Old Orthodox Prayer Book

by German Ciuba (translator, editor), John Berzins (translator, editor), Pimen Simon (translator, editor)

This second edition of the Old Orthodox Prayer Book is a handsomely bound and printed, two-color, bi-lingual (Slavonic/English) book, containing the most commonly used prayers of the laity according to the Old Rite of the Russian Orthodox Church.

An instructional section explains many aspects of the Old Rite piety, including fasting, the sign of the Cross, bows, preparation for Holy Communion, the use of the prayer rope (Lestovka), and many others. A large selection of Troparia, Kontakia, morning and evening prayers, Akathists, Canons, daily hours, and more.

New to the second edition is the section containing Troparia and Kontakia of the Eight Tones, the Triodions, and the major Feasts and Saints celebrated throughout the year.

From the Preface:
The sources from which our Slavonic text was drawn, and from which the English translation was made, are liturgical and devotional books carefully cherished and used for centuries by the Russian Orthodox Old Ritualists, commonly called Old Believers. These books are part of the whole Orthodox tradition; they are none other than the very books printed and used by the whole Orthodox Church in Russia before the reforms of Patriarch Nicon in the seventeenth century. Furthermore, the Russian Orthodox Church now accepts these books as being vehicles of salvation equal to the more modern editions. Thus the Orthodox reader will find in this prayer book material with which he is, in general, familiar, but with some small variations. (page vi)

Genres: Religion

389 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful prayer book, very extensive, includes everything necessary for day to day prayer.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The prayer book contains common prayers for the laity in English and Church Slavonic from the Old Rite Russian Orthodox Christian tradition.

Contents:

* Prefaces
• Preface to 1st Edition
• Preface to 2nd Edition

* Daily Prayers
• Morning Prayers
• Prayers during the Day
• Evening Prayers

* From the Divine Services
• Vespers
• Matins
• The 1st Hour
• The Order of Forgiveness
• The 3rd Hour
• The 6th Hour
• The 9th Hour
• The Divine Liturgy

* Troparia and Kontakia
• Resurrectional Troparia of the Eight Tones
• Daily Troparia
• Troparia of the Lenten Triodion
• Troparia of the Paschal Triodion

* Canons
• Canon to Our Lord Jesus Christ
• Canon and Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God
• Supplicatory Canon to the Mother of God
• Canon the Guardian Angel
• A Longer Canon the Guardian Angel
• Canon for the Sick
• Canons for the Departed
• Canon of Pascha
• Hours of Pascha
• Moleben

* Prayers for Holy Communion
• Canon before Holy Communion
• Prayers before Holy Communion
• Prayers after Holy Communion
• Words of the Holy Fathers about Holy Communion

* Reference
• Instructional Information
• Commemorations of the Year
• Paschalion for the Years 1999 — 2099

Included are the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, morning and evening prayers, and prayers for various occasions. The canon for the departed is the best readers' service for the dead (pages 240 — 252) that I have been able to locate. I also like the Troparion to pray diligently for someone (page 29).