Bright Week is the seven days after Pascha - the "Feast of Feasts" - when the festive joy continues. During this time the Daily Hours are replaced with the Paschal Hours, and there is a pious tradition that the normal morning and evening prayers are also replaced by the Paschal Hours. These prayers are much shorter than the normal Hours and are intended to be less burdonsome after the struggles of Lent, but allow us to continue a prayer rule without falling into laziness and despondency.
The Paschal Hours are given below in a form intended for home use, without clergy present. May you chant these prayers with the joy with which they are intended: Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!
The Paschal Hours
+ Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and on those in the tombs bestowing life. (Thrice).
Having beheld the resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus Who alone is without sin. We venerate Thy cross, O Christ, and we praise and worship Thy holy Resurrection; for Thou art our God, and we know no other save Thee; upon Thy name we call: Come all ye faithful, let us worship Christ's holy Resurrection. For behold, through the Cross joy hath come to all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, we hymn His Resurrection; for, having endured the Cross, He destroyed death by death. (Thrice).
The Hypakoe (tone VIII):
Forestalling the dawn, the women came with Mary, and found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre, and heard from the angel: why seek ye among the dead, as though He were a mortal, Him Who liveth in everlasting light? Behold the grave-clothes. Go quickly and proclaim to the world that the Lord is risen and hath slain death. For He is the Son of God Who saveth mankind.
The Kontakion (tone VIII):
Though Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal One, yet didst Thou destroy the power of hades. And didst arise as victor, O Christ God, calling to the myrrh-bearing women: Rejoice! And giving peace unto Thine apostles: Thou Who dost grant resurrection to the fallen.
Other Troparia (Tone VIII):
In the tomb with the body, in hades with Thy soul as God; in Paradise with the thief, and on the throne with the Father and the Spirit: Thou fillest all things, O Christ, Thyself uncircumscribed.
+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…
How life-giving, how much more beautiful than Paradise, and truly more resplendent than any royal palace was Thy tomb shown to be, O Christ, the source of our resurrection.
…Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O sanctified and divine tabernacle of the Most High, rejoice! For through thee, O Mother of God, joy is given to them that cry: Blessed art thou among women, O all-spotless Lady.
Lord, have mercy. (12 or 40 times).
+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim: Thou who without corruption didst bring forth God the Word, and art indeed Mother of God, thee do we magnify.
+ Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and on those in the tombs bestowing life. (Thrice).
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