The Shepherd, November 2004
“THE HOUSE OF GOD AND THE CHURCH SERVICES”, 2
Then, after a Little Litany, we have the a hymn called the Hypakoë or appointed sessional hymn, and then we chant the Hymns of Ascent or Antiphons. As they second name implies, in larger parishes these are usually chanted antiphonally (alternately) between the two choirs. The are called hymns of ascent, because they are composed with reference to the fifteen psalms (119-133) which were called the hymns of ascent by the Jews of old, and which were chanted by two choirs of Levites as they ascended the steps of the Temple in Jerusalem. Now, the hymns of ascent invite the faithful to ascend, as by the steps of a ladder, from the earthly to the heavenly, from wandering astray to the homeland, from affliction to joy, from tribulation to blessed peace:-
“From my youth do many passion war against me; but do Thou Thyself defend and save me, O my Saviour.
“Ye haters of Sion shall be shamed by the Lord; for, like grass, by the fire shall ye be withered.
“Glory. In the Holy Spirit every soul is quickened, and through cleansing is exalted and made radiant by the Triple Unity in a hidden sacred manner.
“Both now. By the Holy Spirit the streams of grace gush forth, watering all creation for the begetting of life.”
These words speak of the grace-filled aid which is given to those who pray, through Jesus Christ and through the Church of God, which is referred to in these antiphons as Sion.
After these hymns, we proclaim the Mattins prokeimenon, and then there is the reading of the Gospel. On Sundays this always tells of the Resurrection of Christ and of His appearances to His disciples after His Resurrection. The passages from the four Gospels which record these events are read one after another in eleven lections, which form an eleven-week cycle. On other feasts lections are appointed from the Gospels appropriate to the festival. [On Sundays, the Gospel is read by the priest standing to the south side of the Holy Table, while the deacon stands opposite him, holding a candle. The Gospel Book is moved from its central position on the Holy Table for this reading, and so the Table itself represents the slab on which the Saviour’s body was laid, now empty. The Royal Gates are, of course, open, recalling the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And the two sacred ministers represent the Angels which were seen, one at the head and one at the feet, where the Body of Jesus had lain (see John 20:12). On other feasts, depending on the custom of the particular church, the Gospel is read either from the Royal Gates or from the centre of the church.]
On Sundays, after the reading of the Gospel itself, the choir chants or a reader intones the following hymn:-
“Let us who have beheld the Resurrection of Christ worship our holy Lord Jesus, Who is alone without sin. We worship Thy Cross, O Christ, and we praise and glorify Thy holy Resurrection. For Thou art our God, and we know none other beside Thee, and we call upon Thy Name. Come, all ye faithful, let us worship Christ’s holy Resurrection, for behold, through the Cross joy hath come to the whole world. Forever blessing the Lord, we praise His Resurrection. He endured the Cross for us, and by death destroyed death.”
[While this is being done, the priest stands on the ambon and holds the Gospel Book aloft, representing the appearance of the Risen Saviour to the disciples.] The Gospel is then placed on a lectern, and the faithful approach it and kiss it, [greeting the Risen Saviour], and if there has been a liti, they are then anointed with the oil blessed then “in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This blessing expresses the desire that the faithful should become fruitful by a spiritual anointing, that they might have the unction of love for the Lord, Who has shown His mercy to them through the events celebrated in the feast. The deacon intones a long petition, a repeat of the one at the liti, “Save, O God, Thy people…” and thereafter we begin the Canon.
… to be continued in the next issue. 
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