What Does the Deacon Say? About the Lost Litanies, Part II
For Part I, please see the previous post.
The word ‘missal’ is a clear Latin inheritance, as it is the book for the missa (Mass), that combined not just the priest prayers for the whole liturgy, but antiphons, readings, blessings, instructions, and other helpful texts. Though this is the current model we follow, we did not always have a ‘missal’ on the altar. Historically, for Syriacs, which include Maronites, the altar text often only contained the Eucharistic Prayer or the Anaphora. The deacon, then, had his own separate book with his own parts in it, which largely included hymns that he was meant to start - a hymn of lighting the candles during the preparation. Among those hymns, there were also the three variable litanies, of which Part I began to address. The three litanies were often, though not always, in the “Meter of St. Ephrem” - heptasyllabic (ie 7 syllables). It is called the Meter of St. Ephrem because the fourth-century Syriac Father was known for writing in verses of seven syllable lines. But just as St. Ephrem did not limit himself to seven syllable lines nor are the litanies limited to the same meter. The examples this series will use, however, will all be heptasyllabic as all the litanies for Sunday are in the same meter.
The second of the three litanies is called the median proclamation (ܡܨܥܝܬܐ) because it happens in the median or middle part of the liturgy. Where there is now a hymn during the sign of peace, this litany was sung. As the first began, the second exhorts us to once again stand and pray to God, here called the “saving/living Lamb of God” in the first standard verse who is being “sacrificed on the altar.” Just as the first proclamation reminded us of the great events of Sunday, this proclamation, which introduces the Eucharistic sacrifice, emphasizes the great joy on this day when angels and human beings join together to worship God in church. The faithful are exhorted to worship “the One Who came and gave us His body for the forgiveness of debts and sins.”
Sunday is the day on which it was made clear that the power of God triumphs over suffering, sin, and even death because He rose from the grave and destroyed death. Indeed, it shows that Jesus is the living Lamb of God - death could not contain Him. Likewise, the flesh He gives us for our forgiveness is living and gives life to those who receive it. The standard concluding verse then commands the vessels containing the hosts and wine be brought to the priest to be consecrated as the Anaphora begins, which the priest is exhorted to offer for the faithful departed - the same sacrifice by which Christ destroyed death.
