follows. The celebrant washes his hands and prays for whom he will. Then come the kiss of peace and "prayer of the veil" (as he unveils the oblata). The Anaphora begins by the deacon crying out: "Stand we fairly."[1] The people answer: "Mercies, peace, a sacrifice of praise." The celebrant gives a blessing (in the words of 2 Cor. xiii. 14). R.: "And with thy spirit." Celebrant: "The minds and hearts of all of us be on high." R.: "They are with the Lord our God." Celebrant: "Let us give thanks to the Lord with fear and worship with trembling." R.: "It is meet and right." Celebrant (in a low voice):[2] "It is very meet, right, fitting, and our bounden duty to praise thee, to bless thee, to celebrate thee, to worship thee, to give thanks to thee, the creator of every creature, visible and invisible" (aloud)[3] "whom the heavens and the heavens of heavens praise and all the hosts of them, the sun and the moon and all the choir of the stars, the earth and the sea and all that is in them, the heavenly Jerusalem, the Church of the first-born who are written in heaven ..." So he comes to the angels; the people take up the Sanctus, to which they add "Benedictus," etc., as in our Mass. Now, almost at once, follow the words of institution, said aloud (to which the people answer Amen), the Anamnesis and Epiklesis (also aloud, answered by Amen). A long Intercession follows, in the characteristic Antiochene place. The deacon prays in litany form for the Church, patriarch, metropolitan, for the clergy and people, kings and princes, he remembers "her who is to be called blessed and glorified of all generations of the earth, holy and blessed and ever virgin, Mother of God, Mary," and other saints; he prays for the dead. To each clause the people say, "Kurye elaisun"; meanwhile the celebrant prays to the same effect, ending each division of his prayer aloud. There is a blessing, then the Fraction, during which the deacon sums up
2 Syr.: ghântâ (lit. "inclination"), is the rubric for prayers said in a low voice by the celebrant as he bows down (= (
Greek characters)).
3 Syr.: tlīthâ (lit. "erect"), means a prayer said aloud by the celebrant, standing erect (= (Greek characters)).
