Anektenia (fromGreek:ἐκτένεια,romanized: ekténia; itself fromGreek:ἐκτενής,romanized: ektenés; literally, "diligence"), often called by the better known English wordlitany, consists of a series of petitions occurring in theEastern Orthodox andByzantineCatholic liturgies. InGreek:συναπτή,romanized: synaptê is the prevalent ecclesiastical word for this kind of litany, while inChurch Slavonic:ектенїѧ,romanized: yekteniya is the preferred word.
A litany is normally intoned by adeacon, with the choir or people chanting the responses. As he concludes each petition, the deacon raises the end of hisorarion andcrosses himself; if there is no deacon serving, the petitions are intoned by apriest.[a] During many litanies the priest says a prayer silently;[b] after the last petition of the litany, the priest says anecphonesis which, when a silent prayer is said during the litany, is the final phrase of that prayer.
When there is no priest present during thecanonical hours, the litanies are not said; rather, thereader replaces them by saying "Lord, have mercy," three, twelve, or forty times, depending on which litany is being replaced.
So called not only because of its length, but because of its importance, coming near the beginning of major services such as theDivine Liturgy,Matins,Vespers,Baptism,Great Blessing of Waters, etc. This ektenia is also called the Litany of Peace (Greek:Εἰρηνικά/Eirênika; Slavonic:Мирнаѧ Ектенїѧ/Mirnaya Ekteniya) because of the opening petition: "In peace, let us pray to the Lord".
theLitany of Supplication (Slavonic:Ектения просительная/Ekteniya prositelnaya):
So called because most of the petitions end with the deacon saying, "...let us ask of the Lord," to which the choir responds, "Grant [it], O Lord". (Greek:Παράσχου, Κύριε/Paraskhou, Kyrie; Slavonic:Подаи, Господи/Podai, Ghospodi. In both languages, the verb does not require an object.)
theLitany of Fervent Supplication (Slavonic:Ектения сугубая/Ekteniya Sugubaya) also sometimesImpetratory Litany, Augmented Litany, Fervent Litany:
This litany is remarkable because of the fervor conveyed in the petitions, and heard audibly in the responses, as indicated by the threefold response of the choir, "Lord, have mercy" (thrice). At the divine liturgy, this litany may also be augmented with special petitions, according to need as the pastor sees fit.
So called because of its brevity, being only three petitions long. The Little Litany has elements of the other ektenias in it: the fervency of the Litany of Supplication, and the prayer for peace of the Great Litany, being a brief statement of the faith and hope of the church and often serving as a bridge between parts of the services.
theLitany of the Catechumens (Slavonic:Ектения об оглашаемых/Ekteniya ob oglashaemykh):
At the Divine Liturgy, this litany traditionally ended the part of the service which thecatechumens were permitted to attend. This litany is composed of several petitions for the catechumens as they prepare for baptism, and concludes with a dismissal of the catechumens, and (in older times) the closing of the doors of thetemple to all but baptized members in good standing.
theLitany of the Faithful (Slavonic:Ектения о выходе оглашенных/Ekteniya o vykhode oglashennykh):
At the divine liturgy there are a pair of these following the dismissing of the catechumens and commencing the Liturgy of the Faithful, as those remaining prepare for the mystery ofHoly Communion. These are unique in that the deacon exclaims, "Wisdom!" before the priest says the ecphonesis.
Some litanies occur only in particular services, usually in the form of special petitions that are added to the Great Litany (such as at baptism, the special Kneeling Vespers atPentecost), or unique litanies that occur in only one service (such as those atRequiem services orHoly Unction).
TheLiturgy of the Presanctified Gifts contains the litanies found in the other forms of the divine liturgy, a few being altered for the context of the presanctified. One unique litany during this service is the Ektenia for Those Preparing for Illumination (i.e., for thosecatechumens in the final stages of preparation forbaptism onPascha).
There is also a special form of litany called ality (Greek:Λιτή/Litê; Slavonic:Литїѧ/Litiya)[1] which is intoned atgreat vespers, consisting of several long petitions, mentioning the names of numerous saints, to which the choir responds with "Lord, have mercy," many times.
^A few litanies are prescribed to be intoned by a priest, such as the ones at the end ofcompline and themidnight office and those used at the laying-on of hands (ordination) of a priest or bishop.
^When no deacon is serving, the response to the last petition is typically prolonged to give the priest time to finish the prayer.
^Hapgood, Isabel F. (1922),Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church (5th ed.), Englewood NJ: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese (published 1975), pp. 13, 594
