The following hymns from the Sunday Matins service are directly related to the Sixth Eothinon Resurrection Gospel (Luke 24:36-53) read before the Canon, which speaks of Jesus confirming His resurrection from the dead to His disciples, reminding them of His promises, and His ascension into heaven. 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 6
Revealing your human nature, O Savior, you partook of food after you rose from the tomb and standing in the midst preached repentance. Then you ascended immediately to your heavenly Father and promised to send the Comforter to your disciples. O most divine God-man, glory to your resurrection.
Theotokion
The creator of creation and God of all, O all‑holy Virgin has taken mortal flesh from your undefiled blood. He has renewed all corrupt nature, leaving it after his birth as it was before birth. Therefore, we all faithfully praise you crying: Rejoice, mistress of the world.
DOXASTIKON
Eothinon 6
Plagal of the Second Tone
You, O Christ, are indeed peace unto all people of God, and after your resurrection you gave your peace to your disciples, frightening them who thought they saw a spirit. But you calmed the tumult of their souls by showing them your hands and feet. Yet they still disbelieved. But you opened their minds to the understanding of the Scriptures. You shared food with them and reminded them of your teachings. Then, having assured them of the promise of the Father and having blessed them you ascended to heaven. Therefore, with them we worship you, O Lord, glory to you.
Greek
ΕΞΑΠΟΣΤΕΙΛΑΡΙΟΝ ΣΤ’
Δεικνύων ότι άνθρωπος, Σώτερ εί κατ’ ουσίαν, εν μέσω στάς εδίδασκες, αναστάς εκ τού τάφου, καί βρώσεως συμμετέσχες, βάπτισμα μετανοίας, ευθύς δέ πρός ουράνιον, ανελήφθης Πατέρα, καί Μαθηταίς, πέμπειν τόν Παράκλητον επηγγείλω, Υπέρθεε Θεάνθρωπε, δόξα τή σή Εγέρσει.
Θεοτοκίον
Ο Ποιητής τής κτίσεως καί Θεός τών απάντων, σάρκα βροτείαν έλαβεν, εξ αχράντων αιμάτων, σού παναγία Παρθένε καί γάρ φθαρείσαν πάσαν, τήν φύσιν εκαινούργησε, πάλιν ώς πρό τού τόκου, καταλιπών, μετά τόκον, όθεν πιστώς σε πάντες, ανευφημούμεν κράζοντες, Χαίρε Δέσποινα κόσμου.
ΔΟΞΑΣΤΙΚΟΝ
Εωθινό ΣΤ’
Ήχος πλ. β’
Η όντως ειρήνη σύ Χριστέ, πρός ανθρώπους Θεού, ειρήνην τήν σήν διδούς, μετά τήν Έγερσιν Μαθηταίς, εμφόβους έδειξας αυτούς, δόξαντας πνεύμα οράν, αλλά κατέστειλας τόν τάραχον αυτών τής ψυχής, δείξας τάς χείρας καί τούς πόδας σου, πλήν απιστούντων έτι, τή τής τροφής μεταλήψει, καί διδαχών αναμνήσει, διήνοιξας αυτών τόν νούν, τού συνιέναι τάς Γραφάς, οίς καί τήν Πατρικήν επαγγελίαν καθυποσχόμενος, καί ευλογήσας αυτούς, διέστης πρός ουρανόν. Δίο σύν αυτοίς προσκυνούμέν σε, Κύριε δόξα σοι.
