Orthodox Lenten And Paschal Calendar - 2013

[Apotheoun]

Apo, I saw a Greek Orthodox church on TV the other day, but it had pews. Is this something specific to the U.S., or was I wrong in thinking Orthodox churches don't have them?

Yes. Many parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in the United States have pews, but of course pews are not traditional in Orthodoxy having originated in Protestantism. Pews have the added side effect of making certain traditional practices (e.g., the making of the Greater Metania) difficult or even impossible.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Apotheoun

[Apotheoun]

Video excerpts from the vigil for the Third Sunday of Great Fast at Christ the Savior Cathedral. This years liturgy commemorates both the Feast of the Holy Cross and the Feast of the Annunciation:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lclw4MLUQRw

[Apotheoun]

Video excerpts from the Divine Liturgy celebrated on Sunday (7 April 2013) at the Church of the Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nVN8oFZOik

[MissyP89]

Yes. Many parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in the United States have pews, but of course pews are not traditional in Orthodoxy having originated in Protestantism. Pews have the added side effect of making certain traditional practices (e.g., the making of the Greater Metania) difficult or even impossible.

 

So would these parishes be sitting down for most of the liturgy, or are they only used for the elderly, etc?

[Apotheoun]

So would these parishes be sitting down for most of the liturgy, or are they only used for the elderly, etc?

I have only attended a Greek Orthodox Church once, and I don't remember precisely how much of the time they spent sitting. I think they sat for the readings and for various prayers, which is really not normal for Eastern Orthodox Christians.

 

In a normal Orthodox parish there are no pews, but there are usually benches along the wall at the back of the Church for the elderly or infirm to sit on, and little children will sometimes sit on the floor.

Edited April 11, 2013 by Apotheoun

[Apotheoun]

The link below is to an interactive web tour that explains the layout of an Orthodox Church:

 

American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the United States

[Apotheoun]

Video excerpts from the Divine Liturgy celebrated on the Fourth Sunday of Great Fast, the Sunday of St. John Climacus, at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Nativity in Moscow:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeYqSM1wtcU

[Apotheoun]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYCA7XKRAq0

 

The chanting of the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete at Christ the Savior Cathedral on Thursday of the Fifth Week of Great Fast.

[Apotheoun]

To read the text of the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete click the link below:

 

Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

 

 

The Theotokion chanted prior to reading the Life of St. Mary of Egypt:

 

Pray with the Apostles, O Mother of God, to the incomprehensible Son and Word of God, Who beyond understanding was ineffably born of thee, that He may bestow true peace on the world, and before our end grant us forgiveness of sins, and in thy extreme goodness make thy servants fit for the Kingdom of Heaven.

[TeDeum]

Are these liturgies in Russian or Old Church Slavonic?

[Apotheoun]

Are these liturgies in Russian or Old Church Slavonic?

The Moscow Patriarchate uses Old Church Slavonic in the liturgy, but some verses and responses may be in Russian. I know the Patriarch often begins his homilies with the words "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit," and he tends to say that phrase in Russian.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Apotheoun

[Apotheoun]

Below is a link to the hagiography of St. Mary of Egypt:

 

The Life of our Holy Mother Mary of Egypt

 

[Apotheoun]

On Akathistos Saturday Patriarch Kirill chanted the Akathist in praise of the Mother of God during matins at Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGBMfIXhrIQ

[Apotheoun]

Patriarch Kirill celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great in honor of St. Mary of Egypt on the Fifth Sunday of Great Fast at the Church of the Archangel Michael in Krymsk in the Black Sea region.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0BRXjvVtUY

 

[Apotheoun]

Excerpts from the Vigil Liturgy celebrated at Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of the Sixth Sunday of Great Lent.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_18s33SIOVo