Hymn of Kassiane Reverberates Across Greece on Holy Tuesday

Detail from the Rossano Gospels, an illuminated manuscript written successful Greek during the 6th Century AD. Credit: Public domain

The Hymn of Kassiane takes halfway signifier connected Holy Tuesday successful the Orthodox Church, arsenic Greeks determination person to the extremity of Lent and the large feast of Easter Sunday.

The Gospels and Parables chosen to beryllium work connected the Tuesday starring up to Greek Easter are each meant to hole the faithful for the resurrection of Jesus connected what is the most important day for Orthodox Christians.

Firstly, the Gospel of Matthew regarding Christ’s condemnation of the Pharisees, successful which helium argues against spiritual hypocrisy, is work during Tuesday’s Matins, oregon Orthros, service.

Next comes the Parable of the Ten Virgins, 1 of the astir well-known of each Jesus’ parables. This communicative has a wide eschatological meaning, namely that we indispensable beryllium prepared for the Day of Judgment.

Page from the Rossano Gospels, an illuminated manuscript written successful Greek during the 6th Century AD. Credit: Public domain

According to the Gospel of Matthew, the 5 virgins who are prepared for the bridegroom’s accomplishment are rewarded, portion the 5 who are not prepared are disowned.

The bridal enclosure is utilized arsenic a awesome not lone for the Tomb of Christ but besides for the blessed authorities of the saved, which volition beryllium experienced connected the Day of Judgement.

Icon of St. Kassiane the Hymnographer. Public domain

The Hymn of Kassiane, the large choral enactment of Greek Orthodox Lent

This hymn, composed by Kassiane, sung each Tuesday of Holy Week successful Orthodox churches astir the world, is 1 of the galore hymns composed by 1 of the fewer women known to person written euphony during Byzantine times.

Born sometime astir 805 to 810, Kassiane (the pistillate signifier of the antheral sanction Cassius) passed distant earlier 865. She was a Byzantine abbess, poet, composer, and hymnographer.

Her astir well-known hymn, called the Doxastikon connected the Aposticha of the Bridegroom for Orthros, oregon “Hymn of Kassiane,” is ever sung connected Tuesday evening of Holy Week arsenic the astir anticipated portion of the work connected that day.

St. Kassiane wrote 50 hymns inactive sung today

She is singular for being 1 of the archetypal medieval composers whose scores are some extant and capable to beryllium interpreted by modern scholars and musicians. Approximately 50 of her hymns past today, and twenty-three of them are included successful Orthodox Church liturgical books.

Born into a salient household successful the Byzantine court, Kassiane founded a convent successful Constantinople successful 843, becoming its archetypal abbess and devoting her beingness ever aft to asceticism and the composing of liturgical works.

The student George Poulos, successful his enactment “Orthodox Saints,” says that Kassiane was not taken earnestly astatine archetypal due to the fact that of antheral domination successful this field. However, she soon established herself arsenic a hymnographer of the highest caliber.

Holy Tuesday liturgy afloat of affluent symbolism earlier Greek Easter

Lastly, the Parable of the Talents is work during the Tuesday liturgy, which has been seen arsenic an exhortation to Christians to usage their God-given gifts successful the work of the Almighty — conscionable arsenic Kassiane did.

The Parable of the Talents, according to the Gospel of Matthew, tells the communicative of a maestro who entrusts his spot to his 3 servants, and successful accordance to the abilities of each man, each servant received endowment coins, which were weights utilized arsenic currency astatine the time. One of the 3 servants received 5 talents, the 2nd servant received 2 talents, and the 3rd servant received conscionable 1 talent.

The servants were sent retired to marque usage of immoderate talents they had received. When they returned home, the maestro asked his 3 servants for an accounting of the talents with which helium had entrusted them.

The archetypal and 2nd servants explained they each enactment their talents to enactment and doubled the worth of the spot with which they had been entrusted. Each servant was duly rewarded by the master.

However, the 3rd servant had not utilized his acquisition and simply hid his talent, truthful helium was punished by his master. This is seen arsenic a cautionary communicative for each the faithful, arsenic we are called connected to marque usage of immoderate gifts we person been fixed to the top grade that we can.