Hey! As I'm writing this, I'm listening to a live webcast of the Divine Liturgy from a Greek Orthodox church for the feast of Saint Savvas. Every so often when they offer services during the week I will listen happily. One thing I've noticed, however, is that many of the prayers, including the Eucharistic prayers, are said in a whisper. In the Syrian rite, we have silent prayers, but the priest says these alone at certain times, like when he kneels at the altar commemorating the living and the dead, or during the Orders of Aaron and Melchizedek, etc. But silent prayers seem to be used in this church for many important (at least to me) parts of the Liturgy. Why is this (I assume this is a Byzantine thing...if it's a cultural thing, let me know)? What is the benefit of reciting these prayers (some aren't being sung either, which I thought was how all Eastern Churches "did" Liturgy) silently, and then singing the end of the prayers, that you couldn't have when saying them or singing them for all to hear?

Thanks!

Dear Catholicos,

Since I am supposed to be a relativist, it's all the same to me . . .

If you think I'm pouting, yup, yer right . . .

I too am singing very low right now. I think I'll stay off the Forum until I get my composure.

Whew! Now I know what you Oriental Orthodox had to put up with in your dealings with Byzantines and Romans!

Alex

Mor Ephrem,
I don't know about the Byzantine Church but in the ancient Latin/Roman liturgy the entire eucharistic prayer/canon which includes the words of consecration are said in a low voice or whisper. This is done because of the greatness and mystery of Christ's eucharistic sacrifice. I would assume that the Byzantine Church uses a low voice for the same reason.

[ 12-05-2001: Message edited by: Laus Tibi, Christe. ]

Slava Jesu Kristu,

I beleive that saying the prayer and then singing the end came about for time reasons. It takes less time for a priest to say a prayer silently and then intone the end for the cantors to pick-up then to chant or even recite the entire prayer audibley. At one point, I was also taught that because of the sacredness of the invocations, certain prayers are said quietly. Whether this is due to culture or theology or both, I do not know.

Mir s toboy
D

Thanks for all the replies (so far, I hope there are more). I too have learned the idea of saying prayers in a whisper due to their solemnity through my limited knowledge about the old Latin Mass. I guess I could've accepted it for Latin practices, though I wouldn't prefer it. But I thought that the East had a greater emphasis on the priesthood of the faithful that would make silent prayers (such as the Eucharistic prayer, and not the private prayers proper to the priest) kinda redundant or not necessary and/or not relevant.

I can understand the need for keeping things timely, but this particular liturgy that I listened to from start to finish took only fifty-five minutes or so, and from my (admittedly amateur) familiarity with Byzantine texts, nothing except a sermon was omitted...a weekday Holy Qurbana in our Church, using all the shortest options there are, still takes about an hour and fifteen minutes. So I would guess (perhaps I'm wrong) that the Byzantine Liturgy, in substance, is shorter than the Syrian Liturgy to begin with. I fear I may have gone on a tangent...oh boy...hehe