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April 15, 2007

THE MESOPOTAMIAN QUDDASHA
Bishop Sarhad Yawsip Jammo

No text of a Eucharistic Prayer, extant in the present liturgical practice of the Church universal, can rival the Mesopotamian Quddasha (i.e. Anaphora) of Addai & Mari in its claim to apostolic origin. Despite the existence, within its actual tenure, of detectable segments of later insertions and additions, the core of its textual tissue shows evidence of the apostolic era.

The basic structure of the Anaphora in Mesopotamian tradition is as follows:
1) Glorification and Praise of God for the creation of the world and the salvation of men;
2) Thanksgiving to God for the redemption through Christ;
3) Making Memorial of Christ by the Church, in response to the memorial that Christ makes of his Church before his father.
Thus, the three sections of the Mesopotamian Anaphora are explicitly connected to the scriptural description of what the Lord did at the Last Supper, having addressed to the Father: a prayer of praise, and of thanksgiving, and then requesting from his disciples to “do this” in memory of him.   

Since the early centuries up to modern times, the apostolic Quddasha of Addai & Mari has been adapted to theological and liturgical developments, following the practice of the universal Church.  Consequently, the Qaddysh (Holy, Holy…), the Nethe Mar Ruhakh Qaddysha (May your Holy Spirit come…), and the Narrative of the Last Supper, were incorporated into the structure of the Anaphora, and the Kushape (Supplications) were attached to it as well, one Kushapa before each one of the three sections.

Main Problematic of the Old Missal and Practice

Looking closely into the text of the Quddasha da-Shlyhe as it is rendered in the Old Missal, we notice that the Narrative has been inserted between the Glorification and the Thanksgiving, in an artificial textual and conceptual connection. As for the general practice of our parishes, it is the common custom to let the celebrant recite privately the whole Anaphora, except the Narrative which is chanted by him, while the people are seated and the choir are singings all kinds of hymns.

In a much better and fitter manner, the Reformed Missal inserts the Narrative within the Memorial section, where it belongs according to the Mesopotamian pattern. As to the execution, the celebrant recites the three sections in a loud voice while the congregation, standing or kneeling, is aware and part of such a holy and central moment of the celebration.