Oriental Devotional Life

[Zabdi_Premjit]

Latins have chaplets and novenas. Byzantines have akathists, canons, and the prayer rope.

What are the main forms of private devotions used in the various Oriental traditions (i.e. Maronite, Coptic, Ethiopian, Indian, Assyrian, etc.)?

 

[MorEphrem]

There aren’t really devotions, at least proper to the West Syriac tradition. If you’re following the proper schema of 7 daily offices and festival rites for every feast, there really doesn’t seem to be a need for devotions. I suppose if one wanted to stretch the idea of devotion as anything paraliturgical, there is a tradition, while sitting around with others, to sing hymns from the shhimo (breviary) or elsewhere.

Of course, the Maronites have adopted all sorts of Latin affectations. There’s even a “St. Sharbel Rosary” with its own set of beads. More Latin of a devotion, though, it couldn’t be - the three “mysteries” are based on his “3 religious vows” of obedience, chastity and poverty.

 

[malphono]

There aren’t really devotions, at least proper to the West Syriac tradition. If you’re following the proper schema of 7 daily offices and festival rites for every feast, there really doesn’t seem to be a need for devotions. I suppose if one wanted to stretch the idea of devotion as anything paraliturgical, there is a tradition, while sitting around with others, to sing hymns from the shhimo (breviary) or elsewhere.

I don’t know if it’d be called a “devotion” properly speaking, but remember the ziyaah of the icon of the Holy Virgin (or Mor Moroun, etc) that was often done after Mass. IIRC, the Armenians still have something similar.

Of course, the Maronites have adopted all sorts of Latin affectations. There’s even a “St. Sharbel Rosary” with its own set of beads. More Latin of a devotion, though, it couldn’t be - the three “mysteries” are based on his “3 religious vows” of obedience, chastity and poverty.

Actually I think it’s called a “chaplet” which is even more of a latinization but I digress.

 

[Zabdi_Premjit]

I don’t know if it’d be called a “devotion” properly speaking, but remember the ziyaah of the icon of the Holy Virgin (or Mor Moroun, etc) that was often done after Mass. IIRC, the Armenians still have something similar.

Actually I think it’s called a “chaplet” which is even more of a latinization but I digress.

What is a ziyaah?

 

[Zabdi_Premjit]

There aren’t really devotions, at least proper to the West Syriac tradition. If you’re following the proper schema of 7 daily offices and festival rites for every feast, there really doesn’t seem to be a need for devotions. I suppose if one wanted to stretch the idea of devotion as anything paraliturgical, there is a tradition, while sitting around with others, to sing hymns from the shhimo (breviary) or elsewhere.

Of course, the Maronites have adopted all sorts of Latin affectations. There’s even a “St. Sharbel Rosary” with its own set of beads. More Latin of a devotion, though, it couldn’t be - the three “mysteries” are based on his “3 religious vows” of obedience, chastity and poverty.

But doesn’t every rite have a cycle of daily offices which, if followed completely, would leave little time for other devotions? It doesn’t seem like that alone would preclude the organic development of private devotions.

 

[malphono]

What is a ziyaah?

It’s a short service of a blessing with an icon.

 

[MorEphrem]

But doesn’t every rite have a cycle of daily offices which, if followed completely, would leave little time for other devotions? It doesn’t seem like that alone would preclude the organic development of private devotions.

Perhaps but I’m yet to see a tradition aside from the Syriacs that have so faithfully maintained the monastic observance of offices on such a wide level. Additionally, if one has a festal rite that takes another 2hrs. on top of the morning office and the mass on a feast, I don’t know what one would want to supply it with more. I’ve also never seen the popular engagement of the laity in another tradition that I do in Syriac liturgy; if you attend a Syriac Orthodox office, depending on the church, a lay woman might be chanting the office at the same choir desk as the bishop (and those who push “popular participation” try to introduce to the Maronite Church ). It has been my experience that a good number of laity would come to the 40min. vespers on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and sing at the choir desk from young to old - I don’t know what supplementary devotional would be needed.

Ziyaah, in my experience, has been particular to the Maronites. I have not seen this amongst others Syriacs. Even that, though, seems to be a development in a parochial setting (I haven’t seen it done in any Maronite monastery during conventual liturgy).

One additional rite that might be almost devotional in character that I can think of is the Shel el-Bakhour - following a liturgy on the anniversary of someone’s death, a hymn from the Jinnaz (funerary office) is sung while the priest incenses the altar and the people. Ideally, there should also be gharbaniyyah (mix of grains and nuts), which is blessed and distributed. Again, I would speculate this is parochial in origin and probably (at least the Shel el-Bakhour addendum to liturgy) is an imitation of the Melkites doing the commemorative service at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

 

[malphono]

Ziyaah, in my experience, has been particular to the Maronites. I have not seen this amongst others Syriacs. Even that, though, seems to be a development in a parochial setting (I haven’t seen it done in any Maronite monastery during conventual liturgy).

I’ve not seen it in a conventual setting either, so yes, I agree that it would seem to have been a parochial development.

One additional rite that might be almost devotional in character that I can think of is the Shel el-Bakhour - following a liturgy on the anniversary of someone’s death, a hymn from the Jinnaz (funerary office) is sung while the priest incenses the altar and the people. Ideally, there should also be gharbaniyyah (mix of grains and nuts), which is blessed and distributed. Again, I would speculate this is parochial in origin and probably (at least the Shel el-Bakhour addendum to liturgy) is an imitation of the Melkites doing the commemorative service at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

Good catch. I thought of it but simply forgot to include that in my earlier post. Again, it’s most likely a parochial development, probably as an abridgement of the Office of the Departed. That said, though, I’m not so sure it came about in imitation of the Melkites since (at least IIRC) the Armenians have something quite similar.

 

[Zabdi_Premjit]

Ziyaah, in my experience, has been particular to the Maronites. I have not seen this amongst others Syriacs. Even that, though, seems to be a development in a parochial setting (I haven’t seen it done in any Maronite monastery during conventual liturgy).

Do you know of any online text for a Ziyaah?

One additional rite that might be almost devotional in character that I can think of is the Shel el-Bakhour - following a liturgy on the anniversary of someone’s death, a hymn from the Jinnaz (funerary office) is sung while the priest incenses the altar and the people. Ideally, there should also be gharbaniyyah (mix of grains and nuts), which is blessed and distributed. Again, I would speculate this is parochial in origin and probably (at least the Shel el-Bakhour addendum to liturgy) is an imitation of the Melkites doing the commemorative service at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

Is gharbaniyyah similar to koliva?

 

[SyroMalankara]

There are “devotional” prayers that are directed for/to Saints or Yoldath Aloho that are liturgical, which may or may not employ incense, such as:

youtu.be/lFTTXSDjWvQ

youtu.be/esq0LXojzqk

 

[malphono]

Is gharbaniyyah similar to koliva?

Different recipe but same idea.

 

[malphono]

There are “devotional” prayers that are directed for/to Saints or Yoldath Aloho that are liturgical, which may or may not employ incense, such as:

youtu.be/lFTTXSDjWvQ

youtu.be/esq0LXojzqk

These seem to be similar, at least in principle, to the ziyaah. Oh and please correct me if I’m wrong below.

Ziyaah, in my experience, has been particular to the Maronites. I have not seen this amongst others Syriacs.

I finally got around to looking and the SOC m’adedono does have zouyohé of the Holy Cross for both the Holy Virgin and various saints. My presumption is that these are what SyroMalankara referenced in his post.

 

[twf]

What about private, personal prayer? I’m a Latin- sometimes in the evening I will privately read the appointed Mass readings for the day, or an excerpt from a spiritual work of a saint, or pray spontaneously in my own words before an icon of Our Lord or Lady. To me, these are all devotional activities. Syriac Christians should have no devotional life outside of the communal, parish celebration of the divine praises?

 

[SyroMalankara]

The Holy Hours are prayed more fully within the monastery and less so in the parish. At home, one would expect no elaborate tones, no incense (unless one is a priest), no extended readings or prefaces to reading. Perhaps even a spoken chant or plain voice. Same prayers more or less, without the fullness of communal, parish or monastic life. Many individually pray other prayers as directed by their elder, priest, bishop or other spiritual guide; theres no blanket practice one could point to.

Ideally, the individuals life would be centered around parish or monastic life, in practice this isnt always possible due to circumstances, a less functional parish, or lack of resources, so the spiritual guide finds another practice or some combination of practices to replace the ideal

 

[MorEphrem]

"twf:

Syriac Christians should have no devotional life outside of the communal, parish celebration of the divine praises?

Ideally, the individuals life would be centered around parish or monastic life

Now, I wouldn’t say they “should have no devotional life” but the spiritual life is communally focused. If you include spontaneous prayers before an icon, read scripture, etc. as “devotional,” then yes, of course that is done, that’s a common Christian experience - however, there’s not a set form of prayer or tradition (which I presume the OP was asking specifically about established devotionals). To that, as I said above, the only devotional outside the communal context I can think of is the chanting of qole, but even that is often done in groups.

 

[Vishadep]

Hello everyone.

 

[Zabdi_Premjit]

Now, I wouldn’t say they “should have no devotional life” but the spiritual life is communally focused. If you include spontaneous prayers before an icon, read scripture, etc. as “devotional,” then yes, of course that is done, that’s a common Christian experience - however, there’s not a set form of prayer or tradition (which I presume the OP was asking specifically about established devotionals). To that, as I said above, the only devotional outside the communal context I can think of is the chanting of qole, but even that is often done in groups.

Qole = hymns?

Hello everyone.

Hello.

 

[malphono]

Qole = hymns?

Yes, but they’re metrical hymns from the various Offices & Church festivals. Something of a parallel in the Latin Church can be seen in the Pange Lingua, or Christos Anesti among the Greek Byzantines.

 

[MorEphrem]

Qole = hymns?.

As malphono said, metrical hymns from liturgies essentially. The fun part about it is the verses are relatively short (i.e. like 4 lines) so the turnover from person to person and melody to melody can be quite quick. Though conceptually very simple, you can cover a lot of theology in a small span as well (e.g. verse on the Incarnation from a Christmas office, a verse on the divine mercy from the ordinary office for God delighting in penitents, a verse about God’s grant of free will evident in Judas and Satan not being annihilated from the Passion Week offices, etc.).