In Christianity, there are many concepts that are very difficult for an ordinary person to make out. So, trying to figure out what anaphora is, many people confuse it with a similar pronunciation in the word "anathema." But these are completely different words that differ radically and in meaning. So what is anaphora? What are its features?
What is anaphora?
This term refers to a special type of prayer, which is also called "Eucharistic". From ancient Greek "anaphora" is translated as "exaltation". In fact, this is part of the liturgy among Christians, which occupies a central place in action. It is one of the oldest and is the most important among the rest of the prayers. During anaphora, the transubstantiation or conversion of wine and bread into the Blood and Body of Christ is carried out.
The main parts of anaphora
You can understand what anaphora is only if you understand its general features. Why common? Because it has a variety of Christian liturgical rites. But at the same time, common parts can be distinguished in all of them.
The first part is an introductory dialogue, which consists of the cries of the priest, as well as the answers of the people. The second part - prefection, that is, the introduction - is the initial prayer, which contains thanksgiving to God and glorification. As a rule, it is an appeal to the Father God and usually precedes sanctus through the remembrance of the ministry of saints and the angelic ministry. Sanctus is the third part, which is the anthem "Holy, holy ...". "Confusion and Anamnesis" - the fourth part of the anaphora is a recollection of the Last Supper, in which the secret words of Christ and recollections of the economy of salvation are pronounced. The fifth part - epiklesis - is an invocation to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit or another prayer that contains a petition that the gifts be sanctified. Intercession is the next step in anaphora. It says prayers, intercessions for all the dead and living, the Church and for the whole world. At the same time, the Virgin Mary and all the saints are remembered in her.
Types of anaphora in Christian and other divine services
Doxology is the final part of the praise. This is what Anafora is and what it consists of. Different Anaphora may contain a different order of these parts. So, if we prefix the prefix with the letter P, sanctus with S, anamnesis with A, epiclesis with E, and intercession with J, then different anaphora can be divided into the following formulas:
- Alexandrian or Coptic - PJSAE.
- Armenian - PSAEJ.
- Chaldean (East Syrian) - PSAJE.
- Roman anaphora can be distinguished in two versions - PSEJAJ and PSEJAEJ. The first contains two intercessions, and the second contains the second involved epiclesis. However, anaphore forum can give a better definition.
A bit of history
Scientists attribute the earliest anaphora to the second or third century, although there is an assumption that it was already used by the first Christians in worship. At first, her words were not recorded, but over time, the best of anaphora were selected. In the Latin liturgy, apart from the traditional Roman anaphora, there was also the second of the tradition of Hippolytus of Rome, the West Syrian and the anaphora of St. Basil the Great. Western anaphora have great variability, which directly depends on the festival, day of the week and other factors. Therefore, anaphora has a definition only in general terms.