Three Sundays of Commemoration | |
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Observed by | Maronite Church |
Liturgical color | Black, where it is tradition [1] (otherwise violet or purple) [1] |
Type | Christian |
Significance | For the souls of all the faithful departed |
Observances | Prayer for the departed, visits to cemeteries, decking of graves, special pastries and food, farewell to meat |
Date | Three Sundays before Ash Monday |
Frequency | annual |
Related to | Pre-Lent |
The Three Sundays of Commemoration are three consecutive Sundays before Lent during which the Maronite rite remembers the departed. It does not replace but supplement the commemoration of Feast of All Saints and the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed in November.
In all the ancient Christian liturgies, there is a preparatory period for the great fast of Lent, during which the faithful are warned of the arrival of this major period of the liturgical year, so that they can gradually begin the exercises of asceticism. who will accompany them until Easter. This preparatory period for Lent generally lasts 3 weeks in most rites. These Sundays correspond to Septuagesima , Sexagesima and Quinquagesima in the Roman rite. These designations come from the counting system used in antiquity and designate the decade in which each of these Sundays falls. They precede the first Sunday of Lent ( Quadragesima ). The memory of human frailty, the meditation on the last ends and consequently the prayers for the dead are recurring elements of this liturgical period. The Churches of Syriac and Coptic traditions have preserved an older state comprising shorter periods of fasting, the fast of the Ninevites and the fast of Heraclius, from which probably formed the pre-Lenten period of the other rites. like the Maronite rite. [2]
The Three Sundays of Commemoration are an ancient tradition which can be traced to the triple commemoration of the dead in the Byzantine tradition attested since the Apostolic Constitutions in the 4th century. [3]
In the Jacobite Syriac Pre-Lent, there are Three Fridays of Commemoration with a specific layout: fasting of the Ninevites (Sawmo d'ninwoyé - Monday to Wednesday of Septuagesima), Sunday of the deceased priests (Kohné - Sexagesima), Sunday of the faithful deceased ('Aneedé – Quinquagesima).
Among the Maronites, the three Sundays before Lent are devoted to the memory of the dead: the Sunday of deceased priests ( Septuagesima ), the Sunday of the Righteous and Righteous ( Sexagesima ), the Sunday of the faithful departed ( Quinquagesima ). It is most likely that they evolved from the three consecutive Fridays of commemoration of the faithful departed in the Syriac liturgy. [4]
Despite the long attachment of the Maronite Church to Rome, Maronites have kept their own rite and traditions, especially around the Lenten season, and its preparation, something with which the papacy has never interfered. [5]
The Second Vatican Council did not interfere with this celebration; instead, it encouraged to respect as an authentic Maronite tradition. [6]
The three Sundays of Commemoration are a gradual entry into Lent, allowing for gradual asceticism and spiritual preparation. The three Sundays put an end to the season of the Epiphany as can be seen from the change of response in the Qadishat and wear different liturgical colours from white and gold to purple and black.
The first Sunday of Commemoration in the Maronite rite rejoins the Chaldean version in commemorating the different ranks of the hierarchical Church. [7]
It is a day on which the Maronite faithful remember their past pastors, and priest themselves, as most of the Maronite clergy is married, also remember their own fathers; thus, for example, Youakim Moubarac wrote a poignant memorial to his grandfather and priestly model on that day. [8]
In the week that follows, the daily readings provided by the Maronite liturgy are a continuous reading of the Second epistle of Saint Paul to Timothy, which is a reminder of the advice of the deceased pastors to the surviving Christians which relate like Paul and Timothy. [9]
On the Sunday of the Righteous, the Maronites ask for the intercession of the saints who have preceded them in the Kingdom of Heaven. It is also known as the Sunday of prayer for the righteous and the monks [4] or Sunday of the deceased religious. [10]
The Sunday of the Righteous is an ancient tradition of the Eastern rites. However, it used to be celebrated during the time of Avent around December 6, as a time of prayer for the Righteous of the Mosaic Covenant. [11] During this ancient liturgy, the Apocalypse of Baruch was read. [12] This Sunday of the Righteous is also still celebrated in December by Ethiopian Christians.
After the Sunday of the Righteous, masses are offered daily until Lent in suffrage for the deceased ('ala nafs mawtaina).
On the Sunday of the Faithful Departed, the Maronites pray for those faithful who are in Purgatory. [13] According to Reverend Anthony J. Salim, "these commemorations of the Departed are to be seen in the context of the Epiphany emphasis on the charismational mission of all Christians, and on the destiny of those faithful to their baptismal calling. Those who have died to this life are on the next stage of their journey to the Kingdom." [14]
After the Sunday of the faithful departed, a final meal of zafra brings together the family. It is the meal announcing the departure of all food of animal origin or zafra, that is to say red meat. The next day, no trace of zafra should be found in the house. To complete this purification, the house is washed, thus preparing it for a period of piety, which begins on Ash Monday, the first day of fasting. [15]
The Three Sundays of Commemoration have been written in three different icons by iconographist and Maronite priest Abdo Badawi. [16]
All Souls' Day, also called The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed, observed by certain Christian denominations on 2 November. Through prayer, intercessions, alms and visits to cemeteries, people commemorate the poor souls in purgatory and gain them indulgences.
Quinquagesima, in the Western Christian Churches, is the last Sunday of Shrovetide, being the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. It is also called Quinquagesima Sunday, Quinquagesimae, Estomihi, Shrove Sunday, Pork Sunday, or the Sunday next before Lent.
Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important fasting season of the church year within many denominations of Eastern Christianity. It is intended to prepare Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha (Easter).
The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which portions of Scripture are to be read either in an annual cycle or in a cycle of several years.
Divine Liturgy or Holy Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine Rite, a liturgical rite developed from the Antiochene Rite of Christian liturgy which is that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox, the Greek Catholic Churches, and the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. Although the same term is sometimes applied in English to the Eucharistic service of Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, they use in their own language a term meaning "holy offering" or "holy sacrifice". Other churches also treat "Divine Liturgy" simply as one of many names that can be used, but it is not their normal term.
Septuagesima is the name for the ninth Sunday before Easter, the third before Ash Wednesday. The term is sometimes applied to the seventy days starting on Septuagesima Sunday and ending on the Saturday after Easter. Alternatively, the term is sometimes applied also to the period commonly called Shrovetide or Gesimatide that begins on this day and ends on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins.
Alleluia is a phrase in Christianity used to give praise to God. In Christian worship, Alleluia is used as a liturgical chant in which that word is combined with verses of scripture, usually from the Psalms. This chant is commonly used before the proclamation of the Gospel. In Western Christianity, congregations commonly cease using the word Alleluia during the period of Lent but restore it into their services at Easter. The form of praise "Alleluia" is used by Christians to thank and glorify God; it finds itself present in many prayers and hymns, especially those related to Eastertide, such as "Christ the Lord is Risen Today".
Sexagesima, or, in full, Sexagesima Sunday, is the name for the second Sunday before Ash Wednesday in the pre-1970 Roman Rite liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, and also in that of some Protestant denominations, particularly those with Lutheran and Anglican origins. Sexagesima falls within the liturgical period of Shrovetide.
Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used by a Christian congregation or denomination on a regular basis. The term liturgy comes from Greek and means "public work". Within Christianity, liturgies descending from the same region, denomination, or culture are described as ritual families.
The Anaphora is the most solemn part of the Eucharistic liturgies, such as the Divine Liturgy or the Mass, which serves as a thanksgiving prayer by virtue of which the offerings of bread and wine are consecrated as the body and blood of Christ. This is the usual name for this part of the Liturgy in Greek-speaking Eastern Christianity. In the Eastern Syriac tradition Qudaša is its equivalent. The corresponding part in western Christian liturgy is nowadays most often called the Eucharistic Prayer. The Roman Rite from the 4th century until after Vatican II had a single such prayer, called the Canon of the Mass.
The Epiphany season, also known as Epiphanytide or the time of Sundays After Epiphany, is a liturgical period, celebrated by many Christian Churches, which immediately follows the Christmas season. It begins on Epiphany Day, and ends at various points as defined by those denominations. The typical liturgical color for the day of Epiphany is white, and the typical color for Epiphany season is green.
Shrovetide, also known as the Pre-Lenten Season, is the Christian period of preparation before the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent.
Quadragesima Sunday is the first Sunday in Lent, occurring after Ash Wednesday.
In Christianity, the Nativity Fast—or Fast of the Prophets in Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church—is a period of abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church and Catholic Church in preparation for the Nativity of Jesus on December 25. Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches commence the season on November 24th and end the season on the day of Ethiopian Christmas which falls on 7th of January. The corresponding Western season of preparation for Christmas, which also has been called the Nativity Fast and St. Martin's Lent, has taken the name of Advent. The Eastern fast runs for 40 days instead of four or six weeks and thematically focuses on proclamation and glorification of the Incarnation of God, whereas the Western Advent focuses on three comings of Jesus Christ: his birth, reception of his grace by the faithful, and his Second Coming or Parousia.
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Youakim Moubarac was a Lebanese French scholar. He was an Islamologist, an Arabist and a disciple of the Orientalist Louis Massignon and of philosopher Louis Gardet. A Maronite priest, Moubarac dedicated his life and major works to interfaith dialogue between Christianity and Islam, to Arab and Lebanese causes, to the unity of the Church and to the Maronite Church Antiochian heritage.
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