DL of St.James

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davinpa

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I attended the Divine Liturgy of Saint James a few hours ago, it was an orthodox one. I found two parts of the liturgy interesting.
First, when the door of the church, (well, it’s not a church building, it’s just a room in a catholic pastoral centre rented by the orthodox), was slammed, sybbollically “kicking off” cathecumens and non orthodox out ( none of them were actually kicked out, as I was still in the church afterwards, I am a Roman Catholic, btw).
The second one was when everyone gets to kiss, everyone(quite literally). My friend and I (he’s also RC), didn’t want to come, but the orthodox archmandrie insists that we kiss him and everyone in the congregation. So we did, with much confusion and giggling. I personally thought it’s rather funny but interesting. Much better than the bows which is the norm for sign of peace in my RC archdiocese (I’m from Singapore).
I really wonder how the liturgy developped, coz St. john Chrysostom obviously took this away, and in the West, this was also thrown out for the laity, until it was somehow brought back by Pope Paul VI with the Novus Ordo.

On a side note, I wonder where is the nearest Eastern CATHOLIC Church in the area.
Anybody has an idea? I’m in Singapore

Peace

Davin P
 
I think the manner of the “sign of peace” may be dictated by local custom. We kiss a lot in the Russian church (greeting), but not necessarily moreso at the sign of peace.

There is a UGCC mission or parish in Singapore. Unfortunately, many of my old links are not working at present, so I cannot give you more details than that. I believe it meets in a private dwelling but should be listed.
 
I forgot to mention this, but I found it shocking that the DL of St. James is strikingly very similar to the RC Novus Ordo Mass. The Anaphora sounded like Eucharistic Prayer 3&4 combined. The order is almost the same from the first reading onwards. Although the Novus Ordo is Roman and DL of St. James is Eastern, i would suspect that Pope Paul VI, or whoever compiled the NO, looked on this DL for reference quite a lot.
I can’t really describe this…:confused:
in Christ,

Davin P
 
The Syriac Liturgy of St. James now extant is not the original one used before the schism, but a modified form derived from it by the Jacobites for their own use. The preparation of the oblation has become a still more elaborate rite. The kiss of peace comes at the beginning of the Anaphora and after it this Syriac liturgy follows the Greek one almost word for word, including the reference to Sion, the mother of all churches. But the list of saints is modified; the deacon commemorates the saints “who have kept undefiled the faith of Nicæa, Constantinople and Ephesus”; he names “James the brother of Our Lord” alone of the Apostles and “most chiefly Cyril who was a tower of the truth, who expounded the incarnation of the Word of God, and Mar James and Mar Ephraim, eloquent mouths and pillars of our holy Church.” Mar James is Baradaï, through whom they have their orders, and from whom their name (543). Is Ephraim the Patriarch Ephraim of Antioch, who reigned there from 539-545, but who was certainly not a Monophysite? The list of saints, however, varies considerably; sometimes they introduce a long list of their patrons (Renaudot, Lit. Orient. Col., II, 101-103). This liturgy still contains a famous clause. Just before the lessons the Trisagion is sung. That of the Greek rite is: “Holy God, holy Strong one, holy Immortal one, have mercy on us.” The Syriac rite adds after “holy Immortal one” the words: “who wast crucified for us.” This is the addition made by Peter the Dyer (gnapheús, fullos) Monophysite Patriarch of Antioch (458-471), which seemed to the Orthodox to conceal Monophysite heresy and which was adopted by the Jacobites as a kind of proclamation of their faith. In the Syriac use a number of Greek words have remained. The deacon says stômen kalôs in Greek and the people continually cry out “Kurillison”, just as they say “Amen” and “Alleluia” in Hebrew. Short liturgical forms constantly become fossilized in one language and count almost as inarticulate exclamations. The Greek ones in the Syriac liturgy show that the Greek language is the original.

Besides the Syriac Liturgy of St. James, the Jacobites have a large number of other Anaphoras, which they join to the common Preparation and Catechumen’s Mass. The names of sixtly-four of these Anaphoras are known. They are attributed to various saints and Monophysite bishops; thus, there are the Anaphoras of St. Basil, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Peter, St. Clement, Dioscurus of Alexandrian, John Maro, James of Edessa (died 708), Severus of Antioch (died 518), and so on. There is also a shortened Anaphora of St. James of Jerusalem. Renaudot prints the texts of forty-two of these liturgies in a Latin translation. They consist of different prayers, but the order is practically always that of the Syriac St. James Liturgy, and they are really local modifications of it. A letter written by James of Edessa (c. 624) to a certain priest named Timothy describes and explains the Monophysite Liturgy of his time (Assemani, Bibl. Orient., I, 479-486). It is the Syrian St. James. The Liturgy of the Presanctified of St. James (used on the week days of Lent except Saturdays) follows the other one very closely. There is the Mass of the Catechumens with the little Entrance, the Lessons, Mass of the Faithful and great Entrance, litanies, Our Father, breaking of the Host, Communion, thanksgiving, and dismissal. Of course the whole Eucharistic prayer is left out–the oblations are already consecrated as they lie on the Prothesis before the great Entrance (Brightman, op. cit., 494-501).
 
Originally posted by dav(name removed by moderator)a;5862678. I forgot to mention this, but I found it shocking that the DL of St. James is strikingly very similar to the RC Novus Ordo Mass. The Anaphora sounded like Eucharistic Prayer 3&4 combined. The order is almost the same from the first reading onwards. Although the Novus Ordo is Roman and DL of St. James is Eastern, i would suspect that Pope Paul VI, or whoever compiled the NO, looked on this DL for reference quite a lot.
I can’t really describe this…
in Christ,

Davin P

This is Great. Thank you. Can anyone please give more information on this???
 
dav(name removed by moderator)a said:
…The second one was when everyone gets to kiss, everyone… Much better than the bows which is the norm for sign of peace in my RC archdiocese (I’m from Singapore).
I really wonder how the liturgy developped, coz St. john Chrysostom obviously took this away, and in the West, this was also thrown out for the laity, until it was somehow brought back by Pope Paul VI with the Novus Ordo.

Peace

Davin P
Click to expand...
Prior to Vatican II, there were areas in Europe, (France, Phillipine Islands and some parishes in England) and a few other places where the Pax Brede ( Osculatorium Pacis, or simply the Pax) was used. It was usually a flat disc, metal, with the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) or sometimes an impression of our Lady, embossed on it. It usually had a handle on the back to be held by. The priest would kiss it at the Pax, then the Sacred Ministers, (Deacon and Sub-Deacon of the Mass) and clergy in the sanctuary. Then it was passed to the faithful who would all kiss it. It seems to have it’s origins in England durning the Middle ages, and was common among the Dominicans prior to the Missal of Pope Paul VI.
 
Thank you for this.

I’m always happy to read the texts of other Eastern Liturgies, and look forward to opportunities to experience them.
 
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