Bright Saturday
Text from “The Divine Liturgy: An Anthology for Worship”; Pg. 501 & Pg. 513
Liturgical Instruction: After the priest exclaims “Blessed is the Kingdom” and we have responded “Amen,” the clergy sing the following Tropar once and the people repeat it. Then the clergy sing the first half, and we conclude it. This is done every day until the Wednesday before Ascension Thursday.
Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life. (3x).
First Antiphon
Verse 1: Shout to the Lord, all the earth, sing now to His name, give glory to His praise (Ps 65:2).
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Verse 2: Say unto God, “How awesome are your works! Because of the greatness of Your strength Your enemies will flatter you” (Ps 65:3).
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
Verse 3: Let all the earth worship You and sing to You, let it sing to Your name, O Most High! (Ps 65:3)
Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God,* O Saviour, save us.
+Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
If the second antiphon is sung: (Refrain: Through the prayers of the Mother of God O Saviour, save us.) Otherwise we sing: Only-begotten Son..
Second Antiphon
Verse 1: God be merciful to us and bless us; make the light of Your face shine upon us and have mercy on us (Ps 66:2).
Refrain: Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Verse 2: That we may know Your way upon earth, Your salvation among all nations (Ps 66:3).
Refrain: Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Verse 3: Let the peoples give praise to You, O God, may all the peoples give praise to You (Ps 66:4).
Refrain: Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Glory… now… Only-begotten Son…
Third Antiphon
Verse 1 (Soloist): Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee from before His face (Ps 67:2).
Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life.
Verse 2 (Soloist): As smoke vanishes, let them vanish, as wax melts before the fire (Ps 67:3).
Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life.
Verse 3 (Soloist): So let sinners perish before the face of God, but let the righteous be glad (Ps 67:3-4).
Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life.
Entrance Verse (Soloist): In the churches bless God, the Lord from the fountains of Israel (Ps 67:27).
Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life.
+Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion (Tone 8): Though You descended into a tomb, O Immortal One,* yet You destroyed the power of Hades;* and You rose as victor, O Christ God,* calling to the myrrh-bearing women: Rejoice!* and giving peace to Your apostles:* You, who grant Resurrection to the fallen.
Instead of “Holy God…”: All you, who have been baptized into Christ, you have put on Christ! Alleluia!
Prokimenon (Tone 3): The Lord is my light and my Saviour;* whom shall I fear? (Ps 26:1)
verse: The Lord is the protector of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Ps 26:1)
Epistle (Act 3:11-16): In those days, because the healed cripple clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished. When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, ‘You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
Alleluia (Tone 8):
verse: The Lord is king; He is robed in majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength and has girded Himself (Ps 92:1).
verse: For He has established the world which shall not be shaken (Ps 92:1).
Gospel: (John 3:22-33): At that time Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized— John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison. Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s disciples and a Jew. They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.’ John answered, ‘No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, “I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.” He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.’ The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true
Instead of “It is truly…” (Pg. 507): The Angel cried out to the One full of Grace: O chaste Virgin, rejoice! And again I say, Rejoice! Your Son has risen from the tomb on the third day, and raised the dead. Let all people rejoice!
Irmos (Tone 1):Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem! for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Exult now and be glad, O Zion! And you, O chaste Mother of God, take delight in the resurrection of your Son
Communion Verse: Receive the body of Christ; taste the fountain of immortality. Alleluia! (3x).
Instead of “Blessed is He…”: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life.
Instead of “We have seen the true light…”: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life.
Instead of “Let our mouths…”: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life (3x).
Instead of “Blessed be the name of the Lord…”: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life (3x).
“Christ is risen” is sung again once (using a simple cord chant) instead of “Glory be to the Father…” at the dismissal.
Then the Troparion “Christ is risen” is sung as in the beginning of the Liturgy, but with an additional ending.
Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life (3x).
And to us He has granted life eternal;* we bow down before His resurrection on the third day.
Divine Liturgy:
PDF – Bright Saturday – UKRAINIAN
PDF – Bright Saturday – ENGLISH
PDF – Bright Saturday – ENG-UKR