Eastern Rite ~ Feasts of 11 April AM 7534

Today is Bright Saturday and the Feast of the Holy Hieromartyr Antipas, Bishop of Pergamos in Asia and Disciple of Saint John the Theologian.

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The Artos, which was blessed after the Liturgy of Pascha, is cut and distributed after Liturgy on Bright Saturday.

The cutting and distribution of the Artos takes place after the Liturgy on Bright Saturday. In monasteries the cutting and distribution of the Artos is done in the trapeza.

The cutting of the Artos is done in this way: After the Divine Liturgy, the Artos is brought into the trapeza, as is customary, and "Christ is risen" is sung three times, with bows. After the "Our Father" has been said, and after the food has been blessed as usual, the Deacon says: "Let us pray to the Lord," and the brethren reply: "Lord, have mercy."

Then the Priest says the following prayer over the Artos:

O Lord Jesus Christ our God, the Angelic Bread, the Bread of eternal life Who came down from Heaven and nourished us on these most radiant days with the spiritual food of Your divine benefits for the sake of Your saving Resurrection on the third day, so now we humbly entreat You: "Look down upon our prayers and thanksgivings, and as You blessed the five loaves in the wilderness, so now bless this bread, that all who partake of it may be granted bodily and spiritual blessings and health, through the grace and compassion of Your love for mankind. For You are our sanctification, and to You we send up glory, together with Your Unoriginate Father, Your All-holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

The People: Amen.

After cutting the Artos, as is customary, the Priest distributes it to everyone before the meal. He may also cut the Artos at the Liturgy after the Prayer before the Ambo, and distribute it to the faithful instead of the Antidoron. They should consume it right away. They may, however, bring some home for those who were not able to be in church.

Troparion — Tone 4

Christ is risen from the dead, / trampling down death by death, / and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!

Troparion — Tone 8

(Hypakoe)
Before the dawn Mary and the women came / and found the stone rolled away from the tomb. / They heard the angelic voice: “Why do you seek among the dead as a Man / the One Who is everlasting Light? / Behold the clothes in the grave; go and proclaim to the world: / ‘The Lord is risen; He has slain death, / as He is the Son of God, saving the race of man.’”

Kontakion — Tone 8

You descended into the tomb, O Immortal, / You destroyed the power of death. / In victory You arose, O Christ God, / proclaiming: “Rejoice!” to the Myrrhbearing Women, / granting peace to Your Apostles, and bestowing Resurrection on the fallen.

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The Hieromartyr Antipas, a disciple of the holy Apostle John the Theologian (September 26), was bishop of the Church of Pergamum during the reign of the emperor Nero (54-68).

During these times, everyone who would not offer sacrifice to the idols lived under the threat of either exile or execution by order of the emperor. On the island of Patmos (in the Aegean Sea) the holy Apostle John the Theologian was imprisoned, he to whom the Lord revealed the future judgment of the world and of the Holy Church.

“And to the angel of the Church of Pergamum write: The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you live, where the throne of Satan is, and you cleave unto My Name and have not renounced My faith, even in those days when Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells” (Rev 2:12-13).

By his personal example, firm faith and constant preaching about Christ, Saint Antipas began to turn the people of Pergamum from offering sacrifices to idols. The pagan priests reproached the bishop for leading the people away from their ancestral gods, and they demanded that he stop preaching about Christ and offer sacrifice to the idols instead.

Saint Antipas calmly answered that he was not about to serve the demons that fled from him, a mere mortal. He said he worshipped the Lord Almighty, and he would continue to worship the Creator of all, with His Only-Begotten Son, and the Holy Spirit. The pagan priests retorted that their gods existed from of old, whereas Christ was not from of old but was crucified under Pontius Pilate as a criminal. The saint replied that the pagan gods were the work of human hands and that everything said about them was filled with iniquities and vices. He steadfastly confessed his faith in the Son of God, incarnate of the Most Holy Virgin.

The enraged pagan priests dragged the Hieromartyr Antipas to the temple of Artemis and threw him into a red-hot copper bull, where usually they put the sacrifices to the idols. In the red-hot furnace, the martyr prayed loudly to God, imploring Him to receive his soul and to strengthen the faith of the Christians. He went to the Lord peacefully, as if he were going to sleep (+ ca. 68).

At night Christians took the body of the Hieromartyr Antipas, which was untouched by the fire. They buried him at Pergamum. The tomb of the hieromartyr became a font of miracles and of healings from various sicknesses.

We pray to the Hieromartyr Antipas for relief from toothache, and diseases of the teeth.

Troparion — Tone 4

By sharing in the ways of the Apostles, / you became a successor to their throne. / Through the practice of virtue, / you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God; / by teaching the word of truth without error, / you defended the Faith, even to the shedding of your blood. / Hieromartyr Antipas, entreat Christ God to save our souls.

Kontakion — Tone 2

Today with hymns and praises let us acclaim Antipas, / light of the world and famous hierarch, / champion of truth and teacher of Pergamum. / He intercedes with Christ our God that we may be saved.