Justin Appel

Dear Friends,

Today is the feast of Kassiani the Hymnographer, a female poet poet in 9th-century Constantinople. Kassiani is remembered for the many hymns attributed to her; however, her Hymn of Kassiani remains the most popular. The hymns is based on the Gospel accounts involving various women anointing Jesus’ feet. In particular, the story of Matthew 26:6-16 tells of a woman who came to Jesus as he stayed with Simon the Leper, and who anointed his feet with a very costly perfume.

Interestingly, Kassiani’s hymn conflates the various anointing accounts, a practice which dates to the late 6th century on, and suggests that the character in the hymn is repentant, and yet one who also became one of the myrrh-bearing women.

The hymn has a first-person quality characteristic of Greek hymnography, bringing each individual into a contemplative and repentant point of view via biblical language of a particularly beautiful and profuse character.

The attached version, arranged for English from a Bulgarian chant and sung by Orthodox nuns here in America, is especially moving. (Click on the link ‘View original post’ below to see the video.)

Yours in Christ,
Justin

Lord, the woman who had fallen into many sins, perceiving your divinity, took up the role of myrrh-bearer, and with lamentation brings sweet myrrh to you before your burial. “Alas!,” she says, “for night is for me a frenzy of lust, a dark and moonless love of sin. Accept the fountains of my tears, you who from the clouds draw out the water of the sea; bow yourself down to the groanings of my heart, you who bowed the heavens by your ineffable self-emptying. I shall kiss your immaculate feet, and wipe them again with the locks of my hair, those feet whose sound Eve heard at dusk in Paradise, and hid herself in fear. Who can search out the multitude of my sins and the depths of your judgements, my Savior, savior of souls? Do not despise me, your servant, for you have mercy without measure.
- Doxastikon of the Aposticha at Matins on Great and Holy Wednesday of Holy Week