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Ερώτηση:
Σεβαστέ πάτερ, ευλογείτε.
Είμαι θεολόγος και την περίοδο αυτή ασχολούμαι με τη συγγραφή ενός βιβλίου
σχετικού με τη λατρεία των μοναστηριών. Για να αποφύγω όμως ενδεχόμενο
λάθος θα ήθελα μια πληροφορία που φαντάζομαι ότι εσείς γνωρίζετε και
δύναστε να μου δώσετε. Θα ήθελα λοιπόν να ρωτήσω εάν η αναγινωσκόμενη καθ'
εκάστην «προοιμιακή της όλης ημερονυκτίου ακολουθίας προσευχή»
αναγινώσκεται και κατά την εβδομάδα της διακαινησίμου ή αν αντικαθίσταται
ή παραλείπεται.
Ευχαριστώ πολύ.
Γρηγόρης Γ.
Translation of Question 5.
Father, your blessing,
I am a Theologian and during this period I am occupied with the writing of
a book concerning the liturgical worship of monasteries. So that I can
avoid a possible mistake, I would like one piece of information which I
imagine you know and are in a position to give me. I would like therefore
to ask if the introductory prayer of the daily (day-night) service read
everyday is also read during Bright (Renewal) Week or is it replaced or
omitted.
Thank-you very much
Gregory G.
Answer to Question 5.
Dear Gregory
I’m not sure if I understood your question correctly. When you say “daily
(day-night) service” do you mean the service of the All-night Vigil? If
yes, then you must mean the introductory psalm said by the reader and the
evening prayers said silently by the Priest at the beginning of Vespers.
During Bright week, all the services of Vespers, Mattins and also the
Divine Liturgy begin exactly as the Resurrection Service and this is
because the whole week is observed as one day: the eighth day of the New
Creation after the Second Coming of Christ. Thus we do not say the
introductory psalm of Vespers neither the Six-Psalms of Mattins. Both
services begin with instead of the usual “Blessed is our God…” with “Glory
be to the Holy, Consubstantial, life-giving and undivided Trinity: always,
now and for ever: world without end.” Then straightway we sing Christ is
Risen ten times and then the ‘Peace petitions’.
With love in Christ
Fr. Christopher Klitou
Ερώτηση:
Η
ερώτησή μου δεν αναφερόταν στον προοιμιακό ψαλμό αλλά στην
προσευχή που βρίσκεται πρώτη στο Ωρολόγιο και διαβάζεται μετά την έγερση
από τον ύπνο. Αυτή που αρχίζει με το "Εις το όνομα του Πατρός... και
περιέχει τρισάγιο, τρία τροπάρια και δύο ευχές.
Αυτό ρωτώ λοιπόν.
Γρ. Γριβάκος
Translation of Question.
Dear Fr. Christopher,
My question did not refer to the introductory psalm but to the first
prayer found in the Book of Hours and read on waking from sleep. The
prayer which begins “In the name of the Father…” and contains the
Trisagion, three hymns and two prayers.
This is what I ask therefore.
Gregory G
Answer to Question.
Dear Gregory,
Forgive my mistake.
The truth is I’m not sure how to answer your question or if there is a
correct answer. The introductory prayer you refer to is not classified in
the church’s rubrics like the other services, in other words it is not
obligatory to be said by a monastic or parish rule in the daily cycle of
services. It is recommended to be said (voluntary and not compulsory) by
every Christian on waking from sleep as a good way of starting one’s day
giving thanks and glorifying God, and I say “a good way” because it is not
the only way: many begin and finish their day saying only the Jesus
prayer. Thus, I will change your question somewhat and say: “Should
someone who usually says everyday the introductory morning prayers also
say them during Bright week or is it possible to omit them?
In my opinion I would say that as Bright Week is a very special period
which teaches a new state for mankind, our prayers should also do the
same. In my previous answer we saw that the services of Vespers, Mattins
and the Divine Liturgy during Bright Week have as their prototype the
Resurrection Service. Also the usual services of the Midnight office, the
Hours and Compline are omitted during Bright Week and are replaced with
the Paschal service of the Ninth Hour. This seems to me to be the right
thing to do with the introductory morning prayers: to omit and replace
them with the service of the Ninth Hour of Pascha.
As the morning prayers are not said in Church but in each person’s home,
the Paschal Ninth Hour for the layperson could be in the form of the
following:
In the Name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Christ is risen from the dead, by death he hath overcome death, and to
them in the graves hath he given life. (3)
We have seen
the Resurrection of Christ; let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, who alone
is without sin. We venerate Thy Cross, O Christ, and we praise and glorify
Thy holy Resurrection. For Thou art our God: we know no other save Thee;
upon Thy name we call. Come all ye faithful, let us venerate the holy
Resurrection of Christ: for lo, through the Cross joy hath come to all the
world. Ever blessing the Lord, we sing the praises of His Resurrection:
for He endured the Cross on our behalf, and hath destroyed death by death.
(3)
When those who
were with Mary came, anticipating the dawn, and found the stone rolled
away from the sepulchre, they heard from the Angel, ‘Why do ye seek among
the dead, as though He were mortal, the One who exists in everlasting
light. See the grave clothes. Make haste and proclaim to the world that
the Lord is risen, and has put death to death; for He is the Son of God,
who saves the human race.
Though Thou
didst descend into the grave, O Immortal, Thou didst destroy the power of
Hades, and as victor didst rise again, O Christ our God, and the
Myrrh-bearing women Thou didst greet with ‘Rejoice’, and to Thine Apostles
Thou didst bestow peace: O Thou who dost grant resurrection to the fallen.
In the tomb
according to the flesh, as God in hell with the soul, In paradise with the
thief, and on the throne with the Father and the Spirit wast Thou, O
Christ, omnipresent, incircumscript.
Thy
life-giving tomb is revealed to us, lovelier far than Paradise, more
radiant than a king’s palace, O Christ, the well-spring of our
resurrection.
Hail, O
hallowed and divine dwelling place of the Highest, for through thee is
given joy to those who cry to thee, O Mother of God. Blessed art thou
among women, most pure Lady.
Kyrie eleison (40)
Glory be to
the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world
without end. Amen.
More
honourable than the Cherubim, and past compare more glorious than the
Seraphim, who inviolate didst bear God the Word, very Mother of God, thee
we magnify.
Christ is risen from the dead, by death he hath
overcome death, and to them in the graves hath he given life.
With love in Christ
Fr. Christopher Klitou
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