സീറോ മലബാർ സഭയിലെ ദുഃഖവെള്ളി ആചരണം (Description of Friday of the Passion of Our Lord in the East Syriac Tradition)
Friday of the Passion of Our Lord in the East Syriac Tradition
The second day of Paschal Triduum is the Great Saturday, which begins with the Ramsa on Passion Friday evening. The Great Saturday in the East Syriac liturgy is characterized by two celebrations, the first being the commemoration of the Death and Burial of our Lord and the second the usual nocturnal vigil. The first begins with Ramsa of Great Saturday, which in fact on the Passion Friday evening. The characteristic elements of solemn Ramsa are the Liturgy of the Word, the Procession of the Sleeva to the Sanctuary after the Gospel proclamation and the Rite of Funeral during the Onita d-Basaliqe.
Both the editions of the liturgical text of Hudra give the following rubrics: And at the completion of the Ewangelion [Gospel Proclamation] they bend (marknin) the Sleeva towards the Bishop and he removes the tunic (kottina) from it and covers it up with a neat shroud and entrusts it to the presbyter (kasisa) and he [the presbyter] carries it together with the Ewangelion [Gospel Book] to the sanctuary (madbha) and place it on the altar: The base of the Sleeva, and the veil, they take to the sacristy [ Breviarium, 375-376; Hudra, 500-501].
The Gospel proclamation, the passage taken from Luke, Mathew and John, is an anamnetic proclamation of the Passion and Death of Jesus, the true Messiah. The extra ordinary liturgical rite of removal of tunic from the Sleeva erected on the bema, then its covering with a neat shroud, the following procession to the sanctuary and finally the solemn deposition on the altar are the mimetic celebrations of the saving Death and Burial of Jesus.
The rite of the removal of the tunic from the Sleeva and covering it with a shroud symbolizes the removing of Christ’s body from the Cross and preparing it for burial. The table on the bema being traditionally understood as the symbol of Golgotha and the altar as the sepulchre, such a procession with the Sleeva from the bema to the sanctuary and its solemn deposition on the altar are the symbolic celebrations of the funeral procession of Jesus’ body from Gagulta to the sepulchre and the burial of our Lord at the sepulchre.
The final characteristic rite of this evening service is held in connection with the traditional procession (Onita d-Basaliqe), which forms part of festal Ramsa. Today’s processional anthem is characterized by a special “Rite of Funeral” and by the presence of a long Anthem (Onyata) with the title Alam (For ever). Both the editions of the liturgical text presuppose the special “Rite of Funeral” and give only minimum indication about the existence of such a rite through the phrase: “and all come to the portico (estawa)”. This particular procession has three stages: first, at the completion of the proclamation of the gospel there comes the preparation of the crucified Christ (Sleeva) for the funeral and the procession of the Sleeva, together with the Ewangelion, to the sanctuary and place it on the Altar. Second, when the processional anthem of the day is sung (Alam) the body of the crucified Christ (Sleeva) is taken in procession from sanctuary to the portico of the church. On the way to the portico the liturgical assembly pays its final homage to the body of the Saviour (Sleeva). Finally, there takes place the procession symbolizing the farewell of the crucified Saviour, a rite that has resemblance with the procession formed during the funeral of bishops, priests and deacons in the East Syriac tradition. In conclusion of the procession, the body of Christ (Sleeva) is taken to the sanctuary where the funeral rite is concluded.
Further details of this funeral rite are seen in the work of V. Pathikulangara: Qyamta w-Hayye w-Hudata. The rite is administered in three different stages. First, after the proclamation of the Gospel the Sleeva on the bema is brought to the Bishop, he removes the kottina from the Sleeva, covers it with a neat white shroud and entrusts it to the Archdeacon or a priest. He carries it in procession together with the Ewangelion to the Sanctuary and lays them both on the altar. Second, when the choir begins the Basaliqe, the Bishop together with the ministers goes up to the Sanctuary. He removes the white shroud from the Sleeva on the altar and then washes it using a little water. The Sleeva being the symbol of the body of Jesus, this washing symbolizes the purification of the dead body before burial. Then the Bishop incenses the Sleeva, symbolizes the purification and covering of the body of Jesus with aromatic spices before its burial (Jn 19,40). After incensing the Sleeva, he brings it in procession to the nave of the church that it may be kissed by everybody in the community. After kissing the Sleeva, they taste a little bitter drink. This bitter drink is prepared with bitter herbs and the water used for washing the Sleeva. The mixing of bitter herbs with the water used for washing the Sleeva and the tasting of the bitter drink is a symbol of actual participation in the bitterest suffering and death of Christ on the Sleeva. Finally, when everybody has finished kissing the Sleeva, the Bishop with his ministers makes a procession carrying the Sleeva, exactly as it is done during the burial of priests and bishops. First, the Sleeva is brought to the altar and the head of it is made to touch the altar three times. Then it is brought to the door on the north side and is made to touch the door. Similarly, it is brought in procession to the doors of the south and west sides and made to touch it. Once the farewell rite is over, the procession proceeds to the Sanctuary for the concluding rites of the funeral. At the altar the Bishop covers the Sleeva again with the white shroud and places it behind or beneath the altar.
According to Varghese Pathikulangara, this detailed explanation of the liturgical actions is not given in the Hudra or in some other liturgical books. Bedjan just mentions the existence of such a procession. But these informations are gathered from Rev. Fr. Placid J. Podipara (1899-1985). According to Podipara, very often only certain hints are given in the liturgical books with regard to many liturgical actions. It may be noted that the tasting of the bitter herbs prepared mixing with the water used for washing the Cross must not be in the Breviarium and Hudra since it is an Indian local custom as noted by Pathikulangara. He notes that among the Chaldeo-Indians there is a social custom to taste the water of a tender coconut after the burial of their nearest relatives. In many places their Hindu neighbours also observe this custom. In Christian burials it is the priest who blesses the coconut water. A similar rite is followed for the funeral of priests (kahna), namely bishops, priests and deacons.
This procession on Passion Friday, conducted during the Onita d-Basaliqe of Saturday Ramsa, can be interpreted as the Rite of Death and Burial of the crucified Christ. In the Onita d-Basaliqe the shaking of the earth, the disappearance of the sun, the tearing of the veil of the Jerusalem temple and the resurrection of the dead from their sepulchres, etc occurred at the death of Christ are narrated. There are 44 beautiful strophes more; all begin with the word “et’ir” (rise up), which is a unique composition in the whole of Christian liturgical tradition. When they reach the portico, all sit and sing the long onita. This procession and the following oniyata seem to be for the veneration of the Sleeva by kissing it. In this long onita all the dead ones are invited to ‘rise up’, beginning from Adam, then the patriarchs, the prophets and all the just ones are remembered one by one, in connection with the death of Christ, who grants life and resurrection to all before and after him. The death of Christ is presented as the decisive moment of a new life for the entire creation.
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