Which anaphora to use?

[japhy]

Since the late 1960s, the Roman Rite has had multiple Eucharistic Prayers (anaphoras) which the priest can choose from. One of the reasons for the increase in Roman anaphoras is the multiplicity of anaphoras in the Eastern rites. I would like to know, though, how a priest or bishop in one of the Eastern rites decides which anaphora to use for a particular divine liturgy. Is it based on the feast day, the preference of the priest, or some other factors?

 

[Symeon]

In the Byzantine churches, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is generally used always, except during Great Lent, when the Liturgy of St. Basil is served on Sundays. It is not at all like in the Latin Church, where each individual priest can decide at each Mass which Eucharistic Prayer to use. I’ve never heard of the Liturgy of St. James being used in an Eastern Catholic parish. It is used rarely, even by the Orthodox.

 

[malphono]

In the Syriac Churches there are some 70+ anaphorae, only a few of which are actually published in the Missals. In any case, the general rule is that those published are the ones that may be used. Within that group, it’s pretty much at the discretion of the celebrant. In practice, the first anaphora published in the Missal is the one that gets the most use (due to the inertia factor). One note: in the SOC, the Anaphora of St James is prescribed to be used on certain days, including most major feasts of the Lord. I’m not sure if either the SCC or Syro-Malankara Church maintains the same rule.

 

[LumenGent]

Isn’t it a tradition in the Syriac Church that the Anaphora of St John the Evangelist is used on Wednesdays and Marian feasts?

 

[ConstantineTG]

Interesting, I never knew the Syriac Rites has so many Anaphora

 

[Phillip_Rolfes]

In the Syriac Churches there are some 70+ anaphorae, only a few of which are actually published in the Missals. In any case, the general rule is that those published are the ones that may be used. Within that group, it’s pretty much at the discretion of the celebrant. In practice, the first anaphora published in the Missal is the one that gets the most use (due to the inertia factor). One note: in the SOC, the Anaphora of St James is prescribed to be used on certain days, including most major feasts of the Lord. I’m not sure if either the SCC or Syro-Malankara Church maintains the same rule.

That’s really interesting. Thanks, Malphono. Do you know of any place to purchase a decent-good Syriac Missal in English?

 

[5Loaves]

I would like to know, though, how a priest or bishop in one of the Eastern rites decides which anaphora to use for a particular divine liturgy. Is it based on the feast day, the preference of the priest, or some other factors?

Anaphora options I know not of. I’m about as ignorant as you can be, but I have understood it’s the typicon that outlines what is used in every service, monastic or parochial, at least in the Russian Church. Said typicon is way above my pay grade. My only teaching on it I got from Sr. Vassa Larin in her lecture “Feasting and Fasting According to the Byzantine Typikon” at the Orientale Lumen conference 2008. That lecture is available in print or in video. I highly recommend the video. Sr Vassa is brilliant and also very humorous, with the driest of humor, which is more apparent in the video than in print.

I’m glad you’ve got an interest in the Divine Liturgy, Jeffrey. (FYI my Latin Church began celebrating with the new translation this week during our daily Mass. What a joyful change!.)

 

[Aramis]

The Byzantine DL of St. James is used by some Byzantine Rite Churches Sui Iuris on the feast of St. James. I’ve also heard of it being used on the feast of St. Andrew.

The Ruthenians don’t use the DL of St. James, nor have I heard of the UGCC using it. Ive read that the Melkites do use it.

 

[Vico]

I believe that the Alexandrian tradition, represented by the Coptic and Ethiopian Catholic Churches, usually use on Sundays, the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil, in their liturgical languages, and similary for the Armenian Catholic Church (Liturgy of St. Gregory variant of Liturgy of St. Basil).

Coptic/Arabic
Ge’ez/Amharic
Armenian

And the Byzantine Catholic churches normally use the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom on Sundays.

Greek, Syriac, Slavonic, Malalayam, or vernacular (English, Romanian, Hungarian, etc.)

And the Chaldean Catholic Church normally uses the Qurbana (Divine Liturgy) of Mar Addi and Mar Mari on Sundays.

Syriac, Malalayam