A
antgaria
Guest
We in the Chaldean Church just finished our three day fast and prayers which we have for the “supplication of the Ninevites” which is when Jonah announced to them their upcoming doom, and they repented from the king on down.
Beautiful poetry, some of which can be read on kaldu.org. Unfortunately, the readings are not there, and the readings themselves, which are chanted in various rythms, are a work… two of my favorites that come to mind:
1- in which is described the woes of a city to who death approached… and how the city cried seeing its king in sack cloth and morning, and the king too beholding his city moaning.
2- in which the people of the city as Jonah to rejoice with them in that they were spared because of his preaching to them.
In case people are not familiar with some of the spirituality of the Syriac Churches, there are often hymns and other works in which a hypothetical conversation is re-enacted between people. In this latter case, it is the Ninevites talking to Jonah. Other examples that come to mind of the top of my head are the thief and the cherub, and there’s also Mary and Gabriel… although I’m not sure who the author was in this one.
When you look into the links from kaldu.org, they pop up the Syriac fonts, but there is a link near the top in each one for the English versions. Like here is the first days.
That all being said, this was just a way for me to grumble about my knees. At the end of each days prayers, there is a prayer of blessings that is said by the priest, and the congregation take turns kneeling and standing. It really is beautiful to the eye, and one part that I remember from my first time doing it. I am told the up and down motion and alternating is supposed to kind of remind us of the tumult of the seas…
Well anyways, after the first day, with the 20 kneels, I woke up with my knees really sore and hurting, no idea why. Then at night, when we had the prayer of blessings again, I kind of finally figured out why!!!
I know… I know… must be getting old. 
Beautiful poetry, some of which can be read on kaldu.org. Unfortunately, the readings are not there, and the readings themselves, which are chanted in various rythms, are a work… two of my favorites that come to mind:
1- in which is described the woes of a city to who death approached… and how the city cried seeing its king in sack cloth and morning, and the king too beholding his city moaning.
2- in which the people of the city as Jonah to rejoice with them in that they were spared because of his preaching to them.
In case people are not familiar with some of the spirituality of the Syriac Churches, there are often hymns and other works in which a hypothetical conversation is re-enacted between people. In this latter case, it is the Ninevites talking to Jonah. Other examples that come to mind of the top of my head are the thief and the cherub, and there’s also Mary and Gabriel… although I’m not sure who the author was in this one.
When you look into the links from kaldu.org, they pop up the Syriac fonts, but there is a link near the top in each one for the English versions. Like here is the first days.
That all being said, this was just a way for me to grumble about my knees. At the end of each days prayers, there is a prayer of blessings that is said by the priest, and the congregation take turns kneeling and standing. It really is beautiful to the eye, and one part that I remember from my first time doing it. I am told the up and down motion and alternating is supposed to kind of remind us of the tumult of the seas…
Well anyways, after the first day, with the 20 kneels, I woke up with my knees really sore and hurting, no idea why. Then at night, when we had the prayer of blessings again, I kind of finally figured out why!!!
I know… I know… must be getting old. 
I think I just like complaining about the little things. My friends and fellow deacons keep telling me to grow up. 
