Service Instructions for Theophany (Epiphany) 2019 From His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

The Royal Hours & Typika are served on the morning of Friday, January 04, which is the day BEFORE the Paramon (Eve). Therefore, we sing the Apolytikion of the Forefeast: Be thou ready, Zebulon… (HTM 369, Nassar 433). The Royal Hours may each be offered in either of the following orders:

 Consecutively, starting at 9:00 AM in the following manner: start the First Royal Hour with “Blessed is our God,” and OMIT the at the end of each Hour (except the last), and OMIT the section between “Blessed is our God” to right before “Come let us worship” in the Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours. SIMPLY PUT, OMIT THE BOXED PORTIONS OF THE TEXT.

 At their usual times (6:00 AM, 9:00 AM, Noon and 3:00 PM), with the Ninth Royal Hour and Typika being served at 3:00 PM, followed immediately by Daily of Paramon (Eve) of Theophany. Alternatively, Vespers may be celebrated in the early evening hours.

The Priest performs the Great Censing of the entire at the start of the First and Ninth Royal Hours, and the Small Censing from the Beautiful Gate (Holy Doors) – like he would before the Great in – at the start of the Third and Sixth Royal Hours.

NOTE: We do NOT celebrate Divine Liturgy on Friday, January 04. Our of Antioch reminds us that we follow this same pattern at Pascha, when Royal Hours are served on Holy Friday, and Divine Liturgies are celebrated only on the weekend.

On the morning of Paramon, January 05, we celebrate Daily and the Divine Liturgy of St. .

On Saturday evening, we celebrate Great Vespers but without the Liturgy, with the entire triple stases of scriptural readings and antiphons, etc., as provided. Remember, in this service the Entrance is with the Gospel-book, since the Gospel is read in this Vespers (even when there is no Liturgy). The Service of the Litia- Artoklasia ought to be celebrated, as well.

On Sunday morning, January 06, we celebrate Festal Orthros and Festal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Note that we will sing the Megalynarion “In thee rejoiceth all creation.”

Our Holy Orthodox Tradition calls for TWO indoor “Services of the Great Sanctification of Water” (Liturgikon 433-444) either at the baptismal font or in front of a table where a bowl of water is placed. The first one can be performed in the Paramon Divine Liturgy on Saturday after “Blessed be the Name of the Lord.” The second one is performed on Sunday in Orthros after the Great Doxology and festal apolytikion OR in the Festal Divine Liturgy after “Blessed be the Name of the Lord.” If your parish will offer just one “Great Water Blessing,” please do so on January 06.

Additionally, parishes may wish to do the “Out-of-Doors Blessing of Water” (Liturgikon 445-450) at a large body of water, such as a fountain, river, lake or ocean on the afternoon of January 06.

Please thoroughly review the Theophany Texts well in advance of their use in the parishes. They will be available for printing one month in advance at:

http://www.antiochian.org/liturgicday