The senior priest, being fully-vested, standing before the holy table, makes three metanias, saying nothing. He then takes the lighted Paschal candle in his right hand. The clergy within the sanctuary are given candles and they come to the senior priest and light them from the Paschal candle.
The curtains and holy doors are now opened, and the senior priest exits the sanctuary through the holy doors and stands on the solea, as he slowly chants:
Tone 5.
Priest : Come ye, take light from the Light, that is never overtaken by night. Come, glorify the Christ, risen from the dead.
The Lighting of the Candles
He chants this as many times as necessary, while the choir and then all the people come forward and light their candles from the Paschal candle.
After the Candles are Lighted - Procession Outside
The priest re-enters the sanctuary through the holy doors and, still holding the Paschal candle in his right hand, takes up the gospel book in his left arm while the choir chants the following resurrectional verse.
Tone 6.
Choir : Thy resurrection, O Christ our Saviour, the angels in heaven sing. Make us also who are on earth worthy to glorify thee with a pure heart.
The choir continues to chant this verse, while the clergy, all being fully-vested, exit the sanctuary through the holy doors, the senior priest carrying the Paschal candle and the gospel book.
A procession is made out of the church, led by the choir and chanters, followed by the servers with lanterns, processional cross, banners and fans, the junior priests, the deacon with the censer, the senior priest and all the faithful. When all have exited the darkened church, the doors of the church are closed.
The Gospel
The clergy, facing east, take their places at the table set before the main entrance of the church, as they would at the holy table, and the senior priest places the gospel book upon it. Then censing the gospel book, the deacon intones:
Deacon : And that we may be accounted worthy to hear the Holy Gospel, let us pray to the Lord our God. Choir : Lord, have mercy. (thrice) Deacon : Wisdom! Attend! Let us hear the Holy Gospel.
The priest blesses the people, saying: Priest : Peace be to all. Choir : And to thy spirit. Priest : The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark. Choir : Glory to thee, O Lord, glory to thee. Deacon : Let us attend!
The priest then chants the gospel of the second eothinon, facing the people. (Mark 16:1-8)
WHEN the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salo'me, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb at the rising of the sun. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a long white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." And they went out quickly and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.
Choir : Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.