Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete
Thursday of the 5th week of Great Lent
March 29, Tone 4
Wednesday Vespers with the Divine Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts: Kathisma 7.
Lord I
have Cried, Tone 8, 30 stichera, beginning from verse The sinners shall fall into their own net: Idiomelon of the Triodion x2 (In my wretchedness); Martyricon x1 (If there be any virtue);
three prosomia of the
Triodion (O Lord, Thou hast made);
then the 24 stichera of the Great Canon (I
have wasted all my life – Triodion,
p. 372ff), with bows (3 bows from the waist for each sticheron); G: Triodion (Ineffable is Thy compassion); N:
Theotokion (O condescension past all
speech).
Entrance
with the censer: O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon,
Tone 4: The Lord is the God of
vengeances; the God of vengeances hath spoken openly. Reading: Gen. 17:1-9.
Prokimenon, Tone 4: O sing unto the Lord
a new song. Reading: Prov. 15:20-16:9.
Let my prayer arise and
the rest of the Pre-sanctified Liturgy.
Small Compline is
served without canons and without prostrations. Kontakion of the Triodion, My soul, my soul.
Matins with the Great Canon (served Wednesday evening):
The
usual beginning for daily Matins.
The Six Psalms. Great Litany.
In
place of God is the Lord, we sing Alleluia, Tone 4 (verses and Hymns of the Trinity, from the
Horologion). The ending of the first hymn is for Thursday: though the intercessions of Thy holy apostles and Saint Nicholas, have
mercy on us.
Kathisma 8. Lord, have mercy x3.
Sessional Hymns from the
Octoechos, Tone 4 (Triodion,
p. 682f).
And the reading of the first
half of the life of St. Mary of Egypt.
Lord, have mercy x3; G/N: Psalm 50. The prayer Save,
O God, Thy people is not said.
Canon: The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. The troparia
are read by the priest in the middle of the temple. Before each troparion, we
sing Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy
on me, with three bows from the waist. Before troparia to St. Mary, we sing
Venerable mother Mary, pray to God for us,
and before troparia to St. Andrew, we sing Venerable
father Andrew, pray to God for us.
Before Odes 4, 8 and 9, the
two three-canticled canons from the Triodion are read without irmoi and without
bows, with the refrain, Holy apostles,
pray to God for us.
After Ode 3, Sessional Hymns from the Triodion (Divinely
shining lights; G: O company of the twelve apostles; N: The Son and Word of God). And the second
half of the life of St. Mary is read.
After Ode 6, Kontakion (My
soul, my soul), Ikos and Beatitudes for the Great Canon.
At Ode 9, More Honorable.
The Photagogica, Tone 4 (in
the Horologion). The ending of the first hymn is: though the intercessions, O Lord, of Thine Apostles and Saint Nicholas,
and save me.
The Praises (with no
stichera) and Small Doxology are read. Litany: Let us complete.
Aposticha: from the Triodion,
Tone 8 (Into the ambushes of thieves),
with the usual refrains from the Horologion.
It is good to give praise x1; Trisagion prayers; Standing in the temple. Lord, have
mercy x40; G/N: More honorable. In the name
of the Lord. Priest: He that is.
Reader: Amen. O Heavenly King. Prayer
of St. Ephrem, with 3 Great Prostrations. No dismissal for Matins, but instead
the first hour is begun.
First Hour: No
Kathisma. Troparia: In the morning
hearken unto my voice, is read (not sung) with bows from the waist.
Kontakion: My soul, my soul. After Thou Who at all times, the Prayer of St.
Ephrem, with 3 Great Prostrations. We do not read the concluding Trisagion, but
rather, immediately, O Christ the True
Light, and the full Dismissal of the day.
Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours: Kathismas
9, 10 and 11. The lenten troparia are read (not sung), with bows from the
waist.
Kontakion: My soul, my soul. After Thou Who at all
times, the Prayer of St. Ephrem, with 3 Great Prostrations. At the 6th Hour,
the troparion of the prophecy; and the prokimena and reading from the Triodion
(Triodion, p. 416).
Typika:
After the Ninth Hour, we read (not sing) the Beatitudes and Remember us, O Lord, then the rest of
the service of the Typica. After Our Father: Kontakion My soul, my soul. The Typica ends as follows: after the Prayer of St.
Ephrem with 3 Great Prostrations, then immediately: O All-Holy Trinity. Priest: Wisdom!
Choir: It is truly meet. Priest: O Most Holy Theotokos. Choir: More honorable. And the dismissal as
usual.
Vespers with the Liturgy of the
Presanctified Gifts: Kathisma 12.
Lord, I have cried, Tone 8, on 10:
Triodion 6 (Of mine own free will – Triodion, p. 416f); Saint 4 (O venerable father John – St. John Climacus, March 30th); G/N: Stavrotheotokion
in the Menaion (“What is this thing”
which mine eyes see?).
Entrance with the censer; O Gladsome Light; Prokimenon of the
Triodion, Tone 7: Exalt ye the Lord our
God, and worship the footstool of His feet, for He is holy. Reading: Gen.
18:20-33. Prokimenon of the Triodion, Tone 6: Shout with jubilation unto God, all the earth. Reading: Prov.
16:17-17:17.
Let my prayer arise, and the rest of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
Great Compline
Thursday night: is read without
canon (cf. Rozanov, pp. 645f.).