suggested by the feast, the Sticheron (στιχηρόν), a hymn for matins and vespers, &c., &c.[1] The hours are the Night Office (μεσονύκτιον, Matins), Orthros (ὄρθρος, Lauds), Prime, Terce, Sexte, and None (ὥρα πρώτη, τρίτη, ἕκτη, ἐνάτη), Hesperinon (ἑσπερινόν, Vespers) and Apodeipnon (ἀπόδειπνον, Compline). There are further shorter offices, called Mesoora (μεσόωρα), to be said between the day hours and between None and Vespers.[2] Because of its great length the whole office is only said by monks, in choir, and they have to get through a great part of it by very quick recitation. Secular priests say such parts as their devotion prompts and time allows.[3] Leaving out what would be a very dull catalogue of psalms and complicated antiphons, we will quote instead two famous hymns of the Byzantine Office. The first is the Hymnos Akathistos (ὕμνος ἀκάθιστος). This is a whole office in honour of our Lady, and in memory of her Annunciation. It was probably composed in the 7th century,[4] and it is always printed at the end of the Horologion. They sing it with great solemnity on the Saturday before the second Sunday before Easter (our Passion Sunday) and they sing parts of it every Friday evening and Saturday morning during Lent. It is always to be said standing (hence the name Akathistos — the Standing Hymn). The troparia, kontakia, stichera, &c., of which it is made up are superbly beautiful hymns to our Lady, of which we, by the way, might have translations to sing instead of the hymns people make up now.[5] "Honoured above the Cherubim, more glorious than the Seraphim, bearing the incarnate Word, Mother of God, we
- ↑ The Kirchenlexicon, ii. pp. 1278-1279 (Freiburg, 1883), describes twenty-two of these different kinds of chant.
- ↑ A description of the hours will be found in the Kirchenlexicon, ii. pp. 1279-1283.
- ↑ The Uniate secular clergy are allowed to leave out most of their office too. Every now and then some of them ask at Rome what they are to do, and the S. Congregation of Rites always answers: Servetur consuetudo. They simply cannot say it all.
- ↑ The Orthodox attribute it to Photius.
- ↑ The whole office is published with an Italian translation by Dom P. de Meester, O.S.B.: Officio dell' inno acatisto. Benedict XIV has granted indulgences to all the faithful of whatever rite who devoutly say it (ibid. xv-xvi).
