The Horologion, or Časoslóv

The Horologion (Gk., "book of hours"; Slav. Časoslóv) contains the common texts of the daily cycle of services, excluding the Divine Liturgies. It often contains supplementary material such as akathists and other common services.

Contents of the Horologion

A full Horologion contains the unchanging parts of Vespers, Compline, the Midnight Office, Matins, Hours and Typika. Each edition of the Horologion usually contains additional material such as daily prayers, and a liturgical calendar. The Ruthenian Časoslóv, which is the normative Horologion for the Byzantine Catholic Church, contains:

The Book of Hours (Časoslóv)
    The service of the Midnight Office
        Midnight office on weekdays
        Midnight office on Saturday
        Midnight office on Sunday
    Morning prayers (upon rising from sleep)
    The service of Matins
        Matins on weekdays and during fasts
        The Praises (Lauds)
        Dismissals on weekdays
        Matins on Sundays and feasts
        The Praises (Lauds)
        Funeral Matins, sung on Saturday
    The service of the Hours
        First Hours
        Third Hour
        Sixth Hour
        Ninth Hour
        Typika
    The service of Vespers
        Vespers in the Great Fast
        The litija
        Prayers before and after breakfast or the noon meal
        Prayers before and after the evening meal
    The service of Compline
        Small Compline
        Great Compline
        Prayers before sleep

The Book of Canons (Kanónnik)
        Supplicatory Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos (Paraklisis)
        Akathist to our Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ
        Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos
        Service to the archangels and angels (vespers and matins propers)
        Service to Saint John the Forerunner (vespers and matins propers)
        Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos Hodigitria (She who shows the way)
        Service to the holy apostles (vespers and matins propers)
        Service to Saint Nicholas (vespers and matins propers)
        Service to the precious and life-giving Cross of Christ (vespers and matins propers)
        Service to all saints (vespers and matins propers)
        Resurrectional service in tone 6 (vespers and matins propers

Various troparia, theotokia and kontakia
    Resurrectional troparia in the eight tones, with theotokia, hypakoje, prokeimena and kontakia
       Troparia, theotokia and kontakia for the days of the week
        Theotokia and stavrotheotokia in the eight tones
        Troparia and kontakia for the various classes of saints

Troparia and kontakia for the time of the Triodion and Pentecostarion
    Troparia and kontakia from the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee to Holy Pascha
    Services of Great and Holy Pascha: Matins, Hours, and Vespers
    Troparia, kontakia, prokeimena and dismissals for the Paschal season

On the signs used in the calendar

Monthly Calendar, from September 1 through August 31
    For each day, gives the class and name of each saint commemorated, the rank of the commemoration,
    and the troparia and kontakia for the saint or feast

Prayer of Saint Ambrose, bishop of Milan
The Jesus Prayer and rules for its use
Table of Paschal dates (Julian and Gregorian calendar)

An examination shows that this book provides both a complete outline of the daily services, and enough proper material to allow it to be used as a prayer-book or "priest's breviary".

The Horologion in Church Slavonic

In 1909, the Basilian Fathers published a Časoslóv at Žovka, near L'vov. This horologion contained the same basic material as the later Ruthenian Časoslóv outlined above, but also provided the Panachida, the blessings for flowers, Paschal foods and the artos, prayers before and after Holy Communion, and Roman-style "prayers before and after the Office."

As part of the Ruthenian reform of the 1940's, a new Horologion for the Ruthenian Recension of the liturgy was published in Rome in 1950. This Horologion, entitled simply Časoslóv, is reprinted occasionally by the Vatican Polyglot Press, and can sometimes be found in used book stores.

The Horologion in English

No complete English translation of the 1950 Ruthenian Časoslóv has yet been published. However, this text has been used in the preparation of the various liturgical books published by the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great in Uniontown, and in the publications of the Metropolitan Cantor Institute.

In 1967-68, the Byzantine-Rite Franciscans of New Canaan published a two volume Horologion, now out of print.

More about: Liturgy
More about liturgical books:
Liturgikon - Horologion - Euchologion - Archieratikon - Psalter - Gospel Book - Apostol - Octoechos
Triodion - Pentecostarion - Menaion - Typikon