Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God? Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!

Is there anyone who is a grateful servant? Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!

Are there any weary with fasting? Let them now receive their wages!

If any have toiled from the first hour, let them receive their due reward;

If any have come after the third hour, let him with gratitude join in the Feast!

And he that arrived after the sixth hour, let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.

And if any delayed until the ninth hour, let him not hesitate; but let him come too.

And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour, let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.

For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first. He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, as well as to him that toiled from the first.

To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows. He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor. The deed He honors and the intention He commends.

Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!
First and last alike receive your reward;
rich and poor, rejoice together!
Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!

You that have kept the fast, and you that have not, rejoice today for the Table is richly laden! Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one. Let no one go away hungry.

Partake, all, of the cup of faith. Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!

Let no one grieve at his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again; for forgiveness has risen from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free. He has destroyed it by enduring it.

He destroyed Hades when He descended into it. He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh. Isaiah foretold this when he said, "You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below."

Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with. It was in an uproar because it is mocked.

It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.

Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.

O death, where is thy sting?
O Hades, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen
and you, o death, are annihilated!

Christ is Risen,
and the evil ones are cast down!

Christ is Risen,
and the angels rejoice!

Christ is Risen,
and life is liberated!

Christ is Risen
and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!
-- St. John Chrysostom

Easter III

INTROIT. Psalm 66:1-2. O be joyful in God, all ye lands, alleluia: sing ye praises to the honour of his Name, alleluia: make his praise to be exceeding glorious, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Ps. Say unto God, O how wonderful art thou in thy works, O Lord: through the greatness of thy power. Glory be.... O be joyful....

COLLECT. O God, whose blessed Son did manifest himself to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open, we pray thee, the eyes ôf our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; through the same Jesus Christ our Lôrd, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ône God, now and for ever. Amen

The Lesson from the Acts of the Holy Apostles

And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

PSALM. 116. My delight is in the Lord; because he hath heard the voice of my prayer; because he hath inclined his ear unto me; therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. The snares of death compassed me round about, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me. I found trouble and heaviness; then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple: I was in misery, and he helped me. Turn again then unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath rewarded thee. And why? Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I believed, and therefore will I speak; but I was sore troubled: I said in my haste, all men are liars. What reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits that he hath done unto me? I will receive the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows now in the presence of all his people: right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Behold, O Lord, how that I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid; thou hast broken my bonds in sunder. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord, in the sight of all his people, in the courts of the Lord's house; even in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.

The Lesson from the First Epistle of Blessed John the Apostle

Dearly Beloved, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

ALLELUIA, Alleluia. Luke 24:35. At that hour the disciples knew the Lord Jesus: in the breaking of the bread.

Alleluia. Luke 24:46. It behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead: and so to enter into his glory. Alleluia.

The Continuation of the Holy Gospel
According to Luke

At that time, Jesus himself stood in the midst of the disciples, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. The Creed is said.

OFFERTORY. Psalm 146:1. Praise the Lord, O my soul; while I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God as long as I have any being, alleluia.

SECRET. We pray thee, O Lord, that this holy oblation may ever obtain for us thy heavenly blessing: that those things which we shew forth in an outward mystery may effectually be accomplished in our inward souls. Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

COMMUNION. Psalm 96:1-2. O sing unto the Lord, alleluia: O sing unto the Lord, and bless ye his holy Name: tell forth his salvation even from one day unto another, alleluia, alleluia.

POSTCOMMUNION. Grant, we beseech thee, Almîghty God: that we receiving the quickening of thy grâce, may ever glory in the gift which thou bestowest. Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lôrd, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever ône God, world without end. Amen.

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Easter III
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