Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete

Categories: orthodox-life, hymns, feast-days

Date: 10 March 2008 11:45:02

I was reminded tonight of why I was first so drawn to Orthodoxy: its solemn, penitential and quiet services, conducted by candle-light.

Many people I know in Orthodoxy, or those who have visited an Orthodox service, make much of a joyful Pascha [Easter] or Nativity of our Lord [Christmas] service, or a Divine Liturgy. It may sound strange [though if you haven't realised I am not exactly normal by now, this should convince you!], but I do not find these services overly joyful or ones that leave me with a feeling of joy, happiness or contentment. I will say that partaking of the Body and Blood of our Lord is a great honour, and a source of great strength, but the services, in and of themselves, leave me often flat. A good lesson also that one should not always rely on emotion.

It is services similar to the one we had tonight, the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, where, in darkness with only candles and some oil lamps as lights, worshipping in a smaller space [the garage-turned-chapel in our priest's backyard], with a smaller congregation, that I leave, despite the penitential and long nature [1.5 hours tonight] of such services, with a 'quiet joy' [if you understand]: a feeling of peace, of contentment, of an inner joy -- however quiet it may be, and of, possibly, drawing closer to the blessed Trinity.

The Great Canon is read in its entirety, together with the life of St Mary of Egypt, in the fifth week of Great Lent. In the first week, of which we are now in, a quarter of it is read, as part of Great Compline on Monday evening, the next quarter on Tuesday evening, the third quarter on Wednesday evening and the final quarter on Thursday evening. You can read the Great Canon here.

There are many joys to be found in the Great Canon: taking examples from the Old and New Testaments, and using the examples of the sinners and righteous therein to personally ask of us where we are: unrepentant or penitent?:

For failing to observe just one of Your commandments, O Saviour, Adam was justly exiled from Eden. What then shall I suffer for continually ignoring Your words of life?

...

Save yourself from sin, O my soul! Like Lot on the mountain, take timely refuge in the town of Zoar.

...

Joseph's being placed in a pit formed an image of Your burial and resurrection, O Lord and Master. Will I ever be able to endure such things for Your sake?

...

The wealthy woman of Shuynem showed her good will by entertaining the righteous Elisha, but you, my soul, receive neither strangers nor travellers, and will find yourself an alien cast out of the bridal chamber of Christ.

There are the constant repetitions of Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me. chanted between the various verses. We alternated between chanting this, and various other responses, in English and Arabic. It is a beautiful thing to have the Arabic as well as the English. We repeat the Trisagion Prayers often also.

There is the brutal honesty that we often cannot see, or do not want to see:

I have no tears, no repentance, and no compunction, O my God and Saviour, grant these to me!

...

How shall I begin to mourn the deeds of my wretched life? What can I offer as first fruits of repentance? In Your compassion, O Christ, forgive my sins.

...

O Saviour, I have defiled the garment of my flesh and polluted that which You fashioned within me according to Your own image and likeness.

Reading these, and those above, perhaps the service seems overly harsh and miserable: but I do not see it in that light. Great Lent is, I believe, a good time for us to renew our commitment to God. These words do speak to me: not in a 'there is no hope for you' way, but as a call to action, as a call to see the sin which is so much a part of my daily struggle, and, pondering the love of God, particularly through the life, death and resurrection of Christ, a call to fight these temptations and follow Christ.

Finally, there is the setting: a service, well several this week, of great repentance as we begin Lent held in semi-darkness, with only flickering candles and the odd oil lamp to give light. The slow chants...the Old Testament histories we read of...the cries to God to forgive and help us...and the cries to the Mother of our Saviour to pray for us that we are faithful and penitent in returning to God, particularly at this time of Great Lent.

As I said, it is a service that reminds me of where I saw the truth, light and joy in Orthodoxy, however much of a quiet joy it may be. Thanks and praise be to God.