Canon Read at Matins of Holy Saturday, Tone 6
Him who of old hid the pursuer in the deep, the children of those saved from the sea have hidden today beneath the earth; but let us, like those who praised Him, cry aloud: Let us sing unto the Lord, for He is gloriously glorified.
O Lord my God, a song of departure and a hymn at the tomb do I sing to Thee, who by Thy burial hast opened for me the entrances of life, and by death hast slain death and hell.
When they beheld Thee, O Christ, above on the throne and below in the grave, those above the world and those beneath were shaken at Thy death; for beyond nature Thou wast seen dead, O Source of life.
That Thou mightest fill all things with Thy glory, Thou didst go down into the depths beneath the earth; for my substance that was in Adam was not hidden from Thee, and, buried, Thou dost renew me who was corrupted, O Lover of mankind.
When creation beheld Thee, who didst hang the earth upon the waters, hanging upon the place of the Skull, it was shaken with great amazement and sang to Thee: There is none holy but Thee, O Lord, and none righteous save Thee.
Thou didst show forth figures of Thy burial and multiply visions; but now Thou hast revealed Thy hidden things, as God-man, even to those in hell, O Master, who cry and sing to Thee: There is none holy but Thee, O Lord, and none righteous save Thee.
Thou didst stretch out Thy hands and unite what was of old divided; and wrapped in the shroud in the tomb, Thou didst loose the bound, who cry and sing to Thee: There is none holy but Thee, O Lord, and none righteous save Thee.
By the tomb and the seals, O Uncontainable, Thou wast held of Thine own will; for Thou didst show Thy power, working divinely with all might, to those who sing: There is none holy but Thee, O Lord, and none righteous save Thee.
The soldiers who guarded Thy tomb, O Saviour, became as dead men at the lightning of the angel, who announced the Resurrection to the women and glorified Thee, the Destroyer of corruption; to Thee we fall down, who didst rise from the tomb, our only God: O Lord, glory to Thee.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The same.
Foreseeing Thy divine self-emptying upon the Cross, Habakkuk cried out with fear: Thou hast cut off the dominion of the mighty, O Good One, sharing in the lot of those in hell, as God Almighty.
Thou hast today hallowed the seventh day, which of old Thou didst bless by rest from Thy works; for Thou dost change and renew all things, keeping the Sabbath, O my Saviour, O only-begotten Word who raisest up and comfortest the world.
By surpassing power, as of God Almighty, Thy soul, O Christ, was parted from Thine all-divine flesh, and by Thy might broke both the bonds of death and of hell, O Word.
Hell, O Word, when it met Thee, was embittered, seeing the God-man wounded with blows and yet working almighty deeds; but by that dread sight it perished and was crushed.
Isaiah, beholding the unwaning light of Thy divine manifestation, O Christ, which came to us in mercy, rose early from the night and cried: The dead shall arise, and they that are born of the earth shall rejoice.
Thou renewest those of earth, O Creator, having become earthly; and the shroud and the tomb reveal Thy mystery; for the noble counsellor showeth forth the counsel of the Father, who maketh me new.
By death Thou changest the mortal, and by burial the corruptible; for Thou makest incorrupt, in a manner befitting God, that which Thou didst assume, making it immortal; for Thy flesh saw not corruption, nor was Thy soul left in hell.
Having come forth from her who knew not wedlock, and having been pierced in the side, Thou didst thereby renew Eve, becoming the second Adam; and falling asleep with a sleep beyond nature, Thou didst raise life from death, O Almighty.
Jonah was held fast, but not kept, in the belly of the whale; for, bearing the image of Thy passion and burial, he came forth from the beast as from a bridal chamber, and cried to the soldiers: O ye who keep vain and false guard, ye have forsaken your own mercy this day.
When Thou didst die of Thine own will, O Word of God, Thou wast not parted from the body in which Thou wast clothed; though Thy holy temple was destroyed at the time of Thy passion this day, yet the Godhead and the manhood remained together, undivided and unconfused.
For the sins of the first Adam the Immortal died as man; and though He suffered in the flesh, yet the Godhead remained impassible; and our corrupted nature, united to His own nature, He made incorrupt in His goodness.
Hell reigned over the first race of mankind, but it did not endure; for when Thou wast buried of Thine own will, O Christ, and didst break the bars of death, and didst proclaim good tidings to those who had died from the ages, then didst Thou become the Firstborn of the dead, O Deliverer.
He who opened the depths is seen dead, and, anointed with myrrh and aloes and wrapped in the shroud, the Giver of immortality is laid in the tomb as one dead; and the myrrh-bearing women at His tomb cried out with lamentation: This is the most blessed and holy Sabbath, on which Christ God willed to rise from the tomb on the third day as from sleep.
He who holdeth all creation was lifted up upon the Cross, and all things trembled when they saw Him condemned in the flesh upon the tree without judgement; the sun hid its light, and the earth, seized with dread, was shaken; the sea forsook its bounds and fled; the rocks were rent, the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose; hell was destroyed, and the women cried: This is the most blessed Sabbath, on which the Lord arose.
O wonder! He who in the furnace delivered the venerable youths from the flame is laid in the grave, dead and without breath, as our Saviour, to whom we cry: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou.
Hell was wounded when it received in its heart Him who was wounded in the side with the spear and consumed by the divine fire, our Saviour, to whom we cry: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou.
O tomb! For, holding within itself the sleeping Creator, it is shown forth as a treasury of divine salvation for us our Saviour, to whom we cry: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou.
The Life of all accepteth the law of mortals, to be laid in the grave, and showeth it forth as a fountain of life, our Saviour, to whom we cry: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou.
One and undivided was the Godhead of Christ with the Father and the Spirit, in hell, in the tomb and in Eden, our Saviour, to whom we cry: O God our Deliverer, blessed art Thou.
Be amazed, O heaven, and let the foundations of the earth be shaken; for behold, He who dwelleth on high is numbered among the dead and lodgeth as a stranger in a small grave: bless Him, ye children; praise Him, ye priests; exalt Him, ye people, above all unto the ages.
The immaculate temple is destroyed, and raiseth with itself the fallen tabernacle; for the second Adam went down, for the sake of the first, even to the treasuries of hell: bless Him, ye children; praise Him, ye priests; exalt Him, ye people, above all unto the ages.
The boldness of the disciples failed, but Joseph of Arimathea was chosen; for seeing the God of all dead and naked, he asked for Him and buried Him, crying: Bless Him, ye children; praise Him, ye priests; exalt Him, ye people, above all unto the ages.
O new wonder! O goodness and boundless long-suffering! For He who dwelleth on high is sealed in the tomb, and the impious call God a deceiver: bless Him, ye children; praise Him, ye priests; exalt Him, ye people, above all unto the ages.
Weep not for Me, O Mother, beholding in the tomb the Son whom thou didst conceive in thy womb without seed; for I shall arise and be glorified as God, and I shall exalt unceasingly those who in faith and longing sing to thee.
At Thy strange birth, being spared the pains beyond nature, I was called blessed, O Son without beginning; but now, O my God, seeing Thee dead and without breath, I am bitterly pierced by the sword of sorrow; but arise, that I may be magnified.
The earth covereth Me of Mine own will, but the gatekeepers of hell tremble, O Mother, beholding Me clothed in the garment of vengeance dyed with blood; for, having struck down the enemies by the Cross, I shall arise and magnify thee.
Let creation rejoice, let all the earthborn be glad; for hell, the enemy, hath been despoiled. Let the women come to meet Me with ointments; for I deliver Adam with all his race, and on the third day I shall arise.
