EASTERN CHRISTIAN STUDIES 18

STUDIES ON THE LITURGIES OF

THE CHRISTIAN EAST
Selected Papers of the Third International Congress
of the Society of Oriental Liturgy
Volos, May 26-30, 2010

Edited by
Steven Hawkes-Teeples, Bert Groen
and Stefanos Alexopoulos

PEETERS
LEUVEN – PARIS – WALPOLE, MA
2013
 CONTENTS

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V

List of Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IX

Stefanos ALEXOPOULOS, Praying while Praying: A Unique Office

of Holy Communion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Emmanuel FRITSCH, Concelebration of the Eucharistic Liturgy in

the Ethiopian Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Stig Simeon R. FRØYSHOV, The Resurrection Office of the First

Millennium Jerusalem Liturgy and Its Adoption by Close
Peripheries. Part I: The pre-Gospel Section . . . . . . 31

Peter GALADZA, Translating the ‘Septuagint’ Psalter into English for

Use in Byzantine Christian Worship: The State of the Question
and Several Proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Ivan S. IVANOV, Byzantine and Slavonic Musical Treatises and the

Bulgarian Orthodox Tradition: The Rila Monastery Musical
Manuscripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Maxwell E. JOHNSON, Sharing ‘The Cup of Christ’: The Cessation

of Martyrdom and Anaphoral Development . . . . . . 109

Pavlos KOUMARIANOS, Personal Initiative vs. Synodical Institution-

alization: Establishment of Catholicity within the Liturgical
Tradition Process and the Problem of Translating Liturgical
Texts into Modern Greek in the Church of Greece Today . . 127

Clemens LEONHARD, Why Does Theodore of Mopsuestia Interpret the

Liturgies in an Allegorical Way? . . . . . . . . . . 141

André LOSSKY, Temps et eschatologie dans le rite byzantin: le témoi-

gnage des Typica sabaïtes . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
VIII CONTENTS

Poulose MANIYATTU, Inculturation of the East Syrian Liturgy of

Marriage by the St. Thomas Christians in India . . . . . 165

Chrysostom NASSIS, The Eucharist, the Presanctified Liturgy and

Great Lent: Two Contemporary Decisions of the Patriarchal
Synod of Constantinople . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Christos PANAGOU, The Rite of Adelfopoiia: A Fresh Look at the

Evidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Thomas POTT, ‘De Ceremoniis’ et mise en scène: le rituel comme

‘tradition’ de mémoire . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Gerard ROUWHORST, The Liturgical Background of the Crucifixion

and Resurrection Scene of the Syriac Gospel Codex of Rab-
bula: An Example of the Relatedness between Liturgy and
Iconography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225

Bryan D. SPINKS, Carefully Chosen Words? The Christological

Intentionality in the Institution Narrative and the Epiclesis of
the Syriac Anaphora of St. James . . . . . . . . . 239

Robert F. TAFT, Eucharistic Concelebration in Greek Orthodoxy

Yesterday and Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Theodore X. YIANGOU, From the ‘Untestified’ to ‘Instituted’ Litur-

gical Practice: The Quest of Nikon of the Black Mountain . . 279
 PRAYING WHILE PRAYING:
A UNIQUE OFFICE OF HOLY COMMUNION

Stefanos ALEXOPOULOS

Introduction

The Office of Holy Communion is an anthology/collection of private

prayers of preparation and thanksgiving for communion.1 Today the
Office of Holy Communion is found in the appendix of the ¨Wrológion,2
in separate editions of the Office intended for private use, and finally, in
the ¨Ieratikón.3 According to all, the Office of Holy Communion is
divided in the following way:
(1) On the eve of the day that one is to commune the canon is read in
the context of compline, after the recitation of the Creed.
(2) On the morning of the day that one is to commune, one says psalms
and ten prayers within the context of morning private prayer.
(3) When the time for communion arrives, or more accurately ‘going for
communion’, verses, troparia, and a prayer are said.
(4) After communion (ideally after the end of the liturgy) one recites the
thanksgiving.

We observe that although there is a tendency to blend the Office of

Holy Communion, a private office, with communal prayer, by and large
the distinction is safeguarded. The bulk of the prayers are said in the
context of private prayer at home, and only the prayers at communion
have entered the sidelines of communal worship, read by the priest

1
For the origins and history of these prayers see Stefanos Alexopoulos and Annewies
van den Hoek, ‘The Endicott Scroll and Its Place in the History of Private Communion
Prayers’, Dumbarton Oaks Papers 60 (2006), pp. 145-188, on pp. 163-167. See also Robert
Taft, A History of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Vol. VI: The Communion, Thanks-
giving, and Concluding Rites, Orientalia Christiana Analecta 281 (Rome, 2008), pp. 159-162.
2
¨Wrológion tò Méga (Athens, 1998), pp. 505-521.
3
¨Ieratikòn (Athens, 2004), pp. 241-257 (parts 1 and 2 excluding prayer 10), 140-141
(prayer 10 plus part 3, within the context of clergy communion of CHR — see Taft,
The Communion, Thanksgiving, and Concluding Rites (see n. 1), pp. 149-188) — and
pp. 257-262 (part 4).
2 S. ALEXOPOULOS

silently before receiving communion, and in some communities recited

by the reader and/or the people at the koinonikon.
In the monastic practice of Mount Athos, however, the Office of Holy
Communion has entered public prayer. In this case, parts 1-2 (excluding
prayer 10) are inserted in the context of Orthros after the Kathismata of
the Psalter.4 Here the Office of Holy Communion interrupts the flow of
the service and is an embolism in the communal celebration and structure
of Orthros. In other words, public prayer is interrupted by a private prayer
recited communally.

The Hypotyposis of Niketas Stethatos

Not so in the unique Office of Holy Communion present in the ¨Upotú-

pwsiv Eûsúnoptov toÕ ¨Jmeronuktíou t±v ˆAkolouqíav t¬n ¨Wr¬n, or
‘Concise Outline of the Liturgy of the Hours for Day and Night.’ The
¨Upotúpwsiv of Niketas Stethatos is preserved in the Bodleian manuscript
Clarke 2, s. 13, fol. 193v-204v, first discussed by Dirk Krausmüller in an
article in 1997.5 Since then, the text of the ¨Upotúpwsiv has been made
available in the unpublished dissertation of Georgi Parpulov, ‘Toward a
History of Byzantine Psalters’.6 However, the unique Office of Holy
Communion contained within this ¨Upotúpwsiv has not attracted the
attention of scholars.
Niketas Stethatos (1005? – 1090) was a student, biographer and pub-
lisher of the works of St Symeon the New Theologian, and became the
abbot of the famed Stoudios monastery in Constantinople towards the
end of his life.7 The ¨Upotúpwsiv dates from the last years of Niketas’

4
¨Ieratikòn, p. 241, nt. 99: ˆEn ¨Agíwç ‰Orei ™ âkolouqía t±v Qeíav Metalßcewv
parembálletai sunßqwv eîv t®n âkolouqían toÕ ‰Orqrou Üv êz±v· Metà t®n stixo-
logían t¬n kaqismátwn toÕ Caltjríou eûlogßsantov toÕ ïeréwv légetai tò
Triságion k.t.l., tò DeÕte proskunßswmen kaì ö N´ Calmòv kaì ânaginÉsketai ö
kanÉn. E˝ta pálin DeÕte proskunßswmen kaì oï Calmoì kb´, kg’, kaì rie´, tà tro-
pária kaì aï eûxaì méxri t±v Q´. Metà dè tàv eûxàv ö proestÑv (Æ ö ïereùv)
ânaginÉskei t®n sugxwrjtik®n eûx®n Kúrie ˆIjsoÕ Xristè, Uïè toÕ QeoÕ toÕ
h¬ntov kaì sunexíhetai ™ âkolouqía toÕ ‰Orqrou.
5
Dirk Krausmüller, ‘Private vs Communal: Niketas Stethatos’ Hypotyposis for Stoudios,
and Patterns of Worship in Eleventh-Century Byzantine Monasteries’, in Work and Wor-
ship at the Theotokos Evergetis 1050-1200, eds. Margaret Mullett and Anthony Kirby,
Belfast Byzantine Texts and Translations 6.2 (Belfast, 1997), pp. 309-328.
6
Georgi Parpulov, ‘Toward a History of Byzantine Psalters’, unpublished dissertation
(Chicago, 2004), Appendix E3, 444-492.
7
Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, vol. 3:1955-1956.
 PRAYING WHILE PRAYING: A UNIQUE OFFICE OF HOLY COMMUNION 3

life and is written as a testament. What is particular about it is that it does

not address the communal prayer and life of monks; rather, it exclusively
addresses the life and prayer of the individual monk.8
What is of particular interest for our topic is the portion of the ¨Upotúpw-
siv that appears under the title ‘Perí Metalßcewv’ where we find
extensive guidelines as to how a monk is to prepare for and proceed to
communion, and how he is to give thanks after communion. The length
of these guidelines, about 1/5 of the ¨Upotúpwsiv, and the details given
lead us to hypothesize that Stethatos is introducing a new practice.
Preliminary preparation for communion begins with the completion of
penance (e◊ dè peplßrwkav tòn xrónon t±v metanoíav kaì âpokop±Ç
teleíaç t¬n kak¬n), the permission of the spiritual father (kaì t±v
eûx±v ©ziwqeìv t±v âpolúsewv toÕ desmßsantóv se patróv) and
the restoration of the monk to the group of communicant monks (kaì
metalambánein ≠rzou t¬n mustjríwn âpakatastaqeìv ên t¬ç xor¬ç
t¬n ägíwn âdelƒ¬n). It encompasses attendance to personal cleanliness
(ëautòn eûtrepíhein), dietary discipline (mßte deípnwç xr¢sqai mßte
o÷nou poluposían) and prayer (metà dakrúwn eûx®n t®n sunßqjn
kaì âgrupnían dianuktereúein).9
The main part of the preparation for communion begins with the monk
entering the church and taking his customary place in it (kaì pròv tòn
kairòn t±v ïer¢v qusíav êlqÉn, st±qi âmetewrístwv kaì âmeta-
kinßtwv ên √ç tópwç t±v êkkljsíav e÷wqav ÷stasqai). The focus is
clearly upon oneself (proséxwn ëautòn mónwç).10
However, the point of departure, the signal for the beginning of the
private recitation of the Office of Holy Communion is the cherubic hymn,
when the monk is to begin reciting the trisagion, and psalms (LXX) 115,
114 and 117 (kaì âpò toÕ XeroubikoÕ poi¬ toútouv d® toùv calmoúv…
)11 and four prayers: the first three prayers labeled ‘for the enemies’ (tàv
eûxàv üpèr êxqr¬n) and the fourth one labeled ‘communion prayer’
(Eûx® t±v metalßcewv):
(1) EΔsplaxne, makróqume, ânezíkake, ânamártjte kai âmnjsí-
kake Kúrie, ö metanoÕn êpì kakíaiv ânqrÉpwn, ™ m® qélwn tòn
qánaton …12

8
Krausmüller, ‘Private vs Communal’ (see n. 5), pp. 310-312.
9
Parpulov, ‘Toward a History’ (see n. 6), pp. 456-457, lines 275-289.
10
Ibid., lines 289-291.
11
Ibid., lines 291-295.
12
Beginning and conclusion provided. Ibid., lines 296-298.
4 S. ALEXOPOULOS

(2) Déspota Kúrie ö Qeóv mou, ™ pjg® t±v hw±v kaì t±v âqana-
síav …13 (= 1.1)14
(3) Oûk êsmèn ïkanoí, Déspota Kúrie Qeé, ÿna eîsélqjÇv üpò t®n
stégjn t¬n ™metérwn cux¬n…15 (= 1.4)
(4) Déspota Kúrie ö Qeòv ™m¬n, ö monogen®v kaì lógov toÕ h¬n-
tov kaì âqanátou Patróv…16

Guidelines as to the body posture and mental attitude follow,17 cover-

ing the remaining time up to the Lord’s Prayer, the next turning point.
After the Lord’s Prayer one kneels for the elevation and says the follow-
ing prayer, which all are to recite privately while the Divine Liturgy is
celebrated (taútjn kaq’ ëautòn lége t®n eûx®n, ∞n pantì kair¬ç t±v
qeíav telouménjv leitourgíav †pantev légein ôƒeílomen)18:
(5) Bojqóv moi genoÕ, Déspota t¬n äpántwn, Xristé, üperáspison
t±v êmè cux±v te kaì âsqeneíav19 (= 1.15)

Finally, after the elevation and the ‘One is Holy’ the monk is to raise
his hands and with tears recite psalm (LXX) 29.20
At this point we move to the second part, the final preparation for
communion. While proceeding to receive communion the monk is
instructed to sing psalm (LXX) 22. If he completes it before receiving
communion, he is to repeat it, adding the three aforementioned psalms
(LXX 114, 115 and 117).21
The thanksgiving following communion can be divided in two parts as
to its location and time: in the church, immediately after communion,
and on the grounds of the monastery (refectory, cell) after the end of the

13
Complete prayer provided. Ibid., pp. 457-459, lines 299-341.
14
Numbers refer to the list of prayers of the Office of Holy Communion in Alexopou-
los and van den Hoek, ‘The Endicott Scroll’ (see n. 1), pp. 180-183.
15
Complete prayer provided. Parpulov, ‘Toward a History’ (see n. 6), pp. 459-460,
lines 342-354.
16
Complete prayer provided. Ibid., pp. 460-462, lines 355-396.
17
TaÕta oŒn teleúsav tàv eûxàv ÿstaso proséxwn ên ƒóbwç, kátw mèn ∂xwn tò
∫mma kaì eûlaboúmenov âpò t¬n qeíwn, ãnw dè t®n cux®n kaì tòn noÕn êke⁄qen
tòn ∂leon êkkaloúmenov. Ibid., p. 462, lines 397-399.
18
Ibid., p. 462, lines 400-403.
19
Complete prayer provided. Ibid., pp. 462-463, lines 404-414.
20
ToÕ ïeréwv dè tòn ãrton ücwqéntov kaì toÕ laoÕ tò E˝v †giov eîpóntov,
Àcwson tàv xe⁄rav ãnw kaì metà dakrúwn eîpè pròv tòn Qeòn tòn kq´calmón, tò
¨UcÉsw se, Kúrie, ºti üpélabév me.
21
Kaì sùn t¬ç âperxómenov metalabe⁄n cálle tòn kb´, tò Kúriov poimaínei.
Kaì ∏wv toÕ metalabe⁄n kån pljrw( ), lége pálin aûtoúv, êpisunáptwn toútoiv
kaì toùv ∫pisqen tre⁄v calmoúv, Ø(toi) tòn rid´, rie´, kaì tòn rih´.
 PRAYING WHILE PRAYING: A UNIQUE OFFICE OF HOLY COMMUNION 5

service. Immediately after receiving communion the communicant monk

is to say ‘Amen’ and the well known prayer:
(6) Pisteúw kaì ömolog¬ ºti sù e˝ ö Xristòv ö Uïóv toÕ QeoÕ
toÕ h¬ntov … (=1.10)22

This is followed by more prayers under the heading: Metà t®n

Metáljcin:23
(7) Eûxarist¬ soì Kúrie ö Qeóv mou, ºti ©zíwsáv me tòn âmart-
wlòn kaì ânázion doÕlon sou …24
(8) Eûxarist¬ soi, t¬ç eûergétjÇ kaì kjdemóni t±v tapein±v
cux±v mou …25
(9) Déspota Kúrie, m® eîv kríma moi e÷j tà †gia taÕta ….26 (= 2.6)
(10) Tò s¬ma sou tò †gion, Kúrie, kaì tò tímion afima sou génoitó
moi eîv hw®n kaì ügeían cux±v kaì toÕ sÉmatov…27 (= 3.4)

In the second part of thanksgiving, guidelines are provided for the

rest of the day, beginning with the proper attitude and disposition in the
monastery refectory.28 Additional thanksgiving prayers are recited after
the monk is dismissed from the refectory and is on his way to his cell:29
(11) ¨O Qeòv ™m¬n, eûxaristoÕmen soi kaì aînoÕmen se, ºti
katjzíwsav ™m¢v metalabe⁄n t¬n […] soÕ eîv diamon®n kaì
troƒ®n toÕ ™metérou sÉmatov…30

Then guidelines follow for the rest of the day, including rest, work,
private prayer (including the ninth hour and compline in the cell), church
services (vespers), and dietary regulations. There does not seem to be a
clear moment where thanksgiving for communion ends,31 rather it is inte-
grated in the rhythm of the daily life of the monk. The point, I guess, is

22
Parpulov, ‘Toward a History’ (see n. 6), p. 463, lines 421-423.
23
Ibid., line 424.
24
Complete prayer provided. Ibid., pp. 463-464, lines 425-432.
25
Ibid., p. 464, lines 433-436.
26
Ibid., lines 437-438.
27
Ibid., lines 439-440.
28
Ibid., pp. 464-465, lines 441-467.
29
… âpoluqeìv dè parà toÕ ïeréwv kaì badíhwn êpì t®n kéllan sou, poíei pròv
Qeòn eûxaristíav taútav. Ibid., p. 465, lines 468-469.
30
Complete prayer provided. Ibid., pp. 465-466, lines 470-480.
31
I would suggest p. 468, line 524 as an implied conclusion of the thanksgiving,
as after this point no reference to communion is made in any prayer. Ibid., pp. 464-465,
lines 441-467.
6 S. ALEXOPOULOS

that the whole life of the monk is supposed to be a continuous thanks-

giving to God and the proper disposition of the monk an outcome of
communion.

Structurally speaking, this Office of Holy Communion does not

contain major surprises. The differences are limited to the presence of
communion prayers not attested to in manuscripts of the Office of Holy
Communion that I have been able to examine, and to the continuation of
the thanksgiving prayers throughout the various activities of the day
together with guidelines regarding daily life. The process of preparation
for Holy Communion and especially thanksgiving after it is embedded
into the daily routine of the monk and influences all his activities (liturgical
life, manual labor, refectory, attitude, prayer) in varying degrees.
What is particularly striking, however, about this text and its guide-
lines is that the monk is directed to recite all the prayers preceding com-
munion and the prayers immediately after communion, all of them pri-
vate prayers, not only during and parallel to the Divine Liturgy, but also
in the time framed by the cherubic hymn and the elevation, that is
throughout the eucharistic prayer! In other words the communicant
monk does not in fact participate in the central communal prayer of
the Church; rather he prays privately, privately preparing himself for
communion, while the communal prayer is taking place.32 Clearly, the
bulk of the private communion prayers are to be said during the Divine
Liturgy. There are three signposts for these prayers: The cherubic hymn,
the Lord’s Prayer, and the elevation of the Lamb. It is interesting to note
that these are visible and audible moments in the Divine Liturgy, easily
identifiable. That is why I believe Niketas Stethatos employs them to
signal the beginning of a series of prayers clearly to be said privately,
simultaneous with the public worship. And if one considers that the
liturgical unit between the cherubic hymn and the elevation contains the
anaphora — the central and main prayer of the Divine Liturgy, we are
then clearly dealing with explicit guidelines to pray privately during the
anaphora.
This, however, is not a ‘Stethatian’ innovation. In a Diataxis attributed
to St Sabas, the founder of St. Sabas monastery, and in St Theodosios’
‘Koinobiárxjv’ (5th century) we read:

32
A similar attitude can be observed today, according to the accounts of priests, where
‘pious’ faithful read the Office of Holy Communion during the Divine Liturgy.
 PRAYING WHILE PRAYING: A UNIQUE OFFICE OF HOLY COMMUNION 7

Eî dè gínetai [leitourgía], ôƒeí- But if the liturgy is celebrated, you

leiv âpérxesqai kaì ÿstasqai ên ought to go and stand in the place
t¬ç tópwç sùn ƒóbwç kaì sustol±Ç with fear and dread … And espe-
… Kaì m¢llon, ºte metalabe⁄n cially, when you want to receive the
boúlei t¬n qeíwn mustjríwn, cál- holy mysteries, while you stand in a
lwn kaq’ ëautòn ên t¬ ÿstasqai state of compunction, sing to your-
ên katanúzei katà tò dunatòn t®n self to the best of your ability the
ânagegramménjn soi âkolouqían appointed office for these.
perì aût¬n33.

The ‘appointed office’ mentioned above can only be the Office of

Holy Communion. It does not give us its text or an outline, but it appears
to be known, and obviously the recitation of this office is done when the
monk is to receive communion. What is important for our purposes is to
note that the Office of Holy Communion here is said privately during the
liturgy.33
This tradition apparently continued. In the Life of St. Symeon, written
by his disciple Niketas Stethatos, we read:

… tre⁄v ëaut¬ç kairoùv t±v ™mérav He dedicated himself for the purpose
eîv toÕto tò ∂rgon êtázato … tòn of this work three times in the day …
t±v prwñav metà toùv Àmnouv toùv the time in the morning after the
ëwqinoúv· tòn t±v ägíav ânaƒor¢v morning hymns, the time of the holy
kaq’ Ωn ö uïòv toÕ QeoÕ sƒagiá- anaphora during which the son of
hetai kaì tòn t±v ëspérav metà God is slaughtered and the time in the
p¢san ãlljn ümnologían· ên gàr evening after every other hymnody.
to⁄v trisì toútoiv katamónav ïstá-
menov eîv eûx®n mónov mónwç metà
dakrúwn proswmílei Qe¬ç.34

For during these three times standing alone (privately) he talks to God
‘one on one’ with tears.34
Although the Office of Holy Communion is not mentioned here, the
time of the anaphora is clearly described as one of the three times dedi-
cated to private prayer.
Having the above explicit directions in mind, how are we to understand
the guidelines for preparation for communion in a number of Byzantine
monastic foundation documents? To mention just one example, it is

33
Parpulov, ‘Toward a History’ (see n. 6), pp. 431-443, here p. 435.
34
Irénée Hausherr, Un grand mystique byzantine: Vie de Syméon le Nouveau Théolo-
gien par Nicétas Stéthatos, Orientalia Christiana 12 (Rome, 1928), p. 48.
8 S. ALEXOPOULOS

stated in the Typikon of Timothy for the Monastery of the Mother of God
Evergetis (first edition: 1054-1079; final form 1098-111835): ‘However
it is permitted that those who should partake of communion sing the
office laid down for the partaking (t®n tetupwménjn êpì t±Ç metalßcei
cállein âkolouqían), make a common genuflection together to one
another to grant forgiveness and thus gratefully partake of the life-giving
elements.’36
It is tempting to read the guidelines of the Byzantine monastic foun-
dation documents with Stethatos and Symeon in mind. Then, one could

35
Byzantine Monastic Foundation Documents, eds. John Thomas and Angela Constan-
tinides Hero, Dumbarton Oaks Studies 35 (Washington, 2000), volume 2, p. 454 (hence
BMFD).
36
BMFD 2:475 (§5). Italics added for emphasis. For the Greek text, see A. Dmitrievs-
kij, Opisanie litugiceskix rukopisej xranjascixsja v bibliotekax pravoslavnago vostoka,
Volume I (Kiev, 1895), p. 621 (hence DI). Since this rubric belongs to the section of the
sacramental regulations, which is considered to be part of the first edition (BMFD 2:467)
we may conclude that this rubric dates from 1054-1079. The same regulation, making use
of the Evergetis Typikon (BMFD 2:653) is found in the Typikon of Empress Irene Dou-
kaina Komnene for the Convent of the Mother of God Kecharitomene in Constantinople,
dated to 1110-1116 (BMFD 2:649) ‘However it is permitted that those who should partake
sing the office of the holy partaking, make together a common genuflection to one another
to grant forgiveness and then partake of the life-giving elements.’ (BMFD 2:687) This is
also true for another Typikon of the Evergetian tradition of Typika, the Typikon of the
Sebastokrator Isaac Komnenos for the Monastery of the Mother of God Kosmosoteira near
Bera, dated to 1152 (BMFD 2:782): ‘However it is permitted that those who should
partake of communion sing the office laid down for the partaking, make a common genu-
flection together to one another, to grant forgiveness, and thus joyfully partake of the
life-giving elements’ (BMFD 2:807). The same holds for the Rule of John for the Mon-
astery of St. John the Forerunner of Phoberos (first edition after 1113, re-edited ca. 1144)
(BMFD 3:872; for the text see §11, p. 897). The Typikon of Leo, bishop of Nauplia, for
the Monastery of the Mother of God in Areia, dated to ca. 1149 (BMFD 3:954) indicates
that: ‘Those who are going to take communion should sing the obligatory office at com-
munion, in accordance with the rule’ (BMFD 3:965, §2). The Typikon of Athanasios
Philanthropenos for the Monastery of St. Mamas in Constantinople, dated to November
of 1158 (BMFD 3:973) follows the Typikon of Evergetis closely in regulating that ‘those
who should partake of communion must to the best of their ability read more attentively
the prayers laid down for the partaking, make a common genuflection together with one
another to grant forgiveness, and thus to partake gratefully of the life-giving elements’
(BMFD 3:1016, §32). The Typikon of Nikephoros Mystikos for the Monastery of the
Mother of God ton Heliou Boon or Elegmon, dated to 1162 (BMFD 3:1042) follows its
model Typikon, that of the Monastery of Mamas, word for word (BMFD 3:1073 (§32);
for the Greek see DI: 748). Finally the Rule of Neilos, Bishop of Tamasia, for the Mon-
astery of the Mother of God of Machairas in Cyprus, dated to 1210 (BMFD 3:1107),
following the Typikon of Evergetis regulates that: ‘it is permitted that those who should
partake of communion read more attentively the prayers laid down for the partaking,
make a common genuflection together to one another to grant forgiveness, and thus joy-
fully partake of the life-giving elements’ (BMFD 3:1134, §39). See also Alexopoulos and
van den Hoek, ‘The Endicott Scroll’ (see n. 1), pp. 168-169.
 PRAYING WHILE PRAYING: A UNIQUE OFFICE OF HOLY COMMUNION 9

interpret these texts as guiding the communicant monk to read or chant

the Office of Holy Communion not in one’s cell, but privately within the
context of public worship, where the common genuflection would take
place before receiving communion, as is still done in monastic settings.37
It is an irony of fate that the growth of the Office of Holy Communion
by the multiplication of prayers, the addition of psalms and a canon, made
it difficult to recite during the Divine Liturgy. Its final placement in the
Horologion as an appendix, where it is found today, and the explicit
directions as to when to recite each part eventually safeguarded both
the private nature of the Office of Holy Communion and the public
nature of communal worship and provided a solution to the tension
between the two.38

37
One should also not forget that the private prayers for communion originated in
catechetical texts of the 4th/5th centuries which gave explicit directions of how one is to
pray privately within the context of public worship, albeit just before and just after receiv-
ing. See Alexopoulos and van den Hoek, ‘The Endicott Scroll’ (see n. 1), pp. 163-167,
and Robert Taft, The Communion, Thanksgiving, and Concluding Rites (see n. 1), pp.159-
162.
38
This tension between private and public prayer reflects a greater tendency in monas-
ticism which gave priority to private over public prayer. The fact that the relationship and
balance between private and public prayer is an issue of concern for the hesychastic move-
ment reveals, I believe, the mentality in some monastic circles that prioritized private over
public prayer. In his recent excellent study on private and public prayer, Panayiotis Skalt-
sis notes that in the texts of the hesychast fathers the one-dimensional preference of the
prayer ‘Lord Jesus Christ, God, have mercy upon me, a sinner’ over and against common
prayer is criticized. He argues that the hesychast fathers suggest that private prayer is only
complimentary to public, which is the major expression of prayer of the Church. The
‘unceasing’ prayer is seen among them as the continuation of public prayer and the culti-
vation of the ascetical phronema of the monks. See Panagiôtês Skaltsês, J Parádosj tjv
Koinßv kai tjv kat’Idían Proseuxßv me Eidikß Anaƒorá sto Wrológio tou Qjkará
(Thessaloniki, 2008), pp. 394-395. The late Ioannis Fountoulis notes regarding the impor-
tance and priority of public prayer: ‘J qeía latreía suntoníhei tjn proseuxß kai tjn
kateuqúnei en Pneúmati Agíwç se sugkekriména aitßmata, epí pléon de troƒodoteí
pneumatiká ton pistó, ton katjxeí kai tou didáskei ta prov swtjrían. O xris-
tianóv proseúxetai katá tj qeía latreía mahí me ólj tjn Ekkljsía me touv
lógouv twn úmnwn kai twn euxÉn kai akroátai ta anagnÉsmata, sumcállei kai
suneúxetai. Den kleínetai ston eautó tou, allá ezérxetai apó autón gia na
sunantjqeí me touv adelƒoúv tou, me ton Kúrio Ijsoú Xristó kai di’ autoú me
ton Patéra.’ (‘Divine worship coordinates prayer and, in the Holy Spirit, directs it to
specific requests. In addition, it spiritually feeds the faithful, catechizes and teaches them
unto salvation. The Christian prays during the divine worship with the whole Church with
the words of the hymns and prayers and listening to the readings; he/she participates in
chanting and praying. He/she does not isolate oneself, but leaves oneself to meet with his/
her brothers and sisters, with the Lord Jesus Christ and through Him with the Father.’)
See Iôannês Fountoulês, Leitourgikß A´. Eisagwgß stj Qeía Latreía (Thessaloniki,
20044), p. 177.