Consecration & Elevation - Eastern Byzantine Liturgies

Excerpted from Syrian Christians, A Brief History of the Catholic Church of St. George in Milwaukee, Wis. And a Sketch of the Eastern Church, by Exarch Anthony J. Aneed, Milwaukee, 1919.

Note: the following passages from Father Anthony Aneed's 1919 book explain many of the differences between the various rites of the Catholic Church. Because the book was originally written over eight decades ago, it may seem somewhat dated, since there have been many changes in the outward practice of the church. None-the-less Fr. Aneed's words explore the traditional rituals of the Eastern Catholic Churches and allow the layman to better understand our practices and faith.

It is clearly understood that where validity of orders prevails the power of consecration exists independently of either schism or heresy; and that, consequently, in all the churches of the East a true sacrifice of the Mass may be looked for, and as veritable in Real Presence as that which we have the happiness to enjoy.

Strangely enough, nearly all the Oriental liturgies mention the mingling of water with the wine in the form of consecration. "Thou didst take," says the Liturgy of St. Gregory of Alexandrine family, "the chalice and mingle it of the fruit of the vine and water"; "In like manner, also he took wine, and when he had mingled it in just proportion with water," etc., and so on with several others.

It is customary all through the East for the priest to pronounce the words of consecration aloud, and for the people to answer "Amen," after each assertion of he narrative portion. Thus, according to the Liturgy of St. Basil, the arrangement is as follows: "Priest: He blessed it; People: Amen. Priest: And sanctified it; People: Amen. Priest: And tasted it, and gave it to his disciples." Whereupon it is also worthy to remark that nearly all the Eastern liturgies mention our Lord's communicating upon this occasion as well as his disciples.

Nowhere in the East does the elevation take place immediately after the consecration, as with the Latin Church, but only before Communion. As the solemn moment draws near, the deacon turns around to the people and cries with full compass of voice, "Attendamus!" "Let us be attentive." In some places this admonition is worded: "Let us attend with the fear of God." The Ethiopians say, "Inspiciamus!" After the admonition follows the elevation, which all the churches of the East observe just as the Latin Church, with this difference, that while perfect silence pervades our congregations at this solemn moment, in theirs the noise is deafening, for both priest and people are shouting at the highest pitch of their voices.

When the Sacred Host is first raised on high, the priest cries aloud, "Ta Ayia tis Ayies," that is, "Holy things for holy people" - to which the people, or rather the choir, respond "One Holy, one Lord, Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father."

According to the Syriac Liturgy of St. James, which all the Jacobits follow, the priest exclaims, "Holy things are given for holy persons in perfection, purity, and holiness"; to which the people respond, "One Holy Father, one Holy Son, one Holy Ghost; blessed be the name of the Lord, for he is one in Heaven and on earth; glory be to him for evermore." At the elevation which takes place with the Maronites the priest, raising the sacred Host aloft, cries out, "Holy things are given for holy people in perfection, purity and sanctity"; to which the people respond, "One Holy Father, one Holy Son, one Holy Ghost; glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Ghost." When elevating the chalice the priest says, according to the same rite, "Thus, O, Lord! In truth we verily believe in thee just as believes in three the Holy Catholic Church, that thou art one Holy Father, to whom belongeth glory, Amen; one Holy Son, to whom belongeth glory, Amen; one Holy Spirit, to whom belongeth glory and thanksgiving forever, Amen." The elevation with the Maronites takes place at the same time as it does all over the East, viz., before Communion. In some of the Oriental churches it is customary for the priest to turn round to the people and bless them three times before the elevation takes place, and after the elevation to move around, with the sacred Host in his hands, at the center of the altar, just as we do when giving benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. This especially obtains throughout Syria (Renaudot, Liturg. Orient., II. P. 114). The words, "one Holy Father, one Holy Son, one Holy Ghost," common to all the Oriental liturgies with hardly an exception, are employed as a profession of faith in the Adorable Trinity. The Copts at this place make a profession of faith in the Real Presence, which, on account of its singular beauty, we give word for word. It is as follows: "I believe, I believe, I believe, and confess to the last breath of my life, that this is the real, life-giving flesh of they Only Begotten Son, our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ; he received it from the blessed Lady of us all, the Mother of God, and ever Virgin Mary." It is customary, too, in the East, as with many or our own congregations, to strike the breast with the hand as the Host is elevated. In one of the Coptic versions of the Liturgy of St. Basil a rubric on this head thus reads; "Then (that is, at the elevation) the priest will take the Isbodicon (i.e. the Holy Body) in his hands."