Nativity Vespers without Liturgy

[Michael Astley]

Dear friends in Christ,

For a number of reasons that I needn't go into here, my parish will not be celebrating the Vesperal Liturgy of St Basil on the Eve of Nativity. In fact, as it is our first Christmas worshipping in a church rather than a private home, it is the first time that we shall be doing more than just the Liturgy on Christmas Day. We plan to simply do Great Vespers alone as the first service of the Nativity. However, as the person charged with putting it together, I am unsure of some things and wonder whether anybody here may be able to help.

I have been able to successfully put Vespers together as far as the "Vouchsafe, O Lord...", followed by the Litany of Completion. However, I am unsure what to do next. Obviously, the typikon assumes that the Liturgy will be served so there are no aposticha provided in the Festal Menaion, yet The Order of Divine Services seems to make provision for occasions when Vespers will be served alone. It says that, after the Litany of Completion comes the customary "Peace be unto all" and "Let us bow our heads", then "Wisdom", and the rest. However, I am not sure what is meant by "and the rest". Is this the "Wisdom" that begins the dismissal sequence? If so, it would mean that there are no aposticha, no Song of Symeon, no Trisagion prayers, and no dismissal troparia. Is that correct? If not, then what actually happens? I know that we gather at the festal icon after the Dismissal to sing the Troparion and Kontakion but I'm just not sure of what happens in the meanwhile.

I do not yet have the third volume of the new edition of ODS (it is on order but will not arrive in time) so I am relying on the old one for now.

Is anybody able to help me?

Thank you so much.

In Christ,
Michael

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

OK- as far as the rule goes- if Nativity is on a Sunday or Monday then the Royal Hours would be done on the preceding Friday but without the Liturgy of St Basil. In such a case, (let's say that Nativity was on Monday), the shortened Vespers you refer to would be done after the Sunday Liturgy and before the evening Vigil for Nativity.

As for doing the shortened Vespers on other days: in our parish we have done this when the Liturgy was not possible (though this was for Theophany which follows the same rule as Nativity). In such a case you do the two litanies as normal at a Great Vespers (as you have it in your post); then "Wisdom" and dismissal; then bring the festal icon and put it on the central analoy (if possible there is a procession from the altar, priest carries the icon to the analoy preceded by altar servers with lit candles); then sing festal tropar GNE... festal kondak. And that's it.

The reason that the Litya , Aposticha, "Lord now lettest Thou Thy servant..." etc do not appear at this point is that they are done that evening at the Vigil after the Small Doxology at Great Compline.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Michael Astley]

That's great! Thank you, Father Raphael.

As the procession happens after the Dismissal but the Troparion and Kontakion are not sung until the icon is in situ, does this mean that the procession takes place in silence or is there something that can be sung while the icon is transferred from altar to analoi? Would it be irregular, for instance, to sing the troparion and kontakion during the procession and then sing the Nativity magnification (Velichayem) once it were in place?

In Christ,
Michael

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

It's probably best to sing the festal tropar and kondak only once the icon has been placed onto the analoy.

The reason why you would not do the magnification/velichanie here is that it is sung for the first time at Matins after the polyeley.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Michael Astley]

Thank you, Father Raphael.

I knew I would get help here. I'm still learning and was one step away from tearing my hair out. :-)

It all makes sense now.

In Christ,
Michael

[Niko T.]

The Great Vespers from the Greek menaia (available here: http://analogion.net/glt/texts/Dec/25.uni.htm) contains both the stichera and readings transitioning into the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, but also Hymns for the Litiya Procession ("Heaven and earth, today rejoice prophetically...", etc.), Aposticha ("A great and paradoxical wonder is completed today...", etc.), Doxastika of the Aposticha ("Rejoice O Jerusalem, and celebrate, all you who love Sion..."), etc. that could be used to complete Vespers without Liturgy. However, I don't know if they are available in English anywhere.

[Michael Astley]

Dear in Christ, Niko,

That's really interesting to know about. I wonder whether this is a difference between Slavic and current Greek practice as the ODS (Slavic) seems to assume that these texts don't exist. It seems pastorally sensible to have some sort of provision for parishes that aren't able to do the full cycle.

In Christ,
Michael

[Niko T.]

Here are the texts I mentioned in English from Fr. Ephraim Lash. I guess I missed them because they were on a separate page from the Vespers, at: http://www.anastasis.org.uk/liti.htm.



Idiomel Stichera [for the Liti]

Tone 1. By Monk John


Let heaven and earth today prophetically be glad. Let us, Angels and mortals, spiritually keep festival, for God has appeared in flesh, born from a woman, to those who sit in darkness and shadow. A cave and a manger have received him. Shepherds proclaim him. Magi from the East bring gifts in Bethlehem, while with unworthy lips let us bring him praise, as we sing, like the Angels, ‘Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth’; for the expectation of the nations has come. He has come, he has saved us from the slavery of the foe.



Same Tone. Same author.

Heaven and earth have been made one today, now that Christ is born. Today God has come upon earth, and humanity gone up to heaven. Today for humankind the One who by nature is unseen is seen. Therefore let us too give glory as we cry to him, ‘Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, with which your Coming has rewarded us. Our Saviour, glory to you!’



Same Tone. Same author.

‘Glory to God in the highest’, I hear in Bethlehem today, sung by the Bodiless Powers, to the One who has been well-pleased for there to be peace on earth. Now the Virgin is wider than the heavens; for light has dawned for those in darkness, and has exalted the lowly, who like the Angels sing, ‘Glory to God in the highest!’



The same.

When he saw that the one in his image and likeness had fallen away through transgression, Jesus bowed the heavens and came down and made his dwelling in a virgin womb without change, that in it he might refashion corrupted Adam as he cried, ‘Glory to your epiphany, my Redeemer and my God!’



Glory. Tone 5.

By Monk John.


Magi, Persian Kings, having clearly learnt that the heavenly King had been born on earth, drawn by a bright star arrived in Bethlehem, bringing chosen gifts, gold and incense and myrrh. And falling down they worshipped, for they saw lying in the Cave the Timeless as a babe.



Both now. Tone 6.

By Germanos.


All the Angels in heaven dance and rejoice today, while all creation leaps for joy for the Saviour Lord who has been born in Bethlehem; because all the error of idols has ceased and Christ reigns to the ages.



At the Aposticha, Idiomel Stichera.

By Germanos. Tone 2.


A great and mighty wonder has been accomplished today! A Virgin gives birth and her womb suffers no corruption; the Word takes flesh and is not separated from the Father. Angels with Shepherds give glory, and we cry out with them, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth!’

Verse: The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’.
Today the Virgin gives birth to the Maker of all. Eden offers a cave and a star reveals Christ, the Sun, to those in darkness. Enlightened by faith, the Magi worship with gifts, and Shepherds see the wonder, while Angels sing in praise and say, ‘Glory to God in the highest!’

Verse: From the womb before the morning star I have begotten you.


The same. By Anatolios.

When the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, Magi came from the East and worshipped God become man. Eagerly opening their treasures, they offered precious gifts, refined gold, as to the King of the ages, and incense, as to the God of all things; while as to one dead for three days, myrrh to the Immortal. Come all you nations, let us worship the One who was born to save our souls.



Glory. Tone 4.

By Monk John.


Jerusalem be glad and all you who love Sion keep festival. Today the ancient bond of Adam’s condemnation has been loosed; Paradise has been opened for us and the serpent vanquished, for he now sees that the one he trampled on of old has become the Mother of the Creator. O the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! The one who was the cause of death for all flesh, the instrument of sin, has, through the Mother of God, become the source of salvation for all the world. For a child, is born from her, the All-perfect God, and through his birth he seals her Virginity, loosing the bonds of sins through swaddling clothes; and through his becoming a child, he heals the pangs of Eve in childbirth. Therefore let all creation dance and leap for joy, for Christ has come to call it back and to save our souls.



Both now. The same.

By Anatolios.


Your made you dwelling in a cave, Christ our God, a manger received you, while Shepherds and Magi worshipped you. Then was the proclamation of the Prophets fulfilled; and the Angelic Powers marvelled, as they cried out and said, ‘Glory to your condescension, only lover of humankind!’

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

I am thinking that perhaps there is a liturgical problem if Litya was placed at this Vespers.

My understanding is that Litya is part of a Vigil and therefore would be done when Matins immediately follows. The only exception would be those rare cases where parishes cannot do Matins.

However in this situation we are speaking of the Vespers being served in the morning & Matins to follow later on in the day(?).

In any case I knew a Russian priest who helped serve at a Greek Orthodox parish but who has since reposed. When he spoke to me about this situation he often referred to how the major difference is that in the Greek typikon the Vigil does not begin with Great Compline as it does according to the Russian rule. Litya, the Aposticha, etc would all be done as the first part of the Vigil. Unfortunately though I cannot remember what service they begin with instead of Great Compline.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

On the St Anthony Monastery site (http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/visitorserviceschedule.php) in Florence, Arizona I just found the following:

Dec 24:
6am: Hours, Vespers, Liturgy

Dec 25:
12am: Vigil- Vespers, Orthros, Liturgy

evidently then according to the Byzantine typikon the Vigil begins with Vespers instead of Great Compline. I also assume that they do the Litya during this Vespers, not at the Vespers of Dec 24.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[K. Terzopoulos]

there are no aposticha provided in the Festal Menaion

Dear Reader Michael,

First off, the aposticha and lity are in the Festal Menaion; see pages 265ff.

Second, the Typikon of the Great Church as celebrated today in the Greek practice has a special Midnight Service used for Great feasts without vigil. Quite simply, it begins with the Trisagion prayers, 50th Psalm and then immediately the Lity, and in the case of the feast of the Nativity, the Aposticha from the Vespers. Then the ektene and dismissal.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely,
konstantinos terzopoulos