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The biblical odes appear as or often inspire the introductory irmoi of odes, such as "In the deep of old He drowned all of the armies of Pharoah" commonly seen for Ode 1, etc.

Chtec is on the right track. If you have the Psalter of the Seventy, (Holy Transfiguration Monastery or other versions available) the Scriptural Odes if taken are read up to the number of verses/troparia the canon has (usually 6 or 8) and the troparia for the particular canon(s) then inserted. These were later abbreviated even in monastic usage.

Even when multiple canons are prescribed, as on normal Sundays in the full Oktoechos when three are normally prescribed, one canon for the Resurrection, one canon for the Cross and Resurrection, and one canon for the Mother of God, the scriptural odes are usually shortened to the introductory irmoi.

If you go to Mt. Athos, Ochrid or other monasteries following a more ancient usage you could hear them sung in their entirety.

One could use the scriptural odes instead of a Canon, for example when travelling and not having all of the liturgical books handy by reciting each scriptural ode itself with the response "Glory to Thee, O our God" or the response to the Theotokos "O Most Holy Theotokos, save us" upon reaching the point at which the 8 verses are inserted.

The scriptural odes predate the later formal development of the Canons. This form of progressive praise of the wonders of God can be traced back to the synagogue worship in commemoration of the great deeds of God in the Old Testament.

Alex, the "Both now and ever" for each ode precedes the Theotokion, not the Katavasia. There is no introduction for the Katavasia since in many Canons they themselves are the introductory irmos.

So after the Troparia there is a Glory, often followed in canons by a Triadicon or hymn to the Trinity, Both Now and Ever, and the Theotokion. Sometimes these are replaced by a Stavrotheotkion, Martyricon, etc.

At the conclusion of the Theotokion you go right into the Katavasia, and then right into the Irmos of the next ode.

There is an order of Katavasia to be used throughout the year according to the Kyivan usage of the Typikon. This cycle is in addition to the Paschal cycle which has specific katavasia appointed from the Triodion and Pentecostarion.

For example, we are now in the time of the "common katavasia" for Sundays which can be found in the Oktoechos, at least the SJK Press version. These begin in Ode 1 with "I will open my mouth, and with the Spirit it will be filled", etc.

From August 1 (OS) until August 6 (OS) the katavasia are the irmoi of the canon in Tone 8 of the Exaltation of the Cross. From August 7 to 19 they are the irmoi of the Canon in Tone 4 of the Transfiguration. From August 14 to August 23 they are the irmoi of the canon in Tone 1 of the Dormition.

From August 24 until Sept. 21 they are again the irmoi of the canon in Tone 8 of the Exaltation of the Cross and after that until November 20th are back to the common katavasia. This is according to the Kyivan Typikon and others may vary from this usage. While it seems complex if you take the irmoi from the major feasts around the times of those feasts from the Menaion it's not as hard as it may seem initially.

Dear Friends,

I cannot thank you enough for such comprehensive answers!!

It is always a privilege to hear from Professor Thompson and to be taught by him, if only on the internet (long distance, internet education is the "in" thing I hear!).

And, Diak, you are a liturgical version to the "Everything you always wanted to know about . . ." genre!

Now - is the Typika an integral part of the Horologion?

Can one skip it, in other words, without doing violence to the integrity of the Horologion, if one is saying it as a Reader's Service?

Also, what about "bunching up" the Hours? Could one say the whole Horologion through?

Isn't the ideal to have the Hours said at their appointed times?

Thank you!

Alex

Well, I'm no professor (nor clergyman nor cantor) just a self-taught wannabe, but let me give this a shot. I'm sure our more learned colleagues will correct my errors.

TYPIKA (Обідниця): If I recall correctly this was originally a pre-Eucharistic service from Palestine. Today it is mainly used as a replacement for the Divine Liturgy on a-liturgical days or when one is unable to participate in the Divine Liturgy (travelling, no priest, etc.). The Typica is generally taken after the 6th Hour, though during the Great Fast it is taken after the 9th Hour.

HOROLOGION: Even in some monasteries, not all of the Divine Praises are taken at their appointed times. I think (I know, a dangerous venture) that the Midnight Office and the Hours (when not attached to another service) are usually read 'in the cell'. I've seen the Hours bunched up like so: 1st Hour appended to the end of Matins (especially if combined with Vespers as Vigil); [3rd &] 6th Hour[s] prior to the Divine Liturgy. When the Royal Hours are served (Nativity/Theophany Eve and Good Friday) all four hours are often taken together (along w/ Typica) though I believe the Lenten Triodion does not mandate all the hours being grouped together on Good Friday. (I can look this up Sunday if you'd like).

As for saying the whole Chasoslov beginning to end... if you can find such a large block of time you could probably juggle your schedule to give you time to read services closer to their appropriate times. It's not quite the same reading Matins in the evening or Vespers in the morning.

I hope this helps.

Pray for me, a sinner.

Andrij

Dear Andrij,

Thank you, once again, for your gift!

And I've sent you one as well!

And thank you for your explanation!

Alex

I sometimes worry about myself. I have three different typicons on hand. The only one that explicitly addresses this issue is the "Abridged Typicon" edited by Feodor S. Kovalchuk. He claims that "The Acolouths of the Daily Cycle are not performed, on after the other, in unbroken successsion, but generally are grouped into three aggregates. The Evening Aggregate begins the Daily Cycle shortly before sunset; the Dawn Aggregate begins shortly before daylight; and the Midday Aggregate, beginning late in the morning, completes the Cycle.

He then gives a series of rules for which services are said in each aggregate.

1) Matins has "God is the Lord", and it is not a Saturday in the Great Fast
1.1) Without an all-night vigil.
1.2) With an all-night vigil.

2) Matins has "Alleluia"
2.1) The Litugy of the Presanctified is not served
2.1.1) It is not Monday.
2.1.2) It is Monday.
2.2) The Liturgy of the Presanctified is prescribed.
2.3) Saturdays in the Great Fast

3) Holy and Bright Weeks
3.1) Great Thursday
3.2) Great Friday
3.3) Great Saturday
3.4) Pascha
3.5) Weekdays in Bright Week

4) Nativity and Theophany
4.1) On a day other than Sunday or Monday
4.2) If the feast falls on Sunday
4.3) If the feast falls on Monday

5) Annunciation
5.1) On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday of the Great Fast, or Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday of Great Week
5.2) On Monday in the Great Fast or on Great Monday
5.3) On Saturday in the Great Fast
5.4) On Great Friday
5.5) On Great Saturday

Using the most common situation (1.1) as an illustrative example, the Evening Aggregate would contain Ninth Hour, Vespers, and Little Aftersupper; the Dawn Aggregate would contain the Midnight Office, Matins, and First Hour; and the Midday Aggregate would consist of Third and Sixth Hour and the Divine Liturgy.

-- Ed

PS Having said all this, I'm personally more of a "at the proper hour" kind of guy! Matins before dawn, 1st hour shortly after daybreak, and the other hours at 9, 12, 3, 6, 9, and 12 - not that I can remotely hope to do them all on any given day. I just pick the one closest to the current time of day, although I typically pray Vespers rather than Compline or the Midnight office, even if it is quite late, if I have not yet Vesper-ed.

Dear Ed,

Thank you for your comprehensive post!

It reminds me of my brief stint in a Cistercian monastery where I worked with chocolate and cheese . . .

When the bells rang for the Hours during the day, it was a mad rush to take off one's apron and rush to church from the factory just in time for the second bell signalling the beginning of the service . . .

It was a bother, but the punctuation of the day in this way truly does bring one closer to God!

Alex

Kovalchuk's Typicon is intended partly for parochial clergy use and reflects the aggregate approach so people won't have to gather in church quite so often.

While aggregating several hours could be considered pragmatic one has to balance this with the idea that the Horologion has particular themes for prayer at certain times of the day that can be lost or blurred when the diurnal cycle is not considered.

The approach of picking the hour closest to the actual one is practical and also the approach I generally take. This also keeps the Hours in the context they were intended, for prayer at particular hours of the day. I will, however, admit that I sometimes say the Midnight Office early in the morning when rising, before Matins, just because it is difficult to get up at 2 a.m. like they do in the monastery. Just weak and old, I guess... :rolleyes:

Especially during the work day, it is difficult except possibly at lunch to say more than one hour. Obviously the Royal Hours are a deviation to this rule, but this aggregation came later because of parochial concerns that it would be difficult to gather people four more separate times.

Monasteries often aggregate the hours, usually Matins and First Hour, Third and Sixth and then Divine Liturgy, Ninth before Vespers, and keep Compline and Midnight Office separate. As Andrij mentions Typika occurs when there is no Divine Liturgy either after Sixth or Ninth Hours depending on the season. This approach to aggregation in general keeps the diurnal integrity of the services.

But especially with prayer, quality is what counts, not quantity. It is not practical for a layman with a full time job, family responsibilities, etc. to expect to follow the entire cycle of the Horologion, especially if one is following the full recitation of the Psalter through the Kathismata at Matins and Vespers. It is best to pick one or a few offices and pray them with compunction at the appropriate times.

Father John Whiteford comes through again!!! He never ceases to amaze me. May God grant him many years for his tireless work to make the treasures of the Horologion available as Reader's Services.

He now has the seasonal Katavasia on line at http://pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/katavasia.htm

Dear Diak,

Thank you!

It seems that Matins and Vespers are the two offices that are the most important to celebrate, at least in part, while keeping to the Psalter etc.

Ultimately, one may pray in one's own way at the other Hours if one doesn't have time etc.

Fr. Whiteford is wonderful and he got me and many others started on the Reader's Services.

Alex

I was just re-reading the life of St. Seraphim of Sarov. He had a very interesting and sensible prayer rule for his nuns of Diveyevo since most of them were illiterate and couldn't read.

Dear Diak,

So far, I have collected three prayer rules of St Seraphim of Sarov.

Which one are you referring to?

Alex

In the morning the Our Father three times, the Hail Mother of God (Angelic Salutation) three times, the Creed, morning prayers and twelve invocations to Christ and the Theotokos.

During the day, Jesus prayer during work, and in the evening twelve psalms, the evening prayers, and petitions for the living and the dead, Communion as frequent as possible, and fasting moderate because of heavy work.

St. Seraphim was criticized because he came up with this "alternative" prayer rule for his young nuns. This Life of St. Seraphim that I read (Valentyna Zander) did not specifically mention the Rule of St. Pachomius which he is said to have used and recommended to others.

Speaking of the Rule of St. Seraphim, I recently came across an article from the Russian mental asylum associated with the Mytischi Church of Our Lady of Vladimir which mentions prayer of the Rule of St. Seraphim as a standard part of the life of the patients. Several of the Fathers advocated that particular mental conditions were caused by specific passions which could be "treated" through ascetical practices given by the starets to curb those specific passions.

Dear Diak,

Forgive me a sinner!

There is a new site I came across once that mentions St Seraphim's much embellished version of the Rule of St Pachomius - involving 3 kathismata at once etc.

One further question, if you are still speaking to me, having to do with the twelve psalms.

I know this service and I know it comes from the monks of the Thebaid.

Are the psalms said there unchangeable? I thought the monks of the Thebaid said 12 Psalms hourly according to the Rule of Pachomius.

Your sinful servant,

Alex