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Silent, cruciform censing. (The creation of
the world and the salvation of the world). Intonation to the glory of the Holy
Trinity: "Glory to the Holy, Consubstantial 1, Indivisible Trinity..."
(Glory to the Creator).
Hymn: "O come let us worship..." (Glory to the Saviour). |
THE ALL-NIGHT VIGIL is conducted on the eve of Sundays and feastdays. The Vigil combines in itself part of the evening service and part of the morning service: from the evening service comes Vespers, while from the morning service comes Matins and the First Hour. In this way, one must distinguish three parts in the Vigil:
VESPERS From the creation of the world to the
Nativity of Christ Both in the content of its prayers and in the actions appointed for the clergy, Vespers tells us about the creation of the world and the spiritual life of people before the coming to earth of the Saviour. By giving attention to what we hear and see during Vespers, we are transported into the time of Old Testament humanity and experience in our hearts that which it experienced. What precisely does Vespers portray and how-by what actions and by what words of prayers and hymns? In knowing what is portrayed in Vespers (and likewise in Matins), it is easy to understand and remember the entire progression of the service-that order in which there follow one after another the hymns, readings and sacred actions. THE CREATION OF THE WORLD 1. In the beginning God created heaven and earth, the earth was still without form, and over it in silence there was borne the Life-giving Spirit of God, as if pouring into it the powers of life. The Vigil transports us to this beginning of creation: the service begins in complete silence: the Royal Doors are open as the priest and deacon silently cease around the altar table. The censing on four sides forms the sign of a cross, and in complete silence, only here within the altar, arise clouds of incense, just as the Holy Spirit was borne aloft in silence over the formless earth, while the cruciform censing speaks of the salvation of the world through the Lifegiving Cross of the Lord, through the Saviour's sacrifice on the Cross. The cruciform censing unites in one action the creation of the world and the salvation of the world, just as they were united in the eyes of God, in God's pre-eternal Counsel. (The Saviour is called "the Lamb of God, slain from the creation of the world".) That which is represented by this initial action is pro claimed in the first words of the Vigil. The priest's first exclamation glorifies the Creator of the world-the Lifegiving Trinity: "Glory to the Holy, Consubstantial, Undivided and Lifegiving Trinity"...while the first hymn, which follows this exclamation, glorifies the Saviour of the world: |
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This hymn is chanted within the altar. Psalm about the creation of the world:
"Bless the Lord, O my soul..." Censing around the entire church, among the
people; the Royal Doors are open. The Royal Gates are closed. The deacon
exits. The deacon stands before the Royal Gates;
the Great Litany. Psalms from the first kathisma: Blessed is
the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly (the first
sound of hope). Penitential psalms. |
"O Come, let us worship God Our King ... Christ Himself, our King and our God..." This hymn comes from within the altar, revealing the meaning of what has just been performed there-the cruciform censing. 2. God "formed" the formless earth in six days of creation—everything became beautiful (it was good). The choir sings a psalm about the creation of the world, about its beauty: "Bless the Lord, O my soul..." Here there is depicted the creation of the world; we hear the words, in wisdom hast Thou made them all ... wondrous are Thy works, O Lord... THE BLESSED LIFE OF THE
FIRST PEOPLE At the creation of the world paradise was open to man, God was close to him (in this consisted his blessedness). The Royal Doors stand open, just as the doors of paradise were open. The priest comes out of the altar and, censing the whole church, he walks among the people, just as God walked among the people in paradise. The congregation shares with the first people the feeling of joy in the knowledge of the nearness of God, and their prayers arise to God, like the incense which fills the whole church. THE FALL The people were unable to handle their freedom; they gave in to the deceit of the devil and departed from submission to the will of God. This sin of insubmission deprived the people of God's nearness, and the paradise of a blessed life was closed to them. Adam became a slave of sin and death. He was expelled from paradise, and an angel with a sword stood at the gates to paradise. After the censing the altar doors are closed, just as paradise was closed. The deacon comes out from the altar and stands before the dosed gates of the altar, just as Adam stood before the gates of paradise. On the door through which the deacon leaves the altar is usually depicted an angel with a sword-as if guarding the entry to paradise. THE REPENTANCE AND HOPE OF ADAM Just as Adam, at the gates of paradise, turned in repentance with prayer to God, so, too, the deacon before the Royal Gates, begins the petition-the Great Litany: "In peace, let us pray to the Lord"... Then Adam hears God's promise-"the seed of a woman shall bruise the head of the serpent," a Saviour shall come to earth-and a fire of hope is kindled in Adam's soul. This hope is heard in the Vigil in the psalms of the first kathisma (the first section of the Psalter): "Blessed is the man, who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly"... Normally, only selected verses are used, sung triumphantly with the refrain, "Alleluia"... THE REPENTANCE AND HOPE OF
SINFUL MANKIND The voices of grief and hope, first heard at the very gates of paradise, do not fall silent until the coming of Christ. |
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Individual verses: "Lord, I have cried unto
Thee, hearken unto me; hearken unto me 0 Lord..." "Let my prayer be set forth..." Censing. Hope: versifies on 'Lord, I have cried...'
(New Testament content). Verses before them (from the Old Testament
Psalms): "Bring my soul out of prison..." "Out of the depths have I
cried unto Thee, 0 Lord..."
The Appearance of the Son of God 1) is celebrated in song by the dogmatic;
the Royal Doors open 2) is celebrated in action by the evening
entrance a. the priest is preceded by the deacon
b. the entrance is "simple" "Wisdom, let us attend." |
1) REPENTANCE. The grief and repentance of fallen mankind are passed on from generation to generation in the penitential psalms which are chanted as separate verses, with particular solemnity and special melodies. First are chanted two verses from the Psalm, "Lord, I have cried unto Thee": "Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto me..:' and "Let my prayer be set forth, as incense before Thee...During the chanting of these verses, the deacon censes; the incense rises, like the supplication of sinful mankind to its Creator. And with this supplication is joined our own prayer, for we likewise are sinners. The words of the psalms, so simple and moving, come from our hearts also: Hear us, 0 Lord. 2) HOPE. Among the following penitential verses "Bring my soul out of prison...", "Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, 0 Lord. 0 Lord, hear my voice," etc.-are heard the sounds of hope in the promised Saviour. This hope among grief is heard in the hymns after "Lord, I have cried," the so-called "versicles on 'Lord I have cried.'" If the verses before the versicles speak about the Old Testament darkness and grief, the versicles (the refrains to the verses, supplementing them as it were) speak about the New Testament joy and light. The Sunday versicles sing of the glory of the Resurrection; the festal versicles sing of the reflection of this glory in the festal events and personages (saints). "Lord, I have cried..." together with the versicles are chanted in eight different melodies or tones; these tones change weekly, throughout the year. GOD'S RESPONSE TO THE PEOPLE'S REPENTANCE AND HOPE; THE APPEARANCE OF THE SON OF GOD God's response manifested itself in the birth of the Son of God on earth. 1. This is spoken of in a special verse, the Theotokion, which is sung directly after the versicle on "Lord, I have cried." It is called the dogmatic Theotokion because it contains a dogma (in Greek, "teaching") about the birth of God. There are eight dogmatic Theotokia; each tone has its own dogmatic. Before the dogmatic there is chanted not an Old Testament verse, but a New Testament verse: "Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit...", because it speaks not about the Old Testament hope but about its fulfillment, about the accomplished Incarnation. 2. This appearance of the Son of God on earth is depicted in sacred actions, in the so-called evening entrance: a) During the singing of the
dogmatic the priest opens the Royal Gates, indicating the joining of
heaven and earth, while through the north door he appears from the
altar, preceded by the deacon, as the Son of God appeared to the people
preceded by b) And just as the Son of God
appeared on earth in humbleness, so the priest walks silently, his
hands down at his side ("simply," as the Typicon says), while the choir
concludes the evening entrance with the prayer, "0
gentle light...", whose words signify what the priest depicts through action; it speaks of the gentle
light, of the humility of the Son of God, Who appeared not in the
fullness of the Divine Glory of the Heavenly Father, but with the
gentle light of that glory. |
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"O gentle light ... of the holy glory of
the immortal Heavenly Father ... Jesus Christ..." Prokimenon: 'The Lord is enthroned"...
(proclaimed from the altar) On the eves of feasts, Old Testament
readings with special verses. Strengthening of prayer b. supplicatory litany: "Let us complete
our evening prayer unto the Lord..." c) Litya (on the eve of feasts) The Prayer of St. Simeon the God-receiver:
"Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, 0 Master..." |
In order to turn the attention of the faithful to the wise, profound meaning of the evening entrance, and especially its conclusion with the prayer "0 Gentle Light", the deacon, after the dogmaticon, intones "Wisdom," and then, with the words "Let us attend," calls all to be reverently humble, "simple," in the same manner in which the priest came out, to strive towards this Gentle Light which enlightens all. The Lord promised and mankind hoped that the Son of the Virgin would crush the head of the serpent, would accomplish the royal feat of victory over the devil. In the Sunday vespers the fulfillment of this hope is expressed by the triumphant proclamation of the Lord's enthronement: after "0 Gentle Light" follows the prokimenon: "The Lord is enthroned, He is clothed with majesty." At great feasts, after the prokimenon of the feast, there are special readings (paremii or parables), prophecies from the Old Testament. The readings describe the grandeur and glory of the celebrated Event or Personage, how they were foretold by the prophets or prefigured by Old Testament events. The grandeur ("majesty") of the feast in general reflects that grandeur in which the Lord clothed Himself. For this reason it is fitting to substitute the Sunday prokimenon with the festal prokimenon and the readings. THE GROWING CLOSENESS BETWEEN GOD AND MAN With the Incarnation of the Son of God, the proximity between God and man was strengthened, their communion in prayer was strengthened. The image of the incarnate Son of God irrepressibly draws to itself the hearts of the faithful, and in Vespers there is heard the intensified prayer: a) the great (augmented) litany with the thrice repeated "Lord, have mercy" and b) the supplicatory litany and, before great feasts, c) the Litya, a still more fervent supplication before the doors of the church, with an appeal to the Theotokos and the saints, as our intercessors before God, and with special verses. THE MEETING OF THE SON OF GOD In remembrance of the meeting of the Son of God on earth there is sung or read the prayer, "Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace...", the prayer of St. Simeon the God-receiver, who with faith and hope waited many years for the coming of the Saviour, as though in the person of the whole of mankind, striving to approach God. The Lord is always waiting for man to make a move; he must make the first step toward God, for the Lord never forcefully imposes anything on him. In looking upon the image of the Lord appearing on earth, one's thought involuntarily turns to the one who manifest an intense striving towards the Saviour, an intense anticipation of Him on earth, as if representing in himself all those going towards God, from the right- eons men and women of the Old Testament and those kings and prophets who, in the word of the Saviour, desired to see Him and did not, and including those people "awaiting a Redeemer," who happened to be among those praying in the temple the day of the Meeting and in whose presence the righteous Simeon and Anna made their prophecies. |
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"Virgin Theotokos, rejoice..."
The Royal Doors are opened. On the eve of feasts: the troparion of the feast and the blessing of
the loaves.. The beginning of Matins The angels' doxology: "Glory to God in the
highest and on earth peace, good- will among men." Six Psalms About a Christian's joys and sorrows (like
St. Seraphim's). |
THE MERIT OF HER THROUGH WHOM THE SON OF GOD CAME INTO THE WORLD But the greatest striving towards God was manifest by the Virgin Mary. She, who "sprouted from man," in her striving towards God rose to such heights that she became worthy of giving flesh to God come to earth and of becoming His Mother. She destroyed the boundary between God and man ("destroying the wall of enmity"). Through Her the Lord came to earth, and in her honor the angel's greeting, "Virgin Theotokos rejoice...", is chanted before the open Royal Doors. (The kontakion for the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord notes that the Lord "preceded", quickened our salvation, "sanctifying the Virgin's womb ... and blessing the hands of Simeon.") On the eve of feasts the Theotokos is commemorated and entreated in prayer at the Litya, in which case "Virgin Theotokos rejoice..." is not sung, but is replaced by the troparion of the Feast, after which there is the blessing of the loaves (a tradition from old times when, due to the long service, it was necessary to give some sustenance to the congregation). The priest concludes Vespers by blessing the congregation in the name of the Incarnate Lord: "The blessing of the Lord be upon you..." MATINS (The Second part of the Vigil) The New Testament life of
the people; THE BEGINNING OF A BRIGHT, GRACE-FILLED LIFE With the coming of the Saviour there began for the true followers of Christ a bright and grace-filled life-Love and peace with God, love and peace with people, love and peace in the soul. The general picture of this bright life is depicted during Matins with the angels' hymn: "Glory to God in the highest...", which sounded forth at the very birth of this life, on the night of Christ's Nativity. It is likewise illustrated by the Six Psalms, with which Matins begins. 1. The Angels'
Doxology The angels' doxology briefly but
clearly denotes three fundamental and connected strivings of the
Christian: upwards to God (glory to God in the highest), across to his
neighbor (and on earth peace) and into the depths of his heart
(goodwill among men), which forms the sign of the Cross, manifesting
itself in this way as a symbol of the true Christian life, giving peace
with God, peace with others and peace in the soul. 2. The Six Psalms The Six Psalms illumine in greater detail this New Testament Christian life-not only its overall joyous, bright disposition but also the sorrowful path to this Christian joy. The Six Psalms bring to mind the image of St. Seraphim-always radiant and joyful, and at the same time always calling himself "wretched, sinful" Seraphim, trusting solely upon the Lord. |
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a. Psalms of joy: 1st-Ps. 3; 3rd-Ps. 62; 5th-Ps. 102. b. Sorrowful psalms, about Humility, repentance, hope, as ways to joy. Second-Ps. 37 Fourth-Ps. 87 Sixth-Ps.142 Joyous and sorrowful psalms alternate the
reverent attention of the faithful. The priest before (the silent royal doom Prayer) The great litany |
a) The bright and joyful state, announced by the angels, are echoed by the first, third and fifth Psalms which are read -joyful psalms, speaking about life amidst the mercy and blessed assistance of God ("joyous" Seraphim). b) the three remaining psalms-2, 4, and 6-psalms of sorrow, illumine the sorrowful path to this joyful life (the path of "wretched" Seraphim), creating a disposition of humility, repentance, hope, sorrow in the midst of joy. ("Blessed are the poor in spirit," "blessed are they that mourn," our Saviour taught.) The Psalms are full of these dispositions. Joy and sorrow, sorrow and joy are heard simultaneously in the words of the Six Psalms, just as they should be heard simultaneously in each Christian soul. In order to nurture within oneself this Christian disposition, one must listen with utmost attention and reverence to the words of the Six Psalms, one must become penetrated by them, as if they flow from the depths of one's soul. (This point is likewise emphasized in the Church Typicon.) In the middle of the Six Psalms, before the fourth and most sorrowful of the psalms, the priest comes out from the al t4 d an. ;, standing before the Royal Doors, silently reads seecial prayers (matinal)-as though Christ Himself has come forth as our intercessor, praying together with us and strengthening our hope in God's help. After the Six Psalms, in the great litany (ektenia), we pray for this grace-filled help from God. THE SPIRITUAL FEAT OF THE SON OF GOD The appearance of the Son of God effects a joyful transformation in the life of mankind. What precisely did Christ do that brought forth this transformation? As Matins unfolds, it portrays Christ's accomplishment: 1) The Son of God did not disdain to become a man (we hear of this in the prokemenon) 2) The Son of God endured sufferings, crucifixion and death (the kathismas) 3) The Son of God arose, sanctifying man's nature (polyelei and the reading of the Gospel) 4) The Son of God sanctifies and transfigures all who desire to be joined to Him-He saves all of them from sin and death (canon). Those praying, having been brought into the proper disposition by the Six Psalms, should, in beholding Christ's achievement, experience it and becoming spiritual united with Christ. |
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The prokemenon: "God is the Lord and has
appeared unto us..." Troparion. Kathismas: a) containing prophecies concerning the
sufferings and death of the Saviour b) the response to the Saviour's call,
"Repent!"
Polyelei with full illumination, the Royal
Doors open and censing. The voice of the angels: "Praise ye the name of the Lord..." |
THE SON OF GOD BECAME MAN In order to restore man's fallen human nature, God, our Lord, did not disdain to become a man, while remaining God. This is the subject of the Sunday Matins prokemenon: "God is the Lord and has appeared unto us..." God is our Lord and He appeared among us. The sufferings, death and resurrection of the incarnate Lord-which come further down the path to the salvation of the world-are heralded by the troparion which follows. (The troparion speaks briefly of the Saviour's accomplishment, which will be illumined in greater detail in subsequent parts of the Matins service.) On the eve of feasts the troparion of the feast is sung-a short account about the feast or the life of the saint, about what was made possible thanks to the manifestation of the Son of God and His sanctification of the world. THE SON OF GOD ENDURED 1) This is related in the kathismas-the psalms of King David, which prophetically describe the sufferings and death of the Saviour, His immortality and His descent into hades, and likewise the glory of His Resurrection (kathismas II and III, read at Sunday Matins). Here we hear about how He was mocked, about how His hands and feet were pierced, how lots were thrown and His garments divided, about His incorruption and how He did not remain in hades, about the path of life instead of death, about blessedness and glory, etc.. (Psalms 21,15, 23). 2) At the same time the kathismas
evoke feelings of repentance and compunction for sins, the same
feelings called forth by the first words of our Saviour's ministry on
earth: Repent, for the THE SON OF GOD ROSE FROM THE DEAD Christ's Resurrection is the subject of the more triumphant part of Matins: the polyelei (polyelei literally means "much mercy" or, in another sense, much oil, much light). Both through the actions of the clergy and the words that are chanted, the polyelei calls forth images of Christ's Resurrection and the events which followed it. At the polyelei the Royal Doors are opened, the entire church is brightly illumined, and the priest appears from the open altar, censing the whole church. We see a reflection of the stone rolled away from the tomb and the brightness of the angel, we see Christ risen from the tomb and appearing once again among His disciples. In the Gospel reading and singing which follow, we hear about what occurred after the Resurrection. 1) The angels were the first to learn of Christ's Resurrection and the first to announce this to the people. The polyelei begins with the triumphant singing of the psalm: "Praise ye the name of the Lord...", with the refrain, the angels' exclamation: "Alleluia": Praise ye the name of the
Lord, Alleluia. O ye servants, praise the
Lord. Alleluia. Blessed is the Lord out of
Sion, Who dwelleth in 0 give thanks unto the Lord,
for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever. Alleluia. 0 give thank unto the God of heaven, for His mercy endureth forever. Alleluia. This sounds forth like the voice of the angels, calling us to glorify the risen Lord. We must respond to this voice, receive it into the depths of our heart and become inflamed with the joy of the Resurrection. |
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The Resurrection troparia: "The assembly of
angels was amazed..." (the testimony of the myrrh-bearers) The voice of the apostles: the reading of
the Gospel" Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ,
let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless One. We worship
Thy Cross, 0 Christ, and Thy holy Resurrection we praise and glorify,
for Thou art our God..." The veneration of the Gospel or festal icon
(with anointing) The joy of salvation Canon, composed of 9 songs- irmosi and many
troparia. Refrains read before the troparia: "Glory
to Thy holy Resurrection, 0 Lord „ and "Most Holy Theotokos, save us,"
etc.. |
2) The myrrhbearing women were next to learn of the Resurrection. After "praise ye..." we chant the Resurrection troparia about the visitation of the myrrhbearing women to the tomb and the appearance of the angel telling them of the Resurrection and bidding them to relate this to the apostles. "The assembly of angels was amazed..." "Very early the myrrhbearing women hastened unto Thy tomb, lamenting, but the angel stood before them and said.." "Before each troparion is sung the refrain: "Blessed are Thou, 0 Lord, teach me Thy statutes." 3) Finally, the apostles learned of the Resurrection and preached to all the world. After the preparatory exclamations and prayer the Gospel is read; we hear, as it were, the voice of the apostles, preachers of the Resurrection. There are eleven Resurrection Gospels which are read consecutively, one each week, at the Saturday vigil services through the course of the year; these selections tell of the Saviour's Resurrection and His appearance to the myrrhbearers and the disciples. Usually the Sunday Gospel is read by the priest in the altar: the glad tidings of the Resurrection sound forth as if from the very tomb of the Lord. Then, during the singing of the hymn, "Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ...", the Holy Gospel is carried to the center of the church for veneration by the faithful. At the vigils for feasts, Christ's Resurrection is recalled in sacred actions during the polyelei and the hymn, "Praise ye the name of the Lord..." In place of the Resurrection troparia and the Resurrection Gospel, the magnification (a brief verse in honor of the feast) is sung before the icon of the feast and there, too, is read the Gospel concerning the essence of the feast or the spiritual accomplishments of the saint. When the faithful venerate the icon they are anointed with oil which has been blessed at the blessing of the loaves. (At feasts the lamp of Christ's Resurrection is alight, and therefore the Sunday readings and hymns can be replaced by festal readings and singing, describing what grew out of the ground of the Resurrection.) THE SON OF GOD ENLIGHTENS ALL Human nature is enlightened by the Resurrection, and this enlightenment awaits all who unite themselves to Christ. Even now, in the saints and especially in the person of the Theotokos we already see the coming enlightenment. The joy of salvation sounds forth triumphantly in the canon, which follows the Gospel reading. The canon is comprised of nine songs or irmosi, and a series of verses, troparia, which are read between the irmosi together with their corresponding refrains: "Glory to Thy holy Resurrection, 0 Lord," "Most Holy Theotokos, save us,""Holy Saint Nicholas, pray to God for us," etc.. In the Resurrection canons, at the Saturday night vigils, Christ's Resurrection and the enlightenment of the world which followed, the victory over sin and death, is illumined from all sides and joyously hymned. (There are eight Resurrection canons, one for each tone.) Similarly, the festal canons illumine the meaning of the feast or the life of the saint, as an image of the already accomplished enlightenment of the world. The Church celebrates, beholding the reflections of this transfiguration, the victory over sin and death. |
| Exclamation with censing: "The Theotokos
and the Mother Light let us magnify in song." "My soul doth magnify the Lord"... with the
refrain: "More honorable than the cherubim... 11 or, on
the eve of feasts, "Magnify, O my soul..." The joy of the doxology. Songs and psalms of praise. every breath
praise the Lord," etc.. "Most blessed art thou, 0 Virgin Theotokos". Exclamation: "Glory to Thee, who has shown
us the light!" The Great Doxology: "Glory to God in the
highest..." Augmented litany of supplication. |
Between the eighth and ninth songs of the canon, we hymn that representative of the human race who attained the highest illumination-the Mother of God; in her honor we chant the song, "My soul doth magnify the Lord..." with the refrain at each verse of this son "More honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim..." at which time the central icon of the Mother of God is ceased with the exclamation, "The Theotokos and the Mother of Light let us magnify in song." At the vigil of feasts this exclamation is not heard and instead of "My soul doth magnify..." we chant a special magnification, commensurate with the feasts, beginning with the words: "Magnify, O my soul..." THE GLORIFICATION OF THE SON OF GOD After the canon, the spiritual feat of the Son of God is so brightly illumined before the faithful that they are involuntarily inspired to give praise and glory to Him. We chant hymns of praise and psalms of praise, calling all creation to glorify the Lord, for together with man, all creation likewise awaits its transfiguration. "Let every breath praise the Lord..." "Praise the Lord from the highest..." etc.. After the hymn of praise to the Theotokos, "Most blessed art thou, 0 Virgin Theotokos...", the Royal Doors open and we chant the triumphant Great Doxology after the exclamation by the priest, "Glory to Thee Who hast shown us the light!" The Great Doxology, "Glory to God in the highest...", in which principally we give praise to the Saviour, ends with the Trisagion, "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us," in honor of the Most Holy Trinity. INTENSIFIED SUPPLICATION Just as the image of the coming to earth of the Son of God roused us during vespers to intensified prayer, expressed by the augmented litany of supplication, likewise at the end of Matins the image of the Son of God Who has accomplished His podvig, inspires the same type of intensified prayer; Matins ends with an augmented litany of supplication and the usual concluding prayers (so called "dismissal"). THE FIRST HOUR Matins is filled with joy: each person who unites himself with Christ is saved and is resurrected together with Him. However, in order to unite oneself to Christ, one must desire this; a man must freely go to meet Christ; an Orthodox Christian humbly considers himself as a sinner who is merely moving in the direction of Christ. For this reason the vigil does not conclude with the triumph and joy of Matins, but there is added a third part-the First Hour, a service of humility, repentance, of meek striving towards God. If we return to the image of Saint Seraphim, then we can say that Matins inspired us with the disposition of the bright, "joyous Seraphim". The First Hour, on the other hand, should inspire us with the disposition of "wretched, sinful Seraphim." Only together can these two dispositions of joy and sorrow give the fullness of the Christian character, as it is delineated in the Six Psalms. |
| Atmosphere of humility: the church is dim,
there is little sin singing; the removed priest has his chasuble. Content: 3 psalms Prayer: 'Thou Who at all times and at every
hour..." "To thee, the champion leader..." Dismissal |
The setting for the First Hour is humble: the church is submerged in semi-darkness: the lights are off, there is almost no singing; the priest has taken off his vestment, leaving only his stole; from the cliros one hears the voice of the reader. The main content of the service consists in the following: 1) Three psalms, filled with an awareness of our weakness and unworthiness, with repentance and humble turning to God; 2) Troparia (hymns)-voices of joy which even amid sorrow does not leave us; 3) Prayers: "Thou Who at all times..."", in which man responds to Christ's call to salvation, entreating Him, that He, "Who calls all men to salvation," would support us on this path to salvation, that He would enlighten our souls, purify our bodies, correct our thoughts, surround us with His holy angels... For man himself must tread the path to salvation, but he cannot do this on his own without the grace-filled help of God. The faithful appeal for this grace-filled aid at the end of the First Hour likewise to Her who stands closest of all to God and acts as mankind's most certain intercessor, we chant to the Mother of God the hymn: "To thee, the champion leader...", after which the priest reads the dismissal of the First Hour (concerning our salvation by the Resurrected Christ, our True God, by the prayers of His Most Holy Mother and all the saints), thus concluding the All-Night Vigil. |