Can you chant Axios for a saint during a Lenten weekday?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, the rite of Lent (ⲧⲉⲥⲥⲁⲣⲁⲕⲟⲥⲧⲏ) is characterized by a spirit of deep metanoia (repentance) and asceticism. Because of this, the liturgical rituals for weekdays (Monday through Friday) are distinct from those for Saturdays and Sundays.

No, the hymn "Axios" (ⲁⲝⲓⲟⲥ) is not chanted for a saint during a weekday Liturgy in Great Lent.

1. The Nature of Weekday Lent

Lent weekdays are "Atonement" days. The tone of the prayers is saddening and humble. We do not use the cymbal (ⲡⲓⲕⲩⲙⲃⲁⲗⲟⲛ) except in very specific instances, and we refrain from celebratory or "joyous" hymns. Axios (meaning "worthy") is a hymn of "proclamation" and "joyful glorification." It is fundamentally incompatible with the "prostrating" (ⲙⲉⲧⲁⲛⲟⲓⲁ) atmosphere of a Lenten weekday.

2. The Absence of the Commemoration of the Saints

During the weekday Liturgies of Great Lent, the Synaxarion (the chronicle of the lives of the saints) is not read. Instead, we read the "Parables" or "Proverbs" and the "Prophecies" from the Old Testament.

• Because the Church focuses on the journey of the soul toward repentance through the life of Christ and the warnings of the Prophets, we do not formally "celebrate" a saint’s feast day with the typical festive rites if it falls on a Lenten weekday.
• If a major feast or a saint's day occurs, it is noted, but the Lenten rite (with its specific tunes and prostrations) takes precedence.

3. The Liturgical Order

On a Lenten weekday, the Liturgy begins much later in the day and follows the "Kiahkian" or "Lenten" tune. The hymns are long and mournful (like the "Alleluia" of the fasting). Even the "Hymn of the Intercessions" (ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ) is chanted in the Lenten tune, which focuses on asking for mercy rather than the glorification of the saints.

Exception: Saturdays and Sundays

If you wish to honor a saint during Lent, it is done on Saturday or Sunday. On these days, the fast is still observed (no dairy/meat), but the Liturgical rite shifts from "mournful" to "festive" (Annual or Joyful tunes). On these days, the Synaxarion is read, and the "Axios" for a saint can be chanted if there is a specific occasion or ordination.

Summary

The Coptic Orthodox Church is very strict about preserving the "mood" of the season. To chant Axios on a Wednesday in Lent would be seen as a liturgical error, as it breaks the silence and humility required for the Great Fast. We wait until the weekend or the Feast of the Resurrection to return to such proclamations of glory.