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Glory to Jesus Christ!

I'm looking to obtain a copy of the Chaldean Liturgy and Daily Office books. I've been on their website, and they have the liturgy there, but offer no books for purchase. I would also like to obtain their Daily Office book. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

God bless
Dan

Dear Dan,

The Chaldean Daily Office was reformed, as Fr. Taft writes, and I don't know if it is available in English.

Their variable horological portions are in a massive volume called the "Khudra" and there are other books as well.

It was Dr. Arthur Maclean who published an English translation of the Assyrian Daily Office in 1894 in his "East Syrian Daily Offices."

This book is out of print and is usually available in good libraries. Sometimes the odd copy surfaces for sale on the internet.

I've read this book and it is an excellent, readable translation.

Dr. Maclean presents an analysis of the Assyrian offices with a comparison of how the Chaldean Catholic Church has (slightly) altered the text.

Instead of "Mother of Christ," "Mother of God" is used by the Chaldeans. Of course, the sparse references to the "Greek Doctors" or Nestorius, Theodore of Mopsuestia and Diodore of Tarsus are ommitted and replaced with other East Syrian Saints.

There are the four basic offices of the Evening Service, Compline, the Night Service and the Morning Service.

The Assyrian books recommend "seven hours of prayer" for priests, monks and good laymen, but the three day hours seem to have been lost, except for Sext during Lent.

Compline also seems to have become obsolete, except for great feastdays.

The Morning Service is unchangeable by way of text. The Evening Service has two different texts that alternate every two weeks.

The Night Service is lengthy, usually involving the recitation of seven "Hulali" or "Kathismata" of the Psalter each night. The Chaldeans changed this to three "Hulali" per day to get through the Psalter once, rather than twice, each week. On feast days, the entire Psalter is read.

The Assyrian Psalter is fascinating, and is similar to our Psalter divisions except that it has 21 rather than 20 "Hulali" or Kathismata.

Each Hulala is divided into one, two or three "Marmyatha" or Stases.

There are short prayers following each "Marmitha" (singular).

Wide use is also made of "farcings" or brief Psalm-prayers based on the life of Christ that are repeated after the first and last verses of each Psalm.

Fr. Taft notes that when the Assyrians still had their monasteries in tact, they celebrated seven full offices daily. They would recite three Hulali at each office so as to do the entire Psalter each day. Something similar occurs in the Alexandrian tradition when the Psalms of Prime and the Midnight Hour are not sung, but 30 Psalms are recited for each of the five intervening Hours.

The very rich and ancient horological tradition of the Assyrian-Chaldean Church is one that deserves to be made available in the English language!

Alex

[ 08-28-2002: Message edited by: Orthodox Catholic ]

Thank you, Alex, for the wonderful in-depth reply. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled when surfing the net. Who knows, a copy may surface. Have a super day & God bless!!

Dan

I think that I may have found a source for your
EAST SYRIAN DAILY OFFICES. Gorgias Press plans
to publish a reprint of the 1894 edition at
$23.80. You may contact them through:

http://www.gorgiaspress.com

For a copy of the Chaldean Catholic Liturgy,
contact the Chaldean Chaldean Church headquarters
in Detroit at:

http://www.chaldeandiocese.org

I was able to obtain a copy of their Liturgy in
English by calling the Church office.

Finally, for future reference, the best website
to find used copies of older books is:

http://www.bookfinder.com

I have found many valuable hard-to-find Eastern
Catholic books through their listings.

Good luck.

Glory to Jesus Christ!!


Dear Polish Catholic,

Thanks very much for the info. I did "pre-order" the Office book from the website you posted. On Tues, I'll call the Chancery and ask about a Liturgy book. Also, can't wait to explore the bookfinder.com website. What can you say-- I'm a "bookworm"
God bless you & greetings to beautiful Cleveland (I have a cousin there, and I lived there for two years-- I LOVED it!!!)
Dan

Dear Polish Catholic,

I've placed my pre-order too - thank you!

Alex