Parimia on Monday of the second week of Lent.

Prokeimenon

(Greek προκείμενον - lit. “lying in front”) - in the Orthodox Church, a repeatedly repeated song consisting of one verse of a psalm (most often, although there are prokemenons taken from the Gospel, the Apostle and even apocryphal texts), each of these repetitions is preceded by “ verse" in a less solemn performance.
It is performed before the reading of the Apostle, Gospel or proverbs and serves as a kind of “preface” to this reading. It consists of a verse, in the proper sense called a “prokeemne” (sung) and one (or more - at Sunday vespers and in the case of great prokeemnes
) “verses” (more often read), preceding the repetition of the prokeemne. Schematically, the execution of the prokimna looks like this:

• The reader (or deacon) reads (less often sings) the first verse,
• The choir sings (repeats, preferably with a melody) the first verse (this is the prokeme in the narrow sense of the word),
• The reader (or deacon) reads (less often sings) the second (third, fourth) verses,
• The choir sings the first verse
• The reader (or deacon) reads the first half of the first verse,
• The choir sings the second half of the first verse.

History of origin and development

The Prokeimenon goes back to the responsorial singing of psalms common to the ancient Church, in which the psalm was sung in its entirety, but after each verse a refrain was added - the most important or famous verse of the same psalm. In the 4th century, the Council of Laodicea recorded the established tradition according to which the psalms were not sung directly one after the other, but were separated by readings. This is how the custom of biblical readings, separated by the singing of psalms, was established. By the end of the 4th century, one verse began to stand out from the psalms sung at services: in the words of John Chrysostom, “ a strong verse containing high teaching

" The prokeimenon arose from the custom of folk singing of just one verse from the psalm. In its form, close to the modern one, the prokeimenon was recorded already in the 6th century in the story of John Moschus and Sophronius of Jerusalem about their visit to the Nile of Sinai.

In Latin liturgical rites, the performance of the psalm, similar to the prokeme, is called responsory. In the Mozarabic rite the Psallendo

(literally “for singing”) - the verse is read and then sung (in the narrow sense, it is called
psallendo
), then the second verse is read (
versus
), then the first half of the first verse is read, and the second is sung.

In the Western Syriac liturgy of the Apostle James, the reading of the Apostle is preceded by a whole psalm, and not a prokeme (unlike the Jerusalem version of the same liturgy). Thus, among the Jacobites, who separated from the Orthodox Church after the Council of Chalcedon, the process of transforming the psalm into the prokeimenon was never completed.

The following parts tell about the prokeimnas of Orthodox worship.

Evening prokeimenon

The concept of the prokeimenon The song “Quiet Light” is followed at Vespers by not only the festive, but also the everyday (excluding Lenten and sometimes funeral) prokeimenon. With the prokemne, a new type of church song is introduced into Vespers, differing from others primarily in its brevity. While church singing usually consists of singing more or less long songs, sometimes entire psalms, but more often songs of 5-6 lines (verse troparions), the prokeimenon is a song of several words, consisting of only one verse of the psalm, set to a melody especially rich in sounds and marked by repeated singing: each of these repetitions is preceded by a “verse” in a less solemn performance. Bursting into a series of long hymns of Vespers and Matins, the prokeimenon attracts attention with its unique form. Moreover, the prokeme is always a verse of Holy Scripture that is especially strong, expressive and suitable for the occasion; which is why prokeimnas are borrowed almost exclusively from the most poetic book of Holy Scripture - the Psalter (among the prokeimnas there are only a few not from psalms: for example, from the Old Testament songs - “Blessed are you, O Lord God of our fathers”; the Gospels - “Magnifies my soul”, and from the epistles - “Grace appears...”, and a special composition: “The Body of Christ...”, “Blessed is the way...”). As an example of a particularly expressive prokeimenon, the prokeimenon of Epiphany Matins can be indicated: “You saw the sea and ran, Jordan returned back”; verse: “As the sea is, it has run away.” The prokeimenon (προκείμενος) received its name because it usually precedes, and previously always preceded, the reading from Holy Scripture. The prokeimenon consists of a verse, properly called a “prokeimenon,” and one or three “verses” that precede the repetition of the prokeimenon; Thus, the prokeimenon is sung the first time without a verse, the second time and further times (if there are several verses) with a verse, and the last time again without a verse, which is replaced by its first half.

History of the prokeimenon The prokeimenon is the remainder of the singing of an entire psalm with a refrain for each verse of it of some verse that is most suitable or familiar to the people. Back in the 4th-5th centuries. Whole psalms were sung in this way, and such singing was known under the name hypophonic, or responsoral, in contrast to antiphonal (Introductory chapter, pp. 155-158). Since the first type of singing was easier and more convenient for performance by a whole people, it apparently became more widespread. The Council of Laodicea (c. 360) demands "that in prayer meetings the psalms should not be sung continuously one after another, but that after each psalm there should be a reading in the interval (διά μέσου καθ' έκαστον ψαλμόν"). Prokeemnes and alleluiaries are the remnants of these intermediate psalms between the readings. At the Syrian liturgy, St. James, before the apostolic reading, there is also a whole psalm with a preliminary prayer for the purification of the heart for its singing (cf. “Wisdom”, etc.). In the fourth century, from the psalms sung in the church, one verse began to stand out as a refrain, as if overshadowing the entire psalm: “The fathers established,” says St. John Chrysostom - so that the people would sing along from the psalm a strong verse containing high teaching.” In the VI century. in the story of John Moschus and Sophronius about the visit to the Nile of Sinai, the term prokeimenon (“presenting”) apparently already has a meaning close to the current one (Introduction. Ch., p. 295). But also in monuments of the 8th-15th centuries. Prokeme, in addition to what is now denoted by this word, are called troparia on the clock, sometimes antiphons (see above, pp. 341, 470). On the other hand, in the list of the 11th century. (Rossansky) Liturgy of St. Jacob's prokeimenon is called πρόψαλμα. The psallendo (=for singing) of the Mozarabic liturgy has literally the form of our prokemna: it consists of a verse of a psalm, called psallendo, of another, called versus (verse), and a repetition of the end of the first (also psallendo). In other rites of Latin worship, the prokeemne corresponds to the responsory, which until the 9th century. it was sung exactly like our prokeimenon, with verse and division into 2 parts (see Introductory chapter, pp. 307-308). Nowadays, sometimes at Roman Catholic services the antiphon takes the position of our prokeimn (see Introductory chapter, p. 156, note 8; 157, note 7).

Exclamations before the prokeimenon Since the prokeimenon in ancient times always preceded the reading, and now for the most part precedes it, the same exclamations are made before it that from ancient times preceded the reading of the Holy Scriptures. At an ordinary Sunday Vespers, at which there are no readings (paremias), such exclamations before the prokemene are also not inappropriate: they distinguish it from other Vespers songs, focusing the special attention of the worshipers on it. With these exclamations, the deacon first of all invites special attention: “Let us attend” (πρόσχωμεν); the priest, as if as a condition for such attention, first teaches peace from the altar into which he has solemnly entered. “Peace to all,” is a greeting that goes so well to the militant Church, to which Christ has left a peace that surpasses all understanding. The deacon excites attention by pointing out the special wisdom contained in the upcoming song or reading: “Wisdom. Let's remember."

Their history The oldest of these exclamations is “Peace to all.” “Peace be with you” was originally not so much a greeting in the ancient warlike East as a statement that the visitor did not come with the usual hostile purposes. But by the time of the Savior, “Peace” had become a common greeting and was a favorite of Himself. Along with it, and probably more commonly used than it, the Jews had the greeting “The Lord is with you” or “with you.” In the troubled first centuries of Christianity, during liturgical meetings that threatened participants with arrest, the first greeting received a particularly pleasant flavor, which, coupled with the fact that it was sanctified by the Lord’s use, made it more common than the second greeting equally in the Eastern and Western Churches of the 4th-5th centuries (see Introductory chapter, pp. 169-170). But later in the West, the second greeting (Dominus vobiscum) replaced the first almost everywhere (it was preserved only in the Gallican liturgy), perhaps because the first, as especially sacred, loved by Christ, was avoided to be used with catechumens (which Tertullian also warned against when denouncing heretics for the fact that they greeted everyone without distinction with peace). “Peace be with you” has been preserved in some places in the West only as a bishop’s greeting. The Council of Braga in 561 against the Priscillianists (who generally gravitated towards the East) decreed: “It is desirable that the bishops should not greet the people differently than the presbyters, but equally, saying: “The Lord is with you,” as it is said in the book of Ruth, and the people should respond : “And with your spirit,” as this tradition of the apostles themselves holds the whole East (in relation to Spain), and not as the Priscillian error changed.” At the liturgy St. Peter (Alexandria), generally close to the Western ones, in the RKP. XI century The greeting is always “The Lord is with you,” in the RKP. XVII century sometimes “Peace to all,” and the first is pronounced, as in the Roman Church, sometimes by a deacon. From Eastern liturgies, liturgy of St. Jacob is filled, especially in his later copies, with the greeting “Peace to all,” sometimes “Peace be with you”; in particular, he has this greeting before the prokeme; Moreover, in its oldest list, in this last place there is only this exclamation. And the exclamation “Let us hear” is already in the 4th century. finds in liturgical use (see Introductory chapter, p. 170). It corresponds to it in the Mozarabic liturgy “Keep Silence” (Silentium facite) before the Apostle. But before the prokemion, it appears only in later copies of the liturgy of St. Jacob; but in the liturgy of Basil the Great and John Chrysostom, starting with the most ancient (VIII-X centuries) copies, in a double form, although not in all RKP. there is, and not in all of them in double form. As for the exclamation “Wisdom”, the Alexandrian liturgy, which has Peace to All and to All, does not have it, nor does the most ancient list of the liturgy of St. James (however, before the Creed: “We will sing in the wisdom of God”), and before his prokemenum there is only the later list of the liturgy of St. Jacob, have all copies, starting from the 8th-10th centuries, of the liturgy of Basil the Great. It is remarkable that the manuscripts of the Typikon and the current Service Book, as well as the Old Believer Rule, do not mention these exclamations at all before the prokeme at Vespers. They are indicated only in the “Rank” of the Patr. Philotheus in the same form as in the current Typikon, therefore, borrowed from there; Simeon of Thessalonica does not mention these exclamations at the song vespers, but at the ordinary vespers he points out: “The deacon says: Wisdom, and the bishop, having sat down, teaches peace.” From this it is clear that the prokeimenon was supposed to be listened to while sitting, as well as the reading that followed it, but not for everyone, but only for the priests in the high place. Greek Euchologius Imp. Publ. library collection Ep. Porphyria No. 226 VIII-X centuries. in the rite of the Liturgy of Basil the Great, he speaks of the singing of the prokemna: “And turning (the priest) says: Let us attend. Peace to all; and immediately sits down and says: Wisdom; and singer: Psalm of David. Let us remember and the prokeimenon"; a slightly later list (by Goar) instead of “immediately sits down” has: “And the bishop sits down with the priests, while the deacons and ministers, and the clergy and the people stand.” This sitting of the priests at the prokemne and the reading (of the Apostle) is called in the ancient regulations “mountain sitting,” ή καθέδρα άνω, or large sitting, in contrast to the sitting of the whole people, which is called dole sitting, καθέδρα κάτω, or small, and which was allowed for everyone readings, except for proverbs and the Apostle (of course, and the Gospel). Although there was no reading at the prokeme at Sunday Vespers in ancient times, as now, but, as we have just seen, under Simeon of Thessalonica (15th century) the clergy sat in a high place for the duration of it; hence the current (not written down) custom of standing at this time in a mountainous place.

Execution of the prokeimenon In addition to the preliminary exclamations, the prokeimenon is distinguished from other chants by the external setting of the singing. The canonarch takes the most noticeable part in the performance of the prokemna, performing this way in the service at especially solemn moments: on God the Lord or alleluia (see Chapter 27 Typ.). After the exclamations before the prokeimenon, “the canonarch, perform worship to the abbot, says the prokeimenon and verses, and the clergy sing the prokeimenon—The reader (= canonarch), having his bowed arm with his chest, standing in the middle of the temple, awaits the end of the prokeimenon; and having performed the worship, he departs to his place.”

According to ancient regulations, the performance of the canonarch on the prokeme is a remnant of the previous singing of him and his poems by one singer before the singing of the people (hence the name - canonarch); therefore, in the above place Euchologia VIII-X centuries. instead of a canonarch there is a singer; see Enter. ch., p. 295; Wed now on Preosv. lit. “May it be corrected.” About the canonarch at the prokimna of the RKP. Jerus. mouth as follows: cargo. RKP. XIII century - instead of “canonarch” - “the one who must say the prokeimenon”; Greek rkp.: “an accomplished (ταχθείς) monk”; ancient glory RKP. “in (i.e., in comparison with the one who read “Quiet Light”) mnich.” Instead of “says” the ancient. Greek RKP. Nothing; later (from the 14th century) and printed. Greek: “sings” (ψάλλει), and glory. RKP. Instead of “the clerics sing” the Georgian: “the people are the same”; ancient Greek: “when we sing”; late Greek, print. Greek and glory RKP. - nothing, i.e. they talk about the singing of the prokeimne and its poems only by the canonarch. Greek and glory RKP. before “bent hand” - “turning to the west.” Old Believer - everything is like ours, only before “bending your hand” - “turn to the west.”

The Prokeimenon of Sunday Vespers The Prokeimenon of Saturday-Sunday Vespers is sung more solemnly than at weekday Vespers. It is sung according to the rite of the great prokemen, although it is not called great; namely, it is sung with 3 verses, etc. 41/2 times. In addition to real vespers, the prokeimenon is performed in this manner on vespers on the twelve feasts of the Lord, on Bright Week, and on vespers on the most Sunday days of Pentecost. In this regard, Saturday-Sunday Vespers is placed above Vespers and the twelve feasts of the Theotokos, which do not have a great prokemena, and is equalized with the Lord's feasts. The only difference with the latter is that the great prokeimenon is sung there at vespers not on the eve of the holiday, but on the holiday itself (except for the case when the holiday occurs on Saturday); this is because Vespers is considered to relate to the next day only from the Lord's Grace (see Type, Cheese Week); at Sunday Vespers it is different, because part of it, before the Lord vouchsafes, falls on such a semi-holiday or pre-holiday day as Saturday; the festive celebration of Sunday itself, which has no after-feast, must end earlier than on the twelve feasts. The great prokeimnas are assigned to Vespers, not Matins, due to its ancient connection with liturgy and agape.

Already the Studite Rule had great, that is, with 3 verses, prokeimnas, but only for Easter, the Nativity of Christ, Epiphany, and even on the matins of Holy Saturday - the first before the proverb; the second one this morning with 2 verses. However, other prokeimnas according to this charter with only one verse, including the Lord reigning at Sunday Vespers. So is the load. RKP. Jerusalem Charter of the 13th century; Greek and glory. RKP. Jerus. oral, as well as print. Greek, prokeimenon The Lord reigns indicate to sing with 2 verses - the first of the current ones, and in Greek. this prokeimenon is called δίστιχον (two-verse), obviously, in contrast to the great and ordinary3. Latest glory. RKP. are silent about poetry. Old Believer - like ours. Greek and glory RKP. they say nothing about the final “The Lord reigns”; cargo, same RKP. XIII century, after his one verse to the prokeme: “singer: The Lord reigns, the people are the same.” But the half-hearted singing of the prokemna for the final time, without a doubt, goes back to ancient times, as shown by the musical tradition and analogy of the Roman Catholic Church (see Introductory chapter, p. 308).

The prokeimenon of Sunday Vespers is sung in tone 6, the saddest of the voices, no doubt for the same reason why the first stichera of the Easter service (“Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior”) is sung in this tone: the joy of the resurrection breaks through for the first time through the sadness of Christ’s death. In the RKP. voice not specified.

According to the content of the prokeimena of Sunday Vespers, “The Lord reigns,” with its verses: “The Lord has clothed himself...”, “For establish the world...”, “Holy things befitting thy house,” borrowed from Ps. 92, does not speak as directly about the resurrection as the morning prokeimenas, but he speaks about it from the inside, indicating its deep essence in royal glorification and, as it were, strengthening of the Lord, in strengthening the world destroyed by sin and in the creation of the Church.
The immediate meaning of the words of the psalm, taken for the prokemenon and constituting, must be, the glorification of God for some victory (in LXX the psalm is inscribed: “David’s song of praise”) is that God, as the Creator of the world, is both its King and His royal robe creation itself serves, revealing both His glory (glory) and power (clothed with power); as such, God is able to provide dignity, that is, holiness, to His special dwelling on earth - the temple, and protect it from desecration. The psalm was used by the Jews on Friday, as a joyful day of the end of creation and the pre-feast of the Sabbath (see Introductory chapter, p. 11), hence the inscription in LXX: “on the day before the Sabbath, when the earth was inhabited.” At the Syrian liturgy, St. James, it is pronounced after the removal of the “listeners” (catechumens) before the Creed (cf. in our proskomedia) according to a rite similar to the singing of our prokemena - the priest: “The Lord reigns, clothed with power, alleluia” and a brief glorification of the Son of God, as the bread of life; deacon: “The Lord has clothed himself with strength and girded himself, for he has established the world that cannot be moved, alleluia,” and glorification of the same content; priest: “To your house befits holiness, Lord, throughout the length of days, Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” deacon: “The Lord reigns.” In the Roman rite of worship, this psalm is used on Sunday Laudes (Enter, ch. 315). At the song vespers, he must have composed the 2nd antiphon, from which by the 15th century. only the chorus “The Universe” remained (ibid., 341), but then the song vespers already had the current Sunday prokeimenon (ibid., 342). The Studio and Jerusalem Sunday Vespers had such a prokeimenon from time immemorial. The page was generated in 0.05 seconds!

Daily Vespers Prokeimnas

At Vespers, the prokeimenon is sung after “Quiet Light” and, in its meaning, should precede the reading of the proverbs. Although the proverbs are not always read at Vespers, the prokeimenon is never omitted. The Prokeimenon of Vespers is determined for each day of the week and does not change depending on holidays and days of remembrance of saints (exceptions are discussed below). The prokeimnas for vespers for each day of the week are as follows (it should be noted that the liturgical day begins with vespers, and thus, vespers of Monday are performed on Sunday, Tuesday - on Monday, etc.):

• Sunday: “ The Lord reigns, he is clothed with beauty
  ” (Ps.)
• Monday: “ Behold, now bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord
  ” (Ps. 133)
• Tuesday: “ The Lord will hear me, sometimes I call to Him
  ” (Ps.)
• Wednesday: “ Your mercy, O Lord, will marry me all the days of my life
  ” (Ps.)
• Thursday: “ O God, in Your name save me and in Your power judge me
  ” (Ps.)
• Friday: “ My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth
  ” (Ps. 120)
• Saturday: “ O God, You are my Protector, and Your mercy will precede me
  ” (Ps.)

All of the listed prokeimnas are sung for 2.5 verses (the most common version), and the Sunday one is sung for 4.5 verses, that is, according to the order of the great prokeimna, although it is not one in letter. Thus, the special prokeimenon of Sunday sets this day apart from the other days of the week. Moreover, if Saturday coincides with one of those holidays on the evening of which a special great prokeimenon is supposed to be sung, then the great prokeimenon, in accordance with the Typikon, is moved to another day in order to preserve the obligatory Sunday prokeimenon in its place.

Exceptions to the above rule:

• Great Prokeemnas - see below.
• On weekdays during Great Lent, vespers is combined with the hours at which the Psalter is read. The Prokemna of Vespers on these days are chosen from the psalms read previously during the hours, and, in connection with this, change daily. Since two proverbs are read at Vespers these days, each of them is preceded by its own prokeme. Thus, at Lenten Vespers, two prokeimnas (and not one) are sung, changing daily (and not fixed for each day of the week).

Daily Vespers Prokeimnas

At Vespers, the prokeimenon is sung after “Quiet Light” and is never omitted. The Prokeimenon of Vespers is determined for each day of the week and does not change.

• Sunday: “ The Lord reigns, he is clothed in beauty
  ” (Ps. 93)
• Monday: “ Behold, now bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord
  ” (Ps. 133)
• Tuesday: “ The Lord will hear me, whenever I call to Him
  ” (Ps. 4)
• Wednesday: “ Your mercy, O Lord, will marry me all the days of my life
  ” (Ps. 22)
• Thursday: “ O God, in Your name save me and in Your power judge me
  ” (Ps. 53)
• Friday: “ My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth
  ” (Ps. 120)
• Saturday: “ O God, You are my Protector, and Your mercy will precede me
  ” (Ps. 58)

All these prokeimnas are sung in 2.5 verses (the most common version), and the Sunday one is sung in 4.5 verses, that is, according to the order of the great prokeimna. If Saturday coincides with a holiday on the evening of which the Great Prokeimenon is supposed to be sung, then the Great Prokeimenon is moved to another day.

Exceptions to the above rule:

• Great Prokeemnas - see below.
• On weekdays during Great Lent, Vespers is combined with the Hours during which the Psalter is read. The prokemny of Vespers on these days are chosen from the psalms read previously during the hours, and, in connection with this, change daily. Since two paremias are read at Vespers these days, each of them is preceded by its own prokeme. Thus, at Lenten Vespers, two prokeimnas are sung, changing daily.

Great Prokeme Vespers

The great prokeimenon is the name given to the prokeimenon of Vespers, which is performed not for 2.5 verses (as usual), but for a greater number of verses. There are four great prokemmons in modern Orthodox worship:

• On the evening of the holidays of Bright Resurrection, St. Thomas's Resurrection, Pentecost and the Nativity of Christ: “ Who is the great God, even as we are our God;
  You are God, you work wonders ” (Ps.),
• On the evening of the holidays of Epiphany, Transfiguration, Ascension and Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross of Christ: “ Our God is in heaven and on earth, do everything as He pleases
  ” (Ps. 113)
• In the evening on Forgiveness Sunday, the second and fourth Sundays of Great Lent: “ Do not turn Your face away from Your servant, for I grieve; soon hear me: attend to my soul and deliver it
  ” (Ps.),
• In the evening on the first, third and fifth Sundays of Great Lent: “ Thou hast given wealth to those who fear Thee, O Lord
  ” (Ps.).

On days when, according to the rules, the Great Prokeimenon is supposed to be sung, at Vespers there must be an evening entrance of the clergy (even if Vespers is daily, as on the evenings of Sundays of Great Lent) and the ordinary prokeimenon of the day of the week is canceled. An exception to this rule: if such a day coincides with Saturday, in this case the Prokeimenon of the Resurrection is sung at Vespers, and the Great Prokeimenon is moved one day earlier.

Great Prokeimnas of Vespers

On the great feasts of the Lord and on Sundays of Great Lent, prokeimnas are performed, consisting not of one, but of three verses, called great.

There are four great prokemmons in modern worship:

• On the evening of the holidays of Bright Resurrection, St. Thomas's Resurrection, Pentecost and the Nativity of Christ: “ Who is the great God, even as we are our God;
  You are God, you do wonders ” (Ps. 76),
• On the evening of the holidays of Epiphany, Transfiguration, Ascension and Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross of Christ: “ Our God is in heaven and on earth, do everything as He pleases
  ” (Ps. 113)
• In the evening on Forgiveness Sunday, the second and fourth Sundays of Great Lent: “ Do not turn Your face away from Your servant, for I grieve; soon hear me: attend to my soul and deliver it
  ” (Ps. 68),
• In the evening on the first, third and fifth Sundays of Great Lent: “ Thou hast given wealth to those who fear Thee, O Lord
  ” (Ps. 60).

Prokimna Matins

The only reading at Matins is the reading of the Gospel on Sundays and holidays, as well as on the days of remembrance of certain saints. This reading is preceded by a prokeme.

On the twelve and temple holidays, even when they coincide with the resurrection, the prokeimenon of the holiday (from the Menaion or Triodion) is sung. On Sundays that do not coincide with the twelve and temple holidays, the Sunday prokeimenon of the ordinary voice is sung (about the system of osmoglasia - see Octoechos):

• Voice 1: “ Today I will arise, says the Lord, I will put in safety the one whom they want to catch
  ” (Ps.).
• Voice 2: “ Awake for me to the judgment that You have commanded, a host of people will stand around You
  ” (Ps.).
• Voice 3: “ Say to the nations: The Lord reigns!”
  therefore the universe is solid, it will not be shaken " (Ps.).
• Voice 4: “ Rise up to help us and deliver us for the sake of Thy mercy
  ” (Ps.).
• Voice 5: “ Arise, O Lord my God, lift up Your hand, for You reign forever
  ” (Ps.).
• Voice 6: “ Lord, raise up Your power and come to save us
  ” (Ps.).
• Voice 7: “ Arise, O Lord my God, lift up Your hand, do not forget Your oppressed to the end
  ” (Ps.).
• Tone 8: “ The Lord will reign forever, Thy God, O Zion, to generation and generation
  ” (Ps. 145).

At the matins of Great Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the Gospel is read, but the prokemena is not placed before it; at the matins of Great Saturday, two prokemenas are placed: before the proverb and the apostolic reading.

Prokimna hours

Typically, the sequence of the hours does not include readings from Scripture, so prokeimnas are usually absent from the hours. Exceptions:

• Great Hours (the evening of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany; Good Friday) - readings and, accordingly, prokemna at every hour,
• sixth hour on weekdays of the six weeks of Lent (before reading from the prophet Isaiah), on Holy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (before reading from the prophet Ezekiel),
• first hour on Maundy Thursday (proverb read).

Prokimna of the Hours

Typically, the sequence of the Hours does not include readings from Holy Scripture, so prokeimnas are usually absent from the Hours. Exceptions:

• Great Hours (the eve of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany; Good Friday) - readings and, accordingly, prokemna at every hour,
• Sixth hour on weekdays of the six weeks of Lent (before reading from the prophet Isaiah), on Holy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (before reading from the prophet Ezekiel),
• First hour on Maundy Thursday (proverb read).

Prokemnas of the Liturgy

At the liturgies of John Chrysostom and Basil the Great, the Apostle and the Gospel are always read. The reading of the Apostle is preceded by a prokeme. The rules for choosing a prokemna for the liturgy are more complex than for Matins or Vespers. For example, when Sunday coincides with the feast of the Theotokos, two prokeimnas are sung (the Sunday ordinary voice and the Theotokos), on weekdays on which the memory of a saint falls, two prokeimnas (the day and the saint) are sung, etc. On Sundays, if they do not coincide with the twelve feasts of the Lord, the prokeimenon of the ordinary voice is sung (system of osmoglas - see Octoechos):

• Tone 1: “ O Lord, Thy mercy be upon us, as we trust in Thee
  ” (Ps.),
• Tone 2: “ The Lord is my strength and my song, and it will be my salvation
  ” (Ps. 117),
• Voice 3: “ Sing to our God, sing;
  Sing to our King, sing " (Ps.),
• Voice 4: “ How great are Your works, O Lord;
  “Thou hast created all things with wisdom ” (Ps. 103),
• Tone 5: “ You, Lord, have preserved us and kept us from this generation and forever
  ” (Ps.),
• Tone 6: “ Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance
  ” (Ps.),
• Voice 7: “ The Lord will give strength to His people, the Lord will bless His people with peace
  ” (Ps.),
• Tone 8: “ Pray and give thanks to the Lord our God
  ” (Ps.).

Parimia on Monday of the second week of Lent.

Table of contents

At six o'clock.

Troparion of prophecy, tone 5:

Having created our hearts alone, remember that we are dust, do not condemn us in the depths of the earth, O sinless one.

Glory, and now: the same.

Prokeimenon, tone 6: Ye who fear the Lord, / praise Him.

Verse: O God, my God, take heed of me, have you forsaken me?

Reading the prophecies of Isaiah.

This is what the Lord says. On that day God will rise in council with glory on the earth to exalt and glorify the remnant of Israel. And there will be a remnant in Zion, and a remnant in Jerusalem; they will all be called saints, those who were written to life in Jerusalem. For the Lord will wash away the filthiness of the sons and daughters of Zion, and the blood of Jerusalem will cleanse from among them the spirit of judgment and the spirit of heat. And the Lord will come, and the whole place of Mount Zion will be, and all that is around it will be overshadowed by clouds in the days, and like smoke and light of fire burning in the night, it will be covered with all glory. And it will be a shade from the heat, and a cover and a hiding place from cruelty and rain. Today I will sing a song to my beloved, to my beloved grapes: grapes became to my beloved in a rose, in the place of a fat one. And I made fences and trenches, and I planted a chosen vine, and I made a pillar in the middle of it, and a pit for fossils in it. And I waited, and let him make grapes, and make thorns, and they that now dwell in Jerusalem, and the man Judah, judge between me and my grapes. What else will I do to my grapes, and not do to it? I waited before him, let him create grapes, so create thorns. Now I will tell you that I will do to my vineyard: I will take away its fence, and it will be plundered, and I will destroy its wall, and it will be trampled underfoot. And I will leave my grapes, and whoever is not pruned will dig deep, and thorns will come up on it, like on an ice-pole; and the commandment is like a cloud, so that no rain can fall on it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the man of Judah is a new beloved garden.

Isa 4:2–6; 5:1–7

Prokeimenon, tone 6: Your rod and your club, / that comforted me.

Verse: The Lord feeds me and deprives me of nothing.

Monday of the second week for Vespers.

Prokeimenon, voice 1: The Lord is strong and strong, / The Lord is strong in battle.

Verse: The earth is the Lord, and its fulfillment.

Genesis reading.

The Lord God made Adam and his wife garments of leather, and clothed them. And God said: Behold, Adam became one of Us, even knowing good and evil. And now, let him not ever stretch out his hand, and take it from the tree of life, and cut it down, and live forever. And the Lord God drove him out of the sweet paradise, making the earth, from which he was quickly taken. And out of Adam, and filled him with sweets straight from Paradise, and set up cherubim, and flaming weapons that could be turned, to keep the way of the tree of life. And Adam knew Eve his wife, and conceived Cain. And he says: man is acquired by God. And set to give birth to his brother Abel. And Abel became the shepherd of the sheep, but Cain made the earth. And it came to pass one day that Cain brought a sacrifice to God from the fruits of the ground. And Abel brought also to her some of his firstborn sheep, and some of their fat. And God looked upon Abel and his gifts. But Cain and his sacrifices were not heeded, and Cain was greatly saddened, and his face fell away. And the Lord God said to Cain: Were you greatly sorrowful? And how much has your face fallen away? Even though you brought the right food, but you did not share the right, did you not sin? Be silent, his address is to you, and you have it.

Gen 3:21–24; 4:1–7

Prokeimenon, tone 6: Look upon me / and have mercy on me.

Verse: To You, O Lord, I have lifted up my soul.

Proverbs reading.

The Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. They will inherit the glory of wisdom, but bring dishonor to wickedness. Listen, children, to the father’s punishment, and heed the thought. For I give you a good gift: do not forsake my law. The son was both obedient to his father and beloved in front of his mother. You also said and taught me: let our word be established in your heart, keep the commandments, do not forget. Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, do not forget, despise the words of my mouth, and turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not leave her, and you will have it; desire her, and he will keep you. The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom, and in all your acquisition acquire understanding. Protect you and lift you up; almost, yes, it will embrace you. May he give your head a crown of graces, and may he protect you with a crown of sweetness. Hear, son, and accept my words, and the years of your life will be multiplied, so that you may have many ways of life. I teach you wisdom and instruct you in the right direction. Even if you walk, your feet will not falter; Even if you flow, you will not tire. If you have received my punishment, do not leave it, but save your life for yourself. Do not follow the path of the wicked; instead, follow the path of the lawless. In this place, if they gather howls in one place, do not go there, but turn away from them and change them. Because unless they do evil, they will not sleep, sleep will be taken away from them, and they will not sleep. For they feed on the food of wickedness, and get drunk with the wine of lawlessness. The paths of the righteous shine like light: they go ahead and enlighten until the day is corrected. But the way of the wicked is dark: they do not know how they stumble. Son, listen to my words, and attach your ear to my words. May your springs not become scarce, keep me in your heart. For there is life for all who find it, and healing for all their flesh.

Proverbs 3:34–35; 4:1–22

Excerpt characterizing Prokeimenon

He continued in the same way in French, pronouncing in Russian only those words that he contemptuously wanted to emphasize. - How? You with all your weight fell upon the unfortunate Mortier with one division, and this Mortier leaves between your hands? Where is the victory? “However, seriously speaking,” answered Prince Andrei, “we can still say without boasting that this is a little better than Ulm...” “Why didn’t you take us one, at least one marshal?” – Because not everything is done as expected, and not as regularly as at the parade. We expected, as I told you, to reach the rear by seven o'clock in the morning, but did not arrive at five in the evening. - Why didn’t you come at seven o’clock in the morning? “You should have come at seven o’clock in the morning,” Bilibin said smiling, “you should have come at seven o’clock in the morning.” – Why didn’t you convince Bonaparte through diplomatic means that it was better for him to leave Genoa? – Prince Andrei said in the same tone. “I know,” Bilibin interrupted, “you think it’s very easy to take marshals while sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace.” This is true, but still, why didn’t you take it? And do not be surprised that not only the Minister of War, but also the August Emperor and King Franz will not be very happy with your victory; and I, the unfortunate secretary of the Russian embassy, ​​do not feel any need to give my Franz a thaler as a sign of joy and let him go with his Liebchen [sweetheart] to the Prater... True, there is no Prater here. He looked straight at Prince Andrei and suddenly pulled the collected skin off his forehead. “Now it’s my turn to ask you why, my dear,” said Bolkonsky. “I confess to you that I don’t understand, maybe there are diplomatic subtleties here that are beyond my weak mind, but I don’t understand: Mack is losing an entire army, Archduke Ferdinand and Archduke Charles do not show any signs of life and make mistakes after mistakes, finally, alone Kutuzov wins a real victory, destroys the charme [charm] of the French, and the Minister of War is not even interested in knowing the details. “That’s exactly why, my dear.” Voyez vous, mon cher: [You see, my dear:] hurray! for the Tsar, for Rus', for the faith! Tout ca est bel et bon, [all this is fine and good,] but what do we, I say, the Austrian court, care about your victories? Bring us your good news about the victory of Archduke Charles or Ferdinand - un archiduc vaut l'autre, [one Archduke is worth another,] as you know - even over a company of Bonaparte's fire brigade, that's another matter, we'll thunder into the cannons. Otherwise, as if on purpose, this can only tease us. Archduke Charles does nothing, Archduke Ferdinand is covered in shame. You abandon Vienna, you no longer defend it, comme si vous nous disiez: [as if you told us:] God is with us, and God is with you, with your capital. One general whom we all loved, Shmit: you bring him under the bullet and congratulate us on the victory!... Agree that it is impossible to think of anything more irritating than the news you bring. C'est comme un fait expres, comme un fait expres. [It’s as if on purpose, as if on purpose.] Besides, well, if you had definitely won a brilliant victory, even if Archduke Charles had won, what would it have changed in the general course of affairs? It is too late now that Vienna is occupied by French troops. -How busy are you? Is Vienna busy? “Not only is she busy, but Bonaparte is in Schönbrunn, and the count, our dear Count Vrbna, goes to him for orders.” Bolkonsky, after the fatigue and impressions of the journey, the reception, and especially after dinner, felt that he did not understand the full meaning of the words he heard. “Count Lichtenfels was here this morning,” Bilibin continued, “and showed me a letter in which the French parade in Vienna is described in detail. Le prince Murat et tout le tremblement... [Prince Murat and all that...] You see that your victory is not very joyful, and that you cannot be accepted as a savior... - Really, it doesn’t matter to me, it doesn’t matter at all! - said Prince Andrei, beginning to understand that his news about the battle of Krems really had little importance in view of such events as the occupation of the capital of Austria. - How was Vienna taken? What about the bridge and the famous tete de pont [bridge fortification] and Prince Auersperg? “We had rumors that Prince Auersperg was defending Vienna,” he said. “Prince Auersperg stands on this, our side, and protects us; I think it protects very poorly, but it still protects. And Vienna is on the other side. No, the bridge has not yet been taken and, I hope, will not be taken, because it is mined and they have ordered it to be blown up. Otherwise, we would have been in the mountains of Bohemia long ago, and you and your army would have spent a bad quarter of an hour between two fires. “But this still does not mean that the campaign is over,” said Prince Andrei. - And I think it’s over. And so the big caps here think, but they don’t dare say it. It will be what I said at the beginning of the campaign, that it is not your echauffouree de Durenstein, [the Durenstein skirmish] that gunpowder will decide the matter, but those who invented it,” said Bilibin, repeating one of his mots [words], loosening his skin on the forehead and pausing. – The only question is what the Berlin meeting of Emperor Alexander with the Prussian king will say. If Prussia enters into an alliance, on forcera la main a l'Autriche, [they will force Austria] and there will be war. If not, then the only question is to agree on where to draw up the initial articles of the new Campo Formio. [Campo Formio.] - But what extraordinary genius! - Prince Andrei suddenly cried out, squeezing his small hand and hitting the table with it. - And what happiness is this man! - Buonaparte? [Buonaparte?] - Bilibin said questioningly, wrinkling his forehead and thereby making it felt that now there would be an un mot [word]. - Bu onaparte? - he said, emphasizing especially the u. “I think, however, that now that he is enacting the laws of Austria from Schönbrunn, il faut lui faire grace de l'u. [we need to rid him of i.] I decisively make an innovation and call it Bonaparte tout court [simply Bonaparte]. “No, no joke,” said Prince Andrei, “do you really think that the campaign is over?” - That's what I think. Austria was left in the cold, and she was not used to it. And she will pay back. And she remained a fool because, firstly, the provinces were ruined (on dit, le Orthodox est terrible pour le pillage), [they say that the Orthodox is terrible in terms of robberies,] the army was defeated, the capital was taken, and all this pour les beaux yeux du [for the sake of beautiful eyes,] Sardinian Majesty. And therefore - entre nous, mon cher [between us, my dear] - I instinctively hear that we are being deceived, I instinctively hear relations with France and projects for peace, a secret peace, separately concluded. – This can’t be! - said Prince Andrei, - that would be too disgusting. “Qui vivra verra, [We’ll wait and see,”] said Bilibin, unraveling his skin again as a sign of the end of the conversation. When Prince Andrei came to the room prepared for him and lay down in clean linen on down jackets and fragrant heated pillows, he felt that the battle about which he had brought news was far, far away from him. The Prussian Union, the betrayal of Austria, the new triumph of Bonaparte, the exit and parade, and the reception of Emperor Franz for the next day occupied him. He closed his eyes, but at the same moment the cannonade, gunfire, the sound of carriage wheels crackled in his ears, and then again the musketeers stretched out like a thread were descending from the mountain, and the French were shooting, and he felt his heart shudder, and he rode forward next to Shmit, and bullets whistle merrily around him, and he experiences that feeling of tenfold joy in life, which he has not experienced since childhood. He woke up... “Yes, it all happened!..” he said, smiling happily, childishly to himself, and fell asleep in a deep, young sleep. The next day he woke up late. Renewing the impressions of the past, he remembered first of all that today he had to introduce himself to Emperor Franz, he remembered the Minister of War, the courteous Austrian adjutant, Bilibin and the conversation of yesterday evening. Dressed in full dress uniform, which he had not worn for a long time, for the trip to the palace, he, fresh, lively and handsome, with his arm tied, entered Bilibin’s office. There were four gentlemen of the diplomatic corps in the office. Bolkonsky was familiar with Prince Ippolit Kuragin, who was the secretary of the embassy; Bilibin introduced him to others. The gentlemen who visited Bilibin, secular, young, rich and cheerful people, formed a separate circle both in Vienna and here, which Bilibin, who was the head of this circle, called ours, les nftres. This circle, which consisted almost exclusively of diplomats, apparently had its own interests that had nothing to do with war and politics, interests of high society, relations with certain women and the clerical side of the service. These gentlemen, apparently, willingly accepted Prince Andrei into their circle as one of their own (an honor they did to few). Out of politeness, and as a subject for entering into conversation, he was asked several questions about the army and the battle, and the conversation again crumbled into inconsistent, cheerful jokes and gossip. “But it’s especially good,” said one, telling the failure of a fellow diplomat, “what’s especially good is that the chancellor directly told him that his appointment to London was a promotion, and that he should look at it that way.” Do you see his figure at the same time?... - But what’s worse, gentlemen, I give you Kuragin: the man is in misfortune, and this Don Juan, this terrible man, is taking advantage of it! Prince Hippolyte was lying in a Voltaire chair, his legs crossed over the arm. He laughed. “Parlez moi de ca, [Come on, come on,]” he said. - Oh, Don Juan! Oh snake! – voices were heard. “You don’t know, Bolkonsky,” Bilibin turned to Prince Andrei, “that all the horrors of the French army (I almost said the Russian army) are nothing compared to what this man did between women.” “La femme est la compagne de l’homme, [A woman is a man’s friend,”] said Prince Hippolyte and began to look through the lorgnette at his raised legs. Bilibin and ours burst out laughing, looking into Ippolit’s eyes. Prince Andrei saw that this Ippolit, whom he (had to admit) was almost jealous of his wife, was a buffoon in this society. “No, I must treat you to Kuragin,” Bilibin said quietly to Bolkonsky. – He is charming when he talks about politics, you need to see this importance. He sat down next to Hippolytus and, gathering folds on his forehead, began a conversation with him about politics. Prince Andrei and others surrounded both.