The beauty of liturgy is not based on a few actions the priest performs or a few response the chanter or reader respond but rather the beauty of liturgy lies within the notion of living out liturgy. When the travelers sent to Constantinople by St. Vladimir came back to report to there general they had summed up the liturgy as being "we saw heaven on earth". Now imagine that, people who to our modern definition would be atheists were able to conclude after going to there first liturgy that they said it was heaven on earth. Truly the liturgy is heaven on earth but in our modern times sometimes this message is forgotten. The following video discusses the matter of a decadent liturgy and the consequences that follow if a decadent liturgy is the viewpoint we would have on the liturgy. The maker of the video is David Withun. David makes clear points about liturgy using Father Alexander Schmemann as his modern source:
The picture at the beginning of this post reminded me of something I've always wondered about the Coptic liturgy. Your article "Orthodoxy is Orthodoxy: Vestments of the Priest" shows that the Coptic rite has all the vestments corresponding to those of the other rites. However, apart from the photograph in that article, the only time I've seen most of them actually used is in the recent selection and enthronement of your new Pope. Why is it that I see so many examples of priests wearing only the tonia and taylassan, as seen in this photograph?
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog avidly, by the way; I have learned much here.
Great question as I am still asking this question myself on a daily basis. Even from parish to parish you will see priests wearing the stole (Epitrachelion) and some who dont. I am not sure to be quite honest why that is. It seems like many priests might not be informed but I have a hard time believing that. As far as I no there are priests who have begun to be fully vested. I just recently saw a photo of Patriarch Tawadros being fully vested. Maybe this will show the clergy that being fully vested is important to the preparation of celebrating the liturgy. If you have any ideas please share. Pray for me.
ReplyDeleteSo this isn't allowed? I can't imagine why a priest would deliberately refuse to wear vestments, and I especially can't imagine this happening on such a large scale in Orthodoxy. How long has this been going on?
ReplyDeleteI hesitate to offer ideas, because my church --that of Rome-- is undoubtedly different. However, we also have issues with priests taking a relaxed attitude to the liturgy. I think the only thing that will work is promotion of proper respect for liturgy at all levels, both towards the laity, among those priests who take it seriously, and from the top down (which is why the use of full vestments by Patriarch Tawadros gives me hope). As you are in seminary, I think you are, or at least will be, particularly well placed to work towards greater respect for the liturgy.
I do not believe it is not about allowed or not. Well I think this might be because the Coptic vestment as they are the same worn in Greek and Russian churches has been a modern reform into our church. This is my theory so I could be wrong. Back in the mid 1850s pope Cyril the 4th also known as the father of reform wanted to unite with the Greek Church so many things were adopted like Greek in the liturgy and I assume the vestments were also adopted but I could be wrong. Hence why this is a very modern inception. After him though the other patriarchs took a back seat you can say until Pope Cyril the 6th who pushed heavily these reforms yet again and carried by the late Pope Shenouda and it seems like it is being pushed by Pope Tawadros. I agree with you that education and promotion of proper respect for liturgy is much needed amongst the laity beginning with the priests and servants within the church. Believe me when I say that if liturgy is not lived out then liturgy can never be proper weather in the life of the world or when celebrating the liturgy with the gathered community. It begins with awareness which leads into respect for the liturgy which will capitulate the beauty and goodness associated with the liturgy.
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