Greek Orthodox Good Friday - I Zoi en Tafo

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - Oak Lawn, IL
Good Friday Lamentations, 1st Stasis - April 18, 2014
English Translation:
In a grave they laid Thee,
O my life and my Christ,
And the armies of the Angels were sore amazed
As they sand the praise of Thy submissive love.
Verse: Thou hast enjoined Thy commmandments, that we should keep them most diligently.
O my dear Christ Jesus,
King and Ruler of all,
Why to them that dwelt in Hades didst Thou descend?
Was it not to set the race of mortals free?
Verse:I will confess Thee with uprightness of heart, when I have learned
judgements of Thy righteousness.
In a grave they laid Thee,
O my Life and my Christ,
Yet the Lord of death has Thou by Thy
death destroyed;
And the world of Thee doth drink rich streams of life.
Verse: In my heart have I hid Thy sayings that I might not sin against
Thee.
O my sweet Lord Jesus,
My salvation, my light,
How art thou now by a grave and its darkness hid
How unspeakable the mystery of Thy love.
Verse: Make me to understand the way of Thy statutes, and I will ponder
on Thy wondrous works.
Thou, O Christ was buried
In a tomb newly made,
Thus renewing the whole nature of mortal men
By arising from the dead as God in truth.
Verse: Before I was humbled, I trangressed therefore Thy saying have I
kept.
"Who eill give me water
For the tears I must weep?"
So the Maiden wed to God cried with loud lament,
"That for my sweel Jesus I may rightly mourn."
Verse: Thou art good, O Lord and in Thy goodness teach me Thy statutes.
Savior, Thou wast hidden
'Neath the earth like the sun,
And was covered as with shrouds by the right od death.
But more radiantly do Thou arise, O Lord.

[@StNicholasOakLawn]

watch as the church starts to light up with candles...very beautiful