Ιερά Μονή Θεοβαδίστου Όρους Σινά, Αγίας Αικατερίνης. ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ. Holy Pascha

Holy Pascha
. . . ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ἀντάλλαγμα τῷ θανάτῳ, ἐν ᾧ κατειχόμεθα, πεπραμένοι ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν· καὶ κατελθὼν διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, ἵνα πληρώσῃ ἑαυτοῦ τὰ πάντα, ἔλυσε τὰς ὀδύνας τοῦ θανάτου· καὶ ἀναστὰς τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ ὁδοποιήσας πάσῃ σαρκὶ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν, καθότι οὐκ ἦν δυνατὸν κρατεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς φθορᾶς τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῆς ζωῆς, ἐγένετο ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα ᾖ αὐτὸς τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι πρωτεύων . . .

. . . he gave himself a ransom to death, wherein we were held, sold under sin; and descending through the Cross into Hades, that he might fill all things with himself, he loosed the pains of death; and rising again the third day, and making for all flesh a way to the resurrection from the dead (because it was not possible that the author of life should be holden of corruption), he became the first-fruits of those that have fallen asleep, the first-born from the dead, that he might be in all things first among all . . .

(from the Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great)