Liturgy for Easter. Orthodox Faith - Vigil
◄ Section 21
HOLY ESSENCE OF HOLY EASTER HOLIDAY
The prior of the deacon censes the image, the upcoming deacon and then the deacon cenada the superior. After that, the abbot, facing the East, three times cross-shaped marks with a censer shuttered church doors and creates the beginning of matins (without the prior exclamation of the deacon "Bless, Vladyko"): "Glory to the Saints, and the Unified, Life-giving, and Divisible Trinity, always, now and ever, and forever and ever. ” Chorus: "Amen." The clergy sings three times troparion: "Christ is Risen." The choir repeats the troparion three times.
Then the clergy sings the verses: "May God rise again," the chorus after each verse of the troparion is "Christ is risen." After “And now,” the clergy sing the first half of the troparion, “Christ is risen,” the choir finished: “And bestowing those who exist in the tombs, having given the belly”.
At this moment, the church doors open, and the procession while singing “Christ is Risen” troparion enters the temple. All enter the temple, rejoicing and rejoicing, "seeing the King of Christ from the grave, as the Groom is happening."
The prior and his servants enter the altar, the deacon pronounces a great litany on the ground. After the great litany, the Paschal canon is sung, filled with unearthly joy - the creation of the great and inspired songwriter of the Monk (VIII c.). The initial words of the Hirmos of each song are sung in the altar, the choir continues the following words of the Hirmos. After each troparion of the song - the refrain “Christ is Risen from the Dead”. Each song ends with a repetition of the Hirmos and the final singing of the troparion “Christ is Risen”.
According to the Statutes, the canon should be sung at 16, the irmos at 4, and the tropari at 12.
During each canon's song, the priest with the deacon performs the censing of the altar, the iconostasis and the upcoming ones (it is necessary to censing the entire church). Making the census of the people, the priest greets the worshipers with the words "Christ is Risen." Believers answer: “Verily He has Risen,” and, looking to the Cross in the priest’s hand, sign themselves with the sign of the cross. For 8 songs, the deacon makes a deacon with a candle in his left hand. He also greets the people with the words "Christ is risen."
After each song and the final singing of the troparion “Christ is Risen,” the deacon utters a small litany, which consists of a special cry. These exclamations are given in the Typicon, the Colored Triodion and in the special book “Follow up to Holy and Great Easter Week and throughout Easter Week”. After 3 songs and ekteniy - ipakoi: "The morning beforehand was about Mary (Maria's companion), and the stone was removed from the coffin" (Myrrh-wives who arrived before dawn and found the stone rolled away from the coffin). After 6 songs and ekteniy - kondak "Ashe and in the grave descended hast, Immortal" and ikos "Hedgehog before the sun The sun set sometimes in the coffin" On 8 songs before the threefold "Father Almighty" sings the chorus "Most Holy Trinity, O God, thank You" . On 9 songs, the refrain “Christ is Risen from the Dead” is not sung, but special choruses are sung to the rhythm and the troparions. The first chorus to the irmos "My soul magnifies three days from the tomb of Christ the Life-giver." Each of the 9 songs is an ex-postilary of “Flesh asleep, supposedly dead” (three times) in the altar and on the choir.
To the praises: “Every breath” (ch. 1) and verses are resurrected on 4, after which Passover verses are sung with the verses “Let him rise again, and His enemies will be dispersed. Easter is sacred to us this day. ” When singing Easter verses, clergy usually christize in the altar. Christianship with believers because of the crowd is usually postponed until the end of the service.
After the verse, the “Word of the Saint” is read, beginning with the words: “As for anyone who is pious and God-loving.” In this word, on the basis of the parable of those who worked in the vineyard (), everyone is called upon to enjoy the bright triumph and enter the joy of our Lord. After this Paschal word, the troparion is sung to St. John Chrysostom - the only song of the saint in the service of Easter.
Then two litany are pronounced: "Have mercy on us, O God" and "Let's fulfill our Lord's morning prayer." After the exclamation "Your bo is, he is sweet," the deacon proclaims: "Wisdom." Chorus: "Bless." The rector: "This is blessed is Christ our God." Chorus: “Amen. Affirm God. The abbot with a cross in his hand sings: "Christ is risen from the dead" (instead of: "Glory to Thee, Christ God"). The chorus finishes: "He bestowed upon those in the graves who gave the belly." The abbot with the cross makes a release: "Christ, who has risen from the dead, death, redeeming death, and our bestowed true God in the tombs, is our true God." This release is going on at all Easter services.
After the dismissal, overshadowing the people with the Cross on three sides, the rector utters a greeting three times: “Christ is Risen”, and the people answer three times: “Truly Risen”. The choir sings the troparion: "Christ is risen" (three times). "And to us the eternal belly has been given, we worship to His three-day resurrection." Then the chorus proclaims the longevity of His Holiness the Patriarch.
EASTER WATCHES
Easter hours are sung on Easter and on Holy Week. On Easter (Light) Week, 1 hour is sung after Matins, 3 and 6 hours - before the Liturgy and 9 hours - before the evening.
1 hour.After the exclamation: “Blessed be our God,” the choir sings the troparion: “Christ is risen” (three times); “The Resurrection of Christ, seeing” (three times); Ipakoi: “Preemptive morning is about Mary”; Kondak: "Ashe and in the tomb degraded hast, Immortal"; troparion: "In the tomb is carnal, in hell with the soul like God"; "Glory": "Jacob the Life-Giving Bearer, who is the heaven of the most beautiful"; “And now”: “The Most Highly consecrated Divine Settlement, rejoice”; "Lord, have mercy" (40); "Glory, and Now": "Honest Cherub"; "In the name of the Lord, bless, Father." Priest: "By the prayers of our saints our father." Chorus: “Amen. Christ is risen ”(three times); "Glory, and now"; "Lord, have mercy" (3); "Bless."
A priest with a cross in his hand creates a release: “Christ, risen from the dead, redeeming death by death” (the saints on leave are not commemorated during the whole week).
3, 6 and 9 hours. They are sung in the same way as 1 hour. In the daily circle of worship, they occupy the place of pentecheria and the midnight plate. 3 and 6 hours are usually sung together (without release after 3 hours).
3 and 9 hours, as well as 1 hour, begin with the cry of the priest: "Blessed is our God." 6 and 9 hours also end with release.
During the chanting of hours on Easter, proskomedia and common censing are performed. Immediately after the clock, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is celebrated.
LITURGY
The liturgy at Easter is "wounded", labor for the sake of the vigil, who was throughout Easter night.
The rite of consecration of artos consists in the following. On sola, on a cooked table, artos is supposed to (there may be several). Through the pre-ambient prayer, the priest performs the censing of artos. Deacon: "Let us pray to the Lord." The priest reads a prayer from the Book of Refuge (Part 2) for the consecration of the artos: "God, the Almighty, and Lord Almighty." Chorus: "Amen." The priest sprinkles artos with holy water, saying: “Blessed and consecrated is the artos with the sprinkling of the water of the holy water, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen "(3). Choir instead:" Wake the Name of the Lord "sings:" Christ is Risen "(3). The priest instead of" Glory to Thee, Christ God "sings troparion:" Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death ". “And bestowing existence upon the graves, having bestowed upon the belly.” And there is a release of the Liturgy, as in the morning.
On Easter Day, the consecration of Easter cakes (homemade artos), pasoh, as well as eggs and "meat meats" as the first things of food, which from this time is allowed to be eaten by the laity, are also performed. The consecration of the “brush of meats” happens outside the temple, since meat is not supposed to be brought into the temple. The priest reads a prayer from the Book of Requirement: "In the hedgehog, bless the brash, meat in the Holy and Great Easter Week."
During the sprinkling process, the Easter canon and other Easter chants are sung with holy water.
If the blessing of cakes and pasoh takes place on Great Saturday before Holy Matins, then the Easter chants at this consecration are not supposed to be sung - you should sing the troparion of Great Saturday: "If you have come down to death, Your stomach is immortal."
GREAT NIGHT ON EASTER EASTER DAY
The features of the great vespers on Easter Day are as follows:
Vespers begins at 9 o'clock, which is sung according to the Paschal rite. During 9 o'clock, the priest puts on all priestly robes.
The priest says, “The blessing of our God,” vesper, says the priest, inscribing a cross with a censer. Then the same beginning as in the morning and at the Liturgy.
Entrance with the gospel.
The great prokiemen: “Who is the God of God, as our God? Thou art God, work wonders. ”
After the prokimna the deacon: "And about us be granted the hearing of the holy Gospel." A priest in the royal gates facing the people reads the Gospel of John (test 65,) about the appearance of the Lord to the apostles on the evening of the Resurrection. A priest reading a Gospel in the royal gates facing the people serves as a reminder of the first appearance of the Lord to the apostles, when He taught them peace as a sign that the Gospel sermon about the Savior "went out to the whole earth" to all nations.
"Witness, Lord" is sung. After the verse "Thy Resurrection, Christ the Savior", the verses of Easter are sung. Then there is the end of vespers, as well as Easter matins. The deacon says: "Wisdom." Priest: "This is blessed Christ our God." Chorus: "Affirm, O God." Priest: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death upon death." Choir: "And bestowing existence to the graves, giving the belly". A priest with a cross in his hands creates a release: "Christ is risen from the dead."
PECULIARITIES OF THE EASTERN SERVICE AT THE EASTER (LIGHT) SEDMITSA
Easter holiday has always been for Christians the brightest, universal, long-lasting triumph. Since the time of the apostolic Christian holiday, Easter, like the Old Testament Easter (), lasted seven or eight days, if you count all the days of the continuous celebration of Easter until Fomin Monday. The Fathers of the Church and the church rules (VI Ecumenical Council, rule 66) command believers throughout Holy Week "to practice psalms and chants and spiritual songs in holy churches, rejoicing and triumphing in Christ." This whole week, called Great or Light, is like one great and bright holiday.
Therefore, in the liturgical respect, the Easter week is like a single holiday: all the days of this week of worship (matins, hours, liturgy and vespers), in general, are the same as on the first day of Easter:
All divine services at Bright Week are held at the open royal gates in commemoration of the fact that the Lord, by His Resurrection, opened the doors of heaven to those who believe in Him.
The Royal Doors remain open after the service (beginning on Easter Day) for the entire week.
Throughout Easter Week, the beginning and end of church services are performed in the same way as on the first day. Only the procession takes place not before the matins, as it happens on the very day of the feast, but at the end of the Liturgy.
In the morning the Easter canon is sung, in addition, at the end of each song, the Most Holy Mother of God Saints Theophanes and Joseph are sung, printed in the Colored Triodion in the follow-up of the Week of Holy Myrrh-Bearers, as well as in a separate book of Easter services. The reproduction is indicated only at the beginning of the canon, but usually it also happens on 1, 3, 6 and 9 songs. The priest commits each of the services with a candle (or a trice-book) and a cross. Ekteny are not pronounced after each song, but only after 3, 6 and 9.
In the morning the “Word of the public” of St. John Chrysostom is not read and there is no Christening. Verses - in the morning of each day are sung in a different voice.
Hours - as at Easter.
Vespers at Easter Week are preceded by Easter 9 hours and have the same follow up as on the first day, besides, there is an entrance to the evening with a censer (and not the Gospel). The gospel, respectively, is not read.
Great prokimny, for every day special. At vespers every day - different voices. Vespers are served only in stole and felonies.
If on Holy Week, starting on Monday, the feast of the great saint (for example, St. George - April 23, Art.) Or the temple feast, then the songs in honor of the saint: poems, troparion, canon, and others. At vespers, read the paraemias; in the morning, the polyel is sung, exponential, 1 antiphon 4 voices, the Gospel and the prayer are read: "Save, O God, Thy people." Great praise does not happen. At the Liturgy - the Apostle, the Gospel and the sacrament of the day and saint.
There is a custom on Friday of Bright Week to follow up in honor of the renewal of the temple. The Blessed Virgin, called the Life-Giving ("Life-Giving") Source. On vespers and matins, special poems are sung in honor of the Virgin Mary, in the morning - the canon of Saint Nikifor Kallistos (XIV century).
At the Liturgy - the procumene, the Apostle and the Gospel - of the day and the Virgin. After the Liturgy, a small consecration of water is usually performed.
FOMINA WEEK (FOMINO SUNDAY)
Bright Week ends (on the eighth day) - Week (Sunday) about the Apostle Thomas, also called St. Thomas Week, which since the end of Bright Week since ancient times was a special celebration, as if a repetition of Easter Day itself, which is why it was called Antipassion (Greek - “instead of Easter” ).
From this day begins the circle of weeks and weeks of the whole year. On this day, for the first time, the memory of the Resurrection of Christ is updated, therefore Antipaskh Week was also called the New Week, that is, the first, as well as the Update Day or simply the Update. Such a name is all the more appropriate for this day, because it was on the eighth day that the Lord favored “renewing” the joy of the Resurrection with His appearance to the holy apostles, including the Apostle Thomas, who by the touch of the ulcers of the Lord made sure of His Resurrection (in remembrance of this event the Week was called "Fomina's weeks").
The name of Sunday about Thomas, Day of Renewal, also indicates the need for our spiritual renewal. An indication of this we find in many chants of the service of the Week. Already in the tropar of the feast, the resurrected Lord, who appeared to the apostle Thomas, is glorified as “all the Resurrection,” as the One Who renews the right spirit in us: “The Spirit is right by those (ie, apostles) renewing to us.” “Having made us His Cross with the new, instead of the old, the incorruptible instead of the perishable, Christ commanded us in the renewal of life worthy of dwelling.”
The glorious suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ was followed by His glorious resurrection, which made us a “new creature.” The spring of renewal of our souls has come. “This is spring for the souls, for Christ the dark storm of our sin is gone.” "The queen of times (spring) cheers the chosen people of the church." "Today the spring is fragrant, and the new creature rejoices."
Pointing to the spring renewal of nature, awakening under the life-giving rays of the sun after a winter sleep, the service on Fomin's Week urges Christians to wake up from the sinful sleep, turn to the Sun of Truth - Christ, open their souls to the life-giving action of grace and, having strengthened their faith, together with the apostle Thomas joyfully exclaim: "My Lord and my God!"
At the same time, the Holy Church, in its chants of St. Thomas's Week, pointing us to the joyful truth of the Resurrection of the Lord, turns its pious glance at the truth of His Divinity and humanity. As the God-man, Christ was the conqueror of death and hell. Resurrected from the tomb, “like from the palace, with His Most Pure Flesh,” He appeared to the disciples and the Apostle Thomas, who were together with the doors closed. Christ, showing His plagues on his hands and feet, convincing all the apostles and the Apostle Thomas that He did not rise with a ghostly but with real old flesh, said to them: "In Me you see, oh, friends, acceptance, not spirit I wear nature. But to the doubting disciple (Thomas), thou didst command anxiously to touch (Himself),<...> but he (ie, Thomas), feeling with your hand Your Special Essence, fearfully screaming with fear, draw faith: my Lord and my God. ”
And the Gospel, which is read in the Liturgy this Week (test 65), tells us that "Blessed are those who have not seen and who have believed" () Blessed are those who, under the guidance of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church, come to know the Word of God, approach with humility, “touch Him by testing” His Divine truths, to wise into salvation, experimentally affirm faith and together with the Apostle Thomas exclaim: “My Lord and my God ! ”
PECULIARITIES OF WATCH IN THE WEEK OF ANTIPASCH (FOMINO SUNDAY)
Before the beginning of the all-night vigil (before 9 o'clock), the royal gates are closed (they are usually closed on Saturday of Holy Week after the release of the Liturgy). The Fomin Week is the Week of the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ, but according to the content of the divine service it is devoted mainly to the remembrance of the appearance of Christ after the resurrection of the apostles, including the apostle Thomas. The Charter says that on Antipaskh Week, just as on the Twelfth Holidays, Sunday chants from Oktoih are not sung, but all the divine service of the feast is performed according to the Triodion. Easter songs are not sung either: Easter stichera are not sung at vespers or mornings, there is no Easter canon in the morning, which is repeated in the following Weeks; only as katavasii are the passions of the Paschal canon sung.
Such a construction of the service is intended to make more explicit the subject of this celebration, which in itself is the most excellent testimony and proof of the truthfulness of the resurrection of Christ, which we have triumphed throughout Easter Sunday.
Beginning with Fomin Sunday, the Psalter's poetry resumes at the services (singing “Blessed is the husband”, kafizmy on vespers and matins, polyelles, etc.). All-night vigil and all everyday services, as well as the Liturgy, after Holy Week are performed in the usual manner (with the exception of certain features).
At the beginning of the great vespers on Antipaskh Week, before the Six Psalms on the morning and after the initial cry of the Liturgy, the troparion is sung three times: “Christ is Risen from the Dead”; the same is true before the release of the Liturgy (for more on this, see below).
In the morning on the polyelean troparion: "Angelic Cathedral" is not sung. Before the icon "Descent into Hell" (Resurrection of Christ) or before the Gospel after the polyeleus, the magnification is sung: "We magnify thee, Zhivodavche Christ, for the sake of us in hell came and with Him all resurrected." The power of not the current 1 voice, but the first antiphon of the 4 voice - “From my youth”.
The canon is a “holiday”, but not Easter: “We drink to all people”. Katavasiya - Easter rituals: "Resurrection Day". Chorus to the troparums of the canon of the “holiday” according to Triodi: “Glory to You, O God, glory to You”. 9 songs "Honest Cherubim" is not sung; The deacon performs the customary censing and, in front of the local image of the Mother of God, sings the irmos: "To you, svetlu light. The chorus continues: "And the Mother of God, the supreme glory and the highest of all creatures, we sing with songs."
At the Liturgy: figurative, zadostnik: "The angel cries for grace" and "Shine, shine." At the end of the Liturgy, instead of “Videh the true light”, “Christ is Risen” (once) is sung. By the cry: “Glory to Thee, Christ, God” - “Christ is Risen” - three times. And let go: “The risen from the dead is Christ, our true God” (the same let go in the morning).
The celebration of the Antipaskh Week lasts until Saturday; on Saturday - surrender. During the whole week of St. Thomas - troparion, kontak, prokimen and participator - of the holiday.
In the evening of Antipaskhi, a great vespers takes place in the evening. After the initial exclamation, the reader reads three times the troparion: “Christ is Risen,” then: “Come, we shall worship” and Psalm 103. There are no kathisms. Entrance with censer. The great prokiemen: “Who is the God of God, as our God? Thou art God, work wonders. ” Then the usual succession of the great vespers. According to the Trisagion and “Our Father” - the troparion of St. Minee; "Glory, and now" is the troparion of the feast.
After St. Thomas Week, vespers on Sundays before Pentecost are without an entrance and the great prokimna is like every day.
On Monday or Tuesday after Fomin Sunday, is the day of Easter commemoration of the dead, known as Radonitsa. In Triodion there is no service for this day. Usually after the evening or morning worship (Liturgy), a complete dirge is performed at which Easter songs are sung. A memorial service for the departed (memorial service) is also performed on cemeteries and graves on this day, where believers, along with prayer, bring to their departed relatives and all Orthodox Christians the joyful news of the resurrection of Christ, foreseeing the general resurrection of the dead and life "in the eternal day of Christ's Kingdom."
With Fomina Nedelya, the usual commemoration of the departed begins every day (requiem, tretiny, nineteen, sorokosta, etc.), and the sacrament of marriage begins.
PECULIARITIES OF SERVICES OF SUNDAY AND SEDMIC DAYS FROM FOMINA OF THE WEEK
(FOMINA SUNDAY) BEFORE DEDICATING EASTER
The weekly divine services from Easter (from Fomina’s Week) to Pentecost consist of songs: 1) Easter; 2) Sunday (according to the voice of the Week) and 3) Color Triodion. All these chants are collected and sequentially set out in the Colored Triodion.
Easter chants are denoted in liturgical books by the word "Easter" (for example, "Canon of Easter"). Sunday hymns are designated by the word "resurrected" (for example, "verses are resurrected"). Triode's chants are designated by the words: "Triodi," "feast," "Triodi feast," "the realities of the Week," or the name of the Week: myrrh-bearing, relaxed, blind; or the word - "bottom" (for example, "sedale bottom").
For seven days after the Day of the Prevention, that is, in the days of the Second Preobrazheniya festivities, the word “holiday” refers to the chants of the Prevention, but not the chants of the Weekend Week or the Samaritan Week.
In all the Colored Triodi Week, Minea is not sung, with the exception of the services of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious, the Holy Apostle and the Evangelist John the Theologian, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the temple holiday: the services of the Holy Minees are sung in the serfs.
On weekdays, from the St. Thomas Day to Easter Resignation, the services of the Colored Triodion are connected with the services of Minea, while the chants of the Triodion (poems, tropari, canons) everywhere lead in front of Minea.
THE SINGING AND READING OF THE TROPPER: "CHRIST IS RISEN."
From St. Thomas's Week to Easter Resignation, all services begin after the priest exclaims by singing three times or reading the troparion: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death upon death”
The clergy at the beginning of the all-night vigil and the singers in the choir before the Six Psalms after the exclamation: "The blessing of the Lord is upon you."
At the Liturgy, after the exclamation “The Blessed Kingdom”, the clergy in the altar sing troparion “Christ is Risen” twice, and the third time only its beginning; the choir concludes: “He bestowed upon those who exist in the tombs” (the royal doors of Christ the Risen open to singing). On the Liturgy, instead of “Videh true light”, “Christ is Risen” (once) is sung, the other following Liturgy is as usual. Thus, after the exclamation: “With the fear of God,” the chorus sings: “Blessed is the One Who is in the name of the Lord” (but not “Christ is Risen,” as at Easter). After the exclamation: “Always, now and ever” - the song “Let our lips be fulfilled.” At the end of the Liturgy, before the release, on the cry: “Glory to Thee, Christ, God”, “Christ is Risen” is sung three times (soon). At the end of all other services (vespers, matins, and others) before the dismissal after the exclamation: “Glory to You, Christ, God” - the usual end: “Glory, and now” and so on.
According to another practice, adopted, for example, in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the troparion "Christ has risen" at the beginning of the all-night vigil, before the Six Psalms, at the beginning and at the end of the Liturgy, is sung once in the altar by the clergy and twice on the choir.
Troparion: “Christ is Risen” is also sung at the beginning of prayer, requiem, baptism, funeral and other services.
The troparion “Christ is risen” is read at the beginning of all the other services of the diurnal circle: at daily vespers, matins, on the clock, except for 6 hours, which, when combined with 3 hours, usually begins with reading “Come, we will worship”.
Heavenly King cannot be read or sung until the feast of Pentecost. Weekly matins begins with hexapalimia (two psalmie is not readable).
On the Sunday All-Night Vigil, Easter stichera with the refrains "May God rise again" are sung only after the verse at the verse of the great vesper, and the holiday stichera is sung at the "Glory". At the end of the verse "Christ Is Risen" is sung only once, at the conclusion of the last verse. In the verses of the praises Easter verses are not sung. On weekdays, Easter stichera are not sung either.
On Sunday all-night vigils, "The Resurrection of Christ, having seen it," is sung three times. This is a distinctive feature of the Colored Triodion Weeks before Easter is compared to the Pentecost Weeks. On the seventeenth day of the morning, “The Resurrection of Christ, having seen it,” is sung (after Kathisma) once.
The Canon of Easter with the Theotokos is sung in conjunction with the Canon of the Week in the Week of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women, as well as in the Week of the Relaxed, of the Samaritan and of the Blind. To the Mother of God Troparians chorus: "Most Holy Theotokos, save us." To the troparions of Triodio chorus: "Glory to Thee, O God, glory to Thee." The final “Christ is Risen” (3) is not sung at the end of each song.
For 9 songs, the Easter choruses are not sung, 9 songs are sung immediately after 8 as follows. Iirmos: “Shine, shine”, chorus: “Christ is risen from the dead” and troparion: “Oh Divine, o dear”, then chorus and troparion: “Oh, Easter, veliya”, virgin tropari with chorus: “Holy Mother of God, save us ", After them the tropari of the canon of Triodion are read with a refrain to the trails:" Glory to Thee, O God, glory to Thee. " After the canon - exxtilary of Easter.
On the seven-week days, the canon of Easter is not sung. On some holidays it is supposed to sing on the katavasii of the Easter Hirmos (but not the whole canon). The instruction of the Charter on singing on weekdays from the Week of St. Thomas to the giving of Easter of the “canon of the holiday” should be understood in the sense that the canon of the previous Week is sung from the Colored Triodion (St. Thomas, myrhos, etc.), or the Preparations ( from the feast of the Prevention to his surrender).
Regarding the singing of the Paschal canon, it should be noted that he is sung on matins only 12 times a year, namely: during all seven days of Easter week, in the week of myrrh-bearing women, about the relaxed one; about the Samaritan and the blind, as well as the Easter.
In all Weeks before the giving of Easter, the Honest Cherubim is not singing. ("The Honest Cherubim" is not sung in cases where the canon of Easter is sung). But in the daily services, the “Honest Cherubim” is sung.
Eksapostilarii "Flesh fallen asleep," we sing in the same Week, when the canon of Easter is sung. When singing the canon and ekspostilariya royal gates open.
In the first hour, it is customary to sing instead of "Climbed Governor" kontakion "Ashe and descended into the grave descended."
On Sundays and Sundays (if the Twenty-Feast does not Happen), during the singing of the Color Triodion, liturgies are always sung at the Liturgy. Fine arts (but not daily antiphons).
At the Liturgy after the small entrance, after the Sunday troparion and the konkak of the Triodion, the kontakion of Easter is sung.
At the Liturgy, instead of “Worthy” it is sung: “The angel cries out for grace” and “Shine and shine.”
Easter Participant: “Receive the Body of Christ,” is sung all the days until Easter is given, except for the week of St. Thomas and the Preparation with his afterfeast.
On Sunday and Week from St. Thomas Week before Easter, let Sunday be pronounced: “The Risen Christ from the dead, our true God,” but not Easter (it is pronounced only once after the Holy Week, after the Liturgy on the day of the Easter giving).
Prostrations for public worship until Holy Pentecost Charter repeals.
By this time, those who bear the Altar Cross, banners, a lantern and the image of the Resurrection must stand in a certain order opposite the royal gates, near the solea; singers also get up here (usually the one who carries the lantern gets up in advance, at the end of the midnight sun, far from Solei (almost in the middle of the temple); in front of him, closer to the church, is carrying the Cross, even closer to the church - those who carry the banners and swordsmen with large candles, even closer - singers in the ranks, near the same solei - bearing the image of the Resurrection, the temple and honored image). All rise first to the east, and when the procession begins, everyone immediately turns to the West and calmly, without constraining each other, opens the procession. Behind the choristers and the icon of the Resurrection are pairs: deacons with censer and priests (younger). Behind the priests, in the middle, is the abbot with the Tristochnik and the Cross in his left hand and with a censer in his right. Behind him on the right is a senior deacon with a candle.
At the closed western doors, the participants in the procession stop in this order: at the very doors of the temple, facing west, the Cross bears, and on its sides are the bearing banners. Before the Cross, farther from the door, also facing west, there is a carrier of the Resurrection, and behind it are the messengers with large candles and a torch. Those who carried other shrines are located on the sides of the image of the Resurrection in their hands - also facing west (sometimes the icon of the Resurrection and the Gospel are carried by younger priests). The priest (rector) stands against the image of the Resurrection, facing east.
In the ancient statutes of the Greek and Russian Churches nothing is said about the procession of the cross around the temple. In ancient times, the Paschal matins began either directly in the narthex, from which it was later transferred to the temple to sing Matins, or the priest went out into the narthex from the altar through the north doors, or directly through the west and began to wake in the narthex. So it was with us before the appearance of the Jerusalem Charter. The current order of commencement of matins received its origin in the 15th century, and finally became firmly established in the liturgical practice of the Russian Church in the 17th century, according to the custom of the Church of Jerusalem, in which the procession into the dummy before the beginning of Easter maturation was performed. In the rest of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the beginning of Easter matins is similar to the order outlined in the Typicon and the most ancient Greek liturgical books.
A priest who serves on the day of Easter the Liturgy, together with the morning, must perform the entrance prayers before the night or immediately after the Easter night, and then put on the dress (reading the proper prayers) in full vestments. As for the content of entrance prayers, in view of the fact that penitential tropari occupy the first place, it is recommended that in the days of Holy Easter, according to the tradition of most monasteries, to perform entrance prayers according to the following order: after the initial cry and the threefold “Christ is Risen” read from the following hours: “ Before the morning "," Ashe and into the grave descended hast "," In the tomb is carnal, "" Glory "-" Yako the Life-bearer "," And now "-" Highest consecrated Divine village ", and then from the usual input prayers be sure to read:" Your pure image "," iloserdiya exist, Whether the source "and" Lord, nizposli thy hand. " And so on throughout Holy Week before the Liturgy (see: Collection of Solutions to Perplexing Questions from Pastoral Practice. Issue 1. Kiev, 1903. P. 177–178, 181-182).
The order of the crushing of the artos is specified in the “Additional Requiem” and in “The Requnnik in 2 parts” (Part 1). see also "Archpriest S. V. Bulgakov". Handbook for clergy. Kiev, 1913.
For more information on the conjunction of the Color Triodion with the Minea on weekdays from the Week of St. Thomas to the giving of Pentecost, the singing of the troparios, etc., see the "Divine Service Instructions" for 1950 and 1951. Part 2.
What is Easter Worship? How is it going? What does a parishioner need to do? All these questions you will know the answer from the article!
How is the Easter service and the procession at Easter going?
Easter Worship is especially solemn. Christ of Bo East: eternal joy, - sings the Church in the canon of Easter.
Since ancient, apostolic times, Christians have been awake on the holy and pre-celebratory saving night of the Bright Resurrection of Christ - the night of the radiant of the luminous day, waiting for the time of its spiritual liberation from the work of the enemy (Church Charter in Easter week).
Shortly before midnight, a night of midnight bread is served in all the temples, at which the priest and deacon proceed to Shroud and, having performed the censing of her surroundings, while singing the words of the katavasia of the 9th song “I will rise more and be glorified” Raise the Shroud and carry it to the altar. The Shroud is believed to be on the Holy See, where it must remain until Easter Resignation.
Easter matins, “The joy of the Resurrection of our Lord from the dead”, begin at 12 o'clock at night. When approaching midnight, all the clergy in full robe become the order of the Throne. Priests and worshipers in the temple lit candles. At Easter, before the very night, solemn news announces the coming of the great moment of the Light-bearing Holiday of the Resurrection of Christ. In the altar begins quiet singing, gaining strength: "Your Resurrection, Christ the Savior, the Angels sing in heaven, and on the earth we will be glorified with the pure heart". At this time, from the height of the bell tower pouring jubilant Easter pealing.
The procession on Easter night is the procession of the Church towards the risen Savior. The procession takes place around the temple with continuous trezvone. In the light, exultant, stately, while singing “Thy Resurrection, Christ the Savior, the Angels sing in heaven, and on the earth make us glorify You with the pure heart”, The church, as a spiritual bride, goes, as they say in sacred chants, “Funny feet in meeting the outgoing Christ from the grave, like a bridegroom”.
Ahead of the procession of the procession is a lantern, behind it is the altar cross, the altarpiece of the Mother of God, then go in two rows, in pairs, banner bearers, singers, messengers with candles, deacons with their candles and censers and behind them priests. In the last pair of priests, the one on the right carries the gospel, and the one on the left is the icon of the Resurrection. The procession is completed by the primate of the temple with the trisveshnik and the Cross in his left hand.
If there is only one priest in the temple, then in the swaddles of the icon of the Resurrection of Christ and the Gospel are laymen.
Bypassing the temple, the procession stops in front of the closed doors, as if before entering the cave of the Holy Sepulcher. The holy shrines stop near the door, facing west. The pealing ceases. The rector of the church and the clergy three times sing the joyful Easter troparion: “Christ is risen from the dead, having redeemed death and bestowing upon those in the tombs bestowing his belly” ().
This song is picked up and sung three times by other priests and the choir. Then the priest recites the verses of the ancient prophecy of St.. King David: "May God be resurrected and thrown at His opposition ...", and the choir and the people in response to each verse sing: "Christ has risen from the dead ..."
Then the clergy sing poems:
“May God be resurrected and His enemies be scattered. And let him flee from the face of him that hate him. ”
“The smoke disappears, let it disappear, and the wax melts away from the face of the fire.”
"So let the sinners perish from the person of God, and the righteous, let them rejoice."
“This day, God create, let us rejoice and rejoice in it.”.
For every verse singers sing troparion "Christ is Risen".
Then the primate or all the priests sing “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death upon death”. Singers finish “And bestowing existence to the graves, having given the belly”.
Church doors are opened, and a procession with this glad tidings is marching to the temple, just as the myrrh-bearing wives went to Jerusalem to announce to the disciples about the Resurrection of the Lord.
Singing: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death upon life and bestowing life on the tombs” - the doors open, the worshipers enter the temple, and the singing of the Easter canon begins.
The Paschal Matins is followed by the Divine Liturgy and the consecration of the artos, a special bread with the image of the Cross or the Resurrection of Christ (it is kept in the temple until the next Saturday when it is distributed to believers).
During the service, the priest greets again and again with joy all those praying with the words “Christ is Risen!” And every time the prayers answer: “Truly Risen!”. At short intervals, the clergy change their robes and go around the temple in red, yellow, blue, green and white vestments.
At the end of the service is read. In the evening on Easter, an amazingly beautiful and joyful Easter Vespers is served.
Seven days are celebrated, that is, the whole week, and therefore this week is called Bright Easter Week. Every day of the week is also called bright - Bright Monday, Bright Tuesday. The Royal Doors are open throughout the week. On Light Wednesday and Friday there is no fasting.
The entire period before Ascension (40 days after Easter) the Orthodox greet each other with the greeting “Christ is Risen!” And the answer “Truly Risen!”.
The Easter holiday was established in the times of the Old Testament in memory of the deliverance of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. Among the ancient Jews, Pascha was celebrated on 14–21 Nisan - the beginning of our March.
In Christianity, Easter is the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Feast of the victory of life over death and sin. Orthodox Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday, after the spring full moon, which occurs on or after the spring equinox, but not earlier than the spring equinox.
Until the end of the 16th century, Europe lived according to the Julian calendar, and in 1582 Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new style, the Gregorian, the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendar is 13 days. Orthodox Church does not transfer to the Gregorian calendar, since the celebration of Easter on this calendar may coincide with the Jewish Easter, which is contrary to the canonical rules of the Orthodox Church. In some countries, for example, in Greece, where the Orthodox Church switched to the Gregorian calendar, the celebration of Easter is still performed according to the Julian calendar.
What is the Easter canon?
Easter canon, the creation of St. John of Damascus, constituting the most essential part of the Paschal Matins, is the crown of all spiritual songs.
The Easter canon is an outstanding work of church literature not only from the pomp of its external form, but also in its internal virtues, in the strength and depth of the thoughts contained in it, in the height and richness of its content. This deeply informative canon introduces us to the spirit and meaning of the very feast of the Resurrection of Christ, makes us comprehensively experience the soul and understand this event.
On each song of the canon the censing is made, the clergy with a cross and a censer, in the front of the lamps, bypass the whole church, filling it with incense, and joyfully greet everyone with the words “Christ is Risen!”, To which the believers answer “Truly Risen!”. These numerous priests from the altar remind of the frequent appearances of the Lord to His disciples after the Resurrection.
About Easter hours and Liturgy
In many churches, the clock and the Liturgy immediately follow the end of Matins. Easter hours are read not only in the temple - the entire Easter week is usually read instead of morning and evening prayers.
During the chanting of the hours before the Liturgy, the deacon with the deacon's candle performs the usual censing of the altar and the whole temple.
If in the church Divine services are celebrated conciliarly, that is, by several priests, then the Gospel is read in different languages: in Slavic, Russian, as well as in the ancients, to which the apostolic preaching extended, in Greek, Latin, and in the languages of the peoples most known in terrain
During the reading of the Gospel, the so-called “brute force” is performed on the bell tower, that is, they strike each bell once, starting from the smallest.
The custom of giving each other at Easter appeared as early as the first century after Christ. Ecclesiastical tradition says that in those days it was customary when visiting the emperor to bring him a gift. And when the poor apprentice of Christ, St. Mary Magdalen, came to Rome to the emperor Tiberius with the preaching of faith, she presented Tiberius with a simple chicken egg.
Tiberius did not believe in the story of Mary about the Resurrection of Christ and exclaimed: “How can someone rise from the dead? It’s just as impossible as if that egg suddenly turned red. ” Immediately before the emperor's eyes a miracle happened - the egg turned red, testifying to the truth of the Christian faith.
Easter clock
Thrice)
Seeing the resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless One. We worship Your Cross, the Christ, and Your Holy Resurrection, we sing and praise. Thou art God our God, unless You do not know another, we call Your name. Come to the faithful, let us bow to the Holy Resurrection of Christ: Behold the joy of the whole world with the Cross. Always blessing the Lord, we sing His Resurrection: having endured crucifixion, destroy death by death. ( Thrice)
The pre-morrow morning is about Mary, and the stone that has been found is rolled away from the tomb, I hear from the angel: in the light of the one who existed, with the dead, what are you looking for like a man? You see the gravestones, tetsyte and preach to the world, like the Lord God, a deadly death, for there is the Son of God saving the human race.
If you descended into the tomb, Thou art Immortal, but hell was destroyed by hastiness and resurrected as the victor, Christ God, prophesied to my bearers: rejoice, and give peace to your apostle, give resurrection to the fallen ones.
In the tomb is carnal, in hell with God the soul, into heaven with a robber, and on the throne was Christ, with the Father and the Spirit, all fulfilled, undescribed.
Glory: Jacob the Life-Giver, for the paradise most beautiful, truly and the palace of every Tsars, Your Lord’s Light, Christ’s tomb, the source of our Resurrection, appeared.
And now: The Most Highly Illuminated Divine Village, Hail: With You I give you joy, Mother of God, calling: Blessed be Thou in thy wives, All-perpetual Dame.
Lord have mercy. ( 40 times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, amen.
Honest cherubs and the most glorious without comparison are seraphim, without revealing God of the word who has born, the real Mother of God Ty, magnify.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down on death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing his belly. ( Thrice)
On the seven-day celebration of Easter
The Easter holiday from its very beginning was a bright, universal, lasting Christian celebration.
From apostolic times, the feast of the Christian Easter lasts seven days, or eight, if you count all the days of the continuous celebration of Easter until Fomin Monday.
Glorifying Easter is sacred and mysterious, Easter of the Redeemer, Easter door of paradise to us that opensThe Orthodox Church during the whole seven-day bright celebration has the Royal Gate open. The royal doors do not close during the whole Holy Week even during the communion of the clergy.
Starting from the first day of Easter and until the vespers of the feast of the Holy Trinity, kneeling and prostrating is not allowed.
In the liturgical respect, the whole Bright Week is like one holiday: all the days of this week Divine service is the same as on the first day, with few changes and changes.
Before the beginning of the Liturgy in the days of Easter week and before Easter, clergy read instead of “the King of Heaven” - “Christ is Risen” ( thrice).
Finishing the Easter's bright celebration of the Easter week, the Church continues it, albeit with less solemnity, for another thirty-two days until the Ascension of the Lord.
It consists of a great vespers (sometimes of great compline) with lithium and the blessing of bread. matins and the first hourand both vespers and matins are performed more solemnly and with more light of the temple than on other days.
This Worship Service called vigil because in ancient times it began late in the evening and lasted all night until dawn.
The Lord Jesus Christ himself often devoted night hours to prayer (Matt. 14, 23; 26-46, etc.). “Watch and pray,” the Savior said to the apostles, “lest you fall into temptation” (Matt. 26, 41). And the apostles gathered at night for prayer (see, for example, Acts 20, 7; 25). In the era of persecution, Christians also performed worship services at night.
Then, from condescension to the infirmities of believers, they began to begin this Divine service somewhat earlier and make reductions in reading and singing, and therefore it ends now not so late. The former name of his all-night vigil has been preserved.
However, to our time, in most churches of Russia, an all-night vigil is served on the night before the feasts of Holy Pascha and the Nativity of Christ; on the eve of some holidays - in the Athos monasteries, in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery, etc.
All-Night Vigil Served on the eve of:
- Sundays
- Twelve Great Feasts
- holidays marked by a special sign in the Typicon (for example, the memory of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker)
- days of temple holidays
- any holiday at the request of the abbot or according to local tradition.
Over drawing up the rank of vigil Great prayer books - the holy fathers worked: the Reverend Chariton the Confessor and Sawa the Sanctified, the saints John Chrysostom and Sophrony, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Monk John of Damascus. The profound theological content, the wealth of artistic and musical content that has been worked out over the centuries, make the vigil the treasury of Orthodox worship.
Vespers displays the history of the Church of God in Old Testament time and shows that Old Testament has its logical conclusion in the New Testament. It recalls and depicts the Old Testament times: the creation of the world, the fall of the first people, their expulsion from paradise, repentance and their prayer for salvation, then the hope of people, according to the promise of God, to the Savior and, finally, the fulfillment of this promise.
Lithia is an earnest prayer in the porch of the temple, where the clergy leave the altar, as if depicting Adam, expelled from paradise, or the prodigal son, who left the father for a foreign land. The prayers of Liti are petitions of the Church for the whole world.
Matins is the second part of the all-night vigil. It depicts the events of the New Testament.
The first part of the Matins elevates the one praying from the penitential mood to the joy of God. Matins reminds us of the New Testament times: the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ to the world, for our salvation, and His glorious Resurrection, that the Lord Jesus Christ with His Coming into the world began a new blessed day for the life of the universe.
