Paraklesis, Vespers, Small Compline - understading Greek?

[~Anastasia~]

Hi all,

I'm hoping for a little help. I can search these, but maybe you all know of resources that would be helpful? I tend to get a LOT more out of services if I understand what is going on, and I'd at least like to hit the "high points" as it were, or repeated parts?

I understand much of the Divine Liturgy in Greek. But our parish rarely (or never) has these other services. I don't think I've ever heard Small Compline in Church in any language, and only been to a couple of the others, and not in Greek.

I'm going to the monastery next week, and these are the services they have that I will be attending (God willing) and it's all in Greek.

Are there "important parts" or those that are repeated? Recordings of the services in Greek online? Multi-lingual written services so I can work on understanding the meaning of the Greek? Any suggestions?

I can learn just from being there, but it takes me a long time, and I am hoping to be in as good a position as possible to get benefit from the services. Thanks for any help at all - I realize my questions are pretty general, but I don't really know the best way to start or approach this.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I would say just do what everyone else is doing, and then ask folks when you are done or prior to going to the service.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I would say just do what everyone else is doing, and then ask folks when you are done or prior to going to the service.

Yes .... and thank you.

But what I mean is that the Liturgy means so much MORE to me now that I know what is being said. But I think I will probably be lost again. I'm trying to figure out what parts to focus on so that I can recognize them and understand them in Greek when I hear them at the monastery ... if that makes sense. It's just me, maybe ...

 

[ex-pat]

Do you have a tablet or a good cell phone? Ages Initiatives (Digital Chantstand) has the services (Vespers, Matins, etc.) in Greek and in English, side-by-side. My husband always brings his tablet (as, indeed, do most of our cantors).
http://www.agesinitiatives.com/dcs/public/dcs/dcs.html

 

[~Anastasia~]

Do you have a tablet or a good cell phone? Ages Initiatives (Digital Chantstand) has the services (Vespers, Matins, etc.) in Greek and in English, side-by-side. My husband always brings his tablet (as, indeed, do most of our cantors).
http://www.agesinitiatives.com/dcs/public/dcs/dcs.html

Thanks - I thought of that. And I'll take it. I just thought too it might be possible that they won't be allowed during the services, but I will have it with me. Thank you!

(Our priest uses his tablet for services as well)

 

[ex-pat]

Our priest has actually handed his to visiting non-Greeks. Pretty sure no anathemas will be handed down because of it.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Our priest has actually handed his to visiting non-Greeks. Pretty sure no anathemas will be handed down because of it.

IS OUTRAGE!

LOL sorry I couldn't resist.

I'm not bothered by it, but you know how monasteries sometimes have their particular rules. I'll probably ask before I pull it out (unless I see them using one) but I just thought it best to have in mind that it might not be allowed. Particularly since they are so strict on everything being in Greek. I wasn't sure if that's a sign of being very concerned with "innovations" in the services or not?

 

[RobNJ]

Visit the OCA, you'll tend to find things done in.... ready for this?......... English!! (what a concept!!!)

 

[~Anastasia~]

Visit the OCA, you'll tend to find things done in.... ready for this?......... English!! (what a concept!!!)

I have visited, and enjoyed it. No OCA near me though.

This is a trip to a monastery I've been trying to visit for almost a year now. What they do is what they do. I'm just thankful a trip was arranged and I get to tag along!

 

[~Anastasia~]

And I actually like the Greek too, as I learn to understand it. I have studied languages from a small child - I don't know why. I used to check out bilingual books from the library and study the way the words related. So some of Greek is like flicking on a light switch when I learn the words, because it's a language English is based heavily upon (especially scientific terms, which I also have always had that bent to read and study).

Coupled with my desire to better understand Greek for the sake of looking at words in the Septuagint, and just how beautiful the hymnology can sound, I like Greek. But I still need translations to really understand very much. I'm working on it though, little by little.

 

[ex-pat]

If you are attending services at a monastery (one of the Ephraimite monasteries) on a Sunday, they will often do Orthros (Matins), THEN role into the First Hour, THEN role into the Divine Liturgy. I mention this in case you get lost.

 

[Anhelyna]

Anastasia - if I didn't have bi-lingual texts on my iPad I'd be really stuck - particularly for Great and Holy Week. Our Mission slips from one language to the other - and that can be confusing The Parish itself uses 99.8%Ukrainian

I've used mine in a couple of Monasteries without a problem [ I did ask permission in one ]- didn't use it , except for the English in a GOA Church

 

[~Anastasia~]

Thanks, Ex-pat. It is an Emphraimite monastery, but we will arrive on Monday - no Divine Liturgy for me this time. Which was my interest in having some interaction with the other, unfamiliar services.

My SF told me to take bi-lingual service books (I'm hoping to print from online since I don't have any), read them in advance, and spend part of my time following along, and part of my time concentrating on the Jesus Prayer.

He takes a slightly dimmer view of my interest in Greek, but he just wants to be sure I'm not looking at it as some kind of "higher" or "magic" language. Learning a new language for the sake of a Church is kind of weird, I admit - but I speak some Spanish, Japanese, Vietnamese and can understand a little French and Italian, and have always had interest in Greek and Latin roots, as well as Greek for the sake of the Scriptures. My problem is that with so many languages, they tend to get jumbled up in my head. Sometimes I will form a sentence in my mind and it comes out including parts of 3-4 languages (when I'm trying - English is the language I think, write, and generally speak in).

 

[~Anastasia~]

Anastasia - if I didn't have bi-lingual texts on my iPad I'd be really stuck - particularly for Great and Holy Week. Our Mission slips from one language to the other - and that can be confusing The Parish itself uses 99.8%Ukrainian

I've used mine in a couple of Monasteries without a problem [ I did ask permission in one ]- didn't use it , except for the English in a GOA Church

Thanks, Anhelyna! That's good to know. I'm hoping it will be ok but I'll try to take something written as well. My iPad is actually less distracting to me, maybe, since I use it to pray most of the time. What's very weird is that I have had my iPad and a small icon in front of me .... Lord have mercy, I tried once or twice to "swipe" the icon, was I looking for the next icon? I have no idea where my mind was.

 

[ikonographics]

If you want to listen to services in Greek you can listen to the internet radio station Monachiki Diakonia, for the Holy Archangels monastery in Pilion, Greece. Obviously the services won't be at the right time of day for you, but the nuns chant beautifully. http://www.e-radio.gr/Monaxiki-Diakonia-875-Volos-i1031/live

 

[~Anastasia~]

If you want to listen to services in Greek you can listen to the internet radio station Monachiki Diakonia, for the Holy Archangels monastery in Pilion, Greece. Obviously the services won't be at the right time of day for you, but the nuns chant beautifully. http://www.e-radio.gr/Monaxiki-Diakonia-875-Volos-i1031/live

Thanks so much for the link. I'm hearing the services in my head now and would like a chance to keep listening.

As it turns out, I knew Compline already, and Vespers is changeable? And they chant far roo fast for me to have kept up in reading. I can read Greek, but not that fast.

What happened is that I know enough words that my mind continually tried to "fill in the blanks" - but there are enough that I don't know that I wasn't able to.

It's ok. I prayed, I listened, I enjoyed the chanting. And now I want to hear more, so thank you so much - that link will be perfect.

 

[~Anastasia~]

If you want to listen to services in Greek you can listen to the internet radio station Monachiki Diakonia, for the Holy Archangels monastery in Pilion, Greece. Obviously the services won't be at the right time of day for you, but the nuns chant beautifully. http://www.e-radio.gr/Monaxiki-Diakonia-875-Volos-i1031/live

Oh, nice, thank you. I'm not sure what I'm listening to right now, but it is monks chanting and lots of Alleluias.