Not sure where else to post this. In readers services, vigils etc. what do peoples reader's vest in?

Ned W

If one is tonsured and blessed by his bishop he may put on the riassa to lead a Reader's Service (when a priest is not present). That covers Reader, Subdeacon, and Deacon.

No one who has not been blessed by the bishop through chierotesia (or chierotonia in the case of a deacon) should put on the riassa without that specific blessing of the bishop.

Of course anyone, such as a parent in a home may lead prayers in "Reader's Service" fashion, or a lay leader of a mission or prayer group, but only those blessed to wear the riassa by the bishop may do so.
FrDD

You have mentioned readers' services before, in other threads, and you have said they have been useful in places where there are few priests.

But, I'm still unclear by what a "readers' service" actually is.

What is a readers' service?

And, are they used as part of a conscious program of ministry and evangelization?

Thank you.

-- John

A Reader's service is any service led by anyone other than a priest or bishop. The priest's prayers and blessings are omitted as are the deacon's litanies. In place of the priest's parts say:
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us.

In place of the great, insistent, and supplication litanies say:
Lord have mercy x 12

In place of the little litany:
Lord have mercy x 3

Prime as a Reader Service

Reader:
+Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us.

People:
Amen.

Glory be to You , our God, glory be to You.

O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, You are everywhere present and fill all things. Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life, come and dwell within us, cleanse us of all stain, and save our souls, 0 gracious Lord.

+Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us. (3x)

+Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; 0 Lord, cleanse us of our sins; 0 Master, forgive our transgressions; 0 Holy One, come to us and heal our infirmities for Your name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

+Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Reader:
+Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us.

People:
Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (12x)

+Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

+Come, let us adore the King, our God.
+Come, let us adore Christ, the King and our God.
+Come, let us adore and bow down to the only Lord Jesus Christ, the King and our God.

Psalm 5

Psalm 89

Psalm 100

+Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

+Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Glory be to You, O God! (3x)
Lord, have mercy. (3x)

+Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
The Troparia of the day
Now and ever and forever. Amen:
The Theotokion of the First Hour:
What shall we call you, O Full of Grace?
A Heaven; for you have born the Sun of Justice?
A Paradise; for you have brought forth the Flower of Immortality?
A Virgin; for you have remained undefiled?
A Mother, holding in her holy arms the Son Who is the God of all?
Intercede with Him for the salvation of our souls.

Reader:
Let my way be straight according to Your word; let no sin overcome me. Save me from the wickedness of evildoers and I will keep Your commandments. Let Your face shine upon Your servants, and teach me Your laws. Let my mouth be filled with Your praise, O Lord, and let me sing Your glory and magnificence all the day long.

People:
+Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us. (3x)

+Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.

O Most Holy Trinity have mercy on us; O Lord, cleanse us of our sins; O Master, forgive our transgressions; O Holy One, come to us and heal our infirmities for Your name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

+Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Reader:
+Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us.

People:
Amen.

Kontakion of the day:

Lord have mercy. (40x)

Reader:
O Christ our God, in all times and all places You are worshiped and glorified both in heaven and on earth. You are long-suffering and generous in your mercy and compassion. You love the just and show mercy to the sinner, calling all people to repentance through the promise of blessings to come. Deem, O Lord, at this very hour, to receive our supplications and to direct our lives in the path of your commandments. Sanctify our souls; purify our bodies; set aright our minds; cleanse our thoughts; deliver us from all affliction, trouble and distress; surround us with Your holy angels so that, guided and guarded in their camp, we may attain oneness of faith and the knowledge of Your unspeakable glory. For You are blessed forever and ever. Amen.

People:
Lord, have mercy. (3x)

+Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.

More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, you, a virgin, gave birth to God, the Word. You, truly the Mother of God, we magnify.

Reader:
+Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us.

People:
Amen.

Reader:
O Christ, the true Light who enlightens and sanctifies everyone in the world, mark us with the light of Your countenance so that we may see the unapproachable radiance. Let our life be straight along the path of Your commandments, through the prayers of Your most pure Mother and of all Your saints. Amen.

People:
+Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

Reader:
+Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us.

People:
Amen.

The text is that used at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary.

Typika as a Reader Service
(To be served in place of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday when no priest is available. An ordained reader vests in the rason/cassock. The royal doors remain closed. Only the candles outside the iconostasis are lit. The reader conducts the service from the cantor stand or an analogion set up to the right of the royal doors and he faces the iconostasis. A layman may also lead the service but does not wear the rason.)

Reader: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

All: Amen.

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us. (3x)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.

Trinity most holy, have mercy on us. Cleanse us of our sins, O Lord; pardon our transgressions, O Master; look upon our weaknesses and heal them, O Holy One; for the sake of Your name.

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Reader: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

All: Amen.

Psalm 102
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within me bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.
He forgives all your iniquities, He heals all your diseases.
He redeems your life from corruption, He crowns you with mercy and compassion.
Compassionate and merciful is the Lord, long-suffering and abounding in mercy.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within me bless His holy name. Blessed are You, O Lord.

Psalm 145
Praise the Lord, O my soul; in my life I will praise the Lord, I will sing to my God as long as I shall live.
Put not your trust in princes, in the children of men, in whom there is no salvation.
The Lord shall reign forever, Your God, O Sion, from generation to generation.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.

The Hymn of the Incarnation
Only-begotten Son and Word of God, You are immortal, and You willed for our salvation to be made flesh of the holy Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, and without change You became man. You were crucified, O Christ our God, and trampled death by death. You are one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with Father and the Holy Spirit, save us.

The Beatitudes
Remember us, O Lord, in Your kingdom.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil word against you falsely because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven.

(The reader goes and stands in the center of the nave and faces the East as usual.)

The reader announces the prokimenon according to the proper tone. The assembly chants the prokimenon, then the reader chants the stikeron, and then the assembly chants the prokimenon again.

(The reader remains in the center of the nave and reads (does not chant) the Epistle. Introducing it as usual.)

Reader: A reading from the Epistle of the holy apostle _______ to the _______.

The reader reads the Epistle.

(Following the Epistle, the reader remains in the center of the nave. He reads (does not chant) the Gospel from a Bible or a small-unadorned book of the Gospels, but not from the book of the Gospels that is kept upon the altar.)

Reader: A reading from the holy gospel according to St. _________.

All: Glory be to You, O Lord, glory be to You.

The reader reads the Gospel.

All: Glory be to You, O Lord, glory be to You.

(Tithes and offerings are placed in a collection basket for the good of the Church and the poor at this time.)

All: Remember us, O Lord, when You come into Your kingdom.
Remember us, O Master, when You come into Your kingdom.
Remember us, O Holy One, when You come into Your kingdom.

All: The heavenly choir praises You and say: Holy, holy, holy Lord of Sabaoth, heaven and earth are full of Your glory!

Reader: Come unto Him, and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be ashamed.

All: The heavenly choir praises You and says: Holy, holy, holy Lord of Sabaoth, heaven and earth are full of Your glory!

Reader: Glory be the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

All: The choir of holy angels and archangels, with all the heavenly host, praises You and says: Holy, holy, holy Lord of Sabaoth, heaven and earth are full of Your glory!

Reader: Now and forever and ever. Amen.

All: I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father. Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father. With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Remit, pardon, forgive, O God, our offences, both voluntary and involuntary, in deed and word, in knowledge and ignorance, by day and by night, in mind and thought; forgive us all things, for You are good and the Lover of mankind.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Reader: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

All: Amen

The appointed kontakia are taken: for the day, the saint and the temple.

All: Lord, have mercy. (12x)

O all- holy Trinity, Might One in essence, Kingdom undivided, Origin of all good things, be graciously inclined also to me the sinner. Establish me; give understanding to my heart, and purge away all my vileness. Enlighten my mind, that I my glorify, sing praises and adore You and say: You alone are holy, You alone are the Lord, O Jesus Christ, in the glory of the Father. Amen.

(Announcements may be made now.)

All: Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever. (3x)

Psalm 33
I will bless the Lord at every opportunity;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall be commended in the Lord;
Let the meek hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and He hearkened to me,
And delivered me from all my sojourning.
Come to Him, and be enlightened;
And your faces shall never be put to shame.
This poor person cried, and the Lord listened to him and saved him from all his afflictions.
The Lord's angel will encamp
Around those who fear Him and will deliver them.
O taste and see that the Lord is kind;
Happy the man who hopes in Him.
O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
For those who fear Him have no want.
The rich became poor and hungry,
But those who seek the Lord shall not suffer decrease in any good thing.
Come, O children, hear me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is the person that wants life,
Coveting to see good days?
Stop your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil, and do good;
Seek peace, and pursue it.
The Lord's eyes are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their petition.
But the Lord's face is against evildoers,
To destroy the remembrance of them from earth.
The righteous cried, and the Lord listened to them, and rescued them from all their afflictions.
The Lord is near to brokenhearted,
And will save the humble in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But He will rescue them from them all.
The Lord will keep all their bones;
Not one of them will be crushed.
The death of sinners is wretched,
And those who hate the righteous shall go wrong.
The Lord will redeem the lives of His slaves;
None of those who hope in him will go wrong.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

Reader: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, (here is mentioned the saints of the day and the saint of the temple) and of all the saints, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

All: Amen.

(This service is an adaption of the Typika with Communion of the Presanctified Gifts Distributed by a Deacon compiled by Fr. Protodeacon David Kennedy and approved for use by His Grace, Bishop Cornelius of Toronto of the Ukrainian Catholics.)

Excellent ! Thank you for your response !!

Wow. This could be an efffective tool for evangelization !

Do laity / deacons need any special authorization or certification by the bishop to conduct these services?

-- John

John, you can find Reader's Services in downloadable formats (some in Word) on Fr. John Whiteford's very excellent site http://www.saintjonah.org/services/.

Basically a Reader's Service is any without a priest in the Byzantine tradition. With the exception of blessings, and the Divine Liturgy, nearly all of the Constantinopolitan tradition is accessible through Reader's Services.

I highly recommend this site and have recourse to it often. Fr. John has the rubrics for upcoming vigils and the Typika (on the Julian Calendar) and just all sorts of canons, Akathists, the Reader's Horologion, just all kinds of goodies. Many years to him for his efforts.

I don't think anyone needs permission to pray. But if you are trying to begin a mission or are proposing to lead prayer for one, you should contact the clergy of an Eparchy or diocese.

And absolutely Reader's Services are central to evangelical and outreach efforts. As Eastern Christians we firmly believe in the maxim lex orandi, lex credendi, and the liturgical riches are the prime vehicle of evangelization and metanoia.

St. Herman and many others used precisely the prayer of the Church as the means to evangelize. In our situation with no Greek Catholic priests nearer than an hour and a half, Reader's Services are mainstay of our community life and this is something I can offer in my outreach capacity as a deacon.
DD

Excellent ! Now I am beginning to understand ! Thank you !!!

-- John