6th Hour of Friday

With this office, I've concluded 6/7 days of office translation project. There are only 6 offices left before the project is completed.

This particular office is a beautiful look into the Syriac theology of the cross, as was discussed particularly in this post about the qolo.

Happy Feast of St. George!

I wish all my blog readers a happy feast! Mor Gewargis (St. George) is a big feast for many in the world, the people of Middle East included. In honor of Mor Gewargis, I've translated and transliterated the concluding bo'otho for sootoro of his office (from the fenqitho).

Lilyo of Friday

Here is the Lilyo of Friday.

Another [Lilyo] office with the interesting watch for departed priests. Once I get the opportunity, I'll translate the choir version of the optional watches for departed and the optional watch for monks.

Sootoro of Friday

What is stressed in this office is the reality of those things that are unseen - primarily the efficacy of prayer and the harm of demons contrary to the ideas of modernity.

Happy Easter!

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter. Let us remember and celebrate the living-giving passion and glorious resurrection of our Lord all the moments of our lives.

Friday Ramsho

Friday Ramsho is, as most Ramsho offices, concerned with judgment, the eschaton and obtaining mercy. The particular bit I would like to focus on, however, is the mazmooro which does not directly deal with the main theme of judgment.

3rd and 6th Hours of Thursday

I have just completed the minor offices of Thursday. They're posted below and on the 'Office Texts' page for access as usual.

For access to the 3rd Hour, click here.

For access to the 6th Hour, click here.

Our Lord, accept our service, our prayers, come to our aid and have mercy on us!

6th Hour of Wednesday

This is the last office needing to be translated for Sunday-Wednesday, which the total of translated pages to a total of about 220 typed pages.

The bo'oto of this office is the particular item I would like to highlight.

3rd Hour of Wednesday

Drawing to a conclusion the offices for Wednesday, this is the office text for the 3rd hour. While brief, it has some interesting imagery.

The Use of Psalms in the Maronite Tradition

It seems the usage of Psalms in the Maronite tradition is a point of confusion. Often people ask if we have something analogous to the Byzantine kathisma for a systematic recitation of the Psalms. Since this seems to be a question that I am asked pretty frequently, for general edification I shall repost a response of mine below particularly relating to the offices.

Wednesday Safro

Like all the offices, the time it refers to in the day is not limited only to the temporal circumstances of that literal day but to the greater eschatological context. In particular, I refer to a very commonly used image in Syriac tradition - the Lord as the master of the vineyard who hires laborers at different hours of the day and pays everyone equally.

Lilyo of Wednesday

With the completion of this office, by the grace of God, my total translation of the Shhimtho is about 200 pages complete (around 75,000 words).

More specifically about this office, it has a few interesting particularities about it, ranging from its title to its content.

Wednesday Ramsho and Sootoro

A belated blessed feast of Denho (Epiphany) to all my blog readers. Nothing new, but I've been a bit busy. This post contains the links for Wednesday's ramsho and sootoro that I finished quite a while ago but never got the chance to post.

Ramsho of Shmooni

This is probably the last office from the Fenqitho I will probably post here. I chose Shmooni's Ramsho because she is a very important saint in Syriac tradition for she, "went first on the path of martyrdom for the sake of the Abrahamic faith." I could write an extensive commentary, but rather than do that I think the office speaks for itself.

Qolo from Tuesday Lilyo

The latest installment I have is the first qolo of Tuesday Lilyo. As with most night offices, it has a particularly eschatological/soteriological feeling. Once again, empathetic of merciful God of the Syriacs, the opening verse is a group of the repentant sinners from Scripture comforting the singer of the qolo. In each of their case, the mercy of God is affirmed.

Tuesday Sootoro

I've made good progress by posting two offices in the last weekend. This office of Tuesday's Sootoro, like most evening offices, is very reflective on Judgment and the eschatological typology between night/the end and morning/the second coming.

Sooghito from Tuesday Ramsho

This Sooghito centers around the parable alluded to in the Qolo discussed in this post, found in Matthew 20: 1-16. Little sympathy is found for the jealous servant, despite the fact he works all day.

Qolo from Ramsho of Tuesday

So I've gotten a long enough respite today to translate the second Qolo from the Ramsho of Tuesday. It is a beautiful praise to God and plea to God for mercy on judgment - which is, again as I've said many times before, a very common element of Syro-Maronite liturgy.

Expansion of Qolo

Different versions of the Shhimtho add and subtract to various parts. The 1890 Shhimtho had an extended part of the very well known L'Maryam Yoldat Aloho, whose fourth verse is used in Maronite liturgy 'til today.

Sooghito from the Safro of the Assumption

I've been making good headway with the Safro of the Assumption and I'm more than halfway complete. Although the sooghito of an office are generally 22 short lines they are the perfect introduction to the hoosoyo because they provide an apt summary for the theological context and importance of what is being celebrate, which is then fully explained in the hoosoyo.