As I was reading through Tone 1 Resurrectional hymns for this week I came across a hymn I have never noticed before. This isn’t hard to do since there are copious numbers of hymns I have never heard before! But this one in particular was labeled “which is chanted every Sunday after the canon”. So…one would think we would hear it at some point.
The part of the service book that it is in though is one that is rarely done outside of a monastic community. It is sung/chanted after the canon of Nocturns. Nocturns literally means “of the night” and the nocturns service is usually done in the middle of the night which is why we don’t often use it in the lay setting. In fact in the Lenten Triodion it is called Midnight Office. The only time I’ve seen nocturns is for Pascha’s midnight service and then the service is so radically different that we probably omit this particular hymn.
This hymn is titled the “hymn of Gregory the Sinaite” and is prescribed to be chanted or sung every Sunday. It is beautiful! I am very grateful I came across it! And as it flows with beauty and reminders of God’s incredible love for us and His resurrection, I find it fitting to share with you today!
It is truly meet to glorify Thee, the Word of God, before Whom the cherubim tremble and quake, and Whom the hosts of heaven glorify. And with fear we glorify Christ, the Bestower of life, Who rose from the tomb on the third day.
hymn of Gregory the Sinaite
With divine songs let us all in godly manner hymn the Father, the Son and the Spirit divine, the Might in three Hypostases, the one Sovereignty and Dominion.
Whom all mortals hymn and the hosts of heaven glorify, the essential Unity in three Hypostases, Who is worshipped with faith by all.
We magnify Thee, the Godhead, the Lord of the cherubim, the incomparable divine Origin of the seraphim, the indivisible Trinity in Unity.
I worship God: the unoriginate Father, the Son Who is equally without beginning, and the Spirit. With hymns let us honor the one indivisible and unified Essence, the threefold Unity.
Shine forth Thy dazzling lightning flashes upon me, O my God in three Hypostases, Creator of all, and show me to be a splendid, luminous and immutable habitation of Thine unapproachable glory.
With fear let us glorify Christ the Bestower of life, Who ineffably became incarnate of the Virgin, for the cherubim tremble and quake before Him, and the angelic armies glorify Him.
I chose to emphasize the second to the last verse in a picture quote because it truly stood out to me. “Shine forth Thy dazzling lightning flashes upon me”!
What a lovely thought! Shine on me, O Lord, and show me to be a splendid luminous and immutable habitation of your glory!
We are asking to become a light to the world! My prayer indeed…that others may see Him in me…even just a little.
Blessed Sunday to you all! And may He shine forth His “dazzling lightning flashes upon” you that you may shine as a light to the world!
Kindler of Joy! 