is incorruptible, the salvation of the world.

At the end of Matins, the solemn Easter stichera are sung.

Stichera: ch. 5th

Verse: May God rise again and His enemies be scattered.

The sacred Easter has appeared to us today: the new holy Easter: the mysterious Easter: the all-honorable Easter: the Easter of Christ the Deliverer: the immaculate Easter: the great Easter: the Easter of the faithful: the Easter that opens the doors of heaven to us: the Easter that sanctifies all the faithful.

Verse: As smoke disappears, let them disappear.

Come from the vision of the wife of the gospel, and cry to Zion: receive from us the joy of the annunciation, the resurrection of Christ: rejoice, rejoice, and rejoice in Jerusalem, seeing the King Christ from the tomb, like a bridegroom coming.

Verse: So let sinners perish from the presence of God, and let righteous women rejoice.

The myrrh-bearing woman, in the deep morning, appeared at the tomb of the Life-Giver, found an Angel sitting on a stone, and having told them, she said: Why are you looking for the Living One with the dead? that you cry the imperishable into aphids; Go and preach as His disciple.

Verse: This day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.

Red Easter, Easter, the Lord's Easter, the all-honorable Easter for us. Easter, let us embrace each other with joy. Oh Easter! Deliverance of sorrow, for from the grave today, as Christ has risen from the palace, fill the women with joy, saying: Preach as an Apostle.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Resurrection day, and we will be enlightened by triumph, and we will embrace each other. Rtsem: brothers! and to those who hate us, we forgive all by the resurrection, and thus we cry: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tombs.

After the last stichera, the rite of Christification takes place, about which in the Colored Triodion (containing the divine service of the Easter weeks until Trinity) it is said: “We sing Christ is Risen, until the brethren kiss each other.”

The custom of greeting each other with a brotherly kiss is very ancient. IN ancient church it was performed at every Liturgy, and now what remains of it is the fraternal kiss of the clergy at every Liturgy before the start of the Eucharistic canon. At the same time, the clergy greets each other with the words: Christ is in our midst. - And there is and there will be.

During Easter Matins, believers first come up to share Christ with the clergy, and then kiss each other three times. The words Christ is Risen - He is Truly Risen do not fall silent in the church throughout the entire Easter Matins. Between all the songs of the canon, the clergy walks around the temple and, passing through the rows of worshipers, joyfully greets them with an Easter exclamation. Truly He is Risen, hundreds of voices thunder in response to them, and these

the joyful cries of the people merge with the jubilant singing of the choir.

Matins ends with the solemn reading of the words of St. John Chrysostom.

Catechetical word

on the Holy and Luminous Day of the Glorious and Saving Christ our God of the Resurrection (Alone among the saints of our father John the Third)

Let those who are pious and God-loving enjoy this beautiful and bright celebration. Let anyone who is a prudent servant enter rejoicing into the joy of his Lord. Whoever has exhausted himself with fasting, let him receive a denarius today. Whoever worked from the first hour, let him today accept a fair wage. Whoever came after the third hour, let him begin to celebrate with gratitude. If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let him not doubt at all, for he has nothing to lose. Whoever is late even for the ninth hour, let him proceed without any hesitation. If anyone came only at eleven o'clock, let him not be afraid that he was late, for the Lord, being generous, accepts the latter as well as the first. Provides shelter for rest for those who come at the eleventh hour, as well as for those who have been working since the first. And he has mercy on the last and cares for the first, and gives to him, and bestows gifts on him, and accepts deeds and welcomes intentions, and appreciates action and praises desire. Therefore, all of you enter into the joy of your Lord - both first and second, enjoy the reward. Rich and poor, rejoice together. Temperate and lazy, honor this day. Those who have fasted and those who have not fasted, rejoice today. The meal is complete, enjoy it all. Taurus is great, let no one leave hungry. All enjoy the feast of faith; you will all taste the wealth of goodness. Let no one weep over his poverty, for the kingdom has come for all. Let no one grieve over sins, because forgiveness has shined from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the death of the Savior freed us: He Whom it held in His power extinguished it. Triumphed over hell He who descended into hell. Hell had a bitter time when he tasted His flesh. And, having seen this, Isaiah exclaimed: “Hell had a bitter time when it met You in the underworld. It was bitter because it was abolished; bitter, because he was reproached; bitter, for he was killed; bitter, for it is destroyed; bitterly, for he was imprisoned in chains. Took on a body and (suddenly) encountered God; accepted the earth, but met Heaven; accepted what he saw and fell for what he did not see. Death, where is your sting? hell, where is your victory? Christ has risen, and you are defeated. Christ has risen and the demons have fallen. Christ has risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ has risen, and life has come. Christ has risen - and not a single dead person is in the tomb. For Christ, having risen from the dead, became the (resurrected) Firstborn of those who slept. To him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

Easter Liturgy

The hours are replaced at the Easter Liturgy by the joyful singing of selected stichera from the Easter Canon. There is no reading at all - everything is sung. The Royal Doors, both the northern and southern doors of the altar, remain open all the time as a sign that heaven is now open to us. The Royal Doors are closed only on Saturday of Easter week after the Liturgy.

The Easter Liturgy, celebrated according to the rite of St. John Chrysostom, is entirely imbued with the joy of the Resurrection, as evidenced by the frequent repetition of the Resurrection Troparion and other Easter hymns. Instead of the Trisagion, the verse is sung again: The Elites were baptized into Christ, - they put on Christ, but here this putting on Christ means not only co-crucifixion with Him, but also co-resurrection, - in accordance with the song of the canon:

“Yesterday I was buried with You, Christ, today I am risen with You.” Instead of the Apostolic Reading, the 1st chapter of Acts is read, which tells about the Savior’s appearances to the disciples after the Resurrection, about His command not to leave Jerusalem and to wait for the fulfillment of the promise He made about sending the Spirit - the Comforter.

Gospel reading again takes us into eternity. It may seem surprising that the Gospel of the Easter Liturgy does not tell us about the Resurrection. In fact, the 1st chapter of John we read is the supreme revelation of the truth underlying all Gospel story. In the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... Jesus Christ, who suffered and was buried by us in the form (image) of a servant and rose again in glory as God is the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity, from the beginning the existing Word, abiding from eternity in the bosom of the Father, They laid the beginning of life, and this life was light

people. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we saw His glory, glory as the only begotten from the Father... and from His fullness we all received and grace upon grace (John 1:1-17). These words contain the highest dogmatic revelation about the God-man and God-manhood. The Gospel is usually read in different languages in commemoration of the universality of Christianity.

The entire liturgy takes place in joy and lightness of spiritual uplift. The Cherubic song sounds in a new way, for the Angels, praising the King of kings, have now descended to earth to announce His Resurrection. The words of the Symbol sound in a new way: And she suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. With a new feeling we Thank the Lord, realizing in a new way that the very word “Eucharist” means “Thanksgiving”.

Since apostolic times, Christians have had an immutable custom of consecrating this night with communion of the Holy Mysteries, for Paschal joy is Eucharistic joy.

The Easter Liturgy ends with the jubilant Christ is Risen, with which the choir responds to all the exclamations of the priest. This joy without end, this universal rejoicing is already a prototype of the coming Kingdom of Glory, given in the Revelation of the Apostle John: And I heard as it were the voice of a large people, as it were the sound of many waters, as it were the voice of mighty thunders, saying: Alleluia! for the Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory; For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And it was given to Her to be clothed in fine linen, clean and bright (Rev. 19:6-8). The wife and bride of the Lamb - the Church of Christ, which has adorned itself with all the treasures of joy and beauty, now celebrates and rejoices and calls everyone to come to the bright Triumph of Love. Both the spirit and the Bride say: come. And let him who hears say, Come, let him who thirsts come, and let him who desires take the water of life freely (Rev. 22:17). This water of life is Christ - the New Passover, the Living Sacrifice, the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.

Easter. Christians especially honor this holiday - the main Sunday of the year when Jesus rose from the dead. Easter is the personification of the victory of Love and Life. The church on this day is joyful and radiant, as is the mood of all the parishioners who attend it. The main part of the service lasts from half past twelve to four in the morning. Temples are usually crowded on this solemn night. Parishioners wishing to attend the service should leave their homes early to ensure there is enough space. The temple is decorated with white flowers, the priests are dressed in ceremonial robes, the rest of the ministers churches also dressed smartly. The singing this night is joyful and light, in churches there are many candles and in their light the icon frames mysteriously turn golden. Service accompanied by Blagovest - a special bell ringing. Easter cakes and other food items are best consecrated in advance, on Saturday. During the Easter service, at large cluster people, it will be difficult to do this. Half an hour before midnight, a priest and a deacon on their heads bring a canvas with the image of Christ in the shroud into the altar through the Royal Doors. The servants place her on the throne. Here the shroud is kept before the celebration of Holy Pascha as a sign that Jesus stayed forty days on earth before the ascension. At midnight, in the altar, which marks heaven, the clergy begin to sing the stechira. It goes like this: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven, and grant us on earth to glorify You with a pure heart.” The singing of the stechira occurs three times. The second time it is also sung in the altar, a tone higher and with the curtain pulled back. This is a sign that the destinies of humanity are revealed earlier in heaven than on earth. The third singing, in even higher voices, begins as the priests leave the altar and lasts until the middle. The choir in the middle of the temple and all those praying finish singing the stekhira. After this, the trezvon begins. From churches the Procession of the Cross comes out and goes around the temple singing “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior...”. Hod personifies the myrrh-bearing women who walked with scents “early early to the Sepulchre.” The participants of the Walk stop at the western temple, as if at the doors of the tomb, where the Myronsians received the news of the resurrection. At this moment the ringing subsides. Abbot churches takes and envelops the aroma of the icon and all those praying. Then he takes a cross with a triveshnik in his free hand and stands facing it. With a censer, the priest traces the sign of the Cross in front of the closed gates and begins Bright Matins. After this, the doors of the temple open and the inner chambers decorated with candles and flowers. Next comes Easter Matins. It consists of singing a canon. Then the stekhira are sung and the Gospel is solemnly read. The next step is the prayer behind the pulpit, after which bread prepared according to the special recipe. This bread, called in Greek, is blessed with prayer and sprinkled with holy water. Throughout Bright Week, the bread remains in the temple. At the end of the Easter Liturgy, joyful singing is heard, and all believers, accompanied by the ringing of bells, approach the Cross of the Lord. Here they exchange holiday greetings: “Christ is Risen!” - “Truly he is risen!”

Easter service

The festive Easter service in the church has its roots in deep Christian antiquity. Over the course of many centuries, new rituals and chants were added to it.

Easter night services are held from Saturday to Sunday. The service begins around 11 pm and continues until the morning. Believers begin to gather in the church long before the service; for them this is a solemn and exciting event. The service in all churches begins with the Easter Midnight Office, during which the deacon and priest take away the shroud.

The shroud is a fabric (plate) made of velvet or drape with gold embroidery or appliqué depicting the procedure for placing the Savior in the tomb: the Mother of God, John the Theologian, disciples of Christ and the myrrh-bearing women bowed over the tomb of the body of Christ wrapped in shrouds. Along the edges of the shroud, the golden words of the troparion of Great Saturday are embroidered or printed: “The noble Joseph took down your most pure body from the tree, wrapped it in a clean shroud and covered it with fragrances in a new tomb, and laid it.”

The Shroud is a kind of symbol of the shrouds in which the body of Christ was wrapped after being removed from the Cross. Each temple has its own shroud. Before the Easter service, the shroud is taken out from the altar on Holy Saturday and until the Sunday service is in the temple on the symbolic Holy Sepulcher. To draw a parallel with the procedure of anointing the body of the dead Jesus with incense, the shroud is anointed with aromatic oils. Believers can pray in front of the shroud; they are allowed to kiss the wounds on the body of the depicted Savior.

During the Easter Midnight Office, the priest and the deacon, after censing the shroud, take it to the altar, at which time the irmos “Do not weep for Me, Mother” is sung. The Shroud is placed on the throne, where it is kept for forty days, until the Ascension of the Lord (symbolizing the period after which the Savior ascended to heaven).

Easter Matins begins. The clergy wear light robes. The temple is festively decorated, hundreds of candles are burning, the temple seems to be flooded with light. Believers are joyful, their hearts are filled with hope and faith.

This is how Hierodeacon Euthymiy described the atmosphere of the holiday in the church:

Holy Easter

These are the holy days

Bright Week!

All what people have

Joyful faces.

Everyone looks so happy

It's like they're all brothers

Kisses are in a hurry

To embrace you.

And the words: Christ is risen!

They never leave our lips,

And there are bells everywhere

This news is being spread.

God's temple is full of people,

Songs are heard

Like the tide on a sea of ​​waves,

To the glory of Sunday.

You look at the sky - and there

The sun is playing

And in the airy blue

The bird is singing.

All nature these days,

Having removed the shackles of winter,

Again a colorful spring dress

Ready to wear...

Everywhere now there is joy, peace,

Everything is so full of affection,

There is a bright feast for people everywhere

On the days of Holy Easter.

In all places of the temple, and especially in front of the Royal Doors, incense is burned, that is, fragrant substances are burned. This symbolizes the grace spreading from the Tomb of Christ to all believers.

The ringing of bells warns of the imminent arrival of midnight. This gospel message tells believers about the solemn moment when the Resurrection of Christ will occur.

Exactly at midnight there is singing, first quiet, then loud, stichera: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, the angels are singing in heaven, and grant us on earth with a pure heart to glorify Thee.”

The Royal Doors are solemnly opened. Priests come out from there, a religious procession begins around the temple with shrines, and believers join it. The bells continue to ring, the singing of the stichera continues. The procession of the cross early in the morning around the temple symbolizes how the holy myrrh-bearing women and the apostles headed to the Vertograd (vineyard) of Joseph, where the burial cave was located. In addition, the procession outside the temple symbolizes that Christ was buried outside of Jerusalem.

Participants in the narthex procession stop. The doors to the temple are closed. This means that the Holy Sepulcher was covered with a stone and closed.

The bell stops ringing. After censing by the rector of the temple, the clergy and choir sing solemn paschal troparion:

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the tombs!

Words follow prayers:

May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke disappears, let them disappear; just as wax melts in the face of fire, so let demons perish in the face of those who love God and sign the sign of the cross, and say in joy: Rejoice, Most Honorable One and Life-giving Cross Lord, drive away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, who descended into hell and trampled upon the power of the devil, and who gave us His Honest Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen.

The choir sings:

Christ rose from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the tombs.

To enter the church, the clergyman does sign of the cross with the help of a cross and a three-branched candlestick. The doors open. Participants in the procession solemnly and joyfully enter the bright temple.

Next it is sung Canon of Saint John of Damascus, conveying the meaning and significance of the holiday. While singing the songs of the canon, the clergy walk around the temple with a cross and censer, congratulating everyone present on the holiday: “Christ is Risen!” The parishioners respond traditionally: “Truly he is risen!”

Matins ends. Now all parishioners should greet each other with the words: “Christ is risen!” and “Truly he is risen!”, while the custom prescribes kissing each other three times and exchanging painted and blessed eggs. The clergy at the altar also christen themselves among themselves. One of the priests comes out with a cross to the parishioners and says a touching greeting. He makes the sign of the cross over those present and then goes to the altar.

After kissing it is sung Catechetical word of St. John Chrysostom for Easter. This is the work Orthodox Church considers it the most accurate, conveying the meaning of the holiday. Although it is small in volume, it is of great importance for strengthening the fortitude and faith of parishioners. The Word calls on everyone to celebrate the holiday, even those who did not fast. Its full text was given above.

At the end of Matins, the Easter Hours are sung. This is a short service that is read in Easter week morning and evening instead of prayers. At this time, the Royal Doors remain open. They won't be closed all week. This means that Jesus, through his atoning sacrifice, opened the doors to the Kingdom of Heaven for people. When the hours are sung, the deacon censes first the altar, and then the entire church.

After it sounds liturgy, glorifying the Most Holy Trinity and remembering the death and resurrection of the Savior. Reading Gospel of John. As a rule, if several priests perform a service, they read fragments of the Gospel in different languages: Yiddish, Latin, Greek, Russian, Church Slavonic, English, German, etc. The set of languages ​​is not important in this case. The simple fact of multilingualism is important. This is done in order to show how important the Resurrection of Christ is for all people of the world and that His teaching is open to everyone. The reading of the Gospel is accompanied by the ringing of bells (all bells are struck, from small to large).

When the liturgy comes to an end, the consecration of Easter bread - artos - occurs, parts of which are then distributed to the parishioners. After the liturgy, you can bless Easter cakes, Easter cakes and eggs.

The service of artos, on the day of Holy Pascha:

After the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, I will take up the image of the Resurrection of Christ for the priest, and for the deacon I will receive from another the artos of the royal doors, even if it is in the altar. [In some monasteries, in analogy, in the temple built for this, together with the image of the Resurrection of the Lord it is presented, and the first holiday, also artos, is kissed to the anaphora.]

And the deacon will take it from the place, with a panagiar, and carry it in his hands, to the previous lamp, or dvem. The rector and the brethren all, according to their rank, go with artos [to eat bread, whole prosphora with the Cross depicted on it prepared] from the church to the meal, instead of the psalm, I will lift you up, my God: Christ is Risen: singing. The Paraecclesiarch and the rest of the brethren ring the bells loudly.

And having entered the meal, they set up a feast and artos in their place. And the abbot says: Christ is risen: three times. And Our Father: Glory and now: Lord have mercy, three times. Bless. Abbot: Christ God, bless the food: And so on. We are: Amen. We sit each in our place, with all silence and reverence. And there is great consolation for everyone. And reading as usual. According to the usual meal, the brethren rise, bring artos to the table, singing: Christ is risen: three times. And Lord have mercy, three times. Bless. The cellarer also receives the usual forgiveness from the abbot and brethren: Bless me, holy fathers, and forgive me, a sinner. We say: God forgive and bless. Also with the Kamilavhiy, he will proclaim, instead, Great is the name of the Holy Trinity: Christ is Risen, once. To us who answer: He is truly risen: Having also marked it crosswise with an artos, he says: We worship His three-day resurrection: also believes in panagiare. Then the cellarer brings the artos with the panagiar to the abbot, and kisses the artos and all the brethren who follow him, singing the 9th canticle. Irmos: Glow glow: And so on, both troparions of that song. And again irmos: Glow, glow: After kissing the prosphora from everyone, the cellarer returned, placed it before the abbot, and said the verse: Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. And we: Amen. And we sing: Christ is risen: three times. Glory: ipakoi verb: Preceding the morning: And now: kontakion: Even to the grave: Lord have mercy, three times. Bless. Abbot: Blessed be God, who has mercy and nourishes us with His rich gifts, with His grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and forever and ever. And we: Amen. Also the abbot: May God forgive and have mercy on those who have served us. And the abiye goes from the meal to the church, and the brethren all according to their order, to the previous priest with the icon of the Resurrection of Christ, and to the deacon with the artos, and to the cleric singing: Christ is Risen: Then the paraecclesiarch and the rest of the brethren ring out all the bells. When the rector and the brethren entered the church, the priest and deacon placed an icon and an artos in their places: we sing: And we are given eternal life: And we go to our cells.

Sitsa will be kissed on the prosphora, which is artos, throughout the entire week of Holy Bright Week, even until Saturday.

It is appropriate to know that if it happens to whose brother it happens to go to the Lord in this holy week of Easter: and about this, throughout the succession of these days, look at the deceased in the Trebnik.

The Easter service is one of the most beautiful and solemn. Priests dressed in light festive clothes, the singing of the church choir, the ringing of bells in the air... All this creates a unique atmosphere and penetrates the soul with majestic and important words for every believer: “Christ is Risen!”

Beginning of the Easter service

The service begins shortly before midnight. Its first part is called “Midnight Office” with the canon of Holy Saturday. During it, the Acts of the Apostles are read. After this, the church ministers carry the shroud from the middle of the church to the altar and place the shroud on the throne - the image of Christ in the tomb.

At the same time, the choir and priests sing: “I will arise and be glorified.” The Shroud will remain on the Great Throne until the giving of Easter, that is, until the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord.

Just before midnight, the bell ringing - Blagovest - is born and gains strength. He announces that Holy holiday has begun.

The priests sing three times, first very quietly, and then louder and louder: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, the angels are singing in heaven, and grant us on earth with a pure heart to glorify Thee.”

The first time they sing with the Royal Doors closed and the curtain drawn (katapetasma); the second time - louder, with the Gates closed, but with the curtain open; the third - at the open Royal Doors and only half of the text. The second half is sung by the choir.

Matins and procession

At exactly midnight, Matins begins. To the sounds of the Blagovest, clergy with a cross, banners, icons, incense and Easter lamps leave the altar and walk through the entire church to the exit. This is a religious procession.

A lantern is carried ahead, followed by a large altar cross, an image of the Virgin Mary, and then they go in pairs: banner bearers, singers, candle bearers with large candles, deacons with censers and smaller candles, and priests.

The last pair of priests carries the Gospel and the icon of the Resurrection. The procession is closed by the primate of the temple with three crossed and tied with candles(trisveshnik) and another cross.

The priests and parishioners walk around the church counterclockwise three times. The laity hold lit candles in their hands. The stichera sounds again, verse six: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven, and grant us on earth to glorify Thee with a pure heart.” And the jubilant Easter peal, which replaced the Blagovest, flies over the church, symbolizing the joy of the news that Christ has risen.

During the religious procession, the priests repeatedly greet the parishioners with the words: “Christ is Risen!”, each time repeating them three times in a row. And the laity respond in a harmonious chorus: “Truly He is Risen!”

How it goes Easter service in the church

After going around the church three times, the procession enters the vestibule and stops in front of the closed doors of the temple. The ringing of the bells stops, and the priest, having accepted the censer from the deacon, sprinkles the icons and parishioners with holy water. The rest of the ministers sing: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the tombs.” The primate reads verses from the prophetic psalm: “May God rise again,” to which the parishioners respond: “Christ is risen.”

After this, the stichera sounds, and again: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the tombs.” The priest uses a censer to depict the sign of the life-giving cross on the gate, and the gate opens.

Continuation of Matins

The Easter procession enters the church, festively decorated with flowers and numerous lit candles. The Easter service continues with the second part of Matins. During it, the Easter canon is sung and the “Word of St. John Chrysostom” is read, reminding believers about the meaning of Easter . The Matins concludes with the singing of the Easter stichera: “Let us embrace each other, saying: brethren! and we will forgive all those who hate us through the resurrection.”

Then the parishioners approach the priest, kiss the cross and bow to Christ ( approx. ed. - kiss three times) with the priest. Many churches give out blessed paints (approx. ed – colored eggs).