by the Very Reverend Michel Najim & T.L. Frazier"UNDERSTANDING THE DIVINE LITURGY"(A Guide For Participating In The Divine Liturgy Of St. John Chrysostom)
On Sunday morning, both the priest and the Faithful read the service of preparation for holy Communion, asking God to purify their hearts from the burden of sin so they may partake of the Eucharist without condemnation.
The Midnight Office is recited just prior to Matins. Originally it was read at midnight (as the name implies), but it was later moved to its present position.
Matins, or “Orthros” in Greek, is the morning service which precedes the Divine Liturgy. It begins with the reading of six of the Psalms of David and a part of the resurrection account from one of the Gospels. This is followed by the Canon, which includes the nine Odes (various hymns taken from the Bible).
All the hymns and readings are ordered to the theme of our Lord’s resurrection. Matins ends with the Great Doxology, glorifying the All-Holy Trinity.
In its present make-up, Matins is a combination of two originally separate services: that of the early Dawn Service and the Matins service proper, which were divided by the recitation of Psalm 51.
Page created: 24-12-2012.
Last update: 24-12-2012.