22. Evergetis - Dumbarton Oaks

ELEVENTH CENTURY
be remembered by us, and equally for those brothers whose names were and will be inscribed on
the diptychs. In addition, whenever someone has recently died, he should be remembered every
day during each service, and I mean during matins and the liturgy and vespers, in ekteneis until his
commemoration on the fortieth day, during which also every day an offering will be made on his
behalf. In addition to this the ecclesiarch must note down the commemorations of each of those
who die so that you may not forget them and may perform them without fail.
Yet on this matter I must prescribe something more practical: for as the numbers of brothers
dying increases, it is possible that sometimes the commemorations for three or four or even more
will fall in the same week and those who are going to carry out the commemoration for each
brother during the night office are forced always to leave out the canons prescribed for the night
offices which are an obligatory duty for you each day, and chant the canon for the deceased. So
that this may not happen, we command that, if some of the brothers should prefer to go away and
chant the funeral canon, while the rest carry out that laid down for the night office of intercession,
that should be carried out and is acceptable to us and, I think, to God. But if perhaps because of
winter or even illness, that I may not mention laziness, you would not want to do this, then you
must observe all the commemorations that you know occur together in one and the same week,
and carry them all out for [p. 79] all of the people at the same time during one night office, unless
there is a commemoration for one of your former superiors. For his commemoration must be
carried out on its own, since he will be rendering account on behalf of you all. In that way you are
satisfying your obligation to commemorate your brothers and you are not failing in the canon. So
in both the night offices and in the liturgies on their behalf it is fine that commemorations should
take place for them all at the same time during one service as long as offerings are made for each
one.
Since a priest specifically to look after burials has been established, let him act as he wishes
or rather as he is able. As regards the distributions at the gate on behalf of certain people, for
example let me say Promotenos, Kataphloron, 33 and in short everyone at all who has left or will
leave something worthy of remembrance to the monastery, and people who have agreed or will
agree that something be distributed for their commemoration, as has been said, we urge that these
be carried out generously.
However, as regards the diptychs we command in the Lord both the priests themselves and
the deacons to consult them at every liturgy in order to commemorate those who are listed on
them, so that they themselves may not bear the accusation of having forgotten and neglected them.
Enough has now been said also about these matters.
37. Concerning those who are tonsured.
I must speak also about those who are tonsured. If they are distinguished people or of people
known to you for a long time and have a close knowledge of our way of life, they should be
tonsured within the customary period of time, if perhaps they themselves ask for this and are
accepted. But if they are common and unknown, after an interval of seven days after their arrival
here they should assume the [novice’s] rags and put on the monastic headdress, and they should be
appointed to tasks according to their abilities and observed to see if they carry out these with
perseverance and humility. If they persevere in this attitude for six whole months, then they should
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