A Paraklesis () or Supplicatory Canon in the

Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, is a liturgical rite that is identified with the wide range of cultural, devotional, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Chri ...

, is a service of

supplication Supplication (also known as petitioning) is a form of prayer, wherein one party humbly or earnestly asks another party to provide something, either for the party who is doing the supplicating (e.g., "Please spare my life.") or on behalf of someon ...

for the welfare of the living. It is addressed to a specific

Saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

or to the Most Holy

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are or (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-beare ...

whose intercessions are sought through the chanting of the supplicatory

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

together with

psalm The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of H ...

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

s, and

litanies Litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Jewish worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes through Latin ''wikt:litania, litania'' from Ancient Greek wikt:λιτα ...

. The most popular Paraklesis is that in which the supplicatory canon and other hymns are addressed to the Most Holy

(the

Mother of God ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are or (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-bearer ...

). There are two forms of this service: the ''Small Paraklesis'' (composed by Theosterictus the Monk in the 9th century), and the ''Great Paraklesis'' (composed by Emperor

Theodore II Laskaris Theodore II Laskaris or Ducas Lascaris (; November 1221/1222 – 16 August 1258) was Emperor of Nicaea from 1254 to 1258. He was the only child of Emperor John III Doukas Vatatzes and Empress Irene Laskarina. His mother was the eldest da ...

in the 13th century). During the majority of the year, only the Small Paraklesis to the Theotokos is chanted. However, during the

Dormition Fast The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches (except the East Syriac Rit ...

(August 1—14, inclusive), the

Typikon A typikon (or ''typicon'', ''typica''; , "that of the prescribed form"; Church Slavonic: ') is a liturgical book which contains instructions about the order of the Byzantine Rite office and variable hymns of the Divine Liturgy. Historical de ...

prescribes that the Small and Great Paraklesis be chanted on alternate evenings, according to the following regulations: *If August 1 falls on a Monday through Friday, the cycle begins with the Small Paraklesis. If August 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the cycle begins with the Great Paraklesis. *On the eves of Sundays (i.e., Saturday nights) and on the eve of the Transfiguration (the night of August 5) the Paraklesis is omitted. *On Sunday nights, the Great Paraklesis is always used unless it is the eve of Transfiguration.

''Moleben''

In the

Russian Orthodox Church The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

, the equivalent of a Paraklesis is the ''moleben'', ''molében'' ( Slavonic: молебенъ), ''molieben'', ''service of intercession'' or ''service of supplication'', which is similar in structure, except that the canon is omitted, retaining only the refrains and Irmoi of the third, sixth and ninth

ode An ode (from ) is a type of lyric poetry, with its origins in Ancient Greece. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structu ...

s. When the full service itself is performed, it is called the "Supplicatory Canon" (''Molebnyj Kanon''). It is used in honor of

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

, the

, a

Feast A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes inc ...

, or a particular

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

. The present form of the ''Moleben'' originated in

Slavic culture This is a list of the cultures of Slavic Europe. * East Slavs: ** Culture of Russia ** Culture of Ukraine ** Culture of Belarus ** Rusyn culture * South Slavs: ** Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina ** Culture of Bulgaria ** Culture of Croatia * ...

, but its use is now widespread both in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and in the Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches that follow the Slavic tradition. Whereas the Paraklesis includes as its principal focus the

to the subject being honored, the ''Moleben'' omits the odes of the canon and includes only the simple refrains that occur between the odes. ''Molebens'' are traditionally served by a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

, but may also be done as a reader's service (i.e., the format used when served by a layperson or deacon; omitting or replacing those portions normally chanted by the priest). It is the custom to celebrate a ''moleben'' service only in honor of a glorified saint, and when possible the service is done in front of an

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

of the person or feast to whom the ''Moleben'' is celebrated. Sometimes an ''

Akathist An Akathist, akaphist or Acathist Hymn (, "unseated hymn") is a type of hymn usually recited by Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Christians, dedicated to a saint, holy event, or one of the persons of the Holy Trinity. The name derives f ...

'' will be chanted during the celebration of a ''Moleben''. The general outline of a ''Moleben'' is based on the service of

Matins Matins (also Mattins) is a canonical hour in Christian liturgy, originally sung during the darkness of early morning (between midnight and dawn). The earliest use of the term was in reference to the canonical hour, also called the vigil, which w ...

, as served on a feast day, complete with a Gospel reading. ''Molebens'' may be (a) ''occasional'' (i.e., served according to need), for instance for one who is ill or going on a journey; they may be (b) ''commemorative'' (assigned to a particular day), such as the beginning of the new year, or when children begin school; or they may be (c) ''devotional'' (in honor of a particular saint). ''Molebens'' are very important in the Russian Orthodox tradition, and an entire volume of the Great Euchologion is devoted to them. Most ''molebens'' are served in the church, but they may also be served in homes, fields, schools or other appropriate places. ''Molebens'' may also be served in

processions A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

. The procession may be going to a particular place, such as during a

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

, or it may circle around the outside of the church building (this is very common on the feast day of the

Patron Saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

of the church or monastery, and during

Bright Week Bright Week, Pascha Week or Renewal Week () is the name used by the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Rite Catholic Churches for the period of seven days beginning on Easter and continuing up to (but not including) the following Sunday, which is k ...

). When a processional ''Moleben'' circles around the church, very often the procession will pause on each of the four sides of the building, and the bishop or priest will sprinkle

holy water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...

on the church, the

icons An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, and Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, saints, and angels. Although especially ...

and people that are taking part in the procession.

Indulgence

The office of the ''Paraclisis'' and the hymn '' Akathistos'' are recognized within the Eastern Rite Catholic Church. The '' Enchiridion Indulgentiarum'' of 2004 confirmed the plenary

indulgence In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for (forgiven) sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission bef ...

on condition that it is recited piously in a church or oratory (even alone), in a family, religious community, an association of Christ's faithful or, more generally, in a meeting of a plurality of people who come together honestly for this purpose. In other circumstances, partial indulgence is permitted.'' Enchiridion Indulgentiarum'',
Concessiones
', n°. 23, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 4th edition, 2004, pp. 68-69. .

References

{{Reflist

External links

The Service of the Small Paraklesis
(text of the service with audio b
Eikona
from the

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOArch; ), headquartered in New York City, is an eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Its current Primate (bishop), primate is Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. The Greek Orthodox ...

Website
The Paraclesis Service Explained
St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church,

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Paraklesis
article from OrthodoxWiki
The Order of the General Moleben
according to the usage of the

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (), also called Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia or ROCOR, or Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA), is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). Currently, t ...

Tropar & Kontakion for Royal Martyrs & New Martyrs Of Russia
compiled by Fr. Demetrios Serfes

Byzantine Rite Christian prayer Eastern Christian liturgy Christian processions

''Moleben''

Indulgence

See also

References

External links