The rite of burial of the Most Holy Theotokos falls on the third day after the Dormition. All-night vigil with the rite of burial of the Shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos

14.10.2019

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the main feasts of the Theotokos. Orthodox Church.

Some data point to the connection of this holiday with the most ancient celebration of the Theotokos - the "Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos", which is still celebrated on the day after the Nativity of Christ. So, in the Coptic calendar of the 7th century, on January 16, i.e., shortly after the giving of the Epiphany, the “birth of the Lady Mary” is celebrated, and in the calendar of the 9th century, on the same date, “the death and resurrection of the Virgin” (in the monuments of the Coptic and Abyssinian Churches of the XIV -XV centuries, which, due to their isolation, preserved the ancient liturgical practice, on January 16, the memory of the Assumption was laid, and on August 16 - the Ascension of the Mother of God to heaven).

In the Greek Churches, reliable evidence of this holiday has been known since the 6th century, when, according to the testimony of the late Byzantine historian Nicephorus Callistus (14th century), Emperor Mauritius (592-602) ordered the Assumption to be celebrated on August 15 (for the Western Church, we have evidence not VI , and the 5th century is the sacramentary of Pope Gelasius I). Nevertheless, one can speak of an earlier existence of the feast of the Assumption, for example, in Constantinople, where already in the 4th century there were many churches dedicated to the Theotokos. One of them is Blachernae, built by Empress Pulcheria. Here she laid the funeral shrouds (riza) of the Mother of God. As Archbishop Sergius (Spassky) points out in his “Full Menologion of the East”, according to the Stish Prologue (the ancient lunar in verse), the Dormition was celebrated in Blachernae on August 15, and Nikifor’s testimony should be understood in a special way: Mauritius only made the holiday more solemn. Since the 8th century, we have numerous testimonies about the holiday, which allow us to trace its history up to the present.

The oldest known rite of service for the holiday is contained in the Georgian translation of the Jerusalem Lectionary of the 5th-7th centuries (published by Archpriest K. Kekelidze and M. Tarkhnishvili). It was performed in the Basilica of the Assumption in Gethsemane and included: troparion of the 6th tone “When thou hast died…”; prokeimenon, tone 3 "My soul magnifies the Lord"; readings (Prov. 31:30-32; Ezek. 44:1-4; Gal. 3:24-29); alliluary "Hear, daughter, and see"; the same as now, the Gospel reading (Lk. 1, 39-50, 56).

Typicon (charter) of the Great Church (i.e. the church of St. Sophia of Constantinople; published by A. A. Dmitrievsky and H. Mateos) of the 9th-11th centuries contains detailed description charter of the service to the feast of the Assumption. The celebration begins early in the morning with a procession from the Martyrium of St. Euphemia to the Blachernae Church, where the Divine Liturgy is then performed. Three parimias (Old Testament readings) are laid at Vespers, as on the Nativity of the Theotokos (the same as now), troparion of the 1st tone “In Christmas you preserved virginity” (this troparion is still sung in the Orthodox Church on the feast of the Assumption), litany of supplication, reading and pannihis (special service on the evening before the holidays). At the Liturgy - the same as now, the prokeimenon, the Apostle and the Gospel.

The Statute of the Great Church, examined, appoints only one day for the celebration. The most ancient post-iconoclastic monastic charter - the Studian Hypotyposis of the 9th century - also prescribes an afterfeast for the feast of the Assumption (along with the Transfiguration, Exaltation, Nativity of the Virgin, Nativity of Christ, Epiphany and Candlemas). The typicon of the Constantinople Evergetides Monastery (XII century, reflects the practice of the XI century) already has a pre-feast and a post-feast of the current duration (until August 23), but they are less solemn compared to today's practice. Difference from the current monastic pannihis; the number and order of kathismas; way of singing the canon; composition of the Liturgy of the catechumens before the Gospel. According to the Studian-Alexian Typikon, adopted in the Russian Church until the end of the 14th century, the holiday is celebrated on August 18, i.e. on the third day.

In the Studio Typikons of the Athos-Italian edition, as on other holidays, kathismas were replaced by special antiphons (which over time will affect the formation of festive selected psalms). So, in the Athos Typikon of St. George Mtatsmindeli (Svyatogorets) of the 11th century, instead of the usual kathisma, antiphons from the psalms “Praise the name of the Lord ...” (Ps. 135), “Remember, Lord, David ...” (Ps. 131) and “Praise Lord from heaven…” (Ps. 148). The troparion of the holiday, according to this Tipipkon, is “Bless Thee give birth to all” (now it is the ipakoi of the holiday; the chant is also contained in some lists of the Typikon of the Great Church).

Order of the Burial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In modern practice, the celebration of the Dormition is often associated in one way or another with the rite of the Burial, also inscribed as "Praise, or sacred obedience to the holy Repose of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary." The rite of Burial is of Jerusalem (Gethsemane) origin and is an imitation of the rite of Matins Great Saturday. This rank is very late; it is based on festive refrains to the 17th kathisma (such refrains were performed on many holidays in the XIV-XVI centuries, and later went out of practice); to XIX century in Jerusalem, these refrains were supplemented by many elements taken from the Holy Saturday service and somewhat modified.

In Gethsemane (the sacred place where the event of the Assumption took place), the rite of Burial is served on August 14, according to the old style, on the eve of the Assumption, but preparations for it begin long before that. The description of the festivities is given according to the articles by A. A. Dmitrievsky “Celebrations in Gethsemane in honor of the Assumption of the Mother of God” and “On the order of the litany and the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God in the Holy Land” // ZhMP, 1979, No. 3.

In the courtyard of the Gethsemane Monastery in Jerusalem, located opposite the doors of the Church of the Resurrection, there is a shroud depicting the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is used at the Assumption service. The shroud lies surrounded by candlesticks. Ever since the feast of the Transfiguration, prayers, akathists and vespers have been served daily before the shroud - until August 12. On August 12, at 2 a.m., the rector of the Gethsemane metochion performs Divine Liturgy. At the end of the Liturgy at 4 o'clock in the morning, the rector, in full vestments, performs a short prayer before the shroud. Then the shroud is solemnly transferred to Gethsemane in memory of the transfer of the body of the Mother of God there from Zion by the apostles. Many representatives of the clergy with candles take part in the procession of the cross (now in the pre-holiday canon it is sung: “Zionians, light the candles”). The shroud is carried before the clergy by the rector on a wide silk bandage over his shoulder with a velvet cushion. The procession is usually accompanied by a confluence a large number pilgrims. In Gethsemane, where the procession arrives at sunrise, the shroud is laid in a stone cave on the bed of the Mother of God. Here she remains until the feast for worship.

On August 14 in the morning at about 9-10 o’clock the service of the Burial of the Mother of God itself is performed, consisting of singing the 17th kathisma with refrains - praises similar to Great Saturday. The service is performed by the Patriarch. (According to the description of A.A. Dmitrievsky, during the Ottoman rule, troops of the Turkish garrison arrived in Gethsemane to worship in Gethsemane, which, located in tapestries along the way from Jerusalem, met the arriving Patriarch with a military march.) the usual beginning of the service (the Trisagion according to the Our Father), the bed with the shroud is taken out to the middle of the temple under the chandelier. Behind the bed is the Patriarch, and on the sides of him and up to the royal doors - bishops, archimandrites and hieromonks.

The patriarch enters the cave again in order to start the censing of the entire church from there, which is done while singing the first article of funeral praises: “Life in the tomb is supposed.” The article, as on Holy Saturday, concludes with a litany with an exclamation of the Patriarch. On the second article, “It is worthy to eat the majesty of Thee,” the Primate of the Church of the Holy City incenses only the cave and the bed, and the exclamation is pronounced by the oldest bishop. On the third article: "Give birth to all the song to Your burial, Virgin," the second bishop incenses. The third article, as on Holy Saturday, turns into the singing of paraphrased Sunday troparions "Angelic Cathedral". After the litany - the exapostilary of the feast ("Apostles from the end of the earth"), laudatory stichera and great doxology. During the long-drawn-out singing of the Trisagion, the priests carry out a bed with a shroud on top platform basilica, where the litany is pronounced with commemoration by the names of the participating clergy and for the brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre. The odr again refers to the middle of the temple while singing the exapostilary and stichera “With thunder on the clouds, the Savior sends the apostles to the Nativity.” Then the Patriarch makes a leave.

Divine service on the very day of the Dormition is no different from the usual festive one. Vespers on the eve of the holiday is celebrated separately, without Matins, but at the end there is a blessing of the bread, which is then distributed to the people. On the afterfeast of the Assumption, it is customary to kiss the shroud mentioned above every day. At the end of the Liturgy, the shroud is returned to the Gethsemane Compound of Jerusalem with the same procession with which it was brought.

In Russia, the rite of burial became widespread already in the 16th century and, in the form of commendable articles, has long been celebrated along with the festive service in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and in the Kostroma Epiphany Monastery. Let us note here the indication of the Old Believer statute according to the 6th song of the canon: “if the rector pleases,” is performed in the middle of the temple by a cathedral with candles for everyone “tomb singing” - such as in the Kiev Lavra, without litanies; “If there is a temple (of the Dormition), it is fitting that grave singing should be without delay.” In the edition of the Typicon currently in force in the Russian Church, there is no rite itself and the necessary statutory instructions.

Under St. Philaret (Drozdov), in the Gethsemane skete of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in addition to the Assumption, the feast of the Resurrection and Ascension of the Mother of God was established - August 17th. On the eve of the 17th, the Jerusalem service was performed, and on the 17th, after the Liturgy, procession with the icon of the Ascension of the Mother of God.

In 1845, the translation of the Jerusalem Follow-up of the Burial from Greek into Church Slavonic was carried out by M.S. Kholmogorov for the Gethsemane Skete from a text sent by Metropolitan Hierotheos of Tabor (later Patriarch of Antioch). The translation was revised and corrected by St. Philaret of Moscow, who strove for greater clarity of the text. In 1872, the Jerusalem rite of the celebration of the Dormition was printed by the Synodal Printing House under the title already mentioned above “Praises, or sacred obedience to the holy Repose of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, sung on the seventh tenth day of the month of August, every year, in the skete of Gethsemane, and in the Lavra sent on the fifteenth of August. In 1913, the 2nd edition was published. Now the rite is being printed as part of the Appendix to the August volume of the Menaion.

In parish practice (in the case of the presence of the Shroud of the Mother of God), at present, the rite of Burial can be performed either on the eve of the feast of the Assumption, on August 14, according to the old style, at matins, which corresponds to the Jerusalem tradition; or at a festive all-night vigil; or on one of the next days of the afterfeast period (usually on the evening of August 16 or 17, according to the old style; August 17 is preferable and symbolically - as the third day after the Dormition, and historically - such was the practice in the Gethsemane Skete).

By blessing His Holiness Patriarch, the rite of burial of the Mother of God is performed in the temple of the Moscow Theological Academy on the day of the holiday in the evening (although according to the Charter it is supposed to be on the third day). The service begins with an all-night vigil. (First, festive Vespers, and then Matins). On “God is the Lord ...” when singing (in Bulgarian chant) special troparia from the Jerusalem “Following” - “The noble disciple faces ...”, “Glory”: “When you descended to death, Mother’s Belly is immortal”, “And now”: “Holy a disciple, wearing the body of the Mother of God in Gethsemane ... ”, - sung in a chant like“ Noble Joseph ... ”, the clergy go to the shroud, and sing“ Blameless ”on 3 articles. Before the 1st article, a full incense is performed, before the 2nd and 3rd - a small one. After the 3rd article, special troparia are sung: “The Angelic Cathedral was surprised, in vain you were imputed to the dead ...” with the refrain “Blessed Lady, enlighten me with the light of Your Son.” At this time, the censing of the entire temple is performed. Then - a small litany, antiphon of the 4th tone: “From my youth ...” (polyeles and magnification are not sung), prokeimenon “I will remember your name ...” and the Gospel of Luke, credits. 4th. Then - “Glory”: “By the prayers of the Virgin ...”, “And now” - the same, “Have mercy on me, God ...” and the stichera of the holiday. Further - "Save, O God, Thy people ...", an exclamation and both canons of the holiday, read from the Menaion. They are also placed in the Jerusalem "Following".

At this time they do not anoint. The clergy go to the altar, and for the great doxology again go to the shroud. Incense is performed (thrice) around the shroud, bowing to the ground and enclosing the shroud around the temple. The primate walks with the Gospel under the shroud in full dress. At this time, the choir sings "Holy God ...". After the enclosing, the shroud relies on its place when singing the troparion of the holiday ("Wisdom, forgive" is not said). Incense is performed (thrice) around the shroud and anointed with oil. Then - litanies and dismissal.

When the rite of the Burial of the Most Holy Theotokos is performed in Orthodox churches

The rite of the Burial of the Most Holy Theotokos is a special divine service in the Orthodox Church, during which the Dormition and burial of the Mother of God in Gethsemane is commemorated. This is a special worship service that all believing Orthodox Christians try to attend.

The rite of the Burial of the Most Holy Theotokos includes both sad chants dedicated to the Assumption (death) of the Virgin Mary and liturgical texts that give a person hope for the fulfillment of the promise of the Theotokos herself about the intercession of mankind before God until the end of time.

Departure of worship The burial of the Mother of God is a pious custom that has entered the liturgical life of the Church. In the Typicon (the main book reflecting the liturgical charter of the Church) the very following of the rite of the Burial of the Mother of God and indications of its commission in Orthodox churches no. However, such silence of the Typicon about this service is not a serious obstacle to the celebration of worship, because in such an action a person’s special love for the Mother of God and veneration for the zealous intercessor of Christians are manifested.

The first manuscripts with the rite of the Burial of the Most Holy Theotokos date back to approximately the 15th-16th centuries. According to the established pious custom, this rite is performed in Jerusalem at the tomb of the Mother of God on the morning on the eve of the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God. Historically, in other Churches of the Orthodox East, this service was celebrated in conjunction with the festive service of the Dormition of the Theotokos (August 28, according to the new style), that is, on the feast of the Dormition itself. However, the Charter of the Great Church of Constantinople forbids such a combination of the rite of the Burial of the Most Holy Theotokos with the festive service of the Dormition. In Russia, however, the practice of performing the festive Assumption service was preserved in conjunction with the all-night vigil (on the eve of the Assumption) with separate part liturgy from the rank of Burial. In this case, the rite of Burial falls on the evening of August 27th. This practice takes place in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and in the Kostroma Epiphany Monastery.

In most churches of the Russian Orthodox Church, it is customary to perform the rite of the Burial of the Most Holy Theotokos in the coming days of the after-feast of the Assumption. Most often, this divine service is performed on the third day after the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God. If we take into account that the divine service of the daily circle begins on the eve of the celebrated event, then the all-night vigil with the rite of Burial takes place on the second day in the evening after the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin - August 29th.

The practice of performing the rite of the Burial of the Theotokos on the third day after the Assumption has been firmly established in Russia since the middle of the 19th century, when this service began to be celebrated in this sequence in the Gethsemane Skete at the Trinity-Sergeeva Lavra.

History of rites

In the courtyard of the Gethsemane Monastery in Jerusalem, located opposite the doors of the Church of the Resurrection, there is a shroud depicting the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is used at the Assumption service. The shroud lies surrounded by candlesticks. Ever since the feast of the Transfiguration, prayers, akathists and vespers have been served daily before the shroud - until August 12. On August 12 at 2 a.m. the rector of the Gethsemane metochion celebrates the Divine Liturgy. At the end of the Liturgy at 4 o'clock in the morning, the rector, in full vestments, performs a short prayer before the shroud. Then the shroud is solemnly transferred to Gethsemane in memory of the transfer of the body of the Mother of God there from Zion by the apostles. Many representatives of the clergy with candles take part in the procession of the cross (now in the pre-holiday canon it is sung: "Zionians, light the candles"). The shroud is carried before the clergy by the rector on a wide silk bandage over his shoulder with a velvet cushion. The procession is usually accompanied by a gathering of a large number of pilgrims. In Gethsemane, where the procession arrives at sunrise, the shroud is laid in a stone cave on the bed of the Mother of God. Here she remains until the feast for worship.

The patriarch enters the cave again in order to start the censing of the entire church from there, which is done while singing the first article of funeral praises: “Life in the tomb is supposed.” The article, as on Holy Saturday, concludes with a litany with an exclamation of the Patriarch. On the second article, “It is worthy to eat the majesty of Thee,” the Primate of the Church of the Holy City incenses only the cave and the bed, and the exclamation is pronounced by the oldest bishop. On the third article: "Give birth to all the song to Your burial, Virgin," the second bishop incenses. The third article, as on Holy Saturday, turns into the singing of paraphrased Sunday troparions "Angelic Cathedral". After the litany - the exapostilary of the feast ("Apostles from the end of the earth"), laudatory stichera and great doxology. During the drawn-out singing of the Trisagion, the priests carry out the bed with the shroud to the upper platform of the basilica, where the litany is pronounced with commemoration by the names of the participating clergy and for the brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre. The odr again refers to the middle of the temple while singing the exapostilary and stichera “With thunder on the clouds, the Savior sends the apostles to the Nativity.” Then the Patriarch makes a leave.

Under St. Philaret (Drozdov), in the Gethsemane skete of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in addition to the Assumption, the feast of the Resurrection and Ascension of the Mother of God was established - August 17th. On the eve of the 17th, the Jerusalem service was performed, and on the 17th, after the Liturgy, a religious procession with the icon of the Ascension of the Mother of God.

Upon the Dormition of the Mother of God, the bed with her most pure body was transferred by the holy apostles to Gethsemane, where Her holy righteous parents Joachim and Anna were buried. The entrance to the cave where the tomb was located was covered with a large stone after the burial. Prayers and psalmody were recited there for three days.

After this time, the holy Apostle Thomas arrived at the burial place, who, by God's Providence, became the only one of the 12 disciples of Christ who was not present at the miracle of the Dormition.

The disciple of Christ grieved bitterly that he could not say goodbye to the Most Holy Theotokos and tearfully asked the rest of the apostles to open the entrance to the cave so that they could bow before Her bed.

A great miracle awaited the holy apostles, who rolled away the stone from the tomb: the cave turned out to be empty, and the burial sheets indicated that Holy Virgin Mary was taken up with her body into Heaven.

In the evening of the same day, the holy apostles gathered for a meal, and the Mother of God Herself appeared to them and said: "Rejoice! I am with you - all the days." The disciples of Christ raised a portion of the bread supplied for a meal in memory of the Savior ("part of the Lord") and exclaimed: "Most Holy Theotokos, help us." In remembrance of this miracle, the rite of the panagia is performed - the custom of offering a piece of bread in honor of the Mother of God in monasteries.

In Jerusalem and Gethsemane, on the days of the Feast of the Assumption, a special solemn service was held with the rite of burial of the Mother of God. A "Sacred Follow-up to the Repose of Our Most Holy Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary" was compiled. In Russia, the first mention of the service is found no earlier than the 15th century, and it was performed in the likeness of Matins on Great Saturday. In the Holy Trinity Sergius Convent, the Charter, since 1645, laid down the performance of grave singing on the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos.

A separate rite of burial of the Mother of God became widespread in the 40s of the 19th century through the efforts of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow. He studied and made corrections to the Metropolitan Hierotheos of Tabor, sent to him by the Metropolitan of Tabor, Hierotheos of Jerusalem, "Following the Repose of the Most Holy Theotokos", or "Praise". The saint indicated to perform the Follow-up in the Lavra on August 15 (according to the old style), and in the Gethsemane Skete - on August 17 (30 - in the new one). This day became the patronal day in the Gethsemane skete, along with special reverence Holy Week- under the Assumption Church there was a temple in honor of the Gethsemane prayer of the Savior.

After the establishment of this celebration, a pious custom appeared when, on the third day after the Assumption, the pilgrims walked from the Lavra (as if from Jerusalem) to the Gethsemane Skete, hidden from the noisy city by a dense forest.

Since 1850, a stone has been in the skete, brought from Gethsemane from the tomb where the Mother of God was buried, with a blessing from the Patriarch of Jerusalem to northern New Gethsemane. Conveying the gifts, St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, in a cover letter to St. Anthony, the governor of the Lavra, pointed out: “Give the attached Greek papers to be translated to the Academy. They are needed for the skete. We were afraid to dare to call it Gethsemane: now His Beatitude the Patriarch calls it the new Gethsemane. May this be a blessing to the skete."

The rite of the Burial of the Most Holy Theotokos itself is usually served on the eve of the third day (in the evening of the second day) after the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God. At a long and especially solemn divine service, hymns are heard affirming our faith in the special intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos for the entire Orthodox family.

After reading the Canon of the Dormition of the Mother of God, a procession is made around the temple with the shroud of the Mother of God. At the same time, the procession is accompanied by a bell ringing, as in the case of the removal of the Shroud at Matins on Holy Saturday. When the shroud of the Mother of God is brought into the temple, a brief festive chime begins, reminding us that She will pray to the Lord for mercy and goodness to any Christian who calls for Her intercession.

The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the main feasts of the Theotokos in the Church.

Some data point to the connection of this holiday with the most ancient celebration of the Theotokos - the "Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos", which is still celebrated on the day after the Nativity of Christ. So, in the Coptic calendar of the 7th century. On January 16, i.e., shortly after the giving of the Epiphany, the “birth of the Lady Mary” is celebrated, and in the calendar of the 9th century. in the same number - "the death and resurrection of the Mother of God" (in the monuments of the Coptic and Abyssinian Churches of the XIV-XV centuries, which, due to their isolation, preserved the ancient liturgical practice, on January 16, the memory of the Assumption is placed, and on August 16 - the Ascension of the Mother of God to heaven).

In the Greek Churches, reliable evidence of this holiday has been known since the 6th century, when, according to the testimony of the late Byzantine historian Nicephorus Callistus (XIV century), Emperor Mauritius (592-602) ordered the Assumption to be celebrated on August 15 (for the Western Church, we have evidence not VI-th, and V-th - Sacramentary of Pope Gelasius I). Nevertheless, one can speak of an earlier existence of the feast of the Assumption, for example, in Constantinople, where already in the 4th century. There were many temples dedicated to the Mother of God. One of them is Blachernae, built by Empress Pulcheria. Here she laid the funeral shrouds (riza) of the Mother of God. Archbishop Sergius (Spassky) in his “Full Menologion of the East” points out that, according to the testimony of the Stish prologue (the ancient lunar in verse), the Dormition was celebrated in Blachernae on August 15 and that Nikifor’s testimony should be understood in a special way: Mauritius only made the holiday more solemn. Starting from the 8th century we have numerous testimonies about the holiday, which allow us to trace its history up to the present time.

The oldest known rite of service for the holiday is contained in the Georgian translation of the Jerusalem Lectionary of the 5th-7th centuries. (published by archpriests K. Kekelidze and M. Tarkhnishvili). It was performed in the Basilica of the Assumption in Gethsemane and included: troparion on 6 ch. “When you passed away…”; prokeimenon ch. 3 “My soul magnifies the Lord”; readings (Proverbs 31:30-32, Ezek 44:1-4, Gal 3:24-29); alliluary "Hear Dshi and see"; the same as now, the Gospel reading (Luke 1.39-50, 56).

Typikon (charter) of the Great Church (i.e. the church of St. Sophia of Constantinople; published by A. A. Dmitrievsky and H. Mateos) IX-XI centuries. contains a detailed description of the charter of the service for the feast of the Assumption. The celebration begins early in the morning with a procession from the Martyrium of St. Euphemia to the Blachernae Church, where the Divine Liturgy is then celebrated. At Vespers, three Paroemias (Old Testament readings) are laid, as on the Nativity of the Mother of God (the same as now), troparion of the 1st tone “At Christmas, you preserved virginity” (this troparion is still sung in the Orthodox Church on the feast of the Assumption), litany of supplication, reading and pannihis (special service on the evening before the holidays). At the liturgy - the same as now, the prokeimenon, the Apostle and the Gospel.

The Statute of the Great Church, examined, appoints only one day for the celebration. The most ancient post-iconoclastic monastic charter is the Studian Hypotyposis of the 9th century. - also suggests an afterfeast for the holiday (along with the Transfiguration, Exaltation, Nativity of the Virgin, Nativity of Christ, Epiphany and Presentation). The typicon of the Constantinople Evergetides Monastery (XII century, reflects the practice of the XI century) already has a fore-feast and an after-feast of the current duration (until August 23), but they are less solemn compared to today's practice. Difference from the current monastic pannihis; the number and order of kathismas; way of singing the canon; composition of the liturgy of the catechumens before the Gospel. According to the Studian-Alexian Typikon, adopted in the Russian Church until the end. XIV century., The celebration of the holiday takes place on August 18, i.e. on the third day.

In the Studio Typikons of the Athos-Italian edition, as on other holidays, kathismas were replaced by special antiphons (which over time will affect the formation of festive selected psalms). So, in the Athos Typicon, St. George Mtatsmindeli XI century. in the morning, instead of the usual kathisma, antiphons from the psalms "Praise the name of the Lord ..." (Ps 135), "Remember the Lord David ..." (Ps 131) and "Praise the Lord from heaven ..." (Ps 148) are sung. The troparion of the feast, according to this Tipipkon, is “Bless thee all give birth” (nowadays it is the ipakoi of the feast; the chant is also contained in some lists of the Typicon of the Great Church).

Order of the Burial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In modern practice, the celebration of the Dormition is often associated in one way or another with the rite of the Burial, also inscribed as "Praise, or sacred obedience to the holy Repose of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary." The rite of Burial is of Jerusalem (Gethsemane) origin and is an imitation of the rite of Matins on Great Saturday. This rank is very late; it is based on festive refrains to the 17th kathisma (such refrains were performed on many holidays in the 14th-16th centuries, and later went out of practice); by the 19th century in Jerusalem, these refrains were supplemented by many elements taken from the Holy Saturday service and somewhat modified.

In Gethsemane (the sacred place where the event of the Assumption took place), the rite of Burial is served on August 14, according to the old style, on the eve of the Assumption, but preparations for it begin long before that. We give a description of the festivities according to the articles: A. A. Dmitrievsky “Celebrations in Gethsemane in honor of the Assumption of the Mother of God” and “On the order of the litany and the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God in the Holy Land” // ZhMP. No. 3. 1979.

In the courtyard of the Gethsemane Monastery in Jerusalem, located opposite the doors of the Church of the Resurrection, there is a shroud depicting the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is used at the Assumption service. The shroud lies surrounded by candlesticks. Ever since the feast of the Transfiguration, prayers, akathists and vespers have been served daily before this shroud, until August 12. On August 12 at 2 a.m. the rector of the Gethsemane metochion celebrates the Divine Liturgy. At the end of the liturgy at 4 o'clock in the morning, the rector, in full vestments, performs a short prayer before the shroud. Then the shroud is solemnly transferred to Gethsemane in memory of the transfer of the body of the Mother of God there from Zion by the apostles. Many representatives of the clergy with candles take part in the procession of the cross (now in the pre-holiday canon it is sung: “Light the candles of Zion”). The shroud is carried before the clergy by the rector on a wide silk bandage over his shoulder with a velvet cushion. The procession is usually accompanied by a gathering of a large number of pilgrims. In Gethsemane, where the procession arrives at sunrise, the shroud is laid in a stone cave on the bed of the Mother of God. Here she remains until the feast for worship.

On August 14 in the morning, at about 9-10 o'clock, the service of the Burial of the Mother of God itself is performed, consisting of singing 17 kathismas with refrains - praises similar to Great Saturday. The service is performed by the Patriarch. By the time of service in Gethsemane during the time of the Ottoman Porte, according to the description of A.A. Dmitrievsky, troops of the Turkish garrison arrived, which, settling in espaliers on the way from Jerusalem, met the arriving Patriarch with a military march. After the censing by the Patriarch of the bed with the shroud of the Mother of God in the burial cave, after the usual beginning of the service (Trisagion:; Holy Trinity:; Our Father :), a bed with a shroud is taken out to the middle of the temple under the chandelier. Behind the bed is the Patriarch, and on the sides of him and up to the royal doors are the bishops, archimandrites and hieromonks.

The patriarch enters the cave again in order to start the censing of the entire church from there, which is done while singing the first article of funeral praises: “Life in the tomb is supposed.” The article, as on Holy Saturday, concludes with a litany with an exclamation of the Patriarch. On the second article, “It is worthy to eat the majesty of Thee,” the Primate of the Church of the Holy City incenses only the cave and the bed, and the exclamation is pronounced by the oldest bishop. On the third article: "Give birth to all the song to Your burial, Virgin," the second bishop incenses. The third article, as on Holy Saturday, turns into the singing of paraphrased Sunday troparions "Angelic Cathedral". After the litany, there is an exapostilary of the feast (“Apostles from the end of the earth”), laudatory stichera, and a great doxology. During the drawn-out singing of the Trisagion, the priests take out the bed with the shroud to the upper platform of the basilica, where the litany is pronounced with commemoration by the names of the participating clergy and for the brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre. The odr again refers to the middle of the temple while singing the exapostilary and stichera “With thunder on the clouds, the Savior sends the apostles to the Nativity.” Then the Patriarch makes a leave. Divine service on the very day of the Assumption is no different from the usual festive one. Vespers on the eve of the holiday is celebrated separately, without Matins, but at the end there is a blessing of the bread, which is then distributed to the people. On the afterfeast of the Assumption, it is customary to kiss the shroud mentioned above every day. At the end of the liturgy, the shroud is returned to the Gethsemane Compound of Jerusalem with the same procession with which it was brought.

In Russia, the rite of burial became widespread already in the 16th century. and in the form of commendable articles, it has long been celebrated along with the festive service in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and in the Kostroma Epiphany Monastery. Let us note here the indication of the Old Believer statute according to the 6th song of the canon: “if the rector pleases”, the “tomb singing” is performed in the middle of the temple by the cathedral with candles for everyone - such as in the Kiev Lavra, without litanies; “If there is a temple (of the Dormition), it is fitting that grave singing should be without delay.” In the edition of the Typicon currently in force in the Russian Church, there is no rite itself and the necessary statutory instructions.

At St. Philaret (Drozdov) in the Gethsemane skete of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in addition to the Assumption, the feast of the Resurrection and Ascension of the Mother of God was established on August 17. On the eve of the 17th, the Jerusalem service was performed, and on the 17th, after the liturgy, a religious procession with the icon of the Ascension of the Mother of God.

In 1845, the translation of the Jerusalem Follow-up of the Burial from Greek into Church Slavonic was carried out by M. S. Kholmogorov for the Gethsemane Skete from the one sent by Hierotheus, Metropolitan. Tabor (later Patriarch of Antioch). The translation was revised and revised by St. Filaret, Met. Moscow. “I wanted to combine the Slovenian type of speech with clarity, therefore I sometimes changed the order of words and used a few words that were somewhat new, instead of more ancient, dark or mutual for the current concept,” wrote Archim. Anthony (Medvedev), the prelate October 28, 1846. In 1872, the Jerusalem rite of the celebration of the Assumption was printed by the Synodal Printing House under the title already mentioned by us “Praises, or sacred obedience to the holy Repose of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, sung on the seventh to tenth day of the month August, every year, in the skete of Gethsemane, and sent to the Lavra on the fifteenth of August. In 1913, the 2nd edition was published. Now the rite is being printed as part of the Appendix to the August volume of the Menaion.

In parish practice (if there is a shroud of the Mother of God), at present, the rite of Burial can be performed either on the eve of the Feast of the Assumption, on August 14, according to the old style, at matins, which corresponds to the Jerusalem tradition, or at a festive all-night vigil, or on one of the next days of the period afterfeasts (usually on the evening of August 16 or 17, according to the old style; August 17 is preferable both symbolically (as the third day after the Dormition) and historically (such was the practice in the Gethsemane Skete)).

The rite of the burial of the Mother of God in the temple of the Moscow Theological Academy

With the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch, the rite of burial of the Mother of God is performed in the temple of the Moscow Theological Academy on the day of the holiday in the evening (although according to the Charter it is supposed to be on the third day). The service begins with an all-night vigil. (First, festive Vespers, and then Matins). On “God is the Lord ...” when singing (in Bulgarian chant) special troparia from the Jerusalem “Following” - “The noble disciple faces ...”, “Glory”: “When you descended to death, Mother’s Belly is immortal”, “And now”: “A sacred disciple, wearing the body of the Mother of God in Gethsemane ...”, - sung in a chant like “Noble Joseph ...”, the clergy go to the shroud, and “Immaculate” are sung on 3 articles. Before the 1st article, a full incense is performed, before the 2nd and 3rd - a small one. After the 3rd article, special troparia are sung: “The Angelic Cathedral was surprised, in vain you were imputed to the dead ...” with the refrain “Blessed Lady, enlighten me with the light of Your Son.” At this time, the censing of the entire temple is performed. Then - a small litany, antiphon of the 4th tone: "From my youth ..." (polyeles and magnificence are not sung), prokeimenon "I will remember your name ..." and the Gospel of Luke, ch. 4th. Then - "Glory": "Prayers of the Mother of God ...", "And now" - the same, "Have mercy on me, God ..." and the stichera of the holiday. Further - "Save, O God, Thy people ...", an exclamation and both canons of the holiday, read from the Menaion. They are also placed in the Jerusalem "Following".

The rite of the burial of the Mother of God in the ancient service

In some places, in the form of a special celebration of the holiday, a separate service of the burial of the Mother of God is performed. It is performed especially solemnly in Jerusalem, in Gethsemane (on the site of the alleged burial of the Mother of God). This service of the burial of the Mother of God in one of the Greek editions of the end of the 19th century (Jerusalem, 1885) is called "The Sacred Follow-up to the Repose of Our Most Holy Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary." It was discovered in manuscripts (Greek and Slavic) no earlier than the 15th century and was composed by several Greek chanters of relatively late times, among whom is the name of the great rhetoric Emmanuel. The service is performed in the likeness of the Matins service on Great Saturday, and its main part - "Praises" or "Immaculate" - is a very skillful imitation of the Great Saturday "Praises". In the XVI century, it was widespread in Russia. Then this service was almost forgotten.

During the synodal period (in the 19th century), the rite of burial of the Mother of God was performed here in a few places: in the Moscow Assumption Cathedral; in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, in the Kostroma Epiphany Monastery and in the Gethsemane Skete (near the Trinity-Sergius Lavra).

In the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, it did not constitute a separate service, but was performed (“Immaculate” with refrains, divided into three articles) at the all-night vigil of the holiday before the polyeleos.

In the Gethsemane skete near the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, under Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, in addition to the Assumption, the feast of the Resurrection and the taking into Heaven (with the body) of the Mother of God was celebrated on August 17; the day before, at the all-night vigil, the Jerusalem obedience was performed.

In the Trinity-Sergius Lavra (according to the handwritten Charter of the Lavra of 1645), this rite in ancient times was performed at the all-night vigil of the holiday (after the 6th ode of the canon): articles were read, then the antiphon, prokimen and the Gospel followed.

In Jerusalem, in Gethsemane, this burial service is performed by the patriarch in our days - on the eve of the holiday, on the morning of August 14th.

At present, the Jerusalem "Following the Repose of the Most Holy Theotokos", or "Praise", has again become widespread among us in many cathedral and parish churches. This service is usually performed on the 2nd or 3rd day of the holiday.

The full rite of the burial of the Mother of God according to the Jerusalem "Following" is placed in the book " Church service on the Dormition of the Mother of God”, in the form of an all-night vigil (Great Vespers and Matins), at which only polyeles and magnification are not sung. IN " liturgical instructions for the year 1950" also contains the "Rite of Burial", but instead of Great Vespers, it gives the following of Small Compline (in the likeness of the Great Saturday service) and after it - Matins with "Praises" (according to the Jerusalem "Following").

Features of the all-night vigil with the rite of burial

Exclamation: "Glory to the Saints ...", psalm 103, "Blessed is the husband ...". "Lord, I have called" - 8 stichera: 3 from the Menaion and 5 from the Jerusalem "Following". "Glory, and now" - the stichera of the holiday. (If the burial takes place on Saturday, then on "Glory" - the stichera of the holiday, on "And now" - the dogmatic of the current voice). Entrance. Prokeimenon, tone 2: "Rise, O Lord, into Thy rest...". Verse: "The Lord swear to David..." There are three parimias, which were read on the very feast. On the lithium - 6 stichera (from the Menaion). On the verse there are 4 stichera with their own verses (from the Menaion). On the blessing of the loaves - the troparion of the holiday (three times).

Schema-Archimandrite John (Maslov). Lectures on Liturgy.