Qurbana Qadisha (Holy Offering) a.k.a. the Divine Liturgy or Mass
Hadrian Mar Elijah Bar Israel
In Aramaic the term "Holy Offering" is said "Qurbana Qadisha". This is the service that in English is often called either the "Mass" or the "Divine Liturgy". It has taken eighteen years of work by scholars of both liturgics and the Aramaic language, to put together a version of the Holy Offering which truly represents the ancient teachings of the Church and the Holy Scriptures. It represents both the Didache, which was a partial description of the divine service, the earliest manuscripts of the Anaphora of Addai and Mari, and a number of other ancient texts, which outline the ancient liturgical practice of the Holy Church of the first two centuries.
It was by the divine command of Meshicha (Christ/Messiah) Himself, that we enter into union
with Him, and that we are called to partake as members of his Mystical body. Following His
Ascension into Shamaya (Heaven), Meshicha continues His work of salvation, and of making
holy His Divine body (the Nazaranayin) through the sacred mysteries. In the Nazarani tradition,
the Qurbana (Sacrifice/Oblation) is seen as the pivotal mystery toward around which all other
mysteries revolve.
Qurbana is thus the very pinnacle of Sacred Initiation by which we become Talmidin (Disciples)
of Meshicha. Ahmada (Baptism) and Meshichtha (Chrismation) enable the members to receive the
Holy Sacrifice. It is by this Holy Sacrifice that we enter into mystical union with the entire
body of Meshicha throughout the ages, and the world. Meshicha Himself established the foundation
of the mystery of the Holy Sacrifice by telling his followers that He Himself truly is: “The
bread that came down from heaven”. This statement astounded all who heard it. Some immediately
recognized Him as the Meshicha that had been prophesied. Others thought Him to be one of the
Nabiyoun (Prophets). And still others rejected and followed Him only to find fault in His
teaching, which they could use as cause for His ultimate arrest and crucifixion. They would
mockingly request that He perform a miracle by calling to mind the descent of Manna from heaven
upon their forefathers in the wilderness. In response to their statements, "Jesus said unto them,
very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father
Who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world " (Yuchanan 6:32-33). He then made a groundbreaking statement: "I
am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will
never be thirsty" (Yuchanan 6:35). In response, “Then the Jews began to complain about Him
because He said: “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” (Yuchanan 6:41). Even His own
disciples inquired of each other saying: " how can He give us his body to eat?" In response,
Meshicha stated: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no
life in you. Those who eat My flesh and drink My blood have eternal life and I will raise them
up on the last day; for My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. Those who eat My flesh
and drink My blood abide in Me, and I in them” (Yuchanan 6:53-56). For our great teacher and master
in faith, Mar Aphrim Al Suryi (306 A.D. - 373 A.D.), these sacred mysteries in no way submit to logic
or analysis by the faculties of thought, even to the very followers of Meshicha Himself. Here we see
Illaha (God) not only entering a fleshly vessel, but becoming the very Lakhma (bread) which man consumes.
The entire Nazarani rite is sung rather than chanted or spoken. While any musical style can be used to
express it, the original tunes are actually quite old and have a tremendous history behind them. They
are for the most part ancient Syriac / Aramaic 'beth gazo', which were adapted by the Christian Malayali
people of Kerala, India, to be used with their own Malayalam language. Upon the invasion of the Portuguese
in the 16th Century, these same songs were retained but given new, more Catholic lyrics. When the Malayali
communities moved to Canada, the United States and other diaspora countries, these same songs began to
be sung in English, and it is that beautiful English adaptation which is now used in the Nazarani Rite.
You can view each section and listen to recordings by clicking each heading below:
- Service of Dyeing [MP3]
- Holy Art Thou O God
- Blessed Be the Lord
- Glory be Unto Thee O God [MP3]
- Our Father
- Greetings Mary
- Call to Worship RECORD
- Beseaching RECORD
- Gloria [MP3]
- Awaken Us O Lord [MP3]
- Angelic Petition [MP3]
- In Oblations & In Prayers [MP3]
- See the Royal Daughter [MP3]
- Offering Incense [MP3]
- Thou Whose Praise [MP3]
- Peace the Bright Archangel [MP3]
- Like A Ship Did Mary [MP3]
- By Thy Cross O Jesus Lord [MP3]
- The Righteous Shall Prosper [MP3]
- O Saint Thomas [MP3]
- Plead for Us Ye Holy [MP3]
- O Mar Thoma [MP3]
- Behold the Time of Prayer [MP3]
- Praise We the Father [MP3]
- Our Lord & Our God [MP3]
- Psalm
- The Chosen Apostles [MP3]
- The Reading from the Acts [MP3] RE-RECORD
- Paul the Blessed Saint [MP3]
- Offer Him Sacrifices of Praise [MP3]
- Grant Us O Lord God [MP3]
- Gospel Preface [MP3]
- Have Mercy Upon Us [MP3]
- Regular Hymn After the Gospel
- Blessed Are Those Servants Good [MP3]
- As Doth a Father [MP3]
- They Who Served [MP3]
- May Departed Ones Recieve [MP3]
- Son of God Who by Thy Death [MP3]
- Have Thou Mercy Upon Us [MP3]
- By Thy Mother's Ernest Prayers [MP3]
- Washing the Hands
- Blessing the Vestments
- Blessing the Urara
- Psalm 30
- Psalm 93
- Vesting of the Prelate
- Taking Up the Cross
- Conclusion
- Make Ready O Bethlehem [MP3]
- Prayer Before the Preparation
- Mixing the Cup
- Psalm
- We Trust in the One God [MP3]
- Peace Be With Us [MP3]
- For Regular Days
- For Feasts of the Lord
- Beseaching
- The Memorial
- Canon
- Gehantha [MP3]
- Offering Incense [MP3]
- Canon for Feasts
- May the Grace of Our Lord [MP3]
- Our Father
- Greetings Mary
- Holy Father Full of Compassion [MP3]
- Prayer for Sundays
- Prayer for Regular Days
- Post Communion Prayers
- Dismissal Canon
RSHMA
Prior to the service proper, the Qadish is sung, and then the RSHMA is conducted. The Rshma is the traditional cleansing which occurs prior to the celebration of the divine liturgy, whereas everyone who will celebrate and receive communion first bathes themselves in the ancient ceremony of "dyeing", of putting on a new 'cloth' and renewing their vows and covenants to God.
QADISH