Oratio in resurrectionem domini

A day of joy and gladness, beloved, a day of exultation and salvation, a day of illumination and sanctification, a day of peace and reconciliation, a day of re-formation and renewal of our souls, a day truly great and wondrous and glorious. On this day Christ raised us up who were cast down by sin; on this day Christ gave life to us who were deadened by transgressions; on this day he opened paradise for us to enjoy the tree of life, which is his precious and life-giving body and blood, through which we are cleansed and sanctified and illuminated and renewed. For Christ gave himself as a ransom on behalf of us all, and led us from death to life, from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom, and from enmity to genuine friendship. He redeemed us from the curse and from sin by becoming a curse on our behalf, so that we might receive adoption, so that we might no longer be slaves but free, no longer subject to passions but passionless, no longer lovers of the world but lovers of God, no longer walking according to the flesh but according to the spirit. He sanctified and glorified us in the Holy Spirit, so that we might walk in newness of life. But what shall we give back to the Lord in return for all these things which he has given back to us? What shall we give back equal to his surpassing gift and grace? Let us give thanks and fall before the Lord and worship him, and let us offer myrrh and hymns as gifts with fear and reverence.

For the Master is benevolent and loves goodness, and he accepts everything, even if what we offer him is small and humble. Let us also love, my brothers, the one who loved us graciously; let us die for the one who died for us freely; let us follow his holy commandments; let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit; let us offer to our God good deeds, faith, love, hope and patience, contrition of heart, the gift of compunction, purification of conscience, mortification of earthly members, fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed; let us serve the Lord with understanding, stability, endurance, and patience; let us embrace the love of our true God and Savior; let us sing to him a new song, let us all sing, let us clap our hands and shout to God with a voice of exultation, because the Lord Most High is a fearsome king over all the earth... Great is the Lord, and there is no limit to his greatness; great is the Lord, and great is his might; he has abolished and struck down our boastful and arrogant enemy, the devil, and has trampled death, and has raised all, bestowing upon us eternal life. 71... Let us all enjoy, beloved, the good gifts of this beautiful feast; let us enter rejoicing into the joy of our Lord... Rulers and those ruled...

Elders with the younger, men and women, rich and poor, slaves and free, glorify and magnify our Lord God, and hymn, marvel at, and honor this bright day and radiant feast, having fasted and labored... celebrate today. Rich and poor, dance with one another; the self-controlled and the indolent, honor the day; those who have fasted and those who have not, rejoice today. The table is full; let no one go out hungry or deprived; all of you, enjoy the wealth of goodness, for our Passover, Christ, was sacrificed for us. All of you, draw from the inexhaustible spring of the Savior God and rejoice. Taste and see that Christ is the Lord; the Lord God has appeared to us. Let no one lament poverty, for the common kingdom has appeared. Let no one bewail faults, for forgiveness has risen from the tomb. Let no one fear death, for the death of the Savior has set us free. For Christ the God has saved us and delivered us from Hades; he snatched us from the oppression of the devil and freed us from his slavery. Hades was embittered, having tasted the precious and holy flesh of the Master, as Isaiah foretold: Hades was embittered, meeting you below. He was embittered, for he was abolished; he was embittered, for he was mocked; he was embittered, for he was bound. He took a body and encountered God; he took what he saw and fell from where he did not see. Death swallowed, not knowing, and having swallowed, he knew whom he swallowed. He swallowed life, and was swallowed by life. He swallowed the one with all, and lost the one for the sake of all.

He seized like a lion, but his teeth were shattered. Through sin, death had power; but in Christ, finding no sin, it remained ineffectual. It is therefore timely to say: Where is your sting, O Death? Where is your victory, O Hades? Christ has risen, and you are cast down; Christ has risen, and angels rejoice; Christ has risen, and demons have fallen; Christ has risen, and we have been delivered from corruption; Christ has risen, and we have been rescued from the curse; Christ has risen, and we have risen with him; Christ has risen, and we have been given life. Christ, rising from the dead, became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. To him belong glory, power, adoration, and majesty, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Bright and great and wondrous is this present day, a day truly of joy and gladness, of release and spiritual delight and exultation, a day of freedom and illumination and sanctification, a day of reconciliation and peace and salvation and succor for our souls. On this day Christ raised us up who were cast down by sin; on this day he gave life to us who were deadened by transgressions; on this day he opened for us the paradise which the disobedience and transgression of our forefathers had closed; on this day he deemed us worthy to partake of his precious and life-giving body and blood, through which we are cleansed and illuminated and sanctified. For Christ gave himself as a ransom on our behalf, and led us from death to life, from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom, from enmity to genuine friendship.

He ransomed us from the curse and from sin, having become a curse on our behalf, so that we might receive adoption, so that we might no longer be slaves but free, no longer subject to passions but passionless, no longer lovers of the world but lovers of God, no longer walking according to the flesh but according to the spirit. He sanctified and glorified us in the Holy Spirit so that we might walk in a newness of life. What shall we give back to the Lord for all that he has given back to us? What shall we give back for the surpassing gift and grace of God? Let us give thanks and worship and offer him myrrh and hymns as gifts with fear and reverence and humility; for the Master is benevolent and compassionate, and he accepts everything, even if what we bring to him is small and humble. Let us love, my brothers, the Lord who loved us by grace; let us die for the one who died for us freely. Let us follow after his holy commandments; let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit; let us bring to our God good deeds, faith, love, hope, endurance, contrition of heart, tears of compunction, cleansing of conscience, mortification of every sin and evil desire; let us serve the Lord with understanding and steadfastness and perseverance; let us embrace the love of our true God and Savior; let us sing to him a new song; let us all sing; let us clap our hands in a psalm-like manner and shout to God with a voice of exultation, for the Lord is the Most High, the awesome King over the whole earth.

Great is the Lord, and there is no limit to his greatness; great is the Lord, and great is his might; for he has abolished and struck down the enemy and the devil, and has trampled upon death, and has raised up all, bestowing eternal life. Let us enter rejoicing into the joy of our Lord, as grateful servants let us all enjoy the good gifts of this beautiful feast, rulers and ruled, slaves and free, men and women, elders and youths. Glorify the Lord our God, and hymn, magnify, and marvel at this bright day; those fasting and those not fasting, rejoice today; the self-controlled and the negligent, honor the day; rich and poor, dance with one another. The table is full, all of you feast; the table is full, let no one go out hungry or deprived; all of you enjoy the wealth of goodness, because "our Passover, Christ, was sacrificed for us"; all of you draw from the inexhaustible spring of the savior God and rejoice; "taste and see that the Lord is good," God Jesus Christ, who has appeared to us. Let no one lament their faults, for forgiveness has dawned from the tomb; let no one fear death, for the death of the savior has set us free; he has saved us and delivered us from Hades; he has snatched us from the oppression of the devil and freed us from his slavery. Hades was embittered, having tasted the precious and holy flesh of the Master, as Isaiah proclaimed beforehand, Hades saying, "I was embittered having met you below." He was embittered because he was abolished.

He was embittered because he was mocked; he was embittered, for he was bound. He took a body and encountered God; he took what he saw and fell from where he did not see. Death swallowed, not knowing, but having swallowed, he knew whom he swallowed; he swallowed life, but was swallowed by life; he swallowed the one with all, but through the one he lost all. "He seized as a lion," but his teeth were shattered. Through sin death prevailed, but in Christ, finding no sin, he remained powerless. "Where is your sting, O Death? Where is your victory, O Hades?" Christ has risen, and you are cast down; Christ has risen, and angels rejoice and demons have fallen; Christ has risen, and we have been delivered from corruption and rescued from the curse; Christ has risen, and we have risen with him and have been deemed worthy of life. "Christ, having risen from the dead, became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.