Liturgical books

The books required for the celebration of the Church's divine services are specific to each ecclesial tradition. The following books are those belonging to the Byzantine liturgical tradition that is the normal usage of the Eastern Orthodox Churches. There are some differences between the Greek and Slavic traditions within the larger Byzantine tradition, and these will be indicated below in the sections covering the relevant books. The Greek name of each book is given first, followed with the Slavic name in parentheses.

Apostolos (Apostol)

The Apostolos is the book containing the first scripture reading in the Divine Liturgy. Although this reading is called 'the Epistle,' it includes readings from the Book of Acts.

Archieratikon (Tchinovnik)

The Archieratikon is the bishop's liturgical book, containing the pontifical editions of the Divine Liturgies of St John Chrysostom and St Basil, the Liturgy of the Presanctified, and episcopal services such as ordinations.

Evangelion (Evangelie)

Also known as the Tetraevangelion, the Evangelion is the Book of Gospels, usually arranged by the pericopes to be read throughout the liturgical year. It is usually kept on the altar in a metal case, as tradition forbids the use of animal skin.

Great Euchologion (Bolshoi Ieresky Molitvoslov)

The Great Euchologion principally contains the prayers of the priest, deacon, and reader for Vespers, Matins, and Divine Liturgy.

Hieratikon (Sluzhebnik)

The Hieratikon (also spelled Ieratikon) contains the priest's prayers for Vespers, Matins, and Divine Liturgy.

Horologion (Tchasoslov)

The Horologion is the "Book of Hours," containing the fixed texts of the services of the Daily Cycle.

Menaia (Mineya)

The Menaia is the collection of twelve books (each a Menaion), one for each month of the calendar year, containing the propers for the immovable feasts and the saints' days falling in that month.

Octoechos (Oktoikh)

Octoechos refers to two books containing the common of the cycle of litrugical services -- The Great Octoechos (Parakletike) and an abridged version of it called the Little Octoechos, which contains only the materials for Sundays.

Pentekostarion (Tzvyetnaya Triod)

The Pentekostarion conatins the propers for the services of the Paschal season, i.e., from the Day of Pascha until the First Sunday after Pentecost.

Psalterion (Psaltir)

The Psalterion is simply the biblical Psalter arranged for liturgical use, divided into twenty sections called kathismata. Each kathisma is further divided into three stasis.

Triodion (Postnaya Triod)

The Triodion ('three odes') contains the propers from the beginning of the pre-Lenten season (the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, the 10th Sunday before Pascha) until Holy Saturday.

Typikon (Ustav)

The Typikon (also spelled as Typicon) is the "book of directives and rubrics, which regulate the order of the divine services for each day of the year. It presupposes the existence of other liturgical books which contain the fixed and variable parts of these services. In the strict monastic sense, the Typikon of the monastery includes both the rule of life of the community as well as the rule of prayer." [1]

• Typikon Translation Project, a project to translate the St. Sabbas Typikon into English. includes a scan of the Typikon in Greek and Slavonic.
• Another English translation in progress of the Russian Orthodox Typikon (St. Sabbas)
• Protheoria of the Biolakes Typikon, in English, tr. Rev. Dr. Konstantinos Terzopoulos

Other liturgical books

In addition to the official liturgical books listed above, there are unofficial books that are published for the use of the laity. These include:

• Sinekdimos or "companion"
• The Holy and Great Week

This article or section is a stub (i.e., in need of additional material). You can help OrthodoxWiki by expanding it.

`