Last night we held Holy Saturday matins service. The Resurrection themes are getting a bit louder.
"The angelic host was filled with awe,
when it saw Thee among the dead.
By destroying the power of death, O Savior,
Thou didst raise Adam,
and save all men from hell."
Resurrection Troparion
sung at Matins for Holy Saturday
Once again we process the Winding Sheet, but this time we go outside and around the Church building. As we enter the church again we go under the Shroud as a reminder that we are buried with Christ at our Baptism.
The old testament reading is from Ezekiel 37 and the dry bones. "Oh son of man, can these bones live?" I noted with interest that Jesus also refers to Himself as the Son of Man - especially when He speaks of His death and resurrection. The reading is done in the step method, which I think is a Russian tradition. The only way to describe it is that the reader begins at a very low tone and "steps" up the scale about a 1/2 note at a time. He did this scale twice and by the time he is reading "I am the Lord. I have spoken, and I will do it!" he's near the top of his range, singing out quite clearly. You can hear a pin drop. Very dramatic indeed.
This morning we have Saturday Vespers and Divine Liturgy and the Harrowing of Hell.
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