Combining canons

Theodora Elizabeth · Post by **Theodora Elizabeth** » Wed 9 June 2004 7:55 am

I prefer using the Jordanville Prayer Book. In the past I've tried to combine the three canons, said the night before receiving Communion, and got hopelessly confused (even using the instructions). I've begun using the Jordanville for every day prayers. But this past Saturday evening, I just defaulted to the Orthodox Daily Prayers book from St. Tikhon's as the three were already printed in this one, combined.

Any easy tips for how to combine the canons?

Thanks,
Theodora Elizabeth

Justin Kissel · Post by **Justin Kissel** » Wed 9 June 2004 11:52 am

I've also had problems combining the canons. I hope someone can give some help. I've often thought that maybe I just need to sit down and work it out on paper so that we can see with our eyes how it gets combined, though I haven't done that as of yet...

Daniel · Post by **Daniel** » Wed 9 June 2004 1:45 pm

I think they combine similarly to the canons done at All-Night Vigils.

I think it goes this way (bear in mind, this is with out the prayer book handy):

Iroms, Refrain, Verse if First Canon

Refrain (or Glory...) and Second Verse from Second Canon

Refrain/..Both now... and Theotokian from Thrid Canon.

Now, that I what I remember for the Odes. I don't know what to do for the other parts of the canon. I think the stuff afet Ode 3 get moved to Ode 6 or something like that. Again, I this all from memory, so I might be kinda off.

Daniel · Post by **Daniel** » Wed 9 June 2004 9:29 pm

Ok...so having re-read what the Jordanville Prayer Book says I was somewhat off in my previous post. Below is the best I could do to somewhat straighten out what is says.

What I described above is what is done locally for the canons read at the All-Night Vigil. But I still could be wrong on that. It’s mostly in Slavonic so what do I know.

Irmos of Ode I...Refrain...Tropar...Refrain...Tropar...Refrain...Tropar...O Most Holy...Theotokion

Ode I of second canon (no Irmos)...repeat as above

Ode I of third canon (no Irmos)...Refrain...Tropar...Refrain...Tropar...Glory...Tropar...Both now...Theotokion

After Ode III: Lord have Mercy (3)...Sessional Hymns (of all canons it sounds like)...Kontakion of second canon...and third canons (usually read after Ode VI)...Glory/Both now read before final two verses. ( I don’t know what to do about the Theotokions usually read between Odes III and IV).

After Ode VI: Lord, Have Mercy (3)...Glory...Both Now..Kontakion of first canon.

хорист · Post by **хорист** » Wed 9 June 2004 10:52 pm

Daniel wrote:
Ok...so having re-read what the Jordanville Prayer Book says I was somewhat off in my previous post. Below is the best I could do to somewhat straighten out what is says.

What I described above is what is done locally for the canons read at the All-Night Vigil. But I still could be wrong on that. It’s mostly in Slavonic so what do I know.

Hi!

You're closing in on it, but may I recommend that for questions such as this it might be a good idea to ask on the yahoo ustav list at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/ustav/

While this list is based on ROCOR usage (essentially the traditional usage of the Russian Church) I do not see that as a problem given that the writers above are referring to the Jordanville prayerbook.

Not to be meant as a dig, though I guess it could be seen as one, the principal advantage of this list is that the people who will respond and throw light on your concerns have many years' experience in a real-time church situation as opposed to [close to] solely readers' services, where - let's face it, and here I can speak for myself - one tends to ad lib when the going gets confusing.

尼古拉前执事 · Post by **尼古拉前执事** » Sun 13 June 2004 6:06 pm

Yeah you combine them when reading alone as it says, but it is hard to do alone, You almost need a reader stand with 4 copies!

I read the Old Believer Prayer Book Thanksgiving to the Theotokos Canon last night and it is already combined with the Akathist and later the Canons to The Body and to The Blood of Christ Akathists are combined in the Pre-Communion prayers. If your spiritual father allows it, perhaps using that book will make it easy to combine the canons and the akathist, since they are pre-combined?

Of note: The Old Orthodox Prayer Book's pre-communion prayers will really make you see your sinfulness as the prayers are really intense in making you realize what a vile being you are. Or rather they did for me.

Theodora Elizabeth · Post by **Theodora Elizabeth** » Sun 13 June 2004 7:20 pm

Nicholas wrote:
Yeah you combine them when reading alone as it says, but it is hard to do alone, You almost need a reader stand with 4 copies!

I read the Old Believer Prayer Book Thanksgiving to the Theotokos Canon last night and it is already combined with the Akathist and later the Canons to The Body and to The Blood of Christ Akathists are combined in the Pre-Communion prayers. If your spiritual father allows it, perhaps using that book will make it easy to combine the canons and the akathist, since they are pre-combined?

Of note: The Old Orthodox Prayer Book's pre-communion prayers will really make you see your sinfulness as the prayers are really intense in making you realize what a vile being you are. Or rather they did for me.

Nicholas ~

Yes, all that flipping around in the prayer book is distracting, at least for me!

I don't think my spiritual father would object. Last night, I used the three canons that are already combined in the Orthodox Daily Prayers book from St. Tikhon's. I noticed the language is almost identical to that in the Jordanville prayer book. Although, for some unfathomable reason, even though the St. Tikhon's book mentions an akathist is part of the prayers the evening before receiving Communion, it's NOT printed in the book! So I'll just use the Jordanville for the akathist.

Theodora Elizabeth