INTRODUCTION TO THE

BOOK OF HOURS

AND A

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE

RUTHENIAN RECENSION

EASTERN CHRISTIAN PUBLICATIONS

FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA

2022
INTRODUCTION

The Book of Hours (Horologion, Ώρολόγιον, Časoslov,

Часословъ) is a liturgical book containing the psalms and
prayers of the canonical hours of the daily cycle of prayer
for the Byzantine-Constantinopolitan rite. The Small Book
of Hours contains only the hours of the daily cycle of
prayer, while the Great Book of Hours, in addition to the
daily cycle, contains the prayers for the weekly, monthly,
and yearly cycles. The contents of the Great Book of Hours
can also contain additional texts.
At present, the oldest extant books from the Holy
Land indicate that the horologion’s origins are to be found
as a variant of the psalter in which the psalms and the
prayers appointed to be prayed at the various hours of the
day are arranged.
The God Who created us has placed us on a planet
that revolves daily while in an orbit around the sun. At the
same time this world has a satellite moon orbiting the
planet earth. Thus, we live in time marked by the light of
day alternating with the darkness of night, a weekly and
monthly progression, a succession of seasons, and a year
marked by one revolution of the earth around the sun.
The Lord Jesus instructed the disciples to pray
without ceasing (Luke 18:1), and this command was
faithfully handed down by St. Paul the Apostle (1
Thessalonians 5:17).
The human response to the commandment of
ceaseless prayer was observed by following and marking
the temporal periods of time of daybreak and sunset
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established by God in the creation of the earth, moon, and
sun in the God-prescribed times for prayer at morning and
evening in the scripture, and at the hours of the day at
which our salvation was worked, namely, at the third, sixth,
and ninth hours.
Praying at these intervals of time is the way by
which faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ obey His
command and through which the disciples fulfill the words
of the inspired prophet and king David in the Bible:

“Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, shining stars” (Psalm 148:3).

The three young men in the flames of the furnace, were

inspired by the Spirit to exclaim:
Sun and moon, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all
forever…
Nights and days, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all
forever.

(Daniel 3:62-63, 71-72)

It is certainly acknowledged that the sun, earth, moon,

stars, and the whole celestial creation praise God simply by
being. Their existence itself proclaims God’s praise in a
constant, silent hymn of praise; however, this praise is
given voice through us as we observe and mark with prayer
the patterns of time of the celestial order by the order set
forth in the horologion.

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THE CONTENTS

The first section of the Book of Hours, then, observes

prayer following the daily rotation of the earth. The next
section, the Canonicon, follows the measure of a week,
while the weekly Octoechos, the Fasting Triodion and
Flowering Triodion observes the weekly progression of the
year. The Menologion of saints and feasts observes the
progression of months.
The contents of this English translation of the
typical edition of the Book of Hours (Časoslov,
Часословъ) contains the order of prayer and the variable
hymnody so that the person utilizing this book can pray the
Divine Praises for most days of the year. It includes the
First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours of prayer, Compline,
and the Midnight Service, excepting certain feasts and days
of the Fasting, or of the Flowering Triodion such as the
special form of the Little Hours of Royal Hours of the
Paramony of Nativity of our Lord, Royal Hours of the vigil
eve of Theophany of our Lord.
It also contains the special form of the Hours for
Bright Week which appear in this volume on p. 593.
The evening and morning times of prayer that God
ordered to be sanctified in the Bible can be observed by
praying the Morning and Evening Prayers as part of the
personal rule of prayer, or by Matins and Vespers. The
texts for the kathismata and the hymns proper for these
services each day are not found in this volume but must be
accessed in the psalter and the proper tropologion—the
Octoechos, the Fasting or Flowering Triodion, and the
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books of the Menaia. However, if these volumes are not
available, the Book of Hours provides common texts in its
Canonicon for Vespers and Matins for each day of the
week.
Some general points can be noted.
• The typical edition of the Часословъ (Časoslov)
does not have detailed rubrics for the priest-
celebrant. These are found exactly where one would
expect, the Лїтурґїконъ сїєсть Служєбникъ
(Liturgikon sijest’ Služebnik), Rome, 1952. In that
volume are found the rubrics for the priest-celebrant
for all the services of the Divine Office, including
the special forms of Vespers and Matins for the
Great Fast, Great and Holy Week, and Pascha.
Indications for Sunday and Festal Matins and
Vespers which allow for the ministry of a deacon
are also included.

• Another source for rubrics, specifically for Sunday

and Festal Vespers and Matins, are found in the
Ordo Celebrationis, Rome, 1944 (English edition
by Eastern Christian Publications, 1996).
• When the Book of Hours directs that a prayer or
hymn be “said”, this is to be understood that the text
is chanted or read aloud in tone.
• This English language translation of the Часословъ
(Časoslov) follows the pattern established in the
typical edition regarding the red-letter incipit at the
beginning of psalms, the priestly prayers, and the
initial sticheron of the weekday services of the
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 Canonicon, the Service to Archangels and Angels.
Additionally, the Church Slavonic edition also uses
a red-letter incipit for certain psalm verses of the
Polyeleos of Sunday and Festal Matins and also for
the First Kathisma at Vespers. Its usage in those
places is to indicate how those psalms may be
abbreviated, such that only the verse beginning with
the red-letter incipit may be chanted in the
abbreviated form.
• It should be noted that the typical edition of the
Часословъ (Časoslov) varies in the usage of the
prayers commonly called the “Usual Beginning
Prayers,” Начало Обычноє (Načalo obyčnoje). In
some cases, they are presented completely, while in
other places the prayers are only referenced in
abbreviated form in the rubrics, prescribing that the
prayers be prayed in full. In yet other cases, the
order of prayer begins with the invitatory, “Come,
let us worship” such as for the First Hour. In the
latter instance, the Часословъ (Časoslov) expects
that the First Hour would follow immediately at the
completion of Matins and thus the Usual Beginning
Prayers would be omitted. However, if the First
Hour is prayed separately instead of immediately
following Matins, the Usual Beginning Prayers
should be prayed in their entirety. Another variation
is seen in Parakleisis, where the rubric indicates that
following the priestly blessing, “Blessed is our
God,” Psalm 142 is prayed, yet the Usual Beginning
Prayers are expected to be prayed before Psalm 142.
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THE BOOK OF HOURS

While the weekly collection of hymns of the eight tones,

the Octoechos, begins with Vespers, since the first day of
creation began with evening (cf. Genesis 1:5), the Book of
Hours follows the horologia of the Holy Land and begins
with the Midnight Service.
The following points may be helpful to utilize the
section titled The Book of Hours.

The Midnight Service.

• The Midnight Service is not customarily observed
in parish churches, with the possible exception of
the Midnight Service of Great Saturday night
(Нагробноє, Nahrobnoje).
• Since the Acts of the Holy Apostles records that
Paul and Silas were praying at midnight (Acts
16:25), a person may pray this hour privately. If so,
the Mutual Forgiveness and petitions are omitted.
• The order of the Midnight Service for Saturday and
Sunday varies from the weekday structure. The
Ninth Kathisma is appointed on Saturday as well as
the prayer of Saint Eustratius that he prayed, it is
said, as he was being led to martyrdom. The Sunday
Service appoints a canon to the Holy Trinity
chanted. The Book of Hours offers a form of this
canon composed from all eight tones.

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Morning Prayers
• Morning Prayers are arranged in a pattern like
Matins.

Matins
• The Royal Service (pp 85-88) is prayed only in a
nation having a Christian sovereign. Otherwise,
Matins begins on p. 88.
• The Six Psalms are chanted by a single reader.
• The Scriptural Canticles the rubrics mention on p
117 and on p. 155 are not included in the edition of
the Časoslov (Часословъ) from which this
translation was made. The Scriptural canticles are in
the Časoslov, 1950, that is an expanded version of
this edition, published by the Congregation of the
Eastern Churches according to the Ruthenian
Recension also.

The Little Hours

• The Little Hours consist of three psalms and three
prayers. As stated previously, the First Hour is
usually joined to the conclusion of Matins. If prayed
as a separate hour, it begins with the Usual
Beginning Prayers
Compline
• If Compline is prayed privately, Mutual
Forgiveness and the petitions that follow are
omitted.

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Prayers before Sleep
• The Prayers before Sleep are loosely patterned after
Vespers, with a collection of eight prayers reflecting
that there are eight priestly Prayers of Light at
Vespers. These are followed by prayers to the
Guardian Angel and to the Theotokos.

THE CANONICON
• The Services (Služba, Служба) for each day of the
week are provided in the typical edition in case the
hymns from the proper liturgical books are
unavailable.
• Please note that The Service to the Holy Cross is
prayed on Wednesdays and Fridays. However, on
Wednesdays, the Canon to the Hodegetria Mother
of God is sung at Matins instead of the Canon to the
Holy Cross which is only sung on Fridays.
• The Prayers at the conclusion of each Service are
provided in the typical edition for use at the
conclusion of a moleben to the particular angel or
saint.

TROPARIA AND KONTAKIA

• The Typicon directs the proper selection of hymns
from these sections for the daily services of the
Book of Hours for the liturgical year.

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MENOLOGION

• The Typicon directs the proper selection of hymns

from these sections for the daily services of the
Book of Hours for the saints for each day of the
year.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE RUTHENIAN RECENSION

After World War I, Metropolitan Andrej Sheptytsky,

Matropolitan Archbishop of L’viv, discovered that the
liturgicon used by Ukrainian Catholics was one obstacle to
the effectiveness of efforts of dialogue with Orthodox.
According to Father Cyril Korolevsky, the issue came to
the fore when Bishop Josaphat Kotsylovsky of Peremysl’
gave his approbation to the Basilian fathers’ edition of the
Trebnyk published at Žovkva in 1926 but then had
reservations about approving the liturgical books without
submitting it to the Holy See for approval.
Metropolitan Andrej Sheptytsky invited all the
bishops to L’viv on November 29 and 30, 1927. The
bishops agreed to edit a typical edition of the Liturgicon,
purged of any error, which would be submitted to the Holy
See for approval and which would then be followed by all.
A liturgical commission was formed consisting of four
bishops with the Metropolitan presiding. Two years later,
October 21, 1929, a second meeting of the bishops was
held, this time at the Jesuit Retreat House in Rome. The
Episcopal Liturgical Commission had proven impractical.
Instead, the bishops agreed to form an inter-eparchial
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liturgical commission composed of appointees of each
bishop.
Eventually, the inter-eparchial commission
consisted of Msgr. John Bucko, president; Reverend Fr.
Theodore Haluscynsky, OSBM for the bishop of Canada;
Reverend Fr. Plato Martyniak, OSBM for the bishops of
Peremysl’ and the Exarchate of Philadelphia; Reverend Dr.
Tito Mysovsky for the bishop of Mukachevo; Reverend Dr.
Stephen Rud for the apostolic administrator of Prešov;
Reverend Fr. Demetrius Vladimir Sadovsky for the
Metropolitan of L’viv; Msgr. John Lutsyk for the bishop of
Stanislaviv; Reverend Dr. Kostelnik a substitute for the
bishop of Krizevski; Reverend Father Clement Sheptytsky
for the Exarchate of Pittsburgh; and Reverend Dr. Stephen
Reshetylo, OSBM as substitute for the bishop of Canada.
The issues which transpired following this meeting
are carefully detailed elsewhere. The disagreements were
such that after the 1932 episcopal meeting the bishops
agreed to submit the entire issue to the Holy See,
beseeching it to produce typical editions of all the liturgical
books.
In a series of prompt moves, the Congregation of
the Eastern Churches sent a questionnaire in 1933 to the
bishops of Galicia concerning fourteen liturgical problems.
The Congregation appointed Reverend Father John
Hudacek, C.S.S.R. as Apostolic Visitator to three Galician
eparchies. It submitted the entire question to consultants
expert in canon law, Church Slavonic, and Liturgy. On
January 10, 1938, the plenary session of Cardinals for the
Eastern Congregation determined the criteria to serve as the
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basis for the revision. Pope Pius XI approved these at his
audience of January 15, 1938.
A special commission was appointed presided over
by the Cardinal Secretary of the Congregation, Eugene
Cardinal Tisserant. After sixty-one sessions, the Liturgicon
was produced in December 1940, and promulgated
September 10, 1941. The working process was that a
concordance of all texts prior to 1650 would be produced.
Where the witness of the various editions was consistent
and unanimous the Kievan usage was chosen; otherwise,
the Moscow text was selected. From this procedure the
typical editions were composed.
From that time, the Congregation issued typical
editions at intervals until the final text was issued in 1975.

BOOKS OF THE RUTHENIAN RECENSION

(AS REPRINTED IN CHURCH SLAVONIC BY ECP)

Book I: Evangelion – The Holy Gospel

The Gospel According to Saint Matthew
The Gospel According to Saint Mark
The Gospel According to Saint Luke.
The Gospel According to Saint John.
Appendix

Book II and III: Apostol – The Apostle

Readings from Acts and Universal Letters
Reading from Letters of Saint Paul.
Propers and Apostolic readings.

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Book IV: Archieraticon – Book of the Hierarchical
Services
Liturgies
Ordinations
Blessings

Books V and VI: Služebnik – Book of the Priest and

Deacon
The Order of Vespers
Compline and Midnight Service
The Order of Orthros
The Order of the Liturgy
Various Prayers and Blessings
The Menologion
Propers

Books VII and VIII: Časoslov – The Book of Hours

The Order of the Midnight Service
The Order of Orthros
The Order of the Hours
The Order of Vespers
The Order of Compline
Canonicon
Troparia, Kontakia and Theotokia for the Year
Troparia, Kontakia of the Triodion
Menologion
The Order of Holy Communion

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Books IX, X and XI: Trebnik – Book of Sacraments and
Blessings
Order of Holy Baptism and Chrismation
Order of Confession
Lifting of a Penance
Order of Crowning
Order for a Second Marriage
Order of Small Anointing of the Sick
Order of Holy Communion to the Sick
Funeral of an Adult
Funeral for a Secular Priest
Funeral of a Child
Prayers and Blessings

Book XII: Moleben – Book of Prayer Services

New Year
Civil Holidays
Time of War
Holy Spirit before Good Work
Thanksgiving
Beginning of School
Those Who Are Ill
Travel by Land or Air
Travel by Sea
In Time of Drought
In Time of Excessive Rainfall
Holy Spirit before a Church Council
Holy Spirit before a Meeting
Various Litanies and Prayer Vigils
Various Prayers
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Meeting at Saint George Cathedral, L’viv, November 29-30,
1927. Metropolitan Archbishop Andrej Sheptytsky is sitting
front center. The Carpatho-Ruthenian bishops in the photograph
are the following. First on the left, seated, is Bishop Dionysius
Nyaradyi, Bishop of Krizevtsi, who, when this photograph was
taken, had recently resigned as Apostolic Administrator of
Prešov. In the back row, second from left is Bishop Basil
Takach, bishop of the Ruthenian Exarchate of Pittsburgh. Third
from left is Bishop Peter Gebej, Bishop of Mukachevo. Fifth
from left is Blessed Bishop martyr Paul Gojdich, O.S.B.M,
Bishop of Prešov, Czechoslovakia. Among the Ukrainian Greek
Catholic bishops are the following. Seated, second from left is
Blessed Bishop martyr Hryhory Khomyshyn, Bishop of
Stanislaviv, and second most influential Ukrainian Catholic
bishop after the Venerable Metropolitan Sheptytsky. Bishop
Khomyshyn was not in support of attempts to remove
latinizations. Fourth from left seated is Blessed Bishop Nykyta
Budka, who was then Bishop of Ukrainians in Canada although
he was transferred to Ukraine where he would be martyred in
1949. On the extreme right seated is Blessed Bishop martyr
Josaphat Kotsylovsky, O.S.B.M. the Bishop of Peremyšl.
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Eastern Christian Publications
PO Box 146
Fairfax, VA 22038-0146

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