Origin of the dialogue from Psalm 23 on Pascha

akarimso

akarimso

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Does anyone know where the practice of the priest knocking on the church doors and saying "Lift up your gates..." comes from? It is done at the beginning of Orthros on Holy Pascha right before re-entry into the church and the beginning of the Canon. Does this practice have any traditional origins, or is it an American invention?
 
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Although today's brief practice is a remnant of an older practice as noted earlier (and as extensively-discussed on the Greek side), it is also not in line with the ethos and the theology of the Paschal Resurrection. In fact, it can be considered blasphemous. Christ did not ask permission from Hades to raise the dead. Christ destroyed the gates of Hades, and trampled on death. In fact, just examining the hymnology of Holy Week (from the Canon of Andrew of Crete on the resurrection of Lazarus, to the stichira of Holy Saturday), Hades groans and suffers and is severly wounded. These images are more in line with a thrashing of Hades, not a polite exchange between Christ seeking Hades' permission. The hymnology is perfectly in line with Orthodox theology.

Having an enactment of a "king" (played by the parish priest or a bishop) asking permission from "Hades" to enter an empty church could be "endearing" to those faithful present, however, it is not in line with any of the post-Byzantine typika. The Paschal service rubrics in all post-Byzantine typika are clear on what takes place. Nowehere is this practice found. There is no evidence that the Ecumenical Patriarchate ever conducted this "show" at any time in its history. Although there is some evidence that this may have taken place in Jerusalem at some point, eventually it was dropped.

It takes a good deal of introspection and maturity for today's clergy (who implement this practice) to accept that this is wrong and not in line with theology. Many Orthodox bishops in the world specifically forbid this practice. Some post-modernists find it "endearing", aiming more for the show rather than the accepted traditions and the theology of the Apostolic traditions.

But, in our day when everything has been relativized, even Christ asking Hades for permission to raise the dead becomes....acceptable post-modernist "theology".

A blessed Holy Week and Pascha!

NG
 
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I would add (confirming some points in the previous comment) that both Our Lord's and Lazarus's Resurrection (if I am not mistaken Lazarus is especially revered on the island of Cyprus) are taken as examples of possible religious theatre. Researchers are very sceptical on the subject of 1) the historical presence 2) the dogmatic and also "ethical" compatibility of our church with any religious theatre BUT modern "revivals" could try to make a "secular" show out of it, as it has been done for other rites earlier, and in the context of "reviving older theatrical practices", those revivals being very popular among intellectuals since the 19th century. PS. The previous comment is very insightful, from my "structuralist" point of view, according to which: this practice denotes the end of Lent, not the Resurrection itself. There is, though, a "real" crushing of Hades, described here.
 
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Nikolaos Giannoukakis said:
Although today's brief practice is a remnant of an older practice as noted earlier (and as extensively-discussed on the Greek side), it is also not in line with the ethos and the theology of the Paschal Resurrection. In fact, it can be considered blasphemous. Christ did not ask permission from Hades to raise the dead. Christ destroyed the gates of Hades, and trampled on death. In fact, just examining the hymnology of Holy Week (from the Canon of Andrew of Crete on the resurrection of Lazarus, to the stichira of Holy Saturday), Hades groans and suffers and is severly wounded. These images are more in line with a thrashing of Hades, not a polite exchange between Christ seeking Hades' permission. The hymnology is perfectly in line with Orthodox theology.

Having an enactment of a "king" (played by the parish priest or a bishop) asking permission from "Hades" to enter an empty church could be "endearing" to those faithful present, however, it is not in line with any of the post-Byzantine typika. The Paschal service rubrics in all post-Byzantine typika are clear on what takes place. Nowehere is this practice found. There is no evidence that the Ecumenical Patriarchate ever conducted this "show" at any time in its history. Although there is some evidence that this may have taken place in Jerusalem at some point, eventually it was dropped.

It takes a good deal of introspection and maturity for today's clergy (who implement this practice) to accept that this is wrong and not in line with theology. Many Orthodox bishops in the world specifically forbid this practice. Some post-modernists find it "endearing", aiming more for the show rather than the accepted traditions and the theology of the Apostolic traditions.

But, in our day when everything has been relativized, even Christ asking Hades for permission to raise the dead becomes....acceptable post-modernist "theology".

A blessed Holy Week and Pascha!

NG
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The Priest’s invocation, "Lift up your gates..." comes from the 23 Psalm and it refers to our Lord’s entrance into Heaven, not His entrance into Hades. The gates of Hades were never eternal… Our Lord’s incarnation had been kept a secret even from the Holy Angels; only Archangel Gabriel knew that God would become man; as his name also indicates: Gabriel = God mighty man.

Had Satan and his demons known that the man Jesus was the King of Glory, they would have never killed Him; they lost everything when they committed the ultimate injustice… Our Lord hid His Divinity even in Hades. The dead had to believe in Him in His humanity. Had He destroyed the gates of Hades at His entry as God, there would not have been any faith required to accept Him as their Saviour. Our Lord first sent His angel to them, Saint John to prepare the dead as He had sent him earlier to the living. Those who believed in Him saw Him, who He truly was at His resurrection, when He took them with Him to Heaven.

It was when our Lord was brought in front of the eternal Heavenly Gates by the Holy Angels that these words were spoken and not when He was taken by demons as a mere mortal in Hades.
 
elromios said:
The Priest’s invocation, "Lift up your gates..." comes from the 23 Psalm and it refers to our Lord’s entrance into Heaven, not His entrance into Hades. The gates of Hades were never eternal… Our Lord’s incarnation had been kept a secret even from the Holy Angels; only Archangel Gabriel knew that God would become man; as his name also indicates: Gabriel = God mighty man.

Had Satan and his demons known that the man Jesus was the King of Glory, they would have never killed Him; they lost everything when they committed the ultimate injustice… Our Lord hid His Divinity even in Hades. The dead had to believe in Him in His humanity. Had He destroyed the gates of Hades at His entry as God, there would not have been any faith required to accept Him as their Saviour. Our Lord first sent His angel to them, Saint John to prepare the dead as He had sent him earlier to the living. Those who believed in Him saw Him, who He truly was at His resurrection, when He took them with Him to Heaven.

It was when our Lord was brought in front of the eternal Heavenly Gates by the Holy Angels that these words were spoken and not when He was taken by demons as a mere mortal in Hades.
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I respectfully beg to differ.

Psalm 23 is an "allegory" of Christ's entrance into the Temple. A very nice contextually-appropriate, and theologically-appropriate explanation is offered in Greek here:

ΨΑΛΜΟΣ 23

religious.gr religious.gr

It has nothing to do with his entrance into Heaven (why would Christ ask someone in Heaven, which is His Dominion, as he is perfect God, for permission to enter?)

I am not sure I follow the rest of your thesis.

The practice, as understood by those who adapted it from the consecration service (of a church), is intended to reflect a dialogue between Hades and Christ.

In the end, the practice is not in line with Typikon tradition, at least not that of the Great Church of Christ and many Churches of the Orthodox world. Yes, it is encountered in Greece and is a consequence of folklore and remnants of Byzantine religio-secular theater (and possibly some old practices from the Jerusalem para-ecclesiastic rites) and has been exported elsewhere. It remains in the realm of the theatrical and the ecclesiologic profane.
 
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Dr. Nick - Respectfully, the relationship between Psalm 23 and Christ's (re-)entry into Heaven is clearly demonstrated by the hymnography of the Ascension. Here are just a few examples:

Example #1 (First Sticheron at "Lord, I have cried"):

Ὁ Κύριος ἀνελήφθη εἰς οὐρανούς, ἵνα πέμψῃ τὸν Παράκλητον τῷ κόσμῳ, οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἡτοίμασαν τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ, νεφέλαι τὴν ἐπίβασιν αὐτοῦ, Ἄγγελοι θαυμάζουσιν, ἄνθρωπον ὁρῶντες ὑπεράνω αὐτῶν, ὁ Πατὴρ ἐκδέχεται, ὃν ἐν κόλποις ἔχει συναΐδιον. Τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κελεύει πᾶσι τοῖς Ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ· Ἄρατε πύλας οἱ ἄρχοντες ἡμῶν, Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη κροτήσατε χεῖρας. ὅτι ἀνέβη Χριστός, ὅπου ἦν τὸ πρότερον.

The Lord has been taken up into heaven, that he may send the Advocate to the world. The heavens have prepared his throne; clouds his ascent. Angels marvel to see a human high above them. The Father receives him whom he holds eternally in his bosom. The Holy Spirit orders all his Angels: Lift up your gates, you rulers. All you nations, clap your hands: for Christ has gone up to where he was before.
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Example #2 (6th Idiomelon at the Lity):

Ὅτε ἀνελήφθης ἐν δόξῃ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, τῶν Μαθητῶν ὁρώντων, αἱ νεφέλαι ὑπελάμβανόν σε μετὰ σαρκός, πύλαι ἐπήρθησαν αἱ οὐράνιαι, ὁ χορὸς τῶν Ἀγγέλων ἔχαιρεν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει, αἱ ἀνώτεραι δυνάμεις ἔκραζον, λέγουσαι· Ἄρατε πύλας οἱ ἄρχοντες ἡμῶν, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης, οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἐκπληττόμενοι ἔλεγον· Μὴ χωρισθῇς ἡμῶν, ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ἀλλὰ πέμψον ἡμῖν τὸ Πνεῦμά σου τὸ πανάγιον, τὸ ὁδηγοῦν καὶ στηρίζον τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.

When you were taken up in glory, Christ God, while your Disciples watched, the clouds received you with your flesh; the gates of heaven were lifted up; the choir of Angels rejoiced with gladness; the higher powers cried out, saying; Lift up your gates, you rulers, and the King of glory will enter. While the Disciples, amazed, were saying: Good Shepherd, do not be parted from us, but send us your all-holy Spirit, to guide and strengthen our souls.
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Example #3 (2nd Sticheron at the Aposticha):

Ἀναλαμβανομένου σου Χριστέ, ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους τῶν Ἐλαιῶν, αἱ δυνάμεις ὁρῶσαι ἑτέρα τῇ ἑτέρᾳ ἐβόων· Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος; καὶ φησὶ πρὸς αὐτάς· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ κραταιός καὶ δυνάστης, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ, οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. Καὶ ἵνα τί αὐτοῦ ἐρυθρὰ τὰ ἱμάτια; Ἐκ Βοσὸρ ἥκει, ὅπερ ἐστί, τῆς σαρκός. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὡς Θεὸς ἐν δεξιᾷ καθίσας τῆς μεγαλωσύνης, ἀπέστειλας ἡμῖν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἵνα ὁδηγήσῃ, καὶ σώσῃ τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.

As you were taken up from the mount of Olives, the powers seeing you cried one to the other: Who is this? And they were told: This is the Mighty One, the Powerful, this is the Powerful in war, this is truly the King of glory. And why are your garments scarlet? He has come from Bosor, that is, from the flesh. But as God seated at the right hand of the Majesty you have sent us the Holy Spirit, to guide and save our souls.
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These are just a few examples; there are a number of others in the canons for the feast.

-Gabriel
 
GabrielCremeens said:
Dr. Nick - Respectfully, the relationship between Psalm 23 and Christ's (re-)entry into Heaven is clearly demonstrated by the hymnography of the Ascension. Here are just a few examples:

Example #1 (First Sticheron at "Lord, I have cried"):



Example #2 (6th Idiomelon at the Lity):



Example #3 (2nd Sticheron at the Aposticha):



These are just a few examples; there are a number of others in the canons for the feast.

-Gabriel
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Dear Gabriel, you are taking the use of the phrase "Lift up your gates" in the hymns you refer to out of their context. Also, Mr. Theodorakis is among the most knowledgeable Typikologists and very highly respected, and (see his short note) if he says a practice is wrong, I believe him. That should cause some pause for those advocating for a profane and out of line (with respect to received tradition) practice.
Let me put the use of the phrase "Lift up your gates" in the hymns you quote in the appropriate perspective:

a) Ὁ Κύριος ἀνελήφθη εἰς οὐρανούς, ἵνα πέμψῃ τὸν Παράκλητον τῷ κόσμῳ, οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἡτοίμασαν τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ, νεφέλαι τὴν ἐπίβασιν αὐτοῦ, Ἄγγελοι θαυμάζουσιν, ἄνθρωπον ὁρῶντες ὑπεράνω αὐτῶν, ὁ Πατὴρ ἐκδέχεται, ὃν ἐν κόλποις ἔχει συναΐδιον. Τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κελεύει πᾶσι τοῖς Ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ· Ἄρατε πύλας οἱ ἄρχοντες ἡμῶν, Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη κροτήσατε χεῖρας. ὅτι ἀνέβη Χριστός, ὅπου ἦν τὸ πρότερον.
The use of the verse refers to humankind opening up the gates to their inner self (their spirit, their soul) to celebrate the entry of Christ to the Heavens on His Ascension.

b) Ὅτε ἀνελήφθης ἐν δόξῃ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, τῶν Μαθητῶν ὁρώντων, αἱ νεφέλαι ὑπελάμβανόν σε μετὰ σαρκός, πύλαι ἐπήρθησαν αἱ οὐράνιαι, ὁ χορὸς τῶν Ἀγγέλων ἔχαιρεν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει, αἱ ἀνώτεραι δυνάμεις ἔκραζον, λέγουσαι· Ἄρατε πύλας οἱ ἄρχοντες ἡμῶν, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης, οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἐκπληττόμενοι ἔλεγον· Μὴ χωρισθῇς ἡμῶν, ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ἀλλὰ πέμψον ἡμῖν τὸ Πνεῦμά σου τὸ πανάγιον, τὸ ὁδηγοῦν καὶ στηρίζον τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν. Once again, the hymnographer borrows this verse as a commandment to humankind to open their souls and spirits to Christ on this feast of the Ascension.

c) Ἀναλαμβανομένου σου Χριστέ, ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους τῶν Ἐλαιῶν, αἱ δυνάμεις ὁρῶσαι ἑτέρα τῇ ἑτέρᾳ ἐβόων· Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος; καὶ φησὶ πρὸς αὐτάς· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ κραταιός καὶ δυνάστης, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ, οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης.....this comes to confirm the omnipotence of Christ God. Nothing else.

Mr. Theodorakis could, possibly, add to the reason why the folklore practice of borrowing part of the service of the Consecration of a Shrine (Church) for a pre-Vesperal "Paschal pre-celebration" is not in line with the ethos of the Christian church, nor is it supported as it is a profane folklore (theatrical) practice where the folklore refers to a dialogue between Christ and Hades. Had this folklore been considered useful by the monastic Typika of the post-Byzantine period, or any of the Orthodox churches (and their typika), we would be able to discern it. It simply does not exist in any.
The traditions of our church, as outlined inside the Typikon of the Great Church of Christ, are reasonable and complete for our parishes. One need not add cycles and epicycles (hymnodic or practices) to "enrich" them. The faithful already have difficulty in understanding even the simple matters of Holy Week. The last thing needed is the establishment of a profane practice where Christ is subservient to....Hades, asking his permission to save humankind.

Have a blessed Pascha!

NG
 
Good morning, Dr. Nick,

My post above should not be extrapolated to be in defense of the questionable practice about which the original poster inquired (about which I wrote nothing). Rather, it is simply in response to the statement that "[Psalm 23] has nothing to do with his [i.e. Christ's] entrance into Heaven." It is clear that the hymnography of the Ascension indicates otherwise. Furthermore, I find your interpretation of the fragments of the troparia in question to be in direct contradiction to the hymns themselves. You assert:

The use of the verse ["lift up your gates"] refers to humankind opening up the gates to their inner self (their spirit, their soul) to celebrate the entry of Christ to the Heavens on His Ascension.
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This is an exegetical stretch at best. Immediately beforehand, the hymn says: "Τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κελεύει πᾶσι τοῖς Ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ· Ἄρατε πύλας οἱ ἄρχοντες ἡμῶν" - "The Holy Spirit orders all his Angels: Lift up your gates, you rulers." Whence the idea of "humankind opening up the gates to their inner spirit," if the Holy Spirit is clearly addressing the Angels, not humankind?

May you have a blessed Pascha as well. :)

-Gabriel
 
I'm not defending the practice mentioned in the original post, but I do believe Gabriel is correct in that Psalm 23 has traditionally been understood to refer to Christ's entering into Heaven, as well as mankind's entrance into Heaven, which is made possible through Christ. A couple examples from the writings of the saints are below.

From Saint Jerome's 94th Homily on Pascha

As our Lord ascends to the Father in triumph, He issues commands to the angels saying, "Open to Me gates of righteousness; having entered in them, I will make grateful acknowledgement to the Lord [Ps. 117:19]." These are the gates of which in the psalm the angels were speaking while they were preparing for the entrance of the Lord: "Lift up the gates, O ye princes! And be ye raised, O everlasting gates, and the King of the Glory shall enter in [Ps. 23:7]!" Aptly are the gates commanded to lift up high and raise aloft their portals, since, in accordance with the dispensation and mystery of the flesh and in conformity with the victory of the Cross, He reenters heaven mightier than He had come down on earth. "This is the gate of the Lord, the righteous shall enter in thereat [Ps. 117:20]." Through this gate, Peter has entered, and Paul, and all the apostles and martyrs, and today the saints continue to go in; through this gate, the thief was the first to pass with the Lord. Have faith, therefore, and be hopeful for thine own entrance.
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From St. Athanasius of Alexandria's Four Discourses Against the Arians

And we may be exalted in Him, and that we may enter the gates of heaven, which He has also opened for us, the forerunners saying, "Lift up your gates, O ye princes; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting gates, and the King of Glory shall enter in." For here also not on Him were shut the gates, as being Lord and Maker of all, but because of us is this also written, to whom the door of paradise was shut. And therefore in a human relation, because of the flesh which He bore, it is said of Him, "Lift up your gates," and "shall come in," as if a man were entering; but in a divine relation on the other hand it is said of Him, since "the Word was God," that He is the "Lord" and the "King of Glory." Such, our exaltation, the Spirit foreannounced in the eighty-eighth psalm, saying, "And in the Thy righteousness shall they be exalted, for the boast of their strength art Thou" (Ps. 88:15-16). And if the Son be Righteousness, then He is not exalted as being Himself in need, but it is we who are exalted in that Righteousness which is He.
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GabrielCremeens said:
Dr. Nick - Respectfully, the relationship between Psalm 23 and Christ's (re-)entry into Heaven is clearly demonstrated by the hymnography of the Ascension. Here are just a few examples:

Example #1 (First Sticheron at "Lord, I have cried"):



Example #2 (6th Idiomelon at the Lity):



Example #3 (2nd Sticheron at the Aposticha):



These are just a few examples; there are a number of others in the canons for the feast.

-Gabriel
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Dear Gabriel,

Please allow me to contextualize my comment: "It has nothing to do with his entrance into Heaven (why would Christ ask someone in Heaven, which is His Dominion, as he is perfect God, for permission to enter?)"

I was referring to the Resurrection, not the Ascension.

I do not dispute the association of Psalm 23 with the Ascension. However it is not exclusively associated only with the Ascension.

Psalm 23 presents intense dialogue with elements of self-questioning, that reveal the virtues that should adorn the true pilgrim to Jerusalem, and specifically to the Temple. These verses were possibly used (I can’t recall the exact source where I read this), just like verses in Psalm 14, as hymnodic elements sung by pilgrims coming to Jerusalem during the great feasts of the Hebraic calendar.

I would like to draw your attention to the second stanza of the Psalm which begins with a “double question” concerning the characteristics that should distinguish the worthy pilgrim to the Temple of Jerusalem, which extend to a lengthy response in the remaining verses. Thus, only because of these verses in the second stanza, I would not a priori declare “The use of the verse ["lift up your gates"] refers to humankind opening up the gates to their inner self (their spirit, their soul) to celebrate the entry of Christ to the Heavens on His Ascension” to be “an exegetical stretch at best”. Now, I do not want to belabor a tangential discussion on Psalm 23 and its eschatologic consequences; that can be the topic of a discussion inside a new thread  :)

However, I do return to my original comments about the absence of any basis to borrow elements of Psalm 23 and practices in the Consecration of a Shrine as Paschal pre-vesperal, or even pre-Orthros theater in the Orthodox Christian Church. I also remind about the folklore practice which has no basis in anything related to early influences on the feast of the Ascension, but on the received folklore (ask the villagers and their priests in Greece) that the “Dialogue” is used to represent a dialogue between Christ and Hades.

I fervently pray that Christ God graces you with strength and health this coming Holy Week, Pascha, and always!

NG
 
Two posts inside an older discussion on the matter, on the Greek side of Psaltologion, for consideration. The entire thread is didactic.

Στιχομυθία «Άρατε Πύλας» τη Μ. Παρασκευή ή/και το Πάσχα

G. Bertonière, The Historical Development of the Easter Vigil and Related Services in the Greek Church, OCA, 193, Rome, 1972, p. 201: In only three documents of this tradition [ = Στουδιτικη παράδοση] do we find Ps 23,9-10 [ = 9 ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ...
analogion.com analogion.com

And here:

Στιχομυθία «Άρατε Πύλας» τη Μ. Παρασκευή ή/και το Πάσχα

[Σημείωμα συντονιστή (ΔΚ)] Αντιγράφτηκε από το θέμα Οι ακολουθίες της Μεγάλης Εβδομάδας και η τάξις τους και μεταφέρθηκαν επόμενα μηνύματα με την υποσυζήτηση που ακολούθησε. Ψαλλομένου ἑκάστου καθίσματος τῶν ἁγίων παθῶν ὁ ἱερεὺς θυμιᾷ τὸ ἅγιον βῆμα (ΤΑΣ κεφ. μγ') διὰ τὸ ἐπικείμενον...
analogion.com analogion.com

(rough translation of the Greek post):

"In the television program mentioned here (Psaltologion link provided), Fr. Thomas Chrysikos, General Hierarchical Vicar of our Archdiocese today, [referring to the Archdiocese of Athens] whom I know from his time as a layman as one of the excellent theologians, says - as we will hear when [the TV program video link] is uploaded - that to consider the interior of the Shrine [Church] as Hades is blasphemous. This dialogue can only be justified as occurring between angels."

A blessed Pascha to all!
 
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elromios said:
The Priest’s invocation, "Lift up your gates..." comes from the 23 Psalm and it refers to our Lord’s entrance into Heaven, not His entrance into Hades.
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In this video, a gerondissa explains, with testimony from St. Simeon the God-receiver, that "Lift up your gates..." does indeed refer (but not necessarily exclusively) to Christ's entrance into Hades.

 
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