Holy Wisdom Orthodox Mission

A parish of the Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of the West

1355 North 4th Street • Grand Junction, CO 81501
(Corner of North 4th Street & Kennedy Street)

970-689-4777 • holywisdomorthodox@gmail.com

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Liturgical Resources Needed to Assemble the Propers

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Order of the Services

“Propers” – The Variable Parts of the Divine Services

Fifth Wednesday of the Great Fast, Presanctified Divine Liturgy, March 29/30, 2023

OCA Typikon Rubrics

OCA Service Text

Choir Service Text
Fifth Week of the Great Fast, Great Kanon and Akathist, March 30 & 31, 2023

Small Compline and Great Kanon

Small Compline and Akathist
Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast, Sunday of Saint Mary of Egypt, April 2, 2023

OCA Typikon Rubrics

OCA Service Text

Choir Service Text

Sheet Music

Reader Epistle Text
Choir Service Texts

Vespers

Hours and Divine Liturgy

Presanctified Divine Liturgy

Great Compline

How to Assemble the Propers

The “variable parts” – or “Propers” – of the Divine Services are determined by numerous factors, including the liturgical season, the date, and the day of the week. These are found in various different liturgical volumes, and the task may be seem daunting but the following steps simplify the effort.

Before you start...
Each Orthodox Church tradition has slightly varying “rules” for putting together, or “assembling,” the propers. These rules are printed in a book known as the “Typikón.” The instructions it contains are referred to as “rubrics.” The “Typikón” for the Orthodox Church in America is effectively provided in a volume titled “Order of the Divine Services.”

Note: The liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church in America was received from the clergy of the Russian Mission to Alaska and North America who first brought the Orthodox Christian faith to the New World in the 18th century. Logically that Russian Typikón continues to be followed.

To assist clergy and chanters in parishes of the Orthodox Church in America, the rubrics from the Typikon are applied to each day of the year and published in a 300+ page volume titled, Liturgical Rubrics for the Year of Our Lord 2023.”

Step One
Two complementary resources are needed to determine the Propers needed on any given Sunday or Feastday, the “Liturgical Rubrics" and the “The Order of Upcoming Services.” The Rubrics" are the definitive, “official,” guidance for all services celebrated in monasteries and parishes of the OCA, but not everything needed is provided. “The Order of Upcoming Services” contains additional information, such as the verses intoned at the Beatitudes during the Divine Liturgy.

Open the “Rubrics” to the the date of the Divine Service being considered.

Next download the “The Order of Upcoming Services” for the the date of the Divine Service being considered.

Step Two
The Orthodox Church in America web site provides the following excellent resource for the variable parts (propers) of the Divine Services.

Download the Service Text for the the date of the Divine Service being considered.

Step Three
Once the above three resources are obtained, a written guide can be compiled for the use of the chanters and readers.

If additional materials are needed, go to one of the following:

In particular, these resources are often required for the verses intoned at the Beatitudes, since these are not found in either the “Rubrics” or “The Order of Upcoming Services”. The verses are taken from the Canon of the day.

Likewise they are required for the verses intoned during the Communion of the Faithful, interspersed between “Receive the Body of Christ, taste the Fountain of immortality; Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.” These verses are also taken from the Canon of the day.

Step Four
After the order of the service and the corresponding texts are assembled, the relevant hymnographic materials may be compiled.

Download necessary sheet music from the OCA website, Music Downloads.

If necessary, additional sheet music can be found at the following web sites: