The Paschal Hours may also be chanted in place of the usualThanksgiving after Communion.[1] In addition, it is a pious tradition to substitute the Paschal Hours for Morning Prayers and Evening Prayers during all of Bright week.
In this way, the faithful take a little rest from the long prayer services, but do not neglect to give joyous thanks to God, so as not to fall into despondency and gluttony, as they partake of festive foods.
The Paschal Hours differ from the normalDaily Office in several significant aspects: the entire service ischanted (sung) rather than beingread; the services are much shorter than usual; and there are noPsalms at all.
The hymnography and prayers center on Christ's victory over sin and death and Christians' hope for salvation.
Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless One. We venerate your Cross, O Christ, and we praise and glorify your holy Resurrection; for you are our God and we know no other than you and we call upon your Name. Come all you faithful, let us venerate Christ's holy Resurrection, for behold through the Cross joy has come into all the world. Let us ever bless the Lord, praising his Resurrection, for enduring the Cross for us, he has destroyed death by death. (thrice)
Hypakoe of Pascha: Before the dawn theMary and thewomen came and found the stone roled away from the tomb. They heard the angel's voice, "Why do you seek among the dead as a man, the One who is everlasting Light? Behold, the clothes in the grave. Go and proclaim to the world: The Lord is risen, he has slain death as he is the Son of God, saving the human race.
Kontakion of Pascha: You descended into the tomb, O Immortal, you destroyed the power of death. You arose intriumph, O Christ God, proclaiming, "Rejoice" to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to your apostles and giving resurrection to the fallen.
Troparia:
In thetomb with the body and inHades with the soul, inParadise with thethief and on the throne with theFather and theSpirit, were You, O boundlessChrist filling all things.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
Bearing life and more fruitful than Paradise, brighter than any royal chamber, Your tomb, O Christ, is the fountain ofour resurrection.
Both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Rejoice, O holy and divine abode of the Most High, for through you, OTheotokos, joy is given to those who cry: Blessed are you among women, O all-undefiled Lady.
^translated from the Greek by the Holy Transfiguration Monastery. (1997),The Great Horologion or Book of Hours, Boston MA: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, p. 618,ISBN0-943405-08-4
