Oration on the Lord's Resurrection (St. Amphilochios of Iconium)

Oration on the Lord's Resurrection 

By St. Amphilochios of Iconium

(Bright and great and wondrous is the present day,) ...a day of joy and gladness, beloved, a day of rejoicing and salvation, a day of illumination and sanctification, a day of peace and reconciliation; a day of restoration and renewal of our souls, a day truly great and wondrous and manifest. On this day Christ raised us up, cast down by sin; on this day Christ made us alive together, who had been dead in our transgressions; on this day He opened paradise, that we might partake of the tree of life — which is His precious and life-giving Body and Blood, through which we are cleansed and sanctified and illumined and renewed. For Christ gave Himself as a ransom for us all, and led us forth from death to life, from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom, and from enmity to true friendship; He redeemed us from the curse and from sin, becoming a curse for us, so that we might receive adoption as sons, so that we might no longer be slaves but free, no longer impassioned but dispassionate, no longer lovers of the world but lovers of God, no longer walking according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

…He sanctified and glorified us in the Holy Spirit, that we might walk in newness of life. But what shall we give back to the Lord for all that He has given to us? What shall we repay equal to His surpassing gift and grace? Let us give thanks and fall down before the Lord and worship Him, and let us offer myrrh and hymns as gifts with fear and reverence; for the Master is loving toward mankind and good, and He receives all things, even if what we offer Him is small and humble. Let us also, my brethren, love Him who has loved us by grace; let us die for Him who died for us freely; let us walk after His holy commandments. Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit; let us offer to our God good deeds — faith, love, hope, and patience, contrition of heart, the gift of compunction, purity of conscience, the putting to death of our members which are upon the earth: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness. Let us serve the Lord with understanding and steadfastness and endurance and patience; let us embrace the love of the true God and our Savior; let us sing to Him a new song, let us all sing, let us clap our hands and shout to God with a voice of rejoicing, for the Lord Most High is awesome, a great King over all the earth… Great is the Lord, and of His greatness there is no end; great is the Lord and great is His power. He has overthrown and struck down our arrogant and proud enemy, the devil, and has trampled down death and has raised up all, granting us eternal life.

…Let us all partake, beloved, of the good gifts of this fair feast; let us enter with joy into the joy of our Lord… rulers and subjects… elders with the young, men and women, rich and poor, slaves and free — glorify and magnify the Lord our God, and hymn and marvel at and honor this radiant day and bright feast, having fasted and labored… celebrate today. Let the rich and the poor dance together, the temperate and the negligent honor the day, those who have fasted and those who have not rejoice today; the table is full — let no one go away hungry or lacking; let all partake of the wealth of goodness, for our Pascha, Christ, has been sacrificed for us; draw from the inexhaustible fountain of the Savior God and rejoice; taste and see that Christ the Lord is good; God is the Lord and has appeared to us. Let no one lament poverty, for the common kingdom has appeared; let no one mourn sins, for forgiveness has dawned from the tomb; let no one fear death, for the Savior’s death has set us free.

For Christ God has saved us and delivered us from Hades; He snatched us from the tyranny of the devil and freed us from his slavery. Hades was embittered when it tasted the precious and holy flesh of the Master, as Isaiah foretold: Hades was embittered when it encountered You below; it was embittered, for it was abolished; it was embittered, for it was mocked; it was embittered, for it was bound. It received a body and encountered God; it received what it saw and fell by what it did not see. Death swallowed in ignorance, and having swallowed, it recognized whom it had swallowed; it swallowed life and was swallowed up by life; it swallowed the One with all, and lost the One for the sake of all. It seized like a lion, but its teeth were shattered. Through sin death had power, but in Christ, finding no sin, it remained powerless. Therefore it is fitting to say: O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? Christ is risen and you are overthrown; Christ is risen and the angels rejoice; Christ is risen and the demons have fallen. Christ is risen and we have been redeemed from corruption; Christ is risen and we have been delivered from the curse; Christ is risen and we have risen with Him; Christ is risen and we have been made alive. Christ, having risen from the dead, has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion and worship and majesty, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

+ + +

…χαρᾶς ἡμέρα καὶ εὐφροσύνης ἀγαπητοί, ἡμέρα ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ σωτηρίας, ἡμέρα φωτισμοῦ καὶ ἁγιασμοῦ, ἡμέρα εἰρήνης καὶ καταλλαγῆς· ἡμέρα ἀναπλάσεως καὶ ἀνακαινισμοῦ τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν, ἡμέρα ὄντως μεγάλη καὶ θαυμαστὴ καὶ ἐπιφανής· ἐν ταύτῃ συνήγειρεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐρριμμένους τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ἐν ταύτῃ συνεζωοποίησεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Χριστὸς νενεκρωμένους τοῖς παραπτώμασιν· ἐν ταύτῃ τὸν παράδεισον ἀνέῳξεν, ἀπολαύειν ἡμᾶς τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς· ὅπερ ἐστὶν τὸ τίμιον καὶ ζωοποιὸν αὐτοῦ σῶμα καὶ 69 αἷμα δι' οὗ καθαιρόμεθα καὶ ἁγιαζόμεθα καὶ φωτιζόμεθα καὶ ἐγκαινιζόμεθα. λύτρον γὰρ ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὁ Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων, καὶ προήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν, ἀπὸ τοῦ σκότους εἰς φῶς, ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας εἰς ἐλευθερίαν, ἀπό τε ἔχθρας εἰς γνησιεύουσαν φιλίαν· ἐξηγόρασεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς κατάρας καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα, ἵνα τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν, ἵνα μηκέτι ὦμεν δοῦλοι ἀλλ' ἐλεύθεροι, μηκέτι ἐμπαθεῖς ἀλλ' ἀπαθεῖς, μηκέτι φιλόκοσμοι ἀλλὰ φιλόθεοι, μηκέτι κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦντες ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα.

… ἡγίασεν, ἐδόξασεν ἡμᾶς ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, ἵνα ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς περιπατήσωμεν· ἡμεῖς δὲ τί ἀνταποδώσομεν τῷ κυρίῳ περὶ πάντων τούτων ὧν ἡμῖν ἀνταπέδωκεν ... τί ἀνταποδώσομεν ἴσον τῇ ὑπερβαλλούσῃ αὐτοῦ δωρεᾷ τε καὶ χάριτι; ... εὐχαριστήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ προσκυνήσωμεν αὐτῷ, καὶ προσφέρωμεν τὰ μῦρα καὶ τοὺς ὕμνους ὡς δῶρα μετὰ φόβου καὶ εὐλαβείας· φιλάνθρωπος γάρ ἐστι καὶ φιλάγαθος ὁ δεσπότης, καὶ πάντα προσδέχεται, εἰ καὶ μικρά εἰσι καὶ εὐτελῆ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν αὐτῷ προσαγόμενα. ἀγαπήσωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀδελφοί μου, τὸν ἀγαπήσαντα κατὰ χάριν ἡμᾶς, ἀποθάνωμεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀποθανόντος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν δωρεάν, πορευθῶμεν ὀπίσω τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ ἐντολῶν· καθαρίσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ παντὸς μολυσμοῦ σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος, προσάξωμεν τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν πράξεις ἀγαθάς, πίστιν, ἀγάπην, ἐλπίδα καὶ ὑπομονήν, συντριμμὸν καρδίας, κατανύξεως δωρεά, συνειδήσεως κάθαρσιν, νέκρωσιν τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς μελειῶν, πορνείας, ἀκαθαρσίας, πάθους, ἐπιθυμίας κακῆς καὶ τῆς πλεονεξίας· δουλεύσωμεν τῷ κυρίῳ μετὰ συνέσεως καὶ εὐσταθείας καὶ καρτερίας καὶ ὑπομονῆς· ἐνστερνισώμεθα τὸ φίλτρον τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν· ᾄσωμεν αὐτῷ ᾆσμα καινόν, πάντες ᾄσωμεν, κροτήσωμεν τὰς χεῖρας καὶ ἀλαλάξωμεν τῷ θεῷ ἐν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως ὅτι κύριος ὕψιστος φοβερὸς βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ... μέγας κύριος καὶ τῆς μεγαλοσύνης αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστι πέρας· μέγας κύριος καὶ μεγάλη ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ· κατήργησεν καὶ ἐπάταξε τὸν ἀλαζόνα καὶ ὑπερήφανον ἐχθρὸν ἡμῶν καὶ διάβολον καὶ τὸν θάνατον κατεπάτησε καὶ πάντας ἀνέστησε ζωὴν ἡμῖν αἰώνιον δωρησάμενος.

… ἀπολαύσωμεν πάντες, ἀγαπητοί, τῶν ἀγαθῶν χαρισμάτων ταύτης τῆς καλῆς πανηγύρεως· εἰσέλθωμεν χαίροντες εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν ... ἄρχοντες καὶ ἀρχόμενοι ... πρεσβύτεροι μετὰ νεωτέρων, ἄνδρες καὶ γυναῖκες, πλούσιοι καὶ πένητες, δοῦλοι καὶ ἐλεύθεροι, δοξάσατε καὶ μεγαλύνατε κύριον τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν καὶ τὴν λαμπρὰν ταύτην ἡμέραν καὶ φαιδρὰν ἐορτὴν ὑμνήσατε καὶ θαυμάσατε καὶ τιμήσατε, νηστεύοντες καὶ κοπιάσαντες ... ἐορτάσατε σήμερον. πλούσιοι καὶ πένητες μετὰ ἀλλήλων χορεύσατε, ἐγκρατεῖς καὶ ῥάθυμοι τὴν ἡμέραν τιμήσατε, νηστεύσαντες καὶ μὴ νηστεύσαντες εὐφράνθητε σήμερον· ἡ τράπεζα γέμει· μηδεὶς ἐξέλθῃ πεινῶν καὶ στερούμενος· πάντες ἀπολαύσατε τοῦ πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος, ὅτι τὸ πάσχα ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐτύθη Χριστός· πάντες ἀντλήσατε ἐκ τῆς ἀκενώτου πηγῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος θεοῦ καὶ εὐφράνθητε· γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε ὅτι Χριστὸς ὁ κύριος· θεὸς κύριος καὶ ἐπέφανεν ἡμῖν· μηδεὶς θρηνείτω πενίαν· ἐφάνη γὰρ ἡ κοινὴ βασιλεία· μηδεὶς ὀδυρέσθω πταίσματα· συγγνώμη γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ τάφου ἀνέτειλε· μηδεὶς φοβείσθω τὸν θάνατον· ἠλευθέρωσε γὰρ ἡμᾶς ὁ τοῦ σωτῆρος θάνατος.

ἔσωσε γὰρ ἡμᾶς Χριστὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ τοῦ ᾅδου ἐρρύσατο· ἐξήρπασεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς καταδυναστείας τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῆς δουλείας αὐτοῦ ἠλευθέρωσεν· ἐπικράνθη ὁ ᾅδης γευσάμενος τῆς τιμίας καὶ ἁγίας σαρκὸς τοῦ δεσπότου καθὼς Ἡσαΐας προεῖπεν· ἐπικράνθη ὁ Ἅιδης συναντήσας σοι κάτω· ἐπικράνθη· καὶ γὰρ κατηργήθη· ἐπικράνθη· καὶ γὰρ ἐνεπαίχθη· ἐπικράνθη· καὶ γὰρ ἐδεσμεύθη· ἔλαβε σῶμα καὶ θεῷ περιέτυχεν· ἔλαβεν ὅπερ ἔβλεπε καὶ πέπτωκεν ὅθεν οὐκ ἔβλεπε· κατέπιεν ὁ θάνατος ἀγνοῶν, καὶ καταπιὼν ἔγνω ὃν κατέπιεν· κατέπιεν ζωήν, κατεπόθη ὑπὸ τῆς ζωῆς· κατέπιεν τὸν ἕνα μετὰ πάντων, ἀπώλεσε τὸν ἕνα διὰ τοὺς πάντας. ἥρπασεν ὡς λέων, συνεθλάσθη δὲ τοὺς ὀδόντας. διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ θάνατος ἴσχυεν· ἐν Χριστῷ δὲ ἁμαρτίαν μὴ εὑρὼν ἀνενέργητος ἔμεινεν. εὔκαιρον οὖν εἰπεῖν· ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον, ποῦ σου, ᾅδη, τὸ νῖκος; ἀνέστη Χριστὸς καὶ σὺ καταβέβλησαι· ἀνέστη Χριστὸς καὶ χαίρουσιν ἄγγελοι· ἀνέστη Χριστὸς καὶ πεπτώκασι δαίμονες. ἀνέστη Χριστὸς καὶ φθορᾶς ἐλυτρώθημεν· ἀνέστη Χριστὸς καὶ κατάρας ἐρρύσθημεν· ἀνέστη Χριστὸς καὶ ἡμεῖς συνανέστημεν· ἀνέστη Χριστὸς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐζωώθημεν· Χριστὸς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστὰς ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἐγένετο· αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος καὶ ἡ προσκύνησις καὶ ἡ μεγαλοσύνη νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν.

Translated by John Sanidopoulos.