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What is the structure of the daily Hours (Byzantine)?
Where does one find rubrics for services?

You can find outlines [metropolitancantorinstitute.org] of the daily services on the Metropolitan Cantor Institute website; the rubrics are containing along with the services themselves, and in the Typikon.

Although we are working to put bilingual (Slavonic/English) orders of services on the MCI website, that work has been delayed by more pressing concerns. I will try to post some links to online liturgical services later, but a variety of them can be found on the MCI Links [metropolitancantorinstitute.org] page under "Liturgical Theology, Texts and Translations."

Yours in Christ,
Jeff Mierzejewski

Fr. John Whiteford's site has many good and very user-friendly resources you may want to check out:
http://pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/horologion.htm
Another is Archimandrite Ephraim's site: http://www.anastasis.org.uk/horologion.htm

A good Typikon for the New Calendar can be found on the Stamford Eparchy site by month:
http://www.stamforddio.org/typicon.htm

Some very helpful information is also present on the Benevolent Cantor's Association page: http://www.albertacantors.ca/resources-eng/general-rubrics.asp
http://www.albertacantors.ca/resources-eng/how-to-rubrics.asp

There are many, many more in print form available.

Thank you both�they are extremely helpful.

What is the Midnight Office analogous to in the Latin tradition? Or does it have no counterpart?

Is there any tradition of going through the psalter in a week or another fixed period of time?

What are the following:
Megalynaria
Hypakoe
Octoechos
Prokeimenon
Irmos
Stichos (is this related to stichera?)
Kathisma
Stasis
Exapostilaria
Ode
Canon
Polyeleos
Typica

Also, for the rubrics, is there a book in which they are found? Like how for Latin books they usually are written in the front?

Dear Friend,

The Midnight, Nocturnal Office is like the Western Vigils/Matins office as they are both done at night or very early in the morning. The Eastern Matins or Orthros is the longest of the Daily Hours and more information is provided on the links above.

The Psalter is read through once each week, twice each week during the Great Fast/Lent. The Psalter is divided into 20 sections and three are said daily on average with four as we get into September and then Lent really picks up! pomog.org has the breakdown.

There are exact definitions of each of the above in the Pentecostarion or services for the Holy Fifty Days from Easter to Pentecost, but let me do my best:

Kathisma is one of the 20 sections of the Psalms read daily. A Stasis is one of the three parts into which each Kathisma is divided but Stasis can also mean a portion of other services.

Irmos is the beginning hymn of each Ode of the Canon - Canons are done in honour of various feasts and Saints and by and large have 8 Odes, each headed by an Irmos.

Polyeleos is the singing of the Psalms 135 and 136 as one Psalm, done on Sundays during Feasts of the Lord when for the third Kathisma of the Psalter the 17ths Kathisma is not sung.

The Typica is what in the West would be the "Dry Mass" or the prayers of the Divine Liturgy prayed on days when the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated. The Octoechos is a book used throughout the year, although not during Lent or the Holy 50 Days until Pentecost that contains the 8 weekly and variable parts for Vespers, Mattins, the Midnight Office and the Canon for daily Compline, together with the rubrics for the Divine Liturgy, especially for the Beatitudes.

The other terms refer to psalmic portions adapted to feasts and services.

THe Typikon is a separate book and portions are available on the internet, especially on Fr. Whiteford's excellent site.

Alex

Thank you, Dr. Roman. I still have a few more questions but here is one for now. I've seen reference to Polyeleos being sung for saints? When may this be done?

Glory to Jesus Christ!

The reference is not actually that the Polyeleos psalms are sung "for" the saints. Instead, certain feasts are called "of Polyeleos rank," which means that the singing of the Polyeleos psalms are added to the celebration of Matins on that day.

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

Dear Professor,

Yes, I've heard that some parishes sing the Polyeleos regularly because to sing Psalm 118 when they should would take too long!

Should Psalm 118 be sung daily for forty days after the repose of a Christian?

Alex