Holy Pascha Midnight Office

The whole service may be prayed by an individual.

If more than one person is present, one of them is designated ‘Reader’ and says or chants the text in normal type. The others respond with the text in bold. Or the rôle of Reader could be shared.

The mark + indicates that the Sign of the Cross is made here.

All stand

+ Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us, and save us. Amen.

Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, who is everywhere present and fills all things, Treasury of Good Things and Giver of Life, come and dwell in us and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.

+ Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal: have mercy on us. (3x)

+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for your name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

+ Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Come, let us worship and fall down before our King and our God.
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and our God.
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ himself, our King and our God

Psalm 50
Have mercy on me O God, in your great mercy. In accordance with the multitude of your compassion blot out my offence.
Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my wickedness, and my sin is ever before me.
Against you only I have sinned and done what is evil in your sight, that you may be justified in your words, and win when you are judged.
For see, in wickedness I was conceived, and in sin my mother bore me.
For see, you have loved truth: you have shown me the hidden and secret things of your wisdom.
You will sprinkle me with hyssop and I shall be cleansed; you will wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
You will make me hear of joy and gladness; the bones which have been humbled will rejoice.
Turn away your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me.
Do not cast me out from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
Give me back the joy of your salvation, and establish me with a sovereign Spirit.
I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn to you again.
O God, the God of my salvation, deliver me from bloodshed, and my tongue will rejoice at your justice.
Lord, you will open my lips: and my mouth will declare your praise.
For if you had wanted a sacrifice, I would have given it; you will not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a humbled heart God will not despise.
Do good to Sion, Lord, in your good pleasure; and let the walls of Jerusalem be rebuilt.
Then you will be well pleased with a sacrifice of justice, oblation and whole burnt offerings.
Then they will offer calves upon your altar.

The Canon – in Tone 6
Ode 1. Irmos
‘The pursuing tyrant of old he hid, covered in the billows of the sea children of those he saved now cover him beneath the earth, but let us like the young maidens sing our praises to the Lord, for greatly is he glorified.’
Glory to you, O God, glory to you.

Troparia
Hymns for your departure, O Lord my God, funeral odes I sing for you, for by your burial now you have opened up for me, opened up the entrance gates to life by your death put death to death and Hades at your feet lies slain!

+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

High enthroned in Heaven they saw you, yet they saw you lying in the grave, all things above the world and all below the earth were shaken, at your death, O Lord, they quake in fear, for though none can understand they see as dead the source of life.

… both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

That you might fill all things with your glory, you descended to earth’s lowest deeps, nor was my substance hidden from you, it was there in Adam, and though I had been corrupted, buried you have made me new, O Lover of humankind.

Katavasia
The pursuing tyrant of old he hid, covered in the billows of the sea children of those he saved now cover him beneath the earth, but let us like the young maidens sing our praises to the Lord, for greatly is he glorified.

Ode 3. Irmos
‘When it be held you hanging on Golgotha the whole creation was amazed, it saw, and was astounded, for on the waters your had hung the earth free in your sovereignty and might, awed the creation cries, none is holy save you O Lord.’

Troparia
Visions in great abundance you have revealed, symbols of your entombment, and now your secrets also as God and man you make manifest even, O Lord, to those in Hell, and from the depths they cry, none is holy save you O Lord.

+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

You opened wide your palms, Lord, and unified things that were separated, and when you were encompassed within a shroud and within a grave those who were fettered you set free, O Saviour as they cried, none is holy save you, O Lord.

… both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Though nothing can contain you, yet by your will you were held fast by grave and seals, yet you revealed your power for by your energies you disclosed your might as God to those who sing Lord, none is holy save you Lover of humankind.

Katavasia
When it be held you hanging on Golgotha the whole creation was amazed, it saw, and was astounded, for on the waters your had hung the earth free in your sovereignty and might, awed the creation cries, none is holy save you O Lord.

Kathisma I
Tone 1. Model Melody
The soldiers keeping watch at Your tomb, O my Saviour, became as dead for fear of the radiant Angel. And he proclaimed that You arose to the women who came at dawn. We extol You, Lord, for You abolished corruption, and we worship You, our only God, who was buried and rose from the sepulchre.

Ode 4. Irmos
‘Foreseeing your divine self-emptying on the Cross, in amazement Avvakoum cried out, ‘You, Good One, have cut off the might of the powerful, as you speaking with Hell’s denizens as All-powerful’.’

Glory to you, O God, glory to you.

Troparia
Today you sanctified the seventh day which of old you had blessed taking rest from your works, all things you bring to being, Lord, and make all things new, keeping Sabbath, O Saviour, as you restore your strength.

+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

By greater might and greater strength, O Word, great your victory gained, your soul from body parted bursting asunder by your might, smashing by your strength, all the fetters of Hades and all the bonds of death.

… both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Embittered, Word, was Hades when you met, when a mortal he saw, who had attained to Godhead, saw one who bore the marks of wounds, yet all-powerful, in great terror he cowered, dread filled him at the sight.

Katavasia
Foreseeing your divine self-emptying on the Cross, in amazement Avvakoum cried out, ‘You, Good One, have cut off the might of the powerful, as you speaking with Hell’s denizens as All-powerful’.

Ode 5. Irmos
‘Isaias, as he watched by night, beheld the light which shall never know evening, saw the light, O Christ of your Theophany, which in your compassion occurred for us, for the dead will arise, he cried, and those who lie entombed will be resurrected, and all those within the earth rejoice exceedingly.’

Glory to you, O God, glory to you.

Troparia
Transformed into a thing of dust, O Fashioner, you make new those born of earth, and the shroud and tomb point to the mystery, to the mystery within you, O Word, for the noble counsellor fulfils by what he does the counsel of your Begetter, who gloriously in you now refashions me.

+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

Mortality through death you change and through your burial transform corruption, and the nature you took on, as you are God, you made deathless and incorruptible, or your flesh did not know corruption, Master, nor decay, nor yet like a stranger within Hades dreadful halls was your soul abandoned.

… both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Without travail your birth, O Lord, and yet a spear availed your side to pierce, by becoming Adam, O my Fashioner, you have wrought the refashioning of Eve, in a way beyond nature sleep you slept that brings forth life, raising life from sleep, from sleep and from corruption as you are All-powerful.

Katavasia
‘Isaias, as he watched by night, beheld the light which shall never know evening, saw the light, O Christ of your Theophany, which in your compassion occurred for us, for the dead will arise, he cried, and those who lie entombed will be resurrected, and all those within the earth rejoice exceedingly.

Ode 6. Irmos
‘In the belly of the whale was Jonas, held there, yet he was not held fast, for you, Lord, he prefigured, in your suffering and your entombment, as from the bridal chamber, from the beast he leapt, to the guards watching the tomb he cried out, you who so vainly and so falsely are keeping guard, see, you have abandoned mercy for yourselves!’

Glory to you, O God, glory to you.

Troparia
You were rent, Word, but not rent asunder from the flesh which you had put on, for though your temple was laid waste at the moment, Master, of your Passion, yet even so you still remain one person in you flesh; O Christ, and in your Godhead, in both you are one Son, Word of God and the Son of God, truly you are God and truly you are man.

+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

Death to mortals but not to the Godhead was the result of Adam’s fall, for though your flesh knew suffering in its nature, in the dust its substance, yet still your Godhead remained impassible, what in you was corruptible you have transformed to incorruption, and from your Resurrection you reveal the spring of undecaying life.

… both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Hades reigns, yet does not reign for ever over the race of mortal men, placed in the tomb, O Mighty One, with your outspread hand, the source of life, the bolts and bars of death you smashed and broke apart, and to those who from the ages slept there no false deliverance, Lord and Saviour you then proclaimed, you who have become the first-born of the dead.

Katavasia
In the belly of the whale was Jonas, held there, yet he was not held fast, for you, Lord, he prefigured, in your suffering and your entombment, as from the bridal chamber, from the beast he leapt, to the guards watching the tomb he cried out, you who so vainly and so falsely are keeping guard, see, you have abandoned mercy for yourselves!

Kontakion
Tone 6. by Romanos the Melodist
He who closed the abyss lies dead before our eyes; and wrapped in myrrh and fine linen the Immortal is laid as a mortal in a grave. While women came to anoint him, weeping bitterly and crying out, ‘This is the most blessed Sabbath, on which Christ sleeps, but he will rise again on the third day’.

Ikos
He who holds all things together was lifted up on the Cross, and all creation lamented seeing him hanging naked on the tree; the sun hid its rays, and the stars threw away their light; the earth quaked with great fear, the sea fled and the rocks were rent; many graves were opened, and bodies of holy men were raised. Hell below is groaning and the Jews are considering how to discredit Christ’s resurrection; the women are crying out, ‘This is the most blessed Sabbath, on which Christ sleeps, but he will rise again on the third day’.

Ode 7. Irmos
‘Past speech the wonder! he who delivered the holy youths in the furnace from the blazing, burning flame, is laid in the tomb, lifeless there a corpse he lies for the salvation of us who raise our song to him: Lord, our God, our Redeemer, blessed are you!’

Glory to you, O God, glory to you.

Troparia
Hell has been wounded, having received into its heart, you the One whose side was pierced by a lance, now Hell is consumed by the potent fire of God, and groans aloud at the salvation of us who sing, ‘God, our Redeemer, blessed are you!’

Glory to you, O God, glory to you.

O happy sepulchre! Having received you into itself, the Creator as one who lies asleep, it now is revealed as a treasure house of life, for the salvation of us who raise our song to you: Lord, our God, our Redeemer, blessed are you!

+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

The life of all things accepts to be laid within the tomb, in accordance with the law of those who die, and shows it to be resurrection’s fountainhead for the salvation of us who raise our song to you: Lord, our God, our Redeemer, blessed are you!

… both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

One was Christ’s Godhead in Hell, in Eden and in the tomb indivisibly remained united to Father and to Holy Spirit for the salvation of us who raise our song to you: Lord, our God, our Redeemer, blessed are you!

Katavasia
Past speech the wonder! he who delivered the holy youths in the furnace from the blazing, burning flame, is laid in the tomb, lifeless there a corpse he lies for the salvation of us who raise our song to him: Lord, our God, our Redeemer, blessed are you!

Ode 8. Irmos
‘Tremble, O Heaven, be amazed, let earth’s foundations quake, let them shudder at the shock, for see the one whose home is in the heights is numbered among the dead, and now in a little tomb he lodges, come youths and bless him, come priests and praise him, come people and exalt him most highly to the ages.’

Glory to you, O God, glory to you.

Troparia
The most pure temple is destroyed, but raises up the fallen tabernacle again, the second Adam who dwells in the heights has come down to the first as far as the storehouses of Hades, come youths and bless him, come priests and praise him, come people and exalt him most highly to the ages.

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

The disciples’ daring now has failed, but Joseph proves himself of surpassing bravery, for seeing how the God of all lay dead his body naked and unclothed, he asked for his body and he buried him, come youths and bless him, come priests and praise him, come people and exalt him most highly to the ages.

Katavasia
Tremble, O Heaven, be amazed, let earth’s foundations quake, let them shudder at the shock, for see the one whose home is in the heights is numbered among the dead, and now in a little tomb he lodges, come youths and bless him, come priests and praise him, come people and exalt him most highly to the ages.

Ode 9. Irmos
No, do not weep for me, Mother, as you see lying buried him, the Son whom you conceived without seed in your womb, for behold, I shall rise and shall be glorified, and in glory unending as God I shall exalt those who magnify you in fervent love and in true faith.

Glory to you, O God, glory to you.

Troparia
My Son, who had no beginning, in a way beyond nature I was blessed in your strange birth and spared the cruel pangs, but, my God, now I see you here a lifeless corpse, and the dread sword of sorrow has pierced me to the heart, but arise, O my Son, so that I may be magnified.

+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

Earth covers me; I have willed it! But hell’s gatekeepers shudder as they see me clothed in retribution’s blood-stained robe, on the Cross being God I trampled on my foes, but behold, O my Mother, I shall rise again, in my rising, O Mother, you I shall magnify.

… both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Let all creation rejoice now, and all born on earth make merry, Hell, the enemy has been despoiled and plundered, with sweet spices let women come to meet me, I am rescuing Adam with Eve and all their ace, and in victory on the third day I shall rise again.

Katavasia
No, do not weep for me, Mother, as you see lying buried him, the Son whom you conceived without seed in your womb, for behold, I shall rise and shall be glorified, and in glory unending as God I shall exalt those who magnify you in fervent love and in true faith.

The Trisagion
+ Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal: have mercy on us. (3x)

+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for your name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

+ Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Apolytikion – in Tone 2
When you went down to death, O immortal life, then you slew Hell with the blaze of your Godhead; but when from the infernal regions you raised the dead, all the Powers of heaven cried out to you: Giver of life, glory to you!

The Dismissal
+ Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy and save us. Amen.