![]() Of the Divine Praises, but instead accompanies it on those days it is Liturgy, and with all other celebrations throughout the world Not onlyĭoes it bring those present into contact with realities that transcendĬreated time, but it is actually held "in common" with the heavenly The Paschal mystery of the suffering, death and Resurrection of JesusĬhrist, our Lord, God and Savior - stands outside of time. The texts for the services are found in the liturgical book called the Horologion, or "book of hours." TheĮucharistic Liturgy - the service in which the Church "makes present" Presence, and provide us with regular moments of prayer. To sanctify the day, keep the believer's mind attentive to God's Prayer at the beginning of the day's work Meditation on the unexpected coming of Christ Thanksgiving for creation Christ the light of the world Liturgical tradition around the world: Service The following table lists the services that are celebrated daily in monasteries and churches of the Byzantine It uses the hymns and readings appointed for the day's Divine Liturgy, and at one time included a service of Holy Communion. These prayer services are short, and can be memorized and prayed at home or at work.įinally, a short service called Typika may be celebrated on days when there is no Divine Liturgy. These times of prayer take their names from the Roman practice of dividing both the day and night into twelve equal periods or "hours" that is why, for example, the "third hour " is around 9 o'clock in the morning. If Litija was held the night before, then during the canon of Matins the faithful are anointed with the fragrant oil that was blessed at Vespers in honor, of the feast.Ĭhristianity inherited from the Jews the practice of praying several times during the day, and under monastic influence these prayers developed into the various Hours of the day ( First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours). ![]() Like Vespers, Matins is celebrated more solemnly on Sundays and feasts there is more singing and use of light and incense. ![]() Then we sing an extended form of the hymn of the angels, "Glory to God in the highest", and conclude with prayers for all the needs of the church and the world. ![]() After listening to psalms which progress from repentance for our sins to joy in God's presence, we listen to a Gospel reading (on Sundays and feasts) and chant the canon(s) of the day, followed by Psalms 148-150, the great psalms of praise that conclude the Psalter. The early morning service of Matins (called "Orthros" or "sunrise" in Greek) is a service of praise. Each of these services has its own character: the prayers of Compline ask for God's protection through the night, while the Midnight Office calls us to watchfulness for the coming of Christ, "like a thief in the night." These developed in to the office of Compline at bedtime (with a special form, Great Compline, on the evenings of fasting days) and the nocturnal vigil of the Midnight Office. In early Christianity, prayer at night was also common, either at home or in church. The evening prayer of Vespers marks the moment of sunset, and the beginning of the church's day. Vespers on the evening before a feast is especially solemn, with additional hymns and readings from Scripture, and may be extended with a special service called Litija, consisting of a procession through the church, prayers for the world,Īnd the blessing of bread, wheat, wine and oil (representing all God's gifts As the candles and lamps of the church are lit, the faithful welcome Christ with the hymn, "O Joyful Light", which according to Saint Basil the Great (330-379) is so ancient "no one knows who wrote it." These are followed by litanies and additional hymns, and the singing of the troparion of the day. On Saturday night (in preparation for Sunday) and the eves of feasts, there is a procession with lights and incense into the sanctuary. ![]() Led by a priest, the faithful chant psalms praising God's creation and asking for his help, along with special hymns called stichera that vary from one day to the next. The service of Vespers is particularly memorable in the Byzantine Rite. The offices of Vespers (at sunset) and Matins (at sunrise) are extremely ancient, and make use of the natural symbols of light and darkness to evoke thanksgiving and praise. Since early times, it was customary for Christians to gather in church to prayer. Liturgy > Daily services The Daily Cycle of ServicesĬhurch's day begins at evening, and its services run from sunset toĮvening came, and morning followed - the first day." ![]()
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