Votive Divine Liturgies

[smad0142]

Are there Votive Divine Liturgies like the Votive Masses in the Roman Rite? Any examples would be great!! Thanks!!

 

[ConstantineTG]

You can always insert special intentions with one of the Litanies. Otherwise its the same Divine Liturgy.

 

[Vico]

Are there Votive Divine Liturgies like the Votive Masses in the Roman Rite? Any examples would be great!! Thanks!!

Each day of the year has one or more feasts, with the prayers and feasts given in a collection of books called the Menaia (composed of Menaion).

There are books for the liturgies, and some days are non-liturgical, that i.e., no Divine Liturgy occurs. From the Constantinople tradition, the Eucharistic liturgies are the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, of St. Basil, and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, and of St. James (used by the Melkites on his feast). Eash has certain readings, hymns, and prayers given in the books. The books include:

Triodion for the Great Fast.
Pentecostarion for Pascha to All Saints.
Menaia for every day.

The Russian form of Manaia can be seen here: st-sergius.org/services/services1.html

There are also the Divine Praises, Akathist, and various other non-Eucharistic liturgies.

metropolitancantorinstitute.org/liturgy/LiturgicalBooks.html

 

[smad0142]

I understand all the different feast days and everything, but for example there is a Votive Mass in Times of War. Do the Eastern Rites have similiar things, or no?

 

[ByzCathCantor]

Are you expecting a war?

Although I don’t usually quote this source, the following is an excerpt from the Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Missa Votiva:

The unchangeable character of the Eastern liturgies excludes anything really corresponding to our votive Mass. But they have a custom of singing certain troparia, sometimes of reading special lessons on certain anniversaries and occasions, which is virtually what is done in the Latin votive Masses.

As ConstantineTG points out, special intentions (for the living or the deceased, or other petitions) can be added in certain parts of the Divine Liturgy.

For example, in our Eparchy (Diocese), we are currently adding petitions for vocations and for the selection of a new bishop (our Eparchy is currently sede vacante). These petitions are added to the Litany of Fervent Supplication, which is chanted after the Gospel and homily. This is being done at every Divine Liturgy at present, Sunday, weekday and feast day. In practice, special petitions can always be added.

There are various sets of prescribed propers for an entire Divine Liturgy for Special Intentions (for general intentions of the living, in thanksgiving, for the sick, for the departed, etc.). There are hymns (troparia and kontakia), psalm verses (prokeimena and alleluia) and specified petitions added to the Litany of Fervent Supplication. The rest of the Divine Liturgy remains fixed.

By comparison, this appears to be similar to a Missa Votiva in approach, in that the basic rubrics of the Mass are still observed, as alluded in the last part of the quoted text from the Catholic Encyclopedia.

 

[Vico]

I understand all the different feast days and everything, but for example there is a Votive Mass in Times of War. Do the Eastern Rites have similiar things, or no?

For the Catholic Churches of the Constantinople Tradition, they are done for special intention only in addition to the normal Divine Liturgy for the day. For example, in some Ukrainian Catholic parishes you will see a Divine Liturgy occurring on Sunday evening.

There are three specific classes of beneficiaries of the Divine Liturgy: the priest, those participating, and those for whom the Liturgy is offered.

 

[ByzKat]

I’m not sure that’s true. There is a long-standing custom in many small churches of celebrating the Divine Liturgy on weekdays “for the departed”, use only the requiem propers. The official Slavonic Apostol even appoints epistle readings for the departed for each day of the week. It makes sense that the various sets of propers for specific occasions - in thanksgiving, for the sick, in time of drought, etc - could be used in stead.

It is true that the rest of the Divine Liturgy remains unchanged - but this is the same pattern as for a votive Mass in the Roman Rite.

The one time these propers would NOT be used by themselves is on Sunday or a major feastday.