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 VII

INTROIT. Psalm 27:8-10, 1. Consider, O Lord, and hear me when I cry unto thee, alleluia: unto thee my heart hath said, Thy face, Lord, have I sought: thy face, Lord, will I seek: O hide not thou thy face from thy servant, alleluia, alleluia. Ps. The Lord is my light, and my salvation: whom then shall I fear? Glory be.... Consider....

COLLECTS. O God, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdôm in heaven: We beseech thee, leave us not comfortlêss, but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Savior Christ is gone before; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, ône God, world without end. Amen.

O Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fîll all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abideth with his Church on eârth, even unto the end of the ages; through the same Jesus Christ our Lôrd, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, ône God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

The Lesson from the Acts of the Apostles

In those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

PSALM. 47. O Clap your hands together, all ye peoples: O sing unto God with the voice of melody. For the LORD is high, and to be feared; he is the great King upon all the earth. He shall subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose out an heritage for us, even the excellency of Jacob, who he loved. God is gone up with a merry noise, and the LORD with the sound of the trump. O sing praises, sing praises unto our God; O sing praises, sing praises unto our King. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the nations; God sitteth upon his holy seat. The princes of the peoples are joined unto the people of the God of Abraham; for God, which is very high exalted, doth defend the earth, as it were with a shield.

The Lesson from the First Epistle of John

Dearly beloved: If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

ALLELUIA, alleluia. Psalm 47:8. The Lord reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon his holy seat forever.

Alleluia. John 14:18. I will not leave you comfortless: I go away and come again to you, and your heart shall be joyful. Alleluia.

The Continuation of the Holy Gospel
According to John

At that time, Jesus prayed unto the Father, saying, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. The Creed is said.

OFFERTORY. Psalm 47:5. God is gone up with a merry noise, and the Lord with the sound of the trumpet, alleluia.

SECRET. Grant, O Lord, that this spotless sacrifice may cleanse us from all our sins: and shed forth within our souls the strength of thy heavenly grace. 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. John 17:12,13,15. Father, while I was with them in the world, I kept those thou gavest me, alleluia: and now I come unto thee: I pray thee not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil, alleluia, alleluia.

POSTCOMMUNION. O Lord, who hast vouchsafed to satisfy us with the sacred gifts ôf thy bounty: grant, we beseech thêe, that we may ever continue to render thanks unto thee for the same. Through the same 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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