Clearing Up My Calendar

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Errham

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So I’m trying to simplify my liturgical calendar, and can’t quite seem to wrap my head around some of the ideas. From what I understand so far:
-All non-Solemneties begin at midnight and end at midnight (one full Gregorian day)
-Sundays and solemnities begin at vespers on the preceding eves, and then end at midnight the day after, essentially taking the form of one full Jewish day extended into one full Gregorian day (and this is, I’m assuming why both Saturday and Sunday evening masses can fulfill the attendance requirement)
  • In. EC and EO the day always closes at the nineth hour (which in the EO comes immediately before Vespers, and then Vespers opens the new day - one full Jewish day.
Would that information be correct?
Thanks
-errham
 
-Sundays and solemnities begin at vespers on the preceding eves, and then end at midnight the day after, essentially taking the form of one full Jewish day extended into one full Gregorian day (and this is, I’m assuming why both Saturday and Sunday evening masses can fulfill the attendance requirement)
That’s basically true, unless you want to be pedantic about it. And since that’s what you and I and most people on this forum strive for:), here is the more correct description from the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar:
I. The Liturgical Day in General
  1. Each day is made holy through the liturgical celebrations of the people of God, especially through the eucharistic sacrifice and the divine office. The liturgical day runs from midnight to midnight, but the observance of Sunday and solemnities begins with the evening of the preceding day.
 
So I’m trying to simplify my liturgical calendar, and can’t quite seem to wrap my head around some of the ideas. From what I understand so far:
-All non-Solemneties begin at midnight and end at midnight (one full Gregorian day)
-Sundays and solemnities begin at vespers on the preceding eves, and then end at midnight the day after, essentially taking the form of one full Jewish day extended into one full Gregorian day (and this is, I’m assuming why both Saturday and Sunday evening masses can fulfill the attendance requirement)
  • In. EC and EO the day always closes at the nineth hour (which in the EO comes immediately before Vespers, and then Vespers opens the new day - one full Jewish day.
Would that information be correct?
Thanks
-errham
Yes.

The Eastern Churches have always kept the biblical method of a day beginning at sunset (in modern times, that’s approximate not literal). That’s why you see the difference between West and East.

Side comment:
Also, in Eastern Catholic law, the opportunity to fulfill the obligation to attend Divine Liturgy (or the Hours) on a day extends to midnight, even though the next day (say Monday) has already begun in their calendar. So, an Eastern Catholic can attend Liturgy at 10 PM on Sunday and still fulfill the Sunday obligation.
 
So I’m trying to simplify my liturgical calendar, and can’t quite seem to wrap my head around some of the ideas. From what I understand so far:
-All non-Solemneties begin at midnight and end at midnight (one full Gregorian day)
-Sundays and solemnities begin at vespers on the preceding eves, and then end at midnight the day after, essentially taking the form of one full Jewish day extended into one full Gregorian day (and this is, I’m assuming why both Saturday and Sunday evening masses can fulfill the attendance requirement)
  • In. EC and EO the day always closes at the nineth hour (which in the EO comes immediately before Vespers, and then Vespers opens the new day - one full Jewish day.
Would that information be correct?
Thanks
-errham
The Byzantine tradition is to have only one Divine Liturgy per day. The liturgy of the people is Matins, Divine Liturgy, Vespers. Monastics and priests will do more than the liturgy of the people. The Divine Office developed because of piety and later Matins (Orthros) and Vespers were added to the liturgy of the people during the historical period called the Byzantine Synthesis. The Divine Office can be celebrated at the prescribed hours or aggregated.

The Aposticha are vesperal verses about the feast day, but on Saturday evening are about the Resurrection.
Code:
*Evening Aggregate* (just before sunset):
  • Code:
    Ninth Hour - 3:00 pm
  • Code:
    ***Vespers < sunset***
  • Code:
    Compline (Apodeipnon) - after-dinner
Morning Aggregate (just before sunrise):
  • Code:
    Midnight Office (Mesonyktikon)
  • Code:
    ***Matins********* (O*******rthros**) < sunrise *
  • Code:
    First Hour - 6:00 am
Midday Aggregate:
  • Code:
    Third Hour - 9:00 am
  • Code:
    Sixth Hour - noon *
  • The Divine Liturgy is after Matins (Orthros) or Sixth Hour or combined with Vespers for a vigil.
But you may be interested in the Lectionary for these. Matins uses a cycle of eleven Gospel readings which are different than what is used for the Divine Liturgy. Matins (Orthros) is long, about 1.5 hours, since there are many hymns. Vespers is also at hour or more, just like Divine Liturgy.

On some feasts Matins is celebrated early, in the night.

byzcath.org/index.php/resources-mainmenu-63/lectionary-mainmenu-114
 
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