Schedule

Troparion:
When Thou didst descend to death, O Life Immortal, Thou didst slay hell with the splendor of Thy Godhead! And when from the depths Thou didst raise the dead, all the powers of heaven cried out: O Giver of Life! Christ our God! Glory to Thee!

The noble Joseph, when he had taken down Thy most pure Body from the tree, wrapped it in fine linen and anointed it with spices, and placed it in a new tomb. But Thou didst rise on the third day, O Lord, granting the world great mercy.

The angel came to the myrrhbearing women at the tomb and said: Myrrh is meet for the dead; but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption! So proclaim: The Lord is risen, granting the world great mercy.

Kontakion:
Thou didst command the myrrhbearers to rejoice, O Christ! By Thy Resurrection, Thou didst stop the lamentation of Eve, O God! Thou didst command Thy apostles to preach: The Savior is risen!

Prokeimenon in the 6th Tone:
O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
(Vs.) To Thee, O Lord, will I call. O my God, be not silent to me.

Epistle:
The reading from the Acts of the Holy Apostles. (Acts 6:1-7)

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Proch'orus, and Nica'nor, and Ti'mon, and Par'menas, and Nicola'us, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Alleluia Verses:
Lord, Thou hast been gracious to Thy land; Thou hast restored the fortune of Jacob.
(Vs.) Mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other.