So my wife and I recently moved across country, to a city (Nashville, TN) where there is not a regular Byzantine Catholic liturgy (of any of the Churches) but there is a community trying to start a mission. As I have some experience cantoring (although I was far from being THE cantor) from my previous parish, I've been drafted here to be the cantor. As such, I'm trying to get some reader services going, and as such I figure it's time I actually get the proper books (both for family/personal use when at home, and as a reference, and possibly to lead from) and stop using the handwritten/marked up homemade books I made for home use.

So my question: I'm looking for book recommendations, as well as comments on some I've seen. Since the both Ukrainian Catholic and the Melkite Horologion seem to be out of print, I was wondering what y'all think of "The Unabbreviated Horologion" by Holy Trinity Monastery for my needs, and if y'all know what calendar it uses (or if that would even be an issue). Also, I'm looking for recommendations for a Menaion, a Triodion, and a Pentecostarion unless y'all think the selections in "The Unabbreviated Horologion" (or other texts you might recommend) would be adequate.

Thanks for your help and advice,

Justin

Dear Justin,

The Calendar is not an issue with the Unabbreviated Horologion (or any other Horologion for that matter). Any dates given (for troparia, kontakia, etc.) will be the Church Calendar date. Example: Christmas will say '25 December' so those on the Gregorian (or Revised Julian ) Calendar will be celebrating it on 12 December according to the Julian Calendar, while those on the Julian Calendar will be celebrating the Feast on the real 25 December (which many people foolishly call January 7th.)

An Horologion will not be enough to celebrate the services if you plan on doing Vespers and/or Matins. For these services the Octoechos, Menaion, Triodion, and Pentecostarion will be necessary, though you would be able to get along with an Anthologion, if one were available. The only Anthologion I know of in English is Nassar's Divine Prayers and Services available from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, though there may be a Greek Catholic Anthologion of which I am not aware. Alternatively, there are internet sites on which these texts are available and you could download what you need for each service.

Fr David Straut