Friday, March 12, 2010

The Presanctified Liturgy and a Pope of Rome

Some people might not be aware of the link between a pope, St. Gregory Dialogus, and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. He is commemorated today. Below are excerpts from Wikipedia.



The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, informally Presanctified Liturgy, is an Eastern Christian liturgical service for the distribution of communion on the weekdays of Great Lent.

The Liturgy is used by the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches that follow the Byzantine Rite. Great Lent is a season of repentance, fasting, and intensified prayer, and so the Eastern Church regards more frequent reception of communion as especially desirable at that time. However, the full Divine Liturgy has a joyful character not in keeping with the somberness of the season of repentance (Eucharist literally means "thanksgiving"). The Presanctified Liturgy is therefore celebrated instead. Although it is possible to celebrate this service on any weekday (Monday through Friday) of Great Lent, common parish practice is to celebrate it only on Wednesdays, Fridays and those feast days which fall on a weekday. It is also called for by the Typicon on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week...

...The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was first documented by Gregory Dialogos (540–604), who had been the papal legate to Constantinople. At one time it was supposed that he had composed the Liturgy himself, but now it is generally supposed that he simply recorded what was otherwise being practiced at Constantinople. In the Presanctified Liturgy itself, he is still commemorated as its traditional author.

1 comment:

  1. I've been to a Roman Catholic Good Friday Liturgy, but not since I've been Orthodox. I want to see one to compare now that I have that background, but have not had the opportunity.

    ReplyDelete