The great Lord, the full table, and the defeat of Hades
The preacher is closing the homily, quoting Scripture and Isaiah to proclaim Christ's victory over death and Hades and inviting everyone to share the feast.
"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.
Greek
«μέγας κύριος καὶ τῆς μεγαλοσύνης αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστι πέρας «, μέγας κύριος καὶ μεγάλη ἡ
ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ· κατήργησε γὰρ καὶ ἐπάταξε τὸν ἐχθρὸν καὶ διάβολον, καὶ τὸν θάνατον κατεπάτησε, καὶ πάντας ἀνέστησε ζωὴν αἰώνιον δωρησάμενος. εἰσέλθωμεν χαίροντες εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν, ὡς δοῦλοι εὐγνώμονες ἀπολαύσωμεν πάντες τῶν ἀγαθῶν χαρισμάτων ταύτης τῆς καλῆς πανηγύρεως, ἄρχοντες καὶ ἀρχόμενοι, δοῦλοι καὶ ἐλεύθεροι, ἄνδρες καὶ γυναῖκες, πρεσβύτεροι καὶ νεώτεροι. δοξάσατε κύριον τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν, καὶ τὴν λαμπρὰν ταύτην ἡμέραν ὑμνήσατε καὶ μεγαλύνατε καὶ θαυμάσατε, νηστεύοντες καὶ μὴ νηστεύοντες εὐφράνθητε σήμερον, ἐγκρατεῖς καὶ ῥάθυμοι τὴν ἡμέραν τιμήσατε, πλούσιοι καὶ πένητες μετ' ἀλλήλων χορεύσατε. ἡ τράπεζα γέμει, τρυφήσατε πάντες· 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 χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος « θεὸς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὃς καὶ ἐπέφανεν ἡμῖν. Μηδεὶς θρηνείτω τὰ πταίσματα, συγγνώμη γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ τάφου ἀνέτειλε· μηδεὶς φοβείσθω τὸν θάνατον, ἠλευθέρωσε γὰρ ἡμᾶς ὁ τοῦ σωτῆρος θάνατος· ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Ἅιδου ἐρρύσατο· ἐξήρπασεν ἐκ τῆς καταδυναστείας τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῆς δουλείας αὐτοῦ ἠλευθέρωσεν. ἐπικράνθη ὁ Ἅιδης γευσάμενος τῆς τιμίας καὶ ἁγίας σαρκὸς τοῦ δεσπότου, καθὼς Ἡσαΐας προανεφώνησεν «ὁ Ἅιδης « λέγων «ἐπικράνθη συναντήσας σοι κάτω «. ἐπικράνθη ἐπειδὴ κατηργήθη· ἐπικράνθη ἐπειδὴ ἐνεπαίχθη· ἐπικράνθη· καὶ γὰρ ἐδεσμεύθη· ἔλαβε σῶμα καὶ θεῷ περιέτυχεν, ἔλαβεν ὅπερ ἔβλεπε καὶ πέπτωκεν ὅθεν οὐκ ἔβλεπε. κατέπιεν ὁ θάνατος ἀγνοῶν, καταπιὼν δὲ ἔγνω ὃν κατέπιε· κατέπιε ζωήν, κατεπόθη δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ζωῆς· κατέπιε τὸν ἕνα μετὰ πάντων, ἀπώλεσε δὲ διὰ τὸν ἕνα τοὺς πάντας· «ἥρπασεν ὡς λέων «, συνεθλάσθη δὲ τοὺς ὀδόντας. διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ θάνατος ἴσχυεν, ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ δὲ ἁμαρτίαν μὴ εὑρὼν ἀνενέργητος ἔμεινε. «ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον; ποῦ σου, Ἅιδη, τὸ νῖκος; « ἀνέστη Χριστὸς καὶ σὺ καταβέβλησαι· ἀνέστη Χριστὸς καὶ χαίρουσιν ἄγγελοι καὶ πεπτώκασι δαίμονες· ἀνέστη Χριστὸς καὶ φθορᾶς ἐλυτρώθημεν καὶ κατάρας ἐρρύσθημεν· ἀνέστη Χριστὸς καὶ ἡμεῖς συνανέστημεν καὶ ζωῆς ἠξιώθημεν. «Χριστὸς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστὰς ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἐγένετο «· αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν. 3