The celebrant says that of St. James, or its shorter variant form;[1] possibly, on rare occasions, one or two of the others may be said. But most apparently slumber unused in manuscripts. Since the 15th century, as Syriac more and more became a dead language to most Jacobites, there has been a great invasion of Arabic in their liturgy. Now the lessons, the Lord's Prayer, many pro-anaphoral prayers and hymns are in Arabic, written sometimes in Karshuni.[2]
The order of St. James's liturgy (in its Jacobite form) is this: The celebrant and deacon say preparatory prayers, vest, prepare the altar and lay the bread[3] and wine on it. Then comes the offertory of the gifts; they are veiled. The Liturgy of the Catechumens begins with a sedrâ ("order"). This is a very common form of prayer in this rite. It consists (in theory) of a fixed framework (normally verses of a psalm) interspersed with short changeable prayers, much as our Invitatorium at Matins. It always has an introduction (prumyun, (
Greek characters)). But often the framework is left out. The sedrâ is always said at the altar by the celebrant, while the deacon swings the thurible. Then comes a general incensing, with prayers. The lessons follow. There are four, from the Old Testament, Acts (or a Catholic Epistle), St. Paul, the Gospel. Between each is a Prokeimenon or Gradual, while the celebrant in a low voice says a prayer. Before the second lesson comes the Trisagion with the Monophysite clause (p. 190); before the Gospel Haleluyâ thrice with a verse, while they make the Little Entrance.[4] There is now no dismissal of Catechumens.[5] The Liturgy of the Faithful begins with a sedrâ (prayers of the faithful)[6] and incensing; the creed
1 Renaudot, ii. 126-132.
2 There is no mystery about Karshuni. It is simply Arabic written in Syriac letters, as Jews write Yiddish in Hebrew letters. It began by Syrians hearing and talking Arabic, but not being able to write it. Now it has become a tradition among Jacobites, Uniate Syrians and Maronites.
3 The bread is leavened, mixed with salt and oil, and with a portion of old "holy leaven," as among the Nestorians (p. 150).
4 Bar Ṣalībi (Latin version of Labourt, ed. cit.), 46.
5 Bar Ṣalībi knows an elaborate dismissal of catechumens, energumens, penitents (ib. 47-48). This still exists in Renaudot's version: ii. 10.
