The following hymns from the Sunday Matins service are directly related to the First Eothinon Resurrection Gospel (Matthew 28:16-20) read before the Canon, which speaks of the Great Commission of our Lord to the eleven disciples. There are eleven eothina all together, and each Sunday is successively dedicated to one of them, then the cycle starts again. Each of the eleven eothina symbolizes one of the eleven disciples to whom the Lord appeared following His Resurrection.
The first of these series of hymns are the Exaposteilarion with its related Theotokion chanted after the Ninth Ode of the Canon. The word "exaposteilarion" comes from the Greek verb exapostello, which means "to send forth", referring to the sending forth of the apostles to proclaim the gospel throughout the world. In ancient times a chanter was sent out from the choir into the center of the church to chant this hymn to indicate the sending forth of the apostles. The author of the eleven exaposteilaria for each Sunday eothinon was the Roman Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos (r. 913-959).
Following the Praises (Ainoi) of Matins is the Doxastikon. The word "doxastikon" comes from the Greek word doxa, which means "glory" or "glorification", referring to the fact that preceding the hymn the verse "Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" is chanted. Each doxastikon on Sunday is directly related to one of the eleven Sunday eothina read earlier in the service. The eleven doxastika of Sunday Matins were all composed by the Roman Emperor Leo VI the Wise (r. 886-912).
English
EXAPOSTEILARION 1
Let us go up with the disciples into a mountain of Galilee to behold with faith Christ as he proclaims his power over things above and below. Let us learn how he teaches us to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and how we may be initiated in his mysteries as he promised, until the end of the world.
Theotokion
You, O Virgin Theotokos, have rejoiced with the disciples at seeing Christ risen on the third day from the tomb as he said. And he has appeared to them teaching and disclosing the better things, commanding them to baptize in the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, that we may believe in his rising and glorify you, O Maiden.
DOXASTIKON
Eothinon 1
1st Tone
When the disciples had gone up onto the mountain for his ascension from earth, the Lord stood by and they worshiped him. And, having been instructed in the universal power which was given to them, they were sent to the ends of the earth to proclaim the resurrection from the dead and his return to heaven. He, Christ, God and Savior of our souls, also promised them to be with them forever.
Greek
ΕΞΑΠΟΣΤΕΙΛΑΡΙΟΝ Α’
Τοίς Μαθηταίς συνέλθωμεν, εν όρει Γαλιλαίας, πίστει Χριστόν θεάσασθαι, λέγοντα εξουσίαν, λαβείν τών άνω καί κάτω, μάθωμεν πώς διδάσκει, βαπτίζειν εις τό όνομα τού Πατρός, έθνη πάντα, καί τού Υιού, καί αγίου Πνεύματος, καί συνείναι, τοίς Μύσταις ώς υπέσχετο, έως τής συντελείας.
Θεοτοκίον
Τοίς Μαθηταίς συνέχαιρες, Θεοτόκε Παρθένε, ότι Χριστόν εώρακας, αναστάντα εκ τάφου, τριήμερον καθώς είπεν, οίς καί ώφθη διδάσκων, καί φανερών τά κρείττονα, καί βαπτίζειν κελεύων εν τώ Πατρί, καί Υιώ καί αγίω Πνεύματι, τού πιστεύειν, αυτού ημάς τήν έγερσιν, καί δοξάζειν σε Κόρη.
ΔΟΞΑΣΤΙΚΟΝ
Εωθινό Α’
Ήχος α’
Εις τό όρος τοίς Μαθηταίς επειροοομένοις, διά τήν χαμόθεν έπαρσιν, επέστη ο Κύριος, καί προσκυνήσαντες αυτόν καί τήν δοθείσαν εξουσίαν, πανταχού διδαχθέντες, εις τήν υπ’ ουρανόν εξαπεστέλλοντο, κηρύξαι τήν εκ νεκρών Ανάστασιν , καί τήν εις Ουρανούς αποκατάστασιν, οίς καί συνδιαιωνίζειν, ο αψευδής επηγγείλατο, Χριστός ο Θεός, καί Σωτήρ τών ψυχών ημών.
