Liturgical Handbook of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
Following the consecration of the Holy Gifts, at the Bishop’s commemoration of the fellow Hierarchy of the Church (‘Among the first, remember, O Lord…’), in what manner does the senior Priest commemorate the Bishop as the latter’s exclamation concludes?
Category: Hierarchical Services

Here the liturgical custom of the Church Abroad differs from what is found in other parts of the Russian Orthodox world. There are two forms of what takes place, depending on whether the service includes a serving Deacon or not:

The customary form, when the Bishop is served by both a Priest and a Deacon: While in many other places the senior Priest audibly pronounces a commemoration of the serving Bishop, in our practice the Senior Priest silently says this while the Bishop is making his commemoration of the broader Hierarchy; and after the Bishop has concluded (‘…rightly to define the word of Thy truth’), the senior Priest approaches him without making any audible exclamation, and quietly says to the Bishop, privately, ‘The Lord God remember thine episcopacy…’, while kissing the Bishop’s hand, the icon of the Theotokos on his mitre, and then his hand a second time. He then returns to his place. It is the Deacon who makes the audible commemoration of the serving Bishop in his extended prayer that takes place at precisely this point.

The form used when the Bishop is served by a Priest alone, without a Deacon: The only time that a Priest audibly pronounces the commemoration of the Bishop at this location is if he serves with a Bishop but without a Deacon. In this case, as soon as the Bishop has finished his exclamation (‘…rightly to define the word of Thy truth’), before the choir responds, the senior Priest pronounces aloud the commemoration (‘Remember, O Lord, His Grace, our Bishop, N., granting him for Thy holy Church in peace, safety, honor, health, and length of days, rightly to define the word of Thy truth’); and then, as the choir responds, he approaches the Bishop, kisses his hand, the icon of the Theotokos on his mitre, and then his hand a second time. He then returns to his place.

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This is a sample entry from our Liturgical Handbook of the practices of the Church Abroad, which is available in paperback and in e-Books format for Kindle, smartphones and other devices. Please see the Table of Contents for a complete listing of the more than 150 entries on aspects of liturgical service in the Church Abroad, organised thematically for quick reference or for detailed study. Or, you can obtain the full paperback or eBook now, for reference at any time on your e-reader, smartphone, tablet or other device: