Charter with God of the internal structure of the Studite monastery

“The Charter with God of the Internal Structure of the Studian Monastery” (“Hypotiposis of the Studian Monastery”) is the oldest edition of the Studian Charter, which describes the order of worship in the monasteries of the Studian tradition. The text of the charter was drawn up after the death of St. Theodore the Studite in the 2nd half of the 9th century, but is based on the liturgical normative texts of the Studite tradition, incl. on the texts of the Studite Synaxarion and the Studite “Chapters on the Distribution of Food”. Therefore, the description of the order of the Studite monastery is attributed to St. Theodore and is recognized by its own charter. The Charter is a detailed guide covering all areas of monastic life and divided into thematic sections: 1. Liturgical life. The order of daily services (matins, vespers, hours, compline), the singing of psalms, readings (Apostle, Gospel, catechisms), number and types of bows are described in detail. Particular attention is paid to liturgical practice during Lent, Easter week and other feasts of the Lord and the Mother of God. 2. Ascetic prescriptions. The rules of fasting are strictly regulated, including the quality and quantity of food and drink, as well as the order of meals, the distribution of seats at the table and reading while eating. 3. Organization and management of the monastery. The duties of various positions are described (abbot, epistimonarchs, taxiarchs, alarm clock, epitirites, librarian), the procedure for accepting new brethren into the monastery, as well as disciplinary measures (places of excommunication, dry eating) with a strict refusal of corporal punishment. 4. Daily life and work. A daily routine is established, the distribution of time between prayer, work and reading. The quantity and quality of personal clothing and shoes, as well as the arrangement of a sleeping place, are discussed, emphasizing the principles of non-covetousness and simplicity. 5. Spiritual edification and repentance. An important place is given to the practice of confession with the abbot, catechetical words at Compline, the instructions of the elders and the reading of patristic works. The need for constant self-analysis and spiritual wakefulness is emphasized (“we are dying, dying, dying; let us also remember the kingdom of heaven”). This work formed the basis of the 3rd edition of the Studio Charter, as well as the Studio-Aleksievsky Typikon. * Title of the work in Greek: 'Ύποτΰπωσις καταστάσεως της μονής των Στουδίου. * Title of the work in Latin: Descriptio constitutionis monasterii Studii. Contents How we act in the assemblies of the holy and glorious three-day resurrection of our Savior. – About the tree (bilel) [About the holy Pentecost] About the quantity and quality of food and drink and about decorum at meals About the great holy Pentecost About the Annunciation About the correctness in the performance of services About the amount of clothing and shoes and about the arrangement of the bed and the like 1. In sacred monasteries, many and different traditions have long prevailed, some of them being governed and led to the kingdom of heaven by some statutes, others by others. Of all (traditions), one is the tradition that has become established among us and which we accepted from our great father and confessor Theodore, and not only we, but also the majority of the best monks accepted it as the most perfect and royal, eliminating both excesses and shortcomings. And now, without any hesitation, having submitted to the commands of our fathers, we have submitted ourselves to obedience, in order, as far as possible, to leave it in writing for the everlasting memory of subsequent generations. And may God, through the prayers of our shepherd, give us the appropriate ability to compose a word in order to sensibly present the useful and saving commandments of our God-bearing father, for the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and for the preservation and salvation of those who with faith take upon themselves to preserve them. So, with God, let this be the beginning of the composition (of the word). How we act in the assemblies of the holy and glorious three-day resurrection of our Savior. – About the tree (bil). 2. You should know that after the second watch of the night has passed, i.e., the sixth hour, and at the beginning of the seventh hour, the conventional sign of the water clock falls, and along with this notification, the alarm clock gets up and goes around the bedroom with a lantern, prompting the brothers to get up for the morning praise. And immediately the beaters hit above and below. And when all the brethren have gathered in the vestibule of the main church and are quietly praying, the priest, taking the censer in his hands, first of all censes the holy altar; Coming out from there through the front barrier, he passes through the northern side of the church and, having reached the royal gates, burns incense to the brothers and immediately returns through the southern side to where he came from, and the brothers follow him into the church. He, having placed the censer in the holy altar, comes out, stands directly before the throne and begins the troparion, the first (fifth) indirect voice: Christ is risen from the dead. When he (the priest) and the brethren sing it three times, the presbyter says verse one: This is the day that the Lord has made, and the brethren (sing) the troparion, verse two: Make a feast to the end. And again the people sing the troparion. At the end of it, the canon immediately begins, because I do not sing the Six Psalms during this entire week. There are two readings and after the second reading - Psalm 50. And at the end of Matins, there is kissing and dismissal. At Vespers of this week we say - Christ is risen and immediately - the Lord cried and forgiven Christ is risen. In the same way, at Compline (we proclaim) the Trisagion and Lord have mercy, 12 times. On Saturday of the new week and on Sunday after the luminous week at Compline (we sing) from the words - God is with us and so on. 3. On Sunday of the luminous week, the sixth psalm begins and we proclaim God the Lord in the fourth indirect tone (eighth) and immediately sedate in the same voice, the prokeimenon and Every Breath, then the Gospel and In the Nights. And after the 50th psalm the canon begins, then there are two readings. And on Sunday evening it begins - Blessed is the man, and on Monday at Matins we again sing God the Lord in the first tone and one kathisma of the psalm, then the canon of the resurrection. And there are three readings. From that time on, we perform Compline in full, except for Saturday evening, the Lord's feast and the memory of the saint, which, when they occur, free us from work, from hours and bows (great): on these days, Compline is celebrated from (singing) God is with us and beyond. Services are also performed in the morning, starting on Tuesday of the second week. Until Pentecost we sing the Prokeimenon every day at Vespers. 4. You should know that on all vespers of the Lord's feasts, Blessed is the man begins in the fourth indirect tone, then the second beginning and the third in the tone of the day; then the Lord cried out to the voice of the verses of the holiday. 5. You should know that before the Feast of the Ascension, Sunday stichera precede the penitential and apostolic kathismas. 6. You need to know that from Easter to the Ascension we speak the Resurrection of Christ, but after that we also speak the 50th psalm and the martyrdom (stichera) in psalmody. And from him (the Ascension) this no longer happens. 7. You should know that before Pentecost, if we do not eat the hours, then we do not bend the knee, but, however, we sing the canon for the dead on Saturday: and on another day we sing, if a brother is commemorated. 8. You should know that on Saturday of Pentecost for the exapostilary we sing the Memory of the Dead, Lord, and, chanting this, we go to the tombs of the brothers and, standing here, we sing the stichera of the day; and Matins ends. We also do this on Saturday of Meat Week. 9 . You need to know that on the evening of the Sunday of Holy Pentecost at Vespers, at which we also do three genuflections, after the opening psalm, immediately (sung) the Lord cried out; and the next day at Matins after the Six Psalms we say God the Lord and immediately the canon and two readings. And we spend this week without singing for hours. 10. Then comes the Holy Pentecost of the Holy Apostles, and we begin to sing and the hours are always with kathisma. At the end of the psalmody, we say, Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. And firstly we make three great bows, all at the same speed, following the primate; during them (bows) we raise our hands a little to God. Then everyone also (performs) twenty other bows as fast as he can. The same (must be done) at every meeting (liturgical). And at Compline (there are) fifty genuflections and at Matins forty. 11. You should know that at every morning, at the end of the reading, we, getting up, say Lord have mercy twelve times. And thus the psalmody begins again. 12. You should know that on every Saturday and Sunday, when there is no Lord's holiday, or the memory of a saint, we read the Apostle. On Saturdays at matins we read kathisma before the Immaculate. Then - blameless, then Psalm 50, after the canon; and there are three readings, for we do not read on the immaculate. Instead of the exapostilary we say: In eternal memory there will be a righteous man who will not fear the hearing of evil. In such quantity and quality, psalmody extends until the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Tree. 13. You should know that at the Dormition of the All-Holy Mother of God, that is, at the post-feast vespers, after the opening psalm, I immediately (sung) cried out to the Lord. And the next day at Matins after the Six Psalms, God the Lord again, and immediately the canon and two readings. Likewise, on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, as well as on the Nativity of Christ, also on the Day of Lights (Epiphany), and also on the Presentation of the Lord. On holidays other than those mentioned above, one should not celebrate in a double way. From the Exaltation to the Great Pentecost, another kathisma is offered at Matins, and the troparions of the kathismas are doubled, with an interstitium being said. There are four readings. On these Saturdays, before the immaculate, we sing two kathismas, then the immaculate, then also the canon, there are (another) four readings, since we do not read on the immaculate. [About the Holy Pentecost]. 14. You should know that on the holy and great Pentecost we sing four kathismas and a three-canticle; There are also four readings. And when the brethren have rested a little, the ecclesiarch, around dawn, strikes the beater. And when everyone has gathered in the main church, we sing the first (hour) with kathisma, but we do not read on it. At the third, sixth and ninth hours we read. At each antiphon, or Glory, there is a prayer from the priest and deacon. And we perform great prostrations at the Hours and at Vespers, thirty each, at Compline a hundred, and at Matins eighty. 15. You should know that throughout the Great Week we sing the hours in the same way (as they are performed) before, except for Holy Saturday, and we make great bows until the morning trisagion begins, which is proclaimed after the stichera of the verse; after him (there are) the prokeimenon, the Apostle, the prophecy and the Gospel. 16. You should know that on Wednesday and Friday and Sunday, when the brethren stand with all reverence, after the end of Matins the catechism of our God-bearing father Theodore is read. Then the abbot says something on his own, teaching the brothers. And at the end of the catechism, the glory is sung and the Lord's Prayer and Bless the Saints, Bless the Father, and leave are proclaimed. This happens for a whole year. 17. You should know that on Saturday on the Lord I cried, the Sunday stichera are tripled, and on Praise they are doubled. Also on the Lord's holidays. 18. You should know that (in the monastery) there are also epistemonarchs, to whom the sins of the younger brothers are reported and from whom they accept correction. And (there are) two taxiarchs for the choirs, from whom the brethren receive a reminder to stand decently in the choirs. And there is another alarm clock, who during the readings at matins, quietly walking around the brothers, awakens those who are falling asleep. For each evening, two penances are appointed in turn, who, after striking the beater, encourage the lazy to hurry to Vespers and Compline, and who, after the end of Compline, go around the secluded places of the monastery and with due firmness remove those gathered for untimely conversations. 19. You should know that after each Compline there is a cross-shaped kiss - with hands - that serves as a sign of reconciliation between each and everyone, due to the daily clashes that occur. 20. You should know that on the eve of the Nativity of Christ, the Feast of Lights (Epiphany) and on Holy Great Thursday evening and on Holy Saturday evening we do not sing Compline, but only the Trisagion in the refectory. 21. You should know that at almost all Complines of the Holy Pentecost, the brethren are offered a catechetical word, either from the abbot, or from elders and those skilled in speech. 22. You should know that at every matins, at the beginning of the fourth ode, the abbot comes out from the choir and, having sat down, receives the arriving brothers for confession and heals each individual according to his benefit. 23. You should know that on Holy Pentecost an elderly brother is appointed and from the third hour appears at each service and, making a throwing (deep bow), says: “brothers and fathers, let us be attentive to ourselves, because we are dying, dying, dying; let us also remember the kingdom of heaven.” 24. You should know that when we receive brothers, either from another monastery, or lay people for monastic vows, we force them to stay in the xenodochia (monastery hotel) for two or three weeks to observe and familiarize themselves with the monastery; and if he remains firm in his assessment of his decision, then the abbot, after he has testified to him about what is about to happen, only then introduces him (to the monastery) and includes him among his flock, and the one who comes, with the permission of the abbot, performs throwing before the brethren, and these pray for him. 25. It should be known that we also have places of excommunication, in which the rebellious and disobedient are imprisoned, condemned (here) to dry eating and brought up in virtue: for correction through scourges, as suitable for the laity, was rightly recognized by our fathers as worthy of rejection. 26. You should know that on those days in which we have leisure from bodily activities, the librarian strikes the beater once, and the brethren gather in the place (storage) of books and everyone takes a book and reads until the evening; before riveting to the lampstand, the keeper of the books again hits the beater once, and everyone comes and returns the books according to the record; and if anyone is late in returning the book, he is subject to penance. 27. You should know that when we celebrate the ninth hour, the presbyter celebrates the liturgy from the sixth hour, and if we must eat food, then (he begins the liturgy) from the third hour; if we have time to spare from the clock and work, then the divine liturgy is celebrated at three o’clock, and at the end of it, the bell strikes three times, and all the brethren gather together, and after singing the established hymns and receiving the blessing, we go to the meal. About the quantity and quality of food and drink and about orderliness at meals. 28. When the brethren come to dinner, there should be a prayer on the lips of (each) of them: nine people sit down at the table. Taxiarchs take care of filling the tables (with food), moreover, in order and without noise. There is reading, and in winter the brethren have cuckoos on their heads. The sign of the end of this reading is the noise of spoons on the food stand, after which they are all thrown together onto the dish; in the same way, the sign for pouring wine and serving (food) is through a blow. 29. You should know that from Easter to All Saints we eat two dishes - greens and peas with wood butter: we also eat fish, cheese and eggs; We drink three times at dinner; (in the evening) when the bell strikes, the brethren gather and eat bread, as well as food, if there is any surplus left from the morning (for in the evening there is no special preparation of food for the brethren), and (there are) two cups of drink. And on the Fourth Day of the Holy Apostles we do not eat fish and cheese and eggs, except for days on which we do not eat for an hour; At nine o'clock we eat two dishes - greens with butter and peas without butter; drinking two cups at nine o'clock and two in the evening. On non-working days (holidays), on which we have appointed to eat cheese and other things, eating food at six o’clock, we drink three cups and in the evening two cups. This charter (is observed) also on the Pentecost of the Holy Apostle Philip; Due to the shortness of the days of St. Philip's Pentecost, we eat food once and drink three cups. From the day of remembrance of the Holy Apostles to St. Philip, on Wednesday and Friday we celebrate the ninth hour. If the memory of the saint falls on these days, giving us freedom from hours and great bows, then we eat cheese, eggs, and fish, if God grants it to us, and there are three cups for lunch and two in the evening. About the Holy Great Pentecost 30. On Holy and Great Pentecost we eat food once (a day), except Saturday and Sunday. In the first and middle weeks we eat the same thing, namely: boiled beans, salted fruits without oil, dried figs in fives (fruits), and if there are any, chestnuts, boiled pears and plums. In the second and third weeks, in the fifth and sixth, we eat like this: boiled fruits, salted fruits on dishes, boiled peas with grated nuts; We don’t eat vegetables or figs these days. During the entire Holy Pentecost, we, except for the sick or the elderly, drink a specially prepared drink (εὔ κρατον), which is made from pepper, cumin and warm anise. On Holy Monday (Holy Week) and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, meals of this first week are canceled; On Holy Thursday we eat one boiled pea with grated nuts and hot kutya, and we also drink one glass of wine. On Holy Saturday at the eleventh hour Vespers begins: and when vacation comes, we eat cheese and fish and eggs, and drink three krasovuli (wines). 31. You should know that at the sixth hour, when the bell strikes, we gather in the house (church) of the Most Pure Mother of God, and when Vespers begins, a few brethren remain there to perform it, while the rest make a procession of the cross and, having walked around the monastery, return (to the church). And there is an entrance and a full liturgy. Then we eat fish and wood oil and drink three (bowls). 32. You should know that in the middle week of holy fasts, on every day after the singing of the ninth (song of the canon), the Life-Giving Tree is offered and we all worship (it). On the correct execution of services 33. You should know that on the holy great Pentecost, after we have chanted the first hour, when the sun is already rising, everyone goes to his own service; and there is versification of the entire psalter during these (services), except for calligraphers; They work until nine o'clock. After we have sung Vespers and dined, everyone goes about their personal business as they wish. And on the rest of the days of the year, when we do not eat hours, in the morning at three o’clock the clock strikes, and everyone goes to his duty and works until lunch. After eating food, everyone retires as he wishes, either reading or resting until the eighth hour; at eight o'clock the bell strikes three times, and again everyone goes to their service until vespers. When we sing the hours, the brethren, having completed the morning (first) hour, go to their services and work until the sixth hour, whether it is the ninth hour or not; and after the sixth hour (everyone) rests, as it is said, until the eighth hour. 34. You should know that during the vigil of the week of Vay on the Lord, the choirs change: the right go to the left side, and the left to the right. 35. You should know that when a brother breaks a vessel, either clay or cast iron, then during dinner, when the brethren are eating food, he stands near the meal, and the abbot covers (his) head with his kukul, and holds the broken vessel in his hands as proof of his sin. 36. You should know that after we have completed the versification of the psalter, on the third Glory of Kathisma the canonarch strikes three times (on the beater) so that those who are still studying the psalter gather together to sing the canon together with us, for they leave (the church) before the Six Psalms and until that time are engaged in studying (the psalms); then he strikes three times on the Praise, when the announcement of the great father and teacher Theodore should be read. 37. You should know that at the Eve of Lights, after the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, we receive an antidor (blessing); Then those who received communion rinse their lips, but we do not partake of the antidor. When the priest hides the vessels, he goes to the holy gates and, having made the initial exclamation, goes out with the brethren to the holy chalice of water, while singing: In Jordan I am baptized to You, O Lord. During this singing, the deacon proclaims the great litany, after which the priest begins the prayer of consecration. After the blessing of the water and the sprinkling of the brethren, the indirect fourth (eighth) voice of the troparion is sung: The voice of the Lord cries out on the waters, verse one - Seeing the sea and running, verse two - Why are you the sea, as if you ran. After singing this troparion three times, we entered the church. We sing the troparion, tone four: Dress yourself in divine light. When this troparion is sung three times, the priest says a prayer, and this divine doxology ends. Then they go to the meal with poetry. Likewise, on Holy Thursday (Holy Week), after communion and washing of the lips, there is a washing of the feet, and after everyone has been washed, they go to the meal with poetry. About the amount of clothing and shoes and about the arrangement of the bed and the like 38. You should know that each brother must have: two shirts, two cassocks (tunics), of which one is woolen, two kuculas, a mantle - a small one for work and another - a longer one for church, which, according to the law, must be worn on Saturday evening at Vespers and on Sunday at Matins and again in the evening - at Vespers, and before that - at the Divine Liturgy, as well as on the Lord's feasts; (must have) and another woolen robe - a large one. As for footwear (must have): short boots and other long boots and caligas. For a bed, let each brother have a matting made of reeds and two woolen blankets. You might be interested in: