Liturgical Calendar and ODS

Litugical Calendar overrides Order of Divine Services

      

Dear Fellow-ROCOR folks,

Recently, twice now I have noticed that there are inconsistencies with the ROCOR-MP sources of the rubrics for our services.  And this is aside from the fact that MP does not recognize our recent saints, like recently glorified St. Philaret of New York and our ROCOR hierarchs Anastasy/Anthony/Philaret/Vitaly.  The first time I noticed was when I heard the (phony) Surgeon Luke commemorated on a list of unmercenary healers (Nov 3/16).    I inquired and found out that list came from a source other than our true ROCOR.  

 

Another inconsistency I notice even more recently: for Dec 29/Jan 11, instead of "It is Truly Meet..."  the Liturgical Calendar calls for irmos of Canon II but the ODS calls for the irmos of Canon I.

LC overrides ODS

LC overrides ODS and also overrides ODS Vol III (which can not be had online at this time, Jan 2026).

ODS Vol. III has instruction for the more rare configurations, such as when the eve of a feast falls on a Sunday.   On those days, the LC refers us to the ODS III.  

Dec 29/Jan 11, Sunday was one of those days where the LC refers us to the ODS III.   We don't have to figure it out ourselves, since Rdr. Daniel guides us to the very page we need.  In this case pp. 104-107 when the Eve of Theophany falls on a Sunday.  

The LC 12/29, and the ODS Vol III both tell us to use the irmos of Canon II instead of "It is truly meet..." at Liturgy (home typica); while the ODS says to use the irmos of Canon I. 

Apparently these sources outside our ROCOR are not checking the LC.  Because, both Fr. David Straut (ROCOR-MP) and Sbn. Paul Daniels (Etna) missed it.  

This just so proves where the Spirit of the Church resides.  The Protestants can not run off with our Bible and have a church.  The super-correct can not run off with our canons and have the Church.  And now, see, the ROCOR-MP can not run off with our ODS and have services that are in alignment with the Heavenly Church.

Another factor is the melody for this irmos in question — irmoi of the Nativity Canons.  Both Canon I and Canon II the irmoi are in tone 2; this is indicated in the menaion.  But what is not indicated in the menaion, is that the tone 2 melody for Canon I is the familiar ("Christ is Born..."), and the tone 2 melody for Canon II is the familiar ("It is the Day of Resurrection...").  The only way I knew this is because of sheet music I saved from years ago that was/is still published on the St. Louis Music website. 

The pair of these melodies is an important detail.  Because the two melodies together like this point to the earthly birth and earthly death of Christ.  On another scale, this is the Creation of the world and the End of Times.  The melodies put together speak to our souls; because western music, base as it is, speaks to the western soul.

Whether we are putting together a service for our parish church or for our home icon corner, it is the same.  The home is a little chirch.

I think the only way to prevent calendar deviations is to only stick to our old original sources, and not get lazy and just trust neo-stuff that comes out of ROCOR-MP.  ROCOR-MP is now getting their direction from MP.  We want to stay in sync with each other, and we also want to stay in sync with our ancestors, with Abp. Averky Taushev, Archim. Constantine Ziatsev, Bp. Gregory Grabbe, etc.  Truly they are still very much here with us.   The services we do in church or at home, more than anything else connect us with the heavenly Church.  And these old Jordanville fathers are our connection/link to the heavenly Church. 

love in Christ,
Joanna

p.s. 
Links  (not activated on purpose)
https://tinyurl.com/LiturgicalCalendar2026
https://music.russianorthodox-stl.org
https://myrrh-bearers.org/home.htm
https://vigilservicetexts.groups.io/g/main/topics
https://ponomar.net

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