Antipascha: 2nd Sunday of Pascha

Saints commemorated

Ven. John of Ancient Caves in Palestine

John was a monk of the Old Lavra — the ancient cave-monastery of St Chariton in the wilderness of Judea near Jerusalem, called "the Ancient Caves" (Palaia Lavra) — who lived in the eighth century and shone in the ascetic life. A confessor of the holy icons in the age of iconoclasm, he is honoured for his labours of prayer, fasting and struggle in the desert, and reposed in peace. His memory is kept on April 19.
Our Holy Father Agathangelos (1819)
Paphnutius the Hieromartyr

Paphnutius was a bishop (by tradition, of Jerusalem) and martyr who suffered in one of the persecutions of the early Church — most likely the Great Persecution of Diocletian — and was put to death by crucifixion. The synaxaria relate that many were converted through his confession and drawn to Christ by his steadfastness, and that after long torments he was nailed to a tree or cross. He is honoured as a hieromartyr on April 19.
Thomas the Apostle

Thomas the Apostle, called Didymus, "the Twin," is the apostle of the great doubt and the greater confession: absent when the risen Lord first appeared to the Twelve, he refused to believe without touching the wounds, and eight days later, invited to do so, uttered the highest confession of Christ in all the Gospels — "My Lord and my God." The tradition of the Church sends him east after Pentecost, to Parthia and India, where he preached, founded churches, and was slain with spears at Mylapore about the year 72; the Christians of the Malabar coast bear his name — "St Thomas Christians" — to this day. His chief feast is October 6, he is commemorated with his brethren on June 30, and the whole Church relives his doubt and confession each year on Thomas Sunday, the first Sunday after Pascha.

British Isles and Ireland

Hieromartyr Alphege, 29th archbishop of Canterbury (1012)

Troparia & kontakia

Apolytikion — Tone 3 (Greek use)

O holy Apostle Thomas, intercede with the merciful God, that He grant unto our souls the forgiveness of offences.

Kontakion — Tone 4

Filled full of divine grace, the Apostle of Christ and His true servant cried out in repentance: Thou art my God and Lord.

Magnification

We magnify thee, O Thomas, Apostle of Christ, and we honour the pains and labours whereby thou didst labour in the good tidings of Christ.

Stichera

By thy faithful unbelief thou didst confirm the faithful, beginning to speak as God of Him who is God and Lord of all creation, who for our sake on earth put on flesh, and endured the Cross and death, and the piercing of the nails, and the opening of His side by the lance, whence we draw life. Thomas the wonderful opened the fountain of doctrines to the godly minded, O Master; for feeling Thy side he was fittingly initiated into the twofold energy of the two natures, and cried: Thou art my God and Master, Thou the Lord of glory, who for my sake becamest flesh.

Troparion — Tone 8 (common of an ascetic)

By a flood of tears thou didst make the barren desert fruitful, and by thy sighs from the depths thou didst bear fruit a hundredfold in labours; and thou becamest a beacon, shining upon the world by thy miracles, O John our father: intercede with Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a hieromartyr)

Having shared in the ways of the apostles and sat upon their thrones, thou didst find the path to divine contemplation, O inspired Paphnutius; and, contending for the faith even unto blood, thou didst enter into the joy of thy Lord. Entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Troparion — Tone 2

Thou wast a disciple of Christ and a member of the divine apostolic company; having through thine unbelief given proof of Christ's Resurrection, and verified His most pure Passion by thy touch, O all-praised Thomas, entreat now also for us peace and great mercy.

Readings

1st Matins Gospel

Matthew 28.16-20

¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. ¹⁷And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. ¹⁸And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. ¹⁹Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Epistle

Acts 5.12-20

¹²And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. ¹³And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. ¹⁴And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) ¹⁵Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. ¹⁶There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. ¹⁷Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, ¹⁸And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. ¹⁹But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, ²⁰Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

Gospel

John 20.19-31

¹⁹Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. ²⁰And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. ²¹Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. ²²And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: ²³Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. ²⁴But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. ²⁶And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. ²⁷Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. ²⁸And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. ²⁹Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. ³⁰And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: ³¹But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.