www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship The Other Sacramental Mysteries Reader's tonsure

I didn't post these at the time the event occurred, but for the interest of members I'm offering them as a Christmas gift.

You can see photos of my tonsure as a reader on the ROCOR Australia website which gives a fair idea of the ROCOR way of doing this.

http://www.rocor.org.au/?p=2434

I'd be curious to know if any of the Eastern Catholic readers on this site were tonsured with slightly different ceremonial. Also, how universal is the wearing of the cassock by readers in the UGCC and Ruthenian church these days?

Christ is born, glorify him!

For the Ruthenians see Tonsure & Order of Lector [patronagechurch.com].

Hmm interesting. It happens before the gospel? Normally before the liturgy in Orthodox practice.

And the translation of the Ruthenians "the first order of diaconate" is just wrong. The prayer says "first order of priesthood" in whatever original language you look at it in. Interesting.

I believe it does happen before the Divine Liturgy.

This particular tonsure took place during a Moleben to the Holy Spirit with the rite of tonsure.

I'm not a Reader nor UGCC or Ruthenian Church, , but we do have a tonsured Reader in our Russian Greek Catholic parish. He's our choir director and he does wear his cassock.

My only experience being present for this service was in the local Greek Orthodox proto Cathedral. The tonsure was done at or after Vespers. (I don't remember precisely. We didn't know it was going to happen to our friend and were taken by joyous surprise!) I've been told it is normally done in connection with Vespers in the Russian Church as well. I hope to be present when we do have one or two of our men tonsured as Readers since the request for that is in the works.

I'm sorry you didn't tell us in April 2010 but glad you've shared it now! May your serving as Reader continue to be a blessing to your Church.

Not vespers (which we only celebrate in conjunction with matins as all-night vigil) but at the Liturgy in the Russian Chruch. Thankyou for your prayers!

Edward

Just reviving this; do the Greeks/ melkites/ antiochians preserve the use of the small chasuble at reader's tonsure, and do their readers wear the prodrasnik/ anteri?

From what I can tell, in Australia, after the tonsure service readers in the greek tradition wear the exorason if chanting, or the stichar if serving, but don't wear a casock underneath it; however, I have no idea whatsoever what they do at the tonsure service.

Neither the Antiochian Orthodox nor the Melkites use a small phelonion at the ordination of a reader. I don't remember the Greek Orthodox doing it, either.

So would the procedure be get tonsured, vest in exorason (since I believe this is worn whilst chanting the apostol), chant apostol for the first time, then go and sing in the choir or do whatever else it is that the new reader normally does?

The felonchik is a pre-Nikonian tradition as the Old Ritualists still also use it. It is still also common usage in the UGCC.

I was tonsured reader separately from ordination to the subdiaconate and this is how mine went. The felonchik was the Bishop's own from his ordination many years before.

The riassa and stikhar was blessed by the bishop before the Liturgy. I was vested in the riassa immediately after it was blessed before the beginning of the service. The cheirotesia of acolyte, cantor, and tonsuring was done before the Liturgy. After the tonsuring I was vested in the felonchik. I sang the portions selected by the bishop etc.

I was then divested of the felonchik, the stikhar was brought to the bishop who presented it to me, I kissed the cross on the Stikhar, his hand, and then I was vested in the stikhar. He then gave me the exhortation for readers "My son..." etc., and I was given a lampada to hold until the Troparia, Kontakia, Prokimen and Apostle of the Divine Liturgy which I sang myself in the center of the Church vested in the stikhar as the newly tonsured Reader.

When I was ordained subdeacon I began vested in the stikhar since I was already tonsured at that point.

Diak, that's pretty much how mine went also. I have no idea how it would go among the Greeks though, whether I gather the use of the stichar for reading the apostol is also mostly replaced by the exorason.