Patriarch of Antioch and All the East

Translated : By Dr.  Matti Moosa

SECTION FOUR

"Liturgy" or "anaphora" are two Greek terms signifying the celebration of the Eucharist. The second one, anaphora, became more popular and widely used by the Syrians. Of all the Christian denominations, the Syrians wrote the greatest number of liturgies, amounting to about eighty pieces of varying length. This writer read seventy-four of these liturgies.

These liturgies belong to two classes. In the first are those ascribed to some of the Apostles, Evangelists and early Christian fathers. Apart from the liturgy of St. James, the brother of our Lord, it would be incorrect to ascribe any liturgy to an Apostle or Evangelist. However, some scholars believe that the two liturgies of the twelve Apostles, as well as that of St. Mark the Evangelist, are the oldest. This has been also intimated by the patriarch George I (d. 790).1 The second part includes authentic and genuine liturgies, regarding only fundamental matters, beginning with the liturgy of St. Basilius of Caesarea and Eustathius of Antioch and others.2 It is obvious that the liturgy of St. James, which is unquestionably old, is of an Apostolic origin in most of its principal public prayers. Its private prayers, however, may be ascribed to the post-Apostolic era. This liturgy was revised by St. Jacob of Edessa (d. 708), whose long version was abridged by Bar Hebraeus (d. 1286) into a version known as the Short.

The oldest liturgy which is preserved in the British Museum was written on vellum around the tenth century. The rest of the copies were written in the latter part of the twelfth century and thereafter. There is a large number of these liturgies in most libraries, especially the British Museum MS. 14690 (dated 1182) and MS. 17229 (dated 1218). Following is a list of these liturgies:

1, 2) the two liturgies of St. James (d. 61), i.e., the Long and the Short;

3) the liturgy of St. Mark the evangelist (d. 62);

4,5) the two long and short liturgies of St. Peter (d. 67), head of the Apostles;

6) the liturgy of the twelve Apostles ascribed to St. Luke the Evangelist;

7,8) the two long and the short liturgies of St. John the Apostle (d. 90);

9) the liturgy of Dionysius the Areopagite (d. 96);

10) the liturgy of St. Clemis (Clement) of Rome (d. 102), beginning "O Lord, who art the indescribable ocean of goodness;"

11) a second liturgy by the same man, beginning, "O God, who art the ocean of love that surpasseth description" (the Hims copy);

12) the liturgy of Ignatius the Illuminator (d. 107);

13) the liturgy of Pope Xystus (d. 251);3

14) the liturgy of Eustathius of Antioch (d. 338), which begins with "O Lord the compassionate, whose mercy is abundant;"

15) a second liturgy by this Eustathius, beginning "O Lord, who are the ocean of safety (St. Mark's MS. 86);"

16) the liturgy of Julius of Rome (d. 356);

17) the liturgy of Athanasius the Apostolic (d. 373);

18) the liturgy of Basilius, Metropolitan of Caesarea (d. 379);

19) the liturgy of Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386);

20) the liturgy of Gregorius Theologus (d. 390);

21) the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (d. 407);

22) the liturgy of Celestine of Rome (d. 440);

23) the liturgy of Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444);

24) the liturgy of Proclus of Constantinople (d. 444)4;

25) the liturgy of Dioscorus of Alexandria (d. 457);

26) the liturgy of Timothy II of Alexandria (d. 470);

27) the liturgy of Jacob of Saruj (d. 521);

28) another liturgy by Jacob of Saruj;

29) the liturgy of Philoxenus of Mabug (d. 523);

30) another liturgy by Philoxenus of Mabug;

31) the liturgy of Severus of Antioch (d. 538);

32) the consecration of the cup by Severus;

33) the liturgy of Simon of Beth Arsham (d. 540);

34) the liturgy of Jacob Baradaeus (d. 578);

35) the liturgy of Peter Callinicus of Antioch (d. 591);

36) the liturgy of Thomas of Harqal (d. 616);

37) the liturgy of Severus, Bishop of Samosata (d. 636);

38) the liturgy of John III of Sedra (d. 648);

39) the liturgy of Marutha of Takrit (d. 649);

40) the liturgy of John, Bishop of Busra (d. 650);

41) the liturgy of Maphrian Ibrahim al-Sayyad (d. 685);

42) the liturgy of Jacob of Edessa (d. 708);

43) the liturgy of John, Metropolitan of St. Matthew's Monastery (d. 752);

44) the liturgy of Patriarch Cyriacus (d. 817);

45) the liturgy of Basilius Lazarus bar Subto, Bishop of Baghdad (d. 828);

46) the liturgy of John, Bishop of Dara (d. 860);

47) the liturgy of St. Isaac (tenth century);

48) the liturgy of Moses Bar Kipha, bishop of Barumman (d. 903);

49) another liturgy by bar Kipha;

50) the liturgy of Matta or Harma al-Rai, bishop of al-Hasasa (tenth century);

51) the liturgy of Patriarch John bar Shushan (d. 1072);

52) another liturgy attributed to him by some scholars;

53) the liturgy of Ignatius, maphrian of the East (d. 1164);

54) the long liturgy of Jacob bar Salibi (d. 1171);

55) a medium-sized liturgy by the same man;

56) another short liturgy by him;

57) a liturgy compiled by Bar Wahbun (d. 1193) from the liturgies of Church fathers;

58) the liturgy of Patriarch Michael the Great (d. 1199);

59) the liturgy of Jacob, maphrian of the East (d. 1214);

60) the liturgy of Michael (Yeshu the intruder) (d. 1214);

61) the liturgy of Patriarch John al-Gharib (d. 1220);

62) the liturgy of Iyawannis Jacob bar Shakko, bishop of Mardin, al-Khabur and Dara (d. 1231);

63) the liturgy of Gregorius of Bartulli, bishop of St. Matthew's Monastery and Azerbayjan (d. ca. 1250);

64) the liturgy of Patriarch John bar Madani (d. 1264);

65) the liturgy of the maphrian Gregorius bar Habraeus (d. 1286);

66) the liturgy of Dioscorus Gabriel, bishop of the Jazira (d. 1300);

67) the liturgy of Patriarch Ignatius bar Wuhayb (d. 1333);

68) the liturgy of Cyril Simon al-Alini, bishop of Hah (d. 1333);

69) the liturgy of Bishop John Butahi (fourteenth century);

70) the liturgy of Joseph bar Gharib, Bishop of Amid (d. 1375);

71) the liturgy of Patriarch Ibrahim bar Gharib (d. 1412);

72) the liturgy of Patriarch Behnam of Hidl (d. 1454);

73) the liturgy of Qauma, patriarch of Tur Abdin (d. 1454);

74) the liturgy of John Gurgis (George), bishop of the Monastery of Qartamin (d. 1495), compiled from liturgies composed by writers with the name of John; he may have written a special liturgy which has been lost to us;

75) another liturgy compiled by the same man from other liturgies each one written by writers named Jacob;

76) the liturgy of Masud II of Zaz, patriarch of Tur Abdin (d. 1512);

77) another liturgy by him lost to us;

78) a third liturgy by him, also lost to us;

79) the liturgy of Basilius Abd al-Ghani I, al-Mansuri, maphrian of the East (d. 1575).

Some later scholars have ascribed additional liturgies, about which we are uninformed, to Severus Sabukht, bishop of Qinnesrin (d. 665), Severus Jacob, bishop of St. Matthew's Monastery and Azerbayjan (d. 1241), and bar Qinaya who is probably Jacob of Hattakh (d. 1360).

Some liturgies were written in Greek and then translated into Syriac, probably by Thomas of Harqal (Heraclea), including the liturgies of Dionysius the Areopagite, Ignatius the Illuminator, Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory Nazianzen, and Timothy of Alexandria; and the liturgy of Severus of Samosata was translated by Ibrahim of Amid in 598. No doubt the liturgies of Eustathius, the Caesarian, Athanasius, Chrysostom, Cyril, Proclus, Dioscorus of Alexandria, and Severus of Antioch were written in Greek, but their translators are unknown. Of these liturgies two, belonging to Thomas of Harqal and Michael the Great, as well as the closing prayer of the liturgy of Basilius Abd al-Ghani, were alphabetically arranged.

Other liturgies were prescribed for special feasts and special ceremonies. In the introduction to the liturgy of Gregorius Jacob, maphrian of the East, we find a commentary by his uncle, patriarch Michael, confirming it and permitting its celebration. Some of these liturgies were erroneously ascribed to different authors, due to the negligence of the transcribers. For example, the liturgy which opens with"Eternal and compassionate God" was attributed to Gregorius of Bartulli, bishop of St. Matthew's Monastery, while some copyists ascribed it to Bar Hebraeus.

Renaudot5 erroneously mentions that the liturgy of Bar Habraeus begins with "O God, Lord of Hosts," and that the liturgy compiled by John bar Wahbun begins with "Almighty God, who is beyond comprehension." In another copy this same liturgy begins with "Almighty and Gracious God." Similar mistakes occur in the liturgies of Philoxenus of Mabug, Simon of Beth Arsham, and Patriarch Lazarus bar Subto. However, a liturgical copy in Tur Abdin ascribes one of the liturgies of Philoxenus of Mabug to his nephew Philexene, nicknamed "the Young," bishop of Daluk, who adopted the doctrine of Chalcedon. There is no evidence that Philexene has written a liturgy.

The style of liturgies, although simple, is difficult to imitate. It combines lucidity of expression with profundity of meaning. The liturgy is written with elegance, skill, and unsurpassed sweetness which induce the hearers' awe and submission, bind their hearts with divine matter, and arrest their attention throughout the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Further, it induces them to contemplate the wonders of this divine mystery and then leave the Houses of God with abundant love. The authors of these liturgies should therefore be recognized for their excellence.

The celebration of the liturgy is preceded by a husoyo (propitiatory prayer), which is recited before the Creed of Faith, and known as the "Sedra of Entry;"6 of these prayers we have about thirty. The Vatican MS. 25 contains fifteen sedras or expiatory prayers; among their authors are the patriarch John III, of the Sedras,7 Patriarch Athanasius (most probably Athanasius II of Balad), Jacob of Edessa, John bar Shushan, Jacob bar Salibi, Thomas the Stylite, Gabriel of Bartulli, Cyril of Hah, Qauma, patriarch of Tur Abdin, and Yeshu of Basibrina.8

The liturgy ends with a dismissory hymn, usually a verse chosen from among eight hymns of the twelve-syllable or the seven-syllable meter, composed by Bar Madani, Gabriel of Bartulli, Behnam of Hidl, the priests Hasan of Mosul and Isa al-Jazri, the monks David of Hims, Abdo of Hah, and Gregorius, bishop of Jerusalem. The dismissory hymn was used, as we believe, in the middle of the thirteenth century. In a Beth Gaz (The treasure of church melodies) in Mardin transcribed in the sixteenth century, we find the dismissory hymn precedes the Benediction of the priest, which begins with "Depart ye in peace," and contains the intercession of saints.

The celebration of the liturgy is preceded by silent prayers recited by the priest during the Mass, particularly the prayer for breaking the bread, written by Jacob bar Salibi, followed by four supplicatory verses by Mar Jacob. A part of the liturgy are the prayers recited by the serving deacon and the group of the clergy which begins with a manith (hymn), by Severus of Antioch, based on the tradition of Melitene. Of interest in this regard are the six Intercessions, or commemorations of both the living and the dead. These Intercessions are of three or four types, long and short. The long one is known as the Eastern Intercession, being used by the Eastern Church, which was under the jurisdiction of the See of Takrit.9 The fifth intercession, that of the Church fathers and doctors, is usually recited by two deacons, only during Lent, as has been the custom in the Church of Mosul and its neighboring churches until today. This intercession, unknown to other churches outside the vicinity of Mosul, contains the names of the majority of the doctors of the Church and the Maphrians of Takrit, from Ahudemeh to Saliba I (d. 1231). In some manuscripts this intercession contains the name of the illustrious Maphrian Gregorius Bar Hebraeus (d. 1286) and, interspread with it, the names of a group of eastern bishops and saintly hermits, giving in lengthy or brief details an elegant description of their virtues, character, and great deeds. However, this intercession is not free from verbosity.

In a Beth Gaz, transcribed in 1569 and preserved in our library, we found an Eastern intercession unknown to us before, which differs completely from the rest of the intercessions. Evidently it is old and has been neglected for ages. We also have a few verses chanted on the Sundays of Lent before the prayer of Peace, which may be the composition of Bar Salibi. The fathers of the Church have also selected a public hymn called the "Catholic," usually sung during the breaking of the sacrificial bread. Not very long ago, these hymns were substituted for Arabic hymns, which are better understood by the congregation; some of these are to be found among the hymns sung in answer to the concluding prayer in the long service book, which we published in Dayr al-Zafaran (1912). Most of these Arabic hymns are of our composition.

To the liturgy is added a long prayer for the sick and the afflicted, recited shortly before the end of the Mass. Because it is seldom used today, this prayer has been replaced by a short supplication in Arabic.

In 1716 Renaudot published thirty-seven liturgies translated into Latin, beginning with the liturgy of St. James and ending with the liturgy of Bar Wuhayb. In 1939 Codrington republished the liturgy of Severus of Antioch, and in 1897, the chorepiscopus Matta Konat of Malabar published seven liturgies, while his son the priest Ibrahim published eighteen others in 1931.10

The first known liturgy in Arabic dates back to 912. In this regard Abu Nasr Yahya ibn Jarir of Takrit, the Syrian, in his book al-Murshid (Chapter 54), states that, "In that year the Metropolitan of Takrit invested with the episcopate a pious man from the Christian Arabs, who celebrated for them the Eucharist in Arabic." Other efforts to translate the liturgy into Arabic began in and after the seventeenth century, although these translations were written in Garshuni (Arabic written in Syriac Script) and in imperfect language. A fair number of liturgies were translated into mediocre Arabic by the chorepiscopus Elias of Mosul before his death in 1907. We ourselves translated eight liturgies and five husoyos (propitiatory prayers) in 1910.