Discuss the holy Mysteries and the liturgical life of the Church such as the Hours, Vespers, Matins/Orthros, Typica, and the Divine Liturgy. All Forum Rules apply. No polemics. No heated discussions. No name-calling.
I have a question about the reading of the Great Canon.
In my booklet it says that we are to read this Canon at the service of Great Compline on the first Monday of Great Lent.
Now, is that actually Sunday Evening? (liturgically Monday Evening since the evening comes before the morning in Liturgical time = the eschatological truth that first darkness and sin and death and this perishing world etc is then swallowed up by the light and truth and life of the coming of Christ and his Kingdom at the end of time).
Or are we following Industrial Revolution time and doing it Monday evening?
Please correct me if I am wrong, but I was taught that Clean Monday is supposed to begin on Sunday evening at Vespers.
Some Slavic Orthodox parishes make a day of it with Forgiveness Vespers immediately following the Divine Liturgy.
Then they have their parish brunch with nachos and cheese and other cheese dishes.
Talks are given with time for silent reflection and/or discussion.
Then around 5 PM they gather for a quick Lenten soup and salad. After a quick clean-up, the parish gathers once again in the church at 6PM for the Great Canon with Compline.
Greek parishes have the Bridegroom Services.
Slavic parishes serve the Great Canon with Compline.
Great Compline on Sunday evening? That is certainly not what the Triodion says, although there may well be parishes that do that. Sunday evening is always Little Compline in my copy of the Triodion (Bp Kallistos Ware/Mother Mary version); the first Great Compline with the first part of the Great Canon is sung on Monday evening. Most parishes won't do Compline on Sunday evening anyway, of course, since the service will be taken up with the first Lenten Vespers and the Forgiveness ceremony.
Also, I've been told that the liturgical day during Lent is actually from midnight to midnight, rather than sundown to sundown, i.e. it starts at the midnight office, rather than vespers. I'm guessing that means the readings and hymns for the liturgical day begin at the midnight office. However, I must say this does not agree with what I read in my copy of the Triodion, where day-appropriate hymns do seem to begin with vespers, as you'd expect. Unless there is some other criterion for determining when the liturgical day begins?
Great Compline on Sunday evening? That is certainly not what the Triodion says, although there may well be parishes that do that. Sunday evening is always Little Compline in my copy of the Triodion (Bp Kallistos Ware/Mother Mary version); the first Great Compline with the first part of the Great Canon is sung on Monday evening. Most parishes won't do Compline on Sunday evening anyway, of course, since the service will be taken up with the first Lenten Vespers and the Forgiveness ceremony.
Also, I've been told that the liturgical day during Lent is actually from midnight to midnight, rather than sundown to sundown, i.e. it starts at the midnight office, rather than vespers. I'm guessing that means the readings and hymns for the liturgical day begin at the midnight office. However, I must say this does not agree with what I read in my copy of the Triodion, where day-appropriate hymns do seem to begin with vespers, as you'd expect. Unless there is some other criterion for determining when the liturgical day begins?
I tend to grab the wrong printouts if Holy Week services for different days have been left in the Narthex.
It is so confusing. I appreciate Symeon's question, so that we can clarify these points before Great Lent begins.
