These pages are not a new translation of the Divine Liturgy service written by Saint John Chrysostom. Nor is it a sequential study of this service. It also does not contain historical explanations or theological expansions {For more information on the Divine Liturgy, see (Introduction to the Divine Liturgy), by Costi Bendali, and (In order to Understand and Live the Liturgy) by the Monastery of the Letter, and (The Sacrifice of Praise) by Frieda Haddad, and (The Lord's Table) by Father Afnasyev, (The Orthodox Church Faith and Doctrine) by Timothy Ware, and (Individual Worship and Collective Worship) by Father Florovsky, all in Al-Nour Publications (publisher). They are simple notes, that is, brief notes highlighting some passages from the text of the service and some of the main themes of this long and rich prayer that Saint John Chrysostom carried from Antioch to Constantinople in the fourth century, and which, in its broad outlines, is recorded in Greek manuscripts. From the eighth century. We wanted to direct the attention and thinking of believers to some of the spiritual peaks in this text.
We have written not for scholars but for laymen, men and women, and even for disciples, for souls less familiar with doctrinal discussions who nevertheless desire definite preliminary ideas.
A few words on the general structure of the ministry of Saint John Chrysostom will not be useless.
This service that we are now contemplating combines, like the ancient Christian services, two models of liturgical gathering: the service of the Word and the service of the Eucharist.
First comes the service of the word, and it is based on the word in both its aspects: the word of man, which addresses God, and the word of God, which addresses man. Man turns to God through peace petitions, which are a series of requests made by the priest or deacon on behalf of the community. These requests are separated by hymns and the recitation of passages from the Holy Bible (Stikhons, especially from the Psalms) with prayers that we call “secret” (secret avashins), which are recited by the priest.
ثم إن (الدخول الصغير) (الدورة الصغيرة) للكاهن وهو يحمل كتاب الأناجيل يشير إلى أن هذا القسم من الخدمة يوجّه الفكر إلى الكلمة الإلهية المكتوبة. بعد صلاة التعظيم (تريصاجيون: (قدوس الله، قدوس القوي، قدوس الذي لا يموت، ارحمنا…) تعاد ثلاث مرات)، تتلى الرسالة والإنجيل الموافقان لليوم، وتليهما عادة عظة.
Then the thanksgiving Eucharistic service begins. The bread and wine are carried to the Holy Table. This is the Great Entry (Great Session), followed by the recitation of the Creed. The priest then recites the great prayer of thanksgiving, which includes thanksgiving to God for all his gifts and the evangelical supplication in establishing the sacrament of thanksgiving at the Lord’s Last Supper, and invoking the Holy Spirit on us and on the offerings.
هذه الصلاة الطويلة التي تتخللها بعض الاستشفاعات والتذكارات، تبلغ ذروتها في الصلاة الربيّة (أبانا الذي في السماوات…). يناوَل المؤمنون، بعدها، جسد الرب ودمه. وتنتهي الخدمة باستشفاعات قصيرة وتبريكات.
These are the major outlines of the ministry of Saint John Chrysostom, some elements of which this booklet will extract in order to better present them to readers so that they can capture them with attention and piety.
Many people have done what we sought to do here. They did it much better than us. If this booklet has any merit, it is in its simplicity and brevity.
May the Lord make this work of ours, despite His humility, a help to some souls to worship Him in spirit and truth.
Beirut, birth 1971
- In peace
- Entry of the holy angels
- Enter the book
- We move forward with repentance
- Peace be upon you all
- Amen
- Pure light
- Souls and bodies
- Let us hear the Holy Gospel
- Grand entry
- A company of love and a company of faith
- the doors
- Under the breath of the Holy Spirit
- Do you believe this?
- A prayer of thanksgiving
- Offering
- Pentecost
- Blessed are you among women
- All of them and all of them
- The Lord's Prayer
- Lord's supper
- We have seen the true light
The great supplication that begins the divine service begins with a request that insists that peace be given to us.
Indeed, these students are very important and essential. It is repeated three times in slightly different ways. These are not unnecessary repetitions, as each one carries a deep and special meaning.
A- (In peace we ask the Lord). The aim is, first, to put ourselves in a state of inner peace. Who will participate? (1) In the Divine Mass, he must expel from his mind all confusion, close every window to physical and worldly experiences, and be freed from all domination by (the affairs of) this world, from every hostile feeling towards any person, and from every personal anxiety. He must stand before God in a state of calm, confident attention, and focus on (the only need).
B- And here it is, immediately, a second request: (For the peace that comes from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord). The peace that we asked for a moment ago is something different from a psychological state that we achieve through our efforts. This is peace that comes (from above). We must humbly acknowledge that this peace is a gift from God, and be open to this gift and extend our hands to it. We must, on the other hand, acknowledge that divine peace and (the salvation of our souls) are deeply interconnected. Peace is an indication of the Savior’s presence and work in us.
C - Finally, this is a third peace request: (For the peace of the whole world, the good stability of God’s holy churches, and the union of all, we pray to the Lord). The peace we seek goes beyond our isolated personas and takes on the character of practical application. We pray for the peace of the universe, not only for humans, but for all creatures, for animals, for plants, for planets and all of nature. Thus we enter into universal piety and compassion for all that God has created. We pray for all of Christ's disciples and for all of them to worship God (in spirit and in truth). We pray for the end of wars and conflicts between nations, nations and classes. We pray that all people will be united in one love.
Every temple of the Lord is a house (divine presence) and a house of prayer. Every temple is also a house of peace. May the soul of everyone who enters this temple become determined to participate in the divine meeting, so that it also becomes a house of peace.
يتم الطواف بالإنجيل في زيّاح يتجه نحو الهيكل. هذا هو الطقس المدعو (الدخول الصغير) (الدورة الصغيرة). ماذا يعني هذا الدخول الصغير؟ تعبّر عن معنى هذا الدخول الصلاة التي يتلوها الكاهن عندئذ وفيها: (… اجعل دخولنا مقروناً بدخول ملائكة قديسين يشاركوننا في الخدمة وفي تمجيد صلاحك). الملائكة يشاركوننا اجتماعنا. هم يصلّون معنا ومن أجل كل منّا. نحن محاطون بجمع الملائكة. إنهم يحرسوننا ويساعدوننا ويحبوننا. يجب أن نجتهد للدخول معهم في علاقة واثقة وحميمة.
Let us notice that the text of the Mass says that we and the angels serve the (goodness) of God. The text does not say that we serve God's glory or power, it puts the emphasis on the goodness of the Master. The glory of God is, certainly, the radiance of His goodness, and God’s power makes this goodness effective. But divine service directs our attention, first, toward goodness. The ritual of the “small entry” is an entry into the goodness of God, into this goodness that the angels know much better than we do. It is an entry into this righteousness, to which a prayer is directed that we constantly repeat in the Mass: (Lord, have mercy).
During the small entrance procession (little cycle), the priest or deacon carries the book of the Holy Gospels. The procession stops in front of the doors of the iconostasis. The priest or deacon (bearer of the Book of the Gospels) raises the book and shows it to the believers, saying: (Wisdom! Let us be upright), then he enters the temple and places the book on the holy table.
The Little Kingdom is not only an entry for angels, but it is also an entry for the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ into the heart of each of us. The declaration: (Wisdom!) means that the Gospels are the supreme wisdom, it is the revealed divine wisdom that exceeds, incomparably, all human knowledge, and the request: (Let us be upright!) indicates the great reverence with which we should accept the word of the Master. Then, highlighting the Gospel to believers is an invitation to hear the teacher’s word and follow it.
The Book of the Gospels remains on the table throughout the Divine Liturgy. Also placed on it are the “holy offerings” that will be used in the Lord’s Mystical Supper (in the Divine Sacrifice). Thus, the connection between the heavenly, invisible food, which is the Word of God, and participation in the body and blood of our Savior is confirmed. The Gospels remain on the holy table as if they stand up and pray. Did the Gospel of Jesus enter our hearts in this small entry?
We move forward with repentance
إذا كانت خدمة القديس يوحنا الذهبي الفم لا تُستهل، كبعض القداديس المسيحية الأخرى، بصلاة خاصة للاعتراف بالخطايا وإعلان المغفرة الإلهية، إلا أن هذين العنصرين (الاعتراف بالخطايا وإعلان المغفرة الإلهية) موجودان، مع ذلك، فيها وإن بشكل أقل وضوحاً منه في غيرها. فهما يبرزان بوضوح في الصلاة التي يرفعها الكاهن قبل تلاوة الرسالة. وبالفعل فإن هذه الصلاة التي، وللأسف، يجهلها المؤمنون عموماً، تحتوي على الكلمات التالية: (… يا من لا يهمل الذين يخطأون بل وضع توبة للخلاص… أنت أيها السيد تقبّل من أفواهنا أيضاً نحن الخطأة التسبيح المثلث التقديس، وافتقدنا بغنى صلاحك واغفر لنا كل ذنوبنا الطوعية والكرهية. قدِّس نفوسنا وأجسادنا…). كل ما وجب قوله يقال في هذه الصلاة. ليس فيها تعداد للخطايا بل اعتراف متواضع بوضعنا كخطأة ولجوء إلى رحمة الله اللامتناهية.
ويتوجّه الكاهن، في هذه الصلاة نفسها، إلى الله فيقول: (لقد أهلتنا نحن عبيدك الأذلاء غير المستحقين أن نقف في هذه الساعة أيضاً أمام مجد مذبحك المقدس…). لقد أهلتنا أن نقف أمام مائدة السيد. فلْنَرَ جيداً التأكيد الوادع والبَنَويّ في هذه الصلاة. فنحن لا نقول هنا: (أهِّلنا) ولكن: (لقد أهلتنا). نحن لا نشك في أن سيدنا الرحوم قد استجاب لشوقنا إلى نعمة الغفران بأن أعادنا أبناء له مصالَحين ومحبوبين.
This is the phrase that the priest often repeats during the Mass as he turns towards the believers and blesses them.
We saw at the beginning of these reflections the meaning of the request for peace and the importance of this request, which is often repeated by the priest or deacon. The phrase (peace be upon you all) is, in a sense, God’s answer to this request, but we have become so accustomed to this phrase that many of us can no longer feel the value and weight of what it carries.
When the priest raises his hand in blessing and says: (Peace to you all), he is communicating to us a reality. He gives us a gift from God and a grace. He gives us the peace that comes to us from God and not from us, the peace that comes upon us and enters us. Do we feel this peace in our hearts?
Are we truly aware that the Lord gives us His peace? Do we have faith that the peace given to us in this way and many times carries within itself what calms our disturbances and pain? We may have heard, hundreds of times, in Mass, this (Peace be upon you all) without paying serious attention to it. The appropriate hour has now come in which we must seek, with a new heart, to accept within ourselves this peace of Jesus given to us and to preserve it.
This is the word that the faithful say most often during Mass. It is the people's answer to the prayers that the priest or deacon says out loud.
What is the value of the word Amen that we say? In Hebrew, it means that the subject of our speech is certain and stable. Then, uttering this word means a commitment from us. The word means each one of those who say it, it means him personally.
Indeed, we have heard this “Amen” so often, and said it so often, that it has lost much of its momentum and strength. We made it an automatic reaction to some words in the Mass. Instead of (It is, truly, like this), which is the original meaning of the word Amen, we place a lukewarm acceptance in a superficial commitment, as if one of us is saying: (Yes, with all consent, let it be like this). We do not feel that our entire life and our entire being are deeply involved in an act of fervent faith and trust.
Let us begin, today in particular, in this Mass in which we are participating now, let us begin to give the word Amen that we say the meaning it should have for us. Let us make every Amen a living rush toward God and a cry that unites us with His Word and His will.
تُقرأ الرسالة. تعقبها تلاوة الإنجيل، ويُمهد لها الكاهن بصلاة تبدأ هكذا: (أيها السيد المحب البشر، أطْلع في قلوبنا نور معرفتك الإلهية…).
As we said before, the Divine Mass not only brings together the believers around the Lord’s Supper, but it also brings them together around the Lord’s Word. It wraps around the book like it wraps around the cup. In proclaiming the Gospel and in truly receiving this message, we will find ourselves in living contact with Him who is “the light of the world.”
This light (shines in the darkness), which means that it is surrounded by darkness and opposing forces, however, the darkness will not overcome it. We achieve this affirmation in the entire vast world surrounding us. It is also a real affirmation for each one of us, because every human being carries within himself, at the same time, the power of darkness and a light that will never be extinguished.
Let us prepare to hear the Gospel by being open to the light. Let this light, this knowledge that comes to us from God and not as a result of our labors, this same inner light that came from the Lord Jesus and radiate around him, guide all our steps on the path. Yes, every step of ours. There are no small things in the life of the soul. The message that I write, the conversation that I create, and the time that I spend, God guides us in all of these, just as He guides us in major decisions that require an existential commitment from us.
Let this light shine, not only for me to walk in the path that God wants, but to illuminate every aspect of my spiritual life, and to make every person and everything stand in the place that the Divine Spirit wants for them. O Light of the World, make me advance from light to light.
يتابع الكاهن الصلاة قبل الإنجيل، ويتلو هذه الكلمات: (لأنك أنت استنارة نفوسنا وأجسادنا أيها المسيح إلهنا…).
استنارة أجسادنا ؟ نحن ندرك جيداً أن (نور العالم) ينير نفوسنا. ولكن كيف ينير أجسادنا، وإلى أي حدّ ؟ نسمع في صلاة الكاهن قبل الإنجيل أيضاً هذه الكلمات: (… لكي ندوس كل الشهوات الجسدية). فكيف يمكن للجسد نفسه أن يُداس ويستنير في آن ؟
The body, in itself, is good; God created it and blessed it. But this body, which was wounded and weakened by the sin of the first two ancestors, is often a source of different experiences. It may also be a dividing wall, a selfish isolation, a tool of resistance to the Holy Spirit. However, these are all deviations. The body, as God thought of it and wanted it, is an instrument of salvation. Thus, God is the principle of love between man and woman, and He made the marital union a secret. Likewise, God requires us to preserve our bodies, take care of our health, and pray for the sick. Then God honored our body to such an extent that He Himself wanted it to be embodied in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. For this reason, the Divine Mass calls us, through the same prayer that is recited before the Gospel, to trample the lusts of the flesh (the bad ones that separate us from God and from our brothers) and to be guided (by the illumination of our bodies) as well as by the illumination of our souls.
Since we will listen to the reading of the Word of God, let us ask, with the opening of the Gospel according to Saint John, that (this Word become flesh) in us, and (dwell in us) and enter into our depths until our body becomes its transparent covering.
(Wisdom. Let us be upright and listen to the Holy Gospel), said now by the deacon or priest. Today's Gospel passage is read.
We must note that what is meant is not just hearing the Gospel, but rather listening to it in depth, by paying close attention to the divine word and opening to it not only our ears but also our hearts.
The word "Gospel" means (good news). Therefore, the ritual phrase (let us hear the Holy Gospel) therefore means (let us hear the Holy Good News). This is because every passage of the Gospel contains good news, a joyful message, an announcement of something great that concerns each of us. At first glance, the Gospel may not seem to us like “good news.” Each one of us may say in his heart as he listens to the passage that will be recited: (I have heard this many times! It has nothing to do with me at all). However, every part of the Gospel, whatever it is, even if we have heard it many times, always has something to say to us. If we listen to this Gospel with humility and reverence, we will discover in it, every time, a sentence or word that we had not noticed until now, and it will attract our attention as if we were hearing it for the first time. This message - this notification - is not directed to the group of worshipers as a whole, but rather to each worshiper personally. It's directed at me.
When I hear the Gospel being read, I must think, “This is the word that our Lord has kept for me to this day. This is what He wanted to say to me today. This is what He is saying to me. I will keep, with great care, this word in my heart.”
Now the bread and wine are carried to the holy table, which were prepared and placed on another table standing on one side of the temple. This takes place in a procession in front of the believers, which we call “the Great Entry” (the Great Cycle) to distinguish it from the “Little Entry” (the Small Cycle), which we continued on above and in which the Book of the Gospels is transmitted.
Meanwhile, the choir chants: (O you who secretly represent the Cherubim, and you who sing triple praise and sanctification for the life-giving Trinity, let us cast aside every worldly concern). In (The Small Entry) we depicted the entry of the angels in conjunction with our own entry, but in the (Great Entry) we depict what goes beyond that, as we declare that we have become, (secretly) and by the grace of God, the image of the angels and their representatives. Thus we are similar to angels, so to speak. Therefore, in this transformative moment, we must abandon all worldly concerns and renounce everything that does not direct us towards God.
However, we cannot forget or neglect the needs of our brothers and sisters. Rather, we must not forget or neglect their needs. Likewise, we hear the priest in this (Grand Entry), and before he passes through the royal door heading to the Holy Table, we hear him mentioning the shepherds of the church, the country, and the city from which we come, and he also mentions all those for whose intention the divine sacrifice was performed. After this, the priest places the bread and wine on the holy table and incenses them while the choir sings: (For we are about to receive the King of all, exalted from the angelic ranks in an unseen state).
A company of love and a company of faith
تلي (الدخول الكبير) طلبات كثيرة. الخدمة الإلهية تتدرّج بنا نحو إعلان الاعتراف بإيماننا اعترافاً جماعيّاً. ويمهِّد الشماس أو الكاهن لهذا الاعتراف بأن يتوجه إلى المؤمنين حاثّاً إياهم بقوة على المحبة: (لنحبَّ بعضُنا بعضاً لكي، بعزم واحد، نعترف مقرِّين…). يتابع الجوق: (… بآب وابن وروح قدس ثالوثاً متساوياً في الجوهر وغير منفصل).
This moment has a very important meaning, because the words that were said now express the very nature of the Church. In common love and in common love, the Church declares her faith in the great communion of love, this communion formed by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The church is a loving company. This communion of love declares itself a communion of faith; Those who do not want to love cannot deserve to acknowledge the love of the three divine Persons. I could not say: (I believe in love) (that is, I believe in God, love), had I not included this divine love and my love for all people, men and women.
Immediately before the Creed, the priest says these words: (Doors! Doors! Let us listen wisely!). What does this phrase mean?
In the first centuries of Christianity, catechumens and sinners who undergo a period of contrition were not allowed after which they would declare their repentance before the believing community. These catechumens and repentants were not allowed to participate in the second part of the Divine Mass, that is, in the divine sacrifice itself. In this part of the divine service, they were asked to go out. Then the doors of the church are closed, while the faithful whose personal situation is consistent with the law of the local church remain inside.
Today, in fact, the doors of the church are not closed, as catechumens, sinners, and even non-believers are allowed to attend the entire Divine Liturgy. Does this mean that the announcement of closing the doors has been emptied of its meaning? of course not. In the heart of each of us is an invisible door that must be closed, if not materially, then spiritually, when administering the holy sacraments. At this time, we must put aside all distractions, all concerns, all thoughts and all desires that are contrary to God and alien to Him.
On the contrary, there are doors that we must open, also unseen, in our hearts. (Let us listen!) says the text of the Divine Mass. Let us therefore remain open to and listen to the words and inspirations that come from God. The Lord directs to each of us the phrase that He said to the deaf and mute: “Open!” (i.e., be opened) (Mark 7:34).
Under the breath of the Holy Spirit
Here the reader or the group of believers recites the Creed, while the priest lifts the curtain over the bread and wine and turns it over them in a fluttering motion.
This ritual, which seems strange at first glance, is primarily linked to material reasons, like many other rituals. This is because, in hot countries, flies should have been kept away from the sacred offerings. This movement was later given a deep spiritual meaning, and the fluttering of the curtain over the bread and wine was considered a symbol of the breath of the Holy Spirit and the wind that filled the house when it blew on Pentecost. We now proclaim our Constitution of Faith, so we cannot properly profess the Christian faith unless, at this time, the Holy Spirit comes upon us. We may recite well and correctly the expressions of our faith, but unless we are inspired by the Holy Spirit, our ritual remains dead and sterile. Then let the Holy Spirit come and move the words within us and give them life!
Now, then, the Constitution of Faith as drawn up by the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople is recited (2).
The Constitution of Faith begins with the word “I believe.” (3). What does it mean to believe? What is meant here is not pure mental agreement with some beliefs. What is meant is the true act of faith that occurs under the influence of divine grace, and is based on revealed truths that the human mind alone cannot comprehend, the act of faith that we express, intimately, in absolute trust and obedience. We may have correct beliefs without, however, having this inner attitude, the attitude of faith that saves.
What do we believe in? We repeat the “Articles of Faith” and ancient words from the fourth century. We can also, even now, return to those ancient springs to draw new forces from them. But in our faith, all its articles must contain a movement of the spirit, a rush to God, and a call, and not be merely a dry list of vague “principles.”
We believe in God the Creator, and we worship His purposes for the created universe, for all the elements of this universe, and for the renewal that will come, in Christ, to a world excluded by sin. We do not attribute to our God any of the evils that He fights with us, these evils caused by the revolution of the forces of darkness.
We believe in Jesus Christ, the only and eternal Son of the Father, who is His own nature. In Christ and through him we want to become adopted children of the Father. We want to worship and love Jesus Christ not only in his divine nature, but also in the human nature that he assumed from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. We want to become participants in the salvation that was accomplished on the cross, and participants in the resurrection and ascension of our Lord and Savior Jesus. We fervently look forward to His second coming and His kingdom.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver, who proceeds from the Father. We want to seek light in the divine written and oral revelation, revelation inspired by the Holy Spirit, and we want to seek light in the work of the Holy Spirit who is always present among us.
We believe in the universal Church, descended from the holy apostles, and we unite with all its visible and invisible members, and with all the good souls who, even if they do not know how to name Christ, implicitly seek Him and from Him receive all that is in them of truth, goodness, and beauty that Jesus baptized secretly.
We now enter into the heart of the prayer of the Divine Mass, in the great act of thanksgiving and offering, of which the sanctification of bread and wine forms a part. Here is the Eucharist itself, because the Eucharist means (prayer of thanksgiving).
(إنه لواجب وحقّ أن نسبّحك ونباركك ونحمدك…). ومن يسبّح ويبارك ويحمد بقلب صادق يقف، في أعماقه، موقف شكر. إنه في حالة نفسيّة يمكن أن ندعوها (حالة إفخارستية)، ويتقدم في الحياة مسبّحاً بفرح وثقة، إذ هو قد تثبّت في فرح يغمره ويتجاوز بآن.
What do we thank God for in the Great Prayer of Thanks? We express our thanks to Him (for everything). We remember before Him everything He did for us: (You brought us out of nothingness into existence). The Lord raised mankind after the fall, and He is still working to bring us to the coming kingdom. We thank the Lord (for the goodness done to us, which we know and which we do not know), for all this goodness with which He includes us every day in countless ways.
ولكنّ عملنا الشكريّ يزداد وضوحاً وتخصيصاً: (نشكرك أيضاً من أجل هذه الخدمة التي ارتضيت أن تقبلها من أيدينا، مع أنه قد وقف لديك ألوف من رؤساء الملائكة…). كان بإمكان القوّات السماوية (الملائكة) وحدها أن تقدّم لله عبادة عن استحقاق أكثر من عبادتنا نحن. ولكن الله يقبل ما نقدّمه له بأيدينا الخاطئة. وفي هذا الوقت يتّحد الملائكة بنا لينشدوا تسبيح الظفر: (قدّوس، قدّوس، قدّوس. ربّ الصباؤوت)، ربّ القوّات الملائكية. (أوصنّا! مبارك الآتي باسم الربّ!).
الآتي باسم الربّ… المقصود هنا هو الذي يقترب منّا في هذه الدقيقة، الذي هو العطيّة العظمى التي يقدّمها الآب للبشر. (أنت الذي أحببت العالم بهذا المقدار حتى أنك أعطيت ابنك الوحيد لكي لا يهلك أيّ من يؤمن به بل تكون له الحياة الأبديّة…). إن الكلمة المفتاح في القداس وفي كل علاقة الله بالبشر تقال هنا: (أنت الذي أحببت العالم بهذا المقدار…). كل وجود الله وكل الوجود الإنساني هما سرّ محبة. ها نحن في هذا الوقت نفسه أمام الحبّ المبذول.
القدّاس الإلهيّ يوضِّح الآن، بفم الكاهن، الشكل المرئيّ الذي به ظهرت (عطيّة الحبّ). كلمات السيّد سوف تتردّد، وهي الكلمات التي قالها (في الليلة التي فيها أُسلم، والأوْلى أنه أسلم نفسه من أجل حياة العالم) فلنسمع من جديد هذه الكلمات: (خذوا، كلوا، هذا هو جسدي الذي يُكسر من أجلكم لمغفرة الخطايا… اشربوا منه كلكم، هذا هو دمي الذي للعهد الجديد، الذي يُهرق عنكم وعن كثيرين لمغفرة الخطايا).
كلّ كلمة من هذه الكلمات ينبغي لنا أن نزنها في قلبنا. (خذوا) : تجدر الإشارة هنا إلى هذه الجرأة التي بها نتقدم و (نأخذ) بأيدينا الخاطئة. ماذا نأخذ ؟ (جسدي…. دمي). هاتان الكلمتان هما روح وحياة. لن نفهمهما بنوع من الماديّة السرية (matérialisme sacramentel) ولن نرى فيهما مجرد عبارة رمزيّة أو استعارة أو مجرّد إشارة. هاتان الكلمتان – (جسدي… دمي) – نتقبلهما على أنهما الإعلان الفاعل الحقيقيّ لحضور جسد المخلّص ودمه حضوراً غير منظور بل حقيقياً كلياً، حيّاً وفاعلاً. هذا الخبر جسد (مكسور)، وهذا الخمر دم (مُهرق). قدّاسنا الإلهيّ هو، كالعشاء السرّيّ الأول، دعوة لنا لنشارك، بحسب قدرتنا، كسر جسد السيّد وإراقة دمه. نحن مدعوّون لأن نبذل أنفسنا، لأن نُكسَر ونُهْرَق. ذلك أن الإفخارستيا، كما قلنا، سرّ محبة. ونحن نعرف من الإنجيل أن ليس هناك حبّ أعظم من هذا: أن يبذل الإنسان نفسه فداء عن أحبّائه.
(من أجلكم…). يُكسر جسد السيّد من أجلي أنا، ويُهرق دم السيّد من أجلي أنا. يليق بنا إذاً، حتى لا نُغرق إعلان المسيح في العموميات، أن نعرف فنرى كم هي شخصيّة كلمات السيّد بالنسبة لنا، وكم هي تعني كلّ واحد منّا بمفرده. في هذا الوقت بالذات يقول لي السيّد إنه مات من أجلي وإنه الحمل الفصحيّ الحقيقيّ الحامل كلّ خطايايّ. فهل أُحسّ بعظمة الصفح الإلهيّ وأبعاده ؟ هل أحسّ أنني منقَّى وأنني متسربل دم الفادي ؟
The Lord offers us his body and blood. What can we, in return, offer him? We can offer Him everything we have and everything we can give. We offer ourselves to Him above all else. We can (reciprocate) everything that He did for us, that is, we can acknowledge His good deeds to us and prostrate ourselves to His goodness in all these good deeds. For this reason, the priest, as he quickly reminds us of the entire history of human salvation: the cross, the tomb, the resurrection, the ascension and the second coming, as he reminds us of all of this, raises the bread and wine to God, saying: “What you have of yours we offer to you above all things and for all things.” something).
لنتوقّف قليلاً عند هذه الكلمات: (التي لك ممّا لك…). نحن لا نملك شيئاً، إذ ليس ثمة شيء لم نأخذه من الله. لذا لا نستطيع أن نقدِّم لله إلاّ ما أعطاناه. نصلّي إليه ونرجوه أن يأخذ من جديد وأن يقدِّس، من أجله ومن أجلنا، كلَّ ما كان قد جعله لخاصَّتنا. ونصلّي إليه أن يقدِّس أوّلاً هذا الخبز وهذا الخمر، هذين العنصرين اللذَيْن يرمزان إلى كلِّ الخليقة واللذَيْن سيصيران الأداتين المنظورتين لشركتنا مع السيّد. ويجب أن نتذكر هنا كلَّ الذين أنبت لنا تعبهم هذين الخبز والخمر: زارع القمح، الفلاّح، الخبّاز، الكرّام والعامل صانع أوعية الزجاج والمعدن. كلّ الكون وكلّ العمل البشري يُختصران في هذه العناصر المادية الوضيعة التي من خلالها يأتي الله نفسه إلينا. في هذا الوقت يبلغ فعل الخلق الإلهي ذروته.
At this time also, we pray for all creation and dedicate to God all people and the entire world. We complete the service of the priest so that our priesthood becomes a priesthood of service and (a royal priesthood), this priesthood that the Holy Bible attributes to all believers.
نرفع إلى الله، في تضرّعنا إليه واستشفاعنا إيّاه، كلَّ الأشياء وكلّ البشر، كلَّ الحاجات البشريّة وكلَّ الضيقات والشدائد. وأقدِّم لك يا سيّدي نفسي وجسدي اللذين هما منك ولك، أعيدهما إليك وقد أصبحا لك أكثر من ذي قبل، وذلك بالنعمة والصلاة: (التي لك ممّا لك…).
The priest now invokes the Spirit of God over the Holy Offerings.
(… ونطلب ونتضرّع ونسأل، فأرسل روحك القدّوس علينا وعلى هذه القرابين الموضوعة. واصنع أمّا هذا الخبز فجسد مسيحك المكرَّم، وأمّا ما في هذه الكأس فدم مسيحك المكرَّم، محوِّلاً إيّاهما بروحك القدّوس حتى يكونا للمتناولين لانتباه النفس ومغفرة الخطايا وشركة روحك القدّوس وملء ملكوت السماوات…).
نبلغ الآن وجهاً للقدّاس آخر. ليس القدّاس الإلهيّ مجرّد اجتماع للمؤمنين حول كلمة الله. كما أنه ليس مجرد اجتماع للمؤمنين حول العشاء السرّيّ. القدّاس اجتماع عنصرة، هو عنصرة. القدّاس مجيء، إنه نزول الروح القدس فيما بيننا وعلينا. وهذا الطابع العنصرانيّ الذي للقدّاس تشير إليه عبارات كثيرة في نصّ الخدمة الإلهيّة. فالكاهن، قبل أن يبدأ القُدّاس، يستدعي الروح القدس: (أيها الملك السماويّ المعزي، روح الحقّ، الحاضر في كلّ مكان وصقع والمالئ الكلّ، كنز الصالحات ورازق الحياة، هلمَّ واسكن فينا…). إننا نبتهل مرّات كثيرة في الخدمة إلى الروح القدس (الصالح والمحيي) مع ابتهالنا إلى الآب والابن. سمعنا الكاهن بعد الدخول الكبير يطلب: (… ليحلّ روح نعمتك الصالح علينا وعلى هذه القرابين الموضوعة وعلى كلّ شعبك). ثم إنّ الكاهن طلب أيضاً أن تكون (شركة الروح القدس) مع نعمة ربّنا يسوع المسيح ومحبّة الله الآب، معنا جميعاً. كما سمعناه يعلن للشماس أنّ الروح القدس نفسه (يشاركنا في الخدمة). والآن يتمّ استدعاء الروح هذا بأكثر إلحاحاً: (نطلب إليك ونتضرّع ونسأل، فأرسل روحك القدّوس…).
على ماذا سيُرسَل الروح القدس ؟ (… على هذه القرابين الموضوعة). إنّ تحويل الخبز والخمر إلى جسد المسيح ودمه ليس عمليّة سحرية يتممها الكاهن. يقول نصّ القدّاس: (… محوِّلاً إيّاهما بروحك القدّوس). هذا التحويل الذي هو استجابة الله لصلاتنا ليس هدفاً بحدّ ذاته، لكنه يتم (حتى يكونا للمتناولين لتطهير النفس ومغفرة الخطايا) وأيضاً (لشركة روحك القدّوس). كلّ شيء يُعمل بالروح القدس وفي الروح القدس.
ويجدر بنا أن نلاحظ شيئاً هاماً. لقد قال الكاهن: (أرسل روحك القدوس علينا وعلى هذه القرابين…). لم يطلب الكاهن أن يحلّ الروح القدس على القرابين أوّلاً بل أن يحل علينا نحن في الدرجة الأولى. هنا تكمن العنصرة في الخدمة الشكرية. الروح القدس يحلّ في قلوبنا قبل أن يحلّ على العنصرين المادّيين، الخبز والخمر، اللذين هما أداتا التقوية والتقديس. فهل نحسّ بكلّ قيمة هذه العنصرة الداخلية غير المادّية ؟ هل نحسّ أننا قد وُهبنا، في هذه الدقيقة، حضور الروح القدس وقوّته ؟ وأيضاً، فإنّ هؤلاء الذين لم يشتركوا سريّاً في القدّاس يستطيعون هو أنفسهم، إذا اتجهت قلوبهم نحو الله، أن ينالوا عندئذ موهبة الروح القدس. قد تقف بعض الحواجز والموانع دون الدخول الصميم إلى السر؛ ولكنّ الروح يهبّ حيث يشاء ولا تستطيع أية حدود أن تحدّ المحبة التي لا حدود لها.
Even during the thanksgiving sacrifice, the Holy Spirit is not given only for the sacrament of thanksgiving. The purpose is to enter the Pentecostal life, into the life of the Holy Spirit. Did we, at some point, take seriously the promises that the Lord Jesus made, after the Resurrection, not only to his apostles but also to all believers? Did we, at some point, believe that we could, in the name of Jesus, cast out demons and heal the sick? This is what the Lord Jesus assured us. This misery of distrust is that we do not dare (with faith, humility, and obedience to the divine will) to attempt to exercise the authority that Christ gave to those who believe in Him. This holy audacity undoubtedly presupposes in us the power of total renewal and also presupposes in us that our entire being be revealed in abandonment, joy, and love. When the Church calls upon us to receive the Holy Spirit, are we given this Spirit in vain and in vain? Were the promises of the Savior in the Bible given in vain?
The priest now mentions those in whom Pentecost was clearly manifested, that is, the saints who make up the glorified Church, the heavenly Church. (4). Icons remind us that these saints are present with us and participate with us in prayer. We asked God, during the small entry, that our entry into the temple be accompanied by the entry of the angels and saints. This commemoration of the saints is now dedicated, and the priest offers (this verbal worship for the sake of the grandfathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, ascetics, and every righteous soul who died in faith, especially for the sake of the most holy, pure, most blessed and glorious, Our Lady, the ever-virgin Mother of God, Mary).
The choir responds by chanting in joy, “She is more honorable than the Cherubim and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim,” she is the one who, “without corruption, gave birth to the Word of God.”
The reason we venerate Mary is not only because of the only privilege she received, but because she was the humble servant of the Lord, who asked to have Him according to the words of the angel of the good news and who heard the words of her Son and kept them in her heart. Mary surrounds us with silent, attentive, merciful and interceding tenderness. Therefore, our confident and friendly familiarity with it brings freshness, calm, and hope into our lives.
يتابع الكاهن قائلاً: (أذكر يا ربّ…)؛ وهنا يذكر، من جديد، الذين رقدوا على رجاء القيامة. ثم يصلّي من أجل أولئك الذين أولاهم الله سلطاناً على الأمم. يصلّي أيضاً من أجل الذين هم رعاة النفوس ومن أجل قادة الكنيسة. ويذكر، بشكل خاص، أسقف الكنيسة المحلّية من أجل أن (يقطع باستقامة كلمة حقّك). يجدر هنا الانتباه إلى هذه الكلمات، لأن هذا هو بالضبط ما نطلبه أوّلاً من أجل الأساقفة والكهنة. وأخيراً يطلب الكاهن إلى الربّ أن يذكر المسافرين والمرضى والأسرى. لنفكر، هنا، في مجموع الآلام البشرّية وفي شدائد كلّ إنسان وضيقاته. ثم يطلب الكاهن أيضاً إلى الله أن يذكر (الذين يقدِّمون الأثمار… والذين يفتقدون المساكين). هذا أوان تذكُّرنا أننا لا نملك شيئاً وأننا مجرد وكلاء على خيرات الربّ وأنه يجب علينا تقاسم الخيرات مع الذين هم في العوز؛ ويجدر بنا أن نتذكّر أيضاً أنّ العطاء الذي لا يكلِّف شيئاً عطاء بلا قيمة. فماذا سأضع في (لصينية) التي تجوب الآن بين المؤمنين ؟
The priest concludes: “And remember, O Lord, those who are thinking in the thoughts of every one of those present, all of them.” The choir answers: (All of them and all of them). Let us pay close attention to what this sentence contains. It expresses the universality of the Church's prayer and the universality of our personal prayer. We do not exclude anyone from our prayers. We open our arms and extend them to all needs and all hardships. To all of you we belong, to all of you, and to all of you we unite.
Al-Talaba Al-Salamiyya Al-Kubra continues. Let us note, among the requests we make to God, the request in which we seek the presence of an angel (guide, trustee, and preserver of our souls and bodies). Have we experienced all the richness of this presence, the presence of a guardian angel, especially when we submit to Him? Has our angel, in fact, become our close friend and beloved companion? What place do we assign to him in our lives?
And now the greatest request ends with prayer par excellence, this prayer that did not come to us from a purely human authority, but it was the Lord Jesus himself who taught it to us, and it is the one that should, rightly, occupy a central place in our prayers. There may not be enough space here for a detailed analysis of this prayer {See on this subject the author’s book (Our Father), by the author, in (Al-Nour Publications), in the French language (publisher)}, but some discussion of this text may help us say it as it should be said in Spirit and truth.
(أبانا…). يمكننا أن ندعو هذا الآب (أبي)، لكن يجب أن نقول أيضاً (أبانا) لأنه الأب المحب كل الناس (5).
(أب…). إن الرب يسوع هو، بطبيعته، ابن الآب بالمعنى الوحيد والاستثنائي. ولكننا نستطيع نحن أنفسنا أن نصير أبناء الآب بالتبني والنعمة.
(He who is in the heavens). We are not obliged to believe in the existence of a physical, physically located heaven. Heaven is, essentially, a psychological state, a state of vision, love and union. The word “heaven” reminds us of the distance between the Creator and his creatures. This distance, by nature, is impossible to cross, but our God became a human being and resides among us, and we live, move, and have our being through Him.
(Hallowed be your name). It is not enough for us to sing praises to God without ceasing. Rather, we must “sing out” this name of God, which is above all names and carries a truth that surpasses all truths. We should also act so that our actions are worthy of the majesty and perfection of our Father.
(Thy kingdom come). The Kingdom of God can be manifested by some external things, some structures, some institutions, some principles and some rituals. But this kingdom, as the Bible says, is first within us. It is an internal event. It is giving oneself completely to God.
(لتكن مشيئتك…). إن مجيء ملكوت الله يكون، خاصة، بتتميمنا مشيئة الله في كل الأمور، كبيرها وصغيرها إذا صحّ القول. ولكن ليس عند الله أمور صغيرة. فالتفاصيل الصغرى من حياتنا اليومية تصبح كبيرة بإطاعتنا المشيئة الإلهية.
(As in heaven so on earth). The angels' perfect obedience to God should be a model for our own obedience to Him. Our obedience must be unlimited love for God and people.
(Give us this day our essential bread). This request has taken several forms that differ slightly from each other, but they are all correct. The bread that we ask for is, at the same time, the earthly food necessary for our daily life and the invisible inner food with which the Word of God nourishes our souls, just as it is also a participation in the Lord’s given body and His shed blood, and it is also the banquet of the heavenly kingdom, a banquet of which this bread is an anticipation. .
(And leave to us what we owe as we leave to those who owe us.) Here, we do not turn to God as someone who entrusts Him with forgiveness or as someone who gives Him notice. There is no equal comparison between divine forgiveness and the forgiveness that we make: (Forgive us because we forgive). This is the idea that the phrase wants to express, as if it expresses a necessary condition for the forgiveness of our sins, which is that we have forgiven our debtors. We have removed a barrier that prevented the forgiveness of our sins, and this barrier is our refusal to forgive others. From now on, divine forgiveness can cross over to us and erase our sins.
(And do not test us.) This phrase translates the original text of the Gospels better than the phrase “Lead us not into temptation,” or the phrase “Do not let us yield to temptation.” We must not be proud of our resistance to temptation. Moreover, we must not pray to God to be glorified in us because we have overcome these temptations. Rather, we must humbly ask God to remove temptations from us and not test our many weaknesses.
(But save us from evil.) This translation seems more correct than (But deliver us from evil). God does not want evil for anyone, neither material evil nor moral evil. He is a God of salvation, a God of mercy, a God of love. He struggles with us against the evil that seeped into the world through the disobedience of angels and sin. God allows this evil to leave humans free to say “no” to it as well as to say “yes” to it. And God, in his struggle against our common enemy, happens to him (a God whom we might be able to call, to some extent, a suffering God) apparently being, in some souls, wounded and even killed. But we firmly believe that love and resurrection will be stronger than death.
We now enter the stage of the Mass that relates to the thanksgiving table.
The priest prays, first of all, for Christ to be present to sanctify us: (Come, sanctify us, O You who sits on high with the Father and is here with us invisible, and accept to receive with your dear hand your pure body and your precious blood, and through us to all your people).
These words direct our attention to two important aspects of the Mass. We ask Christ to give us (with His hand) His body and blood. We believe that, through Communion, we receive Christ. But we must be able to see, with eyes of faith and love, the Lord Jesus Himself coming to each of us so that, as He did with His Apostles, He may present to us the “Holy Gifts” through which He gives Himself. It is not the priest who gives us communion. The Lord, behind the priest, is the one who, at the same time, brings us closer and closer personally. Do we see him coming to us? Do we see him offering us the bread and wine that God has become? Do we hear the secret and personal word that He wants to say to us at this time, which is supposed to guide our private lives?
We also pray that the precious body and blood of the Lord will be distributed (through us) to all your people. It is not the priest alone who, in fulfilling his ministry, will make other people participate in the Lord's Supper. As all those who partook today must distribute and give to those around them what they themselves received. This means that by their work and their word - not their preaching word but their loving and secretly witnessing word - they should make the grace that has come to them radiate. What is meant here is not only those who participated, in a visible way, in the sacrament of thanksgiving. Those who did not receive material communion were united, spiritually, by the sacrament of thanksgiving and were nourished, in purpose and intention, by the body and blood of the Lord, so they were opened to the Holy Spirit. These must give others, in their practical lives and by their example, the Savior’s offering. We are all responsible for transmitting this offering (to all your people) in a process of transmission that has no limits.
يفصِّل الكاهن الآن الخبز المقدس قائلاً: (يُفصَّل ويجُزّأ حمل الله الذي يًفصَّل ولا ينقسم، الذي يُؤكل منه دائماً وهو لا يفرغ أبداً…). لنتوقف لحظة عند هذه الكلمات. إن ما سنتناوله هو خبز مفصّل، إنه جسد المخلّص الذي كُسر على الصليب. وما سنشتريه هو مر مسكوب، إنه دم الرب الذي أُهرق على الصليب. ولكننا لا نحيي، مادياً، ذبيحة الجلجلة بل نشترك فيها روحيّاً. كل مناولة لجسد الرب ودمه إنما هي (ذبح) للذي يتناول. فالمتناول يسلَّم جسده ليُطعن بحربة من نار. إنه يموت لنفسه ويحيا من جديد كإنسان متجدّد. هذا الجانب الذبيحي من عشاء الرب يجب أن يُترجم عملياً: ماذا سأبذل اليوم للمخلّص من اجل أن أتحد بذبيحته ؟ كيف سأميت فيّ، من أجله، ما يجب أن يموت ؟ بأي شكل سأتمم هذا (الانتحار) الروحي المقدّس جداً والذي هو المناولة ؟
Like the Lamb of God, and with the Lamb of God, I must be “separated” and “always eaten,” by presenting myself to others and laying down myself for them, thus becoming a human being for the sake of others. Lord Jesus, I entrust my spirit into your hands to be broken, separated, and distributed.
الآن، يسكب الكاهن قليلاً من الماء الساخن في الكأس، وهو يعني بهذا (حرارة إيمان مستوعبة الروح القدس). مرّة أخرى أيضاً ترتبط العنصرة بالفصح. ثم يتناول الكاهن من القرابين المقدسة ويدعو الشعب ليتقدم ويتناول هو أيضاً من القرابين المقدسة. صلوات كثيرة مفعمة بالورع والاتضاع قد أدخلت، شيئاً فشيئاً، هنا في الخدمة الإلهية. ولكن ينبغي لنا، حتى نعي بشكل صحيح العمل الذي يتم، أن نكون منتبهين إلى الكلمات التي يقولها الكاهن على كل متناول: (يُناول عبد الله أو أمة الله… فلان… جسد ودم ربنا وإلهنا ومخلّصنا يسوع المسيح الكريم والمقدس، لغفران خطاياه وللحياة الأبدية. آمين).
This statement contains five basic assertions. The one who comes forward to receive Communion and is called by his name is a male or female servant. Am I really this servant, this maid? Do I really hear this call in my name, this very personal call? Here I am receiving the holy offerings. They are offerings, and they are signs of the free grace to which I have no right and which God’s love bestows on me from His never-failing goodness. What I receive is the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. Beyond the physical signs lies the truth, the presence of my Savior and his saving action. I participate in the offering and sacrifice of Calvary. The sacred offerings that I receive are an expression of the forgiveness of my sins, my sins that were taken up and carried by the slain Lamb of God. I was purified by the blood of the divine Lamb and immersed myself in it to wash myself with it, like these crumbs of bread that the priest pours into the cup. This offering is, for me, a pledge of eternal life, because the Lamb of God who was slain and whose redemption I share is also the Lamb who rose from the dead on the third day. Easter includes the Savior's resurrection as much as it includes his crucifixion. I pray to share in the Resurrection of the Savior.
The Mass ends in an atmosphere of thanksgiving, joy, and, one might say, ecstasy in God. Let us examine our consciences and see whether these above words mean a personal, living, real experience for us or whether they remain merely ritual expressions.
(إذ قد تناولنا مستقيمين أسرار المسيح الإله…) يقول الكاهن. هل تناولنا حقاً هذه الأسرار؟ كيف تناولناها ؟ وإذا كنّا قد تناولنا فهل اشتركنا، حقيقة، في الروح والحق، في سرّ المسيح ؟ وإذا لم نتناول فهل يعني هذا أنه كان بإمكاننا، أو كان من المفروض فينا أن نذهب وأيدينا فارغة، دون أن نكون حاولنا (أخذ) الحقيقة الإلهية ؟ حتى، من لم يتناول ينبغي له أن يكون، خلال القداس، قد نال نفخة الروح القدس، وذلك بلمسة نعمة نابعة من المخلّص أو بوحي مطهِّر ومحوِّل. تناولنا القرابين المقدسة السريّة أم لو نتناولها، يجب أن نخرج من الكنيسة على غير ما دخلناها، يجب أن نخرج أناساً آخرين.
لقد رتل الجوق: (قد نظرنا النور الحقيقي وأخذنا الروح السماوي ووجدنا الإيمان الحق). وقال الكاهن: (إذ قد رأينا قيامة المسيح…). فهل كانت لنا هذه الخدمة الإلهية اتصالاً مع المسيح ليس فقط الذبيح بل القائم أيضاً ؟ هل حصلنا في هذا القداس على رؤية الذي هو نور العالم ؟ وهل صارت لنا هذه الخدمة المقدسة عنصرة ننال فيها ليس فقط شخص المخلّص ولكن روحه القدوس القادر والفاعل أيضاً ؟ هل اكتشفنا في هذا القداس الإيمان الحق، الإيمان بالحب الإلهي يبذل حياته من أجل حياة العالم، من أجلي، من أجل الذين أحبهم الله – المحبة ؟ إذا لم يتحقق كل هذا فالقداس الإلهي يكون تحوّل إلى تعبير وكلمة فارغين عوض أن يكون حدثاً داخلياً حاسماً.
في آخر صلاة يتلوها الكاهن أمام أيقونة السيّد نسمعه يذكر هؤلاء (المتكلين عليك). فلنثق بالرب يسوع المسيح ولنتكل عليه مهما يكن ضعفنا ومهما تكن الأخطار المحيطة بنا. يجب أن يكون القداس الإلهي قد جعلَنا في حال ثقة واطمئنان. (لا تهملنا نحن المتكلين عليك…).
يقول الكاهن أيضاً: (احفظ ملء كنيستك… قدّس الذين يحبون جمال بيتك… شرِّفهم عوض ذلك بقوتك الإلهية…). لننتبه هنا. ملء الكنيسة، جمال البيت الإلهي، تقديس الذين يحبّون هذا الجمال: هذه كلها كلمات عظيمة وجميلة؛ ولكننا نخطئ خطأً فادحاً عندما نظن أن هذه صفات لكنيسة أرضية ظافرة بشرياً، جميلة بشرياً، قوية بشرياً وغنية. يتكلم القديس يوحنا الذهبي الفم على الذين يقرِّبون تقدمات ثمينة على المذبح الحجري في حين أنهم يغلقون قلوبهم دون المذبح الحيّ المقام في كل (شارع) أي في الفقير. كيف نستطيع أن نتكلم على جمال بيت الله وبيننا من يشترك في سر الشكر ويخرج من الكنيسة ليموت جوعاً ؟ كيف نجسر على أن نتكلم على ملء الكنيسة وبيننا من يشارك جماعة المؤمنين صلاتهم من غير أن يلتفت أحد إليه أو أن يسعى أحد إلى الاحتكاك به ؟ على أي جمال نتكلم إذاً ؟ على أي ملء ؟
إن الكلمة الأخيرة في نص القداس الإلهي تُظهر بشكل رائع الحقيقة الإلهية التي رأينا ظلالها من خلال رموز القداس. إن الكاهن يطلب إلى المسيح إلهنا أن يرحمنا ويخلّصنا، ويختم هكذا: (…لأنه صالح ومحبّ للبشر). هكذا يكشف لنا القدّاس الإلهي، عبر مراحله، الصلاح الفائق والمحبة التي لا حدود لها.
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Written by: Father Lev Guillah
Arabization: Elie Obaid
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Margins of grid mode
- (1) يُخطئ المعظم ويقول “ذاهبون لنحضر القداس الإلهي”، والصحيح أن نقول “ذاهبون لنشترك في القداس الإلهي”. فالقداس الإلهي هو مائدة شراكة ومحبة وإيمان واحد. ولا يستطيع الكاهن أن يُقيم القداس الإلهي مالم يكن هناك مؤمنون يشتركون معه في القداس الإلهي.
- (2) The Council of Nicaea is the first ecumenical council, which is the First Council of Nicaea, and the Council of Constantinople is the first Ecumenical Council, or the First Council of Constantinople.
- (3) بحسب الدستور الموضوع في مجمع نيقية يبتدء بـ “نؤمن”، ولكن الكنيسة الأرثوذكسية رأت فيما بعد أن يُتلى هذا الدستور هكذا “أؤمن”. لأنها رأت أن موضوع الاعتراف بالإيمان هو اعتراف شخصي يقوله كل مؤمن على حدا. وخاصةً بعد أن أصبح يحضر هذا الجزء من القداس الإلهي عامة الشعب (مؤمنون وغير مؤمنين).
- (4) لا يوجد إلا كنيسة واحدة لأن الرأس واحد وهوالرب يسوع المسيح. مع ذلك درجت العادة عند البعض أن يقول “الكنيسة السماوية والكنيسة الأرضية” و”الكنيسة المنظورة والكنيسة غير المنظورة”. راجع في ذلك: [كاليستوس (وير)، الكنيسة الأرثوذكسية: إيمان وعقيدة، Chapter Three: The Church of GodThe Church, visible and invisible].
- (5) على عكس كلمة “نؤمن” التي رأت الكنيسة الأرثوذكسية أن تجعلها “أؤمن”. هذا لأن “آبانا” عائدة على الله الآب الذي هو أبٌ للجميع. وليست اعلان عن إيمان شخصي لكل مؤمن.