Invitation to the feast and Christ's victory over death
The preacher, having praised God for trampling death and granting eternal life, now turns directly to the congregation, inviting everyone to share in the Easter feast and proclaiming Christ's victory over Hades and death.
Let 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.
Greek
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 1 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· 72 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. 73 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.