Liturgical Music
…Then the evening came when Jesus performed the rituals of the Jewish Passover for the last time. The blood of innocent Lamb was shed onto the altar for the acknowledgement of the Testament between God and His people. Then the Teacher and His disciples ate sacrificial meat. When the supper was ended, as the explanation of the Paschal sacrifice – symbol of the first liberation of God’s people from slavery – Jesus took the bread, broke it and gave it to His disciples and said: “Take it and eat it. This is My body, which was given up for you”. Then He took the cup, gave it to His disciples and said:”Drink from it all of you. This is My blood of New and everlasting covenant, which was shed for the forgiveness of the sins. Do it in memory of Me.”
In the end of evangelic description of Last Supper of our Savior with His disciples evangelist adds:”And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives.”(Mth.26:30) Liturgy of the Eucharist is the central part of Lord’s Supper. Mystery of the Eucharist, like an icon, is clad in prayers, music, paintings, architecture, garments and gestures of the priests. This setting for the precious pearl has been changing all the time. Some of these attributes undergo changes very slowly but some do very fast. The core figure of this mystery Jesus Himself always remains constant, reliable, calm, patient and magnificent.
At the end of the first millennium all the prayers, which existed before the Eucharist, were compiled and canonized. They developed into the “liturgy” or “mass” (the word meaning liturgy in the western rite. It is derived from the word “missio” – liberation).
You will find the prayers of the Orthodox Church at the …. pages of our site. (Liturgy of Drozd brothers 3d fest. Liturgy of archbishop Ionafan 4th fest.)
Parts of the Catholic mass are the following:
1. Kyrie, Lord, show us mercy – prayer of confession and purification
2. Gloria, Glory to God in the highest – joyful hymn of praise and gratitude
3. Credo, We believe in one God – profession of faith (brief recall of the teachings)
4. Sanctus, Holy, holy, holy Lord – acclamation, the oldest part. In XI-XIIc. was the climax of the mass.
5. Agnus Dei, Lamb of God – one more prayer for forgiveness and peace.
The words of gratitude, praise and pray have always been the everlasting imitation of Our God’s Last supper. Produced by voices of Great Masters of the past and present, reflected in their minds and hearts, liturgical texts of ancient prayers spread in the Universe and draw us near the Sole Vital Source…
