Archbishop Averky Liturgics

270 Pages·2009·1.29 MB·English

Archbishop Averky
Liturgics
(+ 1976)
Edited by
Archbishop Laurus
2000

Content:
Archbishop Averky
TU UT
Liturgics
TU UT
(+ 1976)
TU UT
Edited by
TU UT
Archbishop Laurus
TU UT
2000
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Foreword.
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Introduction.
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Part One
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I. Understanding the Science known as
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“Liturgics”
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Preliminary remarks.
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The Subject and Objective of Liturgics.
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Division of the Science of Liturgics.
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Primary Sources of Liturgics.
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Russian Research of Liturgics.
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II. On Worship
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The Origins of Worship.
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The Development of Orthodox Worship.
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Church Hymnographers.
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The Significance of Orthodox Worship.
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III. The Origin of
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the Christian Temples
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The Inner Layout and Arrangement of the Temple.
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The Altar.
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Iconostasis
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The Central Part of the Temple
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The Nave
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On the Church Bells and Tolls
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IV. On Those
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Who Perform the Divine Services
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The Clergy.
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The Church Servers
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V. On the Sacred Vestments
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The Meaning of the Sacred Vestments;
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their Colors and Adornment.
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VI. Sacred Symbolic Acts
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and Rites during the Divine Services
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VII. Liturgical Books
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Simple books.
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Books for Common Services.
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The Service Book (Sluzhebnik)
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The Chinovnik (Book of Rites) for Hierarchical Services
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The Horologion
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The Ochtoechos, or Book of the Eight Tones
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The Monthly, Festal, and General Menaions
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The Lenten Triodion and the Festal Triodion (or Festal Menaion)
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The Irmologion.
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The Typicon, or Ustav.
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Books for Individual Services
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The Book of Needs (the Trebnik)
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Ceremonies for Uniting the Heterodox
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to the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church.
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The Book of Supplicatory Services
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The Order for the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
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Books for Home Usage.
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Books for Common
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and Individual Services
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The Gospel
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The Apostle
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The Psalter
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On Music Books.
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VIII. Understanding the
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Various Cycles of Services
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1. The Daily Cycle of Services.
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2. The Weekly Cycle of Services.
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3. The Yearly Cycle of Services.
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The Compilation of a Church Service
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On a Given Day.
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The Titles of the Unchanging Prayers
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The Titles of the Changing Prayers.
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IX. Church Singing,
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Reading, and Iconography
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Part II
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The First Part of the All-night Vigil
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The All-night Vigil and its origins.
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The time for its performance and its structure.
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Small Vespers.
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I. The Beginning of the All-night Vigil
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Vespers.
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The Singing of the Opening Psalm.
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The Great Litany
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The First Kathisma
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The Concept of Kathismata in General
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The Small Litany.
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The Singing of the Verses of “Lord, I have Cried”
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and their Stichera.
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The Vespral Entry
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The Prokeimenon and the “Readings” (Lessons), or Paremii.
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The Augmented Litany,
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The Prayer, “Vouchsafe, O Lord,”
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and the Litany of Fervent Supplication.
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The Litia.
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The Stichera at the Aposticha
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“Now Lettest Thou Thy Servent,”
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the Trisagion through “Our Father,”
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the Troparion, the Blessing of the Loaves,
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and the End of Vespers.
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II. The Second Part of the All-night Vigil
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Matins.
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The Six Psalms.
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The Great Litany.
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“God is the Lord” and the Troparia.
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The Kathismata, the Small Litanies following them, and the Sedalia
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The Polyeleos, Troparia of the Resurrection, and Megalynaria
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The Small Litany, the Hypakoe or Sedalion,
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and the Antiphons of Ascent (or Hymns of Ascents).
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The Prokeimenon and the Reading of the Gospel
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The Canon.
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The Exapostilarion, or Photagogicon (Svetilen).
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The Psalms of Praise and the Stichera at the Praises
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The Great Doxology
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The Augmented and Supplicatory Litanies
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and the Dismissal of Matins.
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III. The First Hour and The End of the All-night Vigil
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IV. The Polyeleos Service
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V. The Doxology Service
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VI. The Six-Stichera Service
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VII. The Five Ranks of Feast.
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VIII. The Daily Vespers.
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IX. Small Compline.
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X. The Midnight Office
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XI. Daily Matins
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XII. The Hours and the Typica
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XIII. The Cycle of Daily Worship
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XIV. The Saturday Service
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Part III
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I. The Divine Liturgy.
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Preliminary remarks
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The Origin of the Liturgy
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The Time of the Performance of the Liturgy.
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The Place of the Performance of the Liturgy.
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The Persons who Perform the Liturgy.
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Types of Liturgy
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Ii. The Liturgy of
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St. John Chrysostom.
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The Preparation of the Clergy
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for the Performance of the Liturgy
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The Vesting of the Clergy
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before the Liturgy.
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The Proskomede.
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The Liturgy of the Catechumens.
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The Small Entry.
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The Singing of the Troparia and Kontakia.
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The Trisagion
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The Ascent to the High Place
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The Reading of the Holy Scriptures
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The Prokeimenon, Apostle, Alleluia, and Gospel.
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The Litany after the Gospel.
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The Liturgy of the Faithful.
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The Cherubic Hymn.
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The Great Entrance
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The Litany of Fervent Supplication.
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The Kiss of Peace.
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The Symbol of Faith
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The Eucharistic Canon, or Anaphora (Elevation)
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The Epiclesis —
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the Prayer of the Calling Down of the Holy Spirit
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The Preparation of the Faithful for Communion:
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The Supplicatory Litany and “Our Father.”
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The Breaking of the Lamb
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and the Communion of the Clergy.
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The Communion of the Laity.
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The Transferal of the Holy Gifts to the Table of Oblation
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Giving Thanks for Communion
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The Prayer Below the Ambon
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and the Blessing to Leave the Temple
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The Completion of the Divine Liturgy
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III. The Liturgy
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of St. Basil the Great
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IV. The Liturgy
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of the Holy Apostle James.
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Part IV
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I. Feasts
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II. On the Services
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for the Immovable Days of the Year
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Small Feasts
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Median Feasts
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Median Feasts
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with the Sign of a Cross in a Semicircle
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Great Feasts
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with the Sign of a Cross in a Circle
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II. The Calender
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September.
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October.
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November
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December
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January.
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February.
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March.
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June.
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August.
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IV. Temple Feasts
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V. Worship on the
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Movable Days of the Year
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VI. The Divine Services of the Lenten Triodion
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I. The Weeks Preparatory
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to Great Lent.
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The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee.
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The Sunday of the Prodigal Son.
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Meatfare Saturday
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Meatfare Sunday
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Cheesefare Week
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Cheesefare Sunday.
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II. The Great Forty-day Fast
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III. The Peculiarities of Daily Lenten Services.
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The Midnight Office.
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Lenten Matins.
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The Lenten Hours.
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The Lenten Typica.
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IV. The Liturgy
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of the Presanctified Gifts
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On the Presanctified Liturgy
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of the Holy Apostle James.
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V. The Order of the Liturgy
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of the Presanctified Gifts.
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VI. Special commemorations
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and Rituals during the Days
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of the Holy Forty-day Fast.
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The Sunday of Orthodoxy.
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The Second Sunday of Great Lent.
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The Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross.
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The Fourth Sunday of Great Lent.
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The Fifth Sunday of Great Lent.
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Palm Sunday.
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Holy Week.
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Great Thursday
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Great Friday.
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Great Saturday.
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The Divine Services
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of the Pentecostarion.
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I. The Pascha of the Lord,
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or the Resurrection of Christ
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II. Special Commemorations and Services
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During the Days of the Holy Pentecost.
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The Sunday of Antipascha.
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The Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women.
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The Sunday of the Paralytic.
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The Sunday of the Samaritan Woman.
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The Sunday of the Blind Man.
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The Leave-taking of Pascha.
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The Ascension of the Lord
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The Seventh Sunday after Pascha
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IV. The Sunday of Holy Pentecost
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The Sunday of All Saints.
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Part V
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I. Concerning Private Worship
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II. The Book of Needs, Part One
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III. Baptism.
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IV. Chrysmation.
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Concerning Rites of Unification to Orthodoxy.
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V. The Order of Confession.
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VI. The Sacrament of the Priesthood.
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The Consecration of a Subdeacon.
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The Ordination of a Deacon.
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The Ordination of a Presbyter (or Priest)
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The Ordination of a Bishop.
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Elevation to Various Church Ranks.
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VII. Marriage.
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VIII. The order for Holy Oil.
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The Rite for giving communion
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immediately to one who is gravely ill.
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IX. The Monastic Tonsure.
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X. The Supplicatory Canon at the Departure of the Soul.
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XI. The Funeral and Burial of the Departed.
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The Funeral for Laity.
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Directions for a Funeral During Bright Week.
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XII. The Small and Great Blessings of Water
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XIII. Prayers for Various Needs
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XIV. The Book of Needs, Part II.
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VI. The Book of Molebens
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Appendix I
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On the Typicon — the Church Ustav.
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Appendix II
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Bibliography.
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Foreword.
T
he course of lectures on liturgics here put forward was compiled by Archimandrite
Averky over the time when he taught this subject in Holy Trinity Seminary, during the academic
years of 1951/52 and 1952/53.
The Most Reverend Archbishop AVERKY (in the world Alexander Pavlovich Taushev)
was born October 19/November 1, 1906, in the city of Kazan. His parents were Pavel Sergeivich
and Maria Vladimirovna Taushev. His father completed his course of study in the Military-
Juridical Academy and worked in the military-judicial department until the Revolution. Due to
the nature of Pavel Sergeivich’s occupation, the family was obliged to travel constantly to vari-
ous places in Russia. It was especially difficult during the First World War and the Revolution.
At last, after enduring numerous ordeals for Russia, the Taushev family left Russia in the begin-
ning of 1920. Alexander and his parents traveled by steamer to the city of Varna in Bulgaria.
Here before long a Russian high school was opened, into which 250 students, including Alexan-
der Taushev, were enrolled. Alexander learned exceptionally well, and in 1926 finished high
school “with the gold medal.”
Prior to this, the student Alexander had made the acquaintance of Archbishop Theofan
(Bistrov) of Poltava and Pereaslavl, and under his influence had become more inclined to the
spiritual, monastic life. Upon finishing high school Alexander, having received the blessing of
his spiritual father, Archbishop Theofan, entered the theological department of the Derzhava
University in Sophia, which he finished in 1930.
Following this, Alexander learned from the magazine “Orthodox Carpatho-Russia” that
in Carpatho-Russia there was an opportunity to labor in the field of missionary work. Thus, with
the blessing of Archbishop Theofan, he went to Czechoslovakia in Carpatho-Russia, where he
was given employment in the diocesan administration of the Mukachev-Prjashev diocese. On
May 4/17 he was tonsured a monk at St. Nicholas monastery, near the village of Iza in the region
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of Khustsk. He was given the name Averky in honor of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Averky
of Ierapolsk. On the very next day Father Averky was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon. On
March 25/April 7 he was ordained to the rank of the priesthood by the Most Reverend Damas-
cene, bishop of Mukachev and Prjashev. Father Hieromonk Averky then passed the time of his
pastoral service in St. Nicholas monastery as the assistant of Father Archimandrite Matthew, af-
ter which he soon became the rector of a parish in Uzhgorod. In 1937 on the feast of Pascha he
was elevated to the rank of abbot. In December of 1938, Abbot Averky was appointed rector of a
parish in Mukachev and administrator of a part of the Mukachev-Prjashev diocese in the territory
of the kingdom of Hungary.
Later on Father Abbot Averky was forced to abandon Carpatho-Russia after its occupa-
tion by the Magyars, and in 1940 he arrived in Belgrade. Here he was received by Metropolitan
Anastasy and appointed to serve at the Russian church of the Holy Trinity. During the Second
World War he was first in Belgrade, then in Vienna and other places in Germany, where he en-
dured all the horrors of war. One consolation for Father Averky was the fact that throughout
these years he was near the Wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, served
molebens before Her and performed services for those who came to pray to Her. In Munich, on
October 1, 1944, Father Averky was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
Archimandrite Averky came to Holy Trinity Monastery from Munich, Germany, at the
invitation of Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko), in the beginning of 1951. Immediately following
his arrival he was appointed to be an instructor in Holy Trinity Seminary, where he taught the
following subjects: New Testament, liturgics, and homiletics. Inasmuch as there were no particu-
lar study aids for these subjects, he prepared his lectures and typed them on a typewriter, then
copied them with a duplicating machine. The students then received the printed lectures. In this
way study aids originated for the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, liturgics, and homilet-
ics, all compiled by Archimandrite Averky.
At the recommendation of Archbishop Vitaly, on February 17, 1952, Archimandrite
Averky was appointed by the Hierarchal Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad to the
post of rector of Holy Trinity Seminary. Within a little over a year he was consecrated bishop of
Syracuse and Holy Trinity.
Inasmuch as Bishop Averky was a member of the brotherhood of Holy Trinity Monas-
tery, he participated fully in the life of the monastery. Besides this he took an active part in the
publishing work of the brotherhood of the print shop of Venerable Job of Pochaev, wrote articles
for “Orthodox Russia” and other publications of the monastery, and participated in the mission-
ary work of the monastery. Being the vicar of the Eastern American diocese, he likewise took
part in the life of the diocese. Besides this, Vladika Averky was the spiritual instructor of the St.
Vladimir youth. Because of this he often gave lectures in various parishes which had St. Vladi-
mir youth groups.
Thus, being burdened with all of these obediences, Archbishop Averky took upon himself
the teaching of the New Testament in the seminary: the Four Gospels in the fourth year and the
Apostle in the fifth, four hours a week for each year, plus two hours of homiletics. In the course
of the week Vladika Averky had a total of 10 hours of classes. He transferred liturgics to Hiero-
monk Laurus, who began teaching church ustav in seminary in 1954, and liturgics in 1956.
The lectures on the New Testament, compiled on the duplicating machine, Vladika
Averky gradually corrected and prepared. Starting in 1955 they were set in linotype and typog-
raphically produced as an appendix to the Holy Trinity calendar under the title, “Handbook for
the study of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, Part I.” The Four Gospels were
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printed in appendixes for the years 1955 and 1956. Part II, the Apostle, was printed in appen-
dixes for the years 1957, 1958, and 1959. Both parts were likewise published as separate books.
The handbook for homiletics was printed as a separate book in 1961.
However, the lectures on liturgics, compiled by Archimandrite Averky and printed in the
academic year of 1951/52 on a duplicating machine in limited quantities, were not produced ty-
pographically. In the seminary we made use of that synopsis, but when copies ran out we began
to use other textbooks for our purposes. Now it has become possible to produce this course ty-
pographically.
The course of liturgics which we now offer to the reader has been significantly reworked,
particularly the first part (the preliminary remarks). Many additions and several changes have
likewise been made in the course itself.
We hope, above all, that the publication of this liturgics textbook will be a useful aid for
students of the seminary, and likewise for all who study or are interested in our divine services.
These lectures present a systematic presentation of material on the subject of liturgics, in which a
short historical description of the origins of worship is given, the symbolic meaning of several
aspects of the services is discussed, and other necessary explanations and instructions involving
the order of the divine services are likewise given. In addition to this, owing to its typographic
publication, this academic textbook will now be available to a wider range of readers and lovers
of ecclesiastical-liturgical literature.

+ Archbishop Laurus

Holy Trinity Monastery
Afterfeast of Pentecost
Commemoration of Holy Equal-to-
the-Apostles Emperor Constantine
and Empress Elena
May 21/June 3, 1999

Introduction.
The subject of liturgics is the history of Orthodox Christian worship. Orthodox worship is
the entirety of the prayers, hymns, and sacred rites which are performed in the Church of God on
earth by hierarchical persons, as lawful representatives of Christ (see the epistle to the Hebrews).
Worship is performed for the faithful, and in unity with them, according to an estab-
lished order. Through worship the faithful are called upon to express their feelings of faith in
God, as well as hope and love for Him; they enter into mystical communion with Him; and they
receive the power of grace for the living of a Christian life, which leads to salvation.
Worship has great significance for man. It is the expression of the prayer life of the
Church of Christ. The Orthodox divine services of ancient Byzantium astounded our forefathers
by their majestic beauty, and led them to Christ, to the Orthodox faith.
One may show one’s faith by starting with fervent and comely prayer. But the modern
western man, who knows neither God nor religion, in particular those in our homeland who have
been corrupted by the propaganda of godlessness — if they were to hear the words of one
preaching on faith, on God, on prayer, or on worship, they would be unable to immediately
change their position and reach out towards faith in God, accepting all that should be said to
them. Prejudice remains in them, and they waver. However, it often happens that such people,
upon seeing the earnest performance of the divine services, devout prayer, and the beauty of the
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Orthodox rite, are penetrated by the sublime majesty of the worship of the Church, and their
hearts are touched by “the word of God.” As it happened before, so it happens now. An indiffer-
ent, possibly even unbelieving person stops by or enters a church by chance, or goes in out of
curiousity, and in the surrounding temple atmosphere of peace and faith, fervent reading and
singing, such people are caught up by the sincere prayer of the faithful and, unexpectedly for
themselves, they become participants in the common prayer and begin to feel a thirst for faith in
God: they apprehend the instruction of the one preaching, and often join themselves to the Holy
Church.
According to the words of the Holy Apostle Paul, Christians must do everything “de-
cently and in order” (I Cor. 14:40). The decent order of the Orthodox divine services was devel-
oped over centuries. Their authors are the Holy Apostles and the Holy Fathers and hymnogra-
phers of the Church. The rite of worship was formed by ascetics and heroes of the spirit, in de-
serts and in monasteries.
Therefore the wealth of prayers, ideas, images, and thoughts which has accumulated over
the ages, which is kept and preserved in thick church books and leather bindings, must resound in
the souls of contemporary believers through fervent worship. And whoever loves the prayers of
the Church, once he has understood their contents, will love also their harmonious order.
We shall remember that the most important element in the divine services is the living,
personal participation of both those who come to pray and of those who perform the divine ser-
vices — those who serve, the readers, and the chanters. Only that which is felt and experienced
by the performers of the divine services themselves will reach the hearts of those who pray.

Part One

I. Understanding the Science known as

“Liturgics”

Preliminary remarks.
“Liturgics” is the name given to the theological science which concerns itself with the
teachings on Christian worship. Of these, the Divine Liturgy occupies the place of primary
importance. The word “liturgics,” a derivative of the word “liturgy,” comes from the Greek
words “λειτοσ,” which means public, social, “common,” and “εργον” — “work.” Thus, for the
ancient Hellenes the word λειτουργια meant “common work,” a common service performed for
the people or with the participation of the people. This term is made use of in both the Old and
the New Testament, though not in the same sense. In the Old Testament the word “liturgy” signi-
fied common service in the tabernacle, in honor of God and for the benefit of the people (see II
Chron. 35:3). In the New Testament this term is applied to the service of Zacharius in the temple
of Jerusalem (Lk. 1:23); further, to the service in the Tabernacle in which the vessels have been
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