Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure :
92-518: Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches: Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church: Semi-Autonomous: A kathisma (Greek: κάθισμα; Slavonic: каѳисма, kai-isma ), literally, "seat", is a division of the Psalter , used in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Rite Catholic churches. The word may also describe
184-820: A belief in Penance as a Sacrament among the ancient Nestorians or for the practice of auricular confession among the Malabar Nestorians are not conclusive. The Chaldeans have a similar form to that of the Roman Rite. The Assyrian Church of the East omits Matrimony from the list, and make up the number of the mysteries to seven by including the Holy Leaven and the Sign of the Cross , but they are now rather vague about
276-623: A century. The Mudil Psalter , the oldest complete Coptic psalter, dates to the 5th century. It was found in the Al-Mudil Coptic cemetery in a small town near Beni Suef , Egypt . The codex was in the grave of a young girl, open, with her head resting on it. Scholar John Gee has argued that this represents a cultural continuation of the ancient Egyptian tradition of placing the Book of the Dead in tombs and sarcophagi . The Pahlavi Psalter
368-520: A hymn sung at Matins , a seat used in monastic churches, or a type of monastic establishment. According to ancient practice, monastics recite all 150 psalms on a regular basis. Originally, the hermits in the desert would recite the entire Psalter every day. With the spread of cenobitic monasticism , the practice began of chanting the Canonical Hours in common, and the Psalter thus became
460-429: A little ektenia (litany), depending on the typikon in use and a number of aspects of the day's propers . In Slavonic it is called a sedálen from sediti , "to sit" (Cf. Latin sedere , "to sit"). For the sake of clarity, many translations into English use the term Sessional Hymns or Sedalen to indicate these hymns as distinct from the kathisma of psalms they follow. Hymns with the same name are also used after
552-543: A name which can be defended on archaeological grounds. Brightman, in his "Liturgies Eastern and Western", includes Chaldean and Malabar Catholics and Assyrians under "Persian Rite". The catalogue of liturgies in the British Museum has adopted the usual Roman Catholic nomenclature: Most printed liturgies of those rites are Eastern Rite Catholic. The language of all three forms of the East Syriac Rite
644-853: A schism with the Catholic Church), the Assyrian Church Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV and Pope John Paul II signed a common declaration at the Vatican in 1994; the Common Christological Declaration (1994) document asserted that the split that occurred due to the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD was "due in large part to misunderstandings," affirmed for both that "Christ is true God and true man," recognized "each other as sister Churches" and vowed to resolve remaining differences. In 2001,
736-921: A small community of around 50,000 people in the Hakkari Mountains under the headship of the Shimun line. A small group of Indians eventually rejoined the Assyrian Church of the East, forming the Chaldean Syrian Church in the 1900s, although the main body of the Malabar Christians remained as the Syro-Malabar Church . A large group joined the Oriental Orthodox West Syriac rite churches in their own set of schisms. Additionally,
828-766: Is Latin : psalterium , which is simply the name of the Book of Psalms (in secular Latin, it is the term for a stringed instrument, from Ancient Greek : ψαλτήριον psalterion ). The Book of Psalms contains the bulk of the Divine Office of the Roman Catholic Church . The other books associated with it were the Lectionary , the Antiphonary , and Responsoriale , and the Hymnary . In Late Modern English, psalter has mostly ceased to refer to
920-538: Is a fragment of a Middle Persian translation of a Syriac version of the Book of Psalms, dated to the 6th or 7th century. In Orthodox Christianity , the Book of Psalms for liturgical purposes is divided into 20 kathismata or "sittings", for reading at Vespers and Matins . Kathisma means sitting, since the people normally sit during the reading of the psalms. Each kathisma is divided into three stases , from stasis , to stand, because each stasis ends with Glory to
1012-407: Is a selection of from four to seven psalms, varying with the day of the week, and also a Shuraya, or short psalm, with generally a portion of Ps. cxviii, varying with the day of the fortnight. At the morning service the invariable psalms are cix, xc, ciii (1–6), cxii, xcii, cxlviii, cl, cxvi. On ferias and "Memorials" Ps. cxlvi is said after Ps. cxlviii, and on ferias Ps. 1, 1–18, comes at the end of
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#17327727140931104-631: Is always associated an anointing , which as in other eastern rites answers to Confirmation, Holy Order and Matrimony , but not Penance or Unction of the sick. The Chaldean Catholics now have a form not unlike the Byzantine and West Syriac. The nearest approach to Penance among the Nestorians is a form, counted as a sacrament, for the reconciliation of apostates and excommunicated persons, prayers from which are occasionally used in cases of other penitents. Assemani's arguments (ibid., cclxxxvi–viii) for
1196-551: Is anointed all over, and there are four consecration crosses on the four interior walls of the sanctuary, and these and the lintel of the door and various other places are anointed. The oil is not that of the Holy Horn, but fresh olive oil consecrated by the bishop. Few of the manuscripts, except some lectionaries in the British Museum, were written before the 15th century, and most, whether Chaldean or Nestorian, are of
1288-645: Is called Nithi Mar (May He come, O Lord) from its opening words. The Liturgy of the Apostles is so vague as to the purpose of the Invocation that, when the words of Institution are not said, it would be difficult to imagine this formula to be sufficient on any hypothesis, Eastern or Western. The Anaphorae of Nestorius and Theodore, besides having the Words of Institution, have definite Invocations, evidently copied from Antiochean or Byzantine forms. The older Chaldean and
1380-566: Is derived from the fact that, in the Office as it developed in Jerusalem and Constantinople , the psalms would be read by one of the brethren while the others sat and listened attentively. Each kathisma is further subdivided into three staseis ( Greek : στάσεις ), literally, "standings", because at the end of each stasis ( Greek : στασις ) the reader says: "Glory to the Father, and to
1472-680: Is from the 6th century account of Alexandrian traveller Cosmas Indicopleustes . The East Syriac rite remains in-use within churches descended from the Church of the East, namely the Assyrian Church of the East of Iraq (including its archdiocese, the Chaldean Syrian Church of India) and the Ancient Church of the East , as well as in two Eastern Catholic churches, the Chaldean Catholic Church of Iraq and
1564-581: Is one of the most important surviving Carolingian manuscripts and exercised a major influence on the later development of Anglo-Saxon art . In the Middle Ages psalters were among the most popular types of illuminated manuscripts , rivaled only by the Gospel Books , from which they gradually took over as the type of manuscript chosen for lavish illumination. From the late 11th century onwards they became particularly widespread - Psalms were recited by
1656-461: Is preceded by a preparation, or "Office of the Prothesis", which includes the solemn kneading and baking of the loaves. These were traditionally leavened, the flour being mixed with a little oil and the holy leaven ( malka ), which, according to tradition, "was given and handed down to us by our holy fathers Mar Addai and Mar Mari and Mar Toma", and of which and of the holy oil a very strange story
1748-532: Is the Eastern dialect of Syriac , a modern form of which is still spoken by the Assyrian Church of the East , the Ancient Church of the East (which broke away from the Assyrian Church of the East in the 1960s due to a dispute involving changes to the liturgical calendar, but is now in the process of reunification), and the Chaldean Catholic Church. The Chaldean rite originally grew out of
1840-637: Is told. The real leavening, however, is done by means of fermented dough (khmira) from the preparation of the last Eucharistic Liturgy. The Chaldean and Syro-Malabar Catholics now use unleavened bread. The Liturgy itself is introduced by the first verse of the Gloria in Excelsis and the Lord's prayer, with "farcings" (giyura), consisting of a form of the Sanctus. Then follow: There are four or five Lections: (a)
1932-405: Is uncertain. While some hold that this essential passage dropped out in times of ignorance, others say it never was there at all, being unnecessary, since the consecration was held to be effected by the subsequent Epiklesis alone. Another theory, evidently of Western origin and not quite consistent with the general Eastern theory of consecration by an Epiklesis following Christ's words, is that, being
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#17327727140932024-518: Is very similar to that of the Byzantine Rite, and to some extent the Jewish rite . The Mystery of Crowning , while not viewed as a sacrament in much of East Syriac Christianity, features several rituals, including the crowning of the couple and, within the Assyrian Church of the East, the consumption of hanānā –a mixture made with the dust of a martyr's tomb–by the betrothed. The orders of
2116-671: The Book of Psalms , often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints . Until the emergence of the book of hours in the Late Middle Ages , psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons. They were commonly used for learning to read. Many psalters were richly illuminated, and they include some of the most spectacular surviving examples of medieval book art. The English term ( Old English psaltere , saltere ) derives from Church Latin . The source term
2208-799: The Edessan Rite , Assyrian Rite , Persian Rite , Chaldean Rite , Nestorian Rite , Babylonian Rite or Syro-Oriental Rite ), is an Eastern Christian liturgical rite that employs the Divine Liturgy of Saints Addai and Mari and utilizes the East Syriac dialect as its liturgical language . It is one of the two main liturgical rites of Syriac Christianity , along with the West Syriac Rite (Syro-Antiochene Rite). The East Syriac Rite originated in Edessa , Mesopotamia , and
2300-529: The Law ," is an important component of Matins on Saturdays, some Sundays, Monday-Friday Midnight office , and at the funeral service. The entire Book of Psalms is traditionally read aloud or chanted at the side of the deceased during the whole time from death until the funeral, mirroring Jewish tradition, and is a major element of the wake . When the Psalms are read at a wake, there are special hymns and litanies for
2392-793: The Ming Dynasty , the large Church of the East structure was all but destroyed- reducing it to a few small communities in Persia, their homeland in Mesopotamia, Cyprus, the Malabar Coast of India, and the Island of Socotra . These remaining communities were later whittled away at in other events. The Church of the East in Cyprus united themselves to Rome in 1445, there was a Schism in 1552 between Mar Shimun and Mar Elia which weakened
2484-717: The Nestorian Schism , the Church of Seleucia-Ctesiphon cut itself off from Western Christianity. In 498 the Catholicos assumed the title of " Patriarch of the East ", and up until the 1400s the Church of the East spread throughout Persia, Tartary, Mongolia, China, and India due to the efforts of Missionaries. However, at the end of the fourteenth century due to the conquests of Tamerlane and his destruction of Christian settlements across Asia, in addition to other factors such as anti-Christian and Buddhist oppression during
2576-670: The Syriac or Aramaic language. For Aramaic, it especially refers to the form that is found in certain chapters of Daniel. That usage continued until the Latin missionaries at Mosul in the 17th century adopted it to distinguish the Catholics of the East Syriac Rite from those of the West Syriac Rite , which they call "Syrians". It is also used to distinguish from the Assyrian Church of the East , some of whom call themselves Assyrians or Surayi or even only "Christians", but they do not repudiate
2668-630: The Syro-Malabar Church of India, which are both now in full communion with the See of Rome . The words of Institution are missing in the original version of the Liturgy of Saints Addai and Mari. However, the Eastern Catholic churches have added-in the words of Institution in their version of the liturgy. Although Nestorius was condemned in 431 AD through the Council of Ephesus (resulting in
2760-492: The choir stalls used in Orthodox monasteries. Instead of being a long bench, like a pew , the kathismata are a row of individual seats with full backs attached to the walls. The seats are hinged and lift up so the monk or nun can stand upright for the services. The backs are shaped at the top to form arm rests that the monastic can use when he is standing. Often the hinged seat will have a misericord (small wooden seat) on
2852-671: The "Antiphon of the Bema" (Communion) is sung. The Communion is in both species separately, the priest giving the Host and the deacon the Chalice. Then follows a variable antiphon of thanksgiving, a post-communion, and a dismissal. Afterwards the Mkaprana, an unconsecrated portion of the holy loaf, is distributed to the communicants, but not, as in the case of the Greek antidoron, and as the name of
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2944-428: The "B" of the words Beatus vir... ("Blessed is the man...") at the start of Psalm 1 . This was usually given the most elaborate decoration in an illuminated psalter, often taking a whole page for the initial letter or first two words. Historiated initials or full-page illuminations were used to mark the beginnings of the major divisions of the Psalms, or the various daily readings, and may have helped users navigate to
3036-480: The 20th century, some lay Christians have adopted a continuous reading of the psalms on weekdays, praying the whole book in four weeks, three times a day, one kathisma a day. In the East Syriac Rite , the Psalter is divided into similar sections called hulali . The word kathisma can also refer to a set of troparia (hymns) chanted after each kathisma from the Psalter at Matins which may be preceded by
3128-757: The Anaphora of Theodore. Then follows the Preface of the usual type ending with the Sanctus . The Post-Sanctus (to use the Hispanico-Gallican term) is an amplification—similar in idea and often in phraseology to those in all liturgies except the Roman —of the idea of the Sanctus into a recital of the work of Redemption, extending to some length and ending, in the Anaphorae of Nestorius and Theodore, with
3220-555: The Apostles, Summer, "Elias and the Cross", "Moses", and the "Dedication" (Qudash idta). "Moses" and the "Dedication" have only four weeks each. The Sundays are generally named after the Shawu'a in which they occur, "Fourth Sunday of Epiphany", "Second Sunday of the Annunciation ", etc., though sometimes the name changes in the middle of a Shawu'a. Most of the "Memorials" (dukhrani), or saints' days, which have special lections, occur on
3312-646: The Book of Psalms (as the text of a book of the Bible) and mostly refers to the dedicated physical volumes containing this text. Dedicated psalters, as distinct from copies of the Psalms in other formats, e.g. as part of a full edition of the Old Testament, were first developed in the Latin West in the 6th century in Ireland and from about 700 on the continent . The extensively illustrated Utrecht Psalter
3404-403: The Chaldean Catholic Rite) which seem as if they were already consecrated. He sets aside a "memorial of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ" (Chaldean; usual Malabar Rite, "Mother of God"; but according to Raulin's Latin of the Malabar Rite, "Mother of God Himself and of the Lord Jesus Christ"), and of the patron of the Church (in the Malabar Rite, "of St.Thomas"). Then follows the proper "Antiphon of
3496-424: The Church of the East are those of reader ( Qaruya ), subdeacon ( Hiupathiaqna ), deacon ( Mshamshana ), presbyter ( Qashisha ), archdeacon ( Arkidhyaquna ) and bishop ( Apisqupa ). The degree of archdeacon, though has an ordination service of its own, is only counted as a degree of the presbyterate, and is by some held to be the same as that of chorepiscopus (Kurapisqupa), which never involved episcopal ordination in
3588-421: The Church of the East had monasteries (which is no longer the case) seven hours of prayer were the custom in them, and three hulali of the Psalter were recited at each. This would mean a daily recitation of the whole Psalter. The present arrangement provides for seven hulali at each ferial night service, ten on Sundays, three on "Memorials", and the whole Psalter on feasts of Our Lord. At the evening service there
3680-428: The Church of the East is attributed to these two, but it is said to have been revised by the Patriarch Yeshuyab III in about 650. Some, however, consider this liturgy to be a development of the Antiochian. After the First Council of Ephesus (431) -- the third Ecumenical Council —the Church of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, which had hitherto been governed by a catholicos , refused to condemn Nestorius . Therefore, as part of
3772-417: The Church of the East. When a priest is engaged in sacerdotal functions, he is called Kahna (i.e., lereus; sacerdos) and a bishop is similarly Rab kahni (Chief of the Priests, archiereus , pontifex ). Quashisha and Apisqupa only denote the degree. Kahnutha, priesthood, is used of the three degrees of deacon, priest, and bishop. The ordination formula is: "N. has been set apart, consecrated, and perfected to
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3864-402: The Church, and the Christians of Socotra were Islamized in the 16th century. The Church in India was divided and cut off from their hierarchy due to the Portuguese support for Synod of Diamper in 1599. Due to these events, the diaspora of the Church of the East diminished. The Elia line eventually developed into the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East was turned into
3956-415: The Evangelist, who added to it some of the water which fell from the pierced side. At the Last Supper Jesus gave two loaves to St. John, bidding him keep one for the Holy Leaven. With this St. John mingled some of the Blood from the side of Christ. After Pentecost the Apostles mixed oil with the sacred water , and each took a horn of it, and the loaf they ground to pieces and mixed it with flour and salt to be
4048-484: The Father... , at which everyone stands. The reading of the kathismata are arranged so that the entire psalter is read through in the course of a week. During Great Lent it is read through twice in a week. During Bright Week (Easter Week) there is no reading from the Psalms. Orthodox psalters usually contain the Biblical canticles , which are read at the canon of Matins during Great Lent. The established Orthodox tradition of Christian burial has included reading
4140-413: The Fridays between Christmas and Lent, and are therefore movable feasts, such as Christmas, Ephiphany, the Assumption, and about thirty smaller days without proper lections are on fixed days. There are four shorter fasting periods besides the Great Fast (Lent); these are: The Fast of the Ninevites commemorates the repentance of Nineveh at the preaching of Jonas, and is carefully kept. Those of Mar Zaya and
4232-404: The Holy Horn and the blessing of the oil take the place of the Offertory. The Anaphora is paralleled by Sursum corda, Preface, and Sanctus, a Nithi Mar, or Epiklesis, upon the oil, a commixture of the new oil with that of the Holy Horn, and the Lord's Prayer. Then the font is blessed and signed with the holy oil, and in the place of the Communion comes the Baptism itself. The children are signed with
4324-420: The Holy Leaven. The Holy Horn is constantly renewed by the addition of oil blessed by a bishop on Maundy Thursday. The baptismal service is modeled on the Eucharistic. The Mass of the Catechumens is almost identical, with of course appropriate Collects, psalms, Litanies, and Lections. After the introductory Gloria, Lord's Prayer, Marmitha (in this case Psalm 88) and its Collect, follow the imposition of hands and
4416-467: The Interpreter . The first is the most popularly and extensively used. The second was traditionally used on the Epiphany and the feasts of St. John the Baptist and of the Greek Doctors , both of which occur in Epiphany-tide on the Wednesday of the Rogation of the Ninevites, and on Maundy Thursday. The third is used (except when the second is ordered) from Advent to Palm Sunday . The same pro-anaphoral part serves for all three. The Eucharistic Liturgy
4508-427: The Law and (b) the Prophecy, from the Old Testament, (c) the Lection from the Acts, (d) the Epistle, always from St. Paul, (e) the Gospel. Some days have all five lections, some four, some only three. All have an Epistle and a Gospel, but, generally, when there is a Lection from Law there is none from the Acts, and vice versa. Sometimes there is none from either Law or Acts. The first three are called Qiryani (Lections),
4600-440: The Malabar Catholic books have inserted the Words of Institution with an Elevation, after the Epiklesis. But the 1901 Mosul edition puts the Words of Institution first. Here follow a Prayer for Peace, a second Lavabo and a censing. The Host is broken in two, and the sign of the Cross is made in the Chalice with one half, after which the other with the half that has been dipped in the chalice. The two halves are then reunited on
4692-401: The Malabar Rite the Karazutha, the Offertory, and the Expulsion of the Unbaptized come before the Lections and the Creed follows immediately on the Gospel, but in the Propaganda edition of 1774 the Offertory follows the Creed, which follows the Gospel. The first Lavabo, followed by a Kushapa ("beseeching", i.e., prayer said in kneeling) and a form of the "Orate fratres", with its response. Then
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#17327727140934784-476: The Mysteries" (Unitha d' razi), answering to the offertory. This is a variant of the Nicene Creed . It is possible that the order or words "and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost and was made man, and was conceived and born of the Virgin Mary ", may enshrine a Nestorian idea, but the Chaldean Catholics do not seem to have noticed it, their only alteration being the addition of the Filioque . The Malabar Book has an exact translation of Latin. In Neale's translation of
4876-407: The Paten. Then a cleft is made in the Host "qua parte intincta est in Sanguine" (Renaudot's tr.), and a particle is put in the chalice, after some intricate arranging on the paten. The veil is thrown open, the deacon exhorts the communicants to draw near, the priests breaks up the Host for distribution. Then follows the Lord's Prayer , with Introduction and Embolism, and the Sancta Sanctis, and then
4968-523: The Psalms in the church throughout the vigil , where the deceased remains the night before the funeral, a reflection of the vigil of Holy Friday . Some Orthodox psalters also contain special prayers for the departed for this purpose. While the full tradition is showing signs of diminishing in practice, the psalter is still sometimes used during a wake . See also Category:Illuminated psalters See also Category:Psalters East Syriac Rite The East Syriac Rite , or East Syrian Rite (also called
5060-465: The Son, and to the Holy Spirit..." at which all stand in honor of the Holy Trinity . The Orthodox Church uses as its official version of the Old Testament , the ancient Septuagint (Greek) as opposed to the more recent Masoretic (Hebrew) recension . For this reason, the numbering of the psalms follows the Greek rather than the Hebrew (the King James Version of the Bible follows the Hebrew numbering). The difference in numbering can be determined from
5152-433: The Virgins are nearly obsolete. As compared with the Latin and Greek Calendars, that of the Chaldeans, whether Catholic or Assyrian, is very meagre. The Malabar Rite has largely adopted the Roman Calendar, and several Roman days have been added to that of the Chaldean Catholics. The Chaldean Easter coincides with that of the Roman Catholic Church. The other Sacraments in use in the Church of the East are Baptism , with which
5244-413: The calendar and litany varied greatly and can often give clues as to the original ownership of the manuscript, since monasteries and private patrons alike would choose those saints that had particular significance for them. Many psalters were lavishly illuminated with full-page miniatures as well as decorated initials. Of the initials the most important is normally the so-called " Beatus initial ", based on
5336-433: The clergy at various points in the liturgy , so psalters were a key part of the liturgical equipment in major churches. Various different schemes existed for the arrangement of the Psalms into groups (see Latin Psalters ). As well as the 150 Psalms, medieval psalters often included a calendar, a litany of saints, canticles from the Old and New Testaments , and other devotional texts. The selection of saints mentioned in
5428-439: The committee, established from the 1994 dialogue, drew-up guidelines for mutual admission to the Eucharist between the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, overcoming all other issues. Versions of the East Syriac Rite are currently used by Churches descended from the erstwhile Church of the East : Eastern Catholic Churches , in full communion with Rome . The variety of terms used as designations for
5520-405: The definition or numeration. The only other rite of any interest is the consecration of churches. Oil, but not chrism, plays a considerable part in these rites, being used in Baptism, possibly in Confirmation, in the reconciliation of apostates, etc., in the consecration of churches, and the making of bread for the Eucharist. It is not used in ordination or for the sick. There are two sorts of oil;
5612-405: The departed that are chanted between each kathisma, often printed at the end of the Psalter. Some monasteries have a tradition of a "Cell Rule" whereby each monastic will pray several kathismata a day in addition to the ones that are said publicly during the services. Some Psalters have special hymns and prayers printed between the kathismata to be read as devotions when reciting the Cell Rule. In
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#17327727140935704-405: The faith to ancient Mesopotamia (today’s modern Iraq , eastern Syria , southeastern Turkey , and regions along the Turkish–Syrian and Iran–Iraq borders). According to traditional accounts, Thomas the Apostle is believed to have traveled as far as the Malabar coast of southwestern India. This account is not yet confirmed, as the earliest-record for an organised Christian presence in India
5796-447: The following table: The divisions of the psalms into kathismata is as follows (using the Septuagint numbering): The kathismata are divided up between Vespers and Matins , so that all 150 psalms are read during the course of the week. Normally there is one kathisma at Vespers and either two or three at Matins, depending on the day of the week and the time of the year, according to the Church's liturgical calendar . On Sunday nights and
5888-440: The formula of consecration , it was held too sacred to be written down. It does not seem to be quite certain whether Church of the East priests did or did not insert the Words of Institution in old times, but it seems that many of them do not do so now. The Prayer of the Great Oblation with a second memorial of the Living and the Dead, a Kushapa. The G'hantha of the Epiklesis , or Invocation of Holy Spirit. The Epiklesis itself
5980-404: The foundation of the Daily Office , augmented by numerous hymns, prayers and scriptural readings. The custom grew of reciting all 150 psalms each week during the course of the services. To facilitate this, the 150 psalms were divided into 20 sections, called kathismata ( Greek : καθίσματα ; Church Slavonic : Кафи́змы , romanized: Kafizmy , meaning literally, "sittings"). The name
6072-436: The latter implies, to non-communicants. The Chaldean Catholics are communicated with the Host dipped in the Chalice. They reserve what is left of the Holy Gifts, while the Church of the East priests consume all before leaving the church. Properly, and according to their own canons, the Church of the East ought to say Mass on every Sunday and Friday, on every festival, and daily during the first, middle, and last week of Lent and
6164-407: The liturgy of the Church in Edessa. The tradition, resting on the legend of Abgar and of his correspondence with Christ, which has been shown to be apocryphal — is to the effect that St. Thomas the Apostle , on his way to India, established Christianity in Mesopotamia, Assyria, and Persia, and left Thaddeus of Edessa (or Addai), "one of the Seventy", and Saint Mari in charge there. The liturgy of
6256-465: The name, etc." It is not quite clear whether oil should be used with this signing or not. Then any oil that remains over is poured into the Holy Horn, held over the font, and the water in the font is loosed from its former consecration with rather curious ceremonies. The Chaldean Catholics have added the renunciations, profession of faith, and answers of the sponsors from the Roman Ritual, and anoint with chrism. The marriage service ( Burakha , 'Blessing")
6348-402: The names of the authors and call the Anaphorae of Nestorius and Theodore the "Second Hallowing" and "Third Hallowing". Otherwise there are no alterations except the addition of Words of Institution to the first Anaphorae. The recent Catholic edition has made the same alterations and substituted "Mother of God" for "Mother of Christ". In each edition the added Words of Institution follow the form of
6440-441: The nights following an All-Night Vigil , there will be no kathisma at Vespers. During Great Lent , kathismata are read during the Little Hours also, so that the entire Psalter is completed twice in a week. Besides the 150 Psalms, the Psalter also contains the nine biblical Canticles which are chanted at matins alongside the canon which evolved from them. Kathisma XVII, which is composed entirely of Psalm 118 , "The Psalm of
6532-404: The octave of Easter. In practice it is only said on Sundays and greater festivals, at the best, and in many churches not so often, a sort of "dry Mass" being used instead. The Chaldean Catholic priests say Mass daily, and where there are many priests there will be many Masses in the same Church in one day, which is contrary to the Church of the East canons. The Anglican editions of the liturgies omit
6624-520: The oil on the breast and then anointed all over, and are dipped thrice in the font. The formula is: "N., be thou baptized in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, in the name of the Holy Ghost. Amen." Then follows the post-baptismal thanksgiving. Confirmation follows immediately. There are two prayers of Confirmation and a signing between the eyes with the formula: "N., is baptized and perfected in
6716-537: The one is ordinary olive oil, blessed or not blessed for the occasion, the other is the oil of the Holy Horn. The last, which, though really only plain oil, represents the chrism (or myron) of other rites, is believed to have been handed down from the Apostles with the Holy Leaven. The legend is that the Baptist caught the water which fell from the body of Christ at His baptism and preserved it. He gave it to St. John
6808-628: The practice of personal devotions. The psalter is also a part of either the Horologion or the breviary , used to say the Liturgy of the Hours in the Eastern and Western Christian worlds respectively. Non-illuminated psalters written in Coptic include some of the earliest surviving codices (bound books) altogether. The earliest Coptic psalter predates the earliest Western (Irish) one by more than
6900-594: The psalms, are those of the feast or day, which are very few, and those of the day of the fortnight. These fortnights consist of weeks called "Before" (Qdham) and "After" (Wathar), according to which of the two choirs begins the service. Hence the book of the Divine Office is called Qdham u wathar, or at full length Kthawa daqdham wadhwathar, the "Book of Before and After". The year is divided into periods of about seven weeks each, called Shawu'i; these are Advent (called Subara, "Annunciation"), Ephiphany, Lent, Easter,
6992-467: The psalms. The rest of the services consist of prayers, antiphons, litanies, and verses (giyura) inserted, like the Greek stichera, but more extensively, between verses of psalms. On Sundays the Gloria in Excelsis and Benedicte are said instead of Ps. cxlvi. Both morning and evening services end with several prayers, a blessing, (Khuthama, "Sealing" ), the kiss of peace, and the Creed. The variables, besides
7084-566: The recital of the Institution. In the Anaphora of the Apostles the recital of the Institution is wanting, though it has been supplied in the Anglican edition of the Church of the East book. Hammond (Liturgies Eastern and Western, p. lix) and most other writers hold that the Words of Institution belong to this Liturgy and should be supplied somewhere; Hammond (loc.cit) suggests many arguments for their former presence. The reason of their absence
7176-492: The relevant part of the text, as medieval books almost never had page numbers. Many psalters, particularly from the 12th century onwards, included a richly decorated "prefatory cycle" &ndash. A series of full-page illuminations preceding the Psalms, usually illustrating the Passion story, though some also featured Old Testament narratives. Such images helped to enhance the book's status, and served as aids to contemplation in
7268-594: The rite of the edition. The prayers of the Mass, like those of the Orthodox Eastern Church, are generally long and diffuse. Frequently they end with a sort of doxology called Qanuna which is said aloud, the rest being recited in a low tone. The Qanuna in form and usage resembles the Greek ekphonesis. The vestments used by the priest at Mass are the Sudhra , a girded alb with three crosses in red or black on
7360-528: The rite reflects its complex history and consequent denominational diversity. The common term East Syriac Rite is based on the liturgical use of East Syriac dialect, and other terms reflect particular historical and denominational characteristics. The Syrian and Mesopotamian (Iraqi) Eastern Catholics are now commonly called Chaldeans (or Assyro-Chaldeans ). The term Chaldean , which in Syriac generally meant magician or astrologer, denoted in Latin and other European languages (Greater) Syrian nationality, and
7452-739: The secession of a large number to the Russian Church due to the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Urmia , a Kurdish massacre in 1843, and an attempt to form an Independent Catholic Chaldean Church on the model of the Old Catholics all resulted in more Eastern rite Assyrians separating. There are three Anaphorae ; those of the Holy Apostles (Saints Addai and Mari ), Mar Nestorius , and Mar Theodore
7544-679: The shoulder, the Urara (orarion) or stole worn crossed by priests, but not by bishops (as in the West), and the Ma'apra , a sort of linen cope. The deacon wears the sudhra, with a urara over the left shoulder. The nucleus of this is, as it is usual, the recitation of the Psalter . There are only three regular hours of service (Evening, Midnight, and Morning) with a rarely used compline. In practice only Morning and Evening are commonly used, but these are extremely well attended daily by laity as well as clergy. When
7636-543: The signing with oil, after which follow an Antiphon of the Sanctuary and Ps. xliv, cix, cxxxi, with giyuri, Litanies, and Collects, then the lakhumara, Trisagion, and Lections (Epistle and Gospel ), and the Karazutha, after which the priest says the prayer of the imposition of hands, and the unbaptized are dismissed. An antiphon answering to that "of the mysteries" follows, and then the Creed is said. The bringing forward of
7728-534: The theological name " Nestorian ". Modern members of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Ancient Church of the East distinguish themselves from the rest of Christendom as the " Church of the East " or "Easterns" as opposed to "Westerns" by which they denote Greek Orthodox , Syriac Orthodox or Latin Catholics . In recent times they have been called, chiefly by the Anglicans, the "Assyrian Church",
7820-555: The third Shlikha (Apostle). Before the Epistle and Gospel, hymns called Turgama (interpretation) are, or should be, said; that before the Epistle is invariable, that of the Gospel varies with the day. They answer to the Greek prokeimena. The Turgama of the Epistle is preceded by proper psalm verses called Shuraya (beginning), and that of the Gospel by other proper psalm verses called Zumara (song). The latter includes Alleluia between
7912-525: The third ode of the canon . The third meaning of kathisma is its original sense: a seat, stall or box in the sense of a theatre box. (It is related to the word 'cathedral', meaning where a bishop sits, and the phrase 'ex cathedra', which literally means 'from the chair'.) The term was used for the Imperial box at the Hippodrome of Constantinople . In this sense, kathismata (also called stasidia ) are
8004-427: The underside on which he can lean while standing during the long services. Monasteries will often have strict rules as to when the monastics may sit and when they must stand during the services. There will be two rows of kathismata, one on the right kliros (choir), and one on the left. The bishop has a special kathisma which is more ornate than the ordinary monk's. It is normally located on the right kliros (choir), at
8096-573: The variations of the three Anaphora begin. The Kiss of Peace, preceded by a G'hantha, i.e., a prayer said with bowed head. The prayer of Memorial (Dukhrana) of the Living and the Dead, and the Diptychs; the latter is now obsolete in the Church of the East. As in all liturgies this begins with a form of a Sursum corda , but the East Syriac form is more elaborate than any other, especially in
8188-459: The verses. The Deacon's Litany, or Eklene, called Karazutha (proclamation), resembles the "Great Synapte" of the Greeks. During it the proper "Antiphon [Unitha] of the Gospel" is sung by the people. The deacons proclaim the expulsion of the unbaptized, and set the "hearers" to watch the doors. The priest places the bread and wine on the altar, with words (in the Church of the East, but not in
8280-399: The westernmost end, and is often elevated above the others and may have a canopy above it (see cathedra ). At Mount Athos , each monastic establishment, large or small, belongs to one of twenty "Sovereign Monasteries." The smallest type of these monastic establishments is called a kathisma : it is a simple abode for one solitary monk . Psalter A psalter is a volume containing
8372-575: The work of the diaconate [or of the presbyterate] to the Levitical and stephanite Office [or for the office of the Aaronic priesthood], in the Name, etc., In the case of a bishop it is : "to the great work of the episcopate of the city of ..." A similar formula is used for archdeacons and metropolitans. The Consecration of churches (Siamidha or Qudash Madhbkha) consists largely of unctions. The altar
8464-591: Was historically used in the Church of the East —the largest branch of Christianity operating primarily east of the Roman Empire —, with pockets of adherents as far as South India , Central and Inner Asia , and a strong presence in the Sasanian (Persian) Empire . The Church of the East traces its origins to the 1st century, when Saint Thomas the Apostle and his disciples Saint Addai and Saint Mari brought
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