The Shepherd, September 2004
Continuation , 2
§ 93. The Order of the Vespers Part of the All-night Vigil. Herein Fr Antonov simply lists the parts of the services which he has outlined above.
§ 94. The Symbolical and Morally Instructive Significance of the Various Parts of Vespers During the All-night Vigil. The initial exclamations of the priest and deacon call the worshippers to render praise unto God. In Psalm 103, the creation of the world and of man are depicted, as also is the Divine Providence for His creatures. The censing represents the grace of the Holy Spirit. The closing of the Royal Gates - the closing of the gates of Paradise on account of the sin of mankind. The Great Litany is intoned with the same purpose as in the Liturgy. The psalm, “Blessed is the man,” is read or chanted so that we might be reminded of the happiness and blessedness of people depends upon their fulfiling of the commandments of God. In the words of “Lord, I have cried,” we are reminded of those feelings of repentance, which our forefathers experienced when they lost the blessed estate of Paradise. The verses that are appointed on “Lord, I have cried,” are chanted with the purpose of indicating to the worshippers that through faith in the Saviour and in His resurrection, and through emulating the virtues of the Saints, we might be freed from sin and granted access to the heavenly Kingdom. The opening of the Royal Gates before the Vespers entrance signifies the opening of the heavenly Kingdom through the coming of Jesus Christ. The chanting of the hymn, “O joyous Light,” portrays the feeling of joy which anticipated the coming into the world of the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation and illumination of man. The Resurrection prokeimenon prophetically illustrates the change introduced into the life of nature and of man by the Light of Jesus Christ. The paramia are only read on the greater feasts. In them, we have Old Testament prototypes of the Christian events that we are celebrating. In the Prayer, “Vouchsafe, O Lord,” we ask Divine help to keep us in the approaching night. In the verses on the Liti and on the Aposticha, we have the redeeming ministry of Jesus Christ depicted and also the virtues of the Saints. The prayer, “Now lettest,” is read with the aim of showing us through the example of the person of Simeon the God-receiver how at the very end of the Old Testament period they so steadfastly awaited the Messiah, Christ, that our souls might be inspired in awaiting the salvation of spiritual peace and a peaceful ending to our life. The chanting of “O Theotokos and Virgin,” marks the boundary between the Old and the New Testaments, the Annunciation to the Mother of God. And in the chanting of the troparia we praise the Saints who, through faith in the Christ Who had come, accomplished the most exalted Christian feats. The blessing of the loaves reminds us of the ancient custom of sanctifying bread, wine and oil, to sustain the worshippers throughout the course of the All-night Vigil. In general terms, the first part of the All-night Vigil, Vespers, represents the Old Testament period of the Divine economy for the salvation of man, and the second part, Mattins, represents the New Testament period.
… to be continued with “A General View of Mattins.”
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FROM THE SACRED CANONS
“NO BISHOP shall be permitted to appoint another as his successor in office, even though he be approaching the end of his life. But if any such thing should be done, the appointment shall be void and of no effect. The ecclesiastical law shall be kept which declares that only with a synod and the decision of bishops, and not otherwise, may a worthy one be promoted to take over the authority held by the one who has been laid to rest in sleep.”
Canon Twenty-Three of the Council of Antioch, 341 A.D.
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