May 27, 1999
The Pious Priests and Deacons
of the Holy Diocese of
Denver
Beloved in the Lord,
As I routinely visit the parishes of the Diocese, there are a number of liturgical inconsistencies that I note and which I bring to the attention of all of us.
First and foremost, it is important that we who confess a common Orthodox faith express it in the same way from parish to parish. For this reason, I distributed to each of your parishes in 1993 a standard translation of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed which is the only English version that is to be used in our parishes. If your parish needs additional copies of the two-color laminated version, please contact the Diocese Office.
I similarly prepared and distributed to each of you a standard translation of the Paschal Homily of Saint John Chrysostom; I have asked you annually to use only this version during the Resurrection Liturgy.
In conjunction with this, I sent my Protocol 97-6, dated 17 February 1997, to each of you. This Protocol provided detailed rubrical instructions, and standard phraseology to be used during all services throughout the Diocese of Denver. These rubrics are not optional; yet, I many times hear phrases in the petitions and ekphoneses that are not in keeping with my guidelines to you and which in some cases are heretical. The final section of that Protocol provided clear instructions as to how the various common hymnals and service books that you use in the parishes are to be corrected. If you have not done so already, please correct and standardize these books and usage.
Some of you are not celebrating the Orthros on Sundays as well as on Weekdays. You are urged to procure the Orthros books from Father Spencer Kezios for Sundays and Feastdays, as well as the Vespers book for feastdays.
Several years ago I reminded the choirs that when the Thrice-Holy hymn is sung, such as during the Doxology and in the Liturgy, the words "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal" are to be repeated three times, not twice as some have done.
Finally, let me say that the Prayers during the Divine Liturgy are not to be omitted or abbreviated. Admittedly, the priest will sometimes feel rushed, but the prayers can be said devoutly and properly even if the choir or the chanter must wait. Your chanters and choir should be sensitive enough to prolong the responses. They must remember that they are not performing a religious pageant, but are participating in worship.
One Prayer in particular that I have noticed being omitted is the one that follows the Prayer Before the Ambon which is said before the Proskomide after you reenter the Holy of Holies, which begins, "Christ our God, You are the fulfillment of the Law..." There is no reason to omit this Prayer or any other.
With Paternal Blessings,
+Metropolitan Isaiah
Presiding Hierarch
of
the Diocese of Denver