What is Vesperal Divine Liturgy?

[Vico]

It is quite interesting to note the text:
The Typikon of our Church is a book that prescribes the framework and many of the details of our church services.
holy-trinity.org/liturgics/tikhon.lit3.html

It should also be noted that orthodoxwiki has an entry:
orthodoxwiki.org/Typikon
There are a number of major typikon traditions, but there are also many local variations, often codified into an official typikon.
Any who claims there is only one typicon is deluded. The Typikon of S. Savas is the prototype of, but not the sole nor even the proper authoritative version, the particular Autocephalous and Sui Iuris Churches’ Typikons.

I agree. Yet, the article did not claim that. One has to know what chuch means. For example in the Catholic Church there are these meanings to church:

universal Catholic Church
ritual Church sui iuris
particular church (diocese or eparchy or equivalent)
parish

Note that the instruction is from the Orthodox Church of America, with a quote from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. They come from different traditions, since OCA is from the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church with Russian and Rusyn roots, and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese with Greek roots. I think it is interesting though that the reference is the the practice of Vesperal Divine Liturgy in the United States.

You might find this Typikon reference interesting, but it does not cover the Byzantine Catholics:
synaxis.info/synaxis/6_typicon/survey.html

 

[Aramis]

I agree. Yet, the article did not claim that. One has to know what chuch means. For example in the Catholic Church there are these meanings to church:

But a prior poster did make that claim.

 

[dvdjs]

Sorry not buying that line of bull. It seems that its an Eastern catholic thing. The “mass” mentality. If you go to church it better be for Mass. As Eastern Catholics I just dont get why our people have given up all the rest of the services. Why not attend Vespers on the evening before a feast, if your not able to attend the liturgy? Or better yet attend both. Our people have the mindset of if I dont get my communion I might as well stay home. People have no problem taking the day off from work for a ball game or to go to the beach, why not schedule a day off for a Feast day if you want to attend the Divine Liturgy.

This “mass” mentality is probably an outgrowth of the return to a practice of frequent communion. In the centuries of infrequent communion, people were probably far more indifferent about whether the service included communion or not. Now, people want to receive, and therefore prioritize the Divine Liturgy; it would be odd if they did not. Even so, I think you are wrong about the mindset: if I don’t get it I might as well stay home. After all, I remember very good attendance at stations of the cross and related non-communion services that we had had.

Having said that: I agree that the further restoration of vespers and matins has to be a high priority of the church. Not for the sacrifice and discipline - but because of the richness and beauty of the services. That restoration will take time and considerable patience. We need to develop a level of practice that allows the beauty of the service to be appreciated, and to develop the habit of attendance among the parishioners. Some of those who advocate a wider use of vesper liturgies as a help in aide to those developments. I agree and do not see these ABUSIVE vesper liturgies as the enemy of vespers.

And the church just keeps giving in to this mentality…Vesperal Divine Liturgy is an ABUSE any way you cut it. Keep making it easier to be a Christian, God forbid there was a bit of sacrifice or inconvenience.

You judge others, without qualification, as being lazy. My father was not lazy; he suffered a terrifying disability and cherished the opportunity, on good days, of being able to receive communion at an evening liturgy in his cherished rite. Your lack of compassion really misses the mark.

 

[Vico]

The Instruction for applying the liturgical prescriptions of the code of canons of the Eastern Churches given in 1996 by the Congregation for the Eastern Churches are to restore the correct practice, which for the Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic Church (which follows the Greek parochial style) is:

Vespers with Litija on the eve of the feast, and Matins and Divine Liturgy in the morning.

byzcath.org/faith/documents/instruction.htm

 

[ciero]

The Instruction for applying the liturgical prescriptions of the code of canons of the Eastern Churches given in 1996 by the Congregation for the Eastern Churches are to restore the correct practice, which for the Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic Church (which follows the Greek parochial style) is:

Vespers with Litija on the eve of the feast, and Matins and Divine Liturgy in the morning.

byzcath.org/faith/documents/instruction.htm

So where does the Vesperal Liturgy fit in? Or are the Ruthenian bishops just doing their own thing again?

 

[Vico]

So where does the Vesperal Liturgy fit in? Or are the Ruthenian bishops just doing their own thing again?

Vespers is combined with Holy Communion to form the (1) Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts used on Monday and Wednesday of the Great Fast.

Vespers is combined with the Divine Liturgy on the eves of (2) Nativity and (3) Theophany, and on the feast of the (4) Annunciation, and on (5) Holy Thursday (St. Basil). There are exceptions depending on the day of the week and coinciding feast day.

On researching Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday, I found various practices, so I am not certain of the oldest forms. I believe that the old-country practice was to have the Vespers with Divine Liturgy in the morning of Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday.

Matins (Orthros) ending at sunrise.
Hr 1 ~7AM
Hr 3 ~9AM
Hr 6 ~noon
Hr 9 ~3PM
Typica ~6PM
Vespers is ideal at sunset 4PM-8PM so lamplighting psalms happen as it gets darker.
Compline ~9PM
Midnight ~12AM

 

[Aramis]

So where does the Vesperal Liturgy fit in? Or are the Ruthenian bishops just doing their own thing again?

(all expressed in present, even tho’ these events happened years ago
Situation: People are demanding a eucharistic service on saturday and evenings before feasts.

Extant Eucharistic services: morning DL St. John Chrysostom, DL St. Basil, Presanctified (fasts and in absence of priest only), and Vigil DL of St. Basil.

Initial Ruthenian response: morning DL St. John … in the evening.

Later Ruthenian response: create a vigil DL of St John… by combining vespers and DL of St John in the same manner that the Vigil DL of St. Basil joined Vespers and the DL of St Basil.

The VDL of St John is an economia. It’s one that meets the needs of secular society (not requiring the faithful to miss work for holy day or sunday liturgy), and the desire of the faithful to participate in the Eucharistic service.

The Ruthenians are not alone in this development… in point of fact, the DL alone was the initial response, and it was only after the VDL-SJC was developed in the Orthodox world that the Ruthenians approved it for other feasts and sundays… but it’s a slightly more theologically sound approach than the DL alone or as a separate service following vespers.

 

[ciero]

(all expressed in present, even tho’ these events happened years ago
Situation: People are demanding a eucharistic service on saturday and evenings before feasts.

Extant Eucharistic services: morning DL St. John Chrysostom, DL St. Basil, Presanctified (fasts and in absence of priest only), and Vigil DL of St. Basil.

Initial Ruthenian response: morning DL St. John … in the evening.

Later Ruthenian response: create a vigil DL of St John… by combining vespers and DL of St John in the same manner that the Vigil DL of St. Basil joined Vespers and the DL of St Basil.

The VDL of St John is an economia. It’s one that meets the needs of secular society (not requiring the faithful to miss work for holy day or sunday liturgy), and the desire of the faithful to participate in the Eucharistic service.

The Ruthenians are not alone in this development… in point of fact, the DL alone was the initial response, and it was only after the VDL-SJC was developed in the Orthodox world that the Ruthenians approved it for other feasts and sundays… but it’s a slightly more theologically sound approach than the DL alone or as a separate service following vespers.

Interesting.

Also one DOES need a priest for the Liturgy of the Presanctified, although I have heard the Ruthenians are doing their own thing with this also. I was told of a nun serving the Presanctified Liturgy at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Van Nuys years ago. Scandalous!!

 

[Vico]

Vespers is combined with Holy Communion to form the (1) Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts used on Monday and Wednesday of the Great Fast…

Oops, it should have been Wednesday and Friday of the Great Fast, but also Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday, and Holy Wednesday are days for the Presanctified Gifts.

Just as Aramis said, the normal time for Divine Liturgy is in the morning, but changes have been made to move to the evening in the case of the Annunciation and Saturdays, and Holy Thursday, and Holy Saturday.

 

[Aramis]

Interesting.

Also one DOES need a priest for the Liturgy of the Presanctified, although I have heard the Ruthenians are doing their own thing with this also. I was told of a nun serving the Presanctified Liturgy at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Van Nuys years ago. Scandalous!!

There is a traditional diaconal form, called Deacon’s Typica with Communion; it’s different from the priestly form, and it’s of some age… it’s not a Ruthenian thing at all, but seems to be a pan-slavic thing, since I’ve seen it referenced as used by Russian orthodox (OCA and ROCOR), UGCC, Ukrainian Orthodox KP, Ruthenian… mostly in missions. The Antiochians also do so, as do the Melkites…

The Orthodoxwiki entry for typica includes the following: Deacon’s Typika

This Typika service is a form of Pre-Sanctified Liturgy held by a deacon and authorized by the local bishop when a priest is unavailable. The deacon distributes communion to the faithful present at the service. It should be noted that while this service is blessed in some jurisdictions, it is not universally accepted, nor is it of ancient origin. However, the idea of deacons bringing communion to those unable to attend the Liturgy is an ancient custom, and so it can be argued that the ancient custom provides the basis for this more recent practice.
orthodoxwiki.org/Typica

One of the big complaints, theologically, about the Deacon’s Typica with Communion is that it puts the deacon into the presidential role, and not in the assistant role to which he was ordained. Another is that it was also approved to Russian Deaconesses in the monasteries…

The most traditional practice is just vespers alone, save for the 4 feasts where the older typikons prescribe the VDL of St Basil. The Economia to accomodate the desire for an evening Eucharistic liturgy is either presanctified (either priestly or diaconal), or a vesperal divine liturgy. All three approaches exist in Eastern Orthodox Communion, and all three exist within the Catholic Communion; which is better is a matter of some debate.

The arguments for and against both VDL and presanctified amount to “It’s not the ancient practice, therefore it must be abuse”, and “people don’t need an evening eucharistic service”…

But the use of a St John Chrysostom Vigil Divine Liturgy is a pan-byzantine organic development, and it’s merely most visible in the Ruthenian church, for it’s being advocated as proper by our bishops and was advocated for by our late metropolitan.

Oh, and the Ruthenian Particular Law does NOT permit matins nor vespers to fulfill sunday nor holy day obligations; the CCEO entry permits them to do so only if endorsed in particular law of a Church Sui Iuris, metropolia, or eparchy. So the need for an evening DL is more present than those churches which do allow vespers to fulfill the sunday or holy day obligation.

 

[Diak]

The Vesperal Divine Liturgy when NOT prescribed by the typicon is an ABUSE, plain and simple. Another Petrasism of the Ruthenians. Unfortunately it has spread East to the OCA and the Antiochians.

I am very happy to this end that the UGCC hierarchy in the USA when promulgating the particular law for the UGCC in the USA allowed any portion of the entire Sunday and festal Eucharistic cycle, namely Vespers, Matins or the Divine Liturgy, to satisfy the “obligation” in order to begin counteracting this sort of thing.

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts and the traditionally very few and very special celebrations of Vespers with Divine Liturgy have unique liturgical developments, signficance, and usages associated with very specific liturgical days in the Constantinopolitan tradition.

 

[ciero]

This “mass” mentality is probably an outgrowth of the return to a practice of frequent communion. In the centuries of infrequent communion, people were probably far more indifferent about whether the service included communion or not. Now, people want to receive, and therefore prioritize the Divine Liturgy; it would be odd if they did not. Even so, I think you are wrong about the mindset: if I don’t get it I might as well stay home. After all, I remember very good attendance at stations of the cross and related non-communion services that we had had.

Having said that: I agree that the further restoration of vespers and matins has to be a high priority of the church. Not for the sacrifice and discipline - but because of the richness and beauty of the services. That restoration will take time and considerable patience. We need to develop a level of practice that allows the beauty of the service to be appreciated, and to develop the habit of attendance among the parishioners. Some of those who advocate a wider use of vesper liturgies as a help in aide to those developments. I agree and do not see these ABUSIVE vesper liturgies as the enemy of vespers.

You judge others, without qualification, as being lazy. My father was not lazy; he suffered a terrifying disability and cherished the opportunity, on good days, of being able to receive communion at an evening liturgy in his cherished rite. Your lack of compassion really misses the mark.

Maybe we should just do away with feast days as they are too much of a burden on the faithful. Or just move them all to Sunday like the Latins. God forbid we stick to our own traditions!!

And nowhere was it suggested that these changes were suggested for folks like your dad, so how do you see that I am calling him lazy? My comments are directed at the bishops who insist on changing the services and making things up as they go along. Nowhere am I judging folks like your father.

 

[Vico]

I am very happy to this end that the UGCC hierarchy in the USA when promulgating the particular law for the UGCC in the USA allowed any portion of the entire Sunday and festal Eucharistic cycle, namely Vespers, Matins or the Divine Liturgy, to satisfy the “obligation” in order to begin counteracting this sort of thing.

…

I didn’t know that. Apparently they have updated the laws. The only laws I can find state that the obligation is for the Divine Liturgy.

The Ukrainian Catholic Church Particular Law
archeparchy.ca/documents/Particular_Law_Canons.pdf

Canon 22 (CCEO c. 199 §2) The eparchial bishop is to see to it that in his own cathedral at least part of the divine praises are celebrated, even daily; also in every parish if possible, the divine praises are to be celebrated on Sundays, feast days, principal solemnities and their vigils.

Canon 114 (CCEO cc. 880 §3, 881 §4) Besides Sundays, the faithful are obliged to observe the following Holy Days:

1. The Nativity of Christ;
2. The Theophany of our Lord;
3. The Ascension of our Lord;
4. The Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God;
5. The Dormition of the Holy Mother of God;
6. The Feast of the holy apostles Sts. Peter and Paul;

On these days, the faithful are obligated to take full part in the Divine Liturgy, to hear the homily, and not to engage in strenuous physical labour. The synod of bishops encourages all the faithful to take part in the Divine Services during the traditional holy days on the Church calendar.

 

[Diak]

From the Pastoral Guide of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the USA, the particular law for the UGCC in the USA, promulgated by +Stephen, +Basil, +Michael, and +Robert in 1999:
Article 170:

Art. 170 - Although every Catholic may fulfill his
obligation of assisting at the Divine Liturgy, Vespers or Matins
on Sundays and holy days in any Catholic church, our faithful
should as a rule attend their own parish church.

Article 460:

Art. 460 - The celebration of the Canonical Hours,
especially Matins and Vespers must be introduced where they
have fallen into disuse in parishes, especially since the decision
of the Holy See now allows these canonical services to satisfy
the Sunday and Holydays obligation of the faithful by their
participation in them.

CCEO Canon 881 (general law):

Canon 881

1. The Christian faithful are bound by the obligation to participate on Sundays and feast days in the Divine Liturgy, or according to the prescriptions or legitimate customs of their own Church sui iuris, in the celebration of the divine praises.