Sixth Sunday of Pascha – Sunday of the Blind Man
Tone Five

Resurrectional Troparion, Tone 5.
O ye faithful, let us hymn and worship the Word, Who with the Father and the Spirit is without beginning, and Who was born of the Virgin for our salvation; for He was pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh, and to endure death, and to raise the dead at His glorious Resurrection.

Glory.

Kontakion of the Blind Man, Tone 4.
Being blinded in the eyes of my soul, I come to Thee, O Christ, as did the man who was blind from birth; and in repentance I cry unto Thee: Unto them that are in darkness art Thou the light most radiant.

Now and ever.

Kontakion of Pascha, Tone 8.
Though Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal One, yet didst Thou destroy the power of Hades, and didst arise as Victor, O Christ God, announcing joy to the myrrh-bearing women, and giving peace to Thine Apostles, O Thou Who dost grant resurrection to the fallen.

Prokimenon, Tone 8.
Psalm 75:12, 2.
Vow ye: and pay to the Lord your God.
Verse: In Judæa God is known: His name is great in Israel.

The Lesson of the Acts of the Holy Apostles.
Acts §38 (16:16-34).
In those days, as the Apostles went to prayer, a certain girl, having a pythonical spirit, met us, who brought to her masters much gain by divining. This same following Paul and us, cried out, saying: These men are the servants of the most high God, who preach unto you the way of salvation. And this she did many days. But Paul being grieved, turned, and said to the spirit: I command thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to go out from her. And he went out the same hour. But her masters, seeing that the hope of their gain was gone, apprehending Paul and Silas, brought them into the marketplace to the rulers. And presenting them to the magistrates, they said: These men disturb our city, being Jews; And preach a fashion which it is not lawful for us to receive nor observe, being Romans. And the people ran together against them; and the magistrates rending off their clothes, commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the gaoler to keep them diligently. Who having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight, Paul and Silas praying, praised God. And they that were in prison, heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and the bands of all were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the doors of the prison open, drawing his sword, would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying: Do thyself no harm, for we all are here. Then calling for a light, he went in, and trembling, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. And bringing them out, he said: Masters, what must I do, that I may be saved? But they said: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. And he, taking them the same hour of the night, washed their stripes, and himself was baptized, and all his house immediately. And when he had brought them into his own house, he laid the table for them, and rejoiced with all his house, believing God.

Alleluia, Tone 8.
Psalm 118:132a, 133a.
Alleluia.
Verse 1: Look Thou upon me, and have mercy on me.
Alleluia.
Verse 2: Direct my steps according to Thy word.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

The Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to Saint John.
Saint John §34 (9:1-38).
At that time: Jesus passing by, saw a man, who was blind from his birth: and his disciples asked him: Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind? Jesus answered: Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of Him that sent Me, whilst it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When He had said these things, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and spread the clay on his eyes, and said to him: Go, wash in the pool of Siloe, which is interpreted, Sent. He went therefore, and washed, and he came seeing. The neighbours therefore, and they who had seen him before that he was a beggar, said: Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said: This is he. But others said: No, but he is like him. But he said: I am he. They said therefore to him: How were thine eyes opened? He answered: That man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said to me: Go to the pool of Siloe, and wash. And I went, I washed, and I see. And they said to him: Where is He? He saith: I know not. They bring him that had been blind to the Pharisees. Now it was the sabbath, when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Again therefore the Pharisees asked him, how he had received his sight. But he said to them: He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and I see. Some therefore of the Pharisees said: This man is not of God, who keepeth not the sabbath. But others said: How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say therefore to the blind man again: What sayest thou of Him that hath opened thine eyes? And he said: He is a prophet. The Jews then did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight, and asked them, saying: Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then doth he now see? His parents answered them, and said: We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: but how he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: ask himself: he is of age, let him speak for himself. These things his parents said, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had already agreed among themselves, that if any man should confess Him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore did his parents say: He is of age, ask himself. They therefore called the man again that had been blind, and said to him: Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner. He said therefore to them: If He be a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see. They said then to him: What did He to thee? How did He open thine eyes? He answered them: I have told you already, and you have heard: why would you hear it again? Will you also become His disciples? They reviled him therefore, and said: Be thou His disciple; but we are the disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses: but as to this man, we know not from whence He is. The man answered, and said to them: Why, herein is a wonderful thing, that you know not from whence He is, and He hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God doth not hear sinners: but if a man be a server of God, and doth his will, him he heareth. From the beginning of the world it hath not been heard, that any man hath opened the eyes of one born blind. Unless this man were of God, He could not do any thing. They answered, and said to him: Thou wast wholly born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out: and when He had found him, He said to him: Dost thou believe in the Son of God? He answered, and said: Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him? And Jesus said to him: Thou hast both seen Him; and it is He that talketh with thee. And he said: I believe, Lord. And falling down, he adored Him.

Zadostoinik.
Shine, shine, New Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord hath shown upon thee. Exult now, and make glad, O Sion; and thou, pure Mother of God, rejoice in the rising of thy Child.

Communion.
Receive the body of Christ, taste the font of immortality.
Psalm 148:1.
Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise ye Him in the high places. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.