The Salutations........

[Greg the byzantine]

Now that we as orthodox christians are going to be jumping into Lent I have a question. I know that the Greek Orthodox church holds The salutations to the theotokos every friday during Lent (XAIPETHSMOI) , do the other traditions do this? I absolutely love these services, which are really bits and pieces of the Akathist Hym, the full Akathist Hymn is read on the last friday before holy week.
Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[Monica child of God 1]

I go to an OCA parish. We have Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesdays and Fridays. No salutations to the Theotokos. We also don't do the services during the Dormition Fast that the GO do. I think it is the Paraklesis (?). I went to one of these services last August and it was just beautiful.

Monica

 

[jkotinek]

several folks that I know that come out of a Russian/Slavic background do the Friday Akathist Hymns during Lent.

We're Antiochian and will be doing them...

 

[Julio]

The Salutations (i. e., the Akthist Hymn) to the Mother of God are appointed to be sung on every Friday evening during the Great Fast in both Slavic and Greek traditions. This shouldn't interfere with the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, as this is appointed to be served in the morning.

Also, the Greeks (and the Slavs in the Balkans) divide the Akathist hymn into four stases, one singing on each of the first four Fridays, and then the entire hymn on the fifth Friday. This is done in conjunction with Small Compline and a Canon. The Russians, on the other hand, having a rather simple Akathist service (and tune!), do the entire Service every Friday.

 

[Wiffey]

The Salutations are very beautiful and moving. I'm looking forward to Friday!

 

[Monica child of God 1]

Hi Julio

The Salutations (i. e., the Akthist Hymn) to the Mother of God are appointed to be sung on every Friday evening during the Great Fast in both Slavic and Greek traditions. This shouldn't interfere with the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, as this is appointed to be served in the morning.

According to Father Thomas Hopko and the OCA website the PL is an evening service http://www.oca.org/OCchapter.asp?SID=2&ID=69

I can't argue that one is right and the other is wrong. I am just informing you guys of what we do.

Peace

 

[Julio]

Hi Monica

I can't argue that one is right and the other is wrong. I am just informing you guys of what we do.

Of course! No argument is necessary. All I'm doing is pointing out that, like all other Vesperal Divine Liturgies, the Presanctified Liturgy is appointed to be served in the morning, and so, according to the Typikon, the evening is free for the Salutations. So many parishes in the West serve the Presanctified Liturgy in the evening, which is a deviation from the norm, but it is nonetheless what they do. That's just life!

 

[Greg the byzantine]

Thanks everyone! I love the salutations, it's what I look forward to every friday during lent. In our church they put out a beautiful silver covered icon of the theotokos with the christ child that's decorated with flowers, for veneration, and like all our other services it's read in Greek. What's really interesting is when our priest comes out to read the "Salutations" or the sentences that start with "Hail" (XAIPE) he comes out with his prayer rope and he kneels facing the altar and the icon of the theotokos and he counts each "Hail" with the rope. It's really beautiful.

 

[Monica child of God 1]

So many parishes in the West serve the Presanctified Liturgy in the evening, which is a deviation from the norm, but it is nonetheless what they do. That's just life!

Well, I think in our case it may have to do with the fact that all of the priests work full time. We have the Canon of St. Andrew on Monday (english), Tuesday (slavonic) and Thursday (georgain); L of PG on Wed. (english) and Friday (slavonic); Memorial Liturgies on Saturday plus Vespers, then Liturgy on Sunday of course. That is a lot of services for priests who work. I don't think they would be able to do a morning and an evening service on Friday/

Blessings!

 

[Rilian]

I talked to my Greek friend at our regular inquirers/catechumens/alreadyOrthodoxPeople class and I'm going to go to at least one Akathist with her at her sisters church. I'm glad I know her now, because I wouldn't have gone on my own.

 

[ExOrienteLux]

Wait a minute, Julio. The Vesperal DL is supposed to be served in the morning? Then why is it a Vesperal DL? I thought Vespers is supposed to be served at sunset and that serving Liturgy in coincidence with Vespers is a kind of dispensation for those priests who aren't able to serve a full Liturgy on the morning of the feast?

Now I'm all confusiated...

+IC XC NIKA+
Phillip

 

[Julio]

Well, I think in our case it may have to do with the fact that all of the priests work full time. We have the Canon of St. Andrew on Monday (English), Tuesday (Slavonic) and Thursday (georgain); L of PG on Wed. (English) and Friday (Slavonic); Memorial Liturgies on Saturday plus Vespers, then Liturgy on Sunday of course. That is a lot of services for priests who work. I don't think they would be able to do a morning and an evening service on Friday.

It's the same for us here, with two priests who work full time and are also sick. But rather than moving the time of the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, we do those services appointed to be done in the evenings of the First Week of the Great Fast, namely, Great Compline with the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete from Monday to Thursday, and then Small Compline with the Canon and first stasis of the Akathist on Friday evening. Different solutions to the same problem.

Wait a minute, Julio.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeees?

The Vesperal DL is supposed to be served in the morning? Then why is it a Vesperal DL? I thought Vespers is supposed to be served at sunset and that serving Liturgy in coincidence with Vespers is a kind of dispensation for those priests who aren't able to serve a full Liturgy on the morning of the feast?

Because of the intersection of 1) the logic of Lenten weekdays, 2) the festive character of the Divine Liturgy, 3) the ideal timing of the Divine Liturgy, 4) and the Typikon's rule of fasting. It is considered that the joyfulness of the Divine Liturgy is not appropriate to the penitential character of Lenten weekdays, and therefore, no Divine Liturgy is celebrated on them. Except... when it is. This is when Vesperal Divine Liturgies come into the picture. Whenever the Presanctified will take place, or whenever Annunciation falls on a Lenten weekday, Vespers are moved up to morning with the Divine Liturgy joined to it as a single Service. This preserves 1) the Typikon's prescriptions about the timing of the Liturgy (which should never be served after Noon); the absolute fast before Holy Communion (which should be absolute, and not only after Noon, as has become customary in places with "Evening Divine Liturgies"); and 3) the notion that on Lenten weekdays, a single meal should be had, and this only after Vespers.

Note that the logic is the same for the Vesperal Liturgies on Great and Holy Saturday, December 24 and January 5, all strict fast days, which are also celebrated in the morning.

Now I'm all confusiated...

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