Jack KHALIL - A Textual-Critical Study and Interpretation of the Liturgical Response Ἔλεον εἰρήνης, θυσίαν αἰνέσεως

Jack KHALIL

Rt. Rev. Dean of “St John of Damascus” Institute of Theology, University of Balamand, Tripoli, Lebanon

Abstract:

The study examines Ἔλεον εἰρήνης, θυσίαν αἰνέσεως, the liturgical response when the deacon calls for attention at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer (otherwise known as the Anaphora) in the light of the biblical usage, so as to confirm that the reading “mercy of peace, sacrifice of praise” is the original and correct reading. After having examined the oldest and most representative Euchology manuscripts of BAS and CHR, we have a look at the witness of JAS, the official Eucharistic formulary of the Church of Jerusalem. We also aim to show that a difficulty in understanding both the syntax of the original reading and its theological meaning persuaded certain copyists to make slight modifications, so as to simplify the meaning of the expression and avoid any ambiguity.

Keywords:

Liturgy, Eucharist, Euchology, manuscripts, syntax, meaning

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