The Filioque is a phrase added to the Nicene Creed in Western Christianity. The original text of the Nicene Creed (really, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed) states that the Holy Spirit is “τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον,” “the One out of the Father proceeding.” In the currently-used Latin text, it is stated that the Holy Spirit is “Qui ex Patre Filioque procedit,” “Who out of the Father and the Son proceeds.” Originally, the Latin did not have the “and the Son” (Filioque); the phrase appeared in other creeds beginning around the 5th century, and it began to be added to the Nicene Creed in the 8th century. It was added to combat a heresy related to Arianism that had sprung up in the West, especially among the Goths, a heresy that denied the consubstantiality of all three Persons of the Trinity. The phrase also fit in with the Latin theological tradition and the way it discussed the Holy Spirit’s relation to the Father and the Son. In the East, however, the theological tradition discussed this relation differently; not only that, but when the Filioque was translated into Greek, it became a heretical statement. In the Greek, the word for “proceeding” in the Nicene Creed connotes a relation of origin or causality, while the Latin word has a broader meaning; thus, if the Filioque is added to the Greek text, it states that the Holy Spirit has His origin and cause in both the Father and the Son separately, a belief that is heretical and has never been accepted in the West either. The East thus thought that the West was denying the monarchy of the Father, that is, the doctrine that the Father is the origin and source of the other two Persons of the Trinity. The West, though, was really trying to highlight the consubstantiality of the Persons. Due to these linguistic issues and the growing tension between the West and East for various reasons, this misunderstanding and difference of theological expression became a key issue, as each side saw the other as teaching heresy. The truth of the matter is that many of the basic doctrines are the same in both the West and the East, though the nuances are still debatable: the Father is the ultimate cause and primordial source of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is consubstantial with both the Father and the Son, all operations of the Trinity are the work of all three Persons, and the Holy Spirit is sent to mankind in time through the Son. Because of the possibility of misunderstanding and the respect for the differing theological expressions, the Catholic Church recognizes that the Filioque cannot be added to the Greek text of the Nicene Creed, and She does not force Eastern Christians to use it even in translations, although She admits its use among Western Christians. All of the theological issues are still not resolved, but much work has been done to heal the past wounds, and work to reconcile the two theological traditions is still being done.
Showing posts with label bipulmonary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bipulmonary. Show all posts
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Sunday, April 22, 2012
The Rosary and the Komboskini
Each Wednesday during the school year, I pray a Rosary with a spiritual brotherhood I am a member of, a Rosary that is often prayed during a procession led by an icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa. This past week, as I prayed with my rosary in my right hand and my komboskini around my left wrist, I thought of the sublime combination of traditions.
On one hand, we were praying the Rosary, the traditional Marian prayer revealed to St. Dominic. With this prayer, we fervently beseeched the intercession of Our Lady, the Mother of God, as we meditated upon the mysteries of the life of Our Lord. On the other hand (quite literally), my komboskini wrapped around my wrist reminded me to constantly remember Jesus Christ and to pray unceasingly the Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. The Rosary is a traditional devotion of the Western Church, and the Jesus Prayer prayed on a komboskini is a traditional devotion of the Eastern Church. To lead these prayers, an icon from Poland was processed, and, as my girlfriend's father remarked, Poland can be seen as a geographical point of connection between the Western and Eastern Churches (he mentioned this in connection to the devotion to Divine Mercy of St. Faustina Kowalska, which he sees as being a great tool for the reuniting of the two lungs of the Church).
Thus, in this one time of prayer, traditions from both lungs of the Church were used to lead me deeper into prayer. I see a brilliant complementarity between the rosary in one hand and the komboskini in the other: with the one, we ask the intercession of the Theotokos as we meditate on the mysteries of the life of Our Lord, and, with the other, we unceasingly keep the name of Jesus Christ in our hearts, minds, and souls, as we continually ask Him for mercy. With the one we beseech the Mother, and with the other we beseech the Son. The use of komboskini also helps me see the Christocentrism present in the Rosary, for I often have a difficulty with Marian prayers being too about Mary with little connection to the Lord. With the komboskini unceasingly reminding me of Jesus Christ, though, I am able to pray the Rosary with greater fervor and devotion.
This personal example just shows one more way how the use of both lungs of the Church can lead us deeper into devotion to the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord for His great gift of the two lungs of the Church!
St. Dominic, pray for us!
Text ©2012 Brandon P. Otto. Licensed via CC BY-NC. Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the author.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Why Should I Care About Byzantine Psalmody?
Χριστος ανεστι! It is well-known that the Second Vatican Council declared that Gregorian chant is "specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services" (SC 116). This does not mean that other types of music are completely banned from the liturgy (as some, including myself at times, try to claim), but it does mean that there is no place for completely doing away with Gregorian chant.
Why is Gregorian chant so suited to the liturgy? For one, it was specifically created for the liturgy. Its original purpose is for the glorification of God through the divine rites. It is a music set apart. Second, it keeps the liturgical texts prominent. The chant involves simple music which serves to highlight the text rather than hiding it in auditory flourishes. This is keeping with Pope St. Pius X's description of sacred music: "Since its principal office is to clothe with suitable melody the liturgical text proposed for the understanding of the faithful, its proper aim is to add greater efficacy to the text" (TlS 1). Third, it involves melodies which can be easily passed on and learned by many, even those without extensive musical training.
The one catch about Gregorian chant having pride of place is that it has it only in the Roman liturgy. Then what holds pride of place in the liturgies of the other rites? Their own liturgical chants. One such chant is Byzantine psalmody.
This sacred, liturgical music has many names: psalmody, psaltic music, Byzantine chant, ecclesiastical music. In order to show its Eastern origin and a common name for it, I have decided to use the term Byzantine psalmody to describe this music.
Why should one study this Eastern music rather than solely Gregorian chant? My answer is simple: so the Church may become more bipulmonary, breathing more and more with both lungs of the Church, the East and the West (according to the image of Pope Bl. John Paul II). Not only that, but Ven. Pope Pius XII specifically endorsed the chants of the Eastern Church. "Among the oldest and most outstanding monuments of sacred music," the Holy Father wrote, "the liturgical chants of the different eastern rites hold a highly important place" (MSe 52). These chants of the Eastern Church are part of the great treasures held by Oriental Christianity, treasures "which must be guarded and defended to prevent not only their complete disappearance, but also any partial loss or distortion" (MSe 51).
Byzantine psalmody also shares the reasons Gregorian chant has for its being suitable for the liturgy. First, it is a sacred music, set apart for the liturgy from its origins. Second, it is dedicated to enhancing the liturgical texts. As Rev. Fr. Nicholas K. Apostola wrote in the introduction to a text on Byzantine psalmody, "The music is there to serve the words; the words do not serve the music...The words of the hymn are the means by which we contemplate God, pray to God, and learn about God. The music is but a 'skin,' if you will, surrounding the words of the hymn" (GMEOC xiii). Third, many of the melodies of Byzantine psalmody are easy to teach many and to picked up on by even the untrained in music.
The one caveat with this third characteristic, for both Gregorian chant and Byzantine psalmody, is that, in addition to many simple melodies the untrained can easily grasp, there are more complex chants that are part of the tradition which involve more extensive training for singers to grasp. That is the main reason for this series of posts which I will be embarking on: to give some training in Byzantine psalmody so that the more difficult chants to not disappear from the tradition or remain unknown in the West. I do not claim to be an expert in any respect on Byzantine psalmody: I have merely studied a number of books on the subject and attempted to distill some of the main aspects of the notation and method. If I make any mistakes during this endeavour, please let me know.
In conclusion, my goal of this series is this: to open up to more Christians of the Western Church the sublime treasures of Byzantine psalmody. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for reading, and God Bless.
St. Ephraim, Harp of the Holy Spirit, pray for us!
Pope St. Gregory the Great, pray for us!
Nota Bene: The three reasons for Gregorian chant's suitability to the liturgy are derived by me from Church documents, though an explicit listing of three reasons is not found in any of them, to my knowledge: that set of criteria was compiled by me, and I take responsibility for any failing in these criteria. The abbreviations, along with other information, can be found at the base page for this series.
Why is Gregorian chant so suited to the liturgy? For one, it was specifically created for the liturgy. Its original purpose is for the glorification of God through the divine rites. It is a music set apart. Second, it keeps the liturgical texts prominent. The chant involves simple music which serves to highlight the text rather than hiding it in auditory flourishes. This is keeping with Pope St. Pius X's description of sacred music: "Since its principal office is to clothe with suitable melody the liturgical text proposed for the understanding of the faithful, its proper aim is to add greater efficacy to the text" (TlS 1). Third, it involves melodies which can be easily passed on and learned by many, even those without extensive musical training.
The one catch about Gregorian chant having pride of place is that it has it only in the Roman liturgy. Then what holds pride of place in the liturgies of the other rites? Their own liturgical chants. One such chant is Byzantine psalmody.
This sacred, liturgical music has many names: psalmody, psaltic music, Byzantine chant, ecclesiastical music. In order to show its Eastern origin and a common name for it, I have decided to use the term Byzantine psalmody to describe this music.
Why should one study this Eastern music rather than solely Gregorian chant? My answer is simple: so the Church may become more bipulmonary, breathing more and more with both lungs of the Church, the East and the West (according to the image of Pope Bl. John Paul II). Not only that, but Ven. Pope Pius XII specifically endorsed the chants of the Eastern Church. "Among the oldest and most outstanding monuments of sacred music," the Holy Father wrote, "the liturgical chants of the different eastern rites hold a highly important place" (MSe 52). These chants of the Eastern Church are part of the great treasures held by Oriental Christianity, treasures "which must be guarded and defended to prevent not only their complete disappearance, but also any partial loss or distortion" (MSe 51).
Byzantine psalmody also shares the reasons Gregorian chant has for its being suitable for the liturgy. First, it is a sacred music, set apart for the liturgy from its origins. Second, it is dedicated to enhancing the liturgical texts. As Rev. Fr. Nicholas K. Apostola wrote in the introduction to a text on Byzantine psalmody, "The music is there to serve the words; the words do not serve the music...The words of the hymn are the means by which we contemplate God, pray to God, and learn about God. The music is but a 'skin,' if you will, surrounding the words of the hymn" (GMEOC xiii). Third, many of the melodies of Byzantine psalmody are easy to teach many and to picked up on by even the untrained in music.
The one caveat with this third characteristic, for both Gregorian chant and Byzantine psalmody, is that, in addition to many simple melodies the untrained can easily grasp, there are more complex chants that are part of the tradition which involve more extensive training for singers to grasp. That is the main reason for this series of posts which I will be embarking on: to give some training in Byzantine psalmody so that the more difficult chants to not disappear from the tradition or remain unknown in the West. I do not claim to be an expert in any respect on Byzantine psalmody: I have merely studied a number of books on the subject and attempted to distill some of the main aspects of the notation and method. If I make any mistakes during this endeavour, please let me know.
In conclusion, my goal of this series is this: to open up to more Christians of the Western Church the sublime treasures of Byzantine psalmody. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for reading, and God Bless.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.
St. Ephraim, Harp of the Holy Spirit, pray for us!
Pope St. Gregory the Great, pray for us!
Nota Bene: The three reasons for Gregorian chant's suitability to the liturgy are derived by me from Church documents, though an explicit listing of three reasons is not found in any of them, to my knowledge: that set of criteria was compiled by me, and I take responsibility for any failing in these criteria. The abbreviations, along with other information, can be found at the base page for this series.
Text ©2012 Brandon P. Otto. Licensed via CC BY-NC. Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the author.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
A Bipulmonary Spiritual Classic
Dom Lorenzo Scupoli, C.R.'s Il combattimento spirituale (The Spiritual Combat) is one of the classic works of Catholic spirituality regarding spiritual warfare. The author was a member of the Congregation of Clerks Regular of the Divine Providence, better known as the Theatines, who lived between 1530 and 1610, publishing this work, his most famous, in 1589. For centuries, this work has been an ascetic classic in the Western Church: one great devotee of the work was St. Francis de Sales, a Doctor of the Church, who carried it in his pocket for 20 years.
The work's popularity did not stop in the Western Church, though: it migrated to the East, making this classic one revered by both lungs of the Church, West and East. Nicodemus the Hagiorite (Hagiorite means "of the Holy Mountain," that is, Mount Athos in Greece), a Greek Orthodox saint of the 18th century, came across this text and was enamored by it. Seeing its potential for spiritual growth among the Orthodox, he translated the work into Greek without revealing its origins, while altering a few sections and including notes with copious quotes and examples from both the Scriptures and the Eastern Fathers. Nicodemus' rendition, entitled Αορατος Πολεμος (Unseen Warfare), became a spiritual classic in the Greek East as well, especially among the monks of Mount Athos, where Nicodemus lived.
The spread of this work was not complete in Greece, though, for there was another major land it would head to: Russia. Bishop Theophan the Recluse, a famous 19th century Russian monk and saint of the Russian Orthodox Church, found Nicodemus' rendition of Scupoli's work, and he made his own changes to it as he translated it into Russian (among these changes, he reduced the bipulmonary nature of Nicodemus' rendition: while the Greek left Scupoli's many Western references, while adding Eastern ones, the Russian removed the West almost completely, leaving the work almost thoroughly Easternized).
Scupoli's work thus gives an example of the way the Western and Eastern churches are connected. This work (particularly in Nicodemus' rendition) breathes with both lungs of the Church: it takes its basis from the West while adding the ancient traditions of the East. If only more spiritual classics could cross the barriers between Rome, Constantinople, and Moscow! If only we would be enriched with not just the wonderful treasures of the West--St. Benedict, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux, Bl. Pope John Paul II the Great--but also the countless ancient gems of the East--St. John Climacus, St. Isaac the Syrian, St. Barsanuphius, St. Makarios, St. Maximos, St. Ephrem, St. Basil, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Symeon the New Theologian. I hope that in the future, the two halves of the Church may be reunited so that the Church will once again be able to breathe with both lungs, as Bl. Pope John Paul II said.
Below are a few quotes from Theophan's rendition of the work: I hope you find them spiritually fruitful, and if so, thank the Lord and his work through these writers. I am just a channel of their wisdom, passing it on undisturbed from them to you.
I hope you found this post fruitful: if so, thank the Lord, not me. Thank you for reading this work of a sinner, and God Bless.
St. Cajetan, founder of the Theatines, pray for us!
Nota Bene: Information for this post came from Wikipedia (Lorenzo Scupoli, Theatines), Prof. H.A. Hodges' Introduction to Unseen Warfare (see it on Google Books here), and Catholic catechumen. The quotes come from Bishop Theophan the Recluse's revision of Nicodemus the Hagiorite's edition of Dom Lorenzo Scupoli's The Spiritual Combat, published as Unseen Warfare by St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, translated from the Russian by E. Kadloubovsky and G.E.H. Palmer.
The work's popularity did not stop in the Western Church, though: it migrated to the East, making this classic one revered by both lungs of the Church, West and East. Nicodemus the Hagiorite (Hagiorite means "of the Holy Mountain," that is, Mount Athos in Greece), a Greek Orthodox saint of the 18th century, came across this text and was enamored by it. Seeing its potential for spiritual growth among the Orthodox, he translated the work into Greek without revealing its origins, while altering a few sections and including notes with copious quotes and examples from both the Scriptures and the Eastern Fathers. Nicodemus' rendition, entitled Αορατος Πολεμος (Unseen Warfare), became a spiritual classic in the Greek East as well, especially among the monks of Mount Athos, where Nicodemus lived.
The spread of this work was not complete in Greece, though, for there was another major land it would head to: Russia. Bishop Theophan the Recluse, a famous 19th century Russian monk and saint of the Russian Orthodox Church, found Nicodemus' rendition of Scupoli's work, and he made his own changes to it as he translated it into Russian (among these changes, he reduced the bipulmonary nature of Nicodemus' rendition: while the Greek left Scupoli's many Western references, while adding Eastern ones, the Russian removed the West almost completely, leaving the work almost thoroughly Easternized).
Scupoli's work thus gives an example of the way the Western and Eastern churches are connected. This work (particularly in Nicodemus' rendition) breathes with both lungs of the Church: it takes its basis from the West while adding the ancient traditions of the East. If only more spiritual classics could cross the barriers between Rome, Constantinople, and Moscow! If only we would be enriched with not just the wonderful treasures of the West--St. Benedict, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux, Bl. Pope John Paul II the Great--but also the countless ancient gems of the East--St. John Climacus, St. Isaac the Syrian, St. Barsanuphius, St. Makarios, St. Maximos, St. Ephrem, St. Basil, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Symeon the New Theologian. I hope that in the future, the two halves of the Church may be reunited so that the Church will once again be able to breathe with both lungs, as Bl. Pope John Paul II said.
Below are a few quotes from Theophan's rendition of the work: I hope you find them spiritually fruitful, and if so, thank the Lord and his work through these writers. I am just a channel of their wisdom, passing it on undisturbed from them to you.
"If you really desire to be victorious in this unseen warfare and be rewarded with a crown, you must plant in your heart the following four dispositions and spiritual activities, as it were arming yourself with invisible weapons, the most trustworthy and unconquerable of all, namely: (a) never rely on yourself in anything; (b) bear always in your heart a perfect and all-daring trust in God alone; (c) strive without ceasing; and (d) remain constantly in prayer" (I.1).
"Always sincerely dispose yourself to keep nothing but God's pleasure in view" (I.10).
"Holy Virgin, do not let me yield to the enemies and be vanquished by them. O my guardian Angel, cover me with your wings against enemy arrows, and with your sword strike them down and cut them off from me" (I.14).
"When you are occupied with reading the word of God, have in mind that God is secretly present beneath every word, and take these words as issuing from His divine lips" (I.23).
"In spiritual warfare, by prayer you put your battle-axes in God's hand, that He should fight your enemies and overcome them" (I.46).
"Full and real prayer is when praying words and praying thoughts are combined with praying feelings" (I.47).
"Your heart, beloved, is made by God for the sole purpose of loving Him alone and of serving as a dwelling for Him" (II.14).
"The key, which opens the mysterious treasure-house of spiritual gifts of knowledge and Divine love, is humility, renunciation of self and surrendering oneself to God at all times and in every action" (II.20).
I hope you found this post fruitful: if so, thank the Lord, not me. Thank you for reading this work of a sinner, and God Bless.
St. Cajetan, founder of the Theatines, pray for us!
Nota Bene: Information for this post came from Wikipedia (Lorenzo Scupoli, Theatines), Prof. H.A. Hodges' Introduction to Unseen Warfare (see it on Google Books here), and Catholic catechumen. The quotes come from Bishop Theophan the Recluse's revision of Nicodemus the Hagiorite's edition of Dom Lorenzo Scupoli's The Spiritual Combat, published as Unseen Warfare by St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, translated from the Russian by E. Kadloubovsky and G.E.H. Palmer.
Text ©2012 Brandon P. Otto. Licensed via CC BY-NC. Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the author.
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