705:: "In Hipparchus's house there was a specially decorated room and a cross was painted on the east wall of it. There before the image of the cross, they used to pray seven times a day ... with their faces turned to the east." It is easy to see the importance of this passage when you compare it with what Origen says. The custom of turning towards the rising sun when praying had been replaced by the habit of turning towards the east wall. This we find in Origen. From the other passage we see that a cross had been painted on the wall to show which was the east. Hence the origin of the practice of hanging crucifixes on the walls of the private rooms in Christian houses. We know too that signs were put up in the Jewish synagogues to show the direction of Jerusalem, because the Jews turned that way when they said their prayers. The question of the proper way to face for prayer has always been of great importance in the East. It is worth remembering that Mohammedans pray with their faces turned towards Mecca and that one reason for the condemnation of Al Hallaj, the Mohammedan martyr, was that he refused to conform to this practice.
247:
have no need to wash again, for they are pure. By catching your breath in your hand and signing yourself with the moisture of your breath, your body is purified, even to the feet. For the gift of the Spirit and the outpouring of the baptism, proceeding from the heart of the believer as though from a fountain, purifies the one who has believed. Thus it is necessary to pray at this hour. For those elders who handed down the tradition to us taught us that in this hour every creature hushes for a brief moment to praise the Lord. Stars and trees and waters stand still for an instant. All the host of angels serving him, together with the souls of the righteous, praise God. This is why it is important that all those who believe make certain to pray at that hour. Testifying to this, the Lord says thus, "Behold, a cry was made at midnight, saying, 'Behold the bridegroom is coming! Arise to meet him!'" And he adds, saying, "Watch, therefore, for you do not know when the hour is coming."
799:
prayer times in the evening, at midnight and in the morning. As a result seven 'hours of prayer' emerged, which later became the monastic 'hours' and are still treated as 'standard' prayer times in many churches today. They are roughly equivalent to midnight, 6 a.m., 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Prayer positions included prostration, kneeling and standing. ... Crosses made of wood or stone, or painted on walls or laid out as mosaics, were also in use, at first not directly as objections of veneration but in order to 'orientate' the direction of prayer (i.e. towards the east, Latin
31:
770:
designated for prayer from the earliest days of the church. Peter prayed at the sixth hour, i.e. at noon (Acts 10:9). The ninth hour is called the "hour of prayer" (Acts 3:1). This was the hour when
Cornelius prayed even as a "God-fearer" attached to the Jewish community, i.e. before his conversion to Christianity. it was also the hour of Jesus' final prayer (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:34, Luke 22:44-46).
246:
Around midnight rise and wash your hands with water and pray. If you are married, pray together. But if your spouse is not yet baptized, go into another room to pray, and then return to bed. Do not hesitate to pray, for one who has been joined in marital relations is not impure. Those who have bathed
168:
In the
Russian tradition the Midnight Office often begins with the reading of the Morning Prayers in common, which otherwise would be said privately by the brethren in their cells. At the conclusion of the Midnight Office, just as at the end of Compline, it is traditional in many places for everyone
798:
Not only the content of early
Christian prayer was rooted in Jewish tradition; its daily structure too initially followed a Jewish pattern, with prayer times in the early morning, at noon and in the evening. Later (in the course of the second century), this pattern combined with another one; namely
769:
Clement of
Alexandria noted that "some fix hours for prayer, such as the third, sixth and ninth" (Stromata 7:7). Tertullian commends these hours, because of their importance (see below) in the New Testament and because their number recalls the Trinity (De Oratione 25). These hours indeed appear as
740:
directed that
Christians should pray seven times a day - on rising, at the lighting of the evening lamp, at bedtime, at midnight, and also, if at home, at the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day, being hours associated with Christ's Passion. Prayers at the third, sixth, and ninth hours are
335:, in the First Part of the office. The troparia chanted in the First Part are the Troparia of the Bridegroom: "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh at midnight...", recalling the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. The first of these troparia is also solemnly chanted at Matins during
380:, are normally longer than the weekday services, the Midnight Office is shortened. The Nicene Creed, Troparia and prayers from the First Part, as well as the entire Second Part of the service are omitted. Instead, after the canon, special hymns to the Trinity by Saint
237:
instructed
Christians to pray seven times a day "on rising, at the lighting of the evening lamp, at bedtime, at midnight" and "the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day, being hours associated with Christ's Passion." With respect to midnight prayer and the
132:, a significant component of the Midnight Office on weekdays, being said privately in the cells before Matins. Today, in most places where the Daily Cycle is observed, the Midnight Office is combined with Matins and the First Hour into one of the three daily
347:
On
Saturday, Psalm 118 is always read at Matins as kathisma, so here it is replaced by the Ninth Kathisma, comprising Psalms 64-69. The troparia in the First Part are different from those used on weekdays. Before the Second Part, a special Prayer of
153:) of the midnight prayer. For, rising from sleep for it, we signify the transportation from the life of the deceit of darkness to the life which is, according to Christ, free and bright, with which we begin to worship God. For it is written,
322:
At the present time, the
Midnight Office will take one of four forms, depending upon the particular day: (a) Weekdays, (b) Saturday, (c) Sunday, and (d) a unique form which is observed only on Holy Saturday as part of the Paschal Vigil.
318:—Next follows a mutual asking of forgiveness between the priest and all the brethren. Then the priest says a litany during which everyone slowly and quietly chants "Lord, have mercy," concluding with a final blessing by the Priest.
419:, the Midnight Office takes a very particular form in which it is celebrated on only this one night of the year. Holy Saturday is often the only time that the Midnight Office will be read in parishes. It is the last office found in the
450:. During the last Ode of the Canon, the priest and deacon carry the epitaphios into the sanctuary and lay it upon the Altar, where it will remain throughout the Paschal season as a reminder of the burial cloth left in the
445:
in the center of the church. After the
Opening and Psalm 50, the Canon of Great Saturday is chanted (repeated from the Matins service the night before) as a reflection upon the meaning of Christ’s death and His
891:
The Indian
Christians of St. Thomas: Otherwise Called the Syrian Christians of Malabar: a Sketch of Their History and an Account of Their Present Condition as Well as a Discussion of the Legend of St. Thomas
399:
is celebrated every Sunday (commencing in the evening on Saturday), and so the Midnight Office and Compline are usually omitted. In some places the Midnight Office is read on Sunday morning before the
741:
similarly mentioned by Tertullian, Cyprian, Clement of Alexandria and Origen, and must have been very widely practised. These prayers were commonly associated with private Bible reading in the family.
458:). Then a brief litany is read and the priest says the dismissal. All lights in the church are extinguished, and everyone waits in silence and darkness for the stroke of midnight, when the
207:, the office is prayed at 12 am, being known as Lilio in the Syriac and Indian traditions; it is prayed by all members in these denominations, both clergy and laity, being one of the
481:(The Sunday after Easter), except for the Paschal Vigil. If the Office is chanted during this time, it is done so privately. If one reads the Midnight Office privately during
349:
822:
312:—"O come, let us worship..." and Psalms 120 and 133, followed by the Trisagion, Troparia of Repentance, an intercession and a blessing by the priest.
407:. The Greeks do not normally celebrate an All-Night Vigil on Sunday, so they read the Midnight Office in its usual place before Matins on Sunday morning.
331:
The distinguishing feature of the Midnight Office on weekdays is the reading of the Seventeenth Kathisma comprising Psalm 118, the longest Psalm in the
360:
On Sunday, Psalm 118 is often (though not always) read at Matins, so it is not read at the Midnight Office. The psalm is normally replaced by a
268:—The usual beginning prayers that open most Orthodox offices: a blessing by the priest and prayers by the reader, including the
574:
numbering of the Psalms is used. To see the difference between the two numbering systems, see the relevant table in the article,
791:
762:
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369:
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204:
117:"; but this is misleading, as in the West "Nocturn" refers to a division within the completely different office of
162:
107:
17:
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Normally, the Prayer of Saint Ephrem is said once, with three prostrations; but on the first day of Great Lent (
200:
158:
971:
635:
188:, a modified form of the Midnight Office is used for Morning Prayers for laymen, while a modified form of
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165:). The general tone of the office is one of penitence, tempered by an attitude of hopeful expectation.
103:
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and prayers, concluding with a blessing by the Priest. During Lenten services there follows the
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are chanted, followed by the Trisagion, the Lord’s Prayer and resurrectional hymn called the
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133:
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189:
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Photo of monks reading the Divine Office at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
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339:, from which the Matins service on these days derives its name of "Bridegroom Prayer."
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477:, the Midnight Office is not read in church from Thursday in Holy Week until after
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At midnight I arose to give thanks unto Thee for the judgments of Thy righteousness
926:
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396:
144:
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Originally, monks would rise in the middle of the night to sing praises to God.
463:
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83:
43:
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486:
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389:
276:, ending with the call to worship, "O come, let us worship God our King...."
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437:, a shroud embroidered with the image of Christ prepared for burial in the
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295:
220:
608:, 2nd ed. (St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, South Canaan, PA, 1985), pp 17-19.
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498:
Syriac Orthodox Church, Indian Orthodox Church and Mar Thoma Syrian Church
876:
482:
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is read and then the mutual asking of forgiveness, Litany and dismissal.
185:
30:
907:. St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church. pp. 5, 33, 49, 65, 80, 91, 130.
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442:
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says: "The beginning of all the hymns and prayers to God is the time (
438:
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269:
129:
385:
429:
287:
283:
114:
86:. The office originated as a purely monastic devotion inspired by
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in the tone of the week. The Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity by
551:
193:
178:
149:
118:
332:
174:
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denomination), the Midnight Office is known as Lilio and is
113:
The name of the Midnight Office is sometimes translated as "
866:) it is said twice, with four prostrations and twelve bows.
170:
34:
Moni Arkadiou (Arkadi Monastery). Candles in the church.
294:(differing according to the day of the week—see below),
533:
593:
St. Symeon the New Theologian and Orthodox Tradition
261:
The Midnight Office can be divided into four parts:
932:The Midnight Office for Saturdays (Reader Service)
641:. St. Thomas Malankara Orthodox Church. p. 31
927:The Midnight Office for Weekdays (Reader Service)
678:
492:
376:. Since the Sunday services, which celebrate the
953:
937:The Midnight Office for Sundays (Reader Service)
251:
155:The people who sat in darkness saw a great light
82:that compose the cycle of daily worship in the
879:(Easter Week), when no psalms at all are read.
716:
298:, Trisagion and Lord's Prayer followed by the
813:
811:
942:The Midnight Office on Pascha in Word Format
882:
710:
630:
628:
372:, according to the tone of the week in the
256:
808:
897:
828:. St. John's Episcopal Church. p. 16
775:
689:. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 29.
888:
853:, Faber and Faber, London, 1984), p. 74.
752:
684:
625:
29:
755:The Syriac Version of the Old Testament
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595:(Oxford University Press, 2000), p. 79.
14:
954:
817:
177:of the saints that are present in the
781:
546:denomination, the Midnight Praise is
784:The Early Church: History and Memory
534:Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
849:(Tr. Mother Mary and Archimandrite
701:Peterson quotes a passage from the
24:
922:The Midnight Office in Word Format
665:Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
636:"My Life in Heaven & on Earth"
25:
983:
915:
889:Richards, William Joseph (1908).
782:Lössl, Josef (17 February 2010).
703:Acts of Hipparchus and Philotheus
469:Due to the all-importance of the
433:. The Office is read around the
410:
242:preceding it, Hippolytus wrote:
205:Oriental Protestant Christianity
143:Concerning the Midnight Office,
869:
856:
840:
753:Weitzman, M. P. (7 July 2005).
485:the format used is that of the
126:Saint Symeon the New Theologian
786:. A&C Black. p. 135.
757:. Cambridge University Press.
746:
611:
598:
581:
564:
493:Oriental Orthodox Christianity
462:is to be proclaimed. Then the
423:that contains the services of
201:Oriental Orthodox Christianity
13:
1:
570:Throughout this article, the
557:
441:, which has been placed on a
395:In the Russian tradition, an
252:Eastern Orthodox Christianity
7:
967:Eastern Christian liturgies
342:
326:
10:
988:
512:Oriental Orthodox Churches
214:
98:), and also by the Gospel
355:
47:
257:Structure of the Service
225:seven fixed prayer times
209:seven fixed prayer times
169:present to venerate the
104:Wise and Foolish Virgins
685:Danielou, Jean (2016).
661:"Prayers of the Church"
516:Mar Thoma Syrian Church
417:Great and Holy Saturday
893:. Bemrose. p. 98.
604:Kovalchuk, Feodor S.,
540:Coptic Orthodox Church
508:Indian Orthodox Church
504:Syriac Orthodox Church
475:Resurrection of Christ
460:Resurrection of Christ
378:Resurrection of Christ
304:Prayer of Saint Ephrem
249:
73:
35:
823:"Apostolic Tradition"
244:
227:have been taught; in
219:From the time of the
145:Saint Mark of Ephesus
33:
972:Liturgy of the Hours
192:is used for evening
738:Apostolic Tradition
550:at 12 am using the
526:at 12 am using the
520:Oriental Protestant
510:(both of which are
230:Apostolic Tradition
181:(church building).
847:The Festal Menaion
736:Hippolytus in the
514:), as well as the
223:, the practice of
136:called for in the
36:
793:978-0-567-16561-9
764:978-0-521-01746-6
731:978-1-101-16042-8
696:978-1-4982-9023-4
619:Patrologia Graeca
544:Oriental Orthodox
448:Harrowing of Hell
16:(Redirected from
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108:Matthew 25:1–13
80:Canonical Hours
66:Polúnoshchnitsa
40:Midnight Office
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27:Canonical Hours
23:
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18:Midnight Office
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875:Except during
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622:160, 1165D .
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468:
466:will begin.
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401:Little Hours
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296:Nicene Creed
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163:Matthew 4:16
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75:Miezonoptică
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62:Полу́нощница
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54:Mesonýktikon
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49:Μεσονύκτικον
48:
39:
37:
877:Bright Week
832:5 September
724:. Penguin.
483:Bright Week
310:Second Part
956:Categories
905:The Agpeya
819:Hippolytus
572:Septuagint
558:References
554:breviary.
530:breviary.
452:Empty Tomb
443:catafalque
435:epitaphios
425:Great Lent
316:Conclusion
280:First Part
235:Hippolytus
159:Isaiah 9:2
134:aggregates
456:John 20:5
374:Octoechos
352:is read.
337:Holy Week
290:from the
270:Trisagion
240:ablutions
184:In Greek
130:Psalm 118
128:mentions
720:(1993).
645:2 August
576:Kathisma
430:Triodion
343:Saturday
327:Weekdays
300:Troparia
288:Kathisma
284:Psalm 50
272:and the
115:Nocturns
90:118:62,
70:Romanian
58:Slavonic
670:25 July
587:Bishop
538:In the
528:Shehimo
502:In the
471:Passion
364:to the
292:Psalter
282:—
266:Opening
215:History
194:prayers
138:Typikon
102:of the
100:Parable
801:oriens
790:
761:
728:
693:
687:Origen
552:Agpeya
548:prayed
524:prayed
386:Ypakoë
356:Sunday
286:and a
179:temple
175:relics
150:kairos
119:Matins
826:(PDF)
639:(PDF)
542:, an
362:Canon
333:Bible
171:icons
88:Psalm
44:Greek
834:2020
788:ISBN
759:ISBN
726:ISBN
691:ISBN
672:2020
647:2020
518:(an
506:and
473:and
439:Tomb
403:and
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415:On
199:In
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