NINTH HOUR

If there is no Apolytikion or Kontakion given in the Menaion, then those for the ordinary days of the week are used.

Prayer of Saint Basil the Great

> - The Prokeimenon is followed at once by the prayer ‘Grant, Lord’ and the Litany is displaced until later.

Then the Apolytikion of the day. If there are two feasts, the first Apolytikion is said **before** Glory and the second after it.

> - Only six stichera are sung at ‘Lord, I have cried’. Normally 3 from the Paraklitiki and 3 from the Menaion. In this case it is the custom in many places to sing 2 from the first set in the Paraklitiki and 1 from the second. If the Saint of the day has a Doxastikon, then 6 Stichera are sung from the Menaion, the 3 appointed being doubled. In this case the Theotokion is the one from the Menaion.

**Theotokion.**

Vested in the Epitrachelion, the Priest, standing on the Solea, the Holy Doors and the curtain being closed, begins:

> - The Litany of Fervent Supplication, omitting the first two petitions, follows the Apolytikion and its Theotokion.

> Prokeimenon.

Then the Kontakion of the day. On Sunday the Ypakoï.

For the singing of the Stichera, it is usual for the chief singer in each choir to take the first Sticheron for their side. Normally the senior person on each side is then asked to sing the second and the third may be offered to a visiting priest or distinguished visitor or singer. Any remaining Stichera are then shared among the other people in each choir.

On Sundays and Feasts, the ‘Resurrection’ Theotokion of the Apolytikion is always sung in the Tone of the **immediately preceding** Apolytikion. This means that on Saturday evening the Theotokion may not be the one in the Tone of the week.

Blessed is our God, always, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

Then the Superior says this

> Sticheron.

> Theotokion

Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

> A hymn that precedes or follows a verse, in Greek *stichos*, from the Psalms. At ‘Lord, I have cried’ at Vespers and ‘Let everything that has breath’ at Lauds the *stichera* follow the Psalm verses; at the *Aposticha* they precede them. ****

Heavenly King, Paraclete, Spirit of truth, present everywhere, filling all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, cleanse us from every stain, and, O Good One, save our souls.

> *.* Most series of hymns end with one to the Mother of God, the Theotokos, and so a *Theotokion* commonly follows the second part of the short doxology, ‘Both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen’*,* and is normally sung in the same Tone as the preceding Doxastikon*.* On Saturday evening, however, the *Theotokion* at the Entrance is always that of the Tone of the week, regardless of the Tone of the Doxastikon. It is also sung again at Vespers sung on the following Friday. In Russian usage this *Theotokion* is called the *Dogmatic*, whereas in Greek the latter name is used for the corresponding *Theotokion* at Small Vespers. ****

Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (**x3**).

> The rules governing the celebration and for combining the different elements of the service. The book containing these rules. ****

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for your name’s sake. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen

Our Father, in heaven, may your name be hallowed; your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. ****

Amen. Lord, have mercy. **(x12)** Glory. Both now.

Come, let us worship and fall down before the King, our God.

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ the King, our God.

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ himself, the King, our God. ****

3 Metanias, then the Psalms.

Psalm 83

How beloved are your dwellings, O Lord of powers; my soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh rejoiced in the living God. For the sparrow has found itself a house, and the dove a nest for herself, where she may place her nestlings: your altars, O Lord of powers, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, they will praise you to ages of ages. Blessed the one whose help is from you; who has placed ascents in his heart, to the valley of weeping, to the place he has set. For the lawgiver will give blessings; they will go from strength to strength, the God of gods will appear in Sion. Lord God of powers hear my prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob. O God our shield see; and look on the face of your Christ. For one day in your courts is far better than thousands. I chose to be cast aside in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tents of sinners. Lord God of powers, blessed is the one who hopes in you. ****

Psalm 84

You were well pleased with your land, O Lord, you turned away the captivity of Jacob. You forgave your people their iniquities, you covered all their sins. You made all your anger cease, you turned away from the anger of your rage. Turn us back again, O God of our salvation, and turn away your rage from us. Would you be angry with us for ever? Or will you prolong your wrath from generation to generation? O God, when you have turned us back you will make us live, and your people will rejoice in you. Lord, show us your mercy, and grant us your salvation. I will hear what the Lord will say in me; for he will speak peace to his people, to his holy ones, to those who turn their hearts back to him. But his salvation is near those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met, righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth has dawned from the earth, and righteousness has leaned down from heaven. For the Lord will give goodness, and our earth will give its fruit. Righteousness will walk before him, and set his steps in the way. ****

Psalm 85

Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my soul, for I am holy; O my God, save your servant who hopes in you. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I shall cry to you all the day; give joy to the soul of your servant, for I have lifted up my soul to you. For you, O Lord, are good and gentle, and full of mercy to all who call on you. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplication. In the day of my trouble I called to you, for you have heard me. There is none like you among the gods, O Lord; none whose works are as yours. All the nations whom you made will come and bow down before you, O Lord, and glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Guide me, Lord, in your way, and I shall walk in your truth; make my heart glad to fear your name. I shall give you thanks, O Lord, my God, with my whole heart; and I shall glorify your name for ever. For your mercy is great towards me, and you have delivered my soul from the lowest Hell. O God, the lawless rose up against me, and an assembly of mighty ones sought my soul, and did not set you before them. And you, Lord, are pitying and merciful, long-suffering and full of mercy and true. Look on me and have mercy on me; give your might to your servant and save the son of your maidservant. Make with me a sign for good, and let those who hate me see it and be shamed; for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me. ****

Make with me a sign for good, and let those who hate me see it and be shamed; for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Spirit.

Both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Glory to you, O God. **(x3)** Lord, have mercy. **(x3)**

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Spirit.

O Good One, born of a Virgin for our sakes and who endured crucifixion, who despoiled death by death and as God revealed resurrection, do not despise those whom you fashioned with your own hand; show your love for mankind, O Merciful; accept the Mother of God who bore you, as she intercedes for us, and save, O Saviour, a people in despair.

For your holy name’s sake do not finally reject us, do not annul your covenant, do not take your mercy from us for the sake of Abraham, your beloved, and for the sake of Isaac, your servant, and Israel, your holy one.

Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for your name’s sake. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen

Our Father, in heaven, may your name be hallowed; your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. ****

Lord, have mercy.

At every time and at every hour, in heaven and on earth worshipped and glorified, Christ God, long-suffering, great in mercy, great in compassion, loving the just and merciful to sinners, calling all to salvation by the promise of the good things to come; do you, Lord, yourself accept our entreaties at this hour, and direct our lives to your commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, correct our thoughts, cleanse our ideas and deliver us from every distress, evil, and pain. Wall us about with your holy Angels, that protected and guided by their host we may reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of your unapproachable glory; for you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.

Lord, have mercy.

**(x3)** Glory. Both now. Greater in honour than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word, truly the Mother of God we magnify you. In the name of the Lord, bless, Father. ****

May God take pity on us and bless us, and show the light of his countenance on us and have mercy on us. ****

Master, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who have long endured our transgressions, and brought us to this hour in which, hanging on the life-giving tree, you showed the good Thief the way into Paradise and destroyed death by death, have mercy also on us sinners and your unworthy servants. For we have sinned and transgressed, and are not worthy to raise our eyes and look on the height of heaven, because we have abandoned the way of your justice and walked in the will of our hearts. But we implore your unbounded goodness: spare us, O Lord, according to the multitude of your mercy, and save us for your holy name’s sake, for our days have been wasted in vanity. Rescue us from the hand of our opponent, forgive us our sins, slay our carnal will, so that we, having put off the old man, may put on the new, and live for you, our Master and Benefactor; and that thus following your precepts we may reach eternal rest, where those who rejoice have their dwelling. For you are the true joy and gladness of those who love you, Christ our God, and to you we give glory, together with your Father who has no beginning, and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Glory to you, Christ God, our hope. Glory to you. ****

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Give the blessing. ****

May Christ our true God, at the prayers of his most pure and holy Mother; the intercessions of the holy, glorious and all-praised Apostles; of Saint **N. **; of Saint whose memory we keep today, and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for he is good and loves mankind.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us.

**VESPERS ON ORDINARY DAYS**

On ordinary weekdays Vespers is celebrated as follows:

> - The Priest reads the seven prayers **outside** the Sanctuary and remains there for the Litany of Peace. He should remain outside the Sanctuary for the whole service, except for the censing of the church.

> - He enters the Sanctuary at ‘Lord, I have cried’ for the censing of the Church. This is done as usual, but the Priest vests only in the Epitrachelion.

> - There is no Entrance, but immediately after the hymn ‘O Joyful Light’ the Priest announces ‘Prokeimenon of the evening’.

> - The verses for the Aposticha are the following:

From Sunday to Thursday

To you I lift up my eyes, to you who are enthroned in the heavens. As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master: or as the eyes of a maid toward the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God: until he show us his mercy. ****

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have our fill of derision; our soul has its fill. Mockery for those at ease: and derision for the proud. ****

God is wonderful in his Saints. ****

For the Saints in his land the Lord has done wonders. ****

Blessed are those whom you have chosen and taken; they will dwell in your courts.

The Dismissal is as follows:

On Sunday evening

May Christ our true God, at the prayers of his most pure and holy Mother; the protection of the honoured Bodiless Powers of heaven; the intercessions of the holy, glorious and all-praised Apostles; of Saint

**N.** ; and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for he is good and loves mankind. ****

May Christ our true God, at the prayers of his most pure and holy Mother; the intercessions of the honoured, glorious, prophet, forerunner and Baptist John; of the holy, glorious and all-praised Apostles; of Saint

**N**. ; and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for he is good and loves mankind. ****

On Tuesday and Thursday

May Christ our true God, at the prayers of his most pure and holy Mother; by the power of the precious and life-giving Cross; of the holy, glorious and all-praised Apostles; of Saint

**N.** ; and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for he is good and loves mankind. ****

On Wednesday

May Christ our true God, at the prayers of his most pure and holy Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised Apostles; of our Father among the Saints Nicolas of Myra in Lykia, the Wonderworker; of Saint

**N***.* ; and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for he is good and loves mankind. ****

May Christ our true God, at the prayers of his most pure and holy Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised Apostles; of the holy, glorious and triumphant Martyrs; of our venerable and Godbearing Fathers; of Saint

**N.** ; and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for he is good and loves mankind.**

NOTE ON THE DISMISSAL

According to the strict Typikon only Saints who are ‘feasted’, that is those who have at least one doxastikon at Vespers, should be mentioned in the Dismissal. It is **not** the moment to read out all the small print from the Synaxarion. There is much variety in the details of the Dismissal in the various books and traditions.

**GENERAL NOTE ON THE CELEBRATION OF VESPERS**

The liturgical books assume that the offices are sung by two choirs, that face each other across the church. Choir A, the right-hand choir, stands on the north side of the church and Choir B, the left -hand choir, on the south. Choir A is that of chief singer, or *Protopsaltes*, and Choir B that of the second singer, or *Lampadarios*. Choir A normally takes the lead. The letters ** ** and ** ** at ‘Lord, I have cried’ indicate this. This means that Choir A sings ‘Glory’ and the first Doxastikon and Choir B ‘Both now’ and the first Theotokion. If there is no special Doxastikon, as will frequently be the case on Saturday evening, Choir A sings ‘Glory’, Choir B ‘Both now’ and Choir A the actual Doxastikon/Theotokion.

At the Aposticha, Choir **B** sings the Doxastikon. This means that on Saturday evening Choir **B** should start the Aposticha, since there are 4 stichera. On Weekdays there are only 3, and so Choir **A** starts the Aposticha. In this way each Choir sings one of the two Doxastika.

In some monasteries the ‘leading’ choir changes at Vespers each Saturday, the cycle beginning at the Matins of Pascha.

The Apolytikia are should be sung in the same way by the two Choirs.

In the monasteries of the Holy Mountain it is customary for the following dialogue to be added at the end of the Dismissal, before the final ‘Through the prayers…’:

Accept, Lord, the supplication of us sinners, and have mercy on us. ****

May your mercy, Lord, be upon us, as we have put our in hope. ****

Eternal your memory, blessed and ever remembered Founders. ****

Eternal your memory.

The Ninth Hour ends one liturgical day and Vespers begins the next. They are therefore normally celebrated together.

On days when Little Vespers is to be celebrated, the Ninth Hour is read immediately before it.

The Ninth Hour should be read in the Narthex, or Liti, if the church has one. If not, it is read in the church, with the Holy Doors and the curtain closed.

> Anixantaria.

> On major feasts, and especially at All-night Vigils, the closing verses of the Opening Psalm are often sung to a solemn and protracted melody. The verses are ‘farced’ with short hymns of praise, such as ‘Glory to you, Holy One. Glory to you, Lord. Glory to you, heavenly King. Glory to you, O God. Alleluia’. The singers take up the Psalm from the verse that begins ‘When you open’, in Greek *Anixantos sou*, hence the name *Anixantaria.* ****

> Apolytikion.

> The hymn that precedes the Dismissal (Greek *Apolysis*)*.* It is the characteristic hymn of the day or the feast, and is often referred to simply as ‘the Troparion of the Day’. It is used at all the offices and at the Liturgy. ****

> Aposticha.

> The series of hymns and alternating Psalm verses which are sung towards the end of Vespers and daily Matins. In Greek *stichos* means ‘verse’. ****

> Artoklasia.

> The ceremony of the Blessing of Loaves, or Breaking (Greek *klasis*) of Bread (Greek *artos*), that takes place before the *Apolytikion* at Vespers when there is a Vigil. In many parishes it is nowadays celebrated on important feasts even when there is no Vigil, at Vespers or Matins or even after the Liturgy. The ceremony for such occasions will be found in the bilingual edition of the Divine Liturgy published by the Archdiocese of Thyateira. ****

> Canonarch.

> The monk whose task it is to see that the sin*g*ers sing the correct texts in the correct Tone. He also reads the verses of the Prokeimenon and similar texts ****

> Doxastikon.

> A hymn sung after the short doxology ‘Glory (Greek ‘doxa’) to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit’. It is normally sung to a slower and more elaborate melody than the preceding hymns. ****

> Epitrachelion.

> Worn round the neck, which is meaning of the Greek name, it is the Eastern equivalent of the Western *stole*, the chief difference being that it is always joined down the middle, normally with a series of ornamental studs. It is usually broader then the Western *stole.* It is the characteristic priestly vestment, worn only by bishops and priests. A priest should not celebrate any service unless he is wearing it. ****

> Gerontika.

> A convenient word used to indicate those parts of the office which are traditionally read by the Superior, or Elder (Greek *Geron*, or *Geronta*)*.* If the Superior is not present they are read by the senior monk present. A visiting priest or important visitor is often asked to read them. ****

> One of the twenty sections into which the Psalter is divided for liturgical purposes. The word is also used for the short hymns that are sung after the reading of each *Kathisma* at Matins. The word is a Greek word meaning a *seat*. Each *Kathisma* is divided into three *sections* (Greek *Staseis*)*.* ****

> From the Greek word for ‘monthly’. The book containing the services for days of the Month. There are thus twelve volumes of the *Menaia*. For places without a full set of *Menaia* there exists in both Greek and Slavonic a volume containing general offices for each category of Saint called the *General Menaion.* The contents of the Greek and Slavonic *General Menaia* are not quite the same, the Slavonic containing more offices, and texts for a full Vigil for each category of Saint including the Lord and the Mother of God. ****

> A low bow in which the right hand touches the ground. Slavonic *poklon.* Also used for a *prostration.* ****

> The Deacon’s stole. It is worn on the left shoulder and sometimes taken across diagonally under the right arm and again over the left shoulder. It is also worn crossed on the back by readers and sub-deacons. ****

> Phelonion.

> The Eastern equivalent of the Western *chasuble.* The rubrics direct that the priest is to *lower the phelonion*, that is to let it fall over his hands, at the moment of the Dismissal. This indicates that the work of the service is over, rather like rolling down one’s sleeves. Russian *phelonia* often have a row of buttons across the chest so that the front of the vestment can be raised or lowered. ****

> A refrain from a Psalm, sung together with one or more verses from the Psalm, that normally precedes the Readings at Vespers, Matins and the Liturgy. Originally the whole Psalm was sung, hence the *Verse* is normally the first verse of the Psalm. It survives every day at Vespers, even when there are no readings. It is the equivalent of the Western *Gradual.* ****

> Sticharion.

> A tunic-like vestment, resembling the Western *dalmatic*, when worn by servers, readers, sub-deacons and deacons. That of bishops and priests more closely resembles the *alb*, though it is not necessarily white. ****

> Troparion.

> Any hymn may be called a Troparion, but the word more commonly indicates the *Apolytikion* of the day or one of the stanzas of a Canon. Plural *Troparia.*