Midnight office question

[Apples]

At 00:00 on a Sunday, is the midnight office said for Saturday or Sunday? In other words, after Saturday evening, before Sunday morning, does the midnight office include the Ninth Kathisma?

 

[Arachne]

Since the day starts at sundown, by midnight we are well into Sunday.

 

[Mor Ephrem]

At 00:00 on a Sunday, is the midnight office said for Saturday or Sunday? In other words, after Saturday evening, before Sunday morning, does the midnight office include the Ninth Kathisma?

At 00.00 on a Sunday, the midnight office is of Sunday.  No kathisma is read at the office.  Instead, a canon to the Trinity in the tone of the week is read from the Octoechos. 

 

[Apples]

Thanks Mor. I'd thought since the IX Kathisma is so resurrectional, it would be read before the celebrations of the Lord's day.

 

[Mor Ephrem]

Thanks Mor. I'd thought since the IX Kathisma is so resurrectional, it would be read before the celebrations of the Lord's day.

The continuous reading of the Psalter over the course of the week occurs at Vespers and Matins only (unless it's Lent, in which case it is read at more services and is read twice or so in a week).  AFAIK, this continuous reading is just that: a straight reading through of the Psalter.  If the order of kathismata is slightly out of numerical order, it doesn't really have to do with appropriateness to a particular time or day of the week, but with the use of certain kathismata at other services in the week. 

 

[Apples]

I don't follow. A specific kathisma is appointed to be read every midnight office (either IX or XVII). Are you saying that these kathismata are part of the continuous reading of the psalter?

 

[Mor Ephrem]

I don't follow. A specific kathisma is appointed to be read every midnight office (either IX or XVII). Are you saying that these kathismata are part of the continuous reading of the psalter?

I'm sorry, my recollection was hazy.  Those kathismata are in the midnight office independent of the continuous psalmody.  I confused their use in the midnight office with the reason for the shuffling in the psalmody that occurs after Vespers on Thursday evening.  Up to that point, starting on Saturday night, they are read straight through from 1-15, but then they are read in this order: 19, 20, 18, 16, and 17.  See here.