Liturgy

The Prayer ef St. Ephraim

The Tjpika (Psalms 10 2 and 14 3 ) and the Beatitudes. With the

Beatitudes we singfour troparia in the Tone o f the weekfrom Octoechos, and four troparia from Canticle Six of the Canon in the Triodion. Prokimenon:

This is said at all the weekday offices in Lent. The Prayer is re­ cited either twice or once only, as follows:

( Psalms 1 0 2

TONE THREE

The chief moments at which the Prayer occurs are these:

1 4 s ) a n d the B eatitu d es.

Great is our Lord, and great is His pow er: and His wisdom is infinite (Psalm 14 6 : 5). y . O praise the Lord, for it is a good thing to sing praises (ibid., J ) . Epistle: 1 Corinthians 8: 8 -9 : 2. Alleluia:

(a) At the Midnight Office, the Hours and Compline, it is said after the Prayer of the Hours and the words of the priest, God be merciful to us and bless us. . . (or At the prayers o f our holyfothers. . . ). (b) At Mattins and Vespers,2 it is said shortly before the dis­ missal, and follows the prayer 0 heavenly King, uphold our rulers. . . .

B eatitu des we sin g J o u r tro p a ria in the Tone o j the week fr o m the Octoechos , a n d f o u r tro p a ria fr o m C a n ticle S ix o f the Canon in the T rio d io n . Trokim enon:

y i . O come, let us sing with joy unto the Lord (Psalm 94: 1). y 2. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving (ibid., 2). Gospel: Matthew 25-: 3 1-4 6 . Communion verse: Praise ye the Lord from the heavens. . . . 29 Dan. 10: 1 1 ; 7: 10.

Make a vow unto the Lord our God and keep it (Psalm 7 5: 1 2 ) . ψ . In Judah is God known: His Name is great in Israel ( i b i d . , 2 ) . E p is t le : Romans

Great: Vespers on Saturday Evening

1 3 : 1 1 - 1 4 : 4.

A lle lu ia :

y 1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing

A n tiph on One

Lent, as it exists today in the Orthodox Church, is the result of a long historical development, of which no more than a brief sum­ mary can be offered here.32 The portion of the Church’s Year covered by the Lenten Triodion falls into three periods: 31 The title ‘ Great Fast’ serves to distinguish Lent from the three other seasons of fasting in the Orthodox calendar: the Christmas Fast, the Fast o f the Apostles, and the Dormition Fast. For details on these, see The Festal Menaion, p. 4 2 , n. 3. 32 The history of Lent is concisely discussed in A . Schmemann, Great Lent (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, Crestwood, 1969), pp. 1 1 9 - 2 2 . This book is the best introduction to the whole subject in English by an Orthodox author. The chief

Patristic evidence and the older bibliography is given in two articles by E. Vacandard, ‘ Careme (Jeune d u)’ , Dictionnaire de Theologie Catholique, ii (Paris, 1 905·), cols. 17 2 4 —50, and ‘ Carem e’ , Dictionnaire d ’ Archeologie Chretienne et de Liturgie, ii (Paris, 19 10 ) , cols. 2 1 3 9 - 5 8 . For more recent views, see R . Pierret, ‘ Careme (Spiritualite du). 1. Histoire’ , Dictionnaire de Spiritualite, ii, 1 (Paris, 19 3 7 ), cols. 1 3 6 - 4 0 ; P .-M . G y and I. H. Dalmais, ‘ Careme’ , Catholicisme, ii (Paris, 19 49 ), cols. 5 4 7 - 5 6 ; A . Baumstark, Liturgie comparee, 3rd ed. revised by B. Botte (Chevetogne, 1 9 5 3 ) , pp. 2 1 1 - 2 1 (Eng. ed., Comparative Liturgy, tr. F. L. Cross [London, 195*8], pp. 1 9 0 - 9 ) ; A . A . M cArthur, The Evolution o f the

su p p licatio n

Christian Year (London, 19 5 3 ), pp. 7 7 —139 . For the development of the Lenten Triodion, the fundamental study, not yet superseded, is in Russian: I. A . Karabinov, Postnaia Triod (St. Petersburg, 19 10 ). T w o works in Greek draw extensively on this: Archimandrite Kallistos (Miliaras), Istorlki cpiskopisis tou Triodiou. To schedion kai 0 katartismos avtou, in the peri­ odical of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem Nea Sion xxix ( 19 3 4 ), pp. 4 4 - 6 1 , 1 5*3—6 1, 1 7 7 - 8 4 , 3 3 0 -4 6 , 4 5 2 - 6 7 , 5 0 2 - 1 6 , 5 5 3 - 7 0 , 6 0 9 - 1 5 ; and Evangelos D. Theodorou, / morphotlki axia tou ischyontos Triodiou (Athens, 19 58 ).

(Psalm 1 1 4 : 1).

The Biblical and Patristic attitude to fasting is ably summarized in P. Deseille

and H .-J. sieben, ‘ JeClnc’ , Dictionnaire de Spiritualite, viii (Paris, 19 7 4 ), cols. 1 1 6 4 - 7 9 . Fuller but less systematic is Chrysostom M . Enisleidis, 0 thesmos tis nistcias (Athens, 1 9 5 8 - 9 ; 2nd ed., Thessalonica, 19 7 2 ). For Orthodox liturgical commentaries on Lent and Holy W eek, see: (i) C . Andronnikof, ‘ La “ PnS-Quarantaine” ou les semaines preparatoires au Careme’ , Liturgie ct Remission dcs Phhds. Conferences Saint-Serge: xxe Semaine d ’Etudes Liturgiques (Rome, 19 7 $ ), pp. 9 - 3 7 ; (Ii) ‘ Un Moine de l’ Eglise d ’ Orient’ [Archi­ mandrite Lev (Glllet)], /Λ/η de grdee du Seigneur, vol. ii (Editions An-Nour, Beirut, 19 72 ), pp. 7 - 7 6 , 1 6 5 - 8 6 ; ( 111) A. Schmemann, Holy Week. A Liturgical

T h e anguish o f death en co m p assed m e , th e p e rils o f hell

Explanation f o r the Days o f Holy Week (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, Crestwood, 1 no date); (iv) A . Schmemann and (), Clement, Lc Mystere pascal. Commentaires · liturgiques, ed. P. Deseille (Collection ‘ Spirituality Orientale’ , N o. 1 6 : Bellefontaine, 19 7 5 ), the first part of which is a French translation of (iii).

(1) The Pre-Lenten Period: three preparatory Sundays (the Publican

I fo u n d trib u latio n and anguish, and I calle d u p o n th e N a m e

and the Pharisee; the Prodigal Son; the Last Judgement), followed by a preliminary week of partial fasting, ending with the Sunday of Forgiveness.

Theodore and a dish of koljva is blessed in his honour.63 But, quite apart from this historical association of the Great Martyr Theodore with the first week of the fast, it is also spiritually appropriate that he should be commemorated during these days. The Great Fast is a season of unseen warfare, of invisible martyrdom, when by our ascetic dying to sin we seek to emulate the self-offering of the martyrs. That is why, in addition to such commemorations as that of St. Theodore on the first Saturday, there are also regular hymns to the martyrs on all the weekdays of Lent. Their example has a special significance for us in our ascetic efforts during the Great Forty Days. (c)

37 John 1 1 : 44; 9: 1 - 7 ; Matt. 20: 34; Ps. 17: 1 1 ; Zech. 9: 9. 38 Matt. 26: 17; Mark 14: 13 -14 .

( 1 ) Twice, with four prostrations and twelve bows: 0 Lord and Master ef my life, 9ive me not a spirit ef sloth, vain curi­ osio/,1 lustfar power, and idle talk (prostration). But 9ive to me Thy servant a spirit qf soberness, humilio/, patience, and love (prostration). 0 Lord and King, 9rant me to see my own faults and not to condemn 11!.V brother: far blessed art Thou to the a9es ef a9es. Amen (prostration). 1 In the Slav text,

'despondency'.

A n tiph on Two

0 God, cleanse me a sinner (twelve times, with a bow after each). Then the Prayer once more in full, with one prostration at the end. (2) Once only, with three prostrations (without 0 God, cleanse me a sinner and the twelve bows).

THE MIDNIGHT OFFICE

This is recited as usual (see The Festal Menaion, p. 74), except that on weekdays in Lent (Monday to Friday), after the Prayer of the

h u m iliate d (Psalm 1 1 5 :

O So n o f G o d , w h o w a s t seated o n the foal o f an ass, save us w h o sing to T h e e : A lle lu ia .

W h a t shall I re n d e r unto th e L o rd , fo r all H is benefits unto

A n tiphon Three

endures f o r e v e r (Psalm l l j : l ) .

L e t th e h ouse o f Israel n o w say that H e is g o o d : fo r H is

£°4 Introit: B lessed is H e th at c o m e s in th e N a m e o f th e L o r d : 30 th e L o r d is G o d and has ap p eared to us (Psalm l l j :

The Trisagion.

TONE FOUK

B lessed is H e th at co m e s in th e N a m e o f th e L o r d (Psalm 1 l j : 26).

(ibid., I ) .

Epistle: P h ilip p ian s 4 : 4 - 9 . Alleluia: y 1.

TONE ONE

things (Psalm 9 7 :

1). f i . A ll th e ends o f th e earth h ave seen th e salvation o f o u r G o d (ibid., 3). Gospel: Jo h n 1 2 :

And the rest o f the Liturgy o f St. John Chrysostom. In place o f T r u ly it is rig h t to call th ee b lessed , we sing the irmos from Canticle Nine o f the Canon, T h e L o r d is G o d (p. 5 0 0 ) . Communion verse: B lessed is H e th at c o m e s in the N a m e o f th e L o rd (Psalm l l j : 26). On this day fish is eaten.