The Rite of Constantinople

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(Also BYZANTINE RITE.)

The Liturgies,Divine Office, forms for the administration ofsacraments and for variousblessings,sacramentals, andexorcisms, of theChurch of Constantinople, which is now, after theRoman Rite, by far the most widely spread in the world. With one insignificant exception — the Liturgy of St. James is used once a year atJerusalem and Zakynthos (Zacynthus) — it is followed exclusively by all Orthodox Churches, by the Melkites (Melchites) inSyria andEgypt, the Uniats in the Balkans and the Italo-Greeks in Calabria, Apulia,Sicily, andCorsica. So that more than a hundred millions ofChristians perform their devotions according to the Rite of Constantinople.

History

This is not one of the original parent-rites. It is derived from that of Antioch. Even apart from the external evidence a comparison of the twoliturgies will show that Constantinople follows Antioch in the disposition of the parts. There are two original Eastern types of liturgy: that of Alexandria, in which the great Intercession comes before the Consecration, and that of Antioch, in which it follows after theEpiklesis. The Byzantine use in both its Liturgies (ofSt. Basil andSt. John Chrysostom) follows exactly the order of Antioch. A number of other parallels make the fact of this derivation clear from internal evidence, as it is from external witness. The tradition of theChurch of Constantinople ascribes the oldest of its two Liturgies toSt. Basil the Great (d. 379),Metropolitan of Cæsarea in Cappadocia. This tradition is confirmed by contemporary evidence. It iscertain that St. Basil made a reformation of the Liturgy of his Church, and that the Byzantine service called after him represents his reformed Liturgy in its chief parts, although it has undergone further modification since his time. St. Basil himself speaks on several occasions of the changes he made in the services of Cæsarea. He writes to theclergy of Neo-Cæsarea inPontus to complain of opposition against himself on account of the new way of singing psalms introduced by his authority (Ep. Basilii, cvii, Patr. Gr., XXXII, 763).St. Gregory of Nazianzos (Nazianzen, d. 390) says that Basil had reformed the order ofprayers (euchon diataxis — Orat. xx, P.G., XXXV, 761).Gregory of Nyssa (died c. 395) compares his brother Basil with Samuel because he "carefully arranged the form of the Service" (Hierourgia, In laudem fr. Bas., P.G., XLVI, 808).Prokios (Proclus) of Constantinople (d. 446) writes: "When the great Basil . . . saw the carelessness and degeneracy of men who feared the length of the Liturgy — not as if he thought it too long — he shortened its form, so as to remove the weariness of theclergy and assistants" (De traditione divinæ Missæ, P.G., XLV, 849).

The first question that presents itself is: What rite was it that Basil modified and shortened? Certainly it was that used at Cæsarea before his time. And this was a local form of the great Antiochene use, doubtless with many local variations and additions. That the original rite that stands at the head of this line of development is that of Antioch isproved from the disposition of the present Liturgy of St. Basil, to which we have already referred; from the fact that, before the rise of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Antioch was the head of the Churches ofAsia Minor as well as ofSyria (and invariably in the East the patriarchal see gives the norm inliturgical matters, followed and then gradually modified by its suffragan Churches); and lastly by the absence of any other source. At the head of all Eastern rites stand the uses of Antioch and Alexandria. Lesser and later Churches do not invent an entirely new service for themselves, but form their practice on the model of one of these two.Syria, Palestine, andAsia Minor inliturgical matters derive from Antioch, just asEgypt,Abyssinia, andNubia do from Alexandria. The two Antiocheneliturgies now extant are;

These are the starting-points of the development we can follow. But it is not to be supposed that St. Basil had before him either of these services, as they now stand, when he made the changes in question. In the first place, his source is rather the Liturgy of St. James than that of the Apostolic Constitutions. There are parallels to both in theBasilian Rite; but the likeness is much greater to that of St. James. From the beginning of theEucharistic prayer (Vere dignum et justum est, our Preface) to the dismissal, Basil's order is almost exactly that of James. But the now extant Liturgy of St. James (in Brightman, "Liturgies Eastern and Western", 31-68) has itself been considerably modified in later years. Its earlier part especially (the Liturgy of the Catechumens and theOffertory) is certainly later than the time of St. Basil. In any case, then, we must go back to theoriginal Antiochene Rite as the source. But neither was this the immediate origin of the reform. It must be remembered that all living rites are subject to gradual modification through use. The outline and frame remain; into this frame newprayers are fitted. As a general ruleliturgies keep the disposition of their parts, but tend to change the text of theprayers. St. Basil took as the basis of his reform the use of Cæsarea in the fourth century. There is reason to believe that that use, while retaining the essential order of the original Antiochene service, had already considerably modified various parts, especially the actualprayers. We have seen, for instance, that Basil shortened the Liturgy. But the service that bears his name is not at all shorter than the present one of St. James. We may, then, suppose that by his time the Liturgy of Cæsarea had been considerably lengthened by additionalprayers (this is the common development of Liturgies). When we say, then, that the rite of Constantinople that bears his name is the Liturgy of St. James as modified by St. Basil, it must be understood that Basil is rather the chief turning-point in its development than the only author of the change. It had already passed through a period of development before his time, and it has developed further since. Nevertheless, St. Basil and his reform of the rite of his own city are the starting-point of the special use of Constantinople.

A comparison of the present Liturgy of St. Basil with earlier allusions shows that in its chief parts it is really the service composed by him.Peter the Deacon, who was sent by the Scythianmonks toPope Hormisdas to defend a famous formula they had drawn up ("One of the Trinity was crucified") about the year 512, writes: "The blessed Basil,Bishop of Cæsarea, says in theprayer of the holy altar which is used by nearly the whole East: Give, oh Lord, strength and protection; make the bad good, wepray, keep the good in their virtue; for Thou canst do all things, and no one can withstand Thee; Thou dost save whom Thou wilt and no one can hinder Thy will" (Petri diac. Ep. ad Fulgent, vii, 25, in P.L., LXV, 449). This is a compilation of three texts in theBasilian Liturgy: Keep the good in their virtue;make the bad good by thy mercy (Brightman, op. cit., pp. 333-334); the words:Give, O Lord, strength and protection come several times at the beginning ofprayers; and the last words are an acclamation made by the choir or people at the end of several (Renaudot, I, p. xxxvii). The Life of St. Basil ascribed to Amphilochios (P.G., XXIX, 301, 302) quotes as composed by him the beginning of the Introduction-prayer and that of theElevation exactly as they are in the existing Liturgy (Brightman, 319, 341). TheSecond Council of Nicæa (787) says: "As allpriests of the holy Liturgyknow, Basil says in theprayer of the DivineAnaphora: We approach with confidence to the holy altar . . .". Theprayer is the one that follows the Anamnesis in St. Basil's Liturgy (Brightman, p. 329. Cf.Hardouin, IV, p. 371).

From these and similar indications we conclude that the Liturgy of St. Basil in its oldest extant form is substantially authentic, namely, from the beginning of theAnaphora to the Communion. The Mass of the Catechumens and theOffertoryprayers have developed since his death.St. Gregory Nazianzen, in describing thesaint's famous encounter withValens at Cæsarea, in 372, describes theOffertory as a simpler rite, accompanied with psalms sung by the people but without an audibleOffertoryprayer (Greg. Naz., Or., xliii, 52, P.G., XXXVI, 561). This oldest form of theBasilian Liturgy is contained in amanuscript of the Barberini Library of about the year 800 (manuscript, III, 55, reprinted in Brightman, 309-344). The Liturgy of St. Basil now used in the Orthodox and Melkite (orMelchite) Churches (Euchologion,Venice, 1898, pp. 75-97; Brightman, 400-411) is printed after that ofSt. Chrysostom and differs from it only in theprayers said by thepriest, chiefly in theAnaphora; it has received further unimportant modifications. It is probable that even before the time ofSt. John Chrysostom the Liturgy of Basil was used at Constantinople. We have seen thatPeter the Deacon mentions that it was "used by nearly the whole East". It would seem that the importance of the See of Cæsarea (even beyond its own exarchy), the fame of St. Basil, and the practical convenience of this short Liturgy led to its adoption by many Churches inAsia andSyria. The "East" inPeter the Deacon's remark would probably mean the Roman Prefecture of the East (Præfectura Orientis) that included Thrace. Moreover, whenSt. Gregory of Nazianzos came to Constantinople to administer thatdiocese (381) he found in use there a Liturgy that was practically the same as the one he had known at home in Cappadocia. His Sixth Oration (P.G., XXXV, 721 sq.) was held in Cappadocia, his Thirty-eighth (P.G., XXXVI, 311) at Constantinople. In both he refers to and quotes theEucharistic prayer that his hearersknow. A comparison of the two texts shows that theprayer is the same. This proves that, at any rate in its most important element, the liturgy used at the capital was that of Cappadocia — the one that St. Basil used as a basis of his reform. It would therefore be most natural that the reform too should in time be adopted at Constantinople. But it would seem that beforeChrysostom thisBasilian Rite (according to the universal rule) had received further development and additions at Constantinople. It has been suggested that the oldest form of theNestorian Liturgy is the original Byzantine Rite, the one thatSt. Chrysostom found in use when he became patriarch (Probst, "Lit. des IV. Jahrhts.", 413).

The next epoch in the history of the Byzantine Rite is the reform ofSt. John Chrysostom (d. 407). He not only further modified the Rite of Basil, but left both his own reformed Liturgy and the unreformedBasilian one itself, as the exclusive uses of Constantinople. St. John becamePatriarch of Constantinople in 397; he reigned there till 403, was then banished, but came back in the same year; was banished again in 404, and died in exile in 407. The tradition of his Church says that during the time of hispatriarchate he composed from theBasilian Liturgy a shorter form that is the one still in common use throughout theOrthodox Church. The same text of Proklos (Proclus) quoted above continues: "Not long afterwards our father,John Chrysostom,zealous for thesalvation of his flock as a shepherd should be, considering the carelessness ofhumannature, thoroughly rooted up every diabolical objection. He therefore left out a great part and shortened all the forms lest anyone . . . stay away from this Apostolic and Divine Institution", etc. He would, then, have treated St. Basil's rite exactly as Basil treated the older rite of Cæsarea. There is no reason todoubt this tradition in the main issue. A comparison of the Liturgy ofChrysostom with that of Basil will show that it follows the same order and is shortened considerably in the text of theprayers; a further comparison of its text with the numerous allusions to the rite of theHoly Eucharist inChrysostom'shomilies will show that the oldest form we have of the Liturgy agrees substantially with the one he describes (Brightman, 530-534). But it is also certain that the modern Liturgy of St. Chrysostom has received considerable modifications and additions since his time. In order to reconstruct the rite used by him we must take away from the present Liturgy all the Preparation of the Offerings (Proskomide), the ritual of the Little and Great Entrances, and the Creed. The service began with thebishop's greeting, "Peace to all", and the answer, "And with thy spirit." The lessons followed from the Prophets and Apostles, and thedeacon read the Gospel. After the Gospel thebishop or apriest preached ahomily, and theprayer over thecatechumens was said. Originally it had been followed by aprayer over penitents, butNektarios (381-397) had abolished the discipline of public penance, so inSt. Chrysostom's Liturgy thisprayer is left out. Then came aprayer for the faithful (baptized) and the dismissal of thecatechumens.St. Chrysostom mentions a new ritual for theOffertory: the choir accompanied thebishop and formed a solemn procession to bring thebread andwine from the prothesis to the altar (Hom. xxxvi, in I Cor., vi, P.G., LXI, 313). Nevertheless the present ceremonies and the Cherubic Chant that accompany the Great Entrance are a later development (Brightman, op. cit., 530). TheKiss of Peace apparently preceded theOffertory inChrysostom's time (Brightman, op. cit., 522, Probst, op. cit., 208). TheEucharistic prayer began, as everywhere, with the dialogue: "Lift up your hearts" etc. Thisprayer, which is clearly an abbreviated form of that in theBasilian Rite, is certainly authentically ofSt. Chrysostom. It is apparently chiefly in reference to it that Proklos says that he has shortened the older rite. The Sanctus was sung by the people as now. The ceremonies performed by thedeacon at the words of Institution are a later addition. Probst thinks that the originalEpiklesis ofSt. Chrysostom ended at the words "Send thy Holy Spirit down on us and on these gifts spread before us" (Brightman, op. cit., 386), and that the continuation (especially the disconnected interruption:God be merciful to me a sinner, now inserted into theEpiklesis; Maltzew, "Die Liturgien" etc.,Berlin, 1894, p. 88) are a later addition (op. cit., 414). The Intercession followed at once, beginning with a memory of thesaints. Theprayer for the dead came before that for the living (ibid., 216-415). TheEucharistic prayer ended with adoxology to which the people answered,Amen; and then thebishop greeted them with the text, "The mercy of our greatGod and SaviourJesus Christ be with all of you" (Titus 2:13), to which they answered: "And with thy spirit", as usual. TheLord's Prayer followed, introduced by a shortlitany spoken by thedeacon and followed by the well-knowndoxology: "For thine is the kingdom" etc. This ending was added to theOur Father in the Codex of theNew Testament used bySt. Chrysostom (cf. Hom. xix in P.G., LVII, 282). Another greeting (Peace to all) with its answer introduced the manual acts, first anElevation with the words "Holy things for the holy" etc., the Breaking of Bread and the Communion under both kinds. InChrysostom's time it seems that people received either kind separately, drinking from thechalice. A shortprayer of thanksgiving ended the Liturgy. That is the rite as we see it in thesaint'shomilies (cf. Probst., op. cit., 156-202, 202-226). It istrue that most of thesehomilies were preached at Antioch (387-397) before he went to Constantinople. It would seem, then, that the Liturgy ofSt. Chrysostom was in great part that of his time atAntioch, and that he introduced it at the capital when he became patriarch. We have seen fromPeter the Deacon that St. Basil's Rite was used by "nearly the whole East". There is, then, no difficulty in supposing that it had penetrated to Antioch and was already abridged there into the "Liturgy of Chrysostom" before that saint brought this abridged form to Constantinople.

It was thisChrysostom Liturgy that gradually became the common Eucharistic service of Constantinople, and that spread throughout the Orthodox world, as the city that had adopted it became more and more the acknowledged head ofEastern Christendom. It did not completely displace the older rite of St. Basil, but reduced its use to a very few days in the year on which it is still said (see below, under II). Meanwhile the Liturgy ofSt. Chrysostom itself underwent further modification. The oldest form of it now extant is in the samemanuscript of the Barberini Library that contains St. Basil's Liturgy. In this the elaborate rite of the Proskomide has not yet been added, but it has already received additions since the time of thesaint whose name it bears. The Trisagion (HolyGod, Holy Strong One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us) at the Little Entrance is said to have been revealed to Proklos of Constantinople (434-47, St. John Dam., De Fide Orth., III, 10); this probably gives thedate of its insertion into the Liturgy. The Cherubikon that accompanies the Great Entrance was apparently added by Justin II (565-78, Brightman, op. cit., 532), and the Creed that follows, just before the beginning of theAnaphora, is also ascribed to him (Joannis Biclarensis Chronicon, P.L., LXXII, 863). Since the Barberini Euchologion (ninth cent.) the Preparation of the Offerings (proskomide) at the credence-table (called prothesis) gradually developed into the elaborate rite that now accompanies it. Brightman (op. cit., 539-552) gives a series of documents from which the evolution of this rite may be traced from the ninth to the sixteenth century.

These are the two Liturgies of Constantinople, the older one of St. Basil, now said on only a few days, and the later shortened one ofSt. Chrysostom that is in common use. There remains the third, the Liturgy of the Presanctified (ton proegiasmenon). This service, that in theLatin Church now occurs only onGood Friday, was at one time used on the aliturgical days ofLent everywhere (seeALITURGICAL DAYS and Duchesne, Origines, 222, 238). This is still the practice of theEastern Churches. The Paschal Chronicle (seeCHRONICON PASCHALE) of the year 645 (P.G., XCII) mentions the Presanctified Liturgy, and the fifty-second canon of theSecond Trullan Council (692) orders: "On all days of the fast of forty days, except Saturdays andSundays and the day of the Holy Annunciation, the Liturgy of the Presanctified shall be celebrated." The essence of this Liturgy is simply that theBlessed Sacrament that has beenconsecrated on the preceding Sunday, and is reserved in the tabernacle (artophorion) under both kinds, is taken out and distributed as Communion. It is now always celebrated at the end ofVespers (hesperinos), which form its first part. The lessons are read as usual, and thelitanies sung; thecatechumens are dismissed, and then, the wholeAnaphora being naturally omitted, Communion is given; the blessing and dismissal follow. A great part of the rite is simply taken from the corresponding parts ofSt. Chrysostom's Liturgy. The present form, then, is a comparatively late one that supposes the normal Liturgies of Constantinople. It has been attributed to variouspersons — St. James, St. Peter, St. Basil, St. Germanos I of Constantinople (715-30), and so on (Brightman, op. cit., p. xciii). But in the service books it is now officially ascribed to St. Gregory Dialogos (Pope Gregory I). It is impossible to say how this certainly mistaken ascription began. The Greek legend is that, when he was apocrisiarius at Constantinople (578), seeing that the Greeks had no fixed rite for this Communion-service, he composed this one for them.

The origin of theDivine Office and of the rites forsacraments andsacramentals in the Byzantine Church is more difficult to trace. Here too we have now the result of a long and gradual development; and the starting-point of that development is certainly the use of Antioch. But there are no names that stand out as clearly as do those of St. Basil andSt. Chrysostom in the history of the Liturgy. We may perhaps find the trace of a similar action on their part in the case of the Office. The new way of singing psalms introduced by St. Basil (Ep. cvii, see above) would in the first place affect the canonical Hours. It was the manner of singing psalms antiphonally, that is alternately by two choirs, to which we are accustomed, that had already been introduced at Antioch in the time of the Patriarch Leontios (Leontius, 344-57; Theodoret,Church History II.24). We find one or two other allusions to reforms in various rites among the works ofSt. Chrysostom; thus he desires people to accompany funerals by singing psalms (Hom. iv, in Ep. ad Hebr., P.G., LXIII, 43) etc.

With regard to theDivine Office especially, it has the same general principles in East and West from a very early age (seeBREVIARY). Essentially it consists in psalm-singing. Its first and most important part is the Night-watch (pannychis, ourNocturns); at dawn theorthros (Lauds) was sung; during the day the people met again at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, and at sunset for thehesperinos (Vespers). Besides the psalms these Offices contained lessons from theBible and collects. A peculiarity of the Antiochene use was the "Gloria in excelsis" sung at the Orthros (Ps.-Athan., De Virg., xx, P.G., XXVIII, 276); the eveninghymn,Phos ilaron, still sung in the Byzantine Rite at the Hesperinos and attributed to Athenogenes (in the second cent.), is quoted by St. Basil (On the Holy Spirit 73). Egeria of Aquitaine, the pilgrim to Jerusalem, gives a vivid description of the Office as sung there according to Antioch in the fourth century ["S. Silviæ (sic) peregrin.", ed. Gamurrini, Rome, 1887]. To this series of Hours two were added in the fourth century. John Cassian (Instit., III, iv) describes the addition of Prime by themonks of Palestine, and St. Basil refers (loc. cit.) toComplin (apodeipnon) as themonks' eveningprayer. Prime andComplin, then, were originally privateprayers said bymonks in addition to the official Hours. The Antiochene manner of keeping this Office was famous all over the East. Flavian of Antioch in 387 softened the heart ofTheodosius (after the outrage to thestatues) by making his clerks sing to him "the suppliant chants of Antioch" (Sozomen,Church History VII.23). AndSt. John Chrysostom, as soon as he comes to Constantinople, introduces the methods of Antioch in keeping the canonical Hours (16, VIII, 8). Eventually the eastern Office admits short services (mesoorai) between the day Hours, and betweenVespers andComplin. Into this frame a number of famous poets have fitted a long succession of canons (unmetricalhymns); of these poetsSt. Romanos the singer (sixth cent.), St. Cosmas the singer (eighth cent.),St. John Damascene (c. 780),St. Theodore of Studion (d. 826), etc., are the most famous (seeBYZANTINE LITERATURE, sub-title IV.Ecclesiastical etc.). St. Sabas (d. 532) andSt. John Damascene eventually arranged the Office for the whole year, though, like the Liturgy, it has undergone further development since, till it acquired its present form (see below).

The Byzantine Rite at the present time

The Rite of Constantinople now used throughout theOrthodox Church does not maintain any principle of uniformity in language. In various countries the sameprayers and forms are translated (with unimportant variations) into what is supposed to be more or less the vulgar tongue. As a matter of fact, however, it is only in Rumania that theliturgical language is the same as that of the people. Greek (from which all the others are translated) is used at Constantinople, inMacedonia (by the Patriarchists),Greece, by Greekmonks in Palestine andSyria, by nearly all Orthodox inEgypt; Arabic in parts ofSyria, Palestine, and by a few churches inEgypt; Old Slavonic throughoutRussia, inBulgaria, and by all Exarchists, in Czernagora,Servia, and by the Orthodox inAustria andHungary; and Rumanian by theChurch of that country. These four are the principal languages. Later Russian missions use Esthonian, Lettish, and German in the Baltic provinces, Finnish and Tatar inFinland and Siberia,Chinese, andJapanese. (Brightman, op. cit., LXXXI-LXXXII). Although the Liturgy has been translated into English (see Hapgood, op. cit. in bibliography), a translation is never used in any church of theGreek Rite. The Uniats use Greek at Constantinople, inItaly, and partially inSyria andEgypt, Arabic chiefly in these countries, Old Slavonic inSlav lands, and Rumanian inRumania. It is curious to note that in spite of this great diversity of languages the ordinary Orthodoxlayman no more understands his Liturgy than if it were in Greek. Old Slavonic and the semi-classical Arabic in which it is sung are dead languages.

The calendar

It is well known that the Orthodox still use the Julian Calendar (Old Style). By this time (1908) they are thirteen days behind us. Theirliturgical year begins on 1 September, "the beginning of the Indict, that is of the new year". On 15 November begins the first of their four greatfasts, the "fast ofChrist's birth" that lasts tillChristmas (25 December). The fast ofEaster begins on the Monday after the sixth Sunday beforeEaster, and they abstain from flesh-meat after the seventh Sunday before the feast (ourSexagesima). The fast of the Apostles lasts from the day after the firstSunday after Pentecost (theirAll Saints' Day) till 28 June, the fast of theMother of God from 1 August to 14 August. Throughout this year fall a great number of feasts. The great cycles are the same as ours —Christmas, followed by a Memory of theMother of God on 26 December, then St. Stephen on 27 December, etc.Easter,Ascension Day, andWhitsunday follow as with us. Many of the other feasts are the same as ours, though often with different names. They divide them into three categories, feasts of our Lord (heortai despotikai), of theMother of God (theometrikai), and of thesaints (ton hagion). They count the "Holy meeting" (with St. Simeon, 2 February), the Annunciation (25 March), the Awakening ofLazarus (Saturday beforePalm Sunday), etc., as feasts ofOur Lord. The chief feasts ofOur Lady are her birthday (8 September), Presentation in the Temple (21 November), Conception (9 December), Falling-asleep (koimesis, 15 August), and the Keeping of her Robe at the Blachernæ (at Constantinople, 2 July). Feasts are further divided according to their solemnity into three classes: great, middle, and less days.Easter of course stands alone as greatest of all. It is "The Feast" (he heorte,al-id); there are twelve other very great days and twelve great ones. Certain chiefsaints (the Apostles, the three holy hierarchs — Sts. Basil,Gregory of Nazianzus, andJohn Chrysostom — 30 January, the holy and equal-to-the-Apostles Sovereigns, Constantine and Helen, etc.) have middle feasts; all the others are lesser ones. TheSundays are named after the subject of their Gospel; the firstSunday ofLent is the feast of Orthodoxy (afterIconoclasm), the Saturdays before Meatless Sunday (ourSexagesima) andWhitsunday are All Souls' days. OurTrinity Sunday is their All Saints. Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year are days of abstinence (Fortescue, "Orth. Eastern Church", 398-401).

Service-books

The Byzantine Rite has no such compendiums as ourMissal andBreviary; it is contained in a number of loosely arranged books. They are: theTypikon), a perpetual calendar containing full directions for all feasts and all possible coincidences. The (Euchologion) contains thepriest's part of the Hesperinos, Orthros, the three Liturgies, and othersacraments andsacramentals. TheTriodion contains the variable parts of the Liturgy andDivine Office (except the psalms, Epistles, and Gospels) for the movable days from the tenth Sunday beforeEaster toHoly Saturday. ThePentekostarion continues the Triodion fromEaster Day to the firstSunday after Pentecost (All Saints' Sunday). TheOktoechos gives the Offices of theSundays for the rest of the year (arranged according to the eight modes to which they are sung —okto echoi) and theParakletike is for the weekdays. The twelveMenaias, one for each month, contain the Proper of Saints; theMenologion is a shortened version of theMenaia, and theHorologion contains the choir's part of the day Hours. ThePsalter (psalterion), Gospel (enaggelion), and Apostle (apostolos — Epistles and Acts) contain the parts of theBible read (Fortescue, "Orth. E. Ch.", 401-402;Nilles, "Kal. Man.", XLIV-LVI; Kattenbusch, "Confessionskunde", I, 478-486).

The altar, vestments and sacred vessels

A church of the Byzantine Rite should have only one altar. In a few very large ones there are side-chapels with altars, and the Uniats sometimes copy the Latin multitude of altars in one church; this in an abuse that is not consistent with their rite. The altar (he hagia trapeza) stands in the middle of the sanctuary (ierateion); it is covered to the ground with a linen cloth over which is laid a silk or velvet covering. The Euchologion, a folded antimension, and perhaps one or two other instruments used in the Liturgy are laid on it; nothing else. [SeeALTAR (IN THE GREEK CHURCH).] Behind the altar, round theapse, are seats forpriests with thebishop's throne in the middle (in every church). On the north side of the altar stands a large credence-table (prothesis); the first part of the Liturgy is said here. On the south side is the diakonikon, a sort ofsacristy where vessels and vestments are kept; but it is in no way walled off from the rest of the sanctuary. The sanctuary is divided from the rest of the church by the ikonostasis (eikonostasis, picture-screen), a great screen stretching across the whole width and reaching high up to the roof (see sub-titleThe Iconostasis s.v.HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN ALTAR). On the outside it is covered with a great number of pictures of Christ and thesaints, arranged in a more or less determined order (Christ always to the right of the royal doors and the Bl. Virgin on the left), before which rows of lamps are hung. The ikonostasis has three doors, the "royal door" in the middle, thedeacon's door to the south (right hand as one enters the church), and another door to the north. Between the royal door and thedeacon's door thebishop has another throne facing the people. Immediately outside the ikonostasis is the choir. A great part of the services take place here. In the body of the church the people stand (there are no seats as a rule); then comes thenarthex, a passage across the church at the west end, from which one enters by doors into thenave. Most of the funeral rites and other services take place in thenarthex. Churches are roofed as a rule by a succession of lowcupolas, often five (if the church is cross-shaped). InRussia there is generally abelfry. The vestments were once the same as the Latin ones, though now they look very different. It is a curious case of parallel evolution. Thebishop wears over his cassock thesticharion ouralb; it is often of silk and coloured; then theepitrachelion, a stole of which the two ends are sewn together and hang straight down in front, with a loop through which the head is passed. The sticharion and epitrachelion are held together by thezone (girdle), a narrow belt of stuff with clasps. Over the wrists he wears theepimanikia, cuffs or gloves with the part for the hand cut off. From the girdle theepigonation, a diamond-shaped piece of stuff, stiffened with cardboard, hangs down to the right knee. Lastly, he wears over all thesakkos, a vestment like ourdalmatic. Over the sakkos comes theomophorion. This is a greatpallium of silkembroidered with crosses. There is also a smalleromophorion for some rites. He has apectoral cross, anenkolpion (amedal containing arelic), amitre formed of metal and shaped like an imperial crown, and adikanikion, orcrosier, shorter than ours and ending in two serpents between which is a cross. To give his blessing in the Liturgy he uses thetrikerion in his right and thedikerion in his left hand. These are a triple and double candlestick with candles. Thepriest wears the sticharion, epitrachelion, zone, and epimanikia. If he is a dignitary he wears the epigonation and (inRussia) themitre also. Instead of a sakkos he has aphainolion, ourchasuble, but reaching to the feet behind and at the sides, and cut away in front (seeCHASUBLE and illustrations). Thedeacon wears the sticharion and epimanikia, but no girdle. His stole is called anorarion; it is pinned to the left shoulder and hangs straight down, except that he winds it around his body and over the right shoulder at the Communion. It isembroidered with the word "HAGIOS" three times. A very common abuse (among Melkites too) is for other servers to wear the orarion. This is expressly forbidden by the Council ofLaodicea (c. 360, can. xxii). The Byzantine Rite has no sequence ofliturgical colours. They generally use black for funerals, otherwise any colours for any day. The vessels used for the holy Liturgy are thechalice andpaten (diskos), which latter is much larger than ours and has a foot to stand it (it is never put on thechalice), theasteriskos (a cross of bent metal that stands over thepaten to prevent the veil from touching the holy bread), the spoon (labis) for giving Communion, the spear (logche) to cut up the bread, and the fan (hripidion) which thedeacon waves over theBlessed Sacrament — this is a flat piece of metal shaped like anangel's head with six wings and a handle. Theantimension) is a kind of corporal containingrelics that is spread out at the beginning of the Liturgy. It is really aportable altar. TheHoly Bread (always leavened of course) is made as a flat loaf marked in squares to be cut up during the Proskomide with the letters IC. XC. NI. KA. (Iesous Christos nika). In the diakonikon a vessel is kept with hot water for the Liturgy (Fortescue, op. cit., 403-409; "Echos d'Orient", V, 129-139; R. Storff, "Die griech. Liturg.", 13-14).

Church music

The singing in the Byzantine Rite is always unaccompanied. No musical instrument of any kind may be used in their churches. They have aplain chant of eight modes that correspond to ours, except that they are numbered differently; the four authentic modes (Doric, Phrygian, Lydian, and Mixolydian — our 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th) come first, then the Plagal modes (our 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th). But their scales are different. Whereas ourplainsong is strictly diatonic, theirs is enharmonic with variable intervals. They always sing in unison and frequently change the mode in the middle of a chant. One singer (generally a boy) sings the dominant (to ison) of the mode to the sound of A continuously, while the rest execute their elaborate pneums (seePLAIN CHANT). The result is generally — to our ears — unmelodious and strange, though in some cases a carefully trained choir produces a fine effect. One of the best is that of St. Anne's (Melkite) College atJerusalem, trained by the French Pères Blancs. One of these, Père Rebours, has written an exhaustive and practical treatise of their chant ("Traité de psaltique" etc.; see bibliography). InRussia and lately, to some extent, in themetropolitan church ofAthens they sing figured music in parts of a very stately and beautiful kind. It is probably the most beautiful and suitablechurch music in the world.

The holy liturgy

The present use of the Byzantine Rite confines the older Liturgy of St. Basil to theSundays inLent (exceptPalm Sunday),Maundy Thursday, andHoly Saturday, also the eves ofChristmas and the Epiphany, and St. Basil's feast (1 January). On all other days on which the Liturgy is celebrated they use that ofSt. Chrysostom. But on the weekdays inLent (except Saturdays) they may notconsecrate, so they use for them the Liturgy of the Presanctified. An Orthodoxpriest does not celebrate every day, but as a rule only onSundays and feast-days. The Uniats, however, in this, as in many other ways, imitate the Latin custom. They also have a curious principle that the altar as well as the celebrant must befasting, that is to say that it must not have been used already on the same day. So there is only one Liturgy a day in anOrthodox Church. Where manypriests are present they concelebrate, all saying theAnaphora together over the same offerings. This happens nearly always when abishop celebrates; he is surrounded by hispriests, who celebrate with him. The Liturgy ofSt. Chrysostom, as being the one commonly used, is always printed first in theEuchologia. It is the framework into which the others are fitted and the greater part of the Liturgy is always said according to this form. After it are printed theprayers of St. Basil (always much longer) which are substituted for some of the usual ones when his rite is used, and then the variants of the Liturgy of the Presanctified. The Liturgies of Basil andChrysostom, then, differing only in a certain number of theprayers, may be described together.

The firstrubric directs that the celebrant must be reconciled to all men, keep his heart fromevil thoughts, and befasting since midnight. At the appointed hour (usually immediately after None) the celebrant anddeacon (who communicates and must therefore also befasting) say the preparatoryprayers before the ikonostasis (Brightman, op. cit., 353-354),kiss the holy ikons, and go into the diakonikon. Here they vest, the celebrant blessing each vestment as it is put on, say certainprayers, and wash their hands, sayingverses 6-12 of Psalm 25 ("Lavabo inter innocentes" etc., op. cit., 354-356). Then the first part of the Liturgy, thePreparation of the Offering (proskomide) begins at the credence table (prothesis). The loaves of bread (generally five) are marked in divisions as described above under the caption Altar, etc. The celebrant cuts away with the holy lance the parts marked IC. XC. NI. KA., and says: "TheLamb of God is sacrificed." These parts are then called the Lamb. Thedeacon pours wine and warm water into thechalice. Other parts of the bread are cut away inhonour of the All-holy Theotokos, nine for varioussaints, and others for thebishop, Orthodoxclergy, and various people for whom he wishes topray. This rite is accompanied by manyprayers, the particles (prosphorai) are arranged on the diskos (paten) by the Lamb (that of the Theotokos on the right, because of the verse "The Queen stands at thy right hand". A longrubric explains all this), covered with the asteriskos and veils, and the offerings are repeatedlyincensed. Thedeacon thenincenses the prothesis, altar, sanctuary,nave, and the celebrant. (A detailed account of the now elaborate rite of the Proskomide is given in the "Echos d'Orient", III, 65-78.) They then go to the altar,kiss the Gospel on it and thedeacon holding up his orarion says: It is time to sacrifice to the Lord. Here begin theLitanies (ektenai orsynaptai). The doors of the ikonostasis are opened, and thedeacon goes out through the north door. Standing before the royal doors he chants the Great Litany,praying for peace, theChurch, the patriarch or synod (in Orthodox countries for the sovereign and hisfamily), the city, travellers, etc., etc. To each clause the choir answer "Kyrie eleison". Then follows the first antiphon (onSundaysPsalm 102), and the celebrant at the altar says aprayer. The Short Litany is sung in the same way (the clauses are different, Brightman, op. cit., 362-375) with an antiphon andprayer, and then a thirdlitany; onSundays the third antiphon is the Beatitudes.

The Little Entrance

Here follows the Little Entrance. Thedeacon has gone back to the celebrant's side. They come out through the north door in procession, thedeacon holding the book of the Gospels, withacolytes bearing candles. The troparia (shorthymns) are sung, ending with the Trisagion: "HolyGod, Holy Strong One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us" (three times) ; then "Glory be to the Father", etc. "As it was in the beginning", etc. — and again "Holy God", etc. Meanwhile the celebrant says otherprayers. A reader sings the Epistle; a Gradual is sung; thedeacon sings the Gospel, havingincensed the book; moreprayers follow. Then comeprayers for thecatechumens, and they are dismissed by thedeacon: "Allcatechumens go out. Catechumens go out. Allcatechumens go away. Not one of thecatechumens [shall stay]." — Of course nowadays there are nocatechumens. Theprayers for thecatechumens bring us to the first variant between the two Liturgies. The one said by the celebrant is different (and, as an exception, shorter) in St. Basil's rite (Brightman, op. cit., 374 and 401). Thedeacon says, "All the faithful again and again pray to the Lord in peace", and repeats several times the curious exclamation "Wisdom!" (sophia) that occurs repeatedly in the Byzantine Rite — before the Gospel he says "Wisdom! Upright!" —sophia. orthoi., meaning that the people should stand up.

The Liturgy of the Faithful

The Liturgy of the Faithful begins here.Prayers for the faithful follow (different in the two rites, Brightman, op. cit., 375-377 and 400-401); and then comes the dramatic moment of the Liturgy, theGreat Entrance. The celebrant anddeacon go to the prothesis, the offerings areincensed. Thedeacon covers his shoulders with the great veil (see ÆR) and takes the diskos (paten) with the bread; the thurible hangs from his hand; the celebrant follows with thechalice.Acolytes go in front and form a solemn procession. Meanwhile the choir sings the Cherubic Hymn (Cheroubikos hymnos): "Let us, who mystically represent theCherubim, and who sing to the Life-giving Trinity the thriceholyhymn, put away all earthly cares so as to receive the King of all things [here the procession comes out through the north door] escorted by the army ofangels.Alleluia,alleluia,alleluia." The procession goes meanwhile all round the church and enters the sanctuary by the royal doors. The Cherubic Hymn has a very elaborate and effective melody (Rebours, op. cit., 156-164) with almost endless pneums. Thisceremony, with its allusion to the entrance of the "King of all things" before the offerings areconsecrated, is a curious instance of a dramatic representation that anticipates the real moment of the Consecration. After some moreprayers at the altar, different in the twoliturgies, thedeacon cries out, "The doors! The doors! Let us attend in wisdom", and the doors of the ikonostasis are shut. The Creed is then sung.

The anaphora (canon)

Here begins theAnaphora (Canon). There is first a dialogue, "Lift up your hearts" etc., as with us, and the celebrant begins theEucharistic prayer: "It is meet and just to sing to Thee, tobless Thee, praise Thee and give thanks to Thee in all places. . . ." The form in St. Basil's Rite is much longer. It is not said aloud, but at the end he lifts up his voice and says: "Crying, singing, proclaiming thehymn of victory and saying:" — and the choir sings "Holy, Holy, Holy" etc., as in our Mass. Very soon, after a shortprayer (considerably longer in St. Basil's Rite) the celebrant comes to the words of Institution. He lifts up his Voice and sings: "Take and eat: this is my Body that is broken for you for the forgiveness ofsins"; and through the Ikonostasis the choir answers "Amen". Then: "Drink ye all of this, this is my Blood of theNew Testament that is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness ofsins." R.Amen — as before. The Orthodox, as is known, do not believe that these wordsconsecrate, so they go straight on to the Anamnesis, and a specialrubric in their Euchologion (ed.Venice, 1898, p. 63) warns them not to make any reverence here. The Uniats, on the other hand, make a profound reverence after each form. The Anamnesis (our "Unde et memores") again is longer in theBasilian Liturgy. TheEpiklesis follows. Thedeacon invites the celebrant in each case: "Bless, sir, the holy bread [or wine]." The two forms (of Basil andChrysostom) may stand as specimens of the principle of abbreviation that distinguishes the later rite. In St. Basil's Liturgy it is: "Wepray and beseech thee, O Holy of Holy ones, that according to the mercy of thy favour thy Holy Spirit come down on us and on these present gifts tobless them, sanctify them and to make...." (Chrysostom: "Send down thy Holy Spirit on us and on these present gifts...."). Then, after an irrelevant interpolation, with two verses fromPsalm 50 about the celebrant's ownsoul, he continues (Basil): "this bread the precious Body itself of our Lord andGod and SaviourJesus Christ" (Chrys.: "and make this bread the precious Body of thy Christ").Deacon: "Amen. Bless, Sir, the holychalice." Celebrant (Basil): "But thischalice the Precious Blood itself of ourGod and SaviourJesus Christ" (Chrys.: "And what it is in this Chalice the precious Blood of Thy Christ").Deacon: "Amen. Bless, Sir, both." Celebrant (Basil): "That was shed for the life andsalvation of the world" (Chrys.: "Changing it by thy Holy Spirit").Deacon: "Amen.Amen.Amen." Both then make a deep prostration, and thedeacon waves the ripidion (fan) over theBlessed Sacrament. Thisceremony, now interpreted mystically as a symbol of adoringangels, was certainly once a practical precaution. They have no pall over thechalice and there is a danger of flies. The waving of the ripidion occurs several times during the Liturgy. In the Byzantine Rite, as in all the Antiochenefamily ofliturgies, the Intercession follows at this point. First comes a memory ofsaints; thedeacon then reads the Diptychs of the Dead, and the celebrant says aprayer into which he may introduce the names of any of thefaithful departed for whom he wishes topray.Prayers for the living follow (inRussia for the second time occur the names of "Our Orthodox and Christ-loving Lord Nicholas, Czar and Autocrat of all the Russias" and of all his "right-believing and God-fearing"family), with the names of the patriarch (or Synod) andmetropolitan, and the ending; "and all [masc.] and all [fem.]"kai panton kai pason. Thedeacon then reads the Diptychs of the Living; moreprayers for them follow. Here ends theAnaphora. The celebrantblesses the people: "The mercy of our greatGod and SaviourJesus Christ be with all of you." Choir: "And with thy spirit." And thedeacon goes out to his place before the ikonostasis and reads alitany,praying for various spiritual and temporal favours, to each clause of which the choir answers: "Kyrie eleison", and at the last clause — "Havingprayed in the union offaith and in the communion of the Holy Ghost, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ, ourGod." To Thee, O Lord (Soi, Kyrie). — Meanwhile the celebrant says a longprayer silently. The people sing theLord's Prayer, and the celebrant adds the clause: For Thine is the Kingdom" etc. The Inclination follows. Thedeacon says, "Bow your heads to the Lord" (our "Humiliate capita vestra Domino"); they answer, "To Thee, O Lord", and the celebrant says thePrayer of Inclination (different in the two Liturgies). The preparation for Communion begins here. Thedeacon winds his orarion (stole) around his body, the curtain of the royal doors (they have besides the doors a curtain that is continually drawn backward and forward during the Liturgy) is drawn back, and the celebrant elevates theHoly Eucharist saying, "Holy things for theholy", to which the answer is: "One only is holy, one only is Lord,Jesus Christ in the glory ofGod the Father.Amen." The Communionhymn (koinonikon) of the day is sung, and the Communion begins. While theclergy Communicate in the Sanctuary a sermon is sometimes preached. The celebrant breaks the Holy Bread into four parts, as it is marked, and arranges them on the diskos thus: --

    I S   
N I   K A
    X S   

(Where I=Iota, S=Sigma)

He puts the fraction marked(IOTA-SIGMA) into thechalice, and thedeacon again pours into it a little warm water (the use of warm water is a very old peculiarity of this rite).The part marked(CHI-SIGMA) is divided into as many parts as there arepriests anddeacons to Communicate. Meanwhile,prayers are said; those about to Communicate ask pardon of their offences against each other. The celebrant says, "Behold I draw near to ourimmortal King" etc., and receivesHoly Communion in the form of bread, saying: The precious and all-holy Body of Our Lord and SaviourJesus Christ is given to me N.priest [orbishop] for the forgiveness of mysins and for life everlasting." Then he says, "Deacon, approach". and gives him Communion with the same form (To thee N.deacon etc.). The celebrant then drinks of thechalice with a corresponding form — The precious and all-holy Blood — and communicates thedeacon as before. After Communion each says silently a very beautifulprayer — I believe, Lord, and I confess that Thou art in verytruth Christ, theSon of the living God etc. (Brightman, op. cit., 394.) The rest of theclergy are Communicated from the portion marked(IOTA-SIGMA), that has been put into thechalice and is therefore soaked in theconsecrated wine, with one form (The precious and all-holy Body and Blood). The celebrant divides the portions markedNI andKA, and thedeacon puts them into thechalice with a sponge. The doors are opened and thedeacon says, "Draw near in the fear ofGod and withfaith". The celebrant comes down to the doors with thechalice and the spoon and communicates the people with the Holy Bread dipped in thechalice, and with one form, as before. The people stand to receive Communion (the Byzantine Rite knows practically no kneeling at all). Finally, thedeacon puts all the remaining particles into thechalice and carries it back to the prothesis. Those other particles (prosphora) originally cut off from the bread have lain on the diskos (paten) since the proskomide. It has been a great question whether they areconsecrated or not. The Orthodox now say that they are not, and thedeacon puts them into thechalice after the Communion. It is obviously a question of the celebrant's intention. TheUniatpriests are told toconsecrate them too, and in their Liturgy the people receive in Communion (Fortescue, op. cit., 417; "Echos d'Orient", III, 71-73).

Dismissal

Here begins the Dismissal. Thedeacon unwinds his orarion, goes back to the choir before the ikonostasis, and says a shortlitany again with the choir. He then goes to the prothesis and consumes all that is left of theHoly Eucharist with the prosphora. Meanwhile, some of the bread originally cut up at the Prothesis has remained there all the time. This is now brought to the celebrant, blessed by him, and given to the people as a sacramental (the Frenchpain bénit — seeANTIDORON). After some moreprayers the celebrant anddeacon go to the diakonikon, the doors are shut, they take off their vestments, and the Liturgy is over. The whole service is very much longer than our Mass. It lasts about two hours. It should be noted that all the time that the choir are singing orlitanies being said thepriest is saying otherprayers silently (mystikos). The Byzantine Rite has no provision for lowMass. As they say the Liturgy only onSundays and feast-days, they have less need for such a rite. In cases of necessity, where there is nodeacon, the celebrant supplies his part as best he can. The Uniats, who have begun to celebrate every day, have evolved a kind of low Liturgy; and at the Greek College atRome they have a number of littlemanuscript books containing an arrangement for celebrating with apriest and one lay server only. But in the Levant, at any rate, the Liturgy is always sung, andincense is always used; so that the minimum ofpersons required for the Liturgy is a celebrant, server, and one other man who forms the choir.

Liturgy of the Presanctified

The Liturgy of the Presanctified is fitted into the general framework ofSt. Chrysostom's Rite. It is usually celebrated on Wednesdays and Fridays in the first six weeks ofLent, and on all the days ofHoly Week, exceptMaundy Thursday andEaster Eve which have the real Liturgy (of St. Basil). On other days inLent there is noliturgical service at all. On the Sunday before more loaves (prosphorai) are used than otherwise. The same rite of preparation is made over all. After theElevation the celebrant dips the other prosphoras into thechalice with the spoon, and places it in anotherchalice in the tabernacle (artophorion) kept for this purpose. The Liturgy of the Presanctified is said afterVespers (hesperinos), which forms its first part. There is of course no further Proskomide, but the preparatoryprayers are said by celebrant anddeacon as usual. The Great Litany is introduced into the middle ofVespers. Thehymnphos ilaron (see below) is sung as usual, and the lessons are read. Theprayers forcatechumens and their dismissal follow. The Great Entrance is made with the alreadyconsecrated offerings, and a changed form of the Cherubic Hymn is sung (Maltzew, "Die Liturgien", 149). The curtain of the royal doors is half-drawn across, the wholeAnaphora is omitted, and they go on at once to the Short Litany before theLord's Prayer. TheLord's Prayer, Inclination, andElevation with the form: "The presanctified Holy Things to the holy" follow. Wine and warm water are poured into thechalice, but not, of course,consecrated. Communion is given with one form only. TheBlessed Sacrament already dipped inconsecrated wine is now dipped in unconsecrated wine. The celebrant drinks of this wine after his Communion without anyprayer. The Liturgy ends as usual (with different forms in some parts), and thedeacon consumes what is left of theHoly Eucharist (unless some of it is again reserved for the next Presanctified Liturgy and the wine in the Chalice. This is the merest outline of the rite. Its earlier part is inextricably joined to theVespers (Maltzew, op. cit., 121-158).

The Divine Office

TheDivine Office is very long and complicated. When sung in choir it lasts about eight hours. It is said entirely only bymonks. Secularpriests say part of it, as their devotion dictates. The Uniats frequently apply toRome toknow what to do, and the answer is always:Servetur consuetudo, by which is meant that theirsecular clergy should say as much of the Office as is customary. It is impossible for them to say it all. The Office is divided into the hours named above (underService-books) which correspond to ours, with additional short hours (mesoora) intermediate between Prime,Terce, Sext, None, andVespers. It is made up of psalms, lessons,prayers, and especially of a great number ofhymns in rhythmical prose. ThePsalter is divided into twenty parts calledkathismata, each of which is made up of three sections (staseis). The wholePsalter is sung every week. The most important of the many kinds ofhymns are the following: A canon (kanon) is made up of nine odes corresponding to the nine canticles (of Moses,Exodus 15:1-19;Deuteronomy 32:1-43; of Anna,1 Samuel 2:1-10; Habakkuk 3:2-19;Isaiah 26:9-20;Jonah 2:2-10; the Benedicite,Magnificat, andBenedictus) sung atLauds. Of these canticles the second is sung only inLent; therefore most canons have no second ode. Eachode is supposed to correspond more or less to its canticle. Thus the sixth ode will generally contain a reference to Jona's whale. Otherwise the canon is always about the feast on which it is sung, and much ingenuity is expended in forcing some connexion between the event of the day and the allusions in the canticles. The odes are further divided into aheirmos andtroparia of any number, from three to twenty or more. The heirmos sets the tune for each ode (seePLAIN CHANT), and the troparia follow it. The last troparion of each ode always refers toOur Lady and is calledtheotokion. The odes often make anacrostic in their initial letters; sometimes they arealphabetic. In long canons a poem is intercalated in the middle during which people may sit (they stand for nearly the whole Office); it is calledtheotokion. Three troparia form ankathisma ("house", cf.Italianstanza). The canons for the weekdays are in the Oktoechos, those for immovable feasts in theMenaias, for movable ones in the Triodion and Pentekostarion (see above underService-books). One of the most famous of all isSt. John Damascene's Golden Canon forEaster Day (translated by Dr. J. M. Neale in his "Hymns of the Eastern Church", 4th ed., London, pp. 30-44). Other kinds of chant are thekontakion, a short poem about the feast, thestichos a versicle, generally from a psalm (like ourantiphons), which introduces asticheron, orhymn sung atMatins andVespers. Anidiomelon is a troparion that has its own melody, instead of following a heirmos (for other kinds of chant seeNilles, "Kalend. Man.", pp. lvii-lxix, and the example he gives from the feast of the Transfiguration, 6 August). The Great Doxology (doxologia) is our "Gloria in excelsis", the small one our "Gloria Patri". TheHymnos Akathistos ("standinghymn") is a complete Office inhonour ofOur Lady and of her Annunciation. It has all the Hours and is made up of psalms, odes, etc., like other Offices. It is sung very solemnly on the Saturday before the secondSunday beforeEaster; and they sing parts of it every Friday evening and Saturday morning inLent. It is always sung standing. The Hymnos Akathistos is printed at the end of the Horologion. P. de Meester, O.S.B., has edited it with an Italian translation (Akolouthia tou akathistou hymnou. — Officio dell' inno acatisto, Rome, 1903). At the end ofVespers every day is sung the famousphos ilaron, as the evening light disappears, and the lamps are lit: --

Hail, gladdening Light, of his pure glory poured
Who is theimmortal Father, heavenly, blest,
Holiest of Holies,Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Now we are come to the sun's hour of rest,
The lights of evening round us shine,
Wehymn the Father, Son and Holy Spirit divine,
Worthiest art Thou at all times to be sung
With undefiled tongue,
Son of our God, giver of life alone.
Therefore in all the world, thy glories, Lord, they own.
-- Keble's translation in the "Hymns, Ancient and Modern", No. 18.

The seven Great Mysteries (sacraments)

There are, lastly, services for the administration of theSeven Great Mysteries (the Seven Sacraments) that are printed in theEuchologion after theliturgies (ed. cit., pp. 136-288).

Baptism

Baptism is always conferred by immersion (the Orthodox have gravedoubts as to the validity ofbaptism by infusion. See Fortescue, Orth. E. Church, p. 420). The child is anointed all over its body and dipped three times with its face towards the east. The form is: "The servant ofGod N. isbaptized in the name of the Father,Amen, and of the Son,Amen, and of the Holy Ghost,Amen."

Confirmation

Confirmation follows at once and is conferred bypriests (theHoly See recognizes this confirmation as valid and neither rebaptizes nor reconfirms converts from Orthodoxy). The whole body is again anointed withchrism (to hagion hyron) prepared very elaborately with fifty-five various substances by the cumenical patriarch onMaundy Thursday (Fortescue, op. cit., 425-426). The form is: "The seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Euch., 136-144). The Orthodox never rebaptize when they are sure of the validity of formerbaptism; but they reconfirm continually. Confirmation has become the usual rite of admittance into their Church, even in the case ofapostates who have already been confirmed orthodoxly.

Holy Communion

Thepious Orthodoxlayman Communicates as a rule only four times a year, atChristmas,Easter,Whitsunday, and the Falling Asleep of theMother of God (15 August). TheBlessed Sacrament is reserved for the sick in theartophorion, (orierophylakion) under both kinds more or less, that is to say it has been dipped into thechalice and allowed to dry. It is given to the sick with a spoon and with the usual form (see above underHoly Liturgy). They have no tradition of reverence for the reserved Eucharist.

Penance

Penance (metanoia) is administered rarely, usually on the same occasions asHoly Communion. They have no confessionals. The ghostly father (pneumatikos) sits before the ikonostasis under the picture ofOur Lord, the penitent kneels before him (one of the rare cases of kneeling is in this rite), and severalprayers are said, to which the choir answers "Kyrie eleison". The "choir" is always the penitent himself. Then the ghostly father is directed to say "in a Cheerful voice: Brother, be not ashamed that you come beforeGod and before me, for you do not confess to me but toGod who is present here." He asks the penitent hissins, says that onlyGod can forgive him, but thatChrist gave this power to his Apostles saying: "Whose sins ye shall forgive", etc., and absolves him with a deprecatory form in a longprayer in which occur the words: "May this sameGod, through me a sinner, forgive you all now and for ever." (Euch., pp. 221-223.)

Holy Order

Holy Order (cheirotonia) is given by laying on the right hand only. The form is (fordeacons): "Thegrace of God, that always strengthens the weak and fills the empty, appoints the most religious sub-deacon N. to bedeacon. Let us thenpray for him that the grace of the Holy Ghost may come to him." Longprayers follow, with allusions to St. Stephen and thediaconate; thebishop vests the newdeacon, giving him an orarion and a ripidion. Forpriests andbishops there is the same form, with the obvious variants, "the most religious deacon N. to be priest", or "the most religious elect N. to beMetropolitan of the holy Metropolis N." (nearly all theirbishops have the titleMetropolitan), and the subjects receive their vestments and instruments. Priests andbishops concelebrate at once with the ordainer (Euch., 160-181). The Orthodox believe that the grace ofHoly orders may perish throughheresy orschism, so they generally reordain converts (the Russian Church has officially refused to do this, Fortescue, op. cit., 423-424).

Matrimony

Matrimony (gamos) is often called the "crowning" (stephanoma) from the practice of crowning the spouses (Euch., 238-252). They wear these crowns for a week, and have a special service for taking them off again (Euch., 252).

The Anointing of the Sick

The Anointing of the Sick (euchelaion) is administered (when possible) by sevenpriests. The oil contains as a rule wine, in memory of the GoodSamaritan. It is blessed by apriest just before it is used. They use a very long form invoking the all-holy Theotokos, the "moneyless physicians" Sts. Cosmas and Damian, and othersaints. They anoint the forehead, chin, cheeks, hands, nostrils, and breast with a brush. Eachpriest present does the same (Euch., 260-288). The service is, as usual, very long. They anoint people who are only slightly ill, (they very much resent our name:Extreme Unction), and inRussia onMaundy Thursday the Metropolitans ofMoscow and Novgorod anoint everyone who presents himself, as a preparation forHoly Communion (Echos d'Orient, II, 193-203).

Sacramentals

There are many Sacramentals. People are sometimes anointed with the oil taken from a lamp that burns before a holy icon (occasionally with the form for confirmation: "The seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost"). They have besides the antidoron another kind of blessed bread — thekolyba eaten inhonour of some saint or in memory of the dead. On the Epiphany ("The Holy Lights" —ta hagia phota) there is a solemn blessing of the waters. They have a great number ofexorcisms, very sternlaws offasting (involving abstinence from many things besides flesh meat), andblessings for all manner of things. These are to be found in the Euchologion. Preaching was till lately almost a lost art in theOrthodox Church; now a revival of it has begun (Gelzer, Geistliches u. Weltliches, etc., 76-82). There is a long funeral service (Euch., ed. cit., 393-470). For all these rites (except the Liturgy) apriest does not wear all his vestments but (over his cassock) the epitrachelion and phainolion. The high black hat without a brim (kalemeukion) worn by allpriests of this rite is well known. It is worn with vestments as well as in ordinary life. Bishops and dignitaries have a black veil over it. All clerks wear long hair and abeard. For a more detailed account of all these rites see "Orth. Eastern Church", pp. 418-428.

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