- Feb 5, 2002
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On the Gregorian calendar, this past Monday was the first day of Great Lent in the Byzantine Rite, so here is an interesting thing about the Byzantine Divine Office and its use of the Psalms in this season. (On the Julian calendar, the first day of Lent will be on the Gregorian date March 15, and Easter on May 2.) As with everything in the Byzantine Rite, exceptions abound, and this is not a comprehensive account of all the possible variations and substitutions.
The Hours of the Byzantine Office all have one or more Psalms as part of their permanent and mostly invariable structure, analogous to the Roman Rite’s daily use of Psalm 94 as the invitatory or the invariable Psalms of Terce-None and Compline (before the reform of 1911). So for example, Psalm 103 is said every day as part of the introductory rites of Vespers; the same three Psalms (5-89-100) are said at Prime 355 days of the year, etc.
However, the entire Psalter, including the Psalms that are also used elsewhere as structural elements, is also divided into 20 sections called “kathismata.” Each kathisma is subdivided into three “staseis”, each of which concludes with the doxology, then three repetitions of “Alleluja, alleluja, alleluja; glory to Thee, o God”, “Lord, have mercy” three times, and the doxology again. Normally, one kathisma is said at Vespers, except on Sunday evening, and two at Orthros. The whole Psalter is therefore read over the course of a week.
This first table shows how the Psalms are distributed through the kathismata; the number of psalms per stasis is irregular to account for their varying length.
Continued below.
New Liturgical Movement: Psalms in the Byzantine Lenten Office
The Hours of the Byzantine Office all have one or more Psalms as part of their permanent and mostly invariable structure, analogous to the Roman Rite’s daily use of Psalm 94 as the invitatory or the invariable Psalms of Terce-None and Compline (before the reform of 1911). So for example, Psalm 103 is said every day as part of the introductory rites of Vespers; the same three Psalms (5-89-100) are said at Prime 355 days of the year, etc.
However, the entire Psalter, including the Psalms that are also used elsewhere as structural elements, is also divided into 20 sections called “kathismata.” Each kathisma is subdivided into three “staseis”, each of which concludes with the doxology, then three repetitions of “Alleluja, alleluja, alleluja; glory to Thee, o God”, “Lord, have mercy” three times, and the doxology again. Normally, one kathisma is said at Vespers, except on Sunday evening, and two at Orthros. The whole Psalter is therefore read over the course of a week.
This first table shows how the Psalms are distributed through the kathismata; the number of psalms per stasis is irregular to account for their varying length.
Continued below.
New Liturgical Movement: Psalms in the Byzantine Lenten Office
