services, and is associated with Great Lent, since the only times it is appointed to be read
in church are the first four nights of Great Lent (Clean Monday through Clean Thursday,
at Great Compline, when it is serialized) and at Matins for Thursday of the fifth week of
Great Lent, when it is read in its entirety (in this latter service, the entire life of St Mary
of Egypt is also read).
There is no other sacred hymn which compares with this monumental work, which St
Andrew wrote for his personal meditations. Nothing else has its extensive typology and
mystical explanations of the scripture, from both the Old and New Testaments. One can
almost consider this hymn to be a Á-°survey of the Old and New TestamentÁ-?. It's other
distinguishing features are a spirit of mournful humility, hope in God, and complex and
beautiful Trinitarian Doxologies and hymns to the Theotokos in each Ode.
The canon is a dialog between St. Andrew and his soul. The ongoing theme is an urgent
exhortation to change oneÁ-?s life. St Andrew always mentions his own sinfulness placed
in juxtaposition to GodÁ-?s mercy, and uses literally hundreds of references to good and
bad examples from the OT and NT to Á-°convince himselfÁ-? to repent.
A canon is an ancient liturgical hymn, with a very strict format. It consists of a variable
number of parts, each called an Á-°odeÁ-?, number from one to nine. Most common canons
have eight Odes, numbered from one to nine, with Ode 2 being omitted. The most
penitential canons have all nine odes. Some canons have only three Odes, such as many
of the canons in the Á-°TriodionÁ-? (which means Á-°Three OdesÁ-?).
In any case, all Odes have the same basic format. An Á-°IrmosÁ-? begins each Ode. This is
generally sung, and each Irmos has a reference to one of the nine biblical canticles,
which are selections from the Old and New Testament, which can be found in an
appendix in any complete liturgical Psalter (book of Psalms, arranged for reading in the
services). A variable number of Á-°tropariaÁ-? follow, which are short hymns about the
subject of the canon. These are usually chanted, and not sung. After each troparion a
Á-°refrainÁ-? is chanted. At the end of each Ode, another hymn, called the Á-°KatavasiaÁ-?,
either the Irmos previously sung, or one like it is sung.
The troparia of the Great Canon in all its twelve Odes are usually chanted by the priest
in the center of the church, with the choir singing the Irmos and Katavasia. There are
varying traditions about bows and prostrations. Some prostrate and some make the sign
of the cross and bow three times after the Irmos and each troparion.