Rubrics for hierarchical vespers

[Paul Cowan]

Next November Bishop Basil will be celebrating Vespers in our parish. We (servers) have already been told we will be on our toes. :)

I am looking for not only the rubrics but also any cheat notes such as these (http://www.holytrinitymission.org/books/english/hierarchical_services_rubrics.htm#_Toc71183825)for a hierarchical Vesper service. I do well when I can read along and have specific notes to refer to and when to expect specific movements.

I also know he is notorious for changing things up at the last second. I will be in charge of the Dikeri candles and everything on the North side of the altar as well as making sure the boys are doing the "right things at the right times". We will have a brand new adult server with me taking care of the Trikeri and things on the south side of the altar, but he has yet to serve a single service.

We have a great deacon who gives me ques (sp) when to do things, but having this service ahead of time will be immensily helpful. Though I am sure most jurisdictions are relatively the same; if you know of one for specifically Antiochians, it will be much appreciated.

The "plan" is to practise often well before hand, but as I said, things change the night of the service too.

Paul

[Paul Cowan]

Next November Bishop Basil will be celebrating Vespers in our parish.

Paul

My bad,

He is celebrating the divine liturgy with us; not vespers. I could still use an Antiochian "cheat sheet" if anyone comes across one. Thanks.

[Anthony Stokes]

My bad,

He is celebrating the divine liturgy with us; not vespers. I could still use an Antiochian "cheat sheet" if anyone comes across one. Thanks.

There shouldn't really be any differences between the service between jurisdictions. The hierarchical service is pretty universal. The only differences might be in the vesting part. I've never been to an Antiochian hierarchical service, but I remember growing up that the Greek bishops didn't really serve at liturgies, they mainly stayed at the throne.

There is a helpful book called "The Subdeacon's Manual" written by now Archdeacon Kirill Sokolov. It goes through how to serve Vespers and Liturgy with a bishop. It's cheap too, and should be available from SVS press and other places.

Sbdn. Anthony

[Michael Astley]

I'm not so sure, Subdeacon Anthony. My understanding is that the Greek tradition, followed by most Antiochians, is to place the bishop, facing north, off to the south side of the church, near the kliros, rather than on the ambo/bema in the midst of the people, facing west.

This makes most of the hierarchical ceremonies that you and I know quite impossible to execute. I have witnessed it and it is severely simplified. I know that some Antiochian churches follow something more akin to the Russian tradition, Paul, so it is well worth asking your priest what custom he hopes to follow. I cannot claim to be without bias but I do think that the Russian tradtion is very beautiful. I have Subdeacon Anthony's recommendation and can vouch for its usefulness. Also, while copies of this are as scarce as hen's teeth, the Christ of the Hills hierachical liturgy book is really worth getting. It is by far the most complete and clear expression of the hierarchical Liturgy that I have been able to find.

Believe it or not, Youtube is often very helpful. Have a look at some of the videos on this (http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Yuliya7&view=videos) channel. It helps so very much to see the rubrics translated into actual action in the Liturgy. They cease to be black text on white paper and become something real, seen, and living.

The Lesser Entrance is explained in these two videos.

YouTube - Divine Liturgy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU9hNkUWLOw&feature=channel_page)

YouTube - St. Sergius Russian Orthodox Cathedral (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaVsH017K3k&feature=channel_page)

In Christ,
Michael

[edited because I'm hopeless and can't type]

[David James]

I'm sure you meant to type "facing east..." I happen to have a copy of the Christ of the Hills Hierarchal Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, having been around since Hector was a pup (as my grandfather would say), and will try to type in the subdeacons' parts over the next few days. Of course, it will be Russian use, but then it will be easier for servers familiar with Greek-style hierarchal services to comment on the differences.

David James


... facing west...

Also, while copies of this are as scarce as hen's teeth, the Christ of the Hills hierachical liturgy book is really worth getting. It is by far the most complete and clear expression of the hierarchical Liturgy that I have been able to find.

[edited because I'm hopeless and can't type]

[Michael Astley]

I'm sure you meant to type "facing east..." I happen to have a copy of the Christ of the Hills Hierarchal Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, having been around since Hector was a pup (as my grandfather would say), and will try to type in the subdeacons' parts over the next few days. Of course, it will be Russian use, but then it will be easier for servers familiar with Greek-style hierarchal services to comment on the differences.

David James

I did indeed mean "facing east", David. That mistake I cannot even blame on my poor typing. Thank you for undoing any confusion I may have caused.

In Christ,
Michael

[David James]

These are Russian-style, not Antiochian, but it's a place to start. Here is the first installment. I will add to it as I have time.

David James

Hierarchal Liturgy Subdeacon Rubrics


Preparation
The subdeacons arrive early, with the deacon(s) and servers, receive a blessing from the priest performing the Prothesis (or the highest ranking priest present in the Altar), vest, and lay out the bishop’s vestments. They place the eagle rugs [at the Western Door of the church, at the cathedra, at the foot of the ambo, in front of the icons of Christ and the Theotokos (all facing East) and at the High Place (facing West)]. If the bishop will vest inside the Altar, an eagle rug is also laid at the place of vesting. Two additional eagle rugs should be ready at hand within the Altar to be set in front of the Holy Table and the Prothesis Table at the appropriate times during the Liturgy.

Greeting the Bishop
The subdeacons escort the Bishop into the church. The bishop hands his staff to a server and stands on the eagle rug. He and all the clergy make three reverences to the East. The clergy then turn to the bishop and he blesses them. After the deacon has requested and received the blessing for the censer, the subdeacons place the mantle on the bishop as the celebrant of the Prothesis brings him the Cross on a tray. After all the clergy have kissed the Cross and as the choir starts to sing “It is truly meet” (or the megalynarion of the feast), the subdeacons assist the bishop as he proceeds to the foot of the ambo for the Entrance Prayers. At the “Both now…” that follows the prayer “O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have hoped in Thee…”, the bishop ascends the ambo, assisted by the subdeacons, to venerate the icons. After “Ton despotin…,” as the choir sings “Eis polla eti, Despota,” the bishop descends the ambo, assisted by the subdeacons, and goes to the cathedra in the center of the church.

Vesting the Bishop
After the priests have received the bishop’s blessing, the bishop hands his crozier to the crozier-bearer, who then goes to his place before the icon of Christ in front of the ambo, facing East. The book-bearer receives the bishop’s klobuk, Panagia(s), (pectoral Cross,) and prayer rope on a tray. The subdeacons divest the bishop of his mantle, and lay the mantle over the arms of the book-bearer. After the bishop has given the blessing for the vesting prayers, and as the choir starts singing “Thy soul shall rejoice in the Lord…,” the bishop is vested by the subdeacons. As each vestment is brought to the bishop in order [sticharion, epitrachelion, zone, right cuff, left cuff, palitsa, dalmatic (sakkos), omophorion, cross , panaghia(s), miter], he blesses it with both hands and the subdeacons present it to him so he can kiss the Cross on it. When the vesting is complete, the subdeacons take the dikirion and trikirion from the deacons and hand them to the bishop, kissing his hand as they do so. After the bishop has blessed to all four sides, he hands the dikirion and trikorion back to the subdeacons, who take them and go and stand to either side of the protodeacon and deacon, facing the bishop. After the deacons have censed the bishop, they (together with the subdeacons) turn and make a reverence to the East. Then they turn and bow to the bishop. The subdeacons take the censers and go into the Altar by way of the Deacon’s doors. The dikiron, trikirion and censers are put away.
[to be continued]



My bad,

He is celebrating the divine liturgy with us; not vespers. I could still use an Antiochian "cheat sheet" if anyone comes across one. Thanks.

[Michael Astley]

Now it seems that I'm the one in need of help with hierarchical Vespers.

A Subdeacon's Manual has been very helpful, as indeed has this (http://swires.org/Liturgy/HierGvespers.pdf) document that I have found. The only probloem is that this is for hierarchical Great Vespers and we'll be doing hierarchical Daily Vespers. Therefore, I would be very grateful indeed for any guidance about the differences. I know that there is no entrance at Daily Vespers. How does this affect the rubrics for the entrance as given in that PDF? Obviously, there will be no process and actual entrance, but what of the blessings and censings by the bishop, and the singing of the Eis polla eti, Dhespota? Do they still take place?

Thank you o much for your help.

In Christ,
Michael