Orthodox believers know Saint Andrew of Crete as a great ascetic of piety and man of prayer before God. With his life, the righteous man set an example of meekness, humility and virtue. The liturgical life of the Church still preserves, perhaps, the main written work of the saint - the Great penitential canon.
First week of Lent
The Great Penitential Canon is an outstanding liturgical work, composed of 250 penitential troparions, reflecting the prayerful appeal of a sinner to God with sincere repentance. The texts of the canon’s prayers contain biblical Old Testament prototypes that show the full depth of man’s possible sinfulness.
The reading of this canon is prescribed by the Church during the holy Great Lent. On the first week of Pentecost (the first four days) this canon is read by the priest during evening service. The priest reads the canon in the center of the church at the beginning of Lenten Compline. Between the troparia the works are placed prostrations.
The entire liturgical work of St. Andrew of Crete during the first week of Lent is divided into four parts.
Thursday of the fifth week of Lent
During the Lenten service, the penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read out in full in the church on Thursday of the fifth week of Pentecost, when the Church honors the memory of the saint Venerable Mary Egyptian. Taking into account the fact that the liturgical day begins on the evening before the event, the penitential canon is read at Matins on Thursday on Wednesday evening of the fifth week.
The service of this day received a special name - St. Mary’s Standing. When the Church honors the outstanding penitential deed of St. Mary of Egypt, the Great Canon of St. Andrew is perfectly suited for a person’s prayerful repentance of his sins.
At Great Compline on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the first week, the Great Penitential Canon, or as it is also called, the touching canon, is sung and read in parts, and at Matins on Thursday of the fifth week of the same Lent. It has been read during Lenten services in churches for almost 1200 years and is perceived by believers in the same way as when it was written by the venerable songwriter. “The mystagogue of repentance,” that is, the one who carefully teaches, reveals the secrets of repentance—this is what the Orthodox Church calls Saint Andrew, who compiled this canon.
The Great Canon consists of 250 troparia, and is called great not only because of its unusual a large number poems, but also by inner dignity, by the height of thoughts and the power of their expression. In it we contemplate the events described by the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments in spiritual light. In the troparia of the canon, the characters of sacred history either present us with high examples of holy life, or, with examples of their deep fall, encourage us to strict sobriety. The mind of a person listening to this canon sees in it the lofty spiritual truths realized in the lives of the Old Testament patriarchs, judges, kings and prophets, and is taught by them in gospel parables, and the heart, thirsting for salvation, is either struck by deep sorrow for sins, or delighted by persistent trust in God, who is always ready to accept a sinner.
You can't teach what you can't do yourself. Saint Andrew's repentance is deep and sincere. One thought runs through the entire canon, repeated in all his songs: “Man has sinned more than all others, only one has sinned against You, (Lord), but have mercy and be merciful to me, for You are Compassionate.” “Compassionate” means merciful and merciful, like a Mother, who, as if with her whole womb, with her whole being, takes pity on the child and loves him with all her heart. How closer person to God, the more he sees his sins. Saint Andrew of Crete teaches us this in his canon.
The entire Old Testament appears before us in the troparia of the canon, as a school of repentance. Showing the virtues and deeds of the saints, the saint does not forget about evil and cruel deeds, encouraging us to imitate the good and turn away from the evil. But the Great Canon contains not only examples from Holy Scripture, there is also exhortation to the soul, reasoning, prayer. It’s as if an elder, filled with compassion and love, takes us by the hand and leads us into his cell to talk with us, tell us, share his experience, and, together with us, humbly and fervently pray.
Why does the Holy Church offer us these particular hymns in the first days of Great Lent? Because fasting is a time of repentance and purification, and the entire canon of St. Andrew is aimed at awakening human soul from sinful sleep, to reveal to her the harmfulness of the sinful state, to encourage her to strict self-examination, self-condemnation and repentance, to turn away from sins and to correct her life.
The creator of this Great Canon, so beloved by Orthodox people, the Monk Andrew, Archbishop of Crete, was born in the city of Damascus around 660 into the family of pious Christians George and Gregory. From the evidence of early childhood The saint is known that until the age of seven he was considered dumb, because until that time he had not uttered a single word. When, upon reaching the age of seven, he received communion in the Church of the Divine Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ, his dumbness was resolved and he began to speak. After that miracle revealed parents gave their child to comprehend the wisdom of divine books. In the fourteenth year of his life, Saint Andrew was brought by his parents to Jerusalem to serve God in the monastery of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher. Upon his tonsure as a monk, Saint Andrew was appointed a notary, that is, secretary, of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, as a very reasonable person. He led a virtuous life, striving in chastity, abstinence and meekness, so that even he himself marveled at him. Patriarch of Jerusalem. After 681, when meetings of the Sixth Ecumenical Council took place in Constantinople, Saint Andrew, who was then in the rank of archdeacon, together with two elder monks, was sent to the Byzantine capital on behalf of his patriarch to present to the emperor documents confirming full agreement with the decisions of the Council the entirety of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, which was then under the Muslim yoke.
After the end of the Council, the elder monks returned back to Jerusalem, and Andrei, having become famous for his book wisdom and deep knowledge of the dogmas of the Church, to the emperor and the holy fathers, was left in Constantinople, forever receiving the nickname “Jerusalemite”, i.e. “Jerusalemite” .
In the capital of the Empire, he received obedience to head the Orphanage under Great Church Saint Sophia with admission to the clergy of the main temple of Byzantium.
For 20 years he served as a deacon and worked in the Orphanage, showing due care and concern. Here, in Constantinople, he began to compose his wondrous hymns, with which he richly adorned the liturgical heritage of the Holy Church.
After twenty years of diaconal service, Saint Andrew was ordained to the rank of bishop and appointed to the most distant see of the empire - the island of Crete, where for his diligent labors he was awarded the title of archbishop. Here he was a lamp to the world, enlightening Christ's Church inspired teaching and virtuous life. The holy shepherd of Crete built churches of God, as well as homes for orphans and the elderly. For his flock he was loving father, tirelessly preaching and, with his prayers, repelling all misfortunes and adversities, and for heretics he was an adamant accuser and a thunderstorm. Saint Andrew did not abandon his work on composing church hymns.
Several times the saint, leaving Crete, visited Constantinople, where he saw the patriarch and the emperor, as well as people close to him. There he spoke out in defense of the holy icons when iconoclasm began in Byzantium. On his last visit to the capital, Saint Andrew, sensing the approach of his imminent death, said goodbye to his friends. On the way to Crete he became very ill. Serious illness forced him to stop on the island of Mytilene in the town of Eresso, where the saint died on July 4 around 740. On this same day, the Holy Church commemorates him to this day.
Saint Andrew of Crete was the first to write liturgical canons. His pen includes the canons for all the twelve holidays (except for the Entry into the Temple Holy Mother of God, because in his time this holiday was not celebrated separately). The Lenten service, in addition to the Great Canon, was also decorated with other creations of the holy hymnographer. The canons of the Week of Vai, the three canticles of all days of Holy Week, including Great Friday, have been preserved in the manuscripts. On Holy Saturday, the Four Songs of St. Andrew was performed, to which later the Four Songs and Canons of St. were added. Cosmas of Mayum, nun Cassia, Bishop Mark of Otranto. In terms of the number of original melodies, Saint Andrew surpasses even such a great hymn writer as Rev. John Damascene. When composing the Octoechos, Saint John introduced into it the irmos and melodies of Saint Andrew of Crete.
The Great Canon of Andrei Kritsky (video story by Ivan Dyachenko):
Law of God Canon of St. Andrew of Crete
If we come to the church in the evening on one of the first four days of Lent, many will be struck by an unusual picture: it is dark in the church, people stand with burning candles, the stern and solemn voice of the priest sounds... This is the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete being read.
At the very beginning of Great Lent, as the initial tone that defines the entire Lenten melody, the Holy Church offers us the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrey Kritsky. It is divided into four parts and is read during Great Compline, in the evening, on the first four days of Lent. It can be described as a repentant cry, revealing to us all the immensity, the whole abyss of sin, shaking the soul with despair, repentance and hope.
The reading of the Great Penitential Canon in the first week of Great Lent in our church takes place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 17:00
In the fifth week of Lent on Thursday (Wednesday at 16:00)
In many parishes, it is customary not only to listen to the text of the canon, but, in order to better understand, to follow the reading on paper.
For those who are going to go to the Canon after work and do not have a printed text with them, we have prepared a Russian-Slavic parallel text, which can be easily print on a printer.
(The most convenient way to do this is in “print mode” by clicking the corresponding link under the publication title).
Penitential canon Andrei of Kritsky, Monday. Read by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. 2009:
Penitential Canon Andrei of Crete, Tuesday. Read by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. 2009:
Penitential canon Andrei of Kritsky, Wednesday. Read by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. 2009:
Penitential canon Andrei of Crete, Thursday. Read by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. 2009:
On the evening of Thursday of the first week of Great Lent, the reading of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrei of Kritsky... But do not rush to put the book aside: before it sounds again in the 5th week of Lent, now in its entirety, look, read this amazing text again, penetrate the very language of the canon.
The Great Penitential Canon of Andrew of Crete is read in the first four days of Great Lent, one part at a time. The entire creation is read in the seventh week. The canon teaches people to repent. Accept your sins and learn to fight them. This scripture also instructs us to follow the example of pure and selfless people.
About Andrey Kritsky
The Monk Andrew was born sometime in the 660s AD, in the city of Damascus. Legends say that until the age of seven the child could not speak. Andrei's parents were believers and often attended church. Once, during communion, it descended on Kritsky God's blessing and he spoke. After this miracle, Andrei's parents sent him to study the basics of religion.
When the guy turned 14 years old, he was transferred to serve in Jerusalem, to the Monastery of the Holy Sepulchre. Andrey was a very versatile young man, so he was immediately identified as a notary.
Then Andrei moved to Constantinople, where he served in an orphanage as a deacon for 20 years. In the same city he began to write his chants, which are still widely used today. Orthodox Church.
After this, the future saint was sent to the island of Crete as a bishop. There he faithfully served the church, guiding heretics to the true path and giving support to believers. Andrei built several orphanages and churches in Crete. For his faithful service he received the rank of archbishop. In 1740, the monk died on his way from Constantinople to the island of Crete.
About the canons
Andrei Kritsky was the first to write canons instead of kontakions. The saint has hymns for all major holidays: Christmas, Easter, Palm Sunday and others. Many of them are also used in modern liturgical menaia. The canons are closely related to the "biblical songs". The structure of this chant is next view. First comes the irmos, which is the connecting chain between the biblical song and the content of the canon. Next come the troparia. They are sung alternately with songs. The most outstanding creation, undoubtedly, is the great canon of St. Andrew of Crete. He teaches us repentance. The best thing is with the Lord Lent when the canon of Andrei Kritsky is read.
In his canon, Andrew briefly touches on the entire Bible. From the 1st to the 8th song this is the Old Testament, after that it is the New. Andrey evaluates each story of the biblical characters in the canon from the point of view of human morality. If this is a bad deed, then he talks about its sinfulness, and if it is good, then he declares that one should strive for this. The author hints to us that we can save our soul when we renounce our vices and strive for virtue.
Song 1
In the first song, the canon of Andrei Kritsky talks about original sin. Eve gave in to Satan's temptation and gave the apple to Adam. He, in turn, was seduced by power and tried it. In this song, Andrei says that we are all sinners, and if the Lord punished Adam and Eve for breaking one commandment, then how will he punish us, who violate almost all of them. We can only repent and ask God for forgiveness.
Song 2
In the second song, the great canon of Andrei Kritsky talks about how we all succumbed to carnal consolation. First, they pulled on their clothes, ashamed of their naked body, which was created in the likeness of the Lord. Secondly, they put physical pleasure and beauty at the forefront, not mental beauty. Even in this song of the great canon of Andrei Kritsky it is said that we are subject to all earthly passions and, unfortunately, we do not want to fight them. For all these sins we must sincerely ask God to forgive us. The main thing is to understand your bad deeds yourself and strive to get rid of them.
Song 3
In it, the great penitential canon of Andrew of Crete tells how the Lord could not stand the outrage that was happening in Sodom and burned the city. Only one righteous man, Lot, managed to escape. Andrei calls on every person to renounce the pleasures of Sodom and quickly run away. The sins of this city haunt us every day, tempting us to repeat them, I think many succumb. But the main thing is to stop and think about what awaits us in the future. What kind of life will we have after the sodomy entertainments?
Song 4
It states that laziness is great sin. If a person, like a vegetable, moves forward without realizing himself and the world, then its end will be appropriate. The patriarch in the song worked day and night to have two wives. One of them meant hard work, and the other meant intelligence. Through this combination we can improve our contemplation and our activities.
Song 5
The penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete tells about Saint Joseph, who was betrayed by his brothers and his beloved and sold into slavery. He endured everything calmly and was not angry at his fate. Andrei says that each of us can betray our neighbor. But the trouble is that every day we betray ourselves and our soul. Without enduring any disasters, we violate the Lord’s commandments and don’t even think about it.
Song 6
Andrey in this song calls on humanity to take the true path. Do not turn away from the Lord, like some historical characters. And to believe that just as God, by the hand of Moses, delivered the sick from leprosy, so He can forgive our soul for its sins.
Song 7
In the seventh canon, the canon of St. Andrew of Crete says that no matter what grave sins a person has committed, if he sincerely repents, he will be forgiven. Otherwise, the Lord's punishment will be great. You need to pray to God in his three guises and the Mother of God with repentance and a request for forgiveness.
Song 8
Andrew narrates that our Lord gives to everyone according to his deserts. If a person lived righteously, he will ascend to heaven like Elijah in his chariot. Or in life he will receive the support of God, like Elisha did for the division of the Jordan River. If you live in sin, like Gehazi, then your soul will burn in
Song 9
In this song, the great canon of Andrew of Crete says that people have forgotten the ten commandments of God, engraved on the tablets by Moses. They do not attach themselves to the writings of the Gospel. Once upon a time Jesus came into our world to save us. He blessed babies and old people, because some had not yet had time to repent of their sins, while others could no longer do so. If a person is of sound mind, then he himself must ask the Lord for forgiveness.
Songs read on Tuesday of Lent.
It tells how Cain killed his brother out of jealousy. Andrei asks to live his life righteously, without thinking about who and what the Lord gave. If a person lives according to God’s commandments, then grace will soon come to him. We must strive to be like Abel, who with a pure soul brought his gifts to the Lord.
Song 2
Calls on people to repent of rejecting spiritual wealth and attaching importance only to material things. In the pursuit of clothes and other benefits, they completely forgot to pray to the Lord. We forget that a mentally rich person will be much happier.
This song from the canon of Andrei of Crete calls for living like Noah, to whom alone the Lord gave a chance to be saved. Or like Lot, the only survivor of Sodom. Because if we sin, then the fate of the people in the flood will befall us.
There is power in knowledge. You need to strive to see God in yourself, and a staircase to heaven will be built, like the patriarchs. We are in Everyday life We imitate Esau, who hates everyone. We must live in love and harmony.
Just as the entire Jewish people lived in Egyptian slavery, so our soul lives all the time in sin. We need to have the courage to end slavery. Even if at first we need to suffer, then in the end we will acquire true freedom of spirit. Then life will become much easier and more enjoyable.
Continues to talk about the adventures of Moses, who sought to lead the people out of Egyptian slavery. People do not have much faith to endure a little wandering in the name of a good goal. So we need everything at the same time. We need to believe in the Lord and ask for forgiveness, and then we can free our souls from the slavery of sins.
The song of the great canon of St. Andrew of Crete tells how we repeat the sins and addictions of biblical characters, but do not have the strength and desire to follow the great martyrs. Our body indulges in sinful acts such as adultery without thinking about the consequences for the soul.
The eighth song tells about people who were able to find the strength to repent and accept the Lord into their souls. So Andrei calls us to renounce past life sinner and go towards God. At the end of the eighth song the conclusion is summed up Old Testament- we must not repeat the sins of biblical characters and strive to live like the righteous of this Holy Scripture.
In the ninth canon, the canon of St. Andrew of Crete gives comparisons from Just as Jesus resisted the temptation of Satan in the desert, so we must fight all temptations. Christ began to work miracles on earth, thereby showing that everything in this world is possible. The main thing is to believe and live according to the covenants of the Lord, and then our soul can be saved on the day of judgment.
Wednesday
On Wednesday, 9 songs are also read. Since the first days of the creation of the world, there have been people who glorified the Lord our God with their deeds. Andrew calls on people to repent of their sins and become like those saints in everyday life. Glorify the name of the Lord by doing deeds worthy of him. Also remembered in the songs are the great sinners who turned away from God and gave preference to material benefits or were tempted to try the Forbidden fruit. The Lord punished them as they deserved for their deeds. Likewise, after death, our soul awaits the day of judgment, on which we will not be able to lie, we will not be able to hide our atrocities with some imaginary excuses. Therefore, Andrei calls us to repent during our lifetime, ask the Lord for forgiveness of sins and strive to change our actions for the better. Learn to resist temptations. There's nothing complicated about it. Just by remaining human, you will see that most of the Lord’s covenants indicate to live without envy and gluttony, without betrayal and the desire to receive someone else’s.
Thursday
On this day of Great Lent it is read the last part canon. As in previous songs, virtues are sung here and the sins of mankind that have been committed over the centuries are condemned. Also in this part they appeal to the Lord, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary with a request to forgive sins and give them the opportunity to repent.
The canon also teaches to admit one’s mistakes and not to look for blame for bad life in others. Accept your sinfulness as a proven fact. But that doesn't mean you should put up with it. On the contrary, admitting guilt is the first step towards forgiveness. If we stop now, we have a chance of eternal life after death.
It is when the canon of Andrew of Crete is read, during Great Lent, that we have the opportunity to realize our sins and begin new life. A life that will please God. Then humanity will be able to feel grace, peace and await the day of judgment with a calm soul.
At Great Compline Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the first week is sung and read in parts, and on Matins on Thursday of the fifth week of the same fast the Great Penitential Canon, or as it is also called, the touching canon, is read in full. It has been read during Lenten services in churches for almost 1200 years and is perceived by believers in the same way as when it was written by the venerable songwriter. “The mystagogue of repentance,” that is, the one who carefully teaches, reveals the secrets of repentance - this is what the Orthodox Church calls Saint Andrew, who compiled this canon.
Holy Venerable Andrew of Crete
The Great Canon consists of 250 troparia, and is called great not only by the unusually large number of verses, but also by its inner dignity, by the height of its thoughts and the power of their expression. In it we contemplate the events described by the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments in spiritual light. In the troparia of the canon, the characters of sacred history either present us with high examples of holy life, or, with examples of their deep fall, encourage us to strict sobriety. The mind of a person listening to this canon sees in it the lofty spiritual truths realized in the lives of the Old Testament patriarchs, judges, kings and prophets, is taught by them in the Gospel parables, and the heart, thirsting for salvation, is either struck by deep sorrow for sins, or delighted with persistent hope in God, always ready to accept the sinner.
You can't teach what you can't do yourself. Saint Andrew's repentance is deep and sincere. One thought runs through the entire canon, repeated in all his songs: “Man has sinned more than all others, only one has sinned against You, (Lord), but have mercy and be merciful to me, for You are Compassionate.” “Compassionate” means merciful and merciful, just like a Mother, who, as if with her whole womb, with her whole being, takes pity on the child and loves him with all her heart. The closer a person is to God, the more he sees his sins. Saint Andrew of Crete teaches us this in his canon.
The entire Old Testament appears before us in the troparia of the canon, as a school of repentance. Showing the virtues and deeds of the saints, the saint does not forget about evil and cruel deeds, encouraging us to imitate the good and turn away from the evil. But in the Great Canon there are not only examples from the Holy Scriptures, there are also admonitions to the soul, reasoning, and prayers. It’s as if an elder, filled with compassion and love, takes us by the hand and leads us into his cell to talk with us, tell us, share his experience, and, together with us, humbly and fervently pray.
Why does the Holy Church offer us these particular hymns in the first days of Great Lent? Because fasting is a time of repentance and purification, and the entire canon of St. Andrew is aimed at awakening the human soul from sinful sleep, revealing to it the destructiveness of the sinful state, inducing it to strict self-examination, self-condemnation and repentance, to aversion from sins and to improve your life.
If we come to the church in the evening on one of the first four days of Lent, many will be struck by an unusual picture: it is dark in the church, people stand with burning candles, the stern and solemn voice of the priest sounds... This is the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete being read.
At the very beginning of Great Lent, as the initial tone that defines the entire Lenten melody, the Holy Church offers us the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrey Kritsky. It is divided into four parts and is read during Great Compline, in the evening, on the first four days of Lent. It can be described as a repentant cry, revealing to us all the immensity, the whole abyss of sin, shaking the soul with despair, repentance and hope.
The reading of the Great Penitential Canon in the first week of Great Lent in our church takes place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 17:00
In many parishes, it is customary not only to listen to the text of the canon, but, in order to better understand, to follow the reading on paper.
For those who are going to go to the Canon after work and do not have a printed text with them, we have prepared a Russian-Slavic parallel text that can be easily print on a printer.
REPENTANCE CANON OF ANDREW OF CRETE, MONDAY. READ BY THE HOLY PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL Rus' KIRILL. 2009
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REPENTANCE CANON OF ANDREW OF CRETE, TUESDAY. READ BY THE HOLY PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL Rus' KIRILL. 2009.
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REPENTANCE CANON OF ANDREW OF CRETE, WEDNESDAY. READ BY THE HOLY PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL Rus' KIRILL. 2009
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REPENTANCE CANON OF ANDREW OF CRETE, THURSDAY. READ BY THE HOLY PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL Rus' KIRILL. 2009
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The creator of this Great Canon, so beloved by Orthodox people, the Monk Andrew, Archbishop of Crete, was born in the city of Damascus around 660 into the family of pious Christians George and Gregory.
Venerable Andrew of Crete
From evidence about the saint’s early childhood it is known that until the age of seven he was considered dumb, because until that time he had not uttered a single word. When, upon reaching the age of seven, he received communion in the Church of the Divine Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ, his dumbness was resolved and he began to speak. After this miracle, the parents gave their child to comprehend the wisdom of divine books. In the fourteenth year of his life, Saint Andrew was brought by his parents to Jerusalem to serve God in the monastery of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher. Upon his tonsure as a monk, Saint Andrew was appointed a notary, that is, secretary, of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, as a very reasonable person. He led a virtuous life, striving in chastity, abstinence and meekness, so that even the Patriarch of Jerusalem himself marveled at him. After 681, when meetings of the Sixth Ecumenical Council took place in Constantinople, Saint Andrew, who was then in the rank of archdeacon, together with two elder monks, was sent to the Byzantine capital on behalf of his patriarch to present to the emperor documents confirming full agreement with the decisions of the Council the entirety of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, which was then under the Muslim yoke.
After the end of the Council, the elder monks returned back to Jerusalem, and Andrei, having become famous for his book wisdom and deep knowledge of the dogmas of the Church, to the emperor and the holy fathers, was left in Constantinople, forever receiving the nickname “Jerusalemite”, i.e. “Jerusalemite” .
In the capital of the Empire, he received obedience to head the Home for Orphans at the Great Church of Hagia Sophia with enrollment in the clergy of the main temple of Byzantium.
For 20 years he served as a deacon and worked in the Orphanage, showing due care and concern. Here, in Constantinople, he began to compose his wondrous hymns, with which he richly adorned the liturgical heritage of the Holy Church.
After twenty years of diaconal service, Saint Andrew was ordained to the rank of bishop and appointed to the most distant see of the empire - the island of Crete, where for his diligent labors he was awarded the title of archbishop. Here he was a lamp to the world, enlightening the Church of Christ with inspired teaching and virtuous life. The holy shepherd of Crete built churches of God, as well as homes for orphans and the elderly. For his flock, he was a loving father, tirelessly preaching and, with his prayers, repelling all misfortunes and adversities, and for heretics he was an adamant accuser and thunderstorm. Saint Andrew did not abandon his work on composing church hymns.
Several times the saint, leaving Crete, visited Constantinople, where he saw the patriarch and the emperor, as well as people close to him. There he spoke out in defense of the holy icons when iconoclasm began in Byzantium. On his last visit to the capital, Saint Andrew, sensing the approach of his imminent death, said goodbye to his friends. On the way to Crete he became very ill. A serious illness forced him to stop on the island of Mytilene in the town of Eresso, where the saint died on July 4 around 740. On this same day, the Holy Church commemorates him to this day.
Saint Andrew of Crete was the first to write liturgical canons. The canons for all the twelve feasts belong to his pen (except for the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, since in his time this holiday was not celebrated separately). The Lenten service, in addition to the Great Canon, was also decorated with other creations of the holy hymnographer. The canons of the Week of Vai, the three canticles of all days of Holy Week, including Great Friday, have been preserved in the manuscripts. On Holy Saturday, the Four Songs of St. Andrew was performed, to which later the Four Songs and Canons of St. were added. Cosmas of Mayum, nun Cassia, Bishop Mark of Otranto. In terms of the number of original melodies, St. Andrew surpasses even such a great hymn writer as St. John of Damascus. When composing the Octoechos, Saint John introduced into it the irmos and melodies of Saint Andrew of Crete.
With the first spring month, when nature is preparing for awakening, the Orthodox Church ends the series winter holidays and prepares Christians for fasting. The warmth of the coming spring reminds us of true joy for the soul - cleansing through repentance. To make it more convenient to turn thoughts from the earthly to the heavenly, in the first week of Lent, during the evening church service, believers are invited to read the Canon of Andrew of Crete.
Life of St. Andrew
Lent, which precedes Easter, exists in its current form (40 days + Holy Week) with 4 in n. e. Until this time, its duration ranged from 12 hours to 1 week, depending on the traditions of local churches. The Roman Christians were the first to establish a 40-day fast. Then, around the 5th century, the pious tradition of long preparation for Easter was enshrined in the Apostolic Canons. The main goal Great Lent was about repentance and preparing the soul for the meeting of Christ's Resurrection.
Divine services in those days consisted mainly of the psalms of David. Gradually, the works of church poets and hymn writers were introduced into use. Bishops and monks were involved in compiling the texts , carefully checking what is written with the teachings of the Church.
One of the most educated and pious hymn-bishops in the 7th century was St. Andrew of Crete. He was born in Damascus, but at the age of 14 he retired to a Palestinian monastery. Soon the Mohammedans took possession of Palestine, and the only island Orthodoxy remained in Byzantium. Already known for his talents and virtues, the Monk Andrew became a secretary in the Church of Constantinople, and then a bishop on the island of Crete.
The most important act of his life was a trip to the 6th Ecumenical Council and a speech there in defense of purity Orthodox faith from one of the dangerous and insidious heresies that has struck even the highest church hierarchy. The reigning lawlessness around and the coming punishment of God in the form of Mohammedan oppression awakened in him the desire to write repentant chants that could in simple language remind believers of the dangers of sin. This is how a poetic work appeared, which later became the Great Canon, decorating the services of the first and fifth weeks of Pentecost.
In addition to the Great Canon, the Saint wrote canons to the Lord and the Mother of God for the great church holidays. A saint has died, presumably in at a young age, in 712 he remained Bishop of Christian Crete for only a short time.
Several decades later, another saint suffered from the iconoclasts in Crete - the Venerable Martyr Andrew of Crete. He should not be confused with the author of the Great Canon.
Troparion to Andrei of Crete:
You have gladdened the Church of Christ with the crown of your tongue, tenderly hymning songs, and with the theology of the Holy Trinity you have clearly spoken the glory to everyone, so we sing to you, like the secret verb, Andrew, the shepherd of Crete, and we magnify your memory, the gloriously wondrous Christ in His saints.
Structure and content of the Great Canon
Like other church hymns of this genre, the Great Canon consists of irmos and troparions, collected in 9 songs:
The Monk Andrew himself composed only troparia, a total of 210 stanzas. When these chants became part of church service, the compilers of liturgical texts divided them into songs and provided them with chants - irmos. At the same time, verses were added to them dedicated to Mary of Egypt - a model of penitential feat and the author himself, who by that time had already died and was glorified among the saints.
In the first eight songs of the Penitential Canon, the prayer is offered pictures of the Old Testament, examples of grave sins committed by the heroes are given. biblical stories. Remembering these events, the author laments his own soul, filled with even more terrible sins.
The ninth canto is entirely devoted to the events of the New Testament. The Gospel images of repentant sinners receiving forgiveness from Christ Himself are shown here. The contrite soul of the person praying again finds hope for heavenly bliss.
Selected facts from history
TO interesting facts The contents of the Canon include the following:
Russian translations and interpretations
The inspired prayer of Andrew of Crete during Lent centuries later makes one ponder its meaning. The Greek text was translated into Russian several times; there are even poetic forms. Interpretations of individual troparia and songs can be read in the work of Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev) “Lessons of Repentance.” A well-known church writer of the early 20th century explains why the Canon is called Great and its main part is devoted to Old Testament events.
In the Russian Orthodox Church the work of St. Andrew is read in Church Slavonic language. Understanding it is not difficult for a previously prepared listener. The Old Believer (pre-reform) text differs slightly from accepted by the Church, although zealots of antiquity consider these differences to be significant in meaning.
Reading in church and at home
Church traditions indicate How to correctly read the canon of Andrew of Crete in church or at home. When going to church to read the Canon, you should take care of simple things in advance:
For reading during the first week Lent each song is divided so that full text The canon is read from the first to the fourth day of fasting. On Friday, the remembrance of the Great Martyr Theodore Tiron is celebrated, whose miracles are also associated with fasting.
Compline with the reading of the Canon in the church takes place by candlelight to remind those praying of the darkness of sin into which humanity was immersed before the coming of the Savior. Burning candles in the hands of priests and parishioners symbolize purity and unceasing prayer.
After a short start of Compline, the clergy goes to the middle of the church, at which time the choir performs the first irmos, “Helper and Patron.” The same irmos is repeated at the conclusion of the song.
According to the sixth song of the Canon, the choir sings the kontakion “My Soul.” This heartfelt text was set to many chants composed by both ancient and modern authors. While singing the kontakion, priests and worshipers kneel, although this tradition is not observed everywhere.
The Church Charter prescribes three bows from the waist for each troparion of the Great Canon. To fulfill this requirement, ancient Christians prayed for several hours. Condescending to the infirmities of modern parishioners and taking care of reverent silence during services, today the Church allows us to limit ourselves to one bow for each troparion.
At the end of the reading, to the sound of the 9th Irmos of the “Semless Conception,” dedicated to the Mother of God, the clergy goes to the altar. The service does not end there; there are still several more beautiful and touching hymns to be performed by the choir, which are part of the Lenten Compline.
The Great Canon can be read at home if it is not possible to attend a service. At the same time, it is advisable to adhere church rules its execution: dress appropriately, light a candle, bow. Audio-recorded prayer is allowed. It is better to watch the video separately from the prayer, so as not to be distracted by visual images. Some people don’t find time for this, listening to the performance on headphones.
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