Easter Troparion (Music: https://tinyurl.com/t3b97pa)
Christ is risen from the dead,
by death hath he trampled down death,
and upon those in the tombs
he hath bestowed life!
Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hidden:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may worthily
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Alleluia!
HYMN: Thomas Troeger ©
Tune: Agincourt (https://tinyurl.com/v5a5ddh)
1 These things did Thomas count as real:
the warmth of blood, the chill of steel,
the grain of wood, the heft of stone,
the last frail twitch of blood and bone.
2 The vision of his skeptic mind
was keen enough to make him blind
to any unexpected act
too large for his small world of fact.
3 His reasoned certainties denied
that one could live when one had died,
until his fingers read like braille
the markings of the spear and nail.
4 May we, O God, by grace believe
and thus the risen Christ receive,
whose raw imprinted palms reached out
and beckoned Thomas from his doubt.
PSALMS
Psalm 82 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/razmhgg)
1 God standeth in the congregation of princes *
he is a Judge among gods.
2 How long will ye give wrong judgement *
and accept the persons of the ungodly?
3 Defend the poor and fatherless *
see that such as are in need and necessity have right.
4 Deliver the out-cast and poor *
save them from the hand of the ungodly.
5 They will not be learned nor understand, but walk on still in darkness *
all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
6 I have said, Ye are gods *
and ye are all the children of the most Highest.
7 But ye shall die like men *
and fall like one of the princes.
8 Arise, O God, and judge thou the earth *
for thou shalt take all heathen to thine inheritance.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 83 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/vofvsch)
1 Hold not thy tongue, O God, keep not still silence *
refrain not thyself, O God.
2 For lo, thine enemies make a murmuring *
and they that hate thee have lift up their head.
3 They have imagined craftily against thy people *
and taken counsel against thy secret ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us root them out,
that they be no more a people *
and that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have cast their heads together with one consent *
and are confederate against thee;
6 The tabernacles of the Edomites, and the Ismaelites *
the Moabites, and Hagarens;
7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek *
the Philistines, with them that dwell at Tyre.
8 Assur also is joined with them *
and have holpen the children of Lot.
9 But do thou to them as unto the Madianites *
unto Sisera, and unto Jabin at the brook of Kison;
10 Who perished at Endor *
and became as the dung of the earth.
11 Make them and their princes like Oreb and Zeb *
yea, make all their princes like as Zeba and Salmana;
12 Who say, Let us take to ourselves *
the houses of God in possession.
13 O my God, make them like unto a wheel *
and as the stubble before the wind;
14 Like as the fire that burneth up the wood *
and as the flame that consumeth the mountains.
15 Persecute them even so with thy tempest *
and make them afraid with thy storm.
16 Make their faces ashamed, O Lord *
that they may seek thy Name.
17 Let them be confounded and vexed ever more and more *
let them be put to shame, and perish.
18 And they shall know that thou, whose Name is Jehovah *
art only the most Highest over all the earth.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 84 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/qtssfwx)
1 O how amiable are thy dwellings *
thou Lord of hosts!
2 My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord *
my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found her an house,
and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young *
even thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house *
they will be alway praising thee.
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee *
in whose heart are thy ways.
6 Who going through the vale of misery use it for a well *
and the pools are filled with water.
7 They will go from strength to strength *
and unto the God of gods appeareth every one of them in Sion.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer *
hearken, O God of Jacob.
9 Behold, O God our defender *
and look upon the face of thine Anointed.
10 For one day in thy courts *
is better than a thousand.
11 I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God *
than to dwell in the tents of ungodliness.
12 For the Lord God is a light and defence *
the Lord will give grace and worship,
and no good thing shall he withhold from them that live a godly life.
13 O Lord God of hosts *
blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 85 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/wzy6e5z)
1 Lord, thou art become gracious unto thy land *
thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob.
2 Thou hast forgiven the offence of thy people *
and covered all their sins.
3 Thou hast taken away all thy displeasure *
and turned thyself from thy wrathful indignation.
4 Turn us then, O God our Saviour *
and let thine anger cease from us.
5 Wilt thou be displeased at us for ever *
and wilt thou stretch out thy wrath from one generation to another?
6 Wilt thou not turn again, and quicken us *
that thy people may rejoice in thee?
7 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord *
and grant us thy salvation.
8 I will hearken what the Lord God will say concerning me *
for he shall speak peace unto his people,
and to his saints, that they turn not again.
9 For his salvation is nigh them that fear him *
that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth are met together *
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth shall flourish out of the earth *
and righteousness hath looked down from heaven.
12 Yea, the Lord shall shew loving-kindness *
and our land shall give her increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him *
and he shall direct his going in the way.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
PRAYER
God of grace,
you loved the world so much
that you gave your only Son to be our Savior.
Help us to rejoice in your redeeming grace
by showing mercy,
and by walking in the way of justice and peace,
for the sake of Jesus Christ, redeemer of the world. Amen.
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Song of Songs 5:2 – 6:3
I slept, but my heart was awake.
Listen! my beloved is knocking.
‘Open to me, my sister, my love,
my dove, my perfect one;
for my head is wet with dew,
my locks with the drops of the night.’
I had put off my garment;
how could I put it on again?
I had bathed my feet;
how could I soil them?
My beloved thrust his hand into the opening,
and my inmost being yearned for him.
I arose to open to my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with liquid myrrh,
upon the handles of the bolt.
I opened to my beloved,
but my beloved had turned and was gone.
My soul failed me when he spoke.
I sought him, but did not find him;
I called him, but he gave no answer.
Making their rounds in the city
the sentinels found me;
they beat me, they wounded me,
they took away my mantle,
those sentinels of the walls.
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
if you find my beloved,
tell him this:
I am faint with love.
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
O fairest among women?
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
that you thus adjure us?
My beloved is all radiant and ruddy,
distinguished among ten thousand.
His head is the finest gold;
his locks are wavy,
black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves
beside springs of water,
bathed in milk,
fitly set.
His cheeks are like beds of spices,
yielding fragrance.
His lips are lilies,
distilling liquid myrrh.
His arms are rounded gold,
set with jewels.
His body is ivory work,
encrusted with sapphires.
His legs are alabaster columns,
set upon bases of gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
choice as the cedars.
His speech is most sweet,
and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.
Where has your beloved gone,
O fairest among women?
Which way has your beloved turned,
that we may seek him with you?
My beloved has gone down to his garden,
to the beds of spices,
to pasture his flock in the gardens,
and to gather lilies.
I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;
he pastures his flock among the lilies.
HYMN: Samuel Stennett
Tune: Ortonville https://tinyurl.com/vcyyay6
1 Majestic sweetness sits enthroned
upon the Savior’s brow;
His head with radiant glories crowned,
His lips with grace o’erflow,
His lips with grace o’erflow.
2 No mortal can with Him compare,
among the sons of men;
fairer is He than all the fair
who fill the heav’nly train,
who fill the heav’nly train.
3 He saw me plunged in deep distress,
and flew to my relief;
for me He bore the shameful cross,
and carried all my grief,
and carried all my grief.
4 To Him I owe my life and breath,
and all the joys I have;
He makes me triumph over death,
and saves me from the grave,
and saves me from the grave.
Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:41-50
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory.
So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living being’; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.
What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
HYMN: Kurfürstin Luise Henriette of Brandenburg; trans. Catherine Winkworth
Tune: Jesu meine Zuversicht https://tinyurl.com/qouxdan
1 Jesus Christ, my sure defense
And my Savior, now is living!
Knowing this, my confidence
Rests upon the hope here given,
Though the night of death be fraught
Still with many an anxious thought.
2 Jesus, my Redeemer, lives;
Likewise I to life shall waken.
He will bring me where He is;
Shall my courage then be shaken?
Shall I fear, or could the Head
Rise and leave His members dead?
3 No, too closely am I bound
By my hope to Christ forever;
Faith’s strong hand the Rock has found,
Grasped it, and will leave it never;
Even death now cannot part
From its Lord the trusting heart.
4 I am flesh and must return
To the dust, whence I am taken;
But by faith I now discern
That from death I shall awaken
With my Savior to abide
In His glory, at His side.
5 Glorified, I shall anew
With this flesh then be enshrouded;
In this body I shall view
God, my Lord, with eyes unclouded;
In this flesh I then shall see
Jesus Christ eternally.
Reading: John 20:24-31
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
CANTICLE
(Setting: Peter La Grand https://tinyurl.com/wvxnqrj)
You alone are holy
You alone are holy
Great and marvelous are your deeds
For you alone are holy
Who will not fear you O Lord?
And bring glory to your name
Just and true are you ways
King of the ages
…
All nations will come and worship you
For you alone are holy
…
All your righteous ways have been seen
For you alone are holy Revelation 15:3-4
THE PRAYERS
Merciful and loving God,
we come into your presence today
hoping in some way to touch you,
to see for ourselves the truth of your resurrection.
Gather up our lingering fears and confusion,
meet our doubts with compassion and understanding.
Open our eyes to your love and grace surrounding us.
Open our ears to hear you calling us to new challenges.
Open our imaginations to new possibilities.
Come anew to all who have been unable to believe;
come anew to all who have known you
but turned away from you.
Help us to experience you standing in our midst,
saying, “Peace, peace.”
May our broken world and our broken lives
be transformed in your image.
We offer woundedness and turn to you for healing
and newness of life,
for you, O God,
are our strength, our hope, and our salvation. Amen.
(Camaldolese chant: https://tinyurl.com/rpf242j)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
[For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.]
Living God,
for whom no door is closed,
no heart is locked,
draw us beyond our doubts,
till we see your Christ
and touch his wounds
where they bleed in others.
This we ask through Christ our Savior,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!
Glory to God whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church,
and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
Oremus 