www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Great Hours

I see a thread on Royal Hours, but it doesn't appear to be the same service as the Great Hours. The GOA church I've been attendig has Great Hours Christmas Eve morning. Would someone be kind enough to give me a brief explanation of this, and about how long it is? Also, is it generally well attended--as a note, this church doesn't have very good attendance for weekday feast day liturgies, and I am the only one generally speaking who ever shows up for Matins. Is this something that would be well attended, and, again, about how long? Does the Old Orthodox Prayer Book contain the psalms and other text for it?

Glad

GLAD:

My guess is that the Hours are one and the same, just going by another name.

I don't have any other experience with the Royal Hours than one Great Friday many years ago when I was the Reader for Royal Hours at an OCA parish. That particular year we started at 8 a.m. and finished at 12:30 p.m. HOWEVER, the beauty of the prayers and the hours were such that I didn't realize where the time went. I would guess that the Nativity Eve Royal Hours might be similar: the beauty of the hours and the sentiments that the Holy Spirit has embedded into the inspired prayers will make you forget time and settle into the embrace of God.

In Christ,

BOB

I should've mentioned they're done in Greek (and I don't speak Greek) which is why I asked if they're in the Old Orthodox Prayer book. Also, if it's not well attended, Father would probably say them in English, or at least partially in English, although the Cantor would remain in Greek as I don't think he' speaks or reads English very well.

Glad

The Royal Hours and the Great Hours are indeed the same thing. The texts for these services can be found in the Festal Menaion (for the Royal Hours of Christmas and Theophany) and the Lenten Triodion (for the Royal Hours of Holy Friday.)

The Royal Hours for Christmas and for Theophany, which are done on the morning of the Eves of these Feasts if the Feasts themselves fall on Tuesday through Saturday, and on the Friday morning before the Feasts if the Feasts themselves fall on a Sunday or Monday, take about one hour and a half.

The Royal Hours of Holy Friday are always performed on Holy Friday. Because of the great length of the Passion Gospels that are read at each Hour, the Royal Hours on Holy Friday take about two hours to serve.

Apparently there used to be another set of Royal Hours performed the Friday before Pentecost which have passed out of usage.

Fr David Straut

Thank you Father. This is what I was looking for.

Glad

Bob,if the Royal Hours started at 8:00 AM on Good Friday and didn't finish until 12:30 PM,I suspect that some other service must have followed immediatly after the Royal Hours,possibly the Good Friday Vespers.Either that or there must have been some seriously fancy Byzantine Chant to make that service last 4&1/2 hours!That amount of time should be sufficient for those Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics celebrating Nativity Eve tommorrow to complete the Royal Hours plus the prescribed Liturgy of St.Basil the Great with all 8 Old Testament Readings.