Hymn 8 from the Canon of Holy Saturday
Hymn 8 from the Canon of Holy Saturday
Be amazed, O heavens! Be shaken, O foundations of the earth! Be hold, He that dwells in the highest is numbered among the dead and sheltered in a lowly tomb. Bless Him, O youths! Praise Him, O priests! O people, exalt Him above all forever!
What new wonders! What great goodness! What ineffable forbearance! For He Who dwells in the highest is willingly sealed beneath the earth, and God is slandered as a deceiver. Bless Him, O youths! Praise Him, O priests! O people, exalt Him above all forever!
Photo by Albert Truuväärt
On Great Saturday the Church contemplates the mystery of the Lord's descent into Hades, the place of the dead. Death, our ultimate enemy, is defeated from within. "He (Christ) gave Himself as a ransom to death in which we were held captive, sold under sin. Descending into Hades through the Cross ... He loosed the bonds of death" (Liturgy of St. Basil).
Recording of the premiere performance from the concert by the Orthodox Singers ensemble under the direction of Valery Petrov. In the Tallinn's St. Nicholas Church on April 19.