The Reader
Service Typikon
By Bishop Daniel
(Alexandrow) of Erie
Translated by
Archpriest George Lardas
An account in
brief of how to conduct the All-Night Vigil Service, that is to say, Vespers,
Compline, the Midnight Office, Matins, the Hours and the Typica, as well as the
Paraclesis [Molieben], if
there be no Priest.
An Analogion
[lectern] is placed before the icons, and thereon, the Gospel Book and a Cross.
If it be in Church, the analogion is placed in the nave before the Royal Doors.
(If there is no priest assigned to the church and regular reader services are
scheduled, then the analogion with the Gospel Book and the Cross is placed on the
bema in front of the Royal Doors outside of service times and only brought into
the center of the church before the beginning of each service.)
Beginning of
Vespers. The Eldest [or most senior] of those present, a Deacon, or a Reader,
or a Monk, or a simple layman, says: "Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus
Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us." This beginning occurs at every
service. And the Reader answers, "Amen." If the All-Night Vigil is
being served, the Reader passes at once to "O come let us worship"
[below], otherwise "O heavenly King," the Trisagion prayers through
the "Our Father:" and instead of "For thine is the
Kingdom," the Eldest says the Prayer of Jesus, "Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of God, have mercy on us." And the Reader says again,
"Amen." "Lord, have mercy," twelve times, "Glory, Both now," "O come let us worship," thrice,
and Psalm 103: "Bless the Lord, O my soul:" and "Alleluia,"
as usual. And instead of the Litany of Peace, we say: "Lord, have
mercy," twelve times, in chant, and "Glory, Both now." If,
however, a Deacon is also present, there being no Priest, he does not say the
Litany. And the Kathisma as usual, and instead of the Little Litany,
"Lord, have mercy," thrice, "Glory, Both now." And we chant
"Lord, I have cried," in the proper tone. While this is being sung,
the Eldest takes up the hand censer and places incense therein and, beginning
with the Gospel Book, censes all the Images thus: he makes the Sign of the
Cross with the censer and, placing the censer in his left hand, he makes the
Sign of the Cross and bows to the Image. But when he censes
the people, making the Sign of the Cross with the censer, he only bows, holding
the censer in his right hand. When there is no Priest, the Royal Doors are not opened,
nor their veil, there is neither censing within the Altar, nor an Entrance, but
when the stichera are completed, the Eldest says, "O joyous Light."
And the singers chant the rest as usual. And straightway the Reader or the Canonarch says: "The Prokeimenon
in the __ Tone." And the choir chants the Prokeimenon
in the usual way, with the verses being said by the Reader or Canonarch. But "Peace be unto all,"
"Wisdom" and "Let us attend" are not said. And if there are
Parables [Scripture readings], the Reader says the title, and straightway
begins to read. Instead of the Litany, "Let us all say," we say
"Lord, have mercy," twelve times, "Glory, Both now." And if
there is an Entreaty Procession [Lity], we sing the
stichera for the Entreaty; instead of "O Lord, save thy people,"
"Lord, have mercy," forty times, thirty times, and fifty times,
"Glory, Both now." And the stichera of the Aposticha, and the
appointed Reader says "Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,"
and the Trisagion. And after "Our Father," the Prayer of Jesus. The
Reader, "Amen;" and the Troparia according to the Typicon. Afterward,
"More honorable than the Cherubim," "Glory, Both
now," "Lord, have mercy," thrice. And the Eldest says the Dismissal in this
manner: If it is the Lord's Day: "Thou that didst rise from the dead, Lord
Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of thy most pure Mother,
and of St. N., (whose temple it is) and of SS. N., (whose day it is) and of all
the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for thou art good and lovest
mankind." But on other holy days, according as is proper. But on a simple
day; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God," and the rest. This Dismissal is
said facing toward the East. And then, "Amen." "Lord, have mercy,"
thrice, in chant. But when there is a Vigil, after "More honorable than
the Cherubim," and "Glory..., Both now...," we say "Amen. Blessed
be the name of the Lord from henceforth and for evermore" thrice. And the
first ten verses of Psalm 33, after which, we pass at once to Matins, beginning
with "Glory to God in the highest" and the Six Psalms, as usual.
BEGINNING OF
SMALL COMPLINE. "Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers" and the
Reader says, "Amen." "O Heavenly King" and the rest of Compline
as usual. But instead of, "For thine is the Kingdom" the Prayer of
Jesus: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us." After
"More honorable than the Cherubim," some say: "In the name of
the Lord, Father, bless." Inasmuch
as the Priest is not present, it were better not to
say it, but the Eldest says only, "Through the prayers of our Holy
Fathers." After the Dismissal, instead of the [mutual] Forgiveness, the
Prayer, "Absolve, pardon, forgive, O God." Then, instead of the
Litany, "For this land,"
bowing to the ground we say the Prayer, "Forgive, O Lord, Lover of
mankind, those who hate and offend us."
WE DO LIKEWISE
AT THE MIDNIGHT OFFICE.
THE BEGINNING OF
MATINS is from the Trisagion, with the Censing. After the Troparia "O
Lord, save thy people," instead of the Litany: "Lord, have
mercy," nine times, "Glory,
Both now," and the Eldest makes the Sign of the Cross with the censer
before the Gospel Book, saying, "Through the prayers of our Holy
Fathers;" and the Reader: Amen. "Glory to God in the highest"
and the Six Psalms. And instead of the Litany of Peace: "Lord, have
mercy," twelve times, "Glory, Both now." At "God is the
Lord," the Canonarch says the Verses, and the
Troparia in order, and the appointed Kathisma of the Psalter. Instead of the
Little Litany: "Lord, have mercy," thrice, "Glory, Both
now." And the Sessional Hymns [Sedalen] in
order. And the Reading from the Explanation of Blessed Theophylact [Commentary]
or other such book. After the second Kathisma likewise. And if it be the Lord's
Day, we chant "Blameless is the man" [Psalm 118] in three stases, and the Troparia, "The choir of angels"
If it be a feast day, we chant the Polyeleos, "Praise ye the name of the
Lord," and the selected Psalm with the Magnification. And instead of the Little
Litany: "Lord, have mercy," thrice, "Glory Both now," and
the Session Hymns and the Song of Ascents, according to the Typicon. Then the Canonarch or the Reader says the Prokeimenon
for the Resurrection or the Feast. Instead of the Ecphonesis
[Exclamation], the Prayer of Jesus, and, "Let every breath;" then,
"Lord, have mercy," thrice. The Eldest says the title of the Gospel,
and we chant: "Glory to thee, O Lord." And the Eldest reads the
Gospel, turning himself to the East. And at the end of it, again: "Glory
to thee, O Lord." And if it is the Lord's Day, "Having beheld the
Resurrection of Christ;" and Psalm 50, "Have mercy on me, O
God;" "Glory," "Through the prayers of the Apostles,"
and the rest, as usual. But we do not
say the Prayer, "O Lord, save thy people," but only, "Lord, have
mercy," twelve times, and the Prayer of Jesus. And then, "Amen,"
and we begin the Canons. At the Third Ode, after the Sessional Hymn, there is a
Reading. Likewise, at the Sixth Ode, after the Kontakion and the Ikos. At the Ninth
Ode, we sing the Magnificat with its refrain, "More honorable," and
there is a Censing. After the Ninth Ode, "It is truly meet," and a
prostration. We sing in the proper tone, "Holy is the Lord our God,"
and the Canonarch says the Verses. And we chant the
Psalms of the Praises [Lauds] and the stichera on the Lauds as usual, and after
the stichera, straightway we chant the Great Doxology, "Glory to God in the
highest;" and the Prayer of Jesus, and the Troparion. And instead of the
Litany, "Have mercy on us, O God:"
"Lord, have mercy," forty times, "Glory, Both now,"
and instead of "Let us complete our morning prayer:" "Lord, have
mercy," twelve times, "Glory, Both now," "Lord, have
mercy," twice, "Bless, O Lord," and the Dismissal as at
Vespers. And the Reader says: "O
come, let us worship;" and in order, the First Hour. After "Our Father," the Prayer of
Jesus. After "More honorable," "Through the prayers of our Holy
Fathers;" but the Reader says the prayer, "O Christ, the true
Light" Then, "Glory, Both now,"
"Lord, have mercy," twice, "Bless, O Lord." And the Lesser
Dismissal, "O thou that didst rise from the dead [if it be the Lord's
Day], Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of thy most pure
Mother and of our God-bearing Fathers, and of all the saints, have mercy on us
and save us, for thou art good and lovest mankind." And we:
"Amen." "Lord, have mercy," thrice.
BEGINNING OF THE
THIRD HOUR. The Eldest says, "Through the prayers of our Holy
Fathers;" and the Reader: "Amen." "O Heavenly King,"
and the rest. After "Our Father," the Prayer of Jesus, and after
"More honorable," "Through the prayers of our Holy
Fathers:" In the same way, we say the Sixth, and the Ninth. If the Sixth
Hour is said together with the Third, as before the Typica on Sundays and Feast
Days, we begin with "O come, let us worship."
THE TYPICA.
After the Prayer of the Ninth Hour, straightway Psalm 102 is said, "Bless
the Lord, O my soul;" "Glory," and Psalm 145, "Praise the
Lord, O my soul;" "Both now," "O Only-begotten Son;"
and the Beatitudes. On the Lord's Day and on Feasts, the stichera are said on
the verses of the Beatitudes, according to the Typicon. Then, "O come, let
us worship," and the appointed troparia. After this some chant the
Trisagion, but others omit it. Then the Prokeimenon, the
Epistle, and the Alleluia, with the Verses.
Then the Eldest says the title of the Gospel, and we: "Glory to
thee, O Lord." The Eldest reads the Gospel for the day, facing the East.
At the end, "Glory to thee, O Lord;" "The heavenly choir;"
"Glory," "The choir of angels;" "Both now,"
"I believe," "Absolve, pardon, forgive, O God;" "Our
Father;" the Prayer of Jesus, "Amen," and the kontakia according to the Typicon. "Lord, have
mercy," twelve times, and the prayer, "O All-holy Trinity;" and
"One is Holy;" in chant. After this: "Blessed be the name of the
Lord," thrice, in chant. "Glory, Both
now," and Psalm 33: "I will bless the Lord at all times;" and
"It is truly meet," or the Megalynarion [Zadostoynik], and a prostration. "Glory, Both now," "Lord, have mercy," twice,
"Bless, O Lord." And the Dismissal, as at Vespers; and after this
some appoint a Reading from the sermons of St. Chrysostom, or from the
Prologue, or from some other such book. And after the Reading, while the people
are venerating the Gospel and the Cross, we sing, in the 6th Tone:
"We who are walled about by the Cross are ranged against the enemy, not
fearing his devices and ambushes, for the proud one hath been destroyed and
trampled underfoot by the power of Christ crucified on the Tree." "Glory," first sticheron from the Lity for the patronal feast of the temple, Both now,
Theotokion from the Lity for the patronal feast of
the temple. At the end, "Lord, have mercy," thrice.
HOW TO CHANT A
PARACLESIS [MOLIEBEN] WHEN THERE IS NO PRIEST. Beginning: "Through the
prayers of our Holy Fathers;" "Amen." The Trisagion, and after
"Our Father," the Prayer of Jesus, "Amen." "Lord, have
mercy," twelve times, "Glory, Both now," "O come, let us
worship," thrice, and Psalm 142, "O Lord, hear my prayer;"
"Glory, Both now," "Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to thee,
O God," thrice. "Lord, have mercy," twelve times, "Glory, Both now," "God is the Lord" in the tone of
the Troparion, and the Troparia. Psalm
50, "Have mercy on me, O God;" the Prayer of Jesus, "Amen,"
and the Canon with the Irmosi (once each, but the
troparia in four). After each Ode, the Katavasiae,
"Deliver thy servants from harm;" or "Save thy servants from
harm;" and "Lord, have mercy," thrice, and three prostrations. At the Third Ode, "Glory, Both now,"
the Sessional Hymn. At the Sixth Ode, "Glory, Both now," the Kontakion
and the Ikos. The Prokeimenon of Matins, the Prayer
of Jesus, "Let every breath;" "Lord, have mercy," thrice,
and the Gospel, as at Matins, and the sticheron after the Gospel. Then the Irmos
of the Seventh Ode. After the Ninth Ode, "It is truly meet," or the Megalynarion, and a prostration. The Trisagion, and after
"Our Father," the Troparion, "Glory," the Kontakion,
"Both now," the Theotokion according to the tone of the Troparion.
And instead of the Litany, "Lord, have mercy," forty times,
"Glory, Both now," "More honorable,"
"Glory, Both now," "Lord, have mercy," twice, "Bless, O
Lord." And the Dismissal. He commemorates also the saint whose Paraclesis is chanted.
Translated by The Rev. George D. Lardas, Boston, MA, 1984.
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