Chapter 98

Tone Viii Eight Tones

Habakkuk will I ay unto thee: Glory to thy might, O thou who lovest mankind. R. and Ms.

V. Wherefore hast thou cast me away from thy presence, O Light which knowest no setting ? And why hath hostile darkness encompassed me, the wretched one ? But turn thou me again, and guide thou my paths in the light of thy commandments, I beseech thee. R. and Us.

VI. Cleanse thou me, O my Saviour, for many are my transgressions ; and lead me forth from the abyss of iniquity, I beseech thee, for unto thee have I cried : And hear me, O God of my salvation. R. and Hs.

VII. The fire in Babylon of old was put to shame by God’s comingdown ; for which cause the Children dancing in the furnace with joyful feet as in a flowery mead, did sing with exultation : Blessed art thou, O God of our fathers. R. and Hs.

VIII. With seven-fold heat did the Chaldaean tyrant in his rage cause the furnace to be heated for the Godly Ones; but when he beheld them saved by a better power, he cried aloud unto their Maker and Deliverer: Ye Children, bless; ye Priests, sing praises; ye People, exalt him unto all the ages ! R. and Hs.

IX. Heaven was affrighted, and the ends of the earth were amazed ; For God revealed himself unto men in the flesh, and thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. For which cause the chieftains of men and of Angels do glorify thee, O Birth-giver of God. R. and Hs.

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(i) The Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church of the East reckons its day after the pattern of the Jewish Church, from sunset Therefore the worship of God begins with the Evening Service,- which typifies, in general, the Old Testament times, as foreshadowing our Lord Jesus Christ and his life on earth, and precedes the Divine Liturgy of the morning, wherein is typified the life of our Lord as set forth in the New Testament and his life in heaven.

On ordinary evenings, Great or Lesser Vespers is used. On Saturday evening, and on the eves of the Great Feasts, is celebrated the Vigil Service, which consists of portions of Great Vespers, combined with Matins. In the early Church, the Vigil Service lasted all night, as its name, the “ Ail-Night Vigil Service,” denotes ; and at the present day, in the monasteries of the East, where the service is read and chanted slowly, and in its completeness, it so lasts. In the monasteries, also, are used the Great and Lesser Later Evensong (Compline), and the various midnight services.

At the Saturday evening Vigil Service, the Resurrection of our Lord is more particularly commemorated and exalted.

On Christmas Eve, and on the Eves of the Epiphany and sometimes of the Annunciation, the All-Night Vigil Office consists of Great Later Evensong (Grand Compline) and Matins.

THE SYMBOLISM OF GREAT VESPERS.

(2) This Exclamation the Priest utters after the Deacon has said to the brethren who have assembled for Divine Service, and are seated: “Stand,” and asks from him a blessing on the service: “Bless, Master.”

(3) By these acts of devotion the thoughts of the Christian are carried back to the epoch of the Creation of the world, to the blissful state of our first parents. The censing typifies the saying of Genesis, that at the Creation the Spirit of God, the true Light and Incense unto the elect, moved over the face of the waters. The opening of the Holy Doors signifies that, from the creation of the world, man was appointed to dwell in Paradise. But the blissful condition of mankind was of brief duration. As a token of the fact that men were banished from Paradise after the Fall, the Holy Doors are closed after the Temple has been censed.

(4) The Priest stands before the Holy Doors, which are closed, and

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reads secretly the Prayers of Light, thereby typifying Adam sorrowing in repentance before the gates of Paradise. The Priest reads these prayers with uncovered head, in token of penitence and humility. In the Service Books of the Church these prayers are called “The Prayers of Light” because in them the Priest glorifies the Lord, who dwelleth in Light ineffable, for the gift of material light, and prays for illumination of soul.

(5) All the Exclamations pronounced by the Priest after the Litanies bear a close relation either to the preceding litanies, to the prayers read secretly by the Priest, or to the chants of the singers.

(6) “Kafisma” signifies “sitting.” The term may have had its rise in the fact that sitting was appointed while certain parts of the Kaf isma were being read, verse by verse ; but at some points standing was enjoined. In ancient times these verses were chanted.

(7) These verses express two thoughts: Adam’s repentance for his sins, with his regret for the Paradise which he has lost ; and the exhortation from the mouth of Adam to his posterity that they shall utterly obey the will of God.

(8) The Bogordditchny (Hymns to the Birth-giver of God) are called “ Dogmdtiki,” from the Greek word dogma, or doctrine; so that, together with the praise of the All-holy Birth-giver of God, they contain dogmatic teaching concerning the person of Jesus Christ, and in particular concerning the incarnation of the Lord and the union in his person of two natures — the divine and the human. The Hymn to the Birth-giver of God is sung at this point to remind us that she was the Mediatrix through whom, by the birth of her Holy Son, the life of those who were under the dispensation of the law was assuaged.

(9) The Entrance typifies in action that which is expressed by the chant: “O gladsome radiance;” that is to say, that the Gladsome Radiance has shone for men in the person of the Saviour, who, for the sake of men’s infirmities, humbled the immortal glory of the heavenly Father, and came down from heaven.

The Holy Doors are opened, in token that with the coming of the Lord the Paradise of God was opened to men. The Priest comes forth from the Sanctuary standing erect, with his chasuble hanging straight, to typify humility and majesty. The Deacon precedes the Priest, as if he were the Forerunner, holding the censer in his hand. The censer with its incense signifies that, through the mediation of the Lord, our prayers are borne upward to the Lord like incense, and that the Holy Spirit is present in the Temple. The Deacon is preceded by a taper, which denotes the spiritual light brought by the Lord to earth.

(10) The Gradual (Prokhnen) (from the Greek, signifying that which precedes), is the verse which precedes the Lessons from Holy Scripture, namely, the Parables (Paremii), the Epistle and the Gospel, and serves as a preface to the Lesson. The Gradual, generally in the words of Holy Writ, expresses either the contents and application of the Lesson

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which follows it, or the significance of the day; that is, of the prayers and hymns which relate to the day.

(n) The Lessons from Holy Scripture of the Old Testament (and also sometimes from the New Testament) are called Parables (Paremii), and contain the prophecies of the event commemorated on the day; or explain the force of the Feast, and the intent with which it was established ; or set forth the praise of the Saint whose festival it is.

(12) The Litiyd (from the Greek, Liti, litomai, — a fervent prayer). The fervent prayer is expressed in the “ Lord, have mercy “ many times repeated The Litiyd is sometimes performed in the porch of the Temple, or on the steps ; sometimes inside the Temple. It reminds us of the ancient Processions of the Cross in the streets, more especially by night ; and of the fervent petitions which the early Christians offered up during those processions, on the occasion of divers public calamities. This going forth into the porch for the Litiyd, at the Ail-Night Vigil, after the Entrance and the Evening Litany {Ext£niya\ on the one hand, typifies for those who stand in the porch (the penitents) the same thing as is typified for those who stand in the Temple by the Entrance at Vespers ; that is to say, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Gladsome Radiance, came down to us here below ; that they who stand in the porch may expect mercy from the Lord, and the remission of sins. On the other hand, the going-forth of the faithful to the porch, the place of catechumens and penitents, denotes the profound humility of the Faithful, who are ready to put themselves in the place of the learners and penitents, and pray in company with them.

(13) At the Blessing of the Loaves God’s blessing is asked on the fertility of the earth for the nourishment of men. In the early Church, when the All-Night Vigil lasted until the morning, it was customary to distribute the common offerings of bread, wine and oil after the Vespers ; to the end that the Faithful who intended to remain throughout the service might be strengthened and refreshed thereby. After the Priest had pronounced the final Benediction upon the people, he and the Deacon descended from the Sanctuary, and sitting down with the people, they consumed with them the food which had thus been blessed. During this time selections from the Acts of the Apostles, or from the Epistles, were read aloud. This custom is still observed in certain monasteries, notably in those on Mount Athos. The distribution of the blessed bread during Grand Matins, to the Faithful who have received the benediction by the anointing with the blessed oil, commemorates this in ordinary churches.

MATINS.

(1) Thereby expressing that those present in their prayers have sincere faith and love towards the Lord Jesus Christ ; like the Wise

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Men, who brought unto him offerings of frankincense and myrrh, and so honoured God in the flesh.

(2) The Six Psalms represent the wretched condition of the human race in the Old Testament days, which the Offices preceding the Divine Liturgy chiefly set forth ; and the hope of a Saviour from on high.

(3) When our Lord Jesus Christ revealed himself to the people assembled beside the Jordan, John the Baptist hailed him with joy and reverence. Therefore the Priest, or the Deacon, now solemnly makes proclamation, beholding, as it were, our Lord himself come to minister to the world.

(4) During Fasts Alleluia is sung four times instead of : “ God is the Lord and hath revealed himself unto us.”

(5) Thereby reminding us of the time when the Holy Women bearing spices, and other Disciples of the Lord, came early to his sepulchre, even before the dawn, and there learning of our Saviour’s Resurrection, imparted to his remaining Disciples the glad tidings. The incense typifies the sweet spices which the women brought to the tomb of the Lord ; the taper typifies the light and joy of the glad tidings of the Resurrection, and the light of faith therein, and in our future life. The procession of .the Priest about the Temple typifies the return of the Holy Women and the Disciples from the sepulchre of the Saviour, bringing the tidings to the remaing Disciples.

(6) It is so called from the Greek words poli (much) and elea (oil or mercy) ; because the latter word — mercy — is frequently repeated in these Psalms ; and from the lighting of the shrine-lamps filled with pure oil, while the Psalms are being sung.

(7) Our Lord Jesus Christ, after that he was risen from the dead, speedily manifested himself to his Disciples. Wherefore the Church, by the reading of the Gospel after the Song of the Holy Women, announces to the People one of the ten Manifestations of the risen* Saviour to his Disciples. The appointed Gospels for Matins in their order will be found on p. xxi. All the eleven Lessons from the Gospels, appointed to be read in rotation, refer to the Resurrection of our Lord on the third day.

(8) While the Choir sings, the Priest and Deacon first salute the Holy Gospels. And after them the people, in the presence of the Priest, as it were of the Angel-Messenger of the Resurrection, joyfully do homage to the Holy Book, as to Christ himself, and kiss it, in that it contains the redeeming tidings of the Resurrection.

(9) On Feast Days, the holy image of the Feast or of the Saint is saluted in token of devotion and gratitude to God for his mercy ; and the Priest bestows the blessing, signing each one of the Faithful on the brow, in the form of a cross (with the oil which has been blessed at the Vespers), in the Name of the Holy Trinity, for the enlightenment and sanctification of their minds and hearts, and protection against all evil.

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(10) As joy expresses itself in song, so the holy Church has appointed to be sung, after the salutation of the Book of the Gospels, the Nine Songs of the Canon, which represent the Hymns of praise, at the Resurrection, of the nine Ranks of the heavenly Hierarchy. The Canon contains, also, the Hymns of those godly persons in the Old Testament, from Moses to Zacharias, who magnified the Lord God in spiritual songs. This is in conformity with the teachings of our Lord. himself, who, after his Resurrection, expounded unto his Disciples the things in all the Scriptures concerning himself ; and each Song (IrmSs), in the vast number of Canons in the Holy Orthodox Church, is inspired by the Hymn of Scripture appointed to precede it. But these Scripture hymns are generally omitted, with the exception of the Song of the Holy Birth-giver of God, which precedes Song IX. Many of the Hymns which follow each song are also sometimes omitted. The second Hymn of Holy Scripture (Deuteronomy xxxiii.) is not, properly speaking, so much a hymn as a denunciation of God’s judgments upon the Israelites. Therefore it is said only on the Tuesdays of the Great Fast. In imitation of this, the Second Song of every Canon also consists of denunciations of God’s wrath upon the disobedient, and is also omitted.

(i i) The Hymns of Light {Svyetilny) are also called the “ Exapostilirion;” “Hymns of Light/’ because their subject is chiefly the illumination of the soul from on high, and because the singing of them at Matins precedes the break of day and the Gloria in excels is ; “Exapostilirion,” because in ancient times a chanter was sent out into the centre of the church to sing them. (Greek: Exapostildrion, one who is-sent forth.)

(12) In ancient times the singing of the Canon lasted until the dawn. Therefore it is still the custom, at the present day, for the Priest, shortly after the Canon is finished, to make this Exclamation, in an outburst of joy and thanksgiving, beholding, as it were, the dawn of day.

THE HOURS.

In the First Hour we thank God for the light of day which he has given to us, and pray him that we may pass the day without sin. According to the ecclesiastical reckoning, the First Hour corresponds with the present seven o’clock in the morning.

In the Third Hour viz commemorate the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. It corresponds to the present nine o’clock in the morning.

In the Sixth Hour, corresponding to twelve o’clock (noon), the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ is commemorated.

The Ninth Hour, corresponding to three o’clock in the afternoon, commemorates the death of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

APPENDIX B

The Hours for Easter consist of the Hymns only, all the Psalms being omitted.

The Imperial Hours, used at Christmas and Good Friday, consist of all the Hours, and special Psalms,*read consecutively; each Hour being augmented by the reading of Lessons from the Old Testament, from the Epistles, and from the Gospels, and the singing of special Hymns.

The Typical Psalms in their prayers and songs typify the Divine Liturgy. They are sometimes used in place of the Liturgy. They are also used as the continuation and conclusion of the Hours (during the Great Fast), and of the Imperial Hours.

( 1 ) As the Sanctuary symbolically represents the kingdom of heaven, the drawing aside of the curtain during Divine Services typifies, in general, the revelation to mankind of the mysteries of salvation, which had been hidden from the foundation of the world and were revealed at the incarnation of the Lord ; through whom, also, was revealedunto men the kingdom of heaven, forfeited by our first parents. The opening of the Holy Door typifies, in general, the opening of the way to the places where the Saviour of the world abode, or of the gates of Paradise ; and, sometimes, the entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

(2) They thus ask forgiveness for any offences which they may have committed against their fellow-men ; and the Choirs and the People express their pardon by bowing in return.

(3) All this and the whole Office of Oblation are said while the clergy are vesting, in a low voice, by the Priest, behind the imagescreen {ikonostds), which corresponds to the chancel-rail in the Western Church. At the point duly indicated, after the Priest and Deacon have vested themselves, the Reader (in front of the image-screen), begins to read the Hours ; the Priest (behind the image-screen), making aloud the exclamations and benedictions, as shown in the Hours.

(4) Five prosfori are generally used in preparing the holy Communion, in commemoration of the five loaves wherewith our Lord fed the five thousand people. But any one who wishes to have a living or a dead friend prayed for at the appointed place in the Liturgy, sends to the Chapel of Oblation a similar prosford (an Altar-bread, — that is, “an offering”), with the Christian name only of the person written on a paper, or in a book kept for that purpose. At the end of the Liturgy the prosford is returned to the sender, a particle having been removed, in token that the offering has been accepted. But the particles thus taken from these private offerings for the living and the dead do not form a part of the Communion, because they are not transubstantiated. The Emperor (or other Ruler) and the Reigning House, the Holy Synod and other persons in authority are prayed for here and at other

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points in the service (which explains the frequent recurrence of those petitions), not only in their official capacity, but also as representing benefactors of the Church and the people in general. In the early Church people brought bread, wine, oil and the other things required for the sustentation of the Church and for the services, on behalf of themselves or of living friends, or as memorials of their dead friends ; and all such persons were prayed for, in detail, by name. With the growth of the Church this special mention of innumerable individuals became burdensome, and rendered the services oppressively long. Therefore the present abbreviated and representative form (the Rulers) was adopted.

(5) The Altar, which represents the tomb of Christ and the throne of God, the holy pictures {ikdni — images), and the People are censed by the Deacon at the end of the Office of Oblation, in order that the Faithful may thereby be incited to a more fervent offering up of prayers. The withdrawal of the curtain here typifies the revelation to the world of the secrets of salvation, hidden from eternity.

(6) These words, and the briefer form, the “ Eis polld eti, D^spota,” at Pontifical services, as well as the “ Axios “ and “ Kyrie eleison “ in the Ordination Offices, are retained in the original Greek as an acknowledgment of the Russian Church’s c>rigin in and oneness with the Greek Church.

(7) This opening of the Holy Door signifies that the heavens were opened at the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, and a voice proceeding thence testified to him. The Little Entrance typifies the entrance of our Lord upon his work of preaching to the world, and his drawing near to men. The book of the Holy Gospels represents Christ our Lord, and the taper borne before it signifies that the teaching of the Gospels — that is, our Lord himself — is the Light of the world. He who bears the taper represents John the Baptist. The censer, with its glowing embers, typifies the Divine Ember, Christ himself, the GodMan, who united himself to mortal flesh, and, burning with divine love towards the human race, did utterly consume himself upon the altar of the Cross, in the savour of a sweet fragrance unto the everlasting Father.

(8) The exclamation, “Wisdom, O believers! “ always has the object of calling the people’s attention to some especially edifying or sacred portions of the service. “Wisdom!” points directly to this edifying lesson, hymn or action.

(9) The Thrice-Holy is sung as follows : First the Choir sings the whole hymn thrice. Then : Glory . . . now, and ever, . . . Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us. Then the whole hymn, very slowly.

(10) This hymn is sung in the same manner as the preceding. It is used at these Feasts because, in the early Church, converts to Christianity were chiefly baptized at these seasons. By its use at the present day, the holy Church reminds us that we are bound to fulfil the vows made for us in Baptism.

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(n) The Bishop takes his seat upon the “High Place,” or Throne, because he represents our Lord Jesus Christ.

(12) The Gradual {Prokimen\ a verse which precedes the Lesson of Scripture, is sung thus : The Reader reads it ; the Choir sings it The Reader reads the Verse, or Verses, while the Choir repeats the Gradual proper. The Reader then reads the first half of the Gradual, and the Choir sings the last half.

(13) This censing of the Temple, in preparation for listening to the reading of the Holy Gospel, draws the thoughts of the worshippers on high, and typifies the grace of the Holy Spirit, which is shed abroad in all the world, giving to the heart of man the savour of the sweetness of Christ (2 Cor. ii. 15). It is also a sign of prayerful reverence and homage to the Holy Gospel, as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, which is bestowed upon the world through the Gospel.

(14) If there is to be a sermon, the Priest may preach it immediately after the reading of the Gospel, or at the end of the Liturgy.

(15) After this clear announcement of God’s Word in Christ, it is meet and right that men should repeat their petitions, and pray to him ‘with redoubled fervour for all things necessary both for their souls and bodies. Therefore it is ordered that the Litany of Fervent Supplication shall now be said.

(16) The Catechumens in the early Church were not considered to be sufficiently instructed to look upon the Holy Mysteries without incurring the danger of misunderstanding them.

(17) In the middle of the Cherubimic Hymn the Great Entrance is made : that is to say, the Holy Gifts are brought from the Chapel (or Table) of Oblation to the Altar. In the days of the early Church, during this Great Entrance, all persons who had brought or sent offerings for the use of the Church were mentioned by name. But as this detailed commemoration was extremely long and difficult, it was ordered that only the chief personages in rank and power should thereafter be mentioned by name ; all others being included under the honourable title of “all Orthodox Christians.” If it be a Pontifical Liturgy, the Bishop washes his hands at this point, thus ceremonially purifying himself for the sacred office which he is about to exercise.

The Great Entrance typifies our Lord’s going to his Passion and death. Therefore it is customary for the Faithful to do homage to the Holy Gifts at this point, although these are not yet consecrated.

(18) In the early Church the Deacons, Sub-Deacons and Sacristans were wont to guard the doors, that no heathen or unworthy person might enter in, and that no one should go out during the solemn celebration of the Holy Sacrament. At the present time, the words, “The Doors ! “ warn us to guard the doors of our souls against all evil thoughts, as we prepare to confess pur faith by the Creed, and to give heed to the Holy Mysteries.

(19) The Deacon here binds his stole about him in the form of a

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cross, to represent the wings of the Cherubim, who stand about the throne of God ; as he himself represents an angel.

(20) The Greek letters : HC, XC ; NI, KA mean: Jesiis Christ the Conqueror.

(21) The sacred warm water represents the water which came forth from the side of our Lord, with the Blood, showing that, although he was dead, his Body was not devoid of divine virtue; that is, the warmth and vitality of the Holy Spirit. The union of the Holy Elements is symbolical of our Lord’s Resurrection.

(22) All persons, both Infants and Adults, are communicated alike ; that is to say, with the mingled holy Body and Blood, by the sacred spoon. Infants receive the holy Communion by virtue of their having received holy Chrismation immediately following their Baptism, which holy Chrismation makes them full members of the Church. Until they reach the age of seven years they receive the holy Communion without the (otherwise) indispensable preface of the Sacrament of Confession.

(23) This represents the appearances of our Lord to his Disciples after his Resurrection ; also his Ascension into heaven.

(24) The AntidSron (literally, “in place of the Gifts “) consists of that part of the first Altar-bread which remains on the Table of Oblation after the Sacred Lamb has been taken therefrom to be consecrated. It came to be the custom to distribute this blessed bread from the following causes : First, it was given as a memorial of those Love-feasts which were held, in ancient times, immediately after the Divine Liturgy; and again, it was given to Christians in place of the Holy Gifts (as its name indicates), when they came fasting to the Liturgy, but had not prepared themselves, by reason of human frailty, to receive the holy Sacrament. Sometimes the last two breads are brought out (after the prescribed particles have been removed) at the end of the service, and given to persons of distinction who may be present.

FIED (GIFTS).

I. At the Liturgy of the Presanctified (Gifts), there is no consecration of the Sacred Elements, but those who desire to communicate receive the Holy Gifts which have been consecrated at a previous service.

It is used only during the Great Fast (Lent), on Wednesdays and Fridays; in the fifth week of Great Fast, on Thursday; and in Passion (Holy) Week, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It was instituted in the first ages of Christianity, but received its present form from Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome in the sixth century.

The Fathers of the Church regarded it as unbefitting the contrition of Lent that the full Liturgy (of St. John Chrysostom or of St

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Basil the Great) should be celebrated. Therefore the complete Liturgy is allowed during the Great Fast only on Saturday, Sunday, the Feast of the Annunciation, and Holy Thursday. The Sacred Elements are consecrated at the Liturgy on those days, and thereafter are preserved in the tabernacle, on the holy Altar.

The Liturgy of the Presanctified consists of Vespers, with special Prayers together with a portion of the ordinary Liturgy, omitting its most important part, namely, the consecration of the Holy Gifts ; and the Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours (with the Typical Psalms) are used in a particular manner at the beginning.

(2) The Min£ya is a set of twelve volumes containing the services for every day in the year, with the proper Hymns for the Saints of the day, and so forth. In addition, there are the Min£ya of the Feasts, and the Pentecostarion (with the services for Easter-tide) ; and the Tri6dion, which contains the services, day by day, for the Great Fast.

(3) The Priest by his exclamation sets forth, as it were, that our forefathers the Prophets, from whose writings we have heard and shall hear Lessons, were illumined by the same light which still enlightens all men.

(4) As in the early Church there were always some among the Catechumens who were soon to be baptized (illumined), that is to say, in Easter week, this special Litany was inserted for them in the Liturgy of the Presanctified (where alone it is used) after Mid-Fast, orthe Adoration of the Cross. But on Saturdays and Sundays, at the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, or of St. Basil the Great, it is not used.

(5 ) At the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, after the Grand Entrance, the curtain is, as a rule, not completely, but only half drawn ; because it is fully drawn at the full Liturgy after the Grand Entrance. The Entrance commemorates the Lord’s going to his suffering, which is the inconceivable mystery of men’s salvation, and had been hid from many ages and generations (Col. i. 26). At this time the Presanctified Gifts are on the Altar, and the people (when the curtain is drawn aside), beholding the sacrifice offered for the sins of the world, with boldness call upon God, the heavenly Father, and say: “Our Father.”

(6) At the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts there is no elevation of the Body of Christ ; because, as it represents the elevation of the Lord upon the Cross, it has already been made during the Liturgy at which the Gifts were consecrated.

(1) It will be observed that this rite remains in its ancient form; that is to say, as arranged for adults — the Catechumens being all adults in the early Church.

The removal of the Catechumen’s garment signifies the putting off

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of the old man and of his sinful life, inasmuch as this Order is required only in the baptism of adults ; that is, of persons above seven years of age, who are received only after due examination and their own expressed desire to be baptized. With such, also, the procedure differs, according as they may be Jews, Mahometans, or members of some other non-Christian body ; in which case, each must specifically renounce the errors of his former belief. But the rite is alike for all Infants (that is, persons under seven years of age), whether they be of Orthodox or non-Orthodox parents ; and of them, through their Sponsor, only the third catechizing, to which the answer is the Symbol of the Faith (the Nicene Creed), is required.

Three tapers are lighted and placed upon the font itself to typify the Holy Trinity, in whose name Baptism is administered. The Sponsors also hold tapers, to signify their faith in the illumination which the Holy Mystery (Sacrament) confers upon the soul of the person baptized : that the baptized person passes from darkness into light, and becomes a child of the light. For this reason, also, Baptism is called “ Illumination.”

The font typifies Noah’s ark.

Holy Baptism is a Sacrament through which a man is born once only in spiritual birth ; therefore it is not repeated, if it has been regularly performed, through triple immersion, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

If any doubt exists as to whether it has previously been performed or not, the formula “if not already baptized “ must be interpolated The rule is that it shall be administered in church ; but in case of necessity it may be administered in a private house. In extremity, a layman may baptize ; and the Baptism is not repeated, though the Chrismation is afterwards performed, if the child live. Though immersion is prescribed, a child may be baptized by affusion in case of extreme weakness or mortal danger ; and those baptized by affusion in such cases (or persons who have been so baptized in other Christian Churches, when they join the Eastern Catholic Church) are not rebaptized, but are only anointed with the holy Chrism.

It is not customary for either father or mother to be present at the baptism ; though it is not forbidden for the father. Provided forty days have elapsed since the birth of the child, the mother is permitted to be present.

For a man or boy, one sponsor (male) not younger than fifteen years of age is indispensable. For a woman or girl one female sponsor not younger than thirteen years of age is indispensable. The Church does not forbid other sponsors. The sponsor ought to be a member of the Holy Orthodox Apostolic Church of the East ; but if a member of another Church should, for any reason, stand sponsor, he {she) is required to recite the Symbol of the Faith of the Orthodox Church. In such case a non-Orthodox man or woman may stand as additional sponsor.

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(2) That is to say, endowed with reason and speech, in contradistinction to the dumb animals.

(3) From the west comes darkness; and Satan, who is darkness, and whom the Catechumen must renounce, has his dominion there. The uplifted hands of the Catechumen indicate the realm of the evil spirits of the air.

(4) The Catechumen turns his face to the east, because light proceeds thence. The white vestments and the lights typify spiritual joy in the illumination of the person through holy Baptism.

(5) This is called “the oil of gladness” because the person baptized is thereby engrafted into the good olive-tree, Jesus Christ, having been, as it were, a branch wrested from a wild olive-tree. As the Lord sent to the people in Noah’s ark a twig of olive by a dove, in token of reconciliation and salvation, so the sign of the cross is made above the water with the oil, in token that the waters of baptism serve to reconcile man with God, through the mercy of God therein manifested, and save from the taint of sin (Rom. xi. 17).

(6) Anointment with the holy Chrism (Chrismation) is a Sacrament whereby the recipient, through the anointing of various parts of the body in the name of the Holy Spirit, receives the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to rear and strengthen him in the spiritual life, and to render him strong, firm and invincible in faith, in love and hope; in boldness, that without fear he may confess before all men the name of Christ : that he may grow in all virtues, free himself from the Evil One and all his guile, and preserve his soul in purity and righteousness (1 John ii. 20; 2 Cor. i. 21, 22). After anointment with the holy Chrism the child is a member of Christ’s Church, and receives the holy Communion, without preliminary confession, until he reaches the age of seven years. Beginning with that age confession is obligatory.

(7) The circle typifies eternity. Therefore the triple circling of the font with lighted tapers signifies that the newly baptized (illumined) person has entered into eternal union with Christ, the Light of the world.

(8) The three Offices — (a) Prayers at the Reception of a Catechumen ; (b) Holy Baptism and Chrismation ; and (c) Ablution, which were formerly celebrated separately — are now commonly joined together in one service. In the early Church the Catechumen wore his robe of purity for eight days, which he spent in fasting and prayer.

(9) The words of the Apostle (1 Cor. vi. 11).

(10) The shearing of the hair signifies that the newly baptized person has dedicated himself to the service of God, and to obedience ; because the cutting of the hair has always been the symbol of submission and servitude. It is also symbolical of the scriptural offering of the first-fruits.

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(i) Tapers are given to those who plight their troth and to bridal pairs to symbolize the purity of their lives, which shine with the light of virtue (John iii. 20-21). The morning, immediately after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, is regarded by the Church as the proper time for the solemnization of Marriage (although this time is not obligatory), in order that the bridal pair may receive this Sacrament fasting. The rite is not solemnized on all days of the year, but is forbidden during Fasts; on the Eves of Great Feasts; during Easter week; and on some other days.

(2) The rubric prescribes a gold ring for the man, to typify his greater worth and authority ; and a silver ring for the woman, to typify her scriptural subjection to her husband, as the head of the wife. In modem practice the rings are, as a rule, both of gold ; and the bridal pair themselves make the prescribed exchange in the Russian Church, but not in the Greek Church.

(3) It is customary, at the beginning of this Office, to lead the bridal pair upon a piece of new, rose-coloured material (or a new rug), which is spread before the lectern. In olden days the Russian Tzars and thdr brides were led upon a piece of flowered silken material and sable skins (sometimes as many as forty in number), which were intended as emblems of happiness and plenty in the new path upon which they were entering. This is the significance in general.

(4) The crowns represent the honour and reward bestowed upon the wedded pair for the purity of their lives. In Greece the crowns are woven of olive leaves (emblematic of fruitfulness), or of laurel, intertwined with flowers. But in Russia, metal crowns are kept in the churches. They are adorned with holy pictures (ikSni) ; that of our Lord Jesus Christ being upon the crown of the bridegroom, and that of his holy Mother upon that of the bride.

(5) Wine is used in the Sacrament of Marriage, because at the marriage in Cana of Galilee, which our Lord blessed with his presence, the water converted into wine by a miracle was served. The “common cup*’ of weal and woe is given to the bride and bridegroom in token that they ought to dwell in unbroken concord, hold and use, undivided, their acquisitions, and share equally the cup of joy and sorrow. In Greece they are given bread soaked in wine, having the same significance.

(6) The circle typifies eternity. By this circling round the lectern, upon which lie the book of the Gospels and the cross, the bridal pair signify their oath forever to preserve their marriage bond, until death shall break it The triple circling is in honour of the Holy Trinity, which is invoked to’ bear witness to their oath.

(7) Saint Constantine and Saint Helena are invoked because they

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were the disseminators (in the tenth century) of the Orthodox faith ; and Saint Procopius is invoked because he instructed the twelve women to go to their death of martyrdom as to a marriage feast. The Exhortation is generally made immediately after this Benediction, instead of at the point originally prescribed. {See page 294.)

(8) In the early Church, the crowns (of olive leaves) were worn for a week.

(9) This second Order of Marriage is used only when both bride and bridegroom have been previously wedded. When either is now married for the first time, the preceding Order is used. The holy Church permits second and even third marriages, but unwillingly. Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople, commanded that persons who entered into a second marriage should not be crowned, and should be deprived of the holy Communion for the space of two years. Persons who entered into a third marriage were debarred from the Communion for five years. This rule is not observed at the present day, but explains this separate Order for Second Marriage.

ORDINATIONS.

(1) The Sub-Deacon in his service typifies the service of the angels. Accordingly, at his ordination he is invested with the stole, which he girds about him crosswise, thereby symbolizing the wings with which the Cherubim veil their faces as they stand before the throne of God.

(2) As no man is ordained to the Diaconate unless he be already a Sub-Deacon, it is now customary (if he be not already a Sub-Deacon) to ordain him to that degree on the same day upon which he receives the Laying-on of Hands to the Diaconate. As he cannot marry after he has received this degree (of Sub-Deacon), he must be alreiady married if he is to become a parish priest ; that is, unless he has elected to become a monk. As he does not celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist but only serves at it, he is ordained after the consecration of the Holy Gifts. \

(3) The first “command” is addressed to the people, the second to the clergy, and the third to the Bishop. In the early days of Christianity the people and the clergy of the local church had a voice in the election of Bishops, Priests and Deacons, in the sense that the choice made by the Bishops was announced to them, with the object of obtaining their testimony in regard to the qualities of the candidates, and of giving them an opportunity to declare for or against the choice. Later on, owing to difficulties, the influence of the people upon the selection of their Bishops was restricted. In the choice of Priests and Deacons the people never had as much to say as in that of their Bishops. The “ command “ addressed to them preserves the tradition of their right to pronounce upon the candidate’s fitness.

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(4) Hereby he announces his intention to devote himself always to the service of God’s altar.

(5) He thereby signifies his gratitude and respect for him at whose hands the grace of God is invoked upon him. The three hymns which are chanted while he is making this triple circuit of the Altar are symbolical : The Martyrs invoked in the first are to serve the candidate as an example for the preservation of his faith and purity; the second proclaims that the subject of the candidate’s preaching (like that of the Apostles and Martyrs) is to be the Trinity, one in Essence and Undivided ; the third denotes that the foundation of the priesthood and of the Church was the coming of the Saviour, who must be magnified, while the holy Virgin is blessed.

(6) In token that the fulness of the sacred ministry is not conferred upon the Deacon, but only a portion thereof.

(7) This denotes that he who is thus receiving Ordination is preparing himself to share the pastoral burden.

(8) Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy), like Axios (worthy), is left in the original Greek, in order to show whence the Russian Church derived its Holy Orders. Axios signifies that he who through the Laying-on of Hands has received the grace of the Holy Spirit, is become worthy to perform the sacred office entrusted to him.

(9) The kissing signifies the mutual greeting upon the entry of the new ecclesiastic upon his new ministry, and the love and union of all the participants.

(10) The Ordination of a Priest takes place after the Holy Gifts have been borne from the Credence Table to the Altar, in order that he may take part in their consecration. In token that he is finishing his service as Deacon, he bears the air {vdzdukh) on his head during the Great Entrance. He kneels at the Altar on both knees, to denote that he is receiving a greater ministry and a higher gift than the Deacon. The rest of the symbolism is the same as at the Ordination of a Deacon.

(11) Because the Abbot is set over the flock of God in the Monastery, he kisses the Bishop’s stole, which is the emblem of the wandering sheep that the Good” Shepherd took upon his shoulder, and which the Bishop wears to denote his charge over the flock of Christ. The rest of the symbolism is the same as at the Ordination of a Deacon.

(12) This “Eagle” is a very large rug, upon which is depicted a single-headed eagle hovering over a city with battlemented walls and towers. Similar rugs, or “ eagles,” of a smaller size, are used for the Bishop (and for a Bishop only) to stand upon when he celebrates any service. The city is a symbol of his episcopal authority over the cities of his diocese; the eagle symbolizes his pure and lofty and upright theological teaching, in imitation of that eagle which is depicted with

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St. John the Divine. The same significance is attached to the halo round the Ragle’s head, which typifies theological attainments and the gift of grace,

(13) The Consecration takes place at this point because the Little Entrance typifies the coming to earth of the Lord incarnate, who suffered for us, and rose again, and was received up into heaven. Thereafter the Holy Spirit consecrated the first successors of the Saviour, and revealed them as enthroned and reigning with Christ, Therefore, when the Chief Bishop enters the Sanctuary, as it were heaven, with the other ecclesiastics, the candidate for Consecration is led thither, and the Sacrament of Laying-on of Hands is conferred upon him before they all take their places on the episcopal thrones, as it were on the heavenly thrones ; and thus he, also, becomes a throned Bishop, and sits with them as their equal.

(14) The book of the Gospels represents Christ the Lord, the source of all things. It is placed on the Bishop’s neck to show that he should rule his flock after the pattern of Christ, bending his neck lightly under the yoke of Christ, and must do nothing contrary to His will For under the form of the Gospels he has taken upon his head and neck the Church of the Lord

(15) Azios is said only when the omof6r or Bishop’s stole (pall) is laid upon his shoulders ; because he already possesses all the vestments of a Priest It was made of wool in former days, and represents the wandering sheep which the Good Shepherd found and laid across his shoulders. It is adorned with crosses to signify that, as Christ bore his cross upon his shoulders, so all who desire to follow him must bear their cross on their shoulders. Many traditions quoted by ancient writers affirm that the clergy and all the people, by uttering this word “ Axios” (worthy), at the Consecration of Bishops and at the Ordinations of Priests and Deacons, thereby gave their testimony to the blameless life and good morals of him who had received the laying-on of hands. St. Clement instituted in the Primitive Church, in the name of the Apostles, a law that such testimony should be exacted especially at the Consecration of Bishops, in reply to the definite question, thrice put to the people : “ Is he, in truth, worthy of this ministry ? “

(1) Anointing with the holy Oil is a Sacrament in which, through the anointing of the body, the grace of God is invoked upon the sick person ; because that grace heals all ills, both those of the soul and those of the body. It is performed only over sick persons (James v. 14, 15), with one exception: In the Cathedral of the Falling-asleep of the Birth-giver of * God (Assumption) in Moscow, on Holy Thursday, the Bishop anoints all persons who desire it, after the Divine Liturgy;

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because, on the evening of Great and Holy Thursday Christ instituted a new Covenant with his Body and Blood. Therefore it is not unfitting that a well man should partake also of this Sacrament, since he knows not the day and hour of his death. The warrant for this is the saying of St. James, taken in its broadest sense to include those who suffer from spiritual ills — grief, despondency, and the like — as well as from those of the body.

The sick person who receives this Sacrament must be of the Orthodox faith, and must prepare himself by repentance and confession; and before or after this Sacrament he receives the Sacrament of the Holy Communion. Holy Unction, being in the nature of a healing remedy, may be repeated ; and even the young need not fear to receive it, under the erroneous impression that, having received it, they cannot, thence* forth, eat meat or marry. It is performed in church, in the presence of an assembly, if the sick person be able to leave his bed ; or at home, before an assembly of people. Seven Priests are appointed to perform it, because there are seven Lessons from the Epistles, seven from the Gospels, and seven Prayers ; the number seven being chosen as symbolical of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and in conformity with the number of prayers and inclinations made by the Prophet Elisha (2 Kings iv. 35); of the number of prayers of the Prophet Elijah, with which he shut up the skies for three years and a half (1 Kings xviii 43); of Naaman’s dipping himself in the waters of the Jordan, after which he was cleansed. But in case of need the holy Church permits one Priest to perform the Office, if he does so in the name of the whole assembly. A shorter form of the Office is appointed for use over those in danger of immediate death. Another name for the Sacrament is “Prayer-Oil.”

(2) Seven tapers are lighted round about the shrine-lamp or other vessel which contains the wine and oil, as images of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit It is customary for all those who are present to hold tapers not only during the reading of the Gospels, but also during all the residue of the Office, in token of their fervent prayers for the salvation of the sick person.

. The wheat serves as the emblem of the embryo of a new life — of healing and of life after the death of the body — of resurrection (John xii. 24; 1 Cor. xv, 36-38). The oil is the visible token of the grace of healing (Mark xvi. 18). The wine is used as a symbol of the blood of Christ shed upon the cross for the salvation of men. The oil must be pure olive oil, without any admixture.

(3) The oil symbolizes God’s mercy; the wine, the blood which flowed from the side of our Lord upon the cross. The union of the oil and wine is made after the pattern of the remedy which was used by the Good Samaritan.

(4) The Great Martyr, Demetrius (f at Thessalonica, a. d. 306), whose bones still exude chrism, and are famous throughout the Orient as

APPENDIX X

healing to the sick. Nestor was a young Christian of Thessalonica who visited St Demetrius in prison (where the latter was suffering for the faith) to receive his blessing before engaging in confliet with the Emperor’s favourite gladiator. Demetrius predicted that Nestor would conquer, but would suffer martyrdom in consequence ; and so it came to pass.

(5) St. Panteleimon, of Nicomedia, was a Christian physician, who suffered martyrdom for the faith a. d. 296. He performed many miraculous cures during his lifetime, and was beheaded, after many vain efforts to kill him by various torturing assaults, in which God protected him from harm.

(6) “ Unmercenaries “ is the title applied to disinterested benefactors, who alleviated the pangs both of the soul and body ; more especially to physicians of the early Church.

(7) In this act the Church imitates the Prophet Elisha, who sent his staff to the Shunammite woman (2 Kings iv. 29). As the Gospels contain the accounts of many miracles wrought by Jesus Christ, they are laid upon the sufferer’s head, with the printed pages down, in the hope that he will receive like physical and spiritual healing; and in order to strengthen the faith in the written word of our Lord in the minds of those present. Christ, in performing his miracles of healing, laid his almighty hand upon the sick. Therefore his priests, in this Office, lay their hands upon (or hold) the Gospels, in token of reconciliation.

(1) When an Orthodox layman dies his body is washed, after the custom of Apostolic times (Acts ix. 37), out of respect to the dead and a desire that he shall present himself clean before the presence of God, in the resurrection. Then the body is clothed in new garments, which symbolize our new garment of incorruption (1 Cor. xv. 53). The garments thus used correspond to the calling or rank of the departed. They denote that in the resurrection every man must render an accounting to God of the manner in which he has fulfilled his duty in that state of life to which he was called. Thus a monk is dressed in monastic garb, and wrapped in his mantle, which is cut a little, in order that it may be laid about him in the form of a cross; and his face is covered, to denote that in the earthly life he was estranged from the things of this world.

The Psalter is read over the body of an Orthodox believer until the time is come to bury him. This reading comforts those who are mourning the departed, and inclines them to prayer. Inasmuch as the Psalter is designed chiefly to represent prayers for him who has fallen asleep in the Lord, it is interrupted by a commemoration of the dead, with special prayerful petitions to God wherein the dead person is men-

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tioned by name. It is customary to repeat this after each division of the Psalter, as indicated by the Doxology.

Upon the brow of the dead is placed the chaplet, a strip of material upon which are depicted our Lord Jesus Christ, his holy Mother, and St. John the Baptist ; together with the Thrice-Holy (O Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us). The dead Christian is thus adorned with the wreath like an athlete who, with honour, has left the field of contest ; or like a warrior who has won a victory. The figures printed thereon signify that he who has run his earthly career hopes to receive the crown for his deeds solely through the mercy of the Triune God and the mediation of the Mother of our Lord and of his Forerunner.

In the hand of the dead is placed a holy picture (ikdna) of the Saviour, in token that he has believed in Christ and has surrendered his soul to him ; that in life he beheld the Lord by anticipation, and now is gone to see him face to face in blessedness, with the Saints. The body of the dead is covered with a holy pall, in token that, as one who has been a believer and has been sanctified by the Sacraments, he is under the protection of Christ.

At funerals four standard candlesticks are placed at the four sides of the coffin, forming a cross. Those present, both at funerals and at Requiem Services (Panikhidi\ hold tapers, thereby typifying the light divine wherewith the Christian is enlightened at baptism, and the fervour of his prayers. The taper also serves as an image of the world to come, of the light which knows no setting.

(2) This, the song of the Archangels in honour of the Holy Trinity, is sung because the dead person is now being accompanied into the realm of the Angels, who sing continually the Thrice-Holy hymn.

(3) That is to say, if the Sacrament of Holy .Unction has been performed upon the deceased during his lifetime, the oil and wine which remained therefrom are poured over his dead body. This anointment is Christ’s token, and a seal of confirmation that they who die in Christ have wrought for Christ, in the sanctification of their bodies, and have lived uprightly in this earthly life.

(4) The ashes typify the same thing as the unconsumed oil — the life which is extinguished on earth, yet acceptable unto God ; like the sweet spices of the censer.

(5) If anyone departs this life on holy Easter Day, or on any day of the Bright Week which intervenes between that day and the Sunday of St. Thomas following, less than the customary funeral songs are sung, because of the majesty and honour due to the joyful Feast of the Resurrection; for it is a festival of joy and gladness, not of mourning. And since all who have died in the hope of resurrection and of life eternal through Christ are, by Christ’s resurrection, translated from the sorrowful things of this world to things glad and joyful, the Church proclaims this by songs of resurrection over the dead. By this diminu-

APPENDIX B 6u

tion of the songs, litanies and prayers ordinarily appropriate to those who have fallen asleep, we are assured that he who dies in penitence, even if he have not yet given satisfaction for his sins, has pardon for them, through the prayers of the Church, and is freed from their bonds.

( i ) At the burial of Prelates, Hiero-monks, Archimandrites and Priests, when the body is borne from the house to the church, during the reading of the Prayer of Absolution, and on the way to the grave, the church bells are rung, as they are when the holy cross is brought forth from the Sanctuary, on September 14 (27), August 1 (14), in Mid- Lent, on Good Friday, and on Holy Saturday. That is to say, each bell is struck once, and the order is repeated thrice, or oftener ; after which all the bells are struck together, once.

At the burial of a Bishop the body is carried round the church on its way to the grave, and a brief service is celebrated at each side of the church.

Deacons are buried like laymen ; because in the Order for the Burial of Priests the sacerdotal rank of the latter is specifically mentioned. A censer is placed in the hand of the dead Deacon.

(2) A dead Bishop, after he has been rubbed with oil by means of a sponge, is arrayed in all his sacerdotal vestments while “Thy soul shall delight itself in the Lord “ is being sung ; and the censers, sacramental fans, together with the double and triple branched candlesticks {dikiriy trikirt) are used. When the vesting is completed he is seated in an armchair, and the Proto-Deacon proclaims : “Send forth thy light;” after which the body is laid upon a table, and the face is covered with a sacramental veil. The veil denotes that the dead was a minister of the Sacraments of God, more especially of the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ, and it is buried with him. If he has at any time received the Sacrament of Holy Unction, the oil remaining therefrom is used to anoint his body for burial, as is the case also with Priests.

(3) In token that he proclaimed unto men the teachings of the Gospels, a cross is generally placed in the hands of a dead Bishop or Priest; because it is the emblem of salvation, both of the living and the dead. The book of the Holy Gospels is buried with him, and the cross also. Over the remains of a dead Bishop or Priest the Gospels are read instead of the Psalter, “in order to propitiate God,” says Simeon of Thessalonica. “ For what other offering can be made unto God, to propitiate him on behalf of him that lieth there, if not this, to wit, the proclamation of the Incarnation of God, of his teachings, his Sacraments, and the gift of the remission of sins, his redeeming Passion for us, his lifecreating death and resurrection?”

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( i ) The origin of the Service of the Dead (Panikhidi) is as follows : St Macarius of Alexandria once inquired from the Angels who accompanied him an explanation of the Church’s custom to celebrate the third, ninth, and fortieth days after a death by religious services. And the Angel told him : “When, on the third day, the body is brought to the Temple, the Soul of the dead man receiveth from his Guardian Angel relief from the grief which hefeeleth at parting from his body. This he receiveth because of the oblation and praise which are offered for him in God’s Church, whence there ariseth in him a blessed hope. For during the space of two days the Soul is permitted to wander at will over the earth, with the Angels which accompany it. Therefore the Soul, since it loveth its body, sometimes hovereth around the house in which it parted from the body; sometimes around the coffin wherein its body hath been placed : and thus it passeth those days like a bird which seeketh for itself a nesting-place. But the beneficent Soul wandereth through those places where it was wont to perform deeds of righteousness.

“On the third day He who rose again from the dead commandeth that every Soul, in imitation of his own Resurrection, shall be brought to heaven, that it may do reverence to the God of all. Wherefore the Church hath the blessed custom of celebrating oblation and prayers on the third day for the Soul.

“After the Soul hath done reverence to God, He ordereth that it shall be shown th£ varied and fair abodes of the Saints and the beauty of Paradise. All these things the Soul vieweth during six days, marvelling and glorifying God, the Creator of all. And when the Soul hath beheld all these things, it is changed, and forgetteth all the sorrow which it felt in the body. But if it be guilty of sins, then, at the sight of the delights of the Saints, it beginneth to wail, and to reproach itself, saying : ‘Woe is me ! How vainly did I pass my time in the world ! Engrossed in the satisfaction of my desires, I passed the greater part of my life in heedlessness, and obeyed not God as I ought, that I, also, might be vouchsafed these graces and glories. Woe is me, poor wretch ! ‘ After having thus viewed all the joys of the Just for the space of six days, the Angels lead the Soul again to do reverence to God. Therefore the Church doth well, in that she celebrateth service and oblation for the Soul on the ninth day.

“ After its second reverence to God, the Master of all commandeth that the Soul be conducted to Hell, and there shown the places of torment, the different divisions of Hell ; and the divers torments of the ungodly, which cause the souls of sinners that find themselves therein to groan continually, and to gnash their teeth. Through these various

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places of torment the Soul is borne during thirty days, trembling lest it also be condemned to imprisonment therein.

“On the fortieth day the Soul is again taken to do reverence to God: and then the Judge determineth the fitting placeof its incarceration, according to its deeds. Thus the Church doth rightly in making mention, upon the fortieth day, of the baptized dead.”

It is also customary to have the Requiem Office celebrated on the anniversaries of the birth-day, name-day, and death-day of the departed.

(2) It is customary, at the Requiem Office (Panikhidi), to place upon a small table in the church a dish of ktttiyd or koliva: that is, boiled wheat, mixed with honey, to which raisins are sometimes added. The koliva serves to remind us of the resurrection of the dead. As grain, in order that it may form ears and give fruit, must be buried in the earth, and moulder there ; so, also, the body of the dead must be committed to the earth, in order that it may rise to life eternal. The honey typifies the sweetness of bliss of the future life. In the grain is set upright a lighted taper, which symbolizes the light wherewith the Christian is illumined in baptism; and also the light of the world to come, which knows no setting.

(3) Thereby offering unto God, as it were, a sacrifice of propitiation for the dead person, and in honour of the Sovereign Lord over life and death.

(1) The Canon of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church of the East orders that the Consecration of a Church must be performed by a Bishop. If, however, this be not possible, the Bishop sends a corporal {antimins) which has been consecrated to the Church that is to be consecrated, and delegates his authority of consecration to an Archimandrite, an Abbot, an Arch priest, or a Priest. In that case a briefer Office is used than the one here given. In substance, the two Offices are identical ; but the most important part of the Office as performed by a Bishop, namely, the consecration of the corporal, is of necessity omitted. Relics are placed in the Altar only in case a Bishop consecrates the church. If the Altar is of stone, all the portions of the service prescribed for a wooden Altar are omitted.

(2) This garment (Exodus xxviii. 4) is white in colour, and is trebly girt: about the neck of the officiating ecclesiastic, in token of wisdom and obedience to God ; about the body, beneath the breast, to symbolize the Word ; about the loins, as a symbol of purity and strength. If a Bishop celebrate, the apron-like garment should be of silk ; if a Priest, of cotton cloth.

(3) The Office of Consecration proper is preceded by the Blessing

6l4 APPENDIX B

of Water, in a form which greatly resembles that appointed for the Feast of the Epiphany.

(4) As the Altar represents the sepulchre of our Lord Jesus Christ, so the mastic, mingled with fragrant spices, represents the sweet-smelling spices wherewith Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus anointed the body of our Lord when they laid him in the tomb.

As the Temple is fashioned after the image of our bodies, which are the temple of God (2 Cor. vi. 16) and members of Christ (1 Cor. xiL 27); that rite which is performed at the Consecration of a Church is analogous to the rite by which every believer is made a member of the Church, and the Consecration resembles holy Baptism and holy Chrismation. Therefore, at a Consecration, rose-water, the holy Chrism, white garments and tapers are used ; and the building, like the font, is compassed about in procession, in the circle which is the emblem of Eternity.

(5) The affixing of the table to the Altar with four nails commemorates the nailing of our Lord to the cross. The stones thus used are not thrown away, but are generally laid beneath the Altar.

(6) Moses, by the Lord’s command, anointed the Tabernacle and the Altar at the dedication of the Temple (Exodu§ xl. 9, 10), as the Altar is here first anointed, and the Sanctuary afterwards. The three places anointed are those where, during the Divine Liturgy, the book of the Holy Gospels, the paten and the chalice are to stand.

(7) The corporal (antimins) is, as it were, the Altar itself, and takes the place of an Altar when, by reason of storm or any other cause, the Altar falls into ruin ; or when it is necessary to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the absence of a duly consecrated Altar. It consists of a silken cloth, whereon is depicted our Lord Jesus Christ in the sepulchre. ‘ {See page xxvii.)

(8) The double vesting of the Altar indicates its double significance: as the tomb of Christ and the throne of God. The first altar-cloth represents the winding-sheet wherein the body of our Lord Jesus Christ was wrapped for burial.

(9) The cord typifies the cord wherewith our Lord was bound, when he was led before Annas and Caiaphas.

(10) The second covering of the Altar, the indtiia, of rich and brilliant material, typifies the glory of God’s throne.

(11) This, the ilttdn, represents the swaddling-clothes wherein the infant Christ was wrapped at his birth ; our Lord’s winding-sheet in the tomb; and the napkin which was bound about his head in the tomb. (Here, as in certain other instances, there are several explanations of the symbolism, upon which the authorities occasionally differ.)

(12) This typifies, as in holy Baptism, spiritual illumination.

(13) This signifies that the Church is consecrated forever to God; because the circle is the symbol of eternity.

(14) The holy relics placed in the Altar or under the corporal {an-

APPENDIX B

timins) bear witness to the special presence there of God They remind the Christian that when he is in church he is in a place sprinkled with the blood of the Saints ; and he rejoices with holy gladness, recalling the words of St. John : “That ye, also, may have fellowship with us “ (1 John L 3).

The holy relics are anointed with the holy Chrism as for burial, in token of the close bond between the Martyrs and Christ. The relics of the Saints which remain incorruptible on earth assure us of the special prayers for us on the part of the Saints thus honoured with immortality of body ere the coming of the Kingdom of Glory (Rev. vi. 9, 10).