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At the risk of asking a "dumb" question, I would greatly appreciate knowing about the following:

I recently received- through the generosity of Mor Ephrem - a beautiful akathist to Saint Joseph the Betrothed. I have seen though a "Canon of Saint Joseph".

I also received -through the generosity of Orthodox Catholic - a beautiful akathist of Holy Communion. I have also seen a "Canon of Holy Communion".

I know of akathists and molebens, but I do not about "canons" for devotional use.

Would some please explain to me what are "canons"? Are they used in the same way as an akathist or moleben?

Thank you!

The Canon is the liturgical hymn par excellence in the Byzantine Rite. Originally it was nine (actually 10) canticles from Scripture. It is arranged into nine "songs" or odes (the last two canticles are considered one unit). Each canticle has liturgical verses interpolated between the verses of scripture. These verses are called troparia, except for the first one of the ode, which is called the Irmos. Later, the scriptural canticles were mostly omitted, as well as the second ode (both these features reappear during the Great Fast). Thus the Canon as it is most commonly done today is Irmos, which relates the subject of the canon to the original canticle, followed by a number of Troparia that further develop the theme in the Irmos. This unit, the ode, is repeated eight times (the structure repeats, not the texts; they change).

The irmos (heirmos) is the first troparion and the katavasia is the last troparion of a given ode, as it is prescribed to be sung that is.

Here are some links to glossaries, note the two variant spellings when looking at the lists:

http://www.orthodoxpsalm.org/Glossary/f-j.html

http://www.holy-trinity.org/liturgics/lazor-glossary.html

The home for the Kanon is in the Matins liturgy; it is not a devotion.

Joe, the Canons exist also in Compline and the Midnight Office as distinct from Matins. And I disagree that they are not a 'devotion'.

In fact they are a uniquely Byzantine form of prayer, whether privately or as part of a more corporate liturgical service, such as Matins, Compline or molebens. I have found these Canons to be of great solace and inspiration in private prayer.

Canons can be prayed privately if one wishes for any of a number of occasions, from temptation to preparation for Communion to prayers for the deceased. Even in the Old Believer usage there were numerous canons prayed by the faithful in private prayer for various occasions in addition to the usual public liturgical use of the canons at Matins, Compline, molebens, etc.

The full Oktoechos has a beautiful sequence of Canons to the Theotokos for every evening at Small Compline throughout the year in the tone of the week outside of times of the Festal Menaion, Triodion and Pentecostarion. These are true masterpieces of liturgical poetry in honor of the Theotokos. Likewise the Canons to the Most Holy Trinity from the Oktoechos for the Midnight Office (Mesonycticon) of Sundays are masterpieces of Byzantine devotional poetry.

Dear Griego, anyone can pray the Canons. Canon comes from the Greek "Kanon" which means rule or order.

If a Canon is to be prayed privately it can be done by saying the usual beginning prayers, Psalm 50 and then the Canon. There is a good outline for praying the Canons on Father John Whiteford's page, http://pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/order.htm
The Old Believer prayer book also contains an order for the layman to pray canons or molebens in private or as family prayer.

The Canons form an integral part of Compline and Matins in the Byzantine tradition and are also found in the Midnight Office (Mesonycticon) of Sunday.

The Canons were originally based on Scriptural odes, from the song of Moses at Exodus in Ode 1 through the Song of the Theotokos (Magnificat) in Ode 9. The Canons are some of the greatest and most profound hymnography and liturgical poetry in the Byzantine tradition.

As has been mentioned, a Canon is generally comprised of eight odes, although they conclude with Ode 9 as the second ode is usally omitted outside of the Great Fast. The structure is an introductory irmos followed by troparia and responsorial phrases such as "Glory to Thee, our God, Glory to Thee" ,"Most Holy Theotokos, save us", or "Saint N. pray to God for us" depending on the particular canon. On some days more than one canon is prescribed for Matins.

During weekdays of the Great Fast, the Canon is limited to three odes during Matins, hence the name "Triodion". The three ode sequence is much more ancient than the later eight-nine ode compositions. The nine ode poetic Canons have basically supplanted the nine Scriptural odes, although they are still present as excerpts in some of the liturgical texts of various canons.

Some of the greatest hymnographers of the Byzantine tradition, such as St. Cosmas of Maium, St. Andrew of Crete and St. John Damascene were especially known for their texts of various Canons.

At the end of some Canons is a katavasia, a linking phrase theologically. In monasteries during the katavasia (which means "descent") the choir would literally descend from their stalls to the center of the church where the katavasia were sung.

Canons and Akathists can be prayed jointly, with Akathists following after the first and sixth odes of a canon, seen often in more traditional monastic "cell" rules of prayer.

Akathist means literally "without sitting" or is to be prayed in its entirety while standing. St. Romanos the Melodist wrote the first known text of the Akathist to the Theotokos. There are many, many Akathists in existence.

Speaking of Akathists, we have the "New Romanos" right here on this forum, our dear Alex, who has composed some beautiful Akathists.

Sorry, as usual I rambled on far too long, may God have mercy on me.

When a canon is used "devotionally" it goes by the name moleben or paraklis. Also, the parastas has a canon as does small compline.

Certainly one does not grab a text and start reading it, it is inserted into a service and is treated like a proper, a canon does not stand alone. The same can be said for an akathist, it can be considered a type of proper.

The Russians have the practice of reciting "three canons with an akathist" before communion. This is usually taken in small compline although it can be inserted elsewhere.

You can go here [myriobiblos.gr] for the "Jordanville prayerbook" and then go to "The Order for Reading Canons and Akathists when Alone" and see an order.

Paraklisis has several meanings and usages. The Paraklisis most well known is a service containing a particular canon to the Theotokos (the composition of Theophanes) used in the churches of the Greek tradition between August 1st and 14th and in times of need or calamity.

Apparently what Slavs call "moleben" is called "paraklesis" in the Greek Church. I used Paraklis in the Slavonic form to assure its meaning.

"Certainly one does not grab a text and start reading it, it is inserted into a service and is treated like a proper, a canon does not stand alone."

Exactly. "Standing alone" is what I meant by devotion but failed to note the other liturgical services that they are included in as propers.

"The same can be said for an akathist, it can be considered a type of proper."

As a complete kontakion - in the classic understanding of that hymn type?

The canons to the Theotokos for daily compline were once published in English. Does anyone know anything about this translation or its availability?

Spasi Khristos -
Mark, monk and sinner.

I think Joe has something. An Akathist is done after the Ode Six (of its own Canon, assuming that only one Canon is read). It takes the place of the partial Kontakion that is ordinarily there. I would not say that the Akathist is a classical Kontakion, but rather a variation on the form, comprising thirteen mini-kontakia that use the same over-arching principle as the classic Kontakion (which i believe had 13 parts to it as well). Not suprising that Romanos the Melodist wrote the first Akathist in a variation of the Kontakion; after all, he was one of the (if not the) greatest authors of that type of hymn.

Dear Friends,

You are all correct!

Molebens, Canons and Akathists can be used variously - they are liturgical forms of prayer that can be used as part of the Divine Praises (Compline, Matins and Sunday Nocturns), or they can be used as form of the Cell Rule or reading in private - albeit within a liturgical framework.

Both a Canon and an Akathist can be used in the context of a Moleben - which can be said by laity anywhere and at any time.

But Canons and Akathists can be read privately and there is no limit to the number we can read.

Some have a private Rule with a number of Canons and Akathists to favourite themes that they may include at the end of Compline.

Yet, Orthodox saints, especially in Russia, would get up at midnight to say the Midnight Hour and would then recite Akathists until daybreak - as did the Miracle-worker St Jonah, Priest of Odessa (+1924).

The Psalter itself, as we know, is part of daily Matins and Vespers in accordance with the prescribed readings of the Typicon. Kathisma 17 is read daily, although not always during the Midnight Hour.

But one may also read the Psalter in private, together with the special prayers of repentance prescribed by the Fathers and those in monasteries who read three Kathismata a day are "beginners" those who do four are in the "middle" and those who are "perfect" do seven.

The true beauty of the Eastern Church is that liturgical prayer is prescribed for BOTH public prayer in Church AND for our private worship of God and veneration of His Saints.

Alex

Fr Mark,

The Canons in question are still in print. We sometimes read them before Liturgy instead of the Hours or before them. Subdeacon Randolf the Great would know the most about this.

Forgive me, Holy Father Mark, and bless!

The Canons are still sold by ST John of Kronstadt Press separately.

They are, of course, included in their publication of the Octoechos.

Alex

Father bless!

Dear Father Mark, the Canons to the Theotokos for Small Compline are included in the Oktoechos printed by St. John of Kronstadt Press. The Canons to the Most Holy Trinity for the Midnight Office in the eight tones are also included in this Oktoechos. I believe these are all still $35 U.S. per volume.

This English translation of the Slavonic Oktoechos from St. John of Kronstadt Press is printed in four separate comb (spiral) bound volumes, with two of the tones to each volume. If you only want particular parts they are usually very amenable to selling those separately. I have found the comb-bound volumes to be very convenient.

The four volumes include the changeable parts in the eight tones for Small and Great Vespers texts for Saturday evening, including even the stikhera for the Litya at the vsenoshchnoe of Saturday nights in each tone; Matins texts including all three Canons for Sundays in each tone; Matins and Vespers texts for weekdays in each tone; Canons to the Theotokos for Small Compline for every day of the week in each tone; Canons to the Most Holy Trinity for Saturday night/Sunday morning Midnight Office in each tone; and even troparia for the Beatitudes at the Divine Liturgy for every day of the week according to each tone.

For convienience the eleven Resurrectional Matins gospels for Sundays and the associated resurrectional exapostilaria/theotokia are included as are the common katavasia in each comb-bound volume.

All four volumes are the English translation of Reader Isaac Lambertsen from the Slavonic. In my opinion this is the best and most complete English translation of the Slavonic Oktoechos currently available after having used these for some time now. The Canons to the Theotokos at Small Compline for each day of the week in the eight tones alone are jewels of devotion and theology and worth the price of admission.

You can order St. John of Kronstadt Press items on-line at http://www.sjkp.org Please pray for my salvation.

And dear Adam, thanks for the compliment but the only thing I am "great" at is sinning...