www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Books The Melkite Horologion

I have been away from the forum for quite a long time. I think this is the right place to post this.
The Melkite Horologion is back, in newly expanded form. You can buy it The Horologion at Aquinas and More Catholic Goods [aquinasandmore.com] here. My source tells me the print run is quite small and that the Melkite publishing office took delivery of them last week. Thank you and God bless.

Impressive. Does anyone have one? How many pages are there?

The listing at Aquinas and More says it's for "ecumenical use." I'm reminded of when I once attended a GOA parish for the Chrismation of a friend and was asked to help cantor. Lo, and behold, on the cantor's stand was "Byzantine Daily Worship"!

How would this Horologion pass the "Orthodox" test? Sincere question.

The Melkite service books (i.e. the Menaion, Octoechos etc) are often used in Orthodox parishes. I know of an OCA parish in Wisconsin that uses them. Perhaps this helps.

Dave,

Earlier edition was 734 pgs, this one is 1,000 pgs.

I notice that the Eparchy has not yet updated the Sophia Press page, which still shows it as out of print.

Many years,

Neil

Thanks. So, do the two prayer books (Publicans Prayer Book & The Melkite Horologion) complement each other? Or, is there some duplication between the two?

How much of the Horologion reflects Melkite usage? Would, say an Antiochian Orthodox, be comfortable with it?

I'm not crazy about prayer books that use Elizabethan English, so this appeals to me. But, with the price involved I want to find out more.

What added the additional pages, from 600 to 1,000?

Thanks!

I'm told that additional things to this Horologion include the Eparchy of Newton's translation of the Akathist (hopefully including the canon), the Paraklesis, the Dismissal Hymns for each day of the year. It's therefore more complete (i.e. closer to the Greek versions) than the last one. Unfortunately, I don't know how much overlap there is between the Publican's Prayer book and the Horologion - but I'd imagine there's quite a bit.

One should get the Horologion (or the Publican's book) based on one's own prayer "needs". If one simply "needs" a book of personal prayers, the publican's book should do well. If one wants to get one of the books necessary to conduct services, one should get one of the several translations of the Horologion available.

And yes, some Orthodox parishes use the Melkite books, frequently because they're the only translation of said book available or because the book happens to be available and whoever's running the service likes the book. I much prefer the Holy Transfiguration Monastery Horologion (quality formatting and translation, text metered to the music), but that's just my opinion.

Thanks for the comments and I'd welcome more about this.

An additional question: you mentioned metered music in reference to the Holy Transfiguration Horologion. Can the Melkite Horologion and Publicans Prayer Book be chanted easily?

This is the description of the newly expanded Melkite Horologion, from the publisher:

A beautiful and fitting prayer book for clergy and laity alike, the Horologion features the entire Byzantine Divine Office in all its forms - Lenten and non-Lenten: Vespers, Compline, Mesonyktikon, Orthros, Little Hours, and Typica. Each service is presented in its complete form - no need to turn back and forth. The Priest’s prayers for Vespers and Orthros are included, as well as the music for the eight tones, common troparia, and hymns for Vespers and Orthros. All Coutourier rubrics for Priest and Deacon are printed in red. This beautiful edition features a genuine leather cover, hand sown, Bible paper, gilt edges with 7 silk ribbons. Approximately 1,000 pages.

The newly revised and expanded edition contains all the above information (previous edition) plus an addition of about 300 new pages containing: the troparia and kontakia for each day of the year, the Akathist and Paraklesis, additional music, etc.

I hope this helps.

I doubt the Publicans book is meant to be chanted. As for the Horologion, I'd imagine the text is perfectly chantable. What distinguishes the HTM books is that the appropriate texts are metered - as the Greek original - for the fixed hymns (e.g. prosomia and irmoi) that the cantor memorizes. This is particularly useful with the Paraklisis and the canon of the Akathist. If one doesn't have these melodies memorized, then HTM's book's advantage is a consistently high standard of translation, nicer formatting - at a much higher cost.

The Publican's Prayer Book is just that, a prayer book; for individuals or small groups. It does have some pieces of some of the prayers of the hours such that an individual might pray these at home; they are not complete, nor is the daily cycle complete for a full celebration of those services in church. That said, it still supplies troparia for every day of the year, several canons, etc. Think of it as being for devotional use.

The Horologion's text has been designed for chanting. The music--in Western notation for those that cannot read Byzantine psaltiki--for the troparia, the main parts of Vespers and Orthros (e.g. stichera, Praises, Lenten Alleluia) is supplied at the back of the book.

The text of the Akathist Hymn and the Paraklesis has all been set to music, thus can and is chanted regularly. In fact, tonight (Friday), we shall be chanting the Akathist here in Australia in Arabic and English (and a very small section in Greek), intermixing the verses. The English fits the music perfectly.

Th Sophia Press Catalog is updated:

http://www.melkite.org/SophiaPress/SophiaPressCatalog.htm

Back in print for those who were waiting.

Indeed it is,
Here is a link https://melkite.org/products-page/horologion/the-horologion
As an aside, Father Michael Skrocki is the pastor of St. Ignatios of Antioch in Augusta, Georgia. The man works very hard. Last time I saw him was on Pascha.