The Royal Hours, also called the Great Hours or the Imperial Hours, are a particularly solemn celebration of the

Little Hours In Christianity, the Little Hours or minor hours are the canonical hours other than the three major hours. In the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Indian Orthodox Church (two denominations in Oriental Orthodox Christianity) these fixed prayer tim ...

in the

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

and the

Eastern Catholic Churches The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of ...

of 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 ...

. The Royal Hours are celebrated only three times a year: on the Eve of the Nativity, the Eve of

Theophany Theophany () is an encounter with a deity that manifests in an observable and tangible form.. It is often confused with other types of encounters with a deity, but these interactions are not considered theophanies unless the deity reveals itse ...

,If the Eve of Nativity or Theophany falls on Saturday or Sunday, the Royal Hours are chanted on the preceding Friday, and on that Friday it is not permitted to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. and

Great Friday Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...

. This service takes its name from the fact that it used to be officially attended by the

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

and his court at

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia (; ; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (; ), is a mosque and former Church (building), church serving as a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The last of three church buildings to be successively ...

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

. Because of the presence of the Emperor, there was a special singing of "Many Years" to the Emperor, the Imperial Court, and the Hierarchy. This singing of "Many Years" continues to this day (in modified form) in

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

s and

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which m ...

. By his presence, the Emperor acknowledged his submission to Christ the true King. The three holy days on which the Royal Hours are celebrated were chosen as days in the church year which most particularly demonstrate Jesus' ''

kenosis In Christian theology, ''kenosis'' () is the "self-emptying" of Jesus. The word () is used in the Epistle to the Philippians: " made himself nothing" ( NIV), or " eemptied himself" ( NRSV) (Philippians 2:7), using the verb form (), meaning "t ...

'' (self-emptying), and thus His true royal majesty. According to

Sacred Tradition Sacred tradition, also called holy tradition, Anno Domini tradition or apostolic tradition, is a theological term used in Christian theology. According to this theological position, sacred Tradition and Scripture form one ''deposit'', so sacred T ...

, the Royal Hours of Great Friday were composed by St. Cyril (378 - 444),

Patriarch of Alexandria The Patriarch of Alexandria is the archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation "pope" (etymologically "Father", like "Abbot"). The Alexandrian episcopate was revered as one of the three major epi ...

. Although the Royal Hours are splendid, they are also

penitential A penitential is a book or set of church rules concerning the Christianity, Christian sacrament of penance, used for regular private confession with a confessor-priest, a "new manner of reconciliation with God in Christianity, God" that was prom ...

. On days when the Royal Hours are celebrated it is not permitted to celebrate the

Divine Liturgy Divine Liturgy () or Holy Liturgy is the usual name used in most Eastern Christian rites for the Eucharistic service. The Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Lutheranism, Eastern Lutheran Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church believe the Divi ...

.The Divine Liturgy which is celebrated later on the same day is actually a Vesperal Liturgy; so, liturgically speaking, the next day has actually begun before the Liturgy is celebrated. The Royal Hours are an aggregate of five services, all served together as one: * First Hour * Third Hour * Sixth Hour * Ninth Hour *

Typica The Typica (Slavonic language, Slavonic: ''Изобрази́тельны, Izobrazítelny'') is a part of the Canonical hours#Daily cycle of services, Divine Office of Eastern Orthodox Worship, Eastern Orthodox and Greek Catholic Church, Greek Ca ...

For the Royal Hours, the

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 ...

vests in

Epitrachelion The ''epitrachelion'' ( "around the neck"; Slavic: Епитрахи́ль - ''Epitrakhíl’''; often called simply a '' stole'' in casual English-language usage) is the liturgical vestment worn by priests and bishops of the Orthodox Church a ...

In the Russian Practice, the priest also wears the Epimanikia. and

Phelonion The phelonion (Ancient Greek, Greek: , plural, , ''phailónia''; Latin: ''paenula,'' Russian: Фело́нь - Felón’) is a Liturgy, liturgical vestment worn by a priest of the Eastern Christianity, Byzantine Christian tradition. It is worn ov ...

, and the

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

vests fully in

Sticharion The sticharion (also ''stikharion'' or ''stichar''; Greek: στιχάριον; Slavonic: Стиха́рь - Stikhár’) is a liturgical vestment of the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, roughly analogous in function to the alb of th ...

Orarion The Orarion (Greek: ; Slavonic: орарь, ''orar'') is the distinguishing vestment of the deacon and subdeacon in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches and Eastern Catholic Churches. It is a narrow stole, usually wide and ...

and

Epimanikia Epimanikia (singular ''epimanikion'') are liturgical vestments of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches. They are cuffs (Russian: ''нарука́вницы, по́ручи, нарука́вники - narukávnitsy, póruchi, n ...

. The

Holy Doors The royal doors, holy doors, or beautiful gates are the central doors of the iconostasis in an Eastern Orthodox or Eastern Catholic church. The sanctuary (sometimes called the ''Altar'', which contains the Holy Table) is separated from the nav ...

and Curtain are open for most of the service, and the

Gospel Book A Gospel Book, Evangelion, or Book of the Gospels ( Greek: , ) is a codex or bound volume containing one or more of the four Gospels of the Christian New Testament – normally all four – centering on the life of Jesus of Nazareth and the roo ...

is placed on an

analogion An analogion ( oἀναλογεῖον is a lectern or slanted stand on which icons or the Gospel Book are placed for veneration by the faithful in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches. It may also be used as a lectern to re ...

(lectern) in the center of the

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

(church). At the beginning of each Hour the priest or deacon censes the Gospel,

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. When it is time to begin the First Hour, the bell is rung in the usual manner ( blagovest). At the beginning of each of the succeeding Hours, the bell is struck the number of times that corresponds to the Hour (i.e., three times at the beginning of the Third Hour, six times at the beginning of the Sixth Hour, nine times at the beginning of the Ninth Hour). At the beginning of the Typica the bell is struck twelve times. At each of the Hours, one of the three fixed Psalms is replaced by a Psalm that is significant to the

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 ...

being celebrated; the

Troparion A troparion (Greek , plural: , ; Georgian: , ; Church Slavonic: , ) in Byzantine music and in the religious music of Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a short hymn of one stanza, or organised in more complex forms as series of stanzas. The wi ...

and

Kontakion A kontakion (Greek , ''kondákion'', plural κοντάκια, ''kondákia'') is a form of hymn in the Byzantine liturgical tradition. The kontakion form originated in Syriac hymnography and gained prominence in Byzantium during the 6th century, ...

of the day are replaced by numerous hymns chanted by the choir; and each Hour has an

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

reading, a

Prokeimenon In the liturgical practice of the Orthodox Church and Byzantine Rite, a prokeimenon (Greek , plural ; sometimes /; lit. 'that which precedes') is a psalm or canticle refrain sung responsorially at certain specified points of the Divine Liturgy or ...

, and an

Epistle An epistle (; ) is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as part of the scribal-school writing curriculum. The ...

and

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

. There was a service of Royal Hours for

Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when inclusive counting is used) after Easter Day, Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spiri ...

composed by the priest Nicholas Malaxus (fl. c. 1538), and published in 1568.''The Pentecostarion''. Tr. Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Boston, MA), p. 15. This service, however, has not come to wide usage in the Church.

Notes

References

{{reflist

External links

Recordings of Live Services during Royal Hours
Retrieved 5 April 2013
The Royal Hours of the Orthodox Church: Christmas, Theophany and Pascha on GoogleBooks
Retrieved 5 April 2013 Little Hours Byzantine Rite Hagia Sophia