Paschal Homily
Encyclopedia
The Paschal homily or sermon (also known in Greek
as Hieratikon or as the Catechetical Homily) of St John Chrysostom is read aloud in every Orthodox
church on the morning of Pascha
(a.k.a "Easter" in the West), called "the Great
and Holy Pascha of our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ" in the Eastern Orthodox Church
and Eastern Catholic Churches. According to the Tradition
of the Church
, no one sits during the reading of the Paschal homily. Portions of it are often done with the interactive participation of the congregation.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
as Hieratikon or as the Catechetical Homily) of St John Chrysostom is read aloud in every Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
church on the morning of Pascha
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
(a.k.a "Easter" in the West), called "the Great
Greatness
Since the publication of Francis Galton’s Hereditary Genius in 1869, and especially with the accelerated development of intelligence tests in the early 1900s, there has been a vast amount of social scientific research published relative to the question of ‘greatness’...
and Holy Pascha of our Lord
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
and Saviour, Jesus Christ" in the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
and Eastern Catholic Churches. According to the Tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
of the Church
Church Body
A local church is a Christian religious organization that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by pastors or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek seek non-profit corporate status...
, no one sits during the reading of the Paschal homily. Portions of it are often done with the interactive participation of the congregation.
The Homily
- If anyone is devout and a lover of God, let them enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival.
- If anyone is a grateful servant, let them, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord.
- If anyone has wearied themselves in fasting, let them now receive recompense.
- If anyone has labored from the first hour, let them today receive the just reward.
- If anyone has come at the third hour, with thanksgiving let them feast.
- If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let them have no misgivings; for they shall suffer no loss.
- If anyone has delayed until the ninth hour, let them draw near without hesitation.
- If anyone has arrived even at the eleventh hour, let them not fear on account of tardiness.
- For the Master is gracious and receives the last even as the first; He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, just as to him who has labored from the first.
- He has mercy upon the last and cares for the first; to the one He gives, and to the other He is gracious.
- He both honors the work and praises the intention.
- Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord, and, whether first or last, receive your reward.
- O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy!
- O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day!
- You that have fasted and you that have disregarded the fast, rejoice today!
- The table is rich-laden: feast royally, all of you!
- The calf is fatted: let no one go forth hungry!
- Let all partake of the feast of faith. Let all receive the riches of goodness.
- Let no one lament their poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
- Let no one mourn their transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave.
- Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free.
- He that was taken by death has annihilated it!
- He descended into Hades
HadesHades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
and took Hades captive!
- He embittered it when it tasted His flesh! And anticipating this, Isaiah
IsaiahIsaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
exclaimed: "Hades was embittered when it encountered Thee in the lower regions".- It was embittered, for it was abolished!
- It was embittered, for it was mocked!
- It was embittered, for it was purged!
- It was embittered, for it was despoiled!
- It was embittered, for it was bound in chains!
- It took a body and came upon God!
- It took earth and encountered Ηeaven!
- It took what it saw, but crumbled before what can not seen!
- O death, where is thy sting?
- O Hades, where is thy victory?
- Christ
ChristChrist is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
is risen, and you are overthrown!
- Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
- Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
- Christ is risen, and life reigns!
- Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb!
- For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the first-fruits of them that have slept.
- To Him be glory and might unto the ages of ages.
- Amen.