CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! CHRISTOS VOSKRESE! VOISTINNU VOSKRESE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7uvSrhBAiI
It is easy and difficult for me to fully explain what Resurrection Matins are really like. Fr. Tom and I always joke that we can't tell people what Byzantine services and liturgies are like, they just have to experience it. I think this is because we really experience the liturgy with all of our senses.
During Resurrection Matins, we take on the role of the myrrh bearing women. We have arrived at the tomb to find it empty and find the Risen Lord! The video above is part of the procession (I will try to link it directly on this page but blogger was taking forever!). We sing "Your resurrection O Christ our Savior, the angels in heaven praise with hymns. Make us on earth also worthy with a pure heart, to extol and give glory to you." When the priest reaches the entrance of the church (remember, during this weekend, the Church takes on the appearance of the tomb!) he reads the resurrection gospel and then he sings:
"Let God Arise and let his enemies be scattered and let those who hate him flee from before his face!"
We sing: "Christ is Risen from the dead! By death he conquered death! And to those in the graves he granted Life"
Priest: As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish as wax melts before a fire.
Us: Christ is Risen!...
Priest: So let the wicked perish at the presence of God! And let the righteous ones rejoice!
Us: Christ is Risen!...
Priest: This is the day that the Lord has made, let us exult and rejoice in it!
Us: Christ is Risen!
Priest (Breaking the "seal" of the tomb with a hand cross): Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever, Amen.
Us: CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD! BY DEATH HE CONQUERED DEATH AND TO THOSE IN THE GRAVES, HE GRANTED LIFE!
The Doors are flung open and we find a large icon of the resurrection in the place of the shroud. All of the red altar coverings have been changed to white (by the altar cloth fairies aka some faithful women).
Everything is fast paced from hear. The melody of Matins sounds like you are running because you ARE running. We ARE the myrrh bearing women. We HAVE seen the risen Lord. What would you do? Sit around and be like "well that was neat, want to get some coffee?" NO! You would run as fast as you could to tell everyone.
The deacons are almost constantly incensing the church proclaiming "Christ is Risen!" or Christos Voskrese (Christ is Risen in Old Church Slovanic) to which we respond "Indeed He is Risen!" or "Voistinnu Voskrese!".
During Matins, we also sing one of my favorite hymns to the Theotokos, or Mother of God.
"The angel exclaimed to her, full of grace! Rejoice O Pure Virgin! Again, I say Rejoice! Your Son is risen from the grave on the third day, and has raised the dead! Let all nations rejoice: Shine in splendor O new Jerusalem, for the Glory of the Lord is risen upon you O Sion. Since with joy and rejoice! And you, Pure Mother of God, Rejoice in the Resurrection of your Son!"
During Matins all of the faithful process up to kiss a hand cross, a gospel book and an icon of the resurrection. Everyone is singing loudly and joyfully!
I think all of Matins is my favorite part, but I especially love when the priest reads the Easter Sermon by St. John Chrysostom. The zinger comes at the end where the saint-rightly dubbed "golden tongue"- says: "O death, where is your sting; Abyss, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are cast down; Christ is risen, and the demons are crushed; Christ is risen, and the angels sing for joy; Christ is risen, and life had overcome; Christ is risen, and the tomb is emptied of the dead: for Christ the Resurrection has become the first-fruits of the dead. To Him be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen!"
Wow. Just let all of that sink in for a minute. Fr. Joe (Fr. Tom's cousin) read this with such enthusiasm and emphasis that it was really powerful. We who have journeyed with Christ can't help but smile. Because we walked with him at every step of the way, being able to say Christ is Risen means something very special to us. Everything we did, everything we experienced was preparing us for this moment, so that we could truly sing out that Christ is Risen! We were baptized into his death and we rejoice in his resurrection!
Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! Christos Voskrese! Voistinnu Voskrese!
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