Calls To Worship For The Sundays Of Easter

The following litanies of praise from the ancient Eastern churches can be used in the Entrance Rites for the Sundays of Easter. They can be said or sung before the Entrance hymn or afterward in place of the hymn of praise.

Easter Day Minister: Accept our praise, O holy Lord. People: For you have manifested the Resurrection to the world. Minister: Come, O people. Fall down before Christ and glorify his resurrection from the dead. People: He is our God who has delivered the world from the enemy. Minister: Let the heavens shout. Let the trumpets shake the foundations of the earth. People: Behold Christ who has nailed our sins to the cross and has destroyed death. Minister: Let us praise him who was crucified in the flesh for our sake. People: He suffered, was buried, and rose from the dead. Minister: We stand before your life-giving tomb and glorify your unspeakable tenderness of heart. People: O sinless one, you accepted the cross to give resurrection to us and to the world. Minister: Let us praise the Lord. People: Glory to thee, O life-giving Lord, the Savior of the world. Minister: We have been freed from suffering by your suffering, O Christ. We have been delivered from corruption by your resurrection, O Lord. People: The Lord is King. He is robed in majesty. Minister: Let creation rejoice, let the heavens be glad. Let the nations clap their hands. Alleluia! People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen. Second Sunday of Easter Minister: Come, Let us worship the Word of God. People: He is risen from the dead. Minister: Christ our Savior destroyed the dominion death. People: We fall down before his resurrection. Minister: Let us join the archangels who praise the Resurrection. People: He is our Savior, our Redeemer. Minister: The angel proclaimed "Come see the place where he lay. He is risen, as he said, for he is almighty." People: We worship you, O Christ, O giver of life. Minister: By his cross he destroyed the curse of the tree. People: By his burial he overcame death. Minister: By his rising he began the new creation. People: Glory to you, O Christ. Minister: When the guards of hell saw him they were afraid. For he demolished the gates and smashed the iron chains. People: He has led as from darkness and opened heaven to us. Minister: Come, let us worship in the house of the Lord. Let us sing the hymn of salvation. For the one who was crucified is risen from the dead. Alleluia! People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen. Third Sunday of Easter Minister: Come, let us worship Christ our Savior. By his resurrection, death has been shattered and the devil destroyed. People: We sing to you, we praise your holy name, O Christ. Minister: Come, let us worship Christ our Savior. By his resurrection we have been enlightened, and paradise has been opened again. People: All creation sings to you, all Creation praises your holy name, O Christ. Minister: Bow down before his precious cross. Glorify and praise his resurrection for by his wounds we have been healed. People: We praise the incarnate one, the one who was crucified for us, the one who rose on the third day. Minister: Praise Christ who descended into hell and cried, "I have shattered the gates of hell." People: We stand in your house, O Christ, and we cry from our depths offering you the song of our praise. Minister: Let the heavens rejoice! Let the earth be glad! For the Lord has trampled down death by death and has delivered us from the mouth of hell. Alleluia! People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen. Fourth Sunday of Easter Minister: We glorify your resurrection, O Christ, for by it you have renewed our corrupt nature and opened the way to heaven. People: Praise be to you, O Christ. Minister: Praise be to you. You were nailed to the tree. You descended to hell. You broke the bonds of death. People: We adore you, O resurrected one. Minister: You smashed the gates of hell. You demolished the kingdom of death. You delivered us from the jaws of death. People: Glory to you, all powerful one. Minister: Come, let us sing of the resurrection for by it we have been freed from the bonds of hell. By it, we have received new life! People: We hail you and praise your holy name. Minister: Angels sing of your resurrection, O Lord. By it, the ends of the earth have been illuminated. By it, we have been delivered from the hand of the enemy. People: O Lord, risen from the dead, glory to you! Minister: By your cross, O Lord, you have annulled the curse. By descending to hell you have freed the prisoners. By rising from the dead you have brought new life! Alleluia! People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen. Fifth Sunday of Easter Minister: We praise your cross, O Christ, for by taking it you put the devil to shame. We bless your resurrection from the dead, for by it you have blunted the sting of sin and saved us from death. People: Glory to you, only begotten one. Minister: O Christ, you were led as a sheep to the slaughter, the princes of hell were frightened and the gates of sorrow were lifted. People: O great wonder! Minister: O great wonder! The creator rose again. Come, let us worship him. Let us sing his praises. People: Glory be to you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Minister: We glorify you, O leader of our salvation, for by your resurrection the world was saved from deceit, the devil fell and fallen Adam arose. People: Angels and archangels sing glory to you, O Christ. Minister: O Lord, you have captured hell and trampled down death, you have overcome evil and saved as from the enemy! Alleluia! People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen. Sixth Sunday of Easter Minister: Come, let us worship the one who is victor over hell. He ascended on the cross so that we who sit in the shade of death might be raised with him! People: We worship and adore you, O Savior of the world. Minister: Today Christ tramples on death, he is risen, and he has granted joy to the world, so let us sing his praises. People: We will sing to the Lord. Minister: Through your cross we sing and praise you,O Christ. We sing and glorify your resurrection for you are God and you only do we praise. People: Sing praises, sing praises to the Lord. Minister: You endured the cross. You trampled down death by death. We bless you and sing of your resurrection! People: We bless you and sing of your resurrection. Minister: Glory to you, O Lord for you overthrew the prince of death and you gave us new and life. People: O Lord, glory to you. Minister: O Christ, because of your resurrection the angels sing and the archangels dance. Alleluia! People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen. Seventh Sunday of Easter Minister: Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, who destroyed the dominion of death! Let us sing to him, the Maker and Savior of all. People: He is the King, the Lord of all. Minister: Come, let us rejoice in the Lord. He endured the cross and burial and by his resurrection he began all things anew. People: Glory to you, O Christ. Minister: When the apostles saw the resurrection, they were amazed and sang his praise. People: He is the glory of the church. Minister: O Lord, you were smitten on the cheek. You were nailed to the cross. You were buried in the tomb and you rose again on the third day. People: Glory, to you Lord Jesus Christ. Minister: O Lord, when you were placed in the tomb the sight was terrifying, but when you rose from the dead, the sight was awesome! People: Glory to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and unto ages of ages. Minister: Glory to you triune God, let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad, let the mountains skip with joy. Alleluia! People: Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.