Visitors who come early to Orthodox services may be a bit confused. Often, even when you come early, there’s a service already started!
If the sign says church starts at 10:30, and I come at 10:15, why has the priest and the chanter already started?
What’s going on here?
Am I late?
THE SERVICE BEFORE LITURGY IS ORTHROS
If you intended to come for the Divine Liturgy (the main Eucharist service), you’re not late.
The service that’s already happening (in the Greek and Antiochian traditions) is called Orthros.
Orthros is a Greek word that means, “of the dawn.” In other words, it’s simply the regular early morning service. Sometimes, in America, it’s called matins.
Like all the services in the Orthodox Church, everyone is welcome to come and see. We love to have visitors praying with us during our services.
SUNDAY ORTHROS CELEBRATES THE RESURRECTION
Orthros is a service that can be prayed (either in church or at home) every day of the year.
However, when the service is celebrated on Sundays, there are special hymns and actions in that service that recall the resurrection of Christ.
One special feature of the Sunday Orthros is the reading of the resurrection gospels.
THE RESURRECTION GOSPELS ARE DIVIDED INTO 11 READINGS
Because the Sunday Orthros is about the resurrection, those who organized our services decided to divide the resurrection accounts into 11 readings.
Each Sunday the priest reads a different one until he’s read all 11. Then he starts over.
These readings are,
- Matthew 28:16 – end
- Mark 16:1 – 9
- Mark 16:9 – end
- Luke 24:1 – 13
- Luke 24:12 – 36
- Luke 24:36 – end
- John 20:1 – 11
- John 20:11 – 19
- John 20:19 – 31
- John 21: 1 – 15
- John 21:14 – end
THEY ARE CALLED EOTHINA
These readings are called the eothina gospels, which means “morning.”
This makes a lot of sense, and not just because they are read in the morning. Think about it.
When did Christ rise from the dead?
In the morning!
THE NUMBER ELEVEN ALSO HAS A LOT OF SIGNIFICANCE
As always, the Orthodox Church puts a lot of thought into how it does services. So, it’s no accident that the resurrection accounts have been divided into 11 readings.
The number 11 stands for two things:
- There were, at that time, 11 disciples (Judas had hung himself), and
- Christ appeared to his disciples 11 times after the resurrection.
THE WAY THE GOSPEL IS READ IS SIGNIFICANT
Before the priest gets to the gospel reading in Orthros, he may not be fully vested.
However, before he reads the gospel, he will have put on all his vestments. In this sense he becomes the radiant angel who proclaimed the resurrection of Chris from the sepulcher.
And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back;–it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. (Mar 16:4-6 RSV)
Have you ever noticed where the priest reads the eothina gospels?
If you’ve seen an Orthros service, you’ll note that he does not come out of the altar and read it from the pulpit.
Instead, he reads it from inside the altar! And, if you look closely, the priest also reads it from the right side of the altar!
Why?
Because the altar becomes a symbolic tomb, and the priest symbolically becomes the angel, who proclaimed Christ’s resurrection from the right side of Christ’s tomb!
In short, Easter morning is re-enacted every Sunday! And those gathered all become the Myrrh-Bearing Women!
THE GOSPEL COMES FORTH AMONG THE PEOPLE
After the priest finishes reading the gospel, he brings it out of the altar, and presents it for people to venerate.
This procession represents Christ walking out of his tomb and standing in the midst of his people, as he stood among his disciples.
When the priest brings the gospel out, you’ll notice that there’re icons on it.
On one side of the gospel is the crucifixion, but on the other side is the scene of the resurrection.
It is the side of the resurrection that the priest presents for people to venerate, and when we do so, we again are imitating the women and the disciples.
So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Hail!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. (Mat 28:8-9 RSV)
P.S. HAVING SEEN THE RESURRECTION, GO OUT AND PROCLAIM IT!
The Orthodox Church is unique in that its services live out, and are directly modeled on, the biblical story.
Every Sunday, in Orthros, we witness the resurrection of Christ. We hear the angel, we see the Lord come forth from the tomb, and we come forward to embrace the resurrected Christ.
It was after he was resurrected that he told his disciples this,
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Mat 28:18-20 RSV)
Now that we too have seen Christ, let us also go out and proclaim to all that Christ is risen!
Come, this Sunday, and worship in the Orthodox tradition! (St. Elias, 2001 Asbury Rd., Dubuque @ 10:30 am)(or find your nearest Orthodox Church here).
Again, I learn of the great thought that is behind all we do, see, hear, smell, and touch in our Orthodox services. We should often be reminded of these things through the year.