Paschl Hours

 

From the Holy and Great Sunday of Pascha until the Saturday of Renewal Week, in place of the usual Morning and Evening Prayers, Nocturns, the Hours, Compline, and the Prayers of Thanksgiving after Holy Communion, the Paschal Hours are read. It is brief, beautiful, and full of elements taken from the Paschal services. It is intended that praying the Paschal Hours are to give one a respite from the longer prayers he normally prays,

The Prayer:

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life! (3)

Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one. We venerate Your Cross, O Christ, and we praise and glorify Your Holy Resurrection, for You are our God, and we know no other than You: we call on Your name. Come, all you faithful, let us venerate Christ's holy Resurrection, for behold, through the Cross joy has come into all the world. Let us ever bless the Lord, praising His Resurrection, for by enduring the Cross for us, He has destroyed death by death. (3)

Before the dawn, Mary and the women came and found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They heard the angelic voice: Why do you seek among the dead, as a man, the One who is everlasting Light? Behold the clothes in the grave! Go and proclaim to the world: the Lord is risen! He has slain death, as He is the Son of God, saving the race of man.

O Christ our God, though You descended into the grave, You overthrew the power of Hades, and rose as an immortal conqueror: You greeted with joy the myrrh-bearing women, and sent Your peace to Your Apostles, and to the fallen, O Lord, You brought Your resurrection.

In the grave bodily; in Hades with Your soul, though You were God; in Paradise with the thief; and on the Throne with the Father and the Spirit it is You who fills all things, O Christ the Uncircumscribable.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

How life-giving, how much more beautiful than paradise, and truly more resplendent than any royal palace is Your grave, the source of our resurrection, O Christ.

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Rejoice, O sanctified and divine tabernacle of the Most High; for through you, O Theotokos, joy is given to them that cry: Blessed are you among women, O all immaculate Lady.

Lord, have mercy. (40)

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

More honorable than the Cherubim, more glorious beyond compare than the the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word, true Theotokos we magnify you.

At Compline we also say this prayer; otherwise, we proceed with Christ is risen... as set forth below.

A Compline Prayer of St. Basil the Great

Blessed are You, 0 Almighty Master, Who enlightened the day with the light of the sun and illumined the night by the rays of fire, Who deemed us worthy to pass through the length of the day and draw nigh to the beginning of the night. Hearken unto Our supplication, and that of all Your people. Forgive all of us our sins, voluntary and involuntary, accept our evening entreaties, and send down the multitude of Your mercy and compassions upon Your inheritance. Encompass us with Your holy Angels; arm us with the armor of Your righteousness; surround us with Your truth; protect us by Your might; deliver us from every grievous circumstance and from every conspiracy of the adversary. And grant unto us that this evening together with the coming night and all the days of our life may be perfect, holy, peaceful, sinless, without stumbling and vain imaginings; by the intercessions of the holy Theotokos and of all the Saints who, from ages past, have been well-pleasing unto You. Amen.