Oration on the Resurrection of the Lord

1This is a day of joy and gladness, beloved, a day of exultation and salvation, a day of illumination and sanctification, a day of peace and reconciliation. It is a day for the remolding and renewal of our souls, a day that is truly great, wondrous, and glorious. On this day Christ raised us up together, we who had been cast down by sin. On this day Christ made us alive together, we who had been put to death by our transgressions. On this day he opened paradise so that we might enjoy the tree of life, which is his precious and life-giving body and blood. Through these we are purified, sanctified, illuminated, and made new.

For Christ gave himself as a ransom for us all. He brought us out of death into life, out of darkness into light, out of slavery into freedom, out of enmity into genuine friendship. He bought us out from the curse and from sin by becoming a curse for us, so that we might receive adoption, so that we might no longer be slaves but free, no longer subject to passion but free from passion, no longer lovers of the world but lovers of God, no longer walking according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

He sanctified us and glorified us in the Holy Spirit, so that we might walk in newness of life. And what shall we give back to the Lord for all these things that he has given back to us? What shall we give back that could equal his surpassing gift and grace? Let us give thanks and fall down before the Lord and worship him. Let us offer perfumes and hymns as gifts with fear and reverence, for the Master loves humanity and loves goodness, and he accepts everything we bring to him, even if what we offer is small and worthless.

Let us also love, my brothers and sisters, the one who loved us by grace. Let us die for the one who died for us freely. Let us walk in the way of his holy commandments. Let us purify ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit. Let us offer to our God good deeds: faith, love, hope, and endurance; contrition of heart; the gift of compunction; a cleansed conscience; and the putting to death of our earthly members—sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed. Let us serve the Lord with understanding, steadfastness, perseverance, and endurance. Let us embrace the love of the true God and our Savior. Let us sing to him a new song. Let us all sing, clap our hands, and shout to God with a voice of exultation, for the Lord most high is awesome, a great king over all the earth (Psalm 46:3 LXX, Psalm 47:2 Hebrew). Great is the Lord, and his greatness has no limit (Psalm 144:3 LXX, Psalm 145:3 Hebrew). Great is the Lord, and great is his strength (Psalm 146:5 LXX, Psalm 147:5 Hebrew). He has abolished and struck down our boastful and arrogant enemy, the devil. He has trampled death underfoot and raised up all people, granting us eternal life.

2Let us all enjoy, beloved, the good gifts of this beautiful festival. Let us enter with rejoicing into the joy of our Lord—rulers and ruled, elders with the young, men and women, rich and poor, slaves and free. Glorify and magnify the Lord our God, and sing hymns to this bright and radiant day, and marvel at it and honor it, whether you have fasted or labored—celebrate today. Rich and poor, dance together. You who are disciplined and you who are careless, honor the day. You who have fasted and you who have not, rejoice today. The table is full; let no one leave hungry or deprived. Let everyone enjoy the wealth of God's goodness, for our Passover, Christ, was sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7). Let everyone draw from the inexhaustible spring of the Savior God and rejoice. Taste and see that Christ is the Lord (Psalm 33:9 LXX, Psalm 34:8 Hebrew). The Lord is God, and he has appeared to us (Psalm 117:27 LXX, Psalm 118:27 Hebrew). Let no one mourn over poverty, for the common kingdom has appeared. Let no one grieve over sins, for forgiveness has dawned from the tomb. Let no one fear death, for the Savior's death has set us free.

Christ our God has saved us and rescued 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 met 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 without knowing, and in swallowing it came to know whom it had swallowed. It swallowed life, and it was swallowed up by life. It swallowed the one along with all, and it lost the one for the sake of all. It seized like a lion, but its teeth were crushed. Through sin death had power, but finding no sin in Christ, it remained ineffective. So it is fitting to say: "O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:55). Christ is risen, and you are cast down. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and the demons have fallen. Christ is risen, and we have been delivered from corruption. Christ is risen, and we have been rescued from the curse. Christ is risen, and we have risen with him. Christ is risen, and we have been made alive. Christ, risen from the dead, has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20). To him be glory and power and worship and majesty, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.

3This present day is bright and great and wonderful, a day truly of joy and gladness, of rest and spiritual delight and exultation, a day of freedom and illumination and sanctification, a day of reconciliation and peace and salvation and help for our souls. On this day Christ raised us up when we had been cast down by sin. On this day he made us alive when we were dead through our trespasses. On this day he opened paradise for us, which the disobedience and transgression of our forebears had closed. On this day he counted us worthy to partake of his precious and life-giving body and blood, through which we are cleansed and illumined and sanctified. For Christ gave himself as a ransom for us, and he brought us out of death into life, from darkness into light, from slavery into freedom, from enmity into genuine friendship. He redeemed us from the curse and from sin by becoming a curse for us, so that we might receive adoption, so that we might no longer be slaves but free, no longer subject to passion but free from passion, no longer lovers of the world but lovers of God, no longer walking according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Galatians 3:13; Romans 8:4). He sanctified us and glorified us in the Holy Spirit, so that we might walk in newness of life. What shall we give back to the Lord for all that he has given back to us? What shall we give back for the surpassing gift and grace of God (Psalm 115:12 LXX; Psalm 116:12 Hebrew)? Let us give thanks and worship and offer him perfumes and hymns as gifts with fear and reverence and humility. For the Master is loving and compassionate, and he accepts everything we bring to him, even if what we offer is small and worthless. Let us love, my brothers and sisters, the Lord who loved us by grace. Let us die for the one who died for us freely. Let us walk after his holy commandments. Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit (2 Corinthians 7:1). Let us offer to our God good deeds: faith, love, hope, endurance, contrition of heart, tears of compunction, purity of conscience, the putting to death of every sin and evil desire. Let us serve the Lord with understanding and steadfastness and perseverance. 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 as in the psalms and shout to God with a voice of exultation, for the Lord most high is awesome, a great king over all the earth (Psalm 46:3 LXX; Psalm 47:2 Hebrew).

4"Great is the Lord, and of his greatness there is no end" (Psalm 144:3 LXX; Psalm 145:3 Hebrew). Great is the Lord, and great is his strength. For he abolished and struck down the enemy and the devil, and he trampled down death, and he raised up all people, granting eternal life. Let us enter rejoicing into the joy of our Lord. As grateful servants, let us all enjoy the good gifts of this beautiful festal assembly—rulers and ruled, slaves and free, men and women, old and young. Glorify the Lord our God, and sing hymns to this radiant day, magnify it and marvel at it. Whether you are fasting or not, rejoice today. Whether you are disciplined or careless, honor the day. Rich and poor, dance together. The table is full; feast, all of you. The table is full; let no one leave hungry and deprived. All of you, enjoy the wealth of his goodness, because "Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). All of you, draw from the inexhaustible spring of the Savior God and rejoice. "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 33:9 LXX; Psalm 34:8 Hebrew)—the Lord God Jesus Christ, who has also appeared to us.

Let no one mourn their sins, for pardon has dawned from the tomb. Let no one fear death, for the Savior's death has set us free. He saved us and rescued 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 when he said, "Hades was embittered when it met you below" (Isaiah 14:9 LXX). It was embittered because it was abolished. It was embittered because it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was also bound. It received a body and encountered God. It received what it could see, and it fell by what it could not see. Death swallowed without knowing, but after swallowing it recognized whom it had swallowed. It swallowed life, and it was swallowed by life. It swallowed the one along with all, but through the one it lost all. It seized like a lion, but its teeth were crushed. Through sin death had power, but finding no sin in Christ, it remained powerless. "O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:55). Christ is risen, and you are cast down. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice and the demons have fallen. Christ is risen, and we have been redeemed from corruption and rescued from the curse. Christ is risen, and we have risen with him and been counted worthy of life. "Christ, risen from the dead, has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20). To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.