www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Aliturgical days in the Great Fast

http://www.schmemann.org/byhim/lent.html

By Alexander Schmemann

The above is the address for the rest of this article, which is excellent in explaing why we celebrate and prepare as we do.

It is important to know why Eucharist is not celebrated in the Eastern Churches during Lent.

(3) Non-Liturgical Days

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

On weekdays of Lent (Monday through Friday) the celebration of the Divine Liturgy is strictly forbidden. They are non-liturgical days , with one possible exception ? the Feast of Annunciation (then the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom is prescribed after Vespers). The reason for this rule is that the Eucharist is by its very nature a festal celebration, the joyful commemoration of Christ?s Resurrection and presence among His disciples. (For further elaboration of this point cf. my note "Eucharist and Communion" in St. Vladimir?s Quarterly , Vol. 1, No. 2, April 1957, pp. 31-33.) But twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, the Church prescribes the celebration after Vespers, i.e., in the evening of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts (cf. the order of this service in I. Hapgood, The Service Book , pp. 127-146.) It consists of solemn Great Vespers and communion with the Holy Gifts consecrated on the previous Sunday. These days being days of strict fasting (theoretically: complete abstinence) are "crowned" with the partaking of the Bread of Life, the ultimate fulfillment of all our efforts.

Rose

I saw in the Cybertypicon that there are liturgies for the days of the Great Fast. Is it compulsory for the Eastern Churches not to celebrate the Liturgy during the Lent? I�m not mentioning the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy.

I can't speak for other Eastern Churches but here are the Great Fast regulations for Byzantine Metropolitan Church sui iuris of Pittsburgh:

� The Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts takes precedence over all other Lenten Devotions.
� The Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts only is to be celebrated on Wednesdays and/or Friday evenings of the Great Fast and also on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week.
� Other services are encouraged during the season of the Great Fast, but only those in keeping with the traditions of the Byzantine Church , namely, Lenten Vespers, Lenten Hours, Akathist to the Passion, and Lenten Devotions.
� On Wednesday of Holy Week, the Office of the Holy Anointing may be incorporated into the Presanctified Divine Liturgy.

I know by word of mouth that this is not followed strictly by all pastors or all parishes.

Also a beautiful service and very much a part of the Great Lenten observance, the Akathist, usually served on Friday evenings. This Akathist is particularly beautiful:

Akathist to the Theotokos, Joy of All Who Sorrow

http://www.joyinsorrow.com/viewPrayer.asp?id=10

Prayer from the Akathist to the Mother of God, Joy of All Who Sorrow:

O most holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord of the hosts on high, Queen of Heaven and earth, almighty intercessor of our city and country: receive this hymn of praise and thanksgiving from us, Thine unworthy servants, and bear our prayers to the throne of God, Thy Son, that He may be merciful towards our unrighteousness and extend His Grace to them that honor Thine All-honorable name and bow down before Thy wonder-working icon with faith and love. For we are not worthy to be pitied by Him. Wherefore we flee to Thee as our undoubted and speedy intercessor: hearken Thou unto us that supplicate Thee. Overshadow us with Thine almighty protection, and request of God Thy Son: zeal and vigilance concerning souls for our pastors, wisdom and strength for civil authorities, justice and equity for judges; knowledge and humility for them that teach; love and concord between husbands and wives, obedience for children; patience for the oppressed; fear of God for the oppressors; strength of spirit for the sorrowful; moderation for the joyful; and for all of us: the spirit of understanding and piety, the spiritu of mercy and meekness, the spirit of purity and righteousness. Yea, O most holy Lady, take pity on Thine afflicted people: gather the dispersed, guide to the right path them that are astray, support the aged, teach the young sober-mindedness, nourish the infants, and look down with the gaze of Thy merciful assistance upon us all. Raise us up from the abyss of sin and open the eyes of our hearts to the vision of salvation. Take pity on us here and now - both in the land of our earthly sojourn and at the dread judgment of Thy Son. Cause our fathers and brethren who have passed from this life in faith and repentance to abide in eternal life with the angels and all the saints, for Thou, O Lady, art the glory of them in Heaven and the hope of them upon the earth. After God Thou art our hope an the helper of all that flee to Thee with faith. Therefore, to Thee do we pray, and as to an all-powerful helper, to Thee do we commend ourselves and each other and all our life, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

In the Lord's great mercy,
+Fr. Gregory

Nelson, all Saturdays and Sundays during the Great Fast may have the Divine Liturgy celebrated, of St. John Chrysostom for Saturdays and of St. Basil for the first five Sundays of the Great Fast. Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday both call for the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

The second, third, and fourth Saturdays are general Divine Liturgies for all of the departed (Souls Days) followed by Panakhidas or the litany for all of the souls (by name) given to the pastor to include.

The first Saturday is dedicated to the miracle of St. Theodore the Recruit (Tyro), and the fifth Saturday to the Akathist and miracles of the Theotokos, and both of these Saturdays include the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

Other than the Annunciation (and in some Typicons the feast of the parish patron if it occur in Lent but outside of Holy Week) there is usually prescribed to be no celebrations of any other Divine Liturgy than the Presanctified on Monday through Friday until Holy Week.

But in practice in some Greek Catholic parishes of all jurisdictions in North America, weekday Liturgies are celebrated during the weekdays of the Great Fast, including funerals with Divine Liturgies, etc.

Father, bless!

Although I am extremely devoted to the liturgical usage of Rus' one Greek practice I have come to greatly love and look forward over the years is the Friday evening Small Compline with the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos.

It is such a comforting and peaceful way to end the week, to crown our fasting and praktike with the service of intercession of the Theotokos of the Passion. When we started publically we had great attendance right off the bat.

She can work wonders through her Son!!!


Here's a link of the service on Fr. John Whiteford's page: http://www.saintjonah.org/services/akathistforlent.htm

Another thing. This year the Feast of Annunciation and the Holy and Great Friday will be in the same day. Is the Eastern Catholic Churches going to celebrate the Divine Liturgy for the Annunciation or the Liturgy will be postponed because the Holy Friday?

Nelson,

Glory to Jesus Christ!

The Feast of the Annunciation of the Mother of God is such a great celebration that its observance will be fully celebrated despite the day being Good Friday. The Ruthenian Metropolia of Pittsburgh will celebrate Vespers and Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Vestments will be blue for the holiday.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the priest/deacon/servers will change to dark vestments and have the Procession with the Burial Shroud.

The last time the Feast of the Annunciation occurred on Good Friday was 1932. Anyone out there remember that? The next time will be 2016, so pay attention this year.

My prayers are with you for a most blessed Holy Week.

Deacon El

Fr. Deacon El wrote: The last time the Feast of the Annunciation occurred on Good Friday was 1932. Anyone out there remember that? The next time will be 2016, so pay attention this year

Father--Are you talking about March 25, 1932 on the New/civil Calendar or the Old/Julian Calendar? I believe that in 1932 none (or very few) of the Greek Catholic parishes in the US would yet have switched to the New Calendar and still be keeping days 13 days behind the civil calendar. Just wondering.

John

One more noteL in fact the Latins DO celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, in a slightly different form - but only on Good Friday, when they have vespers and a solemn communion service (with the Trisagion sung in alternating Latin and Greek, although I'm sure one is allowed to sing it in the vernacular instead...), and the Reproaches which are echoed in our Great Week services as well.

Yours in Christ,

Jeff Mierzejewski

The current Latin Good Friday Liturgy consists of Liturgy of the Word, Adoration of the Cross, and Holy Communion. Vespers is not part of this service, nor are the reproaches used anymore but a General Intercession in which the formerly reproached groups are prayed for. It has been a while since I've been to one but I don't think they use the Trisagion anymore either.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Fr. Lance--

The Reproaches and Trisagion (alternating Latin and Greek) are to be sung during the veneration of the Cross. I believe that they are rarely sung though, except in the case where a parish has an exceptional choir. There is a plainsong version as well as polyphonic versions. The Reproaches set by Tomas Luis da Victoria are perhaps the most sublime and beautiful. The General Intercessions are the prayers that are said/sung for all the various states of humanity, ie. Church leaders, catachumens, Jews, non-believers.

Just an FYI.

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Salva reverencia, Fr. Deacon Lance, but you are not correct in your statements about the Roman Catholic Good Friday liturgy.

The Sacramentary most assuredly DOES include the Reproaches (pages 163-164), and the Reproaches most assuredly DO contain the Trisagion. If one is reading from the Latin edition of either the Sacramentary or the Graduale Romanum, the Trisagion is still given in alternating Greek and Latin phrases.

Now, if you want to tell me that a lot of RC parishes don't do this---well, I will sorrowfully nod my head in agreement. But they were sung in the Good Friday service every year I worked in RC parishes, honest. <G>

Prof. J. Michael Thompson
Byzantine Catholic Seminary
Pittsburgh, PA

addendum...

While it is true that the RC Good Friday "liturgical service" as it is officially called is not OUR (Byzantine) form of the Liturgy of the Presanctified (i.e, Vespers with Communion), the current RC service is very much a service with the pre-sanctified elements. And before Vatican II, it was often called "The Mass of the Pre-Sanctified." I believe that this is why Jeff M. posted as he did.

JMT

Liturgical Trivia!

Historically, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Annunciation was on the morning of March 25th, no matter when it fell during the Fast or Holy Week. Over time, as the services of the Fast and Holy Week began to be anticipated by a half of a day, the Vespers for Good Friday (in this example) were moved to the morning (first immediately after the Divine Liturgy, then before it).

The move in recent years to move Vespers from the morning to the evening has also dragged the Divine Liturgy to the evening (wrongly, IMHO). Liturgically speaking, the revised rubrics mean that there is no Divine Liturgy on March 25th for the Feast of the Annunciation. While the liturgical day for the Triodion (the Lenten season and Holy Week) runs from midnight to midnight, the liturgical day for the Menaion (the fixed calendar days and feasts) still runs from sunset to sunset. So if the Divine Liturgy takes place after sunset (about 6:15 PM this week here in Virginia) then the Divine Liturgy is technically celebrated on March 26th and not March 25th.