Syro-Malankara Liturgy

[Catholic777]

I'm attending a Syro-Malankara Catholic Divine Liturgy tomorrow, and am wondering if there are any copies of it (the ordinary) available online that I could study up on?

[aquinas138]

Sadly, not much of the Syriac liturgies are available online.  I would recommend reading the Catholic Encyclopedia article on West Syrian Liturgy to get a feel for the history of the Rite.  One of the most striking features of Syrian liturgies in comparison to the Roman Rite is the number of anaphoras - the Jacobite liturgy has probably 40, compared to one in the TLM.

I can read Syriac fairly well, but I swear I find it extremely difficult to keep all of the different Syrian Churches and schismatic communities straight.

[JamesMiller]

I have a copy in English but alas I am in India.

[PeteC]

Sadly, not much of the Syriac liturgies are available online.  I would recommend reading the Catholic Encyclopedia article on West Syrian Liturgy to get a feel for the history of the Rite.  One of the most striking features of Syrian liturgies in comparison to the Roman Rite is the number of anaphoras - the Jacobite liturgy has probably 40, compared to one in the TLM.

I can read Syriac fairly well, but I swear I find it extremely difficult to keep all of the different Syrian Churches and schismatic communities straight.

Although the Jacobites have over 80 (though not in regular use), the Syro-Malankara books have much less. The CE says "St. James, St.John, St. Peter, St. Chrysostom, St. Xystus, St. Mathew, and St. Basil" but from the last time I asked the priest they have the first 5, Holy Apostles, holy Doctors, St. Dionysius, and St. Eusthatius. But usually they do not use all frequently.

There is an English transcription here. Some of the parts and prayers are different from what I am used to, and some of the priests prayers which are silent are not given, but overall, it will give you some idea of the liturgy.

All the best, C777. Some people find the liturgy ritualistic but I feel it is highly numinous

[Catholic777]

Although the Jacobites have over 80 (though not in regular use), the Syro-Malankara books have much less.

Apparently because many were unorthodox or even invalid. Though, I'd be inclined to moving in the direction of keeping more than merely 7, if the others could be at all reformed.

There is an English transcription here. Some of the parts and prayers are different from what I am used to, and some of the priests prayers which are silent are not given, but overall, it will give you some idea of the liturgy.

Thanks! Though it seems to be incomplete (ie, it ends suddendly)... 

On a side note, does anyone know where to find the liturgical books of all the various rites?

I know they dont necessarily exist in English, but Catholic Encyclopedia was mentioning how Eastern Catholics have the advantage, over the various Orthodox, of having liturgical books better organized, standardized, edited, and neatly printed...usually after approval and study in Rome.

[PeteC]

I believe you have to have Java to see the "next page" link. But if you don't just replace "malankara1" in the address with "malank2", "malank3" and so on until 5

[LatinPassion]

Catholic777, to my knowledge there is no universal text for the Divine Liturgy as celebrated within the various rites of the East.

The closest you will find to such a text, is "Byzantine Daily Worship" by Archbishop Joseph Raya of most blessed memory (Thanks spasiisochrani). I should mention, that the forementioned text is currently out of print, but I was informed by a source that it may be coming back into print soon. Until then you're limited to the rare copies off of the internet being sold for $200 up.

Below is a link from Amazon.com describing "Byzantine Daily Worship" and its contents.

http://www.amazon.com/Byzantine-Daily-Worship-Joseph-Raya/dp/0911726071

Here is a link from Madonna House for the "missal" of the Divine Liturgy.

http://www.madonnahouse.org/publications/raya/liturgy.htm

I would assume, that the texts mentioned above have a Melkite "twist" to them given that Archbishop Raya was Melkite.

[Catholic777]

Thanks!

Pete, do you know exactly why they chose which parts to give in English and which to give in Malayam? It seems the choir's parts are given in Malayam. Is that how it will usually be done in a service? Are those hymns variable, or just the ones indicated? It seems they have less variable parts than the Roman Rite.

[PeteC]

Thanks!

Pete, do you know exactly why they chose which parts to give in English and which to give in Malayam? It seems the choir's parts are given in Malayam. Is that how it will usually be done in a service? Are those hymns variable, or just the ones indicated? It seems they have less variable parts than the Roman Rite.

I don't know because here everything is in Malayalam (with the usual Syriac/Greek things) - alternating between a modern and an archaic form. (I'm not very good at either). There are a few more variable parts than indicated in the link.

[Catholic777]

Today I went and they do have little booklets, but they are not made for someone unfamiliar with the liturgy. The booklets first had morning prayer, given first in Malayam and then in English. It then had the Qurbono itself. This had the Malayam but also with a tranliteration in Roman characters on the facing pages. Then, finally, at the back was the English.

However, it was not exactly user friendly. First, since they gave a transliteration for the Qurbono itself, I would have liked the Morning Prayer section to have a corresponding transliteration. BUT, having it simply on the facing page was no real help, with the English in a third section you have to keep flipping to. I would have liked to see the transliteration UNDER the Malayam characters, interlineally, and then the English on the facing page.

Also, even in the English translation...the explanation of where it all fit in, what was variable, etc...was not great. And a lot of stuff (even, I think, non-variable stuff) that the priest said was simply left out of the English with an Ellipses. But included in the Malayam, so it was hard to match up. Sometimes the Malayam gave several options but only one was given in the English and vice versa. Sometimes the Malayam versions of hymns and prayers seemed to have many more verses or stanzas than the English gave.

But, on the plus side, it was the Feast of St. Thomas on their calendar, which is of course very big for the Indian Christians...and their bishop was there as the celebrant, the North American Apostolic Visitor and Administrator. And since we were guests, after the Liturgy the pastor noticed us (gee, I wonder how...lol) and called us up and he and the bishop gave us a special blessing.