The East Syriac Liturgy, including the Anaphora of Addai and Mari (Brightman translation)
The East Syriac Liturgy, including the Anaphora of Addai and Mari (Brightman translation)
Church of the East
Anaphoras of the 3rd–6th century
The Nestorian or East Syriac liturgy as Brightman gives it, from the preparation of the bread to the dismissal, with the anaphora of the apostles Addai and Mari. The anaphoras of this church are ancient in origin, and the core of Addai and Mari may go back to the third century, while those of Theodore and Nestorius belong to the fifth and sixth centuries. The service as printed here is the late form used by the Church of the East.
The Order of the Preparation of the Oblation
The Making of the Loaves
1 Our Father
The priest prays
2 Vouchsafe us, o our Lord and our God, to go on in profitable works which are wellpleasing to thy majesty, that our delight may be in thy law and we may meditate therein day and night, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever Psalms i-xxx (in three hulāli, before each subdivision of which is said a prayer like the foregoing). Meanwhile he brings fine flour and olive oil and warm water and mixes them together and pours leaven into them. He puts in salt according to his discretion. He says the three hulāli until the dough is made. When it is made he stamps the dough in the middle, on the east, on the west, on the north and on the south and covers it carefully until the time of preparing (the loaves).
The Order of Preparing
3 When he prepares, he first takes the portion for the m̥caprāna from the top of the dough, then the leaven, and then he takes from the middle of the dough the portion of the malca (i.e. the priest's loaf) and makes in it a square cavity, in which he puts a little olive oil kept (for the purpose) He goes and brings the malca, saying Ps. cxlv 1-7a: then he opens the vessel and with two fingers takes some of the malca saying This dough is signed and hallowed with the old and holy leaven of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given and handed down to us by our holy fathers mar Addai and mar Mari and mar Tuma the apostles, who made disciples of this eastern region: in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost he signs the dough in the form of a cross and then takes the malca and signs the oil in the priest's loaf in like manner. He also takes in two fingers some of the malca saying
4 This broken portion is signed and hallowed with this holy leaven: in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. He puts on the cover of the vessel containing the malca and goes and carries it to its place, i.e. to the altar, saying Ps. xxiv 1-6: then he says Our king is with us and our God is with us and our helper is the God of Jacob. Happy are the people that are in such a case repeat: yea blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God he proceeds to Ps. xxiv 7 and 10 and hangs the vessel in its place. And he proceeds, beginning Glory to God in the highest Our Father as below, p. 252 He says Pss. lxxxii-ci while signing and kneading. When he has finished the preparation he goes to the oven and says
5 He brought me also out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay: and set my feet upon the rock and ordered my goings He fills the censer with coals of fire and hangs it up and covers the fire in the oven until it has got somewhat low. He wipes (the side of the oven) carefully and uncovers the fire. He takes a little incense and puts it in saying This earthen vessel is hallowed: in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
He proceeds
6 Holy God. Glory be. Holy God. From everlasting. Holy God as below, p. 255 He puts his hand into the oven and takes the priest's loaf in his hand saying The king of kings came down to be baptized and bowed his head before John to be baptized of him he arranges the priest's loaf on the east side of the oven and another on the west saying from the east and from the west: then another on the north and another on the south saying from the north and from the south, and another on the right of the priest's loaf saying Titus on the right hand: and another on the left saying Dumachus on the left: two robbers were crucified with the one heavenly treasure: he on his right hand would not cease from his robbery but in his last robbery robbed the paradise of Eden: for the others he says they shall be fat and well liking that they may show how true the Lord my strength is and that there is no unrighteousness in him
7 When he has done arranging them he says Like the smoke of the goodly incense and the savour of the sweet censer receive, o Christ our Saviour, the request and prayer of thy servants three times. He takes a little incense and pours it into the oven which he covers saying Halleluiah halleluiah: glory be to thee, o Lord three times.
The Prothesis
They proceed
1 Glorious art thou, o our Lord, and it is meet we should glorify thee day by day world without end. Amen. ∗ Glory to Christ and confession to him who opened our mouth and granted us to sing halleluiahs and praises to him three times: the second time say to sing to him with praises: the third time say to glorify him. ∗ Let us glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost for ever: amen three times. ∗ Our mouth fails to confess to thee, o our Lord, all the days of our life for thy grace three times: the second time say to honour thee: the third time to glorify thee. ∗ Continuation, Have compassion on us by thy grace, o thou who art a merciful Lord to us mortals, and have mercy upon us. O thou in whose sight shall no man living be justified, thou, o my Lord, didst turn us back from all error. Thou art God and for thee glory is meet world without end. Amen
They proceed
2 Peace be with us
Prayer of the Lāchumāra
3 For all thine helps and graces to us past recompense let us confess and glorify thee without ceasing in thy crowned church which is full of all helps and all blessings: for thou art lord and creator of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever
They say the Lāchumāra
4 Thee, Lord of all, we confess: thee, Jesus Christ, we glorify: for thou art the quickener of our bodies and thou art the saviour of our souls I will wash my hands in innocency, o Lord, and so will I go to thine altar Thee, Lord of all, etc Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost From everlasting to everlasting world without end. Amen Thee, Lord of all, etc
Prayer
5 Thou, o my Lord, art in truth the quickener of our bodies and thou art the good saviour of our souls and the constant preserver of our lives: thee, o my Lord, we are bound to confess and adore and glorify at every season, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever. Lift up your voice and glorify the living God, all ye people Holy God, Holy mighty, Holy immortal, have mercy upon us Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Holy God, Holy mighty, Holy immortal, have mercy upon us From everlasting to everlasting world without end. Amen Holy God, Holy mighty, Holy immortal, have mercy upon us. O holy glorious mighty and immortal, who dwellest in the saints and whose will is appeased: turn, o my Lord, and pity and have mercy upon us, as thou art wont, at all times, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever
6 all as on p. 255 below
They proceed
7 Bow down your heads for the imposition of hands and receive the blessing
Prayer
8 With our souls in accord with the one perfect faith of thy glorious Trinity, may we all in one concord of love be accounted worthy to raise to thee praise and honour and confession and worship at all times, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever. Amen
Anthem
9 Thou art a priest for ever O highpriest of our confession and our absolver, o Christ, who wast for us an acceptable and spotless sacrifice, we ask of thee forgiveness of our trespasses when the judgementseat is set: for thou art persuaded by thy sufferings in our nature: in it thou didst suffer and wast tempted for our salvation Stand in awe and sin not Ye disciples of Christ and sons of his mystery, stand ye in awe of mixing with heathen and apostates that your faith be not made void and the baptism which ye received, by customs ye would learn from them destructive of body and soul He healeth those that are broken in heart Our Lord gave the medicine of repentance to the sealed physicians who are the priests of the church: let him whom Satan hath stricken with the wounds of wickedness come and show his sores to the disciples of the wise physician and they will heal him with spiritual medicine
10 Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost By the prayer of the blessed one may peace reign in creation, by the request of the virgin may the children of the church be preserved. ∗ May the power which came down from on high and hallowed and so adorned her to his honour, that she bare the true Light, the hope and life of [all] creatures, be with us and amongst us all the days of our life. May it heal the sick and infirm and those who are cast into temptations : may it bring back in safety to their homes them that are afar off that they be not hurt by the evil one. ∗ May those who travel by sea be rescued from the billows and those who journey on dry land be delivered from barbarians : may those who have been carried captive be loosed from their bonds : may thy compassion comfort the sorrows of those who are taken by force : if any are tormented by the evil one, may thy great strength rebuke him and pardon those who walk in sin and forgive their trespasses. May thy godhead be appeased by them that have brought offerings and quicken them that have lain down in thine hope and give them life by thy grace. ∗ May we that have taken refuge in the prayer of the blessed one the holy virgin Mary mother of Jesus our Saviour be kept by it from the evil one and conquer all his wiles. ∗ And in that great day of searching when the dead rise from the graves, when the good are severed from the bad may we be accounted worthy to have our joy with her in the bridechamber of the kingdom of the highest and to sing threefold praise to the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost
11 From everlasting to everlasting world without end. Amen The divisions and orders of the spiritual ones etc And let all the people say Amen and Amen Amid the multitudes who are wrapped in light etc and so on as many verses [from the motwa of the wednesday night office] as he will while he is taking the loaves out of the oven and putting them on the paten. Then he takes a little fire from the oven and puts it in the censer and takes a little incense saying This earthen vessel is loosed and let it return to its former nature : in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost he scatters the incense within, not in the form of a cross. And then he goes down from the oven with the paten in his right hand and the censer in his left and takes them in to the altar saying Ps. xcvi 1-8. He puts the paten in the recess on right of the altar and hangs the censer in its place.
12 Then he goes out of the altar to the place of the deacon to mix the chalice. First he brings a flagon of choice wine and holds it [in his right hand and the chalice] in his left and pours wine into the chalice in the form of a cross from east to west and from north to south saying The precious blood of our Saviour is poured into this chalice : in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, for ever Then he takes a jar of water and pours it into the chalice in the same way with the sign of the cross saying Water is mixed with wine and wine with water, and let them both be one : in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, for ever He takes the flagon of wine and pours it into the chalice saying
13 One of the soldiers with a spear pierced the side of our Lord and forthwith came there out blood and water. He that saw it bare record and his record is true and he knoweth that he saith true that ye also might believe: in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, for ever.
The Kuddāsha of the Apostles: the Enarxis
Enarxis
1 First the priest begins In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, for ever. Glory to God in the highest repeat three times and on earth peace and a good hope to man at all times for ever. Amen [Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come Holy holy holy art thou, our Father which art in heaven: heaven and earth are full of the greatness of thy glory. Watchers and men cry to thee Holy holy holy art thou] Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven: give us this day the bread of our necessity and forgive us our trespasses as we have forgiven them that trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen
2 [Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost From everlasting to everlasting world without end. Amen our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come Holy holy holy art thou, our Father which art in heaven: heaven and earth are full of the greatness of thy glory. Watchers and men cry to thee Holy holy holy art thou].
The deacon
3 Let us pray. Peace be with us
Prayer before the marmītha: for sundays and feasts of our Lord
4 Strengthen, o Lord our God, our weakness in thy compassion that we may administer the holy mysteries which were given for the renewal and salvation of our nature by the mercy of thy beloved Son, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever
They begin the marmītha
5 {Ps. xcvi o sing unto the Lord Ps. xcvij the Lord is king Ps. xcviij o sing unto the Lord Ps. xxxv 18-28 so will I give thee thanks} under one gloria: after each clause is said Halleluiah.
Prayer of the Anthem of the Sanctuary: for festivals and sundays
6 Before the glorious throne of thy greatness, o my Lord, and the seat high and exalted of thine excellency and the awful tribunal of the power of thy love and the propitiatory altar which thy will hath established and the place where thine honour dwelleth, we that are thy people and sheep of thy pasture, with thousands of cherubin which sing halleluiahs to thee and ten thousands of seraphin and archangels which hallow thee, kneel worship give thanks and glorify thee at all times, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever
They say the Anthem of the Sanctuary
7 {Tune: Come and let us wonder Thy seat, o God, endureth for ever The cherubin compass the terrible seat of thy majesty and with fear moving their wings cover their faces for that they cannot lift up their eyes and behold the fire of thy godhead. Thus art thou glorified and dwellest among men, not to burn them up but to enlighten them. Great, o my Lord, is thy mercy and thy grace which thou hast showed to our race. Glory be to thee The Lord's seat is in heaven The cherubin compass etc Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Thy servants look for life and continual benefits, o our Saviour, and take refuge in faith, hiding themselves under the wings of the cross. Keep by thy compassion the company of thy worshippers and complete in them the promise which thou gavest in thy gospel to them that loved thee he that believeth in me inheriteth the kingdom and liveth for ever: and account us worthy, o my Lord, with thy saints to sing to thee in the bridechamber of thy kingdom Glory be to thee}.
Prayer of the Lāchumāra: for sundays and festivals
8 When the sweet savour of the fragrance of thy love is wafted upon us, o our Lord and our God, and our souls are enlightened by the knowledge of thy truth, may we be accounted worthy to receive the revelation of thy beloved who is from heaven: and there may we confess thee and praise thee without ceasing in thy crowned church which is full of all helps and blessings: for thou art lord and creator of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever
They say
9 Thee, Lord of all, we confess: thee, Jesus Christ, we glorify: for thou art the quickener of our bodies and thou art the saviour of our souls I will wash my hands in innocency, o Lord, and so will I go to thine altar Thee, Lord of all etc Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost From everlasting to everlasting world without end. Amen Thee, Lord of all etc
The deacon
10 Let us pray. Peace be with us
Prayer
11 Thou, O my Lord, art in truth the quickener of our bodies and thou art the good saviour of our souls and the constant preserver of our lives: thee, o my Lord, we are bound to confess and adore and glorify at all times, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever.
The Mass of the Catechumens
The deacon
1 Lift up your voice and glorify the living God, all ye people
They answer
2 Holy God, Holy mighty, Holy immortal, have mercy upon us Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Holy God, Holy mighty, Holy immortal, have mercy upon us From everlasting to everlasting world without end. Amen Holy God, Holy mighty, Holy immortal, have mercy upon us
Prayer before the lection
3 O holy glorious mighty and immortal who dwellest in the saints and whose will is appeased: turn, o my Lord, and pity and have mercy upon us, as thou art wont, at all times, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever.
The Lections
1 The blessing with which the priest blesses the reader of the Lections Blessed is God the Lord of all who maketh us wise with his holy teaching: and upon the reader and upon the hearers be his mercy outpoured at all times for ever
And they read the Lections
2 {And it came to pass when the Lord . . . . . to the ground before him 2 Kings ii 1-15. The former treatise have I made . . . . . . and with his brethren Acts i 1-14}.
And they proceed to the Shurāya
3 {God is gone up with a merry noise: and the Lord with the sound of the trump Let us honour the ascension of Christ with songs of the Spirit: Halleluiah halleluiah, yea halleluiah O sing praises, sing praises unto our God: o sing praises, sing praises unto our king Let us honour the ascension of Christ etc For God is the king of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding Let us honour the ascension of Christ etc God reigneth over the heathen Let us honour the ascension of Christ etc God sitteth upon his holy seat Let us honour the ascension of Christ etc Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Let us honour the ascension of Christ etc From everlasting to everlasting world without end. Amen Let us honour the ascension of Christ etc Let all the people say Amen and Amen
4 Let us honour the ascension of Christ etc God is gone up with a merry noise: and the Lord with the sound of the trump}.
Prayer before the Apostle
5 Enlighten for us, o our Lord and our God, the motions of our thoughts to give heed to and understand the pleasant sound of thy lifegiving and divine commandments: give us in thy grace and mercies to derive from them the profit love and hope and salvation which is meet for soul and body and to sing to thee continual praise without ceasing at all times, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever. Amen And when the deacon who reads the Apostle says Bless, o my Lord
The priest answers
6 Christ make thee wise by his holy teaching and make thee as a beautiful mirror to those who hearken unto thee When the priest goes down from the bema and reaches the door of the altar he and the deacon both incline and the deacon says Let us pray. Peace be with us They all go down to the nave and sing the Turgāma before the Apostle O ye that have been invited by the great purpose to the living marriagefeast of the banquet of the king of those in heaven and those in earth Behold the fire of the gospel and cleanse away all worldly thoughts from your minds with the divine furnace The Lord hath opened the treasure of benefits before them that made request to him and hath said Come receive the deed of remission of your trespasses, o ye sinners Purify your heart and be converted like children and become inheritors of the kingdom on high and members of the household
7 Lo the gospel is preached unto you by spiritual voices and openeth for you the road to earthly blessings It is meet that ye turn from the laws of children to the law of truth like Paul the son of the Hebrews Armed was he when the Lord saw him zealous in Israel and called him to be zealous among the people of the christians See, lo he was blinded to the commands of the law and his eyes were opened by the commands of Jesus He drove from his soul all false thoughts and was made an apostle and preached his power among the Greeks It is fitting that we listen to his glorious and true words which he preacheth now in the epistle to {Timothy The Apostle {This charge I commit unto thee . . . . . . holiness with sobriety. These things I write unto thee . . . . . received up in glory I Tim. i 18—ii 15, iii 14—16}
8 [They say Glory be to the Lord of Paul].
And the priest prays quietly
9 Thee, o brightness of the glory of thy Father and express image of the person of him that begat thee, who wast revealed in the body of our manhood and didst enlighten the darkness of our knowledge by the light of thy gospel, we confess and worship and glorify at all times, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever. Amen When the priest goes to make ready the Gospel (he says) Glory be to the eternal mercy which sent thee unto us, O Christ the light of the world and the life of all, for ever. Amen When he takes up (the Gospel) to go out (of the altar he says) Make us wise by thy law, enlighten the motions (of our thoughts) by thy knowledge and sanctify our souls by thy truth and grant us to be obedient to thy words and to fulfil thy commandments at all times, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever. Amen
10 Of the censer O my Lord, may the sweet savour that was wafted forth from thee when Mary the sinner poured the fragrant ointment upon thine head be mingled with this incense which we place to thine honour and for the pardon of our offences and of our sins, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever. Amen.
Zumāra
11 {to the tune: Shepherd of Israel O sing praises unto the Lord who sitteth in the heavens over all from the beginning: lo he doth send out his voice, yea and that a mighty voice Halleluiah halleluiah, yea halleluiah And his strength is in the clouds: o God, wonderful art thou in thy holy places Halleluiah halleluiah, yea halleluiah Even the God of Israel: he will give strength and power unto his people: blessed be God Halleluiah halleluiah, yea halleluiah}.
The deacon says in an audible voice
12 Stand we prepared to hear the holy Gospel If it is a day of the mystery he says Be still and silent
Turgāma before the Gospel
13 O ye who believe in the Lord, the being, the cause and the head, make ready your intent to hear the divine mysteries The eternal Son the Word of the Father put on manhood and was revealed in the world for the renewal of all and the salvation of men He perfected all righteousness in doublewise and the holy came to be baptized of John The Spirit led him to fight and struggle in the quiet wilderness and made him to war during his fast and he vanquished the evil one Then he began to do miracles among the struggling people, restoring the sick and healing the diseases of body and soul And after all his dispensation he came to suffering and perfected the mystery of the salvation of our lives and an hallowed death He vanquished Satan and death and rose again not suffering: his resurrection made true the resurrection of the bodies of mankind
14 His witnesses the xij apostles clothed with holiness recounted how they had seen him and touched him and heard his voice and how he had eaten of the honey The Mount of Olives was their appointed place on the thursday whereon the way of the highest was opened for the ascension He gave a blessing lifting up his spotless hands to the xij and to all the multitude on the day of his ascension 15 An impalpable vehicle of fire held him and the king rode therein in the stead of a chariot of horses The air rent before the apostles and before the sun when he was ascending to him that sent him in a visible ascension The angels in all their orders cried Holy and celebrated the king in procession as he was entering the castle where feet tread not The spiritual ones came down to comfort the troubled heart of the xij with voices of joy and reassurance The message to you of this Jesus who is now gone up: thus he shall come at the end and evening of the world The highpriest entered the great dwellingplace of the holy height to exercise his priesthood for mankind and the distressed race The king returned to the palace of his kingdom with the garment which he took of us and put his enemies as a footstool under his feet The express image of the person, the temple of the Word, without separation, hath reclined on his throne and all creation serveth his will Legions of bright and flaming ones stood to minister to Christ the king without ceasing Their head mar Gabriel was deacon to the testaments and ministereth for ever Heaven and earth are held and subdued beneath his power and are written and included in a deed of love under his great name Luke made a collected account of the ascension: incline your ears to hearken to his word with a collected mind}
16 The priest proceeds and says Peace be with you
And they answer
17 And with thee and with thy spirit He reads the Gospel {And as they thus spake . . . . . blessing God. Amen S. Luke xxiv 36-53} and when he has finished they say Glory be to Christ our Lord.
The Anthem of the Gospel
18 {God is gone up with a merry noise: and the Lord with the sound of the trump The firstfruits who took our nature is gone up to the heaven of heavens on high, the onlybegotten Word of the Father celebrated in procession with chariots of cherubin, and hath opened a way for our race and made peace in the height and in the depth and made them rejoice in the day of his ascension. He hath entered into the divine holy of holies to exercise his priesthood for our salvation and hath sat down on the seat of his kingdom at the right hand of the Father who sent him, and hath lifted us up with him and set us on his right hand, as it is written. Glorify and confess him with fear and love for this grace, for he is the head and substance of the holy church. Beseech him and beg of him that he pity us
19 He rode upon the cherubin and did fly. Thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive The firstfruits who took etc Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost In the great day of the Ascension of the heavenly king of kings to the great height of heaven he lifted up his holy hands and blessed the company of the apostles and was separated from the disciples and ascended in glory into heaven and a cloud of light received him and he was hid from their sight and the disciples saw him not. And behold two angels standing in white apparel and saying to the company of the apostles ye men, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up shall come in glory in the great day of the resurrection. The disciples returned in sotrow from the mount called the Mount of Olives and were daily in the temple glorifying and blessing the Lord. According to the commandment they tarried in the temple of Jerusalem until they were endued with the Holy Ghost, and they were witnesses in all Judaea and in Jerusalem and preached and announced the gospel and made disciples and baptized in the name of Jesus. To him be glory}.
The Mass of the Faithful: the Prayers
The Prayers
1 The deacon says the cāruzūtha Let us all stand up as is right with joy and rejoicing (on week days in sorrow and care): let us beseech and say O our Lord, have mercy upon us
The people answer
2 O our Lord, have mercy upon us
He proceeds
3 Father of mercies and God of all comfort, we beseech thee While the cāruzūtha is being said, the priest and the deacon both go and the deacon takes the censer and the priest censes the paten [saying This paten is blessed, like the paten of the blessed apostles in the upperroom, o creator of sweet herbs and pleasant spices, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost At this time also the ma'āpra which has hitherto being lying on the altar is put on] And he takes the paten and goes and places hosts on it according to his discretion and places the paten in the treasury, until the cāruzūtha is finished The people answer after each clause O our Lord, have mercy upon us O our Saviour who carest for us and suppliest all things, we beseech thee For the peace safety and security of all the world and of all the churches we beseech thee
4 For our land and all lands and for those who live therein in faith we beseech thee For a moderate climate and a seasonable year, for the fruits and produce, and for the prosperity of all the world we beseech thee For the welfare of our holy fathers NNa and all them that serve under them we beseech thee For the kings who have power in this world we beseech thee O merciful Lord who in mercy governest all, we beseech thee For orthodox presbyters and deacons and all our brotherhood in Christ we beseech thee O thou that art rich in mercy and overflowing with compassion, we beseech thee Thou that art before all worlds, whose power abideth for ever, we beseech thee Thou that art by nature good and the giver of all good things, we beseech thee Thou that hast no pleasure in the death of a sinner but rather that he should repent of his wickedness and live, we beseech thee
5 Thou that art glorified in heaven and worshipped on earth, we beseech thee Thou who in thine holy {ascension} madest the earth to rejoice and the heavens to be glad, we beseech thee Thou that by nature hast immortality and dwellest in the excellent light, we beseech thee O Saviour of all men and specially of them that believe in thee, we beseech thee Save us all, o Christ our Lord, in thy grace, increase in us thy peace and tranquillity and have mercy upon us And another
The deacon
6 Let us pray. Peace be with us Let us pray and make request to God the Lord of all ℟ Amen That he hear the voice of our prayer and receive our petition and have mercy upon us For the holy catholic church here and everywhere let us pray and make request to God the Lord of all ℟ Amen That his peace and tranquillity abide in it unto the end of the world For our fathers the bishops let us ℟ Amen That they may stand at the head of all their dioceses: without blame or stain all the days of their life And especially for the welfare of our holy fathers NN let us ℟ Amen. That he may keep and raise them at the head of all their dioceses: that they may feed and serve and make ready for the Lord a people prepared, zealous of good and fair works
7 For presbyters and deacons who are in this ministry of the truth let us ℟ Amen That with a good heart and pure thoughts they may minister before him For all the discreet and holy congregation children of the holy catholic church let us ℟ Amen That they may accomplish their good and holy course and receive of the Lord hope and promise in the land of the living For the memorial of the blessed mart Maryam the holy virgin mother of Christ our saviour and lifegiver let us ℟ Amen That the Holy Ghost who dwelt in her sanctify us by his grace and perfect his will in us and seal in us his truth all the days of our life For the memorial of the prophets and apostles and martyrs and confessors let us ℟ Amen That by their prayers and sufferings he give us with them a good hope and salvation and account us worthy of their blessed memorial and their living and true promise in the kingdom of heaven
8 For the memorial of our holy fathers mar Diodorus and mar Theodorus and mar Nestorius bishops and doctors of the truth, and mar Ephraim and mar Narsay and mar Abraham and all the holy ancient and true doctors let us ℟ Amen That by their prayers and petitions the pure truth of the doctrine of their confession and of their faith be kept in all the holy catholic church unto the end of the world For the memorial of our fathers and brethren faithful and true who have died and departed from this world in the true faith and orthodox confession let us ℟ Amen That he loose and forgive their transgressions and offences and account them worthy to have joy with the just and righteous who were wellpleasing unto his will For this country and them that dwell therein, for this house and them that care for it, for this town or village and them that dwell therein, and especially for this congregation let us
9 ℟ Amen That he remove from us in his grace the sword and captivity and robbery and earthquakes and hail and famine and pestilence and all evil plagues that are against the body For them that err from this true faith and are held in the snares of Satan let us ℟ Amen That he turn the hardness of their hearts and make them to know that God is one, the Father of truth and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord For them that are grievously sick and tried of evil spirits let us ℟ Amen That our Lord and our God send his angel of mercy and healing to visit and cure and heal and help and comfort them in the multitude of his grace and mercy For the poor and afflicted, orphans and widows, the tormented and troubled and grieved in spirit in this world let us ℟ Amen
10 That he give them what they need by his grace and supply them in his mercy and comfort them in his compassion and deliver them from him that despitefully useth them Pray and make request of God the Lord of all that ye be unto him a kingdom, holy priests and people: cry to the Lord God of hosts with all your heart and all your soul, for he is God the Father of compassion, merciful and pitiful, that willeth not that those whom he hath fashioned should perish but that they should repent and live before him. And especially are we bound to pray and confess and worship and glorify and honour and exalt our God the adorable Father Lord of all who by his Christ wrought a good hope and salvation for our souls, that he fulfil in us his grace and mercy and compassion unto the end
11 ℟ Amen
The deacon proceeds
12 With request and beseeching we ask for the angel of peace and mercy ℟ From thee, o Lord Night and day throughout our life we ask for continual peace for thy church and life without sin ℟ From thee, o Lord We ask continual love, which is the bond of perfectness, with the confirmation of the Holy Ghost ℟ From thee, o Lord We ask forgiveness of sins and those things that help our lives and appease thy godhead ℟ From thee, o Lord We ask the mercy and compassion of the Lord continually at all times ℟ From thee, o Lord Let us commit our souls and one another's souls to the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost
When the cāruzūtha is finished the priest says
13 We beseech and ask of thee, o Lord God of hosts, perfect with us thy grace and pour out thy gift by our hands: and may the mercy and compassion of thy godhead be for the remission of the offences of thy people and for the forgiveness of the sins of all the sheep of thy pasture whom thou hast chosen to thyself in thy grace and mercy, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever. Amen.
The Inclination
1 The deacons say with a loud voice Bow down your heads for the imposition of hands and receive the blessing and the people bow their heads with the deacons and the priest repeats this Imposition of hands in his heart quietly, inclining himself the while O Lord God of hosts repeat, thine is the holy catholic church which was purchased by the great passion of thy Christ, the sheep of thy pasture: and through the grace of the Holy Ghost who is of one nature with thy glorious godhead are given the degrees of the imposition of hands of the true priesthood: in thy mercy, o my Lord, thou hast vouchsafed to the feebleness of our frail nature to become known members of the great body of the holy catholic church and to administer spiritual helps to the souls of the faithful. Do thou then, o my Lord, perfect thy grace with us and pour out by our hands thy gift: and may the mercy and compassion of thy godhead be on us and on this people whom thou hast chosen to thyself
2 and he raises his voice and says and grant unto us, o my Lord, by thy compassion that all the days of our life we may all alike and together be wellpleasing to thy godhead in good works of righteousness which appease and reconcile the glorious will of thy majesty and that we be accounted worthy by the help of thy grace to raise to thee praise and honour and confession and worship at all times, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever. Amen.
The Offertory
1 And the deacons enter the altar saying Let him that hath not received baptism depart Let him that doth not receive the sign of life depart Let him that doth not accept it depart Go, ye hearers, and watch the doors.
And they begin the anthem
2 I waited patiently for the Lord unto him Holy holy holy Lord God The poor shall eat and be satisfied The body of Christ and his precious blood etc Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost On the holy altar let there be a memorial of the virgin Mary the mother of Christ From everlasting to everlasting world without end O ye apostles of the Son and lovers of the onlybegotten, pray that there be peace in creation Let all the people say Amen and Amen The body of Christ and his precious blood are upon the holy altar. Let us all draw nigh to him in fear and love and with the angels sing aloud The priest goes to put the mysteries on the altar: and when he puts the vessels on the altar, the priest takes the paten and the deacon the chalice
3 The priest takes the paten in his left hand and the chalice in his right putting his hands in the form of a cross
And the deacon says
4 Let us pray. Peace be with us Thy memorial, o our father [the patron saint], is upon the holy altar with the just who have overcome and the martyrs who have been crowned or this Lo all the departed lay down in thine hope that in the glorious resurrection thou mightest raise them up in glory.
And the priest says
5 Let us send up praise to thy glorious Trinity at all times for ever. May Christ who was sacrificed for our salvation and who commanded us to make a memorial of his death and burial and resurrection receive this sacrifice at our hands by his grace and mercy for ever. Amen and he strikes the paten on the chalice three times and each time he says After thy commandment, o our Lord and our God repeat, these glorious and holy and lifegiving and divine mysteries are placed and ordered on the propitiatory altar until the coming of our Lord the second time from heaven: to whom be glory at all times for ever. Amen He orders the mysteries upon the altar and covers the mysteries carefully with a veil. And going outside the sanctuary the priest lades the deacons with the cross and the gospels and says Christ our Lord account you worthy to meet him with open face. Amen.
6 And they draw back the veil and the priest begins the Anthem of the Mysteries for the day and those within the altar repeat it The Anthem of the Mysteries {Tune: By the care of thy will to us I will magnify thee, o God my king The habitation our Saviour entered is not that which Moses made of old, which the highpriest alone was commanded to enter: but he entered into heaven to exercise his priesthood and prepare the kingdom which passeth not away. Albeit he deserved not to die, he gave himself for us that we might be made righteous like him. Blessed is he that took what is ours and dwelt in it and made it head and lord and judge. O thou being that dwellest on high, glory be to thee More than all the dwellings of Jacob, o how amiable are thy dwellings, thou Lord of hosts
7 The habitation our Saviour entered etc} Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost {The habitation our Saviour entered etc} From everlasting to everlasting world without end. Amen. And the priest worships towards the four sides of the bema: first he worships twice towards the east and then to the right, then once towards the east and raises himself up. And then he worships twice towards the east and then once to the left and then once to the east and behind him once And he says Glory be in the anthem of the mysteries and comes down and gives the peace to the people. And when he comes as far as the deacons, they worship one towards another and he says to them God the Lord of all be appeased with your ministry, adorn you with all beauty and enrich you with all the benefits of his gift world without end Make the right hand of thy mercy, o our Lord Jesus, to overshadow and abide on thy people and the sheep of thy pasture. Lord, thy mercy is for ever on thy worshippers: cast not the work of thine hands into the hands of the evil one. Make true, Lord, this promise which thou madest to the twelve I am with you unto the end of days. Be with us as with thine apostles by the help of thy grace and ∗ deliver us from temptations and give us time full of peace that we may confess and worship and glorify thy great and holy name at all times
8 repeat three times from ∗. When he comes to the door of the sanctuary, i. e. of the altar, he worships and says Having our hearts sprinkled and clean from an evil conscience may we be accounted worthy to enter into the holy of holies high and exalted and in purity and circumspection and holiness to stand before thine holy altar and offer to thee spiritual and reasonable sacrifices in the belief of the truth
And he proceeds
9 But thou art good and wilt not alway be chiding neither keepest thou thine anger for ever. Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds in the great multitude of thy mercifulness, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever or if he has not opportunity for this he says Our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all in his grace and mercy for ever. Amen [The preceding from Having our hearts is sometimes said after the anthem is finished].
The Creed
The priest goes up to the door of the altar and worships and stands and stretches forth his hands and says with a loud voice We believe in one God the Father almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ the only Son of God the firstborn of every creature, who was begotten of his Father before all worlds and not made, very God of very God, of one substance with his Father: by whom the worlds were framed and all things were created: who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and was made man and was conceived and born of the virgin Mary and suffered and was crucified in the days of Pontius Pilate and was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures and ascended into heaven and sat down on the right hand of his Father and shall come again to judge the dead and the quick. And in one Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, the Spirit the giver of life. And in one holy and apostolic catholic church: and we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins and the resurrection of our bodies and the life everlasting. Amen.
Preparation for the Anaphora
1 And they enter quickly and worship three times, and while the priest is worshipping before the altar he says God the Lord of all be with us all in us all by his grace and mercy for ever. Amen Here the priest washes his hands [in the place of the deacon] and they make the sign of the cross [in the air with joined hands] towards all the [four consecration-] crosses of the altar: and the deacons say the cāruzūtha And then the priest says to the deacon who completes God the Lord of all strengthen thee to glorify him with his praises The deacons [say very slowly] Let us pray. Peace be with us Pray for the memorial of our fathers the catholici and bishops and of all presbyters and deacons and young men and virgins and of all who have departed and passed from this world in the belief of the truth and of all our fathers and brethren, of all our sons and daughters and of all faithful and Christ-loving kings and of all prophets and apostles and of all martyrs and confessors of this and every place: that God crown them in the resurrection from the dead and give us with them a good hope and a portion and an inheritance and life in the kingdom of heaven May this offering be received with openness of face and sanctified by the word of God and by the Holy Ghost that it be to us for help and salvation and life world without end in the kingdom of heaven by the grace of Christ.
2 And turning his face to the altar and offering three mātūnīyas, at each mātūnīya he advances nearer and at the beginning of the mātūnīya he begins and beseeches thus, whispering with his lips this prayer Glory be to thee the finder of the lost: glory be to thee the gatherer of the dispersed: glory be to thee the bringer nigh of them that are afar off: glory be to thee the turner back of the wanderers to the knowledge of the truth: glory be to thee, o my Lord, who didst call me, even frail me, by thy grace and didst bring me nigh to thee by thy compassion and didst set me as a known member in the great body of thine holy catholic church that I may offer before thee this sacrifice living and holy and acceptable which is a memorial of the passion and the death and the burial and the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in whom thou wast well pleased and reconciled to forgive the sins of all mankind
3 Here I inform thy love, o my lord, that as the priest draws near before the altar, just as he draws near beseeching, he worships until he reaches the altar. And then he worships and rises and kisses the middle and then he worships and rises and kisses the right horn and then he worships and rises and kisses the left horn and then he worships and rises and kisses the middle and the right side and the left side and he looks towards those on the right side while himself inclining on the left and worships towards them and says Bless, o my Lord. My brethren, pray for me that this offering be accomplished at my hands and they return answer to him God the Lord of all strengthen thee to fulfil his will and receive thine offering and be wellpleased with thy sacrifice for us and for thyself and for the four corners of the world by the grace of his compassion for ever. Amen
4 And then he repeats Glory be to thee the finder of the lost (ete) worshipping and rising and kissing the middle and then worshipping and rising and kissing the right side and then worshipping and rising and kissing the left side and offering a mātūnīya and rising and kissing the middle and the right side and the left side, looking towards those on the left side himself inclining on the right and saying Bless, o my Lord. Pray for me, my brethren and my beloved, that I be accounted worthy to offer before our Lord Christ this sacrifice living and holy for myself and for all the body of the holy church by the grace of his compassion for ever. Amen. and they return answer to him God the Lord of all be wellpleased with thy sacrifice and receive thine offering which thou offerest for us and for thyself by his grace and mercy for ever. Amen
5 And then he says Glory be to thee the finder of the lost (etc) worshipping after the former order. And when the deacon says May this offering be received the priest worships towards him and says on this wise This offering is offered for all the living and the dead : may it be received of my sinfulness before the dread tribunal of thy majesty, o our Lord, with openness of face And then the priest goes down quickly from the raised place and turning his face towards the deacon who completes worships towards him and says on this wise Christ make true thy words and receive the fruit of thy lips and pardon the trespasses and sins of all them that hearken to thee And then he turns his face to the altar and offers a mātūnīya and kneels till the cāruzūtha is finished and whilst he kneels he repeats quietly in his heart this prayer beseechingly
Cushāpa
6 Yea, o our Lord and our God repeat, look not on the multitude of our sins and let not thy majesty abhor the weight of our evil deeds, but in thine unspeakable mercy receive this sacrifice at our hands and through it give strength and sufficiency that thou mayest be able to pardon our many sins; that when thou art revealed at the end of the times in the manhood which thou hast taken of us we may find in thy presence grace and mercy and be accounted worthy to give praise with the illustrious multitudes. When the cāruzūtha is finished he rises and kisses the altar and repeats the gāhāntha without stretching out his hands before the altar And know that here he must not stretch out his hands at all because he has not received boldness. And at the other gāhānthas, then let him stretch out his hands because he has now received boldness, and at each gāhāntha he worships before the altar at the beginning and at the end. And his position shall be about a cubit distant from the altar and the space between his hands of like measure, and he shall bow his head to his knees. At the end of every gāhāntha he shall worship and kiss the middle of the altar
7 Then he offers the Kuddāsha of the blessed apostles mar Addai and mar Mari who made disciples of the east. And with it they consecrate from the Sabbath of the Resurrection till the Annunciation and on memorials of the Departed and on memorials of the Saints and on ordinary days
And the priest says
8 Bless, o my Lord: bless, o my Lord: bless, o my Lord My brethren, pray for me
And they answer
9 Christ hear thy prayers: Christ receive thine offering: Christ illuminate thy priesthood in the kingdom of heaven and be wellpleased with this sacrifice which thou offerest for thyself and for us and for all the whole world that looketh for and expecteth his grace and his mercy for ever And the priest repeats the first gāhāntha of the apostles in a low voice We confess, o my Lord, the overflowing riches of thy grace towards us repeat, in that albeit we are sinners and of no account thou hast accounted us worthy by reason of the multitude of thy mercies to administer the holy mysteries of the body and blood of thy Christ, asking for the help which is of thee for the strengthening of our souls ∗ that with entire love and belief of the truth we may administer thy gift to us (repeat the beginning and the end of each gāhāntha)
Kānūna
10 and that we may raise to thee praise and honour and confession and worship now and ever and world without end he crosses himself and the people answer Amen.
The Diptychs
And the priest proceeds
1 Peace be with you
And they answer
2 And with thee and with thy spirit Furthermore I write the diptychs, that is the book of the living and the dead, which they read at the time of the mysteries before the door of the altar on feasts of our Lord and on sundays First he that is on the right hand begins and says Let us pray. Peace be with us Let us pray and beseech of God the Lord of all for the peace of the holy catholic church here and in every country Let us pray also for the welfare of our holy fathers mar N catholicus and patriarch and mar N bishop and metropolitan Let us pray also for our fathers the bishops who are in this life Let us pray also for the presbyters and deacons and subdeacons and readers and monks and laymen, the faithful, men and women, young men and maidens, orphans and widows, who walk in this world with a good name and in seemly conversation. Amen
3 Let us pray for the peace of kings and governors of this world Let us pray also for those who are in affliction and persecution for the sake of God Let us pray also for the peace of the holy catholic church in all the world. Amen [and the people answer Amen] That God in his compassion visit all divisions of it with those things which help soul and body by his grace and mercy world without end [and they answer] Amen. He proceeds and recites the book of the dead Let us pray. Peace be with us Let us pray and beseech God the Lord of all That this oblation be accepted for all the just and righteous fathers who were wellpleasing in his sight [let us pray] Also for the memorial of Adam and Abel and Seth and Enosh and Noah and Shem and all the just let us pray
4 And of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and all the faithful [let us pray] And of Melchisedek and Aaron and Zacharias and all priests let us pray And of Moses and Samuel and David and Nathan and all prophets [let us pray] And for the memorial of mart Maryam the holy virgin who bare Christ our Lord and our Saviour And of mar John the baptist the herald of Christ our Saviour And of Peter and Paul and Matthew and Mark and Luke and John and of all the apostles and of mar Addai and mar Mari the apostles who were the converters of this eastern region And of Stephen the firstborn of the martyrs and of all confessors And for the memorial of Simon and Shāhdōst and Beʿārba'shmin and Bābhay and Abha and Ishu'yabh catholici and martyrs And of Papa, Abhrīs, Abraham, James, Achādhēʿabhuy, Tumārça, Shakhlūpha, Qayūma, Isaac, Achi, Yabhʿalāha, Dādhīshu, Aqāq, Bābhay, Silas, Paulus, Samuel, ʿAbhdīshu, Sabhrīshu, Gregory, Ishuyabh, Marʿemmih, George, John, Chēnānīshu, Çelībhāzekha, Pithyōn, Abha, James, Chēnānīshu, Timothy, Ishuʿbarnōn, George, Sabhrīshu, Abraham, Theodosius, Sergius, Enosh, John, Joannes, John, Abraham, Immanuel, Israel, ʿAbhdīshu, Mari, Joannes, John, Ishu'yabh, Elijah, John, Sabhrīshu, ʿAbhdīshu, Makhīkha, Elijah, Barçōma, ʿAbhdīshu, Ishu'yabh, Elijah, Yabhʿalāha, Sabhrīshu, Makhīkha, Dencha, Yabhʿalāha, Timothy, Dencha, Elijah, Simon catholici patriarchs who have departed, from this eastern region
5 Also for the memorial of our holy fathers the cccxviij bishops who were assembled at the city of Nicaea for the raising up of the true faith Also for the memorial of Sālmūth, Adhōna, Joseph, 'Abhdīshu, Daniel, Barchadhbe-shabba, Daniel, Shimbaitih, Bāṭa, Chabhībha, Daniel, Job, Joseph, Bābhay, Shabhṭa, Simon, Qashisha, Chanāna, Abraham, Jonadab, Paulus, Ishu'yabh, George, Sergius, Jonah, Stephen, Samuel, Simon, John, Acha, Māran'ammih, Ishu'yabh, Nestorius, Abhdīshu, Isaac, John, Luke, Israel, George, Ishu'yabh, Gabriel, Elijah, Abhdīshu, Gabriel, Yabh'alāha, Hurmizd, John, Elijah, Titus, Joseph, Abhdīshu, Simon, Gabriel, George, Chēnānīshu, Abraham, Elijah bishops and metropolitans who have departed from this country [Also for the memorial of our holy fathers Mar James, Enlash, Abraham, Ith'alāha, Barnāy, Elisha, Hosea, Mar Sergius, Abraham, Hurmizd, Paul, Barçōma, Hosea, George, Elijah, Paulus, Simon, Gabriel, Gregory, Achādhēabhu, Qāsha, George, Sāhduy, Qāmīshu, Sabhrīshu, Rozbayhān, Cyprian, John, Thomas, 'Aqebhshēma, Joannes, Cyprian, Abraham, John, Qayūma, Bukhtīshu, Abraham, Moses, Chēnānīshu, Sabhrīshu, John, Berīkhīshu, Ishu'yabh, Yahb'alāha, Elijah, George, Ishu'yabh, Sabhrīshu, John, Immanuel, Abhdīshu, Ishu'yabh John, Abhdīshu, Ishu'zekha, Abhdīshu, Gabriel, Abhdīshu, Michael, Abhdīshu, Yabh'alāha, Ishu'yabh bishops metropolitan who have departed from the second province of the holy city of Çubha]
6 Also of our fathers Achuhde'emmih, Moses, Yazdaphnih, Mārabha, Māri, Ishu'yabh, Sabhrīshu, Shimbaitih, Kēlīlīshu, Shūbhchāle'alāha, Ephraim, Māranzekha, Che'nānīshu, Cyriac, Chūs'alāha, Chabhībha, John, Mark, Ishu'zekha, 'Abhdīshu, Abraham, John, Cyriac, George, Abhdīshu, Makhīkha, Che'nānīshu, Abraham, Nestorius, Ishu'yabh, Che'nānīshu bishops who have departed from this country [Also for the memorial of our holy fathers Elidorus of Wasa, Barçōma, Isaac, 'Abhdīshu, Israel, Simon, Chayāy, Benjamin, Elijah, James, Aqebh'alāha, Daniel, John, Ishu'yabh, Daniel, Paulus, John, Mārūtha, Bardayra, Bābhay, Achuhde'emmih, Sāhda, James, Sabhrīshu, Sāsān, Bar'itta, Thomas, Cyriac, John, Chakhīma, John, Qayūma, Simon, Immanuel, Sabhrīshu, Abhdīshu, Ishu, George, John, Ishu'yabh, Sabhrīshu, Abhdīshu, John, Ishu'yabh, Joannes, Elijah, Abhdīshu, Che'nānīshu, Sabhrīshu, John, Michael, Joseph, John bishops who have departed from this holy see] Also for the memorial of Shūbhchāleīshu bishop and metropolitan [and martyr] who converted the Gālāyi and the Daylūmāyi Also for the memorial of Ignatius, Polycarpus, Athanasius, Eustathius, Meletius, Flavianus, Ambrosius, Gregorius, Basilius, Gregorius, Diodorus, Joannes, Theodorus, Nestorius, Alexander, Meletius
7 bishops and doctors And of Yulyāni and Ephraim and Narsay and Abraham and John and Michael presbyters and doctors And for the memorial of the man of God and son of man, in whom grace was victorious in signs and wonders, our blessed father mar Gabriel, witnessed to for holiness and famous for strength and marvellous in deeds, the founder of the High Monastery and its holy school the mother of virtues And for the memorial of our blessed father mar Abraham the interpreter of the divine scriptures and of Piyōn and Moses and James and Ishurāchmih presbyters and doctors And of Paul, Antony, Macarius, Arsenius, Marcus, Abraham, Qiyōri, John, Evagrius, [Michael], Marōgin, James, John, Abraham, Michael, Elijah, Barqūsri, Mar Bābhay, John, Rabban Hurmizd, [Mar Acha, John the weeper, Elijah, Ukhāma, Barsāhdi, Sabhrīshu, Daniel, Sabhrīshu, Andrew] hermits and strangers who were famous for comely and edifying conversation And for the memorial of the illustrious athletes and glorious anchorets Mar Isaac, Mar Dencha, Pithyōn, Dumāstyānus, Mar Acha, Mar John, Mar Abhūn, Abha, Jonah, Phenix, Ananias, Ba'uth, Gabhrūna
8 and all their just and righteous companions. Also for the memorial of our holy fathers Mar Kūdhāway, Mar Abha, Mar 'Abhda, Theodorus, Diodorus, Sapor, Sergius, John, Dūdha strangers and religious who walked in angelic conversation Also for the memorial of the illustrious among saints and marvellous among weepers and great among religious and instructed among athletes and renowned in deeds mar rabban Bar'itta the sun of the saints and of Chānāhīshu his faithful sister And of Mar Sergius, Bacchus, George, Cyriac, Pithyōn, Mar Sābha, Ishu'sabhran, Yūchāna and the poor woman and her two sons, famous martyrs And for the memorial of Mar Sabhrīshu, Mar Chēnānīshu of Zin, John son of the seers, Mār'anammih, Mar Shūbhchālēmāran, Rabban Pransi, Rabban Joseph, Abraham and all their companions, founders of the godly congregation of the monastery of Bīth Qūqa Also for the memorial of the holy martyrs and instructed athletes the sons of Gregory who are laid in this blessed village
9 Also for the memorial of mar John Daylōmāya who built two monasteries of the Syrians Also for the memorial of the illustrious among saints and renowned in deeds and marvellous among confessors mar George the holy martyr in whose name was built an holy church Also for the memorial of rabban Sābha and the sons of Shēmūni who are laid in this blessed village Also for the memorial of mar John the holy martyr witnessed to by his good deeds of holiness and of rabban Joseph his brother who are laid in this village [And for the memorial] of Constantine the victorious king and of Helena his faithful mother and of Constantine and Constans and Jovian and Theodosius and Bēçāy and Naaman and Mōriqi victorious kings Also for the memorial of the martyrs and renowned among athletes the raisers up of monasteries and churches and givers of gifts and alms, the sustainers of orphans and widows, the amir Matthew and amir Mas'ōd bey who were killed by the people of the Ishmaelites and laid in this village
10 Also for the memorial of the illustrious among athletes and providers of churches and monasteries, generous in alms, guardians of orphans and widows the amir Matthew and amir Hassan and amir Nijmaldīn who departed in this village Also for the memorial of all faithful and Christloving kings Also for the memorial of Aaron head of the scribes who gave alms and did good deeds in the holy church Also for presbyters and deacons and scholars who have departed from this church And of all them that in a true faith departed from this world of whom our Lord [alone] knoweth the names, that Elōhim crown them in the resurrection of the dead. [Amen And the people answer] And our Lord make us all to partake with them in his grace and mercy for ever. Amen.
The Kiss of Peace
The deacon says
Give the Peace one to another in the love of Christ They give the peace one to another and say And for all catholici and bishops and presbyters and deacons and the whole company who have departed from the congregation of the church and for the life and peace of the world: for the crown of the year that it be blessed and completed by thy goodness: for every child of the church who is worthy to receive this offering which is before thee and for all thy servants and thine handmaidens who stand before thee at this time: for all of them and for all of us be this offering accepted for ever. Amen and they make the procession of the peace.
The Anaphora
And the deacon says
1 Let us all confess and make request and beseech the Lord in purity and groaning. Stand ye fairly and behold those things that are done in the fearful mysteries which are being hallowed. The priest hath drawn nigh to pray that by his mediation peace may be multiplied unto you. Cast down your eyes and stretch forth your thoughts to heaven Watchfully and diligently make request and beseech at this time and let no man dare to speak. Whoso prayeth let him pray in his heart. And in silence and fear stand ye and pray. Peace be with us. And the priest says this cushāpa quietly
Cushāpa
2 O Lord God of hosts repeat, aid my weakness by thy mercy and by the help of thy grace account me worthy to offer before thee this living and holy sacrifice for the help of the whole body and for the praise of thy glorious Trinity, o Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever And the priest rises and lifts the veil from the mysteries and folds it round about the chalice and paten and says Forasmuch as thou hast by thy grace, o my Lord, accounted me worthy of thy body and thy blood, even so account me worthy of boldness before thee in the day of judgement. Amen. The prayer of the incense O our Lord and our God, may the pleasant savour which we offer thee before thine holy altar within thy glorious temple be acceptable unto thee and may it be for the joy of thine holy name and for the pardon of thy servants and of thy flock, o Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever.
3 The priest says to the deacon Christ strengthen thee to do his will continually.
The Thanksgiving
And he proceeds — Kānūna
1 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all now and ever and world without end he signs the mysteries and they answer Amen
And he proceeds
2 Lift up your minds
And they answer
3 Unto thee, o God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Israel, o glorious king
And he proceeds
4 The offering is being offered unto God the Lord of all
And they answer
5 It is fit and right (and he raises his hands in every kānūna in which now does not occur)
And the deacon says
6 Peace be with us And the priest kneels and prays secretly and says this cushāpa quietly
Cushāpa
7 O Lord Lord, give us openness of face before thee that with the boldness which is of thee we may accomplish this living and holy service with our consciences clean from all evil and bitterness, and sow in us love and peace and concord one towards another and towards all men And he rises and kisses the altar. And it must also be made known that at the beginning and the end of every gāhāntha he makes a mātūnīya and kisses the altar. And the priest proceeds stretching out his hands in due order and saying this gāhāntha
Gāhāntha
8 Worthy of praise from every mouth repeat and of confession from every tongue and of worship and exaltation from every creature is the adorable and glorious name of thy glorious Trinity, o Father and Son and Holy Ghost, who didst create the world by thy grace and its inhabitants by thy mercifulness and didst save mankind by thy compassion and give great grace unto mortals. Thy majesty, o my Lord, thousand thousands of those on high bow down and worship and ten thousand times ten thousand holy angels and hosts of spiritual beings, ministers of fire and Spirit, praise thy name ∗ with holy cherubin and spiritual seraphin offering worship to thy sovereignty
Kānūna
9 shouting and praising without ceasing and crying one to another and saying
And they answer
10 Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts heaven and earth are full of his praises and of the nature of his being and of the excellency of his glorious splendour Hosanna in the highest and Hosanna to the Son of David blessed is he that came and cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest and each time they shout holy the priest makes a mātūnīya before the altar And he kneels and says this cushāpa
Cushāpa
11 Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts: heaven and earth are full of his praises and of the nature of his being and of the excellency of his glorious splendour: even as I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord. Holy art thou, God the Father of truth, of whom every fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Holy art thou, eternal Son, by whom all things were made: Holy art thou, Holy Ghost, being by whom all things are sanctified. Woe is me! Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips and mine eyes have seen the Lord of hosts. How dreadful is this place, for this day I have seen the Lord face to face, and this is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven. ∗And now, o Lord, let thy grace be upon us repeat and purge our uncleanness and sanctify our lips and mingle, o my Lord, the voices of our feebleness with the hallowing of the seraphin and the halleluiahs of the angels. Praise be to thy mercies who hast made creatures of dust partakers with spiritual beings
12 And he rises and says Bless, o my Lord: bless, o my Lord: bless, o my Lord My brethren, pray for me and he repeats this gāhāntha quietly
Gāhāntha
13 And with these heavenly hosts we give thanks to thee, o my Lord repeat, even we thy servants weak and frail and miserable, for that thou hast given us great grace past recompense in that thou didst put on our manhood that thou mightest quicken it by thy godhead, and hast exalted our low estate and restored our fall and raised our mortality and forgiven our trespasses and justified our sinfulness and enlightened our knowledge ∗and, o our Lord and our God, hast condemned our enemies and granted victory to the weakness of our frail nature in the overflowing mercies of thy grace [Our Lord Jesus the same night in which he was delivered up took bread and blessed and brake it and said take, eat: this is my body which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped, saying this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me
14 or read it as in the other kuddāshē]
Kānūna
15 And for all thine helps and graces towards us let us raise to thee praise and honour and confession and worship now and ever and world without end and he signs the mysteries and they answer Amen.
The Intercession
And the deacon says
1 Pray in your minds. Peace be with us And the priest proceeds to this cushāpa kneeling and saying in his heart
Cushāpa
2 O Lord God of hosts, accept this offering for all the holy catholic church and for all the just and righteous fathers who have been wellpleasing in thy sight and for all the prophets and the apostles and for all the martyrs and confessors and for all mourners and distressed and for all the needy and tormented and for all the sick and afflicted and for all the departed who have been severed and have gone forth from amongst us and for this people that looketh for and awaiteth thy mercies ∗and for my frailty and misery and poverty repeat. Yea, o our Lord and our God, after thy mercies and the multitude of thy goodnesses deal thou with thy people and with my misery and not after my sins and transgressions, but that I and these may be accounted worthy of the pardon of offences and the remission of sins through this holy body which we are receiving in the belief of the truth by the grace which is of thee. Amen.
3 And he rises and says Bless, o my Lord: bless, o my Lord: bless, o my Lord My brethren, pray for me and he proceeds and repeats this gāhāntha quietly
Gāhāntha
4 Do thou, o my Lord, in thy many and unspeakable mercies repeat make a good and acceptable memorial for all the just and righteous fathers who have been wellpleasing in thy sight, in the commemoration of the body and blood of thy Christ which we offer unto thee on thy pure and holy altar as thou hast taught us, and grant us thy tranquillity and thy peace all the days of the world. ∗Yea, o our Lord and our God, grant us thy tranquillity and thy peace all the days of the world repeat That all the inhabitants of the earth may know thee that thou art the only true God the Father and that thou hast sent our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son and thy beloved. And he our Lord and our God came and in his lifegiving gospel taught us all the purity and holiness of the prophets and the apostles and the martyrs and the confessors and the bishops and the doctors and the presbyters and the deacons and all the children of the holy catholic church, even them that have been signed with the living sign of holy baptism
5 and when he says them that have been signed let him sign the throne from below upwards and from right to left, inclining the while.
The Invocation
1 And here he strikes his face with his hands And we also, o my Lord repeat three times, thy weak and frail and miserable servants who are gathered together in thy name, both stand before thee at this time and have received the example which is from thee delivered unto us, rejoicing and praising and exalting and commemorating and celebrating this great and fearful and holy and lifegiving and divine mystery of the passion and the death and the burial and the resurrection of our Lord our Saviour Jesus Christ
The deacon says
2 In silence and awe stand ye and pray. Peace be with us. The priest rises and elevates his hands and says And may there come, o my Lord, thine Holy Spirit and rest upon this offering of thy servants and bless it and hallow it that it be to us, o my Lord, for the pardon of offences and the remission of sins and for the great hope of resurrection from the dead and for new life in the kingdom of heaven with all those who have been wellpleasing in thy sight. And for all this great and marvellous dispensation towards us ∗ we will give thee thanks and praise thee without ceasing in thy church redeemed by the precious blood of thy Christ, with unclosed mouths and open faces
Kānūna
3 lifting up praise and honour and confession and worship to thy living and holy and lifegiving name now and ever and world without end and he signs the mysteries and they answer Amen [The veil is closed] and he makes a mātūnīya before the altar, but let him not kneel
And he proceeds
4 O Christ the peace of those above and the great tranquillity of those below, grant, o my Lord, that thy tranquillity and peace may abide on the four corners of the world and especially within thine holy catholic church, and grant peace to the priesthood with the realm and make wars to cease in all the world and scatter the divided peoples that delight in war, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all sobriety and godliness
And he proceeds
5 I thank thee, o Father, Lord of heaven and earth, o Father and Son and Holy Ghost, that though I be a sinner and weak yet by reason of the multitude of thy mercifulness thou hast in thy grace accounted me worthy to offer before thee these fearful and holy and lifegiving and divine mysteries of the body and blood of thy Christ that I may minister to thy people and sheep of thy pasture the pardon of their offences and the remission of their sins and the salvation of their souls and the reconciliation of the whole world and the tranquillity and peace of all the churches
He proceeds
6 Have mercy upon me, o God, after thy great goodness O king Christ, have mercy upon me According to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences O king Christ, glory to thy name (and in like manner alternately to the end of Ps. li) Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, o thou that dwellest in the heavens (and the rest of Ps. cxxiii 1-3a) I will wash my hands in innocency, o Lord, and so will I go to thine altar [and he goes a second time into the place of the deacon and washes his hands]
Prayer of incense
7 May our prayer and our petition be pleasant unto thee, o our Lord and our God, and may the smoke of our pleasant censer refresh thee like the censer of Aaron the priest in the tabernacle. And renew our souls with our bodies and be reconciled to thy creation for thy many mercies' sake, o creator of pleasant roots and sweet spices, Lord of all, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, for ever. Amen.
The Fraction and Consignation
1 The order of the signing and the breaking And he begins the order of signing and breaking and draws near with his hands outstretched and not folded as illiterate men do and he censes his hands and his face saying ∗ Sweeten, o our Lord and our God, the savour of our uncleanness and our corruption with the sweet odour of the pleasantness of thy love and purify us therewith from the defilements of sin, o thou good shepherd, who wentest forth to seek us and didst find us when we were lost and willest our return. Pardon me mine offences and my sins, those I know and those I know not, in thy grace and thy mercies repeat three times and say Bless, o my Lord: bless, o my Lord: bless, o my Lord ∗ The mercifulness of thy grace, o our Lord and our God, bringeth us nigh unto these glorious and holy and lifegiving and divine mysteries albeit we are unworthy repeat three times
And the deacon answers him
2 In truth, o my Lord, we are not worthy. Have pity on us, o my Lord, for that we are not worthy for our frailty by reason of our many sins Each time after he says The mercifulness of he folds his hands on his breast in the form of a cross and kisses the middle of the altar and also the right side and the left side [The deacons begin See that it is I myself I am the bread which came down from on high, said our Saviour in the mysteries to his disciples. Whoso hath love approacheth and receiveth it and liveth for ever in me and inheriteth the kingdom Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost The cherubin and seraphin and archangels in fear and trembling stand before the altar and gaze at the priest breaking and dividing the body of Christ for the pardon of trespasses
3 From everlasting to everlasting world without end O thou who in mercy dost open the door to the penitent and callest sinners to come to thee, open to us, o my Lord, the door of thy mercies and let us enter by it and sing praise to thee by night and by day]. And the priest takes the uppermost büchra which is in the middle of the paten in both his hands which must not then be folded and looks upwards and says Praise to thine holy name, o our Lord Jesus Christ, and worship to thy sovereignty at all times for ever. Amen For thou art the living and lifegiving bread which came down from heaven and giveth life to the whole world and they who eat of it die not and they who receive it are saved and pardoned in it and live in it for ever. Amen
And they answer
4 Amen And he kisses the büchra in the form of a cross, not bringing it to his lips, but figuratively, above and below and right and left, and says Glory be to thee, o my Lord three times, for thine unspeakable gift towards us for ever. Amen
And they answer
5 Amen He holds the büchra firmly with both hands and says We draw nigh, o my Lord, in the true faith of thy name to these holy mysteries and by thy compassion we break and by thy mercifulness we sign the body and the blood of our Saviour our Lord Jesus Christ: in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost for ever
And they answer
6 Amen While naming the Trinity he breaks the büchra that is in his hands attentively into two halves. And some here sign the p'rista with their thumb at the time of breaking: but do thou beware of such an audacity, for that it is not necessary here to sign but only to break in the name of the Trinity, holding them in both hands. And he puts the half which is in his left hand in its place, not in its former position but arranging the broken side towards the chalice. And with the half in his right hand he signs the blood in the chalice from east to west and from north to south, dipping a third part of the half which is in his hand into the chalice: that is (he dips) a third part of both the portions. And he signs the chalice with that half of the büchra and not with the upper side and its edge, as others are wont to do, but with the part where it is broken while the front of the half is towards (the chalice). And he says while making the sign of the cross from east to west
7 The precious blood is signed with the lifegiving body of our Lord Jesus Christ: in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost for ever this while signing from east to west towards him: and at the Holy Ghost he signs from north to south towards the paten. And so he signs the body in the paten in like manner and with the same half which is in his hand saying The holy body is signed with the propitiatory blood of our Lord Jesus Christ: in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost for ever
And they answer
8 Amen. And he holds both the halves in his two hands and joins them together as if they had not been broken: and let his forefingers (and thumbs) encircle the halves like a wheel: and he says These glorious and holy and life-giving and divine mysteries have been set apart and consecrated and perfected and fulfilled and united and commingled and attached and sealed one to the other in the adorable and glorious name of the glorious Trinity the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, that they may be to us, o my Lord, for the pardon of offences and the forgiveness of sins and the great hope of the resurrection from the dead and for new life in the kingdom of heaven, to us and to the holy church of Christ our Lord here and in every place now and ever and world without end and at now he cleaves a cleft with his thumb at the part which was dipped in the blood, and then he puts the halves on the paten one over the other cross-wise so that the broken part of the lower one which was held in his left hand looks towards the chalice, and the broken part of the upper one which was held in his right hand looks towards the west towards the priest, so that the cleft in it looks towards the chalice.
9 And he wipes his hands well and signs himself between his eyes with his thumb with the sign of the cross and also the deacons around him and says Christ accept thy ministry: Christ illumine thy face: Christ keep thy life: Christ nourish thy youth. Let him unwrap the veil which is folded round about the paten and chalice and say Glory be to thee, o our Lord Jesus Christ, for that though I be unworthy thou hast in thy grace appointed me a minister and a mediator of thy glorious and holy and lifegiving and divine mysteries. By the grace of thy compassion account me worthy of the pardon of offences and the forgiveness of sins and then Glory be to thee, o God : glory be to thee, o eternal Son : glory be to thee, o Holy Ghost, who sanctifiest all, for ever
And they answer
10 Amen.
The Blessing and the Comminution
1 And he kisses the altar in the midst and proclaims like one making an announcement and says The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all now and ever and world without end
And they answer
2 Amen And he signs himself lifting his hands a little upwards on either side, because this signing is received on behalf of the people although he makes it on his own person. [The veil is opened].
The Comminution — And the deacon proclaims
3 Let us all with awe and reverence draw nigh to the mysteries of the precious body and blood of our Saviour. With a pure heart and faith unfeigned let us remember his passion and consider his resurrection: for for our sakes the only-begotten of God took of mankind a mortal body and a reasonable and intelligent and immortal soul and by his lifegiving laws and his holy commandments hath brought us nigh from error to the knowledge of the truth, and after all his dispensation for us he the firstfruits of our nature was lifted up on the cross and rose from the dead and was taken up into heaven. He hath delivered to us his holy mysteries that in them we might commemorate all his grace towards us. Let us then with overflowing love and with an humble will receive the gift of eternal life and with pure prayer and manifold grief let us partake in the mysteries of the church in penitent hope turning from our transgressions and grieving for our sins and asking mercy and forgiveness from God the Lord of all.
4 The priest whispers in his heart and says Blessed art thou, o Lord God of our fathers, and glorious is thy name for ever: for thou hast not dealt with us after our sins but in the multitude of thy mercies thou hast delivered us from the power of darkness and hast bidden us to the kingdom of thy dear Son our Lord Jesus Christ While this is being said the priest breaks the body and then dips a coal for the children.
The Lord’s Prayer
The deacon
1 We condone the transgressions of our fellowservants ℟ O Lord, pardon the sins and transgressions of thy servants And we purify our consciences from divisions and strife ℟ O Lord, pardon the sins and transgressions of thy servants With our souls freed from anger and enmity ℟ O Lord, pardon the sins and transgressions of thy servants. Let us receive the holy and be hallowed by the Holy Ghost ℟ O Lord, pardon the sins and transgressions of thy servants And in union and concord of minds let us receive the fellowship of the mysteries in peace one with another ℟ O Lord, pardon the sins and transgressions of thy servants That they be to us, o my Lord, for the resurrection of our bodies and the salvation of our souls and life world without end. When the cāruzūtha is finished the deacon says Let us pray. Peace be with us
2 and the priest repeats in his heart quietly Pardon, o my Lord, by thy compassion the sins and transgressions of thy servants and hallow our lips by thy grace that they may yield the fruits of praise to thine exalted godhead with all thy saints in thy kingdom If there are chalices which they are not consecrating he signs them here And then he rises to his full height after inclining and raises his voice and says Make thy tranquillity, o my Lord, to dwell amongst us and thy peace in our hearts and may our tongues proclaim thy truth and thy cross be the guardian of our souls while we make new harps of our mouths and speak a new tongue with lips of fire. Account us worthy, o my Lord, with the boldness which is of thee to pray before thee this pure and holy prayer which thy lifegiving mouth taught to thy true disciples the sons of thy mysteries whensoever ye pray after this manner pray ye and confess and say
And they answer
3 Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven: give us this day the bread of our necessity and forgive us our trespasses as we have forgiven them that trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen And the priest repeats this prayer quietly O Lord God of hosts our good God and our merciful king, we desire of thee and beseech the abundance of thy mercifulness: lead us not, o my Lord, into temptation but deliver us from the evil one and his hosts: for thine is the kingdom and the power and the might and the strength and the dominion in heaven and in earth now and ever and world without end. Amen
4 or this sometimes said in an audible voice and slowly Yea, o our Lord and our God, we desire of thee and beseech the mercifulness of thy grace, lead us not, o my Lord, lead us not, o my Lord, into temptation but save and deliver us from the evil one and his hosts: for thine is the kingdom and the power and the might and the strength and the dominion in heaven and in earth now and ever and he signs himself and raises his voice and world without end
And they answer
5 Amen.
The Elevation
And the priest says
1 Peace be with you
And the people answer
2 And with thee and with thy spirit
And he proceeds
3 The holy thing to the holies is fitting in perfection
And they answer
4 One holy Father, one holy Son, one holy Spirit Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost world without end. Amen. {They draw the veil of the altar and range themselves in two choirs in the sanctuary and those within begin the following in a low voice saying
Kānūna
5 Terrible art thou, o God most high, out of thine holy place world without end. Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place∗ They repeat it in a loud voice and the people in the nave answer the same words Verses said in the sanctuary God is gone up with a merry noise: and the Lord with the sound of the trump God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon his holy seat∗ Terrible art thou etc∗ Choirs, choirs of spirits arose and escorted the Son in pomp on the day of his ascension∗ Terrible art thou etc∗
Continuation
6 While they beheld he was taken up and a cloud received him and he was hidden from their sight Terrible art thou etc∗ The precious blood and the body which we have all received, praise we it with confession and say Halleluiah halleluiah∗ Terrible art thou, o God most high, out of thine holy place world without end. Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place}.