The Midnight Office ( Greek Μεσονύκτικον ) in the Byzantine rite is one of the services of the daily service circle , dedicated to the coming Coming of Jesus Christ and the Last Judgment . Done at midnight or at any time of the night until morning; in the monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church , it usually happens early in the morning in conjunction with the Fraternal Prayer , and is hardly ever found in modern parish practice.
In the Latin rite of the Midnight Office there corresponds matins ( lat. Matutinum ), in ancient times called “vigil” ( lat. Vigiliae ). Initially, it began at about 2 a.m., but in the era of the mature Middle Ages it was postponed to the evening before. During liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, some elements of the Latin matins and praises were combined into one worship - “Morning Praises” ( lat. Laudes Matutinae ), and other elements of matins were transformed into a special worship of the daily circle - “Reading Hour” ( lat. Officium lectionis) )
History, Composition, and Species
During the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire, night time was the safest for worship. At the same time, the church always had in mind that midnight is a time that is mostly convenient in its silence for focused prayer conversations with God and for thinking about sins and their correction. This is how Vasily the Great looks at the establishment of a midnight worship (Second Epistle to Gregory the Theologian ).
According to the interpreters, the midnight office was established, firstly, in order to remind believers of the prayerful midnight feat of Jesus Christ before His free suffering ( prayer for the cup - Matt. 26: 36-44 ; Mk. 14: 32-39 ; Lk. 22 : 41-46 ); secondly, for a constant reminder of the day of the Second Coming of Christ , which, according to the general belief of the church, based on the Savior's parable of the Ten Virgins ( Matthew 25: 1-13 ), has to be at midnight; thirdly, finally, for the call of believers and at midnight to imitate the angels who silently glorify the Lord.
Midnight office, like any other order of the daily circle of services , can be performed only once a day. Depending on the day, it can be daily, Saturday, holiday, Sunday and Easter . The modern hour book begins with the followings of midnight workers [1] .
The daily midnight office consists of initial prayers , the repentant 50th psalm, the 17th kathisma depicting the bliss of immaculate people, the Creed , the song “This Bride is Coming in the Midnight” [2] with other troparia, prayers of the watch “For All Time,” Prayers of Ephraim the Syrian [3] , the prayers “Lord Almighty, God of Forces” and “Thou bless the Highest God” (now in the Morning Prayers ), psalms of the 120th and 133rd , Trisagion according to Our Father , memorial troparia with prayer, release and final litany .
Saturday Midnight is distinguished by troparia and prayers; instead of the 17th kathisma, the 9th kafisma is read on it.
The festive midnight service should be served when, according to the Charter, an All-Night Vigil is laid, which for some reason is not performed, as well as on some other Orthodox holidays [4] . On them, according to the first Trisagion, the troparion of the holiday, according to the second - kondak of the holiday; memorial prayer is lowered.
Sunday (and Easter) midnight office consists only of the first part, differs in type instead of troparia, canon instead of 17th kathisma, prayer to the Trinity - instead of the Creed.
Easter is the only midnight office that takes place in all Orthodox churches - before the Easter procession and the next matins .
Archbishop of Thessalonica Simeon describes the midnight office as follows [5] :
At midnight, or a little later, when they knock on the board, as if depicting the last trumpet of the Angel, everyone awakens from sleep, as from death. Then, when the priest, depicting Christ and having His priesthood, in the porch of the temple, as if on earth before heaven, blesses (since he should start prayers to the priest, and he, like everyone else, must begin from God), then the brethren are all together They say: Glory to you, our God, glory to you , and they read what follows in order. The first step is to give glory to God and then continue what follows.
- Simeon of Solunsky
In Greece and some other Orthodox countries (including the Russian Old Believers ), the Midnight Office is still replacing morning prayers. During the Easter week, instead of the midnight, the Easter hour is celebrated.
Notes
- ↑ Alphabet of Faith. Hourly Book. The table of contents of the holy book of sowing.
- ↑ See her text on Great Monday.
- ↑ If there is a hallelujah service on this day (usually on days of multi-day fasting)
- ↑ For example, on the Monday of the Holy Spirit
- ↑ Explanation of Orthodox services, rites, and sacraments. Blessed Simeon of Solunsky. p. 362. Orant Publishing House. 2010.
Literature
- K. Nikolsky . A allowance for the study of the Charter of worship of the Orthodox Church. - SPb., 1888 .
- [Reprint]. - M .: Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2008. - (Series "Liturgical Library"). - ISBN 978-5-94625-295-9 . - Reprint 7th ed. (St. Petersburg: Synodal Printing House, 1907)
- P. Lebedev. The science of the worship of the Orthodox Church. - M., 1890 .
- Midnight Office // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : 86 tons (82 tons and 4 extra). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
Links
- Midnight office daily (modern (ROC) Church Slavonic translation).