Early Church History 20

Hymns, Tombs and Holy Mass

Psalms, Col 3:16, Luke 1:46 Magnificat, Luke 1:68 Benedictus, Luke 2:14 Gloria, Luke 2:29 Nunc Dimittis

The Phos Hilaron: (around 200 A.D.)

Serene light of the Holy Glory/ Of the Father Everlasting/ Jesus Christ/ Having come to the setting of the sun,/ and seeing the evening light/ we praise the Father and the Son/ and the Holy Spirit of God./ It behooveth to praise Thee/ At all times with holy songs,/ Son of God, who hast given life,/ Therefore the world glorifieth Thee.

1905  Rendel Harris: Odes of Solomon

1830 Autun, France: Inscription of Pectorius.

Cardinal Pitra and Giovanni Batista de Rossi

ΙΧΘΥΣ  Thou the divine child of the heavenly fish/ Keep pure thy soul among the mortals/ Because thou receiveth the immortal/ Fountain of divine water/ Refresh thy soul, friend, with the ever-flowing water of wealth-giving wisdom.

May she rest peacefully, my mother/ So I pray to Thee, Thou light of the dead./ Aschandius, my father, my heart's beloved,/ With my sweet mother and my brothers/ In the peace of the Fish remember thy Pectorius.

JESUS = ZESUS

VIVIT = BIBET

STABILIS = STAVILIS

montanarius, "fossores," elephantarius, secretary to the praefectus vigilum, secretary to the praefectus urbi, 404 A. D. vestitor imperatoris.

217: To Marcus Aurelius Prosenes, freedman of two emperor ... appointed by the divine Commodus to administer his barracks."  (Prosenes was taken up to God on xxx in the consulship of  Praesens and Ertricatus ... receptus ad Deum)

"Your soul rests in God. Pray for your sister."

"Januaria, enjoy your happiness and pray for us."

"Atticus, sleep in peace. Thy salvation is secure; but be mindful of us and pray for our sins."

Hippolytus (Dominus cum omnibus vobis/ Et cum spiritu tuo/ Sursum corda vestra/ Habemus ad Dominum/ Gratias agamus Domini -- Dignum et justum)

"Abite in pace," later "Ita, missa est"

Didascalia Apostolorum, at Dura Europos in Syria

Pope Cornelius' 251 letter: "46 priests, 7 deacons, 7 sub-deacons, 42 acolytes, 52 others, exorcists, lectors, porters."

Olive oil lamps (Acts 20:8), sacred vessels, patens, chalices, liturgical books.

Sunday Liturgy is the source and summit of Christian life

Priest Saturninus in 303 at Abitina, Africa

Lector Emeritus' house.  Proconsul: You should not have opened your house for this. Emeritus: I could not, for we could not continue to exist without the Lord's feast.

Tarsicius "carrying the sacrament of Christ.  When the raging mob demanded that he show it to them, he chose to yield up his life under their blows rather than betray the heavenly members to the rabid hounds." Pope Damasus.

Serapion, the old Alexandrian.

I Corinthians 11: 27 - 32 This means that whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily sins against the body and blood of the Lord.  A man should examine himself first; only then should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  He who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks a judgment on himself.

KRIMA = KRINO = KATAKRINO

"a small bit of the Eucharist." Viaticum