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Dear Friends,

A formal matter . . .

During Bright Week, the Hours are supplanted by a short service celebrating the Resurrection.

I read that the Athonite usage is to say this service three times for each of the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th Hours and Compline and the Midnight Hour.

I thought we said it once for each (?)

Alex

It is my impression that it is said once for each Hour as well. Perhaps it is a local usage to say the Hour thrice. It would be very telling if not all the Athonite monasteries did so.

Christos Voskrese!

Dear Alex, this is a question I have also wondered about. I'm no expert on this subject by any means but I wonder if that is a lapsus calami in the translation of the instructions.

In most versions I have seen, whether Greek, Old Believer or post-Nikonian Russian usage the Paschal Troparion "Christ is Risen" "Khristos Voskrese" etc. is sung three times and then the "Having Seen the Resurrection of Christ" is also sung three times. The remaining troparia, ikos, etc. texts of the Paschal Hours are generally appointed to be sung only once then until the 40X Kyrie Eleison and dismissal. Perhaps there is some confusion in the notes with repeating the first two texts three times with repeating the entire office three times?

The order for Paschal Hours is that it takes the place of the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th hours, Compline, and the Mesonycticon (Midnight Office).

On the other hand, an exception I have seen to this is an older version of Archbishop Raya's Byzantine Daily Worship which has the Paschal Hours recited once for everything except Compline, and for Compline the Paschal Hours
are indicated to be recited three times. Archbishop Raya did compare his texts with Greek Athonite originals, especially from Simona Petra, the Great Lavra and Stavronikita when he comiled BDW.

But for me, I'll just stick with the good ol' Old Believer order

Dear Diak,

What is different about Mattins and Vespers in Bright Week - apart from Sunday?

Your student sitting at your noetic feet,

Alex

Dear Alex,

Vespers and Matins for Bright Week are the same as on Sunday, except: 1) at Matins, the small Ekteny is said only after the 3rd, 6th, and 9th Odes, and there is no procession; and 2) the Stichera at the Praises and Psalm 140, as well as the first Sticheron of the Aposticha are different each day. Otherwise the Order of the services are the same as on Sunday.

Adam K

Dear Adam,

Somehow, with a name like that, I knew you'd be the First Man to answer!

And your Patron Saint, St Adam, is notably featured on icons of the Resurrection and the Descent to hades!

Happy Nameday!

Christ is Risen!

Alex

Indeed, He is risen!

Dear Alex,

Thank you.

It is this very prominence given to my namesake in the premiere Feast of the Church that is my most favourite feature of our Rite. It always made be feel bad when i would hear this or that western preacher villify him. It always made me feel somehow responsible for the Fall. There is no risk of that in the East.

Adam K

Christos Voskres!

Dear Brat' Alex, we can't forget the Water Days of Bright Week! I made my sons ride in the back of the car becuase they were so soaked the other night...

The only things I would add is at Vespers and Matins for Bright Week they begin just as Paschal Matins, that is with the verses of Psalm 67 for which the response is "Christ is Risen". For Vespers, the Great Ekteny is sung immediately after the the verses, and there are no Kathismata taken until Thomas Sunday so immediately after the Ekteny Psalm 140 is sung with six proper stikhera, Glory, another stikhera, Both Now and Ever, and a proper dogmatikon to the Theotokos. There is a different Great Prokimen appointed for Vespers every day of Bright Week which is a unique and especially beautiful aspect of Vespers for Bright Week.

At Agape Vespers (Sunday evening Vespers for Pascha), the account of John 20:19-25 is read in as many languages as possible. We only did seven languages (Greek, Latin, English, Spanish, Latin, Church Slavonic and Ukrainian) for Agape Vespers last Sunday night. But seven isn't such a bad number, is it? The schola director/cantor from the local Latin Mass community joined us for Agape Vespers and did a beautiful job with Spanish and Latin (we try and breath with both lungs out here ).

The rest of Holy Week there is no Gospel at Vespers but there is the aformentioned Great Prokimen, and the Paschal Stikhera are read after one Aposticha stikhera. In some parishes they give the Easter kiss and greeting every night of Bright Week while the Paschal stikhera are sung. Immediately after the Paschal Stikhera is the dismissal.

For Matins, everything is very similar to Paschal Matins and as Adam pointed out (you can see Adam is a good man to have around ) there are small litanies only after the 3rd, 6th and 9th Odes of the Paschal Canon and there is no procession as for Paschal Matins. Really the only variable texts at Matins are the four stikhera at the Praises (Khvalitny).

We had to postpone our trip to Toronto, I know it's blown out of proportion, but my wife is scared to death from the WHO warning and I don't want to push things too hard. We are going to shoot for sometime after Pentecost now.

Christos Anesti!

Dear Adam,

Yes, the West never gave Adam our Forefather the honours of a saint, according to Fr. Holweck in his "Dictionary of Saints."

But he and Eve are highly honoured in the East, and especially at Pascha!

In addition, the Eastern Cross of Calvary has the depiction of the skull of Adam at the base.

According to tradition, the Cross of Christ was inserted on top of the grave of St Adam and we were all redeemed in him as Christ's Blood dripped down and touched the bones/relics of Adam.

The Cross itself was grown from a twig planted on top of Adam's grave, by tradition, by one of Noah's sons, at the expressed permission of Michael the Archangel.

St Lot, nephew of Abraham watered the tree, that grew into three trees, cedar, cypress and pine and the Queen of Sheba, St Makeda, was healed of a foot disfigurement by accidentally touching the tree when she was visiting St Solomon the King. At that time, she had a prophetic vision of the crucifixion of Christ on the Tree she touched and this scene is celebrated in many stained glass windows in Europe's western Cathedrals.

And did you really need to know all that?

Alex

Dear Diak,

Please do give me a ring when you come to Toronto and we can get together!

Thank you for the comprehensive overview of the Hours for Bright Week!

Alex

There is an Old Believer legend which places the seeds of the three trees in the mouth of Adam's corpse!

Spasi Khristos -
Mark, monk and sinner.

Bless me a sinner, Father Mark!

How fascinating - I shall always remember that!

One further question about the Entrance and Departure Bows.

As they are often done near the doorway, is it customary to keep a special icon near there for the purpose of making the bows?

Also, what is the Old Believer tradition with respect to the Inter-Hours - when are they said?

Alex

Dear Alex, since there is an ikon in every room we are never too far away from one when making the bows and there is usually one in sight. The main thing is to have the podruchnik there.

Regarding the inter-hours, I would just use them in their normal place. They are often associated with the fasts, but may be used throughout the year apart from Pentecost week, the Holy Days(Nativity to Theophany) and the week of meatfare and cheesefare. Of course, the Paschal hours also rules them out this week! Old Russian Orthodox sources, as treasured in the Old Rite, also rule out the inter-hours for the forefeasts and post-feasts of the Lord and the Mother of God.

Our problem is the lack of detailed instructions in the typika.

Spasi Khristos -
Mark, monk and sinner.

Bless me a sinner, Father Mark,

I'll have to put an icon in our foyer then . . .

And I'll use the inter-hours as you've indicated.

You are too wonderful for words!

Alex