The Liturgies of the Eastern Church

 The word Canon, from the Greek Kanon, was used in a variety of senses by ancient authors. Originally it meant a rule or contrivance by which other things wee kept straight; but in a secondary sense it was variously applied to the nature of the case, always, however, preserving the idea inherent in its original meaning. In architecture it was the plumbline or level, in chronology it was the chief epoch or ear; in music it was the monochord, aor basis of all the intervals; and when applied in a literary sense it served to designate those writings which were to be distinguished from all others by the elegance and excellence of their diction. The Doruphoros of Polycletus was called by this name, and for this reason also the select extracts of many of the ancient Greek authors (Muller, Archaol. D. Kinst, 120, 4; Ruhnkin, Hist. Crit. Orat. Grae.; Quintilian, Inst Theta., 10). To this last acceptation of the world the Canon of the Mass has a thousand claims, for all admit that it is a work of rare worth - in fact, a model of perfection; for which reason, to pass over many others, it used to be formerly written in letters of gold (Martene, De Antiquis Eccl. Rit., p. 34). Many writers, however, say that it is called the Canon because of its unchangeable nature; but to our mind this has never seemed a good reason, nor is it strictly true. The Canon does change on some occasions.

So careful is the Church to prevent innovations from entering into this part of the Mass that she forbids any one to meddle with it under pain of incurring her most severe censures. She will not even permit a correction to be made in it for fear of destroying its antiquity. We shall mention a few cases in point. It is a well-known fact that the Canon terminates at the "Pater noster"; yet we find the word Canon printed in every missal from the first prayer, or "Te igitur," to the end of the Gospel of St. John. This is evidently a printer's blunder; but because it is of a very ancient date the Church has allowed it to stand, and printers to the Holy See are strictly forbidden to change it in printing new missals. A still more striking instance is the following: As far back as the year 1815, when devotion to St. Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin and foster-father of our Divine Lord, was making rapid headway, the Sacred Congregation of Rites was earnestly besought to grant permission to add the name of this venerable patriarch to this part of the Mass, one of the reasons assigned for making the request being that many persons had a particular devotion to him. The request ws not granted, the reply to the petition being negative; and this was denominated a response urbis et orbis - that is, one binding in Rome and everywhere else.

Out of the great respect that is due to this most solemn portion of the Mass, as well as to secure the utmost recollection on the part of the priest and people, it has been customary from time immemorial to recite it throughout in secret. Another reason, too, that is often given for this laudable practice is that the sacred words may be kept from becoming too common - a thing which could hardly be avoided if they were read in a tone audible to all; for, inasmuch as the Canon seldom changes, the same words would be heard upon every occasion, and in process of time thoughtless persons would have committed them to memory, and perhaps might use them in common parlance, to the great disedification of our holy religion, (For a very low misapplication of the sacred words of institution, which originally took rise in the way we are speaking of, the reader is referred to Disraeli's "Amenities of Literature,")

A very singular story touching the silence observed in reciting the Canon is related in the "Spiritual Meadow," a book written about the year 630 by a holy recluse named John Moschus. The book received the encomiums of the Fathers of the seventh General Council, held at Nicaea in 787, and it therefore carries some authority with it. It is therein stated that a party of boys guarding flocks in Apamea, Greece, took it in to their heads one day to while away a portion of their time by going through the ceremonies of Mass. One acted as celebrant, another as deacon, and a third as subdeacon. All went along pleasantly, as the story relates, until he who personated the celebrant pronounced the sacred words of consecration, when suddenly a ball of fire, rapid and fierce as a meteor, fell down from heaven, and so stunned the boys that they fell prostrate on the ground. When this singular occurrence was afterwards related to the bishop of the place, he went to examine the spot, and, having learned all the particulars of the case, caused a church to be built thereon to commemorate so remarkable an event. From this circumstance, it is said, the Church derives her custom of reciting the Canon in secret. Be this as it may, the ablest liturgical writers maintain that the Canon has been recited in secret from its very institution (Romsee, IV. P. 175).

Non-Catholic people would fain have it believed that "saint-worship," as they term the holy practice, is entirely confined to the Church of Rome and has no place at all in the churches of the East; but evidence too strong to be rejected, or even called in question, proves that such is not the case; that the Eastern Church as well as the Western believes, confesses, and practices the doctrine that the saints of God, as such, ought to be revered, venerated and invoked.

Return to Top

Return to the  Melkite Eparchy Main Page