6th Sunday of the Resurrection

FIFTH SUNDAY OF RESURRECTION OF RESURRECTION Safro

INTRODUCTION

DOXOLOGY

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as we begin and until we conclude.
May mercy and compassion be poured forth upon us
in this world and the next.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever. Amen.

OPENING PRAYER
O Lord,
on this morning you came out of the darkness of the night and the sleep of death
to enter into glory and new life;
grant that we may come out of the darkness of our night and the death of our sins
and enter the light of your morning and the life of you mercy.
Each day may we work with the laborers of the first hour of the day and accomplish your will.
Thus, one day we shall be worthy to leave this life for a resurrection and a glory like yours,
and we shall praise you, for ever. Amen.

GREETING
Peace be with the Church and her children.

PRAISE OF THE ANGELS

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth and good will to all.

Praise the Lord all you nations,
glorify him all you peoples!

For steadfast is his mercy towards us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
and peace on earth and good will to all.

PSALMODY
FIRST PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
O Lord,
enlighten our eyes with the light of the morning of your resurrection,
so that we may have the undoubting faith of the holy women and apostles.
May we have full confidence in you,
and be worthy to obtain from you the joy you grant to those who have believed without having seen.
We shall praise and glorify you, for ever. Amen.

PSALM OF THE DAY
Antiphon:
God arises; his enemies are scattered, and those who hate him flee before him.

Psalm 68: 2-10
God arises; his enemies are scattered
and those who hate him flee before him.

As smoke is driven away, so are they driven;
as wax melts before the fire,
so the wicked perish before God.

But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.

Sing to God, chant praise to his name,
extol him who rides upon the clouds,

Whose name is the Lord;
exult before him.

The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.

God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity;
only rebels remain in the parched land.

O God, when you went forth at the head of your people,

when you marched through the wilderness,
The earth quaked; it rained from heaven at the presence of God, at the presence of God, the God of Israel, the One of Sinai.

A bountiful rain you showered down,
O God, upon your inheritance;
you restored the land when it languished;

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Antiphon:
God arises; his enemies are scattered, and those who hate him flee before him.

SECOND PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
O Lord,
you did not make the light of your resurrection shine for the clever,
but showed it to the women and apostles.
On this morning of your resurrection grant that we may be enlightened by your light which revealed your hidden mysteries to the simple.
May we believe in your resurrection with the faith of the apostles.
By our lives may we bear witness as they did,
and so be worthy to share the joys of the resurrection, and praise you, for ever. Amen.

NUHRO (HYMN OF LIGHT)
The Light of the just and joy of the upright is Christ Jesus, our Lord, Begotten of the Father, he manifested himself to us.
He came to rescue us from darkness and to fill us with the radiance of his light.

Day is dawning upon us; the power of darkness is fading away.
From the true Light there arises for us the light which illumines our darkened eyes.

His glory shines upon the world and enlightens the very depths of the abyss.
Death is annihilated, night has vanished, and the gates of Sheol are broken.

Creatures lying in darkness from ancient times are clothed in light.
The dead arise from the dust and sing because they have a Savior.

He brings salvation and grants us life.
He ascends to his Father on high.
He will return in glorious splendor and shed his light on those gazing upon him.

Our King comes in majestic glory,
Let us light our lamps and go forth to meet him.
Let us find our joy in him, for he has found joy in us.
He will indeed rejoice us with his marvelous light.

Let us glorify the majesty of the Son and give thanks to the almighty Father, who,
in an outpouring of love, sent him to us, to fill us with hope and salvation.

When he manifests himself, the saints awaiting him in weariness and sorrow,
will go forth to meet him with lighted lamps.
The angels and guardians of heaven will rejoice in the glory of the just and upright people of the earth; together, crowned with victory, they will sing hymns and psalms.
Stand up then and be ready!
Give thanks to our King and Savior, who will come in great glory to gladden us with his marvelous light in his kingdom.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

THIRD PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Son of justice
you enlightened us by your coming to earth.
On this blessed morning, grant that our eyes may be
opened to the rays of your light,
as we open them to the light of day.
May you shed faith upon them, spread hope within them, and enkindle in them your love,
and we shall praise you,
now and for ever. Amen.

MORNING PSALMS
Psalm 148
Alleluia.

Praise the LORD from the heavens,
praise him in the heights;

Praise him, all you his angels,
praise him, all you his hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created;

He established them forever and ever;
he gave them a duty which shall not pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth;
you see monsters and all depths;

Fire and hail, snow and mist,
storm winds that fulfill his word;

You mountains and all you hills,
you fruit trees and all you cedars;

You wild beasts and all tame animals,
you creeping things and you winged fowl.

Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,

Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys,

Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;

His majesty is above earth and heaven,
and he has lifted up the horn of his people.

Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.

Alleluia.

Psalm 149: 1-6
Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.

For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.

Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;

Let the high praises of God be in their throats.

Alleluia.

Psalm 150
Alleluia.

Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.

Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.

Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp.

Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.

Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.

Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD!

Alleluia.

Psalm 117

Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!

For steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Alleluia.

HOOSOYO
PROEMION
Praise, glory and honor to God who by his Word, created us from nothing
by his Son redeemed us from sin
and by his only begotten One raised us from death.
To the Good One is due glory and honor this evening,
and all the days of our lives,
now and for ever. Amen.

SEDRO
O Word,
all things were done by you and in you was life;
when we had lost God’s life through sin,
you gave it back to us by your death
and granted that we become children of God.
It is you who first reassumed life,
you who always possessed it within yourself.
You gave it to mankind who had always found life in you, who are the life and the source of life.
You were willing that they might take it from you on the cross in order to restore it and give it again more abundantly.
You were raised in the light of glory and became the first fruits of the dead
and planted in us the seed of eternal life and the hope of glorious resurrection.
O Christ,
grant that we may live all our lives in the light of your resurrection.
May we know through it our path and our goal,
for you are the path of the goal.
Then we who are of you and for you
shall share a like resurrection and enter into the light of your glory where we shall praise you, with your Father, and your Holy Spirit, for ever. Amen.

QOLO
Peace to you, children of Adam, the Father accepts you and is reconciled to you.

Praise the living One, the Son of the Father, who in order to save us willed to be one of us.

Glory be to you, O Lord; glory be to you, who rose from the dead and who lives for ever.

ETRO
O Lord,
receive the perfume of our incense (prayers) as you accepted Thomas’ faith.
Through it we beg for your peace, the sign and effect of true faith.
May we reach you, glorify and praise you, for ever. Amen.

READINGS
MAZMOORO
Peace to you who are afar, hope to you who are near. Christ has risen from the tomb and has gathered together those who have strayed.

Our Savior said: “I give you my peace, I leave you my peace; in it all wealth shall be yours.”

The Church rejoices in the peace of the Lord and proclaims: “Blessed is the Lord who has risen from the dead and gives us peace.”

SCRIPTURE READINGS
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 21:15-40
After these days we made preparations for our journey, then went up to Jerusalem.
Some of the disciples from Caesarea came along to lead us to the house of Mnason, a Cypriot, a disciple of long standing, with whom we were to stay. When we reached Jerusalem the brothers welcomed us warmly. The next day, Paul accompanied us on a visit to James, and all the presbyters were present. He greeted them, then proceeded to tell them in detail what God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry.
They praised God when they heard it but said to him, “Brother, you see how many thousands of believers there are from among the Jews, and they are all zealous observers of the law. They have been informed that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to abandon Moses and that you are telling them not to circumcise their children or to observe their customary practices. What is to be done? They will surely hear that you have arrived. So do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow. Take these men and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses that they may have their heads shaved. In this way everyone will know that there is nothing to the reports they have been given about you but that you yourself live in observance of the law. As for the Gentiles who have come to believe, we sent them our decision that they abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage.” So Paul took the men, and on the next day after purifying himself together with them entered the temple to give notice of the day when the purification would be completed and the offering made for each of them.

When the seven days were nearly completed, the Jews from the province of Asia noticed him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and laid hands on him, shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us. This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place, and what is more, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this sacred place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him and supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. The whole city was in turmoil with people rushing together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the gates were closed. While they were trying to kill him, a report reached the cohort commander that all Jerusalem was rioting. He immediately took soldiers and centurions and charged down on them. When they saw the commander and the soldiers they stopped beating Paul. The cohort commander came forward, arrested him, and ordered him to be secured with two chains; he tried to find out who he might be and what he had done. Some in the mob shouted one thing, others something else; so, since he was unable to ascertain the truth because of the uproar, he ordered Paul to be brought into the compound. When he reached the steps, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob, for a crowd of people followed and shouted, “Away with him!” Just as Paul was about to be taken into the compound, he said to the cohort commander, “May I say something to you?” He replied, “Do you speak Greek? So then you are not the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led the four thousand assassins into the desert?” Paul answered, “I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; I request you to permit me to speak to the people.” When he had given his permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people; and when all was quiet he addressed them in Hebrew.
A Reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians
1 Corinthians 8: 1-13
Now in regard to meat sacrificed to idols: we realize that “all of us have knowledge”; knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him. So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols: we know that “there is no idol in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.” Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth there are, to be sure, many “gods” and many “lords”, yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things are and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and through whom we exist.

But not all have this knowledge. There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols, their conscience, which is weak, is defiled. Now food will not bring us closer to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, nor are we better off if we do. But make sure that this liberty of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak. If someone sees you, with your knowledge, reclining at table in the temple of an idol, may not his conscience too, weak as it is, be “built up” to eat the meat sacrificed to idols? Thus through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction, the brother for whom Christ died. When you sin in this way against your brothers and wound their consciences, weak as they are, you are sinning against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause my brother to sin.

HOOTOMO
GREAT DOXOLOGY

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and joy filled hope to all.
We praise you, we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord and Creator, King of heaven, God the Father almighty, Lord God, only Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son and Word of the Father,
you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sin of the world, hear us and receive our prayer.
You are seated in glory at the right hand of your Father, forgive us and have mercy on us;
For you alone are holy,
you alone are the Lord, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
At all times, and all the days of our lives, we worship you and praise your holy and blessed name,
which is and has been from age to age.
Blessed are you, Lord almighty, God of our fathers.
May your name be glorified, praised and exalted for ever.
To you be glory, praise and exaltation, God of all,
Father of truth, with the only Son and the living and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God,
you are before all ages and exist from age to age;
you are resplendent and glorified in unsearchable light; through your word, you bring forth light and give us a new day.
O radiant Day and source of all light,
we glorify you, adore you and offer you praise night and day; accept our praise and answer our prayer.
Send us your abundant blessings, through the mercy of your Christ.
To him, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be glory, honor and power,
now and for ever. Amen.