The following hymns from the Sunday Matins service are directly related to the Eleventh Eothinon Resurrection Gospel (John 21:14-25) read before the Canon, which speaks of the restoration of the Apostle Peter. 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 11
After the divine resurrection, the Lord asked Peter thrice: Do you love me? and thus put him forward as shepherd of his flock. But when Peter saw that he whom Jesus loved was following, he asked the Master: Why is he here? And he said, If I wish that he should remain until I come again, what is this to you, beloved Peter?
Theotokion
O fearful mystery! O strange and glorious wonder! Through death is death utterly destroyed. Who then does not praise, who then does not venerate your resurrection, O Word, and the Theotokos who in purity has given birth to you in the flesh? By her intercessions, deliver us all from hell.
DOXASTIKON
Eothinon 11
Plagal of the Fourth Tone
Appearing after the resurrection to your disciples, O Savior, you gave Peter the tending of your sheep as recompense for his love, asking him to tend them with care. Therefore you said: If you love me, O Peter, feed my sheep, tend my lambs. He immediately displayed his affection and inquired about the other disciple. By their prayers, O Christ, preserve your flock from ravaging wolves.
Greek
ΕΞΑΠΟΣΤΕΙΛΑΡΙΟΝ ΙΑ’
Μετά τήν θείαν Έγερσιν, τρίς τώ Πέτρω, φιλείς με, πυθόμενος ο Κύριος τών ιδίων προβάτων, προβάλλεται ποιμενάρχην, ός ίδων όν ηγάπα, ο Ιησούς επόμενον, ήρετο τόν Δεσπότην, Ούτος δέ τί; Εάν θέλω, έφησε, μένειν τούτον, έως καί πάλιν έρχομαι, τί πρός σέ φίλε Πέτρε;
Θεοτοκίον
Ω φοβερόν μυστήριον ώ παράδοξον θαύμα! διά θανάτου θάνατος, παντελώς ηφανίσθη, τίς ούν μή ανυμνήσει σου, καί τίς μή προσκυνήσει σου, τήν Ανάστασιν Λόγε, καί τήν αγνώς, εν σαρκί τεκούσάν σε Θεοτόκον. Ής ταίς πρεσβείαις άπαντας, λύτρωσαι τής γεέννης.
ΔΟΞΑΣΤΙΚΟΝ
Εωθινό ΙΑ’
Ήχος πλ. δ΄
Φανερών εαυτόν, τοίς Μαθηταίς σου Σωτήρ μετά τήν Ανάστασιν, Σίμωνι δέδωκας τήν τών προβάτων νομήν, εις αγάπης αντέκτισιν, τήν τού ποιμένειν φροντίδα αιτών. Διό καί έλεγε, Ει φιλείς με Πέτρε, ποίμαινε τά αρνία μου, ποίμαινε τά πρόβατά μου. ο δέ ευθέως ενδεικνύμενος τό φιλόστοργον, περί τού άλλου Μαθητού επυνθάνετο. Ών ταίς πρεσβείαις Χριστέ, τήν ποίμνην σου διαφύλαττε, εκ λύκων λυμαινομένων αυτήν.
