ADMONITION CONCERNING THE TYPIKON OF THEODORE THE STUDITE
(Ang. Mai, *Biblioth. nov.* t. IV, p. 102.) Concerning the Greek Typika, and their multitude and variety, Allatius speaks learnedly in his own way in a special treatise on the ecclesiastical books of the Greeks. Indeed, Nico specifically mentions the Studite Typikon in Cotelier, *Monum. Eccl. Gr.*, t. III, p. 440. I shall not withhold from the readers the notice of Vatican codex 1609, in which the title is inscribed in Greek and Latin: *The Typikon of Theodore the Studite*. The Typikon itself begins thus: *With God, the Typikon containing the entire order of ecclesiastical arrangement of Theodore the Studite and others.* Comparing this MS Studite Typikon with that of the Jerusalemite Saint Sabas, I found it to be much shorter. This codex was presented in the year 1585 to the Supreme Pontiff Sixtus V, when Cardinal Antonius was the protector of the Vatican Library, by a certain Francis, a protopapas of the Catholic Greeks in the city of Messina, as the inscription testifies, which runs as follows: *The Lord Francis Akk..., son of Emmanuel, chorepiscopos of Rhodes, protonotary and Catholic protopapas of Messina in Sicily, out of great zeal for the apostolic see, having gathered this book with much labor and expense from the eastern lands, offered it to the most blessed Pope Sixtus V, to be preserved in the Vatican Library, under the great keeper of the library, the most brilliant and reverend Lord Anthony Cardinal Carafa; in the year 1585.*
NOTES
A ...of the deacons standing in the likeness of angels. IV. The priest, or bishop, within the *bema* door, clothed in a white phelonion (of which the same Sophronius speaks, p. 36), praying with hands extended: after whom the deacon, adorned with a sticharion and orarion, reads. But because angels are said by the Greek liturgical writers and the Fathers (cf. Chrysostom, *On the Priesthood*, book VI, 4) to assist at this great mystery, therefore two angels have been added here by the painter, namely, as the inscriptions say: *Michael the Archangel said, "Wisdom" (that is, as Sophronius explains, p. 48, "O God"), and Gabriel, "Let us attend."* In the higher parts, Christ the Lord blessing from the cloud: *The Master said, "Peace to all."* In the same place, David with a harp, to indicate the psalmody. (Consult again Sophronius, p. 45.) V. The priest at the altar performing the liturgy, with hands spread out. A curved ceiling looms over the altar, in Greek called a *konche*, after the cave in Bethlehem, as Sophronius says, p. 32. Four *parakionia*, or columns, sustain the *konche*, in imitation of the four living creatures seen by the prophet, as the same Sophronius writes, p. 33. Fire ascending from the altar to heaven, because, B as the inscription says, *Each word of the Holy Gospel became like fire, and reached even to heaven.* Or because, as Sophronius says, p. 33, *it befits the priest to be like burning fire.* With this, St. Cyril of Alexandria agrees in wondrous words (*On Adoration in Spirit and Truth*, book XII, opp. t. I, p. 437): *It is fitting that holy men, who have consecrated their own lives to Christ, should be seen to be hot and burning in the Spirit, and this always, not falling away into coldness through worldly pleasures, but rather re-kindling the mind in holiness for the love of God and the desire for virtue.* An abbot is present, standing erect in a small throne under a lesser ceiling. Also Michael the archangel expelling the devil *into the outer fire*; to signify that men of bad conscience, and also catechumens, are to be excluded from the church and the holy mysteries, which is sufficiently gathered from the inscription. VI. The priest carrying the sacred chalice, being borne himself by angels, as the inscription says: *Angels bearing the priest with the holy things.* Again the priest at the altar, where are the chalice, the asterisk, and two burning candelabra; Michael the archangel stands by, and above, the eternal Father blessing, and two angels receiving or carrying away the prayers of men. VII. The priest at the altar with hands spread out, a deacon reading behind him. In the upper part, an exquisite painting of angels and seraphim, holding in their midst the boy Jesus, as if in a most splendid wheel. Fire (of which we spoke above) enveloping the priest, as the inscription says: *A flame of fire fell upon the priest, and the priest became a flaming, from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet.* VIII. The priest, or bishop, standing in the door of the *bema*, distributes to the sanctified and worthy the divine Eucharist taken from the chalice with a holy spoon. Those receiving do not kneel, but stand after the Greek manner. The distribution of the *Eulogia*, that is, blessed bread placed in a dish, is done by the priest outside the door of the *bema*. In the heights, the angels, imitating as it were the earthly distribution, carry the offerings of the Church to God, as the inscription says. Thus far concerning these nine beautiful and learned paintings, which are most worthy of public light.
CHRONICLE CATECHESIS. DOCTRINE OF OUR HOLY FATHER THEODORE THE STUDITE, CHRONICLE OF THE MONASTERY OF STUDIOS.
(Many indeed are the catecheses of the Studite, but this one is called the *Chronical Catechesis*.)
A Brothers and Fathers, I now endeavor to demonstrate to you all, as clearly as possible, to those who wish to live uprightly and godly, how one must observe the circular period of the year, as much as it concerns the piety of the faithful, and as much as it refers to the refutation of heretics. Good is salt, good is light; and if anyone is without these, he is blind and knows not where he goes, as our Lord said. He who sets out to build a house of Orthodoxy must lay an immovable foundation, based on the rules handed down from the divine Apostles and the God-bearing Fathers. And first of all, let us see what the sacred oracles say. The Lord said of old to the hierophant Moses: "Three times in the year you shall keep a holy fast to me, from the small to the great among you: the feast of unleavened bread in the first month; seven days you shall humble your souls, and eat the bread of affliction. Then there shall be counted to you seven weeks, B full fifty days, and you shall call it a holy, chosen day, an acceptable fast. And on the fifteenth of the middle of the year, there shall be a holy feast of tabernacles for you, and you shall humble your souls before your God; and every soul that will not be humbled shall be blotted out from among you." Hence, as it seems, three fasts are also kept among us, which those feasts foreshadowed. But what would the words, "Three times in the year you shall keep a holy fast to me, from the small to the great among you," signify among us, brothers? This would be, as I believe, a clear image of the one and only Godhead, beheld and worshipped by us, the worshippers of truth, in three Persons. Therefore, three fasts have been ordained among us C as a figure of the life-creating Trinity, from the divine disciples of the only-begotten Son of God; and again, days
A of abstinence should be kept by you within the seven days, I mean the fourth and the sixth. What, furthermore, does this signify, that "in seven days two shall be kept as holy"? As I think, it is this: in the periodic time of the seven-cycled wheel, two things are to be kept holy—the divinity and the humanity of the one and supremely united Son of God, and of his holy Mother. It appears, moreover, that the trinal type is denoted by the days in the hebdomadal cycle, just as the pure type of the Trinity is clearly honored by the faithful throughout the year.
2. The first limit of the Quadragesima. The first is indeed the feast of the Nativity of Christ itself, which is taken as a figure of the Father, insofar as he himself, being cognizant, was well pleased with the conception and birth of his Son. For this reason, forty days have been ordained, as was the fast of Moses and Elias.
3. The second limit. The second after it, which is also called the Great Quadragesima, should be a figure of the Only-begotten; which he himself also clearly demonstrated, observing it for three years after he had ascended from the baptism. And whence is this evident? Let the hearer understand with me, and observe well: the Lord clearly received baptism at the thirtieth year of his age, and in three other years suffered death; wherefore, as we have learned from those who are fully informed, he demonstrated the present fast three times in the year.
4. The third limit. The third after it, which is also preached by some of the Apostles, would also be a figure of the life-creating Spirit, who also taught the apostles everything that was revealed from the Father and the Son. The name of the three is one, the divinity, but it is acknowledged and adored in three Persons.
5. But let us proceed; the discourse B will approach the subject, and we shall assign each thing to its proper time, both in days and in weeks, and we shall state for what cause they have been ordained: let the fourth and the sixth day always be sanctified for fasting, by abstaining from cheese, fish, and oil, just as the divine Apostles and the divinely inspired Fathers after them ordained. For on the Nativity of the most pure Theotokos, and her Entry into the temple, and the other feast which is called the Hypapante, and again on the Annunciation and the divine Dormition, we use oil and fish if they happen to fall on the aforementioned days, namely on the fourth or the sixth day. C Likewise also on the Nativity of the Forerunner and the chief apostles Peter and Paul. However, we do not use fish on the feasts of holy martyrs or pontiffs if they should occur on the fourth or sixth day.
6. The monks, indeed, for the glory and praise of the life-giving Cross, observe fourteen days, others twelve, others four. But the entire people of Christ, all together D, observe as holy the day of the Exaltation, that is, the fourteenth of September. But the fast of the Nativity of Christ should be observed for three days of the week, that is, the second, the fourth, and the sixth, and by abstaining from fish and oil, the fast should be strenuously passed; and likewise
should the fast of the holy apostles be observed, and the holy fast of the Theotokos. On the eve of the birth of Christ, we perform a fast, and we sanctify this day by [abstaining from] fish and oil, except on Saturday or Sunday, when we eat these. We do the same for the other eves of the festivals of Christ; yet on the following day we dispense [with the fast] on whatever day it happens to fall, as we have said above, for the glory of the Father who was well-pleased, and of the born Son. For we dispense [with the fast] on that day and on six others, so that we may not appear gloomy, as the ungrateful Jews do, at the birth of Him who refashioned us.
B 7. Furthermore, we also pass the eve of the Lights in a similar fast, [abstaining] from oil and fish and other kinds [of food] for the whole day. But as for this day of the Theophany, on whatever day it happens to fall, we dispense with all [abstinence], for the grace and glory of the Baptized, and as a holy beginning of such grace, and as a public representation of the immersion. Such joy of ours over the manslaying devil is of this kind: as if someone should have received a gift of wealth from some king, and, possessing it within himself, were rejoicing in the good things he had received; but after some time, another hostile, rebellious, and arrogant enemy should leap out from somewhere, and deprive him of this wealth he possesses, and in addition should inflict violent punishment upon him. When this deed is made known to the king, he comes, and having punished that rebel mercilessly, he restores the plunder taken away to the one who originally had it; and he will rejoice even more than before at the royal deed, which also becomes fearsome to the adversaries. By such an example, therefore, our Lord also, acting against the rebellious enemy, has given us the grace of regeneration greater than that of the former man. Thus, in the rebirth through water and Spirit, our present cleansing becomes twofold: for through water the body is washed, and through the Spirit the spirit is renewed. For how is it not possible to rejoice and dance for our salvation? And indeed, as I believe, to him who does not rejoice on this present day of holy baptism, the present grace does not appear salvific, but he appears gloomy, and is disposed irreverently and wickedly toward the salvific gift.
Concerning the week of proclamation
8. Likewise, the week of the proclamation, in which the holy Gospel of the Publican and the Pharisee is read, we pass while dispensing with all abstinence, just as we have received from the holy Fathers before us; not for the sake of any orthodoxy is this week...
A dissolved, but in order that that godless dogma of the most profane Peter, bishop of the Armenians—whom common parlance also knows as Lycopetrus—might be abolished. That thrice-accursed man, then, decreed a dogma for those who follow him, that they should keep this whole week holy because of some wolf, I know not which, most wicked and abominable. But we, the people of the Lord, pass the whole of it freely, for the sake of the refutation of them and their irreligious and foolish dogma. The great Gregory, too, in his theology, bears witness elsewhere to their inhumanity, saying: "I do not find the race of the Armenians to be simple, but rather hidden and deceitful," distinguishing the concealed nature of their faith by these words. In like manner we also dispense with the week of the cheese-fare, and it too after the ninth hour we use for cheese and eggs, that we may overthrow the impious religion of the Jacobites and Tetradites. Now, this cheese-eating week, as I personally think, was forbidden by the holy Fathers for the eating of meat, either as a reminder of the monastic order, or as a pattern of the new and pure way of life B.
9. In the holy and great Lent, we eat once a day at the ninth hour, and then dry food, or even legumes without oil; nor do we use wine, except on Saturday and Sunday. We also eat all kinds of shellfish, and those without bones, and salt fish, without hesitation; but we by no means eat fish during this holy fast, except on the day of Saturday and the Palm Sunday, in honor of Him who, coming from the fast, partook of the feast after the raising of Lazarus, or clearly because it is one of the divine feasts of Christ. But during the holy and great week, we remain in fasting entirely, if possible, without even oil and wine, unless in the nocturnal vigil of the holy Passion we drink something for necessity and on account of toil; likewise, we remain fasting until evening on Great Saturday, on this day alone of the whole year. But C the whole week of the Diacenesimus (that is, in white garments) we pass free from fasting, in honor of the Son of God who brought us to life. And if anyone should not eat in this week without hesitation, but instead behaves with Jewish sadness, let him fall under the anathema of the holy Fathers.
10. Now, from the Monday of Thomas we begin to commemorate the departed brethren, and we observe abstinence from meat and cheese on Wednesday and Friday. However, it seemed good to some of the holy Fathers before us that the Wednesday of Mid-Pentecost, because it is a solemnity of the Lord, should be D dispensed with as a model.
Just as, therefore, Christ is called and is the cornerstone, and joining the two testaments into one, so too this present day connects the resurrection and the coming of the Spirit; and this joyful solemnity of the Only-Begotten appears, himself being glorified and worshipped as the mediator between divinity and humanity. For this reason, those before us celebrated it without doubt and ate all foods during it. But now, let him who can receive this, receive it in this case, if possible; and we hold the week of the Holy Spirit as free for all, on account of the coming of the Spirit. For just as it is right to rejoice in the birth of the Son, and in his life-giving resurrection, so too must one rejoice in the descent of the Spirit.
B 11. Let everyone know that the three weeks, namely of the Nativity, of the Resurrection, and of the coming of the Holy Spirit, have been taken by us as a type of the life-originating and tri-hypostatic Trinity. But the two after them, of the Proclamation and of the Casting-off of Cheese, we keep free [from fasting] on account of the heresies which we have mentioned from of old, so that we may not appear to follow the most unholy teachings of those mentioned. Concerning the fast, however, which is also called that of the Apostles, we observe it—as also that of the Nativity of Christ—on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. However, on the day of the two or the twelve Apostles, we do not dispense with fasting to [allow] meat and cheese, if it happens to be a Wednesday or Friday, but only fish and oil. Likewise, we also observe the fast of the Theotokos; and on the day of the Transfiguration itself, we dispense with fasting for fish and oil; even if it ought to have been observed differently, it is nevertheless hindered by the fast. But on the very day of the Dormition of the all-immaculate Theotokos, if it happens to be a Wednesday or Friday, we do not dispense with fasting for meat or cheese, on account of the great and terrible wonder of this paradoxical sleep. For the divine apostles of the Savior at that time, as we found in the holy writings of Clement of Rome, remained for three full days at the tomb, until they were instructed in the whole matter by a divine angel. And on the Beheading of the divine Forerunner, if it happens to be a Wednesday or Friday, we likewise do not dispense with fasting, because it too brings to mind an unholy murder and death.
12. Thus far, brethren, is the writing from me, which I read in the holy writings and most legitimate canons of the apostles and holy Fathers; and we have firmly built the house of orthodoxy, which our discourse from the beginning had intended to do. I trust, therefore, firmly and steadfastly in the one and only God worshipped in Trinity, that we have built everything toward orthodoxy.