www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Vespers, Matins & the Divine Liturgy Vesperal anointing?

Last night I was delighted to attend Vespers (for the Transfiguration) at a local Ukrainian Catholic church that I had not been to before. While the service was very similar to Vespers that I have attended in various local Orthodox churches recently, it was different in a few respects:

1. We all followed the priest celebrant from the tetrapod to the vestibule at one point and a portion of the service was chanted there, in the vestibule.

2. Small cakes were blessed before the festal icon at the tetrapod.

3. We all lined up to be anointed by the celebrant with oil (I didn't realize what we were lining up for until I reached the priest), which he applied with...something resembling a small paint brush.

Was all of that, perhaps, something special for the Feast of the Transfiguration?

This was Great Vespers with Liti for the Feast, so, yes, this is special and unique for Major Feasts.

1. This is liti- a fervent supplication. A procession is made to the vestibule, the deacon begins a series of extended petitions (the liti proper), asking for the intercession of many of the saints, and praying for the church and the world.

After each petition, the people respond with "Lord, have mercy" multiple times. After the last petition, everyone bows their heads, and the priest reads a prayer, summarizing the petitions of the Liti.

Then the Aposticha is chanted and the procession returns to the center of the church, where the liti tray has been set up on the tetrapod with little loaves of bread (what you described as "lttle cakes").

What follows is what I observed at Holy Resurrection Monastery during the celebration at Great Vespers.

2. Usually, these are fives loaves on the table and the priest reads the prayer of blessing, recalling the loaves that fed the 5000. Upon the tray there is also wheat, wine, and oil, and this too is blessed. The bread is broken at this time.

3. The anointing is given from the blessed oil. Upon receiving the anointing, the blessed bread is dipped in the blessed wine and is distributed to the people. (Note: This is NOT the Eucharist!)

In our parish, the prayer for the blessing of the loaves, wheat, wine and oil is said, but no anointing is performed nor is the blessed bread distributed during Great Vespers. The anointing and distribution of the blessed bread is given on the Sunday following the Feast.

I'll let others post as to the particulars, I have a personal question; which parish did you attend?

You're describing the Litiya [en.wikipedia.org]. It's ordinarily done for a number of great feasts.

I attended Vespers at Saint Basil's in Lancaster at 7:30pm. I returned there last evening, also at 7:30, to attend the Divine Liturgy for the Transfiguration. And, once again, the priest anointed us with oil after the service using the small brush.

I notice that this particular parish is not inclined toward the "Latinization" I have encountered at the Ukrainian church I usually go to. There are no stations of the cross or any other elements of Western religious art or piety visible, for example. Furthermore, none of the worshipers knelt at any point during the Divine Liturgy, and while some sat at certain points, others did not, opting to stand during the whole of the Liturgy (excepting the sermon).

There was plenty of incense (unlike services at the church I usually go to where they use no incense at all) and candles were lit everywhere. The Nicene Creed was recited...the old fashioned way. The antidoron was offered to communicants (the first time I have encountered that at a Ukrainian liturgy). And the priest wore a vestment I have never seen before. Before he brought the gifts from what we Latins would call the credence table to the altar, the priest donned something over his shoulders that sort of resembled the Latin rite humeral veil, only smaller.

All in all, the atmosphere at St. Basil's seemed as Orthodox as any of the Orthodox churches I've been to.

Care to explain what you mean ?




the Aer - which he uses to cover the Holy Gifts on the Holy Table.

"The Nicene Creed was recited...the old fashioned way."


They wore spats.

No. It was recited the Orthodox way (the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father. Period).

AH - you mean without the filioque ?

That's how it's supposed to be chanted

Well, never having encountered a Byzantine liturgy in Latin, I suspect it has never been chanted to include the filioque.


At any rate, it seems to me that the answer as to whether or not the Holy Spirit's procession from the Son should be referenced in the Creed will depend upon which Eastern Rite Catholic one is speaking to, and apparently differs from parish to parish.

At the Ukrainian Catholic parish I usually attend, the Holy Spirit proceeds both from the Father and the Son. At the church I went to yesterday...not so much. As I do not pretend to understand the theology of the procession of the Holy Spirit, however, I don't really have a dog in that particular squabble, so I'll stay out of it.

Tu autemn Domine miserere nobis.

I'm UGCC and I have never chanted the Filioque wherever I have been - UGCC, Belorussian, or Orthodox.


It should not vary from parish to parish

Thinking about the Apostle's Creed recited in the Rosary, and the Roman Nicene Creed, including the filioque, makes me wonder why can't they adjust the translation to make things appear less contradictory.

Apostle's Creed: "conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary."

Nicene: "...The Lord, giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, and the Son..." I just remember past discussions discussing a loss in translation from the Latin, into English, so why not adjust the translation to include, "Proceeds from the father, by way of the son? JMHO.

On the subject of anointing, I did partake in this, at the Vespers I've been attending, at an Orthodox church, close to my apartment. I think the term is unction, unless I'm attributing the name to something other than what's described in the OP.

The anointing would normally take place at matins at the time the Gospel is venerated. Properly it shouldn't happen at vespers. It's not unction, as that is a sacrament, but it is partaking of blessed oil so I suppose it's a quasi-sacramental act.

These are two different parts of the Creeds. The part of the Apostles' Creed you are referring to (in the Catechism translation): "He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary." This corresponds with the following part of the Nicene Creed (Byzantine Catholic Church translation): "For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven and was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man."

The part of the Apostles' creed that is expanded to the discussion of procession in the Nicene Creed says simply: " I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church..." So I don't see the apparent contradiction between the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.

It's common in places where Matins is not served to have the Mirovanije anointing at the end of Vespers along with the partitioning and distribution of the loaves. Even in places where Matins is celebrated, but separated from Vespers at the Vigil, the anointing is sometimes taken both at Vespers and at Matins.

That was my parish while I lived in Buffalo. Fr. Moreno and his family were very good to us. It is by far the most faithful to tradition UGCC parish in the Buffalo region. Just like all parishes there will be Latin elements such as talking about the Rosary, references to Latin scholars, etc... but they are not overtaking the tradition.

Fr. Moreno places the Aer [orthodoxwiki.org] over his shoulder when carrying the gifts during the Great Entrance.

If you have the opportunity take some time and talk to the cantors, most of them are his family (wife and daughters) or talk to him, although he often has to run out afterwards.

peace,
ed