Friends,

I've noticed over the years that there is, to me, a striking difference between many Roman and Byzantine prayers, most notably so in the Holy Mass/Divine Liturgy.

In the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, there are numerous prayers (almost all exclusively to the Blessed Virgin) to the saints, invoking their intercession. In the Roman Mass, both Ancient and New, though many saints are continuously mentioned, it is rare for them to be directly invoked. One striking exception is obviously the Confiteor, where the people ask the "Blessed Mary ever Virgin, Blessed Michael the Archangel, Blessed John the Baptist, the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the Angels and you..." to intercede to God.

Now this is curious to me since East and West both equally believe in the intercession of the saints; and of course there are very prominent Western liturgical texts such as most of the major litanies which are directed directly to the saints. So I guess the more I think about it, my question centers more around the Liturgy itself: why does there seem to be only one instance in the Roman Mass where numerous saints are expressly invoked to intercede, whereas the exact opposite is true for the Divine Liturgy (i.e., saints are invoked a bit more, but it's almost always just one Saint: the Mother of God)?

Interesting difference, anyway.

Alexis

Alexis,

I do not know the answer to your excellent question. The classic example of the direct invocation of the saints' intercession is the Theotokion. There is nothing comparable to that in the Roman liturgy, although the ancient canon mentions numerous saints by name. Perhaps some other reader can shed some light on this.

It is also very evident in the Propers of the day; it seems that on a saint's feast in the Byzantine liturgy that saint is often directly invoked, whereas in the Roman Rite the prayer, mentioning the saints' and his/her holy attributes or deeds, is directed to God, not necessarily through the saint.

Alexis

Dear Friends,

There was a local Roman Council at some point in history that decreed that only God the Father may be addressed through our Lord Jesus Christ at the Altar (Per Jesum Christum Dominum Nostrum and presumeably meaning during the Mass). That is why there is no direct invocation of Saints in the Latin Rite.

The commemoration of Saints in the collects and other prayers is a valid and historic way of invoking them too, even though they are not directly invoked.

The Byzantine tradition has, as Roman liturgists I've studied in the past have affirmed (sometimes with criticism), emphasized the entire Holy Trinity in its prayers of the Liturgy, the "social conception of the Deity" as Fr. Jungmann wrote. This spills over into the social conception of the Communion of Saints and all those who have been deified in Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Since God is present in the Saints and they are the Temple of the Most Holy Spirit, we invoke them throughout because to do so is to honour the God Who lives in them and Who works His Theosis in them as a result of their participation in the Body of Christ.

Mr. Eugene Ivankiw of Sts Vladimir and Olha UGC parish in Chicago once wrote (in that parish's excellent "Visnyk") that Eastern services to Saints are truly "Divine services" since we honour God the Lord in them.

We honour God the Holy Trinity, the Most Holy Mother of God and all His Angels and Saints by and in the Divine Liturgy because the "Immanent and Incarnate God" OLGS Jesus Christ became Man and became one with us in our salvation and divinization by means of the Holy Spirit.

Alex

Alex,

That tidbit about a local Roman council is interesting. What a strange regulation. Anyway, it seems the Roman Rite itself doesn't follow such a restraint, since as I quoted above one can see in the Confiteor that the Theotokos, John the Baptist, and other saints and angels are directly invoked, to pray to God for us.

Alexis

Dear Alexis,

Technically, it is not a direct invocation to the Saints and is part of a larger prayer to God.

So it meets the criteria established by the Roman Church for her own Rite.

Alex

Indeed. Reading through all the prayers of the old Roman Mass, link, should further clarify invoking saints (and angels; see re: incensation), prayers to the Trinity and the Communion of Saints.

What was that Roman council?

Isn't the Confiteor just informing God (...and my rendition is in very informal language): "God, we're also asking these saints: _______ to pray for us as well."

Alexis

The Confiteor (see especially, "Therefore...")

I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the Saints, and to you brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly, in thought, word and deed: through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the Saints, and you brethren, to pray to the Lord our God for me.

And Litany_of_Saints.

From link



Also, what was that Roman council?

I don't know, but will have to do some research to find out - it was part of a discussion at a lecture here some years back and I didn't write the info down.

Also, the references to the saints above in the Roman rite are still indirect and not direct invocations.

The Litany of the Saints is used at Baptisms and other devotions.

I'm a bit busy today, but give me some time.

Alex