Historical Prospective

of the Liturgy-Part IINOVATIONS THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY - PART I

ipodiakonos zoran j. bobic

APOSTOLIC LITURGY

New Testament: first and only source;

The way it was celebrated;

…to obey Lord’s commend;

Paschal meal: eaten once – Eucharist celebrated frequently;

Primitive Eucharist = connection with meal;

The Scripture

Three times in Acts of the Apostles;

Acts 2:42-46;

Acts 20:7-11;

Originally Christ had celebrated it within the frame of a meal;

Religious meal = CHABURAH

The Scripture

I Cor. 11:20-24

The Scripture

I Cor. 11:20-24

CHABURAH = formal supper

CHABURAH from “chaburoth”, plural form of the singular “chaber” meaning “friend”

Corporate suppers on Sabbath; (or holiday eves);

Must bring contribution;

Apostles gathering = common meal !

חבורה

Kiddush (Hebrew: קידוש), literally,

"sanctification," is a blessing recited

over wine or grape juice to sanctify the

Shabbat and Jewish holidays.

WINE & WASHING HANDS

Grace before meals, said by father of the house or leader;

Father and/or leader took bread broke it;

Wine was served;

Individual blessed his own cup;

Specific prayer;

Water & Towel were brought in after;

Washing hands took place;

So to summarize:

Recited over the cup of wine;

Name: “Cup of the Blessings”

Invitation to drink of this cup by “father” and/or “leader”

After “Benediction” “father” and/or “leader” sipped a little wine, then passed it around;

Sense of oneness to the whole group;

Singing the Psalm;

Dismissal;

SIMILAR

The cup of wine;

Bread (which was broken);

Blessings for both bread and wine;

Thanksgiving after the meal:

1) …for the earthly;

2) Spiritual food and drink (means Eucharist);

3) Jews gave thanks to Old Covenant (Law and circumcision)-Christians prayed for the

Church;

4) Jews also prayed for the “land”;

Father of the house/leader = priest or bishop

CHRISTIANS INOVATION ?

The cup proceeded the bread;

Prayers = knowledge of Jewish customs and tradition;

Eucharist frame work;

“father” and/or “leader” = Christ;

So what do we know…?

Christ celebrated the first Eucharist in the form of the paschal supper;

He performed the first consecration at the bread-breaking ceremony (and the second at

the third cup of wine);

The Cup of the Blessing after the principal course;

Prayers were fist formula and narrative of Eucharist;

Thanksgiving prayer after meal;

APOSTOLIC “CATECHETICAL SYNAXIS”

…primitive Judeo-Christian community gathered in the Temple;

SYNAGOGUE or TO GO TO THE SYNAGOGUE;

A.D. 70

“catechetical synaxis” = originating from “synagogue” = gathering

or assembly

This was first part of Mass = now known as: “Mass of Catechumens”

(3rd century by Origen; Cyril of Jerusalem; Gregory Nazianzen;

Apostolic Constitutions; John Chrysostom;)

CATECHETICAL SYNAXIS-Outline:

LECTIONS (OR READING) FROM SCRIPTURE;

THE SINGING OF PSALMS;

OR HYMNS;

SERMON;

PRAYERS;

BREAKING AWAY=excommunication

Jews initiated breaking away;

Disciplinary actions against the Christians;

Opposition to the doctrine of Christians;

Christians = “heretics”

“herem” = excommunication;

“niddui” = temporary exclusion;

Apostles organized own assemblies;

SABBATH MORNING SERVICE

This provided inspiration and pattern for “Synaxis”

We find this in the Book VII - Apostolic Constitutions';

This “Synaxis” is whole Greco-Jewish Morning Service for Sabbaths,

with few modifications;

SABBATH MORNING SERVICE-Outline: Double reading from Law and Prophets; (used in 1st century A.D.);

We found that St. Paul spoke in synagogue (Acts 1:15) “after reading of the Law and

Prophets”;

Christians added reading of the New Testament;

They read Apostolic Letters and Gospel's;

Total 4 readings;

Singing of the psalms: [attested by St. Paul (1 Cor. 14:26)] probably borrowed from this

morning service;

Psalmody = PROKEIMENON (Slavic: “prokimen”)

Midrash = Christian sermon (or homily) [1 Cor. 14:26];

18 Blessings = “common” prayers = ancient litanies;

Blessings divided by “Amen” = “Kyrie eleison” by Christians;

Text divided into distinct petitions is similar to Syro-Antiochhene litanic forms…;

Men were bareheaded;

Women veiled (1 Cor. 11:6-7);

Women not permitted to speak (1 Cor. 14:34-35);

Kiss of peace (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16-20; 1 Thess 5:26; 1 Pet. 5:14;);

Public profession of faith (1 Tim. 6:12);

They prayed with uplifted hands (1 Tim. 2:8);

Collection for the poor (1 Cor. 16:12; Rom. 15:26;);

Sunday = Day of Resurrection was probably sanctified in addition to the Sabbath;

SABBATH MORNING SERVICE

& Other liturgical practices:

SECOND CENTURY LITURGY

Separation of Eucharist from meal =after life time of the Apostles;

Common meal (or agape) continued for several more centuries (longer in the East);

Why separation?

Abuses – as it happened in Corinth during Paul’s time;

Or necessity…?

Logical: discontinue the meal – celebrate Eucharist !

After separation Eucharist could be celebrated freely at any time of day!

SECOND CENTURY LITURGY

Another reason: SUNDAY;

Christ = Sun of Justice, the Sun of Truth (according to Scriptures);

Early Christians = took above description very seriously;

Why?

Christ rose from dead at dawn (first Easter Sunday);

His rising coincided with the appearance of the natural sun;

Sunrise = symbol of the rising Sun of Justice;

Conclusion: Christ, the Sun of Justice and Truth would come upon the altar in the Eucharist

at the very time the natural sun was rising;

We see here strong influence of symbolism…;

Conclusion: what ever reason early Christians began to meet before daybreak for their

services;

SECOND CENTURY LITURGY:

The first detailed description of Liturgy

Open letter to the Government [First Apology] – Justin;

It was addressed to Antoninus Pius (A.D. 138-156);

Written to the Senate and Roman people;

Justin uses no other term but EUCHARIST for the consecrated bread and vine;

Others: Athenagoras of Athens; Theophilus of Antioch; St. Irenaeus;

Additional notes:

Clergy had no special vestments;

Canonical hours, saints, incense yet to be introduced;

THE AGAPE

Separating Eucharist from common meal was gradual;

It was accomplished during the first half of the second century;

Note: This does not mean that common meal was totally abolished;

Common meal continued to be important phase of Christian life for several centuries;

Details about the ceremonial connected with the agapes have been recorded;

Especially from Tertullian’s writing's: Apologeticus

AGAPE

Complete information can be found in the Egyptian version of Apostolic Tradition;

Original in Greek by Hippolytus (Roman presbyter) A.D. 215;

This document gives us a fairly comprehensive picture of the common meal;

Here we see parallels with the old Jewish “chaburah”;

Cup of the blessing = Chalice of the Eucharist;

In the East, this cup was from “Kiddush” cup;

We can now exam Ethiopic version:

AGAPE/”alleluia”/”hallel”

What are we to make of the “alleluia” mentioned by Ethiopic translator?

“chaburah” included the song of “hallel”;

“hallel” is part of ceremonial Passover supper;

This is dating before our Lord’s time; (it dates back at least to the second century A.D.);

In Egyptian “hallel” we find prominent feature;

Conclusion: Christian “alleluia” = Egyptian “hallel”;

AGAPE – Liturgical Language

Until later of second century it was Greek;

Jews of the diaspora also held their synagogue services in Greek;

“Amen” and “Alleluia” “Hosanna” were kept in original form;

The question of special liturgical language never arose;

In the West, in the second century African Church introduced Latin;

Rome and the Western Church adopted during the third or fourth century; (opinion vary);

When the language of the people changed so did the language of the Liturgy;

From third to fifth centuries Greek-Latin was used side by side in the West;

Going down thru centuries Greek was replaced with national language;

PRE-NICENE: Uniformity-Diversity

In second century Eucharist was still uniform;

In the third century general uniformity was observed, but differentiating practices may be

found in every Church;

Habit was important factor;

When to expect: readings, the psalms, the sermon, when to stand…and so forth;

However, outline or sequence of component parts of the celebration remained uniform;

In the middle of the third century liturgical forms began to be crystallized;

Prayer must be correct and orthodox;

What to pray and a fixed framework as in the Eucharistic celebration;

Uniformity was greater within local Church: Rome, Antioch, Alexandria…;

NOTE: During the first centuries liturgical functions had no ceremonial attached to them;

Liturgical action was directed purely by necessity;

PRE-NICENE TRADITION FORMULA

The train of thought,

the ideas alone should be fixed (identity of meaning),

whereas the words to express them should be compared

by the celebrant himself (verbal diversity);

LAST CENTURY of the PRE-NICENE

By now we know that synaxis and the Eucharist had different origins and served two different purposes;

Until person was baptized and accepted into “ecclesia” he had no hope and could never attend the Eucharist (Liturgy);

Once baptized and accepted he/she had obligation of attending the Eucharist on every Lord’s Day;

Attendance at the Sunday synaxis was less strict;

So on the basis of pre-Nicene evidence, we can put together and reconstruct the general form of the synaxis and the Eucharist;

LAST CENTURY of the PRE-NICENE

The synaxis The Eucharist

Opening Greeting Greeting and Kiss of Peace

Readings and Psalms Offertory

Gospel Eucharist Prayer

Sermon(s) Fraction

Dismissal of Catechumens' Communion

Intercessory Prayers of the Faithful Ablutions and Dismissal

ROMAN PERSECUTIONS & EUCHARIST

Every Christian was under the threat of torture and death;

“non licet esse christianos” = “Christians are not allowed to exist !”

From Nero to Valerian (c. A.D. 65 to A.D. 260) attendance at Christian worship was a

capital crime;

After A.D. 260 law was somewhat relaxed, but still “laesa maiestas” = high treason;

Edict of Gallienus granted virtual freedom of worship to the Christians and a restoration of

their property;

Under Diocletian (A.D. 303-313) the blood of Christians flowed unabated;

The persecution began in Nicomedia (residency of Diocletian) during the winter of A.D.

302-303;

Essential goal was destruction of sacred books;

Thessalonica: Agape, Irene, Chione – preserved the sacred Scripture;

Bodies of martyrs;

SEPERATION OF THE LITURGIES

Council of Nicaea;

Christian religion was now legal;

Christianity was now free to grow, organize and develop;

The bishop of the larger Sees exercised jurisdiction over other Bishop, which resulted in

establishment of important offices of Metropolitan and Patriarch;

For example, during the first three centuries: the primacy of the Bishop of Rome was

recognized as a primary not merely honor but also of jurisdiction;

During the first centuries of Christianity, authority of the Bishop of Rome ruled supreme;

Prior to the 3rd century there was no grouping various Churches into diocese, according to

civil provinces';

In 4th century we started grouping of Churches, which led to office of metropolitan; this was

done only in the East;

This was not established by Council of Nicaea;

ESTABLISHMENT OF PATRIARCHATES

Constantinople;

Alexandria;

Antioch;

Jerusalem;

In West: Rome remained and retained its supreme authority;

DEVELOPMENT OF THE RITES Christians Liturgy developed into separate distinct Rites within universal Church;

Pre-Nicene Rite crystalized into different types of Liturgies;

At this point the Council of Nicaea is merely a point of ref. in dating general trends in

liturgical history;

In 4th century we have enough differences in the Liturgy (of various Churches);

Earlier we mentioned patriarchal Sees and they emerged as the influential in diffusing the

Liturgies developed within their domain – so they became “parent”;

“Parent Churches” were not absolutely consistent within themselves;

“Parent Churches” were subject to development and change;

“Daughter Churches” adopted “Parent Church” with their own changes (adding some

items, expending others and adding own peculiarities);

“Daughter Churches” influenced each other, borrowing from each other and exchanging

details;

Antioch and Alexandria = “Great Parents”

ALEXANDRIAN & ETHIOPIAN LITURGIES

Alexandria left unmistakable mark on the Liturgies of other Churches;

Alexandrian Liturgy remained fluid until 4th century;

Liturgy of St. Mark - no longer used (only on St. Mark Day);

Conflict between Catholic and Monophysites in Egypt = Ethiopian Church;

This liturgy is shrouded in mystery and obscurity;

Present-day Ethiopian is “NOT” Ethiopic origin;

Today there are 17 alternative anaphorae in Ethiopian Church;

ANTIOCH AND SYRIAN LITURGIES

Antioch was the greatest single center of liturgical influence in the East;

The Christendom was influenced by Syrian Liturgy;

Antioch was leader in Syria;

The spread of this rite was situation in Palestine and Jerusalem;

The original was not preserved;

4th century, Clementine Liturgy (Book VIII – Apostolic Constitution);

Comparison between this Liturgy and St. John Chrysostom (Antiochene);

PALESTINE AND JERUSALM LITURGIES

Until the middle of the 5th century they belonged to Antioch jurisdiction;

Palestine liturgy was parent Rite of Antioch (Liturgy of St. James, the Brother of the Lord);

St. Cyril described this liturgy to us;

It originated in Palestine sometimes during the 4th century;

It was celebrated in Jerusalem;

This liturgy replaced ancient and original Antiochian Liturgy;

The liturgy was found in both Greek and Syriac language (Greek is older);

Greek version (manuscript) is from late 10th century;

The Rite of Jerusalem (Catecheses of Cyril-Bishop of Jerusalem) dating 4th century (A.D. 348);

WEST SYRIAN DERIVATIVES:

Byzantium and Armenia

West Syrian: Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia;

Byzantine: Constantinople, Armenia;

All of them got faith from Antioch and Syria;

Later part of 3rd and 4th century they had close relationship with See of

Antioch;

Liturgy of Antioch was the prototype;

Their liturgy was similar;

Armenians embraced Christianity as a whole;

St. Gregory the Illuminator A.D. 294 (Metropolitan of Casarea in

Cappadocia);

EAST SYRIAN DERIVATIVES:

Persia and Mesopotamia

Church of Edessa was established the end of the 2nd century;

Evangelists were from West Syria;

Edessa and Nisibis (in the 3rd century) centers of faith in Persia;

They develop their own distinct liturgical traditions;

Liturgy of S.S. Addai and Mari;

Edessa was strong center of Semitic cultural traditions;

Aramaic dialect was used; Semitic traits were kept in the Liturgy;

A.D. 424 proclaimed the independence from Antioch;

No ideas were exchanged between other Rites;

Schism: Nestorian Church; (A.D. 431);

Persian Liturgy dating 5th - 6th century;

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