THE EASTERN
RITUAL

^BY—

REV. JOSEPH P. HANULYA

2408 W. 14th ST.

Cleveland, Ohio

1942

Price: 1.00



Dedfcated to the memory

of my beloved wife,

Mary,

All rights reserved.



3

Bishop’s Chancery, Homestead, Pa. Dec. 5, 1941

No. G. 868-41

Nihil obstat

Rev. Stephen C. Gulovich D. D.

Chancellor

F O R E IP o R D

It would take pages and pages to cite the many praises

about the beauty of the Eastern Rite. Papal Encyclicals are full

of such praises. And justly so.

The ideal of beauty consists in simplicity, tranquility, ac-

curay and un-ity in variety. True beauty has not only an outside

form but an inside “spirit,” a symbolical meaning. To appreciate

beauty justly, we must know , it intimately through serious study,

because the perception of the beautiful is not a lightning revela-

tion but the fruit of gradual examination to see in the visible the

invisible and be delighted.

If contemplation and understanding of beauty in nature,

in art, in literature, in human character diffuses a subtle joy in

us, so much greater is the delight when the beauty of wor-

shipping our Lord the God is understood.

This book was written mainly for those who are of the

Eastern Rite, and especially for such members who have been

bored by its lengthy services because of their lack of knowledge

of its spiritual meaning and value. It was also written for all

other Rites and denominations in order to help them to know,

to appreciate and to enjoy the beauty of the Eastern Rite as it

deserves.

The Author



4

‘‘COME TO ME ALL,
(Matth. 11. 28.)



INTRODUCTION

1. Necessity to Serve and Honor God

Every creature, by keeping the laws of nature, is serving God,

the Creator.

Man, as a rational creature, has not only to serve God, but to

know Him, and to love Him with all his heart, with all his mind,

with all his strength, with all his soul and body.

It is quite natural for man to express his inner thoughts and

feelings by outward acts. All signs, words, actions and means

wliereby a m.an is expressing his homage towards God, are called

RITE. (Obrjad.)

The rite can be either private or public.

The private rite is a personal affair of every individual, but

the public rite is instituted by Jesus Christ and His Church.

The book which contains the code of ceremonies, the prescribed

forms of the public divine services of certain rite and their sym-

bolic meaning, is called The Ritual. (Liturgika.)

2. Various Rites

The Catholic Church is the same all over the world in Faith

and Morals, but is not everywhere the same Ceremonially.

During the first three centuries there was only one public rite

in the Church of Jesus Christ, and it was the Eastern Rite. The

Western, Latin or Roman Rite evolved only in the fourth century.

At present in the Catholic Church there are four main rites

and twelve subrites, variants.

The four principal rites are: the Antiochian and the Alex-

andrian in the East, and the Roman and the Gallican in the West.

The still existing subrites are: I. 1. The Constitution of

Apostles, in Greek
;
2. Liturgy of St. James, in Greek and Syrian

;



6 ^/le "n
3.

The Maronite, in Syrian; 4. The Caldean and the Malabar, in

Syrian
;
5. The Byzantine, in different languages

;
6. The Armen-

ian, in Arnijenian; II. 7. The Liturgy of St. Mark; 8. The

Coptic; 9. The Ethiopian in Abysinia; III. 10. The Roman, in

Italy and in Old-Slavonic Glagolitsa in Macedonia; IV. 11. The

Ambrosian in Milano; 12. The Mozarb in Toledo and Salamanca,

Spain.

All these rites retained the essential parts instituted by Jesus

Christ Himself. Among other things He taught us how to pray,

how to baptize, how to ordain priests, how to absolve sinners and

how to transubstantiate bread and wine. Later on the Apostles

and the Holy Fathers added appropriate prayers, songs, actions

and vestments.

3. The Nucleus of Every Rite

The nucleus of every Rite is the offering of a sacrifice. The

balance is preparation and consummation.

In the Old Testament, the Jews sacrificed: fruits, grains and

animals. (The Carthaginians sacrificed infants free of any blem-

ish. Each year in Egypt a maiden was sacrificed for the purpose

of insuring the safety of the country. The Druids sacrificed old

men to avert public calamities, and in India, Kings sacrificed them-

selves for the good of their people.) Expiation was the dominant

idea of all cults and forms of worship. But with those sacrifices,

wherein the blood of animals: bulls, sheep, goats, doves was in-

volved, it was impossible to effect the absolution of sins. (Hebr.

10.4) They were only the prototype of the one to come.

In the New Testament the bloody sacrifice of Jesus Christ

on the Cross and the unbloody sacrifice of Himself in the Holy Mass

is the focal point of our worship of God.

4. The Symbolism of the Rite

Every sign, word, action and vessel used in the Rite is of

special significance. To understand and to love ones Rite, one must

know its symbolism.

5.

Errors Concerning Rite

1. Many confuse the Rite with Faith and Religion. They fail

to properly evaluate their Rite and often abandon their Faith,

Religion, while apparently observing their Rite.



7

“Faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence

of things that appear not” (Hebr. 11.1) Faith is the consent of

our mind, moved by will and grace, to adhere to the truths revealed

by God, for God’s authority. As such, faith differs 1) from science,

which adheres to natural truths, 2) from opinion, which is uncer-

tain, 3) from confidence in divine mercy, 4) from religious feeling

acquired by subjective and obscure impressions, 5) from historical

consent founded on human testimony, 6) from clear and immediate

beatific vision.

Religion is the relation between man and God. As such it

comprises: 1) dogmas or revealed truths about God and man, 2)

rules directing man’s life to his goal, to return to God, 3) the

worship by which man professes the Lordship of God and his de-

pendence upon Him. Consequently, Rite is only less than one-third

of Religion.

2. Many, not knowing their Rite in all its beauty and sym-

bolism, fail to appreciate it, and for any minor cause are eager to

change it.

The law says: A Catholic belongs to the rite in which he is

baptized or should have been baptized; rite can not be changed

without the specific permission of the Pope; whoever tries to in-

duce another to change his rite is subject to excommunication; be-

cause the Church wants all to be Catholics, but not that all should

be of the Latin Rite. If the spouses are of different rite, the mar-

riage ceremony takes place before the bride’s pastor. The wife

can follow the rite of her husband while he lives and all the children

follow the rite of the father. Any dispensations required are to be

obtained from or through the Bishop of the bride. Eastern schis-

matics have to keep their rite when they join the Catholic Church.

6. Division of the Ritual

To perform public divine services the following are indispen-

sable :

1. Holy Places reserved and consecrated for such a purpose,

as: churches, chapels and cemeteries;

2. Persons ordained, consecrated for such services, as : Plead-

ers, Sub-Deacons, Deacons, Priests and Bishops

;

3. Vessels used at those services, as: altar, cross, water, in-

cense, candles, books, bells, vestments, etc.;



8
^;

4. Time when the services are performed, as: Sundays, Holi-

days, Fastdays.

Accordingly the Ritual is divided into four main chapters.

7. The Church. (Cerkov.)

In the Old Testament the Holy Tent, built at the command of

God by Moses, the Synagogues, and later the Holy Temple of

Jerusalem, built by King Solomon, served as holy places.

At the beginning of the New Testament the Christians wor-

shipped in private homes, and during the three centuries of perse-

cution in the Catacombs. In the sidewalls of those subterranean cor-

ridors they buried their Martyrs whose graves then served as

altars.

After the Edict of Toleration proclaimed by Constantine the

Great (313), the Christians began to build churches. Constantine

himself and his mother, St. Helena, built great churches in Rome

(St. Peter’s) and in Jerusalem (Holy Sepulchre).

8. The Architecture of Churches

Architecture is the art to plan, design and erect something

beautiful and expressive, consistent with the purpose of the build-

ing and within the available resources.

S. Maria Magaiore ia Rome



9

A church built this way becomes not only the place of wor-

ship but an homage to God.

All ecclesiastical architecture has been evolved from two dis-

tinct patterns: the oblong and the circular chamber.

The following Styles of ecclesiastical architecture are dis-

tinguished.

1. The Basilica Style. (Basilica means the hall of the king)

This style grew from the basilicas which the Romans built 120

B.C. for market purposes and for the administration of justice.

The ground plan was a parallelogram (width one-half of the

length). The building was divided into three, sometimes five or

seven parts by columns, the central part rising higher than the

other divisions. For the Altar there was an apse. Between the

nave and the apse was a transept to the aisles. Vaulting was used

over the aisles, but the roof of the very broad middle nave was flat,

and the rafters of the roof often were left uncovered. Only after

the fifth century round or square sidetowers came into use. The

I

St. Sophia in Constantinople



10

Altar stood under a decorated canopy. The walls were often adorned

with pictures. The “arch of triumph” and the floor were decor-

ated with mosaic.

The most beautiful Basilicas are those of St. Paul and S.

Maria Maggiore in Rome.

2. The Byzantine style. The Byzantine style is a mixed style

of Greek-Roman and Oriental elements. A central dome supported
by half-domes. But a circular chamber without any kind of annex

was unsuitable for public service, therefore a projecting Sanctuary

was added on one side, a projecting porch on opposite side and two

lateral projections, and so it achieved the form of the Greek cross.

The nave is supported on spirally channelled columns and imposts

between capitals and arches. Over the side aisles there are

galleries. The roofs are covered with lead or with tiles laid directly

on the vaults. The interior is gorgeously decorated with gold and

mosaics.

One dome is a symbol of the One Head of the Church, Jesus

Christ. Three domes typify the Holy Trinity. Five domes are

symbolical of our Lord Jesus Christ and the four Evangelists.

The St. Sophia of Constantinople, the monastery church of Mt.

Athos, the St. Mark of Venice are the outstanding examples of that

style.

Cathedral in Piza



11

St. Mark’s in Venice

3. The Roman style. The ground plan is of the form of a

Latin (prolonged) cross. The podium is raised and the approach

is by a flight of steps through an entrance portico. Semi-detached

Doric columns are round the heavy walls which support the semi-

circular vault. The windows are narrow and lengthly and the

upper part ends in semi-circle.

The m.ost typical churches of this style are the Cathedral in

Piza and St. Andrew’s in Krakow.

4. The Gothic style. To set aside the heavy walls demanded

by the round vaulting of the ceiling, logically brought forth the

pointed vaulting with narrower nave. In harmony with this all

other parts, as doors, windows, decorations also had to be pointed.

It also necessitated the use of many statues.

The classical examples of that style are the Cathedral of

Cologne and Amiens.



12

Cathedral in Cologne

5. The Romanesque style is a transitional stage from the

Roman to the Gothic styles.

Gr. Cath. Cathedral in Uzhorod



!^/ie 13

6. The Renaissance style of the 15th century is the revival

of the ancient Greek and Roman classical architecture. Pure

classic, geometrical forms, (circle, semi-circle, triangle, rectangle)

are the chief decorative characteristics. A central dome and many

side-domes supported on columns. Big windows allow plenty of

light.

St. Peter’s in Rome is the peerless example of this style.

St. Peter’s in Rome

7. The Baroque style of the 17th century grew from the

Renaissance style by using rich decorations of curved lines instead

of geometrical lines.

St. George’s Gr. Gath. Cathedral of Lemberg



14 SaA^e'if'n

8. The Rococo style is an outgrowth of the Baroque style. It

reproduced ornamental decorations of phantastic designs and was

fitted for only internal works.

9. The Bojko and Hucul style of Podkarpatska Rus’ is a

specialty, and embraces features dissimilar to any used by all the

other architectural styles.

Gr. Cath. Cl'iurchcs in Podkarpatska Rus'.



15

If possible, every church should be built with the Sanctuary

turned toward the East. And even if the Sanctuary does face any

other direction, it is always considered as the eastern part of the

church. Consequently, the main entrance is the western part, the

northern side is the right side and the southern side the left side

of the church.

The tower of the church, extending above the building high

towards heaven, is a constant reminder that in heaven is our home.

The cross on the tower is the herald of the victory of Jesus Christ

and of our hope to conquer with Him all the evils of this world.

The bells are used to summon the faithful to worship. Dur-

ing the services they are rung to call on those who, for any reason,

are not in the church to unite in prayers with the worshippers.

They are also rung every morning, noon and evening, and if some-

body died, to remind us to pray.

The right chiming and pealing of the bells is very detailed and

complicated.

9* The Interior of an Oriental Church

The inside of every church is divided into three main parts:

1. Porch or Vestibule, 2. Nave, 3. Sanctuary.

1. The Vestibule is subdidived by the door of the church into

outside and inside Vestibule. The outside Vestibule was for those

penitents who were forbidden to enter into the church. The inside

Vestibule was for the other public penitents and for the Catechu-

mens.

Now-a-days in the Vestibule the Church performs the first

part of the Baptism, the Litia, and here wait the women who come

for ‘‘churching” (Vyvodki).

2. The Nave is for the lay worshippers, usually divided into

two groups, the men on the left and the women on the right side

of the church (looking from the Sanctuary towards the Vestibule).

At the front of the Nave, on both sides, are the “Klirosy”,

the two pews for the singers who alternately sing the responses.

(Antiphony.)

Before the Sanctuary is the “Tetrapod”, a small table with a

picture on it, which the faithful, coming into the church, kiss. The



16

pictures are changed according to the feasts. Fulfilling this cus^

tom, the faithful should not omit to pay homage to our Saviour

in the Blessed Sacrament.

In the Nave there are Banners (Choruchvi) not only for

decoration but as reminders that we are the soldiers of Jesus

Christ and have to wage incessant warfare with the enemies of

our salvation.

3. The Sanctuary is subdivided, by the Iconostasion, into the

outer and inner Sanctuary. This division signifies the divine and

human nature of Jesus Christ and the body and soul of men.

a) The outer Sanctuary consists of the “Solea”, the elevated

place before the Iconostasion. The central part of the Solea is

rounded into a semi-circle, called “Amvon”, from which the preach-

ing is done and the announcements made.

Over the Amvon hangs the ‘'Sanctuary Lamp’' ((Vicnaja

lampa) always burning in honor of Jesus Christ present on the

Altar in the Holy Eucharist.

In the left corner of the Solea (instead of in the middle of

the church) is the “Kathedra”, a throne for the Bishop when he

officially visits the church.

To the first pew is fastened' the “Processional Cross”.

b) The Iconostasion, a picture-screen with three doors, depicts

the Holy Scripture and the glory and greatness of the holy citizens

of heaven.

The central door is called “The Royal Door” (Carskija Vrata),

because through it, at the divine Liturgy, the King of Glory comes

forth to feed His faithful people with His own divine Body and

Blood. Unordained m.en are not permitted to pass through it.

The kings, being annointed, were allowed to pass through it. No

woman may enter the Sanctuary at any time.

The Royal Doors usually are decorated with the pictures of the

four Evangelists. The opening and closing of the Royal Doors, at

different points of the various services, signify several things:

sometime the opening of the gates of Paradise, sometime the

throwing open of the entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. The

entrances and exits through it of the clergy symbolize the progress

of the Saviour to and from those places where He lived. The priest



17

ICONOSTASION



18 SctA^e'i^'n ^ciuaJ

represents the Saviour, the Deacon represents the Angel of the

Lord.

The two side-doors are called the “Deacon’s Doors” (Diakon-

skija Dveri) or “the northern” and “the southern” doors. They

are decorated either with the pictures of Angels, the messengers

of God, or of the Holy Deacons, the types of the Angels.

The curtain inside the Royal Door symbolizes the veil of the

Temple which, at the death of Jesus Christ, was rent in two from

the top to the bottom.

* Hs

Footnote. The curtain is drawn aside at the beginning of the

Holy
.
Mass closed after the Gospel or Sermon, opened at the

Cherubic Hymn, closed after the Great Entrance, opened at the

words “The doors, the doors . . . closed at Holy Holy . . . opened at

“Meet is it, in truth . . . closed at “Holyi things to the holy . . .

opened at “With the fear of God . . . and closed after blessing.

The Royal Door is opened at “Only begotten Son . . . closed

after the Gospel or Sermon
. .

. opened at the Cherubic Hymn

. . . closed after the Great Entrance . . . opened at “With fear of

God . . . and closed after the final blessing

At a Pontifical Mass the Royal Door is opened at “Only be-

gotten Son . . . closed at “Holy things to the holy . . . opened at

“With fear of God . . . and closed after the general blessing.

The opening and closing of the Royal Door and the curtain is

the duty of the Deacon. Hence, when a priest offers Holy Mass

without a Deacon, the ritual of the doors and curtain is omitted.

They are opened at the beginning and closed after the final bless-

ing.

During the Bright Week of Easter the Royal Door and curtain

are open.

*

The pictures of the Iconostasion are arranged in the follow-

ing order (from right to left, or, standing before it, from left to

right)

.

The four main pictures are of St. Nicholas, Bl. V. Mary with

the Child, Jesus as teacher, and the Patron Saint of the church.

Second row: The twelve main Feasts with the Last Supper in

the centre above the Royal Door.

Third row; The twelve Apostles with Jesus Christ as Judge in

the centre.





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19

Fourth row: The twelve Prophets with the Cross in the centre

and Bl. V. Mary and St. John under the Cross.

c) In the inner Sanctuary is the Altar (Prestol) which rep-

resents the throne of God in Heaven. It also represents the tomb

of Jesus Christ since His Body is placed thereon. The Altar is

quadri-lateral, signifying the four corners of the world, with a

canopy resting on four columns.

The first covering of the Altar, a white linen, called “Kata-

sarka” or “Sratchica”, represents the bolt of cloth in which the

Body of our Lord was wrapped. The upper covering, Inditia, of

rich material, represents the glory of God’s throne.

Between the two coverings is placed the “Antimins” or Vice-

Altar, a linen or silken cloth, decorated with the picture of the

Placing of Christ in the tomb, the four Evangelists and the tools

of torture. Relics of some Saint are sewn on to the Antimins.

Without an Antimins on the A>ltar the Holy Mass cannot be cele-

brated.

Upon the upper cover is placed a square of fine linen, called

“Iliton” (Corporal), which symbolizes the swaddling-clothes where-

in the Lord was wrapped after His birth, and also the Winding-

sheet. (Plaschanitza.)

The book of the Holy Gospel (Evanhelie) is laid upon the Altar

to denote that God Himself is mystically present thereon. On the

right side is placed the Missal (Suzebnik). In the centre stands

a crucifix because the unbloody sacrifice is offered up to God.

An Ark or Tabernacle (Kovcheh) is also on the Altar. Here

ANTIMINS



20 ^Ae S^cIuclA

in a covered chalice, called the Ciborium (Darochranitelnica) are

placed the Holiest Gifts, the Blessed Sacrament, reserved for the

sick, and, during Lent, for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

The candles on the Altar are lighted during the services to

typify the Light of Christ which illumines the world.

At a Pontifical Mass the double and triple branched candelabra

(Dikiri and Trikiri) are used wherewith the Bishop bestows his

blessing on the people. The Dikiri signifies the dual nature of

Jesus Christ, the Trikiri the Holy Trinity.

Behind the Altar is the Throne (Hornoje Sidalische) for the

celebrating Bishop or Priest who then represent the King of Glory.

It also recalls the occasion when Jesus retired into the desert with

His Apostles. ’

On the northern part of the Sanctuary is the Table of Oblation

(Zertvennik) on which the bread and wine, necessary for the con-

secration, are prepared. It represents the cave of Bethlehem and

the manger.

10. Church Utensils. (Cerkovny Sosudy)

Church utensils include all the instruments, vessels used for

and during the services.

1. The Cross. Among the Gentiles the cross was the tool

of punishment and/' consequently the symbol of shame. Since

Jesus Christ, the innocent Lamb, died on the cross, “blotting out

the handwriting of the decree that was against us” (1. Cor. 2.14),

the cross, which is still “the stumbling block to the Jews and fool-

ishness to the Gentiles” (I Cor. 1.23), became for the faithful

Christians the symbol of victory, of power and wisdom of God, of

our salvation and glory.

The different formis and names of the cross are:

The “gamma” or in Sanskrit “Swastika”, the oldest form

of cross, the symbol of the sun, the living flame, sign of

benediction and amblem of the primitive Aryan civilization.



212/Ae S^c^tccL^

The “ansated cross”, the symbol of life.

The equilateral or “Greek cross”.

The prolonged or “Latin cross”.

The “anchor cross”.

The “trident”, found on sepulchral slabs.

The “decussated cross” or St. Andrew’s cross. i

The “patriarchal cross”.

The “Papal cross”.

The “three-barred cross” with two explanations: 1. the

first bar is the “title or inscription”, the second the regular cross

bar, and the third inclined at an angle, is the foot-rest; 2. the

first is St. Peter’s cross, the second is Jesus Christ’s cross, and the

third is St. Andrew’s cross. St. Andrew is considered the “Apostle

of the Slavs”. Russia and Scotland honor St. Andrew as their

chief Patron. (Cath. Encycl. 1.471.)

To the Cross is due sincere “veneration” which, as in pictures,

passes from the image to the prototype, so that whoever adores

the image, adores the person whom it represents. The Eastern

Church has two feasts in honor of the Holy Cross. The third

Sunday of the Lent is called “The Sunday of the Holy Cross” and

on Sept. 14, is the feast of the Exaltation of the honorable Cross

of the Lord”. During those two weeks the Cross is exposed for

special adoration.

T
+
t

Z
4
^

X

t

2. Holy pictures are used for decoration and for the instruc-

tion of the faithful through examples. The Eastern Church uses

only painted pictures and no carved statues.

Against the Iconoclasts of the 8 century and against the modern

“Bible students” and other Protestants, the Church defined at the

Seventh General (Second of Nicea) Council, 787, that the honour-

ing of Holy Pictures is lawful, useful, pious and worthy of praise

and encouragement, and that we are not permitted to speak against

it as something pernicious. Through the images which we kiss,

and before which we kneel, we may adore Christ and venerate the

Saints whose semblances they bear. (Trid. S.25.)



22 ^Ae Sa^/'e'3('n

God the Father is depicted as an old, eternal man with a

sceptre; the world under His feet, because He is the Lord, and a

triangle above His head, because He is omniscient.

• God the Son is depicted: as a child on His Mother’s arms; as

a teacher with a book; as a shepherd with the recovered sheep

around His neck; as bearing the cross; and as crucified on the

cross; as risen; as sitting on the right hand of the Father and as

Judge at the end of the world.

The Holy Ghost is depicted as a dove and as a fiery tongue

over the Apostles.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is depicted as having been immacu-

lately conceived, standing on a globe, witli stars around Her head

and with a moon and a serpent under Her feet. (Apoc.)
;
as the

Mother of Jesus Christ and as one of Perpetual Protection to the

faithful.

The Angels are depicted either as little heads without body

(pure spirits), or as children-youth in a white robe with wings,

which signify their readiness to serve God. Michael Archangel is

depicted in a coat of armour with a sword as the conqueror of

Lucifer and the devils.

St. Peter is depicted holding keys, while St. Paul with an

sword, and the rest of the Apostles with tools of their martyrdonu

Of the four Evangelists : St. Matthew is depicted with a young

man, because he starts his gospel with the geneology of Jesus

Christ
;
St. Mark with a lion, because his gospel is started with the

preaching of St. John the Baptist in the desert; St. Luke with an

ox, because he describes first the sacrifice of Zachary
;
and St.

John with an eagle, because he writes about the divine nature of

Jesus Christ. (Apoc.)

Above the head of every Saint is a halo signifying his glory

in heaven.

Different symbolic signs are also used: fish, because the

Greek name of it (Ichthus) * gives the first letters of Jesus Christ,

God’s Son, the Saviour; lamb, signifying Jesus, the innocent lamb;

A. ft, because Jesus said that He is the beginning and the
end ; cross-anchor and heart representing Faith - Hope - and Love.

The rest of the church is decorated with biblical pictures.

* (T/Oug) 1
—

’Lioorg, X—X^)ioTog, 0—0eoi’, Y—Yiog,



23

3. Lights. Even in full sunlight lights are always used dur-

ing the divine services. This is done not only for illumination but

also to show that the Lord, who dwells in a light ineffable, illu-

mines the world with spiritual radiance, to denote that the hearts

of the faithful are warmed by a flame of love toward God and His

Saints, and also to show forth spiritual joy and the triumph of the

Church.

Wax and olive oil, the purest of substances and free from

animal matter, are used for lighting before sacred things. They

are symbols of the purity and sincerity of the worshippers. Artifi-

cial lights also are permitted, but only for decorative illumination.

The lights are kindled in accordance with the Hymns and

services. The more solemn the service the more vivid the joy, the

more numerous are the lights.

4. Incense. The Holy Gifts, the Holy Images and the people

who are present at the divine services, are honored by being in-

censed. The Blessed Sacrament is incensed in adoration
;
the Altar

and pictures are incensed in veneration; the priest and the people

are incensed as a sanctification. The Censer (Kadilo) represents

the divine ember, even Christ. The censing of the people symbol-

izes the grace of the Holy Spirit shed upon all men. The censing

of the holy things signifies the desire on the part of the worship-

pers that their prayers shall be born up to the throne of God, like

the fragrant incense and should be well-pleasing to God.

5. Holy water. The water is used by the priest: to asperse

the people or the things blessed
;
at the Sacrament of Baptism

;
for

blessing the homes of the faithful. The general blessing of the

water is held twice a year, at the feast of Epiphany (Jan. 6) and

on Aug. 1 in honor of the seven Martyrs of the Maccabees.

The purpose is very clearly expressed in the prayers of bless-

ing at Epiphany when, among others, it says: “Sanctify Thou me

and these waters, 0 Saviour, Who takest away the sins of the

world. That this water may be unto the bestowing of sanctifica-

tion, unto the remission of sins, unto the healing of soul and body

. . . unto the sanctification of the homes ... to deliver us from

tribulation, wrath, peril and necessity. . .

Holy water is kept in a container called “Holy water bucket”

(Kropilnica) and used with a sprinkler called “Aspergill” (Kropilo)’



24 ^Ae "n
6.

Holy bread or Altar bread (Prosphora) Small leavened

bread of pure wheat flower used for the holy sacrifice of Mass,

and on main-feasts, in memory of the Agape, to be distrl'juted

to the faithful. The top of this bread is embossed with a cross

and IC-XC-NI-KA, Jesus Christ conquers, inscription. The bread

signifies the Bl. V. Mary.

Since the 11th century the Latin Rite Church is using unleav-

ened bread for the same purpose. The Armenian, Maronite and

Malabar Catholics also use unleavened bread.

7. Wine. As the right material for the Holy Mass sacrifice

is used pure, fermented grape wine.

8. Chalice (Casa). The chalice has to be of metal and heavily

gilded. It represents the chalice used by Jesus Christ at the Last

Supper and signifies His tomb. The chalice is covered and wiped

with a linen cloth called “Purificator” (Lention).

9. Paten (Diskos) a metal plate to place on it the particles of

the holy bread.

10. Star (Zvizda). Pending from two arches, it is placed

over the holy bread that it should not be touched by the covers. It

signifies the star of Bethlehem.

11. Spear (Kopia) used to cut out the particles from the

holy bread. Represents the spear with which the Saviour’s side

was pierced.

12. Spoon (Lozica) with which the Holy Communion is given

to the laity.

13. Veils (Pokrovcy). Two small ones to cover the chalice

and the Paten, and a big one, called Aer (Vozduch) for covering;

both. The later signifies the Winding-sheet ( Plascanica) in which

the Body of our Lord was wrapped.

14. Little bells (Zvonki) to be rung at more important parts

of the service.



25

15. The vessel of Litia (Vsenocnik). A larger metal plate with

containers for 5 breads, wheat, wine and oil, two candlesticks and

a cross.

The Vessel of Litia

16. The Gift’s preserver, “Ciborium” (Darochranitelnica) . A

covered chalice placed in the Tabernacle to preserve the Holy Gifts

for the sick. It signifies the tomb of Jesus Christ.

17. The Gifts carrier. ‘Tyx” (Daronosica) . A small metal

container to carry the Holy Gifts to the sick.

18. Sponge (Hubka) with which the Paten and the chalice

are wiped out after the Holy Communion. (The Council of Zamosc

abolished the use of the sponge.

11. Church Vestments. (Cerkovnyja Odezdy)

In the Eastern Church, besides the divinely instituted three

grades of priesthood, namely. Deacon, Priest and Bishop, there are

the Readers and the Sub-Deacons.

These clerics, even in private life, are wearing and should

always wear distinctive clothes to signify that they are selected

for a special service to God. The Cassock of a Deacon or a Priest

is of black color, of a Bishop is purple, of a Cardinal-red and of

the Pope is white. The habits of monks are of different form and

color for easier distinction.

When officiating, the clerics wear vestments according to

their rank:

-..The Reader (Ctec) wears an Alb (Stichar), a long linen robe

which reminds him to preserve chastity, and a Girdle, Cincture

(Pojas) the symbol of selfmortification.



26 Sct^Ae'y'n ^f/.uaA

The Sub-Deacon (Pod-Diakon) wears the Amice (Naplescnik),

which signifies the wounds of Jesus Christ on His shoulders and

face, Alb, Girdle, Gauntlets and Dalmatic. The Dalmatic is called

“the robe of salvation and the garment of joy” and is symbolical

of a pure and tranquil conscience, a spotless life. The Gauntlets

(Narukvicy) typify the bonds with which the hands of our Lord

were bound.

The Deacon (Diakon). The vestments of the Deacon are the

same as those of the SubDeacon with addition of the Orarion which

is the symbol of meekness, continence and purity of heart.

The Priest (Svjascennik) wears besides Amice, Alb, Girdle,

and Gauntlets, the Stole (Epitrachil) and the Chasuble (Felon,

Rizy). The Stole signifies the priestly power. Without it, except

in extreme necessity, no function of the priest should be performed.

The Chasuble signifies the purple vestment of Jesus Christ while

He was tortured and crowned by the soldiers.

Vestments of a Priest



27

The Bishop (Episkop, Vladyka). His special vestments, be-

sides those of a priest, are: the Sakkos, the Epigonation, the

Omophor, the Mitre, the Crozier, the Panagia and the Mantle.

The Sakkos signifies Christ’s seamless top garment. The

Omophor typifies the wandering sheep, and the Bishop, when

arrayed in this vestment, represents Jesus as the God Shepherd

Who took upon His shoulders the wandering sheep and brought

it back to the fold. The Omophor is the symbol of episcopal dig-

nity. The Epigonation (Nabedrennik) the symbol of a sword and

reminder that the Bishop is obligated to defend the Church. Some

Priests, as a token of their distinguished services, receive the

right to wear the Epigonation. The Mitre (Mitra) is typical of a

diadem or crown and signifies the crown of thorns of Jesus Christ.

The Crozier (zezH or Paterissa, is the symbol of the episcopal

jurisdiction and power. It is conferred also upon Archimandrites,

or Abbots, and upon certain Archpriests. The Cross (Krest) and

the Panagia, or the picture of the Bl. V. Mary and Jesus, worn by

the Bishop on his breast, are to remind him that his heart must

be pure and spirit upright. The Mantle (Mantia) is a broad and

His Exc. Count Andrew Septicky,

Gr. Cath. Metropolit, Archbishop of Lemberg



- ^Ae28

Most Rev. Soter St. Ortynsky,

First Gr. Cath. Bishop in America. [Died Apr. 24 - 1916]

long’ cloak, decorated in the front with two tablets, symbolizing the

Old and New Testament. Its freely flowing lines typify the wings

of the Angels, hence, it is called “the angelic vestment’’. By

covering’ the whole body it symbolizes the all-embracing power of

strictness, piety and meekness of the Bishop. The Bishops wear

a ring and, during services, gloves and special shoes.

Color of Vestments. The church-vestments are of white, red,

green, blue, purple and black color. The white vestments are used

on Sundays and Holidays, to signify the festivity and joy; the red

ones on days of Martyrs as a sign of mortification and the shedding

of blood for Christ’s Church
;
the green ones on Pentecost

;
the blue

ones are used on the feasts of Bl. V. Mary; on fasting days and

during the Lent vestments of violet or purple color are used in

token of penance; and the black ones at funerals, commorations

for the' dead, on Good Friday’s Vesper and Holy Saturday’s Mass

up to the Gospel.

12. Church Books. (Cerkovny Knihi)

To perform a Mass the following books are necessary

:



29

1. The Missal (Sluzebnik) which contains the Masses of St.

Basil the Great, of St. John Chrysostom and the Mass of the

Presanctified Gifts from St. Gregory the Great.

2. The Gospel Book (Evanhelie) which contains the gospel of

St. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

3. The Epistle Book (Apostol) containing the Acts of Apostles,

written by St. Luke; the 14 Epistles of St. Paul and the 7 general

Epistles of James, Peter and John.

In the performance of all other services the following books

are used:

Horologion (casoslov) containing the 9 daily services of

Vesper, Compline, Midnight-Vigil, Matin, First - Third - Sixth and

Ninth Hour, and the Noon-service together with the Calendar and

Tropars, Kondaks for every day.

Minea, containing in 12 Volumes the services of Saints for

every day of the whole year. A short extract of it is called An-

thologion (prazdnicna Minea).

Oktoich, containing the services of every day of the week

according to 8 tones, continuously repeated during the year.

Triad. 1. The Lenten Triod (Triod Postnaja) containing the

service beginning with the Sunday of '‘Publican and Pharisee’' up

to Saturday of Lazarus.

2. The Bright Triod (Cvitnaja Triod) containing the services

from the Saturday of Lazarus to the Sunday of All Saints. (First

Sunday after Pentecost).

Trephologion, containing the services of the twelve Main

Feasts of Jesus Christ and the Bl. V. Mary and the Saints.

Obscina (Common Book) containing the services of the same

class of Saints.

Trebnik, containing the prayers and songs of Sacraments and

Sacramentals.

Irmologion, containing the chants of all services set to music.

Zbornik, containing extracts of the principal parts of the dif-

ferent services for the easier use of the faithful.



30

Psaltyr (Psalm book), containing- the 150 Psalms of the Old

Testament, divided into 20 Kaphtisms.

Pontifical service book (Cinovnik) which contains the celebra-

tions performed by a Bishop.

Tipik, containing the rules governing the performance of the

services and the usage of the various books, vestments, utensils,

etc.

13. Church Services. (Bohosluzenija)

a) Private prayers.

“We ought always to pray and not to faint” said Jesus (Luke

18.1) to get the grace, help of God without which we cannot do

anything good.

Every prayer, as conversation with God, should be full of piety

of mind and heart and of decency of our body.

The men should pray with head bared and the women witli

head covered. (1 Cor. 11.7). While praying, in expression of our

reverence or joy, or humility, or penance, or unworthiness, we

put together our hands and either stay or bow our head (Malyj

poklon), or bow from the hips touching the earth with our hand

(velikij poklon)
,
or strike our breast, or kneel down on both kneei

(kolinopreklonenie), or prostrate ourselves on the ground

(metanie). There are some parts of the services when, only as a

concession to physical weakness, sitting is allowed.

From Christmas to Epiphany and from Easter to Pentecost,

when the joy of the worshippers is held to outweigh even their

sense of lowly penitence, no kneeling is allowed. (First Gen. Coun-

cil).

Every prayer is started with the sign of cross, which is made

with the thumb and the first two fingers of the right hand joined

at the tips (as a symbol of the Holy Trinity) and the fourth and

fifth fingers being closed on the palm, as the symbol of the two,

human and divine natures of Jesus Christ in one person.



31

Then we touch the forehead (In the name of the Father),

the breast (and of the Son), the right shoulder (and of the Holy),

the left shoulder (Ghost. Amen.) This is done to acknowledge

that all our faculties of mind, heart, soul and strength are dedi-

cated to the service of God. It is accompanied by the inclination

of head and body.

We go first to the right shoulder because the right side is the

side of honor and therefore a) Jesus is “sitteth at the right hand

of the Father”, b) the Bl. V. Mary, the Queen of Heaven, “stood

on the right hand, clothed in a vesture wrought with gold and

divers colors” (Proskom), c) at the last judgment we hope to be

put among the righteous on the right hand of Jesus Christ, the

Judge. (In the Latin Rite, since the time of Innocent HI. (1198-

1216) they make the sign of cross with the whole hand and from

left shoulder to the right shoulder.) When Bishops or Priests are

bestowing the blessing, the position of their fingers of the right

hand form the Greek letters IC*XC, meaning Jesus Christ.



32

The sign of cross is made by the priest and the faithful at

every solemn moment of the service. The frequency is very appar-

ent to an outsider.

The Christian salutation “Glory to Jesus Christ” (Slava Isusu

Christu) and its answers “Glory, forever” (Slava vo viki), or dur-

ing Christmastide “Christ is born” (Christos razdajetsja) and its

answer “Glorify Him” (Slavite Jeho), or during Easter time

“Christ is risen” (Christos voskrese) and its answer “Indeed He is

risen” (Voistinu voskrese) are also considered as a prayer, a public

profession of faith.

b) Public Prayers and Hymns. (Javnoje Bohosluzenie).

The Holy Mass is the centre of all public services. Around it

there are nine daily public services: The Vesper, the Compline, the

Midnight-Vigil, the Matin, the First - Third - Sixth and Ninth

Hours and the Noon-service (if there is no Mass) . They represent

the nine fruits of the Holy Ghost. (Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience,

Benignity, Goodness, Faith, Mildness and Continency.)

“The Customary Invocation” (Nacalo obycnoje). Every public

service commences with the Customary Invocation, in which we

glorify God: “Blessed is our God ... or “Glory to the . . . Trinity

. . . then follows “O Heavenly King . . . Holy God . . . Glory be

... 0 Most Holy Trinity . . . Glory be . . . Our Father

. . . Come, let us adore. . . .

Ektenia. During the services there are many short supplica-

tions, pronounced by the Deacon or the Priest, called “Ektenia”.

They are:



33

a) the “Great or Peace Ektenia” (Ektenia Velikaja ili

Mirnaja), consisting of 12 supplications which start with “In peace

let us pray to the Lord”.

b) the “Little Ektenia” (Ektenia malaja) consisting of “Again

and again.

c) the “Twofold Ektenia” (Ektenia suhubaja), starting with

“Let us say with our whole soul. , . .

d) the “Supplicating Ektenia” (Ektenia prositelnaja) ending

in “let us beseech the Lord”.

Besides those there are Ektenias for the Catechumens, for the

sick, for the dead and for various other intentions.

To all Ektenias is added the call for remembrance of the Bl. V.

Mary and the Saints, and an Exclamation (Vozhlas). After each

supplication the people respond with “Lord have mercy (Hospodi

pomiluj) once or three times, or “Grant it, 0 Lord” (Podaj

Hospodi), or “To Thee, 0 Lord” (Tebi hospodi), and “Amen”. By

these responses the people express their unanimity of purpose and

spirit with the Priest.

The songs. The songs of the Eastern Church are replete witli

deep thoughts, poetic expressions and pleasant harmony.

The Hymns (Tropari) containing a short explanation of the

Feast, or short biography of the Saint. The Hymn to the Holy

Trinity is called “Troicnyi”.

. . . .The Kondak supplements the contents of the Hymn.

The Hymns of the Birth-giver of God (Bohorodicen) or

(Dogmat) contains the praise of the Bl. V. Mary.

The Gradual (Prokimen) is a verse taken either from the

Psalms or the Prophesies and serves as an introduction to the

reading or songs following it.

The Antiphons (Antifony) are verses taken from the Psalms

in reference to the Feast, supplemented by a verse from the New

Testament, and sung by the two choirs alternately. The “Illustra-

tive Antiphons” (Izobrazitelnya) are taken from Psalm 102 in

gratitude for the Incarnation. Then the third Antiphone is of the

Beatituxles (Blazenny) : “In Thy kingdom remember us, 0. Lord. . . .



34

The Canticles (Stichiry) are lengthy songs composed by the

Fathers of the Church for the praise of the Feast or Saint.

The Paremia (Ctenia) are prophetic parables of the Old

Testament read in testimony of their fullfilment in the New Testa-

ment.

The Epistle (Apostol) and Gospel (Evanhelie) are parts taken

from those books for the Holy Mass of every day of the year or at

other functions.

The Canon (Kanon) is a collection of nine songs signifying

that in Heaven nine choirs of Angels are glorifying the Holy

Trinity. Each song consists of five parts. The first is called

‘Trmos”, and when repeated it is called “Katavasia”. The intro-

duction to those parts is called “Pripiv”.

The first song of the Canon contains the gratitude of Mai^g

the sister of Moses; the second, the censuring of the Jews by

Moses
;
the third, the gratitude of Anna, the mother of Samuei

;

the fourth, is the prayer of Habacuc the prophet; the fifth, the

prophecy of Isaias about the Incarnation; the sixth, the song of

Jonas in the fish; the seventh, and eighth, the song of the three

young men in the fiery furnace at Babylon; and the ninth, the

song of Zachary the prophet.

After the third song is read the “Sidalen”; after the sixth,

the Kondak, Ikos and Sinaksarion, containing the further explana-

tion of the Feast. After the eighth song the Magnificat is sung,

or on great feasts, the Exaltation (Velicanie) . After the ninth

song is read the Exapostolarion and the Svitilen in which we ask

for the heavenly enlightenment of our minds that everything tliat

breathes should praise the Lord. Vsjakoe dychanie). . . .

The Polujelej (Mnohomilostiven) are taken from Psalms 135

and 136 “Praise ye the name of the Lord”. . . .

The Stepeni: “Since my youth up many passions . . . similar to

the songs sung by the Jews on their ascension to the mountain ot

Sion.

The Great Doxology (Slavoslovie) “Glory be to God iu

high. . .

.



35

No instruments. The Eastern Church does not employ any

musical instruments in conducting- the songs. The method of

singing is either Symphonic, when all sing in unison, or Antiphonic,

when they sing alternately, or Hypophonic, when they respond to

the intonations of the priest.

Dismissal (Otpust). Every public service ends with the Dis-

missal and blessing bestowed by the celebrant upon all present.

The Dismissal is one of two kind : Great and Little Dismissal.

Tones. The songs of the Eastern Church are sung in many

different tones. There are 8 tones for the Tropars, 8 tones for the

Kondaks (4 of them identical with the Tropars), 8 tones for the

Bohorodicen, 8 tones for the Graduals of Vespers, of Matins and of

the Mass, 8 tones for the Canticles and 12 Similar (Podobny) tones,

8 tones for the Bolgars, and every Canon has a different melody.

The tones are marked in the church-books with letters (with “titlo’’

above them) :

T /1/,B 121

,

r /3/, A /4/, e /5/, J /6/, 's /?/, T /8/.

g /9/, T /lO/, 7 1201 , 7 /30/,
7 /40/, H /50/,J /60/„ o' 70/,

7 /80/, /9 t /90/, *p /lOO//, “c /200/, 7 /300/, Y /400/, t /500/.

X /600/, y/700/, oT /800/, 0 /900/, /lOOO/. Ti /ll/, /21/,

14. The Vespers. (Vecerna.)

There are three types of Vespers services: the Little Vespers

(malaja vecerna), with four Canticles, the Daily Vespers (povsed-

nevnaja vecerna) with six Canticles, and the Great Vespers

(Velikaja vecerna) ,with 8-10 Canticles, Entrance and, at Great

Feasts, with Paremia and Litia.

The Vespers symbolize; 1. the creation of the world, 2. the

sinning of the foreparents, and 3. the promise of the redemption

and its fullfilment.

After the “Customary Invocation” before the closed Royal

Door, Psalm 103, in which the beauty of the created world is

described, is read, and then the Great Ektenia follows.

On Saturdays, feasts of the Bl. V. Mary and feasts with

Polujelej, the choir sings 6 verses from Psalms 1 and 2: “Blessed

is the man . . . which signifies the sad condition of man after the

sin and his sorrow.



36 — ....... . ^Ae Sa^/e'i'^

Then the choir, after singing the two first verses of Ps. 140

“Lord, I have cried unto Thee . . . and “Let my prayer be set forth
. . . starts to sing the Canticles, introducing them with verses taken

from Ps. 141, 129, 116.

During this the Priest incenses the Altar and the whole church.

During “Glory . . . and “Now . . . the Priest takes the Censer

(on some feasts the Gospel, too) and, being preceded by candle-

bearers, makes the Entrance; before the Royal Doors, which are

then opened, makes the sign of the cross saying: “Wisdom, arise”.

The choir sings, “O tranquil light . . (Svite tichij . .Phos hilarion)

The candlebearers signify the Prophets, the Entrance symbol-

izes the coming of Jesus Christ, the Saviour; the Censer signifies

the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
;
the smoke of the incense signifies th^

Holy Ghost “moving upon the surface of the waters” (Gen. 1.2) ;

the opening of the Royal Door means that the Saviour came and

opened the Paradise through His death on the cross. The “O

tranquil light . . . song was written by St. Sophrony, Patriarch of

Jerusalem in the 6th century. During this song the Priest incenses

the Altar and the people in a manner signifying the sacrifices of

the Old Testament, then goes behind the Altar to the Throne to

signify that the Son of God, Whom tthe people are glorifying, con-

quered the world.

After the Gradual come the Paremia which suggest that Jesus

Christ is the predicted Saviour
;
then the Twofold . . . the reading of

“Vouchsafe ... 0 Lord, to keep us this night without sin . . .

followed by the Ektenia . . . and closed with the Dismissal and

blessing

Litia. (Vsenarodnoe prosenie).

On the 12 main feasts the Litia is added to the Vespers. The

Priest goes to the Nave of the Church; before him on a stand are

five small breads, wheat, wine and oil, around him people with

lighted candles. The choir sings the Canticles of the Litia, followed

by the Ektenias of the Litia; again Canticles, .the song of Simeon

Our Father . . . the Hymn . . . and the blessing of the offerings

. . . “Blessed be the name of the Lord . . . Ps. 33 . . , and the Great

Dismissal.



37

The Litia service is in memory of the procession crusades

during great disasters. The song of Simeon signifies the last accords

of the Old Testament about the Saviour. The blessing of the five

small breads reminds us of the miracle when Jesus fed in the

desert five thousand men by multiplying five loafs and two fishes.

Wheat, wine and oil are also blessed because they are the most

necessary articles for the life of mankind. Those articles were

})lessed that the faithful, after the “All-night Vigilance”

(Vsenocnoe bdinie) could eat and be strengthened to be able to

continue and perform the Matins.

After the Holy Mass the particles of the blessed bread are

given to the faithful who come to the Priest to be annointed on

their forehead with the blessed oil. This is reminiscent of the

Agape, the “Supper of charity” of the first Christians.

To the greeting of the Priest “Christ be among us” (Christos

posredi nas) the faithful answer “He is and will be” (Jest i budet) ;

during Christmas and Easter corresponding greeting and answer

is used.

15. The Compline. (Provetoie.)

The Compline is of two kinds:

The Great Compline consists of three parts: In the first part,

after the Customary Invocation ... Psalms 4.6.12.24.30 and 90

are read then the song of Isaias (8.10) “God is with us . . .

(S nami boh . . .) is sung . . . “The day is past . . . Holy God

. . . Tropar . . . Prayer of St. Basil.

. . . Holy God . . . Tropar . . . Prayer of St. Basil.

The second part consists of reading Psalms 50 and 101, the

prayer of penance of King Manasses . . . Kondak. . . . The third part

consists of reading Psalms 69.142 and Glorification. The Tattle

Compline is similar to this third part. Then follows the Litia and

the Matins.

The Compline reminds us that death, signified by the night,
will come upon us and ther-efore we ought to close the day with
gratitude,: penance and glorification and so prepare, for death. The

Compline symbolizes the private life of Jesus Christ in Nazarecfi



38

16. The Midnight Vigil. (Polunocnica.)

The Midnight Vigil service is in memory of the custom of the

first Christians gathered at midnight to pray for the dead and

living.

It is of three types: Daily ( Povsednevnaja) . Saturdays

(Suhotnaja) and Sundays (Nedilnaja.)

a) The Daily Midnight Vigil service, after the Customary In-

vocation, consists of reading Psalms 50 and 118 .. . Creed . . . Holy

God . . . Hymns: ‘‘The bridegroom is coming . . . (Se zenich hrjadet

. . . )
prayer of St. Basil, or in Lent of St. Ephrem, then Psalms 120,

IB2 . . . Hymns for the dead . . . Hymns for the living . . . and the

Dismissal. 1)) The Saturdays Midnight Vigil differs only in that

the Psalms 53. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. are read, c) The Sunday’s

Midnight Vigil, after the Customary Invocation . . . and the Ps.

50, consists of the Canon of the Holy Trinity.

The Midniglit vigil service is symbolic of the Resurrection and

the Last Judgment, therefore we pray for the dead and for the

living. It symbolizes Jesus Christ as He prepared for His public

life and we greet Him: “The bridegroom is coming . . .”

17. The Matins, (Utrena.)

The Morning service is three-kind. 1) The Daily Matin

(Povsednevnaja Ltreha) without the Gospel and when Glorifica'

lion is only read; 2) The Sunday’s Matin (Nedilnaja Utrena) witli

the Gospel and Gi’eat Glorification sung; and 3) The Feast-Day

Matin (Prazdnicnaja Utrena) adding to the former the Polujelej

and the Exaltation.

The main parts of the Matins are : after the reading of Psalms

19, 20 and 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, 142 comes the Great Ektenia . . . the

song “God is the Ijord, and hath appeared to us . . . tour times,

because Jesus was four times at Jerusalem for the feast of Pasch

. . . then the Hymn and Bohorodicen . . . Sidalny . . . Polujelej and

Exaltation . . . “Tlie company of tlie Angels was amazed . . .

Upakoj . . . Stepcni Gospel and the kissing of the Gospel . . .

Canon . . . Kondak . . . Magnificat . . . Svitilen . . . Canticles . . .

Ektenias and Dismissal.



At the Matins of the fifth Lenten Thursday, performed the

previous evening, the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is sung and

the worshippers bow at various intervals. (Poklony.)

At the Matins of Good Friday, performed the previous evening,

instead of the Canon, 12 Gospels relating the Passion of Jesus

Christ are read. Twelve men hold lighted candles and, after each

Gospel is completed, one man extinguishes his candle signifying the

manner in which the Apostles deserted Jesus Christ when He was

apprehended and bound by the soldiers. The bells, which are rung

at the conclusion of each Gospel, then remain silent until the Resur-

rection.

During the Matins we thank God for the passing night and

with the break of dawn we greet with increasing joy the Saviour,

Who by His coming dispelled the darkness of guile and showed us

the light of virtue.

The beginning of the Matins symbolizes the Nativity of Jesus

Christ
;
the song “God is the Lord . . . the public life of Jesus Christ

;

the song “The company of the Angels . . . the Resurrection of

Jesus Christ. And inasmuch as it occurred without eye witnesses,

the Gospel is read at the Altar. The Canticles express the universal

preaching of the Gospel and by the Great Glorification the great

joy over the results of the preaching.

18. The Hours. (Casy.)

In the Old Testament, the Jews divided day and night into 12

hours each and then into four Vigils: First, Third, Sixth and

Ninth. Their first Vigil corresponded to our 6 AM, their third to

9 AM, their sixth to our Noon and their ninth to our 3 PM. The

same schedule is followed at night. “From the sixth hour there

was darkness over the v/hole earth, until the ninth hour” (Matt.

27, 45) Jesus died on the Cross during the ninth hour, our 3 PM.

The Christian Church retained this division, and hence we

have First, Third, Sixth and Ninth Hour prayers to sanctify tlie

entire day and night. Tlie Hours are of two kind: Common and

Royal.



40

The Common Hours consist of three Psalms and the cor-

responding Tropars and Kondaks.

At the Royal Hours the King attended, hence the name. At

them, after the Hymn, the Gradual, Paremia, Epistle and the

Gospel are added. The Royal Hours are performed at the Vigils

of Christmas and Epiphany and on Good Friday

.

The first Hour symbolizes the beginning of the Passion of

Jesus Christ, His capture and presentation before Pilate. The third

Hour symbolizes the death sentence and the tortures inflicted upon

Him by the soldiers. The sixth Hour symbolizes the beaidng- of the

Cross to Golgotha and the sufferings of the crucifixion. The ninth

Hour symbolizes the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross and His

descent into Purgatory.

In the prayers 1) we give thanks to God for the passed paid

of the day, 2) we ask that God preserve us from oin* enemies,

2) we ask for victory over our corporal desires, and 4) we ask

that God gi*ant peace to all mankind and save our souls from the

pains of hell.

19. Noon Service. (Obidnica.)

If the Holy Mass is not celebrated, then, to the Ninth Hour is

added the Noon Service consisting of the reading of Psalms 102

145 . . . O only begotten Son . . . Remembei* us, 0 Ford . . . and

the 8 F>eatitudes . . . the Creed . . . Remit, pardon and forgive

. . .
prayer for the dead and Ps. 33.

20. Holy Mass. (Liturgia. Sv. Sliizba Bo^a.)

In the Old Testament sacrifices were offered in either a bloody

or unbloody mannei’. Tlie foi*mer consisted in the slaying of some

animal on the sacrificial altai', while in tlie latter case grains,

fruits were commonly offered up in supplication. Those sacrifices

were acceptible to God only inasmuch as they were symbols ot the

sacrifice of Jesus Christ and were offered witli com])lete laith in

the promised Saviour.

4'he bloody saci’ifice of Jesus (dii’ist oii the Cross, and its un-

bloody repetition in the Holy Mass is the sacrifice of the New

Testament.



41

This unbloody sacrifice was instituted by Jesus Christ at His

Last Supper when He changed the bread into His Flesh and the

wine into His Blood and ordered that the Apostles and their suc-

cessors, the Bishops and Priests, should “do it in commemoration of

Him”.

The bloody sacrifice was offered to redeem us. The unbloody

sacrifice is being offered to afford us the opportunity to partici-

pate in the grace of redemption.

In the early days of Christianity the celebration of the Holy

Mass was quite elementary. The faithful brought bread and wine.

The Apostles prayed with the people, read to them the Holy Scrip-

ture, instructed them, then consecrated a part of the offerings and

gave Holy Communion to those present. This was followed by

prayers of thanksgiving, therefore it is called “Eucharistia”. The

remainder was served as the Supper of Charity, Agape.

In course of time additional prayers, songs and actions were

introduced. In this manner the various Liturgies of the East and

West were evolved.

In the East: 1. The Liturgy of St. James, or of the church

of Jerusalem. It is performed even to this day in Jerusalem once

a year, on the feastday of St. James. 2. The Liturgy of St. Mark,

or of the church of Alexandria, which was used in Egypt up to the

13th century. 3. The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, or the

abbreviated Liturgy of St. James. It is now performed ten times

a year: on the Vigils of Christmas and Epiphany, on St. Basil’s

day, on the five Sundays of Lent and on Thursday and Saturday

of Holy Week. 4. The Liturgy of St.John Chrysostom, or the

abbriviated Liturgy of St Basil. It is performed daily.

The Liturgy of St. Basil differs from that of St. John’s only in

its longer prayers, furthermore that at the Consecration the intro-

ductory words “He gave it to His holy Disciples and Apostles saying"

are also sung aloud, anl finally, that instead of “Meet it is in truth

is sung “In Thee rejoyceth, O Thou who are full of grace ... (0

tebi radujetsja. . . .)



42 ^Ae Quitted

5. The Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great, or of the Presancti-

fied Gifts, which is performed on 15 occasions during the Lent,

namely, Wednesdays and Fridays of the first six weeks and Mon-

day, Tuesday and Wednesday of the Holy Week, in order that the

faithful might receive Holy Communion, because during Lent Hol}^

Mass was performed only on Saturdays and Sundays.

In the West: 1. The Roman Liturgy, presumably originated

by St. Peter. 2. The Ambrosian Liturgy of the church of Milan,

which is performed there even to this day. It is similar in many

respects to the Eastern Liturgies. 3. The Mozarabic Liturgy of

the church of Toledo, in Spain. 4. The Gallican Liturgy, used in

Lyons, Aachen, etc.

Formerly the Holy Mass was celebrated in the evening for the

reason that the Lord’s Supper was in the evening. Now it is

offered from early dawn till noon.

Every Bishop and Priest, unless justly excused, should say

Holy Mass daily. On Sundays and Holidays the Pastor is obligated

to offer Holy Mass for his parishioners, on other days he can

accept Stipends which, however, are given not for the Holy Mass,

because the Holy Mass is of infinite value, but as a contribution to

the sustentation of the Priest.

^ ^ ^

The Holy Mass depicts the life of Jesus Christ on earth. Since

His life is divided into three periods, namely, from Birth to

Baptism; Baptism to Crucifixion; Crucifixion to Ascension, the

Holy Mass is correspondingly subdivided, namely, 1) the Prepara-

tion of Oblation, 2) the Mass of the Catechumens and the Faith-

ful, 3) the Mass of the Faithful.

1. The Preparation of Oblation. (Proskomedia.)

The Priest, performing the necessary prayers before the Ro.yaI

Doors and eliciting the right intention, puts on the vestments,

saying the appropriate prayers, washes his hands and goes to the

Table of Oblation, the symbol of the cave of Bethlehem, where

leavened bread made of wheat flour and fermented grape wine is

prepared. The small bread is called Prosphora.



43

To avoid a dispute over the use of leavened and unleavened

bread, it will suffice to state the historical fact that for the first

ten centuries the Latin Rite also used leavened bread in Mass.

(John 13.1, Matt. 26.26, Acts 2.42, 20.7.1, Cor. 10.16, etc.)

The Priest cuts out the upper part of the bread which is em-

bossed with the sign of the cross and the Greek letters IC-XC-NI-

Ka (Jesus Christ conquers). Then he pierces it with the spear,

puts it on the Diskos, pours wine and a few drops of water into

the chalice and covers it with the Lention.

The leavened bread represents the Bl. V. Mary; the portion

which was cut out represents Jesus Christ, the “Lamb of God”;

the piercing with the spear reminds us that the soldier pierced the

body of Jesus Christ, and the blood and water came forth. The

Diskos signifies the manger in Bethlehem.

From the bread the Priest then cuts a triangle in honor of

the Blessed Virgin Mary, and puts it on the right side of the

Lamb (Jesus facing him), subsequently he cuts out sufficient

particles nine of which he places on the left side of the Lamb

in hono r of the nine choirs of Saints in Heaven. Below

the Lamb he places one row of particles for the living, one row

for the dead, and in the centre one particle for himself as the



44

representative of Jesus Christ, the “intermediator”. The whole

arrangement signifies the Universal Church. The star,

representing the star of Bethlenem, is placed on the Diskos, whicn

in turn is rested on the rim of the chalice and, bowing thrice, he

incenses it.

The covers signify the swaddling clothes with which the Bl. V.

Mary wrapped the infant Jesus. The three bows signify the three

wise men and their gifts. The incensing of the gifts and later

of the church represents the grace of God which filled the world

at Jesus Christ’s coming and reminds us that our prayers should

be elevated and rise toward Heaven just as the smoke of the in-

cense rises heavenward.

2. The Mass of the Catechumens. (Liturgia Ohlasennych.)

It is that portion of the Holy Mass during which the Catechu-

mens (those who were about to be baptized), some of the public

penitents and even pagans were permitted to be present until the

call of the Deacon or Priest “All Catechumens depart. . . . Then

they had to retire from the church.

Here is the line of demarcation of the public life of Jesus

Christ from His Baptism up to His Passion and Death.

The Priest, after a brief prayer to the Holy Ghost to
guide

him during the important service, begins the Holy
Mass with



45

“Blessed be the Kingdom . . . then follows the Great Ektenia . . .

the Antiphons ... 0, only begotten Son. . . . Toward the end of

this song the Priest takes the Gospel book, preceded by a candle-

bearer, carries it around the Altar, through the north door of the

Iconostasion, stops before the Royal Door and, with the Gospel

book making a sign of the cross, says: “Wisdom, arise.” That is

the Little Entrance.

Then come: the Antiphon, Tropar, Kondak, Hymn of the Bl.

V. Mary. Holy God . . . the Priest retires to the Throne . . .

Gradual . . . reading of the Epistle and Gospel . . . Serm.on . . . the

Twofold Ektenia and the departure of the Catechumens.

The song, “0, only begotten Son . . . composed in 6th centurj^

in Constantinople in opposition to the heretical Nestorians (who

said that there were two persons in Christ as well as two natures,

and that our Lady therefore is only the Mother of the humaan

Christ, not the Mother of the divine) signifies the Baptism of

Jesus Christ when Heaven opened and God the Father said: “This

is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased”. Matt. 3.17).

The candlebearer symbolizes St. John the Baptist, the Precur-

sor of the Messiah
;
the procession signifies the wandering of Jesus

Christ from place to place while preaching; the retiring of the

Priest to the Throne signifies Jesus Christ sitting on the right

hand of God the Father, and the “Peace be to all” pronounced

therefrom means that Jesus Christ made peace between Heaven

and earth. The Gospel is read from the Amvon to signify that the

teaching of Jesus Christ is preached to the whole world. On

Easter Sunday the Gospel is read in many languages to signify

that the Resurrection means redemption to all the peoples. While

the Gospel is read several members of the laity hold lighted candles

indicating the great spiritual joy incited by the Gospel.

3. The Mass of the Faithful. (Litiirgia Virnych.)

The Mass of the Faithful consists of four main parts: 1) the

offering and Creed, 2) the Consecration, 3) the Holy Communion

and 4) the Thanksgiving and the Dismissal with the blessing.

This part of the Mass represents the life of Jesus Christ from His

entrance into Jerusalem until His Ascension.



46

1. The Great Entrance, Offering and the Creed. (Vchod,

Viruju.)

As the Catechumens have departed, the Priest says four

longhty prayers. After the third prayer the choir sings the Cheru-

bic song: “Let us who mystically represent the Cherubim, .during

\/hich the Priest incenses the Altar and the people (praying Ps.

50), then he goes to the Table of Oblation and in a procession^

carries the prepared bread and wine to the Altar. In his loud

prayer he asks that God remember in His Kingdom the Pope, the

Government, the^ Bishop, priests, founders, benefactors of the

church and all true Christians. The choir answers: “That we may

receive the King . . . (During the procession the Faithful should

stand l)ecause the transferred gifts are not yet consecrated.)

The procession means the glorious entrance of Jesus Christ

into Jerusalem.

After the Supplicating Ektenia, the Priest calls upon the

Fai thful that they should love each other . . . should bravely con-

fess their faith, should be filled with fear . . . raise their hearts

to God . . . and thank Him to be able and worthy to adore Him.

The choir sings the Creed and the corresponding answers.

There are six separate Creeds: 1) the Apostles’ Creed, 2)

the Athanasian Creed (296-373), 3) the Nicaean Creed (325), 4)

the Nicaeo-Constantinopolian Creed (381), 5) the Florentine

Creed (1439), 6) the Tridentine (Trent) Creed (1512). They

differ Oiily as to length, not to substance.

The Eastern Church employs the Nicaeo-Constantinopolian

Creed, The Western Church uses the same Creed in the Holy Mass,

but in the private prayers tliey use the Apostles’ Creed.

During the reading of the Creed the Priest elevates the big*

cover of the chalice and slightly shakes it. This represents the

veil with which Moses covered his gleaming face (Ex. 31.33, Cor.

3.13) and that the following mystery of Consecration is liidden

Fj’om us. The slight shaking of the cover means the moving grace

of the Holy Spirit. When a Bishop officiates, two ITiests hold the

Veil over his head signifying that he is buried with Jesus to be

risen with Him.



47

2. The Consecration. (Presuscestvlenie.)

The Priest concludes his prayer by “Singing the triumphant

song ... to which the choir answers: “Holy, holy, holy . . . the

altar l)ell is rung and the people kneel. Then the Priest repeats

the words of consecration used by Jesus Christ when He took the

bread and said: “Take ye and eat, this is my body . . . and over the

wine: “Drink ye all of this, for this is my blood of the New

Testament .... The Transubstantiation is completed, and the
people adore the elevated Gifts

.

By the expressions of the triumphant song “singing, crying,

calling aloud and saying “are signified the four symbols of the

Evangelists according to the beginning of their Gospel: Matthew-

man, saying, Mark-lion, crying, Luke-calf, calling, and John=eagle,

singing. (Apoc. 4.7-8)

.

The song “Holy, holy, holy ... is taken from Isaias (6.3),

Apoc. 4.8) and the song of the Hebrew children (John 12.13)

signifying that Heaven and earth is joined in glorifying God. The

separate consecration of the two species symbolizes the death of

Jesus Christ.

The Priest then prays that the Holy Ghost might renew our

spirit and make us worthy of receiving the Holiest. (Epiclesis.)

The commemoration of the Glorious, the Fighting and the

Suffering Church follows. After praising the Bl. V. Mary as the

undefiled Mother . . . comes the Supplicating Ektenia concluded

by “Our Father”. . . .

3. Holy Communion. (Svjatoe Pricascenie.)

The Priest, after “Peace lie to you all . . . and “Bow your heads
to the Lord” . . . washes his hands, takes the “Lamb”, elevates
It over the chalice and, describing the sign of the cross, says: “Let

us attend. Holy things unto the holy”. Tlie washing of the hands
signifies that we must approach the Lord with a clean body and
soul.

The Priest breaks the “Lamb” into four parts, puts them on
the Diskos in the form of a cross, symbolizing the crucified Jesus

;

takes the first and puts it into the chalice saying: ‘ The abundance



48 L. — - — ^/le ^a^^er'Ti

of faith of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” This act signifies the re-

union of the Body and Soul of Jesus Christ, or His Resurrection.

The Priest utters this prayer before the Communion: ‘T be-

lieve, O Lord . . . and takes unto himself the Holy Communion. The
choir sings the Hymn of the Holy Communion. (Pricasten.)

The Royal Door and the curtain are opened, signifying that

the guard fled, the tombstone was rolled away, Christ is risen, and

revealed, proved it by His Appearances. The Priest calls upon the

people: “In the fear of God and with faith come foreward” . . . and

the people greet the risen Lord “Blessed is He Who cometh. . . .
The priest repeats aloud the prayer before the Holy Communion,

distributes the consecrated Gifts to every communicant.

The Priest puts all small cubes of consecrated bread into the

chalice, and gives each communicant a particle steeped in the

Precious Blood, administering It with a longhandled golden spoon.

Holy Communion can be distributed without allowing the spoon to

touch the mouth, namely, the communicant receives It sanding

before the Iconostasion with his arms folded on his breast, puts his

head back and opens his mouth well, keeping the tongue flat in his

mouth; the Priest inserts the spoon, overturns it and removes it

without touching the Communicant. Of course, there is not the

least danger in touching.

Since the 11th century, in the Western Church the Holy Com-

munion is given only under the species of Bread.

Both methods are right. As proof of it be mentioned. 1)

When the Manichaeans taught that it was a sin to drink wine and

Manes confined the use of the cup to the priesthood. Pope Gelasius

(492-6) ordered that the Holy Communion should be served to the

laymen under both species. Pope Leo the Great (440-61) ordered

the excommunication of all who received the Holy Communion

under one species. 2) At the request of Ferdinand and Albert ot

Bavaria, Pope Pius IV. on April 16, 1562, granted the Holy Com-

munion under both species, but in two years the concession was

withdrawn. 3) When John Huss taught that Holy Communion

under one species is not valid, tlie General Council of Constanz

(1414) condemned it. In the Eastern Church at sickcalls and at the

Mass of the Presanctified Gifts the Holy Communion is served only

under one species.



49

After the Holy Communion the Priest blesses the people with

the consecrated Gifts, goes to the Table of Oblation to consume

the remaining sacred species and' to clean the Diskos and the chal-

ice. (The Synod of Zamosc forbade the pouring of warm water

(teplota) into the chalice.

The time between the two blessings of the people with the

consecrated Gifts symbolizes the 40 days from Resurrection to

Ascension, and the departure of the Priest from the Altar to the

Table of Oblation signifies the Ascension of Jesus Christ. The

faithful sing: “Let our mouths be filled with Thy praise, 0 Lord

. . . expressing thanks and a desire to learn and be steadfast in

the faith.

It is advisable that at Easter or in danger of death the Holy

Communion should be received according to one’s own rite, but

for the sake of piety Holy Communion can be received according

to any rite. (Can, 866) The Custom to recieve Holy Communion in

another rite, however long, does not mean the change of the

original rite. (Can. 98.5)

4. The Conclusion. (Zaklucenie.)

While yet at the Table of Oblation, the Priest offers thanks to

God and then, with the exclamation-: “Let us depart in peace” in

public prayer “0, Lord, Who doest bless them that bless Thee . . .

expresses thanks and prays for peace. . . . The choir answers

:

“Blessed be the nam.e of the Lord, henceforth and forever”. With

the Dismissal and the general blessing the Holy Mass is ended

and the people can leave the church, but not sooner.

During the entire Mass and other public service the faithful

should not only sing attentively and pray, but meditate about the

events of our redemption symbolically presented that they be

strengthened in their faith and pious life.

A Public Mass can not be celebrated: 1) for the dead non*
catholics, infidels, heretics and schismatics, 2) for those who were

excommunicated by name and not absolved.

^ ^ .

Participants in the fruits of the Holy Mass are: 1) the person

or persons for whom the Holy Mass is offered, 2) the officiating



50

Priest and 3) every member of the Church. All those become

participants according to the degree of their moral unity with Jesus

Christ.

No sacrifice is real without the internal offering of the offeror.

In the bloody sacrifice of Golgotha, Jesus Christ was the offering

and the offeror. In the unbloody sacrifice of the Holy Mass Jesus

Christ invites us to come unto Him. (He that eated my flesh and

drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him, ( John 6.57.) The

faithful, represented by the Priest and by bread and wine, the sym-

bols of life, become, not as individuals, but as members of His

mystical body, together with Jesus Christ the offering and the

offerers. (You are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal. 3.28. “Know

you not that your bodies are the members of Christ?” 1 Cor. 6.15.)

Therefore, while attending Mass, we should never forget this

significant role. The result of unity with Jesus Christ will foster

a closer and more sincere unity among ourselves and with the

Saints.

The Pontifical Mass. (Archijerejska Liturgia.)

When a Bishop publicly performs a Mass, the following routine

is added:

The Bishop, dressed in a Mantia^ Crown and with a Crozier in

his left hand, is lead in procession to the church. The figure of

the processional cross is turned toward the Bishop. His arrival

is heralded by the ringing of the bells and he blesses the people

en route.

In the church-vestibule he is greeted 1) by the lay emissaries

with bread and salt in sign of a hearty welcome, 2) by the Pastor

who turns over the keys of the church to him in acknowledgement

of his authority, 3) the Deacon, incensing him, says:
“May the

Lord of Sion bless you . . . and the choir sings: “Blessed be the

name of the Lord henceforth and forever”. Then the procession

proceeds to the Amvon where the Bishop says the priestly prayers:

“I enter into Thy house . . . prostrates himself on the stairs lead-

ing up to the Altar and recites Ps. 50. . . . After another lengthy

prayer, he steps to the side-throne where he puts on the litur-

gical vestments.



51

Being fully dressed, the Bishop is incensed by the Deacon:

‘'May the Lord of Sion bless you . . . then takes the Di-Trikirion

and blesses the people. The co-celebrants, accepting the Bishop’s

blessing, go to the Altar and begin the Mass: “Bless, Master”. The

Archpriest: “Blessed is the Kingdom. . . .

At the Little Entrance, when the Deacon exhortes : “Wis|.:I(3m,

arise” the Bishop comes to the Amvon, blesses the people with Di-

trikirion and the “Holy Dance” starts, namely, while the Bishop is

incensing the Altar from all sides thrice, the clergy, divided in

two, walk around the Altar in opposite directions and sing: “Save

Us, 0 Son of God. . . . The choir concludes it with: “0 Come, Let

Us Worship . . . Hymn, Kondak, Bohorodicen.

The Bishop goes to the Altar, sings: “For Holy Art Thou . . .

chants “Holy God ... in Greek . . . and retires to the Throne be-

hind the Altar. Epistle, Gospel, Sermon. . . . The Bishop says the

second and third supplication of the Twofold Ektenia and blesses

the people first with Trikirion, then with Dikirion, and when the

Archpriest said the Ektenia for the Bishop, he blesses the people

with the cross.

During the Cherubic song the Bishop, washing his hands,

performs the Preparation of Oblation . . . goes to the Altar . . .

the clergy miake the Great Entrance . . . turn over the Gifts to the

Bishop, who then finishes the prayer.

Before the Creed the Bishop, after kissing the covers of the

Gifts and the Altar, kisses the shoulders of the two co-celebrani

priests on either side of him, saying, “Christ is in our midst” and

they confer that “kiss of peace” to the rest of the clergy in similar

way.

The words “Let us lift up our hearts”, and “Let us give thank:;

to the Lord” the Bishop says turned to the people and holding the

Bi-Trikirion in his hands.

The Mass of the Presanctified Gifts. (Prezdeosvjascena.)

At this Mass there is no consecration but the people are given

Holy Communion from the Gifts consecrated the previous Sunday.

It v/as used since the beginning of Christianity but Gregory the

Great (590-604) gave it its final form.

It is performed on the Wednesdays and Fridays of the first

six weeks of Lent and on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the

Holy Week.



52

It starts with the Ninth Hour . . . then follows the first part

of the Vespers. During the singing of the Canticles, the Priest

takes the consecrated Gifts from the Altar to the Table of Obla-

tion . . . pours wine and water into the chalice . . . covers and

incenses the Gifts. Next is the Little Entrance with the Gospel

and Censer ... “0 tranquil light . . . Paremias . . .

Between the two Paremias the Priest takes the Censer, the

lighted triple-candelabra, first makes the sign of the cross in the

direction of the Altar saying '‘Wisdom, arise”, then turns toward

the people and making the sign of the cross says : “The light oc

Christ illuminating all men”, and incenses the people.

When the Paremia is finished, the Priest, laieeling before the

Altar, sings four verses of Ps. 141 : “0 Lord, I have cried unto

Thee . . . Set a watch, 0 Lord . . . Incline not my heart . . .Let my

prayer be set forth. . .

After every verse the choir sings: “Let my prayer be set forth

. . . and the Priest prostrates himself thrice before the Altar.

Gradual . . . Epistle . . . Gospel . . . the Twofold Ektenia . . .

the Ektenia for the Catechumens follov/. In place of the Cherubic

song is sung: “Now the powers of Heaven . . . and the Priest, being

preceded by the lightbearer and incense, makes the Great Entrance

silently. Placing the Gifts on the Altar, the Priest comes down

and on the stairs prostrates himself thrice.

Then follows the Supplicating Ektenia which is concluded with

“Our Father . . . washing of the hands and Holy Communion. “O

God, save Thy people ... is not said; instead “Let our mouths be

filled ... is sung: “0 taste and see. . . . Thanksgiving with Dis-

missal and general blessing concludes the Mass.

21. The Sacraments. (Tajny.)

A Sacrament is a visible action by which we receive the cor-

responding invisible grace of God.

There are seven Sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ: Bap-

tism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Holy Orders,
Matri-

mony and Extreme Unction. In every Sacrament there must be:

the matter, the form, the administrator and the receiver.

Sacraments of Baptism and Penance are called the Sacraments

of the dead because through sin we are spiritually dead and
the.v



53

restore to us the grace of life. The rest are called the Sacraments

of tlie living, because we must already be in grace to receive them

and they merely increase the grace.

The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders

impress an indelible mark upon the soul of the receiver and there-

fore they can be administered to the same person only once.

1. Baptism. (Krescenie.)

The first and most necessary Sacrament is that of Baptism.

By virtue of the pouring of water on the body and the utterance

of the words: “The servant of God N.N. is baptized in the name

oi‘ the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.’’ The

baptized is: a) cleansed from the Original sin and the servitude of

the devil, b) he becomes a member of the Church and the child

of God.

There are three kinds of Baptism: 1) The Baptism of water,

2) the Baptism of blood ( Martyrs) and 3) the Baptism of desire

( of pagans who were ignorant of the Baptism of water but were

willing to do everything necessary to obtain their salvation.)

The words of Jesus Christ: “He that believeth and is bap-

tized, shall ()e saved” (Mark 16.16) prove plainly the necessity of

Baptism foi* our salvation, therefore Christian parents commit a

mortal sin if their children are not baptized. Jesus Christ,

although not required to do so, was baptized (Matt. 3.16) and He

in turn baptized. (John 3.22-26.)

Usually the Priest is the administrator of the Baptism, but

in case of extreme necessity anyone can validly l)aptizie. Because

of a higher rate of mortality amongst children, the Church has

always urged that they be baptized as soon after birth as possible.

If an adult wishes to be baptized he must first receive instruc-

tion in the teaching and precepts of the Church. During that time

they are called Catechumens. At the Baptism they answer for

themselves. For a child the Sponsors answer. The parents of the

Isaptized, infidels, non-Christians, heretics, schismatics, excom-

municated or interdicted persons, public sinners, monks and nuns

can not act as Sponsors, because the Sponsors assume tlie duty or

the s])iritual education of the baptized in case the parents would

die or neglect it.



54

Through Baptism there arises a “Spiritual Relationship” be-

tween the person baptized, the sponsors, the parents of the bap-

tized, the baptizing Priest, and it becomes an impediment to pos-

sible marriage. (Can. 768.)

The ceremony of Baptism starts in the vestibule of the

church 1) with prayers of exorcism, 2) renouncement from the

service of the devil, 3) promise to believe in Jesus Christ and

serve Him.

The Priest makes thrice the sign of cross over the child, puts

his right hand on it, signifying that he is confering the grace of

God, and prays. In the second prayer he breathes on the forehead,

mouth and breast of the child expelling by it the devil and invok-

ing the Holy Ghost.

The renouncement is done facing West, because from the West

comes darkness and Satan; the promise is done facing East, be-

cause light proceeds thence. Entering the church they recite the

Creed.

Before the Tetrapod the child is annointed with “oil of joy’'

on the forehead, the breast, the shoulders, ears, hands and the feet.

This annointment means that the annointed died for this world

and became a new branch of the oil-tree, Jesus Christ.

Then the child is baptized . . . and dressed in a white robe

(offering, called “Krizmo”) as a sign that he put off the old, sinful

man and put on the new man with the sanctifying grace of God.

The font, if there is any, typifies Noah’s ark. Finally a lighted

candle is given to the baptized and sponsors to signify the super-

natural light which enlightened them. For this reason Baptism is

also called “Illumination” (Prosviscenie).

2. Confirmation. (Miropomazanie.)

Confirmation is a Sacrament in which a l)aptized person re-

ceives the strengthening grace of the Holy Ghost to ):ie a):>le to

confess the faith bravely and to live accordingly.

It was instituted by Jesus Christ by sending the Holy Ghost

down upon His Apostles, who in turn administered It to tlie faith-

ful. (Acts 8.17, 19.6) Holy Chrism (Miro), a mixture of 33 spices.



55

})lessed by the Bishop on Holy Thursday, serves as matter of Con-

firmation, and the form is: “The seal of the g’ift of the Holy Ghost.

Amen.”

After a lengthy prayer, the Priest annoints the forehead, eyes,

nose, mouth, breast, ears, hands and feet with the Holy Chrism

simultaneously saying the above form. The reading of the Epistle,

the Gospel and the Ektenia follows and the ceremony ends with

the Dismissal.

In the Eastern Church the Confirmation is administered by

the Priest immediately after the Baptism, but in the Western

Chiu'ch regularly only a Bishop can confirm. (For exeptions see

Can 782)

The Churching. (Vyvodki.)

The mother comes to the church with the baptized and con-

firmed child. In the Vestibule she receives a lighted candle, then

the Priest prays for her that she may ])e cleansed from the impur-

ity incurred through the birth, and for the child that it may be

blessed, may grow and be enlightened; then he introduces them

into the church, sprinkles them with the Holy Water and after

the Dismissal blesses them.

In this ceremony is preserved the command that the mother

should offer her child to God and herself be purified from the un-

cleanliness of birth. (Luke 2.23, Lev. 12.6). Therefore the mother

is not allowed to go anywhere until she had been churched.

3. Holy Eucharist. (Eucharistia.)

Holy Eucharist is the Holiest Body and Blood of Jesus Christ

under the appearance of bread and wine.

It may be considered 1) as sacrifice in the Holy Mass, and

2) as spiritual Food of the New Testament in the Holy Communion.

It is the Greatest Sacrament because it not only confers the grace

of God but God Himself.

Jesus Christ instituted it at His I.ast Supper to be always

among us and feed our souls.



^Ae56

The Priest says the prayer: ‘T believe, 0 Lord, and I confess

. . . then with a spoon takes some particles from the chalice and

gives to the communicant saying: “The servant of God partaketh

of the precious and holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ

unto the remission of all sins and unto life everlasting.’' and adds:

‘ Now He touched your mouth, takes away your iniquities and

cleanses your sins.”

Before receiving Holy Communion we should go to Confession

and fast from the previous midnight. After receiving Holy Corn-

union we should not spit till after we ate something.

It is advisable to receive Holy Communion more often during

the year, but it is obligatory to receive at least once a year, during

the Easter-tide (from first Sunday of Lent until first Sunday after

Pentecost).

Neglecting one’s “Easter duty” is a mortal sin. He who re-

ceives Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin commits a

sacrilege. (1 Cor. 2.27.)

Actually we can receive Holy Communion only once a day, but

spiritually as many times as we excite sorrow for our sins and wish

thal Jesus may come into our heart. (Spiritual Communion.)

The Holy Eucharist is preserved in the Tabernacle (Kivot) for

adoration and for the communion of the sick. When the Hol\'

Eucharist is carried to a sick person, passers-!>y as well as Die

relatives of the sick should show the greatest possible honor by

receiving the Priest into a clean abode, kneeling and adoring the

Sacred Gifts he carries.

4. Penance. (Pokajanie.)

Penance is a Sacrament in which the Priest, in the name of

Cod, forgives us our sins committed after the Baptism il we con-

fess them, feel sorry for them and have strong- will to better our

lives.

Jesus Christ instituted this Sacrament when He bi’cathed upon

His Apostles and said: “Receive the Holy Ghost, whose sins you

shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins, you shall

retain, they are retained.” ( John :i0.2.2, Matt. 10.18.) Our sins



SaA/.€7^'n 57

are the matter and the words of absolution: “I absolve thee of all

thy sins” are the form of this Sacrament.

Only a Bishop or Priest, having jurisdiction can hear confes-

sions and give valid absolution. But in case of extreme necessity

any Priest can do it.

The Confession should be: 1) humble, as that of the Publican

(Luke 18.13), 2) sincere, without equivocation, and 3) complete,

omitting no mortal sin or their number, or any of their aggrevat-

ing circumstances.

We should not be either afraid or ashamed to confess our sins,

knowing that the Priest, under the Seal of Confession, is not

allowed to divulge them. He rather would die, as St. John

Nepomuc did, than betray the secret of Confession.

After clearly answering the questions of the Priest and listen-

ing to his advice, we should accept the penalty imposed and per-

form it punctually.

In the first centuries of Christianity great public sinners were

obligated to make public confessions and undergo public punish-

ments which sometime lasted for years.

Those public penitents were divided into four classes: 1) the

weepers, who were not allowed to enter the church but standing

or kneeling before the church ask those going in to pray for them

;

2) the hearers, who could be at the Holy Mass as long as the

Catechumens; 3) the kneelers, who received the blessing of the

Bishop while kneeling during the services, and 4) the standing

ones, who could be present at the Mass but were not admitted to

take Holy Communion.

There are sins which a Priest, without special jurisdiction, can

not absolve. ) sins retained for absolution by the Pope alone, 2)

sins retained for absolution by the Bishop.

There are sinners whom the Priest is not allowed to absolve:

the dead, the absent, the totally insane, infidels, heretics and

schismatics, those ignorant of the main Christian truths, those

who have no sorrow or no desire for correction and who put not

away or avoid their habitual sins or the temptations to sin. Quite



58

often the Priest can postpone the absolution. Such refusal or post-

ponement has to be confessed in the next confession. Anyone who,

not receiving absolution, goes nevertheless to Holy Communion,

commits a sacrilege.

Through valid absolution the sins and the eternal punishment

of hell are forgiven, but not the temporal punishments which we

have to undergo either on earth or in Purgatory. These tempora!

punishments can be lessened or shortened through partial or com-

plete Indulgences received from the treasury of the superabundant

merits of Jesus Christ, the Bl. V. Mary and the Saints.

To receive an Indulgence it is necessary: to make ones confes-

sion, receive Holy Communion and fulfill the prescribed condition.

Some Indulgences can be applied to the dead.

From time to time it is advisable to make a General Con-

fession by repeating already forgiven sins and reiterating our sor-

row with a firm resolution.

5. Holy Orders. (Svjascenstvo.)

Holy Orders is a Sacrament administered to the clerics by the

Bishop when he extends his hands over their heads and by his

prayer invokes the grace of God so that the newly ordained might

have the power to preach the word of God, impart the Sacraments

and rule over his spirtual flock.

In Holy Orders there are two minor grades: Reader and Sub-

Deacon, and three major grades: Deacon, Priest and Bishop,

accordingly their ordination is different.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders was instituted by Jesus Christ

when He selected 12 Apostles (Matt. 10.2) and 72 Disciples (Luke

10.1). The Church completed it by selecting 7 Deacons (Acts 6.6).

Women are excluded from receiving Holy Orders. Gen. 3.16, 1

Cor. 14.34).

1. The ordination of the Reader is done before the Royal

Door, at a Mass, or without Mass, as follows:

a) The candidate, bowing thrice, kneels before the Bishop,

who, laying his hand upon him, prays: 0 Lord, Who enlightenest.

. . . After “Our Father” ... A Hymn, “O holy Apostles” . . . is

read.



= 59

b) The Bishop cuts a lock of hair in form of a cross from the

candidate’s head, signifying that he is offered for the service of

God
j

c) The Bishop lays his hands upon the head of the candidate

and says “0 Lord, God Almighty . . . praying that God may grant

him wisdom and preserve him pure, blameless. . . .

d) The Bishop opens the Epistle book, places it upon the head

of the candidate who then reads a part of it because that will be

his main duty;

e) The Bishop gives him the Alb (Stichar) which he kisses

and puts on himself as a sign of chastity and a virtuous life

;

f) The Bishop gives him a candle which he kisses and then

goes to his assigned place.

2. The ordination of the Sub-Deacon is done before the Mass

at the Amvon. a) The Bishop laying hands upon his head, prays:

‘'O Lord, our God. . . .

b) The candidate prostrates himself while the Archpriest

reads the Ektenia. . . . c) He brings the ewer and basin of water

and a towel, pours water on the Bishop’s hands, who then turns

them over to him and puts the tov/el on the head of the candidate

;

The main duties of the Sub-Deacon are: to keep the church

utensils clean, to dress the Priest, read the Epistle and lead out

the Catechumens.

3. The ordination of the Deacon is done at the Altar after

the Consecration, when the Bishop says: “And may the mercy

... be with you all.”

a) The Bishop is seated on the right side of the Altar . . . the

candidate, lead by the Archpriest, makes three bows and kneels

before the Bishop who blesses him;

b) the candidate walks around the Altar thrice, kissing the

corners of the Altar, the shoulder, ring, Epigonation of the Bishop,

signifying his readiness to serve piously at the Altar and acknowl-

edge the authority of the Bishop. Meanwhile the choir sings: “0

holy Martyrs . . . Glory to Thee, 0 Christ . . . reminding him that

he, always having before his eyes the teaching of Jesus Christ, has

and will follow the Apostles and Martyrs in selfmortification.



60

c) The candidate goes to the Altar, bends his both knees, puts
|

his hands in form of a cross on the Altar and his head upon his 5

hands, then the Bishop covers the head of the candidate with the

Omophor, lays his hands upon him saying: “The divine grace ...
j

may come upon him.” »

All answer: “Lord have mercy.”

d) The candidate prostrates himself . . . the Archpriest sings ‘

the Ektenia . . . the Bishop prays: “O Lord, our God . . . and “0

God, our Saviour. . . .

e) The candidate arises, the Bishop puts the Orar on his left

shoulder and the Dalmatic saying “Aksios” (worthy) thrice . . .

clergy and choir ansv/ering “Aksios”.

The Deacon has the right to baptize, to read the Gospel, to

preach, to give Holy Communion and to help the Priest in other

services. '

4. The ordination of the Priest is done at the Altar before
|

the Cherubic song.

a, b, c. The first three acts are as at the ordination of .-i

Deacon.

d) The candidate prostrates himself . . . the Archpriest sings

i



61

the Ektenia ... the Bishop prays: “0 God, Who hast no beginning

. . . and “0 God, great in might.

e) The candidate makes the Profession of Faith and the oath

of obedience . . . f) The Bishop gives him the Epitrachil, Felon.

Gauntlets, Mass book and chalice. He puts on the vestments and

begins to con-celebrate the Holy Mass with the Bishop.

5. The consecration of the Bishop.

In the early days of Christianity the clergy and the people of

the local churches had a voice in the election of Bishops by giving

testimony in regard to the qualities of the candidates. Now the

Pope appoints the Bishops for the various Dioceses.

The consecration of a Bishop-elect is done by three Bishops.

They lead him into the Sanctuary. The Papal Bull of appointment

is read. He walks thrice around the Altar, kissing its corners. The

choir sings: “0 holy Martyrs . . . Glory be to Thee . . . then he

kneels before the Altar, the two co-consecrating Bishops open the

Gospel and place it on his head, signifying that he still remains

under the rule of the Gospel . . . the presiding Bishop puts his

hands on his head and says: “0 divine grace
. .

. then the two

other Bishops put their hands on his head and say: “Receive the

Holy Ghost’\

The newly consecrated Bishop makes the Profession of Faith

and oath of obedience. The vestments of a Bishop are given to

him one after the other: Sakkos, Omophor, Epigonation, Mitre,

Cross, Crozier, which he puts on and serves Holy Mass.

Hierarchy. (Upravlenie.)

Hierarchy means the totality of ruling powers in the Church

for the care and control of sacred things and for the guiding of

men to their eternal salvation.

Hierarchy of two kinds: of Order and of Jurisdiction.

Hierarchy of Order consists of Deacons, Priests and Bishops.

In the Hierarchy of Jurisdiction the Bishop of Rome, the

Pope, as the successor of St. Peter the Apostle, has been estab-

lished by Jesus Christ as the Visible Head of the entire Church-

militant. He has the real Primacy of Jurisdiction in matters of



62

Faith, Morals, Discipline and the Government of the Church. His

power is ordinary and immediate over churches and persons col-

lectively and individually. His title is “Holy Father’', he wears a

white cassock, the Tiara (Triple Mitre) and the “Fisher’s Ring*”,

he lives in the Vatican. He is also the “Patriarch of West.”

In the g*overnment of the Church the following assist Him

:

The 70 Cardinals who, in case of a vacancy, elect the new Pope

. . . the 4 Patriarchs of the East, (namely, of Constantinople,

Alexandria, Afitiochia and Jerusalem) . . the Exarchs and Primates

. . . the Metropolitans . . . the Archbishops . . . the Bishops . . .

Praelates . . . Monsignors . . . Archpriests and Vicar Generals . . .

Canons . . . Consultors . . . Deans . . . Pastors and Assistants of

Pastors.

In addition to the secular clergy the various Orders of the

regular clergy, of monks and of the nuns-sisters assist in and sup-

plement the work of the secular clergy.

In the Eastern Church, up to the present century, there was

only one Order of males, the Basilians, and one Order of females,

the Basilian Nuns. Lately the Latin Orders of St. Benedict, the

R^edemptorists and the Jesuits formed branche3 in the Eastern

Rite.

The monks and nuns make simple or solemn, perpetual vow of

poverty, chastity and unconditional obedience.

6. Matrimony. (Malzenstvo.)

Matrimony is a Sacrament in which a man and a woman enter

into a union for their entire lives, become husband and wife, and

obtain the grace of God to fulfill the obligations of their married

life.

As a natural union it was instituted by God in Paradise and

Jesus Christ elevated it to the dignity of a Sacrament. (Eph. 5.32.)

The two marrying persons are the ministers of the Sacrament,

their mutual consent, expressed in words or signs before the Pastor

and two witnesses, is the form, and their right to each others body

is the matter of the Sacrament.



63

Those who intend to be married must first consider whether

there is any impediment, obstacle to their marriage, and if there

is, whether they can obtain a dispensation.

There are two kinds of impediments
:
prohibitive and diriment.

The prohibitive impediments are: 1) sacred, forbidden time,

2) temporal prohibition, 3) simple engagement, 4) simple vow, 5)

mixed Christian religion and 6) legal adoption. If a dispensation

is not procured, the marriage would be valid but illicit (Can. 1058)

.

The diriment impediments are: 1) age (male under 16, female

under 14), 2) Impotency, 3) Existing marriage, 4) Disparity of

cult (Catholic and unbaptized person, 5) Solemn vow, 6) Holy

Orders, 7) Abduction, 8 Lack of consent, 9) Crime (murder of

partner, 10) Consanguinity, in the direct line to all, and in a colla-

teral line to the third degree inclusive, 11) Affinity, in the collater-

al line to second degree, 12) Solemn engagement, 13) Spiritual

relation of sponsors, 14) Legal relationship (civil law), 15) Error

of identity, 16) Force and fear, 17) Condition contrary to the pur-

pose of marriage, and 18) Lack of the canonical form. (Since Aug.

17, 1914, before the proper Pastor or Bishop and two witnesses.)

Marriage, concluded without a dispensation of any of those

diriment impediments, is not valid, is not a marriage, only con-

cubinage.

The engagement can be private or solemn when blessed bv

the Pastor. It has to be announced on three Sundays or Holidays.

Those who are aware of any impediment must report it to the

Pastor.

Before the marriage the principals must have marriage in-

structions, make their confession and receive Holy Communion.

The marriage ceremony starts in the church-vestibule. The

bride first approaches with the best man, then the bridegroom with

the maid of honour. When the Priest comes to them, the bride-

groom steps to the bride. The Priest asks the two witnesses

whether they know of any impediment existing between the par-

ties to be married.



64



65

Then the Priest puts the following two questions, first to the

bridegroom and then to the bride:

1) N. N. hast thou a good, free and an unconstrained will,

and a firm intention to take unto thyself as thy wife (husband)

this honourable young woman (man) whom thou seest beside you ?

2) Hast thou not promised thyself to any other bride (bride-

groom) ?

If they answered in the proper manner, the Priest goes into

the church and they follow him to the Tetrapod. Here the engaged

couple, to symbolize the purity of their lives, receive lighted

candles.

The Priest reads the Ektenia and '‘0 God, most pure . . .

prayer, blesses the rings . . . puts them on the right hand of bride-

groom and bride, signifying the indissolubility of the marriage . . .

after that they kneel down, put their right hand on the Gospel and

take the following pledge-oath: ‘T, N. take you N. for my wife

(husband) and pledge to you love, faithfulness and respect (and

obedience) of married life, and that I will not leave you until my

death, so help me God and all Saints.”

Then the Priest pronounces that they are married by saying:

“What God hath joined together that let no man put asunder, and

I, an unworthy servant of God by the power given to me, herewith

join you in this Holy Matrimony, confirm and mark it by the au-

thority of the Catholic Church in the name of the Father, and of

the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen”.

The married couple arises and kisses the Gospel.

After the prayer “0 Lord, Who didst create . . . the Priest

blesses the crowns and puts them on the heads of the married

couple. The crowns signify that through marriage they became

the rulers of the family and should live in peace, accord and purity

of heart.

The reading of the Epistle . . . Gospel . . . Ektenia . . . song of

“Holy Martyrs . . . Turn again . . . Glory to Thee . . . Rejoice, O

Isaiah . . . follows.



66

Then the Priest removes the crowns with a blessing and good

wishes . . . and after prayer “0 God, our God . . . with the Dismissal

and general blessing ends the ceremony. The married couple and

the bridal party kiss the cross, get their marriage Certificate. Next

day the bride comes for the churching.

Mixed marriages The church warns the faithful against

mixed marriages (Catholics and non-Catholic Christians) because

little spiritual harmony can be expected and the danger of indiffer-

ence or perversion is too near and too great. Dispensation is pro-

cured only under the following conditions: 1) that they consider

the marriage indissoluble, 2) that all their children will be baptized

and brought up as Catholics, 3) that the Catholic parent and chil-

dren will not be hindered, prevented to practice their religion, 4)

that no other than the Catholic ceremony take place.

In the Dismissal St. Constantine and St. Helena are invoked

because they were the disseminators of the Christian-Catholic

faith and St. Procopius is invoked because he instructed the twelve

women to go to their death of martyrdom as to a marriage feast.

Footnote. In the Eastern Orthodox Church it is still custom-

ary that the married couple take three sips of wine from a common

cup signifying their wish to share all joy and sorrow throughout

their lives; then they are lead three times around the Tetrapod

the complete circle symbolizing the eternity of their union and

their obedience to the Holy Trinity.

7. Extreme Unction. (Jeleopomazanie.)

Extreme Unction is a Sacrament in which an extremely sick

person, through prayers and the annointment with blessed oil by

the Priest, receives the grace of God to suffer patiently, persevere

bravely up to the end in hope of salvation, forgiveness of temporal

punishments. The person often regains his health sooner.

This Sacrament was instituted by Jesus Christ who healed

many sick people. The annointment with oil is the matter and the

prayer: “0, Holy Father. Physician of souls and bodies . . . the

form of the Sacrament.



67

The sick person first makes his confession, receives Holy Com-

munion, then, after the Customary Invocation and recitation of Ps.

50, Epistle and Gospel, the Priest blesses the oil and annoints the

forehead eyes, nose, mouth, breast, ears, hands and feet of the

sick saying the above form. The Sacrament can be received only

once during te same illness.

This Sacrament, signifying the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost,

(Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety

and Fear of the Lord) used to be administered by seven Priests

simultaneously.

If a person becomes ill, the relatives should call the Priest at

once and not wait until the patient becomes weak or even loses

consciousness. There is nothing to fear when calling the Priest.

The Extreme Unction does not kill ... it helps. In many cases,

however, the weaker the condition of the patient the less effective-

ly does he make his confession.

When a person is dying there is a distinct ceremonv “for the

parting of the soul from the body” (Na ischod dusi). The dving

person should hold a cross and a lighted candle signifying his faith

and love of Jesus Christ. The Priest asks the sick person to renew,

if he is able, his feeling of sorrow, forgiveness and love for Jesus

Christ and the Bl. V. Mary, then repeats the general absolution

from sins and censures, gives the Apostolic blessing and prays for

a peaceful def>th: “0 Lo^M, God Almighty ... “O Master, Lord our

Cod Almighty” ... “0 Lord, our God, Who” . . .

22. Sacramentals. (Osvjascenija i Blahoslovenija.)

Sacramentals are either a) consecrations of persons and things

sacrificed and reserved for the service of God, or b) blessings for

the purpose of private devotions to arouse greater piety, to drive

away the evil spirit, to obtain remission of venial sins and temporal

favors.

Sacramentals differ from the 7 Sacraments a) because they are

instituted only by the Church and therefore they are subject to

change b) because they do not produce the sanctifying grace by

virtue of the rite (ex opere operate).



68 Ja

A permanent, debtless church can be and usually is conse-
crated by the Bishop by annointing with Holy Chrism the Altar and

churchwalls marked on twelve places with crosses. A temporary
or indebted church is only blessed by the Bishop or by an author-

ized Priest. There is a separate ceremony for the blessing of the

foundation and the cornerstone of the churches.

Church utensils used in connection with the Holy Eucharist, as

the Antimension, Chalice, Diskos, Holy Chrism, are consecrated by

the Bishop, others are blessed by the Priest.

The blessing of Holy Water is two-kind: a) Grand blessing on

the Feast of Epiphany, done, when possible, on a river in solemn

procession, and b) Lesser blessing on the Feast of the Machabean

Martyrs, Aug. 1.

With incensing, sprinkling of holy water and prayers the fol-

lowing are blessed

:

Bread, wheat, wine and oil at every Litia;

Candles on the feast of the Meeting of the Lord /Stritenie).

Palms, pussywillows on Palm Sunday;

Meats, breads-paschas, eggs, cheese, etc., on Easter Sunday;

Fields on Sunday following St. Mark’s day, April 25.

Fruits on the feast of Transfiguration (Preobrazenie).

Flowers on the feast of Falling asleep of Bl. V. Mary (Uspenie)

.

Corpses at every Christian funeral;

A new cemetery a new house, a new fountain, a new school

and people starting an important journey or pilgrimage are also

blessed by the Church.

1. General Service of Prayer. (Moleben).

After the Customary Invocation . . . Hymn: “Have mercy on

us O Lord, have mercy . . . Glory . . . Now . . . Epistle, Gospel

(Matt. 7.8 or 12.27 or Luke 1.39, Ektenia and the usual Dismissal.

2. Processions. (Obchody.)

On some occasions, as Epiphany, Good Friday, Resurrection.

Bright Monday, Monday of Pentecost, Feast of the Patron of the



69

church, to express more ostentatiously the prayers of glorification

or gratitude or request or expiation, the Priest and the faithful

leave the church and in solemn procession go either to some other

church, or cemetery or a cross. The leading cross is to remind

everybody that on this earth there is no other consolation but

Jesus Christ. The banners Carried in the procession inspire the fol-

lowers always to fight without fear for faith and Church. The

whole procession signifies our journeying towards Heaven.

3. Funerals. (Pochorony.)

At the outset it must be understood that unbaptized persons,

inpenitent public sinners, apostates, heretics, schismatics, suicides

and those whose bodies are to be cremated can not receive Chris-

tian-Catholic burial.

When a faithful person dies : a) his eyes and mouth are closed

to signify the falling asleep of the person
;
b) the corpse is washed

with water (Acts 9.37) in the hope of a glorious resurrection (the

corpse of a Priest is not washed but annointed with oil)
;
c) the

corpse is clothed in new garments according to his own calling or

rank (1 Cor. 15.24) in the hope of remaining incorruptible (1 Cor.

15.52) and that everybody has to render an account of his state of

life
;
d) the hands are put on the breast holding a cross to indicate

that he believed in Jesus Christ and to Him rendered his soul; e)

around the coffin are lighted candles to signify the immortality of

the soul; f) the church bells are rung so that the faithful might

pray for the deceased and be reminded of their coming death
; g)

the Psaltir is read over the body as a prayer for the dead and as

a comfort for those mourning his death.

Hs

The funerals are of three kinds: of Children of adult laymen

anid of Priest.

The funeral of a child consists of: a) at the home: the Cus-

tomary Invocation . . . Ps. “Praise the Lord children ... is sung

and the choir answers after every verse : “Blessed be the namie of

the Lord henceforth and forever”. Ektenia . . . and Dismissal, b)

In the church, after the Customary Invocation Ps. 121.112.102 and



70

23 are sung . . . with answers as above . . . Ektenia . . . “With the

Saints give rest O Lord . . . Thou alone are immortal ... is read

and of it the “making of our funeral dirge the song: “Alleluja” . . .

is sung.

Priest: “For Thou art 0 Lord . . . Holy God . . . Gradu-

al: “Blessed is the way . . . Epistle (1 Cor. 15.39) . . . Gospel (John

6.35).

During the singing of “Who would not weep ... 0, who would

not wail, my child . . . those present kiss the cross. The Priest

blesses the body which is then taken to the cemetery, where, after

the prayer “0 Lord, Who guardest little children . . . the grave

is sealed and with “Give rest eternal . . . the ceremony is ended.

2. Funeral of an adult layman consists of:

a) at the home: the choir sings a Hymn “When Thou hast

descended unto death . . . then the Customary Invocation . . . “Witli

the souls of the righteous. ... In the place of Thy rest . . . Glorv

. . . Thou art the God . . . Now ... 0 Virgin, alone Pure . . . Ektenia

. . . “Give rest eternal . . . blessing of the body which is then

carried to the church. On the outside of the residence and outside

the church Gospels are read.

b) In the church: “Alleluja . . . Blessed is he . . . And his

memory . . . By dept of wisdom . . . Glory . . . Now ... We have

Thee as a bulwark . . . Kathisma 17: Blessed art the undefiled.

. . . The choir answers “Blessed art Thou, 0 Lord, teach us Thy

justification’'. (Ektenia.) Priest: “I am Thine, save Thou me. . . .

The choir answers 0 Saviour, save the soul . . . “The choir of

Saints ... “I am the image . . . God rest Thy servant . . . Hail

most pure Virgin . . . Ektdnia . . . Give rest with the jrst . . . Gloiy

. . . Now ... “0 Christ, our God, Who from a Virgin. . . .

Then the mourning songs of St. John Damascen follow:

1 Tone: “what earthly sweetness remains unmixed” ... 2

Tone “Every man withers like a flower” ... 3 Tone “All mortal

things are vanity” ... 4 Tone “Where is the earthly predilection

. . . 5 Tone “I called to my mind the Prophet” . . . 6 Tone “Thy

creating command was my origin” ... 7 Tone “Our Saviour and



71

Lifegiver, give rest” ... 8 Tone ‘T weep and I wail when I reflect

on death.” ...

After those the Beatitudes are sung . . . during which the

Priest performs the Proskomedia. If there is no Mass, then follows

the Gradual . . . Epistle (1 Thes. 4.13), Gospel (John 5.24), Sermon

. . . and “Farewell kissing of the cross “Come brethren, let us say

farewell unto the dead. . . . Now is all life’s solemn triumph of

vanities destroyed. . . . Thou our brother (sister) tell us, where

are you going ... I am going to my Lord and Judge . . . etc. . . .

Glory . . . “Seeing me silent and dead . . . Now . . . “Save Thou

those who place their hope in Thee . . . Then the body is carried to

the cemetery. Outside the church another Gospel (John 6.48) is

read, c) At the cemetery the Gospel of Lazarus (John 11.1-45)

is read. Then the prayer of Absolution; “Merciful and clement

Jesus Christ, our Lord and God. . . . During “Open, O earth . . .

the coffin is lowered into the grave. The Priest takes a little

earth on a shovel, throws it on the coffin saying: “The earth is

the Lord’s and the fulness thereof the universe and they that dwell

in it.” He also throws the ashes from the incense, seals the grave

with the sign of the cross made on four sides . . . blessing the coffin

with holy water and those present with the cross, with “Give rest

eternal . . . the ceremony is ended.

3. The funeral of a Priest. The first part is the same as that

of a lay person. But after “0 Christ, our God, Who from a Virgin

... on the first day that the body lies in state ... 7 Antiphones,

Graduals, Epistles, Gospels, Ektenias and prayers are sung; the

second day a Canon of 9 Irmoses is sung . . . Ektenia . . . Svitilen

. . . Ps. 148, 149, 150 are read, then Canticles (Stichiry) : “The

godly minister” . . . Strange is the mystery ... He who lived in

godliness . . . Glory . . . Now ... We have come to the knowledge
. . . Glory be to God on high . . . is read . . . then the mourning

songs of St. John Damascen are sung as at the funeral of a lay

person. Two verses of Ps. 92 “It is a good thing to give thanks

... to tell of thy loving kindness . . . O Holy God . . . Our Father

Thy rest . . . Now . . . 0 Hoh^ Mother . . .Ektenia. . . .

. . Hymn . . . Give rest with the just . . \ Glory. In the place of

On the third day only a Panachida is performed after the

Mass, then the farewell kissing of the cross. . . . After the prayer

of Absolution, the Bishop, saying, “Jesus Christ our Lord . . .

describes a Cross as he pours oil on the face of the dead Priest and



72 ^/le Reluct/

finishes with Alleluja, Alleluja, Alleluja. Then the face of the

dead Priest is covered with the Aer (Vozduch)

The pouring- of the oil is: a) in commemoration of the Old

Testament custom to annoint the dead bodies, b) to express that

the deceased victoriously finished his fight. The face is covered

because a life in a new world is opening before him.

* *

During the Bright Week all funerals are performed in white

vestments and in a special manner.

* * *

It is customary to remember the dead by Mass offerings 1)

on the third day, because Jesus arose on the third day; 2) on the

ninth day, so that the dead may be joined to the nine choirs of

Saints; 3) on the fortieth day in memory of Christ’s Ascension and

the forty days of mourning of the Jews for Moses; 4) at every

anniversary to signify that those who died are living in the other

world and are in union with us.

The Church officially and publicly remembers the dead on five

Saturdays (Zadusny Subboty) : Saturday before the Meat-fast

Sunday, then Second, Third and Fourth Saturday of Lent, and the

Saturday before Pentecost. At the end of those Masses the names

of the deceased, for whom the services are offered, are read,

(hramoty.)

4. Requiem Service. (Parastas, Panachida.)

The Requiem Service is similar to that of the funeral with the

exception that instead of the mourning songs of St. John Damascen

the Canon “When Izrael passed on foot over the deep ... or Canon

“Having crossed the water as dry land ... is sung.

It is customary, at the Requiem Service, to place upon a small

table in the church a dish of “Koliva” or “Kutia”, that is, boiled

wheat mixed with honey and sometimes raisins are added, to re-

mind us of the resurrection of the dead. The grain, to bring fruit,

must be buried, the honey typifies the sweetness of bliss of the

future life. In the grain is set a lighted taper which symbolizes

the light of the world to come. The whole is an offering of propi-

tiation for the dead and in honor of the Lord of life and death.



73

Panachida is a still shorter service for the dead, consisting of

“Holy God. . . With the souls of the deceased just . . . Ektenia . . .

Dismissal . . . Give eternal . . . Eternal memory. . . .

23. Annual Feasts. (Prazdniki.)

The church-year begins on Sept. 1. The Church ordered

Feasts, Holidays, annually to commemorate the most important

episods of the life of Jesus Christ of the Bl. V. Mary and of the

Saints.

1. Easter, the Feast of Resurrection, the “Feast of Feasts”,

is the centre of all Feasts.

According to the decision of the General Council of Nicaea,

(325) Easter is celebrated on the Sunday, following the first full

moon after the vernal equinox (March 21), and should never pre-

cede or coincide with the Jewish Passover.

When this decision was handed down, the world was using

the “Julian Calendar”, composed, at the order of Julius Caesar, by

the famous Alexandrian astronomer, Sosigan, which by subsequent

calculations was proved erroneous by the Nature, because he fig-

ured 365 days and 6 hours, instead of 365 days, 5 hours 48 minutes

and 46 seconds, in which time the earth revolves around the sun.

The annual difference of 11 minutes and 14 seconds in 134 years

grows into one day.

In 1582 this difference accumulated to 10 days, therefore Pope

Gregory XIII ordered that during that year after Oct. 4, those 10

days should be omitted, and in the future only those hundred years

v/ill be leap years of which the first two figures are divisible by

four. Some Eastern Churches still use the Julian Calendar which is

already 13 days behind the more accurate Gregorian Calendar.

All Feasts that depend on Easter are called Movable Feasts,

the rest are called Immovable Feasts.

2. The 7 Feasts of Jesus Christ and the 5 Feasts of Bl. V.

“Mary are called the Twelve Great Feasts (Dvojunadesjaty Prazdni-

ki). In addition to those the Patron’s Day of a church, Diocese

or Country is likewise considered as such.

Some Feasts of the Saints are celebrated publicly and are

Holidays of Obligation, others are celebrated privately.



74

The difference between the Feasts is marked in the books

with the following signs:

Feast of our Lord,

Feast of the Bl. V. Mary,

© Feast with Litia and All Night Vigil,
+ Feast with Polujelej,

Feast with Great Doxology and 6 Canticles,

Feast with Glorification read and 6 Canticles,

Feast with its own Epistle, Gospel and 4 Canticles,

Feast with its own Hymn (Tropar),

Feast of daily character.

3. The Immovable Feasts. The following Immovable Feasts

are of public observance:

Sept. 8. The Nativity of the Birth-giver of God (since 4th

century)

.

Sept. 14. The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-

giving Cross. It is celebrated in memory of the finding of the Holy

Cross by St. Helena, the mother of St. Constantine, and of the

returning of the Holy Cross from the Persians (628). It is a day

of strict fasting.

Oct. 1. Patronage of the Most Holy Birth-giver of God. (Not

in Galicia).

Oct. 26. St. Great Martyr Demeter. (In Galicia)

.

Nov. 8. St. Michael Archangel (since 4th century).

Nov. 12. St. Josaphat, Martyr. (In Galicia).

Nov. 21. The Presentation in the Temple of the Birth-giver.

(4th c.)

Dec. 6. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Patron of the Eastern

Church.



75

Dec. 9. The Immaculate Conception of the Bl. V. Mary by St.

Anna.

Dec. 25. The Nativity of
,
our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus

Christ.

The custom of caroling is of pagan origin (the praise of pagan

god “Kolada”, but turned into praise of the Newly-born Saviour.

Dec. 26. The Feast of the Bl. V. Mary as the Mother of God.

Dec. 7. St. Stephen, Protomartyr.

Jan. 1. The Circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ, St. Basil

the Great and the Civil New Year. The Civil New Year was first

celebrated on March 1st, therefore the Annual Letter (Vruci lito)

changes then; later it was transferred to Sept. 1st and once again

to Jan. 1st in the 17th century.

Jan. 6. Epiphany. The Manifestation of the Holy Trinity

at the Baptism of Jesus Christ. At this Feast the water is

blessed with great pageantry. After the prescribed Parameas and

a lengthy prayer, the Priest (a) immerses the lighted Triple-

candle into the water to signify that the Baptism extinguishes our

sins and we should preserve the chastity until the light of our life

is extinguished; (b) breathes thrice upon the water in a sign of

the Holy Ghost descending to expell the bad spirits; (c) blesses

the water by immersing his three fingers and later the crucifix.

With it he sprinkles the church and all present. Later he goes

to bless the homes of his parishioners.

Jan. 30. The Three Holy Bishops: St. Basil, St. Gregory and

St. John Chrysostom) (Since 1076, to settle the dispute which of

them is greater before God.)

Feb. 2. The Meeting of our Lord Jesus Christ, or The Puri-

fication of the Bl. V. Mary. (Since 542.)

March 25. The Annunciation of the Birth-giver of God by

Angel Gabriel. (Since 3rd century.)

April 23. St. George, Great Martyr.

June 24. The Nativity of St. John the Baptist.

June 29. Sts. Peter and Paul Apostles.



76 £/Ae SaA^e'yn SkUua/

June 20. St. Elias the Prophet. (Not in Galicia.)

Aug. 6. The Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ on the

Mountain of Tabor. (Since 4th century.)

Aug. 15. The Falling asleep (Assumption) of the Birth-giver

of God.

Aug. 29. The Beheading of St. John the Baptist. (Day of

strict fast.)

4. Movable Feasts are: Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter

Sunday, Ascension and Pentecost.

5. The cycle of Easter starts with the Sunday of the Pub-

lican and the Pharisee (33rd Sunday), the Prodigal son, (34th

Sunday) Meat Fast, Cheese Fast, First, Second, Third, Fourth,

Fifth Sunday of Lent, Palm Sunday and Easter. After Easter:

Sunday of St. Thomas, of Myrrhbearing Women, of the Paralytic

Man, of the Woman of Samaria, of the Blind-born Man, of the Holy

Fathers of the Council of Nicaea, Pentecost and All Saints Sunday.

The Cheese Fast Sunday is also called (Forgiveness Sunday”.

The first Sunday of Lent is also called the “Sunday of Ortho-

doxy” in memory of the defeat of the Iconoclasts. The third Sun-

day of Lent is diedicated to the adoration of the Holy Cross.

6. The cycle of Christmas starts with the Sunday of the

Holy Forefathers (Patriarchs and Prophets, or spiritual ancestors

of the Saviour) . Then the Sunday of the Holy Fathers, or corporal

ancestors of Jesus Christ, and concludes with the Sundays after

Christmas, before and after Epiphany.

7. Every Sunday is also in memory of the Resurrection.

There are 52 Sundays in a year. Those preceding or following a

Great Feast are called “Feast’s Sundays”, others, 32 in number,

are called “Regular Sundays” (Rjadovy Nedili).

The Sunday following July 16th is dedicated to the memory

of the Holy Fathers of the First General Council. The Sunday

following Oct. 11th is dedicated to the memory of the Holy Fathers

of the Seventh General (Second Nicaean) Council held in 787

against the Iconoclasts. The last Sunday in October is dedicated

to Jesus Christ, the King of Heaven and Earth.



77

8. Week days. Of the week days Monday is dedicated to

the honor of the Angels; Tuesday to St. John the Baptist; Wed-

nesday and Friday to the Holy Cross; Thursday to the Apostles

and to St. Nicholas, and Saturday to all the Saints.

24. The Easter Service. (Voskresenie. Pascha.)

The Easter Service, being of special character, deserves a

detailed explanation.

The Lenten season is to prepare the faithful to that “Feast

of Feasts” to the “day which the Lord hath made to rejoice in it”,

with selfmortification, penance and Holy Communion.

The Easter Service, broadly taken, starts on the Saturday of

Lazarus, the man whom Jesus Christ resurrected from the death.

Then by Palm Sunday, on which is commemorated the glorious

entrance of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, and the day when palms

are blessed and distributed to the people.

On the evening of Holy Thursday, in memory of the Passion

of Christ, the Matins of Good Friday are performed and, instead

of the Canon, 12 Gospels are read, and after each Gospel one of

the 12 lightbearers withdraws, signifying the manner in which

the Apostles abandoned their apprehended Master.

On Good Friday, in the forenoon, the Royal Hours are per-

formed with reference to the Passion, and in the evening, after

Vespers, the Winding Sheet (Plascanica ), representing the Body

of the Crucified, is carried in procession and laid in a tomb. The

faithful express their homage by approaching on their knees and

kissing the picture of the Body of Jesus Christ.

On Easter Sunday, shortly after Midnight, or at early dawn,

the Resurrection is celebrated. The Priest takes up the incensed

Winding Sheet singing; “Christ is risen from the tomb, as He

.
foretold, hath given to us life eternal and great mercy,” and carries

it to the Altar, or, if it has on the other side the picture of Christ

risen, in procession around the church, finally stopping before the

closed main doors. Meanwhile the people sing: “The Angels in

Heaven are praising Thy resurrection, Jesus, Saviour, and on the

earth let us praise and glorify Thee with a pure heart.”



78

Third row: The twelve Apostles with Jesus Christ as Judge

in the centre.

The procession signifies the Myrrh-bearing women; the closed

door signifies that up to the time of the resurrection the King-

dom of Heaven was closed to us.

Then the Priest intones : “Christ is risen from the dead, tramp-

ling down death by death, and upon those in the tomb bestowing

life. “The People repeat it after every verse. After Now . . .
the Priest, using the processional crucifix, makes a sign of the

cross on the closed door, the door is opened and the procession

enters the church. The Priest lays the Winding Sheet on the Altar

where it remains until Ascension. Ektenia follows.

Then the Canon of Resurrection is sung. It was composed

by St. John Damascen and sung for the first time at the Monastery

of St. Sava on Mt. Sinai. After every Irmos, the Priest incenses

the people and greets them with: “Christ is risen,” to which they

reply: “Indeed, He is risen.” (Christos voskrese. Voistinu vos-

krese.) The most beautiful Hymn is the ninth Refrain sung in

honour of the Bl. V. Mary: “The Angel cried unto Her . . . Shine,

shine, 0 New Jerusalem . . . and “Thou hadst fallen asleep, as

Thou wert mortal . . . (Anhel vopiase . . . Svitisja . . . Plotiju

usnuv. . . . )

During the singing of the Easter Canticles the faithful come

to kiss the cross. The Royal Doors remain open during the entire

Bright Week to signify that God was appeased and the Kingdom

of Heaven is open.

At the Mass the Gospel is read in many languages to show

that all nations were redeemed and that the good tidings of re-

demption should reach the limits of the earth.

On Easter Sunday the “Easter baskets”, filled with meat,

eggs, butter in the form of a lamb, chees and Pascha are blessed

by the Church as a relief from fasting, as an outward sign of the

spiritual joy, and to strengthen the faith in the resurrection sym-

bolized by eggs as they are hatched.

25. Fasts. (Posty)

In the Eastern Church fasting is three-kind:

(a) Abstinence (Vozderzanie) from forbidden foods but with the



ti/Ae 79

right to eat certain foods as often as desired; (b) Fast (Post) to

eat permissible foods to satisfaction only once a day, usually at

dinner, and on two other occasions, breakfast and supper, about

one-half of the usual portion; (c) Dry eating (Suchojadenie) when

allowed foods are eaten raw. Such fasting is prescribed for Good

Friday, on the Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and on the

Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. On this day it is

customary to do without the use of dishes in reproach of Salome,

who presented St. John’s decapitated head to her mother on a dish.

Fasting is obligatory during Lent for every person between the

ages of 21 and 60 ; persons from 7 to 21 years of age and above 60

years of age are obligated to abstain only.

Every Wednesday and Friday are days of Abstinence in hon-

or of the Passion of Jesus Christ.

There are four annual fasts:

1. The Christmas Fast, Advent (Filipovka) from the day of

St. Philip the Apostle (Nov. 14) up to Christmas.

2. The Lent, from Meat Fast Sunday up to Easter (Veliki

j

Post)

.

3. The Sts. Peter and Paul Fast (Petrovka), from the Mon-

day following the All Saints Sunday up to the Feast of the Apostles.

4. The Bl. V. Mary Fast, from Aug. 1 up to the Feast of

Assumption, Aug. 15 (Post Bohorodicy).

26. Compact Weeks. (Vol’nica)

During the year there are four so called “Compact Weeks”

(Volnica) when the Church, on account of the spiritual joy caused

by the Feasts, allows the use of meat even on Wednesdays and

Fridays. Those are: (1) the week after Christmas, (2) the week

before the Prodigal son’s Sunday, (3) the Bright Week after

Easter, and (4) the week after Pentecost.



80

INDlKTlOn
The 4th Indiktion, for the following (28 times 29) 532

years, started with 1941 - up to 2472.

Easter can fall on any of the 35 days between March 22nd

and April 25th. Therefore there are 35 “Keys” (Kl’uc hranienyj)

for every one of those 35 days. For every year one of the 7

“Sunday letters” (Vrucil'ito) is used. In leap year one letter is

skippod on March 1st.

PASCHALIA - EASTER

To determine the day of Easter of any given year we have

to know:

(I.) the letter of that year and its numerical equivalent as

shown in the tabulation of Ireneus;

(2.) that the former cycles of 532 years ended in 876, 1408

and 1940.

The letter is found if we deduct the nearest ending year of

the cycle from the given year. For example, 1874— 1408 466 of
which the letter is - H - and 10 is its equivalent.

If the equivalent is 10 or less then we add 21 and get the

day of March; but if the equivelant is more than 10 then we de-

duct 10 and get the day of April. (10 plus 21 equals March 31 ;

14 minus 10 equals April 4.)

1941-Apr. 7. Jul. Cab*

4- Apr. 12

1966- Apr. 24 Jul. Cal.

7- Apr. 172- March 23

3- Apr. 12

4- Apr. 3

5- Apr. 23

6- Apr. 8

7- March 31

8- Apr. 19

9- Apr. II

50- March 27

1- Apr. 16

2- Apr. 7

3- March 23

5- Apr. 4

6- Apr. 23

7- /qrr. 8

8- March 3

1

9- Apr. 20

60- Apr. 4

1- March 27

2- Apr. 16

3- Apr. 1

4- Apr. 20

5- Apr. 12

8- Apr. 8

9- March 3

1

70- Apr. 13

1- Apr. 5

2- March 27

3-

Apr. 16

4- Apr. 1

5- Apr. 21

6- Apr. 1

2

7- Apr. 24

8-

Apr. 17

later, -Apr. 20.

9- Apr. 9

80- March 24

1- Apr. 13

2- Apr. 5

3- Apr. 25

4- Apr. 9

5- Apr. 1

6- Apr. 21

7- Apr. 6

8- Apr. 24

9-

Apr. 17

90- Apr. 2

^Gregorian Calendar, 13 days



81

Perpetual Calendar

j



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84 SaAle'y'Ti

Terminology in Greek and Arabic

English

Alb

Altar

Amice

Antimins

Antiphones

Amvon

Architecture

Baptism

Big Bow

Bishop

Canon

Candlestick

Chalice

Canticles

Chasuble

Chr. be Among us

Is and Shall be

Christ is born

Glorify Him

Christ is Risen

Indeed He arose

Church

Church Book

Churching

Church Service

Greek

^Tc/aQiov

'Ayia Tpdjreta

’Ejid)piov

’Avnpt]voiov

’AvTiq)0)va

’'Ap6cov

’A^/iTexTovixoi;

To BdjiTiapa

Meydb] Metdvoia

'O ’EjTiax.ojro5

Kavd)v

Kr|90JU]yiov

Hot:t]piov

Kovxdxia

^eAoviov

'O XoioTog 8v

TW [iEG(p f|pd)V

Kal EOTi xai Eoiai

XgioTog EyEv\o]0i]

’AAiy9d)^ EyEwf'i^i'l

X^ioidg dvEati]

’A?ir]0d)g dvEoti]

’ExxAi]o(a, N aag

’Exxlijo i aox ixd B 1

6

X i >

To ’Ex.x^)]oiaaga

^.xAioiaoxixai ’Axo^ox'^di

Arabic

Estekhara

Ma-Edat

Kamees

Endeminsy or Mindeel

Tusbihaat

Loulab or Mortafah

Hundasat

AI-Mahmoodiat

Sujdat Kabeerat

Oskof

Niazaam

Shamhadaan

Al-Kaas

Madeeh

Batrasheel

Almaseeh Mahna

Da-Eman Falyakoon

Al-Maseeh Wolid

Hackan Innaho Wolid

Al-Maseeh Kaam

Hackan .Kaarn

Kaneesat

Ketaab Kana-Esee

Tutheer Al-Mar-At

I Khedam Kana Esiat



English Greek

O)

Arabic

Common Book Ketaab Omoomy

Ciborium ’AQTOiqpopiov Kaas Zakheerat

Communion 08 la KoLVCO'Via Mona walat

Compact Weeks ’AjtoAmai 'E66opd6iEg Asabeeh Mahloolat

Compline To ’AjcoSeuivov Salat Annoum

Conclusion 'H ’AjtO'Aocn? Khetaam

Confirmation Mcqov Al-Miroon or Tusbeet

Consecration 'Ayiaopog Tukrees

Creed To 2ijp6oi?iov Dustoor Eamiaan

Cross
'0 iSaleeb

Crozier Aix.avixiov, ’Eyx6Xjiiov Soulajaan

Dalmatic AaAfiaTixog Kamees

Deacon '0 Aidxovog Shammas

Deacon’s Door 0ijQa Aiaxovoio Baab Ashemmaas

Dikiri AixripOA' Dekaary

Dismissal ’AjrdAooig Enseraaf

Doxology Ao|oXoylcx Zoxalojia

Easter 'H Axo^ooj^ia Tfjg ’Avacrtdopcog Al-Kiamat

Ektenia ’ExT8VT|g Salaa-Miat

Epigonation ’EjiiYOvdiiov Ealont Marian

Epistle ’AjtdotO'^og Resaalat

Faith n lOTig Earnaan

Fasts NrioTEiai Soum

Feasts ’Eti^oioi 'Eoptai Ahyaad

Extrim Unction Ei)iy8/.aiov Mashat Al-Mareed

Funeral KT]8£ia Jennaz

Gauntlet ’Ejtipdvixov Akmaam



86

English Greek Arabic

Girdle ZCOVT] Zennaar

Glory to J. Chri. A6|a 001 X^ioTE 6 08o; Al-Mujd Lelmaseeh

Always Glory to Him &o|dCconEv Al-Mujd laho DaEmaii

JCd,VT0T8 Aividv.

Gospel Euayye^iiov. Enjeel

Gradual n Q0KjEI[18V0V Murtabat

Great Entrance 'H MsydA)^ EToo8og Easodon Kabeer

Hierarchy 'H 'I&paQxiu Darajaat Al-Kahanoot

Holy Bread ‘'AvtiSoopo^ Korbaan

Holy Eucharist 'H 08ia Ec9(aQioTia Zakheerat

Holy Mass; St. Basil 'H 08ta AEiToo^yia Kiddas Baseelios

roi{5 MeydAmj BaaiXeiou

Holy Mass; St. Gregory 'H 08ia AeiToogyLot Brojeznaamy

Tou 'Ayior Pgriyogiou

Holy Mass; St. John Chr. 'H Beia kitoroyia Kiddas Youhanna

Tor ’Ayior ’loodvvoD

TOli X^KTOlOTOflOU

Holy Gliders 'H 'l8Q0)oi)vr| Kahanoot

Holy Water 'Ayiaopdg

Hours Al A ssahaat

Horologion 'GgoAdyiov Ketaab Salaat

Hymns TQooidQiov Tarateel

Iconostasion Eixovoiordoiov Hejaab

Illiton EUi]t6v Kalemat

Illustrative Antiph. ’AvTicpiMva AroTOiixtov Turneemaat

Immovable Feasts ’Axivqxai 'EopToi A,l-Ahyaad Assa-bitat

Incense 0i)i|iia|xa Bakhoor

Invocation n ()OOlfXlOV Bedayet Al-Keddas



^/le Scis/^e'y'?t - 87

English Greek Arabic

Irmologion EiQifxoi^oYiov Ketaab Attar-Teel

Irmos EiQixdg

Katasarka KaTacrd^xiov Katasarka

Katavasia Kata6aoia Tasabeeh or Aramees

Kondak Kovrayaov Ketaab Al-khidmat

Kneeling r0vaTi^co Rokooh

Little Bow Miy.Qa Merdvoia Sujdat Sagheerat

Little Ektenia Mr/Qcl ’EytEvrig Telbat

Little Entrance 'H Miygd EToo8og Easodon Sagheer

Litia AlTl]

Mantle MavSvag Mantiat

Matin '0 ’'O^'O ^og Assa-Hariat

Mass of Catechumens AeiTOvgyia twv

KaTi]5(ov[iEva)v

Kiddas Al-Mouhoozeen

Mass of the Faithful AEixovQyLa toov IIiotwv Kiddas Al-Momineen

Matrimony '0 Fdfiog Akleel

Midnight Vigil To MeoowxTiyov Salaat Nisf Alliel

Minea Mr|iVaia 12 Khidmat

Missal AEiTOVQyiyov Ketaab Al-Keddas

Mitre MiTQa Taaj

Fevixi^ ’AyuoXoojiOia Tfjg npocrexjxil?

KivTjiTai 'EoQTai Al-Ahyaad

NdQ'dr]i|, KvQioog Nadg

Moleben

The Movable Feasts

Nave

Noon Service

Oblation

Oktoich

M8(TT]|x6qivi^ ’AxoAofu^ia

’Aqpiegcooig

’OxTcorjXog

Salaat Kaseerat

Al-Montakelat

Sonnel-Kaneesat

Salaat Azzohr

Takdemat

Ketaab Eamaan



English Greek Arabic

Omophor ’Qfroiq)69iov Ameforiom

Panagia n avayia, 08oroy.og Iconat

Panachida ’Aygrjrvia Salaat Al-Amwaat

Parastas naQaori^m|iov Ij T^iodyiorv' Tresogion or Niahat

Paramia n apoiiptai Paramoon

Paten AioydQiov Syineeyat

Peniance 'H Merdvoia Kaffarat

Plaschanitea ’EjUTdqp'Log 0Qfj,vog Kafan

Polujelej n 0i?0)8^80g Takareez or Flojetar

Pontifical ’Ap9(L8^aTix65 Hebree

Pontificial Mass 'H ’Apxi£Q«rixi] A8iTODpyia Kiddas Hebree

Preparation IT g'0'O7u0pL§fl Tujheez

Presanctified Gifts Mass 'H Aj&iTovQyi^ot twv

n QOTiYiaopevoov

Assabik Takdeesoha

Prostration rOW7t&TT]i0l(; Tomaddod

Psalm Ya^TfjQlOV Mazmoor

Priest '0 rip806lJT89Og Kahin

Processions 0pT]|ax8wiyai rioijiijtiai Ziahaat

Pyx AmxojtoTrjpov Bite Zakheerat

Reader '0 ’AvayvcoaTT]i(; Karey

Rites 'l8pOIT8A-80Tia Tokoos

Religion 0pr|0x8ia Been or Deianat

R^oyal Door Ba^dixfri 0ijQa Albaab AJ-Molookie

Royal PTours Ba0ilixa(. ^QQai Assahaat Alra-Easiat

Sacraments Td Mi)0T)]pia AJ.-Asraar

Sacramentals MwTaycoyr/od Al-Kodsaat



English Greek Arabic

Sacrifice 0Doia Zabeehat

Sanctuary To TeQ(W Mihraab

Sakkos Sdxxog Bazlat Metran

Spear AoyXt) Harbat

Spoon Aa6ig Malhakat

Star ’AatepLaxog Nujm

Stepeni AIvoi Amfithmy

Sponsors ’Avdhoxoi Al-Kafeel

Stole 2to^t| Batrasheel

Style Shakle or Taraaz

Subdeacon ’Yjto8idxovog Mohawen Shammas

Supplication Aeofiai TxeteiJO) Tadarrohaat

Symbolism 2ufi6oi^i(T|i6g Rumz

Tabernacle ’AQToqpoQiov Hyikal

Tipik Tvjtixov Tabekoun

Tones ^Hxog Alhaan

Throne 0Qovog Arsh

Trebnik Meya Enuxo^toyiov Ketaab Al-Asraar

Trikiri TQlXT]ipOV Trekaary

Trio'd of Brightweek n eVTTliXiOOTdQlOV Triody Al-Aiaam

Triod of Lent TqkoSiov Triody As-Sowm

Tuiofold Aijr^oug Telbat Sagheerat

Veil risjt^og, Kd^uppa KoAi>jji|iaTa Sitr

Vesper
'0 'Eajte^ivog Salat Al-Khoroob

Vessel of Litia '0 Aiaxog xfjg AiTfjg Aniat

Vestibule '0 n^dvacg Rawak or Mudkhal

Vestments Tepd ’'Afxqpia Hullat

Wine Olvog Nabeeth

89



90 (oaA/e'f"n: 'i,!UU/

CONTENTS:
1. Introduction. Necessity to serve and honor God.

2. Various Rites.

3. The nucleus of every Rite.

4. The Symbolism of the Rite.

5. Errors concerning* Rite.

6. Division of the Ritual.

7. The church.

8. The Architecture of churches. Different Styles.

9. The interior of the church. Vestibule, Nave, Sanctuary.

Iconostasion, Altar, Tabernacle, Throne.

10. Church Utensils. Cross, Pictures, Lights, Incense, Holy

Water, Prosphora, Wine, Paten, Star, Spear, Veils, Litia vessel.

Ciborium, Pyx, etc.

11. Church Vestments. Their color.

12. Church Books.

13. Church Services. Private prayers, public prayers and hymns.

14. The Vespers. Litia.

15. The Compline. (Povecerie.)

16. The Midnight Vigil. (Polunocnica.)

17. The Matins. (Utrena.)

18. The Hours. (Casy.)

19. Noon Service. (Obidnica.) M

20. Holy Mass. Various Liturgies of East and West.

1. The Preparation of Oblation (Proskomedia). Leavened

bread.

2. The Mass of the Catechumens (Liturgia Ohlasen-

3. The Mass of the Faithful. (Liturgia Virnych.)

4. Conclusion.

For whom not to celebrate Mass. Participants of the fruits

of Mass.

The Pontifical Mass. The Mass of the Presanctified Gifts

(Prezdeosvjascena)

.



9121.

The Sacraments (Tajny).

1. Baptism.

2. Confirmation. Churching.

3. Holy Eucharist.

4. Penance.

5. Holy Orders. Ordination. Hierarchy.

6. Matrimony. Impediments. Mixed Marriages.

7. Extreme Unction.

22. Sacramentals (Osvjascenija, Blahoslovenija).

1. General service and prayer (Moleben).

2. Processions (Obchody).

3. Funerals (Pochorony) of children, laymen and priests.

4 . Requiem Service (Parastas, Panachida).

23. Annual Feasts (Prazdniki).

1. Easter (Pascha). The time of the celebration of

Easter.

2. The Twelve Main Feasts (Dvojunadesjaty Prazdniki).

3. The Immovable Feasts (Nepodvizny Prazdniki).

4. The Movable Feasts (Podvizny Prazdniki).

5. The cycle of Easter.

6. The cycle of Christmas. 7 Sundays. 8 week days.

24. The Easter Service (Voskresenie).

25. Fasts (Posty).

26. Compact Weeks (Volnica).

27. Indiktion. Paschalia.

28. Perpetual Calendar.

29. Rules of Tipik when the Feast of a Saint falls on a Sunday.

30 Terms in Greek and Arabic.



3^/ie SoA/e'^f'Ti S^j/cc€t/92

Other literary works

of the Author:

‘TpaMMETHKa” (Grammar), 1918 50c

“^HTaHKa ’ (Reader), 1918 50c

“BnOjiia’' (Bible History), 1921 75c

“Cija pravda ’’(Whose is the truth), 1922 25c

‘'Guide for Communicants,” 1934 5c

“Orthodoxy, Schism and Union,” 1935 10c

“Rusin Literature,” 1941 $1.00

“The Eastern Ritual,” 1942 $1.00

“Katichiz’ ’ (Cathechism)
,
manuscript

“Matrimony
’ — (manuscript

(To Retailers, 30% discount.)