Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on April 7th. The first mentions of the celebration of the Annunciation date back to the 3rd century. The circumstances of the Annunciation are described in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1.26–38). When did it happen?

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (April 7) The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is dedicated to the remembrance and glorification of the event described in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1, 26-38). Ancient Christians had different names for this holiday: the Conception of Christ, the Annunciation

“Liturgics. Twelfth holidays. Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary St. Petersburg Orthodox Theological Academy, teacher Archpriest Vitaly Grishchuk, v.grishchuk..."

Liturgics.

Twelfth holidays.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

St. Petersburg Orthodox Theological Academy,

teacher Archpriest Vitaly Grischuk,

[email protected] www.st-alexandra.ru

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. History of the event. 3

2. Date of celebration. 6

3. The history of the formation of the holiday. 8

4. Name of the holiday. eleven

5. General features of worship on the Feast of the Annunciation 12

6. Schematic order of services during the forefeast, holiday and afterfeast. 17

7. The main Annunciation chapter of the Typikon (March 25). "The Annunciation of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary." 19

8. Review of Mark's chapters of the Feast of the Annunciation. 33 Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 2 Annunciation (Greek; Lat.

Annuntiatio - proclamation) is one of the main Christian holidays dedicated to gospel event announcement (good news) by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary about the future birth according to the flesh from her of Jesus Christ. Celebrated by the Church on March 25.

1. History of the event.

The general meaning of the Old Russian words “blagovestie”, “annunciation” is good, joyful news (any news). The term "Gospel"

used by evangelists to denote the good news about Christ, about our salvation.

In a special, Liturgical, meaning, the term “Annunciation” refers to the event celebrated by the Church on March 25.

The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is dedicated to the remembrance and glorification of the event described in the Gospel of Luke (1, 26-38).

Luke's gospel narrative begins with a different kind of good news. The angel Gabriel informed Zechariah, the priest of the Jerusalem temple, who was old and childless, the news that his wife Elizabeth had conceived the long-awaited firstborn. And the son will be great before God and will prepare people for the coming of the Savior. From this time the Apostle Luke counts the time of the Annunciation.

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to

A virgin betrothed to a husband named Joseph, of the house of David; the name of the Virgin:

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 3 28 The angel, entering Her, said: Rejoice, Blessed One! The Lord is with You;

Blessed are You among women.

29 But when she saw him, she was troubled by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this would be.

30 And the Angel said to Her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for You have found favor with God;

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of His father David;

33 And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.

34 And Mary said to the angel: How will this be, since I do not know the husband?

35 The angel answered and said to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

36 Behold your relative Elizabeth, who is called barren, and she conceived a son in her old age, and she is already in her sixth month, 37 for no word will fail with God.

38 Then Mary said, Behold, the Handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word. And the Angel departed from Her.

In the 6th month after the conception of Saint John the Baptist by righteous Elizabeth, the Archangel Gabriel was sent from God to the city.

Nazareth to the Blessed Virgin Mary with the joyful news that she will become the Mother of the Savior of the world. The virgin was embarrassed by the angelic greeting and pondered its meaning. Mary, in bewilderment, asked the angel how this event could happen if she was a virgin. The angel answered Her that the incarnation of the Son of God was accomplished by the miraculous action of the Holy Spirit. Mary saw the will of God in the angel’s words and humbly expressed her submission and consent.

The apocryphal gospels - “The Proto-Gospel of Jacob” and the “Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew” (“The Book of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary and the Childhood of the Savior”) - do not change the general story of the appearance of the Archangel to the Virgin Mary, but add some details that were later reflected in iconography and hymnography. According to the apocrypha of the 2nd century, Mary fell by lot to weave a new curtain or carpet of purple for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 4 of the Jerusalem Temple. Having gone to fetch water, she heard an angelic greeting at the well. Not seeing anyone nearby, she returned home.

Sitting down at the spinning wheel, Mary saw an angel who announced the Gospel about the birth of the Son of God. The apocrypha also emphasizes the mysterious form of conception. After the angel departed, Mary finished spinning and took her work to the high priest. Another church tradition says that at the moment the angel appeared to the Blessed Virgin, she was reading the Holy Scriptures.

That is why on some icons at the moment of the Annunciation the Virgin Mary is depicted with an open book, or at a well, or with a spinning wheel.

The plot of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, although it is distant in time from the Annunciation, has one similar motive: on the eve of her death, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and informed Her of her imminent death.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 5

2. Date of celebration.

On the one hand, it is exactly 9 months away from the date of December 25, which in the 4th century, first in the West and then in the East, was accepted as the calendar date of the Nativity of Christ.

On the other hand, it is the basis of the Alexandrian and later Byzantine chronological systems, in which the month and day of Easter and the Annunciation are identified. For the first time, the date March 25 appears in the works of Christian writers of the 3rd century Tertulian and Sschmch.

Hippolytus of Rome as the day of the Savior's crucifixion. At the same time,

Hippolytus, based on a literal interpretation of some verses of Holy Scripture (Gen. 2:3; Rev. 20:4-6; Ps. 89:5; 2 Peter 3:8), argued that the Nativity of Christ occurred 5500 years after the creation of the world. The idea about the 5500-year age of the world at the time of the coming of the Savior and about the coincidence of the dates of the creation of the world and the birth of Christ passed into the Alexandrian tradition.

In the work of St. Athanasius the Great indicated that Christ was incarnated in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary on March 25, because on this day God created man.

Since the 5th century, the date March 25 has gradually been considered not the day of the Savior’s crucifixion, but the day of the Resurrection of Christ. In the era of Annian, which became widespread in Alexandria and Constantinople in the V-X centuries, the first day of the creation of the world is Sunday March 25, exactly 5500 years before the incarnation, the dates of the Annunciation and Resurrection of Christ are Sunday March 25, 9 and 42. AD (in the calculation of Dionysius the Lesser, the creation of the world corresponds to 5492 BC).

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 6 C X century. in Byzantium the so-called The Byzantine era, in which the dates of the Annunciation and Resurrection of Christ are Sundays, March 25, 4. BC and 31 AD respectively.

Thus, in the Byzantine tradition, the date March 25 is of great importance and is the date of the Annunciation, the Resurrection of Christ and the creation of the world (man?). It is from this date that the dates of the holidays of the Nativity of Christ, the Conception and the birth of the holy prophet John the Baptist are counted. The Day of the Annunciation in the history of the Church served as the beginning of the church or even civil year both in the East and in the West (when and where?). The opinion that the date of the Resurrection of Christ coincided with March 25 has led to the fact that the day of the coincidence of Easter and the Annunciation in the modern Liturgical tradition is called “Kyriopascha” (i.e., the dominant, real, correct Easter) and happens once every few years. This coincidence occurred e.g. in 1912, 1991, will happen in 2075. (such a day happens 12 times every 532 years).

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 7

3. The history of the formation of the holiday.

It is traditionally believed that the veneration of Saint Helen, Equal to the Apostles, began at the beginning of the 4th century. places of the earthly life of Jesus Christ, the construction of temples on these places caused an increase in interest in the event of the Nativity of Christ and the mystery of the incarnation. So, in Nazareth, where, according to Tradition, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, a basilica was built.

Bl. speaks about the existence of the church in his time. Jerome (c. 420).

On the establishment of the Feast of the Annunciation in the 4th century. Saint Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem, testifies to the Armenian author Grigor Arsharuni (8th century). In the 5th century. in the liturgical practice of Jerusalem there is no independent celebration of the Annunciation, but the 4th day of Epiphany celebrations is dedicated to this event. This fact is noted in the oldest Armenian lectionaries, which reflect the Jerusalem practice of this time.

Ancient Georgian lectionaries, which reflect the tradition of 7th century Jerusalem, already contain the feast of the Annunciation on March 25.

Information about Constantinople worship in the 5th-6th centuries. are very few in number, so nothing definite can be said about the Constantinople tradition of celebrating the Annunciation during this period.

However, in the VI century. St. Roman the Sweet Singer composed a kontakion for the Annunciation.

At the end of the 7th century. The Annunciation is one of the most revered holidays in Constantinople. Thus, at the Trullo Council (691-692), the issue of celebrating the full Liturgy on the days of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was considered, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 8 Lent. Rule 52 of the council establishes that the full Liturgy should be celebrated only on Saturdays, Sundays and the Feast of the Annunciation1.

All Byzantine sources of the 8th century. called the Annunciation one of the most important holidays of the year. The service takes place on March 25.

In the West, in the calendar of Plemius Silvius in the middle of the 5th century, which mentions both secular and church dates, there is no mention of the Annunciation. March 25 marks the day of the Savior's death on the cross.

During the time of Pope Sergius I (687-701), the liturgical veneration of the Annunciation was clearly mentioned; at this time the holiday was one of 3 holidays dedicated to Mother of God, on which a special procession took place in Rome.

There are many festive words on the feast of the Annunciation which relate to Christian writers of the 3rd-5th centuries: St.

Gregory the Wonderworker, St. Athanasius the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St.

John Chrysostom, Proclus of Constantinople, Basil of Seleucia.

However, according to the testimony of Abraham, Bishop of Ephesus, who lived in the middle of the 6th century. before him, not a single sermon dedicated to the Annunciation had been written, which casts doubt on the authenticity of the authorship of the paternal words.

The authentic conversations at the Annunciation were preserved by St. Sophronius of Jerusalem (VII century), St. Herman of Constantinople (8th century), St.

John of Damascus (8th century) and other later church writers.

Rule 149 of the Council of Laodicea (343) also allows the celebration of the Liturgy only on Saturdays and Sundays of Lent. Lack of mention of the Annunciation at the council in the 4th century. does not eliminate the possibility of celebrating the Annunciation at this time. There is an opinion according to which during this period in the history of the Church the feast of the Annunciation could be moved to Saturday or Sunday if it coincided with a weekday. Transferring the days of remembrance of revered saints to Saturday or Sunday was widely practiced in the East.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 9 In the West, evidence about the feast of the Annunciation appears at approximately the same time as in the East. Among the works of Western writers about the Annunciation, the blj. Augustine (V century), St. Peter Chrysologos (V century), St. Leo the Great (V century) and authors of later times.

The authors of the liturgical hymns for the holiday in the Orthodox Church are famous Byzantine hymnographers: St. Andrew of Crete, Cosmas of Mayum (VII-VIII centuries), John of Damascus (ca. 650), Theophan the Inscribed, Met. Nicene (X century), imp. Leo VI the Wise (866-912), known under the pseudonym “Byzantine” (creation “Byzantium”).

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 10

4. Name of the holiday.

Among the ancient Christians, this holiday had different names:

The Conception of Christ, the Annunciation of Christ, the Beginning of Redemption, the Annunciation of the Angel to Mary and only in the 9th - 12th centuries. in the East and West it was given the name ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE HOLY VIRGIN.

In Greek and Slavic, the word “Annunciation” requires the genitive case after itself, but when translated into Russian, the dative case is required - “Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos.”

Pre-revolutionary books observed this syntactic correctness.

2In the new Catholic Missal, the Missal, the title is “The Annunciation of the Lord” (i.e.

Mary's gospel of the Lord, apparently this day has the character of the Lord's holiday.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 11

5. General features of the service on the Feast of the Annunciation According to the structure of the service, the Feast of the Annunciation is close to the holidays of the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany.

It belongs to the twelve feasts of the Theotokos, but since it often coincides with the days of Great Lent, it has only one day of pre-celebration and one day of post-celebration or the giving of the holiday.

The holiday occurs during the days of Great Lent or Bright Week in the interval from Thursday of the 3rd week of Great Lent to Wednesday of Bright Week (inclusive).

If the Annunciation coincides with Lazarus Saturday, then it has no after-feast. And if the Annunciation happens on the week of Vai or on Holy or Bright Week, then it has neither a pre-celebration nor a post-celebration, but is celebrated on one day.

On the Feast of the Annunciation, the full (not Presanctified) Divine Liturgy is always celebrated, even if the holiday falls on Good Friday. On this day the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. (The Western Catholic and Protestant calendars provide for the transfer of a holiday if it coincides with Holy or Bright Week).

The Annunciation, which coincides with Easter, is also not canceled, but is combined with Easter and has the name Kyriopaskha. This double holiday happens rarely 1912, 1991, 2075 (12 times every 532 years).

The All-Night Vigil sometimes begins with Great Compline (as on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ or the Epiphany), sometimes Great Vespers, and sometimes immediately Matins.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 12

The all-night vigil begins with Great Compline if the holiday occurs on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Holy Pentecost and on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of Holy Week. On its eve (i.e. March 24) Vespers (with entrance and paremias) can be celebrated separately or in conjunction with the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

The Great Vespers All-Night Vigil begins if the Annunciation occurs on Weeks (Sundays) and on Mondays of Great Lent and on all days of Bright Week.

The “all-night vigil” begins with Matins if the Annunciation occurs on Great Friday (vespers was the day before, on the Thursday before the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great) and on Holy Saturday (vespers was celebrated especially the day before, on Friday). On these days, it is not Great Compline, but Little Compline. Particularly noteworthy is the day of Kyriopascha.

–  –  –

On the day of the Annunciation, the Gospel is always read, and therefore (except for some exceptions) the polyeleos and magnification are sung: “The Archangel’s voice cries out to Thee, O Pure One: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee!”

The Feast Gospel is read on all days of Lent, including:

–  –  –

On Great Friday - the festive and 12 Gospels in order (After the 7th Gospel there is a polyeleos and the magnification of the holiday, and then the sedate ones are sung - the 1st antiphon of the 4th tone, the prokeimenon of the holiday and the Gospel of the holiday is read), Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 13

On Easter - after the 6th song of the canon (Polyeleos and magnification do not happen. The Gospel of the Feast of the Annunciation at Matins is read after the 6th song of the canon, before which the prokeimenon of the Annunciation is sung).

–  –  –

According to the 8th song of the canon, “The Most Honest” is not sung, but the chorus and irmos of the 9th song or one feast of the Annunciation (before the Week of Vai), or together with the chorus and irmos of the Triodion (?) (starting from the Week of Vai and on Easter week) is sung ).

We sing “the most honest” only in the 3rd, 4th, 5th week of Great Lent.

–  –  –

The daily doxology is read on all weekdays of Great Lent on which the Annunciation occurs3,

On Saturdays and Sundays a great doxology is sung4,

On Easter week Great doxology is not allowed according to the rules of Bright Week.

Great bows at Matins on the day of the Annunciation are only required on those days on which they usually occur according to the rules. Three great bows with the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is performed after the litany “God have mercy on us...”

–  –  –

3 Including during Holy Week from Monday to Friday.

4 On Holy Saturday, a great doxology is sung according to the Rule.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 14

Lenten prayers on the Feast of the Annunciation are read on the days when they are prescribed according to the Charter - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday of Pentecost; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday of Holy Week).

During Lenten hours, kathismas are read.

–  –  –

Bows during Lenten hours occur only at the 1st hour and symbolic ones (3 great bows each), and during Holy Week

- on all clocks (also 3 great bows). There are never more than three bows at the Annunciation.

During the week of the Cross, there is veneration of the Cross on Monday, Wednesday (at the 1st hour), and Friday (after the holidays of the hours, i.e., the symbolic ones).

During Holy Week, the Four Gospels are read on the clock.

Everyday, when the Annunciation occurs on Saturday and the Week (Sunday) of Pentecost, as well as on Maundy Thursday and Holy Saturday,

Great ones, if the Annunciation happens on Great Friday,

Easter, if the Annunciation happens on Easter week.

It is performed before the Liturgy on the day of the Annunciation on the weekdays of Pentecost (Monday to Friday) and on all days of Holy Week. It begins with the exclamation: “Blessed is the Kingdom...”

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 15

It is performed after the Liturgy, in due time - in the evening, when the holiday occurs on Saturday and Sunday of the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th weeks of Great Lent and on Easter week.

The Liturgy on the Feast of the Annunciation is always performed according to the rite of St. John Chrysostom or St. Basil the Great.

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is not celebrated on this day.

Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated when the holiday occurs on the Week (Resurrection) of Lent (except for the Week of Vai), on Maundy Thursday and Great Saturday, i.e. on those days when this Liturgy is supposed to be performed without the Annunciation.

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom occurs on other days, including Great Friday (in conjunction with Vespers).

On Great Thursday and Great Saturday, instead of Cherubim Saturday, those hymns that are set on these days are sung: “Thy secret supper is today...”, “Let all human flesh be silent...”

At the Liturgy on the Feast of the Annunciation, instead of “Worthy,” the Worthy of the Feast is sung, “As to the animated God’s ark...” But if the Annunciation happens on Maundy Thursday or Holy Saturday, then at the Liturgy of St. St. Basil the Great is sung not for the holiday, but for the day (on Maundy Thursday - “The Wanderings of the Lady...”, on Great Saturday - “Do not weep for Me, Mother...”). If the church is for the Annunciation, then the Deservant of the holiday is sung.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 16

6. Schematic order of services during the forefeast, holiday and afterfeast.

–  –  –

March 24 – Forefeast, March 25 – Feast of the Annunciation, March 26 – Surrender, Cathedral of the Archangel Gabriel.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 18

"The Annunciation of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary."

The main Annunciation chapter talks about the features of the service, starting with Vespers (which relates to the holiday itself, but is performed on the previous day), describes the order of the all-night vigil on the eve of the holiday, and depicts the features of the hours and icons of the day of the holiday itself.

The instructions of the head of the Typikon on March 25 were compiled mainly for the case if the Feast of the Annunciation will be on the Thursday of the 3rd week of Great Lent, i.e. The eve of the holiday falls on Wednesday. The rules of the chapter can be applied to cases if the Annunciation occurs on any weekday of Pentecost, unless the eve of the holiday and the holiday itself are on fast days.

The remaining features of the rite of worship on the Feast of the Annunciation are included in Markov’s chapters:

It may be that the eve of the holiday will happen on a fast day (Friday), and the holiday itself will happen on a non-fast day (Saturday), or vice versa, the eve of the holiday will happen on a non-fast day (Sunday), and the holiday itself will happen on a fast day (Monday);

It may happen that the eve and day of the holiday itself occur on non-fasting days (Saturday and Sunday);

The Annunciation may occur on Thursday of the 5th week, when the reading of the Great Canon of St. Andrey Kritsky;

The Annunciation can occur on all days of Holy Week and in the first four days of Bright Week;

The Annunciation may coincide with special days in Lent: Akathist Saturday, Lazarus Saturday, Vaiya Week, etc.;

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 19

Particularly noteworthy is the coincidence of the holiday with Easter.

In the Typikon on March 24 and 25 there is no indication regarding the performance of hours and visual arts before the festive evening. However, before the Feast of the Annunciation, the entire daily cycle of services is performed. Chapter 25 of March describes the case of performing Vespers with the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation, as well as the case if the Presanctified Liturgy is not celebrated on this day.

During the 9th hour prayer, the clergy perform entrance prayers (postal vestments).

–  –  –

Celebrated according to the Lenten rite, “Blessed” are sung.

Psalms 102: “Bless the Lord, O my soul...” and Psalm 145: “Praise the Lord, O my soul...” are omitted, and the choir immediately sings “In Thy Kingdom...”

–  –  –

The charter does not regulate the reading of kontakia.

There are three possible reading options for the kontakia:

1. In the temple of the Lord, the Mother of God or a saint - kontakion of the day, kontakion of the temple (only in the temple of the saint), “Glory...”, “Rest with the saints...”, “And now...”, kontakion of the forefeast.

2. In the temple of the Lord or the Mother of God - kontakion of the forefeast. In the temple of the saint there is the kontakion of the temple, “Glory, and now...”, the kontakion of the pre-celebration.

–  –  –

Vespers with the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

The priest goes to the altar, prays at the altar and begins Vespers with the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts with the exclamation: “Blessed is the Kingdom...”

–  –  –

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 21

Sirina Vespers begins without an initial exclamation (i.e.:

"Amen. Come, let us worship...”, etc.) At Vespers, during the reading of Psalm 103, all the prayers of light are read (starting with the first).

There is no kathisma. (This rule applies to all cases if the eve of the Annunciation occurs on a fast day of Great Lent. At Vespers on this day, the usual kathisma at Vespers, which is indicated in Chapter 17 of the Typikon, is canceled).

The preparation of the Holy Gifts, the incense of the Holy Gifts and the transfer of the Gifts from the Throne to the altar are performed with the beginning of the singing of the stichera on “Lord, I have cried.”

On “Lord, I cried” - stichera for 10: Triodion - 5 (self-according twice and three stichera are similar) and feast - 5 (the first two stichera - twice each), "Glory, and now" - Annunciation.

–  –  –

Then “May my prayer be corrected...”

Three great bows with prayer to St. Ephraim the Syrian.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 22 Litany “Recite all...” and other continuation of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

–  –  –

Consists of Great Compline with litia, polyeleos matins and 1st hour.

Before the start of the service there is a bell and trezvon.

The curtain and the Royal Doors are opened. The priest (in phelonion) and the deacon perform incense on the Throne and the entire Altar, as before the beginning of the All-Night Vigil. The deacon from the candles goes out through the Royal Doors onto the sole and exclaims “Bless, Master.”

The priest in front of the Throne makes a cross with a censer: “Blessed is our God...” Choir: “Amen”, Reader:

“Glory to Thee, our God...”, “O King of Heaven...” and then reads Great Compline. The priest, preceded by the deacon, proceeds from the Altar with candles and performs the full censing of the temple, as at the beginning of the All-Night Vigil. At the end of the censing, the Royal Doors are closed, the curtain remains open during Great Compline.

According to tradition, the Royal Doors are opened for the singing of “God is with us...”, the troparion and kontakion according to the 1st and 2nd Trisagion.

According to the 1st Trisagion - the troparion of the holiday.

–  –  –

After reading the doxology, go to the litiya.

Lithium is being performed. At the litia - the stichera of the holiday, “Glory and now...” - the holiday, chapter 2, “Gabriel preaches the good news...” Prayers of the litia.

–  –  –

On the poem there are stichera of the holiday (with festive choruses), “Glory and now...” - the holiday “Today is joy...”

“Now you forgive...”, the Trisagion according to the “Our Father...” At the blessing of the loaves - the troparion of the holiday (three times): “The day of our salvation is the main thing, and the sacrament that has been revealed since the ages, the Son of God, the Son of the Virgin is, and Gabriel’s grace preaches the gospel, with the same we cry out to the Mother of God: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”

At Matins, on “God is the Lord” - the troparion of the holiday (twice), “Glory and now...” - the same troparion.

Three kathismas on schedule.

According to the 1st verse - there is no litany, the Triodion is sedal.

According to the 2nd verse - litany, sedalen of the holiday, "Glory and now..." - the same, According to the 3rd verse - litany, sedalen of the holiday, "Glory and now..." - the same.

–  –  –

The greatness of the holiday: “The Archangel’s voice cries out to You, O Pure One: Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with You,” selected psalm.

Sedalen of the holiday according to the polyeleos “Gabriel from heaven...”, “Glory even now...” – and sedalen “Sent to come...”

–  –  –

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 25 Prokeimenon of the holiday, ch. 4th: “Teach the salvation of our God day by day,” verse: “Sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord, all the earth.”

–  –  –

According to Psalm 50 – “Glory...”, “Through the prayers of the Mother of God...”, “And now...”

- the same verse, “Have mercy on me, O God...”, the stichera of the holiday “Gabriel preaches the good news...”

Canons of the holiday and three songs of the Triodion:

Feast with Irmos on the 14th: Irmos of the festive canon twice, troparia on the 12th. Katavasia - the holiday “I will open my mouth...” (holiday).

In those songs of the canon that have three songs (for example, on Monday - 1st, 8th, 9th songs). Canon of the holiday with irmos on 6 (irmos twice) and three songs of Triodion on 8. Katavasia - irmos of the 2nd three song of Triodion5.

Bible holiday songs - “We sing to the Lord...”

According to the 3rd song - sedalen of the holiday, “Glory and now...”, another sedalen.

According to the 6th ode - the kontakion “To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having been delivered from the evil, let us sing in thanksgiving to Thy servants, O Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Thee: Rejoice, Unmarried Bride” and the ikos of the holiday.

On the 9th song - “The Most Honest” we don’t sing, but the chorus of the holiday:

“Teach the good news to the earth, great joy; praise the heavens, the glory of God.” To the Troparion of the Three Songs chorus: “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee”

At the end of the 9th canto: the irmos of the 2nd three-canticle of the Triodion, the chorus of the holiday “Bear good news to the earth, great joy...” and the irmos of the canon of the holiday “Like an animate icon case of God...”

According to the 9th song - the luminaries of the holiday (twice), “Glory, and now...”, the other luminary (“It is worthy to eat...” is not sung).

“Every breath…” we sing (despite the fact that the daily doxology will be read), we read psalms of praise.

5If the holiday happens on Tuesday, then the second hymn contains only the three songs of the Triodion.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 26 On praise - stichera of the holiday on 4, “Glory, and now...” - the holiday “Even from the beginning of time the sacrament...”

Reader: “Glory to You, who showed us the light” (“Glory befits You...”

not pronounced) and the daily doxology is read.

–  –  –

Litany: “Let us perform the morning prayer...”

Stichera on the verse – Triodion (with the usual refrains set on a weekday, from the Book of Hours), “Glory and now...” – for the holiday:

"Let heaven rejoice..."

“There is good...” (once). Trisagion according to “Our Father...”, troparion of the holiday.

The special litany: “Have mercy on us, O God...”, the priest – exclamation: “For you are merciful...”, chorus: “Amen.”

Prayer to St. Ephraim the Syrian with 3 great bows, reader:

"Amen. Come, let us worship...” and the 1st hour begins.

1st hour with kathisma, troparion and kontakion of the holiday. At the end of the hour, after the exclamation: “God, be gracious to us...” - the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian (with three great bows), reader: “Amen”, priest: “Christ, the true Light...” (the final Trisagion is not pronounced), “To the chosen Governor...” and great dismissal, many years.

Hours 3, 6 and 9 with kathismas, but without bows. On the clock there is the troparion and kontakion of the holiday. At the 6th hour - the troparion of prophecy, the prokeimenon of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 27 Triodion, paremia of Triodi, another prokeimenon of Triodion. At the 9th hour prayer, Entrance prayers are performed.

–  –  –

The pictorial rite is read not first, but immediately - “In Thy Kingdom...”, etc. (soon, without singing and without bowing), “Remember us, Lord...”, “Heavenly Face...”

–  –  –

The priest goes to the Altar and prays at the throne as usual before the Liturgy: “To the Heavenly King...”

Vespers with Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

The charter for this service is found in the chapter of the Typikon on March 26, “The Council of the Archangel Gabriel,” which makes up the second half of the main Annunciation chapter.

Vespers begins with the exclamation: “Blessed is the Kingdom...”, choir:

“Amen”, reader: “Come, let us worship...” (three times) and the opening psalm. (The priest reads the prayers of the lamp).

–  –  –

On “Lord, I have cried” - 11th stichera (choruses on 10: “Bring my soul out of prison...”: Triodion 2 and similar to Triodion 3, feast 3 and Archangel 3 (to the 11th stichera chorus: “Create angels Your spirits and servants Its own fiery flame”) “Glory, and now...” - holiday, voice 6th “It was sent quickly...”

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 29 During the singing of the stichera on “Lord, I cried...” a proskomedia is performed. Care must be taken to prepare the Lambs for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, if necessary.

Entrance with the Gospel. "The world is quiet.."

Prokeimenon of the day (i.e. Triodion), 4 proverbs: 2 day ones (Triodion) and 2 holidays (Minea): Exodus, ch. 3 (about the bush); Proverbs, ch. 8 (about eternal existence

Son of God):

–  –  –

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 30 Small Litany, exclamation: “How holy art thou, our God...”, the Trisagion and other sequences of the Liturgy of St. are sung. John Chrysostom.

Prokeimenon, ch. 4th: “Teach the salvation of our God day by day.”

–  –  –

Zadostoynik: “Broadcast the good news to the earth...”, “As to the animate...”

Participated: “The Lord has chosen Zion and made it his dwelling place.”

“At the meal the consolation of the brethren was great...”

–  –  –

On this day, Small Compline is celebrated. It reads the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian with 16 bows.

Matins on the day of Lenten dedication (we sing “Alleluia” and the trinitarian voices). The hymns of the Annunciation and the Archangel Gabriel are added to the texts of the Triodion.

6 The reading of the Apostle and the Gospel is a feature of Vespers, which is performed on the eve of the feast of Christmas or Epiphany, if the feast itself happens on Sunday or Monday, as well as Great Vespers on Holy Friday.

–  –  –

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 32 Review of Mark's chapters of the Feast of the Annunciation.

The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary can occur from Thursday of the 3rd week of Great Lent to Wednesday of Bright Week.

Liturgical features of the holiday when coinciding with on different days The Lenten and Colored Triodion are set out in Mark's chapters on March 26.

If the Annunciation happens on the 3rd or 4th Saturday of Lent.

If the Annunciation occurs on the Saturdays of Pentecost (except for Akathist and Lazarus Saturdays), then Vespers is celebrated the day before in conjunction with the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

There is no kathisma at Vespers.

On “Lord, I cried,” 10 stichera are sung: 2 for the Triodion and 8 for the holiday.

The All-Night Vigil begins with Great Compline.

At the litany for “Glory...” - the stichera of the holiday “Let the heavens rejoice...”

At Matins all the hymns are festive. The Four Songs of Saturday Triodion is transferred to Compline on Thursday. A great doxology is sung.

The Liturgy is celebrated by St. John Chrysostom. At the Liturgy, everything is a holiday. Fine antiphons are sung.

–  –  –

If the Annunciation occurs on the Sunday of the Worship of the Cross, the service includes hymns of the Octoechos voice, the Cross from the Lenten Triodion and the holiday from the Menaion.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 33 At the end of Little Vespers, the rite of transferring the Cross from the altar to the throne is performed.

The All-Night Vigil has the structure of a Sunday vigil, i.e.

It begins not with Compline, but with Great Vespers. The general order of worship corresponds to the order of combining the Sunday service with the Twelfth Feast of the Theotokos.

At Vespers, 5 proverbs of the holiday are read.

At the litia, on “Glory...” - the stichera of the holiday “Gabriel preaches the Good News...”, on “And now...” - the Cross (i.e., the stichera “Let the heavens rejoice...” is not sung this Week) .

At the blessing of the loaves - the troparion of the holiday (twice) and the Cross (once).

At Matins on “God is the Lord” - the troparion of the resurrection (twice), “Glory” - to the Cross, “And now” - to the Annunciation.

After the polyeleos psalms and magnification - the troparia “The Council of Angels...” (although this is not mentioned in Mark’s chapter).

Powerful antiphons - voices. The Prokeimenon and the Gospel are festive.

We sing “The Resurrection of Christ...”

After the 50th psalm: “Glory...” - “Through the prayers of the Theotokos,” “And now...” - “The prayers of the Theotokos...”, “God have mercy on me...” - the stichera of the holiday.

Canons: Sunday, Cross and Feast. Irmosy - the Sunday canon, katavasiya - “I will open my mouth...” On the 9th song we sing “The Most Honest”.

According to the Great Doxology - the sequence of veneration of the Cross, which is set out in Chapter 49 of the Typikon in the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent.

Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.

Instead of the Trisagion, “We bow to Your Cross, O Master...” is sung.

The celebrant of the holiday.

Prokeimenon, Apostle and Gospel - the Feast of the Annunciation and the Cross.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 34 If the Annunciation happens on Monday of the 4th, or 5th, or 6th week of holy fasting.

If the Annunciation occurs on Pentecost Monday, then an all-night vigil is celebrated the day before, which begins with Great Vespers. The service includes chants of the Triodion and the holiday.

At the all-night vigil we sing “Blessed is the man...” - the 1st antiphon of the 1st kathisma.

At Vespers there is the prokeimenon of the day (i.e., the great prokeimenon of the Lenten Triodion).

On Monday of the 4th week of Lent, at the 1st hour, there is veneration of the Cross.

Will the Annunciation happen on Wednesday of the Cross?

If the Annunciation occurs on Wednesday of the Cross, then the stichera, hymns (following the Tuesday evening of the Lenten Triodion) and the canon of the Cross (following Wednesday morning) are sung on Monday or Friday of this week. (Since the Canon of the Cross is already supposed to be on Friday, the Typikon’s instructions mean that the Canon of the Cross needs to be sung either twice - on Monday and Friday, or once - on Friday). The verses of the Lenten Triodion that are not dedicated to the Cross remain in their place.

At Matins, the three-canon of the Triodion is added to the canon of the Annunciation according to custom.

At the 1st hour there is veneration of the Cross.

–  –  –

Will the Annunciation happen on the 4th or 5th week of Lent?

If the Annunciation occurs in the 4th Sunday (St. John Climacus) and 5th (St. Mary of Egypt) of Great Lent, then the service is performed on Sunday and the feast of Menaion. The hymns to the saints are postponed to another day, when the ecclesiarch wishes.

At Matins the Sunday canon, the Triodion and the holiday are read.

The stichera of the Triodion with a special chorus is added to the praise.

The service to the saints is also postponed to another day if a pre-celebration or celebration of the Annunciation occurs during these Weeks.

–  –  –

If the Feast of the Annunciation occurs on Wednesday or Thursday of the 5th week of Lent, then the service of the Great Canon is moved to Tuesday of the 5th week of Lent. Moreover, if the feast of the Annunciation occurs on Wednesday (the forefeast day should be on Tuesday), then the forefeast service is moved to Monday, and the service of the Great Canon is performed on Tuesday.

–  –  –

If the Feast of the Annunciation occurs on the heel of the 5th week of Lent, then the service of the forefeast is celebrated not on Thursday, but on Wednesday. On Thursday the service of the Great Canon is celebrated.

–  –  –

Thus, there is no coincidence of the Great Canon with either the forefeast, or the holiday, or the celebration of the Annunciation.

–  –  –

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 37 If the Annunciation happens on Saturday of the Akathist, then the general order of services is the same as that presented in the Mark chapter, which describes the case of the coincidence of the Annunciation with the 3rd and 4th Saturdays of Great Lent. The service includes festive chants, as well as an akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos and the Akathist canon7.

The All-Night Vigil begins with Great Compline.

On the lithium stichera - “Glory, even now,” “Gabriel preaches the good news...” (i.e., the stichera “Let the heavens rejoice...” is not sung, despite the Sabbath day).

A special feature of the service of Praise of the Mother of God is the reading at Matins of the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos, divided into 4 parts, after the first, second kathisma, 3rd and 6th hymns of the canon.

After the second part of the Akathist - polyeleos, sedalny for the polyeleos of the holiday, sedate 1st antiphon of the 4th tone, prokeimenon of the holiday, Gospel of the holiday, psalm 50, stichera of the holiday according to the 50th psalm.

The canons of the Annunciation are sung with the Irmos at 8, Akathist at 6. Katavasia

- holiday. The Saturday Song of the Four Songs is sung on Thursday at Compline.

We don’t sing “The Most Honest,” but the choruses of the holiday, the chorus to the troparions of the Akathist canon: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us.”

At the Liturgy - all the feast of the Annunciation.

About the same holiday, if Lazarus happens on Saturday.

If the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos occurs on Lazarus Saturday, the general order of worship is the same as described in the Mark chapter for Saturdays of the 3rd and 4th weeks. At the same time, unlike other Saturdays of Pentecost, the hymns of the Triodion are sung in honor of Saint Lazarus, the 7th Troparion of the Akathist “What is secretly commanded...”, sedalene after the 3rd song of the canon, luminaries after the 9th song, stichera on praises, readings of the Apostle and the Gospel at the Liturgy are left.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 38 (stichera on the Lord I cried, etc., canon, blessed, troparion, kontakion, etc.) The Sunday features of Lazarus Saturday are preserved.

At the all-night vigil at the lithium, the stichera “Let the heavens rejoice...” to “Glory” is sung.

At Matins, Sunday troparia “The Council of Angels...” are sung (although these troparia are not indicated in the Mark chapter, they form a feature of the service of Lazarus Saturday).

We sing “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ...”

Canon 3: a holiday with Irmos on 6, Lazarus two canons on 8 and the Four Songs. Katavasia - irmos of the 2nd canon of Lazarus “I passed through the water...” On the 9th song of the canon “We do not sing the most honest, but the choruses of the holiday. To the passages of the 9th song of the Triodion canon, the chorus: “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.”

According to the 9th song - “Holy is the Lord our God...”

Stichera of praise: 3 - feast day and 3 - Lazarus, on “And now” - the festive chant “Even from the beginning of time the sacrament...” (on Lazarus Saturday without the Annunciation the Mother of God is placed - “Most blessed art thou...”) Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

Blessed on 8: the canon of the Annunciation, hymn 3 on 4 and the canon of rights. Song of Lazarus 6th x 4.

Instead of the Trisagion we sing: “As many as were baptized into Christ...”

Instead of “It is worthy...” - the irmos of the 9th song of the festive canon “Like the animate...” with a chorus.

Prokeemnes, Apostles, Gospels, Communion - 2: Annunciation and Lazarus.

If the Annunciation happens on Saturday of Lazarus, or on Vai Week, or on one of the days of Holy or Bright Week, then the giving of the Annunciation does not happen. The verses and canon of the post-feast and the Archangel are sung at Compline on any day of the sixth week.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 39 About the same holiday, if it happens on Vaiy Week.

If the Feast of the Annunciation occurs on the Week of Vai, then the service of the forefeast is performed not on Saturday, but on the Thursday of the 6th week of the week.

–  –  –

If the Feast of the Annunciation occurs on Holy Monday, then the order of the festive services is similar to that described in Mark’s chapter, dedicated to the coincidence of the Annunciation with the Monday of Pentecost.

Distinctive features of Holy Monday from Pentecost Monday:

At the Great Vespers on “I cried to the Lord” and on the stichera - stichera of the Feast of the Annunciation, Vai week and daytime ones from the Triodion.

Instead of the Great Prokeimenon, there is the Prokeimenon of the day: “Behold, now bless the Lord...”

At Matins on “God is the Lord” - the troparion of the holiday three times8.

3 kathismas according to custom, but the small litany and sedalny of the holiday are read according to the 3rd kathisma. After the first two, the sedal daily Triodi are read (without the small litany).

The Gospel of the day is not read; immediately after the sedals on the 3rd kathisma the polyeleos for the feast of the Annunciation are sung.

The canon is performed as described in the main Annunciation chapter (with the three song).

8 Troparion “Behold the Bridegroom comes at midnight...” is not fulfilled.

9 On Great Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after the sedals of the 3rd Kathisma, the Gospel of the day is read at Matins. At the end of the Gospel reading - Psalm 50.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 40 According to the 9th hymn and litany - the luminaries of the holiday, “Glory” - the luminaries of the day, “Thy Palace...”, “And now” - the luminaries of the holiday.

At the 3rd, 6th and 9th hours in the first three of Holy Week, the Four Gospels are read according to the Rule.

At the end of each hour and at the end of the visual hours, the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian with three bows.

The end of the fine rite differs from the week days of Pentecost. After 3 Great bows and the prayer “To the All-Holy Trinity...” there is no release. Immediately after the prayer, Vespers begins with the exclamation “Blessed is the Kingdom...”

The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

At the Liturgy there is a prokeimenon and an Apostle - a holiday, there are two Gospel readings - a holiday and the day's Triodion.

–  –  –

About the same holiday, if it happens on Maundy Tuesday.

If the Feast of the Annunciation occurs on Holy Tuesday, then the order of services corresponds to the scheme described in the main Annunciation chapter.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 41 At Monday Vespers, which takes place before the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the entrance is with the Gospel.

After reading the prokemena “May my prayer be corrected...” and the 3rd Great Bow with prayer to St. Ephraim the Syrian - reading the daily Gospel.

The order of Matins, hours, pictorial and vespers with the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is the same as on Holy Monday (on Tuesday at Matins on the canon, instead of the three canticle, there is a two canticle).

–  –  –

If the Feast of the Annunciation occurs on Holy Wednesday, then the order of services is similar to the order on Holy Tuesday.

At the end of the visuals after the prayer “All Holy Trinity...”

There is a rite of forgiveness, which is described in the sequence of the Great Wednesday.

The prayer “Master is most merciful...” is not read, and immediately after the rite of forgiveness, Vespers begins with the exclamation “Blessed is the Kingdom...”

About the same holiday, if it happens on Holy Thursday.

If the Feast of the Annunciation occurs on Maundy Thursday, then the order of services is similar to the order described on Maundy Tuesday.

On the eve of Thursday, the all-night vigil begins with Great Compline10.

Troparions on “God is the Lord” - a holiday twice, “Glory, and now” - “When the glory of the disciples ...”

10 On Great Wednesday evening, Little Compline is served.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 42 On Thursdays there is no kathisma at Matins. Immediately after the troparia for “God is the Lord” - the polyeleos of the holiday.

Canon - holiday and full canon Triodion. Katavasia - Irmos Triodi.

According to the 9th song and litany - the luminaries of the holiday, "Glory" - the luminaries of the day, "Thy Palace...", "And now" - the luminaries of the holiday.

After “Good is...” at the end of Matins there is the troparion “When the glory of the disciples...”, “Glory and now” is the troparion of the holiday.

On the day of the holiday, the Liturgy is celebrated by St. Basil the Great in conjunction with Vespers.

At Vespers - the Apostle and the Gospel of the day and feast.

Zadostoynik - “The Wandering Master...”, and in the Church of the Annunciation - “Like an animate...”

Instead of the Cherubic Song, instead of the Sacrament, during the communion of the laity, and instead of “Let our lips be filled...”, “Thy Mystical Supper...” is sung.

Dismissal of Maundy Thursday: “For superior goodness…”11 16.

–  –  –

If the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos occurs on Great Friday, then festive chants and readings are present at Vespers, which takes place on Thursday morning before the Liturgy of St.

Basil the Great.

Small Compline with the Three Songs is read.

The evening festive service begins with the morning service.

On “God is the Lord” - a holiday twice, “Glory, and now” - “When the glory of the disciples ...” After the troparia and the small litany - the 1st passionate Gospel reading. The Gospels of the Passion are read according to order.

11 In Mark's chapter there are no instructions regarding dismissal.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, teacher: Archpriest V. Grishchuk 43 After the 7th Passion Gospel - polyeleos of the feast, magnification, sedalion of the polyeleos, degree12, prokeimenon and Gospel reading of the feast. Immediately after the reading of the holiday: “And may we be worthy to hear the Holy Gospel...” and the 8th Passion Gospel is read.

Then - Psalm 50, the stichera of the holiday according to Psalm 5013 and the prayer “Save, O God, Thy people...”

The canon is read with the three-canon.

The daily doxology is read. After “This is good...” - the troparion of the day, “Thou hast redeemed us...”, “Glory, and now...” - the Feast of the Annunciation.

After special litany“Have mercy on us, O God...” - “Wisdom” and dismissal.

The royal hours are celebrated in the morning according to custom.

After the dismissal of the fine rites, Vespers with the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

After the proverbial readings of the day and the holiday, there is a small litany, the exclamation “How holy art thou God unto...” and the usual continuation of the Divine Liturgy.

Prokeimenon, Apostle, Alleluia and Gospel - holiday and day.

Zadostoynik - holiday “Like an animated icon case of God...”

Involved in the holiday.

Little Compline with the reading of the canon for the lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated during the day.

According to established custom, on Great Friday it happens (on the troparia, the Noble Joseph...)

1. Following the prayer behind the pulpit, stichera are sung on the verse of the day, and the priests dress in Lenten vestments.

–  –  –

12 The Typikon immediately after reading the 7th Gospel indicates to sing sedately: 1st Antiphon of the 4th Galas “From my youth...”

The Typikon does not indicate to sing the stichera according to the 50th Psalm, but there is no reason to omit it: “Glory... Through the Prayers of the Theotokos...”, “And now... Through the Prayers of the Theotokos...”, “Have mercy on me, God...”, stichera according to the 50th Psalm.

–  –  –

About the same holiday, if it happens on Great Saturday.

It is appropriate to know that if it happens on the holiest and greatest week of Easter, which is Kyriopascha, the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The deepest and most sublime feelings, and I think that this will definitely happen, because here are collected...” postcards of that time DIMITRIOS FIKAS (1795 1880) PERIKLIS FIKAS (1880 1963) DIMOSTHENIS FIKAS (1892 1975) 1821-1923 102 YEARS OF STRUGGLE FOR THE MOTHERLAND AND...” Scientific dialogue. - 2016. - No. 11 (59). - pp. 181-192. Boldyreva, I. I.... "Competition for the academic degree of Candidate of Philological Sciences Moscow The work was carried out at the Department of Theoretical and Historical Poetics of the Federal State Budget..."

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The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (March 25, old style) is one of the most important holidays in all church year. It can be called both the Lord's and the Theotokos at the same time, since it combines the celebration in honor of the Incarnation with the remembrance of the good news of the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin. Even the date of the holiday itself is of particular importance - already the authors of the 3rd century sschmch. Hippolytus of Rome (In Dan. IV. 23) and Tertullian (Adv. Jud. 8) called March 25 the date of the Crucifixion of Christ according to the Roman calendar; in the works of St. Athanasius of Alexandria (PG. 28. Col. 632) says that March 25 is both the day of the creation of man and the day of the Incarnation; finally, in the so-called Byzantine era, adopted after the 7th century in the Orthodox Church, March 25 is considered the date of the Resurrection of Christ according to the Roman calendar. That is why, if the Annunciation coincides with Easter Christ's holiday receives the name Kiriopascha, that is, “true, correct [i.e. i.e. correct not only according to the lunar, but also according to the Roman calendar - D.M.J.] Easter" (from Greek to kyrion Pasсha, but not Pascha Kyriou; see: Lebedev D., priest. Why is the Easter holiday on March 25 called “Kyriopascha”? // Theological Bulletin. Sergiev Posad, 1905. T. 2. No. 5. P. 118-128).

But the Annunciation can coincide not only with Easter, but also with many other days of the moving circle. In most cases, the Annunciation falls on one of the ordinary days of Lenten, therefore the normative charter of Annunciation services in the Typikon describes just such a case. Cases of coincidence of the Annunciation with various special days The triodi are regulated by a special section of the Typikon - the Annunciation chapters. This year, the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary fell on Holy Saturday, therefore, when worshiping on this day, one should be guided by the corresponding Annunciation chapter: “On the same feast [of the Annunciation— D.M.J.], if it happens on the Great Saturday.” This note is devoted to the question of how the content of this chapter changed in the history of Orthodox worship.

Like other Annunciation chapters, the indication of the coincidence of the Annunciation with Holy Saturday in the Byzantine tradition is first recorded in Typikon of the Great Church, monument to the Constantinople cathedral worship of the 9th-11th centuries. (Le Typicon de la Grande Église: Ms. Saint-Croix n. 40, Xe siècle / Introd., texte critique, trad. et notes par J. Mateos. R., 1962. T. 1. (OCA; 165). P. 256). It says here that the divine service in this case must be performed in the same way as when the Annunciation coincides with Maundy Thursday, namely: “After the tritekti [fast analogue of the daytime hours in the ancient cathedral tradition - D.M.J.]... Lithium comes out and ascends to the Forum, and goes to Chalcopratia [one of the main Churches of the Mother of God of Constantinople - D.M.J.], and there the singers sing: “Glory... and now...” - and immediately the Trisagion, the Prokeimenon, the Apostle, the Alleluia, the Gospel, the intense and petitionary litany and “Let us go out in peace.” Vespers, paremias (after the first of which the Patriarch of Constantinople went to the baptistery to teach the sacrament of Baptism to the catechumens, and during the last he returned with the newly baptized to the temple and, when they entered, anointed them with holy oil), liturgical readings and the liturgy of St. Basil the Great were performed in the Church of St. Sophia at their appointed time. In other words, in the ancient cathedral practice of Constantinople, when the Annunciation coincided with Holy Saturday, in honor of the Annunciation, a procession of the cross was held (the festive procession of the cross was one of the main liturgical features of the feast of the Annunciation in the Byzantine tradition) through the streets of the city and the liturgy of the catechumens - without the liturgy of the faithful - in the Chalcopratian Church . Thus, the liturgical readings of the Annunciation and Holy Saturday were distributed among independent services and sounded in different time in different temples; but about how the hymnography of these important days year, the Typicon of the Great Church says nothing.

But already in the contemporary Typikon of the Great Church, the Studian synaxar - the post-iconoclast liturgical charter of the Constantinople monasteries - it is described exactly how to combine the hymnographic texts of the Annunciation and Great Saturday (sets of which in the Byzantine tradition were already basically formed and had a form close to that contained in the currently accepted in the Orthodox Church Menaion and Triodion) during Vespers on the evening of Good Friday, Matins on the night from Good Friday to Great Saturday and Vespers on the evening of Great Saturday, and also indicates the order in which the Annunciation and Great Saturday liturgical readings follow each other within the same service.

The edition of the Studite Synaxarion closest to the original text has been preserved in the so-called Studiysko-Alexievsky Typikon 1034, which has come down to us only in the Slavic translation (see: Pentkovsky A. M. Typikon of Patriarch Alexius the Studite in Byzantium and Rus'. M., 2001). As in the Typikon of the Great Church, the service of the Annunciation on Holy Saturday is proposed to be performed here by analogy with the charter of connecting the Annunciation with the service of Maundy Thursday. The general order, therefore, is as follows. At Vespers on Good Friday: the stichera of the day (i.e., Great Saturday) and the holiday (i.e., the Annunciation), “Glory... and now...” - the holiday; there is an entrance with the Gospel; the proverbs of the day and the holiday are read (as is known, in the post-iconoclast lectionary of Constantinople the Annunciation has 5 proverbs - 3 general Theotokos and 2 special ones, Exodus 3. 1b - 8a and Proverbs 8. 22-30, prophesying about the Incarnation; only 3 general Theotokos proverbs are read here ); followed by singing “Let it be corrected...”; the Apostle and the Gospel of the day are read and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is performed (in ancient Constantinople practice, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was always performed on Good Friday). At Matins on Holy Saturday: on “God the Lord” - the troparion of the holiday and the troparion of the day (“Blessed Joseph”); after the kathisma (it should be noted that the famous praises of Holy Saturday were not yet in the charters of the studio tradition - they appear only in the Jerusalem charter, and even then not immediately - the kathisma was sung with the usual refrain "Alleluia") - sedals of the holiday and day; then - sedate, prokeimenon, "Every Breath" and the Gospel of the Feast; after the 50th psalm - the canons of the holiday and the day (3 songs each - kontakion of the day, 6 songs each - kontakion of the holiday); on the praises of the stichera of the holiday and day; Readings at the end of Matins - Great Saturday. During the day on Holy Saturday there should be a procession of the cross. At Vespers on Holy Saturday: stichera of the day and holiday, “Glory... and now...” - holiday; there is an entrance with the Gospel; the first proverb of the day is read, and then 2 special proverbs of the holiday and, finally, the remaining proverbs of the day; after the small litany - “Elitsa was baptized into Christ” (this feature of the service of Holy Saturday, associated with its baptismal character, is specially noted as the difference between the charter of connecting the Annunciation with Holy Saturday from the charter of its connecting with Maundy Thursday); prokeimenon of the day; The Apostle and the Gospel - a holiday and a day; The liturgy of St. is celebrated. Basil the Great (Ibid. pp. 337-339).

In general, the same charter for combining the celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation with the service of Holy Saturday is also given in two derivatives from the original editions of the Studite Charter - Athos-Italian (represented by the Typikon of St. George Mtatsmideli compiled on Athos around 1042 and a number of Greek South Italian Typikons, among of which the oldest surviving is the Messina Typikon of 1131) and Asia Minor (represented by the liturgical Synaxarions of the Evergetid Monastery (compiled c. 80s of the 11th century) and the Monastery of Christ the Lover of Mankind (compiled at the beginning of the 12th century)). The differences from the instructions of the Studiysko-Alexievsky Typikon are small: in the Typicon of St. Georgiy Mtatsmideli (Kekelidze K., prot. Liturgical Georgian monuments in domestic book depositories and their scientific significance. Tiflis, 1908. P. 259) they boil down to the fact that on “God is the Lord” the troparion of the day “Blessed Joseph” precedes the troparion of the holiday, and to a different order of reading the Annunciation biblical beginnings: firstly, the proverbs of the holiday are read only at vespers on Good Friday (but not on Holy Saturday); secondly, at the liturgy of Holy Saturday, the Apostle of the holiday follows the Apostle of the day, the singing before the Gospel is specially emphasized only “Rise, O God...” (as is known, the replacement of the liturgical alleluia with this chant is one of the most striking features Holy Saturday services), and about the liturgical Gospel readings it is said this way: “Gospel: “On the Sabbath evening...”. After this Gospel there is an exclamation: “Wisdom, forgive me!”, and another deacon reads the Gospel of the feast” - in other words, the Gospels of the day and the feast are emphatically separated with the help of an additional exclamation, as well as the fact that they are read by different clergy. IN Messina Typicon (Arranz M. Le Typicon du monastère du Saint-Sauveur à Messine: Codex Messinensis gr. 115, A. D. 1131. R., 1969. (Orientalia Christiana Analecta; 185). P. 141-142) among the differences is only the instruction to sing instead of kathisma at matins three holiday antiphons (here - Ps 44, 71 and 148; the replacement of morning kathismas with antiphons on holidays is a common feature of the Athos-Italian branch of the Studite Rule; it subsequently influenced the appearance the so-called selected psalms), as well as the additional detail given in the Typikon: “On praise... on “Glory...” - the self-vocal of the day, on “And now...” - “Blessed art thou...”; The instructions about the troparia for “God is the Lord” and about the liturgical readings on Holy Saturday completely coincide with what is said in the Typikon of St. Georgiy Mtatsmideli. IN Evergetid Synaxar (Dmitrievsky A. A. Description of liturgical manuscripts stored in libraries of the Orthodox East. T. 1: Typika. K., 1895. P. 439-441) the instructions differ from those contained in the Studiysko-Aleksievsky Typikon to a greater extent details (for example, only here is it said about the abolition of the Gospel and other principles on the hours of Good Friday and about the reading of the hours in cells; indicated incipita slavniks of all stichera (in particular, on “And now...” on the praises - not “Most Blessed Thou art...”, but the stichera of the day “Wearing thee...”)); one of the differences is the singing of the monastery pannikhis (a service that should not be confused with the cathedral pannikhis; on the basis of the monastic pannikhis, the rites of general prayer and memorial service subsequently arose) before Matins (at pannikhis there are canons for the Lamentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Annunciation (pre-celebration or dedication)); the same order of troparions for “God is the Lord” as in the Athos-Italian Typicons; an indication of three stichologies at Matins (it is unclear whether we are talking about three different kathismas or three articles of the immaculate), and after the first and second stichologies - the sedals of the holiday, after the third - the sedals of the day; unusual (in comparison with other statutes) order of canons at Matins: the canon of the day precedes the canon of the holiday; the paremias are read in the same way as in the Studian-Alexievsky Typikon (i.e., three common Theotokos - at Vespers on Good Friday; two Annunciation paremias - after the first paremia at Vespers on Great Saturday); the prokeimenon at the liturgy is only for the day (“Rise up, O God...” is also not combined with the alleluia), and the Apostle and the Gospel are for both the holiday and the day (unfortunately, the Typikon does not say anything about the order in which they follow each other).

IN Jerusalem Charter, which - contrary to its name - is not directly related to the ancient Jerusalem worship, but is a reworking of the original and Asia Minor editions of the Studite Synaxarion, made in Palestine, the instructions on the order of combining the services of the Annunciation and Holy Saturday initially completely coincided with the instructions of the original edition of the Studite Synaxarion. Thus, in one of the oldest surviving manuscripts of the Jerusalem Rule, Sinait. gr. 1094, XII century ( Lossky A. Le Typicon byzantine: edition d'une version grecque (partiellement inédite); analyze de la partie liturgique: Diss. P., 1987. T. 2. P. 203-205), for the case of the coincidence of the Annunciation with Holy Saturday, a reference is made to the charter of connecting the succession of the Annunciation with the service of Maundy Thursday - the same as in the Studios-Alexievsky Typikon - and this charter coincides in everything (except for the single additional instruction about the Slavnik on “I cried to the Lord” on Good Friday) with the instructions of the original edition of the Studite Synaxarion (including even the preserved (perhaps inadvertently) instruction to perform the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on the eve of the Annunciation - despite the fact that , that according to the main text of the Jerusalem Rule, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is no longer celebrated on Good Friday). The same picture is observed in the Shio-Mgvim Typikon - the Georgian version of the Divnogorsk edition of the Jerusalem Charter of the 12th century. - the only differences compared to the original edition of the Studite Synaxarion are that the slavniks of the day are indicated on all stichera (on “And now...” - everywhere of the holiday), and at Matins the canon of the holiday follows the canon of the day; Otherwise, the instructions are the same - including the instructions on the insertion of two Annunciation proverbs after the first proverb of Holy Saturday, and the instructions on the liturgical readings (the prokeimenon - only the day; the Apostle and the Gospel - first the holiday, then the day).

IN later editions of the Jerusalem Charter a new difficulty arises in connecting the Annunciation with Holy Saturday - on the one hand, in the XIII-XIV centuries. choruses of “praise” are added to the immaculates at Matins on Holy Saturday; on the other hand, to the polyeleos (which by this time had become an absolutely integral part of the festive matins - including the Matins of the Annunciation) from the 13th-14th centuries. certain selected psalms and choruses of magnification could be added; therefore, the problem arose of combining the immaculate with praise and the polyeleos with the chosen psalm and magnification. This problem could be solved in different ways: for example, in the first printed Greek edition of the Typicon (Venice, 1545), where the instructions about connecting the sequences of the Annunciation and Great Saturday are basically the same as in the most ancient editions of the Jerusalem Rule (and, therefore, approximately the same the same as in the original edition of the Studite Synaxarion), at Matins it is prescribed to sing the polyeleos, but nothing is said about the immaculates. On the other hand, in Russian handwritten charters of the XV-XVII centuries. (for example, RSL. TSL. main. 239, 15th century; 240, 15th century; 241, mid-16th century; 246, early 17th century) on the morning of Holy Saturday if this day coincides with the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy The Virgin Mary is ordered to sing both the Immaculates and the Polyeleos. The text of the corresponding chapter in the indicated manuscripts is practically unchanged (the only difference concerns the indication of the liturgical Apostle on Holy Saturday - the Charter of the RSL. TSL. main. 239, 240 and 241 prescribe reading the Apostle of the day and holiday, and the Charter of the RSL. TSL. main. 246 - only Apostle of the Day) and is reproduced in the same form in the first printed Russian edition of the Typikon (Moscow, 1610), prepared by the charterer of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra Longin (Korova) (and here, as in the RSL. TSL. main. 246, it talks about reading at the liturgy on Holy Saturday only the Apostle of the Day. The omission of the apostolic conception of the Annunciation can be justified by the fact that this reading - Heb 2. 11-18 - is read not only during the liturgy of the feasts of the Annunciation and the Synaxis of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but also during the rite that became very widespread in later times small blessing of water).

Charter for combining the observances of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Holy Saturday according to the version of the Jerusalem Charter now accepted in the Russian Orthodox Church almost completely coincides with what is described in the Typikon of 1610; there are only five differences: the option of a service with an all-night vigil is not provided (the first printed charter allowed, if desired, to sing the Annunciation Small Vespers on Good Friday, and to combine the Vespers of Good Friday with the Matins of Great Saturday (in this case, “Blessed is the Man” and lithiums appeared at Vespers with Annunciation stichera); in the modern Typicon these instructions are omitted); according to the ninth song of the Matins canon, an order appeared to sing a double catavasia - both from the canon of the day (irmos) and from the canon of the holiday (chorus and irmos); not specified incipita most of the Slavniks (thus, on the praises, the old printed Typikon allowed one to choose between “Ask Joseph...” and “The day [day] secretly...”; in the post-reform Typikon it simply says: “Glory...” - to the day); liturgical Apostle - both day and holiday; instructions about the liturgical “Arise, O God...” and the Gospels are missing. The text of the charter (the text is slightly Russified and accompanied by some comments) is as follows: “ On Friday evening at the hour of the 10th day, it marks the Great, and the Great, and we sing Vespers. On “The Lord I cried”: stichera of the day on 6, and the holiday on 4. “Glory...” - the day, “And now...” - the holiday. Entrance with the Gospel. “The world is quiet.” Prokeimenon, and reading of the day, and feast 5 (NOTE: thus, in the modern Russian Typikon, unlike the original edition of the Studite Synaxarion, the general Theotokos and special proverbs of the Annunciation are not separated - D.M.J.). Also the Prokeimenon, the Apostle, Alleluia, and the Gospel of the day. Therefore, the litany “Rtsem all.” Also “Lord grant this evening”, “Let us perform the evening prayer”. On the poem are the stichera of the day with their choruses. “Glory...” - the holiday, “And now...” - the day. Also “Now you let go.” According to the Trisagion: the troparion of the holiday: “Glory... and now” - “Blessed Joseph.” Priest: “Wisdom”, and dismissal. We sing Compline in our cell(NOTE: the omission of secondary daily services is characteristic of all statutes for combining the services of the Annunciation and Holy Saturday; in particular, all editions of the Jerusalem Rule prescribe the reading of Compline in cells (or are completely silent about it); the canon for the Lamentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also read in cells or at all is omitted - of all the statutes of the pre-printing era, only the Evergetid Synaxarion speaks about the preservation of this canon, which is not surprising: the canon on the Lamentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary first appears in this statute - D.M.J.); Kontakion of the day, “Glory... and now...” - the holiday. At the 1st hour of the night it marks the Great, and the Great, and we sing Matins. On “God is the Lord” troparion of the day, tone 2: “Blessed Joseph” (once), “When you descended to death” (once), “Glory...” - “Myrrh-bearing women”, “And now...” - holiday: “Today our salvation." We also sing blameless, on tone 5. The priest censes on the 1st glory, and also on the 2nd and 3rd, as is custom. After the death of the immaculates, we sing the resurrection troparia: “The Council of Angels...” and so on. The same small litany and sedalian of the day. Also the polyeleos, and the sedals of the holiday, and the reading of the holiday. Degree, 1st antiphon of the 4th tone. Prokeimenon of the holiday. "Every breath." Gospel of the holiday. Psalm 50, stichera of the holiday. Canon of the holiday with Irmos on 8, Irmos twice; and day, with irmos at 8 (NOTE: thus, both canons must be sung with irmos, which clearly separates them from each other: irmos of the canon of the holiday and troparia of the canon of the holiday, then - irmos of the canon of the day and troparia of the canon of the day - - D.M.J.). Katavasia is the Irmos of the day, both faces together. According to the 3rd song: kontakion and ikos of the day; and sedalen of the day, “Glory... and now...” - the holiday; and holiday reading. According to the 6th song: kontakion and ikos of the holiday; Prologue and synaxarium. On the 9th song, we don’t sing “The Most Honest,” but we sing the chorus of the holiday, as indicated. At the end of the 9th song there is the irmos of the day: “Don’t cry for Me, Mati,” the same holiday chorus and irmos. “Holy is the Lord our God” in tone 2. The luminary of the holiday is twice. On the praises: three self-vocal stichera of the day and three similar feasts, the same self-vocal feast, tone 8: “Let the heavens rejoice...”, with the refrain: “Teach good news day by day the salvation of our God”; “Glory...” - day, “And now...” - “Blessed are you, the Virgin Mary...”. The doxology is great, and there is an entrance, as it is written in the Triodion. Therefore, the prokeimenon and proverbs of the day. Prokeimenon, Apostle, Alleluia and Gospel - of the day. Litany and dismissal; and at the 1st hour we eat in the vestibule. Other watches sung in due time. On the clock: troparion of the holiday and day; kontakia is a verb changing. Blessed we say quickly, without singing. “Remember us, Lord...” and so on. According to “Our Father”: kontakion of the day, “Glory... and now...: - holiday. “Lord, have mercy” (40 times) and the prayer: “All-Holy Trinity...”, and dismissal. On Holy and Great Saturday evening, about the 10th hour of the day, marks great things, and all serious things. And having gathered in the temple, having blessed the priest, we sing Vespers according to custom, without kathisma. On “The Lord I cried”: there are three resurrection stichera, tone 1: “Our Vespers prayers...”, and three self-concords on Holy Saturday, tone 8, and four holidays; “Glory...” - day, tone 6: “This day is secretly...”; “And now...” - the holiday: “He was sent...”. Entrance with the Gospel. “The world is quiet.” We do not say the prokeimenon, but the priest abiye says: “Wisdom,” and the readings of the day according to their order. At the end of the reading: small litany and exclamation. And we sing instead of the Trisagion: “Be baptized into Christ.” Hallelujah.” Prokeimenon of the day and holiday. Apostle of the day and holiday. (NOTE: the omission of instructions about the liturgical Gospels is more than noticeable). Instead of the Cherubic song, the following is sung: “Let all flesh be silent” - and, in sequence, the Divine Liturgy of the Great Basil. Instead of “It is worthy,” we sing irmos: “Don’t cry for Me, Mother”; In the Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos we sing the irmos: “Like God’s ark to the living.” Involved - day and holiday."

Almost the same charter as in the Russian editions of the Jerusalem Charter is given in "Typikon" prot. George Riga, authoritative Greek charterer 1st half. XX century (2nd ed.: Thessaloniki, 1994). The only differences are in the choice of slavniks among some groups of stichera; in the number of troparions of the Matins canon (the canon of the holiday is sung on 6, and not on 8) and the number of stichera on praises (self-concords of the day - on 4, and not on 3; the stichera of the Annunciation have not one, but two additional verses); in the choice of liturgical prokemna (day only). Extremely interesting statutes for connecting the Annunciation with Holy Saturday are contained in in handwritten cathedral Typikons of Athonite monasteries XVIII-XIX centuries, which still regulate the liturgical life of the Holy Mountain. Thus, in the cathedral Typikons of Dionysiatus (one of the most authoritative on Athos) and Filotheou (based on the Typikon of Dionysiatus), Xenophon and Kostamonita (based on the Typikon of Xenophon), in the event of the coincidence of the Annunciation with Holy Saturday, an all-night vigil is provided for - as in the Russian pre-Nikonov Typicons. On Good Friday, in this case, two vespers are served.- but, unlike the Russian pre-Nikon practice, this is not the small vespers of the Annunciation celebrated separately and the great vespers of the Annunciation and Good Friday celebrated as part of the all-night vigil, but celebrated separately full vespers Good Friday (according to the Athonite Typikon, it is served entirely according to the usual rite of Good Friday; of the Annunciation hymns here, only the stichera on “And now...” on “I cried to the Lord” (according to the Dionysian Typikon on “I called to the Lord,” Annunciation stichera from Little Vespers are also sung) and the stichera on “Glory...” on the stikhone) and the great vespers of the Annunciation performed as part of the all-night vigil (all hymns are only the Annunciation; prokeimenon: “Who is the great God...”; according to the Typicons of Xenophon and Costamonite - but not Philotheou - the all-night vigil is preceded by small compline with the canon for the Lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos; the Dionysiatic Typikon mentions the celebration of Compline before the vigil, but does not talk about the canon). At matins(as part of the same vigil) for “God is the Lord”: two troparions of the day (“Blessed Joseph” and “To the Myrrh-Bearing Women”) and twice the troparion of the holiday; immaculate with the praises of Holy Saturday (the polyeleos are omitted according to the Typikons of Xenophon and Costamonitus; according to the Typikons of Dionysiatus and Philotheou, it is sung after the immaculates, the troparions “Angelic Council...”, the small litany and sedals - just as in the Russian Typikons); sedate, prokeimenon, “Every breath”, Gospel and stichera according to Psalm 50 - Annunciation; canon - on 16 (holiday with Irmos on 8 and day with Irmos on 8), chaos from both canons - not only in the 9th, but in all songs; the instructions for chanting the 3rd, 6-1 and 9th songs of the canon are practically the same as in the Russian Typicons; on the praises stichera on 6 (i.e. without an additional verse), “Glory...” - day (Typicon of Philotheu: “The day is secretly...”; Typicons of Xenophon and Costamonite: “Ask Joseph...”; Dionysiatic Typikon prescribes the singing of the glory of the holiday) , “And now...” - the holiday: “Let the heavens rejoice...” (but not “Most blessed art thou...”; the Dionysian Typikon prescribes singing “Most blessed art thou...”); the end of Matins - according to modern Greek practice, with a three-time circumambulation of the temple with the Gospel and the shroud, etc. Rules Vespers and Liturgy on Holy Saturday in the Typikons of Xenophon, Kostamonit and Dionysiatus - practically the same as in the Russian Typikons (but according to the Typikons of Xenophon and Kostamonit, the stichera on “I cried to the Lord” are not 3 Sundays, 3 days and 4 holidays, but 4 Sundays, 3 days and 3 holidays) , whereas according to the Typicon of Philotheou, when the Annunciation coincides with Holy Saturday, the liturgy is served not at Vespers, but at its usual time (at the 3rd hour of the day; the transfer of the liturgy from Vespers to the usual morning time is due to the fact that the Catholicon of Philotheou is dedicated to the Annunciation); at the liturgy - pictorial antiphons and the blessed one from the canon of the holiday; entrance verse of the holiday; readings - as in Russian Typicons. Vespers on Holy Saturday is served in the evening; the order of singing the stichera on “I cried to the Lord” is the same as in the Typicons of Xenophon and Costamonite; after the proverbs - “Rtsem all” and the rest of the vespers (stichera on the verse - only for the holiday; at the end of vespers - the troparion of the holiday three times and dismissal). As accepted in modern Greek parish and cathedral practice "Typicon of the Great Church of Christ", compiled by protopsalt George Violakis, which - despite the name - is a special edition of the Jerusalem Charter (but not the ancient cathedral Typikon of the Great Church), if the Annunciation coincides with Holy Saturday, the holiday is simply transferred to Easter Day: this was already done in the Typikon of the Protopsalt of Constantine (Constantinople, 1838), on which the Typicon of George Violakis is based.

So, the charter for connecting the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Holy Saturday in the Byzantine and post-Byzantine tradition was developed in great detail. The basic principles of this connection were laid down a thousand years ago and represent, although a small, but valuable part of the diverse and rich liturgical heritage of the Orthodox Church. They should be guided when performing divine services on this day - in the form in which they are presented in the Typikon accepted in the Russian Orthodox Church and approved by its hierarchy at the end of the 17th century (you can also pay attention to the possibility of celebrating the all-night vigil in the Russian pre-Nikon Typikons vigil in the event of the coincidence of the Annunciation with Holy Saturday and on the charter for performing such a vigil and Vespers on Good Friday in the cathedral Typicons now accepted in the practice of Athonite monasteries; probably, the use of this charter could be especially appropriate in churches dedicated to the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos). The main problem is the order of reading the Gospel at the liturgy of Holy Saturday, which is discussed in the Typikon now accepted in the Russian Orthodox Church Nothing not said. The problem here is that reading the Gospel of the holiday after the Gospel of the day will contradict the order of Sacred history - in this case, after the story of the Resurrection of Christ (Gospel of Great Saturday), there will be a story about the Annunciation, which in fact happened not after, but before the Resurrection. The Charter avoids cases of violation of the order of events of Sacred History - as an example, we can cite the instruction of the Typikon and the Colored Triodion that on weekdays during the period of Pentecost, Sunday hymns are sung first and after them - the day, but on Wednesdays and Fridays the hymns of the day (of the Cross) are sung first. , and only then - the Resurrection: “Be aware that on Wednesdays and Fridays the stichera of the Cross are preceded...before our Lord was first crucified, therefore He rose from the dead.” Examples of reading at the liturgy of Great Saturday, when it coincides with the Annunciation, first the Gospel of the holiday and only then the day, are contained in such important monuments of the history of Orthodox worship as the original edition of the Studite Synaxarion (according to the Studite-Alexievsky Typikon, adopted in Rus' until the end of the 14th century c.) and the most ancient editions of the Jerusalem Charter. However, this solution to the problem seems unsatisfactory for two reasons - it contradicts the instructions of the Russian pre-Nikon Typikons (on which the charter for combining the services of the Annunciation and Holy Saturday in the modern Russian Typikon is based), but most importantly, it breaks the connection between the famous chant of Great Saturday “Rise, O God... ” and following this hymn is the great Gospel of the Resurrection of Christ. The Good News of the Resurrection, proclaimed by the deacon in snow-white vestments, is closely connected with the preceding prayer singing “Rise, O God...”, during which the clergy change the dark vestments of sorrow to the light vestments of joy. Therefore, the Gospel of the day should still be read before the Gospel of the holiday. But how then can we solve the problem of violating the order of presentation of the events of Sacred History? It seems that for this one could resort to the instructions of the Typicons of the Athos-Italian edition of the Studite Rule (especially since the Menaion and Triodion corresponding to this edition underlie the Old Russian Menaion and Triodion of the Studite era): the first deacon reads the Gospel of the day, then the exclamation follows: “Wisdom, forgive me, we will hear...” and the second deacon (or priest) reads the Annunciation Gospel.

Deacon Mikhail Zheltov

Patriarchy.ru

Annunciation on Holy Saturday

The Annunciation is always celebrated on April 7, its date remains unchanged. And the dates of Lent and Easter are different every year. In 2018, the Annunciation coincides with Holy Saturday.

The Annunciation is the day of remembrance of how the Mother of God learned that she would give birth to Christ, and that this would happen in a miraculous way - through the descent of the Holy Spirit on Her.

Holy Saturday is a day of remembrance of that terrible moment when the Body of Christ was in the Tomb, and He Himself descended into hell. This day is also called the day of silence. Everything is already behind us - betrayal, crucifixion, Death on the Cross. Now the tomb is sealed, but a miracle occurs that is invisible to the human eye: Christ brings the righteous out of hell.

Both events, 33 years apart, are amazing and incomprehensible. Both in the events of the Annunciation and in the events of Holy Saturday, the unearthly Light of the Resurrection of Christ is visible. And the coincidence of the Annunciation and Holy Saturday allows believers to more deeply feel and understand the path that Christ, and next to him, the Mother of God, walked until Easter.

What does it mean if the Annunciation falls on Holy Saturday?

If the Annunciation falls on Holy Saturday, this means that on this day the Liturgy of John Chrysostom, which is scheduled for a holiday even during the days of Great Lent, will not be celebrated. and the Liturgy of Basil the Great, placed on Holy Saturday. The Liturgy of Basil the Great is celebrated only ten times a year, including on the day before Easter. Even such a significant holiday as the Annunciation cannot change this establishment. The service of Holy Saturday will have features associated with the twelfth holiday that falls on this day.

In addition, if the Annunciation falls on Holy Saturday, this means that it will not be possible to eat fish on the holiday. According to the monastery charter, fish is allowed twice per fast - on the Annunciation and on Palm Sunday. But the significance of each day of Holy Week is so great that on these days believers observe a particularly strict fast.

The service of the Annunciation in 2018 differs from the usual festive service of this day, as it is combined with the services of Holy Saturday.

The All-Night Vigil is not celebrated the evening before. But at Matins (which is served on Friday evening, usually this service on Good Friday is called “Matins of Great Saturday with the Rite of Burial of the Shroud”) a polyeleos is performed ( official part services with the singing of psalms), and canons (troparia, united by one theme) and fragments of the Gospel will be heard both on the Annunciation and on Holy Saturday. Then a procession with the Shroud will be held around the temple, symbolizing the burial of Christ.

At the morning service on Saturday, as expected on the last day before Easter, 15 proverbs will be read - passages from the Holy Scriptures containing prophecies and explanations of the events of this day. Usually the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is celebrated on the Annunciation, but since Holy Saturday is one of the ten days of the year when the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated, it will be celebrated on April 7, 2018. The Gospel of Holy Saturday and the Gospel of the Feast will be read there.

Another feature of the Annunciation service in 2018 will be that all readings and prayers, usually said at the Soleia, and the Small and Great Exit at the Liturgy are performed in front of the Shroud, which is located from the middle of Good Friday until the Easter night service in the center of the temple. Communion of Saints The mysteries of Christ are also performed before the Shroud. At the end of the service, believers venerate the Shroud, and not the Cross, as is usually the case.