By "Divine Service" the Orthodox Christian Church means a series of prayers, recited or sung in a given order, with certain ceremonies, by means of which prayers Orthodox Christians glorify God and His Saints, express their thanks and offer their petitions, and through the performance of which they receive from God mercies and the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Divine service is private or domestic when it is performed in private by one or several persons; it is public when it is performed in the name of the whole Church, or of a community of Christians, by persons authorized to do so. The prayers used in public warship are divided into two categories: those for permanent services, i.e., services performed daily for the benefit of all Christians, and those for occasional services, i.e., services which are performed only on certain occasions, according to the special needs of the faithful, and therefore called tréba, a word which, translated, means "need."

Divine service made its appearance on earth simultaneously with man. The goodness and almightiness of the Lord impel men to glorify and thank Him; the consciousness of their wants prompts them to address their petitions to Him. And as man consists of both body and soul most closely united, therefore prayer is expressed in words and accompanied by certain motions of the body, and, vice-versa, external objects arouse a prayerful inclination in man. In this way private worship originated and developed, varied as to prayers and rites.

But men came together and formed communities, and this gave rise to uniform prayers for all the members of one community, and for these common prayers there were gradually appointed: place, time, order of services and persons to perform them. In this way, as human society became organized, public worship also developed.

In Old Testament times, previous to Moses, divine service was of the private, domestic type. The paterfamilias — the patriarch — on behalf of his entire family or kin (tribe), selected the place, appointed the time and laid down the order of prayer. Even then certain customs already began to harden into rules which the patriarchs themselves observed, following their fathers’ example. But since Moses’ time, the Israelites had a public worship, instituted by God Himself, with temple, priests and rites. Jesus Christ, the founder and the Head of the Christian Church, while himself complying with all the regulations of Jewish worship, did not give to His disciples any definite ritual. But He instituted the Sacraments, commanded His disciples to preach the Gospel, taught them how to pray, promised to be present in the gatherings of Christians assembled in His name, and thereby laid the foundation of His Church’s public worship. Thus it was that, immediately after Christ’s ascension to Heaven, a certain order of public worship gradually began to develop in the Christian community. In the Apostles’ lifetime already, certain holy persons were consecrated, certain places were appointed for divine service, and a ritual was instituted for those offices during which the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist are administered; furthermore the principal rites were devised to accompany the celebration of the other Sacraments, even to the appointing of the times for common prayer, certain feast-days and fasts. The persecutions which the Christians suffered during the first three centuries hindered them from composing an entire ritual for public worship and making it uniform for all Christians; such a ritual was fully developed and finally established only when Christianity was proclaimed the ruling religion of the Roman Empire.

Several of the external signs of prayer are common to all men; such are: inclinations of the body, as low as the waist or all the way to the ground, kneeling, bowing of the head, lifting up of the hands. All these gestures express devotion to God, humility, repentance, supplication for mercy, gratitude, and reverence.

But, apart from these universal expressions of prayerful feeling, Orthodox Christians, when praying, use a sign which belongs exclusively to them: the sign of the Cross. This sign, according to oldest custom, we make in the following manner: the thumb, the index and the middle finger of the right hand we join together, while we bend down the third and the little fingers till they touch the palm of the hand. Having arranged the fingers in this manner, we touch with them first the brow, then the breast, and after that first the right shoulder and then the left, thus making on our persons the sign of the Cross. By this sign we express our faith in the things which Christ the Saviour taught us and did for us: by joining the three fingers, we express our faith in the Most Holy Trinity, consubstantial and indivisible; by the two fingers bent to the palm of the hand we express our belief in the descent to earth of the Son of God, and in His having assumed humanity without divesting Himself of His divinity, thus uniting both natures in Himself, the divine and the human. By touching our brow, breast and shoulders, we express our belief that the Triune God hath sanctified our thoughts, feelings, desires and acts; lastly, by making on our persons the sign of the Cross, we express our belief that Christ hath sanctified our soul and saved us by His sufferings on the Cross.

We give the name of Temple or House of God to a building specially consecrated to God, or to a separate part of a building so consecrated, where Christians assemble to offer up to God their common prayers, and to receive from Him His grace through the Holy Sacraments. Because the totality of Christians taken together forms the Church, therefore the buildings in which they assemble for common prayer are likewise called churches.

Every church is consecrated to God and sanctified in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, and is therefore entitled "a temple or church of God." But apart from this general designation, each church has its own particular appellation, such as: "Church of the Holy Trinity," "of the Resurrection of Christ," "of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul," "of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God," "of St. Andrew the First-called," "of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker." Special names are given to churches erected on some particularly memorable occasion, because churches are frequently dedicated to the memory of some event or other out of the life of the Saviour or of His Mother, or else of some Saint who is especially honored in some given locality, or whose name was borne by the chief founder of the church.*

When one town or city holds several churches, one of them receives the title of "general" or "universal" (sobór), because, on solemn feast days, not only the church’s own parishioners, but people from all parishes assemble there for divine service. In large cities there frequently are several general churches. That in which is situated the episcopal cathedra or throne is called Cathedral.

Together with the organization on earth of the community of believers in Christ, Christian churches made their appearance as gathering places for these believers. The Apostles and the early Christians endured persecution for their faith from the heathen, and for that reason used to assemble for prayer in private houses; but even in such houses they used to set apart for worship one room on which they looked with reverence, as on a place where the Lord was present by His grace. When the Christians increased in numbers and room was lacking in private houses for their gatherings, while they were not permitted to build special temples for their own worship, they began to meet together to offer their prayers to God in woods, in mountain gorges and in caves, or, if they lived in cities or in the neighborhood of cities, they assembled in the underground cemeteries known by the name of catacombs. So long as they were persecuted for their faith they could not decorate the places where they assembled, even though they wished to do so. Still, impelled by their pious feelings, they used, in the place of decorations, certain allegorical signs or symbols, intelligible to them alone. Thus, on the walls of the catacombs, they represented the Cross of Christ by the sign T; sometimes they drew a square block of stone and on that a door, seeing in this a semblance of Christ, Who is the rock of salvation and the door through which whosoever passeth shall be saved. Frequently again, Christ was represented in the shape of a fish, because the Greek word for "fish," ichthys, is composed of the initials of the words: "Iesous Christos, Theou Yios, Soter," i.e., "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour." Still more frequently He is represented as a Lamb, or as a Shepherd carrying a sheep upon His shoulders. The Resurrection was depicted as the whale ejecting a man (the Prophet Jonah) out of its maw. At a later time they began to draw the portraits of martyrs somewhere about their tombs in the Catacombs. At that time they performed divine service in garments of the ordinary cut, only they wore their best and most ornamented clothes, preferably white ones. When Christians were allowed to publicly profess their faith, they began to build temples, or rather churches. Sometimes they transformed existing buildings into churches, adapting them to their requirements. But they mostly erected special buildings, which differed from others both in external appearance and internal arrangement. The first churches built by Christians differed from our modern churches in that they had no screen (iconostás), but the sanctuary was separated from the body of the church only by a curtain, or even merely a railing. Besides which, large extensions were added to the ancient churches for the use of catechumens, i.e., of persons who had not yet received Holy Baptism, but were preparing to receive it and were undergoing elementary instruction in the Christian faith.

The most generally accepted shape for Christian churches is the oblong, in imitation of a ship. By giving their churches such a shape, Christians express the thought that, as a ship, under the direction of a good helmsman, carries men through stormy seas into a peaceful harbor, so the Church, governed by Christ, saves men from drowning in the deep waters of sin and brings them into the Kingdom of Heaven, "where there is neither sorrow nor sighing." Churches are frequently built in the shape of a cross, to show that Christians obtain salvation through faith in Christ crucified, for Whose sake they themselves are ready to suffer all things. Sometimes a church is given the shape of a circle in token that the Church of Christ (i.e., the community of those who believe in Christ) shall exist through all eternity and that it will for ever and ever unite the faithful with Christ, for the circle is the emblem of eternity. Sometimes, again, the shape is that of an octagon, — the shape of a star — in token that, as a star shows a man his way on a dark night, so the Church helps him to walk along the path of righteousness amid the darkness of iniquity which encompasses him. The latter two shapes are not so often used, as they are inconvenient for the inner arrangement of the church.

The entrance into a church is almost always from the west, the church itself being turned with its main part towards the east, in token that the Christian worshippers enter from the darkness of impiety into the light of truth (the East being the symbol of light, good, truth; while the West is the symbol of darkness, evil, error). This rule is departed from only if a building formerly erected for another purpose is changed into a church, or if a church is arranged in a private house, when the entrance and the main portion are located according to convenience.

On the roof there are usually one or several cupolas (towers with rounded or pointed roofs), signifying that Christians should detach themselves from earthly attachments and aspire heavenward. These cupolas are sometimes called crests or summits. One crest or cupola signifies that the community of Christians has only one head — Christ; three cupolas are erected in honor of the Most-Holy Trinity; five point to Christ and the four Evangelists, who left for us descriptions of Christ’s life; while seven indicate the seven sacraments (through which we receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit), and the seven Ecumenical Councils, by the ordinances of which Christians are guided to this day; nine crests remind us of the nine classes of angels who dwell in Heaven, whom Christians wish to join in the Kingdom of Heaven, while thirteen crests signify Christ and His twelve Apostles. Every cupola, or, where there is none, the roof, is surmounted with a Cross, the instrument of our salvation.

The interior of a church is divided into several compartments: 1) the Sanctuary, where divine service is performed; 2) the Chapel of the Prothesis, containing the Table of Oblations, for the reception and preparation of the sacred Gifts; 3) the Vestry, for the keeping of sacred vestments; 4) the Body of the Church, for the worshippers; 5) the Vestibule and Porch, for the catechumens.

For those who perform divine service, the eastern part of the Church is set aside. It is somewhat raised above the other portion, in order that the service be heard by all present, and is called the Sanctuary. Persons not consecrated to the service of the church are not permitted to enter this part of it. The sanctuary is divided from the worshippers by a curtain, and a partition or screen. In some churches there are several sanctuaries dedicated to the memory of various events and various persons. They are called annexes or chapels.

In the middle of the Sanctuary there stands a square table; it is the altar; also called Holy Throne, because the Lord is present on it, or Holy Table, because upon it Christians are offered the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and made to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. The altar is made square in token that Christ’s doctrine and sacrament are free to men of all four parts of the world.

The altar, as being the place on which rests the Glory of the Lord, is vested with two coverings; the first is of white linen, the second or outer covering is of rich brocade. Upon the altar is laid a silken or linen cloth, on which is represented the Descent from the Cross and the preparation of Christ’s body for interment. This cloth is called the Antimíns, which means "what is instead of the altar." The origin of the Antimins is as follows: The law demands that a Christian church shall be consecrated by a bishop; and as there was not always one on hand to do so, and, besides, as movable churches had to be organized for travelers, it became usual for bishops to consecrate only the upper boards of the altar, or even only linen or silken cloths, which, after signing them with their name, they sent to newly-built churches, or gave to people who were starting on a journey. Later on, an Antimins became a necessary feature of every altar, even in such churches as had been personally consecrated by bishops. Into every Antimins is sewed a particle of some holy relic (i.e., of the incorruptible remains of Saint’s bodies), in memory of the fact that in early times Christians used to assemble for divine service on or by the tombs of martyrs, and in token that the Saints, being near to God, intercede for us with their prayers. If the church is consecrated by a bishop, the relic is placed under the center of the altar, upon a stand in a special small casket, to keep it from injury; it is wrapped in a silken cloth called pleiton, which means "a wrap."

Indispensable attributes of the altar are the Cross and the Gospel.* The Cross is laid there as a sign of Christ’s victory over the devil and of our deliverance, and the Gospel, because it is the book which contains the Word of Christ, by following which we may obtain salvation. In the first ages of Christianity, before the execution of criminals by crucifixion had been abolished, Christians used Crosses adorned with ornaments, but without the representation of Christ crucified; sometimes only they painted on it a Lamb, either standing at the foot of the Cross or carrying one.

The Gospel which is kept on the altar always has a beautiful binding, in the middle of which is a representation of Christ Saviour (mostly of the Resurrection), while the corners are occupied by the four Evangelists. These are represented with their respective symbols, in other words, their characteristics, i.e., signs which allude to the contents of the books they wrote. With the Apostle Matthew we see the face of a man or an angel, in token that Matthew describes Jesus Christ principally as the Son of Man, the descendant of Abraham, as the Messiah expected by Israel, of whom the prophets wrote. The Evangelist Mark represented Christ as the One "Sent of God," possessed of almighty power, the King of all men, whether Jews or Gentiles, and therefore his symbol is the lion, the mighty king of beasts. The Evangelist Luke, because he represented Christ as the Saviour of all mankind, Who offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of men, has the bull, the animal which the Jews used to sacrifice. The Evangelist John has given us more fully than the other Apostles the lofty doctrine of Christ as the Son of God; hence he is associated with the eagle, the bird which soars high and fixes his gaze on the Sun.

Besides the Cross and Gospel there stands on the altar an ark or tabernacle, in which are preserved the Holy Gifts (the Body of Christ, saturated with His Blood), reserved for giving communion to the sick, and to others at times when it is not lawful to celebrate the Liturgy. These tabernacles are sometimes made in the shape of a coffin, or a sepulchral cave, in which case they are called "Graves"; — at other times in the shape of a temple. A temple-shaped tabernacle, used, in old times, to be called "Sion" or "Jerusalem."* All tabernacles alike are called cibória. The ciborium used to carry the Holy Gifts into a private house, in order to give communion to a sick person, is a casket with several compartments. In one is placed a very small casket containing particles of the Holy Gifts. In another there is a small chalice with a tiny spoon, and in a third a small vessel with wine and a sponge to clean the chalice with. Such ciboria also are kept on the altar.

The space behind the altar is called Béma or "high place," because it is sometimes raised above the rest of the Sanctuary. On this spot is placed the Cathedra or throne of the bishop, and on both sides of it are seats for the priests. In our day, the episcopal Cathedræ are placed only in the principal (general) churches (sobór), which hence are called Cathedrals. On the eastern side of the church above the Bema, is a representation of the Saviour, and on both sides of it, are icons of Apostles, but more often of holy bishops. The lampada before the icon of the Bema is called High Light. In very ancient churches where the eastern wall always had a window, the Sacrament of the Eucharist was represented on both sides of it: on one side Christ giving to six apostles His Body in the form of bread, and on the other side Christ giving communion to the other six apostles out of the cup filled with His Blood in the form of wine.

Sometimes a canopy is erected over the altar, on four columns, and beneath it hovers a dove with outspread wings, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

On the left-hand side of the Sanctuary is placed the chapel of the Prothésis or "offering." That is where the offerings of Christians for the divine service are received. This chapel sometimes forms a separate compartment, divided from the sanctuary by a wall with a door, or only by columns or a curtain. In most churches, however, it is connected with the Sanctuary. In this space there always is a table whereon are deposited the offerings. It is called the Table of Oblations and is vested with rich coverings, like the altar; the wall around it is decorated with icons. On this table are also placed the sacred vessels used in the preparation of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. They are the following.

The Paten or Diskos (which means a round dish) on which are laid the portions of bread cut out in memory of Christ, the Mother of God and the Saints; also for the good of the living and the dead. For greater convenience the paten is now made with a pedestal. To it belong two small dishes or plates. On one of these plates is laid the bread, out of which a portion has been taken in memory of Christ; the top of it is stamped in the middle with a Cross, while around the rim runs the inscription: "Before Thy Cross we bow down, O Master." On the other plate is laid the bread from which a portion has been taken out in honor of the Mother of God; it is stamped with an effigy of her and the inscription around the rim reads as follows: "It is truly meet to bless thee, the Theotokos."

The Asterisk, consisting of two arched bands, held by a screw in such a way, that they may be put together, or turned around into the shape of a Cross. It is placed over the paten, to prevent the portions of bread, which are laid on it in a certain order from getting mixed up.

The Spear. — A spear-shaped knife, double-edged, used to take portions out of the bread.

The Chalice or Poterion ("a drinking cup"), into which is poured wine mixed with water during the preparation of the Sacrament. To it belongs a small dipper, in which wine and water is presented.

The Spoon, with which the Holy Sacrament — the Body and Blood of Christ — is administered to communicants.

The Sponge, which is used for cleaning the holy vessels after the Liturgy. In our church two sponges are used. With one the paten is wiped, after the portions of bread have been dropped into the chalice; this sponge is kept on the altar in the Antimins and called "Antimins sponge." The other, which is used to wipe the chalice after it has been washed, is kept on the Table of Oblations, and is called the "cleansing sponge."

The Veils — one of which covers the paten, another the chalice, and a third both paten and chalice together — are used to protect the Holy Gifts against dust and insects. These veils are also called Aërs, because they cover the holy vessels even as air covers the earth; the largest veil is especially known under this name.

The Fans are used for driving insects from the Holy Gifts, when the veils are removed. In ancient times they used to be made of peacocks’ feathers, linen or fine leather. At the present time they are made of metal, in the form of a circle, somewhat like the glory around a saint’s head, and with a long handle; in the middle of the circle a Cherub is represented. These fans are used mainly at pontifical services, and are to remind us that Cherubim worship God with us before His altar.

On the right hand of the Sanctuary a space is partitioned off and called the vestry. Here are preserved the church vessels, the books which are used in the performance of the services, and the vestments of those who officiate in them. As all these articles are taken care of by the deacons, the vestry is also called diakonnicon. In ancient times all sorts of edible gifts for the clerics used to be brought there, such as boiled rice or wheat (kutyá), cheese, eggs, sweet Easter cheese (pascha).

The Sanctuary, together with the Prothesis and vestry, are divided from the space provided for the worshippers by a grating or screen, which is called the Ikonostás ("image stand"), because it is decorated with icons or sacred images. The Ikonostas has three doors. The folding doors in the middle, which lead into the Sanctuary, to the altar, are called the Holy Gates, because the Holy Gifts of the Eucharist are brought out through them, or the Royal Gates, because the King of Glory, Jesus Christ, passes through them in the Holy Eucharist. These doors are generally in open-work and decorated with carving and icons. These latter usually represent the Annunciation and the four Evangelists, with their symbols or characteristics, to signify that on the altar is offered the sacrifice for the salvation of mankind, the first tidings of which were received by the Virgin Mary from the Archangel Gabriel, as known to us from the narratives of the four Evangelists. Just behind the Royal Gates a curtain is hung. During the services the Royal Gates are opened for the celebrants to go in and out of the Sanctuary, while the curtain is drawn across or drawn away, even when the Royal Gates are closed, in order to emphasize certain prayers or the meaning of certain rites. Thus during penitential services, such as Compline, the Midnight Office and the Hours, the curtain remains drawn, in token that our sins remove us far away from heaven, from God. During solemn, joyous services, assuring us that the Lord hath saved us, such as Vespers and Matins, it is drawn away. During the Liturgy, the curtain remains drawn away almost all the time. The door on the left of the Royal Gates leads into the Prothesis and is called the "northern door," while that on the right leads into the vestry and is called the "southern" or "deacons’ door." On these two doors there are usually paintings representing either angels — the messengers of God, who minister unto Him in the Kingdom of Heaven — or sainted deacons, who in their lifetime, had charge of the Prothesis and vestry.

Besides the decorations of the doors, the entire screen which separates the sanctuary from the nave is decorated with icons, in one, two, or more tiers. Such screens, therefore, differ in appearance: they are either like an open-work grating, varying in height, or a solid wall up to the ceiling. The icons of the first tier are called "local icons." On the right of the Royal Gates there is always an icon of the Saviour, and next to it the "church icon," i.e., a representation of the Saint or event, in honor of whom or which the church has been named and dedicated. On the left side is an icon of the Mother of God. In the same tier, if there is room, are usually placed the icons of such Saints as are most honored in a given locality. Above the Royal Gates it is usual to place a painting of the Last Supper, in token that, in partaking of Christ’s Holy Sacrament, men are made worthy of entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. The second tier is the place for the presentation of the different church feasts, i.e., of the principal events in the lives of our Lord and His Mother. The third tier contains the icons of the Apostles and in the middle of them, just above that of the Last Supper, is a representation of Jesus Christ — the subject of their preaching — in royal or episcopal vestments, with His Mother at His right hand and the Forerunner at the left. Such a presentation of Christ, bears the special name of Deisis.* If there is a fourth tier, it is filled with the icons of Old Testament prophets and in the middle of them is the Mother of God with the Divine Infant. A fifth and sixth tier will hold icons of holy martyrs and sainted bishops. The very top of the Ikonostas is adorned with the Cross, bearing the effigy of Jesus crucified. An Ikonostas decorated in this manner brings before us all the denizens of heaven and serves as a book, from which even those who cannot read may learn the history of Christ’s church and her doctrine.

The Ikonostas does not stand on the very edge of the raised floor of the sanctuary, but so that part of this floor projects into the nave. The part of the platform in front of the screen is called the Soléas (which means "an elevated place"). On this elevation Christians stand to receive Holy Communion, and the celebrants come out of the sanctuary and stand there while they recite public prayers and speak instructive addresses or read portions of Scripture. On both sides are placed the readers and singers. The middle of the platform just in front of the Royal Gates, where Holy Communion is administered, and prayers and addresses are read, is called the Ámbo, which means Ascent, and the place set apart at each end for the readers and singers is called Klíros. The word means lots. These places are called thus because in early times the readers and singers were chosen by lots.

Near each kliros are kept the portable icons, i.e., those which are used for divine services outside the church. They are fastened to long handles, sometimes by loops, more frequently by cords, and have the shape of banners. Indeed they are called banners, for they represent the banners of the church, under which Christians, being the warriors of Christ’s kingdom, go forth to fight the foes of truth and love.

The space in front of the soleas is reserved for the worshippers; the walls, as well as the square pillars which support the cupolas, are decorated with icons and paintings representing events from the history of Christ’s church.

Over against the Royal Gates, on the western side of the church, is an entrance door leading into the vestibule, and called the "beautiful door," because it usually is richly decorated — also simply the "church door," because it leads into the church. In large churches there are other smaller doors in the northern and southern sides of the church; through these the worshippers can go out into the side vestibules and to the porches.

The vestibule is divided into two parts, the inner and the outer, the latter being called the "porch." The inner porch, used, in the early ages, to be set apart for catechumens — persons who wished to become Christians, were receiving Christian instruction and preparing for baptism — and for penitents, i.e., for Christians who, for their sins, were refused communion. In the vestibule was placed the fount for the performance of baptism; here, also, Christians used to take their food at a common table after the end of divine service. In some monasteries the vestibule to this day serves as dining-room or refectory. It is in the vestibules that the church orders the penitential services to be performed, in order more clearly to show that men remove themselves farther away from God by their sins and become unworthy to stand with His people. In the outer vestibule or porch the "weepers" used to stand in ancient times — a class of penitents who were forbidden to enter the church, and here implored the prayers of those who went in. In the East, funeral services over the bodies of departed Christians are held on the porch.

Articles For Divine Services

In all churches, on the Altar and on the Table of Oblations, also behind the Altar and in front of the icons, lights are kept burning, not only during evening and night services, but during day services as well. They signify that the Lord gives us the light of truth, and that our souls burn with the love of God and are penetrated with feelings of joy and devotion. It is quite in accordance with this conception that the illumination of the church is increased during solemn holiday services and decreased during penitential services.

For the illumination of a church, two things are needed: oil and wax. Oil (yielded by the fruit of the olive tree), is symbolic of grace, indicating that the Lord sheds His grace on men, while men on their side are ready to offer Him in sacrifice deeds of mercy. The pure wax, collected by the bees from fragrant flowers, is used as a token that the prayers of men offered from a pure heart are acceptable to God.

Of the candlesticks and candelabra used in the church, some are portable and some stationary, all varying in the number of candles or lamps which they bear. The candlesticks are always portable and carry one, two or three candles. One candle reminds us that there is but one God, Who is the Light Eternal; the candlestick with two candles is called Dikírion ("two candles"), and indicates that in Jesus Christ are united two natures — the divine and the human; that of three candles is called Trikírion ("three candles"), and alludes, to the three persons of the Deity. There are stationary candelabra, standing or suspended, in front of the icons, bearing both oil lamps and wax candles. These are called candils or lampádas if they carry only one candle; polycandils ("many lights"), if they carry seven or twelve candles (seven candles in allusion to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and twelve in allusion to the Apostles); lastly panicandils ("all light") are those that carry more than twelve candles. Some times, if a panicandil is made in the shape of a circle, garnished with candles, it is called khoros, which means "a circle," "an assembly."

Besides the lampadas, candlesticks and candelabra, with their burning candles and lamps, an important item of divine service is the burning and swinging of incense (a fragrant tree-gum). This swinging is performed sometimes before the altar and the icons; then it expresses the wish of the worshippers that their prayer may ascend to Heaven, as the fumes of the incense mount aloft. Sometimes the incense is swung towards the worshippers; then it expresses the wish of the celebrant that the grace of the Holy Spirit may encompass these souls of the faithful as the fragrant cloud of the incense encompasses them. The vessel which holds the incense is called a censer; it is a cup with a cover running on three slight chains, which all unite into one handle.

Every church has bells. They are placed either on the roof, in the turrets of the cupolas, or at the entrance above the porch, in the so-called "bell-chamber," or else next to the church in specially erected structures called "belfries." If the bell-chamber is made in the shape of a tall turret above the porch, it is also usually called a belfry.

The bells are used to call the faithful to divine service, to express the triumph of the Church, and to announce the principal acts of the service to those Christians who are not present at it, in order that they may join mentally in the common prayers of the worshippers. There are three ways of ringing the bells, according to the object for which they are rung:

1. One bell is struck several times at short intervals. This is done before the beginning of the service, to announce that it is about to begin, and is called the toll. In the same way is announced the moment of the Liturgy when the Great Mystery is accomplished, and sometimes the reading of the Gospel in other services. Where there are many bells, different ones are used on different days, and then they have different names — such as the "feast bell," the "Sunday bell," the "weekday bell," the "small bell."
2. Several bells are struck together three different times, in a "peal" (Russian, trezvón).This is usually done at the beginning of solemn services (the Liturgy, Vespers and Matins), after the single-stroke toll. On high feast-days the bells are rung in this way all day.
3. Every bell is struck once in turn, and after having gone over all the bells in this way two or three times, they are struck all together. This is called a carillon, and is reserved for special occasions, such as the bringing out of the Cross and the Sepulcher on Holy Fridays and during processions.

The persons who take part in the performance of divine services are divided into celebrants and church servitors. Only those persons are called celebrants who have received the grace of the Holy Spirit, through the Sacrament of Orders: they are the bishops, the priests and the deacons.

The first and highest degree of priesthood belongs to the bishop (Epíscopos, which means "overseer"). This name is given to the successors of the Apostles in the service and government of the Church; with regard to public divine service, bishops are the chiefs or heads of all the churches situated in their diocese. They dedicate churches, consecrate Antiminses, give authority for the performance of services in these churches, and appoint all those who hold any office in them. During services the bishops, as the highest performers of all Sacraments through which the grace of the Holy Spirit is imparted to men, bless Christians with both hands, and, in their capacity of chief teachers and enlighteners of the faithful, they also bless them with lighted candles — the Dikirion and Trikirion. When giving the blessing they compose the fingers of the right hand in such a manner as to form the name of Jesus Christ in Greek. To accomplish this, the index is stretched out straight and the middle finger slightly bent, thus representing the letters "IC"; then the annular is bent, the thumb is laid across it, and the little finger is slightly inclined, forming the letters "XC." This way of composing the fingers is called nominal. In his capacity of chiefs over the priests, otherwise called ieréi, a bishop also has the title of Arch-iereus. All bishops are equal among themselves, owing to their common grace of priesthood. But as the districts subject to their jurisdiction differ in size and importance, as regarded in earthly kingdoms and empires, there are grades in the titles of bishops: those who have charge only of small districts, or cities are called simply bishops or Archieréi; those whose jurisdiction extends over larger cities and provinces have lately begun to assume the title of "Archbishop" (i.e., chief, first among the bishops); the bishop of a capital city, otherwise called "metropolis," is entitled "Metropolitan"; the bishops of ancient capitals of the great Roman Empire (Rome, Constantinople, Antioch) and of Jerusalem — the cities from which the Christian faith spread over the globe — have received the title of "Patriarch" (which means "chief over the fathers"). A bishop sometimes has an assistant, who is also a bishop; these subordinate bishops are called "Vicars," i.e., "lieutenants." In some countries, as for instance, in our own, the churches are governed by an assembly of several bishops; such an assembly is known by the name of "Synod."

The second degree of ordained priesthood is occupied by the ieréi or priests, who, by the authority and blessing of their bishops, govern small Christian communities, called "parishes," and have in their charge the parish churches. They bless the beginning of every public divine service, perform all the sacraments of the church with the exception of ordination, and have under their supervision all the persons who hold any office in these churches. They also have the right to give their blessing in the name of the Lord to those inferior to them in spiritual rank, but only with one hand. All priests are equal as regards the grace of priesthood; but there are differences among them, according to the importance of the churches and parishes committed to their care. Some are called simply priests or ierei, others receive the title of "archpriests" or protoieréi, (i.e., "first" or "senior priest"); archpriests have the precedence when they perform services together with priests of the lower rank. The priests of churches attached to imperial palaces, to a Patriarchate, and the Synod have the title of presbyter ("elder") and the chief priest of such a church takes that of protopresbyter. Priests who have taken monastic vows are called hieromonáchi, which means "priest-monks."

The deacon holds the third degree of priesthood. "Deacon" means "ministrant." He ministers to the bishop and to the priests in the performance of the sacraments, but may not perform them himself, and therefore has not the right to bless in the name of the Lord. At public divine service he, by the priest’s blessing, recites the common prayers, reads portions from the Holy Scriptures, and sees that the worshippers comport themselves decorously. In the degree of their ordination all deacons are equal; yet there are different grades among them. The senior deacons of the principal churches are called protodeacons and claim precedence when they officiate with other deacons; and the chief deacon attached to the person of a bishop receives the title of archdeacon. If a deacon is also a monk he is called hierodeacon.

Church Servitors (clerics and acolytes) are persons appointed to certain services in a church used as a place of worship. The highest position among these is that of the "subdeacons" or hypodeacons; they assist at pontifical services and therefore are found mainly in Cathedral churches. After them come the readers and choristers, also called "clerics" and "psalm-readers," and the sacristans or doorkeepers. Part of the latter’s duty is to keep the church neat and clean and to ring the bells. During service they bring out the candlesticks and the censer, and when they have done with these duties, they take part in the reading and singing. All the church servitors together make up the "church staff," because they are attached to the church. They are also called "clerics" or, collectively, the "kliros," because in ancient times they used to be appointed by lot. Sometimes the celebrants are included in the kliros, which then might better be called the "clergy," and is divided into "higher" and "lower." The higher clergy includes the celebrants — bishops, priests and deacons; the lower includes the church servitors.

The Antiquity of the Vestments. — In the very earliest times of Christianity, persons officiating in a church used to wear, while performing divine service, the same kind of garments as those worn by laymen. But a feeling of reverence prompted them to appear at the common worship in clean, festive garments. The favorite color for such occasions was white, in token that church service demands holiness and purity. The garments for the celebrants were provided by the community; they were kept in secret places and given out to the celebrants when they prepared for the services. Such is the origin of church vestments or holy garments. In the course of time the cut of laymen’s garments changed; various peoples adopted new fashions; only the cut of church vestments, used while officiating in divine services, remained unaltered and universally the same, in token of the unity and immutable nature of the faith and as an allusion to the qualities demanded of the ministers of the Church. All these garments were, from the earliest times, decorated with Crosses, to distinguish them from ordinary garments.

The Sticharion or Tunic. — The universal garment worn by all ancient nations, men and women alike, was the Chiton, otherwise called Tunic or Sticharion, a long garment with sleeves, which reached to the ground. This garment remains common to all classes of ordained persons, with this small difference, that the deacon’s tunic has wide sleeves, while the priest’s and bishop’s tunics have tight-fitting ones. By its brilliant whiteness this garment reminds the celebrant that the grace of the Holy Spirit covers him as with a garment of salvation and joy, and invests him with beauty. In our days, the members of the lower clergy are also authorized to wear this garment.

The Orarion and the Epitrachelion. — Another indispensable portion of every man’s dress was the towel or scarf, which every one wore, thrown over one shoulder and sometimes both. Poor people used it to wipe their mouth and face after ablutions; while wealthy men of rank, who had slaves to carry their towel for them, used the scarf which they wore themselves as an ornament, and therefore had it made out of rich stuffs and sometimes decorated with pearls and precious stones. Such a scarf was called an Orarion. The Orarion — or Stole — remained as one of the sacred vestments, to be used by all classes of ordained persons, in token that the grace of the Holy Spirit flows down upon them abundantly. Deacons wear it on the left shoulder and only on certain occasions bind it around their bodies crosswise. The Orarion is the deacon’s principal vestment, without which he cannot officiate at any service whatever. Holding one end of it with his right hand, he slightly raises it, when he invites the congregation to begin prayers and to listen attentively; also when he himself recites prayers. In old times, deacons used to wipe the lips of communicants with the Orarion after they had received the Eucharist. Because deacons minister on earth around the Lord’s altar as the angels surround Him in the heavens, so, in allusion thereto, the angelic hymn: "Holy, holy, holy, the Lord Sabaoth!" formerly used to be embroidered on the Orarion. Priests and bishops wear this garment on both shoulders, in such a manner that it encircles their neck and descends in front in two ends, which, for convenience sake, are either sewed or buttoned together. From this way of wearing it, the priest’s Orarion or double stole has the name of Epitrachélion, which means "what is worn around the neck." Priests and bishops thus wear the Orarion on both shoulders in token that they have received the added grace of priesthood and have devoted themselves wholly to the Church. Of the church servitors only the sub-deacons wear the Orarion, crossed on the shoulders or tied under one shoulder.

The Maniples, or Cuffs, and Zone, or Belt. — To the ancient costume also belonged the Maniples — a sort of cuffs, under which men used to gather at the wrist the wide sleeves of the chiton or tunic — and the Zone or belt, which they girded round their waists, when they prepared for any work or went on travels. Maniples still remain an attribute of all grades of priesthood, as an indication that a minister of the Church must hope, not in his own strength, but in the help of God. The belt is worn only by priests or bishops, and serves to remind them that God strengthens them with His own strength, places them on the path of righteousness, and helps them to ascend to the height of holiness with the fleetness of the deer.

The Phelonion or Cope and the Saccos. — Over the chiton or tunic the ancients used to wear a garment named Phelónion. It was long, wide, sleeveless, enveloping the entire person, and leaving only one opening for the head. Poor people made it out of some thick, coarse stuff, and used it only in traveling, to protect them from cold and bad weather. The rich wore the same garment, made out of soft material, so that it was not only a protection in traveling, but an ornamental cloak. It was contrived so as to enable the wearer to get out and use his hands. To this effect there were studs on the shoulders, over which were looped cords which, being pulled, shirred up the skirt of the garment. When shirred up on both shoulders to leave both hands free, it presented the aspect of two bags, one of which-the larger-hung down behind, and the other, smaller, in front. The Phelonion has been preserved as one of the priestly vestments, in token that priests are invested with truth, and hedged off by it from all the iniquities which surround them, and consequently should be ministers of the truth. In Eastern churches the Phelonion is still made after the old model, of equal length in front and behind. But in Russian churches, where this vestment is made out of the richest cloths, of gold and silver, which it would be difficult to shirr up on the shoulders, it is cut out in front, so that it is much shorter than behind. The Phelonion is usually called simply "robe" (ríza).

For several centuries the Phelonion was worn also by bishops. But, when the Christian faith became predominant, the Greek Emperors granted to the principal bishops — the Patriarchs, — the right of wearing the Dalmatic, — a garment like a short tunic with short sleeves, or half sleeves, — worn only by themselves and the grandees of the Empire. The bishops adopted this garment, not as a worldly adornment, but as a reminder that they must rise to holiness of life, and called it Saccos, which means a "sackcloth garment," or "garment of humility." In the course of time it became common to all bishops, and they wear it now in the place of the Phelonion.

The Omophorion. — In ancient times aged men and persons in poor health used to wear on their shoulders, over the Phelonion, to keep themselves warm, a sheepskin, which was called Omophórion, i.e., "shoulder covering." Some bishops, especially the more aged, wore the sheepskin even during divine service, laying it aside at the most solemn moments. Soon the Omophorion was added to the church vestments, as one distinctively belonging to bishops. It was made at first out of sheepskin, afterwards out of white woolen stuff; but now it is of the same material as the rest of the vestments. It is a long broad strip, adorned with Crosses and arranged on the bishop’s shoulders in such a way that one end descends in front and the other behind. This vestment reminds the bishop that he should take thought for the conversion of the erring, as a merciful shepherd, who takes the straying sheep upon his shoulders.

The Miter, the Skull-cap ("Kamilavka") and the Scuffia. — The headdress of the ancients was a long strip of linen cloth, which was wrapped around the head and called "head-band" or "fillet." According to the position and wealth of the wearer, this head-gear differed in material and shape. At first only Patriarchs adopted it during divine service; but in the course of time it became a part of the sacred vestments of all bishops. At the present time archimandrites, protopresbyters, archpriests and some priests are given the right to wear a headdress during divine service. That of the bishops, archimandrites, and protopresbyters is called a miter (which means "headband"); the headdresses of priests are called, one kind — the skull-cap — kamilávka, and the other, scuffía. Some archpriests are also permitted to wear a miter. The word kamilavka means either "something made out of camel’s hair," or "something that protects against heat"; while scuffia means "something resembling a cup or a skull."

The Epigonation or "Pálitsa," and the Thigh-shield ("Nabédrennik"). — In ancient times persons occupying important positions in the armies and at courts wore swords of different kinds, and under them, suspended from the belt, knee-protectors, also varying in form. They were either oblong squares, tied to the belt by two cords or strings, or smaller and lozenge-shaped pieces, tied by one string. The knee-protectors of the first kind were called "thigh-shields" (in Russian nabédrennik); those of the second — epigonátion (in Russian pálitsa). These articles, as well as the weapons which rested on them, were signs of distinction conferred on State servants. The Greek Emperors, after they became Christians, granted to the bishops and a few priests the right of wearing them without swords; thus they were added to the church vestments as signs of distinction. Those who receive the right of wearing the thigh-shield alone suspend it on the right side; if the epigonation is added, the latter is worn on the right side and the thigh-shield on the left. The priests and bishops to whom these signs of distinction are granted, wear them as a reminder that they have received the spiritual sword — the Word of God, with which they must smite all that is impure and vicious.

To recapitulate: The tunic or sticharion is the garment of the reader; that of the sub-deacon is the tunic with the orarion or stole, always folded round the person; deacons have the tunic, the stole and the maniples, priests — the tunic, the epitrachelion or double stole, the maniples, the belt, and the phelonion or outer robe; and some have, in addition to these, the thigh-shield, the epigonation, the kamilavka or skull-cap, and the scuffía. The vestments of a bishop are: The tunic, the epitrachelion, the belt, the maniples, the thigh-shield, the epigonation, the saccos, the omophorion and the mitre.

The Pectoral Cross, the Panagia, the Crosier and the Orlets (Eagle Rug). — These form part of the special attributions and adornments of bishops at the present day.

They wear a Cross on their breast, outside their robes, as a reminder that they should not merely carry Christ in their hearts, but also confess him in the face of all men, i.e., that they must be preachers of the faith of Christ. Such Crosses, ornamented in various ways, are given as signs of distinction to all the archimandrites, also and to several archpriests and priests.

The Panagia ("which means the All-holy") is a round or oval image of the Saviour or the Mother of God, not large, but richly decorated, which bishops wear on the breast. It is also given to some archimandrites. In old times panagias were made of somewhat different shape — that of a folding diptych, round or square, on one side of which was the image of the Virgin, on the other that of the Saviour or of the Holy Trinity. There also was a receptacle for holding particles of holy relics.

The Crosier or pastoral staff is nowadays used by all bishops in token that they are shepherds of Jesus’ flock and should care for it as a father for his children. For this reason the crosier is also called paterissa (from the Greek word pater, "father"). The episcopal crosier has a double crook on top and above that — a Cross. The crook is usually made like serpents’ heads at both ends, in memory of the Saviour’s words: "Be wise like unto serpents." As the serpent is renovated yearly, casting off its old slough and forcing its way through thorny plants, so the bishop, while guiding his flock, must follow himself and lead others along the path of enlightenment and renovation, in despite of sorrows and sufferings. Below the crook, a piece of some kind of handsome cloth is tied, usually silk, as an ornament, and to make it pleasanter to the hand to hold the staff.

The Orléts (eagle rug) is a small round or oval rug, whereon is represented an eagle; with a glory around his head, flying above a city. During divine service, the bishop stands on such rugs, as a reminder that he should, by his teaching and his life, rise above his flock, and be to them the example of a soul aspiring from the things of earth to those of heaven.

Public worship consists of various collections of prayers, or church services. All these services are adapted to the twenty four hours of the day. They express our remembrance of events which happened at certain hours, and contain petitions suited to these memories.

In ancient times, days were counted from the evening. At six o’clock p.m. (as we count time), night began, which was divided into the following four portions or watches (times of changing sentries): evening (from 6 to 9 p.m. as we would say); midnight (from 9 p.m. to 12); the cock-crow (from 12 to 3 a.m.), and morning (from 3 to 6 a.m.). The day began at 6 a.m. by our reckoning, and was also divided into four watches or hours: The first hour (6 to 9 a.m.); the third hour (from 9 a.m. to 12 or noon); the sixth hour (from 12 to 3 p.m.), and the ninth hour (from 3 to 6 p. m.). Christians began each portion of the day by common prayer. This resulted in eight services: Vespers, Compline, Midnight Office and Matins for the night; the services of the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours for the day. Besides these, in fulfillment of Christ’s command to break bread in memory of him, Christians celebrate every day the Liturgy, or, if not the Liturgy, the Typica, otherwise called the "Pro-Liturgy Service." Thus was formed a daily cycle of nine services

Every day of the week is consecrated to certain special memories, as follows: Sunday, to that of Christ’s rising from the dead; Monday, to honoring the holy Angels; Tuesday, to the memory of the Prophets and, among them, of the greatest among prophets, John the Forerunner; Wednesday is consecrated to the Cross of Christ, as being the day of Judas’ treason; Thursday, to the memory of the Apostles and all sainted bishops, and, in their number, of Nicholas, bishop of Myra in Lycia; Friday, to the Cross, as being the day of the Crucifixion; Saturday, to the Saints, especially to the Mother of God, and to the memory of all those who have died in the hope of resurrection and eternal life. The remembrance of these events and persons is recalled by certain prayers and hymns, different for each day of the week, which enter into the fixed daily cycle of services. Besides which, the services for Saturday and especially those for Sunday, are celebrated with greater solemnity, as being feast-day services; while the services of Wednesday and Friday are consecrated to penance, and are accompanied by severe fast all through the year, with the exception of six weeks in the year, when the fasts are suspended in honor of special memories. These weeks are called unbroken weeks, because they are not broken by fasts. They are the two weeks after Christmas day, the week of the Publican and the Pharisee, the week before the beginning of Lent, the Easter week and the week following the Pentecost. Such are the peculiar features of every day of the week, and thus is formed the weekly cycle of services.

Every day of every month, every day of the year is consecrated to the memory of certain events or to that of different Saints. In honor of each given event or person, special hymns, prayers and rites have been established, which are added to the hymns and prayers for the day of the week, introducing more new features into the fixed routine of the daily services — features which change with every day of the year. This forms the yearly cycle of services.

In the yearly cycle, the greatest changes in the service occur on great feast-days and during the fasts. According to the subjects of the services, the feast-days are divided into Feasts of Our Lord, in honor of God Himself, — of the Mother of God, — and Saints’ Feasts, in honor of the holy angels and of holy men. According to the solemnity of the services, they are divided into great, medium, and lesser; according to the time of celebration, into fixed, i.e., such as return periodically on the same dates of the same month in each year, — and movable, i.e., such as occur yearly on the same days of the week, but on different dates and even in different months, following the movements of the Paschal Feast.

— as being the day of the Resurrection of Our Lord, is the feast of feasts. Besides this feast there are twelve more, some fixed, some movable, which are distinguished by services of especial solemnity. They are called the Twelve Feasts. Of these, some are established in honor of the Lord, others of the Mother of God. The former are: The Nativity of Christ (Christmas), 25th of December; the Theophany (Epiphany) 6th of January; the Transfiguration, 6th of August; the Entry Into Jerusalem, (Palm Sunday), the Sunday before Pascha; the Ascension, on Thursday, the fortieth day after Pascha; Pentecost, in commemoration of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, on Sunday, the fiftieth day after Pascha; and the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, in memory of the finding and setting up ("exalting") for public adoration of the Cross on which Christ was crucified, 14th of September. The feasts celebrated in honor of the Virgin are: Her Nativity, 8th of September; her Entry Into the Temple, 21st of November; the Meeting of the Lord, 2nd of February; the Annunciation, 25th of March; and the Dormition of the Mother of God (Assumption), 15th of August.* There are days preceding and following each of the twelve feasts, during which the hymns belonging to the feast are sung at all services. Over and above this, the day following upon many of the Twelve Feasts is consecrated to the memory of the persons who took part in the event which the feast commemorates. Thus the day after that of the Nativity of Christ is called "the Synaxis of the Virgin," i.e., the congregation meets to do honor to the Mother of God; the day after the Epiphany there is a service in honor of St. John the Baptist; the day after the Pentecost, in honor of the Holy Spirit; the day after the Nativity of the Virgin, in honor of her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anna; the day after the Annunciation is called "the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel"; the day after the Presentation of the Infant Jesus, "the Synaxis of St. Symeon and Anna the Prophetess." The Church prepares for some of the feasts by fasts and special prayers for the dead.

The substance of the hymns for the various festivals is contained in the troparion — or verse — for the day. Troparion for the Nativity of the Virgin: "Thy Nativity, O Theotokos Virgin, hath proclaimed joy to all the world; for from thee hath dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, annulling the curse and bestowing the blessing, abolishing death and granting us life eternal." — Troparion for the Entry of the Virgin into the Temple: "Today is the prelude of the God’s good will, and the heralding of the salvation of mankind. In the temple of God, the Virgin is presented openly, and she proclaimeth Christ unto all. To her, then, with a great voice let us cry aloud: Let us then cry aloud to her: Rejoice, O thou fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation." — Troparion for the Meeting of the Lord: "Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, O Virgin Theotokos, for from thee hath risen the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, enlightening those in darkness. Rejoice thou, also, O righteous Elder, as thou receivest in thine arms the Redeemer of our souls, Who also granteth us the Resurrection."

In ancient times, especially in monasteries, all the offices of the daily divine service were performed separately, at the hours appointed for them. At the present time they are combined so as to fit into three services: the evening service, consisting of the offices of Ninth Hour, Vespers, and Compline; — the morning service, consisting of the Midnight Office, Matins and First Hour; — and the midday service, consisting of the offices of Third and Sixth Hours, and the Liturgy (celebration of the Holy Eucharist). On days preceding Sundays or great feast-days, the evening and morning services are joined into one, which is called a Vigil (i.e., "keeping awake"), and consists of Vespers, Matins and First Hour. As in some monasteries this service, beginning after sunset, lasts till daybreak, and always contains the prayers for both evening and morning, it is called All-Night Vigil.

If a feast-day on which the Liturgy must be performed falls on one of the days in Lent on which there is normally no Liturgy, the following alteration is made in the distribution of the services: The morning service consists of the Midnight Office, Matins, and First Hour; the midday service, of Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours, Typica, Vespers, and the Liturgy; and the evening service, of Compline.

Vespers begins with the glorification of God, the Creator of the world and its Providence, and consists of the following parts: petitions setting forth our needs; the singing of psalms and hymns, expressive of regret for the lost beatitude of Paradise, and repentance of sins; prayers for salvation, and expressions of hope in the Saviour. The penitential prayers are followed by a hymn of praise in honor of Christ, who came into the world, then by petitions that the Lord may have mercy on all Christians and grant them spiritual mercies. The service ends with the Lord’s Prayer, a hymn of praise in honor of the Mother of God, and the prayer of the Blessed Symeon the God-bearer. Thus the Vespers service is replete with memories of the Creation, the Fall, the expulsion from Paradise and the profound contrition of the best men, who found their only comfort in hope in the Saviour and joyfully hailed His coming.

Compline is the service before retiring to rest. Sleep being the image of death, this service is permeated with the thought of death, not gloomy, but illumined by the remembrance that Christ, after His death, descended into Hell and brought forth from it the souls of the righteous who awaited His coming. There are the Great Compline and the Small Compline. The former consists of three parts. In the first we give thanks to God for the day, and express the hope that He will grant us a restful sleep during the approaching night, and rest after death with the Saints. These feelings find expression, besides all other prayers, in the verse: "God is with us. Understand, O ye nations, and submit yourselves, for God is with us." — The second part is penitential. The substance of all the prayers is expressed in the penitential troparia* which are sung: "Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; for at a loss for any defense, we sinners offer to Thee, our Master, this prayer: Have mercy on us!" — The third part of Compline consists in glorifications of the Lord and His Saints. The substance of the prayers composing it is expressed in the Psalm "Praise ye God in His Saints," with the added hymn: "O Lord of hosts, be with us, for, beside Thee, we have no other helper in adversity; O Lord of hosts, have mercy on us!"

Small Compline is an abridgment of the Great, consisting of the third part alone. Of the first, only the Creed is read, and of the second, the penitential Psalm "Have mercy on me, O God..."

The Midnight Office consists of the prayers to be recited at midnight, in memory of Jesus Christ’s midnight prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, in imitation of the angels, who, night and day, glorify the Lord, and as a reminder that we should be ever ready to give answer on the Day of Judgment to Christ, who will come unexpectedly, as the bridegroom in the night. The Daily Midnight Office consists of two parts: The first reminds us by its prayers of the second coming of Christ and the Judgment, proclaiming that "Blessed are the blameless in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord"; while the second part contains prayers for the dead. The Sunday Midnight Office consists of glorifications of the Holy Trinity.

In some monasteries, the morning and evening prayers which all Christians should read before retiring and upon arising are adjoined, respectively, to the services of Compline and the Midnight Office.

Matins begin with prayers for the Tsar, and, after these prayers, consist chiefly in praises of the Lord, Who hath given us not daylight alone, but spiritual Light: Christ the Saviour. Therefore, this entire service is filled with memories of the time when Christ appeared upon the earth, and lived here unrecognized by nearly all men. The service of Matins is divided into three parts. The first part consists in the singing of Psalms expressive of penitence and hope in the Redeemer, and general prayers for mercy. The psalm-singing begins with the Doxology which the angels sang on the night of the Nativity: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men"; then is interrupted by a more direct glorification of the Incarnation of Christ: "God is the Lord and hath appeared unto us: blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord"; and ends with the glorification of the person or event, to the memory of whom or which the day is consecrated. The second part is entirely consecrated to the glorification of the Saint of the day or of the event commemorated on that day. It consists of hymns from the Old Testament, which refer to the coming Saviour, and others from the New Testament, showing that the expectations of the righteous men of old have been realized. The third part consists of hymns of praise and prayers for the granting of spiritual gifts to Christians.

The Hours, or Hour offices, is the name given to brief sets of prayers recited at the hours which begin each of the four watches of the day, and which, to Christians, are associated with special memories. All these offices are alike in their composition. Every Hour begins with an invitation to worship Christ and consists of the reading of three Psalms. Then follow: the troparion for the day, the Theotokion (a hymn in honor of the Mother of God), the Lord’s Prayer, the kontakion* for the day, the prayer "Thou Who at all times and in every hour...," and the concluding prayers of the hour. But with all this similarity, the office of one Hour differs from that of another in so far that each Hour has its own Psalms and concluding prayers, to conform with the events commemorated and with the feelings, thoughts, and wishes which these memories call forth in the soul of the believer. The office of the First Hour commemorates the bringing of Christ before Pilate; that of the Third Hour commemorates Pilate’s judgment of Christ, the scourging and the mocking, and the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles; the office of the Sixth Hour commemorates Christ’s going forth to Golgotha, the Crucifixion, the insults offered to Him on the Cross, the darkness which covered the earth; while the office of the Ninth

Hour commemorates Christ’s Passion and death.

The All-Night Vigil is the name of a service composed of Vespers and Matins, which is performed with great solemnity, especially in the parts consecrated to the memories of the day.

The service begins with the glorification of the Holy Trinity. With the Royal Gates open, the Church being fully illumined, the priest, standing before the altar, sayeth:— "Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-giving and indivisible Trinity"; then the deacon* thrice invites the congregation to worship Christ, our God and King. In answer to this invitation, the faithful — or the choir in their stead — proceed to sing Psalm 103 of David, which glorifies God the Creator and His Providence: "Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord, my God, Thou hast been magnified exceedingly. Confession and majesty hast Thou put on.... Wondrous are Thy works, O Lord! in wisdom hast Thou made them all.... Glory to Thee, Lord, Who hast made all things!" The Psalm is concluded with the thrice-sung "Alleluia!" which means "Praise the Lord," or "May the Lord be praised!" This Psalm beginning the series of the daily services, it is called Proemiac, i.e., "prefatory or introductory." The words of it induce the worshippers into the blissful condition of the first man, when he, innocent as yet, praised his Creator together with the holy angels. The open Royal Gates remind us that sin did not at that time separate men from God, while the light of the lamps and candles and the fumes of the incense symbolize the Divine Light, which illumined men, and the grace of the Holy Spirit which quickened them.

After the glorification of the Creator in the words of the Introductory Psalm, short petitions for the granting of various favors are slowly recited by the deacon, and after each petition the worshippers — or the choir in their stead — sing the response "Lord, have mercy!" The collection of these petitions is called ectenia, from a Greek word which means "extended, protracted." It begins with the invitation: "In peace let us pray to the Lord" (i.e., "being at Peace with all men and undistracted in spirit"), — and consists of supplications "for the peace from above and the salvation of our souls" (i.e., that the Lord may be at peace with us, forgive us our transgressions and grant through this salvation to our souls); "for the peace of the whole world, the good estate of the holy churches of God and the union of all" (i.e., that the Lord may grant peace to the whole world, help Christian communities to stand firm in faith and piety, cause the divisions between Christians to cease, and unite them all into one Church); "for this holy temple (wherein the service is performed), and for them that with faith, reverence and the fear of God enter herein." Then follow supplications for various members of the Church and the State: "For the Orthodox episcopate of the Church of Russia (or another national Church under which the service is being held); for our Lord the Very Most Reverend Metropolitan N., First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad; for our Lord the Most Reverend (Archbishop or Bishop N, whose diocese it is); for the venerable priesthood," (i.e., the body of bishops and presbyters or priests who govern the Church), "the diaconate in Christ," (the body of deacons), "for all the clergy" (all persons attached to the Church, including readers, choristers, sextons) "and people," (the congregation and parishioners); "for the suffering Russian Land and its Orthodox people both in the homeland and in the diaspora, and for their salvation"; "for this land, its authorities and armed forces"; "that He may deliver His people from enemies visible and invisible, and confirm in us oneness of mind, brotherly love, and piety"; "for this city" (or town or holy monastery, wherein the Church is), "for every city and country, and those that in faith dwell therein" (i.e., the Christian population).* After offering up petitions for the members of the Church and the State, we pray to the Lord "for seasonable weather, abundance of the fruits of the earth and peaceful times," (i.e., that the Lord may deliver us from calamitous weather, and from airborne maladies, from bad crops, and from war); "For travelers by sea, land, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the imprisoned, and for their salvation"; "that we may be delivered from all tribulation, wrath, and necessity"; that He may "help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace." The ectenia ends by our committing ourselves to the will of God: "Calling to remembrance our most holy, most pure, most blessed, glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and all our life unto Christ our God."

In response to these words, the worshippers sing "To Thee, O Lord." Upon which, the petitions being ended, the priest calls out aloud "For to Thee are due all glory, and honor, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of the ages"; i.e., we offer our supplications unto Thee, because to Thee, the Triune God, we owe glory, honor and adoration. In response to this exclamation of the priest, the worshippers utter the word, "Amen," which means "yes, truly is this so."

This ectenia is called "the Great," because it consists of many petitions, also "the Ectenia of Peace," because it beseeches for mercy. It is recited in front of the closed Royal Gates, in token that sin has removed us from God and has closed against us the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven. The closing of the Royal Gates soon after the Introductory Psalm is meant to signify that the bliss of our first parents in Eden was of brief duration.

The Great Ectenia is followed by the singing or reading of the kathismáta (singular, kathísma). This name is given to sections of the Psalter, that book of the Old Testament in which are collected the Psalms, or sacred songs of the ancient Hebrews.* Each kathisma is subdivided into three stáses, and each stasis is separated from the next by the thrice repeated singing of "Alleluia," with the addition of the words "Glory to Thee, O God"; whence the stases are also called "Glories." In ancient times all the kathismata were sung alternately by two choirs; hence the separate parts of them have also been called Antiphons, i.e., hymns sung "antiphonally," in alternate, responding parts.† The word "kathisma" is derived from a Greek word which means "to sit." The sections of the Psalter are so called, because, in ancient times, they were followed by homilies, during which the congregation was permitted to sit. At the present time, though the homilies have been suppressed, the name is preserved, because it is permitted to sit during the reading of the Psalms. At Sunday and feast-day Vespers, the Antiphon of the first kathisma is sung, containing regrets over the happy estate forfeited through sin, together with hopes of salvation The verses of the Psalms are separated by the singing of "Alleluia.": "Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly" (Alleluia!) "Serve ye the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling" (Alleluia!) "Blessed are all that have put their trust in Him" (Alleluia!) "Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God" (Alleluia!) "Salvation is of the Lord, and Thy blessing is upon Thy people," (Alleluia).

The Small Ectenia. — After the kathisma follows the Small Ectenia, which is an abridgment of the Great Ectenia. It begins with an invitation to prayer: "Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord"; it consists of only one petition: "Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace," and ends with the commendation to God’s will and the doxology. The Small Ectenia serves to divide one portion of the service from the next.

Repentance for sins committed calls forth in the human soul entreaty for mercy. Therefore, after the kathisma, selected verses from the Psalms are read ("Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto me"), in which are expressed: in the first place, supplication from the bottom of the heart, that the Lord may hearken to our unworthy prayers, help us to keep away from evil and from evil men, and receive us among his elect; In the second place, the assurance that the Lord will hear our prayer. The last verses of the Psalms, in which is expressed the hope of salvation, are sung alternately with hymns composed in honor of the person or event to whom the service is consecrated, and assuring us that the Lord accepts the prayer of those who love Him. These hymns are called the Sticheræ (a Greek word, meaning, "verses") on "Lord, I have cried." The last of them glorifies the Mother of God and contains the dogma of the Incarnation, whence it has the name of "the Dogmatic Theotokion," or, simply, "Dogmaticon."

"Lord, I have cried unto Thee; hearken unto me; attend to the voice of my supplication when I cry unto Thee; hearken unto me, O Lord. Let my prayer be set forth, as incense before Thee; the lifting of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may confess Thy name. (Here follows a stichera). The righteous shall wait patiently for me until Thou shalt reward me. (Stichera). From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch let Israel hope in the Lord. (Stichera). For with the Lord there is mercy; and with Him is plenteous redemption, and He shall redeem Israel (His chosen people) out of all his iniquities. (Stichera). O Praise the Lord all ye nations, praise Him, all ye peoples (Stichera). For He hath made His mercy to prevail over us, and the truth of the Lord abideth for ever. (The Dogmaticon.).

While the last stichera (the Dogmaticon) is being sung, the Royal Gates are opened, in token that the hopes of the faithful have not been idle and that the Incarnation of the Son of God hath opened to them the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven. At this moment, the priest comes out through the north door, preceded by the deacon with the censer and the candle bearer with the great candlestick and lighted candle, and, standing before the Royal Gates, gives a blessing with the sign of the Cross towards the east. The deacon exclaims aloud: "Wisdom! Aright!" The exclamation "Wisdom!" signifies that this entrance expresses the coming into the world of the Saviour, as thus: The entrance through the north door instead of the Royal Gates signifies that Christ came in lowliness; the lighted candle and the censer remind us that He brought us the light of truth and the grace of the Holy Spirit; the blessing by the sign of the Cross signifies that Christ hath opened to us the entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven by His passion on the Cross. By the exclamation "Aright!" the deacon invites the worshippers to stand reverently and decorously. They, having heard in the Dogmaticon the news of the Incarnation of the Son of God, and seeing in the priest’s entrance a symbol of the mercies which we have received through this incarnation, sing a hymn of praise to Christ, as being God. While this hymn is being sung, the priest enters the sanctuary and stands behind the altar, near the bema.

"O Gentle Light of the holy glory of the immortal heavenly, holy Father, O Jesus Christ: we, Having come to the setting of the sun, (i.e., having lived to see the sun set), having beheld the evening light, we praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: God. Meet it is for Thee at all times to be hymned with reverent voices, O Son of God, Giver of life. Wherefore, the world doth glorify Thee."

After the Doxology the Prokímenon is recited. (The word means "foremost," "principal," "chief"). This name is given to a short verse, generally selected from the Holy Scriptures, which embodies the meaning of the entire service, and therefore, refers to the chief contents of the prayers, hymns, and lessons from Scripture for the day.* From its importance, the prokimenon is emphatically singled out of the service: The deacon calls out, "Let us attend!" the priest blesses all present, saying "Peace be unto all!" to which the worshippers respond, with an obeisance, "And to thy spirit," (i.e., "we wish the same to thy soul"); the deacon once more calls out "Let us attend! Wisdom!" (i.e., "let us be attentive, for words of wisdom will be spoken"). The prokimenon is then sung three times. After which the Royal Gates are closed.

The Paremia. — On certain days, the prokimenon is followed by the reading of paremía; This word means "parable" or "allegory." In church services the name is given to selected lessons or readings from the Scriptures, principally from the Old Testament, containing the prototype of the commemorated event or a prophecy concerning the same, or else explaining the meaning of the feast, or praising the Saint in whose honor the feast is instituted. Paremia are prescribed for all feast-days except Sundays, and for the days of Lent. They differ as to number. Usually two or three are read.*

The Triple Ectenia and the Ectenia of Supplication. — After glorifying Christ as God, we offer up our petitions in the words of two ecteniæ, spoken by the deacon: in the first we entreat mercy for all Christians, while in the second we specify what mercies we desire for their souls. The former is called the "Triple Ectenia" because "Lord, have mercy!" is sung thrice after each petition. The other is called the "Ectenia of Supplication," because the response to each petition is "Grant [this], O Lord!"

The Triple Ectenia begins with the invitation: "Let us say with our whole soul, and with our whole mind let us say," and consists of petitions for our Emperor, for his prosperous rule, (the preservation of his life, his peace of mind, happiness, salvation; "that the Lord may specially aid and assist him in all things, and subdue under his feet every foe and adversary; for the reigning House; for the most Holy Synod, the local bishop, and all our brethren in Christ; for the Christian army; for the blessed and ever-remembered founders of this holy Temple (in which the service is performed), and of all our Christian fathers and brethren that have gone to their rest and lie here (buried around the church) (and in all other places); for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, protection, forgiveness and remission of sins for the servants of God, the brethren of this holy Temple, (i.e., the Parishioners of the church), those that bring forth fruit (who make donations) and do good work (i.e., bring gifts for the adorning of the church, or do other works for the good of the parish) in this holy and most venerable church, that labor (for the good of the church), that sing, and for the people that stand here before Thee and await of Thee great and abundant mercies." The priest concludes these petitions by a Doxology, in which he explains that we hope to obtain from God what we ask, because he is "merciful and a man-loving God."

The Ectenia of Supplication begins with the invitation: "Let us complete our evening prayer unto the Lord"; and consists of petitions that the Lord may grant us: "That the evening may be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless; an Angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies; forgiveness and remission of our sins and transgressions; what is good and profitable for our souls, and peace for the world; that the remaining part of our life may be spent in peace and repentance; a Christian end to our life, painless, blameless, peaceful, and a good account of ourselves before the dread judgment-seat of Christ." In the concluding exclamation the priest again proclaims that we hope to obtain from God what we ask because He is "merciful and man-loving." In confirmation of this hope, the priest, after the conclusion of the ectenia, blesses the congregation, saying, "Peace to all," whereto the latter responds by the good wish "And to thy spirit." After the ectenia, hymns are chanted in honor and memory of the person or event to which the services of the day are dedicated. These hymns are separated by verses taken from various parts of the Scriptures, and are, therefore, called Sticheræ on Verses.

Filled with hope in the Son of God, Who, having become incarnate from the Virgin Mary, gave to those that believe in Him the right to call God their Father, we can retire to rest without fear, even though this rest should pass into that of death. Therefore we conclude our evening prayers with the last prayer of the blessed Symeon, the Lord’s prayer, a hymn in praise of the Mother of God, and ask God’s blessing, exclaiming: "Blessed be the name of the Lord, henceforth and forever more." In reply to this, the priest blesses the people, saying: "The blessing of the Lord be upon you, by His grace and love toward mankind, always, now, and ever, and unto the ages of the ages."

St. Symeon’s Prayer. — "Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Master, according to Thy word. For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; a light of revelation for the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people, Israel."

Sometimes, at an All-night Vigil, towards the end of Vespers, the officiating clergy go forth with censers and candles into the vestibule of the church, there to perform the Litiá. The word means "earnest supplication." In ancient times this was done in order that the catechumens and penitents who stood in the vestibule might participate in the gladness of the festival. The faithful used to come out with the clergy, to signify their humility and their brotherly love towards those who had sinned. At the present time this custom still survives and serves as a reminder to all Christians that they may have a care to the purity of their souls, which alone makes them worthy to enter into the House of God. The Litia consists chiefly of an ectenia, recited by the deacon, "for the salvation of the people; for the sovereign and his House; for the clergy; for all afflicted Christian souls (afflicted by sorrow or sin), desirous of aid; for the city, the country and all Christians living therein; for the deceased fathers and brethren; for deliverance from famine, epidemics, earthquakes, flood, fire, sword, hostile invasion and civil strife." After the ectenia all present bow their heads and the priest says a prayer in which he beseeches the Lord to "accept our prayer, to grant us the remission of our transgressions, to chase away from us every foe, to keep our life in peace, to have mercy on us and to save us." In the churches which have no vestibule, the Litia is performed inside the church, by the western entrance.

Note.— In times of public calamities, the Litia is sometimes performed out of doors, on fields, public squares or city halls. For this purpose the clergy comes out bearing Crosses, banners and icons, forming a procession.

After the Litia, the clergy, to the singing of verses, return from the vestibule into the church, and stand in the middle of it, before a table on which have been placed five loaves of bread and three vessels, one with wheat, one with grape wine and one with oil. After reading the concluding prayers of the Vespers office, the priest makes the sign of the Cross over the loaves and prays the Lord that He may bless them and multiply them "in the whole world, and sanctify the faithful (Christians) who partake of these gifts." The service concludes with a blessing to the congregation. In ancient times, immediately after the blessing of the loaves, a portion of the Apostle was read,* with appropriate explanations. During this reading all sat, and the deacons distributed to the hearers a piece each of the blessed bread and a cup of the wine, that they might sustain their strength. At the present time, the services being abridged, no food is offered between Vespers and Matins.

At an All-Night Vigil, Matins begin immediately after the blessing of the congregation by the priest. The church is dimly illumined and the Royal Gates are closed, while the reader utters thrice the Angelic Hymn, which was sung on the night of the Nativity, before dawn: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men," — then slowly reads six Psalms (3, 37, 62, 87, 102 and 142), in which are expressed alternately the sorrow of a soul repenting of its sins (37, 87 and 142), and hope in the mercy of God and salvation (3, 62 and 102). While the three last Psalms are read, the priest, standing before the Royal Gates secretly — i.e., inaudibly, to himself, — recites the morning prayers, as the advocate of the people before the Lord.

After the Six Psalms, we offer up to God our petitions for the granting of spiritual and bodily mercies in the words of the Great Ectenia, then we sing a hymn of praise to God, Who hath descended to earth for our salvation, a continuation of the Angelic Hymn: "God is the Lord and hath appeared unto us; blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." To this hymn is added the troparion for the feast, as a reminder of the mercies bestowed upon us through the incarnation of the Son of God. While the hymn, "God is the Lord," and the troparion are being sung, the illumination of the church is increased, to signify that Christ, having come, is the Light of the world. The troparion is followed by the kathismata in their order, expressing, in the words of the Psalms, our consciousness of our unworthiness before God. In ancient times the lesson from the Apostle was expounded after the reading of the kathismata. Now the latter are followed immediately by the Small Ectenia.

This part of the Matins office, consisting of a long continued reading of Psalms, interspersed only with brief Doxologies in honor of Christ’s coming into the world, and in memory of the mercies which He brought by His coming, remind us of the time when Christ already lived on the earth, but was recognized by almost no one, while men went on waiting for His coming and prayed to God for mercy, listening in doubt and perplexity to the news that the Lord had already appeared upon the earth. Consisting, as it does, principally of penitential prayers, this part of the Matins office takes place with the Royal Gates closed.

The second part of the service, consisting of glorifications of the event or person commemorated on the day, is performed with especial solemnity on the vigils of feast-days. After the kathismata have been read, with the Royal Gates open, Psalms 134 and 135, which begin, "Bless ye the name of the Lord," are sung, with the response "Alleluia!" after each verse. This singing is called Polyeleos, i.e.,"of many mercies," also "oil-abounding" because the words "His mercy endureth forever" are frequently repeated in it, and while it is being sung all the lights are lit. At the same time, in token of reverence and festivity, censing goes on in the whole church.

On great feast-days, after the Polyeleos, standing before an icon laid on a lectern in the middle of the church, the clergy sing a short verse magnifying the person or event celebrated. On Sundays the troparia of the Resurrection are substituted for this verse; they speak of the Resurrection of Christ and invite the faithful to worship the Most Holy Trinity. These troparia are sung with the response "Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes," and end with a hymn in honor of the Mother of God (Theotokion).

The Magnification or Sunday troparion and the Little Ectenia are followed by the singing of the Antiphons alternately by two choirs. They are different for every Sunday, eight in all, this being the number of chants or tones.

The following Antiphons are sung more frequently than any others:

After the Antiphons comes the lesson or reading from the Gospels. In order to arouse the worshippers to attention and reverence, the deacon calls out, "Let us attend!" and thereupon a prokimenon is sung, which indicates the substance of the coming lesson or reading, after which the deacon invites the faithful first to praise God, in the words "Let every breath praise the Lord," then to pray that "the Lord may make us worthy to hear the Holy Gospel," and lastly calls out, "Wisdom! Aright!" The priest then blesses the worshippers and announces from which Evangelist the lesson will be read. In response to this the worshippers sing, "Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!" Just before the reading the deacon once more invites attention by calling out, "Let us attend!" Then the priest begins the reading, on Sundays in the Sanctuary before the altar, and on feast-days in the middle of the church before the icon of the feast. The Gospel lesson is adapted to the event commemorated on each given day. On Sundays, the lessons selected for Matins are those that speak of Christ’s Resurrection and His apparition after the Resurrection.

Veneration of the Gospel or the Icon, and Anointing with Oil. — After the Gospel lesson, if the day is a feast-day, veneration is paid to the icon of the feast which is laid on a lectern in the middle of the church; if it is a Sunday, the Gospel is brought into the middle of the church. The worshippers reverently meet the sacred Book, as it were Christ Himself, and sing a hymn in honor of Him Who was crucified and rose from the dead. During the singing, the faithful pay reverent obeisance to the sacred Book and press their lips to it, as being the living Word of Christ.

"Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the only Sinless One. We worship Thy Cross, O Christ, and Thy holy Resurrection we hymn and glorify. For Thou art our God, and we know none other beside Thee, we call upon Thy Name. O come, all ye faithful, let us worship Christ’s holy Resurrection; for behold! through the Cross joy hath come to all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, we hymn His Resurrection; for having endured crucifixion, He hath destroyed death by death."

If the loaves were blessed earlier in the service, the brow of the faithful is anointed with oil, with the words: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!" in token that the mercy of God is vouchsafed to them, and as a reminder that the Lord demands from them acts of mercy.

The veneration of the Gospel or icon ends with a hymn, entreating the Lord to have mercy on us according to His great mercy (Psalm 50), and to the prayers of the Apostles and of the Mother of God. The deacon asks for the granting of this same mercy in the prayer, "Save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance."

As the Sunday troparia, the Magnifications, the Antiphons, and the Gospel lesson are closely connected with one another and with the verses of the Polyeleos Psalm, and are chanted only when that Psalm is sung, this whole portion of the service is sometimes called "Polyeleos." Thence the expression "a service with the Polyeleos" signifies that at the Matins in question there will be a lesson or reading from the Gospel.

After the Polyeleos, nine odes from Holy Scripture are sung, in which Old Testament saints expressed their hope in a Saviour and their readiness to receive Him. To these odes are added the nine odes of the Canon. The word "canon" signifies "rule," "order," and the name is given to a collection of verses (troparia) in honor of the event or person commemorated, composed after one definite rule, namely: Each canon is divided into nine parts called odes, each of which consists of several short verses or troparia. The simultaneous singing of the scriptural odes and the odes of the canon proceeds after the following established order: First a verse from an Old Testament ode is chanted, then a troparion of the canon; after that the next verse and the second troparion, and so forth to the end. As the first troparion of every canonic ode serves as a link between an Old Testament ode and a New Testament ode, its contents are always taken from the former. Either the event celebrated in the Old Testament ode is shown to be the prototype of that of the New Testament, or else single expressions are borrowed from the Old Testament. Hence the first troparion of each canonic ode is called Eirmos (i.e., "link"). The following verses of the canonic ode are called troparia (i.e., "verses that turn"), because, by their meter and tone, they turn towards their eirmos and conform to it. After, each ode of the canon coupled with the Old Testament ode, the eirmos is chanted again by two choirs, which, for that purpose, come out into the middle of the church. From this manner of singing, this eirmos is called the Katavásia (i.e., "descent" from the soleas where the choirs are placed).

In order to shorten the service, it is usual to sing only the odes of the canon, omitting the Old Testament odes, except the ninth, since their contents are found in the eirmos of the canon. In these odes, refrains are introduced between the troparia of the canon — petitions or praises addressed to the person in whose honor the canon is composed.

The first Old Testament ode is the song in which Moses gave thanks after the passage of the Red Sea, and the submersion of Pharaoh’s army. With this ode is coupled the eirmos of the first ode of the canon, in which this passage is presented as the prototype of our salvation from sin through the waters of baptism, and Jesus is glorified, Who led us out of death into life, saving us from the abyss of sin, from the slough of iniquity.

The second Old Testament ode is the song in which Moses exhorted the people before his death. It is sung only in Great Lent.

The third Old Testament ode is the song of Hannah (Anna), the mother of the Prophet Samuel, in which she gave thanks to God for having taken from her the disgrace of barrenness and given her a son. The eirmos of the third ode of the canon points to this event as a type of men who, having been tainted with sin, but having become Christians, were given the strength to bring forth rich fruits of good works, and glorifies God in Hannah’s words.

The fourth Old Testament ode is the song of the Prophet Habakkuk (Abbachum), who, under the guise of the blazing sun rising from behind the forest-clad mountain, symbolizes the coming of Christ. The eirmos of this fourth ode of the canon celebrates the Incarnation of Christ from the Virgin Mary in the words of the Prophet Habakkuk.

The fifth Old Testament ode is that of the Prophet Isaiah which symbolizes the glorious coming of the Saviour as the all-vivifying light which raises the dead to life. The eirmos of the fifth ode of the canon celebrates Christ as the Light which delivers us from the darkness of sin.

The sixth Old Testament ode is the song of the Prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by the whale, expressing his hope to be saved by God. In the eirmos of the sixth ode of the canon the Prophet Jonah is represented now as the prototype of Christ, risen from the dead on the third day, now as a symbol of the human race, swallowed by the spiritual Beast — the devil, drowning in the sea of life, in the tempest of sins, and finding in the Saviour alone a peaceful harbor, in which mankind is secure from the deep of evil.

The seventh and eighth Old Testament odes are the songs of the three youths, cast by Nebuchadnezzar into the burning fiery furnace. In these songs they first besought God to forgive their transgressions, then glorified Him for their miraculous preservation. In the eirmoi of the corresponding odes of the canon, the deliverance of the three youths is made to symbolize the miraculous incarnation of Christ, and the Saviour is glorified in their words.

The ninth ode is from the New Testament. It is the song of the Virgin Mary, in which she expresses her joy at her meeting with Elizabeth after the Annunciation: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." This ode is coupled with that of Zachariah on the birth of his son John the Forerunner. When this ode is sung, the verses are separated by the chant: "More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify." — The Virgin’s song is never omitted, except in the great Twelve Feast days, when various other texts are substituted for it. The eirmos of the ninth ode of the canon celebrates the Mother of God and the Incarnation of Christ.

In this manner the eirmoi of the canon celebrate the coming of Christ in the words of the Old Testament saints who awaited it, while the troparia glorify the Lord in connection with the event or the Saint in whose honor the canon is composed. The canon is sung with the Royal Gates closed, because New Testament events are celebrated therein under cover of the Old Testament.

The chanting of the canon is divided into three parts by reciting the Small Ectenia, after the third, sixth and ninth odes. With the canon ends that part of the service which is devoted to commemorating the special features of the day.

The third and last part of Matins consists of hymns of praise in honor of the Lord and petitions for the granting of spiritual mer