What considerations govern the omission of the first Vespers kathisma on vigils of certain Great Feasts: "Blazhen myzh ne poyetsya"?

1. On the feasts of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Nativity of
2. Christ, Theophany and Transfiguration, the following provisions of the
3. Typicon apply invariably:
   1. When one of the above feasts falls on a Sunday, the entire first
   2. kathisma of the Psalter is appointed at Vespers on Saturday evening.
   3. When one of the above feasts falls on a Monday, the first stasis
   4. (first antiphon) of the first kathisma of the Psalter is appointed at
   5. Vespers on Sunday evening.
   6. On all other days, there is no selection from the Psalter appointed
   7. at Vespers.
4. Since the feast of the Ascension always falls on a Thursday, there is no selection from the Psalter appointed at Vespers.
5. Since the feasts of Palm Sunday and Pentecost always fall on Sunday, the entire first kathisma of the Psalter is always appointed at Vespers on Saturday evening.
6. On the feast of the Annunciation, the following provisions apply:
   1. When the feast falls on a Sunday (except Pascha), the entire first
   2. kathisma of the Psalter is appointed at Vespers on Saturday evening.
   3. When the feast falls on a Monday (except Bright Monday), the first
   4. stasis (first antiphon) of the first kathisma of the Psalter is appointed
   5. at Vespers on Sunday evening.
   6. When the feast falls on any other day, there is no selection from
   7. the Psalter appointed at Vespers.
7. On all other great feasts of the Theotokos, the following provisions apply.
   1. When the feast falls on a Sunday, the entire first kathisma of the
   2. Psalter is appointed at Vespers on Saturday evening.
   3. On all other days, the first stasis (first antiphon) of the first
   4. kathisma of the Psalter is appointed at Vespers.
8. Here are a couple of basic rules:
   1. Generally on Sunday evenings there is no selection from the Psalter
   2. appointed. However, when a feast of polyeleos rank or higher falls on a
   3. Monday, then the first stasis (first antiphon) of the first kathisma of
   4. the Psalter is appointed on Sunday evening.
   5. The entire first kathisma is always appointed on Saturday evening
   6. throughout the year with the sole exception of Holy Saturday evening, when
   7. there is never a selection from the Psalter appointed (this is because
   8. the use of the Psalter is suspended during Bright Week).

Reader Daniel Olson
daniellector@hotmail.com

From a post to the Ustav Mailing List, Feb 2/15 2000