Canon of matins for weekdays of Lent

[Jean-Serge]

Hello,

I would like to know with accuracy and clear explanations, an example would be welcomed, how to read the canons of matins on weekday lent. As far as I understand, this canon during weekday matins of Lent mixes :

• The canon of Triodon (made up with 3 odes), always the 8th and 9th ones.
• The Biblical odes
• The canon of the Menologion for the saints

For the last years, I have been proceeding in this way: I read the odes of the menologion followed by the ones of the triodon. I read all hirmos and katavasias in them Since I don't have bought yet the book with the biblical odes, I can't insert them, but I am planning to do so, so I would be happy to understand exactly how is done such reading. I was told by a monk that mine was more or less correct.

In order to learn, I have read the following books :

• The Typikon Decoded (the original in French) by Archimandrite Job GETCHA, excellent book by the way

• The arabic typikon translated to English herefor free, pages 477 to 480

The problem is that things are not clarified at all...

I read for example page 479

The order for the canons during Daily Matins of Great Lent :
On Monday
The 1st ode from the Menaion
The 1ST ode from the Triodion without verses
Then 3rd ode from the Menaion
The heirmos from the Triodion

My remark is which hirmos since there is no 3rd ode from Triodion on Monday? What is the meaning? Let us continue:

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	[quote]The little litany
	The kathisma from the Menaion
	Odes 4,5 and 6 from the Menaion and the hirmos[/quote]

Once again, which hirmos?

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	[quote]The little litany
	The kondakion for the saint (or martyrion also called martyrikon if there is no kondakion)
	The daily menologion (synaxaire) 
	Odes 7 and 8 from Triodion[/quote]

Question: there is no ode 7 from Triodon on Monday. Aren’t the odes 7 and 8 from Menaion also read?

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	[quote]Ode 9 from Menaion[/quote]

What about ode 9 of Triodion?

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	[quote]“We praise, we bless…”[/quote]

What is this? What is the full sentence?

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                [quote]The heirmos from ode 8 of Triodion
                “More honorable…”[/quote]

Is this the whole Magnificat?

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                  [quote]9TH hirmos[/quote]

Really? Hirmos from where?

I would Be happy if someone having experience, a typikon or something else could answer me.

[Matthew]

Oh boy! You are light years ahead of me, Jean-Serge! I just read my daily prayers, the saints for the day, and the sermon from Alexander Milomirovitch and the epistle and gospel. To even notice such differences and have such questions means you need to talk to a true expert. I recommend contacting someone like Bp Demetrius who recently joined our GOC synod. Even if he himself does not have all the answers, at least he can tell you who can, because HTM (where the monks are all from) are extremely well versed in the services.

[Jean-Serge]

Oh boy! You are light years ahead of me, Jean-Serge! I just read my daily prayers, the saints for the day, and the sermon from Alexander Milomirovitch and the epistle and gospel.

Well, light years ahead! I don't know: in addition to the length of prayer, there is also the concentration and focus on prayer while praying (and I'm far to be perfect on this point), so don't be impressed... The fact of being far from church obliges in a way to learn to do reader's services and understand the structure of the services, which is not too difficult in fact. Who is Alexander Milomirovitch? I'll write to the experts you indicated to me to have their views.

[Matthew]

Alexander Milomirovitch is the person I thought was the author of the Prologue from Ochrid, but which I realised was my muddling names up! I mean, therefore, of course, Nikolai Velimirovich.

Sorry for the mistake.

[Jean-Serge]

The answer to my question can be found in the book Order of the Divine Services published by Saint John of Kronstadt press. or in some editions of the triodion in ENglish that give the instructions with many details (as I've been indicated privately by a member of the forum). So I could finally find the answer to my question.

[m. Evfrosinia]

At Lesna we do it like this:
Monday: after the 50th psalm and the litia of the saints, read the 1st biblical ode up until the verse where you start reading the canons (this is indicated in most liturgical Psalters, in which the Biblical odes are collected together at the end, usually it's the last 10 verses of the Ode), then chant the irmos from the 1st Ode from the Menaia. Then you read the 1st Ode from the Menaion, inserting the verses from the 1st Biblical Ode, rather than reading "Holy Father so-and-so pray unto God for us". Then you read the 1st Ode from the Triodion in the same way, except that you read "lory to the Father... both now and ever..." for the last 2 verses, as usual. And you conclude by chanting the irmos of the 2nd 3-oded canon in the Triodion.
3rd Ode: Read the last 2 verses from the 3rd Biblical Ode, and then "glory to the Father...both now and ever..." together with the 3rd Ode from the Meanaion, and conclude with the irmos of that Ode. Read the Sedalion for the Saint from the Menaion, and its Theotokion.
4th Ode: Chant the Irmos of the 4th Ode in the Menaion, read the 4th Ode, inserting the last 2 verses from the 4th Biblical Ode and "glory to the Father...both now and ever..."
5th Ode: Chant the Irmos of the 5th Ode from Menaion, read the 5th Ode, inserting the last 2 verses of the 5th Biblical Ode and "glory to the Father...both now and ever.
6th Ode: Read the 6th Ode from the Meanion, inserting the last 2 verses of the 6th Biblical Ode and "glory to the Father...both now and ever..." and then conclude by chanting the Irmos of the 6th Ode from the Menaion. Chant the kontakion to the saint if there is one, or the hymn to the martyr for that day if there isn't one (they're listed separately in the Triodion, along with the sedalion for the 1st Kathisma at Matiins)
7th Ode: chant the Irmos of the 7th Ode from the Menaion, and read the 7th ode from the Menaion, inserting the last 2 verses of the 7th Biblical Ode and "glory to the Father...both now and ever..."
8th Ode: Read the 8th biblical ode up until the verse where you begin reading the canons (like you did with the 1st Ode, the last 10 verses) and then read the 8th Ode from the Menaion, inserting the verses from the Biblical Ode, and then the 8th Ode from the Triodion in the same way. Instead of "glory to the Father..." at the penultimate verse you read"We bless the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Lord" and then "both now and ever..." Then you chant "We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, O Most Holy Trinity, Lord" (there's probably a better translation. I'm used to chanting it in Slavonic) and then the Irmos of the second canon of the 8th Ode in the Triodion"
Then you chant the entire Magnificat (which is actually the beginning of the 9th Ode) with "More Honorable then the Seraphim..." as usual.
Then you chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode from the Menaion and read the 9th Biblical Ode together with the Canon fom the Menaion and the 9th Ode from the Triodion and conclude with the Irmos of the second canon in the TRiodion, and then you conclude the entire canon with "It is Truly Meet...".

On the other days it's more or less the same, except that you read the Biblical Ode for that day (2nd fro Tuesday, 3rd for Wednesday, etc.) and only the last 2 verses of the other ones. You read the 8th an 9th Biblical Odes daily.

It's easier than it sounds once you get the hang of it, but it's best to hear it done first, rather than trying to figure it out on your own.

[Jean-Serge]

Thank you very much, Mother Evfrosinia, for this very detailed description on how to read the canon!