04.29.08
Yesterday I was Crucified with Thee
Turtle Mom has posted helpful direction about not slacking off during Bright Week. Her post prompted me to look at the St. Seraphim Cathedral schedule and indeed they had Paschal Liturgies yesterday and today. The Hours are waiting for me to get back to them, though I have kept up with the Kathisma scedule, and the Morning Prayers from the Jordanville Prayer Book and the daily Bible lectionary that we do as a family.
The title is from the Troparian to the 3rd Paschal Ode,
Now all things are filled with light, heaven, and all things beneath the earth. Then let all creation keep festival for Christ’s arising, in which it is established. Yesterday, O Christ, with Thee I was entombed. Today, with Thee arising, I arise. Yesterday I was crucified with Thee: glorify me together with Thyself, O Saviour, in Thy kingdom. (more on the hymns here.)
It is hard to get into the mindset of the Orthodox Calendar. We are invited to participate in the events that are commemorated each day in a way that transcends the time and distance, including that of relationship, separating us from them. We aren’t dramatizing or recreating, but actually participating. I have had a habit of viewing history as that which happened to someone else a long time ago, and all it is to me is a sometimes interesting story or partial explanation of why I’m here now under different circumstances. But the Calendar is meant to bridge the gap of detachment. Through the services, daily readings, and lives of the Saints we are invited to actually time travel and be there. We aren’t to use our imaginations, which is tempting, but to enter in by faith.
If yesterday I was crucified with Christ and today I am risen with Him, then the other circumstances of my day aren’t going to seem so important, not that they are to be neglected. Our perspective changes. Christ our God was crucified last Friday, and then Sunday it was revealed that He is Risen! And He defeated sin and death by His death! The graves were emptied just 2 days ago! We are to await the coming of the Holy Spirit in the city of our God.
We watched Galaxy Quest last night and the nerd fan totally believed that the TV show astronauts were actually fighting for the salvation of the universe and that they needed his help, but still he took out the trash for his mother. That was my favorite part.
04.28.08
Well, maybe not
I received this question in a comment from my last post that I decided not to approve because of some of the additional ad hominems that were written. But this is probably something I should answer given the controversial nature of Jacques Derrida among some of my fellow Orthodox,
“What is the relation between “Writing and Difference” and orthodox christianity or salvation?”
What I think Derrida has in common with Orthodoxy, as I’ve written in some of my other posts on this subject, is a criticism of the Platonic, and western, way of defining things in terms of opposition, superiority and inferiority as well as his being against marginalizing people or things based on unqualifiable prejudice.
I like some of his language about not judging others, but this is a more slippery slope because of his atheism, rejection of Orthodox revelation, and I’m not sure I understand the “violence” of his methods in deconstruction. These concerns may rightly disqualify him from my further attention, and as I respect those who do not seem to respect him, I think I’ll not jump right back into studying him again, though I do like his oftentimes poetic way of expressing things.
Maybe I’ll read the Philokalia instead.
04.27.08
Why seek ye the living among the dead?
The Angel cried to the Lady full of grace
Rejoice! Rejoice! O pure Virgin!
Again, I say rejoice!
Thy son is risen from His three days in the tomb!
With Himself He has raised all the dead.
Rejoice, rejoice, O ye people!
Shine! Shine! Shine, O new Jerusalem!
The glory of the Lord has shown on thee.
Exult now, exult and be glad, O Sion.
Be radiant, O pure Theotokos,
In the Resurrection, the Resurrection of thy Son
Icon by Tatiana Grant. Her gallery of icons and painted eggs is amazing.
04.26.08
In Remembrance of Christ
We reverently touch and praise Him who was cruelly beaten, scourged, mocked, spit upon, and pierced through for our sake. He is gently removed from the cross where He was killed and which becomes His glory. We take His body down, anoint it with spices, wrap it in fine linen, and lay it in a new tomb. We remember, wait and watch.
04.22.08
Redeeming the time
Here’s a good article on how to pray The Hours at home when regular services can’t be attended at Church.
04.21.08
Bridegroom Matins
All we can do is write of the door and paint a picture on it of what we see. The Bridegroom. The picture is the afterfact of His being there. It proves to us He is there, waiting for us to answer, but the conversation will be the same and different with everyone. The conversation is the Bridegroom Matins. I have no garment fit to wear, I must rouse myself from sleep to answer. But His consent to clothe me in light if I stay awake and answer His call depends on what He thinks of my unfit garments. My garments are different than yours. But if you say yours are unfit too then we have something in common. I hope we will be let in anyway with the ready Virgins who accompany the Queen whose
garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.
04.17.08
Continuing Adventures in Orthodox Prayers
While searching on-line for a prayer book with The Hours in it, I found a free Small Printable Horologion. I really like the way it’s laid out, except for the cover art, but that can be replaced. It is meant to make a little half-page sized book and I printed it on both sides of the paper as it’s collated to be cut and bound. Right now I have it folded with an elastic bookmark down the middle to keep it together till I get a little binder and cut and punch holes in it.
Before, we were saying the morning prayers in the back of the Orthodox Study Bible NT which leave out any supplications to the Saints or the Theotokos, though we added the songs to her. Just this week I started using our Jordanville Prayer Book morning prayers which have a bit more supplication to the Theotokos and Saints and angels, but The Hours (MIdnight, Matins, 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, Vespers and Compline which should be completed with the Divine Liturgy as evening marks the beginning of the next day) include much more of the Heavenly Hosts and is so beautifully arranged that I feel more uplifted.
04.16.08
Reading the Psalms
I struggle with how to apply the pronouns in the Psalms. Especially regarding “my enemies”. I’ve always liked first person narrative, and have usually immersed myself in identifying with this point of view. I remember my friend Carol saying that she reads stories as an escape and that she was surprised that I identify so closely to the character. I mentioned in my life story blog how I believed as realistic the 19th and early 20th century classics (Austen, Brontes, et romantic co. and Farley & co. horse stories) and became disillusioned with real life experiences. As an aside, I enjoyed this article today on realistic love poetry. But even realistic love needs to keep God first and submit to that which is of Him and not participate in that which isn’t.
Anyway, yesterday while reading the Kathismas, I kept feeling I should go back and forth and identify with the author, usually King David, when he was being penetential, then that I am the faithless enemy, then that Jesus is the subject who has found pleasure and close relationship with God, that Mary is Zion and Jerusalem, and then back to me seeking deliverance. I’ve often thought and heard that now we are to view the enemies as the temptations and evil that lurks in our own hearts. But still I know that King David was referring to actual people like King Saul and the cities who rose up against him. And my natural inclination is to put people who I feel are treating me unjustly in that category as well. So as you can see my mind is working hard to avoid feeling self-righteous and to juggle the pronouns properly.
But briefly today while reading the selections (I’m a little behind schedule at the moment and should probably be reading instead of writing this but maybe I can help myself get the correct perspective by writing this before resuming) I was able to not make any judgments about who is who in the Psalms. And yet to still pay attention to the words. May God do His work while I read without my trying to arrange everything with my very limited perspective. I do believe they are mostly prophecies from Christ’s point of view on suffering, and I really am thankful for the real and personal emotions expressed, and I know that Christ identified with us in every way when He became human so identifying with Him is not uncalled for, but I must also fight off a persecution complex or delusions of my own grandeur. Right now I think the answer is not worrying, fretting, nor trying so hard to assign or identify roles. Just let it be…
Unworthyseraphim, whom I also attributed in that blog to my coming to Orthodoxy, described the Divine Liturgy as rain that washes over us, nourishes us, cleanses us, and erodes from us that which is not Christ. And all this is done while just being attentive, and maybe isn’t even that dependent on that being done perfectly. Our private readings are probably the same way.
04.15.08
The Psalter and Troparia
Apparently Orthros is the same as Matins. While looking up Psalter (thank goodness for Wikipedia) I found Kathisma, which word I remember Sonya using at the Monastery, though I didn’t know what it was. The Kathisma is the division of Psalms that are read throughout the day in the various services. During Great Lent, which this is the last week of, the Psalms are read through twice a week. I’m finding this out with half a week left of Great Lent before Holy Week so I hope I can squeeze in a complete reading at least. The Dynamic Psalter gives the current Kathisma, but I’m wondering if it is displaying the once a week schedule. The Protection of the Mother of God (ROCOR) site has an easily accessed Lenten schedule of readings.The Psalter doesn’t have the extra prayers that go with the services, but it’s a start.
I didn’t realize that some of my favorite hymns are Troparia. The more you find out about Orthodoxy, the more you find there is to know. Sort of like the last scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where the Ark is placed in a warehouse and then the camera pans back so that you find that its crate is just a drop in the bucket – not to minimize the significance of the Ark of the Covenant. To try to bring this to St. Maximus, if the many prayers are logoi, the many acts of God, then entering into them while repenting from sin and distractions will bring about increased participation in Christ.
Please forgive the unplanned way I’m adding to this post, but I just found the Lenten Troparia and Kontakia on oca.org. I’ll have to open the files on my pc later as apparently they wont open on my mac.
04.14.08
Prayer Routine
I have never really been clear about the Orthodox order of daily prayers. I’ve heard the names but am not sure of their content or time when they are to be prayed. Orthodoxphotos has a brief explanation,
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The Daily Cycle of Divine Services
The daily cycle of divine services consists of those services celebrated by the holy Orthodox Church during the course of one day. There are nine daily services: (1) Vespers, (2) Compline, (3) Midnight Office, (4) Matins, (5) First Hour, (6) Third Hour, (7) Sixth Hour, (8 ) Ninth Hour, and (9) the Divine Liturgy.
Following the example of Moses, who, describing the creation of the world by God, began the “day” with evening, the Orthodox Church begins the day with the evening service, Vespers.
Vespers is the service celebrated towards the end of daylight, in which we express our gratitude to God for the day which has passed.
Compline is composed of the reading of a series of prayers, in which we ask the Lord God for the forgiveness of sins. We also ask that He grant us repose of body and soul as we retire, and to preserve us from the wiles of the Devil as we sleep.
The Midnight Office is to be read at midnight in remembrance of the prayer of the Saviour during His night in the Garden of Gethsemane. This service summons the faithful to be ready at all times for the day of the Dread Judgment, which will come unexpectedly like “the bridegroom in the night” in the parable of the ten virgins.
Matins is celebrated in the morning prior to the rising of the sun. In this service we give thanks to God for the night which has passed, and we ask Him His mercy for the approaching day.
In Old and New Testament times, an “hour” meant a “watch” that lasted for three of our modern hours. Each service of the daily cycle corresponds to one of these three-hour divisions.
The First Hour covers the time from 6 A.M. to 9 A.M. The First Hour sanctifies the already breaking day with prayer.
The Third Hour covers the time from 9 A.M. to 12 P.M. It reminds us of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.
The Sixth Hour covers the time from 12 P.M. to 3 P.M. It reminds us of the Passion and Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Ninth Hour covers the time from 3 P.M. to 6 P.M. It reminds us of the death on the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Divine Liturgy is the main divine service. During the course of its celebration, the entire earthly life of the Saviour is called to mind, and the Mystery of Holy Communion is celebrated as instituted by the Saviour Himself in the Mystical Supper. It must be celebrated in the morning before the midday meal.
In ancient times, monastics and hermits conducted all of these services at the time appointed for each. Later, to accommodate the faithful, they were combined into three groups: evening, morning and daytime.
The evening services consist of the Ninth Hour, Vespers and Compline.
The morning services consist of Midnight Office, Matins and the First Hour.
The daytime services are the Third and Sixth Hours, and the Divine Liturgy.
On the eve of major feasts, and on Sundays, a service is conducted in the evening combining Vespers, Matins and the First Hour. This service is termed an All Night Vigil because early Christians (and some monasteries today) continued the service through the course of the entire night.
A Schematic Outline
of the Daily Cycle of Services
Evening
1. Ninth Hour – three o’clock in the afternoon
2. Vespers – six o’clock in the afternoon
3. Compline – nine o’clock in the evening
Morning
1. Midnight Office – twelve midnight
2. Matins – three o’clock in the morning
3. First Hour – six o’clock in the morning
Daytime
1. Third Hour – nine o’clock in the morning
2. Sixth Hour – twelve noon
3. Divine Liturgy
The Weekly Cycle of
Divine Services
The Weekly, or Seven-day, Cycle of Divine Services is the term for the order of services extending throughout the seven weekdays. Each day of the week is dedicated to an important event, or else an exceptionally revered saint.
On Sunday, the Church remembers and glorifies the Resurrection of Christ.
On Monday, the first day after the Resurrection, the bodiless hosts are celebrated. They are the angels created before the human race, who are the servants closest to God.
On Tuesday, St. John the Baptist is glorified, as the greatest of the prophets and the righteous of the Old Testament.
On Wednesday, the betrayal of the Lord by Judas is remembered; the services are thus centered around the Cross of the Lord. This day is a fast day.
On Thursday, the Holy Apostles and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are glorified.
On Friday, the Passion and death of the Saviour on the Cross is remembered, and the services honor the Cross of the Lord. This day is kept as a fast day also.
On Saturday, the Sabbath or Day of Rest, the Mother of God is glorified (she is also glorified every other day), along with the forefathers, prophets, apostles, martyrs, monastics, righteous and all the saints who have attained peace in the Lord. All those who have reposed in the true faith and in the hope of resurrection and life eternal are also remembered.
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At the Monastery, a little bell rang during morning prayers and Lori explained to me that when it rang 3 times (I didn’t make it for the first ring) it was the beginning of the Third Hour, then 6 times meant the Sixth Hour and so on. They combine the First through Third in their morning prayers, as well as other special prayers. We had arrived on Thursday afternoon while the Cross was still being commemorated. Friday morning they said wonderful prayers for the Cross that I wish I had access to now, if I don’t. Then at the end of the Presanctified Liturgy that morning, we paid our last respects before the Priest processed it back to the Alter. I don’t remember them announcing the Midnight Office or Matins while we were there (unless they were included in the two and a half hour service in which we also venerated the Gospel and received a blessing from Father Hopko Saturday night), but the Ninth Hour was combined in the evening services with Vespers and I guess Compline. On Monday, our other friend, Sonya, who had come with us from our Parish and my daughter Rachel read the Ninth Hour in the middle of the morning by themselves in the Chapel as Rachel was too shy to read it while anyone was there, so that evening the service was a little shorter.
Rachel, 13, didn’t even want me to hear her, and when I persisted in wanting to be there, the Abess, Mother Christophora said in a protective way while passing by, “No one allowed”. I was glad for her making Rachel more comfortable, because even reading with Sonya in the Chapel by herself was a step. But rebellious me, in the presence of a Mother and Lori, said that maybe she wouldn’t know if I just hung around the foyer. Mother Barbara gave me a reproving glare and said I’d been given an obedience not to come! and so on. I thankfully received my reproof and bowed to her authority. It was all done sort of jokingly, but if that’s what it takes to make Rachel more confident, I’ll sacrifice my will and curiosity. Rachel got to help the youngest nun, Sister Martha ring the bells and helped in the kitchen as well. She was also invited to spend the summer there when she’s a little older.
If you zoom in on this photo, you can see on the wall a photo of Mother Alexandra, the Foundress of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration and Mother Christophora.
Next I’d like to learn more about the content of the prayers services and if it varies. And remember to look up Orthros which David Bryan (whose wife Audra visited the Monastery last year) mentioned in the comments on Compline.
