Sunday Readings

Apostolic Reading – Acts 1:1-9

Gospel – John 1:1-17

Hymns: See our Church’s website for Audio Recordings: holycrossmelkite.org/hymns

Troparion of Pascha (Tone 5)

Christ is risen from the dead and by His death He has trampled upon death; and has given life to those who were in the tombs.

Hypacoi of Pascha (Tone 4)

Mary and her companions went forth before dawn. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb and heard the angel say, “Why do you seek Him as a man among the dead, when He is in eternal splendor? Behold, the shroud is laid aside. Hasten and proclaim to the world that the Lord is risen and has put Death to death, for He is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind.

Kondakion of Pascha (Tone 8)

Though You went down in the tomb, O immortal One, You overthrew the power of Hades and rose victorious, O Christ God. You greeted the ointment bearing women, saying “Rejoice!” You gave peace to Your apostles, and to those who had Fallen resurrection.

Prokimenon

This is the day the Lord has made: let us be glad and rejoice in it!

Stichon

Give praise to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (1:1-9)

In the preceding book, Theophilus, I was concerned with everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning, until the day he was taken up, after giving commandments through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. To them also he showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about God’s kingdom. And while eating with them, he told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise, “of which you have heard,” he said, “by my mouth. For while John baptized with water, you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit within a few days.” Now, those gathered there questioned him, asking, “Lord, is it now that you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” But he answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or the proper moments the Father has set by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and even to the very ends of the earth.”

Alleluia

You shall arise and have mercy upon Sion,

for the time to pity her, the right time has come.

Stichon

The Lord has looked down from heaven upon all the sons of men.

The Holy Gospel According to St. John (12:1-18)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was made nothing that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness grasped it not. There was a man, one sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a witness, to bear witness concerning the light, that all might believe through him. He was not himself the light, but was to bear witness to the light. It was the true light that enlightens every man who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. He came to his own, and his own received him not. But to as many as received him he gave the power of becoming children of God; to those who believe in his name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us. And we saw his glory (glory as of the only-begotten of the Father) full of grace and of truth. John bore witness concerning him, and cried, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘He who is to come after me has been set above me, because he was before me.’” And of his fullness we have all received, grace for grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.