Chaldean Catholic Pascha Qurbona

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This is a video of the Chaldean Qurbona. The Chaldeans belong to the East Syriac tradition so there will are similarities , but also many differences between them and the Maronites. Its a pretty interesting liturgy. Sadly I can tell it has latinizations and modernizations to deal with : ( .

The Holy Qurbono according to the Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church

Note: Although the Qurbono is celebrated in Syriac and English, in what follows only the English version is given.
Preparation of the Offerings
The minister prepares the bread saying:
Like a lamb led to the slaughteror a sheep before the sharers,Christ was silent and did not open his mouth
Then he pours wine and water into the cup and says:
I mix wine and water in this cup,symbols of the blood and waterwhich flowed from the side of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.
He then covers the offerings: first, with the small veils; then with the large veil, saying:
His splendor has hidden the heavens,and his glory has filled the earth.
Lighting of the Church
While the celebrant is vesting, the deacon turns on the lights of the Church and lights the candles. The congregation remains seated.
Meanwhile, the congregation sings the following hymn (qolo):
Hymn of Light
Cong:
Alleluia!In your light we see the light,O Christ, Source of light.You are the true lightwho illumines our universe.Illumine us with your joyful lightand rejoice us with the dawning of your day.
Alleluia!O holy and forgiving One,you abide in light.Remove from us the darkness of evil thoughtsand grant us to do deeds of justicewith a pure heart.
Alleluia!From among all nations,the Lord chose the Virgin.Of all their children,she was the purest and holiestFor nine months he abided in herand from her took a body.
Alleluia!Before their judgesthe martyrs stood and shouted openly:We do not deny Christwho died on the cross.Because of his love,we welcome sufferings and tribulation.
Alleluia!O living Son of God,You died, rose, and raised the dead.You brought joy to those in the graveand hope to those who are asleep.Let the faithful departed,who confessed the Trinity,find rest in you.
Introductory Rites
Entrance Psalm or Hymn
As the ministers go in procession to the entrance of the sanctuary, the congregation stands and sings either the following Psalm (A) or Hymn (B):
A) Psalm 135
I
Praise the Lord, who is so good;God's love endures forever;
II
Praise the God of gods;God's love endures forever;
I
Praise the Lord of lords;God's love endures forever;
II
Who alone has done great wonders,God's love endures forever;
I
And gives food to all flesh,God's love endures forever.
II
Praise the God of heaven,God's love endures forever.
All:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,and to the Holy Spirit,now and for ever.
OR:
B) Hymn (Qolo)
I
On Sunday the Lord rose in glorious splendor;He overcame sufferingand destroyed the vanquishing of death.He brought back sinnersand clothed them with the robe of glory.
In their white robes,the heavenly hosts hurried at dawnand in a pleasant voice called earth and heavento honor the living and triumphant Savior.
II
Come in peace, O day of the Lord,the day of victory and joy.In you our Savior found restafter the trial of crucifixionand marked us with his sealon the road to shining light.
With the choirs of Seraphim and Cherubim,among the hosts of the kingdom,we sing praise to you.O Lord, shower peace over the worldand inflame us with your love.
Entrance Dialog
Cel:
I have entered your house, O Lord, and have worshiped before your throne. O King of heaven, forgive all my sins.
Cong:
O King of heaven, forgive all our sins.
Then, bowing his head to the left and then to the right, he sings in Syriac (A) or English (B):
Cel:
Pray to the Lord for me.
Cong:
May the Lord accept your offering and have mercy on us through your prayer.
The celebrant and other ministers then go to their proper places in the sanctuary. All remain STANDING as the service of the day begins.
Doxology
Cel:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,and to the Holy spirit,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Opening Prayer
Cel:
O Lord,through the blessings of the day of your glorious resurrection,grant us times of tranquility and peace.May we praise you in the company of your heavenly hostsand give you glory and thanks,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Greeting
Cel:
Peace be with the Church and her children.
Hymn of the Angels
Cong:
Glory to God in the highestand peace on earthand good will to all.
Prayer of Forgiveness (Hoosoyo)
Proemion
Cel:
To the praise and glory of the Moth Holy Trinity.
May we offer glory, praise and honorto the good and merciful Lord:willing to become flesh and taste death,he descended to the abyssand saved us from death itself.Through his resurrection he filled his disciples with joyand enlightened the nations by the light of his salvation.To you, O Christ, are due glory and honor,on this Sunday and all the days of our lives,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Sedro
Cel:
O Word of God,who can praise the depth of your mercy?And what voice is able to bless you,who are above all praise?Mind and tongue fail to describethe wonders you accomplished on that holy and wonderous day,the Sunday of your resurrection from the dead.
With the Psalmist David we proclaim:
This is the day the Lord has made,let us rejoice and celebrate.This is the day that has no equalin the past nor in the future.This is the great feast day,crown and glory of all other feasts.
And now, O Christ our Lord,we petition you through the fragrance of this incense,which we offer before you:pardon our faults;give peace to the troubledand consolation to the sorrowful;bring back those who are far awayand watch over those who are near;guide our shepherds, protect your priests,and sanctify the deacons;forgive sinners, guard the just,sustain orphans, and support those who are widowed;prevent dissension and put an end to conflicts;remember the faithful departedand grant them rest in your heavenly kingdom,so that in their company we may celebratethe feast that has no end,and glorify you, your blessed Father,and your living and Holy Spirit,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Qolo (Hymn)
The congregation SITS and the qolo is then sung.
I
At the dawn of the day,let us join for prayer and offering,like Abraham, the just.And on that day, when Christ will come in glory,let us go and meet the living God.Alleluia!
II
On Sunday, the day of light,let us praise and give thanksto our King and Savior.In his love, he came to us,and with his mighthe liberated Adam and his children.Alleluia!
All:
On the Sunday at the end of time,when surrounded by hosts of fire and spirit,you will come to judge all nations,make us worthy, O Lord, to meet youand sing of your gloryin the company of your saints.Alleluia!
Etro
Cel:
Be pleased, O Lord,with the sweet fragrance of this incense.Make us worthy to proclaim your rising from the deadwith your holy angels;to announce the resurrectionwith your women disciples;and to rejoice in your triumphwith your blessed apostles.We glorify you, O Christ,your Father , and your Holy Spirit,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Trisagion (Qadeeshat Aloho)
The congregation STANDS and the Trisagion is then sung three times.
Cel:
Holy are you, O God, Holy are you, O Strong One, Holy are you O Immortal One.
Cong:
Have mercy on us.
Cel:
O holy and immortal Lord,sanctify our minds and purify our consciences,that we may praise you with pure heartsand listen to your Holy Scriptures.To you be glory, for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Service of the Word
Psalm of the Readings (Mazmooro)
All SIT for the psalm of the readings. The verses are sung alternately by the congregation and the celebrant.
Cong:
Come in peace, O Sunday,great and blessed day.God's angels and mortalsfind joy in you and celebrate.
Cel:
Let us proclaim that great Sundayfrom the mountain tops,and let angels and mortalssing praise to the Lord.
Cong:
Blessed is the Lord who exaltedSunday above all other days,with hymns, praises, and prieststo proclaim the good news.
Reading(s)
The reader stands at the lectern and begins the reading. The reader first says:
Reader:
A reading from the ...
The reader then asks for the celebrant's blessing:
Reader:
Father, give your blessing.
The celebrant blesses the reader. The reader then continues:
Reader:
Brothers and sisters...
The reader concludes the reading by singing or saying:
Reader:
Praise be to God always!
Alleluia (Fetgomo)
Meanwhile, the congregations STANDS and sings:
Cong:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Cantor:
This is the day the Lord has made.Let us rejoice and celebrate! (Psalm 117:24)
Cong:
Alleluia!
Gospel
Deacon:
Before the good news of our Savior,announcing life to us all,let us offer this incense.O Lord, we ask for your mercy.
The celebrant burns incense while two ministers hold lighted candles on each side of the Book of Gospels.
Cel:
Peace be with you.
Cong:
And also with you.
Cel:
Let us be attentiveto the gospel of life and salvationof our Lord Jesus Christas recorded by the (evangelist Mark/Luke)(apostle Matthew/John).
The celebrant incenses the Book of Gospels three times. Meanwhile the deacon proclaims:
Deacon:
Remain silent, O listeners,for the holy gospel is about to be announced to you.Listen and give glory and thanksto the living word of God.
The celebrant begins the gospel using the appropriate introductory words. At the conclusion of the gospel he sings or says:
Cel:
This is the truth. Peace be with you.
Cong:
Praise and blessings to Jesus Christ for his living word to us.
Homily
The congregation SITS. The celebrant then gives a homily based on the readings and the liturgy of the day.
Creed
At the conclusion of the homily, the congregation STANDS and sings or says the Creed.
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilot; he suffered, died and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have not end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Pre-Anaphora
Access to the Altar
As the celebrant goes to the altar, he sings or says:
Cel:
I will go to the altar of God,God who gives joy to my youth.In the abundance of your goodness,I will enter your house, O Lord,and worship in your holy temple.
Cong:
Guide me, O Lord, in your fear and instruct me in your justice.
The celebrant then sings:
Cel:
Pray to the Lord for me.
Cong:
May the Lord accept your offering and have mercy on us through your prayer.
The celebrant approaches the altar and kisses it in the center.
Transfer of the Offerings and Their Offering Hymn (Qolo)
Meanwhile, the congregation STANDS and sings the hymn of offering.


Anaphora of Saint John, the Apostle

Rite of Peace
Doxology
The congregation STANDS. The celebrant makes the sign of the cross, singing or saying:
Cel:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Prayer for Peace
Cel:
O Lord, Almighty God,you are true love,tranquility that cannot be disturbed,and hope that cannot deceive.Grant your servants who stand before youlove, happiness, security, and everlasting peace.Enable us to greet one another with a holy kiss, worthy of your holy name,with purity of heart and holiness of soul.We glorify you, O Father,your only Son, and your Holy Spirit,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Exchange of Peace
The celebrant kisses the altar, places his hands on the offerings, then gives the peace, as he sings or says:
Cel:
Peace to you, O holy altar of God.Peace to the holy mysteries placed upon you.Peace to you, O minister of the Holy Spirit.
Diaconal Proclamation
Deacon:
Let each of us give the greeting of peace to our neighbor, with that charity and loyalty which is pleasing to the Lord.
The people exchange the greeting of peace with joined hands.
Hymn of Peace
During the exchange of peace, all sing a hymn of peace, such as the following:
All:
Peace, charity, and faith, brothers and sisters, from God the Father and form the Lord Jesus Christ.May the God of peace be with you all.Amen.
Prayer for the Imposition of the Hand
Cel:
O Lord,we bow our bodies and souls before your majesty.Come visit usand, from the heights of your glorious dwellings,send your grace upon usand your everlasting and imperishable blessing.We praise and exalt you, O Father,your only Son and your Holy Spirit,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Prayer of the Veil
Cel:
O Lord,at the end of time,you sent your beloved Son for our salvation,and he handed over to us these holy and life-giving mysteries.Do not make us strangers to this service,nor turn your face away from usbecause of the the multitude of our sins.For you alone are holy,with your only Son, and your Holy Spirit,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer
Dialog
Cel:
May the love of God the + Father,the grace of the only-begotten + Son,and the unity and indwelling of the + Holy Spiritbe with your, for ever.
Cong:
And also with you.
Cel:
Let us lift up our thoughts, our minds and our hearts.
Cong:
They are raised to you, O God.
Cel:
Let us thank the Lord with fearand worship him with humility.
Cong:
It is right and proper.
The Lord Reigns
Cong:
The Lord reigns clothed in majesty. Alleluia!I am the Bread of Life said our Lord;from on high I came to earth,so all might live in me.Pure word without fleshI was sent form the Father.Mary's womb received melike good earth a grain of wheat.Behold! The priest bears me aloft to the altar.Alleluia!Accept our offerings.
Acceptance of the Offerings
The celebrant takes the paten and the cup and raises them, saying:
Cel:
Almighty God,as you accepted the offerings of the just of old,we ask you now to accept these offerings,presented to you by your faithful peopleas a pledge of their love for your and your holy name.Shower upon them your spiritual blessings,and, in exchange for their perishable gifts,grant them the gift of life and entrance into your kingdom.
Cong:
Amen.
Commemorations
The celebrant places the offerings on the altar and says:
Cel:
Let us now remember our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christand his plan of salvation for us.With these offerings placed before uslet us remember all who pleased the Lordfrom Adam to the present,especially the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God[and Saint N. (patron of the church),][and Saint N. (saint whose feastday it is)].O Lord, remember our brothers and sisters,the living and the departed,children of the holy Church,especially those for whom we present this offering, N. and N.
He remembers the living and the dead he wishes.
Remember also, O Lord,all those who share with us today in this offering.
Cong:
Amen.
Incensation and Hymn
The celebrant first incenses the offerings, and then the congregation. Meanwhile, the congregation sings the following hymn (qolo):
Cong:
Alleluia!We remember Mary, Mother of God,the prophets, the apostles, the martyrs,the just, the priests, and the children of the Church,from one generation to another,to the end of time.Amen.
The liturgy continues with the anaphora appropriate to the occasion:
Praise and Thanksgiving
Cel:
It is right and proper to praise you,O Lord of all in heaven and on earth.the powers on highand heaven where they dwell, bless you.The fiery beings praise you with fear,the cherubim bless you with awe,and the seraphim glorify your majesty,as with the swift movement of their wings,they fly to each other, crying and proclaiming:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Cong:
Holy, holy, holy mighty Lord, God of hosts.Heaven and earth are full of your great glory.Hosanna in the highest.Blessed is he who has comeand will come in the name of the Lord.Hosanna in the highest.
Cel:
You are holy, almighty Lord and Father,holy is your only son, and holy is your Spirit.You sent your Son for our salvation.He descended, became flesh, suffered,and was crucified for us, who have corrupted his image.Your living and Holy Spirit gives life to your divine mysteries.You, O Lord, are holy indeed,and you sanctify us all by the power of your divinity.
Institution Narrative
Cel:
On the day before his life-giving passion,Jesus took bread in his holy hands.He blessed,sanctified,broke,and gave it to his disciples saying:
Take and eat it, all of you:This is my bodywhich is broken and delivered for you and for many,for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Cong:
Amen.
Cel:
Likewise he blessed the cup of wine mixed with water,sanctified,and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and drink from it, all of you:This is my blood of the new covenant,which is shed and handed over for you and for many,for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Cong:
Amen.
Memorial of the Plan of the Son (Anamnesis)
Cel:
In this you will remember me.Whenever you eat this mystery of my Bodyand drink of my Blood,you will proclaim my death until I return.
Cong:
O Lord, we remember your death,we witness to your resurrection,we await your second coming,we implore your compassion,and we ask for the forgiveness of our sins.May your mercy come upon us all.
The celebrant continues using either the Short Form (A) or the Long Form (B).
A
Short Form
Cel:
As we remember your plan of salvation,O Christ our Lord,we implore your bounty:When you come in glory with your holy angels, O Lord,and all look for the reward they deserve,let us not be strangers to your household.Do not turn your face away from us,nor let our sins and offenses touch your holy heart.Do not reject us from your presence,for we have known your holy nameand professed our faith in your divinity.Rather, forgive our sins, pardon us,and have mercy on your inheritance.Your repenting Church begs you,and with you and through you, begs your Father,saying:
B
ORLong Form
Cel:
O Christ our God,we celebrate the memorial of your place of salvation.When you come in glory with your blessed angelsand establish the throne of your awesome majesty;when you command the earth to bring forth the deadand they stand before you in fear and trembling;when you separate the sheep to your rightand the goats to your leftand all behold the reward due them;then let us not hear, O Lord, the bitter voice of condemnation,and do not command us:"Leave me, O damned, to the eternal fire.I do not know you."Do not consider us as stranger to your household,nor turn your face away from us"and look at us with anger.Do not let our sins and offenses touch your holy heart.Do not enter into judgment with usnor treat us like those who bitterly have lost all hope.Do not seek revenge on us like enemiesnor abandon us like strangers.Do not reject us from your presence, O Lord,for we have known your holy name and professed your divinity.Do with us, rather, according to your promises.Pardon our faults and forgive our sins.Have mercy on your inheritance and on the sheep of your flock.Your Church begs you and,through you and with you, begs the Father, saying:
Cong:
Have mercy on us, Almighty Father,have mercy on us.
Cel:
We, your poor and sinful servants, O Lord,realize the graces we have receivedand than you for them and because of them.
Cong:
We praise you; we bless you; we adore you;we acknowledge and ask you:have mercy on us, O LOrd,and hear us.
Invocation of the Holy Spirit (Epiclesis)
Deacon:
How awesome is this moment, O my beloved.The Holy Spirit will descend from heavenand overshadow this offering,preparing for our sanctification.With reverence let us stand and pray,and three times proclaim:
Meanwhile, the celebrant bows and flutters his hands three times over the mysteries as he says quietly:
Cel:
O compassionate and merciful Lord,have mercy on usand send upon us and upon these offeringsyour holy and life-giving Spirit,who is the sanctifier of alland the giver of all holiness,who spoke through the holy prophetsand crowned the apostles and martyrs.May this spirit overshadow these mysteriesand sanctify them.
The celebrant, kneeling on both knees, extends his hands and sings or says:
Cel:
Hear us, O Lord; hear us, O Lord; hear us, O Lord.May your holy and living Spirit descendand overshadow us and our suffering.
Cong:
Kyrie eleison; Kyrie eleison; Kyrie eleison. OR:Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
Cel:
Through his overshadowing, may the Spirit make this + breadthe body of Christ our God.
Cong:
Amen.
Cel:
And make the mixture in this + cupthe blood of the Christ our God.
Cong:
Amen.
Cel:
May these Mysteries sanctify the bodies and soulsof those who participate in them,for the purity of their hearts,the cleansing of their thoughts,the holiness of their souls,and as a pledge of the heavenly kingdomand a new life, for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Intercessions
All SIT. The intercessions follow in either their Short Form (A) or Long Form (B).
A
Short Form
Cel:
O Lord God,at this moment in our sacrificewe remember all your holy churchesand the shepherds who dwell in them in true faith,especially, N., Pope of Rome.N. Peter, our Patriarch of Antioch,N., our Bishop,and all bishops of the true faith.Along with them, we also rememberthe priests, the deacons, and all in your household,who observe your commandments.We pray to you, O Lord.
Cong:
Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:
For the peace and confirmation of the entire world;for the blessing of the year and the abundance of its fruits;for the sick, the oppressed,and for all those who call upon your holy name on land, at sea, or in the air,and who confess that you are the true God.We pray to you, O Lord.
Cong:
Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:
For all those who today present the offeringnow lying upon this altarand those who desired to offer but could not;grant them all they desire.We pray to you, O Lord.
Cong:
Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:
We remember all the saints: the patriarchs, prophets,apostles, martyrs, confessors,Mary, the Mother of God,[Saint N. (patron of the church),][Saint N. Iwhose feast is being celebrated),]and all the righteous and the just.Through their prayers,make us worthy to be numbered among them.We pray to you, O Lord.
Cong:
Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:
For those who have left us and gone to you,baptized in your nameand nourished by the precious body and blood of your Son,from the first Christian disciples until today.They wait for you in life-giving hope.We pray to you, O Lord.
Cong:
Grant them rest, O Lord,and forgive all our sins and failings:those sins we have committed knowinglyand those things we have done without knowledge.
Cel:
O Lord, pardon and erase our faultsand the sins of the departed.Grant us purity and holinessso that, at all times, your exalted and most blessed name,may be praised, honored, and glorified,with the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,and that of your living and Holy Spirit,now and for ever.
Cong:
As it was, is now, and shall be for ever.Amen.
B
Long Form
Cel:
O Lord God,at this moment in our sacrificewe remember all your holy churchesand the shepherds who dwell in them in true faith,especially, N., Pope of Rome.N. Peter, our Patriarch of Antioch,N., our Bishop,and all bishops of the true faith.Along with them, we also rememberthe priests, the deacons, and all in your household,who observe your commandments.We pray to you, O Lord.
Cong:
Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:
We petition you, O Lord,for the peace and confirmation of the whole world;for the blessing of the year and the abundance of its fruits;for those who are sick, oppressed, or tormented by evil powers,that you may watch over them and visit them;for those who call upon your holy name on land or at sea,and confess that you are the true God.Redeem your flock, O Lord,and free it from harmful and bitter scourgesthat may bring death,and from the insult of nations,who neither confess your name nor proclaim your divinity.Lead your flock with your might hand,and it will thank you and pray to you, O Lord.
Cong:
Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:
Remember, O Lord,those who today present the offeringnow lying upon this altarand those who desired to offer but could not;grant them all they desire.Remember also, on your spiritual and heavenly altar,all those who have known and obeyed you.In your kindness, accept their offerings and tithesand make them worthy of your holy name,and that of your only Son, and of your Holy Spirit.And we pray to you, O Lord.
Cong:
Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:
O Lord,we remember before you all the holy patriarchs, prophets,apostles, martyrs and confessors;we remember Mary, the Mother of God,the righteous and the just,[Saint N. (patron of the church),][Saint N. Iwhose feast is being celebrated),]and all the saints who were pleasing to you.By their holy and blessed prayers,we implore you, O Lord:make us worthy to be numbered among them.and to be part of their destiny.We ask this through your graceand through the mercy of your only Sonand his love for us.With Christ and through him,glory and honor are due to you, O Father, and to your Holy Spirit.and we pray to you, O Lord.
Cong:
Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:
In your kindness, O Lord,remember those who have left us and gone to youclothed with the precious body and blood of your Son,and sealed by has baptism,from the time of the first Christian disciples until today,[especially N.].Indeed, O Lord, you are the creator of souls and bodies,and those who have gone to sleeplie waiting for you in life-giving hope.Raise them on that last dayand let your face shine upon them with peace.In your mercy, pardon their faults and offenses,for no one on earth is free from the sting of sin,except your only Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.with him and through him, we also hope in your mercyfor the pardon of our faults,and we pray to you, O Lord.
Cong:
Grant them rest, O Lord,and forgive all our sins and failings:those sins we have committed knowinglyand those things we have done without knowledge.
Cel:
O Lord, pardon and erase our faultsand the sins of the departed,all those committed with wickedness and ill will.Grant us purity and holinessand let us stand before you free from quilt,with innocence and perfect confidence,so that, at all times, your exalted and most blessed name,may be praised, honored, and glorified,with the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,and that of your living and Holy Spirit,now and for ever.
Cong:
As it was, is now, and shall be for ever.Amen.
Communion Rite
Blessing
Cel:
May the blessing of God the + Father,and our Savior Jesus Christ,and the indwelling of the Holy Spiritbe with your, for ever.
Cong:
And also with you.
Fraction, Consignation, Intinction, Commixture and Elevation
The congregation sings an appropriate hymn, for example, Father of Truth, or the korozooto of the day.
Fraction
Cel:
We have believed, and we have offered,now we seal + and break this oblation,the heavenly bread, the body of the Word,who is the living God.
Intinction
Cel:
We sign this cup of salvation and thanksgivingwith the purifying emberwhich glows with heavenly mysteries.
In the name of the + Father,life for all the living;in the name of the only-begotten + Son,who proceeds from him,and, like him, is life for all the living;in the name of the + Holy Spirit,the beginning, the end, and the perfectionof all that was and will be in heaven and on earth,the one, true, blessed, and exalted God, without division,from whom comes life for ever.
Consignation
Cel:
The blood of our Lord Jesus Christis sprinkled over his holy body,in the name of the + Father,and of the + Son,and of the + Holy Spirit.
Comixture
Cel:
You have united, O Lord, your divinity with our humanityand our humanity with your divinity;your life with our mortalityand our mortality with your life.You have assumed what is ours,and you have given us what is yours,for the life and salvation of our souls.To you, O Lord, be glory for ever.
Elevation
The congregation STANDS. The celebrant places the paten containing the host over the cup and elevates them, saying silently:
Cel:
You, O Lord, are the pleasing oblation,who was offered for us;you are the forgiving sacrifice,who offered yourself for us to the Father.You are the Lamb of sacrifice,and yet also the priest who offered himself for us.May our prayers be like incense in your sightas we present them through you and with you to your Father.
Lord's Prayer
Cel:
God our Father,you accept prayers and answer petitions.Through your beloved Son,you taught us to stand before youand pray with purity and holiness.Grant that we may call upon youwith pure souls and clear consciences,and to pray, saying:
The celebrant and congregation EXTEND THEIR HANDS and pray:
All:
Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be your name;your kingdom come;your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread;and forgive us our trespassesas we forgive those who trespass against us;and lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,now and for ever. Amen.
Cel:
O Lord,deliver your servants from all difficult temptations,from the harm of evil that rebels against you,and from the wicked and disobedient.You, O Lord, have power over alland we glorify you,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Penitential Rite
Cel:
Peace be with you.
Cong:
And also with you.
Deacon:
Bow your heads before the merciful Lord,before his forgiving altar,and before the body and blood of our Savior,who gives life to those who partake of him,and receive the blessing of the Lord.
Cel:
O Lord, in your graceand in the abundance of your mercies,bless those who bow before you.Make them worthy to participatein your life-giving Mysteries,and to join with the assembly of your saints.With them, we glorify you,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Cel:
May the graceof the most Holy Trinity +eternal and co-equal in essence,be with you, my brothers and sisters,for ever.
Cong:
And also with you.
Deacon:
Let us all look to God in awe and with reverence and ask him for mercy and compassion.
Invitation to Communion
Cel:
Holy things for the holy,with perfection, purity, and sanctity.
Cong:
One holy Father,one holy Son,one Holy Spirit.Blessed be the name of the Lordfor he is one in heaven and on earth.To God be glory for ever.
The celebrant and the congregation prepare for communion. they EXTEND THEIR HANDS in prayer and say:
All:
Make us worthy, O Lord God,to sanctify our bodies with your holy bodyand to purify our souls with your forgiving blood.May our communion be for the forgiveness of our sinsand for eternal life.O Lord our God, to you be glory,for ever.
Communion of the Celebrant
The congregation sings one of the following hymns:
A
Through the Resurrection of Christ
Cong:
Through the resurrection of Christ the King,with true faith,let us beg for forgiveness for our souls.
Let us all together proclaim to the Son,who redeemed us by his cross:"Blessed is our Savior:holy are you, holy are you, holy are you."
May the memory of Christ's mother,the saints, and all the faithful departedbe honored throughout the whole world.Alleluia!
B
OR:The Heavenly Hosts
Cong:
The heavenly hosts stand with us in the sanctuary.They carry in processionthe body of the Son of God,immolated before us.Let us all approach and receive himfor the forgiveness of our sins and faults.Alleluia!
May our parents, brothers and sisters, and teachersbe commemorated at your altar, O Lord,and may they stand at your right handon the day of judgment,O Christ the King.Alleluia!
Blessed is the Lordwho gave us his living body and bloodthat we may find pardon in them.Praised and exalted are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.Glory to them for ever and ever.Alleluia!
Meanwhile, the celebrant consumes the large part of the host, saying:
Cel:
The body of our Lord Jesus Christis given to me for the forgiveness of my sinsand for eternal life
The celebrant drinks from the cup, saying:
Cel:
The blood of our Lord Jesus Christis given to me for the forgiveness of my sinsand for eternal life
Communion of the People
Before he distributes communion, the celebrant raises the paten and with the congregation sings or says:
All:
Our Lord said:"I am the bread of life.Whoever eats me in faith inherits life."
Cel:
This is the cup which our Lord prepared on the cross.Come forth, O mortals,and drink from it for the forgiveness of sins.
Cong:
The Church proclaims:"Come, O brothers and sisters,take the body of the Son,drink his blood in faithand sing of his glory."
The following verses may also be sung:
The Church proclaims:"Holy, holy, holy are you, O Lord;blessed is he who gives me his body and bloodfor my salvation."
Alleluia! Alleluia!To Christ be glory,for he gives us his living body and bloodfor our salvation.
May this offering intercede for uson the day of judgment,when we stand before God's awesome throne.
Alleluia! Alleluia!To Christ be glory,for from his cup the Churchand her children drink,and sing his praise.
When the celebrant gives communion to the deacon(s), subdeacons (servers), and the congregation, he says:
Cel:
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christare given to you for the forgiveness of sinsand for eternal life.
During communion, the congregation sings O Bread of Life or Father of Truth, or other hymns and psalms appropriate to communion. They may also sing the following traditional Syriac verses in commemoration of the faithful departed:
O merciful Lord,accept this offering from your worshipers.In your kindness,grant pardon to the faithful departed.
Behold, the oblation has been offeredand souls have been redeemed.May it give rest to the departedfor whom it was offered.
May this oblation,offered by the living for the dead,obtain pardon for their soulsand forgiveness for their failings.
May the Lord, who called Eliezarand the widow's son to Life,sprinkle the dew of his mercyupon the faithful departed.
With Abraham and Isaacand with the faithful Jacob,celebrate, O Lord, the memoryof those for whom it is offered.
O heavenly King,accept the offering of your servants,and celebrate their memoryin your heavenly Jerusalem.
In the Jerusalem above,and in the Church on earth as well,may it be an honorable memoryat your alter in heaven.
O Lamb of God,O Shepherd who died for his flock:in your kindness, grant restto the faithful departed.
My soul longs for your body,yet I am afraid to get close,for I tremble because of my sins.In your kindness, O Lord, grant me pardon.
May your body and blood that we have partakenbe for us the way, the bridge,and the safe passagefrom darkness to light.
May the heavenly beings find joyand mortals good hope,because of the offering of the livingfor their dead.
Blessing with the Mysteries
After communion, the celebrant blesses the congregation with the mysteries, singing or saying:
Cel:
We render always gloryand thanksgiving to you, O Lord,for giving us your body to eatand your blood to drink.O Lover of all,have mercy on us.
Cong:
O Lover of all,have mercy on us.
Thanksgiving
The congregation SITS and sings hymns of thanksgiving, for example, O Lord, I have consumed your holy body, or Psalm 133 (134). Meanwhile, the celebrant consumes what remains of the offerings, and then performs the ablutions.
Cel:
O gracious Lord,what return shall we make to your goodness,for the salvation you have just given us?Who is able to offer the proper glory due to you?Although of little worth and according to our measure,we glorify, praise, and thank you,your only Son, and your Holy Spirit,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
Blessing and Dismissal
Cel:
Peace be with you/
Cong:
And also with you.
The celebrant extends his right hand over the congregation and sings or says:
Cel:
We adore you, bless you and thank you,O Jesus Christ, our Lord and God.We implore your goodness and merciesfor the safekeeping of the livingand the rest of the dead;for the feeding of the hungryand the support of the needy;for the visitation of the sickand the consolation of the grieving.Look kindly upon themand give them abundant life.Bless your peopleand shield your flock with your cross.Adoration is due to you, O Christ,your Father, and your life-giving Holy Spirit,now and for ever.
Cong:
Amen.
The congregation STANDS. The celebrant concludes with the following or one of the solemn blessings:
Cel:
Go in peace, beloved brothers and sisters,accompanied by the nourishment and gracesyou received from the forgiving altar of the Lord.May the blessing of the most Holy Trinity remain with you:the + Father, and the + Son, and the + Holy Spirit.
Cong:
Amen.
The celebrant kisses the altar and silently says:
Cel:
Remain in peace, O holy altar of God,I hope to return to you in peace.May the offering I have received from you forgive my sinsand prepare me to stand blamelessbefore the throne of Christ.
I know no whether I will be able to return to you again to offer sacrifice.Guard me, O Lord, and protect your holy Church,that she may be the way to salvation and the light of the world.
Amen.
The celebrant and ministers then leave the sanctuary.

http://www.faswebdesign.com/ECPA/Worship/Qurbono.html

Wisdom from the mouth of Mar Isaac the Syrian

"Will God, if I ask, forgive me these things by which I am pained and by whose memory I am tormented, things by which, though I abhor them, I go on backsliding? Yet after they have taken place the pain the give me is even greater than that of a scorpion’s sting. Though I abhor them, I am still in the middle of them, and when I repent of them with suffering I wretchedly return to them again.” This is how many God-fearing people think, people who foster virtue and are pricked with the suffering of compunction, who mourn over their sin; yet human prosperity compels them to bear with the backsliding which results from it. They live between sin and repentance all the time. Let us not be in doubt, O fellow humanity, concerning the hope of our salvation, seeing that the One who bore sufferings for our sakes is very concerned about our salvation; God’s mercifulness is far more extensive than we can conceive, God’s grace is greater than what we ask for. "

"In love did God bring the world into existence; in love is God going to bring it to that wondrous transformed state, and in love will the world be swallowed up in the great mystery of the One who has performed all these things; in love will the whole course of the governance of creation be finally comprised. "

"As for me I say that those who are tormented in hell are tormented by the invasion of love. What is there more bitter and violent than the pains of love? Those who feel they have sinned against love bear in themselves a damnation much heavier than the most dreaded punishments. The suffering with which sinning against love afflicts the heart is more keenly felt than any other torment. It is absurd to assume that the sinners in hell are deprived of God’s love. Love is offered impartially. But by its very power it acts in two ways. It torments sinners, as happens here on earth when we are tormented by the presence of a friend to whom we have been unfaithful. And it gives joy to those who have been faithful. That is what the torment of hell is in my opinion: remorse. But love inebriates the souls of the sons and daughters of heaven by its delectability. "

"How I Solved the Catholic Problem"

Guatemala is at a turning point. Historically it's been a 100% Catholic country - but that's changing - rapidly. Demographers predict that early in the next century Guatemala will become the first mostly-Protestant Latin American country.

The jet made a careful descent between the three volcanoes that ring the sprawl of Guatemala City. It was April 19th, 1992. My husband, Marty, and I had reached the end of eight years of preparation to be Evangelical Protestant missionaries. We were finally here, excited and eager to settle in Guatemala. We knew our faith would be challenged and stretched, but we were more than ready for it because above all else, we desired to serve God with everything we could offer. Our new life as missionaries had just begun. I didn't feel even a twinge of regret over what we'd left behind in the States: family, friends, a familiar language and culture, and amenities like clean water and good roads we Americans so often take for granted. In spite of the unknowns ahead, I knew we were being obedient, regardless of the cost. We were living smack in the middle of God's will, and it gave us a great feeling of security. We had given ourselves fully to bringing Christ's light to the darkness of this impoverished, Catholic country. As the jet touched down onto the bumpy runway, tears welled in my eyes. "Thank you, Jesus," I whispered as I reached over to squeeze my husband's hand. Marty and I had come to the end of a long journey, but we were also beginning a new one. "Some day, Lord," I prayed silently, "I hope this foreign place will feel like home." I was elated as we walked down the exit ramp from the plane and began the long-awaited adventure of being Protestant missionaries - missionaries sent to "rescue" Catholics from the darkness of their religion's superstition and man-made traditions and bring them into the light of Protestantism. There's no way I could have known that three years later, almost to the day, my husband and my two children and I would stand holding hands again, elated again, waiting to be received into the Catholic Church. Let me explain what happened that led me, a staunch Evangelical, to become Catholic. In the BeginningI was raised in a devout Fundamentalist home. When I was 5 years old I asked Jesus to be my Savior. I was watching cartoons and it was time for a commercial. I figured that was as good a time as any to get saved. I'd been told many times by my folks that all I had to do was "open up a little door in my heart and let Jesus come in, and I would be a true Christian." That was it. Once Jesus was in, He would never go away. And when I died, I would go to heaven. It was a sure thing, the best deal in life, the free gift of eternal life. I couldn't earn it, I could only ask for it, and as soon as I asked (if I really meant it), then it was a done deal! One minute I was a little sinner on the way to hell, the next minute I was a Christian. When I told my mom I'd become a Christian, she wept for joy. I didn't feel any different, but I knew my black heart was now as white as snow. No matter how bad I was, no matter what naughty things I did, when God looked at my heart from now on, all He would see was white, because Jesus was my personal Savior. As I grew up and found myself involved in sins of one kind or another, I doubted the sincerity of my "conversion" at age 5 and, just in case, I got "born-again" at least on two other occasions (just to be sure). This is the Catch-22 of the typical "born-again" theology taught by many Evangelical and Fundamentalist denominations: Although we were taught that "faith alone" saved a person, the assumption was that right away the convert would exhibit a changed life and would continue growing in holiness out of sheer gratefulness to God for the gift of salvation. Under this system, the whole conversion event was completely subjective and valid only with the right measure of sincerity and true repentance - what Evangelicals call "saving faith." On the other hand, if a person known to be "born again" falls away from Christ, it's said that he had "never really been born again." In other words, the possibility always exists that you might not actually be a Christian, though you might be completely convinced that you are. (Evangelical and Fundamentalist Protestants would never say it that way, nor do they even like to think about it, but they do recognize that this is so.) The "Catholic Problem"... Just as I knew for certain I was a Christian at 5 years old, I knew with equal certainty that there were others who were not Christians. I had been taught that some of these non-Christian people lived in places like Africa and Asia. Missionaries were frequent visitors at our little church and we listened with awe to their stories. Once some missionaries came from Mexico, where, tragically enough, the people thought they were Christians, even though they weren't. The Mexicans, we were reminded, were a lot worse off than the heathens in Africa. At least the heathens knew they worshipped demons and false gods. But the poor Mexicans were Catholics. They had been deceived into thinking they were real Christians, and this made them a lot harder to convert. But it wasn't just the Mexicans we worried about and prayed for. Most of our neighbors weren't Christian either. Most were Roman Catholics. Their kids went to Sacred Heart school, where nuns and priests taught them to worship statues and pray to Mary whom - we were repeatedly warned - Catholics thought was more powerful than God Himself. I was taught to feel sorry for Catholics, because they were members of a cult, and they didn't even know it. They were like Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses, who had been deceived into thinking that their good works would get them to heaven. All of my father's relatives were Catholic. I remember when one of them died, my mother cried bitterly because he was in hell, not because he was a great sinner, but because he was Catholic. And there was no way a Catholic could be a "born again" Christian. In fact, as far as we were concerned, being Catholic was far worse than being simply unchurched. Being Catholic was to live a lie, a lie which would only be exposed at death, when the unsuspecting person ended up in hell for believing he could work himself to heaven by good deeds. This was the way Catholics and their theology was explained to me. I was not allowed to go to the funerals of any of my Catholic relatives. It was too sad, my Mom told me. Funerals were supposed to be happy because the person who had died (if he had been "born again") was with Jesus, free from suffering and pain. Catholic funerals weren't happy at all. A lot of people cried because they didn't know for sure if their loved one was in heaven. But we would know, Mom assured us. That was the great thing about being real Christians. These prejudices and misconceptions about Catholicism were reinforced continually throughout my childhood. Not only did I hear strong opinions against Catholicism, but also against most other Protestants, those in other denominations. We were taught that only in our church, or a church which shared our Dispensational interpretive system (1), could a person find the complete truth about the Bible. The big denominations, the "mainline churches," were all apostate we were warned. Those churches were best avoided, for in them, a person would hear error taught and might be deceived into believing it. Errors included things such as infant baptism, amillennialism, speaking in tongues, faith healing or, worst of all, that a Christian could lose his salvation through serious sin. We had the truth at our church, period. Anyone who wanted the whole story about God would have to come to our church and study the Bible the way we did. When meeting someone from another denomination for the first time, we were taught to view with suspicion that person's claim to being a Christian. If they didn't believe pretty much what we did, there was a good chance they weren't really "born again." We were constantly reminded by our pastor that we were obligated to share the real truth with them, especially if they were Catholics. We had Jesus, they didn't. It was that simple. Over the years I came to know many "true Christians" from these other "erroneous" churches. This had an effect on me. I gradually loosened my Fundamentalist views on truth and adopted the typical, somewhat vague belief of contemporary evangelicalism that as long as one has a "personal relationship with Christ," that's all that matters. To my shock, I even met a few Catholics whom I judged to be "born again," (though I could only wonder how they could possibly grow spiritually within the Catholic Church, and I had no idea why they remained in it). As their friend, I saw it as my duty to urge those "Christian" Catholics to find a better church, a Bible-believing church. And some of them took my advice and left the Catholic Church. Some however, stuck with Catholicism, which only made me question the validity of their commitment to Christ. From the time I was a kid, I was taught that in the hierarchy of careers, foreign missionary service was right at the top of the list of things that please God. Marty and I discussed the possibility of his teaching in a school for missionary children. Since he already spoke Spanish, we knew it was likely we'd end up in Latin America or Spain. We prayed that God would use us as missionaries to bring Catholics to Christ. We wanted to bring them "true Christianity." From the time we made that decision until our arrival in Guatemala, a little over eight years went by. Shortly after we arrived in Guatemala my tidy paradigm of "true Christianity" began to disintegrate. For more than two years, I experienced a persistent nagging at the back of my consciousness regarding several theological issues. Getting to the mission field brought those problems to the fore. Perhaps the most distasteful of the nagging issues was what I had come to see as the cultural hegemony inherent in Evangelicalism's mission strategy. Evangelicals were (and are) importing wholesale a specifically American brand of piety, imposing the forms and symbols and jargon of "American Christianity" on the people in other countries. This religious colonialism bothered me a lot. There was also the problem of illiteracy in Latin America. Since childhood I had been steeped in the mindset that the Bible is the literal touchstone of all things Christian. Consequently, I had a hard time integrating the Evangelical "read it for yourself" approach with a culture in which many people couldn't read. And finally, the Protestant notion of sola scriptura (the Bible alone) fell apart each time I tried to test it. I began to see that Evangelicalism's insistence on going by the Bible alone led continually into division and problems. Worse yet, claiming to go by the Bible alone didn't really provide any certitude of belief for believers. Because of my upbringing and theological training, I didn't realize at first that as soon as I allowed myself to question these three problem areas I was pointing myself in the direction of Rome. I thought I was just settling some troubling issues, but it was really at this point that my journey into the Catholic Church began. I believed, as most Evangelicals do, that my own brand of Christianity was the most "authentic," i.e. the closest to the New Testament beliefs and practice - the most "biblical." In Guatemala I was confronted with something I had never considered before: that my Christianity was in fact, a largely American phenomenon. Marty and I spent our first few months in Guatemala "looking for a church." What we expected to find was authentic, Latin American Christianity. What we found was simply transplanted American Evangelicalism, the only difference being the language. It was like watching the Dukes of Hazard dubbed into Spanish. Guatemalan Evangelicalism was a clone of its stateside counterpart. The music was American, the Sunday School curriculum was American. Church government was copied from whatever denomination had founded that particular church. Evangelism was geared, like advertising, to reaching the most people with the most attractive gospel. In most churches, American missionaries wielded a powerful influence, despite the fact that evangelicalism has been present in Guatemala for over 100 years. I realized pretty quickly that Americans are boss there. There are native Evangelical pastors, sure, but the real influence and authority lay in the hands of the Americans. There were other unfortunate parallels with evangelicalism in America. Poor people went to poor churches; the middle-class and wealthy attended more upscale churches which attracted people from their particular level of society. Only in one large, downtown Evangelical church did we ever see rich and poor in fairly equal numbers, though most of the poor people sat in the balcony, not down front where the more affluent folks sat. I had never, until then, realized how Protestant churches are almost always separated by class. I was unsettled to realize that I had never attended a church with poor people. I had always looked for a church with people "like me." Where was the One Church of Jesus Christ which embraced rich and poor alike? For some reason, I had expected to find it in Guatemala. I didn't. I began to reflect upon something I'd heard from a visiting missionary years before. He'd said their mission had begun to target only the wealthy and middle-classes in large urban areas with the gospel. The reason for this was that "poor people would want to be like the rich," so, according to his logic, starting churches among the rich made it easier to reach the poor. Starting a church among the poor however, would not reap a harvest with the rich later on. After all, the rich don't want to be associated with a "poor people's religion." I remember reading an article on church growth in which the Evangelical author stated that "multiplication occurs in homogeneous churches." Translation: If you want lots of people to come to your church, don't mix the poor and the rich, and don't mix the races. Many Evangelicals would balk at such a blunt way of characterizing this attitude toward Latin Americans, but it is a fact, and the proof is the way Evangelical "missions" are run down there. In Guatemala there are the Ladinos, predominately European of Spanish descent. They make up the ruling class. The underclass, for the most part, are pure Mayan Indian. There were Ladino churches and Indian churches. If you saw a woman in a Ladino (upper class) church dressed in native clothing, it was a good bet she was someone's maid. This stratification of Evangelical churches had never bothered me before. In fact, I had never really considered it. But now my conscience was pricking me. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Evangelicalism was not promoting harmony between the races and classes but, rather, was structured so as to reinforce these social and cultural separation between believers. What bothered me most was that this attitude was very American. Segregation was only one of the problems I observed with the imported evangelicalism of Guatemala. A bigger problem is the disease of dissension, which is endemic to protestantism. When the Baptists, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Fundamentalists, and the other well-meaning missionaries came to Guatemala, they brought with them all the doctrinal spats that American churches split over. Guatemalan churches, like their American counterparts, are constantly in a state of strife and doctrinal turmoil, splitting into new churches. New denominations spring up in Guatemala at a breathtaking rate. Pastors, (often self-proclaimed, with little or no education) found new churches, taking large portions of their former congregations with them. In one little Evangelical church the leaders decided to get hymnals (at great expense to the members) and tone down the music on Sundays, so the neighbors wouldn't think they were Pentecostals. Some members left because they didn't want to give up swaying and hand-clapping during worship. Another church split over the election of a female elder. Splinter groups split from splinter groups which had split from other splinter groups. The church was "multiplying," all right. American Evangelical missionaries pour into the country to do what they called "church planting." This means that the newly arrived American "pastor" goes door-knocking until he finds a handful of converts, then they proceed to meet and call it "church." (This is typical of non-denominational Evangelism the world over.) Although several missions groups, including the one which had brought us to Guatemala, work to unite Protestants and help them work together, I realized that there is no reason to assume that unity can be established when unity has never been established between Protestants, since Luther's day! I asked myself where was the "one body, one faith, and one baptism" St. Paul spoke about so passionately? I began to fear that the answer could not be what American missionaries were peddling, at least it couldn't be the whole answer. One day we drove through a small village where I counted three Pentecostal churches on one block. Before the arrival of protestantism, this town was united in its Catholicism. The Catholic parish used to be the center of the community, but now there were multitudes of competing Protestant churches, each promoting its particular brand of evangelicalism: Church of Christ, Presbyterian, non-denominational, Assemblies of God, Mennonite Brethren, and Baptists of every conceivable stripe were all there, scratching around for converts, and reminding their flocks that all the other groups were wrong (especially, of course, the Catholics). I thought about this choose-your-own-church syndrome constantly. While all of us missionaries from these various denominations proclaimed the purity of our gospel, the truth was, there was no way for any of us to know for sure which of us had it "most right." I had no doubt that people who previously had no relationship with Jesus Christ were being saved and brought into God's family through the great efforts and sacrifices of Evangelical missionaries. Still, along with the message "You must be born again," came all the same difficulties of disunity and division that plague American evangelicalism. The problem of the poor and illiterate forced me to rethink several issues. For one thing, I had been taught that to know God one must know the Bible. I had been taught a very detailed, specific interpretive system and had a great deal of experience in using it to understand Scripture. I'd been reading and memorizing Scripture passages since childhood and, I thought, I knew what it all meant. I knew the Bible was meant to be taken literally, most of the time, especially regarding creation and the End Times. I knew the spots where taking it literally could get you into trouble. A good example being the Bread of Life discourse in John 6 or the teaching on justification in James 2:24. Regardless of what other denominations taught, I knew the truth because I knew how to study Scripture for myself. At least that's what I thought. Most educated Evangelicals are confident in their theology, and I was no exception. For example, if I met a pastor who taught that infant baptism was acceptable, I knew he was wrong and I could prove it from Scripture. I could read the Bible and understand it and apply it to my life. I could use the study tools necessary to understand what it meant. I had well-used lexicons and concordances and had studied the Bible for years. But when I came to Guatemala, living in a country of high illiteracy, I was forced to ask the following question for the first time in my life: "If a person's knowledge of truth depends to a great measure upon his ability to read and understand and use Scripture, and if that person's growth in Christ depends upon his being able to do the same, what about the illiterate?" Guatemala has an illiteracy rate of about 50 percent. How would those illiterate believers grow in Christ? How could they fulfill the mandate of prayer and daily personal Bible study? Translating the Bible into a person's native language, (Guatemala has over 22 distinct Mayan languages in addition to Spanish) wouldn't even begin to help him understand, in context, Scripture's meaning. Illiterate people have always depended for knowledge of the truth and for spiritual growth, not on the Bible, a book they can't read, but on the Church and its teaching and preaching. This realization was earth-shaking. I saw that evangelicalism had become, by its "Bible alone" principle, a religion of the literate elite. As a missionary taking the gospel to illiterate people, I realized I had to be absolutely sure, before God, that what I was telling them was, in fact, the Christian Faith, free from error. It had to be 100 percent Truth with a capital T. The problem was, using the "Bible alone" principle I had been taught, I had no way to be absolutely sure. I witnessed among Guatemalan Evangelicals a cacophony of conflicting teachings. Pentecostal television preachers railed against the devil and cast out demons right and left. Fundamentalist non-Pentecostal preachers were just as busy railing against the Pentecostals for speaking in tongues, which was, they warned, a sure sign that they were in cahoots with the devil. Some preachers were teaching a "health and wealth gospel" in one of the Western Hemisphere's poorest nations. Many preached American-style democracy as the "biblical" government God wanted to see in Guatemala. Baptists preached that infant baptism didn't count and that those who practice it aren't "true Christians." Lutheran missionaries were busy baptizing babies. Quakers told people they didn't need any outward symbols of Christianity. Every Evangelical preacher waved his Bible around, claiming it as his authority. "The Bible says . . ." is perhaps the most common phrase heard on the radio in Guatemala these days. With all the competing voices, how was one to know who was right? What mere man could stand up with a clear conscience before a group of illiterate people and say, "This is what the Bible means?" The sheer arrogance of what was going on made it difficult for me to listen to sermons after a while. All of them were "preaching the gospel." But whose gospel? I wondered. Around that time, a more fundamental question loomed: What is the gospel? I remember hearing one day how a Methodist missionary on one side of the mountain made a deal with the Pentecostal missionary on the other side saying, "I won't tell your people they need to baptize their babies if you won't tell mine that they need to speak in tongues." I had plenty of theological training. I knew the answers I'd learned in my Bible classes at college. I knew what I'd been told was true, but I also knew many good Christians who did not hold to some of those teachings. Even I held opinions which differed from what I was taught as a child. Still, I wanted to be able to tell a new Christian where he or she could go to church and really learn the truth about God. I began to ask myself, "What exactly is my personal theology?" I felt if only I could firm up my own beliefs, I'd be able to find the answer. The more I thought about this, the scarier my conclusions became, because the bottom line for me and for every other individual Protestant Christian was this: Theology for the modern Evangelical is a matter of his own opinion about what Scripture means. For years my husband and I had chosen where to attend church based on the following criteria: First, the teachings and doctrinal statement had to agree with our own conclusions. Second, there had to be a group of people of our socio-economic level with whom we could share good fellowship. And third, we had to be comfortable with the style of worship. The question, "Do they teach the whole truth?" never entered into the equation, because in the Protestant system of individual interpretation of Scripture, there is no way to know who has the whole truth. Protestantism offers a sort of functional agnosticism with regard to the meaning of Scripture. One simply can't know for sure. But I knew that Christ established a Church, and He meant it to contain all Truth. And I was beginning to see that in the Protestant scheme of things, this was completely unattainable. We observed many of our non-denominational missionary friends urging these people to find a "bible believing church" where Scripture was taught accurately. This was especially the case after a large crusade in which hundreds came forward to "get saved." The interesting thing was, if the missionaries were Pentecostals or Charismatics, what they meant by a "Bible-believing church" was a "Spirit-filled" church with lively music and overt expressions of the sign gifts. If the missionaries were Baptists or some other form of Fundamentalists, what they meant by "bible-believing" was a non-pentecostal church with heavy emphasis on exegetical preaching and personal Bible study (assuming, of course that the people in question could read). In our dealings with people, what we ended up telling them was to choose a church in which they were comfortable. It was the best we could honestly suggest, because every single church claimed to teach God's truth, straight out of the Bible. Who were we to say one was better, or truer, or more "bible-believing" than another? At this point I read two important books that rattled me even more. The first was Randall Balmer's fascinating, Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: The Evangelical Sub-culture in America. Balmer, a Columbia University history professor, explored the roots and traditions of my childhood religion with great respect but, nonetheless, with the impartial eye of the outside observer. For the first time, I climbed out of the fishbowl and looked in, and what I saw astounded me. My theological roots were at most only 150 years deep. Contrary to what I had been taught, my version of Christianity didn't go all the way back to the New Testament. Not even close. From that point on I had a deep desire to understand historic Christianity. I borrowed Paul Johnson's book, The History of Christianity, from a missionary friend. Over the next year I read several books on Church history. I read the works of men I had never heard of before: Anthony of the Desert, Cyril of Jerusalem, Clement of Alexandria, Basil, Ambrose, Eusebius, Ignatius of Antioch. It felt like finding new friends, Christians who knew my Lord so intimately. But their words also profoundly shook my Evangelical theology. The fact that these men were Catholic made me embarrassed and indignant. In all my years as a Christian I had never heard of these people, let alone studied their writings. I didn't know much about the early Christian Church. In seminary (we attended Biola, in Southern California) we had been taught to believe that after the death of the Apostles, the Church slid immediately into error and stayed that way until Luther nailed his Theses to the door, and then the "real" Christians came out of hiding. But what I found as I read was that in those formative first thousand years of Christian history the great doctrines, the "fundamentals" of my Christian Faith had been hammered out by the Catholics in councils and synods and by the Church Fathers who wrote and taught and preached! I discovered that although the Reformers were hailed as our heroes, the "Evangelical Protestantism" I had been raised with was quite a long way from the theology promoted by the Reformers. My denomination was a splinter group - a little, teeny, unhistorical, brand-new splinter of a splinter of a splinter. I didn't want the splinter any more. Part of the Church Christ established just wasn't enough. I wanted the whole Church, if it still existed. This is the point at which I began to have serious doubts about the doctrine of sola scriptura. I noticed that the early Church did not follow the Protestant concept of going by the Bible alone. That was a shocker! My study of the early Church showed that Scripture and Sacred Tradition, promulgated by the Church's teaching magisterium, was the model of authority for the early Christians. In place of the "One Faith," I saw in Guatemala hundreds of "faiths," hundreds of competing preachers. When there was One Faith, Christianity swept the world like wildfire. At no time in the history of Protestantism has an entire pagan nation turned to Christ. I thought of all the many pagan groups to whom the Catholic Church came and preached the Gospel and who were converted to Christ as a result: the Slavs, the Irish, the Gauls, the Saxons, the fierce Nordic races, the Japanese, Indians of South America, Africans, the list was endless. And here we were in Guatemala as "missionaries," making Catholics into Protestants. These people had been Catholic for five hundred years. All we were doing was "converting" Christians to our way of understanding the Bible. Not a very impressive thing when you compare it to the 2000 years of Catholic evangelization. The most astonishing discovery came when it dawned on me through long hours of reading and studying Scripture and conservative Evangelical commentaries on biblical sufficiency that Scripture doesn't even teach that it alone is sufficient for knowing all Truth about the Faith. Protestants presuppose sola scriptura, without giving the slightest thought to the possibility that the "Bible alone" is an incorrect view. If that presupposition were erroneous, I reasoned, then everything which was built upon it would be dubious as well. I knew I couldn't stay where I was as an Evangelical. I had been sharing my struggles with Marty, and he had been doing similar study and soul searching. We decided to resign from our mission board and return to the United States, where my husband took a job teaching in a public high school. Upon arrival back in the States we didn't know where we were headed theologically, but we did know that Evangelicalism was behind us forever. From the time we made this difficult decision to the time we entered the Catholic Church, six months went by. At first we attended a small Episcopal church, where our need for solemn worship, liturgy, and a meaningful Eucharistic experience was met to a certain extent. At this time the Catechism of the Catholic Church had just been published in English. I bought a copy and Marty and I began to read. It didn't take long for us to realize, with a mixture of anxiety, relief, and joy, that we had finally found the answers to all those doctrinal and moral questions Protestantism could never hope to answer. The Catechism was the first Catholic book I had ever read. Many more Catholic works soon followed, as well as wrenching sessions in prayer, as the truth became clear and the cost of discipleship became obvious. Years of prejudice and ignorance do not disappear overnight. We had to lay aside our Protestant glasses, as it were, and see things with Catholic eyes. Having lived in more than one culture, we'd had some practice at this. Still, it was difficult because we were on the verge of giving up our autonomy as determiners of Truth. We had always been in charge of what we believed. Our beliefs had always been stated, "I believe Scripture teaches," and now, in exploring Catholicism, we realized we were heading toward a Faith that would require us to state and believe, "The Church teaches . . ." In some ways leaving Protestantism was like a death. But new life was just around the corner. In February, 1995, Marty dialed the number for the priest at Blessed Sacrament Church and asked if we could have an appointment. Although I had led the way in some respects toward Rome by my incessant reading and discussion and questions, when it came right down to it, Marty was the one who made the call and said it was time we acted upon what we now knew was the truth. We were on the brink of a life-changing decision. Everything up to that point had been a kind of intense theological investigation without any sort of real commitment. Were we ready to take the next step? Were we willing to go wherever Christ led us? We had been willing to give up our home and friends in America and go live as missionaries in a foreign land. But now we asked ourselves if we were willing to give up everything for the sake of the gospel - not just material possessions or a job, but our reputations and the respect of our family and friends as well. We had done all the reading and studying, and praying. Now the time had come to speak with a Catholic priest. I was never more nervous in my life than I was the afternoon Marty and I walked up the steps of the rectory at Blessed Sacrament parish and rang the bell. Marty gave Fr. O'Donnell a brief explanation of our story and at the end said, "We're pretty sure we want to be Catholics." Father smiled warmly, "Only the Holy Spirit could have done this in your lives. Welcome home." I fought back the tears that welled up in my eyes. The relief was overwhelming. Home? I'd begun to think finding our true Christian home was an impossible quest. But now I knew it had been there all along - Holy Mother Church, waiting for her children to find their way into Her arms. The news of our conversion to the Catholic Church didn't go over well. Friends and family were shocked and many were angry with us. We heard all the questions and challenges. "How could Kris and Marty Franklin buy into the deceptions of the Roman Catholic Church?" "What went wrong?" they asked us and each other in dismay. "Nothing went wrong," we assured them. "In fact, everything is finally right." But they couldn't hear us. There was a lot of speculation about why we were becoming Catholics, much of it unpleasant, all of it inaccurate. Some thought we'd simply grown weary of fighting the "good fight." Others thought we couldn't handle the pressures of missionary life and had popped our spiritual corks. Some thought we must have been lured by the strange attractiveness of the Catholic liturgy, or by some wily, fast-talking, Scripture-twisting priest. One of my family members told us we had lost our faith completely and had walked straight into the jaws of Satan. The truth was just the opposite. We had found Jesus Christ in the last place anyone, ourselves especially, could have imagined, and His arms were opened wide to welcome us. Blessed Sacrament Church was packed for the Easter Vigil Mass. At Communion, the priest leaned close and whispered, "Kris, you've waited all your life for this." Then he held up Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life and smiled and said, "The Body of Christ." "Amen," I said. "I believe it." As I received Jesus sacramentally in Holy Communion for the first time, I thanked Him with all my heart for the miracle of grace He had worked in my life to unite me to Himself in this way, in a wonderful, mysterious way I could never have imagined possible. The day we landed in Guatemala City for the first time, I had hoped we were home. In reality, we were only en route to our real home, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. In the Catholic Church we have found the fullness of the Christian Faith. Not seventy-five percent of the Truth, not ninety percent, but all of it, one hundred percent. We have found real worship, shaped by and focused on Jesus Christ, not on this minister or that minister's opinion about this or that passage of Scripture. We have embraced the Faith of our Fathers, the teachings which Christ intended us to have. We found in our long, circuitous journey home to the Catholic Church that there is indeed only one Gospel, the Catholic Gospel. There is only one place where one can find the fullness of truth and the most personal of relationships with Jesus Christ - and it isn't Protestantism. The last place we looked for truth was where the Truth had been all along. We are home to stay. (1) The term "Dispensational" refers to a brand of biblical interpretation, common to Baptist and other similar Protestant denominations, in which Scripture is divided generally into five or more epochs or "dispensations." According to this theory, God deals differently with people depending upon which dispensation they are in. This interpretive theory was invented by Protestant minister J.N. Darby (founder of the Plymouth Brethren) in the nineteenth century. It was popularized in America by the Schofield and Ryrie Bibles, widely-used among Evangelicals. Dispensationalists place heavy emphasis on the "End Times," especially the "rapture" and the "tribulation."by Kristine L. Franklin
http://www.envoymagazine.com/backissues/0.1/solved.htm

Icon update, day two

I don't really know anything about shading, so ... this time its much bigger, but I cut the bottom off. He is holding an eastern hand cross in this hand if one is wondering. I really need to work on the hand holding the staff, its not very good at all : ( . And my attempt at the greek caligraphy was horrible lol . The Syriac is ok looking though. The halo looks a little too big. I also attempted a paint version by copying the one from yesterday,but it was way too small and my lack of paint skill was very apparant (hence I won't be posting that). If anyone knows how to draw and has any tips or suggestions please tell me.

Iconography

So I decided that I want to learn Iconography. Its something I have been thinking about for ahwile, the problem is I do not know how to draw so this might prove difficult. So far I have started sketching a copy of a Maronite Icon of Mar Maron ( http://www.maronite-heritage.com/html/maronite_icons_18.html)

I will post the comparisons a bit later, so far I just have the head drawn .

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

Greetings folks who read this blog. Today is the great day of Pascha (as I am sure everyone is aware). Not really much to talk about today. I was going to post more Safro prayers but they are downstairs , so perhaps I will post them later today. Anyways , not really much going on, except writing more papers : ( .

Wa Habbibi

Wa Habibi (O My Son)
English adap.: Fr. M. Labaky

Verse I
Wa habibi Wahabibi
Ayu Halen Anta Fyh
Mann Shajaka Mann Manaka
Ebnu Mann Haza Safih
Ya Habibi Ayu Zanben
Qad Sana'ta Awo Karyeh
Anta Majhudon Jarihon
Layssa Fihka Min Shifa
-Transliterated Arabic

Verse I
O my son om beloved
Se the plight love brings you to
what distress and What afliction
Wicked Men have laid on you!
O my Son , o what transgression
or what evil did you do
that you should be vexed and wounded
with no hope for any cure?

Verse II
Look on me daughter of Sion
Crushed beneath this might wave
anguish fills my very marrow
And it leads me to the grave
there is none to be a friend now
and this angry mob to brave
comming forward to console me
for the suff'ring I endure.

Verse III
I was bound and I was beaten
Like the meanest renegade
I was taken like an outlaw
and with whips to blood was flayed
for your sake I bore this anguish
that your joy be unallayed
so be hold my sad condition
have you seen travail so pure!

During the Great Friday service, me and my new friend Andrew were asked to help carry the cloth ,containing the wooden corpus of Our Lord, in procession around the church and to hold it over the heads of the people as they walked under it after the procession. Sadly I am not strong and was unable to hold it over the people's heads so I had to switch off with another parishoner : ( . The service ended with the burial of Our Lord's corpus in a tomb, covered by the chalice veil to represent that the Altar is the tomb in which Our Lord is buried in every Liturgy and then we sang the above song. The sermon was on the saving power of Christ's cross and that without Christ, the cross is a meaningless symbol. Likewise without Christ's death, His resurection is non existant, but similarly without the resurection, His death is meaningless as well.

Great Friday of the Crucifixion blogpost

Today is the day in which we comemorate the crucifixion of Our Lord. So in the maronite church we celebrate the Anaphora of the Signing of the Chalice. Abouna told us today that the original Anaphora was lost in times past , but today they have reconstructed one using the Anaphora of Peter III (Sharrar). Sharrar is an anaphora that is very very similar to the the Anaphora of Addai and Mari of the Assyrio-Chaldean(east syrian) tradition, unlike the other Maronite anaphoras which are like the Syriac (west syrian) tradition. It was a very beautiful liturgy. I had attended one before two years ago, but Fr. Rudolph did not do it with nearly as much ceremony as Fr. Claude. Fr. Claude said the Qurbono facing the east, and used pre-consecreted leavened hosts from last night's Thursday of Mysteries.

Anyways this break has been pretty good. My cousin's ordination was a wonderful Mass celebrated (of course) by Archbishop Burke of St. Louis. I then went to sunday Mass at the Cathedral where Archishop Burke and the new deacons did the Palm Sunday Mass. I never knew Archbishop Burke wore the Dalmatic under his Chausable, so that was cool to see that. Monday I tried finding a shrine, couldn't though. I went to Cahokia mounds, an ancient Native American city that my grandfather had taken me as a small child. I then ate at the Dany Inn, an irish pub with amazing codfish sandwhich. I dropped in the St. Louis Catholic supply store, checked out the goods there. Came back to my aunt's house, then ate dinner at a restaurant(I forget the name). Next morning, me and my mom hit the road for home. The trip back was quite dangerous as it was pouring down rain all the way from St. Louis to Louisville , KY. Made it back safetly though. Weds. I went to St. Elias' and got some blessed bread dough after the service, then chilled at Waffle house with some friends. Thursday of the Mysteries, I went to a beautiful 2 hour long Qurbono in which Abouna used Leavened bread for the hosts (the ancient practice of the Maronites). He gave an excellent sermon on why Holy Thursday is really about all the Mysteries, but most importantly the priesthood. Then I stuck around for some adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. And now here I am typing this blog. Pretty exciting stuff. I also got to eat at a crepery (a crepe restuarant) in St. Louis. Excellent food! Grades need to be a little better, but other then that I am good in the department(or well good as long as I write these two papers for school before tuesday!) . Well I guess I don't have much else to say so, God bless.

Prayers from Safro for Great Friday of the Crucifixion

Opening Prayer
"O Judge of the living and the dead,
who rewards and punishes,
this morning we raise our prayers and thoughts to you.
We share in your sufferings when you appeared before the judges,
when you played the role of the accused,
and were dragged from court to court.
You lived among us and could not be conquered by sin.
May we erase hatred,
purify our thoughts, and follow your teachings.
Thus, we shall receive pardon in this world
and on the day of judgement receive your mercy,
and glorify you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit,
for ever. Amen"

Hoosoyo(Sedro)" Prayer of Forgiveness"
"O Incarnate Word,
Son of Mary and Son of the Father,
on this day, the greatest of all history, you appeared before Pilate,
you, who are seated at the right hand of the Father.
You, remained silent before the judges,
you, through whose word everything exists.
You walked the path to Golgotha carrying the wood of the cross,
you who were seated on a chariot of cherubim,
draped in brilliant jewels.
On your head is entwined a crown of thorns,
you, whose head the heavens decorate with stars.
On the cross you are given vinegar and gall to drink,
you , who gave us your blood, the source of life.
You die on the cross at the hands of your executioners,
your, who give life to all the living.

Therefore, O God made man,
we ask to share in your humanity and divinity, your death and your life,
your scorn and your glory in this world and the next,
so that we may glorify you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit,
for ever. Amen"

The Trisagion is not part of Safro, but I think its a beautiful and holy prayer that I should add up here as well.
Trisagion(said three times)
"Holy God
Holy Might One
Holy Immortal One

O Christ Crucified for us, have mercy on us."

These are just some of the prayers for today , not the whole office. If you look up on google for the maronite podcast, or the hiddenpearl podcast, you can find a podcast of the entire Safro.

Love - part 2

I had made a bulliten on myspace over the summer about the topic of love, but I can not seem to find it. If I do I will edit this post.

This is an addition to that though. I was meditating on what exactly love is and in the summer I had decided it was primarily about sacrifice and I would like to add that its a sacrifice, not because we will do actions for the one(s) we love, rather it is a sacrifice because we willingly open our hearts and make ourselves vunerable to the ones we love. Its a risky situation. The more one is willingly to place themselves in that risk, the more they care about the other. This applies to all love, romantic, platonic, and divine love. Christ is the definition of Love in that he opened Himself up to us so much that he was willingly to suffer the ultimate rejection just to better us. Likewise we are willingly to suffer rejection, whether from a romantic interest, or a friend when we make ourselves vunerable to them. We have no need of course to fear rejection from God, but even with God we can feel hurt from our love because often times God does not always give us easy choices, or easy situations in life. By opening to God, we make ourselves more vunerable to these "dry" times or "Crosses" that we must bear in life, but ultimately we know that God always loves us and wills nothing but the best for us.

Some (west)Syriac prayers- transliterated!

Hail Mary
Shlom lekh bthoolto Mariam,Maliath taibootho,moran a'amekh,mbarakhto at bneshey,wambarakhoo feero dabkharsekh yeshue,
O qadeeshto Mariam, yoldath aloho,saloy hlofain hatoyeh,hosho wabsho;ath mawtan. Amin.

Our Father
Aboon DbashmayoNethcadosh shmokhteethe malkuthokh,nehwe sebyonokh,aykano Kbashmyo off bar'o.Hab lan lahmo dsooconan yawmono,washbook lan howbain wahtohain aykano doff hnan shbaknil hayobain lo thaalanil nessyoono elo fasson men beeshometool ddelokhee malkootho,ou haylo ou Teshbohto, laolam olmen Amin.

Now you can almost pray a Rosary in the language of Our Lord !

We are the heirs of Peter in Antioch; we tend the sheep with blessing and love.

Chant of the Maronites

Parodos

From the wilds of Syria I come,
from the holy church of Kefar-Nabo,
fleeing the Ol-Yambus Mount,
toiling for the God who gives,
my task a task of joyful bliss,
to hymn in word and deed
our glorious Lord and God.

Let those in the street be silent,
let those in the house hush down,
let the hermits retire in prayer,
as I sing the psalms of David,
the Hallelujahs of the Lord.

Blessed is the one the Father loves;
blessed the one for whom His Son died;
blessed is the one whose life is charged
with the power of the living Spirit.
Blessed is the one whose rubric of life
is an echo of heaven's liturgy,
the one who amid the cedars
feels the wild delight of God.

Bring Christ home, children of Maroun,
bring Him from the cedars of Liban,
from the enclosures of the hermits bring Him,
bearing Him in your heart in procession,
carrying Him to every city and nation.

The message goes forth: Do not be afraid!
The Glory shines out: Do not fear!
An angel appears to an Israelite maid,
telling of wonders and of heavenly favor,
foretelling a son to sit on the Throne,
the Throne that is David's, for ages and ever.
when the Spirit comes over Mary of Zion,
when the Most High's power, like glorious cloud,
overshadows the virgin that the Holy be born.

Glory to God in the highest of heights!
Glory to God in the will of the graced!
The angels are singing the highest Hosanna,
heralding the coming of the Messiah and Lord.
Highest of high meets the lowest of low;
God's Anointed is swaddled in a trough made for oxen,
the light of the Word infuses the flesh,
Christ comes to save creation from darkness.

Strophe

O Simeon, awaiting the great consolation,
sing songs of blessing for God's good grace;
the Spirit's promise in fire and light
is here fulfilled in a baby boy;
God's salvation comes, a light for revelation,
a hope and a glory for Israel's nation.
But, Oh! Contradiction, rise and fall,
and a piercing sword in the Virgin's heart;
many are the thoughts brought to exposure,
great is the tumult of a world thrust in darkness
at the rising of the Infinite Sun!

Antistrophe

O tribe of Asher, in the prophetess Anna
fortunate are you, favorite and favored,
the oil of gladness runs over your feet!
Mighty your fortresses, iron your gates,
your strength is of God, enduring forever.
The daughter of Zilpah, most holy widow,
gives thanks to her God, will not be silent,
but speaks of the Lord to all who await;
happy is Asher, the tribe of good fortune,
to herald the one who will seal every tribe!

Epodos

Our Lord and God spoke to Peter
on the shore of the Tiberias Sea:
"Simon, son of John, do you love Me,
more than the rest of these?"
And Peter replied, "You know that I love you."
"Then, O Peter, feed my lambs."

We are the heirs of Peter in Antioch;
we feed the lambs with prayer and love.
Hallelujah!

Our Lord and God spoke to Peter
on the shore of the Tiberias Sea:
"Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"
And Peter replied, "You know that I love you."
"Then, O Peter, tend my sheep."

We are the heirs of Peter in Antioch;
we tend the sheep with blessing and love.
Hallelujah!

Our Lord and God spoke to Peter
on the shore of the Tiberias Sea:
"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"
And Peter replied, "You know that I love you."
"Then, O Peter, feed my sheep."

We are the heirs of Peter in Antioch;
we feed the Lord's sheep with praise and love.
Hallelujah!

Listen to me, O children of Maroun!
No province are you, no small group;
the garden of Maroun is the whole holy Church,
catholic and complete, it has no end,
blessed of God in memory of Peter,
only within it is salvation found.
Raise your eyes to the cedar-crowned hills:
on every hill is the whole holy Church.
Rome is a cedar in the garden of Maroun,
Liban is a hill in the city of Rome,
for each is in each, and each is in all:
for Christ is for each and in everything All.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Maronites

Since January, I have come to a startling conclusion. When I think theologically, I am thinking from an Eastern basis for some of my views. I realized that the emptiness of the Novus Ordo Mass was not just the NO, but the Tridentine Mass as well. I do not beleive I am a latin anymore theologically or liturgically. I am some kind of stange hybred between the two. So I decided I will rediscern Eastern Catholicism once again. Now I fully understand the implications of the Filioque so I have no reason to worry of being led astray by photian schismatics. At first I thought the Byzantine Liturgy at St. Basil's was where I should go. It is better there, but it is not home. I realized two sundays ago that the Maronites were where I felt most comfortable. This is not really new information, I had realized this over Christmas break as well when I would go there instead of my Latin Catholic parish. I had stopped attending the Maronite Qurbono at St. Elias' as much over last summer break because I thought I should reaquaint myself with St. Andrew's since I had avoided it for so long due to my SSPX schismatic mindset. Now that I am fully recovered from this SSPX mindset, I realize that the Maronite Church had grown on me immensely. What is the point of this blog post one may ask? Well I beleive that this is the start of a serious discernment as to whether I should become a maronite or remain a latin Catholic. I am not doing this to be a married priest. Especially since in the Maronite church, a married priest's ordination is pushed much further back then an unmarried cleric. No my motivation here is a serious look at whether or not I am indeed a Latin Catholic at heart, or a Maronite Catholic. This even makes my priestly, and religious discernment harder because you must wait five years after switching Ritual Churches to enter seminary in it. At best I am looking at 26 before I could even consider entering a seminary if that is what God is calling me to. Even then, Maronite priests must learn Arabic on top of Syriac.

And then, what am I to do if I feel called to serve as a Holy Land Franciscan or a Benedictine at BAC? Would I be forced to abandon the Liturgy of my potential Church? If thats the case then would I not be better just remaining a latin? So many questions and I do not really have a maronite pastor to even ask these questions to! Abuna Bart is a nice guy, but I barely know him, and Abuna Claude I do not know either. Abuna Rudolph is off in Pittsburgh now and perhaps does not even remeber who exactly I was. There is no easy access to the maronite vocations director, excluding phone or letters. I just need to trust that God will not lead me astray and that in the end, whatever I discern, that it will be His will guiding my safetly.