The Shepherd, December 2004

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In the chanting and reading of the Canons, the Resurrection of the Lord is spoken of (on Sundays), as also His faithful servants, the Saints, who pre-eminently respond to the call in the foregoing prayer (“Let us who have beheld…”) to hymn His Resurrection. It is the Saints who most gloriously hymn Him. After the third, sixth and ninth odes of the Canon, there are Little Litanies. Besides this we must note the following characteristics of the Canon:-

1) In their composition, each ode of the canon refers to one of the Old Testament odes, and the number of verses or troparia appointed for each ode depends on the character of the feast being celebrated.

2) As mentioned above (§63), during Mattins we not only sing an irmos at the beginning of each ode, but one at the end too. For this second one, often both choirs combine, and the second ones are called the katabasia. Often the katabasias are only chanted on the odes which are followed by a Little Litany, and in some churches they are chanted together at the end of the Canon.

3) On weekdays the katabasias are often taken from the canon appointed for the day. On Sundays and Feastdays, they are often taken from other canons. Thus on the majority of Sundays, we sing the katabasias from the canons to the Theotokos and one of the best known to worshippers is “I will open my mouth….” Because this one is so often appointed, it is known as the usual one, and it is used in the following periods: from 22nd September to 20th November; from 10th February until 1st August, excluding the period of the Great Fast and Pentecost, excepting again the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, and the second and fifth Sundays within Lent, and the first Sunday after Trinity - these days of course do not fall on the same date every year.

4) In the period between those outlined above, the katabasias from Great Feasts are employed. Thus from 1st August until 22nd September - those of the Exaltation of the Cross; from 20th November until 31st December - those of the Nativity of Christ; from 1st to the 14th January - those of the Theophany; from the 15th January until 10th February - those of the Meeting of the Lord. Also on the days closest to the feasts of the Transfiguration, the Dormition and the Ascension, the katabasias for these feasts are chanted. From the day of Pascha until the Ascension, the katabasias from the paschal canon are chanted.

5) In addition to the Litanies after the third, sixth and ninth odes, there are also appointed there several short hymns, in the following manner:- a) after the third ode, the hypakoe and the sessional hymns; b) after the sixth ode, the contakion and ikos; and after the ninth ode the hymn of light or exapostilarion. Thus sessional hymns are chanted three times during the Vigil, after the kathismata, after the polyeleos, and after the third ode of the canon.

6) The word exapostilarion is related to the word Apostle, and derives from a Greek word meaning “sent out.” It has this name because in ancient times a chanter was sent out from the choir into the centre of the church to chant this hymn (see more below).

7) Besides the parts of the canon we have mentioned, sometimes in churches, particularly monastic ones, after the contakion and ikos, the synaxarion of the day is read - this is a very brief record of the lives of the events or saints commemorated on the day in question.

The Magnification of the Mother of God: The ninth ode is based on the Hymn of the Mother of God, taken from St Luke’s Gospel, which in English we generally know as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). Because of this, after the eighth ode the deacon (or priest) stands before the icon of the Theotokos, with the censer, and exclaims:“The Theotokos and Mother of the Light, let us magnify in hymns!” The Magnificat is then chanted, as he censes the church, and between each verse we insert the verse, “More honourable than the Cherubim….”

The Hymn of Light or Exapostilarion: On Sundays after the Little Litany after the ninth ode, we sing “Holy is the Lord our God” three times. Then we have the hymn of light or exapostilarion. It has these names because therein we beseech the Lord to send out light and to enlighten our minds that we might worthily praise the Lord in the verses of the Lauds which follow, and in the Great Doxology. The Lauds or Praises are psalmic verses from Pss 148, 149 and 150, in which all creation offers praise unto God, even the inanimate creatures.

“Let every breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the Heavens, praise Him in the highest. To Thee is due praise, O God.”

“Praise Him, all ye His angels; Praise Him, all ye His hosts. To Thee is due praise, O God.”

Interleaved with the last verses from these psalms, we chant verses hymning the Resurrection (on Sundays) or hymning the other festal events or saints that we are celebrating.

At the very end of these verses, we chant the following Theotokion (on Sundays):-

“Most blessed art thou, O Virgin Theotokos; for through Him Who was incarnate of thee, Hades was taken captive, Adam was recalled, the curse was annulled. Eve was freed, death was put to death, and we were brought to life. Wherefore, with hymns we cry aloud: Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, Who hast been thus well pleased; glory be to Thee.”

As this hymn is chanted, the Royal Gates which had been closed all through the Canon and the rest, are opened as a sign that the Mother of God has opened to us the Way into the Heavenly Kingdom.”

… to be continued in the next issue with “The Great Doxology.”

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